dropping

Kamchatka Project :: Explore to Conserve

2008-11-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

Below is the email my friends and I spammed to all our contacts, launching our latest project:

Dear Friend,

As you know, kayaking has played a huge role in my life. This summer I
have the opportunity to realize a life long dream of using kayaking to make
a difference in the world. Our team of 6 kayakers will travel to Eastern
Siberia to explore and document 3 rivers on the Kamchatka Peninsula. We are
working with the Wild Salmon Center to survey these rivers for protection
by the Russian government. In 2009, the Russian government will make
sweeping designations and we have a unique opportunity to play a role in
this critical process.

The cost of this trip exceedes my personal budget and I am asking for your
support with this project. Your tax deductible donation of $25 or more will
make this trip possible.

To learn more please visit our website: www.kamchatkaproject.org
To donate please visit: www.active.com/donate/kamchatka

Thank you for your support,

President Obama!

2008-11-05T21:12:00.000-08:00

President Obama

More ... including the video of this acceptance speech.

I can say without exaggeration, that I have never been more proud to be a citizen of the United States of America. Here is some video of more proud and jubilant Seattlites on the corner of Pike and Broadway.

My one personal observation from this historical event was that as I woke this morning, I heard two (black) kids on the street corner waiting for their school bus yelling, "Barack Obama! Barack Obama!"

It was just one of the many reports from around the world today that minorities sensed a new sense of pride and opportunity in this country and the world.

Progress ...

Tomorrow

2008-11-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

It has been a long and terrible time since tomorrow mattered as much as it does today.

* * *

Tomorrow is a place of definitions, where change may come and be welcome even in the smallest degree. Tomorrow will see millions upon millions from every national nook and cranny pour forth in celebration of their own lone and lonesome voices.

* * *

What they call change is nothing more than choice. Tomorrow is another choosing, perhaps the greatest of our lives. Something will happen, and afterward, we will know.
Tomorrow has come at last.

Pine Ridge on NPR

2008-11-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

A story about the tribe and reservation I have been working with lately. Although this story (about voting) is not the issues my work deals with (uranium mining).

Enjoy.

An Article and a Video

2008-07-05T10:02:00.000-07:00

First, I have enjoyed the recent trend against bottled water (at least here in Seattle it has especially become the green target). I have never been a fan, and really tried to limit my own consumption except in instances when the convenience just outweighed all other factors. Anyway, this article highlights the real lack of common sense in buying this stuff.

Desalinated seawater from Hawaii, meanwhile, is being sold as "concentrated water" — at $33.50 for a two-ounce bottle. Like any concentrated beverage, it is supposed to be diluted before drinking, except that in this case, that means adding water to ... water.

Also, I have been on the producer of Iraq For Sale's spam list since buying the movie. Most of his subject matter I find a little too partisan and one-sided, but his latest project has been much more interesting and you can see the latest and best interview here. (30-ish minutes long). And in the producer's words:

You are not a progressive until you have seen this interview with Tom Hayden and Naomi Klein.

Not sure that I go that far, but its good.

It's the Environment Stupid

2008-06-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

The obvious environmental impacts of plastic have long motivated me to reduce my plastic consumption. Jen's studies in Naturopathic Medicine, especially Environmental Medicine, have caused a great reduction in the plastics around our house. And this excellent article gives me even more motivation to NOT buy that next whatever that has more plastic in it. After all,

Aren’t disposable razors and foam packing peanuts a poor consolation prize for the destruction of the world’s oceans, not to mention our own bodies and the health of future generations? “If ‘more is better’ and that’s the only mantra we have, we’re doomed,” Moore says, summing it up.

So as,

awareness of just how hard we’ve bitch-slapped the planet is skyrocketing.

Remember to do something this Fall!

Going Bananas, Gone?

2008-06-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

Bananas now represent a special significance in my life. I can actually attribute bananas in a large part to where I am today. Cliche as it may sound, I was literally sitting in a bus, riding across the landscape of Ecuador (in 2000), reading The Ecology of Commerce, and watching thousands of acres of banana plantations go by. All the while these bananas were being sprayed with pesticides by farmworkers wearing only a bandanna for protection. It was at this point I decided I wanted to work in a career that could affect change in today's world. It was also at this point that I became committed to eating locally and organic as often as possible. Eventually, I would meet Jen, we would move to Seattle, she would study Naturopathic Medicine and learn that Bananas are mucogenic. She would eventually convince me to give up bananas in my diet (at least in my purchases). I fought a little, given the convenience and affordability of bananas, but ultimately what they represent in corporate oppression and a huge eco-footprint made the choice easy enough. Now I do not even miss them.

Anyways, that was a long-winded way of saying that I found this recent article in the Seattle PI particularly interesting ... and of course, I recommend it!

Five Words

2008-05-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

Patagonia's The Cleanest Line, one of my favorite blogs, has a recent post I think is worth archiving and keeping an eye on as I think the comments will be great.

Check it out.

A Couple Videos About Biking

2008-04-04T09:21:00.000-07:00

Revelstoke, BC

2008-03-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to record a few useful links from out recent trip up there. The occasion was to celebrate me finishing the bar, and Jen's Birthday which was the first day of the bar exam, and thus, was not properly celebrated.

We stayed in town at Revelstoke Lodge, which was nice as far as motels go and cheap - $80 for a queen size bed.

We spotted this place and wish we could have stayed there. Its a little pricier, but would be nice ... especially with another couple.

The Mountain is amazing ... can't wait to go back.

I want change!

2008-02-11T20:04:00.000-08:00

Having fun in college

2007-11-27T09:13:00.000-08:00

Biking onto campus this morning I was stopped by an elder lady who needed directions. After sorting out where she needed to go, she thanked me and offered this:

You know I went to college once. I took my time; it was eight years before I received my degree. But I only took one class per quarter ... it sure was fun!

She then wished me a fun experience through college.

Jen's Graduation Surprise

2007-11-20T10:02:00.000-08:00

I have been a little quite on this blog of late. So, while this is old news, I wanted to get it up here for posterity and its pretty funny. Thanks again, Yoko and Tara for making Jen's graduation special, especially since I couldn't make it. Enjoy.

First Amendment Law meets Yoga

2007-11-20T07:31:00.000-08:00

The Law, at least in our society, is almost omnipresent across all topical areas; however, it is a rare event in my studies when the Law makes references to YOGA - one of my newer favorite pastimes. Well, I guess this isn't yoga exactly, but rather Yoga's predominent language that is mentioned when judge is discussing whether computer code should be treated as Speech for purposes of the first amendment.

If someone chose to write a novel entirely in computer object code by using strings of 1's and 0's for each letter of each word, the resulting work would be no different for constitutional purposes than if it had been written in English. The "object code" version would be incomprehensible to readers outside the programming community (and tedious to read even for most within the community), but it would be no more incomprehensible than a work written in SANSKRIT for those unversed in that language.

Universal City Studios v. Eric Corley, 273 F.3d 429 (2nd Cir.2001).

Working on my profile photo ...

2007-10-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

Time for a Vacation

2007-07-08T21:26:00.001-07:00

For the next month, I will be in Peru on the VACATION TO HELL, attempting to kayak the Rio Huallaga. For details and updates on our trip, go HERE: www.huallaga.irvacationtohell.com

Spain Wrap-Up

2007-07-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have been trying to sum up my recent study-abroad trip to Madrid, Spain for friends, family and memory's sake. I am getting tired of typing and explaining, so I'm gonna let the photos do most of the talking at this point. Feel free to comment with questions if you are curious. Also, there are several other posts about Spain below this post, so keep scrolling down until you get bored ... (or I think you can click "Spain" in the labels to get all the posts. Cheers.

El Escorial

2007-07-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

This turned out to be my favorite day trip (and I guess my only single-day trip) from Madrid. But it sounded better than the other day trips my friends took. So its the best as far as I am concerned. And for any would-be Madrid tourists, I am not the biggest fan of sight-seeing for the sake of sight-seeing, but these sites turned out to be very cool and well worth the time and money to see them ... in my opinion!

The Monastery were most of the Spanish Royalty are buried ... and an amazing cathedral inside.

The Tomb Franco had built for the civil war fatalities and he is also buried here.

Its BIG and located in the mountains surrounding Madrid.

My traveling partners for the day ... Martin and Erin!

Bullfighting - Fan or Hater?

2007-07-05T18:57:00.000-07:00

I was very intrigued to learn more about Spanish bullfighting. This interest, which may seem peculiar to some of my friends, stems from my family's participation in Mexican bullfighting. My Aunt Carole was one of the first women to ever bullfight in Mexico, and my Dad and his brothers and sisters used to all go to Mexico for the weekend to watch the fights when they lived in SoCal. Add to that the paintings of both my Dad and my Aunt that hung in our house, watching a bullfight on my first trip to Mexico - Mazatlan - and a unique understanding of human's relationship with animals and killing them, whether it be for food, sport, or art (in this case), since I grew up in a ranching family. But this post will only be a tease, as I want to incorporate more family history for posterity into a more complete story. So stay tuned if you are interested ... otherwise, fear not ... no bloodshed to come for a month or so.

One picture and a short video for a teaser:

A poor performance by the videographer (taken on my still camera, so I forgot that I could not turn the camera to frame the shot ... doh!) But an impressive performance by the Matador and even more so by the horse makes this still worth turning your head to watch:

The Food Culture of Madrid

2007-07-05T18:02:00.001-07:00

Anyone that knows me, knows I love food; and when you travel I find that food is one of the things that leaves the biggest impression ... at least on me. After all, eating is one of those things you do more than most activities, and in Spain it may even dominate sleep in number of hours per day.

Before I traveled to Spain, friend's opinions of the food of Spain ranged from amazing to horrible. One of my absolute favorite restaurants in Seattle is a Spanish Tapas place just down the street from my house, so I was pretty excited for anything that even was of resemblance.

More than the quality or style of food in Madrid, what left the biggest impression upon me was the schedule of how the Spanish people eat and how much meal times dictate the the flow of the day. In the states, we are very accustomed to being able to get a wide variety of food whenever you want it. Not the case in Spain. To illustrate, I'll walk through a typical day of eating in Madrid:

9am :: Madrilenos do not go to bed early, so the day begins late. And breakfast is a rather simple affair. The typical meal in the morning would be a cafe con leche (coffee with milk) - often a mix of hot and cold milk - a croissant, and a glass of orange juice. For more of a gut bomb, one might get churros (fried bread - see below). Eggs are not common for breakfast in Madrid.

Cafe and pastries

Noon :: Hope you aren't hungry, because if the place is a lunch cafe they won't even be open for another hour, and probably not serving for an hour and half. If the place was open for breakfast, you might get lucky with a limited menu and a strange look.

2pm :: Madrilenos like to eat a late lunch, and this is the most important meal of the day. The classic lunch is ordered from the menu del dia (meal of the day). First, a drink (wine, beer or soda - drinking at lunch even as a business person is very common ... no taboo here!) and of course some pan (bread). Then start with a first course - gazapacho being my favorite (cold tomato soup). For the second course, maybe some fish and patatas fritas (french fries), but likely it will be some form of pork. Finally, you get a postre (dessert) or cafe to finish. Or with a smile and a wink to the waitress, both :) My choice: Flan and a cafe cortado (espresso with a little milk on top).

One of my favorite lunch spots:

4pm :: Don't bother the service business ... while the siesta is proclaimed to be dead by many, especially the lawyers in Spain, this time of the day is a time to slow down and prepare for the night.

7pm :: Cana and Tapas time. Cana (Supposed be Canya but I don't know how to put the squiggly on top of the n) is a small beer and the tapa was invented as a small plate of food placed on top of the beer so that people wouldn't drink on an empty stomach. Brilliant! Many places carry this tradition on with a free tapas. The freebies might be olives, potato chips, or even Chorizo or Bocarones (fried spanish anchovies). But the list goes on with just about anything open for Tapas. There couldn't be a better institution than the tapas for seeing a city. Just walk around getting drink and a little food for hours as you take in the sights.

10pm :: Again, a late meal. You are probably not that hungry at this point after many tapas and drinks, so sharing some Paella with a group is common or getting what are called Racions (big tapas). The small peppers where one of my favorites and squid cooked in its own ink was also very good. btw, Spain eats more seafood than any other country per capita. And only 2nd to Japan in total amount.

Paella with my Valencia friends

A little video clip I took from my room around 10pm one night. We would often open the windows (cuz it was hot) to enjoy the street music. I even threw money out the window a few times :) Notice that there isn't an empty seat, even this late on this non-significant street.

1am :: The night isn't even close to being over so maybe a treat to keep you going. Churros con Chocolate:

Well, mix in some school, studying, and some sight-seeing and you get my typical day. I also took full advantage of the siesta to survive this schedule!

Kayaking in Spain

2007-06-08T06:05:00.001-07:00

A quick update ...

The goal last weekend was to try and go kayaking. I left Madrid with only a little direction from a contact I had made via the Internets. That led me to Murillo de Gallego, where I found a very small town with a couple raft company, and therefore, raft guides, extra gear and of course good people.

My Internet friend and now real friend, Leide and Raul, picked me up the next morning and took me to the Pyrenees to the town of Torlo on the Rio Ara and to the Ordesa National Park.

Ordesa

From there, I was handed off to more kayakers from Madrid who took me to Plan (that is the name of the village pictured) and the Rio Cinqueta - The Classic Section - and ultimately, all the way back to my place in Madrid.

It goes without saying that it was hugely successful weekend that I enjoyed thoroughly, especially because I had low expectations for actually pulling all the logistics together with minimal gear and no transport. The Spainish boaters were overly accommodating and thus, I am joining them again for another weekend of fun in the rivers and mountains. I'll post a big trip report soon at www.theRangeLife.com and more general reports from Spain coming soon here as well.

ciao,
Shane

Images from Spain

2007-05-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to motivate and draft a good update, but some photos with brief descriptions will have to suffice for now:

This is the Plaza Mayor in the heart of the city. Madrid is famous for its expansive plazas throughout the city where cafes usually sprawl onto the sidewalk and fill every table during lunch. As you walk through the streets you almost stumble onto this plaza as you enter through arches like this.

A Madrid Garden:
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8bOSDV-7D7o/Rlx6kHZ4UwI/AAAAAAAAAKg/OHzcpJtmboo/s1600-h/IMG_1776.JPG">

A day at the bullfights. Stay tuned for a more PG-13 post on the subject if you care to know more at all.

Another shot of the Plaza Mayor; this one from within. Once you have stumbled in, you are surrounded by buildings like this in all directions and must escape through one of the arches ... somewhat disorienting.

Some high-brow site seeing ... The Royal Palace.

The art museum - Renia Sofia, full of modern art including many works of Picasso and Dali

The famous Museo del Prado

And the also famous ... Milou

Finding a groove

2007-05-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

Today is the fifth day in Spain, and I feel like I am finding my rhythm here. Not sure if there is any significance to the fifth day of a trip, and I think if there were it would only hold relevance to a fairly sustained trip -- I remember on the Grand Canyon (an 18-day trip) the fifth day felt like I settled in. But after the challenges of travel (restlessness and poor sleep on the plane, jet lag, gaining bearings in a new place); the shock of a new culture (smokers in the booth next to you during lunch, businesses that you need closing at 2pm - siesta, miscommunication results in large bill); and the adjustments to new cuisine (first meal is a leg of pork = skin/fat/muscle/bone/veins/more fat and skin, veggie sandwich = wonder bread, some veggies and lots of mayo) I found my self today feeling the groove of daily life in Espana. Waking at about 8am, simple desayunos (breakfast), off to classes (Euro Human Rights, Civil Law, Urban Planning Law), followed by a stroll down one of the many great boulevards of Mardid until I found a cafeteria for almuerzo (lunch) at 2:30pm, Spanish lessons to follow, skipping the siesta today and studying for three horas until a meeting with some classmates at a tapas bar for pre-dinner snacks and some futbol - the Champions Cup (or something similar), Milan won - back home for dinner at 11pm (Spanish dinner time), and then some studying, emails and blogging before falling asleep to more studying. The highlight of the day was a marked improvement in my Spanish skills and confidence, which I am sure helped the rest of the day along. Ok, time for bed. Pictures hopefully in the next post.

Transitions: School - Kayaking - Madrid

2007-05-19T17:20:00.000-07:00

Busy times … the transition from the end of spring semester (exams) to catching up on life and leisure (KAYAYING) to preparations for travel and a study abroad (SPAIN).

I thought about making this post a big catch-up post with everything I have been up to lately, but alas, the to-do list requires a triage sort of approach at this point.

Two links worth noting to those who might be interested are:

THIS ONE, which is an interview of John Stewart by Bill Moyers. I am a fan of both, and this is a great interview. Btw, Moyers is back on PBS with a weekly show … look into the show times in your neck of the woods.

And THIS ONE, which is a pretty good (and uplifting) article by Paul Hawken, who I owe a great deal of my current way of thinking to. His book, The Ecology of Commerce, which I read while traveling through Ecuador, was a transformational book for me and I can definitely say that I would not be in Law school and who know what other ventures had it not been for David Gregory introducing me to that read.

By the way, I’m always curious to know if anyone is clicking on these links and finding this information interesting so feel free to comment as you are so inclined.

Four Years Later - Mission Accomplished?

2007-04-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

The Progression of a Take Home Final

2007-04-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

Before receiving the exam: Complacency - I don't need to outline and cram as much because I will have soooo much extra time to organize and review the material most pertinent to the issues posed on the exam itself.

Receiving the exam: Skipping a beat - You get that gut reaction of nerves, and the reality sets in that the clock has just begun.

The first read: Holy $@*t! - I don't know any of that material, I better starting learning this subject (of course now that the semester is over).

Several hours later: Realization - oh no, I'm not going to be able to learn all of this, I better start typing some of the stuff I know.

Several more hours go by: Panic - I have used the alloted amount of time suggested for the entire exam on the first half of the first question. The typing quickens

The next day: Comparison - How many hours is everybody else dedicating to this? Maybe I should have woken up earlier?

The final push: I don't care any more. I just want to finish it, because this is not my only exam, in fact its only worth 2 stinking credits!

Don't Drive

2007-04-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

$4 Corn

2007-04-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

This ARTICLE on the current rise in the price of Corn (to $4/bushel), which I stumbled upon in my local coffee shop, is well worth the read. I found it particularly interesting as it brings together many of my interests - the environment, agriculture, farming, domestic food production, alternative energies, government subsidies, food security/safety, and the corporate intersection of all of this.

For a tease of the article:

Four-dollar corn. The price probably doesn't mean much to many Fortune readers, certainly not the city slickers who wouldn't know a combine from a planter. But in farm country, $4 corn is more than a big deal. It's a phenomenon. "It's the center of conversation in the center of the country," says Elizabeth Hund, head of agricultural lending for U.S. Bancorp.

In the span of just eight months, the price of the U.S.'s most important crop - our biggest agricultural export as well as the staple feed for our livestock - has doubled from $2, about where it had been stuck since the late 1990s, to $4 a bushel. The cause is soaring demand from ethanol plants, which bought 2.2 billion bushels last year, 34% more than in 2005. Previous price spikes were short-lived and usually caused by drought, but the futures market thinks this rally has legs.

May 2008 corn recently traded at $4.20 a bushel, while December 2010 futures were at $3.74. This means farmers can lock in terrific prices not just for the 2007 crop but for the three after that as well.

Problem is, what's good for farmers - and even better for the companies selling them tractors, seeds, and fertilizer - has started to roil other parts of the economy. The feed costs of cattlemen and hog farmers have skyrocketed. Ethanol producers have seen their profits slashed. Food companies are being squeezed and are starting to pass along higher costs to consumers. (This isn't just a U.S. problem: Mexico is in an uproar over soaring tortilla costs.)

I know people have been quick to point out that this is the hidden evil of alternative fuels, but I don't see it quite that way. This goes to the whole Free Market argument ... when the true cost of farming is realized, the cost of subsidized livestock feed and exported crops will be balanced out my local economies demanding the most efficient use for the resource. Read on to realize just how complicated this issue may become.

Take a moment

2007-04-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

Take a moment & READ THIS. Then take another moment.

peace

I need to hear some simple

2007-04-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

Its been awhile ... and maybe that is why I need to hear some simple so badly. Say what?!

From Patagonia's new in-house blog, THE CLEANEST LINE, I love that name and its underlying meaning by the way ...

Fifteen year-olds scare me to death. I’ve never been cool, and 15 was when my nerdiness fleshed out in all its glorious fullness. And now, the great karmic card dealer has dealt me this hand: I’ll be living with a whole posse of them in the Tetons for the next three weeks.
* * *
This crew—all boys—is LOUD; all loud voices, noisy bodies, clamorous movements. They come from loud places where they have to struggle to hear and to be heard.
* * *

Just trust me on this one, you need to read IT, your gonna love IT, so just click IT.

Eat Food. Not too Much. Mostly Plants

2007-01-31T08:38:00.000-08:00

The title of this post is MICHAEL POLLEN'S boiled down and simplified advice to the ever-complex and often confusing answers to the proverbial question: What should I eat. He explains this and elaborates in the excellent article that recently appeared in the NY Times:

CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY.

I strongly recommend reading this article. For a sneak peak:

Of course it’s also a lot easier to slap a health claim on a box of sugary cereal than on a potato or carrot, with the perverse result that the most healthful foods in the supermarket sit there quietly in the produce section, silent as stroke victims, while a few aisles over, the Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms are screaming about their newfound whole-grain goodness.

“The problem with nutrient-by-nutrient nutrition science,” points out Marion Nestle, the New York University nutritionist, “is that it takes the nutrient out of the context of food, the food out of the context of diet and the diet out of the context of lifestyle.”

Not everyone can afford to eat well in America, which is shameful, but most of us can: Americans spend, on average, less than 10 percent of their income on food, down from 24 percent in 1947, and less than the citizens of any other nation. And those of us who can afford to eat well should. Paying more for food well grown in good soils — whether certified organic or not — will contribute not only to your health (by reducing exposure to pesticides) but also to the health of others who might not themselves be able to afford that sort of food: the people who grow it and the people who live downstream, and downwind, of the farms where it is grown.

If this kind of reading is of interest to you, (and I think it should at least concern everybody, if not fascinate) be sure to check out Pollen's book: OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA

cheers ...

Pillow Lines

2007-01-30T10:52:00.000-08:00

When you look near the upper, right corner of this blog you get a sense of the contents of this particular blog. PILLOW LINES is not whispering sweet nothings to my girlfriend, but rather jargon from the ski/snowboard culture. I am guessing that many people who have looked at this blog do not understand what that means; however, I have not recieved a question on the matter. Maybe nobody looks up there. Well, "Pillow Lines" was my way of saying that there will be posts relating to my skiing exploits.

Recently, my good friend Jonaven Moore - Pro Snowboarder - sent me these pictures, and I realized it was the perfect opportunity to further explain and illustrate to anyone who may not know what a pillo line truely is. These two pictures show the very essence of a pillow line, albeit, a quite large and bold line that happens to be right off the Trans-Canada Highway, adding a certain frogger element to the mix. To add just one more degree of explanation, the unique feature of a pillow line is that it allows you to descend over a large cliff or boulder field using the pillows to check your speed and directionality. Ok, everyone clear now??? In case you don't know, I have started a new blog dedicated strictly to my "on snow" adventures: www.SurfaceHoar.blogspot.com
CHECK IT OUT!

IP update

2007-01-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

This semester I am pusuing a focus in Intelletual Property at full speed. After last semester's IP survery course, I am now taking International IP, Trademark, Trademark Lab, Patent Litigation Lab, IP Audit Lab, and Copyright Law. Professor Townsend-Gard was my IP Survey course instructor and I am excited to be in her course again for Copyright. She is a bundle of energy, talks VERY fast, is never dull. She incorporates several presentations and videos keeping things very current and fun. The latest video is below and is the buzz of copyright law right now illustrating the degree to which we all copy each other's creative works to make more creative works. Enjoy.

I love npr

2007-01-17T19:02:00.000-08:00

Click this. Sit back. Relax. Enjoy a great public radio story.

Record Breaking Storm

2006-12-16T07:24:00.000-08:00

We just survived one of the strongest storms on record in Seattle. Winds recorded over 100mph and rain falling faster than the systems could keep up with it. So far so good around our house as it looks like we escaped with no damage. Scroll down about 4 photos to see the transition of weather of the past few days.

2006-12-16T07:22:00.000-08:00

Then the winds. Trees and power lines are down everywhere. Over 1 million people were left without power in the Puget Sound region. As I write two mornings later, 650,000 people still don't have power, but we got it back last night :)

2006-12-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

Then came the rain! More rain I have ever seen fall at once in Seattle. Their was literally a river running down Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. While I didn't see it, the confluence of Rio MLK and Rio Madison (a few blocks from our house) was quite a scene.

2006-12-16T07:17:00.000-08:00

After some clear weather, a few clouds pushed in revealing this nice walk on Rado's morning walk.

2006-12-16T07:14:00.000-08:00

Some recent high pressure in the NW brought the typical fog that burns off to blue skies. A winter commonality up here.

Law School Final Exams

2006-12-11T07:52:00.000-08:00

Finals began the Monday after Thanksgiving for me this year with an Appellate Oral Argument. I am now entering my third week of exams, and the experience of these exams propelled me to look up a couple quotes from a book I read before entering law school:

Final exams play on a law student’s world like some weirdly orbiting moon. They are always in sight; but while they’re at a distance, they serve merely to create the tensions which swell daily like tides – to read, to keep pace, to understand. As exams draw close, however, in December (and May), their gravitational forces starts to shake the whole place to pieces.

FYI, for those who don't know, the typical law school course has one final exam that determines your entire grade.

It is Monday morning, and when I walk into the central building I can feel my stomach clench. For the next five days I will assume that I am somewhat less intelligent than anyone around me. At most moments I’ll suspect that the privilege I enjoy was conferred as some kind of peculiar hoax. I will be certain that no matter what I do, I will not do it well enough; and when I fail, I know that I will burn with shame. By Friday my nerves will be so brittle from sleeplessness and pressure and intellectual fatigue that I will not be certain I can make it through the day. * * * I am distracted at most times and have difficulty keeping up a conversation, even with my wife. At random instants, I am likely to be stricken with acute feelings of panic, depression, indefinite need and the pep talks and irony I practice on myself only seem to make it worse.
I am a law student in my first year at the law, and there are many moments when I am simply a mess.

-- Scott Turow, ONE L

I am now in my second year. Arguably the hardest semester of the program, and while I do my best to maintian a certain amount of integrity grounded in my life outside of the law, the second to last sentence has rung especially true is days of late.

Constitutional Law - Final Exam

2006-12-08T17:50:00.000-08:00

My take home final reads, in pertinant part:

Describe the model of government or of the legal system that you think our Constitution aims to create, and specify the doctrines of Constitutional law that support your proffered model. Be sure to locate the legal principles you choose to discuss in the document, describe their operation using relevant case law, and articulate the way they contribute to the creation of the democratic order you have in mind.

Due Tuesday. Maximum Six Pages. This will pretty much be consuming my thoughts until then.

2006-12-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

A cool picture I stole from the NYTimes during our rainy November

2006-12-05T19:52:00.000-08:00

Snow in Seattle and Rado's Ghost

2006-11-27T13:12:00.000-08:00

Giving plant to the neighbors.

2006-11-27T13:10:00.000-08:00

Saturday provided a break in the weather and allowed Jen to do some thinning in here garden.

2006-11-27T13:09:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving, we burned off some calories powder skiing at Crystal Mtn. You can learn more about this adventure at www.SurfaceHoar.blogspot.com

2006-11-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 06 - Joining us this year, in addition to Jen's Mom and Aunt Janet, were Jen's friend Olivia and her Mom, "M," and my friend, Todd Gillman.

Install more of these ...

2006-11-07T10:03:00.000-08:00

To any city planners that may be reading, I would like to request more of these:

After toughing it out this week on the bike (we have recieved record rainfalls over the last couple days) and dealing with an angry driver this morning in his big monster truck, I am very anti-car at the moment. Go Bollards!
Thanks for sending me the link, Orion.

More Fun in Intellectual Property Class

2006-10-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

House of Cosby's ... ever heard of it. I hadn't, but I guess it is/was pretty popular. Here is the first episode which will give you the gist:

See the full series (episodes #1-4) HERE

Do you think this should be illegal? Bill Cosby does/did. But see the response from House of Cosby Fans (not the original producer) in the above link (episode #5). Warning: not for sensitive eyes or ears.

Loving Seattle Right Now

2006-10-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

This spring and summer I was really missing life in a small town--specifically a mountain town. But at the very moment I am digging life in Seattle. Partly because Fall in Seattle is out of control. I don't even the remember the last time I saw a cloud, besides some morning patchy fog, which always burns off to incredibly sunny days and crisp, clear nights. And the Fall colors are spectacular. But what has motivated me to write is the city's music scene, which I rarely take advantage of. However, today, while running errands I decided to pop into ballard and catch some live music hosted by the local public radio station, KEXP. I just watched a band I have never heard of, CSS - a great Brazilian art-indie band worth checking out, and now I'm grabbing an afternoon mocha while I wait for Micheal Franti.

cheers

Fun in Intellectual Property Class

2006-10-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

My IP class is by far my most fun course of the semester. We are constantly listening to music, watching movies, surfing the web and examining other forms of pop culture and how they relate to trademarks, copyrights, and patents - the backbone of Intellectual Property Law.

This is an area of law I have taken a particular interest in as of recently. This interest is especially sparked in regards to the public interest as it relates to issues within this field. We had a guest speaker today, COLETTE VOGELE, who specializes in podcasting.

She began with this VIDEO.

What do you think? Do you think that should be illegal????

Here are some other resources if your interest is piqued.
A NonProfit Center at Stanford with lots of info if you dig a little
A free book and related topics

2006-10-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

A picture for Mom.

2006-10-10T16:22:00.000-07:00

Bryan and Lise-Anne's Wedding at Skookumchuck, BC over the last weekend in September. They are good friends of mine who live in Squamish, BC.

2006-10-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

Dr. Dan. He founded and runs the clinic in East Timor where she has volunteered for the last two years. According to Jen, he is amazing and gives every waking moment to this clinic and the community.

2006-10-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

Jen's best friends in East Timor ... the two little girls she lives with.

2006-10-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

Jen's East Timor Family

Brasil

2006-08-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this is a long time coming. If you didn't know I went to Brasil this spring/summer for a study abroad program. Since coming home, I have been trying to fly pretty low under the radar. Those I have been in contact with have all asked about the trip and wanted stories, and to some degree I have dropped the ball by not sending out a more inclusive trip report so here it is. However, with school lurking right around the corner this will be somewhat abbreviated as my to-do list is not short right now. But I always tell people that ask about the trip that you will get better stories if you ask specific questions, so if I pique your interest give me a call or shoot me an email and you can learn more.

If you just want to see pictures, skip all this writing and scroll down to the pictures below.

I took two classes while I was there--Comparative Environmental Law: Urban Issues and Environmental Health & Policy. Obviously these classes were of specific interest to me. In addition, Brasil has long piqued my interest, especially since staring down the Amazon from its headwaters in Equador. This program was also sponsored by Seattle U Law School and the timing worked out well to make this trip ideal for my summer. Finally I wanted to get exposed to some Portuguese as East Timor--where Jen went last summer and will go again shortly--uses it as their official language.

The course was in Rio de Janeiro for 4 weeks, including one 4-day field trip to Paraty--a well preserved colonial fishing village with well preserved Atlantic Rainforest nearby. A group of us also traveled to Buzious--a beautiful fishing village and resort town--for the weekend. But for almost 5 weeks, I was basically living in Rio, within the community of Ipanema, one block off the beach and right around the corner from Copacabana.

Rio is beautiful...Amazingly beautiful. But it is not without its social problems, and they are many and excerbated by the city's size and growth. Imagine a setting like Yosemite Valley with white sand beaches along the edge and 7 million people living there.

At this point I should explain the huge disparity of Rio. There is a HUGE division between rich and poor, haves and have nots, and they live literally across the street and all around each other. I am referring to the favelas (the shanytowns of rio). Much of Rio is very developed, full of tourism and a thriving upper class. But the majority of the city is poor. And with this kind of poverty comes major social issues: poor to no wastewater infrastructure, poor public health, etc. However, Brasil's most current government is very new; in fact the consitution was written in 1987 (I think, I am too lazy to look up). Their laws are very progressive and impressive by the letter of the law. But their is poor funding for enforcement and much corruption in the government. As with our society and the global society for that matter...its all very complicated, but very interesting to discuss and learn more about. I could bore you all to death on these subjects, so this is where I will stop and let you ask me questions if you want.

Other quick points from the trip:
Rio is a huge urban city...I am still a small town boy, and this trip reminded me of that.
Surfing and Portuguese were very humbling, but a fun challenge.
Only 7% of the Atlantic Rainforest remains!
Brasil is home to more freshwater than any other country.
Brasil is currently energy self-sufficient.
Fresh fruit juice every morning is awesome! Especially Acai, which is an Amazonian fruit and starting to show up in the states...go find some.
Brasilians like their meat and cheese, but I wouldn't say its great meat, and definitely not good cheese.
Brasilians are very diverse, yet there exists very few racial classes.
Soccer truely is sacred and it was fun to watch the start of the world cup there.

Ok thats it for now...time for pictures:

2006-08-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

Ipanema...Seattle Styel

2006-08-11T17:47:00.000-07:00

Paraty

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Brazil Beaches!

2006-08-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

Beach outside of Paraty...within a National Park

2006-08-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

Fancy Downtown Coffee House

2006-08-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

Awesome Community Project within the favela

2006-08-11T17:41:00.001-07:00

Spices.

2006-08-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

Farmers Market that was right around the corner from our apartment.

2006-08-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

Museum.

2006-08-11T17:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a close-up of a favela...this is probably a fairly nice one. Within the favelas there are multiple class divisions.

2006-08-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

Another shot of a favela, just a couple blocks from our apartment

2006-08-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

Another shot from my apartment. To the left of the cliffs is a fairly large favela. In the valley to the right of the cliffs is one of the largest favela with 300,000 people...just blocks from some of the richest neighborhoods.

2006-08-11T17:32:00.001-07:00

The biggest stadium in the World...The Maracana.

2006-08-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

The view from my apartment.

2006-08-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

All the different beaches have a unique sidewalk mosaic...this is the Ipanema pattern

2006-08-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

One last sunrise from Copacabana

2006-08-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

A national holiday, made the beaches sooo crowded. I can't imagine what it must be like during their summer.

2006-08-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

Besides being a fishing village, Buzios is also a popular resort town. Therefore, there were many options for great food ranging from cheap to quite expensive. I had one of the best dishes during my entire trip here--Fruit of the Sea over rice with the Best fresh squeezed pineapple juice!!

2006-08-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

This is what most of the beaches looked like in this area.

2006-08-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

One of the more crowded beaches around Buzios

2006-08-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

One of my roommates, Stevie, in our dune-buggy. These little cars are key for checking out the area as there are several beaches to see that are all too far to walk between.

2006-08-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

A final sunset shot from Buzious

Update from Brasil

2006-06-10T13:44:00.000-07:00

Bom Dia (pronounced bong-gia – in the Rio slang) – Good Day.

For those of you who didn’t know, I’m writing from lovely Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! I’m down here for a study abroad program (4 weeks long) and I’m officially half way through. I am taking two courses while I am here and just finished the first one (Comparative Environmental Law: Urban Issues) and starting the second one tomorrow (Environmental Health Law and Policy). Each course is worth 3 credits; therefore, life has been busy packing in lots of class, homework, and of course being a tourist.

To share some of my experiences with you all, I thought I give you an idea of how my typical day unfolds:

I start the day by stepping out onto the balcony of our apartment, which happens to have an amazing view—I scored one of the best apartments in the program J -- to see what the weather will be for the day. Its winter here in Rio (imagine winter in Miami) and despite this being the dry season, it’s been an unusually wet season. So if it makes any of you less jealous, we have had several rainy days. Then, if I don’t make my own breakfast I head over to one of the many juice bars right around the corner. I have come to like one of the local, popular fruits called Acai. I don’t know all that much about it, but it’s pretty sweet and comes from the Amazon (I think), and is really thick and hearty. It’s supposed to have a high amount of calories per serving and many vitamins and minerals. The locals (cairocas) love their bread pastries filled with cheese and meat (usually). I haven’t warmed up to that heavy start to my day, but choose toast and jam instead. The unique feature of the juice bars (besides the fact that many are open 24 hours/day) is that they feature a bar that everyone stands at and drinks/eats their food. At first, my US tendency was to think, “why isn’t this line moving along”. Now I kind of like the idea of standing there enjoying my drink, rather than just taking it on the go. It’s a hybrid of getting sitting down to enjoy your coffee and ordering to-go.

From the juice bar, I have to play frogger across the streets as people drive crazy around here and traffic lights and lanes and pedestrian signals seem to be mere suggestions rather than rules. I jump in a metro bus and quickly learn why Brazil has produced several formula one champions—the bus drivers literally weave in and out of traffic like a sports car. The bus takes us right to our school: PUC (pronounced: Puki), which is a private Jesuit school (like Seattle U). The campus is tucked right up against the largest urban tropical rainforest in the world and needless to say is very beautiful. In fact there are two huge groves of bamboo forming an arch, right at the entrance.

We have three, consecutive 70 minute sessions of class (unless we are on a field trip – at least one a week). Class is usually pretty interesting as we have had many guest lecturers and good discussions involving several Brazilian law students who have attended many of our courses. Hearing their viewpoints on issues we all care about have been one of the highlights of my trip. Maybe the most interesting moments was when our professor said that last year during the program the popular newspaper printed a headline that read: 70% of Brazilians Think That the United States Will Someday Invade the Amazon. Many of the US students laughed like it might have been an Enquirer headline, while the Brazilian students all shook their heads in agreement.

Even though class has been engaging, at the first break, I usually head for the food court to get a cafezinho, the caffeine drink of choice here—it’s like a shot glass of really strong coffee…close to an espresso shot, but a slightly different type of coffee (Robusta versus Arabica). Many of the locals put in this weird “zero-cal” liquid sweetener, but I think it’s pretty nasty and completely overpowers the flavor of the coffee. If I need more caffeine at the 2nd break, I go for a Guarana Juice….it is a fruit, but has twice as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.

After class is over, we all usually head back to Ipanema (where we are staying). By this time I am usually starving. The city is very dense; therefore, there is an abundance of choices within a block or two. The newest discovery is a wood-fired pizza café in the back of the main grocery store. They have lunch specials with good toppings. The pizzas here are very thin crusted and usually don’t have a marinara sauce. And the toppings range from the traditional to Tuna or Hearts of Palm. Meat and Cheese are very popular staples here to the diet. After the first couple days, finding vegetables became the challenge for even the people who like to eat meat regularly.

If it’s a clear day, its off to the beach! We live one block off of Ipanema beach….yeah, it ain’t so bad. And the famous Copacabana Beach is only a short walk away. For being located in one of the more dense and populated cities of the world, the beaches here are quite clean and nice….living up to Brazil’s reputation for their beaches. Once lunch settles, I try to go for a surf. I was really excited to live on the beach for over a month and bought a surfboard as soon as I got down here. But as of lately there is a huge swell that I have not had the courage to paddle out into. While I would rather be out in the water, it was fun and impressive to watch some of the locals ripping it up. I saw a guy surf the biggest wave I have ever seen in person today….I am guessing it was at least 20-25 feet tall. As I said, its winter here, and Ipanema faces south (remember is the southern hemisphere) so the sun goes down quickly. By six, its completely dark.

The night time seems to be different on any given night. But the Brazilians do not go to bed early. 9pm is a common dinner time, and Kilo restaurants are very popular for both lunch and dinner. They are huge (and actually high quality) buffets where they weigh your food. After dinner, nighttime activities have ranged from Movie Nights to a soccer game (at the world’s largest stadium) to samba dancing to Portuguese classes (two nights a week … and might I add this language is difficult, especially with the Rio dialect) to just hanging out and yes studying—like I said, its an intensive program so there is plenty of reading and writing assignments.

Well, by now I have probably bored many of you with my routine in Rio. I’ll try to send off another email in a week or so about some of the field trips and special events that have occurred on the trip. I will be in this program for another two weeks, then traveling around other parts of Brazil for an additional 10 days. Then back home to Jen and Rado. I hope this finds you all well.

Also, I want to say congratulations to Topher and Emily who tied the knot this past weekend … Wishing you two the best, sorry I wasn’t able to join in the celebration!

Tchau,

Shane

Interesting Patent Law Issue

2006-04-04T14:49:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are wondering where I might end up post-law school, this is an area of the law that I have found quite interesting. More to come on this topic.

"eBay is the latest outfit to face a major patent lawsuit that threatens its business. Is the system, meant to promote innovation, doing its job?"

Click Here

Another Victory for Big Businesses :(

2006-04-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

Just got this piece of news:

"After an intense lobbying campaign, senators voted 27-13 for a bill eliminating what's known as "joint and several" liability. The doctrine, which businesses have wanted to abolish for years, says that a defendant in a lawsuit can be forced to pay most or all of the damages awarded to a victim, even if it is only partially to blame for the injury. "

Just remember, someone has to pay.

2006-03-19T19:00:00.000-08:00

For Spring Break I headed to Colorado to visit the family.

2006-03-19T18:58:00.000-08:00

Bellying up to the Campton's new bar before a scrumptious dinner. Enjoy your new house Campy & Christy!

Bachelor Party - SLC style

2006-02-08T21:08:00.000-08:00

Check out a few pics below from a recent trip to the Wasatch Mountains for Topher Smith's Bachelor Party.

A fun time was had by all . . .

2006-02-07T20:59:00.000-08:00

ALTA!

2006-02-07T20:57:00.000-08:00

Heading out for a day of touring. Dom's house is the one right behind Topher (in orange). Not bad when the skin trail begins at your backdoor. Alta parking lot in the background with the mountain to the left.

2006-02-07T20:52:00.000-08:00

Dom gives us a tour of his backyard (literally). Mt. Superior in the background.

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The team approaching the summit.

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Ned Stitt getting it done.

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DG making some Alta-style tele turns

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Headed to the next shot.

2006-02-07T20:45:00.000-08:00

Steve Doll makes a few final turns on our way back to Dom's house.

Happy New Year!!!

2006-01-05T18:18:00.000-08:00

In traditional holiday form (at least for my family, I am going to give a little recap of 2005. Its been quite a monumentous year around these parts with a puppy and law school marking the beginnings of new adventures in our lives.

So without further adieu: (be sure to scroll down for some pictures)

January 05: Brought our good friend and former co-worker at Squaw Valley Ski Patrol, Dave Gregory, out for a little taste of NW powder. Before heading for the Cascades we gave Dave a quick tour of Seattle as it was his first visit to the capital of the NW. Dave is a Landscape Architect student, so there were many places on the list of sites to show him. 2005 was a terrible year for snow in the NW, but Dave may have caught one of the best three day cycles of the season. And no better place than Mt. Baker.

February: Maybe it was no snow since Dave visited in early January that caused this crazy decision, but we decided to get a puppy. Actually it wasn't crazy and has turned out to be one of the best additions to our lives. Rado Falls (short for Silverado, our favorite place to ski at Squaw Valley, where we met) is a Bernese Mountain Dog. He is a super dog that is very chill and goofy.

March: Rado was pretty much the focus of our lives after getting him. And you can read even more about him if you scroll way down on this blog or look in the archives. Spring Break came for Jen and she left us two boys alone. Then it started to snow (finally) and we headed for the hills.

April: Since my Mom and Dad don't have any grandchildren, a puppy is big news, so they headed out to visit their new Grand-puppy. Rado was very spoiled for the week with many games of tug-a-war and his first Bone. Dusty and Ashley joined my parents for the trip.

May: April showers, bring May Kayaking. With spring rain and spring snowmelt, May is one of the better months in the NW for kayaking. I also had a trip planned to meet some friends in Cody, Wyoming for a challenging expedition. I started another blog with a couple friends as a creative outlet for my kayak adventures. You can read all about this wyoming trip and all the other kayaking trips I have taken since at www.therangelife.blogspot.com. One of my friends is a great photographer, so go check out all the cool pictures on the site.

June: As Jennie finished up with her finals we packed up the truck and hit the road. Our friends, Tim and Kristi Holmberg, got married in Mazama, WA, which is on the east side of the N. Cascades. The wedding was a beautiful ceremony on a ranch, and Jennie loved the east cascades as the weather is must warmer and sunnier over there. From here we drove up to British Columbia to see some friends and do a little kayaking. I love the Squamish/Whistler area and my friends up there, so needless to say, it was a fun stop. From there it was back to Seattle so Jennie could start packing for her big trip.

July: Jennie took off for East Timor right after July 4th, and as soon as she left, Rado and I packed the truck up and headed for Colorado. Jen went to East Timor for over two months to volunteer at a medical clinic in East Timor (formerly Indonesia). With law school starting in just over a month, Rado and I hit the road for a pre-school holiday. We headed for Colorado to see friends, family, and of course the rivers. After some plans fell through, I decided to head back early and spend the remainder of my holiday in British Columbia. I was also able to talk Todd Gillman into joining me, and even moving out to the NW later in the year.

Aug: With two weeks left before school, I focused my energy on the house trying to get as much done as possible. Knowing that I wouldn't have much time to work on the house once I was in school. This was a very productive time for the kitchen remodel. And then Law School began. This has been a moment I have been looking forward to for quite awhile now. It would be hard to summarize everything, but this was an exciting new step in my future.

Sept: Jennie returned from East Timor to a boyfriend that studied all the time, a dog that had almost doubled in size, and a kitchen that was transformed, but still very messy.

Oct: Jen is back in school, and law school is in full swing.

Nov: Lots of school. Jen's mom, Susan, and her aunt, Janet, came for Thanksgiving. We knew that we wouldn't have time to travel anywhere with our studies, so it was nice to have family in town.

Dec. - I survived my first Semester, and now its time to ski. Well actually, time to build a fence, because Rado has been experiencing a little separation anxiety. In other words he likes to chew on law books, mail, or any other paper if we leave him locked up for too long. My friend, Bryan Smith, was just down from BC helping us work on the house. This worked well, because the snow conditions haven't been very good for the past couple weeks. But with temperatures falling in the forcast Jennie and I are getting excited to hit the slopes. We plan to go spend New Year's eve in Whistler.

2006: More skiing, kayaking, and time with Rado. And of course school and remodeling. Check back often as one of my new year resolutions is to keep this blog a little more updated.

If you are not yet sick of hearing about my life, feel free to scroll on down and check out my other blogs (Kayaking: www.therangelife.blogspot.com or House Stuff: www.2814eastolive.blogspot.com). If that doesn't satisfy you, its time to come visit. Hope you are all reading this in good health and peace, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Happy New Year! Love Shane.

January

2006-01-05T18:05:00.000-08:00

Dave Gregory and Jen getting ready to examine some Mt. Baker Backcountry.

February

2006-01-05T18:04:00.000-08:00

Little Rado.

March

2006-01-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

Winter--better late than never.

April

2006-01-05T18:02:00.000-08:00

My family comes to help on the kitchen. Ashley's first trip to Seattle and Mom's first chance to see her Grand-puppy.

May

2006-01-05T17:59:00.000-08:00

A kayaking expedition to Cody, Wyoming. Check out www.therangelife.blogspot.com for more kayaking exploits

June

2006-01-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

We traveled to Eastern Washinton and the North Cascades for our friend's (Tim & Kristy) wedding. Beautiful all the way around!