Washington @ MindSay



 

   
NW = not welcome
This video is trails at it's best. Good filming, amazing riding, and big jumps. I need to make the trip back out to Washington ASAP.

 
 
   
 

Life in a Northern town.
I've been home from vacation for 2.5 days now and am still trying to acclimate my inner clock back to eastern time. The cats haven't been helping matters, waking me up at 4:30 a.m. when my body still thinks it's 1:30 a.m. Hopefully the sluggishness will wear off soon!
Though the lingering jet lag is a small price to pay for 4.5 glorious days in Seattle. Those claims of 24x7x365 rain couldn't be less true... or at least for August anyway. Bright blue and sunny skies were present for the duration of our stay and the weather hovered anywhere from the low- to high-70s.
Wednesday started off at the unGodly hour of 4:30 a.m. in Philadelphia. No one should have to be awake and functioning that early, especially when expected to drag a carry-on suitcase through dark streets and into an eerily-quiet train terminal, all while wearing flip-flops (might not seem too much to ask for a normal person, but I have a condition that prevents me from walking without stubbing my toe and/or tripping at least 50 times in as many minutes). The train ride to the airport and the flight to Houston were generally uneventful, and before we knew it Lib and I had arrived in the great state of Texas and were munching on delicious blueberry scones and sipping cafe mochas from an airport ice cream eatery. Two hours later the boarding call sounded for our flight to Seattle... it was all I could do to not jump up and down in excitement (though I may have bounced on the balls of my feet a couple of times).
Now, this was my very first time flying to the west coast; first time flying anywhere west of Dallas, really. Needless to say my camera's lens was permanently plastered to the plane window, much to the amusement of my seatmates Margie and Jim from Beaumont, Texas. Margie and Jim were visiting their daughter, Lisa, who has lived in Seattle for the past 15 years. They make the trek to the Northwest at least twice a year and always enjoy their time hiking and camping among the mountains. Though this time they were embarking on an Alaskan cruise midway through their stay. Oh, and they were very happy to hear I would be spending time in Queen Anne, as it was one of the nicer neighborhoods and close to the Seattle "hub." And I say all of this without a hint of sarcasm; Margie and Jim truly were a pleasure to sit with and made the almost-four hour flight that much more bearable. They also helped me identify several landmarks such as...
The Colorado River and Salt Lake
 
And Mount Rainier

Thanks Margie and Jim!
After landing and having a little snafu with our pick-up location (who knew arrivals had to be picked up at street level?), Mike had whisked us away in the Honda Element zipcar towards downtown Seattle. Lib and I clicked away on our cameras the entire time. Poor Mike didn't know what was in for him.
The inaugural eating establishment was the 5 Spot in Queen Anne. The restaurant frequentlly changes its menu to revolve around certain themes; this time it was centered on Puerto Rican fare. I had a "Top of the Hill Tostada," followed by tempura bananas with coconut ice cream. *slurp*
After dinner the three of us walked through some quiet neighborhoods in Queen Anne (with Libby and I "oooh-ing" and "awww-ing" over the multitude of cute homes) on the way to a great lookout point at Kerry Park.


We then walked to another lookout point for more views of the Olympic mountain range, Elliot Bay, and the marina.

And one of these...

Thus endeth the first day.

On Thursday, Lib and I were on our own to explore the city while Mike worked to bring home the bacon. Our first stop: The Space Needle!
 
A semi-shaky elevator took us up to the observation deck, 520 feet above ground level. And that's where I was able to see this:


Once we were back on solid ground we navigated ourselves down the city's steep hills to the Pike Place Market.


This is the infamous Pike Place Fish Market, home of the salmon toss. A customer would order a select cut of fish, one fishmonger would shout it to the counter, the rest of the guys would shout the order back, and then a fish would come sailing out of nowhere. I was able to witness a salmon toss, but sadly did not get my camera out in time.

Following the visit to the Market, next on our list of "OMG plaster a tourist bumper sticker on my forehead" things to do was to partake in the Seattle Underground tour in historic Pioneer Square. Here we "roam[ed] the subterranean passages that once were the main roadways and first-floor storefronts of old downtown Seattle." It was a pretty interesting tour... we learned about how sections of the city were built on sawdust, the history of the "crapper" (toilet) in Seattle, and how, after the Great Fire, the entire city was raised by 20+ feet.
Mike hooked up with us later that afternoon after the tour and we headed back to the Market because somehow Libby and I had missed seeing the original Starbucks location.

The three of us meandered down to the piers afterwards to take in the sunset glistening off of the water and making the mountain ranges glow.

 
Argosy Cruises offered an hour-long trip around Elliot Bay for $10.75. The marketing ploy worked.


 
The shipyards contained these gigantic cranes that looked like giraffes. So that's what I called them.

 
Once back on dry land it was off to the Market for another stroll and then up to Steelhead Diner for dinner. I had (half of) an awesome pulled pork sandwich that was as big as my head. We were seated right at the bar looking into the kitchen, so were able to see the staff prepare each customer's meal. It was like something straight out of "Top Chef," and I found myself trying to figure out the kitchen hierarchy by listening for "Yes, Chef" and "Yes, sir"...  pretty fun! Service was a bit slow, however, and we didn't leave until around 10:00, after having been there since 7:30. No idea how I managed to get ready for bed once back at the apartment.
And thus endeth the second day.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will follow soon (hopefully)...
 
 
 

   
Why Do You Need a Seattle Injury Attorney?
Being in a motorcycle accident, an auto accident or being injured as the result of someone else's carelessness can be life altering. You can have skyrocketing hospital and medical bills to pay. You could be out of work for quite some time or even permanently.

The absolute worst case is when a person loses their life. Negligence is something you can pursue in court. No one should have to pay for someone else's mistake, especially if it results in bodily harm. That is why so many people turn to a Seattle auto accident attorney if they have been injured or have had a family member killed due to the fault of another.

When you sit down with a personal injury lawyer, he or she is going to need some information from you in order to review your claim. If you want to file motorcycle accident claims in Seattle, then the attorney is going to need a copy of the police report. The police report will show the details of the accident and will also include any witness statements. It will also list who was at fault for the accident. In some cases both parties are at fault and are cited.

Once fault has been issued, the police officer will ensure that both parties exchange insurance and personal information. Your personal injury attorney will need to have a copy of all the information that was given to you at the scene of the accident. If you or a loved one had to be taken to the hospital, then the attorney will need the ambulance and hospital records as well.

From this point it becomes a matter of determining how much negligence was your fault and how much was the other party's fault. Laws have been set up in many states that assign a certain percentage of negligence. The amount of negligence assigned will often determine the monetary amount of compensation that you receive.

The most important factor when winning personal injury cases is the proper documentation. Make sure you keep a copy of everything that is given to you. That way when your personal injury lawyer is in contact with the other party and his/her insurance company, the attorney has a firm ground to stand on when it comes to asking for a certain amount of money for damages. If the amount the other attorney offers is too low and they will not negotiate, your case could end up in court where a judge will make the final decision.
 
 
   
 

Hello!
First Post.
Woot.
Umm...i'm watching the Real World.
Drama Drama Drama...
my favorites are
Chet
Baya
Ryan.
Chet cause I'm in love with his style.
Baya cause she has like...no drama about her.
Ryan cause he's funny. I love his songs.
Buuutt yeah. Little bit about me.
im 15(in 18 days), i'm short, i love Taco Bell (its where I wish to live someday) and my best friends name is Katie.
Um, im really weird and I creep Katie a lot but...thats me.
I have like, an amazing boyfriend and I honestly love him. I've been waiting for a guy like him for way too long (ha, 3 years...)
I hate my mom, a lot...i can't wait to move out...
ummm...i plan to be a writer when im older, and i am already writing and maybe sometimes ill post a little bit of something.
I also plan on a TV show with Katie when were 18 and my sister too.
but that is if Katie will come to Lake Tahoe with me or Washington.
I don't think she will.
I plan to not go to college, go to community or something. I wanna be a pet breeder when im older, so if you want a weird breed, look me up! haha..
i think that is all for now...
ill post laterrr..
bye!
-Lisa
 
 
 

   
Five Reasons Why India Can't 'Do A Gaza' On Pakistan

http://www.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/510450/medRes/58040/-/maxw/600/-/loo5mj/-/RFM05_MOROCCO-_0104_11.jpg

Israel has far fewer restrictions

http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,652492,00.jpg


Over the last week, many are asking why India does not "do a Gaza" on Pakistan, referring, of course, to an emulation of Israel's use of force against Terrorists Hamas-run Palestine, a territory from which rockets rain down on Israeli soil with reliable frequency (if not reliable destructiveness ...).


http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2008/11/29/mumbai10a.jpg


The answer for this question comes always with a painful grip on reality, is simple: India does not because it cannot.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01122/mumbai-suspect_1122077c.jpg


Here are five reasons why:


1. India is not a military goliath in relation to Pakistan in the way Israel is to the Palestinian territories. India does not have the immunity, the confidence and the military free hand that result from an overwhelming military superiority over an opponent. Israel's foe is a non-sovereign entity that enjoys the most precarious form of self-governance. Pakistan, for all its dysfunction, is a proper country with a proper army, superior by far to the tin-pot Arab forces that Israel has had to combat over time. Pakistan has nukes, to boot. Any assault on Pakistani territory carries with it an apocalyptic risk for India. This is, in fact, Pakistan's trump card. (This explains, also, why Israel is determined to prevent the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran.)


http://images.chron.com/photos/2008/12/27/14564276/1227dvs_gaza_airstrike.jpg


2. Even if India could attack Pakistan without fear of nuclear retaliation, the rationale for "doing a Gaza" is, arguably, not fully present: Israel had been attacked consistently by the very force--Hamas--that was in political control of the territory from which the attacks occurred. By contrast, terrorist attacks on India, while originating in Pakistan, are not authored by the Pakistani government. India can-- and does--contend that Pakistan's government should shut down the terrorist training camps on Pakistani soil. (In this insistence, India has unequivocal support from Washington.) Yet only a consistent and demonstrable pattern of dereliction by Pakistani authorities-- which would need to be dereliction verging on complicity with the terrorists--would furnish India with sufficient grounds to hold the Pakistani state culpable.


http://blog.cleveland.com/pdextra/2008/12/large_c4b9cb9f9cd24286b40230bd81b101f4.jpg


3. Israel enjoys impressive support from many countries especially from the Americans, in contrast to the Palestinians. No other state--apart, perhaps, from Britain--evokes as much favor in American public opinion as does Israel. This is not merely the result of the much-vaunted "Israel lobby" (to use a label deployed by its detractors), but also because of the very real depth of cultural interpenetration between American and Israeli society. This fraternal feeling buys Israel an enviable immunity in the conduct of its strategic defense. India, by contrast--while considerably more admired and favored in American public opinion than Pakistan--enjoys scarcely a fraction of Israel's "pull" in Washington when it comes to questions of the use of force beyond its borders. 


http://tombova.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10001/TajHotel_sm.jpg


4. Pakistan is strategically significant to the United States; the Palestinians are not. This gives Washington scant incentive to rein in the Israelis, but a major incentive to rein in any Indian impulse to strike at Pakistan. However justified the Indian anger against Pakistan over the recent invasion of Mumbai by Pakistani terrorists, the last thing that the U.S. wants right now is an attack--no matter how surgical--by India against Pakistan-based terror camps. This would almost certainly result in a wholesale shift of Pakistani troops away from their western, Afghan front toward the eastern boundary with India--and would leave the American Afghan campaign in some considerable disarray, at least in the short term. So Washington has asked for, and received, the gift of Indian patience. And although India recognizes that it is not wholly without options to mobilize quickly for punitive, surgical strikes in a "strategic space," it would--right now--settle for a trial of the accused terrorist leaders in U.S. courts. (Seven U.S Citizens were killed in Mumbai: Under U.S. law, those responsible--and this should include Pakistani intelligence masterminds--have to be brought to justice.)


http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2008/11/27/mumbai-taj-cp-5904057.jpg


5. Israel has the privilege of an international pariah to ignore international public opinion in its use of force against the Palestinians. A state with which few others have diplomatic relations can turn the tables on those that would anathematize it by saying, Hang diplomacy. India, by contrast, has no such luxury. It is a prisoner of its own global aspirations--and pretensions.

 
 
   
 

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Re: Long and Lonely Road by Rebekah Bishop - You're welcome :) I wrote it for someone who means a lot to me

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