Driven by curiosity’s sake.
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A People’s History of Alta California and the Bear Flag Republic
It is ironic that in the National Statuary Hall, in Washington DC, there stands a statue of Junipero Serra amongst the statues of Revolutionary fighters and thinkers. Considering that Father Serra represents everything that the revolutionaries were fighting against, it is all the more remarkable how the frontier was treated in drastically different ways. California is in… Read more
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Samsung NX2000: My What a Big Screen You Have!
One year on with the Samsung NX2000, its been a wonderful adventure! This particular mirrorless digital SLR is a good kit for point and shoot enthusiasts who want something that has power but not necessarily the complicated functionality of comparable market SLR’s. I see things and I try to capture them, and I try really hard… Read more
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Check it down: Setting Up the Concept2 Erg
“Check it down” is what the coxswain (the dude yelling at the rowers) tells the crew to do with their oars so that the boat doesn’t drift on the water. Now that the Concept2 Erg has arrived, I wasn’t too excited about setting it up. Getting my handyman on was not how I wanted to… Read more
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Toltsoy on Mentorship
Toltsoy’s War and Peace is a wonderful study of Russian aristocratic life, and a keen example of why Russia is the way it is today. Besides that aspect, Tolstoy had an amazing understanding of human nature and social behavior. His portrayal of interactions capture my attention, making me feel like I were truly a fly on… Read more
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On the first #NationalReadathon, and On How I #MakeTimeToRead
My goal for this year is to read 105 books. That rounghly boils down to 8.75 books a month. For January I’m in a good spot since I’ve chalked up my eight books and am working on my February quota. This is only possible because I got a bit of a head start in December.… Read more
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On Adil Salahi’s “Muhammad: Man and Prophet” (A Review)
As the month of Rabi al Awwal come to an end, so does my reading of Adil Salahi’s Muhammad: Man and Prophet. This final reflection is a short review on Salahi’s Seerah (biography of the Prophet). Its part of my Mawlid tradition since I celebrate it by reading a different Seerah every year, throughout the month. This year I have… Read more
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On King, the FBI, and Dangerous Bodies
When I think about Federal law enforcement and local community policing relationships, my view is framed through the lens of history. Its not that I’ve adopted the “dont’t trust anyone over the age of 30” attitude, but rather its that I have come from a general attitude that a citizen “MUST question question authority, especially… Read more
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105 Books to Read in 2015
Happy Birthday to me! I’ve been reading away, but people have asked for a list of the books I plan to read, so heres the list of some of the 105 books I’m reading with a special request on how you can help me get to this AWESOME goal. (Also can you believe it, thats… Read more
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What’s In a Name?
While reading Junipero Serra: California’s Founding Father by Steven W. Hackel, I ran across several explanations of names in Spanish (Catholic), (religious) culture. It was reminded me of my own experiences with my “name.” I also was fascinated by the fact that Junipero Serra was not his original name, and why California’s founding father chose this… Read more