tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085487374511342492024-03-21T20:12:56.796-03:00GESUNDHEITRadical Urban Interventions, Caffeinated Ruminations, and pictures to boot.ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-5261865393551482722015-07-18T00:11:00.001-03:002015-07-18T00:11:56.873-03:00Look, Bernie Sanders' run is plenty fun to watch; good on the crazy old socialist uncle for building some steam and reminding the Democratic Party about its ostensible roots in challenging the sheer absurdity of our caste system in America that only seems to be clamping down on working class families. But isn't it kind of frustrating that America is *finally* starting to make some progress on (re)developing a racial consciousness and that's in spite of the Democratic Party missing a candidate running on a #blacklivesmatter platform? Bernie's rise in attention is undoubtedly due at least in part to the remnants of the Occupy movement, which definitely recalibrated how we nationally talk about class inequality, and that's awesome, because hey, that shows that everyday citizens can, in fact, shift the paradigm in spite of seemingly insurmountable odds. But damn! it'd sure be great if the Democratic Party outside candidate shooting spitballs was doing so on the basis of challenging prisons, police brutality, and the like. Obama's totally coming around now (a privilege of not running again, and also undoubtedly empowered by the citizen uprising in Ferguson and Baltimore and Charleston), and that's super important. But, like, Bernie's politics feel like they're out of the 1930s. He seems genuinely sympathetic to racial injustice in America, but not exactly willing to acknowledge that changes in the tax structure will not exactly solve the systemic racism that Ta-Nehisi and Bree have suddenly found a megaphone to shout about. Warren and Sanders are doing a great job giving Hillary the instigation for her to move on socioeconomic inequality, and that's super important, but damn, i wish we had a candidate doing the same on issues of racial justice.<br />
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<br />ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-81753957759794621892015-07-15T04:24:00.003-03:002015-07-15T04:25:22.722-03:00"So Why Can't I Forgive These Buildings, These Frameworks Labeled Home?"<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Apparently The Weakerthans recently broke up. I freakin' loved those guys. Few bands could write catchy tunes in which the relationships we have with batteries from smoke alarms, rent checks, faded plastic flowers, bus routes, old birthday cards, and christmas lights could serve as the lyrics to illustrate the broader metaphors of quotidian daily struggles like grappling with relationships, heartbreak, growing up, growing old, moving away from home, and moving back home. JKS'<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"> politics were unsurprisingly solid, too, raising money and awareness for left of left social causes and writing a petition to get a legendary First Nations hockey player inducted into the hall of fame. An ostensible publicity stunt, to be sure, but a closer read reveals the act to be a cultural intervention to demand one of Canada's oldest institutions appreciate and celebrate the under discussed diversity of folks who collectively contribute to a country, a province, a city. And make no doubt about it, The Weakerthans were not just apologetically Canadian; they were from Winnipeg, and every ounce of their music belligerently announced exactly how their prairie-turned-oil-field hometown, for better or worse, made them exactly who they were today. Samson's solo album a few years ago was called "Provincial," and as I grapple with my complicated love/hate relationship with the once humdrum midsized town undergoing rapid change of my own I call home, I never felt like anyone captured the multifaceted relationship one could have with a community, a collection of buildings and people, a relationship of love and duty and frustration and sadness and admiration and fear of outgrowing the only place you've ever truly felt at home in, a confusing sense of satisfaction and restlessness associated from learning the face of every bartender and barista in town, quite like the Weakerthans. "The small town that you live and die in," they would sing, with an odd mix of derision and appreciative nobility for the humble, conservative notion of placing roots, growing community, collecting shoeboxes of photographs. Reading about this big freakin' earthquake that's apparently just minutes away from striking and destroying everything and everyone I love, I've actually found myself thinking of the Winnipeg's and their pronounced provincialism, wondering how my own sense of obligation to the community that made me has shaped how I'll consider where and how I'll call myself a member of a community moving forward.</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">To end with the quote from Canadian Poet Aldan Nowlan, used by the Weakerthans as the album dedication that they used in their album lining:</span></div>
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“For those who belong nowhere, and for those who belong to one place too much to belong anywhere else.”</div>
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ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-43307064906249948382015-04-15T05:57:00.000-03:002015-04-15T06:03:31.311-03:00Keep Your Eyes Ahead.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's probably not a single month in the past eleven years I haven't listened to the entire discography of The Helio Sequence. As two dorky, goofy-lookin dudes that met in Beaverton High School band, their humility and sincerity with which they built a quirky, unique, electropop sound with thoughtful lyrics and a subsequent national following has always been refreshing and kinda inspiring. As in, to a fellow dorky goofy-lookin kid a couple years younger growing up in Beaver<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">ton School District, "hey, you too can someday escape Beaverton and live a cool life in Portland!" I mean, out of all of their charming music videos set in Portland (all of them), one of them even shows them waking up in the 'burbs, walking through downtown Beaverton and taking the Blue Line, stopping to admire the Robertson Tunnel, before spending the evening at the westside Music Millennium (RIP), Hotcake House and the (then newly opened) Stumptown on SW 3rd. Like, that was me, or more accurately me and my friends as we liked to think of ourselves, at age 16. Their enduring popularity is all the more charming since they never had "moment;" they've always had enough of a steady and sincere following that somehow (I assume?) they eke a living out of doing it. The songs of 2004's "Love and Distance" will always remind me of driving around in Sharat's subaru in Beaverton or storming Pittock Mansion, and the songs from 2007's "Keep Your Eyes Ahead" will always remind me of seeing them with Elliott, Hannah Kinney and Stephen (which was the first time I really met you guys!) at the Seventh Street in Minneapolis, and the songs from 2012's "Negotiations" will remind me of biking around back in Portland, having finally returned home and established the beginnings of a new career/life/settling of roots on the other side of the West Hills. It's all the more fitting, because their music has also grown from the years, sounding less like a group of sugar-addled seven year olds overtaking a Tokyo Pachinko parlor, to something more mature and thoughtful and deliberate and organized, which hopefully is the trajectory of my life as well. And they're so nice! Like, I've been nervously saying "hi" to them after the show for years, because they're always around standing in the crowd immediately afterwards, they're always humble, they give off that perfect Portland laid back aura that suggests they're in no rush to get anywhere that evening, and "hey, yeah, that's awesome you're from Beaverton too."</span></div>
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So! I saw them at the Doug Fir tonight. Glad they're still kickin' it, and glad that I discovered this evening I still know every single word to "Lately," a song I remember calling "my favorite break up song of all time" when I was lucky enough to play whatever I wanted on my college radio station.</div>
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ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-80946979074282826322015-01-31T00:03:00.001-02:002015-01-31T04:56:11.787-02:00light rail coyoteI've heard it remarked that while Central Park is "a giant park inside a city," Portland can be best understood as "a city inside a giant park." Of the many palpable tensions that define the civic spirit of Portland is one of urban vs natural; between our heavily curated natural spaces and parks, our stingy fights over the urban growth boundary, obnoxious appropriating of outdoorsmen chic as "lumbersexual," and more obnoxious quibbles about natural purity of our water supply, there are few communities in North America that are so categorically, intrinsically conscious of our attempts to grapple the built environment with the natural environment, however constraining that dichotomy may be. The birthplace of recycling, the home of the "eat local" movement, our not-so-veiled nativist screeds against newcomers moving here, for fear of making it too populated for us to enjoy what nature does remain; it's a very real (and at times problematic) manifestation of the Oregon Exceptionalism philosophy that meant every year in elementary school we studied the life cycle of salmon or posed for photos outside of Camp 18.<br />
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As you might know, one early morning in 2002, a lone coyote out by the airport stumbled onto a City-Center bound MAX. The quixotic look on his face in photographs published in the newspaper the next day as he was apprehended by animal wildlife specialists always stuck with me; "what did i do wrong," he always seemed to ask, "is this a two-zone fare?" As in, "hey, don't I live here, too?"<br />
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While Sleater-Kinney's song about the Light Rail Coyote is arguably better, I can't stop freakin' watching this new Modest Mouse video, perfectly shot to capture that ever-so-uneasy-tension that permeates every discussion about the civic values of the City of Roses.<br />
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couple thoughts on last night:</div>
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a) what a wonderful reception last night for the <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=504327476367213" href="https://www.facebook.com/OregonSafeRoads" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Oregon Safe Roads</a>campaign. I've been going to Democratic election night parties at the Hilton for years, and it was marvelous to see that tiny room packed with so many newcomers who were clearly absorbing their first election night as volunteers/organizers for the very first time. The room was bursting at the seems with folks from Basic Rights Oregon, APANO, Causa, CIO, and so many other groups that coalesced in the name of solidarity and social justice. I'll admit it felt like a punch to the gut to see the visible distress on many of those faces as the results came in; these volunteers, who poured their hearts into this cause, deserved so, so much more, and it brought me back to remembering my own initial tastes of election night heartbreaks in 2000, 2002 and 2004. While many partners stepped up big time to help build this unique coalition, the astonishing margin of defeat left a bitter taste in my mouth, especially considering Oregon's progressive voter turnout machine managed to not only reelect a milquetoast Governor, a progressive-but-ostensibly-electorally-vulnerable Senator, but also gain majorities in the State House and Senate. Blame it on latent statewide racism, a lack of big-donor and big-name support, a badly-mangled ballot title, low-turnout, or some combination of the above, but a state that can legalize marijuana and win progressive majorities should have the time, energy, resources, and compassion to stand with Oregon's newest and most vulnerable residents on a cause that's been championed for four years. I hope our local officials in the Democratic Party are willing to have frank conversations about the vital importance of not taking for granted the votes and political power of Oregon's ever-growing communities of color, not only because it's the right thing to do electorally, but because it's a moral imperative for a party that claims to champions equality and social justice.</div>
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b) You're all sick of hearing me blather on about the increasing irrelevance of national-level politics, but the agonizingly inevitable clusterfuck of a stalemated congress and a centrist Clinton coronation/presidency leaves little room to believe that our federal government is going to be relevant to the most urgent needs for our communities anytime soon. Some combination of campaign finance reform, redistricting, reinstatement of the Voting Rights Act, and a reinvigorated electorate will be necessary for federal level politics to become close to meaningful to the issues that matter most in our community. So you know what? Fuck 'em. Let's roll our eyes at the Koch Brothers, CNN's horserace journalism, and the belief that a political party will save us and decide that if we want to make to fight for meaningful change in our community, there are some bold new ideas coming out at the local level that we should be lining up our boots on the ground to demand a more equitable, inclusive, progressive, thoughtful, verdant model of government. If we're the ones that can ensure our State Senators will support the reinstatement of Inclusionary Zoning in Oregon to fight displacement, if our state can be the first to pass a comprehensive equitable carbon bill and buck national acquiescence to the destruction of our planet, if Oregon can be the first to adopt voter modernization to end Jim Crow-esque voter disenfranchisement, if the Portland region can start to invest money in sidewalks near elementary schools or if the city can commit to never letter another family know the unspeakable horror of traffic violence, well, that's the sort of work I wanna do, and that's the sort of work I can't wait to ask your support for. We're lucky enough to have a lot of friendly faces in Salem for the upcoming legislative session; with your help, we can make sure that they move the needle on a wide variety of issues that gravely matter to the next generation of Oregonians. I'm grateful I get the chance to bust my butt working for two nonprofits that are well-poised to lead on these initiatives, and I'm honored to know so many folks willing to join me in the fight. If you're looking for a way to channel your discontent with last night's results, I'd love it if you took thirty seconds to check out Oregon Walks' letter, cosigned with 24 other organizations, to stand up for a progressive funding mechanism to ensure that East Portland gets some friggin' sidewalks:<a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Foregonwalks.org%2Fblog%2Faction-alert-support-funding-safe-streets-portland&h=WAQEF_ghw&enc=AZPek5Msv-VQn7sK0rb2wVdDlYHhNuuJWzea-aD66UpIRle_dj36VHw_ks3U7n5U5AMjoWDEj1lbi7Sh3vuqDh5G617ehxQPGtyJtjRZIjypNvzVTI0eX4FSLdXosLPmuhH4AMbDIEmt-mrF9Swg1Pb2Dm3B4m4OuMA5L6Z-t2588w&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://oregonwalks.org/blog/action-alert-support-funding-safe-streets-portland</a></div>
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c) I've been a grump lately. Many of you have tolerated a frumpy, angry, bitter, exhausted, frustrated Aaron Brown, and I owe you all for putting up with it. Cheers to my colleagues, board members, volunteers, coalition-partners, roommates, friends, and family for not rolling your eyes too hard at my occasional despair and cynicism, and kudos to my coworkers for putting up with every slip along the way that came with me falling flat on my face on numerous occasions learning the tricks of the trade as reluctant, aspiring organizer. That pessimism is not who I wanna be; that's not what I want to do with my life. We all have to believe we have the power to enact the change necessary to live in better communities, because the alternative is fatalistically nihilistic, and antithetical to why I wake up in the morning. I'm looking forward to future activism that captures "the fun in the fight" that Molly Ivins famously penned. Hopefully the meaningful change in civic engagement I've outlined above as my blueprint for my work with Oregon Walks and the Bus Project in 2015 will bring about more deliberate, inspired, enjoyable, and successful advocacy for making our state a better place to live, for every one lucky enough to live in Tom McCall's Eden. And hopefully it's inspiring enough that I can count on you to continue to show up to knock on doors, make phone calls, contact your electeds and give your time/money/energy towards meaningful social justice work.</div>
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"So keep fightin' for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't you forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin' ass and celebratin' the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was."<br />- Molly Ivins</div>
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Onward!</div>
ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-82455967622967213732014-05-28T23:04:00.002-03:002014-05-28T23:06:49.534-03:00If anyone ever needed an editor (or: thoughts on #nyaway)<div class="aboveUnitContent" style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 17.066667556762695px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;">
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<span class="userContent">Well, that was a week.<br /><br />Spent the last few days marveling at Cambridge's and Brooklyn's ongoing pedestrian build outs, reveling at the astonishing three point birthday gift from the suddenly clutch Maxi Urruti, consuming an amount of pizza<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">usually necessary to feed a little league baseball team, blowing money on public transit and overpriced coffee and diner milkshakes, taking fastidious notes on discussions regarding the nuances between the Jamaica Plain and Somerville subspecies of hipster, discovering that despite years of begrudging indifference and cavalier West Coast snobbery Boston is actually a pretty cool town, especially on two wheels; avoiding emails about this brow-furrowingly problematic but possibly necessary regressive street fee back home, and smiling to myself while listening to a half-dozen languages and taking in a whiff of that explicitly Only-in-New-York scent at the midpoint of subway creosote and stale urine. More than all of that, though, I spent the last week meeting up with people I forgot I truly loved and cared about, some of whom I haven't seen in as many as seven years, others of whom I’ve been tremendously close to and forgot could make me laugh so hard I had to pull over while biking. Maybe it's a side-effect of celebrating a birthday on this trip and feeling increasingly age-conscious as I get ever-older and ever-more cantankerous and boring, but the pattern of my interaction with my friends and couch-hosts became obvious: all these people, many of whom removed from my life since the college dorms or other seemingly done-and-buried chapters of my life, were out pursuing their passions, navigating this weird late-twenties-in-America, online-dating-horror-stories, is-this-actually-my-career-now excitement/malaise that makes up the variety of cheap longform thinkpieces and sitcoms, and doing so with aplomb, and opening up to me about it with grace and charm and candor. It's perhaps the best birthday gift of all (sorry Maxi) to know that the all those cities on the other side of the continent are chock full of gracious people willing to share a couch, bicycle and (most importantly) stories about the What Has Happened Since chapters of their lives, with the corollary that we immediately pick up Wherever We Left Off and eagerly keep in touch and share photos of Whatever Happens Next in the years to come. Those reminders that everyone’s getting older, graduating, navigating, negotiating… and NOBODY KNOWS WHATS HAPPENING but you’re all DOING and BECOMING terrify me but inspire me to keep up my end of the bargain and hopefully do something worthwhile with my own time on this next journey around the calendar. Plenty of unanswered emails await (sorry, Bus Project and Oregon Walks, probably a bad time to take a week off), so I’m certain my end of the bargain is cut out for me. To all those that I connected with this week: you should all come visit me in Portland, where the beer's cheap, we don't have sales tax and the water's usually potable. It meant more than I could ever type on a trite social media platform to see you and relive our past, present and future, especially if Donovan Ricketts kicksaves are involved.<br /><br />You didn’t all have to tell me that hanging out with me reminded you of how loud I am, though.<br /><br />Onward!</span></span></div>
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ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-14559192884819840832014-05-18T17:02:00.002-03:002014-05-18T17:02:12.165-03:00Thoughts on the Movement Building Training<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 20px;">Just wrapping up an exhausting, overwhelming, and marvelously transcendent weekend in Denver with 80 courageous immigration rights activists from around the country. I've always been drawn to social activism and progressive politics, but I </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 20px;">would be lying if I said I wasn't absolutely star-struck by the tenacious work-ethic, optimism and sense of purpose displayed by these folks who experience and organize against injustices on a more visceral, emotional, personal level than to which I will ever be familiar. Knocked my socks off to meet people overcoming impossibly difficult circumstances to become the next generation of community organizers and social activists well-poised to leave their mark on making our communities, country and our planet an indisputably better, more just place to live. May I work my ass off in the weeks and months ahead to advance our shared cause and be worthy of association to the struggle for equal rights; I'm returning to Portland energized and focused to work with <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=71103459134" href="https://www.facebook.com/busproject" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Bus Project</a> and <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=670927739635079" href="https://www.facebook.com/causaoregon" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Causa Oregon</a> to mobilize voters in Oregon around the Driver's Card Campaign. </span>ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-4085695443351463102014-04-23T03:24:00.000-03:002014-04-23T03:24:10.110-03:00on the job hunt.Since graduating college in 2010, by my rough gmail approximations, I've applied for roughly 200 jobs. I've had about thirty interviews, fifteen second interviews, interviewed thrice and rejected thrice for the same position, rejected as a finalist for three different positions i'd had multiple interviews for in three straight days, been rejected for jobs with organizations i'd volunteered for for countless hours, been rejected for internal jobs at places i'd put in a fair amount of work, rejected and told explicitly under not quite legal terms another candidate was chosen based on race/gender, sat in on steering committee meetings in which i was the only person in the room not getting paid, spent hours on applications that never even earned me an acknowledgement of receipt, sat in on steering committees in which every other person in the room had previously rejected me for a job, worked multiple sub-poverty level internships and part time gigs, came within hours of buying tickets to faraway nonportland cities to try my luck at crafting a career anywhere other than my hometown, burned through personal savings through the throes of unemployment at an embarrassingly juvenile clip, forgone trips with good friends and concerts and beers with friends, sat in offices where I watched supervisors offer positions to other candidates, spent $300 i didn't have on a flight home early for an interview for a job i ultimately didn't land, and spent a lot of nights listening to the rain wondering why on earth I was so snakebit and unable to meaningfully move the needle on what i felt like was the next necessary step on my quest to whatever quasi-adulthood north portland story I wanted for myself. I know that choosing to get involved with social justice movements and the nonprofit industry as a snotty millenial in Portland, the town of extended adolescence, was never going to be a cakewalk, and I was happy (and remain happy) to forgo personal financial profit and stability for the satisfaction of working for causes I care about, and I've never claimed to be anything approaching an "exemplary employee," but holy smokes. it's been profoundly demoralizing, and the search for a foothold to a career has undoubtedly been the most difficult, soul-searching, self-doubting experience of my otherwise privileged life. nothing - relationships, college, even the portland timbers miserable 2012 outing - has been as maddeningly difficult to come to terms with than my absurd familiarity with the "why aren't we hiring you" conversation. i've had varying levels of success keeping my chin up, but i'd be lying if i said i haven't over the past couple years felt myself increasingly tinged by bitterness at myself, my surroundings, my peers, and whatever i could even tangentially tie to my seeming inability to carve out the basic rent/beer/timbers money doing work i demonstrably love so much that I'd been willing to do for free for years.<br />
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so the fact that next month i'm starting a job that doesn't actually have an expiration date, that pays for things like health care and a bus pass, with an organization i've worked with in a variety of contexts since I was 16 that is undergoing a transformation to position themselves to politically empower a new generation of Oregonians for progressive causes, well, i was startled by the emotional release that came from receiving that phone call. i could easily list the dozens of you that have made calls and references on my behalf, forwarded me every mac's list posting you could find (and plenty of dubious craigslist gigs that inevitably involved bicycles in some sort), and i am heavily indebted to all of you; i'll be sure to do that privately over the next couple weeks. and for those of you still working to navigate portland's convoluted job market, I have nothing but remorse that the only answer I know how to give is to "keep at it; keep your chin up; keep networking" although those trite cliches feel disgustingly hollow coming from your employed friends when you're thoroughly miserable and doubting every ounce of your passion, your worth, your ability to meaningfully contribute to the things in life that get you excited; instill in you a reason to wake up in the morning; that cause you to gesticulate and talk with your hands wildly. I don't post this somewhat personal diatribe for any other purpose than to say that if Portland's finally getting around to hiring me, your chance can't be far behind, and that that sense of dissatisfaction and frustration is legit and emotionally valid, and we've all been there.<br />
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relatedly, is your voter registration up to date? if not, get in touch with me; i've got a lot of work to do.<br />
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onward!<br />
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<br />ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-53941519518604762142013-12-31T19:32:00.001-02:002013-12-31T20:51:17.838-02:002013, in review<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;">
Highlights from 2013 include working at a nonprofit I'd dreamed of being part of since I was 17, a memorable #dcaway trip that involved a Rodney Wallace goalazo, riding my bike to the coast on the fourth of july, spending all too many summer nights listening to Andrew Simon sing karaoke, participating in a few bike moves (including one in a typhoon), somehow managing to become Board PResident of a board I care about and not yet running it into the ground, winning said nonprofit a hefty grant and surviving our big annual fundraiser, the Fort George stout festival in Astoria, a trip to Arizona to learn about just how noble cacti are and also some trails stuff, a pretty extravagant set of birthday celebrations, that time <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/09/the_wire_in_portland_governmen.html">I got a bunch of important portland politicos to tweet about The Wire</a>, four points in three trips to Seattle, testifying in front of City Hall twice, rabble rousing with the media (and them letting me <a href="http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-21259-rip-city-vs-no-pity-timbers.html">actually write my own damn piece about my man-child love of my beloved club</a>), somehow managing to be runner-up to jobs-of-my-dreams roughly five times this year, and ending the year unemployed and broke! That's a highlight right?<br />
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I didn't do nearly as much with music this year as I have in year's past; good shows I can recall include Sally Ford and the Sound Outside, the Death Cab for Cutie <i>Transatlanticism </i>Anniversary Show, (whatever, it was awesome), talkdemonic and Helio Sequence at Cleveland High School, the Dismemberment Plan, and Magic Mouth's show at pdxpopnow. I didn't go to many movies this year either, but I remember really liking How to Survive a Plague, and Frances Ha, and I enjoyed them both immensely.<br />
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2013 was a year on the precipice, of being so tantalizingly close to success, to "making it," to being as baffled as anyone else that the Timbers were on the verge of a trophy. While so much of this year largely came up empty, my Stockholm Syndrome for this town, this community, this group of friends and allies and people who mean the world to me only grows. I spent a lot of time on a bike, I spent a lot of time with a beer in my hand, I spent a lot of time doing what I love. I don't have much to complain about, although a job would be nice. I was always a fan of even-numbered years anyway.<br />
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Onward!<br />
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(<a href="http://aaronmichaelbrown.blogspot.com/2012/12/2012-in-review.html" style="font-size: small;">2012</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">)(</span><a href="http://aaronmichaelbrown.blogspot.com/2011/12/emeril.html" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">2011</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">) (</span><a href="http://aaronmichaelbrown.blogspot.com/2011/01/view-from-your-porch-january-2010.html" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">2010</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">) (</span><a href="http://aaronmichaelbrown.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">2009</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">) (</span><a href="http://aaronmichaelbrown.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">2008</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">)</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674997573/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5499/11674997573_58f77ce8a4.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674997573/">Waffles and hangovers. Good morning</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674653504/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3685/11674653504_b645c96d97.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674653504/">upload</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11675562266/">It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11675109524/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3705/11675109524_463425c7e0.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11675109524/">Hello and welcome to nopo's newest resident, courtesy of friends of trees</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674291265/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7353/11674291265_6f08ba8a03.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674291265/">upload</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/10453644736/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5522/10453644736_1a71bc6878.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/10453644736/">Good morning.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/10453640416/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5525/10453640416_3c3dea6c39.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/10453640416/">Oh man, I love these guys.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674666214/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5477/11674666214_70f5f8aa77.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674666214/">We'll say the Timbers brought us here.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/10453803083/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2849/10453803083_d06e2e4fee.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/10453803083/">upload</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8983073920/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7460/8983073920_37dffc8353.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8983073920/">Hallowed Grounds. #rctid</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8981882577/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2827/8981882577_fd4321495d.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8981882577/">upload</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674640113/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7291/11674640113_3e0e2fb665.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674640113/" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Prepping for #dcaway</a><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">, originally uploaded by </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/" style="font-size: 0.8em;">_ambrown</a><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">.</span><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11675152204/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5480/11675152204_ba20fa3b68.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11675152204/">#rctid #dcaway #threepoints</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><img height="400" src="https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/972015_4921361719112_267093933_n.jpg" width="400" /></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674603934/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7380/11674603934_4fe2a556ee.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674603934/">upload</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674242615/">@aaron_maples are you in this?</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/10453637225/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7316/10453637225_ac200323fc.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/10453637225/" style="font-size: 0.8em;">.@anomalily #pedalpalooza</a><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">, originally uploaded by </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/" style="font-size: 0.8em;">_ambrown</a><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">.</span><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674725165/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3753/11674725165_a4a7bf857f.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674725165/">upload</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674249035/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3704/11674249035_0694fe1fe0.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674249035/">Oregon, my Pacific Wonderland. </a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674793944/">Two more shots from Thursday's 100.7 mile #neskowinorbust trek.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/10453785733/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5535/10453785733_41a2835b0e.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/10453785733/">Make way for ducklings</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674664203/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2862/11674664203_ddb60ced9f.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674664203/">Cruisin' down burnside</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674246415/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3831/11674246415_cc2d6a4533.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674246415/" style="font-size: 0.8em;">#pdxsummer</a><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">, originally uploaded by </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/" style="font-size: 0.8em;">_ambrown</a><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8983077710/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8411/8983077710_97d7e97ccd.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8983077710/">Sunny sowa</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11675052144/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7460/11675052144_f7a1a90359.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11675052144/">St. John's you are my favorite</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674252975/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3795/11674252975_65f0cc116d.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674252975/" style="font-size: 0.8em;">A good night.</a><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">, originally uploaded by </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/" style="font-size: 0.8em;">_ambrown</a><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">.</span><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674629184/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3735/11674629184_1046b25f0c.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674629184/" style="font-size: 13.200000762939453px;">Oregon, my Oregon.</a><span style="font-size: 13.200000762939453px;">, originally uploaded by </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/" style="font-size: 13.200000762939453px;">_ambrown</a><span style="font-size: 13.200000762939453px;">.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674924033/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7420/11674924033_fd11012e59.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674924033/">The summer's life is good.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11675037334/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5536/11675037334_d13818a76d.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11675037334/">Ugh, what jackass wrote this shit.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674612345/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3818/11674612345_cc293c46c1.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674612345/">How cool is it that we get to watch the very infrastructure that holds our rainy city together being built and renewed before our very eyes?</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf12ui9bkZL61byFYiWepFIaFRDa34_ft0-HjqD0Vf2jXh4CQFYjLUolFDsyBkDx9njtdcwoLhCuR32DgGb0OwY25wNPaRByFSV1HPfqIFyjUlkElsT8zLFhKZYCMFX30wMyAxJWLeo81O/s640/Screen%2520Shot%25202013-10-31%2520at%25204.58.40%2520PM-450x294%5B1%5D.png" style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;" width="640" /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf12ui9bkZL61byFYiWepFIaFRDa34_ft0-HjqD0Vf2jXh4CQFYjLUolFDsyBkDx9njtdcwoLhCuR32DgGb0OwY25wNPaRByFSV1HPfqIFyjUlkElsT8zLFhKZYCMFX30wMyAxJWLeo81O/s1600/Screen%2520Shot%25202013-10-31%2520at%25204.58.40%2520PM-450x294%5B1%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674452075/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3808/11674452075_75562875da.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674452075/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;" title="photo sharing"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674452075/" style="font-size: 0.8em;">America's pedestrian holiday</a><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">, originally uploaded by </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/" style="font-size: 0.8em;">_ambrown</a><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11675056646/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7359/11675056646_1bd351e68f.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11675056646/" style="font-size: 0.8em;">upload</a><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">, originally uploaded by </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/" style="font-size: 0.8em;">_ambrown</a><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">.</span><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674519753/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5481/11674519753_807b29ac95.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11674519753/">#brobrunch</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11675063986/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5534/11675063986_29b7833f93.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/11675063986/" style="font-size: 0.8em;">#deathbyburnside</a><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">, originally uploaded by </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/" style="font-size: 0.8em;">_ambrown</a><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">.</span><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"></span><br />
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ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-41321933235011356202013-10-19T20:14:00.001-03:002013-10-19T20:14:05.315-03:00In which I lay bare my heart and ask you to come to the Weston Awards.<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17.98611068725586px;">Friends and family, are you wondering why you haven't seen me around much in the last couple months? Well, I've been working my tail off as Board President of Oregon Walks, the state's walking advocacy organization. I can't say enough about</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17.98611068725586px;"> our cohort of board members who have been doing some insanely awesome heavy lifting to make sure our nimble, scrappy organization is well-poised to continue our twenty years of history of adding a needed voice to the region's active transportation advocacy scene. Between our letters on projects like the CRC and SW Barbur, to our work out in Washington County to partner with Adelante Mujures and empower Latina women to document their unsafe streets in their neighborhood, to the fantastic Walktober programming that somehow coincided with this gorgeous autumn weather, I consider myself truly lucky to have stumbled into this position and to be afforded the opportunity to see our organization continue to thrive into the future. It's not always been easy, but it's certainly been emotionally satisfying and personally gratifying work, and it resonates strongly with my personal politics and interests.<br /><br />The craziest part of all this? We've been writing letters, organizing programming and planning our annual fundraiser without an Executive Director! Just imagine how much we'll be able to accomplish when we are able to reinstate and rehire new staff that will be tasked with the near-impossible task of filling the shoes of a one Steph Routh.<br /><br />This is where you come in! :)<br /><br />The Weston Awards are this next Saturday, October 26. It's our annual fundraiser, and I wouldn't be on facebook grovelling for your money and volunteering opportunities if I didn't sincerely, truly believe we're on the precipice of an important, unprecedented opportunity to forge new partnerships between active transportation, local economic development, public health and social equity activisms, and if I didn't truly believe that you digging into your wallet wouldn't sincerely make a difference in our ability to stand up for the right to roam. I've thrown my heart into the cause, and it'd mean the world to me if you were able to buy a ticket and attend next week. Early Bird rates on tickets expire tonight; go ahead and buy one this evening! I mean, do it right now! If you can't make it next Saturday (especially if you'll be busy watching the Timbers clinch the Supporters Shield, which HOW THE HELL ARE THESE EVENTS OVERLAPPING, THE TIMBERS WILL WIN THEIR FIRST PIECE OF HARDWARE AND I WON'T EVEN BE WATCHING, THAT'S HOW COMMITTED I AM TO THIS CAUSE) any donation, from $50 to $5, would warm the cockles of my heart.<br /><br />Hope to see you there. You're all wonderful. Onward, Rose City.<br /><br /><a href="http://wpcwalks.givezooks.com/events/the-2013-weston-awards/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://wpcwalks.givezooks.com/events/the-2013-weston-awards/</a></span>ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-18605375910020614362013-05-20T20:43:00.003-03:002013-05-20T21:38:35.528-03:00Why I'm voting for Fluoridation tomorrow.<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #37404e; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i>"But as Slate points out, the anti-fluoridation movement is not driven by science as much as an ascendant knee-jerk anti-establishment politics that sanctifies "personal choice" over all. This attitude unites the extreme left and extreme ri</i></span></span></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline;"><span style="color: #37404e; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i>ght in a weird nexus of alternative medicine, Infowars-type conspiracy theories, and environmental activism that results in both your high school friends and your aunt spewing the same articles from NaturalNews all over your Facebook wall."</i></span></span><br />-<a href="http://gawker.com/quacks-of-all-political-persuations-fight-fluoridation-508884755" style="color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">http://gawker.com/quacks-of-all-political-persuations-fight-fluoridation-508884755</a></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline;"><br /><span style="color: #37404e; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I'd also add that much of the anti-fluoride pseudoscience skepticism seems to come from an ardent, irrational provincialism that seems to be the lynchpin of everything amazing and frustrating about our town and our local political process. Our forefathers in the seventies fought for and established an "Oregon Exceptionalism" brand of politics that espoused moralistic and borderline-religious language to demand protection for our natural resources and landscape from waste and destruction, and an awful lot of the things I admire and cherish about this state (public beaches, recycling, the UGB, local food) are the eventual outgrowths of this raucously independent experiment in political innovation. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #37404e; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Yet now, in a troubling manner, I see these well-meaning tropes of Oregon Exceptionalism espoused by friends and colleagues to demand the "purity of Bull Run water" (or, even more infuriating, fluoride-free microbreweries), as though a public health initiative undertaken in literally every other major city across the country that has tremendous benefits to our city's most disadvantaged young folks is somehow a threat to the political underpinnings and identity of our state. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #37404e; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">It's not surprising that a rhetoric and political worldview written forty years ago for a sparsely populated, staggeringly middle class and homogeneous Western state dependent on natural resources is showing its cracks; Oregon in general and Portland in particular are none of those things anymore. And yet, on the eve of an election, I'm watching otherwise smart folks falsely-equivocating a social justice initiative that will largely help young children of color as an attack on "clean water" due to the imposition of "chemicals," or something, as though its an affront on our Oregon values to prudently monitor and utilize our natural resources to make our communities healthy and prosperous.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #37404e; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Regardless of the outcome tomorrow, I'm troubled by the development of this eery, navel-gazing, borderline-nativist politics rooted in moralistic "protection of the environment" that stands to marginalize the folks who have most recently joined us in Tom McCall's Eden, and who have worked hardest to get this bill to the ballot. I'm voting yes for Fluoride, and hope you do the same. </span></span></span>ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-41138457117962090472012-12-31T03:53:00.001-02:002012-12-31T17:27:38.072-02:002012, in review.<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's that time of year again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Memorable trips in 2012 include February's excursion to DC, May's to St. Louis, June's to Seattle, July's to Smith Rock and Manzanita, the epic Papa Brown/Aaron Brown trek to Ecuador and Argentina in September, and my visit back to the Twin Cities this December. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2012's highlights include painting the city of Portland's flag on the speed bump outside my house, a raucous weekend in Latacunga, the Sunset-at-Rocky Butte Pedalpalooza Ride, following the trials and tribulations of local and national politicians of varying degrees of trustworthiness, my first podcast appearance, a few too many nights of karaoke, spending entirely too much time on the internet, organizing the third incarnation of a pub crawl that's sprawled out of control, and of course, David Horst's goal against the Seattle Sounders.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The year ends much as 2011 did, in which I reflect on a wicked awesome year of good times with good friends, both old and new, in a tiny little town on the Willamette that continues to reveal itself in new ways with every passing year. Every month seems to open my Portland-bubble world to a new bike route, an undiscovered coffee shop, a new set of friends who live in those new apartments, a new scrappy nonprofit working on some awesome cause that intersects with my own, another stakeholder advisory committee for me to join and another reason to feel warmly about my continued commitment to attempting to live out my own little paradise here in Portland. I definitely found enough things to do with my time this year. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I spent considerable amount of time out in East Portland with my job, spending time with some inspiring young students at David Douglas High School who are already, inevitably, growing up and shaping their own Portland bubble. I also spent a full year in North Portland, learning quite a bit about everything from how much people love automobile parking to how many people I care about all seem to live within a ten minutes walk. Yet, just like the year before it, the year comes to an ending at an awkward time. I may be pumped about my community and the ways in which I'm engaged in it, but I'm </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">saddled with the continued frustration of underemployment, drizzly winters, underperforming soccer teams and the feeling that maybe it's time to get out and explore somewhere else. My trip back to Minnesota, first since I graduated, revealed to me just how many good friends I've accumulated across the entire country, and how many new friends are out there awaiting for me to jump on a train and start somewhere new.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Special thanks to The Alabama Shakes, Real Estate, First-Aid Kit, John K. Sampson, The Helio Sequence, Two Door Cinema Club, Hey Rosetta!, AU, Dana Buoy, Onuinu, Frank Ocean, Lost Lander, The Lower 48, Tennis, Sharon Van Etten, and Youth Lagoon for writing music that I listened to quite extensively in the past calendar year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">(</span><a href="http://aaronmichaelbrown.blogspot.com/2011/12/emeril.html" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">2011</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">) (</span><a href="http://aaronmichaelbrown.blogspot.com/2011/01/view-from-your-porch-january-2010.html" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">2010</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">) (</span><a href="http://aaronmichaelbrown.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">2009</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">) (</span><a href="http://aaronmichaelbrown.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">2008</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">)</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7111746291/" title="photo sharing"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7226/7111746291_56e275c97f.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7111746291/">life in boxes</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6965675516/" title="photo sharing"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/6965675516_860a1a7627.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6965675516/">good morning from michigan haus</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7111748945/" title="photo sharing"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/7111748945_46cd9bbf4d.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7111748945/">dc brau</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7111747371/" title="photo sharing"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7254/7111747371_ee0e3649c2.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7111747371/">WOULD YOU TRUST THIS MAN WITH A BICYCLE</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6965675646/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5071/6965675646_9e1798c0b9.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6965675646/">29</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6965677736/" title="photo sharing"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7095/6965677736_80729ed654.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6965677736/">michigan haus</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6965677326/" style="font-family: inherit;" title="photo sharing"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7199/6965677326_71a9c72a28.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6965677326/">is spring coming?</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329092794/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8220/8329092794_e642b50096.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329092794/">16</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329085498/" style="font-family: inherit;" title="photo sharing"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8357/8329085498_4ef2002326.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329085498/">Food Carts</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8328041051/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8356/8328041051_668d1544b8.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8328041051/">29</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329068062/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8502/8329068062_fa7b7fd1b7.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329068062/">St. Louis, MO</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8328004771/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8214/8328004771_6b8c05caa5.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8328004771/">tweetin' away</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7381758182/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7074/7381758182_201a1ce164.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7381758182/">GOPR0592</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7183693995/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7183693995_c558da4939.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7183693995/">GOPR0375</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7355449400/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7218/7355449400_13a8a5af42.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7355449400/">pedalpalooza 2012 begins</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7188934683/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7188934683_b5722e3413.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7188934683/">Reunited with Surly Furious</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329057750/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8212/8329057750_7cc48ecc5f.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329057750/">nopo transportation</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7974346936/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8456/7974346936_bd97331874.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7974346936/">Ginger Ride, Portland Oregon</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7974187278/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8303/7974187278_fc071dc2e5.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7974187278/">There's beauty in the tiniest of things.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329130066/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8499/8329130066_d7dd73f214.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329130066/">Not a bad day at the office.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7974154888/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8318/7974154888_955f393e96.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7974154888/">Sharat Ganapati, ULTRA.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7170249805/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7214/7170249805_b58d277bbc.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7170249805/">GOPR0112</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329129706/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8224/8329129706_44020d9817.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329129706/">Next time you see us</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7597774832/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7118/7597774832_7e25bcab91.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7597774832/">GOPR1379</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7974041838/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8179/7974041838_e0550f178b.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7974041838/">23</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329129982/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8082/8329129982_02142d09cf.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329129982/">480307_3463544554594_1119269049_n</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7973937576/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8297/7973937576_a8c509f854.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7973937576/">is there anything people won't pull by bike in pdx?</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7973979358/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8322/7973979358_0d19befa05.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7973979358/">29</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7183712487/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/7183712487_edde15cc0c.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7183712487/">The scots, reunited at last</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/7867095102/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7107/7867095102_5b5ca85e3b.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329129864/" style="font-family: inherit;">390932_3632367695067_2045212070_n</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, originally uploaded by </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/" style="font-family: inherit;">_ambrown</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8315718613/">BA Bookstore</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8316286174/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8215/8316286174_55bdfb3224.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8316286174/">Palermo, Buenos Aires</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8315671395/">scan139770</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8166072523/">upload</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8176943005/">St. John's on a lazy Sunday</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8233020677/">Minneapolis.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8329104340/">The Midwest is best.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></span></span></div>
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ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-84783759978335632182012-11-07T23:23:00.001-02:002012-11-07T23:49:39.126-02:00Keep Up the Fight.<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/8165530533/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8343/8165530533_6a3e709230.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br />
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The internet has been wonderfully inundated with many overused cliches (and some awesome memes) about how satisfying it is to wake up in a country that has reaffirmed a commitment to rewriting a more progressive social contract, but I wanted to add my own two cents about last night. As Obama spoke, and positive results for important social and economic causes continued to trickle in, my mind drifted to the countless hours that many of my friends and colleagues and I have spent fighting for progressive politicians and progressive causes in a litany of stakeholder advisory committee meetings, late night data entry sessions, or crunch-time phonebanking. I've written previously how I only get really motivated around matters of local significance; it's a lot easier for me to personally get worked up about the need for Immersion Program funding at my own neighborhood school or support for safer streets than blandly supporting "Team Blue" in their quest to get more pots of money for these things I like from byzantine bureaus and agencies. <br />
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But Obama's remarks last night echoed his call in 2008 to rebuild America "block by block," a deliberate phrasing that has a particular resonance to anyone who has ever stood out in the rain in an unknown neighborhood with a clipboard and wet socks, looking up addresses, sizing up doorbells and angry dogs. It's also particularly resonant to anyone who lives in a city, on a Cartesian grid of similarly looking houses and apartments, where the end of the block is marked by that new business with the owner you like and not an empty cul-de-sac or facade of endless garages. Barack Obama's speech was laced with these direct, references to his own explicit experiences on the South Side and a need for continued, persistent presence of citizen participation in the democratic process; I don't think it's a stretch to say that the guy is America's first Community Organizer-in-Chief. It might have been the beer, and a smug need of a self-pat-on-the-back, but you know, I found myself thinking, we're up to some good things. I'm so tremendously impressed by some truly amazing people that are standing up and fighting for their community, however they define "standing up," however they define "fighting," and however they define "community." From marriage rights to climate change, safe streets to equitable communities, Occupy to the Ballot Box and GOTMFV. I hope others are basking in the warm glow of last night's victories as I am, and I hope others awoke today as I did with an extra spring in their step, and a feeling that all our little work in our little block-by-block neighborhoods adds up to something pretty fucking remarkable: an awesome american democracy. keep up the fight!ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-81205254419515452582011-12-31T21:25:00.026-02:002011-12-31T23:07:42.998-02:00two thousand eleven, in review.Unsurprisingly, I find myself closing out yet another year wishing I had blogged more, taken more photos, and did an all-around better job of chronicling the day to day of my attempts at practicing adulthood. I am left with this smattering of photos highlighting 2011's greatest, from the numerous day trips with katherine anne, to timbers game days and seattle/vancouver away, and all-around enjoying the fair, cultivated culture of Portland Oregon for the first time as a true resident. From neighborhood association meetings to midnight bike rides, food carts to rain, 2011 was a good reintroduction to my hometown after a couple of years gallavanting around the Midwest (reoregonizing, if you will!) With any luck, 2012 will bring about nothing but more of the same. (decent jobs for Kate and I would be nice, too.)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5348139323/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5165/5348139323_3b83b57cd2.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5348139323/">OCC</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><div><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5348751578/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5002/5348751578_fe3486c467.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5348751578/">newport</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5348750450/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5208/5348750450_5a864b8ebd.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5348750450/">Emeril</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5348141567/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5284/5348141567_d04b2ebdae.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5348141567/">orygun</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5476594171/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5212/5476594171_89a2af315c.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5476594171/">Wintery Commute</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5652439783/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5222/5652439783_e475751ff6.jpg" alt="" style="border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 2px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); " /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5652439783/">DSC_0420</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5653077576/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5227/5653077576_8f7a0cdce2.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5653077576/">DSC_0510</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5652509149/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5104/5652509149_30609f4948.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5652509149/">cannon beach super moon</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5652508235/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5063/5652508235_bcd0a83910.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5652508235/">DSC_0462</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5724676208/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5145/5724676208_b4de8e2fbb.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5724676208/">DSC_0947</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5724677522/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2687/5724677522_1fece33182.jpg" alt="" style="border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 2px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); " /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5724677522/">DSC_0967</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343503816/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6057/6343503816_256c78cef7.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343503816/">DSC_0136-1</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/5878605343/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5112/5878605343_61cc777c33.jpg" alt="" style="border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 2px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); " /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/5878605343/">por que no?</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/">katesokol</a>.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/5831507420/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2724/5831507420_e1ed24e8d4.jpg" alt="" style="border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 2px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); " /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/5831507420/">IMG-20110612-00239</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/">katesokol</a>.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/5931548669/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6006/5931548669_f0ea939a41.jpg" alt="" style="border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 2px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); " /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/5931548669/">cross-town furniture moving pt. 2</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/">katesokol</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343507008/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6116/6343507008_190a4633ec.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343507008/">DSC_0190</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/5999325158/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6146/5999325158_4d1ba060ff.jpg" alt="" style="border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 2px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); " /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/5999325158/">IMG-20110729-00450</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/">katesokol</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><br /></span></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343528192/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6216/6343528192_a29b0462db.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343528192/">pdx pop now 2011</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/5998758667/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6121/5998758667_cbd9a2991a.jpg" alt="" style="border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 2px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); " /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/5998758667/">just a hipster in a sea of bikes</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/">katesokol</a>.</span><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343510860/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6214/6343510860_0e30df4e28.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343510860/">mississippi street fair</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p></div><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6342766355/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6039/6342766355_0cf3be8472.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6342766355/">papa brown is RCTID</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343517340/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6212/6343517340_1e42a5e472.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343517340/">king of clubs</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343519872/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6211/6343519872_b4d34d1d1a.jpg" alt="" style="border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 2px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); " /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343519872/">victory slipping through our hands</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><br /></span></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/6252836420/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6108/6252836420_7891998a73.jpg" alt="" style="border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 2px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); " /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/6252836420/">IMG-20110816-00489</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/">katesokol</a>.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/6252812624/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6042/6252812624_c643e552b4.jpg" alt="" style="border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 2px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); " /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/6252812624/">PICT0056</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/">katesokol</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6342781523/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6041/6342781523_595227eafb.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6342781523/">DSC_0868</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6342790791/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6217/6342790791_cfdc0f9f75.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6342790791/">"i couldn't fill a cavity with this!"</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/5998770201/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6147/5998770201_795d4699fa.jpg" alt="" style="border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 2px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); " /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/5998770201/">DESTROYED</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/">katesokol</a></span><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; ">.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; "><div style="text-align: left; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/6078769136/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6197/6078769136_9170ab1d49.jpg" alt="" style="border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 2px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); " /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/6078769136/">IMG-20110813-00475</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/">katesokol</a>.</span></div><p></p><div><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6609616439/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6609616439_c14f6eb7da.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6609616439/">DSC_1624</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p></div></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6342895823/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6218/6342895823_f86d4deaf8.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6342895823/">Crater Lake excursion</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6342961365/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6103/6342961365_8db14fecb2.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6342961365/">DSC_0733</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343714110/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6224/6343714110_ee1f15e94c.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343714110/">DSC_0764</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343721060/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6217/6343721060_2a0a8f8ec0.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6343721060/">DSC_0816</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/6253007794/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6103/6253007794_383923cc78.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/6253007794/">PICT0207</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/">katesokol</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/6252993028/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6230/6252993028_94c09be47d.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/6252993028/">PICT0198</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/">katesokol</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;">by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30620218@N07/">katesokol</a>.</span></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><div><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6609620465/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6609620465_c658f6d1cd.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6609620465/">DSC_1890</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6373207981/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6112/6373207981_85406dae33.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6373207981/">oh hai</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6609577739/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6609577739_c723d07082.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6609577739/">DSC_2054</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6609625881/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6609625881_302cb0ee21.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6609625881/">9th and alder on a wonderful autumn afternoon.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/72047616@N08/6518976881//" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6518976881_befe73c6e6.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/72047616@N08/6518976881/in/photostream/">DSC_7778</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/72047616@N08/">stevenwilliambrown</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;">by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/72047616@N08/">stevenwilliambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Most relevant albums of 2011:<div>1) Bon Iver - Bon Iver</div><div>2) An Argument with Myself - Jens Lekman<br />3) Motopony - Motopony<br />4) Prison Boxing - Cataldo</div><div>5) A New Kind of House - Typhoon</div></div><div>6) Departing - Rural Alberta Advantage</div><div>7) Cape Dory - Tennis</div>ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-11805008297902370552011-11-14T05:54:00.001-02:002011-11-14T05:54:37.957-02:00You can learn a lot about a neighborhood by the stickers on the bike
rack.<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6342795225/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6220/6342795225_70c3abb4f8.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/6342795225/">You can learn a lot about a neighborhood by the stickers on the bike rack.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p>Mississippi Avenue, Boise Neighborhood, Portland Oregon</p>ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-206415640003021552011-05-15T21:51:00.001-03:002011-05-15T21:51:05.482-03:00no pity from the rose city<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5724675874/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5266/5724675874_700d5b63e9.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5724675874/">no pity from the rose city</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p>northern invasion</p>ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-74105579160856541202011-02-25T19:53:00.001-03:002011-02-25T19:53:30.302-03:00Wintery Commute<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5476594171/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5212/5476594171_89a2af315c.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5476594171/">Wintery Commute</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p>ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-8244826145558668582011-01-15T01:29:00.002-02:002011-01-15T01:32:15.949-02:00My Letter to Representative Greenlick.<blockquote>"Representative Mitch Greenlick (D-Portland) says that his concern for the safety of children is behind House Bill 2228. The bill, which would make it illegal to carry a child of six years or younger on the back of a bike or in a trailer, has quickly caused an outcry among people throughout Oregon and the country." <br /><br />-<a href="http://bikeportland.org/2011/01/12/rep-greenlick-says-safety-concerns-prompted-child-biking-bill-45890">via bikeportland</a></blockquote><br /><br /><br /><br />Representative Greenlick, I am a constituent in your district that has happily voted for you since I was of voting age. I've never been the type to email my representatives directly about particular bills, knowing that they often are read by an intern or generally ignored, but this particular issue caused me enough concern that I felt necessary to respond. <br /><br />As a resident of the Bethany area, I can certainly appreciate and understand your interest for legislation concerning the safety of people who choose a bicycle for their main means of transportation. I frequently choose a combination of bicycle and Trimet to get to my job, which is located on the central east side of Portland, and I certainly agree that our state legislators should be focused on finding ways to improve the safety of our transportation system for all intended road users. However, as I'm sure you heard from the many of responses to your proposed bill HB2888, attempting to condemn the activity of transporting children under the age of 6 on a bicycle, accuses those who choose to bicycle as the problem instead of the horribly unsafe conditions of our disastrously planned suburban roads.<br /><br />The state house needs more advocates for safe transportation of all mode types, Representative Greenlick, and as your constituent I would love to see you pursue policy that encourages safe transportation options for all. I applaud your entrance into this discussion, and take you at your word that you had only the best intentions in introducing this bill and that you are interested in promoting bicycling to improve the state of our wallets, the state of our health, and the state of our planet. No doubt, Oregon state legislators have an important role in helping bicycles be a part of the future healthy communities we are attempting to create, but I urge you to get in contact with those interested in the issue. The Westside Transportation Alliance, for instance, is interested in promoting active transportation and transit in Beaverton and other areas near your district, and there's a bevy of bicycle activists located in Portland (the BTA, for example) that I'm sure you are aware of, pending your recent legislation. As a daily commuter, Representative Greenlick, I can tell you now that encouraging Washington County road sweepers to avoid dropping all of the gravel into the Barnes Rd. bike lane, for instance, would be a strong step in the right direction, before I or another commuter slip and fall into four lanes of high speed traffic. I know that you aren't directly responsible for Washington County road services, but the same OHSU report that you cited explained that gravel in the road is a grave danger to those on bicycles, and as you said, "If I thought a law would save one child's life, I would step in and do it. Wouldn't you?" <br /><br />Thank you for reading my letter, and I hope that you not only kill HB 2888 but that you also use this opportunity to listen to your constituents and activists interested in promoting a safe transportation policy and infrastructure that meets the needs of all intended road users.ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-51821301103860221242011-01-15T01:29:00.001-02:002011-01-15T01:31:21.705-02:00My Letter to Representative Greenlick.<blockquote>Representative Mitch Greenlick (D-Portland) says that his concern for the safety of children is behind House Bill 2228. The bill, which would make it illegal to carry a child of six years or younger on the back of a bike or in a trailer, has quickly caused an outcry among people throughout Oregon and the country.</blockquote><br />-<a href="http://bikeportland.org/2011/01/12/rep-greenlick-says-safety-concerns-prompted-child-biking-bill-45890">via bikeportland</a><br /><br /><br />Representative Greenlick, I am a constituent in your district that has happily voted for you since I was of voting age. I've never been the type to email my representatives directly about particular bills, knowing that they often are read by an intern or generally ignored, but this particular issue caused me enough concern that I felt necessary to respond. <br /><br />As a resident of the Bethany area, I can certainly appreciate and understand your interest for legislation concerning the safety of people who choose a bicycle for their main means of transportation. I frequently choose a combination of bicycle and Trimet to get to my job, which is located on the central east side of Portland, and I certainly agree that our state legislators should be focused on finding ways to improve the safety of our transportation system for all intended road users. However, as I'm sure you heard from the many of responses to your proposed bill HB2888, attempting to condemn the activity of transporting children under the age of 6 on a bicycle, accuses those who choose to bicycle as the problem instead of the horribly unsafe conditions of our disastrously planned suburban roads.<br /><br />The state house needs more advocates for safe transportation of all mode types, Representative Greenlick, and as your constituent I would love to see you pursue policy that encourages safe transportation options for all. I applaud your entrance into this discussion, and take you at your word that you had only the best intentions in introducing this bill and that you are interested in promoting bicycling to improve the state of our wallets, the state of our health, and the state of our planet. No doubt, Oregon state legislators have an important role in helping bicycles be a part of the future healthy communities we are attempting to create, but I urge you to get in contact with those interested in the issue. The Westside Transportation Alliance, for instance, is interested in promoting active transportation and transit in Beaverton and other areas near your district, and there's a bevy of bicycle activists located in Portland (the BTA, for example) that I'm sure you are aware of, pending your recent legislation. As a daily commuter, Representative Greenlick, I can tell you now that encouraging Washington County road sweepers to avoid dropping all of the gravel into the Barnes Rd. bike lane, for instance, would be a strong step in the right direction, before I or another commuter slip and fall into four lanes of high speed traffic. I know that you aren't directly responsible for Washington County road services, but the same OHSU report that you cited explained that gravel in the road is a grave danger to those on bicycles, and as you said, "If I thought a law would save one child's life, I would step in and do it. Wouldn't you?" <br /><br />Thank you for reading my letter, and I hope that you not only kill HB 2888 but that you also use this opportunity to listen to your constituents and activists interested in promoting a safe transportation policy and infrastructure that meets the needs of all intended road users. <br />--ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-39498239991081209202011-01-12T07:41:00.001-02:002011-01-12T07:41:22.186-02:00Emeril<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5348750450/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5208/5348750450_5a864b8ebd.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5348750450/">Emeril</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p>ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-2777226981009679202011-01-01T21:11:00.015-02:002011-01-02T02:29:03.226-02:00mmxThird year in a row I'd do a bit of a year-end recap. (<a href="http://aaronmichaelbrown.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html">2009</a>) (<a href="http://aaronmichaelbrown.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html">2008</a>)<br /><br /><center><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4581980397/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4581980397_3e5f203913.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4581980397/">then i fell asleep and the city kept blinkin'</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4581981193/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4581981193_71d57a7d66.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4581981193/">nodak</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4309086193/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4309086193_6b1ca32004.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4309086193/">View From Your Porch - January 2010</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4392886829/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4392886829_e2904b7ff1.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4392886829/">Beerlympix 2010</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4371139761/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4371139761_3db4f5bff5.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4371139761/">home away from home.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4411838847/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4411838847_b81c9fec36.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4411838847/">Founders' Day 2010</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4411838653/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2710/4411838653_bfda19fa5e.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4411838653/">Founders' Day 2010</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4479542673/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4479542673_654a7bb28f.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4479542673/">33rd and 8th, Manhattan</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5161106394/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1069/5161106394_51f92ca6dc.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5161106394/">KIRA IN CHINATOWN MARCH 2010</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4581981819/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4581981819_1462875d20.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4581981819/">happy st patricks day from 1139</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4581982079/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4581982079_8477dce0f0.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4581982079/">wisconsin</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4489099666/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2789/4489099666_84f057d6ed.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4489099666/">sons and daughters</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4533565609/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4533565609_54350e1b85.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4533565609/">opencity, admo dc</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4623057672/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4623057672_29b6465450.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4623057672/">rooftop bros, sparks, and the capitol</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4612885548/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4612885548_1a615aa491.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4612885548/">like father like son</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5160491169/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/5160491169_eae819783d.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5160491169/">i like you too.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4612269039/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3349/4612269039_0482a6a454.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4612269039/">diploma. i has it.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4611304886/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4611304886_eda67ae31a.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4611304886/">We emerged from youth all wide eyed like the rest</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4723901672/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1010/4723901672_108fa0498d.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4723901672/">under midwestern skies</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5306342294/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5002/5306342294_a624482d54.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5306342294/">scan0008</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5305751393/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5124/5305751393_6aeb81cacb.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5305751393/">rilo 2k10</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4810212665/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/4810212665_4b7a33aeb6.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4810212665/">rmf</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4832440839/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4146/4832440839_20c4e750dd.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4832440839/">#cascadiabsides2k10</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4698458563/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4698458563_5e17c0872e.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4698458563/">the city and midwestern skies</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4754429182/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4754429182_1f5710c459.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4754429182/">Lake Calhoun</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5305751247/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5043/5305751247_8c5df1b173.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5305751247/">Just another hot hot summah in my life.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4895906935/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4895906935_c40e9e63b5.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4895906935/">What did we get ourselves into?</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4953725332/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/4953725332_dec7d50960.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4953725332/">what a night.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4986279018/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/4986279018_7bba0f6bc9.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4986279018/">Colin</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4985680197/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/4985680197_90614b63c4.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4985680197/">Matt</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4985679165/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/4985679165_f1efd2aefa.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4985679165/">City Middle</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5069134047/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4148/5069134047_34548b85f3.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5069134047/">Cross Crusade - Rainier OR</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5069146049/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/5069146049_82ac0eac8c.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5069146049/">Cross Crusade - Rainier OR</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5157603794/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1262/5157603794_e2de6dd17c.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5157603794/">mud slog</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5306342414/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5306342414_7f880692b4.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5306342414/">scan0010</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5306343554/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5005/5306343554_7a08e2ed8d.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5306343554/">scan0009</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5294639433/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5129/5294639433_ec156919b7.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5294639433/">MOVE FAST FER DEALZ</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5295236048/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5041/5295236048_7b68d09f5a.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5295236048/">choklit park, vancouver bc</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p><br /></center><br /><br />Top Accomplishments!<br />1) Eating ten pounds of pho noodles and winning the pho-king challenge at Saigon Restaurant in Saint Paul.<br />2) Graduating college, I guess.<br />3) Completing my <a href="http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/geography_honors/21/">honors project</a>.<br />4) Getting a job at Metro<br />5) Sending Kate the best birthday present ever<br />6) Completing/surviving the Minneapolis Stupor Bowl<br />7) Completing/surviving student government<br />8) Completing/surviving #deathbyburnside<br />9) Completing/surviving two cyclocross races here in Portland<br />10) Biking 1000+ miles this summer<br /><br />2k10 playlist<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">January</span> I Can See Your Tracks - Laura Veirs<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">February</span> My Heart - Wildbirds and Peacedrums<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">March</span> Swim Until You Can't See Land - Frightened Rabbit<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">April</span> This Is What - Horse Feathers<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">May</span> Sounds Familiar - The Weakerthans<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">June</span> Bushwick Blues - Delta Spirit<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">July</span> Mouthful of Diamonds - Phantogram<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">August</span> Niagara Falls - Harlem Shakes<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">September</span> Sprawl II (Mountains beyong Mountains) - Arcade Fire<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">October</span> You've Got A Place Called Home - Hannah Georgas<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">November</span> Love is All I Am - Dawes<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">December</span> 10 Mile Stereo - Beach House<br /><br />Top Albums<br />1) July Flame - Laura Veirs<br />2) The Suburbs - Arcade Fire<br />3) Mines - Menomena<br />4) High Violet - The National<br />5) Teen Dream - Beach House<br />6) History from Below - Delta Spirit<br />7) The Winter of Mixed Drinks - Frightened Rabbit<br />8) North Hills - Dawes<br /><br />Top Books<br />1) Towards Cosmopolis: Planning for Multicultural Cities - Leonie Sandercock<br />2) Player One: What Will Become Of Us - Doug Coupland<br />3) The Fires: How a Computer Formula, Big Ideas, and the Best of Intentions Burned Down New York City-and Determined the Future of Cities - Joe Flood<br />4) Greater Portland: Urban Life and Landscape in the Pacific Northwest - Carl Abbott<br />5) FreeDarko Presents: The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac: Styles, Stats, and Stars in Today's Gameambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-27471573279991977852010-10-01T22:37:00.001-03:002010-10-01T22:37:24.174-03:00mont royal<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5042667105/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5042667105_94c75aed0c.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/5042667105/">mont royal</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p>ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-61691596263914362452010-08-01T20:11:00.001-03:002010-08-01T20:11:24.900-03:00Just another hot hot summer in my life<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4723902412/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1208/4723902412_3c9d12a5cc.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4723902412/">Summer 2010</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p><i>“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.” <br /></i><br />-Arthur Conan Doyle<br /><br />I'm back in Minneapolis for one last month. Let's go on a bike ride? I'm tired of studying for the GREs and writing cover letters that will never be read.</p>ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-40681184418680044252010-07-04T16:19:00.002-03:002010-07-04T16:27:05.080-03:00Happy Fourth Minneapolis<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4250758196/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2659/4250758196_43ca34b0e0.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style=" margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4250758196/">Happy Fourth Minneapolis</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p>This photo is from last year, but it still captures many of the reasons that the Fourth of July is possibly my favorite holiday of the year.<br /><br /><br />Not much has been happening. Minneapolitan Summer is going pretty well, even if I've largely been pretty lethargic. I've actually been writing a lot lately, but I haven't finished editing it to post on this blog. I'm going back to Portland in two weeks, so hopefully, if you're reading this and haven't seen me in a while, you'll have an opportunity to see me sometime in the next few weeks.<br /><br />yours,<br />Aaron</p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/3824502303/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2462/3824502303_f936e45fc2.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style=" margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/3824502303/">Happy Fourth</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p></p>ambrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03437071336127524911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308548737451134249.post-6197110470306424012010-05-16T23:13:00.001-03:002010-05-16T23:13:23.416-03:00diploma. i has it.<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4612269039/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3349/4612269039_0482a6a454.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dietpoison/4612269039/">diploma. i has it.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dietpoison/">_ambrown</a>.</span></div><p>GRADUATED.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1