Ryan Joy (atxryan)

Thank you for all you’ve done, and be at peace.

We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders and we need to raise hell. - Molly Ivins, January 12, 2007

read more | digg story

Jade: I hope there are no babies on the plane.

And then two crying babies are sat on either row around us.

Damn.

“To think of the future and wait was merely another way of saying one was a coward; any idea of moderation was just another attempt to disguise one’s unmanly character; ability to understand the question from all sides meant that one was totally unfitted for action; fanatical unthusiasm was the mark of a real man … Anyone who held violent opinions could always be trusted, and anyone who objected to them became a suspect.”
- The quote is translated from Thucydides, the Father of History, writing about the day in 415 B.C. when Athens sent its glorious fleet off to destruction in Sicily.

Not having anything better to occupy our time last night, Jade, Bryan, and I turned to our favorite pastime — DRINKING! But where? Two shots of whiskey later, we were ready embark on our journey. We didn’t so much plan on visiting any of these places as much as they became apparent through the novelty of mobile Internet and a will for discovery.

Scoot Inn
1308 East 4th St.
Apparently this bar (formerly Red’s Scoot Inn) was set to disappear from the libations landscape when the owners of Longbranch Inn saved the day and made it even better. This venerable East Austin bar was built in 1871. It’s very comfortable feeling with its inviting smells — in that earthy, old way — and old-fashioned wicker lamps. Oh, and it now features a large bier garten.

Longbranch Inn
1133 East 11th St.

I’d been to the Longbranch a few times before, but for Jade & Bryan it was a new experience. It had the largest crowd of our cold, Monday night sojourn and boasted the same friendly atmosphere that seems to perpetually hang around that place. I think the fact that they had a fire going helped.

Firehouse Lounge
605 Brazos St.

The Firehouse Lounge’s website lists it as “one of Austin’s best kept secrets” and after visiting I can attest to that. There’s nothing spectacular about the place, but if you’ve spent enough time on Sixth you’ll appreciate the comfortable atmosphere, music at a reasonable enough level to be able to hold a conversation, and LOTS of sitting areas throughout. This place seems pretty swanky. I look forward to visiting it again next time I seek a reprieve from the Sixth Street doldrums.

From: http://russellsteapot.com

Charity is uppermost in the brain | Guardian Unlimited

“Neuroscientists have found the brain’s charity spot: a region that determines whether we put others before ourselves.

…

Science has grappled with why people will put the welfare of others ahead of their own, even at personal cost. From an evolutionary viewpoint it makes little sense because it does not increase the chances of someone passing on their genes.”

I find the following quote very interesting because it ties in with the philosophical view that true altruism does not exist. In other words, perceived altruism is a result of the positive emotions we receive as a result of ‘doing good’ or it is the result of wanting to appear, even if subconsciously, charitable to the world. To be the bigger person as it were.

“The researchers suggest altruistic behaviour comes from the way people view the world rather than how they behave themselves.”

function addLoadEvent(func) {
  var oldonload = window.onload;
  if (typeof window.onload != 'function') {
    window.onload = func;
  } else {
    window.onload = function() {
      oldonload();
      func();
    }
  }
}

function linkTabs() {
  if(!document.getElementById("top_tabs")) return false;

  var topTabs = document.getElementById("top_tabs");
  var topTabsLi = topTabs.getElementsByTagName("li");

  for (var i = 0; i < topTabsLi.length; i++) {
    topTabsLi[i].onmouseover = function() {
      this.style.cursor = “pointer”;
    }
    topTabsLi[i].onclick = function() {
      return linkThis(this);
    }
  }
}
function linkThis(whichLink) {
  window.location = whichLink.getElementsByTagName(”a”)[0].getAttribute(”href”);
}

addLoadEvent(linkTabs);

For the second day in a row, Bryan, Kelcey, Jade and I have been ice-bound at the house. I’ve been able to work from home for both days, but it’s difficult to stay indoors for days on end.
Increasingly, we’ve had to come up with diversions to keep ourselves from dying of boredom. And since we’re going to Vegas in about 10 days, what better way than self-administered training sessions?

Craps

Click Here to Learn How To Play

First thing Bryan and I did was create our Craps table based on this image. We used the underside of the wooden coffee table which happened to work perfectly for this project.

We used Splenda packets as chips. I think all in all it was a great learning experience for Bryan, Kelcey, and Jade. Now we’re ready to win BIG MONEY.