Austin

Reflection on My 10k

David Ortez before the Race

I finished my 10k and I am not dead! This is good news since I was concerned that I might not have been up to it physically nor mentally when it came to the daunting hills in Austin. The route was entertaining . . . the little that I could remember. Honestly, the whole time I was thinking, "Damn, when is the Sea of Red Shirts going to spread out." That never did happen. It was a cluster f*ck of people running side by side. There were over 10,000 runners I heard but who knows.

David Ortez Nike+ Human Race 10k Austin Time  Read More »


Nike+ Human Race 10k in Austin, TX

Nike+ Human Race 10k Official Austin Route

At 6:30 CDT I will be participating in the Nike+ Human Race 10k in Austin, Texas. I have been training for 6 weeks to run this 10k and although I am no where near the shape I was in April of 2007, I am ecstatic about running. Friends will come out to support me like they did on my first run.

This time though, Marco is joining me on the ride. I know how tough it will be but Marco does not realize that hills are deceiving. He has not been training as aggressively as I have but he is also in much better shape than me. He actively swims and plays tennis so that counts. I have prepared mentally for the challenge and am ready to take the hills head on.  Read More »


The Convention Kicks Off!

The convention has been going strong for about an hour and 30 minutes now and I am setting up. The day is filled with meetings, caucuses and of course the general session at the end of the day. I will be snapping pictures and looking out for any relevant information to report on.

What can I say about the convention . . . this is mayhem! I have never seen so many people dedicated or at least appear dedicated enough that they took a day off from work to travel to the state's capital in order to partake in a two day event for the Texas Democratic Primary. Even though Obama seems to be the shoe in, that does not stop Hillary's delegates to voice their opinion in the last step of the tri-level primary process. Other than the actual caucuses and meetings targeted to specific individuals within the Democratic Party there is an entire floor dedicated to selling Liberal paraphernalia. You can buy anything from t-shirts with witty slogans to Obama jewelry. The big hit in the room was a life size Obama and Clinton poster model.

Founder and CEO of Election Mall Ravi Sing claims that, "the models are the actual height" and people often ask him if they can take pictures with the candidates. He chuckles and adds that he began showcasing the candidates in "the California Primary" and has not stopped since. He plans on going to Denver. "Candidates send in their images to be included," claims Singh who works from the nation's capital. Interested individuals may purchase the carboard models for about $50 a piece. Signh adds, "There are plans to expand the amount of cardboard models," and that he does expect to retire either candidate anytime soon.

In other news, Rick Noriega held a news conference hitting home with the message that Republicans are out of touch with the general public when it comes to the housing crisis, failing dollar and rising gas prices. Party officals believe that about 15,000 individuals from around the state are expected to pledge their votes this weekend. Traffic near the Austin Convention center on Red River and Cesar Chavez seemed to have higher levels of traffic then usual. I have uploaded pictures of the convention which you can check out here and do not forget to check back for more.


Texas Democratic Party Convention 2008

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I have traveled to Austin this weekend for the 2008 Texas Democratic Party Convention. I will be part of the Press team that will relay the ongoing event surrounding the convention via my blog. I will be assisted by Jeff Crews from Houston who made this opportunity possible. Expect some entertaining posts and lots of pictures. The event does not officially kick off until Friday but there will be a blogger get together today at Cedar Street. Let the good times roll!