Matthew K. Ibrahim

austin, tx

Gender: Male
Interested In: Neither
Member since: 2007-03-16 00:00:00
Last log-in: 2007-08-30 00:00:00
Events: 12

Events:

Austin on Rails - September Meeting

Date: 2007-09-10 19:00:00

Type:

Scheduling Note We will be meeting at our typical location for our monthly meetings (Frog Design at 8th and Congress). We will run the meeting roughly from 7PM-9PM, so please be on time. Also, please note that our September meeting is on Monday (directly after Lone Star conference is over). This meeting date was chosen to accommodate our visitor from Amazon's tight schedule. Rails EC2 Plugin Steve Odom revisits his ElasticRails plugin that makes it simple to deploy your Rails app to Amazon EC2. Steve's hobby is creating rails applications that no one visits. Sites like smarkets.net, trivionomy.com, and quizical.net. He's also created a couple of rails plugins; s3cache and elasticrails. One day he hopes to create something popular so he can quit his dayjob. He can be reached at steve.odom at gmail.com AWS + ROR = Development Bliss Amazon spent ten years and over $2 billion developing a world-class technology and content platform that powers Amazon web sites for millions of customers. Most people think “Amazon.com” when they hear the word; however developers are excited to learn that there is a separate technology arm of the company, known as Amazon Web Services or AWS. Using AWS, developers can build software applications leveraging the same robust, scalable, and reliable technology that powers Amazon’s retail business. AWS has now launched eleven services with open API’s for developers to build applications, with the result that over 265,000 developers have registered on Amazon’s developer site to create applications based on these services. In this session, Jinesh Varia, Evangelist for Amazon web services, is going to provide an overview of some of the Amazon Web services and demo some cool apps that are built using Ruby on Rails. Additionally, We will see a demo of how a typical Rails application can built to “Auto-scale” that simply “listens” to incoming requests/second and makes a smart “educated guess” of how many more steady-state servers are needed to serve the increased load and actually automatically spawn that many virtualised instances, without any human intervention. This session will highlight some of the newly launched features of Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) and newly launched Amazon Flexible Payment Service (Amazon FPS) and show how you can monetize your existing services. As a Web Services Evangelist at Amazon, Jinesh Varia helps developers take advantage of disruptive technologies that are going to change the way we think about computer applications, and the way businesses compete. He is focused on furthering awareness of web services and often helps developers on 1:1 basis in implementing their own ideas using Amazon’s innovative services. Jinesh has over 7 years experience in XML and Web services and has worked with standard working groups in XBRL. Prior to joining Amazon as an evangelist, he held several positions in UBmatrix including Solutions Architect, Enterprise Team Lead and Software engineer, working on various XBRL-based financial services projects including ASP.NET based Call Modernization Project at FDIC. He was also lead developer at Penn State Data Center, Institute of Regional Affairs. Jinesh’s publications have been published in ACM and IEEE. Jinesh is originally from India and holds a Master’s degree in Information Systems from Penn State University. He plays tennis and loves to trek. Socialization Practice Drinks and what not to follow at Hickory Street. Don't miss it!

Alvin Crow

Where: Broken Spoke

Date: 2007-09-08 21:00:00

Type:

Alvin Crow plays authentic boot-scootin' country music with the occasional rocker thrown in.

Solas

Where: Cactus Cafe

Date: 2007-04-26 20:30:00

Type:

Irish folk supergroup Solas, led by Seamus Egan, has put a twist on traditional Irish music by using non-traditional instruments such as banjo, guitar and bouzouki to spice up its sound. $23 at the door.

web2.0workshop

Where: DanaLynn Media studio

Date: 2007-05-25 15:00:00

Type:

Everybody with a blog or podcast can join, give input, experiment. If you don't have a blog or podcast we make you one... Check also this collection of materials: http://sylvesterbecker.googlepages.com/web2.0workshop

Protest Execution of Kenneth Foster

Where: Governor's Mansion

Date: 2007-08-30 17:30:00

Type:

Kenneth Foster is scheduled for execution on August 30, 2007. Write members of the Texas Legislature and Urge them to Ask Governor Rick Perry to Stop the Execution of Kenneth Foster, Jr Visit Texas Moratorium Network for more information about the Texas Death Penalty. The case of Kenneth Foster Jr The state of Texas has recently given Kenneth Foster an execution date of August 30, 2007. Please contact governor Rick Perry and ask him to grant clemency to Kenneth Foster, Jr.. The Case in brief: * On the evening of August 14, 1996, Mauriceo Brown shot and killed Michael T. LaHood, Jr. * Kenneth was the driver of a car in which three passengers Brown, Julius Steen, and Dewayne Dillard committed multiple robberies. * Kenneth was only the driver. He did not participate in the robberies. * Kenneth tried to persuade them men to desist and return home. * Later in the evening, the men found themselves behind another car. The car parked and one of its occupants, Mary Patrick, waved them to the side of the road. * Brown exited the car to speak to Patrick. During the exchange, he shot and killed the woman’s boyfriend, Mr. LaHood. * Kenneth, along with Steen and Dillard had no prior knowledge of Brown’s intentions nor did they assist. The Trial: * Kenneth faced trial with the shooter, Mauriceo Brown. * Brown admitted to the shooting, but clearly and freely stated that he acted on his own. * No evidence exists that proves Kenneth participated in or knew a murder would be committed Other Circumstances: * Kenneth is legally and factually innocent of Capital Murder. * Kenneth did not know that Brown had the gun when he left the car or that he was about to commit murder. * Dewayne Dillard testified in an evidentiary hearing of Kenneth’s ignorance of Brown’s intent. Dillard said that Kenneth looked surprised and panicked after hearing the gunshot. Kenneth also started to drive away, but did not at the request of Dillard. Dillard’s testimony was not presented at trial. * The judge told the jury that it could "find the defendant Kenneth Foster guilty of the offense of capital murder, though he may have had no intent to commit the offense." These instructions contradict both the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Enmund v. Florida and the standards of conviction under the Texas “Law of Parties.” o Enmund v. Florida: the death penalty violates the Eighth Amendment and is a disproportionate punishment when the defendant was not present at the killing, did not kill, and did not intend that the victims be killed or did not anticipate lethal force might be used in the course of a robbery or to effect a safe escape. o The standards of Texas’ “Law of Parties” require the prosecution to prove intent to conspire to commit murder. The death of Michael T. Lahood, Jr. is undoubtedly a tragedy. However, the worst thing Texas could do in this case is create more innocent victims. Come to the Governor's Mansion in Austin or one of the protests sites in the list of cities below to protest the Texas death penalty every time there is a scheduled execution. Statewide Execution Vigils Huntsville - Corner of 12th Street and Avenue I (in front of the Walls Unit) at 5:00 p.m. Austin - At the Governor's Mansion on the Lavaca St. side between 10th and 11th St. from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Beaumont - Diocese of Beaumont, Diocesan Pastoral Office, 703 Archie St. @ 4:00 p.m. on the day of an execution. College Station - 5:30 to 6 PM, east of Texas A &M campus at the corner of Walton and Texas Ave. across the street from the main entrance. Corpus Christi - at 6 PM in front of Incarnate Word Convent at 2910 Alameda Street Dallas - 5:30 pm, at the SMU Women's Center, 3116 Fondren Drive Houston - 5:30 to 6:20 at the Dominican Sisters Mother House at 6501 Almeda Rd. (corner of Almeda and Holcombe), Parking is accessible from Almeda Rd. Lewisville - St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church, 1897 W. Main Street. Peace & Justice Ministry conducts Vigils of Witness Against Capital Punishment at 6:00 pm on the day executions are scheduled in Texas. McKinney - St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Community located at 110 St. Gabriel Way. We gather the last Saturday of the month between 6:00 to 6:30 to pray for those men/women scheduled to be executed in the next month and to remember the victims, their families, and all lives touched, including us as a society. San Antonio (Site 1) - Archdiocese of San Antonio, in the St. Joseph Chapel at the Chancery, 2718 W. Woodlawn Ave. (1 mile east of Bandera Rd.) at 11:30 a.m. on the day of execution. Broadcast on Catholic Television of San Antonio (Time-Warner cable channel 15) at 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on the day of execution. San Antonio (Site 2) - Main Plaza across from Bexar County Courthouse and San Fernando Cathedral - Noon Spring - Prayer Vigil at 6 PM on evenings of executions at St Edward Catholic Community, 2601 Spring Stuebner Rd for the murder victim, for family and friends of the murder victim, the prison guards and correctional officers, for the family of the condemn man/woman, for the man/woman to be executed and to an end to the death penalty.

Designathon DAY 2!

Where: MCC

Date: 2007-04-15 11:00:00

Type:

Put your super-hero design skills to the test, collaborating on issues of usability and accessibility, graphical interface design and high-level software architecture. When: Saturday, April 14th 9:30-6 Sunday, April 15th from 11-6 Where: The MCC Building Design volunteers of all types needed form functional, UI, and technical design to graphics.

Air Guitar Nation: The Citizen Kane of Air Guitar Documentar...

Where: Regal Arbor Cinema at Great Hills

Date: 2007-04-13 00:00:00

Type:

"Air + Guitar = Genius! On a scale of zero to seven, we give it an eleven." --David Ansen, Newsweek Air Guitar Nation is coming to Austin, TX this weekend. This is a CRUCIAL weekend for the film - please come and get everyone you know to see it THIS WEEKEND or it will sadly disappear from theaters entirely. Tons of critics and fans have raved about the movie...go find out why. “****” -- TimeOut NY "The movie's wild performances and droll humor are tough to resist. So are its obsessive yet self-mocking heroes: the Los Angeles-based actor David Jung, who performs as C-Diddy, who has a kung phooey stage persona and wears a Hello Kitty pouch like a warrior's breastplate; and the New York writer-musician Dan Crane, a k a Björn Turöque, whose parched wit and jackhammer performance style suggest Bill Murray trapped in the body of Sid Vicious. Mr. Crane also wrote and sang the closing credits theme, a garage band anthem that lodges in the brain like a fishhook." --New York Times "The documentary won an audience award at the South by Southwest music festival, among other film-festival accolades. But its hard-rockin' soundtrack and the energetic machinations of several dozen wannabe Eddie Van Halens provide a better reason to see "Air Guitar Nation": Judas Priest's "You Got Another Thing Comin'," Boston's "More Than a Feeling" and Mot–rhead's "Ace of Spades" all get, um, aired out in the film." -- LA Times “It seriously rocks.” -- Salon.com “Raucously entertaining...” --Paper “Slick, hilarious, and at times even suspenseful...nary a dull lick in the entire 80 minutes.” -- Village Voice "Hilarious. Equal measures of patriotism, showmanship and irony." -- Variety "A feel-good underdog story..." --New York Magazine "One of the most fun films you'll ever see. It's like Rocky with air guitars." -- Ain't it Cool News "As one might expect, Air Guitar Nation is often hilarious...Perhaps even more remarkable is how readily the viewer is sucked into this surreal world." --High Times "Air Guitar Nation is textured, well-crafted - and hilarious." --St. Louis Riverfront Times "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have out first Oscar contender of the year." -- FirstShowing.net Advance tix available here More info and the trailer on the official site and on Myspace