6-21-10 Monday

Good Monday to you folks. Today is the first day of Summer and in Oregon at least the sun is shining and I had a nice drive to work. I believe that it is supposed to be in the seventies for most of the week and that is good enough for me.

There was a interesting piece this morning on the radio about one of the myriad of business in the gulf of Mexico that are being affected by the broken oil pipe. It was one that I had not thought of but it was an ice making plant. The Huey Ice Company located in Dulac, La. They make blocks of ice for the boats to carry to keep their shrimp and other seafood catches cold. Well in the height of a normal season they might make as much as 90,000 pounds of ice a day. But, since the shrimp season has been canceled they are just kind of creeping along. It was interesting to me and not from a political point of view in terms of the pros or cons of drilling or anything like that. But, it was pretty even handed discussion of how business in the area are being affected. I was aware that shrimp fishermen were being affected but it just did not occur to me to think about all of the other things that were going to have problems as well. The people who repair the engines on these boats and lots and lots of other maintenance kind of things that are really going to not need to be done if the boats are not in the water actively being worked.

I found it interesting to me because it highlighted for me the amount of stuff that I take for granted when I think of how something impacts the area. I just hope that one good thing that comes out of this mess down there is that these oil companies will update and really take seriously their methods when it comes to safety and clean up. I think this has really highlighted the fact that they have let this lapse for far to long.

6-17-2010 Thursday (Glenn Beck & Soccer)

I want to write something really witty and pithy here but I am not feeling it today. That concerns me a little bit because I like writing but if I need to be all worked up about it then I am not sure it is very healthy for me to be writing.

I would really like to get fired up over the that fact Glenn Beck is just being a bozo about the World Cup.

“It doesn't matter how you try to sell it to us, it doesn't matter how many celebrities you get, it doesn't matter how many bars open early, it doesn't matter how many beer commercials they run, we don't want the World Cup, we don't like the World Cup, we don't like soccer, we want nothing to do with it.”

But, I mean it is Glenn Beck and I honestly think that he doesn't have a filter. He just seems to riff on the radio and I am not even sure if he writes anything down. His commentary on Soccer is much like his commentary on most things in the world and America. I just do not think he gets it. I hope one day that I could have a radio or television show and just say things to get people fired up. I would really enjoy the amount of money that I could make from such an endeavor. There are lots of things that I know absolutely nothing about but I would not let that stop me.

I will have my voice be heard!! Now, who wants to pay me?

6-15-2010 Tuesday

Aaargh!! Shake fist!! Big Government!! How dare they? Dirty Liberals!!! Why I oughta!!

I got nothing today folks you have a good day.

6-14-2010 FLAG DAY

Today is Monday the 14th of June, 2010 and is Flag Day. The resolution for Flag Day was adopted by the second Continental Congress in 1777. Then in 1919 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed officially June 14th as Flag Day. Following that in August 1949 National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress.

The isn't an official federal holiday and the only U. S. State to celebrate it as a state holiday is Pennsylvania. So if you notice more American flags then usual flying around your cities and neighborhoods this is the reason why.

All simple patriotism aside, I like the American flag I like the stars and stripes. But, I also really like flags in general. If I could I would like to have a collection of different flags of the world as wall hangings in my house. I think they make for a pretty distinctive look and most countries have pretty nicely designed flags and emblems. That is one of the reasons that I like the World Cup so much. It feels like to me even more then the Olympics that the fans are often very proud of the country and they show that in so many different forms of clothing and banners and the like.

I also really enjoy maps as wall hangings. When I was a kid my parents had a subscription to National Geographic and one of the things that I absolutely loved about that magazine was the maps that they would insert periodically. I still have some of them tucked away and I really wish in retrospect that I would have saved more of them. I need to get those hung up.

There was an interesting piece this morning on NPR about Medical Marijuana. Now, all politics aside as far as the moral issues of Marijuana as a drug. I like that more and more states are deciding for themselves if they want to legalize this as a medicine or not. I know I am probably beating a dead horse her because I have already written in length about my pro federalism feelings but I really do like the idea that more and more states are stepping forward and using the citizen initiative process to effect change. To me this is true democracy in action and truly the power of the voter being heard. This isn't big pharma or the Government controlling the testing of and controlling the access to a pretty effective pain killer.

Have a good day folks, take some time to look at some flags and look at some maps and just be nice to each other out there. I vow to do that regardless of political persuasion.

6-10-2007 (Thursday)

I am still waiting for Adam Smiths "invisible hand" to fix this oil leak problem.!

6-8-2010 (Tuesday)

Hey folks, I hope Tuesday finds you well. I do not have a lot to rant about today. I am mainly writing to listen to the sounds of the voices in my head and the click of the keyboard. I sometimes wish I was a little more angry so that I could really get fired up and go off on some sort of nonsensical rant about fluoride in our water or the Government seeding our clouds. But I am not feeling it today.

It is almost like there is so much going on in the world that my sense of outrage is spread out and diluted. I would love to really narrow down and focus it like a laser on something but right now I am just not feeling the need.

One thing I am excited for is the World Cup. The first game is this Friday and it is Mexico against the host country South Africa. I realize that not all of my readers are interested in the World Cup and to them I say tough beans. I shall be writing a little bit about it as the tournament progresses.

You folks have a great day.

6-7-2010 (Monday)

Well I went to the Timbers game last night. It was a good game up to a point. The team looked good. The passing was strong and they seemed to actually be looking to attack and to force the other team to react to what the Timbers were doing offensively. That was the first half and part of the second half. The Timbers started the game running a 4-4-2 that isn't set in stone because one of the players. Alex Nimo by name is allowed the flexibility to roam pretty much where ever he want's to on the pitch. This works extraordinarily well for the Timbers. The game was still a 0-0 tie after the first half and after a very heavy rain shower during halftime the Timbers came out looking just as strong in the second half. The end result of the action was a Timbers goal by Ryan Pore off of a nice pass by Nimo to Bright Dike who then led Pore into to the open and Pore just basically slid it past the keeper into the corner.

At that point it seemed like the Timbers decided to close up shop and not attack anymore. Then a few minutes later they subbed Dike out and switched to a either 5-4-1 or a 4-5-1. I feel like that was a horrible, horrible mistake by the Timbers. They had the Carolina Railhawks on the ropes and they stopped punishing them. Had the Timbers continued attacking they could have score another 1 or 2 goals easily. But, they didn't they took their foot of of the accelerator and soon after the 90yh minute in stoppage time the Railhawks scored to end the game in a 1-1 draw. It was an absolutely terrible way to end a ball game.

I think it was a game that the Timbers gave away due to a very bad coaches decision. I am concerned about how the team looks so far this season and I really hope they can get it together enough to get into the playoffs. I would love to see them win the title before they move to the MLS next season. But, the way they look right now I am not sure if that is going to happen.

6-6-2010 (Sunday)

Today is a match day for the Portland Timbers. If you do not know they are the minor league soccer team that I support. But, next season they will be moving into the Major League Soccer (MLS). I am so excited for it. I look forward to a good season and so far this season has been very fun. I should be back later tonight with an update for you as to how the game went and as to how many hipsters I saw. Oh yes I have not forgotten about the new Theocracy and the "Electric Hug-suits" .

6-2-2010 (Wednesday) Selling Space To the Highest Bidder

This morning on the float ride to work I was listening to NPR and they did a piece about the Falcon 9 will those of you who do not know the Falcon 9 is a rocket that was built by SpaceX a private company that hopes to be part of the future privatization of space travel. Now I do not have a problem with this in and of itself and I understand why the idea might seem appealing to an administration that is trying to cut costs in some areas.

But, I am wary of privatizing anything after the fiasco that was the privatization of the military during the latest Iraq war. While I believe it is possible to make a case that there was a slight amount of savings for the American military during the war. I think overall the fiscal cost as well as the way that the American military was changed using this model hurt far more then it helped. Things have to be weighed on a scale that is made up of far more then dollars and cents. There is an emotional cost to things. There is a societal cost to things and our actions in Iraq or I should say the actions of private security firms like Haliburton and Blackwater have hurt America and will continue to hurt America for generations to come.

But, my ranting on that aside. Here is the link to the story NPR FALCON 9 give it a listen and then swing back by. Am I wrong to be concerned about this? I really think that this in the end could cost America far more then any savings we are gaining right now. What do you think?

5-31-2010 MEMORIAL DAY

It is Memorial Day today. So go visit a military cemetery and take a moment to think about those who died so that we have the freedoms that most of us take for granted today.

5-28-2010 (Friday)

Happy Friday everybody. I hope those of you that are able to get away for the weekend have a good one.

I do not really have anything today. I am sorry about that. I have not lately been inspired by anything. That isn't to say I am in a funk or anything but I just have not really felt the need to complain about something or been so excited about something that I felt like I had to tell you about it. I sometimes wonder exactly what the purpose of this blog is for me. Am I using it as a form of therapy to get out my crap? I do not think I am because I am very careful about what I write and I do censor myself. I know it may seem like I just vomit out things but that is not true at all. Do I write because I feel like I am smarter then everybody and I need to educate you all to my wisdom? While I will freely acknowledge that there is a small truth in that. I do think pretty highly of myself. But I think anyone who writes for free must think like that otherwise why would I bother.

I think I mainly write because I enjoy it and this allows me to write in short bursts when I can find the time. I do wish that I could stick to a type a little more. I realize I veer all over the place from pieces on news to entertainment to my personal life to me just rambling on and on about things that most of you readers could really care less about. Which I am doing write now as a matter of fact. I am not planning on stopping writing I am just trying to process what my reasons are for writing. It was easier by far when I was in college because there were topics just handed to me to write about on a daily basis. Maybe, I need to go to graduate school? That might be kind of cool. I could go to law school and be the next Perry Mason or perhaps just get my PHD and start teaching by the time I am 50 and be that crazy wild haired professor who shakes things up.

Well that is about it. I hope my ramblings were a little bit entertaining for you today. I will talk to you on Monday.

5-26-2010 (Wednesday)

I do not have much going on today folks. The radio was all of the usual stuff really this morning. The oil spill, the chance that North and South Korea are going to start shooting at each other again.

A couple of farmers in kind of southern and eastern Oregon got permission to shoot at Wolves if they catch them eating their livestock. I didn't realize you needed permission to protect your livestock from a predator. It might be that way only for Wolves actually. I do not know about Bears or Cougars.

The state of Idaho is trying to lure business from Oregon and Washington. The biggest reason they are giving is because voters passed Measures 66 and 67 in the last voting cycle. I imagine that there are parts of Idaho that are nice. I have not seen them. I have been to Boise and was really unimpressed and the only stories I have heard about Coeur d'Alene is that a nice lake is there. But also that white supremacists had compound in the area for a long time. I believe that with the election of President Obama that the Arayan Nation group has returned to the area. I know longer just believe it according to their website the head quarters of the group is in Coeur d'Alene. So feel free Idaho to continue to try to lure in business to your state. Good luck with that. I myself have no desire to live there.

I will talk to you later folks. You have a good day.

5-25-2010 (Tuesday)

"I want to say one word to you. Just one word."
"...Plastics"
The Graduate


If you are not aware of this by now. I live in the Pacific Northwest. In Oregon to be exact. I mentioned last week the anniversary of the MT ST. Helens eruption well that isn't the only active volcano in the Pacific Northwest.




That graphic above from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows the volcanic eruptions in the last 4000 years in the part of the country that I live in. As you can see there appears to be a fair amount of seismic activity. My question, for the big brains amongst my readers, is why do we in the Pacific Northwest not use more thermal energy. Below is what I found from the state of Oregon website

"The city of Klamath Falls uses geothermal energy directly to supply heat for a district heating system. Geothermal heat sources in several other Oregon counties supply heat to buildings, swimming pools and resorts and industrial uses.

There is no generation of electricity from geothermal sources within the state of Oregon. However, there are several sites where geological data suggest a resource sufficient for power generation may exist. The potential for production of electricity from Oregon´s geothermal resources has been explored at three sites in Oregon.

In 1996, CalEnergy Company received a site certificate from the Energy Facility Siting Council to build a 30-megawatt geothermal power plant near the Newberry Volcanic Monument in Deschutes County. However, despite considerable investment in exploratory drilling, the company did not find a source of heat and steam sufficient for generating electricity. The company canceled the Newberry project and is now pursuing a similar project in northern California.

Other exploration has occurred near Vale and in the Alvord Dessert near Borax Lake. The latter site is no longer feasible due to the risk of harm to the endangered Borax Lake chub. The exploration at the Vale site failed to locate a geothermal source adequate for generating electricity.

Resource uncertainty as well as high development and exploration costs are substantial barriers to future development of geothermal sources for power production. The location of potential geothermal sources in environmentally sensitive areas has been a barrier to siting geothermal power facilities in the state."

That pretty much answered my question but I also wonder if we should be pursuing this more then we are despite the cost of it. I know that part of the reason I like the idea is because it just sounds so cool to me. I like the idea of Oregon getting a good chunk of its energy from geothermal. I am also a big fan of Hydroelectric as well. So any thoughts folks on why we are not looking even deeper into this?

5-25-2010 (Monday)

My head is hurting today so no writings. I hope to be back on track tomorrow.

5-21-2010 (Friday)

Sorry about yesterday folks. I was in the middle of something of a project at work and I never got around to writing anything. As far as today goes? I am not sure. There is not anything right now that really has me fired up. I am sure I could do some sniffing around and find something that could get me going but I am not sure if I want to.

So that is it for me today folks. Have a good weekend.

5-19-2010 (Wednesday)

I just wanted to say a quick thanks to those of you who responded yesterday. I found your memories about the eruption to be very interesting reading to me.

I am writing today's post on a new keyboard so this is an interesting experience. I was writing on a laptop before and this is going to take some getting used to that is for sure. But I will give it my best shot.

Well the Oregon primaries are over and as expected Chris Dudley won for the Republicans and John Kitzhaber won for the Democrats in the Oregon Gov race. I think the run up to the main election is going to be an interesting one. The basic movement around the country yesterday seemed to be really an anti-incumbent one. So I wonder of that feeling is going to continue into November and if Dudley can use that to propel him past Kitzhaber to the Gov seat.

My friend Chad posted something yesterday on his Facebook wall that caused a little debate. One that S (regular commenter here) and I promptly took into the real of Free Will and Determinism but I wanted to put what he posted here and see if we can get any more conversation going.

"You will not solve the problems of the poor by helping them become middle class."

Now, for myself, I am just not sure. I do not have an answer for this issue. I think poverty is something that has been an issue all over the world. One thing that I am aware of is that sometimes what I as an American see as poverty in another country may not seem like poverty to the people who are actually living and dealing with it on a regular basis. I know it is hard to believe but everyone may not want a 60 in plasma television and wall to wall carpeting or the latest cell phone. I also am aware of what we consider middle class is not what was considered middle class 10 or 20 years ago. I am just not sure how to really address this statement. So, what do you guys and gals think?

5-18-2010 (Tuesday)

Hello, hello ladies and gentlemen. I hope this Tuesday finds you well. Today marks the 30th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens.

" At 8:32 Sunday morning, May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted.

Shaken by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, the north face of this tall symmetrical mountain collapsed in a massive rock debris avalanche. In a few moments this slab of rock and ice slammed into Spirit Lake, crossed a ridge 1,300 feet high, and roared 14 miles down the Toutle River.

The avalanche rapidly released pressurized gases within the volcano. A tremendous lateral explosion ripped through the avalanche and developed into a turbulent, stone-filled wind that swept over ridges and toppled trees. Nearly 150 square miles of forest was blown over or left dead and standing.

At the same time a mushroom-shaped column of ash rose thousands of feet skyward and drifted downwind, turning day into night as dark, gray ash fell over eastern Washington and beyond. Wet, cement-like slurries of rock and mud scoured all sides of the volcano. Searing flows of pumice poured from the crater. The eruption lasted 9 hours, but Mount St. Helens and the surrounding landscape were dramatically changed within moments.

A vast, gray landscape lay where once the forested slopes of Mount St. Helens grew. In 1982 the President and Congress created the 110,000-acre National Volcanic Monument for research, recreation, and education. Inside the Monument, the environment is left to respond naturally to the disturbance"

So I was wondering those of you who are from the northwest or really anywhere. Where were you when the mt blew? I was in grade school and I remember being pretty aware of it but I do not think I really realized the enormity of the damage it caused. I still haven't been up to the viewing center despite having driven past the area numerous times.

What are your thoughts and memories about the event readers?

5-17-2010 (Monday)

Hey there and welcome to Monday. Thanks for stopping in and visiting my little corner of the internet. There is some coffee in the pot and feel free to pull up a chair. We talk about what ever comes to mind around here. On some days that might mean a robust debate about politics on others it may mean a friendly disagreement about what might be the top 10 films of all time.

I like it that way and I hope you do as well. I really like having the flexibility to talk about whatever I have found interesting and what I would like to bring to peoples attention. That being said I do not have really anything right now that has got me fired up.

The primary elections for Oregon are finishing up this week and we will see who the two major parties are going to put up for Gov. I think that for the Republicans it is going to be Chris Dudley and for the Democrats it is going to be John Kitzhaber.

With that being said. I am well aware that Kitzhaber is a returning Gov and a favorite to win the election. But, I wonder if the unrest and dissatisfaction that voters are feeling are going to translate to a Dudley win. I think that most Oregon voters have good memories of when Kitzhaber was in office last time and think that he will be able to lead Oregon back to those good times.

Dudley on the other hand is in a good position as an outsider with ties to Oregon due to his basketball time that people like as well. He may very well be able to ride the Tea Party wave to victory.

So, for sake of argument lets say that for the first time in 30+ years Oregon gets a Republican Gov. Well that change anything in the state? I think it may a little bit. But unless the election of a Republican Gov cause there also to be sweeping change in Oregon's Legislature I do not think thinks will be all that different in the state. I am going to wait and see on this one.

I think I would like to see Dudley win. I would like that because I would like things to be shaken up a little bit in Oregon. I do not have super high hopes that were he to win Dudley would do that. I think at best he will be a centrist and will do things like all the other politicians do them. It isn't that I want there to be a huge amount of political drama in Oregon but I like it when Oregon pushes the Federal Government on things. I love when we as a state exert our right to govern ourselves.

I like Federalism and I like when Oregon tells the Federal Government to mind their own business. That doesn't matter to me if it is a Republican or Democratic Fed. I think states should be free to do whatever crazy thing it's residents want to. If people do not like it then they are free to move to a different state or work to change things within the state.

So...enough rambling what are your thought precious readers on states rights?

5-14-2010 (Friday)

The Timbers lost 1 to nothing last night. Today shall be spent in mourning. SO it is decreed. So it is done. Amen.

5-13-2010 (Thursday)

I went to see "Iron Man 2" last night with some friends and while I enjoyed seeing a movie with a group of people I was not all that impressed. I am not really sure what the problem was. I really liked the first "Iron Man" but this did nothing for me. I think one reason might be that when I went to see the first one I did not have very high hopes for it and I was surprised by it. I think that for the second one my expectations may have just been to high.

I really like Robert Downey Jr and I would see him, and have, in most everything. He, as usual, was amazing but even that was not enough for me to say that I enjoyed the film. It just did not do anything for me. There were some pretty cool set piece action sequences and some very good visuals but it just was kind of blah for me. I am willing to consider though that part of the problem for me may have been the group of young woman behind me who seemed to have a hard time following the film. I mean it isn't like it is a hard movie to follow at all but they way that they were asking each other questions made me wonder if they had even heard of Tony Stark before.

But, part of the problem might have been that their higher brain functions must have been tied up in keeping them breathing. Because they seemed pretty dim, if you know what I mean.

I would have to say for me as far a good popcorn shut your brain off kind of movie that "Kick Ass" was a far better film. I will not be seeing "Iron Man 2" again and I will be seriously considering if I want to see the upcoming Avengers movie as well.

5-12-2010 (Wednesday)

Hello, hello, hello. I just have to tell everyone that I enjoyed yesterdays discussion. I find that when I can actively discuss something (even over the internet) it really helps me to refine and sharpen up my thinking process.

I am well aware that despite my best efforts sometimes my positions on certain issues do not always make the most sense or even follow a logical path. So, I feel, that it is better for me to get them out there so I can discuss them with others rather then just keeping them to myself and assuming that they are correct. I am not afraid to be wrong. I do not particularly enjoy it but I am okay with it. There are always going to be people in the world who know more about some things then I do. I, for instance, am always going to know more about "The Brady Bunch" and "Buck Rogers" then anyone in the world. That information does not do me a lot of good and has never made me any money. But, you never know.

I really have nothing else for today. I hope you are well and I intend to see you tomorrow.

5-11-2010 (Tuesday)

I mentioned yesterday that I would address my problems with the Supreme Court here in America. So here we go.

It isn't that I have a problem with the Supreme Court existing. But I have a problem with how it is made up. I do not like the fact that it is a position that is made up of appointed individuals. Now, I realize I am yelling about a problem and I have not come up with a way to fix it. I am not sure how we would go about it. I realize that it would be problematic to have an election every time a judge needs to be replaced. It is enough of a head ache to have a presidential election every four years.

But those problems aside. I guess my biggest issue with the Supreme Court is that it is an appointed position that is a lifetime appointment. I find it disturbing that in a country that at least gives lip service to the idea of democracy. The highest court in the land is made up of lifetime appointees. Another area of concern for me is that if Kagan becomes a justice that means that 5 of our justices will have gone to Harvard. Let me think, who else in politics has gone to Harvard?

Oh! That's right. George W. Bush and Barack Obama both went to Harvard along with Al Gore the administration before. I do not know about you guys but I am getting tired of the Ivy Leagues running our country. I am not sure but the last time I looked they do not seem to be doing a very good job of things. In fact 18 of past and present Supreme Court justices have come out of Harvard. I will admit that I sometimes like to dabble in conspiracy theories and it is mainly for my own amusement. But I think one could build a pretty good case and find valid reasons to be concerned with the fact that the majority of people making and interpreting law in this country have all gone to the same university. That sameness of institution concerns me.

That is all for today.

5-10-2010 (Monday)

Hey, I hope you all had a good weekend. I am not feeling particularly inspired this morning.

There was an interesting development in Utah over the weekend in that a GOP senator who was the incumbent lost his primary. What that means is that he is not going to be able to run for office. He could run as a write in candidate but he will not be nominated by the GOP party.

Most analysts think that he basically got politically assassinated by the more conservative Tea Party people in the state. I am not sure what it means. But I do find it very interesting that an incumbent is getting knocked around by his own party. This does not happen often and makes me wonder what this next election cycle is going to look like nationwide. I think it could go one of two ways. I think either the Democrats will end up stronger as the GOP eats itself with all the in-fighting. The end result might mean that the Republican party the GOP ceases to exist in a few years. Or that all of the dissatisfaction with President Obama causes the GOP to become even stronger and the final two years of President Obama's term becomes one where absolutely nothing gets done in Washington. So, there you have it my predictions for the future.

Also the President nominated another Supreme Court Justice. I just do not really care. We have had conversations on the blog before about my feelings about the Supreme Court. I do not like them. I do not like the institution and I do not like that they are appointed for life. I think that they are a completely undemocratic institution in America and they do not benefit us as a country. If you disagree that is fine and I would love to have a conversation about that as well. It isn't that I do not think they are needed. I just do not think they should be appointed to serve for a lifetime. That bothers me.

That is all. Good day sir!!

5-7-2010 (Friday)

I thought we had a good conversation yesterday and at the end of the day my friend CT (who writes a far better blog then mine called Word Around The Net) joined in with what I felt was a very good statement and I felt like he put into words what I have long felt about business in America and really the world today. I have long felt that the "Free Market" has not been free due to the meddling that goes on when people conspire to make rules that allow things to go easier for them. As usual I feel that my ability to explain what I mean in this case is escaping me so I am going to put CT's statement below.

CT commented

"...One of the problems we face in modern culture is that people think the big business cronyism and inside playing with government is somehow capitalism when its nothing of the sort. If you have senators and presidents doctoring the system to benefit your company because its so big and powerful ... and so big they cannot be allowed to fail when they do stupid things or face a bad business cycle, that's not capitalism. There's no competition there, no true free market, so the system is choking out capitalism.

In essence, you have a reverse socialism, where the economy is controlled by the government, but only for the benefit of a favored, powerful few, a sort of Socialistic Oligarchy.

When Goldman-Sachs and Citibank are allowed to effectively write the legislation which affects them and stock the executive department (regardless of which president or party) with their guys, that's not capitalism."

I think Christopher hit the nail on the head. A free market is just that. It is free it is not being manipulated by outside sources to control who gets ahead. The only issue at hand is who have the better product and what consumers choose to purchase.

My friend S also commented with this little gem

"...liability requirements for damage to public assets don't even begin to cover the cost of potential losses as they do with private assets.

Surgichrome (along with countless others, I don't mean to single them out) couldn't afford to fix the problems they caused, we paid the bill to fix the problem, and they continued operating and offending. Does anyone doubt we'll see that scenario repeated with BP?

That's public subsidization of private profit, and that's my beef."

So much good stuff yesterday and I feel intellectually unable to keep up with it. We also had some discussion about business responsibility and personal responsibility. It was I felt a really good discussion overall and I want to encourage you readers to go back and look at it again and comment. Bring it up here or back there or link other people to it. I think so good points were made and some good questions brought up. I would love for this conversation to continue.

5-6-2010 (Thursday)

So as part of the conversation yesterday my friend S. asked this question and made this statement.

"Well, while we're on a timely and semi-related topic, how about the fact that profit is private, but risk is shared?

All of the good things that happen are due to the hard work of the individual or entity, so they owe the public nothing. When bad things happen it's not their fault, so the public (that would be you) is left to pick up the tab."

So, I would like to hear from some of my more conservative friends or my more liberal friends or even my more centrist friends. There, I think I covered all the bases. What do you people think? Is S making a good point? Is this something to even consider?

I think he makes an interesting observation myself. I know that often to lure business to an area the state or town will offer tax incentives to the business. But, what seems to happen so often after the tax incentive runs out is that the business packs up and moves away to a new place that is going to give them some more tax breaks.

An example of the problems this can cause is below. This comes from a background paper by the Tax Foundation Check it out if you have the time.

"State lawmakers are always mindful of
their states’ business tax climates, but they are
often tempted to lure business with lucrative
tax incentives and subsidies instead of broadbased
tax reform. This can be a dangerous
proposition as a case in Florida illustrates. In
July of 2004 Florida lawmakers cried foul
because a major credit card company announced
it would close its Tampa call center,
lay off 1,110 workers, and outsource those
jobs to another company. The reason for the
lawmakers’ ire was that the company had
been lured to Florida with a generous tax
incentive package and had enjoyed nearly $3
million worth of tax breaks during the
previous nine years."

Now, I totally understand that a business is free to do what they want when they want to do it. Other then maybe being limited by whatever contracts they may have signed. But I wonder is there an ethical or moral responsibility to whatever community that a business sets up shop in? I like to think there is. I would think that after you have been a part of a community and benefited greatly from the tax cuts and incentives they gave you that you would be willing to give a little back to help support the infrastructure that was in place that allowed your business to be a success. Or am I naive to even think that this should be a consideration for a company?

What do you think folks? I do think that the precedent that the bailouts set are not going to be a good thing for this country. I think that for a long time we had given lip service to the idea of America being a place where great risk can make for great reward and when that blew up in the face of some big companies President Bush and the Congress that was in place decided to bail them out and then President Obama came along and continued the tactic. I think that was a mistake.

Please folks, tell me what you think and as always do not hesitate to correct me. I do not mind at all.

5-5-2010 (Wednesday)

I heard an interesting piece this morning on my way to work courtesy of NPR. It was about Aqua-logging and what Washington and Oregon state have to say about the practice. There is a show on the History channel called Axmen and one of the groups of the loggers on the show is a group in Washington state called S&S Aqua Logging. Well what the aqua-loggers do is go out onto rivers and lakes and retrieve logs that have been sunk. They take logs off the bottom of the beds. Now these are logs that have been cut down years and years ago and basically were sunk during transport to the mills. In the old days when logging was huge in the north west tug boats used to push and pull huge rafts of timber up and down the rivers in the north west.

These guys realized that there was a lot of unclaimed timber just laying on the bottom of the waterways in the northwest and it might be a money maker to scoop those logs up. The state of Washington sees things differently. Here is a link to the OPB story. Aqua-logging

So, for myself, after listening to the piece and reading it again. I need to put down here in quotes what really stands out for me in the piece.

"Larry Raedel is the chief enforcement officer for Washington's Department of Natural Resources.

Larry Raedel: "We basically said we don't allow that practice to happen. Then come to find out later, he went off on his own and did it without the permission of DNR."

Raedel started an investigation of Jimmy Smith's company after seeing them in action on national TV. The Grays Harbor County prosecutor is currently weighing a charge of theft of state timber."

Yes the state said you can't do that and he went ahead and did it anyway. I understand the moral ramifications of those actions and Jimmy should be fined at the very least for that. But what gets my goat is that they are talking about a charge of theft of state timber against him. There is another aqua logger in Oregon who is facing the same charge. THEFT!! THEFT!! Are they serious? These men are not going out onto state or federal land and chopping down a tree. They are picking up logs that have been laying on the bottom of a river in some cases for more then 50 years. If anything the logs are owned by the logging company that first cut them down.

I do not see how anyone can justify a charge of theft against them. I can see licensing these guys in some way and making sure that they are using safe practices. That makes sense but if anything these logs are public domain. They were most likely cut down in Canada and then shipped down here to the mills to be processed and at some point in the trip they got sunk. The state does not own them. Again a quote from Larry Raedel

"It boils down really to habitat. They don't pose a threat to property owners. They're down there for a reason to provide habitat for fish and those types of wildlife creatures that are down there."

The key phrase for me there is that the logs are down there for a reason. Well, I hate to break it to you, Larry but the state didn't put those logs there. They are there for purely accidental reasons. They fell off a log raft and sunk. It was complete random chance that they ended up there. I think his argument is basically invalid and I hope someone comes to their senses before one of these loggers end up in jail.

Have a good day folks.

5-4-2010 (Tuesday)

So yesterday I was talking about old television and some of the shows that I grew up with as a child. My friend Joel jumped in and mentioned 'Romper Room' as well as the "Electric Company" both classic shows for their time. I am not intending to go back that far. I do kind of remember those shows but not all that well. Joel then mentioned "Flintsones" and "Gilligans Isle". I do remember those shows and what stands out for me was my real dislike of the "Flintstones". I am not sure why. I mean my brother really liked it and it was part of the daily television routine after school. But I never could get into it. The shows always seemed the same. It was just Fred doing a lot of yelling and then some kind of shenanigans going on. It just never resonated with me.

But Gilligan on the other hand or should I say the ladies on Gilligan most definitely did. There was one lady in particular and her looks were all a young man needed to make him think that the future was going to be a fine place. She had class and style and she knew how the world worked. Her mere presence on the island made it a classier place. You see she came from old money and she kept it real. Mrs Howell was the top lady on the island oh sure you can have your Ginger or your Mary Ann but that old GB will always have my heart.

Travis mentioned that he had been a game show junkie and I can relate to some degree but for me game shows tended to be only in the summertime. I would get up and watch The Price is Right which was followed by I believe Threes Company or it could have been the other way around and then Love Boat was in there somewhere which really was all just a build up to the mighty Perry Mason. Then there was the afternoon movie and followed by the sitcoms which off the top of my head were the Flintstones and then Gilligan and then Brady Bunch I am not sure what was next but at some point Wonder Woman was there along with Starsky and Hutch.

But I need to stop today's trips down memory lane and show you this amazing video I found of some hot new young Parkour talent. Check it out. I think these kids could go along ways

5-3-2010 (Monday)

Good morning everybody! It is Monday May third and the first Monday in May. I hope people had a nice weekend.

Now, I remember saying that we would be looking at some classic television shows this week and I was wondering before I jumped into my list if any of my readers had any shows that they absolutely loved. I liked a lot of different shows when I was a child and not all of them have stood up to the test of time for sure. There are several that I regret going back and watching again because they just are so bad now. I think that mainly that seems to be the case for the sit-coms that I liked. I feel that most of the dramas to tend to stand up pretty well regardless of the costumes and things like that. I mean sure some of the shows do suffer when you look at outfits and hairstyles but overall if the show was good and had good characters and stories then it didn't matter how the actors looked or what types of cars they were driving.

Another aspect of the shows that I did not notice as a child but I do now is what shows may or may not have been sponsored by different companies. So I will try to keep focused on the old shows that I liked and do a little digging into them. Please feel free to comment and to mention shows you enjoyed I would love to do a little discussing of them. As usual I also well allow for some space for me to roam without any kind of direction or path where ever the daily news takes me.

So let me know what you liked folks and I will talk to you tomorrow.

4-30-2010 (Friday)

Friday! Friday! Friday! It is Friday the 30th of April and the week and the month are coming to an end. I felt like it was a pretty good one here at One for the Ages. I covered topics all over the spectrum and there was a real lack of coherency to everything. But, that is the way my brain works and I want to thank the readers I have who stick around for the chaos. I think we learned some good stuff this month. The most important thing being that I have now laid the ground work for "The New Theocracy" and those of you who have read about are always going to be damaged by that. So you have that going for you.......which is nice.

I went to the Timbers game last night against the team from Vancouver who are also going into the MLS next season. It was a good exciting match and the Timbers managed to squeak out a 2-1 victory with a nice goal in the 86th minute by Ryan Pore. Mr Pore is leading the Timbers in scoring this season and has a goal in every match so far and two in last nights. The Timbers are 3-0-1 which is a great start to the season. I hope they continue along this path and can finish this last year before MLS with a league title. I think that would be a great way to go out.

So I went to see the film "Kick Ass" which I really liked. But I realize that this kind of film is not everybody's cup of tea. The gore and violence level is pretty high as well as the language. But I felt that it was just a really fun kind of popcorn movie that is just there to entertain. I admit that I am kind of a snob when it comes to movies and I like films that make a point or have some sort of deeper meaning then just what is on the screen. But I also just enjoy something silly now and then. So if you can handle a bit of the old ultra violence I want to recommend it here. I also really liked the music.



The song is a version of the theme song of a kids show called "The Banana Splits". This show was created when I was an infant but at some point it got put into syndication and for me the damage was done. This theme song has been in my head since I was little and it has never fully gone away. It just exists there as part of my memories and pops up every now then to say "Hey Lance! Do you remember all of those cool television shows you used to watch on Saturday mornings and after school? We were your only friends please do not forget us." Well never fear old television shows. You will always have a place in my heart.

Hmmm that strikes me as interesting. So please prepare yourselves folks because next week I think we will be taking a little trip down the old television highway and discussing some of those classic shows. Well, classic shows as I remember them anyway. You guys have a good weekend.

4-29-30 (Thursday)

It is Thursday morning and the earth is still spinning along. I do not really have much going on today in the old noggin I think that my series about the 'new theocracy' and the 'electric hugsuits' may have emptied my mind of whatever creativity may have been lurking in there.

So I hope to bounce back tomorrow or next week. I am going to the Timbers game tonight and that may inspire me as well. We shall see. But as I go I leave you with this.

THE SPICE MUST FLOW

4-28-2010 (Wednesday)

Well I got nothing today folks. Have a good one.

4-27-2010 (Tuesday)

Well it is Tuesday and I am sitting here but to be honest I am not really feeling it this morning. I went to the Candidates Gone Wild event in Portland, hosted by Storm Large, last night with my friend Sherry. I really liked it and enjoyed myself but as I rolled into the driveway last night at 11:30 or so and as I woke up this morning with a stiff neck at 6 am. I realized that I am just getting to old to stay up that late on nights when I have to work the next day.

Now granted it is possible that my lack of sleep over the weekend and the minor migraine I had on Sunday may have had something to do with it. But I am not sure. All that I am sure of is that my body feels wrecked this morning. Well not my whole body just the back of my neck below my head and running down into my shoulders. Here is hoping that it loosens up some as the day goes along.

Catch you later folks.

4-26-2010 (Monday)

Hey everybody!! It is Monday and the week begins anew. I hope everybody had a good weekend and didn't get to worked up or depressed worrying about things that we really have no control over. I hope everybody enjoyed last weeks little excursion into both satire and humor. I really have no plan of attack when the week begins and I tend to write whatever pops into my head. So it felt good to me to have a theme that actually lasted the whole week. I also enjoyed the interactions through the comments section with Shakes and S as well as JoelT popping in for a bit. I think that for me what I found the funniest bits were the discussion about the Electronic Wool Hugsuits. I found myself laughing out loud at the thought of them.

I heard an interesting piece this morning on NPR about a syndrome called Williams Syndrome there are several ways in which this manifests itself but what I found most interesting in the piece as they were talking to the mother of a little girl that has it. Was that in the, words of the piece on NPR this morning.

"But also, kids and adults with Williams love people, and they are literally pathologically trusting. They have no social fear. Researchers theorize that this is probably because of a problem in their limbic system, the part of the brain that regulates emotion. There appears to be a disregulation in one of the chemicals (oxytocin) that signals when to trust and when to distrust."

You can listen or read the article here NPR

I must give you fair warning though that listening to it this morning on the drive to work well it made me cry. So just a heads up for those of you who are not dead on the inside.

But, it was so interesting to me to think of someone who just automatically trusts people. I realize that young children are a little bit like this. But for people with this condition they just trust everyone. When they first meet that person if that person is willing they will be that persons best friend. The mother of this child detailed her fear in the piece as she talked about her daughter just climbing into a ladies van at the beach and wanting to be held by anyone who looked at her as a baby. I just can't imagine the stress that this must put the parents under as they watch out for the child on a regular basis.

So do yourself a favor and check this piece out. It is really very thought provoking.

4-23-2010 (Friday)

It is Friday and it seems that I am starting to get the word out about the New Theocracy. This fills my heart with gladness, dear ones, and I hope that soon we will all be able to don our electric hugsuits and to power the grid with our hugs. It seems that we have had a minor discussion on the comments section of the last posting about clever vs witty. Well in the words of my prophet Tyler Durden when asked about being clever. "How's that working for you?"

You must be careful when being clever because being clever will lead you to Hipsterism and down that path lies ruin. So stick with me and avoid being clever and soon we will all be wearing our electric hugsuits and we will power the earth with our hugs. We will also be able to drink lots and lots of tasty coffee thanks to our Minister of Coffees, S. I am confident that he will take to his new role in the Theocracy with skill and style all the while leave the clever at home.

I have yet to find a position for Shakes in the Ministry but rest assured I will do so. If anyone else has new ideas for the new Theocracy please feel free to share them.

4-22-2010 (Thursday)

Well, well, well, as soon as a new idea comes out the Hipster sympathizers rise up and question the new regime. Now while I applaud Joel and his idea to shoot them into the sun, he must understand that such a thing would just not be cost effective. But I am always looking for new ideas so please keep them coming. There may be a place for you in the new Theocracy as a Minister of New Ideas.

Now on to Shakes and her concern about the camps and the fear that this will lead to a couple of potential different results. Shakes writes

"I first thought of the British moving the criminals to Australia, but you have jumped past that into a regimented camp. How long will it be until you see an untapped, unlimited work source? Sure you say they will be fed, but what happens when you realize how much you could save if you reduced their food intake?"

I understand your concern Shakes, but trust me. The average Hipster is so lazy that they are sure to be useless for actual labor. Now I grant you, it may be possible to find a way to generate some sort of energy using their ability to generate anger in others. Perhaps we shall find a way to hook their brains up to a machine and they can do their fair share to power the grid matrix style. I know already that a side benefit of my new "Hugs instead of dollars" campaign will be the generating of small amounts of energy. Perhaps this would be the time to talk about the new uniforms. Everyone who is not a Hipster will be outfitted with a form fitting jumpsuit made out of Angora Wool. Along with the jumpsuit will come a small battery pack that fits on your belt. The prescribed method of hugging will be to shake hands with the right hand and put the left hand and arm around the other person them pulling them close you make three up and down rubbing motions with the left hand on their back. This action done as required per each hug will generate (an estimated) .005 kilowatts per stroke and will serve to power the grid by wireless. So thank you for your thoughts Shakes and please keep them coming. You will be monitored by the Minister of Monitoring.

As to S. and his little poem as it were. You must already be aware S. that I have a place for you in the new Theocracy as the Minister of Coffees. Within that role you will be in charge of all things caffeinated. You should not fear my friend. As long as the Coffee flows the Theocracy will continue. But know this the Minister of Monitoring will be keeping an eye and you and your cleverness.

In fact all those who are clever are going to need to wear a big C on their chests. I will not have the Clever roam about and spread "ideas". There is enough of that going on right now.

Now please stay tuned as later on (Tomorrow or perhaps next week) I will lay out my 10 point plan for the new Theocracy and the Hugonomy that will bring us into a new GOLDEN AGE!!

4-21-2010 (Wednesday)

It appears that there may be some initial resistance to my plan to replace the world's economy with Hugs. I heard from one Commentator Joel who absolutely refused to Hug a Hipster. Now I can respect that position because after all who would really want to Hug a Hipster. But I am unable to allow for any potential destabilizing of my chosen method of payment. The economy must stay strong and the power and value of the Hug must be inviolate. So therefor I decree that from the day of the beginning of my Theocracy all Hipsters will be done away with. Their presence and the fact that most people are not willing to or want to Hug them will do irreversible damage to my economic system.

We will just relocate them to a Hipster enclave. I am thinking Portland or Seattle because the mild weather will make it easier on them and they seem to thrive in the damp weather. Almost like mold really. But never fear. In the enclave the Hipster will be fed and allowed out daily to exercise. They will be allowed to listen to the latest albums from the hottest indy bands that haven't even been signed yet and in some cases do not even have an album to listen to. They will be allowed a long debate time each day as well as two hours each day to correct errors on the Internet about their favorite bands and films. But I will not allow the drinking of Pabst Blue Ribbon. It is not needed and will only serve to prolong the scourge of Hipster-ism upon the land.

Trust me in this. We will not be truly free until Hipsters are done away with. I tell you upon that glorious day. The sun will shine and the birds shall sing. All will be right with the earth. Now join me in a group Hug as we concentrate upon the gradual removal of the Hipster. My will be done.

4-20-2010 (Tuesday)

Good morning folks. I hope today finds you well. I added a new gadget or widget to my blog if you look up to the right of it you will see a spinning globe. I believe that the globe will show where people visit from. I hope it keeps a running tally because of all of the information that I can track. What I find really the most interesting to me is where people are reading from. I think that is the best thing by far about the Internet. I love that people from all over the world can find something to read and discuss. I do not have a lot of readers that is for sure. I think there are probably 4 or 5 of you that read me everyday and I am thankful for that.

Most of the time if I have a good day with readers it will be 20 or so. One day when I blogged about not having a very good time at the roller derby and complaining about the rules I believe that I hit 75 for the day which is incredible for me. But what is most interesting to me is that even though I do not have a large amount of readers I have had readers come from all over the world and that just blows my mind. I just wish people would take a moment to say hello and tell me how they found me. But other then that it is just pretty cool for me to think that someone from Europe who doesn't know me from Adam is reading my thoughts. Who knows perhaps one day my thought cause a revolution of thought that will one day bring down society as we know it.

When that day comes and all that we know will have been torn down and buried beneath the rubble of the past. Then and only then will L. Andrew C. rise above and take my rightful place as Emperor and those of you who are reading me now will all be afforded new positions in the Theocracy that will soon follow. I will need ministers to administer my demands for the people. There will be no hunger!!! There will be no poor!! Because when I do away with the world monetary system and install payment by Hugs we will all be the richer for it. You want to buy a car? Well that is easy 20K Hugs for you. The happiness that Hugs will bring us will make the world a better place.

In fact on the day that I assume my rightful place as ruler I will decree "FREE HUGS FOR ALL"!! So as this thought revolution builds you must ask yourselves. What would you rather have made up paper money or a monetary system based on the value and volume of pure Hugs? I know what I would rather have.


Now, who wants a Hug?

4-19-2010 (Monday)

My friends and I went to the Portland Timbers game this weekend. It was opening game for this season as well as the last opening day for the Timbers in this league. Because next season is their first season in Major League Soccer (MLS). It was a great opening day. My buddy Nick and I have season tickets and they are in the third row right on the 48 yard line. So it was a fun evening overall.

But what I wanted to address in today's post was the fans at the game. The Timbers have a pretty rabid fan base. The game was sold out with a little over 15K people now when the team starts MLS next season the stadium will have been renovated and should be holding closer to 30K I believe. I just hope that we can continue to fill it. I think that Portland as a city and the parts of Oregon that surround it can pull in those kind of numbers. I know there are some non-believers out there and that is fine. But to them I say we will not know until we try. So I think it is a good move on the part of the Timbers ownership as well as the Portland city council to go for this chance.

But the best part of the day for me was seeing my friend's Travis and Andrew and Nick and then playing "Hipster Slug" (Copyrighted) "I own that so none you trolls better steal it. If you do at least send the traffic my way please." So anyway I am sure most of you are familiar with slug bug. Well this is a variant of that. Now I realize that most large city's have a fair share of their own hipsters but I think Portland seems to attract a special sub-set of hipsters.



So I thought lets play that and promptly punched Nick when I saw one. Well that was fun but honestly after a very little bit. Between the punching of Nick and him punching me back and Travis having a good eye for hipsters and lets be honest in certain parts of Portland you can't throw a can of PBR without hitting a hipster and they seem particularly drawn to the Timbers games. Well my arm was getting sore and there never seemed to be an end to them. They just kept coming and coming. They were always there around every corner with their tattoos and their black rimmed glasses and their smoking. It was like a zombie movie except the zombies had been replaced by hipsters.

As the Timbers season progress's I will be giving you more updates about the season and I think I will begin tagging hipsters Marlin Perkins style. I think it will benefit all of us to keep track of their movements around Portland. At the very least it may benefit the numerous coffee roasters in the area.

4-15-2010 (Thursday)

Well we have made it to Thursday. I suppose that is a good thing. It is also Tax day today. I suppose I should be working on those this evening.

Other then that I do not really have anything for today. I hope you people have a good day in whatever direction that takes you and try to take a moment to just enjoy the present and focus on that with out getting to concerned about what has happened in the past or what you think will happen in the future.

Ahhh. Happy moments from Lance. I am your new guru! Just take a sip of this Kool-aid and follow me.

4-14-2010 (Wednesday)

I just realized that I posted yesterday as a Wednesday and I think actually Wednesday is today and yesterday was Tuesday I hope I didn't mess up anyone's day. :)

I heard on the radio this morning an interesting piece about ranchers in eastern Oregon and the problem they are having with rustlers. Yes you heard that right it is 2010 and we are dealing with rustlers in eastern Oregon. What I found most interesting about the story was that while Oregon has a law about brands on cattle and they use that to track ownership and make it impossible for people to sell the stolen cattle in Oregon. But since some other states do not have the same laws it is possible for the thieves to take the cattle to other states and sell them there.

So the sheriff of the county down there has been talking about micro-chipping the cattle to be able to stop the theft. They are all ready micro-shipping house pets and to do the same with cattle would be an incredible hassle. But I just found it fascinating that they were talking about using new technology to stop an ages old problem. Though as the sheriff said "ranchers are stubborn people". It was a very good piece.

4-13-2010 (Wedensday)

Tuesday morning and one step closer to tax day. Which reminds me that I need to sit down and get to work on that. I am wondering if any of you out there turned in your census forms or form I should say. I mailed mine in. It was kind of interesting I was a little surprised at how simple it was. Now granted I do not really remember any of the other Census that I have been a part of. So I am not sure if that is really a good or bad thing.

But to me it seemed really not all that invasive. Name, address and what my ethnicity was and how many people were living in my place of residence. I feel like I answer a form or that question all of the time when I am cruising around online. So because I do not find it a big deal it has been a little surprising to me that there has been some resistance to the process. Now, I could totally understand being resistant if this was some brand new and never been done before thing. Something that had been put in to place for strictly political and partisan reasons. But, this is not the case.

I mean it is right there in the Constitution in article 1, section 2. So we have been counting every 10 years since 1790. This isn't a new thing. So get with it people!! Fill it out and send it in. Do not let perceived partisan politics get in the way of this. In this case that is not the issue here at all. We could have a Whig or a Torry in office and we would still be having a census.

4-12-2010 (Monday)

Monday, Monday!! How is it going folks? I feel like today is starting out to be a pretty good one.

I smiled as I drove up the freeway this morning listening to the book radio. The only thing that cause me to frown was when I begin to speed up to pass a car in the middle lane I noticed a white Volvo coming up behind me. I was not going fast enough for him it seemed. Now I was going at that point about 70 MPH which is five miles over the speed limit in Oregon. When I noticed the Volvo he was so close that I could not see his headlights at all but I could see the driver gesturing at me. Well........I did not find it very amusing and so I made eye contact with him in the mirror and then lifted my foot off of the accelerator.......

You are just going to have to wait to here the rest of my tale.

4-9-2010 (Friday)

It is Friday, Friday, Friday! I hope things are going well for everyone out there in the internet land. I am looking forward to the weekend. It isn't that I have anything planned but I am looking forward to not having anything really to do. I am sure that I will find something to do but I doubt it will be anything all that productive. Though you never know. Perhaps I may get inspired.

It is funny to me that since I bought the new car. I have not been listening to that much NPR or really anything that is new radio in the car. It came with free satellite radio for three months. I thought well that is kind of cool but I do not really care. It was not a selling point for me. It was just something that came with the car. But the problem is that I stumbled across a station that is exclusively directed towards books. Not only do they talk about books and interview authors they also do readings and stage presentations of radio serials.

What I have been listening to in the mornings is a half hour show that does only books by Orson Scott Card. Now some of my readers will have read his books and I am sure that others will never have heard of him. I hate to cut this short but that is all I have time for today. I am hoping to address this later this weekend. So have a nice day.

4-8-2010 (Thursday)

I am a little groggy this morning. No. I did not stay up to late last night. But my neighbors kept me up to late. If it wasn't the thump of, what I think is, techno. Then it was girls outside talking. I do not mind people having a party and staying up late. Or even music being played loudly but at 12:30 or later on a Wednesday night? Come on people!!

So far Kent has gone over there once at 1 am and they turned their music down. I have gone over there once at about 11:30 and they turned their music down. But I wonder how often I need to do that before they figure it out. Or, should I just take it to the next level and call the police and let them deal with it. If I was living in a house in a normal neighborhood then I might have already done the second option. But since I am living in basically a duplex that makes upsetting the neighbors a little more problematic.

Sorry for the break there. I was filling my coffee cup and looking at the ducks outside the office window. It is nice outside this morning and the ducks are starting to look at each other with amorous intent. I am looking forward to the appearance of ducklings in a few weeks. But, what I am not looking forward to is the appearance of the Herons which I have been told fly in to eat the ducklings. Ahhh, the circle of life! It is things like that which make me glad I am on top of the food chain. It would be an interesting world if there were creatures who stalked us and used us for food. Think about that for awhile and let it blow your mind. There would be stores for them and they would by human fingers and eat roasted human. I imagine ours would be a tender meat. I think in my case I would be nicely marbled and filled with flavor. But I know a few people who would certainly be lean and too tough.

Hmmm, maybe we should consider this idea for ourselves. I mean overpopulation is fast becoming a problem why not fatten us up for harvesting? Wait a minute. What is McDonalds and the other fast food chains doing? Is that what is going on? Is this all part of President Obamas grand Socialist agenda? To fatten us up for the harvest? Is that what this is? He isn't a president he is a farm manager!! He is fattening up the American people to be harvested but harvested by who?

Rest assured my readers I will get to the bottom of this. We will find out who it is that we are being prepared to be eaten by.

4-7-2010 (Wednesday)

Sorry I didn't post anything yesterday folks. My head was not in it. I had to go to a memorial service yesterday for a student I knew at Western Oregon. He was 25 and a very talented artist in multiple mediums. I knew his cousin and through his cousin I met him. He donated several pieces of his art to a fund raiser that my MUN club did at school and I was always amazed at the quality of work he put out as well as the sheer volume of it. He seemed to always have new stuff out.

So needless to say. It was kind of a rough day yesterday. There was a lot of people at the service ranging from members of Mark's family to other past and present students at WOU as well as several members of the faculty. It was a nice service and it was obvious that people really loved Mark and will miss him.

I do not have anything witty or poignant to say about all of this. I am still kind of processing what it means when someone dies and the different ways that people use to cope with it. There really wasn't a message to the service yesterday. It was mainly people remembering the good things about Mark and good memories. I just hope his family and his really close friends are able to keep remembering those things and can continue to value those memories as they move forward. I hurt for his sister as she talked about being alone now and not having Mark any more for the rest of her life.

I am going to stop there otherwise I will just continue to ramble on. I will talk to you tomorrow. I hope it will be a little more coherent.

4-5-2010 (Monday)

No real post today folks. I am running a little bit behind schedule and that is all. I hope to be back on track tomorrow.

4-2-2010 (Friday)

It is Friday and I got nothing. There is a storm coming in from the Oregon coast and the wind is blowing hard, the rain is coming down and there appears to be an old lady riding a bicycle past my window. So hang in there folks and I will see you on Monday. Have a good weekend.

4-1-2010 (Thursday)

Well, well, well. It is April 1st, 2010 also known as April Fools day. I am not sure when this whole day began there are references as far back as Chaucer in his "Canterbury Tales" but it is hard to say. As it is now it seems like most of the world takes part in this one form or another. The internet has made it even easier to take part and to fool lots of people. Some of these are clever and some not so clever. But, I think you could make that same case for most of the internet.

I found a site that claims to have the Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time. It looks like a pretty interesting at least the top 10 does anyway. I am not planning on any shenanigans on my part. I do enjoy finding them but I do not think I am clever enough to pull them off. One of my friends already posted a link on Facebook to an article saying that McDonald's was stopping their leftover food composting plan because none of their food will compost. I thought that was pretty funny. So I am looking forward to finding and seeing more of these hoaxes as the day goes on. I hope you people have a fun day as well.

3-31-2010 (Wednesday)

I have dubbed today as Free Writing Wednesday. I am going to write for as long as possible and only going to be writing what pops into my head. I am not sure if this makes it any different then any other day except that I have given it a name.

And begin....I am not sure what to write about. I am really only thinking that know I need to write whatever pops into my head and so that is what is circling around in there. I hope I do not bore my usual readers with this exercise but I need to work on just writing down the thoughts as they pop into my head. I had dinner with my mother and father last night and that was pretty interesting. My mom had been going through some old cards and some stuff in the garage and she found a card from my Dad's mother. Who has died now. She found a card that Grandma had sent them when I was born. What was funny was when she opened it she found a $5 bill from 1963 inside of the card. They must have just put it back in and tucked it away. What I find even more interesting is that the card stayed with my parents after I was born until 2010. I was born in 1969 and soon after I was born I believe I was 2 my parents decided to become missionary school teachers and they were sent to Indonesia or more specifically, as I understand it, Papua, New Guinea. We lived there for about 2 years and then returned to the states. We also had lived in Pendleton, Oregon for awhile.

So it kind of blows my mind that my mother was able to keep this card for so long. I am not one for saving money but I think I may tuck this $5 bill away for awhile since it is the oldest money I own. That is all for today. I also want to add a quick thank you to Steve for his information about coffee machines on yesterdays post. Please check it out in the comments it is pretty interesting. Thanks Steve.

3-30-2010 (Tuesday)

Tuesday morning and we are back at it. It looks like the rain has slowed down a little today and my drive to work was a little more relaxed. I heard some very interesting stories on the radio this morning.

The first was about a new coffee maker or coffee making machine being built in Seattle called Slayer and according to the report and what looks like info on their website it sells for a cool 18K. Yes you read that right. It cost $18 thousand. I really have no idea why it costs so much. I know of one person in my circle of friends who I think may have tried it. The only reason I think that is because he loves coffee and has tried lots of different kinds. So, I will see if I can prevail on him to join us in the comment section and let us know what or if the machine is worth the money.

The second thing that I heard was about cigarettes and Menthol. It seems that at some point either during the Obama administration or during the end of the Bush administration I do not recall the date. The federal government banned clove cigarettes. Now I know that some of my readers were alive when those were popular in the Salem area at least and I know of one or maybe two of you that actively smoked them. I remember that the kids that smoked cloves were always a little different then the rest of us. A little bit cooler and interested in different books and music then the rest of the herd. Well the ban on cloves came and went with out much of a stir. But, the attempted ban on Menthol cigarettes has not been so easy. One reason being that the market share of menthols is far greater then that of cloves. I do not smoke cigarettes any more and even when I did I would say I was not at all a regular smoker. I smoked an English brand called Export A. Well I was mistaken. It seems that the Export brand is actually made by a Japanese company and sold in Canada. Wow, who knew? But, I did smoke those for a little while but now I just smoke my pipe and even that I do not do very often. But, I love a good cup of coffee and a bowl of Vanilla Cavendish along with a book. But, I have not been able to partake of that lately. I may have to remedy that this evening I think.

That is all I really have today. I just found those stories interesting and I hope you did as well and maybe it will make you look up more information on them yourselves. I also am interested in seeing what type of advertising this blog post causes. I know my one about car insurance and health insurance caused car ads. I am wondering if this will cause coffee ads or perhaps some form of tobacco ad. We shall see.

Quote of the Day

"But my question is: do I have to decide between two of my least favorite residents of planet Earth? I mean, Glenn Beck is a posturing, money grubbing, anti science emotionalist and serial exaggerater. James Cameron has substituted special effects for real emotion and true thoughtfulness in a series of Hollywood blockbusters while proving to be a very poor husband to at least two women, one of whom whipped his butt at the Oscars and took home the Best Picture award that he craved but did not deserve for Avatar."

--Chris W.-- (Blog commenter)

3-29-2010 (Monday)

Happy Monday to my loyal readers. It is a wet one out there today. But the drive went pretty smoothly and I am starting to feel even more comfortable driving the new car. It really seems to handle the wet roads well and I only hit one possible hydro-plane spot which is a record. Because in the old car I was always feeling like I was on the verge of spinning out of control. To the extent that drives in the rain like this morning were almost white knuckle experiences and made we want to pull over and just wait it out.

Today on the way up to work they played a clip on the radio from a protest that took place in Nevada this weekend. It was a "Tea Party" protest directed at Harry Reid and put together by The Tea Party Express. It was an interesting piece because while it was on National Public Radio (NPR) it really seemed to be just about letting the people who were attending the event tell why they were there. Now for me. Even if I do not agree with what the people are saying. I think that far to often when it comes to news be it on television or the radio. That far to often we hear the opinion of the broadcaster or commentator rather then the reasons why the people are there from the people themselves. I find hearing from the people to be both far more interesting and more enlightening because you get a better idea as to what the common man is thinking.

I realize we are in a representative democracy and since we are it sometimes doesn't seem to matter what the common man is thinking. But, it sure feels like at any given time at least 50% of the country or a little bit more feels like they are not being heard. It is interesting to me because I remember during the last couple of years of the Bush administration, or even longer for me, I knew lots of people that felt like they were not being listened to. What has me a little bit bothered about this whole Tea Party movement is that it just feels so organized and any kind of dissatisfaction before was not so organized.

Now, that may just say more about the conservative versus the liberals and which group is better at really getting together and organizing a movement. There is also a more centralizing voice I feel for the conservatives in terms of both Fox News as well as talk radio. Now some would argue that the whole of mainstream media is a liberal strength. I would say that, while it may be true there is not a centralized voice for the liberals. They tried that with the whole Air America thing and it failed. I am not sure what that says about liberals but you would think that they could have supported a radio station that catered solely to their political positions. I realize that there are more complicated issues as well here and some are going to argue that MSNBC meets the need for liberal news. But, I think people are so varied in there positions that to try to direct a group of liberals is really a little bit like herding cats.

That is my two cents. Take it for what it is worth. I am also starting to get interested in what court cases are going to be popping up as this whole health care thing begins to build. I know that there are already several states that have filed suit or will file suits against the mandatory nature of the bill. I am awaiting with interest the end result of these suits and I think that they may do more for states rights then anything else in the last 100 years. So I hope things will grow more interesting as we move further into the future.

3-25-2010 (Thursday)

I really do not have much today. I listened to NPR on the drive up this morning and I didn't hear anything that really got me fired up. I am sure, much like, that bumper sticker I saw a few years ago. "If you are not outraged. Then, you are not paying attention." I should probably be all fired up and foaming at the mouth about something.

But, I am feeling pretty mellow today. Maybe all of my effort to be zen like is starting to pay off. I am sure that will fade the next time I hear about a new Oliver Stone movie or some other stupid thing that Hollywood has done. But as of right now at this moment. I am feeling pretty mellow about stuff.

So have a good day folks and lets do all we can to maintain our calm.

3-24-2010 (Wednesday)

Here we are Wednesday morning. The world still seems to be moving along. Did you know that we are actually never at rest that the world is always moving through space but we just do not feel it.

One of my favorite books floats the idea that the earth is on the back of four elephants that walk in a circle on the back of a giant sea turtle that swims through space. Also the world is flat like a disc. It is one of my favorite series of books. They are called "Discworld" and I have been reading them for a long time. So if you looking for some fantasy and some good humor along with sometimes a nice dose of satire or political commentary they are the books for you. I have enjoyed every one that I have read in one form or another. I also can say that I have never been disappointed by any of them. They are all written by Terry Pratchett

So what about you my loyal readers. Do you have any books or books series that you love? I would love to hear about them. Now there are some of my readers that I think I know what books and Authors they love. But, do not let that stop you. I want you to link them in the comments and I hope other readers can learn about some new books.

3-23-2010 (Tuesday)

Well we have survived another day and now the fallout will begin from the health care issue. President Obama is supposed to sign it into law today. I am already wondering what the next big point of contention is going to be. The only thing that I do know for sure is that there is going to be one. But that being said a friend sent this yesterday and it made me laugh. I realize not all of you may find this amusing but such is the nature of humor. I realize it is making some pretty broad statements but I nonetheless found it amusing to me.

3-22-2010 (Monday)

man·date
   /ˈmændeɪt/ Show Spelled [man-deyt] Show IPA noun, verb,-dat·ed, -dat·ing.
–noun
1.
a command or authorization to act in a particular way on a public issue given by the electorate to its representative: The president had a clear mandate to end the war.
2.
a command from a superior court or official to a lower one.
3.
an authoritative order or command: a royal mandate.
4.
(in the League of Nations) a commission given to a nation to administer the government and affairs of a former Turkish territory or German colony.
5.
a mandated territory or colony.
6.
Roman Catholic Church. an order issued by the pope, esp. one commanding the preferment of a certain person to a benefice.
7.
Roman and Civil Law. a contract by which one engages gratuitously to perform services for another.
8.
(in modern civil law) any contract by which a person undertakes to perform services for another.
9.
Roman Law. an order or decree by the emperor, esp. to governors of provinces.

"Mandate." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 22 Mar. 2010. .

There was a rather large event this weekend. One that generated a lot of heat on both sides of the political aisle. That issue was the reformation of health care. Now I am waiting to see what this all means in the long term. It seems that for the majority of those against it this heralds the beginning of "Socialism" in America and the end of our great nation. Those who are in favor of this seem to feel that this is evidence that "change" can happen and that America will finally have the health care system that they should.

I am not here to debate either of those points. Though if my readers want to, please feel free to do so in the comments section. What I would like to talk about is the word "Mandate". As I listened to and read and watched things pertaining to the Health Care debate of the last year. It seemed that one of the biggest objections for those opposed to it was that health insurance would be mandated. Now I live in Oregon and in Oregon car insurance is mandated.

"Oregon's mandatory insurance law ORS 806.010 requires every driver to insure their vehicle. The minimum liability insurance a driver must have is:

Type Amount
Bodily injury and property damage liability

$25,000 per person;
$50,000 per crash for bodily injury to others; and
$20,000 per crash for damage to the property of others

State law also requires every motor vehicle liability policy to provide:

Type Amount
Personal Injury Protection (for reasonable and necessary medical, dental and other expenses one year after a crash)

$15,000 per person
Uninsured Motorist Coverage

$25,000 per person;
$50,000 per crash for bodily injury

You must certify that you have this insurance each time you register a motor vehicle, or when you buy a light vehicle trip permit. You must also certify that you will comply with Oregon's motor vehicle insurance requirements as long as a vehicle is registered in your name, or for the duration of the permit.

Some motor vehicles are exempt from financial responsibility requirements. Those exemptions can be found in ORS 806.020."

Also in Oregon if you drive a motorcycle you must wear a helmet another mandatory law. Now one of the core ways that both of these laws were put into practice was the idea that uninsured motorists and helmetless drivers raise the cost for the rest of us if we mandate these things then the cost will eventually be kept lower. Now I was not around for the debate on those and I am not sure if that has been the case or not. But I wonder if the fight for mandating car insurance was a heated as the fight has been for health care. Now I know that in the case of car insurance the federal government has left it up to each state to decide the laws on car insurance. I believe that car insurance is mandated in each state. So I wonder what makes health insurance different then car insurance in this case. Is it strictly because cars are a machine and there isn't the emotional connect?

I know several states are already moving to file cases against a federal mandate for health insurance. I do not have a problem with that. I think states should have the ability to make their own laws. If New York wants to ban the use of table salt and they vote it through okay. That is how it works. Sometimes things will get voted on that we do not like but ideally then they can be revisited and changed. I did not mean to get sidetracked on that.

My main question is this one. What is the difference between mandating car insurance vs mandating health insurance? Are both equally bad? Would it be okay if each state was doing it on it's own? Is the problem that the Fed has mandated it and that goes against the Constitution? I really want to know what is the difference?

3-19-2010 (Friday)

It is Friday and it looks like it is going to be another pretty day in Oregon. When spring begins to hit here and we get some of these sunny days it is really a nice place to be. Now when the gloom of January and February are in full effect it can be a different story but it is amazing how easily one forgets that when it is so nice out side.

I got nothing for today. I believe that there is a big health care vote this weekend so we will see how that pans out and I may address that on Monday. I know I have readers on both sides of that issue. So lets look forward to that and I hope you all have a nice weekend.

3-18-2010 (Thursday)

Well it is Thursday morning and I hope people survived yesterday's festivities. I did not celebrate at all. I went home from work and took care of the ferrets and then watched a new show starring Timothy Olyphant called 'Justified'. To put it as simply as possible after seeing 'Deadwood' I am willing to give almost anything a chance that has him in it. The show did not disappoint at all for me.

The action was well done and the humor was nice and did not seem forced. The drama was not to much of a drag on it. I also felt that the supporting cast was well chosen. It is going to be interesting to see how they develop the characters as the season moves along. There must have been lots of people interested in seeing it as well as it was the FX networks second highest premiere ever. Only 'The Shield' scoring higher. Now I realize that having a lot of people watching something does not make it good. But I really did enjoy it.

Though I do have one complaint. The show is taken from some Elmore Leonard novels and that is who the main character is. In fact some of the dialogue is taken straight out of one of the stories. But there was one sequence that, for me, reminded me a little to much of 'Get Shorty'. It reminded me of it because it is almost the exact same scene! The biggest difference being that Timothy Olyphant is a far better actor then John Travolta ever was. I also think the fault may lie more with Elmore Leonard then with the director of the show. Also I tend to notice stuff like that.

So if you have FX and you get a chance to catch on a rerun I urge you to give it a try. If you like crime dramas you will surely enjoy this one.

3-17-2010 (Wednesday) St. Patrick's Day

Today is St Patrick's Day. A day some would argue is the biggest amateur drinking day of the year. Now some of you make be wondering who is St Patrick and why do we celebrate him.

Well...I do not know either and I am to lazy to look it up. I know there is something about the shamrock being a tool to explain the trinity to early non Christians and that the "wearing of the green" went from wearing a shamrock to wearing green so that some little hooligan on the schoolyard or in the office doesn't pinch you. I also am aware that for some Protestants this is a day where they put on orange instead of green. So if I wanted to follow that thread I could move into a rabbit hole about the "Troubles" in Ireland between the Catholics and the Protestants but having attempted to write one term paper on the subject and then picking a different topic I have no desire to do so again.

The history of St Patrick's Day aside it now appears to be mainly a day in America where people wear green and get really, really, drunk. Often there is a parade of some sort in the bigger eastern cities and I think in Chicago and Boston they may color the rivers green.

I do not think I will be going out this evening. Tomorrow is a work day and I do not like to work hungover. But I hope those of you who do have a good evening and a safe time. I will see you tomorrow.

3-16-2010 (Tuesday)

Well I have heard the stories but I never believed it was true. I just didn't see how someone could do it. It seemed to dangerous and almost foolhardy. I mean sure I have done some dangerous things over the years. There are people who will even tell you that I have done some foolish things. But, that isn't really the issue here.

Today as I was driving into Beaverton to go to work. I noticed a woman in front of me in a BMW. She was driving...I will use the word erratically and I thought what is going on. Then as I got closer to her. I realized that she was literally putting on makeup using her rear view mirror to do so. I have seen people on the freeway do this. But I have never seen anyone going through town in traffic doing it. Then to top it all off. She goes through a red light! I am glad I was paying attention or I might have followed her right through it.

In other news...I had coffee with my good friend Jennifer last night. I have known Jennifer since just after high school kind of. She was in the high school group at the church I attended when I was a senior but I didn't really interact with her until after high school and some time beyond that. But since then and over the years we have become pretty good friends. She is married now and has three kids and we still stay in contact when we can. But what I find interesting about spending time with her is that she has the ability to cut through whatever wall I am putting up emotionally. There have been times where I opted to not talk to her for very long on a particular day because I knew she would make me cry.

I love talking to her. But she has always affected me this way. It isn't that she is mean. Because she is probably one of the nicest people that I know. I have no idea what it is. She just cuts straight through all of my defenses and what seems like a really innocent question just kicks open the flood gates. So, that being sad it was just a good conversation and a good experience. I would recommend talking to her or having coffee at the Ike Box to anyone. It is a very nice place comfortable inside and the coffee is tasty.

That is all for today folks. I hope you all have a good day. I will see you tomorrow.