Posted inArcimoto

Arcimoto should get some long-term reviews before retail sales begin

I'm a fan of the Arcimoto FUV (Fun Utility Vehicle), a three-wheeled electric motorcycle being made in Eugene, Oregon that's been in the works for quite a few years. Retail sales are expected to begin by the end of 2018.  Since I've got a low pre-order reservation number, #129 out of a total of about 3,000 (according to the Portland Business Journal story), I've been thinking about what I need in order to feel comfortable buying one of the first Arcimotos.  A test drive, for sure. But I've watched lots of short videos where people take an Arcimoto for a…
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Posted inNeighborhood Sustainability

Smoky air in Salem points to global warming as culprit

Here's a not-so-cheery air quality map for the Pacific Northwest. In two words, it sucks. When I set off for a dog walk about an hour ago, the setting sun was as red as the Unhealthy coded color for most of Oregon, including Salem, where I live.  There aren't any wildfires in our immediate area. But smoke is drifting into the Willamette Valley from British Columbia and Eastern Washington. Wildfire smoke has been an annoying aspect of summers in Oregon for the past few years. It wasn't always this way. I've lived in Oregon since 1971. Summers are much hotter…
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Posted inHumor

Today’s (sort of) Larry David moment

Amazingly, in the 15 years I've been blogging, I've only written one previous post about a Larry David moment. That was way back in 2004, "Larry David would be proud of me." Excerpt: I don’t consciously try to emulate Larry David, but perhaps watching so many episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is having some kind of subliminal effect on me, amplifying my inherent Larry David tendencies. Last night we had dinner at a Thai restaurant in Silverton with four friends. So it was two vegetarians, Laurel and me, sitting down to dine with four meat-eaters. Picking up our menus, my…
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Posted inBicycling

Eurosports in Sisters treated me and my new Specialized Roll bike well

Yesterday a kickstand ended up costing me over $600 at the Eurosports store in Sisters, Oregon. But the price tag didn't bother me, because the kickstand came with a new 2019 Specialized Roll Sport. You know how it goes... you go into a store looking for one thing, and walk out with a whole other thing.  In my case, saving a few ounces by not having a kickstand on my 2007 Specialized Rockhopper mountain bike had worn thin after twelve years of leaning the bike up against something whenever I wasn't riding it. So I decided to splurge on a…
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Posted inNeighborhood

Buy a lakeside home in Spring Lake Estates, near our house

When a house is for sale near us, naturally we hope that it will end up in the hands of someone we'd like to get to know. Ideally, someone liberal, environmental, neighborly, friendly.  So if this describes you, or someone you know who's looking for a home in the country, check out a new listing for 10322 Liberty Road S in rural south Salem (Oregon).  A great feature of this house is that it's right next to Spring Lake. We're several lots away from the lake, but this house is right there. Here's screenshots of part of the Zillow listing.
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Posted inArcimoto

Our Nissan Leaf experience may have a lesson for Arcimoto early adopters

Arcimoto is a Eugene company that's making a cool three-wheeled electric motorcycle billed as a FUV (Fun Utility Vehicle). I was one of the first to plunk down $100 as a pre-order reservation. My #129 place in line means I'm an early adopter. Or at least, a potential one. I'm still undecided about whether I'm going to pay upwards of $12,000 for an Arcimoto. The final design hasn't been revealed yet, nor has the final pricing with options. My experience with being an early adopter of the all-electric Nissan Leaf gives me some pause about jumping headfirst into the Arcimoto…
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Posted inHome life Television

Another DirecTV year with no Pac 12 Networks. Curses!

Since 2012 I've been cursing DirecTV and the Pac 12 Networks for not working out a deal to offer us Pac 12 sports fans a way to see ALL of the football games and other events, not just the ones shown on ESPN, Fox, or other channels.  Every year around this time I Google "DirecTV Pac 12 Networks" to see if there's any hope that I'll be able to watch ALL of the Oregon and Oregon State football games this fall.  I put ALL in caps, because early on DirecTV had the annoying habit of telling me that I'd be…
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Posted inGrowing older Humor

Here’s some things to look forward to in old age, young people

I'm 69. When I was a youngster of, oh, 50 or so, I'd look upon the age I am now as so impossibly, horribly, inconceivably old, that I'd shudder at the thought of becoming, cursed be the name, a senior citizen.  So now that I've become what I once dreaded, an old person, I figure it's my duty to point out to young people some of the good things that come with geezer'ness. In no particular order, young un's, because my mind no longer works well enough to encompass the concept of ranking, here's some of the marvelous delights that…
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