Posted inHome life

If you have slower broadband than 6.25 Mbps, let me know

Misery likes company, as the saying goes. So if you have a "broadband" Internet download connection that's slower than my crappy 6.25 Mbps, leave a comment on this post.  My wife and I live five miles from the city limits of Salem, the freaking capital city of Oregon. But I have little doubt that people living in Outer Mongolia have a faster Internet connection than we do, since our DSL comes courtesy of the same copper wire that probably was used by the first telephones. I'm especially irritated at the moment because I made the mistake of joking with some…
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Posted inArcimoto

Why I’m not buying one of the first 100 Arcimoto FUVs

My Arcimoto pre-order number of #129 shows that I've been following the ups and downs of the company for many years. Recently Arcimoto sent me an email with an enticing image of the Evergreen Edition FUV (Fun Utility Vehicle) that's being offered for sale to 100 people with low numbers on the pre-order list who live in Oregon, Washington, and California. (I live in Salem, Oregon.) But I've decided to pass on plunking down a $5,000 deposit on the $19,900 Evergreen Edition, with delivery promised by June 2019. Here's my reasons, roughly ranging from most important to least important.  (1)…
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Posted inHealth Salem

Youth mental health focus of gripping City Club program

In retrospect, I was crazy to consider not going to today's Salem City Club program, "Oregon Youth: Crisis in Mental Health." Fortunately I had the good sense to attend the meeting and hear two people from Liberty House, a child abuse assessment center, plus a South Salem High School counselor.  I'll end this blog post by talking about my own long-ago mental health problems in my high school years. First, though, here's some of what I remember from the presentations by Alison Kelley, CEO of Liberty House; Neda Grant, program manager of Liberty House's Hope and Wellness services; and Ryan…
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Posted inEntertainment Philosophy

Netflix, like life, works in mysterious ways

I've used psychedelics, meditation, and philosophy to understand the mystery of the cosmos -- with decidedly mixed success. But now that I've reached what feels like the astoundingly old age of 70, I'm pleased to find wisdom any way it appears to me. Such as, through the unexpected workings of Netflix. Which led me yesterday to a better appreciation of what is really important in life. My mini-enlightenment began when I noticed that "A Star is Born" was available in our Netflix DVD queue as of February 20. So I elevated it to next in line and mailed back the…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

The totality of one’s life is what counts, not a few screwups

Shock! I totally agree with a piece by Bret Stevens, the New York Times columnist who usually tilts too far rightward for my progressive taste.  But "Why Ralph Northam Should Not Resign" is absolutely correct in its condemnation of judging people by a few missteps that they've made, rather than the totality of the path they've taken in life.  Stevens notes that almost all of us have done things that, in retrospect, make us cringe. Here's some personal examples from the high school period of my 70-year-old life. I want to note that my behavior was shared by most of…
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Posted inHome life

Consumer Reports needs to investigate itself after subscription “glitch”

I'm a big fan of Consumer Reports. I've been a subscriber to their magazine for as long as I can remember. And in recent years I've been an "All Access" subscriber so I could also peruse their digital information via ConsumerReports.org But today Consumer Reports screwed up by sending me, and who knows how many other subscribers, a false email message saying that I'd changed my membership from All Access to Digital -- which meant I wouldn't be getting the magazine anymore. When I read the message (shown above), I was perplexed. I was almost completely sure that I hadn't…
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Posted inHome life

Subaru Forester or Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, that is our question

I'm an automobile aficionado. I love reading car reviews and pouring over comparative specs. But at the moment I'm (almost) overdosing on a question my wife and I are pondering: Which vehicle would best meet our needs, wants, and desires? A 2019 Subaru Forester or a 2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid?  We know we want a smaller SUV to replace our semi-beloved 2014 Toyota Highlander. I say "semi," because we now are a three-car family, with Laurel mostly driving her truly-beloved Chevy Volt, and me mostly driving my truly-beloved VW GTI. Both of those cars are much more pleasant to drive…
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