Posted inCurrent affairs

Haditha shows U.S. is “bad guys” too

I’ve always been repulsed by the talk of good guys and bad guys in Iraq. The Bush administration, along with conservative pundits, loves to paint the United States as being on the side of the angels. The “bad guys” are the Iraqi insurgents, Baathists, Al Qaeda fighters, militias—any and all who are resisting the Snow White pure intentions of the “good guys” to bring peace, democracy, and the American way to the middle east. Abu Ghraib’s torture and prisoner abuse should have put to rest this ridiculous dualism. But it didn’t. Too many Americans have an unfortunate ability to downplay…
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Posted inMeasure 37 Neighborhood

We make the KATU Measure 37 subdivision news

Here’s two YouTubed videos of the Channel 2 news stories yesterday that featured our fight against a nearby subdivision. The first, aired at 4:30, was a brief one minute. The second was on the 5 o’clock news and ran 2:22. For the benefit of our broadband impaired rural south Salem neighbors, who mostly struggle by with internet dial-up, I reduced the size of the videos considerably (to about 1.2 MB and 2.7 MB). This had the pleasant effect of blurring the picture, thereby taking years off of my visage. Take a look. Our dog did indeed make it into a…
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Posted inMeasure 37 Neighborhood

Measure 37 could get us on KATU News tonight

Laurel and I were just interviewed at home by KATU, Portland Channel 2. We talked about the Measure 37 claim adjacent to our neighborhood—how a large proposed subdivision on farmland threatens the right of people already living here to not have their wells go dry. I’m not usually a praying sort of guy. But I won’t object if you want to pray, “Dear _____, please make sure that KATU doesn’t put on air the close-up of Brian sitting at a table drinking a glass of water. Or at least, that the video is blurred.” (like the photo above; recently got…
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Posted inMeasure 37 Neighborhood

After three hours, a moment of Measure 37 clarity

Well, another day, another front page Salem Statesman-Journal story about our neighborhood’s fight to prevent wells from being sucked dry by a Measure 37 subdivision. The headline sums it up: “Concerns about water hinder development plan.” Once again (the first hearing was two weeks ago) the Marion County Planning Commission got an earful from nearby property owners as well as consultants hired by the Keep Our Water Safe (KOWS) committee that Laurel chairs. Much of the testimony was technical and long-winded. The hearing lasted from 8 pm until after 11. But there was a moment when the absurdity of Measure…
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Posted inEntertainment

How to watch the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, if you missed it

I had a sinking feeling last night when my Dish network recording of the Boise State-Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl ended with three minutes to go in regulation. Like an idiot, I’d forgotten to extend the “stop” time past the scheduled game end. That feeling only got worse. On the evening news I saw some highlights of what I’d missed. And heard the KATU sports gal rave about what a great game it was. Then, this morning I got the newspaper. “Overtime thriller,” “wild finish,” and “one of the most dramatic finishes in BCS history” leapt out at me from the AP…
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Posted inMeasure 37 Neighborhood

Our Measure 37 fight makes the front page

Kudos to the Salem Statesman-Journal for today’s excellent front page story, “Groundwater dispute surfaces as a result of Measure 37.” Laurel is heading up the disputants, neighbors of ours who object to a subdivision being built on nearby farm land. Some of her testimony at a Marion County Planning Commission hearing, where opposition to the development was strong from many property owners who don’t want their wells going dry, was quoted in the story: “Marion County keeps allowing more development of new properties and new well entitlements in groundwater limited areas, with inadequate studies to determine whether even the current…
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Posted inHome life

How to record a game and not learn the final score

Yesterday my athletic-watching skills were sorely tested. But I passed with high marks. With astounding skill I managed to go out in public while the Oregon State-Missouri Sun Bowl game was being recorded on my DVR, and return home without knowing who won. I’ve got considerable practice at this, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t share some tips with those just coming up in the sports event recording ranks. Of course, I had to hone my talent in the school of VCR hard knocks. When I used to play doubles at the Salem Tennis and Swim Club, I can’t…
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Posted inEntertainment

Are you insane, CBS Sun Bowl producer?

Dear CBS, when you broke into the last 6:20 of the first half of the Oregon State-Missouri Sun Bowl game a little while ago, I was worried that World War III had broken out. After all, it’d have to be something really important to warrant broadcasting a CBS News Special Report in the middle of an exciting live football game. I was reassured when I saw that you were merely informing us that the six day funeral of Gerald Ford had gotten under way. Are you insane? I found the photos of black limousines interesting for about two seconds, after…
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Posted inEntertainment Tango/Dance

“Take the Lead” and Tango Zen

If I’m going to be reincarnated, coming back as Antonio Banderas would be entirely acceptable. As Roger Ebert says at the end of his “Take the Lead” review, Banderas oozes cool and charisma, just like he does in all of his movies that I’ve seen. “Desperado” remains one of my peak cinematic experiences, notwithstanding Ebert’s tepid review. However, I have to admit that my memories are as much of Salma Hayek as of my man Antonio. Last night Laurel and I finished watching “Take the Lead,” a predictable yet inspiring story of how ballroom dance changes the lives of inner…
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Posted inHealth

Omega-3 from V-Pure algae, not fish or flax

Being a vegetarian can be complicated. Fish oil is the best source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which confer important benefits to the heart, brain, eyes, and other body parts/functions. But I don’t like the idea of eating a once swimming life form (though my wife points out that I take a joint supplement, Celadrin, which contains an ingredient that once was part of a cow). So I’ve been searching for a karma-lite way to get my Omega 3’s. Several years ago I started taking a couple of flax oil capsules every day. I’ve also tried frozen waffles with hemp seed,…
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Posted inPhilosophy

An agnostic Taoist on Christmas Eve

Well, with just three hours to go on the west coast it looks like Christmas has survived the war against it. Which, of course, pretty much existed only in the addled outlook of Fox News and Bill O’Reilly. Speaking from the agnostic Taoist perspective, I look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus by enjoying a vegetarian buffet at Salem's Marco Polo restaurant and opening a few presents that I bought for myself that are being wrapped by my wife at this very moment. As I did earlier today for a few gifts that she bought for herself. This year…
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Posted inHumor

Hilarious Oh Holy Night renditions

God, I love Google. Through its magic I found a belly laugh-producing video rendition of “Oh Holy Night” after hearing it played on a radio talk show this evening. Callers-in begged the host to never, ever, play it again. Funny. I liked it. But then, this guy sings humorously better than I sing seriously. If you’re in the mood for another gut-splitting “Oh Holy Night,” I recommend Eric Cartman’s electrifying performance on a South Park episode.
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Posted inMeasure 37

Measure 37’s bubble bursts at subdivision hearing

There was a loud pop in a Marion County hearing room last night. Dozens of our neighbors burst the bubble of Measure 37, the horribly flawed attempt to trash Oregon’s land use laws. My wife and I have the unfortunate distinction of living near one of the first Measure 37 subdivision proposals to reach the county Planning Commission. Leroy Laack and his co-owners are out to convert 124 acres of beautiful farmland, perfect for growing grapes or some other crop, into 42 lots. Just as Peter Bray predicted in his ironic Oregonians…Get Rich Quick With Measure 37! When I first…
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Posted inFamily

2006 Christmas letter

Hot off my laptop is Laurel and Brian’s 2006 Holiday Greetings, a.k.a. our Christmas letter. I ponder my incipient grandfatherness and speak of dog walking, colonoscopies, Tango, land use activism, and why blogging beats book writing. PDF and Word versions are available: Download 2006_christmas_letter.pdf Download 2006_christmas_letter.doc My complete 1995-2006 Christmas letter oeuvre may be perused in “Collected Christmas letters.” I like to say that a man's soul is revealed through his Christmas letters. Well, if God rewards humor, cynicism, and blatant self-promotion, my salvation is in darn good shape.
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Posted inNeighborhood

Dog and man walk in an Oregon windstorm

My wife offered the first review of my recently released YouTube feature, Walk in Oregon windstorm. “The dramatic mood of danger is undermined by Serena wagging her tail so much,” she said. True. But such is the challenge of cinema verite. I show what it was actually like to walk through our south Salem woods in the late afternoon of Thursday, December 14, 2006, as a major windstorm was blowing in. I wish these seven and a half minutes contained more adventure. However, I’m glad that this didn’t include a large Douglas Fir falling on me. That possibility was in…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Philosophy

What’s God got to do with lost climbers?

Hope I don’t sound heartless when I say to the relatives of the climbers lost on Mt. Hood, “Please, keep God out of your news conferences. Don’t use this tragedy as a platform for your religious faith.” Today Frank James, brother of climber Kelly James, said on Fox News: We are waiting and praying. Certainly there is a lot of praying. There are from time to time, tears. From time to time there is laughter…Our faith is strong. Our faith is three-fold. We have faith in Kelly, and Brian, and Nikko. We have faith in the rescuers. And we have…
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Posted inTango/Dance

Dancing Tango with myself

Our last Salem Tango class was last night. We didn’t go to it but were there in spirit. It isn’t possible for Peter, the instructor, to drive up from Corvallis each week anymore. Laurel and I are deeply appreciative of all the time and energy he and Joy, the organizer of the classes, put into bringing Tango to Salem for most of 2006. In the “Tango” category of this blog you can learn what Tango has come to mean to me (scroll down past this post, which is at the top of the category postings). I’m still a rank beginner…
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Posted inMiscellany

Bratz, Barbies, and bonobos

I bought my first Bratz recently. Looking over a Giving Tree at my athletic club, where Christmas present requests from needy children were hanging, just about every six to nine year old girl wanted a Bratz. So I headed off to Fred Meyer and entered a new doll world. They’re a lot hotter and hipper than Barbie. More controversial, also, as a fascinating article in The New Yorker (“Little Hotties: Barbie’s new rivals”) discusses at length. These excerpts convey the essence of the Bratz appeal. And for many mothers, the fright. "Bratz dolls have large heads and skinny bodies; their…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

Lars Larson blames James Kim for taking a wrong turn. But not George Bush.

According to conservative talk show host Lars Larson, James Kim is at fault for trusting a government map. What an idiot. I’m talking about Larson, not Kim. Kim died when he and his family tried to take a treacherous Oregon back road after they missed a turnoff to Gold Beach via state Highway 42. They ended up stuck in snow. After a week, no rescuers had appeared. Kim left the car and set out on foot to seek help. He succumbed to hypothermia. A tragedy. Thankfully, his wife and two children survived. Wednesday Larson talked about the Kims on his…
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Posted inPhilosophy

My radio interview about the changing face of faith

Last night I channeled myself on a radio interview with two mediums. Marcel and Lenny had me back for another chat about churchless faith on their Achieve Radio program, “In Good Spirit.” Who knew that in the past few months I was fated to have so much contact with a couple of mediums, after a lifetime of psychic skepticism? Well, maybe Marcel and Lenny. But I don’t know, since I’m still skeptical. Which brings to mind my favorite part about the interview: I didn’t say “you know” nearly as much as last time. Before the phone rang to connect me…
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