Posted inCurrent affairs

Iraq and self-licking ice cream cones

A few days ago Laurel and I spent an interesting evening with someone who had just come back from a tour of duty in Iraq. He told it like it is: awful. He was asked, “Often it’s said that the media just reports the bad stuff that’s going on in Iraq. Do you think that’s true?” His response: “Actually, the situation is a lot worse than the media is reporting.” He had nothing good to say about the Bush administration’s failed war policies. This is from a guy who had his boots on the ground. He quoted an officer who…
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Posted inSalem

Hail and rhodie blossoms. Ah, Oregon.

White hail and red rhododendron blossoms. A haiku is in order. Man, that was one insane thunderstorm that blew through south Salem a few minutes ago. I’m glad my camera is water resistant. This photo was taken from inside the house through an open sliding door, but the wind was so strong, the rain blew right in on me. Our thunderphobic dog, Serena, survived the storm. Barely. After she frantically crawled into our bedroom closet, her usual first line of defense against thunderstorms, Laurel found her a new safe spot under a shelf in the pantry. Serena panted her way…
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Posted inTango/Dance

The romance of Tango

“Tango is just a man walking with a woman so she will fall in love with him.” As soon as our guest Tango instructor spoke those words, I knew that he had the rapt attention of all the women in the class. The men, too. I’m a romantic at heart. But after sixteen years of marriage I’ve gotten a bit lackadaisical in the romance department. The shelves are thinly stocked except at the predictable times: our anniversary, Laurel’s birthday, Valentine’s Day. So both of us are enjoying the romance of Tango through our Monday classes here in Salem. Last week…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

Politics, my dear, the thrill is gone

It’s time for me to admit that my long term relationship has gone sour. I’ve been shacked up with politics almost my whole life. I was reading my mother’s National Review back when William F. Buckley was a youthful stud. I mostly look for good loving on the other side of the political tracks now. But so far this year the lefties have left me just about as cold as the righties. No matter whether they have a “D” or an “R” after their name, I’m not getting turned on. The thrill is gone. I’m glad that yesterday Kulongoski won…
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Posted inSustainability

Paving over paradise

We just got back from ten days on Maui. Paradise. And it’s being paved over. Sound familiar, Oregonians? Be careful about who you vote for in November. That “we’ve got to respect property rights” verbiage may sound fine, but what it really means is: paradise needs paving. Which it doesn’t. Not now, not ever. We’ve been to Maui almost every year since 1991. The traffic keeps getting crazier. The ocean views keep getting filled with condos. The construction cranes sprout faster than palm trees. Don’t get me wrong. Maui still is a wonderful place to visit. So is Oregon. However,…
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Posted inRecreation

Congratulations to the Napili Bay sidestroke champion

Namely, me. One reason you don’t see a sidestroke trophy in this photo is that the fools in charge of swimming championships don’t consider the sidestroke to be a competitive stroke. Another reason is that no one except me entered the sidestroke event that I’ve been taking part in the past nine days on Napili Bay here on Maui, perhaps because my mind is the only place it’s been publicized. Regardless, I love the sidestroke. It’s a contact lens wearer’s dream because your face stays out of the water all of the time. And you can enjoy the scenery while…
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Posted inRecreation

Meaningless Maui musings

Hey, what do you expect from me after eight days on Maui? The big questions of life have been reduced to meaningless musings. Can a woman match too perfectly? What you can’t see in this photo is the palm tree on Laurel’s cap that mirrors the palm tree on her t-shirt. And note how the innermost color of the shirt’s tree precisely echoes the color of her shorts. Muy matcho, senorita! Isn’t “guys” a masculine term? Restaurant staff always say to us, “Hi, guys. How’re you doing? I’ll be your server today.” What if they said “Hi, gals” to Laurel…
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Posted inRecreation

Strolling to the Ritz, Maui style

We just strolled to the Ritz. The Kapalua Ritz-Carlton on Maui. As you might expect, it’s, well, ritzy. Laurel heads up the Ritz-Carlton way on her usual morning walk. She had to miss today, so I went with her on an afternoon substitute outing. We began at our Napili Bay condo. This is where I do my own exercising. Thirty minutes back and forth across the bay every day. Laurel’s a walker. When on Maui, I figure ocean swimming is the thing. Laurel usually drives the short distance to Oneloa Bay. We did this afternoon also. Molokai is in the…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

Oh, no. Iran embraces the euro!

Vacationing as I am on Maui at the moment, I’m not going to spend much beach time worrying about Iran taking a step toward selling oil in euros rather than dollars. But when I read about this in the Honolulu Advertiser today, I couldn’t help remembering how Willamette University economics professor emeritus Russ Beaton has told Laurel and me that the Iraq war was fought, in large part, to prevent OPEC from moving to a euro-based oil sales/trading system. Russ is a progressive friend of ours. He’s forgotten more about economics than I’ll ever know, and I don’t pretend to…
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Posted inRecreation

From maddening to Maui in eight hours

Aren’t vacations fun? You spend a week running around like crazy, getting ready to spend a week relaxing. Then when you get home, you spend another frantic week catching up on everything that didn’t get done while you were on vacation. Sometimes vacations seem like a net relaxation loss to Laurel and me. But that doesn’t stop us from meandering off to Maui most every year. As we did yesterday. After a semi-sleepless night spent worrying about what we’d forgotten to pack, we headed up to the Portland airport at the not so jolly time of 6:45 am. With terrific…
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Posted inSalem Tango/Dance

Salem, let’s Tango!

Come on, admit it: you have a Tango fantasy. You’ve seen Tango danced sensuously in movies. You’ve heard it called the original forbidden dance (it’s got some company now). You’ve pictured yourself in poses like… OK, my fellow Salem residents, you and I will never look like that. But we can still dance Tango. I’m doing it. And believe me, if I’m doing it, anybody can do it. So get yourself down to the Micah Building next Monday evening. Give Tango a try. Beginners are welcome. Not-beginners too. Here are the particulars: Argentine Tango Classes Every Monday, except holidays. 7pm…
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Posted inEntertainment

Colbert’s comedy makes George Bush cringe

Oh my God! Laurel and I couldn’t stop laughing at Stephen Colbert’s “tribute” to President Bush at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner last night. We watched his hilarious send-up of the Bush Administration’s absurdities today via the Internet. Links to complete video of Colbert can be found at Democratic Underground. The broadband challenged can read a transcript courtesy of the Daily Kos. Naturally I recommend the video, which includes a Colbert audition tape to be the new White House press secretary. You’ll never be able to look upon Helen Thomas the same way. The best part of Colbert’s performance was…
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Posted inSustainability

We check out of Sustainable Fairview

Today we cashed out of Sustainable Fairview, the 245 acre site in south Salem that, according to the local newspaper, is “envisioned to become a model of mixed-use and environmentally friendly development.” Hope so. But at 1:30 this afternoon I traded two shares in Sustainable Fairview Associates (SFA) for a check, shook hands with Sam Hall, the managing member of SFA, and brought to an end our sometimes satisfying but mostly frustrating experience as investors in this development. The property has been sold to a group led by Phil Morford, a Portland-area developer, and Gordon Root. Good luck to them.…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

Personal & political

It’s said that the personal is political. Absolutely. When I hear about a new Bush administration idiocy, I can’t help thinking of his misstep in my own personal terms. Take the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ridiculous claim that marijuana has no medical benefits. They should have talked to me before they issued that report. I’ve got proof that marijuana is effective against depression: I lived in San Jose, a.k.a. the armpit of California, for four years—1966 to 1970—while I was attending San Jose State University. Never got depressed. Was happy to contribute to medical marijuana research ahead of its…
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Posted inRecreation

April beauty on the Metolius

Here are some images taken during our long late April weekend in Camp Sherman. Every morning I ride my bike a mile to the Camp Sherman store to buy the Bend Bulletin. It costs me thirty-five cents. The view of Mt. Jefferson over the Metolius is priceless. I pass this horse corral on one of my late afternoon dog walk routes. Black Butte is framed in the distance. I think this is called Johnson Meadow. It borders the head of the Metolius River, which springs full gush from volcanic fissures. The dog and I walk back to our cabin along…
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Posted inSalem

Salem Barbie

After I read the amusing Oregon State Barbies post over at Jack Bog’s Blog, the omission of a Salem Barbie was painfully obvious. Laurel and I gave it some thought: Salem Barbie comes with a bland wardrobe and sensible shoes. The navigation system on her white Jeep Cherokee is preset with her favorite destinations: Target, Big Lots, Tin Tin Buffet, Lancaster Drive, and the Four Square Evangelical Church of Jesus the Redeemer. Customize her ride with included bumper stickers: “Support the Troops,” “Stop Abortion Now,” and “My Child is a Honor Student at Christ the King Bible School.” Salem Ken’s…
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Posted inHome life

New DR Field and Brush Mower making my life more mulchy

Vive le difference. My wife is happy now that we have tile rather than carpet downstairs. I was content with what was there before, but I’m happy she’s happy. As for me, I’m thrilled that, when I mowed the tallish grass today, my new DR Field and Brush Mower didn’t leave clumps of cuttings all over the lawn. To Laurel, this earns a big yawn. But she wasn’t the one who had to keep going over the lines of grass clumps produced by my old side-discharge, three blade, non-mulching mower. I’d remow some clumpy cuttings, which would merely shoot the…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

Oregon is not a high tax state

Repeat after me, conservative politicians and right wing talk show hosts: “Oregon is not a high tax state.” Again: “Oregon is not a high tax state.” Good. Now say it on your own. Over and over. And don’t let me hear you say the opposite this election year, because it isn’t true. Yesterday I didn’t like writing checks and sending them off to the federal and state governments. But when I licked the envelope that went to the Oregon Department of Revenue it made me feel better to know that Oregon ranks 36th out of the 50 states in state…
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Posted inHome life Philosophy

On Easter, we worshipped at the altar of remodeling

We didn’t have to leave our house to have a holy experience this Easter. Laurel and I spend the morning tidying up the newly tiled “Dog Room.” Some people would call such an area the “Family Room,” but as we revealed in one of our Christmas letters, our life revolves around the original Wonder Pet. At night Serena sleeps in her dog crate. Or on the futon. Her choice. Now, if she has to urgently pee or poop the mess will be on tile rather than carpet. That actually was a prime consideration in our plan for remodeling the Dog…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

Oregon cougar plan a slap in the face to voters

In 1994 Oregonians passed Measure 18. It forbids sport hunters from using dogs to track and kill cougars. Yesterday the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission passed a plan that will allow federal hunters to use dogs to track and kill cougars. Not problem cougars that are threatening people or killing livestock. No, potential problem cougars. Cougars that are just hanging out, not bothering anybody. To me that sure sounds like killing cougars for sport. Slap! How does it feel, Oregon voters, to have a state agency say to you, “Thanks for telling us how you wanted cougars to be managed.…
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