Posted inPhilosophy Skateboarding

When I’m 64… longboard-inspired thoughts on living life crazily

I don't need an excuse to get all philosophical. It comes naturally to me. But armed with a strong cup of coffee, a warm dry Oregon early evening, and a memory of a pleasant afternoon spent longboarding at Salem's wonderful Minto Brown Island Park, I feel especially inspired to muse about what life means to me on my 64th-birthday eve.  The Beatles released "When I'm 64" in 1967. I was a college freshman. Loved the song. Hated the idea of being 64. The lyrics seemed depressingly fantastical back in those youthful days.  When I get older losing my hair,Many years…
8
Posted inCurrent affairs

This progressive feels fine about Obama’s debate performance

After I finished watching a recording of the first Obama-Romney debate last night, I said to my wife (who saw it live at a friend's house), "I think Obama did fine." Then I watched the MSNBC commentary. Almost universally the liberal commentators, along with the conservative ones, said Obama's debate performance was a disaster. After listening to them for a while, I started to change my mind about how well he did. But with the light of a new day, and further pondering of what went on during the debate, I'm back to feeling good about Obama. Yes, he wasn't…
3
Posted inSkateboarding

Senior citizen skateboarder with his new Haka Moko longboard

Here I am, timer-photo'd with my iPhone propped against my backpack, standing in the shadows on a sunny October Oregon day, on the Minto Brown Park trail which runs along the Willamette River (in the background) near Salem. I like the looks of my new longboard, Kahuna Creations Haka Moko 47". Since my birthday is approaching -- I'll be a freaking ancient 64 -- I felt entirely justified in getting myself a present to give to myself, my only problem being that I now need to forget what I've done so I can surprise myself on my actual birthday.  Where's…
5
Posted inCurrent affairs Science

“New Scientist” says Obama will win. I love science.

Ah, I love science. Especially when it supports my political leanings.  This week's issue of New Scientist (September 29, 2012) has an opinion piece by Jim Giles, a consultant for the magazine. It's title and subtitle: No contest. Don't believe the US presidential opinion polls. Barring a political earthquake, Barack Obama will be re-elected at a canter, says Jim Giles. Hey, makes sense to me. Here's some excerpts: FROM tabloids and broadsheets to left-leaning blogs and conservative talk shows, the US media has been united on one point in recent months: the presidential election is too tight to call.  ...But…
7
Posted inCurrent affairs Entertainment

Tell DirecTV how you feel about not getting Pac-12 games

Five weeks ago I started telling DirecTV that I wanted them to offer the Pac-12 Network now. I've emailed customer service. I've had the Pac-12 channel finder notify DirecTV that I want to see every Oregon and Oregon State football game this season, not just the ones on channels (like ESPN) DirecTV does offer. Four weeks ago I blogged about how DirecTV's excuses for shutting its subscribers out of the Pac-12 Network were annoying.  They're much more annoying now. Last Saturday I missed the Oregon State-Arizona game, which, when I read about it in the freaking newspaper the next day,…
12
Posted inDogs

Serena and I slow-mo in Portland’s Strut Your Mutt

Two Mutt Struts in a row! Serena and I rule! We got last. Again. Perfect. Last month our twelve and a half year old Shepherd/Lab mix and me succeeded in our plan to bring up the rear in Salem's WillaMutt Strut. Yesterday, without even trying, we seemingly achieved the same result in Portland's Strut Your Mutt. Laurel, my wife, signed us up because we adopted our younger dog, Zu Zu, from the Family Dogs New Life Shelter up Portland way, and she wanted to be part of the shelter's fund-raising team. Here's Laurel with old dog and young dog soon…
1
Posted inHome life

A guy backed into my Mini Cooper today…

So, this afternoon I pull out of the Lifesource Natural Foods parking lot here in Salem, carrot juice ready to be consumed as a healthy mini-lunch, and find myself behind a guy in a car who's also trying to turn onto Commercial Street. He pulls forward, seemingly having spotted a break in the traffic. I drive forward a bit also, figuring that if he's going to turn onto Commercial, perhaps it'll be possible for me to get onto the street, after he does. But after pulling forward, he stops, having changed his mind about turning. No problem, I think. I stop…
1
Posted inSkateboarding

My old guy longboard land paddling is going great

At the risk of sounding like a Viagra ad... The Big Stick has changed my life! No, not that Big Stick. This Big Stick -- the Kahuna Big Stick, an adjustable pole for pushing a longboard skateboard without having to put a foot down. I'm really enjoying it. Went to Salem's Riverfront Park yesterday. Did about three miles in forty minutes or so. That includes some walking when an uphill section seemed like too damn much work, and also when a downhill section seemed too damn scary. The reactions of other skateboarders have been interesting. Not surprisingly, so far I…
2
Posted inCurrent affairs

More Republican reality-denying. Now, its polls.

The Republican Party has a problem with reality: it denies it. I'm not saying that all Republicans do this. But G.O.P. leaders sure do, along with a much higher percentage of Republicans than Democrats. Evolution and global warming are prime examples of G.O.P. head-in-the-sand'ness. Now political polls can be added to the reality-denying list.  Nearly every national poll shows President Obama leading Mitt Romney. Gallup, Ipsos and Bloomberg all have the president up by six points. The RAND Corporation puts Mr. Obama up by seven and a half. Only Rasmussen has Mr. Romney up nationally among likely voters, by two points. Swing…
2
Posted inHome life

When a man goes to the dermatologist

A few days ago I went to the dermatologist for a six-month checkup on some benign skin growths that had been frozen off. Here's how the conversation went after the physician's assistant (PA) who had done the cryotherapy walked into the exam room. PA: Hey, good to see you again. How are the growths looking that we froze off last time? ME: I don't know. I try not to look at myself very closely. When I'm in the bathroom, I stand as far back from the mirror as I can, and then I blur my eyes when I have to…
1
Posted inFamily

Married Kama Sutra: loading the dishwasher

Some The New Yorker cartoonists, Simon Rich and Farley Katz, must have been spying on my wife and me. This is exactly what happens almost every time I load the dishwasher.  Caption (for those who don't click the image to enlarge): When the man is loading the dishwasher, and the woman must come over, because he is loading it wrong, it is called the "dishwasher position." Great two-page spread, Simon and Farley. Humor like this and intelligent articles are why I've been a long time The New Yorker subscriber (and the lack thereof are why I recently cancelled my Newsweek…
No Comments
Posted inHome life Web/Tech

Yes, the new Apple Maps sucks. It led me astray.

I'm glad I still have Navigon on my iPhone 5, because I can't trust Apple Maps after what happened yesterday.  I've been playing around with Apple Maps since I got my new iPhone last Friday. Some reviewers have called it the worst Apple product ever. Don't know if I'd go that far, since when it works, Apple Maps handles turn by turn directions well. But when it doesn't... you're not going to get to where you want to go. Fortunately, I knew where Silver Falls Dermatology is in south Salem. I had a 1:45 pm appointment for a check-up and…
No Comments
Posted inCurrent affairs

Election seems to be slipping away from Romney

As of today... Gallup says Obama's job approval is 51% positive, 43% negative. Gallup says Obama is favored over Romney among registered voters by 50% to 44%. Five Thirty Eight says Obama has an 82% chance of winning the presidency, Romney 18%. Obama doesn't have a lock on the election. Romney could make a comeback. It's just increasingly difficult to see what could markedly change in Romney's favor between now and November. The debates? Good luck with that, Romney and Ryan. Obama and Biden are much more likely to extend their lead after the first few debates, in my decidedly optimistic progressive…
No Comments
Posted inSustainability

Killing fewer cougars means less livestock losses. Surprising but true.

There goes another cougar management myth, the mistaken notion that the more cougars are killed, the fewer livestock are lost, and fewer encounters between cougars and humans occur.  A study conducted by Washington State University's Large Carnivore Conservation Lab brought some welcome facts to counter the often-hysterical kill them! cries from fearful ranchers and homeowners (who frequently mistake a large kitty cat for a cougar). Here's some quotes from a press release about the study. Overharvest of cougars can increase negative encounters between the predator and humans, livestock and game, according to a 13-year Washington State University research project. Based on this,…
No Comments
Posted inCurrent affairs

Good reasons to support Measure 80, Oregon marijuana legalization

If you're an Oregonian who is unsure about how to vote on Measure 80, which would regulate, tax, and manage marijuana sales/use for adults 21 and over in our state, have a listen to this segment of OPB's "Think Out Loud." (click on the MP3 file link below)  Oregon Marijuana Legalization Yesterday Roy Kaufmann (spokesman for Measure 80) and John Trumbo (Umatilla County Sheriff) had an intelligent, respectful, thoughtful discussion about marijuana legalization. Kudos also to the moderator, Dave Miller. Great job educating the public by all three, plus those who phoned in with cogent comments. I support Measure 80.…
No Comments
Posted inCurrent affairs

Marijuana tourism coming to Washington state?

There's a good chance Washington state will legalize the sale and use of marijuana this November. A few weeks ago a poll showed Initiative I-502 with 57% "yes" and 34% "no" among likely voters. Measure 80 here in Oregon looks less likely to pass.  It takes a more liberal approach to marijuana legalization, which seems to be one reason large donors haven't chipped in money to support the measure as they have in Washington and Colorado. This November, voters in Oregon and Washington will decide whether to legalize marijuana. The Washington effort is backed by some deep-pocketed national donors. But…
2
Posted inHome life Web/Tech

After some awkwardness, iPhone 5 and me become friends

Being a long-time user of Apple'ish things (iPods, MacBooks, iPhones), I have reasonable expectations of a new product: It will work perfectly and make me ecstatically happy!  Most of the time this happens, more or less. Getting my iPhone 5 order via FedEx yesterday and firing up this long-awaited replacement for my iPhone 4 was right in line with previous Apple experience. After a few glitches, bliss. What threw me off at first was iTunes, which strikes me as disturbingly un-Apple. iTunes looks and acts like something a Microsoft programmer would produce. Functional, yet rather difficult to use and understand.…
3
Posted inCurrent affairs

Romney gets a “pants on fire” for his redistribution lie

Mitt Romney's chance of being elected president is steadily declining. Couldn't happen to a more deserving guy. Not only do Romney's policies make no sense (insofar as they've been explained), but he's a habitual shader of the truth. More bluntly put, a liar. So says PolitiFact about his newest falsehood: a claim that "redistribution" has "never been a characteristic of America." That lie gets him a Pants on Fire ruling. We wondered whether Romney was correct to say that "redistribution" has "never been a characteristic of America." So we checked with historians and economists. Most agreed that Romney was ignoring the…
1
Posted inHome life

Global warming makes me buy “snow tires”

I'm not kidding, despite the title of this blog post. This year I really am strongly leaning toward getting snow tires for my 2011 Mini Cooper S, and part of the reason is global warming.  Yes, the world is getting warmer. But this doesn't mean that winter weather everywhere is going to be milder. Actually, it's going to be weirder.  Does it seem as though your weather has become increasingly “stuck” lately? Day after day of cold, rain, heat, or blue skies may not be a figment of your imagination. While various oceanic and atmospheric patterns such as El Niño,…
3
Posted inCurrent affairs

Romney video reveals his heartlessness

For a supposedly religious guy, Mitt Romney is remarkably uncaring and uncompassionate. This has been evident throughout his public campaigning, but it became super obvious when remarks to a bunch of rich donors he thought would be private popped up on You Tube.   This is the heart of Romney's heartlessness: There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who…
No Comments