Hinessight

Yes, I'll admit it. For a few days I was one of the many Americans who are freaking out over the prospect of dangerous nuclear radiation reaching our shores from Japan. I anxiously sought out potassium iodide and ended up ordering some. But facts are different from fears. As my wife and I learned more about how much radiation is likely to make it across the Pacific Ocean into Oregon, even in a worst case scenario, we became a lot more relaxed about our personal situation -- though still deeply worried about the people living near the damaged reactors. Some…

Driving home today, I listened to a interview with an expert who said, "The company that operates the damaged nuclear reactors in Japan probably is asking for volunteers among retired workers -- for obvious reasons." I took that to mean that if you're old, you don't expect to have nearly as many years left to live as younger workers do, so dying prematurely from radiation exposure, though distressing, would take on a different cast than if you were in your thirties with young children. A news story confirms that a search for volunteers, both old and young, likely is occurring:…

Here's a lesson for rabid conservatives and Tea Party types: What good has the free market been in responding to Japan's catastrophic earthquake? Are people relying on the government or on the private sector in dealing with the horrific consequences of the quake and resulting tsunami? The answer is obvious. When there's a huge seismic shift -- in the earth, in the economy, in the environment, in geopolitics, in national security -- governments are the glue which keep the social fabric from ripping apart. Yes, communities help. Non-profit organizations help. Volunteer groups help. But these entities are "governments" on a…

I'm sorry that Keith Olbermann isn't on MSNBC any longer, because Art Robinson's newest display of deceptive craziness would make him a great candidate for a "Worst Person in the World!" dishonor. Robinson, who lost to Peter DeFazio in last year's 4th Congressional District race, is claiming that Oregon State University is retaliating against his three children because of "political payback." This struck me as ludicrous when I learned about Robinson's attack on OSU's Nuclear Engineering department via a chain email that was forwarded to me. Why would professors risk their careers by unethically (and probably illegally) targeting Robinson's children…

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's efforts to destroy public employee unions under the ruse of cost-cutting is great political theatre. Wow, in recent weeks we've seen... Massive rallies of 70,000 people or more calling for compromise, rather than Koch-brother commanded Republican intransigence. Fourteen Democratic state senators fleeing to Illinois to deny a quorum and, hence, a vote on the union-busting bill. And today, Walker refusing to negotiate with the Dem senators. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on Monday dismissed as "ridiculous" a letter from a Democratic state Senate leader who suggested a meeting "near the Wisconsin-Illinois border" to discuss the state's budget…

Today I gave our 2010 tax info to our CPA. In a few weeks we'll learn how much we owe the federal and Oregon governments. My wife and I won't be thrilled with writing out the checks, but deep down we're pleased to do our part to "promote the general welfare" -- one of the six goals our founding fathers set out in the preamble to the United States Constitution. See, Tea Party types, your interpretation of what it means to be a proud American is historically twisted. Cutting taxes isn't mentioned in the preamble. But promoting the general welfare…