cause for optimism

no, not Obama - Google!

although, now that I think about it, Obama gives one hope, too.

down for 'maintenance'

Yeah, right! Joe, we hardly knew ye (fortunately).

meanwhile, in Istanbul...

Yikes!

And last night, I had a very brief Skype chat with Baris, our Turkish tour guide from last year, who was waking up in Istanbul. He didn't say anything about the rain, but it was a quick chat.

nailed

Is there any doubt now, that Barack Obama is a truly remarkable figure?

This was a great speech, and those damn Republicans who sat on their hands, either smirking or snarling, ought to be ashamed.

the kids give me hope

Heard on the radio this morning that a group of school-kids, somewhere, is planning to lie down in the halls and protest, if they are NOT permitted to hear Obama's speech.

The phony GOP meme (President speaking to children = insidious doctrination) certainly worked on the idiot parents, but failed to appreciate that the surest way to get kids to do something is to tell them it is forbidden to them.

See also the Garden of Eden story - a classic in the same mold.

We had a splendid time camping with friends over the weekend. Cove Palisades State Park is a remarkable place - how did it take me over 30 years to get there?

Here is a photo Dave took on his iPhone, on our big Sunday hike (Deschutes River on the left; Crooked River on the right):


Next weekend: Sisters Folk Festival

September 27th: hosting the Yiddish Hour on KBOO fm (10 am PDT)

September 28th: to Spain, mainly on a plane.

wrecking

In the old Soviet Union, the common charge used against 'enemies of the State' (i.e. dissidents) was 'wrecking', and normally carried a 10 year sentence. It was frequently-used and pretty effective.

The concept, obviously, is that people who intentionally sabotage the will of the society must be eliminated. The problem, of course, is that 'wrecking' is in the eye of the beholder, and the motives of the accuser of 'wrecking' do matter.

Now we come to the absurd notion that the President's upcoming address to the school-children of America is an insidious, fascistic plan to indoctrinate them, and must be opposed. This nonsense is spreading, as the brainwashed have received the message and they have sprung into action.

I envision the Republican operatives who thought this one up sitting back and laughing their asses off. Mission Accomplished.

These people are 'wrecking'. Intentionally finding every possible opportunity to sabotage, to distort, to inflame.

And, yet, few voices are publicly raised to accuse them. Where is our Zola?

Back during the Cold War, I remember a book by J. Edgar Hoover (don't get me started) called 'Masters of Deceit', all about those dastardly COMMUNISTS and their insidious plots to infiltrate and corrupt our precious, virtuous America.

Today, the Masters of Deceit work for Rupert Murdoch and others. Their mission is to wreck, and they are getting away with it.

more obsessive-compulsive behavior prior to Spain trip

I have found endless opportunities for obsessing about teeny details surrounding our upcoming trip. One is phone service.

Both of us have AT&T, quad-band SmartPhones. I have obtained unlock codes for both, so there should be no problems with them working over there. The question is: on what carrier?

If we make no changes, we should be able to connect with a compatible network, and would pay $1.29/minute, keeping our own numbers. If I call Karen (like we get separated and lost), both sender and receiver get charged that amount.

AT&T has a $6/month plan, that takes that charge down to $0.99/minute.

I found a commercial SIM card where the charge is $0.27/minute, but there is an up-front charge of $60 PER PHONE.

How to evaluate all this? Excel to the rescue:


So, it seems that, staying with AT&T, the break-even point with subscribing to their 'Global Traveler' plan is 40 minutes used, and, even after that, the benefit is negligible. I guess the value of their program is for folks who plan to use hours of phone time, not minutes.

BTW - we will use Skype to call the US, either free (computer-to-computer) or ridiculously-cheap (computer to land-line/cell). We plan on using the cell-phone network over there ONLY to call each other, if we lose each other.

The yellow line (separate SIM card, for a Spain phone-carrier), is significantly more expensive than either AT&T option, so that's out.

My decision: don't sign up for the AT&T $6/month plan, but, once we're there, talk to people and visit local vendors to possibly buy a Spanish SIM.

Whew! Now I can go back to fretting about other logistical minutiae.

time to merge with google?

public option health care rally in portland

Nice crowd downtown this morning. The master of ceremonies was a very casual Attorney General John Kroger:Enthusiastic crowd - lots of union folks - lots of creative signs:

Main speaker was Wendell Potter, the former Cigna PR flack, who publicly apologized to the crowd, for his years serving up lies on behalf of Big Insurance. He was eloquent and insistent that everyone do everything they can to confront the mis-informed, and keep the pressure on the lawmakers.

it's the modern world

A quick look at my messy workspace this morning.

From left to right: my (conventional) laptop, the new netbook, my main desktop (monitor), and (leaning on the keyboard) my smartPhone. All devices are internet-connected.

It's a little scary...

andy borowitz today

Bush Questions Brevity of Obama's Vacation

Short Break ‘Sends Wrong Message to Terrorists'

Former president George W. Bush criticized President Barack Obama today for taking such a brief August vacation, arguing that the brevity of his summer break "sends the wrong message to terrorists."

"The one way to let the evildoers know that they don't have you all stressed out is by taking all of August off," Mr. Bush told reporters at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. "I always made sure I did that."

The former president called Mr. Obama's golf game in Martha's Vineyard today "a positive step," but added, "It may be a case of too little, too late."

Mr. Bush said "there's still time" for Mr. Obama to correct his mistake, and recommended that the president "take all of September off."

"I suggest he find a ranch that needs some brush cleared off of it and spend all of September doing that," Mr. Bush said.

netbook has been transformed

Ben grabbed it, removed all the demos and startup garbage, installed his favorite utilities and Google Chrome, and pronounced it 'cool'.

Also, there was an issue getting his external optical drive to be recognized, but he figured out the registry setting to tweak to accomplish this, saving me some stressful moments.

That boy sure knows his way around computers. Where did he ever get that from?

bought a netbook today

I've been agonizing over various makes and models and configurations, but, of course, what decided things for me, in the end, was what was available on my local craigslist.

I've been waltzing around a Dell Mini 9, with Windows 7, 2 GB RAM, and a 16 GB SSD (no webcam) for several days, not being able to connect in person with the seller, who lives very close to my house. My chief hesitation on that one ($240) was the weirdly-configured keyboard and the sellers assertion that I 'should' be able to get more than 2 hours out of the battery.

Joe, thanks for your input the other evening.

Then, yesterday, I noticed that a local guy was selling one of these. He purchased it new from Fry's on August 14th, used it a couple of times, and decided it was too small for his needs. He advertised it repeatedly for $260, and I bought it from him today for $250.

I read a lot of reviews and it seemed to have the best combination of low-weight, sufficient power, OK webcam, and friendly keyboard layout, that I'm willing to live with the 1 GB of RAM (for now) and 3-cell battery (rated at 3 hours 15 minutes, for 'normal' use).

What helped me to decide was a half-hour at my local Costco, where I was able to try out both the Acer and an HP.

Why now? To take to Spain, in a little over a month.

watch this video

yes, this one. you won't be disappointed.

great T.R. Reid piece about health care around the world

lays out the big myths

Heard on Rachael Maddow's radio show this morning a statistic proving that Republicans overwhelmingly are misinformed about the health care reform issues (no big surprise), and they overwhelmingly get their 'news' from Fox (even less of a surprise).

People who don't get their news from Fox are statistically better informed about the real issues. Which is the chicken and which is the egg? One wonders.

At any rate, Mission Accomplished, health care industry! You win, again, it seems.

And the uneducated white folks just get angrier, as the jobs disappear for good, the premiums keep rising, the rich get richer, and the Media doesn't seem all that concerned that people bring guns to Presidential appearances. Cameras are ready!

All that is needed is a suitable spark and we'll be seeing the Law of Entropy being gleefully covered non-stop on CNN.

Paris 1789, Austria-Hungary 1914, Munich 1933, Spain 1936, Iran 1979.

great news

Just got back from Karen's doctor appointment, where he cleared her for the planned bike trip in Spain, that begins on October 5th. We weren't sure that her elbow injury would be sufficiently healed by then, but it's full speed ahead.

I paid the balance due for that portion of the trip, and that was the last bit of uncertainty (at the moment). We leave the morning of Sept 28th (Yom Kippur, that's just how it worked out).

It's starting to seem real - better keep brushing up on my spanish verbs.

barney!

wonderful

those bastards

I don't normally open mail addressed to my boys, but sometimes I make an exception.

This morning, there was a piece of mail addressed to Dylan (21), from RJ Reynolds, and I thought this was something I ought to investigate.

They thoughtfully sent him a gift card for a free sample of their new product:



I know it's perfectly legal, but I have to say I am outraged. Incidentally, I went to 'cameldissolvables.com' out of curiosity, and that URL actually resolves as 'dissolvables.tobaccopleasure.com'.

I guess that's better marketing than 'dissolvables.mouthcancer.com'. Someone was on the ball.

well, well, well...

Have I mentioned our well project? If not, our house, built in the 30's, has an 80 foot deep hand-dug well, that we have (slowly) been working on bringing back to life.

We pulled down the ramshackle pump-house years ago, and pulled out the old, non-working pump, water lines, and storage tank.

Aside from dipping a bucket down into the water a couple of years ago (to get a sample for testing - it came out pretty clean), we've never drawn any water to use.

Yesterday, our consulting hydrologist, Roger Smith, came over to do a draw-down test, where we lowered a submersible pump, hooked it up to a 220 V generator, and, with pen, notebook, scientific calculator, and a cool gizmo that does readouts of the changing water-level, we did the ultimate test.

I have to say that, the moment the pump came on and a jet of cold, clear water came shooting out the hose, was amazing. Rather than just pumping water on the ground (after all, we were only measuring the flow), I picked up the hose and began watering my tomatoes, peppers, squashes, asparagus, chard, onions, rhubarb, and shrubbery.

Finally, after at least 20 years, the well is again delivering water.

We pumped out hundreds of gallons, and Roger was able to measure the recharge rate, and pronounced it good. Next step - get the thing permanently capped, and then begin the plans for the required electrical work, deck construction and pump installation.

Off to KBOO shortly, to host the Yiddish Hour. Bye for now.

further proof that communism is bad

now we know for sure.

guernica

In my continuing education about all things Spain, I am currently reading a fascinating history of the Basque nation, and finally got to the chapter on the bombing of Guernica.

What is very strange about this component of the Spanish Civil War is that the Basques were traditionally allies of the Church and the Right-wing Carlist forces (the same people who were Franco's base).

What Franco could not tolerate is the Basque people's desire for autonomy from Madrid. Even though they were ideologically similar, they had to be destroyed because they had the nerve to ally themselves with the equally independence-minded Catalonians.

Franco was, after all, a pragmatist.

In two months, we should be bicycling in Catalonia. Lots to do before then.

I hope to visit the Madrid museum where Picasso's Guernica resides. It's pretty close to our hotel (not an accident).

Of course, reading about Europe in the 30's brings up scary parallels with our current times. Don't say I didn't warn you.

read

this

bill maher nails it

again

Bonus feature: great cartoon

Karen update

Thanks to everybody who is concerned about Karen's injury.

She was at the orthopedist all morning. They see that there were a couple of small fractures, that accompanied the dislocation.

She is to keep it as immobile as possible for 2 weeks, but the doctor felt that she should be OK to go biking in Spain in October, as currently planned.

This morning, I set up dictation software ('Dragon NaturallySpeaking' - anyone have any experience with this?) on her work computer - she'll try it out and see if that helps.

ah, the conservative mind...

Listening to the Ed Schultz show on KPOJ this afternoon (hosted today by NorMan GoldMan).

A self-described 'Ron Paul Conservative' called to take issue with government-sponsored health care. He hit all the standard talking points, that have been spoon-fed to the low-information citizens, but this comment stunned me:

"A public option would pay for abortions, and I would want there to be a law saying it would not pay for 'partial-birth abortions' (sic)."

Of course, these procedures are extremely rare, and only mandated in cases of medical necessity.

Unfortunately, Norm missed the opportunity to reply to the guy, "hmmm, sounds like you are in favor of having the government come between doctor and patient."

Then, they guy tried to make the 'slippery slope' argument, saying, "if the government mandates that everybody have medical insurance, what's next? Making everybody buy car insurance?"

uh - I am speechless at these people. Sort of like the pundit that said: "Just wait till you see Medicare, Medicaid ... done by the government".

required reading

thanks, again, Rachel

just finished reading a remarkable book

"The Art of Racing in the Rain"

Especially relevant to owners of aging dogs. I will say no more.

things can change quickly

Less than 5 minutes after the prior post, I was walking upstairs and heard Karen scream from outside.

While rushing around trying to coordinate dinner for 6, she tripped on our back step and was hurt.

"My elbow is dislocated," she grimaced, "and we're going to the hospital now."

I grabbed some ice-packs and drove rather quickly to the Emergency room.

Her diagnosis was correct, but it took three hours of waiting, paperwork, x-rays, and exams before a team was surrounding her bed, ready to pull the joint back together. Fortunately, Karen was elsewhere, having been transported to dream-land.

She woke up a few minutes later, with no memory, and it took another hour for full consciousness and hospital paperwork to permit us to exit. We were home around 11 pm. Quite a day.

Yesterday evening, we went out to dinner and Karen complained of discomfort and swollen fingers. They were indeed looking bad, so off to Emergency again, for another 3 hours of ice-packs, removing her 25 year-old wedding ring (which was a major chore in itself), making a new splint, and rewrapping bandages.

She is at work today, and has a couple of hearing scheduled for Tuesday. Naturally, I am the designated driver for the next few days.

Other than that, it's somewhat nice to be home, although Manzanita was sure delightful.

back home

Manzanita was wonderful and we appear to have missed the worst of the heat that attacked Portland last week.

Now for a sweet corn, fresh tuna, and beer dinner!

It's cool at the beach

Heard it's another hot one in PDX, but we're happy at the manzanita hot-dog stand, listening to our friends playing music, and liesurely digesting a hot-dog and ice-cream cone (coffee-almond fudge).

thank you, david letterman

top 10

in other essential news...

brilliant bill maher screed

"How about this for a New Rule: Not everything in America has to make a profit. It used to be that there were some services and institutions so vital to our nation that they were exempt from market pressures. Some things we just didn't do for money. The United States always defined capitalism, but it didn't used to define us. But now it's becoming all that we are.

Did you know, for example, that there was a time when being called a "war profiteer" was a bad thing? But now our war zones are dominated by private contractors and mercenaries who work for corporations. There are more private contractors in Iraq than American troops, and we pay them generous salaries to do jobs the troops used to do for themselves ­-- like laundry. War is not supposed to turn a profit, but our wars have become boondoggles for weapons manufacturers and connected civilian contractors.

Prisons used to be a non-profit business, too. And for good reason --­ who the hell wants to own a prison? By definition you're going to have trouble with the tenants. But now prisons are big business. A company called the Corrections Corporation of America is on the New York Stock Exchange, which is convenient since that's where all the real crime is happening anyway. The CCA and similar corporations actually lobby Congress for stiffer sentencing laws so they can lock more people up and make more money. That's why America has the world;s largest prison population ­-- because actually rehabilitating people would have a negative impact on the bottom line.

Television news is another area that used to be roped off from the profit motive. When Walter Cronkite died last week, it was odd to see news anchor after news anchor talking about how much better the news coverage was back in Cronkite's day. I thought, "Gee, if only you were in a position to do something about it."

But maybe they aren't. Because unlike in Cronkite's day, today's news has to make a profit like all the other divisions in a media conglomerate. That's why it wasn't surprising to see the CBS Evening News broadcast live from the Staples Center for two nights this month, just in case Michael Jackson came back to life and sold Iran nuclear weapons. In Uncle Walter's time, the news division was a loss leader. Making money was the job of The Beverly Hillbillies. And now that we have reporters moving to Alaska to hang out with the Palin family, the news is The Beverly Hillbillies.

And finally, there's health care. It wasn't that long ago that when a kid broke his leg playing stickball, his parents took him to the local Catholic hospital, the nun put a thermometer in his mouth, the doctor slapped some plaster on his ankle and you were done. The bill was $1.50, plus you got to keep the thermometer.

But like everything else that's good and noble in life, some Wall Street wizard decided that hospitals could be big business, so now they're run by some bean counters in a corporate plaza in Charlotte. In the U.S. today, three giant for-profit conglomerates own close to 600 hospitals and other health care facilities. They're not hospitals anymore; they're Jiffy Lubes with bedpans. America's largest hospital chain, HCA, was founded by the family of Bill Frist, who perfectly represents the Republican attitude toward health care: it's not a right, it's a racket. The more people who get sick and need medicine, the higher their profit margins. Which is why they're always pushing the Jell-O.

Because medicine is now for-profit we have things like "recision," where insurance companies hire people to figure out ways to deny you coverage when you get sick, even though you've been paying into your plan for years.

When did the profit motive become the only reason to do anything? When did that become the new patriotism? Ask not what you could do for your country, ask what's in it for Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

If conservatives get to call universal health care "socialized medicine," I get to call private health care "soulless vampires making money off human pain." The problem with President Obama's health care plan isn't socialism, it's capitalism.

And if medicine is for profit, and war, and the news, and the penal system, my question is: what's wrong with firemen? Why don't they charge? They must be commies. Oh my God! That explains the red trucks!"

transition day

Yesterday, I was rushing around from 7 am thru 10 pm, and a dozen chores got done. There's a certain satisfaction in ending a day that began with the thought "Oh, my god, I have so many things that must get done today" with the thought "nailed it".

Today is the lull before the next wave of frantic activity. Two of our three house guests for the upcoming week are now arrived and getting settled. We leave for a week at the beach on Saturday, just as the temperature is to approach 100.

Portland's most-sustained heat-wave in over 30 years is about to hit, and we are going to be basking in the 70 degree temps in Manzanita. It doesn't always work out this way.

Today, I water veggies and shrubs, mow the lawn, and start making lists of bike, dog, and people things to take. Maybe I'll even get to do 15 minutes of paid work.

unfortunately, sometimes it's OK that Big Brother is Watching

This morning, I purchased, by credit card, two train tickets for one leg of our Spain trip (Figueres to Tarragona). There is only 1 train on the morning in question that will meet our needs, so I thought it made sense to claim our seats now (before the Dollar drops any further against the Euro - sheesh!).

Although the site was in Spanish, I negotiated the steps without any problems. I did have one moment of panic when, just as I was preparing to print the tickets, I thought for a terrifying 12 seconds that I had inadvertently reversed the origin and destination. Fortunately, all was correct. Tickets are printed and in my soon-to-be-bulging envelope of Spain documents.

Less than five minutes later, I was outside digging an invasive plant from a flower bed when I heard the inside phone ring. Often, when working outside, I let it go to the answering machine. This time, I pulled off my gloves and picked it up.

It was an automated call from my credit-card issuer, asking me to confirm my identity and then confirm the 'suspicious' purchases, which included today's Spanish train tickets and Karen's trip to our local Safeway, last night.

I wonder, if I hadn't answered the phone, if they would have put a hold on the ticket purchase, requiring me to jump thru hoops to get it authorized? At any rate, I have to admire their program that must scan every purchase, looking for something that breaks the usual purchase pattern, and triggers a phone call within a couple of minutes.

summertime

We've been doing a lot of yard and clean-up work at our rental house, getting ready for the new folks, who are starting to move their stuff in next weekend.

It's always odd for me, to hang out at that house, where our bug boys (who, at this moment, 10:30 am on Sunday morning, are both asleep in our house) were little boys. Ben moved out of his apartment yesterday (one more car-load of stuff to go), and will be staying here 'temporarily'.

Dylan, we think, is off to his camp counselor job one of these days. We just don't know much about his plans.

Long, hot spell is coming to Portland - expected to be in the 90's all week, culminating next weekend with a projected 99 degree day. Fortunately, that's the day we head to Manzanita for a week, with Ben staying home to feed cats and (we hope) water veggies and shrubs.

Zucchini is starting to enter our lives in a big way. I've got 3 monsters in the fridge already, with more coming by the hour. Anybody have any good recipes?

living a cliche

Helping Ben move his stuff into the basement. His lease for the room he is renting in a house in NE Portland is up in a couple of weeks, and our months-long search for a house for him to buy (with room-mates) has not been successful (although we have had the pleasure of viewing some genuine dumps during the search).

We do have an offer in on one house, but the bank is dragging its feet making a decision and we ran out of time, so my 22 year-old son is moving back home, 'for a couple of months'.

We'll see how it goes...

painful, but not awful

I replaced my ailing 8525 with a Tilt (thanks, again, craigslist). I had dropped the 8525 and it had fallen victim to the common 'White Screen' flaw.

It involved reinstalling my favorite programs (i.e. hunting thru saved emails to find the one with the ridiculous registration code) and insuring that my POP3 email and calendar sync was working correctly.

Then, after all that, a Google search informed me that there was an updated ROM for this phone, so I did that upgrade, and then had to do all the above all over again.

End result: I think I once again have a reliable phone, this time with some additional cool features (like GPS and a much better camera) and (most important) a lot more available memory PLUS a 4 gig storage card (up from 2).

Now, I just need to have AT&T unlock it for me, and I am good-to-go for using it in Spain.

As to why I don't get an iPhone like everyone else in the world, it's simply because I support programming I've done for Windows Mobile devices, so that's what I need. Yes, I could probably get a cheap iPaq for testing (in fact, I had one and sold it - DOH!), but I just can't see myself giving Steve Jobs the satisfaction of buying into his dream of world conquest.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

i've decided to be happier

Despite all the recent studies predicting a looming global environmental catastrophe (see recent posts), I am going to concentrate today on thinking good thoughts about my tomatoes, peppers, and squashes.

ho hum

who cares?

listen to the experts

Hansen on the Waxman-Markey bill. It ain't pretty.

the power of Google's Search engine

This morning, I Googled the search string:

"Can't find project or library" and "trap" and "Access"

because I need to find out how to trap this error in Microsoft Access. Google pointed me to a page that did indeed relate to Microsoft Access compile errors, but look at the sponsored link at the top of the page:


I guess programmers might also need assistance with the other kinds of 'traps'.


UPDATE: 5 minutes later.

It just keeps getting better. As I drill down, I now see that "Mr Rooter Plumbing" has been joined by two other enterprises related to traps:

i'm bad, i know it

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

Isn't it ironic?

Watching all the tv news coverage of fireworks shows across the nation, there were several shots of workers transporting many large boxes to staging areas.

Each box was clearly stamped 'Made in China'.

who are these guys kidding?

really.

Isn't it totally clear by now that the elected officials of the Industrial world are not going to do a damn thing about this.

We are just going to let it happen, let the brown people fend for themselves, and stock up on ammunition. Can't mess up the corporate profit picture for the next quarter or two.

out of the dog-house!

new computer was a success. all files restored.

I'm heading up to Karen's office now, to rebuild a more-comprehensive backup-regimen.

it's been a very wild couple of days. now, all I have to worry about is how to deal with our non-communicative younger son, who, it appears, has pretty much flunked out of college, and is about to have to deal with the consequences (i.e. no more financial support for the indefinite future).

things are improving

At least my neighborhood computer store was able to pull files off of Karen's questionable hard-drive, saving my marriage.

I bought a new computer from them, and will spend the rest of the day rebuilding things and copying files, so that the new guy can get dropped into her network and both Karen and her assistant can feel comfortable again.

Not out of the woods yet, but at least I am half-way out of the dog-house.

lots of bad stuff

Bad patch here.

Lost my good sunglasses, someone broke the mirror on my bike helmet, Karen's main work computer crashed bad and her last back-up was June 4 (trying to recover what we can), just got a $1500 estimate for a small roof repair, and, worst of all, just received a letter from my younger son's university, following up on his 12-month academic suspension (which, somehow, he neglected to mention when he was in town for a few days last week).

All in all, it's time to look for a silver lining.

it's possible I just made a big mistake

I was down here in my computer dungeon, when there was a knock at the front door, and the dog started barking wildly (as he does these days, but that's a different story).

There were two men - one, I guess in his 30's (heavyset and goatee) and another, much younger, both wearing coats and ties (the first tip-off). The young guy was in front and said he wanted to invite me to a free program. I glanced at the brochure and saw that it was urging me to get ready for the 'End of the World'.

There was a graphic that seemed to refer to the Book of Revelations (there were horns and steam), so I instantly guessed that the topic was not going to be about the disappearance of Cheap Petroleum, so I politely declined to engage.

But, now that it's five minutes later, I am wondering if I should have asked for more details, before sending them on their way. After all, they looked so serious and I wouldn't want to be left behind.

Which reminds me of a blog comment I saw yesterday, where the writer referred to 'Jesus, the son of Joseph Christ'. You remember them - the Christ family, that lived in the hut down the road? They were always such fun at the neighborhood pot-lucks (turning the water into wine, etc).

joe the plumber is now joe the historian

...Referring to the Constitution as "almost like the Bible," Wurzelbacher said of the Founding Fathers: "They knew socialism doesn't work. They knew communism doesn't work."

sounds great, but: Constitution: 1789. Communist Manifesto: 1848.

What isn't working here is the American educational system, apparently.

michael - I'm not an expert but........

Why, oh why, the incessant playing of 'Thriller', when, as we all know, the best MJ song of all times is....



'Billie Jean'.

I mean, really.

this time it's for real

Here's a jpg I captured from a web page back in 2003. I knew there was some reason I've been saving it all these years.

oops, they did it again

bastards

obama news conference

hilarious

so near and yet so far

I was pretty excited to get the announcement from Qwest (my DSL provider) that they have partnered with AT&T to give Qwest customers FREE access to the AT&T wifi network (think Starbucks, McDonalds, and airports).

I tried it with my phone (HTC 8525) the other day, but no luck. I confirmed this morning that my userid and password were correct, then saw the 'requirements' page that said SmartPhones were not currently supported.

Another 'WTF?' moment. Can anyone explain to me what difference that should make to them?

Meanwhile: I had to laugh.

still a clueless twit

Bush speaks his 'mind'.

Favorite quote: "Government does not create wealth."

WTF?

How about Lincoln building the Transcontinental railroad, Eisenhower building the Interstate Highway system, and, um, there's that little DARPA project - what was that called? - oh, yes, now I remember - the one with all those tubes.

Not to mention Tang.

just found!!!

Archival footage of Americans demonstrating when the Supreme Court selected George Bush as President in 2000.

Late update: oops, my bad, this is from Iran yesterday.

look for the silver lining....

but you won't find it here - yikes!

big hat, no cattle

Do you know this phrase? I first heard it in a Randy Newman song.

It's what comes to mind as I hear the coverage of the election protests in Tehran, and I am thinking about my Fellow Americans, as a whole.

We talk big about how much we love our Democracy, and how we are the Home of the Brave, but when our own national elections were (to be charitable) compromised, did we march in the streets and show the world that we would not let injustice stand?

No, we allowed media and political bullies cow us cattle into accepting a coup, sanctioned by a Supreme Court stacked with political hacks. We had too much prosperity to lose, to stop working and show up. You all remember the result of that - I don't need to list the consequences.

Of course, it takes a healthy dose of media complicity to shield the populace from news about mass demonstrations, kinda like what happened in the run-up to the Iraq war here, and kinda like what is happening today in Iran, where the state-controlled media is not reporting on the hundreds of thousands marching in the street, demanding justice.

What gives me some hope is the vague sense that, perhaps, the lesson that the world learned from watching the US 2000 election was that it really is every citizen's responsibility to shout in the streets, when you see your media ignoring statistical impossibilities that suggest chicanery. Without that willingness to stand up and confront the evil-doers among us (you know who you are), we can never honestly call ourselves the Land of the Free, etc.

Just sayin'.

i don't get twitter

I created my account in 2006, so I've thought about it.

Does anyone have a case where it provided something beyond what email, blogs, and text messages can do?

Seriously - is it just another case of vanity gone wild? Why else broadcast to the world the number of your followers?

We can't all be Jesus. God knows I've tried.

twilight zone stuff

Saw last night that an Italian woman who luckily missed the plane that went down in the Atlantic last week arrived safely home a couple of days later, where she was promptly killed in a car crash.

Updated: URL added and nationality corrected from German to Italian. Memory failing...

howard dean petition on health-care reform

don't you think you should sign, here?

conspiracy theories, anyone?

Maybe it's my conditioning, but this sure makes my Spidey-senses tingle.

In other news, I'm proud to be an American again.

synchronicity in everyday life

Yes, I know there are rational explanations for Synchronicity, but it's always jarring to be confronted with it happening.

Yesterday, I dropped by my local library to pick up a couple of videos - something to occupy my dreary evenings, until Karen returns from LA on Wednesday. There on the shelf, I saw a 50's Hitchcock film that, I am certain, I have never seen: "I Confess".

The current book I am reading is 'The Crucible of War', a long but fascinating history of the French and Indian War (or, from the perspective of the Europeans, the Seven Years War). This afternoon, I read the chapter on the battle of Quebec, which described in detail the physical features that determined the events of the battle that may have cemented the ultimate British victory (at a minimum, it provided an excuse in London for a grand celebration, with fireworks and much drinking).

Seeking a respite from the military history of the 1750s (not that it's not compelling), I loaded the DVD and fired up the special feature. I was immediately floored to find that the film takes place in....Quebec, with, apparently, many establishing shots showing the physical location of the city. What are the odds?

These things are probably happening all the time. At the moment, though, it seemed pretty eerie.

I have a meeting to go to in a couple of hours - when I return, I hope to sit down with a late dinner and a glass or two of wine, and watch the film, which promises to be an exquisite Hitchcock concoction, with amazing black-and-white photography, the usual Hitchcockian twists of guilt and innocence, and an electrifying performance by Montgomery Clift. What a treat.

yard work

Karen flew to LA Friday night, to spend 5 days with her mother and family down there. Sylvia is pushing 98 and, although she is still scheduled to come to Portland in early August, Karen wanted to check things out to make sure all is well.

So what do I do on my big Day Off? Yard work for hours, with the help of our regular weekend laborer, Rolando. The biggest impact I had was on one of the more-abandoned corners of the yard, that was quite overgrown with blackberries, weeds, tall grasses, and ivy. I cleared it all out, dug blackberries, hacked at ivy, dug suckers, etc. It was dirty, tiring work, and generated a whole new brush pile.

Also in that corner is our pet cemetery, now marking two cats and two guinea pigs. I gently cleared away the brush that was covering the markers, and spoke to the spirits of the animals there, thanking them for the companionship. Zacky was nearby, and, since he is to be the next resident there, I spent a long time holding him on my lap and stroking him, while he kvelled (a Yiddish word with inadequate translations) with a big smile.

To have that memory of him with me there, at that spot, being so happy and showing it, is a memory I will carry with me, long after the day I need to dig a hole and place his soon-to-be-worn-out body in it.


On that note, I need to leave now. I'm playing piano for a Jewish awards ceremony, starting in a half-hour. It's a paying gig, and I get breakfast, too. See y'all later.

how time flies

Today, I just realized, is the 50th anniversary of my very first piano lesson.

How do I know that? My father carefully wrote 'June 4th, 1959' on my first lesson book, that I retained for years.

I'm finally beginning to make some progress in my playing. Must keep practicing.

Thank you, Miss Catlin - she was my teacher for many years, and I still vividly remember staring at the weird blood vessels that snaked across the backs of her hands.

no posts recently

Sorry.

It's not as if I am swamped with work, because I am quite underemployed these days, having lost three clients due to budget cuts, my contact at my primary client (the USDA) is busy with other matters, and my potential new contract (National Park Service) is still in the proposal stage.

In the meantime, we had a delightful weekend camping near Bend over the holiday. Beautiful weather and good company, along with a substantial amount of good food and drink.

Zacky, our almost 10-year-old Corgi is really going downhill fast, with his degenerative myelopethy. His walking is quite impaired, often having to drag is hind-quarters along on the ground. I am carrying him a lot.

Still, when he's happy, that old smile appears. We are trying to monitor his quality of life, to know when it's time to pull the plug. It ain't easy.

Picking bok choy from the garden (Karen says it's the best bok choy she's ever had). Peas are climbing the trellis; tomatoes and squashes are still pretty small. Onions are starting to make little bulbs. Raspberries are coming along, although the patch could sure use a good weeding. 17 of the 20 asparagus crowns are doing well - many of them getting ready to go to seed, which is what you, want the first year.

Spending a lot of time reading tourism materials on Spain. Can't resist buying specific maps and guide-books. Four months to go!

Doing a lot of piano accompaniment, for various events around town. Some of it actually pays!

Oh yeah, I'm hosting the Yiddish Hour next Sunday (the 31st) on KBOO from 10-11 am PDT. You can stream it live here. I have some traditional stuff and some wild stuff planned - should be fun.

Gotta pretend to do some work now...

Delight in DC

Having fun each day, visiting sights and friends.

Peak experience last night standing at the Tidal Basin at dusk, with the Washington and Jefferson monuments beautifully lit, after a magnificent dinner at a trendy restaurant.

Off to baltimore today by train, as karen's law conference begins.

Mother's day advertising

Kinda difficult to watch - first one since I lost my mom.

Arlen, the honeymoon is over

Didn't take long - says Coleman should be seated.

Grrrrrrrrr.

veggie update

Onions and bok choy doing well:Of the 20 asparagus crowns, 15 are definitely up and 2 more are probable. This was a major relief, as I was beginning to feel that nothing would ever happen with these guys.

Transplanted the 2 zucchinis to another bed, with more room. They are about 4 inches and looking healthy. The tomatoes haven't grown much, but I'm confident that they are building roots.

The peas are just about high enough to find the trellis and start wrapping around it. I think I got 6 from the first planting, and am beginning to see a few now just appearing, from the second planting.

Planted some chard next to the bok choys, hoping that they will be up when we are eating bok choy. It's all so much more fun to think about than work (which is a tad slow these days).

Karen and I are heading to Washington DC on Saturday, where we will be all next week. She is attending a law conference and I'll be visiting with old friends and places-where-I-was-young. When we get back to Portland, the rest of May is filling up with several music obligations, so this trip will be my last chance to relax, after I get up from this afternoon's nap.

fun with belief systems

Here's a fun little questionaire, that compares your beliefs with the top 50 or so religions of the world, and tells you how your beliefs stack up against each.

It shouldn't be surprising that, for me, Secular Humanism rocks.

happy birthday, Pete Seeger

One of the greats. Here's another clip.

Also, it's our anniversary today - 24 years. Better start planning something big for next year.

best idea yet for new Supreme Court justice

I love it.


And now for something completely different.

I had heard about the low caste in traditional Japanese culture (leather workers, tanners of hides, and grave diggers), but this story reminds us that this is still an issue in that society.

The larger astounding, unavoidable fact (in that the excluded minority are ethnically indistinguishable from other Japanese) appears to suggest that discrimination is part of our socio-genetic makeup, and that a truly egalitarian society may be contrary to the role that aggressive oppression appears to have played, in the evolution of species.

Thinking here of the natural urge, in bird nests, for the runt of the litter being pecked to death by the more-robust hatchlings.

Nature ain't pretty, and no human society is immune from dastardly behavior.

Why can't we all just get along? Maybe we're programmed to be otherwise.

Just sayin'.

why i'm worried about swine flu

The massive media frenzy conveniently serves to direct attention away from financial-industry corruption, holding the Bush administration accountable for its crimes, global climate change, and the Blazers.

Wait, I think that last topic is being sufficiently addressed today.

Andy Borowitz today

Obama Quits While Ahead

Prez Resigns After Hundred Days: ‘All Downhill From Here'

In a move that stunned both political allies and foes alike, President Barack Obama resigned today after serving 100 days in office, telling the White House press corps, "It's all downhill from here."

The reporters seemed stunned by the President's decision in light of the fawning media coverage he received during his first 100 days, but the hyperbolic nature of that reportage, ironically, may have been the prime motivator behind Mr. Obama's shocking move.

"Let's face it, I'm not going to get better coverage than I have to date," he said. "The only guy with a higher approval rating is that dude who landed the plane on the Hudson - or maybe that other dude who escaped from those pirates."

Mr. Obama may have a point, as current polls show that the only Americans with higher approval ratings are members of his immediate family.

According to the latest University of Minnesota/Opinion Research Institute survey, Mr. Obama's 67% approval rating is topped by First Lady Michelle Obama at 84%, with daughters Sasha and Malia and dog Bo tied at 98%.

Even the President's little-known half-brother George Obama, who resides in Nairobi, Kenya, garnered a 73% thumbs-up in the poll.

As the press corps reeled from the news of Mr. Obama's resignation, one White House source suggested that the First Lady may have been behind the decision: "Around Day 95 or so, Michelle was running out of wardrobe changes."

At the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Roberts said that he stood ready to swear in the nation's new chief executive, whom he called "President Biden R. Joseph."

Mr. Biden is scheduled to deliver his Inaugural address on Friday at noon and wrap it up sometime late Sunday.

lighten up

Two items of vast interest:

First, this atypical post from a blog I read regularly (that's normally about eating pork products in eastern Europe).

Next, a gallery of Peeps constructions, from neighbor/cousin-in-law Laurie - thanks!

Can you believe the non-stop "Be VERY Afraid" coverage of the flu thing? This goes so far beyond the "wash your hands regularly and don't panic" advice that is appropriate at this stage, and the dramatic increase in emergency-room visits, from people who are 'worried', is testimony to the power of Media.

I try to look for the silver lining: if this does turn out to be a world-wide pandemic that causes the deaths of millions, I'd prefer to think of it as a signal from the Earth that our species is getting a little too disruptive.

I had to laugh

Received this in an email from Dara - many thanks!
--------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the Washington Post's Mensa Invitational which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are the winners:

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2. Ignoranus : A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

3. Intaxicaton : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

4. Reintarnation : Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

5. Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

6. Foreploy : Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

7. Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high

8. Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

9. Inoculatte : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10. Osteopornosis : A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon : It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13. Glibido : All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.) : Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor ( n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.


The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.

And the winners are:

1. Coffee ( n.): The person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted ( adj.): Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.

3. Abdicate ( v.): To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4. esplanade ( v.): To attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly ( adj.): Impotent.

6. Negligent ( adj.): Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.

7. Lymph ( v.): To walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle ( n.): Olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence ( n.): Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash ( n.): A rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle ( n.): A humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude ( n.): The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon ( n.): A Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster ( n.): A person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism ( n.): The belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16. Circumvent ( n.): An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men

un milagro!

Remember back on March 12th, when I placed 20 asparagus crowns into a newly-dug bed in our back yard? I've been fretting and watering all this time, and this morning, lo and behold, three of the crowns are sprouting. The magic worked!

Here's the largest - about 3 inches:



In other gardening news, the bok choys are doing well, as are the onions. Out of the first planting of (old) pea seeds, only 7 sprouted. I re-planted with newer seeds the other day.

I think I'll be harvesting the first rhubarb in a couple of days.

None of the lettuces, chard, cilantro, chives, or catnip came up, which is disappointing. I must have done something wrong.

more tea-party reflections

It's too easy to laugh it off, for two reasons.

1) There is a kernel of truth to the protests: us Common Folk are uneasy to see the billions of dollars that have been funneled to banks and investment agencies who, thru their manipulations of laws, regulations, and suckers, created the mess. Will anyone from that crowd ever go to jail?

2) History has shown that, whenever the Populace is whipped into (currently, largely-unfocused) rage, things have a tendency to get out of control. The French Revolution, the Spanish Inquisition, Rwanda, and Slobodan Milosovic come to mind. In this case, we have people who appear to get their marching orders from Richard Mellon Scaife, Dick Armey and FOX, and many of them appear to be hateful and armed.

It's more and more like Spain, 1936. Just sayin'.

UPDATE: Just for grins, I looked up where in the world most of the tea comes from. Turns out that India and China are, by far, the top two. Isn't it ironic that the participants in yesterday's activities were encouraged to purchase a product from two of our top global business competitors?

What about 'Buy American'? If the organizers really wanted to give a boost to the US economy, instead of tea, why didn't they encourage everyone to buy something manufactured right here in the good ol' USA?

Oh, right, I forgot.

tea-party fun

A number of blogs are covering these 'spontaneous' events, and the participants are, true to form, generally hilarious.

I especially liked this photo:


'Cut Taxes, Not Defense' - I get it, because the money that funds the DoD (and all the related Defense industries) must certainly come from somewhere besides taxes, right?

Morans, indeed.

Is it Spring yet?

April 13th and it's either sleeting or hailing at the moment.

Didn't last long, but it was a surprise.

Currently reading: 'When you are engulfed by Flames', by David Sidaris. Hilarious.

it's worse than you thought...

Part I, from Bill Moyers' program, on the true state of banks and the deliberate failure of regulation.

Part II, from the LA times on climate change in Australia.

Part III, it's no longer "don't drink the water" in Mexico City - it's "no water for you today".

Not only that, but, in a few hours, Jesus will die on the cross again.

coleman/franken situation - I am confused

So, it appears that just about all authorities in Minnesota have concluded that Franken won, but the GOP is still promising further appeals. There can be no other explanation, other than their determination to keep Al out of the Senate as long as possible, to prevent the Dems from approaching the 'magic' 60 votes.

I am bewildered by the must-have-60-votes to get anything done in the Senate. Whatever happened to simple-majority? It appears that the magic 60 is simply a rule that everyone agreed to, at some point.

The Senate makes its own rules. Is there anything to prevent Harry Reid from proposing a rule change that, since there are only 99 seated senators, the new fillibuster-proof count is 59, not 60?

vegetable update

In the pea-lettuce-chard patch, the first peas are coming up! I had just about given up hope, but it's really happening. So far, no lettuce, spinach or chard is visible.

Also planted chives, cilantro and cat-nip last week, in the bed right outside the back-door.

Yesterday, at Fred Meyer, I couldn't resist buying a 6-pack of bok choy for $3, so now there are 14 little boks, in the ground today:We also bought onion sets (walla-wallas) yesterday. Will plant them this afternoon. Last year, we did onions and I was so stingy with water that, although they grew, many had hollow bulbs. The ones that we got, though, were good, so I'll try to be better this time around.

So far, not much happening with the asparagus crowns. Hope they're still alive.

High of 73 expected today; 77 tomorrow.

Here's a cell-phone photo of Ben and Dylan, taken in Ashland last Thursday night. When we saw Dylan Saturday, prior to heading back to Portland, he was totally clean-shaven, so this is a historical moment:

Don't be fooled by the empty tables in the background. The cafe was jammed and we had a long wait before being seated. The beer was very good, and 3/4 of us were happy with our meals.

hmmm, what have we here?

here

Meanwhile, we are back in Portland after three fun days in Ashland. Went to a play and did a short Rogue River raft trip yesterday afternoon.

Even managed to see Dylan now and then, although he somehow didn't seem excited about spending time with family, versus his many friends.

Test post from my phone

In turkey last year, I tried to use a program that promised to creat blog posts from my handheld. Never could get it to work.

Now, google has a simpler way to do this. Let's see if it works...

anybody looking for a WiFi handheld?

I just posted this on craigslist.

It's been a great little device, but I just don't need it anymore, since I got my handy 8525.

Lowe's has everything you need

First of all, it's always fun to shop at Lowe's because, since all signs are in both English and Spanish, every visit creates opportunities to enhance your Spanish vocabulary.

While standing for a seeming eternity at the Customer Service desk at my local Lowe's this afternoon, I happened to notice something curious. They have a multi-page chart with, in dozens of languages, the phrase 'point to your language' and 'an interpreter will be provided for you.'

This is a very nice service they are providing, for customers from any nation on Earth. In this list, there were an astonishing variety of world languages, including (I checked) seven dialects of Chinese.

At the end of the 'European' section, after Swedish and Ukranian, I was somewhat astonished to see -- wait for it -- 'Yiddish'. Had to take a photo with my phone:


Think about it - this implies not only that a Yiddish speaker would be shopping at Lowe's for his PVC pipe, electrical fixtures, or whatever (implying a 'handy-around-the-house' Yiddish speaker), but that such a person would speak NO OTHER language, hence requiring the fairly-specialized services of a Yiddish-English translator (who, I assume, normally deals in fiction, rather than laminate).

I didn't check to see if Latin was listed, but, if they thought to include Yiddish, I wouldn't be surprised. If you get back there before I do, let me know.

and now for something completely different

watch

yeager

So, Scott Yeager is asking the Supreme Court to not permit the government from retrying him on Enron fraud, since the first trial was deadlocked on multiple counts (fraud, money laundering, insider trading, etc. etc. etc).

I respect Justice Breyer and, in the interest of protecting civil liberties, I think his position is valid. The problem with protecting civil liberties, is that it protects both the innocent and the snakes.

Yeager cashed in $54 million of Enron stock and options before bailing. He was at the top of the organization, and, if this wasn't insider trading and fraud, he was a manager completely out-of-touch.

Maybe I'm naive, but I thought the philosophy of work is that you get rewarded for bringing your organization success. Yeager was fabulously enriched and his justification for keeping the loot is that he had no idea that things were going to utterly crash and burn.

What am I missing? Good thing this attitude is nowhere to be found nowadays - we have sure learned our lessons!

Here's the classic 'Enron Communications' photo (i.e. the predecessor of Enron Broadband Services) in the very early days, when this group was most of the entire company, and we were all going to be millionaires. Some of the people in this photo actually did.

That's Yeager in the middle of the Big Three (and me, two heads away, in the back row, with the gargoyle on my shoulder).

want to make your blood boil?

read it and weep.

I'm currently reading a history of Spain, covering the period about 1450-1750. Right now, I am in the 1560's, a time of political and financial unrest, as Philip II dealt with the absurd Empire he inherited from his papa, the remarkable Charles V.

It's a story of an economy ruined, banks failing, shifting political alliances, finger-pointing, and public frustration, totally different from our time.

Yeah.

work shortage

Talked to another former client yesterday afternoon, an ecology center in Sonoma, CA. They are laying off folks and cutting hours, so it's the end of that road, too.

That makes two clients pretty much gone, and my main contact at my main client is so swamped with work that, although there is stuff to be done, I have not received the specs to get started.

Thanks to the amazing folks at Friends of Trees, though, I still get a couple of hours of little changes every week. It's barely enough to keep me sitting here at my computer, surfing around political sites, Spain tourism sites, and craigslist.

Currently reading Imperial Spain 1469-1716. I've just finished the age of Ferdinand and Isabella and am moving into the world of Charles V.

Most amazing factoid to date: F&A, as you know, mandated the expulsion of Jews and Muslims in 1492 (which deprived Spain of some of its most creative and clever folks, including my Toledo ancestors, but that's another story).

However, did you know (ready?) that Ferdinand's mother was Jewish? I always knew that Isabella and her Castile buddies called the shots in that uneasy partnership (Aragon always got a raw deal), but that's pretty creepy, eh?

Don't forget to listen to This American Life this Sunday morning, so you don't have to hear me doing my very first hosting gig on the Portland Yiddish Hour on KBOO. If you don't live in Oregon, you definitely wouldn't want to stream it live at http://kboo.fm/listen at 10 am PDT.

Cheers!

powers of 10

Yes, the AIG executive bonuses are a prime example of hubris and insiders gaming the system - we knew that already - and recovering that money would be nice (especially from those who are no longer with the company, which shoots down the 'retention incentive' argument).

However, let us keep in mind that we are talking about a couple hundred million dollars. Although that sum might make a difference in YOUR life, and the lives of 50 of your friends, don't forget that:

We have poured hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars into AIG, and 1 Billion = 1,000 Million. Think about it and you'll realize that the sums over which the punditry is expending all its moral outrage this week is 1/10th of 1 percent of the actual money (OUR money) being forked over.

Remember, any time The Media repeatedly says 'Hey, Look at THIS!", it's a sure sign that it's a diversion.

Pranav Mistry

remember that name. Why?

Go here.

a beautiful day in Portland

yet, I am filled with the sense that the American Dream of endless consumer delights has been a Matrix fantasy, fueled by our own eagerness to accept the illusion and the accumulated momentum of scientific and technological progress over the past 200 years (which, like a giant wave, is about to come crashing down on us surfers).

I could be wrong. Maybe we are on the cusp of a transformational wake-up.

However, considering the new Britney video, maybe not.

Still, it's Spring today, and I have no paying work to do (times are lean).

At least Jon Stewart speaks truth.

and so, it begins...

52 degrees and sunny today, with rain coming this weekend - the perfect opportunity to do what needs to be done: 3 varieties of peas, 2 varieties of spinach, 2 varieties of lettuce, and a few leftover arugula seeds are now in the ground.

Will plant another couple of rows in a couple of weeks.Also, forgot to mention that, last week, we finally completed a project we've been talking about for many years - an asparagus bed that, providing the 20 crowns you see here survive, should last for 15 years. Now, to wait 2 years until the first harvest - I'll let you know if anything comes up.

t-shirt of the day

the joke's on me

ha ha ha ha ha...

laptop battery totally dead today! it appeared to be charging, but stopped at 34%.

Now, the power meter says 'unknown'.

you learn something new every day

At the risk of appearing stupid, I must confess that, even though I've owned various laptops for several years, nobody ever told me that it's very bad to leave your laptop plugged into the AC charger all the time, with the battery inserted.

Who knew?

I had bought a new battery when I got my most-recent used laptop, and was frustrated when, a year later, it would never charge more than 4%, and always appeared to be on the verge of running out. Likewise the battery in Karen's laptop (again, always plugged into the AC), which also, should you unplug the power cord, showed little juice remaining.

I recently did some googling on laptop batteries and charging problems, and came across a site that offered a suggestion for laptop batteries that appear to be virtually dead and unable to recharge. It seemed preposterous.

1) Remove battery from laptop.
2) Slip it inside a ziplock plastic bag.
3) Wrap a dishtowel around it and place in your freezer for at least 13 hours.
4) Remove from freezer and let it slowly come up to room temperature.
5) Insert battery back into laptop, plug in the AC cord, and power up.
6) Go to 'Control Panel | Power Options | Power Meter' and prepare for a shock.

My battery, which never showed more than 4% charged (9 minutes remaining), immediately showed 97% charged, and charging.

I let it sit for a while and when I looked back, it was up to 98% charged!

I unplugged the AC and the control panel updated, to inform me that 'Total time remaining' is now 3.57 hours.

Amazing.

can you find the twins?

Is it just my imagination, or is there a distinct resemblance between these two schnooks?