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Tim and J's excellent (and bogus) adventure

The day started off great. The studded tires on the Volvo provided excellent traction going up the mountain to Hoodoo, and though we didn't get first tracks on opening day, the snow was about the best I've ever seen. However, there is too much of a good thing. Deep dry powder is the ultimate, of course, so long as you have enough slope to keep you moving through it. God help you if you slow down and get stuck for whatever reason, that's when you start to wallow in the snow and in your self pity. We had at least 30" of fresh powder off the groomed trails and floating through that stuff at a high rate of speed is like nothing else in the world. There was a secret stash that it seems no one else could find and we shredded it several times before it got mostly tracked up. We met up with old bros and had a grand ol time.

As the day wound down and we headed home, however, is when the bogosity set in. After narrowly making the turnoff for highway 20 (to Lebanon & Corvallis) the car decided to call it quits a little ways from Tombstone Pass. We managed to get the car turned around (without getting t-boned) and coasted back to Lost Prairie Camp. Popping the clutch doesn't work. That's when the great waiting happened. We were fortunate to have one bar on my cell phone so we called for assistance. H, (J's girlfriend) arranged for a tow and we got a call from the truck driver, Mike, saying he'd be there in an hour. So, in high spirits we settled in and tried to stay warm. Sending good thoughts to Mike. 2 1/2 hours later, we're wondering where the hell is this dude. So we finally called and it turns out the road had gotten the better of Mike. He had turned around and given up. At this point we're laughing and joking but feeling a small amount of panic. WTF!! So another round of phone calls (meanwhile of course the phone battery is rapidly dying) and another tow truck (Lloyd) is summoned. and the waiting continues. Meanwhile, it has been snowing continously and passing traffic is getting rather scarce. J pulled out his bag of extra clothes, I try to melt snow in my mug for water and we hunker down for what could be a bad night. Trying to convince ourselves of Lloyd's superior driving skills, we started dozing off.

After about 5 hours (total) of sitting in the cold car waiting and wondering, Lloyd finally made it! hallelujah. We made it to J's by 1:30am and I made it home by 2. and I was so happy and thankful to be home and safe.

Lesson learned: next time you go to the snowy mountains, prepare to get stuck and more than likely you won't. And for heaven's sake, take some extra water, wherever you go, cause beer is no substitute.

Corvallis Open Forum needs your help

I posted a plea for assistance at the COF blog, corvallisopenforum.blogspot.com.

Please provide feedback.

Consumed by Facebook

As I feebly attempted to start actively blogging again, I ended up deeply consumed by Facebook. Its been fun reconnecting with old friends. And the games are like crack cocaine or cigarettes.

What is it about being human that we are so driven to addiction?

My thoughts and prayers go to the family of the trampled walmart worker and of course the families of those who have been victims of the attacks in Mumbai.

Happy buy nothing day, world.

Reform at Victory

is the title of Michele Ulriksen's new book about her experience in a fundamentalist reform "school/prison". Its a horrific and fascinating account written in a casual and easy to read style. But ultimately, I feel it is a sobering reminder that such places existed and continue to this day and parents especially need to be fully aware of what they are doing to their children when they send them away. They should also be aware that such institutions can be woefully ineffective in actually reforming kids.

I have to confess that I'm sure part of my enthusiasm for this book is due to knowing the author and her family, who live up the street and I've done some work for, but unless you are a fundamentalist Baptist reform school operator, I'm fairly confident that you too will find it hard to put this book down until you've read it through.

Check it out.

skate board broken

after three glorious days getting back into skateboarding, I broke my deck while trying a railslide. woe is I

well for better or worse, I'm on facebook now and notes on socialism

and so far its been pretty cool, though it is taking a lot of my time.

here's something I wrote on my facebook, I may go ahead and import this blog

Socialism in the US
Today at 11:51am
I ranted about this the other day at the forum. It was one of my better extemporaneous efforts, I think.
I think Obama and the Dems should embrace the label, making a clear distinction between socialism and totalitarianism, of course, the two are clearly not the same thing. Looking at history, we find that there have been a few times when the economy has tanked thanks to excessive greed and corruption by those at the top. The response (correction) was some sort of "socialist" thing, whether it be banning child labor, the 8 hour day, the right to organize, and more government regulation. Indeed, society's response to capitalism run amok is socialism. We've had at least 28 consecutive years of capitalism run amok, (I'm referring to Reagan as a recent reference point and include the Clinton years) Now is the time for the pendulum to swing back and hopefully stay back.
Every economy in the world, including ours, is a mixed economy, mixed with elements of capitalism and socialism. We still have things like Social Security and Medicare and federally funded education, things that wouldn't exist in a purely capitalist world. But I don't see anyone raising a stink about those programs being socialist.

Indeed, most of the G7 nations have more and stronger elements of socialism and yet, they're still in the rich kids club. Imagine that.

Socialism is not a dirty word, and I for one am a proud socialist. I agree with Obama, I am my brother's keeper, the individual tragedies that happen everyday matter to me and the most effective way I can help is to join with others who recognize the role OUR government can play in improving everyone's life. I do what I can on an individual level, but as someone more eloquent than I said, and I paraphrase, government does for all of us, what no one can do by themselves. Of course, I realize that the current government has been bought and paid for by corporate (capitalist) interests and there is much corruption and inefficiency that needs to be addressed. I don't enjoy bureaucratic red tape as much as anyone else.

but, we're trying to have a decent society people, I believe this is what the conservatives fail to grasp. They still cling to that outdated and never really accurate notion that its every person for him/herself.

Ultimately, however, we all need to face up to the fact that yes, the US has been a de facto empire and like all empires before us, we feel like we're special, chosen by God or whatever, and like all empires before us, will rise and inevitably, invariably will fall. The challenge then, for ordinary folk, is how to survive and indeed, grow and evolve into a better society.

My good friend Jomo says that we don't even have to raise taxes on the rich, we just have to reprioritize spending away from wasteful military projects and focus it on the people. I think he's right, but I also think the rich haven't been paying their fair share. You have to invest in your society to maintain the conditions that allow for people to get rich. If the gap between rich and poor gets even more excessive than it currently is (hard to imagine, I know) history again shows that a threshold will be reached and heads will roll. It won't be pretty. I guess that's why investment capital has been flowing into private security faster than renewable energy (the #2 sector receiving investment).

okay, I'm done for now. bottom line: socialism is good and necessary now, despite what the haters would have you believe.

should i make a facebook?

my buddy says i should but i don't know if its worth the trouble. I mean blogging takes enough time (not that I actually do much blogging), I'm afraid if i get into facebook I'll get sucked in and have less time for other things. it would be cool to reconnect with old friends, however.

what say ye?

skate park stoke

having fully sheathed the roof of the backyard studio and covered it with a big piece of plastic yesterday (good enough for now) I took a day for myself and went to peak sports to get my old skateboard fixed. then I went to the skate park and had a blast. it was a little wobbly at first but i still had fun and found that all those old skills aren't completely gone. I can still ollie and ride the banks and drop in on the small trannys. I even pulled off a couple short rail slides. But I'd forgotten what a great workout it is to skate in the park. If I can manage to not break my trucks again I want to keep skating just for the aerobic workout.
there was a crew of pro (semi-pro?) skaters from Santa Barbara there filming and throwing some crazy tricks and airs. One dude stoked me with a couple free skating dvds. In addition to the SB crew, there were some other guys tearing shit up. It was fun just to sit there and watch. I was the only one with a helmet and wrist guards. Even the little groms with their little scooters were boosting airs and riding sick lines without safety gear. then again, the younger you are, the more resilient no doubt, and old guys like me need the gear more than anyone.

class warfare

Yes, I'm still alive.

I've been busy building a studio in the backyard, and haven't felt the urge to write anything. What are ya gonna do?

John McCain said Obama wants to wage class warfare. What I wish Obama would've said is that we didn't start this class war. Workers, the unemployed and the poor have been brutalized by the ruling elite (rich, greedy corporations) for centuries now, but the most recent onslaught starting with Reagan, including Clinton and certainly the last 8 years (certainly to be remembered as the beginning of the end).

We didn't start the class war McCain. But if you keep giving tax breaks to the wealthy and further widen the class divide as it seems you would, it might just lead to a guillotine on Pennsylvania Ave. And another one on Wall Street.

On a different note, I got to play (music) at the annual Pirate party this year. It was early Friday evening and the next band wasn't set up yet. Sensing the opportunity (being sufficiently lit) and converging with this other guy who had been singing Off to Sea Once More earlier by the fire, we took the stage and played some cover tunes. It was pretty sweet. I wished I could hear my guitar better, (I really need a plug in acoustic) but it went well and a lot of people said they enjoyed it. So I was stoked.

The pirate party was crazy. I hope J didn't get kicked out of his house. A lot of the kids there were rainbow kids/family. They are the coolest. I met a few travelers, train hoppers, etc. I want to do that but I doubt if I ever will. I definitely need to attend a gathering, however.

I promise to try to write more in the future.

still alive

We drove to Colorado last week for my good buddy's wedding. We took two and a half days going and coming back, camping at night. The scenery was amazing. I realized there are views and then there are vistas, the latter being much more grand and awesome.

The first evening we stopped to eat in an Idahoan town where we encountered a sign saying and I paraphrase "don't like McCain? Remember he's the only man standing between America and Barack Hussein Obama" I nearly puked. We kept driving to the next town where I was happy to be served by two long haired kids at the Subway.

When we stopped for the night we cooked on our new wood gas stove. This is my favorite new toy. Instead of propane or white gas, this simple and easy to use stove can burn any kind of dry twig or pinecone. Can you say energy independence? yes indeed. We used it the whole trip and it performed remarkably well, boiling water in just a few minutes. Get your own at woodgas.com

I'm kind of obsessed with this stove and have acquired another new toy, a pair of the best hand pruners in the world, Felcos (not cheap), to chop small twigs and branches into short pieces, ideal for woodgas stove fuel. We had a large branch fall off of one tree and I pruned some apple branches cause they were drooping too low and chopped it all up which I have drying in the yard. It should be enough fuel for about 100 uses of the stove.

wind turbines in WY

So the second night we stopped at Steamboat Springs, CO which was a neat town. Like most Colorado ski resort towns it is bursting at the seams with new development and money pouring in, but it was still kind of charming. We had a bomb breakfast at a place called Winona's and hit the road.

The wedding was in a town called Manitou Springs, just outside of Colorado Springs. Our friends had a pre wedding bbq which was fun and we climbed up a ridge to watch the fireworks. Manitou is a great little town and if I had to live there I don't think you'd hear me complaining too much. The wedding the next day was short and sweet, the bride was rolled up to the outdoor gazebo/small amphitheater site in a beautifully refurbished rickshaw, which was a real touch of class, imo. The party afterward was awesome, great food, great beer and an amazing band called Grassitup kept us dancing till the place shut down.

So the next day we had to hightail it back home. It was exciting driving over the mountain passes in intermittent thunderstorms. We had a great sandwich at a place in Gunnison, CO. Then while driving through an area of western Colorado picked up a radio station playing Rachmaninoff's piano concerto #2 which blew me away with how well the music matched the scenery. That night we drove into Utah, found a campground up in hills away from the road, burned a fire just to get rid of some idiot's throwing their dog food on the ground in bear country, got up early and skedaddled.

We were soon out of Utah and into Nevada on the loneliest highway 50. Its pretty cool to be the only people on a road for minutes on end. And if you stop, the silence can be breathtaking. So after a few gambling stops in some really old school casinos, and actually ending up slightly ahead, we made it to Oregon. Again, it was getting late and we needed to find a spot to camp, when lo and behold we came upon Crystal Crane hot springs. Its a privately owned and operated hot springs with cabins and RVs and tent camping. The stars were amazing that night especially while soaking in a warm desert spring.

We made it home the next day. It was funny to feel like we were back home when we were still in Bend. But we know the town and the area and everything is relative right? I mean normally, Bend is a long drive away, but after driving for two days straight, it then seems like a quick jaunt over the pass. Yesterday we had to go to Portland for my wife's fingerprinting appointment for citizenship and it felt like nothing to drive up there and back. Well, I'm not planning on any more long road trips anytime soon, but its funny how perspective changes.

FYI, the highest gas prices we saw were something like $4.69 and the cheapest were actually in Manitou at $3.86.

my comment to the Mclaughlin Group

If you watched TMG last night, you might get what I'm saying here.

Ms. Crowley, nature is resilient, but ecosystems are in decline world wide. Species are threatened like never before. Like Eleanor said, these are our life support systems, technology can't come close to providing their services. ANWR is one of the last remaining pristine jewels of wilderness and hardly worth another year's supply of dope for a nation of fiends. The president said it himself, that we're addicted.

And Mr. Mclaughin and others, 0.01% is a huge amount when talking about impact on an ecosystem. Would you dismiss as insignificant a loss of 0.01% of your bowel control or brain power? And lets be real, I own 0.25 acres, I don't own 2000 acres, but I know what a large chunk of land that is. I'm telling you its not worth it.

Thanks for a great show. It just gets kind of old to continue to have to hear conservative arguments as if they have any credibility left.

Whats happening in Korea, a great synopsis

Here's a short (25 min) piece on why thousands upon thousands of Koreans are taking to the streets in Seoul and around the world. hint: US beef imports are just the tip of the iceberg. Democracy stands at the brink in the land of the morning calm.

Give a damn.

Union facts

here's the one fact that I've gleaned from all the so called "union facts" that are plastered all over the air waves lately.

Someone or some group with a ton of money doesn't like unions and they're buying up every other ad spot to prove it. Hmm...who could it be, and do they really have MY interests in mind? Let me take a wild guess...NO.

I've heard good things and bad things about unions from people I've worked with over the years but the basic premise that workers can and should organize to protect their interests is a no-brainer. The balance of power has tilted more and more towards management in recent years at the expense of workers. We need to tilt that balance back. ORGANIZE!!!! Join a union today!

Finally...

our ownimpeachment hearings

Huzzah for Dennis Kucinich and Robert Wexler

Big up to the hundreds of thousands protesting in S. Korea

When a dubiously elected president turns out to be a fascist dictator, this is how they do it in Seoul.

Check it out.

bicycle cooperative and possible 10K grant

I met with Vernon Huffman today to talk about the bicycle cooperative idea he's had. he's really pushing this effort to get $10K from www.ideablob.com So if you think Corvallis could use a bicycle cooperative help us get the ball rolling in grand style by registering at ideablob and voting for the Corvallis bike cooperative.

In a nutshell, it would be a place where people in the community could work on their own bikes, build/refurbish/resuscitate old bikes, and otherwise promote cycling.

IMO, this is a no-brainer.

eckart tolle's a new earth

I'm almost through this book. Its really blowing my mind. Although a lot of it is similar to Wayne Dyer's ideas (who draws on others a lot also) some of the stuff about how the ego operates was really eye opening.

here's to your awakening. Read this book.

military intervention in Burma

A speaker at today's forum mentioned that he would support military intervention (under the UN) in Burma (Myanmar). I have to say I was unable to disagree with him at the outset. However, given the current administration's gross incompetence at prosecuting military regime change, I began to wonder. The UN is not powerful enough to pull this off and I'm sure China would have a fit, perhaps escalating the situation.

However, it is a whopper of a moral decision. Is there a time and place for just military regime toppling, is there such a thing as justice when invading another part of the earth? When the military junta of Myanmar refuses to allow international assistance for its own people, and taking into account the recent crackdown on pro-democracy, pro-liberty demonstrations, would taking the junta out at this time be an appropriate decision?

The US has been toppling regimes for quite some time now. Iraq is only the most recent bloody and horrifically and criminally bungled example. Usually, however, the US topples democratically elected socialists and installs a right wing capitalist dictator friendly to US/global business interests (the captains of capital). The military junta controlling Burma is friendly to business interests. They're exploiting their country for their personal gain. It should come as no surprise that the fascists in charge of our country will not try to bring freedom and democracy to another country ruled by fascists.

What do you think?

Whats the deal with OPB?

Why did OPB all of a sudden turn into a non-stop propaganda machine for the US Navy? I've been watching pieces of Carrier, a mini-series about life aboard the USS Nimitz, and though it attempts to show the diversity of viewpoints on the ship, it ultimately glorifies the military, the firepower, the raw killing power. I think its a problem when so many in the military are bloodthirsty. I know they're trained to be killers to DEFEND the country, and perhaps enjoying the act of killing people is what you need to DEFEND a country that in part exists thanks to terrorism and genocide and making treaties it never intended to keep. There was a part in the documentary about the pilots and crew being disappointed because they didn't drop any bombs. They are so itching to drop bombs and kill people, automatically assuming that if you die from this bomb that means you're a terrorist. Or just not valuing innocent Iraqi lives at all.

I'm getting frustrated with OPB. Now they're closing KOAC after 80+ years, the birthplace of OPB. For what? So they can save a few bucks on air conditioning? Give me a break. And why are advertisements for ABC television on OPB, to name just one? I thought OPB was a non-commercial, public supported station. WTF?

So my membership has expired and I don't think I'll renew it. Not until they get their head out of their ass and remember what their mission is. Its a sad day when such a venerable institution as OPB begins to lose credibility. OPB is a public institution, we should take it back and demand more accountability. Even KBOO has a member elected board of directors. Why doesn't OPB?

I've relied on OPB now for almost 10 years as the most trustworthy station. I thought I could count on OPB to deliver news and information with the least amount of spin. But that trust is eroding. I'm saddened and disgusted with the direction OPB is headed.

So, if anyone out there is listening, we need to boost the signal for 100.7 KBOO FM, because right now its shit and I can't listen to a clean broadcast without static and interference from other stations. Get on it! I've been saying this for years now.

know and follow the rules of the road, for efficiency's sake

case in point,

I was driving in from Philomath Blvd. onto 35th and then Oetjen, and I had some oncoming traffic on 35th. They were going slow enough that I could make the turn onto Oetjen safely and not have to stop on 35th and block traffic. Because oncoming traffic was not speeding forward, I was more likely to safely make the turn without stopping. Clearly, stopping and starting is fuel inefficient, once you get that mass rolling, its most efficient not to have to stop and start every few seconds. That's why the timed stop lights and sensor pads are such a great thing. When everyone follows the rules of the road, everyone is more predictable and safe and efficient. and the price of gas and insurance goes down.

But undoubtedly there are ways to improve the rules, without compromising safety, to encourage people on the roads to anticipate their fellow travelers moves and minimize stops and starts. Signaling is very important. Let the people around you know what you're gonna do, is that really too much to ask?

Having said this as a driver, as a bicyclist, I have to say that bicycling as a mode of transport is qualitatively different than driving a motor vehicle and as such can be allowed some leeway in terms of riding on sidewalks and other rules of the road. Just as with drivers, there is no excuse for reckless behavior, however I know from miles of experience that I can safely ride on a sidewalk with a trailer amongst pedestrians and not be a risk to anybody.

speaking of sensor pads from the perspective of a bicyclist, sometimes they don't work for the bike lane...at which point I go over and press the pedestrian button.

And keeping the bigger perspective, when talking about efficiency and high gas prices, we really can't ignore the fact that many people still drive their gas guzzling SUVs and trucks SOLO sometimes in a reckless manner, and indeed don't really give a shit about high gas prices. These people are costing all of society by being wasteful and driving up gas prices and (sometimes) endangering their fellow citizens.
(we all know what happens when a Prius gets slammed by a Yukon XL.)

I'm sure speculation is a big part of the skyrocketing price of oil, but I also believe it to be supply driven, primarily, hence the speculation. Yeah yeah, peak oil, yadda yadda...we've all read up on this. We're at the peak of global oil production and the remaining half is the difficult half, the first half was sweet, duh. and now we have tar sands and oil shale. We have to pump water (spend energy) or some gas into the wells to force the remaining blobs out of the pump. Plus now China and India want their fair share and there isn't enough to go around.

Talk about a crossroads. But here we are everyone. What are we gonna do about it?

do you know where this is?

Its the new boardwalk next to Sunset Park, through the floodplain of Dunawi Creek. Supposedly there's actual beavers there, though I haven't seen em yet. I did see some chewed through saplings way down the bike path by Ashbrook school. Have you seen real beavers in the wild in Oregon? We were checking out what may have been a beaver (probably a nutria) down close to Finley one day when a guy in a big pickup drove by. He asked if everything was okay since we stopped the car in the middle of the road and we told him we were checking out a beaver. He said, you wanna see a beaver? I got one in the back of the pickup. Sure enough, he had a 30+ pound beaver that apparently he killed earlier that day. Though it was sad to see it dead, it was still cool to see. Later I thought I should have said something like thanks for letting us see your beaver. But he had guns and that might've pissed him off...

help me id this plant(s)

Sunday ramblins

I'm retiring the Nalgene bottle. Now that its old and used and all the bisphenol-A has already leached into my body, I'm switching to a glass jug. Maybe I'll wrap it in duct tape and include a loop/strap of sorts.

We need to spread the word about the upcoming vote on US farm policy. Chances are the farm lobby will win again, but perhaps we should at least send a message that their days are numbered. Check out Bill Moyers Journal from a couple weeks ago. No more subsidies for farmers who don't need them or even in some cases, feel right about taking them. Support small farms. support organic farms, not massive agricorporations that are fuel and fertilizer intensive not to mention pesticide and gmos. stop subsidizing ethanol production at the expense of food production.

I'm convinced that with the right leadership the US could stop occupying Iraq and bring our troops home and there wouldn't be a bloody bloodbath in our wake. I'm really feeling the tug towards Obamamania. The lure of unity and really working together. But I don't think we should try to work with people who agree with the Bush II administration. There comes a time when one's mistakes add up to and cause such suffering and misery that the credibility meter falls to zero. These people are so clearly wrong that anything else seems right. But its plain to see that the surge is a finger in the dike to buy a little time for a massive diplomatic effort to get some agreements made, which, of course is not forthcoming, because BushII wants permanent US bases and control of Iraqi oil. If you still doubt this please see the previous posting of the letter to John Murtha, in which it is abundantly clear that language to prevent permanent bases and control of Iraqi oil was struck by the White House.

Someone named Eileen commented at Crallspace that she needed help at a conservative blog (victoria taft, i think) debating some conservatives that the left is not responsible for the food shortage because we pushed for ethanol. some such nonsense. I find it difficult, to say the least, to imagine working with these people. I would fear for my life. But that seems to be the message from Obama. and he's right. We are all fellow citizens, equally worthy of existence and our convictions. How do you work with someone who wants to kill you? check out that blog if you want to read what I wrote.

I feel really lazy and don't want to bother creating links in the text.

There is a convergence afoot. Things are changing. I believe the people who insist that we are at a critical moment in time and space.

I went to a birthday party yesterday. It was fun. I was a little uncomfortable with the plastic lei's made in China, but whatev...I went with the flow.

Too much hail in April sucks.

If everyone panics and starts stocking up on food, prices will increase all the more. However, I am thinking about investing in some large, good containers to hold a significant amount of staple foods. I am also completely enthralled with the website, woodgas.com. I want one of those woodgas stoves!

I wanted to say at the forum that the epiphany I had while studying biology here at OSU was that not only is all of life connected through our dna, but that it is a miracle of energy that we exist the way we do. that we are cognitive elements. and as such I felt a deep appreciation and love for everyone I encountered, especially while walking down the street. People looked beautiful to me not because of their specific shape, but because they were walking and presumably, thinking beings, full of infinitely complex interactions of minerals, elements, water and energy. Amazing! yeah, its hard to express in words.

I finished reading The Cultural Creatives. If you're interested in borrowing it, hit me up.

I won a cd from KBVR last week. I still have to go pick it up. I was really groovin to this reggae dj and he asked some question about a sample about which I had no clue, but apparently no one else was calling in so I won it! huzza for yo. KBVR airs some of the best tracks I've ever heard. 737-4962! yeah booyyyyy!

An open letter to John Murtha

To e-sign this letter click here http://www.unitedforpeace.org/openletter

The Honorable John P. Murtha
Chairman, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense
Room H-149 The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Murtha,

As we enter the sixth year of the Iraq War, we urge you to draft a new supplemental appropriations bill that will direct the president to immediately begin the orderly removal of all U.S troops from Iraq and complete this process as quickly and safely as possible.

The Iraq War has taken the lives of more than 4,000 U.S. soldiers and caused the death and displacement of millions of Iraqis. Congress has already approved $500 billion for the war in direct costs. Our nation faces trillions in additional costs to care for veterans’ injuries suffered in the course of this conflict, not to mention the costs of financing the war. This waste of federal dollars comes at a time when our nation faces an economic recession. The war has hollowed out our military, diverted resources from the battle against al Qaeda and from homeland security, and deeply damaged our reputation abroad.

Despite clear mandates from your subcommittee and Congress to seek a change in course, Senate Republicans and President Bush have combined to veto measures calling for a sensible withdrawal from Iraq. In January, the President went even further, issuing a signing statement saying that his administration is not bound by the provision in the 2008 Defense Authorization Act that bars the use of appropriated funds in this Act for the construction of permanent American military bases and U. S. control over Iraqi oil resources. He also rejected language to establish an independent, bipartisan "Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan" to investigate allegations of waste, mismanagement, and excessive force by contractors.

Furthermore, at the end of last year, President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki signed a “Declaration of Principles” providing an outline for negotiating an “enduring” U.S.-Iraq relationship for security, economic, political, diplomatic, and cultural relations. President Bush has rejected the notion that Congress has a role in these negotiations over the future U.S. presence in Iraq.

With these actions, the president has made clear his intention to stay the course in Iraq while deepening the U.S. military commitment for an indefinite time and attempting to tie the hands of the next president. Mr. Chairman, it is past time to bring the Iraq war to an end. The costs are too great to allow it to continue indefinitely. The best course of action in the upcoming supplemental appropriations bill is to provide funding only for the safe and timely redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq and end the occupation.

As part of a responsible redeployment, we support funding for a diplomatic offensive as suggested by the Iraq Study Group. Greater resources and resolve for diplomacy to end the Iraq War are needed for a comprehensive solution.

In addition, we strongly urge you to cease funding for military construction in Iraq and for U.S. military contractors in Iraq. Given the president’s use of signing statements on these issues, the only way to ensure compliance with Congress’ directives is to remove such funding.

Finally, we ask that it be made clear that no funds will be made available for any formal U.S.-Iraq agreement based upon the Bush-Maliki “Declaration of Principles” unless the agreement is approved by Congress and the Iraqi parliament.

Thank you for your continued leadership in the effort to end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home. Your courage and tenacity in the face of attacks and criticisms is most admirable. We are eager to work with you and your colleagues in the critical weeks and months ahead to end the debacle in Iraq and bring our men and women in uniform home.

Sincerely,

The Win Without War Coalition

20/20 Vision
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities
Center for International Policy (CIP)
Conference of Major Superiors of Men
Council for a Livable World
CREDO Mobile
Families USA
Feminist Majority
Fourth Freedom Forum
Global Exchange
Greenpeace
Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR)
MoveOn.org
NAACP
National Council of Churches
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Organization for Women (NOW)
NETWORK
Pax Christi USA
Peace Action
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Psychologists for Social Responsibility
Rainbow/Push Coalition
Shalom Center
Sierra Club
Sojourners
Soulforce
The Tikkun Community
TrueMajority
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA)
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
United Church of Christ
United Methodist Church: General Board of Church and Society
United for Peace and Justice
Us Foundation
US Labor Against War
USAction
Veterans For Peace
Women's Action for New Directions (WAND)
Artists United to Win Without War
Musicians United to Win Without War

Condoleeza Rice is unacceptable

Condimustgo.com.

Which one is more fitting, Condiskeeza or Condisleaza?

Perhaps in the next presidency, Constance (Connie) Rice, the honest and forthright civil rights lawyer/activist and cousin of the secretary of state, will have an opportunity to restore honor to the family name.

Switching the blog to Wordpress

I've been thinking about switching over to wordpress, mostly because I like the name and the concept of open source, etc. However, a brief investigation into the nuts and bolts showed that it might not be so simple.

Do you blog through Wordpress? Did you switch from Blogger? Should I make the switch?

Does it not really matter for an intermittent blogger like myself with a minimal audience?

I don't have anything against Blogger, perse. Its just something I've been mulling over.

corvallis sustainability town hall meeting

What a thrill it was to attend and participate in the first of three town hall meetings on the topic of sustainability! I was blown away by the number of attendees. Over 400 people packed into the ch2m alumni center, even necessitating the use of an overflow room.

It was a watershed moment of collective visioning. It was a gathering of the tribe of Cultural Creatives, young and old, multi ethnic, and rich and poor. We are indeed creating the world we seek and this was a huge step. I feel very empowered to live in a community with so many like minded folks. Our stock of social capital just multiplied by a lot.

The format was well organized and thought out. Kudos to the organizers. After some introductory remarks, we went into brainstorming mode at each table of roughly 8-10 people first declaring goals then defining strategies in the next session. Salient points (goals then strategies) were written down and interesting strategies were voted on at each table.

Are you interested in creating a better world for ourselves and our children's children? Get involved cause we've gots lots of work to do!

The climate change debate continues on...

Nina/Norman and I have been going back and forth about this over at the Crallspace in the comment section of this post.

She/He has been reading up on skeptics who don't think humans are responsible for climate change.

Here is my latest response.

Well, I think we're in agreement that we as a civilization cannot continue to accelerate the combustion of fossil fuels, which has gotten us to where we currently are.

But just on an intuitive level, it makes zero sense to me that a population can release millions of years worth of carbon stored in the ground for millions of years in a mere century and not tip the balance oh so slightly. Science never proves anything absolutely. However, there is strong evidence, theoretical probability and likelihood and as you've noted I believe, intuition as well.

I can appreciate your reluctance to hysteria as you might percieve it, but the fact is, and I know you agree, things have got to change. This moment is critical to future generations. Global capitalism has to change and that starts with consumers, us, cause God knows it ain't coming from the top.

Consider the money situation, isn't it perfectly logical that "conservative" big oil and coal money is funding many of these naysayers and vectors of misinformation? They're killing people for oil for christsake. Murdering people to control the drug that makes us feel secure, but in reality makes us less secure.

I'll check out your link now and will post this on my blog.
[added later]
I read the aussie article. then I googled one of the mentioned scientists, Joel M. Kauffman (Emeritus). I don't really know the guy, I've never read any of his publications, but all the ones on his website have to do with drugs and chemistry, cause he's an organic chemist. Why is he being so vocal about climate change?

Also, I should ask readers to check out the IPCC report. In it you can see that relative to the last 10000 years or so, atmospheric concentrations of CO2, CH4 and N2O have increased exponentially in the last hundred years or so. Exponential increases in natural systems are the antithesis of stability/equilibrium.

worker owned cooperatives

We need more worker owned cooperatives in the world and especially here in corvallis.

If you're sick of your job and/or unemployed lets get together and organize a worker owned cooperative.

We could start a recycling company that actually turns waste into useable products right here. We could lease people's yards to grow food. We could open a cafe with a new culture, one that makes everyone feel included and integral.

We are the leaders we've been seeking. Lets turn away from capitalism and toward sustainability. Actually we don't even have to completely abandon capitalism as evidenced by the Lovins/Hawken text, Natural Capitalism.

Speaking of books, I'm almost done with The Cultural Creatives and I'm really floored. The authors are right. There are millions of us! And we're converging on the truth. We're at the threshold of a new dawn, if we can just get the neo-cons to shut the hell up for a second and strip away all their power.

Obackarama

Today was full of Obama.

When I went over to my neighbor's house to discuss a project, he was about to speak in Portland.

Later, I was downtown getting a part for my bike trailer wheel and I step out of Robnette's to overhear a woman saying Obama just had pizza at the American Dream. Police had completely blocked 3rd street, on which I was parked. People were asking what the hell was going on and I told them what I overheard. People were excited. Then the convoy rolled through, first a bunch of SUVs filled with men in suits and sunglasses then a massive bus then another bus and then some more SUVs. The popo man blocking traffic was a big prick. He tried to ignore me when I asked him how long traffic would be stopped but I yelled at him from the street corner and he said it'd be awhile. I was somewhat put out by this as there was nothing to do but wait and watch. I felt very tense, also, considering any stupid act could've got me shot and/or arrested. It felt like the mighty arm of empire pushing people around. I know he's a candidate and all, but geez...That fucking cop could've been a little accommodating.

Then tonight at 9:00 KEZI (channel 9 ABC affiliate in Eugene) broadcast special coverage of the speech in Mac Court. Despite my mixed feelings earlier, I have to say it was an inspiring speech. I really want to believe in Obama. He says the right things up to a point. Like I said before, he doesn't talk about universal single payer health care. Tonight he said he believes in capitalism and free markets. He talked about protecting the Constitution but never mentions impeachment, which is prescribed by the Constitution for presidencies gone severely awry like the current one. But I really liked what he said about energy policy and education policy. I think those who say he's a centrist are right. He will continue the American empire. I don't believe he's for the kind of fundamental change that I'm looking for. There's this sneaking (call it cynical if you will) feeling that he's mostly talk when he talks about challenging the status quo. Still, a part of me wants to give him the benefit of the doubt.

I will most likely vote Green party (McKinney) or Nader because I feel voting is less about picking the winner as it is an expression of one's own conscience. My one vote won't mean much in the grand scheme of the election, but it means the world to me in terms of my personal beliefs, ideals and integrity.

btw, "obackarama" came from my wife who has a way of mixing up syllables often with funny results. Well, she kept saying oback and I added the arama.

And the American Dream part was confirmed by an email from my buddy Joe who saw and spoke to Obama there.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for the election to be over. I won't be too despondent if Obama wins. (Or Hillary for that matter) Even McCain will be 1x better than the horrible horrible W.

my reaction to Obama's speech

My buddy Steve sent an email (below) asking for reaction to the big Obama speech that everyone's so worked up about. The link to the speech is also below in his email.
Here's my response:

Great speech. I don't think I disagreed with any of it.

Thanks for the link, Steve.

Obama will be 100x better than Bush.

I like how he gives people the benefit of the doubt, he has faith in ordinary people's goodness. Which is the best way to encourage a fuller expression of that goodness (as opposed to presuming its absence).

But he, like any casual observer of history, can't pretend not to know the facts of what has happened in this country.

I agree with Obama. For all its faults, slavery (which continues to this day as I'm sure we are all aware both in terms of pittance wages and literal, actual human bondage) empire, war mongering (mass murder), I can't deny that I'm an American. I can't deny that I love this country that I've lived in all my life. This is the situation I find myself in. To illustrate, rather than being born in a place like Saudi Arabia, here I am in a country with a semblance of democracy, the guarantee of free speech, lofty and noble words in its founding documents, a history of effective popular organization which has led to real social changes, and indeed, the goodness and kindness of people I meet. Of course I love my country. (Of course, We've still got a lot of "perfecting" to do yet...)

Having said this, Obama mentioned corporate domination in Washington. Can you blame me for simply taking the fact that his campaign is taking in $50M in a month and starting to question if he's really going to challenge corporate rule ala Ralph Nader? Will the revolving door cease and desist with Obama? Has he ever uttered the phrase "single payer health care" as something he's for? Is he really beholden to ALL the people or are there some who are "more equal than others"? Or is he holding his cards close until he wins the office at which point he will lead us to a radically better world? Maybe I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, but these are fair questions, IMHO.

If we had instant runoff voting Obama would be number two on my ballot. I still can't decide between McKinney and Nader. (I don't agree with D. Korten on that point)




Steve wrote:

... with all of the discussions that we have had about RACE, I would enjoy hearing people's thoughts on Obama's "race" speech.

If you have NOT seen it in its entirety, you can find it here:

Barack Obama | "A More Perfect Union"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/031808A.shtml


steve
The legacy of Capitalism: The unleashing of a predacious, pathological, & parasitic entity
(the Corporation) that has embedded itself in the culture in such a way that if it dies
we ALL die, and if it does NOT die humanity still dies !!

David Korten lecture

The lecture was good. Quite honestly, it wasn't anything new. He even used the same analogy of the monarch butterfly metamorphosis that Barbara Marx Hubbard used in Conscious Evolution. Speaking of peak oil, climate chaos, and economic meltdown, the bottom line, according to Korten is that we're royally screwed unless we make fundamental changes in our society, like yesterday. He also spoke of millions of people converging and already working to affect positive change, not unlike Paul Ray and Sherry Anderson in The Cultural Creatives. I wondered if he had read that book. I wanted to ask what he thought about Jerry Mander's Manifesto and establishing a level of sufficiency. Instead when Q&A time came, I asked if he thought Barack and Hillary would continue the dominator culture he talks about and whether I should vote for Cynthia McKinney or Ralph Nader and his answer surprised me.
He said he supported Nader in 2000 but the spoiler effect was real and that he would be voting for the Democratic nominee. I was rather stunned because it seems obvious that Obama will not challenge the corporatocracy that Korten railed against for an hour. He simply said that Obama's invitation to all work together to solve problems was better than Hillary saying vote for me and I'll solve your problems. To be frank, his answer to my question ever so slightly lowered my opinion of him. I wanted to follow up by asking him who was giving Obama $50M in one month, but didn't have the opportunity. Another turn off was him urging us to buy his book, The Great Turning and subscribe to Yes! Magazine.
Don't get me wrong, I agree with everything Korten said (except his political views), but I didn't feel compelled to fork over $20 for his book.

I should also add that hearing him speak made me more convinced that Corvallis Open Forum is a step in the right direction. I wanted to invite everyone in the room, but again, the opportunity did not present itself.

David Korten speaking in Corvallis in two days!

Transitioning to DTV

Does anyone get broadcast DTV right now? Is it a good signal?

Should I get the coupon from the government for a DTV converter for our old set, or get a new flat screen DTV? I don't like the idea of our old TV getting trashed but it is old and tiny (14in) but I also want to take the government money because it was their stupid idea to begin with and they never asked me if they should make the switch mandatory for all broadcast stations. Seems like another abuse of the PUBLIC airwaves, OUR airwaves that are being sold to the highest bidder. Lastly, I heard that if the signal is bad, you don't get squat, no fuzzy picture, no adjusting rabbit ears, just nothing. So if you live far from the transmission source, you're SOL? Hopefully OPB's signal will be strong enough.

Anyone else facing this problem?

Combatants for Peace

I was encouraged today by the interview of two of the leaders of this organization, Combatants for Peace, on Fresh Air today. The organization is a bottom up peace effort for the Israel/Palestine conflict. If former combatants can realize that violence is not working and that non-violent talking is the way to peace, then they must be on to something, on the right track. I want to be on the record as supporting this organization and wish them rapid success. Please check out the interview linked to before and make yourself aware of their efforts.

leave the oil in the soil

All this talk about Nader compelled me to take another look at Cynthia McKinney, who is running for president on the Green ticket. The title is a nice catch phrase she has been saying.

As I recall, she has been vocal about re-investigating the facts behind 9-11.

The Cultural Creatives

I'm reading this book by Paul Ray and Sherry Anderson. This book is confirmation of the hunch I had that there are many people like myself who are seeking truth and justice despite years of conditioning and brainwashing, People who awaken to wider reality.

I certainly identify as a cultural creative. I'm dissatisfied with the status quo where everyone is more or less on their own, sink or swim. We need social and cultural safety nets.

I'm voting for Nader

Its official. Votenader.org
Lets push for real change, in the right direction.

I'm still waiting to hear about his position on a new investigation into 9-11.

Watch V for Vendetta

We finally watched V for Vendetta last night. I highly recommend it. If you ask me, it is a projection of the path we're headed on as a society/civilization. (The movie is set in the UK a couple decades in the future and in that future scenario, the USA is the former USA, a defunct, chaotic wasteland.) But the scenario in the UK in the movie is also what we seem to be heading toward, a fascist totalitarian dictatorship where dissent is squashed through murder and [true] freedom is a thing of the past, all in the name of national security. However, in our situation here and now for real reality, of course, there is no guarantee of a V character to save the day. Indeed, the likelihood of a V seems exceedingly remote. This movie is a wake up call for a sleeping populace.

Watch this movie and tell your friends and family to watch it if they haven't. I'm sorry to have waited this long.

Military tribunals for Guantanamo detainees

Apparently, America is no longer a place where people are innocent before proven guilty. Indeed, the prisoners are guilty before proven innocent.

People cry, these are the worst of the worst! Well, prove it in a court of law and let justice be served. If your case is indeed a slam dunk then what do you have to fear? Presumption of guilt before evidence is presented is downright anti-American.

This is what I mean when I say the terrorists have already won. They have succeeded in eroding the fabric of our nation so that it is no longer recognizable. The bedrock principles and values are relics of the past and all we have to look forward to is uncertainty and fear.

I'm not saying let terrorists go free. I'm saying if they are terrorists then prove it so that everyone can see the evidence and lock them away for good. But locking people up then coercing confessions by torture is not justice. And it doesn't make us safer. It degrades us.

Speaking of which, did anyone else catch the fact that McCain voted today against the ban on torture? What a fucking flip flopper.

If these people were picked up on the battlefield, in the middle of carrying out terrorist plots then there should be plenty of evidence supporting that claim. Show it to the world.

Or is it possible that these six on trial for 9-11 are really patsys, scapegoats for what really went down, and the real terrorists are named Bush, Cheney, Rice and Rumsfeld? to name a few.

The other day on the BBC radio program World Have Your Say a woman called in who is a 9-11 widow and she said it better than me. I stand by her on this issue.

comment @ nina's

The following started as a response to Nina's posting about the cost of food rising and the general trend towards life getting harder. Then I figured I should post it here as well.

What if, for starters, we provided a farm subsidy for small, local, organic vegetable growers instead of large agribusinesses which distort world markets, are fossil fuel dependent, which means carbon-intensive, not to mention make poor farmers in the rest of the world poorer and more likely to go work in a coal mine. The only reason we haven't is precisely because undoubtedly, farm policies are being written by those same agribusinesses and their buddies in Washington. blah blah blah, its the same fucking story, about damn near every aspect of our lives. health care, energy, transportation, housing, media, military.

Is Obama going to address change at this level? (Which will assuredly mean his own assassination) Or is he simply another puppet of the fascist corporatocracy/oligarchy/lords of the universe?

Here's an idea I've had. Have a union hall of sorts thats open to anyone that also serves as a local business incubator. So if you're unemployed, you can have a "job" (probably unpaid) to read, listen and learn, chat with other unemployed folks, just hang out knowing that you aren't defined by your occupation, but also having an opportunity to offer new ideas with others. I think it should focus on starting businesses that are labor intensive (to promote job security). So something like an urban farm to grow our own food, would be a great place to start, for example.

Turning garbage into fuel is another potential goldmine for jobs. (Check out Coskata) And of course recycling. Metal prices are soaring, more metal scrapping businesses could start up.

Building homes and businesses with natural building materials and techniques. Very labor intensive and very sustainable. (cob/earthen building, strawbale)

The market alone has created a boom in local organic produce, but imagine if the taxpayers decided, you know what, we can invest in our own communities again (from the federal level) and share the wealth to create jobs at home that provide a decent living, and help create real security in many senses of the word.

People are waking up. We're still here and the possibilities are expanding.

Thanks for sparking my brain. I'm gonna post this on my blog.

I'm thinking about running for Darlene Hooley's seat in Congress. My platform would be stuff like the above, but also include more democratic activity ala Corvallis Open Forum. I would be the anti-candidate. I have none of the qualifications except one thing: I would pass the buck back to the voters. I would reject being elected to make decisions for you. I want you to make the decisions collectively. I want to be the representative who is the puppet of the People. So I would have Open Forums going alot. I would do constant polling and even have special elections in my district quiet frequently if need be. The trick will be to have decisions made in a timely fashion. In situations where a Congressional or committee vote will be required without a consensus from my constituency, I would make the call based on my understanding of the world but such situations will try to be avoided. Can I count on your support this November?

ha ha ha!!!

good times at the KLCC brewfest

Thanks to my good friend Dan, I was privileged to go to the KLCC brewfest last night. We tasted and judged 6 homebrewed meads and then tasted many beers. What a cornucopia of alcoholic treats! Our most local brewer (Oregon Trail) brought in a party pig of bourbon stout, which was simply a stout aged in a bourbon barrel. It was amazing how the bourbon flavor permeated the beer. I also liked the rye beer from Steelhead.

Here in the middle of the Willamette Valley, we're blessed with not only many many microbreweries, but also many public radio stations. KLCC (89.7FM) is a station I have listened to a lot over the years but until last night failed to support with dollars. I'm glad to have remedied that situation and I hope KLCC continues to provide solid programming for the community. I wonder what will change with OPB radio (1600AM) now having a presence in the Eugene area. Will they both continue broadcasting NPR news? Or will OPB's presence free KLCC to offer more alternatives such as Democracy Now or Pacifica?

The brewfest continues today. If you appreciate excellent beer and excellent radio, go and show your support. You won't regret it. Unless you overdo it, of course.

Run Ralph Run!

I just watched Ralph's interview with Wolf Blitzer from last night. He's formed an exploratory committee to consider another candidacy on behalf of the people of the US. If there's one thing I'm sure of its that Nader is on our side and he represents what I believe. I'm not sure what the situation is with Cynthia McKinney, but I just sent the Nader org $5. And I encourage you to do so as well. Also I hope he gets some good social networking people working cause it'd be cool to have a banner or something for the blog.

It was absolutely disgusting how marginalized Kucinich and Gravel and even others such as Chris, whats his name Dodd and Joe Biden and Richardson were from the get go. People didn't even consider them for one second, the outcome was decided for us. by whom? I was talking to my neighbor the other day about this. She is a Kucinich supporter as well. She says she gets a lot of good info from commondreams and alternet? was it? oh well. We're both disgusted with the political process. Its a fucking joke! The worst part is, for me as an avid npr listener, I know that even npr and pbs are in on it too. The only time I heard Kucinich's name was when he dropped out.

I'll be totally honest, I wasn't really sure about Nader again this time around until I saw his interview with Wolf. Check it out for real. He will inspire you the way he did me. We've got to break this unholy union of corporations and OUR government before we all end up in Guantanamo just for being a voice of dissent.

Speak out for your choice!

that guy on Talk of the Nation

I can't shake the thought of this one guy I heard on the radio the other day. Some guy called in saying he's a democrat but he'd sooner vote for McCain than vote for Obama. And he was very up front and candid with the reason why. The Race Factor. He flat out stated that (Obama's) race was one of the reason's he couldn't vote for him and left it at that, no nuanced explanation of what he really meant, no nothing. Neil Conan (host of the program) seemed slightly stunned for a split second then conveniently skirted the issue. However, the next day while broadcasting live from Morgan St. from an auditorium full of people, the subject came up again.

I'm almost grateful to that caller for having the gumption/stupidity to show his true feelings. We all know they're out there. Hell, even in my own poll the leading response is "Libruls are fags and Whites rule". Whether that's someone trying to mess with me or whether each of those votes cast was an actual distinct person who stumbled onto my blog, we'll never know, but I have no illusions about whether these people exist and hold onto such beliefs.

However, its good that these views get expressed into the light of day, before society. Otherwise they fester in the darkness and people in general don't have an opportunity to think in their own mind whether that viewpoint, that belief has any credibility whatsoever.

That's the point of Corvallis Open Forum as well, to give everyone and anyone the opportunity to hold ideas up to the light of day, to the scrutiny of our peers to see whether they are solid, or full of holes, or mostly solid with just a tiny hole that we couldn't see for our own ego but an objective third party sees clear as day.

What really spurred me to write this though, was the report from Sitemeter saying that there are actually people checking out the blog. Thanks for stopping by and commenting, ahem. Please feel free to comment on anything you see on this blog not just the post at hand.

Say it ain't so Dennis!

You might have heard that Dennis Kucinich is bowing out of the race. I thought he'd stick it out at least til the convention. Now I don't have to change my registration, I guess. I was going to re-register Democrat to vote for the K man but...oh well.

My grandma is turning 90 this weekend. We're going down to celebrate with the family.

All the volatility in global financial markets had me wondering if the party was over for good this time. Then the Fed steps in with a huge interest rate cut and things swing around. If we continue on with business as usual, things will become increasingly uncertain, just as they have been. We should focus on sustainability ala the Earth Charter. That is the way to prosperity for all as well as peace.

It snowed today! I love snow. What a beautiful thing. I hope we make it to the airport safe and our flight doesn't get cancelled.

I agree with George...

McGovern, that is.

Another brave patriot stands up for common sense and impeachment.

2008 off to a dismal start

I went to Korea on Christmas day. I came down with a vicious flu bug a couple days after arriving and am still trying to recover my optimal health. We came back on Monday around midnight to catch the snow, which was cool, but talk about a drag. I've been totally out of it, mentally and physically, disoriented, jet-lagged and depressed. I went to work for a few hours Wednesday and left early. I missed the last two days entirely.

I guess I have good health to look forward to now, so that's good.

Stay healthy everyone.

I might just get a flu shot next year.