Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Downtown of the Week, Part 4
This week's Downtown of the Week comes from Enchanted Forest, Oregon. Sure, it's a fake downtown, but fake and awesome. Enjoy the photo of me walking down the pedestrian-only Enchanted Way.
New Democrats
A recent study by the Pew Research Center shows that the youngest voting bloc, those age 18-29, are trending toward the Democratic Party. Perhaps trending isn't the right word. Avalanching? Tidal Waving? Landsliding? However you characterize it, the numbers are staggering. According to the study, 58% of this demographic identify or lean toward the Democratic Party, compared to 33% who identify or lean toward the Republicans. The 25 point gap represents a more than doubling of the gap since 2004 where it was only 11 points.
To be honest, though, this study doesn't surprise me. In the past eight years under a Republican administration--for many in that demographic this represents a significant formative phase in life--we have experienced a total cluster fuck in Iraq coupled with a complete blundering of Afghanistan where we could have done some good, torture at the hands of Americans, a failure to address climate change, burgeoning costs for secondary education, a flip from record surpluses to record deficits, stagnant wages and job growth, explosive health care costs, plummeting value of the US dollar... there's more, but my fingers are tired.
How could you live through this and then identify with the Republican Party? According to the numbers not many people can.
To be honest, though, this study doesn't surprise me. In the past eight years under a Republican administration--for many in that demographic this represents a significant formative phase in life--we have experienced a total cluster fuck in Iraq coupled with a complete blundering of Afghanistan where we could have done some good, torture at the hands of Americans, a failure to address climate change, burgeoning costs for secondary education, a flip from record surpluses to record deficits, stagnant wages and job growth, explosive health care costs, plummeting value of the US dollar... there's more, but my fingers are tired.
How could you live through this and then identify with the Republican Party? According to the numbers not many people can.
Adventure Day, Part II
If you thought Serena and I would be worn out from a day adventuring, you'd be wrong. A couple days ago we staked out a new path, this time to the Oregon coast. This started out promising with a walk out onto the jetty where we snapped a shot of the expansive Newport bridge.
After a visit to an odd lighthouse-turned-museum it was time to head to the waterfront and check out the Big Three of Newport's attractions known as Mariner Square. That was our first mistake. It's embarrassing to admit how much it cost (so I won't), but we experienced the entire place and were woefully unimpressed.
Ripley's is the kind of place that was interested before the Internet. It is full of weird things that you would get via random forwarded emails. Now it's just old and tacky. Strike one.
Next up was the Waxworks museum. This place was more fun for the laughs rather than art. There was one piece on loan, Johnny Depp, that was okay, but the rest was pretty silly. I've included pictures of Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor, and the big breasted Big Foot. Captions are unnecessary for your enjoyment.
We finished the trifecta at the Undersea Gardens, basically a big fish tank. The best of the three, we watched a diver wander around the tank playing with marine animals. Admittedly, it was cool watching him play with starfish, eels, and crabs.
Right next to the undersea gardens we caught the unofficial fourth attraction, the "wild" sea lions (they are always there).
Serena, armed with her 35 cent bag of popcorn, cultivated quite a following of seagulls who were more than happy to relieve her of the treat. What started as a crowd of one ended in quite the party.
After a visit to an odd lighthouse-turned-museum it was time to head to the waterfront and check out the Big Three of Newport's attractions known as Mariner Square. That was our first mistake. It's embarrassing to admit how much it cost (so I won't), but we experienced the entire place and were woefully unimpressed.
Ripley's is the kind of place that was interested before the Internet. It is full of weird things that you would get via random forwarded emails. Now it's just old and tacky. Strike one.
Next up was the Waxworks museum. This place was more fun for the laughs rather than art. There was one piece on loan, Johnny Depp, that was okay, but the rest was pretty silly. I've included pictures of Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor, and the big breasted Big Foot. Captions are unnecessary for your enjoyment.
We finished the trifecta at the Undersea Gardens, basically a big fish tank. The best of the three, we watched a diver wander around the tank playing with marine animals. Admittedly, it was cool watching him play with starfish, eels, and crabs.
Right next to the undersea gardens we caught the unofficial fourth attraction, the "wild" sea lions (they are always there).
Serena, armed with her 35 cent bag of popcorn, cultivated quite a following of seagulls who were more than happy to relieve her of the treat. What started as a crowd of one ended in quite the party.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Oregon Gets Attention!
In Oregon we're pretty far off the beaten political map: not an early voting state like Iowa or New Hampshire, not a big state with lots of clout like California, Texas, or New York, and not a "battleground" state like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Colorado, or Florida. We've accepted our role, relegated to the status of that forgotten kid in high school who everyone likes but forgets about.
This year, as we all know, is different. First Barack came to town. Bill followed shortly after. Hillary came to Oregon two weeks ago. Last week I started noticing Obama radio ads. Chelsea Clinton was in Corvallis on Saturday. Yesterday I saw my first Obama TV ad.
It begs the question: Should we feel flattered or used? Never relevant, we were ignored with impressive absolutism. You'd think by accident some major party presidential candidate would have dropped in and realized, "Whoops, I missed California by a few miles!" This year is a different story. Back to the high school analogy: Isn't this like senior year when the popular kid, who ignored Little Jimmy since 2nd grade, finally needs something and swoops down with the charm turned on high? Jimmy, don't get used!!!!
I guess we all know what happens. Just as Jimmy happily obliges and enjoys the attention, however brief, we will do the same here in Oregon.
This year, as we all know, is different. First Barack came to town. Bill followed shortly after. Hillary came to Oregon two weeks ago. Last week I started noticing Obama radio ads. Chelsea Clinton was in Corvallis on Saturday. Yesterday I saw my first Obama TV ad.
It begs the question: Should we feel flattered or used? Never relevant, we were ignored with impressive absolutism. You'd think by accident some major party presidential candidate would have dropped in and realized, "Whoops, I missed California by a few miles!" This year is a different story. Back to the high school analogy: Isn't this like senior year when the popular kid, who ignored Little Jimmy since 2nd grade, finally needs something and swoops down with the charm turned on high? Jimmy, don't get used!!!!
I guess we all know what happens. Just as Jimmy happily obliges and enjoys the attention, however brief, we will do the same here in Oregon.
Special Feeling
Friday, April 25, 2008
Adventure Day
Last week Serena and I adventured to Albany, Oregon. It's only a short 12 mile hop, but we took the bus in an attempt walk the talk and use less gas. Our goal: take a walking tour of the historic homes and enjoy the first nice weather we'd had in at least a week.
Albany is a town past its prime, with little to offer in terms of middle class employment or a vibrant city center. Many of its residents commute to Salem or Corvallis, leaving Albany in an economic and social slump. There were, however, some exciting things to be found.
First we came across David Beckham. Apparently after relocating from Britain to Los Angeles, he's picked up again and moved to Albany, Oregon and has started a new career as an attorney. He probably just walks into the courtroom and the jury announces, "You win!"
This discovery was quite a surprise, but only one of many for the day. Next we wandered downtown because Serena had heard something about a carousel. Little did we know what we were about to stumble onto one of the most incredible volunteer projects I have ever heard of, much less seen. On the south side of downtown we poked our heads into a building where they are building a full size, 52 animal, fully-functioning carousel. This is impressive enough, but the specifics blew us away.
The $5 million project is 99% volunteer (the lead artist and sculptor get small stipends) where normal people like you and me carve, construct, sand, and paint magnificently detailed carousel animals. From what I gathered, they have been working for about six years and have a goal of finishing in the next few years. We met two ladies who paint the animals as a hobby; the lady in green has been working on the
dragon for over a year! In the workroom there were a dozen people carving away. In another room the actual carousel mechanism is being rebuilt. This project makes those fundraising drives for a new baseball field seem petty. This was inspiring. I've included a few pictures here and a couple more favorites at the bottom of the post.
Finally we got to the historic homes tour and we were not disappointed. This blue house was fantastic, the picture does it more justice than any description I could muster.
This white house was big and majestic...
... and with a small canal bordering the east side of the property it became special.
Also, I have to include a picture of this garage because it looked so cute... but you all will probably think I'm silly.
Some days are just awesome. This was one of them.
A few more carousel photos:
And, finally, a pretty picture of a blossoming tree with a cute home in the background:
Albany is a town past its prime, with little to offer in terms of middle class employment or a vibrant city center. Many of its residents commute to Salem or Corvallis, leaving Albany in an economic and social slump. There were, however, some exciting things to be found.
First we came across David Beckham. Apparently after relocating from Britain to Los Angeles, he's picked up again and moved to Albany, Oregon and has started a new career as an attorney. He probably just walks into the courtroom and the jury announces, "You win!"
This discovery was quite a surprise, but only one of many for the day. Next we wandered downtown because Serena had heard something about a carousel. Little did we know what we were about to stumble onto one of the most incredible volunteer projects I have ever heard of, much less seen. On the south side of downtown we poked our heads into a building where they are building a full size, 52 animal, fully-functioning carousel. This is impressive enough, but the specifics blew us away.
The $5 million project is 99% volunteer (the lead artist and sculptor get small stipends) where normal people like you and me carve, construct, sand, and paint magnificently detailed carousel animals. From what I gathered, they have been working for about six years and have a goal of finishing in the next few years. We met two ladies who paint the animals as a hobby; the lady in green has been working on the
dragon for over a year! In the workroom there were a dozen people carving away. In another room the actual carousel mechanism is being rebuilt. This project makes those fundraising drives for a new baseball field seem petty. This was inspiring. I've included a few pictures here and a couple more favorites at the bottom of the post.Finally we got to the historic homes tour and we were not disappointed. This blue house was fantastic, the picture does it more justice than any description I could muster.
This white house was big and majestic...
... and with a small canal bordering the east side of the property it became special.
Also, I have to include a picture of this garage because it looked so cute... but you all will probably think I'm silly.
Some days are just awesome. This was one of them.
A few more carousel photos:
And, finally, a pretty picture of a blossoming tree with a cute home in the background:
Suicide
No, I'm not contemplating committing it, but apparently it's on the rise in the military. Yesterday I heard a statistic that stated there are over 6,000 military suicides annually. I thought, "No way." I thought right.
According to military statistics there were over 2,000 suicide attempts last year, nearly 100 of which resulted in death. Though not nearly 6,000 suicides, it still sounds like a lot to me. Apparently not. This number represents about 18 suicide attempts for every 100,000 troops. The national civilian average is 20 per 100,000. Looks like those in the military are less likely to commit suicide than your average person. This, however, doesn't tell the entire story.
The conflict in Iraq has caused a significant increase in the attempted suicide rate. Before the invasion, in 2002, the attempted suicide rate was 12 per 100,000. After five years in Iraq that rate has increased by nearly 50 percent. I guess that's to be expected: war sucks. Yet another reason we should never have gone to Iraq.
Speaking of Iraq, more and more people believe going to Iraq was a mistake. Now 63% say so. Hard for me to believe John McCain can win a presidential campaign when we continues to be one of the biggest cheerleaders of our continued occupation.
According to military statistics there were over 2,000 suicide attempts last year, nearly 100 of which resulted in death. Though not nearly 6,000 suicides, it still sounds like a lot to me. Apparently not. This number represents about 18 suicide attempts for every 100,000 troops. The national civilian average is 20 per 100,000. Looks like those in the military are less likely to commit suicide than your average person. This, however, doesn't tell the entire story.
The conflict in Iraq has caused a significant increase in the attempted suicide rate. Before the invasion, in 2002, the attempted suicide rate was 12 per 100,000. After five years in Iraq that rate has increased by nearly 50 percent. I guess that's to be expected: war sucks. Yet another reason we should never have gone to Iraq.
Speaking of Iraq, more and more people believe going to Iraq was a mistake. Now 63% say so. Hard for me to believe John McCain can win a presidential campaign when we continues to be one of the biggest cheerleaders of our continued occupation.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Another Crash... Surprised?
Wow, another bike crash. Maybe things really do come in threes. This past weekend my friend Travis wanted to try riding a bike with his feet clipped into the pedals to see how it felt. I jumped onto my other bike and joined. In a complete freak occurrence, we were sprinting down the street and my shoe came flying out of the pedal. It caused me to flipped off the bike on my left side and grind to a halt from 35mph. Blegh, not again. Below is a picture of the knee wounds and the gauze responsible for protecting me. Not pictured are the road rashes on my elbow, hand, and chin. Delicious.
Visiting Friends
Last weekend Travis was booked to visit Serena and me in Philomath for what was dubbed "A Quiet Weekend in the Cottage." What started as tranquil ended in thunder as three 
more of my closest homeboys ended up coming down for a 24 hour bash. It was truly awesome. We hung out, made dinner, ate brownies, went to the bar, wrestled, played pool, and watched basketball. Intense fun that we don't get to experience as much any more.
Above you can see the sleepover participants warming for a late-night wrestling match. Garron is leaping onto Eric who, shortly after this picture was taken, was gang attacked by Greg and Garron. Eric ended up without his undies. There are still unanswered questions.
On the left you get a glimpse of Travis and Eric. The very undies he lost the night before were enough clothes for him the following day. He claimed to be hot, but I'm guessing he wanted to be as close to naked as possible.
Greg summed it up nicely in an email the following Monday: I wish that Sunday was Groundhogs Day.
It's one of the nicest things I've ever read.
more of my closest homeboys ended up coming down for a 24 hour bash. It was truly awesome. We hung out, made dinner, ate brownies, went to the bar, wrestled, played pool, and watched basketball. Intense fun that we don't get to experience as much any more.Above you can see the sleepover participants warming for a late-night wrestling match. Garron is leaping onto Eric who, shortly after this picture was taken, was gang attacked by Greg and Garron. Eric ended up without his undies. There are still unanswered questions.
On the left you get a glimpse of Travis and Eric. The very undies he lost the night before were enough clothes for him the following day. He claimed to be hot, but I'm guessing he wanted to be as close to naked as possible.Greg summed it up nicely in an email the following Monday: I wish that Sunday was Groundhogs Day.
It's one of the nicest things I've ever read.
Remote Blogging
This evening I'm coming to you from a new location: McMenamin's Pub and Brewery. Please withhold the ridicule, I already know I'm a Nerdlykins to be blogging while in a pub. McMenamin's is a popular semi-chain pub/brewhouse with locations peppered throughout the northwest. One of their trademarks is that each establishment has its own brewmaster who produces their beer on site.
This reminds me of something my dad and I talked about today: breweries. Apparently at the low point a few decades ago there were only about ten brewers in all of the United States (think Pabst, Budweiser, Coors, Yuengling, etc). Since then there has been a massive resurgence in micro-breweries, many of which are located in Oregon. In fact, one of my good friends from home is the brewmaster at Full Sail, a label out of Hood River, Oregon.
And that is all the beer talk for today.
This reminds me of something my dad and I talked about today: breweries. Apparently at the low point a few decades ago there were only about ten brewers in all of the United States (think Pabst, Budweiser, Coors, Yuengling, etc). Since then there has been a massive resurgence in micro-breweries, many of which are located in Oregon. In fact, one of my good friends from home is the brewmaster at Full Sail, a label out of Hood River, Oregon.
And that is all the beer talk for today.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Pops is Visiting
My dad is visiting so blogging will be a little slow for another 24 hours. Our main activity? Golfing in the rain, of course. Off to grow gills!
Bike Project Update
I've been working on and off on my building-a-bike project, but because I haven't worked hard on scrounging up the rest of the parts I find progress to be slow. Bleh. But, the good news is I focused my efforts on finishing up the new paint job. Inspired by the King of the Mountains jersey from the Tour de France, behold my "new" polka dot frame:
Monday, April 21, 2008
Frontline: Health Care
I just finished watching Frontline's "Sick Around the World" and it compelled me to blog. The basic premise is that the United States is uber rich and spends more money than any other country (per capita) on health care, yet our care is no better than other wealthy nations and a full 16%, or 47 million, people in our nation have no coverage at all. So we spend significantly more and get significantly less. For a nation that prides itself on being market-savvy capitalists we sure are getting swindled.
The show's narrator takes the audience on a trip around the world to five countries--Great Britain, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, and Switzerland--where everyone receives health care, no one goes bankrupt from medical bills (in the United States it is estimated that 750,000 people go bankrupt every year due to medical costs), they spend less on health care, and the care is equal to or better in quality as compared to ours.
Don't get me wrong, none of these systems is without flaws, but the big takeaway from the film is that our system has vastly more problems than many other countries. We could cover more people for less money with equal care.
The show is fun to watch and, at one hour, it goes quick. Check it out and you will be yearning for change.
The show's narrator takes the audience on a trip around the world to five countries--Great Britain, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, and Switzerland--where everyone receives health care, no one goes bankrupt from medical bills (in the United States it is estimated that 750,000 people go bankrupt every year due to medical costs), they spend less on health care, and the care is equal to or better in quality as compared to ours.
Don't get me wrong, none of these systems is without flaws, but the big takeaway from the film is that our system has vastly more problems than many other countries. We could cover more people for less money with equal care.
The show is fun to watch and, at one hour, it goes quick. Check it out and you will be yearning for change.
Birthday Extravaganza?
Apparently late July is a Baby Conception Bash. I've been catching up on Facebook and noticed a huge boom in coming birthdays. Is this a fluke or are there really tons of birthdays coming up? Color me naive.
Neglect
Things you don't want to neglect: dirty dishes, children and pets (one category), blogs. It's an exhaustive list, I know. If I had children and pets then it would have been a trifecta for the past week. Buuutttt, I'm back! Lots of things to blog about, so readers, start your engines.
Wondering: I noticed that my page was viewed the same number of times a day in my absence as while I blog. WTF? Either I have no faithful readers and each hit is a random act or I have incredibly faithful readers who keep coming back even while I'm not blogging. So which is it? I hope it's option two. To all of you: Thank you, and I'm sorry.
Wondering: I noticed that my page was viewed the same number of times a day in my absence as while I blog. WTF? Either I have no faithful readers and each hit is a random act or I have incredibly faithful readers who keep coming back even while I'm not blogging. So which is it? I hope it's option two. To all of you: Thank you, and I'm sorry.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
McCain
We're not to the general election yet, but this can't go unnoticed. Senator McCain has clearly staked his presidential run foreign policy and his experience in the military. It must be troubling for his supporters that he can't even get some of the basics right about the Middle East and the military.
Either McCain is misspeaking a lot or he's plain wrong about a lot of things. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of a President who can't speak (although the laugh track made me lol) and we surely can't afford another one that is wrong all the time.
- McCain has been confused on numerous occasions whether al Qaeda in Iraq is Sunni of Shi'a
- McCain has been unsure whether or not Iran is aiding al Qaeda in Iraq
- McCain had a hard time understanding what was going down in Basra a couple weeks ago
- And now McCain's showing an ignorance of who makes military decisions. He wants General Petraeus to decide if we should move troops from Iraq to Afghanistan to pursue Osama bin Laden. Just last week General Petraeus said making those types of decisions are not part of his responsibility.
Either McCain is misspeaking a lot or he's plain wrong about a lot of things. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of a President who can't speak (although the laugh track made me lol) and we surely can't afford another one that is wrong all the time.
Wave Pool
On Friday Serena and I took all her little brothers and sisters to the wave pool in Eugene (yes, in addition to all the hippies there is also a wave pool). Nothing happened of note, except for this little gem. Cody, her little brother, has a hard time pronouncing his S's, so he kept calling the slide a "Water Wide!" It's not just S's he has trouble with, so when he talks I have to really concentrate to decipher what he's trying to say. With that, I give you this picture:
As he's speaking I'm staring at his mouth trying to read his lips, my face is drop-jawed concentration.
As he's speaking I'm staring at his mouth trying to read his lips, my face is drop-jawed concentration.
Bike Project
I've been away from blogging the last couple days working on a project: building a bike. So far I've gathered the frame, handlebars, and brakes, but still need to track down a seat, crank/pedals, and wheels. The big work lately has been preparing the frame.
A good blogger would have taken a "before" picture, but a good blogger I am not. Instead you get a brief description: white with TONS of stickers. I spent about three hours yesterday cleaning, shaving off the stickers, sanding, and applying primer to end up with what you see above. The first color coat was slated for today, but The Rain decided to stop by for a visit (bleck), so it's a waiting game. Once the color is applied I'll post an update.
A good blogger would have taken a "before" picture, but a good blogger I am not. Instead you get a brief description: white with TONS of stickers. I spent about three hours yesterday cleaning, shaving off the stickers, sanding, and applying primer to end up with what you see above. The first color coat was slated for today, but The Rain decided to stop by for a visit (bleck), so it's a waiting game. Once the color is applied I'll post an update.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Raced Today
Today I raced (I think) my final road race until June at the Kings Valley Road Race. I felt like I was dodging bullets out there: a guy behind me broke a spoke, another guy behind me blew a tire in what sounded like a gun shot, and another guy beside me was sketchy as hell and caused a crash with just a couple miles to go. After all the fireworks I ended up with a 2nd place finish behind my new friend Lenny. He's a friend of a friend from home and turns out we're a pretty good cycling team. I actually had two chances to beat him at the end, but he's extremely strong and I simply didn't have the legs! After last weekend's crashes I'm happy finishing upright, the good result is icing on the cake!
After the race I rushed to an indoor soccer game; I'm playing on a friend from home's team. We had a blowout win, but next week we start a new "season" against the next level of competition. More on that later, right now I'm totally wiped.
One last thought: I won $35 from the race after paying a $20 entry fee. Does my +$15 make me a pro?!?!?
After the race I rushed to an indoor soccer game; I'm playing on a friend from home's team. We had a blowout win, but next week we start a new "season" against the next level of competition. More on that later, right now I'm totally wiped.
One last thought: I won $35 from the race after paying a $20 entry fee. Does my +$15 make me a pro?!?!?
Friday, April 11, 2008
New Bike, Part Deux
No, not for me, I just got a new bike. This new bike is for Serena's grandmother, Marie. A couple days ago we celebrated her birthday and Serena bought her a new bike. It was special. I am pretty sure it was the happiest I have ever seen someone after getting a present. It was pure, genuine, thrill. After lunch she rode home and we snapped a couple photos. Here is my favorite:
Spring Memories
Spring might finally be here. I hear the sound of a lawnmower, I see the the sun finally peaking through the clouds, the flowers and trees are blooming, and the refrigerator is creaking and bubbling... wait, not spring-related, but that things is loud though.
Yesterday Serena and I went to the Tulip Festival in
Woodburn, Oregon. We forgot the camera, so no pictures :(, but I can tell you it was spectacular. It reminded me of a postcard I received from a friend in Europe that depicted the tulip fields in the Netherlands (I thiiiink it was the Netherlands). We don't often see such intensity in nature, so getting to see row after row of potent color is a real treat.
The picture on the right is of the blooming cherry trees in front of my apartment. They remind me of the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC. I spent the last two springs in DC marveling at the cherry tree white-out on The Mall, so these blooming trees bring back strong memories of my time in DC. Yesterday, however, I was reading Stuff Hill People Like and was reminded of all the crappy things that happen on and off The Hill that made me want to leave.
Yesterday Serena and I went to the Tulip Festival in
Woodburn, Oregon. We forgot the camera, so no pictures :(, but I can tell you it was spectacular. It reminded me of a postcard I received from a friend in Europe that depicted the tulip fields in the Netherlands (I thiiiink it was the Netherlands). We don't often see such intensity in nature, so getting to see row after row of potent color is a real treat.The picture on the right is of the blooming cherry trees in front of my apartment. They remind me of the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC. I spent the last two springs in DC marveling at the cherry tree white-out on The Mall, so these blooming trees bring back strong memories of my time in DC. Yesterday, however, I was reading Stuff Hill People Like and was reminded of all the crappy things that happen on and off The Hill that made me want to leave.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
100K
Yesterday my car rolled past the 100,000 mile mark. It's a 1998 Mazda Protege that I bought last spring and has served me very well. My last car was also a Mazda Protege, a 1990 model, that I drove to college fully expecting it to break down on the way, yet four college years later it brought me back to Oregon with only a few black-smoked hiccups. Both these cars (knock on wood for the current one) have been great, but I'm sure there are some muuuuch better stories of rad cars, so let's hear them. Bought a beater that lasted forever? How about a car that keeps on going no matter how hard you try to stop it? Go!
Taxes
Today I submitted my taxes. Yippee! Yeah, it's no fun having to write a check to the guv'ment, but after the first shock of the amount, I sat back and ticked off all the services our government offers: police, schools, roads, courts, military, research, social safety nets... the list goes on.
It makes me think of the question: Why are people so against taxes? Is it because people don't like where some of the money goes? Does it just seem like too much money? Why does it seem like too much? Are people not getting enough bang for their buck? Do they think the government is inefficient? Isn't the private sector inefficient too?
Often I think anti-taxation takes on a cult of personality. It's almost like a bandwagon effect and it has become trendy to be anti-tax. Sure, I think there are many government programs that could be cut, improved, or streamlined. Of course, I wish there are things our government didn't spend money on or, conversely, spent more money on. However, it doesn't strike me as helpful for people to be so stridently anti-tax when all it seems to achieve is the development of cynical views of the government. I've spent enough times in regions of the world where the government doesn't provide enough services and huge swathes of the populace does not have access to basic, necessary services to know that a society that fails to provide support services is extremely depressing.
Reminds me of a story I heard during a lecture from one of the smartest people I've ever been around, Dr. Crawford, a former professor at Elon. He talked about how politicians during the Cold War promised a massive tax cut when the Cold War came to an end because military spending would immediately go down as soon as the arms buildup against the Soviet Union was over. Of course, after the Cold War ended that tax reduction never came. So, perhaps, it is experiences such as this that make people anti-tax.
Thoughts?
It makes me think of the question: Why are people so against taxes? Is it because people don't like where some of the money goes? Does it just seem like too much money? Why does it seem like too much? Are people not getting enough bang for their buck? Do they think the government is inefficient? Isn't the private sector inefficient too?
Often I think anti-taxation takes on a cult of personality. It's almost like a bandwagon effect and it has become trendy to be anti-tax. Sure, I think there are many government programs that could be cut, improved, or streamlined. Of course, I wish there are things our government didn't spend money on or, conversely, spent more money on. However, it doesn't strike me as helpful for people to be so stridently anti-tax when all it seems to achieve is the development of cynical views of the government. I've spent enough times in regions of the world where the government doesn't provide enough services and huge swathes of the populace does not have access to basic, necessary services to know that a society that fails to provide support services is extremely depressing.
Reminds me of a story I heard during a lecture from one of the smartest people I've ever been around, Dr. Crawford, a former professor at Elon. He talked about how politicians during the Cold War promised a massive tax cut when the Cold War came to an end because military spending would immediately go down as soon as the arms buildup against the Soviet Union was over. Of course, after the Cold War ended that tax reduction never came. So, perhaps, it is experiences such as this that make people anti-tax.
Thoughts?
Monday, April 7, 2008
Energy Saving Tip of the Week 4
I was listening to NPR today when I heard a great story about a former member of the Ukrainian Parliament who became a pop music star who sings about climate change and energy independence. So that was awesome. The next story was about plastic bags and how much we Americans use annually. Have a guess? Give up? Nine billion pounds. Nine billion pounds of plastic bags every year!?!?! It's an astounding number.
With that preface here is your energy saving tip of the week: Purchase a couple reusable canvas-type bags and take them to the store when shopping or, though not quite as good, bring old plastic bags and reuse them. If you've never done it you'll be surprised how a simple thing like this makes you feel better. Doing this saves the energy it takes to produce and dispose of plastic bags plus you'll be keeping bags out of the landfill. Another bonus is you're taking a public action that benefits the environment in a real way. You know what they say: Actions speak louder than words.
On the plastics note, take a few minutes to read this article about massive floating plastic wastelands in our oceans. How big are they? Take a read and find out, it's astonishing.
With that preface here is your energy saving tip of the week: Purchase a couple reusable canvas-type bags and take them to the store when shopping or, though not quite as good, bring old plastic bags and reuse them. If you've never done it you'll be surprised how a simple thing like this makes you feel better. Doing this saves the energy it takes to produce and dispose of plastic bags plus you'll be keeping bags out of the landfill. Another bonus is you're taking a public action that benefits the environment in a real way. You know what they say: Actions speak louder than words.
On the plastics note, take a few minutes to read this article about massive floating plastic wastelands in our oceans. How big are they? Take a read and find out, it's astonishing.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Crash...es
Yikes. I've been gone the last two days bike racing... and crashing. Crashed yesterday in a sprint for the win and crashed again today going about 40mp. Not that I didn't know it before, and not that you don't know yourself, but crashing blows. I'm currently laying on the couch nursing four road rashes down my right side, hoping that tomorrow will feel a bit better. Gonna call it a night, but look for a race review tomorrow.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Downtown of the Week, Part 3
After a one-week hiatus while bumming around Oregon, I'm back with installment three of the multi-part series: Downtown of the Week. This week brings us back to Colorado, this time to Aspen. For all its flaws--to name a couple: over development on the surrounding hills and intense commercialization (of everything)--Aspen has an awesome downtown with extensive pedestrian-only sections. Hooray for
them! The dining, art, social, and commercial epicenters are all located downtown within biking and walking distance. Love it. As an added bonus you can practically fall out of bed and be up, stealing a phrase from Mike, "Shreddin' some gnar." The internet is slow tonight for some reason, so just one photo. It has you looking toward city center, in the background you can see a fountain, where brink streets like this zigzag back and forth. A very pretty place.
them! The dining, art, social, and commercial epicenters are all located downtown within biking and walking distance. Love it. As an added bonus you can practically fall out of bed and be up, stealing a phrase from Mike, "Shreddin' some gnar." The internet is slow tonight for some reason, so just one photo. It has you looking toward city center, in the background you can see a fountain, where brink streets like this zigzag back and forth. A very pretty place.
Willamette Road Race: Stage 1
It's been five hours since the end of the race and I'm still warming up. We rolled through beautiful scenery southwest of Corvallis, ultimately ending on a three mile climb that covered a thousand vertical feet over about eight miles. That, however, wasn't the big story. We saw wind, cold, rain, sleet, and even a bit of hail during the two hour ride that left both feet and hands numb. It was brutal, sapping everyone's energy as we tried to ride down the road while our bodies wanted to spend energy warming up. Near the end of the race, for about two miles, I couldn't shift gears with my right hand because I couldn't feel my fingers. The results aren't online yet, but I'm guessing I finished eighth, about two minutes behind the leader. I've been hydrating and resting the rest of the day, getting ready for tomorrow's criterium stage. Tired now. Goodnight.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Bike Woes
Tomorrow is a big day in my bicycle racing career: the first multi-day race. For a variety of reasons this is a challenge, namely trying to balance how much energy I use in the first couple days so that on the final day I still have some legs left. To be honest, I'm just clawing in the dark so it will be interesting.
Unfortunately I received an unwelcome surprise today. I took my bike into a local shop to have them check my bottom bracket (the part the goes through the bike where the pedals are attached) because it was creaking. Fortunately everything was fine there and they got rid of the creak. Unfortunately, they told me my wheels are worn out and in desperate need of replacement. The crappiest news of all? Wheels are crazy expensive. This means my bike purchase isn't as good as I thought because I'll be spending a few hundred on new wheels. Super damn.
There is an upside, however, that makes what would normally be a super crappy situation only moderately crappy. Yesterday I went on a ride with a bike mechanic at a local shop, the same guy who took care of my bike today. He is graciously letting me use one of his extra wheel sets until I find a replacement. Relief. I also got to meet his roommates, one of which works at another local shop, and between the two of them we're going to scour the town in search of the best deal possible.
Now I'm off to prepare for the first stage tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Unfortunately I received an unwelcome surprise today. I took my bike into a local shop to have them check my bottom bracket (the part the goes through the bike where the pedals are attached) because it was creaking. Fortunately everything was fine there and they got rid of the creak. Unfortunately, they told me my wheels are worn out and in desperate need of replacement. The crappiest news of all? Wheels are crazy expensive. This means my bike purchase isn't as good as I thought because I'll be spending a few hundred on new wheels. Super damn.
There is an upside, however, that makes what would normally be a super crappy situation only moderately crappy. Yesterday I went on a ride with a bike mechanic at a local shop, the same guy who took care of my bike today. He is graciously letting me use one of his extra wheel sets until I find a replacement. Relief. I also got to meet his roommates, one of which works at another local shop, and between the two of them we're going to scour the town in search of the best deal possible.
Now I'm off to prepare for the first stage tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Bill
Though I'm an Obama-backer, I'm not so pure as to miss an opportunity to see Bill Clinton. In fact, it's the first time I've ever seen a president in person. For the first time in forever Oregon's presidential primary counts for something. Positioned fourth-to-last on the schedule, just beating out population powerhouses Puerto Rico, Montana, and South Dakota, we are usually a forgotten outpost. Mathematically Obama looks to have an insurmountable lead, but Hillary is fighting on for the nomination and for us Oregonians that means attention. On Monday Bill Clinton came to Salem, Oregon, so Serena and I hopped over there for the morning to see him speak. I'm firmly in Obama's corner, but Bill is good. Really good. By the end I thought, "Wellll, okay, I could see voting for her." That good. I mean, I know the strong reasons for voting for Obama, but he still made me think twice. That was the most impressive part of the entire thing. A couple other thoughts:- They didn't have any kind of metal detectors, bag searchers, or basic check-in. That astounded me. I kept waiting and waiting for the check, but it never came. He's a former president! It blew my mind that they were just letting people in.
- There was a guy in the corner who kept yelling things about how he thought Hillary was terrible. Bill ignored him until about ten minutes left in the speech and said something to the effect, "I'm sure you've got some good ideas, but you keep interrupting me while I'm speaking. Now, why don't you let me finish and then you can have the stage and all these people who came to see me can stick around if they want to listen to you." This received a big applause and the guy was jeered into silence. Literally. He didn't peep after that.
- It seemed like there were a few people like me who weren't voting for Hillary, but were stoked about the idea to see a former president speak.
- The room was tiny, probably only able to hold 1,000 people. I'm guessing they didn't want to risk a half-filled room, but there were hundreds of people waiting in line that weren't let in. Seemed a little strange, but, again, maybe part of the strategy.
I'm especially fond of the first one above. A) He looks like he's falling into the crowd and is bit worried and B) His secret service security agent (top right) looks so happy.
My New Life
Unlike my busy bee friend Margot who is settling into the Final Stretch of college, I'm settling into a month of living in Philomath, Oregon. Random? A bit. But it was the only place I could find a reasonably priced, furnished apartment near Corvallis for visiting Serena. I'm planning a not-so-busy life of the following:
The new apartment is great and closely resembles what I want to live in until I have a family. It's large enough to have all the amenities and space I need, but small enough to be very energy efficient and I don't feel glutenous. I won't have a pool table in my "perfect place" but for now it's kind of fun to have it at my finger tips. Unfortunately Serena isn't too interested in playing so I'll have to find new friend(s) to join. Here begins my new life!
Cycling (hopefully avoiding a raw bum... you riders out there can feel me.)- Building a model community garden, maybe more on that as it progresses.
- Building a bike from scratch. Plans are in the works for a fixed speed with bullhorn handlebars.
- Eating and bathing often.
The new apartment is great and closely resembles what I want to live in until I have a family. It's large enough to have all the amenities and space I need, but small enough to be very energy efficient and I don't feel glutenous. I won't have a pool table in my "perfect place" but for now it's kind of fun to have it at my finger tips. Unfortunately Serena isn't too interested in playing so I'll have to find new friend(s) to join. Here begins my new life!
Who Would Have Thunk It?
In the past week I've come to find out that blogging is extremely difficult to do without easy and consistent access to the internet. I thought I'd be able to sneak it in here and there, but it hasn't worked out. The good news is that I've settled down into my new apartment in Philomath, Oregon and am wired for blogging.
BTW If you're in or near Philomath come on over and play some pool, I have a table in my place. Holllllller.
BTW If you're in or near Philomath come on over and play some pool, I have a table in my place. Holllllller.
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