Change?
My disappointment with the Obama administration continues.

The recent health care 'debates' prove once again that America is in the grip of the military/industrial/pharmaceutical complex and other vote-trading special interests.

It makes me want to scream 'What don't you understand?' when the National Health Service in the UK is held up as what America does not want in health care. What's not to want? Health care when you want it with no limits on cost or pre-existing conditions.

This left-leaning liberal is so disgusted with the present gang in power that I am tempted to get citizenship, move to a swing state and vote Republican.

Obama campaigned on change. David Axlerod, one of his senior advisors, made this statement today;

“Every senator uses whatever leverage they have to help their states,” Mr. Axelrod said on the CNN program “State of the Union.” “That’s the way it has been. That’s the way it will always be.”

So much for change.

Labels: David Axlerod, Health reform, Obama

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We Accept This Guy As A Partner?
Hamid Karzai.

OK, so it's been a couple of years. I may log more blog.

Karzai is a joke. Bleeding dollars and blood trying to democratize a place like Afghanistan is ridiculous. Hunt and kill Bin Laden and other religious cranks (be they Christian, Jews or Muslims; another story).

Margaret Warner of the Newshour interviewed Karzai. His responses are truly amazing. Fuck the UN, fuck the West, show us some respect.

Republicans oppose single payer healthcare but are quite happy to pay singularly their industrial/military complex friends engaging in so called wars against so called enemies that have killed fewer Americans than the automobile, cigarettes and fast food in a single day.

And Obama supports him with a limp at best hint that he (Karzai) should move against corruption. Change it isn't.

Makes me want to become an American citizen to vote Obama out in 2012.

I would have chosen Hilary but even this cynical bastard thought Obama could be the one. Fat chance. He disgusts me.

Labels: Afghanistan, corruption, Obama, terrorism

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Racism: Any ism
"Jena's racial tensions were aggravated in August 2006, when three white teens hung the nooses the day after a group of black students received permission from school administrators to sit under the tree -- a place where white students normally congregated." - CNN 09.20.07 (CNN's Susan Roesgen, Tony Harris, Kyra Philips, Eric Marrapodi and Eliott McLaughlin contributed to this report.)

Received permission??

Am I missing something? Is this 2007 or 1957?

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Dr Who?
I was delighted to read that Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) is showing Dr. Who. A fan since early childhood, I watched the very first episode ever shown. My imagination was captured and I continued to watch as the Doctor morphed into various reincarnations more or less liked than the previous one.

The Daleks were special. I could do a pretty good impersonation of their electronic voice. Many kids ran around with toilet plungers making odd sounds.

I remember my younger brother and sister hiding behind the sofa when the monsters appeared. Searching through the OPB site I came across a link to Wikipedia that actually has an article on the phrase "behind the sofa", that originated from terified kids watching Dr. Who.

America is only up to the ninth Doctor, played by Christopher Ecclestone.

So Thursday nights find me eagerly awaiting Dr. Who once again although, this time at the later time of 10pm. There is also a half-hour 'making of' show that follows.

Unfortunately, I do not have a sofa to hide behind when the monsters appear....

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Man's Footprint
First we explored what earth has to offer. Then we messed it up. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), recent report confirms what many have feared; the predicted environmental catastrophe is upon us. Apparently we cannot dodge the bullet. Just too damn late. Oh well.

There's always escape through interplanetary travel to find new, pristine places for man. Or maybe not.

In yet another scary scenario, the very people that bought us space exploration say we have reached the critical 'spatial density' required for a chain reaction of exploding space debris.

Apparently, there is so much junk orbiting above our polluted Eden that it is more than likely that a collision between bits of this junk would cause more junk that would cause more collisions that could destroy, for example, a satellite, the space station or the shuttle. Or all of them. It wouldn't stop. Eventually, the near space would be impenetrable for future space exploration. Oh well.

The only part of the story that gives me hope is the excessive use of the term 'expert'.

You may need to subscibe to the web edition New York Times to view this. It is painless and free.

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Beautiful But Dangerous


Mount Hood to the east of Portland, Oregon has held 3 climbers captive for over a week. Hopes are high as the 3 were experienced but it has been a long time. Foul weather has slammed this area over the last week causing misery to many, death to a few and hindrance to the search mission on Mt. Hood.

For latest updates check out The Oregonian. Hateful paper but it's the only daily we have.

More compelling (OK, interesting) search photos here.

My thoughts are with them and their loved ones and the rescuers.

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Rising From The Crashes
With 2 disabled Alfa Romeo's it would be rash (even by my standards) to get another vehicle now my truck is dead. So, wrench in hand, I have buckled down to finish off Gina 3.

This has been something of an ongoing project since I purchased her in November '04. I had it on the road until April '05. There were some issues such as an extremely sloppy gearlinkage, almost non-existent brakes that shuddered when used, the timing belt had not been changed for some time and the clutch was near the end of its life. Various transmission mounts were not functioned as designed either.

The reason G3 was being worked on is that Gina 2, picked up from New Hampshire in October '04, would not pass emissions testing. Wild cams were the problem. Great fun but not smog friendly. So I started work on G3. Since then, ODOT (Oregon Department of Transport) has changed the smog requirements for vehicles made prior to 1990 so that I can probably get it through now.

So I am close to getting a car back on the road. Although I have a rental paid for by the insurance company, that will probably end soon as they have made an offer that is quite acceptable.

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Dodge Dakota 1994 - 2006

I was driving south on Macadam in the outside lane (4 lane divided road). A bus was stopped at a bus stop. I had slowed as pedestrians may have been crossing the road when a Jeep pulled out from SW Carolina directly in front of the bus. Panic braking and avoidance maneuver (limited room) unfortunately did not avoid the collision. The bus driver did not hang around. He had the perfect view of the accident.

That's what I just sent to Liberty Mutual.

I think TTruck is dead. 'Beyond economic repair'. Doesn't look too bad (compared the the Jeep that was hit). The Jeep looked like road kill.


Crime Scene.

Man, you can sure get attached to vehicles. That puppy was my trusted companion on a cross-country jaunt that took us almost 12,000' up and over The Rockies. 7000 miles and 5 weeks.

Registered in three states (MA, CA, OR) during the 4-years and 5-months I have owned him, we have covered 70,000 miles. Originally bought to haul trash and pickup building supplies, I thought it would not cover more than 2000 miles a year.

Then the transmission broke in my neon. I had a 95 mile round-trip commute at the time. That is well over 2000 miles a month.

Some Memorable Images


Before the off! October 2003 in Lakeville, MA


I think this is my favorite photo. Utah. Lots of snow, impassable pass. Over 6000 feet.




Hoosier Pass in The Rockies: 11,542ft on the continental divide.


Hoosier Pass Proof


Outside the Dodge theater in Dodge City


This was a cool UT road. TTruck looked after me very well TThankyou!


The Co-Star


Sizing Up Mt. Rushmore. Fitting Memorial?


Ski Run, Golden Basin, Utah


I Got My Kicks On Route 66! Have you?


Off-Off Route 1 Just As It Leaves The Sparkling California Sea


First Day Home


Snow-Bound. MA. One reason I left!



The last couple of months have not been too good for TTruck. October 9th I climbed St. Helens. There is a campsite at around 4,500ft where we stayed overnight.

Unfortunately when we returned from the crater rim, I had a flat. What I didn't have was the 3ft gas pipe that was needed to loosen the lug nuts, and air in the spare. Did I mention I couldn't even get the spare out?

TTruck had to stay there overnight (twice) while I made a couple of trips to get him back home. I eventually trailered it back.

A week later the fuel pump failed. Pretty expensive repair. Only had about 4 tankfulls of gas through it.


Final Sunset?

I'll miss you big guy!

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Tram Or Cable Car?
With some controversy, Portland is getting a cable-car known as the Portland Aerial Tram. A joint project between Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and the City of Portland. It is a public transport link between the new South Waterfront distrct and the main OHSU campus on Marquam Hill.

It will run about 3 blocks north of where I currently live. Pretty cool. Not everyone thinks so. The City of Portland devised a contest to name the two trams. Willamette Week reviewed some of them. Huge cost overruns have plagued the project. Several people have sworn to me that it is not for public use. It is.

Last July 4th I took this photo. Remember sunny, warm weather?



Today I glanced out the kitchen window and caught sight of the cars for the second time. It is slated to be operational at the end of January, 2007. Just around the corner.





The cars are still in protective packaging. The photos were taken from my bedroom window.



I need a longer lens and a steadier hand.

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More Than Just a Tourist


Anousheh Ansari, one of the first sponsors of the Ansari X Prize, became the first female private space explorer this week.

At an estimated cost of $US20 million, she joins an elite team of men that have used their fortunes to travel aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft to realize their dreams of spaceflight.

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Labor Day: Cape Lookout
Went camping with some friends. Good time. Oregon Coast, west of Tilamook. Two campsites, 9 people, 2 dogs.

Photos here.

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Branford Bike: Burnt and Gone. Forever.
My interest in cycling increased with the purchase of a road bike. I built it from new and used parts from many different sources. One online resource, was Branford Bike. Their web site was not sophisticated but was extensive and had real worth as a resource where they shared their knowledge and experience.

Today I went there to research a component and I discovered a wild fire swept them away. Still in a state of shock as I write this I ponder the capriciousness of nature. Fortunately no one was hurt (or worse).

Please visit Branford Bike for the story in their words.

Wow. Life can change course in ways that you may not imagine. In an instant.

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Tenacity. Good, right?
In the dark days in which we live, notably the middle east disaster, a New York Times article bought home the humanity that makes human being worthwhile. Admittedly, the central player is a violent product of gang culture.


A photo of Mr Johnson at San Quentin State Prison 21 years ago

Donny Johnson, a convicted killer now serving three life sentences without parole after attacking two prison guards while in prison for a drug related killing, has created postcard-size paintings with dye from M&Ms (Smarties for you Brits) and brushes fashioned from his hair.



He lives in a small concrete cell about the size of decent bathroom. Not allowed creative materials like paint, he purchases M&M's, soaking them in water to extract the dye.

Another article extracted from an earlier New York Times article can be viewed here.

Not only does this indicate a somewhat tenacious character but he manages to get his art outside, sell them and has recently displayed his work in a gallery in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. He has sold around twenty pieces for around $500 each. The proceeds are being used to start a program for children of inmates. He does not profit from the sales.

However, he has broken a rule that does not allow inmates running a business from their cell. An interesting situation; do you punish someone for breaking a rule when the 'crime' could be seen by many as a spark of humanity from an individual who may provide help to innocent children? Or should he have whatever perks he may now enjoy, removed?

He is incarcerated in Pelican Bay State prison in California, just south of the Oregon state line. While Pelican Bay sounds like a nice place to vacation, the penitentiary is a stark place hewn from 275 acres of forest. Further discovery revealed the following articles about Pelican Bay, its inmates and life within its walls. Please note that some of the articles are graphic and contain language that some readers may find distressing.

The official California page is here.

San Francisco Bay Area Press Photographers Association covered the prison in a pictorial format. The Nuestra Familia gang is featured. Particularly violent, they reportedly have perfected a communication system that allows them to run their empire from a maximum security facility. One article from the Media Awareness Project describes this system.

Tenaciousness can be seen as a positive human characteristic but not always in a positive context.

Labels: art, big house, cruel, tenacity

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Fifty Three
My age in years. July 29th 1953 was my DOB.

Yesterday passed. Quietly.



Says it all. The little yellow car is an Austin Works J40. I had one in red. I was slightly smaller than the elephant. Well, at least 50 years ago.

The J40 was a brilliant little pedal-car but not really a good toy. Pretty expensive at the time, around 25 pounds stirling. With my usual inability to maintain my possessions, this poor car fell to bits in various demolition derbys in our backyard. Sorry Mum.

The photo below is something I cobbled together in the early 90's. I was about 2 and 35. Kind of went together well if you ignore my lack of skill. The pretty gal is my mother.



The scanner I used was one of the first Microtek's. $850 and it needed 3 passes and took forever. How things change.

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Phew!
It's 6pm and 103 degrees actually feels like 103 degrees according to Weather.com.

Sticky. No a/c here but I do have beer in the freezer.

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40.8 mph - A New Record!
For me anyway. And yes, it was downhill.

I have tried several times to break 40 without success.

I am getting much stronger but I really cannot push the gearing I have on the bike right now (if ever). So I am swapping out the current cassette that is an 11-23 for a 13-26. Should make it easier uphill as well. And hills we have in abundance in Oregon.

Although to put my strength (or lack of it) in perspective, the Tour d'France guys average around 27 mph, I'm lucky to crack 16.

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Ducks
Although the new mother describes the girl-child as "..a bit
like a duck in the picture..", Eloise Imogen White is, in reality, small, vulnerable and yet another addition to this humankind.



What a happy group. I wish them well, though I doubt they need the blessing of a reclusive hedonist such as I. Children and family are not in my personal lexicon.

Oh yes! Ducks. A friend in South Dennis, MA on Cape Cod, has a good friend called Duck. A Volvo sedan. White in color as 'lois will also be White by name.

Continuing the solitary note that is my life......

The first weekend of this jolly old month of July I made my way to Crater Lake. A place I have wished to visit since my arrival in Oregon some two years ago.

And to get there? I spurned TTruck and dallied with a floosy. And as with all such trysts, did not fare well. Oh, well.



Trying to follow back roads I spent many hours on logging trails never quite locating the 'Great Passage' that would get me from here to there.



Ended up in Chelmut. Dead-end town that could be heard gasping for a more dignified end.

Dusk run to Crater Lake. Cool and cool.





Click here for more Crater Lake.

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Relationships
Of which there have been many, some more successful than others, none enduring, but here we talk to those concerning family.

At 04:10 GMT (this may be corrected, it was 4 something) today I became a great or grand, uncle. Lucy, my niece, gave birth to a, as yet, unnamed girl-child.

Mother and daughter fairing well.

My sister, Christine, called me about an hour later. For me it was still June 26th. This also brings into focus the relationship of time and geographical location.

Of the three siblings, David, Christine and myself (first listed, last out so to speak) only Christine has been a producer. Two females, Katy and Lucy. Our Mother is grandchild poor.

Now another child into the fold.

The father, lest we forget, is Andy. A young man I have not met but by all accounts a worthy consort for Loverly Lucy.

Should the child prove photo-worthy, I shall post a pic or two.

Mathematical Definitions
(Excerpted From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

The family relationship between two individuals a and b, where Ga and Gb respectively are the number of generations between each individual and their nearest common ancestor, can be calculated by the following:

x = min (Ga,Gb)
y = |Ga-Gb|
If x=0 and y=0 then they are the same person.
If x=0 and y=1 then they are parent and child.
If x=0 and y=2 then they are grandparent and grandchild.
If x=0 and y>2 then they are great ... great-grandparent and great ... great-grandchild, with y−2 greats.
If x=1 and y=0 then they are siblings (brothers or sisters).
If x=1 and y=1 then they are uncle/aunt and nephew/niece.
If x=1 and y>1 then they are great ... great uncle/aunt and great ... great nephew/niece, with y−1 greats.
If x>1 and y=0 then they are (x−1)th cousins.
If x>1 and y>0 then they are (x−1)th cousins y times removed.
So two people sharing a pair of grandparents have x=2 and y=0 and are described as being first cousins.

If x>0 and they only share one nearest common ancestor rather than two, then the word "half" is sometimes added at the beginning of the relationship.

The mathematical definition is more elegant if you always express consanguinity as the ordered pair of natural numbers (x, y) as defined above. In that case, the relationship one has with oneself is (0, 0), the relationship between parent and child is (0, 1), and the relationship between grandparent and grandchild is (0, 2). The relationship between siblings is (1, 0); and between aunt/uncle and nephew/niece is (1, 1). First cousins are (2, 0). The first number expresses how many generations back the two people's most recent common ancestor is, while the second number expresses the generation difference between the two people.

See Also....

Consanguinity

Genealogy

Genetics

Marriage

Law stubs

Medicine stubs

Sociology stubs

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Orange and Blue?
Several have asked.

It all started with the frame. That came first. It was orange.

I always admired the Gulf Oil GT40's that roared to victory in the sixties beating the Ferraris that held court at the time.

John Wyer was team manager and the color scheme stuck through the Audi A8's that were victorious at Le Mans in 2001.

Powder blue best descibes the Gulf blue (usually the dominant color) but the orange is close enough.



After struggling with the rear deraillier that jumped teeth on the smallest cog I broke down and took it to a bike dealer. Turns out the cassette lock ring was too large and was pushing the chain off. $25 for a new lock ring and $10 labor and I have nirvana. Again.

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New Bike Update
Well first ride up and down the street was yesterday. A more adventurous session today. Not too many miles but it is still in shakedown mode.

I may have a few bent rear cogs. Damn eBayers.

Still even with that the bike rides really well. I am a lot more used to it today. Yesterday I was wondering what possesed me to get a road bike. The mountain bike is comfortable with a more upright position.

The river is the mighty Columbia. Separates Oregon from Washington state.

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I Made It!
Tax season 06 is over! Interesting experience. I really enjoyed the work and I was privileged to meet many interesting people.

Yesterday was mostly clean-up and getting the extensions out. I had to hand deliver the last extension to a post office just before it closed. TV cameras were set up to interview those that just made it and just missed it. The main downtown office was open to midnight along with the airport office that is always open until 11:59.

I still have some returns to work. Those that turned to extensions rather than completed returns and some that need earlier years to be amended due to past mistakes.

My only real regret was a return that I could not get to work on in time. Poor management of time. I still need to do it. Pretty complex. I should have handed it off to someone else.

So, overall a great learning opportunity and something I hope to include in future years as I morph my career into yet another varient.

Today being the first day after, I plan to clean house here. What a mess. The new bike is taking shape and should have some serious time spent on it today between laundry duty. More on the bike soon.

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No Pulitzer Yet
I am not going to wait any longer for the phone call from the Washington Post pleading with me to join their elite investigative journalist corp.

Inbetween time I have continued with the pursuit of financial services licenses and certification.

I now possess NASD Series 7 and 66 and recently completed the life and health insurance course. However, as I was fired from the financial services side of the business for low production, I have yet to take the insurance exam. I have until July 29th this year to take it.

So fired and rehired by the same company in a matter of hours. I am now preparing taxes. Working out of two offices I am kept busy and I am actually enjoying it.

Working like crazy for a few months and making pretty descent money is quite appealing. Then I can cruise for a (hopefully) short time and pick something else up.

I am in the process of building up a road bike. Hopefully I will spend more time riding it than I currently spend hunting the component parts down on eBay.

Otherwise, nothing much has changed. My financial position is more precarious. The truck is still daily transportation. The Alfas are still in a garage.

I am putting Gina 3 back together. The Alfa convention (missed in '05 even though it was a mere 150 miles away in Seattle) is in Tulsa, Oklahoma this year. So June is when I have to have my baby running again. It is quite a trip out there. Not checked but around 1500-2000 miles. We'll see.

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US Assassinating Journalists in Iraq?
What? I had not intended these posts to be political in nature but politics is part of life regardless of how we feel about them.

So why the subject above? Several weeks a go a senior CNN executive was forced to resign after making a comment in Davos, Switzerland during the World Economic Conference that US troops were targeting, with intent to kill, journalists in Iraq. Eason Jordan, as CNN's Chief News Executive, was a senior architect of CNN's coverage of world events with an emphasis on conflicts.

According to Wikipedia he has been the recipient of two Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards and the DuPont-Columbia Award.

A report on the well respected UK Guardian website by Claire Cozens on November 19, 2004 reported that the US military was 'still failing to protect journalists in Iraq'.

Many media outlets reported on the Jordan controversy, such as the Washington Post article on February 8, 2005. Although this has not been seen as major point of discussion on mainstream media, the world of blogs is what done in Mr. Jordan.

A particularly vitriolic, self-serving blog called EASONGATE helped drive the resignation of Jordan. Blogs are powerful tools that can educate and entertain with an immediacy that traditional media may not. Where traditional media tends to broadcast to many, blogs narrowcast. This is an interesting development. Although print media has targeted groups through special interest publications for many years, blogs further define a point of view, often reinforcing a perspective held by an individual.

Once many like minded individuals agree (no matter whether 'right' or 'wrong') a howling cacophony can ensue. The result? Mob mentality.

In the past this has resulted in revolutions, lynchings and now, apparently, resignations of talented, respected journalists; or maybe anyone that uses their right of free speech?

Rather than investigate the allegations of abuse, many blogs focused on Jordan and certain press organizations (read CNN/NPR and the rest of the liberal, Clinton loving, pro-choice anti-Christ biased media) and how he and they are bastions of a left-wing/Democratic (big D)/communist conspiracy to subvert the current US administration. Another example of the divisions in America between Blue and Red states, right and wrong and with us or against us politics. Another example of how the right wing in the US are better at defining subjects their way than the Democrats. Death tax not Estate tax. In England, Margaret Thatcher was castigated (and defeated) for the Pole Tax, as defined by the left wing in that case.

Although Jordan back-peddled on his comments and later resigned, this weekends story of Giuliana Sgrena, the Italian journalist wounded after being released by her captors in Iraq may add a jolt of truth to Jordan's comments.

Nicola Calipari, the 50-year-old security agent assigned to protect her died when he threw himself when the bullets flew. Two other members of the Italian secret service in the car were also wounded.

Sgrena reported for the left-wing/communist newspaper Il Manifesto (poorly translated to English by google).

The US administration has criticised European organizations and governments who negotiate the release of hostages with insurgents in Iraq (Personally I agree; you cannot give in to terrorism, no matter how painful). Could they be sending a message here?

So, two perspectives in one post. Feel free to comment, afterall, it is your God given right to have a point of view, even if it is driven by evil-empire hating free-speech revisionists. Wait! Who are we talking about here?

Watch this space. You may have heard it here first.

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My day Off
As I am now working 6 days a week, Sunday is my day of rest.  Last night I set the alarm for 5:30am.  Why you may ask?  A building was to be moved from its resting place for the last 93 years to a new location on the east side of the Willamette river.

The structure was the Episcopal chapel at the corner of SW Bancroft and Corbett Avenue a mere half-mile from where I live.  I had driven past the prepared building for some time.  Friday there was a notice to say the house was to be moved, street parking on the route was not allowed.  Of course, I missed the mission house trundling past my door and took after it as it crossed the Ross Island bridge.  On foot, I barely made it as it turned into the road that was to be its final resting place.

I hung around as the structure sans roof, was maneuvered onto the new lot.  The roof had been removed necessitating a large crane to place it back on the main shell.  I got to hold the tape as the crane operator made some measurements.  There were a lot of big kids looking on.  I held it with pride.  I felt that I had been selected for my tape holding prowess by a man that recognized a like minded spirit.

After all the excitement I toured the river and made a loop across the Hawthorne bridge and walked down to the South Waterfront Development.  By now the temperature was rising on a sunny, blue skied day.  Tree blossom was dripping from branches.

I passed a dog. Standing at attention, scrutinizing me as a I walked. I continued another 500 feet or so. Stopped. The dog was not leashed, no one around. I turned to look. He stood. A truck entered the lot where he was. He ran. I followed.

Several people asked if he was my dog.  We stopped thirty feet apart.  He was interested but did not respond positively to 'Here boy!".  He ran off in the opposite direction.  15 or twenty minutes later he ran back the other way following a couple of women pushing a stroller, "is this your dog?".

I conjured up a story of this dog that belonged to a homeless person who overdosed while sleeping behind a waterfront warehouse.  You never know.  I drove around the area later in the day.  No dog to be seen.

I hate sliding shower doors attached to bath tubs.  So I outed them.  Bought a shower curtain rail and installed that today with my Lakeville showerr curtains.  Happier now.  Landlord probably less so.  I have already removed a door and use it as a headboard.  May take the rest of the shower door frame away.

The bath tub is small and shallow but now it is a lot more elegant to have a bath in.  May get some candles and bath salts.  Almost luxury.

Then I went to see my girls.  Gina 3 and Gina 2.  I had electricity installed in the larger garage where G2 is.  I was able to drill out a panel behind the front wheel and removed about 3 pounds of dirt that has collected behind it.  A common corrosion point.  Both sides are pretty rotten.  Small panels can be welded in.

Hung a fluorescent light.  Need to hang the other and connect them up.  I had a basic installation now I need to run some more cable, outlets and switches.

Barbequed tonight. Used mesquite. Not bad. Could have been a better pork chop.

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The Heroine of Flight 847
I am a listener of National Public Radio better known as NPR. One of the things I missed when I first arrived in the US was serious news channels.

Once, while flipping through the radio dial (is it possible to flip though a dial?), I came across a very British voice and I recognized the renowned BBC World Service. Jennifer (ex) told me of public radio and I was hooked. Back in Massachusetts it was WGBH and WBUR. I supported both though regular contributions and other stations in Minneapolis and Los Angeles while I lived there. Now it is Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB).

NPR coined the phrase 'Driveway Moments'. Those stories that are so compelling that you have to listen to the end even if you have arrived home and have to sit in the car until the story ends; hence, Driveway Moments. They even sell CD's of the best.

This morning I listened to The Heroine of Flight 847. I was not in the driveway, but it definitely qualifies. I tells the story of flight attendant Uli Derickson who recently succumed to cancer. NPR says it best. "Her efforts aboard the hijacked plane are a lasting testament to personal courage". Well worth a listen.

If you are not familiar with NPR and your local public radio stations I encourage you to seek them out, learn to enjoy them as an alternate source of news and entertainment to commercial sources and, hopefullly, support them. Public radio is supported though contributions by the public, corporate sponsers and a small Federal grant. It is the closest thing to bias-free broadcast news media America has. I consider it a national treasure.

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Hubble Bubble Toil and Trouble
Few can be unimpressed by the images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. Many will have heard of the decision not to service the Hubble but rather let it die and guide it to a watery grave in the oceans of earth.

At first I was saddened if not angered by this. The reason given? Unacceptable risk of a manned mission. Risk? Space flight by its nature is risky business.

Hubble is good PR for NASA, delivering pretty pictures of dramatic features never before seen except through the eyes of science fiction artists. But, is it time to move on? Science is more than pretty pictures. The amount of data from Hubble can fill an encyclopedia every day; more than enough for a team of scientists to analyze for years to come.


See more Hubble Bubble at SPACE.COM.

So you want to be an astronaut? Applications taken here.

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Taxing Job
Well I have my first pay packet from HRBlock.  Not impressive but a start.

Am I having fun?  Yes, actually.  The office is not very busy.  This is both good and bad.

Bad because my earnings are limited and my pay assumes a certain commission level.  If I do not complete enough returns then I could be subject to the dreaded 'drawdown'.  My earnings will be reduced.  Not good.

The good?  Well, I have more time to better understand the process.  There is a lot less stress!

We shall see if this turns into a viable career for me.

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Panhandlers, Inc.
An article in Willamette Week discusses the possibility of organized panhandling. I occasionally give to one guy at an on-ramp near where I live. I have noticed how similar the signs (including his) are. Always on cardboard and written with permanent markers that are clear and well laid out.

It actually makes sense to organize as a group but the suggestion that 'homeless' crime bosses is a little worrying. Certainly the money involved could be a lure.

Check out this story from Willamette Week on panhandlers.

homelessness in Portland is huge. It has a fairly liberal attitude that I am sure attracts people from many places. However, there are many reasons to drive people on hard times onto the streets. The local economy is not great and well-paying jobs scarce.

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Oh yeah, I passed my Tax Preparer exam
I have no excuse not to work anymore. Damn!

First time I missed by 1%, this time I got 81%. The pass grade was 75%.

So, congratualations to me.

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New year; New Look
Ok, so it's half way through the year already.

As I have said several times before, "I hate this frigging site!".

So, this is the start. I am using Blogger to add the diary entries.

The entries for 2004 will be archived on this site but not through Blogger, as if you care.

Election day in Iraq has passed and seems to have gone pretty smoothly. The following weeks and months will tell. Bush and Rice have a smirk I bet.

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What is a blog?
Well, the name is derived from weB LOG.

The concept has been around for awhile and provides an outlet for self-centered egoists, adolescent angst and diarists with frustrated publishing ambitions.

Recently however, blogs have been accepted as useful tools even within corporations, to spread the word in a format that is less structured than more official paths.

Elevating the blog above a, usually, chronological stream of thought, is the ability to solicit feedback or comments, from readers. Blogs can become cults and some are widely read by a vast Internet audience. Some are narrowly focused on specific threads others ramble, covering vast arrays of subjects and still others are really dull.

I have no such ambitions. An Egoist? Yes. Self-centered? Definitely. Adolescent angst? I am a middle-aged teenager (or an undeveloped adult). And, a budding diarist. But why?

Not really sure. It will be an opportunity for readers to comment on my thoughts and observations and to add an alternate perspective. Hence the title, 'Jef's Perspective'. What is yours?

This Blogger service was particularly easy to set up. It can be used as a stand alone application or like mine, embedded into an existing web site. It is owned by goggle (isn't everything cool?).

so I encourage you to click on 'comment' next to any entry and flame away. Blogger also allows the easy insertion of other web pages that I may add comments to or just post as points of interest. Feel free to join in. I hope you will.

This is of interest; I just ran the spell check and it did not recognize blog or Blogger. Also not recognized is diarist and egoist.

You can add html code as well. Cool.

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