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July 03, 2009
14:36
Central Oregon musicians pay tribute to Michael Jackson (Part I)
» ‎ Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog

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It’s been a week now since the unexpected death of Michael Jackson, and the man, his life and his legacy is still a hot topic of conversation. Whether you think he should be remembered as a pop-culture icon or that his latter-day legal troubles overshadowed his chart success (or both), there’s no question the guy [...]

14:12
downsized_0703091411.jpg [Flickr]
» ‎ Wrongdude

Enclosure: [download]

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carrrrrlos posted a photo:
13:37
downsized_0703091336.jpg [Flickr]
» ‎ Wrongdude

Enclosure: [download]

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carrrrrlos posted a photo:

13:14
As a pedestrian …
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: Oregon [edit]

I’ve always been sympathetic to the bicyclists plight around here. However, of late I’ve noted an increasing level of rudeness of helmetless “cruisers”, rec-riders and bums toward pedestrians on the sidewalks (illegal) and in the pedestrian tunnels (illegal) passing under the tracks and parkway. It isn’t funny to startle a jumpy near deaf not quite [...]

11:48
Keeping vs. collecting.
» ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

Tags: Cards [edit]

The other misapprehension that people have about my store, besides that I am a kids store, is that I'm a collectible shop.

I stopped being this about 15 years ago. Most of the card collectors left, and then the people who were buying comics only to collect and then most of the toy collectors and so on and so on.

A common thread that ran through all this was those who really like a particular product for its own worth -- for instance, who enjoyed the art and storytelling of comics, who treated sports cards like bottle caps, who bought a toy to take it out of it's packaging and display on their bookshelf -- were consistent customers.

Collectors came and went.

I also no longer believe most collectibles are worth more money down the road. If I don't believe it, it would be unethical in my eyes to sell them on that basis.

Oh, I'm sure that there are many customers who buy comics with the intent to collect; but none of my current customers I'm aware of who don't read and enjoy, and then collect.

Collecting is what happens after the product leaves my store. If someone wants to do it, I don't hide that I don't buy back product.

Collecting is tricky word. It's more or less halfway between "investment" and enjoying and discarding. I usually don't recommend the former, but I can understand why someone would want to go ahead and keep and take care of what they purchased.

I think, in the back of their minds, they know it isn't worth a bunch of money, but they're probably hoping. Some of them want to pass them along to friends and family, or possibly to reread it someday.

All that is understandable.

But I don't buy off the street.

Partly this is a business decision based on space and time and money, and to make the best use of all those things. But it is also a personal choice not to haggle anymore. I got really tired of that.

There are great deals to be had, but there are also minefields of resentment and misunderstanding and just plain bad blood.

Buying from wholesalers bypasses that whole thing.

Besides, in my opinion, this market has moved mostly online, and what part hasn't moved online will soon move online and I'm just getting ahead of the curve.

The problem is, the vast, vast majority of former customers were 'collectors' (as I said, that may be why they are 'former customers...') Someone who tells me that they "used to" love comics or cards or toys or whatever.

No...you used to kind of "like" or maybe you did it out of "habit" or perhaps you were buying because your friends were. But if you LOVED comics, (or cards or toys or whatever), it seems unlikely that you would've quit and never looked back.

Think books. Readers tend to keep reading. Most of them don't believe the current books they are reading are an investment...

But...you tell me, you used to really love....comic, cards, etc. O.K. I'll give you that. You used to "love" comics, etc. You quit because it got too confusing or expensive or players use steroids, or the stories got bad, or your local dealer sucked, or whatever...

But that was at least 10 years ago for most of you who 'collected' comics. The glory days of cards peaked about 15 years ago. Toys peaked about 5 years ago.

So there are these huge bulges of "used to be" collectors. Chances are, if you come into the store and you aren't a current buyer, you are one of these people. And your mindset in no way reflects current reality.

My words are a garbled mess to you.

"How much is such and such worth?"

"I don't know..."

"What do you mean you don't know...?"

"You might want to try to sell it online...."

"But what is it worth?"

"I don't know....."

"What do you mean you don't know...?"

And around and around we go. I've had bigtime collectors come in my store and sneer at me. Fine. But they don't understand that I'm happier selling product that is new. I'm sure they think I'm a complete idiot. Fine. But I really don't want to haggle with them. The minute they say, "Do you have OLD..." anything, I'm pretty much looking for an out.

I think Wizard Magazine, the used-to-be price guide for comics, is near the end of its run. I know that Scrye and every other CCG priceguide has folded. Becketts are down to selling one or two per month. Investing, in my opinion, is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

There is just too much stuff. How can all of it be worth something?

But if you buy what you like and enjoy, how can you go wrong?

11:26
No wonder “news”papers are losing their asses …
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: Braindead [edit]

Headline at the Wall Street Journal: Dollar Buoyed by Weak Jobs Data. Rolling Stone has finally posted The Great American Bubble Machine online.

10:30
Baile na Coiribe
» ‎ Occidental Tourist

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Student housing is located in a place called Corrib Village (Baile na Coiribe in Irish) on the edge of campus. There are dozens of buildings like this one, each group with a courtyard and painted in its very own pastel shade. These are available for self-catering over the summer. I've heard so many different languages while walking around through the village.

The walk up to the back gate is bordered by dense forest. You can see why the gates are closed at 11 pm and why you might not want to find yourself here alone at dark.

La Cuisine:

When I take a shower, this is what I see. I can look at the River Corrib and whoever happens to be walking by on the river path.

My room is small so I decided I could store my giganto suitcase here:

The river path heads north about a mile before it ends at a game field. Along the way there are put-in points for boats. I've gone for runs along this course and usually there are rowing teams out along with some people in a motorboat following behind, screaming at them with a bullhorn.

Tomorrow is the first field trip, to Coole Park, once the home of William Butler Yeats, and Thoor Ballylee, the tower home that Yeats bought and restored in order to live there from 1919 - 1929.

Under my window ledge the waters race,
Otters below and moor-hens on the top,
Run for a mile undimmed in Heaven's face,
Then darkening through 'dark' Raftery's 'cellar' drop,
Run underground, rise in a rocky place
In Coole demesne, and there to finish up
Spread to a lake and drop into a hole.
What's water but the generated soul?'

----- W.B. Yeats 'Coole Park and Ballylee, 1931'

10:23
Outrageous …
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: Healthcare [edit]

10:11
Better Than Excedrin for Curing Those Packing Headaches.
» ‎ Play Outdoors Campfire

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Spotlight on Central Oregon’s Kids Gear to Go By Morri Stewart There was a time when packing for a trip was easy; however, those days of throwing clothes in a duffel bag, slinging it over my shoulder and bolting out...

9:49
July sale… purses and more purses!
» ‎ The Ardent Thread's Weblog

Tags: Uncategorized [edit]

Purses… This month’s special sale category in my shop is obi bags. All purses, clutches and messenger bags are marked 25% off through the month of July. Need a new bag for the fall? Now’s your chance to score one of my sturdy messenger bags for a great price. And more purses… The lovely Kaz Style [...]

9:40
Posted October 20, ...
» ‎ The gr8ful grind

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Posted October 20, 2009.

9:01
Happy 4th of July and a wee giveaway
» ‎ My Scrap Home

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It's the 3rd of July, my friends! Hopefully that means you have the day off and are already enjoying your holiday weekend.

We are mixing things up this year. I'm the Registrar at the girls' preschool, so felt compelled to jump in the float we will have at the Redmond parade. The kids get to throw candy and are really excited about it. Then we are off to a BBQ with pool time. A low key day.

I wanted to share a layout I did for my recent article at True North Parenting. Somewhat similar to my Project 12 challenge, I simply highlighted our day with some of my favorite pics. I used the American flag as a backdrop for this layout. Easily done!

Speaking of which, if you are sticking around the house this weekend and looking for a creative push, please check out my Project 12 challenge for June. Lovely prize, eh? I decided to go with that one because I'll be teaching a fabric album class at my LSS in August sometime, I think. I can't wait to share what I've been up to!

Before I go I thought it would be fun to do a little holiday giveaway. A few months ago Denise won my project 12 challenge and a wonderful Upper Crest punch from Fiskars. Unfortunately, at prize shipping time, I could not locate that darn punch ANYWHERE. I had to get her another one.

As luck would have it, the punch has resurfaced, and is ready to make it's place in somebody's home, as I already have one and use it every month. Do you have one? Would you like to add one to your collection? If so, just leave me a comment on this post about your weekend plans. Let's keep it to my US friends this time, okay? I love my international friends but the post office does not love me, lol.

I'll leave the comments open through Sunday and choose a winner bright and early Monday morning. Then I can ship your punch after we are done with swimming lessons.

Sound good?! Have a great weekend! Davinie

8:37
Will you be “teabagging” on July 4th … ?
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: Braindead [edit]

From page one of goggle search “teabagging + July 4″: MSNBC – Politics – Will you be “Teabagging” on July 4th? Groupthink :: View topic – Warning!!! Kapitalisths Tea Bagging … AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: White … Mock, Paper, Scissors » Blog Archive » Pssst… Tea Party protests – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia re. July 4th TEA [...]

8:36
Competition.
» ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

Tags: competition [edit]

Out of curiosity, I started counting the number of competitors I've had in the last 25 years, running up to the first of this year. Not counting current competitors. I came up with a quick 20.

I'm sure I could come up with more with a little thought, but these 20 stuck to my brain enough that when I leafed through the years I remembered them.

Some were more direct competitors than others; but all had some impact on my business, or competed directly with one of my product lines.

This really isn't all that many. I know at one point that Grants Pass, for instance, had something like 12 card shops. For whatever reason, this didn't happen in Bend.

O.K.

First off, I want to make clear that I had little or nothing to do with the demise of the other stores. Competition doesn't work that way.

What happens is that they siphon some of your business away, create business of their own, and then give you back a little when they close. Generally, more inconvenient than brutal.

What caused the demise of all these stores wasn't me, but their own decision-making. Mostly, their decision to open a specialty store in Bend, Oregon.

Sometimes there is enough business in a specialty to warrant a shop, but if there is that much business, then the chain-stores have jumped in, I guarantee you. The chain-stores are responsible for the demise of most small businesses, not competition from other small businesses.

If the specialty is left alone, either it isn't much of a money-maker, or it is a very difficult market to suss. Such as comics.

Mostly, though, all these specialty products, games, toys, cards, books and so on, have popularity arcs and what usually happens is that the specialty store opens toward the top of the arc.

Where the arc settles, however, is a whole nother story.

Wait a minute, you might say, Bend has grown by leaps and bounds. And I'd agree that if you have a specialty that has demand, and the town is growing, you might be successful during your arc.

But it is constantly changing.

My answer was to keep adding product lines, add specialties together, until I had a comfortable range. No one product line accounts for more than about 35% of my business right now, and most are in the 10 to 15% range. It helps smooth the rough spots.

It doesn't make me immune to competition, but it helps.

I always say, a specialty store will always beat me in the short run. Hell, if I was a magic player, I'd probably go to a store where the owner played and gave me a space to play and so on.

But I'm much more comfortable being a generalist. I may not know everything there is to know about any one product line, I may not make all possible sales in one product line, but I have a mix that seems to work.

Hell, at least 3 of the stores were doing a much better job than me when they quit.

But, well, I'm in it for the long run, and I'll adapt to whatever circumstances come around.

8:03
The Fourth of July Parade in Redmond Oregon
» ‎ Barker Bass Blog

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It started last fall when the neighbor hit a root with his aging riding mower. "I can fix it," he said, and he's a resourceful guy. "You'll never find a new shaft for a 20 year old mower," I replied, and I won that one. I was doing figure eights in the driveway when Linda came home from work that day.

Months of effort later, with significant help from my friend JD who furnished the pressure tank and the wand and inspiration, we have the Parade Entry #64

Shooting water was always at the core of the endeavor. Shooting it surreptitiously came later.

The water exits the wand at about 7' from the ground, a few degrees from vertical, meaning it is heading forward. It goes up to about 16 feet then returns to ground about 21 feet downrange.

I can drive the tractor at walking speed, extend my hands sideways, palms up, in an, "I'm totally innocent" sort of gesture and nudge the trigger with my left shoulder and someone may get wet. If I go much faster than walking speed, I get wet, running into my own bullets as it were. Either outcome is good for a laugh.

It will be 90 degrees for the parade. I expect a hero ribbon, but it's more likely a certificate that says "participant."

Total cash outlay for the project--less than $100, including the $50 to get the busted mower in the first place.

My friend Chris has taken his tractor-type mower and made it into a 9 foot long dragster. Photos of that one later.

Time to line up. And try to find a place that's not behind the mounted posse. Or a float with a lot of water-soluble crepe paper.

7:05
July 3 in GO! Magazine
» ‎ Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog

Enclosure: [download | LBL_PLAY]

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Happy Fourth of July, patriot! I know the whole family is going to be hanging out around the grill this weekend, and that inevitably leads to a big, America-centric singalong, with ol’ Uncle Carl leading the way on “The Star-Spangled Banner.” So when you hear Uncle Carl start in with “O say, can you see…” here’s [...]

6:10
ROTFLMAO …
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: Braindead [edit]

watching the local weather just now the happy happy face on tv admonished watchers to “if using legal fireworks be sure to be cautious”… the implication apparently that if using illegal fireworks throw all caution to the wind.

5:34
Style
» ‎ The BF Stop: The Official BIG Folio Blog

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We would like to take a minute to feature one of our very popular Premium designs: Aurora Way. The classic and elegant style of Aurora comes complete with a multitude of can't-miss features and options for further customization. Some of the features included are:
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To see a sample of an Aurora design in action, please click here. For other information on BIG Folio, including additional BF designs and services, feel free to browse our website any time.

AND HAVE A VERY SAFE AND HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND, EVERYONE!

2:49
Nothing to Do in Nowhere
» ‎ The Wandering Eye

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The Eye wandered into Starbucks yesterday morning for my usual cup of coffee and copy of the New York Times. Ahead of me in line was a well-dressed, middle-aged man mid-30s to early 40s, Id guess. For some reason he looked like a lawyer.

1:40
Restaurant Neighbor Award
» ‎ Diner Life

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Five years ago, I was still working for Jake's Truck Stop. I was aware that their was an offer on the business but was being told that it would never happen. With that knowledge, however, I was keeping my eyes open trying to be prepared just in case it did. I often felt back then that I was at the end of a dead end job where I had advanced myself to the highest level possible but that level was not enough to insure Judy and I with a needed future retirement. Try as I may, I could not imagine what was to happen in the coming months let alone years.

Now, less than five years later, I am not only in the position of owning the business that I loved back then but now we have received our second major award in less than two months. The Oregon Restaurant Association's Restaurant Neighbor Award for small business. If you follow that link, it will take you to the press release recently given on the ORA site.

I am not sure who nominated us, but it was first brought to my attention by the area rep for the association a few weeks ago. She asked me to submit some of the various community support that Jake's has done in the past year. I agreed and submitted it and was soon followed up with a telephone from some one within their staff. I didn't give either of those communications much thought and was surprised to receive a letter last week from them.

In the letter, it said that we had won one of the winners of awards from Oregon but not what in particular that we had won. As I read the letter, I was confused as to whether their were many award winners or just one. I read the letter a couple more times and then did some investigation on the computer of previous years and realized that we must have won for one of the categories. The recent press release now clears out just which one.

We will be honored at the awards ceremony at the yearly convention held in Sunriver in late September. But even more exciting is that we are now in the running for the national award that will be given in Washington DC a week prior to. All of the various state winners will be listed in a directory of sorts highlighting all of the winners.

I am truly flattered by this attention and humbled by the thoughts of all of the various people that have had a part in the takeover, subsequent move, and advancement of Jake's in it's present spot. I am truly thankful for each and every one of them, for the various friends that I have met and made in those five years, and for the community that not only helped Jake's survive but helped it flourish in what had been considered the worst location in town.

0:28
What's on your picnic table?
» ‎ High Desert Diva

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Biodegradable partyware available at Branch Home

No more guilt throwing away paper plates & plastic forks. Hooray!

July 02, 2009
23:59
What Happens When You Drop A 50 pound ball of Silly Putty Off A Ten-Story Building?
» ‎ UtterlyBoring.com

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Here's a hint: It doesn't bounce.

23:41
Make a wish [Flickr]
» ‎ Wrongdude

Enclosure: [download]

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carrrrrlos posted a photo:

23:29
Summer Oh.Nine.
» ‎ Until All have Heard

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Seven's Summer Oh.Nine. Tip #1:
Wear sunglasses. Not only do they protect your eyes from harmful UV rays, but if you have a cool nanny who let's you wear her VZ's you might be making a fashion statement...however be advised that when the sunglasses are too big they may tend to fall off, in which case make sure you have a cool nanny who will hold them on for you to ensure protected eyes and a fashion statement.

(please continue to check back for more of Summer Oh.Nine from Seven's point of view!)

22:55
Notes on our San Diego trip
» ‎ chuggnutt.com

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Last week, we went down to San Diego for a quick(ish) trip to visit my brother and his wife. We left Tuesday afternoon after I was off work, drove all day Wednesday, and then returned on Monday—doing the full San Diego to Bend drive in one day. I won't recount the full blow-by-blow here (and I'm blogging my beer notes of the trip on The Brew Site, of course), but just a series of notes, observations, and tidbits.

(A big reason for the visit was because my brother and sister-in-law are expecting their first child this August, and the baby shower was on Saturday. So we couldn't pass up the opportunity.)

At about three and a half hours from Bend, Weed is a town you can't ignore: it's the junction of Highway 97 and Interstate 5, and is the first "real" town you hit in California when traveling down 97. (I'd count Dorris, but that seems more like a truck stop/border crossing than a town.) I find the town fascinating: its population is exactly 3000, it sits in the shadow of Mt. Shasta, and in many ways it's the gateway to Northern California.

And it's like Bend in several ways: it had its start as a lumber town, has a similar climate and the same elevation, and now derives a good portion of its economy from (mountain) tourism. What little I've seen of it—besides the fast food restaurants and gas stations marking it as an Interstate connector—seems charming and picturesque.

Tuesday night we stayed in Anderson, California (just south of Redding) at the Gaia Anderson hotel. Even though it was just a waypoint on the trip, it was actually quite a nice place for a really good price. It's new and built to "green" specs—energy efficient, with water conservation in mind, and organic and health-conscious. And it's just off the freeway, which was convenient.

The drive that first afternoon—Bend to Anderson/Redding—took us about 4 hours and 45 minutes. The next day, we drove about 11 hours through to San Diego, hitting rush hour Los Angeles traffic and losing about an hour and half to it.

I completely hate Los Angeles traffic. And that pretty much mars the whole city for me.

Driving through central California, south of Sacramento on that long, lonely stretch of I-5, is long, tedious, and a bit depressing. Desert and failed agriculture, with communities that only seem to have sprung up to service the Interstate. How people can live there is beyond me.

And it's crazy hot, from Redding on down; on our return trip, it was 105 degrees in Redding! At one point the kids wanted to open the windows so I let them briefly. It was like opening an oven door.

After Wednesday, we were in San Diego four full days before returning on Monday. It was a great trip, and the weather—which had been forecasted to be 70 and overcast the entire time—actually turned out sunny, clear, and nicely hot (but not too hot).

Which was a good thing, because Friday we hit the beach and had a great day—the water is cool but much warmer than the Oregon Coast, so we were able to actually, you know, go in it. My brother and I spent most of the time out in the surf, while I kept an eye on the kids and the women stayed on the beach. At one point I was far enough out so that when a wave crashed over me—intentionally—I couldn't touch bottom. That was a bit spooky.

Sunday we all went to the San Diego Zoo. Something like 16 of us total. It was a bit chaotic, but a good day. And it was hot—the hottest day in San Diego since we arrived. There were several sunburned people to show for it.

Interesting fact I learned (but didn't personally verify): apparently the Howard Johnson on Hotel Circle has a lifesize Hulk Hogan statue in the lobby.

As much as I dislike Los Angeles, I like San Diego. The big negatives are (obviously) the traffic and the urban sprawl; everything is very spread out, along freeways, and tuned to the stripmall. Something might be "just across the freeway" but to cross it you might have to jump on, exit a mile down the road, loop around and cross another exchange just to get there. But for that, it's appealing and likable. And of course, it's a great beer town.

Not much to say about the Monday drive home except that we went straight through (stopping only for gas, bathroom breaks, and fast food), and made it in 14.5 hours. We left at about 7:30 in the morning and were home by about 10 that night. The kids held up remarkably well, better than I hoped. So it's doable—but I'm not sure I'd want to do it again.

Although you do save money if you don't stay overnight...

20:59
2/62
» ‎ Our journey to Paige

Tags: [edit]

Woke up in a great mood!

Wore "piggys" for maybe 5 minutes

Going for a ride tonight with Coop.

I have decided that I will begin each daily post with " I love it when"....there are many things that P says or does that make my day but somethings are super special.

I love it when..... Paige say's " I wuv oooh momma" without any prompting

Some facts:

Age: 2 yrs & 3mo
Weight: 23.4 lbs
Height: 36 in.
Favorite food (today) McDonald's french fries
Favorite "thing": Still loves Brown Bear
Favorite Show: It's a tie between Kai Lan and Little Einsteins
Words: Too many to name
Counting to: 15

20:48
San Diego beer notes: Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing
» ‎ The Brew Site

Tags: Breweries [edit]

Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing is another mainstay of the San Diego brewing scene, one I’ve reviewed before and visited several times now (each visit to San Diego we go there). In fact, Oggi’s is a chain of brewpubs, with a ton of locations. This time around, we visited two.

The first was the Point Loma pub where we had an impromptu lunch. This one is a pretty typical sports bar, with their house beers on tap. I had the Sunset Amber Ale with lunch (a pizza, naturally), which has a nice infusion of (San Diego) hoppiness with a typical American Amber malt base.

The other Oggi’s we visited was for dinner and my brother’s main haunt: the Mission Valley location. This one’s a gem of the Oggi’s (although admittedly, this is the only one I’ve been to—multiple times—other than the Point Loma lunch visit so I may not know what I’m talking about), a sports bar/pizzeria with a very small arcade in the back.

The first beer I had was one I didn’t dare pass up: a Double IPA (of course) called Ultimate IPA. Seriously, with a name like that, I had to drink it, right? 9.8% alcohol, with big hops. I don’t think I’d call it the “Ultimate” out of all the other San Diego Pale Ales out there, but it was tasty and went down too easy.

Two other beers on tap caught my eye: their Imperial Pilsner and their Nit Wit. I had a taster of each and ultimately ordered a pint of the Nit Wit.

The Imperial Pilsner is pretty much what you’d expect: a 9+ percent alcohol Pilsner. It was okay, but too hot/sharp in the alcohol I thought. There’s not a whole lot you can do with a Pilsner if you’re going “Imperial”, in my opinion; a good Pils stands on its own.

The Nit Wit was pretty good—a Belgian Witbier, as you’d expect, very cloudy and very nicely spiced with the coriander and orange peel. (And, frankly, a nice break from the hop bombs.) I thought Oggi’s did a really good job with it.

Dinner was also very good: BBQ pulled pork sandwich. I don’t care what you’re drinking, pulled pork goes well with anything.

Good work, Oggi’s.
20:31
San Diego beer notes: San Diego Brewing
» ‎ The Brew Site

Tags: Breweries [edit]

Our first night in San Diego last week we visited San Diego Brewing for dinner and beer. SD Brewing is a favorite of my brother’s, and—like Stone Brewing—they offer an impressive taplist of beers as well as their own house beers. I’ve reviewed them before, back in 2004 (wow, five years already…), and I don’t have an extensive review this time, just several thoughts and observations.

I had two beers there: their own Old Town Nut Brown, and then an Alpine Pure Hoppiness. Also like Stone, there’s an impressive array of other San Diego-area breweries on tap. The brewing scene down there is tight.

(A quick note to Alpine Brewing: a website that suddenly blasts sounds at you—not so cool.)

The Nut Brown was very good, I thought. A bit sweet, nicely nutty with caramel and a touch of roastiness. It also bucks the general San Diego trend of massively-hopped beers.

…which of course is what Pure Hoppiness is all about. The other San Diego beer staple: the Double IPA. (Or “San Diego Pale Ale”.) Nice big hoppy kick in the teeth.

Wednesday night is also Wing Night; chicken wings are available in quantity for some absurdly low price like 10 cents or 40 cents a wing or something. They’re good, too; my brother ordered a basket and I had a couple. My own dinner was the French dip sandwich, which was okay but not great; I could’ve used more au jus and there was a lot of bread.

Overall, I give them good marks, especially for the huge taplist. Of course, it makes it hard to decide what to order!

20:17
Coming Soon…
» ‎ Ethni Photography

Tags: general Life [edit]

Lots of new and exciting things are coming very soon! The first is the launch of the newly re-branded photography site:

Piggy backing on that will be the launch of our new signature albums! Combine a wide variety of size and cover options that guarantee a match with your unique personality, with all of your favorite photographs from your session, and it’s an instant ticket on the love train! I just received my studio sample this afternoon and, if it was possible to have a crush on an inanimate object, I would.

Also coming as a result of the launch of the newly re-branded site are super yummy welcome packets custom designed by yours truly. I just ordered all the materials last night. In the meantime, I keep looking at my mock-up and get giddy every time it pops up on my screen. And rhinestones will be involved. That’s just icing on the cake! Here’s hoping they look as good in the final product as they do on screen. Luckily I ordered a small number initially to save me if they don’t turn out just right. And, let’s be honest, I’ll want to change it up pretty often. I’m indecisive like that.

Finally, one last preview for you: a peek at the new landing page for our our custom photography blogs website that’s being designed as we speak.

Lots of new and exciting things on the horizon. If everything goes according to plan, it will all be launched in the next few weeks. Keep an eye out!

19:50
OK, So I'm Probably Missing Something Here...
» ‎ The Grumpy Forester

Tags: [edit]

...but I really - no, seriously, REALLY - don't think that the idea of assessing fines of "more than $1,000" to people who don't choose to have medical insurance is a very good idea. Don't misunderstand; I think everybody should have medical insurance, but that thought leads me to the idea of 'single payer' rather than 'slap a fine on your shiney butt for not having insurance'...

Like I said, however, I may be missing something here...

I will confess that my Central Idaho upbringing has tinged my liberal viewpoint with a certain libertarian coloration, which isn't all that surprising given the cultural insistence where I grew up that you simply didn't mess in other people's lives. To me, the ideal of progressive beliefs is founded in the principle that people should be left alone to make their own decisions. That's the basis if my support for same-sex unions, a woman's right to control those most personal decisions about the fate of her body, and a whole host of other issues. That long-held philosophy is couched in personal choice and responsibility writ large, in a way that on reflection looks disturbingly a lot more like the old-school conservative/libertarian mindset that surrounded me in my formative years than the strange, controlling place that the modern brand of Republic/Fascist conservatism has tried to take us...

I'm still trying to work through all of this, but I realize that the idea of requiring individuals to have medical insurance was one of Obama's campaign planks. I didn't agree with that idea at the time (there's that Idaho thing cropping up). I don't agree now with the idea of penalties for those who don't have medical insurance; and I would really hope that somebody could come up with a better example of why this is "A Good Thing" than a comparison to state-mandated auto insurance....

That comparison simply doesn't work. State-mandated minimum auto insurance requirements are generally limited to liability coverage for the sole purpose of guaranteeing that somebody else will have recourse to monetary recovery if I screw up while behind the wheel and cause harm to them in the subsequent accident. Mandated auto insurance is all about protecting you from me, even though I am paying for it. Mandated medical insurance is all about...well, I suppose its about protecting me from me...or from the world...or from my decades-long failure to wash my hands before eating lunch, or from some other bad health thing that might be facing me...

Mandated auto insurance is all about fault and recovery; Obama's campaign thoughts and this particular bill appear to be about forcing people to sign up for a health care choice or pay a fine for the consequences of not having made that choice. At this first glance, that looks like the exact opposite of anything actually resembling either a 'single payer' system or a 'pubic option' insofar as those medical coverage choices are understood. More to the point, the whole idea that American citizens will be fined for failing to sign up for some specific medical insurance plan will provide fuel for just about any 'Socialist/Communist/Fascist "control your life"' commercial that Republicans could ever dream of running in next year's Congressional elections. Selecting health care options - or actually choosing not to have a health care option for reasons having nothing to do with affordability - is a supremely personal choice, and mandating punishment for not having made a selection is not going to sell well in a lot of places...

But I'm probably missing something here. It's happened before...

19:49
Power to Change the World: Alternative Energy and the Rise of the Solar City (Paperback)
» ‎ Solar Power -- Green Energy

Tags: [edit]

After WWII, in a memoir entitled “The Gathering Storm,” Churchill described the buildup to war in terms that evoke uncomfortable comparisons. Today, the palpable sense of another storm gathering demands attention as the sources of instability, once underestimated, reach the headlines. But something crucially different underlies this new threat, something not seen before. While we have previously faced the growing popularity of utopian, totalitarian ideologies with global aspiratio (more…)

18:15
Helens
» ‎ Ride For Your Life

Tags: [edit]

Last week a big contingent from Bend packed up and headed to the Mt St. Helens area for a few days of mountain biking and camping. It was PERFECT weather and I had a really fun time. I lived in Washington when the volcano blew back in 1980 but I was a little girl and was amazed at how much things had grown back. The trails were very different from Bend and we enjoyed the variety of terrain.

Mt St Helens big and bold.

That's the trail along the ridgeline!

That's Mt Adams in the background.

17:41
Jenny Lewis – Black Sand
» ‎ Trading for the Masses

Tags: Trading [edit]

She can sing to me anytime, anytime. She’s the real deal! more about " Jenny Lewis – Black Sand", posted with vodpod Posted in Trading
17:27
Animated Moby Interviews Himself
» ‎ Trading for the Masses

Tags: Trading [edit]

Can’t fault Moby for being innovative and at least trying new things to sell his product. Fantastic Marketer! more about "Animated Moby Interviews Himself ", posted with vodpod Posted in Trading

17:22
More on drugs in the US
» ‎ disturbing the comfortable

Tags: [edit]

A followup on that excerpt yesterday (from The Huffington Post)—a news story today out of Seattle reported a large of number of arrests of a meth smuggling and distribution ring operating out of Jalisco, Mexico. Aye, Jalisco, as the song goes... As the US cracked down on the marketing of ingredients for manufacturing meth here in the States, the Mexican drug cartels saw an opportunity to expand their product line. The result has been that the distribution of meth has become an international opportunity.
I would think that any free market-worshipping Rethugnican would have foreseen this. I mean, Jesus, you actually think shutting down the domestic supply will eliminate the demand? No, obviously it didn't, any more than Prohibition kept people from drinking. There seems to be an inability to learn from history involved in all this. Tobacco, coffee, opiates—just because you rearrange the marketing pattern doesn't mean you suppress the demand.
A few years ago I went to "Meth Summit" here in Bend. This was when the big push against domestic meth was on. Easy to remember: daily news stories about the horrors of the drug, how easy it was to make, bust after bust of small meth labs. Don't get me completely wrong, I think it is a bad drug; I've used it on occasion over the years, and the price of the high seemed way out of proportion to the quality of the euphoria. The quality deteriorated as well: the last time I took any, twenty-plus years ago, it tasted like something you might consider using to clear out a septic tank. Anyhow, the drug-of-the-year-hype rolled on, and here in Bend we got a "Meth Summit." The big push was to have all employees, in all businesses, randomly tested for drug use. I had the impression that all right-thinking Americans would go volunteer to be tested, too. That way, we were told, drug abusers would be forced out of employment. What a swell idea!
Except...that would raise the crime rate, since people need money to buy drugs. Hmm. Well, maybe if they all got busted and put in prison they'd get clean? Hmm. I guess it would improve the job market, at least for people who wanted to be prison guards... And, of course, we need to consider the number of deaths from meth overdoses vs. the number of deaths from tobacco use.

17:19
Kids These Day Have It So Easy
» ‎ UtterlyBoring.com

Tags: Cool [edit]

Forcing them to carry around a Walkman instead of their iPod will humble them a bit.
When the Sony Walkman was launched, 30 years ago this week, it started a revolution in portable music. But how does it compare with its digital successors? The Magazine invited 13-year-old Scott Campbell to swap his iPod for a Walkman for a week.
17:16
This Movie Seems Familiar
» ‎ UtterlyBoring.com

Tags: Funny [edit]

This guy makes a great argument for Star Wars, Star Trek, The Matrix, and Harry Potter actually being the same movie.

16:55
Ménage à Twang sing “Listen Sister, Don’t Date a Hipster” -
» ‎ Trading for the Masses

Tags: Trading [edit]

You trendy boys need to wisen up, these girls are on to you! more about "Ménage à Twang sing "Listen Sister, D…", posted with vodpod Posted in Trading

16:29
Reads this week …
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: g'da said [edit]

Howard Zinn, People’s History of the United States, 1492 to Present (re-read) Simson Garfinkel, Database Nation, The Death of Privacy in the 21st Century John Robb, Brave New War, The Next Stage of Terrorism and the End of Globalization Geoffrey Nunberg, The Years of Talking Dangerously, a collection of NPR Fresh Air commentaries. I ask of those in particular [...]

16:22
Full circle
» ‎ The Ardent Thread's Weblog

Tags: News [edit]

The complicated dance of having three (somewhat cranky) generations crammed under one roof has taken a new turn as I move my bed into Mom’s old studio. Three decades of craft supplies, unfinished projects, patterns, equipment, photos and books are being boxed up and moved out of the way, at least for now. I’ll be [...]

16:03
Don’t get all excited …
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: Oregon [edit]

you can’t smoke it: Oregon legalizes hemp cultivation.

15:44
Great Lake Swimmers- Pulling on a Line
» ‎ Trading for the Masses

Tags: Trading [edit]

Pulling on a line, their new stuff is fantastic out of GLS!! Listen up and listen often! more about "Great Lake Swimmers- Pulling on a Line", posted with vodpod Posted in Trading

15:05
The Golden Age
» ‎ Nugget Newspaper Blog

Tags: [edit]

I love the ’30s.

It was, in so many ways a terrible time. The rise of fascism and National Socialism, Stalin’s purges, the Great Depression. W.H. Auden called it a “low, dishonest decade” and there’s no arguing with that. So what’s to love?

Man, they had had style.

Men dressed — including the omnipresent fedora. None of this going out to dinner in a tank top and flip flops. Women went for whatever glamour they could afford and their style has never been matched.

Has there ever been a meaner piece of machinery than a Thompson submachine-gun? And the pistol hit the extent of its necessary development with the Colt 1911 .45 automatic — it’s all decadence from there.

A big American car in basic black — what else could you possibly desire?

People traveled on trains and there are no more romantic words than “the night train to...”

American music was going through one of its periods of massive creativity, with the jazz age effortlessly moving into the age of swing, and the movies were entering a golden era. Hemingway was at the peak of his powers, with no signs of his decline into a drunken parody of himself.

Michael Mann’s vision of the 1930s comes alive on the screen in “Public Enemies.” Maybe it’s weird to feel nostalgic for times long gone before your own, but it’s not an uncommon malady among history geeks.

All I know is that I sat in front of the Sisters Movie House screen last night and wished I could crawl right through it and straight into 1933, hard times and all.

See a review of "Public Enemies" at [www.nuggetnews.com] .
Jim Cornelius, Editor

14:48
The Hope Road Trip
» ‎ Buzz By Annie's

Tags: [edit]

The Hope Road Trip

14:13
Download a new song from Mosley Wotta
» ‎ Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog

Enclosure: [download | LBL_PLAY]

Tags: [edit]

Local hip-hoppers Mosley Wotta and Cloaked Characters are teaming up to release an eight-song split CD at Bendistillery Martini Bar’s big Fourth of July party on Saturday, and they were both nice enough to hook Frequency readers up with a preview track for free download. Cool, right? I know! You can snag the Cloaked Characters song [...]

13:30
Jeff Goldblum Is Dead
» ‎ UtterlyBoring.com

Tags: Funny [edit]

He said so himself.

Also, he's watching you poop.

13:07
Further thoughts on wasps
» ‎ Arabella's Garden

Tags: [edit]

Spirit Creek Farm: Living With Wasps
I love this post on my friend Jackie's blog. Her intention to live in peace with her garden companions accords with my own. My mother, too, was unafraid of wasps, spiders and other insect-type creatures. She could pick up bees and cradle them in the palm of her hand, and was never stung. She rescued spiders inside the house, and carried them outside with her bare hands. On the other hand, she was terrified of snakes, to the point that she wouldn't allow any of us kids to own even a white rat, because the tail reminded her of a snake. She later relented and allowed my brother to keep a white rat in a cage OUTSIDE the house, in the side yard where she didn't often go.

Perhaps in an unconsciously contrary reaction to my mother's behavior, I was terrified of all insects, particularly spiders. When I started gardening on my own, I began with the intention to garden organically. This meant I had to decide how to act and think about 'bugs' in a different, more tolerant way. Spiders were clearly among the good guys, and I gradually changed my attitude and behavior towards them.

I suspect if I lived in a place where, say, tarantulas were roaming around loose in the neighborhood, I would not have mellowed as I have in the intervening years. I'm sorry, but that's too damned big for anything with that many legs. Apparently my positive attitude of acceptance and peaceful co-existence has a size limit when it comes to spiders. Other than that, I'm pretty ok with most other bugs, though I have aat best only an uneasy truce with ants.

And here in the dry high desert, we don't really have many bothersome or dangerous insects, either in the garden or in the outdoor world in general. That being said, I will confess that I've been out at night several times in the past week, trying to figure out who is gnawing my newly-sprouted beans down to pitiful little nubbins. Hmmmmmm. Apparently my positive attitude of acceptance and peaceful co-existence also has a requirement for non-competition for food crops of a favorite beanal kind.

13:00
In honor of Independence Day...
» ‎ Official Shade Clothing Blog

Tags: [edit]

Have a Happy 4th of July!
Wishing you a great weekend, be safe and we'll see you back here on Monday! Don't forget to take advantage of the Star Spangled Shade Sale, ending on Sunday.

ShadeClothing.com

12:48
Leg Massage Leaves Me Shaken
» ‎ Jack and Mrs. Elliott Move to Bend

Tags: [edit]

As my reader knows, my old war-wound ankle blew out at the beginning of May and I had surgery on it at the beginning of June. The overall pain level is beginning to drop and I'm feeling more human these days, although it won't be before September that I'll be allowed to put even the slightest amount of weight on it.

It saddens me to know how long this recovery is going to be.

After so much trauma I felt that my poor leg and foot needed some TLC. For a couple of weeks now I've been running my fingers over my foot and ankle, and lightly pressing in, finding the most amazing knots and bumps and tender spots, ligaments stretched as thin and tight as piano strings, and other neglected or shocky areas. Quite spooky, actually.

So yesterday, while Mrs Elliott was shopping banks (her former bank, WaMu, with whom she has enjoyed a long and adequate banking relationship, was acquired by Chase and has turned to crap), I was dropped off at a local physical therapy shop to pay someone who knows their onions when it comes to legs and feet to give my right leg and foot a half hour of expert massage.

It was an unexpectedly difficult experience. Because of the intense pain caused by the slightest jar or bump, I've been protecting the area for two months. I've babied it and guarded it from the slightest insult. To let someone handle it felt very dangerous! I was nearly unable to relax, I kept tensing up, expecting pain.

For 30 minutes I had to let someone into the Don't Touch zone.

And there was a little pain, especially when she was working on muscle and ligament knots, but she was very careful and gentle with the surgery site itself. She worked only as hard as she felt my sore bits could tolerate.

When she was done I was shaken. I mean, physically shaking, sweat beaded on my forehead -- rattled is the word my father would have used.

I'm going back, though. I reckon that anything I can do to send "healing vibes" to my abused limb is going to make the overall recovery process more tolerable.

"Keep clenching your toes," the therapist said. "Because of the ankle fusion, your calf muscles have no work to do and they will atrophy. When those muscles work normally, they help pump blood through your leg and foot and keep them from swelling. Clenching your toes works some of the smaller muscles in your calf, and they will have to do the work."

Afterward, we had originally planned to go to the farmer's market at Drake park, but I was so drained that going home and eating some nice cool watermelon sounded more appealing.

In related homebound news, I wish we had a view from our house of Pilot Butte for this 4th. I loves the fireworks.

And, on the cookie front, I received a personal comment about my mention of Hydrox cookies in my last post from someone who I consider a friend and teacher. She, too, remembers Hydrox cookies fondly. Hydrox have been off the market for years and I've been trying to find a suitable replacement. I have tried Tuxedos and the supermarket's "O" (organics) brand, and have found them to be too sweet, the cookie parts too soft -- like Oreos, a cookie more suitable for children than for a grown man.

When I was a kid, my mother asked the family if anyone wanted milk and Oreos. My uncle (her brother) cattily responded, "Oreos? Oh, you mean the ones that are almost as good as Hydrox?"

An interesting article about the demise of the cookie that I, and others, consider to be superior to Oreos is here.

12:38
Hello Summer
» ‎ Diary of 1

Tags: [edit]

Hello Summer! We’re done being sick and we are ready to enjoy this beautiful world. I’m listening to Little L read a book to himself, I’m feeling anticipation about the days ahead, I’m smelling the fresh garden dirt, and I’m seeing a clear blue sky out the window.

Today, I need to accomplish: cleaning all the bathrooms, vacuuming the upstairs hall and guest room, washing about five loads of laundry, and supervising the kids’ chores. I have a visit from Elisabeth today, the gal who arranges the French Exchange Program. I’m also expecting a friend from out of town to stop by on her way through to Idaho.

What’s on your plate today? Many blessings to you as we head into a celebration of Independence this weekend!

12:01
I shared it on NPR
» ‎ The Debut Effect

Tags: [edit]

One of my favorite brands, National Public Radio (NPR) offers a great example of how to integrate new practices and respond to cultural changes. Their social strategy includes numerous podcast offerings, twitter, facebook and their own social network. Many of the NPR correspondents have personal twitter feeds and incorporation of tweets is increasingly common on programs such as Science Friday.

Mashable recently spotlighted the public radio station in their post 'Why NPR is the Future of Mainstream Media' detailing their commitment to hyperlocal reporting.

With the rise in citizen journalism it is increasingly important to have a commons, a trusted source for many to get their news. NPR has maintained a standard of journalistic integrity that continually impresses me. I have heard claims of liberal bias and others concerned that there may be a push to become increasingly conservative but personally, the trust I have invested in NPR remains well intact.

Efforts to extend opportunities for spreadability are enhanced with their offerings of customized podcasts. By embracing interactivity, NPR maintains cultural relevance. The old "I heard it on NPR" may just become "I shared it on NPR" a true sign of the times.
Posted via email from TBD Blog

11:12
Pigeons and Planes: Video! Drake – “Best I Ever Had”
» ‎ Trading for the Masses

Tags: Trading [edit]

Have a great 4th all, and be safe out there. Market’s will be back next week> unless we can get over 938 on a close the top may be until we test 820-800 one time. more about "Pigeons and Planes: Video! Drake – "B…", posted with vodpod Posted [...]

11:06
[nt]
» ‎ Tyler Roemer Photography Blog

Tags: [edit]

10:31
If “news”papers would stop lying …
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: Oregon [edit]

maybe they wouldn’t be having their asses handed to them.

9:14
Kids comics
» ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

Tags: kid comics [edit]

I don't see it. I must say. I don't see kids reading comics.

But you know, I keep reading postings from other comic retailers that seem to imply that they are selling comics to kids.

So, yesterday, I went over the the Marvel and DC sections in my store and pulled a copy of every issue of every comic that had an "All-Ages" designation, and took them over to the children's book section.

I think I came up with a grand total of about 15 comics. Out of the hundreds of current titles I carry.

I have to say, even I was shocked.

It's obvious that Marvel and DC have given up on the kids. Or have the kids given up on comics? (There were quite a few comics with the PG-13 designation, which is O.K. for older kids, but I didn't pull those...)

I didn't even bother with the independents section of the store, because other than 'kids' designated graphic novels, there aren't any. And these 'kids' books are quite obviously created to be sold in regular bookstores.

I wonder how that's going?

None of this was supposed to happen. But because of huge problems in the distribution realm, the collapse of the newstand/drugstore/grocery store link, the comic bubble pop of the mid-90's that wiped out every distributer but one and wiped out all but about 3000 comic outlets (from a high of 12,000), the comics slowly wandered out of the public consciousness.

I know. I know.

Movies.

Big deal.

I counted this time. I counted exactly how many extra Batman, (second highest grossing film of all time), Hulk, Wolverine and Iron Man monthly comics I sold in the months proceeding, during and following the release of the big movies.

None. Zero. Nada.

Not one extra comic. If I was selling 20 Batman comics before the movie came out, I was selling 20 Batman comics after the movie came out. (Maybe 18). How many of you left the theater and went looking for the comic?

That's what I thought. None of you.

9:10
Peaceful
» ‎ Violaceous

Tags: [edit]

Being peaceful...I'm working on it. I just love the color of those eggs, don't you? We have a local lady that delivers fresh eggs from her chickens every other week.

8:50
Solar air heater: Mounts on any sunny wall, turning solar energy into free heat for your home (Rodale plans) (Paperback)
» ‎ Solar Power -- PV Panels

Tags: [edit]

No description for this product could be found, but have a look over at Amazon for reviews and other information.

8:28
Vacation Rental Website Data
» ‎ Bill's Blog

Tags: [edit]

Want to get some idea of what your competition is doing in the area of vacation rental internet marketing? Look no further than SpyFu.com. This is an information-rich site that will tell you who is spending more on internet advertising, daily ad budget, clicks per day - you name it. SpyFu, formerly GoogSpy, collects data from search engines, Alexa, Dmoz, Wikipedia, and other sources. Check it out.

8:25
I've almost pushed that rock to the top of the hill....
» ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

Tags: Diversity [edit]

I feel as though I have most everything in the store that I want to have in the store, or that I think I should have in the store.

If I don't have it, I probably haven't heard of it, or I've not thought of it yet, or I don't basically want it.

Oh, sure. Who wouldn't like to have multiple copies, who wouldn't want to fill every tiny little possible hole. But....you know? I've almost done that.

Anyone who has ever had a store will know what a BIG STATEMENT that is. I spent years apologizing for how little I had, years more trying to get to adequate supplies, years more trying to get above average. Years more adding new product lines and starting the whole process all over again.

So, to actually GET THERE, is pretty amazing.

I'm not saying I have every possible seller. But I do have the mix of product I've been striving for. Lovingly handpicked. So that I have the best chance in my opinion of selling something to the broad mix of customers who come in the door. Part of that feeling is from experience, part from cold, hard data, but mostly it's intuition.

I have always had a nagging feeling that one area of my store or another is missing important components. For the first time, the nagging feeling is gone, and I have a sense of completeness. I know that it is temporary, but!...... I may be able to keep up from here. Instead of constantly playing catchup.

I don't have everything, but I've got a good solid selection in every category, which is really all I can do. It's impossible to have everything.

The book world, for instance, is endless. (I just read that 275,000 titles were printed last year.) Just look at Powell's.

But that was never my goal. I wanted a very good selection of good books; I wanted certain authors and genres covered. I wanted my favorites, and I wanted a constant flow of intriguing titles. I've got that covered.

So, yeah. It's pretty much there. I never thought I'd say that.

What's interesting is, I think 99% of the potential customers of the type of material I'm covering would find something to like. It's turned my job from trying to convince someone to buy something else LIKE what they wanted, to actually trying to help them FIND what they wanted.

I've tried to fill the nooks and crannies of material that either dismissed or overlooked by the big chain stores. I think nerd culture is wide, but shallow. That's counter-intuitive, since being a nerd implies a deep and strong attachment to a narrow pop culture niche.

Still, I think 'cult' favorite is just another way of saying, 'not quite popular with the average consumer.'

It actually took another 2 product lines to finally get me to a place where I feel the sales have smoothed out. New books and games. New books is, in fact, a mass market product, but I can sell it in a niche-y way. The equivalent of a small music store selling vinyl records.

In a sense, it is the fulfillment of my business plan. There are going to be plenty of people who think I'm not doing a good job of keeping in what they want: for instance, there are many comic customers who don't think a store is any good without an extensive back-stock, without graded comics, without collector rarities. There are plenty of game customers who don't think a store is any good without a playspace. There are plenty of sport card customers who don't think a store is any good without superstars and newer singles and graded cards. There are plenty of book customers who would don't think a store is any good without an extensive selection of non-fiction.

For reasons to many and varied to go into here, I decided not to do those things. I chose a different path.

And for the path I chose, the store is pretty much caught up.

Having twice as much of the same kind of stuff I currently have wouldn't make much difference, at this point. Kind of like the Star Trek guy who proclaimed "You don't have anything," and after he left I counted over 100 separate units of S.T. So, am I to believe that having 200 units would change his attitude?

What he was really saying was, "You don't have the particular item I was looking for," which is a completely different thing.

No one will ever have everything that anyone could possibly be looking for....right?

So in every category of product I currently carry, I've got the 80% or more of the stuff an interested party would be interested in. The other 20% stretches to infinity..................................................................................................AND BEYOND!

8:20
Recipes by CK: Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
» ‎ Official Shade Clothing Blog

Tags: [edit]

It's pretty much 4th of July weekend already and I don't know about you, but I plan to eat and BBQ and relax and dance to Michael Jackson all weekend long with my family. I was thinking what I could make my family this weekend, and this is the perfect treat for adults and kids. It's a serious explosion of peanut butter and that bit of jam hits the salty/sweet spot.

1 cup butter, softened, plus more for preparing pan
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for preparing pan
1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 & 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 & 1/2 cups strawberry jam (or other flavor)
1 cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9x 13 baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

Beat butter and sugar together on medium speed of an electric mixer. Mix for about 2 minutes, until fluffy. Add eggs and peanut butter, and beat about 2 minutes or until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Add to butter mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add vanilla and mix.

Transfer two-thirds of dough to pan and spread evenly. Spread jam on top of dough. Crumble remaining dough on top of jam. Sprinkle with peanuts. (I omit peanuts and don't use all of the rest for the topping. I like a little more jam to peanut butter ratio.)

Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until golden. Rotate pan half-way through baking. Tent loosely with foil if bars are getting too dark.

Cool on a wire rack. Run a knife around the edges to loosen. Refrigerate 1-2 hours. Cut into bars and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes about 3 dozen bars.

(From the Martha Stewart's Cookies cookbook.)

7:58
all in its place
» ‎ Berlin's Whimsy

Tags: [edit]

My daughter created this little map. Within, she illustrated a layout of her own personal village where those that are important to her live close-by. She enjoys doing this: creating lists of friends, understanding her heritage, asking about her ancestors. It all needs to be in its place. Perhaps it is a form of security in trying to understand her own little slice of this vast world. I can imagine with all the changes in her life over the last couple years, these little illustrations help to put it in some form of perspective.
Don't we all desire perspective, though? To understand where we've been and where we're going? I know I do. I thought about this and I thought about the way my daughter handled it, drawing her own little map. Perhaps she's onto something----illustrating our own personal dream village. A village encompassing all that you love and that loves you in return. What a wonderful vision!

And sometimes I think our chickens might even need a little of this perspective---- especially when they peer through our windows so longingly, waiting for us to come and tuck them in for another night in their little coop.
Maybe we all need to have a place for everything and everyone. All in its place.

7:51
I'm a True Blood fan.
» ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

Tags: True blood [edit]

If network T.V. wants to know why it's losing audience, they need look no further than True Blood, which has been even better this year than last year so far.

It's got sex and violence and all around ickiness. But also very sophisticated story telling. It is in no way formulaic. There are twists and turns and surprises every week.

It doesn't make the concept of vampirism romantic. It's very viscerally done. Blood and juices all over the place. No simping teenagers here. There are some very morally complex issues being played out.

The characters are portrayed going down some very doubtful paths. But the writers keep giving them little moments of insight where they realize they're going wrong, and almost -- almost but not quite -- pull back. Very skillful writing.

The new young vampire girl is a great character. The actress is terrific. The little look she gives when she realizes that her "master" isn't home and the way she sashays into the tavern and the way she jumps all over her new, equally innocent love interest (a fellow who has been in the background since the beginning of last year avoiding all temptation until he takes one look at her....) was a hoot.

True Blood has become my 'event' show; the show I never miss.

6:44
Looking northward toward the BC mainland from ...
» ‎ The gr8ful grind

Tags: [edit]

Looking northward toward the BC mainland from Cortes Island, BC, Canada. Posed April 22, 2005.

6:33
7 2 09 $ES Trading
» ‎ Trading for the Masses

Tags: Trading [edit]

The Green POOPS jobless recovery continues as we lost another 470k in June, greater than expected. Obama will have to deal with real issues soon as the financial reengineering magic just ain’t cutting it for the regular joe who can’t afford his over priced home and car payments aren’t being met and yet, he [...]

6:16
Jobless report …
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: McMansion [edit]

It’s Thursday and it’s jobless report day: 614,000 new claims, 467,000 net jobs lost in June, official rate at 9.5%. Bend weighs in as the third largest jobloss rate in the country with an official rate of 15.3%. Measured by the far more accurate U6 and therefore unpopular with the smiling faces on tv indicator that [...]

5:00
best ever.
» ‎ Tangled and True

Tags: [edit]

If you're looking for the best chocolate chip cookies you've ever had, then I have a recipe for you! Seriously.. so good, and if you use guittard chocolate chips, oh man, you'll be in heaven. Disagree? Send me your recipe and prove me wrong.

3:44
Galway City
» ‎ Occidental Tourist

Tags: [edit]

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present your American representative in Ireland:

I bought a coffee, checked out of the B&B in Salthill, and promptly spilled some coffee on my shirt. This was how I arrived in Galway city. Uncle Sam would be so proud.

I had several hours before I could check in to student housing in Corrib Village, so I decided to tourist it up and take pictures.

Eyre Square (pronounced "air" like Jane Eyre) is the center of the city. It has a park, Kennedy Park, so named because JFK gave a speech here only months before his assassination.

Walking around is easy. Galway is not too large so that you get lost, but leave it to me to get pretty close.

I wandered the streets near Eyre Square, slowly familiarizing myself concentrically. Streets are not so much laid in a grid system, rather, on an ancient behind-the-city-walls, whatever works kind of way.

These flags display the names of prominant western families of old.

I don't think anyone noticed my coffee shirt. At least, no one pointed and laughed. They might have been laughing on the inside, though.

I predict many Euros will be dropped here:

And, quite possibly sprinkled throughout the shops here:

2:55
Breedlove Guitars Video Tour
» ‎ The Blender

Tags: [edit]

Do you ever wonder how a guitar is made? We think about stuff like that...pretty much all the time. And that's why we toured the Breedlove Guitars factory here in Bend to check out how exactly a world-class instrument is constructed. Follow us along on a video tour... Video edited by Anne Pick

1:19
News
» ‎ Red Carpets, Saw Dust & DC Insiders

Tags: Media Lizzy [edit]

Greetings everyone…. Please visit me at the new MediaLizzy.com – I will continue to write here, as will our contributors – but I’m taking on some new challenges. More in depth writing on women’s equality, Africa, FGM, moral hypocrisy in politics, and national security. The site is up and running but needs a few tweaks. My coverage [...]

0:56
Funky photoshoot
» ‎ High Desert Diva

Tags: [edit]

I found this image from a 1960's photoshoot in the LA Times, which led me to the photographer's site.

So many wonderful images. Take a few minutes to view these visual masterpieces.

~~~~~~~
Theme Thursday = Funky

funky (fuŋ′kē)SLANG unconventional, eccentric, offbeat, etc.

July 01, 2009
23:51
Oregon Craft Beer Month
» ‎ The Brew Site

Tags: Events [edit]

July is Oregon Craft Beer Month, a month-long “Celebration of Oregon Brews and Brewpubs”. It’s a great platform to showcase the good beers of Oregon, and promote the state’s many excellent brewers and establishments.

The website has a comprehensive list of associated events, far more than I could keep track of. And of course, the month culminates in the Oregon Brewers Festival in Portland, July 23 through 26.

22:09
Spark Your Heart
» ‎ Foot Zone Blog

Tags: [edit]

Packet pick up will be at FootZone from 2-7 instead of 4-7 this Friday the 3rd. There is no day of race registration so Friday from 2-7 will also be your last chance to sign up. You can register until 6pm on Thursday at FootZone as well. Should be a big event again this year. There were more than 400 last year and looks like it will grow a bit. See you there-Teague

21:56
Jeff: A to Z
» ‎ Images by Jeff Kennedy

Tags: [edit]

This is a weird business. I’ve had “real” jobs before. You know, like in offices, stores, and warehouses with other people – real jobs. I think I always took for granted the “other people” part. Now that I’ve had my own business for the last 10 years I’ve come to realize that one of the weirdest things about this is that I don’t have “other people” around. All my colleagues are virtually…..well, virtual. If I want to interact with other photographers on a daily basis it seems the easiest way is online primarily via blogs. I get to see what they’re doing and I get ideas for things I’d like to try. I can tell who has been to what seminar lately because you notice a certain group of photographers using similar jargon or applying the same “actions” to their work. Its kind of fun. I also get ideas for my blog. And I need all the help and inspiration I can get in that department. I’m terrible about keeping the blog chugging along. So here is a recent blog “gimmick” I saw that I liked and thought I’d try out on my (3) readers. This came courtesy of Bobby Earle who saw it on Facebook. Its my Jeff from A-Z List!

A-   Art. If you create you are an artist. That’s what I think anyway. Being an artist doesn’t guarantee quality it just means you created something. Some photographers approach photography like its just a craft to be perfected. And I have to admit my personality can lead me down that path as well but I find my greatest satisfaction when I push the bounds and try something new.

B-   Blackberry. I’m not cool enough for an iPhone. I don’t have those trendy rectangular glasses. But I can’t function without my Blackberry.

C-   Cameras. I know, maybe too obvious for a photographer. But this is about me and I am a photographer. I have a lot of them. Not as many as some but still more than my share. I have film cameras, point and shoot cameras, medium format cameras, a 4x5 camera I’ve never used, I’ve got the first 35mm camera I ever had. It’s a sickness really.

D-   Dogs! LOVE ‘EM! And the bigger the better. Don’t get me wrong I’ve seen some cool little dogs. But often little dogs are not much better than a cat that barks. Don’t get me wrong on that either. I had a cat growing up and he was cool. But they just don’t fit my personality. Now my dog, Frank, he fits my personality. Frank is a 177lb Newfoundland and he’s the biggest sweetheart you’ll ever meet. And if you do meet him don’t get offended if he sticks his head in your crotch. He’s not getting fresh. He’s just trying to make it easier for you to rub his neck and ears. He’s all about accommodating.

E-    Email. My preferred mode of communication. Call my cell and I probably won’t answer. Not because I don’t want to talk to you but often my cell is anywhere but where I am. And if I don’t recognize the number and I’m in the middle of real live people I’ll just let it go to voice mail. I will get back to you. But I much prefer email. I have a personality that requires me to be precise and email allows me the time to properly word things so that I say exactly what I want to say.

F-    Feet. Size 12’s. I’m a shoe guy too. I make a great girlfriend if you need someone to go shoe shopping with you. I have shoes for when I play tennis. Shoes for basketball. Shoes for running. Shoes for mt. biking. Shoes for casual (multiple pairs of those since I’m casual more than anything else). Shoes for dressy. Shoes for dressy casual. Shoes for hiking. Shoes for water. Shoes for football (I used to referee). Need I go on?

G-   Guitar. I’d love to learn to play. I was in choir in high school and I played the trumpet for 4 weeks in 6^th grade (if you can call it playing – the only thing I really mastered was blowing the spit out of it). I was in choir because they told me they were taking a trip to Hawaii my senior year. Turned out to be Victoria in Canada. Nice place but not Hawaii. The old bait and switch! Anyway, that has been the extent of my music experience. I’ve tried learning guitar before and struggled. Between the delicate fingertips and a certain lack of musical skill it was tough. But I’d still like to learn.

H-   Height. I’m 6’1”

I-     Irish. My name is Kennedy after all. There’s a bunch of other stuff mixed in there but that’s too complicated. So when people ask, I’m Irish.

J-     Jeep. I’m a Jeep guy. I have a yellow Wrangler with a soft top. A red Cherokee that my son seems to be adopting. I’ve owned other Wranglers and even a Grand Cherokee. I think I’ve wanted a Jeep since the first time I saw the introduction of Rat Patrol when I was a kid. That jeep flying off the sand dune with a guy in the back manning the machine gun! Oooooh, who wouldn’t want a Jeep after that?!?!?

K-   Kitchen. I’m the cook. I have to be the cook. If my wife was the cook I’d OD on mac-n-chesse. Plus, I like to cook. I just don’t like to clean up.

L-    Laughing. I love to. Often at inappropriate times. Laughter and levity in general is how I deal with things. I guess I could do worse things.

M- Music. I like all kinds of music. If I had to pick one band to listen to it would be The Eagles. But I dig a little bit of everything. From John Prine to Led Zepplin. From BB King to Garth Brooks. If I had to pick on genre I’d probably say give me the blues baby!

N-   Nipple rings. Don’t have ‘em. Don’t want ‘em. Period.

O-   Organic. The little woman is getting into nutrition. She’s even studying to become a certified nutritionist. So we’re eating much more organic. I think it’s a good thing. Look at what’s happened to this country. We’re fat and malnourished at the same time. TOO MUCH PROCESSED FOOD PEOPLE!

P-    Pet Peeves (thanks for this one Bobby!) – drivers who can’t go (at least) the speed limit. I like to drive. I don’t get the point A to point B mentality. Enjoy the journey! Also, that accuracy thing in my personality makes incorrect grammar really annoying to me. For the record its anyway not anywaySSSSSS. Its regardless not IRregardless. I mean, they mean the same thing why do we need the IR on the frount? Ok, I could go on and get myself into even more hot water but you get the point.

Q-   Quote. Like my dear old dad always said, “I feel a lot more like I do now than I did a minute ago!”

R-   Running. I’m scared. I’m starting to get into this running thing. I’m losing weight. My legs are stronger. Hmmmm, maybe there’s something to it.

S-    Shopping. Did I mention I’d make a good girlfriend….girlfriend? I’m one of those rare guys who likes to shop. Bear in mind that means shopping. Not sitting outside the dressing room while someone else tries on stuff. As long as I’m actively involved in the shopping I’m all over it. And if I’m actually shopping for myself….WELL NOW WE’RE TALKIN’!

T-    Tennis. I’m a tennis junky. I admit it. I love to play. I love to watch. Its just a great sport. Nuff said.

U-   Underwear. Boxers. TMI?

V-   Voluptuous. It was the be ‘V’ word I could think of. And I like saying it. AND it conjures up great images in my head…hey, I’m a guy! What can I say?

W- Westerns. I loves me a good western.

X-   Xylophone. HA! Came up with a tough ‘X’. How does this relate to me? Well when my son was in 8^th grade and had to play an instrument guess what he chose.

Y-   Yoga. Tried it. I have certain physical attributes that make this very difficult for me (namely a gut). The instructor used to show us a pose, have us get into it, and walk around the room fine tuning each of us. I recall her get to me and start to offer advice, stop herself and say, “Uh, yeah, close enough.”

Z-    Zip lining. DID IT! LOVED IT! But why does it seem to be most popular in third world countries with questionable safety standards? Just curious.

21:11
Happy Canada Day!
» ‎ Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog

Tags: [edit]

One of the highlights of my life is tearing off the old month on my desk calendar to reveal a new month. (My life is awesome.) Today was totally double-bonus day, because the new month revealed to me that July 1 is Canada Day! Yay for Canada. In honor of Canada… No joke: That bridge is great, and [...]

21:00
Vodka or tea? Which one would you choose?
» ‎ Chubby Mommy Running Club

Tags: bacon [edit]

When my kids were little, they made me read Edith Kunhart's "Which One Would You Choose?" book over and over and over. It's a lovely little book which tells the story of Will and Maggie making choices from breakfast to bedtime.
Time to get dressed. Will chose the red shirt, Maggie chose the blue shirt. Which one do you choose? How about breakfast: Will chose cereal, Maggie chose oatmeal. Which one do you choose? Playing outside in the rain? Will chose the raincoat, Maggie chose the umbrella? What about you?
All day long, in this simply drawn world, Will and Maggie make little choices. What kind of ice cream? Which kitten to play with? Which cuddly toy to sleep with at night?
Every time we read the book, my kids would hesitate a little over their own choices. Oh, sure, they had their favorites, but it was fun to mix it up a little. Maybe choose the green striped shirt this time, even though Maggie never did, just to be brave, and go a little crazy!
So, I've been busy with work lately, and my husband's been in charge of the kids and the cooking. And they all like to cook things, for fun. To entertain themselves. To experiment. To learn how to look up a recipe online, how to read it, how to work the stove, how to measure things, and best of all, how to operate little machines like mixers and blenders.
Lately I've come home after meetings in the real world, and I get hit with the amazing smell of bacon or cookies when I open the front door.
Sometimes there are donuts in pink boxes sitting on the counter when I get home from my run in the early mornings, because, you know, we ran out of milk and my husband went to the store and took a kid along for the ride. They all know they can talk him into donuts if I'm not around. He can even talk his own self into donuts, with or without a kid there.
So then I have to make a choice. Oatmeal or donut, which one do I choose? Dad chose bacon, mom chose turkey, which one do you choose? Duh. I'm sure Will and Maggie would probably choose bacon. Just a guess.
I gave up wine a while ago because it's hard for me to stop at one glass, and it gives me insomnia, and sometimes I feel a little off the next morning when I run, and I have a hard time losing weight if I drink 2 or 3 glasses of wine a night, so I chose none.
But then I chose vodka for a while because it doesn't have sugar so I don't get hangovers, and I can usually stop at one drink, and I do enjoy a little shot of relax-ment after a long day.
But then I realized I was choosing it every night, and it became a habit, and it was getting expensive, and because I'm a bit of a control freak (me?) after a while I feel a need to prove to myself that I'm not addicted to anything, so I stop.
It's funny how easy it is for me to stop doing something when I choose to.
It's easy for me to stop drinking alcohol every night, because I'm the only one who buys it. So I just stop buying it. Then there isn't any more, so I don't drink it. The first night, I missed it because it was such a nice habit, and I rather enjoyed it. But then I chose peach tea on the rocks. And now I haven't thought about buying vodka for several days.
It is a little harder for me to not choose bacon and donuts when they magically appear on my kitchen counter while I'm gone, because, well, duh. They're bacon and donuts.
The trick I use to not choose them is to think of them as food. They aren't signs of love or loathing, they aren't morally good or bad, right or wrong. They don't represent success or failure. They're just units of calories. Just like oatmeal and egg whites and flax seed.
Right...just the same.
Well, most of the time, this works. For the record, sometimes I choose donuts and bacon. They are yum, personified. And I'm sure I'll have vodka again before I die. Maybe even tomorrow. But then tomorrow comes and I remember that every day I wake up, I get to choose again.
*sigh.
Good luck with your choices!

19:42
Video Link Dump
» ‎ UtterlyBoring.com

Tags: Cool [edit]

Time to suck down some bandwidth. Videos after the jump.

19:23
Mom's can listen to Wilco (the band) or I'm the fan who loves you
» ‎ Knocked up in Bend

Tags: 13 months [edit]

I've always been a lover of good music. When all the 7th graders were into New Kids on the Block, I was into U2 (before it was cool to be into U2) and the Cure. What does that tell you? Don’t answer that.

In college, my dad hooked me up with a summer internship at a local hard rock station via a friend of his. She needed some free help and well, I needed the experience and college credit for my broadcasting degree. Being the program director's assistant meant I got first choice of CDs they were giving away and that is how Wilco's A.M. radio ended up in my hands. I remember when I opened the box, there was an actually promotional, functional A.M. radio. First listen, I knew I had struck gold but everyone around me was like "Wilco who?" and I still get that same response. You know what, more Wilco for me.

The whole knowing about Wilco came in handy when I was trying to impress a guy (I know, really classy -- the same trick worked for the band Phish too). When a guy I liked found out I had purchased Wilco's "Being There" he asked me to dinner. If I wouldn't have pulled out that Wilco card in 1997, I would not have meet my husband as that guy ended up introducing us years later.

I have to admit, I really didn't know much about the band members then because I felt pretty stupid not to know the whole Uncle Tupelo phenomenon and how Jeff Tweedy pioneered the country rock or alternative country movement. One friend proclaimed I couldn't like Son Volt and Wilco. "You have to pick sides -- Jeff or Jay." The good news was that I didn't like Son Volt -- too whiny (this coming from the person who loved The Cure).

In the next millennium, I dated a huge Wilco fanatic. He was quite impressed that I did in fact, had some Wilco in my collection. Then Wilco was coming to town and guess what, we broke up. He got the tickets and I was pretty heartbroken -- not over the failed romance but that I wasn't going to see Wilco. Somehow I lived.

I didn't get to see Wilco until 2005 -- almost ten years after I had discovered them. I witnessed what Glenn Kotche said was the worst Wilco show -- their set at the Sasquatch Festival. I didn't think it was all that bad except for the sound was completely off (the venue's fault) and it was over 100 degrees.

Fast forward to last night. We left Lil B with his aunt to spend the day and night. This was hard and damn it, Wilco is a band I would leave my child with his aunt so I could enjoy. We also hired a Britt Sitter (someone you pay $20 to stand in line for you so you can be one of the 150 ppl they allow to sit in the front) to stand in position until we arrived. After a game of shuffleboard in which Ryan and I killed my husband and Ethan, we headed up the hill to the Britt Pavilion. In 4th position was our faithful sitter -- there was no way we would not get front row. We listened to the sound check, Brian tell his "Pearl Jam story" and game of quoting "Anchorman" while waiting 90 mins for the gate to open. In preparation for the hot Southern Oregon climate, I drank a lot of water and had to find the bathroom. On my way back, I spotted the emo looking dude from Wilco (Pat Sansone, at the time I couldn't remember his name) walking down the road. I wanted to stop him and get a photo but I was alone so I told him "have a great show" and he said thanks. A little starstuck, I went back to my #5 position (Ethan had #4, Brian had #6) and waited.

The Britt folks take care of their members. They lined us up outside the venue and prepped us so we could run and grab our spots. We ran and grabbed front and center!!!! The cool thing is the stage is only raised a foot above the ground which meant we were pretty much gonna be eye-level with Wilco!!! More waiting, through the open act and then the prep for Wilco and then, they entered the stage. I said to Brian "um, Jeff Tweedy isn't very tall" and there were many exchanges about his Breedlove Guitars (which Brian plays and are made in Bend).

Words can't explain how cool it was to experience the show from front and center. The songs were amazing as Wilco knows how to put on a show. Twice, Jeff Tweedy was inches from me, within reach. The first time Jeff Tweedy came down during Kidsmoke (spiders) and had the kid RIGHT NEXT TO ME play his guitar. I was a little awestruck that a guitar playing legend was with in INCHES of me. After the show, he came up to the kid, STILL RIGHT NEXT TO ME, and handed him the guitar pick. The kid is one of the many Britt Sitters you can hire. He was #3 in line with us (I was #5) and was really excited for the show.

I'm sure there is a lot more I could ramble on about but you already know I'm a Wilco geek. You can check out the photos from the show here along with photos from the Bend and Edgefield shows from the previous summers.

One last thing, this show was so awesome that it knocked the Radiohead show I saw at Red Rocks in 2001 out of the #2 spot. My top 10 shows now go in this order:

1. U2, Zoo TV Tour, Ames, IA, 1992
2. Wilco, Britt Pavilion, Jacksonville, OR 2009
3. Radiohead/Beta Band, Red Rocks, Morrison CO, 2001
4. Phish, Minneapolis Convention Center, 1999
5. Beck with The Flaming Lips, Lawrence, KS 2002
6. Wilco, Edgefield, Gresham OR, 2007
7. Flaming Lips, LSA, Bend, OR 2006
8. Beck, LSA, Bend, OR 2006
9. U2, Pop Mart, Arrowhead Stadium, KS, MO 1998
10. Phish, Alpine Valley Amphitheatre, Wisconsin, 1998

I will now go geek out to the new Wilco album called "Wilco." Yes, there is a song called "Wilco" and it's tastefully done and isn't cheesy.

19:12
That “Bing” thing …
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: g'da said [edit]

Leslie at American Samizdat: “It isn’t just search overload. It’s media overload. Last week we lost a lot of celebrities. Thursday morning Farrah Fawcett lost her long battle with cancer, by 5 p.m. she’s not even mentioned anymore, because Michael Jackson died. But Farrah wasn’t the only thing that fell off the radar. Suddenly no [...]

18:11
Happy Summer
» ‎ Our journey to Paige

Tags: [edit]

It's us....we are back! well we never really WENT anywhere, so I don't have any fantastic excuses, but we are back in blogland with a post everyday for 62 days. I wish I could commit to 365, but I promise to post everyday for the months of July and August, it may just be a photo of our little darling, but I will get something on here daily. Tomorrow I promise a post on what Paige has been up to but I wanted to make sure I could squeeze this on here before the end of the day today.

17:34
Celebrate the Season!
» ‎ Ginger's Kitchenware

Tags: [edit]

Our friend Duane of Celebrate the Season, right here in Bend has been constructing Farm & Garden related items. Stop by Ginger's Kitchenware @ 1052 NW Newport Ave., to see a sample of his 4'X4' Victory Green House. Happy Gardening and Happy Cooking. Ginger

17:24
NAFTA: free trade for narco-trafficantes
» ‎ disturbing the comfortable

Tags: [edit]

I don't want (MUCH) to tell you I told you so, but here's a little blurb off today's Huffington Post that says it all:

Ryan Grim, 07.01.2009
The NAFTA debate was difficult enough without having to talk about the sprawling Mexican drug trade and its attendant corruption. And how NAFTA would also end up benefiting the cartels. So President Clinton ordered his people not to talk about it.

16:29
Obituaries
» ‎ Redmond Spokesman Blog

Tags: [edit]

Michal Clauson
Dec. 11, 1916 - June 4, 2009
Arrangements: Prineville Funeral Home, 541-447-6459
Services: Memorial service was held June 27, 2009. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to 3 Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN), in care of the Prineville Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Thelma Bessie McClure
Dec. 19, 1927 - June 20, 2009
Arrangements: Whispering Pines Funeral Home, 541-416-9733
Services: A memorial service was held June 27, 2009.
Contributions: May be made to Pioneer Memorial Hospice,
1201 NE Elm St. Prineville, OR 97754.

Helen Nendean Knapp
May 26, 1927 - June 23, 2009
Arrangements: Autumn Funerals - Redmond, 541-504-9485
Services: A memorial service will be held at Crooked River Ranch at a date yet to be determined.

Fannie Ellen Regnier
Aug. 30, 1905 - June 18, 2009
Arrangements: Bel-Air Funeral Home, 541-475-2241
Services: Funeral services were held June 24, 2009.

Gary Patrick Fearrien
Aug. 28, 1948 - June 21, 2009
Arrangements: Autumn Funerals - Redmond, 541-504-9485
Services: A memorial service will be held at the Redmond VFW at a date yet to be determined.

Robert D. Carter
Nov. 12, 1929 - June 24, 2009
Arrangements: Deschutes Memorial Chapel, 541-382-5592
Services: Services are pending with Deschutes Memorial Chapel of Bend.

Geraldine Geneva Efraimson
Dec. 12, 1918 - June 20, 2009
Arrangements: Autumn Funerals - Redmond, 541-504-9485
Services: A memorial service was held June 26, 2009.

Steve M. Miller
Aug. 10, 1951 - June 22, 2009
Arrangements: Bel-Air Funeral Home, 541-475-2241
Services: Memorial services were held June 26, 2009.

Leland Alden Knowles
Dec. 16, 1916 - June 28, 2009
Arrangements: Autumn Funerals - Redmond, 541-504-9485
Services:Graveside Services to be held at Oaklawn Cemetery in Corvallis.

Lawrence William Fisher
July 13, 1930 – June 19, 2009
Lawrence W. Fisher died peacefully on June 19th. He was born July 13, 1930, in Portland, Oregon to Clarke and Helen May Fisher.
Larry graduated from Beaverton High School, and then Lewis & Clark College.
Lawrence served in the Army Signal Corps in Korea 1950-1953. Larry worked for Willamette Industries, then was an insurance agent 20 years before retirement.
Larry was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Joyce and great-granddaughter, Amber. He is survived by his sister, Linda Smull; and family stepchildren, Lorrie Fisher, Randy Davis; and granddaughter, Christy Wilson; and neighbors, Bootie and Darrell Brill.
Larry also loved his church family at Community Presbyterian Church.
Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 13, at Community Presbyterian Church, 529 NW 19th Street, Redmond.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Community Presbyterian Church or St. Charles Medical Center Cancer Treatment Unit, 2100 NE Wyatt Court, Bend.

Archie Ball Hamby
Oct. 10 1928 – June 11, 2009
Archie Ball Hamby, twenty-three year resident of Redmond, passed away at St. Charles in Bend, June 11, 2009. Archie was born Oct. 10, 1928, to Joseph and Ozel (Guthrie) Hamby in Copperhill, Tenn.
At 18, he moved to California and worked for Southern Pacific Railroad and pursued a career in engineering.
He worked for the federal government at the Veteran’s Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif.
After retiring in 1987, he moved to Redmond, Ore. where he was very involved in many philanthropic organizations. He was a member of the Redmond Masonic Lodge #154 AFNAM, York Rite, Scottish Rite, Al Kader Shrine, Central Oregon Shrine Club, Eastern Star and Amaranth; Oddfellows, Rebekahs, Elks, Eagles and Moose. He also belonged to the American Legion and National Association of Retired Federal Employees. In addition to these organizations, Archie also enjoyed hunting and fishing.
Archie is survived by his daughter, Shirley, and her husband Pete Risher; two grandchildren, Joseph and Joanne of Salinas, Calif.; a sister, Faye Hamby of Atlanta, Ga. and her children, Charlotte and Joyce; his brother, Herman Hamby, preceded him in death; Herman’s wife, Willielee, and their children, Lon, Marian and Salina of South Carolina and other nieces; his companion of 14 years, Marilyn Blume of Redmond, and her family, Barbara and Ken Larsen of Eugene, Ore. and Dan and Molly Blume and their son Dane, all of Redmond; Duffy and Ellen Blume of Anchorage, AK and their two children Marjorie and Lon, Dale and Lisa Scheuring of Iowa and their four children.
There was a memorial service June 18, 2009 at the Masonic Center, 627 SW 7th Street, Redmond, Ore. at 11 a.m.
Donations may be made to Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, 3101 SW Sam Jackson Road, Portland, Ore. 97239.
16:24
Flag City, U.S.A.
» ‎ Redmond Spokesman Blog

Tags: [edit]

It was the sight of a long stretch of American flags on Redmond streets, a welcome-home event for some Desert Storm soldiers in 1991, which inspired a group of citizens to form the Redmond Flag Committee.
Within eight years the group had “sold” more than 700 flags: each four-by-six flag is sponsored by an individual or organization and embroidered with a name, usually a veteran.
This year the committee puts up more than 1,000 flags on seven major display days (sometimes more, such as when a fallen soldier is brought home).
Hauling that many wooden poles out of a trailer, unfurling 24 square feet of red, white and blue polyester and finding an open hole in the concrete sidewalk at 6 a.m. in the morning is not an easy task, nor is showing up 12 hours later to do the same thing in reverse.
According to Randy Povey, founding member of the committee, the group is hoping to recruit more members. It can take as little as an hour to blanket the city in flags if a nice size group shows up, but it can also last for hours with just a few volunteers. In addition to flag display days, the committee holds occasional work days for flag maintenance and clearing out display holes
The group is also in need of an additional trailer; its 1,000-plus flags have maxed out the one they use now. Any covered, lockable trailer will work but best might be an ATV hauler, according to the committee’s Web site.

The language of the federal code makes clear that the flag is a living symbol, but even the most patriotic citizen confuses the rules of flag display at times. According to USA.gov, a Web site dedicated to all things federal, it’s as important to know what not to do with the U.S. flag, as it is to know what to do.
Traditional guidelines call for displaying the flag in public only from sunrise to sunset. However, the flag may be displayed at all times if it’s illuminated during darkness. The flag should not be subject to weather damage, so it should not be displayed during rain, snow and wind storms unless it is an all-weather flag.
The U.S. flag, when carried in a procession with another or other flags, should be either on the marching right (the flag’s own right) or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line. Never display the U.S. flag from a float except from a staff, or so suspended that its folds fall free as though staffed.

The U.S. flag, when displayed with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, should be on the U.S. flag’s own right, and its staff should be in front of the staff of the other flag.

The U.S. flag should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of states or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs.

When the U.S. flag is displayed other than from a staff, it should be displayed flat, or so suspended that its folds fall free. When displayed over a street, place the union so it faces north or east, depending upon the direction of the street.

When other flags are flown from the same halyard, the U.S. flag should always be at the peak. When other flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the U.S. flag should be hoisted first and lowered last. No flag may fly above or the right of the U.S. flag (except flags of other nations; see below).

When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.

When the U.S. flag is displayed from a staff projecting from a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half staff. When suspended from a rope extending from the building on a pole, the flag should be hoisted out, union first from the building.

When displayed from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the U.S. flag should hold the position of superior prominence, in advance of the audience, and in the position of honor at the clergy’s or speaker’s right facing the audience. Any other flag so displayed should be placed on the left of the speaker or to the right of the audience.

If displayed flat against the wall on a speaker’s platform, the U.S. flag should be placed above and behind the speaker with the union of the flag in the upper left-hand corner as the audience faces the flag.

During a ceremony when hoisting, lowering or when the flag is passing in parade, all persons should face the flag, stand at attention and salute. A man should remove his hat and hold it with the right hand over the heart. Men without hats and women salute by placing the right hand over the heart. The salute to the flag in the moving column should be rendered at the moment the flag passes

Out of respect for the U.S. flag, never:
Dip it for any person or thing, even though state flags, regimental colors and other flags may be dipped as a mark of honor.
Display it with the union down, except as a signal of distress.
Let the flag touch anything beneath it: ground, floor, water, merchandise.
Carry it horizontally, but always aloft.
Fasten or display it in a way that will permit it to be damaged or soiled.
Place anything on the flag, including letters, insignia, or designs of any kind.
Use it for holding anything.
Use it as wearing apparel, bedding or drapery. It should not be used on a costume or athletic uniform. (However, a flag patch may be attached to the uniform of patriotic organizations, military personnel, police officers and firefighters.)
Use the flag for advertising or promotion purposes or print it on paper napkins, boxes or anything else intended for temporary use and discard.
16:12
Event Calendar
» ‎ Redmond Spokesman Blog

Tags: [edit]

WEDNESDAY
July 1
MUSIC IN THE CANYON: Stunt Poets play music interspersed with poetry and stunts as part of the summer concert series; free; 5:30 p.m.; Redmond Rotary Arts Pavilion, American Legion Park, 850 S.W. Rimrock Way, Redmond; 541-504-6878 or www.musicinthecanyon.com.

THURSDAY
July 2
SISTERS ROUNDUP OF GEMS: The 13th annual event features more than 40 vendors selling crystals, minerals, gemstones, jewelry, rough rock, petrified woods and more; exhibits are informational for kids and adults; free; 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sisters Elementary School, 611 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters; 503-829-2680.
AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOODMOBILE: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Eagle Crest Resort, Conference Center, 1522 Cline Falls Road, Redmond; 800-448-3543.

FRIDAY
July 3
SISTERS ROUNDUP OF GEMS: The 13th annual event features more than 40 vendors selling crystals, minerals, gemstones, jewelry, rough rock, petrified woods and more; exhibits are informational for kids and adults; free; 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sisters Elementary School, 611 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters; 503-829-2680.
LIVE MUSIC: The music of Erin Cole Baker; 6-8:30 p.m.; WineStyles, 249 N.W. Sixth St., Suite 1, Redmond; 541-526-0489.
FAMILY KARAOKE NIGHT: A Fine Note Karaoke company features more than 10,000 song titles; children ages 12 and younger must be accompanied by an adult; $5; 6:30-9 p.m.; 2nd Street Theater, 220 N.E. Lafayette Ave., Bend; 541-312-9626 or www.2ndstreettheater.com.
“INDEPENDENCE DAY”: A screening of the PG-13-rated film starring Will Smith and Bill Pullman; $5; 8 p.m.; Tower Theatre, 835 N.W. Wall St., Bend; 541-317-0700 or www.towertheatre.org.

SATURDAY
July 4
PRINEVILLE FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION: The annual “Old Fashioned Family Fun” event includes live music and dance performances, a barbecue, old-fashioned family games, a hay maze, kids’ activities, 70 vendors and a special performance by Willy’s Washboard Jamboree; presented by the Prineville-Crook County Chamber of Commerce; free admission, barbecue lunch is $5; 8 a.m. Splash 'n’ Dash fundraiser for Crook County High School’s track and cross country teams, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. festival, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. barbecue; Ochoco Creek Park, 450 N.E. Elm St., Prineville; 541-447-6304.
FLAG DISPLAY: Volunteers are needed to put up the 1,100 flags in downtown Redmond: meet at Les Schwab 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. to help set up and take down; bring gloves, comfortable shoes; 541-548-6778.
4TH OF JULY PARADE: Themed “Oregon’s 150th”; free; 10 a.m.; downtown Redmond; 541-923-5191.
SISTERS ROUNDUP OF GEMS: The 13th annual event features more than 40 vendors selling crystals, minerals, gemstones, jewelry, rough rock, petrified woods and more; exhibits are informational for kids and adults; free; 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sisters Elementary School, 611 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters; 503-829-2680.
CROOKED RIVER RANCH INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION: The 30th annual includes a parade, a buffalo burger feed, kids’ activities, music, crafters, a plant sale, exhibitors, a performance by the Sunshine Exchange Cloggers and more; free admission; 10 to 11 a.m. parade, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. festival; MacPherson Park, Clubhouse Road, Crooked River Ranch; 541-548-8939.
FREE DAY AT DES CHUTES HISTORICAL MUSEUM: In celebration of the 4th of July, the museum is offering free admission; free; 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Des Chutes Historical Museum, 129 N.W. Idaho Ave., Bend; 541-389-1813 or www.deschuteshistory.org.
PET PARADE: Bring your leashed pet, no cats or rabbits, and your bike, trike or wagon to be in the parade, or come to watch the procession of animals; lineup is between Bond and Wall streets, across from the Bend Public Library; free; 9:30 a.m. lineup, 10 a.m. parade; downtown Bend; 541-388-5435 or541-389-7275.
FREE SWIM DAY: Celebrate Independence Day with a free swim and fun activities; 1-4 p.m.; Cascade Swim Center, 465 S.W. Rimrock Way, Redmond; 541-548-7275.
SOUND FOURTH!: First Presbyterian Church of Bend hosts the fifth annual concert with performances by the Cascade Horizon Band, a 70-piece senior band, under the direction of Sue Steiger, and a 70-voice volunteer choir “Festival Chorus” under the direction of Clyde Thompson; a free barbecue will be held following the concert; donations accepted; 3 p.m.; Bend High School, 230 N.E. Sixth St., Bend; 541-318-0407 or www.cascadehorizonband.org.
VETERANS PARADE AND RALLY: A parade with a military flyover followed by a “We The People Rally!” with live performances, patriotic speeches, music, games and raffles; free admission; 3-4 p.m. with a flyover at 3:30 p.m., 4-10 p.m. rally; Les Schwab Amphitheater, 344 S.W. Shevlin Hixon Drive, Bend; 541-610-6010 or541-317-5052 or www.bendteaparty.webs.com.
BEND FIREWORKS: Fireworks launched from the top of Pilot Butte in Bend; free; 10 p.m.; 541-383-0338.
REDMOND FIREWORKS: Fourth of July fireworks display; free; 7 p.m. gates open, 10 p.m. fireworks; Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, 3800 S.W. Airport Way, Redmond; 541-923-5191 or www.visitredmondoregon.com.

SUNDAY
July 5
SISTERS ROUNDUP OF GEMS: The 13th annual event features more than 40 vendors selling crystals, minerals, gemstones, jewelry, rough rock, petrified woods and more; exhibits are informational for kids and adults; free; 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sisters Elementary School, 611 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters; 503-829-2680.

MONDAY
July 6
REDMOND FARMERS MARKET: Market features about 40 local vendors selling fresh produce, potted plants, herbs, bakery items, household goods and more. Debit cards and Oregon Trail Cards accepted; free admission; 12-5 p.m.; Evergreen Elementary School, 437 S.W. Ninth St., Redmond; 541-504-7862, redmondfarmersmarket@gmail.com or www.redmondfarmersmarket.com.
JOSEPHINE’S GARDEN: Dedication of site at historical Redmond family homestead; 6 p.m.; bring your own picnic supper and chairs,, ice cream by Eberhard’s Dairy provided; Northwest Canal Boulevard and Hemlock Avenue.

TUESDAY
July 7
AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOODMOBILE: Blood donations needed; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 450 S.W. Rimrock Way, Redmond; 800-448-3543.
TUESDAY MARKET AT EAGLE CREST: Features fresh produce, locally made food products, nursery stock and local artisans; free admission; 2-6 p.m.; Eagle Crest Resort, 1522 Cline Falls Road, Redmond; 541-633-9637 or www.sustainableflame.com.
CITY COUNCIL: Redmond City Council workshop, open to public, 6:45 a.m., 777 S.W. Deschutes Ave.; agenda at www.ci.redmond.or.us
“QUILTERS”: Heritage Theatre Company presents a musical that features the work of 25 local quilters; shown in conjunction with Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show; $15 adults, $10 students; 7 p.m.; Sisters High School, 1700 W. McKinney Butte Road, Sisters; 541-549-0989 or541-306-6751 or www.sistersoutdoorquiltshow.org/events.

WEDNESDAY
July 8
RENAISSANCE KIDS OIL AND PASTELS: Kids entering grades 1-6 can explore a variety of art mediums. Supplies included; $30; 9:30-11:30 a.m.; Redmond Area Park and Recreation District, Activity Center, 335 S.E. Jackson St., Redmond; 541-548-7275.
KNITTING 101: Learn the treasured art of knitting and how to make a cozy project. Bring one skein of your favorite color of 4-ply yarn and size 10 knitting needles to class. Ages 10 and up; $20; 5-7 p.m.; Redmond Area Park and Recreation District, Activity Center, 335 S.E. Jackson St., Redmond; 541-548-7275.
MUSIC ON THE GREEN: Community First Bank presents Deco Moon in a Delta bluegrass and Motown hits concert; food vendors will be on-site; free; 6-7:30 p.m.; Sam Johnson Park, Southwest 15th Street, Redmond; 541-923-5191 or www.visitredmondoregon.com.
AIRPORT COMMISSION: Redmond Airport Commission meeting open to public, 5:30 p.m.; Eagle Crest Conference Room, Roberts Field Terminal; agenda at www.ci.redmond.or.us.
FIRE DISTRICT: Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection District No. 1; meeting open to public, 7 p.m.; 341 N.W. Dogwood Ave.; agenda at www.redmondfireandrescue.org

THURSDAY
July 9
MUSIC AND DESCHUTES BREW: “WOODY”, Deschutes Brewery’s gigantic beer keg on wheels, will be at the café. Deschutes Brewery beer will be served. Beer keg Frisbee and live music by Broken Down Guitars; 6:30 p.m.; Cross Creek Cafe, 507 SW 8th St., Redmond; 541-548-2883.

FRIDAY
July 10
“QUILTERS”: Heritage Theatre Company presents a musical that features the work of 25 local quilters; shown in conjunction with Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show; $15 adults, $10 students; 1 p.m.; Sisters High School, 1700 W. McKinney Butte Road, Sisters; 541-549-0989 or541-306-6751 or www.sistersoutdoorquiltshow.org/events.
ALLAN BYER PERFORMS: Local singer/songwriter performs original Americana tunes and Bruce Cockburn covers; 6 p.m.; Avery’s Wine Bar, 427 S.W. Eighth St., Redmond; 541-504-7111.
TRIAGE: Local improvisational comedy group will perform; $5; 7:30 p.m.; 2nd Street Theater, 220 N.E. Lafayette Ave., Bend; 541-312-9626 or www.2ndstreettheater.com.

SATURDAY
July 11
SISTERS QUILT SHOW: The 34th annual Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show features a display of about 1,300 quilts; free; 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; downtown Sisters; 541-549-0989 or www.sistersoutdoorquiltshow.org.
QUILT SHOW LUNCHEON: Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church hosts a luncheon of turkey roll-ups, salads and homemade pies; proceeds benefit the church; $7-$12; 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 386 N. Fir St., Sisters; 541-815-8858.
WRITERS GUILD WORKSHOP: Central Oregon Writers Guild presents the workshop “Plot Magic: Plotting Secrets for Fiction Writers,” conducted by Bend novelist Karen Duvall. Novelists and screenwriters are encouraged to bring their story ideas and learn to construct strong plots using character and storyboard techniques; $5 Guild members; $15 nonmembers; 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Central Oregon Community College, Redmond campus, 2030 S.E. College Loop, Redmond; Lindy Jacobs,541-408-6306.

SUNDAY
July 12
HEAD FOR THE HILLS: The bluegrass band performs as part of the Summer Sunday Concerts series; free; Show at 2:30 p.m., gates open 1 p.m.; Les Schwab Amphitheater, 344 S.W. Shevlin Hixon Drive, Bend; 541-322-9383 or www.bendconcerts.com.

MONDAY
July 13
DRIVER SAFETY CLASS: Nationwide, DMV accredited defensive driver program for all ages. Seniors age 55 and over may qualify for an auto insurance discount upon completion; $12 AARP members; $14 nonmembers; Class continues July 14, 8 a.m. to noon; Redmond Senior Center, 325 N.W. Dogwood Ave., Redmond; 541-548-6325.
REDMOND FARMERS MARKET: Market features about 40 local vendors selling fresh produce, potted plants, herbs, bakery items, household goods and more. Debit cards and Oregon Trail Cards accepted; free admission; 12-5 p.m.; Evergreen Elementary School, 437 S.W. Ninth St., Redmond; 541-504-7862, redmondfarmersmarket@gmail.com or www.redmondfarmersmarket.com.

TUESDAY
July 14
AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOODMOBILE: Blood donations needed; 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Ranch Chapel, 5060 S.W. Clubhouse Road, Crooked River Ranch; 800-448-3543.
TUESDAY MARKET AT EAGLE CREST: Features fresh produce, locally made food products, nursery stock and local artisans; free admission; 2-6 p.m.; Eagle Crest Resort, 1522 Cline Falls Road, Redmond; 541-633-9637 or www.sustainableflame.com.

WEDNESDAY
July 15
MUSIC IN THE CANYON: Brent Alan and his Funky Friends play funky rock music as part of the summer concert series; free; 5:30 p.m.; Redmond Rotary Arts Pavilion, American Legion Park, 850 S.W. Rimrock Way, Redmond; 541-504-6878 or www.musicinthecanyon.com.

Lego robotics camp for kids
The OSU Extension Service is offering a Deep Space Terraformers – Lego Robotics Summer Day Camp for youth ages 9-14 July 20-23 in Redmond. Cost is $125 and includes snacks. Registration forms are available online at [extension.oregonstate.edu]

Marriage workshop for parents
The Mountain View Fellowship Community Church, corner of Southwest 35th and Obsidian, Redmond, is hosting a free marriage workshop Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m., through July 29 for married couples with children under the age of 16. Workshop includes fun activities once a month for couples and children. Information: 541-548-0394.

Learn, or strengthen, your Italian
R.I.C.E. (Redmond Inter-Cultural Exchange) hosts a weekly Italian conversation group Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Sully’s Italian Restaurant, 314 S.W. Fifth St. Free and open to the public. Information: Erica Skatvold, 541-815-9935, or Barb Eager, 541-447-0732.

Bachelor open for summer fun
Mt. Bachelor’s daily summer operations are in full swing through Sept. 7. Attractions on the mountain include sunset dinner service at the Pine Marten Lodge Friday and Saturday nights, scenic chairlift rides 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and until 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, disc golf, hiking, US Forest Service interpretive talks and more. A full listing of activities and attractions is available at www.mtbachelor.com.

Good fair memories ?
In celebration of the Deschutes County Fair’s 90th anniversary, the public is invited to submit their best memories of past fairs.Winners will be awarded a variety of prizes with a total value of $300. Submissions can be a written story, drawing, photograph, poem or other creative ways to share county fair memories. Entries must be submitted by 5 p.m., July 8 to the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center Administrative Office, 3800 Airport Way, Redmond. For more information, call 541-548-2711.

Video Production Camp for Teens
Central Oregon Community College is offering a Video Production Camp for Teens July 20-23, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Bend campus. Students will make a short story, music video or documentary to take home on a DVD. For students entering sixth through eighth grade. Cost is $169. Information: 541-383-7270.

Lava lands walks and talks
Interpretive talks are offered daily from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Lava Lands Visitor Center, three miles south of Bend on Highway 97. Forestry rangers will educate visitors on the scenery of Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Ranger-led trail walks through the lava flow across the offered several times during the week. Information: 541-383-4712 or visit www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon.

Camp Good News
Wilderness Lake near Sisters will hold two sessions of Camp Good News, open to kids ages 7-12. The girls session is Aug.17-20; boys session is Aug. 20-23. The three-night sessions are $85 per camper, campships are available. The camps are operated by the Child Evangelism Fellowship. Information: 541-365-2233.

Hike the fossil beds
Guided nature walks will be offered July 4-5 at the Sheep Rock Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds. The 90-minute walks are free, need no reservations and begin at 10 a.m. both days at teh Thomas Condon Visitor Center. Information: 541-987-2333.

15:36
Project 12 challenge - June
» ‎ My Scrap Home

Tags: project 12 [edit]

Brace yourself....
It's JULY.

Can you believe it? I feel like every month my post says the same thing but every month is going by too fast, and these challenges are making me more and more aware how fast my life is getting away from me! lol

June saw the end of the school year and the beginning of the summer time. There were a lot of photo opportunities and I look forward to choosing a few of my favorites to highlight my month. Did anything exciting happen at your house? I hope you got nice weather, at least! It took a while for the sun to come out and I'm happy to report that it's finally here for good.

As always, the rules are simple.
1. Scrap your month. I am working on a layout for June 2009. I'm highlighting my month. I'm using Jenni Bowlin calendar cards because I have them for the whole year and thought it would be fun to unify my 2009 scrapbook by using the same thing to document each month. But you don't have to! All you have to do is make a layout about what you've been doing in a single month and link it to this post.
2. The due date is the 20th of the month. It certainly gives ME plenty of time to procrastinate on my own layout.
3. On the 21st I'll draw a name from those who participated and linked to this thread, and give a little prize. I hope I can entice you to play along this month with the following prize:

How about Prima's Donna Downey Canvas fabric album?

If you'd like to check out what's been given away the last 5 months, just click on the Project 12 label at the bottom of this post.

Don't forge to link your layouts to this thread! This is the only place I check for participants when it comes to drawing names.

Thanks for playing along and have a great day! Davinie

15:19
When Reichwingers get it right …
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: White Rose [edit]

To Rep. Michele Bachmann’s (R-Minn.) bizarre obsession with the national census Reps. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.), and John Mica (R-Fla) respond “Every elected representative in this country should feel a responsibility to encourage full participation in the census. To do otherwise is to advocate for a smaller share of federal funding for our [...]

15:04
Author Jane Kirkpatrick Featured on OPB's "Think Out Loud" Thursday July 2
» ‎ Central Oregon Writers Guild

Tags: [edit]

Author Jane Kirkpatrick is scheduled for a live interview on OPB's Think Out Loud program tomorrow, Thursday, July 2, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Here is the link where listeners can submit questions or comments ahead of time:

http://www.opb/thinkoutloud/shows/northwest-passages-jane-kirkpatrick/ , or you can call in your questions to 888-665-5865.

The show will stream from this site so you can listen from your computer. Locally, the program airs on KOAP-FM 91.3. It will repeat Thursday evening at 9:00 p.m.

This should be a lively and interesting interview and Jane would love to have you participate or just listen in if you have the time.

13:51
Download a new song from Cloaked Characters
» ‎ Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog

Enclosure: [download | LBL_PLAY]

Tags: [edit]

The Bend-based hip-hop group Cloaked Characters will team up with Mosley Wotta to release an eight-song split CD at Bendistillery’s big Fourth of July party on Saturday, and both artists were nice enough to provide Frequency readers with a little downloadable leak action. Here’s one of the Characters’ contributions: Cloaked Characters, “Go Lovely (feat. JoAnna Lee)” Check back [...]

12:38
So That Was June
» ‎ monkeyinabox

Tags: [edit]

07.01.2009

Not June Cleaver, Wally or the Beave, or anything resembling a relaxing month. When I last left you, I left you with some revealing news. Nothing quite as revealing this time around.
A week ago today I received the keys to the new Casa de el Architect and la Teacher and began the moving madness. Now, normally any move requires a great deal of effort and this one was no exception. Probably the biggest challenge was doing this without using any of the weekend. Why was that?
Last weekend required another visit to The Teacher in Astoria. On Friday we completed our marriage certificate at the county clerks office and on Saturday we had another bridal shower / meet and greet. I think by now I've meet most of her large family, but this was an excuse for another get together celebration. Thanks to the generosity of all who attended we scored some nice gifts as well. The deluxe deep fryer will be put to good use. I need to find a good Twinkee recipe stat. Score!
On Friday the Astoria Column was open at last. I took advantage of this opportunity and climbed up the 164 spiral stairs to the top. Despite the amazing view from the top, I still couldn't see my house, or the large amount of boxes scattered everywhere. Oh well, even though I couldn't see them, I knew they'd be there when I got back.
On Sunday The Teacher and I headed to Portland for some suit shopping. Being a rather tall guy, I really can't just go anywhere and find something that fits. However, Men's Warehouse worked out rather well, and the suit has been purchased, with slight adjustments being made to it right now by the tailor who was about two feet shorter than I am.
The final wedding band for The Teacher was also purchased, so many of the final pieces are being checked off the list. A good feeling indeed. For something else that invokes good feelings, we also had some tasty burgers at Five Guys in Beaverton. A complete weekend indeed.
However, my fun was not done. After the drive back from Portland on Sunday, I jumped right back into the process of moving out/moving in/cleaning (wash, rinse, repeat). That basically continued through Tuesday evening, with the final touches being applied. As I sit here typing this, I'm done at the old place. Relief INDEED!
Now onto the new place. At least The Teacher is currently here to help with that task.

Comments (2)

Comments on this Entry:

(Lyle on Jul 3, 2009 2:29 AM) Congrats on getting into your new digs over there in Astoria. Judy and I are planning a road trip down the coast in September and I would sure like to say Hi to the two of you then if it happens. I guess that means that you won't be in the Tournament of Champions for Holdem for Habitat in October. That is a good thing in that it gives me a much better chance of winning. I am so happy for the two of you that I look at every day when I step into my office as your magnetic personalities are attached to my file cabinet.

(monkeyinabox on Jul 3, 2009 10:09 AM) Ha! You wish Lyle! The Teacher is moving TO Bend, so I will indeed be at the Tournament of Champions for Holdem for Habitat in October. I think I need another printer. ;)

12:32
High Desert Frameworks! Features Paul Alan Bennett and Cristina Acosta Friday July 3, for “Oregon by the Dozen.”
» ‎ High Desert Gallery of Central Oregon

Tags: Current Exhibitions [edit]

High Desert Frameworks! in Downtown Bend, Oregon will participate in a special event this Friday, July 3, called "Oregon by the Dozen." The gallery will feature work by Cristina Acosta and Paul Alan Bennett for a silent auction event benefiting Arts Central Educational & Resource Center.
The Bend Gallery Association's “Oregon by the Dozen” fundraiser for Arts Central kicks off during the July 3, 2009 First Friday Gallery Walk, with month-long bidding, followed by the group exhibit and auction finale on August 7 at the Arts Central Educational & Resource Center, located in the historic Goodwillie-Allen-Rademacher House (formerly Mirror Pond Gallery) in downtown Bend.

In conjunction with the Oregon 150 – a year-long celebration of our state's 150 birthday – communities host events that honor the people, places and organizations that have been – and continue to be - sources of inspiration and discovery. For 15 years, Arts Central operated Mirror Pond Gallery before closing its doors. Recent events may have altered the face, but certainly not the cultural value that Arts Central provides to our Central Oregon community, and High Desert Frameworks! is honored to be able to participate in this fund raiser directly benefiting the new Arts Central Educational & Resource Center, located at 875 NW Brooks Street, Bend, Oregon 97701.
What: First Friday, July 3, "Oregon by the Dozen" fundraiser for Arts Central
When: 5:00 - 9:00 pm
Where: High Desert Frameworks! on Franklin Avenue in downtown Bend, Oregon

High Desert Frameworks!
431 NW Franklin Avenue
Bend, Oregon 97701
541-647-2191 / 866-549-6250
Hours: 10am to 5:30pm M-F, 10am to 2pm Sat

About High Desert Gallery: High Desert Gallery & Custom Framing, The Art & Soul of Central Oregon™ is an award winning fine art and custom picture framing gallery with three High Desert Gallery retail locations in Bend, Oregon (Open Summer 2009), Redmond and Sisters Oregon and one High Desert Frameworks! located in downtown Bend, Oregon. The gallery specializes in Central Oregon Artists & Beyond™ and Stellar Custom Framing. High Desert Gallery honored in 2005, 2006 and 2007 by Decor Magazine as a "Top 100 Art and Framing Gallery in America" and voted "Best Art Gallery" in Redmond, Oregon (2006, 2007 & 2008) and Sisters, Oregon (2005, 2006, & 2008). International Framing Awards earned by High Desert Gallery include First Place and Top Honors in the Professional Picture Framing Association (PPFA) 2007-2008 International Open Framing Competition and Third Place in the Professional Picture Framing Association 2008-2009 International Print Framing Competition. For more information please visit: www.highdesertgallery.com or call toll free 1-866-549-6250. The Art & Soul of Central Oregon™ and Central Oregon Artists & Beyond™ are trademarks of High Desert Gallery & Custom Framing of Central Oregon.

12:27
Rebecca's Faves July
» ‎ Cowgirls Blog

Tags: [edit]

Crazy. Everything is crazy. Not the weather in Bend. That’s perfect. Real Estate however, is unpredictable and like the “wild west”. There are no rules, especially with short sales. This makes selling homes interesting. The buyer willing to take a chance and dive right in will benefit in the long run. Maybe even the short run.

My three faves are bank owned properties. How long will this flood of foreclosed properties last? I hope not long, but while they make up a big chunk of the inventory, tremendous opportunity exists.

Click on the link to see more detail of each house.

1622 NW Quincy $280,000. Big trees, private lot, space to roam, and close to shopping and coffee. I’m a lover of old and funky. This house is 1890 sq. ft. with a fireplace and an open feel. Decorated right it would be “urban meets woods” and make a fabulous home or vacation rental.

19595 Sunshine Way $479,000. Finding four bedrooms in Sunrise Village is not easy, especially if you are looking under $800,000. This home is in an area with a neighborhood pool, bike trails, river access and more. The home has a nice .44 acre lot and good light, but is a bit tired and is screaming for fresh finishes. It’s a good size at almost 2500 sq. ft.

1045 NE 6^th $90,000. It takes cash to buy this 1948 cottage in Mid-town. It’s close to Greenwood, but has charm, wood floors, a detached garage, a nice lot. It would rent for $900 in a nano second. It needs TLC, but LOOK AT THE PRICE! It’s 1518 sq. ft. with 3 bedrooms and 1 bath.

See my web site to find out more about Bend under my hot links or search for properties.

www.rebeccacharlton.com

12:25
Climate Change Begins at Home: Life on the Two-Way Street of Global Warming (Paperback)
» ‎ Peachy Green

Tags: [edit]

Review
‘An excellent primer on how to cut your contribution to climate change.’ — BBC Focus Magazine, Autumn 2005′Brilliant work - I am a fan’ — Penney Poyzer of BBC2’s ‘No Waste Like Home”How can Reay be this wise, and still so funny? He has written a brilliant book. Read it and see.’ — Nicola Baird, Friends of the Earth’If you’re not convinced about climate change, this book will change your mind. It may even change your life.’ — Mark Lynas author of High Tide’This is one of (more…)

12:04
A salute to all non-morning people.
» ‎ THEMdidit

Tags: [edit]

11:48
A tour around the Strawberry Mountains…………
» ‎ Bend and Beyond

Tags: [edit]

The weekend's plan was to ride a 100 mile loop around the Strawberry Mountains, camping some where in the middle.

The weather could not have been better, warm and sunny – just hot enough to know it was summer.

I was riding the Yeti, Ben on his Lemond; each of us pulling a Bob trailer. Brad and Dana were cruising on their fully loaded Long Haul Truckers, built specifically for touring and their upcoming 7 week New Zealand bike tour. I have to admit there was a hint of jealously here; beautiful bikes built for the long haul……
How many bikes can one person have?
X = (Current # of Bikes) + 1
Day 1:
Early Saturday morning we loaded up and headed out, driving east toward John Day. Brad, Dana, Ben and I were ready to roll, literally.Bikes, trailers and smiles, we rode out of John Day, Oregon just after noon and headed east toward Prairie City.

The first 10 or 15 miles were along Highway 26 toward Prairie City; amazingly good riding. Wide shoulder, little traffic, and the energy you have when you first get on your bike after a long car ride.
Our first small-town-stop was in Prairie City for a cold drink. No, we didn't really need to stop, but that is the fun of touring; you get to stop when ever and where ever you want. No time limit, no bike computer, no heart rate monitor. Just a paper map and a group of friends; riding along for the sake of riding.
Leaving Prairie City we turned south, off the main road and onto paved forest service roads. Narrow roads with few cars meant we could ride 2 abreast and chit-chat as we made our way along the John Day River.

The chit chatting stopped when we started to climb… and climb… and climb.

Another beautiful thing about bike touring and only having a road map is that the topo lines are almost non-existent so determining the grade and terrain is near impossible.
Note: I describe this as a beautiful thing, others might disagree.
The grade flattened out a bit as we approached Trout Farm, a campground maintained by the Malheur Country Forest Service. Hoping to find water, we were pleasantly surprised by a piped spring providing fresh, cold libation. Filling our water bottles and checking the place out, we discovered why they call it Trout Farm. The lake at the far side of grounds was filled with huge trout; jumping, swimming, and thankful Ben had left his fishing pole at home.

The climb continued and got much steeper as we got closer to Prairie Summit. Well worth the climb, Prairie Summit was true to its name, open fields, wild flowers and fresh air. By the time we descended the 1000 feet into Logan Valley, we were ready to rest for the day.
After reaching the Big Creek Campground and finding it full of RVs and ATVs, we ventured a short way down a gravel side road, finding an ideal camping spot; sheltered from the sun and covered in pine needle duff. We unloaded the trailers and got back on our bikes – we had spotted a swimming hole down the way and weren't about to miss the chance to take a plunge into the icy water.

Dinner: Pasta all around.

Dessert: Tea and Chocolate.

Sunset: Unbelievable.

Life: Grand.

Day 2:

Sunday morning I went to church. My church. The church I share with all outdoor lovers who get high off fresh air, open space, and riding bikes. And I rejoiced!

Continuing through the Logan Valley, the cows are already awake, the horses were grazing and the sun felt amazing as it warmed my back. The roads were empty, save 4 cyclists adorned with smiles and the miles ticked by too quickly. Another climb, although not as tough as the one previous, ended in a sweeping decent that had me laughing and grinning ear to ear. I tried to keep up with Ben, and succeeded, finally figuring out the trick of going 30+ with a trailer in tow.

The plan was to stop in Seneca for a second breakfast and a coffee…. Sure they must have a café. Seneca was in bold on the map after all.

Lesson Learned: Maps can be deceiving.

Seneca turned out to be a one-shop town, a rickety little convenience store that sold ice cream sandwiches, a lot of meat, and Powerade. After picking up a few essentials, we found a picnic table in what looked to be the city park and enjoyed the dregs of our cheese, crackers, and peanut butter. A true feast!
Tip for the road: When carrying cheese on a bike tour or backpacking trip, wrap it in a brown paper bag before putting it plastic. You will be glad you did.

We left Seneca and the road turned up as we climbed out of one valley, headed toward another. We crested the next summit, Brad and I pushing each other as we reached the top, before starting the best downhill I have ever ridden. I can't wait to go back. In fact, it would be worth climbing all the way back up to experience it again. The views were breath-taking; the Strawberry Mountains to our right, the John Day Valley up ahead, the vegetation lush and green, the air was fresh. When the road flattened out and we regrouped, we were all smiles.

The ride through Canyon City and into John Day was right along the river, between canyon walls, among friends.
It was Sunday afternoon, there was no other way I would have rather spent it.

11:29
You really need to read …
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: White Rose [edit]

Matt Taibbi’s The Great American Bubble Machine.

11:13
EFusjon Energy Drink | Product Photography | Bend, Oregon
» ‎ Paula Watts Photography

Tags: product [edit]

Photography work has been BUSY! I am very appreciative for all my wonderful clients, new and old who understand the importance of marketing in a downward economy. Thus, I am a bit behind posting my latest projects, I apologize. Here is the start of a round of new posts. Efusion Energy Club recently hired me to photograph their new product, the energy drink “EDGE”. I worked with the raw acai berry with the product as well as showing the high energy performance of the drink, showing the sweat beads on the can itself. I also worked with the original can “RAW” with the dunk tank effect. The image showing the can splashing in water is a high end technique with super fast strobe flashes of light to capture the splash with perfect focus.

10:57
Stock Photos from Oregon’s Yaquina Head Lighthouse: Lucky, Lucky, Lucky.
» ‎ Pacific Crest Stock Photography Blog

Tags: [edit]

As I try to find new locations to add to my photography collection on Pacific Crest Stock, I’ve begun to realize that careful preparation and a good working knowledge of cameras and compositions can only help a nature photographer so much. Really great landscape photography seems to rely just as heavily on steadfast persistence (i.e., going back to the same location over and over again until the conditions are perfect) and/or a whole lot of luck (i.e., having great conditions on the first trip to a new location). On one recent trip to Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport Oregon, I got very lucky.

Stock photo of Oregon's Yaquina Head Lighthouse surrounded by cumulus clouds. Photo available from Pacific Crest Stock.

While driving over to the Oregon Coast, I mentioned to Julie (my loving wife) that I had been hoping to get some photographs of Yaquina Head Lighthouse for the last year or so, but that my timing had not worked out yet. I told her that the images I was hoping to capture would have a warmly lit lighthouse with big fields of flowers in the foreground and interesting cloud formations in the sky. I knew that capturing these images would require me to be there in early summer (when the flowers are peaking) at either sunrise or sunset (to have the proper lighting) on a day with no wind (so the flowers aren’t blowing around during long exposures) and great clouds (to fill up what would otherwise be dead space in the sky). I could easily prepare for the first two components, but the rest of it was really up to luck. Because Julie and I live in Bend, Oregon (a high elevation mountain town more than 3 hours away), there was really no way for me to know if the flowers along the coast were even blooming yet (much less, peaking), and there was absolutely no way that I could control other key factors, such as the wind and clouds. All I could really do was hope for the best and try to be prepared to take advantage of any opportunity that presented itself.

On our first day at the beach house, I woke up early and stepped outside to check sunrise conditions. There were great cloud formations all around and no winds blowing. These were seemingly perfect conditions, except for the fact that I was standing outside our place in Pacific City and the lighthouse is located in Newport, which is about 45 minutes away. Although I really had no way of predicting what the conditions were going to be like that far way, I was fairly excited at the possibility of getting the lighthouse pictures that I had wanted and I quickly started weighing my options. As I contemplated whether or not to make the trip, I remembered that our kids had been very excited the night before and that they had stayed up much later than normal. I also saw that Julie was still sleeping on the couch with our 18-month-old daughter, and that neither of them moved a muscle as I clumsily banged around in the kitchen trying to fill up as many coffee cups as I could carry. All signs pointed to a late and lazy morning for the McMullin family, which was great for me because it meant that I should be able to get down to the lighthouse and back to the beach house before anyone even noticed that I was gone. I packed up my coffee and camera gear and started my sunrise drive down the Pacific Coast Highway.

As I left Pacific City, I noticed that the streams and fields were incredibly still (which confirmed there was no wind blowing), but that the cloud formations I had seen earlier were already beginning to change. By the time I drove through Lincoln City (about 20 minutes later), the skies had lost most of their big fluffy clouds, and I started to wonder whether it was going to be worth it to keep driving. Then, I figured I was already hopped up on coffee and that the worst thing that could happen to me was that I would end up taking a peaceful, quiet drive down the coast to a beautiful cliff-side lighthouse where the sun would end up rising in a cloudless sky. With that in mind, it seemed sort of ridiculous for me to turn around at this point, so I continued driving up and over the cliffs surrounding Devil’s Punchbowl toward Newport, Oregon.

As the highway dropped back down to sea level, I could see Yaquina Head Lighthouse off in the distance. The lighthouse appeared to be shrouded in fog and there were no signs of the cumulus clouds that I had seen earlier in the morning. That sight was a bit disappointing, but I’ve been around long enough to know that you just can’t predict what the weather is going to be like on the Oregon Coast, so I kept driving with the hopes of at least scouting out the flower scenes around the lighthouse. In my mind, I was thinking that if the flowers were in good shape, then I would see if Julie and kids wanted to come back to the lighthouse around sunset so I could try again (NOTE: This is the persistence part of the equation that I was talking about earlier).

I arrived at the lighthouse shortly after sunrise and found exactly what I was hoping for . . . huge stands of wildflowers all around, great clouds overhead, and no wind. Pulsing with excitement (and perhaps a little too much coffee), I jumped out of the Jeep and started running around in circles trying to find as many interesting compositions as I could before the sun warmed the skies and the clouds faded away.

Stock photo of Oregon's Yaquina Head Lighthouse surrounded by cumulus clouds. Photo available from Pacific Crest Stock.

I had never been to Yaquina Head Lighthouse before, so I wasn’t exactly sure where to go first. I shot the images above within a few minutes of arriving, and then I backtracked and started scouting for more distant shots of the lighthouse.

Wildflowers along the cliffs at Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport, Oregon. Photo available from Pacific Crest Stock.

Because Yaquina Head Lighthouse is a very special and popular place, there are only certain areas around the lighthouse where visitors are allowed to go. Most of the really great photographs would require one to climb over a fence and ignore numerous signs pleading with people to stay on the designated paths and cleverly pointing out things like “Our wildflowers grow by the inch, but they are killed by the foot.” As badly as I wanted to scout around on the other side of the fences for a unique composition, I knew that I couldn’t do it with a clear conscious and that I didn’t want to damage any of the wildflowers that were blooming so happily along the cliff tops.

Wildflowers blooming along the cliffs near the Pacific Ocean.

I stayed on my side of the fences and shot a few more pictures of the lighthouse before venturing down to the rocky beach below. I quickly scouted a few hundred yards up the beach, but unfortunately, the clouds had already started migrating out to sea by the time that I found a scene interesting enough to photograph. Oh well, I have never been one to complain, and I certainly wasn’t going to do it on a day in which I had already been blessed with tremendous luck. The following picture doesn’t benefit from the great cloud formations that the others have, but I’m still drawn to it because I think it does a nice job of capturing the enormity of the scene and I like the way the ocean waves, cliffs, and lighthouse provide a nicely balanced composition.

Stock photo of the beach and cliffs below Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport, Oregon. Photo available from Pacific Crest Stock.

Satisfied that I had successfully captured Yaquina Head Lighthouse in all of its glory, I hiked back up the cliffs and started my return trip. I glanced at my watch as I was climbing in the Jeep and noticed that I was running quite a bit later than expected. That’s also when it occurred to me that I had left in such a hurry that morning that I forgot to leave Julie a note letting her know where I was going or when I would be back. Julie and I have been married long enough that I figured she could easily guess that I was out somewhere on a photography mission, but I didn’t want her to be worried (or mad), so I figured that I better check in with her to see how things were going with the kids and to let her know that I would be home as soon as possible. When I called her, she wasn’t the least bit upset. In fact, Julie was genuinely excited for me. She told me that she couldn’t wait to see my pictures, but that everything was running smoothly at the beach house, and for me not to feel like I needed to hurry home.

I hung up the phone thinking “How did I get this lucky?” Although it’s always nice to have fortuitous photography conditions, my phone conversation with Julie reminded me once again that none of it would be possible without the unwavering and loving support of family. Nature photographers spend a tremendous amount of time out in the field, and our families are often either left behind or reluctant participants in all sorts of crazy adventures. We couldn’t possibly thank them enough for their contributions or tell them frequently enough that they are truly one of the best kept secrets of our success. Like I said earlier, luck is one of the key ingredients to good landscape photography, and perhaps “lucky in love” is one of the best types of luck that any photographer can hope for. In this regard, I’m a lucky, lucky, lucky man.

Posted by Troy McMullin

10:50
Monument to scientific illiteracy …
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: Braindead [edit]

Paleontologists brought to tears, laughter by Creation Museum

10:30
Fun Kids’ Park Games Promoting Unstructured Play
» ‎ Play Outdoors Campfire

Tags: [edit]

Play Outdoors is proud to feature guest blogger Michele Whiteaker, a freelance writer who promotes play at Play Parks Central. She’s also a playground blogger for Fun Orange County Parks and Fun Colorado Springs Parks. Unstructured play is the academic...

10:24
No passport needed for armchair travel
» ‎ Pomegranate Seeds

Tags: [edit]

Half torture/half delight: I subscribe to an enewsletter that showcases European hotels and inns that are chosen for the "Charming Hotels" network (a group that goes around and anoints properties for their charm, whether a two-star hotel or four-star resort – no one pays to be in it, so it's really a great way to find some unique spots). You can find them at www.guidesdecharme.com; click on the little British flag for the (sometimes) English version... there's also a link to get their newsletter. The newsletter usually features specials going on at some of the properties (most are in France or Italy); you know, stay three nights and get the fourth free... I look at it for fun, for inspiration (or is it just torment?). This latest newsletter was all about "Hotels with jacuzzis." I almost erased it without looking, but a little thumbnail picture (above) piqued my interest, and I followed the link.

Oh my. What a gorgeous place (what an understatement). A medieval castle (with moat, no less!) that's updated with a modern, clean, and simple look. The French are SO good at that. I think I could spend weeks there, just relaxing and exploring (located in Languedoc-Roussillon: good wine country). The good news: their offered special is 75 euros/night. Even with the stinky exchange rate, that's about $100. Whoa, baby. Let's win the lottery and go! Check out this link, and drool away (careful; if you're daydreaming at work, there's music on the site): www.hotel-du-chateau.net/

Assume for a minute you're not worried about buying food or making mortgage payments or keeping your business going or restoring your portfolio: where would you travel to?

10:16
Bend Rocks!
» ‎ WebCyclery Blog

Tags: [edit]

The Bend cycling community is awesome. Last night we threw a little party/fundraiser for our friend and co-worker Andrey Yarbrough. He was hit by a truck 4 weeks ago and will be out of work for quite a while, so we figured he could use a little help getting through the next few months while he is rehabbing and not able to work.

Well, at least 150 people showed up and enjoyed great beers from Cascade Lakes Brewing Company (Thanks Chris) and great music by the Sweet Harlots (Thanks Laurel & Amy). Many who didn't even know Andrey, but just wanted to help a fellow cyclist. It's good to see the community come together like that. I saw owners and employees from Bend Bike 'n' Sport, Sunnyside Sports, and Sagebrush Cycles (and possibly other shops, I just don't know everyone from every shop).

We raffled off a bunch or door prizes from a whole lot of different companies-unfortunately I don't have a list of all of them because I was out getting more beer when we gave them away, but I know we had some stuff from Broken Top, Wade@Vulture Cycles, Edge Composites bars from Beverly @ BBNS, a helmet from Sunnyside, a cool handmade bowl from Andrey's friend Ryan, a massage from Cinda @ Recharge Massage Therapy, Cog Wild swag, race entries from Central Oregon Racing, and a weekend @ the Lara House from Lay It Out Promotions. Thanks to the Source & the Bulletin for helping us get the word out.

We also sold a butt load of raffle tickets for the big frame giveaway - we'll be raffling off a Niner EMD frame AND a custom hardtail from Warren Rice @ Realm Cycles. That raffle will take place @ the next WebCyclery Movie Night @ Mcmennamins. You DO NOT need to be present to win one of the frames.

So I'd like to thank everyone for coming out last night. The cycling community in Bend is a very special group of people and I am proud to be a part of it. It definitely makes me appreciate Bend even more than I already do.

Andrey has only been working here for about 7 or 8 months, but he has become a huge asset to our business. We miss his sense of humor and quality work that he does @ the shop. Hopefully he will be back soon.

9:57
Solar Power Panel 12 Volt 4.5 Watt Car Boat RV Charger
» ‎ Peachy Green

Tags: [edit]

This panel is for heavier duty battery charging, not merely trickle charging or battery maintaining as the smaller 1-2 watt types of panels are made for. This panel measures approx 8×10x3/4 in.

(more…)

9:50
President Obama's Nonprofit Press Conference and the New Nonprofit Tax Form 990
» ‎ Seeking Grant Money Today

Tags: tax form [edit]

Just to keep you up to date on the nonprofit sector, here are a few news pieces that we wanted to share with you.

President Obama spoke, yesterday, to the press, at the White House, about the nonprofit sector, federal funding, and what the private sector can do to assist the nonprofit sector, today. To read more, click on [www.msnbc.msn.com]

For more about the Obama administration's work for the nonprofit sector see [sic.conversationsnetwork.org]
and listen to the podcast discussion.

Also, Blue Avocado wrote an excellent piece on new software being released to assist nonprofits with reporting correctly on the new IRS tax form 990 (annual tax return). Remember, all nonprofits - of all sizes (small, too) must report, now. See their piece at
[www.blueavocado.org]

We hope that you'll find these pieces relevant and helpful!

9:47
June results, 2009.
» ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

Tags: [edit]

First, some perspective.

Last year, 2008, was probably my most profitable year; depending on how you count it. I may have had a more overall profit in the sports card glory years, but only by grossing twice as much (four stores, I'll remind you, versus today's one store), and much of that glory day 'profit' was included in loan payments and inventory increase. (which may be a profit in accounting terms, but didn't feel like profit to me...)

Last year's profits were real cash profits, and I was able to pay off all the credit cards, make my IRA contributions, finish off installing my new product lines of boardgames and new books, and even make a little headway before the economy hit a brick wall in September. This was a slow economy, remember, since probably late 2007. So I felt that was an achievement. Mind you, many of you would laugh at my 'profit' level, but it was pretty good to me.

I think this year will be slightly better, or about the same.

Sales are down exactly 20%, both in June and for the year. I'm expecting that to continue. But by working the store by myself, that 20% is a wash. An almost even trade -- lower sales, minus employee salaries.

Increased profits are coming from inventory control. That is, I'm not increasing inventory with new product lines. As well as taking advantage of all the bargains that are being offered, which increases my margins.

As my post tomorrow will show, my store is completely inventoried -- probably for the first time in my career. Anyone who owns a store will know what a big statement that is.

The only downside is working everyday, but even that hasn't been hard. In fact, maybe it's just my workaholic nature, but I've kind of liked it.

The more I hear about other stores, the more fortunate I feel. Knock wood.

I know this probably sounds like I'm just putting the best face on things, to which I say

Of Course. I'm a small business owner, it's what I do!

But it also really feels that way. And there is the little matter that it could've been even better without the dropoff in sales, and at this point in my career, it probably should be better.

But, as the cliche goes, Breaking even is the new Up.

9:30
Fox News hates “America” …
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: White Rose [edit]

“The only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama Bin Laden to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States…” ~ Michael Scheuer to Faux News personality Glen Beck. Tom Tomorrow, two weeks ago. As if Usama binForgotten had anything to do with 9/11. tb
9:14
Sums it up nicely …
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: Healthcare [edit]

From comments at Digby’s place re. your “new” health insurance – everything stays the same except that it will be mandatory that each citizen buy it. Just like car insurance.

8:17
Burning Butte (kind of like Burning Man but not naked)
» ‎ she's just saying ...

Tags: [edit]

OK, so the thing about the Butte catching fire:

Every year since I don't know when, the city of Bend puts on a fireworks show on the 4th of July, launching the rockets from the highest spot around, Pilot Butte. (From Wikopedia: Pilot Butte is an extinct volcano located in Bend, Oregon. It is a cinder cone which rises nearly 500 feet above the surrounding plains. Bend is one of the very few cities in the United States with volcanoes located within their boundaries.) [I did not know that. But shouldn't it be within its boundaries?]

Anyway.The sparks inevitably land on the dry sagebrush on the side of the Butte and "the sucker lights up with flames" as Jen put it in her last comment. The show is ended early and the firefighters do their thing.

And inevitably, the headline of the local paper the next day is:
Fireworks start blaze on Butte!

Thanks to the monkey, Chris K, for this photo that I stole from him.

7:52
Sunriver Marina Closed to Public Launch
» ‎ Standup Paddle Flatwater

Tags: [edit]

The Sunriver Marina launch on the Deschutes River, Oregon (next to the Trout House Restaurant in Sunriver) is now closed to the public. If you had the idea that you'd check out Sunriver Resort, going to the Marina and launching your stand up paddle board, now you can't.
We recommend that you launch at Harper Bridge and paddle to Benham Falls for an easy and beautiful Deschutes downriver ten mile paddle through the Sunriver Resort area. It's an easier shuttle. You don't have to wind through the traffic and circles of Sunriver Resort (it can be a zoo in the summer) and the Harper Bridge put in adds 3 miles more to the river trip.
The Harper Bridge launch does not require a U.S. Forest Service permit as it's Highway property. The Benham Falls launch area requires a parking pass. You can get a NW Forest pass for $25.00 at most any sporting goods store or National Forest office. Sometimes the parking area has a paid parking box where you can buy a $5.00 per day parking pass.
Read about how to get to the Harper Bridge - Benham Falls stretch of the Deschutes River and what to expect on our post Deschutes River, Oregon: Harper Bridge to Benham Falls._____________________________________________________________________Here's the copy of the text from the Sunriver Resort paid advertisement/notice in the July 1, 2009, Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon:
Due to the severe environmental impact and the current conditions of the surrounding riparian areas, the private boat ramp at the Sunriver Resort Marina will be closed to the public as of 5 pm Friday, July 3 (2009). This includes motorized boats and all other flat watercrafts (canoes, kayaks, rafts and other inflatables). All interested boaters may either rent a watercraft through Sunriver Resort Marina and launch from the private doc or access the river via designated public launch sites. Information about access to lakes and rivers in national forests in Central Oregon is available at www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon.____________________________________________________________________www.StandUpFlatwater.com

7:00
Holga (pt. 2)
» ‎ The BF Stop: The Official BIG Folio Blog

Tags: [edit]

In response to our Holga post on Jun. 22, we received these great images from New York photographer Bia Sampaio:

Each of the six shots was taken by a Holga, and we think it is clear that such a simple, little camera is capable of taking some classic wedding photos. What do you think? Should photogs add a Holga to their camera bag? Or stick with using only digital cameras and super lenses? Let us know your thoughts in our comments section.

7:00
Poll Wednedsay
» ‎ Official Shade Clothing Blog

Tags: [edit]

Ahh how everyone loves a zip hoodie! Looks like it came in first place on our latest poll, I actually should say, it pretty much kicked the rest out of the water at 65%! Trying to stay a float after it, was the pull over hoodie at 26% and coming in last was the crew neck sweater at 11%. I doubt that any of you are surprised by this, I know I'm not, honestly there is nothing like coming home after a long busy day, throwin' on your favorite hoodie, and curling up on the couch or wherever your favorite spot may be and finishing off the day in comfort, am I right?!
This week I am curious to know a few things about the blog... are you loving the Shade blog? Do you follow us everyday? Are you a facebook fan? Last, would you like to see us on twitter as well? Let me know your thoughts and have a great day!

ShadeClothing.com

6:40
7 1 09 $ES Trading
» ‎ Trading for the Masses

Tags: Trading [edit]

Welcome to the backside of 2009. The SPX is up about 1.5 % for the year after the 906 close of 08, so lots of time for little bang for the buy and holders and you also had to endure the 30% move down to 666 and then the return move of up 40% [...]

6:29
Rushpublicians … 2
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: White Rose [edit]

Re. The Sanford affair: I’m getting a little tired of the blame being placed on the woman. Grant this is typical christiajn behavior – blame someone else and never accept responsibility for one’s own behavior – but never-the-less the bozo violated his oath not just to his spouse but his constituents and his lying sack [...]

6:24
So you bought a house......now what?
» ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

Tags: [edit]

Back in the early years of owning Pegasus Books, when we were merely struggling to expand and survive, but hadn't racked up the big debts, Linda used to mention trying to buy a house.

We had friends or knew of people who had managed to buy houses with FHA loans which weren't all that much more than our rent.

But....the houses weren't much, in my opinion. Starter houses, to be sure.

I always resisted this notion because, 1) I suspected our situation was different, and that we wouldn't have qualified, and 2.) We were already struggling to come up with enough money to pay for our business, and 3.) I didn't want to be house poor.

There was a big difference, I figured, between being barely able to make the payments and actually being able to take care of the house.

Our recent run-in with the sewer line reminded me of this. It cost us nearly 5000.00 to fix. What if our credit had been maxed out? What if we hadn't had the resources to pay for it?

I'm looking at a roof that has maybe one or two years left in it's usefulness. Our lawns need to be replaced. Our downstairs bathroom has discoloration on the floor where the toilet leaked. Things like that.

I can see that as long as we own a house, these issues are going to constantly arise.

But we bought a home that wasn't overly large -- just about the right size for a couple.

It's been manageable.

So, anyway, I wonder about all the people who bought at the upper limits of their qualifying, when times were flush, but who are now struggling just to make the basic payments. I'm assuming that repairs are being delayed or neglected. Which only makes their situation worse, and makes the house worth less, and so on.

Seems to me to be an aspect of home ownership that not many people are talking about.

Being House Poor can't be fun.

6:06
Rushpublicans …
» ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

Tags: White Rose [edit]

LIMBAUGH: Look at this. From Iran’s press television, the state-run media in Iran: Ahmadinejad gains votes in recount, just like in our country! It had — just like in our country. Norm Coleman wins in Minnesota in a recount, and they keep having recounts, and Al Franken wins. So they had the recount in Iran, [...]

5:23
This month, July, marks the 5-year anniversary ...
» ‎ The gr8ful grind

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This month, July, marks the 5-year anniversary of this blog. So for the month of July, I am going back through the archives and choosing some of my favorite photos that I have posted during that time. Also, rather than outlining when the photo was taken, I shall be outlining when it was posted on this blog. Sometimes, it could be that I have chosen a photo because of the composition, while others

5:00
wishing wednesday.
» ‎ Tangled and True

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Stockholm Floral Apron

Electra Townie 7D

Ina Garten Flag Cake

candy frame owl change purse

birds a-z

blowfish peep-toe

This is what I'm wishing for. What are you wishing for? Leave me your links.. maybe I'll add them to my list.

4:52
Track the Stimulus Spending
» ‎ Build Baby Build

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You can track the stimulus spending

photo credit: psyberartist

Wondering where your tax dollars are going? You can track the stimulus spending in the U.S. from the comfort of your home, with a few computer clicks.

The federal stimulus package passed earlier this year to authorize $787 billion in spending - also known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - includes a number of renewable energy provisions to encourage creation of green jobs, home-grown power and energy independence. Not to mention funds to help boost the economy out of the recession.

Recovery.org is an online tool, run by a Seattle, Washington-based company called Onvia, that can be tapped into by anyone to obtain information regarding green stimulus projects at all levels of government, from local to state. A handy, interactive map shows you, state by state, the number of active projects going on (over 21,800, valued at $63.28 billion), and gives you the ability to comment on each individually listed project. Trust me, there are some heated debates going on over there!

The similarly-named Recovery.gov also allows you to track the stimulus spending, but is a much less interactive site. Yes, it is government-owned and operated too. You’ll find news releases and general information concerning spending breakdowns and project timelines. Lots of graphs and charts are offered, as well. All of this is pursuant to President Obama’s pledge of transparency in government.

Commentators have noted that the two websites to track stimulus spending serve unique purposes. While recovery.gov may be used by taxpayers interested in how the government is investing their money, recovery.org is more geared towards providing information for companies that may wish to apply for government contracts.

In other words, the “inside scoop” on where the new projects are going in, and whether they have or will be funded, will be available. Businesses will then be able to compete for the green jobs that are offered through a number of government agencies and divisions, whether at the Department of Human Resources in Washington State, or the governor’s mansion in Florida.

Online resources like recovery.org and recovery.gov are yet another tool in the arsenal helping to Build, Baby Build a new, clean future: for businesses, government agencies and taxpayers alike.

Do you know where the green stimulus projects are - what they cost? You could!

Related posts:

4:20
Wyden's Health Plan: Blowing Our Big Chance
» ‎ The Wandering Eye

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In general, The Eye has looked kindly on Ron Wyden during his years in the Senate. So its with regret that we feel obligated to rip into him for his health care reform idea.

4:13
White...a shop
» ‎ High Desert Diva

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There's this shop called White....

that I really think I need to go to...its only 1500 miles from my house.

Iowa is not exactly a neighboring state
But wouldn't it be fun to meet Sharon

and Lorie

the "two crazy blonde junkers" who run this delightful shop?

~~~~~
White Wednesday...join in!

3:52
Endangered Mermaids The Manatees of Florida
» ‎ Peachy Green

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Video Librarian
“Warmly recommended” THREE STARS.”

Manatees, slow-moving and harmless plant-eating marine mammals, frequent the shallows of Florida’s rivers and coastal ocean. These huge animals, which can be fifteen feet long and weigh 3,000 pounds, eat only aquatic plants. As the number of people living in Florida grows, the number of manatees shrinks, as a result of the development necessary to support the growing population. Many manatees fall victim to dwindling habitats, (more…)

2:22
Nature of Words Announces Authors
» ‎ The Blender

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Last night, The Nature of Words Bends annual literary celebration announced the authors for the 2009 event. At the top of the list is a Source favorite in Sherman Alexie [www.fallsapart.com] the author of Smoke Signals as well as The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a hilarious tale of a boy on a Northwest Indian reservation that made waves in Central Oregon when Crook County schools decided to ban the book from their curriculum. Alexie, a Spokane/Couer dAlene Indian, has won number of literary honors, including a PEN/Hemingway Award as well as a National Book Award for True Diary in 2007. The rest of the roster includes four Oregon authors, including historical novelist Jane Kirkpatrick, poet Matthew Dickman, Karen Karbo, who recently published her novel How to Hepburn: Lessons on Living from Kate the Great and poet/essayist Kim Stafford. Also on the docket is Seth Kantner, an Alaskan novelist. The Nature of Words is slated for November 4-8. Check out www.thenatureofwords.org. [www.thenatureofwords.org)]
2:22
The Nature of Words Announces Authors
» ‎ The Blender

Tags: [edit]

Last night, The Nature of Words Bends annual literary celebration announced the authors for the 2009 event. At the top of the list is a Source favorite in Sherman Alexie [www.fallsapart.com] the author of Smoke Signals as well as The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a hilarious tale of a boy on a Northwest Indian reservation that made waves in Central Oregon when Crook County schools decided to ban the book from their curriculum. Alexie, a Spokane/Couer dAlene Indian, has won number of literary honors, including a PEN/Hemingway Award as well as a National Book Award for True Diary in 2007. The rest of the roster includes four Oregon authors, including historical novelist Jane Kirkpatrick, poet Matthew Dickman, Karen Karbo, who recently published her novel How to Hepburn: Lessons on Living from Kate the Great and poet/essayist Kim Stafford. Also on the docket is Seth Kantner, an Alaskan novelist. The Nature of Words is slated for November 4-8. Check out www.thenatureofwords.org. [www.thenatureofwords.org)]

0:15
Making Reading On Web More Enjoyable
» ‎ UtterlyBoring.com

Tags: Cool [edit]

This little bookmarklet makes reading long bits of content on the web (like news stories) immensely more enjoyable by putting it in a simple, clutter free layout.
0:12
There's Nothing A Little Redneck Ingenuity Can't Fix
» ‎ UtterlyBoring.com

Tags: Funny [edit]

If it's been jury-rigged, it can be found here.

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