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• Trading for the Masses [xml|www]
• The Grumpy Forester [xml|www]
• The Brew Site [xml|www]
• Pastor Mike's Faith Journey Adventure [xml|www]
• Official Shade Clothing Blog [xml|www]
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• Images by Jeff Kennedy [xml|www]
• The Jackalope Grill Blog [xml|www]
• Create and Relate [xml|www]
• It's the little things in life... [xml|www]
• Pacific Crest Stock Photography Blog [xml|www]
• Backporch Coffee Roasters [xml|www]
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• Central Oregon Real Estate Blog [xml|www]
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• Rob Umphress [xml|www]
• MYC Yoga Bend [xml|www]
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• Forever Family Designs [xml|www]
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• Pale Musings [xml|www]
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• Snowboard Mt Bachelor [xml|www]
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• KerryONeal.com [xml|www]
• NitroSister Christina : Artwork [xml|www]
• Phillip Wise Photography [xml|www]
• If you're not ready to die for it... [xml|www]
• Heather Leggett Photography Blog [xml|www]
• THE JC PEOPLE [xml|www]
• The Wagger [xml|www]
• The Way....to Oregon [xml|www]
• parla (speak) [xml|www]
• The Debut Effect [xml|www]
• pinkwik [xml|www]
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• Leave it to Barney [xml|www]
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• Stride Steady [xml|www]
• bent paradox [xml|www]
• olivefingers [xml|www]
• Pressing On [xml|www]
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• Bend Drum Circle [xml|www]
• The Grove [xml|www]
• Umami Media Blog [xml|www]
• Victoria's Secrets Told [xml|www]
• Learning Conversations [xml|www]
• vorpal.cc/blog [xml|www]
• disturbing the comfortable [xml|www]
• The Trading Desk [xml|www]
• Central Oregon Landwatch [xml|www]
• XC Oregon [xml|www]
• Clarissa [xml|www]
• Forget-About-It Golf [xml|www]
• The Pure Ingredients [xml|www]
• Parking Lot Mamas [xml|www]
• Blessed Wanderer [xml|www]
• Parenting An Adult with Complex Special Needs [xml|www]
• Parenting A Complex Special Needs Child [xml|www]
• Ania Designs [xml|www]
• There Goes Today, it Slowly Fades Away [xml|www]
• Dusty Tales [xml|www]
• Bring Back the 80's! [xml|www]
• Into the Wild Oregon [xml|www]
• Stroller Strides - Bend, OR [xml|www]
• Katie [xml|www]
• The Beeb, the Beagle & My Bestfriend [xml|www]
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• Life Behind the Lens [xml|www]
• Bend Oregon Photos [xml|www]
• How the Real Mother Hen Sees the World [xml|www]
• Holli [xml|www]
• Carl's Space [xml|www]
• Bend Gazette [xml|www]
• WOW! And I say it louder. [xml|www]
• Craving [xml|www]
• Bend Chiro Blog [xml|www]
• Journey in Bend [xml|www]
• Karen Duvall [xml|www]
• Sagewind Voices [xml|www]
• Latitudes and Lassitudes [xml|www]
• Our journey to Paige [xml|www]
• Nicholas [xml|www]
• Rachor Photography [xml|www]
• Bicycle43 [xml|www]
• Live on the Fly Studio [xml|www]
• Pensees [xml|www]
• Postcards from the Edge [xml|www]
• Bend Oregon ... and a little beyond! [xml|www]
• The BF Stop: The Official BIG Folio Blog [xml|www]
• Birdies 4 Babies Golf Charity [xml|www]
• of running and other pursuits [xml|www]
• Bivwak Outdoors [xml|www]
• What's New in Allyson's Kitchen [xml|www]
• Go Big or Go home [xml|www]
• Mi-§mart [xml|www]
• It Was Written [xml|www]
• Mark Rhoden [xml|www]
• the ecomoderate [xml|www]
• eMusings [xml|www]
• CRR News And Views [xml|www]
• Travis [xml|www]
• Gamalnotes [xml|www]
• Tim [xml|www]
• The great nothing and the road to nowhere [xml|www]
• Shaylors Random Blog [xml|www]
• Slightly Twisted! [xml|www]
• RubyROX Renegade Rollergirl [xml|www]
• RISE UP [xml|www]
• Ms.E. [xml|www]
• Lynne [xml|www]
• Lora eats too much rice! [xml|www]
• Brandy [xml|www]
• Breathing in Sequence [xml|www]
• So Easy To Look At... [xml|www]
• Mommy 2 an Angel ! [xml|www]
• Lava City Roller Dolls [xml|www]
• Craig Richards' Blog [xml|www]
• Boris' Blog [xml|www]
• My Tangerine Dreams [xml|www]
• Scam Protectors [xml|www]
• Warning: Keep away from children! [xml|www]
• John Cal [xml|www]
• de:manda:ing. [xml|www]
• C-2thu-Z-2thu-N [xml|www]
• brian [xml|www]
• bikebuzz [xml|www]
• Blog from a dude ranch [xml|www]
• Tom Cornilliac [xml|www]
• KeepChevyInBend.com [xml|www]
• yarrow [xml|www]
• Call Me Ed [xml|www]
• I intentionally wrote it out to be an illegible mess [xml|www]
• Gregg Zivney [xml|www]
• Music and Musings [xml|www]
• The Adventures of Rich Jandt [xml|www]
• Liana's Lifetime [xml|www]
• True North [xml|www]
• The Christensons [xml|www]
• Peebo the Bike Commuter [xml|www]
• Brysons of Bend [xml|www]
• The Frequently Unvisited Portion of the Internet [xml|www]
• Kitchen Weech [xml|www]
• Holly's Blog on the Virtual Tea House [xml|www]
• Juniper Ridge Info [xml|www]
• Lighthouse Parents [xml|www]
• Blog of 4Sight [xml|www]
• Not So Sex and the City [xml|www]
• Laura @ Curl Up & Dye [xml|www]
• John Gottberg's Blog [xml|www]
• The Little Things [xml|www]
• Media Review [xml|www]
• The Wealthy Business [xml|www]
• Chinook TC [xml|www]
• just a little thought [xml|www]
• Poetic License Photo Blog [xml|www]
• Talking the Walk [xml|www]
• Search Consulting Service Blog [xml|www]
• Jesus is Close [xml|www]
• Gather at the Table [xml|www]
• Dawn Robison's Blog [xml|www]
• Dreaming In JavaScript [xml|www]
• Central Oregon Emergent Cohort [xml|www]
• The Bend Journal [xml|www]
• Political Pop Culture [xml|www]
• Renegade Rollergirls of Oregon Blog [xml|www]
• BNI Bend [xml|www]
• nook & cranny [xml|www]
• Mike in Bend [xml|www]
• On The Bright Side.net [xml|www]
• Two-Headed Boy [xml|www]
• Season To Taste ... Cook Until Done [xml|www]
• ezekielblog [xml|www]
• VoIP Now [xml|www]
• Dylan Darling's Real Estate Blog [xml|www]
• Soul Asylum [xml|www]
• seeking better [xml|www]
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Recent items

• February 08, 2010
• 21:00

  Shade Giveaway

   » ‎ Official Shade Clothing Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  Win a $30 shade gift card plus our new fav accessory...the skinny belt!
  Tell us which color belt you like best in your comment to enter!
  

• 20:51

  So Much More

   » ‎ Pastor Mike's Faith Journey Adventure

  Tags:  Offerings   [edit]

  
  Yesterday at Faith was one of those remarkable days that won’t soon be forgotten.  It was a privilege to have Pastor Elie Ndikunkiko of the Burundi Pentecostal Church with us.  It is Pastor’s Elie’s group that has taken me to the small Central African country to train pastors in 2005 and 2009. He was a blessing to our church, to the family who hosted him and to me.
  Pastor Elie is a giant of the faith in that region.  His message Sunday was spoken through an interpreter, as Kirundi is his native tongue.  That experience in itself was very good for our church on several levels.  It helped me see from a different perspective of translation issues that could occur when I speak in Africa or Mexico.  Further, when a foreign language is spoken, people tend to lean forward toward the edge of their chair to be able to understand.  The interpreter was also a novice at translating a sermon from Kirundi into English as this was his maiden voyage. 
  It was a bit of a struggle…
  The message was only about 30 minutes long.  That’s 15 minutes for each person, the speaker and translator.  It was a “two-pointer,” and really simple.  He told us that we (American Christians) were blessed more than we know and that once we are blessed by the Lord that we should be careful not to send Him away.  It was basic, extremely simplistic.  Sometimes that is what we need most.  But it also highlighted a huge paradigm shift between two cultures. 
  In July of 2005 I was in Bujumbura, Burundi, speaking at a pastor’s conference with leaders from a variety of denominations.  Near the conclusion of the final session, there was a question and answer time.  One of the pastors strongly suggested that American pastors and churches should be sending money over every month to support African pastors in their work.  My answer was pretty simple, that people in our church had sacrificed to send me there, and that we didn’t have the kind of money they thought we did.
  I was right...and wrong.  And so was he.
  For many, the African perspective of the American church is what they see from time to time on American Christian television.  Perhaps the wheels are already turning in your head.  Think about the perceived “glitz,” the throne-like seating and ornate level of decorum or perceived flamboyance can be very confusing to African and American alike.  I recognize that this kind of programming certainly does reach certain demographics of people.  It also touches some of those who are “already convinced” (of the claims of Christ).  However, these perspectives in the hands of foreigners it can leave a very different impression of the state of the American Christian.
  Further, wealthy Americans and our government have a tendency to throw money at things to solve problems in third-world countries.  This also creates a false illusion that every American is extremely wealthy.
  Okay, that last sentence is actually inaccurate.
  Comparatively speaking every American IS extremely wealthy compared to many populations in the world; this would also include those here in our country living within our welfare state.  For example, for much of the third world the major concern for the day is whether or not they are going to eat.  We pray for God’s blessing for new things, better jobs, better deals and bigger increases.  They pray for basic clothing to wear, water to drink and food to eat.  It is a blessing to many of these to not have their homes robbed and their lives be spared in communities where there is little to no value of life.
  Yes, we are so blessed in America…
  That day five years ago when I answered the pastor’s question, I did so out of my context of responsibilities to financial institutions at home in order to maintain a certain level of a lower-middle class American existence.  He was asking the question from his paradigm of trusting God for his next meal and believing in his heart that every American has money to burn.
  Yup, both of us right…AND wrong.
  As Christians living in America, we have a responsibility to be givers to those in need.  That includes Africans, Indians, Mexicans, Haitians…make a list and check the box, any box will do.  We also have needs right here in our backyard – Americans who need a hand up instead of a hand out.  Yes, the Bible does say that if a person won’t work they shouldn’t eat.  That’s also the point of helping those beyond our borders as well.  It’s not about throwing money at problems.  Instead it’s about investing in reputable solutions. 
  The most reliable solution that I’m aware of in regard to financial investment is the Bible.
  Incredibly, when it comes to our personal stewardship of the resources that God has given us, it begins with bringing the tithe to the storehouse (yup, that whole giving to God the first ten percent thingy).  That’s where God says stuff like, “Test Me in this,” and “I’ll open the gates to the storehouse of heaven to pour out on the obedient” (Malachi 3).  So, along with millions of others, our family has followed this directive of Scripture and found His promises to be true.  The more obedient we are to God, the more possibilities can become realities when it comes to giving in our futures.  The truth is when we give we end up receiving so much more…
  Oh yes, love the Burundian people!  It's just a reminder of receiving so much more than I've given...
  

• 20:41

  Kitties on my lap

   » ‎ Don's Sunnyside Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  We have three kitties, Rupert, Alex and Ariel. Alex is the perfect lap cat, always on a lap,mine, Kathy's,a student, someone's. Rupert is a doer, we don't know what it is he does, but he is pretty busy. His main job is to save us from the evil white cat from across the street. We are pretty sure it must be evil or Rupert wouldn't spend so much time keeping us safe. However at 8 pm every day it is lap time for Rupert. We have two laps available most days in our home, but Rupert has to be in the same lap as Alex, and Kathy is the chosen lap. Sometimes they are on top of each other, sometimes spread out, but always together. Alex is small, Rupert is big, in fact twice as big as Alex. Tonight Kathy is out so I am the lap, that is what that photo is -Alex and Rupert. I feel honored to be so picked.
  Ariel is, of course, off by herself. That is how she is. I can't really go to bed, two kitties are just too important to disturb.
  
  Connected by MOTOBLUR™ on T-Mobile
  

• 20:14

  Received: Jubel 2010

   » ‎ The Brew Site

  Tags:  Marketing/PR   [edit]

  This came today:

  

  Deschutes Brewery’s newest Reserve Series beer, Jubel 2010 (“Once a Decade Ale”) and a goblet—which is identical to the goblets they were handing out during their Release Party Friday night (I picked up one of those as well, so now I have two).

  Incidentally, I can say that Jubel is big and plummy and sweet and sticky, hiding its 10% alcohol really well. But I’ll do a more detailed review soon, from this bottle.

• 20:07

  Baldy's BBQ 5th anniversary

   » ‎ Hack Bend

  Tags:  Restaurants   [edit]

  I'm totally stealing this from Bend Oregon Restaurants:

  This week Baldy's BBQ is celebrating their 5th Anniversary with $5 specials all week long. From what I've heard, they're doing $5 full racks, smothered fries, dozen wings, 2 pulled pork or chicken sandwiches, and more + drink specials.

  **Update**
  After lunch at Baldy's today (Monday) I have the $5 specials:
  - Full Rack of ribs (these are the Danish ribs, little smaller than their normal but well worth $5)
  - 2 pulled pork sandwiches
  - 2 pulled chicken sandwiches
  - Dozen smoked wings (had them for Super Bowl and they are gooood)
  - Smothered fries
  $5 drink specials as well
  **/Update**

  Then Saturday they have a FREE pig roast in the parking lot, with live music (the boxcar string band), raffle prizes, Ski/snowboard equipment, Sunriver weekend for two, and Baldy's gift cards.

• 19:49

  Firsts

   » ‎ The Grumpy Forester

  Tags:    [edit]

  

• 19:44

  SNL: Cialis for Three Ways

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Actually suprised this isn’t already on network TV. more about "SNL: Cialis for Three Ways", posted with vodpod Filed under: Trading

• 19:21

  Yuyang Hotel

   » ‎ Blueturtle's Space

  Tags:    [edit]

  Yuyang Hotel

• 18:46

  Bend’s Best Buys – 326 NW Roanoke $359,900

   » ‎ Cheri Smith's Bend Oregon Real Estate Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  This eco-friendly house was formerly listed at $980,000 and is now bank owned and listed at $359,900. This 3124 sq. ft. home has 5 bedrooms, 4 baths and sits on a 0.3 acre lot. The 5th bedroom downstairs is currently set up as a studio apartment with a kitchenette, bathroom, and private exterior entrance. The [...]

• 18:07

  Kevin Kline on The Sound of Young America

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Kevin Kline in conversation with Jesse Thorn, host of The Sound of Young America, at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Kline stars as an aging literary dandy in the Jonathan Ames adaptation “The Extra Man,” which premiered in Park City. Filed under: Trading

• 17:33

  Fluffly Focaccia ~

   » ‎ An Eskimo bakes

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  
  Some doughs are just downright sexy.  This is the thought that comes to mind when I make certain breads.  The dough is supple, warm, a luscious feel to it when handling.  I love this foccocia recipe ~ when it's mixed and kneaded, I think...sexy dough. 
  
  I make this thicker than what is traditional, 'cuz I like it fluffy and soft. 
  
  Adapted slightly from the original.  
  
  
  Focaccia ~
  
  
  5 tsp. yeast
  2 c. warm water
  2 T. sugar
  1 tsp. salt
  1/2 c. oil, I use canola
  1/4 c. olive oil
  5 - 5 1/2 c. bread flour
    
  

  • Proof the yeast in 1 c. of the water and a pinch of sugar.  Let sit 15 minutes.
  • Pour the additional 1 c. water into a mixer or bowl depending if you use a mixer or are doing this by hand.
  • Add the sugar, salt, oil, olive oil to the water.  Mix a little until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
  • When the yeast is proofed, add it to the water.
  • To the wet ingredients, add three cups of water, stir and let sit for 15-20 minutes.
  • Add two cups of flour, one cup at time.  Use the extra 1/2 c. if necessary.  Keeping the dough supple and a little tacky makes for a tender result. 
  • Put into a oiled (olive oil) bowl and let rise until double. 
  • Divide dough and place into two oiled 10" cake pans, spreading out to the edges or close.  Half sheet pans lined with parchment if you don't have large cake pans.  
  • After 15 minutes, dimple the dough all over, continue to let rise until double.
  • Douse with olive oil, sprinkle on kosher salt or herbs of choice. 
  • Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, depending on how brown you want your bread.

  
   Toodles ~
  xoxo

• 17:04

  Ain’t nothin’ east of the Rockies we need …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  g'da said   [edit]

  I oft chuckle over boneheads, usually from Texas or Alaska, who spout secessionist nonsense, wondering how they feel about giving up the social net they’ve paid into. I’m not sure they’re thinkin’ this through: once they’ve left ‘the union’ the social contract is broken and those monies are forfeit. On-the-other hand… I’ve faithfully paid into Social Security [...]

• 16:14

  NAVIS Releases Major Narrowcast Enhancements

   » ‎ Bill's Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Attention NAVIS vacation rental management and resort hotel clients…

  Numerous new features and enhancements have been added to our flagship product NAVIS Narrowcast, effective at 8:30AM Pacific time today. From a totally redesigned and more intuitive navigation menu, to automatic template-based emails, this newest release brings online more new features than we have released for quite some time.

  You can now assign specific agents to follow up on leads – directly within the ELM lead screen. You can even select the time and date to remind the assigned agent.

  Several new reports have also been added including the Scoreboard Report, which provides conversion metrics, lead revenue, and compliance information about your reservation agents. Posting this information on a daily basis will help to drive new revenue.

  An email was sent to all NAVIS clients detailing the many new features. If you didn’t receive it, you can find the document HERE. Of course, your NAVIS Client Advocate is always available for questions.

  Happy Bookings!

• 15:45

  Oh Yum

   » ‎ Violaceous

  Tags:    [edit]

  I've been enthralled with these little heart shaped treats since I saw them on the Farm Chicks blog a couple days ago. I decided to make a batch for Dustin yesterday and I wasn't disappointed!

   

  They were really easy and turned out wonderfully! And cute to boot, which is always important. Mine had yummy marionberry jam in the middle.

  
  
  Just showing them off...

• 15:15

  The 10 most important things to know to have a successful short sale.

   » ‎ Fred Real Estate Group

  Tags:    [edit]

  Top 10 most important items for successful short sale negotiation
  
  by Tracey Baron on February 8, 2010
  
  Below is a list of best practices used by most successful professionals handling short sale negotiations. These are essential items everyone involved in negotiating short sales must practice and observe.
  
  1. Transparency of all negotiation related activities – with all parties having access to the details. Active involvement creates a self-policing environment when both sellers and buyers can follow the transaction. It helps build a team approach to the transaction and instills confidence to all parties that the right things are being done to secure short sale approval. This is important if additional funds are required to secure a short sale approval. For this very reason we developed and refined our software, Short Sale Builder (www.shortsalebuilder.com) to facilitate transparent communication and streamline the process.
  2. Know the laws in your state in regards to short sales and creditor collection rights. Accurate legal information helps negotiators determine when a bank is asking for more than they could recover if the property went to foreclosure. This is a key negotiation strategy.
  3. Stay in the loop, know what your successful peer groups are doing as well as keep up with the current trends in short sales. The latest information will give you and edge you need in establishing yourself as a successful short sale negotiator.
  4. Set realistic expectations with everyone involved in the process, do not over promise anything, you will lose the transaction when the short sale does not transpire the way you expected. Under promise and over deliver.
  5. Do not take files that belong to investors who are low balling offers. You will only jeopardize your reputation as well as your other transactions by increasing scrutiny on your retail files you’ve worked hard to get approved.
  6. Do not submit a file without having verified all liens and judgments. You will lose these files at closing when there is no money to pay them. Always have escrow pull a title report prior to submitting short sale packages. It will save you a lot of headaches.
  7. Incorporate a call center to make your initial calls on a systematic basis. The call center will get the file set up with the lender and then pass it over to your negotiator once the bank representative has been assigned. This will allow your negotiators to fully focus on closing the file and not get burned out with the mundane aspects of negotiation, such as submitting missing documents. This will also allow you to recruit and retain the highest level of negotiators.
  8. Inform all brokers and agents you work with that 6.00% commission will not be paid on every single transaction. Some banks and servicers simply do not allow for 6.00% commissions and there is nothing that you can do to change this. No matter what you read, there is nothing out there that mandates that’s investors have to pay 6.00% commissions on short sales. There are guidelines that urge investors to pay realtor’s commissions, but nothing that mandates this.
  9. What if your clients are real estate brokers and they do not want to pay your fee out of their commissions? We had success having the buyer request the seller to cover the negotiation fee as part of their closing cost. This is an effective tactic that will save buyer or the broker any part of the negotiation fee. The key is to You just need to fully disclose this information in the purchase agreement.
  10. Do not alienate the bank by being confrontational or mislead them with false statements, it will only hurt your future negotiations. If you are respectful, and have all of your negotiations conversations documented – you will be able to escalate the file to a supervisor if your short sale is stalled or not going they way you had intended. Ensure that you have the facts correct when making a case with the negotiator. If your facts are incorrect and you are acting on emotion, you will effectively ruin all chances of getting any kind of escalation approved.

• 15:07

  Long Bonds at the Crossroads

   » ‎ My Back Pages

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  TLT, the long-term Treasury bond ETF, is giving the short-term downtrend a run for its money. The longer-term trend is solidly bullish so this should be interesting to watch.
  
  Full disclosure: Long TLTPosted via email from jessefelder's posterous

• 14:26

  Genius on vinyl.

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  Well, maybe even more of a genius on CD.
  
  But vinyl is what I have, for so many of my favorites for the first 30+ years of my life. You know, I wish I'd stuck to vinyl and skipped the cassettes. CD's have their advantages, obviously. But vinyl sounds amazing.
  
  By buying our big screen T.V., we cleared out our entertainment center. I had a CD player downstairs, but it was a bit wobbly (which has now happened several times.)
  
  At some point, I had bought a funky antique-y looking record player, with CD and cassette elements. Little speakers; which still sound better than that old 'stereo' system that I spent a year saving up for in high school.
  
  So I installed my funky record player next to my desk, and all the old albums are on the bottom shelf of the bookcase (well, maybe half of a previously half winnowed collection.)
  
  Bob Dylan
  Jimi Hendrix
  Elvis
  Elvis Costello
  Beatles
  Led Zeppelin
  Joan Baez
  Bruce Springsteen
  Jefferson Airplane
  The Doors
  The Who
  Dozens of Broadway plays (Mom and Dad's)
  Beethoven and Mozart and many others (Mom and Dad's)
  Folk albums (big brother and big sister)
  Motown (Linda's)
  
  
  and on and on. Up to about 1971 or so, got many of those old classic albums. Beat up, scratchy, but still listenable. More varied after 1971, pretty much skipped 1972-75; boy bands era; diva era; etc.
  
  And I'm finding that it's easy to get up from my chair and flip the record.
  
  I feel like I dug up a treasure.

• 14:01

  Kitchen Trends for 2010

   » ‎ Cheri Smith's Bend Oregon Real Estate Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  If you’re considering a kitchen remodel, you’ll want to visit the blog of Kit Tosello, kitchen designer, and read her most recent post about kitchen trends for 2010. The National Kitchen & Bath Association reported the styles for 2010 and here’s a summary of what they expect we’ll see: 1. Traditional will continue as the most [...]

• 14:00

  Sarah and The Teabaggers …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  If a tree falls   [edit]

  has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? Suits, too. Like some 70s am/tv pop band – The Archies, or Josey and The Pussycats.
• 13:42

  Go in Peace, old friend …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  g'da said   [edit]

  Democratic Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, a retired Marine Corps officer who became an outspoken critic of the Iraq war, has died. He was 77. In 1974, Murtha became the first combat veteran of the Vietnam War elected to Congress. He wielded considerable clout for two decades as a leader of the House subcommittee that oversees [...]

• 13:42

  Kylie, Collin and ...

   » ‎ Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy

  Tags:    [edit]

  Kylie, Collin and ChaseJohnny, John and Shanna
  

• 13:05

  Reading Material

   » ‎ UtterlyBoring.com

  Tags:  Randomness   [edit]

  • Setup a whole-house speaker system using existing phone lines.
  • Cheap but powerful video card for HTPC use.
  • The thickness of napkins in the programming world.
  • SimpleFolio, a nice wordpress theme.
  • If you missed the Super Bowl commercials last night, they've all been posted here (and the story behind the Leno, Oprah, Letterman ad is over here). Vote for your favorite here.
  • According to teenagers, sites like mine aren't cool anymore. Not that I'm losing sleep over losing the under-18 demo.
  • Another high school, another overzelous administration conficating newspapers that do some real reporting.
  • Always wear your seat belt.
  • The anti-vaccine autism paper had catastrophic effects.
  • Symbian Operating System is Now Open Source and Free -- but will it matter?
  • Relatively Portal.
  • Netflix 28-Day Window Would Decimate Their Top Rental List.
  • Kwedit, a new completely unreliable payment network.
  • Calagator, open-source project for calendar aggregation (like Portland's tech events).
  • Run your own URL Shortener, and hopefully have better luck with spammers than my failed attempt (Ken is using it here).
  • If you run a MovableType blog, this site might interest you.
  • Licensing Delay Complicates Decision Between Open Source and Proprietary Video Players.

  
  

  

• 13:01

  thump americano [Flickr]

   » ‎ Wrongdude

  Enclosure: [download]

  Tags:    [edit]

  carrrrrlos posted a photo:

  

  What you don't see is the tasty chipotle chicken panini right next to
  it.

  

• 12:50

  Stand-up Economist Finds the Light Side of a ‘Dismal Science

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Thanks for this @warrenmurdoch this is good stuff for us econ geeks! Economic STANDUP Sex Sells Filed under: Trading

• 12:30

  Baldy's BBQ - 5TH Anniversary

   » ‎ Bend Oregon Restaurant

  Tags:  Baldy's BBQ   [edit]

  Baldy's BBQThis week Baldy's BBQ is celebrating their 5th Anniversary with $5 specials all week long. From what I've heard, they're doing $5 full racks, smothered fries, dozen wings, 2 pulled pork or chicken sandwiches, and more + drink specials.**Update**After lunch at Baldy's today (Monday) I have the $5 specials:- Full Rack of ribs (these are the Danish ribs, little smaller than their normal

• 12:24

  Darwin Day...

   » ‎ Damian Fagan

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  ... is set for February 12, 2010. This nontraditional holiday celebrates the 200th birthday of the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882).
  
  Darwin spent five years on board the HMS Beagle, which left England in 1831 for a round-the-world scientific exploration. Wherever the expedition went, Darwin studied the flora and fauna and geology of the lands he visited. What an adventure for the then twenty-two year old naturalist! A keen observer, Darwin collected numerous specimens of plants, animals and fossils, and took copious amounts of notes for further study.
  
  Through his research, Darwin developed theories about the origins and adaptations of organisms over time. He believed that evolution occurred, but on a very gradual scale, flavored by immense periods of time. The process of natural selection was the key mechanism driving a species ability to adapt and evolve to changing environments. His 1859 publication - On the Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection - set forth his theories that this process occurs randomly and that the ability of an organism to survive or die was determined by that organisms ability to adapt to its environment.
  
  Of course, publication of Darwin's theories widened the gulf between scientific thought and theology. Darwin avoided discussions about the social and theological impacts of his work; he was a scientist at heart.
  
  So this Friday we'll hoist a pint in his honor and embrace his theories of natural selection and evolution.

• 12:19

  Snowboard Mag post on Mt Bach

   » ‎ Mt. Bachelor Blog

  Tags:  hot off the Press   [edit]

  Check out the latest Snowboard Magazine post on Mt Bachelor from our friend Aaron Hanlon. He's been enjoying the snowfall and the blue skies that follow. Sweet pics too.

• 12:09

  Really, CACB?

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  Really, CACB?
  
  A SuperBowl ad (local)? Is that really the best use of your money?
  
  As of this writing, 12:30, Monday, you've hit a new low, .52.
  
  You may need that money for moving vans....
  
  I know, know...kicking them when they're down. I'm ashamed of myself.
  
  **********

• 12:07

  Gee, I wonder if they’re related …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  Oregon   [edit]

  From the Department of Duh:  SALEM (OR) — Passage of measures 66 and 67 may not have rescued state government from budget woes after all. Even with the new taxes and a slowly recovering economy, Oregon’s revenue collections are now expected to fall $183 million below previous expectations, according to the latest forecast issued today. That’s a [...]

• 11:39

  Scribes Valley Publishing

   » ‎ Central Oregon Writers Guild

  Tags:    [edit]

  One of our goals at the Guild is to let our members know about writers’ resources, including websites that contain useful links and opportunities for authors of all genres.
  
  One such site is Scribes Valley Publishing, http://scribesvalley.com. Scribes Valley offers an annual short story contest, a hosted author page for a nominal fee, and links to many other sites of interest. SV also features a weekly U-Write-It-Online challenge, with a writing prompt to be completed in 150 words or less. A fun exercise, and recently Guild member Anita Lanning entered Challenge #348, where her entry was selected for publication. She encourages everyone to check out this informative website to see all it has to offer writers, and give the weekly challenge a try!

• 11:31

  If none other today …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  g'da said   [edit]

  America Is Not Yet Lost The Terror-Industrial Complex A Worthy Goal: Feeding All Our Children Globalization Is Killing The Globe: Return to Local Economies

• 10:42

  SWTHDTM?* My 15 sec. of fame

   » ‎ she's just saying ...

  Tags:    [edit]

  Alright. Moving on.

  You'll enjoy this guest post from my old friend Clif from The Boston Globe (he's not old; the friendship is. Very.) It's editorial-length, so I apologize to any blog-length-attention-span readers.

  And by the way, "suffering succotash" was by far the best response.

  SWTHDTM?*

  By Clif Garboden  |  February 7, 2010

  Editor's note: *SWTHDTM = So What The Heck Does This Mean?

  “Roasted rutabagas.’’

  The two-word message showed up as a post in my Facebook “news feed’’ one morning. What was I to make of this? Did my friend Melissa, way out in Bend, Oregon, want a recipe? Was she typing in her sleep? Trying her hand at avant garde poetry? Had she awoken before dawn, sleepily popped a few swedes in the oven, then impulsively decided to confess the deed to everyone she knows?

  So often these days, my immediate reaction to the cryptic snippets of thought that people share online, is equally brief, namely, “What?!!!’’ Sometimes, I answer posts with a simple question, such as, “Sorry, what are you talking about?’’ but I seem to be the only one who’s curious or uncool enough to admit that I just don’t get it.

  What’s remarkable is that Mel got any responses at all. Consider receiving her communiqué via any other conversational medium. If you answered the phone and the caller said, “Roasted rutabagas’’ and hung up, you’d dismiss it as some pranking kid who didn’t know the joke about Prince Albert. If you opened a letter that read, “Dear sir, Roasted rutabagas,’’ you’d probably contact homeland security.

  Yet within the paradigm of digital discourse, nobody blinked. One Friend of Melissa interpreted “roasted rutabagas’’ as the opening gambit of a silly word game requiring an equally alliterative retort, and a parade of FOMs took the field. The ensuing thread included “toasted toast’’ (lame), “pecan pie’’ (close), and (really stretching it) “likable leftovers.’’ I chimed in with a quote from Sylvester J. Pussycat: “sufferin’ succotash.’’

  It’s common for people to post pithy one-line online updates such as “Off and running’’ or “Sam the Sham,’’ or “Fish for lunch?’’ all declarations that, it would seem, no response could dignify. Yet people uninhibitedly write back. “Me too.’’ “Fetch my turban?’’ “Capers.’’ Inspired by Twitter’s 140-character-per-missive limit, conversationalists are trying to say ever more with even less and creating model discussions for people with short attention spans, nothing useful to say, and an exaggerated interest in whether their friends are eating well.

  In the daily expanding world of emailing, texting, Tweeting, and posting, shortcuts make sense. After all, people are often typing with their thumbs on a keyboard the size of a playing card. But I worry about the unintended consequences of minimalizing the art of conversation just to suit a new technology.

  For most online users, it started with that cute email shorthand “LOL’’ for “laugh out loud,’’ “IMHO,’’ for “in my humble opinion,’’ etc. Before long, the email abbreviation gimmick spun out of control. Netlingo.com lists hundreds of examples, ranging from the ubiquitous “BFF’’ (best friends forever) to the preposterous “SODDI’’ (some other dude did it). Millions of students, many of whom should instead be sorting out the binomial theorem or analyzing “Macbeth,’’ rely on such terms to “discuss’’ things.

  It sure does save time. Presumably, the American colonies would have cut ties with Britain in late June of ’76 if the Second Continental Congress had employed the economies of net lingo: “WITCOHEIBNFOPTDTPB . . .’’. Then again, there would have been inevitable delays because George III would have had no idea what they were getting at.

  Which goes to show that you shouldn’t take these fads too far. Like every other technology-driven cultural adaptation, the construct of saying things in as few words as possible has already acquired a dangerous momentum. Judging from Facebook and Twitter exchanges, it has invaded our very way of understanding our own lives. A new language of brevity has emerged that’s proving to be the soul more of confusion than wit. Apparently that’s good enough for people already preoccupied doing three other things.

  Last week WGBH aired a “Frontline’’ report on digital media, a good portion of which was devoted to the vogue for obsessive multitasking. Bottom line: multitaskers, generational affiliation notwithstanding, feel as if they’re doing everything but, research shows, are doing everything less well. Worse, their overall quality of thought has been degraded by distraction. One of the simultaneous things they’re attempting to do is maintain friendships through dribbles of terse out-of-context free association. Muddled minds. Truncated diction. Unelaborated thoughts. Synaptic snapshots. Message unclear. Future uncertain. Pie for breakfast. Help?

  Clif Garboden is a Boston-area freelance writer.  

  And just because this post needs a visual, here's a shot of him looking like the guru at the top of the mountain.

  
  

  KTHXBAI. TTYL.
  
  

• 10:38

  Radio Interview - "Live the Rich Life"

   » ‎ My Back Pages

  Tags:    [edit]

  I was Bill Valentine's guest on 1110 KBND's radio show, "Live the Rich Life," this weekend. Bill and I discussed everything from why I've been short stocks over the past few months to deep value plays to the problems with ETFs.

  You can listen to the interview here.

  Posted via email from jessefelder's posterous

  

• 10:35

  Taj Palace Celebrates 7 years!

   » ‎ Downtown Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  February 2003, quality Indian food came to Bend

  Now join us as we celebrate the 7th anniversary of Taj Palace, Friday, February 12th. There will be a special dinner buffet for only $10.95 along with belly dancing and fun all evening!!!

  

  

• 10:07

  Stewart and O'Reilly: Mano-a-Mano!

   » ‎ My Back Pages

  Tags:    [edit]

  Surprisingly good discussion here - great back and forth between two of today's most popular talking heads:
  
  
  Watch the latest news video at video.foxnews.com
  via video.foxnews.comHat tip, Ritholtz Posted via web from jessefelder's posterous
• 9:55

  While you were watching the Super Bowl...

   » ‎ My Back Pages

  Tags:    [edit]

  ...I was busy putting the final touches on the February issue of "The Felder Report" because I'm so excited and passionate about this new venture.
  Not to toot our own horn but the January issue of "The Felder Report" was keenly prescient. Our short stocks and short Euro trades were right on the money.

  The digital ink is drying on the latest issue of "The Felder Report" and I thought I'd let you know what we covered in February. 

  Here are a few highlights:

        -"We believe that at least 90% of the investment industry should be taken out and shot."
        -"Nowhere is 'caveat emptor' more important than with variable annuities" and "ETFs might be the second most important vehicle for investors to practice 'buyer beware.'"
        -"The investment industry is one example where 'you get what you pay for' is a lie... the industry has merely learned to expertly play upon the fears of investors to sell them a false sense of security."

  We have also updated some of the trading recommendations that worked so well last month. SUBSCRIBE HERE if you would like to read the report in its entirety.

  I would personally love to welcome you as a subscriber to the report - hell, you're the reason I created it!
  

  Posted via email from jessefelder's posterous

  

• 9:45

  Kassi Conditt, dominating @ La Pine

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  Focal point
  For high-flying Hawk Kassi Conditt, a new season means a new challenge at La Pine – By Beau Eastes/The Bulletin

• 9:36

  How to watch the Super Bowl. (Also the Oscars.)

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  Go to a movie.
  
  Tape the game.
  
  Went to see Crazy Heart at 2:55, yesterday. Told Linda to turn off the radio, made sure I was on a non-news channel when the T.V. came back on.
  
  Then enjoyed the movie.
  
  Jeff Bridges is every bit as good as all the reviews say. How it feels to be an alcoholic. You can almost smell the sweat and booze and smoke reeking off the guy. Flawless.
  
  I saw Waylon Jennings in a concert once. I'm pretty sure he was snockered.
  
  The movie crowd was mostly older, and the theater was half full, which you'd have to say is pretty good for a Super Bowl Sunday afternoon. At the end, they were playing a song all the way through, and all but a few couples stayed through the credits. Long time -- maybe the only time -- since I've seen that.
  
  Came back to the house, and started up the game.
  
  Fast-forwarded all the annoying promo's -- though, for once, I watched most of the ads. The ad that really made me laugh was the ninja Doritos one. Even with watching all the ads and all the game, I think I cut a full hour off the process.
  
  The Who had a nice light show.
  
  Good game.

• 9:08

  Well, yes, it’s because you are stupid …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  If a tree falls   [edit]

  Who is more condescending? They’re both impossible 12% Conservatives 22% Liberals 66% Go, vote. Then read the rest of the story… Meanwhile, (Gerard) Alexander spent the bulk of today’s Washington Post online Q&A acknowledging that some conservatives are plenty condescending to liberals, but claiming that it just isn’t very common.  Or something.

• 8:48

  H1N1 Advertising Fail

   » ‎ My Back Pages

  Tags:    [edit]

  [httpneatoramaca_CFvJC.jpg.scaled500.jpg"] /> via neatorama.com

  Posted via web from jessefelder's posterous

  

• 8:34

  Innovation Theatre Works Opens Performance Facility in Bend

   » ‎ The Blender

  Tags:    [edit]

  With the fate of 2nd Street Theater still up in the air (although there's rumors of a potential buyer for the location) there's some good news to be had in the local theater world today with the announcement just minutes ago that Innovation Theatre Works will be opening a theater facility.

  
  

  Most know Innovation for their productions of Driving Miss Daisy and the Frank Sinatra tribute My Way, both of which were performed at the Tower Theatre.

  
  

  Located on the south end of town near Read More...

• 8:29

  Six Causes of Resistance to Learning

   » ‎ Community Learning Instructor

  Tags:    [edit]

  We continue our theme of classroom management by offering six causes of resistance to learning. The causes may offer insight into a student whose classroom behavior is inappropriate.
  

  The entire article, brought to us by Inside the School Update, can be read by clicking here. In brief, the six causes are:

  • Poor self image as a learner.
  • Fear of the unknown.
  • Disjunction between learning and teaching styles.
  • Apparent irrelevance of the learning activity.
  • Inappropriate level of required learning.
  • Students' dislike of the instructor.

  

• 7:48

  Felix Salmon @FelixSalmon of Reuters talks Financial Blogging, Wine, and Music with Matt Davio @misstrade

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Felix and I had a nice chat about markets and his journalistic opinion, that you can’t not trade markets successfully for a living. I guess, I have the same bet, that I can’t make a living with my journalistic endeavors, so we can agree on similar levels.  I still think you can make a living [...]

• 7:42

  A Day in Rome:

   » ‎ Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy

  Tags:    [edit]

  Now, this is exciting!  This past weekend, Casey, Savanna, CJ and Courtney spent the day in Rome, site-seeing and enjoying the beauty of the city.  Savanna said that Rome is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Naples, where they live.  Thanks for sharing the pictures, Savanna!
  
  
   
   
   
    
    
    
   
  

• 7:23

  Chicago Housing Market Bottoms In 2013? S&P/Case Shiller Index, Foreclosures and Futures (Video/Home Price Chart)

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  I think that until people stop calling “bottoms” we are no where, near them. Jobless home owners? Of course we are no where near the bottom. The Shadow inventory continues to swell as do the lack of jobs. This trend has not changed and is in its early stages. Thanks @dvolatility for this video link. [...]

• 7:22

  valentine bunting.

   » ‎ Tangled and True

  Tags:    [edit]

  Do you dress up your house for Valentine's day? It's kind of impossible around here with two girls and a holiday that's colors are red and pink and uses plenty of sparkle. So we are slowly decorating...
  
  I saw this heart bunting on sew mama sew and really liked it. I don't know that we'll get to making it this year, but it was worth book marking.
  
  And, if you are like me and you still haven't made your child's valentine box, check out Tiffany's amazing mailboxes complete with a downloadable template. I love it!
  How are you preparing to celebrate love?

• 7:21

  Can Avatar Really Convince Kids to Go Green?

   » ‎ Peachy Green

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  James Cameron's Avatar creation

  Much has been said about James Cameron’s Avatar – it’s the highest grossing movie ever made, raking in $1.859 billion worldwide in just 41 days and has already been showered with awards including two Golden Globes and nine Oscar nominations.

  Importantly though, Avatar has a message for audiences to take away which is absent from rival big-budget Blockbusters. Notably, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was enjoyable but soulless. In amongst the stunning visuals of Cameron’s space epic is a core environmental message that is impossible to ignore.

  Avatar’s race of blue aliens, the Na’vi, manage to live in harmony with nature on their moon Pandora, a harmony which is obliterated when humans descend on the mineral-rich planet to exploit significant deposits of “Unobtainium”. The lines are drawn pretty damn clear as Avatar’s human hero decides to reject humanity by choosing a life of simplicity among the nature-loving Na’vi.

  The question is whether Avatar will make its audiences, especially younger viewers, sit up and take notice of the green message it takes such great pains to spell out?

  There is no subtlety to Cameron’s story. Na’vi = good, Humans = bad. Being in touch with nature = Utopian, exhaustive extraction of mineral reserves = catastrophic. Avatar is blunt, so blunt that at times it borders on the patronising, and risks being ignored for lecturing rather than trying to educate.

  

  Captain Planet - Not taken very seriously by kids

  Kids who grew up in the late 80s and early 90s may remember Ted Turner’s environmental cartoon Captain Planet, a ridiculous enterprise which failed because of its insistence of smashing the green message over the heads of kids with such force that in the end it simply became boring.

  Fox’s animated feature FernGully: The Last Rainforest similarly painted an overly simplistic picture of environmental problems which failed to capture the imaginations of kids.

  The difference with Avatar is that despite its faults, it comes through the clunky script and jarring plot devices and still manages to emerge as rousing entertainment. When the gung-ho humans start their ethnic cleansing of the Na’vi, it is a genuinely moving and awe inspiring moment, which goes beyond the dripping visuals and uplifting score, it’s the morals behind the dazzling effects.

  I am indebted to Alice Thompson who succinctly captured my feelings on Avatar better than I ever could as she wrote for The Times:

  Avatar isn’t Star Wars, Apocalypse Now or even The Lord of the Rings: it’s not a classic. But few films manage to change perceptions. The Sound of Music rehabilitated the Austrians, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner ridiculed racism, Philadelphia maybe changed our views about Aids, Kramer vs Kramer tackled divorce. Avatar… could do the same for global warming.

  
  

  

• 6:53

  A Rich Jew Talks about the future of Bend Real Estate

   » ‎ An Angry Bend Bitch

  Tags:    [edit]

  Real estate mogul billionaire Sam Zell looked past 2010 and made predictions for 2011 and — in the case of new development — laid out a forecast all the way to 2015.

  The outlook?

  Well, it wasn’t necessarily good. Some would only go so far as to say it was “positive,” or “cautiously optimistic.”

  With exception for development — in which case, Zell zinged, developers may as well use the next five years to study in medical school.

  [ There you have it, five long years, and add in another 2 years for the Bend Lag effect, so figure 2018 for a sound Bend RE recovery. ]
  
  Zell, the co-founder and chair of Equity Group Investments, gave his lively talk Friday at the Burnham Moores Center for Real Estate University of San Diego 14th Annual Real Estate Conference.

  During his hour-long keynote, Zell chided the federal government for “changing the rules,” took a swipe at President Barack Obama’s 2,200-page health care overhaul, and, no stranger to colorful language, said, “To say we’ve come through a decade of spending too much fucking money would be an understatement.”

  Oh, and, he delivered a thorough, some say spot-on look at what’s ahead in commercial estate, noting, “Reports of the demise of real estate have been greatly exaggerated.”

  In his forecast, Zell predicted:

  – Investors will make deals with commercial real estate owners, using investment capital to pay down an underwater mortgage in return for a favorable equity position in the project. “If there are opportunities in distressed real estate, it’s in buying the debt in return for equity,” he said.

  – Occupancy rates will continue to improve, albeit slowly, and at 20-30 percent lower rental rates;

  – Multi-family markets will continue to grow and improve through 2011. Zell said on some apartment complexes late last year Equity Residential had more than 40 bidders . “There’s a food fight today to buy assets,” he said;

  – The retail and industrial markets will continue to be “survival of the fittest,” and “lifestyle center” - mixed use commercial developments - might as well be “converted into churches, on the theory there’s a lot of space, and based on (Zell’s) assessment, they’re very cheap”;

  – New development is a very long way off. “Construction loans are not available today, and they’re very unlikely to be available tomorrow,” he said; and

  [ Best time in 20 years NOT to be in Building racket. ]
  

  – A single family market at equilibrium. “The number we see now are much greater impacted by very serious pockets of excess (overdevelopment), as opposed to the broad malaise that occurred a year ago,” he said. Also, he noted, regions including South Florida and cities like Davis, Stockton and San Diego, Bend, Oregon may see slower recovery, based on excessive inventory. “I don’t think the U.S. housing dream is over,” Zell said, “but if you look back over the last 40 years, every single time the percent of single-family home owners exceeded 62 percent, we got ourselves in trouble. This time, courtesy of subprime loans, we were up to 69 percent. Now we’re at 66 and we need to get to 63, 64 percent before we have a sustainable, affordable single-family market.”

  Zell kicked off the event with harsh words for the Obama administration and the Federal Reserve, saying there is a tremendous amount of uncertainty in large part because they are “changing the rules.” And, in order for full recovery, Zell said, “You need a clear concise understanding of what the rules are.”

  “Today we find ourselves in the position where the definition of economic policy is designing new forms of bailouts, rather than focusing in on, and in effect, helping the economy grow,” Zell said. “This administration is picking winners and losers.”

  Dr. Mark J. Riedy, executive director of the Burnham Moores Center for Real Estate, said he thought Zell’s forecast was “spot-on” and that “uncertainty is clouding things and inhibiting decision making.”

  Riedy said he wasn’t the only one who agreed with Zell’s take.

  “Generally, the people who approached me afterward said, ‘You know, Sam Zell hit it right on the nail,’” Riedy said. “Not that it was good news, but I like to say he was being realistic.”

  Dr. John C. Ferber, director of commercial real estate at the center, said Zell has an “uncanny” knack for forecasting.

  “I couldn’t find anything where I disagreed with him,” Ferber said.

  Ferber called the prognosis “cautiously optimistic.”

  “I thought there was some hope there,” he said.

  

• 6:42

  A Sad Superbowl fact

   » ‎ The Wizard

  Tags:  Life   [edit]

  out of 44 superbowls Peyton Manning is the only quarterback that did not shake hands after the game.That showed poor sportsmanship at its absolute worst,for the so-called MVP of the league makes it mu...

• 6:35

  When the Saints come marching in the Euro should rally

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Can we get the rally going this am? We will have to see if there is anything left after the Friday PPT stepped in. 1040 lows need to hold today or 1k is in the cards on the ES. more about "When the Saints come marching in the [...]

• 6:24

  “What are your ideas, specifically?” …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  barack   [edit]

  NYTimes -The President has “said Sunday that he would convene a half-day bipartisan health care session at the White House to be televised live this month, a high-profile gambit that will allow Americans to watch as Democrats and Republicans try to break their political impasse.” Previewing the kind of questions he’ll encourage GOP leaders to [...]

• 6:06

  When the Saints come marching in the Euro should rally

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  According to the market almanac, when the NFC Saints and the ghost of Archie Manning beat his son and the Indy Colts, you must get Long the Euro. In all seriousness, the Dollar looks ready for a an exhale after a nice 10% rally over the past two months and the blow off looks ready [...]

• 5:48

  Real men …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  g'da said   [edit]

  don’t drive jacked-up de-engineered suburban assault vehicles with a hood ornament perfect rendition of the human female reproductive system*. Don’t watch ‘football’, or Sarah Palin spread  her legs on national tv, either. *Yes, I coined that phrase.

• 5:27

  The front porch of the Grand Hotel, ...

   » ‎ The gr8ful grind

  Tags:    [edit]

  The front porch of the Grand Hotel, looking out and over the broad countryside. (click the thumbnail for more detail) Jerome, Arizona; May, 2006.

• 5:00

  Fierce Valentine’s gift idea from one fitch to another.

   » ‎ Oh No She Didn't!

  Tags:    [edit]

  A post by numbers. 1.  I love Abercrombie T-shirts because they are hot. 2.  I love the SMELL of the Abercrombie Store. 3.  I love the smell of the T-shirts when I bring them home from the store. 4.  One day I asked the Abercrombie workers, what was the smell on the clothing, and how did it get there. 5.  [...]

• 5:00

  Meet Our Cooking Expert: Dixie Williams

   » ‎ Official Shade Clothing Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  With one cook book published, and another one on its way, Dixie Williams knows a thing or two about life in the kitchen. For everyday recipes Dixie is the ultimate guru, she just likes good food. Her cookbook, Kitchen Thyme, which you can find on Amazon is one of those you will use to make Saturday night party foods, Tuesday night dinners, and even candy for your child's birthday party. Dixie only has 3 criterion to determine a great recipe:
  
  1. Turns out the first time and every time
  2. Most everyone who tries it, loves it and asks for the recipe
  3. Relatively easy to make
  
  Pretty impressive list for someone who was raised making everything from scratch (I know my bread doesn't turn out the first time..or any time).
  Our foodie lives in Colorado, has 4 lively kids and knows how hectic life can be and that's what makes her our expert in easy, quick meals. She even still finds time to mountain bike, exercise outdoors, and organize her family... She's got that Type A personality! Her second book is coming along slowly but surely, considering it's been in the works while she's had a major move and two babies, but we can't wait! Til then...check back for twice a month posts on all those delectable recipes!
  

• 3:22

  Solar Power Clash in the Mojave Desert

   » ‎ Solar Power -- Green Energy

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Solar panels in the Mojave Desert?

  What is the price of renewable energy?  Most of us agree that clean, green power to get us off of fossil-fuels is the way to go.  But there is a growing discontent over solar power plants in the California desert regions.  In fact, its a downright solar power clash in the Mojave Desert.

  Utility scale solar plants could generate solar electricity to power millions of homes with reliable, emissions-free energy.  However, not all environmentalists are excited about the prospect.  Development of untouched lands in the Mojave Desert has some people seeing red instead of green!

  Recently, the Mojave has become the poster child for the inevitable conflicts of green vs. green as we look to balance the need to develop renewable resources against the preservation of shrinking pristine areas.  When drawing battle lines, its best to know the players:

  • Sierra Club
  • Environmental Defense Fund
  • Natural Resources Defense Council
  • Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
  • FLP Group

  These groups have been supportive of cap and trade and other climate initiatives to promote development of alternative energy, and investment groups/utilities have worked to file applications to build the solar power plants in regions across the desert Southwest.

  

  Utility scale solar concerns

  On the opposite side of the debate is, among other groups, the Wildlands Conservancy, a small powerful group that convinced Senator Dianne Feinstein to introduce legislation to ban solar power plants in the desert on more than a million acres of land in the Mojave Desert.  The areas affected include the land on which PG&E and other utilities had planned utility scale solar plants – most of the areas are prime land from a development standpoint – close to transmission lines and Southern California utility customers.

  When it comes to green vs. green, what are the issues?

  To start, environmentalists that are concerned about solar panels in the desert cite potential impacts on water resources and the habitat of the desert tortoise, along with other animals and plants of the fragile arid ecosystem.  Others consider the fact that the area is undeveloped and should remain that way.

  According to David Myers, executive director of the Wildlands Conservancy, who supports Sen. Feinstein’s efforts to preserve the desert lands from renewable energy development:

  “Al Gore called these lands out here some of the most pristine and scenic desert lands in the world.  You have this incredible landscape of these bighorn sheep corridors back and forth across the valley.  You couldn’t put a project in a worse area from a landscape connectivity point of view… It’s a philosophic non-sequitur that you can destroy hundreds of thousands of acres to save the Earth from global warming.”

  

  Solar panels in California: the debate rages on

  Myers is not 100% against utility scale solar plants in California, however.  He prefers that solar development take place in other parts of the Mojave or on degraded farmland.  To help assure these goals, new federal legislation would classify certain areas of the Mojave Dsert as a National Monument.  That alone chased off investors and utilities that had been considering projects that could have resulted in the generation of many megawatts of solar electricity.

  According to a recent article:

  PG&E, FPL, and Iberdrola Renewables, the Spanish renewable energy giant, say they are either cautiously proceeding or re-evaluating their Mojave projects in light of the legislation. Most developers have staked multiple land claims elsewhere in the Southwest. (That, of course, doesn’t mean they’re happy about the situation. “Iberdrola Renewables believes the environmental community is taking away one of the few places in the U.S. suitable for utility-scale solar development,” Jan Johnson, a company spokeswoman, wrote in an e-mail.)

  From my perspective, the battle is just heating up.  Sure, there have been rumblings for the past few years, but after the Copenhagen Climate Summit and as people wonder about peak oil and are more and more worried about global climate change, pressure continues to mount for us to find viable renewable energy resources.  The big question is: at what cost?

  The desert southwest in the United States is a hugely untapped solar power market.  Can we develop the resource carefully and in a sustainable manner?  That there will be some difficult decisions to be made, after much more debate is certain.

  Green vs. green could result in some groups seeing red.

  Where do you stand on the Mojave Desert debate?

  
  

  

• 3:21

  Toyota Pushes its Hybrid Vehicles

   » ‎ Peachy Green

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Toyota is working to change public perceptions

  If you’ve switched on the news recently, you know that Toyota has been having some serious issues.   Recalls on tens of thousands of its vehicles have other auto manufacturers reaping the benefits of Toyota’s misfortunes.  Even here at Peachy Green, we discussed the fact that the auto manufacturer was one of a few that had decided against 100% electric cars.

  All that aside, I have to say that this past weekend, I was impressed by one of Toyota’s new approaches to boost consumer confidence.  I’d also have to say that its pretty effective marketing.  While many know about the eco-friendly aspects of the Toyota Prius, you many not be aware of other Toyota hybrids.

  We were walking into a shopping mall in Olympia, Washington on Sunday morning.   Someone in a Toyota cap approached us and asked if we owned or had driven a Toyota.  The four of us responded, “nope.”  For the offer of $10 (each) in free Best Buy gift cards, we could go and test drive one of several Toyota hybrid vehicles.  Were we interested?

  Pausing for a moment, I spoke for the group – yes!

  

  Toyota Camry Hybrid

  It took about 15 minutes total, and we were all very pleasantly surprised.  At a kiosk in the mall parking lot, we all handed over our drivers licenses, which were scanned.  We decided who would drive and the rest of us would be passengers.  Toyota then gave us coded wrist bands to wear.

  About 30 feet away, the fleet awaited.  We chose a hybrid Toyota Camry to test drive.  My mom got behind the wheel, we had a salesperson in front and two of us sat in the back seat.

  Our first surprise was the fact that the car was already on and idling when we got in.  You would never have even heard it!  The 2010 Toyota Camry was a smooth, silent ride.  Our sales person gave us a general overview of the features and gas mileage.  Close to 40 mpg both in city and on the highway, the hybrid vehicle is recharged through kinetic energy when braking (which explains the very small discrepancy between in city and highway miles per gallon).

  Get the consumers in the cars and show them how great they are.  Its a great way for Toyota to push its hybrid vehicles!

  We learned that in March 2010, Toyota Prius will be offered in a hybrid electric vehicle version.  In other words, it will be a plug-in version that can switch from electric to gasoline on the fly.  Although its not 100% electric, it is a big step up for Toyota, particularly for increasing consumer confidence.

  Long story short, in a short 20 minutes, we were able to register, test drive, answer some brief survey questions, and then walk away with $40 in gift certificates just for our time.  Not only were we impressed by Toyota’s generosity, but it was great to have the no-pressure opportunity to drive one of its cars without the sales pressure.

  Now, we’ll go out and spread the positive news of our experience.  Just as I’m doing here….

  Toyota may have some serious issues in consumer confidence right now, but its doing just the right thing to spread the positive news of its eco-friendly cars. Don’t you agree?

  
  

  

• 2:45

  view from a funeral parlor window (Fairmount, Indiana 1955)

   » ‎ Smoke Signals

  Tags:    [edit]

  In my dreams i am seeking a way to rise up from the melt and mire but there is no bridge, no Bifrost, no escape from this middle kingdom of drudgery lacking in saviors and heroes but brimming with ghosts and demons. i find only sleeping children, growing old alone and frightened. These are heavy things, [...]

• 0:51

  Look twice

   » ‎ High Desert Diva

  Tags:    [edit]

  Chandeliers by Madeleine BoulesteixI've seen teacup chandeliers before, but I had to look twice at these to realize what they were constructed from...the clear glass works.

• 0:01

  Superbowl and Facebook

   » ‎ The Wizard

  Tags:    [edit]

  Well the Superbowl is over and it turned out just the way I wanted it to, Thanks Saints you were very classy indeed, you had me a little worried until the start of the second half,but after the onside...

• February 07, 2010
• 23:40

  IMC basketball this week

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Just two games scheduled for Tuesday night and they are huge!
  Bend @ MADRAS - Both teams are fighting for a spot in the playoffs and are currently tied for fifth with 4-5 league records. Madras is coming off a big win @ Summit. Bend upset Pendleton, but then lost to Hermiston.
  Mountain View @ THE DALLES-WAHTONKA – The battle for the IMC championship. MV only loss is to TDW @ MV. TDW has lost @ home to Summit and @ Hermiston. A MV win and then winning out gives them the IMC title. A TDW win and then winning out gives them the title.

  Friday night games:
  Bend @ THE DALLES-WAHTONKA 7:00pm – Would be a huge win for the Lava Bears. TDW has to stay perfect if they want to win the IMC.
  Crook County @ PENDLETON 7:00pm – Crook County still looking for their first win of the season, @ Pendleton would be a hard place to make it happen.
  Summit @ HERMISTON 7:00pm – Summit won the home game against Hermiston, they need the season sweep.
  Mountain View @ MADRAS 7:00pm – Madras is a tough place to play and the White Buffaloes are playing well.

  Saturday games:
  Crook County @ HERMISTON 12:45pm – The Bulldogs could find themselves in the playoffs, but they’ve got to win some big games.
  Summit @ PENDLETON 12:45pm – Pendleton won @ Summit. This game would be a monster big win for the Storm.

  IMC standings
  Mountain View 8-1
  The Dalles-Wahtonka 7-2
  Pendleton 5-4
  Summit 5-4
  Madras 4-5
  Hermiston 3-6
  Crook County 0-9

• 22:47

  IMC basketball playoff matchups

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  Yes it’s early to look @ the potential playoff matchups… but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun!

  • No. 4 seed from the IMC plays @ the No. 3. seed from the Northwest Oregon Conference sub-round game.
  - That game will be somewhere in the Portland area, Sherwood/Hillsboro/Glencoe etc.
  - The winner of this game plays @ No. 1 from Midwestern in first round.
  • No. 3 seed from the IMC hosts the No. 4 seed from the Mid-Willamette Conference in a sub-round game.
  - The winner of this game plays @ Jefferson in the first round… ouch!
  • No. 2 seed from the IMC host the No. 2 seed from the Midwestern Conference in the first round.
  - Likely to be either North Eugene/Marshfield/Churchill/Springfield.
  • No. 1 seed from the IMC hosts the winner of No. 3 from Midwestern vs. No. 3 from Mid-Willamette.
  - Likely to be either North Eugene/Marshfield/Churchill/Springfield.

  So of the four IMC playoff teams, three start off @ home.

  Click here to see the “Projected 5A state tournament” – Oregonprepsports.net

  Here’s a look at the current IMC standings.

• 21:42

  Terrence Ross transfers again

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  Former Montrose Christian star, Maryland recruit Terrence Ross to play at Westwind Academy – By Steve Yanda/Washington Post

• 21:28

  Long distance love

   » ‎ Red Carpets, Saw Dust & DC Insiders

  Tags:  Colts   [edit]

  Best moment from the Superbowl… other than the interception, & the Saints winning the Lombardi trophy definitely goes to Google.  It encapsulated the beauty of love. Of the long distance variety. La douleur exquise… —Media Lizzy Join me on Facebook or Twitter!

• 21:26

  Bend Oregon sports events

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  Bend is the place to be for the outdoor enthusiasts. Here is a link to all the upcoming events in 2010.

  Let us know if we are missing Bend, Oregon or Central Oregon events and we’ll get it put in there.

• 21:25

  My Ears Are Still Ringing!

   » ‎ Photos Northwest Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  I had the chance to shoot a Death Metal band last night. Now, as I have said before, this isn’t really my type of music. I tend to listen to music that encompasses talented musicians (not that Death Metal guys aren’t, I just don’t listen to them very often). I have to say that the Inimica [...]

• 20:52

  Homemade Bread

   » ‎ to knit in peace

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  This weekend I used my bread machine to make two loaves of bread - one Honey Oatmeal and one plain White bread. Although I did add some whole wheat flour to both so its not actually white bread.
  
  This will be much better than store-bought bread for sandwiches and toast this week.
  
  The bread machine makes it so easy to make bread, its a great tool that ranks right up there with the Crock Pot!

• 20:35

  M5 [Flickr]

   » ‎ Wrongdude

  Enclosure: [download]

  Tags:    [edit]

  carrrrrlos posted a photo:

  

  Crusing down the mountain.

  

• 19:51

  WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS ?

   » ‎ Scott Louis Brown

  Tags:    [edit]

  EI8HTEEN KARAT
  
  
  
  
  While waiting for the paint to dry on our Newport Coast project (literally), June and I attended the winter design show at the World market center. We walked most of the three million square feet of showrooms! There is a lot of bad design out there. and should defiantly stay in Vegas. My one glimmer of hope is a new resource (to me) called 18 KARAT. The showroom was stunning with many beautiful objects at good price points. I defiantly look forward to placing some of there products in our designs.

• 19:30

  Yellow House

   » ‎ David VanKeuren's Photography

  Tags:    [edit]

  David VanKeuren's Photography

• 18:48

  Project 52, Week 5 – Rocks

   » ‎ Photos Northwest Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  The theme of this weeks Project 52 assignment was “Rocks”. I thought a bit about how to interpret this and then ran it by my son. We talked a bit and then decided that we would go make some images of how rocks have been used to build many of our most popular buildings. Here’s one [...]

• 18:28

  "IT NEVER RAINS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA"

   » ‎ Scott Louis Brown

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  
  But man it pours!
  After eight inches of rain in one week and a minor tornado! my project in Newport coast is officially two weeks behind. The infinity pool pictured above came through OK, but can't say that for the rest of the yard.
  We leave this weekend for Newport and try - once again to install. Six trucks of furnishings and art await, time to get my directors hat on! I promise photos of interiors soon.
  
  

• 17:26

  Time Killer For The Evening

   » ‎ UtterlyBoring.com

  Tags:  games   [edit]

  I don't have a mouse wheel on my laptop, nor do I have an extra external mouse that has one (as a mouse wheel is required), but I've heard a lot of people say this is a very nice original game. Feel free to judge for yourself.

  Speaking of Flash toys, this one puts our place in the universe in a little perspective.

  
  

  

• 17:26

  The poor poor men Bowl

   » ‎ she's just saying ...

  Tags:    [edit]

  Thoughts while watching the Superbowl:

  First, kind of hard to focus while 7 boys run through the house repeatedly. Not to mention the bloody mary. Anyway, I' m not going to talk about the actual game here, as my observations are not worth your time reading. Carrie Underwood seems to have gotten her face molded in plastic, but let's move on.

  They (the network traffic managers) clearly planned to run two pant-less ads back to back (so to speak), then two little people themed ads back to back in the next break. As an advertiser, that would irritate me, but you don't have that much say in when you're scheduled, other than quarters.

  But what's with those themes? How did two different agencies (and their clients) come up with those identical themes? Corporate spies? They're both a little too weird for coincidence, in my opinion.

  And let me just say, Aww, poor men. They're so oppressed that they're having to make self-referential ads about how whipped they are by all us mean women. That reminds me that the creative offices of major ad agencies (and the clients') are still dominated by men. 

  And The Who: weird. If you didn't look, they sounded pretty good, but who wants to watch your friends' dads pretending to still be cool? And what was with the "medley"? Almost a self-parody, really.

  OK, maybe I'm feeling a little cynical. That's what the most made-up "holiday" does for me. And don't get me started on how crowded the Safeway was before the game.

  Now the Puppy Bowl - that's television!! On to the second half.

• 16:26

  Yo! T E A B A G G E R S …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  Amierka   [edit]

  chicken-shit squaws… eight years of Bush and Cheney and now you get mad!? You didn’t get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President.. You didn’t get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate energy policy. You didn’t get mad when a covert CIA operative got ousted. You didn’t get mad when the Patriot [...]

• 14:54

  Discouraged Workers

   » ‎ My Back Pages

  Tags:    [edit]

  ">[httpeditorialca_liGke.jpg.scaled1000.jpg'>] [httpeditorialca_liGke.jpg.scaled500.jpg"] /> via editorialcartoonists.com

  Posted via web from jessefelder's posterous

  

• 14:15

  President Obama strikes a conciliatory note on Healthcare?

   » ‎ Red Carpets, Saw Dust & DC Insiders

  Tags:  democrat   [edit]

  Via Politico: President Barack Obama told Katie Couric during a Super Bowl pregame interview that he plans to hold a health-reform summit with congressional leaders later this month. “I want to come back [after the Presidents’ Day congressional recess] and have a large meeting — Republicans and Democrats — to go through, systematically, all the best [...]

• 13:42

  Boulder Mountain Ski Tour 2010 results

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  Just in case you missed the link to all the results, HERE it is.

• 13:34

  MV wins again

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  Cougars still on top
  With a win against Pendleton, Mountain View remains in first place in the Intermountain Conference standings – The Bulletin

• 13:30

  IMC games with major playoff implications

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Just two games scheduled for Tuesday night and they are huge!
  Bend @ MADRAS - Both teams are fighting for a spot in the playoffs and are currently tied for fifth with 4-5 league records.
  Mountain View @ THE DALLES-WAHTONKA – The battle for the IMC championship. MV only loss is to TDW @ MV. TDW has lost @ home to Summit and @ Hermiston. A MV win and then winning out gives them the IMC title. A TDW win and then winning out gives them the title.

  IMC standings
  Mountain View 8-1
  The Dalles-Wahtonka 7-2
  Pendleton 5-4
  Summit 5-4
  Madras 4-5
  Hermiston 3-6
  Crook County 0-9

• 13:27

  The U.S. will lose its AAA status

   » ‎ acloudtree

  Tags:    [edit]

  And how do we know?

  LINK

  “Absolutely not,” Geithner said, when asked in an ABC News interview broadcast today whether a downgrade is a concern. “That will never happen to this country.”

  Sounds similar to this, no?

  No one can say when it will happen, but at some point, we are going to have to pay the piper.

• 12:35

  Imbolc

   » ‎ Arabella's Garden

  Tags:    [edit]

  Most people I know, gardeners included, tend to think of March 20/21 -- the Vernal Equinox -- as the 'first day of spring', just as June 20/21 is thought of as the first day of summer, and so on. We gardeners, at least, should know better. Especially for those of us who live in a climate where 'spring' is of necessity a rather elastic term for the several months of .... varied .... weather leading up to summer, a keener eye set to subtler signals than a mere calendar date are needed to track the seasonal changes.
  
  When I started gardening, I certainly thought in these more traditional terms. I read books and made my plans and charts based on what I gleaned from their pages, not having had any personal experience of gardening as a child, other than eating what my mother grew in the back yard. The urge to start gardening hit me quite suddenly and unexpectedly, just a couple of months after getting married. I was going through some of my parents' old books that summer and found my mother's copy of the Sunset Western Garden Book, probably the 1933 edition. Like lightning, I was struck with the nesting urge and proceeded to draw up the first of the possibly hundreds of garden plans/seed lists/planting schedules that have filled my garden journals in the nearly 40 years since.
  
  For the record, said 'nesting urge' resulted in no human children, but I have had plant babies in abundance. Here's a photo I sent to my grandmother (Arabella, this blog's namesake) entitled 'your first great-granchild and me' in January 1974.
  
  
  
  I was as proud as any parent of my darlings, which I always thought of as my children. Many early photos of me in the garden show me in similar embrace -- with tomato seedlings, fondling my first ear of corn, hugging a sprig of apple blossoms. My poor sweetheart soon became resigned to being dragged out in freezing cold or rain to gaze upon a field of freshly dug soil, then pulled along, foot by foot, to admire 'this will be carrots ...... over here will be onions ...... this is where the tomatoes will go next month ....'
  
  As the years have passed, if I have shown no signs of waning enthusiasm for gardening, I have at least stopped pestering him like this. Well, not often. Now I take my wee digital camera out, point, shoot and pester YOU, dear readers, with such shots! Hahaha
  
  
  
  The photo shows a wee, wee spinach seedling, just popping up in the garlic bed a couple of days ago. On a whim I had thrown some spinach seed in an empty space at the end of the bed, after planting the garlic and shallots last fall. Being either lazy or wise, I have learned that the easiest way to gauge planting dates for early vegs like spinach, peas and hardy greens, is to pay attention to when overwintered volunteers germinate on their own, and then plant more ASAP. Here's the result:
  
  
  If this first sowing freezes or rots, it doesn't matter. It's certainly not taking the place of anything else, at this time of year. I never seem to plant spinach early enough, so maybe this year I will be lucky.
  
  The point is, for me, and in my garden and climate, the old tradition of honoring the four other seasonal markers -- the so-called Cross-Quarter days, or Celtic Fire Festivals -- makes more sense as a garden planning device than the more obvious and well-noted Equinoxes and Solstices. Imbolc, the first festival of the ancient year, was celebrated at the point halfway between Winter Solstice and Vernal Equinox, on February 4 or 5. I have heard this described in other traditions as the time when 'the back of Old Man Winter is broken.' Modern American pop culture has trivialized this as 'Groundhog Day' but ignoring this silly, shallow media non-event, I am reminded to stop my winter dreaming and get on with serious garden planning for the new season just ahead.
  
  Sure, we will have months (and months and months -- sigh) more of cold weather. But starting in late January/early February, we and the plants notice lengthening days. In the greenhouse, I begin fertilizing the wintered-over flower pots -- geraniums and other stalwarts -- and begin to take an interest in what might be sprouting out in the garden.....
  
  

• 11:11

  Reminder: Today is Rise Up’s Haiti benefit concert

   » ‎ Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Football game? What football game? OK, yeah, there’s a football game today. But there are also still people in Haiti who need our help. So if you have no interest in the Super Bowl, head down to the Domino Room (51 N.W. Greenwood Ave., Bend) for “Rise Up & Rebuild,” a Haiti benefit concert organized by [...]

• 10:51

  Need last-minute Super Bowl beer?

   » ‎ The Brew Site

  Tags:  Blogging   [edit]

  Follow my suggestions in my Hop Press article yesterday. There’s still time to run out to your nearest bottle shop (or boutique grocery, or wherever sells craft beer in your area) and stock up.

• 10:13

  Why OBAMA & GWBUSH are SAME-SAME

   » ‎ Bend Morons

  Tags:    [edit]

  Who's Killing Financial Reform?

  Senator Chris Dodd, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, scolded Wall Street representatives at a hearing Thursday for sending "an army of lobbyists whose only mission is to kill the common-sense financial reforms" needed by the public. "The fact is," Dodd said, "I am frustrated, and so are the American people." He charged that Wall Street's intransigence was the reason for Congress's failure to pass any bill to regulate the Street. "The refusal of large financial firms to work constructively with Congress on this effort borders on insulting to the American people who have lost so much in this crisis."

  In other words, it isn't Congress's fault. It isn't the Senate Banking Committee's fault. It certainly isn't Dodd's fault. The reason more than a year has passed since the biggest bailout in the history of the world and nothing has been done to prevent a repeat performance — even as the biggest banks are doling out more than $30 billion of bonuses, even as Goldman Sachs is awarding its big traders $16 billion in bonuses (more than the $13 billion Goldman collected from taxpayers via the bailout of AIG), even as AIG itself is handing out bonuses — the reason is … what, exactly, Senator? Because the Street has sent an army of lobbyists to Capitol Hill?

  Call me old fashioned, but I thought Congress was in charge of passing legislation, not Wall Street.

  Dodd left out the most telling detail, of course. Wall Street is where the campaign money is. Dodd of all people knows that. He's been on the receiving end of lots of it over the years.

  Wall Street firms and their executives have been uniquely generous to both political parties, emerging recently as one of the largest benefactors of the Democratic Party. Between November 2008 and November 2009, Wall Street firms and executives handed out $42 million to lawmakers, mostly to members of the House and Senate banking committees and House and Senate leaders. During the 2008 elections, Wall Street showered Democratic candidates with well over $88 million and Republicans with over $67 million, putting the Street right up there with the insurance industry as among the nation's largest equal-opportunity donors.

  Some Democrats are quietly grumbling that all the tough talk emanating from the White House in recent weeks — the President calling the Street's denizens "fat cats" and threatening them with limits on their size and the risks they can take, even waiving a watered-down version of Glass-Steagall in their faces — is making it harder to collect money from the Street this mid-term election year. And the Street is quietly threatening that it may well give Republicans more, if the saber-rattling doesn't stop.

  Congress isn't doing a thing about Wall Street because it's in the pocket of Wall Street. Dodd's outburst at the Street is like the alcoholic who screams at a bartender "how dare you give me another drink when all I've done is pleaded with you for one!"

  Dodd is right about one thing. The American people are frustrated, and the failure of Congress to pass real financial reform is insulting. But in trying to place responsibility for this appalling failure on Wall Street, Dodd insults us even more.

  

• 9:38

  Ad's suck. What am I, Unamerican?

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  Greece!!!
  
  It's your fault.
  
  Double dip recession.
  
  Damn you Greece!!!!!!
  
  **********
  
  I've been pounding the "Sales" lists so hard, my Overall margin came in at 10% higher than normal this week (stuff ordered several weeks ago when the offerings were strong.) . I was starting to have my doubts about buying so much, but the last week of offers were pretty meager, so I probably timed it right.
  
  Strike when it's cold.
  
  Thing about liquidations; they are usually timed when you can least afford them.
  
  That's why they're being offered.
  
  **********
  
  Wow. Talk about your dated material. The Federal Economic Census of 2007 might as well be from the year 2020, for all the relevance it has. A curiosity.
  
  **********
  
  Meanwhile, the Bulletin's BIKE EVENTS PROVE WORTH, was a well reasoned and data-supported argument.
  
  I'm still not convinced.
  
  I'm not arguing with the reasoning or the data. Just not impressed by the numbers.
  
  **********
  
  Here's where I get in trouble.
  
  But it seems to me that nobody else is willing to be the doubter. (Or maybe I'm the only doubter, I don't know.)
  
  I could put an event on in my store every month, which would spike my numbers. Why don't I? Because I'm not convinced that the results are worth the effort, frankly. You ever notice how a new store will have myriad events early on, in their bright-eyed, frisky tail phase? And how the events diminish over time? Why do you suppose that is?
  
  But if people are willing to put in the work and effort, I don't suppose it hurts any.
  
  Let me insert here. I think there are indeed businesses who benefit from promotions and advertising. There is also a huge lobby for these things; the media, the organizational people whose jobs depend on creating such events, the people who sell at these events, the hotel and restaurants, and of course, the biggest constituency, the people who attend these events.
  
  What am I, against fun?
  
  No. I'm just saying that not every event is effective, and I'd argue that none of them are quite as effective as most people seem to think. This isn't all black and white, all or nothing.
  
  But I don't actively oppose them. I'm willing to go along with them.
  
  No, I'm trying for a nuanced appreciation of the costs and benefits. Like I've argued against having an event at every Peak Weekend of the year (summer and Christmas) and letting us stores have a few busy tourist weekends where we can do regular business. I'm not against all events, just TOO many events. O.K.?
  
  So there's my not so hidden agenda: Not all events are cost effective, not all events are equally effective, not all stores benefit equally, and sometimes -- gasp -- it's best to just let a store be a store.
  
  I'll just say, I've been skeptical of advertising and promotions for years, because it seemed like my money and effort were mostly wasted.
  
  And, hey, I'm still here, and doing better than ever.
  
  Promotions are all well and good. But it's your day to day business that counts. The same energy and money you put into 'events' could be put into better inventory, for instance. So instead of an immediate 10 or 20% spike in sales that lasts a week or two, you get an on going 2 or 3% that lasts.
  
  It used to drive me nuts when I'd see Downtowners who were totally into constant promotion, and yet closed at 5:00, who weren't open on Sundays, who seemed not to want to work their own stores. Take care of the basics first, instead of spending all your efforts on "Second Tuesday Madness White Sale and Bike Race!!!!) I admit, this problem is less nowadays, as Sundays are much more active.
  
  I actually have many examples in my own store history of "Events" that brought in what would have to be considered "Successful" levels of audience: and in the end, faded to nothing because they weren't focused on real interest.
  
  I used to have huge crowds for Pokemon. Hoards of people for Beanie Babies. They were waiting in lines at the door for Pogs. They were banging down the door for Sportscards. (Ditto non-sportscards, comics, magic, etc. etc.)
  
  And when all those people were gone, they were gone.
  
  So you might argue that those were fads, and of course they were gone. But think of these as promotional activities -- I not only reached large numbers of people, they actually came in and spent money!
  
  Turns out, that doesn't mean much. In my business, at least. I'll repeat that, "Not in My Business."
  
  To me, promotions are just advertising, paid for by WORK and money instead of just money. I apply myself to my business, I expend my work and money on the contents of my business. My guess is that anyone TRULY interested in what I have to offer will check Google or the Yellow Pages; anyone who doesn't know I was here after 5 years, isn't TRULY interested.
  
  My wife's business continues to garner new customers with every month that passes. She hasn't advertised a dime in 6 years, hasn't had a balloon filled, glittery event, she doesn't serve coffee and pastries, there are no festivals or hullabaloos.
  
  She just shows up regularly every day, keeps her store comfortable and attractive and organized and clean; takes in used books, gives people credit, cleans the books, is knowledgable and friendly, and puts them out on the shelves at less than half the overall price of retail. She's located centrally, and on a busy corner.
  
  Seems to work.
  
  I'd rather have 5 new solid customers, than 50 people who were attracted by free wine, or people in spandex riding in circles...
  
  But some of those 50 people might become customers!
  
  Oh?
  
  Not so's I've noticed.
  
  When I walked out of the store Friday night, the streets were absolutely jammed with people at the Art Hop.
  
  Yesterday was one of the slowest foot traffic days I've seen in years.
  
  **********
  
  On a related note. I was somewhat insulted over the last 5 to 10 years when a customer would say, "I didn't know you were here!" and they had been in town for 5 years or longer.
  
  I'm still mystified how a Bend resident cannot be aware of my wife's store, which sits on the busiest traffic corner in town -- but it proves that people see what they want to see and they come in when they want to come in.
  
  Anyway, I'm now seeing this differently. I'm now seeing this as proof that we still have plenty of potential customers.
  
  How sad would it be if Everyone knew I was here, and the business I was doing was the business I would always do?
  
  (Yes, I'm aware of the contradiction of complaining about not everyone knowing me or my wife's stores are here, and at the same time arguing against promotions and advertising. Just goes to prove, I really don't believe they are effective, because I have the need, but don't think those are the solutions....)
  
  **********
  
  "THE BULLETIN IS NOT ANTI- SCHOOLS...."
  
  Of course not!
  
  They're just anti-FUNDING of schools....
  
  **********
  
  Ditto for the Jail measure.
  
  Strong law and order themes in the Bulletin, week after week.
  
  But as a letter to the Bulletin argued -- the solution seems to be to just take the miscreants into the desert and feed them bread and water.
  
  I'm not saying I have a solution. I'm not saying that the unions might not be over- reaching.
  
  I'm just saying, I don't understand how you can argue against any way of funding, and at the same time call for increased law and order and increased educational effectiveness.
  
  The waste argument seems like a phantom.
  
  That said: didn't we just build a new jail?

• 9:23

  Predictions for Bend 2010: Your Future in Bend

   » ‎ BendBubble

  Tags:    [edit]

  Increased crime?.....likely. Crazy political effects?.....small, but interesting to watch. Stock market crash?....doubt it. Widespread apathy?.......probable. Continued corruption and corporate control of government?.....guaranteed. What to know what a corrupt and venal empire looks like in decline?...you're living it.
  
  High speed trains from Madras to La Pine whizzing through tent cities. The blur of tents and starving inhabitants unseen by the bankers (MossMDU) and fat cat politicians (Telfer,Merkley) living off remaining scraps, on their way to vacation at Sun River (jdGray) or Black Butte (mHollern) Ranch , zipping through the dark.
  
  The U.S. will come to understand that it doesn't need to be a democracy, but just a military and capitalist society. We've certainly seen in recent years that finance and corporate power rule the county and that we do not, despite that we ceremoniously vote.
  
  Clint Eastwood said it best, we live in a pussy society. Lots of jive talkers, and cry babies looking to redistribute what I EARN. Prosperity can never be built on Jive and lies, as a small businessman you know you are out of business and won't last if you deal in Jive. You can't hide and pretend, you have to actually perform.
  
  Starting now, we are leaving the eye of the storm as sub-prime and alt-A mortgage resets for the most part have occurred but ARMs are about ready to balloon - the second half of the economic hurricane which will last until mid-2012 ( late 2014 for Bend ) at the earliest. Add into this the massive CRE defaults, muni-bond defaults, the possible downgrade of both US and UK credit, the roiling debacles of sovereign defaults in Greece and the Balkans in Europe and California, Georgia and New York in the US, and the increasing scrutiny being paid to "back-door" bank funding, and it is very likely that by the time the winds finally pass there will be very little left standing.

  The interesting thing about hurricanes is that it is very seldom the first part of the storm that's so damaging - it's the second. The first weakens structures, but when they enter the eye, the buildings, trees, etc., don't usually spring back. However, with the second part, weakened structures are stressed in the other direction, and the peak of the storm waters surge then withdraw. This second go-round is usually what causes weakened structures to be pulled off their foundations, turned into kindling, and otherwise demolished.

  "The result will certainly be the election of countless maniacs to congress this fall, especially of the theocratic-despotic brand -- creationists, alien abductees, economics professors from bible colleges, Sunbelt war hawks, Lyndon LaRouche acolytes, Nativists, Palinites, crusaders against the New World Order, anti-Bilderbergers... the whole appalling menu of thought-disorder cases now roiling in the breakdown lane of American history."

  

• 9:20

  Peter Serafinowicz: the Boing Boing Video interview

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney, they are living legends. Funny Stuff by Peter. more about " Peter Serafinowicz: the Boing Boing …", posted with vodpod Filed under: Trading

• 9:13

  Yo! Security …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  Amierka   [edit]

  … where are you? Ah, there you are… I was assured when I accepted this invitation to speak that I would not be heckled, would not be harassed, by willfully ignorant barely hairless monkeys who believe the world is flat, six thousand years old and it’s ok to have sex with your daughters. Please remove it. [...]

• 8:42

  Applying for Grants Through the Grant Donor's Online Grant Application Wizard or Program

   » ‎ Seeking Grant Money Today

  Tags:  grant Writing   [edit]

  It used to be...as is true with everything, that all grant applications were submitted by printing out documents (the grant application and proposal) and either mailing that or having it delivered by courier. Today, though, especially due to the green movement, many grant donors require that nonprofits applying for grants do so through a virtual portal, of some kind.
  
  Grant donors that require that applicants apply online often have their own grant application wizard or application web pages on their website. Some use a grant application service that allows the grant donor to specify which questions they want the applicants to be asked, but does not require the grant donor organization themselves manage or house the grant application program on their own website (or servers).
  
  Every grant donor is a different organization from the other, having different questions for applicant nonprofits, or requiring different formatting, or requesting different attachments from one another. Usually, when a grant donor requires that applicants apply online, they provide the list of all of the questions that the applicant nonprofit will be asked online, ahead of time, before the time that the agency is applies. It is very important that applicant nonprofits print this list of the actual questions before applying. Using these actual questions and the grant donor's giving guidelines will allow your organization to prepare and write the actual answers to each question (in Word or some similar word processing program) before actually applying. You can then simply copy from Word your already completed answers and paste those into each grant application question's response box or prompt. The benefit of having completed the answers for each question asked, in advance, is also that you and whomever else you ask to review the final drafts of grant submissions to look these over, too, beforehand. It is tempting, in the online grant application prompts, to compose on the fly or edit as you apply; but the danger is not only making errors that go unnoticed (and do not get fixed before submitting your organization's application); the danger is that if they require a limited number of words per answer you may be taking up word count (space in the answer) that could be better used to make an additional compelling point or two. It's better to apply on line already having completed each answer.
  
  If a grant donor does not allow the applicant to get the list of questions, beforehand, (and this is extremely rare) log into the grant application program or wizard, going through the entire application, and print each question out before actually answering them. If even this is not possible - copy and paste from a grant application that has already won your nonprofit a grant having beforehand edited and tailored a copy of that to the grant donor organization's giving guideline's requirements.
  
  Sometimes grant donors requiring that applications be submitted online have a word limit, per response. This word limit should also be built into your nonprofit's responses to each of their questions, in advance.
  
  When a grant donor requires that applicants apply online they may require that the applicant upload the required grant application attachments (which can be anything from the list of the current board of directors, to the most recent annual report, to the financials, or the proposed program's budget). They may also allow applicant organizations to mail their attachments into their office and require that they reference their application when doing so.
  
  Many grant donors will give the applicant organization some kind of confirmation message after the grant writer is done submitting the nonprofit's grant application online. It may be a unique confirmation number or code, or just a simple message saying something like, "...your grant application has been received, thank you...". It's good to note, maybe on a printed out copy of your actual grant application submitted what date and time you submitted the grant application, online, and also note any confirmation number or even generic messages they use to confirm your submission has been received. You won't have to remember any details for each application submitted because you'll have record of these (and these copies and records should be filed into the grant donor's file). If there's any question, in the future, whether your organization actually submitted an application successfully (or on time, maybe) even if you only note their confirmation message, verbatim, you can prove that whomever submitted the grant application got all the way through the process such that they received this direct quote (confirmation) from their grant application system.
  
  If, during the grant application submission process online, you have any difficulties with the actual grant application program or if you have any questions about the application questions or requested attachments; follow the directions that explain how to get assistance, on the grant application wizard or web pages. If they direct the applicant to not contact the grant donor organization, but instead the company that manages the application wizard, then do what they direct. If the grant application wizard's web pages do not provide any clear direction, check the grant donor's giving guidelines for directions. If that does not state what online applicants can do to request assistance, then call the grant donor's main office number.

• 8:26

  Get a Grip, Ned....

   » ‎ Arabella's Garden

  Tags:    [edit]

  or, there's no need to panic just because I loaned my favorite seed catalogs to a friend, and am now going through withdrawal .......
  
  When I first started gardening, at the tender age of 21, I was pretty much on my own for inspiration and information. No internet, no knowledgeable neighbors; just my mother (300 miles away and in a vastly different climate zone) and the garden books I found at the library. At the time I lived in a mild-winter area (northern California coast) and could pretty much plant year-round. I killed lots of plants and murdered a lot of seeds in my first stumbling efforts but had fun anyway. With the wisdom of hindsight, I can say that beginning gardeners should just plan on this happening, no matter where they live.
  
  A few years later when we moved to Central Oregon, things got a bit dicier. The neighbors all said, 'you can't grow anything here' but I ignored them and planted anyway. A lot of things died as the local axiom 'frost is possible any day of the year' proved to be true. Blackened squash and bean vines in July -- oh my!
  
  But I was determined and found a few resources for encouragement: legendary local OSU Extension Service agent, Marvin Young (with his list of vegetables that would indeed grow here), and a wizard gardening friend or two who astounded the community with beautiful perennial flower and vegetable gardens in the face of the common wisdom against such bountiful potential.
  
  The only local source of seeds was the occasional rack in the hardware store, and there wasn't much of a selection, nor were most of the varieties particularly well-suited to our crazy climate. I became a seed catalog junkie, welcoming into my home the standard Burpee and Park seed companies back when they were still smallish and family-owned, along with a growing crowd of newcomers and new-to-me oldtimers: Johnny's, Nichols, Gurney's, Stokes..... I was soon able to turn up my nose at the pitiful local offerings, and order varieties that showed actual promise of surviving our short growing season. With the birth of the heritage seed movement, options expanded again: Seed Savers' Exchange, Seeds Trust (then High Altitude Gardens), and many more. Now there is an embarrassment of riches in the seed catalog world.
  
  Early in December, I looked forward to the catalogs, which began to show up in my mailbox right after Christmas. They come earlier now, but I still feel a tingle of anticipation when the first one arrives. In my early garden journals, I noted the date of the first entry in what I thought of as the Seed Catalog Sweepstakes. I'm a bit more blase nowadays, but I still love to see them piling up on the shelf, awaiting the day I have time to sit down and start making lists of things I need. Want. Lust after. Whatever.
  
  Luckily, I have help in sorting it all out.
  
  

• 8:06

  Boycott today …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  Amierka   [edit]

  There will be no football in this house today. No money will be spent… Tim Tebow is a Liar. His mother, Pam, is a Liar. Bald face. CBS is airing Authoritarian, Dominionist, ‘Christian’ (Racist) organization Focus on the Family sponsored ads during the ’super-bowl’ (seig heil!) publicly perpetrating the lie – that twenty some years ago [...]

• 7:54

  totally tactical keeper

   » ‎ knives and lanyards

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  
  
  
  Nice way to keep keys, knives, flashlights secure in and out of your pocket.
  
  

• 7:45

  Haven’t seen the video …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  Amierka   [edit]

  … nor have I any interest in doing so, but word ’round the cybersphere is uber-bimbo Sarah Palin spread her legs on national television last night.

• 7:45

  Awards for Enterprising American Middle School & High School Aged Girlts

   » ‎ Seeking Grant Money Today

  Tags:  entrepreneurs   [edit]

  From The Foundation Center...
  
  Deadline: February 26, 2010

  Guardian Life Insurance Invites Entries for Girls Going Places Entrepreneurship Award Program

  The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America is accepting entries for its Girls Going Places Entrepreneurship Award Program.

  This annual initiative is designed to reward the enterprising spirits of girls between the ages of 12 and 18. In 2010, Guardian will award prizes to fifteen girls who demonstrate budding entrepreneurship, are taking the first steps toward financial independence, and make a difference in their schools and communities.

  To be eligible, a nominee must be between the ages of 12 and 18 as of December 31, 2009; be enrolled in middle school or high school; and be a U.S. legal resident.

  Prizes totaling $30,000 will be granted to three top winners and twelve finalists to further their entrepreneurial pursuits or save for college. Submissions received after the deadline date will be entered in the 2011 competition.

  Visit the Guardian Life Web site for complete program guidelines and entry forms.

  Contact:
  Link to Complete RFP

  

• 3:49

  Solar Power (True Books) (Paperback)

   » ‎ Solar Power -- PV Panels

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  From Booklist

  Reviewed with Christine Petersen’s Wind Power.Gr. 3-5. The familiar small, square format and the large, well-spaced type of volumes in the long-running True Book umbrella series have been preserved in this new offshoot, Environment & Conservation. Petersen provides readers with a lucid picture of the sun and wind as natural forces before introducing some of the technology (windmills, turbines, solar panels) used to harness energy on a large scale. A few more diagram (more…)

  
  

  

• February 06, 2010
• 23:29

  Hiking in Maui

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  – A photo I took on the trail in Wai’anapanapa State Park.

  For some reason there is a strong Central Oregon/Maui connection. I’m not positive why that is but I’m guessing it has to do with the adventures and lifestyle that both provide. The Hawaiian island of Maui has numerous great hiking trails like Bend. Here are a few of my favorites.
  • Seven sacred pools (Loop – Hana) – Maybe the most well known hike in Maui, the pools themselves are truly amazing. One of the prettier places you’ll ever see. Don’t expect to have the trail to yourself, this is a VERY popular place, but well worth checking out.
  • Swinging bridges (Out and back – Waihee) – This is a really nice hike on “the other side of the island.” Worth doing for several reasons, one of which is that you may spend a lot of time in Maui and never go to Waihee unless you have this hike as a destination. Another reason is for the nice swimming hole @ the end of the hike.
  • Iao valley (Out and back – Wailuku) – This is a hike I made several times and every time was different because you have so many trail options. This hike is a must because of the view you get of the valley all the way to the ocean, truly amazing.
  • Wai’anapanapa State Park (Out and back – Hana) – This is my favorite hike by far! First is the fact that I’ve done it twice and never seen another person on the trail (once you get outside of the camping area) second is because it follows the most beautiful shore line and you get to have the ocean right next to you the whole way and third because the volcanic lava rock that forms the shoreline makes for the coolest crashing waves I’ve ever seen.

  For great info on all-things Maui, checkout the book “Maui Revealed.” It’s no doubt the best book about Maui, everything from activities to where to stay to where to eat… and where not to eat! A must if you are headed to Maui.
  

• 22:18

  See what you make of this

   » ‎ The Wizard

  Tags:  Life   [edit]

  Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs.  I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty  uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig  to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it...

• 21:23

  No longer suspecting

   » ‎ Beth Patterson

  Tags:    [edit]

    One of my teachers, Jonathan,   says: There are three things that we need to know, deeper than our own breath: 1. We are Love: nothing more, nothing less.           Calcified, reified, rarified, embodied...(read more)

• 21:22

  If you like dark humor…

   » ‎ acloudtree

  Tags:    [edit]

  The Perry Bible Fellowship is my all time favorite comic strip. It builds upon the Monty Python and Far Side humor that was foundational to my childhood. And like I said, its dark.

  

  

  Anyway, their website is here. And they have a book available as well.

• 21:08

  Coal Ash Containment and the EPA

   » ‎ Peachy Green

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Kingston TN coal ash containment disaster

  Ever since a coal ash containment pond  broke in December of 2008, spewing coal ash into a nearby river and over 300 acres of farm and woodland,the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) has been rethinking its coal ash policy.

  The event, which took place in one of the facilities run by the TVA was possibly the worst environmental disaster ever seen in the United States.

  Coal ash, for those who do not know, comes from burning coal to make electricity and it is pretty lethal stuff.  It  contains arsenic, lead, mercury and a number of other toxic substances  which can create environmental havoc if the ash is not properly contained. Disposing of it is not an easy task.  50 to 60 percent of the coal ash produced in the United States is put into landfills or containment ponds like the one that burst in Tennessee.

  Since more than half the residential electricity produced in the United States, is produced by burning coal, it is clear that the problem of what to do with coal ash is going to be ongoing and become ever larger  until we switch to renewable energy for the production of electricity.  That time is coming, but it is still a long way off.

  Message to the EPA

  Throughout 2009, after the  Tennessee coal ash debacle,  the EPA conducted tests  of  containment facilities nation-wide to determine their structural integrity. The aim was to create some federal guidelines for the safe storage and disposal of coal ash, something that, at the moment, is regulated completely at the state level. There are 584 coal ash dump sites across the United States. Forty-three  of them, owned by 22 different utilities were  found by the EPA  to be dangerously substandard, and were required to make major adjustments to insure that a repeat of the Tennessee incident does not occur.

  They agreed and just this past Friday, the agency released action plans developed by these 22 privately owned utilities  describing the measures each facility is taking voluntarily to insure safe storage of coal ash. All very nice, but it doesn’t exactly solve the problem.  Clearly, this is only a stopgap.   If we are going to continue to use coal to produce residential electricity, then we need federal guidelines and strict federally enforced regulation of the toxic biproducts of production. The EPA and the Obama White House are trying, but so far no dice.   The coal industry lobby is also hard at work  greasing palms and buying influence.  The result is political gridlock.

  So here is my message to the EPA and to the Obama Administration.  Stop the foot dragging.  Let’s get coal ash classified as toxic waste and find some better ways to deal with it.  More importantly,  the Tennessee incident shows just how important it is for us to move  to producing  more and more of our residential electricity with solar, wind, and geothermal– all clean, renewable sources of power. Until we do, the toxic land fills and containment ponds will simply grow along with pollution and the chance of another environmental disaster. Instead of spending all that money to contain, let’s spend money to move beyond coal technology and into the future. Let’s take action and leave politics behind.

  
  

  

• 18:42

  Home shadows - evening

   » ‎ High Desert Diva

  Tags:    [edit]

  "Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before."
  
  ~ Edgar Allan Poe
  
  
  More shadow shots at Hey Harriet

• 17:48

  La Rosa Gold [Flickr]

   » ‎ Wrongdude

  Enclosure: [download]

  Tags:    [edit]

  carrrrrlos posted a photo:

  

  It is as tasty as it looks.

  

• 17:26

  Boulder Mountain Results

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  UPDATE: Please disregard the earlier post of results… they were wrong.

  Oregon took second behind Utah @ the 35th Boulder Mountain Tour 2010 nordic ski race in Sun Valley, Idaho.

  Bend’s Evelyn Dong won the women’s race, edging Zoe Roy (also of Bend, racing out of Utah).

  Bend’s Marshall Greene was third overall to lead Oregon, whose top 10 placers were all from Bend. Greene’s time of 1 hour, 13 minutes and 54.4 seconds was less than two second behind winner Zack Simons of Utah.

  Bend’s Brayton Osgood took 6th overall and Bend’s Paul Clark was 18th overall.

  Here’s a list of Bend’s top 10 finishers and their overall placing:
  3 Greene
  6 Osgood
  18 Clark
  46 Erik Jacobson
  55 Evelyn Dong
  56 Joe Madden
  86 Taylor Leach
  87 Sarah Max
  104 Mary Wellington
  105 Stephanie Howe

  Bend age group winners:
  Women 18 to 24 – 1 Dong, 2 Zoe Roy (racing for Utah).
  Women 25 to 29 – 1 Taylor Leach, 2 Stephanie Howe
  Women 30 to 34 – 1 Sarah Max

  Click here for full Results.

• 16:51

  Boulder Mountain results… whoops :-)

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  those were the 2009 results. 2010 results coming soon… my bad! But now the correct results are up.

• 16:48

  Pac-10 Basketball doing well in the NBA

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  No Pac-10 basketball team is ranked in the top 25 right now. But how different would that be if the Pac-10 Conference hadn’t lost the players it has to early entry in the NBA draft? Here’s a look at what Pac-10 teams would look like had those players stayed:

  Player, grade they would be, what they are averaging in the NBA, NBA team
  Arizona
  Jordan Hill, Sr – 4.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, Knicks
  Chase Budinger, Sr – 8.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, Rockets

  Arizona State
  James Harden, Jr – 9.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.1 apg, Thunder
  Jerryd Bayless, Jr – 9.4 ppg, 2.4 apg, Blazers

  UCLA
  Jrue Holiday, So – 5.2 ppg, 2.5 apg, 2.1 rpg, 76ers
  Russell Westbrook, Sr – 16.1 ppg, 7.4 apg, 4.9 rpg, Thunder
  Kevin Love, Jr – 15.4 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 2.6 apg, Timberwolves

  USC
  Taj Gibson, Sr – 8.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, Bulls
  DeMar DeRozan, So – 8.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, Raptors
  OJ Mayo, Jr – 17.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.1 apg, Grizzlies

  Stanford
  Brook Lopez, Sr – 18.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, Nets
  Robin Lopez, Sr – 7.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, Suns

  Washington
  Spencer Hawes, Sr – 10.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg, Kings

  Granted, you could make this case for every Conference I’d imagine. But the fact is that the Pac-10 has lost a lot of talent very early. Many of the above players were one and done and are having real success in the NBA.

  All six teams above would likely be top 25 if they had those players on their teams right now. How crazy scary would USC be? Can you imagine how many highlights that squad would produce.

  How about trying to matchup with the Lopez twins of Stanford or Bayless and Harden in the backcourt of Arizona State… and that backcourt would only be juniors!

• 15:06

  Red Sticks …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  First Nation   [edit]

  In all our deliberations we must consider the consequence of our action even unto the seventh generation. You say you want a revolution? Well, you know …

• 14:57

  Locals place well @ Boulder Mountain Tour XC

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  One tenth of a second, that was it! Bend’s Marshall Greene took second in Saturday’s 35th Boulder Mountain Tour in Sun Valley, Idaho. Zack Simons of Utah won the 32K race with a time of 10:10:55.7, just one tenth of a second ahead of Greene (1:10:55.8).

  Team Oregon finished 4th of the 7 States featuring complete teams.

  Placing for team Oregon:
  2 Marshall Greene
  16 Zach Violett
  41 Paul Clark
  78 Evelyn Dong
  120 Jason Adams
  163 Dan Packman
  243 Taylor Leach
  375 Mary Willington
  516 Kathleen Kretz
  658 Becky Bjork

  The top placing states were, 1 Utah, 2 Montana and 3 Idaho.

  For full results click here.

• 13:32

  Cash'd Out Walked the Line at the Domino Room Last Night and Here's Some Video

   » ‎ The Blender

  Tags:  Live music   [edit]

  My friends and I had been pretty pumped since finding out Cash'd Out, a Johnny Cash tribute band, was coming to Bend and finally last night we got to enjoy the Man in Black's tunes, live. Cash'd Out has been called the next best thing to Cash himself, and I imagine that's pretty on par, being too young to have ever seen him live myself.

  
  

  Douglas Benson and his crew played all of Cash's hits, a few lesser known songs, and went on for a solid two hours. Benson alternated between Pabst BluRead More...

• 13:01

  VOTE NOW for the talks you’d like to see at Ignite Bend 4

   » ‎ Ignite Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  WOW! We have wonderful submissions for Ignite Bend 4… now we need your help. Please tell us who you would like to see on stage at Ignite Bend 4! Share your opinion by filling out an online ballot.

  We are still looking for sponsors for Ignite Bend 4! For more information about sponsorship levels, check out the Sponsorships page or contact Jen Floyd.

  Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. See you at Ignite Bend 4!

• 12:44

  Trailblazer starting five

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  It’s been a fascinating year to talk about the Portland Trailblazers’ starting five. When the Blazers brought in Andre Miller as a free agent point guard and garnered lots of attention for being the “deepest team in the NBA,” talking about who would start for the Blazers was a fun topic. We had a great discussion about our “Favorite Blazer Starting 5″ and also have been looking at “Which Blazer Starting 5 Would Win?” making three teams out of the 15 Blazers on the roster right now. Because the Blazers have been ravaged by injury they have used a lot of different starting lineups this season. The fact that they are playing so well and staying in the playoff race has been awesome to watch… and continues to be fun to talk about!

• 11:42

  Back in the Groove. Sort of.

   » ‎ Chubby Mommy Running Club

  Tags:  Ice running   [edit]

  After a lazy month of sporadic running due to "I can't go running today" excuses involving the snow and ice, the sun came out and I finally got back in the groove, and went four times last week.
  Four days of running in a week is enough to make me feel like a runner again, because my body gets over the initial complaining, and internal yelling "Torture! I hate this! I was supposed to take a nap! Can't we just go out for coffee instead?"
  After four days of running, my body starts giving in, and saying "This is a good song, turn it up. Sure, I can make that hill. No promises on the next one, but this one's fine. Nice view. Nice day. Damn, I feel good."
  But today it snowed. And it's not the white, fluffy, fun snow that makes you wanna frolic and sled. It's the icky, icy, slushy miserable kind of snow. The kind that makes you worry about falling, and wondering if you should buy new YakTraxs or just sit on the couch and drink tea until spring.
  I should probably join a gym. It'd be nice if someone would build a gym that looks like Maui. Like a biosphere, with running trails. Or at least a hologram-ish room where it just seems like you're running along the beach at sunrise.
  How hard could it be?

• 11:25

  IMC basketball race is heating up

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  Intermountain Conference Standings:
  Mountain View 7-1
  The Dalles-Wahtonka 7-2
  Pendleton 5-3
  Summit 5-4
  Bend 4-4
  Madras 4-5
  Hermiston 2-6
  Crook County 0-9

  Today’s Games:
  Hermiston @ Bend – Hermiston needs this one to keep hope alive. A Bend win and they are likely tied for third in the IMC. Having lost several close games, I imagine the Lava Bears would be very happy to be tied for third!
  Pendleton @ MV – Mountain View has won three straight and Pendleton has lost two in a row. A MV win and Pendleton loss would create a log jam in the 3rd through 6th positions.

• 11:23

  Learning New Stuff:

   » ‎ Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy

  Tags:    [edit]

  Hi,
  
  I just wanted to tell you guys what I have been up to lately. 
  
  Cary and I are members of an association called Oregon Independent Aggregate Association.  Last week, they asked me to take over their website and newsletter.  I got started on the website today.  (I am not getting paid for it, but it makes me feel really good that they like my work.)  It was already set up in WordPress, so I have spent the morning getting used to that blogging program.  I think I like Blogger.com better already, but the transistion has been going fine.  Here is a link if you want to take a look:
  
  
  [www.oraggregate.com]
  
  One issue that OIAA is working on is dealing with MSHA (Mine Safety Health Administration).  As I began learning more about MSHA, I decided last spring to set up an information/training website on that topic.  Here is the link to it:
  [lrmincmsha.blogspot.com]
  

• 11:19

  First Friday Art Gallery Walk - Thank you Central Oregon!

   » ‎ High Desert Gallery Snippets

  Tags:    [edit]

  A quick note of thanks to all the gallery clients, guests and visitors that participated in First Friday Art Walk in downtown Bend Oregon last night.  A special thank you to Paul Bennett.  Great Artwork!  It was a hoot, we had a blast and I hope you all did as well.

  It was great to see so many gallery fans visit and talk with our featured Central Oregon artist, Paul Alan Bennett.   His exhibition was outstanding and very well received.   Based on wine and plastic cup consumption, our crowd was estimated at a bit over 600 for the night. 

  Here are some less than stellar images from the reception taken with my blackberry.  I made every effort to pull out my good digital camera and HD video camera but I was having too much fun and the time slipped away.  Next time ;-)    

         
  
  Images: Click to enlarge! Left: Paul Alan Bennett (Green Vest), Middle: Doug and Katie Cavanaugh, our favorite musicians chat with Lori and JD, Right: More Paul Alan Bennett artwork and gallery visitors.

  Again -- Thank you Central Oregon for making a wonderful artist reception happen.  The First Friday Art Walks, support of the gallery artists and the gallery would not be possible with out the continued support and loyalty from you, our gallery clients. BTW -- If you liked what you saw last night or had a great time, please tell us about it on Twitter at @HDGOCO or on our FB Page.  Thanks!

  A couple of items:  You can subscribe to our blog  at :  Subscribe  Visit the gallery often as we have new work coming into the gallery daily and weekly.  To visit our 2010 Bend art gallery calendar of artist receptions please visit: High Desert Gallery Artist Receptions - 2010.    In April we are staring special preview receptions from 5-8pm on the Thursday prior to First Friday.  We might even serve real appetizers and Oregon wines!

  Cheers (and thanks again!),

  Todd Dow

  

• 10:47

  Bend's Ugliest Woman Nails Coffin on Bend Banks

   » ‎ BendBubble Phase Three

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

  A record number of people turned out for the City Club of Central Oregon's monthly meeting Friday at St. Charles Bend to hear three of Oregon's most prominent banking officials discuss the state of their shaken industry.

  Many banks, especially those with operations in Central Oregon, are posting bleak earnings as they work through loan losses tied to real estate development, but continue to lend and support their local communities, Linda Navarro, the president and CEO of the Oregon Bankers Association, told the 175 people in attendance.

  That message, however, is often drowned out by “bank-bashing” sentiments emanating from some corners of Washington, D.C., and the public that are misplaced and largely based on several myths, Navarro said. [ That myth that if you let the banker put his/her dick your mouth they will not Cum. ]
  

  She said the majority of the nation's roughly 8,500 banks did not receive any bailout. The $700 billion federal Troubled Asset Relief Program steered funds to more than 700 banks, and only four in Oregon. [ Not that they didn't get on their knee's and beg for corporate welfare, but simply that fly's don't get the good s**t in a Kleptocracy. ]
  

  They were Umpqua Bank, through its Portland-based holding company, Umpqua Holdings Corp.; Willamette Valley Bank, through its Salem-based Oregon Bancorp; Capital Pacific Bank, through its Portland-based holding company Capital Pacific Bancorp; and PremierWest Bank, through its Medford-based holding company PremierWest Bancorp.

  Navarro said some of the biggest recipients of federal bailout money were not banks at all, but companies like insurance giant American International Group and the auto manufacturers Chrysler and General Motors. [ More f**king myths, the truth is anybody can call themselves a bank, and since 1980 GM-Acceptance and Chrysler are bigger lenders than any of these peon regional banks. ]
  

  Nor did the nation's traditional banks generally make the risky mortgage loans that helped spark the recession.

  “Ninety-four percent of subprime loans were originated outside of the traditional banking industry, but we've all been painted with the same brush,” she said. [ Nobody ever accused CACB of being 'traditional' ]
  

  Finally, Navarro said banks are lending. [ Lending to people with equity and jobs, a rare bird in todays world. ]
  

  However, there exists the perception they are not, which she attributes to the fact that the country's secondary credit market — made up of non-bank lenders — has practically dried up, and to lower loan demand from many business owners avoiding new debt because they don't have the revenues to repay it. [ There's that word again, but this time its not 'myth' its perception, pay NO ATTENTION to the banker, who are you going believe MOSS or your lying eyes?? ]
  

  Richard Renken, who oversees bank regulation in Oregon as the bank and trusts program manager for the state's Division of Finance and Corporate Securities, shared Navarro's take on declining business loan demand.

  “Banks are making sure there is money to lend, but they are seeing demand way off,” Renken said. “But that maybe says something good about business owners because borrowing is probably not the answer if you are having trouble selling.” [ Maybe business owners are terrified of taking on more debt, e.g. adding more fuel to the fire the banks have created. ]
  

  Renken, who helps regulate more than 35 state- and federally charted banks and thrifts in Oregon, said the strong growth of banking during the run-up of real estate several years ago “probably lulled some of us to sleep,” referring to both bankers and regulators.

  He said the recession, predictably, is generating “lots of knee-jerk reactions” from politicians intent on new regulations, some of which might be good, and some of which might be bad. And while there were abuses in the past, “whether we get any meaningful change remains to be seen.”

  Renken said he believes most of Oregon's community banks will return to profitability this year.

  Patricia Moss, CEO of Bank of the Cascades and president and CEO of Cascade Bancorp, the bank's parent company, said government intervention always has mixed results. [ Yes, about six years late in putting the bridle on the horse, if six years ago somebody shut CACB down. ]
  

  In late 2008, soon after TARP was unveiled, Cascade Bancorp applied for federal TARP money. However, the company later withdrew its application, citing negative public sentiment about the program among its reasons.

  Moss said she believed the government's intent to inject money into the banking system was well-founded but that the Treasury Department tripped up TARP's implementation.

  “The government tried to prevent the promotion of banks that were too big to fail, but the money went to the big banks, so people moved their money to those banks because they were too big to fail,” Moss said. “The money needed for community banks didn't get delivered because the program was more complex than originally thought.” [ Easy OPM ( other-peoples-money), so sad that Moss wasn't big enough to be kept on life support forever. So sad that she can't get MDU stock anymore for passing Bend City Treasury to Knife-River. ]
  

  Moss, whose struggling bank is under a regulatory order to raise capital, said she's working with Sen. Jeff Merkely, D-Ore., on a bill that would inject money into community banks, and travels frequently to Washington, D.C., to lobby government officials for money to recapitalize community banks. [ There you go, what's Moss to do? Use her own money to prop up her failing bank? Hell no, her solution is to force the good people of Oregon to cover her bad bets on bad builders and restaurateurs in Bend. How about MOSS using her millions she got from MDU/Knife-River? How about she put this money into CACB? Hell no, she may play stupid, but she ain't Bend Stupid. ]
  

  But ultimately, Moss said more credit won't spur an economic recovery. That will take jobs, she said.

  “Without creating more jobs, you don't create demand for credit,” Moss said.

  [ Bend is f**ked people. Accept this fact, but Moss will get bailed out with your taxpayer dollars, and you'll still be f**ked. ]

• 10:25

  Blue Screen of Death

   » ‎ Elan Vital Anthology

  Tags:    [edit]

  Hello friends.
  I have to apologize to those of you who signed up for the Valentine's Mix CD - I will send it, but unfortunately, the other day my computer took it's last breath. I can only hope that all of my data can be retrieved - and as soon as order is restored - I will burn and mail you all a belated Valentine.
  This is what I wish my computer looked like upon it's tragic and early demise:
  blue screen fail whale
  
  Somehow, it seems it would have been more fitting.
  
  
  And so, I may be offline more than I wish - Jeff and I are sharing one computer now, and it's in his office, which I don't LOVE spending time in...I'm thinking I will use this time wisely and stop procrastinating on the many projects that are WIP or just swimming around my head. Life offline = Life productive. That's the goal anyways! 
  
  
  Best,
  Tar [elanvitalanthology.blogspot.com] http://elanvitalanthology.etsy.com

• 9:42

  Bill O’Reilly vs Jon Stewart – 2/4/10 3/3

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Liberals vs Conservative, does it really matter? All Big govies are bad. Smaller and nimbler. Cut jobs at the GOVIE and we will all benefit! more about " Bill O’Reilly vs Jon Stewart – 2/4/1…", posted with vodpod Filed under: Trading

• 9:40

  Mon oeil!

   » ‎ she's just saying ...

  Tags:    [edit]

  [French expression for "My eye!" Similar meaning as "my foot!" oddly enough.]

  

  Eye update. I just got new glasses.

  I got my first pair of glasses in second grade. They were wonderful pink cats-eye frames with sparkles. In third grade I moved on to the blue ones with sparkles. My eyes were so bad I got new glasses at least once a year. In college I switched to contacts and never looked back. (ha ha "looked" - get it?)

  The biggest obstacle for me to accept regarding my glaucoma surgery was that I now can't wear contacts. Actually, I can wear one contact. That seems a little risky. And blurry. And headache-producing. But hey, you have to suffer for vanity!

  But for everyday, I really have to wear glasses. I decided on the geek chic look this time, only a few years after the trend died out. I consider these my anti-Sarah Palin look. Damn right I'm wearing glasses, and not those "let's pretend we don't have coke-bottle bottoms wired to the front of our face" rimless ones.

  With these new glasses, I can drive at night again, which means taking Henry to open gym, the indoor skate park, movie night at the local swim center, etc. -- all those things I pawned off on his friends til now.

  The downside to a new prescription is that I now see my kitchen floor is filthy.

  The operated-upon eye is doing well - the filter is doing its thing and the pressure is down. Now we have to tackle the other eye. As Dr. Cute says, "you'd have to be crazy to get that procedure again," so we're looking at something new. Unfortunately, the doctor to do it is in Sacramento. Why couldn't it be somewhere more interesting? I foresee (he!) spending a few lonely nights in a nondescript motel on the outskirts of a dull town. Anyone want to join me?

• 9:25

  Alaskan Bluegrass Act Bearfoot in Sisters

   » ‎ The Blender

  Tags:    [edit]

  The Sisters Folk Festival Winter Concert Series kicks off tonight with a show from Anchorage bluegrass/Americana quintet, Bearfoot.

  
  

  The band, which fuses traditional roots music influences with modern country flavors, is quickly on the rise over the past couple years. Part of this is due to the fact that the band won the Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition -- one of the highest honors a burgeoning acoustic act can receive.

  
  

  The show kicks off at 7pm tonight (Saturday 2/Read More...

• 9:25

  Middle Ground can't be Found.

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  I can't seem to find a middle ground in my business. I'm fine with an aggressive growth strategy; and I'm equally fine with a hunker down strategy.
  
  With the growth strategy, I'm engaged in the business, having fun, buying product and moving things around, experimenting, testing, pushing the sales levels and then scrambling the cover the short falls. It's a voyage of discovery. Finding unexpected bestsellers, taking satisfaction in having that item that no one else has. Gathering compliments from out-of-towners who realize how good the store is.
  
  What I'm not doing, is making money. I make my wages, and pay my bills. But all the rest goes toward improving the business.
  
  When I'm hunkering down, I'm a bit disengaged, my real struggle is to stay patient, to wait for the right moment, to watch every expense like a hawk. I'm either doing without new product, or making the most of the product I have, or looking to squeeze more profit out of less. I keep up with the essentials, but more often buy an off item after a request, instead of having it in stock in the off chance I get a request.
  
  And I make money. Real money. The store is still better than most stores, and during times of difficulty, I can take pride in earning a good profit. There is a certain satisfaction in making do, in butchering the old buffalo and using every bit; the horn, the skin, the meat. But....basically, it's a waiting game. I can't wait to go back to my growth strategy.
  
  Why on earth wouldn't I take the Make Money route? I'm in business, aren't I?
  
  Well, there is also the little matter of enjoying and taking pride in what I do everyday. Everyone who has a job probably knows all kinds of ways to cut corners. Some do, some don't. Every craftsman probably know tricks to shorten the process, or use inferior products.
  
  In a sense, I believe what corporate has figured out, in a very cold-blooded way, is to squeeze for every dollar, and throw a few bucks for promotion to convince everyone the "the customer is always right" or that their 'associates' are the best they can be. But it's really about economy of scale, isn't it? If you can save a few cents on every item but sell millions and millions of them, you're really talking big money. The impulse to make the item a little better by spending a few extra cents just isn't there.
  
  I repeat this, because I think it's really, really important: For the chainstores "the impulse to make an item a little better by spending a few extra cents just isn't there."
  
  It isn't all altruistic, though. How else am I going to distinguish myself from the big guys? And who knows, maybe the extra really does in the end help me stay in business -- and you don't make any profit if you don't stay in business.
  
  Can't prove a negative. I've had to hunker down a couple of times in my career. The first time, because I had no savings and no credit and was deep in debt and simply couldn't take any chances. And sure enough, after about 3 years of watching every dime, my sales were the lowest they've ever been. Fortunately, that was the bottom, and I was able to start a growth strategy around the same time.
  
  Perhaps I've survived the ups and downs of business because I was always trying to improve the store, so that where one thing would stop working I'd have another thing in the wings to take it's place.
  
  Over the last couple years, I realized that I simply didn't have any retirement, that even living modestly, it was going to be difficult to get by on just social security. That I was going to have to keep working full-time. There was still a chance I could get there, if I tried very hard to save for the next 10 years.
  
  The recession hit at about the same time as I was ready to go into this mode. So I was prepared. I not only haven't lost money, I've gained some ground. Paid off the debts, put some money in savings.
  
  This last year, I hunkered down a bit more. I chose to work everyday, instead of cutting back. But I wasn't pushing the envelope, either. As I've mentioned before, my inventory is the best it's ever been, despite the recession.
  
  But I wouldn't mind filling in the little gaps, getting more books and games, getting second copies of best-sellers, and so on.
  
  With sales now being up for five consecutive months, I'm starting to feel more comfortable about going for the growth strategy. The biggest factor is, that I'm not as worried about retirement, now. As long as I keep the income at about current levels, we'll be fine. I can afford a little help, and I can afford to take some chances. (Trust me, not foolish chances....I never want to be in the hole again.)
  
  So it's onward and upward, hopefully.

• 8:42

  Review: Brad Paisley in Lexington, Kentucky

   » ‎ Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  My sister, Emily, and brother-in-law, Ryan, live in Lexington, Kentucky with their new puppy, which they’ve named Chesney. Yes, that Chesney. So they’re pretty big fans of country music. They’re also, like most Kentuckians, lifelong fans of the University of Kentucky basketball team, which is currently 21-1 and ranked No. 3 or 4 in the country, [...]

• 6:18

  Saturday Short Takes

   » ‎ The Wandering Eye

  Tags:    [edit]

  “Notices of default jump to surprisingly high level,” said the headline at the top of The Bulletin’s Business page on Wednesday. The story said 402 notices of default – the first step in foreclosure proceedings – were filed in Deschutes County last month, a 26% jump from December and the highest monthly total recorded since the real estate bubble popped three years ago.

  
  

  Only the most determinedly delusional optimist could have been “surprised” Read More...

• 6:00

  Cowgirl Sal Sleeps

   » ‎ Oh No She Didn't!

  Tags:    [edit]

  Last night Cupcakes choice of activity before bed was to play Cowgirl Sal.  “Mom, I’ve got my buckskins on, see? I’ll get the Easter eggs and you get the computer.” I will just go ahead and decipher that sentence for you. Buckskins–that would be her cow print PJ pants that are officially about 4 inches too [...]

• 5:16

  Big Adventure: going high, going solo, saving your neck, and some boozing.

   » ‎ Off Piste, by Bob Woodward

  Tags:    [edit]

  Here in the dog days of winter it’s fun to learn how some adventurous people have been spending or plan to spend their time.

  
  

  For starters alpinist Apa Sherpa is planning to go for a record twentieth successful ascent of Mount Everest this spring. Nepal native Sherpa, 50, now resides in Salt Lake City.

  
  

  Meanwhile after setting the world record of 1,000 days at sea (that’s 2 years, 7 months and 4 days), New York Artist, adventurer and ace sailor Reid Stowe has decided to stay aflRead More...

• 3:29

  Nature: Endangered Animals

   » ‎ Peachy Green

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Review

  The greatest Nature cinematography on Earth… –The New York Times

  Take an Alarming Look at Planet Earth’s Most Endangered Species in a Global Call to Action.  Around the globe, unique and fascinating species face extinction from hunting and habitat destruction. Biologists, conservationists, wildlife preservation centers, and zoos work to breed and shelter rare and critically endangered animals when and where they can. But many sp (more…)

  
  

  

• 3:04

  Coleman CL-100 72000 1.5-Watt 15-Volt Solar Panel Battery Trickle Charger

   » ‎ Solar Power -- Green Energy

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Amazon.com

  Designed to protect against natural battery discharge and electronic drain in cars, light trucks, vans, ATVs, PWCs, small boats, snowmobiles, riding mowers, tractors and SUVs, the Coleman solar 1.5-watt 12-volt battery charger sends a constant maintenance level charge to the battery to insure against dead batteries. The solar charger provides an immediate charge when exposed to daylight, even on cloudy day. The charger is plug-in-play compatible for quick connections, (more…)

  
  

  

• February 05, 2010
• 23:35

  IMC boys update

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  Friday night scores:
  Hermiston – 61
  Mountain View – 74

  Pendleton – 58
  Bend – 60

  Madras – 72
  Summit – 65

• 23:09

  I Made the Local Again – Inimica

   » ‎ Photos Northwest Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Bend’s local newspaper, The Bulletin, ran an image I made of a metal band out of Redmond called Inimica. It ran in Friday’s edition of the Go Magazine weekend entertainment insert. It’s pretty cool that these guys got some exposure. If you’re looking for something to do Saturday night, stop by Players in Bend and check [...]

• 22:55

  COA presents HS tennis night @ WBTC

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  If you are going to be a high school tennis player in Central Oregon this spring, you are invited to attend the free High School Tennis Night open house @ the newly opened West Bend Tennis Center on 3 indoor courts in Bend. The event is free for area players on Friday, Feb. 19th from 6-8pm. It’ll be a great way to kickoff the high school season, which starts the following Monday. A raffle will be held for prizes, including free court time @ WBTC.

  CENTRAL OREGON ATHLETE
  HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS NIGHT
  @ WEST BEND TENNIS CENTER
  WHO – Central Oregon high school tennis players
  WHAT – Drills, games, prizes, snacks, info for the season
  WHEN – Friday, February 19th from 6-8pm
  WHERE – West Bend Tennis Center
  WHY – Because you want to have fun and get off to a good
  start for the high school tennis season and win some prizes

  Check back here @ COA for event updates.

  Location:
  1355 SW Commerce
  Bend, OR
  

• 22:44

  Another exciting Summit game

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  The last time I went to a Summit basketball game, they beat Bend High in overtime. I went to Friday’s game as the Storm hosted Madras and it was again an exciting overtime game… but this time Summit didn’t come out on top. The White Buffaloes rallied late to send the game to overtime and then pulled away in the extra period to top Summit 72-65.

  Austin Say hit some clutch free throws for Madras and Ahern hit a big three to send the game to overtime.

• 21:26

  Poethouse [Flickr]

   » ‎ Wrongdude

  Enclosure: [download]

  Tags:    [edit]

  carrrrrlos posted a photo:

  

  At the poethouse

  

• 20:00

  The Session #36: Cask-Conditioned Beer

   » ‎ The Brew Site

  Tags:  the Session   [edit]

  It’s the first Friday of the month again, and that means it’s time for “Beer Blogging Friday”—AKA The Session, the monthly collaboration of beer bloggers across the world to write about a common topic. All the participating blog posts will then be gathered and summarized by the host for the month (who is also the one who got to pick the theme and set any ground rules).

  This month’s topic is brought to us by Tom over at Yours for Good Fermentables and the topic is Cask-Conditioned Beer:

  Cask-conditioned ale —or “real ale” as it is called, somewhat boastfully, by the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA), a beer consumer advocacy group in the UK— is defined by that organization as

  beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide.

  Viewers of this blog have read my opinions on cask-conditioned ale, and probably once too often. So, let’s hear yours, and not only yours. Why not invite brewers and drinkers and bemused casked-spectators to contribute essays for the Session?

  Besides that question, Tom suggests a number of other possible discussion points for this month’s topic. Actually he suggests a lot. I expect this month’s Session posts will be good reads.

  One of the first things I thought, from his definition of cask-conditioned ale, is that homebrewed beer fits that definition almost perfectly: at least when it’s bottle-conditioned. Bottle-conditioning is essentially a secondary fermentation of the beer in the bottle, naturally carbonating it; you open a bottle and serve it as-is, without the “extraneous” CO2. It’s like bottles of homebrew are casks!

  Beyond that pithy observation, I have to confess a lack of experience in drinking cask-conditioned beers. Not to say I’m completely clueless—I’ve thoroughly enjoyed cask ales when I’ve ordered them, and I’d be happy if every beer I drink could be cask-conditioned. But Oregon overall has a distinct lack of “cask culture”, so to speak, so the opportunities just aren’t there. The only place in Central Oregon that I know for sure offers cask-conditioned beer is Deschutes Brewery (of course)—they have two taps devoted to cask conditioned beers, one of which is always populated with their excellent Bachelor Bitter.

  Now, having mentioned Oregon’s dearth of the cask, I do have to point to the one exception: the Brewers Union Local 180, located in tiny Oakridge, Oregon. It occupies a unique niche in the state’s beer scene: it’s the only Real Ale pub in Oregon—that is, all of their beers are cask-conditioned and only cask-conditioned.

  They’re serious about it, too:

  In order to keep our casks in peak condition, and to serve in an optimum way, we have built a temperature-controlled cellar behind the bar. This temperature will be maintained at 52° F (11° C), a bit on the cool side of the recommended range of 50°—55° F (10°—12° C). The stillage has been built to accommodate 8 casks, six of which can be in service and connected to the six beer engines on the bar at any one time. We are using CypherCo plastic firkins shipped from England that are automatically kept at the correct angle of incline based on remaining volume in the casks by the use of Tilt-a-Cask auto tilt mechanisms from A-Cask, another product shipped from England.

  You would have to search far and wide, perhaps involving the journey over a large body of water, to find a more authentic pint.

  The blog is also good reading, and I’d water I’ve learned more about cask ales from reading it than anything else.

  You’d expect a brewpub occupying such a unique niche to be located in Portland (Beervana), but strangely enough it’s to be found in one of the more out-of-the-way communities in the state—which for me, only adds to the appeal. And since Oakridge is only a mere 97 miles from Bend, one of my goals this year is to take (at the least) a day trip over to check out the Brewers Union 180.

  And when I do, I’ll be able to talk a bit more about cask conditioning.

• 19:58

  Blue Grotto Ceramic Support Spinning Bowl

   » ‎ Grizzly Mountain Arts

  Tags:    [edit]

  Blue Grotto Ceramic Support Spinning Bowl
  
  The glaze on this gorgeous support spinning bowl is called "Blue Grotto", and the various blues and browns of this glaze are amazing. We have been getting great feedback on our ceramic bowls! Support spinners are loving Dave's original wide base bowl design and the super fast glazed surface.
  
• 19:53

  Tiger Maple and Pau Ferro Pear Whorl Takli Support Spindle

   » ‎ Grizzly Mountain Arts

  Tags:    [edit]

  Tiger Maple and Pau Ferro Pear Whorl Takli Support Spindle
  
  Dave's newest pear whorl Takli support spindle measures about 12 inches long and weights about 1.1 ounce. The whorl was turned from a beautiful piece of Tiger Maple and the shaft from Pau Ferro.

• 19:40

  Friday night

   » ‎ to knit in peace

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  
  
  It was a pretty day today, sunny and too warm for a coat when I went on my afternoon walk.
  
  
  
  
  The evening looked like it would be nice too but I spent it in a grocery store with my calculator. (So that I don't have to spend my Saturday there.)

• 18:18

  Why Today's Jobs Number Is Dangerous

   » ‎ My Back Pages

  Tags:    [edit]

  Trimtabs figures the BLS is full of BS and here's why:

  The BLS has seriously underreported job losses for the past two years due to their flawed methodology.  TrimTabs has identified the following four problems:

  1.      The BLS employment estimate is based on a survey, and not on an actual count of employees.  While the BLS survey is large and supposedly designed to capture the complex nature of the employment market, it is still a survey and therefore subject to error.  TrimTabs believes that rapid changes in an employment cycle cannot be captured by surveys.

  2.      Several times a year, the BLS applies enormous seasonal adjustments to their survey results to account for seasonal fluctuations in the job market.  For example, this January, the BLS added 1.92 million jobs to their survey results to report a job loss of 20,000 to account for the layoff of retail holiday workers.  In our opinion, the sheer magnitude of the seasonal adjustment which dwarfs the monthly result renders this month’s job loss estimate meaningless.

  3.      At the time of the first release, only 40% to 60% of the BLS survey is complete and is subject to large revisions over the next two months.

  4.      The BLS applies a mysterious “birth/death” adjustment to their survey results to account for business openings and closings.  While the payroll data was adjusted substantially, the “birth/death” adjustments were left unchanged.  In 2008 and 2009, the BLS’ “birth/death” adjustment added 904,000 and 882,000 jobs, respectively, for a total of 1.79 million.  By way of comparison, in 2006 and 2007, the BLS’ “birth/death” adjustment added 964,000 and 1.13 million jobs, respectively.   We find it highly unlikely that in 2008 and 2009, during the worst recession since the 1930’s, more businesses opened than closed netting 1.79 million jobs.

   

  In our opinion, flawed BLS survey results, month-after-month, do the public a huge disservice.  While its results point to a slowly recovering economy, TrimTabs’ results point to a dangerously weak economy.

  
  This is dangerous because if politicians and the Fed believe that the economy is stronger than it really is they will pursue more hawkish policies that could plunge the economy right back into recession if not depression. via businessinsider.com

  Posted via web from jessefelder's posterous

  

• 17:30

  Take On Me-A-Ha-Ukulele Cover

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  One of the finest renditions of Aha’s original Take on Me. This should float you into the weekend! Peace to all! more about "Take On Me-A-Ha-Ukulele Cover", posted with vodpod Filed under: Trading

• 17:08

  Log Home | Bend, OR Architectural Photographer

   » ‎ Paula Watts Photography

  Tags:  architecture   [edit]

  On a new project for the very talented Hansmann and Sons Construction, I was hired to photograph a newly remodeled log home in Central Oregon. Besides the residence being very secluded with its mountain views and private lake, the craftsmanship of the home completed by Steve and Julie Hansmann made the home beautiful and exactly what you’d desire for a log home in Central Oregon. Steve and Julie have been building custom homes for over 30 years! To see more of their beautiful work, visit their website at www.hansmannandsons.com

  When it comes to architectural photography, are you satisfied with your photographer? Are you receiving the quality and attention to detail that your project deserves? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard things like, “I’m having a family friend photograph my project” or “I met this portrait photographer who is photographing my latest home design”. When choosing an architectural photographer, there are more things to consider than whether someone has a camera or not. Look through any national architecture magazine. Lighting is probably the number one thing that will make an architectural photograph really stand out. And when it comes to your project, your baby, your blood, sweat and tears that you have been working on for the last few months or even year, wouldn’t you want a photographer that makes your home or commercial project really shine? Finding a professional architectural photographer doesn’t have to be so overwhelming. If you have any questions regarding your next photography project, please don’t hesitate to call or email. Check out my other architectural photography projects by visiting www.paulawattsphoto.com. I love what I do for a living, and bring that passion to each and every job I work on.

  

  

  

• 16:33

  Blog Tour: Angels by Dr. David Jeremiah (Give away!!)

   » ‎ DT from da FP

  Tags:  Bend Oregon   [edit]

  Angelmania.  It has swept the nation in the last decade or so.  From the new-age movement to modern Christianity, people have adopted all that is beautiful and mystical and comforting about angels.  What constitutes this mania is not always right or good.  And very little of it is Biblical. 
  Setting aside the myth and misconceptions Dr. David Jeremiah has written a very telling book called "Angels".  This book is not only based on biblical truth it is filled with true stories of angels and who they really are and how they have helped men and women throughout history.  The truth about angels is much more interesting than anything men can dream up.  When you read this book you will feel the weight of their importance in God's plan.
  This book is a must read for anyone who is interested in angels.  It is well written, easy to understand and it will tell you not only what angels are but when they appear, how they are different from us, how they can teach us and what we can learn from them.
  I highly recommend this book.  By reading it you will understand the truth about these heavenly beings.  It will help you to speak truth into the lives of others, especially those who have become enamored by angels, and it will help you to understand the power of God and the agents He uses for His purposes. 
  
  Summary: 
  What are angels? What is their role in God’s plan? Are they present? Do they appear? Do they give us personal insight about our work, our worship?
  
  Many contemporary beliefs about angels are based on misconception and myth. Dr. David Jeremiah uses scripture to unveil the remarkable truth about these agents of heaven, and their role and work in our world—and lives.
  
  More than 60,000 units of this powerful book have sold in two past editions. This repackage of the original 1996 paperback will surely capture the attention of readers of all ages who seek a broad and thorough survey of scripture that clearly separates fact from fiction as it relates to angels. The book will appeal to the thousands who follow Dr. Jeremiah’s books, and radio and TV broadcasts.
  
  Relevant, little known biblical facts help readers sharpen their knowledge and sensitivities toward the spiritual reality of angels. Dr. Jeremiah’s enlightening findings are supported with illustrations and insights from Billy Graham, Corrie ten Boom, C.S. Lewis, and more.
  
  What others are saying about this book:
  
  “Outstanding! As one would expect from David Jeremiah, this book reflects a theologian’s concern, a pastor’s heart, and a Biblicist’s accuracy.”
  —Dr. Bruce Wilkinson, New York Times bestselling author
  
  
  “David has that uncanny ability to be deliberate without being dull. His words will deepen your gratitude for God’s messengers in light of God’s Word.”
  —Max Lucado, pastor and bestselling author
  
  
  “Dr. David Jeremiah shifts the focus from contemporary ‘angel hype’ to the fascinating biblical truth about God’s powerful messengers.”
  —Dr. John C. Maxwell, founder of INJOY, Inc.
  
  Author Bio:
  
  Dr. David Jeremiah is senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego, and founder of Turning Point Radio and TV Ministries. His radio program is carried on over 2,500 stations worldwide, while the TV broadcast is received by 500 million homes via cable and satellite. The recipient of numerous awards for broadcast excellence, his books have garnered Gold Medallion awards and become bestsellers with The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the New York Times. He is a sought-after conference speaker by organizations nationwide.
  
  One lucky reader will win a copy of this book.  Just leave a comment on this blog post to be considered.  The winner will be chosen at random on Saturday, February 13.  Happy Commenting!!
  
  
  
  
  
  

• 15:24

  Kidnapping is a crime, period …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  Braindead   [edit]

  Asked of the ten American missionaries formally charged yesterday by a Haitian court with conspiracy and kidnapping of 33 children, Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, Raymond Joseph, says he hopes the move sends the message that Haiti’s government is alive and well after the earthquake. ‘By this action, I think the Haitian government is [...]

• 14:32

  Something soft ~

   » ‎ An Eskimo bakes

  Tags:    [edit]

  Something soft, something sweet, something giving.  Can a cupcake be feminine?  Don't tell me otherwise, not today, pretty please.
  
  Hummingbird cake ~ oh my, it's a sweet one.  A moist, dense, unique in flavor sweet one.   There are any number of recipes on the web to find, as there is with the frosting that covers the cake - cream cheese frosting.  I don't care for cream cheese frosting to be super sweet.  Some recipes taste more like sugar than cream cheese.  I'm jotting down one of my favorites.  I'm a baker.  I have more than one favorite sometimes.  I reserve the right to be fickle, forget, dismiss, rave about any current recipe I use.  
  
  This is a very soft frosting, which will pipe very softly.  I would not recommend it for frosting a layer cake.
  
  
  Cream cheese frosting ~
  
  
  1 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature
  3 oz. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  1 tsp. vanilla
  5 1/4 cups powdered sugar, lightly spooned into the cup
  
  

  • Beat butter with the paddle attachment.
  • Add cream cheese a couple tablespoonfuls at a time until incorporated
  • Add vanilla
  • Add powdered sugar one cup at a time

  Put in fridge for a couple hours or over night if you want this to be stiffer.  It will still pipe easily.
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   

• 14:26

  John McCain … ?

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  Braindead   [edit]

  Frat Boy, nearly flunked out of Annapolis, blew up four jet aircraft – including his own – before even getting off the deck of the aircraft carrier, spent less time ‘in-country’ before getting its incompetent ass shot down dropping bombs on civilians from ten thousand feet than I and my compatriots spent in a single [...]

• 14:26

  Book Signings at Paulina Springs Book Stores

   » ‎ Central Oregon Writers Guild

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  IMAGES OF AMERICA - BEND
  and
  IMAGES OF AMERICA - REDMOND
  

  
  Authors Leslie Pugmire Hole and Trish Pinkerton will sign the Redmond book and Les Joslin, editor of the Bend book and president of Deschutes County Historical Society, will sign the Bend book on:

  
  (1) Friday, February 12, 6:30 p.m., Paulina Springs Books, Redmond; and
  (2) Saturday, February 13, 6:30 p.m., Paulina Springs Books, Sisters.
  
  Paulina Springs Book store addresses:
  
  422 SW 6th Street, Redmond
  252 West Hood Street, Sisters
  
  For more information, contact Les Joslin at (541) 330-0331.

  

• 14:10

  Need a fresh new WordPress theme?

   » ‎ BF Stop

  Tags:    [edit]

  At BIG Folio, we feel blogging is an essential tool for photographers–providing SEO benefits, a way to publish your latest work, and a way to connect with current and future clients. Thanks to its flexibility, plugin selection and community, WordPress is currently the best blogging platform for photographers today.

  We’re experts in WordPress and are currently rolling out a number of products and services. Keep your peepers peeled, new designs are coming soon!

  But for now, we have  just released a funky new theme just for you! It’s vintage, it’s rough and it’s just different enough to inspire more blogging!

  Nutmeg WordPress Theme

  

• 13:39

  Why Taleb's Rhetoric Makes For Good Headlines And Bad Trade Ideas

   » ‎ My Back Pages

  Tags:    [edit]

  Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of "The Black Swan," made headlines yesterday for saying, "every single human being" should sell short U.S. long-term Treasury bonds. He called the trade a "no brainer."
  Obviously, Taleb is worried about the country's financial issues including the federal deficit, national debt, massive entitlement liabilities, the nationalization of Fannie and Freddie whose default ratios continue to grow, accelerating bank failures and insolvency at the FDIC, the impotence and potential insolvency of the Fed, and more.
  However, Felix Salmon yesterday questioned the efficacy of such a trade and the sincerity in which it was recommended:
  

  This is Taleb at his most quotable and least helpful. Of course most human beings shouldn’t get involved in shorting anything. What’s more, Larry Summers actually put on that trade — that long-term interest rates would rise — while he was at Harvard, with disastrous consequences. Even no-brainers can lose you billions.

  
  In fact, Dr. Brett Steenbarger discussed how such "no-brainers" are bad trade ideas in a post yesterday titled, "The Salience Principle:"
  

  Here is a little nugget of trading wisdom: the market systematically punishes salience. Show me a strategy that makes use of highly salient information (i.e., information that is likely to stick in the mind at first, casual exposure) and I'll show you a strategy that underperforms. Market technician Joe Granville famously asserted that if it's obvious, it's obviously wrong. That's the salience principle, and it's why impulsive trades so often are losers.

  
  In my experience "no-brainers" are some of the most dangerous trade ideas. Buying internet stocks became a "no-brainer" in the late 1990's; buying real estate in the mid 2000's was another example of people acting on "no-brainers." As a rule, I try to stick to "brainers" only.
  Salmon continues his analysis of Taleb's "impulsive" recommendation writing,
  

  If 90% of your assets are in safe Treasury bills [as Taleb recommends in his book] and a large chunk of the other 10% is being put to use shorting Treasury bonds, essentially what you’re doing is putting on a curve steepener — at a point in time when the curve is already as steep as it’s been in some time. What’s more, unless you’re extremely leveraged, you’re never going to get rich shorting Treasuries. And I’m sure that Nassim would never recommend that kind of leverage.

  
  So Taleb's message has to be taken more as rhetoric than specific advice, more a comment on the state of the U.S. economy than an actual trade idea. His concerns are valid; his trade idea probably isn't.
  In contrast to Taleb's trade, Zero Hedge today reveals an interesting statistic in the market for long-term Treasury bonds that suggests they may be poised for a, "string of positive years." In 2009, the long bond lost 11%. Over the past 80 years of data, however, the long bond has usually rallied the year after a losing year. Only 2 periods during this time (1955-56 and 1958-59) saw this pattern broken and on both occasions the loss was less than 3%.
  Most traders will also remember the adage, "the trend is your friend," and I don't know if I've seen a more solid trend this one:
  
  Disclosure: long TLT
  For more on this topic download your free copy of "The Felder Report"Posted via email from jessefelder's posterous

• 12:30

  Q&A

   » ‎ Ryan Phillips Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  This one from Luke in San Luis Obispo:

  Question:
  Hey Ryan. Thanks for taking the time to spread your knowledge, it is very appreciated. You have shot both the 1D III and the 5d MII; which do you think is better for the wedding/portrait shooter; I’m wondering about color accuracy, focusing speed (especially low-light), high ISO performance, customization/usability both in regards to how the camera is laid out, and the custom functions it provides, and any other factors you think are important. Also, while I have your attention, are you planning on incorporating video capture into your wedding repertoire? Thanks again, Ryan.

  Answer:
  Your welcome Luke, anytime ;-)

  Everyone will have their opinion on the camera question but I personally feel that the 5D MII is a better camera for portrait and wedding shooters. Camera layout is subjective. I personally like the lighter smaller feel of the 5D and since I shoot with 2 cameras at all times. It is less overall weight on my body. I don’t use the vertical grips either. Using two batteries plus the grip itself just adds weight. If you shoot sports or are in the studio a lot, You might really like the vertical grip due to the vertical shutter button. way.  The 5D Mark II is one of the most flawless screens I have seen to date it has 960,000 pixels vs. the 1D’s 230,000. Oh, and there is the small price difference of about $5000. Now for the real meat…..

  In terms of color accuracy they are both on par and the differences are subtle. In terms of white balance The 5D MII is really neutral/white almost to a fault for shooting portraits. But when you take it into Lightroom or ACR you are starting from a good white point. I find that the colors pop a touch more on the 5D MII.

  Focusing speed will be determined in part by the lens you choose. I am not sure how much the actual camera has to do with it. At least with these two bodies. In low light it’s hit or miss. With an 85mm 1.2 it’s slow slow slow. With a 35mm 1.4 it’s fast fast fast. The 1D has a few more focusing points and they have a wider spread so on paper it would appear to focus faster. However, I only activate the center focus point when I shoot so for me at least, they are equal. I use the center point only, focus, and then recompose. That way I ensure the eyes are in focus and everything else can suffer ;-)

  High ISO is about the same in terms of noise produced although I feel that the 5D does a better job. It has the updated Digic4 processor which could be the reason why. The 1D only goes to 3200 while the 5D MII can go up to 25,000. However, I wouldn’t push either camera past 3200.

  Here is a great review of the two by Phil. Click Here.

  On the subject of video:

  I tried shooting video but didn’t love the results I was getting. After seeing some people shoot recently I started to realize why. The first and most important thing is a Zacuto Z-Finder. The second is a pair of Redrock rings for focusing. Without these two items it will be very hard to make a good video unless you use a tripod and really plan out your shots. Now they are insanely expensive and then you have the whole post-production issue on top of that. I will keep an eye on the technology and learn slowly but the days of realistic video with a DSLR without a large budget are a few years off.

• 12:22

  Big weekend of WATCHING sports in Bend

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  So many good sporting events on TV this weekend. So what are you planning on watching and where?

  • Super Bowl
  • UFC 109
  • Lakers @ Blazers

• 12:22

  The Sunday Boycott …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  Amierka   [edit]

  There will be no football in this house on Sunday. No money will be spent… Tim Tebow is a Liar. His mother, Pam, is a Liar. Bald face. CBS is airing Authoritarian, Dominionist, ‘Christian’ (Racist) organization Focus on the Family sponsored ads during the ’super-bowl’ (seig heil!) publicly perpetrating the lie – that twenty some years [...]

• 12:12

  Super Bowl weekend: New Orleans vs. Indianapolis

   » ‎ Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  In Miami on Sunday, a football squad known as the New Orleans Grocery Bag Heads will tangle on the gridiron with a football squad called the Indianapolis Mannings for the title of best football squad in all the land. Both teams are led by top-notch quarterbacks and both teams thank their lucky stars for a [...]

• 12:01

  Color your winter

   » ‎ Cowgirls Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  There is a season for buying most everything.  Waterski boats and convertibles, at the end of summer, ski coats and equipment in early spring, furniture in January. (Don't they say that?) Boots...rare, vintage, second hand, appear to be best found at Cowgirl Cash in the winter.  I'm buying like crazy.  Red boots, old boots, new boots, Old Gringos.  The selection in all sizes couldn't be better. 

   
  Tonight, February 5, is a great time to take a look.  It's art walk downtown Bend.  We'll be here with amazing bags up-cycled from discarded plastic bags and hand made with love...for valentines day, by Sara Bella up-cycled bags.

  
  

  924 Brooks St in downtown Bend's back alley near all of the good free parking.

• 11:59

  Big night of IMC basketball games

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Pendleton (5-2) @ BEND (3-4) 7:00pm – Should be a dogfight. Expect a big (organized) crowd @ Bend. Both teams are coming off of losses. Pendleton sits in 3rd in the IMC, while Bend is 5th. A huge game for both teams.
  The Dalles-Wahtonka (6-2) @ CROOK COUNTY (0-8) 7:00pm – TDW should improve to 7-2, a record that would seemingly put them in great playoff position.
  Hermiston (2-5) @ MOUNTAIN VIEW (6-1) 7:00pm – Always a physical intense matchup. Both teams have won two-IMC games in a row. A loss would put the Bulldogs playoff hopes in serious jeopardy.
  Madras (3-5) @ SUMMIT (5-3) 7:00pm – Madras has won two in a row and is coming off a 91-point outburst against Crook County. Summit has already notched a win @ Madras. Both teams still have the playoffs in their sites.

• 11:51

  George Ruhana CEO of Options House and Matt Davio aka @MissTrade talk options industry and Trading

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Fellow Michigan man, I met during my time with Peak6 talks about the growth of the Options Brokerage business of Options House. Filed under: Trading

• 11:47

  Jasey-Jay Anderson training @ Mt. Bachelor

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  Golden opportunity
  Training and racing at Bachelor, Canadian Jasey-Jay Anderson is eyeing an Olympic medal in Vancouver in his final season of parallel giant slalom snowboarding – By Mark Morical/The Bulletin

• 11:28

  You can’t make this stuff up …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  Amierka   [edit]

  The Teabaggers are having their first ever National Political ‘Party” Convention to take back this country from the evil illegal foreign socialist fascist liberals and restore White Anglo-Saxon Protestant ‘Americans’ to their rightful place in world dominance… and they forgot the flag. Update – The Washington Post reports that the teabaggers — who often boast of [...]

• 10:39

  Top Marginal Tax Rate Through History

   » ‎ My Back Pages

  Tags:    [edit]

  Despite conservative propaganda to the contrary, the top marginal tax rate under Obama's plan is actually far below its peak all-time peak:

  ">[httpchartpornor_iyClH.png.scaled1000.png'>] [httpchartpornor_iyClH.png.scaled500.png"] /> via chartporn.org

  Posted via web from jessefelder's posterous

  

• 10:38

  Jacob Norris Paints the Birds of Central Oregon - Bend Oregon

   » ‎ High Desert Gallery of Central Oregon

  Tags:  Art Speak   [edit]

  During a year on the coast, Jacob Norris spent much of his time studying A Field Guide to Western Birds by Roger Paterson. The painted images lead Jacob toward the goal of one day completing his own book of bird illustrations. High Desert Gallery, at our downtown Bend Oregon gallery location, 10 NW Minnesota Avenue at The Oxford, is pleased to present Four new oil on board paintings by Jacob Norris as he paints the birds of Central Oregon. 

               
  

  “The Wood Duck inspires me. How can I pass up a chance to paint a bird that is already a painted masterpiece of nature? If I had the chance to use the tools God used in creating the quilted design of the wood duck I would take it.

  Drake Park...full of Mallards, a forest of green bobbing heads, a community of familiar floaters racing to the water's edge. They meet their benefactors and dance like jesters in the midst of the common folk, a wood duck and his lover, a patchwork of many places. One may wonder if he is a vulnerable feathered friend, so bright and lacking in the brown and green camouflage. But alas, he knows nothing of differences. He is a duck, he swims, he flies, he eats bread, and in these ordinary actions the onlookers smile at his beauty.”

  “Blue Bird and Chickadee – on walks in the urban Juniper forests on the east side of Bend, a flock of blue birds scuffle ruffle the branches eating seeds, insects, and drinking water from melted snow on lava rocks. Their companion chickadee sprinkles cheerful bits of notes...chick-chick a dee-a-dee – hence the name. These birds flow with a truth that mirrors a feeling in my soul, a timeless resonance, fearless, nameless – carefree; whim here, whim there. When I hear them and see them my heart bursts with horns and strings symphonic. Their images are iconic, etched in my mind, bringing back memories of walks in magical, haunted damp forests. Emotion, coming of age newness, freshness, the Nature Moment, survival Grace...to be continued...”

  “Quail - early in the morning – eight or nine o'clock, a covey of quail shuffle into the soft sunlight of our winter gypsy home. They peck away like chickens, but with the slightest motion...a scurry, and they have joined the quiet family of deer hidden in the bushes. One hundred eyes staring out behind the twigs of winter, ears perked, a feather ready. Like sweet damsels, a feather pinned to their hat, they scurry around the town learning the news and gossip of the day, taking tea, nibbling on bits of ground and disappearing for their afternoon nap.”

  Jacob Norris, Bend Oregon, February 2010

  About Jacob Norris: As a young boy, Jacob Norris was inspired by his grandfather, Walter Joseph Norris II, an oil painter and artist. Jacob's first art experience was also influenced by his grandfather, when he copied a painting of Mt. Jefferson in pencil, before moving on to charcoal, which Jacob describes as "an extension of my fingers." During a year on the coast, Jacob spent much of his time studying A Field Guide to Western Birds by Roger Paterson. The illustrations of birds, painted by the author, lead Jacob toward painting his own images of birds, in oil on panel, and toward the goal of one day printing his own book of painted birds of the area. In high school, Jacob met Ken Roth, a respected art teacher and successful artist in his own right. Jacob says, “Meeting Ken was a turning point in my art career – he gave me a voice in my artwork – he let me sing.” While Ken Roth was Jacob's mentor in high school, he now sees his former student as a contemporary, and often paints with Jacob and Portland based artist Nathaniel Praska en plein air. Jacob has exhibited regionally and is represented in Central Oregon by High Desert Gallery. He touches the soul of those he meets and continues to paint, dream, and live the romance of the artist.

  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, Redmond and Sisters Oregon and High Desert Frameworks! located at 431 NW Franklin Avenue at Lava 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 2009) and Sisters, Oregon (2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009). 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. Want to be in the know? Then follow us on via RSS, Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to our blog. To download your free iTunes app visit: High Desert Gallery iPhone App at the App Store.The Art & Soul of Central Oregon™ and Central Oregon Artists & Beyond™ are trademarks of High Desert Gallery & Custom Framing of Central Oregon.

  

• 10:21

  G’da said …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  McMansion   [edit]

  Watching the stock markets crash is as much fun as tippin’ over a tall tree. DOW down almost three hundred at mid-day trade.

• 10:20

  COISUG: HTML5 – This Ain’t Yo Momma’s HTML Tuesday Feb 9th 5:30

   » ‎ BendTech

  Tags:  Feeds   [edit]

  This is a repost of this COISUG article BendTech will be hosting a great event on HTML5 next week,  Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 5:30 PM. HTML5 – This Ain’t Yo Momma’s HTML! Where:G5 Offices550 NW Franklin St. Suite 200 (Franklin Crossing Building – corner of Bond & Franklin)Bend, OR 97701 Contrary to what you may think, [...]

• 10:20

  HTML5 – This Ain’t Yo Momma’s HTML Tuesday Feb 9th 5:30

   » ‎ COISUG

  Tags:  Meetings   [edit]

  BendTech will be hosting a great event on HTML5 next week,  Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 5:30 PM. HTML5 – This Ain’t Yo Momma’s HTML!

  Where:
  G5 Offices
  550 NW Franklin St. Suite 200 (Franklin Crossing Building – corner of Bond & Franklin)
  Bend, OR 97701

  Contrary to what you may think, HTML5 is not simply a new and improved version of HTML. Rather, it refers to an amalgamation of powerful, new, technologies making their way into web browsers, offering services like persistent storage, SQL database access, resource caching, streaming video, and vector graphics. As websites begin to take advantage of this cool new tech, there will be a fundamental shift in the way web applications are developed, how they behave, and the functionality they’re capable of.

  Robert Kieffer will lead this talk, which will provide a semi-technical overview of the various components of HTML5 (including brief, forays into code-level examples and demos), and will lead a discussion on how this will affect product development and business opportunities.

  [Please note that we're trying out a new venue for these meetings this time around. G5 has graciously allowed us to use their new conference room space which, I'm told, is bigger and roomier than their old one was. More importantly, it comes with the FREE BEER we've all come to know and love!]

  Learn more here:
  [www.meetup.com]

  

• 9:09

  Life in the weeds.

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  "Purpose In Life."
  
  The article in the Bulletin about local artist Francisco Cristich caught my eye.
  
  Way back in the early 80's, downtown Bend was pretty Bohemian, and we were all just scraping by. Francisco had a small gallery in a nook near where Toomie's is now. There's almost no one left from that original crew. (Joyce down at the Curiosity Shop is another survivor.)
  
  Art (or small business, for that matter) just isn't a way to get rich, usually.
  
  What's really admirable about him, is he's stuck to it. Doing his art. Living the lifestyle. He is genuinely devoted to doing his art, come hell or high water.
  
  As implied in the article, and true in my case as well, sometimes longevity is due to simply not knowing what else to do, or the inability to give up, the sticking to what we know and trying to do it better, and finding meaning in the struggle.
  
  **********
  
  I've been waiting for Crazy Heart to get to town for weeks. Weeks, I tell you!! The slow rollout strategy drives me crazy -- though my eagerness to see the movie sort of proves it works....
  
  **********
  In Deschutes, About 1 in 10 Mortgages Is Delinquent, Report says:
  By Andrew Moore / The Bulletin
  February 05. 2010
  
  One paragraph in the story really caught my eye:
  
  "The county’s December mortgage delinquency rate of 10.22 percent was not nearly as high as other areas of the nation. Las Vegas had a mortgage delinquency rate of 21.08 percent in December 2009, and Stockton, Calif., had a mortgage delinquency rate of 17.63 percent..."
  
  As usual, I feel it necessary to add the word -- YET. We are running a year or two behind Las Vegas and Stockton and we may yet get to their levels. If you'll allow the analogy: the hurricane has leveled the towns close to the coast and is heading inland.
  
  **********
  
  We need to build more jails for all the cell-phone/ driving abusers...
  
  They seem as prevalent as ever. I notice them, because they're the ones who are usually driving erratically.
  
  **********
  
  So much for timing my retirement investment. I pulled out of cash and into mutual funds about 4 days ago. The stock market immediately plunged....
  
  **********
  
  Store owner muttering to himself: "Why can't I get that? Why are they promoting it so heavily when it isn't available?"
  
  The bane of a small store's existence is not being able to get saleable product. Mutter, mutter, darn publishers....

• 9:07

  This week in GO! Magazine’s music section

   » ‎ Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  This week in GO! Magazine’s music section

• 8:34

  The Only Jobs Chart You Need to See

   » ‎ My Back Pages

  Tags:    [edit]

  That doesn't quite look like a "v" to me:

  ">[http2bpblogspot_buGBt.jpg.scaled1000.jpg'>] [http2bpblogspot_buGBt.jpg.scaled500.jpg"] /> via calculatedriskblog.com

  Posted via web from jessefelder's posterous

  

• 8:04

  New St. Vincent Video: ‘Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood’

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  New St. Vincent Video: ‘Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood’A few months ago, Annie Clark — a.k.a. St. Vincent — asked if she could do an in-store performance at the Women For Women First bookstore. WFWF is a fictional bookstore — created by ThunderAnt, a.k.a. Fred Armisen that is featured in “Feminist Bookstore” [...]

• 7:45

  Geothermal Energy Gets Cash Infusion

   » ‎ Peachy Green

  Tags:    [edit]

  Vulcan Power Company, a leader in geothermal energy project development in the western United States, announced this week that it received $108 million from a Boston-based private equity firm.  The new cash infusion is the second recent equity investment from the affiliate of Denham Capital in Vulcan, for a total of $166 million.  Bank of America Merrill Lynch has also made major Vulcan investments.

  Vulcan is based in the high desert city of Bend, Oregon.  Because its located in my hometown and I’m interested in renewable energy resources, we’ve blogged several times about geothermal exploration – its promises and potential impacts.

  Vulcan Power’s exploration and development is not the same project as the somewhat controversial Newberry National Volcanic Monument drilling by Davenport Power, but the geothermal extraction process is generally the same, which is:

  “to artificially insert water deep underground, which can get heated by the natural, hot rock conditions.  In other words, instead of pumping out hot water from below surface reservoirs, the EGS [enhanced geothermal systems] procedure involves pumping water into man-made reservoirs.  Natural heat will warm it up and then it can be pumped to the surface again for geothermal energy.”

  More than solar and more than wind, the promise of geothermal energy in this region of the United States holds great promise.  For its part, Vulcan Power has geothermal research and steam development locations in Oregon, Washington state, California, Arizona and Nevada.  At over 170,000 acres, it holds one of the largest geothermal property portfolios in the U.S.

  

  No geothermal plants at Old Faithful Geyer (Yellowstone National Park), but what a show!

  Vulcan intends to use the new investments to develop the more than 300 MW (megawatts) of electricity from a portion of its total acreage.  The funds will go to development of geothermal reservoirs, steam turbine power plants, and upgraded transmission facilities.

  Once operational, the Vulcan facilities will provide “baseload renewable energy” for up to 300,000 households.  The generated power will be sold to utilities, which will pass on the renewable energy-based power to their customers.

  The western United States is literally exploding with geothermal energy (you’ve heard of Old Faithful, haven’t you?)  With all this clean energy literally untapped under the ground, its exciting to learn about private equity investment to help us move forward into the future and away from our dirty fossil-fuel past.

  
  

  

• 6:59

  (Un)employment report …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  McMansion   [edit]

  The numbers for January are out, though I’m not sure how with 20,000 lost jobs unemployment falls to 9.7%. Update - The number of ‘discouraged job seekers’ rose to 1.1 million in January from 734,000 a year ago, while the number of employed Americans rose by 541,000. Update II – One interesting aspect of today’s unemployment numbers [...]

• 6:28

  The Road to Self-Confidence Can Begin With New Underwear:

   » ‎ Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy

  Tags:    [edit]

  There are times in a woman's life when she sometimes loses her confidence.  Or she may just get too busy with the kids and with life, and no longer does the little things for herself like she used to.  My theory is that you can tell if a gal is taking care of herself by looking at the condition of the underwear she wears.  
  We are not talking about a certain style here ... you get to choose whether you want bikini's, briefs, thongs or granny panties.  Just consider this ... what shape are your underpants in?  Are they injun unders, creeping up your bottom, making you uncomfortable all day long? (Sorry.) Are they ripped, too small or too big, stained or yucky looking?  (Sorry.)  If you got into an accident today wearing the underwear you have on, would you be embarrassed about them in the emergency room? 
  
  Good underwear is really about investing in yourself.
  Once upon a time, I was in an unhappy, daily struggle of a marriage that lasted for years and years.  It boiled down to some kind of weird power struggle designed to keep me down instead of building me up; or at least that is how I feel about it now, looking back.  If you haven't ever been there, I am truly happy for you.  If you have been, then you understand what I am talking about, so I don't have to provide any details on here.  Relationships like those are really the same old story, just with different people and different events.
  I'm telling you that to tell you this:  My neighbor lady knew about good underwear, and had previously bought around ten sets of really nice J.C. Penney bra and panty sets. Then, she outgrew them and gave them to me.  They were really just like new.  Not being too proud to wear hand-me-downs from a friend, those pretty little combo sets started me on the road to regaining my confidence.  Under my clothes, I looked good.  I felt pretty.  It was just a baby step, but I eventually decided that I was better off on my own, took my power back and moved on with my life.  The rest is history.  I returned to school, moved to La Pine and met the love of my life.  
  Even if you already know about wearing good underwear, never stop doing nice things for yourself.  Nice things don't have to cost a lot, but you do matter.  As you take care of everybody else, remember to take care of you too!
  
  

• 6:23

  Hear Johnny Cash Tonight in Bend With Cash'd Out

   » ‎ The Blender

  Tags:    [edit]

  Devotees to the late, great Man in Black can shimmy to the sounds of the legendary country singer tonight at the Domino Room tonight when Cash'd Out, a San Diego-based Johnny Cash tribute act hits the stage.

  
  

  While I'm always weary of tribute bands, this one does, in fact, do justice the Cash's music. The band is so dead on in its recreations of mostly early Cash songs that they were asked to play the opening of the Johnny Cash exhibit at the Fender Museum.

  
  

  Doors at 8pm, show at Read More...

• 6:05

  Jobs Bounce gets us back to 1063’s on open here

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  We started bouncing off the 3 am low of 1050.5 even before the Great jobs numbers. Tell me how we lost 20k jobs, yet unemployment goes down ? Hedonics and revisions are a beautiful thing. Big Govie is a beautiful thing! Party on! Bounce, now just a matter of how high on the oversoldness? Looking [...]

• 6:00

  Mortgage rates arisin’

   » ‎ acloudtree

  Tags:    [edit]

  There is a lot of speculation that mortgage rates will rise above 6% once the Government’s different programs run their course (TARP, $8000 New Home Buyer Credit, etc) and financial institutions stop their foolish purchasing. Believe me, this is a good thing. Especially if you have been saving cash to buy a home. High interest rates make everyone’s cash in the transaction more valuable. And reading articles like the one below are indicating exactly that. Now, whether or not the Government steps in with something new to prop things up is anyone’s guess. But if they don’t…watch out. Housing prices would have no where else to go.

  LINK

  MORTGAGE FINANCING

  FHFA reducing Fannie, Freddie portfolios
  

  The federal regulator in charge of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac said Tuesday that the mortgage finance giants would not be taking on additional measures to bring down interest rates on home loans as other government programs to stimulate the housing market expire.

  The Federal Housing Finance Agency said it is committed to reducing the companies’ mortgage portfolios and does not expect the firms “to be substantial buyers or sellers of mortgages.” The agency said it expects private investors will step in as other government initiatives, such as the Federal Reserve’s trillion-dollar mortgage-acquisition program, wind down.

  – Zachary A. Goldfarb

  The scary part is that more and more of my friends are walking away from their homes. And this downward pressure on home prices will incite more debt slaves home owners to do just that. Walk away. So where does it stop?

• 5:32

  Where is Johnny Damon going to play ... or is he?

   » ‎ Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy

  Tags:    [edit]

  I am so glad that baseball season is nearly here.  I love hanging out with my Best Friend Husband watching baseball during the spring and summer months.
  
  
  My favorite player, Johnny Damon, is no longer a New York Yankee.  He is not signed on with any team right now.  There is speculation that he may go with Detroit.  If that is so, then I'll still get to see him play once in awhile on t.v., and in person if we go to a Mariner game when they are playing Detroit. 
  
  
  Other reports say that Johnny is thinking about retiring and staying home with his wife and kids.  I'm sure he has enough money to last them the rest of their lives.  But, then he won't be on t.v. at all, and I will miss him.   He is so cute, and so nice.  Oh well, life goes on. 
  
   
    
    
    
    
    
   Good luck, Johnny!

• 5:31

  A houseboat travels through Camden Locks. (Click ...

   » ‎ The gr8ful grind

  Tags:    [edit]

  A houseboat travels through Camden Locks. (Click on the thumbnail to see the name of the boat) Camden Town, London, UK; September, 2009.

• 5:15

  My new friend ...

   » ‎ Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  The other day, on the way home from Salem, we stopped in Sisters, at Bronco Billy's for a bite to eat.  I sat down next to this old guy and we began to visit.  I was in an open and talkative mood, and I told him that we had been in Salem for an association meeting.  He told me that he had not been to Salem for years and years, but that a guy he went to college with was the kid of the people who owned the big woolen mills there.
  One thing led to another, and before he knew it, he told me his whole life story within about half an hour.  It was so cool, so in the moment, so nice of him to tell me of his life and nice of me to be interested.  I made a new friend, right then and there.  So did he.
  I'm not going to put his life story on here, but I do want to thank Mr. D. for doing these things and for telling me about them.  He was a college kid at the U of O, a frat boy, a ROTC member during WWII,  College was interrupted as he was called into combat, going overseas to fight in infantry.  Injured, and in military hospitals for 18 months, he healed, returned home and lived a good life with his wife and 3 kids.
  Cary bought him a drink and we thanked him for serving as a soldier and fighting to keep our country free.  God bless you ... Mr. D.

• 5:00

  Recipe for the Weekend–Brown Sugar Oatmeal Pancakes

   » ‎ Oh No She Didn't!

  Tags:    [edit]

  I love breakfast.  I wake up thinking about breakfast.  And on the weekends, I ski.  Sooo, I need a good hearty breakfast that will give me plenty of energy.  These guys are a perfect variation to regular pancakes, and will give you energy to hit a few extra runs before you head to the lodge [...]

• 5:00

  35 Years In The Making, A Goose Hunt Pt. 2

   » ‎ Women's Hunting Journal

  Tags:    [edit]

  After a short hunt on Thursday afternoon we had a wonderful dinner and got ready for an early start on Friday. The alarm sounded at 5:oo a.m. and we hit the floor and got the coffee started, followed by a fire in the wood cook stove. Grabbed a quick breakfast for the field and left the cabin at 6:15. We had the decoys all set out by shooting time at 7:o2 and now it was up to the geese to do their part.
  
  We spent many hours tucked away in our ground blinds as the snow, sleet and rain squalls passed over us without any real discomfort. We had light to moderate S.S.W. winds which gave the Spec Full Body decoys, excellent eye catching movement. The weather was just fine and we were both being patient waiting for the geese to start flying. We heard several talking amongst themselves not to far away, at least as distance goes when your waiting it out. After several hours we decided to take a break and head to the cabin for lunch then come back out for the afternoon hunt. It was good to get out of our cocoons and stretch the legs a bit. We didn't stay to long in the cabin and resumed our posts by early afternoon and Jet joined us. I re arranged the decoys a bit just because that is the typical thing a hunter does if there haven't been any geese coming by. We waited and waited and waited some more. I took Jet back to the truck with an hour left of legal hunting light. She was out of patience and not enjoying being still. Then I resumed my position. It was quitting time on Friday evening and even though we never fired a shot we did see some geese flying and moving, just not in our direction. As I have observed for many, many years I knew that the geese had their own flight plans filed and were sticking to them. Trying to call them in was going to be a challenge.
  
  Again we broke down our decoys and stashed everything against the dike. Making sure to cover the decoy heads so they didn't get rained on and frozen. That doesn't help the realism factor in the early morning hours. Rambled back to the cabin and had a wonderful dinner and got ready for our last morning hunt of the year. We decided to not leave the cabin quite as early cause the geese didn't fly til well after shooting light.
  
  After a good nights sleep we got up and got back out there to our ground blinds and were set up before 7:30 A.M. We heard the geese chatting it up from the usual direction and we remained optimistic. I have had geese come in to my decoys in stealth mode, totally silent til all I heard was the beating of their wings as they made their final approach. That's pretty much one of those adrenaline infusions that warms you instantly from head to toe as your eyes become saucers and your heart pounds like a bass drum in your ears. drowning out every other sound. I kept telling Jackie it can happen at any moment, just be ready. Or if one decides to answer the call of mother nature, or stretch their legs, or fiddle with the decoys, these are the times that quite often the geese will point themselves in your direction.
  
  It wasn't much later that we saw and heard a couple geese heading our way. I told Jackie to stay down and don't move. Whatever you do just don't move! There were 3 Canada Geese flying directly at our location and they weren't to terribly high either, though they were still out of range. They were vocalizing and as they came over us I gave them a short acknowledgement call and that was all. Sometimes less is more and this was certainly one of those times. They swung over us twice eyeballing every detail on the ground, making sure the decoys were legitimate and that no predators were lurking around the dike. I gave them another short call and they seemed confident in their assessment. On their third pass after they swung over the dike they began dropping in elevation and began to stretch out their landing gears while spotting their landing amongst the decoy. I could hardly believe my eyes when they began to come in for a landing. I was adrenalined up full throttle and kept telling Jackie "don't move, don't move," and as they began to back peddle with their wings and were a foot or two above the decoys I yelled, NOW! We both sprang up and let both barrels go. We had two geese on the ground cripples with broken wings. We reloaded to try and get the third, yet he had gained to much distance and managed to scathe away. I was running to catch my goose and I told Jackie to shoot again, and she made a good shot on her goose. I was able to catch up with mine and dispatch him without having to shoot again.
  
  We were thrilled and it was only 9:00 in the morning. Unbelievable I told Jackie, that is the hardest thing to do decoying late season Canada's. She was speechless with excitement and could hardly stand it. I was amazed at how well she held tight and didn't move a muscle. Hell, it's hard for a seasoned veteran to not twitch when you've got those big geese circling your decoys. They look closer than they are because of their size and you have to wait and let them get to within real shooting range. Jackie couldn't believe how fast she was able to sit up in the ground blind and shoot and didn't even remember how she did it. That's good, nothing like be present and fully in the moment. We celebrated and I congratulated Jackie on her first goose ever and what a goose it was! A well educated late season Canada Goose. They don't come much smarter than that. We did a good job to conceal ourselves and not wiggle. Also setting up the decoys far enough away from the dike to give the real birds the illusion of safety, yet being just within range.
  
  We got settled back in and waited for another hour or so then we headed to the cabin for lunch and to process our birds. After shooting the geese Jackie was having a challenging time of sitting still. A bad case of ants in the pants one might say. We had a fun time going back over the scenario and did so for the rest of the trip. We finished the day at 5:09 P.M. and broke our set after nothing else flying the entire afternoon. Bagged everything up and readied our gear for home. Jet was happy to see us and we had some great food all the while replaying our few moments of excitement over and over and over. I'll tell you, nothing like being with an old friend whose never shot a goose or even waterfowl hunted til 2 days before then shoots her first Honker! That's a moment I'll never forget. Congratulations Jackie, you hunted hard, were patient, a great student and shot like a seasoned veteran! Looking forward to our next hunt and thanks for the great memories.
  
  Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

• 5:00

  Stephanie Winzeler: Valentine's Bouquet

   » ‎ Official Shade Clothing Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  LOVE NOTE BOUQUET
  
  
  Items Needed. 1. Paper of your choice. (A paper that is double sided works best.) 2. 12 wooden dowels. (Any length you desire) 3. Glue Dots 4. Ribbon 5. Flower Vase
  
  Step 1.
  Once you have chosen your paper you are going to cut it into twelve 6x6 inch squares. You can either draw a swirl on the back of the paper or trace the swirl I have designed for you. (Download the swirl 6x6 PDF)
  
  Cut out the swirls.
  
  
  
  
  
  Step 2.
  (You may want to practice this step on other paper so you are comfortable with wrapping it before you use the paper you have chosen.)
  
  Take one of the swirls and start twisting the thicker side. This is going to determine how tight the center of the rose is. (You are going to make the twist so that the thin end will be on the outside.) Place a glue dot on the outside corner and twist towards the inside. Continue to wrap the paper around, occasionally adding a glue dot to hold together and to create some depth in the flower. (Be generous with your glue dots and the flower will hold together better and have a more fun shape.)
  
  
  
  
  
  Step 3.
  Place two glue dots at the end of the swirl and then slide the dowel through the hole of the flower. When you get the dowel where you want it placed (leave enough coming through the middle of the flower to slip a note around) pinch the end of the paper swirl around the dowel. (You may need to add another glue dot)
  
  
  
  
  Step 4.
  Cut ribbon to the size that you desire. Place the base of the flower in the middle and wrap the ribbon around until you reached the desire length. Tie into a bow and Walla! (The ribbon is to help stabilize the flower and keep it from unwrapping. Make sure you wrap it around the paper that is glued to the dowel.)
  
  
  
  
  Continue steps for all flowers.
  
  Step 5.
  Cut strips of paper that are no more than 2 inches thick but as long as you would like. You will want to make sure it compliments the paper you have chosen for the roses. Write your love notes, lyrics to a song or a poem. Really whatever you choose. Take the note and wrap it tightly around the dowel, then let it loosen and place it in the center of a rose.
  
  
  
  
  Be creative! Choose fun colors and designs that really express you or the person you are giving the flowers to! Whether a single rose or a whole bouquet , It will be what you write that is important about the Love Bouquet!
  
  

• 3:05

  No One Speaks Bo Anymore

   » ‎ Smoke Signals

  Tags:    [edit]

  i drive across town on an errand, not yet midnight and it is mostly silent, only a few cars on the main streets. It is s a very good time to think, i think.  The town is hung as always in strings of lights, in tree after tree lining the cobbles near the mill, from [...]

• 2:43

  Pyramid-Shaped Solar Cells

   » ‎ Solar Power -- PV Panels

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Glass Pyramid-Shaped Solar Cells (image from CASE)

  Addressing the often-cited reason that many choose not to install solar panels on their property, news of the development of attractive glass pyramid-shaped solar cells is certainly welcome!  Coupled with a reasonable price tag and high efficiency, the solar technology that scientists at the Center for Architecture Science and Ecology (CASE) could be the next big renewable energy development this decade.

  Instead of bulky photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, one day soon you could instead go with a “Dynamic Solar Facade.”  The technology will include a glass front with pyramid-shaped solar concentrators which capture light, magnify it by up to 500 times and then redirect it to solar cells.

  The Dynamic Solar Facade could have a 60-80% efficiency ratio, using not only UV light, but also thermal heat from the sun, captured with a heat sink.  In short, the pyramid-shaped solar cells can generate both electricity and provide energy to heat water, much like a thermal solar panel system. 

  A good looking, dual-function, highly efficient solar panel system?

  Yes indeed!  While CASE is still years away from commercializing the product, we could see it by the end of the decade.  That wouldn’t be a minute too soon, as attractive clean energy sources are in high demand, particularly for landlords who lease office space.   The overall appearance of a building – both inside and out – can increase rents, while saving energy and cutting down high utility bills.

  
  

  

• February 04, 2010
• 22:51

  Restaurant closings

   » ‎ Hack Bend

  Tags:  Restaurants   [edit]

  Saw something about this the other day, I think, but the Bulletin has an article today: Ciao Mambo in downtown Bend closed its doors.

  Local eatery Ciao Mambo closed its doors last week after serving Italian cuisine to Bend for more than a year.

  Owner Gary Sather cited the down economy as the primary reason for shutting down. He said he has been planning to close Ciao Mambo, which employed 17 people, for months.

  “The economy is just real bad in Bend,” Sather said. “Our business model didn’t fly under the conditions.”

  I thought it was probably doing all right, so I'm a bit surprised to read that the owner planned the closing for so long.

  And news comes out today that McGrath's Fish House (over by the Bend River Mall Promenade) is filing for bankruptcy; there are no plans for closing—yet—but it sure seems like an ominous sign. If they do end up closing this year, I wouldn't be surprised in light of the Chapter 11.

• 22:15

  Which Blazer starting 5 would win?

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  Let’s pretend for a moment that all of the Portland Trailblazers are healthy. I’ve taken the 15 Blazers who are currently on Portland’s roster and broken them um into three pretty even teams of five. So which team would win if they played each other? And I just have to say, how crazy deep are the Blazers to be able to put together three good teams of five?

  TEAM 1
  G Steve Blake 6-3
  G Brandon Roy 6-6
  C Juwan Howard 6-9
  F Travis Outlaw 6-9
  F Dante Cunningham 6-8

  TEAM 2
  G Andrew Miller 6-2
  G Rudy Fernandez 6-6
  C Joel Przybilla 7-1
  F Nicolas Batum 6-8
  F Jeff Pendergraph 6-9

  TEAM 3
  G Patty Mills 6-0
  G Jerryd Bayless 6-3
  C Greg Oden 7-0
  F Martell Webster 6-7
  F LaMarcus Aldridge 6-11

• 21:37

  Almonds.

   » ‎ Berlin's Whimsy

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  
  

  Inspired by this blog post, I recently made my own Almond Milk. I guess I didn't have high hopes for the outcome, envisioning water that tasted slightly of almonds. I was wrong. The almond milk was frothy, milky, and tasted rich with almonds.  

  
  
  

  My favorite formula is to soak 1 cup of raw almonds and 5 plump pitted dates in 5 cups of cold water for at least 6 hours. I find that the dates add a bit of sweetness to the milk. After soaking, I blend the mixture on high for approximately 90 seconds.

  
  
  

  I'm using my Vitamix and it pulverizes the almonds quite well. I don't find that I need to strain the milk; however, if you are not using a high-speed blender, or prefer your Almond Milk very smooth, strain the milk through a fine mesh strainer.

  
  
  

  The almond pulp (or meal) is a wonderful addition to bread!! In fact, sometimes I strain the Almond Milk just for this purpose. Here is an Almond Meal Bread recipe. (I have another recipe, too, but that will be a separate post)! Additionally, almond meal/flour is easily made with the strained pulp by spreading it out on a sheet tray and allowing it to air dry.

  
  
  

  A welcome guest at the breakfast table, Almond Milk is delectable on oatmeal and makes a wonderful latte, too!

  Rich with vitamins and fiber, almonds have many touted health benefits, including cancer prevention, lowering "bad" cholesterol, improving complexion, and much more. But most importantly, they taste good! 

  There are many online sources for bulk raw almonds, including this one: Briden Wilson Farm (free shipping, too). 

• 20:54

  The future of content

   » ‎ The Grand Adventure

  Tags:    [edit]

  I started this post well over 6 months ago and I just could never get myself to finish it. With the release of the iPad it is time to share my thoughts on how we will get our content.

  pastedGraphic.pdf (20 KB)
  View this on posterous

  Much has been said recently about the iPad and how this is a device destined to fail. First let me say I do think it is a terrible name, but we will eventually get over that. People think Apple should have added a camera and a USB card reader, it should have flash, a swiss army knife, and a blender. What Apple has made is an appliance. They are trying to change the way we get content. The market is not the netbook or even “slate” form that most people want. Apple has created a device for the consumption of content and a very good one at that.  The iPad is the first device really built on creating  good experience for in your hands content consumption. An “appliance” that will allow us all to get our content the way we want it.

  Content creation as it sits today is the easiest to produce at an affordable price. In fact most cell phones have cameras in them that are capable of delivering decent video. Most of this video ends up on YouTube. So much that in fact, every minute, 20 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube. This stat is incredible because in the time it takes you to read this post you now will have to go watch almost 2 days worth of video on YouTube. We as a society have become used to shaky cam as I call it and the down and dirty talking head. YouTube lacks production value, but what it lacks in production value it makes up in authenticity. This authenticity is important for the future of content. We want the content that makes sense to us. The content that is spoken in an authentic voice. Yet where does that leave the mainstream media in this future of the content the way we want it.

  The truly successful mainstream media has been trying to niche itself in this authentic communication with some success, but mostly failure. Here is where they are going to need to learn a few tricks from the non traditional media. Case in point Leo Laporte and the TWiT network. On most days Leo sits in his studio which is a room in his rented office house and broadcasts at least 4 hours of original authentic content. This is nothing more than live streamed talk radio, but he has syndicated his content in the form of podcasts in audio and now video form as well as he is posting to YouTube. This shows what content delivery should be about. Why do we have to go to a newspaper or television site to get the content? What if I could get the content delivered to me on a local level? While I know that some are doing this they all should be doing this. Most media on a local level has somewhat an authentic voice, but they are going to need to get more authentic.

  Wether we like it or not content is delivered faster now then ever before. I even did a live feed for my Dad of my daughter’s band concert from my phone. This content is moving around quicker and traditional media needs to move to accelerate their own speed of delivery to the end user as well as get more local and authentic.

  The iPad is an appliance to allow this to happen time to start developing content.#private

  Posted via email from The ramblings of a video geek

  
• 20:53

  The future of content

   » ‎ The Grand Adventure

  Tags:    [edit]

  I started this post well over 6 months ago and I just could never get myself to finish it. With the release of the iPad it is time to share my thoughts on how we will get our content.

  pastedGraphic.pdf (20 KB)
  View this on posterous

  Much has been said recently about the iPad and how this is a device destined to fail. First let me say I do think it is a terrible name, but we will eventually get over that. People think Apple should have added a camera and a USB card reader, it should have flash, a swiss army knife, and a blender. What Apple has made is an appliance. They are trying to change the way we get content. The market is not the netbook or even “slate” form that most people want. Apple has created a device for the consumption of content and a very good one at that.  The iPad is the first device really built on creating  good experience for in your hands content consumption. An “appliance” that will allow us all to get our content the way we want it.

  Content creation as it sits today is the easiest to produce at an affordable price. In fact most cell phones have cameras in them that are capable of delivering decent video. Most of this video ends up on YouTube. So much that in fact, every minute, 20 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube. This stat is incredible because in the time it takes you to read this post you now will have to go watch almost 2 days worth of video on YouTube. We as a society have become used to shaky cam as I call it and the down and dirty talking head. YouTube lacks production value, but what it lacks in production value it makes up in authenticity. This authenticity is important for the future of content. We want the content that makes sense to us. The content that is spoken in an authentic voice. Yet where does that leave the mainstream media in this future of the content the way we want it.

  The truly successful mainstream media has been trying to niche itself in this authentic communication with some success, but mostly failure. Here is where they are going to need to learn a few tricks from the non traditional media. Case in point Leo Laporte and the TWiT network. On most days Leo sits in his studio which is a room in his rented office house and broadcasts at least 4 hours of original authentic content. This is nothing more than live streamed talk radio, but he has syndicated his content in the form of podcasts in audio and now video form as well as he is posting to YouTube. This shows what content delivery should be about. Why do we have to go to a newspaper or television site to get the content? What if I could get the content delivered to me on a local level? While I know that some are doing this they all should be doing this. Most media on a local level has somewhat an authentic voice, but they are going to need to get more authentic.

  Wether we like it or not content is delivered faster now then ever before. I even did a live feed for my Dad of my daughter’s band concert from my phone. This content is moving around quicker and traditional media needs to move to accelerate their own speed of delivery to the end user as well as get more local and authentic.

  The iPad is an appliance to allow this to happen time to start developing content.#private

  Posted via email from The ramblings of a video geek

  

• 20:44

  Charlie Rose: Henry Paulson, Former U.S. Treasury Secretary – Watch the full episode now.

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Revisionist galore, new book, what the hey. Expect what you expect. He told Bush in 06, but didn’t see housing, come on Hank you know you saw it all. And all for no taxes on your GS stock! Not bad more about "Hulu – Charlie Rose: Henry Paulson, F…", [...]

• 20:10

  #4 Support Our Troop

   » ‎ A Year In The Life of Krystal

  Tags:  scrapbook   [edit]

  

• 20:09

  Horsey Butt

   » ‎ Foot Zone Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  Well Dave finally got of his #%$ and put Horse Butte on signmeup so you can use the world wide web to register while saving at least part of a tree that has already been cut down and made into paper. We will also have a PDF on the zone website as soon as dave recovers from his sudden bout of motivation. Go to this Link to be directed to the registration site. This years race will be great as always with the post race BBQ, Good beer (Deschutes), bad beer (some really expensive macrobrew), and a special surprise for anyone who crosses the finish line.
  

  Keep your eyes open for a course preview sometime before the race. Barring terrible weather Dave says he will organize one sometime in March and 60% of the time he comes through 100% of the time.

  Peace out!'

  FZ

  

• 19:45

  Another Bend Beer Blog

   » ‎ The Brew Site

  Tags:  Blogging   [edit]

  As active as the beer culture is here in Bend, Oregon, there sure is a scarcity of local beer blogs. For the longest time there was just myself (and of course, now my Hop Press blog as well) and Brewerman. Only two of the breweries have blogs: Deschutes and 10 Barrel (though that one hasn’t been updated in nearly a year).

  But! There’s a new blog that has popped up: the aptly-name “The Bend Beer Blog.” I’m always glad to see a new beer blog, and one here in Bend is especially welcome!

  Now if we could only get a few more, we could have some serious meetups.

• 19:15

  Dariush

   » ‎ Ryan Phillips Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  I had a last minute shoot with famous Iranian singer Dariush this past weekend. He is working on a new CD that was written by students in Iran with lyrics about what is going on over there. Dariush has been on the phone and connecting via email with them to hear their stories and help them write. Dariush had produced over 200 songs across 26 albums over the past few decades. We were shooting for the cover of his new CD. The title roughly translates to ‘The dark corners of your mind” so we had that theme in mind when shooting. A big thanks to my assistant Dana who has been shooting with me for close to 5 years now and is my right arm.

  We rented a killer studio in downtown LA called LA Daylight. I haven’t seen a place this nice with Northern light pouring through every corner since I left New York. If you need a great daylight studio call Felicity and she will hook you up. Tell her I sent you. They have the best service!

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• 18:21

  January's shipment

   » ‎ to knit in peace

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  The Three Irish Girls shipment arrived today!!! YAY!!!
  
  Its the best extra yet - the 2010 Year in Yarn calendar. I wanted to buy this calendar at the end of last year but was resigned that it was not in the budget and now I get it as a gift. That's the best kind of gift.
  
  
  And this month's yarn is so pretty, a rich blue blend in shades from denim to deep navy called Serenity. Its 350 yards of 100% Superwash Merino. This is definitely made for socks but I think I'm going to make it into a cowl.
  
  Here's a picture from the calendar for May: Miss Babs Hand Dyed Yarns from the Blue Ridge Mountains of eastern Tennessee. I was able to visit the booth she had at Sock Summit last summer and see this yarn in person. Its beautiful in person and on the calendar.
  

• 18:17

  Coolest. Quit. Ever.

   » ‎ she's just saying ...

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  Sun Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwartz announced his resignation yesterday through a haiku on Twitter.

  "Today's my last day at Sun. I'll miss it. Seems only fitting to end on a #haiku. Financial crisis/Stalled too many customers/CEO no more"

  I don't know about you, but I'm pretty impressed. It almost makes me want to follow my Twitter timeline again. Of course, if you had to tweet in haiku it would be a hell of a lot more interesting.

  What would you write if you were a Twitter quitter? In haiku?
  

  I actually love my job, and believe me, I'm very aware of how lucky I am. So I don't even want to write a hypothetical resignation, in case it jinxes me somehow.
  

  However, I'd just like to point out the following:
  

  *From wikihow: "A haiku is a non-rhymed verse genre, conveying an image or feeling in two parts spread over three lines, usually with a seasonal reference. There are 5 syllables in the first sentence, 7 in the second and 5 again in the last sentence. ...

  It is important to distinguish between pseudo-haiku that says whatever it wants in a 5-7-5 syllable pattern and literary haiku that adheres to the use of season words, a two-part juxtapositional structure, and primarily objective sensory imagery."

  Sorry, Jonathan. Major points for style, taken away for pseudo-haiku. I'd say you should keep your day job, but I guess you just trashed that option.

  Meanwhile, I'm now fired up about attempting to write a haiku, something I haven't done since 4th grade. And of course, I'll share my work with you, dear readers. And I'm challenging you to do the same!

• 18:02

  Wax on...

   » ‎ Damian Fagan

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  ...wax off. Apologies to Mr. Kesuke Miyagi of the Karate Kid movies. A couple of days ago I attended a ski waxing clinic at the Bend REI store. There to learn more about waxes, but during the workshop I couldn't help to think there's an article here.
  
  As a "weekend" nordic skier, it was apparent during the workshop that I neglect my skis way too much. Maybe the first person perspective is the way to go; I'll be the first to poke fun at myself. A lot of material there.
  
  But the one tidbit I took home, and will hopefully turn into an article, is the use of all-temperature natural waxes out there on the market. Time to do some research and craft a query or two. Of course, that will have to wait until I get back from the snow....
  
  
  
  

• 16:39

  Is the Carry Trade Beginning to Unwind?

   » ‎ My Back Pages

  Tags:    [edit]

  Last week I wrote that the financials had broken down but the break might turn out to be a head fake. Stocks did rally afterwards but have since broken down once again, this time in a more convincing fashion. That's a big, red candle on the chart today. Considering the financials have led the the broader stock market for some time now, this is not a good sign.
  
  

  Another chart I'd like to revisit is the Dow Transportation Average. In mid January I noted that the index was flirting with resistance at the 61.8% retracement level within what looked like a broadening top pattern. The index has since made a hard turn South.

  
  

  This might have something to do with the weakness in the Baltic Dry Index, a measure of the cost to ship raw materials around the world and a key leading economic indicator. The Baltic never recovered to the same degree that the stock market did and failed over the past few months to surmount its November highs. Persistent weakness in this index contradicts the predictions of a strong recovery.

  
  

  Finally, the dollar continues to rally signaling that the carry trade may be unwinding with a myriad of potential consequences for the financial markets none of which are benign.

  
  

  Nouriel Roubini outlined what the unwinding of the carry trade might look like in an article for the Financial Times last year:

  If factors lead the dollar to reverse and suddenly appreciate – as was seen in previous reversals, such as the yen-funded carry trade – the leveraged carry trade will have to be suddenly closed as investors cover their dollar shorts. A stampede will occur as closing long leveraged risky asset positions across all asset classes funded by dollar shorts triggers a co-ordinated collapse of all those risky assets – equities, commodities, emerging market asset classes and credit instruments.

  The current dollar rally/equity and commodity selloff may turn out to be the beginning of just such a scenario. All in all, it looks like a time for caution.

  Posted via email from jessefelder's posterous

  

• 15:55

  John Mack on Saving Morgan Stanley, Inside the Bunker

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Thanks @tamelarich for sharing this one. Mr. Mack very insightful and interesting as usual from “inside the Bunker” more about "John Mack on Saving Morgan Stanley, I…", posted with vodpod Filed under: Trading

• 15:54

  2010 Art Gallery Events – High Desert Gallery, Bend Oregon

   » ‎ High Desert Gallery of Central Oregon

  Tags:  the Artists: Cary Lathan   [edit]

  High Desert Gallery of Central Oregon is pleased to release their 2010 Art Gallery Events.  The fine art gallery is located at 10 NW Minnesota Avenue, on the retail floor of the Oxford Hotel in downtown Bend Oregon.  Each month during the Bend Oregon First Friday Art Gallery Walk the gallery will host an artist reception with live music, new work by select regionally and nationally known Central Oregon Artists, refreshments and a darn good time!  
  

  
  Starting in April, special Artist Preview Receptions will be held on the Thursday prior to First Friday and provide a wonderful opportunity for gallery clients, guests and the public to chat with the artist and view and purchase the newest work available from the artists.  Want to stay in the know? --  Then follow us on via RSS, Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to our blog.

  
  

  February - Paul Alan Bennett: Imaginary Landscape Series

  Artist Feature: February 5 through February 28, 2010

  Artist Reception: Friday, February 5,  from 5 to 9pm, during the Bend First Friday Gallery Walk. Featuring new hand pulled linoleum block prints and original paintings by Paul Alan Bennett.  Refreshments, live music by Doug and Katie Cavanaugh, and an opportunity to meet the artist

  Where: High Desert Gallery, at our downtown gallery location, 10 NW Minnesota Avenue at The Oxford. Gallery hours: Open daily10am to 6pm. For more information, please call 541-388-8964 or visit www.highdesertgallery.com.

  
  March - Patricia Freeman-Martin and Rosalyn Kliot Two Person Show.

  Artist Feature: March 5 through March 28, 2010

  Artist Reception: Friday, March 5, from 5-9pm, during the Bend First Friday Gallery Walk. New monoprints by Patty Freeman-Martin and collages by Rosalyn Kliot. Refreshments, live music, and an opportunity to meet the artists.

  Where: High Desert Gallery, at our downtown gallery location, 10 NW Minnesota Avenue at The Oxford. Gallery hours: Open daily10am to 6pm. For more information, please call 541-388-8964 or visit www.highdesertgallery.com.

  
  

  April - Kimry Jelen

  Artist Feature: April 1 through April 25th, 2010

  Preview Reception: Thursday April 1, from 5-8pm

  Artist Reception: Friday, April 2, from 5-9pm, during the Art Hop and Bend First Friday Gallery Walk. Featuring new original paintings by Kimry Jelen.  Refreshments, live music, and an opportunity to meet the artist.

  Where: High Desert Gallery, at our downtown gallery location, 10 NW Minnesota Avenue at The Oxford. Gallery hours: Open daily10am to 6pm. For more information, please call 541-388-8964 or visit www.highdesertgallery.com.

  
  

  May - Grace Bishko:  View From the Top

  Artist Feature: May 6 through May 30, 2010

  Preview Reception: Thursday May 6, from 5-8pm

  Artist Reception: Friday May 7, from 5-9pm, during Bend First Friday Gallery Walk. Featuring new original paintings by Grace Bishko.  Refreshments, live music, and an opportunity to meet the artist.

  Where: High Desert Gallery, at our downtown gallery location, 10 NW Minnesota Avenue at The Oxford. Gallery hours: Open daily10am to 6pm. For more information, please call 541-388-8964 or visit www.highdesertgallery.com.

  
  

  June - Trisha Hassler

  Artist Feature: June 3 through June 27, 2010

  Preview Reception: Thursday June 3, from 5-8pm

  Artist Reception: Friday June 4, from 5-9pm, during Bend First Friday Gallery Walk. Featuring new mixed media metal and fiber artwork by Trisha Hassler.  Refreshments, and an opportunity to meet the artist.

  Where: High Desert Gallery, at our downtown gallery location, 10 NW Minnesota Avenue at The Oxford. Gallery hours: Open daily10am to 6pm. For more information, please call 541-388-8964 or visit www.highdesertgallery.com.

  
  

  July - Cary Weigand and Jacob Norris

  Artist Feature: July 1 through July 25, 2010

  Preview Reception: July 1, from 5-8pm

  Artist Reception: Friday July 2, from 5-9pm, during Bend First Friday Gallery Walk. Featuring new sculpture by Cary Weigand and original paintings by Jacob Norris. Refreshments, live music, and an opportunity to meet the artists.

  Where: High Desert Gallery, at our downtown gallery location, 10 NW Minnesota Avenue at The Oxford. Gallery hours: Open daily10am to 6pm. For more information, please call 541-388-8964 or visit www.highdesertgallery.com.

  
  

  August - Paul Alan Bennett

  Artist Feature: August 5 through August 29, 2010

  Preview Reception: Thursday August 5, from 5-8pm.

  Artist Reception: Friday August 6, from 5-9pm , during Bend First Friday Gallery Walk. Featuring new work by Paul Alan Bennett. Refreshments, live music, and an opportunity to meet the artist.

  Where: High Desert Gallery, at our downtown gallery location, 10 NW Minnesota Avenue at The Oxford. Gallery hours: Open daily10am to 6pm. For more information, please call 541-388-8964 or visit www.highdesertgallery.com.

  
  

  September - 6XA6 Fine Art Print Show: 6 Artists of High Desert Gallery

  Artist Feature: September 2 through 26, 2010

  Preview Reception: Thursday September 2, from 5-8pm.

  Artist Reception: Friday September 3, from 5-9pm, during Bend First Friday Gallery Walk. Featuring original hand pulled block prints and monoprints, created at A6 by 6 High Desert Gallery artists . Refreshments, live music, and an opportunity to meet the artists.

  Where: High Desert Gallery, at our downtown gallery location, 10 NW Minnesota Avenue at The Oxford. Gallery hours: Open daily10am to 6pm. For more information, please call 541-388-8964 or visit www.highdesertgallery.com.

  
  

  October - Kathy Deggendorfer

  Artist Feature: October 1 through October 31, 2010

  Preview Reception: Thursday September 30, from 5-8pm.

  Artist Reception: Friday October 1, from 5-9pm, during Bend First Friday Gallery Walk. Featuring new original watercolors by Kathy Deggendorfer. Refreshments, live music, and an opportunity to meet the artist.

  Where: High Desert Gallery, at our downtown gallery location, 10 NW Minnesota Avenue at The Oxford. Gallery hours: Open daily10am to 6pm. For more information, please call 541-388-8964 or visit www.highdesertgallery.com.

  
  

  November - Shannon Weber and Ralph Phillips
  

  Artist Feature: November 4 through November 28, 2010

  Preview Reception: Thursday, November 4, from 5-8pm.

  Artist Reception: Friday November 5, from 5-9pm, during Bend First Friday Gallery Walk.. Featuring found object, woven vessels and assembled collages by Shannon Weber and contemporary fine furniture by Ralph Phillips. Refreshments, live music, and an opportunity to meet the artist.

  Where: High Desert Gallery, at our downtown gallery location, 10 NW Minnesota Avenue at The Oxford. Gallery hours: Open daily10am to 6pm. For more information, please call 541-388-8964 or visit www.highdesertgallery.com.

  
  

  December - High Desert Gallery's Annual Miniature Show.

  Artist Feature: December 2 through December 26, 2010

  Preview Reception: Thursday, December 2, from 5-8pm.

  Artist Reception: Friday December 3, from 5-9pm, during Bend First Friday Gallery Walk. Featuring small 4x6 and 5x7 original paintings by gallery and guest artists. Refreshments, live music, and an opportunity to meet the artists.

  Where: High Desert Gallery, at our downtown gallery location, 10 NW Minnesota Avenue at The Oxford. Gallery hours: Open daily10am to 6pm. For more information, please call 541-388-8964 or visit www.highdesertgallery.com.

  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, Redmond and Sisters Oregon and High Desert Frameworks! located at 431 NW Franklin Avenue at Lava 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 2009) and Sisters, Oregon (2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009). 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. Want to be in the know? Then follow us on via RSS, Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to our blog. To download your free iTunes app visit: High Desert Gallery iPhone App at the App Store.The Art & Soul of Central Oregon™ and Central Oregon Artists & Beyond™ are trademarks of High Desert Gallery & Custom Framing of Central Oregon.

  

• 15:31

  Pastor Elie NDIKUNKIKO of Burundi at Faith

   » ‎ Pastor Mike's Faith Journey Adventure

  Tags:  Burundi   [edit]

  I'm pleased to share with you that Pastor Elie NDIKUNKIKO, the General Overseer of nearly 500,000 in the Burundian Pentecostal Church.  I first met Pastor Elie in 2005, working with my friend, Dr. John Vawter doing pastor's conferences for the clergy of this great church.  It was also a pleasure to serve him and his church on a return trip in 2009 with our own Jeff Stringham from Faith.
  
  Pastor Elie will be with us the whole weekend, featuring a tour of our city, a special meeting to work on future pastoral training for the minister's he serves, along with a dinner on Saturday and then preaching on Sunday through an interpreter.
  
  Friends, this is an amazing privilege for those of us who attend Faith to have such a wonderful man of God in our midst!  I want to encourage everyone who has interest to also join us at the Saturday dinner at 5:30 PM.  It is "no host," meaning that you're on your own for your meal.  We'll be meeting together in the back room at the Black Bear Diner.
  
  What an amazing weekend!  Don't miss this one!

• 15:08

  Toyota’s troubles

   » ‎ Bend OR Bust

  Tags:    [edit]

  As if there hasn’t been enough coverage of troubles with Toyota’s accelerators on many of its vehicles and with brakes on the 2010 Prius, I’ll chime in that Toyota still makes some of the best vehicles in the world.
  
  And, if I had any money, I’d buy a Prius right away.
  
  My 1995 Camry needed its first brake job at around 143,000 miles. The factory battery died after 7 years. Show me an American car ever to achieve such durability. It’s still running with more than 150,000 miles on it. Never had an American car do that without needing either a new engine or transmission.
  
  It should be noted in all this media frenzy that the Toyota accelerator trouble is an American problem. Toyotas made in Japan have no such issue.
  
  When we bought our Camry in 1995, we made sure it was made in Japan. Likewise, when we bought our Honda CR-V in 2008, the VIN number starts with a J signifying made in Japan. I would urge all Americans, if they want a more reliable vehicle, to choose one made in Japan over anything made in America. Also, go to the repair shops at the dealerships. They’ll tell that American-made Toyotas or Hondas have more quality problems than the Japanese-made versions.
  
  In this country, we plan for things to break down so that the supply chain never stops. Well, those chickens finally came home to roost this past year as GM and Chrysler went into bankruptcy.
  
  Yes, the Prius with the faulty brakes is a Japanese Toyota problem and one that, I’m sure, will be addressed and solved in no time.
  
  The Japanese automakers make quality products unrivaled by any of its American counterparts. Like many Americans, I’ve owned American and Japanese vehicles. We have spoken with our pocketbooks that we prefer Japanese over American and, certainly, European-made cars, which are are overpriced.
  
  Part of the reason for the decline in automobiles made in this country is that it is hard to get reliable information about these vehicles. Daily newspapers run “advertorial” sections on automobiles that seldom tell readers what they need to know about vehicles. These sections are just ads in another format. Trade magazines are sponsored by the auto industry so the information in those publications is merely P.R.
  
  American automobile manufacturers have always viewed their quality problems as a marketing issue. Consequently, while P.R. campaigns became more sophisticated, the vehicle quality declined and sales plummeted.
  
  It didn’t help that in this anti-government era when everything must be privatized or cut back, government vehicle pools, largely supplied by American automakers, dried up. With those sales gone, there were few left to buy GM, Chrysler or Ford products. Ford may be in better shape than the other two brands, but their products are second rate next to the Japanese.
  
  Yes, the underdogs love it when the top dog, Toyota, gets its lumps. Don’t be gloating too long, because Toyota will leave you in the dust.

• 15:06

  Shreds

   » ‎ Pastor Mike's Faith Journey Adventure

  Tags:  parenting   [edit]

  Had a terrific board meeting last night with our key leaders at Faith.  I am so blessed and so is our church (which I blabbed to a pastor friend this morning on the phone) with such great people on Faith's board (it's also why I was unable to post yesterday as my normal blogging time was during the meeting).
  
  It was our time to nominate new board members.  Basically what happens is that we pray and then go through an hour-long process of nominating people who are "bylaw" (Scripturally) qualified and whom the fellows think God would be pleased with in this position.  Out of a large group, 12 to 14 are nominated, and then we go through a unique, spiritual process of ordering the nominees.  When we're done, that list is hand written on a piece of paper for me, the pastor, to make contact with the potential candidates.  That's when it happened...
  
  I accidentally shredded the list.
  
  There I was after realizing what I'd done with a handful of 11 inch shreds, trying to piece them together.  I'm just glad I picked the long shredder in the main office instead of the crosscut in my office.
  
  Yikes - that would have been a complete bummer!
  
  I complained to my wife at my shortcoming, who then said that I should be able to remember who was on the list and what order they were in.  That was when  I realized yet ANOTHER shortcoming - SHORT-TERM MEMORY...
  
  Yup, after some trial and considerable error, I got it pieced back together.  Scotch tape is a beautiful thing!
  
  In John Baker's book, "Life's Healing Choices," he shares a story in the Introduction about an exchange between a father and his young son.  The dad was trying to take a nap and the boy was bored (generally a losing proposition for fathers everywhere in search of some shut-eye).  So the dad took the newspaper which had a picture of the world, tore it into little pieces and told the son to "put the puzzle back together."  The dad rolled over to continue his nap but was jostled awake about 15 minutes later.  The boy was finished.  The dad asked how he had accomplished the task so quickly.  The son said,
  

  "It was easy.  There was a picture of a person on the back of the map, so when I got my person put together, the world looked just fine."

  Jesus is still putting "persons" like you and I back together to help the world that we live in - wherever that is, look so much better.

• 15:04

  As real as real can be

   » ‎ THEMdidit

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  This is one of the most touching, honest and real stories we have seen in a long time.

  Last Minutes with ODEN from phos pictures on Vimeo.

  We don’t share this only for entertainment value. There is a lesson here for marketers as well.

  In this age of financial challenge and competition for consumers, marketers and companies alike MUST be honest, strait-forward and REAL with customers. They won’t settle for anything else.

  It’s not about being perfect.
  It’s not about being slick.
  It’s not about being all things to all people.

  This is not to say that we can’t continue to come up with smart and conceptual ways to communicate with customers. We just all need to make sure that we’re doing it in a truthful, honest and supportable way.

  Tell your story.
  Tell it with truth and honest representation of your product/service.
  Treat your customers as part of your family.
  Respect the strength of reason.
  Respect the power of emotion.

• 14:32

  Best hoops team of the 1920?

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  Oregon Hoops History.