tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56967502012-01-22T20:56:34.658-08:00God, Science, Poetry, How People Get Along- or not, Politics, What we see and how we represent it, Imagining, Music, Cascadia, Soccer, The Future of Museums Truth & Fiction (I know they're not opposites) Stream of consciousness... Rites of Expression <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/davidrites" rel="tag">davidrites</a>davidrites@att.netDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.comBlogger4231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-91588447944704054152012-01-22T20:55:00.000-08:002012-01-22T20:56:34.693-08:00

I'm frankly mystified by all the hullaballoo over President Obama's decision not to approve the Keystone XL gas pipeline project.  Why?  Because if I'm not mistaken,  the issue is a straw horse.  I believe that I heard a top executive of the Keystone XL project saying in a radio interview that the timeline which Congress insisted the President meet was not a realistic or desirable timeline

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-2538818042020983442012-01-16T00:06:00.000-08:002012-01-16T00:09:23.027-08:00

And suggests that easy judgements about the people we pass on the street may well be totally wrong.  I like this story.  I particularly like that Sam's passion is science.   A story to challenge our stereotypes- Samantha Garvey

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-57869673963664069312012-01-12T21:17:00.000-08:002012-01-12T21:17:44.073-08:00

Mitt Romney tell Rush Limbaugh things that make Rush red and Mitt inconsistent Hard on the heels of the last news story,  I came across this.  As a capitalist myself,  owning shares in some of our major corporations and also as a member of the working class---gone to work today, going to work tomorrow-- and not getting rich in either instance.  I am glad to see these inconsistencies explored.  

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-87901203883611685102012-01-12T14:40:00.000-08:002012-01-12T14:40:56.365-08:00

Warren Buffet takes up Republican tax challenge I had to chuckle when I read this piece from Time magazine.  It highlights for me the bigger issues underlie our economic system.  The challenge is to go beyond simplistic sloganeering about 'the free market' and similar trite observations.  How interesting to hear Newt Gingrich, of all people, drawing a distinction between industrialists who

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-20008304326528611182011-11-30T22:52:00.000-08:002011-11-30T22:52:08.226-08:00

Pet peeve.  I struggle with all the people driving who feel it is necessary to have their fog lights on - regardless of weather conditions or any other factor.  They leave the impression that they feel superior because they have an entire battery of lights aimed at the road.  My son, Brendan,  says that most of them probably don't know where the switch is to turn the lights off.  He may be right.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-32477724265505715142011-11-22T23:35:00.000-08:002011-11-22T23:35:44.924-08:00

I have been listening to the buzz of political vocalization with one ear for the past several months because I believe that who ends up leading the country isn't a trivial issue.   On the other hand,  I'm a working person who has to be responsible for the well-being of my small organization and its people  So I don't have a lot of time for bombast.   One of the story threads about the

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-27812309603547231892011-11-02T00:20:00.000-07:002011-11-09T23:10:29.713-08:00

An onslaught of grandchildren,  a new job,  parents getting older, and some actual time and space carved out for my own benefit devour entire months in one gobble.  I intend to write...truly.   Promise.  Cross my heart and hope to die.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-87653121248771917212011-06-03T22:43:00.000-07:002011-06-03T22:43:24.142-07:00

I have no way to measure the likelihood or actuarial risk of this particular experience.  So I speak with a great amount of reluctance.   The outbreak of e-coli in Germany from a strain which is an unexpected biological mutant recombitant from two known strains is the kind of 'marker' I would expect from a terrorist foray looking for weak spots in our defenses.   And there's strong evidence that

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-14322662091807966562011-05-21T08:28:00.000-07:002011-05-21T08:28:25.906-07:00

While there is still wick yet on the candle,  midday approaches on the East Coast and it's already early evening in other parts of the world.  As far as can be told,  there's no sign that the world is ending today nor that anyone is being wafted off to Heaven.  So the skeptical news media are trumpeting the news that the end was a 'no show' and a bunch of hooey.   I was always an advocate for the

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-30555382865227335812011-03-01T19:59:00.000-08:002011-03-01T19:59:31.532-08:00

I studied North African politics in the 1970s under John Damis at the Portland State University Middle East Studies Center.  I remember clearly that one of his premisses was that revolutions never take place when populations of illiterate, destitute, starving people are oppressed.  Revolutions take place when people who have expectations, education, and training are consistently cut out of the

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-10257311092322142022010-11-22T08:41:00.000-08:002010-11-22T08:41:45.264-08:00

I opened the newspaper a week or so ago and paused at the full page Macy's ad spread.  Something seemed odd to me.  Now I'm not a horn player of any sort.  But it seemed to me that the guy playing the trombone in the picture had never held one before.  "It's upside down," I said to myself.   Maybe there are people who play the instrument in that position but I sure didn't see pictures of any.   I

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-52513213483249654872010-11-21T21:31:00.000-08:002010-11-21T21:31:41.966-08:00

Okay, right out of the gate I have to confess that I'm not a biologist, evolutionary scientist, or other expert on "why" answers from the scientific perspective.  I'm just a guy whose father was a science teacher with immense curiousity.   And so I have, at particular moments,  found myself wondering why it is that we humans like to 'suck tongue' as they say.  Okay, maybe some of y'all are not

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-11552581618854697992010-09-03T22:02:00.000-07:002010-09-03T22:02:46.419-07:00

Recent news reports  announced that two Chinese satellites maneuvered so as to be able to execute a gentle "bump" in space recently.   What is not reported is that the event marked the first time that Apple app developers attempted to scale up the popular "bump" app for the iPhone to a level at which satellites in space would be able to instantly share information and exchange data.  iPhone users

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-64332749508924246552010-08-13T16:41:00.001-07:002010-08-14T16:27:46.339-07:00

One morning early this week,  I heard a news program which was interviewing candidates running for the Third Congressional district across the river in Washington.   Three of the candidates,  asked about their opinions of 'cap and trade' proposals,  led their responses by vehemently denying that there was any "scientific consensus" about human causes for global climate change.  They were of quite

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-81674555324648038512010-07-19T17:43:00.000-07:002010-07-19T17:43:33.555-07:00

I've got to confess that I like vegetables.  Almost all of 'em.  Always did.  Don't know why the hiding my green peas under the dining room table crossbrace never occurred to me.   As an adult, though, I like vegetables fresh out of the garden.   The only exception is Phaseolus Lunatus,  that small pale green bean named for Lima...or is it Lima?   I love lima beans cooked with butter and black

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-73838526464480279252010-07-05T11:58:00.000-07:002010-07-05T11:58:48.917-07:00

Last night I went out to bring summer items in from the deck about 11pm.   The neighborhoods around us were in full-throated roar as fireworks of various kinds were lit and exploded.   East I could hear loud, periodic concussions accompanied by light flashes.   On all sides there was the staccato crackle of small explosions,  probably strings of black cats.   And at intervals a sky rocket would

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-80510281543270022712010-06-23T15:06:00.000-07:002010-06-23T15:06:50.782-07:00

Today President Obama accepted the resignation of General McChrystal for remarks published in a profile article in Rolling Stone magazine.  Does it strike anyone as ironic that a top military man would be using that particular outlet to challenge the status quo?  Is this the rise of the counter-counter culture?   The seriousness of the issue is genuine. When we're warring the civilian leader of

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-48667071563995936432010-06-23T10:35:00.000-07:002010-06-23T10:35:30.012-07:00

I've struggled for a good while with the problem that this blog, Davidrites,  has been a site for putting down my thoughts and opinions and uncertainties about a whole range of issues,  including those having to do with futbol.   In recent weeks,  I've had a lot more interest in writing about that subject as World Cup unfolds in South Africa,  the Portland Timbers battle through their USL season

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-78021978167705880952010-06-06T13:45:00.000-07:002010-06-06T13:45:20.273-07:00

I have been intrigued listening to discussions about the strategies BP has employed in trying to address the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Several commentators have expressed confusion about why BP early on put tons of dispersant not only in breaking up the oil on the surface but also putting dispersant into the actual plume of oil itself before it reached the surface.  Much discussion

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-78628493278537487882010-06-06T13:28:00.000-07:002010-06-06T13:28:13.575-07:00

The article in the attached link reports American military leadership touting the fact that Al Qaeda in Iraq is in disarray- its leadership largely killed and in custody,  the remnants isolated and unable to gain resources to go forward.  The article further notes that these successes have been largely the result of cooperative efforts between US and Iraqi security forces.   And on the surface

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-4758892325507614472010-05-17T21:48:00.000-07:002010-05-17T21:48:27.008-07:00

I have been reading comments on Arizona's recent approval of a law that forbids 'ethnic education' in a variety of circumstances.   Without belaboring the details,  the description of the law would outlaw teaching about the Nazis and the Holocaust because the subject matter tends to focus on a particular ethnic group,  might create hostility,  and doesn't encourage us to 'all just get along '

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-12041182157286132712010-05-16T14:32:00.000-07:002010-05-28T22:37:13.115-07:00

It is early Sunday afternoon and I'm watching the replay of Barca v Valladolid on the ESPN stream. Early in the match,  Valladolid is pressing and Barca is looking a little ragged.  Valdes was just forced to clear a ball from his own box and didn't get it out before an opposing attacker was able to deflect it.  Puyol is jumping up and down and yelling to his players to step up their performance.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-74357592293138148302010-05-02T19:29:00.000-07:002010-05-02T19:29:32.136-07:00

After last Thursday's match against the Whitecaps,  I was ready to write a commentary on my team, where they seem to be now and where they are headed.   But I didn't quite get around to it (real life intrudes on blogging with no remuneration) and so I had the chance to watch  a different iteration of the side play against Puntarenas of Costa Rica.   Before I go much further though,  I feel

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-20614936693020537772010-04-28T11:29:00.000-07:002010-04-28T11:29:44.954-07:00

The prospect of vast areas of the southern American coastline being coated with oil looms.   A slick the size of Rhode Island moves,  seemingly unstoppably,  toward land.  The oil platform which burned and killed several workers before sinking continues to spew thousands of gallons of oil into the water.   And this just weeks after President Obama took a public position proposing to allow more

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-23192457803914092182010-04-24T13:51:00.000-07:002010-04-24T13:51:13.190-07:00

I'm hearing a lot of chatter today about the Constitution and a version of 'strict constructionism' that says 'we need to not have people changing the words that our Founding Fathers wrote and trying to adapt them to some concept of circumstances today.   What astonishes me about this idea is that such things as universal suffrage,  women's suffrage, and racial equality are all examples of just

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-25605194106030413532010-04-24T13:16:00.000-07:002010-04-24T13:16:00.038-07:00

I read in the paper last week that a prominent cleric in Tehran,  commenting on the high probability that there will be a major earthquake in the city,  stated that the reason was the immorality of women in failing to adhere to Islamic law.    I snorted in disbelief, but then remembered that here at home,  a nationally known evangelist stated that Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment on New

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-64423873977569132602010-03-22T19:57:00.000-07:002010-03-22T19:57:13.151-07:00

Last night I found myself turning on the television about seven pm our time and ratcheting the channels around to C-Span.   While I am unabashedly political,  I am not patient and so watching the slow grind of the American political process rarely seems like a good choice to me.   But last night in the House was different.   The primary vote on the table was adoption or not of the Senate's

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-45095893481471076512010-03-21T17:52:00.000-07:002010-03-21T17:52:31.284-07:00

I have been struggling as I listen to the hostility to passing a health care plan.  I know that the debate has probably reached the point that every argument, for or against, has been regurgitated and every partisan has already closed their ears to the uncomfortable disagreements.   But I am angry that such an important issue is being treated so blithely.   For starters,  I understand and agree

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-74422067885089639472010-03-16T12:09:00.000-07:002010-03-16T12:09:48.951-07:00

Among the other activities I'm engaged in that fall under 'looking for work'  is my effort to find contract work as a problem solver for small non-profits, for profits, individuals.  Flying the flag of "Mind Over Matter" I just created a wix.com website so potential clients would have a place to go to look at what I might do to help them.  It has limitations, and is probably a way station rather

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-50578072056817790132010-03-09T09:05:00.000-08:002010-03-09T09:05:37.997-08:00

According to this recent article,  Sarah Palin and family used to cross the Canadian border to get healthcare from the government run system there.  Ironic?  Or another example of just how opportunistic Palin is?   And do the Canadians knowingly provide services to Americans who just show up on their doorstep?  That's interesting if so.  http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100308/cm_huffpost/490080

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-88371588111736348982010-02-02T18:21:00.000-08:002010-02-02T18:21:02.234-08:00

I'm reading my Google headlines tonight.  Iran,  they say, is agreeing to the nuclear fuel shipping proposal which was laid out as a way to support Tehran's legitimate aspirations for nuclear power while being transparent to the international community's concern about weapons.  I'm sure the jockeying for position and value isn't over, but that's a positive sign that the Obama approach is bearing

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-48809277650093930262010-01-26T23:09:00.000-08:002010-01-26T23:16:54.542-08:00

Measures 66 and 67 which raised corporate and individual taxes on the highest income earners in Oregon passed tonight.  I,  with reservations, supported the measures.  And I am chagrined tonight that the proponents of these measures are having a great tribal "dance around the bonfire and burn the witch in effigy" party to celebrate.   It would be better to have a "seemly" response so as not to

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-64610012973845100492010-01-23T14:22:00.002-08:002010-01-23T14:40:28.642-08:00

Just about anyone with a PC is familiar with the link or website which reveals a popup window announcing that "Your PC is infected with Spyware" while an alarming screen begins to show a list of horrible looking software files identified as infectious.   Then another window pops up offering to download "virus protection" software which will eliminate those bugs...the download, of course,  being

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-64931185763575576772010-01-23T14:22:00.000-08:002010-01-23T14:22:02.604-08:00

I've struggled to find a place where I can post my paintings ever since I decided that the ATT hosted page I first created was clunky.   Visual work in digital form is sensitive to how and where it is placed. And context helps define the viewer's perception of the work.   A painting hung in an art gallery,  for better or worse,  has more implied value just from where it is.  If I were working

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-63864227814223675822010-01-06T17:38:00.000-08:002010-01-06T17:38:42.607-08:00

Everyone I know struggles with not having a reliable and honest person to call when some essential piece of our daily infrastructure breaks.   Whether it's an auto mechanic or a contractor,  this is a continuing issue.   This was the situation i found myself in after experiencing the home version of "The Poseidon Adventure" in our master bathroom.   The shutoff valve for the toilet broke off

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-15710586835046965402009-12-28T23:34:00.000-08:002009-12-28T23:34:52.656-08:00

"Yes sir,  you really do have to let me look at that package in your crotch."  " No sir, I can't let you go to the bathroom in the next forty five minutes even if it means you're going to leave a large urine stain on seat D19."   In the wake of the Christmas Day crotch bomber flying into Detroit and trying despterately to 'light his fire',  the airlines, security folks, median and the government

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-14119529815787952132009-12-09T16:57:00.000-08:002009-12-09T16:57:36.710-08:00

 There is a vast amount of conversation out there about what to eat and what not to eat.  Part of this particular list of foods took me by surprise ---the message says don't ever eat commercial potatoes or commercial apples, for example.   I'd already been convinced that microwave popcorn and farmed salmon were a big mistake.   The corn-fed beef,  canned tomatoes,  and hormone laden milk were not

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-8704873791538322922009-12-07T13:06:00.000-08:002009-12-07T13:06:56.372-08:00

Seven answer to challenges to climate theory There is so much "noise" in the discussion about human impact on climate change---this article has matter of fact responses to common assertions that humans aren't causing climate change.   I continue to be amazed that people operate from the premise---if it's not a crisis today we don't have to do anything.   As opposed to "if it risks creating a

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-8197066899228799922009-11-22T20:01:00.000-08:002009-11-22T20:01:35.195-08:00

So here it is here in the last minutes of the MLS final.  How strange to have josh saunders in the goal for the la galaxy as this tie game winds toward overtime.  And that's not even to mention Alan Gordon.  The timbers have had a good eye for talent and the usl certainly pays a price to be the little kid inthe us soccer structure.  

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-64892977546158390372009-11-11T17:01:00.000-08:002009-11-13T12:59:26.698-08:00

Following on the heels of the article about plastic and its effect on Albatross,  I am reminded to write of the recent event off the Oregon coast.   There was an algae bloom and the aftermath included a foam which had the effect of stripping lubricant coatings off the feathers of seabirds who landed in the water.  Lacking the coatings,  the birds lost buoyancy and also the ability to stay warm.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-3521456808118098492009-11-11T10:35:00.000-08:002009-11-11T10:35:03.730-08:00

This story is being repeated all over the world. There's little more that I can add.  Plastic Kills the Albatross

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-43437671118086422832009-11-03T13:21:00.000-08:002009-11-03T13:21:25.151-08:00

I've read about people who have become prolific bloggers as a result of being unemployed.   For me that has not been the case.   I look back with surprise that I have not been posting for weeks.   I was lucky compared to many people in that I could see down the road the factors that were likely to determine whether I had a job or not.  I had time to mentally and emotionally adapt a little.  

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-30014443431737741172009-11-03T12:32:00.000-08:002009-11-03T12:32:49.302-08:00

I was very happy to read a brief piece in the paper describing how the parents, students, and teachers at Duniway School (where my father attended in the 30s) had shifted away from using disposable sporks and plastic trays to using silverware.   This small choice makes so much sense and reduces by tens of thousands the plastic debris in the waste stream.  I suspect costs are lower as well.  Small

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-49297058945511491142009-10-24T17:59:00.001-07:002009-10-24T18:03:17.233-07:00

So I'm really happy that my flight to San Diego for the Western Museums Association conference is in the morning so the pilots will be rested and not overshoot SD and fly to Cabo instead.  People like me who are a little antsy about flying anyway find that less than reassuring.   And couldn't the flight attendants be charged with knocking on the door and 'just checking to see if you need anything

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-89217838895248603552009-10-12T16:16:00.000-07:002009-10-12T16:16:13.986-07:00

The beautiful October afternoon was perfect.  The enthusiastic rumble of nearly 15,000 fans in PGE Park came to us clearly from blocks away as we hurried to join them for the Timbers' rumble with the 'Caps.   We were running four or five minutes late because we'd had trouble finding a place to park.  But with reserved seat tickets and friends awaiting us,  we weren't too concerned.    So it was

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-53872615196406239942009-09-16T11:23:00.000-07:002009-09-16T11:23:35.372-07:00

I'm a democrat, a supporter of the president,  and i believe that rep. wilson was totally out of line to holler "you lie" during the president's speech.   The reasons such behavior is unacceptable have been discussed ad nauseum the past few days.   And I agree with them.   That being said,  I want to separate myself from the folks who supported the House of representatives taking the time and

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-1969355692735103022009-08-31T13:30:00.000-07:002009-08-31T13:30:49.320-07:00

I am finding myself horrified by the national discussion on health care and health insurance.  I am not an expert on health systems, insurance systems, medical treatment, and similar elements that make up a health care system, nor are most Americans.  This is complicated stuff.   But I am an average, middle-aged guy with an elderly parents and in-laws,  young adult children beginning to raise

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-63410537386364648512009-08-19T11:17:00.000-07:002009-08-19T13:09:53.401-07:00

This past weekend our greenclad crew took the field in Rochester against the Rhinos and, despite the loss of Cameron Knowles the week before, the Timbers scored four solid goals and nailed down the match. Here we are with seven matches left in the season, leading the league with a game in hand, and not having lost a league match since the beginning of the season. And once again, what's

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-1434139287317260602009-08-13T00:34:00.000-07:002009-08-13T00:40:11.750-07:00

The joy of victory tonight was tempered, grievously, by Cameron Knowles broken leg at the end of the match against Montreal. A broken leg is never a small issue for a soccer player and this comes at a time when Knowles is an anchor of the best defense in the hottest team in USL, a defense that has helped put together an unprecedented twenty one match undefeated streak! I am hopeful,

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-69824023822463566432009-08-10T18:43:00.000-07:002009-08-10T18:52:36.960-07:00

I think it's very ironic that the Obama administration and its allies have scheduled Town Hall meetings across the country to try to get commentary on the health care debate and find that the meetings are being disrupted, whether in an organized way or not makes no difference. The irony? When the Bush administration scheduled "public" meetings, there was substantial evidence that loyalty

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-70831384994793176282009-07-30T15:55:00.000-07:002009-07-30T16:03:52.585-07:00

I don't know what was said when they gathered nor whether there will be any large or lasting effect in America over the President-Crowley-Gates dustup, but I am charmed that the President chose to move it to a new setting by saying 'let's all sit down together and have a beer' which is code for 'Hey, guys. Whatever the misunderstanding was it's not worth making a mountain out of." That's

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-69421886922933868292009-07-27T18:46:00.000-07:002009-07-27T19:09:10.833-07:00

The Los Angeles Galaxy's match with AC Milan recently caught my attention because of a surplus of familiar names.Alan Gordon, Bryan Jordan, Leonard Griffin, and Josh Saunders were all notable enough in the match to rate mention and a tie against the Serie A team seems like an impressive result. Once again, I wonder what would the US leagues be like if clubs were operating on the model the rest

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-78085239709280701762009-07-26T22:11:00.000-07:002009-07-26T22:56:01.526-07:00

I saw a small blurb today in The Big O saying that the red and white steel tower on Council Crest was being removed and replaced by some gigantic space age tower. When I was a kid growing up on Montgomery Drive, the Council Crest tower was the largest icon in our landscape. There were legendary stories, most unverified by personal observation, from people who claimed to have climbed its

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-41745072144570825162009-07-26T21:59:00.000-07:002009-07-26T22:11:08.767-07:00

I had to leave the television just after Mexico finessed a sweet little combination into their third goal of the match today. I just logged in and saw that the final was 5-0, the worst drubbing the men's side has had in over twenty years. I am tempted to say, 'yeah, but it was a side with ten rookies and one veteran coming back from an injury' but I don't know if that's sufficient to

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-38837495980023443852009-07-08T12:44:00.000-07:002009-07-08T12:53:15.825-07:00

As the dialogue and continuing contentiousness rumble onward in the Middle East, I believe that President Obama identified one clear obstacle which, unaddressed, will continue to be a toe stub for all concerned. Israelis cannot continue to take over Palestinian land through the "settlements" whether it be new, illegal settlements or whether it be expansion by some form of "eminent domain"

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-4984327186189535422009-07-03T13:34:00.000-07:002009-07-03T13:42:34.181-07:00

It was very exciting Wednesday night to have thousands of enthusiastic supporters in the stands for both teams. Atmosphere was electric. What I kept marveling at though was that the Sounders in the USL could hardly marshall a couple thousand fans a game--much less bring three or four sections worth of folks down to PGE Park. So I was struck by a sense that for a lot of these folks this was

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-61106488512510862282009-07-02T09:00:00.000-07:002009-07-02T09:46:36.979-07:00

Last night's most anticipated soccer match of the year in Portland unfolded at PGE Park where over 16,000 fans gathered to watch the MLS Sounders play the USL Timbers in a Lamar Hunt Cup fixture. Since the night when Portland's brand new Timbers beat the Sounders 1-0 in a June rainstorm in 1975, these two teams have had a 'special feeling' for each other and the feeling is best described as

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-32287623241647659092009-07-01T15:00:00.000-07:002009-07-01T15:03:29.543-07:00

I just saw that Burnley has signed a defender named David Edgar. I did a doubletake. David Edgar? Was this ultimate dyslexia? Edgar Davids has always been a player who stuck in my brain since he played for Juventus. And now I have to adjust to someone who's using his name backwards. I need a new brain.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-18383063228740052982009-06-30T12:25:00.000-07:002009-06-30T13:53:24.744-07:00

Such a deal! On the same Sunday the US men take on Brazil in the first ever FIFA sanctioned final for our side and then, in the later afternoon, home team Timbers try to topple the Montreal Impact. So I was hyperventilating by the middle of the US v Brazil match. What an extraordinary thing to see the world's best looking confused and in disarray as Dempsey and Donovan and Altidore attacked.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-35314872880232994042009-06-26T16:16:00.000-07:002009-06-26T16:31:08.875-07:00

Not much more that can be said. I think it was the most intense match I've seen in years. The fluid, diverse, precisely executed attack of the Spanish matched by the dogged, all out defense of the Americans. The clock seeming to tick away slowly because it seemed that this taut struggle could not stay in balance. And it did not. With Altidore's muscular turn at the top of the box,

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-7456152644435022662009-06-19T23:24:00.001-07:002009-06-19T23:56:12.830-07:00

After a day of tumultuous weather, the Portland Timbers took the field at PGE Park and faced off against the Minnesota Thunder, banging around the bottom of the table. The Timbers were on a roll with a franchise record win streak in the works. They immediately expressed themselves as Brian Farber raced to pull a ball back from the end line on the right and fed it in front of goal to Josten

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-32298946432675527552009-06-19T15:18:00.000-07:002009-06-19T16:18:44.609-07:00

The furor over the elections in Iran days ago seems to me to be a good illustration of the difficulty of finding understanding and insight about foreign affairs from a seat on the American shore. The short period of time between the end of balloting and the announcement by both leading presidential candidates that they had won the election strained credulity since millions of ballots had to be

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-26941066081271732822009-06-08T09:55:00.000-07:002009-06-08T10:28:00.908-07:00

When I was a kid growing up in the West Hills,  we would sleep outside at night.   Not too far away,  through the canyons northward,  was the Portland Zoo.   One of the distinctive hallmarks of my memories as the sky faded and I watched the stars appear was the sound of the lions roaring and the peacocks crying in the distance.   So it was that my hearing came to attention several nights ago as

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-7322088805102282312009-05-25T10:24:00.000-07:002009-05-25T10:36:27.750-07:00

I had a slightly jarring moment at the end of the week.  Reading the obituaries,  I found that there were three people with whom I was acquainted who had died.  One, Madalaine Bohls of the Milwaukie Historical Society Museum,  was a very sad loss.  Madalaine was diagnosed not long ago with cancer which had already spread through her body.   She spent the last of her life working to finish one

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-13739645759172764792009-05-15T14:57:00.000-07:002009-05-15T15:39:54.614-07:00

Thirsty Thursday at PGE Park is a chaotic affair at best. Beer lite flows like water. Crowds mill about in the stands. Balloons bounce up and down in the cooling air. Lines snake through the snack areas, both for those who wish to relieve themselves of liquids and those who wish to acquire more. All the while, a soccer match caroms up and down the glistening green turf below.Last night's

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-4392140948901274822009-05-11T16:02:00.000-07:002009-05-11T16:13:25.978-07:00

I have always struggled as an adult with the sports coverage in our local paper.   As a fan of soccer,  I've lamented over the years how little ink our local professional team,  Portland Timbers, get.   This year,  as a discussion about the imminent demise of newspapers goes on about the nation,  I am even more bemused.   The Seattle Sounders moved from the USL division to Major League Soccer

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-29357493828436929402009-05-04T09:24:00.000-07:002009-05-04T09:36:49.047-07:00

I experienced a life changing moment this weekend.  I did not kill a bicyclist.  About 9pm on Saturday,  we had gotten in our car to head home.   We had just watched the Portland Timbers in an exciting soccer match at PGE Park.  It was a lovely evening.  I had stopped at the light at 16th and Everett heading east just where a right hand turn takes you onto I405 and the freeway home.    The light

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-53576020817982739422009-04-27T17:39:00.000-07:002009-04-27T17:51:08.857-07:00

I have not been free to post for several weeks. The obligations of my job and responsibilities to family and friends have made a tempest of my time. I have several times wanted to write, but alas have been obliged to set pen aside.This afternoon, however, I am reading the latest BBC announcement about the spreading swine flu infection which strangely has surfaced in Mexico, not southeast

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-15692827980245354492009-04-08T23:10:00.000-07:002009-04-08T23:14:53.560-07:00

I've been wrasslin' the octopus of real life for the past few weeks.  No time to comment on the experience.  I only get to tumble through it.   Today I was catching up on my newspaper reading and came across this tidbit.  "Former world champion cyclist, Jobie Dajka has been found dead at his home...Nine Network TV reported in a news bulletin Dejka was dead but did not give details.  People!  

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-64572551341861665332009-03-20T23:03:00.000-07:002009-03-20T23:09:31.560-07:00

Rain spattered the stadium seats at U of P tonight and the temperature dropped below 'springlike', but there was still green everywhere.  This morning the Portland Timbers were awarded a coveted MLS slot for the 2011 season and Soccer City USA was energized!  Tonight, in the aforementioned chill,  this year's USL Timbers squad faced off against the MLS' New York Red Bulls and held them to a 0-0

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-31019526155155026312009-02-16T11:28:00.000-08:002009-02-16T13:04:17.484-08:00

A news story from Somalia late last year recounted an incident in which local men gathered in a stadium in Mogadishu where they stoned to death a 13 year old girl who had been accused of adultery.   A similar report from Iraq not only recounted the murder of a teenage girl by a mob but included web postings of the incident taken on camera phones.  A Kurd,  the girl had apparently entered into a

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-15768050124574988162009-02-05T12:34:00.001-08:002009-02-05T13:04:04.669-08:00

We are all increasingly aware of how dangerous the dark ocean of the worldwide web can be. The possibility that evildoers are trolling the waters in which we swim with the goal of hooking our personal information lurks in every message we receive, no matter how innocent looking it is. Two key rules we are admonished to follow for protection are 1) not to respond to emails asking us to go to a

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-60723420227246606032009-01-18T11:36:00.000-08:002009-01-18T11:48:18.179-08:00

Our local journalistic endeavor, The Oregonian, has undertaken changes in an attempt to woo new, young readers, and to stay economically viable. One manifestation is that the weekly entertainment insert sports a column titled "Plugged In" where the word "twee" can be used so we'll know it's right there in the now. While Google tells me the word was first noted in 1905 it is certifiably a "now

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-6651837796187226432009-01-06T22:01:00.000-08:002009-01-06T22:03:22.047-08:00

Astronomers have observed a 'bright blip' they can't explain. I'll give my #2 Silver Surfer original to the person who can clearly ID that flash.http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/01/bright-flash.html

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-49745188604034477512008-12-30T14:55:00.000-08:002008-12-30T15:20:03.619-08:00

I'm strongly convinced after fifty some years on the planet that the idea that the righteous will stamp out evildoers is an illusion.  Listen to the grim, strained voices of Israelis explaining why their most recent attack on Hamas resources is the justified only response they can make after being swarmed by rockets out of Gaza landing in their towns and neighborhoods.   Juxtapose that with the

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-48761059676301266202008-12-29T11:09:00.000-08:002008-12-29T11:28:47.170-08:00

In the recent winter snow storm blanketing much of Oregon and southwest Washington,  our local television affiliates pulled out all the stops to provide saturation coverage.   The Oregonian covered the phenomenon with its own article about the "non stop" hours of live storm coverage.   As consumers of news, however,  we found it almost useless to tune in from the perspective of information gained

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-15005572838630939622008-12-24T16:10:00.000-08:002008-12-27T17:13:31.579-08:00

This is Christmas Eve late afternoon.   The gray day darkens down to charcoal although the light outside is brighter than usual due to the cold white reflection from the snow.  I am alone in the house except for the drowsing cats.  I am working on finishing touches for tomorrow's celebration.  I remember growing up in Portland and remembering a long ago winter when there was snow like we have had

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-46748444531351655652008-12-17T11:03:00.000-08:002008-12-17T11:11:41.362-08:00

Listening to a radio discussion (OPB Think Out Loud) this morning,  I was astonished and saddened to hear several things that made me frustrated and cranky.   Apparently the vast majority of pillows and perhaps other bedding sold in the US is treated with fireproofing,  a step one would think is great for consumers until hearing that the flame retardant chemicals are known neurotoxins.   So the

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-57722162880780166412008-12-14T22:09:00.000-08:002008-12-14T22:18:36.661-08:00

Or is it a weapon?  Today an Iraqi reporter,  in a quickly scheduled press event in Iraq for President Bush,  took off and hurled his shoes at the President.   Bush did an excellent dodgeball move and wasn't hit.   Showing someone the bottom of your shoe is the deepest sign of disrespect in this part of the Islamic world.  Recall that when the statue of Saddam was pulled down in Baghdad years

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-33529340192715478752008-12-02T16:14:00.001-08:002008-12-02T16:33:21.753-08:00

How did it get from the week of the election to the beginning of December? I find myself tumbling through the weeks much as if I were being carried headlong down a winter stream. The last entry I wrote expressed my good feelings at our President-elect, his demeanor, and what it portends. After nearly four weeks, I am still being impressed. Obama has been measured, thoughtful, unflappable,

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-234949185417400712008-11-08T13:33:00.000-08:002008-11-08T13:51:14.357-08:00

I have to admit,  as a Democrat who started out not being swayed by Obama when he first campaigned,  I found myself experiencing a little glow of pleasure as I listened to the end of his press conference this week.  After being calm and dignified and respectful through discussions of the economy,   the President-elect was asked about the story that the family will be getting a dog.   Obama's face

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-57804762777084285262008-11-01T15:21:00.000-07:002008-11-01T15:53:44.180-07:00

I have been listening to the conversation in the national political dialogue about "redistribution of wealth". Simply, Barack Obama asserts that the people who fall around the center of the bell curve of income---up to $ 250,000 annually should have less of their money paid in taxes while people above that threshold pay more. The Republican position is that it is unfair to take away people's

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-81991758833360494852008-10-25T10:28:00.000-07:002008-10-25T10:36:26.071-07:00

This lecture on the sources of morality in human behavior is compelling and very important to understand if true. The current phenomenon of a country divided by its fears and prejudices is dangerous to all. We have too much that's important to achieve to be focused on the wrong things.http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind.html

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-70656824209330701832008-10-23T12:08:00.000-07:002008-10-23T12:13:10.624-07:00

Google would be doing a service to humanity if it were possible to add a satellite view of the Eastern Garbage Patch to its Google Maps function. The Garbage Patch, as cited below in a recent article from Scientific American, is a phenomenon with serious implications, particularly considering the relatively short time plastics have been in common use. If people could go online and get a 'zoom

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-15749548500379991212008-10-22T13:37:00.000-07:002008-10-22T13:39:20.558-07:00

Republicans spent $150,000 on Sarah Palin's clothesQuoted from the Times onlineJenny Booth"The Republican Party has spent $150,000 in upmarket designer stores on dressing Sarah Palin for the part of vice-president.During September, more than $75,000 was spent in a single shopping spree at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, and another $9,500 at Macy's in the same city - scene of the Republican party

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-58766983376441124892008-10-18T18:37:00.001-07:002008-10-18T18:40:45.175-07:00

The discovery of Buckyballs---a substance with incredibly profound potential. When people ask why we're wasting money on research into things that don't have 'practical' outcomes, they are generally people who don't get how science works. "If this thing goes into production, this very well could be a very, very game-changing or revolutionary technology to the aerospace business," said Les

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-80529826045808835802008-10-15T16:12:00.000-07:002008-10-15T16:17:07.287-07:00

1996 interview on the PBS Newshour: "I'm sure there are people who think that the opposition to the war was wrong and would like to re-write that history, but the opposition to the war was right, and the opposition came from all quarters, and those who opposed it should be proud of that and should say they're proud of that. To apologize for that opposition would be, I think, a perversion. To

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-22515450079837848292008-10-12T22:03:00.000-07:002008-10-12T22:07:51.747-07:00

The Vancouver Whitecaps took the USL crown for the second year in a row in a tight match against Puerto Rico at Vancouver. The final score was 2-1 and all reports suggest it was a good match-- hard fought. Of course, here in Portland we must not be interested in the outcome of the League final since our team, the Timbers, finished dead last. Kudos to The Oregonian for discerning that and

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-7175097427476072412008-10-10T15:23:00.000-07:002008-10-10T15:24:27.348-07:00

As I understand it, the criticism about Obama and Ayres follows this logic string---Ayres was a founder of Weather Underground in the 60s.Ayres has said recently that he thinks he "didn't do enough to oppose the war". Ayres has not said he rejects his past. Ayres works to promote 'radical leftist' ideas today as an educator.Obama's first 'candidate coffee' back when he ran for the

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-61160405460958163112008-10-03T12:03:00.000-07:002008-10-03T12:30:20.494-07:00

This morning the House passed the Bill formerly known as the Bailout. I understand from the radio news moments ago that the President has signed the bill. Interestingly the markets have not responded by soaring upward with enthusiasm. One of the discussion points about this financial crisis in the past week or so has been the idea that we should never let this happen again and should "learn

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-62548833498427603262008-10-02T13:06:00.000-07:002008-10-02T14:02:22.726-07:00

Yesterday's Senate vote on the $ 700 billion bill to bail the economy out may indeed have been what was needed to avert catastrophic meltdown of the overall national economy. On the other hand, it may not have. For me and the vast majority of Americans, it's hard to tell and some discussions about the bill arouse skepticism and concern. For example, an NPR report on the bill Wednesday

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-67395113442799198382008-09-29T18:14:00.000-07:002008-09-29T18:38:38.302-07:00

A sophisticated looking DVD movie arrived in my newspaper this Sunday.  Packaged in a slick blister pack it touted itself as explaining "radical Islam's war against the West".   This item was a long way from getting an AOL gazillion hours free disk which had been the ubiquitous standard in the past.   This was bannered with awards from Film Festivals though I didn't know anything about the ones

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-32758889037019817582008-09-29T17:56:00.000-07:002008-09-29T18:14:32.947-07:00

Yesterday I had a conversation with a friend of mine who's Republican about the election.  One of his reasons for opposing Barack Obama was Obama's "ties" to Bill Ayers.  I spent an hour or so today reading about Bill Ayers.  Once I read the articles about him, I remembered him quite well. I guess I parse the reason this was an issue into two pieces. The first is that Ayers is a political

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-91263772794545827052008-09-11T16:40:00.000-07:002008-10-19T23:19:43.768-07:00

"Palin may have said “Thanks, but no thanks” on the Bridge to Nowhere, though not until Congress had pretty much killed it already. But that was a sharp turnaround from the position she took during her gubernatorial campaign, and the town where she was mayor received lots of earmarks during her tenure." That quote is from http://factcheck.org, a non-partisan organization devoted to

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-80937731090207459032008-09-10T13:29:00.000-07:002008-09-10T14:50:58.347-07:00

"I told you so" is becoming a common theme for supporters of the war in Iraq and, in particular, for the Republican ticket. The 'surge' is touted as having been a vastly successful strategy that, coupled with 'stay the course', will bring us to 'victory'. Several elements of this crowing glee are disturbing to me. Apart from the success or failure of our military and related strategies in

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-6589517646834344592008-09-08T17:27:00.001-07:002008-09-08T17:37:17.468-07:00

It's really really hard to get a handle on what is fact and what is a twisted version of the facts in the political landscape. And I get angry at the careless way assertions are made without a solid base which then calls into question the credibility of everything that person or party says. I'm a proponent of factcheck.org which works to sort out the facts from the dross. An example is the

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-38526882612544064522008-09-05T17:27:00.000-07:002008-09-05T17:37:11.164-07:00

I am taken aback that military service has become such a criterion for a "good president" in the public dialogue about the election. True, some of our presidents who served in the military have been good presidents. But presidents who did not serve have also been great war leaders. If I'm not mistaken neither Abraham Lincoln nor Franklin D. Roosevelt served in the military. Both were great

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-31624179720579778032008-09-05T17:07:00.000-07:002008-09-05T17:26:38.264-07:00

This past week on NPR, I heard a Republican congresswoman being interviewed. She asserted that drilling in Alaska and offshore would definitely reduce American gas prices and our dependence on foreign oil. At the same time, the interviewer had an economist from EcoNorthwest, a regional economic development firm, in the studio to interview on the same subject. He noted that the basis for

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-77807243684924128152008-09-02T16:41:00.000-07:002008-09-02T16:59:15.668-07:00

The announcement that Sarah Palin's daughter is pregnant and unwed has been a steady topic on the airwaves today. I was thrilled to hear Barack Obama's quote stating the candidates' families and particularly their children should be off-limits. That was the right response; I don't think the Palin family's issue in this regard have any significance in the political dialogue going on right now.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5696750.post-63456437822478566392008-08-28T15:38:00.000-07:002008-08-28T17:44:51.170-07:00

One view of Russia cites the nation as believing they were 'wronged' by the West following on the heels of Soviet dissolution at the beginning of the Nineties. The West, in this view, began to surround Russia with military assistance pacts in Russia's own traditional haunts. The West, especially the US, failed to listen to Russian advice as strife ravaged the Balkans. The West, Russians

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103888963337307977noreply@blogger.com0