Seperate and not equal ...

On NPR's Talk of the Nation today they discussed a recent study that shows that the income gap between white and black America has grown over the past three decades.

While white children typically end up better off than their parents, the same is not necessarily true for blacks. The Brookings Institute conducted a study that shows that in 1974 median incomes for black families was 63 percent of white families, but in 2004 it was just 58 percent. It is worse, not better.

FISA revisited ...

Per my post in 2005 about the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Congress is currently considering several amendments (this is one, for example) to this act that would allow, among other things, the NSA to listen in on domestic phone calls that are to or from a foreign country without a warrant. The current law requires that a warrant be obtained from a special court. In many cases, a warrant can be obtained retroactive to the surveillance, when such a need is proven. The court works quickly, and there is no need to by-pass this law. There may be need for inclusion of other forms of communication, although I believe these amendments have already been made as part of the USA Patriot ACT.

One of the troubling considerations under some of the current bill's forms, is the immunity of litigation to US telecommunication companies that may have allowed the government to listen in on phone calls and emails of US citizens without a warrant, or may have provided phone records of US citizens, also without a warrant. This attempt to run an end around on the constitution is scary and troubling, to say the very least.

While I was searching for some information, I came across this quote on the right-wing Heritage Foundation web site.

Everybody agrees the 1978 act is hopelessly out of debate, but those on the left always gloss over why, instead scaring their followers with stories about how the Bush Administration is reading everyone’s email and listening to everyone’s phone calls. A quick review of the known facts demonstrates why the bi-partisan FISA changes ought to be passed by Congress and why they must include immunity for telecom companies from nuisance lawsuits.

Well, the DEBATE may be hopeless, but I certainly hope not. :)

This same post says that because of the warrantless wiretaps, 19 terrorist plots were thwarted, but sites the Heritage Foundation for its source.

I have said this before, and it needs to be said again. THE ENDS DO NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS! If we continue to chip away at our freedom, if we continue to subvert our liberty, then we should not be surprised when we have none of either.

Stopping terrorist acts is important, but it is NOT more important than keeping this country free. If we diminish our freedoms, then the terrorists have won. It is times such as these that we must be even more vigilant about our freedom. We can have a safe society AND freedom. Will we be able to prevent every attack. I doubt it, but that does not mean that we should allow the government to spy on us at will.

Let's say that we allow this. What if the government then says, we need to be able to enter a home without a warrant so we can find terrorists? What if we set-up road blocks across the country and were required to show our I.D. to continue on our way. What if they could search us at any time? All of these things would reduce the threat of terrorism, but does that make them good?

If the USA can not maintain the liberty of it's citizens, then it is not the USA.

Chance Meeting

When I opened the paper this morning, I was greeted by a picture of local author Arthur Honeyman and I was taken aback. I've met this man, I thought to myself.

Arthur is a poet and author of children's books. He has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair. He was in the paper today, because last year his caregiver was neglecting him and stealing from him. The case against his caregiver was in court on Monday.

I met Arthur in a chance encounter late last summer, apparently near the end, or just after his cargiver was exposed. I went out on my usual Sunday morning bike ride. One of my bicycle routes takes me down the Springwater corridor, into Gresham and then down to Marine drive. I was riding north through Gresham toward Marine drive and hit a red light at a major intersection. I rolled up to the light and Arthur was sitting there waiting for a bus. He said something to me, which I didn't quite understand, but when I looked at him I saw that he was pointing to the ground next to him. I glanced down and saw his change scattered across the sidewalk. "Oh." I said, and quickly hopped off my bike and picked up his change. There was a partial package of Certs among the quarters and dimes and I asked him if it was his. He said it wasn't, so I gathered up the coins and put them back in his hands and headed on my way. After riding West along Marine drive, I turned South along I-205 and when I passed through the Gateway transit center, I saw Arthur again, moving from his bus over to MAX. I was glad that he had made it.

Upon reading today's story, I also read a story from last year about Arthur. Good luck man. Keep on writing!

Geocache saves Climbers

The Climbers that were lost on Mt. Hood were rescued after they found a geocache. as they were descending.

The cache contained the coordinates for the cache, so the climbers were able to call rescuers and give them their exact position. I guess you'd rate the difficulty at 5!

Silver Falls National Park? I think not.

I heard this item on the radio yesterday and then saw it again in the newspaper this morning. State Representative Fred Girod of Stayton wants to make Silver Falls a National Park.

I was born and raised in Silverton and consequently had the pleasure of having this, the largest State Park in Oregon, in my back yard. The Park covers more than 9,000 acres with more than ten water falls, lush evergreen forests, and deep canyons. There are camp sites, cabins, a horse camp, and a conference center nestled in the woods. Certainly one of the best parks in the state. Even now that I live in the city, I find my way down to the park at least once a year. The canyon trail loop at Silver Falls is perhaps my favorite hike (run) in the Northwest, especially at off-peak times, or at least early in the morning when the crowd hasn't surfaced. Silver Falls State Park brings in more than $800,000 a year for the Oregon State Parks system and is reported to have one million visitors annually.

All of that said, making it a National Park is not only a bad idea, but a waste of time and money. Obviously Silver Falls is one of the crown jewels of the state, but it doesn't bear any National significance, nor could the park handle any major increase in attendance that a National Park moniker might bring.

Becky's family has been holding their family reunion at Silver Falls for nearly a decade now in the height of summer, and while we are there in the peak season I have noticed numerous problems that all of those people bring. Perhaps this sounds like a hometown boy who wants to keep the Park to himself, but this is just my observation that the park is already operating beyond it's real capacity. Perhaps Representative Girod wants to draw more people into the park during the winter months, but the Park needs this rest to recover from over-use in the summer.

Crater Lake is the only National Park in the State of Oregon, and it is certainly deserving of this distinction. It is the deepest lake in the United States, and one of the deepest lakes in the world. It is majestic and awe inspiring. It is everything you imagine when thinking of a NATIONAL park: Big and breath taking, nearly beyond expression.

Just take a moment and think of other National Parks: Yellowstone, Olympic, Yosemite, Redwood, Grand Canyon. All of these are part of the National culture. All of these have national significance. Silver Falls is beautiful. It is splendid. It is peaceful and inspiring. It is regionally significant, but it is NOT a National Park. It never will be.

Interestingly, there have been two other attempts to take Silver Falls national, in 1926 and again in 1935. Add the year 2008 to years in which the request was rejected.

The Chargers win?

So here we are ... one week away from the AFC and NFC Championship games to see who gets to play in the Super Bowl and who do I find on the schedule but a little team from San Diego that started the year 1 and 3 and then 5 and 5. They have won eight straight games since then and find themselves one improbable win from the Super Bowl.

The Chargers played poorly two weeks ago in the AFC Wildcard game against Tennessee. They sputtered on offense in the first half, but their defense held Tennessee to just 6 first half points, which kept them in the game and ultimately allowed them to win.

I held little hope for the Chargers yesterday, traveling to Indianapolis to play the defending Champions. But the Chargers have always played well against the Colts and won a close game this year against them in week 10.

The Charger defense stepped up again yesterday, intercepting Peyton Manning twice and forcing a fumble which they recovered. Antonio Cromartie, who lead the league this season with ten interceptions, ran one interception back 89 yards for a touchdown yesterday. The touchdown was called back on a questionable holding penalty for what looked like a clean block. (I watched the video several times from a couple angles and couldn't see it.)

The big news yesterday was the outstanding play of Philip Rivers and the Charger offensive line. The Chargers pounded the Colts and moved the ball easily. Rivers played consistently and confidently. The tough game, however, may have exacted too big a toll on the team. First LaDanian Tomlinson and then Rivers were sidelined due to knee injuries ... the good news is that the Chargers are deep. Michael Turner, who could have left the Chargers at the end of last year to a starting job anywhere in the league, stayed on as a back-up and proved his worth in the second half. Billy Volek came in late in the game at quarterback and moved the Chargers 78 yards and scored the winning touchdown on a 1 yard quarterback sneak. It is still unclear if Rivers or Tomlinson will play next week in New England. The team is also nursing all-star Tightend Antonio Gates who dislocated the big toe on his left foot in the game against Tennessee last week. He played yesterday, but he was obviously in pain and contributed on only a couple plays.

The Chargers are in for a tough, tough battle next week against the undefeated Patriots. I haven't seen the point spread yet, but I'd make them a two touchdown underdog. The key to next week will once again lie with the Charger defense. If they can put consistent pressure on Tom Brady, they might, might be able to stay with them down the stretch ... one can only hope ...

Pandora's Music Box

One of my co-workers turned me on to Pandora today. This site allows you to create different "radio" stations based on your listening preferences.

I seeded my first station with Billy Joel (no song selection) and it immediately played me what it considered the quintessential Billy Joel song "She's Right on Time" which of course I don't really care for, so I told it I didn't like that song, so it goes out and finds another Billy Joel song, this time "52nd Street" and from that it guesses as to what other songs I might like by other artists.

I can tell the application which songs I like and don't like, add songs and artists to a particular station and add additional seed songs and artists. The program for each station continues to evolve based on my preferences.

After a dozen or so songs, it came to "Imagine" by John Lennon. When asking why this song was recommended, Pandora tells me:

Based on what you've told us so far, we're playing this track because it features mellow rock instrumentation, folk influences, acoustic rhythm piano, acoustic sonority and major key tonality.

Pretty cool. There are even links to iTunes and Amazon, in case you want to purchase one of the songs or albums playing.

Another Presidential Test ...

Who should I vote for for president in 2008?

You match up well with...

	Bill Richardson - 72% You're looking for a moderate Democrat like Bill Richardson. Experienced in state, national, and international politics, Richardson has been a Congressman, an ambassador to the United Nations Security Council, and is now the governor of New Mexico. He is pro-choice, strongly favors rights for the LGBT population, advocates for affirmative action in government contracts, and even championed the idea that Congress should revoke the original authority it gave to go to war with Iraq. Richardson also supports the death penalty and gun ownership rights.
	Barack Obama - 70% You must be ambitious and idealistic, like Barack Obama. Obama is a liberal democrat who, unlike his rivals, opposed the Iraq war from the start. With only 3 years in the Senate, his inexperience worries some and sometimes reveals itself in the debates, but he also has the charisma and popular support that the others lack.
	Joe Biden - 69% You've selected a Democrat from the center of the spectrum with the foreign policy and legislative experience that should be envied by the others. Joe Biden is a Senior Democratic Senator from Delaware who has spent nearly half his life in the Senate after being elected at age 29. He can eloquently deliver a detailed plan for Iraq and the deployment of troops to Darfur. He supports LGBT rights, pro-choice legislation with some caveats, gun control legislation, and a cap-and-trade carbon emissions system. As a well positioned moderate, he has avoided attacking the Bush administration and being overtly confrontational with the Republican party. However, Biden's long legislative record provides his opponents with material to criticize.

Take the test.

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Viva Mexico! We spent our New Year in Cabo San Lucas. My brother-in-law Don will be turning 60 this year, and to celebrate, we went to Mexico, along with my sister, her daughters, Don's daughter, brother, friend and their significant others.


Aside from Tijuana, Becky and I have never been to Mexico. We were staying at the hotel Finisterra on the Pacific side of the cape. It's a nice resort, but a little over priced for what you get.

We arrived in Los Cabo on the 28th and returned on January 3rd. We spent many afternoons bathing by the pools pictured here, sucking down cold drinks and nibbling on fruit bowls and nachos.


In the evenings, we drank ... and danced
and then spent our days wandering the streets, shopping and seeing the sights. Then in the evening, we drank, and danced some more.

While we stayed in the heart of the tourist area, Becky and I ventured out to a few parts of town where tourists were few and far between.

All of the restaurants, resorts and bars hold their own New Year's eve parties that cost anywhere from $45 to over $100 usd. We finally decided on the open bar at the Hard Rock Cafe that included a live band.

It was a crazy atmosphere where we were surrounded mostly by locals and the wait staff drank nearly as much as we did. They placed the nine of us right in the front, next to the stage ... and I think for good reason. We were loud and raucous shortly after we arrived at 9:30 and finally got the locals on their feet a little before midnight.



Yes, that's my wife dancing with the lead singer for the band. Many of the local families around us had small children, including some toddlers ... we were all amazed that they all stayed well into the morning hours.

Our waiter, Mario, who had a shot every time one us had a shot, took a liking to my niece, Marybeth and danced with her for much of the evening. I have lots of photographs of them ... but I'm sparing her the humiliation.

Aside from the New Year festivities, Becky and I took a tour of Land's End, of course, including the Arch and Playa Del Amore.

On our last full day in Cabo, we got up really early and went out to San Jose Del Cabo and went fishing for Dorado (Mahi Mahi) in the sea of Cortez with Roy (Don's brother) and Pam.

We were out early enough to watch the sun rise over the sea of Cortez. We were out in Pangas, which are about sixteen feet long and about seven feet wide.

We were both a little worried that we'd toss our cookies, but thankfully, we never felt too bad. The water calmed down after the sun came up and we were out on the water for about six hours.

We caught a total of six fish, including two Mackerels that our guide quickly re-hooked and tossed back in for "bigger" bait. That is him there. He didn't speak a lick of English, and our Spanish was even worse.

At one point he grabbed a pole and started giving me detailed instructions on what I was suppose to be doing. He fired off a long list and then looked at me and said "Okay?" "No." I said, "I'm not sure I understood a thing you just said." "It's okay." He assured me.

When we first stopped to get our poles in the water, a small pod of whales surfaced near us. Not good for fishing of course. We moved farther West and motored around for a while. We'd been out for a little over an hour when Becky hooked a fish on one of the Mackerel we caught, and then I quickly had a bite. As we were pulling in these fish, our guide threw out a third line, and by the time I had pulled the first fish in, we had a third Dorado on that line.

Total tranquility followed by seven minutes of absolute chaos. We hooked one final Dorado trolling back to port, late in the morning. These fish are amazingly colorful ... electric blue with bright neon yellow fins. It was remarkable to see that first yellow fin come up out of the water. They obviously lose a lot of their color once they are dead.


We ended the day with nearly 20 pounds of Mahi Mahi. We gave a couple fillets to our guide and had Roy and Pam freeze the rest to bring back with them. They were staying in a condo nearby, so had some time to freeze all that fish.

Roy caught a huge Dorado, at least a foot longer than the one I am holding. He battled that thing for a long, long time. Roy and Pam were great, they drove us around San Jose Del Cabo in their car ... complete with a bobble head Chihuahua.

I took one large fillet back to town with me and had Poncho's cook it for me. Pretty cool, take your fish into a restaurant and for $10 us, they will cook it for you and give you all the fixins. I had it grilled with garlic and butter ... it was sooooo good. Easily the best meal I had while in Mexico.

The next day, we packed up and said good-bye to Mexico.

Of course, everyone knows that flying home for us is ALWAYS an adventure. A month before we left, Alaska airlines informed us that our non-stop flight home had changed to a three hour lay-over in San Francisco. We arrived in SFO at 5pm, had dinner, went to the gate ... at 7:30pm the flight was delayed to 9:45pm ... then midnight ... then 1am ... we finally had wheels up around 1:45am and made it to our house at 4am ... kind of a long trip home.