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• October 27, 2012
• 2:57

  Spanish Fridays: Ahogando en Estres

   » ‎ A Year In The Life of Krystal

  Tags:  spanish friday   [edit]

  
  
  Ahora que estoy asistiendo a las clases de español otra vez, es la hora para escribir en mi blog en español también. Hoy he solicitado la admisión a ambas universidades aquí en Oregon central. Era muy fácil por hacer por Internet. Yo pasaba muchas horas estudiando los horarios de clases por el trimestre del invierno 2013. Necesito tomar doce créditos (tiempo completo) para recibir los beneficios de los servicios veteranos (VA). Por supuesto, voy a seguir con el español por 3 créditos. Hay una lista de requisitos para cumplir el doble titulo de estudios internacionales. Puedo tomar clases a OSU (Oregon State Unversity), COCC (Central Oregon Community College), o por Internet de los dos. Primero quiero elegir  la mayoría de las clases posibles de COCC porque serían más fácil y ¡cuestan muchos menos! Entiendo que el VA pagara la mayoría pero no siento que es necesario abusar la programa tampoco. Mi segundo opción es elegir clases por Internet para no interrumpir el horario de trabajar. Tuve una junta con mi jefa ayer y pensamos que voy a seguir con 20 horas a la semana y no regresar a tiempo completo. Tengo mi plan para los próximos dos trimestres y todavía ¡no me han aceptado a los colegios!
  
  Mañana Azul cumplirá cinco años de edad y tendremos una fiesta grande en la casa. No sé cuantos invitados pero José pasó toda la tarder en cocina. Vamos a servir tinga, ceviche, taquitos, y mucha cerveza. Hay dos piñatas y voy a dividir los niños en dos grupos para que sea más justo. Antes de la fiesta, voy a llevar Erika y Azul a Lowe's para su taller de niño. Ellas les encantan los proyectos de construyendo y creando cosas.
  
  Con un poco de suerte y un gran cantidad de paciencia en la parte de mi esposo, yo intentare a seguir trabajando, asistiendo clases, y cuidando mi familia frente de todo que tenemos que aguantar este año.

• 1:39

  Millet Trilogy WDS Hoodie

   » ‎ YMMV Reviews

  Tags:    [edit]

  Manufacturer Description

  All-weather, all-activity protection in WINDSTOPPER Soft Shell X Fast stretch 3L laminate.

  Features

  • High-density weft-and-warp construction
  • Total mountain protection with integral hood
  • 2 handwarmer pockets
  • 1 zipped chest pocket
  • Flex Comfort preformed elbows
  • Lycra inner cuffs and hem for pure lightness
  • WINDSTOPPER Soft Shell X Fast Stretch 3L
  • Tested size Large
    • Weight – 510 g (18 oz)
    • Pit to pit – 56.8 cm (22.4 in) tough to get good measurement
    • Center back – 73.7 cm (29.0 in)
    • Sleeve length – 90.5 cm (35.6 in)
  • Retail – $290

  YMMV Review

  If you have been following the site for some time you will know I like European Brands. I like some of their color schemes as well as the trimmer fit than most of them have. Millet is out of Annecy-le-Vieux, France. They have been in business since 1921 but did not get into the mountain industry until the 1950s. Millet which is pronounced “Mee”-“yay” now makes a variety of gear and clothing for the mountains and beyond. They have had some of the world’s best technical advisors to the brand and use top level materials. I was excited to meet with the brand at the Winter Outdoor Retailer show and set up a review of one of their new fall 2012 jackets.

  

  Front View – Click to See Larger

  Testing

  The Trilogy WDS Hoodie is one of the core mountaineering pieces in the fall. I, therefore, tried to get it up in the mountains when I could. Since most of my testing was in the late spring to early fall, weather was a factor and not the way you think. We had lots of sun and not much rain or snow to fully test it out in until recently. The jacket went on a number of trips into the mountains ranging from one to several days. It got put through a little snow, a little rain, plenty of cold, and some very high winds.

  Design 3.2 out of 5 stars Appearance (15%) 4 out of 5 stars Construction (30%) 4 out of 5 stars Packability (10%) 3 out of 5 stars Pockets (15%) 3 out of 5 stars Sustainability (10%) 0 out of 5 stars Weight (20%) 3 out of 5 stars

  The Millet Trilogy WDS Hoodie is a new and exciting addition to the mountaineering line up for fall of 2012. What sets this jacket apart is that it is made of the new Windstopper X-Fast softshell fabric. The X-Fast fabric enhances all the benefits of the original Windstopper fabric, adding an all-way stretch for maximum movement-mirroring ability. Windstopper is a 100% windproof fabric. This is accomplished by a membrane sandwiched between two layers of fabric, an inner next to skin fabric and outer shell fabric. This is similar to the way many of the top of the line jackets work. The difference is the seams are not taped, and it has a different membrane. It is hard to get any definitive information from gore as they are VERY protective of their technologies. The X-Fast fabric is much thinner than other wind blocking fabrics I have used and is supposed to offer virtually unlimited breathability. By being windproof the Windstopper X-Fast is supposed to keep you 2.5x warmer while being 2x more breathable as comparable windproof products. Windstopper X-Fast is not waterproof but has been designed to be able and handle snow or a light rain.

  

  Back View – Click to See Larger

  Millet’s Trilogy WDS Hoodie has taken this Windstopper fabric and turned it into a fast and light mountaineering softshell. It has a stripped-down feature set, but does keep the essentials. The hood is tighter fitting to help keep out the elements and has multi-point adjustments for fit. To enhance fit the jacket has preformed elbows. Millet has shaved off some weight by making both the wrist cuffs and the bottom hem simple Lycra so they stay snug but do not need much material. The hoodie has a full length front zipper with a wind panel behind it and protection over the chin. For pockets the hoodie has three: two hand pockets and a zip chest pocket. These all have mesh pocket bags, so they can be opened up for breathability. One good thing about these pockets is that the zippers do not go all the way to the bottom. By not going all the way to the bottom, there is a little ridge that keeps things from accidentally falling out when the pocket is open. Now as for two negatives on the pockets, the first is there is not an audio out from the chest pocket. This seems like a very easy thing to add and one thing I missed. The second is the hand warmer pockets are on the lower side, so they may get in the way of your backpack hipbelt. I know that for me, it made the bottom of the pockets unusable when carrying a pack, fortunately the pockets are large, so there was plenty of room left.

  

  Bottom Hem – Click to See Larger

  As I have researched the hoodie it has been difficult to find much information of the exact materials and their sources. Furthermore, in my research of Millet as a brand they do not do a good job of covering and corporate initiatives they may be doing to help with sustainability. I hope they are participating in some of these, but it was not apparent to me. For these reasons, I gave the jacket a zero rating for sustainability.

  Fit 3.7 out of 5 stars Arm Length (20%) 3.5 out of 5 stars Comfort (20%) 3.5 out of 5 stars Cuffs & Hem (10%) 3 out of 5 stars Ease of Movement (20%) 4.5 out of 5 stars Hood (10%) 4 out of 5 stars Torso Sizing (20%) 3.5 out of 5 stars

  Since Millet is a French brand it can sometimes be more difficult to get your sizing correct. I am normally in between a size small and medium in US sizes, and that would put me between a medium and large in European sizes. I ended up testing a European large (US medium) and in retrospect, I think I would go with a medium (US small) next time. Take a look at the Millet size chart before you purchase, and you will be good as the fit for me seemed right on the chart. This is not to mean that the large fit poorly, just that since the jacket can stretch really well I did not need the extra room underneath like I may have wanted on another jacket. The fit on the large left a little extra room in the midsection and the arms were basically right on in length. I think I would welcome the less material in the midsection and while I really liked the length in the arms, I do not think a slight shortening would be a big deal for me if I sized down. As is the jacket easily layered over a lightweight insulating layer and still felt like I had plenty of mobility, and some room underneath.

  

  Adjustable Hood – Click to See Larger

  Millet has stripped the jacket down a bit to save weight but kept it completely full functioning. The wrist cuffs are a basic Lycra cuff which I personally like. This cuff stayed close enough that on my hike with 50+ mph winds I did not have any issues with wind coming up the cuff. I wish they could have come up with a solution for a thumb loop as I could see that being a handy feature on this jacket. The hem cuff worked well on me as it was sized just where I like my jackets normally to be as far as tightness. One thing I was worried about was the lack of adjustable bungee at the hem, but this was not an issue on my hikes or climbs. I could see wanting it more if I was to get out in the snow. Being able to cinch down the hem when skiing makes a big difference on powder days. The Lycra hem did help it fit under a backpack hipbelt really well. On the one trip that was really rainy and windy I definitely needed the hood and must say it worked well. I was able to adjust it to stay close to my face, and it stayed there, gave me protection, and did not negatively affect my vision. I was wearing a ball cap for the bill which also helped. This was not the only time I used the hood and liked it each time I did.

  

  Pocket Layout – Click to See Larger

  Where the Trilogy is awesome is in the stretch of the fabric. I know the hoodie is made for mountaineering, but you really can use it for a variety of activities. The fabric is light and stretches no matter what you are doing. It really does not feel like it is there. This is the main reason why I could have sized down. The interior of the jacket has a soft fleece-like backer that is comfortable against the skin. During all my activities, this was a very comfortable hoodie.

  Performance 3.9 out of 5 stars Breathability (15%) 4 out of 5 stars Durability (20%) 3.5 out of 5 stars Versatility (15%) 4 out of 5 stars Warmth (20%) 3.5 out of 5 stars Water Resistance (10%) 3 out of 5 stars Wind Resistance (20%) 5 out of 5 stars

  This is definitely a performance piece, and you can tell when you first look at it. It is mainly at home in the mountains and has been built as so. The softshell material is abrasion resistant and can handle a lot of punishment. One thing that is also great about softshell jackets is not only do you get the stretch, but the jacket is so much quieter to wear. I tested this jacket on several trips in a variety of temperatures, and I must say that the breathability is really impressive. As I think about it, I cannot think of a time where I truly overwhelmed the jacket. Even when climbing I could maintain a descent temperature and avoid sweating, this is a problem with many other windproof or waterproof jackets. The Windstopper is truly 100% windproof. I had the jacket out in winds gusting to 60 mph and had no perceivable air getting through which is a good thing as it was in the upper 30s at the time. I know the jacket was only water resistant, but I wanted to truly test it, and that I did. On one day trip it rained pretty solidly the whole time, and the jacket held up for the first hour but eventually the rain won and started to seep in. A light rain or snow will be no issue for the jacket as it will just bead up and roll off, but if you are expecting heavy rain, I would suggest a waterproof jacket.

  

  Wrist Cuff – Click to See Larger

  The fabric on the Trilogy is fairly thin but still offers a descent amount of warmth. More than you would expect, especially in windy conditions. This made the hoodie very versatile; I could use it for any dry, snowy, or even light rain activity I had planned. While it excels as a mountaineering jacket by design, it does not mean you cannot use it for other things. The construction and durability seem to be very good on the Trilogy. I have not had any issues with wear or even occasional loose threads like I have had with some other jackets. It has held up great thus far and like many of my other softshells I imagine it will last a long time.

  

  Rain Beads Up – Click to See Larger

  Overall 3.5 out of 5 stars

  Overall, I have really liked the Millet Trilogy WDS Hoodie. It has been great for the drier climate we have here in Bend. We get little rain and lots of wind so this jacket fits right in. The jacket is very supple and has an excellent stretch to it. This makes it great for activities where you are moving as the jacket will not impede in any way. It is important to realize that it does have limits in that it is 100% windproof but only water resistant. Snow and light rain will not be an issue, but heavy rain can be over time. This being said I know most people will not choose to be out in the pouring rain if they can avoid it. The other thing worth repeating is the excellent breathability of the Windstopper X-Fast fabric. It is far and away better than and other windproof jackets I have tested. There are a couple of tweaks I would make to the jacket, but for the most part, it is sweet. If you have not heard or tried a Millet jacket, this would be an excellent first choice. The Trilogy WDS Hoodie is set to retail for $290. You do not see many Millet Jackets in the states, but if they are like this one, you should see more. As a funny side note, on my last hike in the jacket I ran across another hiker up in the wind and rain. He was an older gentleman and had older gear and a wood walking stick. I happened to look at his jacket, and it was a 70s or 80s Eider Jacket. I thought that this was funny as Eider and Millet are both under the LaFuma umbrella. That and who would figure that the only two people up on Broken Top in a rain storm would have French jackets on. Any ways, as always, your mileage may vary.

  Pros

  • Great stretch
  • 100% Windproof
  • Simple design
  • Breathes well
  • Trimmer fit

  Cons

  • No audio port in chest pocket
  • Still miss the bungee adjustment for the bottom hem

  All Millet Reviews All Jacket Reviews Adventures

  • Broken Top Climb via Northwest Ridge
  • Hike to Scout Lake in Jefferson Park
  • Broken Top Crater Hike

  

  

• October 26, 2012
• 21:04

  Kleenex and Cocktails

   » ‎ Pomegranate Seeds

  Tags:    [edit]

  Mollie, dressed up for Christmas (December, 2011)
  {Warning: sadness ahead. We each wrote about our Mollie more than a month ago, but couldn't bear to look at the words again until now: Jan's version, then Robert's.}
  
  Lots of Kleenex. And a few cocktails. That's our story lately. A few weeks ago, we lost our dear, sweet, beloved, beautiful girl Mollie. Best. Dog. Ever. I could just stop there, because that's the short truth of it, and going further will probably make me reach for even more Kleenex. Another box, please.
  
  We all love our pets unconditionally, even the pain-in-the-ass ones. Mollie's unofficial sister, Weasel, died several years ago after 16 years of hyper living. She was berserk, nervous, and angst-ridden, but sweet, smart, and loyal, too. We loved that funny little nutball with all our hearts. 
  But when Mollie died, we knew there would never be another as completely and utterly wonderful as she. Some legendary dogs just defy description (and gravity).
  
  This morning, as I was sweeping up the kitchen, I dislodged a half-chewed champagne cork from under the refrigerator; the kind of thing that makes me burst into tears. Little remembrances of her, and the amazing things she did.
  
  She was a miracle dog, and we were so very lucky to have her in our lives. Lots of our clientele knew her well. She entertained kids and dads for years at our shop. She was our constant companion, everywhere we went. She was not only our loving girl, she was the ultimate shop dog, and she lived for fifteen great years.
  
  Here's her story.
  
  Fourteen years ago, Robert's co-workers came back from a camping trip with a starving, matted dog whose skin was raw with flea bites and ticks. After exhausting all methods to find the owners, they thought maybe Robert was the right rescue dad. They figured we needed another dog. Like a hole in the head.
  
  She came right over to him, sat down on his feet and looked up at him with those big spaniel eyes... and he was a goner. He called me and said, "I think we have another dog. I can't say no. That okay with you?" "Uh, sure!" I answered. No use debating a done deal. It wasn't like we researched breeds and did our due diligence. It was just love at first sight, and that's all you need sometimes.
  
  I rushed her to the vet and got her fixed up, with meds for flea allergies and the right food to get her bony, starving body back to health. Afterwards, she jumped right up in the car, sat in the passenger seat, and put her sweet little paw on my shoulder. I could hardly breathe, I was so happy. We had ourselves a new little girl, about a year old, still nameless, a certain mix of Border Collie and Springer Spaniel.
  
  The very next day, we decided to take her to the shop to see how she would fare. There's no manual for training a dog to be a good shop dog:  they either are or are not suitable for it. But it's a lot to ask of a dog: be friendly to everyone, be patient, don't run off, don't get in the way, don't bark, don't whine, don't chew on the merchandise. It's the same basic rules we give to ourselves as owners... She stepped right into the role as if she already knew what she was doing. Her training mostly consisted of us pointing to the street and saying "no street, no street."
  
  That first morning, I had the oddly identical conversation with three customers in a row. It went like this:
  
  Customer: Oh how cute! What's her name?
  Me: I don't know yet; she's a rescue dog and we just got her.
  Customer: Well, she looks like a Mollie to me.
  
  So there it was. Her name was Mollie, and we could start calling her that.
  
  In our at-home life, she was our lovebug. She wanted to be around us all the time. She also loved the sofa, silk pillows, and our bed. And – like all dogs – she loved to play. She and Weasel lived for their daily frisbee game on the lawn. She was always right there, never strolling very far, even those few times we accidentally left the door open. Oh, did I mention that she insisted on getting the newspaper for us every morning? Even the hefty Sunday edition, even in the driving snow.
  
  Nothing fazed her: not loud noises nor lightening flashes nor vets pulling cheatgrass out of her ear.
  
  At the shop, she especially adored babies and kids, and was exceedingly gentle with them. I think she could smell a baby a mile away; when one came through the door, she was already on high alert, and ready for baby love. Ready to kiss their little feet. She let kids fall on her, lean on her, pull on her, curl up next to her... with not one whimper. Mostly, she wanted them to come out on the lawn with her and throw a pinecone. She could do these amazing, twisting, flipping, mid-air catches, and would trot back with the pinecone and drop it right in your hand.
  
  Her other favorite toy: champagne corks. When we used to be open on Sundays, we always served mimosas, and Mollie was keenly alert to the sound of a champagne bottle being opened. She'd stand out on the lawn (or wherever she was) and Robert could pop that cork right to her, and she'd do one of her amazing little mid-air catches, then chew the cork a bit and spit it out. She loved those champagne corks.
  
  For years, she entertained kids (and dads) while mom got a chance to shop. I think she even helped a few kids get over their fear of dogs. Now that's Shop Dog Extraordinaire.
  
  And, she was a beautiful girl. Soft, silky fur, freckle faced, tail like a minky paint brush, and little Yedi furry feet that were like big slippers when she had her full winter coat on.
  
  The last few years were tough. She grew an abnormally large fatty tumor on her side that was inoperable. It slowed her down considerably, but she kept up her good spirits and happy disposition. We always got a very lively greeting when we got home. My heart still skips a beat when I open the door, thinking she's there waiting. Then you remember. It's very quiet. We are not used to the not-there of her yet.
  
  We tried to prepare ourselves for this for a long time. We spent as much time as possible with her. We showered her with love and affection and kisses and constant attention. We tried to be in the moment, because we knew there wouldn't always be moments. But nothing really prepares you for the reality.
  
  We haven't shared our news with too many people. We just keep on working, as we worked that first day when we lost her in the morning. Work helps keep your mind off things, and helps keep you from turning into a mopey, weepy bundle of sludge on the sofa. {By the way, a big thank you to Dr. Deb from All Pets Smiling, who rushed to our house that morning, and was so compassionate and professional and caring.}
  
  To Mollie's legions of fans: we're sorry. And so sad. If you start getting teary in the store, don't look at me, because I'll start weeping again. It's not a pretty sight. Now where did that damn kleenex go?
  
  Robert's story (he's better at the short and sweet version... he claims his is more succinct because he has better focus – hah):
  
  Five days passed before I could tell anyone without crying. It's now two weeks and I am still having such a hard time. Our little Mollie dog is gone. There. I said it. Our house is empty and I swear that our voices echo now that she is no longer there to hear them. We both listen for her, and then quietly sigh.
  
  But there are memories of course. They come when we call them. Do you remember Mollie? The Vice President of Public Relations was there at the shop to greet you every day for nearly 14 years. Whether outside tucked under the bushes, or inside tucked into her bed in the corner, she was happy to see you. But it was children that really got her attention. Racing for pinecones, flipping in the air to catch them, she kept your kids busy while you shopped. She just knew what each child needed from her. Mollie would cuddle with the little girls out on the grass, then roughhouse with the boys, playing keepaway and tug o'war. The next minute would see her crawl on her stomach to try to greet a shy little one without alarming her. To many, we became "Mollie's store."
  
  So the sweet memories stay with me and so many of our dear customers, who over the years got to meet and maybe play with Mollie. Every day someone who remembers will come in and ask about her and share a story. I just smile and nod my head because that special little soul is part of me and I am forever changed because of her.
  
  
  
  
  

• 20:34

  Positive news on polls

   » ‎ Bend OR Bust

  Tags:    [edit]

  It's hard to make sense of all the polls that show conflicting results for the same race and state.
  
  Like Ohio.
  
  President Obama continues to lead in Ohio, but the advantage is either within the margin of error or above that same margin.
  
  Well, here's an article that helps explain the differences between the polling methods used today.
  
  Some outfits, like Rasmussen, use "robo-calls" of "likely voters," as opposed to "live" calls of likely voters.
  
  Likely voters apparently are more valid than "register voters."
  
  Robo-calls are computer generated. Live calls are people calling people.
  
  The big difference between the two methods is that robo-calling cell phones is prohibited by law, but live-calling is not.
  
  Live-calling of likely voters evidently yields the most valid responses.
  
  This makes sense since virtually no one under the age of 35 owns a land-line these days.
  
  Conversely, robo-calls target older voters who tend to vote Republican.
  
  Anyway, President Obama holds a larger lead in Ohio, about 4.5 percent, with live calls.
  
  This is critical, because if President Obama wins Ohio, it is all over for the Mitt-wit.
  
  So, this is good news for President Obama's chances of winning re-election.
  
  However, as noted in the previous posting, a company with close ties to Mitt owns the voting machines in the key counties in Ohio that will decide the entire election.
  
  It's crucial for the media to be vigilant of "irregularities" in voting results in those Ohio counties.

  
  

  

• 20:29

  Derek Sitter has just played the ...

   » ‎ Show & Tell

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  Derek Sitter has just played the part of the Devil in the play Bobby Gould in Hell, put on through the new  Volcanic Theater Pub. He sits at the edge of the stage, wearing devil horns and a fishing vest as he fields questions from the audience.
  
  I found the play excellent and amusing.  Derek was dynamic and riveting as the devil (he apologizes for the use of curse words). He spent much of the the play chastising Bobby Gould (played by Wayne Newcome), demanding he confess his life's evildoing.  
  There's been a question I've been dying to ask Derek to add to the stories in demon zine.  I considered addressing my questions in an e-mail but Derek mentioned his medium of expression is through acting. Asking him while he's on stage, still dressed as the devil could not be more appropriate. "You won the Source award for Sexiest Teacher (light laugher) and in the article you mention fighting your demons alone in a motel room. Do you mind expounding on that experience? Sorry to get all Terry Gross on your ass."
  Years ago, Derek responds, he was at a Motel 6 in Tallahatchi withdrawing from his medication. It was a long night. He had been afraid of everything. He had jealousy. He was in a three-year depression. Walking through his life asleep. 
  "I was either going to die or be a better person." Saying to the demons, "You can't kill me. What am I afraid of? Fuck it."
  It was a long, terrifying night.
  It's difficult to draw a demon out. They move carefully around the bones, between the ribs and under, over, around the organs. They are nearly impossible to pin down.Derek invited his to surface when he stopped taking his meds. He didn't go to sleep. Let the skin boil and the organs shift.
  It took staying up all night.
  Joel once told me sometimes you just have to stay up until the sun rises to push past something. And if you want to face your demons like Derek you have to give them the space to show themselves. You have to stay awake and exhaust yourself and be at the brink where you'll either live or die. You can't go to sleep. You can't deny them. You can't bury them. You have to sit there and be ravaged by them until they're done with you. Allowing the demons a space to present themselves. 
  Giving them the space and madness to speak. And moving forward, whatever it takes 
  But in the morning, something was clearer.
  Derek, on stage in his devil horns, pretty wife by his side, says he did it for his family. For his daughter.
  Now Derek has his theater.  The Volcanic Theater Pub, a dream of his, where you can drink a beer and the characters move from the stage to the audience. His space is off of Century across the courtyard from Goodlife Brewing. He's taking his meds. 
  & he's playing the devil now. 
  "I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it." - (From the poem The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer) 
  
  Review for Show & Tell "Rachel Lee-Carman's comic diary zine is equal parts devastating and joyously life-affirming. Issue nine of Show & Tell is packed heavy with mood as Rachel's drawings and writings swirl together across the page; unlike a lot of diary comics, Rachel's aren't necessarily sequential and don't come in panel form. It's an earthy structure she's using, very much like something growing wild in nature, all tangles and vines and sun-grown intricacy. What you get in issue 9 is a big dose of life--searching, fighting, celebrating, troubled, anguished, worried, humorous, philosophical, patient. Rachel's looking at some hard and sad things in this issue, death and estrangement, growing up and finding your place. But as heavy as it can be, Rachel knows how to showcase the gentle and beautiful things, the good hearts, the parts of life worth loving. You get a well-rounded thing with Rachel's zines, a life (hers) examined from all angles. Reading Show & Tell is like looking at old glass-case biology exhibits or reading pioneer diaries; there's a very comforting, soothing manner about her examinations of everyday living, something young and new but refreshingly timeless. Show & Tell has been a Microcosm favorite since day one and this issue is Rachel's best." -Microcosm Publishing 2011"Similar to Nicole Georges or Erin Tobey, Rachel Lee-Carman documents her daily life in thoughtful lines, daily anecdotes, and love. The composition of the pages grabs you and commands that you reflect—if only for a minute—before retreating inside your own skull to reflect on the ways these things ring true in your own life. Operating as a filter for Antoine Saint-Exupery's The Presence of The Little Prince, this zine reflects on feelings, love, and spirituality. Without ever getting dogmatic, she reflects on yoga, Anne Frank, religion, concepts of abundance, relationships, and feeling better through buying yourself roses. This issue is a thinker and will shed many hours of joy upon you. " -Microcosm Publishing 2011
  http://wemakezines.ning.com/video/bling29-1

• 18:54

  Orange Crusher and Basset Boo [Flickr]

   » ‎ Carrrrrlos

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  carrrrrlos posted a photo:

  

  It’s costume time!

  

• 18:43

  Giant Loop Event: RawHyde's Adventure Days, November 8-11, Castaic, California

   » ‎ Go Light. Go Fast.

  Tags:    [edit]

  Please join Giant Loop's Dustin Cary and Brad Tawzer at RawHyde's Adventure Days, November 8-11. We would like to invite you as our guest at RawHyde's Adventure Days.  Part rally  and part expo - it's all about adventure on two wheels. Rally Package = 3 days of adventure that includes all the classes, all the rides, 8 meals, evening entertainment, access to the "Dakar Bar," and a whole lot more. Sign up here for the whole program. Day Pass = Visit between the hours of 9 and 5, browse vendors and participate in a few classes or clinics for no charge. Click here to download your free Day Pass. Please note that once you've downloaded the day pass, you'll need to confirm your attendance by RSVP - just email:  advdays@rawhyde-offroad.com. Directions for the RSVP are printed on the ticket.  The RSVP will generate an auto response indicating we've gotten your request and you'll receive additional information to your email box as it becomes available. **...
  
  FOR THE REST OF THE STORY, CLICK THE HEADLINE LINK. GiantLoopMoto.com.

• 15:25

  Party Weekend!

   » ‎ Hack Bend

  Tags:  Alcohol   [edit]

  Two big Halloween-themed parties are taking place Saturday night, and funnily enough both both are related to alcohol in that the folks throwing the parties are Deschutes Brewery and Oregon Spirit Distillers.

  The Brewery is throwing their annual warehouse party from 8pm until 2am, where you’ll be able to get in for $10 (which benefits the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance.

  Join us during the Halloween Cross Crusades for the warehouse party of the year! From 8:00pm-2:00am enjoy the vintage carnival & adult circus we’re calling “CYCLO du SOLEIL”!

  Once again be sure to watch the Traditional Clydesdale race from 8:30-9:00pm, and if you’re already enjoying the party, be sure to get a stamp that gets you re-entry into the wareshouse until 9:30pm.

  In addition to live music and stage performances by Klown Korps from San Francisco, beats will have you movin’ from DJ Delachaux all night long.

  There will also be entertainment acts from the Bend Circus Center & other local performance troupes doing aerial, belly dancing, acrobatics, & fire performances.

  Meanwhile over at Astro Lounge, Oregon Spirit Distillers is having an Absinthe Party also starting at 8pm celebrating their latest bottled offering.

  Come Out and Play this Halloween Saturday night with Oregon Spirit Distillers and DJ ATL at the Astro. We’ll be mixing up tunes and tasting Oregon Spirit’s latest release WILD CARD ABSINTHE.

  Celebrate the little green fairy dressed in your favorite green fairy costume. Prizes and giveaways for the crowd’s favorite.

  Fantastic body painting by Natalie Fletcher!

  Learn more about this interesting spirit… Get Wild with Wild Card!

  Door prizes, giveaways and little green fairies….

• 14:45

  Top Picks: Local Racers’ Haunts

   » ‎ Bike Around Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Amber Lee Clark (Cascade Couriers/Bend Velo) at Cross Crusades #2 (2012) | Photo © Dave Roth

  Too much of a good thing, can be bad, no? Choices of where to eat, drink and relax abound in Bend. If you’re coming to visit for an upcoming race this fall, we thought you might want to hear a racer’s take on favorite watering holes or cheap places to eat while you visit.

  While the list isn’t meant to be comprehensive, it covers some local favorites as seen through the lens of racers themselves. We polled male and female riders, from the pros to the ultra competitive category B racers. Here’s who we asked and a summary of what they said.
  

  Pros and Young Guns
  Melodie Buell (Boneyard Cycling), Becky Bjork (West Coast Women’s Cycling), Adam Craig (Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team), Serena Bishop Gordon (Silverado Jewelry Gallery)
  Masters
  Andrew Barram (Boneyard Cycling), Whit Bazemore (BMC Total Care Racing), Amber Clark (Cascade Couriers/Bend Velo), Jeff Monson (Boneyard Cycling), Doug Perrin (Hutch’s/Bend Dental/Lowes), Nicole Strong (Sunnyside Sports Cycling Team)

  Crowd Sourced Recommendations

  This week’s comment contest prize:
  a pair of cozzy Giro Blaze 2 winter
  cycling gloves from Sunnyside Sports.

  Food & Drink
  Brother Jon’s came out on top being recommended for ‘best place to grab a pint and chat,’ as well as ‘best big portions lunch.’ Other places to socialize whilst sipping suds included: Crux Fermentation, Boneyard Brewing, Goodlife Brewing, and Broken Top Bottle Shop.

  Top ‘cheap lunch’ favorites included: Parilla, Devore’s Market, and Super Burrito. There were those who thought you couldn’t go wrong at the Deschutes Brewery Pub for beer or food, especially for a big group, but Jackson’s Corner took that top honor. 10 Barrel was mentioned as a great place to unwind by the outdoor fire pit with a malted beverage in hand, and Chow was a crowd-pleaser amongst the breakfast crowd.

  Best big-portions lunch: Taj Palace – Indian gluttony at its best.

  Some unexpected nominees: The Grocery Outlet for cheap dinner, Longboard Louie’s for breakfast.

  Coffee shops are easy to find in Bend and there’s no shortage on recommendations, but Thump Coffee came up not only for it’s coffee, but also for it’s ambiance, people watching, and ample bike parking. BackPorch and Lone Pine Coffee Roasters had respectable showings as well.
  

  Nicole Strong in Shevlin Park | Photo © Aaron Ogorzalek

  
  Bike Mechanics
  Many racers felt you couldn’t go wrong at Sunnyside Sports with several mentioning Mike Schindler (an owner of the shop) by name. Webcyclery and Hutch’s Bicycles east and westside locations were also favorites with nods to Jake and Jeff.

  “I already have to fight world cup cyclocross racers, Olympic mountain bikers, and famous triathletes to see my favorite massage therapist, so I’m not sharing. She’s amazing though.” – Nicole Strong

  Unexpected nominee: mobile mechanic Jason Quade of Abbey Bike works.

  Family Fun
  Many nominated the Deschutes River in one way shape or form; on water or hiking along side, it truly is a spectacular natural feature that runs right through Bend and the Old Mill where cyclocross races will take place. A tour of Deschutes Brewery was also high on the list as were visiting any number of Bend’s kid-friendly parks and the High Desert Museum.

  Q:Favorite activity ride to take after a race to unwind:
  A: Walk the race course and heckle my friends who race faster categories.
  Q: Fun things for family to do while you’re racing:
  A: Swing those cowbells and teach the kids colorful heckling.
  - Andy Barram

  Apres Race
  A dip in McMenamins’ soaking pool, or a mountain bike ride in the Phil’s Trail complex on Bens, Voodoo, Whoops, and Phil’s Canyon were popular choices the day after a race. For a leisurely spin, take your ‘cross bike on the road from Shevlin Park to Tumulo State Park.

  Getting your muscles worked on is also chief on the minds of masters category racers: Jeremy Holbrook’s name surfaced as a chiropractor, and preferred massage therapists included votes for Amber Clark of Action Dynamix, Julie Southwell, Katie Brauns, Scott Yount, and Felice Beitzel. For favorite yoga studios, Groove Yoga, Mandala Yoga, Namaspa, and Powered by Bowen were all mentioned.

  Favorite Yoga Class or Studio:
  Stretching?
  – Doug Perrin

  Last Minute Costumes
  If you forgot your Sunday race kit, locals recommend the Halloween Spirit store, a couple of thrift stores (Goodwill & Humane Society Thrift Store), as well as the Funny Farm, which may be a bit farther afield (between Bend and Redmond) but some swear by it; maybe because you can rent outfits there.

  Unexpected nominee: Home Depot (bring your creative “A” game)

  ###

  

  Related content:

  1. Day of the Dead Cyclocross Festival – Our Picks There’s an artwalk inspired by the bicycle and the Day...
  2. Racers at the Ready For most Januaries in Oregon’s high desert (those without a...
  3. Where Bicycle Racers Take Root If category 1 racers are the tall trees of the...

  
• 14:40

  Week 3 Comment Contest Winner

   » ‎ Bike Around Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  Continuing our comment contest on the website, it was great to see the interest and suggestions for a bicycle advocacy group. Anyone who entered a thoughtful comment during the week from was entered to win.

  

  The week 3 winner of our comment contest is… Pam Stevenson. Congratulations! We’ll be in touch via email with details on how to claim your gift certificate for a Santa Cruz MTB rental – up to a $90 value courtesy of Pine Mountain Sports.

  This week’s comment contest prize is a pair of Giro Blaze 2 winter cycling gloves from Sunnyside Sports.

  Remember, the more comments you post to the site during the week, the better your chances of winning.

  Keep those comments coming our way!

  ###

  

  Related content:

  1. Best Bike of Central Oregon Contest – Win $50 Here’s your chance to win a $50 gift certificate from...
  2. What’s in a Name? Now in the early planning phases, a small group of...
  3. Rent a Bike, Not a Car Many who visit Central Oregon come for our plentiful outdoor...

  

• 12:45

  Oregon Beer News, 10/26/2012

   » ‎ The Brew Site

  Tags:  Oregon beer News   [edit]

  Happy Friday! Here’s the news in Oregon beer for Friday the 26th and the weekend, and I hope it gives you ideas of things to do this weekend! As usual I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often for the latest news. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated.

  Killer Beer Week with Brewpublic finishes up this weekend, with three more big days of events—including the big one, Killer Beer Fest, on Saturday! Here’s the schedule:

  • Friday October 26: BREWPUBLIC’s 4th Brewniversary Party! @ Saraveza – 6p.m.
    Brewpublic raises a glass of craft beer to all who have participated in the Craft Beer Revolution with a lineup of Killer beers from some of our favorite brewers. Our 4th Brewniversary party will not only be highlighted by spectacular beer, but also with a special video art instillation by The Beer Traveler and beer swag giveaways.
  • Saturday October 27: KILLER BEER FEST! @ Bailey’s Taproom – 2p.m.
    The mother of all BREWPUBLIC events is undoubtedly KillerBeerFest! Hosted by our homeskillets at Bailey’s Taproom, a world class craft beer bar, this event will showcase the ultimate of uber-geek offerings ranging many styles, from light and crisp quaffable brews to big and bold barrel-aged behemoths. This installment of KBF will be highlighted by a handful of collaboration beers between some of the best regional breweries and some one-of-a-kind releases.
  • Sunday October 28: Yetta’s Recovery Beerunch @ The Hop & Vine – 11a.m.
    Publican, foodie, and beer and wine expert Yetta Vorobik helps resuscitate the wounded livers of KillerBeerWeek with a 5-course beerunch (that’s a beer brunch) at her bar and bottle shop The Hop & Vine. Yetta and her chef will present pair killer food items with locally brewed specialty craft beers. Meet the brewers from Hopworks, Upright, Breakside, Laurelwood, and The Commons as well as The Hop & Vine’s masterchef Sam Reed as they discuss the pairings. There will also be a special beer cocktail. Limited tickets available for this intimate event. $35 per person. To make a reservation, call (503) 954-3322.

  Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 10/26/2012” »

  

• 12:16

  The Coming Together of a Book.

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  I wrote the entry down below under the throes of some dewy eyed rapture about writing.
  After yesterday's hard slog, I'm much more sober about it all.  I'd probably take my skill rankings below down a notch, and the difficulty rankings up a notch.
  
  It's frustrating to think I'm "almost" good enough.  I don't think I'm putting myself down here, just trying to be realistic.
  
  Writing is a skill as well as a talent and the needle can be moved by hard work, and practice, and maybe a moment's inspiration.
  
  Anyway, beware the overweening naivety.  I'm aware of it, but unwilling to tamp it down.
  
  
  
  The Coming Together of a Book.
  
  At least to my own satisfaction.
  
  I think I've been flailing around for the last year and a half, thinking I was getting somewhere, but in the last couple weeks I feel like I've finally gotten my feet under me.
  
  I've started feeling such a sense of satisfaction, that it's becoming addicting to me.  It's a high I can't describe.
  
  The Coming Together of a Book.
  
  I don't get this from anything else.  I had forgotten it.  It's probably been 25 years that I really felt it.
  
  I don't know how to express it -- a very rewarding feeling of having created a Real Thing -- something that exists in its own right outside of me.   Followed by the feeling that this is what I was meant to be doing.
  
  So that alone has been worth the effort.
  
  
  So if I look at all my books, I can see them in three different levels.
  
  1.)  Adequate.  First draft level, readable.
  
  2.)  Better but still not altogether good.
  
  3.)   An actual good book.
  
  Frankly, I'm not sure I've ever gotten to the third level.  But I hadn't identified the problem quite so clearly.
  
  So Star Axe was more or less at the second level. (I think I thought the editors would help me get to another level; instead they accepted it and who was I to argue?)
  
  Snowcastles was probably at the first level, just more 'readable' than normal.
  
  Icetowers was at the second level.
  
  The 4th and 5th books, Bloodstone and The Changelings, probably didn't even get to the first level, frankly.
  
  The 6th book, Deviltree, got at the higher regions of the second level, but despite all my efforts never got the turbo boost.
  
  The 7th book, Sometimes a Dragon, was probably more or less a first level book.
  
  The 8th book, I'm Only Human, which is the one I'm working on now, I think is very close to becoming a second level book.  I'm in the rough stage of that.  But instead of sending it off I want to ask my subconscious for a way to make it a third level book.
  
  The 9th book, The Reluctant Wizard, I can now see clearly as a first level book -- but I have yet to really apply myself to it.
  
  
  So the basic idea, is get the books to the second level; but then try to boost them to a third level.
  
  I'm actually confident that I can.  I may be wrong -- since I haven't gotten there yet in my own estimation.  But I have to try.
  
  How do I judge it?
  
  Adequate:  5 or 6 on a scale of 10.
  Good.  7 or 8 on a scale of 10.
  Really good.  9 or 10.
  
  I think books get published in the range of 6 and above, though obviously, the higher the scale the more your chances.  However, I believe an 8 could be passed on, and a 6 accepted, for reasons beyond the actual quality.
  
  I think on a scale of 10, my imagination is at about an 7 or 8, potentially more.  My writing ability is about a 5 or 6, but after a lot of work can get to a 7 or 8.  My work habits have been a dismal 2 or 3, but over the last few weeks have suddenly become a 5 or 6, possibly even a 7.
  
  (Obviously, my ego is a 9 or 10.)
  
  
  Here's the thing.  There was simply no way with my responsibilities over the last 30 years that I could have gotten there.  But now, I'm finally in a position to do it.
  
  I have a weird confidence I can.  Especially now that I've clarified my goals.
  
  Who knows what happens after -- whether I find an agent, or a publisher, or put it online and hope for an audience... 
  
  That's all secondary to my own estimation of whether I've accomplished my goal.  I've traveled such a distance from when I first start writing again -- around May of last year.  I see now, that it requires that I go ALL IN, or it won't work.  Writing my first draft of The Reluctant Wizard --which was a totally immersive experience -- was my first intimation.  Now, being equally obsessive about the new draft of I'm Only Human, only confirms the necessity.
  
  
  Back to the mundane work habit:
  
  I have 6 clear days to work on this new 'rough' draft of I'm Only Human and hope to get it finished.  It will happen or it won't.  It's important that I stay on it, but not give myself a deadline.
  
  Then I need to clean it up of discrepancies and contradictions.  Again, important that I stay on it, but not give it a deadline.
  
  Make sure that I've got all the exposition in order.
  
  Then try to add more scene descriptions -- sights, sounds, smells, etc. etc.  Telling details. The actual quality of writing that makes the book come alive.
  
  Then --,  I need to start searching for the turbo charged last draft, whatever that is.  This may happen soon -- or a long time from now.  Eventually, if I give up on getting to the third level, I'll have to decide what to do about it.
  
  Thing is, my subconscious seems to be coming up with solutions, which is pretty damn cool.  I only need to ask the right questions.  So I'm giving myself the benefit of the doubt and thinking I'll come up with the third version.
  
  
  

• 11:44

  Welcome to the Weekend.

   » ‎ The Source Weekly Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  There is a crap-ton of stuff to do tonight so grab a costume and get gone. At the Astro Lounge power-pop-reggae-rock band Strive Roots plays at 10pm. Canadian band Cornshed cranks out some alt-country, bluegrass, folk at the Silvermoon Brewery. Seattle’s own Daniel Kirkpatrick & the Bayonetes execute some pop-indie rock with alt-rock band Jacuzzi opening up at the Liquid Lounge. Ike Fonseca drops some county beats off at the Horned Hand. The Monster Ball is at Vince Genna Stadium an...

• 11:05

  [Review / photos / video] Macklemore & Ryan Lewis at Midtown Ballroom

   » ‎ Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  (All photos by The Bulletin’s Joe Kline. More of his excellent shots ran in today’s edition of GO! Magazine in The Bulletin. See them here.) Note to self: Don’t wait almost a full week before writing a review of one of the biggest indoor shows in Bend this year. Reason 1: Readers don’t want to [...]

• 10:55

  SPECIAL ALLUME LINK UP!!! - Frequent Flier Club

   » ‎ Funki Planet

  Tags:  Frequent Flier Club   [edit]

  
  Welcome to the FREQUENT FLIER CLUB - SPECIAL ALLUME LINK UP!
  
  400 women.
  Loving.
  Sharing.
  Laughing.
  Learning.
  
  It's Allume weekend and there is much to take in here in PA.
  
  Overwhelming?
  YES.
  
  Worth the lack of sleep?
  ABSOLUTELY.
  
  Growing community?
  TOTALLY.
  
  But it's impossible to get time with everyone.  So, that means - LINK UP!
  
  So do it.
  Share a post or two.
  Get the word out about your blog.
  We have your card but show us what your blog looks like!!!
  
  Ready. Set. Go!!!  (Post anything - even old posts - show your pride.)
  
  Welcome to the club!
  
  Here's the button you'll want to add to your post / blog:
  
  
  
  
  

• 10:41

  If you’re here looking for the Macklemore photos, videos and review …

   » ‎ Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  … promised in today’s GO! Magazine, we’re working on it. It’ll be up very soon, so please keep this tab/window open and refresh it in a bit!

• 9:36

  Kabomb Bomb #costume #halloween [Flickr]

   » ‎ Carrrrrlos

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  carrrrrlos posted a photo:

  

  
• 9:33

  Leaf Monster #costume #halloween [Flickr]

   » ‎ Carrrrrlos

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  carrrrrlos posted a photo:

  

  

• 9:30

  No Ballot? No Problem! If Registered in Oregon, You Can Still Get A Ballot from the County Clerk

   » ‎ The Source Weekly Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  If, like me, you haven't yet received your ballot by mail, don't stress.
  

  
  

  YOU CAN STILL VOTE. You probably moved and didn't update your address at the County Clerk's office.

  
  

  Getting a a replacement ballot is easy if you follow the simple steps below. I just got one and cast my vote, all in less than 30 minutes. Be sure to bring your our Oregon driver's license and Our Crack Election Guide.

  
  

  Here's what to do.

  
  

  Step 1:

  
  

• 9:05

  Fiction ‘Step Ahead Step Behind

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading Tagged: fiction, step up
• 8:25

  Bon Iver – Beth/Rest

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading Tagged: Beth, Bon Iver, dreams, heaven, Rest

• 8:16

  Arm Wrestling Competition This Saturday!

   » ‎ The Source Weekly Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Oh man, how embarrassing: We told you the wrong day on our very own event!

  
  

  Battle of the Badlands Arm Wrestling Championship is actually on Saturday, Oct. 27, not that wrong date we told you on our picks page this week. Weigh-ins start at The Old Stone at 4:30 p.m. with competition beginning at 6 p.m.

  
  

  Multiple weight classes for men and women mean you could be a contender!

  
  

  So, gather your buddies and get down there for the kind of thing that just doesn’t happen arou...

• 8:00

  State of the Blog Update 10.26.12

   » ‎ Scripted Genius

  Enclosure: [download]

  Tags:    [edit]

  It’s Friday!

  Can’t view the video? Open this blog post up in your web browser or update QuickTime…
  

  You just finished reading State of the Blog Update 10.26.12! Consider leaving a comment!

  Have you read the SG Terms of Service? It covers privacy, FTC disclosures, and more. Check out the Legal section of SG to get the skinny today. SG is an Independent News Media and Blog.

  Related posts:

  1. State of the Blog Update 9.28.12
  2. State of the Blog Update 9.14.12
  3. State of the Blog Update 10.5.12

  

• 6:30

  I was working in the lab late ...

   » ‎ The gr8ful grind

  Tags:    [edit]

  I was working in the lab late one night, when my eyes beheld an eerie sight…Found this life-size model outside a store along the concourse of Sea-Tac Airport. Between Tacoma and Seattle, Washington; October, 2012.

• 0:15

  Lucys ons Leashes! #basset #hound #dog #crazy

   » ‎ Bobs and Lucys

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

  
  
  

  Lucys ons Leashes! #basset #hound #dog #crazy

  

• October 25, 2012
• 23:43

  CSA Basket #21: October 24, 2012

   » ‎ Memory Monster

  Tags:    [edit]

  In the box: Apples, Jonagold Beets, Red Broccoli Cabbage, Savoy Chervil Fennel Peppers, mixed Lettuce, red butter Squash, Acorn Turnips, white What was in the prior boxes? Definitely some roasted squash and beets coming up! Filed under: blogging challenges, csa, farmer's market, vegan Tagged: bend, csa, vegan

• 23:26

  Trouble on election front

   » ‎ Bend OR Bust

  Tags:    [edit]

  While the presidential election remains incredibly tight, there are some good and bad trends for President Obama.
  
  The Intrade numbers are moving in his direction again, roughly 62 percent to 38 percent as of Thursday night.
  
  Nate Silver at fivethirtyeight still gives Obama a 73 percent chance of winning even as the national polls show a dead-even race.
  
  Obama is fading a tad, though, in Florida and Virginia, but retains a slight lead in the polls in Ohio.
  
  However, the voting machines used in certain key counties in Ohio are owned by a company with ties to Mitt Romney.
  
  It worked in 2004 when a Bush buddy at Diebold skewed results in Ohio in favor of Bush over Kerry.
  
  Also, states with Republican governors or legislatures, from Pennsylvania to Florida to Virginia to Colorado to Ohio have worked hard to slant the election toward Republicans by repeatedly purging voter rolls, even of citizens who are entitled to vote. They also tried to suppress the vote by passing voter I.D. laws that most courts said were discriminatory.
  
  Republicans are the first to cry "voter fraud" because they are the ones who are practicing it. Almost no one else is committing voter fraud.
  
  The company that the GOP hired to register voters was fired because it committed actual voter fraud in Florida. 
  
  It's gotten so bad that an affiliate of the United Nations is sending people, from countries with their own problems with democracy, over here to monitor our election.
  
  And, if this isn't enough to hand the election to the Mitt-wit, he's got his buddies in the corporate world to threaten their workers if they vote for Obama.
  
  Judging from these episodes, it doesn't appear America is that exceptional after all.
  
  

  
  

  

• 21:17

  Great Halloween tags

   » ‎ thetincats

  Tags:    [edit]

  Great Halloween tags found HERE
  
• 21:14

  odd kitten

   » ‎ thetincats

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

• 19:21

  Tumalo Falls Road to Open 10/27/12

   » ‎ COTA News

  Tags:    [edit]

  Beginning Saturday morning, the Deschutes National Forest will lift a public closure of the road
  to Tumalo Falls.  Forest Service Road 4603 (Tumalo Falls Road) from the intersection of Forest Service Road 4601 (Skyliners Road) to the Tumalo Falls Trailhead will be reopened.  The opening of the road will allow access to the Tumalo Falls Day Use Area and all trails in the area.

  Read the Deschutes National Forest press release.

• 19:09

  Logging in Skyliner Trail Area?

   » ‎ COTA News

  Tags:    [edit]

  Does this mean that there are logging operations in the Skyliner Trail area?  Who can translate Forest Servicese?

  From: Reinwald, Todd A -FS
  Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2012 8:22 AM
  To: Lang, Marvin E -FS; Tinderholt, Amy J -FS
  Cc: Summers, James A -FS; McBride, Scott E -FS
  Subject: Wet #4

  Just FYI,

  Up Skyliner, in Wet #4, there are some mechanical slash treatment operations occurring. And just like the timber sale, there are places where machinery is having to cross the bike trail that runs through part of the upper portion of that unit. Jim Summers has been overseeing the operations and has told them to limit the number of crossings to a minimum, and to cross at right angles to the trail. They are trying to maximize using the places where equipment already crossed during logging, but have had to cross at a few other locations. Tie-in with Jim should you have further questions.  Thx

  Todd Reinwald
  soil scientist
  Bend-Fort Rock Dist.
  Deschutes Nat. Forest
  541-383-4727

• 18:51

  Halloween 2012 in Downtown Bend

   » ‎ Downtown Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  DOWNTOWN BEND BUSINESSES OFFERING FUN FOR TRICK OR TREATERS Over 3 dozen businesses welcome costumed kids on Halloween

  The Downtown Bend Business Association (DBBA) in partnership with the FedEx Center on Oregon Avenue has coordinated an afternoon of trick or treat fun in Downtown Bend on Halloween, Wednesday, October 31^st. The event will be held during the afternoon until 6 p.m. at about 40 businesses throughout Downtown Bend. Families will look for the orange pumpkin posters in windows indicating the participating locations that will greet kids and hand out candy.

  “We wanted to celebrate families and provide some good old-fashioned fun for kids this season so we organized Downtown Bend businesses to help make it a celebration” says Pam Luettich, FedEx Center Manager.

  Participating businesses include:

  Bond Street

  Glenroe Antiques

  Haven Home Style

  John Paul Designs

  OnPoint Community Credit Union

  Red Chair Gallery

  Stereo Planet

  Trivia Antiques

  Minnesota Avenue

  Alleda Real Estate

  Douglas Jewelry

  Dream Pebbles

  Dudley’s Bookstore Cafe

  Kitchen Compliments

  The Lowes Group

  The Wine Shop

  The Oxford Hotel

  Oregon Avenue

  Bend Mountain Coffee

  Bend Visitor Center

  FedEx Office

  High Desert Frameworks!

  L & K Barbershop

  US Bank

  Wall Street

  At The Beach

  Bank of America

  Birkenstock of Bend

  Cascade Cottons

  Edman Fine Furniture

  Face to Face

  Footzone

  Goody’s Chocolates

  Hot Box Betty

  Metropolitan Barbershop

  Oregon Body & Bath

  Paper Jazz

  Patagonia Bend

  Planker Sandwiches

  Powell’s Sweet Shoppe

  Ranch Records

  Starbuck’s

  Topolino

  Wells Fargo

  

• 16:41

  Non Delinquent Borrowers May Qualify For A Short Sale

   » ‎ Fred Real Estate Group

  Tags:    [edit]

  More changes are a brewin’ in the world of short sales: It used to be that to qualify to short sale your home, you had to be a delinquent on your mortgage (along with proving a hardship, etc. too). For the first time ever, on Nov. 1,  Fannie and Freddie plan to allow mortgage servicers [...]

• 15:55

  Someone is going to get left home from state after Friday’s IMC districts XC Meet

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  While Summit and Mountain View are the heavy boys favorites to qualify for the state cross country meet, the girls side of Friday’s district meet is much more up in the air. The Intermountain Conference championships on Friday in Bend’s Old Mill District is a qualifying meet for the Class 5A state cross country championships next Saturday at Eugene’s Lane Community College.

  Summit, Mountain View and Bend will battle it out for the two berths to state. In a “Hypothetical Meet” pitting all 5A teams against each other, the girls results (37 teams) would have Summit 2nd, Mountain View 3rd and Bend 6th. This means that one of the best 5A teams in the state won’t even get to compete in the state meet.

  The Summit girls have won the past four Class 5A state championships, with Bend (2011) and Mountain View (2010) placing second in the last two.

  I talked earlier in the season about this with Mountain View cross county coach Don Stearns on ESPN 940-AM.

• 15:20

  Central Oregon Men and Suicide: The Numbers

   » ‎ Central Oregon Mental Health Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

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  This morning’s (10/25) Bend Bulletin has a front-page article about increased suicide rates in Central Oregon.  Deschutes County public health professionals are quoted as reporting that deaths by suicide have jumped from 1.6% in 2003 to 3.2% in 2010.  While suicide attempts by adolescents have increased, rates of completed suicides for this age group actually remain steady.  Almost flying under the radar is mention that, men age 25 and above, are believed to account for 60-70% of all suicides.
  

  While I find this last statistic scary, it does not surprise me.

  I work with, study, and am a part of this at-risk demographic. 

  I wanted there to be a bit more information about this odd statistical distribution.  But all they said was that these men also had substance abuse issues and were thought to be struggling with mental health challenges that were not being supported.

  The article also proceeded to talk about how a task force had been gathered and recommended the importance of others recognizing suicide warning signs, and that maybe this could be added to the curriculum of local “higher learning” institutions.

  I’m not sure what the presentation by the task force entailed, but the Bulletin made it sounded like setting a date to plan for making an outline.  And then I took a deep breath, drank some coffee, and practiced my Americanized version of non-judgment in relation to news-reporting.

  You don’t have to go to college to learn how to help

  The idea that education about warning signs for suicide is appropriate only at the level of “higher education” completely boggles my mind.  Emotional literacy is the single most important thing children can learn in their elementary, middle, and high school years.

  How do you get along with others?  What group do I belong to?  What group don’t I belong to?  What do I do when I get bullied?  What do I do when others are bullying someone else?  How do I stay true to my values when mob mentality is operating?  How do I monitor my stress and learn to take care of myself?  How can I be there for others? 

  Send your kids to school.  Listen to their challenges.  Learn to talk to them in age-appropriate ways about these normal obstacles.  Model the type of behavior you want to see from them in your interactions with others.  Trust me, you’ll get good results.

  If, for one reason or another, this type of thing seems a bit too complex for you as a parent, ask for help.  School counselors are a good place to start.  There may be groups offered in your child’s school that support emotional literacy.  Check out the work of Goldie Hawn (yes, the actress) and Dan Siegel.  They are putting together a pretty great curriculum that promotes mindfulness practice for younger children. 

  This is the basic stuff that will help your children recognize when they need help or enable them to reach out to others in need.

  Suicide warning signs: 101

  So what happens when things get beyond Goldie Hawn’s happy-go-lucky world on emotional intelligence.  Don’t worry, I won’t leave you hanging as to the warning signs. 

  Yes, the belief among mental health therapists and those who study suicide is that people who complete suicide usually give warning signs.  They may not always be obvious, but some common things to look for include:

  Drastic changes in appetite, sleep, or appearance

  Discussion about suicide or referencing it in movies, music, literature, etc.

  Increases in risky behavior (as if there’s nothing to lose)

  Suffering through loss or trauma without seeking or accepting support

  Giving away previously valued items or getting life in order all of the sudden

  A shift from depression to a sense of relief or calm, as if they have made peace with the idea of suicide

  Purchase of a firearm (a common instrument chosen by men which often leads to completed suicide)

  Trust your gut.  If something seems funny, talk about it with the person you are concerned about.  Say something as simple as “I’m worried about you.  I’m here if you need to talk.”  Suggest they seek out some professional support or at least get screened to see what treatment options are available.  Offer to go along with them. 

  Myth: It is not true that those who complete suicide are influenced to do so by another person bringing up the topic, or “giving them the idea.”  For parents who believe their children might not know about suicide otherwise, wake-up and smell the Interweb.  Your kids know about suicide/self-harm/murder/etc. and it’s come from sources you might not trust.  If you’re concerned, you need to have the conversation…yesterday.

  If providing this kind of support on your own seems like too much, again, seek out the support of a professional. 

  That which must not be discussed: Shame

  To understand the higher prevalence of men who are committing suicide, my belief is it starts with gender role expectations.  (See you later, Guys!  I appreciate your having read this far in the first place…)

  Boys and girls are raised differently.  Parents want to tell you all about how the sexes are different, but since kids are treated differently since before birth, it’s ridiculous to claim your parenting didn’t somehow play a part (don’t forget that neuroscience now tells us behavior and experiences shape our brains).  Want some gratuitous scientific research?  For example, with children as young as 3 months, parents have been observed to treat boys and girls differently in relation to emotional expression (e.g. reinforcing more positive emotions in boys while allowing for a fuller range of emotions in infant girls).  In teaching conflict resolution, parents stress harmony for girls while offering retaliation as an option for boys.  The research and examples go on and on, and I won’t bore you with them here, but eventually you end up with HGTV (nesting) vs. ESPN (competition). 

  If you know me (or read what I write) you’ll be familiar with my belief that cultural expectations about the appropriate gender roles for men and women influence almost every minute of our day.  To over-generalize, my belief is that boys/men are raised for usefulness, or to embark on “the quest.”  Girls/women are raised in preparation for nurturing relationships.  Becoming a man in the United States includes emotionally severing your relationship with your primary caretaker at an early age (i.e. your mom), because she’s a woman.  So all of the sudden, boys are left with…other boys.  And this is where they diligently learn and reinforce the Code: 1) Strive to be the best, 2) Always remain sturdy, 3) Avoid the feminine at all costs, and 4) Be action-oriented/aggressive/take risks. 

  So where does this leave men?  Ready for the factory or battlefield, right?  Maybe.  Oftentimes, however, boys and men have developed an emotional funnel, so that they’ve learned to identify anger as their only difficult feeling (which isn’t actually all that inconvenient if you have an enemy to whom you can direct this urge).  Researchers have actually even coined a term for the lack of ability to speak about emotions: alexithymia (i.e. to be without words for mood). 

  The Code may work (at times) for sports and military, but what happens when these men, as all humans do, encounter some struggle?  When they can’t be “the best” at what they’re doing?  When they return from war and don’t have an obvious enemy to rage against?  Or when they come home from the “competition” of work to be with their family?

  They may be left without the tools connect.  Or when they need help (e.g. as we are seeing with veterans returning home from the Middle East and Afghanistan), they are in such shame that they’ve “failed” in their prescribed role, that they keep it to themselves.  Brene Brown, a female researcher on the subject of shame, quoted a male she had spoken to who described that he felt his family would “rather see me die on my high horse then get knocked to the ground.”  In therapy-land we call that “all-or-nothing” thinking.  Self-medication through drugs and alcohol can numb the discomfort of not getting support, but it usually also adds complications/prevents positive connections.  If left to snowball, it doesn’t end well.

  And, to my thinking, this issue is broader and more insidious than just concerns about elevated rates of suicide.  Not connecting emotionally due to shame places men at risk of shallow or severed relationships.  As a mental health therapist, I see this life without intimacy (for fear of vulnerability) as a very real consequence for men who strictly follow the Code.  

  How to Help

  As for bigger picture issues: Going to battle with the entire American culture of emotional silence for men is not a recommendation of mine.  There will be a point at which the discussion for men is about being able to both be on the quest and to nurture relationships (much the same way women are debating ideas about “doing it all”). 

  But for now, if boys and men are able to connect to just one individual who understands their experience and their limited abilities to access support, they will be okay.  For those who are brave and patient enough to choose to support boys and men in this way, I think Michael Addis’ work is the best guide out there right now.

  Want more suggestions about resources, let me know and I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction.

• 14:39

  Flipping Houses Is Attractive to Investors Again

   » ‎ Bend, Oregon. Make it home.

  Tags:    [edit]

  We have all watched one of the reality tv shows where someone buys a home then tries to fix it up and sell it as soon as possible for a profit.  It makes for pretty good tv watching.  People struggle to work together under a tight timeline and a tighter budget all in an effort to [...]

• 14:39

  Flipping Houses Is Attractive to Investors Again

   » ‎ Preferred Residential

  Tags:    [edit]

  We have all watched one of the reality tv shows where someone buys a home then tries to fix it up and sell it as soon as possible for a profit.  It makes for pretty good tv watching.  People struggle to work together under a tight timeline and a tighter budget all in an effort to [...]

• 14:00

  Apocalypse Beer: How to Ferment Anything

   » ‎ The Brew Site

  Tags:  Apocalypse beer   [edit]

  Did that catch your attention? Good! Understanding fermentation is a key component to making beer (indeed, any alcohol) but it turns out, the formula for fermentation is really pretty simple:

  Water + Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol

  You might think that the yeast is the biggest unknown here, but in reality wild yeasts are abundant in nature and many fruits by themselves have an abundance of yeast naturally present on them that will start fermentation with little to no effort.

  No, the real unknown is the “sugar” in this equation, and thus the idea of “how to ferment anything” really means, “how to get the sugar from anything.” Once you have the sugar(s), fermentation is the easy part.

  Previously we covered brewing your first batch of Apocalypse Beer and it was the most basic example of the process using three basic ingredients: water, refined white sugar, and yeast. If you have easy access to plain sugar then you have a ready supply of “fermentables” to use as a base in your beer recipes. But if you don’t have that access? Read on.

  Continue reading “Apocalypse Beer: How to Ferment Anything” »

  

• 13:45

  Using the SPOT Satellite Messenger

   » ‎ Outdoor Quest

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  Is a SPOT messenger something you should carry in the backcountry?  Is it really just for those who go deep into the wilderness?
  The SPOT II messenger
   SPOT is satellite messenger.  It’s a device that has the capability to receive and process Global Positioning System (GPS) data and link that information to a preloaded text or email message.  Messages sent from remote locations can provide updates to family and friends or activate an emergency SOS alert (911) response.
  The manufacturer’s web site states:
   “The SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger provides a vital line of communication with friends and family when you want it, and emergency assistance when you need it. Using 100% satellite technology, SPOT works virtually anywhere in the world, even where cell phones don’t – all with the push of a button.”
  SOS:  “Use this function In the event of a life threatening or other critical emergency to notify emergency services of your GPS location and that you need assistance. The GEOS International Emergency Response Center alerts the appropriate agencies worldwide – for example contacting 9-1-1 responders in North America and 1-1-2 responders in Europe.”
  I bought my first SPOT about four years ago and then bought a second (and newer) model last summer.  The newer model is smaller, has a bit more capability and was about two thirds of the cost ($99 at Cabelas). There are many variants of locater beacons/messengers on the market today but I stayed with SPOT because of its reliability and simplicity. 
  I offer a few suggestions:
  ·         Pick those who you would place on the contact/notification list carefully.  Ask permission to place someone on list.  Update the list before each trip.  This is especially true for those assigned to respond in an emergency; be picky.
   
  ·         If someone wants you to be on their list think that over.  Do you really want to respond to a request for help?  Will you be available?
   
  ·         Keep your emergency contact information current.
   
   
  ·         Provide SPOT web site user ID and password information to a family member.   Put this information on your trip plan too. (Click here for a sample trip plan.)
   
  ·         In every message option I list:
   
  o   My cell phone number
  o   My activity and general area description (e.g., hunting in the Metolius unit west of Camp Sherman)
  o   Who is with me
   
  ·         In the field, activate the device in an open area away from trees and cliffs.  A clear view of the sky is the hikers best bet. 
   
  ·         If you have a notification schedule – stick to it (e.g., “I will call every night at 6:00”).
   
  ·         If you send OK/Check in messages check to ensure the designated contacts received SPOT messages.  Do this when you return home. 
   
  ·         SPOT is not limited to backcountry use only.  Take it on trips, to the shopping center and overseas.  Like a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, frequent use develops confidence and understanding.
   
  ·         The unit’s buttons are somewhat difficult to push in and activate.  That is a designed capability.  My local SAR organization was activated last spring due to an inadvertent SOS/911 alert. 
   
  ·         Keep the unit close at hand where it can be turned on quickly.
   
  ·         Lithium batteries must be used in the SPOT messenger.
   
  I have been a satisfied user.   I take it everywhere. Do check the company’s web site occasionally at www.findmespot.com.
   

• 13:24

  Football bounce pass in a high school game (video)

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

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• 12:55

  Fresh Tracks

   » ‎ Wanderlust Wanderings

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  Fresh Tracks

• 12:52

  Husky – Tidal Wave

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

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  Filed under: Trading Tagged: Husky, Tidal Wave

• 12:44

  Not discouraged, but still intimidated.

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

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  I've told this story before, but it is so apropos to where I'm at right now, that it bears repeating.
  
  Back when I was reading books about writing, I read one about or by Erle Stanley Garner, the creator of Perry Mason.
  
  The how-to showed a full example of a Perry Mason short story.  It was pretty good.  Not bad.  I liked it.  I could have read it and enjoyed it without thinking anymore of it.
  
  But Garner then tweaks it, and writes a second draft and it's much better -- twice as good.  And I think, yeah, that's the way it should have been.
  
  Then he writes a third draft, with a final turbo twist and it's magnitudes better!
  
  It was a real eye opener for me.  It taught me that there are probably always ways to tweak a story, and that the story isn't done until you've found that 'turbo twist.'
  
  This means that the first draft of I'm Only Human, which I arm-twisted people into reading, was nowhere near good enough, though I thought it was at the time.  It seems to be a step I have to go through to get to the next stage. (The same is no doubt true of The Reluctant Wizard, but I'll face that when it's time.)
  
  And it means I probably need to ramp it up at least one more time before it is ready to attempt to try to think about possibly considering the potential idea of contemplating the ... you get the idea.
  
  
  Anyway, over the last week, I've found so many ways to improve I'm Only Human, that I feel I'm at about where that second Perry Mason draft was -- twice as good, but still not there.  I mean, I like it, but I want to get it even better.
  
  If I can write the one more burst of improvement, find the turbo tweak, it could make the book a legitimate contender.
  
  
  If I have to completely rewrite some stuff, then so be it.
  
  I'm going to need to make the tone consistent all the way through, ramp up the urgency.
  
  There are probably going to be all kinds of discrepancies.  Lots and lots of them.
  
  Best thing to do is just cut anything that doesn't fit and try to put stuff back in later.
  
  I think I would be more discouraged, and intimidated, if it didn't all seem to "fit."  It's like, "Oh, that was meant to be there all along!"  "Oh, that's the reason that happened."  "Oh, there's a good explanation for that, which helps answer a bunch of other stuff too."
  
  It's almost as if the book exists and I'm just finding different parts of it at different times.
  
  To me, the book is now at least twice as good as it was just a week ago.
  
  So no reason to get discouraged.
  
  Though I am still intimidated.
• 12:23

  Thursday thuds.

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  I'm purposely not going to a bunch of my regular sites because I want to keep my orders to a minimum until Christmas.
  
  No sense being tempted.  Of course, I'm losing out on some information that might be useful, but really, I'd like to make some profit this Christmas, and it begins now.
  
  Feeling pretty good about the stocking level at the store, so think I can do it.
  
  **********
  
  I tried to play the market with the latest Magic release, which was supposed to be in short supply, so I way overordered.  I mean, I'll sell it all, I'm not worried about that -- but it will be cashflow negative for a long time.
  
  Anyway, my "playing the market" days are over.  I got pretty good with it with Pogs, and Beanie Baby's and Pokemon, but we're coming up on 13 years since the last of those happened.
  
  Either those plays don't exist anymore, or I've lost my touch.
  
  **********
  
  I don't know if they're original with me, probably not, probably overheard them.  But I keep thinking with Romney, he's the Chameleon in Chief, he's Severely Moderate now.
  
  **********
  
  I've been trying to find a conservative to moderate political website I can go to that doesn't absolutely enrage me, making me recoil in horror.  There's the USA Today, of course, but it's site has become a chore to read.
  
  I don't want to live in a Liberal Bubble.
  
  The only site I can stomach is Business Insider.  I swallow my urge to retch at their headlines, and try to read the stories.
  
  Fucking media.  All over the place with their alarmist headlines.
  
  **********
  
  Besides, the polls are so close and the election is so close, that I figure I can safely ignore them now, and just wait for the real results.

• 12:15

  Mekayla Isaak – Bend Girls Basketball

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Enclosure: [download]

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Click HERE to listen to the interview from Athletic Club of Bend Athlete Profile on “Prep Spotlight” on ESPN 940-AM.

• 12:00

  Oregon Beer News, 10/25/2012

   » ‎ The Brew Site

  Tags:  Oregon beer News   [edit]

  Here’s the Oregon beer news for Thursday the 25th of October. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often for the latest news. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

  There’s more Killer Beer Week from Brewpublic happening today! Tonight at The Beermongers is an event I’d love to attend: Bend Killer Brewers Night! “Bend, Oregon is a mecca for craft beer. If you’ve ever followed the Bend Ale Trail, you understand how awesome this town truly is. For the third time, Brewpublic has teamed up with our friends at The BeerMongers to present Bend Killer Brewers Night. Look for unique and flavorful offerings from some of Central Oregon’s finest such as Deschutes, Boneyard, 10 Barrel, Bend Brewing, Silver Moon, Crux Fermentation Project, GoodLife, Cascade Lakes, and more!” You should definitely be checking this one out if you can’t make it to Bend anytime soon. Starts at 6pm.

  The Commons Brewery (Portland) has a new Thursday Wild Night starting tonight which sounds great: “Starting this week we are going to open every Thursday from 5-9PM. [Tonight], to celebrate our new Thursday hours, we’re filling our taps with various sour and wild beer projects. All beers will be available in full glasses and sample sizes.” With eight sour beers on tap it’s a fantastic lineup!

  Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 10/25/2012” »

  

• 12:00

  Why Marketers Need To Channel Captain Kirk

   » ‎ The Wealthy Business

  Tags:    [edit]

  Are marketing executives orbiting the new "data galaxy" out of necessity, or curiosity?

• 11:50

  Review: Call of the Mild – Learning to Hunt My Own Dinner

   » ‎ Survival Common Sense

  Tags:    [edit]

  http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

  Disclaimer: Lily Rath McCaulou and I were co-workers at the Bend (OR) Bulletin.

  Call of the Mild: Learning to Hunt My Own Dinner, A Memoir by Lily Raff McCaulou

  by Leon Pantenburg

  

  Check out this C.T. Fischer Bushcraft knife!

  Call of the Mild is a reasoned, well-thought-out and researched memoir that helps explain some of the intangibles that attract people to participate in a blood sport.

  The book, which came out last summer,  traces Lily Raff McCaulou’s  journey from a big city dweller with no experience or family history of  hunting,  to that of  becoming an enthusiastic hunter. It is the story of a personal evolution.

  McCaulou was an unlikely candidate to become a hunter. Reared on the east coast, she is the daughter of  anti-gun parents who thought hunting was, at best, an odd hobby.  McCaulou was a meat-eater, but didn’t make the connection between a live animal and the packages of meat in the grocery store. Just out of college, she working in the Indie film industry and living in downtown Manhattan when she decided to move west for a year or two.

  She  ended up in Central Oregon as a reporter at the Bend Bulletin and that’s where we met. I was freelancing for the Bulletin at the time, after several years as a staff writer/photographer, and McCaulou got my old beat covering La Pine and Sunriver.  Reporter turnover in the Bulletin newsroom is high, and I privately figured McCaulou wouldn’t be around long before the area’s  rural, small town atmosphere would start to get boring. But in passing conversations, I found McCaulou was embracing the rural Oregon lifestyle. She took up fly fishing, skiing and backpacking and a year of so after arriving in Bend,  decided to learn to hunt.

  Interviewing a wide range of hunters and environmentalists during her reporting, McCaulou found that some of the most environmentally-aware people also hunted. She also discovered that most hunters view the sport as a smaller part of a larger appreciation of nature. 

  “I started noticing so much more about the environment and nature when I started fly fishing,” she told me in one conversation in front of the public library. “I thought learning how to hunt might also do something like that.”

  Starting out from ground zero, McCaulou took a hunter safety course, bought a shotgun, and started learning to hunt. She participated in several programs geared toward women, sponsored by the Oregon Department of Fish and Game. She learned how to shoot a shotgun at the local Sporting Clays facility. From there, she progressed to bird and waterfowl hunting, graduated to whitetail deer hunting in Michigan, and ended up killing a bull elk in Oregon.

  Call of the Mild is not a how-to hunting book. It’s more of a “You-can-do-this-too” approach to learning a survival skill.  The book doesn’t provide tips and techniques, but you

  

  Lily Raff McCaulou

  will probably learn a  lot. McCaulou’s  journey from non-hunter to active blood sport participant is probably going to seem unusual and unsettling to vegans, vegetarians, and to some meat eaters.

  She opened my eyes to new aspects of meat eating. A hunter since I was old enough to carry a gun, I always appreciated the connection between killing and eating meat. Being raised on a farm, I never gave much thought to the livestock that eventually ended up on the family dinner table. The animals were raised  for food, were not  mistreated and their slaughter before butchering was quick and humane.

  But I never thought much about the agribusiness factories that produce most meat  sold in stores. One of McCaulou’s best written sketches compares the awful life of the pen-raised chicken she bought at the store with the wild, free life of the goose she shot.

  This is the conclusion she comes up with:  “I bear responsibility for the death of my goose. But I bear the responsibility for the entire life and death of my chicken.”

  Another appreciated aspect are the realistic descriptions of the actual hunts. McCaulou vividly describes the beauty of the Oregon mountains and marshes. But she also very accurately describes the hard work associated with gutting, skinning and  hauling the meat from the bull elk she killed.

   But probably the best part of this book is the reasoned approach. Hunting gonzos like Ted Nugent don’t represent the majority of hunters, and neither do most hunting shows.  Most hunters, I believe, feel the voice of reason has been neglected in discussions about hunting, and McCaulou helps bring that to the table.

  “In a sense, hunting is the final frontier of feminism,” McCaulou writes. “As women make up a growing percentage of  of American hunters, we quietly lay claim to a part of humanity that has been dominated by men.”

  The sport of hunting needs more books like Call of the Mild. I highly recommend the book to anyone who has an opinion, or who wants to form an reasoned opinion about hunting.

  

   For more information on making a survival kit, click here!

   

  Amazon.com Widgets

  http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

• 11:24

  McMenamins Black Widow Porter

   » ‎ The Brew Site

  Tags:  Reviews   [edit]

  Last week McMenamins sent me a fresh bottle of their Black Widow Porter, their Halloween seasonal that hits the taps in October. I believe this is the first year that it’s been bottled, and certainly the first time McMenamins has sent (to me, at least) samples for review. I have to say I really like the label, simple yet attractive and done in the McMenamins style that permeates their various pubs and locations.

  It’s brewed with licorice and while the alcohol isn’t listed, the beer sites have it at 7 to 7.35% by volume. McMenamins gives the story behind the beer as such:

  Originally created at the Thompson Brewery over 20 years ago on October 15, 1991 and made by all Thompson Brewers to come after, Black Widow has become an expected and welcome Halloween treat at the Thompson Public House in Salem.  More recently Black Widow has expanded her web to include other breweries and outposts in the last few years.  This year, however, her web has enveloped the entire company, as every McMenamins brewery will be making a batch.

  Bottling is done at the Edgefield location out in Troutdale, which is where this was from. In retrospect I think I should have picked up a growler of the locally-brewed Porter to compare the two side-by-side, that would have been fun!

  Appearance: Dark brown pour with light brown head, light lacing.

  Smell: Dark roast coffee, a touch creamy-chocolatey like a mocha, hints of licorice. Malty with a touch of toffee present in the chocolate malts.

  Taste: Sweet porter, with mocha coffee notes and molasses sweetness, very nice and drinkable. A bare hint of smokiness at the back of the throat. It’s tasty but not cloying, balancing the sweet against the roasty dry ending really well.

  Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a chewy backbone and a slightly dry finish.

  Overall: Very nice porter, toasty and sweet without losing balance between the two.

  Black Widow Porter on Untappd. BeerAdvocate: 1 review for 4.03/5. RateBeer: No reviews yet.

  

• 11:17

  Hilarious

   » ‎ Harold's Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Donald Trump: A gift that just keeps on giving . . .
  
  
  
  Stewart and Colbert also had some fun with The Donald.

• 11:05

  Winter Wellness: Hilarious How-to-Stay-Fit Video

   » ‎ The Source Weekly Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  
  

  While doing some highly academic research for our annual Winter Wellness issue (on stands Nov. 8) we came across the video below. It's just what we were looking for!

  
  

  When winter hits, you need to know how to stay fit and remain sane through the seemingly endless cold, grey days. But we were stressing out as we searched high and low for the latest workout fads and winter-appropriate ...

• 10:49

  Giant Loop Rider: Jonathan's Great Basin Saddlebag on Triumph Speed Triple

   » ‎ Go Light. Go Fast.

  Tags:    [edit]

  Giant Loop rider Jonathan sent us this recent review (below) of Giant Loop's Great Basin Saddlebag mounted on his sport bike, this beautiful 2011 Triumph Speed Triple. Thanks Jonathan. Go Light. Go Fast. Triumph Speed Triple with Giant Loop's Great Basin Saddlebag "First off, my overall impression of the Great Basin is extremely positive. I had to ditch the twin high mount exhausts on my speed triple to use just about any luggage system, but with my preference for soft luggage the low mount race exhaust was absolutely necessary.  Properly packed and lashed on to the passenger pegs and grab rail it is absolutely rock solid on twisty mountain roads and stable up to at least 140mph (not too sure after that). Ingress and egress is a relatively simple affair and the internal compartments, for the most part, work very well for keeping everything stable and dry." "Great bag, easy to use, simple, bulletproof." "Thanks for making a product that can really, really be used."
  
  FOR THE REST OF THE STORY, CLICK THE HEADLINE LINK. GiantLoopMoto.com.

• 10:42

  Equally Retirement

   » ‎ thetincats

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Target.  
  Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out.
  
  Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women - she loves to browse.
  
  Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Target:
  
  Dear Mrs.Stelle,
  
  Over the past six months, your husband (Goofy Eddie) has caused quite a commotion in our store.
  
  We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store.
  Our complaints against your husband, Mr. Spencer, are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras:
  
  1.  June 15:  He took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other people's carts when they weren't looking.
  
  2.  July 2:  Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.
  
  3.  July 7:  He made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.
  
  4.  July 19:  Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice,  "Code 3 in Housewares.  Get on it right away."  This caused the employee to leave her assigned station and receive a reprimand from her Supervisor that in turn resulted with a union grievance, causing management to lose time and costing the company money.  We don't have a Code 3.
  
  5.  August 4:  Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&Ms on layaway.
  
  6.  August 14:  Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.
  
  7.  August 15:  Set up a tent in the camping department and told the children shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department, to which twenty children obliged.
  
  8.  August 23:  When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, "Why can't you people just leave me  alone?"  EMTs  were called.
  
  9.  September 4:  Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.
  
  10.  September 10:  While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.
  
  11.  October 3:  Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme.
  
  12.  October 6:  In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' using different sizes of funnels.
  
  13.  October 18:  Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled "PICK ME! PICK ME!"
  
  14.  October 22:  When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed, "OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!"
  
  15.  Took a box of condoms to the checkout clerk and asked,"Where is the fitting room?"
  
  And last, but not least:
  
  16.  October 23:  Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, and then yelled very loudly, "Hey!  There's no toilet paper in here."  One of the clerks passed out.
   
  If you don't send this to 12 of your dearest friends, you will be depriving them of some good humor.      
  
  WHEN I RETIRE ! I will help more with the gardening
  Spend more time in the Hot Tub
  
  
  Get That new furniture the wife has always wanted And use the old stuff like i want to !
  
  Help out more with the cooking
  
  
  
  
  Put the Christmas Decorations  out early so everyone can enjoy them  !
  
• 10:42

  hALLOWEEN AND mORNING gRAPHICS

   » ‎ thetincats

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• 10:37

  Happys dreamings #basset #hound #dog {}^ ^{}

   » ‎ Bobs and Lucys

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

  
  
  

  Happys dreamings #basset #hound #dog {}^ ^{}

  

• 10:11

  Photos from CREATE, Chicago 2012

   » ‎ Art in my Heart

  Tags:    [edit]

  I am learning new things about my iphone!   I have finally figured out how to add photos quickly to my blog soooo....... here are some photos from my watercolor Rainbow Studies & Slice of Life Classes that I taught in August.  So many wonderful, fun and creative artists!  So many messy, beautiful palettes of paint, lusciously painted pears and happy smiles!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• 10:10

  Portland's Music Millennium Owner Terry Currier Talks Shop

   » ‎ The Source Weekly Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  If you picked up a copy of the Source this week, hopefully you had a chance to read our initial installment on Oregon Record Stores. We picked Music Millennium as our first stop in part because it is Oregon's oldest, but also because owner Terry Currier is perhaps the biggest music lover around. 

  
  

  Watch this video below to learn a bit about what makes this audiophile tic as well as learn why he thinks the vinyl format is making a comeback. 

  
  

   

  Music Millenniu...

• 9:41

  The White Album perform Counting Treasures

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading Tagged: counting treasures, white album
• 9:06

  Parkway Drive – “Dark Days”

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading

• 7:56

  Ten.Commandments: “do not lie,” Part 1

   » ‎ Scripted Genius

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  Oxfam International via Compfight

  Actually, this commandment isn’t “do not lie,” but “do not give false testimony.” One just was an easier title to use…

  We’re almost at the end of this study, with today’s post discussing the ninth commandment of our Ten.Commandments. Please join us as we see if there is more than meets the eye on this commandment, as we have experienced on other ones…

  Do not give false testimony against your neighbor. Exodus 20:16 HCSB

  Do not give dishonest testimony against your neighbor. Deuteronomy 5:20 HCSB

  It appears that the two points of reference for the command are different this time, and that does impact our understanding of this command. Remember that Exodus was the initial giving of the Law, and Deuteronomy is the re-telling, or review, of the Law. The fact that it is written differently suggests that there was more to cover on the matter. So, then, we need to see if the Torah reflects any understanding of this change.

  Testimony in the Torah

  These two Scripture points don’t reveal anything in specific in the Torah, so based off a keyword search on the Jewfaq guide, I found some revealing information. First off, mitzvot 241 is assigned to Exodus 20:13, which discusses murder. We have already talked about that command, but I believe there’s more to it here. However, the end result is this: don’t swear falsely, don’t deny falsely, don’t defraud, etc. All the commands, in their different sections, reveal the same basic result: don’t lie. They’re all voiced in different ways, but it’s the same core message. Check out which ones I’ve found so far: 205, 241, 271, 272, 281, and 307.

  NT Influence?

  As usual, I have a set of verses available for those interested in reading further. I’ll give away what they mean after the jump…

  Matthew 15:19 19:18 Mark 10:19 Luke 18:20 John 8:44 Acts 5:3-4 Romans 1:29 13:9 Ephesians 4:25 Colossians 3:9 1 Timothy 4:2 2 Timothy 3:3 Revelation 21:8 22:15

  When reviewing these verses, I have found that they mostly sum up the same thing: to not bear false witness. Bearing false witness has many implications, from the simple concept of lying, to giving a false testimony in court, to even the concept of hypocrisy. So, what does this mean today?

  That’s a great question, and one that we’ll have to address next week, as we finish talking about the issue of bearing false witness. As you’ll see, there is quite the contentious issue to resolve. Until then,

  How should this command affect believers today? 

  Be sure to read: Part 2 (anytime after 11/1/12, that is – it won’t be live before then!)

  You just finished reading Ten.Commandments: "do not lie," Part 1! Consider leaving a comment!

  Have you read the SG Terms of Service? It covers privacy, FTC disclosures, and more. Check out the Legal section of SG to get the skinny today. SG is an Independent News Media and Blog.

  Related posts:

  1. Ten.Commandments: “do not murder”
  2. Ten.Commandments: “honor thy mother and father”
  3. Series Introduction: Ten.Commandments

  

• 6:30

  This pumpkin finds itself between a rhododendron ...

   » ‎ The gr8ful grind

  Tags:    [edit]

  This pumpkin finds itself between a rhododendron and a hydrangea. Clackamas, Oregon; October, 2012.

• 5:39

  Our Election Endorsements: Now on newsstands and online!

   » ‎ The Source Weekly Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Come Nov. 6, most of us are so supersaturated with the political carnival that it often seems like too great an effort to wade through the Oregon Voters Guide.

  
  

  We feel you. It's depressing trying to make sense of the multimillion- dollar smear campaigns and the e...

• 3:00

  Learning the Nuances of the GI Bill

   » ‎ A Year In The Life of Krystal

  Tags:    [edit]

  When you call a government agency, you can expect to sit on hold for a long time and generally get answers that leave you as confused as when you originally called in. That was me today and I'm trying to not let my mind go off on the million mile an hour tangent again because I'll be so exhausted that I won't be able to finish that list if I start in and I'd love to get some sleep tonight.
  
  I was told that I have 22 months of education benefits remaining.
  
  I am taking a 3 credit class this quarter so does that mean I am using 1/4 of a month of benefits since it's not full time?
  
  Nope, regardless of my enrollment status, it is rated as day for day, month for month. I could take one class a quarter for the next 22 months and use up all my benefits or get another two Bachelors degrees and go full time and it's all the same to them. Completely screws me out of a lot of potential knowledge but why should they care??
  
  I had originally called to find out what the status of my application was since I hadn't heard anything from them in almost a month and tuition is due next week. After a 30 minute hold, the very nice gentleman told me that my adjuster was still waiting for the response to a letter sent out on September 25. The same letter that I responded to by following the steps in their letter and replying online through the VA system. Thankfully, he was so kind to take my verbal response so they can continue reviewing my benefits for approval.
  
  So why it is going to be painfully not in the budget, I think that I am better off paying my full tuition of $653 for this quarter's one Spanish class instead of having the Veteran's Administration (VA) pay their 40-100%. Since I'm not going full time either, I am not eligible to receive the monthly housing stipend which is another 40-100% of $1332 (based on my zip code).
  
   Member Serves Percentage of Maximum Benefit Payable At least 36 months 100% At least 30 continuous days on active duty and must be discharged due to service-connected disability
  100% At least 30 months, but less than 36 months 90% At least 24 months, but less than 30 months 80% At least 18 months, but less than 24 months 70% At least 12 months, but less than 18 months 60% At least 06 months, but less than 12 months 50% At least 90 days, but less than 06 months 40% I believe I fall somewhere in that 60-80% category but the sorry part is that I have no clue! I was in the National Guard so I can only be certain that I served 14 months of active duty while deployed to Iraq but I wasn't smart enough to track every single day afterwards when I was called in to do some extra duty here and there over the following 6 years. Many many thanks go out to President Obama for the creation of these additional education benefits because I intend to use every cent of those 22 months that I can. Now I just have to figure out how in the hell to get the proper time credited.
  
  The percentage after it is figured out then translates to mean that they will pay XX% of my tuition with no cap, a yearly book stipend of $1000 x XX%, and a monthly living stipend of $1332 x XX%. So I could feasibly survive on that here in the US and it would be a hell of a lot of money to survive on in Mexico
  
  So today my plan is this:
  
  

  1. Submit my FAFSA so I can get the Federal Pell Grant of $5500.
  2. Apply for admission to Oregon State University and Central Oregon Community College for Winter term, January 2013.
  3. Consult with an academic advisor in regards to get the International Studies degree. It is a double degree but I'm hoping that I can just tweak my existing Bachelor of Arts to finish with these ones.
  4. Start back to college full time in January and juggle school, family, and part time job as best I can.
  5. Apply for a 9 month international internship with CASA in Guanajato, Mexico beginning September 2013 if José isn't granted his visa.
  6. Try to become a professional student for the next 22 months and acquire any and all possible skills that would help me become more marketable on the international scale if we end up living abroad be it teaching English or working in a non-profit. 

  Easy, right? I'm scared to death! It's not easy being back in school at my age with my plate so full but I'm running out of options and I have to do whatever I can to help protect and care for my family so I'm going to take advantage of every ace I can find.

• 2:01

  Obama's Ohio Firewall is Holding

   » ‎ Harold's Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  More bad news for Romney:
  

  Buoyed by early voting in his favor, Barack Obama leads Mitt Romney by five points in the pivotal state of Ohio, according to a new TIME poll.
  
  Counting both Ohioans who say they will head to the polls on November 6, and those who have already cast a ballot, Obama holds a 49% to 44% lead over Romney in a survey taken Monday and Tuesday night.  * * *
  
  The poll makes clear that there are really two races underway in Ohio. On one hand, the two candidates are locked in a dead heat among Ohioans who have not yet voted but who say they intend to, with 45% of respondents supporting the President and 45% preferring his Republican challenger.
  
  But Obama has clearly received a boost from Ohio’s early voting period, which began on Oct. 2 and runs through November 5. Among respondents who say they have already voted, Obama holds a two-to-one lead over Romney, 60% to 30%. * * *

  Part of this poll was conducted before Obama crushed Romney in the foreign policy debate, and all of it was conducted before the Mourdock/Romney "God Likes Rape" Scandal started gaining steam. But these results remain consistent with the Ohio polling numbers that have come out over the last couple of weeks. Needless to say, Romney must win Ohio to have any real chance at winning the presidency.
  
  By the way, the latest Mellman poll from Florida shows Obama and Romney tied at 47% there with Obama leading in the early voting. I was under the impression that Romney had Florida wrapped up, but I guess not. Mellman also shows that Obama has a one-point lead (46% to 45%) in Virginia, and even the new Newsmax/Zogby Poll has Obama holding a three-point lead amongst Virginia's likely voters.  And with regard to Nevada, both PPP and Rasmussen show that Obama has hit the coveted 50% mark in that state.
  
  In other words, the recent talk from Camp Romney that Mitt has this election all sewn up is simply a bunch of horseshit.  The election is close, but any momentum Romney received from the first debate has obviously evaporated.
  
  This explains why one of the Governor's "closest advisers" felt compelled to say the other day that Romney will win "305 electoral votes” on November 6th.  Only an idiot would make such a pronouncement if he actually thought it was true.  That was a statement issued by a campaign that knows it is in trouble.

• 0:55

  Hi-Tec V-Lite Infinity HPi Shoes

   » ‎ YMMV Reviews

  Tags:    [edit]

  Manufacturer Description

  What does Hi-Tec have to do with creating an incredibly lightweight trail running shoe? It’s in our heritage! Many of the big names in Adventure Racing today got their start years ago in Hi-Tec footwear. The Infinity HPi can handle anything a harsh trail throws at them – roots, rocks, mud and water – and still offers plenty of support while allowing your foot to adapt to the surface. Proud winner of the Running Network “Best New Trail Shoe” and Health Magazine Gear Awards.

  Features

  Shoe Chart – Click to See Larger

  • Extremely breathable synthetic upper
  • Seamless Upper Zone Engineering upper design
  • ion-mask hydrophobic technology
  • Heat seal overlays for lightweight support
  • TPU shank support with ESS protection
  • Molded toe cap
  • Reflective safety details
  • Microfiber collar lining
  • Comfort Tec contoured footbed
  • Exclusive Dual Density Vibram Outsole
  • Dual Density 3D Counter Balance Midsole
  • Lightweight TPU shank
  • Measured size 9
    • Weight – 301 g (10.6 oz)
    • Forefoot width – 94.7 mm (3.7 in)
    • Stack height – 27 mm (heel), 15 mm (toe), 12 mm drop with insole
  • Retail – $155

  YMMV Review

  Hi-Tec originally started making footwear for Squash in the UK. This shoe has now sold over 18 million pairs alone since production began back in the mid 70s. Hi-Tec has grown a lot since then being distributed in over 80 countries around the globe. Hi-Tec is still largely a footwear brand but has also expanded to cover some clothing as well.

  I started to work with Hi-Tec last year and have reviewed a couple of items for the site. Most recently I worked with them to review the Infinity HPi Shoes; a do anything lightweight shoe. This shoe also sparked a movement and some very intriguing videos, which are a good watch. Check them out below:

  Testing

  True to their design, I tested the V-Lite Infinity HPI Shoes on a variety of adventures. I used them for some mixed runs up to 5 miles in length. I used them for hiking and even some climbing. They got dirty; they got wet; and they even got a bit beat up.

  

  Side View – Click to See Larger

  Design 3.2 out of 5 stars Appearance (20%) 4 out of 5 stars Construction (35%) 3.5 out of 5 stars Lacing (15%) 3 out of 5 stars Sustainability (10%) 1.5 out of 5 stars Weight (20%) 3 out of 5 stars

  The V-Lite Infinity HPi Shoes are a multisport shoe. In so being they are made to be used across multiple activities. The shoes at first glance look like a standard trail running shoe. I must say they are some pretty cool looking shoes. I tested the lime green and gray model, and they are pretty sweet. Starting from the top the shoes have been made with a breathable synthetic upper. The upper is a lightweight mesh that has some thin clear overlays in the midfoot and heel to add some structure and protection. The mesh is a denser weave near the base and has some larger openings the higher up the shoe for more breathability. Hi-Tec calls this their Seamless Upper Zonal Engineering (S.U.Z.E.). It creates a one-piece mesh to provide better protection, breathability, and support while not having as many seams that could cause discomfort. What really sets the upper apart is the ion-mask treatment. This treatment is an invisible protective layer that molecularly bonds to the upper making it more durable and not affecting the feel or appearance. Ion mask makes it so dirt and water cannot adhere to the surface and helps the shoes stay drier and cleaner longer.

  The Infinity uses a standard lacing system with plastic eyelets for easier adjusting of the laces. There are also two upper eyelets if you want to use a lace lock system to lock in your heel. The tongue is made of a lightweight mesh with impeded perforated foam so it maintains breathability but also protects the top of your foot more. The tongue is gusseted to prevent rocks and debris from getting in and also holding it in place so it will not slide around on you. Hi-Tec has also put a protective toe guard over the front to add some protection from rocks, whether running, hiking, or adventure racing.

  

  Top View – Click to See Larger

  On the inside of the shoe the front half is the back of the mesh material while the back half is a microfiber liner that is not only soft to the touch but seam free. It incorporates some padding around the heel section to provide a better fit. The shoes have a basic insole that is removable if you want to use your own. In the heel, there is a webbing loop that can be used to help get the shoes on or clip them to a pack. In the midfoot, the shoes use EVA foam cushioning with a TPU shank for stability and protection. In the back heel area of the shoes, there is a 3D Counter Balance. This is part of the Infinity running platform for support and cushioning meaning a smoother, straighter center of pressure and fewer chances of injury. The 3D Counter Balance is denser foam to provide this support. It is labeled and colored bright green so you can’t miss it. The outsole of the V-Lite Infinity HPi Shoes uses a dual-density Vibram rubber. This puts different densities in strategic locations based on where they will be best used. The outsole itself only has rubber in certain spots to save weight. This is part of Hi-Tec’s V-Lite construction, which is a build philosophy that uses a variety of technologies to strip the weight out of the shoe without sacrificing performance.

  

  Vibram Outsole – Click to See Larger

  The Infinity Shoes are made mainly with unsustainable materials as are almost all shoes. The one highlight of the shoes that is green is the ion mask technology. Looking at Hi-Tec as a brand, there is not much information about their corporate practices. I, therefore, gave them a 1.5 rating for sustainability.

  Fit 3.5 out of 5 stars Comfort (25%) 4.5 out of 5 stars Foot Length (15%) 3.5 out of 5 stars Foot Width (15%) 3.5 out of 5 stars Heel Width (15%) 3 out of 5 stars Midfoot Width (15%) 3 out of 5 stars Toe Box Width (15%) 2.5 out of 5 stars

  This is where the Hi-Tec V-Lite Infinity HPi Shoes excel. Even though the shoes are billed as a multisport shoe they truly feel like a trail runner. When you first grab a pair you can feel the soft interior around the back of the shoe, and even though I always wore socks with these, I could feel this plush material. I must say I really liked it. As far as comfort next to your skin these shoes will be seriously difficult to beat. They feel awesome on the inside. Even the mesh in the front is comfortable, but not as sweet at the back half is. While this is all well and good I also must add that I never got any irritation when running or hiking so they not only feel good but work at keeping your foot comfortable. On one hike the shoes even got rather wet, and they still felt good. I ended up just using the stock insole during my testing, which is really basic. If you wanted to swap it out for one of your own, the insole removes easily.

  

  Plush Around the Heel – Click to See Larger

  I am normally a size 9 in shoes, and that is what I tested in these. I feel like this was the right size for me as I had a little extra room past my toes. If I was following the normal rule of thumb on this, I could have had just a slight bit more, but I am used to tighter shoes from my soccer days so it was not an issue for me. I think they fit true to size unless you are already on the edge then I would say size up. As far as the shape of the shoe I would say it has a slightly narrow toe box, medium with midfoot, and medium width heel. I felt like the shoe fit pretty well through the heel and midfoot, but I could have gone with a little more room in the toe. Even when looking down on the top of the shoe you can see it narrows. This did not cause me any issues or discomfort; it just prevented me from splaying out my toes as much as I normally do. It also made it tighter if I did choose to wear thicker socks. The volume of the shoes is pretty good as well. I feel like the shoes can accommodate a higher volume foot fairly well with an easy to get in opening and gusseted tongue. If you have a thinker insole, then this will reduce this volume but with the thin standard one there was plenty.

  

  Tongue with Foam Inside – Click to See Larger

  Performance 3.1 out of 5 stars Breathability (15%) 3.5 out of 5 stars Cushioning (20%) 4 out of 5 stars Durability (20%) 2 out of 5 stars Flexibility (10%) 2.5 out of 5 stars Support (10%) 3.5 out of 5 stars Traction (15%) 3 out of 5 stars Water Resistance (10%) 3 out of 5 stars

  The Hi-Tec V-Lite Infinity is an interesting pair of shoes as they are a multi-sport shoe. This essentially means you can use them for whatever you may be doing on the day. I have generally found that when you try to do all things, you end up not doing any of them particularly well. However, that is not the case with these shoes. While they are better at some activities over others, they really are solid across a wide range. Not only did I take these out for some of my runs but also used them for hiking and climbing. The lugging on the bottom is not very aggressive but still seemed to grip well. My runs were on both dirt and asphalt, and I did not have any issues there, but this was not a great test of traction. The best test was on a hike I did into the Broken Top Crater. Not only was it raining sideways, but the hike was on large rocks, loose gravel, dirt, and mud. I was pleasantly surprised how well the shoes griped across all these surfaces. I cannot think of a time during the whole day where I slipped. The Vibram sole gripped all the rocks well and even the loose dirt and mud were manageable.

  

  Looking Further Inside – Click to See Larger

  Where the shoes do struggle a bit is in the upper. Hi-Tec has made these shoes lightweight by using less structure in the upper. This means there is less holding the foot secure, especially around the ball of the foot, and for me, it meant my foot would be less stable on top of the platform, especially when walking across off camber rocks. More than one time did it cause my footing to be not as balanced in these situations. The other drawback of a less reinforced upper is when hiking through larger rock areas, I noticed that the upper got a couple tears from rubbing on the rock edges. The upper is a lightweight mesh so it has excellent breathability but this also leads to a more fragile fabric. It seems that the upper is not very durable when it comes to abrasion so be careful. On the other hand, the rest of the shoe held up well, and the cushioning and outsole should get lots of mileage.

  The V-Lite Infinity shoes have a reasonable amount of cushioning and when compared to most of my running shoes they felt quite plush. I never had any issues with feeling rocks pocking the bottom of my feet. The 3D Counter Balance does a good job of adding some support and helping the foot transition through the foot strike. It is not overly supportive, but the little bit added is helpful. I tend to be a bit more of a midfoot striker on the run, so I did not notice it as much then. Hiking is when I tend to be more heel toe and could feel the dual density a little more. With the thicker cushioning, 3D Counter Balance, and TPU plate, the Infinity Shoes do lose some of their flexibility. You can feel it a bit in your hands but when on the run they did not feel overly stiff.

  

  Hole in the Mesh – Click to See Larger

  The ion mask technology is an interesting addition to the shoes. It is not the first pair of shoes I have tested with this technology, and it is cool how it helps the fabric stay drier and cleaner. Basically, it does not let things adhere to the fabric, and therefore they can be shed easier. You can see the water bead up if the shoes get wet, but it does not mean they are waterproof. On my rainy hike, it took about ½ mile before I started to feel the water penetrate. This is to be expected as the whole upper is a lightweight mesh material. I do think that it helps the shoes stay cleaner longer as after all my testing, the shoes still look like new. The only areas you can see any wear is some on the sole, the small rip to the upper of both shoes, and some scratching of the lace guides.

  Overall 3.1 out of 5 stars

  Overall, the Hi-Tec V-Lite Infinity HPi Shoes are a good multisport shoe. They are very comfortable as the interior fabric is some of the best I have ever tested for pure comfort. The toe box does run slightly narrow, and this is mainly realized right at the toe so size accordingly. For me, the shoes are a bit heavier than what I typically like to run in, even trails. I do see them as an excellent approach shoe, fast hiking shoe, or adventure racing shoe. The sole has good traction, and they still are light, just not as light as many of the newer trail runners on the market. If you do need a little stability in your trail shoes, this is also a decent option as most trail running shoes do not have any guidance built in. One main qualm against the shoes is the durability f the mesh upper. The volcanic rock here in Central Oregon tore up the mesh in a couple of places, which was disappointing. The holes are about the size of a pencil tip but still annoying. If you are looking for a do anything shoe, take a look at these, they may even help you run on water. The Hi-Tec V-Lite Infinity HPi Shoes retail for $165. Of course, your mileage may vary.

  Pros

  • Ion mask technology
  • Very comfortable liner
  • Vibram outsole
  • Breathable
  • Lightweight fully cushioned trail shoe

  Cons

  • More structure at the ball of the foot
  • Mesh tears easily
  • Narrow toe
  • Expensive

  All Hi-Tec Reviews All Trail Running Shoe Reviews All Hiking Shoe Reviews Adventures

  • Broken Top Crater Hike

  

  

• October 24, 2012
• 22:17

  Better Butternut Squash Soup

   » ‎ The Rural Gourmet

  Tags:    [edit]

  Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I have been pretty slammed at work and we also finished up a month of the Game on Diet again so my creativity in the kitchen has been limited. My friend posted her recipe for Butternut Squash Soup on her blog and it looked good. It was a very cool autumn day today and so I thought I would give it a try. It is awesome! Much better than mine and Alton Brown's (in my not so humble opinion)
  
  Enjoy!
  
  Vanessa's Better Butternut Squash Soup

• 21:59

  Bobs in cookies lands #basset #hound #dog

   » ‎ Bobs and Lucys

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

  
  
  

  Bobs in cookies lands #basset #hound #dog

  

• 21:58

  It’s Hunk Day….Yeaaaaa

   » ‎ Fully Briefed

  Tags:    [edit]

    The New Hired hand…. Mmmm Goood ….

   

   

   

  Come on into Fully Briefed and check out our store.  New Arrivals and Closeout Sales that are going on.

   

   

           

   

   

   

  

• 19:21

  Halloween Decorations

   » ‎ Downtown Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  Fun & whimsical decorations available NOW at:

  Paper Jazz

  858 Wall Street (541) 389-8460

  cards, gifts & invitations

  

• 17:17

  Oct. 24, 2012

   » ‎ Redmond Spokesman Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

• 14:48

  Did you read the one about...........

   » ‎ Funki Planet

  Tags:  Thinking Girl report   [edit]

  
  
  Lookin' for great posts this week?
  
  Well of course you are. 
  
  This is where you go to find all that is interesting, fun, amazing and well, let's face it, cool.  But this week I'm off at a blogging conference on the other side of the country learning, mingling and improving my blogging skills. 
  
  All for you, baby!  All for you!
  
  
  So this is your chance to take a look around, catch up on old posts, read some of the stuff you missed.  I'm happy to get you started.  Let me recommend......
  
  
  Don't dive back into your dirty clothes! The Cloisters - This ain't high school baby, this is real life Port Inspire - Gluten Free Scones: Sucess! Tilt - Living in a Pinball WorldThese are just a sample of what you can find on FunkiPlanet.com.  You definitely won't be at a loss for reading this week.  But go for it!  Read away.  I'll be back next week better than ever.  (With all the stuff I've learned.) Thanks for stopping by.  See you next week!  

• 14:44

  Akin Furious At Mourdock Over Rape Comments

   » ‎ Harold's Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Missouri GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin responded angrily to Indiana Republican Richard Mourdock's recent statement that pregnancies resulting from rape are God's will. "Why bring The Lord into this," said Akin, "when science tells us that a woman's body has a way to shut down the whole pregnancy process if a woman is inseminated as a result of a legitimate rape."
  
  Mourdock shot back, claiming that Akin -- by embracing science -- is "giving Satan a gigantic bear hug."   Mourdock adviser Joe Simpson added: "My Gosh, what's next for Akin -- is he going to start telling us that global warming is real?"
  
  GOP Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney, in an attempt to cool things down, suspended his campaign and met with both Akin and Mourdock today behind closed doors to see if common ground could be found between the two Senate candidates.
  
  Details of what happened at this meeting are sketchy, but it was reported by one source close to Romney -- who spoke on the condition of anonymity -- that the Governor attempted to get Akin to concede that a small percertage of rapes might result in pregnancy if the woman who was being legitimately raped was not "in the peak of physical health" at the time of the assault. Both the Akin and Mourdock campaigns refused to comment after the meeting ended.
  
  Prominent Republicans expressed concern today that this disagreement between Akin and Mourdock could have a negative impact the GOP's chances in the General Election. Said top Republican strategist Henry McIntyre: "The last thing our party needs is a distraction like this during the final two weeks of the campaign."

• 14:24

  From the story out, not the rules in.

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  There are tons of problems with the book.
  
  I've got a funny attitude about this. 
  
  Every problem is an opportunity to improve the book.
  
  Every solution to a problem, improves the book.
  
  The chaos is just an opportunity to find new ways of doing it.
  
  
  One of the writer's group members was talking about how real writers plan everything in advance.  Like an artist, they have the vision they want already in their heads.
  
  I disagreed.  I said that my understanding of many  artists is that they often find inspiration in happy accidents.  For me, writing a story means lots of false starts and deadends, but each of them spark ideas.
  
  Michelangelo is said not to known what he would sculpt until he started carving -- that the stone itself told him what it wanted to be.
  
  It seems so bloodless to me to sit around and diagram.  Plus, I think there is a huge tendency now to follow formula's.  Lots of writer books about How To Write.
  
  Don't get me wrong -- all this is important.
  
  I usually find where I want to go within about 50 pages or so.  But by exploring the characters and their motivations and having the plot arise from that, I think I find a book that works better than if I come up with the plot, and then invent characters to fulfill that plot.
  
  Another member of the group had a great point.  What if the end destination turns out to be different from the one you planned?
  
  Besides -- my reading of  how-to writing books is that they tend to contradict each other.  Which only confirms my suspicion that every writer does it differently.
  
  The real answer is -- whatever works for you.
  
  I have to insert here -- almost every small business book I've ever read has been utterly useless and unhelpful.  My own experience in business either seems to contradict what they're telling me, or most often, lay completely outside of what they're telling me.  Bah.   I suspect writer's how-to books are nearly as useless.
  
  Let me give you another example:  there are critiquers who come to group who have a set of perimeters as to what they think is good writing, and they apply these rules to every story they hear.
  
  Whereas, I try to find what parts of the story I've just heard can be improved.  That is, from the story out.  Instead of from the rules in.
  
  I've seen writers waylaid by these outside strictures of formula.  Instead of following their hearts, they try to conform.  Often it seems to me, these writer's never finish, or quit writing altogether.
  
  This is not to say they shouldn't try to learn.
  
  But more important to me, is to start writing and exploring your subconscious.
  
  
  Finally, as a bit of irony.  I fully intend to TRY to outline the next book.  I've tried in the past, and never wrote the books.  But I admit I'm getting a little tired of the dead ends and red herrings.  So maybe I'll find out I've been wrong all this time -- that outlining is the way to go.
  
  I'll give it a try.
  
  
  

• 14:11

  Jack Johnson – ‘Island Style’

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading Tagged: grandma style, guitar, island style, jack johnson, livestream, on the island

• 13:54

  The Typewriter only looks romantic.

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  This seems to be turning into a writer's diary.  Sorry about that.
  
  At last night's writer's group I was saying how much easier it is to write with digital.  That the last time I was seriously trying to be a writer I was using a typewriter.
  
  Hell, if this technology had been around back then, I probably would never have quit!
  
  Sarah ---who is young, she couldn't know how primitive we were -- said she wasn't so sure.  That writing on a typewriter would make a book more cohesive.  That many writers she noticed seem to cut and patch and it shows.
  
  I can see the danger.
  
  I guess I always figured I'd still have to do a final, irrevocable draft -- whether on a computer or a typewriter.
  
  Anyway, I've heard this nostolgia for typewriters before -- how it forces the writer to slow down, think, make every word count.
  
  And having done both, I can tell you that there is no comparison.  Give me digital, or give me ... unfinished books!

• 13:50

  Counting redds at Spring Creek

   » ‎ Trusting the Land

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  As an employee of the Land Trust, I’m surrounded by staff members, board members (and many of our members) who know plenty more than I do about the natural world. I’m a quick study, but my 16+ months here at the Land Trust have made me realize just how much there is to learn. I can chat for hours and hours about organizational development, nonprofit budgeting, grant writing, or even the always thrilling Form 990 the Internal Revenue Service requires nonprofits to file each year. Conservation, I'm still learning.

  That's why, last week, I jumped at a chance to join conservation director Brad Nye on a mission to count bull trout “redds” in Spring Creek, a tributary of the Metolius River that is protected by the Land Trust. A redd is essentially a nest of scraped out gravel/rock/sand, where trout and salmon deposit their eggs. The word is actually of unknown origin and my first Wikipedia search for the word turned up what seems to be a super awesome Turkish rock band by the same name.

  A salmon deposits eggs in a redd.

  Nonetheless, armed with my waders and new polarized sunglasses, I was delighted to follow Brad down stream as we carefully looked for redds made by the powerful bull trout. They use their strong bodies to literally dig down into the streambed, kicking rocks out in a fan shape behind them, and creating the nest where their eggs will have the best chance of survival. All told, we counted seven confirmed redds in the short stretch of Spring Creek we were charged with monitoring.

  Redd counting is just one component of the ambitious goal to restore native fish runs to the waters of the upper Deschutes basin, something the Land Trust and our many partners are working toward each day.  Maybe next year I’ll load a little Turkish rock music on the iPod before donning my wader, now that I have a much better sense of what I’m looking for!

• 13:20

  Work Smart Tip – October 24

   » ‎ Downtown Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  Sometimes you can’t afford to give a team member a surprise day off.But why not try a surprise hour off?

  WHY? If someone has worked hard or looks stressed out, a “surprise hour off” could get them back on the right track.

  HOW? Tell them, “I want you to take a bonus hour off. I’ll cover for you, and I want you to go out and do something for yourself during that time. Go to the park, go for a walk, go shopping. You’ve been working hard and I appreciate it — and I know you’ll come back from this break refreshed and ready to sell some more!”

  

• 13:15

  4 of 6 IMC champions crowned for 2012 fall sports

   » ‎ Central Oregon Athlete

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Redmond moved down from 6A to 5A and won the Intermountain Conference football title, while Summit swept the boys and girls soccer titles as well as volleyball. The cross country titles will be decided on Friday as the IMC championships take place in the Old Mill District here in Bend.

• 13:10

  Fall in Drake Park

   » ‎ As I See It

  Tags:    [edit]

  Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. Yes, I prefer warmer weather, but you can't beat the beautiful natural colors that the cooler Fall weather brings. I feel like I missed out on a lot of those colors this year; when I left for Maui, the trees had green leaves, and by the time I returned a lot of the trees near me were already bare. However, Drake Park did not disappoint me this morning.
  
  PS - I know I posted a photo similar to this one last year, but every time I walk in this area (especially this time of year), it makes me smile. So, I think it deserves another post.

  
  

  

• 13:04

  Florida Teen Buys Second House

   » ‎ Bend, Oregon. Make it home.

  Tags:    [edit]

  Willow Tufano and her sister Iris (Facebook) ABC News recently reported on a teenager in Florida who just closed on the purchase of her second investment home.  What makes this story especially interesting isn’t so much that Willow Tufano is a teenager but that she was just 14 when she bought her first home and [...]

• 13:04

  Florida Teen Buys Second House

   » ‎ Preferred Residential

  Tags:    [edit]

  Willow Tufano and her sister Iris (Facebook) ABC News recently reported on a teenager in Florida who just closed on the purchase of her second investment home.  What makes this story especially interesting isn’t so much that Willow Tufano is a teenager but that she was just 14 when she bought her first home and [...]

• 13:01

  Die Antwoord – Wat Kyk Jy

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading Tagged: Die Antwoord - Wat Kyk Jy

• 12:58

  Going Rogue, going gone.

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  Sarah Palin's Going Rogue is on one of the book liquidation sites for .50 each, if you buy 10.
  
  Goodbye, Sarah, don't let the ink smudge you on the way out...
  
  **********
  
  There's a kinda funny video of Chris Mathews and Bill O'Reilly debating each other on helium.
  
  It would have been much funnier if they hadn't dragged their feet so much -- it was clear they were uncomfortable.
  
  One of them missed a bet -- should have just talked into all the silences and won that debate!
  
  **********
  
  I got a series of cheap children's books: I Love Trucks, I Love Dinosaurs, etc. and they sell consistently.
  
  Finally figured out that parents will splurge for a 3.99 book to keep their kids happy.  With the bonus that they're 'educational.'
  
  There is a whole industry of these little factoid books, and I'm going to try some more variations.
  
  It's great -- whatever gets kids to read.
  
  **********
  
  Went to writer's group.  Read my new fourth chapter --which they hated.  Sarah thought I was giving too much away, and sleeping on it, she's probably right.
  
  They liked the first chapter, but weren't sure it worked as a first chapter....they caught a glaring error that wasn't a problem when it appeared later in the book, but needs to be addressed if it is the first chapter.
  
  Linda wrote me a little note on here copy of the chapter as I was being eviscerated.
  
  ("I think this is really good!")
  
  I love being married to a writer.
  
  **********
  
  For you non-writers, you can skip the rest.
  
  This is turning into a real rewrite.  Changing the nature and focus of every scene.
  
  I'd forgotten this is how it goes.
  
  At the same time, it feels to me like it's turning into a real book.  Like, I can just feel it donning its cloak.  It is kind of a cool feeling; like what I remember.  I don't know if it will ever get good enough, but it's getting closer.
  
  My books always start out sketchy.  I mean, I don't think they are at the time I'm writing them.  Complications in the process start to creep in, and in dealing with the complications, the book starts to take on another layer; and another...
  
  This is turning into a new rough first draft in some ways.  The transitions and bits of business don't quite work anymore.  I'll either have to change them, or cut and replace them.  I'm thinking of just asking myself: What is the purpose of this scene(?), paraphrase that, and stick it in.  Nothing fancy.
  
  I'm trying to eliminate as many flashbacks as possible, except the 'famous writer' ones.  I hoping those chapters have enough interest to add to the overall atmosphere, even if they don't necessarily advance the plot.
  
  I changed one characters flashback story to real time, now that I'm allowing 3rd person chapters.  I blended another flashback scene into another contemporary scene.  And so on.
  
  I think overall, it will read faster.  I cut 3000 words, so I'm back to the same number of words as when I started.  As long as I stay over 80,000 words.  I dropped most of the humorous bits, keeping just a little of the character banter -- and making much of it more serious.  Certainly, the new early glimpse of Hell chapter is way more serious -- I'm playing a little game with the character's viewpoint, in that I think I'm letting the reader believe he is the one person when he is actually another.
  
  I have one whole side story, about a character who is the love interest of the protagonist, that is still a problem.  I need something to more directly tie her into the story -- more of a reason for protagonist to NEED to go visit her.
  
  It's early, I'm sure I'll think of something.  I'm amazed I've accomplished so much in just a few days.
  
  This is going to work, I think, if I can keep making this kind of progress.
  
  The real test of it's worthiness, I think, is my willingness to work on it.  If I think there is something there.  As well as my willingness to cut deeply.  That really shows that I'm trying to make it work.
  
  I've cleared the deck for the next seven days -- after writer's group tonight and after I make my monthly orders.  We'll see what the book looks like at the end of a full week. 
  
  It's funny, I've finally adjusted to this idea of doing a rewrite.  The trick seems to be -- open the book, get sufficiently into the idea of the book, and then just let the mind wander.  Ideas come in snippets sometimes in whole swaths.
  
  When I have a story problem, I just let my mind work on it and there is almost always a solution.
  
  Speaking of which -- I was trying to tie in Lillian, and I thought of the answer.  The Book, that Simmons talks about in the fourth chapter, and which I now include in the Cthulhu Parsons scene and which Cobb asks about later.  That's the connection.
  
  Yep, that works.
  
  I think though, it makes much of the rest of the scene not work.  So I'll need to cut much of it -- maybe I can have the love flashback.
  
  Damn this is complicated.

• 12:57

  Which Bend Neighborhoods are closest to amenities?

   » ‎ Cheri Smith's Bend Oregon Real Estate Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Whenever I realize I have to make another trip all the way out to Home Depot on the north end of town, I get a little whiny and irritated but honestly, it takes me 15 minutes. In Bend, it will rarely take you more than 15-20 minutes to get anywhere. If you’re thinking about buying a home [...]

• 12:51

  Win a VIP pass to the party of the year! Deschutes Brewery Warehouse Party October 27 celebrates the best of the Halloween Cross Crusade

   » ‎ The Bend Buzz Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  I am not cool.

  I go to bed early, I don’t attend fab parties, and I can’t put on makeup without stabbing myself in the eye.

  But there are times I sincerely want to be cool, like when Deschutes Brewery hosts one of their legendary warehouse parties. There’s one coming up this Saturday, October 27 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Since every cool person I know has told me how great it will be, I’ve pledged to attend.

  

  Get ready to rock (and to trot out your most creative costume ideas!) at the Deschutes Brewery warehouse party.

  Problem is, I need coolness lessons. For that, I consulted Visit Bend’s Director of Marketing, Lynnette Braillard. She’s attended a whopping fourDeschutes Brewery warehouse parties over the years, so I’m relying on her expertise for everything I need to know to have a great time this Saturday night.

  Tawna: So the Deschutes Brewery Warehouse party is held to celebrate National Plush Animal Lover’s Day, right?

  Lynnette: First of all, National Plush Animal Lover’s Day is October 28. The Deschutes Brewery Warehouse Party is October 27, and it’s in celebration of the annual Halloween Cross Crusade and Cyclocross Festival October 26-28.

  Tawna: That’s right, I was planning to watch some of the events like the Clydesdale Cyclocross Championship of the Universe and the Kiddie Cross Race.

  Lynnette: Details about those events are on our website, but we’re talking about the party here. Focus.

  Tawna: Right, sorry. So what do I need to know to be cool?

  Lynnette: What do you need to know, or what does the average blog reader need to know?

  Tawna: Let’s say average blog reader. We need to keep this short.

  Lynnette: The theme for this year’s party is Cyclo De Soleil. It’s a vintage carnival and adult circus with live music and shows from the Bend Circus Center and several other local performance troupes.

  Tawna: What kind of performances?

  

  Fun times and big crowds at the Deschutes Brewery warehouse party!

  Lynnette: Belly dancing, acrobatics, a fire performance, and even an aerial show. And the music is going to be incredible. They’re bringing in The Klown Korps and DJ Delachaux from San Francisco. Delachaux is known for his big-beat-burlectro-swing style of pouring vintage samples and exotic orchestrations over a barrage of saucy beats. They’re calling it, “a fused wild carousel of voluptuous voodoo and body-quaking bass.”

  Tawna: Wild carousel? Voluptuous voodoo? Body-quaking? I’m not sure I’m ready for this. Is there anything I should do to prepare myself?

  Lynnette: Put some serious thought into your costume because this is a raging Halloween party! Drink plenty of water because you’ll be pounding lots of tasty Deschutes beer all night (bring cash). If you plan to watch the Clydesdale Championship of the Universe race (don’t miss it—it’s hilarious to watch with plenty of crashes and crazy costumes) get your hand stamped so you can get re-entry into the party guaranteed until 9:30 p.m. This is the biggest party you’ll ever encounter in Bend (and the funnest!) so arrive early to get in before they max out on capacity—you may be standing in line to wait for others to leave and let me tell you, nobody ever likes to leave.

  Tawna: Got it, I’m taking notes here. Where do I get tickets?

  Lynnette: You pay at the door the night of the event. It’s $10 a person, and proceeds support the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance.

  Tawna: Wow, $10 is a good deal.

  Lynnette:  No kidding. That gets you carnival and beer-inspired appetizers, a keepsake photo, and bragging rights for attending the party of the year.

  Tawna: Will you put my makeup on for me?

  Lynnette: As long as you promise to leave the plush animals at home.

  Tawna: Deal.

  ***

  Want to win one free VIP pass to the Deschutes Warehouse Party? Leave us a comment describing your planned costume. We’ll pick a winner the morning of Friday, October 26, and he or she will be able to pick up a VIP wristband at the Bend Visitor Center before 5 p.m. Friday or between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday. Good luck!
  

   

• 12:51

  Mystery Monkey Silenced: Trump smells cover-up

   » ‎ The Source Weekly Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

   

  
  

  Officials in Tampa Bay Florida have successfully captured the Mystery Monkey that had been roaming throughout the community for the past two years. 

  
  

  With less than two weeks to go before the Presidential election, the timing of the capture has some people crying foul. 

  
  

  

  
  

  "We've got a right to know why all of the sudden city officials decided to s...

• 12:27

  Staying current during short sale won’t necessarily save your credit score

   » ‎ Cheri Smith's Bend Oregon Real Estate Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  BY KEN HARNEY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2012 INMAN NEWS Without some last-minute gymnastics, underwater homeowners participating in Fannie and Freddie’s ambitious new plan to allow short sales by borrowers who haven’t missed a loan payment could see their credit scores dented just as severely as if they’d gone into foreclosure after months of nonpayment. For the [...]

• 12:00

  Oregon Beer News, 10/24/2012

   » ‎ The Brew Site

  Tags:  Oregon beer News   [edit]

  Happy Hump Day! We’re now a week away from Halloween, it’s hard to believe October is getting close to being over already. And the beer news rolls on regardless: here’s the roundup of Oregon’s beer news that I’ve curated from around the web. As usual I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news as I find it, so check back often for updates. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

  Brewpublic’s Killer Beer Week continues today, with a uniquely-themed event tonight at The Beermongers in Portland: Sean / Shawn / Shaun Fest at 6pm. “It’s a celebraSean of sensaShawnAle brewers and craft beer folks who have won our affectShaun with Killer beer! The BeerMongers (1125 SE Division St., Portland, OR) is run by Publican Sean Campbell, so as far as talented Shawns goes, it takes one to know one. We’ll feature special releases from Sean/Shawn/Shauns including 10 Barrel, The Commons, Lazy Boy, 21st Amendment, Amnesia, and Georgetown Brewing. Here’s your invitaSean! See you there!”  (This might also be the most pun-y event I’ve yet posted.)

  Tonight Trebol Mexican Cuisine is hosting a Brewer’s Dinner from 6:30 to 10pm featuring Lompoc Brewing, Amnesia Brewing, Columbia River Brewing, and Burnside Brewing, pairing four courses with a beer from each of the breweries. “The event will take place at the restaurant, located at 4835 N. Albina Ave. Reservations are not required; the public is welcome to show up any time between 5 and 10 p.m. to start the dinner. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased by calling 503-517-9347.”

  Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 10/24/2012” »

  

• 11:37

  On The Road With "Oh, You Cowgirl!"

   » ‎ The Lone Cowgirl

  Tags:    [edit]

  Filmmaker, Shirley Morris stated her goal for her documentary film, "Oh, You Cowgirl!" was to make sure the history of the early twentieth century cowgirl was never forgotten again and would be shared for many generations to come.
  
  "Oh, You Cowgirl!" is on the road with the Whistle Stop F.I.L.M. Festival - Next stop, Wyoming, Platte Valley and the Grand Encampment Museum.
  
  The Whistle Stop F.I.L.M. Festival (Filmmakers Interactive Local Meetups) is a series of screenings of independent movies, which may be of local interest, of interest to a particular group of people with a community or just for entertainment.
  
  The miracles of technology have made it easy to make the WSFF program available to any community around the world if they have a way to view the content – on a computer monitor, stream online, a projector and screen.
  
  Local organizers are asked to write a short narrative explaining the audience, the venue and a very basic outreach plan which can include word of mouth, email and phone trees, mailing, tradition media like newspapers and radio, social media such as facebook. WCM provides movies and a small stipend to defray the event costs.  The local organizer provides the venue and brings in an audience.  It is preferred that the programs are offered free of charge, but donations may be gathered. Why?
  The Whistle Stop F.I.L.M. Festival is a means to integrate and converge the arts into communities and venues where movies aren’t normally shown and to provide new audiences for independent movies. Where?
  Local organizers can pick any location to screen the program – in a private home on a computer or television; in a church basement, at the local library, in the back room of a restaurant. Right Now:The Whistle Stop F.I.L.M. Festival is coming to the Platte Valley! The first night of the festival will begin at 4:30 pm Thursday, October 25th, with a pre-movie social at the Saratoga Resort and Spa followed by the films “Gambling for the Future” and “A Land Out of Time”. “Gambling for the Future” focuses on the Wind River Casino and its focus on the economic development of the Wind River Indian Reservation. “A Land Out of Time” features Carbon County locals and is about oil and gas development in the West. The second night of the WSFF will start at 5 pm at the Grand Encampment Museum with the film “Oh, You Cowgirl” and will be followed by “Merritt”; a western version of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” written, performed, and directed by the Encampment 9thGrade English Class. “Oh, You Cowgirl” is a film about the culture of the cowgirl and the legendary Prairie Rose Henderson. Discussions will follow all films. "Oh, You Cowgirl!" is available on dvd for home showings here: [thecowgirlmovie.com]
  
  For more, great stories about the cowgirls, the unsung heroes of the west, visit [thecowgirlmovie.com]

  
  

  

• 11:32

  That's It?

   » ‎ Harold's Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Legendary asshole, Romney surrogate, and racist piece-of-shit Donald Trump just released his big Obama October Surprise:
  

  Donald Trump said that he would donate $5 million to a charity of President Barack Obama's choosing. The catch?  Obama has to release his college applications and records, as well as his passport application and records, according to a Youtube video released Wednesday just before noon.  Trump said he'd honor the donation as long as Obama released those records before 5 p.m. on Oct. 31.

  Your move, Mitt . . . .
  
  And speaking of "momentum killers" for Romney, this is devastating:
  
  
  
  And this doesn't help Romney's "momentum" either:
  

  Republicans scrambled Wednesday to respond to Republican Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock's assertion that even pregnancies caused by rape are intended by God, putting a harsh light on an issue that divides the party and has benefitted Democrats nationally and locally. * * *
  
  [I]n a telling sign of where national Republicans see most of the country -- which favors abortion in the cases of rape or incest -- the campaign of GOP presidential nominee MItt Romney quickly distanced itself from the comment.
  
  Yet it remains an issue that won't go away for Romney, whose campaign still backs the Hoosier Republican, if not his postion. "Gov. Romney disagrees with Richard Mourdock, and Mr. Mourdock’s comments do not reflect Gov. Romney’s views." said Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul. "We disagree on the policy regarding exceptions for rape and incest but still support him." Romney just endorsed Mourdock and cut an ad for him. The campaign has not asked him to remove the ad.

  Geesus, it's almost as if these guys want Romney to lose and are doing everything they can to sabotage his campaign.
  
  UPDATE:  White House senior adviser David Plouffe had this to say when asked about Trump's above-referenced announcement:  "Direct those questions to Boston because Donald Trump is Mitt Romney's biggest supporter, so he owns everything he says."

• 11:19

  A Story of Hunting and Hearing Loss

   » ‎ Outdoor Quest

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  Todays post is by guest writter John O'Connor.  John is a father, outdoorsman and is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle.   Check out his new blog at bloggingwjohno.blogspot.com! I come from a big family that loved different sports. My siblings and I were all involved in various activities, so it was rare that we ever got to spend quality time together. Because of that, I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with my father, especially when we would go hunting. It was like we were a two-man-team by ourselves in the woods. We had fun and we learned much about each other during those days.
  
  We also felt we were fully prepared for our hunting trips. But were we? We had the guns, the ammunition and the high-tech gear. However, we didn't have everything we needed, such as hearing protection. Back then, we never really gave it much thought, but now we realize how important hearing protection really is.
  
  Now, my father is in his 70s and wears a hearing aid to help him hear. Though hunting wasn't the main reason he lost his hearing, his doctor does admit that it was a major contributor. The lack of protection over a long period of time finally took its toll on my father's hearing.
  
  We often forget to take precautions to things like hearing protection because we don't realize its importance. We protect our body because any damage to it can cause an immediate threat. Hearing loss happens overtime, so we don't keep it at the front of our mind.
  
  The Dangers Of Firearms
  
  The sound of a shotgun puts out around 166 decibels (DB). The average person only speaks at sounds around 50 DB. The human ear can only take loud sounds for so long before it starts losing its function.
  
  Moreover, if you practice your aim at an indoor shooting range, the sound is amplified and bounces off the walls. This can cause even further damage to your hearing if you are not using the proper protection.
  
   Earplugs
  
  Earplugs are the standard protection for hunters. They are often made out of foam, and they block the loud sounds of a gunshot, helping reduce the amount of DBs that enter your eardrum. Earplugs are cost effective, but don't offer the greatest protection.
  
  Earmuffs
  
  Earmuffs offer greater protection than earplugs, but for many hunters, they work too well. In other words, hunters usually have a hard time hearing their partners. The clamshell design blocks many frequencies of sound from entering the ear. That is why I personally use electronic earmuffs.
  
  Electronic Earmuffs
  
  If you are serious about hunting and your hearing, then you should absolutely invest in a pair of electronic headphones. These high-tech gadgets block the dangerous levels of DBs from entering your ears, but also amplify low levels of sound to help you hear people around you.
  
  Your hearing is more important than you think, so take the proper precautions when you are going to engage in an activity that involves loud sounds. You don't have to sacrifice your fun, but you do have to be safe as well.
   

• 10:06

  Racers Keen on Halloween

   » ‎ Bike Around Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Tina Brubaker having fun in Cross Crusades #2 at Ranier, OR | Photo © Matthew Lasala

  “’Cross is like this giant family
  you get to see every fall. I love
  the camaraderie. This sport I love
  so much is continually giving back
  to me.”
  – Tina Brubaker

  When Tina Brubaker competed in her first Cross Crusade race in 1994, she couldn’t have imagined what the startup regional cyclocross series would become. Eighteen years later, the “Crusades,” as they’re widely known by competitive cyclists across the country, are revered for the clockwork execution of the races, high-level competition, and the record-setting number of competitors they draw for eight consecutive weekends in October and November.

  While most of the venues are convenient to the metropolitan Portland area, with more than 40 percent of OBRA’s almost 5,000 licensed riders living in those zip codes, races four and five of the series — a double header the weekend before Halloween — were moved to Bend last year from Astoria. Bend racers, who regularly drive six to eight hours in a day to race Crusades, welcome the reprieve from traveling that the Halloween races provide, as well as the opportunity to throw down on home turf.
  
  Brubaker, who is the series leader heading into this weekend’s races in Bend, says she has noticed the level of racing rising for the last few years, and has adjusted her goals and training accordingly. Whereas in previous years she raced ‘cross on “residual fitness” from mountain bike and road racing, Brubaker focused this year on peaking for ‘cross, honing her technical skill with enduro racing, and using early-season cyclocross races to help her bring her “A game” to Crusades.

  It’s a Fact Jack
  Did you know that the Women’s race
  at Cross Crusades, which includes
  Beginners, Category B and C, Masters
  35+ and 45+, regularly draws more
  racers for that one race than all
  categories combined in most other
  cyclocross races around the country?

  “More people are taking ‘cross a little more seriously, which is really exciting,” says Brubaker, who splits her time between Bend and Salem. “All the fields have so much more depth. Everybody’s pushing it.”

  Local powerhouse criterium specialist Brenna Lopez-Otero concurs, and says despite the notable absence of Portland ‘cross pro Sue Butler, who is recovering from back surgery, this year’s Women’s A field is full of seasoned racers like Brubaker, who have sharpened their knives, as well as strong newcomers like neo road pro Jade Wilcoxson. However, with more of the top regional women, like Bend’s Serena Bishop Gordon, skipping some of the Crusades to compete in larger races on the national circuit, there are chances to snatch podium spots and improve series standings.

  

  This week’s comment contest prize:
  a gift certificate for a
  Santa Cruz MTB rental – up to a
  $90 value.

  “It opens up some opportunities when the heavy hitters are gone,” says Lopez-Otero, who is currently 7th in the series.

  When they do show up, it raises the bar even more, according to local Rocky Mountain Bicycles mountain biking pro Chris Sheppard, who is currently tied for the Men’s A overall standing with Portland’s Molly Cameron.

  “Oregon is blessed with countless professional cyclocross, road and mountain bike racers,” says Sheppard. “You never know who will show up. When a guy like Ryan Trebon races, it ups everyone’s game.”

  Even the junior ranks are feeling heightened competition. Fourteen-year-old Lance Haidet of Bend, the current series leader, sometimes does a second race with the adults, and after recently winning Men’s B races, was upgraded to an A.

  “It’s a lot faster this year,” says Haidet of the junior field. “The top five junior guys could all race in the A’s.”

  

  Chris Sheppard running up at Cross Crusades #1 at Alpenrose | Photo © Matthew Lasala

  Haidet, whose father Sean is a competitive road, mountain and ‘cross cyclist, has been racing since he was small, and many racers cite the inclusiveness of cyclocross when asked what endears them to the sport. Oregon promoters and officials have strategically built a pipeline for ‘cross, with multiple levels of entry for people of all ages—from toddlers to retirees—and it has paid off with huge fields of diehard racers.

  “Cross Crusade is the largest grassroots cyclocross series in the world,” says Sheppard. “With top-notch organization, a family-friendly atmosphere and large beginner classes — along with Belgian waffles, fries and beer — it seems like a recipe for continued success.”

  ###

  

  Related content:

  1. Where Bicycle Racers Take Root If category 1 racers are the tall trees of the...
  2. Budding Racers Get a Boost This past Thursday, Michelle Bazemore, Cycling Director for MBSEF, and...
  3. Racers at the Ready For most Januaries in Oregon’s high desert (those without a...

  

• 10:00

  Bad Books (NEW) – ‘Pytor’

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading Tagged: bad books, catherine, head, heads, perspective, peter, peter the great, punishment, pytor, RUssian, song

• 10:00

  Giant Loop Rider: Jack Broomall

   » ‎ Go Light. Go Fast.

  Tags:    [edit]

  Earlier this year, Jack Broomall completed his 2 Wheels 4 Kids charity motorcycle ride to the four corners of the United States, benefiting the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer. This 10,000+ mile ride was a labor of love, taken on a BMW R1200GS with a Giant Loop-donated Fandango Tank Bag.  Jack visited visited several pediatric cancer wards on his trip, and raised nearly $7,500. "As time goes by, the sights I will remember best are not the mountains, nor rivers, nor thousands of other vistas that make up this nation. They are the faces of those hospitalized kids enduring unimaginable challenges every day." See below for a feature article published in the October issue of BMW Owner's News, and our previous blog post about Jack. He restored a 1977 Hodaka Wombat, a 125cc 2-stroke, and rode it across the United States, some 2,858 miles, using Giant Loop's Coyote Saddlebag and Fandango Tank Bag. We're very proud to ride along with Jack. "My month-long '2 Wheels 4...
  
  FOR THE REST OF THE STORY, CLICK THE HEADLINE LINK. GiantLoopMoto.com.

• 10:00

  I've joined the RMLS

   » ‎ Dylan Darling, Bend real estate

  Tags:    [edit]

  I'm now a member of the RMLS I've made the leap and joined the RMLS, (Regional Mulitple Listing Service).  Our primary MLS in Bend area is the Central Oregon MLS.  So why did I join the RMLS?  Simple, to give my sellers' properties the most exposure as possible. The RMLS is the biggest listing service in Oregon.  It is used as the primary MLS system for about half of the state, but has members in all parts of Oregon.  My listings will now appear on the RMLS and be available to thousands of agents outside of our area. Who wouldn't want their home available to more agents and buyers? I've noticed that home buyers from throughout Oregon, especially the Portland area, use the RMLS site regularly to search for homes.  I've had calls from buyers saying "wow, there isn't much on the market in Bend". But this is because they are only searching the RMLS and don't know that we have our own Central Oregon MLS.  Now my listings will show up on this short list of homes on the RMLS.  Currently there are only 84 agents from Bend that are members of the RMLS. If you're thinking of selling your home in Bend, give me a call to discuss the differences betweeen my services and the average agents services.  The RMLS is just a small part of what makes my listing service unique and effective.

• 9:45

  Bobs ons sofas Lucys ons floors?! #basset #hound #dog

   » ‎ Bobs and Lucys

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

  
  
  

  Bobs ons sofas Lucys ons floors?! #basset #hound #dog

  

• 9:03

  Woods – “Cali in a Cup”

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading Tagged: cali in a cup, woods

• 9:00

  Words on Wednesday - Commitment

   » ‎ My Scrap Home

  Tags:  Words   [edit]

  (The giveaway and kit details are in the previous post).
  
  
  Source
  
  
  
  Source
  
  
  
  
  
  Source
  
  A little inspiration for your Wednesday.  No matter what you are after in your life, be it school like me and balancing my family life, keeping the house clean, that project you are working on, or the perfect grilled cheese sandwich, may you always keep trying to be the best that you can be.  Keep going for it!
  Davinie
  

• 8:53

  Featured Guest Post: Grow Your Existing Customer Base in 2013

   » ‎ The Wealthy Business

  Tags:    [edit]

  Here is a post from my friend Seth Kahan, author of the upcoming book, Getting Innovation Right. Seth has a wealth of ideas on innovation and leading change. Here are some key considerations as you plan to grow your existing customer base in 2013.

• 8:00

  Beautiful Mama

   » ‎ the. Blink. Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Oh how I just adore this sweet mama and her family!  We’ve been friends since college, and her friendship has been such a blessing throughout the years!  I knew her hubby when he was just training to be a firefighter/paramedic and now he works for the Port of Portland Fire District.  So….if your plane ever crashes on the runway, he’ll be there!  haha  Anyways, her two sweet kiddos were just joined by their beautiful baby sister whom I get to meet and photograph on Sunday!  I can’t wait!

  

• 7:05

  An Ancient Riddle

   » ‎ Scripted Genius

  Tags:    [edit]

  Today we’re taking a less “inflammatory” comic approach…

  

  You just finished reading An Ancient Riddle! Consider leaving a comment!

  Have you read the SG Terms of Service? It covers privacy, FTC disclosures, and more. Check out the Legal section of SG to get the skinny today. SG is an Independent News Media and Blog.

  Related posts:

  1. Infographic: On Privacy Policies
  2. Great #Halloween Riddle…
  3. Making Money, and Spending It

  

• 6:30

  The annual Autumn display at The Bellagio ...

   » ‎ The gr8ful grind

  Tags:    [edit]

  The annual Autumn display at The Bellagio Hotel and Casino. (Click on the photo to see the look on that tree's face) Las Vegas, Nevada; October, 2012.

• 5:35

  Guerrilla Fruit Harvesting: Next year, gather urban edibles before the first frost

   » ‎ The Source Weekly Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  
  

  As you've probably noticed, there's a plenitude of fruit trees scattered throughout Bend.

  
  

  Many of trees were planted with care and are lovingly looked after by the renters/homeowners who live on the property. Others grow untended on vacant lots or on public lands. Those who are fortu...

• 1:02

  Peanut Butter and Appliances

   » ‎ A Year In The Life of Krystal

  Tags:    [edit]

  In case you hadn't noticed before, I have a Type-A personality that causes me to plan everything out to the last detail, write hundreds of lists, and come up with a dozen different plans for that time that may or most likely will not come to pass. For the last three years, I've been living the life of what if....
  
  What if my husband is denied a visa and we are forced to live outside the United States for the next 10 years?
  
  This question has me on a roller coaster because I can't function in a world where I don't even know what my future holds. I tried to just say that we'd go regardless but it didn't work out that way. I spent a month down there in November 2010 and I was about to pull my hair out at the end of the month. I also know that I will not divorce or leave my husband simply because we can't live here in my United States either. I love my husband and I will live in hell if necessary to preserve our marriage.
  
  So I've been making lists of what I can't live without if we have to move out of the country. We'd start our new lives in Mexico and then move to other countries, maybe one new country every year. My lists now focus on what I have to bring if I could have a car to haul it in and the other list of what to bring if I would have to live out of my suitcase in a far away country. The number one item on my list is 1) Adams Peanut Butter. I could live without a lot of things including Ranch dressing but I can't live without my peanut butter. And it can't be just any brand of peanut butter either. I like natural peanut butter that doesn't have a bunch of additives. I love Wild Squirrel Nut Butter but it doesn't have a very long shelf life and I am going to need to stock up with a case of peanut butter before I can head south of the border.
  
  The next food items on my list are things like carob chips, baking chocolate squares, whole wheat or multigrain pasta, alfredo sauce mix, and all of my CHEESES!! We are going to be devastated to leave behind our Dave's Killer Bread but no choice there. We'll just have to beg our family and friends to throw a couple loaves in their suitcases when they come down to visit.
  
  The next list contains all of the appliances that I can't imagine living without either. Unfortunately, these would also be the first things I'd have to sacrifice if we made the move to another country with our suitcases only. While I am not Martha Stewart in the kitchen, I am going to treat myself with a used Kitchen Aid since I'll be making everything from scratch at that point. Other things on my ever-growing list include chopper, meat slicer, mixing bowls, bread pans, standard and metric mixing cups, and glass storage bowls with lids. I'm also learning the ancient art of canning thanks to my mother so I'd need to invest in everything for that process as well. So far I've only made cinnamon applesauce which everyone loved but they have an endless supply of fruit in Mexico, you just have to get it while it's in season. My future plans include an old fashioned root cellar filled with shelves of fruits preserves, soups, you name it! My next goal is to learn pressure canning so I can put up the soups and meats and vegetables too. I don't plan on living a frivolous lifestyle so I need to learn how to survive while I'm still up here.
  
  The packing list is a work in progress so please, leave your thoughts on something that you couldn't live without either. I don't want to forget anything!!

• October 23, 2012
• 23:39

  Hellos Bassets! #basset #hound #dog

   » ‎ Bobs and Lucys

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

  
  
  

  Hellos Bassets! #basset #hound #dog

  

• 22:27

  Historic Haunts of Downtown Bend

   » ‎ Hack Bend

  Tags:  Downtown   [edit]

  This week, from the 25th through the 27th (Thursday through Saturday) the Des Chutes Historical Museum is again holding their annual “Historical Haunts of Downtown Bend Heritage Walk” which takes visitors through Bend’s colorful downtown history and historic buildings (though not inside of them) with a Halloween twist.

  If you missed this incredibly fun event last year, bring your flashlights, comfortable walking shoes, plenty of nerves, and you’re ready for three nights of haunted history in the historic district of downtown Bend. The Museum hosts one-hour guided walking tours highlighting Bend’s troubled and turbulent past with a bit of the macabre thrown into the mix. Visit locations spanning 30 years of ghoulish history and be treated to stories of individuals who helped shape the region, but had a hard time leaving it behind…even after death. We’ll inter-weave history with the mystery of the unknown. Some stories may be familiar, while others we’re positive will give you a shock. Tour space is available on a first-come, first-serve basis with 12 tours operating each evening.

  Cost is $10.00 per person, children under 12 years and Des Chutes Historical Museum members are FREE. Museum admission included. All tours begin at the Museum and end at The Tower Theater. Please note: the tour does not enter any buildings. Hot chocolate and apple cider will be available.

  The tours run from 4 to 7:30pm each day and this sounds like a lot of fun.

  See also: My list of haunted Bend places (which could probably use updating!).

• 21:58

  A photo from my class tonight.

   » ‎ Matt Hand - The Media Geek

  Tags:  Uncategorized   [edit]

  Look at all the smiling faces.

  

• 19:50

  Being a Good Servant of God (Part 1) 1 Tim. 4:6-10

   » ‎ Grace Bible Church of Bend

  Enclosure: [download]

  Tags:    [edit]

  Sermon from our worship service at Grace Bible Church of Bend. Teaching on “Being a Good Servant of God” from 1 Timothy 4:6-10

  Video can also be found at  [https:]]

  Sermon Audio Download

  Or Pocast at  [itunes.apple.com]

  (If you are having Audio Sync issues with the Video try to download the Video from Vimeo and then watch it.  You can download the HD video HERE or the smaller SD version HERE)

• 19:22

  The week in Prep sports

   » ‎ Redmond Spokesman Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Redmond High volleyball Oct. 18
  
  
  
  
  Redmond and Ridgeview at the C.O. Cross Relay Oct. 17
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• 16:44

  Looper

   » ‎ Blueturtle's Space

  Tags:  Uncategorized   [edit]

  I saw “Looper” last night. If you like sci-fi movies, this is a good one about time travel. [loopermovie.com]

• 16:38

  Dine & Dish: Custom Logo Design + ProPhoto Customization

   » ‎ Jane Johnson Photography

  Tags:  Logos & branding   [edit]

  We have a recent branding project to share with you today!  Kristen with Dine & Dish came to us looking for a brand makeover.  This is what she shared in her questionnaire:

  “I have been blogging for 5 1/2 years and in the past 6 months I’ve chosen to add more to my blog than just food blogging. I’m including family, photography, lifestyle and more now. I’ve been struggling with the change as I know it is going to be drastic… but it needs to happen. I’ve changed since I started 5 1/2 years ago and I’m ready for my blog to reflect that.

  I’ve worked with several designers who just haven’t gotten it in the past year. You were the person I’ve wanted to do it the whole time, but chose to go with cheaper alternatives and now I see where that got me.  You could have designed a whole new blog for me several times with the money I’ve spent on people who were less of an investment.”

  (Note: the initial investment for a custom brand is well worth it in the long run!) This was Kristen’s logo before:

  

  And Kristen’s inspiration board along with the new brand we came up with:

  

  Once her logo was complete, we tackled a ProPhoto customization project.  This was her blog design before:

  

  We began with our Perfect Salt ProPhoto design as the springboard for her customization:

  

  We widened the overall width of the template, added a sidebar, and customized it to fit her brand.  Here is the final result (you can view her live site here):

  

  Looking to give your brand a makeover, but don’t have the budget for a fully custom blog investment?  We’ve got an exclusive ProPhoto discount code just for you!

  Click here (or on the banner below) to save $10 on your ProPhoto purchase (the discount will automatically be applied when you click on the link).
  And don’t forget to check out all our ProPhoto templates here!

  Happy Tuesday!

  

• 16:37

  A French Dinner

   » ‎ Blueturtle's Space

  Tags:  Uncategorized   [edit]

  Shari hosted a French dinner for her book club meeting last night. She prepared quiche and ratatouille for the first time last night. Not bad. Not bad.

• 16:29

  Event calendar

   » ‎ Redmond Spokesman Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Lord's Acre Day Nov. 3 Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
  st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";}
  10/24 WednesdayPRESCHOOL PARADE STORY TIME: Stories, songs, rhymes and activities for children ages 3 to 5, every Wednesday; 10:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; Redmond Public Library, 827 S.W. Deschutes Ave.; 541-312-1055.PUMPKIN PATCH: Free admission; noon-6 p.m.; Central Oregon Pumpkin Company, 1250 N.E. Wilcox Ave., Terrebonne; 541-504-1414 or www.pumpkinco.com.school board: Redmond School Board meeting; public welcome; 5:30 p.m.; 145 S.E. Salmon Ave.; agenda at www.redmond.k12.or.us.SAM JOHNSON PARK PUBLIC FORUM:  6:30-8:30 p.m.; Redmond City Hall, 716 S.W. Evergreen Ave.; 541-923-7710.“EVIL DEAD, THE MUSICAL”: 2nd Street Theater presents the musical comedy about five college students who accidentally unleash an evil force; contains adult language; $21, $25 splatter zone, $18 students and seniors; 8 p.m.; 2nd Street Theater, 220 N.E. Lafayette Ave., Bend; 541-312-9626 or www.2ndstreettheater.com.“FURTHER”: A screening of the second installment in the Jeremy Jones snowboard movie trilogy produced by Teton Gravity Research; $12 in advance plus fees, $15 at the door, $5 children 12 and younger at the door; 8 p.m.; Tower Theatre, 835 N.W. Wall St., Bend; 541-317-0700 or www.towertheatre.org.
  10/25 Thursday AUTHOR PRESENTATION: Victor Villasenor talks about his memoir “Burro Genius: A Memoir”; free; 3 p.m.; Central Oregon Community College, Hitchcock Auditorium, 2600 N.W. College Way, Bend; 541-318-3726.TODDLIN’ TALES STORY TIME: Stories, songs and rhymes, for children 18-36 months and caregiver, every Thursday; 10:15 a.m.; Redmond Public Library, 827 S.W. Deschutes Ave.; 541-312-1055.BABY STEPS STORY TIME: A gentle story time for infants to 18 months, every Thursday; 11 a.m.; Redmond Public Library, 827 S.W. Deschutes Ave.; 541-312-1055.PUMPKIN PATCH: Free admission; noon-6 p.m.; Central Oregon Pumpkin Company, 1250 N.E. Wilcox Ave., Terrebonne; 541-504-1414 or www.pumpkinco.com. ARTIST RECEPTION: “Birds of a Feather” pastel paintings by Shandel Gamer. Refreshments will be served. The exhibition continues through the end of November; 2-4 p.m.; Home Federal Bank, 821 S.W. Sixth St., Redmond; 541-504-2647.economic development: Redmond Development Commission meeting; public welcome; 3:30 p.m.; 716 S.W. Evergreen Ave.; agenda at www.ci.redmond.or.us.AUTHOR PRESENTATION: Karen Duvall talks about her books, including “Darkest Knight”; free; 6:30-9 p.m.; Central Oregon Community College, Redmond campus, 2030 S.E. College Loop, Redmond; 541-350-6583, elsiemariewrites@gmail.com or www.centraloregonwritersguild.com.ERIN AND THE PROJECT: 7 p.m.; Brassie’s Bar at Eagle Crest Resort, 1522 Cline Falls Road, Redmond; 541-548-4220.“EVIL DEAD, THE MUSICAL”: 2nd Street Theater presents the musical comedy about five college students who accidentally unleash an evil force; contains adult language; $21, $25 splatter zone, $18 students and seniors; 8 p.m.; 2nd Street Theater, 220 N.E. Lafayette Ave., Bend; 541-312-9626 or www.2ndstreettheater.com.
  10/26 FridayPUMPKIN PATCH: Free admission; noon-6 p.m.; Central Oregon Pumpkin Company, 1250 N.E. Wilcox Ave., Terrebonne; 541-504-1414 or www.pumpkinco.com.CORN MAIZE: $7.50, $5.50 ages 6-11, free ages 5 and younger; 3-7 p.m.; Central Oregon Pumpkin Company, 1250 N.E. Wilcox Ave., Terrebonne; 541-504-1414 or www.pumpkinco.com.DA CHARA: Celtic, jazz and originals; 6 p.m.; Green Plow Coffee Roasters, 436 S.W. Sixth St., Redmond; 541-516-1128.“THE BRITISH IN NAPOLEONIC TIMES”: The Central Oregon History Performers present a production set in the early 1800s, with singing, dancing and drama skits; $5, free for children 12 and under; 7 p.m.; The Bridge Church of the Nazarene, 2398 W. Antler Ave., Redmond; 541-504-4233. AUTHOR PRESENTATION: Amanda Coplin talks about her book “The Orchardist”; free; 6:30 p.m.; Paulina Springs Books, 422 S.W. Sixth St., Redmond; 541-526-1491.BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS COMEDY BENEFIT: Comedy event featuring comics Karen Lacy and Kermit Apio; with dinner available for purchase and a silent auction; proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon; $50 plus fees; 7 p.m.; Tower Theatre, 835 N.W. Wall St., Bend; 541-317-0700 or www.towertheatre.org.LINDY GRAVELLE: Country and pop; 7 p.m.; Niblick and Greene’s, 7535 Falcon Crest Drive #100, Redmond; 541-548-4220.OREGON ARCHAEOLOGY CELEBRATION PRESENTATION: Perry Chocktoot presents “Producing Stone Tools.” Presentation will run approximately an hour and a half; $5 day-use or annual pass required; 7 p.m.; Smith Rock State Park Visitor Center, 10260 N.E. Crooked River Drive, Terrebonne; 541-923-7551.“EVIL DEAD, THE MUSICAL”: 2nd Street Theater presents the musical comedy about five college students who accidentally unleash an evil force; contains adult language; $21, $25 splatter zone, $18 students and seniors; 8 p.m.; 2nd Street Theater, 220 N.E. Lafayette Ave., Bend; 541-312-9626 or www.2ndstreettheater.com.
  10/27 SaturdayREDMOND GRANGE BREAKFAST: A community breakfast with scrambled eggs, pancakes and beverages; $6, $3 ages 12 and younger; 7-10:30 a.m.; Redmond Grange, 707 S.W. Kalama Ave.; 541-480-4495.PUMPKIN PATCH: Free admission; 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; DD Ranch, 3836 N.E. Smith Rock Way, Terrebonne; 541-548-1432 or www.ddranch.net.INTERCAMBIO SPANISH/ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUP: Welcoming all people who would like to learn or practice their Spanish or English language skills; 9:30-11:30 a.m.; Green Plow Coffee Roasters, 436 S.W. Sixth St., Redmond; 541-516-1128.CORN MAIZE: $7.50, $5.50 ages 6-11, free ages 5 and younger; 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Central Oregon Pumpkin Company, 1250 N.E. Wilcox Ave., Terrebonne; 541-504-1414 or www.pumpkinco.com.JEWELRY & HOLIDAY TREASURES: Proceeds benefit scholarships for women through philanthropiced.org; free; 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Housing Works, 405 S.W. Sixth St., Redmond; 541-504-6456.OKTOBERFEST FOR KIDS: Bounce house, archery provided by Cent-Wise, musical chairs, bobbing for apples, a Wii dance-off, and more; 3-5 p.m.; Community Presbyterian Church, 529 N.W. 19th St., Redmond; 541-548-3367.THE “U” WORD: A lecture discussing the historical and political aspects of reproductive rights in the United States, presented by Jamie Bufalino; free; 3 p.m.; Redmond Public Library, 827 S.W. Deschutes Ave.; 541-312-1034, tinad@deschuteslibrary.org or www.deschuteslibrary.org/calendar.HALLOWEEN BASH: Live music with A.M. Interstate, the Hooligans, the Confederats, Travis Kenny, Nuclear Salt and more; $3; 6 p.m.; Big T’s, 413 S.W. Glacier Ave., Redmond; 541-504-3864.“THE BRITISH IN NAPOLEONIC TIMES”: The Central Oregon History Performers present a production set in the early 1800s, with singing, dancing and drama skits; $5, free for children 12 and under; 7 p.m.; The Bridge Church of the Nazarene, 2398 W. Antler Ave., Redmond; 541-504-4233.RENO HOLLER: 7 p.m.; Niblick and Greene’s, 7535 Falcon Crest Drive #100, Redmond; 541-548-4220.“EVIL DEAD, THE MUSICAL”: 2nd Street Theater presents the musical comedy about five college students who accidentally unleash an evil force; contains adult language; $21, $25 splatter zone, $18 students and seniors; 8 p.m.; 2nd Street Theater, 220 N.E. Lafayette Ave., Bend; 541-312-9626 or www.2ndstreettheater.com.HAUNTED POOL PARTY: Middle school students only, Spooky tunes, ghoulish games and lots of frightening fun, must have student ID or parent accompany inside the building, only the first 100 will be admitted. Register in advance to reserve a spot on the party list. Admittance at the door dependent on availability; $5; 8-10 p.m.; Cascade Swim Center, 465 S.W. Rimrock Way, Redmond; 541-548-7275.WITCHING HOUR AT THE TOWER: A Halloween party, with The Staxx Brothers, Mosley Wotta and a screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”; ages 21 and older; $14 plus fees; 10 p.m.; Tower Theatre, 835 N.W. Wall St., Bend; 541-317-0700 or www.towertheatre.org.
  10/28 SundayPUMPKIN PATCH: Free admission; 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; DD Ranch, 3836 N.E. Smith Rock Way, Terrebonne; 541-548-1432 or www.ddranch.net.CORN MAIZE: $7.50, $5.50 ages 6-11, free ages 5 and younger; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Central Oregon Pumpkin Company, 1250 N.E. Wilcox Ave., Terrebonne; 541-504-1414 or www.pumpkinco.com.PUMPKIN PATCH: Free admission; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Central Oregon Pumpkin Company, 1250 N.E. Wilcox Ave., Terrebonne; 541-504-1414 or www.pumpkinco.com.OREGON OLD TIME FIDDLERS: Fiddle music and dancing; donations accepted; 1-3:30 p.m.; VFW Hall, 1836 S.W. Veterans Way, Redmond; 541-647-4789.AN EVENING WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE: A visit from Poe, with tales of remorse, lost love and bad behavior; proceeds benefit the Des Chutes Historical Museum; $14 plus fees; 7 p.m.; Tower Theatre, 835 N.W. Wall St., Bend; 541-317-0700.
  10/30 TuesdayOPEN COMPUTER LAB: Practice computer skills, problem-solve with staff, find answers to your e-reader questions. Use a library laptop or bring your own. No registration required; free; 5:30-7 p.m.; Redmond Public Library, 827 S.W. Deschutes Ave.; 541-312-1050.city council: Redmond City Council meeting; public welcome; 6:45 a.m., 777 S.W. Deschutes Ave.; agenda at www.ci.redmond.or.us.THE CAPITOL STEPS: A parody, with music, of contemporary politics; $40-$55 plus fees; 7:30 p.m.; Tower Theatre, 835 N.W. Wall St., Bend; 541-317-0700 or www.towertheatre.org.
  10/31 WednesdayPRESCHOOL PARADE STORY TIME: Stories, songs, rhymes and activities for children ages 3 to 5, every Wednesday; 10:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; Redmond Public Library, 827 S.W. Deschutes Ave.; 541-312-1055.PUMPKIN PATCH: Free admission; noon-6 p.m.; Central Oregon Pumpkin Company, 1250 N.E. Wilcox Ave., Terrebonne; 541-504-1414 or www.pumpkinco.com.FALL FESTIVAL: Come dressed in your costume for early release Wednesday and enjoy ghouly games, tricks and treats, a spooky scavenger hunt, costume contest and more. Ages 5-12; $5; 2:45-4:15 p.m.; Redmond Area Park and Recreation District, Activity Center, 335 S.E. Jackson St.; 541-548-7275.REDMOND FIRE AND RESCUE HALLOWEEN PARTY: Trick-or-treat at the Redmond fire station, with games and information about fire safety; free; 4-8:30 p.m.; Redmond Fire & Rescue, 341 N.W. Dogwood Ave.; 541-504-5000.TRICK-OR-TREATING ON SIXTH STREET: Look for a “Trick-or-Treaters Welcome Here” pumpkin in the windows of participating downtown businesses; 4-6 p.m.; downtown Redmond.FOR ANIMALS SAKE ART AUCTION: Featuring live music, food, a costume contest and more; proceeds benefit the Redmond Humane Society; free; 7:30 p.m.; Ambiance Art Co-op, 435 Evergreen Ave., Redmond; 541-548-8115 or www.ambianceartonline.com.
  11/1 ThursdayTODDLIN’ TALES STORY TIME: Stories, songs and rhymes, for children 18-36 months and caregiver, every Thursday; 10:15 a.m.; Redmond Public Library, 827 S.W. Deschutes Ave.; 541-312-1055.BABY STEPS STORY TIME: A gentle story time for infants to 18 months, every Thursday; 11 a.m.; Redmond Public Library, 827 S.W. Deschutes Ave.; 541-312-1055.
  11/2 FridayWESTERN CHRISTMAS: Three-day event running in conjunction with the PRCA Columbia River Circuit Finals Rodeo; entertainment, food, vendors and kids’ activities; $3, children 12 and under free; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Western Christmas Headquarters, 2895 S.W. 13th St., Redmond.PAJAMA PARTY: Bring your children, ages 5 and up, to the Redmond Area Park and Recreation District Activity Center for hours of fun, games and art activities, the first Friday of every month. Wear pajamas or comfy clothes. Pizza, popcorn and drinks provided. Pre-registration is required; $10 per child; 6-9 p.m.; Redmond Area Park and Recreation District, Activity Center, 335 S.E. Jackson St.; 541-548-7275.
  11/3 Saturday LORD’S ACRE DAY: The 66th annual event features a sale of crafts, baked goods and art, live music, a barbecue dinner, an auction, 10K run, 5K walk and more; proceeds benefit Powell Butte Christian Church projects; free admission, $10 barbecue, $15 in advance or $25 day of event to race; 7:30 a.m. registration, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. events; Powell Butte Christian Church, 13720 S.W. State Highway 126; 541-548-3066 or www.powellbuttechurch.com.INTERCAMBIO SPANISH/ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUP: Welcoming all people who would like to learn or practice their Spanish or English language skills; 9:30-11:30 a.m.; Green Plow Coffee Roasters, 436 S.W. Sixth St., Redmond; 541-516-1128.WESTERN CHRISTMAS: Three-day event running in conjunction with the PRCA Columbia River Circuit Finals Rodeo; entertainment, food, vendors and kids’ activities; $3, children 12 and under free; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Western Christmas Headquarters, 2895 S.W. 13th St., Redmond.BECOMING A HUMORIST: Joel Clements talks about what it takes to become a humorist; free; 2 p.m.; Redmond Public Library, 827 S.W. Deschutes Ave.; 541-312-1032 or www.deschuteslibrary.org/calendar.VFW DANCE: Dance to the music of the Sunshine Express; $4 members, $6 non-members; 7 p.m.; VFW Hall, 1836 S.W. Veterans Way, Redmond; 541-647-4789. TRIBUTE TO ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER: A musical tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber melodies; featuring the Youth Choir of Central Oregon and choral groups from Bend and Sisters High Schools; proceeds benefit CASA of Central Oregon; $15-$75 plus fees; 7:30 p.m.; Tower Theatre, 835 N.W. Wall St., Bend; 541-317-0700 or www.towertheatre.org.
  11/4 SundayWESTERN CHRISTMAS: Three-day event running in conjunction with the PRCA Columbia River Circuit Finals Rodeo; entertainment, food, vendors and kids’ activities; $3, children 12 and under free; 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Western Christmas Headquarters, 2895 S.W. 13th St., Redmond.TRIBUTE TO ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER: A musical tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber melodies; featuring the Youth Choir of Central Oregon and choral groups from Bend and Sisters High Schools; proceeds benefit CASA of Central Oregon; $15-$75 plus fees; 2 p.m.; Tower Theatre, 835 N.W. Wall St., Bend; 541-317-0700 or www.towertheatre.org.
  Pet food drive for shelterThe Humane Society of Redmond Thrift & Gifts’ third annual Christmas Boutique and Pet Food Drive is open Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Shopping at the Christmas Boutique, 1568 S. Highway 97, and donating a good quality pet food can help pets in the community have a wonderful Christmas.For more information call 541-504-0101. All proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Redmond.
  Ice Rink getting close!Redmond’s ice skating rink is scheduled to open for its second season Nov. 16 at 5 p.m.Check online for updates at www.raprd.org.
  Aquatic field tripRedmond Area Park and Recreation District will offer a no school day field trip to the Madras Aquatic Center on Nov. 2, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost is $20.Transportation is provided from the RAPRD Activity Center. Sign up or learn more at 541-548-7275 or www.raprd.org.
  Civil War fundraiserThe 12th annual Chimps Inc. Civil War Football Fundraiser will be held Nov. 24.Support rescued animals while watching University of Oregon and Oregon State battle it out on three big screen TVs, shop a holiday silent auction, and enjoy a meal with friends, all while never leaving Central Oregon.Cost is $55 per person and a table for 10 is $650.Call 541-410-4122 for reservations or reserve online at www.chimps-inc.org.To donate auction items please call or fill out the online auction form at www.chimps-inc.org.The time of the event will be announced once national TV coverage is determined.

• 15:41

  new Deschutes river view listing in Maupin

   » ‎ Dylan Darling, Bend real estate

  Tags:    [edit]

  Amazing Deschutes River Views 501 Elrod Ave, Maupin OR 97307  Watch the rafters float by as you relax on the covered deck of this custom home overlooking the Deschutes river in Maupin. This custom home would make a great vacation getaway, or a primary residence.  Maupin is known for it's fishing, rafting, and outdoor recreation.  The home boasts large windows and vaulted ceilings in the living room to take full advantage of the views, (which also offers it some passive solar heat). The .41 acre lot gives you lots of breathing room. On the entry level you'll find the large greatroom, kitchen, dining area, master bedroom and bathroom. The living area is large with plenty of light. French doors lead into the master with a jetted soaking tub.  The deck on the main level is great for relaxing or entertaining.  Who doesn't like relaxing while watching the beautiful Deschutes river flow by?  Downstairs you'll find a full daylight basement with lots of windows.  The family room is spacious with a bedroom on each end of it. Another door leads out to the bonus room below the garage that makes a great game room, office, or hobby room.  The bonus room is heated and fully finished.               Maupin Home Features 3 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2544 sq ft .41 acre double lot 2 car garage (fully finished and heated) large deck close to town and amenities built in 1995 Call today for more information on this spacious home overlooking the river.  541-419-1448 For more information, photos, and details on this spectacular Maupin home over looking the Deschutes river please visit the Deschutes river home in Maupin listing page.      

• 14:38

  I am such an apple geek. My view from the couch.

   » ‎ Matt Hand - The Media Geek

  Tags:  Uncategorized   [edit]

  

  from Instagram: [instagr.am]

  

• 13:27

  Cat and Vintage Pin Ups

   » ‎ thetincats

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 13:24

  Cats That Look like Pin Up Girls

   » ‎ thetincats

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• 13:00

  Oregon Beer News, 10/23/2012

   » ‎ The Brew Site

  Tags:  Oregon beer News   [edit]

  Here’s the beer news from around Oregon for  Tuesday the 23rd of October. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day as I find news, so check back often for the latest updates. And if you have news you’d like to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

  Killer Beer Week continues today, the week-long fourth anniversary celebration of Brewpublic that showcases Cascadian beer with great events. Today is Killer Washington Beer Night at the Salmon Creek Brewpub in Vancouver—technically not an “Oregon” event but it is just across the river! “Just across the Columbia River, The New Salmon Creek Brewpub (108 W. Evergreen Blvd., Vancouver, WA) will line their taps with numerous beers from some of Washington State’s finest craft breweries. Just moments from Portland city proper, get ready for killer pours of specialty releases from the likes of Black Raven, Naked City, Fremont, Elysian, Walking Man, Mt Tabor, Big Al, Schooner Exact, Boundary Bay, Chuckanut, Ice Harbor, and more!” It starts at 4pm, don’t miss out.

  Cascade Brewing (Portland): Their Tap It Tuesday tonight starting at 6pm features “Live” Cinnamon Triple: “This NW style sour triple ale was barrel aged for 11 months, then aged on several additions of Thai cinnamon and red peppercorns for another four months. You’ll first notice aromas of cinnamon with hints of vanillin and oak. Soft, aged creamy malts, cinnamon and a little spice bite on the palate lead to a tart, slightly spicy cinnamon finish that has a lingering dusty, peppery note. 8.2% ABV / $7 Glass / $2.5 Taster.”

  Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 10/23/2012” »

  

• 12:55

  NEEDTOBREATHE – Devil’s Been Talkin’

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading Tagged: ACL 2012, austin city limits, devil's been talkin', need to breathe

• 11:52

  Obituaries

   » ‎ Redmond Spokesman Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Theodore Ronald Rainville, of Redmond
  Oct. 3, 1968 - Oct. 12, 2012
  Arrangements: Autumn Funerals Redmond
  541-504-9485; www.autumnfunerals.net
  Services: A Celebration of a Life lived took place October 18 at the
  Terrebonne Grange, located at 8286 11th Street in Terrebonne, Oregon.
  
  Rene’ Lindwood Pence, of Crooked River Ranch
  Dec. 15, 1927 - Oct. 11, 2012
  Arrangements: Autumn Funerals of Redmond
   541-504-9485; www.autumnfunerals.net
  No services to be held at his request.
  Contributions may be made to Partners In Care.
  
  Hazel Mary Hager, of Crooked River Ranch
  July 15, 1917 - Oct. 13, 2012
  Arrangements: Autumn Funerals  of Redmond
  541-504-9485; www.autumnfunerals.net
  A memorial service was held at the Crooked River Ranch Chapel  Oct. 21
  
  Lois Ann Ball, of Redmond
  Oct. 12, 1929 - Oct. 13, 2012
  Arrangements: Autumn Funerals Redmond
  541-504-9485; www.autumnfunerals.net.
   A Celebration of a Life will take place at a later date.
  
  Joan Doris Pence, of Redmond
  Nov. 10, 1921 - Oct. 15, 2012
  Arrangements: Autumn Funerals Redmond
  541-504-9485; www.autumnfunerals.net
  A private graveside service will take place at Terrebonne Pioneer Cemetery.
  
  Linda Lee Hammack, of Redmond
  Oct. 17, 1947 - Oct. 10, 2012
  Arrangements: Autumn Funerals of Redmond
  541-504-9485; www.autumnfunerals.net
  Graveside service was held at Redmond Memorial Cemetery  Oct. 19
  
  Robert Mason Sykes, of Crooked River Ranch
  July 29, 1935 - Oct. 17, 2012
  Arrangements: Autumn Funerals- Redmond
  541-504-9485; www.autumnfunerals.net
   A Celebration of Life will be held later next spring.
  
  Anna Mae Powell, of Redmond
  Oct. 17, 1921 - Oct. 16, 2012
  Arrangements: Autumn Funerals Redmond
  541-504-9485; www.autumnfunerals.net
  No services will be held at this time.
  
  William Otis Pruitt Jr., of Redmond
  July 2, 1924 - Oct. 10, 2012
  Arrangements: Autumn Funerals of  Redmond
  541-504-9485; www.autumnfunerals.net
  No services to be held at this time.
  
  Ryan D. Parrish, of Redmond
  May 2, 1955 - Oct. 11, 2012
  Arrangements: Autumn Funerals of Redmond
  541-504-9485; www.autumnfunerals.net
  No services at this time.
  
  Robert Goldsmith
  Robert Goldsmith passed away October 18, 2012.  He was a Central Oregon resident for 50 years. He was born in 1937 in Eugene, Ore., and graduated from Eugene High School. He served in the National Guard and became a journeyman lineman. He worked for Central Electric Cooperative, holding several positions, including lineman and substation inspector.
  Bob and his wife, Ellen, raised their daughters, Laurie and  Daena, in Redmond and later moved to Prineville. Bob loved  to hunt and fish and he was active in his church.
  A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on November 3,  at Eastside Church, 3174  NE 3rd St., Prineville. In lieu of  flowers, donations in Bob’s memory may be made to Central  Oregon Youth for Christ or to the Prineville Eastside Church 

• 11:49

  We're not much better than chimps.

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  So I've been puzzling over this collapse in the Obama campaign over one bad performance.
  
  If you take the entirety of the season, to me it's like a guy pitching a one hit ball game and still losing.
  
  Anyway, I remember a psychology study I once read;
  
  It basically said if you have a low opinion of someone before or when you first meet them, and you end up liking them, you end up liking them MORE.
  
  And the reverse is true: if you have a high opinion of someone before or when you first meet them, and you end up not liking them, you end up liking them even LESS.
  
  So Obama may not have done himself any favors by having such a long streak of publicity wins; and strange as it sounds, all the gaffes Romney made made his resurgence that much easier.
  
  Human psychology -- not much better than chimps.

• 11:38

  A Swing-And-A-Miss For Hannity

   » ‎ Harold's Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Sean Hannity had this to say in response to Obama's "horses and bayonets" attack line from last night's debate:
  

  “Some of our troops rode horses in Afghanistan and the Marines still carry bayonets. Maybe someone should tell the President how the military actually works.”

  That would be a devastating comeback, Sean, except for one small problem: the President did not say that the military no longer uses horses and bayonets:
  
  
  
  If you can't watch videos at your current location, here is what the President said to Romney last night:
  

  "You mentioned the Navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1916. Well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military's changed. We have these things called aircraft carriers, where planes land on them. We have these ships that go underwater, nuclear submarines. And so the question is not a game of Battleship where we are counting ships. . . ."

  Face it, Hannity -- your guy got crushed by what can only be described as a well-crafted zinger. As John Kerry said last night: "The President Sunk Mitt Romney's Battleship."
  
  UPDATE:  Read more about the GOP's response to "Horses and Bayonets" here.

• 11:30

  Lucys mids mornings nappings #basset #hound #dog

   » ‎ Bobs and Lucys

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

  
  
  

  Lucys mids mornings nappings #basset #hound #dog

  

• 10:52

  That way lies voter madness.

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  I've said I won't use this blog to advocate on politics one way or the other.
  
  How about if I don't do that (much, Vote Obama!) and instead talk about mechanics only.
  
  I've always felt that most so called independents are conservative.  Let's call them "not-rhino's."
  
  Assuming that most "undecided" voters would call themselves "independent" I'm going to make a guess that they'll break for Romney.
  
  So with the two candidates only a point or two apart (if the Gallup is an outlier -- then Obama probably has a two or three point lead -- not enough; if not, he has half a point lead which may be better or worse as I write this) then most of the undecided breaking for Romney would give him the win.
  
  But a 5 point lead for Obama in Ohio probably gives him the win.
  
  So  -- you guessed it; Obama wins the electoral college and Romney wins the popular vote.
  
  Even though Bush did the same thing over Gore (yeah, yeah, Florida...sort of proves the point) something tells me the looney right will be near insurrection if that happens.
  
  That way lies madness.
  
  **********
  
  Watched the Walking Dead talk show.  Pretty inane stuff.
  
  I think they're missing a bet though.
  
  The set looks like a doctor's lounge or something.  They should have bare, grey wooden walls, couches losing their stuffing, threadbare throw rugs -- things like that.  Much more in keeping with the show.
  
  **********
  
  I've gained back about 6 of the 15 pounds I lost.  This while writing, which is munchie time for me.  And bags of Halloween candy around the house.
  
  So I'm going to start over on November first, and get to the 175 I want to be at.
  
  **********
  
  Blew it.  Kept holding off on the last lawn mowing and winterizing the house.
  
  Next slightly warm period, I'll just have to get muddy and do it.
  
  **********
  
  How important are casual opinions about bad habits -- or good habits for that matter?
  
  "Are you against smoking downtown?"  Hell, yeah.
  
  Well, are you against being fat, and broke, and out-of-shape?   Of course!
  
  If you asked if downtown needs a comic shop, how many would say yes?  Since the percentage of people who read comics on a regular basis might be, oh, 2% on the outside?
  
  Sorry, I just don't buy that 90% survey, not for policy purposes.
  
  **********
  
  There was a show on called "Captains of Industry" or something like that, and the episode was about Rockefeller, and they quote Mark Cuban as saying, (paraphrased) -- "Most people can to up to the line, but don't cross it.  Successful people cross the line"
  
  Let's be clear here: he's talking about crossing a moral, ethical, or legal borderline.  He would deny it, but that's what he's really talking about.
  
  Hey, give me the guys who DON'T cross the line, and Rockefeller can rot in hell.
  
  So that's the angle this show has.
  
  Their other "experts?":  Trump, Greenspan, and Mr. Evil himself, Jack Welch.
  
  I don't think you could come up with a more discredited and dubious group.
  
  P.S.  That "Line" has come up over and over again in my career as a businessman, and I've tried every time not to cross it.
  
  I'm not rich.
  
  And we wonder why the age of the Robber Barons has returned?
  
  **********
  
  I'm changing the entire tone of I'm Only Human.  It started off being a light commentary on human  behavior, and is now turning into a serious end-of-the-world story.
  
  I feel empowered by the digital to make extreme changes, because I can always go back.
  
  Even though I was trying to streamline the story yesterday, I added 5000 words.  In the store I call this "subtraction by addition": that is, I'm sometimes actually adding material while I streamline the process.  Hard to explain.
  
  An oxymoron, that's what I am.
  
  ***********
  
  How come my twitter comments have dropped off this page?  Anyone?

• 10:44

  Obama Schools Romney in Third Debate: President explains how military spending should work

   » ‎ The Source Weekly Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  In case you missed it, President Obama really handed it to Willard Romney (that's his real first name) in the third and final presidential debate last night.

  
  

  Most pundits agreed this morning—Obama was the clear winner of the ...

• 8:57

  Hundred Waters Perform “Visitor”

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading Tagged: hundred waters, pitchfork tv

• 8:12

  Bend’s Cyclocross Movie Star

   » ‎ Bike Around Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  Newly minted Bend resident Barry Wicks is featured in cyclocross film

  

  Barry Wicks on his way to a 2nd place finish at the 2012 Alpenrose Cross Crusade race | Photo © Matthew Lasala

  
  This Thursday, Henry Abel and the folks at Pine Mountain Sports will once again be hosting a movie night for biking aficionados. Appropriate to the season and this weekend’s Halloween Cyclocross Crusade races in Bend, the film being screened is The Cyclocross Meeting.
  

  It explores the “exploding US cyclocross scene, and the emerging Japanese cyclocross scene,” by following professional racers Barry Wicks, now a Bend resident and former teammate of Ryan Trebon’s, as well as Adam Mcgrath.

  Wicks has known the film’s maker Brian Vernor since 2002; they were neighbors in Santa Cruz, CA. Having had such a positive experience in the filming of Pure Sweet Hell, another film by Vernor, Wicks says he jumped at the chance to take a leading role in The Cyclocross Meeting, especially because it would include a trip to Japan. Of the trip he says,

  “Going to Japan was an extension of the ‘explosion’ of cyclocross world wide, and it was a really cool and unique experience to see what cyclocross meant in Japan. That is what the film aims to communicate and explore.”

  
  The Cyclocross Meeting (Excerpt) from Brian Vernor.

  Back to the Future

  This week’s comment contest prize:
  a gift certificate for a
  Santa Cruz MTB rental – up to a
  $90 value.

  Now four racing seasons removed from his trip to Japan, Wicks still feels that the film’s underlying premise is still applicable. He says,

  “With out a doubt cyclocross is growing in the U.S. Since 2002, the USGP series has become one of the top tier series in the world, only eclipsed by the World Cup, GVA and Super prestige series in Europe. The fact that the Cyclocross World Championships will be held in the U.S. for the first time ever in 2013 is a massive indicator of how far the sport has come in such a short time. A rider can now make a legitimate living at ‘cross races, which was not true maybe 3-5 years ago.”

  Wicks speaks highly of Bend. Having grown up in Corvallis, with stints in Santa Cruz and Chicago, he says, Bend is pretty high on his list of ideal places for an elite athlete to live because the amount of riding and access to rides is unparalleled.

  

  Back when they were Kona teammates, Barry Wicks and Ryan Trebon at the 2009 Cyclocross National Championships | Photo © Brian Nelson

  Beyond recreational riding, Wicks also feels Bend has a lot to offer the urban bike commuter.
  “After living in Chicago, Bend feels like a pretty easy place to get around by bike. There is always the physical/ psychological barrier of crossing over the Parkway/97/3rd street barrier, but realistically, you can go anywhere in Bend by bike and be there in 10 minutes…. I rarely drive anywhere in town…. There could always be more bike lanes, but Bend seems to do a good job encouraging cycling in all aspects.”

  As for the remainder of his cyclocross season, Wicks plans on racing in all the big events: the full USGP series, including the Deschutes Brewery Cup in Bend this December, the US National Championships and even the World Championships, “If I can get my act together.”

  ###

  

  Related content:

  1. USGP of Cyclocross Series Finale Will Be in Bend They'll call it the Deschutes Brewery Cup and it will...
  2. Results: Central Oregonians at Cyclocross Nationals Congratulations to all the racers from Bend who traveled to...
  3. Will Junior Cyclocross Get a Start in Bend? As a biking discipline, cyclocross has been on a roll....

  

• 7:42

  Wild@Heart: Youth and the Wild Heart

   » ‎ Scripted Genius

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Welcome to the Wild@Heart book study. We will be working through the 2011 Revised & Expanded edition of John Eldredge’s book, available in the SG Store. If you are fan of John’s works, please visit his ministry website, Ransomed Heart Ministries.

  Let’s talk about boys. Eldredge has asserted what wildness is, and that it is engrained in us because it is in G-d, and we are made in His image. While I disagree on the Eldredge’s definition of what necessitates wildness, we are in agreement of HaShem being wild, and our wild heart needing to be woken up. Again, boys and girls are different in these pursuits, and I assert that the lack of wildness for boys and beauty/pursuit for girls causes gender identity confusion. This, however, is a digression, and let’s get to the point that our boys are wild and need that wild heart to be supported, not crushed.

  Eldredge asserts, and I agree (being a parent of two boys), that we tell our boys to not be wild far too often.

  Don’t climb on that, don’t break anything, don’t be so aggressive, don’t be so noisy, don’t be so messy, don’t take such crazy risks.

  When I am parenting, and in the middle of the craziness, I don’t see the big picture: I only see the immediate chaos. But the big picture is what Eldredge presents, and he’s right: G-d gives a resounding “yes.” Boys need to be fierce, wild, and passionate. So how do we foster the wild heart, instead of crush it?  That’s not all, though: we cannot assume the wildness that exists instead of boys applies to girls as well. They have a wild heart, but in a different fashion: one that is feminine and more intimate.

  G-d desires wild adventure and intimate connection, crazy messes and being sought after.  Within this duality that HaShem presents in Scripture, we see the core images of both man and woman, boy and girl. Eldredge does address, however, that this is a basic core image, and does not need to play out to extremes. There are times of intimacy for men and situations of aggression for women that exist as well.

  While writing this post, I selected to be home watching my youngest. At just over a year, he likes loud noises, making messes, destroying towers, crashing planes, and growling before his vicious biting attacks. Watching him be ferocious and rough, and even watching my eldest at the age of four being even rougher, is an active reminder that what Eldredge says carries some weight.

  Boys must be wild. It’s an absolute necessity. It may involve jumping off furniture, or growling before the attack, but boys must be boys, this much is a fact. It may involve tea cups or a zip line ‘cross the yard, but girls must be girls too, without the slightest doubt.

  What did you learn from this section on the wild heart in children? Will this influence your parenting at all? 

  You just finished reading Wild@Heart: Youth and the Wild Heart! Consider leaving a comment!

  Have you read the SG Terms of Service? It covers privacy, FTC disclosures, and more. Check out the Legal section of SG to get the skinny today. SG is an Independent News Media and Blog.

  Related posts:

  1. Wild@Heart: Being Too Wild
  2. Wild@Heart: Image Bearing
  3. Wild@Heart: Masculinity in Danger

  

• 6:30

  We continue with our ode to Autumn ...

   » ‎ The gr8ful grind

  Tags:    [edit]

  We continue with our ode to Autumn with this offering of sunflowers hanging their heavy heads while pumpkins wait to be plucked from the field. DD Ranch, Terrebonne, Oregon; October, 2012.

• 1:53

  Debate Reaction

   » ‎ Harold's Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  I played poker tonight, so I didn't start watching a recording of the foreign policy debate until 9:45 or so, but my reaction was that it was just like the first debate, except this time it was Romney who was flat and Obama who was strong. A lot of that probably had to do with the format, Romney's inexperience, and the fact that Obama has been sturdy in this area, but there it is.
  
  Obama did a good job at bringing up Romney's past statements concerning foreign policy. The President, of course, has been effectively dealing with these issues for almost four years, but he crushed Mitt on Iraq, on Israel, on bin Laden, and on general military readiness.
  
  Although it wasn't as devastating as last week's "please proceed, Governor" trap, Obama's "horses and bayonets" retort should get a lot of replays over the next couple of weeks. The crowd certainly liked it. And when Obama didn't crush Mitt on an issue it was usually because Romney agreed with Obama's policies.
  
  "Moderate Mitt" did make an appearance tonight just like he did in the first debate, but it didn't work as well as it did the first time around because a lot of the time he ended up agreeing with Obama (but Obama still went after him even when Romney agreed with the President's policy, which I though worked pretty well).
  
  Romney did a good job pivoting to domestic policies as often as he could, but Obama was strong in his response to this tactic and did a good job pivoting back to foreign policy to tie it all together. And I loved it when Obama went after Romney on the "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt" issue because Romney was clearly wrong on that and his error should be brought up repeatedly.
  
  Although Bob Schieffer did his usual solid job as moderator, I was surprised that Europe's economic problems didn't come up tonight. Oh well.

• October 22, 2012
• 22:25

  Bobs sniffings first Falls snows!

   » ‎ Bobs and Lucys

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

  
  
  

  Bobs sniffings first Falls snows!

  
• 22:21

  Warps speeds Bassets! #basset #hound #dog (at Awbrey Reservoir...

   » ‎ Bobs and Lucys

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

  
  
  

  Warps speeds Bassets! #basset #hound #dog (at Awbrey Reservoir Dog Park)

  

• 22:11

  We rue the day

   » ‎ Bend OR Bust

  Tags:    [edit]

  Ben Affleck directed and starred in 'Argo' Having just seen "Argo," the entertaining movie of the astounding rescue of six Americans from Iran in 1980, it's time to look back at those emasculating times and wonder what it means today.
  
  There are no direct comparisons with the takeover of the American Embassy in Tehran in 1979 when 52 Americans were held captive for 444 days until the day Ronald Reagan was inaugurated, to anything today.
  
  Six diplomats escaped during the embassy takeover on Nov. 4, 1979.
  
  They hid at the home of the Canadian ambassador for a couple of months before they were rescued by Tony Mendez, a CIA agent, on a ruse that they were scouting locations for a sci-fi movie called "Argo."
  
  It was nice to be at the theater to hear almost a full house erupt in applause as the Americans, against rapidly diminishing odds, got out on a Swiss Air flight.
  
  I'm sure there are a few who would equate the attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya last month to the Iran-hostage situation.
  
  Well, they aren't that similar at all. The murders of our ambassador and three others were tragic. The Iran-hostage crisis was one prolonged nightmare that still haunts us today with our continuing problems with Iran.
  
  But, there are definite parallels to our invasion of Iraq.
  
  In "Argo," the American embassy workers are portrayed as wimpy nerds. With their oversized glasses, ridiculous haircuts and elitist attitudes, they don't appear worthy of saving at all.
  
  The CIA operatives, as portrayed in the film, are clueless, having been completely wrong about the Iranian revolution.
  
  And the military, well, the few defenders at the embassy in "Argo" are simply ill-prepared and overwhelmed.
  
  In our 2003 invasion of Iraq, the CIA found no evidence of weapons of mass destruction, on which the invasion was premised.
  
  The military was ill-prepared to deal with improvised-explosive devices and scores of Americans were blown to bits.
  
  And, the diplomats? Well, let's just say their attire and grooming improved, but they were as elitist, condescending and clueless as their counterparts were in 1979.
  
  Yeah, let's disband the Iraqi military and ban former Baathist party members from having any say in the new American-imposed government.
  
  That didn't work out too well.
  
  What is also impressive about "Argo" is how it deals with the uncomfortable facts about how America laid the groundwork for the Islamic revolution, that's still sweeping the world today, by deposing a democratically elected leader and installing the Shah in 1953. We still rue that day.
  
  Dictatorships don't work out too well, particularly when you torture and imprison thousands of your countrymen and women. But, that's what the Shah did, to our nodding approval.
  
  Afterall, we got oil out of the deal. That's all we ever wanted.
  
  We invaded Iraq for the same reason.
  
  And, look what that has done to the Middle East. It's less stable now than any time in history.
  
  The Arab Spring will do what it should: Allow self-determination of each country, from Libya to Syria.
  
  They may choose Islamic governance, which is not good, but in the long run, it simplifies the potential conflicts. Instead of fighting a word like "terrorism," we would be fighting a country like Egypt or Syria or Libya.
  
  It would be nation against nation and it's a battle we can win decisively and swiftly.
  
  As President Obama debates Mitt Romney tonight, we should think of "Argo" and Iraq.
  
  The president was handed a devastated economy and, for good measure, a complete mess on the international front. It will take years to undue the harm.
  
  President Obama is on the right track. Mitt would takes us backwards to the Bush era.
  
  We must move forward with President Obama.
  
  If not, we'll rue the day.

  
  

  

• 21:40

  Go In Peace: Russell Means …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  First Nation   [edit]

  We were… acquainted, back in the day. First Amerian Activist Russell Means died today at Porcupine, S.D., age 72. Russell Means was an early leader in the American Indian Movement (AIM), and had been battling throat cancer for years. In 1973 Means was one of the leaders of a 71-day uprising at Wounded Knee in [...]

• 20:42

  Sun sets on the real world

   » ‎ Bend Light

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Not sure if I have ever needed anything enough to know if I hoped for it for real. Something in me resists hope. Part of it is my personality–I can be, I am, fine with this little bit, less even, if you want. Don’t ask me to play your disappointing hope games. At least with faith there is a something to put the thing (faith) in to; hope hangs out on a ledge just looking good. It’s not enough. Or maybe I don’t remember what it means. Hope asks the sky, from the position of being stuck on concrete on the earth, to come to the park “sometime” so that maybe I will have the luck (!) to be here and the courage to say, “Oh, hi, you rule my world and I wrote to you in hieroglyphs on the ground, just knowing you would show up today. Hi, and maybe let’s fall in love or something.”

  I don’t want to (continue to) sound like a cynic, but it has been this way for me forever. I don’t get hope. I get belief because I know that what I invest my action in, is called belief and since I act in the world, I must believe something. I believe in love because there is a part of me that has no walls and cares no matter what and receives even when I can’t and that is love. I believe in trust because I know what it is to ruin it and I know what the emptiness of its lack looks and feels like, it’s forlorn desperation. Hope though?

  I want this to happen? Hope it will? Where am I in hope? Can I define it in terms of connection to the power and will of others in my life? I call that connection to the “not me”, I call that spirituality. I don’t hope for it; I tap that syrup or I don’t.

  Still, this kid writing on this sidewalk, this is hope. There it is. Was going to say, “I get that”, but it’s more like: I can’t avoid that.

  I promise to let myself want in the void like this kid, or maybe not. I can’t promise, ok?

  I will give you this:
  I know I would never erase this message. Why? Because, with him or her, I hope. I want her or him to show up sometime, to take his/her hand and swing and to let this dream come true, this once.

  

• 17:37

  Will Armstrong lose CCC title?

   » ‎ Bend OR Bust

  Tags:    [edit]

  AP Now that disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong has been stripped of his seven consecutive Tour de France titles, will organizers of the Cascade Cycling Classic in Bend take away Armstrong's CCC title from 1998?
  
  One can only hope. That's what happens when you dope.
  
  The CCC is the longest, consecutively run stage race in America.
  
  Armstrong won the CCC the year before he went on his unprecedented record run in France.
  
  A former teammate of Armstrong's testified that he and his wife heard Armstrong admit using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) as early as 1996.
  
  As we all know now, Armstrong was not only using PEDs, he was also a ring-leader among his many teammates over the years. By getting them involved, Armstrong bet he could keep them silent.
  
  Well, obviously, that strategy failed as many of his former teammates spoke out against him.
  
  Armstrong is wealthy beyond most measures. His former racing teammates are not.
  
  I always thought that Armstrong used drugs to get a competitive edge, so I wasn't terribly surprised when his sordid past caught up with him. I figured most of the racers were using PEDs.
  
  Unfortunately, getting that "racer's edge" has always been a part of sports and always will be. Sometimes that edge is legitimate, many times it isn't.
  
  Drugs or not, it is still impressive what Armstrong "achieved" especially after surviving testicular cancer.
  
  In 25 years, I won't be surprised at all if performance-enhancing drugs, particularly the ones Armstrong used, are considered legal.
  
  That's how the bicycle rolls.
  
  Until then, yank Armstrong's CCC title.

  
  

  

• 17:30

  m [Flickr]

   » ‎ Carrrrrlos

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  carrrrrlos posted a photo:

  

  
• 17:29

  Tasty via @lightcap :^) [Flickr]

   » ‎ Carrrrrlos

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  carrrrrlos posted a photo:

  

  

• 17:07

  dundee hills wine region, oregon

   » ‎ 'Streaming

  Tags:    [edit]

  

   

  It was chilly and rainy at the final Oregon WBCCI Airstream rally of the season at Champoeg State Park (shocking), but the hosts made it warm and fall-tastic in the clubhouse, and the hilltop views from the vineyards in Dayton and Dundee during the Saturday tasting excursion were lit by advantageously-timed sunbreaks. (“Sunbreak". That’s a west-of the-Cascades weather word you don’t hear growing up in California.) 

   

  At the “epicenter of Oregon Pinot Noir” thirty miles southwest of Portland, foodies can spend a delightful afternoon (or week) sampling wine, cheese, olive oil and filberts at the dozens of wineries and other manufacturers of artisanal treats. Purveyors in the various tasting rooms broadened my culinary knowledge: cheese can be described as “fudgy” or “bloomy”; all varieties of olive are green until ripening; and what I don’t know about wine can still fill the Heidelberg Tun.

   

  The rich autumn palette of red, yellow, orange, and lime green in the Willamette Valley was a shock after a summer spent in the spare high desert and rocky Utah; on Sunday, the colorful foliage in the pass on the drive back to Bend was sugarcoated with a dusting of October snow. 

   

   

  **Blog Hiatus Report**  What’s up with that yawning gap between June 18 and today? I’ve been criss-crossing the west, enjoying Airstream rallies, Burning Man, and a long camping honeymoon. What I haven’t been is posting to ‘Streaming. Apologies and thank you, reader Leo, for encouraging me to get back behind the laptop. Stay tuned for more incriminating photos and dozens of new campground and gear reviews after I return from the Great Barrier Reef. ―rg

   

• 16:58

  3 + 1 [Flickr]

   » ‎ Carrrrrlos

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  carrrrrlos posted a photo:

  

  
• 16:56

  girlies [Flickr]

   » ‎ Carrrrrlos

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  carrrrrlos posted a photo:

  

  
• 16:53

  m and a [Flickr]

   » ‎ Carrrrrlos

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  carrrrrlos posted a photo:

  

  

• 16:46

  "Dahlia Fields" Monotype on Board 20"x18" unframed $550

   » ‎ Tracy Leagjeld Fine Art

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  
• 16:29

  "Waiting for Snow" Monotype on Board 20"x18"

   » ‎ Tracy Leagjeld Fine Art

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

• 16:28

  Coming soon to an interwebs near you. Logo and Website by yours truly. Hmm, I should really post more of my work!? [Flickr]

   » ‎ Carrrrrlos

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  carrrrrlos posted a photo:

  

  

• 16:20

  "Dahlias" Monotype on Board 18x20

   » ‎ Tracy Leagjeld Fine Art

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

• 15:22

  DJ Spinning @ 900 Wall

   » ‎ Downtown Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  900 Wall900 Wall Street (541) 330-2304
  Great service, quality food and a friendly atmosphere

• 15:03

  In &@ the Hedges of Farming Risk Management with @TonyRohrs @MissTrade

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Write us at Tony Rohrs  TRohrs@agrimangroup.com or Matt Davio at MDavio@agrimangroup.com with questions. Filed under: Trading Tagged: agriman group, beans, cattle, Corn, Farming, futures, grass, hogs, oats, risk managment, Trading, Wheat

• 14:25

  2012 Bend WebCAM

   » ‎ Downtown Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  October 25th & 26th @ The Tower Theatre

  Now in its fourth year, Bend WebCAM brings some of the most innovative minds in SEO, social media and traditional advertising and branding to Bend, Oregon. More than 250 people are expected to attend and gain new insight and ideas on how to spend their marketing dollars more effectively and become more successful in the digital marketing space. You can check out this year’s speakers and the agenda at BendWebCAM.com.

  

• 14:13

  Best Description of Romney Yet

   » ‎ Harold's Blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Charles Pierce had this to say about Romney after the last debate, and it is spot-on:
  

  Romney bitched endlessly — endlessly — about the rules, and why this uppity fellow on the other stool was allowed to speak before he was spoken to, and why he didn't get to speak at length on whatever he wanted to speak on because, after all, he is the CEO of the stage.
  
  Jesus Christ, I'd hate to play golf with the man. He's the guy who counts to make sure you don't have too many wedges in your bag. He knows every cheap subsection of every cheap ground rule, and he'll call you on every one of them. You couldn't get a free drop out of him with thumbscrews, and forget about conceding any putt outside two inches.
  
  And then, on the 18th hole, with all the money on the line, he kicks his ball out of the rough and denies up and down to the rules committee that he did it. Then he goes into the clubhouse bar and nobody sits with him.

  Romney did some of this at the first debate as well and it'll be interesting to see whether he pulls this crap tonight. I have no doubt that Mitt's handlers have told him to tone it down, but something tells me that he won't be able to help himself.
  
  After all, he is what he is, and he is a dick.
  
  UPDATE:   If a question about last month's Libya attack is asked at tonight's debate (and I'm sure there will be one), I predict that Obama will bring up the comments Ronald Reagan made immediately after Jimmy Carter's attempt to rescue the Iranian hostages ended in disaster.  Reagan said that "this is the time for us as a nation and a people to stand united" and to pray. 
  
  Romney, however, decided to launch a political attack on Obama as the events in Libya were unfolding.  So unReaganlike.

• 14:00

  Reviews: A trio of pumpkin beers

   » ‎ The Brew Site

  Tags:  Reviews   [edit]

  We are definitely smack dab in the heart of pumpkin beer season: more bottled pumpkin beers than ever are on the shelves, this past weekend saw the eighth annual Great Pumpkin Beer Festival from Elysian Brewing, tonight at the Green Dragon Brewpublic’s second annual Killer Pumpkin Fest is taking over Portland… the list goes on. For my part I’ve been trying every pumpkin beer I can find (or I was—I’m starting to fall behind with so many coming out!) so I thought I’d present reviews in chunked trios for your reading enjoyment.

  Elysian Dark O’ The Moon

  This is Elysian’s award-winning pumpkin stout that first appeared in bottles last year, I believe (but had previously been available on draft well before). This was the first year I’ve tried it and I thought it was fantastic.

  Brewed with pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon, this is 6.5% alcohol by volume and available in 22-ounce bombers both individually and in Elysian’s special four-pack this year.

  Appearance: Pours an opaque dark brown with a tan head that builds up nicely, and is softly rocky on top.

  Smell: Cinnamon and gingerbread, lightly sweetened with molasses—deft and subtle. Lightly roasty, with more of that cinnamon/gingerbread spicing coming out as it warms, like a mild coffee concoction.

  Taste: Rich and sweet with more ginger spice character than anything (surprising considering the cinnamon), and earthy pumpkin—all combine to make me think (dark) pumpkin bread. Really, really good. Creamy, roasty without astringency, nice easy blend of spices, rich and chewy, kind of a milk stout in style.

  Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and easy drinking with a nice light roast aftertaste.

  Overall: Really, really good, I get a little “pumpkin pie” but more “pumpkin bread.” I like how the spicing is subtle and the pumpkin really shines here.

  Dark O’ The Moon on Untappd. BeerAdvocate: 87/100. RateBeer: 3.74/5, 98th percentile.

  Elysian The Great Pumpkin

  This is Elysian’s Imperial Pumpkin Ale that I first reviewed last year: think of their Night Owl on steroids! Both Night Owl and this one are probably the best examples of the “classic” pumpkin ale being brewed today (characterized by being amber-caramel with pumpkin and spices), though the Great Pumpkin is imperialized at 8.1% alcohol by volume.

  It’s brewed with “Roasted pumpkin seeds in the mash, and extra pumpkin added in the mash, kettle and fermenter. Spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.”

  Appearance: Orange and a touch light in color, not unlike a pumpkin actually. Off-white head that broke and fell to a skiff.

  Smell: Malty and spicy and fairly sweet pie-like which is nice (when it’s not overdone). Brown sugar, light caramel, with a rich sweet potato/squash character.

  Taste: A touch of vegetable bitter up front, along with a b it of alcohol and sweetness that reminds me of glassy threads of sugar you get when making caramel. A creamy touch of nutmeg is the prominent spice I taste, and the pumpkin/green squash flavor is noticeable and nice. With a touch of rind perhaps?

  Mouthfeel: Nice medium-full body with a pleasantly thick presence on the tongue.

  Overall: Tasty, spicy pumpkin ale with a big presence and a bit of a bite. Good flavors of pumpkin in a big beer.

  The Great Pumpkin on Untappd. BeerAdvocate: 92/100. RateBeer: 3.62/5, 96th percentile.

  Laurelwood Stingy Jack

  Laurelwood Brewing’s yearly entry into the pumpkin scene is with their Stingy Jack Pumpkin Ale, a nicely flavorful 7.5% abv ale brewed “with roasted whole pumpkin, pumpkin puree, and a touch of spices to create a subtle and delicious brew.”

  (Incidentally Laurelwood also uses butternut squash in this makeup of this beer.)

  Appearance: Deep amber color bordering on a nutty brown. Dense head, off-white, that I swore had a tinge of orange at first pour.

  Smell: Yummy pie spices, brown sugar, caramel, toffee. Perhaps even some graham cracker and maybe gingerbread. Sweetly malty with a rich nutty aroma.

  Taste: Nicely noticeable vegetable/squash character with notes of molasses and toffee on top of that. Spices are mellow and not overdone, giving a bit of creamy nutmeg and zingy cinnamon offering nice punctuation but taking a back seat to the malt and pumpkin. Rich and tasty.

  Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a bit of a bite (from the spices probably) and a lightly sticky finish.

  Overall: Really liking this year’s iteration, it’s well-brewed in that “classic” pumpkin style.

  Stingy Jack on Untappd. BeerAdvocate: 85/100. RateBeer: 3.22/5, 72nd percentile.

  

• 13:47

  November 2012 Art Walk

   » ‎ Downtown Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  Businesses stay open late showcasing art!November Art WalkFriday, November 2nd, 2012 5-9pm

  Stroll downtown and enjoy art, wine, music, food, and fun as we celebrate our community and the arts.

  Keep checking back as we continually update the list of participating businesses.

  
• 13:38

  Chamber Organizes China Trip

   » ‎ Downtown Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  2013 trip will visit Beijing and Shanghai

  The trip is open to members and nonmembers of the Chamber – so basically everyone that’s interested (friends, family and colleagues) can come!  It’s a tremendous experience at a great price.

  During the trip, there is an opportunity to meet with local companies in similar fields, to discuss cooperative business efforts.

  We will be having an FREE informational session at Chan’s Chinese Restaurant on November 5^th at 5:30PM.  If you are interested in attending, we ask that you please sign up on our website at [bendchamber.org] as space is limited.  You can also register over the phone at 541-382-3221.

  

• 12:48

  The Civil Wars – My Father’s Father

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading Tagged: ACL 2012, austin city limits, my father's father, the civil wars

• 12:00

  Oregon Beer News, 10/22/2012

   » ‎ The Brew Site

  Tags:  Oregon beer News   [edit]

  It’s the start of a new week, and time for another round of Oregon beer news. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often for the latest news. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

  Brewpublic’s Killer Beer Week continues today with the event I’d personally look the most forward to: Killer Pumpkin Fest! It starts at 5pm at the Green Dragon: “Returning after being a huge success in its inaugural year in 2011, The Green Dragon Pub (928 SE 9th Ave., Portland, OR) teams up with Brewpublic to present Portland’s ultimate pumpkin brew festival. Dozens of tasty gourd-eous beers spanning many base styles will be showcased throughout the pub and in the beer garden. Pumpkin food pairings, games, and pumpkin smashing will also be highlights of this year’s Killer Pumpkin Fest. Get your pumpkin fix here for the season!”

  McMenamin’s Crystal Ballroom (Portland) has a limited-edition beer tasting today from 6 to 8pm, featuring a ginger and citrus-infused beer named Solar Flare: “Crystal brewers Tony Balzola and Alex McGaw have brewed up a treat for you this month. Brewed with a German ale yeast and fermented at cold temperature, Solar Flare is a crisp and refreshing wheat beer with and added twist. A tea made of lemon, lime, orange, and ginger was added to create a citrus and spice flavor and aroma.” Definitely sounds interesting so don’t dawdle—when the keg’s gone, it’s gone.

  Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 10/22/2012” »

  

• 10:22

  The Elements of Design - Upcoming Class at TAW, Bend, OR

   » ‎ Art in my Heart

  Tags:    [edit]

  What kind of painter are you? Are you a value painter or a shape maker? Do you love putting lines or texture in your paintings? This class explores the elements of design: value, color, shapes, pattern, texture and shape. We will paint a series of paintings with each painting focusing on one of these elements. All levels welcome. 
  I will be teaching this fun 4-week watercolor class at Tumalo Art Works Gallery starting on Friday Oct. 26th at 1:00.  Hope to see you there!  Jacqueline
  
  

• 10:06

  Delivering Bend, OR

   » ‎ Fearless Baking

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  
  

  Delivering Bend, OR

• 9:48

  Reader comments: Wool clothing, Small game knives, the best survival knife

   » ‎ Survival Common Sense

  Tags:    [edit]

  http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

  Here is the feedback and the stories readers commented on this week:

  A Search and Rescue expert weighs in: The best survival knife?

  

  Click here to buy survival kits

  From BLDTARA: “using a large knife takes experience and extra caution” I wish everyone of my students would learn this. The first thing they do is buy a huge expensive knife, then get mad when they can’t use it properly or it doesn’t do what they want it to.

  Choose the best wool pants

  From Ross: My experience with wool clothing in winter has not been that great. It is certainly better than denim jeans, but in terms of “warm when wet”, my experience has been anything but. In fact, I have never seen any study showing that. From what I have seen, wool retains about as much heat as fleece when wet, or even certain types of primaloft. Every time I have gotten my wool clothing wet, I have been cold.

  The big problem I had with wool clothing in winter is the very poor moisture management. In the snow it is almost unavoidable that they will get wet, and once wet, they will stay wet. On top of that, wool just seems to attract snow, which gets embedded and stuck onto the fibers. I imagine that is why traditionally canvas covers were worn over wool in winter.

  Surplus stores have a decent amount of low cost wool clothing and pants in particular. However, they also have a lot of very good, very cheap synthetic clothing. I find that a pair of fleece pants with a polyester cover perform much better than wool pants for the same weight. They repel snow better, they dry much faster, and are just as warm, even when wet.

  Wool is indeed better around open flame, but I am yet to have a problem with any synthetic clothing in that respect.

  Anyway, that has just been my experience.

  From Jennifer: My luck with wool garments hasn’t been nearly as good as yours. Unfortunately many of the desirable properties of wool result from the lanolin content within the fibers and most commercially available woolen garments these days have had the lanolin processed right out leaving the fabric little better than cotton and scratchier.
  If you find a good wool garment that breathes and keeps in heat whether it is wet or dry you can bet it still has its lanolin, and you should treat that garment right! Don’t toss it in the laundry with everything else. Detergent will strip that lanolin out! Do a bit of research on the “right” way to treat good wool.

  How to choose the right knife for small game hunting

  From Peter: Thanks for the interesting post on pocket knives. Maybe you could give potential small game hunting ‘newbies’ some helpful information on how to properly field dress small game in future posts.

  From Leon: Anybody else interested in a how-to on field dressing a small game animal?

  

  Amazon.com Widgets

  http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

• 9:39

  I'm done, but still far from done.

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  Bear with me, if you will.  It's pretty wonky, so I'll understand if you don't.
  
  This is about writing again.
  
  What I'm trying to say here is, I'm not done until I'm done.  Which is obvious, but I'm having to learn it all over again.   I think I fooled myself at first that I could just dish out a book, but the deeper in the muck I get, the more I see I need to do yet.
  
  Actually, this isn't all that different from the last time I tried to be a writer.
  
   "Oh!  Now I remember!"
  
  It's like painful memories I've suppressed.  Yes, it always took me forever to get anything readable.  Even then, I'm not sure I ever got it to where it should be, I just didn't have enough patience to keep going.
  
  I struggled with Star Axe for a good six years, going to writer's classes and just starting over again and again.  Finally, I just wrote a full draft and sent it off.
  
  Snowcastles came easy, but it was short and simple and I was in the midst of my most intensive writing period.  But Icetowers had to be reworked several times.
  
  The problems with the 4th and 5th books was that I DIDN'T do what I should have done, and got slapped down for it.
  
  The 6th book, because of the suggestions of the editors, got rewritten all the way through several times, and while it came close to getting published several times, it never quite got there.
  
  With 7th book, I got kind of stubborn: "I LIKE it!   To hell with them if they don't see its value!"
  
  Like I said, suppressed memories.  Fooling myself that it will be easy this time.
  
  This is my process, not anyone else, and it's insanely inefficient.  But I stumble around for a single idea, and then another, and then have to start all over.
  
   (Hanging out there: There is a legitimate question on some books, most books, whether they should continue to be worked on or simply given up on.)
  
  Still -- creativity isn't a race.  There is no timeline here.  And in the scheme of things, I've accomplished a lot.  It was only a year and a month ago that I really kicked the writing thing into a higher gear; in that time, I've finished full drafts of two different novels.
  
  I won't guess this time how close I am to finishing.  
  
  
  
  Anyway, back to the present:
  
  As I've been saying,  I reorganized the book, which was much simpler than I expected.  I think it reads better.
  
  BUT:  The very fact that I could have moved so many scenes around and made it work means to me that I'm missing forward momentum.  That there is no buildup of suspense.
  
  It's lacking something.  A damsel tied to the train tracks, a ticking time-bomb.
  
  So far, its just sort of interesting, and somewhat clever, with some characters moving in a general direction.   But while I might get away with being lightly clever in a blog, it just doesn't hold a book together.  Either it has to be serious, or it has to be incredibly sustained cleverness -- which I just don't think I can pull off.
  
  So serious it is.
  
  Is it fixable?  Is there some method I can use to impart suspense?
  
  I'm going to sleep on it for awhile.
  
  Eventually, I'll  put it out there regardless -- but I think it is still missing something.  I'm sure I can find it.
  (Next time, I think I will try to write an outline -- but I don't know if I can do that, because I tend to discover the story through the writing.  I've written outlines before and then never wrote the books.  But it would save a lot of false starts and deadends if I could see my way to it.)
  
  Thing is -- weirdly enough, I think 'problems' are what make a book interesting.  That is, if I can identify why it isn't working -- which can be the hardest thing to do -- then I can try to come up with solutions, and in trying to come up with solutions I think of new things, new connections, which can make the book more interesting.
  
  That is, the compromises I make, the explanations for contradictions, can add a layer of messy meaning.
  
  Identifying problems gives me a chance to improve.
  
  As long as I can keep identifying problems, I can keep improving.
  
  
  Slept on it:
  
  One thing I can do is go ahead and write 3rd person sections -- or turn the whole book into 3rd person as I originally intended.  That way, I can add the suspense elements without having to turn the plot upside down quite so much.  (Right now, it all has to happen with the viewpoint character...)
  
  It is actually a nifty element of suspense to have the reader know things that the main protagonist doesn't.
  
  I googled "suspense" and this is what I came up with:
  
  Questions to ask:
  
  What's going to happen? (That would seem implied in plot.  I've done that much, minimum.)
  
  A puzzle.  (Who is Cthuhlu and what do they want?)
  
  Exploring the unknown.  (Its dark and slimy and their something out to get them.  A dark garage, the caves, a dank basement.)
  
  Damsel in distress;tied to the tracks.  (How about a missing child?  Someone we meet early.  Parker's child?  She's married, but in love with Parsons?)
  
  Ticking timebomb.  (How about 3 days until the invasion?)
  
  Who's going to die?  Have people missing.  Realize the authorities are in on it. 
  
  I need a stronger villain than I currently have.   
  
  Make the reader care. (Vonnegut's rules: "Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.")  Have Cobb be a boxed in, more restrained character -- with hidden strengths...have all of Faery against him, instead of for him...?  He can't go back to his old form, without forgetting everything he has learned as a human?  His old world hates him, (or so he thinks) and he doesn't fit in this new world.
  
  Stack the odds against the main character.  (Vonnegut's rules: "Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them -- in order that the reader may see what they are made of.")
  
  Jesus.  That is one hell of a lot of work.  Might as well write a different book!  Still, it's also a lot of raw material, which is no easy thing.  I talked above about doing an outline -- it may be a little late in the game, but it would seem to be time.
  
  
  
  

• 9:32

  Falls leaves sniffings #basset #hound #dog #fall #leaves

   » ‎ Bobs and Lucys

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

  
  
  

  Falls leaves sniffings #basset #hound #dog #fall #leaves

  

• 9:00

  BAM! A blog post, a layout to share, and a GIVEAWAY

   » ‎ My Scrap Home

  Tags:  Weekend Giveaway   [edit]

  Hello friends!
  
  Oh my.  I have never been so busy in my life!  Student teaching full time, classes at night and on many of my Saturdays, and sweet girls to raise and a husband to adore.  ...  suffice it to say I am busy.  Happily so, I must say.
  
  One of the things that has gone by the wayside is to share projects made with the Portfolio Kit that Danielle and I put together.  It has a lot of Pink Paislee products, with a few homemade goodies tossed in too.  As I've mentioned, I love this line, and it is a perfect addition to my stash.  It basically goes with everything!
  
  This is a layout I came up with the Portfolio Kit, documenting our recent visit to the pumpkin patch last weekend:
  
  
  
  
  The background was cut from one of my favorite files from the Silhouette store.  I then trimmed bits of the 6x6 pad to layer under neath it creating a fun collage of chevron arrows in a great fall palette.
  
  
  
  
  I am a bit obsessed with the hello stamp in the stamp set, and I'm not a stamper.  I had to emboss it again with white zig powder (just like I did with the card I made HERE).  
  The leaves were also created with my Cameo.  They were trimmed with a print but it felt a bit busy, and I wanted my title to stand out.  So I turned them over to reveal the white.  I love this much more!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The title became a happy accident.  I have a Pinterest board called FONTS.  I like to find free fonts to save for later.  I was searching through it today and found the Cafe Rojo font, which I used for this layout.  
  The accident happened when I trimmed it out.  I don't always have my cutting mat figured out when it comes to placing it in the right place, so it cut the title much higher than I had planned.  As I peeled it off, though, I loved the effect of the print at the top of the title, so didn't cut another.  It adds some fun color, I think.  
  Dani and I still have a couple of kits left.  Check out images of it on my blog here, and also check out Dani's post here.  I've done a terrible job sharing what a fun kit this is, so I hope you will check out the kit contents and some cards that Dani came up with too.  
  If you have purchased this kit and are looking for more ideas, I have them linked with the "portfolio kit" label at the end of my post.
  
  And with that, I also have a little giveaway!
  
  As you know, I was on the Studio Calico Design Team for 5 years.  I think there are only two current team members who have more tenure than I do.  That means I have been around for a lot of kits.  That also means I have been around for a lot of stamps.  
  Except for rare exceptions, I've never been a big stamper.  Unlike many subscribers, stamps were never the reason I liked the kits.  So, as time has gone by, I have collected many stamps, and many of them still remain unused.
  I am trying to clean up my space, and that means taking a look at my stamp stash.  I don't think I am allowed to sell these.  I know there are "for sale or trade" boards all over and even some occasionally sold by people on Ebay, so I know the demand can be high for some of the designs and I feel guilty having them all here.
  SO.  I thought I'd give some away!
  Disclaimer:I *have* given away stamps before.  I *do* covet some of them and plan to keep them for myself.I *may* not have the stamp you love.  5 years and 2 kids is a lot of time and little hands that could have misplaced a stamp.Some of them *may* have been used a time or two, and have the Stazon stain to prove it.  
  The rules:
  In the comment section, list up to 3 stamps you'd like to have.  I never memorize the stamp name, so please let me know what main kit it was part of so I'll know where to look.
  I will draw TWO names on Saturday.  We will then work together to sort out what you'd love to have and what I have available.
  Sound good?
  I've given you two chances to win, but if you want a third chance, I will be giving away a stamp (or trying to, anyway, if I have the one you are looking for) to one person who purchases a Portfolio kit this week.  Simply enter the word STAMP in the comment section to seller when you purchase your kit by Saturday.  I'm not sure how many kits are left, so you might want to be swift if you are considering the kit and would like an extra stamp as well.  
  ETA:  I have most stamps from all kits, main kits and add-ons.  You don't have to list main kit only stamps.  :)
  How does that sound?
  I hope you have a great week!  I am in dreamland, teaching Science to my 4/5 blend class at school.  We've been crafting, making communities from styrofoam and suffering from devastating Earthquakes, creating and erupting volcanoes, studying Crater Lake, and this week it's all about fun experiments with Rocks as part of an Earth Science unit.  I am having so much FUN.  You can be creative in so many ways.  This is definitely the profession for me.  I love touching little lives this way.   
  Davinie

• 8:45

  Dirty Projectors – “Hi Custodian”

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading Tagged: dirty projectors, hi custodian

• 7:38

  Seasons & Growth

   » ‎ Scripted Genius

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  Evan Leeson via Compfight

  It’s the harvest season once again. Generally, this season can be celebrated many different ways. For the average American, this involves pumpkin carving and the main parts of Halloween. There are groups that don’t celebrate Halloween, such as Jehovah Witnesses and hard-lined conservative Christians, but these outliers are few and far in between. Even the staunchest of Christians (see: Jon Acuff) encourages using trick-or-treating as an evangelism opportunity. I do joke there, but not about the opportunity. Rather, the joke is about Acuff being staunch, as he is quite the opposite and seems to socially stand against any form of visible holiness. While that blow may not seem fair, and  I am in no way holy myself, it is what it is.

  Moving on, though, back to the season, there is much to celebrate every season. What I like in particular about the Jewish seasons is how the message of salvation via Y’shua HaMashiach is revisited with every season, every month, and every holy day. In fact, the Fall festivals recognize the coming of the Messiah, the birth of Christ, and His imminent return. This represents what has come and will come. All that is left in that equation is what is current. And that’s a simple thing: what is current is you and me.

  We are here and now. We are not some abstract thought, but physical beings that are more complex than atheists or evolution give credit for. While our complexity as humans is merely a foggy reflection of our Creator, it is nonetheless brilliant and overwhelming. Take this picture, for example:

  

  Me, my wife, 1.0, and 2.0 dressed in the coolest costumes ever for our annual trek to the local corn maze.

  This picture is from our most recent trip to the local corn maze. A family tradition for three years now, this is year two in a row that we have this picture taken in this spot. It’s an enjoyable, albeit expensive, day enjoying the brisk and sometimes wet weather that Fall offers.

  Here’s the complexity, though: raising children. How I view myself is no different than I always have. My mental capacities developed the same time my knowledge of myself developed, so I wasn’t able to watch myself grow up, so to say. However, with 1.0 and 2.0, I can do this, and it blows me away. Watching my two boys transition from screaming wet diapers in the hospital to screaming wet diapers at home, and sometimes screaming wet beds, is almost indescribable. It’s hard to put it to words, but there’s something I can grasp   on to with it: HaShem does the same with us. While the Scriptures are clear on what He expects from us, we don’t always get it. Most times, in fact, we miss the point entirely. But when we hit the mark…not only does it make G-d smile, but it astonishes Him.

  To watch us, His children, mature and learn more about Him pleases Him – in the same way that my boys please me when the learn more, develop more, and explore more. I love the ages they are at, but I’m sure I will love the next stages that are to come. And it’s in perfect timing, too, as we are on our Wild@Heart journey. Care to join us for it?

  Do you have kids? If so, what moments blow you away? If not, what moments could you imagine?

  You just finished reading Seasons & Growth! Consider leaving a comment!

  Have you read the SG Terms of Service? It covers privacy, FTC disclosures, and more. Check out the Legal section of SG to get the skinny today. SG is an Independent News Media and Blog.

  Related posts:

  1. #StarWars Meets the Dinner Table at @ThinkGeek
  2. Book Review: “Jesus, a Theography” by Leonard Sweet & Frank Viola
  3. Thanks for the Wonderful Stickies, @Tentblogger!

  

• 6:30

  It's time for our annual ode to ...

   » ‎ The gr8ful grind

  Tags:    [edit]

  It's time for our annual ode to Autumn in the run up to All Hallows Eve. (Click photo for a better view) Beaver Marsh, Oregon; October, 2012.

• 6:15

  How Oregon Measure 79 Will Impact the Housing Market

   » ‎ Fred Real Estate Group

  Tags:    [edit]

  We don’t normally get all “politic-y”, but this issue seems like a biggie that would obviously impact the Oregon housing market. The Oregon Real Estate Transfer Tax Amendment, Measure 79, also known as Initiative 5, is on the November 6, 2012 statewide ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment. The measure would prohibit real estate transfer [...]

• 0:47

  Moms on Electric Bikes

   » ‎ Bike Around Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  Electric bikes break down barriers for those with kids or gear to ferry

  Stacy Totland and her six year old enjoy a spin around the West Hills of Bend on their electrified Surly Big Dummy
  Photo © Lucas Freeman

  In a town that’s relatively compact and flat, you might not think an electric assist would be an attractive option to Bend bicycle commuters. With two bike shops dedicated to selling electric models and others who will retrofit a bike with a motor, it’s a trend that’s gaining traction. Part of the reason for the growth in the sector can be explained by the fact that it makes commuting attractive to those who felt intimidated by it.

  Electric bicycles, either those which are built from the ground-up as electrics or those that are after-market add-ons, should not be confused with scooters. Largely, electric bikes still count on riders to pedal, and they aren’t made to go too much faster than 20 miles per hour. Their are a host of options, from batteries to motor power, which differentiate them, but they are still bicycles with the caveat that they are not allowed on sidewalks in the State of Oregon. (ORS 814.410)

  A Tale of Two Moms

  

  What would cause you to start or increase your cycling?
  From ABPB study

  According to a 2010 survey by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals that was asking why fewer women than men use their bicycles for utilitarian reasons, the top four reasons were: time, distance, weather, and terrain. For Jennifer Renton, who lives in Bend’s West Hills neighborhood, her electrified cruiser bike addresses three of those four reasons. While some might espouse commuting by bicycle as a means of slowing down the pace of life, to parents who have work and child-care commitments, a slower-paced existence doesn’t match their reality.

  Renton says,

  “Sometimes, with the time you have, an electric assist lets you get out of your car and get there, and not be covered in sweat.”

  This mom of three had never bicycle commuted before she had her bike outfitted with an electric assist motor from Bend Electric Bike Shop. She was first introduced to the idea by an older neighbor who’s largely given up using a car after buying an electric bike having lost 15 pounds since he began his bike commuting habit.

  She’s gotten her husband hooked now too, dropping off her bike at his office to allow him to bike commute home from work. His bike build is in process and the couple is considering buying another bike that would allow them to carry kids and cargo on the back.

  Electric bike dealers
  Bend Electric Bikes
  Let It Ride Electric Bikes
  After-market add-ons
  Bend Electric Bikes
  Let It Ride Electric Bikes
  Bend Velo

  While Renton doesn’t have the capacity to put her six year old on her bike yet, she does often go to the grocery for a few days worth of goods, a trip which she wouldn’t have even thought to undertake on a regular bike because of the climb home up NW 9th Avenue.

  Living just down the road from Renton, Stacy Totland approached getting an electric bike from a different perspective. She was a 15 year bicycle commuter who’d taken a 1.5 year break since moving onto Awbrey Butte. For Totland, her commuting needs included being able to carry gear and human cargo. Her choice of bike, a Surly Big Dummy, is a long tail with a platform for her daughter to sit on, and a large carrying capacity with its two over-sized panniers.

  • Stacy Totland and her 6 yr old'>
  • Stacy Totland and her 6 yr old'>
  • Stacy Totland and her 6 yr old'>

  

  This week’s comment contest prize:
  a gift certificate for a
  Santa Cruz MTB rental – up to a
  $90 value.

  An electric Big Dummy gave her, “an excuse to ditch the car, even with a kid in tow and to be able to carry tons of stuff….” Prior to moving up onto the butte, she commuted on her cruiser or her road bike, but the logistics of being a primary child-care provider made it impractical. To those purists who dislike the hybrid marriage of human and electric powered commuting, Totland says,

  “Good for you and if you can live that way, right on! It sure feels right, but there are times when it is not possible.”

  Sterling McCord, owner of Bend Electric Bikes, sees mom’s on electric bikes as trending upwards; he’s seeing more and more each quarter. His customers invest in electric bikes for a variety of reasons. Some do it because they feel empowered; when loaded down with kids and cargo, they no longer have to struggle through an intersection holding up car traffic. For others, it makes them feel safer because they aren’t having to work so hard to keep pace with traffic. And still others treat it as means to enjoy the out-of-doors with their children. Totland commented that her daughter, who’s six, “loves [bike commuting] so much it is hard to get her at school in a car. She frowns at me if I do.”

  How about for you? Would having an electric assist motor make bicycle commuting a more feasible option for you? Leave us your comment as to why it would or wouldn’t.

  ###

  

  Related content:

  1. DIY Xtracycle & Electric Motor NOTE: This is a continuation of a conversation with Chris...
  2. Why Did You Electrify Your Xtracycle Bike? If you commute up and down the West Hills of...
  3. Sunlight Solar Shows Off New Electric Vehicle Charging Station Celebrate the first Shorepower™ Electric Vehicle Charging Station in Central...

  
• 0:32

  What’s in a Name?

   » ‎ Bike Around Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  Sharrow in Redmond | Photo © Lucas Freeman

  Now in the early planning phases, a small group of organizers is exploring what it would take to get a bicycle advocacy group off the ground in Bend. Initially being positioned as an urban version of COTA (Central Oregon Trail Alliance – which has succeeded in growing and advocating for mountain biking in the region), the group aims to get people on bikes for more than just recreation.

  

  This week’s comment contest prize:
  a gift certificate for a
  Santa Cruz MTB rental – up to a
  $90 value.

  One key decision the group faces: what to call itself. Here are their top five ideas.

  • Bend Bicycle Coalition
  • Bend Urban Biking Experience
  • Bend Urban Cyclist Coalition
  • Bend Urban Bike Advocates/ Alliance
  • Bend Bicycle Commuters

  Which would you vote for? Or, can you think of a better name? No fair getting your aunt from Cucamonga to vote for your favorite.

  Let us know your preference by leaving a comment to this story.

  ###

  

  Related content:

  1. Best Bike of Central Oregon Contest – Win $50 Here’s your chance to win a $50 gift certificate from...
  2. News Bites Here are a few bite-sized stories: Call It a Century...
  3. Drive Less Save More Campaign Take the Commute Options Drive Less Save More Challenge and...

  

• 0:30

  Cascade Winds in Concert, November 4th

   » ‎ Cascade Winds News

  Tags:  News   [edit]

  The Cascade Winds Presents its first concert of the season Sunday, November 4th, at 2PM at Summit High School.

  This family-friendly concert is free, no tickets required (donations of any size are gratefully accepted). We look forward to seeing you there!

  If you’d like to help us publicize the concert, tell all your friends and family, and feel free to print up and distribute the following posters, designed by Beth Kroeker Designs:

  • 11×17 (Tabloid) Size
  • 8.5×11 (Letter) Size

  Thank you for your support!

  The post Cascade Winds in Concert, November 4th appeared first on Cascade Winds Symphonic Band.

• 0:15

  Rent a Bike, Not a Car

   » ‎ Bike Around Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  Many who visit Central Oregon come for our plentiful outdoor amenities, and one of the best ways to take it all in is by bicycle. From cruisers to road and mountain bikes, to various ways to pull young children, Central Oregon’s bicycle shops have you covered.

  For Mark Campbell, Manager at Pine Mountain Sports, part of the fun renting to those from outside the area is, “Giving complete strangers the best trail info, and on when and where to ride/eat/sleep.”

  

  This week’s comment contest prize:
  a gift certificate for a
  Santa Cruz MTB rental – up to a
  $90 value.

  Several of the shops owners felt Autumn presents visitors with some of the best riding all year: the trails are less crowded, and less dusty.

  Given that Bend is the largest city in the region, it’s easy to forget that communities such as Sunriver, Eagle Crest and Black Butte really cater to bicycle-oriented vacationers with separated bicycle paths. Jim Stone of Sunriver Sports points out that in Sunriver,

  “All of the bike paths are separated from vehicle traffic…. We have about 35 miles of bike pathways….”

  Joanie Krehbiel of Wheel Fun Rentals likely speaks for many of the bike shops when saying, “Park your car and get a bike to see Bend by bike, it is a fantastic way to experience Bend.” And, given Bend’s designation as a silver level Bicycle Friendly Community according to rankings from the League of American Bicyclists, there are miles of bike lanes to get you where you’re going.

  A last bit of advice for the serious road or mountain biking visitor from Susan Bonacker of Sunnyside Sports about sizing. She says,

  “Very few people have any idea of what their saddle height measurement is. It can really be helpful to have that measurement; it saves time, and it maintains your [best] riding position on a rental bike. Really important if you’re planning on putting on some serious miles.”

  Shop Name

  Located

  Types for Rent Kids Bikes? Price Range Brands Featured Bend Electric Bikes

  Bend

  electric, cargo, commuters Y $40 – $65/day Pathfinder, Kinetic, Bullitt Bend Velo Bend commuter N $20/day J. Livingston Blazing Saddles Sisters road, mountain, tag-alongs and trailers Y $9/hr or $18 – $24/day Raleigh, Felt, BMC, Santa Cruz Eurosports Sisters mountain, tag-alongs Y $20 – $40/day Specialized 4 Seasons Recreational Outfitters Sunriver mountain, cruisers, recumbents, tandems, tag-alongs and trailers Y $4 – $15/hr, or $15 – $60/day GT, Raleigh, Marin, Diamondback, Electras Hutch’s Bicycles Bend,
  Redmond mountain, road N none provided Specialized, Canondale, Giant Let It Ride Electric Bikes Bend cruisers, rebuilds, electric, tag-alongs and trailers Y $30 – $60/hr

  IGo, EVelo, Pedego

  Pine Mountain Sports Bend mountain N $20-25, $35-45
  (4 hr rate),
  or
  $50-75/day Trek, Santa Cruz Sagebrush Cycles Bend mountain, cruisers, townies N $35 – $60/day Pivot & Rocky Mountain Sunnyside Sports Bend mountain, road N $35 -75/day Trek, Yeti, Ibis Sunriver Sports Sunriver road, mountain, cruisers, tag-alongs and trailers Y $5/hour, $16 – $55/day Trek, Specialized Webcyclery Bend mountain, road, fat bikes N $50 – $75/day Scott, Niner, Salsa Wheel Fun Rentals Bend, Eagle Crest,
  Black Butte multi-person speciality bikes, cruisers, tandems, trailers Y wide range variety

  ###

  

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  2. Sunriver Sports Free Bike Maintenance Clinic and Safety Inspections Sunriver Sports Free Bike Maintenance Clinic and Safety Inspections. Bring...

  

• October 21, 2012
• 21:24

  Republicans: the New (same as the old) Nazis …

   » ‎ Homeless on the High Desert

  Tags:  White Rose   [edit]

  They can only “win”, by cheating… Romney family buys voting machines Tagg Romney, the son of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, has purchased electronic voting machines that will be used in the 2012 elections in Ohio, Texas, Oklahoma, Washington and Colorado. “Late last month, Gerry Bello and Bob Fitrakis at FreePress.org broke the story of [...]

• 19:44

  Fabulous Beginner's Class!

   » ‎ Art in my Heart

  Tags:    [edit]

  Can you believe these colorful fun paintings that were created today in my absolute beginners class?!  This was a 3 hour class and everyone went home with successful paintings.  Even 9-year old Sophia, hanging out with the ladies, added her creative touch to her paintings!
  Sophia in the background carefully painting Very Cute photo of ErikaDebbie's Door in ProvenceBeautiful!
  

• 19:36

  WordPress Theme Search: Bed & Breakfast Themes Scarce on the Ground

   » ‎ Erickson Creative

  Tags:    [edit]

  |

  Let’s see what I unearthed, searching high and low. Bed & Breakfast WordPress themes, best to worst and one B&B Inns service Aegean Resort by cssigniter $39 (includes all themes) With a full-width photo slider on home page, plus temperature in header, along with language flags (if you have it translated), there are many layout [...]

  © 2012 Erickson Creative, Sunriver, Oregon. All rights reserved. | Erickson Creative: WordPress Web Improvement Tips & Resources

• 19:10

  Like Any Successful Ride - It's What's Under The Hood That Determines How Well Any Nonprofit Raises Funds

   » ‎ Seeking Grant Money Today

  Tags:  upping the success rate   [edit]

  Do Not Chase Grants, Instead - Raise Them Again and Again
  
  A Community's Confidence In A Nonprofit Is the Ultimate Key to An Organization's Future (and success)
  
  Nonprofit Self Evaluation Leads To Efficient, Economically Trim, Effective, Increased, & Successful Fundraising, and More
  
  Why It Matters What the Public Thinks of A Nonprofit and How To Check
• 19:03

  Grants for U.S. Nonprofits, Governments, Tribes, and Educational Institutions Linking Econimic Development and Community Well Being to Stewardship & Health of the Environment

   » ‎ Seeking Grant Money Today

  Tags:  RFP   [edit]

  From The Foundation Center...
  
  [If you are interested in this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this blog post, for more information].
  
  "Deadline: December 3, 2012
  
  "Wells Fargo and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Accepting Applications for Environmental Solutions for Communities Grant Program
  "Wells Fargo and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) are offering financial assistance through Environmental Solutions for Communities, a new grant program designed to help communities in the United States create a more sustainable future through responsible environmental stewardship.
  
  "The program will support highly visible projects that link economic development and community well-being to the stewardship and health of the environment.
  
  "Priority for grants will be given to projects that successfully address one or more of the following: innovative, cost-effective stewardship on private agricultural lands to enhance water quality and quantity and/or improve wildlife habitat for species of concern while maintaining or increasing agricultural productivity; community-based conservation of local habitats and natural areas, efforts to enhance water quality, promote urban forestry, educate and train community leaders on sustainable practices, promote related job creation and training, and/or engage diverse partners and volunteers; showcase innovative, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly approaches to improve environmental conditions within urban communities by "greening" traditional infrastructure and public projects such as storm water management and flood control, public park enhancements, and renovations to public facilities; and increase the economic and biological resiliency of the nation's coastal communities and ecosystems (including the Great Lakes) by restoring coastal habitats, living resources, and water quality.
  
  "For the 2013 program, preference will be given to projects in priority regions and states, with a particular emphasis on urban areas.
  
  "Eligible applicants include nonprofit 501(c) organizations; state, tribal, and local governments; and educational institutions. Applicants must be working in states where Wells Fargo operates. Individuals, federal agencies, and private for-profit firms are not eligible.
  
  "Grants will typically range from $25,000 to $100,000 for projects of 18 months.
  
  "The complete Request for Proposals, list of priority geographic areas, and application instructions are available at the NFWF Web site."
  
  Contact:
  Link to Complete RFP

• 16:35

  Paul Bunyan is back in the Big House #GoBlue

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading Tagged: Ann Arbor, big brother, big house, lil' brotther, m go blue, michigan, paul bunyan, Wolverines
• 15:41

  “Make A Beast Of Myself” // Twin Atlantic

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading Tagged: make a beast of myself, twin atlantic
• 12:44

  Two Door Cinema Club – I Can Talk

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading Tagged: ACL 2012, austin city limits, I can talk, two door cinema club

• 12:32

  Central Oregon Pumpkin Company

   » ‎ As I See It

  Tags:    [edit]

  First, I know it has been a while since my last post - I had a VERY last minute opportunity to go to Maui for 2 weeks that I just couldn't pass up. Now though, I'm back and re-settled!
  Yesterday we went to Central Oregon Pumpkin Co. (Smith Rock Ranch) to pick out pumpkins, walk the themed "maize" (This year's theme is Pacman), and enjoy a beautiful fall day in Central Oregon! We did just that, and could not have asked for better weather!
  

  
  

  

• 12:21

  Marvel is a hack-grinding enterprise.

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  Coming down with a cold, dammit.
  
  **********
  
  As I tweeted yesterday, the thing about rewriting, I'm never sure if I'm making it better -- or worse.  It is really hard for me to get a sense of the book when I'm rewriting, and this is often where I lose faith.
  
  Still, like the changes I make in the store, which I also often first doubt, I have to trust my instincts and assume that they are for the better.
  
  **********
  
  Is it just me, or have we had an inordinate amount of motorcycle carnage around here lately?  Seems like every few days.
  
  **********
  
  What I remember about the 1987 stock market crash? The absolute fear in the eyes of the reporters and those they interviewed.  They couldn't hide it.
  
  Their fear is what scared me.
  
  Two weeks later, it was as if it never happened.
  
  **********
  
  I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that one bad performance by Obama crashed his campaign.
  
  Maybe he should have been like Romney and made dozens of gaffes all spring and summer, just to get it out of the way.
  
  Or maybe, we're demanding he be perfect, but the other guy gets a pass.
  
  Sorry, I said I wouldn't talk politics and this sounds whiny even to my ears.
  
  I still think Obama will pull it out.  Romney is still Romney.
  
  **********
  
  There's a review in the Bulletin about a book about Marvel Comics, which sounds interesting.  MARVEL COMICS: THE UNTOLD STORY.
  
  Except -- not to sound like a know-it-all, but I knew all that.  I was a first-hand witness/victim to 30 years of it.
  
  The reviewer calls the comic 'fan press' -- "sycophantic, poorly sourced, craven" and I'll tell you who agrees with that assessment the most -- the 'fan press.'
  
  I'd have to say that I've gotten most of the nuances over the years:  That Stan Lee isn't who he appears, that the Image creators thought they were geniuses and just turned into another round of corporate hacks, the most of the early creators pretty much got screwed. 
  
  The corporate Marvel was the most horrifying part of it all -- once the likes of Ron Perelman and Isaac Perlmutter got their hands on Marvel, it was all but over -- except as a hack-grinding enterprise.
  
  The characters created are so strong that good stories and art still come out of the hack-grinding enterprise.
  
  But almost by accident.
  
  
  

• 11:42

  Walkings pits stops ons softs leaves! #basset #hound #dog...

   » ‎ Bobs and Lucys

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

  
  
  

  Walkings pits stops ons softs leaves! #basset #hound #dog #leaves #fall

  

• 8:46

  Survival Food: New Hardtack Recipe

   » ‎ Survival Common Sense

  Tags:    [edit]

  http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

  Looking for a way to use up surplus flour, or make a cheap trail food or durable survival ration? One answer may be hardtack, a baked, unleavened wheat cracker. As a survival food, hardtack has a proven track record.

  

  Click here to buy survival kits

   

  

  Mark’s hardtack recipe is tasty and nutritious!

  by Leon Pantenburg

  One of the more popular posts on SurvivalCommonSense.com has been how to make hardtack, a basic survival food. I was gearing up for an elk hunt, so I tried this recipe from Mark, who had commented on the post.

  “I’ve been making and enjoying hardtack for years,” Mark wrote.  ”I like to use native pecans in mine.” Immediately intrigued, I made up a batch, using Mark’s recipe as a base. Using only the ingredients that were on hand, I had to make a few substitutions.

  And, as is my wont, I can’t resist tweaking a recipe when there is potential to make it more healthy. (I always amend flour: For each cup of white flour, add 1 Tbs of soy meal; 1 tsp of wheat germ, and 1 Tbs of dried milk. This creates a whole protein!)

  The result was wonderful! Unlike the traditional hardtack recipes which can be nutritious, but REALLY bland, this recipe is tasty! And it’s kind of like opening a bag of chips – you can’t eat just one!

  Here’s the recipe – try it yourself on your next camping trip, or if you have some extra flour you want to put to use. But while hardtack is renowned for its longevity, we’re not sure how long this particular recipe will last.

  To quote Mark: “I’m not sure of shelf life as they disappear quickly.”

  Mark’s Hardtack Recipe

  2 cups organic whole wheat flour

  2 cups unbleached organic flour

  2 cups whole rolled oats (I had to leave this out, since there was no oatmeal, or an appropriate substitute. Next time, I will be sure to add this, since oatmeal’s health benefits are off the charts!)

  2 cups pecans (chopped) – (I used peanuts, almonds, and some sesame  and roasted pumpkin seeds.)

  1 cup rasins or any dried fruit that you like (I didn’t have raisins, but I did have dried cranberries.)

  1 cup organic olive oil

  1 Tbs tbl. baking soda

  1 tsp sea salt

  2 cups buttermilk (I had 2-percent milk, so that’s what was used.)

  Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately , then combine them. Roll out to about 3/8 -inch thick. Cut into squares or rounds, then bake in the oven at about 375 for about 40 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.

  

   

  

  http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

• October 20, 2012
• 18:36

  Progressive voters' guide

   » ‎ Bend OR Bust

  Tags:    [edit]

  The ballots are in the mail. We got ours today.
  
  By mailing your ballot in sooner, rather than later, you'll be able to avoid all those annoying phone calls urging you to vote.
  
  Below are my recommendations for the Nov. 6 election:
  
  President: Barack Obama. The Mitt-wit promises to return this country to the halcyon days of the George W. Bush administration. No thanks.
  
  Secretary of State: Kate Brown. Knute Buehler, her challenger, is a RINO and hypes the phony issue of "voter fraud." The only voter-fraud that has occurred recently is by Republicans.
  
  House District 54: Nathan Hovekamp. His opponent, Jason Conger, is another GOP extremist who is anti-public education. He favors slashing government revenue, which would force more shortened school years.
  
  Senate District 27: Geri Hauser. She would be far better than Tim Knopp, an extremist who supports gutting public education at all levels by supporting repeal of the state inheritance tax that rewards the few at the expense of almost all Oregonians.
  
  Deschutes County Commissioner: Alan Unger. He's one of the best public servants we've had here. His opponent, Tom Greene, is a real-estate agent who gambled big on the local housing market and lost big. He now desperately needs a high-paying government job, which is a terrible reason to run for office.
  
  State treasurer: Ted Wheeler. No competition.
  
  Attorney General: Ellen Rosenblum. No contest.
  
  Representative 2nd District: Anyone but Greg Walden. He'll win easily, but he's just an errand boy for the GOP.
  
  Commissioner of Bureau of Labor and Industries: Brad Avakian. Again, no credible competition.
  
  Supreme Court, Position 5: Nena Cook. We need more eminently qualified women on the state high court like Cook.
  
  Court of Appeals: Tim Volpert. He's got a great list of endorsements. Check out his website.
  
  Circuit Court Judge, 11th District: Beth Bagley. She easily beat all competitors in the primary, but must now win the runoff.
  
  Bend City Council, Position 1: Barb Campbell. A weak lineup here, but she's better than her opponents.
  
  Bend City Council, Position 2: Doug Knight. Not a strong slate here but Knight knows our local city government better than the rest.
  
  Bend City Council, Position 3: Sally Russell. The incumbent, Kathie Eckman, has long overstayed her time on the council.
  
  Bend City Council, Position 4: Jim Clinton. He's the only one on the council with brains and integrity.
  
  Measures 77 and 78: House-keeping measures long overdue. Yes on both.
  
  Measure 79: NO! Stop Realtors from increasing property taxes.
  
  Measure 80: Yes and No. Sooner or later marijuana will become legal, as it should. But this Oregon measure is too open-ended to survive. A more limited measure in Washington will likely pass and Oregon should follow that lead. Not in favor of promoting vices, but if we tax marijuana to the hilt maybe the state can profit from it someday.
  
  Measure 81: Yes. End use of gill-nets on the Columbia River.
  
  Measures 82 and 83: NO on both. We don't need anymore casinos in Oregon.
  
  Measure 84: NO! Keep the inheritance tax. We don't need to further slash funding for education including the fledgling OSU-Cascades.
  
  Measure 85: YES! Corporations don't even care about getting a "kicker" refund. Let's fund education instead. It's our best way out of our current troubles.
  
  Measure 9-86: NO! It's the wrong time for the Bend parks district to ask voters to spend $29 million on non-essential upgrades. Wait until the economy turns around and most in Bend will support it.

  
  

  

• 17:51

  Lucys hasings Saturdays sofas times starings outs windows...

   » ‎ Bobs and Lucys

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

  
  
  

  Lucys hasings Saturdays sofas times starings outs windows #basset #hound #dog

  

• 15:58

  [Poster] The Rum and The Sea at Silver Moon

   » ‎ Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Local band The Rum and The Sea plays at Silver Moon tonight. I wrote a little blurb about them in Friday’s paper (look to the right, under “Highlights”), but when I saw the cool poster for their gig, I had to add it to our archive. The art is by Dale Jamison, who, according to [...]

• 14:06

  Beware of fake payroll emails from Intuit!

   » ‎ The Payroll Experience

  Tags:    [edit]

  Look out for false messages that appear to originate from Intuit's payroll service - more here:
  
  [m.threatpost.com]
  

  
  

  

• 12:35

  The Avett Brothers – Paul Newman

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading Tagged: ACL 2012, austin city limits, chad smith, paul newman, red hot chili peppers, the avett brothers

• 12:32

  Radical surgery on the book.

   » ‎ best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had

  Tags:    [edit]

  I made a copy of I'm Only Human and then started cutting and moving.  Anything that hindered the forward movement of the story.
  
  Cut out a fair amount of exposition.  Cut the part of the love story that wasn't working and which was somewhat redundant.  Cut a couple of later chapters that strained credulity.  (Ironically these weren't the fantasy parts, but the parts set in the 'real' world.)
  
  I also added a couple of chapters early, which you would think would slow the story, but which were necessary.  Trying to take Vonnegut's advice of not being afraid to "Give the reader as much information as soon as possible."  These were new chapters -- but chapters I had previously written and was holding back for a second book.
  
  Then I placed the "flashback" portions into the story where they had the most effect, not in sequential order, 'when' they happened in history.
  
  In the end, I pared about 4000 words of a 88000 word book.  Not as much as I thought, but then I added a good 4000 words, so I cut about 10% of the original manuscript.
  
  I really thought this would be much much harder.  Just moving a few chapters around in my other novel seemed to be harder than this.
  
  I think it was the freedom I gave myself to simply cut and move. Cut and move.
  
  Today, I'm going to clean it up a bit, and then see how it reads.  Perhaps read it aloud to myself.
  
  
  I still have plenty of work, I figure.  I want to go through and see if I can't make a bit more poetic use of language -- which for me, usually means being somewhat dreamlike.
  
  Then, I want to try to make it feel more 'real.'  By making sure that there is plenty of sight, sound, and movement.  (A trick is to go into the non-viewpoint character's head and try to see what they're seeing.)
  
  That's the external part of making it real.
  
  The internal part of making it real is to try to go inside their heads a little.  In this case, in the head of the main character -- since this is 1rst person.  Have to be careful here I don't get too introspective, but try to make the reader feel what the narrator feels.
  
  I'm guessing all this will push the book into the 100,000 word range.
  
  
  I'm getting to the point in the past where I was anxious to send a book off -- but I'm resisting this time.
  
  This time, I'm wondering if I can get to a point where I'll feel I've done all I can do -- what happens if I get there and I still feeling like it's lacking?
  
  I'm not afraid to keep writing anymore.  I've learned something with each of these books -- or relearned and remembered.
  
  So the questions will be, send it off, or try writing something else?
  
  Oh, well.  I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
  
  
  The six months distance I created by working on another book was extremely helpful.  I was able to look at the manuscript with fresh eyes, and was willing to make more drastic changes.
  
  So if I reach an impasse with this book, I may just start on yet another story and see where that goes.
  
  
  
  

• 12:28

  Don't dive back into your dirty clothes!

   » ‎ Funki Planet

  Tags:  the Cloisters   [edit]

  Ephesians 4:22 - 24  You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image – in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth. (NET Bible)

  
  <sup>Sweaty, stinky workout tees.
  Food stained shirts.
  Mud encrusted jeans.
  
  All these things are stewing together in my dirty clothes pile right now.  I wouldn't dream of putting any of these items on today.  Not one.  Blech!</sup>
  
  
  Credit<sup>But how many times do we behave in a way that is unbecoming to us as believers, repent and then reach right back into the dirty clothes basket and act the same way again?  
  Blech!
  
  Ephesians 4:22 says "...lay aside the old man who is being corrupted..."
  
  That means - put your old ways aside, take off the old junky stuff and dump it into the hamper.  
  
  Then "...be renewed in the spirit of your mind..."
  
  Take a shower.  
  Get cleaned off.  
  Repent and be washed.
  
  Finally, "...put on the new man, who has been created in God's image - in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth."
  
  Don't go back into the dirty clothes pile to get dressed!</sup>
  
  Credit<sup>Put on clean clothes.
  Sport some fresh new duds.
  BE RENEWED!
  
  Whatever it is that you struggle with - God can do a great work in your life.  He will wash you clean, prepare you to put on new clothes, clean clothes.
  
  Don't dive back into your dirty clothes.
  
  Live renewed!!!
  
  What "dirty clothes" do you struggle to leave behind in the pile?</sup> 
  
  
  
   

• 10:53

  Sleepings profressionals #basset #hound #dog

   » ‎ Bobs and Lucys

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

  
  
  

  Sleepings profressionals #basset #hound #dog

  

• 9:45

  Cat Dances with the Starz

   » ‎ thetincats

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• 8:52

  Two Gallants – Winter’s Youth

   » ‎ Trading for the Masses

  Tags:  Trading   [edit]

  Filed under: Trading

• 0:07

  Do newspaper endorsements matter?

   » ‎ Bend OR Bust

  Tags:    [edit]

  Salt Lake City Tribune endorses President Obama Not really.
  
  Maybe they had an impact 50 years ago, but newspaper subscriptions have plummeted since then.
  
  In cities where you once had three daily newspapers, you're lucky to have one left that publishes every day of the week.
  
  And yet, newspaper endorsements still get a lot of airplay in the digital age.
  
  The most shocking endorsement, so far, occurred today when Utah's largest daily newspaper, the Salt Lake City Tribune, endorsed President Obama over Mitt Romney, a loyal Mormon, BYU grad and the "savior" of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
  
  In an editorial titled "Too Many Mitts," the Tribune states:
  
  
  "In considering which candidate to endorse, The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board had hoped that Romney would exhibit the same talents for organization, pragmatic problem solving and inspired leadership that he displayed here more than a decade ago. Instead, we have watched him morph into a friend of the far right, then tack toward the center with breathtaking aplomb. Through a pair of presidential debates, Romney’s domestic agenda remains bereft of detail and worthy of mistrust. Therefore, our endorsement must go to the incumbent, a competent leader who, against tough odds, has guided the country through catastrophe and set a course that, while rocky, is pointing toward a brighter day. The president has earned a second term. Romney, in whatever guise, does not deserve a first." It's worth reading the entire editorial and, of course, the apoplectic comments afterward. I expected this editorial in the New York Times, but in Utah's largest daily newspaper? Not in a million years. This does not mean that President Obama will win Utah. No, he'll lose by 80 percent to 20 percent or worse, so the Obama endorsement doesn't matter. But, Mitt will lose, by wide margins, the state (Michigan) where he grew up, the state (Massachusetts) where he governed and the state (California) where he's adding an elevator for his cars at his seaside mansion. Yet, the earthquake the Salt Lake City Tribune delivered with its take-down of Mormon Mitt is likely to reverberate across the landscape.  It also means that the Tribune did itself no favors in trying to hang on to its declining readership. In fact, this endorsement could put the Tribune out of business. Wow.

  
  

  
• October 19, 2012
• 20:24

  Knute Buehler is a RINO

   » ‎ Bend OR Bust

  Tags:    [edit]

  Did you know that "Republican" Knute Buehler held a fund-raiser for Democrat John Kitzhaber when he was running for a third term as governor in 2010?
  
  Here's a graph from a recent story in The Oregonian: 
  
  "Neither Patty, who is an ophthalmologist, nor Knute, an orthopedic surgeon, have been lifelong Republicans. In 1992, while working 100 hours a week as residents at Oregon Health and Sciences University, the couple also worked for independent candidate Ross Perot's presidential campaign. Sometime after that, Knute Buehler says, he joined the GOP. But that didn't keep the couple from holding a primary fund-raiser at their home for Democrat John Kitzhaber when he was making a campaign for a third term."
  
  Also, getting endorsed by The (Eugene) Register-Guard and Willamette Week is total proof that Knute is a RINO.
  
  Of course, being a Republican in Name Only or RINO could help Knute be the first Republican elected to a statewide office as secretary of state in Oregon in more than a decade.
  
  But, being a RINO in Bend has its pitfalls. 
  
  Chris Telfer learned this the hard way when the sitting state senator was ambushed by a cabal of male legislators from Central Oregon and lost the GOP primary last spring to extremist extraordinaire Tim Knopp.
  
  Tom DeWolf, former Deschutes County Commissioner, was chased from office in disgrace by outraged Republicans because DeWolf was a RINO.
  
  Buehler should watch his back because if he doesn't pass the local GOP litmus test of being anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage, and if he stoops so low as to work with Democrats like Gov. Kitzhaber, then he will be toast in Bend.
  
  That's not the only problem for Knute. His ads make it sound like he's running for governor, when he is just running for secretary of state.
  
  Knute, like most Republicans, claims that government can't create jobs but is running on a platform of "creating jobs." 
  
  Evidently, he plans on hiring a boatload of people at the secretary of state's office. That's the only way he'll be able to create any jobs. 
  
  Knute, though, has jumped on the voter-suppression band-wagon that Republicans nationwide drag through the states like a bum on skid road.
  
  There is almost no evidence of voter fraud in this country. Yes, a handful of cases have emerged nationwide in the past decade, but that is hardly a "crisis."
  
  The only recent cases of "voter fraud" are linked directly to the Republican Party, first in Florida and secondly in Oregon.
  
  It's obvious that those crying "wolf" about "voter fraud" are engaging in voter fraud themselves.
  
  Sorry, Knute. Kate Brown deserves to serve as secretary of state for another term.

  
  

  

• 18:55

  This week in GO! Magazine’s music section

   » ‎ Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  When we were discussing what to put on the cover of today’s GO! Magazine, I mentioned tonight’s Macklemore & Ryan Lewis show at Midtown Ballroom and told my coworkers this: We get a lot of has-beens and not-yets and never-will-bes in this town, but it’s not that often we have an artist come through at [...]

• 18:02

  Giant Loop Event: Horizons Unlimited California Traveler's Meeting - Cambria, CA

   » ‎ Go Light. Go Fast.

  Tags:    [edit]

  Horizon's Unlimited California Traveler's Meeting 2012 in Cambria, California.
  
  FOR THE REST OF THE STORY, CLICK THE HEADLINE LINK. GiantLoopMoto.com.

• 17:41

  It’s cookies thirtys times #basset #hound #dog

   » ‎ Bobs and Lucys

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  

  
  
  

  It’s cookies thirtys times #basset #hound #dog

  

• 17:16

  Dia De Los Muertos – 2012

   » ‎ Downtown Bend

  Tags:    [edit]

  Day of the Dead Celebrations

  2pm-Old Stone Church-57 NW Franklin Avenue
  

  

  5pm-Amalia’s-915 Wall Street (541) 382-3244

  

  Amalia’s

  Amalia’s is defined by fresh ingredients, meticulously created dishes, homemade tortillas, tamales. Plantain mole and salsas, sublime marinades, fresh guacamole mashed table side, exceptional flavors. Enjoy Downtown Bend while taking in the aromas of the finest Mexican cuisine imaginable, or just sit back and enjoy our selections of smooth organic tequilas.

  

• 16:47

  Oregon Beer News, 10/19/2012

   » ‎ The Brew Site

  Tags:  Oregon beer News   [edit]

  Happy Friday! Here’s the (late in the day) beer news from around Oregon for October 19th and the rest of the weekend. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often for the latest updates. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

  Laurelwood Brewing (Portland) is teaming up with Plew’s Brews this weekend to present an Autumn Ale Festival starting today and running through Sunday. Laurelwood has a good summary Facebook post: “Three days of harvest beers from stouts to fresh hops, there is something for everyone! Some of the highlights include Laurelwood Stingy Jack Pumpkin Ale, Workhorse IPA, Cameron’s Waylay Pale Ale, Bayreuther Landbier Dunkel, Southern Tier’s Pumking, Ninkasi’s Meridian Dry-Hopped “ Tastes Like Purple”, and Bear Republic’s Racer X! We will have commemorative glasses for $5 and Tickets are $1 for a four-ounce taste. It will be double tickets for the more rare and unusual beers.”  This will be fun to check out if you’re in Portland!

  Sunday the 21st is the start of Brewpublic’s Killer Beer Week: “8 Days of Spectacular Cascadian Beer” that runs through Sunday the 28th. Sunday’s big event is the Killer Beer Summit & Mike Fest at Roscoe’s at 4pm: “It all kicks off at Roscoe’s Pub (8105 SE Stark St, Portland, OR) with a gaggle of Mikes and a bunch of great beer worthy of even the utmost of beer SNOBs. Step up to the Mike and explore beers made for and by brewers and craft beer personalities named Mike/Michael/Micah is the central focus of the evening. Look for one-of-a-kind beers from Laurelwood, The Commons, Vertigo, Fort George, Buckman Botanical, Hopworks, and more. Also, Publicans Quyen and Jeremy will be tapping a number of rare one-offs and seasonals with the uber-geeks in mind.”  Don’t miss it!

  Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 10/19/2012” »

  

• 14:10

  Friday

   » ‎ Occidental Tourist

  Tags:  Natalie   [edit]

  Howdy there. How are you? 
  
  So many changes with a baby are monumental, and then also kind of mundane. 
  
  Take today. It's Friday. We're upstairs in baby Evelyn's bedroom instead of downstairs in the kitchen, trying to work on our homeschool lessons for the older girl. I decided to grab my laptop and relax up here in this different space. We have the radio tuned to NPR, like usual, and Evelyn is enjoying a blanket-covered floor with the toys that stay upstairs. The older one is cleaning her room. At least, she is supposed to be cleaning her room but it's awfully quiet in there. It sounds more like she's reading books than cleaning. It's like a whole new thing, except for girlie's book-reading, but without all the effort of actually leaving the house.
  
  This little house. It's small, but at around 1,600 sq. ft. it's not small at all. It is cozy, our house built for elves. In 1945, post-war, people must've been shorter? I don't know, but I love the low ceilings, the built-in shelves (WE NEED MOOOORE), and the steep stairs that were made, I can only assume, for the teeny little people that used to live here. They didn't bonk their heads on the doorframe that we do when we walk down the stairs. Or bonk their heads on the sloping ceilings on the second floor. But it's a romantic kind of ceiling, so the goose-egg that it leaves on our heads is cute. One of these days, we'll probably  move. I just wish we could find a house with as much cuteness - some people call it character - as this one. But character in one built for not-elves, like us.
  
  Evelyn is enjoying her room. She is much less screechy this morning than usual, even though her tummy has been giving her trouble. She's had several poops during the day, whereas her normal routine is to have just one... or two at the most. Aren't you glad you asked?
  
  It's just a normal Friday. My teeth are not yet brushed. Both children are clean and dressed. We will probably go to the library, if their mom can get it together enough to clean her teeth to a socially acceptable level, that is.
  
  It's a good day.

• 13:18

  [Poster] Heavy vibes tonight at The Horned Hand

   » ‎ Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog

  Tags:    [edit]

  Fans of the loud and the heavy should probably get down to The Horned Hand tonight for two Portland bands with local connections: The Autonomics and Black Pussy. The former plays blues-punk with spittle-flying urgency, and the latter is a sludgy, swaggering stoner-rock band. Both are excellent. Read more about them here, and find details [...]