http://ignoregon.com/rss/astoria Aggregated Blog Posts From Astoria Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:47:45 +0000 en http://grassrootspeople.blogspot.com/2010/07/andy-jordan-port-of-astoria-legal.html http://grassrootspeople.blogspot.com/2010/07/andy-jordan-port-of-astoria-legal.html Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:48:00 +0000 And this would be the same Andy Jordan we saw up on the Liberty Theater stage advising and doing the "Legal Guiding" of the, then, sitting Lee County Commission's initial hearings and deliberating of the proposed Bradwood Landing LNG Receiving Terminal and has been in on it since?And now, here he and his firm are, the new, official, Legal Counsel f0r The Port of Astoria with Oregon LNG/Pipeline http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/alaskan-fireweed-immatation-honey.html http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/alaskan-fireweed-immatation-honey.html Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 I was talking with someone who spent a lot of time in Alaska. We talked about honey and she told me about Alaskan Fireweed Honey. To me I thought she was talking about their local bees producing honey from fireweed nectar, but she was talking about artificial honey. Here is a recipe I found on the net to make Alaskan Fireweed Honey without the need for bees:What is needed is 50 crimson clover bloomsTen white clover blooms18 to 25 fireweed blooms¾ tbs alum5 pounds of white sugar3 cups of waterWash blooms in cold water (gently rinse) to remove little critters. • Put all ingredients except water in pan, then pour boiling water on. • Let sit for 10 minutes. • Bring to boil and boil for 10 minutes. • Strain through cheesecloth. Put in canning jars and water bath process for 10 min. before sealing lidsShe gave me a sample of this artificial honey and it does taste a lot like honey, though my educated pallet can taste the difference. It is also a bit thinner. It is still pretty good and I bet it is way less expensive than honey up in the North. http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/brownsmead-bees.html http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/brownsmead-bees.html Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 I got a call from a guy in Portland. He and his brother bought a farm in Brownsmead. The previous owner told them about some bee hives that some old beekeeper left there ten years ago and has since died. He wanted to know if I could come and remove the bees.This sort of call is always a crap shoot. I always hope to find healthy bees in nice equipment. I started to worry when he told me there were beneath a ton of blackberries.I drove out and met one of the brothers who opened the gate. I drove across the bumpy field to the side of the shed where he directed me. The berry vines were so thick I couldn’t even see the hives. I fired up my weed whacker with the brush hog attachment. A half hour later the six hives were exposed. I removed the dead hives to make more room to work the hives that had obvious activity. I opened the equipment closer to my truck and found that these hives were once active with mice and wax moths. They were deep in compost. There was actually soil that was several inches deep with worms in it. It was rich stuff. All this equipment was worthless and I just threw it on the truck to take to a burn pile.The remaining hives with activity were also worn out with holes chewed in the sides with bees coming and going from several entrances. These hives were laden with dirt on the lower level and honey on the top level. I couldn’t separate the boxes so I dragged the heavy mass to the truck and I tried to cover every hole with duct tape.I got everything home and I made some room for the new colonies and I placed them there. I was exhausted from spending several hours cutting brush and moving hives. I stacked the hives and left them. I’ll go in to see what’s inside some evening this week. All I can tell right now is the bees look good and healthy. I’m sure I’ll have to replace every frame inside the hives.So now I have fifteen colonies, which is nearly twice as many as I want to have. I’m hoping for a good honey year. http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/hive-inspections.html http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/hive-inspections.html Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 As a small time side-line beekeeper I try to make it a point not to have more than 10 colonies. I’d even prefer having only eight. It takes a lot of work to tend each colony. Each hive could be inspected in a couple minutes, but to inspect them properly one should commit around ten minutes to each colony. One should look at every frame to see how the bees look. Are there visible mites? Are their wings nice and flat? Are there any eggs or capped brood on the frame? How is the ration of nectar, honey and pollen? How does the hive smell? Did you see the queen? Have they built any queen cells to replace the queen by swarming? One needs to inspect their hives at least once every twelve days or things can go bad very quickly. If they are neglected they can cost the keeper colonies and the annual honey crops.Though I started well within my desired bounds with eight colonies this spring I am now up to fifteen colonies. So instead of spending nearly an hour and a half inspecting hives I am now spending two and a half hours. It’s exhausting.You may wonder how I end up with more hives through out the season. This is due to the bees natural instinct to split and grow a new colony elsewhere. Though I inspect my hives thoroughly I missed swarm cells in two hives and they swarmed. That got me two more colonies. Other than that I get calls when swarms appear in peoples’ yards all around the county. Sometime I give them away and sometime I add bees without the queens to add to the population of a weak hive. As I said the management of it all can be very time consuming.Tomorrow I will share the story of my latest acquisition from a farm in Brownsmead. http://grassrootspeople.blogspot.com/2010/07/astoria-ancestries.html http://grassrootspeople.blogspot.com/2010/07/astoria-ancestries.html Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:44:00 +0000 Ancestries: German (17.1%), Irish (13.9%), English (13.0%), United States (6.5%), Norwegian (5.9%), Scottish (5.8%).Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Astoria-Oregon.html#ixzz0unszh1Nw http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/blue.html http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/blue.html Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 I never thought I'd say it but I'm starting to feel bad for my rooster, Blue.Blue was one of those give away items when we bought new chicks last summer. "Buy 20 chicks and get a rare exotic chick for free", which is their way of getting rid of the roosters they can't sell. I could tell Blue was a rooster at an early age. He carried himself differently than the hens. His head was alwaysup looking for potential trouble. He was on patrol. As soon as he was of age he was constantly sewing his wild oats, mating with his hens. He would do this every five minutes or sooner. He'd mate with one and then the break would be until he could find the next hen to mate with. This went on all day, every day.As summer rolled around he slowed down on his mating. He may do it now every half hour or 45 minutes, but the reason I feel sorry for him is that he seems worried all the time. He tries to herd the hens to keep them all in one place so he can protect them. If I find a hen where she shouldn't be I'll chase her away and she will make some sort of chicken distress sound. He will rush over and reprimand her for being away from the flock. It is really funny to watch him fret over his girls, but I'm afraid all this concern is going to kill him. http://grassrootspeople.blogspot.com/2010/07/feds-pay-dead-people-electric-bills.html http://grassrootspeople.blogspot.com/2010/07/feds-pay-dead-people-electric-bills.html Sun, 25 Jul 2010 11:28:00 +0000 Jul 1, 2010 1:31 pm US/EasternWASHINGTON DC - (CBS4)It was designed to help poor families heat and cool their homes, but an audit of the federal program that provided more than $100 million went to pay electric bills of thousands of applicants who were dead, in prison or living in million-dollar mansions.GRP: "The investigation found HHS paid thousands of dollars to people who were obviously http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/comedy.html http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/comedy.html Sun, 25 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 I’m taking some time off from listening to music, though I still do have things to listen to on iTunes Radio. I’m hooked on a couple of their uncensored comedy stations. Not only have I been catching up on newer comics I’ve never heard of, but I’m getting the funny side of normal situations.One thing that continually amazes me is just how long the comedy sets are. Some of these comedians go on for ninety minutes or two hours. It is one thing to stand on stage and do all these bits for that amount of time and it’s another thing to remember all the bits you need to remember to carry a show for two hours. More amazing to me is to write the volume of comedy that will last two hours on stage. After seeing some of the skits I’ve written a friend asked me to write a One Woman Comedy show for her. I wrote like mad for several months and when I figured I had enough material I did a read through. I had only 45-minutes of content. I had hit a wall and ran out of ideas. I wouldn’t be able to produce another ninety minutes if my life depended on it.Eventually nothing went to waste. I used some of the material in other skits and the rest landed here on the Blog. My hat goes off to the comics that can produce long content and keep it fresh. http://astoria-photografpix.blogspot.com/2010/07/just-plain-stupid.html http://astoria-photografpix.blogspot.com/2010/07/just-plain-stupid.html Sat, 24 Jul 2010 15:56:00 +0000 I shopped at a large North Coast retailer yesterday (you get to guess which one), and bought a pair of shoes. I really, really wanted those shoes. For a change, the price was the same as I would pay for them online.Then I wanted to buy some peds to go in the shoes. The ones I liked best were thick cotton, three to a pack, $9 a pack. So they're $3 a pair. Doesn't take a brain surgeon, or even me, with my limited math ability, to figure that one out.I wanted two packages of the black ones, but there was only one full package. The other package had two pairs in it instead of three. So I figured, well, I'll just take these up to the register and pay $6 and get the two pairs of peds.I get to the register, explain the situation to the cashier. Nope, he couldn't handle it, had to call a supervisor. She didn't have enough authority to say the deal was OK (for $6 worth of socks??) so he had to call HER supervisor.The chief wookie supervisor handed down her verdict: she'd give me 10% off.Huh? Thirty-three percent of the product, i.e. one whole pair of socks, was missing and she'd give me 10% off?I turned to the lady behind me and said, "Do I have 'STUPID' written on my forehead?" She said "No." I turned to the cashier kid and asked the same question. He just shook his head "No." I was so flummoxed I forgot to tell him where the supervisor could put the socks (I have no doubt they'll fit nicely, probably with room left over), paid for my shoes, and left.What I don't get is this: With people that dense in managerial positions, how the hell has that company ever managed to stay in business? It's downright scary.Click here to see Elleda's photography at the Astoria Photografpix web site http://grassrootspeople.blogspot.com/2010/07/gop-congressmen-not-rushing-to-join-tea.html http://grassrootspeople.blogspot.com/2010/07/gop-congressmen-not-rushing-to-join-tea.html Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:27:00 +0000 New York News And FeaturesDaily Intel - Dan Amira - 07/20/2010 10:29AMIf the new House Tea Party Caucus held a meet-and-greet this afternoon, it would consist of Minnesota's Michele Bachmann and Indiana's Mike Pence drinking punch and making awkward small talk while frequently glancing at the door for more arrivals.Read Full Article http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/compostable-packaging.html http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/compostable-packaging.html Sat, 24 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 We invited some neighbors over for beer, chips and a camp fire last weekend. Not knowing what sort of chips they liked I bought corn chips for salsa, potato chips and in the event they had a healthier chip in mind I also picked up a bag of sun chips. Immediately upon picking up the Sun Chips I noticed the bag was really loud and crinkly when handled. It was so loud I nearly put it back on the shelf out of embarrassment. When I got home my wife read the package and she told me the Sun Chips package is compostable. It totally looks like normal plastic, even the inside looks like foil, but it is totally compostable. I checked out their web site and I’m totally impressed. Check it outSun Chips Web SiteAs for the bag being louder to handle, here is the explanation, “…plant-based materials have different sound properties than the materials used to create our old bags. So although this version is a little bit louder, we hope you'll appreciate the change and the positive environmental impact it will have.” http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/50s.html http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/50s.html Fri, 23 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 I was flipping through some magazines in a waiting room recently. The one that really caught my attention was a magazine called Reminisce. It is a nostalgia based publication with photos, illustrations and stories from the 20s through the 50s.I am a child of the 50s and I’ve written often about the old days. I’m sure that along with me there are millions of Baby Boomers that think fondly of those times. I’m surprised that no one has taken advantage of this nostalgia craze by creating a 50’s theme park. I bet Disney could do a good job of recreating the era. It could be like a Colonial Williamsburg for Boomers that could be populated by characters in period costumes driving vintage cars and living in 50s style homes.There are plenty of classic car and tractor shows. Shows and movies such as Happy Days, Grease, Pleasantville and Back to the Future really drew in the boomers that remember these times. Branson are you listening? http://motherhoodishell.blogspot.com/2010/07/youve-been-played.html http://motherhoodishell.blogspot.com/2010/07/youve-been-played.html Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:22:00 +0000 Don't worry. Half of this non-biodegradable crap won't make it past the ride home, much less into your house.People are entitled to spend their money how they choose, even if it puts them thousands of dollars into crushing, life-altering debt.But that doesn't mean I have to agree with it. There are a few areas that I have noticed have not only become money sinks, but are becoming even moreso--thanks to things like Style Network and outlets of this ilk.1. Weddings Gone WildUS Magazine is currently running a contest where YOU can win a $100K celeb-inspired wedding. Shows on numerous networks glorify atrocious "Bridezillas" who not only have a record for life now of being a complete and total bitch, but who have no business getting married in the first place if they're this narcissistic. Weddings interest me. They are clearly a huge milestone in most lives. But it seems to me that many of them have now become expected princess-for-a-day parties for entitled little snot rockets. Watching many of these brides, and having known some similar ones myself, I can clearly see that the wedding is more about the party for them than the covenant they are pledging to uphold for a lifetime. Phrases like "Today is all about the bride" have not only become frequent, they have become believed! In fact, the day is NOT just about the bride, it is about the couple, and the family they are attempting to form as a result of the ceremony.I have been to weddings that cost $5. I have been to weddings where $100K was spent, and while, on a selfish basis, I can surely appreciate going to an expensive event because I don't get expensive in my everyday life, the meaning of the ceremony has never had anything to do with the amount spent.Weddings now are becoming so rigid, so about the "image" that they are even stressful for the guests. I was thinking the other day about the weddings the immigrants in my family and their friends used to throw, and I found myself longing for the huge, messy, loud, drunken, dance-imbued wedding parties of days old. The days where children were not excluded from the event! When toddler girls in frilly dresses, fancy shoes long gone, being twirled on the dance floor by their dads or uncles. The idea that children might make the event "less classy" to me, doesn't compare to how joyful the sight of a ring bearer, his tie askew, enjoying cake at the reception is. Once again, just my opinion, which only has as much weight as you feel like giving it.High School GraduationsGot news. Graduating from high school ain't hard. Here's more news, as a former member of the honor roll, it ain't that hard getting on that list, either. Today's public schools have lowered their standards even more, not raised them, to allow that no child is left behind. So what's up with the graduation presents students are getting these days? I don't mean an envelope of money or a gift they might use at college (even a car), I'm talking about nose jobs, boob jobs, and other major plastic surgery procedures that are being given to teen girls as graduation presents (and, frighteningly, even for their sweet 16!). Trust me, I went to school with a bunch of rich kids, and the amount they were given upon graduation had nothing to do with how kind, compassionate or accomplished they were. But that's life, some get, some don't. My kids won't. We're keeping SH's used Mazda in good shape for the kids to drive when they're old enough--dent in the hood and all! Birthday PartiesIt started with sweet 16s which, per the MTV show, are so nauseating and given for such little moral cyphers that I don't even need to elaborate. But birthday parties for even younger kids are getting even more off the hook--recession era included!One of my favorite sites is Birthdays Without Pressure. What I thought I knew about huge birthday parties was nothing to what I learned upon reading this site. Petting zoos. Traveling circuses. Carnival rides. Custom-made commemorative t-shirts, and more, more, more. Frankly, the wealthy have always thrown parties like this. But what disturbs me are the number of don't-have families where a dominant mother completely overrules the father (who typically wants to be sensible) in order to raid the family finances for these two-hour events. These are women typing their haughty messages on the board from their apartments. You can almost see them pout as they write about how they LOVE throwing over-the-top parties and NOBODY has the right to tell them what to do. They go on the record saying that they want their children to have the parties that makes everyone want to be their friends, including the best goodies, the best events, and the best venue. One entry recounted a hall that was rented out for 100 people for a four-year-old's birthday party.In addition, these moms have now begun setting price limits for gifts brought to their child--meaning they have to be above a stated amount. They actually calculate how much they have chosen to make the cost-per-child during the party through their own excess, and then demand on the invitations that parents either bring a gift costing in excess of X, or not bother to attend. Nice message. Home DecorI am an utter addict for home shows. But not because I desire to habitually toss out perfectly good furniture in favor of a new color or texture or silhouette. I watch because I want to understand good design concepts, regardless of my budget or lack of it. I want to understand how to place things, arrangements of furnishings, wall decor, and use of paint and window coverings. As much as these shows drive my husband crazy, I have to say they have taught me volumes about how to run an organized home, as well as how to potentially show it for a sale, which we are hopefully getting ready to do. One of my favorite shows is Clean House. It's also one of the ones that bugs me the most. Why? Because I have seen, time and time again, when the design team has pressured the people getting the makeover to get rid of all their beautiful, well-made antiques in favor of new, cheaply-made furnishings. True, I'd kill to have most of that new stuff, since a lot of my stuff is simply Freecycle stuff, not antique. But things I won't part with? The set Auntie gave my girls that is over 80 years old. So beautiful, so well-designed, and you know I love me the Art Deco. My buffet from Sharn is also from the same era and I will keep that forever, as I will with the secretary (cherry) and the cute 40-year-old Mission-style desk that my husband got, and my queen bed head and foot boards. Couches may come and go due to wear and tear (I'm going to try to sew up another hole in the top of mine today again), area rugs, and window coverings, since they wear out. But getting rid of finely crafted pieces in favor of cheap, toxic-smelling new stuff only makes me hope that the cast-off pieces will go to homes that truly appreciate them. FashionI've ranted about this before, but in short, the shows that take people, tell them they don't look good, then make them over, tossing their old clothes out in favor of a more societally acceptable image. One case that particularly sticks in my mind is a woman who loved purple. Her walls were purple. Her clothes were all purple. Even her desk at work was purple. The color made her happy (imagine someone so easily pleased!). But they hauled her in, had a panel of people that were supposed to love her tear down how she looked. She was a good sort and went along with the show, but I couldn't help but wonder why they couldn't see what a delight she was before, just because she was one of a kind! I don't need to see more people being the same, I love it when people really are their own birds. Those are the ones that make things interesting, not this crushing sameness.What do all these have in common?Well, a few things. First of all, these excesses are focusing on image and not substance. And that, I believe, is what is increasingly wrong with people today. They are not looking inward, asking how they can be better human beings. They are, instead, spending time, money and energy on so much window dressing. That is not to say that fashionistas can't be wonderful people or people with mansions can't be compassionate. My point is that you have X number of hours in a day, and if you are diverting time and attention to dressing up the outside, you're not spending that time working on the inside, helping your fellow humans (or animals), or focusing on things that really need resources, like shelters, conservation, food for the hungry, heck, even fixing up the home of an elderly community member that can no longer help themselves, rather than replacing a couch you don't really need.But just as troubling is the environmental impact these actions have on a daily basis. Take fashion for instance. Makeups, hair dyes, synthetic fabrics, sizing, plastic hangers and other disposable items used in the display of the clothing or cosmetics, the fossil fuels used to both produce them and transport them are all horrible substances for the environment. Perfumes, bleaches, inks, plastic bubble packs, they had to have started out as basic compounds, and chemical processes were used to get them into salable form. Much of this was done in foreign countries where there is no problem with dumping the leftovers into the local drinking water supply. And so much of it is not needed! Think of party favors, and the kind of waste that goes into both birthday parties and weddings. Favors that are not used, the packaging from them that is tossed, the acetate ribbons that are printed up and later tossed, the food that goes to waste, the amount of cosmetics used, the gifts that are brought that sometimes can't be returned or sit, unopened and unused, for long periods of time. The plastic champagne glasses that go into the landfill, the plastic party bags, filled with potentially-toxic Chinese favors that are choking hazards for younger siblings when brought home, when really, just being able to attend a party used to be enough. To remember that the guest of honor was the birthday child and not the attendees. Once again, those super balls started out as resources, it took energy to transform them, there were chemical leftovers that had to be disposed of, packing materials that needed to be manufactured to send them, the fossil fuels needed to get them from China to your table.Am I saying stop celebrating? NO! Am I saying that people should never leave a footprint, ever? Hardly. That would be hypocritical in the first degree. Though my family are not ravenous consumers, we do, in fact, consume. And even the box of mac and cheese we buy at the store had resources that went into the box, the printing on the box, the little foil packet inside, and the gas that ferried the truck to the store for my convenience (a good reason to by raw and local, but that's another story).Weddings should be joyful celebrations, done for the right reason--the formation of a loving, healthy family. And I do love how a lot of brides and grooms are choosing to break with the big parties and hold ceremonies that really reflect their love of life. And there aren't parents alive that are more grateful for another year with a healthy child than we are, and we do celebrate. But waste for the sake of image, for what someone else tells you is this year's color or cut, if you're spending everything your fiancee or parents have ever saved because it's YOUR day, or if your husband is working two jobs and doesn't see his kids because your child WILL have the glitziest party of the year, dammit, then you need to know that people outside of your little bubble are a little nauseous. Heck, they might even be on your guest list!These are hard times, both for people and for the earth they inhabit. You may not even know how much the people around you are struggling, because they may not want you to know. The earth, on the other hand, can't speak in words, but the language of unnecessary consumption is loud and clear, if only you'll get off the treadmill long enough to listen. http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/hermit.html http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/hermit.html Thu, 22 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 Only certain people have the fantasy of becoming a hermit. Most people are too social to ever consider this drastic decision to be left alone with them selves. I am one that has fantasies of becoming a hermit. I have desired this since I was a teen, though the thought is more and more fleeting as my age advances and I really enjoy a good bed and a hot shower.When in my 20s I became fascinated with Noah John Rondeau, the Adirondack Hermit of the Cold River Valley. Noah was born in 1883 and learned the craft of surviving in nature in the Adirondacks from Indians. He visited the Cold River Valley and built a hermitage for his visits. He started staying there year round at the age of 46 in 1929, which was no small task considering the brutality of the winters in the Adirondacks. Though he was a hermit he was pretty social. He welcomed visitors that wandered his way and would even entertain them with his violin. He was literate with a cabin full of books. He’d venture into town for supplies and would visit with folks on his arrival.Noah had his first run-ins with the Conservation Department, the predecessor of today's New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. He had problems with one particular game warden who would cause him problems for years to come. To survive he had to hunt animals and fish that were out of season.Noah’s decline began with a big wind storm in 1950 where much of his Cold River Valley was leveled by fallen trees. The Conservation Department closed the Cold River Valley for the next three years. Noah ended up living in Lake Placid and Saranac Lake for the final 17 years of his life. Noah died at the age of 84. Noah John Rondeau was never granted his final wish: to be buried at his hermitage; his remains lie in the North Elba Cemetery near Lake Placid. His grave marker is a stone from his Cold River home. http://grassrootspeople.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-grp-traw-poll-shuold-duii-cases-be.html http://grassrootspeople.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-grp-traw-poll-shuold-duii-cases-be.html Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:37:00 +0000 Vote on Poll in Left Sidebar http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/old-school.html http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/old-school.html Wed, 21 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 I find it fascinating to consider the courses that were once offered in schools and colleges that have become obsolete.Back in the day an important curriculum for women was learning needlepoint. Schools also required Latin which I took in grammar school. Penmanship and calligraphy were also required. For those that didn’t have classroom opportunities there were apprentices.I’m out of touch with what is now going on in our schools and I wonder if Home Economics is still being taught? I wonder if Typing is still offered. I recall taking typing back before electric typewriters were commonly used. Then we had to relearn it all with a light touch when the electrics came along. I can’t recall the last time I used a typewriter.I’m sure Music and Physical Education will soon be a thing of the past but I wonder what all that class time will be replaced by. I was recently speaking with a high school teacher and they mentioned that kids really don’t know computers. They understand some applications and they know how to operate a phone with apps, but have them start a spread sheet, database or a word processor and most of them are lost.It seems to me that we will need more technical education in the future. http://motherhoodishell.blogspot.com/2010/07/open-letter-to-president-i-helped-to.html http://motherhoodishell.blogspot.com/2010/07/open-letter-to-president-i-helped-to.html Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:24:00 +0000 You know who you should listen to? Me. A boring, frumpy housewife who, back in the day, made phone calls and worked for Obama in the primaries. Who stood outside a stadium in Portland, OR, because over 70,000 had already packed it and every vantage point around it, just to hear his voice. Because I believed he would be different. But now, the same pandering to the corporations (government help in keeping the PUBLIC off of PUBLIC lands so BP can hide their mess), the same abuses of civil rights (the Patriot Act as strong as ever, people still being sent to other countries so they can be "dealt with" outside of US laws), Gitmo, still open, even though on January 29, 2009, Obama swore it would be closed in a year. Where are the troop drawbacks? Where is the end in Iraq and Afghanistan? Where is bringing the money home to workers, not to the banks? It breaks my heart to write this. I put my family of five on hold because I believed so strongly that I had to work to elect someone different. "We are ready to take this country in a fundamentally new direction," he said. Until Goldman Sachs became his top private contributor with over $1 million alone in contributions. This is supposed to make me feel better?Health Care Reform? Without a public option? Not reform. My father in law out of work, my father out of work, my sister out of work for two years, my other 78-year-old dad working full time--partially because Unisys Corporation made their retirees wait and die for the medical benefits they promised them, my close friend M, out of work, and they didn't extend her benefits.I worked for him because I thought that because he had young children, like I do, that he would worry about the country they would inherit. I thought because his mom had trouble making ends meet that he couldn't be bought. But while his daughters attend Sidwell Friends, we have to pull my kids out of Catholic school next year, because we can't afford it.My husband commutes FOUR HOURS A DAY, and you bet we still consider ourselves lucky because he is employed. We can't sell our house because the market is atrocious--and that is because people like me, people who worked alongside me for change--they can't afford enough food, forget my house.Don't get me wrong, the Tea Baggers are insane. They don't have enough energy left over after hating everyone else to do anything constructive. But how am I supposed to think we will EVER get government who cannot see what happens to society when the middle class is destroyed?So I write this not as a hidden Conservative trying to snipe on the boards. I am registered, I was a contributor, they have my paperwork showing I worked.The Sheriff of Wayne County has taken more of a stand (refusing to toss people out of foreclosed homes) for the people I know than anyone in office. That's change. That's compassion.And me? I don't know what to tell my kids anymore about voting or hope or any of that. I believed. And sometimes when you believe, you get hurt. Lesson learned. http://grassrootspeople.blogspot.com/2010/07/look-at-pre-northern-star-bradwood.html http://grassrootspeople.blogspot.com/2010/07/look-at-pre-northern-star-bradwood.html Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:21:00 +0000 "We take the following facts from the Court of Appeals' opinion and also from the record:"Plaintiff is a construction and development company owned by Ken Leahy and his wife. Defendant is a ship-repair company based in Portland. Ken Leahy and two partners own a tract of land adjacent to the Columbia River known as the Bradwood property. The Bradwood property consists of 270 acres of forest land http://grassrootspeople.blogspot.com/2010/07/kitzhaber-natural-gas-not-lng-process.html http://grassrootspeople.blogspot.com/2010/07/kitzhaber-natural-gas-not-lng-process.html Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:53:00 +0000 7/19/2010 11:38:00 AMBy PATRICK WEBB - The Daily AstorianJohn Kitzhaber believes natural gas is a much-needed transition fuel while Oregon embraces other sources, but he is wary of liquefied natural gas.Read And Watch Full Daily Astortian Report http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/on-being-realist.html http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/on-being-realist.html Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 Some people would call me a pessimist, but I think I’m more often a realist. I’ve found that in life there are very few Win-Win situations. Maybe it’s because I don’t believe in God or an eternal life after death. Maybe it’s because I’ve been lied to by politicians and clergy. Maybe it’s the rampant hypocrisy that we see in the news every day. Things simply aren’t black and white. Things we believe to be white are often black and eventually turn gray in the end. It is sad when one distrusts situations that could become magic, but that’s me and I don’t really feel bad about it. In fact it is sometimes amusing. http://nwlimited.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/a-hard-days-night/ http://nwlimited.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/a-hard-days-night/ Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:02:00 +0000 This is new!  It is one of our very small edition of The Beatles original 45s that receive both the first day of issue and the last day of issue stamps and postmarks issued by the Royal Mail one year apart.  9 of only 20, click to view our Beatles category. http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/one-of-these-eggs-isnt-like-others.html http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/one-of-these-eggs-isnt-like-others.html Mon, 19 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 Somehow I didn't notice this egg until I got it inside. I had to wonder if a goose had somehow gotten in the chicken coop, but this is definitely a chicken egg, what is also known as a double yolker.Normally immature chickens lay double yolker and our chickens are two weeks shy of being a year old. Sometimes it just happens.I put some other eggs on our digital scale and they weighed in at between two and two and a quarter ounces. This egg weighed in at three and a quarter ounces. It was a whooper. Here is what it looked like in the pan. http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/price-of-money.html http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/price-of-money.html Sun, 18 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 Somehow Newsweek magazine is showing up in my mailbox every week. I didn’t subscribe to it and I haven’t received an invoice for it. I can’t think of anyone that would have subscribed to it in my behalf. I have to say it isn’t bad. It is concise and offers more news than advertising. It isn’t stuffed with crap and non news like Time.There was a cool article in this weeks’ edition on how much it cost to produce all the denominations of money currently in circulation. Here is the list:A penny cost 1.5 cents to produce.A nickel costs 6 cents (because of the high copper content).A dime costs 6 cents to produce. A quarter cost 30 cents to produce.A dollar coin costs 30 cents to produce.A dollar bill costs 5 cents to produce.A five dollar bill costs 8 cents to produce.A ten dollar bill costs 8 cents to produce.A twenty and the fifty dollar bills each cost 9 cents to produce.The one-hundred dollar bill costs 11 cents to produce. http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/trouble-brewing.html http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/trouble-brewing.html Sat, 17 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 There are certain things that we learn too late. It’s really hard living with the regret that is compounded every year as a result of the original deed which was one of good intentions in years previous. The sin that lingers and haunts my present is one of obtaining hives of bees for people that never took my class, nor had the inclination to learn to take care of bee colonies properly. Every year I get a phone call from these people to ask me to pick up a swarm that emitted from the hives I got for them. Worse yet is when their neighbors call me after a swarm has taken over their fruit tree or has moved into the walls of their home.I have learned that when I am approached to sell someone some bees, I try to convince them to get some equipment and learn to catch swarms. This way I don’t feel responsible for their laziness. If they insist they want to buy them I insist they take my class before hand. I’ve had a lot of people that decided not to get involved with beekeeping after taking my class. There is a lot more work and maintenance than one might believe. http://joshmarquis.blogspot.com/2010/07/ndaa-summer-meeting-napa-ca.html http://joshmarquis.blogspot.com/2010/07/ndaa-summer-meeting-napa-ca.html Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:49:00 +0000 The National District Attorneys Association summer conference in Napa, California featured a great speech by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who told us that the only job she could get as a Stanford Law grad back in the day was at the DA's Office in San Mateo. I was stunned to receive the "Home Run Hitters Award" in recognition for my work on the Houser (Guzek) case. (I think we should  start calling thecases by the names of the VICTIMS not the killers.) That's  a customized genuine Louisville slugger bat with my name engraved on it.     with Chris Chiles, NDAA President and DA of Cabell County (Huntington), WVThe award is the brainchild of Fayette Commonwealth (Lexington, KY) DA Ray Larson  and is given at no regular interval. As co-chair of NDAA's Media Committee I have advocated that it be given -- as it almost always is -- to non-elected working prosecutors, so I was very surprised and moved. http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/black-out-days.html http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/black-out-days.html Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 I was with some folks last week and we were discussing local driving conditions. I came up with the idea of producing a calendar that highlights days where you should avoid driving in certain areas. There are a lot of blackout times through out the year. Some of the more notable ones are Sand Castle Day in Cannon Beach, the AA Round-up in Seaside, Regatta weekend, The 4th of July, The Volleyball Tournament, The Crab and Seafood Festival, anything that has to do with Goonies, anytime ODOT is working on a bridge, Hood to Coast, Halloween...I’m sure I’m forgetting some. http://astoria-photografpix.blogspot.com/2010/07/pier-11-has-no-peer.html http://astoria-photografpix.blogspot.com/2010/07/pier-11-has-no-peer.html Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:55:00 +0000 Pier 11, at the bottom of 11th Street in Astoria, Oregon, is a grand place to go.Yes, Pier 11 has the drink meister, Rich (aka Nacho Biznezz), but you know what else it has? Great, affordable food ... not to mention views to die for while you're noshing.My son's mother-in-law, Yvonne, came up for her first visit to Astoria in May. We had a wonderful visit, wandering all over the North Coast and Long Beach Peninsula. Her last night in town, we went to Pier 11 and had the prime rib while sitting at one of the riverfront windows. I don't know what was better - the view or the prime rib. And it was a good chunk of beef and yummy- I actually had to take some home, which is rare.Speaking of rare, I'm one of those barbarians who likes beef beyond rare. When I was visiting in Kansas, and tried to explain to the waitress how I wanted my steak cooked, she said, "You mean slap it on the ass and walk it by the stove?" Yes. In June, a long-time close friend, Jasmine, came to visit Astoria for the first time. Of course, we went to Pier 11. This time I had the spinach salad. I don't think I can rave enough about it, so I'll simply say: spinach, bacon, cheese, tomatoes, killer dressing. The artichoke dip is great, too.And shame on me for almost forgetting to mention it, there's a happy hour menu. My other half was gaga over the cheeseburger, and he's a fussy guy when it comes to cheeseburgers.I have only one complaint: butt-buster bar chairs. Let's just say I have ample padding, but even so, it ain't enough. Somebody please have mercy and put some nice, comfy chairs at the bar! Anyone "of a certain age" will know what I mean: a swivel chair with a padded seat, padded back, and a foot rest - all conducive to relaxing and chatting in a good bar with a great view. http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/tolls-and-prizes.html http://astoria-rust.blogspot.com/2010/07/tolls-and-prizes.html Thu, 15 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 I woke up after having dreamt about toll booths. I don’t miss toll roads. I think the only toll road in Oregon is The Bridge of the Gods in Hood River. There used to be a toll booth on the Astoria Megler Bridge when I first moved here, but something that is never done in any other state happened here. Once the bridge was paid for they removed the toll. It has been a free bridge for probably the last ten or fifteen years leaving behind only a blinking caution light.Back east you can’t cross the Hudson River without paying a toll. There are tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway, the Jersey Turnpike and the New York Thruway. Most of the big roads give you a card (it used to be an IBM punch card) when you got on the road and you had to present the card and pay when you got off the highway.The Garden State Parkway was different. They had a booth every few miles where you had to deposit a quarter in this big basket funnel. I suppose this basket in my dream kind of reminded me of Ski Ball and my twisted imagination had me believing that if you saved your receipts you could trade them in for junk like at an arcade.