Oil Falls, Dems Work The System

Good news for all those who own cars. Now that I do not own a functioning vehicle, I have to speculate that I alone am the cause for this price decline. Last summer I was driving over 2000 miles a month and now I am down to zero. Interesting how my driving is directly correlated to gas prices, when it ought to be inversely related. Anyway, gas is about to get even cheaper unless you live in California, potentially. Their gas "not tax" is interesting. Apparently there are some shady Democrats down there.

In California, When Is A Tax NOT A Tax?

Today the Democrat-controlled legislature in California is hoping to raise $9.3 billion in revenues through a legal loophole. Under state law, a two-thirds vote is needed to raise taxes, and that means some Republican votes are needed. So far, Republicans have not budged on a budget package that includes tax hikes to close California's gaping $15 billion shortfall, a shortfall which could reach $42 billion in 18 months (at least that's what they tell us).
The Democrats are citing wording in state law which allows them to pass a tax bill as long as it doesn't raise revenues. So...follow me here...I think I've got this right...they plan to remove some taxes and replace them with other taxes plus fees. Then they'll raise the fees, which can be done with a simple majority.

What kind of fees are we talking about? A 13-cent extra fee on every gallon of gas, a 3/4 percent hike in sales taxes (fees?), and a 2.5 percent surcharge on personal income in 2009. A surcharge, not a tax, even though the money comes out of your paycheck and goes to the state. http://www.cnbc.com/id/28300618



Do you know how much we pay in gas tax? In Oregon it is $0.433 per gallon (plus optional county taxes of a few cents) which includes a federal excise tax of $0.184 per gallon.
http://www.californiagasprices.com/tax_info.aspx


Crude Oil Falls a Second Day, Heading for Record Annual Decline
Dec. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil fell for a second day, heading for a record annual drop, on speculation that U.S. fuel stockpiles are increasing as the recession cuts demand.

Crude oil for February delivery fell $1.20, or 3.1 percent, to $37.83 a barrel at 9:15 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures are down 61 percent this year, the first annual decline since 2001 when oil fell 26 percent, and the biggest drop since trading began in 1983.

U.S. gasoline stockpiles probably rose 1.7 million barrels in the week ended Dec. 26, from 207.3 million barrels the week before, according to the median of 13 analyst estimates.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aLVcprSLiRhU&refer=home

Funk

I am in a wierd funk right now. My sleeping schedule has been thrown off. Before I left Portland I packed up in a hurry and forgot a few items. The most of important of which is the cell phone charger. So my phone is now offically dead and I am about to search for a charger.

So I am back in my hometown and have yet to contact any old friends since my arrival. It is an odd situation. I would like to reconnect, but my phone is dead which eneables me not to contact them right now. The last person I met up with left me with an awkward aftertaste.

People are important and I want to stay in touch, but soometimes it is so much easier to hide behind the messages on myspace and facebook. They are so useful and also so enabling of anto social behavior.

I am heading to the park to play some basketball and spend some qt with my little bro. I have eaten far too much enhealthy food. My body hates me right now. I need an apple and a 10 mile run.

In Albany...

Yesterday I made it. After a week of being trapped in the unusually long snow storm in Portland, I left the city and headed to Albany. I have never been so excited about 40 degree weather and rain. I just needed to get out of a city shut down due to snow. I spent too much time trapped inside.

Tonight I tried out the new basketball I receieved for Christmas. It was chilly and clear. We shot around on a wet court for about an hour. I felt like I had no physical exertions in the last week and half. It felt so good just to get out and do something.

I can't wait to hit the gym and start getting back into shape. There is a long list of outdoor activities to accomplish this year. Included is kayaking, running, hiking, and rock climbing. Being in shap eis the greatest feeling in the world. It makes you feel like you can do anything.

And I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that it is Christmas, and a good one at that. Merry Christmas from Albany.

Karma?

Something bad happened today. I think I killed my truck. There has been a serious of cold days in which snow and ice has shut down the city for the most part. I rarely drive so when I did this morning I ran into a problem. It seems that the coolant froze and then leaked out. On top of that I drove 5 miles at 5 am until it decided to stop.

I was literally in the middle of an intersection. Something blew off the top of my engine. It was bad. There is no coolant in it. To make matters worse, I was in the middle of an intersection. So in my work attire, tie included, I began to push.

Just when I got it into a parking lot, I saw the sign: private parking. The sign clearly spelled out the fact that I would be towed. Considering leaving it there, as there was some ice on the ground and I was late to work, I saw a man in the window of the business. He started with a look of disapproval. I knew he would get me towed.

I called my roommate in distress. He was up and about to leave for work. He was not about to come tow my truck or even swing by. Where is help when you need it? Everyone else in the world was asleep. I tried a few people and then realized what I needed to do.

Reluctantly, I pushed the truck back into the street. My pants were ruined with grease and grime and I was breaking into a pretty good sweat despite the freezing temperature. I managed to move down the block and attempted to enter a pizza parlor parking lot. I figured the chance of getting towed here was minimal. The driveway was steep and an icy puddle stood at the bottom.

I made three attempts to get the truck in the lot. It was almost futile. A car pulled over and watched as I struggled. It was probable entertaining. I had no choice it was time to man up. As I pushed it backwards and then forward for momentum I nearly made it. And then another set of hands grabbed the tailgate.

It was the hand of God. He helped me push it. Well, not really. It was a scroungey looking construction worker in boots. He took pity on my bald white business attire and predicament. Up the truck went and into a curb. Crap. We backed it up and tried again. Whew.

I put the brake on. Adrenaline was flowing and my heart was racing. I left a note begging not to be towed and headed to the nearest bus stop. I had to take off my coat and try to cool down while piecing this altogether.

Is this a sign? Maybe my bad karma got me back. Or can this be something good? Everything happens for a reason. I have been talking about going car-less for quite a while now. This could be the tipping point. I have a bus pass; I usually ride a bus downtown to work anyway. I have been driving less than 500 miles a month so it sort of makes sense. I could save the hundred bucks I pay for insurance too.

Then there are other options. I could buy a car. I would rather not spend the money on it and I will not make payments. I still have my scooter as well. Since I am good with cars I could always rebuild the engine and keep driving it. So much work though. Maybe I will just buy a bike and toughen up.

I don’t need a car anyways. It will make life more interesting.

Reducing Waste

There was a time for me when using a paper towel or toting groceries in a plastic bag seemed inconsequential. That era is over. I know because I still use these items, but now I feel guilty. Call it a product of the green movement, but I only feel guilty because I agree.

Each trash bag, wrapper, and piece of paper is starting to cut deeper into my conscious. Recycling used to seem like something I did when I wanted to feel good, but now I need to do it to feel normal. Recycling in starting to feel like a nicotine addiction. And I often ponder reducing my waste altogether.

I know that grocery bags can easily be replaced with durable, reusable bags, but I have yet to make the plunge. It feels awkward to take a bag to the store, but it also seems to make so much sense. This logic sends me into a deep pondering. I start to race through disposable items that can be replaced by better alternatives. Is there no limit to how sustainable we can become. There must be some limits within our modern constraints though. Items like toilet paper press even the most sustainable to consider where the line should be drawn. There is a lot to be said for modern sanitation.

Leaving the outliers alone, there are countless ways to reduce our own waste and impact. We all know it. The problem is we are not all acting. If we were then the companies we blame for contributing to our polluting of the environment would stop. We blame then for mass producing Styrofoam and ornate packaging laced with non-biodegradable materials, but we need to take the blame for a change.

I am taking a stand. My belief is that we should all reduce our waste and do our part, so I will start being an example. This should also appease my conscious. From here out, I am avoiding products that have packaging. I cannot swear I will never buy a product in a package again, but it will be a scrutiny my purchases will undergo from here on out.

Breaking Up

How do you know when it is time to break up? This is a general question, and in this case it is in relation to a roommate. Is there a definitive rule or can a certain line be drawn? Over several recent days I have pondered if the fairy tale is over. Could I be trying to hold on to something that just is not working for me?

It all came to a head last night. While watching a basketball game and small argument erupted. Not unlike a married couple we argued some minor detail. He attempted to refute my point, but misquoted me. When this takes place there is generally no third part to confirm or deny what had been said, but this time was different.

A friend of mine, and someone he had spent time around as well, had come to watch the game. It may not have been fair, but he ended up in the middle. This is so much like a married couple’s issue that I am actually quite concerned. In this case the third party stood behind my statement and argued that my roommate had misquoted me. Being more stubborn than any mule I have ever seen, he refuses defeat; even when he has clearly lost.

He made an attempt to move the argument off subject and I caught him and blocked it. Tensions were high and he took a cheap stab, saying that I talk like a woman. Then I was silent. He thought he had one, but I had to ponder the words. Had I just done what so many women had done to me before? Their acute memory for spoken word had beat be in many cases, and I now had acquired just that skill.

The curious thing is that I was most bothered by he continued denial. He knew he was wrong, I knew he was wrong, half of the room knew he was wrong, but he would never admit it. That may be something to think about if you are in a relationship or dare I suggest marriage.

I have been married, and I have been in relationships. I am currently in neither, but I am starting to feel like I am. We live, eat, and often spend time with each. Our hobbies are mostly mirrored and our circle of friends has been small, almost nonexistent. It was working well for a while.

You see, I was a recovering husband, and he had just moved to town. Neither of us really had any friends to speak of. I was deeply troubled and he was broke. We lived cheap and enjoyed life making light of our problems. Then something changed.

One day I woke up happy. In fact I woke up an hour before my alarm. The dark cloud of bills and the complications of a soured relationship started to part. It was at this point I started rekindling old friendships. I began to think of it as a social network I was building. At the same time I changed my diet, started reading books relentlessly, and simplified my life. I felt like I was back on top of life and taking it for a ride.

As the days and weeks progressed I worked out my positions on many topics. It was like a weight had been lifted. My thoughts were no longer suppressed and distanced from feelings. All at once they were converging and I was defining myself all over again. And then I realized the conflict within.

Some of the ideas I subscribed to and some of my actions were no longer in line with my belief system. It was an almost overnight change. To make it more difficult, my sudden change began to conflict with my roommates opinions. It was at this time the small debates began to rage over petty items. One day we argued the quantifiable difference between a chill and a shiver. Nobody won and the feud is still standing today.

For a long time I had been altogether agreeable and somewhat of a push over. What I came to learn is that when you start to grow a spine everyone is not going to like you. This was a tragic blow. Before, I was agreeable and likeable by most, although I was at odds with myself. So I chose to move forward and embrace what I was becoming.

This developed into a lifestyle headed down different paths. My interests were changing and our aspiration had long been quite discordant. I started to feel like we were no longer a match made in heaven. Yes we should be friends, but I was no longer gaining much in this arrangement.

My disdain began to build as small details were all around me and eager to collect on this snowball rolling down the hill. It may sound petty, but the man failed to take part in household chores. I fault myself to some degree for not being more vocal, but he is a grown man and I am not his mother.

I had cleaned the bathroom many times and he had not. I had cleaned the stove often, and he left grease and food all over it without regard. The stains in the carpet were multiplying and they were starting to get to me now. Everything in the place I lived was gnawing at my soul. It was round two for me. I had lived in the same place with my wife a year earlier and unhappily at that. Now here I was again.

So here I sit today feeling uneasy and tight in the chest. To my benefit the lease on the townhouse is over and we are technically paying month to month, but we talked about signing a six month lease about 2 weeks ago. I feel slightly relieved, but still uptight. Am I ready to move? Where will I move? What about my dog?

I drew up a mental plan this morning. I could send the dog to live with a friend in the worst case, and Craigslist is burgeoning with people who need roommates. Besides, I am tired of the commute and want to live closer to work and downtown anyhow. It all makes sense, but it also seems so sudden.

The bottom line is right now I want out. Cutting my losses, making hard decisions has been a folly for me and I plan to escape this pitfall going forward. I am ready to move on. It is a bit sad. His financial situation could be better and I know he doesn’t want to move, but I do.

My thoughts culminated into a single question. How much should we care about others? I am not religious and life is so short. Being miserable just is not worth it. Sometimes you have to take charge of your life. This is relatively small stuff. It is the stuff that may frustrate others, but it is not ethically or morally wrong.

I talk a big game, but I am not ready to move forward. I need a few days to think and contemplate. Why is it so hard to admit you want it to be over? I know I am passive, so until my mind is made and I get the courage up to confront it I will just resort to selling some of my belongings and start packing a few things up. Even if I don’t move I need to get rid of something.

Epithet or Epitaph?

An epithet can be part of an epitaph, but can an epitaph be an epithet? This is an odd question, and may bleed insight into my mind or just leave you puzzled. Either way, let us ponder our language we love to hate so dearly.

Getting started, I navigated to Google and employed the definition look up feature. Ah, this world is so convenient lately. As I read into these two peculiar words I found some definitions. An epithet is a name: a defamatory or abusive word or phrase. It is also defined as a descriptive word or phrase. I found the latter confounding. Most of the epithets I know are not all that descriptive at all, albeit I moved on to the definition of epitaph. The definition reads: an inscription on a tombstone or monument in memory of the person buried there. The secondary definition calls it a summary statement of commemoration for a dead person.

Back to my original question, which now can be pondered more delicately? While I doubt many choose epithets to be placed on their tombstone in an epitaph, surely it has happened. But who would use an epitaph as an epithet?

I would. So when I tell you to ‘rest in peace’ you should know I am throwing an epithet at you. It meets the definition, right? It could mean you are going to die soon. Or maybe I am just wishing death upon you. Obviously this is an epithetical use of an epitaph, success. I somehow cannot determine how to be descriptive or insulting with the words ‘in remembrance of’ or ‘gone but never forgotten.’

So it seems logical that these two phrases are not completely interchangeable. Although it seems that any epithet could become an epitaph, the converse is not true. In this way we can define a logical relationship. To take some liberty with mathematical terms I would like to deem epithets a subset of epitaphs. That is, every epithet can be an epithet. All epithets are completely contained within the definition of epitaphs but not all epitaphs are within the definition of epithet. Therefore we have a superset (epitaphs) and a subset (epithets.)

Hmm. If you followed that I am impressed. Now I just need to figure out why I was pondering this in the first place. It all started with some lyrics from a song. It is called Daylight by Aesop Rock. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Just listen to it; over and over.


…You won't be laughing when your front lawn is spangled with epitaphs…
-Aesop Rock

Giving Blood

It is one of those simple things that goes unrewarded, but does some good in the world. Right? The prospect of supplying blood to a person who would otherwise die has to warm you heart a bit. I have however heard stories of blood being unused and going to waste. For the time being I have set those thoughts aside.

Last week I signed up to give blood. Today is the big day. I have not given blood since I was in High School. The last time I gave blood was only the second time ever. It was a bit traumatic.

I believe it was well into the swimming season and I was conditioning for several hours each day. In the previous month I had been dropping weight and it seemed I could consume endless quantities of food to no avail. That was likely why I passed out on that cool November morning.

When I awoke I did not know where I was. It was frightening and a bit embarrassing. It was this experience along with the large needles and stale smell of the nurses and equipment that had driven me away.

But now I am here again 5 years later. It seems noble, and I just starting to feel queasy a bit. I doubt I will pass out, but that thought lingers in my mind. Only forty five minutes until I let someone press what ought to be called a sharp tube, due to its diameter, into my arm and suck a bit of the life force out of me. Okay, maybe a bit dramatic, but I am uneasy to say least.

Christmas

With less than three weeks until Christmas it is time to tackle this sensitive subject. I have recently pondered the merits and usefulness of such a holiday. Before you label me a scrooge, take a second and ponder along with me.

As a non religious American, I feel out of place during the Christmas season. I refrain from calling the holiday season for several reasons. First, Thanksgiving get wrapped into that package and I have no beef with that holiday; literally, since transitioning to an all natural raw diet. Moreover, eating is one of my favorite pastimes. Second, I have never actively participated in Hanukah or Kwanza. So let’s be honest with ourselves, the American holiday season is really just about Christmas.

Christmas is most notably defined by several succinct details. The colors red and green, Christmas trees pop up in parking lots, crowds at the major retailers, and Christmas music that is almost omnipresent. I believe this is what many deem the recipe for holiday cheer. And now I want to call each ingredient into question.

A two color scheme has proven effective in many celebratory sectors. Possibly the most notorious is school and team colors. When you want to support a cause you do it with the right colors. So it makes sense that Christmas was assigned two colors so that people could easily show their support. Of the many aspects surrounding Christmas, the colors are not religious, they do not discriminate, and they are not part of a corporate marketing schemes. They are simple and they are symbolic, but why red and green? Green is a likely choice for implementation of trees maybe but why red? It works so I will just leave red alone for now.

Moving on, consider the truckloads of cut pine trees shipped across this great land. I find it interesting that the core symbol of Christmas within the confines of a home is a well decorated tree. Even more peculiar is the way these trees make it to your home. Step one, trees are cut and wrap, likely by poor immigrant workers, and then shipped via gas guzzling trucks in a mad dash to disperse trees across the country starting on Thanksgiving. The next step places the trees on corners and blacktop lots of all types. I find this step of most peculiarity.

It was just last year that I was in on the prowl for a tree. It was the first week of December. I did not have to drive more than a half mile from my home before I found half a dozen corner lot tree mongers. These are people of an interesting breed. Sure I have to give a pass to the Boy Scout groups selling trees, but in general the crowd is not so noble. In fact, I arrived at a lot that met my expectations. The man, who sold me a tree, was a bit rough. He appeared from a worn travel trailer of that seem impossible small for a man of his height, around 6’ 2” to sleep in comfortably. There a small TV with a fuzzy signal on in the background and a girlfriend, I suspect, wrapped in a blanket. For four weeks this was his life. He ate, slept, protected, and sold trees for 4 weeks of his life on this corner lot. This seems like a fascinating way of life, albeit unsustainable.

So now that I had purchased what was a low priced worthy looking specimen, it was time to get it home. Saying goodbye to the bearded pine monger, who seemed like the carnival attendant drifter type, I proceeded to embrace the miracle that is twine. I was attaching an entire tree to the roof of my car. This one act has become an American institution over the years. Movies glorify it and police defer action when even the most loosely attached trees threaten to find their way to concrete or other objects. This is something I have tested in the past. This year, I was bound to keep the tree on the rough however.

Arriving home, the last stages commence. I fought the tree, which was too wide for the door into the house only to realize that it was also too tall. With some help, we wrestled the tree and I gave it a fresh but undeniably rough and uneven cut with a handsaw. Remind me again why this is such a fun event. You should be familiar with the rest. Ornaments are placed along with lights garland and other memorabilia onto the crisp needle covered branches of the tree.

This exercise in holiday cheer seems trivial and destructive. I find this practice of useless tree cutting wasteful and of bad taste. I do recognize that this strong symbol of Christmas will not soon be overthrown. It just saddens me. A tree with shiny objects does not define a person, or the spirit which abounds within it. To some they see the birth of a holiday when the tree goes up; I see the death of a tree. Moreover, I see a fire hazard a financial cost a hassle. Let us not overlook the fake trees which have become so realistic in recent years. I see little harm in placing these trees in ones own home.

Moving from the home to the broader community level, we run into Christmas music, bell ringers and long lines. In the past I would have found much of this off putting, but not this year to the same degree. I have restructured my life to avoid most major retail outlets. In doing so, I have also evaded the lines and the incessant bell ringers. I have not escaped the holiday music, nor have I tried to. I enjoy music greatly and can find a special spot for holiday music once a year. Much of it has catchy lyrics that enchant me to sing. See, I am not critical of every aspect of this holiday which has been less than spectacular in the past.
This year may prove to be different for many reasons. This year I feel little pressure to buy gifts which has dampened my own holiday spirit. That is the product of changing relationship status mostly. It is amazing how things change when you stop revolving around material and retail ideals. There wills till be a few retail trips yet to come, and altogether the pressure is not lifted. I feel that I must purchase gifts for some. And that is the root of the problem.

When did Christmas lose its charm? It used to be about food, decoration, and family. Now it’s about spending money and getting material possessions. The human element is being stripped. And, what about Jesus? Wasn’t that the whole point? I honestly despise the aggravated Christians who push for more Jesus in my Christmas. They lost. Christmas is an American corporate institution now. Game over. It is about stuff not people. That is why a am not so merry this Christmas.

How many TARPs?

I am tired of the TARP and I am frustrated to hear that many senators of this nation, including our own Gordon Smith (R), are trying to build a shanty town out of a once glorious nation. I strongly urge you to read about the bailouts that are being proposed and question how many 'TARPs' we can use to cover the nation before the rain starts dripping in.

Handing out money to big business is not the solution. Mistakes were made, and now debts are due. We all understand there are consequences for our action so why now are we looking for a way out? When it comes down to the individual or the corporation (which is treated as an individual by law) there should be no distinguishing who pays for their mistakes and who does not. If that means you lose a house due to poor decision, so be it. While it may be difficult to swallow on a personal level, I feel the same way on a broader scale.

When a car manufacturer produces inefficient sub-standard vehicles which inevitably become unpopular I do not feel like I an obligation to bail out said company. They never looked out for you me. There eyes were fixed on our wallets. Let them fail if the market no longer sustains them. Poor planning, lack of insight and disregard for fiscal discipline from the 'Big 3' is not my error.

Yes, they created jobs, but they are only a small piece of this economy. We have to look on a broader scale at the long term goals we have as a nation. There is no clear prospect for future prosperity in U.S. auto manufacturing. Instead betting on a proven loser (see Chrysler bailout 1979) we should put stock back in the individuals of this nation.

Now is the time for sound economic policy, which Bernanke and Paulson have failed to implement. I implore congress to consider a reduction in taxes. While it is costly, just as a bailout is in terms of increased U.S. debt, tax reduction is a proven tool to curb recessions. It is one of the few time proven tools.

Attached you will find more of my thoughts on this subject more contained more concisely in a letter to Gordon Smith. I urge you to contact your politicians as well. A cry from my single voice may seem futile, but there can be no change when everyone is silently dissenting.

Dear Senator Gordon Smith,

I disagree with your vote in favor of the Troubled Assets Relief Program. With a new bailout on the near horizon, I strongly urge you to oppose any bailout of the auto industry.

The auto industry has made significant lobbying efforts recently, which should not overshadow their poor long term viability and track record. There is no guarantee that a government handout will solve the struggling auto manufacturers’ problems. GM, Ford, and Chrysler are failing industries that need not be an additional financial burden on the citizens of this country. As we have seen, a bailout for Chrysler in the past was unable to ensure a successful future.

Market forces can, and will, work. The 'Big 3' auto manufacturers are not the top 3 any longer. There is a reason for this. For too long these companies have been patronized based on their location, in the U.S., while there products were inferior. I am not suggesting that automobile manufacturing in the U.S. will cease to exist; however, its presence may diminish until the proper leadership and discipline rekindles it's status. That task is not our responsibility.

Now is not the time to protect the unfit corporations riddled with complacency. It is time move forward and device relief efforts that will aid our economy from the ground up; not from the top down. Big business is inherently inefficient and many corporations have been caught with their pants down in recent months.

Taxpayers’ money should not be handed out to failing industries. Now is a time for decreased regulation and tax reduction. In the current economic climate, we know that cutting taxes is a sound course of action. This is a fundamental concept in economics. It has proven itself, over time, a viable tool to curb recessions. The TARP and proposed subsequent bailouts have no such track record.

Again, I urge a vote against any legislation that allocates taxpayers’ dollars to private industry, whether in the form of loans, grants, or handouts. No company or industry should be too big to fail. Without the reality of failure there is no reason to aspire to excellence.


Sincerely,

Jeremy Evans

After a Month

I am proud to report that my new diet free of preservatives and processed foods it going strong. it is more of a lifestyle change than a diet. Each day is an adventure in food and more so in consciousness.

The quest to find whole foods has shifted my shopping from Fred Meyer and Safeway to New Seasons and any farmers market I can find. My produce bin is no longer large enough, and my pantry houses few cans any longer.

It is hard to quantify the effects, but qualitatively I argue some improvement. I will happily note that my blood pressure is lower--just under 120/80--and I have dropped some extra pounds. I am trying to piece together the weight loss causation. I eat freely within the range of natural foods, which I do believe has significantly increased my fiber consumption.

As a side effect, I have been reading more books specifically about food and even browsing a few blogs. I would like to suggest you check out thecrunchychicken.com. I just finished reading 'The Omnivores Dilemma,' which has given me a great deal of encouragement and knowledge.

So for this weeks adventure in food, I have a few goals. Sprouting my own beans, making some cheese, and starting to recycle are on the list. Yes, I know, I should have been recycling years ago, but looks for the argument I will post later. It has been an internal struggle.

The Experiment

So, I decided to spend a week eating foods that are food. If you havent read In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, then you may not understand. The concept is to eat foods that are natural and minimally processed. I may speak more about this later.

My experiment began with a trip to a farmers market, a few "big box" grocery stores, and a New Seasons. I did not spend considerably more than normal, and when I looked at the food for the coming week I was a bit skeptical, but I ran with it.

Being it is now Wednesday, I am well into the experiment and it is easy. In fact, I love it. I feel good, my food tastes good, and amazingly I have a smaller appetite. Weird.

So here is a list of some foods I have eaten in the past 2.5 days. Seems increadible.


Collard
Zuchini
Onion
Peanut
Cayenne pepper
Habanero
Roma tomato
Grapes
Celery
Carrot
Black beans
Unprocessed Rice
Bell Pepper
Panellini? Mushroom
Banana
Jalepeno
Lime
Cilantro
Thyme
Bib Lettuce
Red Leaf Lettuce
Flounder
Chicken
Elk
Anchovy
Olive Oil
Peanut Butter
Organic Yogurt
Oatmeal
Honey

The Sign

It was like a story with a fatal flaw from the outset.

I'm searching for deep in a sea of I cant sink

And the morale of my story is lost in the glory

Sometimes when I was lying there in bed at night next to her I would wake up in a cold sweat and I think, what am I doing here.

That was indication. It necessitated change.

I am the same as I was before in that my soul and body have coalesced.

Do it...Now

Searching for those simple truths in life that can be easily verified, it occurred to me that I have a habit of wasting time. I do not watch TV and I accomplish more than most, but I have found a common error I have been making.

In a way it is a slight form of procrastination. Today, I caught myself making a note to schedule a meeting. Then it hit me. Why am I making notes and lists for simple tasks? Well, the list was so that I would not forget it, right? When you have a list there is an implication that you will forget, so I always try to remember. In doing this, I am crowding my brain this useless worry. Why not just complete the task now?

Is this an epiphany? It is working so far. I feel more effective and that is all that matters, right? We will see how this plays out. Who knows, maybe I could write a book and sell this idea to people who think they are smart.

America the beautiful... [and shallow]

The wasteland I wander through is wonderous,
but there are those among us
who are trapped in turmoil of tedious tradition.
With inhibitions in submission and no mission.
What a vision. Vicious. Virulent. Vicarious.
What happened to us?

A Different Direction

This blog has not been what I envisioned it to be, so I have taken a break and reconsidered it. Instead of passing along other ideas and opinions, I will be more strictly limiting my postings to personal material.



One day I woke up and I had no idea how I felt. I do not want to go back to that place. It was a cool, dim and draining morning; much like the winter. More importantly, I discovered that my thoughts and my feelings were disjoint.

I had to wonder if my feelings were so miserable, and in contradiction with my thoughts, that I had constructed a subconscious mechanism to subdue them, at least temporarily.

An now, I know what low is like, but it still makes me wonder. What if I had never found my way out of that fog? How long can one drift in misery?

The News

Today it occurred to me. I am happy about the recent turn in news coverage in this country. The economy has taken a good tumble and now Uncle Sam is getting ready to kick it while it is down. The catch is he will offer a hand up while he plans his next kick.

While I disagree with many about the correct course of action, I find economic policy fascinating. It was just a few short months ago when the media started to focus less on international issues (e.g. Iraq) and more on domestic issues (e.g. the U.S. economy). I am elated. Economics is interesting, impacting, and challenging. It as about time we focused more on our own problems at home rather than abroad. In fact, the financial crisis may even for an end to a war that has become a tedious, fruitless endeavor.

Personally, I support the do nothing approach. Let us allow the market to function. If the market collapses it will eventually rebuild at a cost to the investors who took the risk. Not me. I am not concerned about people who invested blindly. It is your money and there is risk where there is opportunity.

And to my earlier point: Crude Oil Has Biggest Gain Ever as Dollar Drops Against Euro

Just as I suspected, energy and food prices are shooting through the roof. This is not rocket science. The problem is we have buffoons at the helm of this ship. This makes me want to revolt. I should have know, with all the idiots in this country, that they would eventually try to destroy the financial prosperity we all enjoyed over the last decade and a half. This thing isn't even close to over either. Brace yourself. McCain is insane, and Obama seems to becoming more and more deceptive (e.g. FISA). We cannot trust either man. I honestly think the most qualified presidential candidate, based on the current economic situation, is Ron Paul. If that caught your attention I dare you to argue with me.

Investors looking to hedge against the dollar's decline earlier this year have helped lead oil, gold, corn and gasoline to records.

Sept. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil climbed more than $25 a barrel, the biggest gain ever, as the dollar weakened the most against the euro since January 2001, boosting the appeal of commodities as a hedge.

Crude oil for October delivery rose $18.05, or 17 percent, to $122.60 a barrel at the 2:30 p.m. close of floor trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures climbed as much as $25.45 to $130 a barrel, the highest since July 22.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aPhXLrPjePjQ&refer=home

Dollar Devaluation

Well, the market is dropping again today and I suspect consumer prices may turn around and start rising again after one month of slowdown. We can thank the government for taking on more debt which in turns makes our currency less valuable. I suppose I am in a decent situation since I owe so many of those dollar my debt is actually contracting. But, that is only true relative to the rest of the world so I either need to move or start asking for my paycheck in euros or maybe even pesos. We'll have to see how bad it gets. I am sick of paying for other peoples mistakes.


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aBHEzyX6N2Rk&refer=home

Spellcheck Insight

Another random side note, have you noticed spell check picks up Obama and suggests Osama? Coincidence? I do not believe in coincidence. Not to say that he is a terrorist, but at one point, and still to some people, Osama is a revolutionary--a maverick. All I mean to say is people should think carefully before lining up behind any candidate. I wish more people could, or would, think for themselves. But, I digress; a lot today, it seems.

Is that last sentence legit?

Wreck Less Regards

As a side note, I am infatuated with the word reckless. If things made sense in this world is would be spelled wreckless. But, that wouldn’t make sense either since it would imply a lack of wreck, right? Well I know that wreck less definitely implies a lack of wreck. The bottom line is our language is a big sham, but I still love it.

McCain Says He Would Fire SEC's Cox If President

This man is possibly a better liar than Bush. I love the claims that he makes; especially when they conflict with his previous positions. I can't wait to vote for this man and ride the top of the wave to the demise of this fair land. Let us all hope for a cultural to develop where I am a pirate of sorts. I shall roam the earth piecing scraps of metal together to build weapons and wandering down abandoned highways to loot. For this first time in years I am starting to get excited about the direction this country is taking. Anarchy, or even a feudal system could work out well for me. There is just something magical about becoming a rogue nomad in a world with no legal recourse.


McCain Says He Would Fire SEC's Cox If President

Technically, the president can't remove Cox from the five- member SEC against his will, though Bush can pick one of the other four commissioners to serve as chairman. The SEC commissioners are appointed for fixed terms. Cox's term runs until June 2009.

The Arizona senator, while not naming Cox, said the SEC ``kept in place trading rules that let speculators and hedge funds turn our markets into a casino.''

``We cannot wait any longer for more failures in our financial system,'' McCain, who has supported deregulation in the past, said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aZurn_3dmJjg&refer=home

U.S. Economy: Pending Home Resales Decline More Than Forecast

About time...
Wachovia Corp. in June stopped offering option adjustable-rate mortgages, which let borrowers skip part of their payment and add the balance to principal. Chief Executive Officer Robert Steel said today the Charlotte, North Carolina, bank next year will cut $1.5 billion of expenses as it's ``tapping the brakes'' on risk.

Can you say prices need to drop significantly to find equilibrium in the market?
At the July sales rate, it would take 11.2 months to sell all the houses on the market, about twice the supply that reflects a balanced market, according to the agents' group.

Obviously they prices were too high. Eventually market forces. Even government intervention can only delay and exacerbate problems.
Home prices in 20 U.S. metropolitan areas fell in June by 15.9 percent from a year earlier, the most on record, the S&P/Case-Shiller home-price index showed on Aug. 26.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aZFgAxUK63y8&refer=home

Fannie Mae, Freddie `House of Cards' Prompts Takeover

Preface: This information started to leak out over last week and I am have been enraged for a few days now. I thought it might happen, and I maintained a healthy fear of it. I hate paying for other people's mistakes. I also despise expansion of government control and regulation.

If you aren't already aware Fannie and Freddie are going to be taken over by our increasingly overbearing big brother--the government. And, if it hasn't occurred to you yet, the write downs--aka losses due to defaults--will more than likely be capitalized into our national debt since Fannie and Freddie are quickly running out of assets. Awesome! Then I can pay for other people's poor decisions. I hope we go into a deep depression. Maybe people will then realize how messed up this country is. I am not worried anyway because I will survive and thrive. Besides, unemployment, starvation, riots and looting could be interesting.


Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac used accounting rules that created a ``house of cards'' as the housing market descended into its worst slump since the Great Depression.

Fannie counted $20.6 billion in so-called deferred tax credits toward its $47 billion of regulatory capital as of June 30, according to company disclosures. Freddie applied $18.4 billion in deferred-tax assets toward its $37.1 billion in regulatory capital in the second quarter.
Fannie and Freddie have posted four straight quarterly net losses totaling a combined $14.9 billion and have said they anticipate more. The tax credits don't have any value unless the companies are generating profit.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aYidZnvS7ykg&refer=home

McCain May Privatize Fannie, Freddie; Obama Sees

Another example of slighlty better economic policy from McCain. I get tired of people complaining about Obama's lack of foregin policy. What about economic policy? Strong economic leadership is what this country needs.

John McCain and Barack Obama agree the Treasury needed to step in to rescue Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They disagree over how much the U.S. government should be involved in the housing market once the immediate crisis is past.

Republican Senator McCain of Arizona wants the government to take over the two agencies, split them up, and then exit the mortgage-finance business by selling them off. Democratic Senator Obama of Illinois is suggesting a more lasting federal involvement.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601068&sid=a1ujoLiLLz78&refer=home

Song of the Week (9/13/08)

Atmoshpere - Trying to Find a Balance

Bubba is a Genius

When the temp is up and you have been hiking all day without drinking any water and need to get cooled down quick, take a tip from bubba.

Speaking of Guns...

A friend of mine is planning to purchase a gun soon. He knows the government is no tlooking out for him so he is ready to excersize his second ammendment right. That is if anyone recognizes the constitution in this country anymore.

The following story may persuade you to reconsider your vote; as if my banter about the predetermined election has not already. Besides the fact that the election will be rigged, here is another reason you might consider voting for McCain / Palin.

Obama refused to sign the Heller brief, and supports reinstituting the Clinton gun and magazine ban. He also supports Ted Kennedy's bill to ban semi-automatic handguns in the guise of "micro-stamping," and supports banning inexpensive handguns as "junk guns." Sen. McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, is a NRA Life Member and hunter who says, "I support our Constitutional right to bear arms and am a proponent of gun safety programs for Alaska's youth," adding "I have always strongly supported the personal use of fish and game by Alaskans. I grew up hunting and fishing in Alaska, and I am proud to raise my children with this same uniquely Alaskan heritage."

To put it simply, Gov. Sarah Palin would be one of the most pro-gun vice-presidents in American history, and Joe Biden would definitely be the most anti-gun.

http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Federal/Read.aspx?id=4156

Discounting Costco to Wal-Mart Signals Surge on Sales

It is interesting that their has long been a relationship between Costco and Wal-Mart stock price movement. They are both discount retailers, so it makes sense. With Americans straped for cash and bleeding benjamins at the pump, it may be time to go to Wal-Mart and Costco and take stock in them as well.

If I wasn't buried in debt, I would purchase some Costco stock.

Sept. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Costco Wholesale Corp., the biggest U.S. warehouse club, may have its best holiday-shopping season since going public 23 years ago because most U.S. retailers are preparing to have their worst since 1979.

Over the next 12 months, that will change with the warehouse chain likely to outperform the world's largest retailer [Wal-Mart], gaining 27 percent to $85 a share, according to estimates by Edward Weller, a ThinkPanmure LLC analyst in San Francisco. A surge in the stock would follow an historical relationship between the two chains' shares, based on data compiled by Bloomberg. Costco lagged behind run-ups in Wal-Mart at least four times in the past four years before rallying to surpass it.

Costco's price-to-earnings ratio of 23 is ``low compared to where they've been historically,'' said Patricia Edwards, a portfolio manager at Wentworth Hauser & Violich in Seattle.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601213&sid=a0AFVOR4NeYI&refer=home

Palin Steps Forward to Fill In Blanks as National Candidate

Now I know for sure that she is a weak candidate that will make a lousy VP.

``America will have a strong and principled vice president,'' Bush said in a speech delivered via satellite from the White House.

Then, there are the increasing examples of her questionable actions. Looks like her and McCain will win for sure because no one pays attention to this. All they seem to care about is her gender.

Palin's reputation as an agent of change rests on her record as governor. She says she broke with the ``old-boy network'' by facing down oil and gas companies over energy development and tax rates and canceling a project to build a bridge to an island with 50 full-time residents. That project, dubbed the ``bridge to nowhere,'' was to be funded by a $223 million federal budget earmark that became a symbol of congressional spending excess.
In fact, Palin supported the bridge while running for governor, telling the Anchorage Daily News on Oct. 22, 2006, that she would continue state funding for it.
Veco Money
She also accepted $5,000 in campaign contributions in 2001 from executives of Veco Corp., an Anchorage-based oil-services company, when she was running for lieutenant governor. Veco is at the heart of a federal investigation of alleged political corruption; two executives pleaded guilty last year to bribing state politicians.

http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aXRFPlbM7wuM&refer=home

Credit Card Bond Spreads Reach Record Over Benchmarks

Silly Americans, you cannot prosper while drowning in debt. Oh wait... there is always bankruptcy. Go ahead, spend away and let the investor eat the loss. They can spin it as write down and charge new borrowers a higher interest rate. Besides, you don't need good credit if everyone defaults at the same time. You credit score will still be relatively good.

I was taken back slightly as I read the following lines. Consumer debt is $2.59 trillion. That is about 1/3 of the national deficit. Without doing the calculation, I estimate that is roughly $10,ooo in debt for every man woman and child in this country. It would be interesting to find the per capita income and then derive the percentage of income paid out in interests each year. It kind of seems like share cropping all over again. History repeats itself in mysterious ways.


U.S. consumers borrowed more than twice as much as economists forecast in June. Consumer credit rose by $14.3 billion, the most since November, to $2.59 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve.

http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a2qvrELyaqmA&refer=home

Song of the Week (9/6/08)

Aesop Rock - How To Be A Carpenter

This song is dark and mellow like a fine chocolate. It appeared on Aesop Rock's second album: Float (1999). Like usual, the lyrics are deep, unorthodox, and riddle with satire. Dreams are easily crushed by the people who want to tell you how to do it. Think it trough. Commit to it, buckle down and get it done. This is inspiration to the "people who keep an impressive wingspan even when the cubicle shrink (None Shall Pass 2008)."

"know your limits only to break your limits. Are you listening? God dammit boy, pay attention!"

"Dream away the blame pain, yeah but it seeps through the cracks,And drips from the ceiling and smells the rich scent of my tracks.All I ever really wanted was a jungle, and a jungle I got,See it ain't the vision it's the plot that makes me stop."

Song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W2SbJbR6ys


Lyrics:
http://www.musicsonglyrics.com/A/aesoprocklyrics/aesoprockhowtobeacarpenterlyrics.htm

More of St. Paul via I-Witness Video

I-Witness Video uses video to protect civil liberties. We probe police actions at First Amendment events. I-Witness Video has uncovered perjury and abuse by police officers and prosecutors, revealed illegal police surveillance and exposed official lies.

http://iwitnessvideo.info/blog/index.html

Twin Cities: Police State

Blogging about blogging that blogs about blogging is ridiculous, but this is well wroth the read. I can't stand it when the government takes away our rights.

Twin Cities: Police State

via ACLU Blog: Because Freedom Can't Blog Itself: Official Blog of the American Civil Liberties Union by Suzanne Ito, ACLU on 9/2/08

Scary news has been coming out of Minneapolis since Sunday, where police have been
raiding homes and making mass arrests. Glenn Greenwald has been all over the story. He writes:

Beginning [Sunday] night, St. Paul was the most militarized I have ever seen an American city be, even more so than Manhattan in the week of 9/11 — with troops of federal, state and local law enforcement agents marching around with riot gear, machine guns, and tear gas canisters, shouting military chants and marching in military formations. Humvees and law enforcement officers with rifles were posted on various buildings and balconies. Numerous protesters and observers were tear gassed and injured.

U.S. Manufacturing Contracting

Good news. Manufacturing in this country is now over the threshold and officially contracting again. Now we can all get moving towards a service based economy where there are a few super elite and the rest of us serve them for minimum wage and tips if we are lucky. It is just like slavery, but it will be legal. The future of this country looks bright.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601068&sid=aZefCZbvH2lM&refer=home

Intructables: Portobello Mushroom with Grilled Feta Burger

Instructables is a fascinating website where people create instruction to build stuff. I use stuff as a loose term because I have seen everything from computer tutorials to custom bikes to usb soda coolers and now to food. Many of the food instructables seem questionable, but this one looks appealing. I will be trying it tonight and reporting back.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Portobello_Mushroom_with_Grilled_Feta_Burger/

Oil is Moving Down Again

The Price of oil is dropping again. Right now it is hovering around $107 a barrel or about $2.79 a gallon for gas at the wholesale level. Keep watching for the target of $80 a barrel. I think that is where it is headed; by market forces or government regulations.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=afYvxHexr7PY&refer=home

Tall Bike Update

Here is a picture, taken in the dark, of my tall bike with it's new paintjob. Yesterday I rode it over a mile. Next step will be to take it 5 miles and see if it hold up. The biggest problem now is that it only has 7 low gears. Something to work on. I need to have this thing dialed by next weekend for an 18 miel ride.

Tallbike...Functional!

Need I say more?

Calorie Restriction: Genius!

I have long been opposed to diets. They come in many flavors (no pun intended). Most diets are fads which start with celebrity endorsement, great testimonials, and loose application of facts. Most of the diets never really work for the masses or are downright dangerous. My advice has always been rooted in a scientific approach. If you want to lose weight do the math. Calories are a easy and convenient way to measure energy. If you want to lose weight then reduce your intake. One pound is equal to 3500 calories. Do the math and you can eat whatever you want granted that you stay within your calorie budget.

Today, as I saw a headline about calorie restriction diets I was drawn in. I have heard that in rat lifespan can be increased by reducing caloric intake, but I never looked into it. As it turns out there have been numerous studies on different species including humans. There is even a calorie restriction (CR) society. Preliminary findings indicated longer lifespan, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, resistance to some genetic diseases, and slower physical aging. there does appears to be at least two catches though. First, you have to eat 10-15% less than the average western omnivore. And, you have unsure you get all of the necessary vitamins and minerals daily.

Who doesn't want to healthier and live longer? Maybe all of those anorexic girls are on to something after all. Should we praise them and refer to them as extreme CRers? Does this also explain why women generally live longer than men? I say it is time to live healthier and level our insurance premiums. Men, stand up and leave the table. Let us all stop eating for the good of ourselves and the good of our nation. Science and especially the Internet never lies. The secret to life is not eating.

http://biosingularity.wordpress.com/2006/06/04/calorie-restriction-appears-better-than-exercise-at-slowing-primary-aging/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/06/05/calorie-restriction-part-one.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie_restriction

Tall Bike Build: Day 3

The least eventful and most productive session unfolded on the day 3. I set out with a mission to fully affix the second frame to the first, attach a steering tube, and maintain excellent geometry. All goals were reached.

The first step was to create a steering tube so that the frames could be properly aligned. To do so I welded two desk legs together. This created a longer than necessary tube that was almost exactly the same diameter as the original tube attached to the forks. Placing part of a smaller tube, taken from a broom, I was able to align the tube through the head tubes on both frames. As I slid the top frame down the steering tube I temporarily affixed it into place just as it came in contact with the lower frame. This connection roughly an intersection the pedal assembly on the top frame and the seat tube is on the lower frame. It is not a perfect match, as I suspected. There is just about half an inch of connection because the top frame sits slightly forward of the lower frame's seat tube. I tacked the frames in place and added a small bracket to the back of the petal assembly area on the top frame make the connection more rigid.

As an intermission, there was a knock at the door. Let me interject that I am currently wearing a grey leather jacket, gloves with the fingers cut off, dirty jeans, and white tennis shoes. Welding in flip flops and shorts wasn't working too well so I decided to gear up even though it was 80 degrees outside. So instead of answering the door I stuck my head out the window. There were two spindly guys with glasses and an awkward girl with a backpack. They wanted to know if my roommate lived here. My immediate response was, "Why?" They explained they were supposed to meet up with him to buy a linksys router. Long story short, I sold the geeky trio a router for 40 bucks and my roommate strolled in 45 minutes later. He had a friend with him and she did not seem to understand my tallbike endeavor. She wanted to know why I was making a tall bike. I just grinned and said, "because tallbikes are awesome." I don't think she will ever get it.

Getting back to work, I removed the temporary steering tube and started making the final steering tube. I cut down the temporary tube to the correct length. using a hack saw to rough cut it and a grinder to smooth out the ends to the proper length, the tube was ready for placement. At this point I reinstalled the front forks on the upper frame. The forks, and wheel for that matter, are still attached to the lower frame. I welded the tube into place and it all started to look like a tall bike. My welds are not real pretty but they are getting better. So, I did some grinding and welding until I was satisfied that the bike was sufficiently strong to hold my weight. And, just because I was itching to try it out, I tacked on some handlebars and put a seat on it.

I was so excited that I forgot it had two flat tires so I had to inflate the tires. Surprisingly they seemed to hold pressure. Next, I walked the bike through the house and out the front door so I could lean it against my truck. I hoped on top and pushed myself away. I was pretty nervous about the handlebar tack welds breaking, but they sufficed. It was dark, and the neighbors were looking wide eyed as I took a few coasts on the bike. It was an invigorating feeling. Tallbikes are awesome.

Our Phony Economy

Even though I am a junkie for economic theory and mathematics, this struck me as a refreshing depiction of our economy today.

The article excerpt and link are far below (look for italics). The following is just my rambling.

In my opinion, we have been riding a bubble of sorts. While I avoid branded items, most unnecessary expenses, and popular culture I realize that most of America thinks I am weird. To them, and you, I say thank you. You have fueled an economic bubble that has made it easier for me to live on the cheap. While you are stuffing your face with McDonald's, wearing Abercrombie & Fitch, and maxing out your MasterCard--I am stacking my cash and frequenting thrift stores. My salary is in line with yours, but I am not in line with you at Starbucks. I am winning, for now.

I long wondered how you afforded to consume so many products. The numbers didn't seem to add up, and now I know they truly do not. You are addicted to products. In order to get products you need money. Hmm.. this sounds like a drug. And your dealer is the credit industry. Unfortunately your dealer seems to be cutting your supply after years of endless offers.

Putting it all together, I am taking some of the blame off of the financial sector for the economics problems we currently see. Let us give some blame back to the people who failed to read their financial contracts and devise repayment plans and strategies. We do not fault casinos for playing unfairly. Why is it we think banks and lenders are supposed to do us favors? They are all in the business of making money.


By the standard of the GDP, the worst families in America are those that actually function as families–that cook their own meals, take walks after dinner, and talk together instead of just farming the kids out to the commercial culture. Cooking at home, talking with kids, walking instead of driving, involve less expenditure of money than do their commercial counterparts. Solid marriages involve less expenditure for counseling and divorce. Thus they are threats to the economy as portrayed in the GDP. By that standard, the best kids are the ones who eat the most junk food and exercise the least, because they will run up the biggest medical bills for obesity and diabetes.

http://harpers.org/archive/2008/06/0082042

Tall Bike Build: Day 2

I ended up forfeiting 2 hours to the tallbike project last night. It is like a drug habit. It can euphoric and frustrating, it causes pain and joy, and inevitably I end up diving through a dumpster to support my habit. Last night was no different, I waited for the thrift store employee to finish her break--after smoking what must have been an entire pack of cheap cigarettes--before I ventured to the dumpster. I enlisted my roommates' help. Upon arrival, we noticed a man approaching. I greeted the man who was waving his hands strangely and approaching from the dirt road section of the alley. He told me to be quiet because the neighbors often call the cops due to noise. I realized this man has been to this dumpster before so I asked if he lived around here. He replied, "no." A bit confused and impressed, I asked how he knew about the police problem due to the neighbors. As he hurled his body up the nearly 10 foot wall of the giant dumpster He responded, "I come here to get stuff all the time," then his body disappeared into the dumpster. As we pulled some scrap metal from the adjacent dumpster, he reappeared with a glass aquarium. With an eloquent maneuver he slid down the dumpster with the aquarium in hand and slithered off down the alley just as quickly as he had appeared. We maneuvered our scrap metal through a hole in the barbed wire fence heading back home and reminisced about the short encounter we just had. My roommate at one point scolded me, "why didn't you get his number? That guy is a professional. We could have learned a lot about the local dumpster scene from that man."

Ahhh, well back to the bike. First order of business was to break the tack welds holding two frames together, in a less than desirable setup. I figured it would be easy, but apparently my tack welds were better than I suspected. A few minutes later I had two loose frames again. Based on my previous thought that the bike was not tall enough, I eyeballed another mountain bike lounging in my backyard. This one is a Trek bike with flat tires and a tall seat tube. There was no turning back. My mind was already made up. The tall bike is getting another frame.

The trek bike still had wheels on it, which made is convenient to work with. I stacked the girls mountain bike on top of the trek bike, which was seatless and without handlebars at that point. Looking around for something straight to line up the frames I saw some oars leaning against the house. I removed the blades from the three oars I found and attempted to use the remaining aluminum tubes from the oars to square up the bike frames. It seemed like this situation could use some zip ties. I yelled out to my roommate and he promptly dropped a bag of zip ties out the second story window to me. I zipped the oars to the two frames, stacked the third on top and zipped it in place. All of the sudden it started to look like a tallbike, and my neighbor came over to check it out.

30 minutes and a few conversations too devious to share with the general public, I was itching to press on. I began searching for a metal rod to line up the head tubes. My first attempt was to use a broom, but it had too small of a diameter and I was left unsatisfied with the alignment. At this point I went to the dumpster in the outing mentioned above. I then cut up a child's school desk and welded two of the legs together, using the the metal broomstick to hold them in alignment. After they were tacked together I tried to slip the broom shaft out from the chair legs. They were stuck so I started hitting it with a hammer. This approach is useful whenever frustrated. The top of it mushroomed, but I failed to see that until after I pulled on the shaft and cut my finger. The pain was minimal, but the blood was not. Looking at the mushroomed metal in bewilderment, blood ran down my hand and I saw the chunk of flesh that was no longer part of me still on the curled metal end. This wasn't a normal cut; in fact, it was like a small sharp ice cream scoop removed some flesh from my pinkie. To stop the bleeding I applied a bandage with sufficient force to nearly cut off circulation. It seemed like enough excitement for one night, so I switched back to studying for the actuarial exam, a safer and more productive activity, for the remainder of the evening.

McCain's Police State

McCain is suggesting application of military tactics, which are questionable at times, in our neighborhoods. Scary...

As the election rolls forward, it is still unclear who will win (see the latest polls). I continue to be skeptical about the democrats ability to win--what should be--and easy election. I do not support McCain, but I do not underestimate the down home republicans and closet racists in this country. In short, don't be surprised when the government forcibly restricts you further in the freedom and safety.

On Friday at the National Urban League, McCain suggested he'd fight crime using "tactics somewhat like we use in the military."He went on to describe how it would work: "You go into neighborhoods, you clamp down, you provide a secure environment for the people that live there, and you make sure that the known criminals are kept under control," he said. "And you provide them with a stable environment and then they cooperate with law enforcement."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/mccains-cure-al.html

Bushisms

"First of all, I don't see America having problems."--George W. Bush, interview with Bob Costas at the 2008 Olympics, Beijing, China, Aug. 10, 2008

This, among other impressive quotes from Dubya, can be found on the
Bushisms: Adventures in George W. Bushspeak website. Updates are added frequently.


The following comments are old, but still impressive. I have spared you the explanations, but included some of the links.

"They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

"I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees."

"A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there's no question about it."

America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people.

I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace.

"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it."

"We need an energy bill that encourages consumption."

"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."

"I'm the master of low expectations."

"First, let me make it very clear - poor people aren't necessarily killers."

"The legislature's job is to write law. It's the executive branch's job to interpret law."

"You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on."

Tall Bike Build: Day 1

last night, I made the plunge. After a quick trip with Bubba to Harbor Freight I had a welder and and angle grinder. The thing to know about that place is that their prices are not exactly fixed. Always check their internet price. If you print it out they will always honor it; And, it is generally 20% lower. So following my own advice I checked online to find a welder that was $119. Then, having been dissapointed in the past, I called to find out if they had the model I wanted in stock. After a few minutes on hold, I learned that the last reamining model was out on the floor for display. To my good fortune, they were not going to sell me the floor model. Instead, I was offered the welder that was $199 in substitution. Free upgrade!

Now for a short lesson on welders. Welders are rated in several ways: amperage or current, voltage, and duty cycle. In my case, the original welder I was after had a duty cycle of 18% on low and 10% on high. Duty cycles translate into the amoutn of time you can use the welder in a 10 minute period (i.e. 10% = 1 minute of welding followed by 9 minutes of waiting). High duty cycles (up to 100%) are nice for personal use and essential for industrial application. In industry, if an employee who is welding has to stop and wait, then money is essentially being wasted . At home, it just gets frustrating to wait. Cutting to the chase, the welder I purchased in substitution has a duty cycle of 40% on low and 25% on high. Bottom line, I won.

So I hurried back to the dump--my backyard--and prepared to weld something. First order of business was the pesky cheese grater that needed a small spot weld. I blew a hole right trough it in about 3 seconds. Encore, was a knarly bead, surrounded by splatter and slag. Sweet. The grater is now customized and saved from a previously ineveitable trip to the dumpster. So far, total price to fix the cheese grater was roughly $150. That includes a welder, grinder, face shield, flux wire and electricity. If you need a cheese grater recycled do not hesitate to give me a call. I will make you a sweet deal. Just for my good friends I will fix their graters at a 75% discount. That is only $37.50 to restore your precious kitchen gadget. But, I digress.

Itching to bring a tall bike to life, I rapidly dismantled the extra mountain bike that I had in the back of my truck. This is a girls bike I found on the side of a road. The rear wheel is missing a spoke and the rear tube is 24" while the wheel is actually 26." Needless to say, this is a fine steed. Less than half an hour later--with the bike nearly dissasembled--I was implementing my hacksaw, which I pulled out of a dumpster, to cut the chain stay in order to remove the chain. This saw wasn't working well until I reversed the blade. Apparantly the yokel who threw this saw out didn't understand that the teeth are supposed to cut on the forward stroke. A long two minutes later, with a cramping the chain is off and still in one piece. Now to remove the last remaining problem. There were a number of cable guides on the bike. With an adjustable wrench I torque sideways on these buggers and they popped right off. Number of working bikes, aquired for free, now converted to a pile of parts: 2.

Being excited, and in a hurry, I flipped one bike frame over and stacked the other on top of it. Using a broomstick to line up the head tubes, I tacked the two frames together with some knarly welds. Then, I sat back a looked at it. I started to feel like it just wasn't lookign tall enough. I stared at is some more and it failed to impress me. It was 10:30pm and I had to get up at 6:00am the next morning, so I decided to give up for the night. Like most of my good ideas, the tallbike (1 word?) robbed me of sleep last night and took away ability to focus on other tasks today. Not really a problem. I enjoy it mostly. There is a certain look that creeps into my eyes. It warns you that I will stop at nothing to complete the task at hand.

So, I spend this morning daydreaming, reading, and calculating. 1 spreadsheet, 2 digital image drawings, and a few sheets of paper later I am ready to tear the two frames apart and try a different design. Using my calculations and bits of knowledge gleaned from a variety of websites, I can now explain why my origin plan yielded a bike that was shorter than my new option. The new version will be 15% taller using the same two frames. See the picture for the layman's explanation. Along the way, I learned the proper names for the various tubes that the frame is comprised of and how to measure their lengths and relative angles. Using excel, I created a spreadsheat that can project maximum safe saddle height--relative to the ground--and seat tube height based on chain stay run (horizontal length) and seat tube angle. In the end, it turns out that flipping the lower frame is not a good idea if you are trying to maximize the bike height. The downside is the seat seats further back from the center of gravity. Jsut a side note, I set the max height equation in a way to limit the furthest back saddle position to be directly above the rear hub. It seems like a bad idea to position my body behind the center of the wheel, although it would be interesting. Maybe, I could weld on a smaller wheel to be used as a wheelie bar...

Wothahellizat : Winnebago meets Mad Max

This vehicle was a steal at 175,000 AUD, but unfortunately it is no longer for sale. If only I had accepted all those credit card offers and used them to purchase this amazing machine $500 at a time...

"Wothahellizat was Australia's largest, weirdest and best-known off-road motorhome. We lived in it for six years and loved just about everything about it, but times have changed and so have our requirements for a motorhome."



http://www.robgray.com/index_files/index_wot.php

Custom Bikes

Now that I am reading everything I can find on custom bike construction, I have found some really awesome builds. This one is local to Portland--as most of them seem to be--and was tested under the Hawthorne bridge. I think this is an omen. It means I need to stop complaining about the cost and get a welder asap. Besides, my friend is tempting me to build my tall bike already and take it on the Tour-de-Lab with him.

http://www.tourdelab.com/tour-de-lab-ride.html

http://chunk666lab.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html

Dumpster Diving

In preface, over the last few weeks I have gleaned some remarkable trasures. Coincidentally, all but a few of these treasures came from a large metal container behind a thrift store. So far the list includes: 6 bikes, 1 wheel chair, 2 mirrors, 3 crab traps, 1 aquarium, 1 pair of dress pants, a kayak spray skirt, a dish rack, a dresser, a coffee table, and a few other odds and ends.



First, here is a nice How To on dumpster diving
http://www.wikihow.com/Dumpster-Dive


Second, I am not convinced that dumpster diving is illegal, but this blog cites some relevent law.


When I introduce friends to the pleasures of the dive, everyone will sooner or later ask is this really legal? I am, as the obligatory disclaimer goes, no lawyer, but to the best of my knowledge, the answer is Well, mostly, yes. Oregon state law prohibits the removal of recyclable materials from collection containers (ORS 459A.080), and recyclable material is defined as any material or group of materials that can be collected and sold for recycling at a net cost equal to or less than the cost of collection and disposal of the same material (ORS 459.005, paragraph 19). The intent of the law is clearly to keep scavengers from highgrading recyclables—from which the hauler can sometimes realize a profit—out of their presorted containers. Retrieving garbage, which costs money at all phases of disposal, would appear to be well outside the scope of this law. I'm not aware of any equivalent statute that applies to solid waste.
http://bodger.org/dumpster


And last, here are some people who want to go "skip diving" as well.
http://dumpsterdiving.meetup.com/cities/us/or/portland/

As If We Needed Another Reason...

place tea at home and my place of work to ensure that I am never left without something to steep. Anyhow, it is interesting to find ancillary health benefits associated with tea. I had never pondered the presence of fluoride in my tea.

http://www.portland-oregon-magazine.com/news/187/ARTICLE/1848/2007-03-14.html

Crying About Credit

While I believe the credit industry is underhanded, I have little sympathy for the victims. However, I do suggest watching the documentary Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders (2006). From the article, Banks Warn Credit Card Legislation May Hurt, Not Help Consumers, I found one statement at the end profound and rudimentary.

``I've since decided to simply use cash and only use a credit card as a last resort,'' Chan said.

But, didn’t we already know that credit cards should be a last resort? Once again, I suggest we all move to strictly using cash on hand. Aside from the obvious individual costs, this current macroeconomic crisis–which is impacting us as a whole–is born out of the financial lending markets. These markets should serve a niche market or cease to exist at all, in my opinion. Unfortunately, citizens in want of immediate gratification–the majority of Americans–keep begging for more credit at almost any cost. This near inelastic relationship has opened the door for extortion and victimization. Instead of waiting for the government to create legislation to protect the stupid–most of us at this point–let's all stop buying the overpriced name brand clothing, purchasing large quantities of gasoline, and dining out with our plastic. Oh wait, did I just lose you? I think you misunderstood. I didn't say you shouldn't spend money on those items; that is your business, not mine. My point is at the tail of the sentence. Protect your own financial interests already. Lose the plastic.

Nobel Winners Expect Crisis to Further Weaken Growth

If you haven't heard of Scholes then look him up. He is particularly known for his work in developing the Black-Scholes PDE for valuation of derivative equities. You know, it’s the he model that was applied to Long Term Capital Management's bond arbitrage scheme. While LTCM did not manage to stay solvent, the ideas leveraged from the Black-Scholes PDE were critical to the excellent performance which spanned several years. Then, the Russian government defaulted on their bonds and undermined previous assumptions that large countries' governments do not default. This fueled a mass exodus from foreign currency investment which led to the demise of an overly leverage company known as LTCM. It is a great story with full of brilliant investor and mathematicians who got too greedy at just the wrong time. But, I digress.

My point being, Scholes has a crisp understanding of the way the financial sector in America, and around the world, got far too "innovative." The turmoil sprung from sub-prime mortgages packaged as investment products-in the form of derivatives-is right up his alley mathematically. So, this week there was a conference for self important and likely wealthy people. They all gathered to listen to significantly distinguished scholars disperse their insights and predictions about the economy. Some blame Greenspan for letting the growth fire rage out of control, but that is another discussion altogether. The recession is here. If it hasn't arrived it will be coming to a town near your soon. In fact you may already feel it at the pump and in the driveway; if you still own one. You and I can see it. Our president and some in the media deny it, but we are all feeling the impact of a recession. Anyway, it doesn't take a Nobel laureate to figure out the worldwide economy is going to suffer, but he is correct.




``There will be a global recession,'' Scholes said in an interview today at a conference in Lindau, Germany, featuring 14 Nobel laureates in economics. Stiglitz forecast the world economy would continue to perform below its potential for some time, resulting in a ``social loss'' through weaker employment.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ap.AW9Y5rJ_A&refer=home