Stimulus Bill Draft Circulated By Dems: Full Text

If you have not been following the stimulus bill discussion then pay attention. I recommend you read the entire text, as I did. This material is important. We all pay for this and this year congress is just spilling our money in ways worse than ever. The Democrats are back at the budget and this time the economy gives them an excuse to spend away. I understand enough about economics to agree that a stimulus plan could help to curtain this crisis or at least lessen the blow; however, this package is not what we need.

Keep in mind that the 2 branches of government which are now under Democratic control agree that the budget deficit may easily reach 1.5 Trillion this year alone. That is absurd. I support widespread cost cutting in order to float a stimulus package. When you are broke the best plan is to live on the cheap not pay a credit card with another credit card last time I checked. We cannot borrow into perpetuity. Eventually we will reach the end.

So I have picked out a few of the most interested dollar allocation in the stimulus proposal below. It just doesn’t make sense why, in a time of economic freefall, we are going to spend money in some of these places. Personally, I find it ridiculous to spend even $1 to help people convert over their analog televisions let alone the $650 million proposed. Also in the list is money for climate research, battery development, influenza research, industrial efficiency demonstrations, and food stamps.

I feel so alone. It is like I am in a sea of people who want to be broke forever. A few individuals on top are sucking the life out of the majority, and everyone just seems to stand by feebly watching American Idol and drinking Pepsi. I think I need to leave this country.

Stimulus Bill Draft Circulated By Dems: Full Text

A draft summary of the stimulus plan is circulating among House Democrats on the Hill. Below is the outline of the $825 billion proposal:
* * *
SUMMARY: AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT
The economy is in a crisis not seen since the Great Depression.
Credit is frozen, consumer purchasing power is in decline, in the last four months the country has lost 2 million jobs and we are expected to lose another 3 to 5 million in the next year.
Conservative economist Mark Zandi was blunt: "the economy is shutting down."
In the next two weeks, the Congress will be considering the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009. This package is the first crucial step in a concerted effort to create and save 3 to 4 million jobs, jumpstart our economy, and begin the process of transforming it for the 21st century with $275 billion in economic recovery tax cuts and $550 billion in thoughtful and carefully targeted priority investments with unprecedented accountability measures built in.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/15/stimulus-bill-draft-circu_n_158145.html


$20 billion to increase the food stamp benefit by over 13% in order to help defray rising food costs.

$600 million for satellite development and acquisitions, including climate sensors and climate modeling.

Smart Appliances: $300 million to provide consumers with rebates for buying energy efficient Energy Star products to replace old appliances, which will lower energy bills.

Department of Defense Research: $350 million for research into using renewable energy to power weapons systems and military bases.

$900 million to prepare for a pandemic influenza, support advanced development of medical countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, and for cyber security protections at HHS.

DTV Conversion Coupons: $650 million to continue the coupon program to enable American households to convert from analog television transmission to digital transmission.
Industrial Energy Efficiency: $500 million for energy efficient manufacturing demonstration projects.
NASA: $600 million, including $400 million to put more scientists to work doing climate change research

Just a Thought

If there was a simple path to the life I romanticize about I would have been there already. For now I only peak into what I quest for. Anything can take me for a moment into that place which I long to exist in. Most frequently I catch a moment of it, or the hope of it, during a song. More accurately it is always fleeting.

I have learned to accept the moment for what it is and take it in. There is no use in clawing at it in hopes of catching and retaining it. That is the key to the greatest things in life. You cannot force them into a corner. You cannot take a piece of this experience and make it static. The only constant is change.

When I envision what it [my romanticized version of life] should look like, I never see the same thing twice. That may seem self defeating. It is like running towards a line that keeps moving, but that is the beauty of it. Each day I change and so to must my goals, aspirations, and ideals.

As much as we all long for something to hold onto, I suggest we let go. Embrace the moment, but do not grow attached. There is beauty in the breakdown. Struggles will define us. It is so much harder to cut our losses and rebuild then to stick it out all the way to the bottom. Life is a journey. After accepting it, disappointment does not feel the same any longer. There is so much more to life than the details.

So romanticize, dream, and chase after things that are intangible. Be yourself, find your own way, and share the experience with others. We are alone, but we are surrounded.

Biking

I have started training for a Century. That is, a100 mile bike ride. Last night was great, with a few exceptions. I rode over 12 miles in 53 minutes. The terrain includes some hills and I felt great. The catch was the adrenaline rush as I dodged debris on dark roads with tight corners sometimes at 25 miles an hour or faster. I was lucky I did not crash. I have learned my lesson though. Next time I will wear a helmet for sure.

I am currently riding an early eighties huffy road bike that was salvaged (from a dumpster). I am looking for a nice road bike, but I am making due with what I have for now. The goal is to ride 93 miles this week. I am stoked. As part of my renewed bicycling enthusiasm I am reading one of lance Armstrong’s books and joining biking forums. Luckily I live in Portland. This city embraces bikers and I could not ask to happen upon a better place to take up serious cycling. So as I browsed and joined one of the local forums I saw a thread that I have to share.

http://bikeportland.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2509

Biking

I have started training for a Century. That is, a100 mile bike ride. Last night was great, with a few exceptions. I rode over 12 miles in 53 minutes. The terrain includes some hills and I felt great. The catch was the adrenaline rush as I dodged debris on dark roads with tight corners sometimes at 25 miles an hour or faster. I was lucky I did not crash. I have learned my lesson though. Next time I will wear a helmet for sure.

I am currently riding an early eighties huffy road bike that was salvaged (from a dumpster). I am looking for a nice road bike, but I am making due with what I have for now. The goal is to ride 93 miles this week. I am stoked. As part of my renewed bicycling enthusiasm I am reading one of lance Armstrong’s books and joining biking forums. Luckily I live in Portland. This city embraces bikers and I could not ask to happen upon a better place to take up serious cycling. So as I browsed and joined one of the local forums I saw a thread that I have to share.

http://bikeportland.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2509

Snow Again

Tonight I nearly took my moped for a ride to watch the Blazer game. I changed my mind at the last minute in fear that a rain storm might coalesce. I was wrong. It ended up being a snow storm.

Portland has had quite a bout with cold weather and snow this year. Personally, I am tired of it. I just want 40 degrees and rain please. Is that so much to ask for?

So the Blazers lost again. Brandon Roy did not play and will be out 7-10 more days. Outlaw couldn't hit a shot tonight. On the upside Batum played a great personal game; possibly his best of the season. My favorite player, Rudy Fernandez, had a disappointing start missing several three point attempts in a row. The third quarter was telling. We lost any chance of winning at that point. And to end on a better not, Aldridge was able to put up a double double. 

I am just not sure how this group could beat Boston and then lose to N.O. and the Lakers. Maybe Boston is slipping. They did lose again tonight. Detroit will play us at home and I feel like we can pull this one out. Wither that or I will need to get some antidepressants. 

Ironing

I workin in an office and I wear dress clothes each day. This is precisely why it is so curious that I do not know how to iron clothes. Do not fear, I do no twear wrinkly clothes to work. I have a steamer which has worked well for me. It does not yield the same product. The shirt will look similar, but the iron does a much nicer job.

I ran across this video, which has inspired me to iron. I have yet to pull the iron and board out, but the video is worth a look.

The New Year

I completed some significant pondering yesterday while running. When I left for the run it was lightly sprinkling. The rain had been torrential all day and I thought I was seizing my opportunity. I was wrong. About a mile and a half into the run the rain came back. I was stretching against a tree down by the swollen river as the waster began to pour off my wool beanie hat.

It occurred to me that I enjoy getting out run, bike and swim. I even enjoy doing these activities when the weather is inclement. Sometimes the weather makes the activity more challenging and fascinating. That is when I decided that it is time to get serious.

I feel better when I exercise regularly and I love to challenge myself. It is a new year and yesterday was New Years Day, but I will continue to think that this epiphany was unrelated.

This morning I put together a 16 week plan which will get me into shape for a 5k run. I will also be mixing in some biking and swimming, but I have not shaped those aspects specifically. I just want to look and feel great. And if possible, be able to play basketball on a somewhat competitive level. That may be a longer shot.

Social Formality

As I pondered my current situation I had an epiphany. I have been socially caught between two worlds and formally indicted into neither. I am stuck somewhere between nerd and mainstream. I do not have enough nerd friends to be part of the team, and I am just not satisfied running with the mainstream crowd all the time.

I find myself reading books, and pondering deeply the complexities of the world. At the same time I feel a need for a social network so I turn to friends that are easy to acquire. There is nothing too difficult about the mainstream. A little pop culture knowledge and a little money will go a long way. You may also need to toss in a blindfold over your conscious and a taste for liquor.

The last two months I have been on a rampage. I have thrown myself into the stream and I feel a bit empty inside. It may be my liver rotting itself, but I think it goes deeper. What I am really looking for is deep intellectuals, but I have lost track of where to find them. In this mess I turn to books, where I can always find them.

There must be a secret location and password that I missed. I know there are people like me out there who cannot help but think. They think about all level of minutia and complexity. The universe, our place, the meaning of life, and even physics. I am talking about people who are too smart for their own good, but also too conscious to use it for evil, usually.

So this is my life; torn. I want more, but I inhibit myself from having it. I make poor decisions in order to attain something that I do not even truly want. I have lost so many friends through years of poor decision and now I am left with a few valuable ones and the rest are ancillary. They are cheap disposable and shallow.

Where to go from here is a good question. I have plenty of aspirations of my own. And I have no problem pursuing my ideas solo. I know that things are better when you are around the right people. Obviously the bar would be the place to find the social easy friends I already have. I am leaning towards joining book clubs, hiking organizations, and vegetarian forums. It would just be exciting to find a person who understands just for a second one of my deep dark thoughts.

I am not like most people. I cannot help but think, and I am not always sane or correct. I will argue my point as far as I can justify it. Sometimes, even too far. I am young and opinionated. I will trade that for wise and knowledgeable in my latter years I assume. For now, I read my book, write this blog and ponder the workings of the social universe. It is a new year and some change is rightly due.

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