08:52 John McCain turns 72 today. About the same age Reagan was when he started his second term. # 10:39 @Lonnerz He wasn't my first choice, but of who remains in the race today? Obama, hands down. # 16:39 Being on a bike again feels better than I can say. And the devil horns on the helmet look pretty good, iidssm. # 17:35 Profoundly grateful for the kindness of strangers; # 18:54...

Okay, so maybe I just paid more attention to this in school, but seriously people - how hard can it be? Grammar is really not rocket science... Just in case you missed it... I'll fill you in on the secrets. To, Too, and Two To: When are we going to leave? Too: I like it, too. -OR- This movie is too long. (additional, adverb) Two: I need two pencils. (amount) Their, There, and They're...

Watching some recent olympic track and field events still sitting on TiVo, I'm finally starting to understand how amazing it was for Michael Phelps to swim 17 races and win 8 medals and break multiple records over the span of just a few short days. For some reason I wasn't really that impressed by the announcers constantly repeating it. It's just swimming in water right? You don't even sweat...

I find a striking difference between living in the country and living in a suburban neighborhood. It seems that suburban neighborhood folks either never possessed or have lost the ability to take care of things them selves. I often see my neighbors in the country taking care of their own major projects, but in the suburbs you will see service professionals doing the work. It seems that many...

From BoggyWoggy's Cache: To be successful, "You need to have someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to." I love that. Posted by Dave Blog Tag:...

COME--Quilt Outside the Box In the Box [Married 45 years] in Lebanon, Oregon, August 29, 2008...“What’s Quilting Outside the Box?” you might ask. Actually it’s the Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild 2008 annual quilt show on October 18 and 19. The fall show will answer that question with unique quilting vignettes, art quilts, a strawberry quilting bee, a liturgical quilting...

17:16 At the penny arcade expo, waiting in line forever for a slice of pizza. # Automatically posted by some crazy program called LoudTwitter that I saw murd0c using....

Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination Thursday night. Here's how it played on America's front pages on Friday morning....

Finally got a new pair of iPhone headphones, plus I picked up an Airport Express for multi-room iTunes streaming. Shamelessly geeky, I am. # Whew, though for a moment my wireless Airport Express wouldn't work with my wired PC. Turns out I'm just an idiot, so problem solved. # Yay, all the phone systems are...

I spent the last hour re-familiarizing myself with Unix sockets via man-pages and HOWTOs. I have written client/server socket apps a dozen times before but because of iterative development I no longer had a simple example lying around. To save myself this trouble in the future I created a little socket client and server for future reference. This app allows you to have a Twitter style...

Zapproved’s web app makes decisions easier » VentureBeat Anthony Ha writes "Okay, so you still have to deal with passionate disagreements and little things like that. But Portland, Oregon-based Zapproved handles the infrastructure, so you don’t have to worry about the little headaches — like wondering, 'Hey, has everyone responded yet?' or 'Okay, after reading all of your...

...while it is a well-known story that at-risk Republican incumbents are staying as far away from the Republican National Convention as possible without having to use a passport and are cranking out all sorts of commercials insisting that - all evidence to the contrary - they are absolute masters at Reaching Across The Aisle, there are some stories that just don't get the attention they deserve....

Increases in TriMet fares take effect September first—that's Monday. Details are available on TriMet's website, but to sum it up: All-Zone fare is up 25 cents for adults and 10 cents for youth, while monthly passes are up $10 for adults and $2 for youth. They have added a new 14-day pass to the fare options. 14-day passes cost almost exactly half what monthly passes cost, and are good...

Look for members of the Capital Press staff Saturday, Aug. 30, at the Oregon State Fair. We'll be hard to miss. Just look for the neon-lime green T-shirts celebrating Ag Day. I wouldn't advise actually looking directly at the shirts unless you are wearing suitable eye protections. Sun glasses may help, but welder's goggles would be better. The shirts are bright. It ought to tell people...

Sweet Tom Dougherty.

Lyndee and Sam, Mike and I, and our three gorgeous golden retrievers, went to a fun swimming and fishing spot near Kimberly today. What a nice way to show Sam Eastern Oregon! I am so happy Lyndee has moved back to Bend! They arrived there this evening! I am anxious to hear how Lyndee likes her new apartment and how Sam likes Bend....

I didn't take many photos at the Democratic National Convention but here are a few.

I like the green life. And that means both the eco-friendly stuff and being a total tightwad. My favorite is when the two intersect. I call it a venn diagram occurrence. Examples include: Buying only used clothing for my family. Concocting meals from odd ingredients in the fridge. Biking or walking for errands. Being an excessive library patron. Stay-cationing. Only giving used gifts....

Today's photo (I don't know why I start with that... really, why would I start off talking about yesterday's, or even last week's? Okay, maybe I would.) is of a bridge. I like bridges. This particular bridge sits on the south end of town -- either just outside or just inside city limits (not sure) -- on Stayton-Scio Rd., and spans the Santiam River....

We've been hearing for awhile now that with the slowing economy, sales of organic foods and beverages are dropping. The same thing is happening in the UK. ...the British love affair with organics has stalled in the face of rising prices and tightening budgets as mortgage and fuel bills bite and fears rise over job losses. The market research company TNS keeps track of the shopping habits of 25,...

A long time ago when I was first sobering up I made a mental note about Prayer - be careful what you wish for. Like many alcoholics/addicts I had very little going for me in the line of patience; immediate gratification after all is a hallmark of the disease. One day I started to pray for patience and then a little light went on in my head, gods or higher powers or whatever object of prayer have...

In an effort to recoup some of the losses due to increased fuel costs, TriMet's fares will be going up on Monday, September 1. Though, If you've already purchased a monthly pass for September, you likely noticed the bump as they went up by $10. Ride the bus less often? Make sure you have at least a couple of dollars with you. A two-hour ticket will cost you between $2.00 and $2.30 depending...

Our Nephew, Jude, was born about a month ago, and I got the privilge of designing his birth announcement. Thank you to Anna of Blink Photography for the amazing photos! Congratulations Amber and Loren, we can't beleive how perfect he is!!!...

Today at 4pm my great nephew was born....meet Kai son to my niece, Natasha I'm a great aunt!

I'm sinking into that couch right now. {sigh} Have a terrific weekend! Photo: Rachel Ashwell Shabby.

Today Violet, my mom, and I went to the Oregon Zoo. We decided to take the MAX train up there and had a really good time. We opted to leave Lilly at home -- because let's be honest, the kid won't remember a thing about the trip and the stroller would be a big old hassle. Our primary reason for going up was to see if they were going to let the new baby elephant out for the public to see it....

Eola Hills Winery, located West of Salem in Rickreall, is probably better known to locals for their special events and Sunday brunches. But you can also browse their gift shop or belly up to the bar in the tasting room for a complimentary tasting, choosing from their list of 21 wines. They do charge to taste two of their award winning wines - 2006 Wolf Hill Pinot Noir and 2004 Applegate Cabernet...

A show in the sky this afternoon that caught the attention of my 3 year old, William. The clouds, sky and smoke made for interesting shadows and colors....

So for the past week our garbage disposal hasn't worked (don't panic Landlords, it's fixed now!). In fact, it only worked once when we moved in and then quit working. Because I am deathly afraid of sticking my hand down garbage disposals, I refused to do too much rooting around down there myself, and just...

I just counted. I have 109 books checked out of the library. BEAT THAT. Here's just a sample: Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture :: Looks like a real pick-me-up. A School Like Mine :: Another "world view" book for the kids. Creative Costumes: Recycle materials to make cool stuff :: I've got to be thinking about what costumes I won't be making this year. It's...

Imagine a unicorn appearing at your door, in the flesh, and asking to hang around a while. That would be pretty weird, because you always thought unicorns were mythical creatures like succubi or centaurs. But it would be a hell of a lot weirder if your new one-horned lodger turned out to be mild-mannered, always helpful, impressively strong when the occasion demanded, and a total natural with...

Amazing masonry work on this house in NE Salem, off Portland Road NE.

It's time for the annual Pearl District Sidewalk Sale and Art in the Pearl! Aug 30 - Sept 1 Most stores open at 10am More than 40 participating Pearl District merchants are offering up to 80% off merchandise. While you're...

One of the best matches I have ever seen at Lorenz field in Corvallis was when Indiana University came to town to challenge the OSU men's team in the 2005 Diadora Classic. The Hoosiers where the defending national champions and number one ranked team in the country. Watching the Beavers compete against such a prominent soccer university was a real treat. Indiana's lineup was full of professional...

Danica Maus, biker. What are your plans for the long weekend? Will you get out on the open road for a little bike-camping? Or perhaps take part in the "slow and easy" Old Apple Tree Park Ride or Milkshake Ride on Saturday? Or maybe you're more of the serious type and you plan on suiting...

Well, technically tomorrow :) Its late! You might recall the amazing Carly and James from their Engagement Session in the Pearl District. I am so looking forward to their wedding at Bethany Vineyard in Ridgefield Wa. This is a busy weekend, so I might not be as quick as I usually am at getting back to emails and phone calls. Today Sara and I shot a beautiful wedding at the incredible View Point...

Honestly, none of these folks are already pre-picked before you and I hear the names. Honestly. So here we have this dude named John McCain. He's running for President. He's said to have been in search of a running mate for months. Last night, he meets with this chick from Alaska named Sarah Palin. He has a question for her. Would you like to be on the ticket as my Vice President? Now...

I was out of town last weekend when Obama selected Biden to be his VP. I exchanged a few texts with friends and advisers as I drove across the high desert. Mostly they sought assurance that Biden would be a decent pick, particularly after I knocked him around a bit. I remember thinking at the time that should Obama lose the election, the post-mortem surrounding Biden's selection would be a most...

Cowboy Bebop The Series Cowboy Bebop The Movie Pick up the series before the movie. This science fiction anime classic unfolds as a future where we've colonized the outer planets and fly among them. Though society has some bad guys and bounty hunters like Spike Spiegel, and Jet Black hunt down the rabble for money. They call their ship, Bebop, of course. Through the series they add Faye...

Sarah Palin is running for vice president. The blogosphere needs your insights.

Here's what we've found as we've traveled the local PDX web (complete with our comments) for August 29th. (I have to confess that I'm totally preoccupied with pie creation-ing, so scrambled to get something up for y'all...!) The cops according to Fireman Randy (Jack Bog's Blog) - Jack's lining up in Randy's camp: "But the important aspect of the story, of course, is that the Fireman's right....

Art! Those of you who live in the United States of America should definitely drop everything you are doing and come out next Friday evening (Sept 5th) for the opening of Mrs.5000's First Ever Solo Show!! It's at the 23Sandy Gallery here on the beautiful East Side of the City of Roses, sensibly located at the intersection of 23rd and Sandy. Reception from 6 to 9! If past experience is any guide,...

Click post title to go to photo of wreck on bridge today. I was right behind these two huge pieces of farm equipment as they went across the bridge into Albany. Except there was a white pickup with blinking lights behind them, and I was behind that pickup. The pickup with the blinking lights was a slow vehicle warning flag car to get traffic to notice the upcoming tractors I guess, when...

Says Palin knows international relations because she comes from Alaska and that's right up there near Russia.

If a movie ever is made of my life, this coffee house moment has to be in it. In an intuitive flash, I got a glimpse into what the universe is all about. Nothing. None of the above. No answer. Nobody home. No way to know. A bunch of negatives. But the feeling I had was wonderfully positive. Unfortunately, it didn't last. While it did, though, I felt lighter, more joyful, the weight of a gigantic...

Actually Philly didn't extend to much more than the airport and the Avis parking lot leading to the highway system heading for Montgomery County and Blue Bell. Its green and hilly and there are more trees here than Oregon ever dreamed of. Mind you they are a bit smaller, but then so are the potholes in the turnpikes and rural roads. It also happens to be hot, which is bearable. What is not is the...

Norman played the bean tonight. I like him okay. Then again, I think Norman actually refers to the band, not a person, kind of like Pink Floyd. But anyway, they have a mellow soporific jangly sound with some good original lyrics and don't seem insincere. Here' some...

Piper Palin at her mother's inaguration as Governor of Alaska.