days of naze

battlefield
11:17 PM

I just finished Friday Night Lights. It explores that harsh place where hope meets desperation, focus falls to obsession, and football is no longer a game -- it is life.

I played just enough football to understand this movie on a visceral level. And I grew up in a small town understanding what a powerful force sports teams can play in the identity of a community.

what thing do you value most?
12:51 PM | Comments (3493)

David over at Treppenwitz is one of my favorite reads. One of David's regular features is Photo Friday. He draws from a queue of requests for photos from readers, snaps them with his point-and-shoot, and publishes them with commentary.

Yesterday, David had some fun with 2 of my 3 requests.

If I remember correctly, my third request was a photo of the possession he valued the most. A thing, not a person.

In the shower this morning, I considered my answer to this question. It would change significantly over the years. In my early years, my comic book collection (mostly DC - lots of Justice League, Legion of Super Heroes, Green Lantern and Flash) would have been my hands-down answer.

In my teens and early twenties, my most prized possession was my first edition copy of The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. It remains in my top 3.

My viola was the thing I valued most in my mid-twenties. I was playing in 3 local groups and my Guiseppi Lucci was the conduit for expression and artistry.

As an old man, I find that possessions still interest me but their grip is less tight than it once was. As much as bits and bytes can be said to be things, this place is now what I value most. I treasure the things that endure, and stories are certainly that.

What do you value most?

January 27, 2005

letter to the local rag
10:27 PM

To the Editor:

I teach fourth grade in Portland and there is nothing else I would rather be doing. In September, I will have 3 children attending schools in the district. Prior to teaching, I spent 14 years in the technology sector, so I believe I bring a broad perspective to education funding.

For far too long, Oregonians have been lulled into accepting the false premise that we can't responsibly fund schools. The facile argument is that paying for what is needed would set back our economy. But that's nonsense. States that invest in learning are the ones that thrive, economically and civically.

I look across my classroom to insure that all students participate. I look across my state and I see too many ducked heads in the business community and in the Capitol Building. I don't accept quitting in my classroom and Oregonians don't accept quitting from either of you.

there are *some* consequences for lying sycophants
07:25 PM

"...Condoleezza Rice received 13 votes against her confirmation -- the most votes against any Secretary of State's nomination since 1825."

-Barbara Boxer on DailyKOS

January 22, 2005

tonsillectomy landmark [squeamish readers: click away fast]
06:51 PM | Comments (1166)

On behalf of Jack and the family, thank you to everyone for your best wishes. We're 10 days out from the procedure and I can assure you that we serve as a testament to those who are appreciative of the fact that tonsillectomies are quite rare these days.

I understand there are three approaches to the procedure, depending on which tool you use to remove the offending organs: cold blade, laser, or cautery. Cautery tends to be the standard as it presents the least risk of hemmorage. (Or perhaps it's the expense that rules out laser?)

Cautery is evidentally some insanely hot scalpel that burns as it cuts. Yes, a very nasty thing to contemplate.

We have not been at all satisfied with the pain medicine prescribed for Jack. He was in terrible pain almost constantly for the first 5 days. The new meds seemed to do a bit better. I understand that you have to be careful with powerful drugs, but nearly everything I hear and read shows that doctors chronically under-medicate for pain.

The meds also needed to be given every 4 hours which has meant Cathy and I have gotten up for many days of 2 a.m. or 4 a.m. doses.

The patient-caregiver syndrome kicked in long ago. The patient tending to become tired and perhaps a bit irritated with the caregiver who can never truly understand the experience and discomfort. The caregiver who serves unceasingly, wears down as a nurturing machine, and perhaps, becomes a tiny bit resentful in spite of the powerful love.

Add cabin fever and serve daily!

Today, we experienced one of the healing landmarks for tonsillectomy: scabs away! The cautery scabs from the procedure come free exposing the healing tissue, BUT FIRST, there's gonna be some bleeding. A lot of bleeding. With chunks of stuff in it.

2005 0122 jack blood in sink.jpg

This is only about 1/3 of what came out. It ended up being about a cup and a half. Now, I didn't have him spit into this cup for your entertainment. I wanted to know how much blood he was losing. It happened in three 10 minute bouts over an hour. I knew from my many, many experiences giving blood that he could safely lose about a pint. More than that (or at a dramatically greater speed) and we were off to the emergency room.

Fortunately, the bleeding stopped and popsicles were safely in hand.

limited vocabulary
06:24 PM

"Final score: Freedom 27 - Liberty 15. It was a noble effort by Liberty, which as you know has been playing hurt since the Patriot Act."

-Jon Stewart

[via matt]

January 21, 2005

news flash
09:46 PM | Comments (11597)

days of naze down for 60 hours. Dozens across the planet mildly concerned. Otherwise reliable domain host explains: "You were set to go inactive on January 16." A baffled Naze responds with the diplomatic version of WTF?!

Domain host promises to restore site not fulfilled until Naze asks again "pretty please". Comedy of errors ensue from friendly but bungling support staff. "Movable Type database not recognized" is last stop on the hiatus of hilarity.

January 17, 2005

no oversight? no problem.
09:20 PM

"...34 scandals from the first four years of George W. Bush's presidency -- every one of them worse than Whitewater."

January 16, 2005

kasey chambers
09:36 AM

A while ago, Mike, my predecessor at KLC Radio, sent me a mix CD with some tracks by Kasey Chambers on it. He knew that Maria McKee is my favorite singer and saw the same roots sound and simple, direct, and powerful songwriting in Chambers.

Then Launchcast sent me her hit track "Am I Not Pretty Enough", a very good song. Every time I hear something new from her, I think, damn! She just finished a nice little set on NPR this morning. Check out these 4 tracks on the NPR site. Amazing stuff.

January 13, 2005

ohio finally gets it right -- after the election
11:08 PM | Comments (18435)

"The battle is over and electronic voting machines, at least in Ohio, are dead.

After years of wrangling and protests, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell announced Wednesday that he will limit Ohio's uncompleted voting-machine conversion to a single device: the precinct-count optical-scan machine. "

In Oregon, we've managed to let our lead in progressive legislation slip a bit, but we've proven that mail-in, optical-scan ballots are the gold standard for fair elections. Optical-scan ballots are the auditable paper trail. They are compact and easy to use. Each office or ballot measure is clearly marked on the ballot. Mail-in elections completely negate the ability of Republican scum to short any precinct of voting machines and make a mockery of our democracy as they did in Ohio. Five hour wait to vote? Your state is essentially a third-world country.

There is no reason that everyone needs to vote on the same day. Mail-in voting also forces campaigns to pace their message throughout the voting period.

IT professionals across the country repeatedly warned elections officials about the security hazards and the lack of audit controls. Machines were easily hacked. California, who elected a freaking steroid goon as their governor, had the sense to decertify them all.

The fact that the obvious and most cost-effective decision has been resisted by greedy and corrupt Republicans is entirely consistent with their forte: putting democracy and "the general welfare" up for sale.

January 12, 2005

touch
08:42 PM | Comments (21032)

Illness and infirmity have laid siege to my eldest son, Jack, for nigh on 12 months. Strep throat, severe sinus headaches, ear infections, multiple infected ingrown toenails, and an emergency appendectomy.

And today a tonsillectomy! He has been in chronic, high level throat pain for 2 weeks now. Luckily, my wife's job is to advocate for patients, otherwise I'm not sure the docs would have gone to the source of the problems.

I've had more than one adult over the last 24 hours assure me that a tonsillectomy results in a particularly potent brand of pain. I came home from work a bit early to help relieve the stress Cathy has been through with Jack today.

He was a complete mess. Exhausted, pale, and aching from the procedure, he looked at me and wept. In a husky whisper, "Dad, it hurts when I breathe."

I held him for a while, stroking his hair. About ten minutes later he vomited up a lot of red stuff, which I understood to be blood and perhaps medication.

After a time, I offered to tickle his back.

For those of you poor souls not familiar with the back tickle, this is how it works. The ticklee lays on their stomach, baring their back. The tickler very lightly runs a fingertip over the back in a slow, wide slalom down the back and then back up again.

It is absolute heaven. Back tickles transport you from your places of worry, fear, and pain and center you in a very quiet, gentle place. My brother, Craig, and I would exchange back tickles when we were young.

I tickled Jack's back for what would have been a spectacularly long turn by the measurement of my childhood days. It didn't banish his suffering, but he seemed to settle into a place of comfort for a time.

January 11, 2005

turn up the heat
08:30 PM | Comments (0)

The Oregon Lottery Commission is paying taverns $150 million a year (29% of revenues) for the privilege of providing a home for their games of chance. The mission the OLC was given at it's inception was:

"...maximize revenue for the benefit of education, economic development, parks and salmon recovery."

Oregon is now funding schools at a lower level (in inflation adjusted dollars) than it did in 1991. That is just f*cking wrong. (Need I mention that the commission has been overseen for a decade by Republican majorities in our House and Senate?)

Stand for Children, the Oregon PTA, and rational Oregonians everywhere are asking that the insanely high commission of 29% be reduced to fair market value of 15%. That would put more lottery dollars where they were intended to go.

There are several groups that are influential and angry over this longstanding injustice. If you are an Oregonian, please, take a minute to send a form e-mail to the Oregon Lottery Commission and the Governor to let them know where the people's lottery revenue should go: Oregon children or tavern owners. T

January 10, 2005

i can browse clearly now
09:51 PM | Comments (5374)

I've had a little spot on the internet since 1998, but I first found the net when my old boss, Jonathan, showed me how to fire up Netscape Navigator back in 1993. The web back then was a pretty simple place compared to now, but it was very exciting.

One of the artifacts of that time were the ubiquitous Get Netscape Now! icons featured on every site. It was a well-meaning gesture that was essentially all about getting people online and making it the web grow.

Within a few years, Netscape made some major strategic errors, then Microsoft raided Netscape's engineers and made a better browser. Let me tell you -- people would have gladly stayed with Navigator had it been even somewhat comparable to Internet Explorer.

Over the last 6 months I've read nothing but rave reviews about Firefox, which, in a way is a descendant of Navigator. Unquestionably superior in security and user interface. I've been hesitant because I didn't want a hassle.

Now that I've switched, I'm kicking myself for not doing this months ago. It took just minutes. It would have taken even less time if I hadn't had to specifically tell my firewall to recognize it.

In the same spirit that it was offered 11 years ago -- I implore you to Get Firefox Now!

January 09, 2005

"it's...it's impossible. i am the sith lord..."
09:09 PM | Comments (0)

Bioware's Knights of the Old Republic may very well be the finest PC game I've ever played. KotOR has many qualities to recommend it: the Star Wars music score, the varied planetary backdrops, the gadgets. But pleasingly enough, the magical ingredient in this game is story.

Role-playing games are essentially theater. The character generation, the equipment, the tromping about -- these are all just the mechanics of simulation. The dialogue and the decisions are what draws us in and makes our hearts beat faster.

This title has been out for more than a year, so this is old news to diehard gamers. The action takes place thousands of years before Episodes I-VI. You are a Soldier, Scoundrel, or Scout who must escape from a dying space station. Bastila, a Jedi of renown, befriends you and is your ally in a quest to destroy an ancient engine of power that fuels the Sith dominion.

But among your growing cast of companions, doubts mount as the quest comes closer to it's goal.

Players may choose the Light or Dark paths, and neither is barred from achieving victory.

What is most heartening to me is that the Star Wars mythos has grown to such a degree that Lucas no longer has the ability to ruin all of it. In fact, Dark Horse comics, along with companies like Bioware have picked up the torch that Lucas was bobbling on Episode VI and flatly dropped on Episode I.

January 02, 2005

overheard
03:45 PM

David (8): I've been informed to kill you.

Elizabeth (4): You're not on my team.