KBOO has an open house for former KPOJ listeners. Wed Dec 5 4:00 - 6:00 PM.
I'd like to invite you and all KPOJ supporters to a "Happy Hour
Listening Tour" at the KBOO studios, next Wednesday, December 5th,
between 4:00 - 6:00 pm. KBOO is located at 20 SE 8th Ave.
http://kboo.fm/kpoj-party
Friday, November 30, 2012
Carl Wolfson, straightest shooter around
While I often thought that Carl of KPOJ fame spent way too much time complaining that progressives weren't a majority, I still have the most profound respect for his unwavering integrity and his on-air policy of including both conservatives and progressives, as well as always giving air-time to all public office candidates. He is a class act in the media world and KPOJ was a great public servant under his (and Paul Pimentel's) stewardship.
He wrote a blog post on Blue Oregon analyzing the politics and economics behind the Clear Channel decision to end the progressive venue, and it makes excellent reading. In addition Willamette Week wrote an article on the subject which Carl declared to be fairly written. Many Oregon politicians (DeFazio, Wyden, Merkley, Blumenauer to name a few) have endorsed the Save KPOJ petition. I'm not so sure I support having Clear Channel back in charge of progressive radio, I'd rather focus on finding a more secure partner.
How will I remember Carl's show? In his own words. "And we did it all with civility and class."
He wrote a blog post on Blue Oregon analyzing the politics and economics behind the Clear Channel decision to end the progressive venue, and it makes excellent reading. In addition Willamette Week wrote an article on the subject which Carl declared to be fairly written. Many Oregon politicians (DeFazio, Wyden, Merkley, Blumenauer to name a few) have endorsed the Save KPOJ petition. I'm not so sure I support having Clear Channel back in charge of progressive radio, I'd rather focus on finding a more secure partner.
How will I remember Carl's show? In his own words. "And we did it all with civility and class."
Take that Twinkie and shove it where?
In the end the Turkey that was Hostess Brands just wasn't going to fly, with the bakers union turning down the last minute mediation effort amidst outrage over the executive bonuses and pay raises while everyone else takes fewer crumbs.
As I thought, the plan forward will include dumping the underfunded pensions on the PBGC (maybe with taxpayer assistance) and trying to sell what's left, and the bankruptcy judge has approved it.
One commentator noted that "Ethically speaking, Hostess might as well be the poster child for the processed food industry that exhibits microscopic amounts of respect for its assembly line workers and the consumers whose arteries its products are fatally clogging."
Toward the end of the hearing Thursday, a man who said he'd worked at Hostess for 34 years stood to give his objections to the wind-down plan, saying creditors shouldn't be given money from brand sales when the company hasn't been paying into workers' pension funds.
Management, with their bonuses and pay intact, were jubilant. Other doubters were less so.
"BREAKING NEWS OF THE DAY, November 30, 1842: President John Tyler reacted with great joy at news that the top industry leaders of the HOSTESS CORPORATION will be awarded more than $1 million in Bonuses, Payments and sundry other Monetary Blessings for the great works they do for that corporation."
As I thought, the plan forward will include dumping the underfunded pensions on the PBGC (maybe with taxpayer assistance) and trying to sell what's left, and the bankruptcy judge has approved it.
One commentator noted that "Ethically speaking, Hostess might as well be the poster child for the processed food industry that exhibits microscopic amounts of respect for its assembly line workers and the consumers whose arteries its products are fatally clogging."
Toward the end of the hearing Thursday, a man who said he'd worked at Hostess for 34 years stood to give his objections to the wind-down plan, saying creditors shouldn't be given money from brand sales when the company hasn't been paying into workers' pension funds.
Management, with their bonuses and pay intact, were jubilant. Other doubters were less so.
"BREAKING NEWS OF THE DAY, November 30, 1842: President John Tyler reacted with great joy at news that the top industry leaders of the HOSTESS CORPORATION will be awarded more than $1 million in Bonuses, Payments and sundry other Monetary Blessings for the great works they do for that corporation."
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
A photo from Summer
In winter I go back to the summer photos when I'm tired of the cold. There's a tour boat on Crater Lake in the lower right side of the photo.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Felons at large
I happened to see a news article about the Securities Exchange Commission getting about $300 million from JP Morgan for misrepresenting the toxic securities they were peddling before the 2008 crash, while neither admitting nor denying any wrongdoing! Is this a victory for you and me, or a massive failure of the rule of law? It is essentially a guilty verdict, but nobody went to jail for felonies that have wrecked our lives and our economy. It gets worse, the SEC and the DOJ (Department of Justice) are just a jumping off spot to land a lucrative job in Wall Street defending the felons they once pretended to prosecute, or lobbying for deregulation.
The sad story plays out no matter which party is in power, it seems Democrats and Republicans don't like crooks, except the very rich ones that contribute to their campaigns. They did finally get Bernie Madoff, but that was after he had blown billions and admitted his guilt, so there was no way the government could screw that case up. The subsequent trial revealed that the SEC should have known he was a crook years earlier, in fact they had evidence as early as 2000, but they ignored it. See the Wikipedia article on the subject.
We the people seem to be cynically resigned to the situation. There have been films such as Inside Job that document the criminality, and Rolling Stone has been sounding the same alarm here and again here, but nothing changes, and that'll continue unless the victims turn up the heat. I think it's time to clean up Wall Street and get the felons off the streets. Public Citizen is a good starting point.
The sad story plays out no matter which party is in power, it seems Democrats and Republicans don't like crooks, except the very rich ones that contribute to their campaigns. They did finally get Bernie Madoff, but that was after he had blown billions and admitted his guilt, so there was no way the government could screw that case up. The subsequent trial revealed that the SEC should have known he was a crook years earlier, in fact they had evidence as early as 2000, but they ignored it. See the Wikipedia article on the subject.
We the people seem to be cynically resigned to the situation. There have been films such as Inside Job that document the criminality, and Rolling Stone has been sounding the same alarm here and again here, but nothing changes, and that'll continue unless the victims turn up the heat. I think it's time to clean up Wall Street and get the felons off the streets. Public Citizen is a good starting point.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Income Inequality in the US
There is a new study released by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities that shows the inequality in income is at levels not seen since the great depression of the 1930s, and increasing at a dizzying rate, in fact over 90% of income gains since the last crash has been concentrated in the top 10%, with the remaining folks seeing a large decline.
The subject is huge and complex enough that it can't be analyzed or explained by buzzwords or simple talking points, and some would possibly argue it isn't a problem that government ought to be paying attention to. It's a problem because the American Reality is that hard work and education are not having the impact on 90% of people's lives that they're supposed to according to the American Dream. Now the top 10% earns about half of all wages, leaving the remaining 90% of us to subsist on the other half and the top one percent hold 50% of all wealth, leaving the other half to the remaining 99%. This situation is steadily worsening which raises a real prospect of civil unrest somewhere down the road.
The middle class is being squeezed by globalization and it's companion - offshoring, soaring health care costs, competition from immigrants, declining home values and the astonishing cost of a college education, funded by tens of thousands of dollars in debt by graduation. All the middle class hears is the sound of slamming doors, and with the unlimited spending unleashed by the Citizens United decision, it won't get any better it seems. Our government is gridlocked and unable to accomplish the simplest of tasks.
The subject is huge and complex enough that it can't be analyzed or explained by buzzwords or simple talking points, and some would possibly argue it isn't a problem that government ought to be paying attention to. It's a problem because the American Reality is that hard work and education are not having the impact on 90% of people's lives that they're supposed to according to the American Dream. Now the top 10% earns about half of all wages, leaving the remaining 90% of us to subsist on the other half and the top one percent hold 50% of all wealth, leaving the other half to the remaining 99%. This situation is steadily worsening which raises a real prospect of civil unrest somewhere down the road.
The middle class is being squeezed by globalization and it's companion - offshoring, soaring health care costs, competition from immigrants, declining home values and the astonishing cost of a college education, funded by tens of thousands of dollars in debt by graduation. All the middle class hears is the sound of slamming doors, and with the unlimited spending unleashed by the Citizens United decision, it won't get any better it seems. Our government is gridlocked and unable to accomplish the simplest of tasks.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
The greatest disaster to ever hit Oregon
I am eternally fascinated by an event that occurred 13,000 - 15,000 years ago and may be the most extreme catastrophe to hit Oregon in the last 500,000 years or so. I discovered this a year or two ago by accident, and I'm astounded that I could have lived here 35 years and never heard of it.
The Missoula Floods, about 40 of them over 2,000 years, repeatedly buried most of the Willamette Valley under 400 feet of water, which drained into the Columbia and out to the Pacific, only to be repeated about 50 years later.
There was a huge ice dam on the Clark River near the location of Missoula, MT, which created a lake greater than the size of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie combined. The dam was over 2,000 feet high, and periodically collapsed catastrophically releasing all the water.
Some portions of the West Hills were above the high water mark, but most of the Willamette valley as far south as Eugene were buried under the flood waters. Geologists estimating the volume of water have made some stunning guesses, estimating that the flood contained more water than flows in all the rivers in the world today. I think I saw a historical marker in the Columbia Gorge that estimated waters over 1,000 feet deep moving at speeds of 125 mph going through the gorge. We owe a lot of the famous fertile soil in the Willamette Valley to the floods, we got it all from Eastern Oregon!
There are a number of articles that discuss this, the Oregonian, and again here, and there is a web site dedicated to the event as well.
The Missoula Floods, about 40 of them over 2,000 years, repeatedly buried most of the Willamette Valley under 400 feet of water, which drained into the Columbia and out to the Pacific, only to be repeated about 50 years later.
There was a huge ice dam on the Clark River near the location of Missoula, MT, which created a lake greater than the size of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie combined. The dam was over 2,000 feet high, and periodically collapsed catastrophically releasing all the water.
Some portions of the West Hills were above the high water mark, but most of the Willamette valley as far south as Eugene were buried under the flood waters. Geologists estimating the volume of water have made some stunning guesses, estimating that the flood contained more water than flows in all the rivers in the world today. I think I saw a historical marker in the Columbia Gorge that estimated waters over 1,000 feet deep moving at speeds of 125 mph going through the gorge. We owe a lot of the famous fertile soil in the Willamette Valley to the floods, we got it all from Eastern Oregon!
There are a number of articles that discuss this, the Oregonian, and again here, and there is a web site dedicated to the event as well.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Progressive Talk Radio
The demise of KPOJ progressive talk radio in Portland was a real blow to the media scene here, especially since it was replaced with Fox sports programming, so we have no commercial progressive voices in Portland anymore. I often had a hard time listening to the station for a number of reasons, but I will most miss the Thom Hartmann show, even though he is still on FSTV and other venues. Thom is a brilliant voice of reason and a dogged critical thinker, and he avoids the hyped style that infects most talk radio personalities. I felt that Carl Wolfson's show was too long on hand wringing personal opinion and too short on content, and I can't even listen to Ed Shultz because of his annoying talk style. I agree with some of his commentary, I just can't stand listening to the cheerleading repetition that is his earmark. About the only other progressive talk personality I can stand listening to is Mike Papantonio and the Ring of Fire show.
I hope Carl is able to come up with some other local alternative, possibly a non-profit as opposed to commercial radio. It is hard to imagine Portland with no Progressive voice.
I hope Carl is able to come up with some other local alternative, possibly a non-profit as opposed to commercial radio. It is hard to imagine Portland with no Progressive voice.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Hope it was a great Thanksgiving
We porked out on turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings and now we're looking forward to a long weekend. I'm just thankful I don't need to go near any malls tomorrow. It's gonna be a zoo out there.
I hope everybody had a great time.
I hope everybody had a great time.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Thanksgiving
I hope everybody has plans to chill out and stuff your face on Thanksgiving. I've got a 20 pound bird and it'll go in the oven early in the morning. Give thanks for all we have!
Richard
Richard
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Thanksgiving approaches
My favorite day of the year.
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/view/48335/
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/view/48335/
Some things don't change
It seems that some companies in the mortgage lending / brokerage industry that helped bring us the 2008 financial crash are pursuing business as usual, according to the federal agency responsible for preventing mortgage fraud. While the article headline asserts the Feds are getting tough on scammers, the reality is that it may take years to prosecute them and most are never convicted of anything serious and may just get a fine. They then just change their company name and go right back to scamming.
From the article - "The feds warned the mortgage industry on Monday that potentially false or misleading advertisements will not be tolerated. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission announced that they have issued a total of 32 warning letters to mortgage lenders and mortgage brokers to clean up their ads. They have also opened 19 formal investigations into companies that may have committed more serious violations of law."
The range of offenses are familiar, I think I've seen them all in promotions I've received in the mail or online.
These guys just never quit here are some links from the FTC.
Examples are illustrated in these “mock ads".
From the article - "The feds warned the mortgage industry on Monday that potentially false or misleading advertisements will not be tolerated. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission announced that they have issued a total of 32 warning letters to mortgage lenders and mortgage brokers to clean up their ads. They have also opened 19 formal investigations into companies that may have committed more serious violations of law."
The range of offenses are familiar, I think I've seen them all in promotions I've received in the mail or online.
- Advertisements offering a very low “fixed” mortgage rate, without discussing significant loan terms.
- Advertisements containing statements, images, symbols, and abbreviations suggesting that an advertiser is affiliated with a government agency.
- Advertisements “guaranteeing” approval and offering very low monthly payments, without discussing significant conditions on these offers.
These guys just never quit here are some links from the FTC.
Examples are illustrated in these “mock ads".
Monday, November 19, 2012
The Rain! The Rain!
We have had a nonstop heavy rain all day and it's supposed to continue tomorrow too, the streets are rivers and the rain and high wind have combined to bring down more leaves, clogging the storm drains again. I don't know if it's cold enough at the ski areas to get snow, we'll see.
The hostess bakery situation is going back to a last round of arbitration, so I guess it ain't over till it's over. While I wouldn't completely absolve the unions of contributing to the mess, it is managements responsibility to ensure the continuation of the business, and my perspective (admittedly I probably don't have all the facts) is that management fiddled while Rome burned and allowed the debt levels to overwhelm the company, certainly aided by the generous raises they gave themselves. Management and Labor are at the moment jockeying to portray the other as the bad guys, making me doubt anything will get resolved. My guess is the brands get bought for pennies on the dollar in bankruptcy and production moved to another country after they default on their pension obligation and shift that expense to the PBGC or ultimately the taxpayers. That is how our system works.
The hostess bakery situation is going back to a last round of arbitration, so I guess it ain't over till it's over. While I wouldn't completely absolve the unions of contributing to the mess, it is managements responsibility to ensure the continuation of the business, and my perspective (admittedly I probably don't have all the facts) is that management fiddled while Rome burned and allowed the debt levels to overwhelm the company, certainly aided by the generous raises they gave themselves. Management and Labor are at the moment jockeying to portray the other as the bad guys, making me doubt anything will get resolved. My guess is the brands get bought for pennies on the dollar in bankruptcy and production moved to another country after they default on their pension obligation and shift that expense to the PBGC or ultimately the taxpayers. That is how our system works.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Preparing for Thanksgiving
I am researching new improved recipes for the Thanksgiving meal, and among the things I think I'll try is soaking the turkey in a brine recipe like this. This is to make the turkey more tender and flavorful, so I'm going to give it a shot. On a related note, the cost of a full turkey dinner for 10 is supposed to be less than $50, but I'm dubious about the exact number until I see what's on the menu, however this article alleges it to be true. They say the cost is only up a tiny bit from last year. I'll keep track of what I spend and see how it compares.
Update Tuesday 11/20:
Well, I guess now I believe I could feed 10 people a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings for under $50. I did a little planning ahead and went to Winco and got their deal of 38 cents / LB if you spend $50 on other items in the same trip. I bought dinner for the next two nights plus the turkey and all the trimmings. The turkey was slightly over 20 Lbs and at $.38/LB it cost me $7.70. I bought the cooking bag, apples and pie crusts for apple pie, acorn squash, stuffing, vegetables for the stuffing, potatoes and other snacks for well below $50, and I am probably feeding 6 people, with plenty of leftovers.
Update Tuesday 11/20:
Well, I guess now I believe I could feed 10 people a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings for under $50. I did a little planning ahead and went to Winco and got their deal of 38 cents / LB if you spend $50 on other items in the same trip. I bought dinner for the next two nights plus the turkey and all the trimmings. The turkey was slightly over 20 Lbs and at $.38/LB it cost me $7.70. I bought the cooking bag, apples and pie crusts for apple pie, acorn squash, stuffing, vegetables for the stuffing, potatoes and other snacks for well below $50, and I am probably feeding 6 people, with plenty of leftovers.
Wonder Bread and Twinkies
OK, the word is out, Hostess Brands is now about as dead as Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Wonder Bread, Twinkies and Cream Filled Cupcakes are things that you can tell your grandchildren you remember from way back when. Will you miss them, or just go on with life? Me, I used to have a cupcake every year or so, but I don't think I've had one in the last 5 years, and I never liked Twinkies at all. My mother used to feed us wonder bread but we gave it up as we left home. If it's any consolation, there are buyers waiting to pick up the pieces, so maybe they will rise again.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Bad visual puns
Those who know me know that I have no shame when it comes to bad jokes or bad puns. There will be more.
Nov 17, 2012 Rainy, what'd you expect?
I've been here for 38 years so rain in November isn't a shock. I live in SE Portland near Reed College, and I've been in the same spot for 25 years. My neighborhood hasn't changed a lot, but the area has seen comings and goings. Davidson's Restaurant on Woodstock is long gone, now the abode of Laughing Planet. Country Bills Restaurant is gone recently and the building is still being demolished. At least we still have Ottos.
I'm retired after 45 years of a career in software development, so I'm not in a great hurry to get anywhere anymore, but I will be preparing for Thanksgiving and having family over for the big turkey meal on Thursday. I will offer free advice on how to cook the perfect bird, but no guarantees. Film at eleven.
I was OK with the recent election results except Portland Mayor, but that's a subject we can all gripe about for years to come. After the Jefferson Smith self-destruct news, the race was doomed anyway.
In the national news, the Fiscal Cliff is our current source of anxiety. Obama and Congressional leaders from both parties met last week and haven't yet denounced each other as being agents of Satan. So far so good, but we just fell past the 90th floor, hopefully headed for a soft landing and not a stain on the sidewalk.
As for the wild west, a gun shop in Pinetop, AZ has put out a sign that Obama voters are not welcome in their neck of the woods, although they haven't yet declared a bounty on them. Read all about it on Fox News, where else?
I'm retired after 45 years of a career in software development, so I'm not in a great hurry to get anywhere anymore, but I will be preparing for Thanksgiving and having family over for the big turkey meal on Thursday. I will offer free advice on how to cook the perfect bird, but no guarantees. Film at eleven.
I was OK with the recent election results except Portland Mayor, but that's a subject we can all gripe about for years to come. After the Jefferson Smith self-destruct news, the race was doomed anyway.
In the national news, the Fiscal Cliff is our current source of anxiety. Obama and Congressional leaders from both parties met last week and haven't yet denounced each other as being agents of Satan. So far so good, but we just fell past the 90th floor, hopefully headed for a soft landing and not a stain on the sidewalk.
As for the wild west, a gun shop in Pinetop, AZ has put out a sign that Obama voters are not welcome in their neck of the woods, although they haven't yet declared a bounty on them. Read all about it on Fox News, where else?
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