A good use of the web

Just a simple kudos to the Seattle Examiner for including map content in their news article.  Now maybe American's will be able to find our own country on a map, and not react like this poor girl (who just plain got nervous, but clearly could use a little work on her public speaking and maybe a little less on her image.

Greenwashing the world brown

Inescapable: the fate of man to thwart ourselves and lead the world to ruin, with a bright eye, and torch held high, we face the future without contempt. Buy woa will be upon our brow when the future's falling failing furrow heeds no life from ground. Profit turns our daily clocks, wound with gears and springs clamoring for more resources, industry, blood, sweat, and tears.

In years far from now, people will not wonder why we went so wrong, it will be visible in the records, the recipts and tax histories. Written plainly for all to see: GREED. I do not ask for forgiveness, because we do not deserve it.

Greed in the Amazon

don't worry, the list will continue...

Moving in: Critical Paths

Prepare to be updated:  I have now moved in.  With the unprecedented help of 6 awesome friends I was able to move in to my house in one day, leaving only a few remaining trips of odds and ends.  This is how the critical path to moving in went;

 

Get keys on July 20th.  got them at around 11 am in front of my office from my awesome realtor Jesse Knight.  I was so ecstatic, I had to wander around for a few moments before going back to work to smile at everyone.  That night was also the release of Harry Potter 7, which is awesome so I didn't even go to my house to try out the new keys, I went to happy hour first with a bunch of buddies, then to Powell's till I had the book.  I decided to go to my parent's house afterwards because I had forgotten to bring my sleeping gear in the car that day.

 

Saturday morning arrived and I read HP in bed till about noon.  It is amazing.  Had some breakfast with my mom, packed my camping gear and headed over to my house.  My home.  All I brought was my pack and a laundry basket with my favorite Persian rug.  My buddy Adam Friedman (of Ovenlight) and his beautiful wife met me at my house and helped me make a grand entrance.  It was a great occasion.  Oh!  I forgot to mention the other thing I brought over - beer.  We drank some.  Shannon left to run an errand and Adam and I chilled out and checked the place out.  Turning all the knobs, opening all the drawers, checking all the nooks and crannies.  It was great fun, and when Shannon returned, she brought a wonderful gift of my first new house plant.  Thank you Shannon!  The left soon after (Shannon is pregnant, and couldn't stay longer as I had NO furniture in my house upon which to rest) and I was left to reading.  I rolled out my rug, inflated my camp mattress and unfurled my sleeping bag and read in the middle of the living room floor to my heart's content.  Jamie and Senna came by later and we had a similar time, rooting through all the mysteries a new house presents. 

 

Once left to my foibles again, I read and read all through the night, with a quick stop at my friend Lloyd's house for a little backyard party.  It was awesome.  Thank you Lloyd!  Back home I read some more.  That was it, the first night in my new house, sleeping on the living room floor on my rug, reading Harry Potter 7.  A suitable transition I believe.  I then began the process of making my house mine, and ready for me to move in. 

 

Monday, July 30th Nhance Flooring came by to refinish my original 1926 top-nailed hardwoods.  This was an absolutely generous gift from my father, to whom I am extraordinarily grateful.  Thank you Dad!!!  It takes a day for the floors to dry so you can walk on them, but a week before you can move furniture onto them.  Not to worry, I was headed to Florida for a long weekend on Thursday, and the days passed quickly.  Before I knew it I was back on August 7th and ready to move in.

 

Saturday the 11th was moving day, and like I said above, it was easy and fun with the help of these awesome people:  Jamie Pinney, you rock buddy, thanks for showing up early, helping, motivating and coming back later to end the night with me.  Alex Huang, an amazing man, manager and father.  You rock too, and I am thankful to have known both Jamie and Alex for over half my life now.  Curtis Johnson and Adam Friedman showed up and showed some serious muscle and with their help we got the couch, dresser, boxes and more all moved into Attila and the other cars and were off moving before I knew it.  Thank you both my friends, you rock three.  Kelln and Lindsay showed up later at my house and kicked ass by helping me go get two huge book cases from my office (thanks to Cujo too!) and cooking the first meal in my house which was amazing, and so suitable as it was a communal meal, shared by all, and enjoyed especially by myself.  YOU ALL ROCK!

Thank you all!

 

Yesterday, the 15th of August, Jamie Minkus met me at Ikea and we consumed their brand of delightfully quirky European design like voracious beasts and I now have a bed, a table, another table, some chairs and all the kitchen good I will need.  Thank you Jamie!

 

Now the fun really begins.  All the rest of the modifications, alterations, preservations, conservations, and discoverations are ready to go.  See you all soon, back here with more updates and soon to follow PICTURES!

Despicable, corporate belligerency

In this article, Johnson & Johnson is revealed as the corporation they are, with one single thing on their minds: money.  They are suing the Red Cross for using the logo of a red cross.  And yet, like so many typical corporate mindsets, they are ultimately decreasing their profitability.  By following the law that was set up (and citied in the article above) to allow J & J to share with the Red Cross the logo they have in common more people are exposed to the corporate image, creating better product recognition!  What a shame.  And for a for-profit corporation to sue a humanitarian organization at all is just nasty and revealing.  I just can't believe someone thought this was a good idea.  I am now boycotting Johnson & Johnson.

 

Join me in expressing your disgust by boycotting their products as well.

Green Living: A Home

I decided to buy a house as soon as I had a job, and that was back in November of 2006.  Well I found one, and I made the offer the day it went on the market, days before I was to leave for France for a week.  The offer was accepted and my excellent realtor Jesse Knight made the whole deal so easy, I was a little nervous it was too good to be true.

 

We had the inspection and sewer scope done within days, and the first hitch hit:  During the inspection, under normal investigative measures a leak formed in a pipe leading to an external hose bib.  The leak was due to corroded connections between copper and steel pipes. 

 

LESSON #1 Copper and Steel plus water = corrosion.  Do NOT mix copper and steel.  If you have to, there are special connectors you must use.

 

The situation was resolved with some difficulty because the realtors of the owner were very nasty.  But resolved it was, and the sale moved forward.  On July 11th I closed and signed all the papers. 

 

On July 20th I got my keys.  Ecstatic is the only word I can think of.  I bought a beautiful gem of a small house in SE Portland built in 1926, and retaining all the charm and qualities of that era.  Location was very key to my house hunt and I believe I have the perfect location.  I am right on a great bus line (not a major line, a great line that serves a very specific area, and isn't too fast or slow), very close to two major bus lines, and walking distance to a coffee shop, co-op, New Seasons Market, The Clinton St. Theater, a Burgerville, restaurants, and much much more.  This is South East Portland at is best, and on top of all that I am 4 blocks from my capoeira studio; Capoeira Regional.

 

There are a few issues with the house that I plan on addressing as time goes on.  First and foremost is the fact that there is no exterior window in the bathroom, and it is on an exterior wall.  The tub is a cheap-o unit and may have been installed over an existing window!  I will find out soon enough.  The second issue is the vinyl siding.  The house looks like it was frosted in petro chemicals, but I have seen through the facade and the original siding is intact underneath.  Phew.

 

It is a great little house!  And it is mine!  Hooray!