2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session 2013 special election arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration international internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes television terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

Thank you for having Chelsea Cain on this show, after several loud bursts of laughter in the first 20 minutes, I'd decided I had to check out some of her books.  I work at REI and after the delightful quip about people "putting on their REI jackets, skip out into the woods and getting attacked by sneaker waves" I laughed so hard that I spit coffee out my nose! (Thank god I wasn't at the computer).  Now I must buy Chelsea's books!

posted 2 years, 2 months ago
view in context

Dear Maggie,

The Oxford American dictioary defines Bigotry as: intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself.

If you're intolerant of Gay Marraige, then you're a Bigot.

And really, haven't all the "crimes against marraige" like divorce and adultry been invented by heterosexual couples.

Or should we bring back all Mosaic Law, and stone adulterers and infidels?

posted 2 years, 4 months ago
view in context

I attended Portland State from 2003-2007, and during that time the Presidents Salary was increased to just over $300,000. - about six times the median income of the average Oregonian.

After graduating, my income is about $35k a year, and perhaps half of that comes from my education.  So, as a home owner and a tax payer, I'd like to know what benefits would i see for doubling or tripling the ammount of taxes I pay for higher ed.

It's also hard to take hearing from people who have an income far and above mine that I should in some way be paying more taxes.  I'm sure the increase in taxes they would pay would hardly be noticible to them, but as a veteran, and like many other Oregonians, I have to account for every dollar, and every dollar more in taxes I pay out has a significant effect on my life.

These gentlemen should start thinking about the context of what they are asking.  

posted 2 years, 4 months ago
view in context

The two thoughts that this incident planted in my head:

1. Is this incident in the heart of the "Left Coast" going to give us pause in being as liberal and tolerant as we have traditionally been?

2. Regardess of entrapment, encouragement and support, what was it that told this YOUNG ADULT, that it was OK to potentially kill hundreds or thousands of innocents?  Does the knowlege that he would have killed infants, which Islam counts as innocents, is against the teachings of his religion?

posted 2 years, 5 months ago
view in context

It's not religon, per sé that's the problem, it's people - who use religion or talking dogs or false standards like 'racial purity' to justify violence against others, that's the problem.

posted 2 years, 5 months ago
view in context

It bothered me that a Professor from California thought it natural to use a "30 mile commute".  That so plays into my despise and predjuce that Californians are more self-centered than Oregonians and think nothing of using up resources.  It could easily be re-worded:

Fred has a 8 mile bike commute, and in the morning, it takes him 30 minutes, and in the evenings it takes him an hour, what's his average speed?  The answer is 18 mph, and he stops for half an hour on the way home to have a beer with the money he saves on gas and car maintainance.  Now that's the upside of math, knowing that you save enough by biking to have a regular beer.

posted 2 years, 6 months ago
view in context

the answer on the air this morning was 40 mph.  I was in correct at stating the average speed was 45.  I did that in my head.  Maybe i should dust off my "statistics for dummies" and do a refresher.

posted 2 years, 6 months ago
view in context

Dear Penny.  Thanks!  I think having kids totally justifies having a car and the reality of our culture makes it difficult to lead a "modern adult life" with out one.  It's also really nice to have the option to drive in, like I did this morning, and be warm and listen to OPB - for me, as a treat on a cold and potenially snowy day.

posted 2 years, 6 months ago
view in context

If a driver has a 30 mile commute, and it takes 30 minutes to get from home to work, and it takes an hour to get from work to home, then what was the average speed for the trip?

My answer: move closer to work, ride your bike, keep the air clean get good exercise and don't be a chump putting thousands of dollars a year into the pockets of Big Oil, and the Automotive Industry.  or 45mph.

posted 2 years, 6 months ago
view in context

I had Scott as my professor at PSU for the "Geology of the National Parks" class, I loved that class!

But in answer to the question about the Missoula Floods in my daily life... I live in NE Portland and plan my bike routes around the slope of the Alameda Ridge so that I get the most bang for my buck in pedaling up the "easy" side and speeding down the "steep side"

posted 2 years, 6 months ago
view in context

My biggest gripe with taxes for education is the accountability for the end reslt: Teachers work hard to educate and babysit the uncaring masses then get chastized when the kids don't get the test scores to show that they are being educated.  We should thank all of our teachers for doing a hard job, and let kids fail, and get held back in school if they don't meet the qualifications for advancing to the next higher grade.  I'd be willing to double my education propert taxes if that standard was adopted.

posted 2 years, 6 months ago
view in context

It all seems that we need to go back to kindergarten, and re-learn, and then live the lessons of sharing and good citizenship.  Or if you want it put in philosophical terms: Streets and Sidewalks are the commons and we all need to use it fairly, like not crossing the street with 2 seconds or a flashing don't walk, and let the motorists make their turns. Cyclists going with the traffic, and generally not beliving that our texting and phone conversations keep us safe, and actually put us at risk!

posted 2 years, 6 months ago
view in context

Wow, just a few minutes in and I'm already developed a strong preference for Ms. Telfer. Even though I'm a democrat I like her resume, and I really prefer her non-politicico way of speaking. Ted. If banks and credit unions HAVE to hold onto reserves, how is it good idea to take that and open it up for small business investments? Sound a little risky to me. It also sound a little too much like political double talk.

posted 2 years, 7 months ago
view in context

Does this amendment include equal responsibility for defense of the country? By that I mean required draft registration? One of my pet peeves is that people make a big noise about there rights, but don't stand up and balance the scales by demanding equal responsibility.

posted 2 years, 9 months ago
view in context

Wow. Where I can agree that it is totally unfair that a woman doing the same job as a man may be getting paid $40,000 less a year, I find it hard to care when that pay difference is roughly my year's earnings.

posted 2 years, 9 months ago
view in context

No matter how nice your lawn, someone's gonna hate you for it.  I just don't see putting the effort into that anymore.

posted 3 years, 1 month ago
view in context

So, whatever happened to treating officers with respect?  I'm retired military, and one of the basic concepts one learns is that "you should be respectful to people who carry firearms".

Having "stood the watch" and had to carry a firearm to "defend the United States, it's Constitution and Citizenry" I find my empathy falls with the police.  It's important to defend the country and community, but is it really worth dying for?  I don't think so any more.

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
view in context

Ok, so instead of making bales of waterbottles, why not press them into shingles or structural blocks (like giant legos) and use them to build housing for people that need it?

Just an idea, of course there's probably no prophet in doing socially responsible things like that.

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
view in context

If filling up a plastic waterbottle at the tap is good enough for Oregonians, then it's darned well good enough for californians.  If their water tastes bad, then they ought to work on improving their water quality and infrastructure.  I mean geeze, aren't they like the 3rd largest economy in the world? They ought to be able to fix that.

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
view in context

An in home filter / purifier would probably save them a lot of money.  

I think if the water quality is so poor someplace that you can't drink out of the tap, it's a pretty clear sign that either too many people (like London, or New York) live there or that people weren't meant to live there in the first place.

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
view in context