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See I know that... because I've talked to more than one "sect" of Christian. But it is really the most appalling thing for me to see when someone puts this sort of statement out there... it's like the poster who says he thinks religious people are "arrogant." When they act like this: THEY ARE!

I respect people who are Christian because they follow the teachings of Jesus and want the world to be a better place and enjoy the "community" and traditions of the church.

But I don't want to be prayed for because I don't believe, and I certainly am turned off by those who will say that I will burn in hell because I don't believe what they do... I mean, this person actually said that people who follow other religions are wrong... do they realize that they are in the minority? I think not -- they isolate themselves in their cult and don't look at the reality of the world.

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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What if you don't want to be saved?

I remember being told as a child that because I was athiest that I would burn in hell...

Later I heard a retort to that statement that I found so perfect, I will repeat it here:

"That's one way to keep me from joining your crazy cult!"

Why would anyone who cares about all of humanity wish to believe that certain people's "souls" will suffer for eternity? It seems antithetical to the teachings of Jesus.

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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I hear ya! I too identify as athiest and most people find that I am a kind and very generous person. But I've been flat out told by conservative evangelical Christians that you cannot possibly be "moral" without being Christian (specifically) because apparently Christianity defines morality...

Secular humanism all the way.

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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My problem with my local paper, The Register Guard, is that it's NOT local enough. It tries to cover national news -- which I feel I can get much better coverage for via NPR -- and then has a giant Sports section (useless to me), and very little regional coverage. If they refocused the paper to be more local I would likely subscribe. But as it is, the cost is too high and the paper too bulky and wasteful.

I grew up on the Oregon Coast, and read the Newport News Times which was a weekly and then a bi-weekly paper. It was great, all local, and targeted to the coastal audience. I looked forward to picking it up, and it made me feel like part of the community. The Register Guard lacks that feel or content.

I edit for magazines -- first for a trade publication focused on biopharmaceutical manufacturing (talk about a niche) that reached 30,000 subscribers. Now I edit for an online IT publication (www.searchdatacenter.com), with millions of hits per month. It's still a niche, but it's more accessible, it has a proven business model, and it's more environmentally-friendly.

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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I had a friend who went ahead and got an IO loan and I advised against it. You're not getting equity in your house, and when they adjust the rates it is almost always in the upward direction. I make less than $40k by myself, (working two jobs) and I would NEVER consider a $188,000 mortgage to be "affordable" for me.

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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I agree with this. I have been working with my boyfriend who is 36 years old and who, until this year, has been living paycheck to paycheck... no retirement, no savings account, nothing. His father (ironically) is a Mortgage Banker. Maybe some parents need to step up and educate their children as well.

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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I'm optimistic, but still saving...

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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I'm a 28-year-old professional in Eugene, and my household income is about "average" for the country when you include my partner's income. But we are still about two years away from being able to afford the 20% down payment on a $200,000 home. In the Eugene area, this home will likely be 3 bedrooms, two baths, and around 1,200 sq. ft. My parents bought 120 acres with a large home in 1972 on the Oregon Coast for $60,000. The rate of housing inflation is insane.

Some friends of mine bought their 3 bedroom home in Eugene with a very large backyard in 2003 for $150,000. I couldn't get a house in their neighborhood today for less than $200k (5 years later).

For young people who don't have a giant inheritance or help from Mom and Dad, becoming a homeowner has become more of a dream than a reality.

The subprime lending practices are largely to blame. I remember people offering MORE than the asking price for homes in the above-mentioned neighborhood two years ago. More people "thought" that they could afford to buy (against any kind of real financial logic) and demand increased. Now I see empty lots around Eugene and houses with "Price Reduced" because no one can get those 0-down loans anymore (thank goodness).

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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Stick to your guns. The other parents are doing their children a disservice by not teaching them the value of money -- and the process of budgeting. When you just give your kids all the money they "want" (note: not NEED), they don't learn anything besides "Mommy and Daddy will take care of me." Then you end up with 30-year-old children who still can't take care of their bills...

posted 4 years, 11 months ago
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This is a bigger problem than I think a lot of people are willing to admit. Many families don't make their children do chores around the house or make them have any responsibility. This practice does not translate well into the workforce -- many teens don't value the money they earn if they're used to just getting all the money they need from parents.

posted 4 years, 11 months ago
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In the Eugene area, young teens can get work experience through the Youth Works program at the local nonprofit, Northwest Youth Corps. There are also opportunities on trail crews for teens 16+. My step-sister participated in the trail crew programs and found it to be a great experience and most of her coworkers who were interested in signing up really enjoyed it too (those whose parents decided that it would be a good idea may have had a less-enjoyable experience).

posted 4 years, 11 months ago
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The noise and the hubbub at the State Parks is definitely a deterrent. I wouldn't go on a holiday weekend to avoid such noise and crowding.

posted 4 years, 12 months ago
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My parents grew up in Los Angeles in the 1960s. They went outside, but their outdoor experience was vastly different than mine. I grew up in the Oregon Coast Range, 10 miles from an incorporated town, and without traditional electricity until 1994. Now, as an adult, I live in Eugene. As a child, my days were spent playing in the creeks, building mini-dams with skunk cabbage leaves and sticks, catching crawdads, and weaving mats with crabgrass or making daisy chains (or mucking out my animal's pens). I know that in the 1980s-1990s, this childhood experience with nature was rare. Most of my friends lived in town, with less exposure to the outdoors. Their families might make one or two treks to the wild a year (often associated with a big game hunting season or national holiday). But even twenty years ago, people were losing their connection with the natural world.

I go back to the farm and into the woods about four times a year now, and take an annual backpacking trip into the wilds of Oregon or Washington in August with my friends. In Eugene, I occasionally hike to the top of the local buttes or bicycle through the greenspace by the river. But, I don't go seeking a lot of wildness... but yesterday I was in my garden plot and a flock of Canadian geese flew about 20-ft off the top of my head, a close encounter with nature (not to mention the prolific slugs in the garden and the native weed species).

In terms of State Parks -- the Oregon Coast is about as inhospitable as it gets where tent camping is concerned. The Yurts on the coast are a great idea -- but I don't think they should offer much more than they do already (a warm, dry place to sleep). I wouldn't tent camp on the Oregon Coast -- you just can't predict how wet you'd get, and I don't like sleeping inside a wetsuit or sleepingbag inside garbage sacks.

My biggest complaint about the state parks is the restroom facilities. Often they don't have warm water available in the sinks and they have infrequent attention to the garbage or other maintenance issues. Our state has cut the parks budgets year after year, and the only way to make them attractive to visit is to increase the funding so that people have a pleasant experience (not to mention boosting local economies by providing living wage jobs).

posted 4 years, 12 months ago
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If you want good recipes and tips, talk to the farmers when you buy produce at a local farmers market. They often have really simple ideas to share. There are some really great recipe books out there as well. But a lot of good fresh food can be really simple to prepare -- so don't be scared -- your body will thank you for the better nutrition.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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I grew up selling organic produce at the Lincoln County Small Farmer's Market in Newport, OR. Harry will likely remember me -- I certainly remember him from those misty Saturday mornings on the coast.

Growing up with an organic market garden was not always the most fun experience (weeding was especially unfun as a kid), but today I live in Eugene and have a city garden plot in my neighborhood. I grow my own veggies to consume during the summer -- it's hard to grow everything we weant to eat, so I substitute what I can't grow (or grow enough of) with locally grown produce from the local Eugene Saturday Farmer's Market.

If I didn't grow my own, I would certainly join a CSA. Local does taste better -- more variety in the type of produce grown (not as much highly hybridized food) and fresher and harvested when ripe.... makes a BIG difference.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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To take this onto a whole different track -- what about parents that are ignorant about proper nutrition and feed their children copious amounts of high-fructose-corn-syrup-containing soft drinks coupled with saturated-fat-laden potato chips, pizza, and mac' and cheese? These parents are literally GIVING their children diabetes? Can they be declared unfit if their child suffers a shortened life-span due to associated health conditions? If the child doesn't develop diabetes at a young age, their long term health may be adversely affected -- probably beyond the statute of limitations for prosecution, but seriously: Should the state step in and tell parents to stop feeding their kids crap?

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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My question was asked on air, regarding the legal implications of parents who had taken the religious exemption to vaccinating their children. But my follow-up question which may be a bit off topic, (but I think is relevant) is that more people are using this exemption because of their fear of the unproven but highly publicized potential link between vaccines and autism. If a child in this situation were to die because of Measels or Smallpox, how culpable would THAT parent be... that parent that didn't necessarily have any strong religious belief, but rather a belief that vaccines are dangerous. How negligent are those parents and are they more culpable?

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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Everyone in the state should care about this issue, and the potential solutions because it will/does affect all of us. The solutions will likely be that the funding for those counties and services will come from all of the taxpayers in Oregon with a redistribution of funds to help prop up the counties. Additionally, potential fuel taxes to help pay for roads in ailing counties will affect everyone travelling through the state.

posted 5 years, 3 months ago
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Mydogatemyemail: Yes, that's exactly what I'm talking about. During this last housing boom I heard about people offering MORE than the asking price for homes. In their minds, it was still a great deal.

And yes, I'm a recent college grad who is faced with not being able to buy a home because of this exact reason.

posted 5 years, 3 months ago
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My concern is that people who can afford to buy a nice home here in Oregon, with money leftover, thereby drive up demand for homes in our state. While there are numerous foreclosures elsewhere in the country, the housing prices are remaining stable in Oregon. I believe this is largely because of the immigration from California. It is really frustrating as a young person who wants to buy a home, but can't even get close to affording one because the prices are artificially high -- based on the price structure that reflects Californian demand.

My prediction is that Bend, OR will continue to experience growth; but without real industry Bend will not continue this growth as the baby-boomer-California-transplants die out and the healthcare infrastructure that has been built collapses.

posted 5 years, 3 months ago
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