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I acquired a Meadows ski pass this week. It will bring me more long-lasting happiness than any piece of long-lasting junk I could buy for my home or wardrobe!

posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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Seems to me that the last three years have been particularly bad, with upper level low after upper level low hanging off the coast. It does appear that the North Pacific High hasn't been around much lately, and that's what drives the big west wind days in the Corridor and at Doug's. Maybe Cliff can comment on the missing NPH? Please?

Maybe it's just that I've been forecasting Gorge wind these last three years and paying way too much attention...

posted 2 years, 7 months ago
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First off, I'd like to say that this was the best TOL ever!

Second, with all due respect to Cliff, buying a ski pass this season isn't a "mistake." Sure, El Nino years are warmer and drier than La Nina or neutral years, but we still get snow. The average snowfall is around 250 inches in an El Nino year, about half of normal. Some years have more, and some have less. This translates to an average base of around 70 inches at T-Line and Meadows. Not epic, but totally skiable. And hey, making turns on the mountain is way better than being stuck in the inversion in the Gorge or the clouds in Portland! 

posted 2 years, 7 months ago
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It's frustrating to me that as part of this bailout we will be refinancing loans for people who greedily bought more house than they could afford. As a self-employed, lower-income person, I had to use a no-doc (sub-prime) loan to buy my house. However, I only took on what debt I could afford. Now I will have to pay taxes to help refinance others who didn't have the same self-discipline I did? Give me a break, literally, in the form of a reduction in my interest rate.

Also, I find it frustrating that because people abused the no-doc loans, there will be no such animal anymore for people who cannot qualify for a traditional loan, but are still able to make their payments.

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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I am not a big fan of the government giving handouts of any sort to stimulate the economy. However, I find it amusing that this administration asked for $300-$600 per person for the economic stimulus package earlier this year, and has asked for the equivalent of $2000 per person to bail out Wall Street. Perhaps the difference in amounts points to where our government's priorities lie: with big business, not with taxpayers.

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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