Live from Lincoln City!

Alex, Greer and I took the weekend to be with family at the coast. Mom and Dad rented a house and invited us down for a visit. A great way to celebrate #34. That's right, gentle reader.....I am 34 years young! I feel like 45 some days....Received some MLK audio/video stuff that I had been coveting - and now get to enjoy.

Being at the coast is a welcome distraction from work and the upcoming rehersal schedule that Alex will be embarking on. We arrived last night at the house and enjoyed a great dinner. My brother arrived sometime later, and we're currently roaming around Lincoln City for whatever purpose. Currenty getting charged $3 for 15 minutes of Internet time, so I'll keep it short.

Back with the grind on Monday....

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VISUAL - Four Days in November
AUDIO - Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg & Assad Bros.
BOOK - On History by Howard Zinn
EVENT - First softball game (scored a run) 3-12
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Low-fi weekend

Things were pretty lo-fi on this end for the weekend. A couple trips to the grocery store and the library - augmented with much housecleaning and time puttering away at the computer. Had my first softball practice (caught a couple of infield flies and knocked out a single).with the church team. I play third base.

That....and we had full access to Greer, which was a rare treat. He's a climber now....hauling himself up on his nightstand - and gaining higher ground on the sofa - much to the cats dismay. I've added more photos on his web blog. You might have to page back a few months, but you should see about six new photos as of today.

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VISUAL - Murder on a Sunday Afternoon
AUDIO - The Man in the High Castle - Phillip K. Dick
BOOK - Kingdom of Fear - Hunter Thompson
EVENT - First softball practice in the rain
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Foreign policy blowback in Ecuador

It’s been a while since the rant side of grumpyvoices reared its head, but today is just special enough to warrant such a screed.

Amidst the news of a new pope, wrangling over judicial nominees and the deaths of six American contractors in Iraq.....the latest Central American foreign policy drama is playing out.

In Ecuador, the third president in eight years has been sacked by popular revolt....a direct result of his support for NAFTA and U.S. foreign policy in South America.

Currently, the embattled President Lucio Gutierrez is headed to Brazil for political asylum - but his V.P. has stepped in as the replacement leader. Word has it that his attitude toward the U.S. is much the same as his predecessor....so, it will be interesting to see if Ecuador has new elections coming soon...or will continue to be ruled by proxy.

For those not up on our involvement in Ecuador, the country is a major hub for agriculture exports via U.S.-owned agribusiness. In order for those businesses to maintain control, Ecuador has been governed by politicos that have ties to U.S. trade interests - and thus the country has seen violent revolt as Ecuadorians buck attempts at foreign exploitation.

It’s a big mess down south.

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VISUAL - School of Assassins
AUDIO - The Man in the High Castle - Phillip K. Dick
BOOK - Kingdom of Fear - Hunter Thompson
EVENT - Aquisition of new cell phones
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Movies and brews redux...

Pardon my plugging a favorite local hangout...

In the tradition of PDX indie cinema, the Clinton Street Theater is adding a micro-brewery to its arsenal of entertainment options. Slated to open in late April, the brewery sits in the former digs of "Hair It Is" - and now adjoins the theater via a newly installed set of doors. According to CST owner Seth Sonstein, the goal is a new beer every week - supplemented by a selection of tasty pub food.

Viva Clinton renaissance!

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VISUAL - Kill Bill Vol. 2
AUDIO - Slam Bush
BOOK - A Scanner Darkly - Phillip K. Dick
EVENT - Borderlinks presentation @ Bridgeport UCC
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Quickly now...

No frills weekend flies by....

Trips to the grocery store, augmented by lots of downtime, housecleaning and general maliase brought on by liquid sunshine.

If you haven't noticed the tag below, I'm reviving my current muses - for no other reason than I miss it.

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VISUAL - Citizen King (PBS)
AUDIO - Secret Agent (Internet Radio)
BOOK - Kingdom of Fear by Hunter S. Thompson
EVENT - Third Reunion of Baby Class
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Onward into April...

The past 10 days since the Mexico trip returned haven't allowed much time for introspection. It's been mostly a mix of job reemersion, house-cleaning, parenting and trying to unpack all that was learned on the trip. Like I said, the mind has been busy. The Borderlinks group will be doing a presentation at Bridgeport UCC on April 17th to help explain our experience to the congregation and anyone else who wants to find out.....so, I'll be working with Comadre Anne to gather that info.

Other than that, I've got a new cubemate at work....my old bud Victor - from the bad old days at Convergent. Vic is working in a role similar to mine - and is currently being emmersed in the ways of the Force. Looking forward to having another friend in my corner...

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VISUAL - Tokyo Godfathers
AUDIO - Philosomatika (Internet Radio)
EVENT - Street Scene (Portland Opera)
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