Sellwood, Etc.

Old Bank of Sellwood building, 13th and Umatilla.

The tiles at the foot of the main door to the Bank of Sellwood building.

Leas (our friend and publisher) told me some of the history around the Sellwood area of Portland. I always thought the name came from some sort of wood sales that went on in the area. Turns out that the man who created this subdivision was one Dr. Sellwood. He created it for the working man so they could have access to inexpensive housing. This was around 1898, if I remember the year correctly.

Dr. Sellwood then had the above building built. The bottom floor was a bank (now "Justin & Burke," and antique store), the top floor Dr. Sellwood ran his practice out of.

Black Cat Tavern sign.

Black Cat Tavern.

The Black Cat Tavern we are told is haunted. I brought this up with Leas, and he agreed through gritted teeth. I'm not exactly sure what that means. Shusli and I plan on visiting the place sometime in the future. It, too, is on 13th, almost across the street from the Bank of Sellwood building.

Detail of sidewalk on 13th.

This is a view of our apartments from 9th. See the view that we have? AWESOME! Not a great photo, but you get the idea.

This is the end of Linn St., with our apartment complex off to the left. Notice the width of the street. Turns out that when the neighborhood was created, they made the streets wide so the horse drawn carts could deliver furniture to the new houses. Back then, reverse with a horse drawn cart was pretty difficult, so the streets were wide so they could turn around.

Shusli is petting the greeting cat at the entrance to our apartment complex.

There is a crystal shop on 13th. The above two photographs are a few pieces they sell there. We found out the person working there is our next door neighbor. Shusli invited her over for tea sometime. Business isn't so good, and no one is happy about the government bailout which is actually billions to billionaires.

This is a little piece at New Renaissance Bookstore on Northwest 23rd in Uptown Portland, near downtown.

Here's a little stainedglass piece I couldn't resist photographing in New Ren.

Drops on Leaves

Drops on Leaf

Everything Looks Different, Now

Everything looks different.

After 3mm of hell in the form of a kidney stone
that I bouted with 6 times in 6 months,
breaking the last digit of my middle finger
at work last week
by dropping my handtruck on it
seems like nothing.
I did the owie dance for four minutes,
but still,
it isn't a kidney stone.

After working as a Certified Nursing Assistant,
understanding the difficulties in getting the license,
understanding the difficulties of the job,
loving the hard work and the people,
hating the business,
always being ON with every moment
as one has to be when taking care of a group of dimentia patients,
I have a new understanding of my old job
that I used to complain about so heavily
and now offers so little in the form of challenges
that I understand it is GRAVY!
Add to that,
understanding my wife worked as a CNA
while putting herself through nursing school
and raising her daughter
as well as facing challenges life has to offer,
and my work is SUPER GRAVY!
Add yet to that
many nurses have had similar experiences
and I feel a brand new energy at my job
that gives me joy and enthusiasm
not felt in the previous round I had there.

Moving to Coos Bay gave me a new Love of Portland.
Coos Bay doesn't have much in the form of culture,
though I'm sure it has more than it did before 2000.
Coos Bay does have the most excellent Mexican restaurant
we have ever eaten at...Marcy's.
But...
In Portland, you can go out and listen to live music
on any given night.
In Portland, there is always something to do.
In Coos Bay, such is not the case.
The natural beauty of the ocean is wonderful,
but the lack of culture and anything to do
gives me a new understanding and appreciation of Portland.
Every morning that I head to work
I cross the Marquam Bridge
which gives you a great view of the city
and I Love seeing the city buildings
lit in their morning lights
as the rain falls upon the earth.

My Love for Shusli has grown in leaps and bounds
but that is more of a personal note
and details are shared with Shusli
and not you all here.

Taking up chess again
helps me to see patterns
that were difficult to see
even though I am usually pretty proud
of my ability to recognize patterns within things.
It teaches me to see life
and the world
differently
and how to make better decisions,
how to make more efficient moves,
how to think,
try not to move to fast,
try to think, first.

Although we haven't been in the best of health
since moving back,
and we have had to face a few unexpected challenges,
I'm tellin' ya,
life is much better than I understood it to be
before moving to Coos Bay.

There are many people who live in Coos Bay
that Love that little town.
Good for them.
Living in Coos Bay taught us a Love for Portland.
Good for us!
So I thank you, Coos Bay,
for showing us an appreciation of the city of Portland
That we Love and where we belong.

Life is good! Life is really really good!
From this position,
we should be able to take a good stance,
move forward,
think,
take the time we need,
and do that all important thing...
help one another.

Coffee

While Shusli, Eli, and I were out having a nice cup of coffee last night when Eli felt inspired to take a photo of his drink. I like it.

This Was My Point

The point I am trying to make with my previous post ("Fuck You Very Much the FCC") was simply this. The word "Fuck" did not blow this little girl to pieces, a BOMB did.

The bomb that blew this child to bits was made by the U.S. wealthy. It was delivered by the U.S. government to terrorize a nation into giving up their wealth to the U.S. wealthy. The message is: "If you don't give up your wealth we'll blow your children to bits." This is REAL terrorism. The wealthy make great profits from their bombs and their use.

The wealthy own the U.S. government. The U.S. government tells its citizens that it is protecting children by creating a ban on certain words called "profane" or "vulgar." (The profane and vulgar words usually deal with natural bodily funcitons and procreation.) The reality is, however, that the banning of these words will help in their mission to crush free speech, a right allegedly handed to the citizens of this nation under its constitution. A majority of the citizenry are behind this because they BELIEVE that certain words are more harmful to children than bombs created by the wealthy. The U.S. sense of "profanity" is highly distorted.

What the wealthy are doing through their corporate owned FCC (Federal Communications Commisssion) is not protecting children from certain words, it is crushing free speech. Free speech in this nation does not come from the wealthy owned media, it comes from the media owned by the people. The media owned by the people has a propensity for telling the truth. The corporate owned media has a propensity to enertain and tell you the truth isn't as important as entertainment (watch corporate owned news).

The truth is, the wealthy gain their wealth by building such things as bombs and blowing children and others nations to bits. They do this to terrorize other nations into giving up their wealth. The wealthy call this "free trade." International Law calls it, amongst many other things, "genocide."

The wealthy do NOT want this information out. Many of the "beligerently anti-intellecutal" folks do not want this infomation out because it challenges the lies they believe and hold so dear ("the values of the founding fathers"). Since community radio and TV stations spit out things like the truth, and these airwaves have the potential to build wealth for the wealthy, they must be crushed. Since $200,000 fines mean nothing to the wealthy, they know that just one fine that large can destroy a community station and thus silence a huge portion of the non-corporate owned truth. The anti-intellectual non-wealthy will declare victory because their children would thus be protected from a few words, vast knowledge, and truth, but not from; no health care, being raped by priests or others, living on or near toxic sites, etc.

The case before the U.S. Supreme Court will help destroy stations like KBOO and others. At the FCC training required to be on the airwaves of KBOO we were told that under the current rules, all their has to be is an allegation from a listener. Then it is up to the station to prove it's innocense (guilty before proven innocent). If they cannot, they then face the massive fine. One such fine could bring KBOO to its knees, two will close it. Then, a station like Fox, can come in and buy up the airwave and pump in their coporate owned liars like Rush Limbaugh and make more wealth to put into their vast bank accounts.

Well, at least the children will be safe.

FUCK YOU VERY MUCH THE FCC!

[a quote from Eric Idle's "The FCC Song"]

The Supreme Court has started hearing oral arguments in a case brought up by the FCC against Fox for Cher making fleeting expletives during a live program. A decision in favor would make it so anyone using "vulgar language" on the airwaves, and quite possibly any form of entertainment via extension (to be argued in future court cases), would create it so fines of $200,000 or more would stand against folks found guilty by the FCC of airing "vulgar language." To capitalist networks like Fox, this is a drop in the bucket. To community stations like KBOO, it would mean closure.

Of course, a decision in favor of the FCC would be a violation of the constitution, but that isn't anything unusual. The U.S. Government has been violating its own constitution since day one, especially when it gets in the way of capital. So, crack open another one for yet another violation of the U.S. constitution here in the alleged "Land of Freedom."

Supposedly this is over concern for children. Uhhh, yeah.

The most controversial words deal with human sexuality and excremental functions...you know...things that are natural for the human body. Having seen enough pussy, cock, shit, piss, and vomit as a CNA, I would have to say it really isn't that big of a deal as it is natural. Fucking, shitting, pissing, masturbating, making Love, pooping, peeing, etc., are all natural functions of the human form and have happened throughout time, as far as I know. George Bush shits, pisses, and at least in the past, has fucked. Sadly, look at the kids he's created. They, to the best of my understand, shit, piss, and fuck as well as drink and party heavily, just like their daddy did at that age.

Oddly, when there aren't any adults around, kids on any given school yard could be found cussing and saying shit to one another. They also say things like..."Fuck You!" when they are angry with one another. But, somehow, the FCC and folks like Supreme Court Justice John Roberts think that these words will somehow damage our children. HEY JOHN! WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?

If you haven't noticed, this is not really a case that concerns the protection of children, it is a case to crush free speech. You see, in community stations like KBOO, free speech is often relagated to things not practiced in the major medias, mostly...telling the truth.

Example: Truth is, over 200 U.S. corporations funded both sides of the war during WWII, including Brown Brothers banking who had as an executive, Prescott Bush. Prescott Bush, W's grandaddy, was found guilty of selling Nazi War Bonds in 1942, while the war was taking place. There is also documentation that he directly benefitted from slave labor at Auschwitz. If the U.S. government FORCED these folks to stop funding both sides, a helluva lot more people would have survived. Instead, millionaires made millions off of both sides.

Turth is, shit like this still happens. And with community radio stations exposing such horrific behaviors on behalf of one of the most genocidal and human rights violating nations ever (the U.S.), would mean that you all might eventually rise up against the wealthy and make them stop their behaviors. That, of course, would mean the wealthy would have less wealth, so what they do is pay people to keep you all under control using violence or the fear of it.

A wealthy man visited Smedley Butler ("War is a Racket") once. He had $30,000,000. He told Smedley he would spend half of that to protect the other half. In other words, he would hire folks to use violence and the fear of violence in order to make sure his wealth was protected. [read: "The Plot to Seize the White House" by Jules Archer]. This is a common practice to this day.

So you see, this case really has nothing to do with protecting children and everything to do with protecting wealth.
Does a nation that truly cares about children do this? This was done by the U.S. to an Iraqi child because her nation refused to hand over its wealth to the already wealthy who own the U.S. government. Do you really think this nation gives a rats ass about children? Fetuses, yes, children, no.

To the assholes that allege to care for children and support cases like the FCC vs. Fox and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is this caring for children? Well, I'm sure she never heard the words fuck, shit, or piss, so she is really much better off being mutilated or murdered by the bombs you all profit off of.

How about the 50,000,000 children without health care in the U.S.? Well, there again, they ain't fetuses so who gives a fuck! Besides, if their parents were truly holy, they'd have money and be able to afford the privilege of health care. Besides, all kids are created by fucking, and fucking is evil, and therefore by extension, so are children. All children shit and piss, and therefore are evil. Fetuses for the most part, don't shit, piss, or get fucked by the local priest.

How about all the children leaving in contaminated sites such as those created by Monsanto?

How about the child slave labor trade?

How about the children getting raped by priests? Getting raped by friends or relatives in their own homes? We don't want them to hear the word "fuck," but the U.S. government sure doesn't give a shit if they get fucked by priests, relatives, or friends. Otherwise the U.S. government would do something about that. (Sorry, the funding for that program went into the $950,000,000,000 giveaway to the excessively wealthy and elite.)

You see, the U.S. government doesn't give a fuck about children. They give a fuck about free speech and the possibilities it has of exposing thier criminal behaviors. Community radio and TV stations often air such untold things as the truth and therefore may get in the way of the wealthy creating more wealth for themselves at the expense of everyone else, INCLUDING CHILDREN! ESPECIALLY CHILDREN!

So...

FUCK YOU FCC, SUPREME COURT, AND FOX! EAT MY SHIT MOTHER FUCKERS!

Open Letter to Sarah Palin

Dear Sarah,

I had a feeling the party to which you are a member would stab you in the back, and will most likely continue to do so. I had the feeling about a month ago. You see, you are not a part of them. They needed you to fulfill a purpose, mostly, to help them lose the election while still making it look like a good fight. You fulfilled your role, and were most likely oblivious to the desired outcomes and your role in them. That is how the "boys in DC" work. At least they are not taking you up in a helpicopter and pushing you out over some remote area of Alaska where your body would never be found.

Currently, it is your lack of intelligence they are smearing you with. Since you are not a member of the elite, like say, Hillary Clinton, you are not a welcome member. Thus, no doubt, throughout the rest of your career, the Republican Party will slam and slander you. A lack of intelligence is curable, however, through doing things like...reading. I would suggest Howard Zinn ("A People's History of the United States," "A Power Governments Cannot Suppress"), maybe some Emma Goldman, "A Long Way Gone" by Ishmael Beah.

I'd like to say I feel pity for you, but I don't. Had you been more educated and knew Africa is a continent and not a country, you probably would have known what these guys had in store for you.

I would also suggest you take up the game of chess. It will help you strategize and think, you will need it if you want to save any semblance of your career.

Will you take my suggestions? I doubt it. The U.S. is filled with folks who are "beligerently anti-intellectual." I take you to be one of those types, considering the expose YOUR party has done to you.

Were you really willing to go to war with Russia? What the FUCK were you thinking? I'll leave you with a quote of a buddy of mine: "Never support a war you are not willing to take up arms in and fight yourself because you are asking others to do your killing for you." Of course, you are also asking them to do the dying, getting mutilated, getting metally damaged, getting poisoned by your weapons, etc., not to mention what you are doing to the people and the land you would be going to war with.

Why are Folks so Terrified of Gays and Lesbians?

My friend, Jim Craven, is the Blackfoot Solicitor General. When he authored their constitution using Blackfoot principles back in 1999, he put in the document that sexuality was a right. In other words, you can be gay or lesbian or transgender or whatever and still be accepted as a tribal member.

In a phone conference with the elders who were to pass the document, their only objection to all 75 or so articles was that. Before they could make objections, Jim said something like this:

We are an oppressed people and we would be oppressing other oppressed people should this not be passed as a right. To oppress other peoples when one is from an oppressed people is to justify the unjust oppression of our own.

So, I was saddened but not surprised to hear that 3 states have passed gay and lesbian marriage bans. They claim this on a position of religious moral authority. Their religion, Christianity, states something like being gay is an abomination. Oddly, this book has been edited from the orignial so many times, one has to wonder what the original said. Did Jesus, who seemed to hang out with whores and a rather vast amount of men, condemn gayness? Did he say that being gay was wrong? Didn't he say something like Love one another? I guess not. I guess Jesus was really into oppressing oppressed peoples.

Christianity, of course, is promoting for the most part this genocidal war in Iraq. Christianity is based in the United States on the genocide of the indigenous. Did Jesus say "KILL ALL THE RED NIGGERS AND STEAL THEIR LAND!" Or was it that Love one another thing. By the rather vast global mass slaughter the world has faced at the hands of those who say Christ is their leader, I would have to say...YES! Jesus did indeed support raping of children in boarding schools, killing women and children to strike terror into the hearts of men, supports torture, Loves raping women, Loves forcing women to have babies they can't support, Loves killing killing killing because...that is what many Christians do in his name.

Gays and Lesbians and Other Genders? Jesus hates them. He Loves killing and raping and oppressing women, though!
I do not understand why folks are so afraid of gays and lesbians etc., marrying. I walk down the street and if I see a gay or lesbian person walking toward me, I feel no fear.

When I see a white male Christian coming toward me, I know they would think I was an abomination and try to change or harm me in the name of Christ.

What the heck is a gay person gonna do to me? "Eugene! You have to do something about that shirt! Haven't you ever heard of an iron? How's your wife gonna want your body if you dress like a rotten avacado?"

Man, I am gonna have nightmares about gay folks trying to dress me nice for Shusli now. Or am I gonna have nightmares of good Christian men getting away with raping Indian children in boarding schools.

Can you make the call?

The Friends We Made

Jerry and Jessica of Colette's

Den (Nice Shirt)

Matt and James

We made some good friends while we were in Coos Bay. These folks are all pretty awesome.

Jerry and Jessica of Colette's helped make our 8 month stay tolerable.

Den, a wise wise woman who wears some really nice shirts.

Matt and James were always a joy to be around.

When you folks are in town, drop by and say hello.

CNA

I've wanted to write about what it was like being a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) for a while. I wrote about what it was like to get there, but not so much about what it was like being there.

For me, it was the most amazing and difficult job I have ever had. Also, for all the stress one goes under in this position, CNA's should start out at $15 an hour. Instead, most places hiring a fresh CNA will pay slightly over minimum wage and give you a raise once you are state certified. You usually won't make much more than that unless you hop on the bonus program. Bonuses are given to CNA's who take on extra shifts, usually around $75. Basically, you are required to overwork yourself if you want to make decent money as a CNA. I often heard stories of folks who worked over 20 days in a row often 16 hours each day. You make bank...yet you have no life nor energy to live life other than at work.

Shusli was a CNA for many years, and quite good at it. She even worked part time as a CNA when putting herself through nursing school and raising her daughter. This...is not an uncommon story from folks within the nursing profession. Nurses are awesome people. Some more so than others, but there is something within nurses that just keeps most of them pushing and going. Shusli is awesome. It is amazing she was/is capable of doing such a thing.

For me, like I said, CNA work was amazing. Having that license guarantees you a job. But there were some aspects of the work I hated. One was the pay, as mentioned earlier. Another is the business takes advantage of the fact that most folks in the health care industry are there because they care. Thus, folks are often talked into working lots of shifts, taking lots of shit, showing up to work to find they've been taken off of the schedule, not getting raises, etc. But, at least to an extent, CNA's Love many of the folks they are helping, and thus, the business end takes advantage of that. Most CNA's quit early in their careers. Few, honestly, stick it out.

What I Loved most about the job was the folks I worked with and the folks I helped. I got to take care of a Wounded Knee II vet. That was awesome. I got to help folks and actually see what my help was doing. I learned to Love these folks. It was fun and interesting. I had no problem cleaning up incontinent folks and doing my best to offer them dignity in their current situations. It was hard and often frustrating. Try chasing a fellow with dimentia around for half an hour with a urinal so he won't pee on the floor. Try not getting hit when someone with dimentia gets angry at you. Try to remain patient when a person with dimentia screams all through your shift. All in all, it is hard and requires a vast amount of patience. Often, you are rewarded with gems of joy in the work you do for these folks. A laugh, a joke... They are still amazing folks. They still have something to offer. It would be better if the staff was more regular and more of them.

I miss the folks I helped. I enjoyed their company and Loved them all. I miss the folks I worked with. But really, I make almost $5 more an hour driving and delivering produce than I did cleaning up after people's incontinence, making sure they were safe, listening to screaming all day, working with folks resisting care, etc. There is something wrong with that.

I must say, though, my new/old job is very gravy. There are few challenges. There is little hyper vigilence (other than heavy traffic). There is almost no stress.

I'm not sure where I'll go from here. Maybe I'll try to get back into school. Maybe I'll work here for a couple of years and then see. I don't know. No need to rush a decision at the moment.

Other than that...

BLESS ALL CNA'S AND NURSES!

Daily Show Election Coverage

Larry and Wyatt take over the Daily Show. Watch this, it is hilarious.

We Have A Chance...

Many thanks to the handsome young man, Eli (photo above), for the wonderful meal he bought Shusli and I, and also getting us into one of the local election events, this one at the Downtown Greek Deli here in the great city of Portland, Oregon. The even was sponsored by Tom Dwyer.

We have your back, Obama...

"And a nice back it is," Shusli says.

The mass celebration in Pioneer Courthouse Square last night.

The Lions of Batucada cheered the folks on.

Eli got Shusli and I into the election event sponsored by Tom Dwyer at the Downtown Greek Deli where he works security.

The hopes were high but it was intense up until 8pm. With Barack Obama as president, we have a chance. We've been offered a narrow ledge for a hand and foot hold. We shall see what happens.

Having a rather different understanding of the U.S. government, I never offer blind faith in ANYTHING that comes from it. The U.S. government is corporate owned, and corporations profit heavily from the sufferings they force upon the masses. Although Barack is president, and the dems have taken congress, they are still corporate owned and must serve their corporate owners above all others.

Listening to Barack's speech, with the exception of the founding father's ideals, it sounded a whole lot like what many of us folks have been saying. This job isn't going to be easy. The work doesn't stop with the election. We have to help each other. [The founding fathers, of course, were of the wealthy, by the wealthy, for the wealthy (as this nation still is, being corporate owned and all). The founding fathers also hated and excluded women, Red Nig...Indians, Nig...SLAVES, White Tr...poor white folks, and so many other forms of "beasts" as founding father James Madison referred to anyone who wasn't a white male member of the elite.]

After the event, Shusli and I went for a walk as we waited for Eli to get off of work. We heard drumming which Shusli immediately recognized as the Lions of Batacuda. We ran to Pioneer Courthouse Square where there was a celebration going on. We danced and laughed because we are all feeling that the world has a chance. The gathering bled into the streets of GLORIOUS DOWNTOWN PORTLAND, OREGON, and we eventually left in order to find Eli. As we were walking away, small crowds of folks were still running to join in on the celebration.

So...What are the lame ducks gonna do? King Dick and co-King George have brought home a lot of troops and have tossed out the Posse Comitatus Act. What interesting terrors can they force down the throats of U.S. citizens in the short duration of the 8 years of terror they forced on the U.S. and the WORLD already?

In other news, our little daughter, Felicia (seen above with Shusli), has been proving to be quite the handful since we have returned to the Great City of Portland, Oregon. Since I am often offered the opportunity to be the bad guy so her mother can be the savior and hero, I am again taking this role absolutely seriously as the "kid face" has done some SERIOUSLY EGREGIOUS SHIT, as of late.

I certainly would love the chance to spoil the kid, as the non-primary parents of children they Love are often purported to do, but there is no way I can outdo her mother in any way shape or form, so I am taking my role as ASSHOLE DAD very serious. Last night, after receiving a phone call for help from her mom, and then another a little later saying all was OK, Shusli and I still paid them a little surprise visit at about 11:30pm. I informed Felicia at that point that I will do exactly what I told her I would do and that she would indeed hate me, but I don't care. She will grow up to make good decisions for herself and be a good human being. No, I may never get the chance to spoil her like a non-primary parent often has the opportunity of doing, since I am often called upon to be ASSHOLE DAD, but I will make sure she grows up well, safe, and happy...whether or not I am hated for the rest of her and her mothers lives.

Felicia called me last night as Shusli and I were about to fall asleep to tell me she Loved me. She called me from the cell phone her mother informed us earlier in the day that she had taken away from her as part of her discipline for the piss poor decisions she had made the evening before. I told her I Loved her back and asked her what she was doing up so late on a school night.

Just call me...ASSHOLE DAD!

Election Day

Why do the worlds hopes and fears get crammed into one day? Well, actually, folks have been voting for a little while now, today is the day that they allgedly get counted. "Vote early and often."

If Obama wins, that gives the world a slim chance at something better. However, we all know the U.S. government is owned by the wealthy and ran to create and protect the wealth of the wealthy with just enough trickle down for the people to keep them from rebelling. Lots of government propaganda to keep us lulled asleep in lies.

I'm sure Obama will win. That gives the world a slim chance at something better.

McCain/Palin? McCain Loves to kill, especially if others are doing it for him. You can expect a helluva lot more war and undbouted a government still ran by King Dick. Sarah Palin? Please. What a political fucking moron. McCain whose health is waning would most likely put her in the puppet Queen seat. More than likely she, too, would promote much death and suffering upon the world through her corporate overlords.

Still, no matter who wins, it is my belief we need a REVOLUTION! Not a lot will change under Obama, but maybe. We definitely know we "will stay the course" with McCain. It is the system. The system needs to change. Why are we only given two choices? Why do we not hear other voices?

More than anything, we all need to help each other, however. We need to take care of each other, enjoy each others company. Enjoy Life! and fight when the time is right!

WE FINALLY HAVE INTERNET

We finally have internet in our home. It has been a hassle trying to get to e-cafes during this time.

Shusli got it all together as I failed in 40 minutes of trying, she got it done in about 20 minutes.

Updates:

I really loved working as a CNA, but the pay to work ratio is just not worth it as I am now delivering produce for Duck again at a much higher pay with much less stress. I am settling well into the job, but there is really not much action. No adrenaline. No having to be constantly aware. Sometimes I have to wait at restaurants for a rather long time, so if I don't nap, I read.

Shusli is doing well. Her father and grandmother are having health issues, but other than that, I have to tell you, life has been good here.

We both were on "Indian World." All went well and we are going to try to get a new program started here some time in the future.

Matt, our friend in Coos Bay, still has not sent us the photos he took of our last dinner with a few of the great friends we made in Coos Bay, so I will post those when I can get him to send me them.

Shusli prepared a wonderful dinner for a large group of folks yesterday. Among them was my former publisher and brother/friend, Leas. We have decided to make a second edition of my book of poetry, "Tremble in Fear Before the Soft Pudgy Indian." Eli and Shusli came up with the idea of doing a CD as well. Eli has a little recording studio, so we are going to work on that as well.

Shusli heard from her friend, Urban Scout, that he read on my blog that we were living here in Sellwood. He said he lived in Sellwood, now, too, and that we should get together sometime. Shusli, while in the process of settling the apartment, noticed a skinny young fella coming out of the laundry room across the parking lot. Turned out that Urban Scout and Penny Scout live just across the parking lot from us in the same apartment complex.

We had Felicia over yesterday as well. She is doing well.

I saw a fiery car crash in Vancouver while working the other day. I believe everyone was OK. I was gonna make the driver stop if there was someone still in the car, but it looked like all were out and safe. No one looked to terribly wounded.

Almost done reading "They Take Our Jobs: and 20 Other Myths About Immigration." It is a FANTASTIC book, and should basically show you that the rich take our jobs and impose them upon folks that they can exploit, such as folks with few rights, so they can make more money at the top while creating vast amounts of suffering for the masses. It should also help you all understand that immigration is not REALLY an issue. It is a "non-issue" used to distract us from the horrors and horrific crimes the rich are creating in order to amass their wealth. The rich, of course, own the U.S. government. Also, a helluva lot of racism is involved in the immigration non-issue. This, too, is explained well by Aviva Chomsky.

Our cats are doing fine. Jake, of course continues to puke on the brand new carpets.

A Day Late...

They didn't load in quite the order that I wanted them to, but here you go.

In honor of the day of the dead, in which this post comes a day or so late, I took these photos at a store called the "Gold Door" here in Portland. Pardon the blurriness of a few of them, but they are still worth posting...I think.

Che was purchased for me by my wonderful wife, Shusli, at the Gold Door. This photo was not taken there as she surprised me with this when we got home.

For Leroy

For an old railroad engineer I know.

Zombie Walkers

A few of the Zombie Walkers at Shusli Land. If you can't eat brains, might as well eat sushi!