Wow! Have been feeling really productive lately with all of the wonderful excitement that has been happening!  First off the schedual for the month of December is as follows!:

First Thursday Portland:

Dec. 3rd-12 Days of P:ear Benifit Show

Dec. 3rd- Anka Gallery (group show)

December 4th- Alice in Winter Wonderland Show, Luxe DeVil Denver, CO

December 5th-  SprayGraphic Vinyl Show Phoenix, AZ

On December 5th I will be participating in Salty Teacup’s Holiday Show in St. John’s.  Come by and see us from 1pm-5pm for super cheap frames and little paintings.

December 11th is THE BIG 100 SHOW at Olympic Mills!  One night only! 100 of Portland’s finest, all pieces are $30 and must be taken home that night.  Great stuff!

Dec. 12-13 I will be at the 12 days of P:ear Holiday sale with a ton of little guys.

I hope to see some of you out and about, and for all of you in Denver and Phoenix, I hope you like the pieces!  Finally, h

ere are some sneak previews of what is going into these shows. xo Heidi

Witness with your own eyes God’s Authentic Healing Power!

Where?

KPTV, Sunday, at midnight!

Coburn blew through Portland in August 1974, performing at the Paramount Theater on Broadway.  According to the ad, his Deeper Faith Crusade claims that “thousands have experienced documented physical healings.”

I’m obviously making the part up about the used car salesman – then again, his whole shtick seems to be based on hucksterism. Thin line, folks.

From The Oregon Journal, August 9, 1974.

Nineteenth century author, naturalist and founder of the Sierra Club – John Muir called the giant Sequoia “the noblest of a noble race” for many worthy reasons.

These exquisite specimens date back to at least 150 million years ago to the Jurassic Period – a time when the great plant-eating dinosaurs ruled the land and the ocean was stocked with the great ichthyosaurs and the long-necked plesiosaurs. 

Magnificent giant Sequioas once thrived from Alaska to the Midwest, from Europe to the Orient and even in Greenland. 

Big trees, as they are affectionately known, have survived epic geologic upheavals and extreme climate changes. As a matter of fact, on Specimen Ridge in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, there’s a fossilized 26-foot Sequoia stump jutting up amongst 40 million year old volcanic debris. 

About 18 million years ago the remaining giant Sequoia populations mostly occurred in southern Idaho and western Nevada. As the climate cooled and continued to dry-out the giant Sequoia were forced to migrate southwest. They managed to expand their range west into California before the Sierra Nevada range became the formidable backbone of the state. The mountains cut-off any moisture and the eastern population of big trees perished. 

When the early settlers discovered these colossal trees they senselessly felled and abandoned them because they were simply too big and too costly to handle. To give you some idea of their stature it took four men working 22 days to fell one tree.

John Muir convinced newspaperman Colonel George W. Stewart of Visalia, Calif, to protect them.

Today, they are one of the rarest tree species in the U.S. and are scattered in about 75 groves occupying 39,500 acres, ranging in elevation between 5,000 and 7,000 feet above sea level along a 250-mile stretch of the western Sierra Nevada’s.

In order for these gargantuan trees to make a living – especially during the hot dry summers – they require at least 60 inches of precipitation, which mostly occurs from November to April as accumulated snowfall. It’s not uncommon for a 16-foot snowpack to sit on the ground. Incidentally, it’s this accumulated snowfall that provides California, the eighth mightiest economy on the globe, the most intensive agriculture system on Earth, 38 million residents and millions of tourists each year with 90 percent of the state’s water. 

So just how big do these giant trees get? If Tyrannosaurus-Rex sauntered from behind a giant Sequoia even it too would be dwarfed.

These rich-cinnamon barked beauties can easily attain 280 feet in height with 29 feet diameters. One giant Sequoia may contain more wood than an entire old growth eastern hardwood forest can grow in two acres.

Even the name Sequoia is steeped with history. Sequoyah was a brilliant Cherokee Native American who developed a written version of his people’s language. Its present botanical name Sequoiadendron giganteum translates to “the giant Sequoia tree.”

In addition to possessing an astounding trunk at its base this species exhibits very little taper as it grows towards the heavens. For instance, many old trees retain their first branches at 120 feet above the ground – diameters of trunks this high off the ground easily exceed 16 feet. And, Sequoias can live for at least 3,200 years meaning they would witness more than 1.1 million sunrises.

All the ancient trees have been named. General Sherman lives in Sequoia National Park and he’s awesome; the undisputed heavyweight champion of the tree world.

General Sherman is the largest single-stemmed tree on Earth: At 274.9 feet tall; circumference at the ground is 102.9 feet; diameter at the base is 36.4 feet; 110 feet above the ground his diameter is an astonishing 17.4 feet. His first branch occurs 129.9 feet off the ground or the equivalent of a 12-story building and it’s 7.2 feet thick rising another 127.9 feet into the sky. 

His roots occupy 91,500 cubic feet of soil and his trunk hold over 138,000 gallons of soil water. 

General Sherman is about 2,400 years old yet he’s the fastest growing tree on the globe adding the equivalent radial wood of a tree 1.5 feet thick and 62 feet tall each year!

The ecology of giant Sequoias is fascinating. They have evolved with fire, 2.5-feet thick bark, loaded with tannic acid – the same chemical used in fire extinguishers worldwide helps protect mature trees from surface fires. The fire exposes the mineral soil for falling seeds to germinate.

Douglas squirrels can cut up to 10,000 cones in a season, eating the fleshy cone scales and releasing two million seeds. Long-horned beetles also bore into the cones helping to dry them and allowing seed dispersal. 

Remarkably, one giant Sequoia can support over 150 species of insects – a self sustaining community where aphids feed on foliage and in turn green lacewings eat aphids; robber flies consume lacewings; flycatchers dine on robber flies; and hawks feast on flycatchers.

No other of the more than 80,000 kinds of trees on Earth can be repeatedly struck by 100,000,000 volts of electricity – or a bolt of lightning – and live for another millennia or two, except Sequoia.

Eventually, giant Sequoias loose their feet as soil erodes, with gigantic springtime snow-loads in their crowns, high winds and soggy soils they tumble to their demise. 

I encourage everyone – at least once in their lives – to take your family and make the pilgrimage to visit these noble trees.

See Dr Reese in Sequoia National Park http://www.amazon.com/sequoia-national-park-california-reese/dp/B000K98602/sr=1-1/qid=1168923237/ref=sr_1_1/002-1043420-2182462?ie=UTF8&s=dvd

Save the Honeybees http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6w-Z7XlnHI

Dr Reese Halter is a conservation biologist, public speaker and the founder of the international conservation institute Global Forest Science. His most recent book is The Incomparable Honeybee and the Economics of Pollination http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=The+Incomparable+HoneyBee+reese+halter&x=0&y=0 Contact him through http://DrReese.com

Sometimes I don’t really know what to write about my photos. Half the time when I post photos and write a story I feel like a babbling 3rd grader. Usually I’m feel like I’m just writing, “And then we went here” … “and the we went there”… “and then we lived happily ever after”. I find this boring. I totally admit that my writing skills totally suck. They always have.

When I started this blog late September, I had no intention of writing a blog or blurb about my daily post. My intention for starting this blog was/is to post a daily photo as well as pushing myself to shoot tons of photos on a daily basis in order to practice, practice, practice. Others might call it “finding my edge”. In the early weeks of October, I began to feel this overwhelming feeling of having to tell a story about my photo or why I took the photo(s). I also began to become more self-conscious about my writing skills at this point. So now, I’m at this point of questioning what to do next  with my blog. I can clearly see that it’s evolving, but maybe I can continue to control its evolution? I’m beginning to ask myself questions like, “How do I expand this blog or rather how do I make it more interesting? How do I attract more visitors to my daily posts? I know I’m totally obsessed with daily blog posts and what would happen if I actually made my blog into a weekly blog? What if I posted that best photo in one week instead of the best photo of the day? How do I engage the viewers of my blog in a way that will make them want to Leave a Comment? Why do I want the visitors to Leave A Comment?”

I’ve been thinking that I need to add a weekly post theme like ”My favorite photos on Tuesday” or “Things I most like to shoot – Thursday” or “New blogs that I’ve found and Tri likes this – Friday”. If you’re reading this right now, what theme do you think would be interesting for you to see on my blog?

 I’ve also been thinking that instead of telling a story or writing a blurb about my daily happenings, that rather I’ll describe the reasoning behind my photo. Maybe I’ll describe why I took the photo or what I like in the scene of the photo or just something that I’ve been trying to capture through this lens and I think that maybe I’ve got one photo that will illustrate this idea.

Oh the complexities and dilemnas in life. I think I’ll pour myself another glass of wine.

This is a great antique mall, in Portland, near Mt. Tabor.  Whenever I need inspiration I get in my car and drive there!  Here is the link:  http://monticelloantiques.com/welcome/

With about fifteen games in the books now, I have updated my by-possession numbers for every NBA team.

Despite its weak schedule, the numbers still look good for Portland. The Trailblazers are scoring exactly as many points per possession as their opponents have given up (on average) this season, which basically means they have an average offense. However, on the defensive side, Portland is second only to Boston in terms of least points allowed per possession. While the Blazers’ schedule has been pretty lame, the offenses they have played against are still scoring at the league average clip, preserving the significance of that defensive stat. In fact, the Blazers are also second in the league behind those Celtics for best point differential, thanks mostly to their tough defense.

So often we hear announcers talk about the pace of the game, as in, “The Blazers need to keep the score in the 90s to beat this Golden State team.”  I’m curious this season as to whether or not the pace of the game (meaning total number of possessions) matters all that much in the outcome. So far it seems that slower paced teams are able to also defend more efficiently. Unfortunately, it’s hard to tell whether it’s because good defensive teams tend to be slower teams, or conversely, because slower paced teams are able to play better defense.

In Portland’s case, 12 of its 15 games have been played at a slow pace.* The Blazers are 8-4 in these slower games, 1-0 in medium games, and 1-1 in fast-paced games, so they haven’t played enough games at a faster pace to make any claims about their ability to adjust various teams. Portland did look pretty damn awful playing the fast-paced Warriors the other night, and in their two fast-paced games combined, the Blazers are shooting just  42.5% from the floor and turning the ball over as though it were smothered with Sex Panther Cologne (24.5 average/game). As the season progresses, the Blazers should play a few more fast-paced games so we can really see if it hurts them.

Taking a look at the rest of the league, the fastest teams by possession go, one through five, Golden State, New York, Indiana, Denver, and the LA Lakers. The slowest, ordered 30-26, are Detroit, Portland, Charlotte, Boston, and Miami.

The most efficient offensive teams are Phoenix, Toronto, Atlanta, Denver, and San Antonio. The least efficient are New Jersey, Minnesota, Charlotte, Chicago, Washington.

And finally, the most efficient defensive teams are Boston, Portland, Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Oklahoma City. The least efficient are Toronto, New Orleans, Memphis, Sacramento, and Golden State.

One final note: it’s interesting that the top two defensive teams, Portland and Boston, have some of the league’s best shot blocking combinations. Oden and Przybilla have combined for nearly 4 blocks a game, while Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett erase three shots every game. Interior defense is definitely more than just blocking shots. But the fact that the Blazers and Celts are first and fourth, respectively, in opponents’ field goal percentage suggests there is definitely something to having some shot blockers down low.

*The average possessions per game this season is 99. All teams/games that average 99 +/- 2 possessions are considered medium paced teams/games. Obviously the fast and slow paced teams/games are those that fall outside the range of 97-101.

You kids are just so sweet with your comments.

Okay, Rage Sunday update.

But first, I find this terribly funny so therefore must write about it first. Two search terms that have popped up in the last day that have me cackling to myself:

“Fucking the tiny baby”

and

“I have mike in my tits”

What in the name of god is wrong with you people? I have baby fuckers being led to my blog by google. Thanks google!!!!!

Onward….

In spite on two hangover cokes and two excederin my head still feels like it’s full of mashed potatoes. So I guess that means it was a good rage night. We all know I’m not very funny when I’m hungover and Tay Tay Jenkins arrival is imminent so I’m going to make this brief.

1. One thing I’ve realized is that whenever I got to Rontoms, when I first walk in I’m overwhelmed by all the bearded and stylish men. I think, “Holy shit, this is why I love Portland! So many hot guys!”. But then an odd thing happens when I start drinking. Instead of getting cuter they all start to become less and less attractive. Backwards, eh? I notice that this one is 5′5″, that one has food in his beard, the one over there reeks of STDs, that one looks like Spock (not a bad thing until you add in a 1980’s windbreaker). So Lucy and I rolled straight through a bar full of men to the patio and struck up a conversations with the only 45 year old dudes in the bar. They hand rolled us cigarettes while we told them about our plans to start a brothel in Port Townsend with “classy, smart Canadian whores”.

2. Tiny Baby texted me at 11:30 to ask where I was. You can’t tell a girl “I can’t get you out of my mind, I want to see you Sunday” and then not get in contact until almost midnight. FAIL. We moved on to a bar closer to home where I could get sauced without having to worry about driving. Tiny Baby continued to text and at some point I told him I would slap the shit out of him which he liked and asked me to tell him more. Oh, drunk texting. God bless it.

3. For some reason Lucy’s friend who invited us to that hipster art party last weekend was texting her that he thought I was hot and would have hit on me had he known I was single. This turned into two hours of Lucy giggling drunkenly while texting back and forth with him until she actually gave him MY phone number and he started texting me. I think I may have said something offensive. I could go back and piece it  together through my sent texts but I can’t muster up the enthusiasm. I think I was trying to get him to talk dirty which he said he doesn’t do on the “first text”. Then he asked me to drinks and I said something about all young boys being lame. He’s 25…oooops. Oh well, he looked way too much like a guy I used to fuck back in the bay area. It would have been like re-fucking but having to add another number to the list.

4. Did I mention my head hurts and that I’d much rather be back in bed but I’m waiting for Tay Tay on the couch while the dog gets as close as possible to my lap while my laptop is on it resulting in me basically typing this with one good hand and one gimp hand? Awesome.

5. Oh, also, I saw The Bartender last night at Rontoms. He barely made eye contact with me. Ooops. Not that I did anything bad to him other than not want a second date. I was not drunk enough to explain to him that it’s because he looks like Gregory Hines. Lucy was drunk enough to loudly proclaim that I didn’t need to be dating “wannabe actors” right in front of him. That got her a stern look and a smack from me.

6. As many guest appearances as Lucy makes in this blog I feel like she should have her own little about me section. I’m like the main character on a TV show but she’s the sidekick that everyone loves more and who will eventually get her own spin off show. In which she will just get hammered and yell at people and talk to old man strangers about whores and literature.

7. Speaking of literature, while talking to the old men last night one of them mentioned Steinbeck to which I shouted “FUCK STEINBECK!”. The look of terror and disgust on the guy’s face was priceless. But really, eat my shit, Cannery Row.

This wasn’t very short was it? Shit. Oh well. I was on a roll. Plus when I’m typing I want to puke less. But my arm is falling asleep from the dog weight on it.

Tay Tay adventure blogs next time!

OH! As I was proofreading this Lucy’s art hipster friend texted me. He said his mom will let him borrow the car to take me out if he gets it back to her early. I was really fucking confused for a minute until I realized he’s poking fun at me making fun of his age. Duh. Now he needs a blog nickname. But motherfucker, go out with ANOTHER young dude? Should I? Ugh.

24 hours. 24 sweet hours until I am on a train home to Oregon. Home to my cat, my parents, my high school friends, a nice bed, a large shower, and a room to myself. I am so giddy with excitement you have no idea. Since my friends from high school go to state schools (in Oregon or elsewhere), they didn’t have a fall break like I did so this will be the first time I’ve seen them in three months. We have tons to catch up about, stories to share about these first few months. So today I have no more classes, no homework for tomorrow. I just have to get through tomorrow’s Chemistry class then a girl from my floor (Amanda) who I think is really nice is going to give me a ride to the train station. At 3:05 (odd time?) my train shall depart from Tacoma and I will arrive in Portland 2 and a half hours later. Can’t wait! Right now I am in this little study area behind the info desk in Wheelock Student Center (also called the Student Union Building) listening to music and just enjoying the time I have to myself. I didn’t want to be stuck in my room, I wanted to be out in the open. So here I am, living life. It feels good.

Its fall again. I seem to have been seeing this guy every September for the last few years, and we always come away with some great photos. Last year we met up in Felton, CA, this year Andrew spent a few weeks with us here in Portland.

Apparently it's not enough to just put it on a bumper sticker.

I have just returned from a weekend trip with my eldest son to Portland, Oregon. Apparently, the unofficial slogan of the city – which I could not find any mention of on the city’s official tourism website – is “Keep Portland Weird.” After spending two days there, I can sort of see why. It is a bit of a weird place, but it in many good ways. And it was only at the very end of our trip that I witnessed something that reminded me of just how important it is in some cases to go against the grain.

In keeping with my son’s love of public transit, as well as our travel budget, we rode the city’s cable cars and MAX light rail system everywhere. This was also in keeping with the “weird” theme in that it is unusual for a relatively small city like Portland to have such a highly developed public transit system. Furthermore, the New Yorker in me found it absurd that this all runs on an honor system as far as fare paying goes. Not once did an inspector check our tickets to make sure that we – or any other riders – had actually paid. And city government (in this city and others that utilize an honor system, like San Francisco) wonder why public transit is running a deficit? Maybe I’m just too cynical from years of riding the New York subway, but I think fare-beaters should at least have the decency to let the rest of us know who they are by brazenly jumping the turnstile.

Mill's End Park. The smallest in the world, it is easy to miss - especially if you are rushing along the busy expressway on either side.

Among the weird attractions in Portland are the smallest park in the world, the deepest train tunnel in North America, and the most non-family friendly looking donut joint I have ever seen. The minute I saw my eldest boy smiling proudly at being able to stand next to (note: not in) the smallest park in the world, Mill’s End Park, I knew he was truly his father’s son (for more about my family’s adventures in gardening on busy street medians, read my Adam in the Garden post).

At the Robertson Tunnel at the Washington Park MAX station, you can take the elevator (probably the fastest I have ever ridden in, save for the one in the World Trade Center z”l) 260 feet up to ground level to the entrance of the zoo. Only according to the floor indicator, you are not moving from the train platform to the surface, but between 16 million years ago and the present. I felt like snarkily screaming at the elevator, “I’m aging fast enough without adding another 16 million years on top of my recently celebrated 43, thank you!“

You can pick up a pair of skimpy undies along with a dozen donuts.

A warning to those of you who can picture a donut shop only as a squeaky clean, bright, cheery, child-friendly place. You may not be able to handle VooDoo Doughnut, where the decor is what can only be characterized as grungy goth. The lighting is dark, the walls are covered in sexy underwear imprinted with the VooDoo Doughnut logo (for purchase), and the staff could all be models for covers of magazines on extreme tattooing and piercing culture. The shop’s slogan is “The Magic is in the Hole.” Need I say more? Nonetheless, the place was packed with customers, the line snaking out the door and around the corner. And the vegan glazed cake donut my son and I shared sure was delish. Who says you have to look like the little guy in the Dunkin Donuts commercial to make good sickeningly sweet pastries?

The world's largest bookstore looks deceptively small from the outside.

The weirdest place we visited in Portland was weird in the most positive sense of the word. Powell’s City of Books is not a misnomer. It is the largest bookstore in the world, and it indeed feels like a city when you are in there. I once wrote that I could see myself moving into an IKEA, but I am now convinced that I would rather live in Powell’s, where a book lover like me could literally spend the rest of my life reading and not even get through a tiny fraction of all that printed matter before either reaching the end of my natural life span or dying from my brain exploding from literary overload. The Judaica section, where I spent much of our four hours (divided over two days) in Powell’s, while not including every Jewish book ever published, certainly boasted many rare finds (some worth reading, others not). I got so woozy in the store that I almost considered spending $7000 on a proof copy of the first edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Thank goodness my son, who although he is an avid reader is also very frugal, was there to figuratively catch me before I fell into debt whose depth not even the greatest of all wizards could make disappear.

Once you're inside you understand why it's called a city of books.

On the MAX train on the way to the airport at the end of our stay, I witnessed a most weird exchange. It was weird in the sense that it is did not play out as I expected it to, and it touched my heart. Midway through the ride, a couple of skater dudes plunked themselves down across from a casually, yet expensively dressed man who looked to be a few years older than I. The man was holding and looking at his PDA, and one of the skaters leaned right up to him and said,

“Hey mister, is that the new iPhone?”

“Yes,” the man replied.

“What’s it called?”

“The 3Gs.”

“What?”

“The 3Gs.”

The skater reached out his hand toward the iPhone and said, “Can I see it?”

My stomach clenched as I watched and listened from two seats away.

“Here, you can hold my skateboard,” offered the skater.

It was silent a moment as the man looked the skater in the eye.

“No need. Here, you can take a look at it,” he replied as he handed the skater the $500 phone.

The skater fiddled around with the phone a minute and handed it back to the man. “Cool. Thanks.”

A few stops later the skaters got off and the man continued his ride to the airport.

iPhone skateboard. Weird.

The true meaning of “weird” is something that is not natural. It has become natural not to trust others, especially if they appear different from you (as many in Portland do, owing to the rise in homelessness and living on the street due to extremely high unemployment in Oregon). Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers 1:6) teaches us, “hevei dan et kol ha’adam l’chaf z’chut,” judge every man to the side of merit. In other words, we need to give people the benefit of the doubt. My visit to Portland, and the episode on the train, reminds me that we all need to work on looking beyond stereotypes and pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zones. We need to not always do what comes naturally.

As we enter the season in which we bring light into the darkness through our various holiday observances, and we wish for peace on earth and good will toward people, let us all strive to be a little weirder.

© 2009 Renee Ghert-Zand

Those words: back home, make me so happy.

My mom called to tell me she had counted, and I had been to 10 different venues in almost as many days during my east coast tour. I was in denial about those numbers, but looking back on it, yup, she was right. Funny thing was, it never felt like work. Mostly because of the awesome people I met along the way.

First thing I did after I landed in New York City was to go to the New York Restoration Project offices, where an awesome urban farmer and tree steward had invited me to visit. After I had a gander at the offices–gorgeous and seems like a fun place to be–we went to the Spotted Pig for dinner. There we met up with the Pig’s forager and ate some yummy British pub food. The next morning I got a tour of some Bronx gardens. I can’t believe how much unused space is there! As we wandered, we met community gardeners and gawked at what people had planted. One proud urban farmer showed us his prized collard green patch. I loved the little houses people build in the gardens.

After the tour, I went to Dewitt-Clinton high school in the Bronx. This great organization, called Behind the Book, provides kids at this and other “inner city” high schools books and then invites authors to come talk to the kids. I was flattered to be included in this program. I loved meeting the kids, who were so excited, and appeared to have actually read my book!

A few hours later, I found myself at the Horticulture Society of New York, giving a reading and presentation. The HSNY is so f-ing cool. They do job training for guys post-prison, they have an amazing plant gallery and of course, a wonderful library. Many sweet people came to hear me talk, and I felt very loved–especially by Owen from Just Food.

The next day, I took care of some business during the day, then did a reading at Vox Pop in Flatbush. Such an adorable audience! My favorite folks were a freegan couple who ended up bartering with me for a copy of my book in exchange for a hand-made knife. I definitely got the better end of the deal: the knife is freaking amazing. And sharp.

I then headed to New England for the next four days, doing readings in Providence, Boston, Portland, and Portsmouth. What can I say? I love Providence! There I met the most amazing group of people who run the Southside Community Land Trust and City Farm, right in downtown Providence.

This photo is Rich Pederson, the main farmer at City Farm, standing next to his raspberry forest. He is a total rockstar, picked me up at the train station with raspberries to munch on. I got really inspired by his community building ideas: like block parties! rain water barrel building! vegetable start propagation and sales! We had a really warm, funny conversation in association with Providence Slow Food and the Unitarian church. I also got to meet and stay with Poor Girl Gourmet blogger, Amy McCoy. She is sooo fun.

Boston was beautiful and freezing cold. Boston Slow Food really turned out people for my talk/reading, which was paired with a class on how to keep urban chickens. I also got the chance to see my dear old friend Joe Waldwell, painter extraordinaire. He played me a Quiet Riot song to get me geared up for my reading. Let’s just say, I was amped up! I have to go back to Boston because I missed seeing the famous Allandale Farm and the Food Project. Lucky for me, I think I’ll be hitting Boston again for the paperback book tour in June.

That night, I took a bus to Portland Maine and found myself in a car that smelled like goat. Thank god. I love goat cars, there aren’t enough of them in this world. The driver, Margaret Hathway, is the author of The Year of the Goat, and she was wonderful. She and her husband Karl live outside of Portland, where they farm and make cheese, raise two adorable human children, and prepare delicious foods like beef stew and Pear custard tarts. Yum!

In the morning, we went to Portland, had breakfast at Aurora Provisions (sage latkes AND beet sausage hash, good lord!). I always say this: every city I go to has an urban farm, you just have to ask. Portland, Maine was no exception.There’s a great org, Cultivating Community, who teaches local youth about farming, they have a little orchard, goats, and hella vegetables. I love their spirit. Stuffed and happy, I read at the fabulous Rabelais Books, the most amazing cookbook, food, farming, and antiquarian bookstore ever. It was the inspiration for the equally lovely Omnivore Books in San Francisco.

Are you exhausted yet? Well, next I went to Portsmouth, NH for their 50-mile Thanksgiving Dinner where I did a little reading and talk about my farm. There was a “Nor’Easter” storm or something like that. Wonderful, slightly terrifying rain. I missed seeing the cool historic gardens there in Portsmouth, though. Next time?

Back in NYC by 3am on Sunday. Just in time to rush to Brooklyn and teach my rabbit slaughter class. Hmmm. How I managed to make sense and gently guide my students to self-empowerment, I am not sure. But, the class was great, the students were eager, and the rabbits were healthy. Here’s one reporter’s take on the day. If I had seen the “bad” students, I would’ve clocked them. But like I said: tired.

I spent the last few days in New York in an eating-fueled torpor: going to a mind-blowingly good dinner put on by a gaggle of chefs from the West Coast (Chez Panisse/OPEN) and the East Coast (Diner and Marlowe & Daughter/Sons) and Meatpaper Magazine. I cannot forget how delicious the Blue Point oysters of Long Island are. The cooks made dishes from rabbit, and I must say, it was outstanding. Highlights included the rabbit terrine, the Boudin Blanc, and the frisee salad. A dinner host on another night made the most delectable Long Island duck breasts, with macaroons for dessert. Stunning.

Now I’m back at home, processing (obviously) everything I did in New York and New England. The goats are doing great: Bebe’s back in heat today, Hedwig’s coat is still luscious, Ginger is as dainty as ever. The chickens are all molting. The rabbits are getting big, and my new buck, Mr. Spider is becoming social and an adventurous eater. The garden is sprouting new seeds–beet, carrot, favas–and producing fruit–white genoa figs, Orange Cox apples, rhubarb, limes. The bees are enjoying the unseasonably warm days. And then there was Bill, who takes care of everything while I’m gone.

What’s next? Working on a new book, curing olives, making cheese, planning some trips. But mostly enjoying the wonders of home.

Don’t let the trek from city to farmland daunt you, you can have your very own organic farm in your own backyard. Some Portland city-dwellers are discovering the joys of raising their very own plants and animals while maintaining a day job.

Just as cats and dogs have evolved into common household pets, so have chickens for some local hipsters. It is legal in Portland to have up to three hens, ducks, rabbits or pigmy goats without a permit. In one of the interviews conducted on the local radio show called, “Destination DIY”, Portland residents, Scott and Salina, state their observation of this growing trend, comparing it to the pot-bellied pig fad of the mid-nineties “except you can get something from chickens.” They might not give love like cats or other household pets but they give eggs. They also have personalities. This fact might make it a bit of a challenge for those who eat meat to detach from the animal as a pet and think of it as a meal. However, by owning a chicken or other farm animal, you become involved in the entire cycle of its life.

It was also stated in this locally run audio show that in a recent craigslist search, there were 49 chicken related postings in Portland and the surrounding metro area. There are even different events occurring around town such as the annual Tour de Coups. This year’s tour featured 18 different coups.

Connor Voss and Sarah Brown, residents of Milwaukie, began their own little backyard farm with the intention of not buying any food. When they realized that they were farming more than they could consume, they began selling to friends through a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture model). In this program, seven of their friends pay between $15-20 monthly for fresh produce. In addition to farming, they raise chickens and lambs.

By listening to this radio show, it surprised me how many people are taking action to support themselves, their families, and community by taking action rather than sitting back and waiting for the world to change. I’ve realized in the past few months just how possible it is to live a sustainable lifestyle.

To listen to the radio show and for more links related to Backyard Farming in Portland go to http://destinationdiy.com/audiolibrary.html click ‘all episodes’ and ‘episode 31′.

Other links:

http://tilth.org/

http://digginrootsfarm.com/

Normally you watch your system for a few games to see if it works.  But I’m just jumping in and using it, so here it goes.

There weren’t any games I could as they were tonight so I decided to use a teaser which the system did accept. Keep in mind that while I’m sharing my SU and O/U picks, the spread is the only thing my system tells me about so that is what I’m actually betting on.

4pt teaser:

CHI vs POR; POR -3, o-184

MIN vs LAC; LAC -1.5, o-191.5

I like both of those picks. The system also called the Bucks covering their +9 point spread against San Antonio, and I normally would take that but with Redd and Bogut out I’m just not comfortable with making that call. 9 points is a lot and I really think the Spurs are overrated here, but with two of their stars out and Redd expecting to return shortly, I could see the Bucks tanking this one.

It’s so easy to fall into a slump and only express yourself in one size. This comes from an overflow of feeling safe in what you know and generally, from only looking at your movement in a single dimension. In today’s episode, we’ll show you a method to start breaking down your own movement into three parts, to learn to adapt from one thing to the next.

This is our maiden voyage. Each segment, we’ll bring you various things concerning the performing arts. From reviews, professional advice and insight, backstage life and much more, you can find it here.

Today’s subject is facilitated through Solo Charleston, a vernacular Jazz dance style. Below, we’ve included two quality clips from the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown 2005. This clip is one of our favorites and showcases several different styles and takes on the use of the basics.

If there is a particular subject that you want covered, let us know. Anything from reviews, backstage spots, advice etc, we want to know what you want. There is a great deal out there that we plan to bring.
Until next time, Watch Your Step.

Aaron’s show was Saturday night and I thought I’d bring my camera along and see if I could get some shots of the band in action. I must admit that I’m pleased with my product – the lighting was really, really red, which made for an interesting challenge and also very low — not optimal… but I took the challenge head on.

Here are a couple of my favorites but you can see the entire shoot on my SmugMug site.

PS: The show was really good – probably the best one I’ve seen them play. A couple punk guys seemed to adopt the band as their FAVORITE BAND EVER and spent the show almost on the stage with the band. It was pretty humorous!

Aaron's band, Council Crest, played a show at the Red Room on Saturday night.

Lead singer and lead guitarist, Brian (left) and Rich (right).

Food-based micro-granting for artists is an ingenius way to self-fundraise to support your creative habits– and those of others. Everybody needs to be fed. Dish it up, fork it over.

From coast to coast, and overseas, an international network of food-based micro-granting initiatives inspired by Chicago-based InCUBATE [Institute for Community Understanding Between Art and The Everyday] “Sunday Soup” host public dinner events, often using local ingredients, to fundraise for creative grants. Attendees at the dinner vote to select the grant-recipient from proposals submitted. Winning projects run the gamut from visual art installations to mapping a Network of Secret Gardens to promote urban gardening.

Check out these initiatives in New York (FEAST), Buffalo (Sugar City Sunday Soup), Portland (Stock), Milan (GRANAIO), Newcastle, UK (Saturday Soup), Baltimore (STEW), Mexico City (Tanda Foundation) and Milwaukee (African-American Artists Beginning to Educate Americans About African-American Art or ABEA).  via

Van Sant w swoim “Paranoid Park” znów zabiera się za buntowniczy okres dorastania. Jest to o tyle dziwne, że na warsztat bierze społeczność skaterów a połowę filmu poświęca nielegalnemu skate-parkowi (tytułowy Paranoid Park), co jak na kolesia mającego 55 lat jest, jak mniemam, poważnym wyzwaniem i środowiskiem dość nietypowym. Jednak nie jest to tylko film o dorastaniu, nie jest to film tylko o deskorolce, ale jest to też osobliwa historia dzieciaka z Portland, którego wizyta w Paranoid Park, zmieniła całe życie.

Jak to u Van Santa, formalnie nie jest lekko. Typowe dla niego długie sceny, ujęcia en face dające czas na przemyślenie sytuacji bohatera, z towarzyszeniem nieprzypadkowej muzyki (a ta jest dość różnorodna, mówiąc eufemistycznie). Skateboard’owe wstawki niczym z narkomańskich wizji, a także wstawki para-dokumentalne. Zaburzenia chronologii wydarzeń i nieco chaotyczny (świadomie) narrator. Takie podejście do przedstawienia historii może irytować ale w przypadku “Paranoid Park” nie tylko nie męczy ale jest plusem. Zwłaszcza mantryczne, zamazane sceny popisów na desce nadają specyficzny, magiczny charakter owemu “parkowi“. Mimo chaosu formalno-narracyjnego film jest spójny i trzyma w napięciu, ciekawi i nie nudzi (niecałe 80 min trwania wydają się idealne). A napięcie jest obecne, bo nawet gdy nic się nie dzieje, widz ma pewność, że coś musi się zaraz wydarzyć. Nie zdradzając fabuły napiszę tylko, że historia nabiera rumieńców i nawet pojawia się shocking scene, która staje się kontrapunktem dla młodzieżowego charakteru filmu.

Ciekawym wydaje się też zestawienie dwóch światów skaterów. W świecie przeciętnym, zwykłym widzimy nastoletnich skate’ów, ubranych w modne ciuchy, z tzw. dobrych/normalnych domów, których głównym problemem jest zaliczenie cheerleaderki albo praca domowa. Paranoid Park (wzorowany nota bene na prawdziwym portlandzkim skateparku pod mostem) to świat skaterów reprezentujących całą historię buntowniczych subkultur, od punków, hipisów, przez bezdomnych po ludzi z rozbitych rodzin i przestępców, których poza życiorysem łączy pasja do deskorolki. To oni, z pozoru atrakcyjni dla młodzieży indywidualiści, otwierają głównemu bohaterowi drzwi do tragedii, która staje się punktem zwrotnym w jego życiu.

Paranoid Park to mini-studium młodzieńczych problemów w połączeniu z historią sensacyjną, pokazane w typowo van santowskiej oprawie estetycznej. Nie ma tu silenia się na oryginalność, nie ma dłużyzn, tematy proste nie drażnią. Jest za to rozpoznawalny styl, ładne zdjęcia, prosta ale ciekawa historia i dobre rozwiązania formalne. Każdemu kto chce zobaczyć film o zwykłym życiu, prostej historii i problemach już dla większości odległych, i nie chce się przy tym zrzygać z powodu pretensjonalnego stylu i żałosnego aktorstwa, mogę “Paranoid Park” swobodnie polecić. Uprzedzam jednak, że styl Gusa Van Santa nie każdemu się spodoba, ale to już nie mój biznes.

]]> http://jimhungerford.com/2009/11/23/market-news-3/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:40:32 +0000 Jim Hungerford http://jimhungerford.com/2009/11/23/market-news-3/

The mortgage market barely moved last week.  Rates remain at historically low levels.

 This weeks events:

Mon 11/23
Existing Sales
2-yr Auction

Tues 11/24
GDP
FOMC Minutes
5-yr Auction

Wed 11/25
Durable Orders
Core PCE
7-yr Auction

SustainDex (environment|sustainable|clean/bio tech)

Eastside

RePower – 158th Commerce Pk | 16035 NE Cameron Blvd | 12,750 SF

GeneralBizDex (consulting|finance|insurance|legal|other)

Central Business District

Construction Systems Mgmt – Spalding Bldg | 319 SW Washington | 615 SF

Principal Real Estate Investors – NW Corp Park | 3481 NW Yeon | 13,200 SF

Eastside

C&P Attorneys – Sunnybrook Corp Ctr | 9200 SE Sunnybrook | 2,539 SF

Columbia Pacific Maritime – 2410 SE 121st Ave | 1,085 SF

Rose City Blue Print & Supply – Airport Center I | 5835 NE 122nd | 4,421 SF

Westside

Myatt & Bell PC – 1 Lincoln Center | 10300 SW Greenburg Rd | 1,967 SF

Merrill Lynch – 4004 Kruse Way Place | 4,325 SF renewal

Forest City Trading – 4 Lincoln Center | 10250 SW Greenburg | 12,228 SF

Beaverton Public Library – Murray Scholls Town Ctr | 11200 SW Murray Scholls | 7,032 SF

Bluestone & Hockley – 9320 SW Barbur Blvd | 13,704 SF

Vancouver

Great Western Malting – Port of Vancouver | 2501 Kotobuki Way | 43,500 SF

Westside

Epic Land Solutions – Plaza West | 9600 SW Oak – Tigard | 1,413 SF

TechDex (apps|provider|hardware|var)

Central Business District

Crowd Factory – Oregon Trail Bldg | 333 SW Fifth | 4,095 SF

Systems Management – Willamette Park Plaza | 6420 SW Macadam | 1,973 SF

Westside

Transcore – Creekside 4 | 1100 SW Stratus St | 38,065 SF

MediaDex (traditional|digital|research)

Central Business District

McClenahan Bruer – Water Tower | 5331 SW Macadam Ave | 5,536 SF