Thursday, August 31, 2006

This President of Iran, Ahmadinejad

I have been able to view Ahmadinejad twice on TV, once in an interview with Mike Wallace and then again in part of a speech that was rebroadcast on c-span. From hearing him speak I can't feel that he is an evil man, on the contrary he seems to have a lively mind and is articulate and reasonable. What he has said about Israel is alarming but may be understandable from an Arab point of view. The following is an excerpt from Wikipedia about this man. His attitude toward women is interesting. Could he be a friend to women in the Arab world?

Women's rights
On 24 April 2006, Ahmadinejad announced that a ruling which prevented women from watching men playing sports in stadiums would soon be reversed. [17][18] A state television announcer reported that Ahmadinejad "ordered the head of the sports organisation to provide facilities in the stadiums to watch national matches." Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying: "The best stands should be allocated to women and families in the stadiums in which national and important matches are being held." Two days earlier, Ahmadinejad had objected to punishment of women appearing in stadiums without proper hijab. His remarks angered some supporters

The Deep Forest


In old growth the mystery of life on earth hangs like the moss on the branches. We are small and yet we belong here. The silence says more than words do. In the old growth forests we have walked through in the past few Sundays I like to listen but not to talk. I appreciate a companion who doesn't need to talk and can just listen to the sounds around us, maybe a slight breeze in the branches, a trickling stream, a bird high up, footfalls on the path and our breathing as we climb in elevation.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

At the hospital


We watched this screen for patient 45528 for 2 1/2 hours until the message changed colors to closing and then recovery. The surgery was successful and the patient who is Linn's brother, Robert, is doing well with hemmoroids gone, leaving a pain in the butte that will go away, too, eventally.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Goodman Creek Trail



This Old Growth hike was not so far away as the others we have taken recently. At the waterfall we missed seeing the swimming pond as some children were in the cold water swimming nude and we didn't want to surprise them by popping out of the trees. We heard the voices and went on to the log bridge where we ate our dessert of little pecan pies by the water. On the way up the trail Linn stopped to adjust his shoe.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

The Hands of an Artist




Libby Masarie is one of the most creative people we know and her hands show it. I had a walk with her this morning in a West Eugene neighborhood where we passed this lovely fall garden.

A couple of good blogs

These seem like intelligent sources to me:

http://www.firedoglake.com/

http://scienceblogs.com/channel/about.php


I can't do links yet. I'll keep trying.

Friday, August 25, 2006

That Bless'ed Element




Swimming at the club is a routine we feel fortunate to have. Some mornings we are the only ones there at 5:30.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

From the library computer

This is interesting to me as the screen is different. I guess Macs are limited on blogspot.com. I have been trying to add links but to no avail so far. I'll try adding a url. How about the Huffington Post? I enjoy Ariana and find she has an informative blog.

The road ahead


This one looks inviting.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Construction Site


At Valley River Mall the Mongomery Wards Building was torn down and a gigantic structure is going up that will house a movie multi-complex. I wonder how it will fare. The shops at the Mall seem less and less interesting to me. There seem to be a lot of weird fashions that cater to teen-agers. The clothes coming in from China, Taiwan, South Korea, Malayasia, and other parts of the world don't seem well made and are without style. This could mean I am old and not with it. Everything changes. Nothing remains the same. That's the way the world is.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Our country of laws


I quote from a blog that impresses me with the way it is written and its clarity: http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com

------ the most bizarre part of the NSA scandal all along: the President got caught red-handed violating an extremely clear law -- he admitted to engaging in the very behavior which that law says is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine -- and yet official Washington (the political and pundit classes) simply decided to pretend that wasn't the case.

The Justice Department lawyers who approved this illegal program, the political officials who ordered it, and the journalists who defended it (and have enabled this presidency) are all part of the same circle, and the very suggestion that any of this is actually criminal -- even though it is all being done in violation of the crystal clear criminal law -- is just too unpleasant, too unruly, too disruptive to admit. "The question of the president's possible criminal acts has long been the pig in the parlor that polite people in Congress refused to acknowledge."

Brave Judge Anna Diggs Taylor has read the law correctly but the president doesn't agree with her as it puts him in a terrible position.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Tamolitch Pool



There is a place where the McKenzie River was buried for three miles by a lava flow. It surfaces in this turquoise pool and then the river flows again. We hiked the 2.1 miles up the river trail today from the upper end of Trail Bridge Reservoir to the Tamolitch Pool. At the beginning the trail was in a deep forest of old growth, cool with a mossy floor. The day got warmer as we climbed to the pool where we ate our lunch. There were a few other hikers on the trail and some intrepid bikers.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Our Amazing Friend


Hazel Peck is 95 years old and going strong. She is a thinker, a learner, a walker, a reader, and an all-together interesting person. Oh, let me add she is a knitter beyond comparison, producing beautiful garments in no time at all. We feel fortunate to know her and are inspired by her.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

For the Mayor's Art Show


This is my watercolor that I did this morning. Linn laughed and laughed.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Linn in the tropics


The exspa room is a wonder of green plants giving off oxygen to revive the faint of heart. I need something like that.

Here's a disturbing report in the New York Times today:

OVER 3,400 IRAQIS KILLED IN JULY

By EDWARD WONG and DAMIEN CAVE
Published: August 15, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 15 — More Iraqi civilians were killed in July than in apparently any other month of the war, according to Iraqi Health Ministry and morgue statistics, despite a security plan begun by the new government in June.

Monday, August 14, 2006

China and the Dalai Lama

China says they will fight the Dalai Lama to the death. The Dalai Lama doesn't fight. So what is China going to do? I ask you.

New bike tires



My bike had a flat tire. Linn helped me walk it over to the shop for new tires. I have had this bike for a long time and the rubber showed signs of deterioration. Now I'm set with my bike wheels again. Only my other bike----the one I can fold up and pack in the trunk of the car----has a flat. I wonder what is going on with these flats.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Party for volunteers




A barbecue in Alton Baker Park for the city volunteers was a good celebration with a clown, bubbles and balloons for the kids, raffle prizes, speeches by the mayor and city manager. There was lots of food with hamburgers, buns, potato salad, green salad, beans, chips, relishes, drinks and ice cream. And then there was music. Since I volunteer at the library we were invited to attend.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Lively place on Saturdays




Market on the Park blocks has food, people, music, crafts and wonderful organic produce plus some surprising sights like a parrot on a person's shoulder. I like the fresh corn and look forward to when it is in season and plentiful.

Friday, August 11, 2006

Doing a little laundry


Two medium loads today and then on Sunday I'll do the sheets. Laundry is a pleasant job.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

The morning moon


About 5:30 am this morning there was lovely moon from our deck.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Tranquility


Sometimes words are superfluous.

Monday, August 07, 2006

Sudoku


Linn is a sudoku fan. He saves those he has done and keeps track of his times.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Riotus Summer



Earth follows in her cycles intimating that fall will come. Even the richest most powerful men are insignificant in the wider cosmos. How amazing it is to be alive, to be conscious, to be a player on the earth and to realize that love and compassion are fundamental to human beings. Yesterday I saw the documentary DVD on 'Tibet: The Cry of the Snow Lion'. I think the Dalai Lama must be the wisest man on earth as he has a way of stopping wars, living in peace and remaining strong.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Friday, August 04, 2006

Friday Art Walk




The first Friday of the month in Eugene some art galleries stay open in the evening for the public to tour. Some serve food and wine. There is music.

Old Skinner cabin


This is Eugene Skinner's cabin he lived in when he came to the area. Originally it had no windows and his family managed to stay warm in it.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

It's a stretch


Transport for a party to picnic at Skinner Butte Park, not celebrities, perhaps someone won a raffle for it.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Out of the past


This photo is from about 35 years ago taken of our children at the beach in Aquaba on the Red Sea in Jordan. Jane is about 16, Sarah would be 8 and Dan 5. Our dog is Buja. We had to leave him in Jordan when we left which made us very sad. Aquaba was a wonderful seaside resort at that time. I wonder how it has changed.