Looking For A Better Way To Get Up Out Of Bed Instead Of Getting On The Internet And Checking A New Hit Me: Finally Found It

A friend of mine taught me a cool technique recently. Instead of reaching for Fbook/email/Instagram first thing after the alarm goes off.

Step 1: Put down the cell phone after disarming the alarm.

Step 2: Take 10 deep, slow, mindful breaths.

Step 3: Focus on what you want to do this morning, visualize your ritual, consider the sequence, consider the significance of each action.

Try this one morning.
If it doesn't work for you I will gladly refund twice what you paid for this advice.

The Civic Critic: Blue Star Donuts on Hawthorne

I don't generally advertise this fact, but I love Donuts. I remember when Krispy Kreme came to the Northeast when I was a kid, it was literally a revelation.

This past January, when the family-owned Chinese Restaurant on Hawthorne posted a notice in the window that they would close down for good, forced out by ballooning rent, I was of course saddened. However in a city that is blowing up this isn't a unique story.

Shortly after they closed work began on what would become another location of Blue Star Donuts. For the cynic inside of me this was too much:
"Of course we need another coffee & donuts place right in-between the Peet's and the Starbucks on Hawthorne!"

But when the furnishings started going in I couldn't wait for opening day. A friend had advised me that Blue Star on the west side had some of the best doughnuts around, but I had never made it there.

Now of course something must be said about Portland's most famous doughnut shop: Voodoo.
When I first came here I was enamored of it, as a local the $5 and later $8 bucket of day-olds seemed like a steal. Repeated exposure to the donuts made me realize that while innovative they were sometimes good, sometimes bad (Double bubble flavor?) and never mind-blowing. I stopped indulging.

Of course I found other donuts to explore, Annie's in NE was nice, classic, unpretentious, but merely good. Donut Queen in a little hut next to 7-11 at East Burnside and 60th has even better classic donuts and a charming Vietnamese proprietor. A visit is recommended for all, if only to chat with him.

This week (2 months ago) I finally got around to check out Blue Star. After driving a friend to the airport I showed up at 6am to look in upon the baking team in action. The hand written sign on the door made it clear, donuts start at 8am. The glass frontage allowed me to give the body language of 'WTF' to the man at the counter. He shrugged back, implying: "yeah were closed, can't you see us working the dough right now?"

Seriously only in Portland could a donut shop get away with this. Typical morning rush for donuts is pre-work. Tall coffees to perk up the brain and a dozen for the officemates. Really though this was a telling sign about Blue Star.

Like Voodoo, its not a donut shop in the traditional sense. Blue Star is more of a luxury, an artisanal creation, and the prices echo this fact.
They don't want you to grab-and-go for a breakfast in the car, because how could you appreciate their hand-crafted donuts if you did?

They probably also don't want you to order a dozen (even though you can buy 12 and get a 10% discount). Blue Star is only open until the product sells out, so if they did a steady business by the dozen they would probably piss off a lot of potential customers later in the day.

The Donuts:

The Old Fashioned Buttermilk is gigantic, one of the biggest non-fritter donuts I have seen. It is also amazing. The crumb is dense but not too heavy, like a rich pound cake without the acidity which sometimes plagues this style. The oily/crispy crust and thinly applied glaze stuck a perfect harmonious chord of donut bliss.

The Citrus/Widmer Hefe was a special donut for Portland Beer Week. The cake was less rich than the old fashioned but retained terrific moisture and a perfect crumb. The beer element was light enough to be just barely there and the lemony icing too wasn't overwhelming. A nice donut but the multiple elements never felt like they came together in a coherent taste.

The Blueberry Bourbon Basil glazed donut is a customer favorite. The glaze has rich fruit color and a delicious creamy and not too-sweet mouthfeel. The star ingredients play nicely together with the herbaceous basil balancing the tart fruit notes from the blueberries, a hint of bourbon helps balance out this perfect melody. The yeast risen donut base doesn't really do it for me, and this is true for all yeast risen donuts at Blue Star. I taste a slight off flavor in them but that is likely just my mind playing tricks. I have such an attachment to Krispy Kreme yeast risen doughnuts that all others just taste wrong. Friends of mine love the yeast risen donuts at Blue Star.

The Fried Chicken Donut takes up prominent wall space as a featured item. It takes a few minutes to make, this is one donut shop with a cooked-to-order experience! Unfortunately this donut was a disappointment for me, I had dreamed of a luscious piece of fried chicken leg but instead got a cut up fried tender/breast. It is served on top of a glazed yeast risen donut, and while some carb with my protein is always nice and drowning the whole thing in Franks Red Hot Sauce makes a gloppy good mess, the glaze's sweetness is out of place in this dish. If you want to try it I would ask that they make it for you with an unglazed yeast risen donut.

The Marionberry Filled with Peanut Dust. When I ordered this donut I was expecting a nice local/fresh marionberry experience and was confused by the idea of the dust. One bite and I was left smiling and laughing, It's PB&J in your mouth. The yeast risen donut provides the carbs and the peanut dust hydrates in your mouth mixing with the sweet berry filling. Grade-school memories flood forth. This donut is a pure delight, and was for me a total surprise. Having it with a glass of The Funky Buddha Lounge and Brewery's No Crusts would probably be the best thing ever.      

A friend had insisted I try the Crème Brûlée donut. Since I didn't see one I asked the server about it. The cook said she could make one for me, though it would take 5 minutes. She didn't seem super-enthused when I said of course I'd wait for the donut, but she made it anyway. Service points scored, tip earned.

What I got was a creme-filled with a burnt sugar crust and a disposable eyedropper full of sugar water sticking out the top. This strange appearance was a true sign of what was to come: This was indeed a novelty donut. The creme in the middle was too much like vanilla custard/boston creme and not enough like the rich vanilla-scented creme of the eponymous desert. The sugar water injection appeared to serve no purpose other than to thin the filling out and force it out of the front of the donut, making a mess. Maybe I didn't get that this is the whole point, the donut is really a pastry gun that pushes creme into your mouth. The burnt sugar top was a nice contrasting flavor and texture but it couldn't save this donut from being a mess. The three elements, doughnut, filling and sugar crust just never worked together in harmony.

And then you're left with a piece of plastic to throw away at the end (The disposable eyedropper). Voodoo has some gimmicky donuts but at least no part of them has to end up in a landfill at the end of the day. On this note Blue Star earns some serious demerits. There was a bin by the coffee station (Stumptown regular or decaf is what you get), but it had no markings. On the wall there were two nearly-identical blue bins, one had a recycling symbol while the other had no markings. I asked the cashier about compost, and which bin was which. He struggled to explain the system which is in fact a lack of a system. I looked in the recycle bin, to find it was full of empty paper coffee cups, which are of course not recyclable due to their plastic lining. I put mine in the trash. Fortunately it was trash day and there were bins out front so I walked out and put my greasy parchment paper in the green compost bin. At the bottom I saw some dough remnants. It was Blue Stars' own compost bin! I'm not-sorry... in Portland this doesn't cut it, especially for a place which generates mostly compostables (soiled paper, dirty napkins, crumbs). [Update: I was hopeful that this situation would be sorted out after the frantic opening weeks had passed. Unfortunately two months later I must report that there has been no change.]

One note on the Decor. The shop is small but has a nice enough bathroom. The sterile white look is a bit shocking to the eyes but makes the space feel bigger. The all-glass front opens up the store to the street and provides for ample people-watching, which is always an enjoyable pastime on Hawthorne. Blue Star's interior makes it clear this is not a "third space" the stools are uncomfortable for a longer sit, the seating is limited and there are no electricity outlets or wifi. It's as if they are saying, "This is our house, line up, bow down, make your offering, eat your donut, and leave."

For the orgasmic delight which is their Buttermilk Old Fashioned, I will do so with pleasure.

Why We Do Awesome Things

As if doing awesome things needed defending. But since I've quit my job it seems that life has been full of awesome adventures and things like: Pedalpalooza rides; Birthday every-brewery-in-Portland bike tour; What The Festival.

Why?

Is it simply a way to fill the time? I can say from my experience that this is not the case. The last time I quit my job I found that it was really easy to fill the time with weed, food and Netflix. Its far harder to do awesome things; for one it requires getting out of your house every once in a while. But seriously it is stressful, at least for me, where I am at now. I have felt the cortisol flow through my body this past week. In fact I'm almost tempted to go for the vanilla Ice Cream right now (it is still 77° past 1 in the morning).

The answer starts here: For the past year I have said, both to myself and out loud, that If I were to die this instant I could be grateful for a lifetimes worth of rich experiences. And its not just something I've said, I truly believe and inhabit this mind-state. I am fortunate to have had so many experiences, more than most people get in a lifetime. Sure I have things I'd like to do next week, next month, next year. But I don't feel the hunger, that I've been deprived. No desire to plead with the Angel of Death, "Please, I need more time, I haven't yet _____."

A few years ago back in Rhode Island one of the phrases I was working with was:

Live every day as if it were your last.

I made it my own by transmuting it into,
"I could be dead on the side oftomorrow."

I worked with the phrase but I'm not sure how deeply it affected me.
It was during this period that I certainly saw the phrase in the light of how not to do it. Shortly after I started working at the factory one of the shift leaders Rob was retiring.

He wasn't more than 55 years old. The story I accrued was that he had lived stingily for many years while pouring his heart and money into the dream of an early retirement in Florida. He had even spent his vacation day in Florida working on the house. He had finally built the house of his dreams and saved up enough for him and his wife to move down there, live thriftily, work part-time and just relax. For Rob the rat race was over.

I was of course happy for his retirement, and sad to loose a great co-worker and mentor, but I couldn't for the life of me understand his scheme. What if his wife got cancer next month? What if a hurricane came along? What if he was dead on the side of 95 tomorrow?
Would all the stay-in dinner-from-a-can nights have been worth it? It seems to me that life is to uncertain (tenuous?) to put all your eggs in one basket like Rob did.

I think I finally understand on a deep level "live each day as if it were your last" because I'm living it. I'm not building my dream day by day through deprivation
I'm living it for me and the world through exultation    
 

 

Lookin For A Better Way To Get Up Out Of Bed, Instead of Gettin On the Internet and Checkin a New Hit Me

Its Monday Morning, I don't have to be at work till 5pm. Facebook before get-up, almost assuredly. Here's a little video to start your day off right.


The video was created by SYPO, a Netherlands-based microlending NGO, to show the world how small business loans have helped impact their lives. Hmm for $300, I might just give this a try myself.

List of State Mottos That Make Sense

A List of State Mottos That Make Sense

Alabama - Audemus jura nostra defendere - We Dare Defend Our Rights
California - Eureka 
Florida - In God We Trust
Kentucky - United We Stand, Divided We Fall
Massachusetts - Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem - By The Sword We Seek Peace, But Peace Only Under Liberty
Michigan - Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice - If You Seek A Pleasant Peninsula, Look About You
Minnesota - L'Étoile du Nord - The Star Of The North
Mississippi - Virtute et armis - By Valor And Arms
New Hampshire - Live Free Or Die
New Jersey - Liberty And Prosperity
New York - Excelsior - Ever Upward
Oklahoma - Labor omnia vincit - Labor Conquers All Things
Oregon - Alis volat propriis - She Flies With Her Own Wings
Tennessee - Agriculture And Commerce
Texas - Friendship
Vermont - Freedom And Unity


And now a list of state mottos that don't make sense to me:

Arizona - Ditat Deus - God Enriches
Colorado - Nil sin numine - Nothing Without Providence
Connecticut - Qui transtulit sustinet - He Who Transplanted Sustains
Georgia - Wisdom, Justice, Moderation
Louisiana - Union, Justice and Conficence
Maine - Dirigo - I Lead
Montana - Oro y plata - Gold And Silver
Nevada - All For Our Country
New Mexico - Crescit eundo - It Grows As It Goes
Washington - Al-ki - By And By

The rest? I know not enough to pass judgement.

But these 10 states, what a wonderful opportunity you have, to pick a new motto that is alluring and fitting. In 1987 Oregon changed from the bland Civil War-referential 'The Union' to the beautiful and fitting Alis volat propriis. 

Louisiana -- a state with a unique, storied, and long history has a motto that has no significance and came out of thin air in 1981? ... come on. (Hint: try something in french this time)

Nevada, all you have to do is steal Montana's motto, it makes more sense for you.

The rest, get on it.

Looking for a Better Way to Get Up Out of Bed Instead of Getting on the Internet and Checking a New Hit-Me, Get Up

How far we've come in 5 years. Still this one's worth a full watch through, something so simple and delightful to the way its done.
Happy Tuesday.

Water Water Everywhere

Perhaps its the nice weather making me cruise around more on my bike, but the Portland Water District issue has gone from 'I hear rumblings of a ballot initiative' to full-blown 'My God, the lawn signs are everywhere!'.
It could also be that we're now just 43 days away from the May 20th ballot.

My intent in this post is not so much to be political but to use this issue-of-the-moment as a demonstration of the way I think about a lot of issues... and also, hopefully, to demistify what has become a complicated mess.

A lot of the arguments you hear are something like: "$X of water funds wasted on pet project Y" -or-"Rates set to rise X% next year, stop the rate increases" 

Both of these points are examples of a micro-focus perspective. We are talking about who controls ALL of the city's supply and waste-water infrastructure, some $15 billion dollars worth of assets. Compared to this grand scale, what the rate increase is next year or who mis-spent a few million dollars 3-years ago is simply small potatoes.

So lets zoom out and see what the proposed change to a Portland Public Water District really means. 

Currently: The Portland Water Bureau (PWB) is a part of the municipal government and is overseen by the elected members of the city council. The city's Bureau of Environmental Services controls wastewater treatment. PWB sells water wholesale to Tigard, Tualtin, and Beaverton.

Proposed: A Portland Public Water District (PPWD) is overseen by an elected but unpaid board of directors representing different zones of the city, and would control water supply and wastewater treatment.

Functionally there are a few differences. 

Separating the water board from the city council allows it to act independently. The independence of the board could be used to: increase rates; decrease rates; fund water-saving education programs; zealously protect the water supply in opposition to other city projects; fund a celebration of National Ice Cream month on July 19th; zealously guard corporate water interests in opposition to city priorities. Thus the change to an independent board is a neutral change in function, it can cut either way.

City Council members are highly visible and accountable... for everything all at once, you can't simultaneously vote for Dan Saltzman because you like his youth projects and against Dan Saltzman because you disagree with him on water policy. You only get one vote.

With the PPWD board you would be able to vote for candidates with a single issue frame -- in theory. In reality, that far down the ballot, neither you nor I would have heard of any of the candidates or know enough about 'the issues' and 'their stance' to make an informed decision; PPWD board members would be largely invisible. 

Where does the PPWD initiative come from? It is financed by the largest industrial users of water in the system. PPWD supporters often talk of taming rate increases so its not a stretch of the imagination to predict that a newly elected PPWD board would cut rates and necessarily cut spending.  

To add to the confusion there is a proposed People's Water Trust which is entirely unrelated to pipes and infrastructure. The proposed trust names present and future residents and local ecologies of Portland as beneficiaries of the trust (which includes all water resources). The City of Portland is named trustee and is charged with

• Providing water equitably and affordably
• Protecting trust assets through policy and legal actions
• Commissioning independent audits
• Avoiding conflicts of interest
• Ensuring transparency and public involvement
• Avoiding privatization 
• Demonstrating fulfillment of the above

So the debate over a Public Water District appears to be simple case of a few corporations with local facilities and huge water bills stirring a ruckus in order to lower their own water bills.

But lets zoom out once again and see that whats going on here in Portland is actually a symptom of a much larger national issue. 

Cities across the nation have aging water and sewer systems that are not only incompletely mapped but also past design-life, failing, and failing to protect our waterways from sewage-laden stormwater runoff.[1-A] [1-B] [1-C]

A huge amount of money (capital) is needed to repair and maintain our water systems. It is a daunting prospect, one which many cities have responded to by playing the avoid-and-ignore card. But as we see avoiding the necessary spending now only increases the infrastructure deficit. 

[2]

We know that putting off needed infrastructure spending actually increases total costs. [3] 

Another cost pressure on municipalities is the implementation of Phase II of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) as part of the federal Clean Water Act. In brief the EPA is coaxing cities to do more to clean up stormwater runoff. 

How does Portland measure up? Its infrastructure is commensurate to the city's age, which is to say much or it is ~80 years old. Projects of the 21st century have soberly acknowledged the need for better asset management and runoff control. 

The Big Pipe was completed in 2011, and bioswales continue to sprout all over the city. Sewage overflows into the Willamette and Columbia Rivers have been reduced from the rate of 50/yr to ~3/yr. Comparably sized metro areas like St. Louis, San Diego and Baltimore have only begun planning or recently started runoff reduction plans. 

In 2004 the PWB formed an Asset Management Group that worked to get its house in order enough to identify deficiencies in data gathering and management of its infrastructure. In '07 PWB developed an Asset Management Charter and committed itself to best practices in the field of asset management to optimize long term cost. These programs alone place Portland ahead of many other cities in the country. [4]

Still, routine maintenance suffers and the PWB has not followed through on many of its plans from '07.[4]

Rates have increased mostly because of increasing payments to service debt related to construction of The Big Pipe. PWB now spends 32% of its revenue servicing its debt, up from 18% in '07. [4]

By zooming out twice from day-to-day muck slinging we have gained the perspective to see the big picture: water rates are going up nationwide to pay for overdue maintenance and systems to protect our waterways from urban pollutants. 

Rates have gone up in Portland because we have already completed our stormwater runoff reduction plan and are starting to deal with antiquated pipes in need of replacement. This puts our city ahead of the curve, other cities will face the same issues and will also have to raise rates. In short we're doing well but need to recommit to maintenance objectives already laid out. 

Where does ballot measure 26-156 fit into Portland's needs? 

In my view replacing one group of elected officials with a different group of elected officials to oversee Portland's water system does nothing to prioritize routine and long-term maintenance of the ~$15 billion in assets at stake. It would impose a large switching cost as PWB becomes PPWD. 

Ballot Measure 26-156 did not come out of left field. It is a stems from a serious national issue, increasing water infrastructure and maintenance costs to deal with crumbling sewers and overdue EPA rules. 

Portland should be proud that our city has moved further than most other cities in dealing with these expensive issues. Rates have gone up but not without good reason. The debate over BM 26-156 is simply a distraction. With whatever energies we have to devote to water systems, we should recognize the challenge, be thankful that Portland's leaders have met the issues head-on over the past 15 years, and we should recommit to maintaining our water infrastructure. 

Looking for a better way to get up out of bed Instead of getting on the internet and checking a new hit-me, GET UP!

I admit it... I'm on my iPhone, checking Fbook, before I even get out of bed in the morning.

For a while I felt shameful about this, that it was a dirty little secret.

Occasionally I would stumble across a quote, picture, or video which would imbue me with such Carpe Diem energy that I would literally leap out of bed to start my day.  Eventually I found that I was going on Fbook in the morning looking for that inspiration because, lets face it, sometimes it's tough to get out of bed in the morning.

This video was the most recent one to jolt me into the start of a day: Enjoy ; )
This is the first in a series of posts to give you something to get up out of bed with. They will be at 6am Eastern. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has helped me get up, your content brought me joy... and blog material. Thank You!

Quake: Expected Outcomes

In this edition of my 'Quake' series I'll discuss the likely effects of a Megathrust Earthquake on the Portland Metro Area. As a reminder I don't have any seismic-engineering credentials; I'm just a nerd obsessed with The Big One.

The coastal communities of Oregon will be subject to the strongest shaking and a swiftly following tsunami. They will be leveled. 

Portland is inland so there will be attenuated shaking, which makes our case harder to predict. There is a wide span that exists between Major Destruction and Minor Disruption. These are my prediction:

Lets start with the obvious: the many utility poles will topple or be taken out by falling trees, the power grid will be down... which means no cell phone service. There will be some water main breaks in areas of liquefaction and lots of breakages at the connections to individual buildings. Natural Gas supply lines will also suffer breaks, again most of them occurring where the feeder pipe reaches an individual building.

The combination of leaking natural gas and sparking electrical wires will undoubtably start fires across the city. The fire department's job will be complicated by the difficulty in moving through the debris-strewn streets, irregular water supply at hydrants, and the overwhelming nature of the disaster.

Structures:

Wooden Homes are statistically the safest in a quake, the wood can flex with the shaking and loading is usually low. As with all of these categories, outcomes will vary. Newer homes and those with only a single story will do best. Some wooden homes in Portland have been moved from where they were originally built, this was done frequently in the days before modern safety regulations made moves cost prohibitive. Many of these homes are simply sitting on a foundation created for them at the new site. Many will shake off of their foundations and fall into the basement or suffer partial collapse. Most wooden homes will remain at least partially inhabitable. Hardest hit will be wooden homes affected by ground subsidence, houses perched on the West Hills, Alameda Ridge and Mt. Tabor are particularly vulnerable. Some of the newer construction in Portland, such as Hawthorne Twenty-Six (All wood, 4 stories, hillside location) seems particularly likely to be uninhabitable after a major quake.    

Steel/High Rise Construction Most of the residential buildings of this type are newer construction. Glass windows might shake from their frames and crash to the streets below. None will collapse. 100-year old 1st generation steel buildings, 10 to 15 stories each will suffer the worst. Soil liquefaction will be a big threat downtown, which is built on sandy wash from the Willamette River. Older buildings could tilt dramatically and sink into the ground. Buildings in Lloyd Center will be comparatively unaffected.

Reinforced Concrete Structures will suffer brittle failure of the concrete at key joints but should hold together due to their steel reinforcements. Given the widespread use of this building material it is easy to imagine some small collapses due to either improper steel reinforcement linking during construction or corrosion of steel reinforcements exposed to Portland's humid climate through unrepaired cracks.  Most will be declared uninhabitable following the quake.

Unreinforced Masonry Structures These are the killers, the mortar simply cannot hold as the bricks or cinder blocks start shaking themselves apart. A few of these buildings have had expensive seismic retrofits. Most have not. Many are shops and warehouses. The SE Industrial District will suffer many collapses. Multi-story residential buildings present the greatest danger: The Ford Building at the corner of SE 11th and Division is chic, it will not be here after the quake

This cute apartment at 1405 SW Park is 3 stories, its right next to a modern building too, it could probably take advantage of this location in a seismic retrofit.

The beautiful 4-story Trinity Place Apartments in the Alphabet District have had a seismic-retrofit on the order of half a million dollars, for 36 units, thats ~$14,000 a unit for a dramatic safety improvement. Cheap insurance on a human life. The City has compiled a Listing of Unreinforced Masonry Buildings in Portland.  

Bridges, this city isn't called bridgetown for nothing. Perhaps the signature Willamette crossings, the Steel Bridge and the Hawthorne Bridge have huge counterweights suspended in towers. These will try to remain stationary as the bridge shakes back and forth during the quake, when the weights bang against the steel towers they will produce tremendous forces that will destroy the towers.  

The I-5 interstate bridge shares this vulnerability. The Burnside and Morrison Bridges have a chance at survival. The Freemont, Marquam and St. Johns bridges have the best chance for survival. The New Transit bridge designed with the most current seismic knowledge is likely to suffer the least.

However there is a weak link for all the bridges of the 20th century  --  the approach spans are concrete/steel truss sections which will shake off of their supports and fall.

I wouldn't want to be under this approach span to the Hawthorne Bridge during the quake.

This approach to The Morrison Bridge looks to be just as dangerous.  

The I-5 approaches to the Marquam Bridge have been retrofit with steel cables. They are designed to keep the steel road sections from collapsing even if they separate from their mounts.

Other I-5 connectors such as these flyovers where The Banfield Expressway meets I-5 appear not to have been retrofit and look like collapses waiting to happen.

Only the elevated sections of 99E appear safe. This newer construction has steel reinforcing ties between the deck and the support pylons that are surrounded by concrete.

Regardless of the extent of the actual damage all the bridges will be closed immediately following the quake so that engineers can assess their safety prior to reopening. Thus if you happen to be on the opposite side of the river from where you live, expect to be stuck... or swim for it... or wait to get on a boat. Impromptu ferry service is guaranteed to pop-up.
 

The Founders of Youtube Deserve the Nobel Prize

Remember these guys? They were front page news on October 9th 2006 when it was announced that Google was buying Youtube for the then princely sum of $1.65 billion. Now they have disappeared into the milieu of The Valley.

Someone needs to dig them out and give them a Nobel Prize. Heres why:

Yes, yes, this video is on Vimeo, not Youtube. But it is a life changer, well worth your 9 minutes right now, even if you've already seen it once. Millions have, though it's hard to know exactly how many because The David Foster Wallace Literary Trust insists it is a copyright violation, so it continues to be taken down and re-posted. (Thats an issue for another day and another post)

• One Video
• Millions of lives changed
• $0 distribution cost to the content producer to put it in front of ∞ eyeballs 
• No editorial barrier to entry

This is the world-changing power that the Youtube revolution brought. 

Ted Talks change lives and make the world a better place. 

Brene Brown - 14 Million Views
Simon Sinek - 16 Million Views
Ron Finley   -  2 Million Views
Dennis Dutton - 1.5 Million Views

In a smaller but more dispersed way Youtube changed the world by empowering us all to do things we'd never attempted before. There are literally hundreds of millions of tutorial videos out there.

And then there is the power to change a single life.

In 2007 Arnel Pineda was literally picked from a life of mediocrity in Manilla to be the lead singer of Journey. All because of a few Youtube videos uploaded by a fan.

"But theres so much time-wasting stuff out there on Youtube"
   Now I'm the first to admit that theres a lot of junk out there, but that doesn't detract from the fact that 0.01% have changed the world immeasurably for the better.  

"But internet video was an idea who's time had come/there are lots of video websites/those guys were just in the right place at the right time"
   Internet video had been around since the mid-nineties, but it was hard to upload, self-hosted, and difficult to watch (remember Real Player?). In fact it was an idea that was overdue, and those who made Youtube did a lot of work to bring the right mix of features and technology together to make internet video work. To the victor go the spoils.

"But they only give out Nobel Prizes for physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace"
    True, but over the last 113 years the theme has become that those receiving the prize made achievements in their field which precipitated world changing effects. How 'bout a new prize for those who change the world and help make it a better place? Then we could restore the peace prize to those who work on ending wars, disarmament, and peaceful relations between nations. (If you haven't already noticed, the peace prize has gotten seriously off track in just the past 10 years)

Chad Hurley, Jawed Karim, Steve Chen; you are my laureates.    

Now I'm gonna go watch Katy Perry's Tenage Dream... on Youtube.



       

Perfectionism is Great...

Perfectionism is great...
                                     because I love being me.
                                                                              And I am a perfectionist.

Perfectionism is not always great...
                                     because sometimes it strains my relationship with myself and others.


Today I had plans to meet a friend for lunch. He ran late, I had to get ready for work, normal real-world outcome. However I felt so shamed about the broken plans that I closed myself off and didn't answer his call. He was probably calling to say he was sorry it took so long, I didn't even give him the opportunity to express that.

Today, a co-worker and I were setting up a display. We had different ideas about the proper way to do it. Both ways were totally acceptable. He tried to explain his vision but I went about it my way, and he left in a huff.

I hope that this year is one in which I can overcome the downsides of my perfectionism, while embracing the upsides. I hope to experience a paradigm shift.  

Hoping wont make it so. There is work to be done, I must work to accept my perfectionism for what it is.

A favorite theory of mine of late:

• Step 1: Recognize it
• Step 2: Accept it
• Step 3: Splendid outcomes flow forth

Step 1 requires some careful observation of ones self, but is actually fairly easy. 

Step 2 is difficult and cuts straight to the center

Step 3 requires almost no effort, it is simply the life outcome of acceptance

Step 3 is what you want, its the blank in "I hope ______", but actually it is the emergent result of the process.

Embrace the process, not the goal.

Quake: Preparedness

I wanted to say, 'It was easy, it didn't even take 6 hours!' when I went around waving the banner of Earthquake Awareness Month. Now, having done it, I can say that only one of those is true. It was easy. But it did take time.

What did I do to get prepared? I started by reading information from the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM). I found out that I already knew the steps to take, they had seeped in from the zeitgeist:

• Discuss what to do in an emergency with my household
• Pick emergency meeting points: Primary and Secondary
• Build a kit with basics  (H2O, First Aid Kit, Duct Tape, Batteries etc.)

After grasping the concept I called a household meeting, which is always nice to have when you live with roommates. Because they happen so infrequently there are always some things to discuss, but I saved earthquake preparedness for the main course. We all agreed that the house would be the primary meeting point, and that if we were not able to meet at home for some reason, that the secondary meeting point would be at my roommate's business. We decided to split the cost of preparedness supplies. We patted ourselves on the back because our hot water heater was already strapped. We talked about the locations of fire extinguishers, the electrical circuit breaker box, the natural gas shutoff valve and the main water shut off valve. We agreed that shutting off water, gas and electricity would be one of the first things to do after a quake. 

Building the kit was easy, we already had two first aid kits. I checked over the contents and they were both good, so I split the better one off to be part of the kit. At the supermarket I got batteries, duct tape and big plastic trash bags. We already had tape, batteries and bags of course, but the idea behind the kit is to have a separate stash that we don't go to except in an emergency, and to keep it all in one place. No one wants to be hunting through piles of debris to find a roll of tape in an emergency; and of course you'll finally find it only to recall that you had used all but the last yard the week before while fixing a tent. I got a bin at Target, and some reflective markings at The Home Depot. I could have used a box, but I wanted the bin to be waterproof since there will likely be some broken pipes following the earthquake.

I figured that we would need about a gallon of water per day for the 7 day recommend period. 4ppl x 1 Gal/day x 7 days = 28 Gal. We have a dog too, so a few extra gallons for him brings us past 30 gallons. Of course there's always water in the toilet tanks, and the hot water heater, and some bottled and canned beverages lying around but you don't want to include these because they may not be accessible, they're there to push you past the meagerness of a gallon a day existence. I compared the prices of water jugs on Amazon and at the local Army/Navy store. Andy&Bax actually had one type of jug cheaper than Amazon, but the kind I got were definitely the right price. I bought 5 of the 6-gallon jugs to get us to 30 gallons of water. 

One component of the kit was something I hadn't thought about until I walked around Andy&Bax; where to poop? The things they were selling for rafting adventures seemed very expensive for what is in effect a glorified poop bucket. Fortunately a few days later I noticed three blue 5-gallon buckets with matching snap on lids outside the local deli. They smelled like pickles, even after I rinsed them out a bit. Buckets are great to have and after an earthquake we'll be happy to have a few that have the air-tight lids!

The most important piece of kit was the one you cant buy in a store  --  an Emergency Information Sheet. Mine has:

• 2 emergency contact phone numbers for each person
• Appropriate phone numbers for Fire Services, Police, Water Bureau, NW Natural, PGE, PBEM
• The location of the nearest fire stations and Communication Node (Phones wont be much good after The Big One) 
• The locations of meeting places, fire extinguishers and main valves as discussed above 
• Instructions for shutting the gas valve
• Instructions for getting drinking water from a hot water heater tank

The Sheet went on the fridge and inside the lid of the emergency bin. 

After assembling the kit I had to decide where to put everything. I had to think about what things will be like after a MegaQuake: floors could collapse, the house could flood or catch on fire, appliances could be toppled. (more on this in another post) I put the emergency bin in the entryway, that way it will be near the front door for easy accessibility, also passing by it every day reminds you that it's there. Also all my roommates know what it looks like 'cause they pass by it too. The water jugs went in the basement, very near the basement door for access, and next to the hefty tool bench so that if there is a collapse it will bear the brunt preventing the water containers from getting crushed. 

Wow, I know, it sounds like a lot. It probably took more than 12 hours. But each individual part was easy. Tracing the pipes to the main water valve was honestly the hardest part. There are still a few inessential things left, like getting more gauze/bandage and aluminized mylar for the emergency kit. Now that everything is set all I have to do is wait for my phone to beep in 6 months telling me to change the water in the jugs. Hopefully I never have to use any of this, but its reassuring to know its there. 

March Is Oregon Earthquake Awareness Month!

And tsunami awareness month... but theres not much you can do about those.

A brief reminder, we live smack in the middle of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The subduction event of the Juan de Fuca plate sliding under the North American Plate will trigger a giant tsunami and shake the ground with 8~9 Richter scale force. Thats a pretty serious earthquake, it will be similar to Japan's 2011 Tohoku quake.

Its is apropos to write this post today since my friend posted an article to Fbook this morning warning that based on recent seismic and volcanic activity the time could be soon for 'The Big One'.

The reality is that we have no way to predict when The Big One will hit. It will strike without warning.
What we do know is that the Juan De Fuca plate subducts about every 300 years, the last one was on January 26, 1700... 314 years ago. Scientists estimate that within the next 50 years the risk of a Megathrust Earthquake in Cascadia is between 10% and 40%. I say that based on a certainty of subduction within the next hundred years, the odds of The Big One occurring in any given month are ~1 in 1,500.

For reference: the odds of me winning the Mega Millions jackpot tonight are 1 in 258,890,850
The odds of the quake happening between now (4pm) and the drawing at 8:  1 in       219,145  

So now that you're aware,
what can you do to prepare?

[Dear Reader: I hate to pull the "find out at 11...", but alas I have run out of time before work. I promise to deliver solid measures in the next post. Until then, pray that neither of those extremely unlikely events occur tonight, they would both be hell, and I'm only prepared for one of them]

Its Not A New Album But...

Incorruptible Heart by Lavender Diamond is simply the most beautiful music I have ever listened to. It helps that whoever did the mastering of the album is a master of the trade, tons of high pitched notes and it always sounds beautiful no matter where I listen.

https://soundcloud.com/lavender-diamond

Dried Beans, Not So Hard After All

I've been stumped by dried beans my whole life. I sometimes bought them because they were cheap, but then they would sit in my pantry forever because I wasn't confident enough in what to do with them. 

Eventually they would call out to me and I would fly by a recipe from the back of the packaging or from the internet that promised fully cooked beans in almost no time, just boil, simmer and voilà.
The beans never came out though, they were always undercooked. 

One of the huge benefits of living with roommates is that you can learn their culinary techniques through osmosis. So finally I have learned to master the lowly dried bean thanks to my roommate Dave. 

Step 1: Soak Your Beans
Submerged by a couple inches of water, sat on the counter overnight. By the time I was ready to cook the beans had expanded and absorbed almost all the water.

Step 2: Make Your Base
I wasn't going for creativity on this project so I started out the way I start almost every meal, by chopping onions. 

I diced them fine and sweated them in a mixture of butter and camelina oil in the liner of the crock pot over medium stovetop heat. After 5 or 10 minutes I transferred the liner to the crock-pot. Of course a more imaginative and interesting base would have been cool too, next time maybe.

Step 3: Crock-Pot!
Here is the magic of the whole operation: Low and Slow. I added the beans, water, salt, a few crushed cloves of garlic, a bay leaf, and a smoked uncured pork hock, yum.

I set it to low and walked away.
By the time I got in late that night the whole house smelled delicious and the bean juice was properly dank.

24 hours on the crock-pot and lunch was served.

The beans were velvety through and came with a terrific bean juice that had soaked up that pork flavor.  Honestly they were better than canned.
After lunch I adjusted the seasoning by adding a full packet of Sazon Goya. It is a blend of NaCl and MSG with a few spices. I mean the beans already had plenty of umami from the ham hock, but to me its just not arroz frijol without Sazon Goya.

I broke up the pork so that the meat would come in bite sized chunks mixed in with the beans and then removed the bone.

For safe storage I transferred the beans to a thin-walled steel pot with a lid and placed it in an ice bath in my sink for an hour and a half. This cooled it down quickly so that bacteria had no time to invade. Then it went in the fridge for fine yumminess all week!  


Now if you don't own a slow cooker, you may be wondering how you too can enjoy the miracle of dried beans. If you have an electric stovetop you can use the same methodology with the pot simmering on a low setting (1.5~2 out of 10) for 24 hours. If you have a gas stove, it honestly is not safe to walk away for that long with the stove running... get a slow cooker... or borrow your neighbors.

Burning Man is a Drug... and we're all addicted.

Us burners that is. Addicted to that feeling, we chase it like a crazed junky.

Seriously... Did we forget that there is no playa? That Burning Man is 365 days a year. That we must carry the lessons through our lives every moment, not just once a week or around certain people or in August.
Through Julia Child's eyes, "Life itself is the proper binge."

Sometimes we put The Burn on a pedestal, I'm as guilty as the rest.

The Burn is a tool to teach the lessons to initiates... and a million other things.

But sometimes I feel like we put it on a pedestal... so this is my rant.

Andy Never Forgets and thats why he is awesome ; )

Posts You Wish You Could Smell

4 Yards of freshly chipped wood.

Delivered to our house this morning, Gratis.
The different trees combine to create an intoxicating aroma of Doug Fir, Alder, fresh sap. Earthy and green tones intermingling on the palate.
Thank you Harrity Tree Specialists.

Almost worth it just for the scent, but of course we have bigger plans.

Spring has sprung, this week is proof of that, and March is the month for prepping the soil, but this year we are going with a radical no-till approach. Dave and I were made to watch the documentary Back To Eden last Sunday by Dave's mom Kai.

At first we didn't open ourselves up to the film because of its christian themes. Its amazing how well our generation was trained to lock down and shut off at the slightest hint of christian proselytizing. True open-mindedness is stronger than that reflex and I'm still working on this.

By the end of the film we were both "converted" to Paul Gautschi's no-till, wood chip method. I won't try and summarize the methodology here, thats why theres a whole movie, but I love that it's a plan rooted in long term thinking and sustainability. [I guess thats why the they invented the word permaculture]

Portland Cheap Eats Map 2014

Willamette Week published a thorough guide to cheap restaurants and food carts a few weeks ago. Reading the whole guide was mouthwatering and tiresome and of course resulted in a 'short list' of places to check out that was anything but short. In fact it was so long that I wouldn't have been able to use it at all to go to any of these places.

Curate and Compile [the massive flood of data we are presented every instant]... this is the challenge of the web today.

I wish Willamette Week had made a map/App for their cheap eats guide, as I have seen in other cities, but part of me is glad that they didn't, 'cause I got to do this fun project and make my map. I threw in two of my personal faves, and will probably update it over time.


View Portland Cheap Eats 2014 in a larger map
Fast Food icon is for food carts and places that are mostly take out.

This project already paid off tonight when I was driving in northeast and remembered that I was near a place on the map. Dinner at Angel Food & Fun was terrific. I had actually gotten a burrito there once when I lived in NE and thought it was OK. The pick from the cheap eats guide - Relleno Negro - was astoundingly good. Turkey and pork/egg patty floating in a pool of rich negro sauce, spiced (but not spicy), loaded with umami from the turkey fat, sopped onto the super fresh tortillas, the sauce was the star of the dish.