Expanding Radius

One might expect a veiled allusion to my girth here, as my volume, as in weight, has been a blogged concern.  However, since dropping most milk intake and picking up in Glenn's footsteps on a daily walk, I've shed about thirty and don't worry about my sheer bulk quite as much.

No, I was thinking about how Division is so up and coming and my center of gravity, if we add and average, is dividing more between Oasis and Atlas, both pizza joints, whereas before it was only Oasis.  Today I'm heading to Atlas to use the wifi and get some work done.

These three arterials, Belmont, Hawthorne and Division, run down the "mountain" (big hill, small volcano) Mt. Tabor and define an inner east side some call Asylum District, out of deference to Dr. Hawthorne's subcontracted institution (1862-1883) before Salem got serious and built the one in "one flew over the cuckoo's nest" -- or was that next in the series?

Since then, there's been another one I think.  So is the famous one a McMenamins?

You'll find this is a city of reflections as Asylum District mirrors The Pearl in terms of what franchises and outlets you'll find.  You'll think there's one of something, then cross the river, and find its twin.  Some "chains" are only two stores.  Economies of scale suggest doing things that way.

My co-worker and I have wifi jobs meaning we telecommute for the most part, although sometimes we fly places and have meetings, for days at a time.  That's maybe an unfamiliar pattern to most boomers (I'm a late boomer) but many start ups work this way.  We're not a start up so much as a satellite, a small operation within a larger enterprise.

Dinner Parties

:: steve and diana ::

Steve Holden, expecting to leave Portland in the near future, is throwing dinner parties.

Tonight I'm with a most favorite Diana, who tends a nearby bar.

She's done Las Vegas and is extremely professional, off the scale people skills.

Two nights before:  Melody and Brenda.

So yes, I'm benefiting from Steve's wanting to maximize the value of his remaining time here.

:: brenda ::

:: melody ::

Presentations and Groups

I missed the last ISEPP lecture.  However I've remained active in ISEPP management at least insofar as I've helped with a likely transition to a Google Group with overlapping calendars, for managing the conference room.

I need to call Don back (we were just on the phone), to find out if we have the Wanderers stuff scheduled.  I don't think I saw our schedule last I checked.

I've joined the May Day Coalition's fundraising subcommittee this year.  IT workers of the world do not get as much respect as they deserve, for often meeting a 99% operational standard.  I'm happy to join in solidarity with these unions and after the last meeting (where I was note taker) I snagged maydaypdx.org (with a little help from an LLC).

I did make a Thirsters talk recently, on Sierra Leone, and what a particular group is doing to catalyze healing.  The State Department is privy to a lot of this same information.  We learned about the impact of ebola, hopes and dreams for the region.  I'd been under the impression Sri Lanka was the topic owing to a mistake in one of the circulars.  I would have gone anyway as I was looking forward to having a few minutes with Barbara, driving her home.

I could go on and on about Sierra Leone.  Lets just say I'm glad a lot of good people are doing their best.  We've trained really hard around potential conflicts so our disaster relief skills as a species are severely wanting, anyone can tell you that.

For NPYM Quakers I created MMM-PSC and MMM-EEG and quickly gave the latter away, as it's unbecoming of a Friend to appear too greedy.  Owning just the former is sufficient for my practice at this time.  MMM-SMAD would be for some other Friend to establish.  I fully appreciate that some Friends may not wish to choose a Google service.

Selma (movie review)

MLK Day is tomorrow, a national holiday. Yay.

I've just launched a new listserv named MMM-PSC for use within the meeting, others invited to join, and since it's a Google Group, I'm learning more about the calendar feature.  I'm to set up another Google Group for Pauling House, which will also need to use that feature.  So far so good.

I put down the 3:05 showing of Selma at Regal Lloyd 10, as a first test event for the community calendar. Then I hopped in the Nissan and high tailed it to the show.

I'd use this film to talk about "reflex-conditioning" and the need for "upgrading".  Christians pray for "divine grace" which means upgrades from God, the ultimate in Cloud Services.  But when push comes to shove, falling back on old reflexes seems easiest, and Alabama becomes a scene from Walking Dead, with white people really scary.  I mean zombie scary.

You have to empathize with the president, needing to work with these "people" (they have the right to vote).

The religious people in funny clothes show up after it's already too late, on cue, and Dr. King does the religious thing and prevents super duper violence.  Those nut case zombies had something up their sleeve for sure.

Later, with US Army protection, they make it to Montgomery.  The Army always gets drafted into protecting lost causes it seems, "tricked" by the Constitution or a Federal treaty into doing the right thing.

Great acting, well researched.  Not like I was there or anything (in Selma, myself).

If you want to understand my timeline, my parents were Chicago-based activists who wanted to live in a "mixed" neighborhood and not be gentrification agents when moving to Portland.

Dad was somewhat disgusted with US culture (too militaristic) and yearned for a more ethical sense of professionalism i.e. planning for "developing" (so-called "third world") nations.  So when Dr. King was murdered, we were already out of the country.

Nixon started bombing Cambodia soon after that, the White House going through another "episode" (picture an epileptic seizure, known as "governance" on the east coast).

Hey, the new Terminator film looks fun.

I want to say (and it's true):  the audience applauded sincerely at the conclusion of this film and I found myself filled with admiration for the cast, and of course for the true heroes this film hopes to faithfully render for newcomers.

Thank you for a great re-enactment of a terrible chapter in the North American territories, when the "freed" slaves still had an uphill battle to get any recognition for their status as full citizens and competent governors.

In 2015, with a so-called "Negro" (black) president, we're manifestly a long way down the road, but still have a long way to go.  Racism is a deeply rooted meme virus.  We should have black presidents from now on maybe, but with more women butting in.  It's not up to me, just I wouldn't mind that outcome.  Native Americans have dual citizenship so vote in both local and Federal elections.

Launch Party!

:: new Quaker listservs on the radar ::

Another Boycott?

Why submit to taking the SAT when Pearson holds back our American Heritage?

More context @ Math Forum.

AFSC knows a lot about BDS campaigns, I should consult with them.

Tetra-volumes:  a New England Transcendentalist idea.

If you don't know about tetra-volumes you're maybe illiterate regarding American Literature?

Through no fault of your own perhaps.

Meeting a Plane

I'm at Beaches again, meeting a plane.  I was here a few days ago, meeting Lindsey's from Florida.  Now I'm meeting Steve's.  Other near and dear are flying today.  I had Patrick and Spencer over.  Patrick brought a locally famous fresh hops beer, Sticky Hands, and I supplied fried chicken.

Mostly I've been blitzing for work, given the seasonal sale and all.  The PSF is wondering why we make people log in at the web site (python.org).  Other serious language web sites aren't so encumbered.  I think it was a case of "we might need it someday".  Open governance is messy, but more democratic than you might think, especially for a benevolent dictatorship.

Speaking of ministerial matters, the next Edu-Summit (Pycon Education Summit) is fast approaching.  Given Pycon is coming to Portland in 2016, I'm not sure my bid to attend will get the serious attention it deserves.  I don't actually have much insight into home office deliberations, given I'm a telecommuter.

I am monitoring Tara on Facebook, just back in Indy from Nicaragua, with Sadie.  Her away team was studying coffee crop issues, biological in nature.  The team was computer science oriented, however they also needed someone with serious skills around lab equipment.  They had some expensive gear which Tara was helping to order when here over Thanksgiving break.  I remember printing a manual.

Lindsey's Florida visit went about as expected.  She's moving towards "third culture" status slowly but surely, a status I've held for awhile now.  Her sangha in Portland is strong and supportive.  Lower48 nuclear families tend to be launch pads for such alien spawn (as in "funny looking ETs"), as seen in American Dad.

Speaking of my multi-cultural upbringing, I was fortunate to attend a Thirsters session on Bhutan the other night.  I'll make a slide show of the slides, plus some from today.   That was Thursday night, just before meeting Lindsey's plane.  Tonight is Saturday, two days later.

Seattle is scoring well against some other NFL team (Cowboys) on Fox.  It's 31 to 17 with 2:25 left in the 4th.  OSU's Ducks creamed Florida State the other day.  You can read all about it if you go Google.

Celebrating Decades of Terrible TV