Family Portrait B

Thanks again to Mr. Longbrake.

Fridge Wisdom

Filed

Am I the only person who hopes that he checked all the correct boxes and put in all the correct numbers? I just know that some day I'm gonna get audited and they'll say something like, "You said you made $18 at that gig....receipts show you made $20! And they put you up for the night. Oh yah, buddy, you're gonna pay for that mess-up!"

Lord, have mercy.

Beneath the Surface

I just finished the FRONTLINE program called "Inside the Meltdown." Wow. That was heavy.

You can view it below.



Thing is, for me, I don't have stocks (well, I have 1 in Apple and 1 in Toyota) and our IRAs are ridiculously malnourished (we just started them last year), so it doesn't really affect me right away. We bought our car with cash and our house with a mortgage with a decent rate that's a fixed 30-year.

But I know that there are people out there who are deeply affected by this looming (or already imminent) mess. I hear people saying naive things about how annoyed they are by people talking about it and making conservative fiscal decisions because of it.

Our workload has slowed and that has certainly been a wake-up call to us. And we've begun to really introduce a budget and take a hard look at some numbers and "supposed" values.

I wondered at the end of this FRONTLINE about the future of the USA. Will this be the thing that truly begins to dethrone the most powerful nation in the world? Will people like me wake from their slumber and try to live more frugally? Or will we suffocate in our own decadence? Who knows what's ahead. Do you?

Are you changing the way you live? Does it shift your world much? Or are you still kinda untouched by this economic shift? Or are you choosing as a discipline to try to think positive and not perpetuate the decline myth? Do tell.

And Finally

More indepth coverage at Holly's blog.

25 Things

I cannot believe I'm doing this, but enough friends have led the way, so I am now merely a follower in this great cause called 25 THINGS. You know the drill.


I was a "professional" pastor for 2-5 years, depending on how you view it.

I never tell that fact to a soul.

I'll always be a pastor in some way, shape, or form.

I am jealous of my wife's patience, thoughtfulness, and care toward both Pax and I. I would always try to give the same energy back, but it comes at a cost I'm not willing to pay some times.

Part of the reason I love Portland so much is because it reminds me of where I grew up in north Texas. In some ways.

Part of the reason I love Portland so much is because it reminds me of San Francisco. In some ways.

I love wine, but am still a novice oenophile who likes to pretend.

I wanted to wear glasses so badly in high school that I wore fake glasses.

I love the outdoors.

I'm terrified of camping by myself or with Holly or really outside at all. I am convinced that either A) Someone is going to kill me or B) Some animal will make me their midnight snack.

I am so afraid of heights/falling, that when we rode a gondola in Switzerland, I cried for the full 5 minutes. It was quite a sight.

I love dogs, but I don't want one right now.

I hate cats. I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate cats. Period. There is no cat that is like a dog (sorry Jesse) and I cannot stand cats. I am simply opposed to them philosophically and pragmatically. Nuff said.

I fear that I will fail at everything I start, so I start fewer things than I used to.

I am deeply skeptical of people who are really dispassionate and hard to provoke.

I am even more skeptical of people who are passionate about everything under the sun.

I have been both of those people at some point along the way.

I cannot imagine a life without Paxton, yet he has made my life more complicated than I ever thought it could be.

Paxton and Holly have a direct line to my heart which means that they, more than anyone else, can make me laugh and smile and make me curse my existence more quickly than any one else I know.

I have always felt like a poser.

I keep waiting for the day when I will do something just because I want to or think it is a good thing to do, regardless of who's watching. For me, everything is material and my life feels like a performance. (Some of you will get that; some of you won't.)

I like singing and writing songs, but I will not die if I cannot touch my guitar ever again. I don't need it that way. But I enjoy it.

I always wanted to be able to draw or articulate visions on paper. But I never could. Not even with a computer.

I think that most all people simply do what makes sense to them and then write their story (or call on authority) to support their case.

I am a recovering fundamentalist who is fundamentally opposed to fundamentalism in all forms...progressive, conservative, religious, idealogical. Basically I'm opposed to believing 100% in anything, simply because I feel that if you cannot critique your self, your group, your identity, your society, your world, then you're not really seeing clearly. Am I fundamentalist about this? Well I did say that I'm fundamentally opposed to fundamentalism, so you do the word math.

Installation Art

So this is how the piece turned out, for now. Holly's planning on painting something on the windows as well.

What I Did This Evening

Thanks to Adam for such beautiful words. To hear a little back story, check out his blog.



beneath the sky
by Adam Klein

Beneath the blanket of warm gray sky
moisture falls
The parched land forced to rest

it can only produce so much
for so long

Shoots and fruits have withered
the herds passed
all that remains are ghosts of life passed

it can only produce so much
for so long

it pines for lush green, flourishing life
pulling at all its resources
pushing, striving, and trying to be fertile

it's left barren
dusty and cracked

Beneath the blanket of warm gray sky
moisture falls
and light enters through each drop
the land bathes itself in eternity present
resting in the sky
resting in what holds its being together

Beneath the blanket of warm gray sky
rest weary wanderlust
rest passing pilgrim
rest earnest seeker
looking for life in odd doors
vintage windows
eclectic mixes
worn streets
and torn sheets

rest till the breath you breathe
penetrates the pulsing soul
evaporating the imposed veils of separation

rest until the air you swim in is
thick with the being of love

rest until you is we

Beneath the blanket of warm gray sky
rest.

Birthday Breakfast

Birthday Snow

Holly and I went to the Willamette Valley yesterday and stayed the
night in McMinnville. Walked through vineyards to cellars in the sleet
and rain, only to wake today to snow. Nice.

We had tapas and Tempeanillo last night to celebrate the impending
trip to Spain. Got way too dull and now we're off to a big breakfast.
Dear Lord.

Pax is with Brad and Birgitta and Maddax and Vienna. Okay time to
drive...

Reports on Wine Drinking

So, just in case you were interested in what the results from the wine survey were, I'll include this graph below. The other stuff isn't reading as clearly when I export, so it'll have to wait, but I have no problem sharing it with you if you're interested. It was very helpful to me, so thanks to the 70 or so of you that participated.

AVERAGE BOTTLE AMOUNT YOU SPEND...

Looking for a Web Application Developer

Preferably one experienced in PHP, with experience in building some level of social software. If you are one or know a good one, please do email me. Thanks!

Congrats Stavlunds

So happy to see that there's another little Stavlund on the world.

Dick's Words

Protecting the country’s security is “a tough, mean, dirty, nasty business,” he said. “These are evil people. And we’re not going to win this fight by turning the other cheek.”

Wow. Well there it is.

This is My Excavation

As my sister posted, I must post. I, too, seem to find words very powerful. Especially ones that are put together in such a way as to dislodge something deep within me.

I am a johnny-come-lately to most music. I came upon Bon Iver after Mike reviewed them (and according to his blog, he had just recently discovered them as well).

Last night, as I stared at my computer screen entering data, I put Re: Stacks on repeat because it just felt right.

This my excavation and today is Qumran
Everything that happens is from now on

I thought of Mike and Stacy and Ella and how they're about to give birth to their second baby girl. I thought about friends in transition who are landing. I thought about the many stops along the way I've taken.

At the end of the night, I felt very sad and empty. I have fewer and fewer Qumrans. Life is much more full of nuance and everyday spice...less of the big stuff. Or the big stuff seems smaller now. Or I dunno.

I didn't hole up in a cabin in Wisconsin this winter, but I didn't need to. Justin did. And he reconnected with the Ground which is connected to me. Which is how he knew to write these words. He tapped into It. Thanks man.

A Quick Thought on Protectionism and Globalisation

I know this is a topic of discussion globally right now, so I figured I'd weigh in.

I'm all about buying locally, supporting artists/growers/farmers in my region, but I think I do this hypocritically.

That is, I believe in some sort of brotherhood of man, that we're all connected and that national boundaries are (somewhat) insignificant in the grand picture. (Of course, nationality is very important when discussing values, the stories we live by, expectations, blah, blah, blah.) But I believe in globalisation as an idea (though the reality has had a rough start since it was started by the powerful...seems sketchy to be sure).

You see, I believe in globalisation like I believe in trading with my neighbors. For example, Rob (our neighbor down the street) is a great handiman. He helped me put some shingles up where there was a hole on the side of our house. I could have done that, but I valued his ability and skill and paid him for it. Perhaps at some point, he'll hire us to design a website because we're pretty good at that. This is called trade. And in the largest sense, this is called community.

Yes, I did just say that trade is community.

I've known a great many folks (myself included) who have overvalued "going off the grid"...this idea of getting off the Empire's system, going into the margins, etc. But isn't this a form of isolationism, elitism, and narrow tribalism? It's the perfect American hero...a person/small community shouting a loud (or quiet) Fuck You! to the "Empire" (as if it's that simple).

But I think we miss something here. We would say that trading in our neighborhood is a good idea, and buying stuff locally-made is great. (Of course food could be a wholly different discussion here.) But what about buying stuff from our neighborhood of neighborhoods called the State of Oregon? Or our neighborhoods of neighborhoods of neighborhoods called the US? Or our neighborhoods of.....you get it: The World.

Now I can only write this post because I used to think it was much more black and white, but I see more nuance now and I really think that entering into a phase of protectionism and it's shadow (isolationism) would be dangerous.

Trade is community. The "off the gridders" don't need anyone. That is not community.

Anyone else have thoughts along this vein? Again, I'm not pointing fingers. I'm just suggesting the duplicity that many of us live by...myself hugely included.

Last Night

We hosted a fun wine-tasting get together at our place last night. It was fun, hopefully educational, and something we'll share with you in due time. :)

Amos shot a few pics and this was my fave...


If you're in the area and would like to join, we're hoping to host at least one more in the month of Feb...perhaps even two.

Obama Aftermath

Right, right, this is my neighborhood...for rills, yo. You'll have a chuckle. We did.

The Enthusiast Beckons...

...come on...comment as to what kind of wine buyer you are!

Please?

Enthusiast?
Image Seeker?
Savvy Shopper?
Traditionalist?
Satisfied Sipper?
Overwhelmed?

A mixture...er, a cuvée of each? But which ones?

[Just to have it said, I didn't construct these categories. They were constructed by Constellation, the largest owner of wineries worldwide. These were the categories they defined after doing years of research nation-wide. It was something called the Wine Genome Project.]

How Do You Interact with Wine?

Still doing some research. If you have time, comment who of these six types you think you might be. Sorry, no anonymous comments.

ENTHUSIASTS
• Entertain at home with friends and consider themselves knowledgeable about wine
• Live in cosmopolitan centers, affluent suburban spreads or comfortable country settings
• Like to browse the wine section, publications and are Influenced by wine ratings & reviews
• 47% of Enthusiasts buy wine in 1.5L size – “everyday wine” to supplement their “weekend wine”
• 98% of Enthusiasts buy wine over $6 and it accounts for 56% of what they buy on a volume basis

IMAGE SEEKERS
• View wine as a status symbol
• Have a basic knowledge of wine and discovering wines is new to them
• Likes to be the first to try a new wine, and are open to innovative packaging
• The number one most purchased varietal Merlot
• Use the Internet as key information source including checking restaurant wine lists before they dine out

SAVVY SHOPPERS
• Enjoy shopping for wine and discovering new varietals on their own
• Have a few favorite wines to supplement new discoveries
• Shop in a variety of stores each week to find best deals and like specials and discounts
• Heavy coupon users and know what’s on sale before they walk into a store
• When dining out they typically buy a glass of the house because of the value

TRADITIONALIST
• Enjoy wines from established wineries
• Think wine makes an occasion more formal and prefer entertaining friends and family at home to going out
• Like to be offered a wide variety of well-known national brands
• Won’t often try new wine brands
• Shop at retail locations that make it easy to find favorite brands

SATISFIED SIPPERS
• Don’t know much about wine, just know what they like to drink
• Usually buy the same brand, usually domestic and consider wine an everyday beverage
• Don’t enjoy the wine-buying experience so buy 1.5L bottles to have more wine on hand
• Second-biggest category of warehouse shoppers, buying 16 percent of wine in club stores
• Don’t dine out often but likely to order the house wine when they do

OVERWHELMED
• Overwhelmed by sheer volume of choices on store shelves
• Like to drink wine but don’t know what kind to buy and may select by label
• Looking for wine information in retail settings that’s easy to understand
• Very open to advice but frustrated when there is no one in the wine section to help
• If information is confusing they won’t buy anything at all