needs better respect for your superiors

caught up in the hype

2009-05-03T08:20:31Z

Doing my part to keep icons safe from the swine flu.

Summary of yet another ski trip.

2009-03-04T22:41:32Z

IMG_0463_1
Originally uploaded by fozz47.

So this year it was Revelstoke, BC. Apparently this resort used to be called Powder Springs, a few years ago they closed it and dumped gobs of money into it making it one of the biggest areas in North America. It's friggin huge! Almost seems to dwarf Whistler/Blackcomb, but it's been a while since I've been there.

Highlights were:

5 guys who've know each other an average of 25 years getting together from different states to do this trip. Doing the same shit we did during High School ski trips, like getting scolded by the hotel management and toweling the doors for some strange reason.

2 days of Sno-cat skiing with a crazy German guide. Run after run of fresh tracks and he even yodeled!

Getting to try new skis as the rentals were included.

Quaint BC town with a party atmosphere.

Bummers of the trip:

Last run of 2nd cat-skiing day, the above mentioned guide gets caught in an avalanche! He was "cutting" a slope, basically skiing across it to see if it would slide beneath him, and it slid above him. He got carried down about 100 meters, got buried towards the end, lost his brand new skis but popped out by himself at the bottom and was OK, but understandably freaked out.

Heli-skiing day was a disappointment. First I find out my Grandmother died the day before. then because of the high avalanche danger they kept us on flat routes that funneled down into tracked out trees on the entire 2nd half. Plus our group had some richy-riches who couldn't ski and needed to be coddled . At the price we paid, I want turn after turn of fresh powder.

PJ didn't go due to the current economic climate. So I had to do the long drive solo.

Doing the long drive solo, some asshole rear-ends my beautiful car! $5K+ in body damage.

Link to all the pics here.

Finally

2009-01-19T22:56:43Z

I was very happy to see this article where Obama brings up the notion that the nations populace will have to become involved and make actual sacrifices to turn our country around. After watching Ken Burn's The War I was amazed at how much the general population of the US sacrificed in the name of the war. Recycling drives, rationing, volunteer work, etc. I think it would be a much easier sell when everyone had someone they knew either deployed or with a relative deployed, and the thinking was if you are using more than your share you were taking away from the effort.

I hope that the organization behind the notion are capable of making use of sacrifices and efforts by the general populace, so we don't think that change will magically happen as we lead our everyday lives. And hopefully the notion can come to fruition without overt abuse.

Winter

2008-12-22T18:13:19Z

Trying to be a good neighbor today, I shoveled all of our walkways and sidewalks, got through 2 driveways (mine and 1 out of 3 others) and called it quits. Mostly because out there I felt like I was obligated to help the cars that would get stuck right in front of my house every 20 mins. I don't blame people for trying to get around today. My road is not a main thoroughfare, but pretty close. However since this, what, 7 day storm has started, there has not been evidence of 1 snowplow removing any snow at all. Shame on you City of Portland! And I don't want to hear about how it hardly ever snows here anymore. Get some plows!

Now is the time

2008-12-05T07:27:20Z

If nothing else, now is the time to figure out who you should listen to in the future.

I'm going to listen to Peter Schiff. And not Ben Stein or any of the other hacks. Just listen to the one pundit recommending Goldman Sachs.

Nostalgia

2008-11-04T22:53:08Z

This time of year always makes me nostalgic.

About this time, 17 years ago, a fresh faced me ditched everything NY and drove to Portland in my buddies compact car. It was one of those trips that you can only do when you are in your very early 20’s. Moved back home from college, living at my mothers, no real job prospects with a useless college degree, all my friends were commuting into NYC for entry level pee-on jobs. The mythos of the PNW was ripe with me . Mingo got us a window to move to Portland and I jumped on it. Packed his tiny car and headed out on a great road trip that we stretched out to almost 2 weeks. I remember first arriving in Portland, I woke up and we were on I-84 just entering the city. My head was on a swivel, looking around wondering what I’d gotten myself into. We ended driving through downtown at about 3:30 in the morning trying to find his grandfather’s house, I remember the strange feeling I got downtown trying to get my bearings in a new city that was now home. Living in a 1 bedroom apt. w/ another dude on $5 used mattresses (eww). Milk crates, boxes and planks made up most of our furniture. Sketchy relationships, wild parties, coming to my crappy job hung over 3 times a week. Halloween of 1991 was our first time exploring downtown.

One of the most carefree, exciting, confusing, and lonely times of my life. Again, I think you can only experience a time like that when you’re young.

More debate

2008-10-03T02:04:39Z

OMG, Palin can't pronouce "nuclear"!!!!

Do we really need another administration that does that!

Arrgh!!!

debate

2008-10-03T01:31:57Z

Where Biden is technically kicking ass, he better control himself as he's coming across as an asshole.

Let's hear it for local gold!

2008-08-10T01:33:06Z

The American women's fencing team swept the Olympics! Gold, Silver and Bronze.

Also the first medals won by any American in this Olympics.

And, get this, the gold medal winner, Mariel Zagunis is from Beaverton!

The burbs arise in Olympic gold!

What is the point of the outrage?

2008-07-21T17:37:04Z

I'm really not sure what the point of the anger relating to this story .

Two girls drowned on a beach. As far as I can tell nobody was negligent in calling for help or trying to rescue them. The outrage seems to be about people not staring at them and crying? From the picture it is unclear what people were feeling, but that seems to be crux of the story, that nobody felt bad. I admit, if I were vacationing on a beach and two girls corpses were laid out in front of me, I'd probably leave to another beach, but I'm not sure that is any better than not leaving, or standing over the bodies and just staring.

It's freakin' June!

2008-06-10T15:16:46Z

Back to the grind

2008-06-10T04:50:44Z

Ugh, first day back to class. There is nothing like 4 hours of managerial finance to keep you awake for 4 hours. Although getting out of class and it still being kind of light was a treat.

If anyone needs a gardener, I now have one that rocks! He's quick and thorough. I don't know how someone makes a piece of ground look so clean.

amai_unmei is cleaning my kitchen! tee hee. Makes me giddy!

Oops!

2008-06-05T18:17:17Z

I guess I should have posted that I'm back from China, actually been back almost 2 weeks already!

Here are some un-edited, un-commented pics from my trip. Maybe I'll work up a more narrative post on it soon.

Pics of Shanghai and train ride to Beijing

Pics of Beijing including Great Wall.

Hope you all are doing well.

China is pissing me off!

2008-05-21T12:10:43Z

I am in China and livejournal is blocked!!! Aarrgh how frustrating that is. Well screw the overbearing regime, I'm positng by email!!!

China is actually awesome, besides being here for the worlds deadliest earthquake.

And I miss all of you guys!

Reply back and let me know you are all still there!

IMG_0519

2008-05-07T00:46:18Z

IMG_0519
Originally uploaded by fozz47.

4 blocks from my house, an old Fuel company location is on fire.

Something tells me you don't want an old fuel company to catch on fire.

I guess God is taking care of him

2008-04-24T23:04:05Z

This is such a fabulous story!

A priest flies away hanging on to balloons to raise money for a rest stop for truckers "to rest and receive the gospel," !!!!!

I can't think of a better cause to die a horrible death for!

I am so fashion trendy!

2008-04-21T15:56:51Z

Last night I went to The Portland Mercury fashion show where my friend acadiabaird's company was part of the whole thing. I think that was the first fashion show I've been to since my senior high school class put one on to make money for our prom. This one was better. I didn't know people really went to fashion shows, but there was a big turnout for this one. One of the most facisnating parts about it was when I was standing in line and started to notice the peculiar choices of fashion that people wear to the fashion shows. Lots miss matched colors, hats, scarfs and vests that seemed to have been hanging in closets until just such an occasion came up to show them off.

Allison's line was beyond doubt the most sensible collection of clothing there. And her display was the only one wear you could clearly see the company's name and had clothes that people would actually wear. I know that the majority of stuff shown at fashion shows is not practical stuff that you will find in stores or people are expected to wear, but really, I don't think hoop skirts or American Indian head dresses are going to help the cause of selling clothes anytime soon. Then again, I was wearing fleece, so what do I know.

OK, haven't we gotten beyond this?

2008-03-07T04:30:30Z

Will somebody tell me What the fuck this story means?

Is it seriously a General holding a press conference to tell us that, in his mind, and his mind only, there is a terrorist threat?

Aren't we past this type of vague shit that nobody understands? C'mon. What are we paying trillions of dollars for? Give us something concrete, something besides "Well I'm a General, and since most people are stupid, this is what you should be thinking."

Holy crap if there was an attack tomorrow I don't think this story would help a bit.

Term papers

2008-03-06T23:24:21Z

For the 4th class in a row I am having a very hard time deciding on a topic for my term paper. The class is economics, and I am supposed to focus on an event that had a significant impact on the global economy roughly during the years of 1994 - 2002.

When I decide on a paper I have a pretty easy time getting into the flow of what to write, but for some reason deciding on a topic is torture for me. I repeadetly look up articles on a certain topic or general idea, gather about 5-10 on my computer, start browsing them then right away think of another idea and start searching for different topics. It may not help that I usually drink a huge cup of some type of coffee based drink before I do this.

In other news

I don't remember when I last updated my ski stuff. I know that I went up on my own Thurs Feb 28th and scraped down the icy mountain that needed more snow for a few hours. Luckily I brought the right skis and sharpened them the day before. Once I decided that anything but those trails that had been groomed were to be avoided I had a much more fun (and blazing fast) day. Kind of made me look forward to the time where I'm (hopefully still) skiing as an older man and can find peace in spending all day just skiing groomers at a mellow pace. I see myself in a long down parka, perhaps smoking a pipe at the same time. I swear I saw a guy like that about 1981 and thought that I hope I look like him when I'm that old.

Last Sunday 3/2 PJ and I went up, PJ drove the Pathfinder. Surprisingly good powder left over from the storm 2 days before if you stayed in the shade. It was a sunny bluebird day, but if you found cover there were still deep powder turns to be made. Only the 3rd day I've been there this year where they had Heather canyon open. How lame.

Someone has said she'll be moving to Portland in August, and you can damn well believe I'm going to hold her to it!

Wierd

2008-02-25T17:14:47Z

Just read on DP that the woman who's missing posters I've seen was found in Laurelhurst park lake. Not only is it creepy in an of itself, but the girl and I were in that park on Saturday and walked right by that lake. It is really more of a pond. There were about 20 kids feeding ducks at the time too.

Snow camping pics

2008-02-22T22:35:00Z

Snow camping pics

Click Here

And click here!

Snow camping was once again a success. 10 guys, 3 igloos, 4 sleds hauling tons of booze and firewood. Hilarity ensues!

60 minutes on the Candidates

2008-02-13T03:37:43Z

So I'm watching 60 minutes and they have a piece on Obama and Clinton. The one thing I'm taking away from it is that Steve Croft is a much more serious and plain better journalist. Katie Couric has spent about 1/3rd of her interview time to ask Hillary about how she keeps from getting tired on the campaign trail, if she really likes Obama, and was she popular or a nerd in High School. As far as the candidates go, Obama just keeps coming across and genuine. I remember in his early "pre-announcing" days the critiques of his speeches were that they were to detailed, and now he's winning by plain old inspirationg and instilling confidence in is charachter. Hillary still had a bit of that glazed over look people get when they are telling you something they don't believe.

Anyway, snow camping weeking coming up! Expect pictures added to this boring old journal.

And I wish someone from Seatlle would come down to visit :(

Oscar's

2008-01-22T23:03:54Z

Every year I seem to be less in touch with Oscar quality cinema.

Reading the list of nominees, I got all the way down to "Sound Editing" before I saw a movie that I had actually seen, either on screen or video. And that was Bourne Ultimatum.

I really have to get out more.

Yoga and skiing.

2008-01-14T03:05:14Z

On Saturday I went to my first Bikram Yoga class on Saturday. This is yoga done in a room that is kept at about 105 degrees! What the hell are these people thinking! It was horrid. Talk about sweat. Plus the yoga, which I've done a handful of times before, was really freakin' hard! So you have to be nuts to do that. I'm going back on Tuesday, ha ha!

1/6/2007 - PJ, CV, Eric R and I in Paulies Pathfinder head up to meadows. Meet Andy and Rob, who Eric knew for some hard hitting powder runs down Heather canyon. Great (for Oregon) powder, I was on Paul's fat skis and they floated. At one point I came off a lip and my tips went straight into a pile of packed powder, usually resulting in a bad scene as they get stuck, but before I knew it their surface area brought me back up like a kayak popping back on to the surface. Eric, Andy and Rob were all displaying mad telemark skills, bouncing around like no tomorrow. 4th day and they were all great days with plenty of powder.

1/13/07 - PJ, Rob and I up in the WRX. Only did a short day. It was clear and fairly warm (about 28 degrees). After every time before with fresh snow, today was a reminder of the fact that Oregon doesn't produce those kind of conditions all the time. Day started out with alot of hard pack and trying to find the little wind blown stashes. Started to get real warm and soften some later in the day, which made the groomers better, but anything in the trees got real heavy. We did a couple runs down the private reserve section, and they worked pretty well. Lots of crowds and lines made it easy to leave early. But any ski day is better than a non-ski day.

fozz47 @ 2008-01-04T10:45:00

2008-01-04T18:53:29Z

Spent New Years up in Seattle with amai_unmei and it was awesome! One of the highlights was walking home from New Years celebrations and were approached by two panicked women asking us to call 911. Turns out a guy they were with was possibly sitting on, maybe jumping over a wall that had a nice 20 foot drop into a scraggly, blackberry bush area and was lying there motionless. Before she had gotten through to 911 he had started to crawl out. Good times.

Christmas day, Eric R. and I go up to the, as expected, deserted MHM. I drove and parked in the HRM lot, good, mostly wind blown powerder all day. Started snowing heavily around noon. Great tree runs, and and final run from shooting star to parking lot almost entirely in the woods. 3 days in December.