Sticky Stuff Stew

2011-12-19T10:51:00.000-08:00

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It's a Pretty Planet--Time Lapse of Earth

2011-11-16T09:45:00.001-08:00

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

Those guys up in the International Space Station sure have a gorgeous view! More info on the video here.

How's Fall Going in Your Corner of the World?

2011-11-11T13:37:00.001-08:00

'Nuff said... Other than that the sky looked completely different in the other direction and...I just missed the sun, darnit!

Tuesday's Elections: Dodged the Bullet

2011-11-10T10:39:00.001-08:00

It looks like we dodged a number of bullets this past election. Check this op-ed by E.J.Dionne Jr. for an overview.

A few highlights of how extremist conservatives have been checked...for now:

Voters resoundingly rejected the idea that public employees are The Enemy and repealed Ohio's recently rammed through GOP anti-union law .

A difficult personal decision was kept personal and out of the hands of government in Mississippi: in that state, arguably the most amendable to the idea, voters soundly rejected an effort to define "personhood" as beginning at the moment of conception. This would clearly have directly inserted state government into a woman's reproductive tract and outlawed many, if not most contraceptives.

The architect of the extreme anti-immigrant laws in Arizona was recalled--first time ever nationwide for a sitting state senate leader.

Despite clever machinations, Iowa's GOP governor failed in his attempt to replace a Democratic legislator with a Republican one, and thus take absolute control of the state government. Which means another cherished goal of the GOP nationally--continuation or re-instatement of anti-gay laws--is out of reach in Iowa for now: gay Iowa couples wishing to make a lifetime, LEGAL commitment to each other still can!

In Maine, voters also soundly rejected GOP machinations to limit voting by people they don't like and reinstated same-day voter registration. Two BTWs:

From Dionne:

"What's often lost is that the conservative Republicans elected in 2010 aren't simply pushing right-wing policies. Where they can, they are also using majorities won in a single election to manipulate future elections (emphasis added) -- by making it harder for young and minority voters to cast ballots, and by trying to break the political power of unions. The votes in Maine and Ohio were a rebuke to this strategy."

And from Mike Huckabee--recently a GOP candidate for President--advising supporters of Ohio's anti-union law to prevent those wanting to repeal it from voting:

"Let the air out of their tires on election day. Tell them the election has been moved to a different date,” he said."

While it was sold as a joke, it's interesting that supporters of candidates and measures opposed by the modern GOP are often targeted with electioneering urging them to vote--ON THE WRONG DATE!--including this most recent election (the group responsible described their action, not as a joke, but as a "mistake," (wink, wink)..).

Finally, around the nation, gays and lesbians did fairly well--more here at the Advocate. A couple notables: the openly lesbian mayor of Houston, TX, was re-elected, and Representative Gabrielle Giffords' openly gay intern--credited with helping save her life after she was shot--was elected to the local school board.

And, in an important bit of non-election news: the Senate Judiciary Committe voted to recommend repealing DOMA (the misnamed Defense of Marriage Act, which prevents recognition of legal and Constittionally sound same-sex partnerships and marriages)...along party lines, of course. Despite their rhetoric about limited government, the GOP is still firmly determined to control the most intimate aspects of peoples' lives...

A Brief Time-out From the Craziness--Soothing Sounds

2011-11-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

Feeling crazy over the economy, Washington dysfunction, high cost of food, high unemployment and Herman Cain?

Take a little break and listen to a minute of soothing sound courtesy of our recently industrious local beavers here in our appropriately named "Beaverton." The habitat restoration along Fanno Creek has clearly worked as far as said beavers are concerned: there are now small check-dams all up and down our several miles of it. In one area, they've expanded the wetlands so much, our parks agency may have to raise part of the bike path to keep it from being submerged!

And, as you can see in the video, this is not some distant wilderness--those are apartments, a grocery store and houses lining the edge of the park!

Another Oregon Sky

2011-11-08T10:26:00.001-08:00

rbrichter-Oregon Skies #21, originally uploaded by rbrichter.

As I've noted: I find our Pacific NW skies fascinating. Sharply clear at times, frequently filled with a magnificent panoply of clouds, everchanging....

I've just posted several more entries in my series of available faux paintings exploring my wonder at them up at Flickr. Just click on the photo to get there. This one was taken near Bend on the way to Sisters at the tail-end of our recent 1,200 mile journey to the far depths of S. California and back. Shows a nice blend of our farmland, forest, volcanic geology and of course...our cloudy skies!

Eyebrows Like Caterpillars?

2011-11-05T10:57:00.001-07:00

rbrichter-Woolly Bear-brow, originally uploaded by rbrichter.

Another sign of Fall... Lots of these liitle guys humping furiously along, braving bikers and joggers and dogs--and crows and robins, too.

So, do YOU think these guys can predict coming Winter conditions?

New Addition to Oregon Skies

2011-11-04T12:41:00.001-07:00

rbrichter-Oregon Skies #17, originally uploaded by rbrichter.

Speaking of yesterday's clouds, here's a new faux painting entry in my Oregon Skies series.

A Walk in the Park--Over the Bridge

2011-11-04T12:32:00.001-07:00

rbrichter-FannoFallBridge, originally uploaded by rbrichter.

Ah... A perfect Fall day. Multiple beaver dams on Fanno Creek are creating perfectly smooth surfaces between rainfalls.

Of course, the sky was completely clouded over an hour later...

Spooky? Really?

2011-11-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

What do they mean by calling Portland scenery spooky? No way!

New TV Shows Are Fairy Tales

2011-11-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

Gotta plug a new TV series: Grimm (NBC). Set (and filmed) in Portland, OR, the theme is that Grimm's fairy tales are all fact and a PDX cop, descended from the Grimm Bros., can see things ordinary folk can't (like the werewolves in the premiere). Supposedly PDX was chosen for spooky scenery--apparently mid-winter mossy forested tangle qualify... We loved the first episode. Also check out another fairy tale based new series: Once Upon a Time (ABC)--but be prepared: by the people who did Lost, so...a complicated mix of current and flashback scenes.

Interesting and very different takes on a similar idea.

Halloween Comes--and Evil Lurks

2011-10-25T13:37:00.001-07:00

rbrichter-Your Path Crossed, originally uploaded by rbrichter.

You thought you were safe. Hah! Your path has already been crossed, fool! Now comes the waiting...

You'll know when my curse comes...

Happy Halloween!

My Apologies...

2011-10-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

Please accept my apologies for the lengthy absence: Simply, put, I've been both distracted, and more importantly, at something of a loss on where to go with this blog. Should I find a way to make it relevant, or simply put it out of its misery?

Not being a celebrity, nor having a tight focus is clearly a disability in the blogosphere. And, Facebook is a distinct competitor for 'slice of life' stuff. While I may have a particular point of view, and do like editorializing, at the same time I cannot find the time to really do it right and...perhaps more importantly: I find I'm just plain tired of preaching to the converted... And, I find standing on a soap box pretty lonely without feedback and interaction.

Also, I'm facing the probability that, upon the eventual establishment of a full professional artist's website, I will be doing a focused blog there...

So what to do with StickyStuffStew? It was originally simply an experiment--a dipping the toe in the water thing--and a response to friends' complaints of overly long emails. It's been fascinating, and I've learned quite a lot--and hopefully you have learned a little, too.

But now: what to do? Any ideas? Unfortunately, given the general lack of feedback and commentary, I suspect not, but I'll remain hopeful for a while... Let me know, and thanks for checking in from time to time!

---Robert

Roadside Art--Have a Cow, Man!

2011-08-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

I'm a fan of roadside art. Always cool, often interesting, occasionally puzzling, and even, sometimes, really good.

I'll let you decide which applies to this gem, spotted while driving through the town of Keizer, OR for the first time...

And, if you have links to others, please share with us in the comments!

Movie: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

2011-08-08T12:34:00.001-07:00

Though I was feeling, frankly, really 'done' with this series, nevertheless I joined the husband and friends to see the latest installment.

And I'm glad I did. It's a dramatically better film altogether. Beyond the advantages of increasingly mature motion-capture and CG tech, the genius in this new look at the franchise was a story built around Alzheimers. Immediately intimate, personal and relevant.

Excellent performances by James Franco and John Lithgow (completely devoid of his usual hamminess) and of course, Andy Serkis (of Gollum fame) as the chimpanzee, Caesar, certainly helped, as did a believable story of Caesar's development. Only real complaints: infrequent lapses in otherwise excellent cg, and the weird, Puritanical de-genitalization of the apes.

Overall, an unexpectedly rewarding rework of the franchise.

A Potential Addition to the Tea Party Record

2011-08-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we're back in the asylum...

As if all the below wasn't bad enough, check this editorial in the LA Times:

GOP vs. Mother Nature "Dozens of proposals by the House GOP would encourage deadly pollution of the air and water"

Now it's not just the financial well-being and security of the middle class and most vulnerable in our society they've declared war on, now it's the health of us, our kids, and our world, too. However! It's important to remember: none of this is new. It's merely the GOP's long-standing ideology on increasingly strident display.

This editorial packs an enormous punch of important information and perspective into it's brief span, further illustrating the Tea Party and GOP antipathy to fact and science, consequences and...reality--I strongly urge you to read it.

Colorful Reward

2011-08-04T18:56:00.001-07:00

OK. You've been patient. And, we all need a break from those...people...in Washington. Enough wringing of hands. Enough watching the stock market plunge into the basement. Let's just take a break.

Sit back and Imagine the rich and heady fragrance these olfactory powerhouses pump out.

They've opened.

Tea Party Record So Far

2011-08-04T09:40:00.001-07:00

So what's their record (in combination with their parent GOP) since taking the House?

Effectively shutting down the government for a month.

Directly and purposefully putting another 70,000+ people out of work.

Increased world-wide economic anxiety and insecurity--I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when Mr. Boehner loudly decried the "ongoing economic uncertainty" depressing a recovery from the recession his own party brought about--while simultaneously doing everything in his power to create said uncertainty purely for political gain.

Reduced consumer spending and increased reluctance to invest and create jobs on the part of those who are supposed to be doing so (thanks to said uncertainty and anxiety).

Pushing us to an economic tipping point that may well result in a double-dip recession or even a full-blown depression--all in service to political ideology and personal political power.

But, NOW, they say, they're going to focus on jobs, Jobs, JOBS... Wait a sec! Didn't they say that when they were campaigning?!? Of course...they can't actually get around to that until after their oh-so WELL-deserved vacation...

But then, they're going to work hard to make sure the government creates jobs. They promise. Cross their hearts. Really.

You do realize there is only ONE way the government can actually and reliably create jobs, don't you? It's by employing people. Remember the WPA and the CCC--programs that fed people by employing them; programs that added dramatically to our national infrastructure; programs that helped maintain a viable middle class? But, rather than do that, their policies are cutting government employment--real poeple's real jobs doing real work--across the nation. But, only the non-essential ones, of course, like teachers and airline safety inspectors and firefighters.

Instead, since giving the super-wealthy and big corporations the lowest tax rates in nearly a century has worked SO well in encouraging them to create new jobs, they're going to double down on those same policies.

Oh, wait! They HAVEN'T been creating jobs!

You know the saying: one definitioin of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result.

These folks don't just ignore facts and science, they're also blind to history.

Welcome to the asylum.

Beauty Unexpected

2011-08-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

Since we were down Salem-way to drop off photos for the upcoming Oregon State Fair photography competition, we decided to do a little sightseeing and hiking down there so, we headed out OR-214 to Silver Falls State Park and thence back home via same. Running through Willamette Valley farmlands, it's both interesting, oddly educational, and remarkably beautiful.

Needless to say, we expected beauty while hiking the "10 Falls Trail" in the park. And we thoroughly enjoyed the drive but, coming over one hill we encountered something stunning. In retrospect, I guess we might have expected something like it, but still... Seems we grow a lot of seed stock here (we saw smoke from grass seed field burn-offs, too)...

I'll be putting more up at Flickr soon.

PS: The farm's owners are NOT dumb: their fields were, effectively, huge graphic billboards (and we weren't the only ones stopped for a better look) and they had signs noting exactly which blooms you were looking at and how to buy: SilverFallsSeed.com

PPS: Speaking of blooms: our Stargazers just opened--in fact, I just realized I can smell them from inside the apartment. Pics coming.

Anticipation--Disaster and Beauty

2011-07-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

Ah... While Washington Tea Partyists, expanding upon the GOP antipathy to fact and science, work hard to bring down the economy, literally risking the lives* and well-being of vast numbers of Americans in service to their fanatic and fantastical simplistic ideologies...

While they continue to sell the lie their party's magic credit card economics and Wild West approach to regulation did not create the economic malaise we're still suffering...

While their supporters still buy the lie that even lower tax rates on the wealthy and corporations (who often actually pay little or no taxes) than the already historically low rates will somehow entice them to create the jobs they have been busily NOT creating despite their current bonanza...

While we wait for disaster, let's turn to a ray of hope. A bit of anticipation. A coming beauty...

It's almost time for the Great Stargazer Lily Bloom on our patio. Silly things have gone crazy this damp, cool year, and we're nearly at the end of their months-long development... Just days away from an explosion of color and fragrance. Too bad they're not hallucinagenic--perhaps we could forget said looming disaster for awhile...

*Risking lives? Yes. Two examples: transplant patients relying on Medicare to cover most of the very high cost of anti-rejection medication needed daily; elderly folks--perhaps with no family or with only poor ones--relying on barely adequate Social Security checks--which they paid into their whole lives--to buy food, shelter and medical care. Your loved ones perhaps?

PS: Did you hear the one about the prominent Tea Party Congressman preaching fiscal responsibility who owes more than $100,000 in back chilid support? No joke... His name's Joe Walsh.

The Great Debt Ceiling Lie

2011-07-03T12:47:00.001-07:00

Congressional Republicans are refusing to raise the federal "debt ceiling," drawing a connection which suggests it's about the deficit and reckless spending.

It's not. It has nothing to do with incurring new debt. It IS about paying the bills we've already incurred--which spending Congress previously approved. In other words, if the federal government hired you to do something, or bought something from you or your company, the GOP wants to renege on payment.

Note that the GOP thought raising the debt ceiling was just fine when they turned a federal budget surplus into record high deficits (again!) during their eight years of undiluted power.

Now, about the consequences of not raising it: what happens when YOU refuse to pay your OWN bills? Anything good? Or does your stuff get repossessed, your credit ruined, and you lose what you had worked hard to gain? Guess what: nothing good comes out of it at the governmental level either. Legal fees, higher interest rates, interest on delayed payments... And who pays the price for this political gambit? You. Me.

So when they say, it's all about financial responsibility and saving money and the good of the American people, simply put: they're lying. It's about political power. At our expense. Literally.

Get Your Heart Pumping On Pike's Peak!

2011-06-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

Feeling lethargic? Bored? Need a thrill? A tighter sphincter, perhaps?

Would 910 horsepower, 156 turns in around 12.5 miles on a 14,000 foot high mountain--with virtually no guardrails and unreliable pavement--and an average of around 75 mph do it? What if we throw in losing your power steering?

Trust me, this video will do it! Most exciting 10 minutes I've ever spent sitting at a computer! Definitely watch it full-screen with the sound on!

Click here and here for more on this record-breaking, fastest-ever run in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

And, just for good measure, see what happens to one driver at one of those guardrail-free spots way up at the higher elevations...

One Definition of Joy

2011-06-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just gotta try. Maybe it's impossible. Maybe not. But, who cares? The joy is in the trying, the experience, the simple living of it...

Trying to catch floating cottonwood seeds, and maybe fly in the process... A summer delight over at Clackamette Park at the intersection of the Clackamas and Willamette Rivers.

GOP Presidential Candidate Michelle Bachman--A Twister Fan

2011-06-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

After the last couple of days, I've concluded presidential candidate, "conservative," tea-party, religionista Michelle Bachman, is a devoted fan of the game Twister. Remember it? It's that game where people (often drunk adults), get into all sorts of tangled positions.

Why, you ask?

Her mantra:

"Small Government;" "Freedom;" "Free Market;" "Fiscal Conservativism;" States Rights..."

Her reality:

Accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in government aid (for a clinic, farm subsidies--AKA: corporate welfare--and, I have to assume, in state support for all those kids she's fostered (which I do heartily applaud her for doing, btw!).

Denied it--in the case of the farm subsidies, claiming she had no financial interest in her in-laws' farm, despite financial disclosure forms clearly showing substantial income from same....

Supports a federal constitutional amendment limiting marriage to one man and one woman in the face of states recently equalizing marriage rights to include same-sex couples, thus making the federal government the arbiter of personal relationships at the behest of some religious entities.

Just a quick sampling of blatant hypocrisy...

But, what can you expect from one of the leading opponents of proveable fact, history and science in the stunningly fact- and reality-phobic modern GOP?

Pick up a game of Twister. It's a lot of fun--especially when drunk. And, it might help you decide if this is really a good model for the mind of the next person charged with the welfare and leadership of our nation.

It's Green. It's Summer!

2011-06-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

Off hand, I'd say it's summer time and school's out! Our Pac NW weather is finally getting out of the seemingly unending cool, wet and cloudy thing

we've been enduring thanks to this

year's La Niña (nothing compared to

the horrific tornados delivered further east, though). Anyway, kids are out adventuring--or other things. Unlike this one, a different group of tree climbers was generating some distinctly herbal smoke... This younger safari group was being guided through our local semi-wilderness by a very self-assured 8 year old girl. As you can see, plenty of stuff blooming, and...you really have to love the color green to live here!

PS: I finally saw one of our elusive local beavers! Right before seeing our local bald eagle!

So You Think You Can Dance--Tough Choices!

2011-06-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

About SYTYCD this season: Damn! I am SO glad I'm not a judge! Very closely matched contestants this season. We've already seen some outstanding performances and choreopgraphy (notably stuff by Travis Wall--check this one). Given a performer's injury and the sheer difficulty of the task, the judges passed on eliminating anyone on the first elimination round, but met the task of dropping 4 dancers on the second one. First week's guest judge Megan Mullally did a very good job, working hard at providing solid critiques unlike second week's guest judge, Debby Reynolds... While I'm a big fan of hers, her time on the panel was more about being a ham rather than a critical judge. Delightfully entertaining, but...

Thinking of Travis, now I gotta track down another previous contestant who, in his solo performances over the course of the show before his elimination, demonstrated obvious choreographical talent. Unlike most, he introduced new moves into increasingly cohesive performances. Now, if I can just remember his name!

Marriage Equality Passes in New York!

2011-06-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

Same-sex marriage passed in New York late last night--and some Republicans voted for it! Did Hell just freeze over? Perhaps...They did just discover ice on the planet Mercury!

I'm assuming you're not living under a rock and realize the importance and ripple-causing effect of this vote: first time for legislative passage, largest state so far--and a generally influential one--doubles the number of people having access to marriage equality in their state, and...a handful of Republicans voted for it---citing it as a vote of conscience. Even more importantly, they looked past the lies and the pathetic grasping to maintain control and privilege by so-called "conservatives" and mal-practicing religionists.

Congratulations, New York!

And, President Obama: evolve already! Stand up and be the man we thought we had elected.

Take a look at Keith Olberman's pithy and right on target special comment on the victory in New York and the deep, perhaps unconscience, motives of those unhappy with it.

Athletic Androgyny vs. Uncomfortable Manhood

2011-06-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

While So You Think You Can Dance has most of our attention at the moment, America's Got Talent's always worth checking into. Though we loved last years winner, soulful singer Michael Grimm, we still wish Prince Poppycock had won--utterly distinctive gender-bending.

But, as one drag queen contestant quite correctly noted this season: Piers Morgan is very uncomfortable with gender non-conformists on the show--as his track record shows. (I should note, otherwise he seems entirely gay-supportive.) And here's another instance where androgyny makes him (and Howie Mandel) squirm, despite an abundance of obvious talent on stage. This guy's really good. And cute. But...not so butch. Audience loved him!

Gay Pride and Naked Bike Riders, Oh My!

2011-06-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

Gay Pride in Portland finished up with the parade yesterday and, as usual, it was utterly charming and filled with plenty of enthusiastic community spirit (and dogs and kids and what I swear is the highest per capita count of drag queens of any city in the US!--We even had one as Grand Marshall of the recent, general interest, Starlight Parade!). In other words, lots of fun.

Mixed into the plethora of local organizations, oddball individuals, businesses and politicians (don't forget, PDX has one of only two out gay mayors of a large city in the US) were huge turnouts of churches--demonstrating that Christendom is not monolithically malpracticing--and a few corporate friends like Alaska Airlines, US Bank, Wells Fargo and locally headquartered Nike (which turned out a huge crowd).

Hopefully I'll have more pics available soon (selecting from over 400 shots is NOT easy!), but for now, here's what looks to be my favorite (that doesn't include a muscle boy, that is). Check Just Out's gallery for pics--I expect Marty will be uploading some soon.

UPDATE: First four of mine are up at Flickr.

Of course, being that time of year, everything happens all at once. Portland did our local World Naked Bike Ride this weekend, too. Though husband and I chose our all-too infrequent twice/month country/western dance opportunity instead, we didn't miss it entirely as we did pass by the initial gathering, and later while driving home, encountered lots of now-clothed riders--and two not-so-much: we wound up behind their glowing white (and cute) naked bike butts for a bit. Looks like it was a grand success. Pics here.

Happy Juneteenth and...UN Declares Gays Have Rights, Too

2011-06-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

Otherwise known as Emancipation Day--a very important date in our history, honoring the abolition of slavery and signalling a huge step forward in human social evolution. Unfortunately, various forms of actual or virtual slavery still exist in our world today, and powerful forces still work to essentially enslave those less powerful through economic or political manipulation and machinations (take a good long look at what's been happening in Wisconsin recently--and who's financing it).

The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. Still.

It's also seeing and learning from the facts and history in front of your face, rather than blinding and binding yourself with unexamined ideologies and willfull ignorance. It's about standing up for yourselves and your fellow beings, taking personal responsibility and remembering we're all in this together.

But, we did just recently see another small step on the path toward a better humanity: the United Nations' Human Rights Council for the first time condemned discrimination and violence against gay folk.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called the resolution's passage a "historic moment."

"All over the world, people face human rights abuses and violations because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, including torture, rape, criminal sanctions, and killing. Today’s landmark resolution affirms that human rights are universal," Clinton said in a statement.

And, Daniel Baer, a US deputy assistant secretary made these razor-sharp statements:

"If you look at the history of human rights and the ever expanding circle of who counts as human, every time that circle has expanded there have been those that have dissented and in every case they have been proven wrong over time."

"It's a historic method of tyranny to make you feel that you are alone," he said. "One of the things that this resolution does for people everywhere, particularly LGBT people everywhere, is remind them that they are not alone."

I have to note that previous American administrations have NOT supported this move, but thanks to President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, that changed--likely crucial to making this small, cautious first step happen.

But there are still plenty of forces still aligned against human progress--the vote was close. And addressing that last quote, closer to home we have Tennessee's recent "don't say "gay"" bill which is exactly an effort to make gay folk feel alone and promote ignorance of the real world we all share...

What kind of a world do YOU want to live in? Who do you think has the responsibility for helping bring it about? Here's a hint: each of us, including...you.

Celebrate, Beware, Fight Back. Today is Harvey Milk Day

2011-05-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrate the life of Harvey Milk--the first openly gay man elected to public office in the United States of America. And the first to be assasinated in office. This day is not officially celebrated...yet. But it should be.

Note the video's reference to The Voting Rights Act? The Republican Party is--again--aggressively attacking this landmark legislation: the GOP controlled Wisconsin legislature just RAMMED through a measure designed, not to address an imaginary voting fraud issue, but to make it harder to vote for those likely to vote against them. Watch the video coverage--it's frightening. One tidbit of proof: you will need to show photo ID to vote, but it has to meet certain criteria; young people are more likely to vote Democratic; a school ID will be acceptable. So far, so good, huh? Here's the fine print: not one single college or university's ID is acceptable under the law...

A few other reminders for those who somehow believe the GOP actually cares about jobs--right now: instead of non-ideological jobs bills, in the majority of states they've introduced legislation to limit abortion. In Minnesota, they're working to ban marriage equality. In Tennessee, they're banning the simple mention of simple fact by teachers if it involves gay people (even a kid's own gay parents!)--click here and here. In New York, they're rallying to kill a push for marriage equality. Also in Tennessee, the GOP has denied local jurisdictions the ability to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation--effectively repealing Nashville's recently passed anti-discrimination ban...

Getting the picture, folks? The GOP talks big about being on your side, concentrating on jobs and fiscal responsibility but... They were the ones who took us from a surplus to record deficits and tanked the economy. And now, their primary efforts are all about naked power grabs and big government when it comes to forcing their own narrow view of morality on you and your loved ones.

Need more proof? In Wisconsin, supposedly it's all about solving their budget shortfall, yet the new voting limitations will cost $7 million to implement and more millions annually... Or, the best yet: in Washington, it's all about bringing down the deficit and fuel prices. It's all about "the free market." Yet... What did they just filibuster to prevent? Eliminating $4 billion in annual subsidies to the oil companies--who are making more profit than any economic entity that has ever existed in human history...

Why am I not surprised so many people threw money at this joker who predicted the end of the world yesterday...

PS: Drop by YouTube and see a bit more video of Harvey.

Flying Friends? Not Exactly...

2011-05-20T12:26:00.001-07:00

This hawk and crow look pretty chummy, don't they? Like video carefully and deceitfully edited (reference Shirley Sherrod's shameful treatment by conservative activist Andrew Breitbart), a single photo can be a lie. Like this one.

What's really going on? It's the time of year--nesting time--when you frequently see smaller birds chasing and harassing much larger birds to protect their young (for crows and hawks, this is actually year-round activity). The crows chase the hawks (hmm...I wonder if they go after our local bald eagle, too...), the blue jays and black birds chase the crows...

They go after cats and people too! We had one pedestrian bridge nearly impassable last year thanks to a nesting blackbird! You took your life in your hands! Or, ever been threatened by a hummingbird? I have! Silly thing was nesting at head-height over a walk way... As it was hovering right in front of me, all I could see was that really pointy beak just a couple hands-breadths from my eyeballs! And, as a kid, I got plenty of entertainment from the mockingbirds working as a team to harrass our cats.

Today's lesson? Be a little careful about jumping to conclusions. You may be missing crucial context.

And, regarding Mr. Breitbart and other "conservatives" of his ilk: if they're so right, why do they have to lie?

And why do many people keep believing them after their more outrageous lies are exposed?

Wonderland Below

2011-05-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

How about a little sunshine at your feet?

One of our complex's walkways was recently transformed into a chalked wonderland by one of our resident kids. Did a good job, too! Here's one with a bit of massaging added...

For Walking or Just Hanging Around?

2011-05-10T12:38:00.001-07:00

A little addition to an imposing monument...

rbrichter-Transportation Modes, originally uploaded by rbrichter.

Guess they decided walking wasn't for them when they have freeways (note the tennis shoes hanging above). Now, can anyone explain to me the phenomenon of tossing tennis shoes to hang overhead? More new photos up at Flickr, btw.

How Many Gays Must Be Born...

2011-05-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Did I hear wrong during the last elections?

Wasn't it all about, according to the GOP and Tea Party, JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!?

I must have heard wrong. Because, since then, they've brought no jobs bills forward (other than job-removing ones), but have been working hard around the country to restrict abortion (though no federal dollars currently pay for it), eliminate NPR (less than a drop of a drop in the federal budget), break labor unions, support discrimination against gay Americans (with OUR tax dollars), banning marriage equality...

Well, folks, you bought their lies yet again. When will you wise up?

In the meantime, listen to this incredibly articulate Minnesota state legislator, Rep. Steve Simons (D), during hearings on the GOP's proposal to ban marriage equality, talking about the utter absurdity and lack of true Christian rationale for refusing to recognize gay folk as fully human and deserving of equal treatment.

I have to ask: when did ordinary, tax-paying, middle-class Americans become the enemy of the GOP and so-called "conservatives?"

Going to the Birds...

2011-04-28T11:09:00.001-07:00

rbrichter-Sheltering Ducklings, originally uploaded by rbrichter.

It appears we're going to the birds... Hey, it's not MY fault the otters haven't put in an appearance in a while over in Greenway, or that most every other mammal (other than squirrels) is nocturnal! And, it IS Spring which means: babies. And who can resist cute fuzzy baby birds? Click over to Flickr for some more, including a gosling barely out of his shell.

And speaking of birthing: don't you find it fascinating how the "birthers" absolutely refuse to give up in the face of incontrovertible evidence of our non-white, non-rich background, mostly single-mom raised, fathered by foreign national President's birth in an American state? Last night Lawrence O'Donnell could not get a simple yes or no answer from the queen of the birthers, Orly Taitz, on whether or not she accepted the validity of Obama's just-released "long form" birth certificate--previously unavailable as Hawaii does not release them to anybody--including the actual person. And she's not the only one... Just watch Fox "News."

Meanwhile the billionaire Koch brothers continue their plan of political domination (benefitting primarily themselves and other already super-wealthy) through shadowy financing of crazies, "conservative" think tanks and political action committees.

It's the new version of the Roman concept of bread and circuses, but this time used, not by government, but the financially powerful--no strangers to scams, deceit and outright lies*--to further their own agenda at the expense of the rest of us.

*Currently spending millions of dollars on an advertising blitz trying to replace in your mind the fact that Paul Ryan's budget plan would effectively gut Medicare--turning it into an inadequate voucher system to support the already administratively bloated private insurance industry--with the idea that it SAVES it.

It's an outright lie. But, they're betting if they say it often enough and loud enough, you'll believe it. After all, you have before. Somebody had to vote all these Dickensian Republicans into office...

Want a look at the future these folks seem to be aiming for (not evidenced by what they say, but by what they are actually doing)? Read Charles Dickens' descriptions of life in his times.

It's all about power, folks. Not what's good for you, me or our nation.

Yellow Chicks Means Easter's Coming!

2011-04-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

No, not "Peeps" (now available in chocolate! (ick!))... Not chickens, either.

It wasn't just adult geese the other day: these little goslings were keeping their parents busy! You'll be able to see something a bit fresher in goslings than these guys on Flickr soon: a just-hatched chick. I didn't even know I was seeing it at the time. Wasn't until I saw the zoom photos on-screen that I noticed the little guy! Apparently the twitching that mama goose was doing was thanks to eggs hatching. Wonder when the herons will start nesting...

OK, now I need a chocolate bunny to bite. Do you start with head, or are you some sort of social anarchist deviant who confounds the traditional bunny-biting methodology?

Kirstie Alley Lives To Dance Another Day!

2011-04-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

Interesting season on Dancing With the Stars: the contestants are so evenly matched this year! Generally good. Which is sorta bad: lacks a bit of drama. Where's our Apolo Ono, or Mario Lopez...or Cloris Leachman?!?

Nevertheless, and in spite of missing Derek Hough (not just for his looks--he's a great choreopgrapher!), it's been worth watching. Fortunately, Mark Ballas has been creatively filling in for his buddy, Derek. Couldn't really tell you why, but we've been rooting for Kirstie Alley. The girl, no youngster, can MOVE! And it's been a pleasure watching Maks finally enjoy his partner!

So, Kirstie: Keep it up, girl!

The Monolith Monsters Are Coming!!!

2011-04-20T12:06:00.001-07:00

Well... Actually they came a long time ago. From outer space, doncha know. Monolith Monsters is a fun little black and white science fiction monsters-from-outer-space B flick from 1957--that magical time of Giant Gila Monsters, Tarantula, Them!, Day of the Triffids*, The Thing From Another World...

But how many movies have a geologist as the hero? A very cute Grant Williams, btw.

Well, who else you gonna call when mindless crystals are growing to giant size, toppling and crushing everything (like the town) in their path?

A fun little trip down memory lane. Glad we dug it up on Netflix.

*OMG! I just discovered they did TWO remakes of 'Triffids: a 1981 film and a 2009 TV mini-series! Gotta check it out! Also, I assume you know about the remake of The Thing--if not, why the heck are you reading this, anyway?!? We do hope they do another in this age of cg effects. A further note: it's based on an excellent and truly terrifying novella, "Who Goes There?" by John W.Campbell, Jr. (which the John Carpenter remake follows much more closely). Definitely recommended reading.

Reflections of Spring

2011-04-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

I'm having a hell of a time.

It seems that yesterday, Spring finally put in an appearance here in the Pacific NW. And the camera came along for my walk in the park...

Not having enough trouble selecting photos to post from our day at Washington state's Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge a few days before, I had to add an even better day of local shooting. Sheesh! I'm not even a wildlife photographer--just an artist with a camera--but there was a wealth of waterbirds flapping, feeding, flying, swimming, courting, playing, grooming--and hatching...

I'll figure it out. In the meantime, here's one. Watch my Flickr site for more (some Ridgefield pics are up now--not the bald eagle, darnit! Too high in the sky for a decent pic).

I hope your Spring's going well!

Movie--I Love You Phillip Morris

2011-04-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

So, exactly how many times can you manage to break out of prison in Texas?

A LOT, apparently, if you love Phillip Morris...

We just saw "I Love You Phillip Morris" (just out on dvd) with Jim Carey & Ewan McGregor: it's really worth watching--especially as it's a true story! Given Carey's involvment, it's a little uneven, and has plenty of outrageously funny laugh out loud moments--but also plenty of genuine tear-jerking pathos. Though reminiscent of "Catch Me If You Can" (another true story about a con man) and "The Talented Mr. Ripley," in the end this one is an amazing story of unrelenting love and passion.

And, a quick mention of another movie: "Sucker Punch, also recently seen. While it tries hard at the end to be deep and meaningful (not particularly successfully) right up until then it was beautifully imagined. A real visual treat with some complexity to the story. Definitely a big screen experience for those into imaginative visuals.

Cold, Wet, Green--Welcome to Pacific Northwest Hiking!

2011-04-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

It was supposed to be in the mid-50s and dry. It wasn't.

I joined a very agreeable bunch on an Adventure Group (a VERY active gay outdoors group) hike up Eagle Creek in the Columbia Gorge yesterday. And, it was utterly stunning. And cold. And wet. And thanks to our ubiquitous pines and moss and despite the soon to change lack of deciduous foliage: very, very green!

It appears the weather we were supposed to get came a day early, so we wound up hiking in mid to low 40s with frequent rain and even hail (both hard and soft varieties) for around a forth of our 6 hours out. In fact, lunch was taken on a narrow section of trail with a preciptious 100 foot drop for the simple reason that the overhanging cliff mostly blocked all that wet stuff (though a couple of us did trade more wet for less scary height further down-trail.

You might think that, given this was my first experience of a real hike during the wetter side of Oregon weather, and my somewhat justified concern about inadequate clothing (my waterproof Gore-tex doesn't seem to be so waterproof anymore...), that the weather made it miserable. You would be wrong!

Thanks to the crucial loan of an emergency poncho, and keeping moving, the weather just added a wonderful dimension to the experience. During said lunch, we were listening to a thundering falls right around the corner, and looking out over its forested canyon through a thick and changing screen of hail. And of course, it added even more to the normally extravagent plethora of waterfalls. In fact, we often walked either through or behind small ones cascading off the volcanic cliffs above--occasionally the trail seemed more like a creek itself...

You might also think the weather, or the need to cross some furiously rushing water on a fallen log, rather than a bridge like the several we had already passed over, might put people off. Again, you would be wrong. This is a very popular trail, and remained so, despite all that. And, being Oregon, there were even a handful of people in shorts!

Spectacular Pacific Northwest scenery. Too bad I ran out of camera memory before we got to the REALLY good falls!

Stop by Flickr to see a few more.

Correction: Not ALL GOP Presidential Candidates Anti-Gay

2011-04-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

My apologies. Earlier I had described the entire early GOP field of candidates as anti-gay (ie: specifically calling for discrimination against gays (or non-"Christians" as well).

I was wrong: Fred Karger is also running for president. And, he's a Republican. And...wait for it...he's gay! And not the secret, self-hating skulking around kind that seem so common in the GOP. He's out and actively working for fair treatment of our gay citizens.

Not only that, but he just won New Hampshire's GOP straw poll--ahead of 2nd place finisher Mitt Romney.

Maybe there's hope... But, looking at the party as a whole's current aggressive moves against our gay and lesbian citizens around the country, it doesn't seem likely.

Sweltering!

2011-04-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! We all got excited when it finally broke 60ºF here in the Portland metro area yesterday--and didn't even rain, either! But then we followed it up today with another dry day (Wow! That makes it 4 out of the last 34)--and it was pushing 70º!!! Yay! Shorts weather (and lots of white, white skin...). Yeah, yeah, I know, lots of (crazy) folks here figure if it's above 45º it's time for shorts, but we're transplants from S. California, after all. 'Course, the bagboy at Albertson's (from Venezuela) is still unwilling to give up his multiple layers and hoody.

But for most of us, it was fine--even warm enough to see my first snake of the season. Frogs are happy too, but they usually are. I even had one greet me on my doorstep the other evening!

So, I guess I'll stop complaining we didn't get good snow this year, and start looking forward to summer. On the other hand...I'm planning on doing a hike in the Columbia Gorge tomorrow: expected weather? 45º and raining. Sheesh!

Coming Out of the Closet-It Gets Better Out There?

2011-03-29T11:04:00.001-07:00

rbrichter-Coming Out #3, originally uploaded by rbrichter.

After an unfortunately long delay, here's the third in this series addressing the process gays and lesbians go through as we begin to acknowledge and explore "being gay."

As I've worked on these, I've been thinking that, perhaps, they're a bit old-fashioned. Certainly many are coming out at much earlier ages, and the degree of acceptance has increased enormously since I went through this back when people wore bell bottoms :) Certainly it never even ocurred to me or my first husband-in-fact that we could actually get married one day! And the recent news that the majority of American Catholics (NOT "The Church," however) and ever-increasing numbers of clergy actually support equality for gays and lesbians, and is pretty amazing, too. Need I also mention that the majority of Americans finally get that gay couples are real families and deserving of legal recognition, also?

But, then I see the stories of the beatings and bullying that still afflict us. I see legislative efforts to reinforce second-class status or even enable state-sanctioned murder... I see the continuing fundraising and public campaigns waged by hate groups like the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), or Family Research Council (FRC) that are based on lies so outrageous, the scientists they cite have refuted them in writing. I see the ENTIRE FIELD OF GOP early presidential candidates (including Trump) spewing anti-gay--and anti-freedom of religion--pronouncements on the one hand while trumpeting their love of the Constitution they're simultaneously trampling.

So, maybe it's still not so easy. But, I have to assure those of any age wrestling with the issue: it does get better. Not only does coming out enrich your life and open up your ability to grow and fulfill your potential, it also makes it easier for each kid or adult who follows you. And it makes our nation, our world and our humanity just a wee bit better.

And for those of you still convinced a call like that is "recruiting": it's actually about enabling people to be who God created them to be. On the other hand, aggressively denying someone's gay (or differently gendered) identity, or seeking to convert them to what is acceptable and comfortable for you IS "recruiting." Seems to me, there will always be more than enough heterosexuals to go around without that nonsense!

Better or Worse?

2011-03-26T15:05:00.000-07:00

I've always had a love/hate thing with the near-black background here... While I think it looks classy, and sets off photos and art work well, I'm among those who find white print on black backgrounds problematic--that's why the text was a warm off-white and the background if bit brighter than full black. But...still not the easiest reading...

So let's try this. Let me know what YOU think in the comments.

"Special Rights" For Whom, Exactly?

2011-03-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

I have a new hero: David Gaider, lead writer for BioWare, producer of video games.

Huh?!?!

Following links today, I came across one of the clearest and most cogent addresses to the subject of "special rights" (for gay and lesbian folk) I've ever seen and...the writer doesn't even use the term! What this man does address is the unconscious assumption of privilege by so many otherwise decent people that leads to bigotry. Note that this does not necessarily mean "hate"--but "intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself." Regardless of the emotional heat behind the attitude, the real-world result is the same: defining and treating others as less than fully human.

"... it has to do with privilege. You can write it off as “political correctness” if you wish, but the truth is that privilege always lies with the majority. They’re so used to being catered to that they see the lack of catering as an imbalance. They don’t see anything wrong with having things set up to suit them, what’s everyone’s fuss all about? That’s the way it should be, and everyone else should be used to not getting what they want."

The genesis of this is, of all things, a video-gamer's complaint about a gay romance in Dragon Age 2 on the company's forum. He's quite upset that delicate heterosexual sensibilities might be upset by such, without worrying about how our delicate homosexual sensibilities might be upset by rarely or never seeing real or positive depictions of our very existence: that unconscious privilege thing (translation: I matter and you don't.). I don't think the gentleman holds any hate in his heart, just a lot of ignorance and a huge lack of that quality that I feel is at the heart of both civilization in general and the teachings of Jesus in particular: empathy.

Absolutely click over and read the whole thing at Queerty.

And, if anybody needs reminding: what the malpracticers of Christianity and other social conservatives call "special rights" when gays and lesbians are involved are nothing more than the exact same things they themselves take for granted.

But, of course, I forgot: gay and lesbian equality = the total destruction of civilization. Just look at Massachussetts.

Celebrate the Irish! Happy Saint Patricks Day!

2011-03-16T23:10:00.000-07:00

'Tis time to celebrate the Irish. Oh, wait, didn't it used to be about some guy named Saint Patrick? Wasn't he the guy who got rid of the snakes? Ah, whatEVER! Time for more beer! Rather fond of Harp, doncha know. Quite the Irish.

Ya might want t' see a prior year's St. Paddy's Day greeting--from Wall Street...

Glee Gets Gooey--Kurt & Blaine Kiss

2011-03-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't see it, or hadn't heard: Glee kids Kurt and Blaine finally kissed (or "snogged" as the Brits so delicately put it). And...it was a good kiss!

Tucked away in an episode devoted to original music--all entertaining ("Trouty Mouth"?!?) and very good--was the sudden shift in cutie Blaine's perception of Kurt. All it took was Kurt singing (gee, I love his solos!) Mockingbird, and his eyes went all dewey. Utterly sweet, and the ensuing lead-in to the lip-lock was wonderfully romantic. And that's a big deal for those of us who didn't grow up seeing gay affection and romance on TV or in the movies. Of course, those who would rather we still weren't seeing positive depictions of gay relationships were given voice by Kathy Griffin as an uptight religiously-malpracticing "Tea Party" politician.

About those Tea Partiers: they sold themselves as all about small government but, as they discover how hard that is in the real world, they increasingly display strong streaks of homophobia and a positive delight in big government when it comes to enforcing their morality... Too bad. I had hoped for better.

Drop by the Advocate to see the clip.

Battling Crayfish - A Touch of Oregon Color

2011-03-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

While not a "wildlife" photographer--or even a "photographer" per se (I'm an artist image-maker)--I do take pictures of a LOT of stuff. Eclectic interests, remember? But I do occasionally enter photo contests and, while choosing submissions for the upcoming Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge nature photography contest, this one didn't quite make the cut. Nevertheless, I thought it worth sharing.

After all, I absolutely adore having abundant wildlife surrounding us here in the Portland suburbs. So do many of the local kids: they go hunting for crayfish in our Fanno Creek (tasty, I gather). I just watch 'em, and while doing so one day, I got lucky and caught a couple battling over something--dominance, territory? Note the spectators. Very cool.

Movie-Battle: Los Angeles

2011-03-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

Wanna go see an old fashioned war movie? This one's for you! A small group of focus characters is carefully introduced, whom we proceed to...focus on. Most have a back-story. There's some built-in conflict. But mostly, there's lots and lots of heart-pounding action laced with good old fashioned pathos.

And, oh yeah, there are aliens. Nasty suckers, too!

Feeling Dizzy? Earth's Rotating Faster

2011-03-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

Did you watch the footage of Japan's post-quake tsunami? We did. Kept trying to turn away, but kept coming back. A wierd feeling of helplessnesss... Also a bit of relief that this time, at least, it was happening in the place best prepared for it. But we keep wondering about all those people we saw in cars racing to get ahead of the wave...

And, now, we see more of the power of our restless Earth: thanks to the quake, according to the Associated Press, our planet's now revolving a bit faster and the day's a little bit shorter...

Incredible, amazing and often scary place we live.

UPDATE: New, much more detailed and fascinating article today at the Los Angeles Times--check it out.

Oregon Rain, Bikes & Boys

2011-03-11T12:15:00.000-08:00

Who says it rains a lot in NW Oregon?

I guess they're right... There's a bike path under there somewhere...

Some pics from yesterday demonstrating some of the problems and opportunities for our bike-loving state. These are in our local Greenway Park in Beaverton showing Fanno Creek again overflowing and submerging big chunks of the bikepath (well...it IS a designated wetland wildlife reserve...).

Three boys found it to be an opportunity, rather than a problem. However, word was: water was COLD!

Cats Eyes--You're Being Watched

2011-03-06T11:12:00.001-08:00

rbrichter-WindowCat-7484, originally uploaded by rbrichter.

And you're watching back: an observational tug of war conducted through a reflective barrier which adds it's own character to the interplay.

Cats and windows... Two subjects rich with material come together--bringing thoughts of cute and fuzzy, hard and reflective, leisure and observation, confinement and separation...

Visit my Flickr photostream to see a few more from my series: WindowCats.

Alan Turing -- Brilliant Pioneer, Casualty of Christian Bigotry

2011-02-26T08:54:00.000-08:00

I mentioned this man--"father of the computer"--recently. Certainly hugely responsible for the digital remaking of our world. Arguably a contributor to the current movements in the middle east to toss the dictators out on their ears... Here's how he was treated during his brief lifetime thanks to the bigotry inspired by Christian malpractice (and continued so vigorously today):

"But he was not always considered a national treasure. Turing was prosecuted for homosexuality, stripped of his security clearance and forcibly treated with female hormones. He then killed himself in 1954 at age 41.
Homosexuality was illegal in Britain until 1967".

Things have changed--click here for the article. But...Turing's life was irrevocably damaged and shortened, and the forces of bigotry are very much alive and active today--particularly in the ranks of the GOP, unfortunately.

Making Tracks: Snow Comes to NW Oregon

2011-02-24T21:45:00.000-08:00

After a week of breathless anticipation...a region glued hawk-like to weather forecasts...we actually got snow. Not the 6" on "the valley floor" that was suggested, but a solid snowfall--not simply flurries.

2" here: just enough for commuter hell!

Taking the Subaru in for service, early, up the hill around the corner was fine--de-iced, only a bit slippery. Top of the hill? Ice from curb to curb. It was just moments before an enormous pickup duelie pirouetted gracefully over most of the road... But, many stayed home, schools were closed: traffic was light. Only one other (my neighbor's Subie) performed sideways shenanigans avoiding the wild behemoth.

A beautiful day,actually. Awaiting the car, I wandered "lovely" downtown Beaverton with camera in hand. Occasional flakes, a little styrofoam pellet hail, lots of sun and stunning skies. But, too warm to keep the snow. Still, the upside was a bench dry enough by the library for a Beaverton Bakery danish and some hot thermos coffee laced with Godiva liqueur. For our locals, btw: try their butter crispies--so good, they have to be the Devil's work!

Tomorrow? Colder. We have hopes.

All Gays Are Drag Queens--NOT!

2011-02-22T09:59:00.000-08:00

"...too often LGBT people are portrayed in the media in ways that don't mirror the lives of the vast majority..."The drag queen is the most disproportionately represented person of any..."

But then, a couple raising kids on a farm, or a librarian, or a Secret Service agent and his boyfriend just ain't as entertaining--or as frightening to those wanting to demonize us...

Keep your eyes open for this upcoming PBS one hour special: "Out in America" which explores gay folks who aren't drag queens (though we do thank God for our drag queens!). They've even got a real live cowboy! Click here for more at the Oregonian.

Hmmm... Let's list a few of my outrageously homosexual friends (whom I've never known to do drag): hotel manager (partnered 3 years), data jockey for a prominent law firm, grade school teacher (partnered 25+ years), physician, dentist, waiter (partnered 21 years), librarian (partnered 8 years), tech geek, another tech geek (partnered 14 years), architect (partnered 20+ years), delivery guy (partnered 20+ years)... Getting the picture? Productive. Boring. And great people all.

Oh, and lets not forget the man who made it possible for you to be looking at this in the first place--the "father" of the computer: Alan Turing.

A Touch of Oregon Color-Proud, Happy, Hungry

2011-02-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

I've finally decided that, when I don't have "the camera" with me, the camera phone will have to do... And, it seems to be working. With a little editing, the lousy resolution actually works out OK and, I do get the shot. So, here's some recent local color.

They love painting and chalking the walkways and streets here (note the previous post). These stick drawings in the park were just at Valentine's Day. As to the chewed tree: obviously the nearby habitat restoration is a huge success as far as the beavers are concerned (note: this ain't wilderness: there's a neighborhood right behind me!). And...finally, Portland's "Made in Oregon" sign in it's new incarnation.

Doesn't Life Feel Like This?

2011-02-20T17:46:00.001-08:00

rbrichter-Arrows-Plans, originally uploaded by rbrichter.

Learning Stuff!

2011-02-17T08:14:00.000-08:00

Do you like learning? Some people don't. Perhaps that's the real reason so many so loudly proclaim to possess exhaustive knowledge--it's easier than actually going out and learning stuff, challenging themselves to "prove it." So much easier to just stick with your prejudices and call them fact...

I kinda feel sorry for such--when I can step back from my anger and astonishment at their aggressive and hostile interfererence in the lives of others of whom they have no actual, factual knowledge. I suspect they're very frightened at their core, feeling deeply inadequate to the task of living a productive and valuable life. When confronted with difficult concepts, they go straight to flight or fight mode--and so we get things like the current spate of GOP-driven efforts to roll back or halt any progress on marriage equality, to name one example. Perhaps they never really learned how to learn...

For myself, I love learning. I've found that, though often difficult--frustrating even (shall we talk about Adobe Illustrator here?)--I'm happiest when I'm learning stuff. In fact, I didn't really fall in love with the internet until I had a fast connection, an always-on computer and quick-links to search engines, Wikipedia, etc... I finally have the reference "books" I always wanted, and they work so much better, too! (search: Cappadocia, Turkey. Fascinating.)

And last night, I got to spend 3 hours learning stuff (and got a lousy night's sleep as my over-stimulated brain tried to process it...). This was my second experience with MercyCorps Northwest--an organization whose goal is "financing change through micro-enterprise," or, in other words, helping individuals improve their lives and their communities through building viable small businesses or non-profits.

I can't recommend them enough! Though extremely intense, the knowledge and resources they share can make a huge difference--it's certainly helped me climb over a long-standing logjam.

And that's what's cool about learning stuff: it improves you, your life, and your community. Though it can sometimes be uncomfortable, as they say: knowledge is power.

So, kids: put the phone down already! and pay attention in school! Learn how to learn and, how to love it.

Waterfall Wonderland--A Touch of Oregon Color

2011-02-01T12:31:00.001-08:00

rbrichter-At Horsetail Falls, originally uploaded by rbrichter.

Earlier, I posted a pic of one of our iced falls in the Columbia Gorge (Multnomah Falls). Here's a detail shot of the fantastical world created by the freezing mists of Horsetail Falls.

The State of Things--A Letter To An Ex-Pat In Germany

2011-02-01T11:53:00.000-08:00

A local American friend, living in Germany for the past few years, recently asked me for an update on, well, the state of things here. Given that I've been much deficient in sharing the precious gems of my infinite wisdom here with you-all, I thought I'd just kill two birds with one stone. So here's a quick look at the state of things.

Political scene? Weellll.... I certainly don't have a God-view, but my sense of things is that we here in the USA are doing what we always do: muddle through. Obama and the lame-duck Congress managed to redeem themselves with a lot of their critics on the left to some degree, and we are reminded that that this last Congress did manage to achieve more than most in our history, including the tough nuts of health care reform (more on that later) and Don't Ask Don’t Tell--all while frantically trying to deal with one of the largest financial meltdowns in our nation's history, and in the face of utterly absolute and intransigent GOP opposition--even to things that were their ideas originally!

Did they get it all right? Hell no. The messy health insurance reform process was particularly damaging, but... They did manage the heavy lifting of getting something significant passed finally--after more than four decades of failed attempts by both sides of the aisle to address the issue. And, while defending the health care reform and inviting fixes during the State of the Union (SOTU), Obama shone a little light on what I believe to be his core strategy on this (and likely, everything): get past entrenched obstruction by passing something--even if it’s a crude, unrefined mess. And then fix it. Surgeons often use the same approach: do the big, urgent thing and come back for cleanup as necessary. Much easier to tinker and refine once the heavy lifting’s done. Despite GOP grandstanding (Repeal! Repeal! Repeal!), the playing field has been moved. I can even see how court challenges and defeats, and GOP whining, combined with the fact that companies and governments continue to shift more of the actual cost of insurance to their employees, may actually work to drive the rebirth of the disappeared public option and even hasten eventual single-payer. Master plan? I don't know. But it may just work out that way.

More on the SOTU, as it does indicate how Obama's going to handle the new political reality: many said there were no fundamental changes, and I agree--his priorities haven't changed. No flip-flops here. He’s still a left-leaning centrist who feels we as a nation and as individuals have to make some fundamental changes to survive and prosper in the future. Details of tone and strategic content shifted, though. He has been on the job for a couple years, after all! He was quite masterful at combining a spirited defense of key priorities (health care reform and don't ask repeal) while simultaneously (and without confrontation) pulling the rug out from under the GOP on a LOT of issues: deficit, spending controls, malpractice tort reform, government efficiency, fundamental tax reform (specifically including corporate taxes)--all issues that resonate well with independents (and progressive little old me). A note on the biz tax thing: while echoing the GOP that our corporate rates are excessive, he also effectively declared war on the complexities and loopholes that allow so many to avoid actually paying any--in other words, he wants to lower their tax rates, but make them actually have to part with more real money! Kinda the way things are supposed to be! But, given that large corporations seem to be in effective control of the country, we’ll see... I often wonder what (Republican) President Eisenhower would say about things now in light of his dire warning of the insidious power of the "military-industrial complex."

A bit more on the need for change Obama has consistently espoused: in the SOTU, he very bluntly said: the employment model of the past 70 years is gone...and IS NOT coming back. We can't turn back the clock, so it's up to us to adapt. And that, I think, illustrates his very consistent point--his core thinking and goals: technology has changed the world and economic activity fundamentally and now government and individual citizens have to catch up or fail. He's a forward-thinker. The question remains whether he can pull it off in the face of inherent societal conservatism.

So, on to the state of things: technically, the economy is "recovering": stock market's up, corporate profits are up. Unemployment is still very high (the "jobless recovery" as it's called). There are a few things driving that: government's are still shedding jobs in the face of massive deficits; companies are finding they can get by without the people they laid off (at least in the short-term); credit's been tight, so start-ups haven't been able to generate new jobs; and one very interesting idea: many of the jobs that were lost shouldn't have existed in the first place--they were purely a product of the economic "bubble."

As to the nation's finances and future, we have to get rid of Afghanistan (and Iraq--we're still spending plenty of $$ there). It's hurting us badly, just as it did the USSR. At least the Tea Party seems willing to put military funding on the table, unlike the GOP generally. If you want to complain about waste in government, you have to look at the military!

But, now there's Egypt...

So, yeah, it's looking scary--uncharted territory going forward, and I don't have a crystal ball. Being old, unemployed and starting a business, I'm obviously concerned, too. I am not anticipating a comfortable retirement...

But, let's end with, a little good news: so far looks like it's going to be a good year for legal recognition of gay couples. Efforts to repeal marriage equality in Iowa and New Hampshire do not look to succeed, and Congressional repeal of D.C. marriage probably won't gain traction either. And though Wyoming’s got some odd push/pull going on, Maryland, Rhode Island, New York and Hawaii are all looking good (thank you Barbara Bush--Republican daughter of Pres. George Bush--for your just-announced support), and Illinois' Governor just signed civil unions into law. In the wings, and potentially game-changing, is the Prop. 8 challenge still pending at the 9th Circuit.

As the Chinese proverb goes: May you live in interesting times...

God's Daily Canvas

2011-01-29T14:14:00.001-08:00

Coming from a painter's sensibility, I’ve often thought of the sky as God's ever-changing canvas. And those canvases here in the Pacific Northwest are extraordinary! I’m in love with them--always changing and vibrant--even when gloomy.

And I keep taking pics of them--“sketchbook” photos--thinking of a how to do a series. And these photos are most often taken with my 1.3 mpx phone.

This series may go into actual paint at some point but, given that most of the original low-resolution photos already have a somewhat impressionistic, water-color character, for now I’m playing in pixels instead of paint: these are massaged with digital editing software.

For best viewing, click on the photo to get to my Flickr site and then click on it again to see it larger on a dark background. I'll be posting additional entries in the series, too. And, my apologies for my low posting rate here: my online time & attention have been necessarily more focused there than here recently.

rbrichter-OregonSkies#4, originally uploaded by rbrichter.

Raging River

2011-01-21T11:56:00.000-08:00

Sandy River Flood from alexandra erickson on Vimeo.

This winter's weather has been...interesting...across the USA.

Here in the Pacific NW it's been relatively mild--temperature-wise. But, even that's created problems, especially recently when we got socked with lots of rain--around 8" of which came down on top of snow up in the Cascades and resulted in massive run-off. Our local Sandy River went crazy (again).

Two local graphic artists happened upon the scene during it's height and documented it in this beautiful and scary short video. Watch it full-screen.

BTW: that was the only road into the communities of Welches and ZigZag... They're working on options.

Winter Waterfalls--A Touch of Oregon Color

2011-01-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

One of the great things of living within an easy drive of the Columbia Gorge is getting to see our amazing waterfalls under a variety of weather conditions. Last week, with a wet warming trend moving in, we hurried out to catch the fantastical, wondrous winter filligree and icy wonderlands created by days of dry, sub-freezing temps.

This is the big guy, Multnomah Falls (Upper and Lower). They get even better close-up--and potentially dangerous in some cases too, as the trails and bridges (and highway) get iced over from the spray and mist, and as big icicle chunks break off overhead....

Needless to say, the usual summer hordes of tourists were absent, replaced by a much smaller bunch of mostly locals--with big-ass cameras!

And, lucky us! The outdoor snack stand at Multnomah was open: steaming hot mocha!

A Little Early...

2011-01-13T17:09:00.000-08:00

Just because some holidays are over and done with doesn't mean there aren't more ahead!

We hope yours just past were absolutely wonderful and that we're all in for a much better 2011!

A Touch of Oregon Color-Disk Golfers Do It In the Wet

2010-12-23T21:01:00.001-08:00

rbrichter-WetDiskers-2702, originally uploaded by rbrichterart.

A day or two later than the last pic, in another part of the park, a couple of hardy disk golfers out despite most of the course being underwater. Note the bridge over the creek is under 6" itself--and water was at least a foot higher overnight.

A Touch of Oregon Color--Deeper Than Expected!

2010-12-10T22:51:00.001-08:00

rbrichter-Bikepath-2621, originally uploaded by rbrichterart.

Well, the OTHER puddle I went through on the bikepath was OK...

Actually, he must have gotten on the path just one puddle before, because further downstream, geese were carpeting and cavorting on another temporary lake over the bikepath. It's OK/expected as our local park is also a wetlands wildlife refuge with a creek running through it and...occasionally OVER it.

Guess the weather folks think 'twas no big deal--they say it's gonna get really wet tomorrow!

Prop. 8 At the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals

2010-12-06T13:29:00.000-08:00

I loved that this was televised live! Here are a few of my impressions:

The first hour was about whether the pro-Prop. 8 (anti-same-sex marriage equality) plaintiffs had legal "standing"--ie: did they actually have any legal right to challenge Judge Walker's ruling that the proposition was unconstitutional under the federal constitution. While much of this was legal technicality, the judges often put forth what might be called "common sense" questions, such as (paraphrased): why can't we just combine all the questions present into one bundle so we can get on to the meat?

I could discern no "leaning" one way or the other on their eventual ruling on standing. But, it IS important (see below).

In the second hour, arguments were presented on "the meat"--the validity of Judge Walker's ruling of "unconstitutional." Arguments by both sides were...familiar.

The anti-equality folks based their argument almost entirely on the state interest in regulating procreation in the face of potential harm to society (disregarding the fact that rights are bestowed on individuals, not society in the US Constitution)... In fact, there was quite a dissertation on the hazards of unwanted and/or accidental pregnancy and the probable burden of them and single mothers on society.

Huh? Yeah... What the hell does that have to do with same-sex marriage?

Well, somehow, in doing so they argued, in effect, that it was OK to discriminate against homosexual couples, who cannot procreate accidentally or in the traditional fashion, but it was not OK to discriminate against heterosexual couples "similarly situated"--ie: those who also cannot (or will not) procreate either intentionally or accidentally, or in the tradtional fashion because it would be...inconvenient.

The judges seemed to feel that a large chunk of this presentation seemed to be, not an argument against same-sex marriage, but against heterosexual divorce...

Very significantly, the pro-Prop. 8 lawyers repeatedly resurrected the factually inaccurate claim that marriage has always been between one man and one woman, throughout history.

The pro-equality side's arguments seemed much more persuasive and factually solid. Much was made of the fact that this was a case of removing established rights (however briefly available) and the current "fractured" structure of marriage in California as a result of Prop. 8: all couples have access to essentially equivalent rights and responsibilities, including parenting, but same-sex couples are denied the status of "marriage"--despite the fact that there are 18,000 legal same-sex marriages that are not being challenged. They also noted that, were one of those legal couples to divorce, they would not be able to remarry the same person to whome they were previously legally married!

Also brought up was the constantly changing rationale of the pro-Prop. 8 folks. In particular they pointed to the previously primary argument that same-sex marriage was so bad, it would harm children. The anti-Prop. 8/pro-equality lawyers turned that argument against those that made it and dramatically strengthen their own presentation on several key points! They noted that a real remedy to the imagined harm, as stated (sexualizing children at an excessively early age), would require banning comic books, video games and even conversations between children. And of course, they were also able to point out that the anti-equality's own witnesses in initial trial were forced to admit they really had no basis in fact for any claims of harm--that it was all speculation.

Also, greatly emphasized was the on-the-face-of-it basis for the desired discrimination: bias against a class of individuals sharing an immutable characteristic (ie: it's (being gay) not a choice). The pro-equality lawyers explained at length that Prop. 8 didn't even meet the lowest standard of constitutional scrutiny, much less the stricter standards--and there are abundant grounds for applying said stricter standards.

So the questions now are:

1. Will the plaintiffs be granted "standing"? If yes, then the court can rule on the constitutionality of the underlying issues. If no, the case is dismissed; they will likely lift their stay on Judge Walker's ruling and marriages (and state court legal wrangling) will resume without a further federal constitutional finding--short-circuiting an appeal to the US Supreme Court.

2. Assuming the case goes forward, how will they rule on the fundamental consititutional questions? Will it go to a larger 9 judge panel?

One thing of which we can be sure: if the court rules on the constitutional question, it will be appealed by one side or the other!

I suspect that, given the specific way anti-Prop. 8 lawyers are going about this case, they are hoping for a denial of standing as a way of buying time. That would delay a Supreme Court decision while establishing more "on-the'ground" same-sex marriages--both to increase factual knowledge of real effects on society, and for increasing the number of actual citizens harmed by state-sponsored discrimination.

Ya know something? I'll let you in on the big secret of The Gay Agenda: we just wanna be able to live our lives with the same dignity and opportunity that the heterosexual majority takes for granted.

Ya know, like not having to worry about being beaten, or even killed, for just walking down the street holding the hand of the one you love...

Click here for an article at Law.com on the hearing.

DWTS--Actual Performance Wins!

2010-11-24T10:57:00.000-08:00

You know by now: Jennifer Grey won Dancing With the Stars last night.

In the end, despite all the commotion, it wound up like other seasons: the voters stopped treating it like a high school popularity contest and rewarded actual performance. And we also got to enjoy Bristol giving some of her best performances as she finally looked like she was actually enjoying herself.

But it was Jennifer's night with another pair of deserved top scores--and the mirror ball.

Congratulations!

So, will next year's controversy be an export from this year's Israeli DWTS production: a same-sex partnering. Ellen DeGeneres's wife, Portia DiRossi, has been talked up as a possibility. Beyond simply exposing America to same-sex ballroom (Horrors! Hide the children! It'll put 'em on a road straight to Hell!), the real interest will be seeing how they look competitively as they'll be at a disadvantage on lifts. My vote for the professional partner: Lacey, hands down!

Dancing With the Stars--and the Tea Party

2010-11-23T11:54:00.000-08:00

I guess I should weigh in--Lord knows everybody else has!

I suspect Bristol Palin will win tonight...but I hope she doesn't: I really do think the prize should award quality performance in the end. And, she has deserved her lowest judges' scores for most of the season.

HOWEVER! It IS just a bit of entertainment in the end, though apparently many Tea Party/Palin supporters seem to think this is something important and political and a means of payback (for what, I wonder) to those evil liberals.

Unlike them, I've been willing throughout the season to see her as separate from her mother and judge her on the basis of what she's actually doing on the show. I do appreciate and agree that she's by far the most improved. Nevertheless, despite a quite good Paso Doble last week, she's still deservedly at the bottom of the pack, while Jennifer Grey delivers stunning performances.

Unfortunately, I suspect her fans will award her the mirror ball, based on criteria unrelated to the quality of her dancing--in a dance competition! And it's partly the fault of those who support better candidates--they're not putting in the effort to vote.

But, this whole thing highlights a much bigger problem that really does affect all of us out in the real world: the idea shared by so many Tea Partiers and "conservatives" of all political affiliations that a "just folks" folksy manner (whether real or sham), and perhaps an attractive face, substitute for ability, knowledge, or real-world performance.

Click here for a further look at this phenomenon by Bob Samuels, President, University Council-AFT:

The recent controversy over voting in Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) sheds light on a fundamental conflict facing contemporary culture. As the power of science increases, certain segments of the population cling to religion and popular myths in order to defend against reason and expertise. Not only are we seeing people calling climate science a global hoax and evolution an anti-Christian myth, but all areas of expertise and education are being attacked.

Who would have thought that a bit of fluffy entertainment like DWTS would inadvertently highlight this insidious and dangerous theme corrupting the body politic?

What's next? Shall we stop washing our hands to prevent infection (that's science, after all). Perhaps we should resume burning witches (Oops! We'll have to start with Tea Partier Christine O'Donnell)? Maybe human sacrifice would solve all of our problems--it is an exemplar of traditional practice in human history, don't ya know..

A Touch of Oregon Color: Cold

2010-11-23T11:50:00.001-08:00

rbrichter-Frozen-2180, originally uploaded by rbrichterart.

After days of frenzied speculation by the weather forecasters, in the end we did get snow here in "the valley"--but not much. However, it IS cold--this bowl will stay frozen solid for the next few days.

BTW: beware S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) if you're in a northern lattitude. Click here to learn a bit more about it.

A Touch of Oregon Sound: Goosey Gossip

2010-11-21T13:22:00.000-08:00

OK, forget the visuals--I took this after dark... It's actually all about the sound as hundreds of migrating Canadian geese gather for the night--all seemingly having a compelling need to say hello, gossip, or whatever the hell they're honking about!

Turn on the speakers for a bit under a minute of goosey gossip.

A Touch of Oregon Color: Wet Geese

2010-11-19T10:23:00.001-08:00

rbrichter-Sunset-1989, originally uploaded by rbrichterart.

On a run for some firewood, wondering if we're going to see snow at our low elevation this weekend, we stopped by the lake and peered through the wiper-swept windshield at the migrating geese gathering for the night...

A note: clicking on the pic takes you to my Flickr photostream. Click on it again to enlarge.

Soothing Sounds Brought To You By Local Beavers

2010-11-08T09:23:00.000-08:00

I've been puzzled by a recent rise in the "normal" water level along one stretch of our nearby Fanno Creek. I couldn't see any any damming but, after some heavy rain yesterday, I sure heard it! Only took a little traipsing through some brambly stuff to find this new beaver dam. Busy little suckers this year: I see signs of beaver munching everywhere along the creek. I guess they're happy with the park district's recent habitat enhancements!

A Touch of Oregon Color: Fall On Drugs

2010-11-08T09:19:00.001-08:00

rbrichter-Mallard-1706, originally uploaded by rbrichterart.

Seems we're going to the birds.... Here's some Fall color for those who miss psychedelics. Just reflections in the water. Honest! (Unless somedbody slipped you something...)

Before You Vote, Remember...

2010-11-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

I really wish it were different folks. I grew up in a Republican household and learned a great respect for the values the GOP touts in their party's history.

But, THIS Republican Party is not that party. I think it's really sad that in my adult lifetime, I've only been offered one Republican I was able to seriously consider--and he was an outsider in his own party.

So, folks, when you enter the election booth: remember the actual on-the-ground record of the Republicans. Don't forget to remember that, as our nation has faced a second Great Depression brought about in large part by their actions, they declined to participate in governing and in fact, opposed every effort to save us from this spectre. And they are now campaigning against actions taken by the Obama administration that were originally proposed by the GOP. Their actions demonstrate power--not the good of the nation--is what's really important to them. How sad. And how dangerous...

Remember: anger is no excuse for stupidity, and our country's fate is too important for a fit of pique.

A Touch of Oregon Color: Fall

2010-10-31T19:17:00.001-07:00

rbrichter-FallFlamingo, originally uploaded by rbrichterart.

Cruising around today up on Skyline Drive above Portland and the Tualatin Valley looking for some good Fall color. I'd say this qualifies.

Mad At the Democrats? Thinking GOP?

2010-10-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

Election time! Are you one of the many angry at those in power (ie: the Democrats)? Thinking of voting Republican?

Do you really think they've changed their spots? Let's review: when in power, the GOP took a surplus and turned it into record deficits (without a 2nd Great Depression looming); spent thousands of lives and a trillion (borrowed) dollars on a war whose rationale has turned out to have been a pack of lies; consistently opposed equal enforcement of the Constitution; created the economic disaster we're now living through thanks to their reckless repeal of regulations (for the benefit of their wealthy friends, not the other 90% of us). And, where was the Tea Party during all of this? Oh yeah, their shadowy, wealthy special interest backers hadn't yet started organizing and funding them because they were still in control... Look it up folks.

But here in this video is one of the best examples: Oregon's MODERATE Republican candidate for governor feels waitresses make too much money! In fact, this rich advocate for tax cuts for his wealthy buddies (in a state currently cutting schools and essential services thanks to recession-caused budget shortfalls) seems to think cutting server's minimum wage pay would somehow fix things. (BTW: having spent decades as a server, I can assure you those tips are pretty much fully taxed--thanks to President Reagan and the GOP.)

And he's "moderate!" Shall we now talk about the outright crazies they're running in Nevada and Delaware and other races?

No, no matter how much I wish, the GOP still hasn't changed their spots. I still cannot fathom how any middle-class voter would seriously consider voting for them. LOOK AT THEIR ACTUAL RECORD for God's sake!

So, unhappy with the Democrats? At least they're trying to fix the mess the Republicans put us in. Anger is NOT an excuse for stupidity, folks...

I'm Missing Because...

2010-10-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the untimely interruption in the coming out series... I'm missing because my computer's missing! New one's coming (and a back-up is planned), so I'll be finishing the series next week.

National Coming Out Week, Day Two

2010-10-12T21:38:00.001-07:00

A bit of light enters. Maybe there are possibilities?

National Coming Out Week Begins!

2010-10-11T16:05:00.001-07:00

This year, to honor National Coming Out Day, and encourage those still struggling against the poison of bigotry, willfully wrong information, mal-practiced religion and simple discrimination and bullying, I want to explore the process a little. I've only a vague idea for the series, so we'll go down this road hand in hand.

Sometimes It's the Simple Things

2010-10-06T11:33:00.001-07:00

On a thunder-stormy day during this year's very wet (and hence, lush) Spring, a University of Portland jogger brightens things up.

A Touch of Oregon Color - Kayak Actuality

2010-10-04T09:08:00.003-07:00

And though it's taken me a year or so, I finally took a very good, thorough lesson--though as you can see, at a very different setting with very different weather! And, we weren't just in this, the Tomahawk Bay Marina, either: we ventured out onto the intimidatingly large (and slightly choppy) Columbia! Lots of fun and sore muscles and...I kinda sorta lost my wedding ring... We're shopping for a replacement. It always was a little big...

Check out Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe. Wide range of lessons available, along with rentals and equipment. And Dave did a great job (even let me in after closing in hope that I had lost the ring while changing!).

An important note: Dave was at pains to convey the biggest danger of watersports here in the Pac NW: hypothermia. I took several dunks (well...a couple were on purpose) and the water--as warm as it ever gets here--was cold! Wetsuits were very appreciated!

A Touch of Oregon Color - Kayak Inspiration

2010-10-04T09:08:00.001-07:00

Though this pic is from this summer, when I first saw kaykers on this small, local river, I knew I had to do it!

Painting Work In Progress

2010-10-03T11:11:00.001-07:00

Here's a sample of what I'm up to in my core work. All belong to my "Journey" series of small paintings on used plywood. Three are in-progress, one's just up for minor repair, one has called for minor revision, and the last is finished other than protective glazing, etc.

As you can see, this series is marked by variety and strong, simple graphic design along with identifiable imagery with a surreal leaning...

Workplace. Ambivalence.

2010-10-01T20:54:00.001-07:00

Ever work in one building for a long time? Decades? Through bad times and good? How do you feel about it?

This, entitled "Huntley Howl," is one in a series of digital treatments of this image.

Our Future?

2010-09-27T11:51:00.001-07:00

rbrichter-Okefenokee-1, originally uploaded by rbrichterart.

Seems like it some days... Originally shot in 2005 in the Okefenokee Swamp and since massaged in Photoshop to create the mood it called for. I often visit the theme of "path"--clearly related to my (life) Journey painting series. Boardwalks are especially interesting: they raise us up above some kind of inconvenience or unpleasantness and ease our journey--often opening up possibilities otherwise unavailable--but they don't care where they lead us...

I really looked forward to this destination on our first visit to the deep south: 'swamp' is one landscape I had never expereinced and also because... I loved Pogo when I was a kid!. For the most of you who don't know or remember it: Pogo was comic strip about a possum in said swamp and was noted for intelligent commentary of life and politics.

Elections Matter: What Could YOU Lose?

2010-09-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

As those folks down in Bell, California have recently found out: elections matter! The citizens of that city have been systematically looted by the people they elected, largely due their own inattention:

"The highly paid members of the Bell City Council were able to exempt themselves from state salary limits by placing a city charter on the ballot in a little-noticed special election that attracted fewer than 400 voters."

(Click here for the full article at the LA Times.)And here we are, nationwide, enthralled by the anger and spectacle of the "grass-roots" Tea Party which has actually been backed and driven by wealthy interests clearly determined to protect their own financial empires (reference: Koch brothers). Nearly lost in this din is the increasing power of the "social conservatives."

With the Democratic majority failing miserably on their oft-repeated promises to gay Americans about protecting our Constitutional rights--due either to ineptitude or disinterest--it's clear we can't count on them as protectors if they become the legislative minority after the election. It's truly unfortunate but, as you will notice in the video, these quotes come from Republicans and people who call themselves Christian--and they didn't even get to Texas!

(An explanatory note about the Montana quote: it refers to Matthew Sheppard, who was beaten and left to die, bound to a rural Montana fence...because he was gay.

So, am I enamored with the Democrats? Hell no. Very much the opposite. Nevertheless, we are again faced with a greater evil...

Click here for the Advocate's article on the video.

Encountered Artist: Sine Morse

2010-09-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit tardy on this: we hit Portland's Mississippi Ave. street fair a couple months back and, among the plethora of great arts, crafts and food (it IS Portland, after all!) was one artist whose work I found particularly appealing and I wanted to share with y'all: Sine Morse.

As is hopefully clear in the photo (chosen more for it being the least bad of the snapshots I took rather than for being representative of subject matter!), she works in cut paper. Marvelously imaginative, colorful and happy stuff! Stop by her website for more info (and let her know where you heard about her, please!).

Marie Osmond Scary?

2010-09-26T14:17:00.001-07:00

I'm finally looking into what ya all like here and it looks like my best bet for making you happy is to have either Marie Osmond or the Mormon Church headlining every post!

Just a wee bit scary...

Kids and Families Finally Win in Florida!

2010-09-23T07:37:00.001-07:00

Following a rapidly increasing number of court decisions favoring the welfare of the child over a state law based on nothing more than ignorance and bigotry, and a finding by the state appeals court finding said law unconstitutional, Florida will stop enforcing it's 33 year ban on adoption by gays and lesbians. Note that gay folk have been parenting foster kids (as well as their own) for years--they just weren't allowed to create the solid security provided by adoption...

Click here to read more at the Advocate. Also check out this short and to the point editorial in the Miami Herald noting the indefensibility of the ban:

Gays can't adopt. Ever. Yet convicts can. Though, the court added, with just a mild bit of sarcasm, ``There is a five-year preclusion if there is a prior history for assault, battery, or a drug crime.''

Perhaps we're finally getting the sour taste of Anita Bryant out of our mouths...

Launch - A Touch of Oregon Color

2010-09-19T12:56:00.001-07:00

rbrichter-HeronLaunch, originally uploaded by rbrichterart.

Some of the wonder of our world.

And I get to live just a few minutes walk from this! And I don't live out in the boonies, either!

Underfoot In Astoria, Oregon

2010-09-19T12:52:00.001-07:00

rbrichter-AstoriaChain, originally uploaded by rbrichterart.

Another entry in my "Underfoot" series exploring the beauty and meaning right at our feet, often unnoticed and unremarked.

I love the suggestive interplay of textures, shadow and shapes. Heavy chain in this historic port has obvious meaning, but chain by itself has a host of associations...

A Loving Husband...

2010-09-16T12:33:00.001-07:00

rbrichter-BrianHoody-15, originally uploaded by rbrichterart.

This image lent itself beautifully to creation of a small series via digital interpretation. One might see the series as psychological explorations of a personality or a relationship... This exploring of a single facial image through multiple interpretations is a theme I return to periodically in my work, including several print series and one painting series (so far).

The human face is a fascinating and powerful composition--one reason why my "Journey" paintings settled into a vertical 8"x10" format--roughly the size and proportions of a human head and face. They are, after all, explorations of a human existence.

A Memory of Los Angeles

2010-09-16T12:30:00.001-07:00

rbrichter-LASkyline-7, originally uploaded by rbrichterart.

Taken from the Farmers Market/Grove parking structure, this is one in a series of digital treatments of this image. It captures a lot of LA: the frequently peculiar color of the skies, the impressive, but compact, downtown in a vast sprawling urban sea of traffic...

River Heat - A Touch of Oregon Color

2010-09-12T16:43:00.001-07:00

rbrichter-Molalla-0466, originally uploaded by rbrichterart.

Just after sunset and well over 90º in the Oregon Cascades foothills. Too hot for cowboy dancing in the barn, so down to the river... Wonderfully cool, but the water's late-summer low and the footing's tricky.

Burn the Floor--Smokin' Hot!

2010-09-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

Smokin' hot!

That's our opinion of the Broadway production, Burn the Floor, currently playing at Portland's Keller Auditorium. If you're fans of dance in general, ballroom specifically, SYTYCD or Dancing With the Stars, this is for you!

As usual, leaving "The Theatre" stuff to the husband, I didn't really know what to expect other than a lot of great ballroom dancing (the cast features a couple each from those shows)... In particular, I didn't expect the fantastic music--highlighted by outstanding female vocals and a killer percussion duo (on-stage and serving as part of the very well-conceived set design). I also didn't have a clue as to how they were going to arrange a show of nothing but ballroom dance--which they did very successfully. And, though I might have guessed, I didn't expect such an outrageously attractive cast of dancers--or the sheer quantity of sweaty shirtless muscle on view!

Three more shows here--tonight (Saturday) and two on Sunday--and tickets are, sad to say, still available. It's the first show we've been to at the Keller that wasn't packed but...you wouldn't have known that by the applause!

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Unconstitutional

2010-09-10T09:40:00.001-07:00

"The judge found convincing evidence that the military's own actions showed that having gays and lesbians in the service did nothing to impede military capabilities. The branches have routinely delayed discharging service members suspected of violating the policy until they have completed their deployments in Iraq and Ahfghanistan..."

Just ONE of the grounds for overturning this utterly un-American policy!

Read more at the Los Angeles Times.

End of Summer

2010-09-09T12:22:00.001-07:00

rbrichter-Kid-0786, originally uploaded by rbrichterart.

Our friends' utterly adorable 6-year-old stopped by for a swim recently...

We all have more than one side, one mood. We all have demons--and angels, too.