Kids comfortable with technology?

My 10 year old front of a computer

In this case -- she is playing an online game. However, more and more she is getting into online shopping. Quite the observant shopper. Very detailed oriented.

Self portrait of the artist as a young man

Ricky Parker points to his self portrait as part of Trost Elementary's Art LiteracyProgram. Kim assisted in the schoolwide project. Kids were given the life and times of Van Goth and a mirror. Very revealing insight into the kids.

News Item: Oregon Gov.Says Getting Cold Meds Off Shelves Fights Meth

Today the gov gave his state of the state address. In it, he talked about legislation he supported to get cold meds off of shelves.

OK -- meth is bad.
Cold medicine is off the shelves.
How does that help when Mexican meth is half as expensive as locally made?
Good god.Has the aging generation of free love and pot forgotten?
Demand drives sales -- not supply.
Emerging medical theory on meth use is that it's like anything else -- self medication for anxiety and depression.
It doesn't help when the gov joins other politicians around the country and acts like this is a supply issue.
What happens if reducing the supply actually works? We actually stop 60%, no say 70, no say 85% of the meth supply?
Will that stop the use? Or will tweakers steal even more stuff to pay for the higher cost of a less available commodity. (Someone out there must know a Republican to explain supply and demand.)
Prohibition didn't work in the 30's. It didn't work for pot in the 70's. It won't work now. Ever.
Let's focus on the reasons people are taking drugs and alcohol.
rant concluded, thanks for your time.

goodbye to a fine Irish lass

We noticed that we hadn't recieved a Christmas

card from the Cliffords this year. Francesca and I had kept in touch over the ten years since we worked together in the higher education communications office. I even tried to hire her to work for me -- she accepted -- but then her boss paid her more and she stayed. She thanked me for the raise. Now, with an employee heading out on maternity leave, I wondered if Francesca was available. Phone disconnected at the college where she had worked. Maybe she was at home. I called and got a young teenaged girl's voice.
"Is Francesca there, " I asked. A pause. "No, she died."
I apologized for...interupting. I didn't know what to say.
I looked in the Oregonians obits and found hers from April 15. Dead at 45. I don't know the details. I do recall 2 years ago Francesca saying she had breast surgery. Complained about how the stitches hurt -- but how she was happy with her remade "front end." So, I am guessing it returned -- in a big way.
I loved being around Francesca. Full of life and Irish sass. Francesca, my dear, I raise a pint to your memory.

A short rant on communications today

I've got a question for all those fancy smancy academics at universities.
Is there any research available to us folks in the field who are trying to communicate with citizens about childhood immunizations, services for elderly, road closures, etc?
Sure, you can call me a flak, not worthy of consideration within a discussion of journalism. However, if you are going to devote more time to scandals and fires, then someone has to convey information about municipal service availability to the 360,000 citizens in my county.
Implicit in the traditions of American journalism is civic education.
It's my observation that our collective ability to absorb and filter information has changed.
We used to have the seven second rule -- you had seven seconds to get someone's attention.
Has that changed? I bet it has.
Are we becoming more attention deficit?
How does this affect how we absorb and filter information.
Is there anyone in the communications field who is studying how we've changed in response to overwhelming information input?
Again, where is the help of academics in understanding how people are changing in their processing of information.
Is that being taught today in college? In communications? Or does one need to transfer to psychology in order to understand the changing nature of cognition.
Or sociology, on how people are spending their time.
What the hell are all those Ph.D.s in communications doing around the country? Just teaching the same old dribble I got 100 years ago -- spelling, AP Stylebook and inverted story?
Blah.
How has 500 channels changed our ability to find and absorb local TV news, for example?
What are the generational differences in absorbing civic information?

NEW NEW NEW

all new Mexico blog

http://parkermexico2006.blogspot.com/

Catie's real birthday 2/22/06 - Red Robin

Sleepover for Catie

Another party -- this time for Catie

It's Catie's family birthday party. Here we see Emma, Bryn and neghbor Sidney dressing up in Catie's dance performance outfits.

post party dressup

Dressing up after the birthday party. Catie, Emma, Bryn and Sidney

CSP and her American girl

Marisol

Our neice -- Claire

Catie reaching out to Claire Bear

Blogging and marriage -- an NPR commentary

A very funny and thoughtful piece written by this naturalist.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5204627

Down goes the fence

We lost a 4 x 4 to the wind. Down went two sections. This photo taken from the adjacent bike path.

A windy day in Canby

Cold and strong Artic winds blew into our city today...knocking down some big trees not far from our house. These were taken near Ackerman Middle School.

Reflections on my little girl turning 10

Catie and Kim are planning Catie's party. It will be a sleepover. Ricky and I are expected to get lost that night.
Catie is having an American Girl theme. AGs are realistic looking dolls. Catie's is Marisol -- an Hispanic-looking girl.
Earlier I had reflected that half of our time with her is over.
She will be off to college in just 8 years.
I've enjoyed her childhood.
She has grown to be a smart, self-confident person. She has her opinions and I love that.
She reminds me of other strong willed women I know and love.

Time and distance is no match for the Internet

Both born in Bellingham, Washington.
One living in Oregon.
The Other in Mexico.

http://tjbible.blogspot.com/

Have you ever seen babies this...odd?

From my friend, Captain Joe Dula -- can you guess what these are?

A moment in history -

To the best of my memory, we've never had a sitting member of an administration literally take a shot at someone.

CORRECTION - my brother took time away from watching the beaches in Mexico to point out:
Aaron Burr, bro, shot & killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel while veep. As Jon Stewart says, that was over a matter of honor. This guy got mistaken for a bird.


President Andrew Jackson killed a man in a duel -- but it was prior to his election as president.

Jackson was involved in many duels. A duel on May 30, 1806 against Charles Dickinson was over some unflattering remarks made about Jackson's wife. In this duel Jackson was wounded. After he was hit, he took aim and fired at Dickinson. Jackson's gun misfired. As Dickinson was forced to stand his ground, Jackson took aim once again and killed Dickinson. The bullet that wounded Jackson was lodged near his heart and could not be safely removed. He carried that bullet in his chest for the rest of his days.

Swinging...from a 100 year old walnut tree

Ricky attends a birthday party along the banks of the Willamette River

Willamette -- fish pond in foreground

Spring returns to 9th Street

Along with budding trees and the first lawnmowers -- the children return to the streets to play.

Day 2 of blogging and a techno breaktrhough

This was taken on my cell phone and sent directly to the blog. What will they think of next?

Pup

beer bottle art

Somewhere on a beach in Mexico 

One more thing I love about Mexico

Uno mas -- one more thing I love about Mexico

At a small shop in Yelapa -- when the owner is not around, just yell.
Also note the 3 hour lunch break.

And we do mean a whole fish....

A meal on the beach in Yelapa

Who could ask for more? Sun, sand, Pacifico...and a meal that looks up at you? 

The Doors of Yelapa

As I was strolling down the streets of Yelapa

Mex 06 -- a week after

Last week at this time ---
That's what I've been thinking about this week.
A week ago, Kim and I were sitting near the beach having dinner and watching the sunset.
We walked over to the Mayan Palace and a very nice restaurant right above the beach.
The sky was clear and we saw a wonderful sunset.
A great conclusion to a wonderful week.