reedmaniac.com

Doom on the Oregon PCT

webmaster@reedmaniac.com (Paul Burdick) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:50:00 GMT

Your faithful blogger is reporting in from the field where doom and despair are appearing around every turn. Sure, I am being melodramatic, but I suspect the two pints of blood lost thanks to the swarms of Mosquitos last night are partly to blame. That and the resulting diseases likely flowing in my veins. Then, no less than four thunderstorms ripped through the Three Sisters Wilderness last night. Though, there is something to be said for camping at 6,000 feet, opening your tent door, and seeing the lightning striking the mountains at eye level.

Kathryn and I are, currently, inside the tent listening to the patter of rain drops and the thunder growing closer for what may be a second night of storms. Now, the sign at the trailhead this afternoon recommended, in bold letters at the very top, that "you do not enter the Mt. Jefferson wilderness" and that those in the vicinty might be "subject to an immediate evacuation" because of possible uncontolled, lightning started forest fires.

I took a picture of the sign as it seemed so wonderfully foreboding, and I will post it when I get back. You know, if I make it back...

One of Those Frustrating Moments

webmaster@reedmaniac.com (Paul Burdick) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 05:22:00 GMT

There are many times in my life when I have had to take a deep breath, lean back, and grumble to myself that "life should not be this hard". You ever have those? You are trying really hard to get something accomplished but reality simply refuses to stop stonewalling you. A common thing too. Something that thousands of people are attempting every hour. A seemingly simple task.

Today's case in point was scheduling a simple physical and a few inoculations for my Year in Patagonia. Last night, I spent about twenty minutes on the website of my health insurer to find nearby primary care physicians. Wrote down a few numbers and addresses to go through this morning. I figured it would be a couple phone calls explaining what I need (I had a list handy!) and that I was hoping to get it done relatively soon. Health Insurance + Preparedness == Success! Reality slapped me around like the little boy that I am inside.

First, there is an OHSU office of physicians just five blocks up from my house that is there as a neighborhood clinic for family medicine. Seemed amazingly ideal for my needs. Got up early and walked over there right after they opened, hoping to make an appointment. Their website suggested the possibility of same day access and the ability to make an appointment by walking in. Seems not. As a new patient, I instead got handed a card with a phone number to call to schedule an appointment. Call it after 9 a.m. the receptionist said or leave a voicemail so they can back to you.

Walking home, I tried calling the number but the call failed on my phone. Tried a few times at home too, no go. The phone simply failed whenever it tried to make a call. After hearing about it for a couple weeks, it looks like I finally got hit by the dreaded iPhone 3G issue. Infuriating to say the least.

To cut my loses, I decided to move on and get my transcript and statement of good standing from Reed while dropping my bike off at the Bike Gallery for a complete tune up and new chain. Went down to the car and discovered that my battery was dead. Honestly, I cannot really recall the last time I used it. I think it was when Kathryn and I went to the REI gear sale a couple weeks ago. Must have left a light on or a door ajar. With the phone not working, there was no way to call roadside assistance either.

Jumped on my bike and burned off a little frustration on the way to Reed. Going to the registrar was a much needed breath of fresh air. Filled out a transcript form, handed them $5, gave them the NOLS form and they would have it all taken care of it by 3:30 p.m. Surprisingly easy and took less than five minutes.

The phone was not working at Reed either, so I continued over to the Sellwood post office to inquire about renting a box for the five months I was away in another country. Not altogether surprisingly, you can only rent a box if you already have another, permanent address in the state. Looks like I will need to get a friend with such an address to be a co-renter and who can check the mail once a month and clean it out. Who of my Oregon friends do I trust enough to collect my issues of Martha Stewart Living? Who indeed...

While I was at the post office, I checked to see if I could call the OHSU number. It worked and I was sent to a lovely voicemail box that informed me that yes, they were accepting new patients but not until October. A fact seemingly unknown to the receptionist. As I am leaving in October and NOLS wants the health form filled out in the next few weeks that kind of blew huge chunks in my fantasy of a quick solution.

I headed back home, in what was becoming a rather sweat-inducing hot morning, and found my phone still not working despite resetting it. Looking online the general solution was to disable the 3G service on the phone altogether. Ah, magic, the signal returned and the phone worked again! Went down through my list of numbers and addresses. On vacation. Not accepting new patients (the website lied!). No one picked up (voicemail, anyone?). Physician unwilling to do just a physical (what?!). Seems success in this endeavour is rather hard found.

Finally, I found a location that could do it all, but not until September 8th, a bit later than I had hoped. Still, I made the appointment with the hope that I would find something a bit sooner elsewhere. So far, I have not. Tomorrow, I think I might try places a bit farther way, perhaps the OHSU campus itself. Or, I could just drill a screw into my head. Whichever is least painful.

After having my fun on the phone with physicians, I called the road side assistance number and in under an hour they got a rather long lifting truck over here that jumped my car. Tired of biking in the 90+ degree heat, after lunch, I threw the bike in the back of the car and headed back to Reed. Worked out at the sports center, showered in freezing cold water, and got my transcript. By this point the thermometer had inched above 100, so I dropped the bike off at the shop and headed to see the most recent Mummy movie in blessed air conditioning.

That movie was worth every penny. Completely changed my mood around. Went to Hedge House for dinner as it was way too hot to cook, got a stout and tasty sandwich, read the Willamette Week, and chatted with a few people nearby. Still hot, but the heat seemed bearable. Tomorrow is going to be hotter though and I got packing and more phone calls to make. I am sure it will be easier...

NY Times | Ill and in Pain, Detainee Dies in U.S. Hands

webmaster@reedmaniac.com (Paul Burdick) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:24:00 GMT

Link. In case you needed another reason to be infuriated with how our government's immigration policies have degraded causing little gain in security but uncounted stories that could only be labeled as atrocities.

Paperwork for Patagonia

webmaster@reedmaniac.com (Paul Burdick) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 03:35:00 GMT

While sitting here thinking up the title for this entry, I looked down at the Firefox icon in my dock and realized once again that the fox's head is turned away from the viewer. I mean, how bloody rude is that. Gives one the sense that if you do something wrong or make too much noise, the fox is going to turn around and reprimand you.

Then again, the Safari icon denotes that one is going to use a device that points towards magnetic north to explore the internet, whose information is stored on hard drives that use rapidly rotating platters with magnetic surfaces to store data. I guess that makes a bit more sense.

Was there a point to this opening? Not really, but darn that fox is rude!

...

Paperwork for Patagonia? Indeed! On Sunday I started filling out an online application for the NOLS Year in Patagonia course and by Tuesday morning I had received my acceptance email. And then, late this afternoon I received the official enrollment packet via FedEx with a fair amount of paperwork. Health Form, Health Insurance Form, Course Registration through the University of Utah, Student Information Sheet, Agreement Form, Statement of Good Standing form, and detailed information for equipment and travel.

Quite a plethora of information to consume and I am going to have to schedule a doctor's appointment (or two) and get a couple things from Reed tomorrow. Also, my current health insurance ends at the end of October, so I will have to get new insurance to extend through the trip. They want most of these things back in the next two weeks too, which is kind of difficult as I am leaving Saturday for a two week backpacking trip on the Oregon PCT. So, I will try to finish what I realistically can before Saturday and send it off with the rest when I return.

Still, I am really excited, and even a little trepidatious. Patagonia and Chile will be completely new experiences for me and I will be there for nearly five months with people I have yet to meet. If you read the course description though, how could you NOT want to go? I am in such a unique and lucky position in my life that not seizing an opportunity like this felt akin to wasting my life. I cannot wait to start.

Today’s Reading: “Learning Objective-C: A Primer”

webmaster@reedmaniac.com (Paul Burdick) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:27:00 GMT

First paragraph:

The Objective-C language is a simple computer language designed to enable sophisticated object-oriented programming.

I sense a geek wrote this. You see, it’s simple. Ooo, but sophisticated! Like a baby! Sure, it might throw up on you, but it can learn languages in just a few years.

Objective-C extends the standard ANSI C language by providing syntax for defining classes, methods, and properties, as well as other constructs that promote dynamic extension of classes.

Even I had to read that twice.

The class syntax and design are based mostly on Smalltalk, one of the first object-oriented programming languages.

The Circle of (Programming) Life.

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Working on learning how to build an iPhone application for a couple hours today. The first half hour made me feel just a little bit dumb, but now that I have read this primer things are starting to click into place. Anyone who has worked in an object oriented language for any amount of time should be able to pick up the basics quickly. And, Jones has suggested a book, “Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X (3rd Edition)”, that should be invaluable. Might need to go to Powell’s soon to pick it up.

Oh, and I really do like the terms that programmers use…

Many of the traditional object-oriented concepts, such as encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism, are all present in Objective-C.

Feels like we just went from drug research to money to World of Warcraft in just one sentence. Programming! Terms for everyone to enjoy!

Year Supplies of Freeze Dried Foods

webmaster@reedmaniac.com (Paul Burdick) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 18:01:00 GMT

Link. The Mountain House freeze dried foods are actually rather tasty when you are backpacking. So, $2800 divided by 365 days is about $7.67 a day and they say it stays good for 30 years unopened. Of course, if we were to adjust for the Paul serving size, it would likely only be about 6 months worth of food.

Oregon Department of Transportation unveils first solar panel project on a major U.S. highway

webmaster@reedmaniac.com (Paul Burdick) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:32:00 GMT

Link. "Public Utility Commission rules prohibit solar panel owners from selling more power to the grid than they consume on-site in a year." Could someone explain to me why this prohibition exists in Oregon?

NY Times | The Incline trail outside Colorado Springs

webmaster@reedmaniac.com (Paul Burdick) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 21:48:01 GMT

Link. A railroad-lined trail up Pikes Peak that gains 2,000 feet of elevation in about one mile. A challenge? You betcha!

Sanborn’s Brekfast

webmaster@reedmaniac.com (Paul Burdick) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 21:46:00 GMT

Link. Discovered this morning when we decided cold cereal was not going to cut it. Has Belgian Waffles and was altogether excellent.

Banning of Plastic Bags in PDX

webmaster@reedmaniac.com (Paul Burdick) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:39:00 GMT

Being a lover of knowledge, I tend to bookmark and/or read dozens of online articles on any day when I have internet access. Today, while reading the current news stories on the BBC website, I came across this article about how one woman is aiming to give up plastics for one month. The linked article is going to be the first in a series of blog posts about her successes, difficulties, and experiences in the endeavour. As one would hope the comments are mostly positive. However, a couple are extremely negative and take the all too typical stance of attacking without facts and using anti-liberal or anti-environmental bullshit rhetoric.

The usage of plastic in my life has been on my mind quite a bit over the last few months, ever since I posted an entry about the misconceptions about recycling plastic (thanks to Christian), and the follow up in the comments concerning municipal recycling programs. Sadly, none of my emails to those in charge of Portland's recycling ever received a response, so I really am not sure how much plastic PDX recycles or how much money it makes or loses in the effort. Disappointing, really.

In a recent Oregonian article, the issue of plastic bags has been brought into the limelight. Sam Adams, city commissioner extraordinaire and future mayor, wishes to impose a fee on those who receive plastic or paper bags to hold their purchases, instead of using a reusable cloth or plastic bag¹. The comments, this time, are a bit more interesting and arguments against the proposal are more compelling (as long as you ignore a few of the trolls that have inevitably shown up). I highly suggest you read through them and try to keep an open mind. When I did so, I realized I was not entirely sure Sam's "fee" proposal was a good one, so I did a bit more research for my own edification.

Fact: Despite scientists not having a clear number, it is fairly obvious that plastic biodegrades extremely slow compared to other items in a typical landfill. For plastic bags, the possible number of year given seems to vary anywhere between 500 years to 1000 years, when buried. When exposed to UV radiation the polymer chains break down faster, but I think it is safe to say that plastic bags are more likely to be buried than hung outside to breakdown.

Fact: Plastic bags can be harmful and even deadly for wildlife and nature. They clog water systems, choke animals trying to eat them, and can trap animals. Plastic, in general, is not exactly good for the environment either, even when it breaks down into microscopic pieces.

Fact: The recycling of plastic bags is a complete and utter failure. According to the Oregonian, only five percent of the plastic bags given out in the United States are ever recycled. According to this Toronto Star article from last year, San Francisco, a strong, progressive city, was only recycling a single percent of its plastic bags before its own ban.

Fact: Using a reusable cloth or plastic bag (or backpack!) is far more environmentally friendly than getting fresh bags every single time you purchase your groceries.

So, I think it is fairly obvious that plastic bags are an extremely poor choice for anyone even remotely caring about the environment, especially when reusable bags are so easily acquired and used. I, myself, bike to the grocery store on average every two days and use my backpack for carrying the food home. With my backpacks' three pockets, I do not even need to put fruit and vegetables in plastic bags as I can separate them out during checkout. Obviously, I am anti-plastic bag.

My minor quibble² with this proposal is that it seems like a moral taxation by our local government. Does anyone else feel that it is not the place of elected officials to have fees and taxes placed on items and services to improve the behavior of the citizenry? Eating meat is not particularly good for the planet either and many people, especially in Portland, would feel it is immoral to eat animals. Should we start taxing meat as organizations such as PETA suggest? Even if I agree wholeheartedly with both ideas, eventually there will be one with which I disagree. As much as I want to impose my will and beliefs on others, it is not right.

Now, the two redeeming thoughts against that quibble, for me, is that a) a fee on non-reusable bags is not a 'sin' tax per se but is essentially a 'pollution' tax, an important distinction; and b) there is no better, feasible solution coming to mind.

For the second thought, an outright ban will not work as one cannot always have reusable bags on their person whenever they decide to shop, so plastic bags and paper will still likely need to be around. So, if we cannot eliminate them entirely, then we should try to reduce their usage. While numerous local stores have already provided strong programs to promote the usage of reusable bags, they are still be consumed and disposed of in astronomical numbers, so simply informing the public is not enough.

All things being fair, we are left with two options. One, we encourage people to use reusable bags through some manner of incentive, likely financial. Two, we provide a penalty to not using them to encourage people to buy and bring them along. Which would you choose? Keep in mind this fee is on the order of 5 to 20 cents per bag.

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1. I focused primarily on plastic bags here and not paper bags, which have their own environmental, carbon, and financial costs that are worrisome, even with good recycling programs. Research further about those, if you so desire. Many related arguments apply.

2. There is another argument against this which involves checkout personnel not wishing to touch unclean reusable bags. That seems to be an excellent point but could easily be remedied by having a clause that allows employees to refuse to use reusable bags that seem unsanitary or filthy.

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Update: More research has shown that plastic bags perhaps are not such a detriment to marine wildlife as previously believed.

Update II: If you have not, check out the comments for this entry. Far more information is presented and I think I have reached my own conclusion.