tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-182514852012-01-24T18:07:10.326-08:00errataGarlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.comBlogger1411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-13669826594995740052011-10-10T13:05:00.000-07:002011-10-10T13:06:29.314-07:00

At least, the California Map Society is using two images of my maps to help them define the term GIS (URL: http://californiamapsociety.org/mapping/gis.php). I created these maps back when I worked for MTC, and submitted them to ESRI for use in their Map Gallery. Somebody found them at the California Map Society page, and emailed me with a question about how I made them... which is a refreshing

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-37709641530411398802011-09-09T00:56:00.001-07:002011-09-09T00:56:27.384-07:00

He did an excellent job articulating his messages, he showed emotion, and he did effective combat against a lot of the anti-intellectual ideas that the opposition has been throwing up recently. I predict that his new for-the-people offense will prove successful in passing the jobs for america act. The question is, did he write enough oomph into it to provide an effective-enough boost to the

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-63036238755589639042011-03-11T10:04:00.000-08:002011-03-11T10:04:23.718-08:00

One of the projects that I've been working on over the past year, Envision Bay Area, has now produced a product, the YouChooseBayArea website, which allows users to play with different policy choices to produce a future scenario for growth in the region, and then see the results of these choices. It's all done up in an easy-to-use manner, with well-written text describing the implications of

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-64477260012640314452010-10-20T00:11:00.000-07:002010-10-20T00:11:54.771-07:00

State of California November Election, 2010 ********************* Governor: Jerry Brown Discussion: The state is a mess; it needs Jerry Brown to come fix it. Meg Whitman's a rich idiot, and the other alternatives are jokes. Lt. Governor: James "Jimi" Castillo Discussion: This is pretty much a joke job with a good salary anyways. Let's just be honest about that fact, and use this opportunity to

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-41467907384967259762010-10-19T23:12:00.000-07:002010-10-23T22:05:03.553-07:00

State of Oregon ************* United States Senator: Ron Wyden Representatives in Congress:1st District: David Wu2nd District: Joyce Segers3rd District: Earl Blumenauer 4th District: Peter DeFazio 5th District:  Kurt Schrader 6th District: Just kidding, Oregon only has 5 districts. Governor: John KitzhaberTreasurer: Ted Wheeler Oregon Metro Council President: Bob Stacey Discussion: Bob will

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-86917345496273365992010-06-30T13:37:00.000-07:002010-06-30T13:37:09.601-07:00

The link to the radio program is here: http://www.capradio.org/programs/programdetail.aspx?showid=8045 I think my section starts at about 16:40.... Dan Leavitt (Deputy Director of the California High Speed Rail Authority) and I were interviewed by host Jeffrey Callison about the recent Vision California data release, which has generated some press coverage already. We discuss some fun facts

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-2022961195594936772010-06-16T19:31:00.000-07:002010-06-16T19:31:44.128-07:00

So, I was invited to write an op-ed piece for the Oakland North blog, discussing pedestrian and bicycle safety in North Oakland following the wave of incidents in recent weeks. This is my submission: http://oaklandnorth.net/2010/06/16/you-tell-us-rebuild-oaklands-streets-to-make-them-safer/ Please share it widely among folks who might be interested; feel free to forward it to lists and

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-87234836903942239612010-05-03T22:20:00.000-07:002010-05-03T22:27:19.599-07:00

OK, so a number of years back (in 2006), I put out specs for my ideal automobile, updated the post later in the year with a progress report... then gave up on the idea of anything happening soon, and settled for buying a 20-year-old diesel Mercedes wagon to run on biodiesel. Since then, Mercedes has announced plans for a new diesel-electric hybrid car at some point in the future, as has Volvo

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-26746654621119043882010-04-19T14:48:00.000-07:002010-04-19T14:48:40.590-07:00

While you might think that it would be yours truly giving you an update in the War on the Car, I'm merely using this post to pass on a link to what could be seen as a rather humorous piece postulating an actual war between cars and people... except that it's not really imaginary, it's reality, and what the piece describes, is truth: The war on The Car: An update Still, a good read, and

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-47890857395570382652010-03-03T00:46:00.000-08:002010-03-03T00:46:34.238-08:00

I'd like to take this time to commend Senator Jim Bunning, an American Hero. In this time of partisan strife, he has set fake morality arguments, theocracy, and corruption aside. His filibuster of a bill that would, among other things, extend unemployment benefits by adding to the federal deficit, is a pure example of the opposition party using the filibuster for its intended party: As a

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-61617757594183895882010-02-12T11:01:00.000-08:002010-02-12T11:01:25.376-08:00

I just came across this heartwarming article in which Mayor Adams makes a strong commitment to building out the citywide bicycle network in Portland, OR, at a cost of over $600 million. “There’s been some chatter out there about cost, and that’s fine,” Adams said. “We’re Portland and we lead the nation in bicycling, because that’s how we roll.” What a great quote, and what a great stand to

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-11680588449312375212010-01-20T08:02:00.000-08:002010-01-20T09:41:09.753-08:00

Dear Vice President Biden, I'm writing to you because the time for the mis-use of the filibuster tool in the United States Senates has to come to an end. This un-constitutional blockage is now turning into a defining element of policy-making in our nation -- and it can be stopped by you. Article I, Section 3 of the United States Constitution expressly says that the vice president as the

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-87318422113065965982009-10-04T23:43:00.000-07:002009-10-04T23:43:44.109-07:00

Hi everybody, It's me, Garlynn. I'm just writing with a movie recommendation that I think you should all see. And I'm a bit conflicted about this, because, well, this movie, called "Capitalism: A Love Story", by Michael Moore, is a pro-American screed against the capitalist system that is holding us all down. So, it doesn't make much sense to go out and line some corporate pocket in order

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-37544080794507153572009-08-28T17:30:00.000-07:002009-08-28T17:30:00.631-07:00

Meet Franny, my Dutch cargo bike. Yes, that's me after riding it home from the grocery store, with two full bags of groceries on the front rack, along with my messenger bag, which generally holds my lunch bag and other stuff... Also, I *do* normally wear a helmet while riding, which you can see resting on the rear rack -- I took it off for the photo! Why a big and heavy Dutch Bike? It's not

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-64788460621391989652009-08-27T23:09:00.000-07:002009-08-28T00:04:15.579-07:00

I'm beginning to finally feel like I may be living in the 21st century. Why? Well... it's not the flying car. But, a robot just cleaned my kitchen floor for the third time this afternoon (the first two times were this past weekend), and, I must say, I'm very impressed. It's not just the labor-saving function. Sure, neither C nor I enjoy cleaning the floors very much. Especially not mopping.

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-25692121376583627832009-08-22T23:16:00.000-07:002009-08-22T23:56:02.428-07:00

There is a bartrage.com. There is a munisucks.com. There is a muni bites blog.But, there is no trimetrage.com. There is no trimetsucks.com. There is no trimetbites blog.Why?Because, fundamentally, the transit operator for the Portland, Oregon tri-county metropolitan area, Tri-Met, does not suck, and while it may annoy people on occasion as they arrive at their bus stop only to see the

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-24230795904288134182009-08-15T12:19:00.000-07:002009-08-15T14:29:47.481-07:00

There has been some discussion elsewhere on the web about wagons, and whether the term "station wagon", and the awful American implementations of this concept over the years, have killed off this vehicle class for good or not. Personally, I think the wagon is poised for a comeback. Perhaps, however, it needs to be re-branded as an "estate", using the British terminology, or a "Touring" vehicle,

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-61261324960217502422009-08-13T21:33:00.000-07:002009-08-13T22:44:02.626-07:00

TransLink is now up and running on BART -- this is a fact that I can now personally verify.This morning, I caught an AC Transit bus in north Oakland, and after first receiving three beeps from the TransLink reader (and an admonishment from the bus driver to "Get back here and tag it again, it beeped three times!" -- successfully tagged again and paid my fare with my TransLink card. No cash

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-40007108768288232522009-08-06T19:07:00.000-07:002009-08-06T19:21:34.674-07:00

And now, for something completely different...Introducing Huasca Kitteh!This series of photos was taken by Carryh on her cell phone camera, and picture-messaged to my cell phone along with some commentary. For your humorous relief, I'm going to share some selections from the series with you here. The caption will come first, then the photo. Nada mas. Here we go!***Pawz!***Im gonna take the car

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-22343836162651535422009-08-05T21:41:00.000-07:002009-08-06T09:15:54.980-07:00

OK, as promised, here is an update post on the progress of our own attempts to grow our own (no, not that stuff, it hasn't yet been legalized for non-medical use here)! Above is the back of our house, as seen from the backyard. That's a peach tree taking up the right half of the photo -- and yes, they're delicious, even if it does have leaf blight this year... we've heard that spraying a copper

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-24580035470561375472009-07-30T23:07:00.000-07:002009-07-30T23:22:31.038-07:00

(Photo sequence illustrating the transformation of a blighted suburban-style strip into a thriving urban neighborhood complete with streetcar from Urban Advantage.)There is a crisis involving land use in the State of California, a slow-motion train wreck that has been playing out over many decades and has resulted in an unhealthy, unsustainable landscape of foreclosed homes and a disposable built

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-70187424075905302412009-04-16T12:08:00.000-07:002009-04-24T19:46:44.199-07:00

We need to have a national -- and a global -- conversation about drugs. Let's start with the big picture.It is clear that the world is currently undergoing a massive paradigm shift, away from the 20th-century and into the 21st. The specifics of this paradigm shift are not entirely clear yet (historians will be able to make better sense of it after it has occurred), but it is clear that the

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-36048611839982559992009-04-08T21:15:00.001-07:002009-08-07T13:30:39.799-07:00

***Updated as of August 3rd, 2009: BART has apparently turned on Translink for revenue service! Congratulations are in order, all around. Also, I want to make clear that I am no longer an employee of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and write this in my capacity as a private citizen.***So, as of March 23, 2009, BART has announced that it will deploy the regional Translink card on its

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-77619716882573253782009-03-06T17:09:00.000-08:002009-03-06T17:33:59.668-08:00

...and you're not invited, American. You can't have it. It gets 65 mpg and does 0-60 in 12 seconds, which is plenty fast when you're getting 65 mpg (up to 73 mpg on the highway). It's called the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic, and it is an updated version for this year of the popular Ford Fiesta diesel that has been available in Europe for years. In fact, the existing European diesel Ford Fiesta is so

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-83883294806995770842009-02-21T19:34:00.001-08:002009-02-21T19:51:34.481-08:00

So, we bought a house in north Oakland, CA (home of the Black Panthers!) this past December 2008... and ever since, have been working to turn the yard into a forest garden, an edible landscape of permaculture with a garden for annuals in the back. This just seems like good common sense to me, and a recent post on BlueOregon shows that the consciousness is spreading that we all need to be doing a

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-56539820121209993522009-02-20T19:03:00.000-08:002009-02-20T19:08:20.322-08:00

The Legislature of the State of Oregon is currently considering a bill that would make it legal for bicyclists to roll through stop signs (i.e., treat them as yield signs) when it is safe to do so. It would also allow cities to select certain specific intersections to sign/designate as areas where bicyclists would still be required to come to a full stop. It would NOT legalize proceeding

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-24361911090180173872009-02-19T19:53:00.000-08:002009-02-19T20:04:38.405-08:00

So, there's been a lot of political stuff going on lately, which has been dominating the coverage provided by this blog. But, since California passed a budget (covering the next 17 months or so) today, I figured I would switch gears and talk about something else.Specifically... vinyl record players. This post, then, is for DJs and vinyl aficionados.Sometime, when a DJ goes to play a record on a

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-40852529031943870782009-02-18T21:51:00.000-08:002009-02-18T21:59:25.785-08:00

Dear Senator,I would like an explanation for why Republicans in the United States Senate must only mention the threat of a filibuster to ensure that 60 votes are required for the passage of any bill. The filibuster was never meant as a device to ensure that every single bill required 60 votes for passage. Rather, it is a tool to be used by individual senators when they protest strongly to an

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-49252846511269214222009-02-15T22:03:00.000-08:002009-02-15T22:16:15.266-08:00

In yesterday's Times, Frank Rich gives us a (much-needed) positive spin on the stimulus package & its politics:They Sure Showed That ObamaOK, so the stimulus package basically sucks. It also represents a political win for Obama, who can now check off the "attempted bipartisanship" box on his agenda, and move on to fixing the country with the rest of the items on his agenda (i.e. health care, etc

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-67875620417204735182009-01-24T13:24:00.000-08:002009-01-24T13:32:32.091-08:00

To the newly-elected administration and other leaders of this country-You're preparing to pass a new stimulus package containing some $800 billion in new investment to help turn around the economy of this country.That's great.But, just as important, is that the Obama administration appears to be dropping the ball on making the right stimulus package moves. Their proposed investment in

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-65925090900212180832008-10-28T15:01:00.000-07:002008-10-28T15:37:09.795-07:00

2008 is turning out to be a MASSIVE election. Since I have become old enough to vote, I can't think of another election where SO MUCH has been on the line, in SO MANY places. Here's a quick run-down of the MOST IMPORTANT THINGS.United States President:Barack Obama.Do I need to explain this to anybody? He's the man.CALIFORNIA:Proposition 1A, High Speed Rail:California truly can lead the nation

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-86016493491963802012008-10-06T12:48:00.000-07:002008-10-06T12:51:03.725-07:00

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-50117299025620703002008-10-04T20:15:00.000-07:002008-10-04T20:21:43.849-07:00

In states where electronic voting machines will be used with no verifiable paper trail, the answer can only be:NO.If you have not done so already:REGISTER AS AN ABSENTEE VOTER.It's the only way to guarantee that your vote will have have verifiable paper trail.Also, make sure that you vote EARLY, so that your ballot will be counted well before the polls close.To register as an absentee voter, go

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-23598171479726238982008-07-29T10:56:00.000-07:002008-12-11T03:48:27.058-08:00

Annual rates of employment growth, by president (from Krugman):Michael Boskin, the chief economic adviser during the presidency of George H. W. Bush, has declared that Obamanomics will be bad for the economy.It doesn't seem like there could be anything worse for the economy than having a Republican president in office, according to the above bar chart.When will this country learn that

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-85730909327000032502008-06-20T09:15:00.000-07:002008-06-24T11:33:00.261-07:00

I'm referring, of course, to Idaho's law that allows bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs, and stop lights as stop signs.Currently, there is a media buzz about something less then a proposal (call it a topic of debate at an obscure committee of an obscure regional government) to perhaps push for a similar law to be passed by the California Legislature, assuming a legislative sponsor and

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-48765060118764020102008-05-22T13:29:00.000-07:002008-12-11T03:48:27.528-08:00

I've been watching the recent run-up in gas and diesel prices, and comparing them to the recent run-up in oil prices per barrel, and to me, the numbers don't quite add up.So, I decided to make a quick spreadsheet to confirm my suspicions. Nothing complicated -- I just took some readings of the oil price, average gas price at the pump and average diesel price at the pump. I did this for winter,

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-49637774922555509682008-05-19T11:10:00.000-07:002008-05-19T11:13:55.128-07:00

Well, at least, in L.A., during rush hour:http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/05/in-a-city-built.htmlThe "Crimanimalz" decided that, to make a point about bicycling in the City of Cars, they needed to take their message -- and their bicycles -- to the freeways. Now, they ride the sinewy ribbons of concrete during rush hour, and get from point A to point B faster on their human-powered two wheels

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-61835062027223376952008-05-07T18:35:00.000-07:002008-05-07T18:41:50.389-07:00

I'm going to keep this brief, because not everybody reading this blog is in Portland:Please consider voting for Chris Smith for the Portland City Council, if you are registered to vote in Portland, OR. He's the most qualified for the seat, and with Willamette Weakly endorsing his opponent Amanda Fritz, he will need all the help he can get to be elected.He's been on the board of Portland

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-68414059741264416392008-04-30T13:38:00.000-07:002008-05-06T10:35:06.499-07:00

Rest In Peace, Albert Hofmann, 1906 to 2008. The father of LSD. 102 is pretty good for a psychaedelic adventurer:http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/apr/30/chemistry.drugsThis interesting little comic tells his story in an easy-to-read way:http://phocks.org/stumble/lsd-history-comic/Many folks have hypothesized that, without LSD, the modern computer age would never have received the required

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-12244969138567124102008-03-10T17:08:00.000-07:002008-03-10T18:52:49.155-07:00

This is probably the finest piece of urban anthropology concerning modern North American liberal white culture. Here's the current list of Stuff White People Like, with my thoughts on each (as a bona-fide white person) of the Top Ten:1. Coffee. Yup, it's true, white people like coffee. Personally, I went through a period (after starting on Coffee People's Black Forest Mochas -- soy, of cource,

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-87952483534653130772008-03-06T22:49:00.000-08:002008-03-06T22:52:06.886-08:00

Yeesh, sometimes the guv'mnt will stop at nothing to seek ways to terrorize bicyclists:http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/06/times.square/index.html?eref=rss_topstoriesBecause they had video of a bicyclist near the military recruiting center in Times Square that was bombed at 3am, they were stopping bicyclists for questioning who were riding through Times Square during the morning commute?How much

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-26461271669206419582008-02-07T11:23:00.000-08:002008-12-11T03:48:27.907-08:00

OK, I know, every bicycling blog, organization or spammer on the planet has already beat me to the punch with a report, commentary or diatribe related the passing last weekend of the late, great Sheldon Brown into the great bicycle track in the sky.But, as you regular readers of Underground Science (all three of you -- you know who you are) know, this blog is not the place to look for the scoop,

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-26564991673632722342008-02-05T14:29:00.000-08:002008-12-11T03:48:28.077-08:00

Happy Super Fat Tuesday!(Shouldn't need to explain it, but -- it's Super Tuesday, with primaries in ~24 states, as well as Fat Tuesday, which I will freely admit I know nothing about except that it's somehow associated with Mardi Gras and New Orleans. And, I dunno, probably Catholicism or something. I'm not going to even bother Googling it. Just tell me if you really want me to know.)As an

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-11072152533607129232008-01-07T13:22:00.000-08:002008-12-11T03:48:28.220-08:00

There has been a lot of ink spilled (and bits, er, sent) over the housing bubble in the past few years. Paul Krugman famously pointed out that this bubble had two dimensions: 1) The Zoned Zone -- Coastal America, consisting of places like Los Angeles, Seattle, New York and Boston, and 2) Flatland -- the rest of America. The bubble largely is a phenomenon of The Zoned Zone dragging up the

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-29418155507191692982007-12-29T21:42:00.000-08:002007-12-29T21:48:35.408-08:00

Or, Why I Won't Vote for Obama in the Primary, but if he wins the Primary anyways, will still support him in the general election.There has been an ongoing feud between Barack Obama, the candidate for the Democratic nomination for president, and Paul Krugman, the NY Times columnist and eminent economist who was almost the only progressive voice in the mainstream media immediately after 9/11. It

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-53228514118648471202007-12-11T10:27:00.000-08:002007-12-11T10:36:50.721-08:00

Bakfiets (plural: "bakfietsen") came out of the Netherlands -- thus the funny name, which means "wagon bike" (and can be shortened to simply "BAK"). But bakfietsen are now available in the United States, through Clever Cycles, a distributor and retailer in Portland, OR. There are also plans to manufacture a lower-cost, American-made version of the bakfiets in NE Portland. And, apparently there

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-39823007757222075842007-11-15T13:49:00.000-08:002007-11-15T14:08:29.552-08:00

So, in the past year in the USA, more bikes were sold than cars. Maybe it's because most new cars these days pretty much suck (poor gas mileage, wars required overseas to provide fuel, expensive for any level of durable quality, high maintenance costs beginning 5-7 years after purchase, etc.), whereas there are a LOT of really good options for new bicycles! For what you would spend for about

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-54320493612464071392007-11-01T08:00:00.000-07:002008-12-11T03:48:28.389-08:00

The House and the Senate are currently considering their competing proposals to raise fuel economy in the U.S. to around 35 mpg by 2020 (or, something like that, depending on which version you're reading).Click and Clack, the Tappett Brothers, aka Tom and Ray Magliozzi, have just sent a letter to the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, claiming that Detroit can

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-50642032971916299782007-08-15T14:45:00.000-07:002007-08-15T15:09:17.053-07:00

Electronic music largely consists of original content. However, some electronic music, especially House Music, consists of remixes of older material -- like taking a Led Zeppelin sample and working some nifty bass, drum and effects around it at 122 beats per minute to make a slamming dance number that activates the "hey, I know this song!" centers of the brains of dancefloor denizens.Many such

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-57049351022866994502007-08-13T23:55:00.000-07:002007-08-14T00:10:21.948-07:00

Conspiracy theories are usually spread after something bad happens, to explain why it happened when the official explanation seems to be lacking.But right now, the Internet is swirling with reports of a different nature:That the U.S. government may be planning an "exercise" involving a nuclear attack on Portland, OR -- and that, more critically, this may become a "false flag" attack, where the

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-49432788787820799032007-07-15T19:59:00.000-07:002007-07-18T15:29:09.342-07:00

It's time to impeach Bush & Cheney.It's past time, in fact.Don't mistake the cure for the disease: Impeachment is NOT a "Constitutional Crisis." It is, in fact, the Constitutionally-prescribed CURE for the Constitutional Crisis of a President who Behaves Like A Monarch. We are today defining the future of the Presidency; that is why, even at this late moment, it is important to set a precedent

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-43576511379693217322007-07-13T10:18:00.000-07:002007-07-13T10:30:13.236-07:00

In a previous post, I mentioned that the Vatican had issued 10 Commandments for Motorists, and that I thought they were a step in the right direction.As a commenter and a buddy of mine pointed out, however, the Vatican could perhaps have been a bit more specific with some of their Commandments, and otherwise kind of missed the mark.In the spirit of collaboration, then, I present a more definitive

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-4550279270278141692007-07-08T00:48:00.000-07:002007-07-08T00:57:15.737-07:00

Forgive me if the title of this post seems offensive to you, and allow me to explain in a little more detail.You see, I've just viewed Michael Moore's new movie, Sicko (click to download a lo-res version of the avi for free here, no tricks, no gimmicks). And his movie makes me sick.Sick of our country.Because our country is sick.Some of you may be saying "well, tell me something I don't know."

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-53108712630456298232007-07-02T15:53:00.000-07:002007-07-02T16:17:21.734-07:00

So, there's a contest as to which Springfield should play host to the movie premiere for the Simpsons movie:http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/simpsons-contest.htm">http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/simpsons-contest.htmAs we all know, the host should of course be Springfield, Oregon. As reported in this Tribune article, Matt Groening is, after all, an Oregonian who has been temporarily been

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-31929349630382872292007-06-27T14:02:00.000-07:002007-06-27T14:08:24.116-07:00

As reported in The Guardian UK and news outlets across the planet, on Tuesday, June 19th the Vatican issued a set of Ten Commandments for Motorists:1. You shall not kill.2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.4. Be charitable and help your neighbour in need, especially

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-27010276130081929272007-06-16T15:27:00.000-07:002007-06-16T15:31:16.055-07:00

I've recently written a guest post for the SinceSlicedBread movement's website, which is located here. It starts with this opener:The basic premise of the New Vision for American Development is that this country needs to move away from the auto-centric patterns of development that have been destroying our communities since the end World War Two. That's not to say that cars are bad per se, but

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-48561104529587097822007-06-13T17:50:00.000-07:002007-06-13T18:06:07.820-07:00

This week, Congress and the U.S. Senate are debating bills that would raise fuel efficiency standards to about 35mpg by 2020 (30mpg for small trucks and SUVs), then increase them by either 4% or 4mpg a year until 2030 (the details seem confused and may vary between the bills in the House and the Senate).The important thing right now is that Americans express their demand for vehicles that get

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-28364205450271569442007-06-05T14:12:00.000-07:002007-06-05T14:25:31.472-07:00

In a previous post in February of 2007, I posted an open letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the U.S. House of Representatives, calling for the impeachment of the top members of the Bush Administration for their crimes against the citizens of the United States.And now, in June of 2007, Speaker Pelosi has delivered a response to the letter, posted in entirety below:June 5, 2007Dear Garlynn:Thank you

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-26996026513879588092007-05-11T16:37:00.000-07:002007-05-11T16:47:01.315-07:00

I recently received an email from the Oregon House Representative representing southern Southeast Portland, Representative Carolyn Tomei, indicating her support for a bill increasing penalties for Underage Drinking, HB 2766. HB 2766 increases the fines for minors who attempt to purchase, successfully purchase, or otherwise acquire alcoholic beverages. The fine for a first conviction is $350,

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-53306362635981236552007-04-30T19:18:00.000-07:002007-04-30T19:24:24.835-07:00

So, my confidence in Mayor Potter has pretty much zeroed out.Why?He has decided to end funding for the current update to Portland's Bicycle Plan (called the Platinum Bicycle Master Plan because of its aim to make Portland into a Platinum-rated city for bicycling).You see, the last time Portland issued a Bike Plan was in 1996.It's now 2006, and a new effort is underway to update the plan. $50,000

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-45673403097968103422007-04-27T14:49:00.000-07:002007-04-27T14:56:42.501-07:00

MoveOn.org recently conducted a poll asking their members how well they're doing. It was pretty open-ended, and it left open the opportunity for an open-ended question like "anything else you'd like to tell us?" at the end of the survey.These are the burning comments that I really felt needed to be shared, with MoveOn and with the American People, right now:IMHO, the Iraq War is a giant

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-89535862308653671332007-04-25T18:09:00.000-07:002007-04-25T18:25:49.149-07:00

That is, with relation to bicycles?This is a question recently asked by the Portland Office of Transportation, as a part of their update to the citywide Bicycle Master Plan.What would it take for Portland to become the Amsterdam of America?(Aside from the obvious: removing all of those pesky hills...?)1) User fees for cars:- Introduction of European-style gas taxes that raise the cost per gallon

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-71179806522545855162007-04-19T15:23:00.000-07:002007-04-19T15:25:23.961-07:00

Check out this project. It's just a series of interviews with troops who have served in Iraq, and their families.http://pol.moveon.org/videovets/index.htmlYou can rate each of the videos according to how much you like them.The winning video will be produced by Oliver Stone.Or, you can just watch them.It's up to you.But I found it pretty powerful. I don't often talk to troops or their families,

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-49365007564976974172007-04-05T16:15:00.000-07:002007-04-05T16:30:03.175-07:00

According to a recent news article, ads are now springing up in subway tunnels between the stations. These "video ads" act like cartoon flip-books: A series of images is lit up by individual spotlights if a train passes by at 25mph or faster. The moving train allows the images to be displayed at 24+ frames per second, which is enough to give the illusion of a movie, more or less. Or, at least,

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-5286974178882913402007-04-03T21:42:00.000-07:002007-04-03T23:55:20.204-07:00

Advance warning: This post deals is a bit more metaphysical than most, and ventures a bit into quantum theory. It's also a bit lengthy, but worth the read, IMHO. You've been warned.+ + + + + +So, I've been thinking a bit about life. I would say lately, except that this has been a favorite topic of mine to ponder since before I was ten years of age. But I digress. I've come to the

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-57597724330232826902007-03-28T14:23:00.000-07:002007-03-28T14:37:32.925-07:00

According to a recent Daily Journal of Commerce article, in Oregon some Legislative leaders are talking about a Congestion Relief package to tie the state over from now through 2009, when they expect to be able to offer a more comprehensive transportation solutions package. It's good to see that some folks are thinking big-picture, but "congestion relief" doesn't sound like the sort of

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-82092522380702266312007-03-19T17:54:00.001-07:002007-03-19T17:57:22.748-07:00

Recently, there was a post on PortlandTransport on why Congestion Pricing isn't more widely implemented. This was based on a blog post written by Michael Manville (of UCLA) on the same topic. What follows are the thoughts that I had after reading Professor Manville's article, basically related to how Congestion Pricing might work in the Portland region.I think that the issue of Congestion

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-19512600566263479082007-02-27T10:47:00.000-08:002007-02-27T10:24:24.723-08:00

According to the Wired autopia blog, Mercedes has just announced a Vision C 220 Bluetec. "Mercedes says its 125 kW / 170 hp engine manages to get a hundred km (not miles, so don't get too excited) out of 5.5 litres of diesel. "To answer the question that every American reader will have about this announcement, here's the answer:According to the figures above, the Vision C 220 Bluetec will get

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1165439307510041052007-02-15T16:20:00.000-08:002007-02-23T10:40:50.460-08:00

Let's expand Idaho's bicycle code nationwide! Or at least to Oregon. And then California. And see what happens next.The law intends to ease passage of bicyclists through controlled intersections (those with lights or stop signs) when cross traffic is not an issue.Here's what it says:http://www3.state.id.us/cgi-bin/newidst?sctid=490070020.K49-720. STOPPING -- TURN AND STOP SIGNALS. (1) A person

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-20338497259489570102007-02-14T14:27:00.000-08:002008-12-11T03:48:28.689-08:00

Check out this powerpoint presentation. And pass it on: http://abcnews.go.com/images/US/how_to_win_in_anbar_v4.pdf This post gives some detail and background on the soldier who created the presentation: http://www.blueoregon.com/2007/02/victory_anywher.html It's simple genius at its best. And it's too bad that he got killed by a roadside bomb, though that event may have provided the

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-83746203965148721842007-02-12T08:34:00.000-08:002007-02-12T08:31:36.090-08:00

Dear Speaker Pelosi,I believe that the impeachment process needs to regain the credibility that it lost under Republican rule, and that President Bush is the ideal poster child for this effort. His initiatives, policies, proposals and history are not only in every way at odds with what I consider to be accepted morality, but they do a dis-service to America and at worst expose him as a traitor

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1167531144645514672006-12-30T18:05:00.000-08:002006-12-30T18:12:55.243-08:00

More updates on the progress being made in the industry to produce my ideal plug-in hybrid diesel-electric vehicle (previous update here:I've purchased a 1987 Mercedes 300TD Turbo Wagon to replace the Saturn in the interim between now and post-2010, when more advanced diesel-hybrids are expected to hit the U.S. Market. I plan on making some modifications to "Eleanor," as she has been named,

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1167525326633380822006-12-30T16:35:00.000-08:002006-12-30T17:02:32.623-08:00

So, we went for it & picked up a new Mercedes on December 16th (2006). We've decided to name her Eleanor.She's a 1987 300TD Turbo, which is a 7-seat turbo diesel touring wagon, originally from Germany, but imported into the U.S. by her original owner while he was in the service. We purchased her from his nephew. She's got a wonderful & comfy velour interior that matches her bronze-copper

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1166063938961882872006-12-13T18:18:00.000-08:002006-12-13T18:38:59.623-08:00

It has been pointed out that the Hawthorne Bridge is currently experiencing a bit of bicycle congestion, especially considering the new lane stripings. Various solutions have been proposed to fix this issue on the Hawthorne, by dividing up the available space differently. (It has also been suggested that the Morrison Bridge will get bike lanes soon, and that perhaps a new bike-only bridge is

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1165983041447941392006-12-12T20:00:00.000-08:002006-12-12T20:10:47.136-08:00

I never thought I'd find myself agreeing with Joel Kotkin. However, in his most recent LA Times op-ed piece, he advocates for a new national infrastructure project, as a way to create jobs and rebuild the economy -- ala the Works Progress Administration of the 1930s Depression, or the Eisenhower's freeway initiative of the 1950s.I couldn't agree more.Except that I think that the specific

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1165982024109883092006-12-12T19:42:00.000-08:002006-12-12T19:53:55.470-08:00

According to this article, NASA plans to build a new permanent base on the Moon (of Earth) by 2024.Having read Ben Bova's fantastic 1998 novel _Moonwar_, as well as its sequels and every other book related to it... I think this is a fantastic idea. As Bova lays out in his science-fiction scenario, nanotech is essentially banned on Earth due to a confluence of environmentalists and

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1163120822784896352006-12-12T13:00:00.000-08:002006-12-12T13:20:41.576-08:00

Reports are emerging that GM is working on a plug-in electric hybrid vehicle, one that would run primarily off an electric engine, but also use a diesel or electric engine as a generator. According to this LA Times article, a prototype may be revealed at the North America Auto Show in Detroit in early 2007, but production would be a ways off after that.Even if GM delays or doesn't actually come

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1165458558189260182006-12-06T18:01:00.000-08:002006-12-06T18:29:18.663-08:00

There's been a lot of buzz recently about the Treasure Island Redevelopment Plan, which seeks to build about 6,000 new homes, bringing 13,500 new residents to the island, along with shops, services & supporting features.Treasure Island was completed in 1938 for the 1939 World's Fair, then taken over by the Navy during World War II. It was created by filling in the bay, or actually by

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1165434585038018572006-12-06T11:03:00.000-08:002006-12-06T11:49:46.163-08:00

The Bush Administration and the Republican-led Congress have been a disaster for the United States, on par with a war or a major natural disaster. As such, we need to come up with a Marshall Plan to re-build our country in the aftermath. It needs to deal with taking the money out of politics, cleaning up elections by mandating paper trails and possibly nationwide vote-by-mail, removing

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1165351779918614992006-12-05T12:49:00.000-08:002006-12-05T12:49:40.336-08:00

Recently on the blog BlueOregon, it was suggested that Tri-Met (or somebody) should consider instituting a regional transit smart card in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan region, modeled after the Octopus card in Hong Kong. (Note: Hong Kong's Octopus card, developed I believe by ERG, is widely hailed as the best-implemented transit smart card in the world. It is the flagship implementation

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1163814262310714592006-11-17T17:37:00.000-08:002006-11-17T17:44:23.143-08:00

Over on BlueOregon, Ron Buel has posted a piece advocating for putting I-5 into a tunnel underneath the central East Side of Portland. Ron is one of the folks who helped get Harbor Drive turned into Waterfront Park, back in the day.However, while the tunnel idea sounds fab... I think I'd have to side with the folks advocating for complete I-5 eradication on the eastside. I like the proposal to

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1163546119080213122006-11-14T15:00:00.000-08:002006-11-14T15:15:19.883-08:00

For some of us, it was not all good news following the November 7th, 2006 election.Case in point: The sales tax measure to fund construction and operation of the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) commuter rail service failed, attaining only 65% of the vote, not the 66.6% necessary to achieve passage. This measure would have funded the construction and operation of a new commuter rail

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1163540426642197062006-11-14T13:36:00.000-08:002006-11-14T13:40:27.866-08:00

The question:Who can take out Gordon Smith (R) in 2008, and be chosen by a majority of Oregonians statewide to represent them in the United States Senate?Earl would probably be my 1st choice for taking out Gordo and picking up a Senate seat for the Dems. His district is definitely safe for the Dems (the only question is which bicycling liberal Portlander would replace him), and he could probably

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1163471264146668432006-11-13T18:21:00.000-08:002006-11-13T18:56:01.623-08:00

Recently, Governor Kulongoski of Oregon announced that, after the education system, his next target for reform is the tax system.I'll back the governor on this one.But I still don't like the idea of a sales tax, and I never will. I bring this up because the governor has brought up the idea of a statewide sales tax in the past. I support local restaurant sales taxes, such as Ashland's, and

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1163124604561239652006-11-09T18:04:00.000-08:002006-11-09T18:10:07.330-08:00

Wow, this is just one of those exciting news weeks.According to news reports, a new volcanic island has been reported in the South Pacific, near Tonga.A private yacht first encountered the island, and posted pictures on their weblog. They reported sailing through a sea of pumice, then seeing lightning and fire in the sky, and finally seeing a view of the new peak rising from the ocean. More

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1161835456518680202006-11-09T16:20:00.000-08:002006-11-09T18:03:33.926-08:00

According to recent polls, "Oregon voters now oppose Measure 37 by a nearly 2 to 1 margin. That's a shocking reversal from just two years ago the measure won 61 percent support."I think it's time for Oregonians to start thinking about a repeal effort. There seems to be a pattern of people in the Green State having to vote twice on controversial measures: assisted suicide, term limits, etc. Why

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1163116290206688862006-11-09T15:47:00.000-08:002006-11-09T15:53:19.853-08:00

Reports have been coming out of Europe for some time: traffic lights do more harm than good. Indeed, even stop signs may no longer be the best approach. Some say that lane markings are also not helpful.Why is this?Apparently, by removing the devices that give motorists a sense of security, a sense of risk is introduced into the equation. And with risk, motorists tend to slow down and take

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1163042153160739922006-11-08T18:49:00.000-08:002006-11-08T19:15:53.503-08:00

*** warning: this is a meandering, multi-subject post ***DEMOCRATS TAKE BACK CONTROL OF UNITED STATES DEMOCRACYIt appears that the Democratic Party has pulled off something of a historic stunt, by re-capturing the United States House of Representatives, and at least pulling even in the Senate, if not actually capturing control of it, as well. Big Dick Cheney may still have the tie-breaking vote

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1162929539824786952006-11-07T11:42:00.000-08:002006-11-07T12:02:18.486-08:00

I've been participating in a program called Call For Change, organized by MoveOn Political Action. I've hosted house parties at my house, where people come over with their cell phones and call voters in other districts, as a part of a massive, nationwide Get Out The Vote (GOTV) effort. This effort continues through the close of polling today, which I plan on participating in. I encourage you

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1162518949485068812006-11-02T17:27:00.000-08:002006-11-02T18:01:55.536-08:00

Recent scandals have called into question the ability of the modern German Army to be a useful asset to the United Nations in bringing peace to war-torn regions of the world. Germans serving in Afghanistan have been caught taking photos with human remains, which is a no-no. And now, they have been caught displaying the palm tree and iron cross on their military vehicles, a symbol which was

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1162512959886347772006-11-02T16:12:00.000-08:002006-11-02T16:16:00.700-08:00

I recently came across an article about a new diesel-hybrid bus that is currently under development in Detroit by AutoKinetics. It apparently can get 12-15 mpg, and will have a more comfortable ride than existing buses. It also has wrap-around rear windows, and of course has low-floor boarding for easy access.My question is -- how long before we can see one of these deployed by Tri-Met?

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1162499883258963612006-11-02T12:32:00.000-08:002006-11-02T12:38:03.756-08:00

In a discussion over on Portland Transport, the topic of parking in condos came up. Specifically, Portland is apparently on the cusp of passing an ordinance requiring condo builders to un-bundle parking from condos. So, rather than purchasing a $300k condo with an included parking space, buyers would get a $270k condo and then have the option of forking over an additional $30k for the parking

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1162409522295660392006-11-01T11:31:00.000-08:002006-11-01T11:32:32.420-08:00

As a part of Metro's RTP update, they're soliciting feedback from community groups. One such group is the Coalition for a Livable Future, which has asked for a list of transportation-related issues of concern. Here is my response:- Lack of regional rail connectivity to all the regional and outlying town centers. Where is the commuter rail link to McMinnville, Hood River, St. Helens, Forest

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1162340793941098532006-10-31T16:10:00.000-08:002006-10-31T16:26:34.293-08:00

From the creative re-use of former weapons of mass destruction department:My housemate, the taxi driver, somehow came across this link and, knowing my fascination with both geography and coffee, passed it along to me. The full story is quoted below (just in case the link goes away -- dunno if the BBC times out their stories like the NYTimes and other online publications sometimes do), but here's

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1162253518337667042006-10-30T15:16:00.000-08:002006-10-30T16:11:59.283-08:00

This post is all about Urban Renewal Districts (URs) and Tax-Increment Financing (TIF).Apparently, there are some people in the community (such as Paul Edgar, a contributor to the blog Portlandtransport.com) who believe that urban renewal districts come at too high a cost, because they divert tax funding from essential services (such as police, fire, schools and homeless shelters) in order to

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1161833935934270152006-10-25T20:37:00.000-07:002006-10-25T21:56:52.540-07:00

Hmm. I've seen a lot of blog posts that claim that plug-in hybrids are a bad idea because they will charge off the grid, which has a lot of nuclear reactors, coal, oil and natural gas power plants connected to it -- all things that are, generally speaking, environmentally bad.However, the one thing that I see little mention of -- and this is a very, very critical point -- is that most people

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1161727437501851542006-10-24T14:50:00.000-07:002006-10-24T15:03:57.783-07:00

Here's the Woodsong ticket. I'm registered to vote in Multnomah County, Oregon, but I'll start at the top so that people in other jurisdictions will be able to read the most relevant races first. Note that I may have ommitted some races that I'm either not eligible to vote in myself, that have only one candidate running, or which just rall beneath my radar.Also, because I'm hip to some of the

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1161726545922415282006-10-24T14:48:00.000-07:002006-10-24T14:49:06.620-07:00

Here's the Garlynn Woodsong ticket. I'm registered to vote in Multnomah County, Oregon, but I'll start at the top so that people in other jurisdictions will be able to read the most relevant races first. Note that I may have ommitted some races that I'm either not eligible to vote in myself, that have only one candidate running, or which just rall beneath my radar.Also, because I'm hip to some

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1161654976913771072006-10-23T18:34:00.000-07:002006-10-23T18:59:21.086-07:00

Ford has apparently heard the criticism that they manufacture the least fuel-efficient fleet of any automaker in America -- and they're trying to do something about it.I have previously blogged the specifications for my ideal all-purpose hybrid vehicle, and sent copies/links to this blog post to all of the major automakers, in hopes of either a response, or the production of a vehicle meeting

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18251485.post-1161219760235383852006-10-18T18:01:00.000-07:002006-10-18T18:02:42.540-07:00

I've got one really good reason to vote for Teddy Kulongoski: He can hold the line. Hasn't anybody learned anything from the past 6 years? Republicans try to make it seem like there is very little difference between them and the Democrat -- like Bush did to Gore in 2000 -- in order to get their foot in the door and get elected. Then, once they're in office, they demonstrate exactly how much

Garlynn Woodsonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17400252855809671287noreply@blogger.com3