The story of how the Endangered Species Act went from unanimous passage under a Republican president to becoming a deeply partisan wedge. The act was passed to protect big, beloved animals like bald eagles and blue whales; no one thought it would apply to a motley, reclusive owl. In this episode from Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Timber Wars, a story about saving the last of America’s old growth forests and the push to roll back environmental protections.
As they say, we already know what the next recession will look like. Flooding the market with crappy junk people don’t need and can’t afford but are deceived by the easy-payments of Buy Now, Pay Later. Stuff that people will later on have to pay for get rid later on. Things often with little value, often with most of the value used up shortly after the product is delivered, and before it’s paid off. Stuff folks can’t afford and won’t be able to pay back. It just makes me sick.
I have never liked consumer credit for any purpose. If you can’t afford it now, then you shouldn’t go out and buy it. Instead, you should save money, put it away until you have the money to buy it. Don’t take advantage of zero percent financing, but instead take advantage of the interest you can get from FDIC-insured savings accounts, especially the higher-interest online accounts. And when you take your time, you can reconsider how essential the purpose really is.
There are a lot of people out there who are legitimately poor. I get it, I grew up that way too. But I also have always rejected credit — if I can’t afford something, I won’t buy it. If there is something I really want, then I will wait until I have enough money saved up to buy it. Time to consider the product more carefully before purchasing. And I have always learned to live with less, even if at times it’s less comfortable.
It is an amazing day for riding to work for winter, though I think I’ll skip the bike trail as I don’t love the pounding that the rail trail riding involves. Corning’s Hill is fine.
I know I should be driving in with for so few days left in Big Red’s life 🛻 but I’ll wait until tomorrow for the rain and use that an excuse to buy groceries for the coming week. Got to use that brand new windshield wiper I installed yesterday. And then I got to think about what I can get to stock up my pantry before the year comes to a conclusion over the weekend, and run any necessary chores that require the truck this weekend.
The plan is after winter to get a new or used truck, get a cap and move all my equipment over the new truck. And then UP Michigan in early summer. There is a lot to look forward to even if I am so heartbroken about the situation with Red even though I knew this day would come. I’ve been giving it a lot of though. I mean I’ve known this day would come but I was hoping to have a bit more freedom to decide on my own schedule. It will be good to give up driving for a while, spend more time in city and riding my mountain bike in countryside. Don’t get me wrong, I like being in the woods, smoking pot and burning shit, but I can do the plastics recycling thing for a while this winter. It’s kind of fucking cold at the Horse Camp in the middle of winter.,
Didn’t do much reading yesterday, 📖 truth is I spent much of the afternoon on a memory trip of all the travels with Red, riding my mountain bike 🚲 and singing along with Ian and Sylvia. Years are gambled, and gone like summer wages. And you keep rolling along, until you get to Vancouver. It was fun riding out along Creble Road yesterday, with it’s tangy smell of manure and plastics plant, seeing Meads cows, 🐮 and spending a few hours just wandering mostly aloene at Five Rivers.
But alas it’s back to work today, time to shower and head to Assembly’s World Data Headquarters, where the IOI Codes are generated and the addresses are corrected an label jobs are exported next to old city garbage dump, past the sewage treatment plants, freeway interchange and oil trains. That cold will feel good on the face as I ride in. Time to shower and move forward, as few days remain in the year. Probably be cold with the wind riding back downtown, but whatever. I like the exercise. And it beats walking laps in the Plaza.
It happens every time I park Big Red. To think those days will be over before I know it. I told Mom I didn’t want a State Parks Pass this year as I’m planning to go to Northern Michigan / Wisconsin next summer once I get a new truck – but I don’t know. I loathe to leave Big Red behind. Especially, a small little Toyota Tacoma seems like such a step down from Big Red. Like a step backward. Maybe that’s why I’m still half seriously thinking about getting a 3/4 ton long bed work-truck type F-250 or Silverado, probably red in color, though I know that’s not the right option for me as soon enough I’ll have a house and have to commute and gas ‘er up for reasons beyond fun. But every time I see that developer at Colonie Town Hall with his big regular cab F-250 4×4, I have to think I so want his truck.
I tell you Big Red is no fun to drive in traffic, especially on narrow streets, and in tight parking spots behind businesses. Normally I don’t drive Big Red in the city but when I do it’s not a lot of fun for sure. Backing up slowly, watching your angles, peaking around the mirrors, knowing you have enormous blind spots, especially around back – as my truck is much too old to have a backup camera. Really was in a tight parking spot the other day, and I was reminded how much I dislike having to drive Red in such places. And to get another big truck like that, at least while I still have to drive from time to time in the city and in tighter lots and spots, makes me really not want another big truck. But a Toyota Tacoma just seems so tiny, especially when I park my big jacked up truck near my neighbors little truck. But just think how much easier such a truck would be to drive, and how much better it would be on gas. I know. But I’ll miss Big Red.
This rather wild old-time radio version of Jingle Bells has been playing on the radio for 73 years now. Fred Waring has to have been a lot of the inspiration for A Prairie Home Companion.
And then UP Michigan in early summer. There is a lot to look forward to even if I am so heartbroken 
about the situation with Red even though I knew this day would come. I’ve been giving it a lot of though. I mean I’ve known this day would come but I was hoping to have a bit more freedom to decide on my own schedule. It will be good to give up driving for a while, spend more time in city and riding my mountain bike in countryside. 
Don’t get me wrong, I like being in the woods, smoking pot and burning shit, but I can do the plastics recycling thing for a while this winter. It’s kind of fucking cold at the Horse Camp 
in the middle of winter., 
time to shower and head to Assembly’s World Data Headquarters, where the IOI Codes are generated and the addresses are corrected an label 
jobs are exported next to old city garbage dump, past the sewage treatment plants, freeway interchange and oil trains. That cold will feel good on the face as I ride in. Time to shower and move forward, as few days remain in the year. Probably be cold with the wind 
riding back downtown, but whatever. I like the exercise. 
And it beats walking laps in the Plaza.
