Snow In Portland

Snowed heavy today on the commute home. I passed alot of cars that were going to be sitting in traffic for a long time. It was supposed to rain after a little snow, but alot fell. I ride a mountain bike to work, knobby tires, and had no problem coming home. Of course, I grew up in Masssachusetts, so know how to drive in the snow. I had several cars spinning the wheels and sliding sideways in front of me. Scary. Was yelled at to stay in the bike lane. Buddy, I was in the bike lane, you couldn't see the lines because they were under the snow. That lady I drove around...She was in the bike lane. Later, in front of the police station! a guy blew a stop sign right in front of me. I rode up to him at the next intersection and told him that I saw him run that stop sign. He just stared through the window at me. My bike seat came apart on me and damn near goosed me, but I made it home safely. Still snowing!

My Auntie Nora

Nora Burke 1915 - 2009 HOLYOKE - Mrs. Nora (Lavelle) Burke, 93, formerly of 582 Pleasant Street, died at Mt. St. Vincent Care Center, Wednesday, December 23, 2009. She is the widow of John P. Burke (1990). Born in Mullaghroe, Belmullet, Co. Mayo, Ireland, December 29, 1915, she was the daughter of the late John and Ann (Barrett) Lavelle. Nora was educated in Ireland and she and John immigrated to Holyoke with their four children in 1950 where they resided for the rest of their years. Nora loved lively family gatherings, filled with music and laughter. Nora leaves two sons, Sean and his wife Rita of Amherst, Desmond of Holyoke, two daughters, Ann Lowe of Holyoke and Mary Hallahan and her husband Philip of Longmeadow. She also leaves her sister Annie Keane of Clogher, Belmullet, Ireland, sisters-in-law Sadie Sheridan of Belmullet, Delia Lavelle of England, and Mary Lavelle of Mullaghroe. Nora was predeceased by siblings Patrick, Anthony, and Bridget Rowan, of Ireland, Peter and Michael of England, and John, Mary Cadigan, and Catherine Geeleher of Holyoke. She was also predeceased by son-in-law Richard Lowe and daughter-in-law Shirley Burke of Holyoke. She leaves ten cherished grandchildren, Kelly Lowe O'Sullivan, Heather Lowe, Desmond, Erin and Anna Burke, Nick O'Connor, Jake Pawlowski, Conor Burke and Jennifer and Philip Hallahan. She leaves five great grandchildren with a sixth due in January. Nora also leaves many nieces, nephews and cousins both here and in Ireland. Nora's family wishes to extend thanks to the Mt. St. Vincent Care Center, especially the second floor staff, for their loving and compassionate care of their mother and grandmother. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Mt. St. Vincent Resident Council Fund, 35 Holy Family Road, Holyoke, MA 01040, or Holy Cross Church, 23 Sycamore Street, Holyoke, MA 01040. The funeral will be Monday, December 28 from the James P. Hobert and Sons Funeral Home, 250 Suffolk Street, Holyoke, MA 01040, with mass at Holy Cross Church at 10am. Burial will follow at St. Jerome's Cemetery. Calling hours will be 2-6 pm Sunday, December 27.

Korean Food

Dinner at my favorite Korean Restaurant in Changchun, Yi Song Ting, One Lone Pine.

Roast Pork and Onions, Garlic, Green Peppers, Miso, Kim Chee, Lettuce, Spicy Daikon, Pickled Diakon, Potatoe Pancakes.

Not my Rep. but I like this

Subcommittee Chairman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)

"What they won't tell you is unlike everybody in this room who has to go and take out an insurance policy to drive a car, they want Wall Street and Goldman Sachs to be able to drive our economy into the ground without paying a cent of insurance in case they act recklessly. And all we're saying as Democrats is: 'It's simple. If you wanna do business in America and you threaten the economic stability of our country, then you gotta pay into an insurance fund.' But lemme tell you. It's not the kind of insurance fund where you get into an accident and they take your car and they fix it and they kind of give it back to you new. No no. In our insurance fund, you know what happens? We chop up your car into pieces and sell it and then we pay back the fund with the pieces. That's our fund. Read the bill. It's a funeral fund. You guys love to talk about the death and death and death when it came to health care. Why don't you talk about our death panels now?"

Isaac Asimov

Great Essay, link from pharyngula.

Human Nature

"Indeed, it is in our biological nature, not our political institutions, that we should put our trust, our empathy is innate and cannot be changed or long suppressed. In fact, I’d argue that biology constitutes our greatest hope. One can only shudder at the thought that the humaneness of our societies would depend on the whims of politics, culture or religion.”

Frans de Waal in another book published in October, “The Age of Empathy.” Dr. de Waal, a primatologist, has long studied the cooperative side of primate behavior and believes that aggression, which he has also studied, is often overrated as a human motivation.

“We’re preprogrammed to reach out,” Dr. de Waal writes. “Empathy is an automated response over which we have limited control.” The only people emotionally immune to another’s situation, he notes, are psychopaths.

(from nytimes)

Back from China

The Bees

The Bees were very active during the heat wave, and then calmed down so that Margo was worried about the hive. We opened it up and they looked great healthy and happy plenty of honey and grubs. Picture from the day it 100 degrees in the shade.

The Chickens

Margo's chickens would roost on the fence all night if we didn't put them in the coop. The racoons have been checking our yard regularly.

Mark Morford

...a drug free world is like an adultery free Republican Party...

Puget Sound

Was up on Puget Sound this weekend, for a memorial Service for Auntie Helen. Spent the night at Randall & Cathy's and went crabbing.

Cabin Prject

Have the sub-floor down and covered with tar paper.

Today's Bike Ride

Why I Love Sadly, No

This is the country whose president challenged us to play golf on the goddamn moon. And we did it! Did the Japanese play golf on the moon? Don’t make me fucking laugh. And now snivelling pussies like Sean Hannity are just ready to roll over and concede that those same Japanese have almost FIVE FUCKING YEARS more piss-and-vinegar in them than Americans? Alan Shepard would beat Sean Hannity down with a fucking 7-iron if he were alive today. In a full spacesuit. Audie Murphy would take one look at that quivering little sissy and Hannity would be shitting himself out of Rush Limbaugh’s asshole. Fucking Liberace got more legitimate pussy than Hannity, Limbaugh, O’Reilly and Beck combined.

But I digress.

The Cat

The Cat loves to sleep in this position.

More Cabin Work

Worked on the cabin with the generator running. Two more posts up, and insulated the floor. Beautiful weather up the Gorge. Slept under the stars of course. Left the platform covered with tar paper for the winter if we don't get up for another work day. Next is the rafters.

Thanx Skippy!

Earthquake news from Baja. We're chillin' now in Portland...dropped down to 93 degrees today.

All Friends Camp Out

All Friends Campout returned to Bagby Hot Springs for the 21st Annual.

Jilin Daxue

Rec'd my Original documents- Admit Letter and JW-202 Visa Form. The University had my address wrong and the first letter was returned. When I called Jilin and spoke to my contact person Li Dan, she told me it was sent UPS. Today they arrived and I can now send my passport, application, originals, and copies to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco. Actually my travel agent is doing it.

Cabin Project

Margo and I went up to the land this weekend to work on our cabin. Very hot in the valley, 100's; yet beautiful at our elevation. Still had to stay in the shade to be comfortable. Very nice as soon as the sun went down, and sleeping under the stars was perfect. Got the floor joists up, next is the deck and rafters.

Brian and Amy came to spend a night and get out of the city heat. However, back in Portland now, 100 degree heat wave for the next three days. We are giong to camp at Bagby next weekend.

Oneonta Gorge

Today Margo and I stopped at Oneonta Gorge while retutning from Our property.

Oregon Country Fair

Beautiful Fair, until the rains came. Then it was Mud City. Could not drive my truck and trailer into the Eight, so will have to go down again to pick up our camp kitchen.

Good News...Bad News

From archy: Religion in the States

The US constitution makes no mention of God in its preamble. Forty-five state constitutions invoke God, or some euphemism for God's name, in their preamble. Only Oregon and Tennessee have constitutions that do not mention God in some form in their preambles.

In Maryland, North Carolina, Oregon, and Texas, atheists are specifically forbidden to hold public office. In those states, freedom of religion really does not include freedom from religion.

Zhong Guo

Have heard from the Confucius Institute that my scholarship was approved and my materials forwarded to Jilin Daxue, which was my first choice. Jilin Province is directly across the Pacific from Oregon. Geopolitically important crossroads of Far East Russia, China, Korea. The grant will pay for a month study of language and culture. I am so excited, fulfills a life long goal. While there I will certainly look for work.

Margo's Croning

Had Family and Friends over for Margo's Croning Ceremony. This is a family tradition. Last year mine was comingled with our 20th wedding anniversary. This year we remembered to have a cake for Mickey's birthday, but had to use #8 again, it has served well through several of our birthdays. What a great party. Margo is well loved.

Lamb Roast

We travel to Port Townsend, Washington to Visit Eva and Jonathan for Solstice and Boom Fest and B-day Party for Josh.

Zoo Concert

We attend the Femi Kuti and Positive Force show at the Oregon Zoo. Got to see the baby elephant, but aparently didn't take a picture of that, Rode Max to the Zoo from NE Portland.

W.M.D. destroyed

Against Weapons of Mass Destruction? Thank an Oregonian. Story.

Oregon Senator Merkley

Also from Crooks and Liars.  Jeff Merkley on Health Care.

C & L sent me here

His Vorpal Sword.  Here.

Publinks Scorecard

12th Oregon Public Links

Sandpines Golf Links  Florence Oregon

Par 72   Black Tees  6887 Yards

Par         4-4-5-43-3-4-5-3-4  36   4-3-5-4-4-4-4-3-5  36   72

1st rnd    6-5-5-6-4-6-6-3-5  46  5-3-6-4-5-5-4-3-5  40   86

2nd rnd   5-5-5-4-7-5-6-3-5  45   4-3-8-6-4-6-4-4-5  44   89

ringer  5-5-5-4-4-5-6-3-5  42   4-3-6-4-4-5-4-3-5  38   80

Public Links State Championship

Played in the Oregon Golf Association Public Links Championship this past weekend at Sandpines Golf Links in Florance Oregon.  Drove down Friday for a practice round, really windy and cold, just like in April the first time I played the course, shot 85.  In the championship I shot 86 first round, and 89 final round.  My first tee ball took a big hop left sideways into the salal, lost ball, a 6 on my first hole.  Called a two stroke penalty on myself on 12th hole the second day for taking an improper drop.  My nearest relief was in the fairway, and I stupidly dropped in the rough, slightly further away.  The rule is "nearest relief through the green", and there is no difference between rough and fairway, both are through the green.  One other bad hole, I topped my drive right into a pond, then butchered the second ball into a very deep bunker, got out nicely, tough pitch to the green, great putt, just missed, 7.  The hole I took the penalty strokes, I had casual water twice, and had to hit off the concrete cart path, because my relief in that case was in the shrubbery.  Almost got up and down from the cart path, for a great 7, tapped in for 8.  

All my bad shots were just completely horrible, topped shots, pushed drives.  At least I putted well.  That putting lesson from Jackie Burke last week helped.  Only one three putt in 72 holes and I should have chipped that one I was so far from the hole.  Missed every birdie putt, but always around the hole, lots of tap in pars and great save putts.  Really I drove the ball terrible, it could of been worse.  Finished T47.  Wrap-up.  

Jackie Burke

Jackie Burke, 1958 Masters and PGA Champion in the Muirfield Village 

clubhouse, thoughts on Putting:

“You roll it with your hand first in your mind and then you pick up a stick and do the same thing with your hand.

“Anything that will make your mind think about a roll, not a hit. You can’t time a hit, but you can time rolling a ball. You’ll not rush it. You putt the break line, never a cup. Try to get the ball on the line.”

Golf with Brian Q

Played Golf with Brian Q today at Glendoveer.  Another one of those almost great rounds.  Didn't warm up, played behind unready golfers for the front nine, so hard to get my rhythm.  Missed several 3-4 footers.  The greens in Portland have sped up considerable with the hot weather.  I've been trying to get those short putts to fall in hole gently, but I think I need to be more on line for the really short ones.  Shot 86 and gave away 6 shots on the greens alone.  A 7 on # 6 (triple bogey) and a 6 on #15 & 17 (double bogies) were my only bad holes.  Nice string in the middle #8-9-10-11-12, one under par.  Hit the fairway and the green on every hole that stretch.  More like that.  Gave Brian Q a stroke a hole, he played the white tees, I played the blue.

Glendoveer Golf Course West Par 71 Blue Tees 5733

White Tees 5427

Par 4-4-4-3-4-4-4-4-5  36   4-4-3-4-4-5-4-4-3  35 71

Brian O'C 5-5-5-4-5-7-5-4-4  44   4-4-3-5-5-6-5-6-4  42 86

Brian Q 5-7-5-8-8-6-8-5-5  57    6-5-6-8-6-8-6-6-4   55 112

       NET    4-6-4-7-7-5-7-4-4  48   5-4-5-7-5-7-5-5-3    46       94  

Next time I'll give Brian a few more strokes.

SCOTUS

"the sixth person on the current nine-member panel with a Roman Catholic background." nytimes

Another Roman Catholic on the Supreme Court.  

From Wikipedia:

• Roman Catholic (23.9%)
• no religion (16.1%)
  

When is my identity group going to have representation on the Court?  If 23% of U.S. citizens are R.C. why is 66% of the Supreme Court Catholic?  

Death with Dignity

Linda Fleming, 66, of Sequim, Wash., died Thursday evening after taking lethal medication prescribed by a doctor under the law, according to a news release by the group, Compassion and Choices of Washington. The release said Ms. Fleming received a diagnosis of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer a month ago, and “she was told she was actively dying.”

Ms. Fleming was quoted in the release as saying: “I am a very spiritual person, and it was very important to me to be conscious, clear-minded and alert at the time of my death. The powerful pain medications were making it difficult to maintain the state of mind I wanted to have at my death.”

Thanks Linda, and If you have one Godspeed.  We have many freinds and reletives in Sequim, a very progressive corner of Washington.  Peace & Love.

Today's Mood: In Love

Skippy sent me to Bulgarian Idol.  I'll have this song in my head the rest of the day, hopefully not in Engrish.

Harry Nilsson Without You
Uploaded by paradixman

Ellsbury Again

Jacoby Ellsbury led off the first with a double, extending his hitting streak to 16 games. He took third on Dustin Pedroia's groundout and scored on another groundout by David Ortiz.  Game Summery.  

Mighty Bosox

The game's first ball put in play sent Ellsbury drifting back, and he snagged it. The second ball put in play forced Ellsbury to turn, sprint, and snare the ball just before running into the wall. The start was fitting. Ellsbury recorded nine of Penny's first 13 outs, and 10 of 17 overall. By the end of the game - which Ellsbury finished with a catch - he had 12 putouts, tying a major league record.  Also D. Ortiz homers, fans go crazy.  

Jacoby Ellsbury, carrying on that Oregon Bosox connection.  

The Dead

Drove up the Gorge to the concert in George, Washington.  Beautiful, sunny weather the whole way, drove right to the campground.  Parked the truck and walked around to look for Amy and Brian Q.  Found them!  And someone had moved and there was a spot open right next to them!  Drove the truck around, set up camp, and was happy.  Saw Dan and Michelle on the way in, but they had to return to their car, and we looked but did not connect inside.  Hot, Hot, Hot, for the Doobies and the Allmans, starting to cool down in the evening when the Dead came out.  They played several songs I had never heard before live.  Days Between I don't think I had ever heard before on tape, by anyone.  Brian Q. also did not know this song, our neighbors said Van Morrison, I need to look it up.  Phil was awesome on Tom Thumbs Blues!  They played Women Are Smarter!  I have only heard this once before, on Margo and Brian O'C's first date.  I've been waiting twenty years to hear them play this song again.  Hell In A Bucket cooked.  Althea was great, another song I haven't heard for fifteen years.  The drum solo>space was the best I have heard in years.  Closed the show with Box Of Rain, one of my favorites.  

(Set 1) The Music Never Stopped Loose Lucy Crazy Fingers Dark Star Dire Wolf Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues Into The Mystic Man Smart (Woman Smarter)

(Set 2) Passenger Hell in a Bucket Althea Eyes Of The World Drums Space Days Between Dark Star One More Saturday Night

(Encore) Box Of Rain

Car Free Living

NYTimes article on a car free suburban development in Germany.  

Pluto will always be a planet!

Obit on the little girl who named the planet Pluto in 1930, Venetia Phair.  "In the year 4,000 A.D., when Pluto is hollowed out and millions of people are living inside,” he said, “the name of Venetia Burney may be the only thing that Great Britain is remembered for".  

Old & New Portland

Atrios had a map of the old streetcar system in Portland.  The next link to be (re-)built is from Union Station to Portland State.  We live off that L-shape spur in NE PDX.  In 1912 I could have walked a block in either direction to catch a streetcar to downtown.  40 minutes on my bike ride to Portland State.  Here is the current map of lightrail, commuter train, trolley, and bus.  Bicycling is part of the solution.  

Red Tail Hawks

Portland has a family of Red tail Hawks nesting on the Wells Fargo bank Building downtown.  Here is a link to the KGW-8 webcam. 

Portland Convention Center Hotel

Letter to the editor from PSU Architecture Professor Jeff Schnabel.  

There is nothing sustainable about a convention with thousands of individuals flying on airplanes from distant points to a monstrous new building that remains heated and cooled, even when the throngs of conventioneers are absent. Is this really a form of economic development consistent with the goals and identity of Portland?

If we can justify promoting Portland as a convention destination, at least let's capitalize on our values and existing assets. Instead of putting incredible natural and financial resources into a new hotel, let's network all the existing hotels in the city to work together to accommodate large groups. In addition to increasing the occupancy of established businesses, visitors get to choose from a range of Portland experiences. They can reside at the stately Heathman, the eclectic Ace or the sleek Modera.

Read it here. 

Here is one I missed

Missed this Portland bicycling article in the Times.  Yes that is Portland State on the bike gear.  

David N. Seelig for The New York Times

Today's Bike Ride

Today was one of those days that makes up for about ten rainy windy ones.  Absolutely beautiful views of the mountains on my way to school.  And when I arrived...no crazy cristians in the Park Blocks.  Nice.  They usually show on hot sunny days so as to ogle the students while riling them up.  More later.  I just really wanted to move that teabagger off the top of my column.  Here is a picture of the Land.

Oregon Tea Bag Party

There were two protests in my area.  The one in Portland was at Red Square.  The one in Salem was at the state capitol building, attended by the gentleman at left.  I was unable to attend either one, but spoke to one of my students who went to the Portland show.  He said is was no fun to even punk these people as they were too serious, and too ignorant.  Other photos show these people are not even affected by the taxes they are protesting!  They're pissed because the Oregon Legislature raised beer and cigarette taxes.  Photo by Doug Beghtel/ The Oregonian Other photos here.   

Sandpines Golf Links

Played a practice round for the OGA Publinks at Sandpines in Florence Oregon. Conor had a work party at the Fair, so we picked up Finley in Eugene, dropped them off at the Fair site, and I continued on to the coast. Quite a blustery day when I arrived, always reminds me of that day with Stan & Tim at Portmarnock. The weather was the worst right in the middle of the round, on some of the hardest holes, but I started good and finished good, so felt great. Nice to get some bounce and roll on my teeball after soggy Portland, but I was past the pin on every wedge approach shot. Even in the rain when the putting slowed down the full shots bounced, very fast greens until the water beaded up.

Saturday 04/11 Sandpines Par 72 Blue Tees

Par 4-4-5-4-3-4-5-3-4 36 4-3-5-4-4-4-4-3-5 36 72

Brian 4-3-5-5-4-5-6-4-5 41 5-6-5-5-5-5-5-3-5 44 85

Grateful Dead

Brian & Margo in the New York Times. Picture taken at George, Washington. We will go and see the Dead again this May. All day event with Allman Bros. and Doobie Bros. I have never seen the Doobie Bros, but have seen the Almanns many times, and once with Dead in Springfield Mass Civic Center. That concert was in the $7.50 ticket days. The Doobies were allways a little pop for me but I've seen some great openers through the years: Warren Zevon in Boulder comes to mind, and Chuck Berry at Portland Meadows, Jimmy Cliff at Autzen, et cetera. At the concert left, The Dead played two four hour sets and two encores (a good thing to catch the last show of a tour). As the sun was going down I realized that this was my first outdoor at night Dead show-amazing!

Chinese Lecture

Went to Confucious Institute lat nite. More Later

What I'm Reading

 


McCormick, J. (2008).  Understanding the European Union.  United

Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan. 
 


I really enjoyed the book by McCormick, which was a very thorough and

up to date explanation of the origins and history of the European

Union.  The book starts with a general description of international

organizations of various kinds, and defines the terms used in the

discussion: states, nations, confederations, et cetera. 


The subject of integration is raised and functionalism discussed.

Cooperation leads to becoming so integrated that small changes will

begin to occur on larger issues. 


Regional integration is a fact around the world.  Some regions are

better integrated, and some regions have institutional problems that

prevent better integration. 


The author gives an historical analysis of the evolution of the

European Union and steps toward integration.  The problems encountered

and the solutions proposed were over come through continued

negotiations, trying different solutions until policy consensus is

reached.  There is still work to be done on a constitution, and a

common foreign policy. 


McCormick filled a large gap in my knowledge of European Union

internal politics and decision making.  The European Commission, the

Council of Ministers, and the Parliament all have a part in the

decision making process.  The roles of the Court of Justice, and the

European Council are described. 


The European role in the global economy is examined, along with

development aid for former colonies. 


The book is up dated to 2008, with most recent accessions to the EU

included.  The book?s argument that the rise of the European Union is

one of the most important developments in global politics is valid,

and I agree with it.  I think the peaceful growth of the EU is why the

subject has been devalued in United States media and culture.  Violent

change always attracts attention.  The EU, by virtue of its quiet

change, does not attract the short attention span of United States media.

The EU NATO and Collective Security

The European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Collective Security.

A casual United States observer would think that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance appears to function as the Defense department for the European Union (EU), however the NATO alliance actually predates the EU. The North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington, D.C. by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, The United Kingdom, and the United States in April 1949(Sandler & Hartley, p55). The Treaty of Paris which created the European Coal and Steel Community was signed by France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg was signed in April 1951 (McCormick, p216).

The first expansion of the NATO alliance occurred in February 1952 when Greece and Turkey joined the alliance. Article 10 of the NATO treaty states: By unanamous consent, any other European state can join NATO (Sandler & Hartley, p26). Thus NATO had its first expansion before the West German state was able to join the Western European Union (WEU), with Italy, in 1954. The running joke at the time was NATO was formed to keep the United States in Europe, the Soviets out of Europe and the Germans under control. In 1955 West Germany joined NATO. The respose from the polarized east was to form the Warsaw Pact of Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.

The treaty of Rome was signed in March 1957 creating the European Economic Community (EEC). The first expansion for the EU occurred when Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom joined the EEC in January 1973. The second EU expansion was for Greece in 1981. In 1982, Spain joins NATO; in 1986 Spain and Portugal become members of the EEC.

After the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, a unified Germany became a member of NATO. By 1991 the Warsaw Pact has disbanded, and the foreign ministers of Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia express the wish to join NATO. In Brussels, the first meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) is held with foreign ministers attending from the NATO Countries and nine Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries (Sandler & Hartley, p54).

Austria applies for EEC membership in 1989; Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Denmark apply to join the EEC in 1992. Switzerland also applies in 1992. In 1995 Sweden, Finland, and Austria join the European Union, and Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania apply for accession. In 1996, the Czech Republic and Slovenia apply for EU membership. These two states are the first members to apply from nation states that desintigrated with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. In 1999, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary joined the NATO alliance.

In 2004, the EU expanded to 25 members with the addition of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia.

Currently there are 27 EU member states and 26 NATO member states.

NATO

Belgium
Bulgaria
Canada - not eu
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland - not eu
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Norway - not eu
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Turkey - not eu
United Kingdom
United States - not eu





EU

Austria - not nato
Belgium
Bulgaria
Cyprus - not nato
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland - not nato
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland - not nato
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta - not nato
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden - not nato
United Kingdom

It is shown that there is not perfect symetry between NATO and the EU. There are costs and benefits that come with expansion. For NATO member states, potential benefits include:
collective defense
encourage political reforms and stability in entrants
support for economic and political integration
improved relations among neighbor states
further adaptation of NATO to the post cold war environment

potential expansion costs:

enlargement costs of infrastructure, logistics, and interoperability of forces
risk from entrants ethnic and territorial disputes
joint exercises
larger concensus
entrants force modernization
(Sandler & Hartley, p71)

For EU entrants, cost include:
Loss of sovreignty and national independence
Reduced power of national government
Little public input on integration issues
Increased competition and job loss after removal of market protections
Progressive state norms may be reduced to help integrate states with lower standards
Cross border criminal activity may increase with lessening of border controls

Benefits to EU membership:

Cooperation makes war and conflict less likely
The single market is a larger pool of customers for European businesses
Freedom of cross border movement
Pooling of economic and social resources
Member states enjoy increased global power and influence
Less advanced states rise to the standards maintained by progressive states
Investment creates new opportunities in the poorer regions of the EU
Democracy is promoted in member states
(McCormick, p7).

NATO was formed post WWII as a defense pact, with the presumption that the attack would come from the Soviet Union. Thw c ollapse of the Soviet gave an opportunity to redraw or create something new in place of the NATO alliance. Yet instead we saw a expansion of NATO. The first time NATO forces were dispatched to fight was in the former Yugoslavia. Not used in defense but used as humanitarian intervention. NATO air strikes forced a cease fire in Bosnia, with NATO groundtroops replaceing United Nations (UN) forces in 1995. There was no hesitation when the need for intervention appeared in Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia, but the intervention also consisted of diplomatic support, direct aid, and sanctions. This speaks to the issue of collective security as different from ‘defense’. NATO was formed as a defensive alliance. The Alliance and its collective nation states were not directly threatened by the ethnic militias and autocratic demogogues in the former Yugoslavia. However the EU’s collective security was certainly threatened by the prospects of failed states and genecidal refugees. These are the breeding grounds for terrorism and dictatorship. Leonard (2005) has European strategic doctrine very different from America’s. Force may be necessary to defend Europe’s values, but will never be a part of European foreign policy. Contrast this with the United States use of military force as a cornerstone of US foreign policy.

Some of the newer members of NATO had devalued their military, and had no desire to rebuild. To integrate these nations into the NATO operations system they were allowed to develope boutique forces, for example Romania’s Moountain Division, or Norway’s Rapid Reponse Force. This is the true strength of the European model, the slow but steady evolutionary growth, involving member states with real responsibility. NATO has used this incremental to good effect. The NAC pledged resources to the UN, Organization for Security and Cooperation Europe (OSCE), and the EU to bring peace to the Balkans. At a NATO Defence Planning Committee in 1992, NATO defense ministers supported including UN and OSCE peacekeeping among NATO missions. By 1993, NATO defense ministers were supporting Combined Joint Task Forces (CJTF) and designing the Partnership for Peace (PFP) program.

In 1994, German constitutional restrictions on the use of German forces in peacekeeping missions abroad were removed by German courts. This same year, in Poland, the first PFP exercises were held (Sandler and Hartley, p55). By 1997, NATO led forces replaced the UN forces in Bosnia.

This European style incrementalism has been used with NATO - Russian Federation relations. The Founding Act on Mutual Relations Cooperation and Security is signed in 1997 between the Russian Federation and NATO. NATO and 26 partner nationsconvene the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) as a sucessor to the PFP and the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC).

The question for the future will be further expansion of the EU, and further expansion of the EU model. A common labor market between the United States and Mexico would do much to allieviate the illegal immigration problem in the United States, but Mexico would have great problems bringing its economy in line to support its own labor market.

The Russian Federation could request acession to the EU, without NATO involvement, yet like the United States have issues with sovreinty. The EU members delegate some of their decision making power to shared institutions they have created, so that decisions on specific matters of joint interest can be made democratically (europa.eu).

It is probable that the United States and Russian Federation are not yet ready to provide defense using collective security and shared sovreinty. Other nations are starting down this road however. The leaders of ten Southeast Asian countries have signed a declaration to integrate their economies and construct a political union modelled on that of the European Union (Phillips). Just like the EU there will be taboo subjects, such as varying norms on civil and human rights, and the disparities between the economies will make it difficult to reach common standards. The Association of Southeast Asain Nations (ASEAN) plan looks to build a common market, without a common currency, in six years. The six countries that founded the European Coal and Steel Community took fifty years of incremental institutional engagement to become the twenty-seven member European Union. The twelve countries that signed the North Atlantic Treaty also grew to twenty-six member states over fifty years of incremental engagement. The NATO defense forces have never been used for defense. They took the offensive against humanitarian abuses in the Balkans, which were a security threat to the stability of Europe. In fifty years we should hope to see the same type of positive growth from the ASEAN countries, and possibly other continent based models.

Article Review

M.E. Smith
Conforming to Europe:
the domestic impact of EU foreign policy.

Journal of European Public Policy 7:4 October 2000


The author’s purpose is to offer a conceptual framework to organize information exploring the general relationship between EU member state domestic politics and EU foreign policy (614). The author examines the way EU membership ‘Europeanizes’ member states.

CFSP issues condition EU member states to orient foreign policy making, even though foreign policy has always been reserved as a special domain of national governments. Also, EU membership is based on economics, and political cooperation is not required of EU states.

Political cooperation developed in parallel with economic cooperation. But political cooperation was restrained by EU member state reluctance, thus developed its own institutional growth based on
intergovernment bargaining over the issue of political cooperation itself. The growth entailed: creation of a communication network among foreign ministers, political agents and foreign policy specialists; codifying norms; increased involvement of EC actors; and the establishment of policy processes (615).

This development, Smith argues, has gradually worked its way into the domestic politics of EU member states. The norms established reorient states to ‘problem solving’ as opposed to ‘bargaining’ as a style of decision making (615).

Bargaining the author defines as satisfaction of self interests through trade offs. Problem solving involves appeal to common interests. The norms established provided the environment for cooperation.

States engaged in regular communication and consultation before adopting a final position so as not to catch partners by surprise. Establishing this norm lead to an increase in telecomm traffic and real sharing of sensitive information. This fosters a community view on ‘European issues’.

Confidentiality is the second norm guiding CFSP. Third is using consensus to make decisions. This strengthens the smaller states. QMV is an option, but knowing that a state can block a policy, makes discussions less threatening.

The fourth norm is a realization that there are issues considered off limits. Usually, involving unilateral problems (616). This norm prevented discussions of many issues, however, as CFSP developed, this norm has evolved. The gradual expansion of political cooperation now includes previously taboo subjects (617).

EU member state domestic politics have adapted to the CFSP with elite socialization, bureaucratic reorganization, and constitutional change. There has also been an increase in public support for political cooperation.

Elite socialization takes place in a transgovernmental communication network: the COREU telex network, EPC working groups, joint declarations, joint reporting, staff exchanges among foreign ministries and shared embassies. All these have moved the conduct of national foreign policy away from the old nation state model toward amore collective endeavor, a form of high level networking with tranformationalist effects and even more potential (Hill and Wallace 1996).

Visible bureaucratic adaptation to political cooperation appears in the national foreign policy ministries. Political cooperation becomes a national priority. Member states are responsible for common positions, and act to the benefit of the EU. New national officials are approved, expansion of diplomatic corps occurs, along with administrative reorganization and expansion of foreign ministries (620).

A main point of the article is the responsibility that comes with membership. The EU Presidency of Spain in 1989 was the biggest task ever undertaken by the government and Spanish administration (Barbe, 1996). EU member state foreign ministries have been able to assert political control over external relations due to the need to coordinate foreign policies between The EC and the EPC. Small states also benefit from large state presence outside Europe.

The EU also has been prepared to aid in nation building. When Greece held the Presidency in 1983, its civil service, state bureaucracy, and domestic legal system were underdeveloped. Spain created a General Secretary for Foreign Policy to make its Foreign Ministry compatible with EPC (Barbe).

EU states have been willing to reorient national legal structures to the demands of European integration (624). States have engaged in constitutional debates, and neutral states have had to consider positions on security and defense issues to justify accession and pacify electorates.

Public support for political cooperation is an area of interest for European citizens. The author notes that much of the growth of support is owing to the issue appearing on a national agenda, citizens going from unconcerned opinions to pro-European opinions.

The constant process of institution building at the EU level has resonated back to the foreign policy culture of the EU states (628). The obligations become part of the foreign policy processes of the states.

The article was written before the historic expansion of the EU in 2004. The norms established and described in the article have proven capable of providing for the problem free accession of the ten new members in 2004, and Bulgaria and Romania in 2007.

The Match-West Coast Tour

Thursday 2/19 Rose City Par 72 6552 Yards Blue Tees

Par 4-4-5-4-3-4-4-3-4 35 5-5-3-4-4-3-5-4-4 37 72

Brian 6-5-6-4-3-5-5-5-5 44 6-6-4-5-5-3-6-6-6 47 91
Tim 6-4-6-6-4-5-5-3-6 45 5-5-5-5-5-3-7-5-5 45 90

Tim wins match 2 up

Best 6-4-6-4-3-5-5-3-5 41 5-5-4-5-5-3-6-5-5 43 84



Friday 2/20 Eastmoreland Par 72 6529 Yards Blue Tees

Par 4-4-4-4-3-5-4-3-5 36 4-5-3-5-4-4-4-3-4 36 72

Brian 5-6-5-6-4-5-6-4-5 46 4-7-3-7-5-6-5-4-5 46 92
Tim 5-6-5-5-4-5-4-4-5 43 5-5-4-5-4-4-7-4-6 46 89

Tim wins match 4 & 3

Best 5-6-5-5-4-5-4-4-5 43 4-5-3-5-4-4-5-4-5 39 82


Thursday 2/26 Rose City Par 72 6552 Yards Blue Tees

Par 4-4-5-4-3-4-4-3-4 35 5-5-3-4-4-3-5-4-4 37 72

Brian 5-5-6-3-3-5-4-4-4 39 4-5-3-5-5-3-6-6-5 42 81
Tim 6-6-5-5-5-4-5-3-4 43 5-5-5-5-6-4-5-4-5 44 87

Brian wins match 5 &4

Best 5-5-5-3-3-4-4-3-4 36 4-5-3-5-5-3-5-4-5 39 75


54 Hole Totals

Brian 91-92-81 = 264
Tim 90-89-87 = 266

Golf

Dropped Tim off at the airport. Squeezed in one more round today. Finally played good. Two Birds, and finished 6-6-5 to shoot 81. Shoulda broke 80.

Tim in Portland

Picked up Tim at PDX last night. We went golfing at Rose City today. Tim beat me by one stroke, but amazingly won a dollar. 50 cents a hole, 50 cent birdies, and junk. I played the par 3s even, and the pr 5s 4 over. Beautiful day, had to wait a half hour fore the frost to burn off, but finished in my shirt sleeves.

Went out to dinner with the family, Hawthorne District for Fish, then coming home we drove up on I-5 to see the lights of downtown Portland. Tomorrow we are going to play Eastmoreland.

Still Busy

Never enough time in the day

Sorry Been Busy

The Lost Weekend

Woke up nauseous at 2 am Saturday morning. Thought I had a bad food, I went to throw up, felt better and went back to bed. Hah! I was up again in 1/2 hour, this time barfing up nothing but gastric juice. And gut wrenching. I spent the rest of the night retching every 1/2 hour, alternate chills and sweats, trying to drink water to hydrate. Bad. In and out of the shower, wrapping up in blankets on the couch. Thinking hoping each trip to the toilet was the last. Margo came down in the morning, called the ask a nurse at our healthcare, and she drove me to the emergency room at Providece Medical center. This is the hospital where No. 1 son was born 20 years ago. Also where our Primary Care Physician is located. Also in NE Portland, not to far, but a fun car ride. Quiet when we got there at 8 am Sat morning, not like the last two times I went to the E-room. The Medical Professionals are hard to tell apart, doctors nurses technicians aides. I.V. first for hydration then finally morphine for pain, and for the fist time in hours I was able to relax my tummy muscles. Took three attempts to get the tube down my nose and into the stomach. This to suck out the gastric juices that are still being produced. Four days later I still have sore throat and raspy voice. Then MRI ... or CAT scan not sure... to look for problems inside. Which showed possible intestinal blockage. So admitted to a room on the surgical ward. If the blockage did not clear it would require surgery. I have been mentally prepared for some thing like this for about fifty years. Conor & Margo came for a visit. Next morning I go to Xray for a open ended session of time lapse photography as a substance is fed through the tummy tube and progresses through the small intestine and hopefully into the large colon. My doctor, who I first met pretty out of it, stops by to monitor progress, says that if everything moves through well then no need for surgery. He will let me know about the taking the tube out after the procedure is finished and he has the opportunity to examine the Xrays. Margo arrives and stays with me through he rest of the Xrays, The Xray tech tells me it does look like the substance has reached the large colon, the Radiologist likes the pictures, and back upstairs to my room. Soon word comes from the doctor Okay to remove the tube and okay to try Clear Liquid diet. Coffee is on this diet, and my floor nurse brings me a cup right away, sweet Angel of Mercy! Margo helps order room service for some broth, sorbet, and more coffee. My I.V. is long enough to reach the toilet, and things are finally coming out the right end of me. In the evening I am able to watch the Superbowl while eating some solid foods, turkey slices mashed potato and dessert. Cards! Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Margo returns, hangs out for a while and leaves feeling better about the no surgery part- me too! The next morning the doctor arrives, says he could go in and find where the blockage or kink occurred but that raises the possibility to create a new adhesion. If this occurs again in a short time frame, then surgery will be needed. He said hopefully, it will be another 50 years. Nurses remove the IV, I take a shower, change into my civvies, sign a form for my nurses, and head downstairs to the billing office where we are able to give insurance information, sign again and head for home. 48 hours. The first thing I do is make a decent cup of coffee, the hospital stuff was weak. Monday night after dinner Margo and I go for a walk with the dog, and as always, it's good to be alive.

Today's Bike Ride

Beautiful day today. Pink streaky clouds over Mt Hood. Geese and Mallards on the Willamette. Finally getting the gravel swept up from last monts 'storm of the century'.

Class was cancelled, which was good as I used the time to go to the Library and spend a good three hours reading. I have felt out of sorts witht he readings this term. Each book has been a struggle to maintain focus and steady progress. Today I feel caught up on the reading, but with papers to work in over the weekend. And grants, financial aid, for Conor & myself.

Three Good Omens

Leaving home 2/3 of the way through Barrack Os innauguration speech I was struck by how quiet it was in NE Portland. Not a sole on the street except for those few who had to be. Crossing the Broadway Bridge, a immature Bald Eagle was sporting off the bridge, just 25 feet away from me. Snap rolled under the bridge and headed upstream. Then, right in front of the Benson Hotel was the Oscar Mayer Weiner mobile. Awesome!

Grad School

Europeon Union as a Peace System

Historical Context of WWII My Notes for Class on the reading packet:


Agression in the 1930s

Japanese Agression and Chinese Response
Japan Siezes Manchuria (p240)
Japan Attacks China (p241)
United Front (p242)
China during the War (p243)
U.S. Moves toward Confronting Japan (p244)

NAZI Threat to Peace & Allied Response
German Remilitarization of the Rhineland
“If the French had then marched into the Rhineland, we would have had to withdraw” (p245)
Soviet Response to Japanese & German Agression
Franco triumphs in Spain
Leftist support to the Spanish Government not as effective as that given by Italy and Germany to Franco (p247)
German Agression: March 1938 to March 1939
Anschluss should be a German goal (p247)
Poland & Hungary sieze parts of Czechoslovakia (p249)
March 1939 Hitler takes the rest of Czecho, moves on Lithuania, Poland (p249)
The U.S. Remains Neutral
Congress forbids U.S. vessels from transporting war material to belligerents, prohibited loans to belligerents, declared U.S. neutral in Spanish civil war, & forbade U.S. citizens to travel on belligerent ships. Effect of the Neutrality Acts was to strengthen Hitler, Mussolini and Franco, Togo. (p250)
Europe on the Eve of War
Stalin deals with Hitler

World War II

Hitler’s conquests in Europe
Poland again disappears from Europe (p254)
Hitler chooses same spot & railcar where Armistice signed in 1918 (p256)
Soviet Union consolidates in Eastern Europe (p256)
Great Britain stays in the War (p257)
Hitler’s ‘New Order’ & the Holocaust
Autumn 1941 - Greater German Nation
The Final Solution, genocide: a systematic process to destroy a particular national, ethnic, or racial group (p258)
Jews sent to special extermination camps (p258)
Anne Frank “courage and cheerfulness” (p260)
6M Jews, 75% Europe’s Jewish population (p261)
Jews nationalists support independant Jewish state in Palestine. Jew would control the government, rather than a minority group (p261)
The U.S. and European Affairs
U.S. Neutrality Legislation aid to G.B. buy and import U.S. goods & G.B. blockade Germany (p261)
U.S. public hope for peace, U.S. leaders prepare for war (p261)
Confrontation Between U.S. & Japan
Embargo on aviation fuel & scrap metal, general trade continues (p262)
Summer 1941 U.S. freeze Japanese assets, Dutch, British, mutual defense
December 1941 Japan attacks Dutch, British in Asia, U.S. at Hawaii (p262)
Japan Conquests in Asia-Pacific
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, alienated local peoples
‘Grand Alliance’ Against the ‘Axis’
halt agression, not to gain foreign teritory. 1942-1945 Churchill, Stalin Roosevelt (p264)
2nd Front, post-war Europe, soft underbelly
Industrial Mobilization For Total War
Industrial and agricultural output of the U.S. equipped 12 million troops, plus G.B., S.U., other allies; 300,000 airplanes, 88,000 tanks, 2.5M trucks, 20M rifles, 315,000 artillary, 3000 ships, farmers increased production by 1/3, double the combined output of the Axis (p266)
Government, Industry, Military Alliance of Total War (p266)
When WWII ended the citizens of the Western democracies had become conditioned to function in a national environment in which the government was thoughoughly integrated into economic and social life (p266)
Women in the workforce (p266)
The Sea War
German U-boats, British Blockade, U.S. code breakers, Japanese shipping (p267)
The Air War
Strategic bombardment of the enemy’s economic and military installations, terror bombing, shoot down German planes faster than they could be replaced (p268)
New Technologies - Jet Plane & Guided Missle
Pacific War U.S. positining to bomb Japan
Allies Defeat the Axis
Soviet Victories and Nazi Defeat
Nazi atrocities united ethnic groups (p269)
Summer 1943 Soviet armaments, 6M troops, double the German Army, 3:1 in planes, tanks, artillary (p270)
D-Day and Final Phases
Summer 1944 Normandy Beachhead
Autumn 1944 Germany Borders
Spring 1945 Cross Rhine, Vistula
May 1945 Surround Berlin (p270)
Campaign against Japan 1942-1945
Summer 1944 Regular Bombardment of Japanese cities, Phillipines reconquered (p271)
The Atomic Bomb: Climax of Total War
200,000 deaths & radiation long after explosions (p271)
shaping of post war era, quick end, surrender August 1945 (p272)

News Hour

Tuned in Late...Cheney!!! Exit Interview...Osama Bin Laden not important, Al Queda was. Abu Z...dead. Other Senior Leadership...dead!!!11!

Jim Lehrer: Most powerful Vice President in the most failed Presidency?
Dick Cheney: Dead wrong. [follows with long list of 'successes']

JL: Domestic?
DC: Tax Cuts! Sad. '08 problems, but not just U.S. problem, worldwide. TARP!
JL: Success??
DC: Don't blame GWB!!
JL: No prevention or forwarning?
DC: Sad. No foresight.
JL: Poor rating, bad as Quayle.
DC: Polls?? Hah! Some questioned the legitimacy of our Administration, et cetera. [Ugh] Ford looked great for pardon 30 years later.
JL: Govern for the present?
DC: That's what elections are for. Tough, Jim. [Tough three times] better than loved? Who cares about polls?
JL: Leaving with disapproval?
DC: When I get out people love me.
JL: Dick Cheney. Changed?
DC: No, no, no. 9/11 changed. Protect the Homeland! Now Urban Nuke Threat!! [the threat was less before your reign] I read the Intell reports.
JL: Lessse?
DC: Joe Liberman my kind of Democrat agrees with me.
JL: Sue Crawford says mistakes were made.
DC: These techniques were fully authorized by the Justice Department. Probably a misunderstanding over Degee of Difficulty, not Form.. I still give the traetment a 10. Justice Department Approved!!
JL: Not a mistake?
DC: Like Abe Graib, bad apples, bad treatment. Policy, Legal Department O-kay, Results [wha...tell me more].
JL: Policy?
DC: Ab-So-Lute-Ly.
JL: Health?
DC: Heart Attack? Phush! I'm 68! Stressed! It's cool. My Health Care is great. [Phush!]
JL: President Cheney?
DC: No way! No regrets.

Hard to even comment, so I won't. Good Riddence.

Barrack O's appointee Tim G tax and Housekeeper issue.

Paul S asks about 2009. Hamster Wheel.

News Hour

Host: Jim L

Bush's Last Presser: Manic Depression! Bi Polar!! Angry Bush, Funny Bush.

Talking Heads hosted by Judy W.

Trudy Rubin - Philly Inq. Surge? Rummy? Going well?!!? The whole region has suffered from Bush's attack on Iraq, which sqandered the good will earned in Afganistan. Harsh. Ouch!! Keep Punching!!! Gee Trudy, now I can see why you didn't last long at the Oregonian.

Byron York - National Review. No Mistake in Iraq!!11!!!1

Ruy Texiera - Century Foundation. Wrecked the country, did nothing domestic, no reform Health Care, Education, Worse in every area.

Michael Gerson - Wash Post. Surge Success!!11!! Babbleling!!11!! Iraq a Giant Eclipse on Mr Sun, Sun, Mr Golden Sun, Bush Shinola on me!!!11!

Lebanon looks at Gaza. Jeffery B in Beirut. Rami Khouri characterizes Hamas Sunni - Hezb'allah Shia. Fighting the Opressor always looks good, even if the goals of the group fighting the oppressor are repugnent. Whaleed Jamblatt's family tradition is to be assasinated, him not yet. The violence in Gaza will "wash away the Moderates" in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon. Nasrallah denounces the violence, but does not open a Nortern Front against Isreal. Comments on how this may show weakness. All other political parties in Lebanon now respect Hezb'allah only for thier violence.

Obama meets with Calderon. Drugs go North, Guns go South.

N.F.L.

Yow! Philly looked great in totally dominateing the N.Y. Giants. Arizona played great and totally stuffed Carolina. I think Philly goes to the Super Bowl..

Steelers also played better than the Chargers and deserve to host the Ravens, who took the game away from Tennesee. I think Steelers are going to the Super bowl.

Foriegn Exchange

Daljit Dhaliwal

Independent Diplomat - Will coach groups lacking diplomatic corps -groups must commit to Diplomacy, Dialogue, Civil Rights, Rule of Law.

Women's Work - Men depopulated after massacres forced women to take control of family coffee farms. Discover they are better farmers than thier husbands and fathers and grandfathers. Women make up 1/2 the Parlement. There is yearly Reconciliation remembreence ceremonies.

Global Super Class - Author David Rothkopf. 2% [people] controls 50% [property, wealth]; 50% [people] control 1% [property, wealth]. 6% of the Power Elite are Women, worldwide Women in Government is 17%. C.E.Os after WWII made 30X the base worker's pay, now the rate is 350X the base worker's pay.

Comments on the Amazon Rain Forest, who owns it? Brazil concerned about interference.