lao-ocean-girl

…will be the 4th of July, America’s Independence Day.  Independence from the imperialist oppressor nation of England, who tried to make us spell color with a “u”.  Alas, Ben Franklin, historically known for championing spelling reform, helped Americans to be the slackers they are today.  Oh yeah, he also flew a kite, or something like [...]

Remember last week, when I took a picture of the downtown Christmas tree? Well, it was lit last night, with a turnout of 18,000. I didn’t make it, but enjoyed this posting from a local Portlander. Here’s the big tree, ready to be lit. And here’s the Easter Bunny. Of course. I think it’s things [...]

After my first class today, Ras met me near campus for lunch. I wanted to try out a nearby “pho” place on Broadway and College Street – Pho Thanh-Long. I wondered how it would compare to Pho Van, which is a favorite for my family. We used to drive all the way out to 82nd [...]

Seen on a locker at PSU:

I’ve been near a lot of dogs lately.  For the last three days, I’ve been helping Ras take care of Ian and Erin’s dog while they’re in California for a wedding.  (Ian is one of Ras’ best friends.) Moose (the dog) was a real handful at first, but we’ve both bonded. Today, Ras and I [...]

Election results are in, and surprise, surprise, Democrats win in Oregon.  What I did find surprising were the statistics about library use in Portland.  The voters passed a levy that would provide more than $30 million a year over five years to pay for library operating costs.  The average cost for homeowners will be $11.13 [...]

I visited the Portland Japanese Garden three days ago, but haven’t been able to upload the pictures on Flickr yet.  I’ve got two midterms tomorrow that I’m cramming for, so the pictures will have to wait until later.  Here’s a sneak peak at one of the photos I took.  It’s now my desktop wallpaper.   [...]

I went downtown today to buy a bag and another lens for my camera.  I was itching to try out my new purchase, so I headed to the Portland Rose Garden near Washington Park.  It had been awhile since I’d been to the garden, and I took a wrong turn on Vista Road.  It turned [...]

Did you know that there are three “waves” when talking about coffee history?  And that Portland is a forerunner in this third wave?  I didn’t, until I read this article. “The First Wave was granddad’s coffee, generic sludge poured in diners and truck stops. The Second Wave is Starbucks, and the advent of “specialty” coffee [...]