Portland Oregon: TriMet Max Lines Cross

Portland Oregon: TriMet Max Lines Cross
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

All the trains have stopped today - one new train line is being built across the others.

Strange Mirror Boxes, Downtown Portland

Strange Mirror Boxes, Downtown Portland
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

What are they for? How very mysterious!

Youth and Skill are no match for old age and treachry (sic)

Youth and Skill are no match for old age and treachry (sic)
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

Spelling?

Sunset behind Astoria-Megler Bridge

Sunset behind Astoria-Megler Bridge #1
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

A weekend in Astoria on the Oregon coast included this light show behind the bridge to Washington. Everyone had their cameras out.

Guard iPhone

Guard iPhone
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

Taken with my iPhone...

iPhone test picture

iPhone test picture
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

Sent from my iPhone

Which way to go?

Hamilton Mountain sign
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

You have to choose between long and difficult, or short and more difficult. We chose the more difficult one to go up which I why my legs hurt now. The pictures from the easier one were better!

My first laptop

Three Operating Systems at once
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

I bought my first ever (personal) laptop this week. I crossed over to the other side and purchased a MacBook Pro, which uses Intel's Santa Rosa platform. I can run Mac OS, Vista and Linux, all at the same time using Parallels, and I can book to Vista to play cool games.

The laptop is a little big, but so far I'm very happy with it. Nice new toy!

Whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed

Whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

This is so true - some people are like Teflon...

Another reason why I have an indoor cat...

Hawk eats pidgen on my front lawn
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

This hawk was eating a pigeon on my front lawn on Friday evening. He wasn't too worried about the two mad photographers trying to get as close as possible, until one got just a little too close:



(p.s. I know it needs mowing again).

I've been Boing Boing'd!

My panorama's of the Reed College flags have been mentioned on Boing Boing - one of the most visited blogs in the 'verse. Fame at last! Pity I'm at home sick so I can't really enjoy my 15 minutes of fame. :-(

Update 1: As mentioned on Boing Boing: The numbers are derived from the highly controversial Lancet study that used unverified sampling methodology. Iraq Body Count, which documents verifiable deaths, currently places the number of civilians killed at over an order of magnitude less—at maximum, 64,444. This is why I mentioned that I wasn't sure if the numbers were correct. See here. Also, I feel I should point out that the red flags were not distributed evenly amongst the white; there was a large square of them.

Update 2: There is some debate at BB as to if these numbers are good or not, it seems that the controversy could be more political than scientific . Their methodology may not have been so suspect...see This American Life.

The voices are not real but they do have some good ideas

The voices are not real but they do have some good ideas
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

Finally. a sign I can really relate to!

Photogenic war protest and memorial

360 Panorama: Reed College War Memorial and Protest Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

I stumbled across this protest/memorial at Reed College today, as I was looking for something to photograph with my new Canon XTI Digital SLR. This is a 360 degree panorama of the front of the college after someone had placed 123,000 little flags on the lawn. (You can also see it displayed in a viewer, or much bigger). Each red flag represents a US solder who has died in the war; each white represents 6 Iraqis who has died. (I can't vouch for the accuracy of the numbers). The sight was impressive and quite moving.

Things they don't tell you when you go skiiing for the first time

(View of Mount Hood from Bruno Ski Lift)

1. It's a different world up there, like the rules of physics were replaced with more slippery ones.
2. Try not to lose your ski pass while being distracted by equipement. (I found it again!).
3. The boots come in half sizes. (My big toes hurt all day - I wasn't sure if that was normal, really I needed a half size bigger).
4. The bunny slope is the most crowded part of the resort.
5. Some ski instructors are experienced, patient and helpful. continuing to give you tips and help after the lesson is over. (Unlike some snowboard instructors I could mention).
6. How do you decide to leave the bunny slope and go on a real one?
7. The "Pucci" run in Timberline isn't totally an easy "green" slope. Part of it is blue. There is no green slope all the way to the bottom. It seems very, very steep compared to Bruno.
8. Light snow is great fun to fall into.
9. The "Pucci" run is fantastic fun in light of (8) and (4) especially if you have a little confidence and don't care about throwing yourself down if you feel out of control, and you have some more experienced friends to encourage you (I only threw myself down 3 or 4 times!).
10. The "Pucci" run is scary and not fun if you aren't quite ready and you don't want your friends to watch. (One of our party not have a good time on that slope, we waited at the end).
11. Bruno seems tame after Pucci, but there is nothing in between, and so even the people who didn't like Pucci realized that Bruno is dull but Pucci is still to advanced.
12. They forgot to tell us about sunburn. I look like a raccoon now, and my face hurts more than my legs, back and toes ache!
13. Another go on the mountain with some more lessons is a MUST, especially a lesson on a real slope.

(Update: looking at the map today, it seems there are easier runs (e.g. Glade). Next time we'll check the map!)

By the time you make ends meet they move the ends

By the time you make ends meet they move the ends
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

Latest sign no the Beaverton-Hillsdale highway.

The sign is in Portland, Oregon. (On the Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway,
between Portland and Beaverton). I have no affiliation - I just drive
or ride the bus past the sign most days.

Here is a new feature of Flickr - a map with photos on it. Nice!