Detail, Beverly Beach photo, courtesy MachineShedFred.






Excellent tunes -- free! And on your browser right now. Just click on Radio Bojack!

Meter updates every 30 seconds. Click here for
an instant update.
Our complete Portland debt series linked here.




E-mail us here.

About

This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on April 30, 2009 4:08 PM. The previous post in this blog was An eco-roof for the homeless. The next post in this blog is Yay! Federal pork for the East Side streetcar!. Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

Links

Law
How Appealing
Bag and Baggage
TaxProf Blog
Mauled Again
Tax.com
Josh Marquis
Native America, Discovered and Conquered
The Yin Blog
OrCon Law
Ernie the Attorney
Conglomerate
Above the Law
The Volokh Conspiracy
Going Concern
myCorporateResource.com
World of Work
The Faculty Lounge

Hap'nin' Guys
Tony Pierce
Parkway Rest Stop
Utterly Boring.com
The Vig
Dwight Jaynes
Various Observations...
The Daily E-Mail
Saving James
Bob Borden
Dingleberry Gazette
The Red Electric
Positively Glorious
The Rural Bus Route
Another Blogger
The World of Today
Izzle Pfaff
Jeremy Blachman
Dean's Rhetorical Flourish
Straight White Guy
Furious Nads (b!X)
The Grich
HinesSight
Onfocus
AntSaint
Kevin Allman
Jalpuna
MTPolitics
The Naive Optimist
Beerdrinker.org
As Time Goes By
AboutItAll - Oregon
Jeff Selis
Quark Soup
Alas, a Blog
Whitman Boys
Worldwide Pablo
Misterblue
Tales from the Stump
Two Pennies
Scott Hendison
Sansego
The View Through the Windshield
Mikeyman's Computer Treehouse
Appliance Blog
The Bleat
Rosenblog

Hap'nin' Gals
My Whim is Law
I Count to 4 (Nth of Pril)
Miss in Your Business
Lelo in Nopo
Rose City Journal
Type Like the Wind
Linda Kruschke
Margaret and Helen
Kimberlee Jaynes
Evidently
And Sew It Goes
Mile 73
Frances de Florida
Rainy Day Thoughts
Ready or Not
Marchmoon Chronicles
That Black Girl
Posie Gets Cozy
Lao Ocean Girl
{A}
Cat Eyes
Chantel Williams
Kerianne
Melissa Lion
Gina Rau
Rhi in Pink
Althouse
Frytopia
Ragwaters, Bitters, and Blue Ruin
This Stony Planet
Heather Bea
GirlHacker

Portland and Oregon
Isaac Laquedem
StumptownBlogger
Rantings of a TriMet Bus Driver
Jeff Mapes
Our PDX Network
Stumptown Lunch
Amanda Fritz
PolitickerOR.com
O City Hall Reporters
RoguePundit
Guilty Carnivore
Metroblogging Portland
Old Town by Larry Norton
The Alaunt
Bend Blogs
Lost Oregon
Cafe Unknown
Tin Zeroes
Another Portland Blog
Mark Nelsen's Weather Blog
Oregon Media Central
Portland Building Ads
Portland Food and Drink.com
Dave Knows Portland
Idaho's Portugal
Alameda Old House History
MLK in Motion
LoveSalem
ORblogs Site News

Retired from Blogging
Portland Freelancer
1221 SW 4th
Twisty
I am a Fish
Here Today
What If...?
Superinky Fixations
Pinktalk
Mellow-Drama

Wonderfully Wacky
Dave Barry
Borowitz Report
Blort
Stuff White People Like
The Dullest Blog in the World
Worst of the Web
The Ultimate Insult
Scrabo's Mad World
Lancow's E-mail

Valuable Time-Wasters
My Gallery of Jacks
Litterbox, On the Prowl
Litterbox, Bag of Bones
Litterbox, Scratch
Maukie
Ride That Donkey
Singin' Horses
Rally Monkey
Simon Swears
Strong Bad's E-mail

Oregon News
KGW-TV
The Oregonian
Portland Tribune
KOIN
Willamette Week
KATU
The Sentinel
Southeast Examiner
Sellwood Bee
Mid-County Memo
Eugene Register-Guard
OPB
Topix.net - Portland
Salem Statesman-Journal
Portland Business Journal
Daily Journal of Commerce
Oregon Business
KPTV
Portland Info Net
McMinnville News Register
Lake Oswego Review
The Daily Astorian
Bend Bulletin
Corvallis Gazette-Times
Roseburg News-Review
Medford Mail-Tribune
Ashland Daily Tidings
Newport News-Times
Albany Democrat-Herald
The Eugene Weekly
Portland IndyMedia
Not the Oregonian, the Oregonion
Oregon's Future
Brainstorm Northwest
The Columbian

Music-Related
The Beatles
Bruce Springsteen
Seal
Sting
Joni Mitchell
Ella Fitzgerald
Steve Earle
Joe Ely
Stevie Wonder
Lou Rawls

E-mail, Feeds, 'n' Stuff

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Bloggus interruptus

Here's one of those curiosities of the internet. Today the anonymous writer of the defunct Portland blog Urban Planning Overlord (motto: "Soviet-style human warehousing is Portland's only hope") posted a piece on that blog about it being the first anniversary of its demise. The robots at Google caught it, and the robots at Technorati say the post was highly critical our own blog. But by the time we clicked over there, it was gone.

Posted at 4:08 PM | Bookmark and Share

Comments (27)

will this be your next 'outing'?

could you call this a "drive by blogging?"

will this be your next 'outing'?

I believe it's somebody from the Portland State planning Mafia; since they're pretty much interchangeable, I haven't been curious to go beyond that.

It puts you on their blogroll. They mustn't hate you too much.

That particular hater likes to spar more than some of the others do. Always behind a curtain of anonymity, of course.

Well, uhh... [looks around nervously] ... to the extent I can glean anything from the snippets, dude does have a point. It is a bit - okay, a lot - more strident around here than it was when I first started hanging out. Maybe that's just a side-effect of gaining a higher profile, maybe not. [shrug] Or maybe it's just because we don't have Bush/Cheney to kick around any more.

I think it's a worthwhile forum still, but it's not so pleasant sometimes. I miss Nice Week.

Page not found
Sorry, the page you were looking for in the blog Urban Planning Overlord does not exist.

If you click on the "urban planning overlord" link it takes you to yesterday's post...

Jack,

How would you define "the Portland State planning Mafia"? I'll be enrolling in PSU's Urban & Regional Planning graduate program in the Fall. Do I automatically get to become a member of "the planning Mafia"? Or do we have to be on different sides of an issue first?

Here's the post:
back from the occasional wretched PC excess
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Just Say No. Always.
It's been exactly one year since the last post on this worthy blog.

And our old "friend" continues his tirades.

Note the complete crank-fest in the comments section. Perhaps he's expelled all contrary voices from his blog - I found a reference to noted Republican crazy (NOT!) Jack Roberts getting the boot a while back.

And note the slam upon a new target, a State Representative who dares to disagree with the blog proprietor. And a vicious ad hominem attack to boot.

But back to substance - roads get wear and tear, and a car that is driven 10,000 miles a year on those roads has more impact than a car that is driven 1,000 miles a year on those same roads. And an SUV weighing 10,000 lbs. has more impact when driven on those roads than a Mini-Cooper weighing 4,000 lbs.

The current gasoline tax is a rough calculator for apportioning the costs of keeping roads and building new ones on an equitable basis. And it's getting rougher - should a Prius driver pay only half what a Mini-Cooper driver pays for road upkeep because his car uses only half the gas, but weighs more?

So taxing cars based upon actual miles driven on our roads makes sense. As for figuring out exactly how to do it in a non-intrusive way - that's a subject for more work, once the concept is accepted.

posted by Urban Planning Overlord at 11:35 AM 0 comments

Joey,
Look out for the mafia UPO is a member of.
Urban Planning Overlord is the very typical misinformed and dishonest central planning advocate in the Portland region and at PSU. They never miss an opportunity to misinform.

And he calls it "But back to substance"?
Ha.

Roads don't get wear and tear from cars, period. A car that is driven 10,000 miles a year on those roads has the same impact as a car that is driven 1,000 miles. None.
The same as an SUV weighing 10,000 lbs. and the same as a Mini-Cooper weighing 4,000 lbs. None.

Large freight rucks and other heavy vehicles along with studds wear out roads. Not cars.

"Roads don't get wear and tear from cars, period."

Got Data?

See, Ben, this is exactly what I was talking about. The point you make is pretty absurd - a car surely does less damage, but there's no reason to think it does zero damage - but there's room to argue that. However, you also have this "mafia" BS and guilt by association with - *gasp* - academic experts! So you make a ridiculous assertion and also pre-emptively smear anyone who might use a little science to show how ridiculous your assertion is. Great for winning online arguments, not so good for finding rational solutions to real problems. A genuine Bush administration tactic, I bet your momma is real proud.

Sigh. Not sure why I even bother...

Can someone explain to me what this conversation is all about. I thought the mafia lived in Jersey?

PS: A weight/miles tax makes sense to me. There is no way a 25 lb. bike with a 150 pound rider causes the same road wear as a 3,000 lb car or a 40,000 lb. truck covering the same miles.. So let's make everyone pay their share based upon the physics. We should register the bikes too and have them pay their fair share based upon weight and mileage. Then we could also get them to all have lights for night time riding.

How can we find a way to tax the rain and the temperature changes here in Portland? Given that most of the damage is due to water seeping into cracks, freezing, and then expanding, thereby breaking up the pavement which is exacerbated by vehicles, or by studs and chains employed as a defense against the environment... How can we find a way to tax the environment?

Native: Show me the perfect tax? It's always a trade off. Weight and mileage is as good as it gets from my way of thinking.

Well, the post is back and with an update that bites back against bojack's snark and ben's cluelessness.

db,

I understand what you are saying. But an individual pothole exists in one location. The damage increases as additional vehicles travel over it. Any individual vehicle may be traveling one block, one mile, or 100 miles in its journey. The damage is the same. Weight may be a factor, I'll concur, but overall travel distance is not since the pot hole is stationary.

So the same crowd that says Portland spends like a drunken sailor wants to spend money on a program to determine wear-and-tear from bicycles on public roads? Um...

And why again does distance driven not matter? You think there is just a single pothole that everyone drives over?

Oh, and his post is back up and has a little extra update with some love for bojack's snark and ben's cluelessness.

Careful bojack, don't pick fights on blogs where you can't delete comments! ;)

Native: So the odds of you hitting one or more pot holes are no greater if you drive 1,000 miles a week as opposed to 100? I'm not strong in statistics but somehow it seems to me that I'm going to run over more pot holes driving to Hermiston than to the Pearl District. On the bicycle, by the way, I generally try to avoid the potholes

db,

As a driver of of an automobile, so do I.

Twice as often, I guess. Sorry.

Well it's twice as hard with four wheels.

Touche!

Weren't a few members of that PSU planning mafia very publicly against demolishing the Memorial Col.? Horrible people, indeed.

I agree, db, a weight/mile tax makes sense as a way to raise money to maintain roads. (Or more precisely, miles*weight/wheel. Or if you want to get ridiculous, miles*weight/wheel_contact_area.)

Which is not to say that such a tax wouldn't have issues. Do you charge people for miles driven outside the taxing area? If not, how do you figure out how many miles were driven within the area? (Personally I would prefer any solution that does not involve a tracking system in each vehicle...)

Assessing a weight-mile tax on bikes is also problematic. There's no infrastructure in place to track bicyclists, and creating one would be such a huge and varied PITA that it probably would never produce a net positive revenue.

AD: I agree. There should be a minimum registration for the bikes because the impact differential is off the charts. But I'd like to see bike registration for a whole lot of reasons, theft etc, but mostly for safety so we dont get so many incredibly brilliant people and artists driving their bikes in the dark in black clothing. I had a case in Vancouver where I became pretty well convinced that people crossing the street or riding at night were convinced that a car with lights could
see them two tho three times further than that was true. It is one of those things that is not intuitive That means that the bike rider has an extremely false sense of security, like driving another car, where you have opposing lights. That's why I'm for cycle registration. Why not?. All vehicles on the road at night should have lights.

db-

I think mandatory bike registration would be impractically difficult. (Quite aside from being personally objectionable.) People riding irresponsibly on bikes tend to kill themselves, not other people, so unlike motor vehicles there's little incentive to try to regulate.

Plus, once you regulate non-motorized vehicles, where do you stop? Razor scooters? Skateboards? Rollerblades? Boots? High heels? There isn't another really bright line to be drawn.

Sponsors



We accept advertising through Blogads. If you're interested, click the "Advertise here" link above, or go here to place your ad through Blogads. For assistance, e-mail me here; I'd be glad to help. Reach lots of viewers -- we're up to about 2,800 unique visits a day, and more than 44,000 page views a week (as of October 26). Our rates are dirt cheap for the exposure you'll get!

As a lawyer/blogger, I get
to be a member of:



In Vino Veritas

Dom Martinho, Tinto 2005
Chateau St. Jean, Cabernet, California 2007
Kirkland, Napa Cabernet 2007
Revelry, The Reveler, 2007
Joseph Drouhin, Chablis 2006
Altos Las Hormigas, Mendoza Malbec 2008
Alodio, Ribeira Sacra Mencia 2007
Charles Smith, Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2008
Kiona, Lemberger 2006
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Valley Merlot 2005
Paranga, Kir-Yianni 2005
L. Guigal, Cotes du Rhone Rose 2007
Gloria Ferrer, Sonoma Brut
Kirkland, Napa Valley Meritage 2006
Abacela, Tempranillo 2006
Woodward Canyon, Columbia Valley Red
Santa Margherita, Pinot Grigio 2007
Mas Donis Barrica, Celler de Capcanes Red, 2005
Three Rivers, Merlot 2006
Raptor Ridge, Pinot Gris 2008
Lezaun, Rosado, Navarra
Lezaun, Red, Navarra
Hedges, Three Vineyards, Red Mountain 2005
Raptor Ridge, Pinot Gris 2008
Vega Sindoa, Cabernet-Tempranillo 2006
Inama, Soave Classico 2007
Alois Lageder, Lagrein Rosato 2008
Broglia, Gavi 2007
Marqués de Cáceres, Rioja Rose 2008
Spaltagna, Riserva Pinot Noir 2008
Portuga, Rose 2008
Warre's Warrior Port
Lange, Pinot Noir 2007
Chateau Guiraud, Le G, 2007
Falset, Garnacha Rose, Montsant 2006
Castello di Bossi, Chianti Classico 2004
Domaine Chandon, Pinot Noir, La Riviere Sonoma 2006
Brazin, Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi 2006
B.R. Cohn, Silver Label Cabernet 2006
Casillero del Diablo, Cabernet 2007
Gentil Hugel, Alsace 2006
Mesoneros de Castilla, Ribero del Duero, Rosado 2008
Cor, Momentum 2007
Santa Margherita, Pinot Grigio 2006
Rubico, Lacrima di Morro d'Alba 2007
Gilstrap Brothers, Reserve Merlot 2003
Conundrum 2007
Chandler Reach, 36 Red
Santa Rita, Reserve Cabernet 2005
Marietta, Old Vine Red Lot 47
L'Ecole No. 41, Recess Red 2006
Dom Martinho, Red 2004
Beaulieu, Georges Latour 1994
Caymus, Cabernet 1995
Columbia Winery, Merlot 2005
Bergevin Lane, Columbia Valley Cabernet 2005
Savigny-les-Beaune, Les Lavieres 2003
David Hill, Reserve Merlot, Rogue Valley 2006
Educated Guess, Cabernet 2006
Maquis Lien, Red 2005
Charles Smith, Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2007
David Hill, Farmhouse White
Robert Mondavi Solaire, Cabernet 2005
Castello Monaci, Liante, Salice Salentino 2006
Ricardo Santos, Malbec 2006
Quinta da Espiga, Tinto 2006
Charles Smith, Holy Cow Merlot 2006
Charles Smith, Boom Boom Syrah 2006
Charles Smith, The Honorable Pinot Gris 2007
Santa Rita, Cabernet Reserva 2005
King Estate, Pinot Gris 2007
Gloria, Douro, Tinto 2002
Bogle, Petite Sirah Port, Clarksburg 2005
Cardwell Hill, Pinot Noir 2004
Silkwood, Red Duet Cabernet-Syrah 2004
Portuga, Vinho Branco 2006, 2007
Osborne, Solaz 2004
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Reserva 2005
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill, Shiraz Cabernet 2006
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2004
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Merlot, Horse Heaven Hills 2004
Hannah Nicole, Red 2004
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2005
Protocolo, Red 2005
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2006
Portuga, Vinho Branco 2006
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1998
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1996
Kirkland, Roogle Shiraz 2004
Garda, Classico Chiaretto
A to Z, Oregon Pinot Gris 2005
I Giusti & Zanza, Nemorino 2006
Treana, Marsanne-Viognier, Central Coast 2005
Fife, Syrah, "Stanford" 2000
B.R. Cohn, Silver Label Cabernet 2005
Marques de Casa Concha, Cabernet 2005
Santi, Sortesele Pinot Grigio 2006
Al Muvedre, Tinto Joven 2006
Layer Cake, Shiraz 2006
Gritti, Ca' Andrea, Umbria red 2005
Altos de Luzon, Jumilla 2004
Thomas Leithner, Zweigelt 2004
Cain Cuvee NV 3
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Merlot 2003
Meridian, Sauvignon Blanc 2005
Canoe Ridge, Merlot 2003
Paringa, Shiraz 2005

The Occasional Book

F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt

Road Work

Miles run year to date: 64
At this date last year: 28
Total run in 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269
Clicky Web Analytics