Rumble rumble...

Scientists: Magma is likely building up inside Mount St. Helens

The chief scientist studying Mount St. Helens said Thursday morning that there is a 70-percent chance that magma is involved with the ramped-up activity on the rumbling mountain. Jeff Wynn, at the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascade Volcano Observatory, said this means an eruption is probably imminent.

Check out a live view of Mt. St. Helens here

Makin' noise...

Mount St. Helens, in the foreground, is shown with with Mt. Rainier in the background near Longview, Wash. Small earthquakes rattled Mount St. Helens at the rate of one or two a minute this week, and seismologists were scrambling to determine the significance of some of the most intense seismic activity in nearly 20 years. (AP Photo/The Columbian, Janet L. Mathews)

Rumble..

Officials at U.S. Geological Survey have raised the alert level on Mount St. Helens to 3, the highest ranking being 4. They said this is because there is a "heightened possibility of an eruption" that could send ash many miles downwind.

Clear!!

Portland joins 10-city trauma study
ANDY DWORKIN
The National Institutes of Health initiative will try new methods of treating grievously injured patients.
Portland is one of 10 urban areas that have united to test new ways of treating victims of severe trauma.

And stay out!!

High Court Ruling Ends Nader Ballot Battle
By Colin Fogarty
PORTLAND, OR 2004-09-28 (OPB Radio) - The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a request by Ralph Nader supporters to return the consumer advocate to the ballot in Oregon.
Last week, the Nader campaign submitted a last ditch emergency appeal of an Oregon Supreme Court decision that kept Nader off the state ballot.
**************************
Did the Nader supporters learn nothing from the 2000 election with Nader on ballots contributing to an undesirable victory for Bush?

Get some z's

Therapy Beats Pills For Insomnia
(CBS) New research shows that sleep therapy from a psychologist is more effective than medication for people who have difficulty sleeping.

VA to boost mental-health services for returning troops

VA to boost mental-health services for returning troops
By George Cahlink
Veterans' hospitals and clinics are preparing to offer more mental health services for troops returning from Iraq, VA Secretary Anthony Principi said Tuesday.

Are you listening George?

Powell: Situation in Iraq 'Getting Worse'
By LAURA MECKLER, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Colin Powell sees the situation in Iraq "getting worse" as planned elections approach, and the top U.S. military commander for Iraq says he expects more violence ahead.
Their comments Sunday followed a week in which President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi spoke optimistically about the situation.

Plextor intros 16x DVD-R drive

MacCentral: Plextor intros 16x DVD-R drive
By Peter Cohen
Plextor Corp. on Monday announced the PX-716UF, a new external optical drive compatible with the Mac that can write to 8x-rated DVD-R and DVD+R media at up to 16x. The drive can burn dual-layer DVD+R media at up to 4x, and can also burn DVD+RW at 8x, DVD-RW at 4X, CD-R at 48x and CD-RW at 24x. It comes with USB 2.0 and FireWire interfaces and features an 8MB buffer and features Buffer Underrun Proof Technology. It also comes with Roxio Toast Lite versions 5 and 6. The PX-716UF costs US$239. Plextor's Web site hadn't been updated with information on the new drive as MacCentral posted this article.

Of course he would...

Bush: Would Give 'Mission Accomplished' Speech Again
CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush said he had no regrets about donning a flight suit to give his "Mission Accomplished" speech on Iraq in May 2003 and would do it all over again if he had the chance, according to excerpts from an television interview released on Sunday.

When asked by Fox News if he still would have put on a flight suit to declare major combat operations in Iraq over, Bush replied, "Absolutely."

When Bush gave his May 1 speech fewer than 150 Americans had died in the war. Since then more than 900 have died.
The interview is to air on Fox's "The O'Reilly Factor" on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, just before Bush and Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry face off in their first televised debate on Thursday.

Vote!

Since 1972, voter turnout (18-20) has dropped by 40%.

There are over 16 million college students in the U.S.

Number of votes needed to change the 2000 election: 583.

An Army Of... Lost

So, she’s in New Jersey. That’s about all anyone is telling her. I don’t know whether to think what’s happened is funny, or scary, or a little of both. After talking to Suzanne this morning she shared with me how her and 60+ soldiers were told they were getting on a bus to drive 20+ hours from Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri to Fort Dix, New Jersey. Upon arriving to Ft. Dix, there was no one to report to. I mean no one. Yes, it was an early Sunday morning. But after calling the telephone number on their orders for local information you can imagine the surprise when a Ft. Bragg operator answered. That’s Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. But wait, there’s more. The destination address on the orders which had just led Suzanne and her bus mates to New Jersey was not a Ft. Dix address, the operator explained, it was a Ft. Bragg address. 500 miles away. So, a few people screwed up it seems. The Army sent 60 soldiers cross-country by bus with orders to report to a military installation with an address in two states. Oops. Ft. Dix, with what was now a surprise surge in their soldier population was unsure of how to provide basic accommodations. So, they sent Americas finest to Burger King for food. Suzanne, in good spirits, has a formation Monday morning where she’ll be given more information. We hope.

Even after all these years, no one compares to Mr. Air

Even after all these years, no one compares to Mr. Air
By Stephen A. Smith, Inquirer Columnist
He once leaped 10-foot rims in a single bound. He stole minds, games and hearts with such regularity that "NBA parity" became an oxymoron. Six league championships. Virtually unparalleled status as the greatest to have ever played hoops. And still, the world just can't seem to get enough of Michael Jordan.
Sadly, it's easy to see why.
We don't know whether champions are created or developed. All we know is that, whenever they arrive, we hope they won't leave us until someone else arrives in their place.
It's 2004, and we're still waiting. So that should explain all the hoopla concerning the latest supposed return of His Airness.
Contrary to what many desire, Michael Jordan is not returning to the NBA, something that was known long before he told ESPN on Thursday. He isn't coming back to play for Pat Riley, the Miami Heat or anyone else in the sport he dominated for a decade...
The player who left us in awe. The man who fascinated us. The executive who disappointed us. The Hall of Famer who never cheated us.
Still wondering why we can't stop wishing for his return? Shame on you who choose to wonder at all.

North Korea

The United Nationsnuclear watchdog on September 24, 2004 called on North Korea to give up any nuclear weapons it may have and allow U.N. inspectors to return to verify that the country's atomic program is peaceful. The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) General Conference, an annual meeting of all 137 IAEA members, unanimously adopted a resolution that urged Pyongyang 'to completely dismantle any nuclear weapons program in a prompt, transparent, verifiable and irreversible manner.' This Reuters graphic shows missiles that are currently operational or under development by North Korea. (Reuters Graphic)

Tiny Playstation

A employee of Sony Computer Entertainment demonstrates PlayStation Portable (PSP) in Tokyo September 21, 2004. Sony kept secret on Tuesday about the detail of its own handheld game machine PSP, such as its price and launch date, but it unveiled a plan to launch a new version of its popular PlayStation 2 (PS2) game console in the United States and Europe on November 1 at a price of $149 and 149 euros ($181) respectively. REUTERS/Issei Kato

Dogs can sniff out cancer, study reports

Dogs can sniff out cancer, study reports
EMMA ROSS
LONDON -- It has long been suspected that man's best friend has a special ability to sense when something is wrong with us. Now the first experiment to verify that scientifically has demonstrated that dogs are able to smell cancer.

Thanks, but...

ESPN.com news services

Recent speculation about Michael Jordan returning to the NBA for a third time seems to have taken on a life of its own -- to the point where Jordan himself felt the need to set the record straight.

"I don't know how this started. I haven't talked with Shaq. There's no comeback," Jordan told ESPN.

Thanks Marc!

Marc, a fellow Blogger, was kind enough to link his page to mine.

Go Dennis!

DENVER (AP) -- Dennis Rodman is thinking about a comeback, and the Denver Nuggets are giving him a shot.

The 43-year-old former NBA rebounding champion briefly participated in a pickup game at the Nuggets facility earlier this week.

Oh yeeeeah

ER season premiere tonight.

'Spider-Man' Climbs Building Bare-Handed

PARIS - A French urban climber who calls himself "Spider-Man" scaled a 59-story Paris office building Wednesday with his bare hands and without using any ropes.
Alain Robert, 42, took less than 45 minutes to climb the nearly 700-foot-tall Montparnasse Tower building.
--AP

Thats my boys...

Steve Nash, the Gorilla and other Suns notables went door to door early Saturday morning to talk to suprised local fans about the team's upcoming 2004-05 campaign which starts October 13th.
(Barry Gossage/NBAE Photos)

Go for it Globetrotters...

Globetrotters challenge Olympic hoop champs
PHOENIX, United States (AFP) - Basketball's world-famous comedian team, the Harlem Globetrotters, has challenged Argentina's Olympic championship squad to a one-million-dollar pay-per-view television showdown.
Normally, I'm not a pay per view guy... But this... Oh yeah.

State assault weapons ban?

PDX City Council wants state assault weapons ban
The Portland City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to urge the Oregon Legislature to adopt a statewide assault weapons ban to replace a federal law that expired last week.
The 19 named assault-style firearms banned under a 1994 federal law that expired earlier this month:
• AK-47 and all models of the Norinco, Mitchell and Poly Technologies Avtomat Kalashnikovs, designed in the former Soviet Union.
• Uzi and Galil, both made by Action Arms Israeli Military Industries.
• TEC-9, TEC-22 and TEC-DC9, manufactured by Intratec.
• SWD M-10, M-11, M-11-9 and M-12. Based on the design of the MAC-10, their full-automatic cousin, these assault pistols are designed to fire many bullets over a wide area in seconds.
• Street Sweeper and Striker 12 and other revolving cylinder semiautomatic shotguns.
• Beretta AR-70 and SC-70, used by armed forces in a number of countries including Italy, Jordan and Malaysia.
• Colt AR-15, the civilian version of the M-16 rifle that is the U.S. military's standard-issue rifle.
• Several weapons manufactured by Fabrique Nationale, the FN-FAL, FN-LAR and FNC. The guns are used by the armed forces of more than 90 countries.
• Steyr AUG, a rifle made in Germany.

I can't see the argument to keep these weapons legal for any person who wants to have one... anytime, anywhere.

Virus-Free Macs

“The single most effective way to avoid viruses and spyware is to simply chuck Windows altogether and buy an Apple Macintosh,” writes Walt Mossberg in the Wall Street Journal. “There has never been a successful virus written for Mac OS X, and there is almost no spyware that targets the Mac. Plus, the Mac is invulnerable to viruses and spyware written for Windows. Not only is it more secure, but the Mac operating system is more capable, more modern and more attractive than Windows XP, and just as stable.” [Sep 17]

Nice guy... but... hit the road, Ralph.

The Oregon Supreme Court has ruled that Ralph Nader is not eligible for the Oregon presidential ballot, reversing a lower court.

Minn. Trooper Writes 205 Mph Ticket

Minn. Trooper Writes 205 Mph Ticket

WABASHA, Minn. - With a State Patrol airplane overhead, a motorcyclist hit the throttle and possibly set the informal record for the fastest speeding ticket in Minnesota history: 205 mph.

The State Patrol officer arrested the rider, 20-year-old Stillwater resident Samuel Armstrong Tilley, for reckless driving, driving without a motorcycle license — and driving 140 miles per hour over the posted speed limit of 65 mph.

A search of speeding tickets written by state troopers, who patrol most of the state's highways, between 1990 and February 2004 shows the next fastest ticket was for 150 mph in 1994 in Lake of the Woods County.

Child welfare dips to 12 year low

Child welfare dips to 12 year low
9/21/2004, 12:05 a.m. PT
The Associated Press
 PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Young people in Oregon are faring worse now on measures of poverty, child drug abuse and other indicators of children's welfare than any time in the past 12 years, a nonprofit group concluded in its annual report card.

Bring back...

Kerry on Letterman

Kerry was on Letterman last night.

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry poked fun at President Bush and at himself during an appearance on the "Late Show With David Letterman" Monday, trading quips with Letterman and delivering his own top 10 list.

Kerry's "Top 10 Bush Tax Proposals":

10. No estate tax for families with at least two U.S. presidents.
9. W-2 Form is now Dubya-2 Form.
8. Under the simplified tax code, your refund check goes directly to Halliburton.
7. The reduced earned income tax credit is so unfair, it just makes me want to tear out my lustrous, finely groomed hair.
6. Attorney General (John) Ashcroft gets to write off the entire U.S. Constitution.
5. Texas Rangers can take a business loss for trading Sammy Sosa.
4. Eliminate all income taxes; just ask Teresa (Heinz Kerry) to cover the whole damn thing.
3. Cheney can claim Bush as a dependent.
2. Hundred-dollar penalty if you pronounce it "nuclear" instead of "nucular."
1. George W. Bush gets a deduction for mortgaging our entire future.

Other highlights:

"I wanted to have John Edwards stand. Dick Cheney wanted to sit. We compromised and now George Bush is gonna sit on Dick Cheney's lap.'' —Kerry to Letterman, on the debate negotiations

Use the Mac, Luke...

As the original Star Wars trilogy comes out on DVD today, many fans will notice image clarity unsurpassed by any previous home video release of the enormously popular movies. Such pristine images are the result of four years of work by Lowry Digital. Lowry put 600 dual processor Power Mac G5 computers to work scrubbing every frame of the films, removing dirt, deterioration and other damage and ending up with transfers "nearly as good as the director and cinematographer were seeing when they shot the movie," according to company owner John Lowry.

Talk Like a Pirate : The Book

Two Albany, Oregon good-time guys got much of the civilized world "Arrr-ing" with Talk Like a Pirate day: September 19th.
Now, John Baur and Mark Summers, a.k.a. Ol'Chumbucket and Cap'n Slappy, are now flogging a new book, entitled, "Well Blow Me Down: A Guy's Guide to Talking Like A Pirate."

Coming to your local theatre?

Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry
Opens in "select" cities October 1st. Portland usually lands these films. Here's hoping.

Presidential Debates: Schedules Announced

The first 90-minute debate, on Sept. 30 in Coral Gables, Florida, will focus on foreign policy and security. The second on Oct. 8 in St. Louis will include all subjects, while the third on Oct. 13 in Tempe, Arizona, will be on domestic and economic policy.

Neato Tivo

Everyone with a Tivo swears by them. The thing is, there arent many people with Tivos so you likley havent heard how cool they are. Well, now for well below the price of a VCR or DVD player Circut City has 40 hour Tivos right now for $50 after rebates. They're practically giving them away. For those that don't know, Tivo is a digital video recorder. Its the same idea as a digital camera for your TV. No more VCR tapes or troublesome VCR recording. Get one. You'll thank me later.

Click.

Dan's new digital camera. Awwww yeeeeah.

Night Sky

Facing the West Hills in Portland, I took this shot tonight, just after reciving my first digital camera.

Bad boy.

Macaulay Culkin is seen in an Oklahoma County Sheriff's booking mug Friday, Sept. 17, 2004, in Oklahoma City. Culkin, star of 'Home Alone,'' was arrested for possession of a controlled dangerous substance without a prescription and possession of marijuana. He was booked into the Oklahoma County Jail. Bond was set at $6,000. Where Culkin was arrested and other details weren't immediately available. It was unclear why Culkin was in Oklahoma City and whether he was traveling alone. (AP Photo/Oklahoma County Sheriff)

The Glide Returneth?

Clyde Drexler is interested in making a comeback as a player in the NBA:
"If someone with a chance to win a championship would call, I'd consider it," Drexler said. "The Nuggets are certainly one of those teams. If you look at their young talent, they are phenomenal on paper.
"I know I could do it."
Clyde says he runs five miles per day and could be ready for the start of Denver's training camp.

Do you think.....

Getty Images

MJ reportedly holding his own vs. NBA types
FOXSports.com
Michael Jordan has been spotted playing basketball at one of his favorite practice facilities against Michael Finley and Antoine Walker, according to the Chicago Tribune.
But the fact that an unidentified witness reportedly says MJ is holding his own at Hoops The Gym against a couple NBA standouts simply begs the question:
Is Jordan considering another return to the league as a player?
The Tribune cautions against an MJ comeback craze by saying the legend is 41 years old. And he's been removed from the NBA for a full season after he averaged 20 points per game for the Washington Wizards in 2002-03.
What's more, Jordan's next return is expected to be in an ownership role.
But then again, Jordan has shown a penchant for doing the unexpected, such as living out his dream as a professional baseball player.
Remember that?
It is also worth noting things didn't end so well between the Wizards and Jordan. It was team owner Abe Polin who did the unthinkable.
He gave MJ the pink slip!
Maybe there's room for Jordan on the Miami Heat's roster. Heck, can you think of a better NBA trio than Pat Riley, Shaquille O'Neal — and No. 23?
That union would allow Jordan to crush Polin's Wizards at nearly every turn.
And when you consider Dwyane Wade's possible move to shooting guard, perhaps Jordan could serve as mentor.
Chances are Jordan will elect to stay retired and never play again on the NBA hardwood.
But we can dream, can't we?

Minimum Wage to Increase Next Year

OPB News
Minimum Wage to Increase Next Year
By Kristian Foden-Vencil
PORTLAND, OR 2004-09-17 (OPB Radio) - The state announced today that Oregon's minimum wage will increase by 20 cents an hour next year. It will be more than $2 an hour higher than the federal minimum wage.

When voters increased the minimum wage in 2002, they asked the state adjust it for inflation each year. Oregon's Labor Commissioner, Dan Gardner, says as of January 1st, the wage will increase 2.6% to $7.25 an hour.

F'd up priorities...

Oregon received an F in college affordability from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that measures states' performance. The state also received an F two years ago in the group's last report card.

Hmm.. No kidding?

U.S. Weapons Inspector: Iraq Had No WMD
By KATHERINE PFLEGER SHRADER, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Fallen Iraqi President Saddam Hussein did not have stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction the top U.S. weapons inspector in Iraq concludes in a draft report due out soon.

Huge Hoops News

There are several published reports indicating that the New Jersey Nets are offering All Star point guard Jason Kidd to the Portland Trailblazers in exchange for Abdur-Rahim, who has asked out of Portland for some time. Kidd, arguably the best point guard in basketball, brings invaluable positives to a club producing a product that fans can't help but love to watch. Players love to play with him, and fans love to cheer for him. Contact the Blazers at fanmail@blazers.com to encouage Portland to make the deal.

Soccer Legends Final Tour

Sep 13, 8:44 PM EDT
Tour to Honor U.S. Women's Soccer Team
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) -- A 10-city farewell tour for longtime U.S. soccer stars Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Joy Fawcett will kick off Sept. 25 in Rochester.

The U.S. team will play Iceland to begin the "Fan Celebration Tour." It will be the final appearances for Hamm, the career goal-scoring leader in international soccer; Foudy, who played every minute of the last three Olympics and World Cups; and Fawcett, the anchor of the American defense that led it to the gold medal in Athens last month.

All three won two World Cups and two Olympics in their careers and have announced their retirements.

The team will arrive Oct. 3 at PGE Park in Portland, Ore.

Phew!

OPB News
Tuition Increases Won't Go Beyond 15%
By Rob Manning
PORTLAND, OR 2004-09-14 (OPB Radio) - Oregon's public university students can rest easy; they won't have to bear a tuition hike as huge as expected.

Last spring, full-time students at Portland State were told they could expect a 23% rise in tuition and fees. Students at Southern Oregon and U of O weren't much better off.

Soon after those numbers came out, the Board of Higher Education voted to hold tuition increases at or below 15% for all students at Oregon's public universities.

My new cam!

Because you can't get enough pics from Dan... Very excited!!

Chin up

Keep your chin up 'lil kitty... It'll be okay.

Don't mess with me

Dog Wiggles Paw Free to Shoot Florida Man

Thu Sep 9, 6:53 PM ET

PENSACOLA, Fla. - A man who tried to shoot seven puppies was shot himself when one of the dogs put its paw on the revolver's trigger.

Jerry Allen Bradford, 37, was being treated at a hospital for a gunshot wound to his wrist.

Bradford said he decided to shoot the 3-month-old shepherd-mix dogs in the head because he couldn’t find them a home, according to the sheriff’s office.

Layup

More beautiful work by Sirio Magnabosco.

In a van.. down by the river..

Taken with my camera phone. I'm partly embarassed to say that. Notice my finger blocking the bottom. Very smooth, Dan.

Please leave

By Austin Jenkins

OLYMPIA, WA 2004-09-08 (OPB Radio) - Washington Democrats have filed a lawsuit to knock independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader off the November ballot.

Guard commander's memos criticize Bush

The memos, obtained by USA TODAY and also reported Wednesday on the CBS program 60 Minutes, reveal that Bush's commander, Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, was critical of Bush's performance as a pilot in the latter years of his Vietnam-era Guard career. Killian cited Bush for "failure to perform" to Air Force and Air National Guard standards and called for him to be replaced.
By Dave Moniz and Jim Drinkard, USA TODAY

Bush Refused Order While in Guard

WASHINGTON - Addressing questions that have lingered for years, newly unearthed memos state that George W. Bush failed to meet standards of the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam war, that he refused a direct order and that his superiors were in a state of turmoil over how to evaluate his performance after he was suspended from flying. By PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer

Old School

Atari to Reissue Scores of Old Games

By ANTHONY BREZNICAN, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES - Atari wants to take you back in time, and to get there, you can ride a "Centipede" or an "Asteroid," or bounce back and forth between the pixilated paddles of "Pong."

The video game company told The Associated Press on Tuesday it plans to reissue scores of its classic titles from yesteryear on a single disc that can be played on the game consoles Xbox (news - web sites) and PlayStation 2 (news - web sites).

"Atari Anthology" will feature 85 games and is scheduled to go on sale in November at a cost of about $20.

Stars

This image shows Cassiopeia A in the most detailed image ever made of the remains of an exploded star. The colors represent different ranges of X-rays with red, green, and blue representing, low, medium, and higher X-ray energies of the supernova remnant. A large jet-like structure that protrudes beyond the shock wave can be seen in the upper left. REUTERS/NASA/CXC/GSFC/U.Hwang et al./HO

Nice.

Bush: OB-GYNs Kept from 'Practicing Their Love'

Tue Sep 7, 9:27 AM ET

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (Reuters) - President Bush offered an unexpected reason on Monday for cracking down on frivolous medical lawsuits: "Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country."

The Republican president, long known for verbal and grammatical lapses, included the anecdote about obstetrician gynecologists in his stump speech attacking Democratic presidential rival Sen. John Kerry and his running mate, Sen. John Edwards, a former trial lawyer.

Oh yeeeeah....

Tivo, Netflix Close to Internet Movie Deal - Report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Online DVD renter Netflix Inc. and television recorder maker TiVo Inc. are close to a deal to allow Netflix subscribers to download movies over the Internet to their TiVo devices, according to the latest issue of Newsweek magazine.

Yuta

Japanese guard signs for NBA's Phoenix Suns

Mon Sep 6, 7:49 PM ET

TOKYO (AFP) - Yuta Tabuse has signed for the Phoenix Suns (news), boosting his hopes of becoming the first Japanese to play in the US National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season, the NBA's Tokyo branch said.

Wind From Hurricane for Sale on eBay

Wind From Hurricane for Sale on eBay
Tue Sep 7, 7:45 AM ET
By RACHEL LA CORTE, Associated Press Writer

MIAMI - For anyone who didn't get enough of Hurricane Frances as it blew through Florida, remnants of the storm are for sale.

More than 170 items were listed on eBay's Internet auction site Monday, a day after the eye of the Category 2 storm came ashore.

The starting bid for Tupperware filled with wind was a penny. Photos showed Broward County residents running around with the containers "catching" the wind. Surprisingly, someone had already bid $10 for one of the four containers.

How convenient...

Bush's National Guard File Missing Records (AP)

AP - Documents that should have been written to explain gaps in President Bush's Texas Air National Guard service are missing from the military records released about his service in 1972 and 1973, according to regulations and outside experts.