Is this a problem or a concern?

Approximately 6:30 this morning at an apartment complex at 117th & Center in Beaverton, a man broke into an apartment and raped a teenaged girl.

Guess what, He was Latino! He’s still at large.

OSP made what’s being called a significant Meth bust on Hwy 97 north of Redmond yesterday. Guess what, the guy they arrested was… … … Wait for it… … … Latino.

AIRBUS - Yes!

Jet Blue flight 292 landed safely yesterday at LAX with cockeyed nose gear.

As we all know the Airbus A320 landed safely yesterday evening, but it brought one thing to my attention that is a bit disturbing.

It seems this drama went on for hours while the plane flew around burning off fuel. Most airliners are capable of dumping fuel in an emergency. Seeing as the A320 was flying in the LA area, it certainly could have gone out over the ocean and dumped most of its fuel and returned to LAX to attempt landing.

In this particular instance, dumping fuel was not an immediate necessity. There was nothing wrong with the planes ability to fly. If there had been a situation where the plane had to get on the ground fast, and chances for a successful landing were less than optimal, the ability to dump fuel would have been crucial.

Another thought I had was this: If the plane was completely capable of flying, why didn’t they just continue on to JFK International where I’m sure they have every bit the safety and rescue ability that LAX has. That way at least when the plane landed the people would be where they needed to go and burning off the fuel would have accomplished something.

The overall reason for today’s blog is not to point out the petty (although the ability to dump fuel is a concern) rather it is to congratulate the Captain and Crew for an outstanding job well done. If in airline pilot training class they need a video of how to safely land a plane in that situation, video of that landing would be the bellwether example.

Also, big kudos to the fine folks at Airbus. Nobody would have bet that the landing gear structure would have stayed in place while dragging what was left of the tires and wheels, with weight on it at speed. Way to build ‘em guys (and gals)!

Preferred by New Orleans Looters

This speaks for itself!

CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE

Big Brother is Watching

Here's the spin... ... ... No more waiting in line at DEQ! YEAH!

According to our friends at KPTV, starting next year, Oregon DEQ will introduce self-service kiosks and a new dashboard devise. The devise monitors your cars emissions system and relays that information to the state. If your car is polluting, you will receive an email and postcard from the state telling you to get your car fixed. You then have 45 days in which to get your car repaired.

Gosh that's exciting news!

There was no mention whether or not that’s going to be a voluntary program. They also didn’t mention if the dashboard devise was going to just be in new cars that came with the devise neatly mounted like some nice looking high tech unit in your dash or they were going to require you to mount it next to your dashboard Jesus and have it stick out like a sore thumb. Don't ask! Of course YOU have to pay for it. What? did you think this was New Orleans?

The deal is, if your car is a 1996 or newer, it already monitors all of that in a very efficient manner. By federal law, all vehicles in this country are equipped with a system affectionately called O.B.D. II or On-board Diagnostics second generation.

If there is a problem with your car’s emission system, you’ll know it. A malfunction indicator light comes on that says something like, “Service Engine Soon” or “Check Engine” (it varies by manufacturer) and you know there’s a problem. You don’t need a State of Oregon approved dashboard devise installed. You also don’t need a threatening email or postcard from the state telling you to get your car fixed.

This is just another example of the State of Oregon spending YOUR money on redundant systems and processes that are already being handled well by the private sector.

It has always been my position that the State of Oregon’s vehicle emission testing program was both a ‘jobs’ program and a way to extort more tax money from Oregon drivers without calling it a tax, ‘it’s a fee.’

The effectiveness of the program is marginal at best and certainly does not justify its existence. Sounds to me like Steady Teddy and the State of Vera just want to make life as difficult for hard working Oregonians as possible by adding this twist to the emissions program as well as trying to adopt California like emission standards.

But wait, there’s more! I believe this is another thorn in the side of Oregon drivers by the folks in Vera World to get us out of our cars and onto one of the liberal’s favorite pork projects, MAX.

They know when modern day emission control devises fail, it is most often a very expensive repair. If you’re driving a 10-year-old (or older) car, chances are you can’t just dip into your pocket and pull out the cash to do a $1500.00 or $2000.00 repair without sweating a bit. Otherwise, you’d probably be driving a newer car. And, a lot of times putting that kind of money into a 10-year-old car just isn’t smart. So there you are, you can’t fix the car you own and you can’t afford to buy a new one and a used car could have as many problems as the one you have now. What do you do? Ride MAX.

“Welcome aboard ladies and gentlemen! While riding MAX today, we’ll remove your brain and do our best to reprogram it to think that our idea of mass transit is the ‘way-to-go!’ And now that we’ve made it just too damn expensive for you to drive your own car, we’re sure you won’t mind pumping more money into MAX and the Tri-Met system. Enjoy the very long, tedious and potentially life threatening ride.

It is a sad day indeed when the President of the United States of America, the most powerful and magnanimous country in the world has to have a NOTE to go to the bathroom.

I would also like to point out that there is a certain amount of uncertainty in the note that is circulating as if to imply that he may need to confer to decide for sure whether or not he really does need a break.

I don't believe my President would be that indecisive. I think the note is a fraud!

It should be pointed out that the picture being circulated was taken using a telephoto lens and Photoshop to 'enhance' the picture so the alleged note could be read.

I believe there may have been more than clarification going on with the Photoshop.

Fortunately, our photographer was there and he got the real picture.

g

Oh man, this really chaps my ass!

LIBERAL U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton has declared the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional and issued a restraining order to keep it out of three Sacramento-area school districts.

It seems this brilliant legal decision stems from the efforts of Atheist Michael Newdow who as you probably know has been fighting to keep his name in the news because it makes him feel good. And oh yeah, he thinks because the words “Under God” are in the Pledge of Allegiance that his kid as well as everybody else’s shouldn’t have to say it.

Here’s a little suggestion Mikey, get the hell out of my country. It’s clear that you haven’t taken the time to even understand the pledge. The pledge doesn’t require you to pledge any allegiance to God, you’re pledging allegiance to the United States of America.

Oh, what’s that? Oh you’re concerned that the text of the Pledge of Allegiance requires acknowledgement that the United States of America is ‘Under God’. Hmmm – You got me there pal. How about, if it bothers you so much to say those two words, you just shut your yap for those two words then just pick up the pace right after.

For about 230 years people have been fighting and dieing to protect this, the greatest country in the world so people like you could say what’s on their mind without suppression or repercussion. Now you want to take that same right away from the majority of Americans that feel it is their right to say the Pledge of Allegiance just as it is written.

I am proud to say the Pledge of Allegiance just as it is written because I have great respect for those that have fought and died for this country. I have great respect for our forefathers that founded this country, mostly from very Christian backgrounds, which is why we have words like ‘Under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance, why we have opening prayer in the Senate and House.

I don’t mind any of that. Its tradition, it grounds us as a nation.

While you might think, “This is just the view from another religious Right-winger,” consider this, I am, among many other things, an Agnostic but foremost, I am a flag waving, Pledge of Allegiance saying, these colors never run American. It is my privilege to live and work in this country and if saying ‘Under God’ is part of the Pledge of Allegiance, then I say it with pride.

Changing or omitting the Pledge of Allegiance would be like repairing the crack in the Liberty Bell. It’s the way it is and should remain.

Michael, if you disgree with me you have that right in this country, I just wish you’d do it from another.

Ps. U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton – You don’t deserve to wear the robe.

What can Sleepy Ted Kulongoski be thinking?

Oregon’s Governor is supporting efforts to get Oregon’s vehicle emissions program more in line with that of California.

I can’t believe he (or at least anyone with their head properly screwed on) would consider adding such an incredibly expensive yet virtually worthless cost to owning a vehicle in Oregon at a time when fuel prices are completely out of control. He’s going to help make driving in Oregon a rich man’s luxury in a state where many poor hard working people need to drive to provide for their families.

Having been in the automotive repair industry for many years, I can tell you that vehicles with California emissions equipment on them are some of the most expensive to repair. Not only when the emission controls fail, but other repairs become more expensive because of the added difficulty in accessing components now hidden by certain emission control devises. Look it up in any labor time guide, “With California emissions – add .5”

When I’ve had occasion to test two similar late model cars, one with California emissions equipment, one without, the difference is very minimal and certainly not worth the up front cost at the time of purchase, let alone the long term cost.

Yes, once again ol’ Steady Teddy has opened his mouth without really considering all angles. And though this is the Oregon Billboard, I can still say shame on Christine Gregoire for thinking this was a good idea, but what can you expect?

What good is worldwide exposure if you don’t say what’s on your mind?

With respect to whatever god you worship and acknowledging that it is your right to do so, let’s get ready to ruffle some feathers.

As I mentioned, I am a Populationist. I am not a Rhodes scholar by any stretch, but I don’t believe you have to be to see the writing on the wall. I saw it over 30 years ago. What you do have to do is acknowledge that writing and do something about it. Be responsible, take action.

I have 1 biological offspring by choice. At this time in my life it is likely that having even one child was a selfish thing to do. While his life to date hasn’t been too effected by the growing number of people on the planet, it will be in the coming years.

We are in a conundrum without a real solution at this time in our planet’s history. We have abused our natural resources and in spite of the fact that most intelligent people know that there are a finite amount of resources on the planet, we continue to populate it with more and more people.

GENERALLY, Intelligent people have fewer or no children at all, knowing that overpopulating the planet is not right for a lot of reasons. The children that Intelligent people have tend to be intelligent, well-educated children, but sadly their numbers are dwindling.

On the other hand, the poor, drug affected, criminally minded, under or uneducated tend to make babies like there's some sort of a contest to see who can have the most. These people GENERALLY produce more uneducated, criminally minded offspring with no regard for society or the future of the planet.

There is another factor contributing to this monumental problem. The religions that continue to support the creation of large families with the view the ‘God’ will provide. Well here’s a little news flash, God isn’t making this planet any bigger or replenishing the natural resources that we have drained off.

Approximately 10 years ago I read a study that showed that had we gone to zero population growth globally at that time, we would have about fifty years until this planet was in a serious, irreversible water shortage. So much so that there will be global anarchy much like we’ve seen in New Orleans. I don’t have to tell you, we didn’t go to zero population growth. Fact is, we grabbed a lower gear and continued to increase the herd at a record pace.

I try to appeal to the intelligent among us to come up with a solution, but the fact is, the logical solutions are seriously frowned upon by large religious groups that also vote. Furthermore, anyone suggesting such tactics is called a Nazi.

I am constantly amazed that instead of doing the right thing, our leaders just do what the polls say the people want even if that means the certain destruction of our planet.

When I say destruction of our planet, what I really mean is the total annihilation of all life on the planet. This planet has been here in space for many thousands of years before Man walked on it. It will be here long after we have successfully killed ourselves and every other living creature on it.

It will spin in space lifeless, slowly replenishing itself over the course of many thousands of years until some other species takes up residency. Hopefully they will be more intelligent and intuitive than we.

I am a middle-aged man so I don’t expect to live to see the worst that it will get. If I were 30 years old or younger, I would be seriously concentrating on a solution because if we don’t do something soon, there’s going to be some real unpleasantness.

Hint: Desalinization plants are not the answer. If you start sucking up the ocean you’re going to see some real weather, climate and habitat problems.

Welcome to The Oregon Billboard Blog.

This will be a political blog with a slant toward common sense.

So you can get an idea of where I'll be coming from... ... ...

You’ll find that I am about as sick and tired of things being done in the name of political correctness as a guy can be.

I’m pretty certain that Andy Rooney didn’t write the 'list of his beliefs' floating around the Internet. I do agree with MOST of what the list says. It’s just sad that the person that really wrote it doesn’t have the clout or possibly the courage to identify him or her self. Who knows, he or she may be the next “great” political pundit. It's a good read, you should have a look.

I am a practicing Populationist. More on that in a future post.

Putting everyone in the wagon with nobody left to pull it is a good way to go nowhere fast.

So fasten your seatbelt and shoulder straps, be sure to hang on to the handrail, always wear your bicycle helmet, don’t enter a crosswalk until the pedestrians have completely cleared it, don't forget your Matricula Consular card, remember its 20 mph in a school zone so your aim has to be better… How did we live this long?

Finally - "Next to golf, singing in public is the most humbling experience you can have!"