I love emails like this

To All My Valued Employees,

There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job.

What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country. Of course, as your employer, I am forbidden to tell you whom to vote for - it is against the law to discriminate based on political affiliation, race, creed, religion, etc.

Please vote for who you think will serve your interests the best. However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interest. First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a back story.

This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear.  Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside.  You saw my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life. However, what you don't see is the back story.

I started this company 12 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living space was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes.  Instead of hitting Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the Goodwill store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's.

My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business --- with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9 am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5 pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself.  I unfortunately do not have the freedom.  I eat, ****, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to me like a 1 day old baby.

You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... You never realize the back story and the sacrifices I've made. Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail out all the people who didn't.

The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.  Yes, business ownership has its benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what?   I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes.  You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check?

Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country. The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy. Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what?   Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart?   Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the mud of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine.

Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep. So where am I going with all this? It's quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I fire you. I fire your co-workers.   You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem anymore. Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire.

You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship. 

While tax cuts to 95% of America sounds great on paper, don't forget the back story: If there is no job, there is no income to tax. A tax cut on zero dollars is zero. So, when you make decision to vote, ask yourself, who understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn't?  Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of saving your job. While the media wants to tell you "It's the economy Stupid" I'm telling you it isn't.

If you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the Constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me in the South Caribbean sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about.

Signed, Your boss,

Obama says Osama is dead

So the exalted one says he has had Osama Bin Laden killed. Here's how I understand things as of right now:
About a week ago the US military attacked an estate that housed Osama and killed him. Tonight the results of the DNA identity was confirmed to be that of Osama Bin Laden. A few hours after the announcement another report came out stating Osama has been buried at sea.
It just doesn't feel right. So many reports of Osamas death have been printed from so many sources since 2001 and now we hear from Obama at a time when his popularity is very weak and he has announced he will be running for re-election. Great timing!
So the question is out there: Has Osama been dead all along and the announcement is intended as a boost to Obamas election bid? Or has it just happened and and the US dumped the body ASAP to keep other things secret. The body dump is just too soon. Why dump it just hours or less after the announcement? What's the point? No, I don't trust Obama. How can you trust a man that spent millions of dollars keeping his birth certificate private and then releases it with seemingly nothing out of the ordinary about it? He intentionally creates suspicion and then we are supposed to forget that?
Now Osama is dead and the body dumped? What is going on that needs so much misdirection?

Ugly Drum Smoker

I have been wanting to build a smoker or BBQ for quite a long time but they seemed expensive. Bricks are permanent and I rent so that isn't gonna work well. I don't have a welder so making a 55 gallon barrel BBQ is kinda difficult and cutting one in half can be quite a chore. Not to mention getting the straight line.
Then I discovered the UDS. A 55 gallon drum that retains its shape and sits on its butt. No cutting! I searched the web for instructions and found The Q Joint and it includes pictures, instructions and a parts list. Pretty cheap to get going over all.
You don't have to go all out and you can buy cheap if you need to and improve later. You don't even have to paint it! But I strongly encourage you to burn out your barrel with high heat. The exterior paint will burn off and it will stink. The interior seal should burn off as well. Some guys go so far as to sand the interior down to bare metal. We'll see where I end up. I burned it pretty good and I dread having to stick my body inside that drum and sanding.

I got this drum for $15!


















Picked up some materials from Lowes and my buddy and I started drilling and attaching parts


















The red inside the barrel is the food safe coating and it has to be burned out






















































My Buddy Steve is a bit of a perfectionist Machinist and that's a good thing. I left for the weekend and came home to the barrel being painted and ready for assembly.




































The biggest issue seems to be the fire basket. We tried a cable handle but that just let the basket fall upside down. So Steve went to town and build handles and a lift stick. Freaken sweet set up! We'll add a pan on the bottom of the legs to catch ash so we can avoid tipping the drum upside down to empty too often.




































All said, we spent approximately $125 and that includes paint, barrel and bits and pieces. The build took about a week off and could be done in just a weekend if you don't spend too much time on the fine details. But details make it look damn good without looking like you spend a grand. It also helps to have a metal guy doing most of the work. without Steve this build wouldn't look quite so nice.
Also check out The BBQ Bug
There are hundreds of pages out there with info and pics. Read a few and make your own!

Oregon gun laws

With all the recent rhetoric from those that fear guns I decided to do a little research about what my rights are as an Oregon resident. There are some very good sites out there that are informational and help keep us all legal. The problem is, the Constitution gives us the right to bear arms. Any law restricting that right flies in the face of the constitution. Many people may disagree with that blunt statement. But think about it. The 2nd amendment guarantees us the right. There was no exceptions or exemptions.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

The above link has a "note" that goes a bit into discussion about the altering of the 2nd Amendment. I haven't read it all but what I did see, I'm not a fan.

Cornell University Law School has a little to say about it too.

But I live in Oregon and want to be sure I don't give anyone a reason to arrest me. Here are a few more links to read. Be legal. Carry Legal. Defend your right.

www.opencarry.org

Oregon Gun Rights

Dutch Brothers coffee

I love Dutch Brothers coffee stands. There are 2 in my town and they have great staff, great service and great coffee every single time I go there. I go there way too often.
This time of year you start seeing window painting on businesses. You see winter scenes, "holiday" decor. The DB I frequent also has window painting. It's Rudolf the red nosed reindeer with the word balloon saying "Happy Holidays!". I have issue with this. Rudolf is a Christmas character. If you are going to use Christmas characters, then say Merry Christmas!
This is kinda a thing with me. And I'm not silent about it. I tip more when someone says Merry Christmas. I go out of my way to say Merry Christmas when someone says happy holidays. So I wrote an email to the the DB headquarters via their website. I got the greatest response ever!

Thank you for your kind feedback. I am in complete agreement regarding Christmas! Happy Holidays just doesn't do it for me :)

I will pass your comment onto the owner of the Newberg location. He will love to hear it!

Merry Christmas,

I will continue to frequent DB and support them as much as they support our community.They made a mistake with the window, I hope they correct it. You can bet I will remind them often.

Bill Sizemore

Today I had the pleasure to meet the infamous Bill Sizemore and hear him speak. I'm still trying to wrap my head around him. I have read and heard so much about him, the real man is lost in the misinformation.

I get that his biggest goal is to break the unions of their stronghold on Oregon politics. The unions are hell bent on destroying him. It’s truly David and Goliath. And that, right there, is why I like him.

His tactics have been questioned heavily but the result is an Oregon system of getting measures on the ballot that appears to be better for the people and more difficult for unions and big money.

But has he hurt the process? Have his tactics made it more painful for grassroots organizations to initiate change?

Just the mention of his name can send chills down the spines of people getting a process going. Will his involvement at any level, hurt or help them? Is he an asset or liability?

Love him or hate him, he has influence. He has access to donors, experience and support that any political group needs and pays dearly to acquire. But who can afford him? That knowledge is well beyond the financial reach of small groups or new entrants into the political arena. And again there is the name. Ignore the financial cost if you want to hire him. Can you afford to have his name tied to your cause? Even if you agree with his cause, would his reputation turn you away?

Bill Sizemore is a force to be reckoned with, and I would hate to be on the wrong side of him. But can you afford to have him in your corner?

If George W. Bush had...

HOW TO SELL ... TOOTHBRUSHES The kids filed back into class Monday morning. They were very excited,Their weekend assignment was to sell something, then give a talk on productive salesmanship. Little Sally led off, "I sold Girl Scout cookies and I made $30.00," she said proudly, "My sales approach was to appeal to the customer's civil sprit and I credit that approach for my obvious success." "Very good," said the teacher. Little Jenny was next. "I sold magazines," she said, "I made $45.00 and I explained to everyone that magazine's would keep the up on current events." "Very good Jenny," said the teacher. Eventually, it was little Johnny's turn. The teacher held her breath. Little Johnny walked up to the front of the classroom and dumped a box full of cash on the teacher's desk. "$2,467.00", he said. "$2,467.00!", cried the teacher, "What in the world were you selling?" "Toothbrushes", said little Johnny. "Toothbrushes", echoed the teacher. "How could you sell enough toothbrushes to make that much money?" "I found the busiest corner in town", said little Johnny. "I set up a Dip & Chip stand and I gave everybody who walked by a FREE sample."They all said the same thing, "Hey this tastes like dog shit!" Then I would say, "It is dog shit. Wanna buy a toothbrush"? Little Johnny continued, "I used the government approach of giving you something shitty that they say is good, and then making you pay to get the shitty taste out of your mouth."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If George W. Bush had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to take Laura Bush to a play in NYC, would you have approved?

If George W Bush had reduced your retirement plan's holdings of GM stock by 90% and given the unions a majority stake in GM, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had made a joke at the expense of the Special Olympics, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had given Prime Minister Gordon Brown a set of inexpensive and incorrectly formatted DVDs, when PM Gordon Brown had given him a thoughtful and historically significant gift, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had given the Queen of England an iPod containing videos of his speeches, would you have thought this embarrassingly narcissistic and tacky?

If George W. Bush had bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia , would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had visited Austria and made reference to the non-existent "Austrian language," would you have brushed it off as a minor slip?

If George W. Bush had filled his cabinet and circle of advisers with people who cannot seem to keep current in their income taxes, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had stated that there were 57 states in the United States, would you have said that he is clueless.

If George W. Bush would have flown all the way to Denmark to make a five minute speech about how the Olympics would benefit him walking out his front door in Texas, would you have thought he was a self important, conceded, egotistical prick.

If George W. Bush had been so Spanish illiterate as to refer to "Cinco de Quatro" in front of the Mexican ambassador when it was the 5th of May (Cinco de Mayo), and continued to flub it when he tried again, would you have winced in embarrassment?

If George W. Bush had mis-spelled the word "advice" would you have hammered him for it for years like Dan Quayle and potato as proof of what a dunce he is?

If George W. Bush had burned 9,000 gallons of jet fuel to go plant a single tree on Earth Day, would you have concluded he's a hypocrite?

If George W. Bush's administration had okayed Air Force One flying low over millions of people followed by a jet fighter in downtown Manhattan causing widespread panic, would you have wondered whether they actually get what happened on 9-11?

If George W Bush had failed to send relief aid to flood victims throughout the Midwest with more people killed or made homeless than in New Orleans, would you want it made into a major ongoing political issue with claims of racism and incompetence?

If George W. Bush had created the position of 32 Czars who report directly to him, bypassing the House and Senate on much of what is happening in America, would you have approved.

If George W. Bush had ordered the firing of the CEO of a major corporation, even though he had no constitutional authority to do so, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had proposed to triple the national debt, which had taken more than two centuries to accumulate, in one year, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had then proposed to triple the debt again within 10 years, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had called this a Muslim nation, would you have approved?

So, tell me again, what is it about Obama that makes him so brilliant and impressive? Can't think of anything? Don't worry. He's done all this in 10 months -- so you'll have three years and two months to come up with an answer.

Remember in the early days of the campaign, Oboma stated that we should be a multi-language nation to be able to converse with other?

Guess who knows and speaks more foreign languages than Oboma, yes, it is George W. Bush.

It's been a long time

It seems I don't blog list I used to. I was strongly motivated a few years back but seem to have lost it. Some things have changes, career, time, family and facebook.
Yeah, facebook seems to have stolen a lot of time from independent bloggers and redirected us to "social networking". Isn't the internet already "social networking"? Oh well. Now that I think about it, isn't facebook just AOL recreated? Most of us make fun of those that have an AOL email address and can't imagine why people still subscribe. But then we join facebook and it's just AOL with a new User interface and name. Talk about going full circle. I started on AOL back in 1996 when that was pretty much the only option. Then I got a taste of the "real" internet and ran away from them. Seems that maybe they had a good business plan anyway. Not sure where they went wrong and facebook stepped in.
Well, I hope to return to blogging soon. There is so much happening in the world that needs to be talked about. We have a huge oil leak in the gulf coast, a US government that is hell bent on making us a socialist country, a congress that is hell bent on shutting down free speech and local politics all over the country going crazy to try and get back our constitutional rights while others try to take them away. We have a Mexican President telling America how to govern itself. What? Yeah, a 3rd world country full of corruption is trying to tell us how it's done. And our President is listening. So much going on! I have to get writing again.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD A FIRM GRASP ON THE SITUATION.

LET ME SEE IF I GOT THIS RIGHT.
IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12
YEARS HARD LABOR.

IF YOU CROSS THE IRANIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU ARE DETAINED
INDEFINITELY.

IF YOU CROSS THE AFGHAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU GET SHOT.

IF YOU CROSS THE SAUDI ARABIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE
JAILED.

IF YOU CROSS THE CHINESE BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU MAY NEVER BE
HEARD FROM AGAIN.

IF YOU CROSS THE VENEZUELAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE
BRANDED A SPY AND YOUR FATE WILL BE SEALED.

IF YOU CROSS THE CUBAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE THROWN
INTO POLITICAL PRISON TO ROT.

IF YOU CROSS THE U.S. BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET

1 - A JOB,
2 - A DRIVERS LICENSE,
3 - SOCIAL SECURITY CARD,
4 - WELFARE,
5 - FOOD STAMPS,
6 - CREDIT CARDS,
7 - SUBSIDIZED RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE,
8 - FREE EDUCATION,
9 - FREE HEALTH CARE,
10 - A LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON
11 - BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS PRINTED IN YOUR LANGUAGE
12 - AND THE RIGHT TO CARRY YOUR COUNTRY'S FLAG WHILE YOU PROTEST THAT YOU DON'T GET ENOUGH RESPECT

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD A FIRM GRASP ON THE SITUATION.

Portland Public Schools has failed its English language learners

OFIR members and supporters:

After five or more years learning English as their second language, (ELL, ESL), in Oregon schools, 75 percent of those students still are not proficient in English according to a report out today.

In the Salem-Keizer School District 84 percent of the students in their ELL program fail to meet minimum standards.

The Oregon Department of Education, (ODE), gives an extra $2700 per ELL student to each school district. Despite spending 50 percent more per student there is a 75 percent failure rate. Obviously spending more money doesn’t equate with success.

Until the Oregon Legislature deals with the failures and waste of money by the Oregon Department of Education, OFIR will urge voters to reject any increase in taxes. We urge members to vote against Measures # 66 and # 67, the tax increases that will be on January ballot.

If you wish to call the Oregon Department of Education the number is: (503) 378-3600.

The headquarters of the Salem School district is: (503) 399-3000.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Most Oregon schools slow to get English learners proficient

By Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian
December 10, 2009, 5:00AM

After five or more years learning English as their second language in Oregon schools, 75 percent of those students still are not proficient in English according to a report out today.

Portland Public Schools has failed its English language learners for so long that the state this fall cut off federal funding for students with limited English proficiency, a loss of more than $600,000 a year to the state's largest district.

The Oregon Department of Education says it's crucial that schools help students gain proficiency in English, and the U.S. Department of Education says five years should be enough time for a typical student to master the language.

But most districts aren't coming close to that target.

Half the state's English language learners are concentrated in just seven school districts, including Portland and Beaverton. And in four of those -- Hillsboro, Reynolds, Salem-Keizer and Woodburn -- fewer than one-quarter of the students are fluent after five or more years, according to today's accountability report.

In Salem, which has more English learners than any other district -- 5,700 -- only 16 percent mastered English after five or more years in English as a second language classes, the state reported.

State monitors are upset with Portland's performance because the state notified the district in 2005 that it was violating federal education law. The district fixed the problems to the satisfaction of state monitors in 2006, but when the state checked again in 2009, the district had slipped back into some of its old ways.

Among the problems found in early 2009 and still not fixed to the state's satisfaction: Some Portland schools don't give English learners enough language support to learn the core subject matter for their grade level, and not every student is being taught English language development using research-backed techniques.

Assistant State Superintendent Colleen Mileham notified Portland in late September that the state would withhold federal funds, a step it rarely takes, to communicate how important it is to consistently serve English language learners well.

Schools across the state generally do a good job helping students progress through the early stages of speaking, reading and writing English, the state report says.

The problem occurs when schools try to move students to advanced and proficient levels so that they can exit the English as second language program. Helping students master complex verb tenses, idioms and advanced academic language is challenging, says Kim Miller, statewide coordinator of English as a second language programs.

Under the federal No Child Left Behind law, the state expects schools to get half their English language learners proficient within five years. Only 16 of the state's 200 school districts managed to do that, and only two of them -- Redmond and Eugene -- served a large number of English language learners.

Martha Hinman, Redmond's director of student services, said teachers there make sure they spend enough time and concentrate on the right skills to get students up to speed in academic English. For non-native English speakers, mastering academic language in math, science, health and literature, as required, is "really tough," Hinman says.

The state education department is supposed to require big changes in school districts that chronically fall short. If a district fails to succeed with its English learners for four straight years, federal law gives the state two options. It can require a district to change its "curriculum, program and methods of instruction" or it can withhold funding and require that educators responsible for the poor results be replaced.

Oregon mainly opts to require curriculum and teaching changes, says Jake Weigler, communication director for the agency. Portland is the only district ever to have its English proficiency funds withheld, he said.

Schools guide

» Search for your district

- Betsy Hammond betsyhammond@news.oregonian.com

http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2009/12/most_oregon_schools_too_slow_g.html