Books Books Books

So, I had forgotten how much I really love reading..Someday I'd love to have a huge library in my home. I'm kinda picky and haven't gotten into a book in awhile. Just today I finished a book I started yesterday and let me tell you it got me excited about reading again!!! 

I've always had a love hate relationship with the library like most people I think...love because you get to read as many books as you want for FREE.. but only if you return them on time... why oh why can't I remember to turn them in on time or at least RENEW them??? I have decided to turn over a new leaf this time around, however. I have a fresh start at the Portland library so no fines for me ever! I hope... 

The company man

Yesterday I checked my inbox only to find an invitation to join Google voice. It's a service that basically assign you a new phone number which will ring your existing phone number(s) all the while giving you access to snazzy features such as transcribing your voice mails to text and sending a copy of I through email and onto your cell by text message. Really neat service and yet another in a growing list of products that I depend on them for. Add email, maps, contacts, calendar, blogger, YouTube, search, and my desire for an Android phone, I'm into them big time. Funny thing is I haven't paid red penny to use any of these things but as one of the biggest advertising companies on the web I give them the most valuable commodities in the business, information about their customer, and as the saying goes knowledge is power. But what does this mean for the regular Joe who signs up for an gmail account are they selling their souls to the big G? Will I see my electric bill bearing a return address to California soon? What does it matter because they have proven that they are capable of turning out fantastic products that are serviceable and accessible which all my price quota of FREE!? What's interesting will be how the next ten years treat Google as they begin to mature as a company will they face the same fire from government agencies that Microsoft weathered for the past decade. Until that I will stay hooked up to the machine dripping sweet Internet juice into my veins.

- Clifford "I love Google" Eiffler

Odds and Ends

My life is pretty simple. Consisting of school, riding the bus, work, riding the bus, and home. Oh yeah and riding the bus. One of my favorite things about bus culture is the fact that you can almost always find a newspaper free on the bus. It's an unspoken code amongst readers that when you're done with it, get rid of it. Just the other day as I was waiting for the bus at Fred Meyer I decided to kill time by eating and reading, after I had plunked down Mr. Washington for a paper I approached the deli only to find some kind reader had left their paper for the next traveler. Dang it. But with the advent and implementation of new technologies such as e-readers and smart phones, where will the beloved tradition end up?
Our nephew Michael is so cute. Audrey has habit of sending me pictures and videos (I think because I am the only one who can receive them that actually cares about the whipper snapper, though my dad would be all over that i'm sure). I am very excited for Thanksgiving so we can go and hang out with the family. Oh yeah, and so I can eat my heart out. Mmmmm.... food.
Read an article in the paper yesterday (which I got for free) about the HOPE scholarship, a program in Georgia which guarantees that any graduating senior with at least a 3.0 would have a full ride to any one of the state schools. Meaning F-R-E-E. The author of the article was suggesting the Oregon do what it takes to implement a similar program like the twenty other states who modeled their program after Georgia's. In comparing spending (the money comes from state lottery dollars) they showed that Georgia spent nearly FIVE times as much on higher education than Oregon (nearly half a billion dollars). Now that's impressive but what was more impressive was the feeling I got when finishing the article the author mentioned that if we wanted to get involved that all we had to do was call his friend, who's number he listed. I had never felt as I did when I read this article, the newspaper is much for stirring feelings for me, but without I doubt this is the kind of vision I want for Oregon (and really the world). I believe everyone who works hard in High School (and really... a 3.0 isn't that hard) should have that opportunity. I knew at one time Philomath did this for it's graduating seniors thanks to a generous grant from some wealthy townspeople but I would love to see the barriers to education be lowered, that money shouldn't be the deciding factor if they are willing to put in the work. Anyway I think i'll be calling this guy up and trying to help any way I can.