More like this please!

Hat tip to Salem-News.com for the heads up on a cool event. OMSI has a lot of groveling to do before it merits forgiveness for attempting to raid the Energy Trust weatherization fund a few years back -- this is a good first step.

"Living Downstream" -- Thursday, 10/21, Salem Cinema

Image via Wikipedia"And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books [there is] no end; and much study [is] a weariness of the flesh." -- Ecclesiastes, 12:12

There are many many many books on the environment, and many many many more on health.

And, with few exceptions, nearly even one of those wearying books pales before the disturbing, poignant and powerful book by ecologist and poet Sandra Steingraber, author of, most prominently, "Living Downstream: An ecologist's personal investigation of cancer and the environment."

Haven't seen the movie yet, but it's at the Salem Film Festival Thursday night, and if it's 1/1000th as good as her book, it would be a crying shame to miss it. Support the Salem Film Festival and its work in bringing important movies to Salem -- come see "Living Downstream," and remember that, as Steingraber shows in her moving, unforgettable book, we all live downstream.

Great interview with her here.

Another look at a local gem and "A Movie a Week" reminder

As a proud film host sponsor through my job (see logo), went to the Salem Film Festival today* with my bride and the crazy neighbor -- saw an excellent trio of short films all connected by the theme of aging and approaching the end of life. Just another day for the Salem Cinema, bringing lil' ol' Salem, Oregon some of the finest films in the world, for peanuts.

(*still going all week -- see you at "Winnebago Man" tomorrow night and "Living Downstream" Thursday night!)

As Salem Cinema owner Loretta Miles quoted some film-maker or other as once saying, "Nobody ever made a movie and said 'Damn, that's going to look great on the small screen.'" And that's exactly right -- TV and DVDs and streaming videos to HD are still nowhere close to the cinematic experience of sitting in a dark, quiet room with other film lovers, all knowing that you're sharing an experience of wonder and discovery together.

Got me to thinking that I wished I had saved all my Salem Cinema tickets since I started going -- but then I realized that Loretta archives all the showings on the website. So here is all the movies I've enjoyed at the Salem Cinema so far. With your help -- your regular attendance at Salem Cinema -- we'll be able to do this again in a year and for many years after that, keeping track of our unbelievable luck to have Salem Cinema and Salem Film Festival bringing us these gifts. (Looking through these archives is amazing -- there are SO many great movies that I missed! My punishment will be having to watch them on DVD, a pale imitation of the real movie experience.)

[Asterisks are my personal rating only, from * (meh) to * * * * *(speechless)]

Young@Heart United States. 2008. Documentary. * * * *

The Counterfeiters Austria/Germany. 2007. * * *

Son of Rambow UK. 2008. * * * *

Then She Found Me United States. 2008. * * *

The Fall United States/India. 2008. * * *

Religulous United States. 2008. * *

Slumdog Millionaire UK. * * * * *

I've Loved You So Long France. * * * *

The Class France. * *

The Great Buck Howard United States. * * * *

The Brothers Bloom United States. 2009. * * *

Goodbye Solo United States. 2009. * * * *

Sugar United States. 2009. * * *

Food, Inc. United States. 2009. Documentary. * * *

Sita Sings The Blues United States. 2009. Animated. * * * * *
(rating is on the big screen --- * * * on a TV)

In the Loop UK. 2009. * * * * *

The Ghost Writer UK. 2010. * * * *

A Town Called Panic France. 2009. Animated. * *

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Sweden. 2010. * * * *

Solitary Man United States. 2010. * * *

Cyrus United States. 2010. * * * *

The Secret in Their Eyes Argentina. * * * * *

Ondine Ireland. 2010. * * * *

I Am Love Italy. 2010. *

Mid-August Lunch Italy. 2010. * * *

The Girl Who Played With Fire Sweden. 2010. * * * *

Get Low United States. 2010. * * * *

Winter's Bone United States. 2010. * * * * *

Micmacs France. 2010. * * * * *

The Tillman Story United States. 2010. Documentary. * * * *

How about you? What is the best film you've seen at Salem Cinema?

As should Salem and Marion County

Image via Wikipedia

9. Oregon county bans bottled water

Multnomah County became the first in Oregon to ban bottled water from all county meetings and functions. From now on, the county will serve pitchers of cool liquid from the tap -- and save itself thousands of dollars. Oregonian 10/14/2010

Word: Recognizing the elephant in the doctor's office

From The Lund Report:

http://www.thelundreport.org/resource/it%E2%80%99s_time_for_doctors_to_reclaim_ownership_of_their_profession

It‚s Time for Doctors to Reclaim Ownership of Their Profession We can't sustain rising healthcare costs and, more urgently, we can't sustain the aftershocks of a healthcare bubble bursting

By: Dr. Kris Alman . . .

It must be understood that doctors no longer own their own shingle. When post-World War II America ceded healthcare to employers, insurance companies inherited a cash cow. Individuals, families and businesses now realize that insurance companies cannot deliver a product that can be consumed for their benefit when profits are involved. The conundrum is very basic. Health is a societal investment and not a commodity that can be consumed and marketed as healthcare. For-profit healthcare creates perverse incentives for those who profit from the unhealthy and the worried well. Employers, tired of insurance companies profiting from their employees, are marketing a new paradigm of managed care through self-insuring. Consumers should be wary of "roadmaps" for employer health management and value-based benefit designs. Values will be compromised for the sake of value. Market-based healthcare demoralizes the doctor. I left my career as an internist and endocrinologist over ten years ago, when I was at my prime. My integrity was too compromised by the compromises the market demanded of me. Many of my physician friends envy my good fortune married to a radiologist who gives me that choice. But I still mourn the loss of my career especially since I know there are critical needs for primary care doctors. Market-based health care won't work. Quality healthcare depends on a trusting relationship between the doctor and patient, an art that that is unquantifiable. Yet we're reassured that healthcare reforms will be evidence-based. Even a spoonful of sugar doesn't help swallow "evidence-based" research cooked by PhRMA and medical device companies. Healthcare reforms were adopted from the evidence-based playbooks of No Child Left Behind. I assure you doctors will be treating to the HEDIS test. This approach is impersonal and non-specific. . . .

We already have rationed care. The question is who should who should determine how we ration care: doctors or employers and insurance companies? Doctors must reclaim ownership of their profession and demand full transparency of healthcare costs. They'll better grasp the inherent inequities that arise from the multiple payers and deniers of employer-based healthcare. In doing so, doctors can reassert true value to the care they give and to healthy values we, as patients, must embrace. We can't sustain rising healthcare costs and, more urgently, we can't sustain the aftershocks of a healthcare bubble bursting. ================== Dr. Kris Alman retired from healthcare to become a citizen activist for a healthier democracy. She advocates for fair taxation to invest in our common goods--prioritizing education, renewable energy, campaign finance and healthcare policies and laws.

Seattle shows the way: Bans phone book littering

Image by The Library of Congress via FlickrAwesome. Salem City Council folks, are you taking notes and drafting ordinances yet? If not, why not?

Using land to feed cars -- like burning down the house to get some light

Image via WikipediaFrom the ASPO-USA Peak Oil Review weekly newsletter:

Last week the USDA released a revised estimate for US grain production this year that shocked observers. The new report cut US harvest projections from corn, soybeans and wheat. The reduction in terms of bushels was the largest in nearly 40 years. Although the harvest is expected to be the third largest ever – 12.7 million bushels – the increasing call on US agriculture to make up for shortfalls around the world should lead to much higher prices as more nations move to restrict exports.
As we saw two years ago, the imposition of food export bans by governments fearful of the domestic unrest that could result from grain shortages led to higher food prices around the world.

The conversion of corn into ethanol for motor fuel is using up US corn reserves which are expected to fall to the lowest level in 15 years. In the past four years, the US has had its four largest corn crops ever and supplies are still tight. Due to the rapid expansion of the corn to biofuels program that began in earnest five years ago, there is little spare farm land that can be brought into production. This suggests that high corn prices could lead to shortages of other crops as farmers react to high corn prices. Given the bad economic conditions, US food companies say they are reluctant to pass on price increases to retail consumers.

Ironically, the price surge comes just as the government is expected to approve the marketing of 15 percent (E15) ethanol blend for use as a motor fuel. This move could, in theory, increase the demand for corn-based ethanol from its current 12-13 billion gallons every year by 50 percent. There is, however, a possibility that the government could restrict its use to vehicles built in the 2007 model year and later. This would greatly complicate the marketing of the product as retailers would have to install new tanks for the E15 and might have to eliminate self-service pumps to ensure that the right blends get into the right vintage cars. All this suggests that it may be some time, if ever, before E15 comes into widespread use.

Megabridges are Megadisasters

Someone who cares did a great job warning the powers that be about the upcoming disaster if plans to build a megabridge over the Columbia proceed (pdf).

We need a similar study for the ongoing waste of money called the Salem River Crossing, a dreamed-of third auto bridge.

Seen near the Capitol, Part Deux

Speaking of insane lobbyist power, there's this sign, a perfect commentary on what Salem and Oregon find worthy of exaltation and glory. This plaque is perhaps in the most prestigious spot imaginable -- dead center in front of the Capitol, just on the other side of the fountain, centered on the Capitol mall greensward, we find

a) a monument to, a hero or heroine from Oregon's storied history?
b) A tribute to the brave fallen from the wars?
c) A gentle encouragement to better citizenship?
d) A plaque glorifying a parking garage for cars?

Of course you knew it was d) all along. Truly, we can know a people by what they honor.

Seen near the Capitol

Tobacco lobby missing a beloved pet?