A few asked why I was going to do it, perhaps thinking that there was something wrong. I’m not sure if there was something wrong, as there was my priorities needed to shift. The reality was that I loved surfing Facebook. Way too many hours were spent on it and it needed to stop. My first love on the interent, this website, was neglected and my web design skills were lacking as a result. I loved creating this website 5 years ago. I know technology has changed and I’m not keeping up with it. I want to use more time on this website to interact with the world. It’s here that I have more control. Plus, this is my family website. This is our piece of the internet.

Also, I didn’t need to keeping checking Facebook to learn who was posting their current status, photos, videos, etc, when I should have been away from the computer.Granted, my family and friends lead interesting lives. Perhaps that why it was so addictive.

For those with a blog outside of Facebook, I use my Google Reader to view your posts. I’ll keep checking. For those without a blog, I have their email address and/or phone numbers. If you’re in the Seattle area, I’ll be sure to visit.

Autumn did venture out to her first public venue today: the grocery store. Laura really wanted to get out so we packed up the family and headed to Albertson’s. Except for Ethan’s rather loud impromptu performance of “ABC’s” on aisle 14, it was an uneventful shopping trip.

ETHAN
Birth Date: July 30, 2007
Time: 7:45pm
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Weight: 7lbs. 5oz.
Length: 19″
Hair: Full head of black hair when born.
Eyes: Beautiful blue eyes when born.
Name: Ethan William Holt. The name Ethan was chosen because it just sounded like an excellent name for our son. We read all the name books but most weren’t helpful at all. Turns out to be the 4th most popular boys name in 2007. William is Brett’s middle name (family name) and is common on Laura’s side.

AUTUMN
Birth Date: March 18, 2010
Time: 7:13am
Location: Edmonds, WA
Weight: 6lbs 11oz.
Length: 19″
Hair: Full head of black hair when born.
Eyes: The color hasn’t set quite yet, though brown seems to be dominant.
Name: Autumn Jane Holt. During Laura’s first pregnancy we chose not to know the baby’s gender until delivery. In doing so, we had a name picked out for a boy and a name for a girl: Ethan and Autumn. Of course when we found out that our second child was going to be girl, we were ready to go. Like the name Ethan, we just enjoy the sound of the name Autumn. Also, what a beautiful time of year to enjoy the outdoors. Jane is from the author Jane Austin, one of Laura’s favorite writers.

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While Laura feeds, Ethan hangs out in his fort.

Autumn and Laura are doing very well. Laura is resting when she can and keeping Autumn fed. Autumn has spent most her time sleeping followed by feeding and diaper changes. Surprisingly, Laura and I are actually getting really good nights of rest while providing Autumn and Ethan the attention they so deserve.

I’m off of work for a few weeks and look forward to this time to support Laura, meet Autumn, and have some one on one time with Ethan as we do some father/son outings.

Enjoy our latest photos from the past couple days.

Autumn's first sunrise.

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The quick labor story:

After a week of on/off again contractions, intense contractions kicked in about 4am this morning. We labored at home until 6am and then headed to the hospital.  Laura did a few grunts and moans and popped her on out about an hour later.

We are attaching a few photos of Autumn and our family for you to enjoy.  In the upcoming days, we hope to put more on our website.  We head back home tomorrow in the afternoon.

Take care,

Brett, Laura, Ethan, and Autumn

Over the last couple years I’ve dabbled in creating a centralized media center for our family. By this I mean a place where I can view my videos/photos and listen to music in one place. Though it may seem easy for some, it doesn’t work that way for us. I keep our photos/movies on our mac tower and keep our music on our laptop (we like to ensure we have our music with us when we travel). There also many options to choose from when it comes to a media center. Some of the popular ones include Windows Media Center and Apple TV. Of course, there are a bit more obscure ones such as Boxee, XBMC, Plex, and Hulu.

So what did we decide? It just depends on what we want to do and, no, we don’t use just one program

Music: We play our music off the laptop via iTunes and connect to our audio receiver wirelessly through Apple Express.

Photos: We organize the with Picasa, but have them synced with Apple TV so we can have a running slideshow during special occasions, or just to play so Ethan can enjoy them on a large screen.

Movies: We organize them with iTunes and play them wirelessly through AppleTV, which is connected to our TV via an HDMI cable.

Internet TV: We use Plex for our internet TV. What do I mean by Internet TV? Basically, viewing any video that may be available on regular TV, but shown on the internet. For example, we love to watch The Daily Show. Yes, we can click on the Daily Show website and watch the latest show. Then head over to the HGTV website and find a couple videos to watch. Then back to the NBC website for the latest episode of Saturday Night Live. But, why not have a centralized system for viewing The Daily Show, The Office, HGTV programming, South Park (all episodes), MTV, Biography, and more shows/channels. We chose Plex because of it’s iTouch application so we can have a remote. Also, it integrates with Hulu so we can improve our viewing options. Of course, Boxee is excellent too, but I couldn’t get the hack worked out so I can view it through Apple TV. Once I do, then Plex is gone and we’ll only need Boxee available through our Apple TV. Also, we have Plex connected from our Tower to our TV via an HDMI cord. The TV acts as our 2nd monitor so Plex is always on. On the TV, we just click to the correct input (in our case HDMI2 since HDMI1 is our Apple TV) and we’re now watching our shows, via the internet, while enjoying our comfy recliners.

Of course, how do we manage this with our remote controls? Easy. Logitech has an awesome selection of universal remotes that put all others to shame. We have one for all our devices except for using Plex. You view their remotes here: http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/remotes/universal_remotes/&cl=us,en

If you want some more information about these programs, here are some links:

Boxee: http://www.boxee.tv/
Hulu: www.hulu.com
XBMC: http://xbmc.org/
Plex: http://www.plexapp.com/

Other sites to check out:
* Lifehacker.com is the website I like to visit to see what is being said about computers/programs/life.
* HandBrake: handbrake.fr   This is a free and great tool for ripping DVDs to MP4s.

What do you use for your media center?

Happy Holidays!

We want to send all you a warm holiday greeting! We hope your year has been as fulfilling and exciting as it has been for our family.

Some of our highlights include Ethan turning two years old, spending the summer living with Laura’s parents, moving to Seattle, Brett working with the federal government again, multiple trips to California to visit Brett’s family, having Brett’s old punk band doing a reunion show, receiving the news that we are having a little girl due March 24, 2010, and watching Ethan getting excited about Christmas this year. Our year had a bit of sadness as our loyal lab, Duff, passed away. He’s missed by all.

However you celebrate this time of year, we hope you it do with kindness and an abundance of eggnog. : )

Take care,

Brett, Laura, and Ethan

It all started at a young age…

I’ll keep this short and point out one speech he wrote that I feel is so relevant today. It has to do with openness, compromise, and listening to others. You, me, and our politicians can learn from his words.

Here is the context of this speech. Monday, September 17, 1787, was the last day of the Constitutional Convention. Pennsylvania delegate Benjamin Franklin, one of the few Americans of the time with international repute, wanted to give a short speech to the Convention prior to the signing of the final draft of the Constitution. Too weak to actually give the speech himself, he had fellow Pennsylvanian James Wilson deliver the speech. It is considered a masterpiece.

Mr. President

I confess that there are several parts of this constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them: For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information, or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise. It is therefore that the older I grow, the more apt I am to doubt my own judgment, and to pay more respect to the judgment of others. Most men indeed as well as most sects in Religion, think themselves in possession of all truth, and that wherever others differ from them it is so far error. Steele a Protestant in a Dedication tells the Pope, that the only difference between our Churches in their opinions of the certainty of their doctrines is, the Church of Rome is infallible and the Church of England is never in the wrong. But though many private persons think almost as highly of their own infallibility as of that of their sect, few express it so naturally as a certain french lady, who in a dispute with her sister, said “I don’t know how it happens, Sister but I meet with no body but myself, that’s always in the right — Il n’y a que moi qui a toujours raison.”

In these sentiments, Sir, I agree to this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such; because I think a general Government necessary for us, and there is no form of Government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered, and believe farther that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in Despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic Government, being incapable of any other. I doubt too whether any other Convention we can obtain, may be able to make a better Constitution. For when you assemble a number of men to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with those men, all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish views. From such an assembly can a perfect production be expected? It therefore astonishes me, Sir, to find this system approaching so near to perfection as it does; and I think it will astonish our enemies, who are waiting with confidence to hear that our councils are confounded like those of the Builders of Babel; and that our States are on the point of separation, only to meet hereafter for the purpose of cutting one another’s throats. Thus I consent, Sir, to this Constitution because I expect no better, and because I am not sure, that it is not the best. The opinions I have had of its errors, I sacrifice to the public good. I have never whispered a syllable of them abroad. Within these walls they were born, and here they shall die. If every one of us in returning to our Constituents were to report the objections he has had to it, and endeavor to gain partizans in support of them, we might prevent its being generally received, and thereby lose all the salutary effects & great advantages resulting naturally in our favor among foreign Nations as well as among ourselves, from our real or apparent unanimity. Much of the strength & efficiency of any Government in procuring and securing happiness to the people, depends, on opinion, on the general opinion of the goodness of the Government, as well as of the wisdom and integrity of its Governors. I hope therefore that for our own sakes as a part of the people, and for the sake of posterity, we shall act heartily and unanimously in recommending this Constitution (if approved by Congress & confirmed by the Conventions) wherever our influence may extend, and turn our future thoughts & endeavors to the means of having it well administered.

On the whole, Sir, I can not help expressing a wish that every member of the Convention who may still have objections to it, would with me, on this occasion doubt a little of his own infallibility, and to make manifest our unanimity, put his name to this instrument.

With great sadness, Duff went to his final resting place last Monday, June 22. He developed a tumor on the outside of his intestines which caused tremendous pain and made it difficult to have a bowel movement. The vet didn’t recommend surgery because of his age, breed/size, and the size of the tumor. It was an extremely difficult decision for Laura and me to make, but we had always told ourselves that our dogs will not suffer in these type of situations.

Duff was a 9 year old black lab that I adopted in September 2001 while living in Burns, Oregon. He was a little over a year old and had already been with two other owners. His mild temperament and easy going manners made him a keeper, and over the years, made dog lovers out of people who didn’t like dogs. He was loyal, loved to wander, and gave great wet kisses!

The name Duff came with him. I’m told he was named after Duff beer on the Simpsons. Not being a fan of the Simpsons or cheap beer, I like to say he was named after the duff layer found in the forest. Either way, it was a unique name for a unique dog.

When I got him, I had just started a long distance relationship with Laura, who was living in Spokane, WA. Duff became my travel companion for those 9 hour drives to see her, which became the start of his traveling adventures with Laura and me. He traveled to mountains and the beaches; ran along our sides on trails and roads; visited Glacier, Yellowstone, Lassen, and Yosemite National Parks; visited or lived in Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Nevada, and California; and loved to play in rivers and sit in the rain. He probably experienced more than many Americans.

While we were in the Peace Corps (2004-2005), he and Skylee easily transitioned to living with my mom (Grandma) where they were spoiled. He loved sleeping on her bed, running around the large yard, eating “special” food, and receiving her undivided attention. He loved being with my mom!

Though Ethan may not remember him, he will always have pictures, videos, and wonderful stories for us to share with him. We will all miss him very much.

So when we moved in our home last August, we had a couple issues we needed to resolve. The first was organizing our kitchen, and the second was keeping Ethan out of our kitchen island cupboard. Here’s the story.

SMALL KITCHEN: Our last home in Eugene was filled with kitchen storage space. It was wonderful. You could pack in the bread machine, mixers, salad shooter, pots, pans, dogs, drums, whatever you needed. It was wonderful. This kitchen is the opposite. We were able to maneuver a pizza pan and two sets of kitchen towels before we filled up. It’s horrible. The worst was where to put our pots and pans. They are bulky, the lids are awkward and Ethan loves to play with them. I did some research on the internet, found some options that may help us, and then went to work.

For our pots and pans, we chose to hang them on the wall. We looked at hanging racks, but they’re expensive! Also, not readily available. Our friends Matt and Sophie had a great layout in their Eugene home. The first lesson in life is “Don’t reinvent the wheel” and I didn’t plan on it. I stole the idea. I bought some hooks, threw ‘em on the wall and, presto, worked like magic.

LIDS: Once the pots were hanging, the lids were just piled into a cabinet…horizontal. Lids are useless, and terrible to organize when they are horizontal. The only time a lid is good horizontal is when it’s on top the pot or pan. That’s it! So what to do? I have to thank the great contributors at Lifehacker.com. Someone posted their idea about purchasing a desk organizer and using it for lids. “Bling!” What a great idea. I had Laura run down to Office Depot, find one and come back. Unfortunately, the width of space was too small…so I had her run back to Office Dept, return that organizer, head to Office Max, and buy a different one. Blam! This one works like a charm. Thanks Laura! We can put our lids and extra pans in the organizer and keep them organized. I love it when an organizer actually organizers. It’s awesome.

CHILD: Ethan, Ethan, Ethan..my son…I love you buddy, but daddy does not like it when you open up the kitchen island cabinets and pull out everything. Everything! Some of you may say, “Hey buddy, let the kid do whatever, he’s 18 months!” To that I say, “Hey buddy, come clean up my kitchen 10 times day.” Someone else may say, “Hey buddy, buy those latches so he can’t open up the door.” To that I say, “Hey buddy, I did for the others, because they had a piece of wood to latch them on. The island doesn’t.” What to do. Laura rummaged through some baby stuff donated to us and pulled out some device for us to use. As you can tell, that device took two hands, set of feet, and pliers to open. Postive side: Easy to close. Back to the drawing board. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. No wait, actually it was 4 days later I was in the garage, rummaging through my rock climbing gear, thinking “I never use this stuff these days, what should I do with it”. Then it hit me. “Blam!” Carabiner! I grabbed the golden latch, raced into the house, threw off the middle evil latch device and threw on the carabiner. Ahhhh….it’s beautiful. And so easy to use.

Enjoy.

John Lennon had a good message that is as relevant today as it was then (or anytime in the world’s history).

What I find intriguing is the location of the Top 10 and Bottom 10 cities. Look at the locations and think about the politics. Then think about who is currently and soon-to-be leading our country. I think this country is in a great position to begin to design and plan communities that are energy efficient and improve our quality of life, not degrade it.

As a Portlander, I’m glad to see us at #7. Of course, with all great cities there is room for improvement. Portland recognizes this and continues to make strides. I just hope the bottom 10 recognize it because the ones paying for it are the citizens.

Top 10
1. San Francisco
2. New York
3. Washington, DC
4. Seattle
5. Oakland
6. Chicago
7. Portland, OR
8. Philadelphia
9. Baltimore
10. Boston

Bottom 50
41. Louisville, KY
42. Omaha, NE
43. El Paso, TX
44. Nashville, TN
45. Memphis, TN (tie)
45. Fort Worth, TX (tie)
47. Tulsa, OK
48. Indianapolis, IN
49. Jacksonville, FL
50. Oklahoma City, OK

Couple Shots of the Little Guy!

I’m told that I need to post more photos of our son. For now on, I will be sure to include at least a couple photos in my posts. Also, if you are on Facebook, we post a bunch of him on there. You have to be added as a friend though.

That's my boy!

Family hike

Now I look back and realize that I should have thought about what shapes the development or lack of development in the communities that I live. I’m not sure what age I should have been more aware, but my 20’s seems a little late. Of course I don’t expect a 6-year old child to say, “Daddy (or mommy), when I grow up I want to be a planner”. Actually, that would be pretty nerdy if your 6 year old said that. But the point is that our lives are tremendously influenced by the profession of planners and it isn’t too early to learn how our communities are developed. After all, the youth are the future!

I want to introduce you to some great resources that the American Planning Association (national organization for planners) offers to teach youth about planning. The website is found here: http://www.planning.org/education/youth . As you’ll notice with the topics of the lesson plans, it seems that planners are involved in everything.

If you have questions, comments, or whatever, then feel free to let me know.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Brett

As information inquirers, Laura and I read The Oregonian on a daily basis. While Ethan yacks away and plays with his oatmeal each morning, we share the front page and discuss the local news. It’s a great way to learn a little more about our community and the world we live in.

But for many of us out there, the morning newspaper just doesn’t cut it. We need MORE information. Not just any ‘ol information, but information that is up-to-date, relevant to our interests, and easy to access. This is why I love Really Simple Syndication or RSS feeds.

RSS feeds allow me to subscribe to a page and get the latest news. There are thousands of websites/blogs that provide these links. Even our website, actually this page that you are reading right now, allows this. But the beauty of an RSS feed isn’t that you can subscribe to it, but in the application that allows this to happen. In my case, I use Google Reader to subscribe to all my RSS feeds. Gathered on one page are up-to-date headlines from all the websites I subscribe to. Now I don’t have to click on a link to each website to see what’s new. It’s gathered all in one place

I’m not going to describe all the nuts and bolts of how to use Google Reader and RSS feeds, there is plenty of information on the web to do that. I just wanted to share the sites that I subscribe to and to make sure that you know you can always subscribe to our website. This page is the only dynamic page, hence, the only one that will be updated in your RSS feed. Hope you find a new feed to subscribe too. Remember to look for the orange image in your URL bar and click it to subscribe.

Brett’s RSS Subscriptions on his Google Reader

• First I have a whole list of friend’s websites that I subscribe to. Great way to stay in touch.
• BBC World News: Allows me to learn more about news from around the world (http://news.bbc.co.uk/)
• Foreign Policy Association: This organization offers a lot of blogs to subscribe to. Here are my favorites: Caucasus (http://caucasus.foreignpolicyblogs.com/); Central Asia (http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/); Election 2008 (http://election.foreignpolicyblogs.com/); Russia (http://russia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/); U.S. Diplomacy (http://diplomacy.foreignpolicyblogs.com/); U.S. Role in the World (http://usrole.foreignpolicyblogs.com/)
• Fat Wreck Chords: One of my favorite punk rock record labels (http://www.fatwreck.com/)
• Lifehacker: All things computer and nerdy, but very useful (http://lifehacker.com/)
• MadConomist: Economics anyone? (http://madconomist.com/)
• The Positivity Blog: Fluffy but very optimistic (http://www.positivityblog.com/)
• Planetizen: All things planning and more (http://www.planetizen.com/)
• Politico: Politics, Political News, Campaign 2008 and on and on (http://www.politico.com/)
• PunkNews.org: My lifeline to the latest tours, breakups, record releases, tragedies and other shenanigans in the punk rock world (http://www.punknews.org/)
• Woodworking Magazine: I love to build things (http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/)

That’s my list. Feel free to share yours.

Ethan also has his molars coming in. So far, two have popped out and two more are making their way. Of course this means he has been a little cranky, but always a charmer. After all four arrive, he will have 11 teeth.

I’m also making a PowerPoint presentation available. The PowerPoint was presented for the Willamette Valley Biomass Working Group, the client for this project. You can read more about my defense and energy planning in previous posts.

Abstract:
PERCEPTION TO INCEPTION: ASSESSING CONTRACTOR CAPACITY TO UTILIZE WOODY BIOMASS FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION IN THE SOUTHERN WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON

Global warming, peak oil, and severe wildfires are leading government officials, community members, conservation organizations, timber industry officials, and other stakeholders to explore sustainable long-term solutions to create healthy and vibrant communities. The use of woody biomass provides a solution because of its ability to not only reduce the effects of these events, but also meet economic development, renewable energy, and ecological objectives. Timber companies are important to making the woody biomass industry successful because they are a key link between accessing and delivering the supply and meeting consumer demand. Though they stand to benefit economically, there are challenges they face before fully committing to utilizing woody biomass.

This study had two objectives to better understand the opportunities and challenges the timber industry faces in the southern Willamette Valley. The first was to understand the capacity of firms either engaged in or with the potential to engage in woody biomass collecting, processing, and transportation. The second was to determine the willingness and interest of firms to participate in biomass utilization and what barriers prevent them from engaging in or supporting woody biomass utilization.

As part of the study, we interviewed key individuals involved in the collection, transportation, or utilization of timber in the southern Willamette Valley. The results of the study provide an understanding of the competition for the region’s existing supply of woody biomass and the perceived challenges and limitations of increasing woody biomass opportunities for energy production. Findings suggest that the timber industry is interested in pursuing woody biomass for energy production if they can make a profit and have access to a new source of woody biomass.

Download PDF here and/or PowerPoint here.

In case the video doesn’t work, you can go here to view it.

Now we are continuing our journey two hours north to the wonderful city of Portland, Oregon. After submitting a plethora of employment resumes/cover letters/applications, I accepted a job about a week ago with a planning firm in downtown Portland. We drove up to Portland a few days later to view homes for rent, found one and will move in tomorrow. The best part about our home is that it has two baths. OH yeah! Our first home with two baths. This is a sign that we are moving up in the world folks.

Tonight is our last night in this great house on this street with wonderful neighbors. It has been a great two years in Eugene, Oregon. We would stay here if we could, but we have to go where the jobs are at or until we can start our own business and have more say about where we live. We are excited and apprehensive about this next step. But, as with all of our adventures, we always meet terrific people from the places with live and travel. We also have many friends and family in the Portland area and look forward to reconnecting with them.

We’re off to bed so our “Ethan Alarm Clock” can get us up at the crack of dawn for another day of loading boxes.

Farewell Eugene!

Prior to our departure, we purchased our first family tent; the Sierra Design Bedouin Annex 4+2. This tent proved to be a great tent that allowed Ethan to roll around without getting too dirty. In addition, we bought a Coleman queen size air mattress. Oh yeah! I love my backpacking air mattress pads, but we’re car camping. If we have the room then throw it on in.

We camped at Strawberry Campground on the Malheur National Forest. The trailhead to Strawberry Lake is located here. The lake lies in the Strawberry Wilderness and is a beautiful sight. We did a 5-mile hike to the lake and base of Strawberry Falls where Laura and I enjoyed them, but Ethan slept the entire time we were there.

Overall, it was a great trip for the family. We look forward to going out again, but perhaps when Ethan is walking around. Enjoy the photos.

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We want everyone to feel included as we wind down this chapter of our lives. Here is the official evite for Brett’s defense next week. I’ll put a PDF of the project on the website when I finish all the edits in a few weeks. Also, here is the link to the invitation on the PPPM website. Thanks!

You are invited to attend Brett Holt’s exit project defense
Tuesday, June 3, 2008, 9:00am
University of Oregon EMU Coquille Room

Perception to Inception: Assessing Contractor Capacity to Utilize Woody Biomass for Energy Production in Lane County, Oregon

Brett W. Holt

Master of Community and Regional Planning, June 2008

Abstract

Events such as global warming, peak oil, and catastrophic wildfires are bringing government officials, community members, conservation organizations, timber industry officials, and other stakeholders together to explore sustainable long-term solutions to create healthy and vibrant communities. The utilization of woody biomass is being explored as a solution because of its ability to minimize the effects of these events, as well as meet economic development, renewable energy, and ecological objectives. On the front lines to promoting woody biomass is the timber industry. Though they stand to benefit economically, there are challenges they face before fully committing to utilizing woody biomass.

To better understand the opportunities and challenges the timber industry faces in the Southern Willamette Valley, this study accomplished two main objectives. The first objective was to understand the capacity of firms either engaged in or have the potential to engage in woody biomass collecting, processing and transportation services. The second objective was to determine the willingness and interest of firms to participate in biomass utilization efforts and what barriers prevent them from engaging in or supporting woody biomass utilization.

As part of the study, we interviewed key individuals involved in the collection, transportation, and/or utilization of timber in the Southern Willamette Valley. The results of the study provide a better understanding of the competition surrounding the region’s existing supply of woody biomass and the perceived challenges and limitations of increasing specific woody biomass opportunities. Findings suggest opportunities are limited due to supply availability, firms have an inconsistent definition of what woody biomass is and its uses, and the industry may benefit from increased government subsidies.

By no means will you need or even want all of these, but they are useful. These programs have worked well for my needs and my computer capabilities. Also, many of these programs have a paid version, but I have yet to pay for them and have still been happy with the functionality of each free version.

Here are some of my favorite FREE programs. Some are open-source, some are just freeware. Enjoy.

One day Google, like Costco, will rule the world, so let’s start learning how to work together now.

• Picasa – easy to use photo organizer, editor and more. Laura is able to use it which is saying something.
• Gmail/Google Calendar – all of our email first goes through our Gmail account. It creates a back up and allows us to email from anywhere in the world. If you set up your Gmail account today, they have a great program to upload your contacts and email into your account so you won’t miss a beat. If you get the Gmail account, then you’ll have access to Calendar. Calendar can sync with Outlook. Laura and I use Calendar to sync our two Outlook calendars together.
• Google Earth – update maps, features, integration for your web browser. I love this program.
• SketchUp – who needs Autocad when you have this program. It offers some wonderful design functionality and integrates into Google Earth nicely.

Firefox Add-Ons

First, get Firefox 3. I am currently using the final candidate release version of Firefox 3 and it’s stable. The only hang up is that the developers are playing catch up to make sure their add-on is working properly with FF3. This is my list of essential and fun add-ons that worked great with FF2 and, I hope, FF3. You can find most of these add-ons at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/.

• Adblock Plus – block all those annoying ads on websites (thanks for refreshing my mind on this one Matt).
• All-in-One Sidebar – great sidebar for easy viewing of bookmarks, history, downloads, and more.
• Better GCal – improve Google calendar.
• Better Gmail 2 – improve the Gmail interface.
• Better GReader – I love my Google Reader and this improves its functionality for viewing RSS feeds.
• Colorful Tabs – easily sort and view your websites with colored tabs for each site.
• Craigslist Image Preview – clicking on each Craiglist ad to view pictures is yesterday. Now you can view all the photos on one easy to use page. Highly recommended for Craigslist users.
• Download Helper – easy to use application to download images and videos.
• FireFTP – easy to use FTP program built into the browser.
• Flashblock – block annoying flash objects.
• Foxmarks Bookmark Synchronizer – this is a great way to sync bookmarks between computers you use and an easy way to backup your bookmarks.
• Google Preview – search through Google and Yahoo results with website previews.
• Paste and Go 2 – no need to click “Paste” and then click “Go’, with this button it is all done with one click.
• RealPlayer Browser Record Plugin – this is from Real and needs to be downloaded from their site. It allows you to download almost any song on the internet for free. I use this for songs on MySpace.
• ScrapBook – great way to capture parts or whole website and organize your collection.
• ScribeFire – this blog editor integrates easily into your browser and allows for full functional editing.
• Tab Mix Plus – check it out
• Zotero – this is for all you academics out there. Forget EndNote, Zotero is free and more functional than EndNote will ever be.

Other Programs

• Filehippo – **I love this program. It will look for latest versions of installed programs on your computer (usually freeware) and check if updates are available. Then you just click each update you want. Very useful program because of its one stop updating feature.
• Tweak UI – easy way to change Windows appearance and improve functionality of Windows.
• CCleaner – great program to clean up unnecessary files, shortcuts, and your registry.
• Syncback – all about backing up your files efficiently.
• TeraCopy – not just your normal copy and paste program.
• iTunes Folder Watch – have you added music files to your music folder, but can’t remember which ones you added to iTunes? Use this program to ensure all your music files are added to iTunes and not just sitting around your computer.
• AdAware – protect yourself against adware
• AVG Virus Protection – protect yourself against viruses
• Spybot – no more spyware
• Notepad++ – get more from your text editor / notepad program.
• Power Toy Calculator – get more out of your calculator.
• Filezilla – I know I mentioned FireFTP above, but this is also a great FTP program.
• uTorrent – if you know about torrent files, this is a great program for downloading…oh and sharing of course.
• Object Desktop – redesign, manipulate and improve the functionality of your desktop. If you have a Mac, nothing new here.
• Launchy - no more searching around for a program/file on your computer, now just type and go.
• Skype – I love this program for weekly video calls with my family and to make calls to Armenia (great rates).
• Trillian – this is what I use to manage all my instant messaging accounts.
• Audacity – great program for editing and recording audio. I’ve used it to create podcasts.

There’s my almost complete list of freeware/open source programs that I regularly use. If you are interested in learning about the latest freeware and/or open source programs, I highly recommend checking out the website Lifehacker.com. You can subscribe to their RSS feed for all the latest updates.

]]> http://www.brettandlaura.com/blog/2008/05/computer-geek-alert/feed/ 3 http://www.brettandlaura.com/blog/2008/05/the-last-season-and-three-cups-of-tea-need-to-be-on-your-reading-list/ http://www.brettandlaura.com/blog/2008/05/the-last-season-and-three-cups-of-tea-need-to-be-on-your-reading-list/#comments Thu, 29 May 2008 03:52:43 +0000 Brett http://www.brettandlaura.com/blog/?p=124 I just finished reading the book The Last Season by Eric Blehm and what a great read it is.The story is about Randy Morgenson, a backcountry ranger for twenty-eight seasons at Kings Canyon National Park, who goes missing in July 1996. The book details the search and events surrounding his disappearance, the life Randy lived until he went missing, and historical perspectives about the National Park Service backcountry/wilderness rangers and mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

I bought the book two years ago while browsing through Border’s here in Eugene. I read the front cover and thought to myself, “That sounds like a search I was on in 1996.” Well, I wasn’t wrong. I worked on the Yosemite National Park Search and Rescue team in summer 1996 as a search and rescue intern and we were called out to this search on July 27. We were flown to the backcountry where we spent five days searching for Randy in some of the most beautiful terrain one could imagine. For me, this book provided clarity and truth to questions that were only speculations at the time I was on the search. Though my book sat on the shelf for almost two years, I highly recommend reading this book today

You can learn more about the book here: http://thelastseason.com/.

Immediately following my completion of The Last Season, I dove into reading Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. The book captured my attention so well that, despite trying to finish graduate school in the next three weeks, I read the book in three days. I haven’t read a book this quick since the Peace Corps three years ago.

This is truly an inspirational story on how one person can make a difference in a world filled with unnecessary conflict. Though he didn’t start out to be a spokesperson against the war on terror, he sure has found ground in showing that there is another avenue to create peace in this world than through current U.S. foreign policy. His story of perseverance to build one school in Pakistan has flourished into a highly successful NGO called The Central Asia Institute. It is built on an understanding of cultures and empowering women through education.

This book details Greg’s life and how he went to build schools, clinics, and other necessary institutions in rural areas of north Pakistan and Afghanistan. Through his story you learn about the politics, religions, and cultures of Pakistan and Afghanistan, mountaineering history in Central Asia, and U.S. influence, or lack of, in this region. It is a gripping story that truly inspires one to be a catalyst for peace in a world filled with conflict.

You can learn more about the book at http://www.threecupsoftea.com/. You can learn more the Central Asia Institute at http://www.ikat.org/.

Photographs by Miguel Lisa

A friend tipped me off to these beautiful photos of Osprey in Oregon. I remember writing a research report on Osprey in 1999 for an animal biology course at San Jose State University. They are truly magnificent birds of prey. Visit one of my favorite websites to learn more about Osprey.

As I am writing this post, I am in the middle of writing my findings from my the interview process. I talked with 17 timber firms about the challenges and opportunities to developing the woody biomass industry. In conjunction with this study, I am using the data to contribute to my exit project for graduate school. I also submitted an abstract for this study to the Annual 14th International Symposium on Society and Resource Management. My abstract was accepted a month ago and I will have an opportunity to sit on a panel with three other professionals conducting research on the utilization of woody biomass. I applied for and received a student scholarship from the conference committee so that I don’t have to pay conference fees, but I am still waiting to secure travel funds. The event is June 10-14 in Burlington, Vermont.

For more information about what woody biomass is and how it is used for renewable energy, visit these links:

• Renewable Energy in Lane County – this is the website for the Willamette Valley Biomass Study Group
• State of Oregon Biomass Energy
  
• Biomass One – this is a facility in Southern Oregon that converts woody into energy
• U.S. Forest Service – information about woody biomass and its purpose

You may also contact me to learn more about woody biomass.

University of Oregon Highly Ranked On Peace Corps 2008 Volunteer List

This event was the big thing in town tonight, and with the arena having a capacity of 9,000 or so, I knew we would not get in. People had been in line for hours waiting to see him. I am all for it though, even if it meant we just have a nice walk across campus holding hands. Well, we park the car and walk about 10 minutes only to find a line of thousands. We walk past the rec center, the soccer fields, Hayward Field and finally come to the end of the line. We realize we won’t make it in, but let’s just wait until someone says its full. Keep in mind, this event is free. About two minutes later, groups of people are walking past us, saying the arena is full and we should head to the overflow area to hear him speak in 45 minutes. We following the small groups heading to the overflow area (the back of the arena) where we end up standing about 7 or 8 feet from a barricade. Speakers are playing the opening acts for the event. These are state politicians speaking inside the arena, but no one outside is really listening.

We stand around from 8:30 until 9:12pm when Obama comes walking down a ramp with secret service in tow. The thousands outside scream and chant “Yes We Can” as he takes a microphone and addresses the crowd. He spoke only for a few minutes and then proceeded to shake hundreds of hands. We had a great location because he was about 7 feet from us. He then made his way inside the arena where 10,000 are waiting to hear him speak for the next 45 minutes. It was a wonderful to be part of history.

Here are a couple blurry photos from my cell phone. Obama is in there.

Here is a video of Obama speaking to the crowd we were in. You can only hear him because of the angle of the person filming.

Here is the video of what he said inside the arena, and what we watched at a local bar with others who didn’t get inside.

He is sitting up and making “ma ma ma” and “da da da” sounds, though he has yet to associate the sounds with either of us. He enjoys listening to all kinds of music and will sit on our laps as we play the piano for him. He usually tries to grab the sheet music so he can eat it.

A few weeks ago, we made the switch to cloth diapers and, in conjunction, we are using a toilet training seat. Besides the environmental reasons, it economically makes sense. We hadn’t switched earlier because of the frequency of pees and poops and we didn’t want to spend our days hanging out at the laundry machine. This has been proven to be a good time. Unlike disposable diapers, Ethan gets irritated after one pee in his diaper, whereas in disposables he could pee three times and not be irritated. We are practicing with the toilet seat so that he will want to use that instead of peeing in the cloth diaper. So far he uses his toilet 4-6 times a day. We just let him go with the flow and don’t force anything.

He has been eating solid foods since January and now eats two meals a day of solids. Laura is making most of his food, though we buy his rice cereal and a few organic baby foods. He eats apples, squash, pears, and popcorn. So far he has enjoyed everything he has been given. We recently introduced him to an all natural brand of Cheerios cereal that allowed him to work on his hand and eye coordination. He rarely actually eats the cereal. By the way, just kidding about the popcorn.

We left him alone with our neighbors for the first time a couple weeks ago. We were nervous about it, but let’s just say that when Laura came home to pick up, he almost didn’t know she was there because the four year old in the family was entertaining him so well. It was a great experience for all parties involved and hope our little guy will continue to feel at ease with his babysitters.

His sleeping schedule is great, though actually getting him to bed isn’t always easy. Once he is down, he will sleep 9-11 hours a night. In the daytime, he usually does a late morning 2 hour nap and a mid-afternoon 30-60 minute nap.

No children were injured in the making of this video, but there was lots of laughing. We guarantee it!

VIDEO NO LONGER AVAILABLE. Sorry.

Ethan is sleeping, not suffocating, with his dog Blue.

Ethan’s first snow hike in the forest.

Our beautiful son!

Duff and Ethan hanging out with the toys.

Ethan galloping on his horse Norm.

Ethan riding on his dog Duff.

Future Peace Corps Volunteer!

In other news, Ethan is now 6 months and weighing in at a rolling left to right, back to front 19 pounds. He is a little smile bug and learning to grab everything within reach. We can no longer hold him in one arm and carry food in the other without him reaching for a taste. He is eating one meal a day of solid foods. He has eaten rice cereal, oatmeal, and, as of tonight, sweet potatoes. He loves the sweet potatoes, but mommy’s milk is still his favorite. He is sleeping 9-11 hours continuously as of this week. Laura finally decided no more nighttime feedings and it’s worked well. He has two bottom teeth showing now. Of course, this causes some discomfort so we let him suck on a cold, wet towel to take some of the pain away. Tomorrow, he visits his doctor for 6 month shots. It could be a long day and night tomorrow after those shots.

We spoke to our friend Gohar last night. She lives in Armenia, but we have not phoned her in a loooong time. Since our last phone call with her in December 2005, we have only communicated through letters. Letters allow us time to express ourselves a lot better in the Armenian language. It was her birthday yesterday and Nellie, an Armenian friend living in the US, helped us call her via Skype. It was great to speak to her and Zhana, her daughter. Through the conversation, we realize that we really can’t speak Armenian, though we did try. As usual, Laura could understand better than I, though I was able to speak better. Typical marriage. Wife listens, husband talks.

The three of us, along with two graduate students in my planning program, head north to Seattle on Sunday to take an early Monday test for the Presidential Management Fellowship. Each of us, as well as three other graduate students in my department, were nominated for the Fellowship. We now take the test and, if we pass, make it to the applicant pool to compete for coveted jobs working with the Federal Government in mid-manager positions (GS-9 and above) for two years, with hopes of landing permanent positions. The test by no means is easy so we’ll see how this goes. The test will assess our critical thinking skills, life experience, and writing fundamentals.

Video is not longer available.

Today, we continue with human suffering based on intolerance and misunderstandings. We see images on television or internet displaying the worst acts of human aggression because we choose to remain ignorant, and steadfast in our irrational ideologies rather than listening and trying to understand the differences that make each of us unique. Volunteering your time abroad, even if for a short period, can make a difference in your life and the lives of the host nationals in which you encounter. I would encourage you to read the following articles that offer policy recommendations for Congress to support funding that will expand the number of Peace Corps volunteers, and develop a Global Service Fellowships Program that supports a wide array of non-government organizations, faith-based entities, corporations, and universities seeking to put more American volunteers abroad in the name of global peace and stability.

• The Best Diplomats: American Volunteers
• Global Service Fellowships: Building Bridges Through American Volunteers
• International Volunteering: Smart Power
• Reconsidering the Peace Corps
• The Peace Corps in a Turbulent World

Young and old, we all have something to contribute to a more stable and peaceful world! Contact your congressman today and ask them to support increased funding for international volunteer programs.

Great power and great wealth do not necessarily produce greater respect or greater security… [An] effective foreign policy in the age of global politics must combine power and cooperation.

–Daalder and Lindsay in Agenda for the Nation

Putnam privileges primary interpersonal ties above all other forms of social and political activity, because he believes such interactions uniquely foster trust and cooperation. The more face-to-face group interaction a nation has, the healthier its people and the more efficient its government and economy will be.

–Skocpol in Diminished Democracy

UNPLUG IT!!!

Please unplug all plugs from outlets while you are gone for the holidays. Save energy while you’re gone!
===============================================================

PHANTOM LOADS

Did you know that many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off. These “phantom” loads occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. In the average home (and office), 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. This can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strips.

Nationally Phantom loads make up about 6% of our entire residential electricity consumption! A decrease of 1% of industrial energy use would save the equivalent of about 5.5 million barrels of oil per year, worth about $1 billion. (UC Berkeley)

Unplugging your electronics when not in use, or using a power strip to shut them down, can eliminate as much as 500 pounds of greenhouse gases each year and trim your electric bill, and that’s just for one power strip! (Seattle Power and Light) =============================================================

CHECKLIST FOR ENERGY CONSERVATION WHEN YOU’RE GONE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
TURN OFF AND UNPLUG:

• Surge protectors
• Printers and photocopies
• Computers
• Office Equipment
• Stereos, lamps
• Space Heaters
• Micro-waves/coffee pots, rechargeable items unplugged
• Thermostats set back to 55 degrees
• Hallway lighting kept to minimum
• Windows tightly closed and locked
• Blinds drawn/closed
• Lighting and computer monitors and cpu’s off when unoccupied
• Personal refrigerators emptied, cleaned, shut off and left open

Have a safe and pleasant holiday!
THANKS FOR PULLING THE PLUG ON GLOBAL WARMING!

• Honeymoon meal: Bar Harbor, Maine – a wonderful meal of lobster
• Year 1: Yerevan, Armenia – a traditional Armenian meal at one of the local restaurants.
• Year 2: San Francisco, California – a dinner cruise around the San Francisco Bay
• Year 3: Eugene, Oregon – a delicious dinner downtown
• Year 4: McMinnville, Oregon – a dinner at McMenamins

So far, we have been in a different location each year and we look forward to where 2008 will take us. We have had an exciting and adventurous time together filled with romance, adventure, intellectual stimuli, and laughter, lots of laughter. We look forward to the next year, 25th, 50th, and more.

That is if the video still existed. Sorry.

I have created a MEDIA section which hosts our Photos and Videos.  We have added videos from our time in Armenia.  We will add more Videos over time.

Enjoy!

Ethan William Holt arrived at 7:47pm on Monday, July 30, 2007. He weighs 7.5lbs, is 19 inches long, and other than a little jaundice, he is doing great. After staying one night at the hospital, we were released the next afternoon. Mom and Ethan are doing great.

The quick labor story:

Laura felt contractions around 11am on Monday. She went to her weekly doctor’s visit at 2pm where the doctor confirmed she was in labor. She called Brett who biked home from the UO in record time. We stayed in the comforts of our home until contractions reached 3 minutes or so apart. We arrived at the hospital about 5pm and, after a few outbursts such as, “Goodness gracious” and “Ohhhhhh”, Ethan joined us a few hours later. Laura is a strong woman and had a perfect and beautiful labor!

Thank you for your messages and phone calls!

Here are some photos of the baby’s room. We painted the walls, refurnished and painted the dresser, mirror, and nightstand, and a bunch more stuff. We just need to finish the curtains. This stuff can sure take a while.

another sign that then end times are nearing …
(NAME WITHHELD TO PROTECT THE MISINFORMED)

Subject: In Memorium
Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 09:42:00 +0000

Recently this week, the UK removed The Holocaust from its school curriculum because it “offended” the Moslem population which claims it never occurred. This is a frightening portent of the fear that is gripping the world and how easily each country is giving into it. It is now more than 60 years after the Second World War in Europe ended. This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of the six million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians and 1,900 Catholic priests who were murdered, massacred, raped, burned, starved and humiliated with the German and Russia peoples looking the other way! Now, more than ever, with Iran , among others, claiming the Holocaust to be “a myth,” it is imperative to make sure the world never forgets.

This e-mail is intended to reach 40 million people worldwide! Join us and be a link in the memorial chain and help us distribute it around the world. Please send this e-mail to 10 people you know and ask them to continue the memorial chain.

Please don’t delete, it will only take you a minute to pass this on.

Wow! I am sure news like this would have been in the New York Times, Time Magazine, Newsweek, or the USA Today. Any word out there on it? I read the BBC website multiple times each day and never saw this headline. Of course, I could have missed it while sleeping so I thought I would do a little research.

With a key word search in Google and 2 minutes of my time, here is what I found at BBC. This email stated that the news occurred recently as “this week”, when in reality this was some chain email started last April. It also states the holocaust has already been removed from curriculum. False. Click here to read the report that this email is basing its claim on. Here is the Historical Association’s website, they wrote the report, and what they say about teaching historically controversial subjects. Anyways, the email is false and misinforming and ignorant people somehow believe this crap.

The point here is DO YOUR RESEARCH, and QUESTION, QUESTION ,QUESTION!!!! When individuals choose not to question, they forget to seek the truth in any manner. They begin to develop hatred based on lies, only slowing down humans ability to live in harmony. This email was a rather small matter and fairly easy to question. But, in the grander scheme of things, some important people forgot to question and now we have ourselves a little mess in Iraq.

I just watched the movie “Jesus Camp”. Talk about brainwashing the children. No questioning. Accept it all at face value. These adult evangelical extremists are as bad as any other extreme group out there. It is really sad when you have to create a lie so that others will hate with you.

How can any truth be sought without questioning?

For many Americans, it unpatriotic to speak out against the actions of America. It does a disservice to Americans when you criticize the actions of the President. I don’t understand the reasoning behind this logic. America sets itself apart from many countries because we have an opportunity for free speech. All Americans should support free speech, especially when we criticize the people who serve us! The President has to answer to us. This is our form of government. We currently have a President and Administration who say that polls don’t mean much, even when the polls show that a majority of the Americans oppose their policies and actions.

Theodore Roosevelt said it best in 1918.

“The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.”

“Roosevelt in the Kansas City Star”, May 7, 1918

We must continue to criticize and speak out against our government when it is deemed necessary. This is not a bipartisan issue.  Let’s take these words and continue the fight to make sure that the government continues to be of the people, by the people and for the people.

It is now widely acknowledged to have been the first true genocide, and Western sources sometimes point to the sheer scale of the death toll as evidence for a systematic, organized plan to eliminate the Armenians. The event is also said to be the second-most studied case of genocide. To date twenty-one countries have officially recognized it as genocide.

While Turkey acknowledges that during World War I many Armenians died, it also states that Muslims died as well and that massacres were committed on both sides as a result of inter-ethnic violence and the wider conflict of World War I. The Turkish government also does not accept the deaths were the results of an intention from Ottoman authorities to eliminate Armenian people indiscriminately.

Read more about the genocide

View our Baby Gift Page for ideas.

Craigslist.org offers some great deals on baby items, though, because of the nature of Craig’s List, we didn’t list anything on our baby page for you to view.

Thank you in advance!

http://www.barackobama.com/

I found this article in a recent issue of Planning to help explain what I am studying to do.

Born of architecture, engineering, and landscape architecture, planning has emerged over the last 100 years as the one, unique profession that takes a comprehensive view of the natural, built, and social environments. But to win support for helping to make great communities, we need to do a much better job of communicating the value and relevance of planning to the American people.

We can begin by asking and answering four basic questions….ready?

What is planning? Planning is the profession that helps communities make positive changes. Planning involves looking into the future and working with people to ensure that they are offered choices about where and how they will work and live. Planning determines a course of action for achieving a desired outcome.

What do planners do? Planners are “enablers” and change agents. We take the long view, the more comprehensive view, in addressing problems. Planners bring citizens and decision makers together, helping many different groups to play a meaningful role in the dialog. We help people to make informed decisions. We broker change.

Who are America’s planners? With our specialized education, skills, and experience, combined with our comprehensive perspective, we are uniquely qualified to help communities make better choices. America’s planners work for local jurisdictions, state and regional agencies, consulting forms, businesses of all kinds, and nonprofit organizations.

Thousands of volunteer planners are appointed or elected to various boards and commissions, where they are responsible for recommending a course of action or making decisions that affect a community’s future.

Planners are men and women of all backgrounds, with a common objective-facilitating change. They recognize that change must be compatible with what communities value-historic and natural resources, low-cost housing, and so on. That recognition makes the practice of planning a real balancing act.

How is planning relevant to me, my community, my country? Planning is relevant because change happens! You can either be affected by it or you can influence it. I believe that planning is relevant to all citizens who care about improving the places where they live and work.

Planning is about creating outcomes: a better commute, housing choice, clean water, historic preservation. It is about creating safe and interesting places people care about and use. Working to achieve these outcomes and sharing this information with others-locally, regionally, and internationally-is important and relevant to us all

Siegel, David M. 2007. “Viewpoint.” Planning (February), 78.

Our niece Caitlynn, 3 months, looking very adorable as she discovers the art of sticking her tongue out.