The Fog Makes Everything Quiet..

Macy's is finally a local store, local to Portland. While we could lament the loss of Meier and Frank, it is the way the world is today - all industries trend toward consolidation. So Macy's has finally gotten a clue, more than one in fact. From the original dowdy clothes they thought we wore here in Oregon country (did they know we've been a state since 1859?), they finally have clothes that real people wear. And cute ceramic pots for cooking, someday, when I feel like spending that kind of money. And of course the ipod vending machine at Washington Square really makes me feel 1st World.

The parade can now be called Macy's holiday parade. At first they didn't understand how middle school bands could participate in this event. Did they think this was the Rose Parade or something? Do they want middle schoolers to become hoodlums and be deprived of one of the only events they can participate in at a community level? I was really really happy to see at least a couple middle school bands in this year's holiday parade. Rah!

And Franklin H.S. had their own band this year too! I seem to recall in past parades the various high schools from Portland had to grab a few people from each school - not sure where they got the different uniforms from, maybe from Portland's past days of high school glory. But this year standing on their own was Franklin H.S. Go for it! I hope to see you in the Rose Parade! And many other Portland high school marching bands too! Of course, Century will still outshine any of you, but competition is healthy.

If life can be measured in 12-hour increments, which I sometimes think, it didn't even take that long after the parade ended and the masses gathered at Pioneer Square for the tree lighting. Eighteen minutes before the tree lighting (or maybe 1 hour and 18 mins) a 19-year old kid was nabbed for an attempt to blow up the crowd.

Shouldn't terrorist attacks happen in foreign cities? But not the ones my kids go to. Or shouldn't they happen on east coast cities? But again, not the ones my kids go to. Or shouldn't we be "fighting the terrorists over there, so that we don't have to fight them here?"

Don't believe any of that. They are here among us. Two words come to mind:
"entrapment". This is what happens when the FBI give you the tools, encouragement, and opportunity to commit an act which will land you in jail forever. Or it could be the police. From my knowledge of this case, news stories, I don't see how this kid would have followed the garden path on his own. Granted he got the bomb making supplies from Radio Shack. Must be the one in Corvallis cause the one here in Hillsboro doesn't stock C-4. As a naturalized citizen he should have the same rights as me or any other citizen, right?

So he rails on Islamic sites exercising his free speech. But wait. He was advocating treason against the U.S., which blowing up the tree-goers at Pioneer Square certainly is. So you can draw that line. Which leads me to the next word:

"integration": I can't help wondering about why this kid didn't become integrated to: his community, his school, American society. Maybe this is white middle class guilt or something. But why didn't he go out for band and end up marching in the parade? Or why didn't he sign up for the chess club, or just find some friends to go party with? How has the community failed to integrate this child?

Last thought of the day - Safeway has it right. For a little over $6 you can buy a bag of groceries for people without, and I checked the label - this is staple stuff like beans and rice. Yes, you do not need to eat confined animal farm chickens to get protein, as 400 of the world's 436 countries have figured out, despite our propagating Western ways to the rest of the world. In a time of corporate strip malls looking the same from here to Tigard to Framingham, Mass, our local Safeway is there In the Community. This month it is a pitch to buy food bags along with your groceries. Last month it was a book sale to raise money. They have it right. Rah and aloha for the Aloha Safeway.

As darkness descends two days after the parade, after the tree lighting, the fog makes everything quiet..