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America the beautiful

We watch our painted walls as the canvas moves. We point our wands and demand it to change. We point our eyes and demand them to eat. We lick our lips and give mock request.

“Something pure please” we say  “Something charity sweet”

We demand, but never for the real. Give us trickery and fake, we surely do love it, we demand.

“Let us consume their work” we say “Then claim it as ours”

But how can we? A lie doesn’t last.  The half life is known to give, break, and then expunge. And the world is wising to the truth. The real truth. And what is real truth you ask? Isn’t truth simply that, truth?

Fool!

Truth is only what we make it. Counted and ordered, stationed and postured, Guns and Ammo. Truth is always created when taken.

Don’t think like us? Be{oh-so}ware.

Don’t talk like us? Befuckin{oh-so}scared.

Like only goliaths can, we will boast and kill. And enforce ours, encroach yours, and win. We will it, we name it, this is our truth.

But you are wising, you already have. To the thought that maybe that which was stolen was actually you giving. Surely deception, but not one we can repeat. Not one in which you will accept.

“Something pure please” we whisper  “Something charity sweet”

But at your knowing, you will stop. And when you do, we will fail.

“Feeling” out the local economy

I have to say, I can actually feel the slowdown happening. Truly feel it. In 2005 I thought Bend,OR would never take a breath. Now though, this city is gasping for air. It bums me out.

Here is just a list of ancedotal stuff.

  •  Getting my hair cut by the same barber I have gone to for over 3 years, I ask “How is business?”. He says that he has only cut one person’s hair that is a tourist. Usually he does 20x-30x that amount ($400-$600) .
  • On July fourth we went out on our friend’s boat. We got to Billy Chinook at 12:10pm and had no problem parking. Also, the lake didn’t seem any where close to as busy as last year.
  • Wal-Mart’s parking lot has few or no RVs parked in it for over night stays.
  • Craigslist car adds. The asking prices are way down. I have been keeping my eyes on the SUV market for about 2 years speculating that it would take a fall. Boy am I glad I didn’t buy one.
  • Downtown Bend seems like a ghost town. I am down there every day at the school admin building. Again just a feeling statement.

Yet we are still trying to prop this town up on pipe dreams.

It makes me realize how lucky the District is. If you have never met Brad Henry (Fiscal Service Director:Bend La Pine Schools) he is a helluva guy. I have heard him on several occasions talk about “controlled growth”.  Taking the money from the boom or growth years and using it to cover you during the tough ones. Brad is a very smart and incredibly gracious person and I have learned a lot from his example. I just hope that he can keep the District on the road to financial success while many local entities are having to issue reductions in their work force.

Copyright © Jared Folkins
Programming, Computers, Writing, Economics, and Life

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