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Watched the American Experience show on J. Robert Oppenheimer and was stunned and tormented to learn more about our Bomb and its creators. What a terrible and terrifying piece of history. Can we have a discussion to see how ready we are to completely disarm our thermonuclear weapons regardless of what anybody else does?

trurl9 — Tue Jan. 27th 12:40a.m.

Last August, in response to the massive 2007 recall of toys manufactured overseas that contained dangerous levels of lead and phthalates, Congress passed the sweeping CPSIA legislation (aka Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008) to regulate all products intended for children 12 years and under.  While no one doubts the importance of product safety, this law has some far reaching consequences.

With the February 10th deadline of initial compliance looming, small businesses, crafters of hand-made goods, and even the American Library Association are scrambling to understand the law and it's implications - with many facing extinction due to cost-prohibiitve testing, certification, and batch labeling requirements.

Consumers, who are largely in the dark over the law, will also undoubtably feel the impact when those coveted handmade bibs and blankies are no long available at local boutiques, that unique toy store down the street is forced out of business, or children are no longer allowed in public libraries because untested existing collections will be considered "hazardous materials"

Is this safety at any cost?  How does this affect you?  What impact do you think this will have on the already struggling economy?  What dangers in children's products are you most concerned about?  Do you feel hand-made or Made in USA products pose a threat?

For full text of the legislation see:

http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/cpsia.HTML

For more information on the small business/handmade perspective:

http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/

For American Library Association commentary:

http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1621

hflegel — Wed Jan. 28th 12:19p.m.

One unusual and supportive non-profit organization in Portland has been building community through writing for ten years

Low Glycemic Index Foods

helpgodme — Sun Nov. 7th 7:26p.m.

Building Bridges in Bridge City -

During difficult times, when illness, financial crisis or just plain life strikes, where do people turn for solace?  One unusual and supportive non-profit organization in Portland has been building community through writing for ten years.  Write Around Portland offers writing workshops to those who may not otherwise have access to the power of writing in community.  Our participants come from diverse populations such as women emerging from domestic violence, homeless youth, people living with HIV/AIDS, burn patients, veterans returning home, Senior day care and many others.  A show about Write Around Portland would include the voices of our participants, their amazing writing, our volunteer workshop facilitators and what it is like to witness the coming together of strangers in a supportive environment.  We think that in today's tumultuous economy, community is essential to our well being.

natalieserber — Fri Jan. 30th 7:50a.m.

VOLUNTEERING - The new administration is backing public service as a way to strenghen communities and overcome some of the economic and social challenges facing the country.

A show that explores how individuals and volunteer organizations began providing public service might spark new participation.  There are research based mental and physical health benefits associated with volunteer activity, especially for adults 50+.

Consider including links to volunteer coordination services such as:

Hands On Portland - www.handsonportland.org

and Volunteer Match - http://www.volunteermatch.org/

Many people are looking for ways to jump start change in our society right now.  Others who are unemployed may find meaningful work and a way to make connections until that new job offer comes in.

patk5 — Fri Jan. 30th 12:51p.m.

The time is now 3 p.m.  Parents do you know where your children are?

Every weekday afternoon, children pour out of public schools all across the Portland metro area at a time when many parents are still at work. What are these kids up to, and how do parents know if the after school program that they enroll their children in provides safe, effective, educational and physical activities?

Several local counties provide after school programs right in the public school buildings. These programs like SUN and CAFE create a safe and welcoming environment with curriculums that are designed to enhance school day learning. Many of these programs are provided through grants to schools with low income populations, providing a haven from neighborhoods prone to drug dealing and gang activity. 

How do kids in these programs fare academically as well as socially compared to the general school population?

Are government funded programs more effective than for-fee after care programs provided in wealthier neighborhoods?

Are after school programs providing a way to keep more kids in school and meeting grade level?

Law enforcement agencies look at school achievement scores in determining future prison capacities. Is our society making the best use of low cost intervention tools like Head Start and after school programs to make sure fewer kids wind up in jail?

metfamily — Fri Jan. 30th 2:12p.m.

Possible guests - Susan Castillo, State Schools Superintendent; Ron Naso, Superintendent, North Clackamas School District; Debi Elliott, Seniior Research Associate, Regional Research Institute; Judy Strand, COO, Metropolitan Family Service; Jean DeMaster, Executive Director, Human Solutions; Bill Stewart, Clackamas County Deputy District Attorney

 

Articles:

After School Programs Reduce the Potential for Violence - http://www.safeyouth.org/

 

The Impact of After School Programs
http://www.casel.org/downloads/ASP-Full.pdf

patk5 — Fri Jan. 30th 2:15p.m.

Idaho Power is trying to ram a 500kv transmission line through Eastern Oregon which does not serve communities in Oregon and is specifically designed to provide electricity to the Boise area. They have not complied with notification requirements and are now pitting communities and counties against each other using route selection (not in my backyard or county) instead of whether they can come through our state and what rights we have as citizens to stop or alter the process.  They are also pushing the project on private land because it's easier to bypass Federal requirements on private land but they are using the "Public Need" mantra.   If it is a "Public Need" shouldn't it be on "Public land" and not on the backs of private citizens.

 

The bigger question - is need enough?  Who decides the need?  Is the need of an urban area more important than the need of rural communities?  A transmission line of this sort will destroy the economy of the areas it crisscrosses.

 

Also, are we continuing to sustain the model that anything goes to support urban development. Does the 'need' of a city or urban community justify the raping of rural communities?  Have our rural communities been downgraded to 'third world' status with no power over their quality of life just because they do not have the population to defend their rights. 

 

 

concernedcitizen — Wed Feb. 4th 12:26p.m.

Legislation was just introduced in Oregon which would create uniform adult guardianship law and a channel for states to communicate with each other when guardianship issues arise.  Currently each state has its own laws that govern guardianship.  The Alzheimer’s Association is working to help pass UAGPPJA as well as a number of other state agencies on aging and the AARP. 

   

 This impacts people with Alzheimer’s disease and their care partners in a number of ways.  For example if someone goes through the lengthy and costly (usually between $3,000 and $4,000) process of obtaining guardianship in the state of Oregon and then moves across the state line into Washington, they are forced to re-file and pay an additional $3,000-$4,000. 

 

For more information on the Alzheimer’s Association’s efforts to pass UAGPPJA contact Kate Dyer-Seeley, Public Policy Coordinator for the Oregon Alzheimer’s Association.  You should also contact—

 

Morgen Brodie with the Oregon Department of Human Services Seniors & People with Disabilities

 

David Nebel with the Oregon State Bar

 

Lane Shetterly with the Uniform Law Commission

 

katedyerseeley — Mon Feb. 9th 1:31p.m.

Legislation was just introduced in Oregon which would create uniform adult guardianship law and a channel for states to communicate with each other when guardianship issues arise.  Currently each state has its own laws that govern guardianship.  The Alzheimer’s Association is working to help pass UAGPPJA as well as a number of other state agencies on aging and the AARP. 

   

 This impacts people with Alzheimer’s disease and their care partners in a number of ways.  For example if someone goes through the lengthy and costly (usually between $3,000 and $4,000) process of obtaining guardianship in the state of Oregon and then moves across the state line into Washington, they are forced to re-file and pay an additional $3,000-$4,000. 

 

For more information on the Alzheimer’s Association’s efforts to pass UAGPPJA contact Kate Dyer-Seeley, Public Policy Coordinator for the Oregon Alzheimer’s Association.  You should also contact—

 

Morgen Brodie with the Oregon Department of Human Services Seniors & People with Disabilities

 

David Nebel with the Oregon State Bar

 

Lane Shetterly with the Uniform Law Commission

 

katedyerseeley — Mon Feb. 9th 1:31p.m.

a) I suggest you have an obvious link on the main TOL page to suggest new topics.  I had to search to find this corner of the site.

b) I listened to the show on nuclear energy and would like to sugest you split the topic into multiple mini-programs that address the different topics/concerns seperately.  There is simply too much to cover in a one hour period.  Possible topics would be:

- what is new in the technology that makes it better than the Trojan era reactors

- what prevents incidents like Chernobyl (disaster) or 3 Mile Island (major screw up)

- what can be done about nuclear waste - storage, reprocessing, etc.

- what are the long term environmental impacts, ie lifetime carbon footprint, waste issues, etc.

An alternate idea is to start a series of energy programs that form a longer term conversation.  Maybe week 1 discusses what are the possible energy source for our future - not a in depth discussion but a list of today's options and tomorrows possibilities.  Week 2 might focus more on near term and what benefits each tehnology would offer.  Week three might discuss limitations of each technology and what cures for the weaknesses may be on the horizon.  At the very end, maybe have a survey/vote to see what people think or how they rate the various technologies and which pros/cons led them to their opinion.

Great programs - keep up the good work!

John Providenza

John Providenza — Fri Feb. 20th 9:14a.m.

I am a Catholic, and i would like to talk about wheather or not abortion should be illegalized or not. Being a Catholic, i strongly belive that abortion should be lillegalized, and i want to hear other people's views.

Jakeac — Thu March 5th 9:34a.m.

First, love your show!

With you talking about making "taxes sexy" this morning, got me thinking about employment here in Oregon - who's working, who's not sort of thing. In the spirit of full disclosure, I am offering up this idea because of a friend of mine and further research on my part after a discussion we had.

I didn't realize how much film/media production occurs here and how many of these companies live and work here. Apparently, the Oregon Film and Television Office, together with several media associations throughout the state, have done a lot to advertise Oregon and promote it as a great place to make movies. Because of various incentive programs, media/film production has grown by 114 percent.

I did further research on www.ompa.org - and found out that there is a legislative push to ask for support of the upcoming SB621, which will increase the Production Investment Fund.

Oregon always feels like such an entreprenaureal place. It's wonderful that so many creative things are going on here - thought I'd pass this along in that spirit.

Thanks for platform to relay this thought.

Best regards,

Karin Steuer

karinsteuer@msn.com

503.545.1362

kksteuer — Thu March 5th 12:44p.m.

I would love to hear a show about the recent censorship of the Steve Martin play "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" at La Grande High School.  This is not the first nor probably the last instance of a small but vocal minority objecting to material that can be found by students broadly in not only society in general but also in a school's regular curriculum (sex, violence and alcohol are present in the same quantities in Shakespeare as in Martin's play, the language is just more subtle for the uninitiated). 

I attended this school in the 1990s, and when I was there another play was almost censored (Pippin) but was successfully performed.  I took classes from Kevin Cahill, the teacher directing the show and who is helping the students resist the censorship.  He ranks among the most influential teachers of my life.

This situation brings up a lot of questions for everyone, not just Oregonians.  What role does the school play in catering to those who wish to censor students and curriculum?  What responsibilities and rights do the students have in these situations?  What role does the community play in determining what students can and cannot do artistically?  Should we be concerned about comedies that laugh at the human condition and make us consider the difficulties life presents us, or more concerned with violent and sexually explicit TV, video games and internet content that glamorize sexual behavior and violence?  What lessons can we learn from this situation?

keigwyn — Thu March 5th 12:52p.m.

Yes! Please do a show on this subject. Last I checked, the story hit the New York times, the BBC, CBS, ABC, with thousands of hits on Google. The local paper's poll on the subject suggests that there is an overwhelming support for the play's production, yet the powers that be caved in to the extreme conservatives.

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merliy — Tue Nov. 10th 1:39a.m.

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