The guys have been busy sweeping, mopping, and cleaning out the area for the new Calamity News Studio. They have been working almost tirelessly getting the big unveil ready for the viewing public. There’s a lot more hard work in front of them, but there is light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Stop by for a visit and see the progress.
Five Tips For First Time RV Renters
Try an RV
After a couple years of COVID-19 lock down, masking, and social distancing, Americans are ready to move. Everyone I talk to is going somewhere, anywhere, this summer. If you are considering renting an RV and hitting the U.S. highway I guarantee you will have a great time and a totally unique experience. My Uncle Norman had a lovely Class A motorhome and he used to take me and my dog Lilly along on many of his adventures. Here are a few things I learned from those days.
Big to Small
Class A: Basically means large and luxurious. Despite being the size of a bus most do not require special licensure to drive.
Class C: Smaller than the Class A vehicle, the Class C rigs offer good space and are easier to drive than their larger cousins. They frequently have a front end that looks like the cab of a van or pickup truck.
Class B: Are the smallest and are often called “camper vans”. These vehicles are short on space and can feel a bit cramped but for those of us sick of social distancing, a Class B vehicle might be just what we’re looking for. These RV’s are easy to drive and park and have good fuel economy.
How About Towing?
Although you give up space, travel trailers are usually cheaper to rent. Fifth wheel trailers can be quite nice but require a truck with a special tow hitch to haul. One of the benefits of towing your housing is that you can detach your truck to run around once you’ve reached your destination. A big disadvantage is that while traveling you will lose passenger space, no passengers are allowed in a moving trailer.
Campsite Tips
When reserving a campsite ask for a “pull through” site. You might pay a couple dollars extra but you won’t have the challenge of backing into your assigned space. Also, if you can, get a paved site. Paved sites tend to be more level and require fewer vehicle adjustments.
Connections
Water, electric, and sewer hookups are typical at private campgrounds. Larger campgrounds with showers and restrooms eliminate the need to hook up your RV’s water and sanitation system.
Going to Grandma’s
If you plan on visiting a friend or relative and intend to stay in your RV while parking in a neighborhood, make sure you check local rules and regulations. Many cities and Homeowners Associations forbid such visits. If you can legally visit and stay in the RV you will need a generator to run a power cord from the house. Electricity from a standard outlet may not power your A/C.
Bill Cook stopped by the Calamity News and Politics studios to talk to Dave Shadrick about his experience growing commercial cannabis in Oregon. Its been an up and down ride for producers in Oregon. Take a few minutes and listen to what Bill had to say about the highs and lows of growing weed in Oregon.
Growing and using Psilocybin mushrooms
Psilocybin Mushrooms are just one of the “drugs” made legal in Oregon in 2020. Bill Cook a friend of Calamity Politics and expert on the cultivation of Psilocybin mushrooms stopped by the Calamity studio on 5/2/2023 and talked to Dave about the positive effects of growing and using Psilocybin Mushrooms. Over the next few weeks Bill will be stopping by the studio to chat with Dave on a number of topics including the cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana in the State of Oregon. We are looking forward to these conversations. Stay tuned as they say.
Back To The Moon
The U.S. touched down on the moon and did a walk about, planted a flag, collected a pile of rocks and came back home. That was way back in 1969. With that landing the U.S. effectively won the space race of that era against it’s saber rattling, cold war enemy, the Soviet Union.
The Vision
NASA’s new moon program is called Artemis. Artemis 1 orbited the moon and returned with loads of information, but did not carry human beings. The vehicle landed safely in the Pacific Ocean after a 42 day mission. In the Artemis 2 phase NASA plans to send astronauts to the moon and return them safely to earth. A colony will be built over a period time where astronauts will visit and stay for weeks at a time.
Two Primary Goals
The goal is to establish a continual human presence on the moon. In the NASA plan a space station orbits the moon and a base camp is established on the surface; all fueled by small nuclear reactors. The goal is basically two fold. One is to mine the minerals on the moon and two is to test whether human beings can live in space for months, potentially years, safely. NASA’s ultimate goal is to use the moon as a staging site for its race to Mars.
NASA’s SLS Rocket
The SLS rocket has cost over $93 billion to develop. The SLS is the most powerful rocket ever built, taller than the Statue of Liberty, and capable of carrying 27 tons of cargo. The big drawback of the SLS is that they can only be used once, making them inefficient. By contrast the super-heavy launch vehicle Starship, being built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX for use as the lunar landing vehicle is re-useable.
What Role Does SpaceX Fill
SpaceX beat out Blue Origins, owned by Jeff Bezos to provide the lunar lander for Artemis 3, in a contract worth $3 billion dollars. Starship will ferry astronauts from their Orion capsule orbiting the moon down to the surface. But so far the SpaceX rocket has not been tested. Needless to say if SpaceX can’t deliver on time the whole project will be set back accordingly
Moon Geography
The Apollo astronauts landed at the equator. The Artemis astronauts will land and explore the South Pole, which features steep mountains as well as deep crevices that hold water ice. The Chinese have announced their plan for an exploratory mission to that same region. It looks like it might get crowded up there.
Lunar Diversity
In 2022 the Chinese and the Russians agreed to co-operate in building a joint lunar base. China sent a rover to the moon surface in 2013. They plan over the next decade to send at least three more rovers to the moon, their goal is to eventually land astronauts in the early 2030’s. The Chinese and the Russians are our rivals and the tensions here on earth could easily be transported off planet. Bill Nelson, NASA administrator highlighted tensions by accusing the Chinese of stealing U.S. secrets, at the same time the Chinese are deploying spy balloons over our country. In addition to the government missions, both Blue Origins and SpaceX intend to fund private venture missions of their own, separate from NASA. Capitalism at it’s finest.
Artemis Accords
NASA is partnering with the UK, the EU, Canada, and Japan to build a lunar space station. The U.S. has taken the lead in establishing a legal framework for international lunar co-operation. The Accords were written by NASA and the U.S. State Department. Twenty-one countries have signed the pact, most importantly two have not, China and Russia, calling the pact “colonialist” paving the way they say for the U.S. and her allies to “loot” the moon’s resources before anyone else can get there.
Great Tips to keep you safe while driving on wet, foggy, winter roads
Rain And Fog
I live in the Pacific Northwest. Although we don’t see much snow, Mother Nature keeps us on our toes with lots of rain and fog. Of course, rain happens all the time, all over the world. Despite wet roads people need to get from place to place. But rainy weather can bring really slick roads, causing skids, hydroplaning, and collisions. A second weather hazard we see a lot of in my area is fog. Fog can make driving difficult; what I really mean is, when the two hazards come together the danger doubles. When things turn grey and wet remember there are some common sense driving tips to keep you safe.
Oregon State Police called in on a foul mouthed crow
Staggering Beauty
The Pacific coast of the United States is famous for its beauty. Oregon offers some of the most spectacular coastal terrain in the entire nation. Massive rock formations, dramatic vistas, magnificent bridges, miles of expansive beaches, charming coastal hamlets, historic lighthouses; are the hallmarks of Oregon’s dramatic and magical coast. I was born in this “Pacific Wonderland” and every once in a while I like to tell my friends around the world about this amazing place, I call home.
Memories of Rockaway Beach
I grew up in Portland, Oregon. Rockaway Beach is about 90 miles west of Portland. While most of my friends hung out in Seaside, I remember long lazy summer vacations at my family’s beach shack at Rockaway. Our little surf shack was the hub of activity for many summers of happy memories. We would take short trips around the area, roast marshmallows, fish the coastal streams, dig clams on brisk mornings, build sand castles, and access quiet picnic spots along the beautiful beaches of the North Central Oregon coast. My mother loved that place. I can still remember her smile.
The Evilest Place on Earth
As an adult, I lived full time on the North Oregon coast, at a spectacular spot between Gearhart and Warrenton, called Surf Pines. That’s what is so exciting about the Oregon coast, every mile is a delight of both man and nature made wonders. Surf Pines is just south of that gritty river town Astoria. Astoria was once called the “evilest place on earth.” It is a good place to start; as iconic Hwy 101 finishes (or begins depending if you are going north or south), its path thru Oregon.
Spring is officially here. We have all heard April showers bring May flowers – with the budding of those flowers comes the promise of summer abundance. Spring means many things to many people. Some spring rituals include spring cleaning, spring planting and ‘spring break’. Spring is truly the season of renewal and regrowth. Religious holidays such as Easter and Passover can revitalize our spirits. ‘Spring break’ for college students, can be a carefree and joyous time.
Spring cleaning readies our homes in much the same way the spirituality of spring renews our souls. Many of us find major house cleaning to be therapeutic. Washing down walls, scouring the oven, shampooing carpeting and furniture, beating the rugs, flipping the mattresses, vacuuming draperies, polishing the silver, making light fixtures sparkle, and washing windows to let the sun shine in. By the way, vinegar works wonders cleaning glass. The physical labor of a good house cleaning can be invigorating and uplifting.
Spring is the sign of longer days and plenty of sunshine on the way. When we hose down the porch furniture we know family picnics, fun at the water park, or the beach are as predictable as ants at a picnic. In the same way we open our homes, welcoming daylight and fresh air, after a long winter’s cold confinement, we open our hearts and souls to the hope of new life once again. As we escape winter’s doldrums, our spirits soar with the promise of spring and sunshine. Such exhilarating rebirth does our hearts good.
"If puppies and kittens don't make you smile, you might consider therapy." D. S. Mitchell 2015.
Self-isolating has forced us to turn even more to telecommunication and social media.
The Major Cause Of Sex Trafficking Is Poverty
Many great charities, here are a couple that I support: Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund, ACLU, and Planned Parenthood.
