Thursday Pub and Lunch

I rose early, still not sure what time zone I am in, but definitely not the one I am in! I had not made coffee and went through the process to make local coffee from the Sleepy Monk on the Oregon Coast (thanks, AJ and Most Rev. Steve). The bitterness reminds me (without having to refer to the news) how far we have to go in the USA before Justice with Compassion is the standard. Feeling like we are in a farce based on Orwell, I drink deep and let the bitterness clear my head of the illusion of powerlessness. I return to writing my blog, paying bills, checking my investments (embarrassingly good, even during the wars and federal crackdown in the USA), and keeping on top of my USA-based retired life — not quite a full-time job, but I am busy and happy to be busy.

Leta is home and improving. She had a run-in with what was likely a virus and ended up in the ER and hospital. She is happy to be home.

The mail included the next 2600, and my article and a photo of a phone booth were published in this issue. Excellent. I got a congrats from Savy, a security expert I met at the 2600 convention called Hope_16. Here: 2600 Hackers Quarterly, Winter 2026, page 57 and inside cover. The 2600 website later in the day showed this issue as current. Sadly, Hope is canceled for this year.

Aside: 2600 is an often-banned magazine and represents the Hacker community, an edgy group. It also supports many groups with what many would consider extreme, but violence and organized crime are opposed by 2600 and its supporters. Being a nuisance to those in power (government or corporate) and exposing failures, abuse, and ignoring risks would be close to the 2600’s thesis statement. It is mailed in a plain white envelope.

Bouncing off the walls with so much happiness, I managed to find the focus to finish the blog. I soon showered and dressed. Air VW the Gray, now with an appointment, Jan 26th, for the mothership to update its software (a safety recall about using Tesla chargers and the risk of fire; f**k!) and its first-year check-up and fixes, took me through Beaverton, and I soon arrived, again, at McMenamins Cedar Hills. I was there on Wednesday, arranging for a room for later Thursday evening.

I meet Scott there, and we catch up over beers and McMenamins’ lunch box with 1/2 a sandwich, soup, and salad. The soup was flat this time (missing the sour cream and some spices for Hungarian Mushroom Soup), tasting like mushrooms in colored water. We talked about money, travels, and investments. We are both disturbed by our continued profiting from Wall Street, even with the wars and the federal violence on the streets of the USA. Scott manually rebalanced his investments, while I let mine ride as-is and have them managed by US Bank Wealth Management.

I had also read about the tax implications of The Big Wonderful Bill and discussed them with Scott. I believe my giving may be curtailed by the changes. Some provisions have been updated so that there is some write-off even if you use the standard deduction. It appears I should look for a replacement for Air VW when its lease runs out, with the final assembly point in the USA, to write off the interest on a car loan. Of course, the EV breaks are gone under Trump. Also, in an insane move, Oregon is taxing EV cars because they don’t use gas and are costing the Oregon treasury planned income. Trump would agree with that one. Ugh!

We enjoyed our lunch and talk, and will meet again next week. Scott may join me in the AI stuff I am thinking of starting. We are both watching the market, and our Nike stock options continue to tank and go underwater (some are so underwater they are in a deep trench). My Ford (abandoning EV focus) and L3Harris (makes rocket motors for missiles; they expect a lot of sales, f**k!) stocks are way up, but they do not align with my ethics. Crazy!

We part, and I return home. The beer, food, and time zone change sent me to a nap for a few hours. I felt better, but it was hard to rise; I finally managed it. I did the dishes and read for a while.

I learned that the water problem at the church has been resolved and that the new fridge for the refresh works when plugged in. Hmmm.

Next, I returned again to McMenamins for the Theology Pub meeting. This time, we had 14 folks wedged into a space for about 12 after dragging in extra chairs and a table; I had requested a pessimistic estimate of ten.

Dondrea’s concern and reason for choosing the topic Purpose was that many folks were just working endlessly, with no joy or satisfaction in completing things well. While this purpose movement from Rick Warren seems like useful practices, did he and others take it too far? What say you?

While the subject bounced around among folks, I noticed that older folks sort of defended having a purpose in everything, while younger folks rebelled against it. They think it is wrong to be working all the time. Some of us from IT pointed out that stopping, resting, and thinking are often how solutions are found. The purpose-hardened work did not produce new or imaginative solutions. I also read later in 2600 that some Hackers do their best work when left alone and deeply focused (that, too, I have done). They also said it may be because they have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). All interesting to me.

I was tired, and the two Old Fashioneds, while excellent, made thinking even less clear. I had eaten an Italian-style chopped salad with the acidity of the salad and my drink, prompting me add a small order of fries that I shared. I was safe to drive, but 8:30 (or 11:30 on the East Coast) seemed late to me. I left before many, with Z stopping me to catch up for a moment, and then driving home in the dark.

Corwin had wondered about playing LOTR: Fate of the Fellowship board game, but I was tired, and he was busy too. Friday for that, we agreed.

I read and soon was asleep. I woke at 1:30 and thought it was morning. I rolled over and slept more. There were dreams, but they are misty and near forgotten, and I think I debated purpose in dream Portland; at least I did not dream again of being drafted to invade USA cities and small countries.

Thanks for reading!