Tornado Touches Down Damaging Oregon Beachfront Houses

Forecasters say large swells generated by the storm will continue impacting the beaches along the West Coast through the rest of the weekend.

(LINCOLN CITY, Ore.) - 20 to 30 coastal homes were damaged Thursday night as a tornado slammed into the Oregon coast. The raging storm turned extremely violent at 9:54 p.m.

Oceanfront houses at Roads End, a community just north of Lincoln City, took the brunt of the damage, as the accompanying photo by local resident David Skirvin, shows the result of the storm damage.

Cinebarre opens in Salem

Salem's new movie theater opens!

Travel Hazards Due to Heavy Rain and Street Flooding

A current list of weather-related road and safety issues for Portland residents to have in mind.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Heavy rain and wind are creating a number of driving hazards in the Portland metro area. The Portland Bureau of Transportation Maintenance Operations crews are responding to reports of street flooding, high standing water at corners, clogged catch basins, and drainage problems throughout the city.

The following are listed closures and problems that residents need to be aware of a pay close attention to.

Iraq War Coverage Tim King, Reporting

PTSD - Medical Marijuana Toxicology - Pharmacology

Report Clearing Marine Corps Connection to Camp Lejeune Sickness was Purchased

It makes some of us wonder who the people are at the head of this agency and what could make their hearts become so black and cold toward their fellow Marines.

(CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.) - The Marine Corps is in hot water. A newspaper article has exposed the fact that the Marines paid an additional $600,000 for a report claiming the Corps is not responsible for the toxic water Marines drank at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 years.

This is above standard government costs for inter-agency reports mandated by Congress.

Salem Restaurant Dining Critic!

Salem's Cartoon Strip Only on Salem-News.com

PTSD and Fort Hood Massacre: Psychiatrist Shooter was Set for Mideast Deployment

NOW HEAR THIS: The Army VA Medical Service is broken almost beyond repair.

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - I have written that even medical/surgical personnel have PTSD as bad as Combat Infantrymen. I didn’t have any email responses which surprised me but this event is an example.

The fighting soldiers, sailors and marines with PTSD have complained bitterly about deplorable service and VA care. Now it makes the TV and newspaper headlines. BELIEVE IT!

Op Ed: NO 'Free Lunch'
Change Process
Demands Support

Part one is a special two-part series: American “Exceptionalism” Recognizes Realities NOW.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - Last words one will ever hear from this bunch of ”politicians” performing like career-disappointed actors is “Tax Increase”.

We’ve already had proof of where and to what that can lead... It’s so damned politically-comforting --AND crisis concealing !!-- never, ever to find oneself forced into that painfully unavoidable reality:

Orlando Shooter Leaves One Dead and Several Injured (VIDEO)

A second serious shooting in as many days.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Orlando, Florida Police arrested a man in a shooting that left several people hurt and one person dead. The shooting arrives on the heels of yesterday's tragic shooting at Fort Hood that has claimed the lives of 13 people.

Chief Val Demings of Orlando's police department, said the suspect began shooting at the Reynolds Smith & Hill firm, reported to be the shooter's former employee.

The Fall of America

[This is an unchanged article I originally published 25 years ago in the Winter 1984 edition of the now defunct Canadian magazine Goodwin’s. I reprint it now only because it is still relevant today.]

(CALGARY, Alberta) - American society in the mid-1980s is increasingly conservative, jingoistic and paranoid about its national defence capability. Many of its institutions have been infiltrated by the New Right and its economy is in decline. Some argue it is on the inevitable road to totalitarianism.

If we compare the United States of today with the Germany of the 1930s, the sounding of such an alarm might be justified, although arguments based on analogies are always inexact.

Making Sense of the Tragedy at Fort Hood

Since he survived the shootings, Major Hasan will now have his forty years to relieve the massacre and try to make some sense of it. War just isn’t worth it and this shooting proves it.

(PATAGONIA, Argentina) - Making sense of the Fort Hood shootings will be a difficult process for Americans. While some may swiftly consign this tragedy to the context of a black and white struggle between Islam and Christianity or Arab vs. American, others will look for more complex and more personal explanations.

How Americans and our military interpret and respond to this event will determine whether we have more or fewer tragedies like this in the future.

Cinebarre Theater Opens in Salem

After three months of renovations, Cinebarre executives cut the ribbon November 5 at the old Regal Movieland location, in the heart of Salem, on High and Marion Streets.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Cinebarre, the latest venue to open in Salem, promises to entertain the 18-and over crowd with the latest hit movies and a full restaurant menu, including beer and wine.

The grand opening tonight will feature A Christmas Carol, The Box and The Fourth Kind, among other new releases. Although most showings will be of first-run films, Cinebarre's special events include important sports games, Oscar parties, and sometimes classics.

Medical Marijuana Affirmation: Congratulations to Oregonian Newspaper

It is very comforting to me that after 10 years of the Oregonian dragging my patients and I through the mud that they have finally become enlightened and crawled out of the closet.

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - I have been hoping for this day for 10 years. As I was the Number One Medical Marijuana Doctor in Oregon for the first 5 years and an erstwhile target/victim of that paper who seemed to delight in making snide remarks about me and worse remarks about my desperate, usually destitute, disabled patients. This is indeed a new positive era.

On Tuesday they published an editorial WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA FEDS TO QUIT BEING A PAIN. I exalt in their change of distressful tone.

Statesman Journal Struggles

The news cycle is no longer 24 hours. It is more like a ten minute news cycle.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Recent struggles by Statesman Journal editors to engage online media, echo sophomoric inability to adapt to online media. In his interview with Charlie Rose, Ken Auletta (recent author of GOOGLE) describes print editors as a poor fit for online media.

Rapid emergence of internet media has made print editors, their craft, their skills, print media, policies and content obsolete.

OxyContin and Heroin Commission Report - State of Massachusetts

After months of testimony and preparation, the State of Massachusetts today issued their report on "Recommendations of the OxyContin and Heroin Commission"

(MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.) - The State of Massachusetts "is in the midst of a serious and dangerous epidemic. Prescription drug use is skyrocketing, opioid overdose deaths are steadily increasing and while support for these addiction treatment programs has increased, it is not sufficient to meet the needs of this growing problem."

"Based on the nearly 30 hours of oral testimony, thousands of pages of written testimony..."

Precautions Necessary During Winter Storm Season

In the Northwest, heavy winter storms can wreck havoc on electrical systems. Trees are especially prone to being blown over by winds after heavy rains have saturated the ground.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - With storm season upon us, Pacific Power is reminding its customers and the public to take precautions.

"We work hard to avoid outages, but when bad weather strikes and outages happen, we work even harder to get the power back on quickly and safely," said Bill Eaquinto, vice president, operations.

12 U.S. Soldiers Reportedly Shot Dead in Ft. Hood, Texas

One shooter is reportedly dead, and two more are in custody according to reports.

(FT. HOOD, Texas) - News sources are reporting that at least twelve American soldiers are dead and as many as 31 are wounded following a shooting spree at the Fort Hood Army Base in Texas.

Lt. Gen. Bob Cone said during a televised press conference, that the shooter is among the dead. It is further reported that two other soldiers are reportedly being held as suspects.

Chasing Oregon's Fine Finned Warriors

Throughout my afternoon stroll through this canyon, I hooked up with many a fine fighter in the riffles and heads of the pools.

(SALEM, Ore.) - I have a favorite coastal stream that I try to visit every fall for the Chinook run, we’ll call it Stream X. The first good push of fish usually arrives here in early November.

This year’s returns are so minimal that Chinook fishing in this section of water is totally closed. However, my love for this section of water is far more about the experience of being there than putting meat on the bank.

Foreclosure Rates in Salem Increase

The mortgage delinquency rate in Salem has increased.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Foreclosure rates in Salem have increased for the month of September over the same period last year.

According to recent data from First American CoreLogic on foreclosures for the Salem area, the rate of foreclosures among outstanding mortgage loans is 1.90 percent for the month of September, an increase of 1.14 percentage points compared to September of 2008 when the rate was 0.75 percent.

Tell the U.N.: The Rapes Must Stop Now

Petition drive seeks to bring an end to brutality experienced by women in places like Guinea.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - Just weeks ago in the West African country of Guinea, countless women were brutally raped in a public stadium when soldiers stormed a peaceful protest. The world reacted with outrage, but Guinea is just the tip of the iceberg.

The group change.org has issued an Action Alert for citizens to share their important voices in this regard: "Tell the UN that violence against women must end now by visiting this link to add your name to list"

Most Exhaustive Set of Marijuana Arrest Data Ever Shows No Relation Between Arrests and Use Rates

Penalty Structure Boosts Illicit Market; Florida Has Toughest Penalties, Arrest Rate Highest in D.C, Black Arrest Rate 3 Times That of Whites.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - The most exhaustive collection of data ever on U.S. marijuana arrests, penalties and related information, released today, finds no relationship between marijuana arrest and use rates.

Marijuana arrests have nearly doubled since 1991, while levels of marijuana use remained fundamentally unchanged.

Italian Judge Convicts 23 Americans in CIA Renditions

What enemy has the US ever protected us from? If you're our guardian, don't bother.

(CALGARY, Alberta) - The title above is the same as that of an Associated Press story that appeared in the Globe and Mail on November 4, 2009. The presentation of the basic facts is straightforward. The first paragraph reads:

“An Italian judge on Wednesday convicted 23 Americans in absentia of the 2003 kidnapping of an Egyptian cleric from a Milan street, in a landmark case involving the CIA's extraordinary rendition program in the war on terrorism.” All but one of them were identified as CIA agents.

Benny & Sid Presents Chapter 7 of the Serialized Graphic Novel The Truant Officer

The latest installment of Salem's only original online cartoon series.

(Your City, USA) - Life is busy enough when everything goes smoothly. What drives you nuts is when something goes wrong. Like the flat tire you got last winter when it was 12 below.

Like the bank statement which tells you your account is overdrawn when it couldn't be. You can straighten it out, sure, but you're going have to take off from work to do it.

PTSD, Psychopathy, Temporary Insanity & Murder

Oregon Newspaper prints Pulitzer Prize Worthy Story.

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - PTSD as a psychosis is a demon most of us Combat Veterans carry in our brains. It is started and cultivated mostly in Army and Marine Combat Training in which we are trained to be near psychopathic killers with hair triggers.

This is the only means to survive in battle in which a one second delay in response can get one DEAD.

First-Ever Cannabis Cafe to Open in Portland for Medical Marijuana Patients

Oregon NORML launches the new resource under the guidelines of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - The hippest joint in town, Rumpspankers, is Oregon NORML's Cannabis Café set to kick off next Friday at exactly 4:20 p.m.

The special cafe for members only is an innovative gathering place for the medical cannabis community, brought to fruition by Oregon NORML, the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws.

Madeline Martinez, Executive Director of Oregon NORML, says this cafe will fill a void that so many patients feel in their lives.

Maine Votes 'Yes' on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Becomes 3rd State to License Medical Marijuana Providers; Vote Seen as Latest Advance Spurred by Obama Policy.

(AUGUSTA, Maine) - In a landmark vote, Maine voters today approved Question 5, making the state the third in the country to license nonprofit organizations to provide medical marijuana to qualified patients and the first ever to do so by a vote of the people.

With 49 percent of the vote tallied, the measure was cruising to an easy win with 60.2 percent voting “yes” and 39.8 percent voting “no.”

Tax Policy: History & Ethics of Taxation

Taxation is a major part of the budget for any individual or business. Looking at this issue with clarity is essential to your financial well being.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - Taxes are a source of perennial angst for most citizens. Most people believe that they are being taxed unfairly, and most of them are probably right. Historically, taxation has frequently been a source of injustice.

In European history, the landless population, who were treated as slaves, paid taxes in the form of produce from the land to lords, monarchs, and the church. This system was kept in place through brutal repression, enforced illiteracy and cultural destruction. Conscription of the male population for various wars, which was another form of taxation, was a convenient way of culling the population and eliminating any potential resistance before it could start.

Can Families Avoid Playing Favorites?

This is a sad situation when it occurs, but I believe it’s incumbent on the primary parent to hold the line and retain standards of behavior and rules.

(AGOURA, Calif.) - Sitting in Starbuck’s the other day, waiting for my car to be serviced, I sat next to a mom who shared a “dirty little parenting secret.” Her kids, and she and her husband, have “favorites.”

She gets along better with their younger child while her husband gets along better with the older child. I believe that this is natural, ubiquitous, and something most parents are ashamed to admit.

Tax Policy: Measures 66 & 67

This is a companion piece to “Tax Policy: History & Ethics of Taxation.”

(EUGENE, Ore.) - In this piece I will look at the practical economic ramifications of the tax increases being put before the voters in the 2010 ballot measures 66 & 67. The vote is a long way off, but there is no reason to not begin considering these issues now.

As the vote approaches, you will increasingly be inundated with propaganda on one side or the other of this issue. It is worthwhile to prepare yourself with a solid understanding of the issue before you are subjected to the sales pitches of various self-interested parties.

El Toro Marines, Cancer, and Irvine's 'Great Pork' Project

Salem-News.com is searching for those who spent time on the El Toro Marine Base.

(IRVINE, Calif.) - I get really fired up when I consider the Marines that I served with on the flightline at El Toro, dying and suffering from cancer. The idea of their kids and even grandkids suffering diseases borne from the toxic chemicals dumped for half a century on the Marine base and then absorbed by our bodies and passed down to theirs, is even more sinister.

Knowing that I lived and breathed this toxic contamination for over two years makes me feel dirty in a way that I never knew before, it is an inherited liability that we didn't ask for but still possess.

Jack Herer: A Man Well-Loved is Saved Again

The Hemperor is slowly improving, with constant TLC the best medicine.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - For over 30 years, Jack Herer has been the inexhaustible guru of the hemp movement. Many people have expressed their deep concern for Jack's well-being since his heart attack in mid-September, at an Oregon hemp festival.

Sunday night, Jack Herer was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Eugene from the rehabilitation center where he has been receiving care. His breathing became more distressed throughout the afternoon, and finally he was rushed to the Emergency Room.