Bend an arm just right and you can play the foreground like guitar during meetings about reports and integrations. Ride home with the wind, with the lack of, with Clark Kent tucked into the bag on your back. Dodge the pitfalls on Smallman, climb the hill out of the seat. Practice the major (f) scale. Finger exercises. When the hand cramps up in protest of unfamiliar motions, shake it out like the wise man said. Listen to your lesson recorded. Put a lot of the artifacts into bags, say farewell at the Goodwill dumpster(under the breath, out of the way). Acquire new lights, ogle frames in candy store colors and brush by streamers. Drink root beer at D’s. Nod to Cal Ripkin on the television. Talk about the crazies, keep the windows down. Laugh with your friend’s parents. Plot mythical recycling schemes. Say goodnight, but hesitate going to sleep.

this is just insane…

Portland police arrested a 21-year-old man suspected of chasing down a cyclist Sunday and driving off at a high rate of speed — with the cyclist hanging onto the hood.

James F. Millican was arrested on attempted second-degree assault, driving under the influence of intoxicants, third-degree criminal mischief and reckless driving.

According to a police account, the incident began when the cyclist, Jason Scott Rehnberg, 37, yelled at Millican to slow down as they were traveling near Southeast 58th Avenue and Washington Street, police said. Rehnberg told police that “his remarks may have included profanity,” according to a news release.

Millican, angered by the cyclist’s remarks, started to chase Rehnberg in his car, police said. Rehnberg biked into the neighborhood to avoid him. After waiting, he returned to Southeast 58th Avenue, police said.

Millican saw the cyclist and allegedly backed his car up to hit Rehnberg, who jumped off the bike just before it was struck by the car, police said.

Rehnberg and two other witnesses tried to block the car, saying they wanted to get the license plate. Millican allegedly drove at the three and struck Rehnberg, who was thrown onto the hood. Rehnberg held onto the windshield wipers as the car traveled at a high rate of speed and took a turn.

The rest of the story, and video, is located here. Pretty crazy.

don’t go to raves..

Ravers lose sight at laser show
By Chris Baldwin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Dozens of partygoers at an outdoor rave near Moscow last week have lost partial vision after a laser light show burned their retinas, Russian health officials said on Monday.

Moscow city health department officials confirmed 12 cases of laser-blindness at the Central Ophthalmological Clinic, and daily newspaper Kommersant said another 17 were registered at City Hospital 32 in the centre of the capital.

Attendees at the July 5 Aquamarine Open Air Festival in Kirzhach, 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Moscow, began seeking medical help days after the show, complaining of eye and vision problems, health officials told Reuters.

“They all have retinal burns, scarring is visible on them. Loss of vision in individual cases is as high as 80 percent, and regaining it is already impossible,” Kommersant quoted a treating ophthalmologist as saying.

Attendees said heavy rains forced organizers to erect massive tents for the all-night dance party, and lasers that normally illuminate upwards into the sky were instead partially refracted into the ravers’ eyes.

“I immediately had a spot like when you stare into the sun,” rave-attendee Dmitry told Kommersant.

“After three days I decided to go to the hospital. They examined me, asked if I had been at Open Air, and then put me straight in the hospital. I didn’t even get to go home and get my stuff,” he said.

Cosmic Connection, promoters of the Aquamarine rave, were unreachable and did not list contact numbers on their Web site.

Industry Web site www.laserfx.com said focused laser light can cause eye damage almost instantly.

The owner of a Moscow laser rental company told Reuters the accidental blindings were due to “illiteracy on the part of technicians.”

“It was partly the rain, but also partly the size of the laser. Somebody set up an extremely powerful laser for such a small space,” said Valentin Vasiliev, who said his company did not provide the Aquamarine lasers.

(Additional reporting by Tatiana Ustinova; Editing by Giles Elgood)

My lamp flickered and I thought: hmm. Maybe my light bulb needs replaced? Finished this thought, and boom–all power goes out. Grabbed my phone, called Katie, hung out on the porch. Thank goodness for a bright moon. I watched the spots of flashlights swing wildly around in the neighbor’s house, bouncing off the closed curtains. Others came out with candles and speculation. Our block in darkness, but not completely–the West Penn parking garage across the street stayed illuminated.

Took my contacts out by candlelight and set three different alarms on my cell phone, since the clocks were out. Then, witnessed a robbery bust from my bedroom window. At first I thought the aggressive voices were just people in the alley, but the shouts belonged to cops demanding hands where they could see them.

What a strange, strange night. Right before the power went POOF I was feeling pretty overwhelmed emotionally. I was sitting on my bed writing about it. Then circumstance brought me back to the basics, no light/no power, watching candles shake in the breeze on porches, lighting my own. Squinting at the moon. You tend to forget how little it takes, to change everything.