The Moderate Voice » RON BEASLEY, Assistant Editor

I was born in Oregon and other than a few years in Germany and a year in Japan I have lived here most of my life.  I was born and still live west of the Cascades in the Willamette Valley but I h...

https://themoderatevoice.com/some-thoughts-on-the-occupation-of-the-malheur-wild-life-refuge-in-oregon/

My sister was up here from Houston on her way to the University Of Oregon to give a lecture today.  She was an upstream geologist for a couple of major oil companies the last 40 years and has an...

https://themoderatevoice.com/woes-in-the-oil-patch/

The price of oil (WTI) closed at less than $30 a barrel  on Friday.  At first glance this might look like a good thing but it’s not. Venezuela is suffering from an economic crisis and while s...

https://themoderatevoice.com/oil-prices/

I received my new keyboard.  Amazon Prime and the USPS manged to get through the snow and ice yesterday.  My old keyboard had become as dysfunctional as the US Congress.  Apparently the combin...

https://themoderatevoice.com/new-keyboard/

I read a lot these days since I’m retired, have a lot of spare time and really don’t like television or even movies. There is something about reading that stimulates the imagination.  Althou...

https://themoderatevoice.com/the-joy-of-reading/

I will turn 70 in 2016 so perhaps this is a good time to look back.  I grew up in the 50s  – the golden age for the American middle class.  But that’s not what I remember.  Instead I reme...

https://themoderatevoice.com/looking-back-2/

Well Christmas is over.  I spent it this year with my younger brother who now lives with me, better than the previous 2 years when I spent it alone,  When I was growing up Christmas was a huge ...

https://themoderatevoice.com/christmas/

The recent budget deal lifts the ban on exporting US crude oil.  This comes at a time when there may simply be no buyers.  West Texas Intermediate(WTI) closed higher than Brent Crude for the fi...

https://themoderatevoice.com/lifting-the-ban-on-oil-exports/

This picture is great because of it’s contrast.  The snow and ice on the shore of the Isar river in Munich and the white swans in the dark river.  I took this picture near Christmas in 1970. ...

https://themoderatevoice.com/swans-on-the-isar/

I must admit that I have never eaten Chipolte and I’m not likely to do so now. The CDC is investigating another E. coli outbreak that could be linked to Chipotle Chipolte’s intentions were go...

https://themoderatevoice.com/chiplote/

I’m working on a serious post for Monday but today I will give you a picture.  I have not been posting as many pictures recently because the upgrade to Windows 10 totally screwed up my PhotoSh...

https://themoderatevoice.com/weekend-picture-3/

Florida is perhaps one of the epicenters of climate change denial and at the same time one of it’s first victims.  Republican governor Rick Scott and Senator and presidential candidate Marco R...

https://themoderatevoice.com/climate-change-and-south-florida/

This will be a short rant.  There are some who are saying that Islam is not compatible with Western style Democracy.  I would argue that none of the Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Judaism o...

https://themoderatevoice.com/the-old-testament-and-compatibility-with-western-style-democracy/

I discussed  Peak Oil here a few days ago.  I talked to my sister last night and for the first time we agreed on most issues.  She retired from a major oil company 2 years ago as a world famou...

https://themoderatevoice.com/peak-oil-ii/

Peak oil really did happen but we really didn’t notice because peak demand happened at about the same time.  Peak oil was somewhat mitigated by fracking and peak demand was somewhat mitigated ...

https://themoderatevoice.com/peak-oil/