A Tempered View of SEIU's Purpose

Back in 2011, I honestly didn't see the purpose or need of a union for Oregon State employees like myself.  I wrote about Union Troubles on this blog and put these representation issues out of my brain...temporarily.  I say temporarily because the need for union representation became pretty apparent just a few years later.  There is no reason to discuss the particulars here, but you can read more about it in this Catholic365 article.  What became crystal clear to me is that state agency leadership is prone to make the same errors in judgment (perhaps worse) than private sector managers and administrators.  In trying to stand up for a colleague, I found myself under proverbial fire in my office for years.

While I am fortunate to have an awesome manager now and new leadership in place within the agency, echoes of the earlier troubles certainly remain throughout my work environment. In a sense, there seems a little bit of a disconnect between what conservative Republicans like myself profess to believe about Oregon State leadership and the usual Republican position about unions such as SEIU. That is, we agree that not all state managers and leadership are always making good choices, right? We agree that all too frequently politics and hidden agendas infuse these public workplaces in ways both readily apparent and those of a more subtle nature. What we seem to disagree upon is the need of the front line worker to have someone in his corner to level the playing field. Years ago, I witnessed some truly awful things happening within my workplace. The people in authority had the power of state government behind them, but what did I have? Until I reached out to SEIU for a little assistance, I had very little going my way (except prayer).

Like other issues we face as adults, the issue of union representation isn't necessarily quite as black and white a picture as many paint it to be. The problem, even for Republican state employees like myself, is that we agree that not all agencies are managed and supervised with good judgment and high ethics. That being the case, all state employees really do need the union to help begin to level the playing field. Until we can trust our state agencies to consistently act the way they should, the union remains a necessary evil, if you will, to safeguard our workplace rights. That's why I won't stop paying union dues even after the Supreme Court's Janus Decision. When it comes to the other political issues that unions frequently align themselves with, I continue to respectfully differ with them on those important matters.  It is possible to disagree with many of the union's views outside of the workplace, yet welcome their assistance when those needs arise.  Let's work towards making unions obsolete; until then, though, I will continue to support mine with my time and finances.


Note: I currently serve as a labor representative on my agency's Labor Management Committee.  In the past, I have also briefly served as a steward in order to assist a colleague.

Recreating a Delightful Italian Dessert

One of the many memorable things about last year's visit to  Sperlonga, Italy, situated on the Tyrrhenian Sea, was a delightfully simple, yet elegant ice cream dessert I ordered at Ristorante Scylla.  Today, I decided to recreate this dish.  Unfortunately, it was not quite as simple as I anticipated.  

First, you will need four oranges.  After rinsing well, use a vegetable peeler to remove the orange rind.  Try to avoid getting the white pith as much as possible, as it will unnecessarily sour the candied orange pieces.  It is suggested that you cut the orange peel into smaller pieces than I did.   

The next part in the process requires bringing about four cups of water to a boil, dropping in the orange peel, then lowering the temp to a simmer for fifteen minutes.  After the time is up, slowly stir in about two cups of sugar.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for one hour. You will want to stay around the kitchen for this period, as you will need to stir and monitor the boiling mixture.

Once the mixture boils down sufficiently, remove the candied oranges and place them on a rack to dry.  Strain the orange syrup at this point and save for later.  (This is also a good time to add additional flavorings like lavender.)  This essentially becomes a marmalade syrup.

The next challenge is slicing the ice cream into attractive cubes.  After cutting the ice cream out of its carton, it's time to get to work.  I bought a salad chopping tool for this purpose, but it did not work well.  We also tried a pizza cutter with no luck.  In the end, the best tool was a baker's dough cutter.  

Enjoy the cubed ice cream with candied orange peel and drizzled syrup over the top.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

(If planning to travel to Sperlonga, there are a few practical pieces of advice I'd like to offer that could spare you some trouble and inconvenience   Feel free to contact me for details.)

A Letter to Marylhurst University Employees & Students

I can't believe it's over. Well, truth be known, one's education should never be something that is exactly over--until we are, at least. Last weekend, on June 17th, I received my B.A. with Honors, in English Literature and New Media from Marylhurst University. My first university course was in September of 1987 at Seattle Pacific University, and I finished more than three decades later. The last few years have been particularly challenging, since, in addition to my studies, I have been working full-time for the state and also serving as a busy husband and father. Despite all of the hard work (and injured feet in Europe), it has been a truly rewarding experience. My study abroad to London and Rome was probably the most memorable part of my academic journey, but writing my senior thesis on Harper Lee's Atticus was memorable too--in an entirely different sort of way. The bittersweet part of my passage to graduation is that my loved school is closing.

I've decided to share an open letter to faculty, staff, and my fellow students. This is the same letter that was recently anonymously quoted within a recent Inside Higher Ed article by Doug Lederman. I hope it begins to express how I feel about this loss.


When I heard the sad news on Marylhurst this past week, I felt stunned. Other emotions have come and gone in their respective pageantry over the past few days, and the overwhelming feeling now is one simply of great loss. Yet, I am just a student who briefly felt at home in this special place. My heart goes out to the staff and wonderful faculty—especially the ones who must strive to put on a happy face and continue their important work in the coming stressful months. I am so sorry that this took place. It seems a particularly tragic end when one considers the rich history of more than a century and the associated legacy of learning that Marylhurst has come to represent.

It’s been a long journey. I first attended college classes at Seattle Pacific University in the fall of 1987. When I finally graduate next month, the experience will seem particularly bittersweet now. I was briefly considering pursuing a graduate degree, but that’s almost certainly impossible at this point in my life. The flexibility that Marylhurst offered this twenty-year plus Oregon State employee was critical in my academic success; I don’t think I would have had the energy to make a traditional college work. Marylhurst brought me a great deal. In the end, though, one of the greatest things the school brought me was a relatively simple (yet elusive) item called hope. I fear that Marylhurst’s departure is going to slowly erode viable options for so many like myself, and, sadly, this ultimately means a loss of hope in people who can’t stand to remain in their current occupations for a minute longer than necessary. (Each day, my job feels more like a glorified data entry assembly line, and the antics of some of those in upper management in terms of open, transparent, and ethical promotional processes…leaves credibility too often in a shattered heap along the wayside.)

While I don’t understand all of the complexities of Marylhurst’s decline, I have a suspicion that this was avoidable. Could we have done something? I, for example, helped raise many thousands of dollars for the state’s Charitable Fund Drive in 2007. If I had known of the dire situation…I might have joined with others to try to create some realistic options for MU. Sadly, though, none of us seem to have known the truth before it was too late to likely effect any substantive good out of this situation.

From early morning and late evening classes on this beautiful campus to the amazing study abroad experiences in London and Rome, the rich experiences and fine education I have taken from Marylhurst will infuse my life with a greater depth; they will be forever treasured.

Karl Bjorn Erickson
Monmouth, Oregon

Marylhurst University Graduation

University of Kansas (1989)

Seattle Pacific University Photos (1987-1989)

So, You's Wants to be a Professional Writer?

British Library with Study Abroad Group

I just completed a short video presentation (below) concerning the art of writing, and it occurred to me that it might be nice to have a post directed at writers, or those considering writing professionally.

To that end, I am going to include collected links and resources here for people to explore as they may wish.

 RelatedVideos

(poetry reading)

(London and Rome)

Blog Posts

Writing Quality Fiction

On Plagiarism

What I Learned from Meeting Brian Jacques

Sense of Place

Reflections on the Promotion of The Blood Cries Out

An Interview of Karl Erickson

An Analysis of The Blood Cries Out  

An Office Interview 

Don't Forget the Editor!

Staying in the "Creative Groove"

What Not to Write

Art, Music, and the Church

A Writing Tip or Two

Beginning at the Middle

Published Articles on Writing *

"Art, and the Christian Gospel"

* It looks like some of my favorite articles on writing are no longer available online.  Guess it's time to write some more!

The History of Israel

The Arch of Titus in Rome, photographed by Karl Erickson.

A guest blogger joins us today to share two fascinating timelines of the history of Israel.  More information may be added later...

Israeli History

2000 BC  12 loosely-connected groups of Semitic peoples (now called the 12 tribes of Israel) entered the Land of Canaan

1800-1500 BC Abraham established a Semitic population in the Holy Land, of Semitic peoples called Hebrews or Israelites, who came from Mesopotamia

            Some Hebrews went on to Egypt & were later led back to Canaan by Moses

1000 BC  First king of the Israelites was Saul. His successor David unified the 12 groups into the Kingdom of Israel

957 BC First Temple constructed by Saul (destroyed 586 BC by Babylonians,) 538 BC Second Temple Started, rededicated 165 BC

63 BC  This land fell to the Romans

70 AD  Siege of Jerusalem, Romans destroyed Herod's Temple, as the Temple was now known.

66 AD & 132 AD Jewish revolts against Romans

135 AD Romans forced most Jews to leave, began calling it Palestine, now ruled by Romans & later by the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empires

AD 600's Arabs conquered the region, which was now ruled by the Ottoman Turks to 1917

Mid-1800's European & US Jews formed the Zionist Movement to return to their Holy Land, still controlled by Turkish Ottoman empire

11-9-17   British Balfour Declaration gave Britain a mandate to occupy the land, due to the skirmishes between Arabs and arriving Jews.

12-9-1917  British forces expelled Ottoman Turks from Jerusalem

12-11-1917 British General Allenby entered Jerusalem

1919 Paris (Versailles) Peace Conference created League of Nations & awarded Britain the Palestine mandate as part of post-war partitions.

1920   Palestine became a mandated territory of Britain. Periodic Arab riots 1917-1947.

11-29-47 The UN divided Palestine into an Arab state and a Jewish state. Jews were given a thin strip of central coastline, an inland

                 wedge of Galilee, and the barren Negev Desert.

                 The Jews accepted this. The Arabs rejected it, being dissatisfied with less than everything.

5-14-48    The nation of Israel was declared and the British left Palestine.

5-15-48    Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq & Jordan attacked Israel & their defeat resulted in the Jews expanding their land holdings

11-30-48  Jerusalem hastily carved up during a temporary ceasefire. Jews hoped for a permanent peace treaty, but Arabs didn't accept that.

early 1949  Israel had defeated the Arabs, & controlled half the land planned by the UN for the new Arab state as war spoils & protective borders.

                  The Arab nations signed armistices, but never treaties, refusing to recognize Israel, hoping for victory and all of Palestine.

1949-1953  “The Ingathering of the Exiles” by Israel. Arab Fedayeen terrorists continually cross borders & kill Israeli civilians.

1950       The Knesset passed the Law of Return offering a home to nearly all Jews everywhere

10-29-56  Israel invaded Egypt due to Nassar having seized, nationalized & closed the Suez Canal, and the unrelenting fedayeen attacks.

                 The invasion was intended to re-open the Straits of Tiran @ Sharm el Shek

                 U.S. Threatens to stop all aid if “Israeli aggression” not stopped with return to “armistice lines.”

11-5-56    Suez War. Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula due to the Suez Crisis. British & French control Suez Canal.

                UN set up a peacekeeping force in Gaza and the Sinai.

1964   PLO founded, a confederation of Palestinian Arab groups. Russia arming the Arabs.

5-67     The UN removed its peacekeeping force in Gaza and the Sinai. The Russians armed Nassar with tanks, fighterjets, and bombers.

             Egypt sent large numbers of troops with Russian tanks into the Sinai, closed Straits of Tiran & blocked Israeli port of Eilat, essentially declaring war

6-5-67 Israel launched a preemptive air attack against Egypt, seeing war as imminent and unavoidable.

            Syria and Jordan then attacked Israel. Israel defeated all 3 in the 6-Day War & Jerusalem fell under exclusive Jewish rule

            for the first time in 3000 years. The U.N. Brokered a ceasefire.

           Israel now occupied Jerusalem, The Sinai, the Gaza Strip, Syria's Golon Heights & Jordan's West Bank, land invaded and occupied in 1948

               by Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

           These lines are what some refer to as “The 1967 Line” seized by Israel in defensive wars, east of which some now call occupied territory.

9-1-67   Khartoum Declaration by Arab governments: no recognition, peace, or negotiations with Israel, goal of ethnic cleansing

1969    Yasser Arafat president of the PLO for 35 years until 2004, ruining the Palestinians' chances of a homeland.

1970     Nassar's War of Attrition against Israeli civilians, border fighting along Suez Canal.

9-5-72   Eleven Israeli athletes murdered at Olympic Games in the Munich Massacre

3-73    I visit Israel 3-4-73 to 3-26-73 from the Sinai Desert in the south to a Kibbutz (Moshav) 1 hour by bus and 1 hours' walk north of Tiberias.

10-6-73    The Yom Kippur War launched by Egypt & Syria in a failed attempt to take back the Sinai

10-24-73   Cease-fire along the Suez Canal.

12-21-73   Geneva Conference to disengage forces toward a peace path.

1975 Israel withdrew from about 1/3 of the Sinai.

7-4-76    Entebbe hostage rescue, 100 people rescued Entebbe Airport, Uganda by Israeli commandos

1977      Egypt's Anwar Sadat visited Israel and spoke to Knesset.

1978 Israel invaded southern Lebanon to stop PLO attacks coming from there.

9-17-78  Camp David Accords, Anwar el Sadat, Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter.

1979      Peace treaty signed between Israel and Egypt (condemned by the UN as they weren't included), effective January 1980

              Israel still technically at war with its other Arab neighbors.

              Israel withdraws from the second third of the Sinai.

6-7-81   Destruction of Iraqi nuclear reactor by Israeli jets

10-6-81  Anwar Sadat murdered by an Egyptian Islamic Jihadist because he'd gone to Israel and brokered peace.

4-82       Israel withdraws from the final piece of the Sinai, leaves it to Egypt

1982      Israel invaded south Lebanon again, to try to stop PLO attacks from there

1985      Israel withdrew its forces from Lebanon, except for a small security zone along the Lebanon border.

12-27-85   Palestinian guerillas kill 19 people in Rome and Vienna airports.

12-9-87 to 1991 1^st Intifada uprising in Gaza Strip and West Bank

8-2-90    U.S. First Gulf War began, Saddam Hussein scud missiles attack Israel.

1991       Madrid Conference.

1993       Oslo Accords, Rabin and Arafat. Without the West Bank Israel (60 miles wide) would be only about 20 miles wide at its center

9-93       An agreement signed by Israel & PLO recognizing each other & for the start of self-government plan for Gaza Strip & West Bank

10-26-94 Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty

11-4-95  Yitzhak Rabin murdered at celebration of Oslo Accords by Zionist Israeli because of his attempts to make peace.

7-11-2000  Camp David 2000 Summit, Arafat rejects Israeli land give-away offers which had included most occupied Arab lands

9-2000 to 2005 2^nd Intifada following Arafat's refusal of land offer.

7-12-2006  Lebanon War, Israel invades southern Lebanon for 34 days to stop Hezbollah raids & missile attacks.

6-10-07     Battle of Gaza, Hamas militants defeat Fatah Palestinians & seize control of the Gaza Strip.

12-6-17     Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, some call for 3^rd Intifada

12-13-17    Organization Of Islamic Cooperation, Muslim group at summit meeting in Istanbul, declare East Jerusalem the Palistinian capital

5-15-2018   Israel has been continuously attacked and at war for 70 years.