Please follow the link to for Extramsg. I have switched to Wordpress and will be updating the site regularly from now on. Also, you can follow me on and . Remember to join the discussion at , too, where I post daily.
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Registration is now open for the AAU and Recreational youth basketball leagues for the 2010-11 season! Go to www.wilsonvillebasketball.com to register. The AAU program is a competitive level of basketball for kids in grades 5 through 8. Girls tryouts will...
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9/11 Quran Burn Prompts Ore. Inter-Faith Event — Thu Sep 09 01:06:52 UTC 2010
A Portland mosque plans an inter-faith celebration in response to a Florida church's decision to stage "International Burn-a-Quran Day" on the ninth anniversary of Sept. 11.
about: Faith Event Faith Event A Portland mosque Islam Mosque Qur'an Religion and Spirituality Religion Belief the ninth anniversary of Sept 11

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Well, yes, my 11th year, how could I not go? A free gifted ticket helped! Thanks, Nurse Flo! Yes, it was marvelous. Yes, there was dust. Yes, I had the time of my life! I’m going to do a longer … Continue reading →
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"Seigneurs, vous plaît-il d'entendre un beau conte d'amour et de mort? C'est de Tristan et d'Iseut la reine." ("Lords, would you like to hear a beautiful story of love and death? It is of Tristan and Iseut, the queen.") So begins the legendary medieval love story of Cornish prince Tristan and Irish princess Iseut. Predating [...]
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These Are the Days: MFNW Edition — Thu Sep 09 00:11:53 UTC 2010
Here we go again! MusicfestNW is back with a phenomenal five day schedule of music featuring locally and internationally renowned musical artists performing at some of Portland's finest venues. On this edition of These Are the Days, some great tracks f...
about: Arts Hospitality Recreation Music Musical theatre MusicfestNW Portland Portland Oregon These Are the Days

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Via Cinema Blend: a new trailer for Gareth Edwards' Monsters, a low-budget flick that has some solid buzz but also looks a whole lot like District 9's excitable little brother. (I'm guessing the whole "aliens in Mexico thing" might—just might—lead to some social commentary.) I'm looking forward to it because hey, giant monsters, but here's hoping the final film throws a few curveballs we aren't seeing here. This thing hits theaters in October but will be available on VOD before then, which seems moderately back-asswards.

Also! Hustler's making an Avatar porno*, and io9 has some ridiculous, mostly SFW images. This one is my favorite, because look at it.

*The Mercury's resident Na'vi enthusiast, Patrick Alan Coleman, has asked me to specify the film's exact title so that, "Y'know, people can track it down. If that's what they're into. Who, me? No, me, no. No. No, I'm not interested. You should definitely note the exact title, though." The exact title is This Ain't Avatar XXX.

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WordCamp Portland is almost here! Don’t miss it September 18-19 2010. Imagine this event like a summer camp for people who want to learn more about WordPress. From development, to design to blogging to accessibility, they have you covered.  Check out the list of speakers, and the schedule. There is going to be a town [...]
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Toronto agency Reason Partners is out with new work for The Weather Network. The four spots, Tofino, Calgary, Saskatoon and Winnipeg, feature the same voice over but different imagery and a unique resolution.

The Weather Network - Tofino from Reason Partners on Vimeo.

The Weather Network - Calgary from Reason Partners on Vimeo.

The Weather Network - Saskatoon from Reason Partners on Vimeo.

The Weather Network - Winnipeg from Reason Partners on Vimeo.

The spots are currently on air in western Canada and the agency is working on an online tool that allows users to upload their own video clip or still. The app will then edit the shot into the video and change the VO to personalize it, so it can be shared with friends and family.

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One of the stops on my recent food cart tour was at this North Portland standout, right in the middle of the Boise/Eliot neighborhood.  I’d been by it a few times and was anxious to try it…

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Talk about finding the sweet spot for a tightly scripted press conference on federal transportation funding: just east of the newly (mostly) reopened Broadway Bridge, the streetcar tracks on one side, industry, the Fremont Bridge, and the light-rail on Interstate on the other.

That was the backdrop this afternoon for Mayor Sam Adams and four Democratic members of Congress, including Oregon's very own Peter DeFazio, Kurt Schrader, and David Wu, plus Jim Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

They were there as part of a national push (funded by the painters union) to call attention the wonkily titled Surface Transportation Authorization Act. Every six years, Congress is asked to update and amend the nation's transit priorities and all the local projects that stand to receive federal cash.

Like I said, the event itself was fairly scripted and filled with buzz phrases about jobs, not unlike a campaign rally. But afterward, Adams' office sent out a list of which projects Portland wants the government to help pay for—and Adams reiterated that he'll be in Washington D.C. to help make the case. DeFazio, a Transportation subcommittee chair, used to be Adams' boss, and that fact has some politicos hopeful Portland will receive some consideration.

To see Portland's wish list, keep reading.

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1. Catch the MAX or bus to 103rd and East Burnside, head through the parking lot past the police office to the new Gateway Center for Domestic Violence Services. You can't miss it. A parade of political stars just cut its ribbon today. The grand opening of the $2 million center that has been a decade in the making was a major achievement for Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who secured a starter fund of $1.76 million plus $422,000 for annual operating costs from Portland's city budget. The backslapping was significant. "They're calling this the Gateway Center, but I think of it as the Dan Saltzman Center," said County Chair Jeff Cogen, who also said several insightful things, such as: "Because so much of the service delivery infrastructure came up when there was a sense of shame associated with domestic violence, a lot of the services for victims are quiet and hidden. We are saying it loud, we are saying it proud, we are here to help victims of domestic violence." The center is the only local domestic violence center with a published address: 10305 E Burnside.

2. Head inside the center to the bullet-proof reception area, speaking through the thick glass to an attendant. Fill out an intake form and sit around for a while. Don't worry, a sheriff's deputy is on site at all times. The funding for the center came from an effective partnership between the feds, state, county and city, including the sheriff's department who kicked in a full-time officer. That's good because no agency has the money to run a $2 million center on its own. Cogen noted that he's only been in office five months and he's cut the county budget three times.

3. In a little bit, a trained counselor (they're called "navigators" in the new center) will appear and take you into one of four interview rooms, mood-lit little boxes with sofas, tissues, and a pamphlet about violence. If you have kids, they can wait in the kids room and peruse the light reading.

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Oregon’s workers’ compensation “pure” premium rate will drop 1.8 percent in 2011, the state Department of Consumer and Business Services announced Wednesday. The rate has not increased since 1990, and has decreased nearly 13 percent since 2006. State officials said Oregon ...
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Dinosaurs must like the rain, because the Oregon Zoo’s dinos are sticking around until early October. Zoo officials said this week that the “Prehistoric Predators” dinosaur exhibit would stay until Oct. 3. That’s nearly a month more than originally planned for the exhibit, ...
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This week's PHART CHART TOPPER is magnificentaur! Congrats and look we've animated it for you!

Will you be the next Phart Chart Topper? Submit your art or photos to the Mercury's Flickr pool, and start PHART-ing today!!

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Just in time for police union contract talks to resume—and maybe a decision on what to do with the officers involved in Aaron Campbell's death this January—the Alberta Ministerial Alliance Coalition for Justice and Police Reform is planning a rally and march this month at Pioneer Courthouse Square.

The group has been perhaps the loudest in Portland calling for more scrutiny over the way police officers use force—an issue that flared with new urgency after a year in which cops fatally shot three men and tasered and fired bean bags at a 12-year-old girl.

The rally is planned for 10:30 AM Sept. 25, and will include a long roster of speakers close to the issues of police oversight and mental health treatment.

Among those on the list: the Rev. LeRoy Haynes, chairman of the Alberta Ministerial Alliance's coalition, Israel Bayer of Street Roots, Chris O'Connor of the Mental Health Association, as well as advocates from Portland Copwatch and other homeless groups.

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Patrick Coleman is getting a golden grill put into his face today (I'm pretty sure that's what he said), so he left it in my pescetarian hands to let you know that today only Newport Seafood Grill/Newport Bay is letting you name your own price—any price!—for their fish 'n' chips. Their suggestion? That use use your anniversary date numbers as a guide—NOT! Everyone's going to go out like a greasy fingered cheap bastard on this one. How 'bout one cent? How 'bout that pile of change from my trip to Ecuador that isn't worth enough to exchange at the bank? And so on. Great job, greasies. Now go, get in line for dinner.

Newport Seafood Grill Locations
(www.newportseafoodgrill.com)
Mall 205 - 9722 SE Washington Street, Mall 205, OR 97216
Lloyd Center - 1200 NE Broadway, Lloyd Center, OR 97232
Riverplace - 0425 SW Montgomery, Riverplace, OR 97201
Tigard - 10935 SW 68th Parkway, Tigard, OR 97223
Salem - 1717 Freeway Court, Salem, OR 97303

Newport Bay Locations
(www.newportbay.com)
Tanasbourne - 2865 NW Town Center Loop Beaverton, OR 97006
Wash. Square - 9699 SW Washington Square Rd Tigard, OR 97223

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Commissioner Amanda Fritz found herself in familiar territory this morning when she was the only member of the five-person City Council to vote against the contract extension for Ball Janik, LLP, the go-to law firm that helped the City of Portland negotiate the terms of its PGE Park deal with Merritt Paulson. That initial contract grew [...]
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Burn the Floor, the nationally touring Broadway show that opened in Portland last night at the Keller, is a midriff-baring, hair-flinging, fog-machine-shrouded gallop through exhibition ballroom dance. This is either good news or bad, depending on your expectations. If you’re expecting the TV show So You Think You Can Dance, minus the chitchat and commercials, you’re [...]
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Pipeline is once again giving away many Portland music and event tickets this weekend. Reminder: We give out 100s of $$$ in free tickets every month to our Portland Facebook Group for many of the top events & venues in PDX. Join it if you like free stuff. Not on Facebook? Join our email list [...]
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ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? If you are an NFL football fan, tomorrow night is a big one. No more pre-season. The real deal is here and it kicks off with a rematch of January’s NFC Championship game. From AP Sports: Vikings-Saints: Great way to get going Maybe this time Brett Favre(notes) won’t get [...]
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NERD FIGHT—It's the question that has plagued geeks for centuries: SCIENCE FICTION OR FANTASY?!? Tonight, the conundrum reaches its crisis: Will you stay in Portland to see cyberpunk author William Gibson read from his latest, Zero History? Or will you trek to Beaverton to hear fantasy legend Terry Brooks spin his latest tale from the land of Shannara, Bearers of the Black Staff? THE CHOICE IS YOURS. EH
William Gibson at Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, FREE; Terry Brooks at Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills, Beaverton, 7 pm, FREE

GRIN 'N' BEAR IT—Kicking off a forthcoming crazy week of music, Animal Collective's Noah Lennox—you probably know him as Panda Bear—graces PDX tonight with his looping, effervescent tracks and hopefully some songs from his new record. ND
w/Devonwho; Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 9 pm, $22 (free w/MusicfestNW wristband), all ages

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I love it, love it, love it when other people do my work for me. Splitsider has compiled a verrrrry extensive link list of practically every TV comedy currently (and some not so currently) playing on the internet that's both legal and free. Do yourself a favor, and bookmark this shit now. Then drop whatever you're doing, run home and watch Louie, Modern Family, and Children's Hospital... that is, if you're not already.

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So, you know that Seth Aaron of Portland Vancouver is one of the big names at this year's Portland Fashion Week shows, right? And that, weirdly, he will also be joined by two other alumni from his winning season of Project Runway—Jay Sario and Jonathan Joseph Peters—on the Oct 9 show? And that his collection is inspired by PFW sponsor SolarWorld? Yep. Well, today the first look has been trotted out for the oodles of press he's going to attract to the rest of this year's event, featuring many other talented designers who have the disadvantage of never having been nationally televised. Right? (Right?) Okay, so:

So... what do you think?* (If it helps, those are solar panels she's posing in front of.) A couple more shots after the break.

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Pipeline has a pair of tickets to the Rose City Rollers Heroes Ball this Saturday. To win: Comment below on this post why you would like to attend. Winner will be drawn on Friday, September 10 @ 3PM. From our partners at Rose City Rollers: The Heroes Ball Presented by The Rose City Rollers Saturday, [...]
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OpenSesame is taking their corporate experience with the eLearning market and learning management software and putting it to work for individuals. So that anyone, anywhere, can create, promote, sell, and distribute their coursework and knowledge
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Hot Off the Grill: Don't miss your chance to enter our Anthony Bourdain Sweepstakes and win a signed first edition of Bourdain's new book, Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook. In the ten years since his classic Kitchen Confidential first alerted us to the idiosyncrasies and [...]
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The "porn fight" SLLOTD is SO fake! And if I hear one more person say "men are visual creatures" as though women's eyeballs are detached at the root, I'm going to shove one of my detachable eyeballs up that person's left nostril.

The porn fights promoted in your column are as canned and stereotyped as World Federation Wrestling, and so are your "all men" this and "all women" that responses. You know what's tiring? When someone starts a sentence about 3.5 billion different people with an "all."

Fellow readers, can we please tell Savage that unless he stops pushing sexism, we're breaking up with him?

Sleepy

My response after the jump...

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Hammy's Pizza in Southeast Portland is not the perfect place for pompous snobs to eat.

Hammy's Pizza 'Pompous Snob Intro' from Brian Belefant on Vimeo.

Portland actor Christopher Toyne portrays the antithesis of Hammy's target -- rich, elderly, and erudite -- and he tries to convince viewers that he's far too superior to enjoy Hammy's pizza and movie offerings, but of course, he's not. Subtitles are used to reveal the truth of the situation. Writer and director, Brian Belefant, says the spot started running a couple of weeks ago and the response has been pretty amazing. "We're furiously trying to strike while the iron's hot -- coming up with T-shirts, posters, guerrilla ads, and personal appearances." There's also a follow up spot that helps promote Hammy's five-dollar DVDs.

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Stumptown Stash and Bear Collective Justin Cate and World Mustache Champion Keith Haubrich showing off their facial follicles at the 2009 World Beard and Moustache Championship in Anchorage, Alaska. Photo courtesy of Justin Cate. Fluff up that full beard, shine up those sideburns, clip those whiskers and trim that chinstrap—it’s time to put that facial fuzz [...]
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Pipeline has a “family 4- pack” of tickets for the Many Hands benefit concert. To win: Comment below on this post why you would like to attend. Winner will be drawn on Friday, September 10 @ 3PM. Reminder: We give out 100s of $$$ in free tickets every month to our Portland Facebook Group for [...]
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This landslide resulted in a project that will close Leif Erikson Road for four weeks.(Photo: Portland Parks & Rec) Portland Parks & Recreation has released details of a closure to Leif Erikson Road in Forest Park that begins this coming Monday (9/13) and is estimated to last four weeks. Heavy rains back in June caused [...]
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Aladdin Theater—Mark Kozelek, Tiny Vipers, 8 pm, $15-17, all ages
Backspace—House Fire Benefit: Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat dan Singa, Ohioan, Death Songs, Zoe Boekbinder, 8 pm, $6, all ages
Crystal Ballroom—MusicfestNW: Panda Bear, Devonwho, 9 pm, $22, all ages
Ladd's Inn—Wicked Wednesdays Reunion: DJ Wicked, DJ Wels, DJ Mafia, Kut Throat, DJ Izm, Deff Ro, Sik Ones, Kable Roc, 9 pm; DJ Kutthroat, 9:30 pm, free
Mississippi Studios—Ylang Ylang, Arch Cape, Meyercord, 9 pm, free
Satyricon—Coliseum, Burning Love, Warcry, Lebanon, Terokal, 8 pm, all ages
The Woods—Whalebones, 9 pm
(The World Famous) Kenton Club—Eye Candy: VJ Norto, The Phantom Hillbilly, 9 pm, free
Holocene—STLS, Palo Verde, Hot Victory, ASSS, DJ Jen Olesen, DJ New Moon Poncho, 8:30 pm, $5

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Even at this morning's city council meeting, Mayor Sam Adams couldn't escape the idiocy of sportswriter John Canzano and his ill-timed rantings about the departure of the Portland Beavers.

Citizen Charles E. Long sat down across from the council and proceeded to read some of the choicer lines from Canzano's Monday Oregonian column into the record, especially passages questioning Adams' leadership heft.

At one point, Adams gave a chuckle. Everyone else kept reviewing notes at their desk, save for Commissioner Amanda Fritz, who held the thinnest of polite smiles.

During a break in the meeting, I caught up with Adams outside the council chambers to ask him what he thought of the contretemps—including yesterday's awkwardness, when Adams called into Canzano's sports-brute talk show and found himself subjected to the worst kind of schoolyard bullying.

Keep reading to see what hizzoner had to say:

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WordCamp Portland is shaping up to be one of the best WordCamps of the year, with speakers like Matt Mullenweg, Mark Jaquith, and Jane Wells among others. But if you want to take part, you better hurry. Because ticket sales close this Friday
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If you’re tired of fake racial stereotypes, here’s your chance for some REAL ones! ...Taken from the very accurate gender/racial population representation at OK Cupid (it's a free dating site).

Of course, I don't know if I feel high and mighty or more depressed knowing that "the majority of white women" like to be blond and list Eat Pray Love among their top favorite things, or that "the majority of white men" can basically be categorized by two words: frat house.

Click HERE to see the statistics!

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If you've been reading Blogtown for a while then you are familiar with my love of James Beard, and my dogged argument that his legacy belongs to Portland and not some schmancy-pants get-up in NYC.

But all my cries of "James Beard wouldn't be James Beard if he hadn't grown up amidst the bounty of the Northwest!" can't change the fact the foundation that bears his name is located in New York. It also can't change the fact the foundation's highly acclaimed annual culinary awards have seemed to elude local chefs for the last couple years.

Well, maybe next year will be different. In a nod to the city of his birth, the James Beard Foundation will be announcing the nominees for its 2011 awards right here in Portland on March 21st.

There's a long cold winter between now and then, but maybe one in which local chefs will finally earn top honors, instead of just garnering nominations. Fingers crossed.

For more information on the amazing James Beard, check out this OPB doc.

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Think Out Loud threw a little love at the TBA festival this morning, dedicating their program to an interview with Rufus Wainwright—right over here, if you missed it. We've got our own interview with Wainwright hitting the streets this evening; our interview does NOT however include the question "Your parents were obviously huge influences... What do think about the world they gave you?"

Shameless plug: Starting tomorrow, we'll have reviews of all of TBA's offerings on our TBA blog. You could also follow MercArts on Twitter, if you liked.

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The BTA is hosting a ride to celebrate new signage and markings in Riverview Cemetery.(Photo: BTA) We're officially in the "take what you can get" weather period now, and after this week's rain storms, high 60's with a few clouds doesn't look too bad at all. To help you get the most out of your last [...]
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Last month, Melissa Drake’s modest business in the Ardenwald neighborhood became the source of a cautionary tale for other entrepreneurs in Portland’s booming food-cart business. Drake bought her drive-thru espresso stand almost seven years ago. She says that her small Southeast Portland business, Wake and Bake, has a loyal and supportive base of customers who come [...]
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Pipeline has partnered with Helium Comedy Club and we are giving away tickets to many of their shows. We have TEN pairs for Gregg Proops this Friday & Saturday (8PM & 10:30PM each night). To win: Comment below on this post why you would like to attend. *********IMPORTANT: you must put which day/time in order [...]
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Upon waking, I don't feel any different. Hmm. Here in True Prep Central Command, all is more or less normal. One daughter left for school on time; the other has a first period free. True, instead of rushing to my office to write or edit more pages (I think the book has enough text), I [...]
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Like most straight men, you look like an idiot when you dance. (Note that I did not include myself in the previous statement.) However, help is finally here! Scientists used computer graphic technology™ to record 19 of the world's funkiest dance moves, and then showed them to a panel of women who rated them on their sexiness. And as it turned out? The following dance moves have been scientifically deemed to be the sexiest in the world! WATCH AND LEARN, STRAIGHT MEN. Watch... and... learn.

Women can be really dumb sometimes.
via

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Yesterday, one day after the Portland Beavers played at PGE Park for the last time, Mayor Sam Adams went on John Canzano’s radio program to defend himself against the sports commentator’s attacks. “Do you feel like you’re an empty suit?” Canzano asks Adams at one point during the testy 13-minute exchange. The mayor doesn’t hold back. “You’re [...]
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The City of Santa Rosa California (about 55 miles north of San Francisco) installed a new piece of public art last month that's worth a look. The "Cyclisk" is a monumental, 60-foot tall, Egyptian style obelisk sculpture made by artists Mark Grieve and Ilana Spector that is made out of recycled bikes. Check it out [...]
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A newspaper in West Virginia—The Charleston Gazette—editorializes in favor of legalizing marijuana. It reads like a NORML press release:

Soon, State Police helicopters will swoop over West Virginia hilltops, spotting lush marijuana patches. The tall plants, worth millions in the underground dope business, will be chopped down and burned. Other clusters missed by troopers will be harvested secretly and funneled into the illicit trade. There's another option: Pot-growing could be legalized and licensed by the state, creating legitimate jobs and a flood of state revenue... The war on drugs has raged for 40 years. Will America spend another century getting nowhere, jailing 2 million Americans per year, at horrendous cost? Or will leaders consider other options?

There's a debate—just 19 comments old—on the newspaper's website. Jump in. And you can send a letter to the editors by clicking here.

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Last week it was Ross, which used to be Staples and was originally Lamonts. This time we cross the street to Office Depot - and AutoZone.
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We are in total awe of how great you commenters have been with these weekly Name This Band posts. But are you ready for this band? I hope not.

If this picture wasn't enough, here is a MP3 of the band covering Rihanna's "Umbrella." It's worse than you could ever have imagined...

LISTEN (IF YOU DARE):

The best comment by Thursday at noon will either win tickets to Marina & the Diamonds at the Doug Fir on September 14th, or a few passes to the Laurelhurst Theater. Go get 'em.

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President Obama raised eyebrows in the transportation world Monday when he announced a plan to invest $50 billion in transportation infrastructure that would jump-start a long overdue reauthorization of the nation's transportation bill. The White House says "tangible accomplishments of the President’s plan over the next six years include" $50 billion in the first year [...]
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A complaint by Oregon’s labor commissioner opens the door to a state civil rights investigation of Portland’s Typhoon! Inc. restaurants. Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian, head of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, initiated the complaint because of what he alleged were unlawful ...
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More fallout over the issue of who supports the Columbia River Crossing project and who doesn’t occurred over the weekend at the Labor Day picnic in Oaks Park. As we’ve previously reported, trade unions are raining endorsements and money on Tom Hughes and Loretta Smith—candidates for Metro president and Multnomah County commission, respectively, who strongly support [...]
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May this be the last (hilarious) word on all this shit.

Thank you, Towleroad.

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According to Brandfreak, Quentin Tarantino is back with this short film Lemon Drop, a 10-minute webvertainment venture by TBWA\Chiat\Day on behalf of Absolut's lemony brand. But Brandweek jests, this branded short was actually directed by Traktor. Whoever made it and however derivative it is, will this effort sell more Absolut Lemon vodka? That's what the CMO wants to know.

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For victims of domestic violence in Multnomah County, finding support has become a little easier. The new Gateway Center for Domestic Violence Services holds its grand opening this afternoon at 1 pm. City Commissioner Dan Saltzman and County Chairman Jeff Cogen will co-host the event at Gateway, a city-county venture that is expected to be a [...]
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In this fantastic mashup of The Matrix and The Big Lebowski, Morpheus has a rather difficult time explaining the intricacies of the Matrix to the Dude. Sure, but why can't he answer one simple question: WHO'S GOING TO PAY FOR HIS RUG?? (Seriously, watch this. It's great.)

Hat tips to Film Drunk!

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Tae Won Yu

The Land Gallery presents a mini-retrospective of Tae Won Yu. They're exhibiting 15 years of illustration by this Korean-American artist, who's best known for "defining the visual style" of 90s rock bands such as Built to Spill and Kicking Giant. In addition to posters, prints, and book and album covers, the show will include his personal work spanning his childhood in Japan to his teenage years in New York.

Opening reception • 6pm • September 10
Land Gallery • 3925 N Mississippi • 503.451.0689



Carson Ellis

Nationale presents Carson Ellis' Dillweed's Revenge. Celebrating the release of Dillweed's Revenge: A deadly Dose of Magic, Nationale will exhibit original illustrations from the book by Ellis, written by Florence Parry Heide in the 1970s and published now for the first time. The book has already received a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators. "Delightfully macabre, Ellis' acclaimed illustrations are a perfect match to Heide's dark and witty writing style."

Opening reception • 6-8pm • September 10
Artist talk & book signing • 6pm • September 19
Nationale • 811 E Burnside Suite 112 • 503.477.9786
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Portland police are investigating a home-invasion robbery in which three men stole household items and drove away with the victims’ two vehicles. Police said that at about 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8, the men brandished guns as they broke into a house in the 9400 block of North Bristol Avenue ...
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Adrants is reporting that there's a search on for a Mad Men-like ad agency willing to open its doors to a reality television crew. Here's the casting call:

Major network television production company is casting for a new series surrounding the lives based around the hottest Ad Agencies in America. Looking for MAD MEN type of agencies full of larger than life personalities and creativity. Think "The Office", not in the scripted sense, but in the sense that the home base is the office and surrounding the office are unique, individual characters. Understanding client confidentiality is a must, we believe with the right cast of characters and the right agency this can make for a groundbreaking show! If you are looking for the most authentic and innovative outlet to promote your biggest clients - take this television series as a commercial branding opportunity to promote like no other.

This reads like a joke, but I'll pretend for now that it's not. Personally, I'd like to see the show set at Wexley School for Girls in Seattle, although I don't know if they'd welcome a TV crew into their world. I guess it's a balance between being hugely disrupted for weeks on end, and the chance to put yourselves and your clients in the TV spotlight.

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PAX was this past weekend and per usual it saw the big three console companies shilling their latest and greatest to a few thousand people excited to simply be in the same auditorium as Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day.

Nintendo had Kirby knitting shawls for the elderly, Microsoft had a new set of space marines doing the homoerotic xenophobia thing, and Sony had, well, this:

It's called Kung-Fu LIVE and it utilizes the PlayStation Eye to capture live images of a player which are then implanted into a game made to resemble those old Shaw Brothers kung-fu flicks. You probably already grasped all that from the clip.

You probably also got a strong wave of déjà vu 15 seconds into that whole thing, right? Hit the jump and I'll show you why.

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On Saturday September 18th we will be hosting our first annual Fall Fest celebration featuring 2 new Migration brews, BBQ'd Gartner's Meats and plenty of live music throughout the day! Festivities...

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Oregonian sports columnist John "Waitasecond...the Beavers are LEAVING?? When did that happen??" Canzano got into an argument on the radio with Mayor Sam Adams about something he should've spoken up about MONTHS ago. But then he is an idiot, so there you go. Listen to it here, if you're a fan of idiocy.

BP comes out with a new internal report that says, "Hey, remember that oil spill? Wasn't entirely our fault!"

Whoooooosh! Wow, did you see that? An asteroid came kinda close to the earth! And another one is heading our way this afternoon? GAAAHHH! Call the Space Cowboys!

The stoning of an Iranian woman has been put temporarily on hold—presumably so they can find some bigger stones.

Riots erupt in the streets of L.A. after an officer shoots a man for allegedly threatening someone with a knife.

The UN accepts partial responsibility for over 500 systematic rapes in the Congo.

Very old comedian Jerry Lewis threatens to smack Lindsay Lohan... with what? His catheter hose?

Hillbilly preacher is still threatening to burn copies of the Quran on September 11, despite sound reasoning from non-inbred Americans.

In news you don't care about: America's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan is replacing Larry King.

Now here's what's going on in your neck of the woods: Slight chance of showers today, high of 68, with continued drying and cool weather to finish out the week.

And finally, Will Smith's daughter Willow Smith is 9-FREAKING-YEARS-OLD and she already has an ass-dropping single?? Listen to this, and get ready to BOUNCE.

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Congratulations go out to Naseem Rakha, whose The Crying Tree (Broadway) was selected for inclusion in the Richard and Judy Book Club, the “UK version of Oprah’s Book Club.” The Crying Tree was one of eight “page turners” selected, and the only novel by an American. According to their website, “Richard and Judy Book Club [...]
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Related events and info: Rufus Wainwright on OPB’s Think Out Loud (September 8th) From Twitter: MelegariPlayers: Rufus, belting it out w the @Oregon_Symphony. DO NOT miss this concert, #Portland! http://yfrog.com/cbqqbaj From our partners at Oregon Symphony: In concert with the Oregon Symphony Conducted by Carlos Kalmar Opening night of the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art’s [...]
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What’s the State of the Garden in early September? On the latest episode of LeLo Homemade we do an early September check in (and perhaps bitch session) about the rough time many of us Portland area gardeners are having, especially with our tomatoes. Do you realize I haven’t had one BLT this summer? So wrong, in so many ways.

We chat with fellow gardener Amy, author of Gazelles on Crack, about what’s going on in her garden, and her history of growing corn, and naming them after people. In fact, she names all of the plants in her garden. And talks to them! Aaah, we gardeners are a strange lot, aren’t we? Amy is fun.

I also give some tips on how to deal with those tomato plants right now, and do a little reflection on what’s going so well in the garden. My glass is not half empty, and neither is yours. Beans! Herbs! Arugula! Focus on the positive people. And reflect a little to remember next year.

Listen in here: http://lelo.pdx.fm/?p=55

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Glenn Beck's spiritual ascension — Wed Sep 08 12:45:00 UTC 2010
Alberta Phillips: The whole thing about Glenn Beck hijacking King's legacy didn't happen. Perhaps Beck recognized that King's mantle could not be easily ripped off or replicated. Or maybe King just wasn't big enough for what Beck had in mind. In any ca...
about: Alberta Phillips Disputed Domain Names Domain Names Glenn Beck glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990com King Martin Luther King Politics

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Atlanta has always been a bit of an anemic market for ad agencies. Many great talented creatives got a start here by going through The Creative Circus and The Portfolio Center. But few agencies here, if any, have done consistently great work and grown sufficiently to become influential in the city or the industry. So it'll be interesting to see The Atlanta Egotist's take on the market. Hopefully the blog will be a way to rally the creative community here and not be a simple bitchfest. Even better would be a way to show the city's Fortune 500 companies, like Delta, UPS, Georgia-Pacific, Home Depot and others, that they can find pockets of creativity here to keep more of their ad dollars flowing through the city. Or convince other big spenders to stop in Atlanta before they change planes and head elsewhere.

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When longtime resident Eileen Belanger heard the news from her doctor, she wasn’t surprised. “You have type 2 diabetes,” the doctor said. At first, she was in denial. After all, she reasoned, she had just spent the last few months of 2009 baking sweet treats for family and friends ...
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A standing-room-only meeting last week displayed optimism on the part of TriMet to fill a large budget gap in the proposed 7.3-mile light rail project, while residents of the north Clackamas area shot back with critiques of MAX through Milwaukie to Oak Grove. TriMet argued that every project has ...
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A loophole in federal law will likely allow the developers of Oregon City’s Clackamette Cove to use a high water mark for their construction project that is about 10 feet lower than the mark used in the nearby Willamette River without obtaining special permits. The technicality could become ...
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Fifteen-year-old Joshua Devore exited Happy Valley's new Rock Creek Middle School after a short visit to a big surprise. He had left his $1,000 BMX bicycle in the back of his brother's parked pickup truck at the school, thinking that it was safe in the highly trafficked area with a low crime ...
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The Oregon Department of Transportation announced last week that the state would dedicate about $8 million for rail line improvements in Columbia County. The money — $4.7 million to improve the rail connection between Port Westward in Clatskanie and Linnton, strengthening tracks to allow ...
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Administrators of Columbia County’s levees are scrambling to find enough cash over the next year or so to meet new federal levee certification standards. But exactly what those standards are is increasingly difficult to define. Still, if the standards cannot be met to the satisfaction of ...
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Portland Streetcar service will be suspended for two weeks starting Monday to connect the new eastside line to the existing westside line. TriMet will provide shuttle bus service along the westside line from Sept. 13 to 26. The regional transit agency will be reimbursed $140,000 for the cost of ...
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Starting this month, students in the county can now get one-third of a transfer degree right here in Scappoose and St. Helens. The change, which was made to help residents save time and money by taking core classes in the community, comes after a year of input from county leaders and ...
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County commissioners have started giving recommendations for beginning a systematic review and evaluation of the employment practices of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. By the end of the year, five to seven people will be considering hiring, training, disciplining and, in some cases, ...
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Local car buffs are getting all revved up for a first time cruise-in and car show in historic downtown Oregon City on Saturday, Sept. 11. The idea for a downtown car show came from a conversation with downtown barber Al Kelley at the Depot Barber Shop on the corner of 7th and Railroad Avenue. One ...
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Your Face Tomorrow: Volume One: Fever and Spear (New Directions Book) by Javier Marias Reviewed by William Deresiewicz The Nation "One life, one writing," Robert Lowell said. The writer's experience is all of a piece, and so too, however disparate it may seem, is the work to which it gives rise. The personal emphasis here [...]
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Meet at Longbottom Coffee & Tea Thursday morning at 8 am for a quick, free networking gathering.
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Which Blazers have something to prove? — Wed Sep 08 04:53:12 UTC 2010
As the hourglass continues to slowly trickle and we limp our way to the start of training camp, more focus needs to be put into what could happen this season for the Portland Trail Blazers. Generally speaking, during… by Top Stories via Fa
about: Human Interest Portland Trail Blazers Trail Blazers Training camp

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Columbia River Brewing Co. Grand Opening will be going on all day from 11 am til 11pm with the Pig Roast dinner starting at 4 pm. We will release 3 additional beers for a total of 7. New releases...

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Copyright © 2010 More Hockey Less War. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only.Share This
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The stunning Coava Coffee Roasters — Wed Sep 08 03:25:09 UTC 2010
by Angela Higgins Best coffee in PDX. Period. -- Portland Monthly article
about: Angela Higgins Best Health Medical Pharma

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Portland by boat — Wed Sep 08 03:25:10 UTC 2010
by Angela Higgins Down near the Pearl District
about: Angela Higgins Down Portland

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Island beach by Sellwood — Wed Sep 08 03:25:09 UTC 2010
by Angela Higgins
about: Angela Higgins John Higgins News of the World

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Downtown Portland — Wed Sep 08 03:25:10 UTC 2010
by Angela Higgins Just cruising the Willamette and snapping photos of downtown PDX
about: Angela Higgins Just Hospitality Recreation Portland Willamette Valley

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Ore. man flying from Amsterdam to PDX makes headlines, jail — Wed Sep 08 01:47:25 UTC 2010
An Oregon man flying from Amsterdam to Portland has made international news after landing in jail upon his PDX arrival.
about: jail An Portland Portland Oregon

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If you’ve been living a Lars Larson-less existence, you may not have noticed the controversy that engulfed Beaverton recently. In honor of the 200th anniversary of Mexico’s independence from Spain this year, the City of Beaverton had decided to host a Mexican bicentennial celebration on Sept. 16. Things did not go as planned. “What kind of city celebrates [...]
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With all the anti-illegal immigration fervor in the country right now, somebody's not gonna like this. MediaPost reports on Toyota's latest venture to reach out to Hispanics:

The effort, "Somos Muchos Latinos. Somos Muchos Toyota" ("Somos muchos" means "We are many ") focuses on a series of 100 or so limited-edition decals specific to dozens of Latin American cultures of origin. The Torrance, Calif., automaker says it created the decals as a way to tie owners' pride in their origins to pride in their car. The decals say things like "Somos Muchos Chilenos" and "Somos Muchos Hondurenos." The effort includes Spanish TV spots shot as short documentaries showing Toyota street teams handing out the decals in target cities in the U.S. In the ads, people put the decals on things like cars, bicycles, and food trucks, or whatever transit they have when they show up for the decals.

Seems many Americans got over the animosity of World War II and decided Japanese cars were OK. Wonder what the new culture warriors of 2010 will think about this.

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At Portland City Hall, mission creep never ends — Wed Sep 08 00:54:17 UTC 2010
The bureaucrats' latest foray into something that's best left alone: Now the city is going to get into the business of selling heat, air conditioning, and hot water in the Pearl District. Today they put out for a $50,000 contract for a consultant (no d...
about: At Portland City Hall Bank of America Business City of Portland clean district energy systems consultant district energy system energy Energy Environment http://wwwportlandonlinecom/bps/indexcfm?c=49989& neighborhood district energy system Portland
at: Portland City Hall City Hall
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Fall Food Fest Come meander the isles of tasty treats and tempting morsels from local restaurants, caterers and event planners. Taste local Mexican food, pizza, cake, pasta, soups, candies, frozen beverages, salads, seafood and much more!   Event Location Wilsonville Family...
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People who work in advertising often held very different jobs before entering the business. Some drove a cab, others sold bonds on Wall Street. There are as many migration stories as there are ad people. Sometimes, the early experience informs one's ad career, other times people are just happy to have an ad career. Best selling author John Grisham also has a migration story (from lawyer to novelist). Writing in The New York Times, Grisham talks about a special criminal case that compelled him to write.

Writing was not a childhood dream of mine. I do not recall longing to write as a student. I wasn't sure how to start...One night I wrote "Chapter One" at the top of the first page of a legal pad; the novel, "A Time to Kill," was finished three years later. The book didn't sell, and I stuck with my day job, defending criminals, preparing wills and deeds and contracts. Still, something about writing made me spend large hours of my free time at my desk.

Grisham also recounts how he worked on a construction crew and in retail before making his way to law school. It got me thinking about my own path to where I am today. Like Grisham I never imagined I'd become an ad guy. A writer, yes. I did imagine that. When I was 15 my step-dad gave me my first real job. He took me to the dairy plant where he was the head guy and immediately had the crew there show me what the lowest guy on the totem pole does for work. I painted cinder block walls, donned a parka and stacked cases of ice cream in the freezer and I loaded semi-truck after semi-truck full of milk. A few years later, I ran a milk route during the summer months. I had to show up at work at 2:00 am and deliver milk, cottage cheese, sour cream and every other dairy product imaginable to homes, retailers, restaurants and institutions. I was yelled at by chefs for messing up their order and by a home owner mad that I'd been delivering milk to the wrong house all summer. Once, I made a special delivery to the state mental institution and when I left the kitchen area, I got caught on a locked floor. When I buzzed the nurse to be let out, she didn't believe that I was the milkman. What can I say, it was a tough job, all the way around. Between the two milk gigs I worked as a cook at Holly Farms Fried Chicken in Lexington, NC and after we moved to Philly, I spent my summer after high school graduation selling Chipwich ice cream sandwiches from a cart I pushed each morning from South Street to my spot across from the Liberty Bell. During college I worked as a house painter; I helped Armstong World Industries sort through their asbestos lawsuits, I worked at a factory that made big industrial batteries (until I realized they had to draw blood every month in order to detect any unsafe lead levels). I also worked as a dishwasher, a doorman and a bartender at three different establishments. When I got out of college, I sold t-shirts at Grateful Dead concerts but not enough of them to pay my way from city to city. So I started interviewing for journalism jobs in the Philadelphia area, before finding what looked like an interesting opening in the development department of a non-profit environmental advocacy group in Washington, DC. Some friends from school were trying to get me to move to Steamboat Springs that first fall out of school, but I held on in DC for two years before moving to San Francisco, where I was a temp for a few days before getting an offer from Conservatree Paper Company, a for-profit recycled paper merchant. Eventually, the call of the mountains and an alternative (to the office) lifestyle did lead me to Utah, where I skied the resorts up Big Cottonwood and Little Cottonwood Canyons and went camping in the desert a lot. My buddy Craig got me a job as a picker/packer in the Black Diamond warehouse. And my mortgage selling buddy Dave hooked me up with a well paying lead generation job. When I moved to Portland in 1994 I had a tough time finding work, so I signed up with a temp agency and proceeded to engage in the most humbling of all work experiences I've had to date. Of course, it was in 1994 in Portland when I first heard about Wieden + Kennedy and began the journey I've been on ever since. Up until that point in time, the idea of working in advertising was repulsive to me. It took Wieden, and Janet Champ's work for Nike in particular, to show me once and for all that advertising doesn't have to be bad. I realize this is a long-winded ME ME ME piece. But, hopefully it's not really about me. It's about learning how to work, and developing an appreciation for just how hard some people must work to make their livings. I've been a fry cook, a warehouse worker, a bartender, a temp and a telemarketer. All the while I knew I wasn't stuck in those jobs, so that changes things somewhat; however, I do know what it's like to sweat for one's dinner. I believe that's helpful to me when I work on a client's projects now. It reminds me that the communications my colleagues and I make must also be down-to-earth, value-priced and hard working.

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Passion of the Nerds: Guess what!? Gary Shteyngart is a neeerrrr-rrrd! Turns out though, taunting isn't as much fun when someone freely admits it. Case in point: this essay for NPR. With genuine emotion that warms the heart (of this nerd at least), he reminisces about growing up as the biggest science fiction nerd in [...]
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This is the cutest video I've ever seen. She makes you laugh, and she's a great example of a positive self image.

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Pull out the Lederhosen, it's time for Oktoberfest! The brewers at Lompoc Brewing are welcoming autumn with a release party for their fall seasonal Lompoc Oktoberfest. The gathering will take place...

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Oh, you Asians! Always taking taboo subjects—such as creepy sexual predators who chain children to the radiator in their basements—and using them to make lively and adorable children's programming. (Wait... whaddaya mean "those are fake subtitles"? She's patting her bottom and singing "punitive spanking"! What else would she be talking about??)

Via AsiaWTF!

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Ever since discovering two years ago that I look at porn—I'm a guy, shocker, I know—my girlfriend and I have gotten in numerous arguments over the subject. I seldom use porn, maybe once a week when she is not around. My GF and I usually have sex once a day, and I always make sure that she is satisfied. Porn has never gotten in the way of our sex lives, and I always make love to her instead of looking at porn if that is an option. I've tried explaining to her that I think she is the most beautiful girl on the planet, that I only want to make love with her, that I find her incredibly sexy, etc, etc, but nothing seems to be enough. Because she has asked (multiple times), I have also reassured her that I do not desire the women that I watch and that they are simply there as a visual stimulus to facilitate the process of me getting off (men are visual creatures, let's be honest).

She looks at porn too, and says that she feels guilty getting off on someone who is not her SO, and doesn't understand why I don't feel guilty in doing the same. She also says I shouldn't even need to look at porn since I can have sex with her on a regular basis. I made the mistake of lying to her one time about looking at porn—my honesty about doing it was what got me in trouble in the first place, and I wanted to avoid another fight and spare her feelings—and since then she compulsively checks my Internet history to determine if I've been looking at porn. She even goes so far as to inspect the volume of my ejaculate after sex to guess if I've jerked off since she last saw me. After facing this same argument over and over again, we sometimes reach a happy "conclusion" where she says she understands my p.o.v. and it won't be an issue again... but it always is.

We have been dating for almost four years now, and I want to end these fights once and for all. How can I truly reassure this person that I care for so much and make this problem disappear? Is there any good alternative to deleting my internet history and living a life of white lies?

Tired Of Porn Fights

My response—and TOPF's response to my response, and my response to his response—after the jump.

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Writer and Cultural Curator, Maria Popova, writing on Design Observer argues eloquently against our industry's time-honored practice of insider back-slapping.

Unfortunately, much of the creative industry -- design and advertising in particular, but also photography, literature, the art world -- has become an industry of ego. And its currency is industry awards. Awards are awful. Awards breed ego, create false meritocracies and ultimately stymie innovation at every step of the award-granting process -- from entry to evaluation to owning the win.

Naturally, this topic comes up, and up again. Why? Because we all want to be recognized for our contributions, and nothing's going to change that. We also want to be rewarded justly for our contributions, and given that our contributions sometime help build multi-million and multi-billion dollar brands, we want the rewards to reflect this business reality. Interestingly, in the last two episodes of Mad Men, industry awards, the need for recognition and the team's frayed nerves over it all, are central to the scripts. Roger complains they don't give awards for what he (an account guy) does. Don, in a moment of complete vanity, wonders if he looks good on his way to the podium to pick up his hardware. Jane, of course, satisfies both of their emotional needs. Don and Peggy also argue over the Clio the agency just won, and how Don never recognizes Peggy's contributions to the work, the Clio-winning work, in particular. Don smartly says that's what the money's for. Which reminds me of Sally Hogshead's claim in her book, Radical Careering, that a creative working in advertising can either become rich, famous, or go home at five o'clock. She says they're all valid paths, but only the luckiest among us will be able to realize two of the three in our careers. No one gets to enjoy all three.

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When it comes to technology, health care, ironically, tends to fall closer to the rusting edge than the bleeding edge. But that shortcoming is a boon for startups that can figure out how to use today’s technology to solve health care’s problems—both for providers and patients. One such company is Portland-based SweetSpot, a startup that
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Like many preppies, I run on my own Lisa Birnbach Time (LBT), which is a casual approach to timekeepingLike many preppies, I run on my own Lisa Birnbach Time (LBT), which is a casual approach to timekeeping, to say the least. There's no such thing as 1:00; there's one-ish. For example, I believe I was [...]
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U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) has announced he’ll soon introduce bipartisan legislation to ban the sale of so-called “crush” videos showing small animals being tortured and killed by humans. Congress banned the sale of such videos in 1999, but the U.S. Supreme Court struck down that law in April, saying it was overly broad and impinged [...]
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Have you heard? Bikestravaganza is coming to Portland this Friday, September 10th! Bikestravaganza is the brainchild of former BikePortland Managing Editor Elly Blue and local filmmaker and Microcosm Publishing founder Joe Biel. They've been on a whirlwind trip, visiting 10 states in 30 days, and they're bringing it all together in Portland [...]
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Ryan Hashagen chats with a man working on the Cully Boulevard reconstruction project (site of city's first cycle track).(Photos: Steve Bozzone/Intersection 911) On Friday afternoon, as city road crews labored under the hot sun on the NE Cully cycle track project, they got an unexpected surprise. A group of people on bikes and tricycles pulled [...]
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If the list of restaurants you'd like to try is as long as your arm but your wallet is looking a little thin these days, you'll want to check out Portland Eats Out. A discount dining club with a difference, it's got a stellar lineup of local restos that's growing by the day, and it offers a 15% discount on meals when you dine from Sunday through Thursday.

So what makes it different from other discount groups? Just this: ten percent of each $69 membership (that's $6.90 for you non-math types) will go to the Oregon Food Bank to help feed hungry Oregonians. Even better, the discount is good for a table of up to four people as long as one is a member.

It was started by local entrepreneur Stacy Stahl, owner of a couple of local talent agencies, who wanted to give back to the community and help out restaurants that are struggling in the tough economy. After announcing her idea at a dinner with friends (who heartily encouraged her), she went out and made it happen.

Chefs and restaurants are flocking to the cause, since it costs them nothing and fills empty seats on off nights, with the list ranging from top-flight destinations to those with family-friendly menus and even food carts. And who can't get behind that?

Details: Portland Eats Out. More information and memberships available online.

See the ad for Portland Eats Out in the right-hand column of this blog.
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Widmer Brother’s Oktoberfest is a tribute to the world-renowned celebration in Munich, Germany, which draws more than six million people annually during the 16-day festival. Widmer Brother’s version,...

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Paul and "Buttercup".(Photo: BikeFree.org) [via KOIN-TV] Paul Lebelle and Adam Burkowske arrived in Portland on Saturday afternoon after biking over 3,000 miles on their "Bike Free" charity ride. The duo are on a mission to provide bicycles to children of people in the military. Unfortunately their plans are on hold because Paul's Cannondale touring bike [...]
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Pipeline has a pair of tickets to: Muddy Boot Organic Festival Keynote Address by Curt Ellis & Ian Cheney (Peabody Award-winning filmmakers and environmental advocates)on Friday, September 10 at 7pm & a pair of admissions to the Outdoor Festival, which takes place Saturday, September 11 and Sunday, September 12. To Win: Comment on this post [...]
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New faces nominated for BTA board*: Martina Fahrner Randy Miller Rick Potestio Susan Remmers Cecil Reniche-Smith Kenji Sugahara David Forman David Kottkamp *View full list of nominees and ballot statements below. The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) has unveiled their slate of board nominees. With eight new faces up for election and six current members up for re-election, the results could lead to the largest [...]
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Attendance at yesterday’s final Beavers baseball game at PGE Park rose to 15,639 from a season average of 4,098, according to the Triple-A team. The nearly two-year-long debate about baseball that preceded the team’s exit from PGE Park Monday had one overarching theme that came to mind while I was sitting in the general-admission section yesterday: [...]
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Belmont Street Fair Portland, Oregon 97214 Photo by a tea leaf Great picture of last year’s Belmont Street fair. After you go this fair, you’ll wonder why they don’t always shut down SE Belmont to cars/buses between 33rd & 37th…it just feels right. - More Portland Pictures here on Pipeline - Add your Portland pictures [...]
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The Oregonian's John Canzano is sad that Portland's Triple A baseball team (the Beavers) played their final home game on Sunday; but instead of using his column to reminisce about innings past, he decided to take a few swings at bike lanes. What do our bikeways have to do with baseball? Nothing. But that [...]
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We have a pair of tickets to this month’s beer belly dinner at East Burn ($70 value!).  To Win: Comment on this post why you’d like to attend. Winner will be drawn Thursday, Sept. 9 at 3PM. Reminder: We give out 100s of $$$ in free tickets every month to our Portland Facebook Group for [...]
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Laura Hughes 2010 The Span of an Instant

I saw a beautiful piece at the Appendix Gallery: Here is a link to a piece Laura Hughes did in the Portland Building. Yes, it is much like Mary Temple's work, that you might have seen at Western Bridge but Hughes has the audacity to twist the screw further. She wasn't just holding to a verisimilitude notion of 23.5 degrees (like Temple's Seattle install), she studies the shadow over the course of a month and from that creates an impressionistic composite of the shadows that might have been. During my time in the space before the show "opened" I took note of the shadows of the arborvitaes as they cast their silhouette on top of the a-frame garage that houses the show. The likeness of those shadows was painted with phosphor infused (glow-in-the-dark) paint. It wasn't much to look at as I spoke with her and two other artists as the sun went down on Last Thursday. But after I came back from Little Field Gallery it was apparent what the slightly off-colored glossy paint was. The globosely painted forms were now shadows. Hughes also implanted a frosted window into the side of the space which creates a voyeuristic ambiance that is simultaneously creepy and warm.

After standing there for some time examining the shadows and thinking about how they referenced the arborvitaes that blocked the neighbors view on the west side of the ally -- the light went off. The shadows were still very shadow-like which may seem redundant but when it becomes many shades darker (like camping dark) it seems odd that there are still shadows. The more you think about it, the more you realize that the shadows should not be visible at all. The gestural images were so faithful that when the lights went out viewers appeared to be scrambling along the wall to justify their ghost like visions that they had just witnessed when the light was on - battling the familiar notion of retinal burn. Upon further examination it is not the voyeuristic window that is providing the shadows or necessarily the paint itself, however, the phosphor she added to the paint is now clearly emitting a blue green phantasmal glow. It takes everyone in the gallery-space feeling it with their eyes and hands to come to grips with the shadows that are now the only light in the space. Later the lighted window comes back on and a scene of normalcy returns... but you already know better... Laura Hughes' piece fits into the lexicon of Appendix and her experience based works are part of the strongest movement Portland art has to offer in its phenomenological splendor.



Laura Hughes 2010 The Span of an Instant
This shot during the performance is closer to the experience.

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In case you've been hiding under a rock: TBA:10 is (practically) here! PICA's 8th annual Time Based Arts Festival celebrates contemporary art in many of its glorious, sometimes time-based forms. Although the scope of TBA is much broader than PORT's focus, we like to chime in with some of the visual arts events/installations (and some cinema) that we're most excited about. Get the full schedule and ticketing information from PICA here. And since we've certainly left something out, remind us in the comments. On to our picks!

Note: Unless otherwise marked, everything is ongoing; see the links for specific date ranges and viewing hours.

•THE WORKS Opening Night: THE WORKS at Washington High School is the hub for visual arts installations and late-night events. Opening night is free and features a live musical/visual performance, Japanther vs. Night Shade. 09.09, 10:30pm.

• Nina Katchadourian's Sorted Books installed @ PNCA's Feldman Gallery

• Anissa Mack's My Heart Wants More installed @ the lumber room; Mack was TBA:10's artist in residence

• Storm Tharp's High House installed @ THE WORKS

• Charles Atlas' Tornado Warning installed @ THE WORKS

• Dan Gilsdorf's Diabolus in Musica in collaboration with Beati Chorum, performances @ THE WORKS 09.12 & 09.19 12-4pm

• Dutes Miller & Stan Shellabarger's Untitled (Graves) installed @ THE WORKS

• John Smith's The Girl Chewing Gum 1976 on view @ THE WORKS

• Yemenwed, Episode 3, Bedroom w TV, and Woman Lays w Aide on view @ THE WORKS

• The People's Biennial curated by Harrell Fletcher and Jens Hoffman installed @ THE WORKS

• Shirin Neshat's Women Without Men, debut feature-length film by this photographer will be screened @ The Whitsell daily 09.09-09.14

• Hard Edge, Hard Work curated by Stephanie Snyder, abstract film & video by women artists in conjunction with ABSTRACT at the Cooley screened @ The Whitsell 09.12, 09.15 & 09.16
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Kyron Horman’s family and friends will celebrate his 8th birthday Sunday with a fundraiser in Wilsonville. The family also will mark the occasion with a balloon release in Medford, where his mother lives. The event is 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 9, at West Main Church in Medford. Kyron was 7 ...
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I stepped into the back garden this morning, cool air brushing the hair at my nape. The sun shone, but the air has a nip in it. Not much, just enough to let me know.

It’s transitioning.

Last night with friends under the arbor, I interrupted conversation to blurt out “The geese.” The V in flight shows soon after I hear their honking. The geese flying low, overhead, between the two rivers tells me what I already know.

It’s transitioning.

The syrup for peaches sat cooling on the counter, next to the box of fragrant, delicate fruit, awaiting their processing. This year no canning of peaches but instead, wet packed in bags, destined for the freezer. As I filled the bags, I saw it. The light coming through the glass pitcher of syrup on the counter. It wasn’t warm orange, but it wasn’t the color of light in July, either. That is a crisp clear light. Today, I saw the light turning and beginning to glow.

It’s transitioning.

I’ve been vacillating between anger and fear this week. Anger at a whole row of tomato plants yet to produce a red tomato, but heavily laden with green fruit, even though it is already September. At the first day of September wet with rain and dark with a grey sky. Fear of a long winter beginning too early, and what that means for my self care against seasonal sadness. The short dark days of winter loom on the horizon, and all I want is some time to feel the summer heat, hold onto a great tan, and gaze at my silver polished toes in sandals. For evening walks, driving with my sunroof open and hanging laundry out to dry.

My hairstylist and I debated the pros and cons of continuing my summer highlights or transitioning to my winterly darker colors. I’m grateful she suggested “We should keep the highlights until next time.” And so as we step into this cool September, I accept that we may be transitioning into a new season. But my hair? It’s still holding out for summer’s sun, and my tomatoes? They are too.

We’re transitioning.


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In the three-day period between Aug. 17 and Aug. 20, Portland experienced nine highly publicized gang-related shootings. But Oregon’s largest city wasn’t alone. In nearby Gresham, six similar shootings sent a shudder through the surrounding neighborhoods. One of the shootings in ...
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Metro might step in to help TriMet close a $137 million budget shortfall in its proposed Portland to Milwaukie light-rail line. The gap in the $1.4 billion project occurred when the Federal Transit Administration decided it would only fund 50 percent of the project instead of its traditional 60 ...
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Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Kitzhaber called Tuesday morning for a halt to new prison construction, for new cost-benefit reports on all state programs and for the consolidation of school districts, as he laid out how he’d balance the state budget if he wins a third term as ...
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The Corbett School District Board will place a local operating levy for $600,000 per year over five years, starting in 2011, on the Nov. 2 ballot. “In light of uncertain revenue projections from the state the board deemed it prudent to keep all potential revenue streams open,” the ...
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The Great Oom: The Improbable Birth of Yoga in America by Robert Love Reviewed by Winifred Gallagher The Wilson Quarterly Victorian mores still dominated mainstream America at the dawn of the 20th century, but an eclectic proto-counterculture stirred in more adventurous circles. Spiritual teachers including the mystic G. I. Gurdjieff, the feminist evangelist Aimee Semple [...]
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John Kitzhaber: "During my previous two terms as governor, we created over 125,000 jobs in Oregon; wages rose by 49 percent and our state gross annual product rose by 48 percent. For those keeping score, the number of Oregon jobs created by me versus my opponent is 129,000 to zero."

More information here.

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Léonie Guyer, Untitled, No. 63

Reed's Cooley Gallery presents ABSTRACT, curated by Stephanie Snyder. "Abstract and non-objective artistic methodologies are most often associated with modernism and the European and Russian avant-garde; but visual and material abstraction has flourished for millennia, globally, as an essential human activity. ABSTRACT brings together the work of three contemporary women artists inspired by the breadth of abstraction's spiritual, esoteric, and ritualistic dimensions." The exhibition runs September 4 - December 5, 2010 and will include a public symposium with Stephanie Snyder, poet Bill Berkson, exhibition artists Léonie Guyer and Lynne Woods Turner, and Portland artist Michelle Ross.

Opening reception • 6pm • September 8
Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Reed Library
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If you haven’t noticed, it is not that far from Portland’s favorite event–Halloween. Once again, we start off our huge list of Portland Halloween parties with two free tickets to the Ooky Spooky BarFly Bus. We put these tickets up early because they ALWAYS sell out early. Ten buses sold out last year. To win, [...]
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