Oregon
updated
8:45 p.m.
While we here at Portland Transport generally stick to subjects like public transit, bicycling, and walking, the taxicab is another form of transit that can allow people the freedom to travel around at will without the burden of car ownership or the need to personally drive the car. Taxis fill an important need for those trips that transit does not serve well, especially late at night. It wou...
Portland Transport - 8:02 p.m. - 5 clicks 
Let's face it, the news today can be downright depressing. It's important to remember that things aren't all bad--in fact, there are some really great things happening around us all the time. Introducing, The Bright Side of Life. Happy Friday! Here are a few stories we found that brightened up the OO office throughout the week. This sweet story of a small, struggling village striking i...
Sockeye - 3:28 p.m.
This sounds like an idea that must not be new but sure doesn’t seem familiar: Instead of each state redistricting their congressional districts, that work would be done by a national National Commission for Independent Redistricting. Starting, if the legislation were passed, in 2020. The proposal, by Oregon Representative Earl Blumenauer, will be immediately set [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Oregon) - 3:28 p.m. - 7 clicks
The United States' unemployment rate fell to 8.3% in January, which is nice, but the real news is, of course, the jobs number and there the news was very encouraging - 243,000 jobs were added. The BLS report also included upward revisions to the November and December numbers as well, adding another 60,000 jobs. The private sector actually added 257,000 jobs in January but ...
Oregon Economics Blog - 10:24 a.m. - 3 clicks
What’s today’s story? Two weeks ago the staff and consultants for the CRC highway mega-project made their third presentation at a hearing of the CRC legislative oversight committee. Unlike previous hearings, this one was electric – and made front-page news in The Oregonian . CRC consultants and staff presented the oversight committee with a new plan – one to cut back the CRC by $650 million,...
BlueOregon - 10:01 a.m. - 8 clicks
And So It Goes by Charles Shields Let me tell you a story about a storyteller and a story about a storyteller. No, I did not say that twice by accident. I am to tell the story about my encounter with the review copy of a biography about a writer of stories. Still confused? Me too. So it begins in November when I (the storyteller) get an email from a web publ...
JoyStory - 3:00 a.m.
Scotty has already documented the efforts of the Republican House to return the transportation system to the 1950s. I'm inclined to believe the handicapping that this simply means there is no re-authorization this session. But if you feel the need to do something about it, Transportation for America has an action link . ...
Portland Transport - Thu 10:06 p.m. - 7 clicks
Writing for the New York Times on Tuesday, January 23, 2012, Thomas L. Friedman cautioned Russian leadership: Humiliation is the single most underestimated force in politics. People will absorb hardship, hunger and pain. They will be grateful for jobs, cars and benefits. But if you force people to live indefinitely inside a rigged game that is flaunted in their face or make them feel like ...
Eye On Oregon - Thu 9:02 p.m. - 3 clicks
"I'm not concerned with the very poor in this country. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I'll fix it." --Mitt Romney, in an interview with Soledad O'Brien, February 1, 2012 Ouch, Mitt ! Bet you wish you could take that one back. Here you are, fresh off a big victory in Florida, where you put a foot to Newt Gingrich's ass (and thank you for that), establi...
Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing - Thu 9:02 p.m.
@AzureGhost ht/Balloonjuice UPDATE Komen reverses sort of And so what? Now you know what they are and how they want to operate and there are plenty of alternatives. You might want to consider what your nearly half million dollars is buying in a CEO that walked them into this mess. Good grief Ari Fleisher's fingerprints are also on this? This is the kind of non-political competence...
Chuck Butcher - Thu 6:09 p.m. - 2 clicks
It's Groundhog Day! On its second day, the Oregon legislature is in full swing working on a variety of bills, including ways to deal with the budget shortfall. Legislature Lawmakers consider supervisor ratio Statesman Journal "A bill intended to accelerate middle management reductions in Oregon state government got off to a rocky start before skeptical legislators Wednesday. House...
Sockeye - Thu 5:47 p.m. - 9 clicks
With the release of an alternate plan for county funding, a central question crops up again - does logging actually pay (enough)?...
Oregon WildBlog - Thu 5:24 p.m. - 3 clicks
The memories and tributes about Simeon Hyde, Jr. enthralled, inspired and entertained us at his memorial service last Saturday. Our Quaker Meetinghouse's worship room was packed to its walls, and then some. Many attending were in the adjacent library listening intently to the distant stories and praise they could discern through the open double doors. Sim died the day after Christmas at a...
The Red Electric - Thu 4:47 p.m.
From Evan Manvel on the O-TRAN mailing list: For those near Portland, there's a debate between Smith, Brady, and Hales on active transportation issues this upcoming Monday. Feb 6, 7pm Lincoln Performance Hall Portland State University A forum for Mayoral candidates Eileen Brady, Charlie Hales, and Jefferson Smith to answer questions regarding their priorities and positions on active t...
Portland Transport - Thu 4:04 p.m. - 7 clicks
Portland Fire has determined that the cause of this fire was electrical in nature. Roofers were working on the roof shortly before the fire broke out. Reports indicate they were discarding a piece of metal flashing, which accidentally connected with......
Commissioner Randy Leonard - Thu 3:25 p.m. - 11 clicks
It wasn't just about the shameless commercialism -- although it was certainly that : Groundhog's Day is an occasion for local entrepreneurs to cheerfully cash in on the publicity. And Phil's appearance this year was underwritten in part by corporate sponsors including Domino's Pizza, McDonald's, First Commonwealth Financial, and Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion (don't even ask). Was Punxsutawney P...
Persuasion, Perseverance, and Patience - Thu 3:00 p.m.
In an amazing display of narcissistic self-aggrandizement, Donald Trump (a rare triple redundancy), supported the likely winner of the GOP nomination process. "I will be making a major announcement tomorrow (Thursday, February 2) at 12:30 pm at Trump International Hotel & Tower, Las Vegas, Nevada," Trump the gasbag tweeted on Wednesday, February 1. Of course Trump endorsed Romney. And in a...
Eye On Oregon - Thu 2:30 p.m.
I'd like to propose that our next attorney general take a few moments from investigating fraud and corruption, supervising charities, and advising state bureaux to submit an amendment to the Oregon Unlawful Trade Practices Act that would prohibit a grocer......
Isaac Laquedem - Thu 2:29 p.m. - 13 clicks
The Donald and the Mittens are on the same team now. The Mittens gratefully accepted The Donald's endorsement saying he also knows how to create jobs. Funny, The Donald is most famous for "You're Fired," though Mittens is gaining some ground on that one. We do know Mittens is RICH and that The Donald is supposed to be supposed to be REALLY RICH (analysis vairies) and they do share bankruptcie...
Chuck Butcher - Thu 1:46 p.m. - 2 clicks
By Scott Moore of Portland, Oregon. Scott is the Communications Director for Our Oregon and was a political reporter and news editor for the Portland Mercury. Previously, he contributed Trivial Pursuit: That's Some Har-ible Reporting. From Portland to Medford, State Rep. Dennis Richardson (R-Your Inbox) is getting blasted for his latest scheme: Exploiting Oregon’s public records laws...
BlueOregon - Thu 1:03 p.m. - 13 clicks
Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian announced today that he's running again for another term. Avakian's tenure in the job has been a marked success so far. His term has seen a reinvigorated use of Commissioner Complaints. One was used to pursue a civil case against John Minnis, who was charged with sexual harassment and discrimination resulting from Minnis' tenure with the Oregon the Depar...
BlueOregon - Thu 12:28 p.m. - 10 clicks
( Updated twice below.) Jeffrey Goldberg's piece at The Atlantic's website, with more background on the machinations by anti-choice top brass at Susan G. Komen for the Cure to cut off the organization's support for Planned Parenthood's breast exam services, has already been picked up around the web. It includes the following quote from a former senior communications adviser for SGK. G...
Persuasion, Perseverance, and Patience - Thu 12:02 p.m.
Happy GroundHog Day! My friend Betsy asked me how I find LinkedIn useful, and one of my answers to her has to do with any social network. When someone asks me to connect on LinkedIn or Facebook, I usually accept … Continue reading → ...
Albertideation - Thu 11:44 a.m. - 2 clicks
The presses are rolling with the latest edition of Street Roots. Rain or shine — and who can predict these days — your friendly neighborhood vendor will stocked with the new issue early Friday morning. So don’t forget to pack … Continue reading → ...
For those who can't afford free speech - Thu 11:44 a.m.
Probably not for most. On-line there is easy substitutability for new content and thus price competition soon erodes away any real profit - or so it appears. But there are a few uniquely situated news organizations that provide something a bit different: a broad range of coverage, in-depth reporting, a national and even global reach and the reputation for quality. The New York T...
Oregon Economics Blog - Thu 11:21 a.m. - 2 clicks
By Amanda Waldroupe, Staff Writer For the second time in two years, Congress is reversing its policy on federal funding for syringe exchange programs, leaving many in health care business wondering how far local money can continue to carry the … Continue reading → ...
For those who can't afford free speech - Thu 9:28 a.m.
By Timothy Harris, Contributing Writer Harvard professor Bruce Western says our criminal justice system hurts us more than we realize. Bruce Western is professor of sociology and director of the Multidisciplinary Program in Inequality and Social Policy at the Harvard … Continue reading → ...
For those who can't afford free speech - Thu 9:06 a.m.
By Robin Hahnel, Contributing Columnist (This is the second in a series of columns by Robin Hahnel, a politial activist and visiting professor of economics at Portland State University. He is a co-creator of the post-capitalist economic model known as … Continue reading → ...
For those who can't afford free speech - Thu 9:06 a.m. - 10 clicks
The American Catholic Church is in an uproar because the Government has told them that they along with the other businesses covered by ACA have to get health insurance that covers contraception. They want a religious exemption because their version of god doesn't like ... well women having sex without babies. You know, bumping the dirty parts together without the consequences of child birth. We...
Chuck Butcher - Thu 5:07 a.m. - 2 clicks
This is why Mitt is not the inevitible nominee Mitt scored a 14 point victory over Newt in the Florida Primary but... Mitt spent (sort of) about $21 for each vote, yep $16.7M for 770K votes is pretty expensive and that is only mass media advertising. The votes bought at that cost involved a 40% who wanted a different set of choices. Tanking Newt (of all people) for that kind of money didn'...
Chuck Butcher - Thu 2:42 a.m.
If you're wondering just how breast cancer manages to become a political football you could go look at Mother Jones to get an idea. I'll give you a taste: Second, sitting on Komen's Advocacy Alliance Board is Jane Abraham, the General Chairman of the virulently anti-choice and anti-science Susan B. Anthony List and of its Political Action Committee. Among other involvements, Abraham helps dire...
Chuck Butcher - Thu 2:10 a.m. - 2 clicks
THIS IS A RE-POST FROM TODAY'S KID SHOOTINGS BLOG In the first month of Kid Shootings , we have reported on 169 separate shootings and reports of gun crimes which involve children age 17 or under, from 37 states and D.C . The reports span the full range of types of shootings: homicides, attempted homicides, accidents, kidnappings, stray bullets, defensive shootin...
New Trajectory - Thu 1:29 a.m.
http://bigkindleboogie.blogspot.com/ http://www.facebook.com/BigKindleBoogie There are 10 Kindle Fires up for grabs. And to top it off the winner of the first drawing also gets $500 donated to their local public library. As bad as I want a Kindle Fire (any Kindle actually) I would be more thrilled to see that money go to our Jackson County Library System...
JoyStory - Thu 1:28 a.m.
Join Individuals and Families on Thursday for an Equity in Education Action at the Oregon State Capitol! Thursday February 2, 2012 | 12 NOON Action for Equality in the Education of our Children Oregon State Capitol 900 Court Street NE Salem, Oregon 97301 12pm to 12:40pm Action for Equality in the Education of our Children (Free Pizza and Soda at 11:30am) Keyn...
CAUSA:blog - Wed 11:28 p.m. - 10 clicks
The Susan G. Komen For The Cure Foundation (I think that's its current legal name) took a beating today in the court of public opinion after it told its local affiliates that it would prohibit its local affiliates from issuing......
Isaac Laquedem - Wed 9:01 p.m.
The US House recently unveiled their proposed Transportation Bill . And it's horrible in pretty much every way: It gives the shaft to pretty much any mode of transport that doesn't have an exhaust pipe; and proposes to pay for it all with a big heavy dose of drill baby, drill. It's been roundly criticized by lots of folks--here's Congressman Blumenauer's take . Here's another attack ag...
Portland Transport - Wed 6:44 p.m. - 22 clicks
Street Roots and its vendors witness and experience both legal policies and illegal activities that play out on the streets of Portland. That’s why when law enforcement and community groups target one neighborhood or area of the city, we see … Continue reading → ...
For those who can't afford free speech - Wed 4:26 p.m. - 13 clicks
Susan G. Komen Foundation, the promoter of the heavily trademarked Race for the Cure, told its affiliates today that they aren't allowed to fund local Planned Parenthood operations that screen low-income women for breast cancer. The parent organization didn't fund......
Isaac Laquedem - Wed 2:27 p.m. - 8 clicks
America's Voice published this article today urging action against the GOP's Plan to eliminate the Child Tax Credit that millions of working families depend on. Action Needed: Stop the GOP’s Plan to Target and Punish Immigrant Families By Mahwish Khan America's Voice This week, The New York Times blasted the latest GOP scheme to punish immigrant families: House Republi...
CAUSA:blog - Wed 1:49 p.m. - 2 clicks
By Cole Merkel, Staff Writer Brian Schmidt sells Street Roots like a corner newsman at the turn of the 20th century. “Great articles in today’s Street Roots, read all about it for a couple quarters!” he yells, waving his bag … Continue reading → ...
For those who can't afford free speech - Wed 1:05 p.m. - 2 clicks
by Alan Preston, Contributing Writer Alan Michael Collinge’s first job as an aerospace engineer did not pay him quite enough to keep up with the payments on the $38,000 of student loans that he’d accumulated earning his degrees. Before he … Continue reading → ...
For those who can't afford free speech - Wed 1:05 p.m. - 2 clicks
Listen to the show (mp3, 26.5MB) Steph and Tori talk with Gerik Kransky (of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance ) and Chris Rall (of Transportation for America ) about funding challenges at the Federal and local levels and Tara Corbin from Cycle Oregon discusses the upcoming Oregon Active Transportation Summit (April 16th and 17th in Salem). ...
Portland Transport - Wed 1:04 p.m. - 38 clicks
Oregonian article about Police fitness testing and merit pay related to it. Oregonian article about the 5th Portland Loo First Flush event that was held yesterday....
Commissioner Randy Leonard - Wed 12:24 p.m. - 13 clicks
Over the last six weeks, three polls were released to the public in the OR-1 race. We now have election results data to compare them to. In mid-December, Public Policy Polling (PPP) conducted a poll on behalf of Daily Kos and SEIU. At the end of December, SurveyUSA conducted a poll on behalf of KATU. And on January 11-12, Republican pollster Bob Moore (pdf) conducted a poll for Rob Cor...
BlueOregon - Wed 10:42 a.m. - 2 clicks
Suzanne Bonamici, keeping a blue district very blue, indeed Apparently, the folks in Oregon's 1st Congressional District don't much care for tea. Yesterday, Democrat Suzanne Bonamici won a decisive (double-digit) victory over Republican Rob Cornilles in the race to replace David Wu as that district's congressional representative. Tea Party folks might want to take note. Their...
Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing - Wed 9:49 a.m. - 17 clicks
From the Oregonian 's Joseph Rose's Twitter feed (@ pdxcommute ) I was alerted to this interesting missive about bike boxes from England. It starts with a brief description of a truck (lorry) on bike accident that is all too fmiliar: a biker in the bike lane going straight and a truck in front slowing to turn right (or in this case left as the Brits are all crazy and drive on the wr...
Oregon Economics Blog - Wed 9:23 a.m. - 14 clicks
Hot Chocolate by Dawn Ireland This cozy mystery is a raucous romp. A light, quick read, it is laugh-out-loud funny all the way through except maybe for the scene when the murder victim is discovered and the scene when the murderer declares themselves tho even those two scenes have elements of slapstick visuals incorporated into them. The plot is quite masterfully constructed and kep...
JoyStory - Wed 7:09 a.m. - 3 clicks
How did we get to be PROUD of being dumbasses? And how did we elevate that dumbass class into the "role model" arena? I realize that there's always been a battle going on between the intellectuals and the masses. Continue reading → ...
His Vorpal Sword - Wed 4:43 a.m. - 12 clicks
Once again a state, Florida in this case, has shown that a majority of GOPers, 54% this time, don't want MultipleMitt. You could go ahead and make the case that a four way race means lower vote totals and be accurate in a lot of cases. You do have a vote split but it is on the ABM side - not including Ron Paul. To be clear, Ron Paul's voters are not Mitt Romney's except in opposition to President ...
Chuck Butcher - Tue 11:26 p.m. - 4 clicks
An interesting piece on NPR today about how the web-based Uber taxi hailing service is making life easier for travelers ... whether or not the vehicle happens to be licensed locally. This is very similar to the circumstances with Park at my House , which is available here but is probably a zoning violation. What's a local government to do? DC set up a sting for the unlicensed taxis, ...
Portland Transport - Tue 10:01 p.m. - 5 clicks
Suzanne Bonamici Annals of a congressional district that knows what it is and what it wants: Winding up a special congressional campaign that started last summer – last spring, really, when the first challenger got in – Democrat Suzanne Bonamici was elected Tuesday, over Republican Rob Cornilles, to the U.S. House from the Oregon 1st [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Oregon) - Tue 9:48 p.m. - 12 clicks
It's official. Suzanne Bonamici has been elected to represent Oregon's 1st Congressional District. Congratulations to the Congresswoman-elect, her family, and her entire team. The AP reports that Bonamici leads Cornilles 54 to 39, with 69% of the expected vote counted. Update, 9:15 p.m.: DPO chair Meredith Wood Smith noted some very impressive numbers in a post-victory statement: Ou...
BlueOregon - Tue 9:09 p.m. - 13 clicks
That's called the magic of television, and I will counterpoint that with the brick walls of the "Young Turks" and the "War Room" sets. DO NOT SHOW ME BRICK WALLS that make it look like you're a bunch of amateurs broadcasting from an abandoned tenement lobby. Continue reading → ...
His Vorpal Sword - Tue 7:22 p.m. - 3 clicks
Well, in just a few short hours, the polls will close in Oregon's First Congressional District - and in a matter of minutes, we'll know who has won. That's right, out-of-state observers, because of Oregon's unique vote-by-mail system, we often know the results very, very quickly. Voters have been voting for nearly three weeks. The county elections staff have been processing ballots very nearl...
BlueOregon - Tue 5:09 p.m. - 16 clicks
By Steve Pedery of Portland, Oregon . Steve is the Conservation Director for Oregon Wild, based in Portland. Since 1974, Oregon Wild has worked to protect the wildlands, wildlife, and waters that make Oregon a special place. The organization recently won it's second "Two Chiefs" award from the USDA Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service, for work to promote conservation...
BlueOregon - Tue 2:08 p.m. - 16 clicks
A few items: Clackamas County is considering closing (for now) the Canby Ferry. One big problem is the recent closure of the Willamette Falls Locks --the ferry is due for an inspection and a new propeller, a project to be done in Portland, and now the ferry will need to be trucked to the drydock instead of simply being floated down the Willamette, at considerably greater expense. Tri...
Portland Transport - Tue 2:08 p.m. - 45 clicks
We all understand the game the Republicans are playing: blocking Obama's agenda, and then asking why he's not accomplishing much. It's politics, and not unique. What is unique is the level of obstructionism by the Republicans on Obama's judicial nominees. In his State of the Union address, Obama called for it to end. From People for the American Way : Roughly ten percent of federal court...
BlueOregon - Tue 1:24 p.m.
Florida's Republican primary election has turned into a much less interesting one than it looked several weeks ago, with Newt Gingrich unable to sustain much of a bounce from his South Carolina victory and Mitt Romney poised to win by double digits, according to almost all pollsters. With Florida a winner-take-all state (the first we've seen so far), there's no partial credit for Gingrich either...
DailyKos (Oregon) - Tue 11:41 a.m. - 15 clicks
President Obama's weekly address, post-SOTU. Slams Sen Lee (R-UT) who has promised to block every presidential appointment until Consumer Watchdog is fired. ...
T.A. Barnhart - Tue 11:40 a.m.
OK, I'll give credit where credit is due. This is a little funny. A little weird and creepy, too, but that's clearly part of the gag. I won't describe the video in detail. You just have to watch it. Go ahead, I'll wait. ... Here's what I don't get: There's all kinds of mentions here about Stephen Colbert running in South Carolina. Doesn't Team Cornilles know that South Carolina was...
BlueOregon - Tue 10:50 a.m.
Permanent Residency Campaign Team feeting in Houston Houston, TX --This week, Causa’s Executive Director, Francisco Lopez is in Houston for the launch of the campaign to promote Permanent Residency for individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from Central America. While comprehensive immigration reform is not foreseeable in the near future and the current ...
CAUSA:blog - Tue 10:50 a.m.
OPB has the story this morning of the Oregon Legislature first officially mandated annual session where the first order of business will likely be yet another round of cuts coming from revenues that have not kept up with last years projections. Which got me to thinking, two years ago voters in Oregon approved a measure that included a temporary tax increase to 10.8 on individual income above $1...
Oregon Economics Blog - Tue 9:46 a.m. - 18 clicks
What President Obama said Abraham Lincoln said : I believe what Republican Abraham Lincoln believed: That government should do for people only what they cannot do better by themselves, and no more. What Abraham Lincoln said : The legitimate object of government is "to do for the people what needs to be done, but which they can not, by individual effort, do at all, or do so well, for themselv...
Persuasion, Perseverance, and Patience - Tue 9:45 a.m. - 18 clicks
James O'Keefe is the right-wing activist that uses selectively-edited hidden-camera video to punk organizations like National Public Radio, Planned Parenthood, and ACORN. He likes to claim that he's a journalist, but nothing could be further from the truth. What he does is more like Ashton Kutcher's Punk'd than Mike Wallace's 60 Minutes . As the Washington Post's Michael Gerson wrote l...
BlueOregon - Tue 6:23 a.m.
The Firelight of Maalda by Melissa Douthit This is Book 2 in the YA trilogy The Legend of the Raie' Chaelia (rye - kale - ya). I discussed Book 1, The Raie' Chaelia , and its two prequel short stories in last Tuesday's post so I won't retread that ground here. The adventures of Chalice and Jeremiah continue in The Firelight of Maalda as...
JoyStory - Tue 3:05 a.m. - 2 clicks
Portland State University Center for Transportation Studies Fall 2011 Transportation Seminar Series Speaker: Dr. Miguel Figliozzi (Portland State University) Topic: A review of case studies exploring pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users' exposure to particulate matter in Portland When: Friday, February 3, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Where: PSU Urban Center Building, SW 6th and Mill, Room...
Portland Transport - Mon 10:46 p.m. - 22 clicks
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? Share what you (are, have been, are about to, hope to be) reading or reviewing this week. Sign Mr Linky at Book Journey and visit other Monday reading roundups. This past week and for the next week or two my reading line up is all ebook review copies for self-published authors. Two of them for blog tours set for Tuesday and Wed...
JoyStory - Mon 5:44 p.m.
More than a decade ago I signed up to be part of a new non-profit called the Northwest Media Literacy Center. Because the name was a mouthful, to say nothing of slightly pretentious, we changed it to " MediaThink ." Over the years we put on dozens of presentations, primarily for parents worried that their children were being "media-napped" by texting, product placements, video games and cartoo...
The Red Electric - Mon 3:40 p.m.
By Janice Thompson, Contributing Writer ARTICLE One: Portland City Council says that corporations aren’t people On Jan. 12, the Portland City Council adopted a resolution in support of amending the U.S. Constitution to address the Citizens United decision and the … Continue reading → ...
For those who can't afford free speech - Mon 2:45 p.m. - 19 clicks
Stammering in front of a big crowd. Nephew Gino looks on. A post today to say thanks to everyone who did me the honor of attending my 50th birthday celebration. Whether you were physically present or there in spirit, I want you to know that I'm grateful. More grateful than I can adequately express. Professor Stewart King, myself, and my old friend ...
Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing - Mon 2:45 p.m. - 2 clicks
mmm, good morning world. I had a great adventure yesterday and am feeling revived and refreshed by it. I spent the day with Duane and Melani who run Summer Lake Hot Springs Resort in Paisley, Oregon. We traveled together to … Continue reading → ...
Albertideation - Mon 2:04 p.m. - 21 clicks
It's Monday! AG Kroger has issued temporary rules to help struggling homeowners deal with misleading practices by mortgage middlemen, and the Register Guard has called on the legislature to prioritize foreclosure protection in the February session. Another report (this time from the Tax Foundation) shows that Oregon has low business taxes, and public awareness is slowly growing about the detai...
Sockeye - Mon 1:26 p.m. - 18 clicks
And, in its way, that's what I've been leading up to in all of this. The artificial creation of rhetorical bogeymen is a very dangerous tactic. (And, like that GI JOE box, you don't need an actual action figure. You just need language to tell your voting audience what's IN the box. Which may not exist at all, or is merely a series of gut language conditionings attached to the "action figure" you'...
His Vorpal Sword - Mon 11:05 a.m.
Via The New York Times ' Economix blog , this graph comparing private sector growth and public sector growth: Quarterly change at seasonally adjusted annual rate. Source: NYTimes. Data source: Bureau of Economic Analysis You can have your own correlation and causation debate here: shrinking government returned the private sector to growth or held overall growth down hurtin...
Oregon Economics Blog - Mon 10:04 a.m. - 2 clicks
Clips of Harry I'm still having bouts of homesickness. They say laughter is the best medicine. I've been taking my medicine by streaming 3rd Rock from the Sun. Am in mid season 3. I try to limit myself to 2 episodes per day but find myself sneaking in that third one. Clips of Dick Sally and Tommy play Monopoly ...
JoyStory - Sun 8:43 p.m. - 3 clicks
In response to our discussion about the likely recommendation of TriMet's Fare Task Force , TriMet spokesperson Mary Fetsch passed along a white paper on electronic fare collection (PDF, 581K) that had been prepared at the request of General Manager Neil McFarlane. Before commenting on the very interesting contents of the document, I want to provide a couple of disclaimers: I don't know...
Portland Transport - Sun 11:43 a.m. - 9 clicks
Steady readers may know that I have a fondness for Xbox360 Role Playing Games. I prefer first person (screen is view from eyes) and I insist that the game give me enough story that I feel like I have a reason to spend the kind of time it takes - and the aggravation that comes with playing at high difficulty levels. Good RPGs let the player build a character from a lot of different attributes and a...
Chuck Butcher - Sun 11:04 a.m. - 3 clicks
( Update: Second link in the "Tom the Dancing Bug" item, below, is now fixed.) Item: In one of the slickest operational ploys since the Greeks built that big wooden horse, this week President Obama gave a speech to both houses of Congress, the Joint Chiefs, the Supreme Court, and the Cabinet -- simply to create a diversion while Navy SEALs rescued hostages from Somali pirates. Item: Mitt Ro...
Persuasion, Perseverance, and Patience - Sun 9:22 a.m. - 4 clicks
Particularly lovely is his slam of the French and France, sneering how they'll be too late to the party when we find nerve gas and uranium pellets. "Better gas up the dinghy and go fishing, Fredo, because you're DEAD TO ME!" (approximately). The pop-culture reference is to "The Godfather, Part II." Continue reading → ...
His Vorpal Sword - Sun 7:04 a.m. - 4 clicks
The Public Domain Review | : 'via Blog this' This website is a treasure trove of cultural curiosities and wonders culled from that vast and ever-growing conglomeration known as 'the public domain'--the works and the artifacts whose copyright has expired and thus are now free to view and use by any and all. Archivists and librarians, universities and museums, the world over have been bus...
JoyStory - Sun 12:40 a.m.
Politics and politesse, rites, rituals and routine behaviors are what he asks me about, usually when I'm waiting somewhere for something, and he IS the one who asked me "How come so much of human life is spent in waiting, even if you're the president of the USA?" Continue reading → ...
His Vorpal Sword - Sat 7:21 p.m. - 3 clicks
Out here in Cascadia, we have a lot of fire lookouts. These were manned stations built on high ridges and mountain peaks to watch for forest fires. Because of the remote locations, at least in the western states, it wasn't possible to have daily shift changes, so the crews simply lived at the stations. The lockouts were equipped with special fire spotting equipment, such as the...
DailyKos (Oregon) - Sat 4:22 p.m. - 4 clicks
With just four days until Election Day for Oregon’s first Congressional District, it’s all about the ground game and the campaign to elect Suzanne Bonamici needs our help! Let’s show Bonamici our strength as GLBT Democrats. It is critical that Team Bonamici out numbers the opponent in troops on the ground to reach voter contact [...]...
DPO GLBT Caucus - Sat 12:10 p.m. - 17 clicks
Honoring the likely victory on Tuesday of the SuperPAC not coordinating with Mitt Romney's campaign over the SuperPAC not coordinating with Newt “Angry Little Attack Muffin” Gingrich's campaign in the Florida GOP primary, here's the Act II show-stopper from the multple-Tony Award-winning “The Book of Mormon.” If your browser won't display the embedded version, click here . And, f...
Persuasion, Perseverance, and Patience - Sat 11:27 a.m. - 2 clicks
All writers are vain, selfish and lazy...' ~George Orwell Life can't ever really defeat a writer who is in love with writing, for life itself is a writer's lover until death - fascinating, cruel, lavish, warm, cold, treacherous, constant. ~Edna Ferber, A Kind of Magic , 1963 You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write. ~...
JoyStory - Sat 12:40 a.m. - 3 clicks
Alice's adventures in both books acquired a patina of evil, or even child molestation, and that view COLORED the experience of Alice (Wonderland and Looking Glass) for many years thereafter -- even though it was purest fiction. Continue reading → ...
His Vorpal Sword - Fri 10:04 p.m. - 2 clicks
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 28, 2012 CONTACT: Francisco Lopez, Causa's Executive Director (503)269-5694 Central American and Latino Organizations throughout the U.S. launch Campaign to Ask for Permanent Residency for Central Americans with Temporary Protected Status in the U.S. Press Conference Date: Monday, January 30th, 2012 Time: 11:00 a.m. Location: Mickey Leland Federal B...
CAUSA:blog - Jan 27 - 13 clicks
Happy Friday! Legislators prepare for the February session, beginning next week. Oregon's Republican legislators say they'll fight the Governor's health care plan unless it includes limits on medical malpractice lawsuits, and turnout for Democrats and Republicans appears to be about the same rate in the CD1 election--though with the large Democratic registration edge, that means many more Democ...
Sockeye - Jan 27 - 13 clicks
Let's face it, the news today can be downright depressing. It's important to remember that things aren't all bad--in fact, there are some really great things happening around us all the time. Introducing, The Bright Side of Life. Happy Friday! Here are a few stories we found that brightened up the OO office throughout the week. Everyone adored the clip of President Obama singing Al Gre...
Sockeye - Jan 27
In 2010, the Oregon State Marine Board prohibited the use of internal combustion motors on Waldo Lake in response to a broad public call to preserve the unique water purity of the lake. Today, the Oregon State Marine Board is considering reversing that decision due to pressure from a small group of motorboat users and seaplane [...] ...
Oregon Sierra Club Blog - Jan 27 - 17 clicks
Yet another sign today that the US may be on the road to recovery: the US grew at an annualized rate of 2.8% last quarter . This is good news considering where we have been these last few years, but not good enough to may anyone feel good about the staying power of such a trend. And the trend itself isn't good enough: at a 2.8% rate we'll be lucky to keep up with jab market growth -...
Oregon Economics Blog - Jan 27 - 4 clicks
Somehow, the words "Low IQ & Conservative Beliefs Linked to Prejudice" caused the elite of the Rightie Blogosmear to use their protean command of logick to formulate the logical statement (Low IQ) + (Conservative Beliefs) = Prejudice and instantly turn it inside-out into the strange self-insult (Conservative) = Stupid + Racist. Continue reading → ...
His Vorpal Sword - Jan 27 - 5 clicks
Freshly shorn and 50 Today, I'm 50 years old . God help me, I'm proud of it. I find dignity in that number. Fifty. The way I see it, if you've managed to make it to fifty, you've qualified. You've demonstrated a certain competency just by staying alive that long. Which is not to say that there isn't any luck involved. Certainly not! ...
Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing - Jan 27
“It is not true we have only one life to live; if we can read, we can live as many lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish.”—S.I. Hayakawa “To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.”—Victor Hugo “Sit in a room and read—and read and read. And read the right books by the right people. Your mind is brought onto that level, and you h...
JoyStory - Jan 26 - 2 clicks
Joe Rose at the Oregonian is reporting that a TriMet fare task force may will recommend doing away with zones, and prohibiting using transfers for return trips (transfers would only work in one direction). While I'm a big proponent of keeping things simple, this proposal does not excite me. Beyond potential equity issues (I honestly don't know if this is better or worse for transit-depende...
Portland Transport - Jan 26 - 41 clicks
Rather than allow the body to be interred into the earth, or even for the body to cool, O'Reilly immediately repeated his mid-November position, because, I guess, his constant high moral dudgeon is so goddamned important... Continue reading → ...
His Vorpal Sword - Jan 26 - 2 clicks
Wednesday Gov Chris Christie had this to say about Civil Rights while referring to Gay Marriage, “People would have been happy to have referendum on civil rights rather than fighting and dying in the streets in the South.” I think there was a referendum at the time, Chris, and it involved little things like three kids in a dike, Medger Evers gunned down, fire hoses, German Shepards, and Nationa...
Chuck Butcher - Jan 26 - 4 clicks
YOU'RE GOING TO SIT THERE UNTIL YOU EAT YOUR SHIT SANDWICH Now I have to admit that if I had GWB (the never to be mentioned GOPer) in front of me I might have had a finger up, a different digit to be sure. There is also the minor issue that I'm not a Governor. But that gets to a point, what exactly is it that this President has done that is sooooo damn offensive. I get that he is a De...
Chuck Butcher - Jan 26 - 3 clicks
Anti-Immigrant groups with the support of Oregon State Representative Kim Thatcher (R), Oregon State Representative Jeff Barker (D) and others (listed below) will be introducing a bill (HB 4052) to force state agencies in Oregon to use the flawed E-verify system to "verify employment eligibility of applicants". E-Verify, an internet based computer database run by the U.S. Department of Homeland ...
CAUSA:blog - Jan 26 - 13 clicks
Atando cabos Tying up a few loose ends today. More about President Obama's State of the Union speech That's a poll number that has got to strike cold fear into the heart of the Romney-for-President campaign. Between that and the rebellion of the Know-Nothings , Mitt is in real trouble. But not just Mitt, the GOP caucuses in both houses of Congress! Consid...
Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing - Jan 26
You are invited to the 5th Portland Loo Inaugural Flush PORTLAND, OR— The fifth Portland Loo will open at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, January 31st, 2012. Located at NW Couch and 8th Avenue in the North Park Blocks, Commissioner Randy......
Commissioner Randy Leonard - Jan 26 - 9 clicks
At 11:15 pm, Dan Sinclair was riding his bicycle along the Eastbank Esplanade headed southbound when he heard a voice calling for help from the river below. Upon scanning the water, he spotted someone splashing in the Willamette River about......
Commissioner Randy Leonard - Jan 26 - 7 clicks
Over at the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis, Josh Lehner has done yet another fascinating post , this time on Oregon's wood product industry. Go there and read the entire thing, its worth your time, but I'll whet your appetite with two graphs. The first is a look at the historical employment in the wood products industry in Oregon: And the second is wood products as a percentage ...
Oregon Economics Blog - Jan 26 - 9 clicks
The Portland-Milwaukie MAX project commenced construction last year, albeit concentrated in downtown. Trees have been ripped out along SW Lincoln, work on the bridge has started, and work is also starting on the so-called "Harbor Structure", a viaduct over Harbor Drive between SW Naito and SW Gibbs. Work on the bulk of the project, beyond the new bridge, doesn't start until next year. That...
Portland Transport - Jan 26 - 7 clicks
Like we've been good at soothsaying, as a Class of Seers, or, written to that 8.4 grade level: Being a know-it-all doesn't mean you know anything. Continue reading → ...
His Vorpal Sword - Jan 25
see more Lolcats and funny pictures , and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz! I'm feeling like this today. I think it is mostly homesick. I'm hoping it is not another virus coming on. I've another two or three weeks here at Mom's before going back to Phoenix OR. There is plenty to keep me busy. Busy helps keep the sad at bay. Anyway I put in over...
JoyStory - Jan 25
By Joanne Zuhl, Staff Writer Six months into operation, the city’s drug impact area program has excluded 240 defendants from the city’s downtown and inner eastside neighborhoods — nearly one in four of all arrests for heroin, cocaine and marijuana … Continue reading → ...
For those who can't afford free speech - Jan 25
Charlie Pierce responds to those who insist the Occupy movement must be a failure because it refuses to reduce its message to an evening news-friendly sound bite : Make no mistake: Without all the hell-raising, and all the shouting at the right buildings, and all the drum circles, we would have heard a very different State of the Union speech last night. And he's got four or five pretty good ...
Persuasion, Perseverance, and Patience - Jan 25
Today, Oregon Center for Public Policy released a report, Undocumented Workers are Taxpayers, Too (PDF) . OCPP does in-depth research and analysis on budget, tax, and economic issues. Their goal is to improve decision making and generate more opportunities for all Oregonians. Undocumented Workers Are Taxpayers, Too It's essential that Oregonians recognize the i...
CAUSA:blog - Jan 25 - 6 clicks
As you may know if you've been following most of my recent diaries, I've been looking at possibilities based on Sean Trende's prediction that Oregon would get a 6th congressional district. I've previously presented two Democratic maps that would give Democrats a good shot at 5/6 districts. I also posted one map that would give Republicans a good shot at 3/6. Today I present to ...
DailyKos (Oregon) - Jan 25 - 4 clicks
The Tax Foundation has released its latest Business Tax Climate rankings and once again, Oregon comes out looking pretty good. The Tax Foundation considers Oregon to be the 13th best in the country, an improvement of two spots from its 2011 ranking. According to their metrics, Oregon does particularly well in sales tax and property tax, but a little worse in in corporate, individual...
Oregon Economics Blog - Jan 25 - 5 clicks
A week from today I'll be hosting a giveaway on the blog tour for an ebook copy of Book 2 of Melissa Douthit's fantasy trilogy The Legend of the Raie' Chaelia (rye - kale - ya). To prepare for my review of The Firelight of Maalda , I was sent as well Book 1 The Raie' Chaelia and two prequels, The Journey Begins and The Vanishing . So I thought I would say a little somethin...
JoyStory - Jan 25
Well, what'd ya think? It seemed to me that the entire speech had a hard undertone. It wasn't overtly political. But while the President was speaking, it was hard to forget that this is an election year. Just a few observations: In 2008, the house of cards collapsed. We learned that mortgages had been sold to people who couldn’t afford or understand them. Banks had made huge bets ...
Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing - Jan 24
Last time around one of the GOPers in the House lost track of what show he was watching and turned Congress into his couch in front of the TV playing WWF silliness. "You Lie!" he shouted as he imagined himself doing some folding chair smashing. A lot of people pointed out the incivility of that behavior... as though that Party doesn't breed for it. Tonight the President is going to play to pret...
Chuck Butcher - Jan 24
On the basis of exit polling the media started calling the South Carolina Primary for Newt a couple minutes after the polls closed. With a third of the vote in it looks like 41 Newt, 26 Mitt, 18 Rick, 13 Ron. (50% in 40,27) So, in ascending order the GOP has: The Last Confederate Standing Frothy Blah People (Google is your friend, with a strong stomach) MultipleMitt The Slimy Amphibian And from ...
Chuck Butcher - Jan 24
Actual headline from NPR's actual web site this week: State Bill Outlaws Use Of Fetuses In Food Industry The bill in question prohibits “the manufacture or sale of food or products which use aborted human fetuses.” You may or may not be surprised by the following: (1) This happened in Oklahoma. (2) The fellow who authored this law, State Sen. Ralph Shortey, cannot point to any evidence...
Persuasion, Perseverance, and Patience - Jan 24
I have, for all of my international groupies, added the Google Translate widget to my blogs. Now you can read me in Portuguese, Mandarin, Swahili and the ever-popular Welsh! Welsh really is the coolest - although if you like different scripts, check out Hindi and Arabic. Now my fame shall know no bounds! -or- Nawr bydd fy enwogrwydd yn gwybod dim ffiniau! ...
Oregon Economics Blog - Jan 24
While you really can’t eat it, if lost in the woods on a cold winter night, this particular “mushroom” could possibly help save your life!...
Oregon WildBlog - Jan 24
Trouble for the world economy. The IMF has lowered its global growth prediction to account for continuing weakness in Europe. They now predict that Europe will return to recession this year and that this contraction will put the brakes on world economic growth: The IMF chopped its 2012 forecast for global growth to 3.3 percent from 4 percent just three months ago, saying the outlook had dete...
Oregon Economics Blog - Jan 24
Last week, Digby examined this passage from a right-wing radio fulminator whom we'll leave in well-earned anonymity (source here , via Right Wing Watch, if you really must know): This, again, brings us back around to the larger subject of this Occupy Wall Street, this astroturf movement that's been funded from [George] Soros down and from every other angle, taking a bunch of over-educated, ov...
Persuasion, Perseverance, and Patience - Jan 24
If you've followed my last two diaries you know that I'm drawing maps based on the prediction by Sean Trende that Oregon will get a 6th district in 2020. My first two diaries were essentially Democratic maps that sought to create a 5-1 split in the Democrat's favor, seeing as Democrats will likely have control of the legislature in 2020, and I'm a Democrat. Despite previous statements th...
DailyKos (Oregon) - Jan 24 - 2 clicks
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? Share what you (are, have been, are about to, hope to be) reading or reviewing this week. Sign Mr Linky at Book Journey and visit other Monday reading roundups. This week my reading line up is all ebook review copies for self-published authors. Two of them for blog tours set for next week and a third for a blog tour set for the...
JoyStory - Jan 24
Bill O'Reilly has provided me with tomorrow's blog, in other words, so here's something to tide you over tonight Continue reading → ...
His Vorpal Sword - Jan 24
One of the things which Portland is famous for in urbanist circles, was the decision in the 1970s to remove Harbor Drive and replace it with Tom McCall Waterfront Park (or Waterfront Park as it was known back then). And more recently, another urban demolition project--of smaller scope--helped in making NW Portland what is is today: the 1999 removal of the Lovejoy Viaduct. The viaduct, an el...
Portland Transport - Jan 24 - 3 clicks
It's wrong to put civil rights up for a vote. Oh well. There are potentially going to be a lot of wrongs come November, 2012. What's a few more? How much would YOU pay for a marriage equality ballot initiative? You probably read about The Washington State Senate today getting its needed 25th vote for marriage equality, and that the Washington State Assembly should hav...
DailyKos (Oregon) - Jan 23 - 4 clicks
By Joanne Zuhl Staff writer New and familiar faces among the candidates for City Council addressed an invested audience on issues of affordable housing and homelessness this afternoon. The City Commissioner Candidates’ Forum on Housing brought together the leading contenders … Continue reading → ...
For those who can't afford free speech - Jan 23
The mysteries of Gold Lake's bogs has our guide book author on the look out for a mythical creature....
Oregon WildBlog - Jan 23
One of my pastimes, which I occasionally put to practical use, is to design political campaigns, not the lawn signs and the bumper stickers, but the overarching theme for the candidate to push: how the candidate can explain his or......
Isaac Laquedem - Jan 23
Here's a thought-experiment: If the GOP were willing to sacrifice the White House in 2012 in order to guarantee they captured the Senate, could they find a candidate much better suited to the job than Newt Gingrich? Minute's up. ...
Persuasion, Perseverance, and Patience - Jan 23
The Foundation for Child Development and the Annie E. Casey Foundation have compiled a host of measures of child well-being and use them to rank states . They have produced a report about these metrics, but here is their map showing the relative position of states according to their metrics. Nancy Folbre has an interesting discussion of these at The New York Times ' Economix ...
Oregon Economics Blog - Jan 23 - 4 clicks
I spent much of the afternoon and evening reading in my Kindle for PC. I took a few breaks to play Word on fb but kept coming back to the novel whose review/giveaway is scheduled for January 31. A second review/giveaway is scheduled for the following day. There are two more review copies waiting in line for after that. I have been actively seeking out self-published ebooks...
JoyStory - Jan 23
Portland State University Center for Transportation Studies Winter 2012 Transportation Seminar Series Speaker: Dale Bracwell (Manager of Active Transportation for Vancouver, BC) Topic: Sustaining a Transportation Legacy from the 2010 Olympic Winter Games When: Friday, January 27, 2012, 12:00 - 1:00pm Where: PSU Urban Center Building, SW 6th and Mill, Room 204 ...
Portland Transport - Jan 23 - 4 clicks
Professor Bogdanski's recent post on the renascence of the proposed headquarters hotel for the Oregon Convention Center caught my eye last week, not so much for his views on the hotel (long negative) but for the financial data in the......
Isaac Laquedem - Jan 22 - 4 clicks
By Sean Cruz Portland, Oregon— “Facing Race”, a racial equity report on the 2011 Oregon Legislature has just been published, a rare accomplishment in itself in this state intentionally created to be an exclusive white paradise. Produced by a coalition of several community-based organizations, the Facing Race report does provide some valuable insights and could prove to be useful over time i...
Blogolitical Sean - Jan 22 - 3 clicks
Ugly. Here's how Michael Tomasky , of the Daily Beast put it, two days before Newt Gingrich's sudden surge to victory in South Carolina's primary: "If he actually wins South Carolina, the nomination fight and the party are suddenly in turmoil. It may only be for a week, but even just for that week, it would reveal a primary electorate that is so consumed with its paranoias t...
Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing - Jan 22
