Getting Off On Being Green: A new eco-friendly pitch from the “adult” industry
During the years I ran a small publishing business, I got on what often seems to be every North American companys’ public relations release list. Today, I typically get from 30 to 50 e-mail public relations releases a day.
Conan Debuts, Jams With Jack White
After almost ten long months in television exile, Conan O’Brien returned to late-night television last night with the debut of his new hour-long TBS show, aptly titled, Conan. The show is, for the most part, identical to his old Late Night show, and that’s totally fine by me.
Former Chef Writes Cookbook about Not Cooking
I just talked to Tom Rice, a local former chef and author of a new book (only available online for now at eatefficiently.com) called The I'd-Rather-Not Cook Book: Bachelor(ette) Culinary Science.
FLASH: Deschutes County Gives Election to Kitzhaber!
Whenever a Democrat wins a close statewide race in Oregon, we hear Republicans grumbling that those damn liberal elitists in Portland and Multnomah County gave the election to him. Sometimes, if they’re in a really bad mood, they’ll say they “stole” the election for him.
Central Oregon’s Last Comic Standing: Round 3
The third qualifying round of Central Oregon’s Last Comic Standing is tonight at the Old Stone Church (8pm, $5, 21 and up) and guess what? I’m hosting it! That means I’ll be up there saying things like “Who’s ready to laugh?” and “You know what I hate about airplane food?” and other HILARIOUS phrases before…
How Kitzhaber Did It
Oregonian political blogger Jeff Mapes has an interesting analysis of how John Kitzhaber was able to eke out a razor-thin victory over Chris Dudley for the governorship. Some of the main points: The Ground Game: Democrats made the most of their 10% registration edge in the state by mounting an intensive canvassing and phone banking…
Duckorama: The dream of an epic BCS title game
Miracles do happen. I arrived back at my San Francisco Bay area hotel last Saturday night after swilling cocktails and eating fatty finger food while watching the Giants lose to the Rangers in Game three of the World Series to find my wife intently watching the Ducks-Trojans game on TV.
Afrobeat in Bend: Chicago Afrobeat Project Hits Silver Moon
After you’ve got your fill of art walk around downtown Bend and the Old Mill District tonight and laughed your face off at Central Oregon’s Last Comic Standing, head over to the Silver Moon, that is, if you want to dance. The Chicago Afrobeat Collective will be on hand, all eight of them, and will…
Pho Sho! Pho is at Marz Bistro
Marz Bistro, which was bought by the Blacksmith’s chef Gavin McMichael a couple of months ago, has been open for a few weeks now. I went in for lunch today and was stoked to see, among other lunch menu items, the elusive, beautiful creation known as Pho.
Yard Dogs Road Show Tonight in Bend
Tonight at the Domino Room, you can continue on with your Halloween weirdness by attending/participating in the Yard Dogs Road Show. The rock and roll hobo variety show has a little of something for everyone, or at least people who enjoy bizarre music and stage tricks.
“Tax” Is Not a Four-Letter Word
The midterm election campaign that just ended (thank god) was about many things – the deficit, unemployment, health care reform, whether Christine O’Donnell really is a witch – but the background motif playing behind all of them was the eternal theme: taxes. On the national level, Republicans pounded on the message that Barack Obama had…
Ramsay and Arnold Headed for Recount
It’s late and my pain meds are just starting to kick in (sprained ankle) so I’ll keep this short. But after speaking with newly re-elected Deschutes County Clerk Nancy Blankenship, I’ve got this to report about the too-close to call city Council race between Chuck Arnold and Scott Ramsay .
Want Some Karma with that Burger?: Common Table is serving fresh, local food with a purpose
The first thing you notice when walking into Common Table is the 20-foot-long black walnut table, which runs the length of the new non-profit café on Oregon Avenue. The restaurant, which occupies the former Cork location, has been open for just over a month. Yet, with minimal promotion, save a few articles (we wrote about…
Against the Gear Gurus: When it's the equipment that counts, not the experience
If you believe the numerous outdoor gear sites, self-appointed gear guru bloggers and outdoor magazine “test” stories and annual gear guides, no outdoor experience is worth undertaking unless you have the latest and greatest (read expensive) gear. A two-person tent's five-star rating by Backpacker magazine apparently means that every night spent in said tent during…
The Convergence: What to do when your fantasy football interferes with your World Series party and NBA games
A World Series in which fans outside of New York are interested. NFL games featuring, among other things, at least one player with a broken ankle and a wiener-showing problem. The debut of the NBA's newest franchise, The Miami Lebrons Featuring Members of the Heat™. College football conference rivalries and BCS shuffling. NCAA basketball waiting…
ODFW Fishing Report for the Week of Oct. 25
CROOKED RIVER BELOW BOWMAN DAM: redband trout and mountain whitefish. Fishing has been great! Flows should remain consistent around 75 cfs throughout the winter resulting in consistent fishing. A sample of redband trout and mountain whitefish are tagged with a numbered floy tag protruding from the back. Anglers who catch a trout or whitefish with…
Meet the Writers: A sampling of the authors at The Nature of Words
Brian Turner This poet is the author of Here, Bullet a collection of poems centered on his time serving in the Army during the Iraq war. Turner, who Benjamin Percy called one of his favorites when he appeared in Bend last month, was on the ground in Iraq at the war's onset in 2003 and…
“Meet the New Boss – Same as the Old Boss”
The author is reporting that 3 in 4 Americans think things are “going badly” in our country. What a shock after this upbeat election.
it's not alllll good
They say things are done for the majority. Don't believe half of what you see and none of what you hear. It's a lot like what my painter friend Donald said to me, “Stick a fork in their ass and turn them over. They're done.”
Saw 3D Sews it Up, or Does It? The Grand Guignol finale picks up the pace and pours on the gore
Finally, the saga of Jigsaw comes full circle and the Saw franchise comes to an end. Or does it? Seriously folks, can we really trust horror movie franchises to end? Just take a gander at Jason, Freddy Kruger and Michael Myers… they won't die. I predict that there will be more Saw movies – maybe…
Brick Oven Pizza now at Brown Bag
We've just heard that Brown Bag at 129 NE 2ndStreet, which re-opened under new ownership after closing its doors last March, has added a mobile pizza cart to the fare offered on Fridays. We talked to Chris Richer, who took over the establishment.
Man in a Box: Ryan Reynolds gives what might be the performance of the year in Buried
Buried tells the story of Paul Conroy (played by Ryan Reynolds) an American truck driver in Iraq whose convoy is attacked by Iraqi insurgents. Rather than simply kill him, they abduct and bury him in a wooden box several feet below the desert. His kidnappers leave him with a pencil, a Zippo, a Blackberry and…
A Novel Idea Announces 2011 Book: Kapitoil by Teddy Wayne
If you’re looking for a book to read, which you probably should be, considering the onslaught of crappy weather rumored to be on the way soon, the Deschutes Public Library has a suggestion, and it’s the title they’ve picked for their Novel Idea Program: Kapitoil by Teddy Wayne. Some 5,500 county residents participate in the…
Escape From New York: What do with a couple of post-apocalyptic sweethearts…
Like all buddy-cop/true-love stories, Enslaved begins with the two main characters meeting under less-than-romantic circumstances. In this case, Monkey, a glowering tree-trunk of a man, and Trip, a ragdoll-haired brainy girl, are both slaves aboard an airship that crashes someplace in Brooklyn. Then, while Monkey is unconscious, Trip snaps a headband on him and programs…
Your Failure, My Success
People often ask, “Hey, Wm.™ Steven Hump-Me! What is the secret of your success?” Well, that's a complicated question: How did I – a barely literate narcissist and sex addict born in the rabid goat-infested mountains of Lithuania – rise to the lofty position of America's most beloved television columnist? Well, frankly… I have YOU…
Drinking in Halloween
Halloween is no doubt the best American holiday. It is impossible to explain to foreigners our passion for wearing panties in public with little ears and platform high-heeled shoes. Children love it because they get to wear costumes, go to parties, and of course, get plenty of free candy. Adults love it because it means…
The Guitar Hero Lives: Doug Martsch and Built to Spill continue to make rock's greatest instrument king
The last time Built to Spill played in Bend, it was at the Les Schwab Amphitheater and it was raining. Wait, that's not quite accurate. It wasn't raining as much as it was dumping gallons of water from the heavens, leaving fans – many of whom were there primarily to see headliner Michael Franti and…
Belle & Sebastian: Belle & Sebastian Write about Love
I love Belle & Sebastian. We're great friends. We met early in college when roommates and other time travelers (the dudes who wear their collars up) were listening to the typical meathead rock that cheapens sex and rots your soul. I was looking for a new band to embrace and stumbled into Belle & Sebastian…
Our Picks for 11/03-11/11: Last Comic Standing, Star Trek Live and more!
The Yard Dogs Road Show thursday 4 We gave you a heads up on this rock and roll “hobo cabaret” in last week's Halloween preview and if you're still in need of some costumed fun or some Burning Man flashbacks, check out Yard Dogs Road Show. It will remind you of the heyday of vaudeville,…
Big Boss Man: From home builder to state representative to county commissioner, Dennis Luke has left his mark on Deschutes County
Imagine the Flintstones without Fred, Smith without Wesson, Bo without Luke. And for anyone who has been around county government for the last ten years, Deschutes County without Dennis Luke. Just a few years ago it seemed like an unlikely proposition, but the senior statesman will preside over his last meeting sometime in December. With…
Oregon's Untouchables vs. the Wall Street Banksters
If you were doing a remake of “The Untouchables,” neither Ted Wheeler nor John Kroger probably would be your first pick for the role of Elliot Ness. They're skinny guys with glasses who, let's face it, look more than a little nerdy. When it comes to tackling organized crime on Wall Street, though, Oregon Treasurer…
Pigs in Space, Stewart vs. Stu on the Mall, and more!
100 Years in Space? NASA might have some job openings in about 100 years and the perks look pretty cool. You get to travel millions of miles into space and land on another planet – probably Mars – where you'll help colonize a new planet in the name of human beings. Oh, but there's a…
Mt. Bachelor Boot Was Off Target
Upon reading your article written two weeks ago about the unfortunate situation and outcome of the previously named Mt. Bachelor Academy, I couldn’t help but read it and feel an injustice was happening before my eyes. I now understand what went on and appreciated the article's informational content. However, I felt ashamed – like seeing…
Bulletin Letter Was Simply Racist
On Oct. 30 The Bulletin published a letter from Margaret Dement. This letter blamed American bedbug problems on “multiculturalism and mass immigration.” I have questions for Ms. Dement and The Bulletin:
Illicit Party Made A Mess of Meissner
The Tumalo Langlauf Club has worked diligently this fall to get the Meissner Community Ski Area ready for winter. Yesterday, some partiers visited the Meissner Shelter and managed to trash the place and leave beer bottles and cans and, most sadly, burn up a quantity of the wood that had been split and stored for…
Parkway Safety Starts With Landscaping
We've all been hearing about tragedies on the south end of Bend's parkway. We don't want to have people needlessly killed and injured here, or have Bend be known for its highway death trap. Certainly, an over-the-road pedestrian bridge would save lives. Considering where our tax dollars get wasted, this would be a smart alternative.…
A Quick Local Election Round-up
(Update: Final numbers, or at least what appeared to be final this a.m.
