Source Weekly, Author at The Source - Bend, Oregon

In The Red: Our awesome deficit, Iraq hush money and terror on trial

Our awesome deficit, Iraq hush money and terror on trial.

Source WeeklyNovember 18, 2009January 4, 2023

The author has been sent on the road to discover a lost country formerly known as America. He is reporting from Great Wall Chinese Buffet, hoping to see Presidents Obama and Hu, on assignment for Or-Bust.com and The Source Weekly.

President Obama is in China for a critical lovefest with President Hu, hoping our allowance doesn't get cut off. Touring the Forbidden City, where all of our debt is hidden from the eyes of the 1.35 billion Chinese who aren't eating all that well, nor concerned about hunting ghosts. In the hall of “Supreme Harmony” Obama then begged Hu for more money – err harmony – to underwrite our health care, multiple wars, bailouts, unemployment extensions, and a new initiative code-named “Year of the Rat.” Another sign of how out of touch Americans are (hey, it's football season and “Law & Order” is on next… ) a recent CNN poll showed 71% view China as “an economic threat” while 51% view it as a “military threat.” Ain't that sweet? Kind of like the roommate who is two months late with rent, hasn't paid a utility bill since moving in, but sits with his/her bong each day watching the cable TV you're paying for viewing you as an “economic threat.” Because, should you ask him/her to finally pay-up, his/her next bag of nugs and beer might not miraculously appear. FYI: China owns $763.5 billion of our $1.886 trillion total debt, which is about what we'll spend on our awesome military this year, should China say, “Hey, dude, about the rent… “

Opinion

Glenn Beck's Sideshow

For a mere $20 you too can share in Beck's personal transformation from child of a broken home to the public face of right-wing ignorance and intolerance.

Source WeeklyNovember 18, 2009January 17, 2024

Right-wing Christians have never been comfortable with secularization of Christmas. Nor have they liked the answer that schools and the rest of society came up with in rolling all the Jewish, Christian and secular holidays together and coming up with the more generic and inclusive, a.k.a. The Holiday Season. We have a brother-in-law, for instance, who after a religious transformation refuses to let his two children read write or watch anything that deals with the story of Santa Claus because of such concerns.

Opinion

Whatever happened to Rahm Emanuel?

Letter to the Editor.

Source WeeklyNovember 18, 2009January 23, 2023

As the election of Barack Obama appeared almost certain even before November 4, 2008 leaks about a proposed cabinet began to appear in the press and blogs everywhere. The name of former Congressman Rahm Emanuel, known in the halls of Congress as the foul mouth, “get-it-done” operative, rose to the must-have Chief of Staff for Obama, mostly to counterbalance the “above the fray” cool and collected young Democrat, about to be elected.
Cheers went up from all corners of the Democratic intelligentsia and loud criticism from Republicans and the rabid extreme right, all indications that the president-to-be was on the right track. The chief of staff, in addition to being the gatekeeper of the Oval Office is also the guy who navigates the corridors of power in the Capitol to let legislators know who is in charge and remind recalcitrants of the power that the one in charge really has.

Culture

Return To Sender: Donnie Darko director enters The Twilight Zone with The Box

Donnie Darko director enters The Twilight Zone with The Box.

Source WeeklyNovember 11, 2009January 20, 2023

Ah Richard Kelly, he would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those pesky portals to another dimension. The writer-director was handed a big box of his own when his debut, Donnie Darko, drew in enthusiastic crowds. It's a box filled with plenty of responsibility and a whole lot of money. And at 25 years-old, Kelly had been so convinced the movie would sink that he entered Harvard Law School.
Initially critics didn't get Donnie Darko and Sundance didn't care. Success came from word-of-mouth excitement and since then, it seems like Kelly's been holed up, pondering exactly why Donnie Darko made it big. Somehow, he figured it was all down to those shimmery, stretchy portals – rather than the characters, atmosphere or writing. Kelly's second film, Southland Tales, was plain nuts. But The Box has many elements of what made Donnie Darko genius.

Food & Drink

The Alter Ego

Cocktailing: A drink for your Halloween alter ego.

Source WeeklyNovember 11, 2009January 4, 2023

Halloween is the only day when one can comfortably enter a ritzy nightclub with chi's chi's hanging out of a prom dress made entirely out of Glad forceflex trash bags, old Christmas lights, and zip ties.
Halloween goers spend weeks creating and polishing the perfect costume. Creativity shines the weeks before Halloween. The craft stores are packed to the brim with people that somehow have the gumption create a Marie Antoinette costume from scratch even though they've never been able to thread a needle or use a glue gun. Each costume is meant to bedazzle the next and every nightspot has some sort of costume contest.

Culture

Our Picks for 11/11 – 11/19: The Bayliens, Re:Session, Eek-A-Mouse

Our picks for this week’s events in Central Oregon.

Source WeeklyNovember 11, 2009April 11, 2025

The Bayliens & Cloaked Characters
thursday 12
Locals Cloaked Characters share a bill with indie Bay Area hip-hop heroes The Bayliens for this intimate show. It's like rap music in your living room! 9:30pm. Bendistillery Martini Bar, 850 NW Brooks St.
Re:Session
friday 13
Teton Gravity Research, is not, as the name suggests, a physics exploration organization, but rather a ski film production company that is bringing this big-mountain, big-air ski doc to town. The film (which has nothing to do with economic policy) features HD footage from all over the world, stopping in Poland, Italy, as well as making its way stateside, showing its host of skilled riders in the Cascades and Rockies. Showings at 6pm and 9pm. Tickets available at bendticket.com. 6pm. Old Stone Church, 157 NW Franklin Ave. $10.

Opinion

Greg Walden Keeps His Streak Going

Greg Walden gets THE BOOT.

Source WeeklyNovember 11, 2009March 2, 2024

If nothing else, we have to give Rep. Greg Walden points for consistency – he's consistently against legislation that would help ordinary Americans.
Walden kept his record intact last week by being one of the 215 members of the House – including 39 Democrats and all but one of the 177 Republicans – to vote against the health care reform bill. (Thankfully, none of those 39 Democrats were from Oregon.)
“The country cannot afford a new $1.3 trillion government program that creates 111 new bureaucracies, especially when nationwide unemployment is at its highest level in 26 years,” Walden said after his vote. “Just this year, Washington, D.C. has launched unprecedented national takeovers of the auto industry, the energy industry, and now the healthcare of every American.”
First, on the cost issue: Walden, like all Republicans, pretends to be terrified by the cost of health care reform while ignoring the crippling costs of the present unreformed system.

Opinion

Wanted Dead or Alive: Random shootings, a K Street update and a morbid Cleveland curiosity

Random shootings, a K Street update and a morbid Cleveland curiosity.

Source WeeklyNovember 11, 2009February 17, 2023

The author has been sent on the road to discover a lost country formerly known as America. He is reporting from K Street, mourning the loss of lobbyists under Obama, on assignment for Or-Bust.com and The Source Weekly.

Congratulations to Nancy Pelosi, the embattled Speaker of the House, and many thanks to President Obama for putting his cred on the line to give us all health care – well, 96% of us (are you one of the lucky many?). The alternative: fines and possible imprisonment if we don't buy one of the industry profit-generating schemes – err, generous plans. 1,990 pages and costing $1.2 trillion, the House passed the legislation 220-215, with all but one Republican showing an utter lack of “compassionate conservatism” (oh Dubya, we weep tears of laughter and pain for you, and us) for over-taxed, under-served, ill and angry American voters.

Opinion

You Don't Run the Place, Pal

It wouldn't kill you to turn down the music.

Source WeeklyNovember 11, 2009January 4, 2023

We were out sipping a beer this weekend at one of our local haunts, chatting with friends, keeping a tangential interest on a football game or two and generally enjoying ourselves as music played in the background when some dude, who apparently thought he ran the place, told the bartender, quite loudly, “It wouldn't kill you to turn down the music.” No, as far as we know, no one has ever been killed by music, loud or otherwise.

Opinion

Letter of the Week: No More Enriching the Rich

Letter to the editor.

Source WeeklyNovember 11, 2009January 27, 2025

This week's letter comes from former chamber president Mike Schmidt who questions the authenticity of claims that new business and top earner taxes will derail economic recovery. Thanks for the letter, Mike. We couldn't have said it better ourselves. Oh wait, we did. Regardless, you're entitled to a bag of Strictly Organic Coffee on us. Collect your caffeinated spoils at our office, 704 NW Georgia.

Bravo to your Oct. 7 “Boot.” Your excellent commentary on the taxes our state legislature passed on corporations and high-income households. Raising the corporate minimum tax and adjusting the taxes on households making over $250,000 was a bold move to help ensure Oregon has the funding for education, public safety and other much-needed programs. Let's hope all thinking Oregonians will vote “Yes” to keep these nominal tax increases. Remember, this time you do want to vote “Yes.”

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