Oregon GOP Parties Like It’s 1992
The Oregonian's Jeff Mapes, blogging from the Republican National Convention, writes that it was déj vu all over again when Oregon GOP Vice Chairman Russ Walker ripped into environmentalists yesterday.
The STP Sing-along
Last night my 4,312-day Stone Temple Pilots concert drought came to an end as the four men of the newly reunited STP brought their aged selves onto the Les Schwab Amphitheater stage on a particularly brisk night for what can be most easily and predictably described as a 1990s nostalgia sing-along.
After waiting for a…
Redmond Water Park Down the Drain?
Chalk up another casualty of the Central Oregon real estate bust and the Bush recession: A grandiose water park planned for Redmond has been put on hold.
The Schwab’s Summer of Shock and Awe
After watching the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention and about a half-hour of the talking heads on CNN last night, The Eye wandered off to bed for some well-earned shuteye when …
Merkley’s Moment in the Spotlight
In the modern world everybody's supposed to be entitled to 15 minutes of fame, but Jeff Merkley only got three minutes at the Democratic National Convention.
Where’s the Working Man’s Course?
I'm writing to discuss the lack of municipal, or at least affordable, golf in Bend. It seems that golf in Bend is reserved for people who's chief concern in life is that scratch on their new Porsche.
Book Review: Frayed Ends of Sanity
Frayed Ends of Sanity
An editor becomes a prisoner of the page in Senselessness
"We are all tainted with viral origins," William S. Burroughs once observed. "The whole quality of human consciousness, as expressed in male and female, is basically a virus mechanism." No one understands this idea better than the agitated writer-hero…
The Mystery of the Hidden Artwork: Why Nancy Drew gave me unrealistic sleuth expectations
I've been pacing back and forth in the reference section of the Bend Public Library for a good twenty minutes now, every once in a while stopping to pounce on the unsuspecting atlas or dictionary and rifle through the pages before sighing and shoving the book back into its spot on the shelf. Local artist…
Will Paint for Money: The inaugural Old Mill artfest
When the fine editor of TSW asked me to cover the inaugural Art in the High Desert Festival, I immediately poured a rum and coke and considered leaving town. Just what Central Oregon needs is another art fair with crafts by hobbyists who should do us and their families a favor and get real jobs.…
Kids and Bugs: Talking birds and bees…literally
Those of you who have been reading this column for any length of time know that I have more than a casual interest in insects -well – all arthropods for that matter, including scorpions, spiders and other "creepy-crawlers."
The main reason that I enjoy them is that they are so varied; there's lots of…
Ditch the Remote: Extreme Ironing, DDR, Floating and the Reverse PPP await
Future olympians?THE TORCH MOVES ON
If you are like most people, you were unusually glued to your TV the past two weeks watching the Olympic coverage from Beijing. You were blown away by the incredible, record-setting gold medal perfection of Michael Phelps in the pool. You were mesmerized by the gymnastic performances of Nastia…
The Home Computer of the Future and the 1980s: The Commodore 64
Come in, commodore.The home PC landscape in the 1980s was quite a bit different than it is now. The average consumer believed that home computers were just video game systems with keyboards and to a degree that was true. One home computer, however, helped change that myth and it was called the Commodore 64.
…
High Octane Deadpan: Futuristic cult classic remake wipes out humor
The new David Carradine?This remake has so little in common with its predecessor and so much in common with crunch-fisted driving movies that it almost defies comparison. Almost. The original, Death Race 2000, starred David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone as rivals in a cheesy, campy, primary colored, Roger Corman scuzz-fest that although stupid was also…
Reality TV on the Big Screen: American Teen is a compelling snapshot of modern high school
I survived high school. I didn't know anything about American Teen, but with that title I was hoping Kristen Bell had a lead role. Somebody should have warned me. I hate documentaries. It's a character flaw. I hate self-awareness books; and of course high school is self-awareness on steroids around every locker-lined hallway and family…
CORK: Who knew it had a happy hour?
Sometimes you want to have drink in a civilized environment and talk to your bud without using a megaphone or text messaging. Cork is your happy place downtown for those times.
CORK: Who knew it had a happy hour?
Sometimes you want to have drink in a civilized environment and talk to your bud without using a megaphone or text messaging. Cork is your happy place downtown for those times.
Spring, Summer, or Fall: Revamped Seasons features big ideas but uneven execution
Resorts with overnight accommodations have a built-in clientele for their on-site restaurants. Sometimes that can mean resort restaurants are lax in quality control and overall dining experience. That’s not the case with Seasons. There is no doubt the management and staff have made huge efforts in the re-visioning of this fine dining restaurant. Although the…
Spring, Summer, or Fall: Revamped Seasons features big ideas but uneven execution
Resorts with overnight accommodations have a built-in clientele for their on-site restaurants. Sometimes that can mean resort restaurants are lax in quality control and overall dining experience. That's not the case with Seasons. There is no doubt the management and staff have made huge efforts in the re-visioning of this fine dining restaurant. Although the…
Stone Temple Pilots are Back!
And so are these bands.
Packing the Schwab: Beck and Wilco bring in the crowds
Amidst much talk of pre-Wilco parties, Sound Check was determined not to miss the buzz heavy opener Fleet Foxes, having had a chance to listen through the Seattle band's solid debut album. Alas, we found ourselves marooned at a Westside all-you-can-eat fajita buffet and couldn't manage to extract ourselves before the culmination of Fleet's truncated…
Picking Up the Scraps: Mosley Wotta is here to check your ego
Mud on the Left, Wotta on the right. "It's not the bottom of the barrel or anything, but it's what I have around me that I love. It's the idea of using what's around you to improve what's around you," says Mosley Wotta, a.k.a. Jason Graham, of his new EP Scrap Mettle.
The five-track…
If It Makes You Happy: Sheryl Crow and Lucinda Williams bring some big-stage estrogen to Bend
Even cowgirls get the blues. Since the official beginning of the summer concert series at Les Schwab Amphitheater in May, nine male-lead bands have taken the stage in straight succession. It's a similar story with the Athletic Club of Bend, which has featured two male acts, and Midtown Music Hall has featured a slew of…
Bradbury Tosses Hat in Ring, Almost
Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury is ready to move up to a bigger job - probably.
Our Picks for the week of 8/28-9/4
Sheryl Crow
thursday 28
This summer has been all about masculine-dominated shows, but thankfully, one Sheryl Crow is coming to the big Schwab stage to do a thing or two about that. Turn the page and read more. 5pm. $85/reserved, $45/general. Les Schwab Amphitheater, 344 Shevlin Hixon Dr.
Empty Space Orchestra
friday…
Go With the Flow: River Conservancy has made quiet progress on flow restoration
Testing the waters below bend.Kyle Gorman remembers a time, not so long ago, when many folks in Central Oregon viewed concepts like water conservation with suspicion, if not outright contempt. Water flushed down the river was water wasted.
Gorman who now serves as the regional manager for the Oregon Water Resources Department was the…
A Time Limit on Democracy
A local group called Infrastructure First is pushing an intriguing idea: Instead of letting growth happen helter-skelter and worrying later about paying for the sewers, water mains, streets and other stuff that growth requires, do the infrastructure first - or at least within two years of when the new development happens.
Infrastructure First has…
Conventional Wisdom: Olympic high and lowlight and the Dems in Denver
You Think you’re so bad. Upfront spent some time last week lamenting the false pageantry around the Beijing Games including the decision to have a child lip sync a song during the opening ceremonies. But apparently China wasn't the first to decide that it needed to fake it to make it on the world stage.…
Me and Obama
Why it's time for Oregon to get behind Obama. I support Barack Obama because both he and I are Patriotic Americans who believe OUR flag can once again stand for what it has long represented … a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Barack Obama and I also agree…
Insult to Injury
Letter of the Week This week's LOW goes to Greer Thomas, if for no other reason than his dogged persistence. Like Fox Mulder, Thomas and the rest of the Truthers keep searching with the knowledge that "The Truth Is Out There.
Not Advertising, Not Reading
As a local business owner, I have considered advertising in The Source, but I have always chosen to advertise in other forms of media, due to the fact that I would be afraid that my ad would be next to an advertisement for a strip club or dating service. After reading the editor's response to…
Don’t Walk Away From Pets
A few weeks ago, Josh, Sally, and their three children, who live across the street from me, moved away. They left some lawn furniture, bags of trash, and their cat, Boots.
No Thanks For Biden
Obama chooses a lock 'em up drug warrior as VP? You gotta be kidding! I read of a recent drug sting on August 8, in Maryland, where a police dog sniffed positive on a package that was then intercepted, but instead of just confiscating the marijuana, under-cover police decided to go ahead and deliver the…
Taxes Should Crash Too, Right?
During the boom years of real estate development in bend, and rapidly inflating real estate values, my property valuation for real estate taxes also escalated rapidly. In the last five years my assessed value rose 96%, virtually double.
