Oregon GOP Picks “Mr. Neo-Con” for Keynote
Looking for a heavyweight to appear as keynote speaker at the Dorchester Conference, their big annual wingding on the Oregon Coast, the Republican Party of Oregon has picked the neo-con's neo-con, William "Bill" Kristol.
Sweatshop Union
The nice fellas of Sweatshop Union were kind enough to allow us to dish out a couple tracks from their latest album United We Fall. If you like what you hear, check out their show at the Domino Room on Friday, Jan.
Political Blowback A-Brewing?
Does the name Karin Immergut ring any bells? No? Okay, how about Monica Lewinsky?
Sleep Tight With a Wii in Your Hand: Nights: Journey of Dreams
Only the Wii can get away with a game about sleeping…Way back in the old days, 1996 to be exact, Sega released a game for the Sega Saturn called "Nights into Dreams." This game was from the same makers of the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series and was a bestseller for the Saturn. Unique in its…
Medieval Torture: CGI leads In the Name of the King astray
Welcome to CGI hell. Save yourself the pain, go rent Excalibur.Good lord. The Transporter goes medieval…kinda. This movie is such a pile of horse manure I hardly know where to start. I thought I could give it a semi-pass because kids would like it, but I think kids will feel ripped off. They're too smart…
Countering the Recruiters’ Story
We can't do it alone; we really need your help. We need you to be at school board meetings and tell the members why you think military recruiters need to go back to their military recruiting offices, or at the very least those of us who actually served in the military should be able to…
Roads Are Snow Joke
My wife and I live in New Hampshire but spend about five months in Bend every year, usually through the winter months. This winter I can't tell you how disappointed I am at the conditions of the roads, sidewalks, parking lots of stores, parks, etc. in the city and surrounding area.
That’s What Happened to that Album: Coyo and Shireen Amini triumphantly resurface
It's something of a testament to the productivity of Central Oregon's music scene that music CDs - whether they come from record labels, local promoters pushing out-of-town acts, or local players - tend to stack up around here like panties at a Neil Diamond show. At times, the sheer quantity of music coming across your…
Round and Round We Go in the Snow
Q: What's the difference between Crappy Roundabout Art and Snow Plowing? A: The City of Bend only pays for one of them. We have crappy roundabout art that the City of Bend has spent money on all over town – yet we don't pay to maintain our roads after a storm??? Driving around Bend after…
Something Rotten in Oregon
Two recent divisive headlines ring sour. 1) "Spousal rights for same-sex partners on hold" and 2) "Judge thwarts gay partnerships law." Doesn't "There's something rotten in" apply only to Denmark? Nope, it's right un-der our noses here in Oregon! An injunction was requested and honored by Bush appointee Judge Michael Mosman to put a hold…
The Frozen Tundra Strikes Again
The hole in the roof distilling the elements onto the artificial turf of Texas Stadium in Dallas, the prescription athletic turf in Foxboro, the sterile confines of the RCA Dome in Indianapolis - then, there is Green Bay. Real grass, deca des of championships, legends and history oozing from the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field,…
Sliding and Gliding: Locals fare well at Nordeen as avalanches lurk
The best part of competing in the Great Nordeen Nordic race is the stories and tales formulated before, during, and after the event. Everyone has a story about how well, or not so well, their wax worked; how the person in front of them augured into the bank going down the first steep twisting downhill;…
Parralel Lines: Kite Runner comes up short
If you saw the preview for Marc Forster's (Monster's Ball) adaptation of The Kite Runner and thought the overblown voiceover and tacky gold title made the movie look like a bit of a chore to watch, you're not alone. Little about the preview looked appealing beyond the dark eyes of Khalid Abdalla, who stars as…
Falling for the Decoy: A new restaurant in downtown
I hate to call on a cliché (as well as date myself) but my recent visit to The Decoy Bar and Grill reminded me of a real-life version of “Cheers.” You know, the 80’s show that made Ted Danson, Shelly Long, Woody Harrelson and Kristie Alley famous and where everyone yelled “Norm!” when George Wendt…
Falling for the Decoy: A new restaurant in downtown
I hate to call on a cliché (as well as date myself) but my recent visit to The Decoy Bar and Grill reminded me of a real-life version of "Cheers." You know, the 80's show that made Ted Danson, Shelly Long, Woody Harrelson and Kristie Alley famous and where everyone yelled "Norm!" when George Wendt…
Farewell to the Chief: Top Cop Jordan Stepping Down
You can add "Police Chief" to the help wanted list for the city of Bend. After almost a decade serving as the head of the Bend Police Department, Chief Andy Jordan announced his retirement earlier this week. The city council was told of Jordan's retirement at a work session Monday night and the city has…
Sodom and Gomorrah on the Willamette
Great boutique brews? Sure. Charming old neighborhoods? Check. An attractive, walkable downtown? Definitely. An outstanding public transit system? You bet. But Portland as the second-most-lusty city in America? Upfront was, we must confess, somewhat taken aback. All the same, there it was in black and white in the pages of Forbes Magazine: The Rose City…
Maple Leaf Mob: Sweatshop Union serves up drive-thu rhymes
The Wu Tang Clan of the North? Whether it's warranted or not, we tend to think of Canadians as nicer than us. Maybe it's because they put gravy on their French fries, or their health care system keeps them in tip-top shape. Whatever the reason, these neighbors to the north seem less pissed off.
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Call it Folk, Call it Rock… Just don’t call Langhorne Slim old timey
Black and White, yes. But not old timey.Langhorne Slim is in North Carolina gearing up for a friend's wedding and he's telling me about the iPod that his girlfriend gave him for Christmas. But he's not talking about the new Radiohead he just dumped onto the device - like a whole lot of new iPod…
Sound Check MP3s: Coyo and Shireen Amini
Not only do Central Oregon musicians just generally kick ass, but they also tend to be nice and open to the idea of letting you hear their music — even if you’re not ready to track ’em down at a show or buy their album. In that spirit, here are two tracks apiece from Coyo…
In the Land of the Angry Republicans: Talking with the new Deschutes Democratic Chairman
Jim Thomassen was elected in November to chair the Deschutes County Democratic Party. A graduate of the University of Oregon, he was a professional economist for state government before working in marketing in the high-tech field. He and his wife moved to Bend in 2004. This is an edited transcript of a conversation with him…
The Snow Screw-Up
For a town that gets a good amount of snow on a pretty predictable basis, Bend is singularly inept at dealing with the stuff. If you live on a side street, in most winters you stand a better chance of seeing a polar bear going past your house than a plow.
