Float Like This
While you were in the teeth-rattling -10 temperatures last week, Sue and I were basking in the balmy warmth of Las Vegas, Nevada. (No, I don’t gamble, but yes, we did go into downtown Vegas for an evening of enjoying the arts—no, not the strip clubs, but the exceptional Titanic exhibit for one—and had a…
Our Picks 1/6-1/13
thursday 7 Kathryn Claire Band MUSIC—Kathryn Claire has a sound that is hard to put into a box, that gracefully bounces between straight-ahead rock, timeless bluegrass and a Jolie Holland-tinged dark country crooning. With her band, that sound is even larger and very much worth putting on your boogie shoes for. 7 pm. McMenamins Old…
Tarantino Rides Again
Quentin Tarantino isn’t for everyone, obviously. Nor should he be, but his detractors are so furious in their disdain that it makes one wonder when he had the time to poop in their shoes. Everyone has their own reasons, but some of the more prevalent ones tend to be that his scripts are too wordy,…
The Women Behind The Men
The saying, “Behind every great man is a great woman,” is a cliché for a reason. While in 2015 the paradigm of the man working while the little lady stays home and raises the kids is outdated and insulting, it is still a choice some women today make. Specifically, the wives of men with careers…
No Beer Pong At This House Party
House concerts, while still definitely a thing, have transformed over the years. They tend to be slapped together at the last second with subpar sound and an audience that is more interested in getting digits than actually listening to the artist. House Concerts in the Glen is after something different altogether. It is about a…
The Boot 1/7-1/13
This is Not Your Land “This land is your land, this land is my land.” The self-styled “militia” that initiated an armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge near Burns seems to be misinterpreting the meaning of Woody Guthrie’s classic American folk song, “This Land (Was Made for You & Me).” Rather than suggesting that…
A New Start
This week, The Shepherd’s House—a faith-based men’s homeless shelter—launched a program designed to help homeless women recover from addiction and abuse at its newly opened Women and Children’s Center. The new center will house five women who will participate in a three-month program that provides classes, counseling, and a caseworker to assist them depending on…
Smoke Signals 1/6-1/13
As cannabis legalization unfolds, a hot topic has become public, on-site consumption of cannabis. The default for medical marijuana laws has been to allow consumption only in a private place such as a residence. Recreational cannabis legalization laws have largely followed suit. Anywhere that could be construed as being “open to the public,” even a…
Source Suggests 1/6-1/13
Haunted Summer Soft psych with ethereal lead vocals should warm you up on these cold nights. Their sound spins around you like a gossamer web of sonic vibrations pinning your ears to their original and unbelievable melodies. See these guys and understand what true originality sounds like. 8pm. Sunday, Jan. 10. Volcanic Theatre Pub, 70…
Grandma’s Recipe
Located in downtown Sisters, The Porch presents the image of a country cottage with a quaint and rustic motif. The property itself is open and inviting, with a well-groomed floral arrangement, and an actual front porch with a seating area. That cozy countenance turns out to be fair advertising for what’s inside—a homey, warm, and…
Take Me Home 1/6-1/13
In the last few years, I have regularly seen blogs about tiny houses and wondered why there are not more of them around. The tiny house movement seems to be spreading and charming people with its eco-friendly designs and financial perks. Most of you I’m sure have heard about them, but also haven’t seen them…
New, Newer, Newest
It’s only just barely 2016. The grocery stores still haven’t closed out all their Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer DVDs. But already the beer scene’s abuzz with activity around Bend and beyond. For example: Oblivion shuts down its brewpub. The tap house and restaurant that replaced Westside Café & Bakery along NW Galveston has now itself…
Hold On To Your Pasties
America is weird. On television and in films, it seems entirely more acceptable to show violence and murder than it is to show a naked body or consenting adults making love. Network stations will edit Kate Winslet’s side boob in Titanic, but on CSI you can see a decomposing body in a bathtub be removed…
Art Watch 1/6-1/13
After 9/11, muralist and fine artist Nicole Fontana says it was difficult to travel with oil paints—due to their chemical compounds—so while studying abroad in Venice, she began working with an alternative medium. “That’s when I started making collages. I used mailers and started collaging out of a budget issue,” she explains. Fontana studied at…
Big Money, Big Questions
A photograph of a man wearing a gray shirt holding an oversized check made out for $6.4 million appears under the headline, Breaking News, on thelotter.com. The website calls the winner—M.M. from Iraq—its biggest winner since its founding in 2002. M.M. won the $6.4 million prize in the Oregon Megabucks game after purchasing a lottery…
Letters 1/6-1/13
Democracy Needs Public Spaces Troy Field is a community resource to serve all the community, not just the privileged few who want to privatize our commons for their profit. Common areas open to all is fundamental to democracy. We are fortunate to have two common democratic spaces in downtown Bend: Troy Field and the Bend…
Side Notes 1/6-1/13
On Jan. 2, armed men and women took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, according to a statement from the Oregon State Police. No employees were on site when the refuge was broken into, according to an update released by the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The Guardian and the Associated Press reported…
Canyonland Conservation
One of Oregon’s strongest attractions is its outdoor environment. The state has it all—a rugged coastline, a fertile valley, snowcapped mountains, and an expansive desert. Much of the landscape is federally owned, which means that the people own it and can recreate on it. In fact, more than half of Oregon’s landmass is maintained by…
Go Here 1/6-1/13
With the holidays behind us, ample snow in the mountains, and perhaps a new (or even old) camera in hand, there are a few upcoming seminars and lectures that may enhance your outdoor photographic skills. And, the winter skies also present an excellent opportunity to gaze at the sun, moon, and stars. Stargazing in Sunriver…
