Music Video Contest Update!!
Check out the double exclamation mark on that title.
Mourning the Slow Death of Oregon Journalism
Kari Chisholm of the Blue Oregon blog laments this week about the increasingly sad state of Oregon journalism and the stampede of journalists into PR jobs with government and the private sector.
A New To-Do List: Talking golf, driver’s license photos and 2009’s priorities with Jessie Baylin
Doesn’t look like a golfer, does she?Jessie Baylin, who relocated to Nashville after a six-year stretch in Los Angeles, has just received her Tennessee-issued driver's license. And she's not all that excited.
"I kind of look like a dweeb in it. My California license was really cool and I'm kinda upset about this one,"…
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Walden Takes a Bold Stand Against Fairness
Our own Congressman Greg Walden is carrying the conservative banner against attempts to reinstate the broadcasting "Fairness Doctrine."
Riverboarding
With this uncharacteristically warm and mild weather in town and wet at best conditions up in the mountains, my attentions have been slightly diverted. Trying to stay constructive, I focused my energy on some summer sport fun and construct a new riverboard.
Bend Home Prices Down — But Still No Bargain
The median sales price for single-family homes in the Bend area fell to $226,000 in December, the lowest level in four years, The Bulletin reported this morning.
Me and My Yoga: How an anti-exercise, reformed wreck of a man bends his body
Get down and give me a downward dog. If anyone had told me 10 or 20 years ago that I'd be doing yoga at this point in my life, I would've told them to f**k off. After a lifetime of self-inflicted physical and mental abuse with my old friends, drugs and alcohol, I had always…
The Soccer Bowl
There were some unhappy faces at the Left Field desk on New Year's Eve day as we sat unhappily clanking away at the keyboard as the Sun Bowl kicked off in El Paso, Texas where Oregon State was taking on 20th ranked Pittsburgh. The Beavers were playing in a bowl game and we were at…
Back to the Drawing Board: The Spirit falters in Sin City’s limelight
So why do they call you the gay blade?There's something extremely vapid about The Spirit and I don't mean the character-the movie. Sure there are big guns, pummeling, wisecracking and tons o' cleavage but the acting is wooden and stiff. The characters all seem soulless, leaving the audience no reason to care about any of…
A Religious Experience: Streep and Hoffman put on acting clinic in Doubt
A bee in her bonnet. There is a line in Good Will Hunting that could be paraphrased thusly: "Only a handful of people can tell the difference between how good we are." And when it comes to acting, there are probably only a handful of people who can tell the difference between the best performance…
A Big Damn Favorite in the Making
The pig plays the kazoo…sometimes.There's little reason why The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band shouldn't be embraced as one of Bend's next favorite acts. They've got the twang of long-standing Bend favorites the Gourds, the gritty blues feel of Hillstomp and enough energy to hold court alongside any of our town's favorite bluegrass bands. The…
Here’s Hoping…
Prediction: In 2009 all hip-hoppers will follow Mosley Wotta's head gear trend.It was a call and response of the strangest and most hilarious sorts as Mosley Wotta, wearing some sort of lioness headdress bounced atop the Old Stone Church stage yelling "I love myself! I love myself!"
And people, all of whom apparently love themselves,…
Strings and Suits: Steep Canyon Rangers on keeping bluegrass traditional
Reservoir Dogs: bluegrass style.For the first time in as long as he can remember, Mike Guggino of the Steep Canyon Rangers has New Year's Eve off. The previous years have seen the Asheville, N.C.-based bluegrass quintet playing high-profile shows, including a pair of shows the past two years opening for the legendary Del McCoury Band.…
Pass the Patchouli
In addition to low-pay and long hours, one of the great benefits of a career in journalism is the ability to be publicly crucified by readers. So it is with great reverence that we present staff writer and resident local music guru Mike Bookey with this well-crafted cross courtesy of Mark Smuland.
Lost in the Blago-sphere
Rod Blagojevich, the beleaguered Governor of Illinois, must be incredibly naive to fail to recognize that warrantless wiretapping and other forms of police state surveillance are accepted methods of control in the Reign of Bush. Does Blagojevich think he is immune from such tactics just because he is an elected official? Silly him.
Death and Taxes
I believe that most of us assumed that the stimulus checks we received earlier this year were considered to be "tax free." But I was surprised when I read through my new Oregon Tax booklet that we must deduct the stimulus amounts from our federal tax liability before figuring out our Oregon taxes.
Keep It Real
Raised in the Evangelical Christian church and community I have no ill will toward the Christian Right. People can believe and practice as they wish.
See The Bigger Picture
In response to Mr. Funke: There is a reason Obama picked this pastor to perform the invocation, but to understand why you'd have to step out of your personal feelings to See the Bigger Picture.
Miller Vs. Old Man Winter
Last week H. Bruce Miller showed his ignorance of Pacific Northwest road conditions.
Oregon Band Will March to a California Beat
An unusual marching band from Oregon will be part of Barack Obama's inaugural parade, but there's going to be something a little misleading about its musical repertoire.
Rain Day
Rain days in the winter are lame. When the snow level skyrocketed to 8,000 feet I knew Frosty didn't have a chance.
A Sighting at 12 O’Clock: Kid’s Bend CBC 2008
The Birdies"Hey, Jim, there's a flock of birds over there…"
"Where?" I asked. "Over there!" Ellie shouted, "I can see them plain as day!" That was the way the first Bend Kid"s Christmas Bird Count (CBC) started out Saturday morning, December 20th - enthusiastic confusion. I met Kim Long of Bend with her three children,…
Flee to Ski?: MBSEF’s Nordic program in upheaval
Happier days in the MBSEF Nordic camp.BANG! That wasn't the sound of avalanche blasting at Mt Bachelor. That was the sound of the MBSEF Nordic program imploding like a bad New Year's firecracker over the holidays. Unfortunately, the proverbial Swix hit the fan for the Bend Nordic skiing community.
To some degree, the drama began…
Welcome to the Grindhouse
Somehow Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” appeals to a generation that I’m quite positive he did not intend to appeal to. I’m contemplating saying, “No shirt, no service,” but I’m still caught off guard that a doughy 58-year-old man has decided to dance half-naked at the service bar.
Welcome to the Grindhouse
Somehow Nelly's "Hot in Herre" appeals to a generation that I'm quite positive he did not intend to appeal to. I'm contemplating saying, "No shirt, no service," but I'm still caught off guard that a doughy 58-year-old man has decided to dance half-naked at the service bar.
Wrap and Roll: Parrilla Grill makes for dependable dining
Hustle and bustleWhen I first moved to Bend I had a hard time trying to figure out what exactly was going on at the Parrilla Grill, located at the 14th Street and Century Drive roundabout. It looked like a neighborhood bar, but outside in the parking lot there was a massive clothing sale going on,…
Wrap and Roll: Parrilla Grill makes for dependable dining
Hustle and bustleWhen I first moved to Bend I had a hard time trying to figure out what exactly was going on at the Parrilla Grill, located at the 14th Street and Century Drive roundabout. It looked like a neighborhood bar, but outside in the parking lot there was a massive clothing sale going on,…
The Man In The Middle : The Source Weekly Q&A with soon-to-be former Mayor Bruce Abernethy
Abernethy describes the last 15months as “low-grade” burn outMayor Bruce Abernethy steps down this week after an eight-year run on the Bend city council that has spanned four city managers and just about every major issue that's worth recalling, from the Bill Healy Bridge to an equal rights ordinance for the LGBT community, to Juniper…
Crazy Destination Resort Love
Welcome to the boomtown.Deschutes County is just CRAZY in love with destination resorts.
WTF?: Winter Wonderings
Upfront realizes that the city of Bend catches a lot of crap from the community over its snow plowing practices. If the city isn't plowing enough, they're money-wasting morons who dumped all the city's nest egg into pet projects like bridge proclamations.
Big, Bad, Bend: Council approves kitchen sink UGB, |Bend Living lay-offs
Bend’s next super subdivision? Most folks have lost track of how long the Bend City Council has been working to expand the city's UGB - long enough for the anachronistic term "UGB" to actually resonate with any partially informed observer of local politics. Earlier this week the city council put the finishing touches on what…
