The Republican Party is dead. Anyway, that’s what some of the gang at the Oregon Catalyst site are saying – and they couldn’t be happier about it.
They'd Rather Be Right – Extreme Right – Than Win
Posted inOpinion
Vote For Dallas
I write in support of an energetic, intelligent and knowledgeable candidate for Deschutes County Commissioner – Dallas Brown. Dallas has a deep understanding of the government, having worked with officials at local, state and federal agencies.
Posted inOutside
Let's Get Volcanic: A day at the Newberry National Volcanic Monument and Derrick Cave
A couple of weeks back, my good friend (and geologist) Al Waibel gave me a call.
“Hey, Jim, how about joining a few friends and me Wednesday? We’re going out to Newberry Monument and then Derrick Cave.” Would I?
If these people were friends of Al’s, they were already friends of mine – we all just didn’t know it. So, at the assigned time and place, we all met, shook hands and carpooled off to Newberry Monument, south of Bend.
Posted inOutside
Getting Schooled: Rebound's cross clinic, Trebon on the Thrilla and more
Cross Clinic
It's all well and good until somebody gets hurt, and I was fully aware that that someone might be me. While I'm an experienced road and track racer, many of my friends will tell you I'm pretty lame on the mountain bike. I didn't grow up on BMX. The gravel driveway in front of our rural Indiana home was as off-road as it got for my apple-green stingray and me.
Posted inOpinion
“Vote Pedro”
So we're at “Bay Days” in Hampton, VA, (not to be confused with a fabulous fashion show in CA) looking for George Clinton and Parliament yet finding some crap country band instead, wondering where da funk be at. Asking one of the 22 crackers listening to some 9-11 patriotic heartburn we then learned that Parliament (George couldn't make it, maybe his hair wasn't feeling well) was performing on the other stage. You heard me right: On the 400th anniversary of “America's oldest continuously English speaking settlement,” music must still serve all sides – segregation based on the level of bass.
Posted inCulture
Brew La La: Bend Brewing Company's Tonya Cornett is quietly making award-winning brews
Bend is a beer town. With eight breweries, many of them award winning, our little city rivals any on the West Coast in terms of quality beer production. And one of the smallest breweries, Bend Brewing Company, is producing some of our region's most well-received beers out of a studio-apartment-sized space above its brewpub on Brooks Street. The brewer behind these creations is Tonya Cornett.
Posted inFood & Drink
Little Bites: Restaurant Round Robin
The Central Oregon restaurant industry has been experiencing a pretty big overhaul lately, with the opening of three new eateries and big changes and additions to four more. Level 2, the new lounge above Saxons in the Old Mill District (formerly the home of the Old Mill Martini Bar), opened its doors over Labor Day weekend. The Aida Chow-run restaurant (the woman behind Szechuan) features “globally inspired cuisine” with prices ranging from $4 – $18. We hear Level 2 is hoping to appeal to the pre- and post-movie and concert crowd with small plates and pastries, as well as cocktails. Finally, a late-night destination in the Old Mill.
Posted inFood & Drink
Howdy, Neighbors! New owners give Riverside Market a much-needed facelift
Neighborhoods are defined not just by their residents, but the shops, cafes and markets that hold them together. Neighborhood businesses are a reflection of the hood's personality – they employ neighbors, act as meeting places, organize get-togethers and events.
Such is the case with Riverside Market, the casual café and corner store between NW Congress Street and NW McCann Avenue in the historic mill-era neighborhood south of Drake Park. In the past, it's seen good times and bad times. At its best, it's been a meeting spot for bridge players and floaters stopping in for a beer after a day on the river. At its seediest, it's been a hangout spot for early-morning drunks and transients, with bathrooms used as makeshift bathhouses. But with its recent purchase by John and Melanie Gaipo, Riverside might have become the friendliest neighborhood market in Bend.
Posted inCulture
When Bryce Met Juli: The sum of Flipped's parts just doesn't add up
Do you remember when you flipped? The time in your life when you stopped thinking boys had cooties and all you could think about was when that cute boy in your math class would finally make a move and kiss you? Rob Reiner's Flipped takes on the coming-of-age tale of first love, where two middle schoolers learn what it means to be head-over-heels.
Posted inCulture
Lame in Every Dimension: 3D action can salvage Afterlife's staggering dullness
Be warned: Resident Evil: Afterlife really isn't a movie, it's a great big video game that you can watch, but not play. Shot in Real-D, rather than the horrible post-shooting 3D conversion process, the cutting-edge effects are of the Avatar variety and are a welcome dose of visual improvement on the fourth installment of this franchise.