Another Wednesday, another crowded show at McMenamin’s Old St. Francis School.
Video (Including a Dancing Toddler) From Last Night’s Ruins of Ooah Show
Posted inOutside
Roaming the Aisles: A marathon a day, sexy robots and other dispatches
I sure wish that headline read, “Roaming the Isles” and this column was coming to you from a sea kayak in Fiji or a sailboat in the Bahamas. Instead, I just returned from the aisles of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida where I make an annual pilgrimage to the Surf Expo Trade Show.
As far as trade shows go, fondling boards and hanging out with legends like Shaun Tomson at Surf Expo is probably a helluva a lot more fun than, say, schmoozing with a bunch of morticians at the Casket and Funeral Supply Association of America (CFSAA) Fall Conference & Trade Show held in November in Indianapolis. Or investigating the latest porta-potty technologies at the Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI) Convention & Trade Show held every year in Daytona Beach. Maybe not quite as exciting though, as checking out Foxy Roxxxy, the world's first sex robot that was unveiled at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas last month. The dark-haired, negligee-clad, life-size robot comes complete with flesh-like synthetic skin, artificial intelligence and can converse about football.
Posted inCulture
Teetering on the Edge of Salvation: Mel Gibson proves surprisingly entertaining in Edge of Darkness
Mel Gibson has been hiding behind the camera, producing and directing since starring in 2002's dreadful Signs, perhaps a wise choice since he spent equal time revealing weird religious philosophies and actively shocking us with his crazy off-screen persona. But now Gibson makes his somewhat triumphant return to the screen in Edge of Darkness, yet another Massachusetts-set crime thriller in which we're forced to spend time debating the authenticity of the actors’ Boston accents. The good news is this one is not without its merits.
As it happens, the film is a remake. Director Martin Campbell upgrades his 1985 British mini-series (which he also directed) in which a straight-laced father, an inspector of the local police force, deals with the mysterious death of his activist daughter, and the murkiness of the British Nuclear Policy.
Posted inCulture
The Crime Bowl
I have a deeply rooted psychological problem, and… wait. What do you mean, “No shit, Sherlock”? For all you know, YOU'RE the one with a deeply rooted psychological problem, and I'M the one who's AWESOME… and NORMAL! Now I'll happily admit that my feelings toward the Super Bowl (CBS, Sun Feb 7, 3 pm) run counter to that of most of the nation. Half of you, for example, love the spectacle of steroid-addled meatloafs giving each other concussions and chasing a ball around a field for the opportunity to score a touchdown and feel up each others' asses on the sideline. (Actually, that doesn't sound half bad… but don't interrupt me! I'm on a roll!) The other half don't give two poops about football, and are instead fans of zany and wildly expensive Super Bowl commercials (that are almost as homoerotic as the real life sideline ass grabs – I'm looking at YOU, Snickers!). And because I hate both of those things, I'M THE PSYCHOLOGICALLY CRAZY ONE??
Posted inFood & Drink
Phoenix Rising: The Phoenix re-opens with a fresh menu and new locale
To state how The Phoenix rises from the ashes in rejuvenation and rebirth would be obvious, but what isn't so obvious to many in Bend is that The Phoenix Café has reopened as The Phoenix in the old Kayo's Roadhouse location.
With the moniker, “A Restaurant for Everyone,” The new Phoenix menu sets no boundaries of regional flavor, blending elements of American steakhouse, Thai fusion and California cuisine. With dark, private banquette seating and dim lighting, the space is conducive to intimate dining despite high-volume traffic. The wait staff is attractive and well trained – the sort of people I want to be serving my food.
For breakfast, the thought behind the Phoenix Omelette ($8.50) was good; it had mushrooms, spinach, Swiss and sausage ($1.50). The sausage was well seasoned and flavorful, while the eggs and vegetables could have benefited from more seasoning. A little Cholula went a long way. The rosemary roasted potatoes were crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside.
Posted inFood & Drink
Phoenix Rising: The Phoenix re-opens with a fresh menu and new locale
To state how The Phoenix rises from the ashes in rejuvenation and rebirth would be obvious, but what isn't so obvious to many in Bend is that The Phoenix Café has reopened as The Phoenix in the old Kayo's Roadhouse location.
With the moniker, “A Restaurant for Everyone,” The new Phoenix menu sets no boundaries of regional flavor, blending elements of American steakhouse, Thai fusion and California cuisine. With dark, private banquette seating and dim lighting, the space is conducive to intimate dining despite high-volume traffic. The wait staff is attractive and well trained – the sort of people I want to be serving my food.
For breakfast, the thought behind the Phoenix Omelette ($8.50) was good; it had mushrooms, spinach, Swiss and sausage ($1.50). The sausage was well seasoned and flavorful, while the eggs and vegetables could have benefited from more seasoning. A little Cholula went a long way. The rosemary roasted potatoes were crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside.
Posted inMusic
Keeping the Discussion Open: Some of Bend's biggest bands (and some out-of-towners) team up to send Help to Haiti
It's been more than three weeks since the devastating earthquake hit Haiti, taking 170,000 lives (and possibly many more) and decimating the infrastructure of the already poverty-stricken island nation. There's been an outpouring of donations and other support from not just the neighboring United States, but also from around the world, to help the country.
The stories surrounding the earthquake, most of them heartbreaking, have flooded the media, and the phrase “Text Haiti to 90999… ” has become omnipresent. But as time goes by, the news reports will begin to fade. According to Jesse Roberts, founder of the locally based humanitarian non-profit, Rise Up International, Haiti's need for aid will endure.
Posted inNews
Dudley Tries to Get in the Tax Game
Republican Chris Dudley, the former Portland Trail Blazer who wants to be Oregon’s governor, is challenging Chicago Mayor Richard Daley to go one-on-one – but it’s not clear what game he wants to play.
Daley has gotten attention over the past week by predicting he’ll be able to lure businesses away from Oregon to Chicago after the passage of Measures 66 and 67.
Posted inCulture
Our Picks for 2/3 – 2/11: Art Walk, Cash’d Out, Slightly Stoopid and more
First Friday Art Walkfriday 5After taking January off, the First Friday Art Walk is back on with all the usual suspects (downtown, Old Mill, Northwest Crossing and beyond) showing off local, regional and national artists. Hit our Local Arts listings for a complete gallery guide.
Cash'd Out
friday 5Tribute bands can sometimes wander into dangerously corny territory, but that doesn't seem to be the case with this San Diego-based Johnny Cash cover band. Their covers of mostly early Cash numbers (including all the classics, of course) are eerily on target – down to the twang of the guitar and the smoothly deep vocals that made Cash an American legend. Larry and His Flask open. $12/door. All ages. 9pm. Domino Room, 51 NW Greenwood Ave.After Hours Art Party friday 6After doing the walk of art (our second favorite walk, behind the walk of life, of course), you can keep your creative appreciation muscles flexed by hitting up the Silver Moon where you'll see live painting from Erik Hoogen and music from Mindscape. $5. 9pm. Silver Moon Brewing Co., 24 NW Greenwood Ave.
Posted inNews
A Pet Problem: A Bend couple turn their dog's injuries into a chance for change
Zoe was the runt of the litter. Of the 10 collies she was born alongside in Southern California, she was the smallest, often fighting with her siblings for food and was the last puppy of the brood to leave the breeder.
It was John and Caren Burton who took Zoe into their home just east of Bend. Zoe took to her new owners and her new high-desert terrain, gradually shaking off the timidity of her infancy and, like so many pet animals, became a member of the family.
John and Caren went as far as to bestow upon her a middle name: Autumn, reflecting the hue of her coat, which John referred to as “the color of fall golden wheat.” She would often accompany the Burtons on their trips, riding in the car without complaint, and in her six years Zoe had only been left in another's care a handful of times.