[Re: Deschutes County's Economy (Guest Comm., 7-2)] The economic commentary seemed aimed at appeasing conservative skeptics of land use regulation.
Local Economics Deserve a Deeper Discussion
Posted inOpinion
The Height of Hypocrisy
A person's sense of right and wrong is unknown, even to themselves, until the moment that person can gain something by being a low-life lying creep. At such moments, the only thing you have going for you-the only stake in your corner-is your simple and unvarnished sense that certain things are just wrong.
Posted inCulture
Freaks and Geeks (and Short Stories)
Misfits and Other Heroes
By Suzanne Burns
Dzanc Books
First off, we'll make no effort to hide the fact that local author Suzanne Burns is a contributor to this publication. You might remember her pieces on playing Bunco, traveling to Mitchell and you'll soon read about her experiences with psychics in an upcoming issue. But there's a good chance that your first exposure to Burns' writing came in the form of an excerpt of her quirky short story, "Tiny Ron," which took the top prize in the 2008 Source fiction contest.
Now, that short story - a woman's narrative of life married to the world's smallest man - appears in the aptly titled Misfits and Other Heroes, a collection of 14 short stories, all of which share the same whimsical quirkiness of "Tiny Ron." Throughout these stories, Burns weaves a collection of often-outlandish characters into fluid narratives that allow us to believe the tiny worlds she so meticulously creates. Each story is focused on wildly interesting characters, as evidenced by the soap opera star turned kidnapper in "Bittersweet" and the baking-obsessed copy editor in "Domestic Arts."
Posted inCulture
A Literary Punch: Talking with Oregon author Katherine Dunn about boxing, writing and human nature
Katherine Dunn demonstrates that some poses are just eternally cool.
It’s been 20 years since Portland author Katherine Dunn published her quirky novel, Geek Love, a book that is still widely read and loved for its weird depiction of a family of circus freaks. Dunn’s fans also know her as one of the country’s most accomplished boxing reporters and some of her most memorable pieces on pugilism now appear in a new book, One Ring Circus: Dispatches from the World of Boxing. We caught up with Dunn before her pair of appearances in Central Oregon on July 15 to chat about, well, mostly boxing. Makes, sense, right?
When you were putting together One Ring Circus, was that sort of a walk back through your entire career as boxing reporter? Oh, absolutely. It was definitely a trip down memory lane for me. One of the things, of course, was that almost all of the pieces were written for general interest publications, not for boxing publications. Although I did write and continue to write for boxing publications, these seem to be the most consciously designed to reach out to people who were not necessarily boxing fans and to try to engage with people who might have even negative attitudes toward boxing, of which they are a larger number of, unfortunately.
Posted inOutside
The Flies Have It: Getting to know your winged friends
One of seven species of parasitic Gymnosomid flies, this one the red-butted variety.Flies are everywhere and no matter what your station is in life, no matter where you go or what you do, you will bump into a fly doing something you don't understand or like, therefore, never, Oh, Best Beloved, take a fly for granted.
In the event you're not yet hooked into this little essay, here's a few things to think about when it comes to flies: First, they are the only insects that have only one pair of wings, all the others have two. To make up for the missing two wings, flies possess balancers, known as halteres, which are actually gyroscopes. Instead of having a centrifugal gyroscope to keep it stable in flight, the fly has an oscillating gyroscope. Didn't know that did you…?
Gnats are flies. Birds and bats eat gnats by the krijillions. Without gnats, a whole lot of birds and bats would go hungry. Some gnats look like mosquitoes, while others have such charming names, as: "love bugs," "moth flies," "march flies," scuttle flies," and so on. There are also "kissing bugs."
The most common fly we are all familiar with is the so-called "housefly." Houseflies touch everybody and everything. Their mouth is like a sponge, literally, and they spend their entire adult lifetime sticking their nose into everyone's food, garbage, poop and business, and the majority of these flies begin life as a maggot eating something dead. Mom was right; wash your hands!
Posted inOutside
Requiem for a Rafter: A Tribute, Ascents and Rentals
At home on the RogueFarewell Eddy
Like so many in the local outdoor community, I was saddened when Eddy Miller lost his life two weeks ago during a hike after a day of rafting on the Middle Fork of Idaho's Salmon River. Saddening because even though I wasn't a close personal friend of his, I was looking forward to getting to know him better after spending four days with him on the Rogue River in May.
During our Rogue trip, Miller lived up to his well-deserved reputation as a consummate rafter and outdoorsman. Standing, as he liked to, while rowing invoked old school rafting at its best. But he was on the river for more than just for the rowing and whitewater. Miller reveled in the natural surroundings. And after a day on the river, he proved a model of efficiency in getting the night's camp up and running smoothly.
He looked the part of the outdoorsman, his wiry, tan, well-muscled body set off by a shock of pre-mature white hair.
As the trip unfolded, he revealed his family's unique connection the Rogue. It's detailed in his grandmother's diary, a copy of which he gave me, chronicling a four-month long Miller family stay on the river in 1929. It proved a fascinating read.
Posted inCulture
Who’s your enemy?: Depression era crime saga is heavy on the depressing
dances with the devil in the pale moonlight. Public Enemies is bound to score some real fans, but I am sure it will make its share of enemies as well. Director Michael Mann takes a true Depression-era crime story and interprets it with ultra-heavy handedness beyond any sense of realism. As an art/crime film, this is an impressive flick, but its brooding quality breathes hollow.
Rising from Indiana crime sprees to Public Enemy number one, John Dillinger was regarded as a latter-day Robin Hood. Robbing banks that had gotten fat while foreclosing on famiy farms. But Dillinger embraced his rock-star status, exuding bravado and charisma. Yet the film plays out in one somber moment after another, as if everyone was still reeling from The Depression and acting all…depressed.
Johnny Depp (playing Dillinger) brilliantly festers in a uniquely restrained performance. Depp has the ability to slide into whatever role he takes and it was nice to see him in one that didn't require an English accent. A sorely miscast Christian Bale, gives us a one-note performance as FBI agent Melvin Purvis, pensively staring into space. We see him slip in and out of accents covering maybe five different Southern regions. Captivating actress Marion Cotillard, as Dillinger's love Billie Frechette, does a good job with a poorly written part. Billy Cruddup is convincing and entertaining as J. Edgar Hoover. There's a veritable avalanche of cameos and appearances by recognizable actors and some really well picked unknowns. Still, most characters come off empty. I don't care how many cool handheld shots you surround them with, it's hard to care for any character at all.
Posted inCulture
Allen A Day’s Work: Woody comes back to form with Whatever Works
Or we could shoot hoops?Woody Allen's filmmaking career has been like one long, good conversation. He knows that sometimes he's been talking to himself, with the audience acting as psychiatrist, nodding and saying, "I see" in the right places. But Whatever Works is Woody's second wind-after losing track of the conversation to stumble about woozily, searching for the right bases; he's returned to form with a very funny, very smart farce-like comedy that beats out Annie Hall for quotable witticisms.
His last film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is brilliant but our enthusiasm was wary, as we'd waited patiently asking of each six-monthly release, "Is this the one to get excited about?" The assumption was that he'd lost it, and so even though his most mediocre effort can be ten times better than most of what makes it onto the big screen, fun films like Anything Else got ignored. After seeing Whatever Works, you'll want to rent Vicky Cristina Barcelona, to watch it through without holding your breath.
Filmmaking is Woody Allen's way of life, and the day he wraps one film he begins to pull together the next and as he travels from country to country. Whatever Works is as much about his place in Hollywood as it is about our place in the universe. While critics complain scripts restrict his actors, to merely impersonating Allen. This time around he cast Larry David for the central character, Boris Yellnikoff – a natural fit given that David's HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm is the illegitimate child of Allen's comedy stand-up.
Posted inFood & Drink
Classy or Trashy via Velvet
Looking for a chill, lodge-style lounge with a touch of swank? Enter 805 NW Wall and Velvet, where 40oz PBRs are chilled in a champagne bucket or served trashy in a brown bag, and an array of homemade infused drinks left me rather whoozy. A cozy duplex setup featuring “somewhat healthy” (quoting the staff) Tapas foodstuffs – flatbread pizzas, quesadillas, caprese salad, soup and sliders – Velvet fills a void downtown, with a friendly staff (tell Jill and Nolan I said, “Howdy!), a nouveau yet rustic air, and a Happy Hour running from 5-9pm Tuesday-Saturday.
Word-of-mouth has already made Velvet a hot spot after hardly a month in biz, and the attention to detail – flat screens bordered by rough timber, velvet couches where George Costanza would be proud to place his derriere – is what makes Velvet truly unique. Consider the Beer Baller: An invention to rival the pacemaker, which Velvet partner Sky Pinnick discovered while shooting for his Rage Films in France – ice-chilled drafts with a self-serve tap, brought to your table in a quantity to satisfy a Rugby team. Drink up, eat well, and don’t miss DJ Moksha every Thursday night.
Posted inFood & Drink
Cork: Chapter Two: A new era for an old favorite
Piling on the flavor with cork’s braised lamb shankWhenever a tried-and-true formula changes, there’s a good chance that the revision won’t hold up to the original. New Coke. Van Hagar. The X Files sans Duchovny. Such was the concern last spring when, after seven years at the forefront of Bend’s fine dining scene, Cork’s co-owners Carin Cameron (formerly Hill) and Chef Greg Unruh decided to part ways. Fortunately for Cameron, who stayed on as sole proprietor, as well as Cork’s loyal following, the perfect replacement was waiting in the wings. Chef Chris Ericsen, a young and talented chef who trained under Unruh, has taken over the kitchen. A progression rather than a transformation, the current menu is very much in keeping with Cork’s longtime signature style of creative, New American cuisine featuring bold yet intricate flavors and fresh, local ingredients.
As Cameron was always in charge of the front of the house, nothing there has changed. The elegant dining room and more casual bar area are attended by a solicitous and knowledgeable staff. The wine list of 150 bottles and over 30 by the glass focuses on the Northwest and is well organized, relatively easy to navigate and versatile. While you can get that $265 bottle of Heitz Cellar Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 for a special occasion, there are a couple of options in nearly every category for around $30 or less. There is also a list of small plates available at the bar for $4.75 that is representative of what the kitchen has to offer, providing a great way to preview the menu without committing to a full sit-down. However, I highly recommend doing so.