Blindness is a strange movie. It's like a diary of someone paralyzed by fear, a metaphor for socio-politico human tendencies, plus a vision of personal chaos and mass insanity.
Blind Man’s Bluff
Posted inFood & Drink
Quick Bites: The Dive Brunch
After a long weekend of revelry, the mantra that goes through many of our heads is some variation on the Replacements lyric “All I want to do is drink beer for breakfast”-plus a little caffeine and a little grease, of course. In polite society the manifestation of this sentiment is brunch.
Posted inFood & Drink
Quick Bites: The Dive Brunch
After a long weekend of revelry, the mantra that goes through many of our heads is some variation on the Replacements lyric "All I want to do is drink beer for breakfast"-plus a little caffeine and a little grease, of course. In polite society the manifestation of this sentiment is brunch.
Posted inFood & Drink
The Other BBC
It’s What’s for DinnerThere’s probably been no clearer example of the changing economics of Bend’s restaurant landscape than the recent closing of fine dining favorite Bluefish Bistro and the subsequent opening of Bend Burger Company on the corner of Wall and Franklin. Goodbye white linens, hello paper napkins.
Posted inFood & Drink
The Other BBC
It’s What’s for DinnerThere's probably been no clearer example of the changing economics of Bend's restaurant landscape than the recent closing of fine dining favorite Bluefish Bistro and the subsequent opening of Bend Burger Company on the corner of Wall and Franklin. Goodbye white linens, hello paper napkins.
Posted inOpinion
Don’t Fall for Urban Renewal
Deschutes County Commissioners recently voted not to approve the City of Bend's request to form an urban renewal district to fund development at the Bend Airport. The primary reason was that it would rob other governmental agencies, like the sheriff's department and 911, of much needed revenues.
Unlike the county's considered approach, the present City Council of the City of Bend is now promoting Urban Renewal Districts (URD's) with abandon. They ignore the problems created by URD's. The major problems with URD's are threefold. First, they are authorized to borrow large sums of money, without a vote of the people. Second, they divert taxes from other governmental taxing authorities to be spent solely on city URD projects. And third, if the new taxes in the URD are insufficient to repay the loans, they must then be repaid from the city general fund (property tax) revenues.
The City Council in August 2005 formed the Juniper Ridge URD to include the 500 acres of Juniper Ridge that was in the city and zoned for industrial uses. It also included a second area, of 200 acres west of Highway 97, and not connected to Juniper Ridge. That area includes Lowes, the Wall Mart site and neighboring properties. These were included solely to increase the tax base for the district, as they clearly have no connection to Juniper Ridge and obviously no need for assistance.
Posted inOpinion
The Boot: The Chamber’s Political Platypus
When the first stuffed specimen of a platypus was brought back from Australia in the late 18th century, the scientists who examined it were convinced it had to be a fake - the creation of a clever taxidermist who sewed a duck's bill onto the body of a small, beaver-like mammal.
Here in Central Oregon in the early 21st century, the board of directors of the Bend Chamber of Commerce has come up with its own peculiar hybrid animal to confound the analytical efforts of political scientists.
Posted inOpinion
Suck On Our McMansion, Valley Snobs!: OPB Comes to town, drawing a blank, and hands off our Boot
You’re not so bad!Upfront is a sucker for a little OPB radio, so when we heard that the newish Portland-based radio program, Think Out Loud, was going to be taping live at the CTC downtown, we tore ourselves away from YouTube and high-tailed it downtown for a cup of coffee and the company of our progressive buddies.
Think Out Loud is a radio call-in show that discusses the many issues facing the great state of Oregon, and the topic of this live taping was, natch, how Bend is losing its shorts after years of ruling the real estate world. Guest panelists included a clean-shaven, articulate mayor Bruce Abernethy (this small town mayor knew how to use the seventh letter of the alphabet!), the folksy Andy High from COBA, and crowd-favorite Corky Senecal from NeighborImpact , who is not only an advocate for Bend's homeless, but also has one of the best names ever. The OPB crowd, about 80 folks who on the whole aren't fans of hair dye, hair products, haircuts, or contact lenses, clapped most enthusiastically when Ms. Senecal spoke of creating "livable wage jobs" in Central Oregon. (But make sure the City of Bend has a plan intact before we turn Bend into Phoenix again. And somebody better fix those damn potholes!) Overall, the crowd seemed pretty tame, only gasping once when online host Dave Miller tried to stir it up by reading a comment from a Valley listener who characterized Central Oregon residents as just a bunch of greedy right-wing nutters who love our McMansions and ripping up the Badlands on our ATVs. Mr. Abernethy did a good job of pointing out that Bend ranks number four in the entire nation when it comes to green resource living-only to be quickly called out by Think Out Loud host and Valley-lover Emily Harris, who accused Abernethy of perhaps overselling our potential for green collar growth like we did with the housing boom. Get used to it, OPB, when we do something over here-be it overbuild or save the environment-we go big or go home. Suck it! (P.S.- Thanks for free OPB mugs and T-shirts! Loves ya!)
Posted inOpinion
Letter of the Week: What Are You Afraid Of?
It's campaign season, and that's evident based on the assault of television and radio political ads that are dropping as the nation girds for this important election. This week's Letter of the Week underscores just how strong the feelings are running on both sides of the ticket.
Posted inOpinion
America The Business
As a boomer growing up watching Leave it to Beaver, I never quite understood why that phrase - giving someone "the business" - was always used in a negative connotation.
I get it now.