I have been following the blog at the end of the 'Road to Nowhere' story, published in April. The comments are great, and I came up with a little ditty that sums up the 'potholes' (as Aussie put it) at the heart of ODOT.
Peter Pothole (The Parkway Rhyme)
Posted inOpinion
Show GOP The Door
I just finished the book "Three Cups of Tea," by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. It tells the true story of Mr.
Posted inNews
Bipartisan Brew Buddies
Greg Walden and Peter DeFazio have been ripping into each other lately over timber payments, but they're united across party lines in their appreciation of a good beer.
Posted inNews
Tuscan Syndrome Gets Out of Control
The Eye was watching the local news on KTVZ one night last week when an ad for something called "Tuscany Pines" came on. We had to rub our eyes (and ears).
Posted inNews
Lance Armstrong He Ain’t
Gov. Ted Kulongoski rode a bicycle from the governor's mansion to the state capitol Monday to encourage people to seek alternatives to car commuting, but the feat didn't impress The Oregonian's editorial writers much.
Posted inNews
We’re Number Two — In Overpriced Houses
Bend has earned a high spot on a national list again, although this time it's an honor that we probably would just as soon pass up.
Posted inNews
Wyden Gets Off the Fence — Finally
Sen. Ron Wyden, one of Oregon's superdelegates to the Democratic National Convention, announced his support for Barack Obama today - a day after Obama had clinched the nomination.
Posted inMusic
Liner Notes: Hip-Hop Cinema with Andre Nickatina
Around his Bay Area stomping ground, Nickatina is a hip-hop legend who's best known for his hardcore "life-on-the-streets" ethos and silky smooth delivery. Some might call Nickatina "gangsta rap," and he might not even disagree with that label.
Posted inCulture
Sweet Claustrophobia: 2nd Street Theatre puts on a big show in Sweet Charity
That’s what we call a dress rehearsal. It's the opening night of Sweet Charity at 2nd Street Theatre and it's a full house in the tiny theater. As a Second Street Theatre virgin I am surprised by how small the theater really is. While some would call this an "intimate" setting, I am more concerned that if there is a fire, or if this happens to be a sort of Cats-like production where the cast interacts with the audience, I won't be able to get out of the theater fast enough and will therefore either die in the flames or be arrested for punching an overzealous actor. The show could not start soon enough. As the show tunes crank out of the sound system, the lights shine on a young couple standing by the left edge of the stage.
Sweet Charity tells the story of a young woman named Charity Hope Valentine who works at a dance hall in New York City as a sort of dance partner for hire. The play begins with Charity being pushed into Central Park Lake by her boyfriend. Charity later meets Oscar Lindquist, a nerdy tax accountant. The two fall madly in love until Oscar learns of Charity's occupation as a dance hall hostess. The play ends with Charity again being pushed into Central Park Lake by Oscar and then emerging (presumably with hepatitis or some other water-borne disease by this point) optimistic that she will some day find love and get away from the dance hall. The musical numbers include hits like "Big Spender" and "If My Friends Could See Me Now."
Posted inOutside
What? You’ve Never Seen a Skink!: an introduction to this sexy, sexy lizard
Not too many years back, I received a phone call from an old pal, Millard Tope. "Jim!" he exclaimed, "You've got to come over and see this lizard … it's got the bluest tail I've ever seen!"
Millard lives only a hop, skip, and a jump from me in Cascade Estates, so I grabbed up my camera and hustled over to his home. "It's over here, under this piece of plywood," he said, pointing toward the back of his house. Lifting the plywood so we could both see his prize more clearly, he said, "Now, what is it?"
One look is all you need to recognize a juvenile Western Skink. Its four-inch body is covered with shiny glass-like scales, and the tail is the bluest blue you'll ever see. If you can believe it, it's brighter blue than even a male Mountain Bluebird – and that's really blue!