Hoop, There it is: A night in the Bend hooping scene

Posted inCulture

Hoop, There it is: A night in the Bend hooping scene

Mike Bookey

Mollie Hogan knows how to hoop it up with the best of them.A passing train blocks the sunset, momentarily dimming the Mountain
Comfort Warehouse, but the rhythm of the train can't compete with the
tribal beats emanating from a small stereo system. Twenty-eight bodies
fill the warehouse with spinning hoops gyrating around their waists.
Some of the Hoopers (don't call them HulaHoopers-that's patented by
Wham-O…think "disc golf" versus Frisbee) move with ballet grace, some
channel a funky hand jive, some are as sensual as belly dancers, and a
few are still looking for a groove. They've been hooping spontaneously
for the last five minutes, starting to shed layers, dewy faces grinning.

Posted inOutside

Better than Christmas

The Source Staff

After four-plus months of college basketball, it's finally here. The
NCAA tournament: the last pure thing remaining in the world of sports;
the reason we would rather have every day of our lives be the first day
of the tourney and not Christmas.
But before the games get rolling,
there is the obligatory bitchfest following Selection Sunday, with
sports writers, commentators, coaches, and conference officials putting
in their two cents as to who made the field of 65 (don't forget the
Tuesday night play-in game) and who will stay home. This year's
Selection Sunday was tamer than years past, but there were some teams
like Arizona State (19-12 overall, tied for fourth place in the Pac-10)
that didn't make the dance.The West Coast is touting its best tourney
roster in recent memory with six Pac-10 teams and another three from
the West Coast Conference. Does this mean the East Coast basketball
bias, fueled by the likes of Dick Vitale (who should hang up the mic
before he either goes mute or gets punched in the face) is over? No.
It's not. But we'll take what we can get.

Posted inOutside

Out Our Backdoor: Winter running, mtb trails and more

Mike Bookey

Kaleidoscope Run
Trail running: Bend’s instant outdoor experienceOminous clouds loomed overhead as I set out for a
run this past week at a park on the west side of town. The sun's rays
were hidden behind clouds and my eyes and ears were on autopilot,
looking and listening but not seeing and hearing. This can easily
happen in the fast-paced world in which we live. We rush through a
day's work, then off to sneak in a quick outdoor workout before
speeding home to spend time with the family. Cooking, cleaning, chores,
a quick read and off to bed before getting up to repeat another day. It
is easy to fall into the trap of not taking the time to truly
appreciate our surroundings.

Posted inCulture

The Best Movie You Shouldn’t See: Funny Games is vile done right

Mike Bookey

Smells like a bit of ultra violence. I have warned people not to see this movie. Funny Games is one of the
most disturbing films ever made, destined to stay with you for days if
not weeks. My pleas of "avoid at all costs" have inadvertently sparked
curiosity and interest in the film, which is good because people should
see this movie. And that's director Michael Haneke’s intention with
this shot-by-shot remake of his provocative and frightening German film
of the same name. His original intention was to expose the mind-numbing
violence that permeates our mainstream films, in doing so he makes us
completely aware of what we're watching and feeling. Rather than
desensitizing-it’s OVER-sensitizing. The result is a relentless mental
overload that will stick with you. Just try to shake off the creepiness…

Posted inCulture

Sweet and SOUR: Director Nathan Gray uses skateboards to cross political boundaries

Mike Bookey

They rip on the gaza strip. Bend's own Nathan Gray created a unique way of promoting peace in the
Middle East. He and co-producers Sean Scerritt and Sudip Peterson,
drawing on what they describe as "dynamic acts of peace and unity,"
have created SOUR 4 Peace in the Middle East, a film that crosses
borders with nine top Israeli and Jordanian skate boarders. In a recent
conversation with Scerritt, he said the theme that sparked the idea
behind the film is "doing what you love with people you're not supposed
to like."

Posted inMusic

Ye-eah! Fake Metallica tears up the pub

Jeff Trainor

just like the real thing, except in a much smaller stadium.In the spirit of fearlessly exploring the oft-scary phenomenon of
tribute bands, Sound Check moseyed over to the Reed Pub Company last
Saturday night to catch a face full of Motorbreath.
Around a
hundred souls were holding down the wee pub's peanut shell-sprinkled
floor and spilling out into the smokers' patio outside when we showed
up. Once the openers were done, the smoke machines had the joint socked
in and the audience had had their fill of obnoxious Nickelback hits on
the sound system, the main event started at darn near the stroke of
midnight.

Posted inMusic

In Search of Buckethead: Dispelling myths (and creating some new ones)

The Source Staff

A rare shot of the Buckethead species (kentuckyfriedus bucketenius) in its natural environment.

There are really only a few things we know for sure about Buckethead. One: he wears a bucket on his head. Two: he doesn’t do interviews and if he does he provides largely nonsensical answers by way of a demented hand puppet. Three: He can play the shit out of a guitar. Buckethead is also the man behind the song “Jordan” which is largely considered one of the most difficult tracks to play on “Guitar Hero.” In addition to his new fame within the ever-expanding “Guitar Hero” stratosphere, Buckethead has long been respected by fans of metal as well as funk, and many styles in between. He’s a true student of the axe and also wields a pretty mean pair of nun chucks – but more on that later.

Posted inMusic

Funky Puppets: The Greyboy Allstars have returned, and they’ve brought the Muppets with them

The Source Staff

The real life men of the Greyboy allstars.The Muppets have always creeped me out. But if you turn the Greyboy
Allstars, the rejuvenated San Diego funky, jazzy boogaloo band, into
fuzzy puppets, then I can cope, as long as they bring the funk.

The
band's video for their James Brown-flavored track "Still Waiting"
features the Greyboys onstage in a juke joint, each member somewhat
accurately depicted in Muppet form. Without a live actor in sight, the
Muppeted men of GBA rip through the funk-laden track with the
representation of saxophonist/vocalist Karl Denson leading the way as a
dancefloor of fellow fuzzy figures dance their fake little asses off.

Posted inNews

School District Goes Local

Mike Bookey

In last week's column we listed the three finalists for the superintendent position for the Bend-La Pine School District. As it turns out, by the time the paper had hit the streets, the district's board of directors had concluded their search, choosing one of their own by way of a 6-1 vote: Ron Wilkinson, the district's deputy superintendent for almost seven years.
With 31 years of educational experience, Wilkinson was one of three finalists for the job, but the only one with local experience. Wilkinson will take the place of current superintendent Doug Nelson, who is retiring in June after eight years with the district. The other two finalists for the job had experience working in education in Wyoming and California's Bay Area.

Posted inFood & Drink

Cabernet Franc: the well kept secret of the Loire

Eric Flowers

The Cab Franc from the vineTraveling west out of Colfax, Washington recently, I was hit with the unmistakable aroma of Cabernet Franc. Not just any Cab Franc either, but something out of France’s Loire Valley. It took a minute to realize it was the burnt grass stubble sticking out of the snow along the roadside ditch. “Of course!” you say, “burnt roadside ditch stubble.” Since assuming the lofty position of the Source’s newly established wine columnist, I’ve been working hard to fortify my wine vocabulary. “I like it!” and “Mmmm!” are clearly no longer adequate.

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