Blogtown, PDX, Portland Mercury

Good Morning(-ish), News!

Denis C. Theriault — Sat, 19 May 2012 12:41:46 -0700

Terrorism charges—the future of protest policing—have been filed against three NATO demonstrators arrested (and previously targeted) in Chicago. Cops say they found bomb-making materials and that the men they arrested were planning to hurl Molotov cocktails at Obama's campaign HQ and other fine places. But lawyers say all the cops found was a bunch of homebrew equipment and argue the search warrant that allowed the arrests wasn't legit.

Confusing charts, so many of them, make the case that Facebook's IPO went even more poorly than we think it actually did.

Maybe we won't have to go to war with Iran over its nuclear program. At least until after the November presidential election.

So many Portlanders gathered yesterday to remember and mourn for Kathryn Rickson, the cyclist who was killed at SW 3rd and Madison after a large truck, making a right turn, struck her.

A Republican congressman's donors made out like bandits after their patron steered an earmark—amounting to millions in government overspending on Army airplane parts—their way.

The premiere launch of a privately owned cargo rocket destined to dock with the International Space Station was delayed for several days because ~~SkyNet~~ computers detected a problem and also because Zefram Cochrane isn't real and, as such, couldn't fix it.

The senior party leaders atop China's Politburo rail against elitist American values have no qualms about sending their kids and grandkids to study at elitist American universities.

Sewing your 14-year-old's son's ass shut—because his ailing bowels gave him a fistula—is a criminal offense, but maybe not so criminal that you'll get sent to jail for it.

AND NEVER FORGET (KIND OF LIKE SEPTEMBER 11 AND THE ALAMO)! PARENTS WHO USE DRUGS HAVE KIDS YOU USE DRUGS. ANY QUESTIONS?

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Thursday TV Recaps for Poor People! The Final Finales.

Elinor Jones — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:34:14 -0700

Welp, last night was the end of the seasons for 30 Rock and Community. I’ll now be able to watch TV lying down, not taking notes, and not constantly shushing my husband, on Thursday evenings. And you’ll all go back to glaring at the fancy cable show recaps, wishing you’d picked a different major and could afford cable. It will suck to be us soon enough again. But last night, with these finales, we poors were given something beautiful.

30 Rock

Avery and Jack decide to renew their vows following Avery’s return from North Korea. (Vow renewals a cheap trick reality shows pull for ratings. Can’t hurt for 30 Rock to try, too!) Then Jack learns that Avery has fallen into a fingertapping romance with her co-captor. Liz and Criss inch closer to having a plant/baby together. Jenna is still out to get Mabel—“Can’t hack it in the big city? Gonna move to the bay area now and pretend that was your dream the whole time? Have fun always carrying a light sweater!” Kenneth and Hazel (ew) kiss, and then he finds out that Hazel sabotaged his page application. Tracy learns about racism and black role models from a guy who is not Questlove.

We’re perfectly set up for next season, the show’s last. Liz will finally get her kid, which she could not have done earlier in the series because the writers knew that babies ruin grown-up shows. Jack will be single again and we’ll wonder if he’s gonna hook back up with Avery’s mom, maybe rekindle things with Nancy Donovan, or pull a Don Draper and marry a hot 20-something? Kenneth will come back into the page program. The only people I’m not sure about are Tracy and Jenna. They'll be insane narcissists, I guess? I’ll miss this show but I’m happy with this season, and I think it’s going to wrap up in a graceful and timely manner next year.

P.S. Happy birthday, Tina Fey! I got you something. It’s a hastily written blog post that’s mostly about a different show. Hope you like it.

Community

And then there's this. The 90-minute three-parter was almost more than I could handle. In the first episode, “Digital Estate Planning,” the study group is transformed into adorable 8-bit video game characters, causing me to say, out loud, “Oh Jesus Christ, you guys.” Because it was so cool.

I don't know how to write out the Mario jump sound.

These guys really know how to sink their poorly-rated talons into our prematurely-nostalgic demographic, don’t they? The episode doesn’t exactly fit into the bigger story arcs of the spring, but it doesn’t matter. The bit with Annie and Shirley committing a double homicide—LOL, right?! And Britta finding a home in a witch lair and being NOT the worst at making potions. And especially this:

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It's Happening Tonight!

Alison Hallett — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:14:13 -0700

HAPPY B-DAY, JACKPOT!—As you know, Jackpot! Recording Studio and Jackpot Records have done a poop-ton to promote Portland's musical rep on a national scale. Now let's celebrate their accomplishments with this fantastic 15th anniversary show, featuring Quasi, the Minus 5, System and Station, Alialujah Choir, Blue Skies for Black Hearts, and much, much more! WSH
Bagdad Theater, 3702 SE Hawthorne, 8 pm, $10

THE FALLS—More than likely, you know Brent Knopf as the former one-third of Portland juggernaut Menomena, and if you're wise you've followed him to Ramona Falls, the emotionally and collaboratively hefty project that's launching its second release, Prophet, tonight. Come for the pretty songs, and stay for the good vibes. MS
Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $12-14

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Jolby: Shapes and Smiles Tonight!

Scrappers — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:44:51 -0700

Remember this awesome cover we ran a while back by Jolby?

We'll if it got your eyes wet & juicy like it did mine, you're in luck. Jolby's new art show opens at 6p m tonight at Albina Press Coffeehouse, over at 4637 North Albina.

If you can't go see the show in person (loser) treat your eye balls to some rad color, shapes and smiles after the jump.

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North Williams Open House

Alex Zielinski — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:14:40 -0700

Vintage Portland
The land before bike lanes.

Months after settling on a plan geared to dramatically rearrange North Williams Ave.—an essential bike corridor that's also the heart of historically African American Portland—the project's stakeholder committee is letting the public have its two cents. On Saturday, the committee is hosting an event urging community members to bring "stories, photos and best ideas" in hopes to celebrate the history of the socially sensitive neighborhood and hear locals' takes on the new design (PDF).

If you're at all interested in the rocky history of the North Portland neighborhood, curious on the committee's plan and want to have your say, stop by Immaculate Heart Church on N Williams between 1 and 4 pm tomorrow.

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Garnish Expands to the West Side (And They're Hiring)

Marjorie Skinner — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:44:00 -0700

Northeast Alberta boutique Garnish, primarily featuring the design work of proprietress Erica Lurie, is expanding its empire into the Pearl District as soon as early June at 404 NW 12th. (between Flanders and Glisan). Clearly the shop—which specialize in easy-wearing dresses and separates that lend themselves to personalization rather than making their own loud statements—has served its eastside clientele well, and it will be interesting to see how the Garnish style adapts to its new environs. Certainly, if you're going for the Pearl District's shopping heart, you could scarcely hit the target more precisely than that address. Stay tuned for opening event details and exact dates. Oh, and if you're a seamstress with customer service skills, you may want to peep this.

Garnish
Lurie (at right) at work with an assistant.

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Re-Birtherism

Paul Constant — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:14:00 -0700

It seems that it's time for birtherism to pop back up again. First, in Arizona, as Dan told you this morning, birthers are trying to get President Obama knocked off the ballot.

Second, the late Andrew Breitbart's site has "discovered" that Barack Obama's literary agent in 1991 accidentally claimed in promotional materials that Obama was "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii." PROOF!

Third, now that we've read some of the love letters that President Obama wrote as a young man, it's time for the same people who claimed that Obama couldn't have written his own memoir to claim that he didn't write his love letters, either. Dave Weigel at Slate found a doozy of an "expert."

[W]riting longhand, presumably from memory, Obama has the wherewithal to put an umlaut over the “u” in M�nzer. In college, I was an Honors English student and a Classics minor, not a political science major like Obama. I had not even heard of M�nzer before reading this letter.

That Obama could embark upon a sophisticated, spontaneous discussion of T.S. Eliot — he claimed not to have read “The Waste Land” for a year and never bothered “to check all the footnotes” — should have alerted Maraniss.

Nowhere in “Dreams [from My Father]" is there any mention of T.S. Eliot, M�nzer or Yeats.

Those are some compelling arguments: He can't possibly be smarter than me, and it's doubtful that anyone has more than three literary references to throw around. Birtherism is back, baby, and better than ever!

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Lotsa Videos from Portland Bands and Directors

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:44:40 -0700

It's beautiful outside! So it's the perfect time to come indoors, hunch over your laptop, and watch some videos. Who needs sunlight when you've got the warming, sickly glow of your computer monitor?

In all seriousness, there's a pantload of cool videos that's worth checking out—some from Portland bands, and some from non-Portland bands but directed by Portland directors. We don't usually throw 'em all in one post like this, but there's just too much to share. Here's a weekend's worth of stuff to point your eyes at.

•••

This first one's from Michael the Blind, for the song "Sympathies" from his remarkable upcoming album Are's and Els, which comes out June 5. Directed by Dominic DeJoseph, this was shot just two weeks ago in New York City with a NYC-based cast of actors, comedians, musicians, and artisis—including two of Tony Bennett's granddaughters, apparently. DeJoseph says:

"The image of Michael lying on his back singing while others lie down next to him occurred to me as the choral section came in the first time I heard the song. I didn’t want to see an actual chorus singing, but this image seemed to create a similar effect of togetherness.”

Michael the Blind celebrates the release of Are's and Els with a show on June 5 at the White Eagle (836 N Russell).

•••

Here's one from an out-of-town band but a Portland director. Detroit's Electric Six recruited Wieden + Kennedy's Justin Lowe to direct and Jason Roark to shoot this clip for "Psychic Visions." It crams an ambitious amount of action—underwater fight scene, Singing in the Rain homage, and more—into a three-day shoot and a $2,000 budget. Yes, that's Chris Funk (of the Decemberists and Black Prairie) officiating the wedding. Yes, that's local actress and choreographer Haley Talbot. Yes, that's the Someday Lounge and Holocene. Yes, that's Paws Aquatics, the doggie swim center. Wait, we have a doggie swim center?

Click the jump for more vids, including Dry River Yacht Club, Serious Business, Zachariah Shirai, Plankton Wat, and Adventure Galley!

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Here, Let Me Tell You What Movies to See This Weekend

Erik Henriksen — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:14:28 -0700

A couple of film festivals are your best bets for new (or new to Portland) movies this weekend—there's the Portland Queer Documentary Film Festival and the Experimental Film Festival Portland—although there's plenty of other films opening (Battleship, God Bless America, Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview, What to Expect When You're Expecting a Terrible Movie, Mansome, Bernie), all of which are reviewed here. HOWEVER. There's also a pretty perfect summer blockbuster double feature out at Newberg's 99W Drive-In: One of the first blockbusters ever, Jaws, followed by the film that will almost certainly be this year's best and biggest blockbuster, The Avengers.

I saw Jaws again last night while it was still playing at the Hollywood Theatre; I have seen it more times than I can count, and every time I love it, and every time I get scared, and every time I'm stunned by how great it is. If you haven't seen it in a while—or haven't seen it on the big screen, as I hadn't before last night—you should go.

So that double feature might be my pick for the weekend, actually, if you're in a popcorn type of mood, want to enjoy the good weather, and don't mind a bit of a drive. The films run at the 99W Drive-In (3000 Portland Road, Newberg) tonight through Sunday, with Jaws starting at dusk and Avengers following.

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Today in Hilariously Inappropriate Movie Posters

Alison Hallett — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:44:03 -0700

Over on his blog BadAzzMoFO, local writer David Walker periodically highlights great movie posters in a feature he calls "BAMF's Movie Poster Hall of Fame."

Today, he's dug up some gems for one of my all-time favorite movies, The Long Goodbye, including this from MAD cartoonist Jack Davis:

It's a pretty cool poster that couldn't be farther from the spirit of the movie. Click through for a few more posters from the film, including two with kitties!

Thanks to Jamie S. Rich for the link!

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The 2012 PDX Pop Now! Compilation Album

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:13:10 -0700

PDX Pop Now! have announced the tracklisting for their 2012 compilation. Every year the all-ages local music nonprofit compiles a two-disc set of this city's best and brightest, and this year—their ninth—looks to be no exception. The 41-track set includes new, and in some cases exclusive, tracks from a huge array of bands. You'll want to take a peek after the jump for the full list. In the meantime, here's Wild Ones' contribution to the set.

LISTEN:

Wild Ones - "It's Real"

Wild Ones play tomorrow night with My Body at Mississippi Studios (3939 N Mississippi). That show's free! Wild Ones also will play at the PDX Pop Now! 2012 compilation release show on Thursday, June 7 at Holocene (1001 SE Morrison). Sun Angle, Hollywood Tans, Rose, and DJ Porsche Cayenne will also be on hand. That show's a special all ages event at Holocene (1001 SE Morrison), and 10 bucks will get you in the door and also get the compilation in your hands. And don't forget: This year's PDX Pop Now! festival will take place July 20-22 at Refuge in inner SE Portland—it's one of the best weekends of the year.

Look at what's on this year's comp after the jump!

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The 12th Annual Pug Crawl

Marjorie Skinner — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:44:00 -0700

Full disclosure: Very recently I began volunteering at the Oregon Humane Society (I'm building up dog walking hours to become an off-campus dog runner), and this Sunday I'll be lending a hand at the 12th annual Pug Crawl, dorky OHS apron and all. However we've put this event on our My What A Busy Week! page many times over the years, and it just lost by a hair this time to some dumbshit indie rock band or something, so this isn't just my bias speaking. (Besides, every time I go into that building I come out carrying a torch for a favorite underdog, and exercise great restraint in not posting their adoption pages regularly, so just let me have this.)

So anyhow, here's the drill: "Pug Nation" is a round-up of about 500 dogs (non-pugs are welcome) for a day of food, beer, live music, and the crown jewel of the day's festivities: The Parade of Pugs, a procession of 100+ costumed pugs competing for the title of "President of Pug Nation." If you haven't caught it yet, this year has a presidential election theme, which has borne out an array of puns that even I have to hold my nose before uttering, most notably "Repuglican" and "Demopug."

Ugh, ok forget I just said that. The point is, it's set to be a gorgeous day and we should be outside drinking beer, watching dogs in silly clothes (they love it), and making fun of my wildly unflattering volunteer badge photo. Meet me on Sunday at MacTarnahan's Taproom at 1 pm for a party that boasts both a pug kissing booth and pug washing. A $10 donation is requested and 100% of proceeds go to help the animals.

Oregon Humane Society
Last year's Voodoo Pug winner at yet another pun-tastically themed "Puglandia" event.

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Bud Clark Commons Wins National Design Award

Denis C. Theriault — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:14:47 -0700

Bud Clark Commons—whose day center and shelter have served thousands of homeless Portlanders and others in the year since it opened—feels like a rarity in the world of government-built social services buildings in that it's not a miserable, cramped place to do business. On the outside, it fits well against Portland's skyline, and inside it's warmly decorated, innovatively green, and light-filled.

Late yesterday, word emerged that the building's design, by Holst Architecture, had won this year's "Creating Community Connections" award from the American Institute of Architects and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The jury comments sum up one of the reasons why the building (which wasn't cheap, at $47 million) has been so successful, urging other cities to follow Portland's example:

The architect is really trying to say something here, and it is inspiring. The way the shelter addresses the street and the commons—it creates a place of invitation and dignity in a warm, lively kind of way. It invites a wider idea of constructive citizenry.

This building is more than an institution. Considering the homelessness initiative — most homeless projects seem institutionalized and one dimensional, but this is not stigmatized, it is thoughtful and brings a new way of thinking about how these facilities should be done. It is a gorgeous project. This approach should be imitated.

The Commons previously won regional design awards last year.

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Reoccupation? Nope, Just a Hangout

Alex Zielinski — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:44:25 -0700

Early last evening, a small group of Occupiers returned to their old home turf to commemorate the six-month anniversary of their eviction. Meeting in the recently reopened Lownsdale Square, the gathering acted more as a social hangout than a rally, the original idea behind the Facebook-planned event.

Nothing to see here

Organized by Occupier Liz Nichols—the 21-year-old who was pepper sprayed during the eviction—the event was slated to be a rally against police brutality. "We plan on staying until midnight," said Nichols at the start of the event. "I want the cops to come!" But, an hour in, the small group of 30 appeared to be just another late afternoon get-together, complete with guitar jam sessions and hair braiding.

The ambiguity of the event deterred past Occupiers. A few stopped by only briefly, afraid that Nichols wanted to cause an unnecessary police-attracting commotion. However, the only city officials that stopped by were a group of park rangers, hashing out the details for a ranger vs. Occupy softball game and BBQ in June.

Speaking to another Occupy veteran, Mark, it seemed like the event was more to support Nichols return to the public sphere since her painful incident. "We're just out here to support her. Nothing more than that," he said.

The night ended peacefully and quietly, to Nichols' apparent disappointment. Afterward, she wrote on the Facebook event page: "A lot of people who said they would show didn't. I didn't have the support I needed. What happened to coming together when people need it the most? Thank you to the people that did show up, and I would have stayed longer but it got cold fast and I need to sleep."

But, with the fences surrounding the old Occupy parks now down and summer settling in, it's hard to say what Occupy's next move will be.

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Awesome PDX Launch Party

Alison Hallett — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:29:54 -0700

Medium-sized novelty check.

Last night I dropped by the launch party for Awesome Portland, a microfunding organization that doles out $1,000 "minigrants" to deserving projects—no strings attached. The organization, which has branches worldwide but just launched locally, asks its trustees to contribute $100 every other month; they then choose five finalists from a pool of applicants, and the finalists pitch their projects in front of a crowd full of supporters and judges.

Last night's presentations ranged from charming-but-I-wouldn't-give-you-money ("Goatlandia," a goat-raising enterprise in Northeast Portland) to charming-but-of-dubious-community-benefit (a bike-powered screen printing operation) to totally earnest and worthy (a plan to help Iraqi refugees build and develop food carts). Some of the presenters struggled to connect with the audience in explaining how, exactly, they would use the funds if they won; the winning project, Schoolyard Farms*, laid out a clear description of their organic farm/school garden project, and explained what specifically the funds would go toward (providing scholarships to low-income kids to attend a garden-based summer camp). I think that clarity and specificity went a long way toward impressing the judges—something to keep in mind if you're planning to apply for one of Awesome Portland's grants in the future.

The deadline for the next round of applications is July 5, and you can learn more right here. They are also looking for a few more trustees, if you've got an extra $600 a year and some time on your hands, and want to spend it supporting innovative projects in your community.

*conflict of interest alert! This is my roommate's farm, and I was pulling for her.

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"The Erotic Bestselling Novel, Read by Gilbert Gottfried"

Paul Constant — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:14:00 -0700

Now that Bea Arthur is gone, nobody says "I'll agree to the fisting, but I'd really like to claim your ass" like Gilbert Gottfried.

And if you're wondering: Yes, the book is just as terrible as it sounds.

(Via Matt Ruff on Twitter.)

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Welcome Back to Otter Friday!

Erik Henriksen — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:59:06 -0700

Otter Friday has the potential to bring about world peace! It is a cool Blogtown series in which Alex Zielinski and I find neat otter videos. This week's Otter Friday theme: OTTERS... PLAYING THE PIANO?!

See you next Otter Friday!

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Interview with a Book Censor

Paul Constant — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:44:00 -0700

Here's an interview with Kuwait's top book censor:

“As a censor, I read a book from beginning to the end, word by word. In case the censor makes a mistake, the head of the department will be responsible for this mistake, as they should also read the book. The time to finish censoring a book depends on the kind of the book. For instance, a philosophical book needs about four days to read,” Dalal added...Working as a censor is interesting. “I like this work. It gives us experience, information and we always learn something new. It takes about a year or a year and a half to become a censor, as the person is first employed as a censor assistant. The employee first starts slow in reading and it takes him a week or days to finish a book. Also, beginners are not given political or religious books in the beginning as these are difficult. Instead we give them children’s books or some scientific books, which are easy,” said Dalal.

It's funny how anything can sound banal if you do it for a living.

(Via Disinformation.)

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Good Morning, News!

Denis C. Theriault — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:29:54 -0700

Guess what? President Barack Obama really was born in Kenya! Never mind his birth certificate clearly listing his birth in Hawaii—the president's own literary agency told the real truth in a 1991 pamphlet obtained by that one dead conservative provocateur.

Facebook! Money! They let the awkward man in the hoodie ring the Nasdaq bell—and then his company's stock price opened at $42, adding to its record IPO haul.

Willard Romney's new ad promises what Day 1 in his White House would look like: Handsomeness, and a bulldozer ready to bury spats-wearing plutocrats in millions of dollars in government cash.

But poor Willard. People maybe kind of like him? But every time he tries to keep the focus on how much money he'll give to other rich people, some rabid partisan or another keeps reminding us all how much more his party cares about racism and xenophobia.

An august psychiatrist who pushed a study defending a "cure" for queerness now says he's sorry. "I owe the gay community an apology," he says.

The man who shot Trayvon Martin probably fired his gun while it was pressed against Martin's chest, according to new evidence released by a special prosecutor.

Rumors abound that Europe is plotting to kick Greece out of its special economic club.

Can you record police officers? The feds, in a letter to Baltimore cops, say you can and that any cop who tries to stop you or arrest you is afoul of the YOO ESS CON-STEE-TOO-SHUN.

NATO protests in Chicago, now that they have begun, will put this to the test.

Sorry, kid. Blackface is never okay, even if you're earnest and trying your best to ace a school presentation on Martin Luther King Jr.

DON'T WORRY, THOUGH. SPOCKFACE IS ALWAYS OKAY.

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That's One Way to Take Arizona Out of Play

Dan Savage — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:13:06 -0700

So there was this:

The Obama campaign is looking to expand the battleground states map to include Arizona, opening campaign offices and registering voters across the state despite its Republican governor, two Republican senators, and a history of voting Republican in presidential elections broken, in the past 50 years, only by Bill Clinton.... “It is going to be a swing state,” said Jim Messina, the president’s campaign manager. “The question is, whether we can get enough people registered to put it in play this year.”

Which is why there's this:

The man in charge of running Arizona’s elections has gone to the birthers. Secretary of State Ken Bennett now says he’s not convinced Barack Obama was really born in the United States and so he is threatening to keep the president off the ballot in November.... Bennett [is] the state’s No. 2 elected official just below Gov. Jan Brewer (R).... “I’m not a birther. I believe the president was born in Hawaii—or at least I hope he was,” Bennett said on the show. “But my responsibility as secretary of state is to make sure the ballots in Arizona are correct and that those people whose names are on the ballot have met the qualifications for the office they are seeking.”

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Author Slings Cart Cookbook, Bunk Bar, 5/22

Chris Onstad — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:59:47 -0700

The Truck Food Cookbook We Are Talking About.

Five-time James Beard Award nominee John T. Edge has just released The Truck Food Cookbook, a 304-page, glossy, full-color tour of major US metropolitan food carts. Portland, naturally, features prominently among the listings, with profiles of—and dishes from—11 local carts. Household names Whiffies, Potato Champion, Grilled Cheese Grill, and KOI Fusion jostle for attention along with Swamp Shack, Moxie RX, and others.

The book has 150 highly approachable recipes from carts in Austin, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and more. With a gratifying ratio of food-porn-to-useful-information, it's a well-balanced product that can provide many simple meals, as well as many good long sits of page-turning. There is even, in select passages, pontification upon the food cart phenomenon.

Edge is presenting his book at Bunk Bar, May 22, 6-8pm. No-host bar and food will of course be available, as well as the book, so rsvp to info@pdxca.org and then join the 390 other cart owners who didn't make the cut.

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Jail Drug-Testing Shows Weed Popular as Ever

Nathan Gilles — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:32:16 -0700

Our May 3 story “Marijuana 'On Board'” talked about a federal drug-testing program many people had never heard about, including some civil libertarians. Under various names, the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring program (or ADAM II), tested male arrestees in ten cities, including Portland, for over two decades. But earlier this year, due to a lack of federal funding, ADAM II dropped 5 of its 10 test cities, Portland among them. Today, the feds released what will presumably be the last ADAM II report listing Portland as a participant. So pay attention, this could be the last time in a while we get these numbers. What’s changed between the 2010 and 2011 report? As it turns out, not much really.

For arrestees tested at Multnomah County’s central jail, drug use remained constant, at about 70 percent, from 2010 to 2011. Meth use did go up: from 20 percent to 23 percent of arrestees. But, opiate use actually dropped from 2010 to 2011, going from 22.6 to 16.3 percent—which, frankly, is a head-scratcher given that heroin-related deaths have been on the rise in Oregon according to the Oregon State Medical Examiner. Oxycodone use was also down. What was up—way up—was marijuana. Use of the herb was at 50.8 percent in 2011, up from 44.5 percent in 2010, which was in turn up from 38.1 percent in 2009.

So what in-the-hell does this all this mean? Who knows. What we can probably say with some certainty is that while other drugs experience their ups and downs, pot has stayed consistency popular. And in 2011, it was more popular then ever.

For those who are curious about drug use among the arrested in Multnomah County, here's a cheat sheet (PDF) taken from the ADAM II reports from 2007-2011.

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The Portland Flea Returns This Weekend

Marjorie Skinner — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:44:00 -0700

Among the various citywide farmers markets and the weekly waterfront shitshow that is Saturday Market, the Portland Flea one of the relatively lesser-known seasonal recurrences. Taking place once a month from May through October, this market specializes in antique or re-purposed furniture and vintage clothing and collectibles—a one-stop pre-selected smorgasbord for thrifters and grazers. Vendors include Ampersand Gallery & Fine Books and XXXXXVintage, the collected finds of fashion designer Julia Barbee. And if you're worried you'll starve without ready access to cart food, never fear: Fifty Licks, Voodoo Doughnut, Taco Pedaler, and Water Ave Coffee will all be there at the year's first edition, this Saturday May 19, 10 am-4 pm at Union/Pine.

Facebook

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TriMet Recieves $85 Million from Federal Grant

Alex Zielinski — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:29:41 -0700

TriMet received $85 million in federal grant money today to aid in the completion of its pricey Portland-Milwaukie light rail line (the future Orange Line). This grant was handed over by Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, transportation advocates, to TriMet as part of a $745 million full-funding agreement with the company.

“As a nation we must reduce our addiction to overseas oil," said Merkley, in a statement. "The MAX’s success has proven that when people have good transit options, they often prefer to leave their cars at home. This grant helps give more people that option, which is good for them and good for our country.”

TriMet has previously been covering the expenses by regional matching funds, according to the Oregonian. This should come as a huge relief to the agency that has been put through the wringer with its $12 million budget deficit.

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Cart Pod Re-Opening: Green Castle, NE 20th/Everett

Chris Onstad — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:14:45 -0700

"Fantasy Hands" Onstad
Green Castle Is Identifiable By This Heraldic Device

Saturday, May 19, marks the grand re-opening of Green Castle Food Court. Running from 11am to 8pm, the event features ten new carts, including Hawaiian, Italian, Chinese, Thai, Mexican, coffee, and vegan/gluten-free windows. The pod's growing Facebook page can be found here.

Full Vendor Listing:

The Flyin’ Hawaiian Food Cart

The Holy Cannoli Wicked Italian Food Cart

The Picnic Food Cart

The GF Chef Food Cart (The food omits gluten)

The Homegrown Smoker Vegan BBQ Food Cart

Ole Latte Coffee Food Cart

The Retrolicious Food Cart

The El Taco Yucateco Food Cart

Chen’s Express Food Cart

The Diamond Thai Food Cart

The Green Castle Food Court pod boasts plentiful parking, and embraces the reality of dog ownership. I am perhaps most intrigued by the mysterious Retrolicious cart, whose menu-less site nonetheless has me hotly anticipating crown pork roast (whole or half), ambrosia salad, "Hot Lava Chicken Tiki Cups," and other favorites from the golden age of Sunset Magazine.

(Why a "re-"opening? After an initial misunderstanding about permits, the popular pod now has affairs in order, and looks ready to maintain its hold on the space.)

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