Jason Ehlers, the Portland graffiti artist aka “Caveman” jailed for 26 months last July, writes about his graffiti addiction in
this morning’s Oregonian:

Painting gives me a feeling of gratification I have never felt before. Sneaking around, climbing buildings, hiding in the shadows and painting under pressure shoots adrenaline through my body and produces a euphoria almost equal to an addictive drug…

Sounds exactly like gambling, doesn’t it? I should probably try it out. Still: The O is quick to point out Ehlers didn’t get paid for writing in the paper, but they sure give him a lot of column inches for his trouble. There’s also a small piece advertising a summer graffiti class at PCC, quoting the instructor saying, “Do we like graffiti? Yeah, but it’s illegal.”

In the paper’s breaking news section, however, there’s news about the overnight “vandalism” in SE. Tim Trangove, 26, and Ross Mathena, 25, “spray-painted anarchist symbols and profanity” on more than a dozen cars overnight. Granted, it’s bad timing, but the O is sure sending some mixed messages this morning.