Took a couple days, but the WW’s art editor Kelly Clarke and copy chief Ian Gillingham have finally gotten around to responding to the outpouring of complaints regarding theater critic Ben Waterhouse’s blatant insinuations that the Mercury’s Alison Hallett is a plagiarist. In a nutshell, Ben accused Alison of writing “exactly the same review,” and asked if readers could notice any similarities, “like maybe the whole thing.” Overwhelmingly, readers did NOT notice any similarities, and wondered if Ben would give Alison an apology for what many consider to be highly unprofessional and slanderous remarks. Here’s how Kelly and Ian apologize (plagiarized word for word from WWire—bolds are mine):

Thanks for sharing your opinions with us.

To answer the lingering question: No, Ben is not being fired, nor is he being reprimanded.

A number of WW staffers read both Ben’s and Alison’s reviews and came to the conclusion that the structure and form of Alison’s review (especially in the first half) were not technically plagiaristic, yet so similar that they could not be explained away as formulaic writing. For people who spend every day writing and editing stories, belaboring word choices and cutting and pasting paragraphs to best make our points, the idea that so many key phrases and transitions were similar raised a red flag.

We have our opinion, and you, dear readers, certainly are free to have yours.

In any case, we stand by Ben’s post, as well as all his work in WW.

Still no examples of what “key phrases and transitions” sounded so similar. And still no word from Waterhouse.

Here’s some news to help you gear up for the final day of Pedalpalooza, ending with today’s Multnomah County Bike Fair at SE 20th and Belmont: Rev. Phil Sano, the man who was facing two-plus years in prison for an altercation at last year’s World Naked Bike Ride, has had his case dropped.

Rev. Phil was holding up traffic for his fellow naked bikers when an angry SUV driver allegedly hit him and knocked him off his bike. He was charged with indecent exposure, having an open container of alcohol—there was an empty beer can on his bike, which Sano says was from the night before—criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct. His trial dates kept getting delayed, and at long last, his attorney informed him yesterday that the district attorney was no longer pursuing the case.

The Rev.’s full email is after the jump, and there’s going to be a naked justice bike ride tonight, meeting at Free Geek on SE 10th and Market, 10pm.

First there was nothing and it was totally boring. Then there was nudity and that was totally riotous. Then clothes, which were practical, but not as much fun. Then bikes, which provided much pleasure across the lands (and sometimes waters).

Then one magical day, the perfect unification of bicycle sans clothing was achieved, and it was good.

"You got your nudity on my bicycle!"

"You got your bike in my ass!"

It was awkward at first, but soon the skies opened up for all the universe did desire to gaze upon its beauty.

All was glorious for some time, then lighting (in the form of a Jeep Liberty SUV) struck down a naked biker, and it was not good. For a year revphil and all his friends struggled in legal purgatory. They were determined to get naked justice, knowing that day would come... and the skies would clear again, and the roads would be smooth, and the hills easy to climb, and the wind would be very refreshing.

For a year and a month they waited.

Then it happened... today.

I just got an email from my lawyer Stu Sugarman. The DA said they
would give up prosecuting this case.

From Stu:
---
Rev, you be a free man! I knew that poster I gave him, and the constitutional demurrer, and all the witness statements, and all the other work done by Damon, Diane, Shirley, and Paul (in no intentional order), the admission that the spoiled brat was "nudging" Phil out of the way, and, not least, the fact that they're just making a bigger folk hero out of Rev. Phil, would demoralize them!

Now those posters will really be collector's items!

Congrats Phil, I'll get the dismissal order on Monday. It will be suitable for framing! Well, not really, but I'm sure you can do it. Anyway, it'll go on my wall.

Thanks investigators for endless hours of commitment and volunteer time, Thanks all you naked witnesses! WE WON!!!!!

It's been such a pleasure.

Ride Naked!

stu

The comments I posted here last week—from the TriMet Operators’ Yahoo! Group (which isn’t operated by TriMet)—were just noticed by those in the email group. And—not surprisingly—they aren’t happy that their embarrassing public comments about the 14-year-old lesbians kicked off a bus on June 8 have found a wider audience.

It’s here, along with lots of comments (which some here may find offensive). And it’s all in the public record now.

One person says I “misunderstand the context of which was said.” Head to the post and see for yourself, or, better yet, join the Yahoo! group and see the entire exchange (I posted most of it—all but a few irrelevant asides). It’s open to any TriMet enthusiast, after all.

Ronnda Zezula—the kick ass mom who’s been standing up to TriMet on behalf of her 14-year-old daughter, who (along with her girlfriend) was kicked off a bus for kissing—is heading into the lion’s den on Monday.

Going on O’Reilly’s show with Lars Larson on Monday. Wish me luck…

I wished her luck, and offered some tips for going toe-to-toe with conservative talking heads: Stick with a few talking points. Don’t get drawn into their rhetorical or baseless or off-point questions. Repeat yourself if necessary. Hammer home your most indisputable point. And be ready for the really offensive question, like “why do you let your teenager be gay?” Matt suggests she uses humor to throw them off guard. Any other tips?

See how she does, 5 pm Monday night, on Fox News.

There sure is a lot going on tonight, so here’s another option:

We already covered tonight’s Doug Fir headliners, The New Year, but hardly said a peep about opener, David Bazan. The ex-Pedro the Lion frontman recently killed off the animal moniker for good and now just goes by his name.

Here, Bazan covers Dylan, yet in doing so, sound a bit like Randy Newman (another artist he often covers) in the process. It’s a live recording from his solo performance last month in Somerville, MA. You can download the entire set here.

MP3: David Bazan - The Man In Me

If you’ve flipped on the TV news in the past week, you’ve likely heard about Commissioner Sam Adams’ campaign to raise funding to pay for street maintenance—filling potholes, repaving, replacing street signs, etc.—that Oregon’s gas tax is no longer meeting.

Politically, it’s a nutty situation for Adams—he’s the transportation commissioner, so it’s his obligation to do something, and the roads really are falling apart at an alarming rate, and there aren’t many ways to make up the extra money, but the idea of raising a local gas tax (or increasing property taxes) appears to be hitting with a resounding thud.

Which is, of course, utterly ridiculous. The money to pay for street paving—statewide—comes from the state gas tax, which isn’t indexed for inflation and hasn’t increased since 1993, despite the fact that street maintenance costs have skyrocketed. According to figures provided by Adams, the city has a $425 million maintenance backlog, which grows by $9 million every year.

The state legislature won’t be increasing the tax this session (like the Dems want to give the anti-tax rightwing any more ammo), which only leaves local alternatives. Unfortunately for Adams, early, completely unofficial polling shows very little support for the plan. In fact, the “Mark and Dave” radio show on 1190 KEX had a listener poll about the tax. These were the results:

Commissioner Sam Adams is proposing a gas tax or property tax to pay for Portland’s street repairs. Which idea best addresses this problem? 11% Gas Tax. 5% Property Tax. 84% A new commissioner.

Then again, if there’s one trait you can pin on Adams, it’s that he hates to lose. Unlike other commissioners, who laudably will propose policies even if they’re doomed to fail, Adams is known for not bringing anything forward that he doesn’t feel confident on. (Parking meters on Hawthorne? Gone after a few meetings of the neighborhood business association, because it was a political loser.)

So it’s not surprising that he’s got a comprehensive opinion survey compiled by Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall, showing where voters might actually be. It’s broken down by what kind of tax people will support and at what levels. I won’t bore you with the numbers, but there’s a bit over majority support for a combination of options (gas tax and property fee) that will bring in some, but not all, of the needed money.

When it comes down to it, though, I think it’s pretty obvious that everyone just needs to get on a damn bike already—not only do bikes not damage the roads, but if you’re worried about a gas tax, well… Over at BikePortland.org, Jonathan Maus has a post about the need for bicyclists to chime in on the policy.

Head over to Adams’ blog to chime in.

In the crypt of St.Francis’ tomb, in fact. And taken yesterday, not today, by City Commissioner Randy Leonard, who is vacationing in Italy:

Matt-
Here is a photo taken surreptitiously of St. Francis’s crypt….it is dark but if you blow it up you can see his stone crypt in the doorway beneath the light….it as good as could be done without flash and in violation of Papal law.

Buon Giorno

Randy

Rebellious toward his father’s business and pursuit of wealth, Francis spent most of his youth lost in books (ironically, his father’s wealth did afford his son an excellent education, and he became fluent in reading several languages including Latin). He was also known for drinking and enjoying the company of his many friends, who were usually the sons of nobles. His displays of disillusionment toward the world that surrounded him became evident fairly early, one of which is shown in the story of the beggar. In this account, he found himself out having fun with his friends one day when a beggar came along and asked for alms. While his friends ignored the beggar’s cries, Francis gave the man everything he had in his pockets. His friends quickly chided and mocked him for his act of charity, and when he got home, his father scolded him in a rage.

Much like Saul Williams, I’m unable to pick a side with Canadian folk-rapper Buck 65. At times I think his ideas are fresh takes on stale hip-hop trends, while other times I think I might as well listen to a record by this guy.

In the video below, for “Wicked and Weird,” Buckster takes a road trip, with puppets. Hilarity ensues. Sort of.

He’ll be opening for Sage Francis tonight at Roseland

Go nuts tonight!

FRIDAY
Aladdin Theater–Live Wire!: The Thermals, Rory Stitt, Ralph Huntley & The Mutton Chops, 8 pm, $12-15, all ages
Berbati’s Pan–The High Violets, Blue Skies for Black Hearts, Fast Computers, 9 pm
Dante’s–Storm Large & The Balls, Kleveland, Morgan Grace, 9:30 pm, $15-18
Doug Fir–The New Year, David Bazan, Aristeia, 9 pm, $12
Hawthorne Theatre–Goregon Massacre Fest: FKU, Dekapitator, Engorged, Spring Break, Ex Dementia, Dissector, Exhausted Prayer, Superbad, 6 pm, $25, all ages
Holocene–Dan Deacon, Videohippos, DJ Beyonda, Show Me the Pink, 9 pm, $7
Kelly’s Olympian–Wow & Flutter, The Moggs, Colony of Watts, The Shy Traffickers, 9 pm, $5
The Know–Drunken Boat, Git Some, Science of Yabra, 7 pm, $5
Roseland–Sage Francis, Buck 65, Buddy Wakefield, Alias, 8 pm, all ages
Rotture–Thin Pink Line: DJ Girlfriends, 10 pm, $3
Towne Lounge–A Sunny Day in Glasgow, My Teenage Stride, Gingerbread Patriotsmercury band page, 9:30 pm, $5
Valentine’s–Eternal Tapestry, Smegma, 9 pm, $1

Check out Saturday and Sunday’s best bets after the jump…

SATURDAY
Col. Summers Park–Multnomah County Bike Fair, 2 pm, free
Dante's–Telephone, Nikki Corvette & The Stingrays, The Little Girls, Thee Makeout Party, 9 pm, $8
Doug Fir–Richmond Fontaine, Loch Lomond, Laura Gibson, 9 pm, $10
Dunes–The Cave Singers, Lighting Dust, 10 pm
Hawthorne Theatre–Goregon Massacre Fest: NunSlaughter, Butcher ABC, Ghoul, Black Market Fetus, Funerot, Reeker, Book of Black Earth, Kill the Client, Warcorpse, 6 pm, $25, all ages
Holocene–Double Down: DJ Harmony, DJ Safronica, 8 pm, $5
Kelly's Olympian–Lovetones, Quarter After
Kenton Club–Drunken Prayer, The Pack, DJ Hwy 7
Music Millennium NW–Trick Sensei, 1 pm, free, all ages; Quarter After, Lovetones, 2:30 pm, free, all ages; Telephone, 5 pm, free, all ages
Slabtown–RideOn Benefit: The Maybe Happening, The Morals, Sprinkles, Ferocious Eagle, DJ Matto, DJ Maserati, 9 pm, $5-10
Someday Lounge–Golden: DJ Linoleum, DJ BJ, DJ Copy, 9 pm, free
Tonic Lounge–Red Fang, Death Valley, Dragged by Horses, 9:30 pm
Towne Lounge–Looker, The Newspapers, The Mello Outs, 9:30 pm, $5
The Waypost–Plankton Wat, Ghosting, Dragging an Ox Through Water, 8 pm

SUNDAY
Alberta Street Public House–Ali Wesley, Super XX Man, Jack Elder, 8 pm, $5
Beulahland–Eye Candy Sundays: VJ Norto, The Phantom Hillbilly, 10 pm, free
Doug Fir–Dolorean, Matt Sheehy, Hello Damascus, 9 pm, $7
Ground Kontrol–Fun World: Advisory, Dirty Mittens, Chaz, The Black Black Black, 3 pm, $3-5, all ages; Black Sunday: Gargantula, Rabbits, Diesto, DJ Nate C, 9 pm, $6
Holocene–Great Lake Swimmers, Eleni Mandell, Musee Mecanique, 9 pm, $8
Someday Lounge–Cacophony: Better People, Long Legged Woman, Nezzy Idy, JPTR, Heavylids, Power Circus, 8 pm, $6

The English Dept. (724 NW 23rd), the sweet boutique owned by Elizabeth Dye and Joy Cohen, is pulling up stakes and moving—don’t worry, it’s not far—down to SW 11th and Alder. In the meantime, starting today and through the end of the month, help cut down on their packing by taking advantage of the storewide 50% off (!) sale (excluding bridal). And remember, the early bird gets the cutest worm.

I thought Noah Baumbach’s 2005 film The Squid and the Whale was just about flawless. The film, about two brothers whose parents are going through a divorce, is perceptive, poignant, and quirky without being twee. The Squid and the Whale proved that Baumbach can write family; from the looks of the trailer for his newest, Margot at the Wedding, he can write relationships, too. (And I have to say, the Jennifer Jason Leigh/Jack Black pairing reminds me of the hullaballoo a couple weeks ago over Knocked Up re: hot chicks and “fat stoner losers”). Check it out:

Just when you think science has weeded out all the genetic anomalies, we get this: A man who can turn his feet around 180 degrees. (Oh, and his son can do it too.)

This just landed in my inbox, courtesy of Lucasfilm. Yep, not that exciting. But I have a hunch this movie’s going to kick all sorts of ass. (Then again, I’ve been waiting for this movie since I was nine, so maybe I’m just really, really hoping it’ll kick all sorts of ass.)

THE MAN WITH THE HAT IS BACK: For the first time since 1989, Harrison Ford dons the familiar costume on Thursday, June 21, 2007, as the upcoming “Indiana Jones” adventure begins production under the direction of Steven Spielberg. The new “Indiana Jones” movie is set in the 1950s and stars Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, John Hurt, Ray Winstone and Jim Broadbent . The Lucasfilm Ltd. production will be released by Paramount Pictures worldwide on May 22, 2008. Photo by Steven Spielberg. Courtesy Lucasfilm Ltd.

Fine. We can all agree that a tanker filled with “4,000 pounds of pigs’ blood” spilling all over the roadway in Klamath Falls, OR is super-duper GROSS. However, to the people in this histrionic news report, an airline toilet backing up and overflowing into the plane on a cross-country flight is WAY grosser.

I have my big foam #1 finger on for The Fast Computers’ Heart Geometry record, which is being celebrated tonight with a CD release show at Berbati’s.

The album is a fantastic selection of keyboard-heavy pop tunes that overflow with warmth and never pander to the whole ’80s revivalist thing.

MP3: The Fast Computers - Sweden Hasn’t Changed, You Have

This is a pretty excellent reason why writers who have never played Pong should never, ever try to write about “them vidya game tapes” their kids can’t get enough of:

CHICAGO—The telltale signs are ominous: teens holing up in their rooms, ignoring friends, family, even food and a shower, while grades plummet and belligerence soars.

The culprit isn’t alcohol or drugs. It’s video games, which for certain kids can be as powerfully addictive as heroin, some doctors contend.

Holy shit. Seriously? The only way I’m going to take this story seriously is if the reporter played 40 hours of Grand Theft Auto and followed it with a 40 hour heroin binge, then tried to break the vicious, vicious cycle.

P.S. Okay, so I’ve done that, and this article is totally true. I’d write more, but I just got a bad case of the shakes from my Tetris withdrawls.

Weighty questions for you to ponder this Friday:

Is Guantanamo going to close?

Is Alison Hallett a plagiarizer?

Will Michael Moore’s Sicko change the U.S. healthcare system?

WIll Bush’s new all time low approval rating of 26 percent dip below Richard Nixon’s historic low of 23 percent?

Is Multnomah County Sheriff Bernie Giusto in trouble?

So it seems to be media afternoon in Portland. I’m up in Albina at a meeting of the mayor’s racial profiling committee, and the facilitator, Kristin Lensen, just proposed closing the next two sessions to the media, for the purpose of “relationship building” between the committee’s participants.

Fortunately, they went around the table and agreed not to try to do it, (it also happens to be against Oregon public meetings law) although the mayor’s public safety policy assistant, Jared Spencer, said this:”I believe in the freedom of the press but I’ve seen recently the damage that the media can have in propagating overall untruths and inaccuracies which can be communicated to the broader public.”

I think that’s his way of saying “The Mercury killed our sit/lie ordinance.”

Anyway, Police Union Boss Robert King said: “I like Matt, I want you to stay.”

I’ll let that sentence stand on its own, I think, because I sure as hell don’t know how to respond to it.

Then Police Chief, Rosie Sizer said: “I think I’m one of the people around the table with the most to lose in terms of having skin in the game. I think there’s been a certain amount of posturing that’s happened partly because of the presence of Matt. On the other hand he’s still interested, and he’s also keeping Portland safe from duct-tape.”

I am, and have been, the only “journalist”/member of the press in the room at the last six meetings of the mayor’s racial profiling committee. I responded to the comments by saying something along the lines of: “Our paper is an alternative weekly and we don’t claim to be objective. On the other hand every journalist has their stance, and if the Oregonian chooses not to be interested in a particular story, that’s their own form of bias.”

That goes for the Tribune and the WWierdos, too. I also mentioned that little “public meetings law” thing, and everybody had a good chuckle. What a thoroughly odd exchange…

For those of you who saw Lismore at Rotture Tuesday night, and for those of you who will kick your own asses for not catching them live after you listen to what you missed, this week’s episode of So Hot Right Now is all about the talented duo. Click here to get that booty bumpin’.

The current issue of Just Out has an interesting commentary from publisher-editor Marty Davis.

It begins:

It’s June. It’s Pride. Portland, Oregon, everywhere. Pride, a time for merriment and mirth. And unfortunately, also a time that signals the arrival of the season for pissiness and pettiness on the parts of many.

Including Just Out! Just Out really, really doesn’t like the Pride haters. (In fact, you could say Just Out hates haters!)

Davis continues:

I find it even more irritating when members of our own community feel it their duty, their need, to flaunt their disapproval, while letting everyone know how meaningless all of Pride is.

Then, she throws out Exhibit A…

I’m especially intrigued by this quote, which appears in a recent issue of one of Portland’s alternative weeklies: “I find any excuse to leave town during Pride. I hate it. I find the self-congratulatory nature of it unbelievable, and I don’t feel like it’s my world at all. Even though it’s supposed to show this wide breadth of the queer community, or whatever. Just because you’re queer doesn’t mean you’re a cool person, just because people are queer doesn’t mean we have to have a party about it.”

Some of the keys on Davis’ keyboard must have been stuck, because she wasn’t able to type which paper that quote appeared in—that’d be this one, the Mercury, in our official Pride Guide. Davis also wasn’t able to name the source of that quote.

Ironically, it was Sarah Dougher—bad ass local musician, and former news editor at Just Out. Hmmm. I wonder if Dougher’s time working for Davis has influenced her opinion of “the self-congratulatory nature” of Pride?

You know, Oprah-esque “we are all part of a greater community” stuff (also from the commentary) like:

Pride is not a party, Pride is not a parade. Pride is how you live your life. Pride is not about being a cool person; it’s about being the best person you can be. Pride is taking ownership of weakness and celebration of strengths. Pride is looking beyond being gay and understanding that we are all part of a greater community. Pride is caring about our schools, our neighborhoods, our homes and our families. Pride is caring about our city, our nation and our planet.

Gag.

Friends! If you haven’t already heard, we here at the Mercury have teamed up with those titans of voluntarism and civic engagement at the Oregon Bus Project for a new monthly series called “Debate Club.”

We’re pretty freakin’ thrilled about it, as the events we’ve done in the past (our charter review forum and digital politics) have been fun and engaging, and a bit messy around the corners, the way any drunken political discussion should be.

The series is kicking off this Tuesday, June 26, at rontoms (600 E Burnside) at 7pm. As always, this shebang is all abut dialog, democracy, and drinking—in fact, that’s the tagline. This month’s issue is about the little-discussed topic of immigration. I know there hasn’t been much about it in the news lately, so if you’re a little under-informed, it’s okay—we’ll help fill you in. We’ve got a great panel lined up, which I’ll tell you about tomorrow, but suffice it to say that no matter how much you think you know about immigration, you’re going to hear some new perspectives.

We’d love to see you out. It’s free—of course—and you can stick around with us afterward to talk about immigration, or whatever else is on your mind. Fun!

Before that, though, on Sunday afternoon, the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition is organizing a rally and march to show support the families of the workers deported in the Del Monte immigration raid. It starts at 2pm in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office at 511 NE Broadway.

Dear Ben Waterhouse,

Oh, hey, Ben. How’s it going… great, great. Hope your wife is doing well. So, this is a little awkward, but… I was really a little shocked when a friend sent me a link to an Oregon Media Insiders story reporting that you had virtually accused me of plagiarizing one of your theater reviews! I mean, yikes! That’s pretty serious stuff! So I took a look at my review of Floyd Collins, and I took a look at yours…. and we definitely saw the same play! No doubt about it, that sure was a musical about a man trapped in a cave. Let’s see, we both summarized the plots, came to pretty similar conclusions about the strengths and weaknesses of the play… And we both really like that Tyler Caffal fellow! I’ve got a bit of a crush on him, to tell you the truth (don’t tell him—I would just DIE).
I was curious to see what Blogtown readers thought of all of this—we sure do have some sharp readers!—so I figured I’d go ahead and throw both reviews on up, and see if anyone else agrees with your fairly serious insinuation that I am in violation of one of the most fundamental journalistic principles, like, EVER.
Well, I guess that’s about it! Have a great weekend—maybe I’ll see you around sometime.

Sincerely,
Alison

Compare our reviews after the jump

Floyd Collins
ALISON HALLETT

Floyd Collins is a play about a man trapped in a cave.

He dies at the end.

Did I mention that it's a musical?

In 1925, a man named Floyd Collins was crawling through some underground caves, looking for a cavern he could turn into a tourist trap, when his foot got stuck under a rock, trapping him in a space so small that no rescuer could free him. Floyd's plight led to what was allegedly the country's first "media circus"—and Floyd, in the few days before his death, became a national celebrity.

Stumptown Stages' production of Floyd Collins sounds good on paper (well, if you can get past the "It's a musical about a man trapped in a cave" thing). Artists Repertory Theatre's Jon Kretzu directs, and Portland stalwarts Kirk Mouser and Susannah Mars head up a solid roster of local acting talent.

Unfortunately, despite some valiant efforts from the cast, the show is a clunker. Floyd Collins contains some of the most ridiculous writing I've been privy to. A few choice lyrics: "Lord have mercy on my soul/Don't let me die alone in this hole." The overall tone of the production is uncertain, encompassing both ironic commentary (three young reporters spoof the media frenzy in a funny, Fosse-inspired song-and-dance routine), and the genuine distress of Floyd's family—conveyed largely via overwrought, maudlin ballads.

Kirk Mouser plays the man in the cave, and while he adeptly conveys a sense of claustrophobia, he also spends much of the play howling like a hillbilly gone feral. His full-throttle, one-note performance makes it hard to invest in a character who is not particularly sympathetic to begin with.

Standout performances come from some of the younger cast members, however: Tyler Caffal gives a grounded, intelligent performance as "Skeets" Miller, a young reporter who finds himself becoming part of the performance, while Erin Charles, as Floyd's sister, brings a depth to her role that most of the other performers lack. Ultimately, though, the show had me fervently wishing that Floyd would just croak already: not exactly a glowing recommendation.

----------

Floyd Collins

Never go caving alone. No, seriously, never go caving.

Digg It | del.icio.us Email | Print | Rate It! | 0 comments
BY BEN WATERHOUSE | bwaterhouse at wweek dot com

[June 13th, 2007] [MANIC MUSICAL] This is a play about a man stuck in a hole. In 1925, Floyd Collins was trapped in Kentucky's Sand Cave while spelunking in pursuit of fame and fortune. The efforts to rescue him, and his eventual demise, drew national attention, giving birth to the country's first media circus and taking on epic significance for readers across America.

I came to Stumptown Stages' production of Floyd Collins—Adam Guettel and Tina Landau's musical rendition of the cave saga—with high hopes and low expectations. On the one hand, with Artist Repertory Theatre's John Kretzu directing and a cast including Isaac Lamb, Susannah Mars and Kirk Mouser, the show sounded promising; on the other, I had been too dissatisfied with the company's prior efforts to expect much from this one. Unfortunately, I wasn't disappointed on either count.

I do not much care for Floyd Collins. Although the story is fascinating, I find the music—an odd mix of bluegrass themes, pop melodies and atonal shouting—for the most part grating and dull. That said, there are some wonderful moments in the show: Tyler J. Caffal, last seen in ART's gut-busting Inspecting Carol, gives an engaging, well-considered performance as Skeets Miller, the rookie reporter who gets caught up in the rescue effort; Isaac Lamb's solo in "The Ballad of Floyd Collins" is chilling and beautiful; and the show is stolen by a trio of tap-dancing reporters (John Ellington, David Cole and Sean Ryan Lamb) parasitically chronicling the unfolding story—in rhyme.
advertisement

advertisement

Although this production is more levelheaded than Stumptown's previous shows, there are still some serious problems here. Some of the more strenuous roles—a few members of Collins' bizarre and possibly inbred family, in particular—are played by the production's least capable actors. More importantly, odd casting leaves Todd Tschida (Homer Collins) singing far below his range and sounding a little foolish.

Most troubling of all is Kirk Mouser's hyperactive portrayal of the titular character. Mouser is a big actor, who has toured with Le Mis and Phantom. He's well suited to epic roles, but he seems a bit lost in a role that is, for the most part, motionless. What makes Collins' story so interesting is that the epic tragedy that reporters and readers latched onto was a hollow one; when it comes down to it, Floyd Collins was a reckless adventure-seeker who died from his own folly. Mouser's manic energy and vocal acrobatics are fine for Floyd-the-wild-eyed-tragic-hero—but it would be nice to see a little of Floyd-the-fool-in-the-hole.
Stumptown Stages at Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, 5340 N Interstate Ave., 381-8686. 8 pm Fridays-Saturdays, 2 pm Sundays. Closes June 30. $22-$27.

Scottish designer Christopher Kane is set to show his S/S 2008 line at the Swarovsky Fashion Rocks show in London on October 8, and according to British Vogue’s website, he’s got his sights on Portland home girl Beth Ditto as a potential model for the show, which combines big-name designers like Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Versace, and more with live performances. Says Kane: “I’m going for Beth Ditto, who’s cool and wild and would look great in all-over crystals…”

The annual Pedalpalooza bike fest is quickly coming to a close, but you’ve still got a couple more days to get in on the fun if you haven’t already (and according to weather.com, no rain is expected until Sunday—good news for you pansy-ass fair-weather bikers).

Here’s what you should hit between now and Saturday:

Today—Unicycle Polo! Alberta Park, NE 22nd and Killingsworth, 6:30pm to 8:00. Don’t have/ride a unicycle? Me neither! But you should go, to either 1.) see what that nonsense is all about, or B.) reconfirm your commitment to never ride a unicycle. Whatever you do, don’t stay late, because you need to get to the Crystal Ballroom by 8pm.

Friday—Breakfast on the Hawthorne and Broadway bridges, 7am to 9am. Ride by and have a pastry, or whatever it is they’re serving. That is, of course, unless you’re too hungover from the Mercury’s kickass party tonight.

Bicycle Capture the Flag! West end of Laurelhurst Park, SE Ash and 33rd, 4:30pm to 7:30. Capture the flag, but on a bike! Oh, what fun! After the game, head to a bike-in movie at the Hawthorne Hostel (3031 SE Hawthorne), You Never Bike Alone, a documentary on Vancouver BC bike culture.

Saturday—Multnomah County Bike Fair, Colonel Sumner’s Park, SE 20th and Belmont, 2:00 to 7pm. But what you really ought to do is Damian’s 24-hour $666 Zombie Hunt, which will meet at the south side of Sumner park beginning at 1pm, with registration required by 3:30. The all-night scavenger hunt then kicks off at 4pm sharp, with the winning team scoring 666 bucks. It’s too late to register early, so you gotta show up on Saturday with $30 in hand.

On Sunday, rest.

As you probably already know—you internet savvy Blogtown reader, you—it’s pretty standard for leaked copies of movies to hit torrent sites either immediately after or shortly before a film’s official release. But this summer’s already got a few major leaks of movies way before their releases: Whiny torture pornographer Eli Roth blamed a leaked work print of Hostel II for his movie’s failure at the box office, Michael Moore’s eagerly anticipated Sicko—officially out on June 29—is already available for torrenting, and now Dark Horizons has the word that Pixar’s latest, Ratatouille (also out on June 29), has also been leaked.

A lot of times when I have to go to a press screening, there’s a whole shebang—I get wanded, there’s a security guard keeping an eye on things during the movie, sometimes I get a written request not to give anything away, and there are strict restrictions on how early we can print a film’s review. Hollywood’s definitely aware of the problem of films getting leaked early, and they’re (futilely) trying to stop films from getting onto the internet before they land in theaters.

Unfortunately, they’re going about it the wrong way. Downloading has two major benefits over theater going. First, even when you factor in the costs of internet, etc., it’s way cheaper than paying for a ticket. And—and this, I think, is an even bigger problem—going to movies simply isn’t all that enjoyable anymore. Theaters have proven far too slow at keeping up with technology, even as theater behavior and pre-show advertising has worsened. Also, DVD and home theaters have raised expectations—honestly, I don’t even have that swanky of a set-up, and shit still looks/sounds better on my TV than it does in most theaters. Theaters need to get their shit together—cheaper tickets, no cell phones, kicking out people who won’t shut the fuck up, HD digital projection in every auditorium, etc.—if they want to take the experience of watching a movie back from the internet.

All the same, downloading isn’t going to go away. As loathe as theater owners might be to admit it, the best solution is probably offering day-and-date releases, in which you’d have two options on opening day: Go out and see a movie in a great setting, or download it and watch it in the convenience of your home. So in this instance, sure, you could download an okay version of Ratatouille at home, legally and cheaply, or you could cough up a little more cash to go see it in a nice theater. (And in Ratatouille’s case, seeing it projected HD/digitally on a big screen is pretty much the only way to go—this movie is gorgeous.) That way, those who don’t care about the theater going experience can still legally support the movies they want to see at a reasonable, affordable price (think iTunes), while those who want to go out and make a night of it can get an experience they couldn’t get from sitting at home on the couch.

A private security guard was arrested last night for allegedly firing 10 shots at another security guard following an argument outside Walter Reed Hospital in Washington. From the Associated Press:

Police said the guard fired at least 10 shots, but no one was injured. “This was rush hour on a busy thoroughfare. There were cars and pedestrians in the line of fire,” said police Cmdr. Hilton Burton. At least two parked cars across the street were hit. The [surveillance] video then shows the first guard pulling out the gun, a 9 mm Beretta, and chasing and firing at the victim. The victim is seen running and trying to get out of the way, Burton said. Police were still reviewing the video, and there were no immediate plans to release it.

It’s hard not to draw a line from this incident to Portland’s private police—the rent-a-cops who patrol downtown Portland doing “order maintenance,” many carrying guns, wearing cop-like uniforms, but without any official oversight.

“To me it’s one of those examples that hit home,” says Alejandro Queral of the Northwest Constitutional Rights Center. “It’s one of the consequences of looser standards for people wearing weapons—you raise the chances of something like what happened at Walter Reed happening here. It’s yet another argument for raising the standards of oversight and training for private security, and giving more transparency and accountability to ensure these things are actually done, rather than paid lip-service to.”

Last week was the 40th anniversary of the Monterey Pop Music Festival. In addition to Hendrix torching his guitar, the festival was really the pinnacle of ’60s music and the Flower Power generation. From Woodstock to Altamont, it was all downhill after Monterey.

But after watching the VH1 40th anniversary special last night, I was amazed how absolutely insane Otis Redding’s performance was. Redding had to follow hippie icons like The Byrds and Jefferson Airplane, plus playing to a sea of white faces was something new for him. It’s safe to say he did alright. Even more tragic is that less than six months after this footage was shot, Redding was dead at age 26.

The logic of band lineups around town constantly amazes me. There was a trend a couple months ago to book bands that had similar-sounding names to play on the same night (i.e., Party Country, Power of County, Prize Country). It got to be very confusing, which brings me to this week’s lineup of the week. There’s no confusing these two bands—GOD and Godless—who are set to duke it out tomorrow at Rock ‘n’ Roll Pizza. It’s the ultimate grudge match.

GOD vs. Godless
w/From the Dark Skies, Labyrinthine, The Model Citizen, Death By Association
Rock ‘n’ Roll Pizza (11140 SE Powell)
Friday, June 22
7 pm, $10, all ages

I don’t think you need another reason to attend tonight’s Cover Your Ass! party at the Crystal Ballroom. Our esteemed editor, Wm. Steven Humphrey, made quite the pitch last night:

Hey everybody! Don’t forget that June 21 is our “Cover Your Ass!” benefit concert for the kids at Ethos (who provide music education for inner-city youth). Starting at 8 pm at the Crystal Ballroom, there will be NINE bands covering their favorite artists, and playing three songs each. Braille will be doing the Beastie Boys, Neverland will be covering the best of Michael Jackson, Sexy Pants will be performing Motley Crue, plus awesome songs from the Portland Cello Project, the kids from Ethos, Pure Country Gold, Alan Singley, the Do N Dudes, and even a performance from the Mercury All-Star band. SEE YOU THERE! (P.S. it’s only five bucks!)

BUT! If you did need another reason, check out the new ‘stache and ‘do Scott Moore—member of the Mercury All-Star Band—is sporting this morning. If you come to the benefit concert tonight, you might get to touch his bare chin—a chin no one has seen for approximately fourteen months.

The suddenly PR-savvy Naomi Campbell, well known for her diva antics and violent outbursts, is cashing in on her bad reputation: Earlier this week she shot a commercial for Dunkin Donuts in which she has one of her famous freakouts, which involved on of her shoes going through a window, while meanwhile another woman sipping some kind of Dunkin Donuts frozen drink (?) remains calm. It apparently just shot on Monday, so it’s not up on You Tube… yet.

Homeless people could soon be using city hall as a 24-hour toilet.

The suggestion, coming out of the mayor’s Street Access For Everyone (SAFE) sit/lie oversight committee, which is meeting this morning, is a result of apparent frustration at the pace of work being done by another of the mayor’s committees, the so-called “Phlush initiative,” which, if I’ve heard correctly, currently hopes to have “set all its goals” by June 30th, despite having been meeting for over a year to figure out how to build more toilets in downtown Portland.

Two weeks ago, city council voted to delay enforcement of the controversial sit/lie ordinance until more services, including a 24-hour restroom, are in place for homeless people.

“I think everybody needs to be stepping up to the plate and doing their part,” says Mike Kuykendall, who is vice president of downtown services for the Portland Business Alliance (PBA)—re-raising the idea of using city hall as a restroom. “This group agrees city hall is the best location for the restroom, since it’s inside, and it’s warm, and secure.”

Kuykendall was supported by Marc Jolin of homeless charity JOIN, who added that using city hall as a toilet “does have symbolic significance.” Lloyd Center security manager Mark Hansen echoed Jolin’s sentiment. Another 24-hour Wackenhut security guard would have to be added to city hall in order to make it happen. Lieutenant Todd Wyatt, acting commander of Central Precinct, says this would “make city hall safer,” because the two security guards could support each other.

The committee has just moved to support the idea of using city hall as a toilet as “its number one priority,” in Kuykendall’s words. The mayor’s public safety policy manager, Maria Rubio, agrees that it’s an “excellent idea.”

“At the end of the day, something needs to happen,” says Monica Goracke, the committee’s co-chair.

It’s Bites for Rights time again! Y’all know the drill: Eat at any participating restaurant today, and 15% of the proceeds go to Basic Rights Oregon. BRO were instrumental in passing the non-discrimination and domestic partnership bills this year, and they could use some cash to fend off the referendum effort that could kill both of those laws. And what better way to help them fluff the coffers than by stuffing your face?

Participating restaurants include Higgins, West Cafe, Byways, Escape from New York, Mint/820, and oh so many more (full list here).

I’ve already had tea and a muffin at Floyd’s today, so that’s, let’s see… sixty cents! You can thank me later, BRO.

Another week of pandering music articles, compiled while we were in line for this film. My lord, that is one funny donkey.

Feast your peepers on that feisty female Feist. We all know that Peaches used to be her roommate, but what few people are aware of is that Peaches never did a damn thing on the house’s chore wheel. Not cool, Peaches, not cool at all.
MP3: Feist - I Feel It All

Finn Andrews of The Veils is one tall glass of water. Plus his pop was in XTC. What did your dad ever do?
MP3: The Veils - Advice For Young Mothers To Be

Hello The New Year. Where have you been hiding all these years? What’s that? In your bedroom with the lights off? Oh, sorry to hear that.
MP3: The New Year - Chinese Handcuffs

Hey guys, let’s name our Philadelphia-based band A Sunny Day Glasglow, it will totally confuse people everywhere. Done!
MP3: A Sunny Day Glasglow - Best Summer Ever

Insanity is totally the new black! Dan Deacon agrees.
MP3: Dan Deacon - The Crystal Cat

We don’t swim in your dairy farm, so please, don’t put your cow in our pool.

Happy Summer Solstice! Enjoy the longest day of the year. Meanwhile…

A Jesuit priest and his friend, both from California, are still missing—though they left their stuff behind in a Portland hotel.

Newsflash! Journalists aren’t objective, they’re human.

Two moms who went out for a beer—while their seven kids were home alone, played with matches, and sparked a fire that killed five of them—will be charged with crimes like manslaughter.

It’s Prince Williams’ 25th birthday. Now he gets $500,000 a year from his mom’s inheritance. All I got for my birthday was a cupcake.

Hey everybody! Don’t forget that tomorrow night, June 21, is our “Cover Your Ass!” benefit concert for the kids at Ethos (who provide music education for inner-city youth). Starting at 8 pm at the Crystal Ballroom, there will be NINE bands covering their favorite artists, and playing three songs each. Braille will be doing the Beastie Boys, Neverland will be covering the best of Michael Jackson, Sexy Pants will be performing Motley Crue, plus awesome songs from the Portland Cello Project, the kids from Ethos, Pure Country Gold, Alan Singley, the Do N Dudes, and even a performance from the Mercury All-Star band performing… well… here’s a hint. SEE YOU THERE! (P.S. it’s only five bucks!)

OMG! Vanilla Ice is coming to town! Vanilla Ice is coming to town!
“To the extreme I rock a mic like a vandal
Light up a stage and wax a chump like a candle”

Vanilla Ice, Buttery Lords, Fist of Dishonor
Saturday, July 7
Outlaws
8 pm, $10-18, 21+

Get cheap $10 tickets from Buttery Lords…
“Come down to Tennessee Reds (2133 SE 11th)-Hub [of the Buttery Lords] works there, and he’ll sell you the cheapest Vanilla Ice/Buttery Lords tickets in town.”

Get psyched!

This just in from TriMet, regarding the driver who kicked two 14-year-old girls off the bus for kissing on June 8.

Operator faces discipline in incident involving 14-year old girls

TriMet today announced that a 64-year old male operator will face disciplinary action for an incident occurring on June 8, 2007 on Line 12-Barbur Blvd involving two 14-year old girls.

The discipline stems from the operator violating several agency procedures and policies while driving a bus. The operator has worked for TriMet for 11 years.

Background
At around 5 p.m. a rider complained to the operator that two riders were kissing on the bus. The operator approached them and later asked them to leave the bus. The riders’ actions did not warrant being removed from the bus, and TriMet policy requires operators to call for assistance before removing a minor off the bus.

“TriMet sincerely apologizes to the girls and their families for this incident. Removing the girls from the bus was not consistent with our policy. I want to reiterate that we welcome all riders on our system,” said TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen.

TriMet does not release details of the disciplinary proceedings or the final results of the proceedings, as protected by public records law. TriMet is not releasing the operator’s name per standard procedure when an employee is involved in a complaint.

One of the girls’ mom, Ronnda Zezula, is awaiting a call from a TriMet supervisor. In the interim, however, she says:

I am, with no evidence to the contrary, pretty unhappy with their lack of acknowledgement as to the reason the driver broke policy. I have no control over that, however. It does concern me that the girls were kicked off the bus at 4:50 pm, at which point the situation had gone on for about 15-20 minutes. If they don’t have their times straight, what else did they miss?

Excellent show at The Towne Lounge tonight, as Canada (from Michigan, huh?) performs in what I assume is their first visit to Portland. I wrote about them last week, and keep find myself coming back to their fantastic debut full-length, This Cursed House.

Perhaps a MP3 will help make up your mind?
Canada - Hexenhaus

Oregonians For Immigration Reform and the Minutemen brought out their best and brightest for this morning’s protest in front of city hall, as evidenced by this photo:

Perhaps they should hire a day laborer to proofread their protest signs?

At any rate, they turned out to protest Mayor Tom Potter’s denunciation of the recent immigration raids and support of working immigrant families, which apparently makes him a “traiter.” (When I pointed out the misspelling on the above sign, as well as identical misspellings on a dozen other signs, all I got was a shrug from the elderly gentleman holding it.)

There were maybe 30-50 people there from OFIR, and about the same or more people from the immigrant rights community turned out to counter-protest. There wasn’t a clear physical separation between the two, leading to some inevitable shoving matches and plenty of fightin’ words.

Amy Ruiz and I had a chat last week about the differences between groups like OFIR and anti-gay groups like Oregon Family Council. They both skew way to the Christian right, both have narrow, absolutist world views, and both are made up of angry middle class white people. The difference, I think, though, is that the anti-gays have become politically “legitimized” through the initiative and legislative process, while anti-immigration groups are still way on the political fringe—and I’m not sure which is scarier.

For example, one of the OFIR protesters referred to immigrants as “five feet tall and flat-faced.” The OFC generally speaks in nicer terms (well, not all of them) at least in public, but they’re actually able to push through policies.

Inside city hall, council chambers was filled with people wearing neon green signs that read “Thank you, Mayor Potter” and “Everyone is WELCOME in Portland.” Except technically? Signs aren’t allowed during council sessions, so Dan Saltzman (acting mayor, since Potter and council president Randy Leonard are both out of town) reclassified the signs as “large, square buttons.”

Potter would never have allowed such blatant rule-bending.

On a related note! This Tuesday, the Mercury and the Oregon Bus Project are presenting the first installment of our new monthly series called “Debate Club” at rontoms, 600 E Burnside. Our first topic? Why, immigration, of course. I’ll have more on this later today, but just remember: rontoms, Tuesday, June 26, 7pm.

More photos from the protest after the jump.

My favorite news lead of the day, from the NY Times’ political blog:

I’m not sure how I feel about the fact that our next presidential candidate’s approval rating is measured by a decrease in boos. I think I might love it. It is hilarious and depressing at the same time.

With the draft only one week away, Blazers fans have another reason to be excited, as big Greg Oden is currently in Portland working out for the team. OMG, here he is at PDX airport. He’s like The Beatles!!! AHHHHHH!!!!

As far as his workout goes, unless Oden’s spine snaps in two, or he punches Kevin Pritchard’s kid, look for the Ohio State center to be wearing the Portland uniform by next Thursday.

Until then, let’s all follow him into the airport parking garage with a video camera.

• Former House Speaker/Republican jerkwipe Newt Gingrich is thinking about running for President. Think his inability to correctly remember 9/11 may hamper his campaign?

• A judge has proclaimed that the wrongful death suit against CNN’s Nancy Grace will move forward. Grace is accused of pushing the mother of a missing toddler to suicide with her aggressive questioning. How does that make you feel, Nancy? I said, HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?!?

• President Bush plans to veto yet another bill that would ease restraints on stem cell research—probably because he kind of gets off on watching people DIE.

• Did Paris Hilton and Jack Osbourne SLEEP TOGETHER? If so… poor Jack!!

• And finally, check out this commercial I saw on TV this morning in which Diff’rent Strokes star Gary Coleman depressingly shills for a creepy loan company. Oh, how the tiny have fallen.

The Village Voice this morning carries news of an exciting new development in children: Some of them are gay! Needless to say my wife and I have already called the African adoption agency and canceled our order. Gay kids are the future, and we want one: So much so that we may even consider the indignity of having the thing ourselves if the gay thing can be 100% assured. MY FUTURE GAY SON: Will dress better than I do, be more exciting…

The story centers on Joseph, a three-and-a-half year old boy, whose father thinks he might be transgender. Or gay.

Instead of trans, Arnold has wondered whether Joseph might simply be gay. “I sometimes try to pick up clues as to who he’s attracted to,” he says, “and I have no idea.”

With thanks to Gawker.

According to an email from the folks at Pop Tomorrow!, Shane Asbery of local band My Favorite Everything has passed away. Asbery was recently diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he was 30 years old.

Our thoughts go out to his family.

The complete Pop Tomorrow! email after the jump:

A good friend and musical talent Shane Asbery of My Favorite Everything passed away due to complications from cancer.
Shane was an animal on the bass and a giving person. He was always an encouragement when frustration took its toll and organizing shows was getting me down. He will sorely be missed. Thoughts and prayers go out to his loving wife Maggie and those who loved him. If you ever got to know Shane, you know what I mean. My Favorite Everything put a track on the Pop Tomorrow! comp and just recorded a CD that was about to hit. If you know Shane, Maggie, Jonathan, you know that they are good peops and this is a heartbreaking day. Rock on Shane. You are the man! You are missed and will always be remembered.

If you’re lucky enough to spend time with me, at some point—probably sooner rather than later—you’re gonna have to listen to me talk about how badass Starship Troopers is. Like Gone with the Wind or Casablanca, it’s one of those cinematic classics that has everything: Giant man-eating bugs… exploding spaceships… Doogie Howser, M.D…. boobs. O! Sweet memories!

Unfortunately, the once-proud name of Starship Troopers was sullied by a shit-tacular straight-to-video sequel. But luckily, Starship Troopers: Marauder is looking to change all that! According to Cinematical, it just started shooting, and Marauder’s even bringing back original Starship Troopers star Casper Van Dien, who’ll once again be playing Johnny Rico—and, presumably, making sure this one rules, original gangsta style.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve gotten drunk and then watched Starship Troopers. Such an act is usually followed by me proclaiming myself to be one of Rico’s Roughnecks for roughly three hours afterward, then repeatedly asking my friends “Would you like to know more? Would you like to know more?!” You’d think the morning after would be filled with regret, but it’s not. It’s filled with Starship Troopers, rewound and started up all over again.

According to a just-released Riley Research Associates poll (pdf), Mayor Tom Potter’s approval rating currently stands at 52 percent, down from his widely publicized approval ratings of 70 percent or so three months ago.

There are a number of possible reasons for that decline: 1. Public opinion could be impacted by the rash of post-strong mayor media coverage hasn’t painted Potter in a positive light, earning him the nickname “Mayor Do-Nothing.” 2. The polls were conducted by different firms, so it could just be the result of differing methods or questions. Or 3. Riley’s poll could be bullshit, especially since the Portland sample for the poll was a whopping 141 people.

But! Mike Riley is a pro, so let’s take the poll at face value. Within Portland (the poll also covered the rest of the region), Potter’s 52 percent approval is broken down to 18 percent very positive, and 34 percent somewhat positive. His disapproval rating is 22 percent, split evenly between somewhat negative and very negative. More people, 26 percent, are neutral or unsure.

Interestingly, the poll also ranks the rest of city council as a whole: 55 percent approval—higher than Potter—split 16 percent very positive and 40 percent somewhat positive. Disapproval, though, is only 17 percent, split evenly between somewhat negative and very negative. 28 percent are neutral.

Ain’t we got fun…

Aladdin Theater–Lindsey Buckingham, 8 pm, $45, all ages
Goodfoot–Seoul Sensation: DJ Seoul Bro #1
Hawthorne Theatre–Necrophagist, Decapitated, Cephalic Carnage, Cattle Decapitation, The Faceless, As Blood Runs Black, Arsis, Ion Dissonance, Beneath the Massacre, 3:30 pm, $15, all ages
Towne Lounge–Johnny & The Moon, The Maybe Happening, Run On Sentence, 9:30 pm
Tube–No No No Disco: DJ Linoleum, 10 pm, free
Valentine’s–Valet, Inca Ore, US Girls, 9 pm

Love old cheesy TV shows, but you’re way too busy to watch them in their entirety? Then check out the new Minisode Network, launched today on MySpace. There are a bunch of your fave old shows—including Silver Spoons, T.J. Hooker, Sheena, Starsky & Hutch, What’s Happenin’?, and more—only they’ve all been edited down to SIX MINUTES OR LESS.
While these mini-shows certainly aren’t a life-saving convenience, it is a fun way to blow an hour surfing through some of these old warhorses. If you’re in a super rush, then just check out this tiny classic Charlie’s Angels episode entitled, “Angels in Chains.” The girls are sent to prison, forced to strip and are squirted down with lice medication. Rrroowrrr!!

Last night, I wrote about the TriMet Operators’ Yahoo! group, where an operator recently posted a photo of the two girls who were allegedly kicked off a bus on June 8—and called “disgusting sickos—for kissing.

The person who’d posted the photos was someone nicknamed “margu43542,” and I alluded in that last post that we’d figured out the person’s full name. I was able to confirm that today after speaking with both TriMet and the operator.

Here’s a sneak peek from tomorrow’s story:

Mary Fetsch, spokesperson for TriMet, says, “We have a zero tolerance policy for targeting someone to not be able to ride.” TriMet has informed [one of the girls’ moms, Ronnda] Zezula of the comments, “and told her if there is any sense that this is happening, to let us know immediately.”

“The thing is,” Fetsch added, “these are anonymous posts, so we don’t know who’s making them,” which makes it difficult for TriMet to investigate.

However, “margu43542” has an online profile that, with a few clicks, leads to a person named Allen “AP” Margulies—whom Fetsch confirmed is a TriMet operator.

Reached on Tuesday afternoon, Margulies—who had never threatened to block the girls from boarding a bus, and says he does “not support that”—immediately offered to remove the photo, which he says he originally found on katu.com. “Anything that comes up in the news media, I post to the discussion group,” he explained. “I didn’t want to cause a problem, that wasn’t the intent. It was not meant to be some kind of activist thing.”

In regards to the threats to bar the girls, Margulies says he “saw somebody post something like that. It’s just rhetoric, how could someone organize something like that? People say all kinds of stupid things in discussion groups.”

Meanwhile, Fetsch says the results of the original investigation will likely be public by Wednesday or Thursday of this week.

Indeed, I checked back on the TriMet Operators’ group page, where margu43542, aka Margulies, covered his bases by just posting:

uh folks!

Apparently there is some stuff going on of a very disturbing nature
regarding those two girls so I have removed their picture.

Hopefully nobody would actually exclude the two from riding the bus?

Gee, I continue to be surprised by how much attention this group
actually gets!

DONT TURN INTO VIGILANTEES!

***UPDATE 4:22pm: As noted by a commenter to an earlier entry, the Trimet Blues blog entry—which also contained disparaging comments about the two girls—has been yanked.

That was fast!

R. Kelly is blowing my mind right now. I can’t seem to fully grasp how amazing, and terrible, Double Up is, and now there is this video for “Same Girl.” Pay close attention for the SHOCKING twist at the end.

It’s been two months since city council voted—unanimously—to extend the city’s Drug Free Zones law yet again, this time for six months. You might remember that much of the reason for that extension was to give the mayor’s DFZ oversight committee time to study the fairness and effectiveness of the policy, given what appears to be evidence of troubling racial disparity in the law.

You might also remember that the same promise was made in the spring of 2006, when Mayor Potter arranged for a one-year extension of the policy—and yet, when that year was up this April, the oversight committee had barely even been formed, had only met twice, and was still figuring out its internal battles. Still, despite wildly missing the mark on his promise, the mayor got his six-month extension.

Given the history, you might be wondering how well that promised oversight committee is doing, considering that one-third of its allotted extension has already ticked away. Perhaps you might not be surprised to learn that the committee met only once after the council vote two months ago, and is currently on hiatus.

The last communication from the mayor’s office to the committee members came on May 24th via email (they didn’t return our phone calls for comment):

Dear Committee Members:

We have been working on restructuring the committee to better utilize your time, expertise, and interest in assisting the City to review the DFZ/PFZ policy. I will send you information on our next meeting very soon and will inform you of the committee’s redefined role.

I’d like to thank you for your work thus far and hope that you will continue to provide your input in future meetings.

Maria Rubio, Senior Policy Manager
Public Safety and Security/Police Liaison
Office of Mayor Tom Potter

The “restructuring” is in part on the advice of John Campbell, a consultant/facilitator who frequently works with city committees and who was brought in to aid the DFZ committee. Given the unlikelihood of the committee members reaching any sort of compromise, he recommended that the work of data collection and analysis on exclusions be done privately, not by a committee. He’s now got the contract through the mayor’s office to review those numbers and submit a report to council.

In the spirit of fun, let’s review some of the best quotes from that council vote two months ago, just to see what the city commissioners were expecting when they voted “yes.” Council will vote again on the DFZs in four months.

Sam Adams: "As you know, my vote to renew this last year was predicated on this committee being up and running, and it's frustrating that this committee was so long in coming. I've also heard from advocates...that the group isn't working together as well as it could be."

Maria Rubio: "The six-month extension could give us time to look at a bigger group that could examine these numbers."

Portland Copwatch's Dan Handelman: "I think the time is up. City council had a year to do this, and didn't, the police bureau was supposed to report back 90 days before the year is up, and they didn't. I think you need to suspend the zones using the numbers you have until this can be fixed. Maria Rubio said these meetings are open to the public--I and my group are very invested in this issue, and I had no idea this group had even started."

Public defender and DFZ committee member Chris O'Connor: "We've met twice, and the group was started only after the state senate met to consider taking away the city's right to impose DFZs....Why renew a policy that isn't working?"

Erik Sten: "[W]e were given a year. I think we need to stick to our word, and say, 'We didn't do the work we said we were going to do.'"

Maria Rubio: "I do want you to know that we're taking this seriously."

A Federal judge has thrown out Gregg Schumacher’s lawsuit against the In Defense of Animals and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals protesters outside his store. SCHUMACHER: “Self destructive path…”

Judge Michael Mosman yesterday threw out Schumacher’s case against IDA and PETA—brought in late April—after IDA’s lawyers successfully argued against it using an anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) motion, under legislation designed to protect the free speech rights of protesters.

“I don’t know why the Schumachers are on such a self-destructive path,” says Matt Rossell, Portland’s community outreach coordinator for IDA, “But I am pleased the suit failed so early. It would have been a waste of time and resources for everybody to pursue it further.”

“It looked to us like a desperate attempt,” says PETA spokeswoman Josie Zohny. “They can’t really defend their practices, so instead they lashed out at the people calling them out.”

The City of Portland remains on the hook in the lawsuit, but IDA’s attorney, Mark McDougal, says he doesn’t see how the Schumachers will be able to win anything against the city, when they have not been able to prove their case against the protesters.

“This lawsuit was frivolous from the start,” says McDougal. “The Schumachers were trying to scare protesters. They have made bad de