I have no commentary to add to this. From CNN:

Man kills self in front of City Council after zoning decision

CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — A business owner shot and killed himself during a City Council meeting Thursday night after members voted against his request to rezone his property, witnesses said.

Ronald “Bo” Ward, owner of Bo’s Barber Shop, had told the council his business would go under if he couldn’t get his home rezoned as commercial. After the 5-7 vote Thursday night, Ward stood and walked toward the council.

“Y’all have put me under. … I’m out of here,” he said before shooting himself in the head with a small handgun.

Fire and police officials attending the meeting immediately ushered the audience of about 50 into the hallway, where several people were sobbing.

At least one police officer is always on duty during council meetings, officials said. However, visitors are not required to go through a metal detector or any other screening.

“When a gun gets whipped out like that, someone is going to get shot, but I didn’t know who,” Councilman Bill Summers said. “You could’ve been right next to him, and I don’t think you could have stopped that.”

Mayor Johnny Piper said Thursday’s council meeting would be the last held in that room.

Ward had said the rezoning would increase his property value, allowing him to secure a loan to offset debt he incurred when he expanded his shop.

Tomorrow is just a day away, so let’s skip the battle rap clips and move on to the main course—the entire Sandpeople crew absolutely killing it at PDX-Pop Now! ‘07. Oh, and Jake White, too.

As you may recall, I’ve got some pretty mixed feelings about Measure 50, but the more campaigning the opposition side (funded fully by tobacco companies) does, the more I’m pushed further into the yes category.

I think there are some relatively solid arguments for why a cigarette tax isn’t necessarily the best way to fund health care for children (but who’s got a better idea? you? didn’t think so), but the Reject 50 campaign isn’t focused on those. Instead, it’s, as of this week, singularly focused on the manufactured shock that—gasp!—politicians are trying to amend the state’s constitution! And for a cigarette tax, of all things!

Here’s the TV spot, which you’ve probably seen, since it runs about a dozen times every hour:

Click picture to open the video.

It’s as if there’s never been a constitutional amendment on a ballot before, let alone for something as petty as a cigarette tax. Why, the Oregon Constitution is sacred, and should never be subjected to willy nilly changes by a mere majority of voters, right?

I would share in their shock, since I firmly believe that constitutions are documents that should be elevated over statutory law, except there’s this: Oregonians don’t actually believe the constitution is sacred. How do I know that? Here are some numbers (fantastically parsed by our Unpaid Intern, Jennifer Furniss):

Since 1996, Oregonians have voted on 125 statewide ballot measures. Of those, 81 were amendments to the constitution, and 44 were simply statutory—in the past decade, there have been more than almost twice as many ballot measures that change the constitution than simply change state law.

And while there is a belief shared by some that Oregonians are more reluctant to vote yes on a constitutional amendment than a simple statutory ballot measure, the numbers don’t bear that out. Of the 81 constitutional amendments on the ballot since ‘96, 38 have passed (a bit under half), but of the 44 measures that only change statutory law, a mere 16 passed and 28 failed. There’s hardly a widespread hesitation to amend the constitution.

But, of course, maybe the Reject 50 campaign wants you to share in the above couple’s dismay because the constitution will be changed to add a cigarette tax, of all things. And that isn’t something that belongs in the constitution, right?

After the jump are some other constitutional amendments that have made it to the ballot, and I’ll let you decide whether or not a tobacco tax for children’s health care is more or less deserving of a place in our “sacred document”:

Measure 47, November 1996, "Amends Constitution: Reduces and Limits Property Taxes; Limits Local Revenues, Replacement Fees"

Measure 66, November 1998, "Amends Constitution: Dedicates Some Lottery Funding To Parks, Beaches; Habitat, Watershed Protection"

Measure 72, November 1999, "Amends Constitution: Allows Murder Conviction By 11 To 1 Jury Verdict" [Failed, but barely--Scott]

Measure 76, November 1999, "Amends Constitution: Requires Light, Heavy Motor Vehicle Classes Proportionately Share Highway Costs"

Measure 99, November 2000, "Amends Constitution: Creates Commission Ensuring Quality Home Care Services For Elderly, Disabled"

Measure 15, November 2002, "Amends Constitution: Authorizes State to Issue General Obligation Bonds for Seismic Rehabilitation of Public Education Buildings"

Measure 32, November 2004, "Amends Constitution: Deletes Reference to Mobile Homes from Provision Dealing with Taxes and Fees on Motor Vehicle"

Measure 36, November 2004, "Amends Constitution: Only Marriage Between One Man and One Woman Is Valid or Legally Recognized as Marriage"

Each of those passed, by the way. My point: Oregon's use of the initiative system has devalued the constitution, to the point where it could include a tax on mayonnaise or rabbit cages or green lollipops and nothing would be out of place. The reason initiative activists try to amend the constitution is because it makes it almost impossible for the legislature to come back and repeal or gut the law change.

So when the grumpy, dad-lookin' dude in the Reject 50 commercial says, "Well, I'm not going to let them start messing with our constitution now," remember that the problem isn't with the measure, but with his own ignorance of the fact that we use the constitution like kleenex.

Randy Leonard—with the help of two of his council colleagues—is about to dive into the Interstate debate, with an eye toward alleviating the heightened tension. “Our responsibility is to interject ourselves and moderate that discussion.”

“This is a process that appears to be sending the message that a decision has been made, and we’ll keep having meetings until you all agree,” Leonard says. “And we”—meaning him, Sam Adams, and Erik Sten—”don’t like that.”

“We’re going to back up and start again.” Everyone agrees that Chávez should be honored (Leonard is especially passionate about honoring Chávez, a man he remembers for “standing up for the unseen and the unheard.”) The council has signaled their unanimous support for naming a street for the man. Now, it’s time for an open public process to determine which street is the best place to honor him. “Let’s have a community process. That’s what we should have done in the first place.”

Leonard acknowledged that he misled the Chávez committee when he originally told them he supported their proposal. “What I probably should have said is I’m committed to naming a street.”

My immediate thought is that there will be pushback from the Chávez committee, which has understandably dug in its heels and has explicitly said they refuse to compromise on Interstate. To that end, Adams will be speaking with the Chávez committee today. (And, Leonard points out, the committee has already won, as their original goal was to rename a street in Portland for Chávez. As to which street it is, ultimately “it’s not their decision to make.”)

Leonard says he and Adams have discussed the Interstate situation for the past few weeks, but “comments from some staffers in the mayor’s office that any opposition must be tied to overt or subconscious racism” pushed Leonard to take action. (To be clear, Leonard did not specifically call out the letter I linked to above, but that’s the only mayoral staffer’s comment that’s been so public.)

“As this process has unfolded, I’ve been disappointed at how the discussion has unfolded—from both sides,” Leonard says. “There’s a message being sent that it’s Interstate, and if it’s not, you’re a racist.” (Thinking back to the Rosa Parks Way decision, Leonard recalled being in the same spot—he raised concerns about the process over that street, but was ultimately the lone holdout, so he voted for it. “It’s one of those few votes that have bothered me a lot.”)

“There’s a tremendous sense of unfairness, to be dismissed as racist because you disagree. If you disagree with us, there’s something going on with you,” he says. That case is “intellectually disingeneous.”

The majority of comments Leonard’s heard have been thoughtful, he says. (Like the Nite Hawk’s Bill Mildenberger Jr’s essay in today’s Oregonian.) “This should have been a discussion where everyone felt good. The first person to object to this process would have been César Chávez. We’re going to correct that, get on track, and do the right thing,” Leonard says, adding that once the debate is reframed, he hopes that neighborhoods are actively lobbying to host Chávez’s street.

(And as for that pesky city code 17.93—Leonard is fine with having a process that’s not following the official procedure to a T, but he does think the “official process” should ultimately be amended, possibly to be a process where the first decision—made by the council—is whether or not a person should be honored in Portland, followed by a fair public process to determine where to honor that person. Sounds like a great solution to me.)

And Tuesday night’s already scheduled meeting to debate Interstate? Leonard and Adams are moving quickly, with the idea of making “Tuesday night’s meeting irrelevant.”

More as this develops…

By which I mean, “not very good.”

Even the Sprite tasted kind of weird. Which is confusing.

Check out this trailer for the new documentary about Kurt Cobain entitled About a Son, and then make your prediction… WILL YOU LOVE IT? OR WILL YOU HATE IT? (Any feelings in between those two will not be tallied.)

Official Kurt Cobain About a Son Trailer

Add to My Profile | More Videos

It’s difficult to deny that the current raging debate over whether to rename Interstate has been divisive. As evidenced by the thousands of comments on the hundreds of posts we’ve published, people on both sides of the issue care passionately and have made deep emotional commitments.

But so far, the argument has alienated a large percentage of the city’s residents who don’t have a forum to express themselves—people who deeply, passionately, do not care about whether Interstate should be renamed.

So here’s an open forum for all of us who don’t give a crap. Feel free to chime with just how much you don’t care, and then we can argue about who cares the least.

Right now, Mercury film editor Erik Henriksen is waiting for his delivery of Domino’s Pizza’s new, horrifying “lunch box,” a personal pizza, three chocolate chip cookies, and a soda.

He got the idea to order it from a commercial we both—coincidentally—saw last night, which features someone jumping out of an office window because he was so depressed about his egg salad sandwich, only to jump back in when it’s announced that Domino’s now serves lunch. I think George Saunders wrote and directed the commercial.

At any rate, the damn spot isn’t online anywhere, but here’s what appears to be the Indian version:

Expect an update from Erik within the next 30 minutes—or the post is free.

Alas, I will be out of town for this, but you should go. This Siren Nation benefit sounds awesome—and it’s their last one before the November music festival. Plunk down $5 and you travel back in time to the days of Saturday morning cartoons: Josie & The Pussycats, Jem & The Holograms, and The Powerpuff Girls! OMG! Melody and Buttercup together, at last. Plus there will be brunch treats and booze, people. BOOZE.

Mercury Fun Fact: Melody’s singing voice is none other than Charlie’s Angel Cheryl Ladd.

Saturday Morning Bartoons
Crush (1412 SE Morrison)
Saturday, October 6
10 am-1 pm
$5 donation

Long tails and ears for hats…

Britney’s got a new video… and what’s this? She has a stripper doppelgänger, as well! In the video for her increasingly popular song “Gimme More,” an almost normal Britney discovers her dark wigged evil twin lackadaisically working the pole at a seedy Magic Gardens-style club. Is it supposed to be a dream, or is the director purposefully keeping the camera out of focus to hide Britney’s physical flaws? YOU BE THE JUDGE!

Hello, broke and hungry Blog Townies. Towners. Everybody. Cuisine Bonne Femme of Portland Food and Drink fame has a present for you: A new site devoted entirely to Portland’s food carts, called, appropriately enough, Portland Food carts, which includes cart locations, recommendations, hours, and a comments feature for reader feedback. While there are plenty of local restaurant sites (including our very own Portland Restaurant Guide), some of which include the odd food cart, no one until now has attempted an exhaustive survey of Portland’s cart options. It’s a huge task, considering the sheer number of food carts out there—and the variety both in quality and kind of food they serve—and I’m glad somebody finally took it on.

For God’s sake, Blogtown readers, can anyone recommend a place to get a good vegan breakfast burrito, preferably in the NE or inner SE?

I’ll even consider carrying out a hit on someone you hate if it means I’ll have one in the next 30 minutes.

Via Jack Bogdanski’s blog, it appears there’s a competing proposal to rename Interstate, courtesy Portland’s Polish Community:

I am not making this up. The Polish-Americans from the parish of St. Stanislaus over in North Portland — the folks who put on the annual Polish Festival, just concluded — are opposed to renaming Interstate Avenue after Cesar Chavez. Indeed, they say they want the street rechristened for the great Polish labor and political leader and Nobel Prize winner Lech Walesa!

From Marek Stepien, head of the Polish Library Building Association, in last night’s e-mail:

The Polish Community is for keeping the historical name “Interstate Avenue”. Large parts of N. Interstate has been built by hard working immigrants from Central Europe, with a majority of immigrants from Poland. There are two historical Polish buildings on N Interstate (Polish Library Building, 3832 N. Interstate, and St. Stanislaus Polish Catholic Church, 3916 N. Interstate).

If Interstate must be renamed after anyone, we recommend it re-named: “Lech Walesa Boulevard,” after the Nobel Peace Prize winner whose heroism helped many people leave Soviet Communism and come to Portland, and helped end the Cold War for Americans and the world.

There will be a public hearing at 6:30 pm, Tues, Oct. 9 at Ockley Green School, 6031 N. Montana. Also there will be a meeting at the Polish Library this Sunday, 1:00pm to prepare for the hearing and eventually to proceed with the name “Lech Walesa Boulevard”.

Oy.

According to the secretary of state’s office, petition number 304—to send HB 2007, the non-discrimination law, to a public vote last fall—met the threshold to head to the counties for signature verification. The anti-gay activists turned in 59,761 signatures once they were sorted.

(Math time: That means the signatures have to have a 92.3 percent validity rate to actually have 55,179 valid signatures, and land on the ballot. The current validity record is 86 percent, while most get in the low 70s.)

This morning we’ve got more feel-good propaganda from your favorite dictator—and mine—Mr. Bush! According to Bush’s latest speech to the country, we don’t torture suspected terrorists after all! Gee, that’s a load of my mind.

In South Africa, the last of 3,200 gold miners have been rescued after being trapped underground for almost two days by a power failure.

A new bridge might be on the horizon for Portland—one that wouldn’t involve cars. Visionaries are pitching this as the architectural symbol for the city—wait, wasn’t that suppose to be the sky bridge?

An Australian customs bust proves once again you cannot trust children’s toys. Mr. Potato Head was caught trying to smuggle 10.5 ounces of ecstasy into the country.

Owen Wilson is back on his feet, making an appearance at the premiere of “The Darjeeling Limited.”

The pride of Gothenburg Sweden, José González, strums his way to town, hot on the heels of album number two, In Our Nature. In addition to to his solid catalog of songs, González likes to spice things up with some covers. He does material from Massive Attack, The Knife and even that one Joy Division band the kids are so crazy about these days. Here is his take on “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”

José González performs at the Aladdin Theater tonight.

Thanks to some other game coming out last week and being marginally successful, another big videogame release got kind of overlooked, at least by the mainstream. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass came out for Nintendo’s DS on Wednesday, and while it might not have made $170 million in a single day, it’s nevertheless one of the more notable games to come out this year.

I’ve only spent a few hours with the game so far, and we’ll have a full review in the Mercury in a few weeks, but hey, you want some first impressions? Sure? Okay. I’m considerate like that.

Hit the jump for those impressions. And some screenshots that I stole from other websites.

So Phantom Hourglass is the first Zelda game that's designed from the ground up for the touch-sensitive DS, and it takes full advantage of the handheld's touch screen. As in, I don't think you have to hit any buttons while playing the game. All of the controls--from moving Link, to attacking, to rolling, to talking with people--are handled by dragging the DS' stylus along the screen, tapping on enemies, drawing circles or shapes. It takes a little while to get used to--maybe 20 or 30 mintues--but once it does, the controls just click, and playing the game feels incredibly organic and intuitive. (The game also utilizes the DS' microphone--you have to shout into it to solve some puzzles--and also has the flat-out brilliant feature of letting you write on the game's map to remind yourself where key places are that you'll need to go or revisit. The latter sounds like such a simple idea, which is why it might be my favorite feature. Game maps--esp. for big games like the Zelda series--can be overwhelming, and the notation feature is something that effortlessly fixes that.)

The other big thing I like about the game is that it's a follow up to the GameCube's The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, a game that I loved the cartoony visual style of but got too bored of sailing around the ocean to ever finish. Phantom Hourglass continues that cel-shaded look, and while it hardly looks amazing (it's the DS, after all), the tone and feel of the game benefits enormously.

My only complaint, so far, is how linear it all feels--very "go from Point A to Point B, fight with some stuff on the way, and have some funny/cute conversations with NPCs while you're at it." Granted, this might change later in the game, but right now, Nintendo's game design in Phantom Hourglass doesn't feel nearly as innovative as the control scheme, which is something that's also plagued Nintendo's largely lackluster titles for the Wii--the control is awesome, but the games themselves aren't blowing anybody's minds.

That said, shit. I'll probably finish Halo 3's campaign on Saturday, and while I'll no doubt be replaying that game soon on a higher difficulty level, in the immediate future I'm mostly just looking forward to playing around with Phantom Hourglass some more. The Zelda games might be some of the most welcoming, charmingly written, and just plain fun games out there--and this one, at least so far, is no exception.

I’ve just been speaking to one of the City Hall Chiefs of Staff mentioned on a half-page ad taken out in this week’s Willamette Week, by the Historic Interstate Avenue Businesses association. They’ve said the Portland City Commissioners are “Ignoring the Will of the People Who Do Not Support Changing Interstate Avenue to Cesar E.Chavez Blvd.” And then, listed the names and numbers of all the city commissioners’ chiefs of staff—who have been having to put up with phones ringing round the clock.

”’We’ve got to send them all back to Mexico, they’re dirty Mexicans, you guys make me sick,’ said one elderly man, who was clearly very angry,” said the staffer. (Note that the guy was elderly, and that the ad was in the Willamette Week. But I digress.)

“I’ve had other people say ‘well if you want to help the Spanish community, why not find something that’s in the Spanish community,’ and another person say ‘this ought to be done in Hillsboro’,” he continues.

“Someone else said ‘Cesar Chavez is a newcomer around here, what did he ever do for us?’. A number of people call up and say ‘I’m not racist but…’ and if somebody starts off their sentence with that clause, it sends a signal that they’re conflicted, at least, internally,” he says.

“There has been a lot of fear and misunderstanding generated by this process, which I think is causing people to be a little more candid on race than they might otherwise be, they want to be polite, but then this stuff comes out.”

“In some respect this shows that the committee to rename Interstate has been effective in forcing people to confront their own prejudices,” he says.

Way to generate good feeling, Historic Interstate Avenue Businesses! If I were a City Commissioner, right now, I would tell the Historic Interstate Avenue Businesses: “Suck it up, we’re changing the damn name, and if you want to incite people to spew any more racist filth to city staffers, or not re-elect me, that’s your prerogative.”

It’s time City Council stops pandering to racism, and to those who incite it, and takes a clear lead on this issue that says, “enough.”

Remember when Tim Burton movies were actually good?

The buzz on Sweeney Todd is that it’s great. I really hope that it is.

Thanks, AICN.

In honor of Saturday’s CD release of Honest Racket, the mighty new album from the ten member Sandpeople crew, we’re counting down the minutes until showtime with daily posts in their honor.

Before we get the rest of the crew, we need to watch one more Illmaculate clip. Here he (literally) runs circles around Swan at the Scribble Jam.

That Macy Gray line is amazing.

Last week Tom Potter said he was going to let the controversial drug free zones expire. Here’s a letter from Pastor Lynne Smouse López, chair of the Community Campaign to End Police Racial Profiling, to Potter, on the subject:

Dear Mayor Potter,

On behalf of the Community Campaign to End Police Racial Profiling, I want to thank you for your courageous decision to allow Portland’s drug-free zones to expire. This act is a triumph for compassion and justice.

Information from a report released on September 26th supported the concern that exclusion zones targeted African-Americans for arrests for drug crimes in Portland’s three drug-free zones at significantly higher rates than whites or Latinos. Yet we know drug crimes are committed by all segments of the population. We see your stand as an important statement against police bias and a step toward eliminating all racial profiling which is defined as the inappropriate reliance on race as a factor in deciding to stop and/or search an individual.

Our Community Campaign to End Police Racial Profiling also seeks an end to other police enforcement tools, such as pretext stops, warrantless searches, and discriminatory curfews targeting specific neighborhoods. We believe these tools encourage and reinforce racial profiling and are destructive to community. These policies, like the exclusion zones, allow the police to be the prosecutor, judge and jury, and increase the degradation, humiliation and unfair punishment that flows from racial profiling.

We applaud your commitment to equality under the law and look forward to working with you to completely end racial profiling.

Sincerely,

Pastor Lynne Smouse López, chair
Community Campaign to End Police Racial Profiling

“I think the mayor needs to be praised when he does the right thing,” says Alejandro Queral of the Northwest Constitutional Rights Center. And I agree with him. Good on the mayor, regardless of whether his hand was forced by incontrovertible data.

Movies and TV are two pretty goddamn excellent inventions. When the join forces, like some sort of amazing entertainment Voltron, one can only assume they get even better. Unless it’s that Starsky & Hutch movie. Yeah. Not then.

Anyway: Two mostly reliable film directors—Barry Sonnenfeld and Kevin Smith—helmed the pilot episodes of two new TV shows this season, with Smith directing the CW’s Reaper and Sonnefeld directing ABC’s Pushing Daisies. I really like this idea of letting big name directors handle the first episodes of TV series, allowing the shows to start off with a solid tone and look that sets things up for the following shows. In the case of Daisies and Reaper, the directors’ names also probably brought in a few more viewers (like myself), which is good, assuming that the shows are solid. Which, in this case, they are.

I’ve seen two episodes of Reaper, and I… eh, I’ll say that I about 80 percent dig it. It’s basically a lighter take on Buffy, with a guy who’s doing his best Adam Brody impression (Bret Harrison, who grew up around here, and, probably not coincidentally, is friends with Adam Brody) playing the lead/Buffy role. Deal is, 21-year-old Sam is an employee of the Devil—he’s tasked with tracking down demons who’ve escaped from Hell and returning them to Satan. It’s a “monster of the week” concept that I think could get old really quick (even last week’s episode, the second, felt pretty formulaic, plot-wise), but it’s the smaller touches that I like about Reaper. Sam’s job at a Home Depot-esque megastore is a solid setting for lots of entertaining stuff, and his hilarious sidekick Sock (Tyler Labine, who, probably not coincidentally, looks/acts like Kevin Smith) is really great, but it’s Satan himself (Ray Wise) that’s the real star of the show. Character actor Wise has always been awesome (he was in Twin Peaks and Robocop), but as Satan, he’s fucking perfect: Funny and mean and clever, he’s got enough punch in every scene that he’s keeps Reaper consistently entertaining. He might be my favorite screen Satan ever, and that’s only with a few minutes of screentime so far. In fact, I kind of wish the show was just about him. (A promo for the show is here, and it basically condenses the pilot into five minutes, and it has some, but not enough, of Wise in it.)

Pushing Daisies is getting all kinds of great reviews, and I’m inclined to agree with them, mostly. Like most of Sonnenfeld’s work, at times the show—about a pie maker who, for a short period of time, can raise people from the dead—can be a little too cutesy for its own good (it’s pilot was called—sigh—“Pie-lette”). But for the most part—and I hope this’ll continue, post-Sonnenfeld—it’s a smart show with its heart in the right place. The production design and cinematography is great, and star Lee Pace is charming and funny. Shit occasionally got sappy in last night’s pilot (yes, I’m calling it a pilot, fuck the phrase “pie-lette”), but more often than not, it was endearing and well-imagined, with great dialogue, solid characters, a charming and unique tone, and a concept that seems pretty loaded with potential. You can listen to a really excellent interview with show creators Bryan Fuller and Sonnenfeld on NPR’s Fresh Air right here. [They also talk about making porn, Blood Simple, and Star Trek.] There’s also a bit more Blogtown talk about the show here.)

Anyway. I’ve liked the idea of big directors occasionally doing TV stuff for a while, but in the past, the execution has never worked out too well, like when Tarantino did ER and CSI. If Reaper and Pushing Daisies are any indication, though, that might be changing—which for someone who watches as much TV as I do, is good news.

The Weakerthans love cats.

Well, one cat in particular, a feisty feline named Virtue, owned by frontman John K. Samson. It’s hard to decipher the full story of Virtue, but from what I can gather from 2003’s “Plea From A Cat Named Virtue,” the cat is concerned with Samson’s agoraphobic desires to stay indoors and drink. So like any song-narrating pet should, Virtue offers to throw a party to cheer him up.

“So, we should open up the house/Invite the tabby two doors down/You could ask your sister, if she doesn’t bring her Basset Hound,” then Virtue adds the sweetest offer of them all, “And I’ll cater with all the birds that I can kill.”

MP3:
The Weakerthans - Plea From A Cat Named Virtue

The cat returns in “Virtue The Cat Explains Her Departure,” from the band’s recently released Reunion Tour. A more somber tune, with a epic climax and the wonderful line, “I would wait for you to arrive with kibble and a box full of beer/How I’d scratch the empties desperate to hear you make the sound that you found for me.” The cat later adds, “After scrapping with the ferals and the tabby/Let you brush my matted fur/How I’d knead into your chest while you were sleeping/Shallow breathing made me purr.”

MP3:
The Weakerthans - Virtue The Cat Explains Her Departure

Usually I don’t condone people writing songs about their cats, but I’ll make an exception for Virtue.

The Weakerthans perform tonight at the Hawthorne Theatre, which is just four blocks east of The Cat’s Meow. Coincidence?

• 8:00 The CW SMALLVILLE— Clark welcomes his super powered (and super hot) cousin Kara to earth. So… maybe they’re like third cousins or something? Then it’s totally cool if they make out. Right?

• 8:30 NBC 30 ROCK—It’s the season return of one of the funniest sitcoms on TV! In this episode Jack gets into a battle royale with… Jerry Seinfeld?

• 9:00 NBC THE OFFICE— In this hour long episode, Ryan returns to whip the Scranton branch into shape, and Angela is still angry about Dwight killing her cat! For the love of god… GET OVER IT ALREADY!

• 9:00 The CW SUPERNATURAL— In the season premiere, Sam and Dean deal with the fact that they totally effed up and released hundreds of demons from Hell. Nice play, Shakespeare!

Oh, here’s an NBC promo clip featuring a taste of tonight’s 30 Rock.

Those are the words of Bill Mildenberger Jr, manager of the Nite Hawk Café & Lounge on Interstate, following last night’s meeting over the proposed Interstate rename. Mildenberger has been organizing the businesses’ opposition to the rename, citing issues like the cost to businesses, and the loss of the Interstate “brand.”

“I’m as upset as I’ve ever been,” he says. “Last night was supposed to be a public forum where the public had a chance to express their support or opposition. It was held in a public grade school, and open to the public. But I couldn’t believe how orchestrated and biased it was in favor of the mayor’s position, in favor of that they want to change the name.”

Mildenberger made his case: The hall outside the school’s auditorium had three tables set up—one had neighborhood newspapers, nametags, speakers’ sign up sheets, and info sheets from the Chávez committee. The other two appeared to be hosted by the Chávez committee or El Hispanic News—the newspaper’s vice president, Melanie Davis, was personally hosting a table filled with delicious snacks, including sweet empanadas and pan dulce (YUM). However, there was “not one table for opposition to it,” Mildenberger pointed out.

Additionally, the meeting was held in an auditorium adorned with banners like the one below, alongside several large yellow posters with the “Si Se Puede” motto, and even a band playing in support of the rename at the end of the meeting.

The Chávez committee and the mayor had the first chunk of time to make their presentation in favor of the change. But, Mildenberger says, “not one citizen or representative opposed to the idea was given any forum to raise issues important to them.” (He’s hoping to get some presentation time on the agenda for next Tuesday night’s meeting, but so far, he says the mayor’s staff hasn’t called him back “in the four or five weeks I’ve been calling.”)

“I didn’t see last night as a very appropriate,” Mildenberger says. “My phone is ringing off the hook with people who are upset about last night’s meeting.”

Meanwhile, Mildenberger still wants to sit down with the Chávez committee and craft a compromise. “I think that the citizens of North Portland and the César Chávez commmittee have a real opportunity for a win-win. By sitting down and striking out and figuring out a way for how this should be done, maybe we can even provide the country with a blueprint for how two groups can get together and strike a compromise” in an issue this heated.

Given what I’ve heard from the Chávez committee, however, they aren’t open to compromise. (Which Mildenberger knows: “They will not even entertain the idea. It’s like trying to bend a big steel I-beam.”)

But frankly, I completely understand the committee’s hardball position—by putting their stake on Interstate, they’ve publically declared their choice, and they want respect for the choice that they made. At this point—at least from the committee’s POV—I get the sense that the debate may be less about whether or not to rename Interstate, than about whether or not Portland will validate the committee’s choice—and symbolically accept the community they represent. (There’s a very specific word for this, isn’t there? I’ve been reaching for it all week… someone help me out!)

Today should be full of updates on the 2008 race for city council. Here are some brief points to keep you knowledgeable:

1. Already, as Amy pointed out, Amanda Fritz has filed to run for the commissioner seat being vacated by Sam Adams—and she’s being supported by former city council candidate Dave Lister. (Guess that means he’s not running.)

2. John Branam, development director for Portland Public Schools, will be filing his candidacy for the seat today, and will be going for public money under Voter-Owned Elections. He’s already got former Mercury managing editor (and third place finisher in the 2004 mayoral race) Phil Busse and community activist Jo Ann Bowman on board his campaign.

3. Once November rolls around and Adams has an official campaign going, his campaign manager will be Jennifer Yocom, who ran Erik Sten’s last reelection campaign and is now, until the campaign starts, a staffer at the Office of Sustainable Development.

Now that Sam Adams is running for mayor, Amanda Fritz is making a bid for his current commissioner seat.

I’m about to file for City Council because I think I’m the most qualified, experienced person to represent the people and passions I care about. Prioritizing the City budget to pay for basic needs before big-ticket extras. Providing services in all 95 neighborhoods. And including hardworking people in meaningful participation that respects their time and makes a difference in final decisions.

• A Portland Mormon AND Boy Scout leader is charged with the sexual abuse of children. If he was a Republican, that would’ve been a hat trick.

• Wait… is this headline good or bad? “27% Of Republicans Would Vote For Pro-Life Third Party Instead Of Giuliani.”

• In Touch magazine proclaims “Angelina Jolie is Pregnant!” However, when pix of the emaciated and obviously UN-pregnant stomach of Angelina surface, In Touch buys them to protect their story’s integrity. HUH?!?

• Another judge rules that while Britney will be able to visit the kids, Kevin Federline will remain the full time dad. OMIGOD, WHEN WILL THE MADNESS END?

• Was conservative harpy Ann Coulter insulting President Bush when she called him “mentally retarded”? Nope, she was insulting YOU.

Another Mercury music section to read while you recover from getting struck by lightning while wearing your ipod. Or not.

If all is right in the world, Honest Racket, the brand new release from Sandpeople, will be recognized the world over as a highlight to our city’s burgeoning hiphop scene.
MP3: Sandpeople - Industrial Grade

Speaking of great moments in PDX hiphop, don’t forget Watts Happening, the new record from Ohmega Watts. Alternate album title: Watts Eating Gilbert Grape.
MP3: Ohmega Watts - Model Citizen

Curling and songs about cats? The Weakerthans are crazy, man.
MP3: The Weakerthans - Sun In An Empty Room

Bill Callahan has decided that he no longer wants to be known as Smog, “that one guy who dated Chan Marshall,” or “that one guy who is dating Joanna Newsom.” He is now just Bill Callahan, or as I like to call him, THE LUCKIEST MAN ALIVE.
MP3: Bill Callahan - Diamond Dancer

Loch Lomond unveil their plot to kidnap the Loch Ness Monster in order to make a some $$$. Oh, sorry, I mean £££.
MP3: Loch Lomond - A Field Report

Will his presence at tonight’s Interstate/Chavez meeting soothe tensions, or give neighbors an easy target? No wifi, so no liveblogging, but check back later for the answer.

Brief Update: The meeting was packed, and still heated. The city’s facilitators (two of them) did a remarkable job of maintaining order, but there was still a backlash against sticking so doggedly to the meeting’s process, when the rename process has been less than orderly (mentions of the process got the loudest cheers throughout the room; it’s obviously the sorest spot).

And no where near everyone who wanted to speak got a chance to speak, but there’s another meeting next Tuesday night—get there early if you want to sign up. My sense was that anyone who showed up more than 15 minutes before the meeting began didn’t make the speaking signup cut.

Final thought: I think Marta Guembes, co-chair of the committee, should consider a run for city council. I know this process has been rough on her personally (and she said as much in a shout out to her family tonight), but she’s tough as nails, and always speaks her mind (like her empathetic “no,” when answering whether the committee would consider alternative honorific ideas, or when she spoke to me yesterday about her thoughts on the racism angle). I’d love to see a lot more of her in Portland politics.

(Another update: There’s a handful of us wonking the hell out about this issue in the comments to an earlier post, if you want to check that out.)

(Last update on this post, I swear! Randy Leonard weighs in below, giving his insight into the council’s renaming intentions.)

I’m really starting to like the mayor’s office, since Potter announced he wasn’t standing for re-election. It’s sort of like, now he doesn’t give a fuck about re-election, he can finally say what he thinks. And so can his staffers. If only we’d had three years of this!!! I just got an email from Potter’s Public Policy Assistant, Jared Spencer:Spencer: Has had to defend some unpopular policies in the past…

Here’s the email:

I had to comment on this. There is an effort to change Interstate avenue to Cesar Chavez Blvd. There have been many sentiments about the effort & I just had to throw in my two cents. Attached is an MLK Telegram to Cesar Chavez.

We ALL need to support this effort. A contingent of “Interstate business & home owners” ;) are organizing hard against this effort. Their sentiments include, “this will make Interstate a ghetto” and “it will drive down my property values.” (BTW: Those are the nicer comments)

Many proclaim that this is not about race but rather the historical significance of Interstate Ave. Well, historically Interstate was supposed to be just that, and go to Vancouver, Wa. And I think that the history of roach motels and bars are not what the neighbors are referring to. This, to me, is about the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard). When it is proclaimed that honoring Cesar Chavez is OK…. just not here, to me that means: I don’t want them or that (whatever it may be) near my business or my home. If there is an assumption that a home or business owner will be affected in a way other than a mailing address change (Accck… what a hassle) than naturally, there are assumptions/prejudgments that are at least partially related to race.

I am constantly hearing about how diverse Portland is…… (Sorry I need a moment)……… well at least I know they aren’t speaking demographically. I chalk statements like that to meaning that Portland is a very accepting place. Maybe having a more left wing liberal populace means that race is just something that doesn’t really matter in Portland. Well whatever one may think, let’s not allow that closed-minded supposition to make us blind to our own precognitions and assumptions. If race was simply associated with the way someone looks then why are there such strong cultural assumptions about how one “should” act in order to properly “fit into” any particular group? We all make assumptions that are based on race. So let’s stop pretending that race has nothing to do with this.

I want to see the liberal Portland that embraces people who are different. I want to see the Portland that is accepting no matter if you have body tattoos, rings in many places, are gay or even if you are Latino. For many folks, you can be sure that their assumptions about what “may happen to my neighborhood” (race based) are a part of their “NIMBYism.” If so, then you can also be sure that sentiments of separate but equal are still alive & well in the “regular folks” of America (and maybe even Portland too).

Please support this effort.

Jared M.Spencer.

That’s a ballsy note for someone in Spencer’s position in public life. Ballsy by far. And he even attached this telegram from Martin Luther King to Cesar Chavez, supporting his hunger strike, for good measure. You know, I was thinking, why would Sam Adams want Tom Potter to push through a measure like this? You know, an unpopular measure. Something that would be unpopular with the voters, I mean.

Call me a cynic, but it shouldn’t take the prospect of losing one’s job to grow a pair. And Jared, I hope you still have yours in the morning. (Your job, I mean!) Don’t worry, I know only too well how it feels to write something, hit a button, and fear losing your job…the feeling gets pretty addictive after a while, but I think it also contributes positively to public discourse. Win-win!

Let’s name a street Jared Spencer Boulevard!

Here’s an invite from “A Group of Smart Ass Defense Attorneys,” celebrating the passing of the city’s Drug-Free Zones:

Please join us for a drink this Friday at 5:00 PM onwards at the Rialto (529 SW 4th) as we toast the life and mourn the passing of our dear friend Portland City Ordinance Chapter 14B.20 better known by its nickname “DFZ”.

DFZ passed away on Sunday, September 30th. We thought it appropriate to gather in its favorite part of town to remember the good times we had with exclusion zones. Let’s take the time to pause to remember demurrers, motions to suppress and “totalitarian approaches to social control” (to quote Judge Marcus).

The DFZ is survived by the Sit Lie Ordinance and a general atmosphere of racial intolerance on the part of the police bureau. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the ACLU of Oregon.

In the spirit of the Mercury Food Face Off issue—which hits the streets today, full of food-on-food combat and fiesty reader reviews (submit your own reviews here)—here’s the skinny (…) on the Hollywood Burger Battle, taking place in the Hollywood district all month:

Customers who order a burger at any participating restaurant in Hollywood during October are given a ballot. The customer then votes for their favorite burger and turns in the ballot. Every entry automatically qualifies the customer for a drawing to win a wide variety of great prizes. A customer can enter a ballot with every burger purchased, so they can enter as many times as they like.

Here are the participating restaurants (I have eaten burgers at exactly zero of these places):

52nd Avenue Sports Pub 5201 NE Sandy Blvd, Biscuits Café (NE Portland only) 5137 NE Sandy Blvd, Blackwell’s Grub and Steak 1815 NE 41st Avenue, Hollywood Burger Bar 4211 NE Sandy Blvd, Laurelwood Public House and Brewery 5115 NE Sandy Blvd, Mark Lindsay Rock and Roll Café 4160 NE Sandy Blvd, Pal’s Shanty 4630 NE Sandy Blvd, Poor Richards Restaurant 3907 NE Broadway Street, Sam’s Hollywood Billiards 1845 NE 41st Avenue, Tony Starlight’s Supper Club and Lounge 3728 NE Sandy Blvd,

Full press release after the jump

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
John Perkins
Hollywood Booster Vice President
3928 NE Sandy, No. 4
Portland, OR 97212
Phone: (503) 287-7468
www.hollywoodboosters.com/
jwp@perkinsarch.com

October is Burger Battle Month in Hollywood! The opening of Mark Lindsay’s Rock and Roll Café brought the return of the legendary Yaw’s hamburger. Portland is in a pickle pondering the question, who has the best burger in Hollywood? Since Portlander’s relish a good competition, a Burger Battle is the only way to find out.

Customers who order a burger at any participating restaurant in Hollywood during October are given a ballot. The customer then votes for their favorite burger and turns in the ballot. Every entry automatically qualifies the customer for a drawing to win a wide variety of great prizes. A customer can enter a ballot with every burger purchased, so they can enter as many times as they like.

The truly adventurous can pick up a “Hollywood Burger Passport” at any of the restaurants and dine at the every location. When they turn in their passport, it will have a stamp from each and every participating restaurant making them eligible for a special drawing for a $300 gift certificate to Skamania Lodge.

All of Hollywood’s burger heavy weights have gathered in the Burger Battle ring. The participating restaurants:

52nd Avenue Sports Pub 5201 NE Sandy Blvd
Biscuits Café (NE Portland only) 5137 NE Sandy Blvd
Blackwell’s Grub and Steak 1815 NE 41st Avenue
Hollywood Burger Bar 4211 NE Sandy Blvd
Laurelwood Public House and Brewery 5115 NE Sandy Blvd
Mark Lindsay Rock and Roll Café 4160 NE Sandy Blvd
Pal’s Shanty 4630 NE Sandy Blvd
Poor Richards Restaurant 3907 NE Broadway Street
Sam’s Hollywood Billiards 1845 NE 41st Avenue
Tony Starlight’s Supper Club and Lounge 3728 NE Sandy Blvd

Based on the ballot results, restaurants will be able to win in three categories. An award will be based on the restaurant that simply receives the most votes. To allow a smaller establishment to compete fairly with a location having a larger number of seats, another award will be based on the restaurant that receives the most votes per seating capacity. The votes from the “Hollywood Burger Passports” will be tallied and a winner announced. Because a customer who turns in a passport has tasted a burger from all ten restaurants, the Passport Winner is perhaps the most prestigious of the three awards.

Fantastic prizes have been assembled. Every ballot and “Hollywood Burger Passport” will be entered in a drawing for one of the following prizes:

Skamania Lodge One Free Night and $300 gift certificate
(“Hollywood Burger Passports” only)
Hollywood Wine and Espresso $50 gift certificate (Two available)
Millius Estate Services $50 verbal review of your collectibles
and antiques
Home Instead Senior Care 3 hours in-home care ($51 value)
Northeast Community Center One Month Free Membership ($45 value;
Two available)
Hollywood Antiques Showcase $25 gift certificate (Two available)
Second Glance Books $20 gift certificate (Two available)
Fluer De Lis Bakery $20 gift certificate (Two available)
Magical Creations Boutique $20 gift certificate (Two available)
Laura Santi, Licensed Acupuncturist Sample Treatment ($40 value)
Hollywood Farmers Market $20 Market Coin (Two available)
Wet Spot Tropical Fish $20 gift certificate (Two available)
Celtic Corner $10 gift certificate (Two available)
America’s Largest Christmas Bazaar A pair of tickets (Two pairs available, offered by Palmer/Wirfs & Associates)

Damn, this video is so cute.

Scout Niblett and Will Oldham (fresh from spitting rhymes for Kanye West) explore our city together in this clip for “Kiss,” from This Fool Can Die Now (out October 15th).

Okay, so I spotted the Steel Bridge, Sauvie Island (or maybe Kelley Point Park) and Avalon (I think). Not sure where they are eating pizza or dancing. Any ideas?

From Outlaws MySpace page:

To all of our loyal friends!

It saddens me to write this! Unfortunately, do to some unscrupulous business practices by persons and businesses doing business with Outlaws during the course of spring and summer, we were subjected to catastrophic financial losses. Time was just not on our side to recover from this!

To the bands! You were all a pleasure to work with and demonstrated great talent. You made this journey worth pursuing! Even duing the toughest of times! My best to you all!

To the staff at Outlaws of current and past!

Your loyalty and hardwork were greatly appreciated! That’s what made us better in this industry! It wasn’t just a business to most of us! It became a family! You will always be remembered and greeted as friends.

Thank You One and All for the Ride!
Rick S.
P.S
I can be reached by email for a while at outlawsbar@comcast.net

Didn’t know we had an office in Bend? Us either! Thankfully, the venerated New York Times has finally let us know:

Nike Adds Indian Artifacts to Its Swoosh

By ANDREW ADAM NEWMAN
Published: October 3, 2007

When Nike recently introduced a shoe designed specifically for American Indians, the company said it was to promote a healthy lifestyle on reservations.

Sam McCracken, a Nike manager, with the Air Native N7. A podiatrist’s prompting helped spur the development of the shoe.

But along with its trademark swoosh, the Nike Air Native N7 features feathers and arrowheads, which bloggers have found off-putting.

“If this isn’t an example of corporate manipulation of race, I don’t know what is,” wrote one of about 200 readers commenting online about an article that appeared in The Rapid City Journal in South Dakota. There, the response to the article was split.

“What makes this a ridiculously bad move is decorating it ‘Native American style,’” added a reader identified as “la foi,” on the Web site of The Portland Mercury, an alternative weekly near Nike headquarters in Bend, Ore.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to Mt. Bachelor.

Kelly Moe, frontman of Basic Fix, is looking for a local designer to dress the band, particularly for their performance on October 27th at the Crystal Ballroom. Aside from the below photo and mp3, you may be interested to know that the music video, directed and edited by James Westby and Erica Brown, features popular Portland strippers Malice and Viva Las Vegas (who also contributes to the Mercury), along with “most of the dancers from the Devils Point,” and will be out at the end of this month. If you’re a designer interested in using Kelly Moe and Basic Fix as human, performing advertisements of your designs, drop Kelly a line.

Basic Fix: Voodoo Engine

In honor of Saturday’s CD release of Honest Racket, the mighty new album from the ten member Sandpeople crew, we’re counting down the minutes until showtime with daily posts in their honor.

First up, it’s Illmaculate.
One of the nine Sandpeople MCs, Illmaculate is know the world over for his absolutely insane battle rap skills. He’s a former Scribble Jam winner (in 2004) and alongside partner TheSaurus, took home the the World Rap Championship last year. His “lowercase b” line is timeless…

Big night for TV watching with new shows, old shows and a big season finale!

• 8:00 ABC PUSHING DAISIES—This stylish com-dram is touted to be THE “must watch” of the new season. A guy has the ability to bring anything back from the dead—unfortunately, something else must die in the process. CONUNDRUM!

• 10:00 COM SOUTH PARK—Arguably America’s most offensive show (if you don’t count that Christian program starring Kirk Cameron) is back for its 11th season… and guess what? Cartman has Tourette’s Syndrome!

• 10:00 BRAVO TOP CHEF—It’s the startling season finale for this cooking show in which we learn “who will win—that one guy? Or the other guy?”

• 10:30 COM THE SARAH SILVERMAN PROGRAM—Sarah returns for her second season with this HEE-LARIOSO episode in which she accidentally gets involved with a plot to blow up an abortion clinic. Here’s a promo clip for this coming season!

The handful of declared and potential candidates for city council have a second reason this week to breathe a massive sigh of relief—popular Metro Councilor Robert Liberty has decided he won’t be seeking the council seat that currently belongs to Sam Adams (who will announce tonight that he’s running for mayor).

Robert Liberty: Out

Liberty in the race would have made things a little more complicated for the other, lesser-known candidates. He would have come in with name recognition (even if the majority of Portlanders have no idea what the Metro government does) and key support from the establishment.

Instead, he’ll sit this one out, focusing on the projects he’s currently working on at Metro. But his other reason for not running is troubling from a civic engagement standpoint. Liberty currently makes $37,000 a year at Metro, “[b]ut I still have to work another job to make our mortgage payments,” he said in a press release. “It simply isn’t realistic to work two jobs and run for City Commissioner at the same time.”

If someone like Liberty can’t afford to run for the office, what chance is there for average citizens who want to try? Even with the Voter-Owned Elections program, a credible candidate has to spend close to the entirety of six months being a candidate—and that can get in the way of working a job that actually pays money.

Peep Liberty’s full press release after the jump.

Metro Councilor Robert Liberty Declines to Run for Portland City Council

Citing unfinished work and financial constraints, Robert Liberty, who represents the southern half of Portland on the Metro Council (the area's regional government), announced his decision not to run for the open seat left by Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams, who is expected to announce a run for mayor.

"I have several good reasons to stay at Metro and one good reason not to run for City Commissioner this year," said Liberty.

"There are several Metro projects that need to be completed, including some that I initiated. The projects include creating a $10 million regional revolving loan fund to help build lower cost housing, implementing a $45 million grant program to invest in natural areas at the neighborhood level, chairing the Portland to Milwaukie Light Rail study, and continuing to reform regional land use and transportation decisions so that we curb sprawl, fight climate change, and build more sustainable and affordable neighborhoods."

Liberty said he also wanted to help make upcoming decisions on the Sellwood Bridge, solid waste and recycling, the Columbia River Crossing and the future of the Oregon Zoo.

Liberty also cited financial reasons against running for the City Commission in 2008. "Metro Councilors just got a pay raise, thanks to the Oregon Legislature - our pay is now $37,000 a year. But I still have to work another job to make our mortgage payments. It simply isn't realistic to work two jobs and run for City Commissioner at the same time."

Looking to the future, Liberty noted that by 2010 many of his Metro projects will be completed. He would consider running for City Council then, especially if Commissioner Erik Sten decided not to run for reelection. The Metro Council Presidency will also be open, with David Bragdon finishing his second and last term.

Commissioner Erik Sten is negotiating hard for one of two possible sites for a $30m permanent day access center for the homeless in Old Town Chinatown—and says he expects ink on a contract to be dry in the next two weeks. He hopes to have doors open at the center by 2009.

There’s a story in this week’s paper about the center, but here are the two possible sites. One is currently a car park on 4th and Glisan, owned by the Goodman family—who have never sold a property in downtown Portland. And the other is on the block kitty corner from the car park, where the Blanchet House and Dirty Duck bar are, currently. Much of this block is owned by the Portland Development Commission. Here’s a map:DAY ACCESS CENTER: Possible sites…

That the negotiations are nearing a conclusion is exciting news for those who have been pushing for the permanent day access center all along—the mayor’s Street Access For Everyone (SAFE) committee has managed to fund a temporary center at SW 13th and Alder, but it’s already overflowing, and more space is needed.

“I think we’ll get to a conclusion about whether to buy the parking lot in the next couple of weeks,” says Sten. “Our stated goal was to get a site by fall. And if we can’t get that block, then we’ll move to the block which now has the Dirty Duck and the Blanchet House on it—PDC owns much of it.”

Transition Projects, Inc has been lined up to run the center—it currently runs a center on 4th and Glisan behind the Greyhound bus station. But at this point, plans for what services the center may incorporate are unclear. We’ll have far more on this story from all sides, as it develops over the coming weeks.

Weird and kind of funny violence erupted last night at the Fox Reality Channel Really Awards, when Survivor contestant and former Portland resident Johnny Fairplay (aka Jon Dalton) was picked up by Danny “Partridge Family” Bonaduce, and thrown on his face. Though details are sketchy, apparently words were exchanged while Fairplay was on stage. When Bonaduce joined him onstage, Fairplay apparently rushed him, leading the former Danny Partridge to pick Fairplay up by the seat of his britches, and throw him down hard, face-first on the stage, causing him to lose a few teeth.
Fairplay spent much of the night at the dentist repairing his busted up mouth. Didn’t Fairplay learn anything from his days as a fake wrestler in Portland? Like a) one should only fake getting their teeth knocked out, and b) never, ever fuck with Danny Partridge?

So I’ve pretty much been playing Halo 3 as much as possible the past few nights (Earnest “Nex” Cavalli’s review will be online soon/in tomorrow’s paper). Which is fine. What is not fine is that when I’m not playing, I’m looking at stuff like this.

I know. I’m not happy about it either.

Thanks to Kotaku? I guess?

I heard the rumor last night, but just got confirmation from the secretary of state’s office—the anti-gay campaign officially collected 60,531 signatures to send HB 2007 (the domestic partnership law) to the ballot. That doesn’t mean they’ve made the ballot, though. “Now they go to the counties for statistical sampling,” explains the secretary of state’s Mary Conley.

A record shattering 91.2 percent of those signatures would have to be valid in order for the issue to go to next fall’s ballot.

The other petition—which would send the non-discrimination law to the ballot—doesn’t have an official tally quite yet.

I was talking to a friend the other day about the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men, and he noted that considering the book it’s based on the and the people making it, there’s pretty much no way that the film won’t be amazing. I’m inclined to agree with him, especially after watching the newest trailer. Thanks to AICN for the heads up.

Rob: I will now sell five copies of The Three E.P.’s by The Beta Band.
Dick: Go for it. [Rob plays the record]
Customer: Who is this?
Rob: The Beta Band.
Customer: It’s good.
Rob: I know.

Despite the best efforts of the loyal, but snarky, staff of Championship Vinyl, The Beta Band called it a day back in ‘04.

Two former Beta boys, plus onetime member Gordon Anderson (aka Lone Pigeon), have formed The Aliens. Here is their boo-hoo heartbreak video for “Setting Sun.”

The Aliens perform at Doug Fir tonight.

Carrie Bradshaw getting married in the Sex and the City movie…
Or the Joker plotting his revenge in Batman: The Dark Knight?

Check out more fashion fun on the Mercury’s style blog, MOD!

Ahhhhh, now it all makes sense. Security contractors working for Blackwater in Iraq were stressed out. That’s it! Stress Pals for everyone!

A university in Iran has offered to return the favor, and has invited George W. Bush to come and speak. The Bush Administration apparently isn’t taking the invite seriously.

The U.S. House of Representatives: The Palace of Low Expectations. In a sweeping, bipartisan move, the House voted to require the Pentagon to present plans for an eventual withdrawal of troops from Iraq. “If you could get around to giving us some non-binding hint about when you might start thinking about bringing some of the troops home, that’d be grrrrreat.”

Nazi death camp grandpa—out of here. Paul Henss, 85, an admitted concentration camp guard now living in Georgia, will be extradited.

Remember “compassionate conservatism”? Neither does George W. Bush, who just vetoed a plan to provide health coverage to 10 million uninsured children. The cost of the plan? $35 billion over five years, or $7 billion per year. That’s the cost of, what?, four days of the Iraq occupation?

Lastly, as you may have noticed, attendance at anti-war protests has dwindled, even though anti-war sentiment is now expressed by a solid majority of Americans. Why? Reuters’ Andy Sullivan thinks it’s a combo of infighting among rival anti-war groups and protest fatigue.

Some guy out there bought an old Chuck E Cheese animatronic “Rockafire Explosion” set, and has been programming it at his home with all of his favorite songs, which is pretty funny. But he’s outdone himself with his “Pop Lock & Drop It” remix, seen here. This is one of my favorite songs of the year, even though Bow Wow nearly ruins it every time with one of the worst rap verses ever written. (Seriously, this guy’s rhyming skills are at about a third grade level.) But here, the little drumming doggy gets to spit Bow Weezy’s lines, and somehow, all is right in the world. I love this video.

Our new email buddy Steve Duin has a great column in the O today, on the rename controversy. He reaches the same conclusion I keep coming to—that this mess could have largely been averted, had the mayor done a better job when the Chávez committee first approached him with their proposal.

With apologies to north-side light rail, the campaign to rename Interstate Avenue in honor of labor organizer Cesar E. Chavez is an absolute train wreck.

In this well-intentioned but clumsy effort to raise the profile of Portland’s Latino community, the passion of the organizers has overwhelmed reason, politics and the legendary Portland process.

The insistence upon another bold, visible monument to the civil rights movement in North Portland has generated an increasingly aggressive coalition of neighbors who resent change, illegal immigrants, street honorifics or another lecture on inclusion. (Those sermons rarely resonate with those who are excluded from the discussion group.)

And the reliance on the mayor’s office to help make this happen has only fueled the fireworks.

I don’t fault the Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard Committee that the campaign is off the rails. “We have an excellent candidate,” said co-chair Jose Romero. “We’re not knowledgeable about processes or politics or the sentiments of the community.”

That’s Tom Potter territory, and the mayor is playing stupid. “We’re not driving the bus here,” John Doussard, Potter’s spokesman, said last week.

Yes, you are. Straight off the cliff. Potter wrestled this issue away from Commissioner Sam Adams, who heads the Bureau of Transportation; designated himself head cheerleader rather than mediator; and insulted local business owners such as Bill Mildenberger when he dismissed opposition to the renaming ceremony as “a fearful reaction to the idea of change.”

Or, as one neighbor put it in a comment to the mayor via email: “Shame on you for setting the Chávez committee up to take your hits.”

On the blue line MAX today, as it crossed the river, the driver announced the time, temperature, welcomed me to downtown, and encouraged me to “stay warm and dry.” Everyone paused in their conversation and listened politely, it was strange.
Are all the trains doing this now, or did I just have an overzealous driver? If it’s a new policy it seems a little pandery/over-eager (“tourists… LOVE US”), but I guess it’s nice to feel welcomed.

A recent conversation over more than a few beers led to the question being asked, what is the sexiest music video ever made? Fake Meg White sex tapes (that was so not sexy) excluded, a few people made a good case for this video, which—despite looking like a perfume commercial—is a pretty solid choice.

My vote was for something a little more subtle, “Henry Lee,” by P