Live from the Rose Garden as—for the fourth time in the last 26 days—the Portland Trail Blazers take on the Utah Polygamist Punishers Jazz.

Thanks to David Stern’s drunken schedule making, league rivals Portland and Utah have all of their games awkwardly crammed together in this small period of time. But tonight’s match-up is the final time these two teams will meet this season.

And ever.

Since Brigham Young will soon ascend from the puffy clouds of heaven and smite us all. Oh sorry, I’ve been watching a lot of Big Love recently.

Pre-Game:
There is some question to whether or not Brandon Roy will play tonight, after that pounding he took in Chicago, but Utah is equally shorthanded, as Andrei "AK-47" Kirilenko is out with a back injury. The Jazz are always a difficult team to play here in...OH MY FREAKING GOD!

HE'S HERE!!!!

Those raised cheekbones, playfully seductive hair and delicate skin—KYLE KORVER IS IN THE HOUSE! I'm trying to hold it together, but as Korver's favorite band ever once said, you can't fight this feeling.

1st Quarter:
9:07 - LaMarcus Aldridge with a nice teardrop jump shot and it's 8-4 Portland.

5:54 - Well, to this point, it's the LaMarcus Aldridge show, which makes sense, seeing how he loves him some Jazz. He dropped 36 points on them a few nights back. So far the big guy has 8 points, and this game is shaping up to be quick-moving and high scoring. Two things you seldom associate with playing a tough team like Utah. 14-11 Portland.

2:44 - Aldridge, again. Getting a little tired of that dude hoggin' the bloggin', if you know what I mean, but he's putting on a show. And dribbling the ball off his foot. A little of both. Hey Utah Coach Jerry Sloan, put in Kyle Korver so I can talk about something other than LaMarcus. 18-17 Blazers.

0:20 - I feel like my whole life has been leading up to this—Kyle Korver has entered the game. My loyalties are being tested, who do I cheer for? 23-22 Utah.

2nd Quarter:
10:47 - Korver for three! And while he shot the ball, a small bluebird landed on his shoulder and whistled a sweet tune. 25-23 Utah.

7:59 - Korver missed (huh?) a jump shot, thus showing that there is clearly something wrong with the ball. Or the rim. Or the sick sense of humor of God. 27-25 Jazz

4:43 - Steve Blake aimlessly dribbles the ball around and then watches the shot clock expire. Then Utah's Paul Milsap knocks down a three point play, all the while Kyle Korver wrestles away the t-shirt gun from Blaze and hunts down Osama Bin Laden with it. He is beyond perfection. 36-31 Jazzercise.

0:34 - Travis Outlaw swats Carlos Boozer is a big way. Guess he won't be renting from him anytime soon. Utah keeps the pressure on, and Steve Blake ends up on his back under the basket. On your feet, baldy! 42-39 Jazzmatazz.

0:00 - Enough about basketball, and even Kyle Korver, because there is something really appalling going on right now. Maybe because the wholesome Utah folks are in town, but tonight's halftime entertainment is "The Skywriters," a ridiculous duo of trampoline jumpers. They strap on a snowboard, on the trampoline! They pass a ball to each other, on a trampoline! They flip and twirl! Extreme! I feel like I'm in a G-rated David Lynch movie.

3rd Quarter:
11:32 - 28 seconds in and the Blazers have two fouls against them and Brandon Roy on the pine, as he didn't start the second half. Uh-oh.

8:02 - Martell. Martell. Martell. Martell Webster! He knocks down four straight baskets, too bad Utah is just as hot. 57-50 Jazz.

5:52 - Jealous of how hot he is, Kyle Korver fouls Martell Webster during a three point attempt. Oh, silly Kyle, he's a different kind of hot. Jeez. Three shots coming up for Webster, and chance for Portland to take the lead. 61-59 Utah.

4:14 - Martell Webster is kind of freaking me out right now. He had 2 points at the start of the quarter, he has 22 right now. Woah! 67-61 Martell Websters.

1:40 - Usually an entire quarter without your star player (Brandon Roy) is a bad thing, but thanks to the godly play of Webster, it's 71-62 Portlandia.

0:00 - Just to recap the Martell Webster insanity we all just witnessed.
This quarter: Martell Webster - 24 points. Utah 22 points.

4th Quarter:
9:49 - Kyle Korver with a swat of Martell Webster. It's like god and god crime. 79-73 Portland.

7:37 - Brandon Roys is M.I.A., off the bench, and somewhere in the locker room watching Ghost Whisperer. But if the Blazers keep holding it down, they can get the big win without their best player. 85-73 Blazers.

5:42 - Sergio Rodriduez had a breakaway all by himself. There was not a thing around him but some tumbleweed, and he still did not dunk. I don't care if he has to borrow a trampoline from "The Skywriters," I want to see a dunk from him. 91-75 Portland.

2:45 - This is getting ugly, but the sold-out crowd is getting free Mexican "food." 101-81 Portland. This win will push them into a first place tie with Denver. First place Blazers basketball? And it's not just on your PlayStation? Or in your dreams? Or in the '90s? Damn.

0:00 - Another game, another win. After the BIG streak, the Blazers are working on another run. Third game in a row.
Portland 103, Utah 89 .

Keep in mind the Blazers had less than 40 points at the half, so to finish with over 100 is pretty impressive. Hell, this whole season has been impressive.

It’s been done to death in comics, which means it’s just about time for the idea of drunk jerks with superpowers to hit the silver screen. (And—thanks to Spider-Man 3, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Superman Returns—the genre of the comic book movie is pretty much begging for some mockery right about now.)

Kind of liking the look of this one. Then again, I like the Fresh Prince. And drunk jerks with superpowers.

Specifically, allegedly saying this to a Libyan employee:

“You fucking Arab terrorist motherfucker, I will kill you.”

Ah, yes. Welcome back to Oregon’s litigatory underbelly. This week in Breaking The Law, my super journalistic (i.e lazy-ass) blogumn wherein I basically go down to Federal Court, pluck out an interesting lawsuit and copy it out for you verbatim, it’s the sin of all postmodern workplace sins: Alleged Anti-Arab Discrimination. Gasp!
ARAB: Entitled to a non-discriminatory work environment, just like normal people…

On then, albeit with the usual disclaimer: I’m writing about pending litigation that’s not yet been decided in court. So we’re talking about allegations, and not facts. But you know, I have to say that. Although in this case, according to attorneys for the defendant, it might even be true. Who knows…

Salahadin N.Treki is suing the Rose City Moving and Storage corporation, alleging wrongful discharge and racial, religious and national origin discrimination in violation of Oregon and federal equal opportunities law.

Treki, who worked for the firm between June 2005 until his termination on November 10, 2006, alleges his supervisory foreman aggressively confronted him and said “You fucking Arab terrorist motherfucker, I will kill you,” in June 2006.

Treki also alleges he was told to drop his complaint when he protested, and that he was denied a pay increase because of his race, religion, and national origin. Treki is of the Muslim religion, of Lybian national origin, and is non-caucasian.

Treki says he was unfairly discriminated against for taking long breaks when in fact his breaks were no longer than those of his fellow workers at the same time and place, and that he was terminated in whole or in part because of his race, religion and national origin. He complained to the Bureau of Labor and Industries but then withdrew his complaint before a decision was reached, to file the civil suit.

Treki is suing for $400,000, plus costs.

“My client denies the allegations,” says Jeffrey Druckman, attorney for Rose City Moving & Storage. “They are completely unfounded and we are contesting them. You wouldn’t gather this background from the complaint, but Mr.Treki received warnings about his performance and behavior five months prior to his termination for walking off the job. This is something he could have been terminated for if his employer had been determined.”

“Two months later, Mr.Treki was again warned for taking excessive breaks, failing to check in with dispatch, abusing the company’s break and lunch policies not once but several times. He was given a final warning and told any more problems would result in his termination,” Druckman continues.

“Two weeks after that, a situation developed on a job that gave no option but for Mr.Treki’s termination. He was using foul language on the job in earshot of customers, taking extensive breaks, exhibiting a poor attitude, and not taking supervision,” Druckman says.

Druckman adds that the alleged “Arab terrorist motherfucker comment” is vigorously denied by Treki’s co-worker, who was not, after all, his supervisor. He says another of Treki’s co-workers also denies that the statement was made, and says there is no basis for the allegation.

“The alleged comment is supposed to have been made while Mr.Treki was on a week-long job in Redmond,” Druckman adds. “The employees all received a per diem allowance for the week, which Mr.Treki gambled away on the first night and it didn’t make it easy for him.”

Druckman alleges Treki was sent home early with a driver after asking his co-workers to borrow money, and that he told the driver he was going to “get back at the lead man” on the job for sending him home.

“It’s really a case where the motive for making these allegations is clear,” says Druckman. “They have no basis according to our investigation, whatsoever.”

“Sometimes you look at cases like these and they seem very shocking,” Druckman continues. “But it’s important to get both sides of the story.”

Indeed. Now: Who’s bullshitting?

Word to the wise: If you want a whole slew of excellent Billy Bragg live tracks for free (and who in their right mind would not want that?), then the man himself will send them your way if you sign up for his email list. Sounds fair enough.

Recorded under the name Johnny Clash, this recent Strummer-themed tribute song sounds like the ‘ole Bragg, the youthful lad who’d busk on the streets while wearing weird speakers on his back.

Yeah, kind of like that photo.

MP3:
Billy Bragg - Old Clash Fan Fight Song (Live At Salisbury City Hall, June 2006)

“Shit, I love playing that song.”

Hot damn! Even though we don’t have a new issue on the streets for the weekend, don’t ever, ever say that we don’t still take care of you. We’ve got new movie times for the weekend, as well as reviews (both long and short) of One Missed Call, Primo Levy’s Journey, Strike, and some David Lynch goodness.

I still haven’t seen Margot at the Wedding, which starts at the Laurelhurst today, so that’s where I’ll be. Well, that and rewatching Paul Thomas Anderson’s films in anticipation of There Will Be Blood. One could do a lot worse for weekend viewing, I suspect. Anyway, cinephiles, I bid you good day.

GATES: Arrested yesterday…

Portland police have arrested 24-year-old Lovene Gates in connection with the murder of Dan Callaway and Patricia Andrews. From the cops:

On Thursday, January 3, 2008, near the intersection of Southeast 82nd Avenue and Southeast Foster Street, members of the US Marshals Oregon Fugitive Task Force arrested 24-year-old Lovene Sterling Gates on two counts of Aggravated Murder in connection with the shooting deaths of 32-year-old Charles Daniel Callaway and 47-year-old Patricia Louise Andrews.

The investigation began on the evening of Friday, November 16, 2007, when Charles Daniel Callaway was found shot to death inside his home in the 5800 block of North Montana Avenue. Evidence led detectives to believe the victim was killed when he interrupted a burglary. Detectives remained at the home throughout the night and were still processing the crime scene when in the early morning hours of November 17, 2007, Patricia Louise Andrews was shot a few blocks away at North Killingsworth Street and North Minnesota Avenue.

Through the continuing investigation, Homicide Detectives, Criminalists from the Portland Police Bureau Identification Division and Forensic Scientists from the Oregon State Police Crime Lab developed physical and forensic connections linking the two homicides.

Investigators developed probable cause to arrest Gates and, with the assistance of the US Marshals, took him into custody. For investigative reasons, detectives are unwilling to release any additional information in this ongoing investigation. However, detectives are confirming that their initial theory that Charles Callaway was killed during an interrupted burglary was accurate.

Anyone with information in the death of Charles Daniel Callaway is asked to call Detective Jon Rhodes at (503) 823-9320 or Detective Mark Slater at (503) 823-9319.

Anyone with information in the death of Patricia Louise Andrews is asked to call Detective Bryan Steed at (503) 823-0395 or Detective Brian Gross at (503) 823-0757. These investigations are continuing.

It’s nice to write a story about great police work. Thanks, detectives.

While the cops aren’t releasing any more details, it’s rumored that they did arrest someone who had tried to break into Callaway’s house a second time, after the police tape was up.

This just in from city council candidate Howard Weiner—he’s no longer seeking public financing, and he’s keeping his options open as to which seat he’s going to run for:

I opted out of the public financing aspect of this election yesterday.

I intend to start raising the funds necessary for this campaign and will decide which seat to run for before March 11th.

I support the voter owned elections program but I realize with my late start and the opening up of another seat on council that I want to keep all of my options open.

Had a couple beers at East Burn last night, the new restaurant and bar in the old Nocturnal Space. I headed straight to the bar downstairs, so I don’t have many impressions of the upstairs; just noted that it’s a semi-fancy dining room, with a formal-looking bar at the back end.

Downstairs, all rec room style, is a small non-smoking lounge area with a bar, two skeeball lanes, a toy racecar track, a bunch of Trivial Pursuit games (and an Etchasketch upon which I inscribed a pretty impressive bunny). Two flat-screens were hooked up last night, just in time to catch the tail end of the Blazer game (!), and there’s talk of Guitar Hero tournaments to come. Outside, there’s a covered patio with heaters and swing-seats for smokers.

There are 6 or so taps downstairs and more upstairs, for a total of 18 beers on draft, and an extensive list of bottles too—I’ll list the beers on tap (and the food menu) after the jump. $4.50 a pint during regular hours, $2.75 during happy hour, which runs until 7 pm. (Not sure when it starts, anybody got contact info? I found a number online but it seems to be incorrect).

Assuming this place lasts long enough for the newness wear off, it could be a good addition to the neighborhood. I chatted a bit with the owners and bartender, all of whom are super nice; sounds like the staff was heavily involved in designing and building the place, everyone seems very enthusiastic and optimistic.

There are some kinks to work out, of course… Downstairs just needs to be lived in a little bit, and they could do some work on the insulation as well (skeeball is loud). I also expect that they’ll do some tinkering with the menu—I haven’t tried the food, but at a glance, prices seem a bit steep (dinner, OK, but there’s only one menu, and for lunch it’s spendy), and they need to get a few lower priced items at least on a bar menu.

1800 E Burnside, 11 am-2:30 am, 7 days a week, lunch and dinner, plus brunch scheduled to start next weekend

Beers on tap: TG IPA, Caledera Dry Hop Orange, Mirror Pond, Roots Heather Ale, Ninkasi Total Domination, Full Sail Vesuvius Golden, Laurelwood Tree Hugger Porter, Willamette Espresso Stout, Langunitas Pilsner, Amnesia Pale Ale, Hub Red Ale, Mactarnahans Amber, Czechwar, Jubelale, Lomboc LSD, Miller High Life, Double Mountain Kolsch ("coming soon", it says) Rouge Half-a-Weizen

Behold! Perhaps the most awesome version ever of “Sweet Child o’ Mine” that isn’t being played by Guns N’ Roses. (I don’t care if I have to drive to India, I’m totally booking these guys for my next wedding.)

MP3:
Caves - Curiosity

Sure, we could all do without those shouted “Oi’s” at the beginning, but why let a couple words ruin an otherwise perfect rock song? “Curiosity” is the opening track to Caves’ overlooked Get On With It, which came out in late October. It’s a bold, stylish, and shimmering rock song, which pretty much sums up the band’s sound.

Here’s hoping Caves find some success, and then maybe someday each member can eventually afford to buy their own bed.

Caves perform at Holocene tonight, with Gejius, Da’rel Junior, and an all-night DJ set by Ohmega Watts.

Photo courtesy of Lauren Coleman.

I’m a bit obsessed with David Lynch. But I’m not alone in this. Plus the Northwest Film Center is getting in on the Lynch love with a weekend of America’s strangest innocent. They will be showing 1977’s Eraserhead (!!), 2006’s Inland Empire, and an interesting documentary about the man himself, Lynch (2007).

Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Audiorium
1219 SW Park
$7 a film

Eraserhead
Fri & Sat 9 pm; Sun 7:30 pm

Inland Empire
Sun 2 pm

Lynch
Fri & Sat 7 pm; Sun 5:30 pm

So I’ll see you there.

Check out what I had to say about Inland Empire when it first came out. And if you haven’t seen Eraserhead yet… what the fuck? Get on that. Read about Lynch, the documentary, after the jump.

Lynch
dir. blackANDwhite
Fri Jan 4-Sun Jan 6
NW Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium

Juxtaposing annoying homages to David Lynch's directorial style and thoroughly interesting interviews with Lynch himself, this 2007 documentary gives amazing insight into one of cinema's most interesting directors. Lynch shadows the cult filmmaker over the course of two years as he works on paintings, furniture, and most notably filming Inland Empire. And after having read a lot about Lynch through books, interviews, and fan sites, this doc does more to provide insight into his creative process (and his personality) than anything I've encountered.

Lynch comes off as a storyteller and a creative whirlwind, with a mind that is overflowing with bizarre images and snippets. However, he also comes off as a curmudgeon and a grump, yelling at the set crew and muttering to the camera, "Fucking morons everywhere." He is great with his actors and intolerent of ineptitude with his technical crew, which is a side of his personality that you won't see in prior interviews with him. Lynch in Lynch is a man who would rather add texture to the floor of a set or cut out holes in a set wall than let the crew carpenters do it. He is a perfectionist who improvises.

Lynch is also a man who loves to tell odd stories about dead bloated cows, while extolling the virtues of Transcendental Meditation. He is a mixed bag. In one particularily funny moment Lynch gathers his Inland Empire production crew and says, "You guys are charged with: When you finish mediation, write on a piece of paper three names [of] actors in their 40s who are leading men with an edge. Present them to me on our power walk." In other words, Lynch is insane, loveable, and a grump all rolled up into a creative tour de force, and Lynch gives fans a glimpse into his creepy, ant-filled head.

The documentary style itself actually detracts from Lynch as an onscreen presence. The subject matter is infinitely more engaging than director blackANDwhite's (ugh!) use of wipes, ambient sound, and split screens. When you're making a documentary about someone like Lynch, it's silly to think that your film school tricks will be the star. It's best to sit back and let Lynch do his thing.

Personally, I would rather find out about a good book through word-of-mouth than by readings some bestseller list. However, if you’re interested in picking up a new book by a Northwest author, you might check out one of the books chosen for the 2008 Pacific Northwest Book Awards. Out of 200 nominations from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska and Montana (since when was Montana considered part of the Pacific Northwest?), judges chose these six books:

Dancing With Rose: Finding Life in the Land of Alzheimer’s
by Lauren Kessler of Eugene, OR

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie of Seattle, WA

Returning To Earth
by Jim Harrison, of Paradise Valley, Montana

Tree of Smoke
by Denis Johnson of Northern Idaho

The God of Animals
by Aryn Kyle of Missoula, MT

Bad Monkeys
by Matt Ruff of Seattle, WA

-Jenny Furniss

Granny Panties Craft Bazaar is now accepting vendor applications for their Valentine’s event. It’s all going down at the Aalto Lounge on February 9 from 11 am to 4 pm. If you’re interested in selling your wares, be sure to get your application in soon, as the deadline is January 22 (and they’ve already filled some of the spaces). More info, including vendor application, can be found right here.

Once again, First Friday is upon us, meaning that stores up and down E Burnside will be open late—it’s the perfect payday waltz down a stretch of shops, restaurants, and bars. One of my favorites on this beat is Lille Boutique (1007 E Burnside), and this Friday you can get a peek at some of their new merchandise. Though clearly the focus here is lingerie, new items in from the Lake and Stars are actually outerwear: a classic trench coat and a romper with a blousy top to pair with pants or a skirt. Check ‘em below, but these things are always better to see in person.

See M.O.D. for more fashion events and more.

The inevitable has happened! According to People, late last night, Britney Spears was placed in a 72-hour mental evaluation lockdown, after locking herself in her L.A. home with one of her children, and refusing to give the kid back to Kevin Federline. (Though not the right way of going about it, one can hardly blame her.) Even worse? After talking her out, the police strapped her to a gurney!

A source tells PEOPLE it was the pop star’s court-appointed child monitor who called police. “She had already put Preston in the car when Britney locked herself in a room with Jayden,” says the source. “The cops came and got through the door and tied her down to a gurney.”

Spears, who according to police appeared to be “under the influence of an unknown substance,” was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where the source says she will be on a minimum of a 72-hour lock down for mental evaluation.

Life & Style is reporting that the hospital blood tests have come back negative for drugs and alcohol. Meanwhile, another source tells Us Magazine about the crazy scene outside the house…

“They had to strap her down like a mental patient and she was going between laughing and hysterics,” the source adds, calling it “a total psychotic breakdown. She just went crazy.”

A hospital source tells Usmagazine.com that Spears has been designated a “special needs” patient, meaning “they have either overdosed or tried to commit suicide. So we go stay with these patients and monitor them constantly. We watch them so they don’t hurt themselves and watch the people who come visit them to make sure they don’t pass anything to them.”

Currently, Britney remains under observation, and we’ll supply more updates later. Until then, all together now… “EEEEEEEK!”

One of my favorite movies is screening tonight at 11 at the Bagdad (3702 SE Hawthorne). It’s a benefit for the Trillium Parry Center for Children, and it’s 21+. Sure, admission’s $15, but the money goes somewhere good, at least—and c’mon, it’s totally worth it in order to see this on the big screen. Enjoy.

Iowa has spoken and the winners are … Huckabee and Obama! New Hampshire is now preparing for the avalanche of crazed politicians to hit their state.

An African-American Portlander is suing the Portland police after a car search resulted in a felony conviction. He claims that, because of the city’s track record, he was too afraid of being shot to stand up for his rights.

In Kenya, the opposition party calls for a presidential reelection after days of protests and bloody riots.

Astronomy nerds are excited about the reappearance of Comet Tuttle, which will be visible via binoculars for the next two weeks. To locate it, look for the yellowish dot in the sky. Right next to that star in the middle.

-Jenny Furniss

OBAMA: Doesn’t care what you think…

I’ve had people tell me over the last few months “America’s not ready for Barack Obama.” I’ve heard people, usually people who I consider “political,” say there’s no way he can win. But Obama isn’t political in the traditional sense. His campaign has captured young people. It’s got people who’d given up on politics making donations. Mark my words: he is unbeatable. Here’s the email he sent me last night. The subject line was “turn on your television”:

Matthew —

We just won Iowa, and I’m about to head down to talk to everyone.

Democrats turned out in record numbers tonight, and independents and even some Republicans joined our party to stand together for change.

Thank you for everything you’ve done to make this possible.

Barack

You’re welcome, mate—you’ll notice we’re on first name terms. I can just imagine the Oregonian’s editorial board grimacing as the results came in, thinking: “Shit. And we wanted to endorse Mitt Romney.” What a beautiful, beautiful day it is.

Earlier today, we asked city council candidates what Portland’s most pressing problem is—and we also turned Mercury videographer Travis Huntington loose on the streets, to ask people the same thing.

One guy noted “Erik Sten just quit” as Portland’s biggest problem. (My favorite: “All of the microbrews taste the same.”)

Speaking of Sten, Travis also asked people for their thoughts on yesterday’s announcement, that he’ll be leaving the council in April.

I can hardly think of a better way to kick off the first Thursday of the new year than with a free show by the always excellent Portland Cello Project, whose many-stringed eclectica will tonight be supplemented by Nick Jaina (who put on a helluva show with the Builders and the Butchers recently) and John Weinland.

Tonight, Armory Building, 128 NW 11th, 5-7:30 pm

The picture above was yanked from Portland Center Stage’s blog, where you’ll also find behind-the-scenes musings on PCS’ upcoming productions of Twelfth Night and The Beard of Avon

It took a few days, but it now finally seems like the ‘08 live shows are starting to roll on in. Tonight is a mix of Portland’s best, the always excellent Boy Eats Drum Machine, and Seattle’s finest, Siberian.

Notice how I avoided saying “Seattle’s Best”?
That coffee is terrible.

Anyway, here’s our take on tonight’s show.

BOY EATS DRUM MACHINE, SIBERIAN, DAY OF LIONS (Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Boy Eats Drum Machine has become one of Portland’s favorite local acts, and for very good reason. Frontman Jon Ragel brings impressive turntable skills to a live band setting in a way that never sounds forced, gimmicky, or like those nü-metal DJs. His soulful, steady vocals weave in and out of the evolving, fluid arrangements, while the monolithic pounding of drummer Peter Swenson firmly nails every song to the ground. Their energetic live show guarantees that more than just the members of the band will be bathed in sweat by night’s end. Sharing the bill is Seattle’s Siberian, who play a frosty, guitar-driven style of rock that is both emotional and tuneful. They also have one of the best song titles of all time, “Belgian Beer and Catholic Girls,” which in five simple words sums up the entirety of my own personal understanding of the human experience. NED LANNAMANN

MP3:
Siberian - Belgian Beer and Catholic Girls

Siberian photo courtesy of Kyle Johnson.

After a weeklong holiday hiatus, we’re back with the third question to the many city council candidates.

In your opinion, what is Portland’s most pressing problem? If elected, what would you do about it?

Candidates got the question a week ago, and had until this morning to respond. Got an idea for a future question? Put it in the comments, or email me.

Howard Weiner, the most recent entrant into the race for the open seat Sam Adams is vacating, was the first to answer this week’s question—he’s up first, followed by his opponents, then those running for the seat where Randy Leonard is the incumbent.

The shorthand version: The gap between the haves and the have-nots was tagged as Portland’s biggest problem by several candidates. Others mentioned public safety, the need to create family wage jobs, and “the twin threats of Peak Oil and Global Warming.”

And stay tuned to Blogtown for a Mercury video—we asked folks on the street what they think is Portland’s most pressing problem.

Howard Weiner
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: howardforportland.com
Public financing status: Close to 200 signatures & contributions, according to his blog on 12/27

Ensuring public safety is the most important job of local government. My work in Old Town/Chinatown has taught me that public safety is not just the job of the police.

It takes active local business owners, capable social service providers and engaged residents to make a neighborhood safe.

Funding innovative partnerships between the police, local businesses, social services and neighborhood residents could improve public safety in neighborhoods throughout the city.

We also need to work closer with the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on funding drug and alcohol recovery programs. Over eighty percent of folks in the Multnomah County Jail are drug addicts; we can’t keep sending them through a revolving door.

We need to fund our priorities first and a safe community is the number one priority for all Portlanders.

Chris Smith
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: citizensmith.us
Public financing status: About 650 signatures & contributions, he says

Think globally, act locally. The most pressing problems facing Portland are the same as those facing global society: the twin threats of Peak Oil and Global Warming. This generation of leadership will either address these challenges effectively or all successive generations will suffer for our failure.

While cities cannot solve the problem alone, all solutions involve the critical participation of cities, and Portland has the opportunity to lead the way. About one-third of carbon footprint is from transportation, and another third is from buildings, and cities have tremendous influence over both transportation and buildings. Portland is ahead of most cities, holding greenhouse gas levels to approximately 1990 levels, but we must do much more.

The key will be to use the influx of 300,000 new residents in the next 20 years to help shape the city in a more sustainable pattern. By focusing housing for these new neighbors in corridors well served by transit, we have the opportunity not only to house these folks in a more sustainable pattern, but to provide employment and services in new clusters that will help reduce miles driven for many of us who are already here – either by helping support new transportation choices, or by locating the things we visit daily much closer to our homes.

Indeed, as Portland proves out these solutions, we have the opportunity to prosper by selling the knowledge and products involved to other cities around the country and the world. Sustainability will be a major industry cluster for Portland and our region. We can already see the seeds of this in the efforts to establish local manufacturing of Streetcar vehicles.

I’ve worked on these issues at the neighborhood, city and regional scales and have the policy knowledge and skills to help make this pattern of development happen.

Charles Lewis
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: charleslewis.com
Public financing status: About 800 signatures & contributions

[Charles responded with a video. -Eds.]

Amanda Fritz
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: amandafritzforcitycouncil.com
Public financing status: Turned in 1,000 signatures & contributions last week

For many Portlanders, the benefits of living here far outweigh the problems. Our city's natural beauty, progressive outlook, and friendly neighbors make it easy to overlook the rising material and social costs of living here. The real wealth of Portland is in all that we do together, for each other and with each other. Portlanders see daily evidence of a caring community. That shared value tends to make us disregard some of our problems, but they are no less real.

The most pressing issue is the gap between people who are doing well, and those who are not. This is the result of lack of prioritization of attention and funding to address inequities that cause many of our problems. Portland's shortage of affordable housing, insufficient jobs with good benefits, lingering social prejudices, and localized criminal activity all result from allocation of resources in patterns that benefit the few at the expense of the rest.

If elected, I will make decisions that prioritize giving more choices to people who currently have fewer options. I will focus on providing core urban services in all neighborhoods, before building even more improvements in areas that already have them. I will work to protect and promote good jobs, for example keeping industrial/employment zoning in the Central Eastside, and pressing for fair employment practices in all corporations doing business with the City. I will seek to preserve affordable single family homes during rezoning projects -- as I did during the St. Johns/Lombard plan while I was on the Planning Commission. I will advocate for preferential awarding of City contracts to companies offering health care insurance to all their employees.

Everyone should share in our city's benefits and amenities. We will improve the city as a whole, by focusing on neglected areas and providing basic levels of infrastructure, safety, and services to all neighborhoods and all citizens.

I have posted further thoughts on this topic on my blog, at http://amandafritzforcitycouncil.com/node/71. I am looking forward to hearing more from Portlanders about problems and solutions, in discussions at houseparties all over the city. Please contact me via my campaign web site if you would like to host or participate in one.

Jeff Bissonnette
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: portlandersforjeff.com
Public financing status: 439 signatures & contributions according to 12/26 ORESTAR data

Portland is a great city in which to live and work. However, there are many challenges facing us as Portlanders: expected population increases over the next few decades, neighborhood gentrification, housing affordability, balancing development investment in downtown and outer neighborhoods, just to name a few.

But the main issue that must be addressed is the need to create family wage jobs as well as opportunities for Portlanders to start, grow and sustain locally-owned businesses.

In order for Portland to sustain its quality of life, we will need to maintain a vibrant economic base. More and more in recent years, Portlanders are forced to seek work in outlying areas of the metro region in order to afford the cost of living within the city. This is not acceptable.

Additionally, Portland has a perception of being "bad for business." I do not believe the perception is fully deserved but it exists nonetheless. There are also some who perceive that Portland's efforts to pursue improved environmental sustainability must automatically be at odds to economic sustainability. That is a false dichotomy. Both perceptions are unfortunate and need to addressed as part of our effort to create jobs and business opportunities.

To create family wage jobs, enhance Portlanders' ability to start and grow locally-owned businesses, reduce the perception that Portland is "bad for business" and counter the belief that the environment and the economy are at odds, I will pursue initiatives that include:

• supporting and expanding existing microloan programs such as those managed by Mercy Corps, Cascadia Revolving Fund and the Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs to provide start-up capital to new businesses;

• working with local community colleges, labor apprenticeship programs and other training programs to ensure a well-trained "green collar" workforce to meet the coming need for workers in the energy efficiency industry, solar industry, wind industry and green building industry;

• reducing bureaucratic obstacles by providing expedited permitting and similar benefits for businesses that are pursuing environmental enhancement initiatives or that are working to include environmental design in their practices or processes while also demonstrating a commitment to their employees by providing jobs that pay a living wage with benefits; and

• creating an active, ongoing working group made up of the Small Business Advisory Council, other individual business owners, labor representatives and others to identify ways the City can be a partner to existing businesses, support new business start-ups in Portland and encourage business relocations to Portland.

Portland's economy can be healthy, diverse and environmentally conscious so that it provides adequate resources to residents, helping them maintain a high quality of life. Portland also plays a key role as an economic engine for the greater metropolitan region as well as the state as a whole. It is therefore imperative for the city council to focus on improving and maintaining a strong economic climate while still maintaining our core social and environmental values. That will be a key focus for me as a city commissioner.

John Branam
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: john4pdx.org
Public financing status: 804 signatures & contributions as of today, he says

The most pressing problem facing Portland today is the growing number of residents who are struggling to make ends meet. This problem is not unique to Portland. But over the past several years, housing prices and cost-of-living expenses here have skyrocketed and the increasing dichotomy of wealth is leaving many people out in the cold.

It is a problem when some Portlanders pay $600 per square foot to buy a condo in the Pearl, while thousands of others struggle to afford $600 per month in rent. Or, consider that Portland is known for its “food revolution,” with locally grown organic foods and wonderfully inventive restaurants; yet we also live in one of the “hungriest” regions in the nation, with nearly one out of three children going to bed each night after missing at least one meal during the day.

To meet this pressing problem I will pursue four primary objectives. First, I will help lead Portland with a collaborative and visionary leadership style that invites innovative ideas from all, while encouraging us to consider best practices from around the world.

Second, I will cultivate public-private partnerships with leading non-profits so that we can do together what the City of Portland cannot do alone. Our city is fortunate to have dozens of strong non-profits. On Martin Luther King Day, I am volunteering with Hands on Portland to help renovate office space for The Black Parent Initiative, a group that mobilizes parents to closes the educational gap between races. This is a simple example, but to best help understand the city’s challenges it is important that our leaders are intimately familiar with various organizations and efforts.

Third, I will work with existing city leadership to strongly support sustainable economic development initiatives that will offer more Portlanders living-wage jobs.

And, fourth, I will champion the development of meaningful, well-articulated, and forward-thinking partnerships with our school districts, community colleges and universities, to help ensure Portland’s children of today are prepared to be Portland’s leaders of tomorrow. This final initiative is critical. In the long-term the degree to which many of Portland’s children struggle to achieve will translate, with an exponential factor, to the degree to which we are challenged as a city, ten, twenty, and thirty years from now. As tomorrow’s challenges arrive daily we will need all hands on deck with the creative and innovative solutions on the forefront of their minds.

*****

Randy Leonard
Position sought: Commissioner #4
Website: randyforportland.com
Public financing status: Not participating in program

Portland’s most pressing problem, in my opinion, is the widening economic gap between working class Portlanders and the wealthy of our city, state and nation.

As housing has become too expensive for working families within the inner city of Portland, especially single parent families, more and more families are moving to east Portland and into Gresham. Unfortunately, as neighborhoods east of Southeast 82nd grapple with demographic changes—changes driven by economics—they are also experiencing dramatic increases in gang activity and crime.

If re-elected, I would expand the successful program I initiated in the inner city to force irresponsible landlords to provide safe and decent housing for those who cannot afford the cost of housing in most neighborhoods west of 82nd Avenue. I would also expand the effort I initiated in Old Town to focus the police and building and fire code enforcement on those businesses in east Portland that allow criminal activity in and around their premises.

I will continue my efforts to create family wage jobs, which includes retirement and health care benefits, for working class Portlanders.

Finally, I will continue to support Commissioner Erik Sten’s outstanding initiative to use urban renewal dollars from wealthy downtown urban renewal areas to help improve the infrastructure in east Portland, including expanding efforts to assist first time home buyers to purchase their own homes. Additionally, I would also continue to enthusiastically support Commissioner Sten’s plan to assist the David Douglas school district to build a new school using those same urban renewal dollars from wealthy downtown urban renewal areas.

Ed Kill
Position sought: Commissioner #4
Website: none
Public financing status: Not participating in program

I would say the biggest problem facing Portland is lack of foresight. The population of the city is going to grow and grow in the coming years. We don’t seem to be able to fix the problems of a city this size how can we fix the problems of a city that size ?

The state just outlawed party-line sewage lines, this effects thousands of Portland homeowners.

When the sewage lines were built, a main line was not installed down the road in front of everyone’s property the way it’s done now. This was due to a lack of foresight.
Now the state and city expect these individuals to pay for public works, I thought that public works were paid for by the public not by individuals. These people pay a water/sewage bill every three months and should have the same services that all customers have and that includes a main line.

Should these individuals have to pay anything, because of someone’s lack of foresight ?

Since this State law has greatly devalued their property the homeowners should put in measure 37 claims and get the Sate to pay, for the law that it passed. Wasn’t that the moral principal behind measure 37?

As for the City, a law should be passed making it illegal for individuals to pay individually for public works.

Emily S. Ryan
Position sought: Commissioner #4
Website: emilysryan.com
Public financing status: Less than 100 signatures & contributions

Did not respond by the deadline. -Eds.

Sometimes here at Merc HQ we play pranks on each other. We pepper spray Matt Davis in the eyes, or there was that one time Wm. Steven Humphrey lit an intern on fire while we just laughed and laughed. But this morning Erik Henriksen played the cruelest of all pranks, he signed me up for the Val Kilmer Street Team.

But instead of poisoning his coffee or putting this sticker on his car, I have decided to fully embraced his prank.

I am now an official member of the Val Kilmer Street Team!
And let me tell you, it feels incredible. I suddenly feel powerful, it’s sort of how I imagine God would feel if he was a cop or something.

Not sure what I do now, seeing as this is my first street team I have ever joined, but how about I tell you more about Val’s music? Yes, music! The onetime star of Real Genius has a record available online, which you can listen to here, and buy right here. Man, that is some good street teaming.

Oh, thanks to Val’s HTML skills, here is a banner.

Check out Val Kilmer’s Music Myspace!

Val Kilmer Street Team, wooooo!

First, here’s Annie Leibovitz’s photo of Cate Blanchett, playing the eeeeevil Commie who’ll be facing off against Indiana Jones this summer.

Second:

A lot has changed since the last Indiana Jones movie. For one thing, Spielberg, known in the 70s and early 80s as a director of hugely popular but lightweight pictures, brought his famously fluid camerawork to the darker Schindler’s List (1993), Amistad (1997), and Saving Private Ryan (1998). With Artificial Intelligence: A.I. (2001), Minority Report (2002), and War of the Worlds (2005), he made science fiction that hit harder than E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) or Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). At the same time, action movies went through a major evolution. A bald monk flew. So did Keanu. Jackie Chan chopped necks while moving like Astaire. Travolta wiped blood off a windshield. Spidey killed baddies between bouts of emo-boy angst. Batman got the Christian Bale treatment (thin, dark, intense), and a computer-generated Yoda battled Palpatine. Jason Bourne crunched the bones of his pursuers in films that came out great despite looking as if they had been edited in a Cuisinart. In this atmosphere, can Indy compete?

Rather than update the franchise to match current styles, Lucas and Spielberg decided to stay true to the prior films’ look, tone, and pace. During pre-production, Spielberg watched the first three Indiana Jones movies at an Amblin screening room with Janusz Kaminski, who has shot the director’s last 10 films. He replaces Douglas Slocombe, who shot the first three Indy movies (and is now retired at age 94), as the man mainly responsible for the film’s look. “I needed to show them to Janusz,” Spielberg says, “because I didn’t want Janusz to modernize and bring us into the 21st century. I still wanted the film to have a lighting style not dissimilar to the work Doug Slocombe had achieved, which meant that both Janusz and I had to swallow our pride. Janusz had to approximate another cinematographer’s look, and I had to approximate this younger director’s look that I thought I had moved away from after almost two decades.”

All this stuff’s from Vanity Fair’s new cover story, a pretty great article (written by Jim Windolf, photgraphed by Leibovitz) about the making of the new Indiana Jones, which boasts some solid, insightful interviews with both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. (There are also online Q & As with Spielberg and Lucas.)

I am, shall we say, a little bit excited about this one.

Submitted for your approval: Your new catchphrase for 2008. (And if you need proof as to how well it works, check out this “Hey. Well excuuuuse ME, Princess!” compilation from the classic 1989 cartoon The Legend of Zelda.)

Yay.

Nay.

More bearded Dave action here.

I am no fan of celebrity “designers”—at best I think it’s a tackily transparent window into people’s desperation to emulate Hollywood and pop stars, and at worst I think it does a disservice to the actual designers and makers who deserve respect for learning and practice of real skills. Would you want J.Lo to “design” your next angioplasty? I bet some people would.

Anyhow, that being said, the forthcoming collaboration between Natalie Portman and Té Casan is noteworthy because it is vegan. Given how difficult it is to find hot vegan shoes that aren’t cheap (and/or cheap-looking) (Stella McCartney’s designs being the most obvious exception), anytime there’s a half-decent new line of vegan shoes on the market, people need to know. Pre-ordering of the line starts on the 15th of this month—until then, all we can peep at are the red MJ heels Portman sports on the site.

Go to M.O.D. for more fashion from near and far.

The new Helio Sequence album is fantastic.

There, I said it.

You see, despite their dynamic live show and a catalog of solid release, I’ve never been much of a fan. Yeah yeah, I know they are truly a great band and all, but to be honest, I usually clock out after a few of their songs, and doubt I’ve ever made it through an entire record of theirs in one sitting. Sorry.

But those days are over. Due out on the 29th of this month, the songs on Keep Your Eyes Ahead feel ambitious and grand, a collection of expertly-assembled rock songs with bombastic hooks but none of the guilt that comes with listening to something so decadent.

While there is not a CD release show scheduled, the band’s publicist promises a “big throw down in Portland for the end of their tour.” I hope they don’t mean this Throwdown.

MP3:
Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead

Yesterday, Basic Rights Oregon, Jeana Frazzini (BRO’s executive director) and two pregnant lesbians in committed relationships filed to intervene in the federal lawsuit over domestic partnerships. The judge had two weeks to decide whether to allow them to become a party to the case. He didn’t waste any time. This just in, from BRO spokesperson Karynn Fish:

On Wednesday, attorneys for Basic Rights Oregon filed a motion to intervene in the Lemons v. Bradbury lawsuit. This morning, we learned the the judge has granted our motion. Basic Rights Oregon will now have standing in the case, enabling us to ensure that the voices of hundreds of families and committed couples are heard before the court.

The case has now broadened, from one that was technical and focused on election procedures, to one that’ll touch on the importance of domestic partnerships to so many couples around the state.

Hey Portland, still angry you didn’t get into that sold-out Jens Lekman show back in November? Hey, I don’t blame you.

But chill the fuck out and just watch this soothing clip of the adorable Lekman giving a private performance at the Someday Lounge. It was filmed by someone named “One shot Seattle” and posted by the kind folks at La Blogothèque. Enjoy!

See? All better now.

Meet Batter Blaster, the pancake in a can:

Not only is Batter Blaster organic, but according to its website, it’s available at several stores in the Portland area.

Batter Blaster: One of the many things we can look back on as having done well in this crazy world.

Iowa caucuses begin tonight at 6pm! Can you feel the electricity? CAN YOU?? Me neither.

Letterman, Leno and other late night hosts return to TV after a writers’ strike imposed hiatus. Turns out we didn’t miss much.

Scarlett Johansson stumps for Barack Obama in Iowa! (Dear Scarlett: I really don’t mind you being political and all—but while doing it, could you please not look like my mom? Thanks.)

An Arizona beauty queen is charged with kidnapping her former boyfriend at gunpoint. Okay, baby… I guess I’ll give you one more chance.

Everybody run! The beauty queen’s got a gun!

Today’s the big day in Iowa, when those corn farmers get to fire the first shot in the presidential election. Will they go with Edwards, Obama, or Clinton? Find out tonight at Venue (2808 NE MLK), where the folks behind Progressive Happy Hour plan to tune one of the big screens to the caucus returns, which start rolling in at 6 pm. But show up at 5:30, grab a pint, and start arguing over who you think came out on top in Iowa.

(Want more Election ‘08 news and gossip, from local races on up? Head to portlandmercury.com/2008)

There may be two open seats at city hall now, but County Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey isn’t going to run for either one of them.

I’m camped out on the concrete floor of the Q Center, waiting for Basic Rights Oregon director Jeana Frazzini to hop on an overturned stockpot (she’s short) to address the packed room. The center’s pretty big, and the crowd is spilling out into the rainy street—there are easily several hundred people here who are outraged that a federal judge postponed implementation of Oregon’s domestic partnership law.

Today, Basic Rights Oregon, Frazzini, and two pregnant lesbians in committed relationships filed to become interveners in the suit. The judge has two weeks to decide whether or not they can be part of the case, which would broaden it from a technical battle over election procedures to a case about civil rights.

More to follow…

5:50 pm — Kendall Clawson, executive director of the Q Center, is welcoming the crowd. “It’s been very bizarre for Michelle and I, because we are married in Massachusetts. We moved to Oregon thinking this was an easy one, it’s going to happen.”

The judge’s decision is “discouraging,” but it’s not going to stop us. “I’m thinking about all these people who are out here, mysterious, unbeknownst to us, they don’t know us, they don’t know me, Kendall, they don’t know the people standing around us… Let these people know that we’re not anonymous people. We’re people with children, partners, spouses, parents…. Every person who’s in here has a name, we’re not invisible people.”

She’s asked everyone to light their candles from their friends and family members’ candles—shortly, everyone’s candle was lit.

Now Jeana’s up, on the soup pot. “I’ve stood on a lot of soapboxes, but never a kettle.”

“I don’t know if there are words to describe the feeling of sitting in that courtroom last week… it was like a kick in the gut. It was like the day my son’s birth certificate arrived in the mail with my name crossed off of it. It was like the day we received our checks back from Multnomah County. It was like the day Measure 36 passed.”

“But I’ll be damned if I’m going to let this court decision stop me. This one decision is not going to knock us off our feet.”

“Not another day when right wing groups come into this state and try to tell us what we can and cannot do. Not another day. We are way too strong for that.”

And don’t forget, she reminded the crowd

“We have not lost our domestic partnership law.” BRO will fight. They intervened. “This gives us a seat at the table to join the state in defending this law. We will speak for ourselves, our voices will be heard in this process. And you can depend on Basic Rights Oregon to be there every step of the way.”

“They failed. They failed to put their hateful referendums on the ballot… so it’s not surprising they filed this lawsuit. It’s a last ditch effort to change the rules.”

“We know that we will ultimately win, and that fairness and equality with prevail in Oregon… the court got it wrong. The opposition can’t change the rules just because they don’t like the outcome. And it’s completely wrong to say this won’t hurt anyone.”

“So many of us were counting on having the basic recognition that domestic partnerships provide. Tonight is about getting our stories told.” The stories of parents without legal recognition of their children, of partners denied access to hospital rooms.

She’s calling on people to share their disappointment with everyone, and tell people how this impacts their lives.

“Winning against prejudice wins at the level of the heart, and we have a lot of heart… And we have to reach out to all of our straight supporters, because this is an assault on everyone who believes in fairness.”

She says there will be a rally across from the federal courthouse on January 30—”so we can be counted,” she says.

More after the cut, from electeds like Tina Kotek, Jeff Merkley, and Jeff Cogen.

Speaker of the Oregon House, Jeff Merkley just hopped up on the soup pot. "I thought I'd stand a little taller. This is a time when we need to stand taller, we need to stand visibly, we need to stand together."

Since HB 2007 and SB2 passed, he says he's been telling everyone how excited he is for 2008 when the laws take effect. "It's a brutal blow that we can celebrate only half of that," though he's excited that we can celebrate non-discrimination.

"We have hit a road block, we have hit a road block on domestic partnerships that we are going to solve," Merkley says. "We have been shoulder to shoulder on this for decades, and we are this close."

He says it's been an honor to be a part of this movement, and will be a greater honor when domestic partnerships happen.

Senate President Peter Courtney and senator Kate Brown are up—Brown hopped up on the pot, and Courtney says he stands tall by standing with her. "I feel a whole lot taller tonight" because of Brown's work for equality.

He says he "was stunned" when he heard Friday's news and had to change the comments he'd already prepared for what was supposed to be a celebration of domestic partnerships tonight.

He's quoting Amazing Grace:

Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.

"My fellow Oregonians," Courtney says. "Keep the faith."

Representative Tina Kotek's up. "Thank you for being here tonight. It's really important for us to get together, to gain strength together."

"What happened last Friday affects all of us, every Oregonian who values respect and fairness." She was shocked when she heard the news, and immediately called her partner. Then she thought "which building do you want me to picket at tomorrow?"

"We all know this is an ongoing struggle. But I remain optimistic that this is only a temporary setback. I have no doubt that we will win on February 1. We won in Salem and we're going to win in court."

"And something really wonderful happened yesterday. It's illegal in this state to fire anyone because they're lesbian, gay, bi or trans... It's illegal to deny someone housing because of their sexual orientation," or to refuse to serve them in a restaurant or hotel, a "tremendous victory [and] irrefutable evidence" that we can win. "And now's our opportunity to do it one more time."

City Commissioner Sam Adams is up—and he's recognizing Mayor Tom Potter, "an early supporter" of LGBT issues. There's a "sense of weariness and despair" because the fight's been so long. But we need to keep fighting, for those who've fought before and "for the generation that has yet to come."

"We need to make sure it's not done in silence. We're going to raise a ruckus and let Portland and Oregon hear from us."

Emcee Alisa Simmons of Brother to Brother is noticing that plenty of "heros" are sneaking in, like Terry Bean.

County Commissioner Jeff Cogen's at the podium. "I was ready to celebrate tonight. And when I heard tonight's celebration was delayed, I was angry and depressed." But now he's "fired up," because of everyone who's here and what everyone's saying. "We have to keep the context. This is a delay, this is a slight glitch in the road toward freedom and equality. Oregonians believe in a fair and just society, we believe in rights for all. Everyone deserves basic equalities."

"We're not going to let out of state anti-family special interest groups" keep us from winning.

"In addition to being a politician, I'm a lawyer," he admitted, who can attest to how expensive it is to consult the best legal minds. He wants everyone to open their wallets. He's asking people to raise their hands if they'll contribute. Volunteers are passing out envelopes "that will give you an opportunity to turn your outrage into action."

Tina Kotek is giving $1000, he notes. "Collectively we can raise thousands of dollars tonight. Think about what you can afford, and then double it. This is the lawsuit. There isn't going to be a make up lawsuit."

"Freedom doesn't come cheap, and it doesn't come with just rhetoric," he concludes. (But hey, Jeff—nice fundraising rhetoric!)

And now we've got Glenn Goodfellow on the piano providing entertainment—because "it wouldn't be a queer event without entertainment," Simmons noted.

Now the mic's open to anyone to come up and explain why domestic partnerships are important to them.

Ted Wheeler's up, but a train outside is interrupting him. "It startles me that in 2008 we're still having this debate in the United States and in Oregon," whether people should be entitled to visit each other in the hospital or file a joint tax return.

As for those out of state interests? "We're going to send the bastards home empty handed," Wheeler says.

A lesbian couple hopped up—one is pregnant, expecting this month. Her partner is disappointed that she won't be recognized as a parent when the baby is born.

Tom Potter grabbed the mic. "We have right on our side. This is a morally right thing to do for our state, for our city, for our country."

"Honey, history, you can read it in two pages in a minute. But it takes a lifetime to live it," he says he told his gay daughter when Measure 36 passed. And we'll make history happen. "Keep up the good fight, and we will prevail."

Kathy and Lilah, partners of 21 years. "Until we have the right to have our relationships recognized, it won't feel like full equality to me," says Lilah, regardless of the non-discrimination law. She's concerned about being able to live in a retirement home with her partner someday.

Sylvia is here lighting a candle for her brother Juan and his partner Byron—who've been together for 12 years, and deserve the same rights as her husband and she does.

State Rep Diane Rosenbaum says the days the two bills passed were the proudest days for her as a legislator.

K.D. Waltner is Adidas’ Global Design Director for Running Apparel, but when he’s not making the big bucks designing gear for the world’s top athletes, he has his own line of bags. This Friday, in a First Friday exhibition at Tilde (7919 SE 13th, 6-9 pm) he will be showing 12 custom versions of the Trapez (German for “trapeze”), each hand painted by Waltner in his basement. Underscoring the functional art aspect of the product, the store will be exhibiting the bags as visual art pieces mounted on the walls, though I think if you wanted to take one home and fill it with stuff that could probably be arranged—the Trapez comes in three different sizes, depending on whether you need a laptop, and if so, what size. Here is #1 of 12:

So that headline is a lie! Apologies. But yeah: To be honest, I kind of hate “best of” lists. Usually I think they’re just kind of arbitrary and redundant and self-aggrandizing.

That said, I couldn’t take two steps over Xmas w/o someone asking me what I thought the best movies of 2007 were, so I figured I should at least throw together a quick list of the films I enjoyed the most over the past year. These aren’t the best, mind you—they’re just the ones that I had the most interesting experiences watching, thinking about, and discussing. Which, at the end of the day, is all that really matters.

I’m probably leaving a few off of here, and I know a few of these aren’t that popular, but still, here they are, in no particular order. By all means, chime in with your thoughts and favorites; film is utterly useless if you can’t talk about it.

• No Country for Old Men — The Coens’ masterful adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s killer book has gotten a whole lot of hype, and deserves all of it.

• Zodiac –- I liked this one way more than I thought I would. Director David Fincher is hit and miss, but there are a ton of really great moments in here, and the whole film’s so precisely and creepily put together that it ended up sticking with me for days after I saw it.

• Superbad — I fully expect to recant this when the people who won’t stop quoting McLovin become as pervasive as those fucking Napoleon Dynamite and Austin Powers people.

• Southland Tales — Heh. This masturbatory sci-fi art musical existential comedy is a mess, true, and god, how people love to hate it—but everything it got raked over the coals for also made it fascinating to experience and argue about. It will likely never be spoken of again.

• Kurt Cobain About a Son — Simple and visceral.

• Darkon — Nerds with too much time on their hands! And they’ve got Nerf weaponry!

• The TV Set — Judd Apatow & Co.’s skewering of the television industry is dark and mean and funny, and clearly the byproduct of Freaks and Geeks’ premature cancellation. Kind of required viewing for anyone who watches TV.

• Blade Runner: The Final Cut — Is it fair for a movie from 1982 to be my favorite movie of 2007? Probably not, but who gives a shit. Gorgeously restored and finally presented how director Ridley Scott intended it to be seen (no, seriously, finally, this is it, end of discussion, period), Blade Runner is still one of the most astounding films ever made. (This thing also gets my vote for DVD of the year, largely thanks to one of its special features—Dangerous Days, the fascinating 3 1/2 hour [!] documentary on the making of the film.)

Hit the jump for some honorable mentions.

Other movies I really enjoyed this year, but weren't my favorites:

• The Host -- A solid, smart monster flick. I wish there were more movies like this.
• Grindhouse -- Watching Tarantino and Rodriguez get each other off might not be the apex of their cinematic achievements, but anyone who doesn't get a goofy thrill out of this thing is no one I want to hang out with.
• Hot Fuzz -- A worthy follow up to Shaun of the Dead, which is saying quite a bit.
• Ratatouille -- Pixar's best yet, which is saying quite a bit.
• King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters -- Along with Darkon, this is one of the nerdiest (and most engaging) docs of the year.
• Shoot ’Em Up -- What Live Free or Die Hard should have been.
• Michael Clayton -- Can George Clooney do any wrong? Ah, yeah. But otherwise? Anything?
• Sunshine -- A scary, pretty, and (mostly) clever sci-fi thriller.
• The Good German -- Can Steven Soderbergh do any wrong? I mean, if we're going to get grumpy, sure, Ocean's 12, maybe, but c'mon.
• Black Snake Moan -- A lot of people had some pretty legit issues with this one, just as a lot of people had some pretty legit issues with Craig Brewer's previous film, Hustle & Flow. Still, Brewer's stuff is excellently put together and totally captivating; like it or not, dude's making films like no one else right now.
• The Wind That Shakes the Barley -- Nothing fancy or shocking, but it's about as rock-solid as historical dramas get.

I'm guessing once I see There Will Be Blood, that'll be on there too, and and I suppose I should mention I'm Not There, just because it was easily one of the films that I (and everybody else) talked about a whole lot--but yeah, haven't seen it yet, and didn't like as much as I was supposed to, respectively. And it feels weird not to mention Knocked Up and Rescue Dawn. Anyway, that's enough out of me: What'd I miss?

Thanks to Food Dude for pointing out Sarah Hepola’s recent Salon piece about absinthe:

Absinthe is legal in the United States for the first time since 1912, the year it was banned in America…

So let’s clear up a few misconceptions. Absinthe does not make you hallucinate. It is not wildly addictive. It will not cause you to lop off your ear, unless (possibly, on the off-chance) you are a deeply disturbed painter racked by poverty, heartbreak and mental illness.

Absinthe’s story proves how powerful a story can be even if it isn’t true. There are razor blades in the Halloween apples! Someone could steal your kidneys and leave you in a bathtub of ice! And you could start out the evening with a nice cocktail and end it in a mental institution, stark raving maaaaad.

As a poppy little primer on how absinthe gained a reputation disproportionate to its actual properties, it’s a good read, if not exactly ground-breaking (anyone who hasn’t picked up on absinthe’s revival as the spirit snob’s* drink du jour obviously hasn’t been reading the New York Times). I wish, though, that she had devoted a few more lines to explaining absinthe’s “legalization,” as it’s fairly confusing. Absinthe was illegal thanks to its thujone content (thujone being the chemical found in wormwood believed to have hallucinogenic properties); no beverage that contained more than 10 ppm of thujone could be sold. As I understand it, all that’s changed is that distributors realized that the margin of error when testing for thujone is such that many European absinthes, which contain the chemical in low amounts, can now be sold stateside. According to the Wormwood Society, no regulations have actually changed, though the Salon piece tells us a ban has been lifted. But either way, I did learn one thing from the article: Marilyn Manson has a line of absinthe called Mansinth. Of course he does.

*In the same entry, Mr. Food Dude talks a little trash about the term “foodie.” I’m right there with him in disliking the word, although for different reasons. The term for me suggests not someone who loves food (or loves staying abreast of the latest fads, as the Dude sees it), but someone who takes pride in their own pickiness, in being hard to please. Spoiled grownups who are way too interested in what goes on inside their own mouths. Which is fine, gotta have a hobby, but I don’t want to have dinner with you. Anyway, I need a similar term for someone who gets insufferable about what beverages they consume… any ideas?

A few candidates have responded to my question of whether Sten’s announcement changes anything for their campaign. Amanda Fritz sent a detailed response that I’m breaking out on its own—she has good insight on how this might impact the public financing program.

I am disappointed both that Erik is resigning, and with the timing of his departure. Erik has done many great things for Portland, and his skills and thoughtful leadership will be difficult to replace.

There is no process in the Code for seeking Public Campaign Financing for a mid-term election. For two years, I have been asking for a timeline and target number of donations in a Special Election. At this point, in the context of a real vacancy, I hope the Citizens Campaign Commission proceeds with caution. Public Campaign Financing is intended to help level the playing field, rather than being set up to support particular candidates in one election. It is very unfortunate that Erik’s resignation in April means that either a traditionally-funded candidate will take over his seat, or the program has to be amended in a hurry-up process to create a timeline, donations target, and budget.

Candidates in the Public Campaign Finance program are not allowed to change which seat we are running for during the qualification process or after certification, so this announcement does not double our chances of being elected as some have suggested. It does increase the chances of candidates who qualify for public financing, but only in that name-brand, traditionally-funded career politicians now have two open seats to choose from. Obviously, if most or all of the famous people go f