After going to a previous Bodyvox show because the Zoobombers happened to be performing in it with Gus Van Sant, I was surprised at how accessible the rest of the night’s dancing was, and excited to hear about the company’s latest effort: Horizontal Leanings, which is showing until Sunday night at the Newmark Theater on Broadway (tickets from $12).

BODYVOX: Agh! There’s a woman in the red sheet…

I was enjoying last night’s premier performance a lot, until I bumped into Stephen Marc Beaudoin from Just Out at the intermission, and he said he was finding it hard to enjoy, because for him, there was just “nothing there.” Still, Beaudoin just endorsed Nick Fish for city council over Jim Middaugh. So I’m not fully trusting his judgment. The show tonight got me thinking in new ways about romance, work, sheep, and raving. Each of those issues, and a few more I couldn’t quite decipher, were covered in a series of dance sketches, interspersed with video (which I could have done with less of…how many more edgily-edited video montages does the world need? none…) and accompanied by a live orchestra called Third Angle (which I could have done with more of…especially the cello and brass sections…).

The dancing was striking for its emotional openness: There was one moment (in a bloody video-montage) where one dancer supported another’s head with her hands that I thought communicated something profound about our ability to bolster each other through life; there was another moment, at the end of the title sketch, Horizontal Leanings, where all the dancers leaned on each other for support, and it was comforting to watch.

A few questions: I thought artistic director Jamey Hampton needed to loosen his grip on the performance, slightly. He’s got some great dancers, but I thought he inserted himself too aggressively into proceedings. It felt a touch desperate. Plus, someone should have mentioned that Fat Boy Slim is not an appropriate accompaniment to an “edgy rave scene.” Isn’t Fat Boy Slim, like, dead, now? Also some of the steps needed to be more elaborate. I can watch a woman pirouette and be picked up by a man and twirled around once. Maybe twice. But sixty times in an hour? It’s too much. I don’t care what your theme is. How about Vertical Leanings? Throw more people in the air for Christ’s sake. There’s Cirque Du Soleil down the street…occasionally I felt there needed to be more spark.

Nevertheless I don’t share Beaudoin’s take on the performance. You could spend $12 on a burger in Higgins round the corner, or you could take a chance on this innovative young (ish) (for the most part) dance troupe. I’d say skip the burger just this once, and you might enjoy yourself. Plus even if you don’t enjoy the choreography, they all have fantastic bodies you can ogle at, and judging from the Forain paintings in the art museum across the street, isn’t that what dancing’s always been about?

If you’re going to be home this morning, you might just meet one of the many people running for elected office this season. Ballots just went out—I got mine yesterday—and many campaigns have organized canvasses for this morning.

Here are the ones I’ve caught wind of:

Jim Middaugh: OLCV Canvass, 10:00-1:00, Colonel Summers Park (SE Belmont ad 19th) “Join OLCV and Jim to speak with voters with ballots in hand,” says the Middaugh campaign.

Nick Fish: 9 am to 1 pm: “Some of our volunteers like to think of neighborhood canvassing as an easy walk with a great purpose. We need volunteers to deliver door hanger brochures and lawn signs. Come by the campaign headquarters [NE 37th and Sandy] any Saturday until the election between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm to pick up lawn signs and canvassing materials.”

Sam Adams: 10:30 a.m. At SEIU Union Hall at 3536 SE 26th (SE 26th & Powell). “We’ll gather to rally, get on the phones and hit the doors.”

Steve Novick: Canvass Sendoff, Portland Campaign Headquarters, 1339 SE 8th, 9:30 a.m.

Barack Obama: Portland, Portland HQ, 3016 se division 1030am
Portland, Portland HQ, 3016 se division 1:30pm
Portland, North Portland Office, 1516 NE Killingsworth 10:30am Saturday
Portland, North Portland Office, 1516 NE Killingsworth 1:30pm Saturday (yes, Obama has a North Portland office… I didn’t believe it at first—who needs two offices in one city?—but it’s all decked out in Obama gear.)

Hillary Clinton: 1:00 p.m. PST, Portland Community Canvass for Hillary at the Oregon Zoo’s Safe Kids Day, Oregon Zoo

Oddly, I don’t see any apparent canvass activities for the big field of publicly financed candidates for the other council seat. There was this yesterday, however. I missed it, but it looked like fun! “[Charles] Lewis, who is running for the seat vacated by Sam Adams, will be joined by supporters on the Hawthorne Bridge between 7am and 10am on Friday morning, May 2nd. Lewis’ supporters will be holding huge signs and waving to passing motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. Lewis’ campaign mascot, the “Five Buck Duck”, will also make an appearance to highlight Lewis’ status as a publicly financed candidate.”

Get out there and volunteer!

UPDATE: Charles Lewis’ volunteer James sends in this info:

Our troops are canvassing the east side for the next couple of days.

In addition, check out the photo from our event yesterday on the bridge.

Very best,

James

Downtown tonight just before midnight, Voodoo Doughnuts hosted their second ever mayoral doughnut eating contest. Seven of the 13 mayoral candidates showed up, including Sam Adams, Sho Dozono, Kyle Burris, Craig Gier, Beryl McNair, Chris Rich, and Patricia Stuart. (Click on those names to hear the candidates talk about their training for the contest… except Dozono, who gave me a terse “no” when I asked if he’d trained, and Stuart, who arrived just before doughnut time.)

The candidates sat at a long table on the sidewalk, and each received a pink Voodoo box. After the audience—there were at least 150 people spilling off of the sidewalk, and into the street to check out a prime example of keeping Portland weird—counted down, the candidates opened their boxes and got to work. They each had two doughnuts to scarf—except Dozono, whose box was mysteriously empty. While a Voodoo staffer ran to get Dozono a doughnut or two, Gier methodically devoured his doughnuts, washing them down with milk. Burris hustled to keep up. Adams ate his doughnut at a near-leisurely pace. I couldn’t see Rich or Stuart from my vantage point, but McNair looked like she was having a good time.

So who won? Gier! (That’s him in the middle of the far right photo.) With Burris a close second. It was an exciting contest, with the two racing to a near-photo… uh, wait a second. I’ll let Mayor Tom Potter tell you all about it. He was the referee, after all!

Potter also told me the story of the last mayoral doughnut eating contest, when he was a candidate in 2004. His opponent, Jim Francesconi, didn’t show up—so the candidates that did, plus a 300+ pound stringer, had to eat a doughnut for every letter in the name “Francesconi.” Potter said it was so much sugar, he had trouble getting to sleep that night. Meanwhile, the hefty stringer (who I get the impression won) celebrated his victory by “going out for a bite,” Potter says. Yikes.

Gier stuck around to celebrate his victory. Listen to him reflecting on it, right here.

If the upcoming city council agenda is any indication, those folks out in front of city hall are the Homeless Liberation Front. Nice.

(And yes, that’s the same Volodymyr Golovan who was busted for his role in collecting signatures for Emilie Boyles spectacularly disastrous public financing bid in 2006. I can’t wait to hear what he has to say.)

I caught up with city council candidate Nick Fish yesterday afternoon, to get his thoughts on the ongoing homeless protest outside of city hall. As one of the candidates vying to be Portland’s housing commissioner, the issues the homeless folks outside of city hall are raising are also the ones he’s bringing up on the campaign trail.

But first! Fish has a new TV ad:

“First of all, as a candidate, I think I’ve put out the most aggressive platform on how we solve the housing crunch,” Fish says. “Aggressively seeking new funding sources, working with jurisdictional partners, continuing the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness, finding new private resources, redesigning the system, advocating for more federal aid, and preserving a lot of at risk housing. I’ve had the most aggressive plan in this race, which is why virtually everyone in the affordable housing community has been supporting me.”

Fish also took aim at his opponent, Jim Middaugh, who earlier put out a statement about the protest, saying things like “City Hall should state unequivocally that it will work with its partners to find or create 1,000 new units of housing by committing the PDC’s TIF set-aside, public housing money and new housing money to a reorganized housing system focused on getting people off the streets.”

Nick responds: “Jim was chief of staff to Commissioner Sten. The question I have for him is, what steps did he take then to advance his call for 1,000 new units of housing for the homeless? I’m as committed as anyone to solving chronic homelessness and providing safe and decent affordable housing for all, but what leadership steps did he take a month ago to address this problem? What he appears to be doing now is shifting the blame to Mayor Potter for his own failure,” he says, adding that it’s “in keeping with the very divisive campaign that Jim is running.”

Fish continues: We ought to be finding solutions, and that means bringing people together in a time of limited resources to solve the problem. [Middaugh] has been picking fights with people that build houses, people that sell houses, and now with the interim housing commissioner [Mayor Potter],” he says. “It’s the way you get headlines in an election, but it’s not the way you build sustainable solutions. It’s my hope that I win this race on May 20, so starting in early June, we can begin to talk about these problems.”

There’s a bit more after the cut. While I don’t want to start a back-and-forth between the candidates—when the real issue is the people protesting—Fish did pose a question for Middaugh, which I called him to ask about.

"If there was an easy solution Jim would have proposed it a month ago when he was chief of staff," says Fish. "There's a tremendous amount of community support for different parts of an ambitious housing agenda to house the homeless and tackle the housing crisis. Many of the pieces are in place. And where the funding is at risk, there's a lot of political will to make it happen. If this was easy then he would have had some concrete solutions a month ago, and wouldn't now be blaming the mayor for half measures."

I asked Fish what he'd do now to help the people on city hall's steps. With all due respect to every city leader, the 10-Year plan is great—but we've got people on city hall's threshold who are demanding solutions now. "More Section 8 vouchers is part of the solution. More private sector resources to supplement the 10 year plan," Fish says. "More general fund dollars is part of the solution. Preserving at risk housing with our non-profit and for profit partners."

One immediate issue the protest has shone a light on are the police sweeps of people sleeping outdoors. "I have said repeatedly that homelessness is not a crime, and that we need to be particularly sensitive to the plight of the most vulnerable in our community," Fish says. "The question is, who has the background and the leadership and frankly the support in our community to drive a bold housing agenda. I've had the most aggressive agenda and the broadest support. The way to get things done is to build coalitions, not to just point fingers and assign blame."

Middaugh responds to Fish's assertion that Middaugh should have done something as Sten's chief-of-staff, saying that "There's a fundamental misunderstanding of the issues at this point. The response needs to be we need to change the way we do police sweeps of homeless camps until there's more capacity," he says. "There's no place for people to go, if we're doing these sweeps. So looking forward‚—which is what I did, I didn't blame anyone for anything—I said we need audacious goals and a way to attain them."

At the risk of continuing this disagreement, Middaugh fires back at Fish. "It's interesting that he would shift the blame instead of step up and come up with something bold. The response to the sweeps by the mayor is insufficient, [with things like] 'we're going to look at what we can do with Section 8 vouchers.' We don't need to look at it, we need to do something. Looking backwards, we can always do more. Llooking forwards, we don't need to fund more study. JOIN does outreach to tenants and to landlords. What we need to fund is an effort to educate landlords, we need to start today, to help them understand the Section 8 program, and to help them with the paperwork behind it. You can't just hand a tenant a section 8 voucher and say good luck. And if a landlord has a problem tenant, they need to have someone who can step in 24/7 and deal with that."

If either candidate (or others in the race) wants to continue the debate—comment away!

I’m sorry this Iron Man clip from the great minds at Robot Chicken does not contain any cats—however! It does chronicle the plight of the “henchmen”; that group of overworked lackeys who are not only poorly paid for their troubles, but eventually have their spines snapped by Iron Man’s very heavy suit. Observe.

Thirsty? We thought so. After all, it’s Friday afternoon. How about a crisp, refreshing glass of End Hits, the Mercury’s music blog?

Here’s a little taste of what you missed this week by NOT reading End Hits.

A splash of reviewin’:
• Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks LIVE with the Joggers!
• Throw Me the Statue! Also LIVE! (But not with the Joggers.)
• The Night Marchers at the Hawthorne Theatre! …you guessed it: LIVE!
• The new split 7-inch by Hey Lover and Cafeteria Dance Party! This is a record! NOT LIVE!

A dash of news and information:
• Our thoughts on blog upstarts the Black Kids!
• Roger Waters loses his hog!
• Cut Copy talks about classic TV mini-series The Thorn Birds!
• The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle blogs for Powell’s!
• The Muslims rock! (Is that allowed?)
• A look back at outdated video format VHS! (What’s that? Oh, it’s VSS the band?)
• A preview of the Goodbye Babylon box set!

A jigger of pretty things to look at:
• Sons & Daughters and Bodies of Water! Lots of pics!
• Cut Copy and the Black Kids! Even more pics!
• The gates of Hell open up at a Christian rock show! Hilarious!
• Either I am on acid or the Shins are visiting a children’s TV show! (Or both.)
• Hutch & Kathy hit the Oregon Coast!
• Santogold’s fantastic new song on Conan!
• A trailer of the Darby Crash biopic!
• Phosphorescent on Black Cab Sessions!

And a squeeze of MP3 juice all over the place:
• Lil Wayne!
• Quasi!
• Cryptacize!
• Basia Bulat!
• A song from Forgetting Sarah Marshall!
• Vetiver!
• El Cerdo!
• Viking Moses!
• Peter Moren!
• Hayden!
• Lyrics Born!
• VHS or Beta!
SO MUCH MORE!
This is what happens when you don’t read End Hits.

I guess I’m still sore about the barfing.

The Grass Hut Gallery sez:

1- J. Otto is coming to town for the release of his new book.

2- Despite his fame, it’s very rare that he makes an “art show”.

3- If you don’t report this show to Portland’s art world you will look like a total douchebag who is totally out of touch

I may BE a totally out-of-touch douchebag, but I sure don’t want to look like one. J. Otto is the very well-regarded illustrator of such books as Penguin Dreams, Olive My Love, and Going to the Getty. He also made this extremely fun website. Public appearances from the man are pretty rare, but he’ll be at the Grass Hut tonight, signing copies of his newest book, Seamore, the Very Forgetful Porpoise.

Grass Hut Gallery, 811 E. Burnside, 6-9 pm. More first Friday info here.

Ahem. It’s Cat Friday. NOT one-eyed dog Friday.

There are a lot of reasons to toilet train your cat. It sucks to change a litter box. Litter boxes stink. Every cat “misses” every once in awhile, and then you have a big cat log sitting on your floor. Not having to buy litter all the damn time could save you money. And, most importantly of all, seeing a cat take a piss on a toilet is hilarious.

Toilet training a cat actually appears to be pretty simple. Check out this step-by-step tutorial on how to toilet train your kitty (and giggle at the cat pissing in the toilet at the end):

One of my cats (I’m looking at you, Valentine) decided to ring in Cat Friday this morning by barfing on the dining room carpet, so fuck ‘em.

Meet Stinker, who is guest starring at the Mercury office today, visiting from Seattle where he lives with Dan Savage.

Fans of Savage’s books might recall Stinker’s starring role in The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage, and My Family, a memoir in which Savage recounts the time that Stinker fell out of a moving car window while Savage’s partner Terry was driving (thus, the missing eye). When Savage called the vet hospital to check on his family dog, he was told information could only be given out to a spouse or family member. So there you have it. A tiny celebrity and living example of the struggle for equality in same sex partnerships walks among us. And won’t stop humping resident pug and Office Dog in Chief, Olive.

ALSO: Thanks to my BF for digging up this podcast of Savage telling the Stinker story in his own words, which you can listen to right here:

The Stinker Story

Now, I’ve been known to go at it with my physical therapist in a hot tub—and then “spritz” on an unsuspecting employee… but I’ve never documented my sexual exploits in Saturday morning cartoon form like Iron Man did in this 1994 clip. That’s just… WRONG!

Our House. Cocoon. The Quaker Oats commercials. We all know it: Wilford Brimley is the finest actor the world has ever seen. But it’s not just men and women that want to be just like “the Brim”—cats love him too! See:

Check out the other four at Gato Island!

Prayer Hour is a fake TV show. I’m not sure Gary Busey is aware of this.

This might be my favorite Busey clip of all time. At this point, the dude’s so utterly, completely batshit that I’m having a hard time believing he’s not just fucking with everybody. Like that this is all a big act or something, or a dare, and he’s just waiting to see how far he can push it before somebody calls him out on it. Because there’s no way somebody like this can actually exist in real life. Maybe Busey is CG. Or claymation.

Thanks, FilmDrunk.

Holy crap.

Nau has announced on their web site that they are closing business operations.

And, um, in the spirit of every cloud having a silver lining, the entire line is now 50% off.

Since some of us at the Mercury (read: me), think LOL Cats have gone the way of the dinokitty, we have come up with the perfect antidote: Grammar Puppies!

Thanks to Monet for the artwork!

So Iron Man is getting great reviews and they’re already planning a sequel. I believe I have made my wishes clear on what I would like to see happen in Iron Man 2.

INT. DAY. SOME DUDE’S AIRPLANE, WHICH, FOR SOME REASON, TONY IS FLYING ON, EVEN THOUGH HE HAS HIS OWN GODDAMN ROCKETEER SUIT.
We fade in on Tony Stark, one of the most brilliant inventors mankind has ever known, using possibly the dumbest excuse ever to justify another drink.

INT. DAY. AVENGERS MANSION.
Tony Stark realizes that girls always want to talk about feelings and shit—distracting him from the “good stuff” in life, like wearing sweet blue jumpsuits and drinking booze out of his adorable matching tea party set.

INT. NIGHT. STARK ENTERPRISES.
Tony Stark decides to grow a beard. Why the fuck not, am I right? Also, he decides to start hiring receptionists who aren’t so goddamn nosy all the goddamn time.

So those scenes would be awesome, and then think of the killer movie posters you could have based on Iron Man’s amazing covers:

I rest my case. And just FYI, my birthday is coming up soon.

Thanks to Ye Olde Comic Booke Blogge for a bunch of those images.

Though the Marvel Comics Saturday morning cartoons of the ’60s look like they were drawn by an arthritic monkey, the theme songs were pure jazzy cool. Check out the theme for the Iron Man cartoon, circa. 1966!

DIG.

It’s rare that homeless issues become a topic for public discussion beyond the narrow realm of maniacal left-wing websites, and of course, the Mercury, which is certainly way right of center, and proud of the fact. Or something. Thankfully the homeless protest outside City Hall has brought out at least one news truck: KGW sent a news team out to cover the protest and ran a surprisingly enlightened story on their website, asking their readers to “weigh in.” Interesting. Here are some of the comments:

May 1, 2008 05:15 p.m.
Yesterday it was the “need” of more money for the zoo (Yet another mismanaged public asset). Today it’s homeless shelter and truck driver “needs”. Tomorrow, how about you all start giving me some money of yours because I educated myself and worked hard and now I “want” your help because I “need” to pay my mortgage that I can’t afford because YOU all just keep giving handouts with MY money.
May 1, 2008 03:44 p.m.
Ummmm…. the city has let this go on for 6 days? I guess the lawn of city hall is now a campground. I’m always appalled by this city’s lack of response to the issue of homeless/ panhandlers who harass the working people of downtown. They are left to lay around like the detritus of society. Guess its more important to concentrate on projects like building a tram. /sigh
May 1, 2008 02:33 p.m.
Time for this city to arrest them. I am tired of seeing Portland as a garbage dump for the homeless.
May 1, 2008 01:44 p.m.
This is ridiculous. Recent college graduates who are working downtown cant even afford to work down town. Why should people with no jobs have special benefits.
May 1, 2008 12:32 a.m.

Rediculous indeed. But at least they’re TALKING ABOUT IT. Meanwhile Anna Griffin has blogged the story at the Oregonian [Why no story in the paper?]; I can’t see anything on the Willamette Week’s website, nor on the Tribune’s (although they did just go weekly and fire a bunch of people); nor on KATU, nor on KOIN. It’s odd, but where I come from, if 20+ homeless people decide to set up camp on the steps of city hall, and stay there a WEEK to protest the city’s policies on sweeping homeless from under the bridges, that’s NEWS. Why are none of our so-called news outlets covering the story? Because they support the policies? Because they value some people’s voices over others?

Go at it, people. Go at it with all your savagery and ill will. I’d rather see KATU run a fascist-baiting piece on the protest than simply pretend it’s not happening. Earn your paychecks! Or there’ll be cuts…and who knows, you might end up homeless, yourselves…

May is Bike to Work Month. There are festivities throughout May, including tonight’s Mocktails on the Bridge. From 4:30 to 7 pm on the eastbound span of the Broadway Bridge, sip delicious drinks—courtesy of Shift—while perched on your two wheels.

Throughout the month, there are events like a free breakfast in Pioneer Square, a beginner’s lunchtime ride, a party at the downtown Bike Gallery, tea on the Steel Bridge, and a breakfast on the Steel and Hawthorne Bridges to cap off the month. Check it all out below—but more important, dust off your bike and ride it!

Regular readers of Blogtown already know we devote every Friday to the subject of “cats” and all the cute and wonderful things they do. HOWEVER! Just as wonderful (though maybe not as cute) is the Iron Man movie opening today across the nation, which we go ga-ga about in this week’s paper, here and more amusingly here. When I brought up the idea that we should devote today’s blog postings to Iron Man, the poop really hit the fan! “BUT FRIDAY IS CAT DAY!” they mewled. However, after 90 minutes of vehement argument, we decided to spend all day paying tribute to both very worthy topics. (Sorry “News” lovers, you’re just going to have to suck it.)

So welcome to Blogtown, where today we’re all about “Cats” and “Iron Man”!

Thanx for the picz, Monet! LOL!

To appease the aggressive, and often violent, demands of the pro-cat spinsters that are my co-workers, here is my token cat blog post on “National Blog About Stupid Cat Day,” or whatever it is called.

You just get one, so you better enjoy it.

Unlike their superior canine pals, felines tend to get the short end of the songwriting stick. While there are plenty of great songs for the catnip crowd—the Weakerthans have a pair, as does Mark Kozelek—mostly when I think of songs written about cats, I either have thoughts of Mr. Mistoffelees, or this jingle (which, after watching that clip, is now stuck in my head—FOREVER!). Thankfully the sensitive Canadian crooner Hayden has written a great little tale about Woody, his restless, and horny, cat who disappears ever spring to sew some wild kitty oats.

“This is a story about my cat, his name is Woody… Woody has a hole in his heart. Which sucks because he’s just living on borrowed time as they say. I love him but every year he runs away at about spring time in early May. He leaves and comes back three days later and he stumbles into the house and he’s dirty and his eyes are bloodshot and he stinks like whiskey. He’s obviously been up to no good, but what can I do? This week I’m gonna sit him down and tell him he’s neutered, because I don’t think he knows.”

MP3:
Hayden - Woody

End Hits: The world’s only purrfect music blog.

Tomorrow at Anne Bocci Boutique (7824 SW Capitol Hwy), from 1-4 pm, there will be a sample sale of designs from local designer Seth Aaron Henderson’s “Diegio” collection, with items available for as low as $20. Might be worth checking out in case Henderson blows up in the near future… like, on TV or something. The styles? Think Audrey, Marilyn, and Elvis.

Stay up on all the local fashion haps with MOD.

Two days after reporters informed the Sho Dozono campaign that their pot of campaign funds had exceeded $200,000—the cap he’d put on himself back on March 25—the campaign’s website still has a prominent “Contribute” link. The link points to a page that reiterates the $200,00 cap:

If we get a clarification from Dozono about his cap—or how this stays “true to our community and to the spirit of Voter-Owned Elections”—we’ll let you know.

1. Endorsement issue out this week!! Go out, pick up a copy (or read it right here) and participate in your democracy! Yaaay democracy!!

2. So Obama’s been on the defensive for six weeks now, but he’s still picking up superdelegates at a faster clip than Hillary. Current delegate totals: 1738 - 1599, with 2025 needed to win the nomination. Hillary’s superdelegate lead has dwindled to 17, 266 to 249. The most notable superdelegate “get” of the week: Hillary supporter and influential Indiana voter switches sides to Obama, says this thing has gone on too long.

Remaining schedule for the Democratic nomination:

May 3 - Guam caucuses
May 6 - Indiana, North Carolina
May 13 - West Virginia
May 20 - Kentucky, Oregon
June 1 - Puerto Rico
June 3 - Montana, South Dakota

In the latest polling, Obama is up by 7 points in North Carolina, Hillary is up by 6 in Indiana.

3. This past week, the candidates sparred over a summer break on the gas tax. McCain and Hillary are for the break, Obama is not. Here’s why you should care.

4. UPTURN?? - Economy loses 25,000 jobs after bracing for a loss of 85,000.

5. Free WiFi at Starbucks? It’s true! Kind of. Props to BADGE for the link!

6. Everyone knows the media has always been in bed with the politicians they cover, but Barbera Walters!?

7. Emo Lincoln.

8. Yesterday’s post about the Batman trailers - so interesting!

9. Aaand here’s Colbert’s take on summer movie trailers…

Here’s the last chance for the candidates in Portland’s incredibly publicly financed race to make their pitch. Candidates across the city races have done a remarkable job putting up with our weekly questions, and have turned in great answers. But this group of five publicly financed candidates is extra special—they’ve all answered every single question, and they’ve all turned in every single one on time. Not only that, but they’ve gone the extra mile—their answers are thoughtful, detailed, and have been known to include links to resources, and even to videos. Frankly, we’d be lucky to have any one of them on the city council. Heck, maybe we should do a quick ballot measure, expanding the council from five to nine members! (And props to Mike Fahey, the sixth candidate in the race, for popping in one last time.) The entire archive of their responses can be found here.

The final question is simple, and the candidates give great summaries of who they are and what they offer:

Why should voters pick you?

John Branam
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: john4pdx.org
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $44,593.88 currently in the bank

Ahhhh, the last question. To Amy and the Mercury, thanks for giving us the forum to express our thoughts on so many issues. And to those of you who have read some or all of our responses, thanks for taking the time. This election offers Portlanders a unique opportunity to reshape our council and thus the decision is a particularly important one. Without question I have enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to run for Portland’s City Council, and I continue to look forward to the opportunity to serve our city.

Voters should pick me because I’ll work around the clock to Strengthen our Schools; Protect our Environment; Make our city More Livable; Supporting Small Businesses and Creating Jobs; and will do so by bringing a Collaborative Leadership style to City Hall.

Strengthening Our Schools: As a former teacher and the current Director of Development for Portland Public Schools, I’ve worked diligently, and collaboratively, to raise millions of dollars for our kids. I believe strong schools, infused with the arts and music, are the core of our neighborhoods and are essential for businesses to locate and stay here. Ensuring our kids have the opportunities to learn and grow and to have the skills they need to be competitive in the global economy is an obligation we all share. As such, it is essential that our City Council take a leadership role in offering strategic support for our schools while working to create a Portland Education Plan that is crafted with input from our parents, teachers, Principals, Superintendents, University Presidents, businesses leaders and City Commissioners.

Check out the rest of Branam’s wrap-up, along with those of his competitors, after the jump!

Protecting our Environment: I believe we must redouble our efforts to reduce our city's carbon footprint. We must accelerate our investments in bike, walk and mass transit options. To both preserve our environment and to stimulate our economy we must use less energy and use better sources. For buildings, our challenge is making investments in advanced energy efficiency, clean energy technologies, and clean, district-scale infrastructure. Each of these efforts alone is an investment, which would produce a financial return. Progress has been slow, in part because building owners have not shown a willingness to make these investments.

As a City Commissioner I will take a leadership role in order to make these investments attractive to the right investors through policy direction and by creating a more attractive scale for investment. If we know we need to make these investments across the city over the next 20 years, we can create the framework today and chart our own future. This role is something only cities have the ability to do, and the good news is that doing so will bring substantial investments in exactly the kinds of activities that we want. Further, this proactive approach will be much more effective for us than waiting for mandates to be handed down from federal and state government.

Portland has been a leading city in the U.S. when it comes to addressing the challenges surrounding our transportation systems. We have been working with other levels of government to reduce dependence on the car, and we have only begun this effort. In addition, we can accelerate the pace by which vehicles convert to clean energy technologies by fostering better integration of vehicles into our energy infrastructure. For example, hybrid vehicles already are shifting to electricity (see pluginpartners.org). If we know that vehicles, especially those that could serve our neighborhoods, are going to plug into our buildings and power grid, what if we created a program to make this happen faster? Again, these investments are going to have to be made, so we could benefit by understanding this and making our city the most attractive place in the country for these investments.

Portland must turn this challenge into an economic development strategy for the next 20 years. We import $1.6 billion dollars worth of energy per year, which means we get almost no economic benefit beyond what consuming energy allows us to do. If we capture the economic benefits of advanced efficiency and energy producing technologies, our economy will grow and we will create new jobs. The influx of solar and wind companies into Portland and Oregon is evidence of what the future could hold for us.

Already, many of our Portland businesses are rapidly growing as a result of programs and policies that have focused around sustainability. In fact, many of these emerging companies have begun to organize around the issue, such as those that participate in PDXLounge. Businesses around the world know that Portland is a place for leadership. I would encourage these efforts by providing the leadership and needed capacity.

It is pivotal for Portland to continue to lead the nation in our response to global warming for the natural environment we all cherish and our economic vitality. Future leadership at City Hall must make this a priority, regardless of portfolio assignments. I am committed to doing just that.

Making Portland More Livable: I will work hard to ensure Portland is a city in which all people, regardless of race or income, can live. It's a problem, I believe, when some Portlanders pay $600 per square foot to buy a condo while thousands still struggle to afford $600 per month in rent.

We must increase and protect affordable housing in Portland. To do so I will: 1) hold PDC to its required 30% budgetary commitment to public housing; 2) work with my fellow Commissioners to grow our general fund support for workforce development supports such as BHCD’s Economic Opportunities program; 3) work collaboratively with the many results-oriented non-profits that provide housing, social services support and economic opportunities assistance through the BHCD/ City’s grants; 4) encourage the legislature to pass a real estate transfer tax that will be a state-wide set-aside for affordable housing; and 5) support home ownership and assistance programs that, in particular, work to close the home ownership gap.

I will work hard to preserve our strong and vibrant neighborhoods where all Portlanders can bike, walk and take mass transit to accomplish their daily needs.

Supporting Small Businesses and Creating Jobs: Although Portland has taken important steps towards being more supportive of our businesses, we still have much work to do. Most importantly, we must continue to invest in supporting small and medium-sized businesses.

As Commissioner I will support providing training and assistance dollars for businesses that fall outside Urban Renewal Areas, but that would benefit from additional technical support. Further, I will support increasing our investment in the Association of Portland’s Neighborhood Business Associations as it works to support each of our 35 business districts.

Portland must also prioritize additional investments in workforce development. I will encourage us to be strategic in helping ensure workers are well trained to take advantage of opportunities as they arise and particularly during tough times. I will also support Worksystems, Inc., a nonprofit connecting job seekers with employers by funding career placement and training services. Further, I will increase support for the Bureau of Housing and Community Development, via its Economic Opportunities program, as they work to support those among us who most struggle during economic downturns. Finally, I will work collaboratively with other key non-profits, our schools and community colleges, as these relationships will become increasingly important in combating the slowdown.

Providing Collaborative Leadership: Our city needs Commissioners who can bring Portlanders together. We need leaders who know how to work with existing community and governmental leaders to move Portland forward. We also need a leader whose life experiences are different from, but complimentary to, our existing council. I believe I’m that person. I grew up in Corvallis and am the son of a janitor. I have a law degree from the University of Oregon, served in the Peace Corps in South Africa, and worked both for the United Nations in Kenya and the AFL-CIO Civil Rights Department in Washington DC. I provided significant leadership as the Program Director for an educational non-profit. Here in Portland I have been a neighborhood chair, an active volunteer with many non-profits and, in addition to my work for Portland Public Schools, am a member of numerous non-profit advisory boards.

In sum, I believe Portlanders should vote for me because I have the leadership skills, the vision, the passion and the energy to move our city forward. And as you make your final decision regarding who to vote for I’d invite you to visit my website at www.john4pdx.org. Thank you, in advance, for your vote for Portland’s City Council position number one.

Charles Lewis
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: charleslewis.com
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $77,347.49 currently in the bank

Over the past several months I have laid out my vision for our City. My progressive platform includes a common sense back to basics approach with a focus on increasing access to affordable housing, sound infrastructure and thriving civic engagement. I believe it's time City Hall stopped funding "pet projects" like the Tram and million dollar condos in the South Waterfront and focused on everyday people and everyday problems. As a Voter-Owned Candidate, I have the independence to act in the best interests of Portland, not developers and other special interests.

We've heard similar rhetoric from a number of candidates. What distinguishes me from my opponents is a demonstrated commitment to both fiscal and social responsibility. A decade ago I founded Ethos Music Center in response to budget cuts that decimated arts education programs in our Public Schools. I went without salary for a year and a half and slept on a friend's couch while the organization got off the ground. What started as a small, volunteer driven nonprofit now serves over 2,200 children in our community every year. My work with Ethos highlights my ability to identify problems and bring people together to find solutions.

As our Country and City slide deeper into recession, we need leadership with a keen sense of fiscal responsibility. Last year, Ethos had 78 employees and a budget approaching $1 million. As Executive Director, I am responsible for managing that budget and making payroll for our employees. I am the only candidate in this race who has ever managed an organization the size of a city bureau. In addition to my work with Ethos, I have also owned a successful small business, The Portland Duck Tours, and have a Master's in Public Policy with a concentration in Business and Government from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. I know what it will take to build a stable base of strong, local businesses that will weather any economic storm.

Troubled economic times aren't around the corner, they are already here. My background as the Executive Director of a nationally recognized nonprofit, small business owner and community advocate give me a unique understanding of the problems Portland will face in the coming years and the management experience to find innovative solutions. I would be honored to have your support. Mail those ballots in before May 20th!

Charles Lewis
Candidate, Portland City Council Seat #1
P.S. Even Storm Large has commented on my ability to bring people together!

Chris Smith
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: citizensmith.us
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $18,241.77 currently in the bank

I offer not just a commitment to basic services, but a strategy on how Portland will prosper in a rapidly changing world, by:

- Continuing to lead North American cities in sustainability, reducing our vulnerability to rising energy prices and showing other cities how to head off global warming.
- Developing a prosperous economy selling our expertise in sustainability (and related goods and services like Streetcar vehicles) to other cities in the U.S. and around the world; and by encouraging clean industries like software development.
- Emphasizing housing production for working class families, not just high-end market housing and subsidized affordable housing.
- Ensuring that we continue to be the best city possible by leveraging the involvement of caring, committed citizens, keeping our decision processes open to the citizen involvement that has made Portland the wonderful city that I fell in love with 20 years ago.

I appreciate the effort that Amy and the Mercury have put into organizing this ongoing series of questions and humbly ask my fellow citizens for their vote when ballots begin arriving this weekend.

Thank you!

Chris Smith
Candidate for Portland City Commissioner Position # 1

Mike Fahey
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: friendsofmikefahey.com
Financial status: $16,215.00 in contributions to date, $7,841.24 currently in the bank

I am a native Portlander with a deep belief in contributing to this community that has provided me with so many opportunities. I believe I am the only candidate for City Council Position No. 1 who has won elective office within the City's boundaries--two terms as State Representative from District 17. In addition, I have run two campaigns covering all of the Portland area--1992 for Mayor and 1998 for State Labor Commissioner. I am the only candidate whose work experience covers small business ownership, labor union jobs, and elective office. In my more than 40 years of service to our community I have been active with many youth sports programs, student work experience programs, and the Delaunay Mental Health Board. Twenty-five years ago I started the Carpenters Food Bank and continue to participate in this operation, which has provided over 1 million meals to families in need, seniors, and persons who are unemployed, homeless, and disabled. In 1998 I received the Multnomah County Gladys McCoy Citizen Involvement Award.

Mike Fahey

Amanda Fritz
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: amandafritzforcitycouncil.com
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $30,990.54 currently in the bank

Dear Mercury Readers,

With this last Mercury Blogtown question, and the ballots being mailed tomorrow, I feel like this is the last in a series of dates, and I have to find the right words so you will want to hang out with me more. I do not know if you are going to call me, because I spoke my mind, didn't always tell you what you wanted to hear, and made you pay your fair share. Please know that the issues facing our city are important to me, and no matter who you vote for on May 20th, Portland relies on your ongoing participation.

Thank you, Amy and the rest of the Mercury staff, for providing these opportunities for readers to ask questions directly to candidates. You pushed us to work on defining our positions on a broad range of topics. I congratulate Jeff for winning the Mercury's endorsement, and Charles for getting the Tribune's. There are six good candidates for Position 1, leaving no doubt that Public Campaign Financing has changed politics in Portland to the benefit of citizens.

I ask for your vote because:

1. We need a new Commissioner with a record of getting things done in Portland, and who knows that laudable ideology sometimes makes everyday life harder for regular Portlanders. My attention to practical details is something our city desperately needs, to ensure that money is spent wisely to benefit all 95 neighborhoods. I will work to fund more services citywide, using the City's $3 billion budget carefully.

2. I will focus on providing more good paying jobs and safe, affordable housing so you can continue to live, work, and play in Portland. I have worked a swing shift job in our community for 22 years. I have specific plans to support our local economy through the recession - please see this post on my campaign web site, www.AmandaFritzforCityCouncil.com.

3. You will not find a more passionate champion for Portland's pre-K through higher education system, for students, families, and educators, than Amanda Fritz. This September, all three of my children (graduates of Portland Public Schools) will be in college. Excellence in education, tuition challenges, and equity in opportunities matter to me. I will find ways to support children, college students, and educators through City decisions. Good schools = Good jobs.

4. I am not embarking on a career as a politician, rather I want to help improve systems inside and outside City Hall. As a grassroots volunteer in Portland for 22 years, I know what has been tried and failed, and what needs to be done, to empower citizens and provide more cost-effective services in neighborhoods. Citizens should have impact, not just input.

5. As a Registered Nurse working in Portland, for 22 years I have helped some of the most vulnerable people in our society recover from acute mental illnesses. I walked the picket line for 56 days in the OHSU nurses' strike, winning living wages for nurses while stopping hospitals from laying off staff and endangering patients' lives. Some of my attention to implementation actions is because nurses know that details matter, and so do long-term, visible outcomes. Nurses work hard, we get things done, we care about people, we act collaboratively as well as independently. I will bring those skills to the City Council.

Thank you for participating in this important decision. I ask for your vote, believing you will not regret making that call.

Jeff Bissonnette
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: portlandersforjeff.com
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $112,563.56 currently in the bank

Thanks for the opportunity to participate in the "Questions of the Week" over the last several weeks.

I'm running for the Portland City Council because I believe that Portland can be a city that works better for all of us. I'm focused on issues related to better employment, a better environment, better education and better accountability. I am a community organizer and I've spent the last 10 years as a consumer advocate, working for the Citizens' Utility Board of Oregon, mostly in the legislature passing pro-consumer legislation and developing clean energy policies.

I'm running because I'm concerned that we, as Portlanders, cannot point to the two, three or four industries that we can say that will drive our economy for the next decade or two. I want to be involved in strategically targeting potential industries that can support our economy and I want to use by background working with clean energy industries to have that be one of the strategic areas we develop as an economic anchor.

I also believe that the City Council needs to get outside City Hall and reconnect with neighborhoods and communities throughout the city. As a St. Johns resident, I have a sense of the feeling of many neighborhoods and residents, especially in the outer neighborhoods, of not being considered full partners in the life of the city and determining city directions. I want to bring my community organizer background to the council to bring marginalized communities into the discussion and the consumer advocate mindset to the council to make sure that all residents get value from their investment in the city.

I have the experience to be a strong member of the city council from day one. I know that we can do a better job listening to neighborhoods and businesses throughout the city because I've spent the last 20 years as a community organizer, listening to and being accountable to broad constituencies.

I know that we can bring diverse groups together to solve problems because for the past 10 years I've been leading a broad coalition of consumer groups, environmental organizations, human service agencies, faith groups, business entities and labor groups to develop innovative solutions to complex energy policy issues.

I know that we can be successful in promoting agressive, pro-people agendas through the City Council decision-making process because I've been doing that in the legislature since 1999, no matter if the legislature is under Republican or Democratic control.

That is a key point. At the end of the day, the City Council is a political body and a successful City Commissioner needs to identify needs, work with residents and broad stakeholders to develop solutions, create an agenda around the solutions and move that agenda through the council decision-making process. And that needs to happen again and again.

I believe that I have the best mix of experience, outlook and ability to work with the required political and administrative systems to be a successful City Commissioner representing the entire city. For more information about my qualifications and issue positions, please visit my website at www.portlandersforjeff.com .

Thanks for the opportunity to outline issues over the last several weeks and I look forward to the opportunity at least to May 20 and hopefully beyond.

I respectfully ask each Portlander for their vote.

It’s been a fun afternoon for a protest in downtown Portland:

DOG: Marching in solidarity for worker’s rights…

Catch pictures of some of the characters marching after the jump.

Ignacio Paramo of the VOZ workers' rights project led the march. "May Day is international workers' day so we're marching in solidarity in the spirit of the workers," he said. "We're fighting for the rights of all workers, especially in this tough political moment for immigration."

City council candidate Amanda Fritz was out with a banner. "I've been coming for several years," she said. "As a worker, and an immigrant." (She's British, you know).

Seriously pissed-off granny Bonnie Tinker was in jubilant mood. The District Attorney's office decided on April 21 not to press charges against her for daubing the military recruitment center on NE Broadway with red hand prints on Good Friday. "I guess that means they're backing off," she said.

Duane Reynolds, one of the homeless protesters outside city hall, was pleased the march went past. He took a moment to remind those marching of the reason for the homeless protest: Against city hall's using sweeps under the bridges to move people on. He also showed a sign, listing the value of one person's property taken by police during one of the recent sweeps:
Good on you, Duane.

Videographer Joe Anybody was there with his camera. He's pleased the District Attorney has decided not to press charges against him after a cop confiscated his camera for videotaping an arrest recently. "I have a couple of spares in my backpack, just in case," he admitted.

People marched! People shouted!

Mayoral candidate (and would be Ikea-bomber) Kyle Burris was marching with the anarchists. "123, Anarchists are we, we fight beside the working class to kill the bourgeoisie," they sang. Burris is the guy in the foreground with the bike and the knife. I'm starting to worry about him.

Transgender person Lee Iacuzzi, author of blog Not A Good Queer said "hello!" Lee was marching with a three-legged dog, named Rowdy.

Ross Lampert, who's Portland's organizer for the American Federation of Musicians, was also marching. "I feel like maybe we should go take over a congressman's office and demand an end to the war," he said. "But this is alright."

More marching! More shouting! Si se puede!

Julio Vazquez and Patrick Nolen of Sisters of the Road were designated peace keepers. They'd stuck 1400 white flags in the South Park blocks earlier, to signify the number of people homeless on Portland's streets, every night:

Quite a point they make, eh?

I love a good protest.

UPDATE: Made some changes to this post—the newest Indiespensable package has TWO books, not just the one.

Powell’s has just announced the new titles in their Indiespensable series: Next up, Gil Adamson’s The Outlander AND The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. $39.95 will get you a signed first edition of BOTH books. There are only 500 copies (available at the above link), so jump on it—they go fast. Powells’ customer newsletter doesn’t go out until midnight Monday, so you’ve got a little head start.

And if you’re not up for dropping $40 on a book (UPDATE: Two books! Both first editions? That’s a freaking steal), I’d say the Indiespensable selections make a pretty good suggested reading list. I finally got around to cracking the first book in the series, Lydia Millet’s How the Dead Dream, and damn is it good. Simply reading her writing doesn’t feel like enough—she makes me want to spray paint her sentences on walls, or learn to cross-stitch and make a sampler.

A little bird over at Powell’s (OK, Dave Weich) recently told me that Powell’s is thinking of developing other limited-release series in the future, with narrower focuses—like sci-fi, or cooking—so there’s something to look forward to as well.

Another great Blogtown ticket giveaway comes to an end! Yesterday, Blogtownies fought hard to win two pairs of tickets (courtesy of our generous friends at Monqui) to this Saturday’s sold-out performance of the Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job Tour 2008, by recounting their fave Tim and Eric sketches. And while everyone offered up great suggestions, here are our two winners!

Nothing makes my taint hum with freedom like the BEAVER BOYS song, ‘Beaver Bounce’. It makes me feel as though a host of angels have, from their bowls of wrath and carnal pleasure, poured upon me tuna flavored honey, licked of by a legion of Persian kittens.

Posted by James B

Channel 5 Married News Team!

Just reminds me of the star-crossed sexual tension between Jeff Gianola and Kelley Day over at KOIN. I sure hope those two end up on a Tahitian beach somewhere, sipping pina coladas and watching the sunset reflect off each other’s eyes.

And they’re much prettier than Tim & Eric.

Posted by Andrew

CONGRATS TO JAMES B. AND ANDREW, and enjoy the show! And since so many of you also love the Dr. Brule sketches (starring John C. Reilly), here’s my fave!

Staff working at Cascadia, the state’s largest provider of mental health services, have been asked to continue working even though there’s no guarantee they’ll be paid.

We ran an “in other news” blurb on this developing story in the paper this week, but as of yesterday, Cascadia appears on the verge of filing for bankruptcy. Workers have been told different things by different people, including that it’s possible 250 people will be laid off. Today is pay day, and the checks were expected to arrive by 3pm today. It’s now 10 of four, and nobody has seen any money.

“On the one hand we don’t want to leave these vulnerable people without much-needed care,” says one Cascadia staffer, who did not wish to be named because employment there is a touch dicey at the moment. “But on the other hand, we have to make rent, and we don’t want to be screwed over.”

UPDATE, 4:20pm: The checks just came in. Now people are nervously headed down to the bank to see whether or not they’ll cash.

I haven’t even scratched the surface of the issues in play at the homeless protest in front of city hall—that has Matt Davis written all over it—but it’s hard to ignore the fact that it’s quickly becoming a campaign issue. The protest came up during today’s housing forum with the mayoral candidates. And Jim Middaugh put out a statement with his views on the protest and the underlying issues. Meanwhile, another candidate spent the night sleeping in front of city hall.

There was no press release or fanfare, however. Matt got wind of it, and I called up Jeff Bissonnette to ask where he’d slept last night.

“On 4th Avenue,” he said, a bit surprised that I was asking.

Turns out Bissonnette happened to have a brown bag lunch campaign session at a law firm downtown yesterday. He hadn’t been downtown since the protest began a few days earlier, so he stopped by city hall to see what was going on.

“I talked to several of the folks down here, but I only had about half an hour. So I asked, can I come back later and talk to some more folks? They said sure, come back whenever.” Bissonnette participated in the League of Women Voters’ forum last night, stopped in at another event, then headed back to city hall to talk to the protesters.

“Someone said, ‘so, are you going to stay?’ I said I guess I could, but I didn’t really come prepared to stay,” Bissonnette says. The homeless protesters “fixed me up”—putting together a camp set with cardboard, a sleeping pad, a sleeping bag, and a blanket. “It was basically like being invited over to someone’s house. Everyone checked in on me and made sure I was good. I hung around, chatted to a bunch of people. At 12:30 we turned in.” Bissonnette slept propped up against one of the concrete pillars lining the sidewalk outside of city hall.

In talking to the protesters, Bissonnette has some striking observations—and ideas on solutions (which include electing him—an idea we concur with—so he can get into city hall and really be effective in addressing this issue). Check them out after the cut.

"The interesting thing for me, and this is completely from an organizing perspective," he says, is that he wanted to know "What brought this on? They said 'we're sick and tired of being swept.'"

"If you're going to tell us not to sit or be anywhere... here at least we can get some sleep," is what Bissonnette heard. "That all seemed pretty reasonable to me," he says.

"If i were on the city council and able to do something, what they're asking for is real solutions. That's precisely the thing they ought to be asking for and pushing for, and it's not something that is readily deliverable within a week or within a couple of days," he says. "I'm not quite sure how you handle that dynamic except through an ongoing [partnership]." Bissonnette thinks the path is to take care of the short term needs, while simultaneously working on the long term needs—but in an expedited fashion. If he were on the city council, "I'd be in dialogues with these folks to get a solution together. The immediate solution might be short term, but if they saw there was a long term solution,
and if they saw there was a long term solution, that would give most folks stability within a matter of a few months, that might move the discussion along."

On the short term solutions, Bissonnette thinks the city should be more accountable when confiscating property during sweeps. "People want to know where their stuff went. I heard some saying 'I had a pretty good tent, and I think it went to someone's backyard.'" Property receipts, and a way to tell people where their stuff is and how to get it back is one thing the city could do now.

Another thing that struck Bissonnette: "This morning, I could get home, take a shower, change clothes. In talking to these folks last night, they said I know how I look, I know how I look to other people. I don't want to be out here. I want to shower, I want to change clothes," he said. "Some people had said I had a change of clothes, but I don't have one anymore."

Bissonnette stopped by city hall again today, in business attire—"I've been struck with a massive sense of ironic juxtaposition when yesterday I had a brown bag thing with a law firm on an upper floor of a pretty high building downtown, then I came here and hung out, and today was sort of the same thing." He's also traded phone calls with the mayor's point person on the protest, to see if there's anything he can do.

In the meantime, I get the sense Bissonnette will be stopping by the protest again (even if he doesn't go out of his way to tell anyone about it). "I'm just able to be supportive and talk and hang out," he says, adding that one of the protesters told him "'You're the only person who's just come and hung out.'"

Just for the record, if you’re running for mayor and you want people to take you seriously, it’s best not to tell a room full of affordable housing advocates you hate transvestites.

“Almost-naked” transvestites, to be fair. Jeff Taylor did a reasonably good job of looking like a semi-credible candidate at today’s forum, people even seemed touched when he told them “I believe we’re all like angels, but with only one wing.” But it was during his closing statements that he really came good:

TAYLOR (right): “I’m appalled by Mr.Adams’ almost naked transvestites and I don’t think that’s the kind of city I want my family to live in…”

Taylor was referring to three rather well-dressed transvestites who were waving Sam Adams placards outside the Candidates Gone Wild event on West Burnside, Monday night. “I have two daughters,” he said.

Taylor’s remarks drew boos from the audience. Adams chose not to address them.

The Portland Tribune has been reportedly canning newsroom people today, and may go one day a week. This, of course, is tragic news for everyone in Portland.

[laughs]

A call to editor Dwight Jaynes is yet to be returned. Sorry to those who may have lost their jobs. It’s a bad day for newspapers.

Tanuki is a tiny one-woman Japanese restaurant that opened about a month ago on NW 21st Avenue (in the former Mr. Moto’s location), which has been getting buzzed about in a friendly fashion on the blog o’spheres. The O said nice things too. Anybody else been there and want to tell us how good it is? Here are some excerpts from the sample menu, available on the website:

*Yasai goma-ae- fresh vegetables in creamy crushed sesame sauce…6

*Ebi okonomiyaki… fresh local bay shrimp in savoury griddle cake…9

*Gyuniku to asparagasu no gomayoshogi-Cascade natural beef onglet & spring asparagus tip salad “dirtied” w/crushed sesame negi sauce…8

* “O-maguro shiro” saikyo yaki to yasai-sweet miso roasted escolar w/chilled vegetable salad, ikura, quail egg…10

*Ahiru kinpiragobo-duck hearts w/ stirfried burdock, carrot salad…6

Seems Pok Pok/Biwa style: Obsessively devoted chef putting out highly specific ethnc cuisine that has nothing to do with the more common, Americanized versions of said cuisine. Rad. And for those of us you who won’t eat at a place that doesn’t serve booze:

While we are still awaiting OLCC approval we have purchased special events licenses and will be serving Sake and Beer every Friday and Saturday in May. This begins this Friday May 2 and will feature some great prices on rare and hard to find sakes as well as Japanese and local beers paired with fresh sake no sakana style foods- traditional Japanese drinking foods.

Tanuki, 413 NW 21st, 241-7667, open Tues-Thurs 3 pm-9 pm; Fri-Sat 2 pm-close

Tonight at the Art Institute (1122 NW Davis) is the opening of From Vintage to Vamp: 90 Years of Jantzen Swimwear and Advertising, where you can trace the history of bathing suit fashion over nearly 100 years by simply following the advertising art used by the Jantzen company. Sounds like a fine way to keep summoning forth that summer weather…

The reception is tonight from 6-8 pm, and the exhibit will be up through the end of this month.

Get more fashion on MOD!

Andrew R. Tonry delivers a brand new episode of Easier Than Reading, the musical podcast that gives you a sneak peak at the live music happening around town this week. Hear tunes from Yo Majesty, Nurses (pictured), Dark Meat, Bodies of Water, Modernstate, and MORE. Listen here.