The following is a press release from the Oregon Secretary of State advising businesses of a possible scam.
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PDX Media Watcher has two interesting posts, one here and one here.
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We put out food for the birds and squirrels. Almost everyday the squirrels and birds go to their food and pig out. Today I was out trying to see how much damage the recent storms had done to the lawn, the trees, the plants, and the flowers.

As I was traipsing around I noticed one of the squirrels had been run over.
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Random notes from random thoughts today, as I take a moment off from being the resident Best Of/Worst Of Guy…

Scott the Bum
A month or so ago, I posted on the annoyance of people begging for money, and said that it would be better if we all just gave our dough to places designed to help get them off the street, instead of encouraging their proliferation on the street.

Then, today, on my way to work, I saw Scott.

Scott the Bum is a regular fixture at City Coffee on Fourth and Salmon. You can usually find him sitting directly out front, or on either side of the storefront, quietly sitting with his hand out for change. I learned about Scott during law school, when I worked at City Coffee (then a Seattle’s Best) and would watch him everyday.

Scott would sit for hours, quietly amassing enough change, and eventually would come inside to get some coffee, and would just hang out in one of the chairs, sipping and relaxing.

Scott knew all of us by sight (what, with the uniform black polo’s and khakis) and, when he saw us pass, would refuse any change we’d offer. I think that had something to do with the fact that, on his slow days, one of us would usually chip in some coffee. Or maybe it was because Scott’s backpack and all of his possessions were once taken from him, and we all chipped in for a new pack to help him out.

Well, I walked past Scott today, and without thinking reached into my pocket for what little change I had. Scott wasn’t looking my way, didn’t even have his hand out, but as I walked by I got his attention and gave him my meager offering.

And then I thought of my hypocricy. How to reconcile my actions with the words I so intently typed back in April?

I decided that, while I don’t believe in giving money to any ol’ street urchin, I do believe it’s okay to throw a bone to someone if you know that they aren’t taking advantage of you for some nefarious end. I’ve never talked to Scott, but I’ve also never seen any reason to believe Scott’s anything but a down-on-his luck guy just trying to raise money on a daily basis for coffee and some eats. As opposed to the professional sign holders who take shifts trying to shame you into giving with often-untrue signage.

Anyway, if you see Scott today (or anyday), don’t think Rusty will be flung into a rant if he sees you giving Scott two bits…

Gas Prices
Drove by the old closed Estby station on 26th and Holgate this morning, and was reminded of better days. The place has been closed for over a year, but the old signage is still up in front. The price for a gallon of unleaded? $1.59 (and 99/100, of course).

While I am working, as promised, on crafting my list of 30 things that make Portland better than any of my recent stops on my Great California Road Trip, I must say that gas prices in Portland won’t make that post. Since being back in town, the best price I’ve seen was $2.31 (out towards Gresham). The worst? $2.49. Although there certainly were some bad spots on my trip (paid as much as $2.65 for self-serve in some spots), there were some spots as low as $2.21. Granted, the average price paid per gallon was $2.57 (amassed in Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, and then Oregon again), but there were several places that we stopped that I wished would fit in the roof rack so we could bring their prices home to you.

Man, I wish I could afford a hybrid…

Portland’s Heritage Trees are something to behold. I was going to cut down all of the Heritage Trees because the Oregonian needs newsprint paper, but then I discovered:

The ordinance further states that it is unlawful for any person, without a prior written permit from the Forester, to remove, destroy, cut, prune, break or injure any Heritage Tree. No Heritage Tree can be removed without the consent of the Urban Forestry Commission and the Portland City Council. As of May 31, 2004, there are 255 Heritage Trees in Portland, representing 111 taxa/104 species. Of those, 132 are public trees (on the right-of-way, in parks, on a public golf course, or on public school property) and 123 are private. All of them are for the citizens of Portland to see and admire, so please visit them and enjoy what Portland has to offer.

Well, hell. I so much wanted to contribute to the community’s dedication to being more aware of current events.

I guess we’ll just have to continue reading the Portland Communique.

I must admit up front that I’ve been a sporadic skimmer of late – more newspapers end up recycled than read, alas. But as I was separating out my paper to prioritize the sections I don’t always manage to read (side note: Doesn’t everyone do this? For me, it’s Metro, then Living, then Business – which I can scan in 30 seconds – then the Front section, etc.), I noticed two things:

• No Personal Style section
• Yet PS’s (former?) editor had a bylined article on the front of the Living section…

So, those who are more careful and/or attentive readers than I am – what’s the story? Dare I hope and dream that I can gleefully don black to commemorate the passing of PS?

Tonight. Right around 2:31 am, at theaters all over town, an era will come to an end as the credits roll for Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith.

I am, to put it mildly, a crazed slobbering Star Wars fangirl. I’m “calling in Sith”, I have tickets for tonight and twice tomorrow, there’s a small army of figures on my desk, and this list goes on and on. I am very excited about the new movie, but I’m also a bit sad. So far a number of sources have indicated that the suckage of this film is significantly less than Episodes One and Two. So yay! But I don’t get another one. There won’t be any more waiting in line, sneak peek action figures, Burger King toys, etc. And I’m a bit less pleased about that, I wish I could just keep getting another movie every three years. My geekier franchises are just about all tapped out. (Unless they end up with a wildly successful first film, and I don’t know anything about it except that Weta is working on it, so even if it’s a lame movie it will be beautiful to look at.)

I could go on and on (and on and on, for that matter) but I am doing my best to not bore you with my ’sad devotion to an ancient religion’.

Anyway, if you need me anytime after 5 today or at all tomorrow, I will be In Line for The Movie at Century Eastport. Maybe I’ll see you there.

I was seized by two apparently unrelated stories that ran yesterday in the Oregonian and Portland Tribune, respectively.

The O piece talked about the skyrocketing price of Portland residential real estate, and how that price is fueled by speculative purchases made by affluent investors – many of whom are not from this area.

The Trib article – like the O piece a cover story- talked about how chronic funding problems in Multnomah County have left the prison system unable to pay for beds – and as a result forces convicted criminals to be released to the street.

I don’t want to sound like a Socialist, but at least to me, these phenomena grind together with dissonance. I wish I had some answers.

Next week, the Portland City Council will discuss a five percent tax on cell services.

To which I say: it is about time. We need the money. Bring it on.

The issue here, as well as in many other communities,is that many land-line users have forsaken their traditional public-switched telephone to a cell-only number.

Currently, those users are not taxed. As the proportion of land-line phone accounts declines in Portland, it stands to reason that the city- already strapped for funds – is even that much more hurt.

Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard has the best solution. Lower the land-line tax from the current 7 percent to 5, and match that with a cell phone tax.

Cool, I say. Too many of us use our cell lines too often, anyway. I mean, hang out at any mall, store, MAX train, etc., and you see the teenagers gabbing away about what they are doing at that precise moment.

Tax ‘em on over-minute fees, too. Collect $3-$5 a month from several thousand jabbering high schoolers, and maybe you’ll raise enough money to hire another teacher for the school they go to.

While waiting for my sister to finish her interview at Dishman pool today, I went cruising for a coffee shop (and nearly rammed a punk-ass chiropractor in an SUV-thing on purpose) and found none. Not a single one. On my way back, however, I found one. One. A single coffee shop. No neon espresso signs, just a coffee house.

Dear MLK Ave:
Get more coffee shops.