Anger? Malice? Jackassery?

Originally uploaded by dieselboii.

Someone has chosen to engrave on a trimet ticket machine in North Portland someone else’s Social Security number. I wonder if this is meant to be a high school prank? Revenge for a jilted lover? Pure meanness?

old gas station sign in SE
Originally uploaded by jonashpdx.

Found this old gas-station sign in the window of an auto parts store on SE Morrison, and thought it was hilarious and wanted to share.

Yes, a part of my brain is perpetually 12 years old.

I realize it’s been a while since we’ve seen any appreciable rain, but come on, people. The traffic report on the radio sounded like the Book of Revelations this morning. This is Portland. I know you all know how to drive in the rain. Just take it a little slower, leave a bit more of a gap between you and the car in front of you. Honestly, this is embarrassing.

I don’t really have anything to say, which can mean that this post will be absolute crap, or it may be a moment of brilliance in the making. I’m guessing more the former than the latter, but the latter may poke it’s head in from time to time.

Having recently graduated from the world of public service to cash in and become part of the corporate monolith, I’ve finally achieved something I thought I never would: an office with a window.
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With the football season opener fast approaching, I finally decided this past weekend that the time was right to jump into the world of HDTV. After doing months of research online, going to numerous stores to check selection and prices, and reading every review I could get my hands on, I felt like I knew what I was doing and ready to make the jump.

Boy, was I wrong. After doing a final check through a couple stores and having a specific LCD model in mind to purchase, I negotiated the price a bit, slapped down my credit card, threw (gently) the TV into my car, and sped home to set it up…
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Wanna drive them? Does one actually drive a train? Hmmm, I don’t know. Union Pacific could probably tell me the answer to that if I asked. Last week, I came accross a story in TheO about how Union Pacific was recruiting train worker in Portland via direct mail. I thought it interesting and moved on, until this weekend when I received said junk mail.
Union Pacific is being hit by two major staffing issues – upcoming retirement of over 1/3 of their workforce and the increase in demand for their freight service. As a result, they are on a hiring spree and this direct mail postcard is one way to do it. When I read the card, it intrigued me enough to go check out the positions offered in Portland. The one positon – Train Service Personnel – starts @ $40,000/yr and requires little experience. I think you have to be at least 18 and no criminal record. It does require being oncall 24/7, but it comes with a company paid retirement and full benefits, something hard to find in today’s job market. Heck, if someone offered me $40,000/yr with training when I was 18, I would have jumped at it. I would jump at it now for the experience if I didn’t already have a pretty good job. I was thinking it would be cool to take this job, play around with trains for a year and write about it. How cool would it be to tell your buddies you are a train driver.
Well, if you’re out there looking for a new career or the topic for a good book or blog, check out Union Pacific‘s job openings.

As Banana Lee summed up nicely a few weeks ago, 911 is a great service for getting emergency help, but it’s really not so good for other purposes. One of those purposes that should be avoided is using it to make prank phone calls insulting the police and challenging them to find you, especially when they’ve already visited you earlier in the night.

What’s the deal? Why has inappropriate 911 use been in the headlines so much in the past few months? Has the public become particularly dumb all of a sudden? Are the news outlets now just reporting the absurdities that have happened all along?

Aladdin

Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

I think I have found my new favorite restaurant. I just wish it were closer so I could walk there right this minute. Aladdin’s Cafe is a new locale specializing in Lebanese food. It was recommended by a friend and boy were we surprised. A unique space next to Foodvilla, it’s bright, clean, active and welcoming. The service was fast and attentive and the waitress was kind and friendly. The menu was chock full of wonderful Lebanese treats.

I wanted a sandwich, so went for the lamb shawarma and then saw “the Aladdin,” a house specialty. I inquired about what the difference was and the waitress informed that it was a regular lamb shawarma but pressed like a pannini. Oh boy, was it good. The pita was perfect and because it was pressed, all the yummy juices from the lamb were kept inside. Mmmmmm good. My wife got the veggie Mezza plate and when we were finished, there wasn’t a morsal to be had.

I want to go back so bad, yet it just hasn’t been in the cards. If you’re headed out for a bite, head up to Aladdin’s on NE 33rd, just north of the Kennedy School and NE Ainsworth.

Also, I’m not a food reviewer, just an enjoyable eater. Check out Portland’s Exploration of Food and Drink’s review. He does a better job.

Aladdin’s Cafe
6310 NE 33rd Ave

Then you really need to drop by the new and improved Portland Stories, now curated by none other than The One True b!X.

The site’s been in operation for a few years now – but b!X took over the domain recently, added some stunning new photos, and needs people to blow some much-needed fresh air into the joint. (What’s there is wonderful, but it’s also in need of some fresh voices and different perspectives.)

To get your creative juices flowing, try reading this or this.

Then head over here and offer up your own Portland story. Doesn’t everyone have one?

Yes, I know that Storm Large sounds like a stage name, but the actual given name of Portland’s entry into the Rock Star:Supernova contest is- as many of you know-Susan Storm Large.

The other day, the thought came to me that many last names that perpetuate to this day were assigned hundreds of years ago as descriptive characteristics. Was your ancestor a baker, a mason, or shepherd? That’s how he- and through the generations the male line in your family- kept that name. Did your ancestor live at the edge of town? Townsend, or Townshend, like Pete.

Was one of your male ancestors well, Large? Height and other physical characteristics can be inherited, of course.

See where I am going with this?

Storm Large is, what, six feet, and is rather full-figured.

Storm Large, were your ancestors, well, Large?