Bomb Response
Originally uploaded by ahockley.

I’m less than a week into a new job and decided to take a stroll around the neighborhood at lunchtime. My peaceful stroll was soon interrupted by a massive police response to what turned out to be a bomb scare.

It was interesting to watch the various agencies respond, cordon off the area, and get out all sorts of neat-looking gadgets including headgear that looks like it could’ve been worn by Dark Helmet and this robot which reminded me of Johnny 5 (I’m not the only one).

Things seemed to end peacefully. More photos can be viewed on Flickr.

With New Seasons’ birthday coming up, it is quite ironic (like a fly in your chardonnay) that Wild Oats will soon be no more. The Portland Business Journal is reporting that Whole Foods (we have one in the Pearl and some call it Whole Paycheck) will be purchasing the Wild Oats Markets for something like $700 million. To some, this may be just another merger story, but for longtime Portlanders, there is some history.

See, the current New Seasons is a direct outgrowth of Natures. Brian Rohter, CEO of New Seasons used to manage a Nature’s, but moved on to help open New Seasons in 1999. As we all know, Natures went on to be gobbled up by Wild Oats. Some (including me) would argue that that was the death knell for Wild Oats/Natures in Portland. Also, New Seasons is such a wonderful store (and locally owned no less) that they have expanded while Wild Oats have shuttered (SE Division store still sits empty.) Now, with the Whole Foods acquisition, I wonder what will happen with the remaining Wild Oats. Will they become Whole Foods? If they do, that wouldn’t be a bad thing. I actually prefer Whole Foods over Wild Oats any day, but will go out of my way to get to a New Seasons.

Are you a blogger with an interest in all things local? Have something to say – and want people to hear it?

If you’ve got opinions, attitude, and/or some sass – we’d love to hear from you.

What can we offer you? A platform, for starters. Probably some free drinks a time or two over. The chance to join us at some increasingly cool author gatherings (yeah, you can do that as a reader right now, but it’d be that much more fun if you wrote for us as well, no?) The opportunity to witness the glory that is a giant bowl of onion rings. Your cut of some decent Virginia pork products (note to our Washington D.C MB brethren – care for a rematch?) The chance to arm-twist Commissioner Randy Leonard, up close and personal.

And a few other perks that I’m probably forgetting.

If you’re interested, hey – drop me a line (please include links to your current blog.) I’ll give you the drill about what we’re looking for, and will answer any questions you might have. Email me at betsywhim at gmail dot com, please.

Portland Mall update- Parking

Originally uploaded by dieselboii.

I was wandering about today and lo and behold, you can now legally park on SW 6th ave downtown. Where buses once roamed, there are now parked cars. You can even park in front of Pioneer Courthouse Square. It is metered parking, so make sure you pay the little robot machine.

I have to say, it is strange seeing parked cars lining the “bus mall.”

I was talking to my good friend, Marshall Kirkpatrick today. He said, “Hey, New Seasons is turning seven. You should blog about that.”

Damn right.

Who is not a New Seasons fan? You pay a bit more but dang, they are locally owned. They support regional farmers. And I know I can go there and be assured that I am getting food that is not genetically modified in some weird science sort of way.

I love New Seasons! Happy birthday!

By the way, the folks at New Seasons gave me the hat. I didn’t ask for it as a freebie. I was ready to shell out the $10. I told them I am wearing different hats for the videos I am doing at SplashCast. First show I wore a Powell’s hat. Next is New Seasons. They said, “well, in that case, the hat is on us!”

Hello? Can you say customer for life?

Breaking- N Skidmore @ I5 closed

Originally uploaded by dieselboii.

An SUV flipped on its top on the East side of N. Skidmore @ I5. Police have it blocked off at the moment and the fire dept. just arrived. No ambulance yet, so I don’t know if there are injuries or fatalities.

Updated 7:30pm: Talked to an officer. Injury is cut to head. Accident happened as a result of police pursuit. “he was being pursued and didn’t stop…” Tow truck was arriving as we spoke. Skidmore still closed.

More photos.

Bunny

Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

Whomever owns the building this is painted on better watch out and get some security up. You never know when someone may get a jackhammer and try and “rescue” the bunny and take it back to Hillsboro and put it in their freezer.

Seen on NE Alberta

A Subway closes? Surely you jest

Originally uploaded by dieselboii.

I think of Subway as the Starbucks of sandwiches. They seem to be everywhere with new ones opening hourly. I am surprised there aren’t mini Subways inside Starbucks.

Well, one has fallen. A Subway on SW 3rd and Washington is closed. There is a huge For Lease sign there, so I don’t think it is temporary. Maybe it will become a Starbucks?!?

…tailored just for ME, ME, ME.

Of course, if *you* download and install iConcertCal – - then it’ll be all about YOU, YOU, YOU.

iConcertCal is a cool plugin for your iTunes installation – it combs through your music library, then tells you where your artists are playing locally (courtesy of a hook into Jambase.) iConcertCal told me that Lyrics Born will be here at the Wonder Ballroom on March 2nd, for example – and John Hiatt, Rickie Lee Jones, George Clinton and Paul Wall are all due here soon.

(Hmmm….that reminds me that I must excise all remnants of Paul Wall’s presence on my hard drive, lovingly stored there courtesy of my son. SO don’t care about that show after all…)

I’ve installed it on both my home Windows machine and work Powerbook – the Mac version is much cleaner and/or prettier, in my opinion. But they’re both totally functional – if not completely comprehensive (Jambase doesn’t tap into every venue around town, I believe.)

(insert boring outdated reference that unmistakably marks me as an old-timer) I’d give it an 95, Dick – it’s got a good beat and I can definitely dance to it! (/end self-incriminating statement totally incomprehensible to most of our audience).

It’s somewhat embarrassing, but I can’t help it.

I know I should stop, should just give up the habit, but try as I might, the shiny spectacle of the thing gets me every year.

Yes, that’s right, I watch the Oscars. No matter how bad I feel about myself the next day, no matter how awful I know it’s going to be, I just can’t help myself. So…shiny. So…many…stars.

But if you’re similarly entranced, I’m happy to report that Cinema 21 is showing, through tomorrow, both the live-action and animated shorts that are nominated this year. You know, that category that you’re always going “huh?” about when it takes up valuable time in the broadcast… Well, now you can be more nerdily cool than your fellow watchers by checking out these shorts. I’m going to try to make it over there if only to see West Bank Story ’cause the cinematographer is a good guy who actually used to work for me.

*Fun factoid you may not know (and that they try to hide desperately during the opening minutes of the broadcast): the Oscar ceremony itself actually takes place in the middle of a mall. And that strip of Hollywood Boulevard? One of the nastiest parts of town. Though they do have rampaging Wookies, so that’s a check in the plus column for them.