Hey man, my post title is just quoting the sign.

Yay for free speech.

As I type this, Oregon lawmakers are discussing a 5% sales tax.

While the tax would be offset by reducing some Oregon state income tax percentages from 9 to 5%, I believe the sales tax would be injurious. Not only as a tax on the poor (even though groceries and pharmaceuticals would be exempt), but to businesses with Internet competitors.

Be careful of the law of unintended consequences.
(more…)

The Buckman auction committee now has 9 guitars for sale on eBay in advance of Friday night’s auction at the Melody Ballroom. So now’s your chance to score a hand-painted guitar done by either Isaac Brock from Modest Mouse, Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss from Sleater-Kinney, The Decemberists, Sam Coombs from Quasi, or the Dandy Warhols. Or autographed guitars signed by Bon Jovi or Lyle Lovett & Guy Clark.

Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock took time out before leaving on their tour to decorate his guitar:

Isaac Brock recently sat down with paint and paintbrush to embellish this little guitar–and proceeds from this sale and other items decorated by famed rock artists will benefit Buckman Elementary School, the arts magnet elementary school in Portland, Oregon.

See, Isaac Brock knows that art rocks. But he also knows that nothing rocks harder than a good education.

Still to come: a guitar from The Shins. And if you’d like to see the guitars in person before they depart for their new homes? Stop by the Buckman auction Friday night (if available, tickets will be $40.00 at the door, doors open at 5:45 pm…)

I read over at Jack Bog’s blog that Senator John Edwards is most likely coming to Portland for a presidential campaign visit. He’ll be here on May 2. A group of us from the Podcast Hotel have been actively trying to get Edwards to make a statement about saving Internet radio.

Internet radio is facing quite a blow. The federal Copyright Royalties Board has just tripled the rates. They go into effect May 15. Small webcasters would be pretty much out of business as would free music services like Pandora. But Congress could act before the deadline. A number of efforts are underway. You may sign a petition at Save Net Radio.

You may also sign up for twitter. Add Podcast Hotel as a friend and start twittering, asking Sen. Edwards to say something about this important issue.

Signing petitions and contacting your elected representatives help a ton. But a presidential candidate can play a part, too. So, Senator Edwards – what do you have to say about saving Internet radio? I love my happy ears. Do you?

Although Portland runs rampant with OSU Beaver fans, I’m not one of them. In sports, aside from the occasional flash of brilliance, the Beavers are generally Oregon’s red-headed step-child when it comes to the big ones (football and basketball).

So I wasn’t surprised to see that the Beavers just committed to OSU football coach Mike Riley in a big way, extending his contract and upping his salary.

But what shocked even me was the following contract item which has to raise even the biggest Riley supporter’s eyebrows: “Riley’s contract also stipulates that a year will be added for every season the team participates in a bowl game.”

Another year for any bowl game? Really Have these people seen some of the bowl games out there?

Let’s take a look at last year’s bowl games, and who attended.

Per ESPN.com, last year’s bowl season started on December 19, 2006, with the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. Pitted in that game were Texas Christian, which had a matchup of the No. 25 TCU Horned Frogs (10-2) and the Northern Illinois Huskies (7-5). Not bad. Of course, TCU got to No. 25 by beating such fine teams as Baylor, UC Davis, Army, Wyoming, UNLV, New Mexico, SDSU, Colo State, Air Force and Northern Illinois. And Texas Tech, their only victory of the season against a ranked opponent. Two bowl teams in the whole bunch. And Northern Illinois beat Buffalo, Indiana State, Ball State, Miami of Ohio, Temple, Central Michigan, and Eastern Michigan. Not a single regular season victory over an eventual bowl team.

There are similar stories throughout the lesser bowls, which goes to prove one thing: a bowl bid does not mean you’re good. Look at the Ducks; they made a bowl last year, and yet by most people’s standards that season was about the most horrible thing in recent memory.

So OSU has committed to a long streak of mediocrity, which is apparently as good as they care to do.

Is Mike Riley a good coach? Maybe. Is this contract the best thing for OSU? Probably not.

Discuss.

Riddle me this Batman

Originally uploaded by dieselboii.

I am an observer. I look around a lot. Up. Down. Across. I love to take it all in with my eyes. Over the years, I have seen some great patches on backpacks and such. I personally have a collection of state patches from travels in the 70’s as a kid that I used to sew on backpacks and duffles when I was younger. Yet, I don’t think I have ever seen anything like this. A toilet patch? At least the dude put the seat down…..

Portland’s School Superintendent is leaving to take over as the head of US Education Grants for the Bill and Melinda Gates Educational Foundation.

That’s very interesting. But here’s the hidden gem in the article:

“Reached on her cell phone Wednesday, Phillips said the connection was bad, and she did not return subsequent calls.”

That…is…awesome…

Anyway, more fall-out to come. Your thoughts?

While I am an omnivore, I feel for animals. I do not wear fur, nor do I hunt it. And yes, I have owned and lived with dogs and cats that I was proud to call my friends. I won’t even go to the circus.

I’m also a First Amendment-loving, freedom of speech absolutist.

But when it comes to harassing owners and patrons of a legal business, PETA and their ilk have gone much too far.

The verbal- and sometimes physical- harassment visited by these groups against the owners and customers of Schumacher Furs has gone too far.
(more…)

Sure, it’s a free service. But really, how much of a “service” is it if it doesn’t actually serve us?

Here I am, in downtown Portland, on my work laptop trying to tune in to the MetroFi power that the City continues to take such pride in.

And here’s the result:

Again, I say “Ugh.”

I’m almost hesitant to post this, because it seems any posts regarding cars and bikes end up in a “they’re so rude… no they are” string of comments – but I’d love to get a legitimate answer from someone at Bike Portland or someone actually knowledgeable on bike etiquette – because my bike only gets an occasional spin on a park path or over to Kennedy school for beers – and I don’t claim to have any real knowledge about biking laws or safety.

I am however very conscious of bikes on the road. A good part of my daily drive is up Williams where there are tons of bike commuters. I always try to keep my eye on them when I’m turning across the bike lane, when we’re going through an area with parked cars, just in general. But this week with the return of some nice weather the bike lane was packed solid. I honestly think there were nearly as many bikes as cars. And that caused some clogging in the bike lane.

There were two cyclists going much faster than most everyone – I saw them ahead as they were gaining on a slower rider. Where they were at there were cars parked as well – but just ahead was a long span of no parked cars where they would easily have room to pass with the slower bike moving into the parking lane. This is what I assumed they would do.

Instead the faster bikes slid into traffic right in front of me – put his hand back into a ’stop or slow’ gesture to me, and passed right there. Now if I was farther back – I wouldn’t have thought anything of it, when there’s room – they should use the traffic lane. But they were close enough to me that I had to hit my brakes hard enough that my bag on the passenger seat flew to the floor.

To me that seemed no different that a car that wanted to pass a slower driving cutting me off in traffic so that he didn’t have to slow down. Am I wrong to be pissed and think that those were examples of bad biking etiquette – or is moving into the traffic lane even if it slows down the auto traffic considered to be ok?