My friend Christian Bullock (who provided this earlier info for us here at MB on flexcar and mall 2005) has started a new series over on the PDX PIPELINE about Trimet etiquette issues calling it “tri-tiquette”. Here is an excerpt used with his permission:

Alright folks, I’m fed up with the riding etiquette that some individuals display on TriMet’s MAX & bus services. Since I have my finger on the Trimet pulse (I do ride twice a day…), I thought I’d start a series of posts titled: TriMet Riding Etiquette. Or, as I would like to call it, a series of posts about “Tri-tiquette.”

So the first post in this series is about the priority seating area. TriMet buses have a priority seating area which is located at the front of the bus. Where is it on the MAX? Observe:

Read his full article at PDX PIPELINE (Trimet Riding Etiquette (Tri-tiquette): #1 – Priority Seating Areas)

By the way, I capitalized MINERAL WATER (Lesson of the Day 2) up there b/c when I ask for this drink people seem to think I mean “Vitamin water” or whatever. Dude, look at the picture…it comes from German (Mineral Wasser) and French (eau minerale – please turn up your nose when saying this). Them bubbles is good for ya, therefore, it is mineral water, and apparently that mineral is sodium :)

PS. I highly recommend Calistoga and Odwalla. I purchase these at several places (we did not have these back in fly-over land).

Places to buy Calistoga: Zupans, Wild Oats, the place I bought this one (grocery-market spot on SW 4th and Washington–thanks for restocking the cooler, friends!).

Places to buy Odwalla: Every decent store in Portland that sells beverages…like Stumptown for instance.

I wrote a bit at the PDXPipeline about my season tickets (Daily Stank Image Bank: Portland State Vikings Tickets) and why I (and a lot of people) are very excited about this season (JERRY FREAKING GLANVILLE).

Anyway, here are two good places for you to get excited as well:

* Quick Edit: Sports Fan or not, the King is a fantastic writer. He’s in SF, went to Cal, writes for Salon.com, and once linked to my FootballPipeline (the glorious day as it is known in my world)*

First, at PDXMagazine.com, you can get a bunch of info, interviews, and breakdowns. Draw-back, they want you to register…but it was worth it for me (I’m already receiving mad spammage, so whatever).

From ESPN (worst uploading time after myspace and the pdxpipeline):

Glanville looking for a little more action at Portland State

PORTLAND, Ore. — Jerry Glanville is selling a dream.

And part of that dream includes convincing anyone who will listen that coaching Portland State University is the best job in college football.

Yes, that Jerry Glanville. And yes, he’s serious.So on Day 2 of fall practice — better known as “Breakfast with Jerry” here on the Park Blocks — it’s no surprise to see the Pied Piper of Portland walking around the Peter W. Stott Community Field shortly after 7 a.m. in his familiar all-black outfit — complete with sunglasses.

He doesn’t seem to notice it’s cloudy and raining. In Jerry’s world, black isn’t simply a color. It’s an attitude. And it includes sunglasses…READ MORE

However, for those of you living near (strip)”Club”/”Mall” 205, my friend C-Block (who took this pic) got some sad info from Mr. Brodie today:

Hi Christian, We currently do not have vehicles in the gateway area although it is an area we expect to reach within the next year. You can track our vehicle locations/additions by either checking our “cars & locations” from the flexcar.com web page or by signing up for our “Flexnotes” monthly newsletter, which you can also do at the website. “Flexnotes” has lots of useful information about new locations and other news related to Flexcar.

thanks for your interest,

Brodie

By the way, if you want to join and hook me up with some driving credit dollars (I hear Vernonia isn’t just outside of Gresham like C-Block), you can use my # as a referral (93449 – much love, I owe you a beer).

Brad, like myself, went to the University of Oklahoma (Sooners 79, North Texas 10). I actually met him here in Portland through the person who took these pictures*, Cate Hurst Photography (Cate–move out of LA and get up here now!).

Liz is a native Oregonian (they do exist outside of the museum), originally from Salem. She works downtown during the day like me, and DJs at times around town (formerly PRA, Noir, Saucebox, etc). Also, she is one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet (you too Brad).

Excerpt from wedding email:

Hello family and friends!
We’re so happy you can join us for our wedding on September 1…

+ Mother Nature says “rideshare!” We want to leave as small a footprint as possible. Parking is limited at the Garden (32 spaces), and neighborhood street parking is also very limited (some overflow parking is available on SE 122nd Street, a side street across from the Garden parking lot). * JC says “Sustainable Wedding = Love Oregon”*

We are happy to help organize carpools. Send us an email if you need a ride or have extra room in your vehicle.

This was special for me in so many ways, and who knows–one day I might find a native Oregonian and also create an Oklagon union myself.

But, for you people who didn’t leave town this weekend and were not at the wedding–check out Leach Botanical Gardens/Park–it’s amazing!

It is out on SE 122nd between Foster and Woodstock (right past Foster Auto Parts and “Tommy’s Too”), and absolutely gorgeous.

Here are some directions also excepted from the wedding email:

From I-205 southbound:
-Take exit 17 for Foster Rd
-Keep left at the fork, follow signs for Foster Road Eastbound
-Turn left at SE Woodstock Blvd (signs for Foster Road Eastbound)
-Travel approximately 1 mile on Foster Road; turn right at SE 122nd and follow signs to the Garden

From I-205 northbound:
-Take exit 17 for Foster Rd
-Turn right at SE Woodstock Blvd (signs for Foster Road Eastbound)
-Travel approximately 1 mile on Foster Road; turn right at SE 122nd and follow signs to the Garden

Congratulations Brad and Liz!

*Cate is a fantastic photographer, but doesn’t do weddings. These were just personal shots.*

Some of you might know that I play a bit of the bones, rocks, the tiles–or if you’d prefer, dominoes. Dominoes is not a game–it is pure strategy and war–Michael Douglas vs Charlie Sheen war–a way to live one’s life :)

I’ve been battling around town (Aalto, Jace Gace, Chin Yen, B-Side, Plan B, etc) a bit lately against the Mayor (M.O.B.), Enigma, Six-Ace, The Slammers, C-Block, Fizzabella, Drunken Noodles, Becca and Trav, and of course–My Arch-Nemesis and the Stumptown barista-rrific S.P.

One might say, the posse’s getting bigger, so posse move ahead.

In Late September/Early October, we’re launching “PDX Bones, Hugs, and Discontent” (Title is WiP). The games will be played at Jace Gace (beer and waffles) and the B-side (patio and “Old Style”).

You don’t have to know how to play or own your own bones. We can accommodate 20 beginners or so, and we are down to teach–here is a starter guide though–we’ll be playing standard, all fives, six-count dominoes.

We introduce some of our own rules such as the ever so popular “big-six to start”, “ten to get in”, and the “twenty-twin-twin”. You will just have to be there I guess. The goal is to get enough people who can play well and establish PDX as a domino tournament city. Then we will take those fools in Cali who say they are the best and be on our way to battle Jamaicans and Puerto Ricans for that $1Million World Domino Championship prize!

Oh…and we’ll work in some prizes during the club nights also (Katu, we would like more free stuff)…come, the posse’s getting hungry, and Pipeline is treating….

Alex, give the man a call. Unlike Anton, I do believe this man could sneeze and hits will come out.

Example:

Example 2: “If you can’t get into it, you are going to dismiss it.”

Ok, where am I going with this (besides some type of man-crush)?

Didn’t you know the fall is coming? Fall, means school for many people (I’ve already started–go grad school!).

My friend Kristin, over at the AiPD turned me onto this company. * Rick gave the commencement speech a couple months back at our beloved Art Institute (oh, I’m sure the quotes were flowing). After hearing about this guy and MyRocketBook.com, I decided to call him up to hear about what they are doing. What they are doing is pretty amazing.

Remember the old days when you had to READ Cliffnotes. Those days are over for all you under-grads and junior-high/high-school students (what about us grad students Rick–I need the MyRocketBook version of this). At MyrocketBook.com, you watch or listen to those Cliffnotes. The thing is, it’s not about taking a short-cut though.

Remember, “If you can’t get into it, you are going to dismiss it”. Sure, there are going to be students using this (like we did with cliffnotes) to avoid reading. MyRocketBook makes that possible. For many of the rest of us though, we also (at least sometimes) used the cliffnotes b/c reading Shakespeare is hard. Ye Ole what? Please, speak English sir…oh, you do and you made it hot…ok, please speak our 21st Century American English….can’t do it–I’m off to the cliffnotes my friend.

So, here’s a couple things I really like (besides the fact that writing this might help me get the film version of that 300+ page “economics thriller”). Teachers write Rick and say that his site helped them have the “first decent discussion of (insert book ala King Lear) in five years”. MyRocketBook makes this stuff interesting to the kids–and then, like he stated–”I challenge you to watch (King Lear) and not read Shakespeare!”

Now, for me (tech-geek), the really cool part.

They launched a wiki-side to the site. Yep, that’s right. Remember when you would ask the person about the book and how they got an “A” when they wrote the report/presented it? Now, you can get that information from students, teachers, professors, etc from all over the world. Anyone who’s used a wiki knows the power (wikipedia anyone?), and this is where MyRocketBook (and anyone else doing this) has really revolutionized cliffnotes–let’s use the over-used cliche’ and call it cliffnotes 2.0.

Example from Rick:

“Classics are not dead. When stem-cell research is a big political topic, Frankenstein has modern relevancy.” The wiki makes that discussion possible, and I like it…yep, I like it…I like it a lot (please Rick, economics book?)

* I tried to reach MyRocketBook earlier today b/c I forgot to ask last time exactly who gave the commencement speech at AiPD. Rick just got back to me with this info: “Steve Emerson is the president of Rocketbook and he gave the commencement at the Art Institute. Don’t want to take credit for his work.”

Anyway, Flexcar is apparently hot–Hansel hot–and they want you to know it. Here is the email I received from them:

Due to our huge surge in membership after being featured on national TV news programs, we are currently experiencing a delay in receiving and therefore sending out Flexcard “keys.” We anticipate delivery of your Flexcard to you within 2 weeks.

Thanks for the knowledge that you are “So Hot Right Now”, Mr/Ms Flexcar. I feel honored to be a member of such “featured” program. Now send those keys, please.

So, without further ado, I went car free today!

I wrote a year ago that I was going to sell my Camry and get off the oil-nipple after experiencing the fantastic-ness of my friends’ 45 MPG Biodiesel Jetta. Well, like all weening, it wasn’t easy–instead of the month I planned–it took me a whole year to deal with the fear of living in the U.S. without a car.

As a side note, I worked, lived and moved around Europe for two years using nothing but public transport plus my 10 Guilder bike(s), and it was still difficult. Therefore, I understand why people have so many issues leaving their cars–I also understand that it is much easier to do so here than in 99% of the US. It is truly frightening when one has grown up (mid/southwest) in a society centered on the car. I haven’t driven more than 20 miles in a month since March and I was still hanging on to this banged-up Camry with some serious engine issues. NOT ANYMORE!

Today, Foster Auto Parts came and towed that bad-boy away. I got $250 for it cash, and that was it–car free. I possibly could have got more, but searching for that extra $100-$300 seemed like another diversionary tactic from cutting the umbilical cord. So what to do now?

I live in inner SE, near Laurelhurst Park. I work downtown, and I go to grad school at PSU. Since I write about a lot of Portland events, I do a decent amount of traveling around the metro. I already walk around 6 miles a day, bus it to school and work about half the time, am looking for a new bike, joining the flex car system, and well…will start evaluating when/why I should go somewhere–this will not be easy as I like to go out a good bit to see music and events. Effectively prioritizing my time could be the biggest benefit of becoming car free actually.

I think this is long enough for my first entry here (too long?). I plan on writing about this experience here. I know that tour de fat and urban mommas , etc are writing about how they traded in their car–so I hope to not just repeat that. Besides, my ultimate goal is actually not to be car free, but to have a very correct biodiesel at some point for limited travel–hey, let’s jump in my van to go the coast right now kind of thing.

Best to all of you garfields like me on Monday. It’s good to be here!