At least someone among the Democrats understands what the people want: Accountability--and NOW, not next month or God forbid next political cycle. Jeff Merkley, who's running for the chance to take on Gordon Smith in 2008, has come out in favor of impeaching Alberto Gonzales.
Three or four months ago, you might have called that daring. Today, it’s a signal that Merkley’s aiming for the Oregon Democratic mainstream.
Indeed. Aggressive push-back against the administration is now the mainstream position.
So why is Patrick Leahy chickening out on the warrantless wiretapping probe? Why is impeachment off the table? Though I'm beginning to think at this point it's a distraction from finding out what's really going on in this administration, hearings can be an effective tool for digging out the dirt.
Mainstream Americans, let alone Democrats, are ready for some serious action. Why aren't our elected officials? By dithering, they're giving support to Ralph Nader's charge that there's no difference between the parties.
Now--you and I know there definitely is a difference. If the past few years haven't shown that, I don't know what will. So let's start acting like it, politicians, eh? We elected you in November to show some spine. So show it. Be Democrats, dammit.
Submitted by Lynns on Mon, 08/20/2007 - 10:27pm. login or register to post comments
On her blog and in email to supporters, Mabel's owner Cait Smith announced today that her ground-breaking and widely imitated knitting cafe will be closing within the next week or so:
I promise you that we tried very hard to prevent this sad turn - a number of factors have made this decision inevitable, including a saturated market in Portland and more crafters shopping online. ...
Starting this Sunday - August 12th - we will be having a storewide liquidation. All inventory will be 30% off, and we expect things to move quickly. We will open from 10AM - 6PM for the first two days, and will close at 4PM for the remaining 4 or 5 days.
On a happier note, I will be starting a new business in the same location, and many familiar faces will be right there with me. I hope you will all stop by at the end of August to check out our new
and expanded coffee house, complete with a children's area, free wi-fi, delicious coffee, bagels, treats, milkshakes.. ..all the good stuff. We hope to carry all of the coziness of Mabel's along with us.
The word is the new place will be called the Tandem Cafe and that most of the staff will be staying on.
Submitted by Lynns on Thu, 08/09/2007 - 7:40pm. login or register to post comments
The girls and I were driving home from Trader Joes this afternoon ("We found the wooden cat, Mom!") when I noticed Saigon Kitchen at 38th and Div was closed. And then I noticed big white signs in the windows. I immediately pulled over and tooled through the parking lot to get a better look at the signs.
Now, you need to understand that John and I have been eating at Saigon Kitchen since almost the day they opened 15 years ago in the down-at-heel shopping strip that used to stand where the OHSU Richmond clinic is now. It was our family restaurant, where we went for all kinds of celebrations big and small. When Josie was tiny, she and my mom played a game where Josie would be Mama (me) and Grandma would play Daddy and "Daddy" would have to say "Where do you want to eat?" and Jo would answer, "How 'bout Saigon Kitchen, hoonnnney!" We've called it Saigon Kitchen, Honey ever since.
So Saigon Kitchen closing? Big news at our house.
And sure enough, the sign said, and I'm paraphrasing, "To our valued customers: We've enjoyed serving you for the last 15 years but our family is moving on to other ventures. We will be closing at the end of July." (Yeah, I hadn't driven past in a couple of weeks.)
wah!
Submitted by Lynns on Wed, 08/08/2007 - 10:15pm. login or register to post comments
Q: Why are we doing this?
We are committed to our community and the Earth we share! We see the Portland community as leaders in the use of bicycles as a great way to move people and our stuff. We want to play an important role in the growth of sustainable transportation.
Q: How long will this service be offered?
We hope forever! This is a pilot project that will last through November 1st, 2007. Should it be successful (and we think it will!) Portland Pedal Power intends to provide contract delivery services to other businesses who value sustainability.
The service boundaries are SE Holgate to SE Hawthorne and SE 39th to the Willamette River. If you're outside that area, it's $5 per half mile. [via]
Submitted by Lynns on Wed, 08/08/2007 - 9:57pm. login or register to post comments
I was glad to read about this at News4Neighbors.com, especially since our upstairs TV is about to die. You can now recycle your TV in SE:
Bear eCycling has opened a television recycling depot at their SE Portland facility at 4532 SE 63rd Avenue. "Ever since we got listed on the Metro Recycling Hot-line as a recycler who can handle televisions, the phone has been ringing quite steadily." says company president Oso Martin, “As a commercial recycler, our trucks are really too large [to] provide cost effective pick-up from residential customers, so instead we created the public drop off option." ...
The increasing demand for TV recycling looks to only get larger as all broadcast television signals will be switched over to Digital Television (DTV) on Feb. 27, 2009, making all non-DTV units obsolete.
Yay for you, Oso! We may be seeing you sooner than later.
Submitted by Lynns on Wed, 08/08/2007 - 9:53pm. login or register to post comments
Nestor Perala, one of the great, great characters of SE PDX, has died. He was 84. Nestor and I knew each other for 25 or more years; he was one of the first friends I met in Portland, at the Gnostic meetings he'd hold at his gorgeous old house on Market Street (that I secretly coveted--I hope whoever has that house knows how lucky they are).
Later he'd come to the cafe John and I owned. We'd run into each other in some of the most improbable places and were never very surprised. He officiated at my first disastrous wedding (and we forgot to pay him!). We were involved in the Church of All Worlds together.
And at the end, we saw each other regularly at Wy'East Unitarian, where we were not at all surprised we'd both ended up. His daughter Christi said to us once at church, "So the Pagans have converted!" and we both said at the same time, "Not at all!" and smiled broadly over the pews at each other when the first hymn turned out to be a paen to the Goddess--probably the most Pagan hymn in the hymnal.
That kind of stuff happened around Nestor all the time. He was one of the people who was out there keeping Portland weird for a very long time. Now it's up to the rest of us.
We were not close friends, but we were good friends. Nestor, I will miss you. Have a good rest, dear.
Submitted by Lynns on Tue, 07/24/2007 - 12:44pm. login or register to post comments
Sellwood Riverfront (Mondays 6:30 pm):
7/9 Teresa James (blues)
7/16 Jennifer Lynn (Americana)
7/23 St. James' Gate (Irish)
7/30 Melao de Cana (Cuban)
Mt Tabor (Tuesdays 6:30 pm):
7/10 Bodacious (gumbo)
7/17 Donna Jose & the Side Effects (blues/folk rock)
7/24 Norman Sylvester with Gretchen Mitchell (R&B)
7/31 Rhythm Culture (reggae)
Lents Park (Sundays 3 pm):
8/19 Founders' Day Celebration (starts noon with parade)
8/26 EZ Eddy and Terry Robb (blues)
9/2 Misty Mamas (American roots)
9/16 Wheatfield (country rock)
We have chickens and we can't recommend them highly enough. They are fun, funny and give eggs so good you'll never eat store-bought again if you can help it.
If you're curious about keeping chickens, you'll want to know about this:
Chickens in the City Workshop!
Growing Gardens in partnership with Americorps NWSA is hosting a
workshop for all Portland residents interested in raising chickens in
their own backyards.
Every morning we watch the middle school kids march around the neighborhood in preparation for the Junior Rose Festival Parade. It cracks us up for some reason. Maybe it's the honking and squeaking. Maybe it's the young guy with the bullhorn gently but loudly hectoring them into shape. Maybe it's watching them get better and better--they sound pretty good now compared to when they started out.
But mostly I think it's just remembering what it's like to be in middle school. I watch them march past the house every morning, resigned and yet earnest at the same time as only a middle schooler can be.
And I'll miss them until next year, when a new crop will march down 30th like goslings. honk. squeak.
Submitted by Lynns on Tue, 06/05/2007 - 11:01pm. 1 comment
