Still crazy after all these years
Eight years ago on this night, this blog was born. It seems so long ago, all alone on Blogger. No comments. No images. A borrowed template, reaching out. Since then, we've had more than 4.5 million unique visits, posted more than 12,000 entries, blown the place up a couple of times (once on purpose), drawn in some sponsors, and received more than 120,000 comments.
We had early inspiration: Tony Pierce, Howard Bashman, John Dunshee. And many more since that first night. We've even inspired some blogchildren ourselves.
There have been so many magic moments. Take just the past few months, for example. From the Welches con man to Little Lord Paulson to Bicycle Rex and His Acid Freaks to off-duty cop road-'roid rage to your unconstitutional water bill to the $681,000 red-light cam to Kyron's freaky stepmom -- Portland's a really interesting place, if you know where to look. And our readers supply more wonderful leads than we can figure out what to do with, all day, every day. It's fun.
And Lord willing, there's more to come.
But a pressing question remains: Why can't we move a few dozen bumper stickers? People, even if you don't put stickers on your car, you want one of these for your bowling bag, camping cooler, or gun case. Like they say, Own a piece of history. Heh.
| Posted at 3:42 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (24)
I don't own a bowling bag, so just send me 3 stickers - for the truck, gun case and igloo cooler please.
Posted by Frank | July 6, 2010 5:37 AM
Congrats on 8. Long may your blog live.
Posted by LucsAdvo | July 6, 2010 6:07 AM
Still my favorite blog. Congrats!
Posted by Troy Wittren | July 6, 2010 6:47 AM
I'll order a couple of stickers tomorrow. I only hesitated because I've never used Paypal. Yeah: I'm old.
Your blog is my favorite website for Portland centric news. If the Oregonian gave you a weekly column, I might start reading it again (once a week!). If they hired Phil Stanford, I might even read it three times a week.
Posted by Mister Tee | July 6, 2010 7:36 AM
One of my favorite blogs, too. If you want to know a piece of what's happening politically in PDX, Jack (the curmudgeon) is the place to go at least a couple times a week. Congratulations on eight years. You were doing it before most of us knew what it was for.
Posted by Mike Landfair | July 6, 2010 8:13 AM
Considering the fact you did this all on your own (especially when you look at some of your competition like B-O), you are doing very well.
Now if you can just get some sustainability grants and hire a staff, you might be able to go global.
Posted by Steve | July 6, 2010 8:43 AM
Eight is not enough.
Posted by Allan L. | July 6, 2010 8:51 AM
This is the only blog I check into on a daily basis. It's like opening a Christmas stocking each time. Good place to find interesting little nuggets of pertinent information, often left under the radar of other news outlets.
Posted by SKA | July 6, 2010 8:56 AM
8 is a good figure. Congrats, Jack.
Posted by Mark Mason | July 6, 2010 9:15 AM
It was more than four years ago that I happened across this blog. Not quite sure what brought me here, but I've been back virtually every day since.
On the web, where Gresham's Law prevails, it's great to see something of quality endure. Thanks for all you've done.
Posted by Roger | July 6, 2010 9:26 AM
Congrats of eight years of active community involvement!
Why no bumper sticker for me? If you knew how I drive you would not your advert on my car!
Posted by Old Zeb | July 6, 2010 9:30 AM
8 is a power number. Go for it!
Posted by Lawrence | July 6, 2010 9:40 AM
Congratulations, Jack! Definitely 8 more! I've learned a lot from your blog...whether I wanted to or not! :)
Posted by laurelann | July 6, 2010 9:49 AM
Before I stumbled on this blog, I had no idea how Portland really worked. I went about my doomed artistic projects happy and delusional with the city in the background.
Now I'm a seething civic watchdog.
----Thanks, Jack.
Posted by Bill McDonald | July 6, 2010 9:51 AM
Happy Anniversary! Your relationship with the citizens of this area grows stronger, more intimate every day.
Regarding the bumper sticker -- a medium of direct communication -- it would not be wise to alert the gendarmes that one is affiliated with this blog.
Posted by Gardiner Menefree | July 6, 2010 10:18 AM
How about we start a contest on where the stickers are posted?
Posted by dman | July 6, 2010 10:27 AM
You are good to go for another 8, please.
Posted by Abe | July 6, 2010 10:28 AM
Thanks for all the hard work you put in "cultivating this information garden".
It's become a destination blog page for us.
Posted by Old Shep | July 6, 2010 11:00 AM
And, this auspicious day, a happy 75th birthday to the Dalai Lama, who visited this city a tad over a year prior to this blog's initiation. It was the most harmonious gathering of 25,000 ever experienced in Pioneer Courthouse Square, as this NYT clip suggests:
Portland Journal; A Spirit of Nonviolence Creates a Stir in Oregon
Published: May 17, 2001
PORTLAND, Ore., May 16— When the Dalai Lama visited Salt Lake City and Minneapolis last week, he was well received. But in Portland this week he caused a downright sensation.
"World peace must develop from inner peace," the Dalai Lama told 25,000 people packed on Sunday into Pioneer Courthouse Square downtown, many of whom had waited for several hours.
People in business attire mixed with monks in yellow and red robes and area residents who had walked for four days from Mount Hood, about 60 miles away, to see the Dalai Lama.
After a high school band played the Tibetan and American anthems, Gov. John Kitzhaber and Mayor Vera Katz welcomed the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, the ancient Himalayan land now under Chinese control.
Posted by Gardiner Menefree | July 6, 2010 11:31 AM
Congratulations from one of the blogchildren!
Posted by Isaac Laquedem | July 6, 2010 11:56 AM
I got mine!
Posted by AL M | July 6, 2010 1:09 PM
Congratulations from another of your blogkids! Even though I no longer live in PDX, I still keep coming back to see what you have to say. You never disappoint!
Keep on keepin' on!
Janna Orkney
www.ConejoPost.com
Posted by Janna Orkney | July 6, 2010 1:28 PM
Hi Jack:
Excellent Blog and great bumper sticker.
(I got one two-three weeks ago.)
I'm a big fan, daily reader and a more enlightened "curmudgeon" because of your excellent work. You should clone yourself.
VTY,
Michael Whitmore
Posted by Mike | July 6, 2010 3:31 PM
Thanks for the perseverance, Jack. Makes Portland more livable. Go by internet!
Posted by Mojo | July 6, 2010 5:12 PM