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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on December 14, 2010 8:46 AM. The previous post in this blog was HumBug in NoPo. The next post in this blog is I don't think we're in Oregon any more. Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

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I have a simple question

Who the heck actually wrote this drivel?

Posted at 8:46 AM | Permalink

Comments (34)

"We hope that you can join us in leading this culture of change by participating in our Education Summit on February 7, 2010. It will be an opportunity to look at how we can transform a community, on the ground, to better serve its youngest members. After all, we are all parents of Portland’s children."
===

1) Written to publicize an Edu Summit with the wrong date?

2) And a typo: "to better serve its youngest members" was meant to be "to better serve (the Mayor with) its youngest members"

3) "After all, we are all parents of Portland’s children." Priceless! I am moving back to Portland, just so Sam can co-parent my children.

Posted by Harry | December 14, 2010 9:04 AM

Ah, the young members.

Posted by Jack Bog | December 14, 2010 9:19 AM

They must have cropped the picture. In the full picture, the mayor is sitting next to the boy reading a book called "Uranus."

Posted by Garage Wine | December 14, 2010 9:27 AM

Now, if only Adams could learn to sob uncontrollably like John Boehner.

Posted by Peter Apanel | December 14, 2010 9:35 AM

I just ran this drivel through MS Word and even it picked out several bad typos and grammar constructions. As a writer, drivel offends me; badly written drivel is just salt in the wound.

Posted by tommyspoon | December 14, 2010 9:40 AM

Surely the author's salary is commensurate with his abilities.

Posted by Hg | December 14, 2010 9:55 AM

It takes a village idiot.

Posted by Allan L. | December 14, 2010 9:57 AM

Better question: who reads it?

Posted by Larry | December 14, 2010 9:59 AM

If all of us really are "parents of Portland's children", doesn't this mean that Sam Adams committed incest when he dated Beau Breedlove?

Also, where in Portland's city charter does it say that the mayor should try to manage the education system? Don't we have a separate school board that is supposed to do that? Someone needs to explain the mayor's duties to Sam. They could start by suggesting that he focus on getting the Sellwood Bridge fixed.

Posted by Pat | December 14, 2010 10:13 AM

A mayor is often called upon to focus on the basics.

Yeah, Sammy, but we've given up hope on you. You can't tell the city from the school district, your ass from a pothole, and you can't keep your hands off the kids or their money. You and little Danny Saltzman, along with the frikkin' loser hosehead Randy, should have FOCUS on CITY issues.

You don't.

YOU FAIL.

Posted by godfry | December 14, 2010 10:23 AM

Who wrote this drivel? How many creatives does Sammy Boy have on his staff?

Posted by umpire | December 14, 2010 10:28 AM

Not much mention of Urban Renewal theft in this piece, I see. It's still "for the kids", right?

Posted by MJ | December 14, 2010 10:39 AM

"...and you can't keep your hands off the kids or their money."

Yeah, I know what you mean. This song came to mind as I was reading.

Posted by MJ | December 14, 2010 10:42 AM

That actually reads as if it were written by Sam "Mayor Creepy" Adams himself.

Bear in mind that he didn't think education was quite so important at the time he was dropping out of school, and his writing and thinking reflect that quite well.

Posted by Gen. Ambrose Burnside, Ret. | December 14, 2010 11:33 AM

Your mayor is a comedian.

Posted by SKA | December 14, 2010 12:56 PM

MJ, I suspect that this song might work just as well, too.

Posted by Texas Triffid Ranch | December 14, 2010 1:13 PM

SKA:Your mayor is a comedian.

That statement hurts.
Many hate to think of him as our Mayor.

I believe his great constituency are those who kept him in for whatever benefits they might still retrieve.
Examples of that would be developers, etc, the bike community. . .
and down to smaller perks, perhaps even some of those who get the free dinners for participating in community meetings. (Mayor can then carry on about good community participation)

Also, his followers of the green and sustainable. They need to take their blinders off to see that their Mayor is a hypocrite.

Posted by clinamen | December 14, 2010 1:15 PM

You and little Danny Saltzman, along with the frikkin' loser hosehead Randy, should have FOCUS on CITY issues.

Randy Leonard is Canadian? That can't be
true. I always looked at Canadians as being friendly and civil. Randy Leonard is anything but that.

Posted by LexusLibertarian | December 14, 2010 1:17 PM

That statement hurts.
Many hate to think of him as our Mayor.

Some of us hate to think of him as a comedian!

Posted by Starbuck | December 14, 2010 1:19 PM

Oh boy! Mayor Creepy is going to give all the little kiddies a "helping hand". More bath rooms for hiz honor@ city hall.

Posted by Portland Native...traveling the USA | December 14, 2010 1:35 PM

Sam helping school kids and Sam on the Human Sex Trafficking campaign.

Besides being sick, doesn't anyone else in this town see how sick all of this is allowing him around anyone vunerable under 18?

Posted by Steve | December 14, 2010 1:47 PM

"Some of us hate to think of him as a comedian!"

Some of us hate to think of him.

Posted by Steve | December 14, 2010 1:48 PM

'Who ... wrote this drivel?' Well, it was done by Sam X, the mystery Sam.
Mystery solved: It's 'Xmas' spelled backwards.

Bonus answer, for the questions no one asks: Santa is 'Satan' spelled funny.

Posted by Tenskwatawa | December 14, 2010 2:01 PM

"As a writer, drivel offends me ...."

As a writer, you might want to watch out for dangling modifiers.

Posted by Richard | December 14, 2010 2:12 PM

"...ensure our children of today get the skills they need to be the dominant workforce of tomorrow."

This is the primary problem with education today. It is all about training people to be worker drones.

(Sound of a loud Buzzer) WRONG!

We need to educate people to be able to think and acquire knowledge about the world. People that are able to stand on the shoulders of giants instead of sulking with a punch card in one hand and a cell phone in the other.

Posted by Ralph Woods | December 14, 2010 2:26 PM

Some of us hate to think of him.

Some of us hate to think!

Maybe city council?

Posted by Lawrence | December 14, 2010 3:38 PM

If he or one of his minions wrote this, then it's ironic his grammar would be so poor when discussing education. Data is plural, datum is singular. Data requires a plural verb, not a singular verb.

Posted by Mike Parr | December 14, 2010 4:04 PM

"stand on the shoulders of giants instead of sulking with a punch card in one hand," Ralph, you have a trust fund that you live on perhaps?

Posted by John Benton | December 14, 2010 4:10 PM

Data is plural, datum is singular.

Data can be either, and nowadays I think singular may be the more common usage. That's the least of the problems with this.

Posted by Jack Bog | December 14, 2010 4:26 PM

A mayor is often called upon to focus on the basics. In my two years as your mayor I absolutely agree that city government’s limited resources should be focused on our most basic needs.

Whoever wrote this must not know the Mayor's mode of operation. . .
or may it just be Mayor's fantasy of "I do some good for the community" so that he can justify spending money like mad for the other "big" pet projects?

Posted by clinamen | December 14, 2010 5:12 PM

... yeah, but do data require a plural verb, or does 'data' requires one?

Posted by Tenskwatawa | December 14, 2010 5:12 PM

I think it do.

Posted by Allan L. | December 14, 2010 5:15 PM

It's drivel, so I assume Sam wrote it. The better question is why did he write it? He has absolutely no credibility talking about children or education.

Posted by dg | December 14, 2010 8:26 PM

Perfect skit for Laugh-In.

Posted by David E Gilmore | December 15, 2010 6:56 AM

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Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Grigio 2011
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Lorelle, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011
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Lorelle, Columbia Valley Cabernet 2011
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Opula Red Blend 2010
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Chateau Ste. Michelle, Indian Wells Red Blend 2010
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2011
King Estate, Pinot Noir 2011
Famille Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2010
Columbia Crest, Les Chevaux Red 2010
14 Hands, Hot to Trot White Blend
Familia Bianchi, Malbec 2009
Terrapin Cellars, Pinot Gris 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2009
Campo Viejo, Rioja, Termpranillo 2010
Ravenswood, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2010
Waterbrook, Reserve Merlot 2009
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills, Pinot Grigio 2011
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Lello, Douro Tinto 2009
Quinson Fils, Cotes de Provence Rose 2011
Anindor, Pinot Gris 2010
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Les Fiefs d'Anglars, Malbec 2009
14 Hands, Pinot Gris 2011
Conundrum 2012
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Penelope Sanchez, Garnacha Syrah 2010
Canoe Ridge, Merlot 2007
Atalaya do Mar, Godello 2010
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Benvolio, Pinot Grigio
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2009
Portuga, Rose 2011
Revelation, Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc 2010
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 2005
Monte Alto, Tinto Reserva 2005
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2009
Espiral, Vinho Rose
Vin-Koru, Pinot Gris 2011
14 Hands, Hot to Trot Red 2009
Rodney Strong, Cabernet, Sonoma 2009
Abacela, Vintner's Blend #11
Portuga, White 2010
La Bourgeoisie, Red 2009
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Three Rivers, River's Red 2008
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Muga, Rioja Rose 2010
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Garda Chiaretto Rose
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Vineyard 10 White
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Mark Bego - Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (2012 ed.)
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Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
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Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
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Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

I have a simple question

Comments (34)

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