Jack Bog's Blog http://bojack.org/ by Jack Bogdanski of Portland, Oregon en Copyright 2009 Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:16:05 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss News from the hood
]]> http://bojack.org/2009/07/news_from_the_hood.html http://bojack.org/2009/07/news_from_the_hood.html Entertainment National Pictures Sports Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:16:05 -0800 Dulce silencio blogged about the miracle of a Mariners game on cable TV (channel 34) with crowd sounds but no annoying announcers. Even the commercials were muted! Tonight I accidentally figured out how it happened. My jiffy new remote control from the Comcastards has a "lang" button on it, and somehow it was switched to "Spa." Since they don't have Spanish, at least for now, you get the benefit of the absence of announcers. Right now we have a repeat of tonight's Mariners game from Fenway going -- great stuff.]]> http://bojack.org/2009/07/dulce_silencio.html http://bojack.org/2009/07/dulce_silencio.html Entertainment Media National Sports Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:28:07 -0800 Never mind Hedo Turkoglu won't be playing in Portland. The reason? The city's not European enough for his wife. So they're going to Toronto. Repeat: Portland is not European enough. Even with the streetcars. Even with the aerial tram. Even with the soccer people and their little songs and colorful scarves. Even with all the bicycles. Even with the spectacular views from the empty SoWhat condo towers. Even with Sunday Parkways. Not European enough! Randy! Sam! Do something! If only we had a Convention Center hotel, the Blazers could go all the way.]]> http://bojack.org/2009/07/never_mind_2.html http://bojack.org/2009/07/never_mind_2.html City of Portland Entertainment National Sports Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:39:46 -0800 A retraction -- at least, part of one blasted the O's editors for what we called "burying" today's James Chasse story. But it has been called to our attention that in the print version of today's paper (which we had not seen last night), the story gets the most prominent play possible:
That being the case, it's wrong to say that the story was "buried." Running it on a national holiday at the start of the three-day weekend, however, significantly diminished its impact. It should have been held for Monday.]]> http://bojack.org/2009/07/a_retraction_at_least_part_of.html http://bojack.org/2009/07/a_retraction_at_least_part_of.html City of Portland Crime Law Media Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:09:58 -0800 Sarah Palin resigns Another bizarre chapter in a crazy story. Does this mean she has to give the baby back to his real mother? What is really going on with her? Did the Letterman thing push her over the edge? Perhaps she is giving up her political career to take on the care of the recently orphaned Bubbles the chimp. She looks like she hasn't been eating. UPDATE, 2:43 p.m.: Pentagon sources report increased activity by Russian troops in Siberia. Speculation is that with America's watchdog distracted by personal issues, Putin may seize the opportunity and stage an invasion.]]> http://bojack.org/2009/07/sarah_palin_resigns.html http://bojack.org/2009/07/sarah_palin_resigns.html National Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:27:36 -0800 Paulson stadium: Was the "fix in" back in '07? commissioner of the league told some folks up in Vancouver (the real Vancouver) so:
"Two of the many cities that Vancouver is competing with for an expansion franchise are Portland and Montreal," said Garber. "Both of those cities are in the mix because they have stadium plans in place. It's hard to imagine Vancouver being part of MLS without a proper stadium."
Fascinating. Plans that were "in place," and yet the residents of the city heard nothing about them from their elected representatives. What a town.

]]> http://bojack.org/2009/07/paulson_stadium_fix_was_in_two.html http://bojack.org/2009/07/paulson_stadium_fix_was_in_two.html Business City of Portland Entertainment National Recreation Sports Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:38:34 -0800 Portland developer malarkey goes nationwide In 2001, Portland reversed the trend, opening a downtown streetcar line with brand new rolling stock, intent on using this mode of transportation to encourage transit-oriented development. The results have been impressive: $3.5 billion in new construction, 10,000 residential units, more than 5,000,000 square feet of office and hotel space. Politicians and transportation experts have flocked to Portland to see the results, and cities across the country are now pondering systems of their own.Suckers. It's all about the tax dollars for the apartment towers, baby. Ask us about the amputations that are taking place in our bus service. Ask us about how much of those 5 million square feet are empty. Ask us how much tax abatement, sweetheart loans, $1 real estate transactions, and other giveaways were needed to bring about those "results." Then, and only then, should you go by streetcar.]]> http://bojack.org/2009/07/portland_developer_malarkey_go.html http://bojack.org/2009/07/portland_developer_malarkey_go.html Business City of Portland National Taxes Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:21:55 -0800 Chasse was kicked or stomped in the back This is an example of why Sandy Rowe and Peter Bhatia of the O should be worried about that. UPDATE, 7/3, 3:10 p.m.: The story was not, in fact, buried in the Friday morning print edition of the paper. See followup here.]]> http://bojack.org/2009/07/chasse_was_kicked_or_stomped_i.html http://bojack.org/2009/07/chasse_was_kicked_or_stomped_i.html City of Portland Crime Law Media Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:19:19 -0800 Convention Center dude steps down -- for $168K in his place comes a gal recently departed from the Portland Development Commission after more than 20 years. She was the "senior development manager" of the SoWhat District -- Linchpin City! It appears that Goldschmidt Party control of the Convention Center has been restored.]]> http://bojack.org/2009/07/convention_center_dude_steps_d.html http://bojack.org/2009/07/convention_center_dude_steps_d.html Business City of Portland Portland Metro Travel Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:59:11 -0800 Baseball I can actually watch UPDATE, 11:15 p.m.: I stayed glued to the set until the end. Closest thing to going to the game in person. Awesome! UPDATE, 7/4, 12:34 a.m.: The simple explanation is here.]]> http://bojack.org/2009/07/baseball_i_can_actually_watch.html http://bojack.org/2009/07/baseball_i_can_actually_watch.html Sports Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:30:20 -0800 California prints its own money will, too, eventually. Get a sneak preview of our future here.]]> http://bojack.org/2009/07/california_prints_its_own_mone.html http://bojack.org/2009/07/california_prints_its_own_mone.html Business National Taxes Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:14:16 -0800 Have a great holiday weekend
]]> http://bojack.org/2009/07/have_a_great_holiday_weekend_6.html http://bojack.org/2009/07/have_a_great_holiday_weekend_6.html Entertainment History Music National Nostalgia Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:59:41 -0800 Stop the presses! Breaking News! OMG! etc. in a normal tie.]]> http://bojack.org/2009/07/stop_the_presses_breaking_news.html http://bojack.org/2009/07/stop_the_presses_breaking_news.html Business City of Portland National Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:03:08 -0800 Everybody feels the wind blow traded again -- this time from the Knicks Clippers to the Grizzlies.]]> http://bojack.org/2009/07/everybody_feels_the_wind_blow.html http://bojack.org/2009/07/everybody_feels_the_wind_blow.html City of Portland Crime Entertainment National Sports Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:29:13 -0800 26 years of student loans This guy's a little behind on his $435,000 of education debt.]]> http://bojack.org/2009/07/26_years_of_student_loans.html http://bojack.org/2009/07/26_years_of_student_loans.html Academe Business Consumer Law National Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:25:30 -0800