THIS JUST IN

This just in: City of Albany to revitalize downtown area, refurbish crumbling schools and construct Oregon’s first legit Nascar track.

Well, probably not.

But, since the Albany City Council voted to sue a subsidiary of PepsiCo for more than $100 million over the company's decision not to build a Gatorade and Propel Fitness Water factory in the city, it stands to collect some loot.

The city council voted 4-0 Monday to authorize the lawsuit, which alleges breach of contract.

Under a 2006 agreement, a PepsiCo subsidiary said it would build a $165 million beverage plant and a separate $85 million bottle-making factory on 241 acres the company bought.

Last November the company notified the city that because of market changes it had changed its mind.

With the country’s every state and municipality in dire economic straits, one has to wonder if the Council’s unanimous decision to sue was motivated by the city’s own lack of money.

To be sure, this legal battle will be costly and hard fought. PepsiCo is a giant organization with a team of skilled attorneys on its side. If the City of Albany doesn’t win the sum for which it is suing, this lawsuit may cost it more than it can muster and further compound its financial predicament.

Still loopy

I went to the 32nd annual Newport Seafood and Wine Fest today. It was great. In addition to the typical weekend warriors, I saw sluggish wine slobs drifting aimlessly and bead-draped cougars on the prowl, speaking in shrieks and wearing enough makeup to shame Tammy Faye. All gathered peacefully in a giant tent to drink copious amounts of vino, eat shrimp cocktails and cheer emphatically at the shattering of a glass.

Though I'm no connoisseur, I enjoyed several delicious wines from all over the Willamette Valley. Still, it was amusing to watch the clueless dorks pretending they could tell the difference between a spicy cab and a mellow syrah with a fruity finish.

When in Rome, make lemonade, eh?

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when life gives you lemons...

The nation’s economy is in a recession. Stocks and markets continue to falter, unemployment is on the rise, the dollar’s value is dropping and foreclosures are still mounting. While our elected officials struggle to balance budgets and decide which programs get funding and which don’t, our President has done little to rally the people and buoy spirits.

Consumer sales are at record lows, folks are worried about their jobs, investor confidence is waning, and some people are holing up and hording what little they have.

It’s clear that the country’s situation is dire. The last thing we need is the fluffy, happy talk reserved for a child: “there, there, it’ll be okay.” I, for one, find that insulting.

At the same time, the real talk that we’re getting from Obama is terribly gloomy. Though he’s taking care to treat the economic crisis with the utmost seriousness, he’s speaking too solemnly with a furrowed brow about the long slog ahead of us. I, for one, find that overwhelming.

So what’s needed? Obama obviously can’t please everyone. I think a mix of speech and action would serve him, and the population, well. The real talk should be given to us straight but it should be tempered with a sense of optimism and a mention of what we, as citizens, can do to help.

In his defense, he has expressed confidence that the nation will bounce back. These statements though, are delivered with the consternation and stiff body language that leaves me feeling more worried than comforted.

Bill Clinton echoed these sentiments in a recent television interview. "I like trying to educate the American people about the dimensions and scope of this economic crisis," he said. "I just would like [Obama] to end by saying that he is hopeful and completely convinced we're gonna come through this."

Side note: imagine the pressure. All eyes are on Obama. His every move is being dissected by critics, his most ardent supporters are expectantly waiting for him to fix everything, and guys like me are straddling that line, just hoping he can make the lemonade.

Fight

A fight at a skatepark in Tualatin that left four injured will end up being yet another thorn in the side of the movement to construct new skateparks across the state.

The fight, in which one person was stabbed, happened last night around 7 p.m. and has prompted the all-too-familiar stereotyping of skateboarders.

“Just more proof that skateparks attract the wrong crowd. Fill the darn thing in and make it a basketball court or another playground,” commented one reader on The Oregonian’s website despite the fact that none of the fighters have been identified as skaters.

While business owners complain about the destructive, dangerous and noisy presence of skateboarders on their property, residents fight skatepark construction in their neighborhoods. ‘Not in my backyard,’ they say, citing skaters’ tendencies toward substance abuse and general delinquency.

Still, the past decade has seen Oregon and the greater northwest become an internationally-renowned destination for skaters due to its abundance of world-class skateparks.

The most recent wave of new construction began in November 2002 when Portland voters approved a parks levy which, among other things, provided for two new skateparks at Pier and Glenhaven Parks in north and northeast Portland. The Portland Parks Foundation helped secure funding for a skate spot in the new Holly Farm Park in southwest Portland. Thanks to special funding approved by City Council in 2006, a new skatepark opened July 2008 in Gabriel Park in southwest Portland and a skate area is almost completed in Ed Benedict Park in southeast Portland.

Now, with plans to build another, much larger skatepark in the city’s Old Town near the west ramp of the Steel Bridge, skaters will likely see increased opposition to the construction and/or increased police presence when the project is finished. It’s also likely that the entire project will be postponed indefinitely due to the nationwide economic crisis and the city's financial woes.

Letterman vs Phoenix

David Letterman hosted actor Joaquin Phoenix last night. Together, the two engaged in what was surely one of the most unforgettable and uncomfortable exchanges in Late Show history.

Phoenix, hiding behind dark shades and a full, unkempt beard, was awkward and distant. Appearing on the show to promote his new movie, he mumbled one and two word answers to Letterman’s questions and prompted the host, himself truly gifted at moving conversations from mundane to memorable, to exploit the situation’s potential for comedic value. Letterman soon began mocking Phoenix, playfully ribbing the actor with sarcastic one-liners, until Phoenix grew contemptuous of the host, the co-host, and even the audience.

The whole exchange culminated when Letterman remarked, “Maybe I'll come to your house some night and chew gum." Phoenix responded by taking the gum out of his mouth and sticking it to the host’s desk.

Whether or not Letterman was actually irritated and whether or not Phoenix was really on another planet, it was some damn entertaining television, and surely sent millions of viewers off to bed wondering whether they just witnessed a stoned actor falling apart before the cameras, or a daring performer tearing apart the very conventions of the late night TV talk show.

Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXpYk7WGN5Y. We'll see how long it lasts.

Beaver Cleaver

Beaver Cleaver and his television family were the iconic nuclear unit of post-war suburban America.

RAVE ON

Fifty years ago today, Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens played a show in Clear Lake, Iowa.

Their short Upper Midwest tour was billed as the Winter Dance Party and predated the mega-festival super-tour concert scene of today. The lucky few that braved the bitter winter weather to see these young men perform were in the presence of a greatness that was soon to be prematurely snatched away.

Just hours after the show, the three were killed in a plane crash in the early hours of the day that came to be known as “the day the music died.”

Holly was only 22 years old but had already left an indelible mark on the developing rock-and-roll sound. Paul McCartney recalled singing and playing his songs with John Lennon when they were boys. Indeed, the first song the pair ever recorded with a young George Harrison was a cover of “That’ll Be The Day.”

One could speculate that had there been no Buddy Holly, there might be no Beatles. To me, that’s more devastating of a thought than the loss of Holly at such a young age. As sad as his untimely death was and is, at least we can be thankful that he was around long enough to leave a small but lasting body of influential work.

LISTEN TO WORDS OF LOVE, OH BOY!, RAVE ON and MAYBE BABY

I need a new drug...

...well not really. Huey Lewis sang that and I think his 1984 song's message applies to me too. He needed a change and so do I.

I need some new tunes. Times are tight and I don't have the loot to spend on the hit-or-miss music endeavors that expose me to new sounds. As much as I'd like to dig through the just-arrived record bins or grab that CD that the mag wrote about, I just can't afford to take the chance on its coolness.

So lately, when buying music, I tend to dig deeper into the catalogs of bands that I already like. Or I'll just buy an old album that's been deemed irrefutably classic. Even though I always win with these purchases, it's still not as thrilling as discovering something new or grooving to an old 45 by someone I've never even heard of.

Case in point: When I was thirteen, I bought The Clash's London Calling. I had never read about or listened to The Clash. I stumbled on the image of the iconic sleeve and reasoned that anything with that cool of a photo on the front must be the bee's knees. Turns out that judging that book by its cover was a good move.

Since those days are behind me, I'm calling on YOU, loyal danger-seekers. Please comment with music suggestions new and old. Though I have been known to be a bit of a music snob, those days too are now behind me and I will consider each suggestion with deference. Judging by the amount of hits this site gets, I'm banking that a few of you have a fairly good idea of what I dig.

PLEASE AND THANK YOU.

At the slow bar

They're playing 'gimme danger' at the slow bar.
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time to pretend

I know that all the year-end, best-of lists have already been put out there but I'm finally ready to make my claim.

The best album of 2008 is MGMT's Oracular Spectacular. With its woozy essence and space-disco pulse, the album is a work of staggering genius—not bad for a couple dudes from Brooklyn. Not only does the whole shape-shifting thing rock a room full of party people, it’s alternately effective alone, in headphones, where the soundscapes truly come to life.

By mixing modernist electro with time-tested psychedelic and world music, Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden crafted a debut with enough hooks to snag a sea of indie ears. "Time to Pretend" and "Kids" are so catchy that they'll be playing in your head long after the drugs wear off. “The Handshake” and its multiple parts are comfortably disorienting; the opiate sheen of the first two minutes awesomely sets up its pounding conclusion and the whistling on the fadeout caps the song. The guitar solo on “Of Moons, Birds & Monsters” recalls the freakout at the end of the 13th Floor Elevators’ “You’re Gonna Miss Me” while the aboriginal groove of “Electric Feel” calls to mind Men at Work’s hit “Down Under.”

Still, the album as a whole is refreshing. Nothing else that came out this year sounded quite like it. And despite what could be perceived as their apparent apathy, MGMT make their intention known on “The Youth,” singing “This is a call to arms to live and love and sleep together.” It’s a simple message that resounds across its ten tracks and one that seems more appealing now than ever. That’s what’s so great about it and that’s why it’s GimmeDanger's album of the year.

GO BUY IT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.

NYC? Try Portland.

I saw so many of these cookie-cutter dudes last summer.

PPS Disorder

Another year has passed. I’m a year older, maybe a bit wiser and definitely more sobered by the weight of the world. Still, I read something the other day that not only applies to me and my ephemeral youth, but to many others at times, and not even within the realm of skateboarding.

The Guest Ed column in The Skateboard Mag is usually written by a washed-up old pro who usually talks about kids these days, how things used to be back in the day, or the generally unexplainable virtue of skateboarding. The most recent issue however, contained a piece written by a young dude who I don’t know. Greg Robinson writes:

If you skateboard and are over the age of eighteen, there is a high likelihood that you suffer from Peter Pan Syndrome. Commonly referred to as PPS Disorder, Peter Pan Syndrome tends to thrive in fully grown adults whose lives are a complete and total synthesis between children’s fantasy and adult reality.

…Peter Pan Syndrome is based on the fictional behaviors and mannerisms of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. As with the inhabitants of Never Never Land, those who suffer from PPS Disorder experience a perpetual reluctance to grow up and engage in the expected norms of adult society.

…Without proper treatment, those diagnosed with PPS Disorder will experience a general disconnect from the established social order and eventually lose grip on the public’s concept of reality. In the end, the subject will completely devolve into a sort of carefree man-child, strutting through life with the easy-going attitude of a boy and the physical attributes of an adult.

…Skateboarding [or whatever your bag is] is a rickety old vessel that’s going to lurch on well beyond all of our years combined. Only mutiny can properly govern the crew, and it’s that constant revolt that’s kept the ship spotless since day one. Any bullshit is scrubbed down; anything unnecessary is thrown overboard. Seeing as how such a huge chunk of life has already been dumped into scrubbing the decks, every skateboarder has eventually got to ask the following:

Do I abandon ship and swim for land, thus putting my PPS Disorder into complete and total remission?

Or do I remain a Lost Boy aboard the Jolly Roger and go down with the ship in the seas of Never Never Land?

FIND THE BALANCE

Cabin Fever...

...is a slang term for a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person or group is isolated and/or shut in, for an extended period. Symptoms include restlessness, irritability, forgetfulness, laughter, and excessive sleeping. Another one is complete madness.

As the plows and gravel trucks continue to tirelessly fight the mounting snow and ice, Multnomah county has declared a state of emergency in an effort to obtain monetary assistance from the state (not likely) and the federal government (somewhat likely). Tri-met has now canceled all but its busiest routes, effectively stranding anyone without a chained-up four-wheel-drive or a Subaru.

Reading the comments on news sites and other blogs, the general consensus seems to be anger. Anger at the city, county and state that each respective municipality hasn't budgeted enough for inclement weather.

To reiterate yesterday's post, times are tough economically--you can't ignore that fact. Folks complain about tax hikes while our schools and public works still suffer. In an area where snow and ice of this scale are so rare, it seems silly to horde precious money for situations like these.

My suggestion: embrace it. Big kids need snow days too.

LISTEN TO "FLYING" BY THE BEATLES

REDRUM

Precipitation in Portland is a familiar occurrence and something to which the citizenry is entirely expectant. However, this past week's weather has turned the populace on its ear and once again proved that the city is unprepared for snow.

While many states and cities make room in their budgets for snow and ice control, Oregon and Portland see it so infrequently that it doesn't make sense to set much money aside. Governor Ted Kulongoski was recently forced to slash all spending due to the troubled economy. Further compounding Portland's financial predicament, Mayor Sam Adams said today that the city has spent nearly $1 million over the past week in an effort to clear roadways.

The television stations have forgone their regularly scheduled programming in favor of round-the-clock redundant news coverage that consists solely of weather reports and in-the-field correspondents shivering as they report that "yes, it's still snowing" or "yes, there is still snow on the ground."

Though it's only day two of the second phase of what KGW is calling "Arctic Blast," I've been welcoming the inclement weather. After enduring the playful blame game that I brought the snow back with me from Alaska, I haven't been to work. My office (like many others in the city) has closed its doors until things let up.

My house isn't quite snowed in but there's about a foot of snow piled up and even more blown up against the fence. But if I absolutely had to get somewhere, I probably could.

Still, staying in has been awesome. After countless busy weekends, the lady and I have been able to work on household projects and relax. We've suited up and walked to the grocery store. We've been burning fires and drinking lots of wine. She's been baking too, which works out well for me.

I imagine that cabin fever will soon be setting in; I'll start seeing strange things and scrawling REDRUM onto the walls. For the time being though, I'm just happy to be comfortable and warm, peacefully watching the delicate snow color my neighborhood white.

LISTEN TO "SKATING" BY THE VINCE GUARALDI TRIO

thisiswhereIis

I'm in Anchorage, Palin-Land! See the tall group of buildings just left of center? The third tallest structure in the city? Well, that thar orangey tower is where I'm staying. The features across the water, almost from where this photo was taken, are just as rugged as those pictured.

I'm not gloating, I'm just stoked to see and soak up another part of this country.Look how big this state is! Even though it's giant, there are hardly any people here--they're all clustered. Come to think of it, governing this state for a little bit would be a great experience; maybe a great enough experience to qualify one for the second highest office in the nation!

LISTEN TO M.I.A.