WTF?

Portland Mayor Sam Adams has a portrait of Modest Mouse front man Isaac Brock (above) outfitted in lederhosen hanging in his office? Just further proof of this town’s simultaneous weirdness and coolness. (Is there a positive correlation?)

Source:

http://endhits.portlandmercury.com/endhits/archives/2010/06/03/portland-mayor-now-has-a-portrait-of-isaac-brock-on-his-wall

Now that summer is ending in Portland [sigh], I might as well catch up on the interbloggering. Here are some things I've wandered across lately.


Music News:

When it comes to Axl Rose, there are some constants you can depend on throughout the decades: poor choice in head gear, leather pants, and storming off stage. On September 2, Guns n’ Roses took the stage of Dublin’s O2 arena a full 70 minutes late. Throughout the first 3 songs, fans pelted Rose and those other guys (who are they now?) with water bottles. Rose made good on his promise to walk off if the bottle flinging did not stop. The band returned (due to contractual obligations ) an hour later to finish their set in a mostly empty venue. Now who is more at fault? The band who can never show up on time or the fans who paid for tickets only to drive said band off stage after being duly warned?





In other wuss out news, Kings of Leon left the stage at a St. Louis show on July 23rd after about 3 songs. Disgruntled fans throwing things? Nope. It was angry pigeons dropping poo from the rafters.
The Verizon Amphitheater apparently had a pigeon infestation which was supposed to be cleared up before the show. Now I certainly wouldn’t relish having bird poo dropped on me for an hour or so. But I question the band’s street creds since opening bands Stills and the Postelles both played full sets. Neither band had any complaints about the bird bombs dropped on them. Maybe the advance for the next Kings of Leon album should go towards some kind of rocker boot camp to toughen those guys up.
To add insult on the band’s bird inflicted injuries, mummified rocker Sammy Hagar publicly dissed Kings of Leon on radio station KSDK saying “…I’m mad at Kings of Leon” and “any time I see somebody doing something like that ... I remember when Guns and Roses had all those problems in St. Louis, and I had to turn on them. I had to.”


Political News:

With all the legal brew-ha-ha going on in Arizona, there is one disturbing fact that the state’s government has been guiding under the radar by exploiting our distraction. Jan Brewer is a bonified zombie. Here is the proof. vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv




Yikes! Hide your brains!









sources:

http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/the-beat-goes-on/posts/guns-n-roses-tells-crowd-we-wont-rock-you-after-pelted-by-bottles

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=212549&catid=3

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/atoz/2010/07/kings_of_leon_cancels_st_louis_show_pigeon_bird_shit_july_23_2010_jared_followill_missouri_heat.php

Palin's Army

On Friday morning 5/14/2010, former Alaska Governor and AK-47 enthusiast Sarah Palin revealed she is raising an army of "mama grizzlies" to lay siege to Washington D.C. and topple the currently majority Democrat government. A source close to Palin has revealed that, among other things, Palin has promised the bears better compensation for toilet paper advertisements, a 50% increase in honey supplies, and removal from zoos all signs that discourage feeding. Mrs. Palin did not reveal the size or capabilities of her army at present. A source in Ursus intelligence, speaking to us on the condition of anonymity, stated the grizzly militia is currently being equipped with lazer guns and jet packs.
Shortly after Palin's statements, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano held a press conference, saying "Lazers? She got lazers? Are they, like, lazers for nerds doing research and shit? Or are they like Luke Sky walker blowing up the Death Star? Cuz there's a difference."

At this time, there is no indication Mrs. Palin has approached Brown, Black, or Polar bears.












http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37264.html
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jYg3yUuVGNAfWGdVNY0lBU2607_wD9FMQHTO0

Midterm Election Politics

On 5/12/2010, former Governor of Alaska turned media opportunist Sarah Palin said that Republicans should stop worrying about the middle. She went on to say that the middle will come to them.
This public call for right wing extremism is part of a trend that has been building for over a year. Since early 2009, various "Tea Party" groups have been calling for tax reform and a government stripped of much of it's current authority.
I like to think that Palin's strategy will not work, and much of history will back me up. America has often moved slowly in terms of progression, with the occasional short period of rapid change. We elect presidents whose message is closer to the middle of the liberal/conservative spectrum. Radical rhetoric can sometimes gain popularity during times of unrest, but this usually fades on election day when the average person is actually faced with the prospect of having a radical for a leader. With the projected popularity of the Tea Party and the anti-incumbent sentiment which has struck down Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-West Virginia) and Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) in their respective primaries, some people expect this November to mark the beginning of an era of rapid change towards fiscal restraint, limited government services and powers, and social conservatism. Or, November could see tempers of the middle cool a bit, bringing in more minor changes and the re-election of center right and center left politicians. One thing I know is, don't hang your hat on anything Sarah Palin says. That chick is crazy.
Sources etc.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37167.html
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/17/tea.party.poll/index.html
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/36185.html