Good morning and happy happy Friday to you! It’s June 8, 2018, and though Portland’s weather is taking a sharp downturn, we’ll be back in the sun before you know it. It’ll rain late today and tonight, turning to showers by morning with thunder rolling tomorrow afternoon, while snow levels in the Cascades will drop to an autumnal 4200 feet. Which’ll make for pretty miserable camping, and not just in the high country; people staking out curb space for the parade in the morning have a wet night ahead tonight. Sunrise 5:22 AM, sunset 8:57 PM.
We’re hoping for good news from Salem today, where yesterday’s water samples looked okay, and if they test clean for the second day in a row, they’ll lift the alert. Again.
A whole bunch of Portland area police agencies teamed up for an undercover sting and arrested a whole bunch of people, 37 in all, proving the Beatles were right when they sang, “Money Can’t Buy Me Love.”
Another privacy gaffe for Facebook, which admitted that friends-only posts for 14 million users were made public for a few days in May. Awkward!
President Trump arrives in Quebec this morning for the G-7 meetings with our closest allies, who are all seething over the tariffs imposed by the US. The POTUS take via Twitter this morning: “Looking forward to straightening out unfair Trade Deals with the G-7 countries. If it doesn’t happen, we come out even better!” He skips tomorrow’s session on climate change to prep for next week’s showdown in Singapore with North Korea’s Kim Jung Un.
Scientists are excited that the building blocks of life–certain carbon molecules–have been discovered on Mars.
Hockey’s Stanley Cup was won by the Washington Capitals over the upstart Las Vegas Knights. DC hasn’t won a title in anything since the Redskins won the Super Bowl in ’92.
The Warriors will play the Cavs tonight in Game 4 of the NBA finals, and I hope Golden State finishes the job, just because of the burn that LeBron James laid on our town the other night. The clip is all over social media. James is talking about what a great basketball player the Warrior’s Kevin Durant is, which everybody knew he would be. “Everyone knew except Portland,” said James the other night. The Blazers had the first round pick but opted instead for a center with glass knees who washed out fast. “Sorry, Portland.” Ouch. Rub it in, why don’t you. Warriors in 4. Sorry, LeBron.
So much is going on this weekend…some requiring ponchos…some not…Barenaked Ladies (except for their ponchos) and KT Tunstall are at the Edgefield tonight, while Jethro Tull’s 50th-anniversary tour is at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend (poncho) tonight, and the Edgefield tomorrow night (still poncho). The Portland Opera presents Faust (no ponchos) at the Keller starting tonight. It’s sung in French, with English projected above the stage. Paul Reiser from “Mad About You” does standup at the Aladdin tonight, the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival is at Oaks Park (poncho). It’s the weekend of the Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest (ditto). Saturday is McIver Park’s 50th anniversary. Wear your tie-dye poncho. Vortex Lives. And I hear there’s a parade!(poncho).
Nice weekend for the movies. Opening tonight: the female-powered “Oceans 8″…and the Mr. Rogers documentary, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.”
Happy birthday to Boz Scaggs…and Dilbert creator Scott Adams…
In one of the better PR stunts, Country Time Lemonade-like Product is paying for permits and fines for kids who are busted for running illegal lemonade stands.
TMSG..
— “23andMe kit led a Texas woman, abandoned at birth, to long-lost siblings in Pennsylvania”
–“Jersey Trooper Stops Retired Cop Who Delivered Him 27 Years Ago”
–“NJ teacher leaves $1 million to school district in her will”
–“Syrian refugee launches luxury sneaker brand in France”
–“Ikea bans all single use plastic from its stores and restaurants” (now about the packaging…)
Yes! Tomorrow is Grand Floral Parade Day. It could be the rainiest in years, but maybe not, and the floats and bands and all the bright colors will be as impressive and stirring as ever. This is the year there’s a canine Grand Marshal, so having a wet dog in charge will make it a truly Portland event. K103 loves being involved in the Rose Festival, because it’s vital to support local and active traditions, instead of passively consuming what comes off a satellite dish. Tomorrow morning Bruce Murdock and I will host the Queen Coronation, as we have for over a decade; we met the Court for a rehearsal yesterday, and were very impressed by these intelligent young scholarship recipients, one of whom will wear the same tiara that has graced Queens’ reigns since 1933. Then it’s parade time, and our assignment, joined by our partner Janine Wolf, is to narrate things from the comfort of Veterans Memorial Coliseum. It’s a long morning, but doesn’t feel work to us; it’s the joy of being fully-involved Portlanders.
One quick programming note: I’ll duck out for most of next week for a minor outpatient procedure, and the likelihood of a DD from Tuesday to Friday is entirely dependent on how the meds are working. Might be interesting!
Somebody asked for another Dalai Lama quote:
“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”
Here’s to making the most of this weekend in June!
Portland's Daily Drip 