Friday, June 29, 2018

Morning, Drip family, and hello to the extended Beaver Nation! It’s Friday, so named because we’re all pretty much fried, June 29, 2018. A cool little breeze is coming off the coast, with a couple of showers tagging along, and we’ll be in the comfy low 70’s today and all weekend long. Sunrise 5:24 AM, sunset 9:03 PM.

First…a downtown Portland police shooting has several major streets blocked off..including Broadway between Harrison and Jackson…6th between I-405 and Harrison…and College between 5th and Broadway. A PSU police officer shot and killed someone at about 1:30 AM; who and why, we don’t know.

Pioneer Courthouse Square is the place to be at noonish today, as the National Champion Oregon State University Beavers baseball team will swing by for a victory celebration, on their way home to Corvallis from Omaha. News reports today are full of superlatives for the performance of freshman pitcher Kevin Abel–he’s being likened to Roger Clemens, who was almost as dominant in a College World Series a generation ago–and for the rest of the Beaver team, especially catcher Adley Rutschman, for smacking a series-record 17 hits, and protecting his pitcher from being smothered in the dogpile on the mound after the final out.

Security is elevated at news outlets across the country after a man who had a beef with reporting by the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland brought in a shotgun and killed four journalists and a sales associate. The 38-year old had been the subject of a report that he had stalked a high school classmate, had sued the paper and failed. He was found hiding under a desk. Meantime, the Gazette’s work goes on: “Yes, we’re putting out a damn paper,” the editor tweeted. But the editorial page today is blank, but for the phrase, “No Words.”

Yesterday’s Homeland Security action removing the blockade of ICE HQ on Macadam was carried out without the assistance of Portland Police, who followed Major Ted Wheeler’s directive that police “not be used to break up a nonviolent occupation on federal property of a federal agency that has its own police force.” Wheeler added, “I join those who are outraged by ICE actions separating parents from their children, and support peaceful protest to give voice to our collective moral conscience.”

NBC reports that immigrant kids as young as 3 are appearing in court without their parents to plead their case to stay in the country.

About 100 migrants missing at sea off the coast of Libya, and feared dead after their boat capsized.

Did you see who popped up at Multnomah Falls yesterday? It was former President Jimmy Carter himself, in the Gorge for an event over in Stevenson sponsored by the Carter Center. He was recognized by a KGW crew, there for the reopening of the Benson Bridge, closed since the fire last year. He had a name tag with “Jimmy” in big letters, a belt buckle in the shape of a horseshoe with the letters JC, and a ballcap with the number 39. The 93-year old gentleman looked healthy and vigorous, and certainly impressed by the falls.

Toys R Us closes the doors on its last stores today, amid a viral video of its mascot giraffe sadly preparing to go away…and this message on its web site: “Thanks to each of you who shared your amazing journey to (and through) parenthood with us, and to every grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother and sister who’s built a couch-cushion rocket ship, made up a hero adventure, or invented something gooey. Promise us just this one thing: Don’t ever grow up. Play on!”

Chipotles is closing dozens of stores as corporate brings out the blade to increase profitability.

A couple bought a new trailer in Poulsbo…and totaled it twenty minutes later on the way home.

It’s certainly summer in Portland–Last Thursday returned to NE Alberta last night.

For a soft touch in a hard world…some headlines…..

–“He found a purse with $8000, credit cards, plane tickets. Then he saw a crying woman”

–“After tweeting about her “worst day ever” for sales, the owner of an independent bookstore has been inundated with support – from customers, book lovers and famous authors”

–“11-yr-old from Pakistan crosses into India by mistake, sent back with sweets, new clothes”

–“Atlanta 6-year-old with lemonade stand raises $13,000 for separated migrant families”

–“Students raise $2000 to send jolly janitor on vacation”

And..

–“Radio Daddio finally gets his Mac back”

…though still smarting from my toenail procedure. But it’s nothing compared to what a few of you are going through. Let’s have a weekend of feeling good and finding peace, and perhaps a break from social media? I’ll pop in if something happens…if I can break away from a certain almost-4 year old, with whom I have a play date!

Congratulations Beavers!!