Friday, November 16, 2018

And a cheery good morning to you! Let’s just meditate on this one-word mantra, perhaps those most soothing syllables in the English language…Friday! It’s Friday, November 16, 2018, and Portland’s weather appears to be cloudy and mild with a slight chance of rain to the north, and highs in the 50s. Then the east wind comes galloping out of the Gorge starting Saturday. Sunrise 7:11 AM Sunset 4:39 PM. It’s the 320th day of 2018, with, well, 45 to go.

It’s heartwarming to hear how a Portland International Airport fire department team is spending its time in the California fire zone: they’re rescuing pets that had to be left behind when people evacuated the Camp Fire. But authorities have now raised the number of dead to 63, and the list of missing people is now over 600, although some, and we hope all, are evacuees who have no idea that anyone’s reported them missing.

An encouraging update on the local air quality: it cleared late yesterday to Moderate and even Good, and although it’s deteriorated to “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” (and one presumes individuals), further improvement is expected this weekend as the Gorge wind blows in to, we hope, totally clear air by Saturday. But farther south in the Valley, away from the Gorge winds, the smoky air has put in limbo the 6A quarterfinal high school football game between West Linn and Sheldon. The AQI in Eugene was 84 yesterday, and OSAA has a limit of 100. The game is scheduled for tonight at 7, and OSAA will decide today at 4 whether to play it tonight, tomorrow, or move it somewhere and play Sunday. Other games–Central Catholic at Lake Oswego, Tigard at Jesuit, and Liberty at Clackamas, are still on for tonight at 7.

Keep your wits about you if you’re anywhere near City Hall tomorrow afternoon….”Patriot Prayer” supposedly has another big rally scheduled at 1 PM, to protest against women who falsely accuse men of rape (they call it the #himtoo movement) although I’m not seeing it on their event page. Patriot Prayer supporters called this rally “another opportunity to kick some Antifa ass,” and indeed Rose City Antifa plans to be there. And police. In force. Mayor Wheeler’s press secretary had invited two specific reporters from The Oregonian and the Portland Tribune to sit in at the command center, but the O’s editor Therese Bottomly declined to allow the mayor to pick and choose whos going to cover him, and the invite was rescinded.

We remarked yesterday on how crummy a job being mayor of Portland is…well check this: Ted Wheeler was heckled during a speech on health care yesterday, and as he came off the stage, he was heard to grumble, “I can’t wait for the next 24 months to be over.” People understandably infer that he’s another one-and-done mayor, like Charlie Hales, Sam Adams, and Tom Potter before him. So he felt compelled to issue this clarification: “If you know me, you know I mutter quite a bit. Not one of my most redeeming qualities. I will make a decision next year with my family if I am running for re-election.” I’ve known every Portland mayor from Neil Goldschmidt on (except Frank Ivancie, another one-termer), and I’ll say this: you’ve got to be one tough mutterer.

Oh man…the sticker price on a 2018 Tesla is anywhere from 94 to 145 K…and a guy who sank that kind of dough into his car also managed to sink that car in a duck pond outside Canby. Police followed a trail of skid marks, broken trees, and a white golf bag that flew out when the trunk popped open, and found the car in the pond filling with water and the man inside, unconscious. They cut him out from his airbag and he survived with multiple fractures. He had BAC of 0.147.

The mix of ice and snow that started in the Midwest advanced like an army on the East, throttling New York City, and causing trouble up and down the seaboard. If you’re traveling, check your flight status online, and pack some extra patience in your carry-on. Maybe a Power Bar, too.

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Football! We already mentioned the 6A high school playoffs this weekend, and we’ll get into other divisions and brackets as we near the finals, although if you have a stake in a team, let us know! Their big brothers take the field tomorrow, with Oregon State traveling to Husky Stadium at 1:30 PM, Arizona State visiting the Ducks at 7:30 PM, and Arizona at Washington also at 7:30. And then we head into Civil War and Apple Cup weekend!

The Seahawks grabbed their chance to show their stuff and stay alive in playoff contention on Monday Night Football, as QB Russell Wilson, who started out jumpy and was even booked by the hometown crowd, rallied his team to a 27-24 comeback win over the Green Bay Packers.

Tonight was supposed to be heartthrob Justin Timberlake’s concert at the Moda Center, fresh off his I’m-now-the-Marlboro-Man album “Man of the Woods,” but he canceled because of bruised vocal cords.

What’s special about today? It’s “Rock Your Mocs” day, part of Native American Heritage Month, and it makes the point that descendants of the land’s original natives are generally not encouraged to wear traditional dress and footwear in daily life, and by extension, to be who they are. The proclamation is interesting reading, and it’s in the TMSG links today.

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TMSG

–“Batkid Is Now Cancer-Free After Stealing Everyone’s Heart In San Francisco

–“Powerball Winner, a Single Mom, Shares her Wealth with Wounded Veterans

–“UnitedHealth offer free Apple Watch To Members Who Walk at least 10,000 steps per day

–“Police Officer Feeds Chickens In Evacuated California Town

–“Portland invites you to #RockYourMocs”

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I think I’ll rock my mocs all next week. It’s vacation time, for me; I’ve been burning off an embarrassing number of days lately, and I’m nowhere near done. Maybe I’ll write a little thing about it while we’re away! Anyhow, I’ll open up the coffee shop every morning, a bit later than normal, so everyone will be in touch. Warm wishes to everyone who’s traveling, or ailing, or lonesome, and Happy Thanksgiving to all!