Morning, friends and family and everyone who’s tripped across this morning update! Today is the day of the full moon. This entire week has felt full-moonie. What I know for sure is that it’s Thursday, August 15, 2019, with a possible touch of morning drizzle, then sunshine and 82, a nice dip from yesterday’s 87. Air quality is solidly in the good zone. Sunrise 6:11 AM, sunset 8:18 PM.
Saturday is two days off, but they’re already in town, folks: the Florida radio guy, one Bo Jiggs, who’s been rounding up the far-right troops to come and show Portland, Oregon what it thinks of us. He and a pal are pictured pre-functioning in I don’t know which bar, jabbing forefingers at the camera, and the Facebook robot that knows and reveals all says, “Bo Jiggs is in Portland, Oregon.” And his the caption reads, ‘Two of America’s most wanted in the same (m-fing) place at the same (m-fing) time…downtown Portland.” And his fan comments include: “Have those phones ready to record the snowflake meltdowns”…”That’s the hive brothers. Be safe”….”Joe do you have your favorite weapon ? That zapper on a club ! How many voltz ? Can you post it again I WANT ONE (Ferguson baby)”… and so on. So they’ll be here, along with the news crews who’ll be instantly sharing every taunt, jab, flash-bang, and milkshake.
It was kind of amazing to see the cross-section on the risers in the sun at Pioneer Courthouse Square, standing in unison at the Mayor’s behest in favor of nonviolence on Saturday. Faith leaders, elected officials, Timber Joey and the Unipiper all put in their appeal for peace. But they were divided in terms of the target. US Attorney Billy Williams, who works under the Trump DOJ, pointed left: “The actions of a few, who include masked cowards and marauding thugs, have tarnished the reputation of Portland.” But others, like Rabbi Debra Kolodny, directed their gaze at the groups like Jo Biggs’s fans, and added; “Creating false equivalencies between violent white nationalists and those willing to defend our city against their violence is unacceptable. Pandering to a climate that accuses Portland of being soft on Antifa is unacceptable.” And Commissioner JoAnn A Hardesty‘s message on Twitter is this: “Let’s be clear: the white supremacist threat to our communities is real, there are no 2 sides to this issue. Hate & inaction against hate are unwelcome here. I unequivocally support those standing up against white supremacy, racism, bigotry, Islamophobia anti-semitism, & fascism.”
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How’s your 401K? Don’t look. We won’t know until later whether yesterday’s 800-point skydive in the Dow has a bungee cord attached, but the real message is that there are clouds on the economic horizon that bear watching. A highly reliable predictor popped up in the bond market, where, imagine this… two-year treasure notes were paying better than ten-year notes. Which seems to say that those knowledgable investors like our prospects in the short term, but not so much down the road. For the last fifty years, it has always meant a recession is coming. We just have to faith that the people in charge know what they’re doing. (Pause for involuntary reflex).
Okay, let’s give this another go. The Interstate Bridge isn’t getting younger, or less prone to malfunction, or more able to carry 21st-century traffic, or withstand the inevitable earthquake. Washington left Oregon at the altar years ago and wasted hundreds of millions of dollars in the process; if they hadn’t, we’d likely have a new Columbia River Crossing by now. But now under new leadership, Washington has been wanting to rekindle the replacement effort, and so now Oregon’s legislative leaders have appointed a bipartisan Interstate Bridge Committee: four Ds, 4 Rs, from all around the state, and just one from Portland proper, our esteemed friend Sen. Lew Frederick. It’ll take time and a whole lot of money, and it has one metaphorical and literal job: bridgebuilding.
Police arrested a man on charges of putting Molotov cocktails into the yards of two of his southeast Portland neighbors. It’s being investigated as a hate crime.
A Beaverton School District employee who was doing maintenance on the roof at Westview High School feel to his death in a courtyard yesterday.
The gunman accused of wounding six Philadelphia police officers finally surrendered after a bullet-riddled 8-hour standoff. No lives were lost.
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The Woodstock Music and Art Fair opened on this day fifty years ago. Half a century since Woodstock! They called it “An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music.” Question: were any Dripsters there? Stories to tell? (It’s OK; statutes of limitations have long run out).
Napolean Bonaparte was born 250 years ago today.
The Wizard of Oz premiered 90 years ago today.
Scott Brosius was born in Hillsboro this day in 1966. He played high school ball at Rex Putnam’s field, which now bears his name, hit a home run in his first MLB game, was MVP of the 1998 World Series, retired after 11 seasons, then coached at Linfield College for 8. Great baseball guy.
The Piano Guys play at the Oregon Zoo tonight.
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We REALLY need something good from the universe. So, here!
–“Hero dog Bubba credited with fetching lifesaving help for owner”
–“Taylor Swift sends woman $6,386.47 to pay her university tuition”
–“New Oregon law mandates cage-free eggs by 2024”
–“Man Flies 33 Family Members to Hawaii for Free Using Airline Points”
–“Man Plays Rock-Paper-Scissors With Tarmac Worker at Atlantic City Airport”
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That’s all I’ve got! I have a serious case of…two days and I’m gonzo!
Portland's Daily Drip 