Good morning! It’s Friday, December 13, 2019, but despite the superficially ominous date, we have the good fortune of being together for one more week before my own personal Brexit. Let’s hand the guitar to the weatherman. Go! “Ain’t no sunshine….just a 50% chance of showers and highs of 50… but I know, I know, I know…it’s Friday! It’s twelve days til Christmas!” Sunrise 7:42 AM, sunset at 4:27 PM.
The winter storm warnings in the Cascades are starting to drop off, and let’s see what the elves on the overnight shift at ODOT can tell us: Government Camp has snow flurries and slushy roads….Santiam Pass has snow flurries and packed snow…the Siskiyou summit has bare pavement and 39 degrees…while Snoqualmie Pass is snowing hard with chains required…
And there’s a sneaker wave alert along the entire Pacific Northwest coast, with log-bearing surges rushing up the beaches with no warning.
Couple of headlines from the DD world and national desk (or couch, actually)…
The Conservative Party scores a mighty win in the British election, and what that means is a clear path to Brexit in the spring, for better or worse, and potentially a separate trade deal between the US and London.
The impeachment brawl roared late into the night, and Chairman Nadler, not wanting a vote at 1 in the morning, kicked the roll call until this morning starting at 7 PST. It’s clear that they’ll move two articles to the full House, charging President Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. It’s all about Ukraine and the subsequent stonewalling; no mention of the obstruction of justice charges that Mueller teed up, or of emoluments, or what have you. With Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promising Fox News late last night “There is zero chance the president will be removed from office,” we should remind ourselves that the 2020 election is the real trial of Trump in his fullness, and the real jury is the American people.
By the way, when the House vote comes up next week, Oregon Democrat Kurt Schrader is the only local lawmaker on the fence. He’d rather censure the president than impeach him. If you have feelings one way or the other, it’s time to let Schrader know. (503) 557-1324.
People will gaze with new respect when the Christmas Ships glide by tonight…with the Willamette fleet visiting Milwaukie while the Columbia fleet sails the I-205 stretch….as news spreads that one of the boat captains pulled a drowning man from the Willamette River. The man had jumped from the Steel Bridge and was spotted in the water by the captain of the lead boat who’s responsible for scouting logs and debris. Rob Steffeck radioed the fleet behind him to hold up as he hoisted the man aboard, saying afterward…”you just got to know someone out there loves you.” Which is exactly what the angel Clarence proved to the despondent George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
The FCC is setting up a 3-digit suicide hotline. When it’s operational, the number for help and a friendly ear will be 988. Which should be easier to remember than (800)-273-TALK (8255).
KATU reports that to help the remaining Chinook spawn, following a recent die-off, officials have closed the entire North Coast to all salmon angling effective today through New Year’s.
Clark County has seen its first case of severe lung damage from vaping. It’s a woman in her 40s who’d been vaping both THC and tobacco, and she’s getting better.
Look who’s now a co-owner of Portland’s delectable avant-garde ice-creamery Salt and Straw: it’s Duane “The Rock” Johnson! The company that started as a food cart has national ambitions, and Hollywood star power is as good a way as any to get there.
Today is Taylor Swift’s 30th birthday!
This is the day in 1577 Sir Francis Drake set sail from Plymouth, England on a round-the-world voyage that likely, or not, brought him to the Oregon Coast. It’s in dispute. Drake wrote of dropping anchor in a place he called “Nova Albion”–and the map his crew drew of it looks an awful lot like Whale Cove, south of Depoe Bay. But about 20 other spots up and down the west coast make the same claim, and Drake isn’t talking.
Oregon’s Mario Cristobal was named the AP’s Pac-12 Coach of the Year. Five years ago today, Ducks QB Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy!
How’d the Blazers do in Denver last night? Oh. Lost 114-99. The Portland Winterhawks host Everett tonight at the Moda Center.
Happy 63rd birthday this Sunday to KGW-TV! I have managed so far in my young career to avoid popping up much on television, except for a year or two when I was one of Channel 8’s off-camera voices introducing the newscasts. “News Channel 8 for Monday” I would growl, “with Pete Schulberg and Kathy Smith!” Then the next day, “News Channel 8 for Tuesday, with Kathy Smith and Pete Schulberg.” I rotated top billing without checking with anyone but Pete Schulberg and Kathy Smith, and they were fine with it! Right, you two?
************************
TMSG
–“Migrant hailed after rescuing man in wheelchair from fire”
–“Veteran now a freshman at Yale with help from his service dog”
–“Everyone Hates When Waiters Sing “Happy Birthday”—Unless It’s This Viral Olive Garden Serve”
–“New Monopoly games are ready….one really short…and one reallly long!”
–“Quick thinking people save a baby!”
*****
One week to go, friends! I’ll likely be posting quite a bit this weekend. We will definitely stay in touch.
Portland's Daily Drip 