Shared posts

03 Oct 22:32

Mozilla Pushes "Shumway" Flash Into Firefox

Mozilla has pushed their open-source "Shumway" Flash/SWF player into the latest Firefox nightly builds...
03 Oct 22:32

Massive dinosaur fossil unearthed by Alberta pipeline crew - Edmonton - CBC News

by djempirical

A 10-metre-long fossilized dinosaur was found by a pipeline crew working southwest of Spirit River, Alta., on Tuesday.

A 10-metre-long fossilized dinosaur was found by a pipeline crew working southwest of Spirit River, Alta., on Tuesday. (Courtesy: Tourmaline Oil Corp.)

Original Source

03 Oct 22:28

Jennifer Lawrence Has Zero Patience For Body Shaming

"I was young. It was just the kind of sh*t that actresses have to go through. Somebody told me I was fat, that I was going to get fired if I didn't lose a certain amount of weight. They brought in pictures of me where I was basically naked, and told me to use them as motivation for my diet. It was just that. [Someone brought it up recently.] They thought that because of the way my career had gone, it wouldn't still hurt me. That somehow, after I won an Oscar, I'm above it all. 'You really still care about that?' Yeah. I was a little girl. I was hurt. It doesn’t matter what accolades you get. I know it'll never happen to me again. If anybody even tries to whisper the word 'diet,' I'm like, 'You can go f*ck yourself.'" - Jennifer Lawrence speaking to Harper's Bazaar UK. Love this lady. So hard. (via Tipster Danni, Huffington Post) Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?
03 Oct 22:27

Music: Great Job, Internet!: The Wire is Jay Z and Lost is Kanye: Phonte has thought a lot about which rappers correspond to which classic television shows

by Kevin McFarland

Everyone who watched the Breaking Bad finale offered an opinion on the show in some form. And a lot of the debate swirled around where to place Walter White’s hellish odyssey in the pantheon of great television. But rapper Phonte, of Little Brother and The Foreign Exchange, took that game to the extreme, tweeting an extended analogy comparing major rappers to television shows based on career trajectory. He starts by outlining The Wire, Breaking Bad, and The Sopranos as Jay Z, Nas, and Rakim respectively, and then riffs on 14 other rapper/television show parallels with frightening accuracy. His assessments of Lupe Fiasco as The Newsroom and Snoop Dogg as Law & Order are incredibly on point, and though Kanye would quibble with being compared to a show that isn’t the unanimous GOAT like Lost, the shoe fits. (His self-assessment as Arrested Development has just the right twinge of ...

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03 Oct 22:26

Scientists find radioactive fracking waste in Pennsylvanian stream

by George Dvorsky

Scientists find radioactive fracking waste in Pennsylvanian stream

A group of Duke University scientists have found concentrations of radium, a highly radioactive substance, in a stream near a facility that treats wastewater left over from hydraulic fracturing. The concentrations are 200 times higher than background levels — and they're in the water supply.

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03 Oct 22:14

A Silk Road Employee's Tearful Goodbye

by Adrian Chen
firehose

"It's like the last day of camp, only with more felony charges."

A Silk Road Employee's Tearful Goodbye

The notorious drug market Silk Road was shut down Tuesday by the FBI and its alleged owner arrested, but for some reason the site's active forums remain intact. Since yesterday's news, they've been been filled with commiserating and frantic organizing by dealers headed to safer passage. It's like the last day of camp, only with more felony charges. One post stood out: The teary farewell of Silk Road employee named Libertas.

Read more...


    






03 Oct 22:03

Who's the Bigger Asshole?

by Erik Henriksen

Is it Republican Congressman Randy Neugebauer (Texas), who told a park ranger she "should be ashamed" of herself for not letting people into the WWII Memorial, which she can't do, because the memorial is closed due to the government shutdown that Neugebauer voted for?

Or is it Republican Congressman Darrell Issa (California), who shouted at (currently unpaid, due to the shutdown that Issa voted for) Capitol Police officers as he drove through a barricade that said officers had set up in order to prevent more people from getting hurt in today's weird attack on the White House/Capitol building?

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03 Oct 21:55

The Best Burgers in America, according to Bon Appetit

by gguillotte
firehose

a $25 burger, three $10 burgers, and In-N-Out

Minetta Tavern in NYC ($26), J.G. Melon in NYC ($9.75), Au Cheval in Chicago ($9.75), Husk in Charleston, SC/Nashville ($10), In-N-Out ($2); Rapoport also gave high marks to burger chains Shake Shack and Five Guys.
03 Oct 21:36

Instagram to introduce ads in the coming months

by Dan Seifert

Instagram revealed today that it will begin inserting ads into users' timelines in the coming months. The company says it will start by "focus on delivering a small number of beautiful, high-quality photos and videos from a handful of brands that are already great members of the Instagram community."

Instagram's approach to advertising will certainly cause ire among some of its users, but it shouldn't come as a surprise — the service's parent company, Facebook, has been expanding its ad presence quite a bit over the past few years. As with Facebook, if users do not like an ad or find it offensive, they have the option to hide it from their feed and report it to Instagram.

Countless companies have already been using Instagram as a promotional tool for years, but this new move will put inserted ads into your timeline even if you don't follow a particular brand or company. Companies that expand their advertising efforts often run the risk of alienating their most loyal users, but the business realities frequently give them little choice in the matter. After all, nobody pays a dime to use Instagram, so the company has to earn revenue if it is to stay operational.

Instagram does make a point in noting that despite this new advertising expansion, users still own the rights to their photos and videos that they upload, and today's announcement doesn't change that. As it stands now, it doesn't seem like Instagram will be able to sell the rights to images and videos you upload without another change to its terms of service.

03 Oct 21:32

U.S. Capitol placed on lockdown - NBC Politics

by gguillotte
firehose

great

The United States Capitol was placed on lockdown Thursday afternoon following reports of shots fired in the vicinity of the chamber. A Capitol Police officer was injured. The FBI was responding to the scene. A message from the Capitol Police ordered anyone in a House office to "shelter in place." "Close, lock and stay away from external doors and windows," the message said. The House recessed, and the Senate went into a quorum call — dispensing momentarily with its official business — shortly thereafter. Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill tweeted: Shots fired outside the Capitol. We are in temporary lock down. Colorado Rep. Jared Polis tweeted: There had been some short of shooting here at the capital, we r on lockdown awaiting more info
03 Oct 21:29

House Now Has The Votes To End Government Shutdown, But It Won't

by gguillotte
firehose

"House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) would have to be willing to put it to a vote, which so far he has given no indication he will do. But if he does, the votes appear to be there."

Rep. Pat Meehan (R-Pa.): “At this point, I believe it’s time for the House to vote for a clean, short-term funding bill to bring the Senate to the table and negotiate a responsible compromise.” [Press Release, 10/1/13]

Rep. Scott Rigell (R-Va.): “Time for a clean [continuing resolution].” [Official Twitter, 10/1/13]

Rep. Jon Runyan (R-N.J.): “Enough is enough. Put a clean [continuing resolution] on the floor and let’s get on with the business we were sent to do." [Burlington County Times, 10/1/13]

Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.): A Fitzpatrick aide tells the Philadelphia Inquirer the congressman would support a clean funding bill if it came up for a vote. [Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/1/13]

Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.): Barletta said he would "absolutely" vote for a clean bill in order to avert a shut down of the government. [Bethlehem Morning Call, 10/1/13]

Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.): King thinks House Republicans would prefer to avoid a shutdown and said he will only vote for a clean continuing resolution to fund the government, according to the National Review Online. [NRO, 9/30/13]

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.): The California Republican told The Huffington Post he would ultimately support a clean continuing resolution. [Tweet by The Huffington Post's Sabrina Siddiqui, 9/30/13]

Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.): “I'm prepared to vote for a clean [continuing resolution].” [The Huffington Post, 9/29/13]

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.): A Wolf aide told The Hill that he agrees with fellow Virginia Rep. Scott Rigell (R) that it's time for a clean continuing resolution. [The Hill, 10/1/13]

Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.): A Grimm aide told The Huffington Post that the congressman supports a clean continuing resolution. [10/1/13].

Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.): A local news anchor in Minnesota tweeted that Paulsen told him he would vote for a clean resolution if given the chance. [Blake McCoy Tweet, 10/1/13]

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.): A constituent of Wittman's sent The Huffington Post an email she got from the congressman indicating he would vote for a clean funding bill but hasn't had "an opportunity to do so at this point." [10/1/13]

Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.): LoBiondo told The Press of Atlantic City he'll support "whatever gets a successful conclusion" to the shutdown and a clean funding bill "is one of those options." [The Press of Atlantic City, 10/1/13]

Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.): Forbes told The Virginian-Pilot that he supports the six-week clean funding bill that passed in the Senate. [The Virginian-Pilot, 10/2/13]

Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.): The congressman issued a statement saying he would "vote in favor of a so-called clean budget bill." [Office of Rep. Jim Gerlach, 10/2/13].

Rep. Leonard Lance (R-N.J.): Lance's chief of staff confirmed to The Huffington Post that he told a constituent on Wednesday that Lance has voted for clean government funding bills in the past "and would not oppose doing so again should one be brought to the floor." [10/2/13]

Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho): Simpson told a Roll Call reporter Tuesday night, "I'd vote for a clean CR because I don't think this is a strategy that works." [Daniel Newhauser Tweet, 10/1/13]

Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.): Young told Tampa Bay Times reporter Alex Leary that he's ready to vote for a clean funding bill. "The politics should be over," he said. "It's time to legislate." [Alex Leary Tweet, 10/2/13]

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.): The congressman told Miami Herald reporter Marc Caputo that he would vote for a clean funding bill, provided it has the same funding levels contained in the Senate-passed bill. [The Miami Herald, 10/2/13]

Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.): "I would take a clean (continuing resolution)." [Observer-Dispatch, 10/2/13]

Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.): A Davis constituent tells The Huffington Post that a Davis aide told him Wednesday, "Congressman Davis is prepared to vote 'yes' on a clean CR." Asked for comment, Davis spokesman Andrew Flach told HuffPost that Davis isn't "going to speculate" on what bills may come up in the House and "will continue to vote for proposals brought to the floor that will fund the federal government." [10/2/2013]

Rep. Tim Griffin (R-Ark.): Asked on Twitter if he would support a clean funding bill if it came up for a vote, Griffin tweeted, "sure. Ive already said i would support." [Official Twitter, 10/2/13].

Less than two days after the government shut down, there are now more than 17 Republicans who say they're ready to pass a bill to fund the government with no strings attached, giving the House the votes it needs to pass a clean funding bill. All 200 Democrats would need to stick together and team up with those Republicans to pass the bill, but House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) would have to be willing to put it to a vote, which so far he has given no indication he will do. But if he does, the votes appear to be there. The Senate would pass the bill in no time, sending it to be signed by President Barack Obama and ending the shutdown. Read the tally here to see who those House Republicans are, and why they say they're done with trying to force through provisions on Obamacare before agreeing to keep the government running.
03 Oct 21:27

Happy Hours in Portland, OR - UrbanDrinks.com Happy Hour Directory

by gguillotte
"Where is it happy hour right now?" tracker. For Seattle, see http://www.urbandrinks.com/happyhour/usa/wa/seattle
03 Oct 21:27

KKK Rally At Gettysburg Canceled Because Of Government Shutdown

by gguillotte
firehose

you heard it here first
the KKK are more respectful to rangers than the republicans

The KKK
are more respectful
than Republicans

A Ku Klux Klan rally planned for Saturday, Oct. 5 has been canceled because of the government shutdown. On Sept. 26, officials at Gettysburg National Military Park granted a special-use permit for a rally to a Maryland-based KKK group. According to NBC 10 Philadelphia, the event was canceled when park officials rescinded all permits for special events because of the shutdown, which began 12 a.m. ET on Tuesday.
03 Oct 21:24

[VIDEO] Peter King: 'I Honestly Don't Know' What GOP Wants From Shutdown

by gguillotte
firehose

great lead-in to the question that produces the above quote: the interviewer describes the whole Stutzman saga, including him trying to walk that quote back. So after couching things as softly as possible for King, the interviewer asks King what the GOP wants, and he says straight-up and out of the gate, "I honestly don't know."

New York representative joins moderate Republicans in questioning GOP leadership strategy.
03 Oct 21:20

Apple reportedly buys Cue intelligent personal assistant app

by Dante D'Orazio
firehose

"it rebranded it switched to an offering roughly similar to Google Now"

With its latest acquisition, Apple may be looking to improve its agenda services. TechCrunch and AppleInsider first reported that the Cupertino-based company purchased Cue (formerly Greplin), and Apple has now provided its typical statement when such acquisitions are rumored. It says that "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans." It's as close as a confirmation Apple will provide.

Cue's original service was designed for heavy social network users, allowing them to search content across Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but last year when it rebranded it switched to an offering roughly similar to Google Now. Cue culled emails and calendar appointments, among other information, to provide a daily agenda. In iOS 7, Apple introduced a "Today" screen with similar functionality.

Just yesterday Cue announced on its website that it was shutting down, with a simple note saying "We appreciate all of the support from you, our users, as Cue has grown over the last few years. However, the Cue service is no longer available." The notice did not make it clear whether the company had a future, but now it's clear that the Apple acquisition likely led to the shutdown.

03 Oct 21:11

Millions Of Poor Left Uncovered By Health Law Thanks To The GOP

Because they live in states largely controlled by Republicans that have declined to participate in a vast expansion of Medicaid, the medical insurance program for the poor, they are among the eight million Americans who are impoverished, uninsured and ineligible for help.
03 Oct 21:09

Furlough is Boring

by Anonymous

Look there's only so much sleeping and vigorous masturbating I can do before I want something more. Crappy cooking shows? Home organization projects? Is this what I'm reduced to?

I'm pretty sure that many others are also experiencing this creeping malaise. Help us Merc. Help us by posting activities and events that can be done in the daytime..for cheap. Help us locate happy hours that start at 1:00. Help us navigate Daytime Portland. WSH- please HELP US.

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03 Oct 21:03

Infographic: OSN’s Tips For Turning Your NFL Season Around

firehose

"Remember that this is a league in which a shitty 10-6 team with Joe Flacco at quarterback can win a Super Bowl."

Heading into week five, there are 10 NFL franchises with a 1-3 or worse record. Here are some surefire tips for teams to get their seasons back on track: Remember, it’s never too late to turn your season around, unless of course you’re...
    






03 Oct 21:02

A Dog’s Life, An Illustrated Book About Canine Shenanigans by Gemma Correll

by Justin Page

A Dog’s Life by Gemma Correll

Cartoonist and writer Gemma Correll has created A Dog’s Life, an illustrated book about “canine shenanigans and startling insights into what your dog is really thinking about you.” The hardcover book is available to purchase online from the teNeues publishing company and Amazon. Previously, we wrote about Gemma’s books A Pug’s Guide to Etiquette and Pug’s Guide to Dating.

Gemma Correll’s whimsical illustrations capture all Fido’s moods from perky scamp to loyal, obedient protector. Dogs have insinuated themselves into our lives as no other creatures could. What’s more, they know they’ll always have a place in our hearts. Why else do we lavish them with yummy treats and belly scratches? There’s something about a wagging tail and a soulful stare that’s just too hard to resist.

A Dog’s Life by Gemma Correll

A Dog’s Life by Gemma Correll

A Dog’s Life by Gemma Correll

images via Gemma Correll and Amazon

03 Oct 21:02

iPhone 5S users reporting problems with the phone’s motion sensors

by Andrew Cunningham
firehose

lol that photo

The iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, and iPhone 5S resting on the same flat surface. One of these things is not like the others.
Andrew Cunningham

Following numerous complaints about the issue on Apple's support forums, Gizmodo looked into reports that the motion sensors on the new iPhone 5S are not calibrated properly. By comparing the iPhone 5S to an iPhone 5 and also to several real-world tools that the phone replicates with motion sensors (including an actual compass and a spirit level), Gizmodo found that the gyroscope, compass, and accelerometer in two separate iPhone 5Ses do indeed appear to be off by a small but consistently measurable amount.

We confirmed Gizmodo's findings when we compared our own iPhone 5S to an iPhone 5 and an iPhone 4S, all running iOS 7.0.2—as you can see by the picture above, the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 resting on our desk recognize that they're resting on a flat surface while the iPhone 5S does not. We re-calibrated the Compass app several times and consistently got the same results. The severity of the problem appears to vary from phone to phone—some posters in a MacRumors forum thread on the topic claim that their phones are off by four or six degrees (instead of two, as with our iPhone 5S and with Gizmodo's), while others report that they no longer had the issue after getting a replacement phone from Apple. The relatively wide range of inaccuracies being reported and the fact that the iPhone 5 and 4S aren't affected point to this being a hardware issue and not a software issue, though without a statement for Apple it's difficult to say for sure.

Beyond the inaccuracies in the compass app, the actual real-world impact of this issue is small. While Gizmodo's videos do show that the sensors can cause problems for games if you have the phone resting flat on a table, most people are going to subconsciously adjust the phone to compensate for the slight inaccuracies. In other games, the problems aren't large enough to register—the line in Ridiculous Fishing didn't drift in either direction if our 5S was standing upright on a flat surface. We've contacted Apple for comment on the issue and will update this post if we receive a response. In the meantime, try not to use your iPhone 5S to hang any curtains or anything.

Read on Ars Technica | Comments


    






03 Oct 21:02

Bitcoin Talk forum hacked hours after making cameo in Silk Road takedown

by Dan Goodin
bitcointalk.org defaced

Just hours after it played a supporting role in the takedown of the Silk Road drug empire, the Bitcointalk.org website suffered a hack that exposed users' personal messages, e-mails, and password data.

"To be safe, it is recommended that all Bitcoin Forum users consider any password used on the Bitcoin Forum in 2013 to be insecure," an e-mail sent to registered users stated. "If you used this password on a different site, change it. When the Bitcoin Forum returns, change your password."

User passwords were cryptographically protected using 7,500 rounds of the SHA256crypt hash function, Bitcoin Talk administrator Theymos said in a forum on reddit. That's a significant measure that could add decades or even centuries to the task of cracking passcodes that are at least nine characters and randomly generated. Still, the hack could be damaging to the privacy of users who stored sensitive communications on the site. Bitcoin Talk administrators are in the process of figuring out how the compromise happened and don't plan to restore service until after the security hole is plugged.

Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments


    






03 Oct 21:01

Honeypot

by sharhalakis

Image by George

03 Oct 21:01

South Park's Minecraft episode hits the internet

by John Funk

Stay Connected. Follow Polygon Now!

By John Funk on Oct 03, 2013 at 4:45p

An episode of Comedy Central's irreverent South Park focusing on Mojang's indie hit Minecraft is now available to watch online.

In the episode "Informative Murder Porn," the children of South Park fear their parents' addiction to racy dramatized-crime shows will lead to real-world violence. Using a parental content blocker, they prevent cable access with a question only a kid would know: How do you tame a horse in Minecraft? Desperate to get their cable back, the adults of South Park resolve to learn Minecraft for themselves.

In 2006, South Park aired "Make Love, Not Warcraft," an award-winning episode spoofing Blizzard's mammoth MMO World of Warcraft.

The full episode can be viewed here on the South Park website.

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03 Oct 21:00

The Comics Alliance Halloween Costume Countdown: Archie!

by Chris Sims
firehose

JUGHEAD CONSUMES ALL
YOUR MORTAL WORLD IS NOTHING TO JUGHEAD BUT GROUND BEEF, BREAD, AND CHEESE

October is finally upon is, and here at ComicsAlliance, and one of the best parts of the month is gearing up for Halloween with costumes! It’s the one time of year when even people like me who could never cut it in our Best Cosplay Ever feature can drop by the local department store and walk out with the ability to dress up as our favorite characters.

But is that really a good thing? I have my doubts, which is why I’m spending every day taking on the store-bought costumes inspired by our favorite things. Today, we’re heading to Riverdale for costumes based on Archie!

Option 1: Archie

CostumeCraze.com

Well somebody got a little happy withe the Lasso tool in PhotoShop, didn’t they? Even as someone who is almost universally pro-Archie, that kind of trickery makes me pretty suspicious right off the bat, unless those pants actually do look like that, in which case they may actually be some sort of Lovecraftian madness given flesh. Either way, it doesn’t seem like it’s worth the effort. Archie is a pretty easy costume to pull off, all you really need is red hair, a sweater with an R on it, and two girlfriends.

Speaking of…

Option 2: Betty And/Or Veronica

Okay, I’ll admit that technically, Betty and Veronica are both cheerleaders at Riverdale High, and that RHS’s school colors are, in fact, blue and gold. That’s canon, y’all. What breaks these costumes for me, though, is that while I can definitely see Veronica applying her own logo to her uniform, there’s no way that sweet, sweet Betty Cooper would ever be egotistical enough to do the same on hers.

Option 3: Jughead

Once again, we’ve got a costume that’s pretty easy to cobble together at home, assuming you can write the letter S on a t-shirt and resist the urge to slap it inside a pentagon and go fight Brainiac or something. On the plus side, this one has Jughead’s signature crown — albeit a weird rubber version — but that nose, man. Yikes. Surely there has to be a way to get Jughead’s signature look without that weird mismatched Cyrano effect going on.

Let’s see… ah, here we go.

Option 4: Jughead Vinyl Mask

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAA IT HAS HUMAN EYES AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

03 Oct 20:59

The Countries The U.S. Went To War With In Tom Clancy's Novels

The foreign policy of the United States in the Clancy-verse is remarkably aggressive, and as a result the U.S. has invaded or gone to war with most of the world.
03 Oct 20:58

Every New F-35 Has Needed An Average Of 200 Repairs

firehose

never go

A new report from the Pentagon’s internal watchdog strongly criticizes managers and workers at the Fort Worth, Texas, plant that makes the F-35 fighter jet for an alleged lackadaisical attitude that it says has led, on average, to more than 200 repairs for each aircraft and cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
03 Oct 20:58

A Tea Party Congressman Got All Up In A Park Ranger's Face

Representative Randy Neugebauer a member of the Tea Party, got all up in the grill of a park ranger, who had informed him that parks were closed due to his parties gross negligence to pass a bill.
03 Oct 20:50

Photo

firehose

via Snorkmaiden
this entire storyline, eh
but still







03 Oct 20:48

East Portland's "Gateway Green" Cruises to Crowdfunded Success

by Dirk VanderHart

People will crowdfund anything—it's become an ironic joke we play on ourselves to grow smugly poorer. But Gateway Green's recent success is good news.

The proposed mountain bike park and public green space between interstates 84 and 205 easily reached an $100,000 funding goal sometime in the last 18 hours. The tally has shot up more than $100 even as I wrote this post— it's at $100,430 with five days left to go.

People are effusive about this project. Portland's mountain biking community—still largely stymied in its yearnings for Forest Park access—say Gateway Green is a chance to build "one of the best bike parks in the world." East Portland boosters say the land will add much-needed green space east of 205.

Here's a video:

The praise—things like "This is a place you can feel the wind and hear the trees and see the birds"—may be a touch hyperbolic. The plot is, after all, wedged between two busy expressways. Anyone who's ridden the I-205 bike path, right next to the 24-acre site, can attest to the cloying reek of car exhaust during peak drive times (supporters say that could be fixed with more trees). But it's also a fairly innovative and collaborative approach to improving a neglected portion of town.

The Oregon Department of Transportation owns the land—former site of Rocky Butte Jail— but has agreed to turn it over to the City of Portland for a little more than $19,000. The city will pay for upkeep when the park is finished, but the project's considerable cost will (hopefully) come from donations.

This first $100,000 will pay for a park master plan, which backers will use to pitch further, more-massive fundraising efforts.

"I love this because it’s truly a grass-roots effort," says Chris Masciocchi, an East Portland resident and long-time supporter of the project. "This is the the most diverse place in all of Oregon, but we’re getting killed by neglect."

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03 Oct 20:47

How About We Just Stop Calling them "Republicans"?

by Erik Henriksen

Because at this point, if Republicans are bending over backwards to please a militant, wild-eyed subspecies of ultra-conservatives, maybe we should just acknowledge who's actually in control of the Republican party (it's the militant, wide-eyed subspecies of ultra-conservatives). Oregon's only Republican representative apparently laid it all out at a fancy-pants lunch for rich people in September:

On a Monday last month, Rep. Greg Walden, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, met with some top GOP donors for lunch at Le Cirque on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. The donors, a youngish collection of financial industry types and lawyers, had some questions for Walden, a mild-mannered lawmaker from eastern Oregon known for speaking his mind.

Why, they asked, did the GOP seem so in the thrall of its most extremist wing? The donors, banker types who occupy the upper reaches of Wall Street’s towers, couldn’t understand why the Republican Party—their party—seemed close to threatening the nation with a government shutdown, never mind a default if the debt ceiling isn’t raised later this month.

“Listen,” Walden said, according to several people present. “We have to do this because of the Tea Party. If we don’t, these guys are going to get primaried and they are going to lose their primary.” (Via.)

Much has been made about how ineptly John Boehner's been handling all this, but it's worth remembering that despite the fact Republicans are responsible for this stunt, and will continue to bear responsibility the longer it goes (and the longer that their dreaded Obamacare keeps on rolling out), this is a party that isn't nearly as monolithic as its voting would imply. Let's take a quick flashback to the time just before the shutdown happened, when a few centrist Republicans tried to wave this thing off, Nic Cage-in-The Rock style:

As Monday afternoon slipped into evening, Boehner showed no sign of letting up. He turned aside a centrist effort by Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) to block amendments to the Senate bill from coming to the House floor.

King earlier in the day had said that as of Saturday night, between 20 and 25 Republicans were prepared to buck any new attempts to hold up the spending bill with extraneous measures. But when the vote came to the floor, just six Republicans defected, and four of them were conservatives who felt Boehner was compromising too much.

“I don’t want to continue to be a facilitator for both a disastrous process and plan,” he told reporters, summarizing his remarks to his colleagues in a private meeting Monday afternoon. He said he told members that “there are too many who are living in their own echo chamber.”

King joked that after he was done speaking, Republicans responded with “overwhelming silence.”

After the vote, King said Boehner had personally asked wavering members to back him. The Speaker’s message, he said, was: “Trust him. It will work out.” (Via.)

And work out it has!

I'd like to say that the long the shutdown goes—and the longer that Republicans try to figure out some way to save face—the better the chances are that these guys will get voted out when they're up for reelection. That assumes two things: (1) That American voters' memories are that long (they usually aren't), and (2) That centrist Republicans won't have a moment of clarity in which they realize they have to do something to curb the influence of the Tea Party if they want it to continue functioning. A while ago, I would have said (2) was out of the question, but all the heat Republicans are getting (and will continue to get) for the shutdown, it might not be.

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