UPDATE, 11:37 am: Tom Fahey, vice president of operations for Siltronic, says he has no idea why the domain would go to his company's home page. Fahey says he thinks the petition committee's eventual website will actually be found at www.waterreform.org, but that Siltronic hasn't been involved in setting up the site.

"I'm not sure why it's doing that," Fahey said, laughing. "I wanna try it myself."

Kent Craford, one of the central organizers of the push, said: "Somebody obviously registered that domain. We had nothing to do with it."

Original post:

There's no question Portland industrial concerns want to snatch control of the city's water and sewer rates away from city council. Are they also buying up web space for the committee running that effort?

As we noted Friday, the group Portlanders for Water Reform has reported its first bit of fundraising—$25,000 from big-time water user Portland Bottling Co. The political action committee also posted an $800 expenditure for web design, which got us curious if a website for the initiative has cropped up yet.

We punched in www.portlandersforwaterreform.com and what should pop up? The home page for the city's number one industrial water user, Siltronic.

At first blush, it appears to be evidence the company is helping the water group get its affairs in order—and on a more-personal level than merely cutting checks.

But it might, of course, be the work of someone who opposes the push and wants to highlight the connection between Siltronic and Portlanders for Water Reform. (Records behind who exactly purchased the domain are murky. Whoever made the buy also purchased a service to protect their identity.) That that connection exists is no surprise. Siltronic, Portland Bottling and others have stood with Portlanders for Water Reform organizers at a press conference and given interviews about their dislike of city council's management of the systems.

I'm waiting on calls back from backers of the petition effort for a new district.

If Siltronic did indeed purchase the address for the group, the domain may need to be reported as an in-kind contribution if Siltronic hands it over to Portlanders for Water Reform. To date the group's reported no such transaction.

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Saturday Night Live has announced its first round of hosts for the new season, officially dashing hopes that you’re one of them. Next time, try being more famous—or, in the case of Sept. 28 opening night host Tina Fey, put in nine years as an SNL writer and performer, then go on to become one of the industry’s most successful comic voices, then return to the show to provide the familiar face that will help ease the rocky transition after a mass cast exodus. That way you’ll also get to have Arcade Fire as your musical guest.

Alternatively, you could stick your ass out on television and force the nation to spend several weeks discussing it, in which case you could be Oct. 5 host and musical guest Miley Cyrus. Then you will be forced into a Miley Cyrus Show sketch where you pay winking acknowledgment ...

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Hot off the news that she’ll be on the third season of Girls comes word that Kim Gordon is also writing two books. The Sonic Youth and Body/Head performer told The New York Times that one of them is a memoir titled Girl In A Band that will be published at some point in the future by HarperCollins, and will detail “her choice to leave Los Angeles in the early ’80s for the post-punk scene in New York City, where she formed Sonic Youth.” Here’s hoping she uses the Patti Smith Just Kids model and puts out something fascinating and smart, with maybe just a little bit of scandalous detail thrown in.

Her other book sounds far less salacious: That as-yet-untitled work will collate the essays Gordon wrote for art and culture magazines in the ‘80s, and will be released by Sternberg Press.

Gordon’s new band ...

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As Marjorie mentioned last week, the Oregon Cats Classic was happening in town over the weekend. In an inspired attempt to claw the cat-lady-in-chief reins from Alison Hallett, I pointed and yelled something about Cheryl Strayed, and while she was distracted, I swiped her beat.

And it. Was. Glorious.

Click for more cats. You know you want to.

I’d never been to a cat show before. Thankfully, my friend Kenna came with me, and she is kind of a cat show expert? On our drive up to the Expo Center she gave me the scoop on how to behave, which was really helpful because WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN’T JUST TOUCH WHATEVER CATS I WANT WHEN I WANT TO? Apparently there is a protocol. I was a little disappointed. The cat show was one hall over from a gun and knife show, and that made for a fun mix of bumper stickers in the parking lot.

Oregon Cats Classic cost $8 to get into which was totally worth it to me even though I have a cat at home that I am allowed to pet whenever. Kenna said that often the shows are free. She also scoffed that there weren’t enough cats. There were...I don’t know, I didn’t count, but just, like, a ton of cats. I liked her attitude, though, and began to take it as my own. “Oh, are these are the only Russian blues? Hmm. Sad.”

If you haven’t been to a cat show either, it’s like this: in a huge hall, there are a bunch of rows of cages with owners sitting around, and cats are either in their cages or being groomed or being carried off to get judged. You can walk around and look at all of the cats and say cute things to them while they look bored (see above). As I learned, you have to ask people if you can touch their cats (WEAK) but the cat people are pretty into their cats (understatement) and most are more than happy to chat with visitors. My favorite cat owners were the ones who immediately offered to let me hold their cats.

Only one lady did not let me touch her cat. The cat was a fancy fluffy white thing. “It’s...oils…” she politely mumbled. No, lady, IT’S...A CAT. I wonder how long I’m going to be mad about this. Probably a while.

Off on the sides are where the cats get judged by breed, color, and gender. Since the show was pretty small, most of the cats got first or second place in at least something. There were points awarded for each win and then the kitties move up and are able to compete for the title of Supreme Cat of Purrlandia. (My suggested title; I think it’s gonna stick.)

The judges narrate what they’re doing and give the cats great compliments like being “pleasant on the table.” I learned that to keep a black cat shiny it has to be dried cold, and that if all cats were allowed to breed willy-nilly we’d eventually have nothing but brown tabbies! Cute!

My favorite cat was a giant persian who hissed at the judge while it was getting fondled. I giggled loudly in the front row. “This isn’t endearing,” the judge snapped at me. Sorry - but, come on, it was a little bit endearing. I mean, LOOK AT IT:

My two favorite things that happened: 1) a guy gently shook his cat upside-down to get it extra fluffy, and 2) a middle-aged man patiently told his wife that he kinda wanted to check out the gun and knife show next door.

It was a great way to spend a Sunday and I will go to all cat shows from here on out forever.

Feel free to ask any questions you might have because I can do another thousand words on this, easy.

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Oscar nominee Josh Brolin reveals at least one casting rumor was true: He was indeed considered to play Batman in Warner Bros.' "Man of Steel" sequel, a role that ultimately went to Ben Affleck.

In Case of Emergency

Spotlights Times Five

(Est. 1980, formerly Portland Center for the Performing Arts) Portland'5 Centers for the Arts is a leader in expert venue management, overseeing the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Keller Auditorium and Antoinette Hatfield Hall, which includes the Brunish, Newmark and Dolores Winningstad Theatres.

Home to arts organizations such as Oregon Ballet Theatre, Oregon Symphony Orchestra and Portland Opera, it is the 5th largest performing arts center in the U.S. and generates an average of $60 million in regional spending through its operations.

Portland'5 is operated by Metro and managed through the Metropolitan Exposition and Recreation Commission (MERC).

Design by: Sockeye Creative (Portland, OR)

Opinion/Notes: It's a nice family of logos even if at times the monogram letterforms feel too forced to conform to 90- and 45-degree angles. The typeface choice — Priori, I think — gives them all a groovy contemporary look.

Related Links: Sockeye Creative blog post
Portland'5 Center for the Arts press release

Select Quote: We wanted to communicate to Portlanders that these are their venues, so the apostrophe infused a sense of ownership while the "5" calls out their full family of venues. It's a concise, perfect way to pack that big idea right into their name. […] We decided that the most powerful way to visually represent the diversity and performances within each venue would be through a modular system of spotlights. We built the initial letter of each venue with an overlapping series of spotlights, which brought a sense of energy and beautiful color shifts between the layers. Each logo's colors are a nod to the venue they represent: for example, an elegant gold palette for the Schnitzer, and a plush blue for the Newmark that alludes to their blue velvet theater seats.

beaverdownunder writes "Silicon Valley technology conference organizers TechCrunch have been forced to apologize after two Australian men pitched a smartphone app called "Titstare" in front of a nine-year-old girl. The Sydney duo's presentation had the mainly male audience laughing, but angered Twitter users and reignited a debate about sexism in the technology sector. The two entrepreneurs — Jethro Batts, 28, and David Boulton, 24 — pitched their 'tongue in cheek' idea at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco on Sunday after winning expenses for the trip to the US in a similar competition, AngelHack Sydney. In their pitch, Boulton explained to an audience of hundreds (plus thousands online) that it would allow users to 'take photos of yourself, looking at tits'. 'It's science my good friend, science,' Boulton said. TechCrunch also apologized for another pitch for a product called Circle Shake, in which a man simulated masturbation."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Freeman was born on February 5, 1950 while living in Cleveland, Ohio.

Link

falls - Sugoro Quest (Technos - Famicom - 1991)

requested by negativechill-exe

oh geez why are these so huge the screenshots are only 1:1 to the original resolution what the heck

Some 60 years ago, the first VW Transporters—or camper vans as they’re better known—were first assembled in São Paulo, Brazil. This December, the country will build the world’s very last one.

Since Germany shuttered production of the minibus back in 1979, Brazil has been the sole producer of the VW camper van. Volkswagen is discontinuing production of the iconic vehicle at the end of the year because it doesn’t comply with Brazil’s newest safety laws. Beginning in 2014, new cars will be required to have anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and airbags, features that aren’t compatible with the camper van.

The discontinuation of the VW minibus, the longest-produced model in automotive history, is sure to disappoint camper van enthusiasts around the globe, many of whom organize festivals and gatherings to commemorate its creation. But it may ruffle the feathers of Brazilians even more, many of whom have long relied on the bus’s reasonable price and simple design for all kinds of needs beyond just getting around: as mobile kiosks, ambulances and even hearses, as Germany’s Der Spiegel reports. In Brazil, the minibus, which is called the “A Kombi,” costs a mere 47,000 real ($20,450). (By comparison, a Mercedes Sprinter—a similar cargo van—costs more than $36,000.)

Volkswagen will roll out a final, commemorative edition series of the camper van, which will include features and design quirks meant to celebrate the myriad versions that Brazil has produced over time. The model, spacious enough for nine people, will be produced in one of its most classic color combinations—Atlanta Blue and white—and carry traditional Kombi design elements, including a speedometer at the center of the dashboard. Those antiquated features will be paired with modern-day technologies like an MP3 sound system with auxiliary and USB ports, according to the Telegraph. Only 600 limited edition vehicles (accompanied by a special certificate of authenticity) will be manufactured, for a going price of roughly 85,000 real ($37,000).

In total, 3.9 million VW camper vans have been built worldwide, 1.5 million of which were assembled in Brazil. This year alone, some 13,000 buses have been built in Brazil, most of which have been assembled by hand. Volkswagen has stuck with the car’s classic integrity, but on occasion it has made minor updates and design changes, including a replacement of its old flip-out turn signals, which proved hazardous for bypassing cars and pedestrians.

The camper van’s last hurrah will up the competition for the storied vehicles and their parts in the used market. No doubt the price of those 600 limited editions will climb, too.

Dan DiDio's announcement at Baltimore Comic-Con indicates that incoming "Batwoman" writer Marc Andreyko is replacing J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman two issues before the team's intended departure.

KNOXVILLE, TN—Sources close to marketing director Paul Himes confirmed Tuesday that no one has taken any of the 44-year-old’s opinions seriously for over 10 years, explaining that his viewpoints have no influence whatsoever on others and that ...

The Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collection has Hadouken'd its hefty $150 price point, and is now available for $80 through the Capcom Store. That's a savings of almost 50 percent, and $20 cheaper than last time the set was on sale, which calls for a theme. A theme that goes with everything, perhaps.

This is the same collection as when it was first announced, meaning you'll get Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition, Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix, Street Fighter 3: Third Strike Online Edition and Street Fighter X Tekken when you pick up the collection for Xbox 360, or all of the above plus all three Street Fighter Alpha titles should you opt for the PS3 version. The Capcom Store also advertises all costume DLC for SSF4 Arcade and all character and Swap Costume DLC for Street Fighter x Tekken, but it doesn't seem that "all" includes DLC released or announced after the collection's debut.

The set includes an 11-disc soundtrack, a 64-page art boook, the I Am Street Fighter documentary, all episodes of the Street Fighter anime, and Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie. You'll also be able to display a certificate of authenticity, a light-up Ryu statue, or even the iconic fighter's belt, proudly in your dojo.

Street Fighter 25th Anniversary collection reduced to $80 for 360, PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Sep 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gridiron Thunder's Kickstarter project ended over the weekend, earning $171,009 in its 30-day campaign.

Gridiron Thunder was under suspicion when it first met its funding goal in late August, thanks to curious funding spikes witnessed by backers. To reach its goal, it received more than $10,000 apiece from a limited number of funders, as revealed by Kicktraq. It was one of two games that reached its goal as part of Ouya's Free the Games Fund, a program that rewards successful Kickstarter project creators by matching the crowdfunding results in exchange for six months of Ouya exclusivity.

The game had just 183 total backers, making for a rate of $934.48 per person. In recent months, the closest any project has come to that average is Yargis, which had an average of $275.05 per backer thanks to a lone $5,000 pledge. The results of 84 projects in the past three months revealed a mean average of $50.59 pledged per person, making Gridiron Thunder a statistical anomaly.

The other Ouya game in question, Elementary, My Dear Holmes, was suspended by Kickstarter on Friday after the developer addressed concerns to both Kickstarter and Amazon surrounding "suspicious accounts" that backed the project. The game's creator, Sam Chandola, said the developer "wanted to get on top of this and did not want anything to do with any of what was happening as it was an extremely negative campaign for us." Kickstarter declined to comment on the project's suspension.

Gridiron Thunder Ouya Kickstarter concludes with $171k, many questions originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Sep 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autodesk this morning revealed new rental pricing for the Autodesk Entertainment Creation Suites as well as standalone versions of Maya, Maya LT, and 3ds Max. Starting September 16, options for monthly, quarterly or annual rental pricing will be available, in … more »

gentlementools:

Alan sez, "A Representative from New Jersey, Rush Holt, has introduced the aptly named 'Surveillance State Repeal Act' with the goal of rolling back some of the worst excesses of the NSA regime. Holt correctly points out that these are spy agencies, not 'screw every company so people don't want to buy our software products' agencies. The chain of unintended consequences from the NSA's overreach is only beginning to be understood. Now if only we had a president who would sign such legislation..."

sktagg23:

melissasoup:

writeswrongs:

tony-starked:

rabbleprochoice:

gynocraticgrrl:

Tough Guise: Violence, Media & The Crisis in Masculinity

with Ed. M, Ph.D Jackson Katz

Same for mass shootings which are almost entirely done by white males.

If it was done by, literally, ANYONE ELSE of any other race or gender, I can’t even IMAGINE the shit that would be said by people.

I read somewhere, someone had this theory that the reason shootings are mainly committed by white males is because when women or poc feel alienated, depressed, etc, we are trained to keep it to ourselves, whereas white men are raised with a sense of entitlement that allows them to make their own problems everyone’s problem.

I wonder if it is true for shooting or for road rage or both or neither.

the bolded!

This is a really good documentary.

BEST DOCUMENTARY I’VE EVER SEEN, actually.

realitymonster:

This art is by an artist named Li Hongbo. Here’s a story with more images: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/02/the-flexible-paper-sculptures-of-li-hongbo/

Ophelia by Deborah Halpern

kevinparkerruinedmylife:

what the actual fucking fuck.