Why I miss the Rose City

Author Marc Acito does a kick-ass fantastic job of characterizing Portlanders, and everything I love about them, in a recent Oregonian article in which he identifies a quality in PDXers he calls Portland Bohemianism, or Pobo. You should read the whole thing, but in case you don't, here are some places where he hits the nail on the head:

PoBo is sneakers at the symphony and Birkenstocks at the ballet. It's "Geek Love," Pink Martini and Dangerous Writers. It's the space between Chuck Palahniuk's ears. It's a force of nature called Storm Large ...

Unlike traditional bohemians, PoBos don't necessarily live in self-induced poverty. Instead, PoBos opt for simplicity. Even downsizing empty-nesters paying too much in the Pearl are bohemian in their rejection of the sprawling, fuel-inefficient suburbanism of places such as Phoenix, a city that expands 1.2 acres an hour.

In the city that works, our artists and intellectuals do just that, free from the cutthroat competition of New York, the mendacious maneuvering of Los Angeles or the smug self-congratulation of San Francisco. We're a humble bunch, content to create in our affordable houses and ride our bikes to the farmers market in our sensible footwear. That's the true Portland spirit, and it's attracting creative people by the thousands. It's why filmmaker Todd Haynes moved here and what makes Gus Van Sant stay.

In defense of TV

I've never made a secret of the fact that I am hopelessly obsessed with television. When confronted with my affinity for TV, I usually defend myself by writing the habit off as a guilty pleasure. I'm well aware of the fact that not only do I watch a lot -- but I usually watch what most people consider to be the bottom of the barrel: MTV reality shows, cheesy sitcoms and the like.

My newest roommate, in joining my other roommates and I for an episode of "My Fair Brady," remarked within the first 45 seconds that "I can feel myself losing brain cells." Her reaction is absolutely standard, and even understandable, to a degree.

But the more I think about it, the more I believe that TV isn't just a guilty pleasure -- it's as viable an area to posess knowledge in as any. Does knowing about this season's "Real World" cast mean that I somehow know less about Zachary Taylor's presidency, comprehensive immigration reform or the Civil Rights Movement? Not so much. Having knowledge about anything -- even pop culture -- can only help you.

Last week, while editing a column for work, I caught a misspelling in the name of hip-hop artist Juelz Santana. I first became familiar with the artist after watching an episode of MTV's oft-criticized "My Super Sweet 16." No other editor in the office caught the error.

I've encountered many a poorly written, horribly argued article or commentary on what people consider "real issues," while some Web sites focusing particularly on TV and pop culture, such as Defamer and EW's PopWatch, are masterfully articulated.

So the next time you sneer at someone's penchant for watching "Tiara Girls" or "The Hills," just consider that while certain kinds of knowledge might be less celebrated, they're never less valuable.

Quote of the Day

On Taylor Hicks' new single, "Do I Make You Proud":
"Hicks ... is forced to growl his way through a dated, overwrought piece of pop hackwork that sounds like the theme song to the world's shittiest Eighties sitcom." -- Rolling Stone

Meg to the Han: The big 2-3

23 years and 1 day ago, Meghan Pamela Mainwaring was born. To commemorate this event, I have, yet again, assembled a list of facts that will help people appreciate her existence:
1. Though her hair is now uncontrollably curly, Meghan had straight locks as a child.
2. Andy Roddick is at the top of Meghan's "list."
3. She has had, like, 40 surgeries. OK, maybe 2 or 3, but that's a lot.
4. Meghan's hometown, Lake Forest, was not officially incorporated as a city until 1991.
5. Meghan only eats popcorn when it is accompanied in the same bite by one or more M&M's (her initials).

At least we agree on something!

From MSNBC: "Bush also spoke to other leaders, and his unscripted comments ranged from the serious topic of escalating violence in the Mideast to light banter about his preference for DIET COKE ..."

Even Beth Brotherton should be able to get on board with George in this regard.

Eat your heart out

Being the bon vivant that I am, I have attempted to assemble a list of my favorite L.A. food -- not the restaurants, but rather the food itself. You might not want to read this on an empty stomach:
Toasted pecan shake at Lucky Devil's: Made with a Madagascar Bourbon vanilla-infused custard, rather than ice cream. The toasted pecans spice it up. It's sinful without being too heavy, and topped with homemade whipped cream. The real stuff.

Mac daddy and cheese balls at Fred 62: Fried macaroni and cheese. Enough said. Plus, who doesn't love food in ball form?

Father's Office burger at Father's Office: The bar is famous for its insistence on no add ons: no ketchup, nothing. Trust them, you don't need it. The beef is topped with arugula, gruyere and a bacon-onion compote.

Today Show dog at Pink's: Two hot dogs in one bun, cheese, chilli, onions and guacamole. You won't eat for about two days afterward, but it's worth it.

Lobster tempura roll at Pearl Dragon: Crispy lobster and avocado rolled up with cucumber, instead of rice, which gives it a very delicate balance.

Argentine Gaucho steak at Ciudad: Quite possibly the best piece of meat I've ever eaten, which is saying a lot, if you've ever met me. It's a beef rib eye stuffed with carmelized jalepeno and roasted garlic, finished off with an herb-garlic chimichurri sauce. After my 21st birthday, I remember puking in the toilet for about 40 minutes, emerging only to ask Meghan of my leftovers: "Is my steak still OK?"

Sliced Toro (fatty tuna) at Hamakawa: Yes, LA has many, many a trendy, expensive, there-to-be-seen sushi restaurant. But the real stuff is in Little Tokyo, and Hamakawa is pretty much the best. The fish comes in thick slices, and is the freshest I've ever tasted.

Cream of roasted garlic soup at Doughboys: Being the soup afficionado that I am, this is probably my favorite in LA (although the potato corn chowder at Toast is up there). It has a rich, velvety flavor, and the tortellini and chanterelle mushrooms give it a perfect texture.

Tuesday is my favorite day

... thanks to the ever-quotable Joel Stein. This line, particularly, is awesome: (In reference to allegations that Lance Armstrong might have been doping) "If, in fact, Armstrong used drugs, will it make his comeback less incredible against a field of other doped-up athletes that he clearly out-prepared, out-trained and out-strategized? The sad part is that — by demanding ultimate competitiveness in everything except medicine — doping will have made him a liar. And we don't like that in people from Texas."

Update: While flipping channels this weekend, I totally saw Joel Stein, acting as one of the commentators for VH1's "I Love the 70s." It made sitting on my ass all alone so much more bearable.

Cause I could be a pro athlete

Inspired by the sweet mixes that are the Ipod/Nike Sport Music collections, I have decided to include my personal workout mix, the aptly titled "Shake Ya Ass, But Watch Yaself" mix (FYI, Vince Carter and Freddy Adu have the best mixes. Lance Armstrong's has good music, but a lot of it is too mellow to run to. As for my girl Paula Radcliffe, let's just say she could kick my ass on the track, but she's got nothing on my music taste).

Now, workout mixes are different than other mixes. They require that you let go of all the pretension that people usually put into mixes -- if you know deep down that Britney Spears will make you shake your ass, then get her on there and get over yourself. Workout mixes are also not the right occasion for experimentation. You want songs that you know word for word, so that you can just sing along, and focus on the rhythm and music so that you forget that you're tired and hurting. Finally, you need some songs with inspirational lyrics, as well as plain good up-tempo stuff. I noticed that several of the Nike athletes all had "Motivation" by T.I. They know what's up. So, without further ado:
1. "I Can," Nas
2." '03 Bonnie & Clyde," Jay-Z feat. Beyonce
3. "Just Don't Tell Me That," 'NSYNC
4. "Let Me Be," Britney Spears
5. "Bring Em Out," T.I. feat. Jay-Z
6. "Every Ghetto, Every City," Lauryn Hill
7. "The New Workout Plan," Kanye West
8. "Rock Your Body," Justin Timberlake
9. "Hung Up," Madonna
10. "It's Like That," Mariah Carey
11. "Gigolo," Nick Cannon
12. "Tipsy," J-Kwon
13. "Get Right," Jennifer Lopez
14. "Welcome To Atlanta (Remix)," Jermaine Dupri feat. Diddy, Murphy Lee and Snoop Dogg
15. "Staying Alive," Wyclef Jean
16. "Doin' It," LL Cool J
17. "C'mon C'mon," Von Bondies
18. "Who Invited You" the Donnas
19. "Of All The Gin Joints In All The World," Fall Out Boy
Also, I keep a reserve list, in the event that I need an estrogen-filled, girly, guilty pleasure fest. That list includes:
"Miss Independent," Kelly Clarkson; "Fighter," Christina Aguilera; "Independent Women Pt. 1," Destiny's Child; "Stronger," Britney Spears; "Aint Nothin' But a She Thang," Salt 'n' Peppa; and "Doo Wop (That Thing)," Lauryn Hill.

Salt of the earth, indeed

A topic so near and dear (yet hazardous) to my heart

Toni the Tiger

Today marks the 22nd anniversary of Antonia Soiney's birth. In celebration, I have assembled a list of random facts about Toni that I have learned in the 10 or so years we have been friends. Enjoy.

1. Toni's cat Gio is named after the actor Giovanni Ribisi
2. By the 7th grade, Toni had never tried several commonplace foods, including: blueberries, scalloped potatoes and chicken noodle soup.
3. At U of O, Toni was a member of the Cycling Team.
4. Toni is an expert potter.
5. Before working at the Sage, Toni (and I) worked at the Evergreen Aviation Museum cafe.
6. Toni has had roles in several musicals at the Gallery Theater, including "Oliver" and "Damn Yankees."
7. Her best friend is really good looking.

So new, so hot

Hear ye, hear ye ...
Ok, so let's face it, the only people likely to read this are: my brother and perhaps Tom and Beth, on occasion. But really, the purpose is not to entertain other people, but rather to distract myself from the sheer boredom that is not having enough to do at work (that, and it will serve as a sounding board for when I edit columns that make statements like this: "... the perpetually irritating senator from Wisconsin, Russ Feingold, who sometimes makes one miss Joe McCarthy ...") Yeah.

Anyway, down to business.

Best articles I've read recently:
My eternal non-sexual crush, Joel Stein

And even a fabulous article by Max Boot, with whom I normally disagree (even the headline is awesome ... perhaps the work of blake hennon?)

This one's a little dated by now, but reminds me of how much I love Hov: