A lot of Americans mentally record where they were and what they were doing when they first heard that the Berlin Wall had fallen, John F. Kennedy was shot and the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded. But one famous tragedy has remained suspiciously ignored, until now.
This week marked the 39th anniversary of Oregon's famed "exploding whale," a beached whale that washed up on the shores of Florence, Oregon. Officials exploded it with almost half a ton of dynamite because they couldn't think of another way to remove the sea creature from the beach. We know go to reporter Paul Linnman who was live at the scene...
[via The Exploding Whale]
Oregon-related stories
Remembering the most famous exploded whale in TV history
Comcast TiVo service expanding beyond New England this summer?
Want to get your hands on TiVo's top notch PVR software, but don't want to give up video on demand and other services provided by your local cable company? So far your only choice is to move to the Boston area and sign up for Comcast with TiVo service. That's the only market where Comcast or any other cable company is currently offering a set top box with TiVo software.But word on the street is that Comcast will be expanding its TiVo offering soon. EngadgetHD reports that a Portland, Oregon Comcast customer says two different Comcast cable installers told him that TiVo service would be an option soon, as in this summer.
Keep in mind, you don't get a TiVo box, just TiVo software on your regular Comcast box if you sign up for this service. And you get the privilege of paying $3 extra per month for that software. But if you're tired of staring at Comcast's generic program guide and menu system, $3 might seem like a small price to pay.
Matt Roloff found not guilty of DUI
Matt Roloff, patriarch to the Roloff family of the very popular TLC reality show Little People, Big World, was found not guilty of Driving Under the Influence by a Washington County, Oregon judge. He made this decision even though it was a jury trial. You see, a few of the jury members got into a bit of trouble. But first, more about Matt.
Back on June 19th of last year the 46-year-old Roloff was pulled over after a sheriff's deputy saw his van leaving a bar and weaving over lane lines. During testimony last week Roloff mentioned that he was only dropping off a friend at the bar and never left his car. He also testified that he was tired from a cross-country RV trip he took with his family and that the pedal extensions on the van he was driving (it was his wife Amy's van) were different than what he was used to.
Continue reading Matt Roloff found not guilty of DUI
Dad on Little People, Big World gets a DUI
What is the deal with television stars and their need to drive drunk? Of all people, Matt Roloff is charged with drunk driving. He's the father on the popular TLC reality series, Little People, Big World. The actual arrest happened back in mid-June but he made a court appearance on the charges yesterday. Deputies pulled him over at about midnight, and he failed a sobriety test.I'd be interested to see how he handles this with his kids. I'm a fan of Little People, Big World and am especially entertained by Matt, who always seems to have some big project happening out on his farm. Even though the Roloffs have a tough time keeping their house clean, they seem to be raising good kids.
By the way, what do you think of Roloff's mug shot? The smile is a little creepy... almost like Tom DeLay, but not quite.
Vote for your favorite Springfield
For a few months now, we've been telling you about how 16 towns of Springfield across the United States are all competing to host the premiere of The Simpsons Movie. The cities have been sending their videos to 20th Century Fox to show why they're the real Springfield.The city of Springfield, Oregon, for example, did a Bill Kurtis-style investigative report on where the real Springfield is and determined it was in Oregon. There was even a cameo by Tony Hawk! The city of Springfield, Massachusetts had a similar premise, but with higher production quality. Theirs includes a message from Sen. Ted Kennedy.
You can see all the videos here, where USA Today is hosting a vote from now through July 9th on which Springfield deserves the premiere. The website doesn't say whether our voting will actually determine the premiere location, though.
Springfields fight over The Simpsons movie premiere
It's getting down to the nitty gritty with 16 American towns named Springfield. They're all vying for the right to premiere The Simpsons movie in July.While my personal favorite is Springfield, Oregon because I live in Portland and can easily drive there, I think Springfield, Illinois may be ahead in the running. According to this LA Times article, Mayor Tim Davlin recently gave a speech where he said "we are indeed the city that best represents the community on television." Either he's trying to make us think he's the real Mayor Quimby (because that is totally something Quimby would say), or he has never seen The Simpsons. The Springfield portrayed on the show ain't exactly paradise. It's more of a dump, really.
Davlin says his town's assets are the donut factory, nearby Shelbyville, and the fact that Abraham Lincoln once lived there (think: Abe Simpson). Another contender, Springfield, Mass. is going just a little too high-brow, claiming it should get the premiere because it's the nation's first Springfield, and the birthplace of Dr. Seuss and frozen food.
Simpsons movie to premiere in Springfield. But which one?
Springfields across the USA are competing with each other for the right to premiere The Simpsons movie this summer. 20th Century Fox is holding the contest, in which 16 Springfields are competing. Springfields each have to submit short films about their town and somehow link it to The Simpsons (anyone with a mountain of burning tires must have an advantage, right?). Whichever city is chosen for the premiere also gets to be in the credits of the movie.People in Springfield, Oregon think their town has an advantage because it is very close to The Simpsons creator Matt Groening's boyhood home in Portland. But, do you really want to be that Springfield? It's supposed to be an everytown with pollution, bad schools, nuclear meltdowns, the aforementioned mountain of burning tires, etc., etc.
The movie comes out in July and Groening is promising "a really good joke" revealing which state Springfield is in.
Storm Large on public radio podcast
Here she is (opens iTunes). Just like I promised. Storm Large, the best contestant on last summer's Rock Star: Supernova, was a guest on an Oregon public radio program called Live Wire. It's a variety-type show that is recorded in front of a live audience (I attended the December taping). She sang "Beautiful", a PG-rated version of "Ladylike", and a sultry rendition of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" at the very end of the show.That show has finally aired- it made air in Oregon just before Christmas and now Live Wire's podcast is in iTunes. Not only does Storm blow away the public radio types with her performances, she also gives an entertaining interview about being a very scary stepmom.
I saw Storm Large on the radio
I just had to drop a quick note to fans of Storm Large, one of the most popular contestants on last summer's Rock Star: Supernova. I got to see her perform live last night for a public radio program here in Portland, Oregon. The radio show is called Live Wire (it records once a month at the Aladdin for you P-towners), and it's sort-of like Prairie Home Companion, but for young people. Storm Large and the Balls, who are a very big deal here in Portland, performed three songs last night for the radio program. She sang two of her originals, "Beautiful" and the uber-popular, PG-rated version of "Ladylike". She closed out the show with a very sultry version of "I'll Be Home for Christmas".I freely admit that I'm a Johnny-come-lately fan of Storm Large, but... damn, she rocks! I saw her on Rock Star a few times last summer and the television does her no justice whatsoever. You have to see this woman perform live. Her stage presence is captivating-- probably a combination of her self confidence and her amazing voice. I felt like I was in a trance as I watched her-- she's so damn commanding. Plus, she's drop-dead gorgeous!
For Oregonians, the Live Wire featuring Storm Large airs at 8 pm on OPB on December 23rd. The radio program also has a podcast version so I'll post a link to that when it comes out during the week of Christmas.
Law & Order SVU: Infiltrated
(S08E06) First of all, let me just say that the "eco-terrorists" have surprisingly good fashion sense. And access to showers. As someone who lives in Oregon, where we have real eco-terrorists, I kept having to chuckle at their portrayal on this episode of SVU. But enough of the nit-picky stuff... Mariska Hargitay is back!
After her maternity leave, Mariska looks amazing. I thought the writers came up with a great storyline to get Det. Olivia Benson out of her undercover gig. She got bored with the squeaky clean environmentalists she had infiltrated so she started investigating the murder of the head of a pharmaceuticals company when her friends are suspected of his death.
Continue reading Law & Order SVU: Infiltrated
Pumpkin catapult injures child from Little People, Big World
**Update: Matt Roloff details the accident here. It sounds like everybody's going to be okay.
Portland, OR: Home to The Simpsons
I've lived in Portland, Oregon for nearly five years and one of the first things I learned when I moved here was that this city claims The Simpsons. Creator Matt Groening is from Portland and many of his locations and characters have Portland roots (at least, that's what Portlanders like to say). The photograph in this story is of a 'Bart' that Groening drew in the cement near his alma mater, Lincoln High School, where he graduated in 1972. The drawing is not from his high school days, he just returned to town and drew it when The Simpsons became popular (it's on the corner of SW 18th and SW Salmon near the Goose Hollow MAX stop, in case you're in town).
References to Portland abound in The Simpsons. Here are a few:
Continue reading Portland, OR: Home to The Simpsons
David Cross opening for Pearl Jam
David Cross, brilliant (and sometimes extremely foul) comedian and former co-star of Arrested Development is giving a special performance for charity in Portland, Oregon. I'm not sure my reasons for posting this: either I'm really excited about it or I'm gloating. Either way, he's opening for Pearl Jam at this event in Portland on Thursday, July 20th. Tickets are $75 a piece. They go on sale at 10 am PT in case you're in the neighborhood. No, I'm not involved. I just think it'll be a terrific show.
Oregon doesn't think Dog Bites Man is funny
My home state of Oregon is awfully pissed off at Comedy Central's new mockumentary, Dog Bites Man. The show stars former The Daily Show correspondent Matt Walsh and comedian Zach Galifianakis, among others, as a morning news team. Apparently, the 'team' told the state it was making a documentary when it filmed at Portland State University earlier this year (why didn't anyone ask what Comedy Central is doing making a documentary?). At one point during filming, a student recognized Matt Walsh from Old School, but he and the crew lied and said he's always mistaken for that guy. The University says it's fine with the humor, but not the deception. The state of Oregon is asking that Comedy Central not air any of the footage filmed at PSU.Already, Comedy Central pulled footage from another episode of Dog Bites Man where a professor at Chapman University in Texas thought he was part of a panel discussion on media, but ended up being the butt of a joke.
[Via Lost Remote]
The X-Files: Pilot
Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of your favorite shows, in order, every week.(S01E01) As I watched this episode, I realized that, even though I call myself an X-Files fan, I did not watch the series when it first aired on FOX in 1993. In fact, I can't quite pinpoint when I became a die-hard fan or what the first episode was that I watched. I'm pretty sure I was hooked by one of those Monster-of-the-Week episodes and not part of the overall aliens-on-earth conspiracy storyline. I think I was hooked sometime during season three. All I know is my husband and I caught up on The X-Files early on in our college years when reruns played back-to-back each night (possibly on F/X?).
The Prisoner -- An early look
Sesame Street's 40th: Five funniest characters
Sesame Street's 40th: Five biggest controversies
