Hot Weather is Coming!

This weekend is going to be a hot one!  Our newspartners KGW Newschannel 8 are forecasting 95 for Saturday and 91 for Sunday.  According to the Oregon Chapter of the American Meteorological Society, this will be the hottest weather of the year.  Feel a bit like deja vu?  Our first 90 degree day last summer didn't come until August either.
What do you think of this upcoming heat wave?  Are you the type of person who turns on the AC when it hits 80?  Or will you be outside, soaking it all in?  I much prefer this hot weather, in fact, I wish we had more of it!  If you want to escape the heat, the coast is only forecast to hit the mid-60's.  But if you really want to roast, head down south.  It could hit 100 in Medford.
-Lacey

The Dark Knight Really Is Dark

Steve Leader and I took the time on Thursday to make a rare escape from news and go see the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight."  First of all, let me say, I'm a huge fan of Director Christopher Nolan, the lead actor Christian Bale, and the supporting cast including Michael Caine (great actor), Anne Hathaway (scene stealer) and Gary Oldman (consistently good).  Having said that, I thought the movie was almost too much. It was fatiguing.  It was incredibly dark and intense.  I admit, I may be a little sensitive since the Colorado shootings but I certainly wasn't nervous in THIS theater because Steve and I were the only ones in there.  I was fatigued solely by the plot.   I thought I'd attach this article by Peggy Noonan if nothing else to spark some discussion.  I'd love to hear what you think about movies these days and how they impact us all.  

~Rebecca

PS. No death threats.  I love Batman.

 WSJ.com - Opinion: Noonan: The Dark Night Rises

 

Mess in the City: If You Were President

This isn't a Democrat thing or a Republican thing. Everyone gets excited to some level when the leader of the free world lands in your town. Everyone also knows that visit is going to equal some amount of frustration. Freeways are shut down, entire sections of the city are blocked off, and businesses in those areas suffer because customers can't reach them for hours at a time.

Certainly we're not arguing against the need to protect the most powerful man in the world. After the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Jr. and the attempt on Ronald Reagan it was clear that the president would always have a target on his or her back.

The greater question here might be whether a campaign fundraising stop, where the only people who get close to the president paid money to be there, really needs to take place in the heart of Portland. Where the president landed, the Air National Guard Base, there are a number of larger facilities that could accommodate any size group wishing to see the president. There is also built-in security with checkpoints before anyone can even get on the base. Holding the event there would eliminate the need for any traffic to be shut down, and greatly reduce the costs for local police forces when it comes to covering such a visit.

Of course the other side could be the need for a president, especially one seeking re-election, to not appear disconnected from the general public. Popping into a local eatery for a bite of lunch and stumping at the Convention Center are key parts of looking connected with the working class.

Time to put yourself in the president's shoes. Where do you hold your fundraising event when you come to Portland? And as a voter, would you ever vote against a president based solely on the gridlock caused by their visit?

Tempers Boil Over Boil Advisory

The Portland Water Bureau issued a "boil water" advisory over the weekend for the west side.  Tests of reservoir 3 at Washington Park found traces of ecoli.  Were you effected?  Several businesses on the west side closed early to be safe.  I even know someone who bought 5 cases of bottled water and Winco that night!  The director of the water bureau is still answering questions about the issue today, two days later.  David Shaff says the amount of bacteria found in the water was very minimal, and probably came from the feces of a small animal.  He says contamination doesn't just occur in open reservoirs, but the city does have to follow a federal order to cover them.  What do you think about open reservoirs?  Did you have to boil your water Saturday?  Did you buy bagged ice and bottled water?  Let us know how you handled this!
-Lacey

Don’t Call Cats “Useless”

     I learned my lesson when I was making a joke following  story about a dog that alerted its parents about a fire in their home.  I came on the air and said “Let’s be honest, cat’s wouldn’t do that.  They’re kind of useless.”   Of course, in my mind, I was picturing “Puss in Boots” and thought it was funny. 
    Not so, says one of our listeners who let me have it in an email.  She tells us she's been a faithful listener for years and she just couldn't let my comment go.  She says cats are abused and abandoned more often than dogs and she wants me to give cats some air time to make up for my failed joke.
    So this goes out to her and all the cat lovers out there.  It's an "Ode to Cats" (found online in a quick Google search):

http://animal.discovery.com/the-spot/cat-people/i-like-cats/top-ten-cats-better-dogs.html

Thank you Animal Planet.

~Rebecca

Sandusky Scandal - Tip of an Iceberg?

Joe Paterno's name has come down from the child care center on Nike's Beaverton campus. After decades of service to his sport and his school, during which he became a legend, a massive asterisk will live next to his name in the Hall of Fame and the hearts of football fans for generations to come. And it never had to happen.

The report put together by former FBI director Louis Freeh revealed a pattern of poor decisions, not just by coach Paterno, but by men in positions of leadership throughout Penn State. The indiscretions of Jerry Sandusky had been rumored in and around the school for years, and yet the men in power covered it up, shoved it under the rug, and carried on as if nothing was wrong. Why? Because in college football today, money is king. Prestige is paramount.

It seems odd now, in light of the revelations since the Sandusky scandal broke, to think that men of such apparent mental capacity managed to talk themselves into believing that they could control such a monstrous secret; that somehow they could keep things in the family. But in their world such a scandal would mean the end to millions of dollars in donor money, scholarships, ticket sales, television contracts, and sponsorships. Of course hiding the secrets of Sandusky will now cost Penn State all of that, and possible prison time for men who lied to a Grand Jury about how much they apparently knew.

Not one rational person should ever be fooled into thinking there's no chance this is just the tip of a massive iceberg. After all, the same conditions exist at colleges and universities across the country. We've turned student athletes into billion dollar assets, rather than young men and women simply trying to earn an easier financial path to a higher education. We've set entire educational systems up to stand on the backs of college sports programs, relying on them to bring in ticket revenue and alumni donations year upon year. In the case of Penn State, at the very least, we've put the survival of those programs above the welfare of the boys and girls who put on the uniform.

Is there a road to fixing this issue? Are we over-reacting to it based only upon a few recent cases? Sound off in the comments below.

~Chris Brown