U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley has repeatedly told voters one thing about his wife Mary Sorteberg (standing by her man, above) in his race against opponent Steve Novick and several other candidates in the Democratic primary. In TV ads and public appearances, he’s stressed the theme that his wife is a nurse. It's all part of Merkley's effort to show voters his commitment to tackling health-care issues. More recently, Merkley has highlighted a second theme among many in this campaign — that “Merkley enacted the toughest ethics reforms in Oregon’s history.” That quote emerged Sunday in a brand new TV ad from Merkley, Oregon’s House speaker, aimed squarely at Republican incumbent Sen. Gordon Smith. The reference is to House Bill 2595, the sweeping 2007 measure that limited lobbyists’ gifts to lawmakers and gave state legislators running for higher office this year huge bragging rights. Here’s the rub: That same bill, which passed 58-2, contains a clause that has received far less attention. That clause doesn’t make it into campaign literature, because it didn’t restrict special interests. Instead, it codified Oregon lawmakers’ long-standing practice of nepotism, giving members of the Oregon House and Senate the special privilege of being able to hire their own family members. (Meanwhile, a separate clause in the bill banned the practice for every other public official in the state.) Given those two themes, a review of public documents raises new questions about just how tough Merkley’s ethics reforms really were. According to a review by WWire, Sorteberg was on Merkley’s legislative payroll in 2003, making Merkley a participant in what The Oregonian in 2005 called Oregon’s “time-honored tradition” of nepotism. That practice also was criticized that same year here, where Kari Chisholm of BlueOregon wrote, "It's time to put an end to legislative nepotism." From 1999—when Merkley was first elected to the Oregon House as a representative of East Portland—until 2007, when he was serving as the House speaker, Merkley paid his wife on two occasions when the House was not in session. The Merkley campaign confirmed these payments. One is recorded on Sept. 30, 2003 for $1,000. And the other is from Oct. 30, 2003. It’s also for $1,000. Both payments are listed on Merkley’s expense report as monthly “salary.” The 2003 Legislature ended Aug. 27. There was nothing illegal about these payments to Merkley’s wife, even though they occurred before the nepotism clause was written into law condoning the practice. And according to a Nov. 18, 2005 story in The Oregonian, "at least half of Oregon's 90 lawmakers have spouses or other family on their state payroll this year." But Janice Thompson, direction of Democracy Reform Oregon, a watch-dog group that has been part of reforming the state's ethics laws, says Merkley's hiring of his wife is troubling. "That sounds like a classic case of double dipping, raising questions about whether the pay was commensurate with the work performed," Thompson says.

June 6-7, under the sponsorship of the Alchemist, performers of music in Corvallis from 1941 though yesterday, will be coming together with instrument makers, repairers and teachers at the Old World Deli on 2nd and Adams to retell their stories, to record the oral history of musical performance in Corvallis. The telling will begin at 5 PM and finish at 8 PM both evenings, after which performances will begin. For more information, write to info@corvallismusic.com, or see the Alchemist.. You can add entries to the database here. About the 1857 photo above: "Father was the bass drummer in the drum corps at Fort Hoskins under Phil Sheridan. Charles Franks played the tenor [snare] drum and J.C. LottsenheiserR played the fife. After the company was disbanded the four men scattered and never met again for many years. Then twenty-five or thirty years later they all came back and played together again. They were much in demand for celebrations and political rallies. I think I never heard finer music than they made. "- Bertha Plunkett Thompson, Corvallis pioneer

 Continued unease about a natural gas pipeline proposal prompted Jackson County commissioners to launch their own research into plans for drilling beneath the Rogue River. "This will determine what is fiction and what is fact," said Commissioner C.W. Smith. Frank Lang, an emeritus biology professor with Southern Oregon University, said the committee, which is still taking shape, will try to answer concerns being raised about a specific issue around the controversial plan. "We'll be putting together an unbiased assessment of putting the pipeline under the Rogue River," he said. Lang said the scope of the committee will be limited to determining what effect, if any, the project would have on fish. Ultimately, commissioners could make a recommendation to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission based on the committee's findings. The 230-mile Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline would run from Coos Bay, where ships carrying liquefied natural gas would unload at a proposed terminal at Jordan Cove. The liquid would be turned back into a gas and then pushed through the pipeline through a portion of Jackson County until it reached a major existing pipeline, near Malin, not far from the California state line. A horizontal boring tool will drill through rock 25 to 100 feet under the river for the 3-foot diameter pipeline. One of the concerns raised by Commissioner Dave Gilmour is that during the boring process a slurry used to lubricate the tool could spurt out through fractures in the rock into the river. This might endanger fish in the river, he worried. Lang said he wants to gather the best scientific evidence he can find from both sides of the issue before the committee makes a recommendation to commissioners. He said he will want to find out if there have been problems in other rivers where gas pipelines have been placed. The committee will consider the thickness of the pipeline, how it is inspected and how it will be installed, he said. Michele Swaner, spokeswoman for The Williams Companies, said her company is very conscious of the importance of drilling safely under rivers. The pipe is inspected on both the inside and outside and coated to protect it from corrosion. It is also generally thicker under the river. Once the pipe is welded together it is tested under high pressure with water to make sure there aren't any leaks. The pressure that the pipe is tested at is also higher than the normal pressure when the gas flows through the line, she said. Boring under the river also takes place when fish aren't spawning in the remote chance that slurry blows out, she said. Swaner said "We've had leaks, but no explosions".

 A convicted felon and pal of the Republican right wing in Congress, Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification church known globally as the Moonies, has handed over control of the movement to his Harvard-educated youngest son in what is being seen as an attempt to broaden the controversial religious organisation's appeal. Apparently the claim of Moon to be the father of the new Messiah isn't flying anymore as he nears 90 years of age. In a ceremony near Seoul last week, 28-year-old Hyung Jin Moon was anointed chairman of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, the name the church has used since the late 1990s. "I hope everyone helps him so that he may fulfil his duty as the successor of the True Parents," Moon, 88, said, in a characteristically immodest reference to himself and his wife. Moon the younger, who was born in the state of New York, promised to "develop the church and to connect as many people as possible" to his parents. "I will do my best to bring the love of the True Parents and God to every corner of the world." Experts say Hyung Jin, the youngest of seven sons, who has five children of his own, is being groomed to secure his ageing father's legacy more than 50 years after he founded the Unification church in South Korea, declaring himself the new messiah with the aim of establishing a single world government under his leadership. The new leader, a philosophy and theology graduate, practised Zen Buddhism and lived in a Catholic monastery, and has been described as the "most spiritual" of Moon's children. In his book, A Bald Head and a Strawberry, he writes: "I was the youngest boy of the family and probably the most nutty." "[Moon] has been grooming his three sons for a bigger role for three years," Timothy Read, a spokesman for the church in London, told the Guardian. "The Unification church is not just a church these days, but an international organisation with many interests. Religion is just one aspect of that. The reverend decided a while ago that it would encounter difficulties if it was simply known as a church and decided to broaden its activities." Under Moon's leadership, the church has built a worldwide membership estimated at 250,000 - although the church claims more than 10 times as many followers - often using questionable methods to recruit followers and secure their loyalty to an movement that critics denounce as little more than a personality cult. Its presence is particularly strong in the US, South Korea and Japan where, former followers say, members have used recruitment methods such as palm-reading, and routinely take out loans to meet fundraising targets. Despite last week's apparent transfer of power few expect Moon Sr, who was convicted in the US of tax evasion in 1982, to loosen his grip on power. "He may have appointed his son, but Moon is constantly giving orders, and people do as they tell him," a former member told the Guardian. "He is unlikely to transfer any actual power to his sons." Experts say Moon's eldest son, Hyo Jin, might have been a more obvious choice as successor but was overlooked after scandals over drugs and extramarital sex. He died of a heart attack last month, at 45. The former disciple, who left several years ago in protest at Moon's increasingly narcissistic behaviour, said he expected the church to step up its fundraising activities under Hyung Jin and to forge alliances that go well beyond its pseudo-Christian origins. The church rose to notoriety in the 60s with the first of what would be many "blessings", mass weddings often held in stadiums. When it launched in the UK and other countries in the 70s it was criticised for its alleged brainwashing techniques - so-called "heavenly deception". Politically, Moon was most at ease with conservatives from the US Christian right, with his anti-communism and preaching on the sanctity of marriage. Moon bought properties in South Korea, Japan, the US and elsewhere, with the profits funnelled into a business portfolio that includes the Washington Times newspaper, a golf course in California and a small-arms manufacturer in New York run by one of his sons. Though the movement's finances are a mystery to all but Moon's closely knit family, one estimate put the leader's personal wealth at about $990m. Maintaining the steady donations from devout followers will now fall to Hyung Jin.

Protesters demonstrated against the Iraq war at Southern Oregon University. "I say let the war trials begin," said Sara Doegah, one of the protest organizers. "I was sick of sitting around complaining to my friends. I wanted to do something." Doegah joined with Scott Michaud and decided to hold a protest. "This is mainly about awareness," said Michaud. "Not so many people are thinking about this. Maybe it's the lack of a draft, or that it's not their brothers and sisters fighting. Instead of invading other countries, we could be getting together to help causes around the world and right here in this country." The protest began outside of the Stevenson Union at 2 p.m., with dancing, face-painting and the exchanging of ideas before a group of about 50 marched toward the plaza, picking up approximately 40 more protesters along the way. One protester, Ron Fishead, in 12-inch spiked dreads, showed up wearing an American flag as a set of bloomers along with a necklace of skulls. "You can't kill the revolution," he chanted through his megaphone, before addressing issues involving Federal Emergency Management Agency. Local musician Shiloh Jackson, who participated in the march, had a philosophical view of the war and protest itself. "The war is a blanket pulled over our eyes to disguise the true situation in America. It's an expensive farce — a big spectacle designed to blind from the inequalities right here," said Jackson. "In a way, the protest actually adds to that spectacle. To be honest, my reactions to this protest are mixed."According to event organizers the protest had two purposes: to promote peace and bring renewed attention to the ongoing conflict overseas. At 3 p.m., the colorful cacophony — a mixture of SOU students and the surrounding community — made its way downtown. "I'm choosing to participate, in part, because whenever a large group or crowd gets together to promote and put out love and peace, it really does make a difference," said SOU student Hannah Edlefson. "It always starts from the bottom up."The march was also joined by Ray Hanson, a soldier in the Oregon Army National Guard."I'm coming along because this war is unconstitutional," said Hanson. "This aggressive invasion is the stuff Nazis do, not the United States. My biggest issue is that it is illegal and we're killing people." SOU student Karen McClintock maintained a different sort of protest, observing thousands of flags that have been spread across the campus in honor, and reminder, of the massive death toll thus far in the Iraqi conflict — thousands of white flags representing Iraqi deaths, and a spattering of hundreds of red flags among them representing American casualties. "Vets planted every red flag here," said McClintock. "A lot of people stopping by are vets with the idea that there is a human toll to every war. I want to honor those serving there. I also want to get them home so they need not continue coming home with head injuries and life altering traumas." The flags, sponsored jointly by the student organization Students for Truth and local community activists, were taken down Sunday evening after a week of display. "I think that the flags speak for themselves," said protester Claire MacLeaod. On the Plaza, a chanting group nearly a hundred strong split into two around 4 p.m., with one group continuing to march and the other engaging in a circle of megaphoned expressions of opinions and then broke into other festivities. "It was really beautiful," said Doegah. "Many people on the road honked or threw us peace signs. Of course, some people didn't. Anytime you share ideas, some people with their own ideas won't agree."Michaud said his part in organizing and participating in the event was a life lesson. "Being a student, I learned a lot about what to do and what to do differently in the future," he said. Doegah, who co-organized the march, plans to run more events such as this in the future. "For my first attempt at doing something like this, I learned a lot," she said. "I'm really excited by how it turned out. It was a beautiful experience."

Arizona State University has disbanded their cheerleading squad after several photos of the girls in various states of undress were found on a campus blog entitled “The Dirty.”Athletic Director Lisa Love opted to cut the entire squad despite the fact the pictures only featured six members of the team. It was also discovered that the photo was taken two years ago and was done in fun at a “cheer party.”Several members of the ASU cheerleaders believed that the school had been planning on disbanding the squad prior to the photo scandal and used the picture as motivation for their decision.

The ASUO Constitution Court denied a request to hold another presidential election, thereby finalizing the victory of Sam Dotters-Katz and Johnny Delashaw. The court ruled late Wednesday it could find no evidence that former Student Senate President Sara Hamilton was working on behalf of the Oregon Action Team campaign when she purchased more than $4,000 worth of advertising in the Emerald, most of which supported Dotters-Katz and Delashaw. "We take Mr. Dotters-Katz at his word that Ms. Hamilton purchased these advertisements of her own accord, however fantastic that claim seems," the opinion states. The court had an independent hearings officer view Hamilton's bank statements and found no evidence of campaign funds being funneled through her account, according to the opinion. In an interview, Delashaw said the court "sided with the student voice." "It should remind all of us that democracy can work," he said. Delashaw said another election would have resulted in decreased voter turnout and interest. Matt Rose, campaign manager for the opposing Rock the Yellow candidates, filed the petition requesting another run-off election because he said the ads violated elections rules which limit campaign contributions to $500 and prohibit campaign advertising in the Emerald. Rose cited an election rule which states campaigns are responsible for "all election-related activities explicitly or implicitly authorized by campaigns." Dotters-Katz and Hamilton have denied that Hamilton was authorized to work on behalf of the campaign. The opinion of the court stated that "there is no evidence to conclude that the Dotters-Katz campaign acted improperly or that the Dotters-Katz campaign either paid or reimbursed Ms. Hamilton for the advertisements." "There is no evidence that the Dotters-Katz campaign implicitly or explicitly authorized Ms. Hamilton's actions," the opinion stated. In an interview, Rose disagreed. "I'm pretty sure someone campaigning in your shirt and handing out (campaign literature) on 13th is connected to your campaign," he said. Dotters-Katz responded by pointing out that the ruling related only to whether Hamilton was authorized to purchase advertisements. If Dotters-Katz or anyone associated with the campaign reimburse Hamilton for the ads or any campaign costs, the case could be reviewed again, according to the opinion. A footnote to the opinion and a concurring opinion by Chief Justice Shon Bogar and Associate Justice Andrea Ly were critical of Hamilton's role. "We note that it does seem fantastic and unlikely that a non-interested party would pay thousands of dollars to promote a student government campaign in an election in which the financier cannot even vote," the footnote states. "However, we are limited by the evidence available." Bogar and Ly were more skeptical. "I do not doubt Ms. Hamilton's earnest support of the Dotters-Katz campaign. Nevertheless, $4,000 is a lot of money for a student government election," they wrote. "It seems fishy, incredible and fantastic that a former student, however earnest in her zeal for student government, would spend $4,000 to advertise under these circumstances. But there is presently no evidence of impropriety." Rose said he was more concerned with the implications for future elections than the outcome of his case. "Next year someone could find a friend and say don't give to my campaign, just buy advertising," he said. Rose said he provided the court with information regarding allegations that Hamilton pressured students in residence halls to vote for Oregon Action Team, but the opinion made no mention of those allegations. "I think it comes down to elections reform, because that also should have been investigated by the elections board," Rose said. Dotters-Katz said Rose's petition "did not call for rules reform. It called for a new primary." Dotters-Katz said he is interested in reforming the elections board and the court. He said one idea that "has been met with wide approval has been removing the elections board off of the executive staff."

How to Win the Online Mcgraw Hill Business Strategy Game
A History of the Canadian Dominion, William McGillivray and the Canadian Clique
History of Russians in the Pacific Northwest
The Basics of Making Cheese
Lyman Beecher and the Second Great Awakening
Bus Schedules
The Tulsa Race Riots
An Inquisition Torture Session
History of Mathematics in India
Corvallis dogs and Jack London's Call of the Wild
Corvallis Serial Killers
Thomas Egarton Hogg and Corvallis
The Modoc Indian War in Oregon
The fur trade in the Northwest
Imprisonment of OSU students 1942
The History of Astoria and Washington Irving's Trip to Oregon

We'll only deal with the Democratic ticket this time. If you're still voting Republican after the last 8 years, your property should be forfeit to the young people whose names you forged on the record public debts you've racked up the past 7 years and your guy McCain is promising more of the same - more giveaways to the rich who are already paying half the tax rate as working Americans. To put it bluntly: you're a crook.
For President: Obama is the only choice. The Clintons are running around the state telling racial jokes and horror stories and then pretend to be aghast when people hold them accountable. Theirs is a Republican ticket.
For Attorney General: This one's a shoe-in for Demcorats too, since the Republicans couldn't find a candidate to field for a law office felons aren't eligible for. Kroger's our choice, since his opponent is a corporate lawyer who has spent his life coddling criminals, not prosecuting them.
Senator: Your choice: either Steve Novick or Candy Neville. Both oppose George Bush's policies on the war, massive indebtedness, privileges for his rich cronies, globalization,  ending his sabotage of controls on global warming and both promise to stand for working Americans.
Congress 4th District: De Fazio. Yes, Mike Bielstein is running but he's a Corvallis Green, and the Greens in Corvallis have created a city council which is the tool of developers in a way not seen in this city for 20 years. A Democrat is preferable.  Congress 5th District.Y our choice: local boy Foster, Moran, Nathe, or Marks. Fifth District: All appear to have the interests of Oregon residents in mind.
Secretary of State: Walker or Brown.
State Treasurer: Westlund.
Legislator: 16th District: Gelser.
Judge, 21st District: Williams
Measures 51 and 52: No. The measures have the support of the infamous "perv lobby" led by Kevin Mannix, a financial creation of the equally notorious Loren Parks, according to the Oregonian. Mannix's measures have only bankrupted the state and protected his patron.
Measure 53: Your choice.

Last week, "Concerned Oregonians' "David Crowe sent out another email missive about his group's struggle to put two anti-gay initiatives on November's ballot. One—Initiative Petition 145—would repeal the state's anti-discrimination law, and the other, Initiative Petition 146, would reverse the state's domestic partnership law. But Concerned Oregonians' effort, in partnership with former State Senator Marylin Shannon and her "Let Oregon Vote" group, seems headed for at least partial failure—something Crowe acknowledged in his update, before begging his supporters to pray. "The likelihood is that we will have just enough time to get enough signatures for 145 on the ballot, but not 146," Crowe told his supporters via email on April 27. He also explained that the multiple legal steps petitioners have to pass through to even gain approval to collect signatures about an issue have delayed the initiatives. Both petitions—and a third earlier one about nonexistent "civil unions," which Crowe acknowledges is "legally flawed" but is still winding through the process—are caught up in ballot title approval and appeals. Basic Rights Oregon (BRO) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have played a part in the delay: Both groups filed comments on the proposed initiatives. BRO and the ACLU have challenged two of the prospective petitions to the Oregon Supreme Court. "Our concern is that voters understand what's at stake and that we have ballot titles that accurately reflect the reality of the measure," says BRO's Karynn Fish. As a side effect, the challenge could tie up the two possible initiatives for weeks—and Crowe and his allies can't collect a single signature in the meantime. "There is a not a timeline," says Scott Moore, spokesperson for the Oregon Secretary of State, which oversees the initiative process. "It's the Supreme Court. They run on their own timeline." Coupled with Crowe's past admission that their group is extremely low on funds ($6,276.33 in the hole, as of this writing), the initiative delays spell trouble for the effort to overturn Oregon's new laws. Even if the Supreme Court okays the petitions in the next few weeks, the anti-gay activists would have just two months to collect 82,769 valid signatures—or 34,590 more than they failed to collect before, with one month less to do it.

Family Access Network (FAN) of Deschutes County may not lose all of its federal funding this June. The non-profit has been bracing for a $650,000 loss in funding - 60 percent of its budget - as a result of changes in Medicaid rules instituted by the Bush administration. On Wednesday, April 23, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 349 to 62 to block the pending cuts. The administration's rule changes enacted last January would curtail school-based medical services, the category under which FAN's funding falls. FAN, which started in 1993, partners with three Deschutes County school districts to connect needy children and families with basic needs such as shelter, food and health care. "The two-thirds majority vote in the House is good, because that means it is veto proof in the House. President Bush has said he would veto it (the new legislation)," said FAN executive director Julie Lyche. Although good news for FAN, the House vote is not an end in itself. Instead, it is a first step for FAN to maintain approximately $425,000 of its funding through April 1, 2009. Next, the U.S. Senate is to vote on the legislation that places a moratorium on a portion of this year's mandated funding cuts, providing FAN with more time to develop a long-term plan for becoming self-sustaining. "It certainly gives us a little bit of breathing room for next year, so we can look at our funding," said Lyche. FAN plans to begin working with the new administration when it takes office in January with the goal of rescinding the administrative rule changes altogether. "We'll continue to work with the federal government next year, as the new administration comes in and works with our legislators to try to either extend the moratorium (beyond April 1, 2009) or have the new administration get rid of the rule they (the Bush Administration) put in," said Lyche. Should the bill not pass the Senate by a two-thirds majority, FAN will "... need to wait and see if the President vetoes it, and if he does veto it, it means that our Medicaid money will be gone starting June 1 (a little more than a month from now)." Best case scenario is that if the bill becomes law, FAN's budget next year will be short only about $225,000 instead of $650,000. In the meantime FAN is looking at what its budget will look like next year without any Medicaid funds. "We felt it important to plan ahead if we didn't get it (the approximate $425,000), because if it happens it truly is an act of Congress," said Lyche. The non-profit's plan is to continue to assume it will have no Medicaid dollars next year, until final approval comes from Congress. "Once we have that we can take a look at how we chose to budget and add back with the Medicaid money," said Lyche.

Hi Kids!
Friday the 2nd we will be bringing in UNCOUNTED: THE NEW MATH OF AMERICAN ELECTIONS. On Tuesday, May 6th only, filmmaker David Earnhardt will be at the Darkside for after-show Q&As. Tell your friends!

We will also be bringing in the documentary SUPER HIGH ME, and holding over Stephen Chow's CJ7 and Best Foreign Film Oscar winner THE COUNTERFEITERS.

Great stuff coming soon:
REDBELT: Written and directed by David Mamet.
OUTSOURCED: Todd has to go to India to train his replacements. Think romantic comedy.
THEN SHE FOUND ME: Helen Hunt and Bette Midler as thoroughly modern women in a thoroughly modern crisis.

Playing Friday, May 2nd thru Thursday, May 8 (click a link to jump to the section).
UNCOUNTED: THE NEW MATH OF AMERICAN ELECTIONS
THE COUNTERFEITERS
CJ7
SUPER HIGH ME
OTHER STUFF
UNCOUNTED: THE NEW MATH OF AMERICAN ELECTIONS
Review by John Ginn
On November 3, 2004, exit polls by six leading national news organizations showed Senator John Kerry winning the presidency 51% to 48% for President Bush. That evening all six polls were wrong in exactly the same way; the final tally going to President Bush 51% to 48%. The odds against all six polls being incorrect are astronomical, yet the results were quickly shrugged off by the news media: "Oh well, looks like the polls were wrong. Sure, it's highly unlikely, but it's the only explanation."

The makers of "Uncounted" don't buy that premise for a second. The math doesn't add up; as Al Pacino said in AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, "Something really wrong is goin' on here!"

Looked at in its totality, the idea of a vast conspiracy should come to mind. Some people will instantly be resistant to that idea, but even if one excludes the concept of deliberate fraud, it is also a fact that the process was, at the very least, grotesquely botched. In electoral battleground Ohio, in poor and black areas, people were forced to stand in line in the cold and rain for three, five or even more hours; many voters finally giving up in disgust or out of the need to go to work or school. Then, in some of these same precincts, massive undervoting took place, in which these people went to all this trouble only to -- apparently -- mark nothing on their ballots. "Uncounted" documents these examples and dozens more to paint a picture of an electoral system in complete crisis.

Whether the flaws are by design or just the result of incompetence, they cannot be allowed to stand in a country that prides itself on being the model of democracy for the rest of the world. "Uncounted" is a must-see film for any American of any political party who professes to love their country.

THE COUNTERFEITERS--R (Subtitled)

Winner of the 2008 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Stefan Ruzowitzky's THE COUNTERFEITERS is the first film from Austria to ever receive that prestigious honor. Based on the memoir by Adolf Burger, the film tells the inspiring story of a pre-World War II criminal whose cunning and fiery spirit enable him to overcome deadly odds and survive life in Germany's Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

Before the war, Salomon Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics) was one of the world's most ingenious counterfeiters, until he was finally caught and arrested by Friedrich Herzog (Devid Striesow). Years later, as the Nazi movement is in full swing, the nefariously charming Herzog--now a Nazi leader--recruits Sorowitsch to lead an enormous counterfeiting project called Operation Bernhard. Placed in a horrific position of moral corruption, Sorowitsch is forced to decide whether or not to save his own life or prevent the Nazis from causing further damage on an even grander scale. His fellow prisoner Adolf Burger (August Diehl) is determined to sabotage the operation, but Sorowitsch understands how dangerous a proposition this is.

While THE COUNTERFEITERS is based on real-life tragedy, it never loses its primary objective as a work of dramatic entertainment. This deft balancing act is what keeps Ruzowitzky's moving tale from becoming too bleak and depressing. The result is a deeply impressive work that addresses a topic not often explored in Holocaust cinema--the dilemma of victims who were forced to act immorally and illegally for the betterment of their captors. Powerfully acted by Markovics, THE COUNTERFEITERS is the type of film that the Oscars were made for.
CJ7--PG (Subtitled)

Chinese writer-director-comedian Stephen Chow (SHAOLIN SOCCER, KUNG FU HUSTLE) takes a break from his usual action-comedy adventures for an E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL-inspired tale of family bonds and personal integrity. Chow stars as Ti, a down-on-his luck widower who must funnel all of his wages into the private school education of his nine-year-old son, Dicky (Xu Jiao). The two are reduced to living in an abandoned building and scrounging for necessities, as well as playing nightly games of "clobber the cockroaches." Ti tries to appease Dicky's desire for a trendy new toy by bringing home a mysterious green orb found at a garbage dump. Dicky is soon shocked when the orb transforms into a perky doglike alien being, dubbed "CJ7." When Dicky witnesses CJ7's otherworldly powers he imagines CJ7 to be the answer to all of his school troubles: passing tests, excelling in gym class, and overcoming the school bully. But CJ7 is not as all-powerful as Dicky believes, and when tragedy strikes the family both Dicky and CJ7 must overcome doubt to reveal their true inner strength.

Both CJ7's creature animation and a side order of Chow's kung fu kinetics provide plenty of laughs for kids. At the same the film's adult themes of social inequality, honesty, and self-sacrifice will give kids and parents plenty to discuss once the film is over. Frequently silly but genuinely heartfelt, CJ7 features enough of Chow's trademark twists to make for a unique family entertainment experience.

SUPER HIGH ME--R


Super High Me features comedian Doug Benson and explores the current situation with medical marijuana in California and the United States, specifically focusing on the conflict between federal and state law and the explosive growth in medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles over the past two years.

As part of his journey, Doug smokes, eats and vaporizes medical marijuana for thirty consecutive days in order to get "Super High." But there is a catch--first Doug must go thirty days without any marijuana and undertake a number of tests, completing the same tests while medicated and while sober, in an effort to find out what marijuana does and how it really affects people. Along the way, we follow Doug as he goes out on the road to stand up gigs across the country and hangs out with fellow comedians Sarah Silverman, Bob Odenkirk and Patton Oswalt.


OTHER STUFF: SHIFTING RIGHTLY

One of my first motorcycles was on a Norton Commando Roadster, with the gear shifter on the right side of the motorcycle. Now, all new motorcycles sold in the USA have the foot shifter on the left side and the brake on the right. Before the mid-1970s, this was not the case.

First, a little motorcycle history: When the Japanese started making inroads into the American motorcycling scene in the 1950s, it began a market shift toward smaller, easier to ride motorcycles. The unwieldy iron hogs of Indian and Harley were competing against each other while the Brits were invading American shores with their lightweight and nimble motorcycles. Between that and the Japanese "You meet the nicest people on a Honda," motorcycles, sales of American-made motorcycles plummeted. With an influx of motorcycles from other countries, the controls were not standardized. The most annoying difference was the placement of the foot gear shifter and the rear brake. Somewhat unhandy to be riding one motorcycle, then go to another, try to hit the rear brakes, and end up shifting gears. Almost as classy as trying to shift gears by slamming one's boot into what was supposed to be the shifter and having the rear wheel lock up. It was the work of Ralph Nader that compelled the motorcycle industry to standardize motorcycle controls in 1975, requiring any street bike sold here in the US to have the foot shifter on the left-hand side. At the time, we were sure motorcycle seatbelts were next.

And now, back to our story.

Last Saturday was one of those days that really pisses me off. The weather was nice enough to haul out the motorcycle and find somewhere to go, but that also means that the weather was nice enough to dampen the Darkside attendance like a cop at a hemp fest. So it goes.

Under an uninspired haze, Monty and I rode east, crossing over I-5 toward the back roads to Brownsville. I slid back into my seat and remembered how much I appreciated that Monty manages to find a spot in my rearview mirror, which cuts down on craning my neck around to see if he's still there. This habit harkens to those days when we both rode bikes that had all the reliability of a George Bush promise. At least once every hundred miles, one of us would sputter to the side of the road with little warning. Now, we ride motorcycles that are terribly reliable--so technologically advanced that it would take an electrical engineer and an astrologer to bring a dead bike back to life. This is a far cry from walking along the side of the road between Reno and Las Vegas, looking for a broken drive chain.

These Oregon back roads are old friends to me. I know them well--from decades of riding them, then checking up on them from time to time. The days of triple-digit speed contests have given way to loping along at the speed limit. Even the old Marcola highway with her sexy curves dressed in new asphalt no longer entices me into excitedly leaning off the side of my motorcycle, abrading my knee on the pavement, hoping a tractor or livestock won't wander into my tight arc.

This day I was comfortable against my backrest, keeping the revs down so that the Saturday afternoon barbequers wouldn't have to put up with the uncivilized rumble of a rude Harley invading their backyards. Twenty-five years ago I would have been watching the tachometer to keep it in the power band--to hell with the people trying to enjoy their day off. But times have changed me.

I got to thinking about the people I used to run with back in the day. One of those people was behind me, not keeping his revs down, but not in a hurry, either. Some of the people I used to ride with are dead. A couple of them embraced the biker gang lifestyle until they gave up their freedom for some primal need to belong. More than one died by the needle and the damage done. However, most are comfortable in their suburban homes, having become the people they used to terrorize 25 years ago.

None of the people I rode with are the same now, even if they might still have a Harley in the garage and a bug-splattered leather jacket on the hook in the entry of their McMansion. They have grown up. They traded their anger for comfort or the love of their children--feelings unimaginable when we were so much stupider. They are different people, now inhabiting bodies that look a lot like their parents.

So, it was significant that on this day on this familiar road, I unconsciously tried to shift gears on my bike with my right foot, even though motorcycle gear shifters have been on the left side since 1975. Thinking of these people, in the place I used to ride with them, brought back the physical memory of how I used to ride a motorcycle: shifting with my right foot. I looked down at the black five-gallon Harley Davidson tank, extinguishing the millisecond of expectation that I would see a yellow fiberglass Norton tank. I realized the person I was then didn't exist anymore. I was no longer the skinny guy with the long ponytail riding helmetless across the floor of the Willamette Valley, looking for that next corner that would send a jolt through my system. A couple of weekends ago I was onstage, moderating a panel of 13 filmmakers. I was dressed nicely and even watched my language. This weekend, I was thinking back to a time when I never suspected that I would grow up--not be as angry, and so sure I was right. Now, when someone is rude to me, I can remind myself that everyone has a bad day. It inspires near religious gratitude that I'm not that other person anymore.

Recently Lainie and I attended an awards ceremony dinner with about 600 of our closest friends. As I politely pushed through the crowd I lost track of her trailing behind me. Suddenly she went down. She had tripped over someone's foot and lost her balance. I put down my food and made my way toward her, through a packed crowd. My impulse was to start moving bodies out of my way with little regard for politeness, but I didn't. The people near her had gotten her to her feet. The man whose foot had been sticking out was flush with embarrassment and apologies. Lainie mastered the situation and put everyone at ease with humor and her sweet amazing grace. She'd even managed to keep her plate of food from tipping its contents onto the floor. I led her to a deserted table where she convinced me she was fine. It did anger me, the carelessness of the diner kneeling in the tight space between tables, but I was not moved to rage. I was no longer the person I used to be and it was serving me well.

This day I was not the person who shifted with the right foot.

I was where I was, at the time that I was. Lainie had a glass of wine and I picked at my plate. A few minutes later we were eating dinner with Jon Lewis and Albert Maysles, the renowned documentary filmmaker.

We talked with Maysles about his work with everyone from the Rolling Stones to JFK. I knew Lainie and Jon would forgive me for derailing the venue-appropriate conversation by getting Maysles to tell me about his 1957 motorcycle ride from Munich to Moscow, on a left-shifting BMW. When it came to dinner table conversation, Albert had no trouble shifting gears.


As always, thanks for your continued support!

Remember what happened to the Whiteside.


Paul "The Avalon Guy" Turner
President (and now Author!) of the "Prancing Lavender Bunnies"

Darkside Cinema
215 SW 4th
Corvallis, OR 97333
Darkside Cinema website
541·752·4161
Darkside Cinema
215 SW 4th
Corvallis, OR 97333
Darkside Cinema website
541·752·4161

Week of May 6th, 2008

BOMBS AWAY CAFE
* 2527 NW MONROE AVE (757-7221)*
www.bombsawaycafe.com <http://www.bombsawaycafe.com>
This Wednesday, the 6th, the sweet sounds of Neville Mehta can be found. You may have just seen Neville singing with the Beatles/Pink Floyd tribute show last weekend. His love of Beatles is never ending, so expect his favorites. FREE, 7:30, ALL AGES.
Thursday, the 7th, regularly playing jazz trio Rhythm in Green gives what they’re cooking. 7:30. FREE, ALL AGES.
This Friday, the 9th, local soul/funk/rockers Break As We Fall come around. Again you will recognize 4 of the 5 chaps as having participated in the CARDV benefit concert last weekend.
Evan Churchill started Break As We Fall a few years ago as just one facet of his varied musical life, penning songs deeply rooted in the diverse sounds of his childhood, from Sandoval to Smokey. Alot of late nights, a few member changes, and a mile or two on the Jetta later, the lineup of Break As We Fall has been solidified and the band became just that, a band. With a collaborative catalog of new and old tunes and a kinetic live show, Break As We Fall has only begun show fans what they are capable of. 10:00, 21+
Saturday, May 10th, The Deep Woods Band takes their turn entertaining the masses. The members of Oregon’s The Deep Woods Band see absolutely no need to worry about titles. They are determined to be known as a rock n’ roll band that can make people dance, enjoy themselves, and think about the world in which they live. With influences as diverse as The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, and Ray Charles, they are difficult to pidgeonhole. It is this eclectic range of inspirations which makes the band nothing short of an experience to see and hear. 9:00, $3, 21+

*PEACOCK BAR AND GRILL *
* 125 SW 2ND ST (754-8522)*
www.myspace.com/peacockbargrill
Karaoke is offered every night, except for Saturdays, with KJ Sqwig-e-okie at the helm.
Look for Johnny Dark and the Wondertones on Wednesday nights at the Peacock. Karaoke following tight on the heels of their rockin’.
This Saturday, May 10th, the Peacock host Eugene’s, and local favorite, celtic/funksters Bazil Rathbone. They formed in Eugene on January 1st of 2007, after playing under the name “Selah” with Santino Cadiz. Their love for instrumental music is apparent, though vocals are a part of every set. Bazil Rathbone’s debut self titled CD was recorded at Sprout City Studio’s in September 07, and is expected to be available soon.
From a commune to an alchemists workshop to New York to an Oregonian’s riverside dream, the band member’s backgrounds’ are as widespread as their influences and sound.
The band has played countless shows through California and Oregon since the summer of 2006 and instantly began creating experimental celtic funk. They are mastering their first LP. Bazil Rathbone cuts down crime. Say you have a domestic problem, Bazil Rathbone will take care of that. Gezundheit. 9:00, $5, 21+

CLUB PLATINUM
* 126 SW 4TH ST. (738-6996)*
www.platinumvenue.com <http://www.platinumvenue.com>
CLUB PLATINUM
126 SW 4TH ST. (738-6996)
www.platinumvenue.com
Tuesday, May 6th - Patches will be in the house hosting Karaoke! Come out and display your skills at Platinum every Tuesday night. Patches starts his show at 9 PM. Don’t forget we got $1 beers all night every night at Platinum as well as 3 Beer Pong Tables for your gaming enjoyment.
Wednesday, May 7th brings you another Wild West Wednesday featuring DJ Scuba Scribble on the turn tables. Come out and dance to Chart-Topping Country Hits all night long. Don’t forget we got $1 beers all night every night at Platinum as well as 3 Beer Pong Tables for your gaming enjoyment. Also, if Texas Hold’Em is your game don’t miss the tournament every Wednesday at 6:00PM.
Thursday, May 8th is Ladies Night featuring DJ Hes on the turn tables. Ladies you get in free until 11PM so show up early to get your party on. Ladies night starts at 9PM and beer pong tables are out on the floor until 11PM. “Platinum’s own DJ Hes lays it down each Thursday with the best in Chart-Topping Hip-Hop. Don’t miss Thursday Night ‘ cause we got tha joint!”
Friday, May 9th is LATIN XPLOSION night! Come dance to booty shaking Latin hits all night long!! Music starts at 9PM $4 Cover.
Saturday May 10th is “The Juice” featuring DJ Will on the turn tables. Come get your dance on as DJ Will brings his fresh brand of hip-hop mashups to Club Platinum. No cover until 11PM and $1 beers all night long!! Also, if Texas Hold’Em is your game don’t miss the tournament every Saturday at 6:00PM
www.myspace.com/platinumvenue

SAHALIE WINE BAR
AND RESTAURANT
* 151 NW MONROE ST. (754-7457)*
www.sahaliewine.com <http://www.sahaliewine.com>
The evening of Friday, May 9th, Sahalie hosts the School of Cool, a local duo of rock and wine enthusiasts. Show at 9:00.
This Saturday, the 10th, the Donny Osborne Trio takes over Sahalie. Donny Osborne found himself behind his first set of drums at age four. The Chicago native recalls that there was a lot of music around his house; all jazz. “HI-FI Drums” by Woody Herman’s Herd featuring Buddy Rich is the earliest recording that he remembers. He acquired his amazing drumming skill set by ear, spending hours playing to records from the family album collection. With the exception of music reading lessons from big band drummer Roy Burns, Osborne never had a formal drum lesson in his life. He was first and foremost influenced by the amazing genius and technique of Buddy Rich, and also by the skill of drumming greats Gene Krupa, Dave Tuff, and Chic Webb.
It was late 1974 when Mel Tormé, “The Velvet Fog”, summoned Donny to the Fairmont San Francisco. Mel and his hired drummer had decided to part ways. Donny watched and tape recorded Mel’s show from the back of the auditorium, then returned home confining himself to his tape recording and drum kit to learn the show. “I learn best by listening” claims Osborne. On December 31, 1974 Donny Osborne launched his 24+ year career with Mel Tormé at the Hyatt Regency Houston.
This guy is the real deal! Free show starts at 9:00.

*
OTHER EVENTS IN CORVALLIS THIS WEEK:
Beanery
*5.9 – Michael Gailinas
5.10 – Festival String Band*
The Downward Dog (130 SW 1st St.)
*5.8 - turntable enabler, 10 pm
5.9 - count funkula, 10 pm*
Firework’s Restaurant and Bar (Southtown on Hwy 99)
*5.8 – Southwtown Freestyle Jam Session
5.9 – Adam Scramstad
5.10 – The Tasty Trio*
Fox and Firkin
*5.9 - Muckraker, The Angries CD Release Party, Bent Felt
$3 cover, 10:00**

*It’s not you. It’s me…calendar@corvalchemist.com*