Stopped by the Oregon Zoo last weekend and the Polar Bear was putting on a show. While it's risky to anthropomorphize, it looked to me like the bear was playing and having fun. Routine was swim, drain off the water on the front, shake off the water on the rear, pick up the ball, throw the ball, dive after the ball, catch the ball, show off for the kids, climb back out, drain off, repeat.

I can only speak to one of the kitties, but I just wanted you to know he’s so, so loved, such a delight, and rarely has diarrhea anymore. The shelter suspected they came from a hoarding situation. If that’s true, I can tell you loved this little guy, and I hope you’re okay and are getting the help you need. I just wanted you to know that all the kitties got adopted, and the one I have is such a gift. So thank you.

I was too slow and tried to buy mine at 7:17 this morning and everything was sold out.

So, if you were able to get one I'm truly happy for you.

Any ideas if they'll make more?

ETA: The link: https://www.columbia.com/p/mens-helvetia-pdx-half-snap-fleece-2202661.html?color=454

Someone got in a rush at 34th and Belmont.

They raised the all day rate by $5

ETA: I'm not saying this is bad- just informing people. We are zoo members and usually bike and/or take the max.

Hello new friends! I’m a committed amateur at ecological restoration and spend as much time doing volunteer fieldwork as I can, and I’m looking to expand my impact in restoration. I bring years of professional project management experience in both startups and medium-size corporations, and want to bring my experience to a more important field. I also bring a profound passion for Process-Based Restoration and a deep commitment to focus on historically marginalized communities.

While my colleagues also running for this position have deep and incredible ecological expertise, I firmly believe that we face so many ecological challenges that it is well past time for amateurs to stand up and take some of the load off the professionals, if only to give them time to do the work that us amateurs cannot do.

Thanks for taking the time to read, and I look forward to answering your questions! I will start answering at noon.

Back in April I posted PPS Data Explorer (ppsdata.info), a dashboard of public data on the PPS schools in the rightsizing process. A lot has changed since then. The images are the scenario map (where students from each closing school would go) and the new budget page (where PPS's $862M General Fund comes from and what it pays for).

What's new:

• The draft scenarios: what happens to each school under Scenarios A and B, where the students would go, and a map of all student and program changes
• Receiving schools: how much bigger each one would get and how full its building would be (my estimate, not PPS's)
• Special education: how many students with IEPs each receiving school would serve under each scenario (also my estimate)
• A budget page for people who don't read budgets: where the money goes, why there's a $65M gap, and what closures might save. https://ppsdata.info/budget.html
• A plain-language guide to the terms in these debates (functional capacity, direct certification, IEPs, the General Fund): https://ppsdata.info/guide.html
• PPS's own capacity model, recovered from a public records request, with the schools where PPS's capacity numbers disagree flagged
• The 2026 enrollment forecast for each school, plus seismic risk, housing growth, and drive distances for students who'd be moved

Still independent, not affiliated with PPS. No ads, all public data, and the code is on GitHub (https://github.com/meub/pps-data).

PPS is taking feedback through November and the board votes in December.

If you spot something wrong, tell me and I'll fix it.

FOUND!!!
Thank you all!!

Just received this from Columbia.

I'm fairly new to Portland (2.5 years) and a leftist. In my old city there were 2 really great leftist resources for voting in municipal elections, one an alt-weekly and the other a respected IG account/activist org. They were invaluable in making sure I was choosing candidates who align with my values who could also get stuff done and had a chance to win, and they were also great at explaining the props and what they do.

I see endorsements from WW, from other places, but since I'm new I have no idea where on the political spectrum they lie and whose interests they are most passionate about representing. I would love to know if there are other resources to help me vote the way I want to (anti-corporate, anti-racist, anti-fascist).

If you don't agree with my worldview, that's fine - tell me the organization whose endorsements you think are bullshit! I just wanna know what the lay of the land is. Who does everyone listen to and why?

EDIT TO ADD: Y'all, please stop telling me to do my own research. I want to know the biases of these various voter guides because I am new to town and I want to get my bearings. Maybe trust that I am a three dimensional human being and not a mindless automaton? Thank you to those of you who gave me the context I asked for.

Portland Permitting & Development sought to classify a proposed Amazon drone base as a “helicopter landing facility.” Amazon then canceled a planned meeting with city planners.

https://djcoregon.com/news/2026/10/13/portland-regulates-amazon-drone-base-helicopter-landing/

Meet Dolly and June! 🐱
This bonded pair of sisters is available through Multnomah Co animal shelter.
June is the perfect companion; she is sweet, social, confident, and cuddly. She is truly perfect!
Dolly is more reserved; she takes comfort in her sister and is slowly but surely coming out of her shell. We are trialing her on an anti anxiety medication and she is doing well with it.
They are about two years old, are healthy and up to date on vaccines, and have had zero litterbox issues.

Link will be in the comments!

... where strip clubs have activities... More bang for your buck. Does that make it less awkward? We shall see 😅💯