Sunday, January 25, 2009

Out of step.

Every Wednesday, as I walk to my car on the way home, I pick up some of the Free publications out of the vending machines.

THE SOURCE.

First, I read The Source, and it's sort of familiar, even though I'm not into much of what they advertise about (music, food, theater). But as an old hippie, I'm not uncomfortable by what it represents.

Their political slant isn't too far from mine, and I often find their articles interesting, and their cultural stance of...let's get some culture here in Bend without losing what makes us Bend and let's be open to new cultural trends....is O.K. with me. I like reading HBM, especially now that I've met him several times.

PROMOTIONAL 'NEWS'PAPERS'

But then..... I pick up some of the Cascade Business News publications..

I don't want to be mean or judgmental here. I have no right to be. They seem to be perfectly nice people.

I just don't understand them. I don't understand what they're saying, what they're showing me, what they represent.

They are just plain -- I'd be tempted to say weird -- but I'll say different. No, better -- Foreign.
Like a foreign culture, right here in my hometown of Bend, Oregon.

So the shiny pictures of oh, so carefully coiffed people; or tastefully bohemian, or...this one always throws me even though I'm a native Bendite and bucked hay, and hunted and fished, and went on trail rides....the 'Western' look.

LOOK AT ME!

I mean, they seem to be all about -- Look at Me!

Please, please look at me. Even better, I'll get to look at ME!

So we get a puffed up ad, followed by a puffed up blurb, followed by a puffed up picture followed by a puffed up --- should I call them 'news?'

And many of these businesses I've never heard of. Selling goods and services that seem -- odd. Buildings -- really, really big buildings which all seem to be tall and vaguely craftsman and interchangeable and forgettable. I think the word "Congratulations!" is the most common word on every page.

Does this really work, even as advertising? Does anyone but me actually read these 'articles'?

Or do you buy an ad, get an article, clip it out and add it to your resume, and send it to Grandma and Grandpa, look! I made it! Here's proof!

I KNOW, I KNOW. EVERY TOWN HAS THEM.

I'm tempted to think it's valuable evidence of the Bend Bubble Boom, and how we lost our way from a sleepy little hunting and fishing and outdoorsy town -- to what?

A Circus Wilderness?

A Desert Art Illusion?

A Cultural City-lite?

A Gastronomical Waystation?

THE PUZZLEMENT IS MINE.

And yet, and yet....

These guys profiled on these pages have way more money than me, obviously. They could buy and sell me many times over, without blinking.

What the hell do I know? I write a blog, that would seem pretty much a "Look at Me".

I know, in the end, I'm the weird one here. I'm pretty much a homebody. I enjoy simple things. I know that my store is 'foreign' to many people, Science Fiction and Fantasy and comics...

These people at their wine tastings, and art shows, and theater events are engaged and enjoying themselves.

I THINK THEY CALL IT SOCIALIZING.....

So despite what I said above, I suspect they are more in the mainstream, even with their insistent cheeriness, their never-say-die attitudes, their "I'm conquering the world!" self-promotion, than I am. I would definitively feel like a fish out of water in their milieu; whereas, I bet they'd adapt pretty quickly to mine.

So more power to them.

I enjoy visiting their country once in awhile,

Like picking up a National Geographic when I was a kid.

8 comments:

stusigpi said...

Same thing with the Oregon State Bar Bulletin. All of these people that no one seems to know congratulating themselves on opening a new firm, hiring "the best and the brightest", becoming a partner, etc. Then there is the "superlawyer" publication that proclaims a person to be a superlawyer, whatever that means. There doesn't seem to be a criteria, however, any lawyer in the list may purchase an advertisement in the magazine with a picture and a write up that they submit.

If all of the above cheese isn't enough; I for the life of me have never heard of 99% of these people and I work in a very public situation where I would think that I would have run across at least a few of the people.

So groups like these continue to have their circle je...parties and pat each other on the back. They are richer than you and I. Why does the private club from Trading Places come to mind?

MrBruce said...

TOTAL REQUIREMENTS 1,358,651$ 2,559,760$ 5,241,300$ 1,714,000$ 9,336,200$ 9,336,200$ 9,336,200$

The above is from the city-of-Bend 2007/2009 adopted budget.

###

Read the City of Bend budget for 2009 is quite amusing.

For 2005 the requirement for debt service was a little over $1M/yr, in 2009, it will be $10M/yr, so 10X in three years, not bad eh???

So you got to look at it this way, in three fucking years since 2005, the city has managed to 10X our fucking DEBT, that's a 3X every year, at this fucking rate of debt-servicing all of Bends revenue will go toward DEBT in three years from now. Of course we have to BK before that because once all goes to debt, that means there can be no cops or anything, ...

It's pretty clear that right now, we're approaching the post where DEBT is where MOST of our city money is going....

So where are we today??

Right now the city gets about $30M/yr so they say for revenue,

...

For 2009/2010 they're planning on getting Revenue of $60M, ... Cold day in Hell right? Today revenue is $30M/yr, and somehow in the next year during a depression Bends revenue will double, and if it stays the same, all revenue will only go toward debt servicing.

So right now 1/3 of the city treasure is to service debt but the city debt doubles every 6-9 months. So in 1-2 years, the city will only be paying debt, unless of course it can raise revenue, based on forecasts.

FOLKS BEND IS FUCKED.

MrBruce said...

http://www.ci.bend.or.us/depts/finance/budget/docs/z_Final_Budget_ALL_published.pdf

The above is the link to the prior referenced budget on Bend's debt, and the real reason the city is bankrupt.

The city MUST default on these loans, otherwise the city revenue will only be used to pay debt, and there will be no police or schools, or water, or toilets or anything.

MrBruce said...

Getting back to the BEND BUDGET, most laughable to ME, is that somehow this year the REVENUE is going from $30M/yr to $60M/yr,

Of course we know CHEER-LEADER ECKMAN will be doing a strip show at the LOFT of volo, but HOMER pls tell me how this town can double its revenue.

They also still show the SDC as coming in and growing, and know all new construction is dead.

The fact is BEND's revenue in 2009/2010 will be LESS than NOW, this is a fucking fact, and with debt growth in 2010, 1/2 of all revenue will go to debt servicing, ...

Consider in 2005 it was a paltry 5% of revenue.

How fucking quick can you go BK??

Let's play the numbers logically.

Given that the debt is $10M/yr, and say their paying 5%, then that means they got over $200M in debt on their ass, and that it was only $20M three years ago.

Again I ask you fucking KUNTS where did the $200M go?? This crime makes B1031 look amateur.

Bender said...

MrBruce: What value are your comments and how do they pertain to the post by Dunc? Get a life -- please. Find a blog that fits, please, and then Post away (from this blog).

Dunc: Regarding the CBN and their publications. It's all about "look at me" where me = Pamela. If you get by the typo's, spelling errors and grammar errors then you will enjoy the publications. What's worse than Cascade Business news? You know -- Cascade Arts & Entertainment. Talk about "Look At me." Need an article for your business -- buy an ad. It's that simple -- $'s = editorial. I'm sure it's the same for CBN.

The Source on the other hand is a bit more open and objective and much more critical -- which is good! Additionally, The Source is an audited paper -- meaning they actually have an indie research company validate their circulation. CBN/CA&E -- no way -- they print thousands but don't report readership or for that matter any demographics.

Cheers!

tim said...

I think I was picking up National Geographic for a whole different reason.

Linda McGeary said...

You get some interesting posts.

Yes! Interesting blog, in interesting times, with interesting posts.

H. Bruce Miller said...

Cascade Business News is all about vanity. You buy an ad, they publish a glowing "news story" about you and your business. It's been a very lucrative formula for Pamela Andrews because people love to read about themselves and see pictures of themselves.

"Why does the private club from Trading Places come to mind?"

The Dukes, Winthorp and their associates are bluebloods -- old, OLD money. Such people don't have to advertise that they're the elite; they KNOW they are, and so does everybody else. Those who pay to see themselves in Cascade Business News and its allied publications are parvenus, the nouveau riche.

"Trading Places" is one of my favorite movies of all time, BTW. Try to get a DVD of the uncensored, R-rated version with Jamie Lee Curtis topless. HOOO-ah! (Oh yeah -- in addition to that it's a really funny movie.)