bread and circuses

Enjoying A Game and a Time

One of the things that would catch your attention if you were channel surfing in the late 90’s is a sport called Slamball. A mix of physical rules, trampolines and basketball hoops that made it easier to understand and harder to figure how people would push things further. When I say trampolines, I mean the big ones you go somewhere and pay money to jump on to feel like you are weightless for a moment before coming back down with your heart in your chest. It was a kick to watch and instead of taking the lumps of trying to be a smaller sports league in the us they decided to go abroad. Getting more experience in different countries they had people of other countries and athletes join them to make the teams that we should be seeing soon. I was a huge fan of it there will be a post on that later in the day but, it is coming back.

For all the downs there has to be some things that give a little spirit. Some of the moments to get by could be something as simple as hoping a team has something more to have cheering for them. One is from the arena football league and while Portland, my home city, did not get the team, the capitol in the state did do something. Salem for those who do not know about my home state, Oregon, is the capitol and now it will have something that big brother Portland no longer has, an arena team.

It may not be something that will change the state around, and the capitol has many of the same problems. Homeless people seen everywhere, campsites all over the sidewalks, and more space open for lease. Not as bad as Portland, but still bad enough that anyone with a set of eyes and four brain cells to use with them will see. While it seems that everything in this state is taking the turn round the toilet bend, but a nice team event or some sports allows a lot of people who may be having a rough time to turn off their brain for a moment and be happy. Not saying people should do that all the time. I think we all know people who turned off their brain and forgot to reboot, but for what it is there are reasons to enjoy sports. Salem could use it and for those who have never been there are some places around the capitol where you can really see some beautiful things.


For example, there are some wineries that I had a chance to go to once. Traveling with someone who had been unused to professional wrestling there had been some time watching the people in the line as we waited for the start of the show. It was Impact wrestling and outside of seeing some of the fans who had been so passionate to the show and the craft, my traveling partner was not and did not enjoy the company of people who held homemade signs and belts for no reason other then money. Hours to spend we had to burn our time and the pair of us decided to take time so my travel colleague did not spend his time trying to cut a heel promo on everyone that annoyed him. Knowing him that list was going to be long enough and he could go long enough that everyone received a tongue lashing for free.

We got the chance to look around and on the backgrounds found quite a few wineries and cheese making places nestled in the fields and farmlands. Freshly made raw cheese with chives and blue berries and all sorts of different flavors while still being about a dollar over something similar in the store by eight. It would be much more expensive because these cheeses will make you want to eat it. It was a wonderful time despite being cheaper then a full meal at McDonalds and because of it we were able to get a wrestling shirt that my travel partner agreed with.

Enjoy the games and shows, you never know where the experience may take you.

Stay Strong

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Portland, Freedom, Bacon, ‘Murica

Happy Freedom Day. For those in the USA and then get some telescopes and wait for the fireworks. For those who are not its when we go bonkers on such things painting the clouds all sorts of colors and lights for a moment, without anyone hurt on purpose. It is a circus of the people and it has shown to be a fool’s errand to ban such things.

https://www.portland.gov/fire/your-safety/fireworks-banned-portland

Portland being dumber then a stack of stones, it has been too long since this happened. No, despite the article there are reasons to follow it. There is a massive fire hazard and then there will be a lot of problems with morons being stupid with them. That is all stuff, that actually makes sense. All the fire investigators will have a problem because there will be a lot of fires due to the homeless population still camping throughout the city of Portland. Hard to charge people with anything when they are released for everything south of murder, and you may only get a slap on the wrist for murder half the time for that.

Firework at night by U.S. Army is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0

It is something sad that people cannot enjoy the celebrations the rest of the country is having, but when you count how the city needs something positive, and how the city is doing something about it that hearing this makes me laugh. This will not be honored and coming out of the city there was more then four shops for fireworks less then four blocs from the city limit. It looks like the rest of the area had a laugh and looked at the rule in about the same light that I did. Granted, my social calendar is something where there is not celebration save for a good meal, a nice bottle of whiskey and a two liter of Coke Zero and getting to work on projects until what’s left of me passes out on my keyboard or standing up whichever happens first.

Honestly, for this one try and be safe, whether in Portland or abroad nothing ruins the day like a moron with a roman candle trying to figure out how they can make a Megaman buster out of it and burning your apartment down. Take precaution. If you are going to use fireworks, do it safely. You could go on the internet and find different events going on in the city. Portland or otherwise, there should be something to look and see what may be in your area, you may find something cool, so while it is funny and stupid to try because a city that size with that many issues there will be people who will get fireworks for the night out of spite to the people in charge. The city is getting to that point that even if they had been charged there may be times and places where trying to enforce it is more trouble then it is worth.

Happy Holidays

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