OurPDX » Green Dragon http://ourpdx.com Collaborative coverage of news and events, with a focus on community. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:11:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Happy Birthday To Us! http://ourpdx.com/2009/06/happy-birthday-to-us/ http://ourpdx.com/2009/06/happy-birthday-to-us/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:53:34 +0000 Betsy Richter http://ourpdx.com/?p=5874

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Just over a year ago*, a few of us stumbled out from the wings and onto the stage — we were the proverbial kids in the barn, putting on a show for y’all as Portland’s latest group blog. And it seems appropriate that I commandeer the 1000th post on OurPDX to make a celebratory speech of sorts because I’m just bossy like that — but you all knew that already, right?

Last year at this time, I was pouring my all into getting the baby born (the ten-day birth story is chronicled here) while rounding up a kick-ass band of cohorts and — oh, yeah — fueling the whole thing with equal parts moxie and Maker’s Mark.

Once the site was live, the band hit the road as OurPDX — although we haven’t yet been assimilated as One Borgian Entity, thankfully. Instead I’d call us a loosely federated hydra-headed beast of not-always-quite-harmonizing voices (you should see the internal never-ending debates on just where to have our monthly meetups, for starters!) We live, work or play in all parts of the greater PDX metropolitan area — yes, that includes our Vancouverian neighbor to the north, home of legal meth. Our only mandate? Write about Portland, for a Portland audience. (Bonus points if you can do it with style, wit, smarts, or passion, of course.)

Over the last year, we’ve picked up an entire supporting cast of authors. Roped in more than a few loyal supporters; landed in the media spotlight from time to time (KGW’s Live@7, we love you too!) And managed to harness our energy, enthusiasm, and just plain chutzpah in ways that alternately delight and/or dismay you.

Nearly a quarter of a million visitors later, well — we’ve had to seriously learn more about site optimization. Extended our vaunted ‘cashflow-negative’ reputation by upgrading to a more powerful hosting environment (not to mention sponsoring events like this one or that one.) In the next year? We’re going to bite the bullet and figure out how to at least break even; do expect to see advertising on the site sometime soon.

But that’s for another day. Here’s an imperfect sampling of what’s lured you in this year:

  • The post that garners the steadiest inbound traffic from search engines? (Aside from any search term containing the word ‘porn’, that is!) This one — people do love that Bonneville Fish Cam!
  • The most popular post? This one, by a landslide (thanks to Stumbleupon and a quiet network of local musicians): The Band: Local Songwriters on “The Well Crafted Song”
  • The plethora of resident twisted souls among our author community (or, alternately, those with an, er, healthy appetite for the wild side.) Want a sampling? Try this. Or this. Or maybe this instant classic that kick-started the genre…
  • Speaking of indulgences — lordy, do we love our food and drink! From locavores to farmer’s markets to Burgerville to food carts to beer (our most frequently-used tag, no less) — to shamelessly steal from Food Dude, well we believe in indulging, then reporting!
  • Pie — whether it’s the Portland Pie-Off or @Whiffies, we’ve managed to ride the wave of a love that will never die (plus, it netted 450.00 for Free Geek!)
  • We don’t often break news here — but when we do, it’s interesting to see just how far it travels (and how infrequently we’re credited…!) From the Floyd’s saga to Ted Wheeler’s social media hire to (my personal favorite) our wall-to-wall PDX Monkey on the loose (including bonus round-the-clock Twitter coverage!)
  • We’ve always supported local musicians & managed to land a few interesting interviews or insights: The Dimes, Greg Glover and Spun Academy, to name a few.
  • Smart-asses and/or highly opinionated posts? We’ve got plenty of those: See this, or this, or this historical reminiscence or this recent post or an earlier post that started a lively conversation, back in the day…
  • Speaking of comments — who can forget the first comment firestorm? Breeders vs. Non-Breeders in a steel cage death match!
  • For that matter — all of our commenters, and their just under 3,000 comments total. We love it when you talk back to us!

This tribute wouldn’t be complete without thanking everyone who’s supported us along the way (I’ll try to keep it brief before the orchestra gets the cue to play over me….) First, I have to thank our partners-in-negative-cashflow crime: Cami Kaos & Dr. Normal, who graciously share their Strange Love Live material with us each and every week.

To all the folks who link to us or send traffic our way: Jack Bog, Dave from Dave Knows: Portland, the kids at the Merc (as long as they keep their hands off {unauthorized use} of our photos, that is…!), everyone’s favorite cheerleader Rick Turoczy, and our special BFFs, our Twitter pals who keep retweeting our stuff & garnering us new followers — just to name a few!

It's Our Party!

Okay, enough of the schmaltz and/or the trip down memory lane (I know, I know – I’m starting to burble): who’s ready for a beer?

We are! And while we’d love to buy you one at Beer & Blog this Friday, well – we can’t. (Did we mention the whole ‘flat broke’ thing yet?)

But we’d love to drink with you. And hey — we’ll have some birthday cake there as well, thanks to our fine friends at Thatch Tiki Bar (more news about their special event next Wednesday soonish…!)

Join us this Friday starting at 4 pm at Beer & Blog, won’t you?

* 6/23/08, to be exact

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]]> http://ourpdx.com/2009/06/happy-birthday-to-us/feed/ 14 OurPDX anniversary party 6/26 at Beer & Blog! http://ourpdx.com/2009/06/ourpdx-anniversary-party-626-at-beer-blog/ http://ourpdx.com/2009/06/ourpdx-anniversary-party-626-at-beer-blog/#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:08:12 +0000 Betsy Richter http://ourpdx.com/?p=5770

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Hey! We’re almost a year old!

I know, I know — it seems like we launched the site just yesterday. But after 980 posts and with 23 authors on board, well — it looks like we’re here to stay.

And it’s time to celebrate! So please, oh, please — won’t you join us on the patio at the Green Dragon next Friday, June 26th? We’ll have several authors there from 4 pm on. Better yet, we’ll be under the big umbrella that is the local Beer & Blog juggernaut, so will have several other cool people there for you to mix and/or mingle with as well. Plus, it’s a Friday afternoon. With beer. On a patio, hopefully in the sunshine.

Still need another reason? Well, we can’t promise to buy you all beer (there’s that whole pesky ‘cashflow-negative’ operation bit we’ve got goin’ on…) But there will be cake!

After all, you can’t have an anniversary party without cake, right?

Where: Green Dragon
When: Friday, June 26th, starting at 4 pm
Time: 4 pm – ???
Who’s Invited: YOU!

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]]> http://ourpdx.com/2009/06/ourpdx-anniversary-party-626-at-beer-blog/feed/ 0 No new tax on Beer party http://ourpdx.com/2009/02/no-new-tax-on-beer-party/ http://ourpdx.com/2009/02/no-new-tax-on-beer-party/#comments Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:21:01 +0000 Dieselboi http://ourpdx.net/2009/02/no-new-tax-on-beer-party/

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The Green Dragon is hosting a ceremonial “dumping of the beer” on Thursday to protest the 1900% proposed beer tax being discussed in Salem. I love that they point out that the original Green Dragon in Boston was the site for revolutionaries during he war for independence. This is a battle we must win.

The festivities begin at 5pm and during the event you will be able to learn more about the proposed tax and write letters to your state representatives. Further, just to drive the point home, they will raise their pint prices to 2010 levels reflecting what may be the price if the tax is approved.

Not Taxation without Representation
Anti-Beer tax party
Green Dragon
SE 9th/Yamhill
Thursday, Feb 26th. 5pm.

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]]> http://ourpdx.com/2009/02/no-new-tax-on-beer-party/feed/ 4 Say goodbye to Green Dragon? http://ourpdx.com/2008/11/say-goodbye-to-green-dragon/ http://ourpdx.com/2008/11/say-goodbye-to-green-dragon/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:52:42 +0000 Dieselboi http://ourpdx.net/?p=1970

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Updated. See below: News just in from BrewPublic that Rogue Brewing is going to purchase the Green Dragon and revamp it as a Rogue Taphouse.  Wow!  Crap!  Damn!  Those are my emotions right now.  I love Rogue, but there is already a Rogue in downtown.  There are no other Green Dragons which offer the rotating taps of some great beers.  Also, we love having events there because the staff loves us.  According to the article, the staff may change also.

I’m verklempt.  I have been going to Green Dragon since week one and have seen it change over the past year to a great location for beer drinking.  Please don’t change that!

Updated 3pm: John Foyston of The Beer Here blog has an update that pretty much states that Rogue plans on keeping most of what the Green Dragon character is today, so that could bode well for us who love it.  From how I read the article, the only change would be in ownership, but the heart of the Green Dragon would live on.  You decide.

Also, check out the latest over on Brewpublic - they got a legal nastygram from Rogue.



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]]> http://ourpdx.com/2008/11/say-goodbye-to-green-dragon/feed/ 11 Second Time Out of the Gate… http://ourpdx.com/2008/10/second-time-out-of-the-gate/ http://ourpdx.com/2008/10/second-time-out-of-the-gate/#comments Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:58:22 +0000 Betsy Richter http://ourpdx.net/?p=1359

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…and we smacked a grand slam.

Yep, if you weren’t at the Green Dragon tonight for the OurPDX author/reader meetup, you truly missed out.

We had 40+ people drop by at some point (some bearing gifts for the birthday girl, no less!) We stuck around for 5+ hours (or 5+ gin & tonics—not that anyone was counting, of course.)

And I think I can safely say (through my gin haze, to be fair) that a good time—hell, a great time—was had by all.

Our thanks to the Green Dragon for making us feel welcome. My personal thanks to those who either bought me drinks or bottles for later consumption. (Your love is most definitely felt!)

And yep, we’ll do it again next month for sure. If you missed out tonight? You’d better show up in November.

And now? I need to get started on repenting my sins for the year. Um, after midnight, that is…

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]]> http://ourpdx.com/2008/10/second-time-out-of-the-gate/feed/ 1 “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BETSY!!” http://ourpdx.com/2008/10/happy-birthday-betsy/ http://ourpdx.com/2008/10/happy-birthday-betsy/#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:31:08 +0000 Cosmic Charlie http://ourpdx.net/?p=1329

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Yes, it’s our beloved Betsy’s birthday. Besides announcing to the whole wide world that she’s now fuh-fuh-sumthin’-sumthin’ years old, I thought I should do something nice, so I made bourbon chicken. Is that the same as stewed chicken?

I can’t promise barnyard animals, but a bunch of us two-legged critters will be gathering for her birthday party, cleverly disguised as a blogger’s meet-up, and you’re invited! It’s at Green Dragon, SE 8th and Belmont, kicking off around 5 PM. Remember, it’s always five o’clock somewhere, so feel free to start early. ;) -

Happy birthday, Betsy. Thanks for creating this forum and sharing it with us. I’d go on and on about how great I think you are, but I’ve got a drunken rubber chicken to tend to. He’s not making any noise, but he won’t stop playing with his pecker…

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]]> http://ourpdx.com/2008/10/happy-birthday-betsy/feed/ 5 Save the Date! http://ourpdx.com/2008/09/save-the-date/ http://ourpdx.com/2008/09/save-the-date/#comments Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:49:34 +0000 Betsy Richter http://ourpdx.net/?p=1151

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Updated: The next OurPDX meetup will take place on Wednesday, October 8th. It’ll start at 5:00ish, at a location TBD. We’ve picked the location – our old standby, The Green Dragon. RSVP on Upcoming, will you please?

Why are we still figuring out the location? Weeeeelll…we have to figure out just how big a space we’ll need.

Why do we think we’ll need a big space? Weeeeelll…someone I know and love dearly (ok, ok, it’s me) is also celebrating her 40(cough-cough)th birthday.

So not only can you meet the OurPDX author crew (we’re a fun bunch, really!) but you can also tease me mercilessly about my ever-advancing older and more decrepit state.

Or buy me a drink.

Or something like that…

Seriously—if you’re interested in joining us, say so in the comments, or, better yet, RSVP on Upcoming.



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]]> http://ourpdx.com/2008/09/save-the-date/feed/ 4 OurPDX shared bookmarks http://ourpdx.com/2008/08/ourpdx-shared-bookmarks-3/ http://ourpdx.com/2008/08/ourpdx-shared-bookmarks-3/#comments Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:10:58 +0000 Betsy Richter http://ourpdx.net/?p=295

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Here’s what we’ve found as we’ve traveled the local PDX web (complete with our comments) – let’s just call it the ‘back from vacation’ backlog, shall we?:

Note: you can share bookmarks back to our site if you have a Mag.nolia account – just join our group and then send relevant links to that group when you mark a site, article, or post!



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]]> http://ourpdx.com/2008/08/ourpdx-shared-bookmarks-3/feed/ 0 Live @ beer and blog http://ourpdx.com/2008/08/live-beer-and-blog/ http://ourpdx.com/2008/08/live-beer-and-blog/#comments Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:27:03 +0000 Dieselboi http://ourpdx.net/2008/08/live-beer-and-blog/

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live @ beer and blog
Originally uploaded by dieselboi

There are about 50 people here at the Green Dragon enjoying each other’s company and beer.

Melissa Lion just finished schooling us all on narrative. A great presentation and an excellent crowd!



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