Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 09/10/2026If she wins re-election, Kotek will be term-limited. 010
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 08/10/2026There has been one competitive primary for governor in the past 23 years—which is a problem!—and Kotek won it with 57% of the vote. Democrats like Kotek just fine. The overwhelming majority of Oregon voters who are not Democrats might not. 000
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 08/10/2026But then they couldn't have held a yearlong public process for the parks bureau to then completely ignore! 050
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 08/10/2026Migration must be really skilled at negotiating cheap leases. 030
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 08/10/2026O'Bryant Square was fenced off at the time while the parks bureau spent years trying to figure out how to demolish the failing parking garage underneath. Why it took them two years to even open up the little pod on Burnside is the question. 120
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 08/10/2026The Goodmans own a town of real estate and they want to develop it. Their development choice at Block 216 wiped out a food cart pod. Over on 5th, Expensify leased a half-block lot, built a bunch of amenities, and brought all the carts that were there back, plus a bunch more. It's great. 000
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 08/10/2026The parking lot at 10th and Alder was owned by the Goodman family, who also owned the original food cart pod on 5th and most of the other surface parking lots downtown. They're one of the reasons Portland has a food truck culture at all, and also the reason we don't have the 11th Ave. pod anymore. 100
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 08/10/2026The downtown ones lost most of their carts for a couple years. It was grim. The real tragedy of the 11th ave. pod is the city's total failure to open the alternate site they promised. Eudaly's biggest failure in my mind. 000
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 08/10/2026You prefer to patronize businesses owned by parking lot magnates like Greg Goodman? 210
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 08/10/2026We still have Midtown Beer Garden. Come on down. 160
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 08/10/2026I worked right next to that cart pod, and I'm certain 2020 would have wiped it out anyway. There was no one left in the area to patronize them, and now most of the nearby offices are data centers. 060
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseEric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 08/10/2026So I edited this story. And I wanna share on thought on language, & telling the truth We talked about: the "government is lying to you" It may sound saucy. It may sound like opinion But it's just true And if something is true then you should just say it, clearly That's just good journalism 10558198
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 07/10/2026Like, yes, giving hundreds of millions to a billionaire to build luxury boxes is a bad way to spend public funds. But keeping a bunch of half-empty, crumbling schools amid declining enrollment is also a bad use of money. 020
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 07/10/2026I find the argument drawing a dichotomy between funding a stadium and keeping schools open bizarre. Are people suggesting the city should hand hundreds of millions over to PPS while at the same time accusing PPS of financial mismanagement? Because that would be a bad idea! 130
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseKashana @kashana.blacksky.app · 05/10/2026Every day I have a new reason to hate AI, but today’s is that they faked the work of one of my longtime collaborators. 51073332
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Why is a real estate developer complaining about upzoning? 260
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 06/10/2026If we'd put the money he voted to go toward the Rose Garden remodel toward funding the Cultural Trust, we'd be most of the way there. 000
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseJason Notte @notteham.bsky.social · 06/10/2026When considering the subject of the Clarklewis story, it seems newsdesks spent ten seconds weighing whether it should be a broken window, an employee's job status, or this. Thus far, @koin6.bsky.social , @oregonian.com and KGW are among the newsrooms that have opted against this option: 073
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseOregon Humanities @oregonhumanities.bsky.social · 05/10/2026The New York Times just discovered what Oregonians have known for years: writing letters connects us. Join Dear Stranger this month—send a letter, receive one, and make a new connection. Learn more at oregonhumanities.org/programs/dear-stranger/nytimes.comYou’ve Got Mail — and a New FriendPen pals — ones you’ve never met in person — are part of the revival of all things analog. There are even matchmakers prepared to find you one. 011
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Good for Erik. I hope his second spot has a functioning hood—every time I go to Tinker Tavern I come out reeking of fryer oil. 000
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Not an outcome I'd want to see, but maybe it would finally get Oregonians to embrace ranked-choice voting? 000
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Oxo makes one. It has a grid on the backside that pushes the leftover garlic fiber out of the holes for easier cleaning. 110
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseAmy Sample Ward @amysampleward.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Have feelings, ideas, dreams about digital equity in Portland? Join for an afternoon to do that dreaming together! We are meeting at a library so it is free, language and other accessibility options available. No qualifications to join - your loved experience is all relevant! #PDX #DigitalEquityoregonbroadbandequity.orgPortland Digital Inclusion Event - October 7 | Oregon Broadband Equity CoalitionTalk Tech Together: Strategies for Digital Empowerment Celebrate National Digital Inclusion Week at Multnomah County Library! Join a gathering of community members and digital inclusion practitioners ... 011
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseErica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Bills to provide government support through tax breaks and funding should be DESIGNED TO HELP SMALL NEWS OUTLETS EXPAND, not just keep legacy media alive. None of us can coast on monopoly power and inertia the way the Times can. We all deserve a chance to grow and expand our success. 0307
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Want to help Oregonians hear one another's stories? My team at Oregon Humanities is hiring for a full-time position to support our audio and video storytelling. The focus is project management and audience development, not necessarily technical production. oregonhumanities.org/who/jobs-and...oregonhumanities.orgCommunications Associate, Multimedia — Oregon Humanities 076
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseClara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 01/10/2026How do Cornell students tolerat this, and how do parents send their kids there? Ban frats everywhere www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/n... 826471
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseJeff VanderMeer @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social · 30/09/2026They quoted me in this New Yorker piece about AI today. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-... 119115982877
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026I think that depends who runs. If it's Read and Fahey in the primary, yeah, the Republicans have a chance. If Rayfield runs, he'll win by the biggest majority since Kitzhaber crushed Sizemore in 1998. 050
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseJason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 28/09/2026the humans who moderate chatbots say they're inundated with people trying to generate nonconsensual nudes: www.404media.co/humans-readi...404media.coHumans Are Reading Copilot Prompts — And They're HorrifiedHuman contractors are reviewing Copilot users’ prompts and uploaded images, according to internal documents obtained by 404 Media. The contractors are also bombarded with users’ requests for sexual AI... 40933331
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseAmerican Bird Conservancy @abcbirds.bsky.social · 05/08/2026Steal the Look: Northern Flicker ⚫ Did someone say craft night? The bag is packed and I’m ready to swoop in for some DIY fun. And since my tongue is already wrapped around my brain… I’ll happily take the lead on deciding our food order. 👅 Dotted with curiosity? Learn more: abcbirds.info/4hf3LA2 25117
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseFaine Greenwood @faineg.com · 25/09/2026Why is the U.S. public so much more negative on AI than almost anyone else? Well, I think the fact that the U.S. AI industry is being lead by a bunch of very visible, crazy weirdos who talk about how AI will take everyone’s job and maybe kill us all the time is a pretty key factor. 411184231
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseDr. Aaron Thierry @thierryaaron.bsky.social · 22/09/20261/ People keep saying AI is inevitable. History disagrees. Plenty of technologies were called unstoppable, and societies stopped them or shrank them down to a niche. A thread 🧵 3315153
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseLeah Sottile @leahsottile.bsky.social · 24/09/2026"When I tested ChatGPT to simulate planning a mass shooting—in April, two months after Tumbler Ridge—I was able to go around its sporadic refusals. It gave me an alarming range of help, even after I talked about emulating the Uvalde mass shooter’s choice of weapon..." 23713
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseKhanh Pham for Oregon @khanhphamfororegon.com · 23/09/2026This displacement puts workers at serious risk of traffic danger, wage theft, and heightened immigration enforcement. Day laborers are leading this fight to demand direct meetings with management and a safe, agreed-upon hiring area. More information and sign up here:mobilize.usSTAND WITH MALL 205 DAY LABORERS: DEFEND THE RIGHT TO SEEK WORK · National Day Laborer Organizing NetworkFor years, day laborers have gathered in the parking lot outside Home Depot at Mall 205 to seek work and connect with homeowners, contractors, and others looking to hire. These workers build, repair, ... 0114
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 23/09/2026For a long time I got by using a plugin that removed results from thespruce, pintrest, and other such SEO farms. But now the number of websites hosting AI generated crap is so enormous that I can't keep my blocklist up to date. 000
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseOregon Humanities @oregonhumanities.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Tonight kicks off the new season of Consider This! Bestselling author Stephanie Land joins Adam Davis for a conversation on trust, work, poverty & parenthood. 📍 In person in Portland, or our watch party in La Grande 💻 Livestream available ⏰ Tonight at 7 p.m. oregonhumanities.org/programs/con...oregonhumanities.orgConsider This with Stephanie LandJoin us September 22 for a conversation about trust, work, and poverty with Stephanie Land, author of the books "Maid" and "Class." 011
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseBikeLoudPDX @bikeloudpdx.bsky.social · 21/09/2026𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗣𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀! West Burnside Policy Walk Led by BikeLoud Operations Manager Claire Vlach w PBOT officials Thurs Sept 24 5 to 7PM Meet at Patagonia 1106 W Burnside for snacks & intro RSVP recommended! oregonwalks.org/event/west-b... thanks @pbotinfo.bsky.social 095
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Love that place. I wish my visits to Spain took me through there rather than grim, oppressive Chamartín. 010
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026There's one in Boring at the end of the Springwater Corridor. 000
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026I don't know how they make it work, but I'm not complaining. 000
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Somehow we're always willing to bend over backwards to accommodate the Goodmans and Menashes but the small businesses that actually make Portland a great place to live have to deal with constant over-regulation. 051
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 17/09/2026I must have missed when the built One World Trade Center in downtown Vancouver. How do people post this stuff without even looking at it? 100
Reposted by Ben Waterhouseceej @ceej.online · 31/07/2026ANTHROPIC: Our son loves humanity and for the low price of trillions and trillions of dollars will usher in an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity! OPENAI: Our horrible oafish son is hacking web sites without our permission. ANTHROPIC: (eyes narrowing) Our son is also evil 3666151247
Reposted by Ben WaterhouseAaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 16/09/2026This is APPALLING. The Trump administration is detaining multiple random Somali immigrants with no criminal record at Guantanamo Bay, seemingly because the White House ordered ICE specifically to detain Somalis at Gitmo as part of its effort to punish an ethnic group Trump has attacked. 6330151673
Reposted by Ben Waterhousethe babahuck @tylerhuckabee.bsky.social · 16/09/2026rip annie dillard 1134441142
Ben Waterhouse @beninoregon.bsky.social · 16/09/2026When I finished The Maytrees this spring I set the book down and said aloud "goddamn" and my wife asked, "Did you just finish another Annie Dillard book?" 130
