We’ll start a little farther afield on this rainy Sunday. Tunisia, the country better known by many nerds as Tatooine, is erupting in political violence whose repercussions, some argue, could ricochet across the Arab world.

This is the new face of warfare in the 21st century. An insidious computer virus that (allegedly) has massively fucked with Iran’s nuclear weapons program (or programme, if you like) is likely the result of Israeli and American cooperation and a milestone in global intrigue. Computer experts use words like “genius” when describing Stuxnet, the bug, and call it one of the world’s most sophisticated cyberweapons.

Have you bought your money-haulin’ wheelbarrows yet? China’s president, in a rare interaction with international reporters, says the world’s dollar-dominated currency system is a “product of the past.” He prefers what’s in his own wallet (not that he needs to carry one, being the boss and all): the yuan.

‘Round these parts, the Oregonian examines Portland’s steadily rising water rates and notes that while most of the rise comes from projects like the $1 billion-plus effort to build the “Big Pipe” and clean the Willamette, a bunch of smaller projects have crawled under people’s skin.

Also in papers this weekend, another look at Mayor Sam Adams’ bike plan—and another look at the botched sales job that forced Adams to play defense on what otherwise should have been seen as a good idea. Even the O’s story says the plan may yet be accepted as as a “real innovation.” (Check out our take on the messaging debacle in our mid-term report on the mayor last month).

Good news trickles in every day on the condition of Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona congresswoman shot last Saturday at a political meet-and-greet outside a Tucson Safeway. More movement, on both sides of her body, and she’s beginning to breathe on her own. Reporters continue to flesh out the story (and find incriminating, Glock-and-G-string photos) of the man who shot Giffords and more than a dozen others, killing six.

And what about how easy it was for Loughner to obtain a gun? One senator says the military should have to report when it rejects candidates based on “excessive drug use,” as it did in Loughner’s case. That way, it would’ve been a red flag when he wanted to buy his weapon. As for other gun control measures? Good luck.

Hoping to pry loose something, anything in the beating death of a man in Old Town on New Year’s Eve, Robert Williams’ family and friends held a candelight vigil.in his memory. More than 100 people came out. Williams died of his injuries last week.

Also, if you haven’t read this yet, make some time. This article tells the story of how it was that WikiLeaks came to strike its TUMULTUOUS deal with the Guardian over the diplomatic cable releases that have shaken halls of power across the world.

Denis C. Theriault is the Portland Mercury's News Editor. He writes stories about City Hall and the Portland Police Bureau, focusing on issues like homelessness, police oversight, insider politics, and...

25 replies on “Good Morning, News!”

  1. MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH THOSE IN TUNISIA. SINCE I’VE VISITED TUNIS IN THE PAST, IT’S STRANGE TO SEE THOSE SCENES OF DEMONSTRATIONS AND VIOLENCE IN THE CENTRAL CITY. THIS REMINDS ME OF ROMANIA IN ’89 AND ’90 … THE DICTATOR GONE, BUT ELEMENTS OF HIS SECURITY APPARATUS FIGHTING ON, AND EVERYONE WAITING TO SEE WHO WILL TAKE CONTROL.

    THE LONGER THINGS ARE CHAOTIC, THE MORE LIKELY MANY PEOPLE WILL BE WILLING TO ACCEPT ANOTHER “STRONGMAN” TAKING CONTROL, IF THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES TO BRING SAFETY AND SECURITY. I HOPE THAT REAL MULTIPARTY DEMOCRACY WILL BE ABLE TO BECOME ESTABLISHED … IT’S BY NO MEANS A SURE THING RIGHT NOW, THOUGH.

  3. SINCE HARDLY ANYONE COMMENTS DURING THE WEEKEND ANYWAY, SC, THIS SHOULD BE A SHORT, BLOODY BATTLE, ENDING INEXORABLY IN YOUR EXCRUCIATING EXCORIATION AND EXILE TO EXXONISTAN.

  5. BTW, IF ANYONE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT, TELL ME … IT’S KIND OF FREAKING ME OUT. SOMEONE HAS UPLOADED AT LEAST 1,500 VIDEOS TO YOUTUBE LISTING NAMES OF PEOPLE AND WHERE THEY’VE LIVED (SOME FAMOUS, SOME NOT).

    I’M LISTED ON AT LEAST TWO OF THEM, ONE AS HAVING LIVED IN REDONDO BEACH (WHICH I DID, IN THE ’90s), AND THIS ONE WHERE (LUCKY ME?) MINE IS THE FIRST NAME FEATURED. THING IS, HARDLY ANYONE KNOWS I LIVED IN ESTACADA, BRIEFLY, AS A KID. EVEN MY WIFE DIDN’T KNOW. (WOULD YOU ADMIT SUCH A THING TO YOUR WIFE?) VERY VERY VERY ODD. AND THE POSTER IS NOT ANSWERING QUESTIONS.

    http://TINYURL.COM/5VRGPEA

  8. WHERE’S LEAKY? HE’LL PROBABLY FLOCK TO YOUR MINISCULE BANNER. (CAN ONE PERSON FLOCK? IF SO, GO FLOCK YOURSELF.) MEANWHILE, CAPSLOCK LOYALISTS, TO ME, TO ME!

  9. @Todd it looks like your film (youtube) might be from a robot using that leaked facebook data that was on the torrents.

    i hope the new Tunisian government gives Julian Paul Assange a diplomatic passport in thanks for his work for the revolution.

    there are feeds from tunisia on the pirate bay so the neighbors can communicate, useful stuff like where are my neighborhood snipers and where can they shoot me.

  12. I DIDN´T WIN THE CAP´S BATTLE ON GOOD AFTERNOON TELEVISION, BUT THE CAPS ON THIS ONE IS NOT GOING OUT, EVER EVER NEVER. IN THAT ORDER.

    IT´S BEEN A BUSY WEEKEND, SO LET ME THINK OF WHAT I WOULD SAY TO YOU, MR SUPER CHUNDY, THEN I WILL COME BACK, AND RE-DIRECT MY MESSAGE TO YOU. IN AN ORDERLY FASHION.

    IN THE MEAN TIME, I CAN SAY THIS TO YOU, SUPER CHUNDY: MAPELLELEE!!!!!

    (LOSING A BATTLE IS NOT LOSING A FIGHT)

  13. I don’t kowtow to graham during the weekend; lower case or diaf of all-caps

    p.s. being a conformist isn’t very portland–that’s more of a beaverton thing

  14. I DON´T KNOW WATOW EITHER, BUT, SUPER CHUNDY, YOU´VE BEEN WARNED ONCE, OR YOUR GONNA GET SPATTLED CHATTER!!!

    C.A.P.S!!!

    PS: WHY DO U HAVE TO BRING GRAHAM INTO THIS?

  15. GRAHAM SLEEPS ALL WEEKEND, ANYWAY HE’S YESTERDAY’S NEWS, THERE’S A NEW SHERIFF IN BLOGTOWN. HAVING SAID THAT, IT’S A FREE COUNTRY, AND … HELL, NOBODY BELIEVES THAT OLD SAW ANY LONGER, DO THEY? AHHAHAHAHAH!!!

  16. when graham and the rest of the caps lock brown shirts aren’t around, i’ll post in all lower case letters

    pps the only things that should be capitalized are proper nouns

  20. ____
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    .’ /:`. “-.: .-” .’; `.
    .-” / ; “-. “-..-” .-” : “-.
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    ; `.; ; : : “+. ;
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    ;`. ; : ;.’_..– / ;
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    : ;/ __ :
    .-`. /t-“” “:-+. :
    `. .-” `l __/ /`. : ; ; ;
    .-” .-“-.-” .’ .’j / ;/
    / .-” /. .’.’ ;_:’ ;
    :-“”-.`./-.’ / `.___.’
    `t ._ / yoda
    “-.t-._:’

  21. ::::::::::.–.:::::::::::::try not.
    ::`–._,’.::.`._.–‘/:::::do or do not.
    ::::. ` __::__ ‘ .:::::::there is no try.
    ::::::-:.`’..`’.:-:::::::::::::::::::::::
    :::::::: `–‘ /::::::::::::::::-yoda

  23. @blogtown commenting system

    ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
    :::::::::::/´¯/)::::::::::::
    ::::::::::/¯..//:::::::::::::
    :::::::::/….//::::::::::::::
    :::::/´¯/’…’/´¯¯’)¸::::::::
    :::/’/…/…./……./¨¯:::::::
    :(‘(…´…´…. ¯~/’…’)::::::
    ::…………….’……/:::::::::
    ::’……………. _.·´:::::::::
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    ::::……………::::::::::::

  24. @humanclock you just need to fill in the spaces with place holders like colons (e.g. ‘:’); the blogtown commenting system doesn’t make it easy though

  25. LET´S CHANGE THE SYSTEM THEN!!!

    HAHAHA

    TRY NOT TOO HARD MUST YOU!!! YOU!!!

    THE FIRST ASCII YODA MADE ART WAS PRETTY DADAIST!!!

Comments are closed.