The "For Portlanders Only" Update Thread

[Peter Paltridge]

"For Portlanders Only" has gained, if you can believe it, even more video material from 1981. And this STILL isn't everything. I accept donations, but I don't think it's possible for there to be anything left from 1981 that I don't already have.

Which I guess is well and good, since as VCR years go, 1981 is of the era when a VCR cost $1000, a blank tape cost $20, and a Disney video cost upwards of $80 (yeah, they were crazy over at Disney). Tapes from years in which I wasn't born are rarer, and a lot more fun to find.

When this site switched over to the TZ servers, I had already made a couple of updates to FPO's video page. To the average reader, the following videos just suddenly appeared:

September 15:
Man Screws Light Bulb Into Tree
That Beer's Got Legs!
Commercial for Mt. St. Helens Movie (basically the same video as the one in "1981 Movie Trailers")
KATU's film critic reviews "St. Helens"
I Love The Rose Festival! Pirates! Arr!

Today I also added the following:

October 11:
Longer Farrells AAAAAD!!
Cascade Run-Off
Arctic Circle Square Pumpkin
More Radio Spots From 1981
Hey Baby! Drink Your Milk!
Radio Spots From 1982
More Radio Spots From 1982
Smith's Home Furnishings with Superman Theme
The Organ Grinder
Oaks Park Roller Rink

The finding of the Organ Grinder ad was especially fortunate. Take a look at that--the restraunt was just as fun as the ad makes it look. The old movie footage is something they actually did--every so often the lights would dim and this giant movie screen would come down, and an old comedic movie would play, with the music provided by the gigantic pipe organ that the restraunt was partially named after.
And yes, you DID see a Donkey Kong machine whiz by.

Crazy place, though not as crazy as Farrells. Farrells I miss the most.

Arctic Circle I do not miss at all. I hated Arctic Circle and I hated their advertising as well. I thought the yearly "Square Pumpkin" was a stupid concept and I also found AC's estimations on my childhood intelligence insulting. When I first saw that cheapie "C-Prize" I thought it was a pacifier! (But I think it's actually a...top, of some kind.)

 

[Chris]

When can we expect another update? Soon? Because I'm very interested in seeing the KOIN sign-off thing. (and what stuff you picked out from my stash. I'm working on yet another DVD for you!)

 

[Chris]

He updated the video part of the site! The KATU sign-off and KOIN sign-off was very interesting, along with the Atari 2600 commercial. I have one! Keep those videos coming! Also, just a plug, but people from Oregon, especially Salem, might be interested in my site "Clippings From Salem, Oregon Newspapers," which goes way back to 1965! http://www.atari2600land.com/newspaper/ I just updated it, btw.

 

[kelsokid18]

Hey, I stumbled upon FPO a while back while randomly Googling things. I must say, it's a great way to relive the best Portland had to offer. However, I have a suggestion to make: MOAR RAMBLIN' ROD!!!!!!!!!1111 I grew up on Rod, and I was in tears when I saw the full episode. I think I may be able to help out, I have a Ramblin' Rod button from before 12 moved to the "UPN Tower" studio.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

Hey, I stumbled upon FPO a while back while randomly Googling things. I must say, it's a great way to relive the best Portland had to offer. However, I have a suggestion to make: MOAR RAMBLIN' ROD!!!!!!!!!1111 I grew up on Rod, and I was in tears when I saw the full episode. I think I may be able to help out, I have a Ramblin' Rod button from before 12 moved to the "UPN Tower" studio.

Just a button, or do you have another full episode? If it's just a button, I can't do much with that.

Fact: the best button you can find in Portland is one that says "I'LL BE BACK!" in large letters alongside the image of Tom Peterson's head. It must have been issued out when Tom went bankrupt, but barely anyone is going to make that connection now. It's just hilarious.

Today's update: the first new Natali Marmalade cartoon in a LONG time. For outsiders, yes, this is our local news during a weather crisis.

 

[kelsokid18]

I gotta say, those parody cartoons of the operation at a certain Portland TV station whose channel falls between 1 and 3 are BRILLIANT! EDIT: I wish I did have some episodes of Ramblin Rod laying about the room here. I miss the heck out of those days. In the meantime, I'll just say that I am Northwest born and raised, and I've lived in Kelso for all 20 years of my life, and if theres anything I can do to help, I'll try my damnedest to do so.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Its a shame I didn't tape Fox 12's to say the least rosy forcast of one 1/2 inch of snow three days ago. Hoo boy.

 

[Chris]

I take it you're not putting any of my 1989 material on the video site?

 

[RJP]

I have old Portland video

I have a ton of old 1970's Portland Wrestling shows that have many old commercials from Friendly Chevrolet & Tom Peterson's. In addition to that, I have a Ramblin' Rod show from 1982...and lots of other local stuff.

I can be reached at musicguy64@yahoo.com

 

[Chris]

I have a ton of old 1970's Portland Wrestling shows that have many old commercials from Friendly Chevrolet & Tom Peterson's. In addition to that, I have a Ramblin' Rod show from 1982...and lots of other local stuff.

I would love to see that stuff! You do mean late 70's, right? I wish I had VCR tapes from the 70's...

---
by the way, I've made a very small list of what I wanna see on the video section:
-Tom Peterson's WAKE UP! ad
-It's not too late to sleep like a baby, Mattress World (yeah, it's on now, but recorded for posteriority)
-part of an episode of KATU's Town Hall (back when they cared enough to air them.)
-twelve consecutive hours of KPTV going nuts over a simple snowstorm that brought like a half an inch sometime (I always thought that KPTV makes more of a big deal about snowstorms than KATU does)
-An episode of Perry Mason (they've been airing that for over 40 years every day at noon. Quick before it disappears!)

I'll rummage around my old stuff and I may make you a new DVD of stuff, martianinvader.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

I've sent RJP a letter; we'll see where that leads. Hopefully, somewhere good. Perhaps the "WAKE UP!" ad is on one of his....

And during the last snowstorm, I switched on KATU and recorded an hour of that stuff. Sometime, I'll go through it, but it has to have something interesting. The older a clip is, the more likely it'll go on the site, but the newer things need to have additional appeal in some way. Of course, this'll change once 2026 rolls around, which is why I'm stockpiling now.

I take it you're not putting any of my 1989 material on the video site?

No, some of it's coming, it's just slow in getting there. The clip you gave me of Ted Kulongoski's back circa 1989 is a given.

 

[kelsokid18]

I would love to see that stuff! You do mean late 70's, right? I wish I had VCR tapes from the 70's...

---
by the way, I've made a very small list of what I wanna see on the video section:
-Tom Peterson's WAKE UP! ad
-It's not too late to sleep like a baby, Mattress World (yeah, it's on now, but recorded for posteriority)
-part of an episode of KATU's Town Hall (back when they cared enough to air them.)
-twelve consecutive hours of KPTV going nuts over a simple snowstorm that brought like a half an inch sometime (I always thought that KPTV makes more of a big deal about snowstorms than KATU does)
-An episode of Perry Mason (they've been airing that for over 40 years every day at noon. Quick before it disappears!)

I'll rummage around my old stuff and I may make you a new DVD of stuff, martianinvader.

I may be able to dig up the KATU Town Hall stuff. I know a guy who is the chief of the art department at KATU (or he was last I heard of him). I'll get a hold of him and see if he can crack the archives and help us out. How far back do you want. Do you wanna see Gianola's bulbous head?

 

[Peter Paltridge]

I may be able to dig up the KATU Town Hall stuff. I know a guy who is the chief of the art department at KATU (or he was last I heard of him). I'll get a hold of him and see if he can crack the archives and help us out. How far back do you want. Do you wanna see Gianola's bulbous head?

It's wishful thinking, but if I could only choose one Town Hall, I think you know which one I'd upload. The Rajneeshee episode!

BTW I do have one Town Hall (Jack Faust, 1981) but I felt it was too boring to bother with. The topic is adoption. Ooo, controversial!
There may possibly be some Gianola-years episodes in tapes I haven't gone through yet.

There was also a brief period when the show was hosted by Julie Emry, and it went about as well as you can imagine. The following is true, I saw it with my own eyes: she hosted an episode about dangerous and troubled teens, and she asked with sincerity "So, anybody listen to Amy Grant?"

 

[Peter Paltridge]

And during the last snowstorm, I switched on KATU and recorded an hour of that stuff. Sometime, I'll go through it, but it has to have something interesting. The older a clip is, the more likely it'll go on the site, but the newer things need to have additional appeal in some way. Of course, this'll change once 2026 rolls around, which is why I'm stockpiling now.

Okay, this is a textbook example of what I just talked about: a was found in Portland. I've got News 8 at Noon on the DVR as I speak. We got our first 2007 clip, and it might be as hilarious as "Microwave Cooking School."

 

[Chris]

Okay, this is a textbook example of what I just talked about: a was found in Portland. I've got News 8 at Noon on the DVR as I speak.

I think it was channel 2 that didn't blur out the middle finger. I can stay up late and record it at 11 if ya want. Ooh, Portland Videos Uncensored!

 

[Peter Paltridge]

I think it was channel 2 that didn't blur out the middle finger. I can stay up late and record it at 11 if ya want. Ooh, Portland Videos Uncensored!

Too late; I got the channel 2 version as well when it aired at 5. I may end up using that one instead; what it depended on was which reporter was more humorously clueless about ATHF.

 

[Chris]

Apparently, newspapers are exempt from censoring flipping people off:
From today's Statesman Journal

 

[Lord Dalek]

Quick! Someone fly Pete out to Santa Clarita immediately.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

This morning the following videos were added (see Chris, I told you I wouldn't forget):

February 5
A second "Northwest State of Mind" (1981)
Leave your name on a Pioneer Courthouse Square brick (1981)
Star Wars debuts--on radio? How quaint (1981)
Spotted owl news story (1989)
The "Spirit of the Northwest" theme song (1989)
Ted Kulongoski's backside, circa 1989 (1989)
First Interstate Bank (1989)
Bruce Chevrolet gives away free cowboy hats (1989)
The Noid (1989)

In addition, the "Bumpity" link has been fixed and "Portland Saturday Market" has replaced "Why Doug Elfman can't be trusted" (he still can't be, but the argument's a little dated).

 

[Peter Paltridge]

New Natali Marmalade:

I had an idea once for a strip where the news story was "You won't believe the germs we found on this sidewalk! Is YOUR sidewalk safe?" Then KOIN actually did something very similar to that, and since fiction has to be more outrageous than reality, I had to take it to the next level. That KOIN report still makes me angry when I think of it; they were germ-testing park playgrounds, which means some nut of a parent had to be watching who later forbade her children from ever playing in the park again. That's YOUR fault, KOIN!

So guess what? For Portlanders Only will be mentioned in the Living section of The Oregonian next Friday. Now I've come to the realization that, from all the attention it's been getting lately, it's only a matter of time before Natali Marmion actually sees these.

I have no idea what her reaction is going to be. I'm hoping she has a sense of humor.

I ran into Natali Marmion in a mall once...or, rather, we walked past each other. I didn't talk to her but I was 95% sure it was Natali, as the woman was not only her spitting image but pregnant, and Natali was also pregnant at the time. I could have stopped her and said "Hi, I've been drawing a mock caricature of you for the last three years," but I didn't think it would go over well.