The "For Portlanders Only" Update Thread

[Chris]

What I'm wondering is how in the heck did you get footage from 1976 onto the FPO site? Were VCRs around back then? Mr. Miller must've transferred it onto VHS for you to "computerize." I wonder if I'll be mentioned in the article. Nobody from the Oregonian has called yet, so probably not. Of course, here I am in Salem...

 

[Peter Paltridge]

What I'm wondering is how in the heck did you get footage from 1976 onto the FPO site? Were VCRs around back then? Mr. Miller must've transferred it onto VHS for you to "computerize." I wonder if I'll be mentioned in the article. Nobody from the Oregonian has called yet, so probably not. Of course, here I am in Salem...

You caught me mid-update. The story behind Mr. Miller is that he's worked for KATU for over thirty years and he made that footage. Pretty cool dude to have contributing, right? (And for the record VCRs first hit the market in September 1976.)

The following videos were added this morning:
"This Is Oregon"
"The Eclipstick"
Bill O'Reilly as a KATU anchor
Outrageous Audio, part 2
That's Not A Hair Question
Mardi Gras Faux Pas

"Mardi Gras Faux Pas" is one of my favorite new accidents in a while. You can thank Veronica Mars for being new last Tuesday, or the DVR would not have caught that afterward.

 

[Chris]

Great little article! I've yet to see it in the paper, but my mom sent me the text of it in an e-mail. It should have said "The full-length Ramblin Rod episode was sent in by long-time Salem resident Chris Read, who is very very nice and wonderful." OK, so I'm stretching it. Anyway, why not have a Bob the Weather Cat segment in there somewhere?

 

[Lord Dalek]

I'd donate a copy of my High Five Challenge appearance but A: I don't have a copy and B: I'm not sure how I'd upload it.

 

[Chris]

This article is so good, I'm putting it with my Salem, Oregon newspaper articles, even though the newspaper is from Portland.
http://www.atari2600land.com/newspaper/
Look under "2007" at the end of the page. You'll also find a "bomb."

 

[PDilley]

Call the Kite Man!

Does anybody have video of that Kite Man public service ad that used to run on Portland t.v. around the late 70s through about 80 or 81? I'm pretty sure it was just local. I forget what channel it was on, but it was about how to fly a kite safely and featured a man in a big kite costume quizzing kids about kite safety. It must be burned into the memories of many of us who were kids at that time. It went like this:

Q: Is a safe kite made of metal, ever?
A: Never!

Q: Wire or wet string, ever?
A: Never!

Q: What about frogs?
A: I LIKE frogs.

Q: What if your kite winds around a power line?
A: Call the Kite Man!

 

[Peter Paltridge]

Does anybody have video of that Kite Man public service ad that used to run on Portland t.v. around the late 70s through about 80 or 81? I'm pretty sure it was just local. I forget what channel it was on, but it was about how to fly a kite safely and featured a man in a big kite costume quizzing kids about kite safety. It must be burned into the memories of many of us who were kids at that time. It went like this:

Q: Is a safe kite made of metal, ever?
A: Never!

Q: Wire or wet string, ever?
A: Never!

Q: What about frogs?
A: I LIKE frogs.

Q: What if your kite winds around a power line?
A: Call the Kite Man!

I really wish I had that, but all I've got is one second. He appears over the hill and a kid says "Look! It's--" and that's the end. Most of these tapes were recorded by my dad, and he cut out ads whenever he could. I still hope that someone will have Kite Man and offer to submit it.

 

[Chris]

Sounds like my parents. They cut out ads when they taped specials for me and my sister when we were young. They put in ads unintentionally when it came to later stuff like the Smothers Brothers short-lived comeback show and As the World Turns. Weird, huh?

 

[kelsokid18]

I'm sure Natali has a good sense of humor, I wouldn't worry. Most news people are good-natured off camera, and besides, all of those people must know how dumb they look and sound on camera.

 

[Mulberry]

The most recent update just occurred a few minutes ago, and I was told to relay it to you. Portland readers knew this page was coming, but as for the rest of you, it isn't an April Fool's Day gag. This really happened:

http://www.platypuscomix.net/fpo/history/weathercat.html

This one also introduces a new, nifty Flash-based video player that can be made any size and placed multiple times on any page, as well as make it harder for videos to be stolen. Though I'm sure you'll find a way regardless.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

Bob's not all!

Added April 2
"I love my pizza, yes I do. I can eat it through and through."
Spring Break Quake Collage
Earth Alert
Blazer game promo
Chicken
Trail Blazer collectible Dairy Queen glasses
Children's Museum ads
Fox 49 in the Afternoons

 

[zehnkatzen]

This Is Oregon '76...You are my heroes!

You make my freaking year just today.

I remember seeing the KATU sign-off "This Is Oregon" when I was in high school. I instantly fell in love with it, especially that catchy instrumental, and would figure out ways to stay up late just to see it.

They really did capture a moment of zeitgeist and did it so masterfully well. I had but hoped to see it again, and you made it possible.

It was hard not to burst into tears of joy when I saw it-that's how much it moved me.

Thanks

Sam Klein (a bit maudln, but heck...)
http://zehnkazen.blogspot.com

 

[Chris]

A few questions:
#1 - Has the number of hits gone up since the article in the Oregonian?
#2 - When can we see another update?
#3 - Would you be interested in a KOIN news 6 at 11 someone accidentally taped from 2000 (I have no idea why Nash Bridges is on there when my sister wrote "The Real World" on it.)

 

[Peter Paltridge]

A few questions:
#1 - Has the number of hits gone up since the article in the Oregonian?
#2 - When can we see another update?
#3 - Would you be interested in a KOIN news 6 at 11 someone accidentally taped from 2000 (I have no idea why Nash Bridges is on there when my sister wrote "The Real World" on it.)

#1 - Yes.
#2 - You just GOT another update; see above your post. I'm going through a bunch of tapes from 1993; next update will probably come when I have more from then.
#3 - I don't really know. Is there anything interesting on it?

http://www.alligatorjuice.com/tv/ramblinrod/ramblinrod.html
Here's another page on Ramblin Rod that just showed up on some other site, and it offers a completely different full episode...at least I think it does, I haven't watched it yet.

 

[Chris]

No, not really. I thought you liked crazy old newscasts. You know what you should add? That Wilsonville car place ad with Buddy the little bull. It was clever, about the first thousand times I saw it. I was going through my tapes and found a Smiths ad with Clyde Drexler in it. Unfortunately, it didn't burn on to DVD very well, but you can have the tape. It's from '90-'91 and who knows, there might be something else interesting that catches your eye. My mom taped that Mt. St. Helens movie off of HBO in 1984. Is it really *that* bad? Cuz I love me a bad movie.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

No, not really. I thought you liked crazy old newscasts. You know what you should add? That Wilsonville car place ad with Buddy the little bull. It was clever, about the first thousand times I saw it. I was going through my tapes and found a Smiths ad with Clyde Drexler in it. Unfortunately, it didn't burn on to DVD very well, but you can have the tape. It's from '90-'91 and who knows, there might be something else interesting that catches your eye. My mom taped that Mt. St. Helens movie off of HBO in 1984. Is it really *that* bad? Cuz I love me a bad movie.

The problem with a crazy old newscast from 2000 is that seven years isn't old enough. Is there anything on it of interest?

If you can find a way to send the Drexler tape, then please do--that would be interesting.

But NOT as interesting as the entire STUPID ST. HELENS MOVIE; my word, you have to donate that one!

 

[Chris]

I thought you have the St. Helens movie, seeing as how you called it stupid & all. Well, we'll see how good it burns onto DVD tomorrow (the tape is, after all, 23 years old.) If not, I bet my mom'll be happy to get rid of a couple of tapes regardless. She thinks we don't need them any more.

 

[Chris]

I've burned it onto DVD and the quality isn't that bad for a tape made in '84. I should warn you though, that there's a lot of swearing in the movie (mostly from Art Carney, who plays Harry Truman). People fall in love, a couple of guys knock each other's brains out, all in all, I am surprised this hasn't gotten on MST3K. Most of it isn't even about the volcano (barely mentioned until about half-way into the movie). And it's coming soon to Martianinvader's mailbox.

 

[Chris]

Just for fun, I thought I would look this movie up in Leonard Maltin's 2006 Movie Guide, and to my surprise, there it was. He gave it 2 1/2 stars, though.
"Mount St. Helens is about to erupt, and old codger (Art) Carney (named Harry Truman!) refuses to leave his home. Not too bad, with a fine Carney performance; based on a true story."
I hated it. Too boring. Except for the end part, when the volcano erupted.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

A review of the St. Helens movie was set for next week until someone reminded me that the 100th anniversary of the Rose Festival is days away. I have to write about that instead. And then something else afterward, as I don't like doing two themes in succession. Sorry, delays happen. You'll see the review eventually, Chris.

Check out MSN's list of the Top Ten Beaches in America. Cannon Beach made #1!
http://travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=392337
And where is Seaside? Nowhere. Ha ha ha.

Meanwhile, I found a tape from January of 1990. And I discovered a PM Magazine episode that had an interview with Matt Groening (this was when The Simpsons had just begun). But.....IT WASN'T THERE! Dad had cut out that part!
He'd left in the day's Phantom Food Reviewer, but not the most historically interesting part. There is no emoticon for the rage I am feeling!