Reflections – But Not on Elections

Posted on November 6, 2026 by Thebeerchaser

By the time you read this post, the Midterm Elections will be over. Regardless of one’s political persuasion, there will be bipartisan bliss with the absence of political ads going forward. That will be mitigated to some extent by the ubiquitous insurance commercials which will undoubtedly fill the vacuum.

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. This is a long post. If you are receiving it through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all photos and the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened. (# External photo attribution at the end of the post.) (#1)

Charging Backward!?

Perhaps a common theme this fall is the price of arrogance. I’ll cite two sports-related examples to validate this premise. Coach Jim Harbaugh, to much fanfare, became the coach of the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024. It was felt that with his star quarterback, Justin Herbert – Offensive Rookie-of-the-Year in 2020 and Pro Bowl selection in 2021, the Chargers would dominate the West Division of the AFC.

Well, Harbaugh had two 11-6 seasons, but in 2026 he is winless with seven defeats. And Justin Herbert is having an abysmal year. I’ve never been a fan of Jim Harbaugh. He’s been involved in ethical issues during his college coaching career at the University of Michigan as summarized below:

Recruiting rule violations during the COVID‑19 dead period.
Dishonesty and lack of cooperation with NCAA investigators.
Sign‑stealing and unauthorized scouting scandals.
Failure to monitor staff and promote compliance.

These cases have resulted in severe NCAA sanctions, reputational damage, and a long-term ban from collegiate coaching. (#2- #3)

http://www.allproreels.com (All-Pro Reels Photography)

Justin Herbert, after an outstanding rookie year, seems to have reached a plateau and then proceed downward in 2026: (Oregon Live)

“Herbert has completed 59.4% of his passes, well off his career mark of 66.1%. He has five TDs, ten turnovers (including a league-worst eight interceptions, with a least one in every game) and been sacked 21 times – second most in the league including the nine times in the last two games.”

I’ve admired Justin Herbert for his academic and athletic achievements in college, but have to chuckle based on his personal life – his marriage to celebrity, Madison Beer in the fall of 2024. (#4)

I wrote about my first exposure to the singer-songwriter in this blog when Janet and I attended an amazing Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park in 2024:

“…I realized that a significant portion of the crowd – lined up for several blocks – was not in line for the baseball game – they were waiting with great anticipation for a concert at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway.

It was somewhat chilly and I wondered why most of the adolescent girls in line were dressed in tutus – in many cases supplemented by capes and tiaras. And most were without coats. I asked a security guard, and he said they were waiting for a Madison Beer concert scheduled to start at 7:30.

I thought Madison Beer was a micro-brewery in Wisconsin. I found out, however, that she’s a twenty-five-year-old singer- songwriter with ties to Justin Bieber. Fenway was one of sixty-three concerts on her 2023-2024 “Spinnin” world tour. These hardy kids had lined up five hours (or more) early for the evening concert for which they paid an average ticket price of $143.”

Perhaps, Justin should now consider (at least during the NFL Season) switching from Madison Beer to martinis from Twisted Path Gin which is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin distillery. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist…)

A Bit More Football

I’ve written before about my disappointment with the demise of the PAC 12 – especially in football. My wife is an Oregon Duck, I’m a dam Beaver and our older daughter and her husband are Washington Huskies – he a third generation Dawg. I was there during the OSU Giant Killer years and the intra-family banter during football has been fun in the past.

I have many friends who are U of O grads and at the law firm, the Oregon vs. Washington rivalry came close to surpassing what in Oregon was always known as the Civil War – until a few years ago when that term became politically incorrect.

That said, the arrogance of the Ducks has been a sore point in the past and they and Coach Dan Lanning have had a comeuppance this year – while the Beaver gridiron team has surprised everyone with its resurgence. Unfortunately, the Beavers and Ducks won’t play again until September 2028.

Given that at the beginning of the season, the Ducks were picked by some to be National Champions and #2 in several polls, it provides some satisfaction seeing the following headlines in the sports pages.

“Lanning: ‘We Just Don’t Handle Adversity Well'”

“Ducks’ lost season falls off a cliff with catastrophic loss to Illinois.”

“Oregon is inconsistent, undisciplined, unprepared, and downright unwatchable. Parts of the machine are broken. Dreams of the CFP – considered the floor for this team entering the season – are dead.”

The Ducks have also had three players arrested on various charges including alleged DUI and reckless driving during the season.

The same edition of The Oregonian with the quote above had this comment by one of the columnists: “The Beavers have executed an unimaginable culture reset and the world of college athletics is taking notice.”

(The image on the right was taken yesterday at my long-time law firm colleague and Beerchasing Notable, Jack Faust’s residence. It should be noted that Oregon surprised the pundits by ranking No. 23 in the first College Football Playoff Selection Committee Rankings of the 2026 season.)

Cheers to Oregon State’s Athletic Director, Kevin Griffin and Football Coach, JaMarcus Shepherd – both in the first year – for their leadership and motivational skills!

Farewell to Friends

2026 has been a year of mixed emotions for me. I’ve lost four friends this year – three of them lawyers and one a distinguished professor. Two of the lawyers died in tragic accidents.

Craig Russillo

Craig and I were colleagues at the Schwabe law firm for fourteen years – from the time he joined the firm as a new associate after graduation cum laude from Willamette University Law School, until I retired in 2011. He was killed in a head-on crash on October 15th by a drunken driver near Mount Hood while returning to his home in Bend. (#5)

Not only was he an outstanding attorney, but a wonderful husband and father to his two children – Finn and Elle.

“His quick wit, professionalism and and legal prowess earned him accolade’s from clients and he was quickly elevated to shareholder and ultimately served on the Board of Directors and was a senior leader in the firm’s Commercial Litigation Group.

In his nearly three decades at Schwabe, Craig mentored and nurtured scores of the firm’s young lawyers with an uncommon blend of insight humor and compassion was the very heart and soul of the firm’s ‘work hard, but don’t take yourself too seriously’ culture.

He developed deep and meaningful friendships with generations of staff and shareholders at Schwabe, none of whom were ever safe from Craig’s infection humor and practical jokes.“

And I still laugh with the recipient of one of those practical jokes – Sara Cotton – now a shareholder, but in 2009 a recent cum laude graduate of Lewis and Clark Law School.

Sara, like most new lawyers, had worked incredibly long hours during her first eight months and was looking forward to a great summer vacation. At Schwabe, we did not require lawyers to record sick and vacation hours – their statistics governed when they could take time off. (#6)

A day or two before Sara was to leave, Craig (who had tipped me off) said, “Cotton, I assume you had the COO approve this vacation in advance.” Sara, gasped and said, “No one told me that was required.” He responded, “Well, you better go to Williams’ office and grovel and come up with a good excuse. Otherwise, you might as well cancel your reservations.”

When she came in, I scowled for about thirty seconds before bursting into laughter just as Craig walked in. From that time on, each summer until I retired, I would remind Sara not to forget her obligation to notify me. Schwabe had a great organizational sense of humor and Craig exemplified it.

Mark O’Donnell

Those who follow this blog have read about my friendship and respect for this wonderful lawyer and man of faith which began in 1979 and lasted until his passing in August.

My blog gave examples of the forty + years of sarcastic e-mails and letters we exchanged challenging each other’s character and intellectual ability although we always ended by toasting our brotherhood. (#7)

Mark, growing up in a family which struggled to make ends meet, had a lifetime commitment supporting charitable endeavors. These included De La Salle North Catholic High School, Gonzaga University and many Catholic charities.

In In September 2018, the Northwest Pilot Project presented him with the Agency Impact Award to commemorate his service to the organization, which provides affordable housing to seniors in Multnomah County:

“O’Donnell’s commitment has prevented 450 low-income seniors from becoming homeless.” …He also partners with SE Works, De Paul Treatment Centers and other organizations that serve at-risk kids and low-income seniors.”

Steve Griffith

Steve died on February 12th while climbing Chimborazo when he fell during the ascent.

“It’s the highest mountain in Ecuador and the 39th-highest peak in the entire Andes. The summit is the farthest point on Earth’s surface from the Earth’s center due to its location along the planet’s equatorial bulge. Chimborazo’s height from sea level is 6,263 m (20,548 ft).” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimborazo

You might ask why an eighty-year-old guy was climbing a mountain in Ecuador. Steve would respond, “Because I can!”

The two pictures below are from his climb with my college fraternity brother, Craig “The Dude” Hanneman at the summit of Mt. Vinson (16,050 feet) in Antarctica – they climbed it in 2008 – one of the Seven Summits. (#8)

You would think that a person who is a graduate of Harvard College, the University of Oxford and Stanford Law School, might tend to be a bit bookish or cerebral in activities and dealings with others.

Notwithstanding his academic pedigree, Steve Griffith was the polar opposite. Besides his distinction as a litigator with a wide-ranging practice for thirty-seven years at Stoel Rives – one of the Northwest’s most prestigious law firms, he was esteemed for his reputation as a civic leader, friend and family man. (#9 – #10)

Steve was a very giving person demonstrating throughout his life that he should share his natural gifts with others. He taught school and coached for two years in Liberia as a Peace Corps volunteer and in 2015, he and his wife, Chris started a preschool in Gbarnga – the same town in which he served years earlier.

Dr. Doug Morgan Professor Emeritus of Public Administration – Portland State University (#11)

The following was written by Masami Nishishiba, Director, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government.

“Doug passed away on October 21, 2026 and was a cherished member of the Hatfield School community, a dedicated educator, a respected scholar, and a generous supporter of our students and programs. As one of the founding donors of the Morgan-Ellis Family Endowment, Doug played an important role in strengthening the Hatfield School’s ability to support students and advance our mission of public service and making government stronger.

…I will deeply miss Doug’s wisdom, warmth, and unwavering commitment to the Hatfield School. He was not only a valued colleague but also a trusted friend whom I could always count on for thoughtful advice and encouragement. His generosity extended far beyond financial contributions—he gave his time, shared his ideas, and genuinely cared about the people and the future of the School.”

I first met Doug in 2024 over coffee and was thrilled shortly afterwards to have a reunion after many years with my Portland State University graduate school professor and advisor, Dr. Walt Ellis and his best friend, Doug, over lunch at Gino’s Restaurant and Bar in mid-June. Janet and I both earned our master degrees from PSU and the Hatfield School has an excellent national reputation.

Walt and Doug had just announced the establishment of the Morgan-Ellis Family Endowment for Community-Centered Education, Scholarship and Governance and kick-started it with a $100,000 donation. (#12)

Each then committed $1 million estate gifts to strengthen the core work of the Hatfield School by funding student research assistantships and deepening the school’s partnerships with local governments through the School’s Center for Public Service.

The loss of these friends is a good reminder to nurture friendships and treasured relationships while we still have the opportunity.

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

Other than those enumerated below, all photos were taken by me or generated by AI.

#1. Wikimedia Commons (File:Ballot Drop Box Boston.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Whoisjohngalt – 3 August 2022.

#2. Wikimedia Commons (File:Jim Harbaugh (Michigan Wolverines football coach) during Sept. 29, 2018 game against Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field (441201710451).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Author: Maize & Blue Nation – 29 September 2016.

#3. Wikimedia Commons (File:Los Angeles Chargers sideline.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Author: All-Pro Reels -12 September 2021.

#4. Wikimedia Commons (File:Madison Beer @ The Wiltern 11 28 2021 (51783561891).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Justin Higuchi – 28 November 2001.

#5. Oregon Live Obituary (https://obits.oregonlive.com/us/obituaries/oregon/name/craig-russillo-obituary?id=62850829).

#6. Sara Cotton (https://www.schwabe.com/professional/sara-cotton/_).

#7. O’ Donnell Law Firm LLC Website (https://www.odlf.net/about-us/professional-team/attorneys/mark-odonnell/)

#8 Fordham Institute (https://fordhaminstitute.org/about/fordham-staff/stephen-griffith)

#9 – #10. Courtesy of Craig Hanneman.

#11-#12. Hatfield School of Government – Portland State University (https://www.pdx.edu/hatfield-school/).

Court(s) are in Session – Part I

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

Moda Center – Home of the Portland Trailblazers

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please click on the title to bring up the post so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #1 – #2)

Well, it’s time for the NBA Season to “kickoff” and the Portland Trailblazers – rebuilding since their NBA Championship in 1977 – evoke a lot of good memories as well as frustrations.

The zenith was the 1977 victory over the Dr. J (Julius Erving – led Philadelphia ’76ers) where the underdog Blazers, coached by the legendary, Jack Ramsey, lost the first two games and then won four straight to win the series.

The late Bill Walton was named the MVP which led Philadelphia Coach, Gene Shue to comment, “Bill Walton is the best player for a big man who ever played the game of basketball.” (Wikipedia) (#3 – #5)

But there have been bad times as well for our pro hoopers. For example, the Portland Jail Blazer era:

“One of the most infamous periods in Trail Blazers history is the era of the ‘Jail Blazers.’ Though the team had experienced its fair share of controversy and issues in prior seasons, many consider the ‘Jail Blazers’ saga starting during the 2000–2001 season.”

Fortunately, the players with questionable character during that era, were eventually traded and another rebuilding started in 2006 with better citizens running the floor.

A fascinating Willamette Week article in 2018 gave an update on six of the most “notorious” and some of them at least turned the corner. https://www.wweek.com/sports/2018/01/17/a-look-at-where-six-of-the-best-known-jail-blazers-ended-up/

For example, Isaiah (JR) Rider who “….gave us a basketball gift to remember — the most unlikely shot in NBA history.” (Yahoo Sports.com)

“His life fell apart after his forced retirement from the league in 2001, but he seems to be picking up the pieces. He started a kids’ basketball training program in Arizona called Sky Rider. According to his Twitter account, he’s a ‘current family man’ and his 6-year-old son is a spelling bee champion.

But my best memory of the Blazers was from 1979. I had one-third of a season ticket – two tickets to about twelve games that I split with some work colleagues. I asked Janet Dancer, who I met at a night meeting, for a date when she was working for the City of Oregon City and I was the Chair of the Planning Commission and our first date was to a Trailblazer game.

After being married for forty-four years this year, she still kids me about not taking her out to dinner before the game. I have always responded, “Two Blazer tickets cost enough for one date!”

Mug Shots…

These days, I don’t go to many Blazer games; however, I always watch them on TV notwithstanding the fact that they haven’t gone to the playoffs in the last three years and in 2019-20 lost in the first round.

The team still offers some good basketball to watch and having a beer while “spectating” in my Lazy Boy Recliner while watching on a big screen is almost better than being at the game.

Photo Oct 16 2024, 8 39 41 PM

Now given my Beerchasing hobby, I have a lot of mugs and beer glasses. Shown below are just a few of my favorites from my exploits over the last thirteen years.

But to enhance the experience for the coming season, I decided to visit the NBA Store which offers a good selection of mugs including this one for the Trailblazers. You can use this link to procure some discounts. https://capitaloneshopping.com/s/store.nba.com/coupon (#6)

Rip City!

A Collaboration

And based on an announcement this week, the first beer in my new Blazer mug will be a Rip City IPA:

“Whether at the game or watching from home, this beer is the perfect game-time drink. ‘We wanted to create an IPA that embodied the taste of Oregon,’ says Rogue Brewmaster Joel Shields. ‘It’s piney, crisp, and perfect for cheering on the Trail Blazers!'” (#7)

Perfect game-time drink

Players in the Other Court

I worked with lawyers for over thirty years during my career – first as the Business Manager at the Oregon State Bar and then retiring after twenty-five years at the Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt law firm – the last twelve as the Chief Operating Officer. I therefore have a keen interest in legal issues and also love the lawyer mentality.

On the whole, the many lawyers with whom I worked, were dedicated and collegial professionals who worked diligently for their clients and to uphold the Rule of Law.

My employment at the Bar and the firm as well as knowing so many lawyers, however, meant my service as a juror was, in all likelihood, not going to happen. And jury duty was something I always wanted to experience.

One time in a criminal trial, I didn’t survive voir-dire because I answered the prosecutor’s question with another question. I was the victim of her first preemptory challenge. The other times when I was a member of a jury pool, I knew either one or both of the trial lawyers and was excused.

As a result of my long-term friendship with outstanding Portland lawyer and mediator, the late Susan Hammer, who was also a colleague on the City Club of Portland Board of Governers, I met and had lunch with Multnomah County Judge Jerome Labarre in 2013. (#8)

We became friends and after I related my tale of woe of never serving on a jury, he said:

“Well Don, it’s not serving on a jury, but I have some interesting trials on my docket, and you are welcome to sit in my courtroom and observe.”

Jerry, a Georgetown Law grad, was appointed to the bench in 1999, after serving for a number of years as an assistant district attorney and then in private practice specializing in complex litigation.

He is a Past President of the Multnomah Bar Association and an adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark Law School. He retired in 2017 and now has a mediation practice.

And in 2013 I subsequently observed a one-week murder trial (interestingly enough the victim was shot in an east Portland dive bar) and then a fascinating month-long trial which resulted in the largest verdict for a plaintiff in Oregon history – a class action suit against British Petroleum – described as “Oregon’s Landmark Class-Action Suit.”

But alas, Beerchaser.com followers, you will have to await the story of that experience and some other court-related tales in Part II of this post – stay tuned…. (#9)

And Vote on November 5th!

External File Attribution

#1. Wikimedia Commons (File:Rose Garden Arena Interior.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Subject to disclaimers. Author: Tv145033 at English Wikipedia – 22 March 2006.

#2. Wikimedia Commons (File:Clackamas County Courthouse, Oregon City – DPLA – 13cd2d986b77594222b11d38c0491c08.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Author: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives – 6 August 2013.

#3. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Portland-Trail-Blazers-Logo-1990.png – Wikimedia Commons) This logo image consists only of simple geometric shapes or text. It does not meet the threshold of originality needed for copyright protection, and is therefore in the public domain. Author: Portland Trailblazers – 1 January 1990.

#4. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Bill walton blazers photo.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1929 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. Author: Portland Trailblazers – 1977-78.

#5. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (Bill Walton and Jack Ramsay – Portland Trail Blazers – Wikipedia) By Unknown author – Sporting News, Public Domain, (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31110876) – 1977.

#6. NBA Store Website (Portland Trail Blazers 32oz. Macho Mug with Handle (nba.com))

#7. Rogue Ale Website (Oregon rocks at GABF; Oregon City Brewing gets bookish – dwilliams2951@gmail.com – Gmail (google.com)). Andre’ Meunier column The Oregonian 10/17/2024.

#8. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Jury box in the courtroom of the Van Buren County Courthouse in Clinton, Arkansas.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of their rights to the work worldwide under copyright law. Author : Brandonrush -19 August 2020.

#9. Wikimedia Commons (File:Balanced scale of Justice (blue).svg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of their rights to the work worldwide under copyright law. Author: User:Perhelion, color edited by User:Deu – 12 March 2015.

Life of Riley Tavern – Visit this Bar in the Pearl

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Thebeerchaser

Those of you who have lived as many decades as Thebeerchaser probably remember watching William Bendix, the loveable wing-riveter at a California aircraft assembly plant, who was the star of the television show, Life of Riley, which ran for five seasons in the late 1950’s.

William Bendix and his son “Junior”

Only a few of the group who had a great lunch at this Portland bar recently were even born at that time. But the majority were tax lawyers from Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt and probably didn’t watch TV when they were kids anyway.

They were drawing images of the IRS logo with crayons, which served them well as five of the six lawyers present that day, in addition to having their law degrees and passing the Oregon State Bar went on to get an LLM – essentially a masters degree in tax law.

While Thebeerchaser’s only other experience with a dive bar in the Pearl District was less than memorable (the Low Brow Lounge), Life of Riley Tavern (hereafter LoR) was a very good venue – not only for the lunch we enjoyed, but when I returned for a beer several afternoons later. An apt description is this one from Yelp on 3/26/2015

The upstairs bar

“Amazing bar, exemplary staff. I don’t usually find myself in The Pearl but I do make it down here at least once a week because of the great service, free billiards, shuffleboard, and darts in the basement nightly.

The upstairs is nice as well, but the basement feels more homey. Both the upstairs and downstairs have great TVs for sports viewing…..the music in the basement is top-notch…..Oh yeah, they’re happy hour is ridiculously awesome.”

Good lunch-time specials

So let’s start with the upstairs portion of the bar – one reviewer compared it to a ‘50’s diner, which is not too far off. There’s only a small bar and some small, round bar tables with the rest of the seating as tables for the restaurant. In fact, I didn’t even realize that they had a great bar space downstairs until I read some of the reviews after my first visit.

Scrumptious mac & cheese

The food is a strength. I had a scrumptious and plentiful serving of Cajun Mac & Cheese (which required a long workout after lunch out of guilt….) and the remainder of our party of eight all were very positive about their lunches ranging from the Riley Burger to the Pulled Pork Sandwich.

Great sandwiches too

As Megan, our friendly server explained, “You should try our barbecue – its’ awesome,” and the traeger, right outside of the bar is well employed. She also was justifiably proud of the fresh sauces and dressings – their own recipes and made fresh each day. The prices are typical of Portland and a bit lower than you would expect in the Pearl.

But it’s the lower level that really defines LoR. Down the steps into an intriguing, dark basement space with just a few small windows – it reminded me of the fallout shelters the government promoted when I was a kid. (They also told us with sincerity during drills that we should assume a position under our desks in order to avoid the impact of a nuclear warhead…..)

“Get under your desk, cover your head and kiss your *#@ goodbye.”

Down to the “Fallout Shelter” bar

And I had a great conversation with Dave, the bartender, who has been there for ten years – a former carpenter who helped build the bar and with construction after the current owner purchased the building …….

Dave draws rave reviews from customers and he told me about the 22 beers on tap and let me sample a few – free, which was nice after our experience at Hair of the Dog Brewpub where you had to pay from $1.25 to $3.50 for a 2 ounce sample.

He stated that his clientele includes a bunch of regulars who work in the Pearl to neighbors who show up in hordes especially when there are Blazer or Timber games or when March Madness is running. Dave also stated that one thing that distinguishes the bar is that all the games including pool, darts and a great shuffleboard game are free.

Almost all of the comments about LoR on social media were positive although speaking of the Timbers, a rant is in order. It demonstrates the reason why a number of Portlanders who think soccer is boring and should be confined to Europe, also get upset at the pretentiousness of some Timber fans.

Free shuffleboard

While this comment goes back to August 2011, here’s the remarks by a guy who trashed what he admitted was a great bar simply because of one objection – and he signed the review “Anonymous.“

“What a shame. Great beer, lovely TV projection screen, decent food but totally cynical staff with the ‘no sound during a Timbers game’ attitude. Come-on owners! This is Portland, Home of the Timbers.

My friends and I were amongst the 15 people watching the game vs the 4 that were at the bar with no interest and the staff insisted that there was not enough people in the joint to put the sound of the game on. I am very disappointed with the patriotism of Life of Riley. You disappoint your patrons and you disappoint Portland. Shame on you!”

Dave, the friendly downstairs bartender and a guy with good judgment!

No, you misfit! Shame on you for not having the guts to even identify yourself and for your myopic perspective.

A little due diligence revealed that the Timbers played 34 games in 2011 in which they scored a total of 42 goals. Games are 90-minutes and assuming no overtime matches (which may not be totally factual, but this is a bar blog….) that means one goal scored by the Timbers every 72.86 minutes.

This begs the question, “What would the narration have added in a game that probably ended either in a scoreless tie or one with fewer than two goals scored?” (That’s a rhetorical question….) I think this rant is justified especially in light of one other comment on Yelp: “……… music in the basement is top-notch and suited for whatever crowd may be in at the time.”

Cheers to the 2009 Oregon Legislature.

One other very dated and interesting complaint from Portland Barfly dating clear back to 2008, again demonstrates the wisdom in the Oregon Legislature’s 2009 expansion of the Oregon “Smoke-free Workplace” Law which provided that bars and taverns could no longer permit smoking on or within ten feet of the premises.

“I visited Life of Riley for the first time this friday night, my friend and I hung out downstairs because I love smoky dens. It was a pretty cool place – the servers were quick and friendly and stayed on top of things even though it was packed. The drinks were good and strong. We managed to meet some cool people……

Now I hate it when people bitch about how smoky bars are and… I am a smoker and I love smoky dives, but holy shit!! This was by far the smokiest space I have ever been! Our eyes were burning! And this feeling lingered the next day. My advice to the owner: crack a few windows when it gets that busy….. You gotta have a little more circulation in there.”

Thebeerchaser appreciates this law because having reviewed about 175 bars since late 2011 – many of which I visited multiple times, my health and possibly my lifespan would have been adversely impacted by the second-hand smoke, especially given my preoccupation with dive bars. The tobacco lobby at the time, taking lessons from the NRA in opposing reasonable legislation, maintained:

“Cigarettes don’t kill people. It’s the tars, and toxins in the smoke.”

Upstairs bar area

Look back at the comments from a prior post in this blog (check the link below) to see what the pre-2009 bar environment was like:

The Horse Brass Pub: “We worried that (the new law) would spell the end of …(the) venerable Brit Pub…Not because the 33-year old bar…wouldn’t retain its loyal patrons, but because we assumed its billowing, milkshake-thick clouds of cigarette smoke were load bearing structural elements of the building without which the sprawling pub would collapse.” (“2009 Willamette Week Drink Guide”)

And finally, a couple of comments about my companions at LoR. Now one might think that tax lawyers, especially those who have over-achieved and gotten their LMM, might be boring company, but they are a great and interesting group.

Interesting companions…Woodhouse, Reuter, Van Zanten and Eller

Roy Lambert, now retired, is an active masters competitive swimmer with some regional records. In retirement, he audits courses in medieval and Renaissance history at Portland State.

Marc Sellers, besides majoring in chemistry as an undergrad, he was the first attorney in the U.S. to obtain an award of attorney fees against the Internal Revenue Service under the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998.

This courtroom mentality may have been derived from his dedication to martial arts for many years where he competed at regional and national championship levels. He was also an accomplished mountaineer and volunteer in mountain rescueand for years was a member of Mt. Hood Mountain Rescue.

Sellers – skilled litigator with a dry sense of humor

Besides that, Marc has a remarkable sense of humor which he regularly demonstrates on firm e-mails such as the following:

“This week’s Tax Department Employee of the Week is Peter Osborne. Peter was recently recognized by Firm Management as the ‘Lawyer Most Likely to Get the Correct Answer’ with respect to issues arising under Internal Revenue Code Sections starting with the number three.”

Haystack Rock by Pete Osborne.

Pete Osborne, who was accompanied by his spouse,Terri, is described by his colleagues as one of the smartest, if not the smartest, tax lawyer in Portland. On occasion, he has been known to return to Portland with both a big smile and winnings from the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas – Senior Division…. He’s also a talented artist. (See another of his works in the post about Brannons’ in Beaverton.)

Osborne’s etching of the Three Sisters

Jennifer Woodhouse, besides being fluent in Spanish, is a mentor at Lewis & Clark Law School where she graduated cum laude and leads Schwabe’s Women in Business group

Dan Eller received the prestigious Joyce Ann Harpole Scholarship and other law school honors at Lewis and Clark. He is an skilled outdoorsman and cyclist and frequently cycles around the base of Mt. Bachelor – active in numerous civic boards and a scout leader for his kids.

Even the Tax Group endorses Thebeerchaser logo

Katherine Van Zanten is an avid skier and a girl scout leader for her kids. Also active in the Oregon State Bar Tax Section.

And don’t forget one of Portland’s best legal secretaries, Gretchen Reuter, who has the technical expertise, interpersonal skills and patience to manage the workload of several of these people concurrently.

Having lunch with the Tax Group was enjoyable. And Life of Riley is a really good bar with good food, a friendly and knowledgeable staff (with enough common sense to mute the sound during a sporting event to play great music) and an awesome cellar that you won’t find too many places in Portland.

Life of Riley Tavern 300 NW 10th Ave

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Life of Riley Tavern – Visit this Bar in the Pearl