One of the few perks of working where I do is free cable. Currently, everything Comcast offers locally is being pumped into my home free of charge. A few weeks ago I finally decided to shell out 5 bucks a month to rent one of their DVRs. Now with the ability to rewind live television and set up recordings with ease, I'm quickly becoming a shut-in as I attempt to watch random broadcasts from around town and beyond. Like what?

Like "Super Atomic TV." It's a locally-produced sci-fi movie showcase that airs late at night on channel 14. While playing back last week's show, I ran into this commercial for the Portland Mercury:

Click on the pic to watch it. Sorry for the low quality. I have no way to connect the DVR to my computer. Plus, my server will only allow paltry 5 MB-max uploads. As a result, you won't be able to full enjoy the huge eagle painting that the Mercury's editor apparently has in his office. Also: the periodical in the "newspaper related accident" is a copy of Willamette Week. Oh, snap! Those local weeklies are worse than a sewing circle hepped up on coke!

Ok, that wasn't very exciting. In addition to Portland broadcasts, I can pick up a few international channels. I decided to record a news broadcast from China and the top story of the night featured this clip:

Yep. A flying robot soaring over a crowded stadium with a torch in his hand. I can only imagine that this is some sort of warm-up for the 2008 Olympics. If I'm right, isn't Beijing getting an early start? One of the stadiums for the 2004 summer games in Athens was still in the process of being built with mere weeks to go before the opening ceremonies.

Ok, the quality on that one was pretty shoddy too. To make up for it, here's a link to the video for "Jumpers," Sleater-Kinney's latest single (scroll down, it's under "About Sleater-Kinney"). Not to blow the ending, but a bored office drone tosses herself off an office building and flies over downtown Portland with a set of wings made out of...well, just watch the damn thing.

Sure, this city is getting national press attention for its music scene but I'll never get used to seeing Waterfront Park and the Wells Fargo Tower on MTV 2.