A blizzard of blatherskite.

[January 14th, 2004] * The current edition of the Columbia Journalism Review, the leading publication for media junkies, awards a "laurel" (as opposed to a "dart") to former Business Journal editor Dan Cook and managing editor Sharon DeBusk for resigning in protest over publisher Craig Wessel's excessively advertiser-friendly approach. Wessel killed a Q&A with Planned Parenthood's local boss, reportedly referring to the organization as an "extremist group." (See "Unplanned Exit," WW, Oct. 1, 2003.)

* Speaking of reproductive rights, last week's weather didn't prevent Portland's most self-assured conservative radio host from finding a platform between the drifts. Here from the Murmurs email bin is an exchange between Laura Bridges of NARAL and KXL's Lars Larson:

Bridges: Today's press event and launch of NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon's March for Freedom with Governor Kulongoski has been canceled due to inclement weather.

Larson: Maybe God didn't like what you had planned.

* Daily PDX, the webzine that's provided a shot of local cultural coverage every morning for years, has called it quits--mostly. Michael Merrill, who founded the site with now-ex-wife Heather, says he couldn't soldier on without his former spouse, who moved to San Francisco after their recent divorce. "Without Heather's brilliant writing," Merrill writes in an email, "I was trying to think of a way to still get the timely hot things to do in Portland out for our viewers." Merrill plans to relaunch the site Feb. 1 as a daily cartoon-based feature.

* Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard's own Bar of the Gods has been anointed one of "The 20 Best Dives in America" in the February issue of Stuff magazine--which the staff of WW does not read, OK? The BOG joined such estimable establishments as Seattle's grunge-era icon Comet Tavern and New Orlean's epochally weird, sleazy and wonderful Snake & Jake's among Stuff's faves.

* As most Portlanders huddled around space heaters and waited for Matt Zaffino to announce the end of BLIZZARD APOCALYPSE, Portland Timbers fans could rejoice in dreams of warmer days. The city's minor-league soccer team announced the schedule for its fourth A-League campaign, highlighted by seven Thirsty Thursdays at PGE Park. The Green and White open with their now-traditional clash with archrivals Seattle in a May 1 home game.