If the over-crowded, Christmas song infused Mall scene is too much for you this season, but you still want some trendy clothing to compliment your winter wardrobe, there is still hope. Here are three shops in downtown Portland that can meet your vintage style clothing needs without making you take out another loan.
Everybody knows John Mayer's 2001 bubblegum sex-pop ditty, "Your Body is a Wonderland" and its endearing combination of quiet guitar strumming and sweetly graphic lyrics. Somewhat less well-known is that Mayer may be one of the best guitarists alive today. He's won every major music award (including 13 Grammys) and jammed with blues and jazz giants like Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King and John Scofield. He was even named one of the "New Guitar Gods" by Rolling Stone in 2007, placing him alongside Derek Trucks of the Allman Brothers and John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. His fourth solo album "Battle Studies," which came out two weeks ago, isn't as good as some of his earlier work, but it still delivers 45 great minutes of music. Personally, I hadn't been so excited to pick up a record since Dave Matthews Band released Big Whiskey & The GrooGrux King this past summer. After practically running out of Bull Moose with "Battle Studies" in my hand, I immediately threw it in my car's CD player and began my listen.
For years now, Yosaku, that Japanese place on Danforth St. near Brian Boru, has been my favorite place in town to go for sushi. But I'm starting to reconsider. After two delicious meals last week at Shima, the new French / Japanese fusion restaurant that just opened on Fore St. across the street from Rosie's, I think my loyalties are beginning to shift. To begin with, Shima has a menu vast enough that I may never become familiar with it all as well as a constantly shifting set of specials. I opted for a special - the tempura-fried, fish-wrapped spinach - since it didn't sound like anything I'd ever had before, and I figured it'd be wonderful to try. Indeed, it was. Served on a plate full of a sauce which tasted distinctly French, it was a flavorful dish far surpassing my simplistic prior experiences with sushi.
The MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot is the size of 10 stacked credit cards, and it works wonders. Simply turn it on wherever you are and BANG! You have a wi-fi network that you can connect to on your laptop or other device to surf the Web. During one afternoon drive between Lewiston and Brunswick, my fiance was able to stream video from her Web cam and browse the Web at the same time - all at a relatively fast speed. As I write this review, I am using the MiFi card to connect to the Internet where I normally wouldn't be able to - in Rumford, Maine at my grandparents' house.
Almost everyone has heard the story of Amelia Earhart. She attempts to fly around the world and goes missing somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. Don't be alarmed by the overdone subject matter, however, this film is nothing like that paper you wrote on her in sixth grade.
