UPDATE: Thank God It's Monday: The Weekend (Party) Report and Stanford Out at Portland Trib.

[Byron Beck]

ANOTHER MAJOR MEDIA LAYOFF: Goes without saying that this sucks, but just read over at OMI, who got it from PBJ, that Phil Stanford has been let go at The Portland Tribune. A true original and a good reason to pick up the paper every Thursday, recently Stanford has only been appearing in every other issue of the publication. So who is going to write about Nick's Coney Island now that Phil is gone?

IT'S A SMALL TOWN AFTER ALL: Not ones to wallow in the current state of media affairs, fellow laid-off journos, Liz Hummer and her roomie, Nathan Peasley, threw a little birthday par-tay for themselves on Friday night. Mixed amongst the crowd at their spacious Southeast apartment were other media folks as well as Mike Hughes (pictured above). Now, you might know him as one of the 'stached dudes who doles out tasty wings at Biggs Bros. Wing Shack at Southeast Hawthorne Blvd. and 12th Ave. Or you might know him as the son of local living legend Anne Hughes (of Anne Hughes Coffee at Powell's Books). But, come spring, you will come to know him as an "actor." That's because Hughes just finished up his "role" as Larry Hurwitz. If you are new to town you might not be familiar with this infamous fellow. But longtimers will inform you that Hurwitz was the once legendary owner of The Starry Nightclub who was tried and eventually convicted in the 1990 slaying of Tim Moreau (for the latest news on Hurwitz, check out Willamette Week here). According to Hughes, who snagged the job off of Craig's List, his turn as Hurwitz was for The Learning Channel's crime drama pilot "Personal Justice" that will supposedly air sometime in March, 2009. (I don't see the resemblance either).

ANIMATED ANIMATORS A quick note—Portland can look like Hollywood. That is when lovely folks like Gretchen Miller and Jim Clark host a party. And that party is in the midst of their incredibly cool office/production house. Clark and Miller are the sweet couple behind Hive-FX, an animation company nestled in a neat little building in Southeast's Clinton neighborhood. Hive-FX is about to start work on the brilliant-sounding Chihuanhas, a film about an animal that’s “half Chihuahua and half piranha.” And, yes, that is director James Westby's muse and the star of The Auteur, Melik Malkasian, nestled next to Gretchen and Jim.

DRAGTIME: Ritchie Bristol, one of the players on The Rick Emerson Show, made his drag debut as "Ritchelle Kristol" at Southwest Washington's one and only gay bar, The Northbank, in downtown Vancouver, Wash. on Saturday night. And, damn, if it wasn't a good show. With another laid off journo, Tim Riley, as emcee, and plenty of performers from Northbank's "Lipz Cabaret" propping his sorry ass up, it wasn't nearly as embarrassing as I thought it would be. And, guess what, Ritchie makes an attractive laaaaaaady! Who knew?

ROCK AND NOEL: I guess it might be due in part to her name, but Gina Noell (and her hubby Michael Cubbon) really know how to throw a holiday party. I guess that's why everybody in the music industry descends on their house around this time of year. I have to say, one of the best parts of the whole night is just making it passed the doorman. Yes, doorman. How rock and roll can a house party get?

FOODIE FA-LA-LA's: A little snow and ice isn't going to stop the "minister of food" Robert Reynolds from throwing a small dinner party at his intimate and always amazing Chefs Studio. After taking two buses and the light rail we arrived at Robert's place last night and dined on one of the most amazing meals I've ever had. And the biggest thrill? Getting a chance to use his potato ricer. I'd never heard of one before that night. Now, I don't think I could live without one. It's very strange that one of the points of conversation during the dinner was that Reynolds really needed his own fan page on Facebook. This morning, Reynold's emailed me that when he arrived home, after the party, he received a message from a former student who said she had just created a page for him on the site. That guy is a little bit magic.

[Liz]

i never even liked wings until i had biggs. they certainly would have been a hit at the party. come back!

btw, byron (and anyone else as obsessed with media as i am), check out http://twitter.com/themediaisdying. kind of like watching a car wreck.

[Mike Hughes]

I really could use some of Robert's cooking

[K'bam]

Hot wings!

[jonny shultz]

hands raised!

[Shorty]

Update to the Mikey Hughes story: Unfortch, the Biggs Bros. Wing Shack has closed due to--what else--the economy. Raise your hand if you want 'em back though--they're dayum good!