On January 2—the day same-sex couples were supposed to be able to register as domestic partners at county offices across the state—Portland’s Q Center was overflowing with couples, their friends and family members, political leaders, and others who were outraged by a federal judge’s December 28 decision to temporarily halt the new law, at the […]
2008
Posted inMusic
Gang Violence
Street Crime with a Beat
Under the east end of the Morrison Bridge and past a row of tents sheltering many homeless people, 15 militants spill out of cars and piece together an assault. Clenching sticks, mallets, and plates of alloy, the invaders form a circle in a rare dry spot. And then: BOOM, a deafening, controlled explosion. The Last […]
Posted inMusic
Cold Front
Carcrashlander Goes it Alone (Sort Of)
The name Cory Gray might not be familiar to you, but crack open the liner notes to recordings by some of Portland’s best local bands. There, in the credits, you’ll find him. Primarily a hired gun who lends his piano and trumpet skills to various acts, both local and global, Gray is finally striking out […]
Posted inMusic
He Real Cool
Lupe Fiasco: Superstar?
For high-minded hiphop fans still reeling from Lupe Fiasco’s bungled A Tribe Called Quest tribute at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors, you can let him know at a meet and greet at the downtown Jackpot Records today before he hits the Roseland Theater for an all-ages show. Fiasco, who’s skating through town to kick off […]
Posted inLetters
Letters to the Editor
ON BOOBS DEAR MERCURY—In response to I, Anonymous, Dec 20: Your letter, “Mind Your Mammaries,” sadly proves how in people’s minds, breastfeeding is much like a sexual act. You are the dent in society that has rendered the breast as only an object of sexuality. Just because we are breastfeeding children doesn’t mean we are […]
Posted inNews
In Other News
STEN’S HOT SEAT Everyone and their mother are contemplating a run for Erik Sten’s city council seat following last week’s announcement of his early departure. Confirmed so far are: lawyer and affordable housing advocate Nick Fish, Dan Saltzman’s Chief of Staff Brendan Finn, and planning consultant Nick Popenuk, who is switching from the mayoral race. […]
Posted inNews
Hall Monitor
Sho Time
Sho Dozono—downtown business owner and longtime civic activist—stopped by Portland City Hall on Monday morning, January 7, to pick up 2,000 public campaign finance forms. If he can convince 1,500 Portland voters to pony up $5 and their signature on those forms, he’ll qualify for $200,000 of public funds in a bid for mayor—making Dozono […]
Posted inI, Anonymous
I, Anonymous
Hydration Repudiation
Hung over, I stagger to the juice aisle and select an enticing receptacle, anticipating the sweet relief its rich, nectarous contents promise my desiccated membranes. Outside, though, I am forced to spit the foul, watery, insipid liquid into the gutter. What is this acrid, ersatz abomination I was just duped into purchasing? Struggling to focus […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Old People Should Retire
Succinct Reviews for the Discerning Cinephile
Youth Without Youth dir. Francis Ford Coppola Opens Fri Jan 1 Fox Tower Without a doubt, Youth Without Youth means a shit-ton to director Francis Ford Coppola—but that’s the first and last place you’ll find much meaning in this impressive mess of a film. Based on the novella of the same name by Mircea Eliade, […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Scare Tactics
A Haunted Orphanage? No way!
There is nothing new in the horror flick The Orphanage. There is a haunted house. There are ghosts. There are deformed kids, there are masks, there are unsettling old/young people, there are flickering video screens filled with grainy night vision, and there are—totally unironically—things that go bump in the night. In short, screenwriter Sergio G. […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Exploring the Human Condition
(With the Help of a Few Sexy French Nurses)
Movies that are “based on a true story” are usually dismal affairs—extraordinary human experiences flattened into pseudo-inspirational morality tales. An emphatic new exception is Julian Schnabel’s The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, based on the autobiography of Jean-Dominique Bauby (Jean-Do to his friends). Diving Bell is that rare case where an amazing story and amazing […]