Democracy Matters by Cornel West appearing at Reed College’s Kaul Auditorium, 3203 SE Woodstock, 777-7755, Friday Feb. 18, 7:30 pm, FREE C (author of the groundbreaking Race Matters) promises from the get-go that his new book, Democracy Matters, is not a “rant” against imperialism. Instead, it’s an unflinching look at the future of democracy in […]
Alison Hallett
Alison Hallett served nobly as the Mercury's arts editor from 2008-2014. Her proud legacy lives on.
Posted inMovies & TV
Same Song and Dance
WMD vs. The Media
WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception dir. Schechter Opens Fri Feb 4 Hollywood Theatre If anyone is qualified to take potshots at the corporate media, it’s self-proclaimed “Media Dissector” Danny Schechter. With two Emmys and producing credits at both CNN and ABC under his belt, as well as a slew of documentaries and books, he’s the […]
Posted inTheater & Performance
Like a Five Wheeled Bicycle
Like A Five Wheeled Bicycle Fever Theater at the B & O Warehouse, 107 SE Washington, 233-4420, Thurs-Sat 8 pm, through Feb 19, $10-15 Essayist Adam Gopnik once wrote that for Americans, happiness is synonymous with absorption–as a culture, we have difficulty becoming fully engaged with the world around us. Fever Theater tackles this very […]
Posted inNews
Constitutional Interference
Court Calls Police Tactics Unconstitutional
It may be time to send the city attorney back to law school. Over the past two years, several of Portland’s vexing laws have been struck down as unconstitutional. There were the drug-free zones, followed by the sit/lie ordinance, and now we add the so-called “interfering with a police officer” (IPO) to the list. Under […]
Posted inNews
Little Charities Need Love, Too!
Eight Needy Nonprofits Who Need Your Holiday Help
The holidays tap into two conflicting impulses: a rampant consumerism nurtured by corporate ad campaigns and shopping lists to Santa, and a more introspective urge to give back to the community. While we can’t help you score a Tickle Me Elmo (or whatever those crazy kids are into these days), we’ve put together a list […]
Posted inNews
Katz Does Something!
Mayor Solves Mural Problem–Kind Of
“This has been going on for 10 years; Katz has been in office for 12,” says Rose Griego of Metro Murals. She’s talking about the city’s ongoing attempts to outlaw billboards while not banning murals. With both regulated under the city’s sign code, it is a sticky free speech issue and one that has left […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Going Underground
Clinton Street Fest Features Not-So-Sick Flicks
Portland Underground Film Festival Thurs Dec 9 – Sun Dec 12 Clinton Street Theater The Portland Underground Film Festival is a product of the undeniably twisted mind of Seth Sonstein, owner of the Clinton Street Theater. Sonstein is the former curator of the Sick Puppy Film Festival, a San Francisco film fest that showcased hardcore, […]
Posted inNews
What Was Left Out
A Few Things the Community Policing Report Forgot
This past summer, for the first time in a decade, city council requested a report on what the force is doing to invigorate community policing. Last Wednesday, nearly two months after its due date, police chief Derrick Foxworth returned to council chambers and presented the 2004-2006 Community Policing Strategic Plan. The plan talks about better […]
Posted inUncategorized
Truss That Turkey
Your Basic Guide to Turkey Cooking
If you fuck up the turkey, well, you’re fucked. Ways to fuck up include: poisoning your guests with the turkey, forgetting you put the turkey in the oven because you got drunk and fell asleep in the bathtub, and, of course, failing to do those important turkey things that are really obvious to everyone but […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Wine Connoisseurs Go Wild
Self-Discovery and Self-Loathing in Sideways
Sideways dir. Payne Opens Fri Nov 5 Fox Tower Sideways, the new film from director Alexander Payne (About Schmidt, Election), uneasily vacillates between genres–it’s unsure if it’s a satire, a depressing mid-life crisis drama, or a date movie. Paul Giamatti plays Miles, a would-be writer who accompanies his best friend Jack (Thomas Haden Church) on […]
Posted inNews
The Final Stretch
Your Date Book for Weekly Campaign Events Compiled
The final countdown has begun and the politicians are still trying to mop up the final dregs of undecided voters. Thursday, October 21 WAKE–Jada Mae Langloss, long time homeless activist and candidate for U.S. President, Mayor, Sheriff, etc., died last week. Come share your memories. Goose Hollow, 1927 SW Jefferson, 3 pm FRIDAY, October 22 […]
Posted inNews
Down in the Mud
Last-Minute Wrestling For Votes Gets Ugly
Loaves & Fishes is a local charity organization that hands out or delivers meals to homeless and low-income elderly people, hosting 14 cafeteria-style soup kitchens around the county. On their website, they proudly proclaim that “no senior will go hungry or experience social isolation.” They also profess their values to be “respect,” “inclusion,” and “compassion.” […]