There is a handwritten note posted inside the clerk’s office of the Joyce Hotel: “Do not lend out the scissors!! They [the residents] cut the wires to the TV, take the copper strands and make crack pipe screens, leaving a fire hazard (bare wires).” This scrap of paper is taped haphazardly to the wall and […]
Katia Dunn
Posted inNews
HMO for Homos
City Awards Pension Benefits to Same-Sex Partners
In the weeks following September 11, police officers and firefighters emerged as the new genre of American heroes. That esteem has had strange consequences: Last Wednesday, the Portland City Council voted to qualify same-sex partners of police and firefighters for pension benefits in the event that their partner is killed in the line of duty. […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Better than Mighty Ducks
…But Just Barely
Iron Ladies dir. Thongkonthun Opens Sat Feb 23 Cinema 21 Do you remember that movie The Mighty Ducks? It’s the classic underdog-comes-from-behind film, and involves time-passing scenes in which people are lifting weights with great enthusiasm, while gaining both confidence and heart. Gag. As in Mighty Ducks, when this formula is slapped onto sports movies, […]
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Mama’s Corner Cafe
Mama’s Corner Cafe 519 SE Morrison, 233-3869 There aren’t enough good diners in Portland. Breakfast/lunch places that serve vegan tofu scrambles and French omelets with white cheddar are good, but sometimes one just wants to be in a place where the coffee is watery and there are pictures of Jesus on the wall. Luckily, now […]
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When Is A Baby Not A Baby?
New Federal Guidelines May Jeopardize Abortion Rights
Last Thursday, January 31, the Bush administration issued a proposed regulation that would give legal rights to an unborn fetus. According to Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, who made the announcement, the proposal is part of an effort on the part of the Bush administration to increase prenatal care for women and babies. […]
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Sadness You Can Live With
An Overview of PIFF’s First Week
Prepare for a shock: the Portland International Film Festival (PIFF) kicks off Friday, and the content of this week’s films actually appear to be promising. This is largely because of the great number of films which fall into the category of “Extremely Sad Movies in English or Italian” (ESMIEOI). For example, take the films 13 […]
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Do Not Pass Go, Pay Us $200
Prisoners Required to Pay for Time in Jail
In mid-December, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office decided to terminate a program which required prisoners to pay the government back for time spent in jail. The “pay-to-stay” program, as named by the sheriff’s office, required incarcerated individuals to pay–after their release–$60 for each day they spent in jail, in order to cover the cost of […]
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Madame Butterfly
Madame Butterfly 425 SW Stark, 525-0033 Ever do that thing where you leave on a weekend night and forget to eat dinner? This inevitably leads to finding yourself in some bar a few hours later, drunk, and passing out from hunger. In this circumstance, you usually resign to eating an entire bowl of bar-provided popcorn. […]
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Maximum Fellatiosity
How Fluffing Ruined One Man’s Life
Fluffer dir. Glatzer, West Opens Fri Jan 25 Cinema 21 A fluffer, if you didn’t know, is a person who gives oral sex to a male porn star, right before the star performs. Of course, the purpose of the blowjob is to keep the porn star’s wanker hard, so that he appears virile and robust […]
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Building the West End
Houses and Businesses Struggle for Space
In a final resolution to a two-year battle, City Council voted last Wednesday to unanimously adopt new zoning laws for Portland’s West End Project–a section of blocks adjacent to W Burnside and NW 11th Avenue. To the partial relief of housing advocates, the approved plan scales back the extremely aggressive business growth in the area–upscale […]
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Sala
Sala 3200 SE Milwaukee Blvd, 235-6665 Recessions obviously suck, but they certainly weed out the crappy restaurants. It seems no one is willing to try a new place or eat mediocre food, when they can only eat out once every six months. So right now, if you see a packed place, you know it’s got […]
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THE BIG TONY HAWK IN THE SKY
Skate Church: Converting the Wicked, One Skateboarder at a Time
Skate church is exactly what its name suggests. It’s a Christian church. It’s also one of the most popular places to skateboard in town–a two-part, covered facility located off 82nd and Glisan, right in the middle of Portland’s church row. It’s a warehouse and gymnasium; both are part of the Central Bible Church. In these […]