Reverend Phil Sano, who seems to be the only bicyclist in Portland, judging from the number of times his name crops up, is alleging he was Tasered by Police on Tuesday night for not having a bike light. The story is up on Bike Portland, and I’ve got a call into the cops’ spokesman, Brian […]
Blogs
Posted inBooks
Two Page Minimum: Loose Girl
(Welcome to our new blog column Two Page Minimum, wherein I take a new book out to happy hour, and give it a few minutes to grab my attention. Two Page Minimum is my judgment on that speed-dating experience.) Who’s your date today? Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity, by Kerry Cohen. (Seemed [in]appropriate, given […]
Posted inNews
African American Advocates May File Class Action Lawsuit Against Cops Over Racial Profiling
“I was really clear with the mayor’s office in the run-up to this retreat that if I didn’t start seeing progress, then an alternative may be to pursue a class-action lawsuit,” says Jo Ann Bowman of Oregon Action, adding that she is talking with attorneys who may be interested in pursuing such a lawsuit against […]
Posted inBikes
Ciclovía
The new issue of the Merc will be landing at a drop site near you any minute now, and it’s all about bikes, in conjunction with the Pedalpalooza bike festival that kicks off tomorrow. The days ahead are packed with exciting bike events, with literally something for everyone, but my pet favorite is Sunday Parkways, […]
Posted inVideo Games
“Somebody Will Say to Me, ‘Hi Bill, Howya Doin’?’ I’ll Say, ‘Why Don’t You Mind Your Own Business.'”
Here at the Mercury, we have a somewhat interesting history with Donkey Kong master Billy Mitchell. Actually, screw it. I’d write more of an intro to this, but like I could ever write anything half as amazing as the pearls of wisdom Billy Mitchell tosses off with little to no effort. Brave your way through […]
Posted inFood and Drink
Belly Timber Preview
Preview night cocktail hour party at Belly Timber. Booze from Lance Mayhew of the Oregon Bartenders Guild, petite fours from David Siegel, and so much nail polish. Okay, a note on the name. Popular opinion is that it’s a bad name. There is no denying that. I do offer this as an explanation: Belly Timber, […]
Posted inNews
Homeless Advocates Deliver 1,958 Anti-Sit/Lie Law Postcards
The continuing homeless protest camp out at City Hall took a new turn today: delivering to the City Council 1,950 postcards Sisters of the Road and Street Roots has collected from Portlanders in the past two weeks demanding the City repeal the controversial sit-lie ordinance. Before the homeless and their advocates headed across the City’s […]
Posted inNews
Man Squished Under MAX: Photos!!!
At NE 11th and Holladay, on the way out of the Doubletree for lunch: DEAD MAN: SHOCKING… DEAD MAN: NOT ACTUALLY REAL… Sorry. Turns out, it’s for training. The fire bureau plans to “lift up the train as if someone were trapped underneath it,” said one of the guys hanging around in a boiler suit, […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Bill Maher vs. Jesus… WHO YA GOT?!
There’s a few pretty good reasons not to like comedian Bill Maher—but there are many more reasons not to like organized religion. That being said, check out this trailer for the new documentary Religulous (directed by Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s Larry Charles and coming this fall) in which Maher travels the globe asking religious nutbag… mmmm… […]
Posted inNews
Cop Committee Discusses White Privilege
The mayor’s racial profiling committee watched a documentary about the history of racial inequality in the United States this morning, before breaking out into mixed-race discussion groups to discuss what they had learned. REDLINING: Was legal in the US until Johnson passed the fair housing act in 1968… The multi-part film, entitled Race, The Power […]
Posted inBikes
Sexy Bike!
Today is this first installment of our new blog serial: Sexy Bike. Every Wednesday a new Sexy Bike featuring a mini-interview with one sexy bike owner and an untold amount of high-quality bike porn. Please mark your calendars appropriately. This Week: The Whole Shebang Rider: Ian Shadle Bike: Bianchi Brava with Shimano 105 set throughout, […]
Posted inPod 'N' Vod
Savage Lovecast: Episode 87
This week on the Savage Lovecast, host Dan Savage tackles these topics: How can a 21-year-old straight college student meet girls who will indulge his desire to be forced to clean their houses? After a rancorous break-up, she wants the sex tape that they made together returned to her. Who should own this precious memory? […]