…but if you think about it for even a second it’s a feel-bad story too: Some of the victims fighting for their lives after being wounded in the movie-theater shooting rampage may face another challenge when they get out of the hospital: enormous medical bills without the benefit of health insurance…. Three of the five […]
Health
Posted inPolitics
Why Do Republican Governors Want to Kill So Many of Their People?
After the US Supreme Court ruled that the federal government could not penalize states for choosing to opt out of the Medicaid expansion provisions of the Affordable Care Act, several Republican governors announced that they would do exactly that. It’s an act of defiance that, according to a new study published in the New England […]
Posted inMusic
The Best Portland-Based Rap Video About Good Dental Hygiene You Will Ever See
Even if you’ve promised to sell your soul to the devil if you’re ever caught watching an Internet video—WATCH THIS ANYWAY! Huge thanks to Blogtown tipper Carl for alerting me to this Portland-based rap video hailing the merits of good dental hygiene entitled, “Teach Me How to Brushy.” It’s part of a public service campaign […]
Posted inComic Books
Marvel Goes Pink
In this week’s film section, I wrote about Pink Ribbons, Inc., a documentary on the sneaky corporate side of the pinkwashed breast cancer support effort. Bottom line: The money you toss at pink-ribboned product (yogurt, bucket of KFC, hairdryer, firearm) goes mostly back into the pocket of its maker. And the tiny percentage shaved off […]
Posted inCity Hall
Finally, a Place to Pee (in Public! Legally!) in the South Park Blocks
As promised by Commissioner Randy Leonard’s office earlier this year, a Portland Loo—it’ll be the sixth one open for business—is finally under construction in the South Park Blocks. There’s a hole in the ground, and some exposed pipes, marking the spot on SW Columbia just north of SW Park. Denis C. Theriault Yes, that’s a […]
Posted inHealth
X-Press Boot Camp: In Which I Am A Bridal Cliché
Studio X, the small gym on SE Stark tucked next to the Bonfire, is a place I’ve revisited intermittently since I first profiled it when it opened in 2009. They have a variety of boot camp-style classes (as well as yoga and Pilates) that feature circuit training heavily (one thing I really like is that […]
Posted inFood and Drink
What Do You Think of New York’s Proposed Large-Soda Ban?
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg yesterday set the internet on fire by proposing a new law: The proposal would make it illegal for restaurants, delis, food carts, sports arenas, and movie theaters in New York City to sell sweetened drinks that exceed the size limit, or from even giving out cups bigger than 16 […]
Posted inHealth
The FDA May Approve a Daily Anti-Retroviral Drug for HIV-Negative Gay Men Who Don’t Use Condoms
The drug can significantly reduce new HIV infections when taken daily and used correctly. One big aspect of correct usage? Condoms: If approved, the drug would be recommended for H.I.V.-negative people at high risk of becoming infected, like gay men who have multiple partners and do not use condoms consistently, prostitutes and people in relationships […]
Posted inCops
Plan to Shift Some Suicide Calls from 911 Starts Next Week
Starting next Tuesday, May 15, the Portland Police Bureau, the city’s 911 dispatchers, and clinicians at Multnomah County’s Mental Health Call Center will finally be ready to launch a long-overdue experiment that could pave the way for a dramatic shift in how suicide calls are handled. Under a six-month pilot project approved yesterday by the […]
Posted inSports
The Warrior Room
Yesterday evening I made the trek out to The Warrior Room in Milwaukie to check out two of the most prevalent workout trends of the times: 1) Kettlebells, those cast-iron handled weights that were introduced in the US from Russia (where they have been common since at least the early 18th century) in the early […]
Posted inHealth
Oregon Counties Ranked by Health
County Health Rankings White = healthiest, dark green = unhealthiest The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin teamed up to create this year’s “County Health Rankings” —an annual survey ranking each state’s county by health. And it’s not just a fun map. The program aims to put health care analysis into the […]