If you like history, airplanes, or daring acts of thievery, then there is a very large non-zero chance that you will enjoy yourself at the Hollywood Theater tomorrow night.Doug Kenck-Crispin of Kick-Ass Oregon History is putting on a D.B. Cooper Movie Night, celebrating the 41st anniversary of Portland’s most daring act of sky piracy. (Full […]
History
Posted inTV
A Grown Man Yelling at Dust and Air: My Night With Zak From Ghost Adventures
I did not enjoy myself last night. You probably did. You were probably doing something amusing, like watching television or having sex. I was not. Much to my chagrin, noted sadist and Mercury arts editor Alison Hallet thought it would be funny if I went on a tour of the “Shanghai Tunnels” hosted by Zak […]
Posted inPolitics
I’m Glad Richard Nixon Will Never Call Me with Condolences
BuzzFeed published the phone call that Richard Nixon made to Joe Biden in 1972, when Biden’s wife and daughter died in a car accident. It’s vintage Nixon—awkward, direct, and convinced that political power is the most important thing in the world.
Posted inHistory
Four Portland Mayors Who Are Worse than Charlie Hales or Jefferson Smith
Our election endorsements are out today and, really, I’ll be glad when this election is over. Like the 30 percent of Portland voters who are still undecided in the mayoral race, I’m not that excited about either candidate. But! On the other hand, neither Charlie Hales nor Jefferson Smith will be that bad. Portland has […]
Posted inBooks
Guns, Germs and Idiots
Writing in a New York Times op/ed, author Jared Diamond takes Mitt Romney to task for mischaracterizing the thesis of his book Guns, Germs and Steel: It is not true that my book “Guns, Germs and Steel,” as Mr. Romney described it in a speech in Jerusalem, “basically says the physical characteristics of the land […]
Posted inHistory
Happy Chik-Fil-A Day!
Today’s the day gay-haters across America are supposed to enjoy a delicious Chik-Fil-A sandwich. To celebrate, two videos. First, here’s Sarah Palin decrying the unconstitutional “crucifixion” of Chik-Fil-A: Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com Second, here’s Conan O’Brien poking fun at the brouhaha with a puppet. Thank you, Towleroad.
Posted inMedia
Oh, You History!: Spanking Women Questionaire
Here’s an old-timey column dug up by Dangerous Minds that was originally published in the now defunct tabloid The New York Daily Mirror. Today’s subject: Women spanking. Somehow I feel like the jury was loaded in this scenario, and needs a Blogtown poll to fairly settle the question.
Posted inHistory
And Now a Moment to Discuss Old Rough and Ready
Look, there is jack shit going on news-wise today. Instead of being on the internet where they should be, everyone is outside soaking up the sunshine. So when Denis pulled a new dollar coin out of his pocket, it was pretty much the most exciting thing that had happened all day. “AAAAA!” we screamed. Because […]
Posted inBooks
Tonight at (Beaverton’s) Powell’s: Wicked Portland
Portland has obviously not always been a city filled with bicycles and very nice coffee. It used to be a fairly colorful frontier town with a focus on shipping, mining, and logging. There haven’t been too many good books about Portland history, though. Previously, if you wanted to learn about rowdy loggers, shanghaied sailors, and […]
Posted inHistory
Portland Gay Pride Circa 1987
In the course of researching the upcoming “Oh So (Queer) History of Portland” tour, Dill Pickle Club Director Marc Moscato directed me to check out these great photos of Portland’s 1987 pride parade. This is back in the day when the jeans were tight, the mayor definitely didn’t ride a pedicab in the parade, and […]
Posted inTV
In Memory of: Brian Dunkleman
Today marks the 10th anniversary of a little show called American Idol—originally a mid-summer replacement that went on to be a juggernaut of reality contests, spawning many, many more copycats in its wake. However, despite the has-beens and no-names that American Idol turned into undeserving superstars (Hello, Simon, Paula, Randy, and Ryan), there was one […]
Posted inHistory
Happy Silas Christofferson Day!
Today is a momentous occasion, Portland. One hundred years ago today, a man won glory. Silas Christofferson was an early aviator, and on June 11th, 1912 he made history. Armed with little more than a tiny plane and a jaunty hat, he soared mightily over the streets and citizens of early 20th century Portland. Silas’ […]