Here and Now: Hey, we’re famous! HBO Here are some newsy tidbits about national and local media. Hope you like reading news about news! • Media company Tronc, which evolved from the Chicago Tribune media company, is selling its asset the Los Angeles Times to Patrick Soon-Shiong, an LA-based billionaire in biotech and a Tronc […]
Portland
Posted inPortland
A Peek at Portland’s Alternative Universe
Nothing’s inevitable. Had it not been for a storm, the Spanish Armada would have beaten up England. Lincoln’s evening may have been more enjoyable had he canceled his theater plans. A better-designed Florida ballot might’ve given us President Al Gore. You get the idea: According to the popular theory, a butterfly flaps its wings, and […]
Posted inPortland
Things to Do Tonight Instead of Watching the State of the Union
GETTY IMAGES Some dumb president is giving some dumb speech tonight, and when it’s over, we will all be collectively dumber for having watched it. In solidarity with Mercury pal Earl Blumenauer (Hi, Earl!) and 12 other Democratic representatives, I’m skipping it. We know all that turd cares about are the ratings, so let’s tune […]
Posted inPortland
On the Scene at Portland’s Impeach Trump March and #MeToo Rally
Natalie Behring Donald Trump has been president for one year, and OH WHAT A MESS HE’S MADE. While I originally figured he’d eventually be impeached for his campaign’s probable collusion with Russia, I had no idea he’d build up a wealth of reasons why he should be kicked out of office. And so, here we […]
Posted inPortland
Save the Date: Portland’s World Naked Bike Ride 2018 is June 23
Via World Naked Bike Ride Portland Facebook The official World Naked Bike Ride Portland Facebook page has announced the 2018 date for one of the city’s weirdest, nudie-ist, and most well-attended events. Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 23! Here’s everything you need to know about the WNBR, you’ve got the next six months to […]
Posted inPortland
You Should Vote “Yes” on Measure 101—Here’s Why
CSA IMAGES / GETTY IMAGES WE DON’T DO THIS for the accolades, but holy shit should you be thankful that we sat through a debate over Measure 101 so you don’t have to. As the President of the USA discovered, like, a week ago, health care is extremely complicated, and the folks pushing both sides […]
Posted inPortland
How the Vice Clique Scandal of 1912 Exposed Portland’s Gay Underground
Levi Hastings Once upon a time, Portland was the Wild West. In the early 1900s, the city teemed with bawdy saloons and street-fighting roughnecks who shared an uneasy coexistence with Gilded Age progressivism and Victorian pearl clutching. In response to rapid growth and urbanization, progressive reforms were coming to a swell; attempts to control venereal […]
Posted inPortland
Feel Like Crying? Boy Have I Found the Tonya Harding Profile For You!
Getty / w-ings Today, in Tonya Harding news: Taffy Brodesser-Akner has written a wonderful profile of Harding for the New York Times, and it’s a good read if you feel like crying. It also does a wonderful job of contextualizing Harding’s struggle with the skating judges even before her career was destroyed by her ex-husband’s […]
Posted inPortland
The Operators of Portland’s Independent Movie Theaters Weigh in on MoviePass: “Anything That Sounds Too Good to Be True Probably Is.”
DOMINIC DEVENUTA By the time you read this, MoviePass will have over one million subscribers—and, quite possibly, will change the way people go to the movies. Yet you, a well-informed moviegoer currently reading the film section of a reputable alt-weekly, might have no idea what MoviePass is. That’s because last July, the service only had […]
Posted inHousing
Read This Guardian Report on Relocating the Homeless
Courtesy the Guardian There’s a very interesting and highly researched article in the Guardian about American cities who are dealing with their homeless population by buying them one-way bus tickets out of the city. The authors have really done their homework on this, tracking down participants in the program to find out what happened after […]
Posted inPortland
Critiquing Christmas: Tuba Christmas
K. Marie [During this time of year, there are literally hundreds of holiday events to choose from—but which ones are truly worth your time? In an effort to make sure you are spending your time wisely, the Mercury staff has been casting its professional critical eye on Christmas-based events. Like this one! You’re welcome!—eds.] Dear […]
Posted inPortland
Donate to the Scott McCaughey Recovery Fund
Even if you don’t know longtime Portland resident Scott McCaughey, you know Scott McCaughey. He’s the guitar wizard who has played with and/or fronted and/or produced (deep breath) R.E.M, Wilco, Young Fresh Fellows, the Minus 5, the Baseball Project, and guested on countless other projects, most recently with Alejandro Escovedo. His trademark sunglasses-at-night and wild […]