• BAR-CHETYPES! A Sociological Overview of Barflys, Lotharios, the Unemployed, and Other Fine Folks Who Frequent Our Favorite Place in the World–the Bar by John Dooley, Katia Dunn, Wm. Steven Humphrey, Julianne Shepherd and Katie Shimer • ONE NIGHT DRINKING The winning entry in our "Crap, I’m a Drunk!" essay contest. by Christiaan Taylor • […]
Uncategorized
Posted inUncategorized
Bella Faccia Pizzeria
Bella Faccia Pizzeria 2934 NE Alberta, 282-0600 Pizza can, and probably always will be, problematic. It’s odd that such an inherently simple dish can be so well-loved, yet so rarely satisfying. After all, at the end of the day, a pizza is just some bread, tomato sauce and cheese–there are only finite ways in which […]
Posted inUncategorized
Bar-chetypes!
A Sociological Overview of Barflys, Lotharios, the Unemployed, and Other Fine Folks Who Frequent Our Favorite Place in the World–the Bar
A ponderous question: Why are “bars” so unlike other business establishments? And why are the people you see in “bars” so very frightening and unlike anyone you’ve seen anywhere else (save the Greyhound bus station)? In order to rub salve on these concerns, the Mercury has set out to document and classify several bar archetypes–or […]
Posted inUncategorized
One Night Drinking
[Congrats to Christiaan Taylor for winning our “Crap, I’m a Drunk!” essay contest. Though he met with tough competition from other entrants–including someone who threw flowerpots at her neighbor, and a woman who accidentally used Compound W instead of anal lube–Christiaan nevertheless walks away with the grand prize of a box of light bulbs and […]
Posted inUncategorized
Self-Hell
Am I a Clone?
All this debate over human cloning has led to some understandable hand wringing among those prone to identity crises. How much of who you are is determined by your DNA? Are you replaceable? And, if you are a clone, do you have super powers? Sorry, no. Still, it could be fun. Think you might be […]
Posted inUncategorized
East Bank Saloon
East Bank Saloon 727 SE Grand, 231-1659 I used to work in a restaurant in Iowa called the Wig ‘n Pen. It was a wannabe English Pizza Pub, which makes absolutely no sense, and I don’t really know why I’m telling you about it, other than it reminds me of the East Bank Saloon. The […]
Posted inUncategorized
BINKS
Binks 2715 NE Alberta 493-4430 It has a goofy name, the people outside look like yuppies, and the decorating is wooden, colorful, and expensive. It’s new-age Alberta, and when you first see it, you just might fear it–especially with the Last Thursday yuppies crawling through, the new swanky co-op down the street, and the constant […]
Posted inUncategorized
Higgins
Higgins Restaurant 1239 SW Broadway, 222-9070 Every hamburger has its place: the 39-cent McD’s, good only for times when you’re drunk and/or extremely stoned. The middle-grade indie burger (like the one at Dot’s, or the Cup and Saucer), great when you feel like a fried and greasy sandwich. And then there’s the high-brow burger, which–when […]
Posted inUncategorized
Self-Hell
Analysis for People on the Go
Am I In Danger of Termination? Unemployment continues to rise as the technology sector falters and the economy slows. Is a depression looming on the horizon? Is the market preparing to crash? Is the U.S. near the end of its rein as a super power? More importantly, how will all this affect YOU? Want to […]
Posted inUncategorized
TOSIS
TOSIS 6120 NE Sandy Blvd., 284-4942 Tosis is a big triangular diner on Sandy, where mostly old people go. The service is super-fast, you can smoke there, and if you’re a video poker junkie, you can even drink a Budweiser and play a hand (yeah right, junkie) in the back room. But Tosis would never […]
Posted inUncategorized
UFO PIZZA
UFO PIZZA 6024 NE Glisan, 234-7654 I went to UFO Pizza for two reasons: I was told they bake up the best pizza in town, and the owner is allegedly The Hub of Information on flying saucers in Oregon. Stepping into a small, stripped-down hovel with a deep blue, star-and-constellation, plastered ceiling, I sensed that […]
Posted inUncategorized
CRUSH
CRUSH 1412 SE Morrison, 235-8150 Gay boys have all the fun. I mean, what do gay girls get to do that’s really fun? Nothing! All gay girls do is sit around eating brown rice, talking about their feelings, and their inner goddesses and third wave feminism. Gay guys, on the other hand, get to sparkle […]