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Good Morning, Portland! The biggest Burger Week ever concludes Sunday. Will we shut up about burgers now? Probably not, but we'll start screaming about a shot and a beer or something else soon. We love snacks and drinks.╰(▔∀▔)╯What can I say?
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Good morning, rain. We are looking at a drizzly day, folks. Showers are mistin' all morning, and while the afternoon may taper off, I'm not sure that amounts to drying out. Saturday looks cloudy and dank, so keep the dehumidifier on til Sunday, when things turn sunny and stand a chance of hitting 80 degrees.
• All of this morning's mud makes this the perfect day to open the last XOXO Festival ever, unfolding at Revolution Hall today and tomorrow—dog-havers, this is why the dog run space has been momentarily halved. I'm sorry. The techy-gamey-artsy-creative fest founders Andy Baio and Andy McMillan told OPB this week that they tried to throw a final XOXO in 2020, but then that fell apart, of course. Now they've organized the last hurrah (though, in the sidebar to that OPB interview, you'll see that they also threw a last XOXO ever in 2016). We'll take them at their word, and be kicking around the grounds. If you can't make it, here's one of my favorite XOXO talks, from Demi Adejuyigbe on "psychological fear of earnestness & the insulation of comedy." It ends with a truly lovely mashup of Radiohead's "Exit Music (For a Film)" and Beyonce's "XO."
• It could be considered an act of violence to follow that inspired talk with this bizarre Portland Water Bureau music video. But also why does this exist, who approved the copious use of "quench," and how much did it cost?
• A local nonprofit called Depave is attempting to raise enough funds to tear up the low-to-no-traffic portion of SE Seventh, between SE Stark and SE Sandy and transform it into a green space. Here's the thing: If you're cycling south from inner SE Ankeny, can you think of a safer bike thoroughfare than Seventh? The next closest is nine blocks further east on 16th. Depave envisions the intersection as a permanent plaza, replete with a mini skatepark. Sigh. Apparently, I am one of the cyclists who use this route and are "disgruntled by the recent addition of skate ramps in the street." Mercury reporter Taylor Griggs has more.
• As Oregon lawmakers attempt to not return to ineffective "drug war" policies, the name of the game right now is defelction. OPB's Dirk Vanderhart takes a deeper look.
In 10 days, Oregon will unleash new drug possession laws intended to be a kinder, gentler form of criminalization.
— Dirk VanderHart (@dirquez) August 22, 2024
Washington began a nearly identical experiment three years ago. Few in OR have asked for advice — but folks in WA have thoughts. #orpolhttps://t.co/D3jxio05Jk
• For your perusal: There's plenty of tickets dropping this morning for shows in the area.
IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
• Thursday was the last night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, and it concluded with Vice President Kamala Harris' historic and moving acceptance of her party’s nomination to run for president.
"I accept your nomination to be president of the United States of America."
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 23, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination and offered her policy agenda on the fourth and final night of the Democratic National Convention. pic.twitter.com/RfncIrsAiA
There are a couple versions of this photo floating around, and it's giving all the feelings.
Photo from Todd Heisler of The New York Times. pic.twitter.com/yBUuPCfaZI
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 23, 2024
• If you have convention FOMO, the Washington Post has been doing the important work of creating a playlist of songs they heard at the DNC. Whole lotta pump songs on there—like Mercury-favorite "September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire, local fav "Feel It Still" by Portugal. the Man, and my personal, deeply messy, favorite Chappell Roan track right now "Good Luck, Babe!"—we'll need these track because I know it's been a slog, but now the slog begins in earnest.
• As momentum built yesterday night, entertainment news site TMZ errantly reported that Beyoncé would appear at the DNC to support Harris. This turned out not to be the case, but the damage was done and expectations were lit:
george bush, taylor swift, and beyoncé finding out they’re performing at the DNC together pic.twitter.com/WG6swiCzVS
— Guilty as Slade? ✨ (@Jesse_bslade) August 22, 2024
Beyonce walks in, a capella. Taylor Swift brings in harmony. After a verse, a quiet guitar joins in and Dolly Parton arrives. As the live band brings it to a peak, Simone Biles flips across the stage. A lone eagle soars across the audience, screeching.
— Fayelle Ewuakye🍁❄️🍂🎉⭐️ (@FayelleEwuakye) August 22, 2024
• Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has filed to withdraw from the presidential contest. He's expected to announce the decision today.
• Honestly, I put those two stories together because they're related, but certainly the passing of notable queer father penguin Sphen, is more important. A male penguin in Sydney, Australia who famously helped hatch at least two chicks with another male penguin Magic has died. He was 11. According to the Times: "To help him mourn the loss, the aquarium said that it took Magic, who turns 9 this year, to see Sphen after he died. He started singing. The rest of the colony joined in." 😢
• A new COVID vaccine will be available soon for the KP.2 variant. These things always feel kind of late, as positive test results seem to be up (even as the practice of testing itself has declined).
• This skit is like a dramatic interpretation of the exploding mind meme. Stick with it for "when I hit the gym floor everyone screams, ' oh, god! There goes nightmare,' and I just start banging out katana tricep extensions."