RE: "Missing Kissing" [I, Anonymous, Nov 13], in which an anonymous author bemoans the lack of enthusiasm for kissing in her male dating pool.
DEAR MERCURY—I know so many really fine men who would just love to hang out with a woman who likes to kiss, not just in the beginning but also long-term. Kissing is one of the most amazing, sexually hot, and playful acts I can imagine doing with my clothes on. I say dump those losers, and ask yourself why you chose them in the first place. I'm cute, middle-aged, and emotionally pretty darn healthy. Just say the word.
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RE: "If You Build It" [News, Nov 20], concerning cyclists' contributions toward road projects, prompted by an infographic released by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA).
As someone who drives around this city for a living, someone who spends 40-50 hours a week driving the streets of Portland, bicyclists don't bother me. That being said, I'm wondering who these bicycle lanes are intended for, because, aside from a couple (namely Williams and Vancouver, SW Broadway), nobody is using them. Once a week I might see a bicyclist on SW Stark. The idea that people are going to go well out of their way to utilize these streets with bike lanes is either naïve or it is yet another attempt (i.e., streetcar) to sell this city and its whimsy to yuppies trying to "find themselves."
Paul in Southeast
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RE: "Don't Be a Dick, 'Funny' Guy" [Blogtown, Nov 22], in which columnist Barbara Holm recounts calling out a white guy for using the "n-word," and talks about standing up in such instances.
Barbara has quickly reached the point where I no longer believe that these fantastical things are happening to her every week.
posted by econoline
This is the one column that I regularly find myself hating while agreeing with the principles. Is it the tone—intermittently jokey and then serious about non-jokey things? Is it the cutesy, non-intellectual voice while espousing feminism? This is tiresome.
posted by Ingrid
The fact that the same dumb doods come in here EVERY WEEK and comment disparagingly on Barb's column about feminism is proof that we all need feminism. Did they do this to Ian Karmel when he had a regular Merc column? Barb receives this criticism at this volume and length because she is a woman. The worst comment on this thread was where someone said Barb's tone is not "intellectual." There are two big problems with this idea: (1) It sets up a false standard whereby a person can be either intellectual or not, and where intellectual speech/writing is worth reading while non-intellectual words are not worth reading, thus ignoring the core argument instead of responding to it, and (2) fully embraces the class structure as a component of one's argument, by essentially calling Holm uneducated. Not to mention that bringing feminism to the Mercury blog through accessible language is a NET GAIN because poor and uneducated people need feminism, too. Second worst comment: the guy who says "there's no way that an alert woman creature could be seeing ONE WHOLE INCIDENT OF MISOGYNY PER WEEK AND THEN WRITING ABOUT IT." You're totally right, dude. I can't imagine how more than 52 micro- (or macro-) aggressions could take place in our metro area per year under observation, so now I suspect Barb is actually... AAAH I CAN'T EVEN PRETEND TO AGREE WITH YOU IN A JOKE, DUDE. Die in a fire, trolls.
posted by Shawn Fleek
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RE: The digital edition of the Mercury, which totally does exist and really does make page-turning sounds. Find it at portlandmercury.com in the archives section!
DEAR MERCURY—Did you guys know there is a digital edition of your paper online you can browse through just like it were the real thing? You should check it out, it's really cool!! It even makes page-turn-y sounds; I'm gonna get high and read it now.
Jack
WHEN YOU ARE done with that, Jack, how 'bout a movie? That's right, you won two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater for advertising our digital edition for us your letter. Thanks! Oh, and the Laurelhurst has lots of things that stoners like.
