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NOTES lovenotes@portlandmercury.com LETTERS MAY BE EDITED FOR SPACE
DREAMS AND MUSH RE: “My, What a Busy Week!” [Nov 21] in which we take a giant step outside ourselves to recommend a show featuring two popular Portland musical acts. DEAR SARAH MIRK—Laura Gibson = so dreamy. Typhoon = mush. They’re just another emo band that sounds like the Polyphonic Spree, only not as large. Isaac Hudson
HAIL SATAN-MUSING ATHEISTS
Food
Film
TV
STEVE—Curious point raised by a [commenter] on your website, who noted that the person on the billboard’s last name, Hecate, is that of an ancient Greek goddess associated with witchcraft and necromancy, among other things. That led me to do a web search, which indicated he may be the only person in the US with that name. That begs the question of whether he chose that name for himself, and if so, whether he’s the best choice to be a poster child for a tolerance of atheism campaign. As for me, I would say so, as I believe tolerance of atheists who might have an affinity for the dark arts people is no less a good goal than tolerance of run-of-the-mill no-godders. Steve A.
BETTER OFF DEAD RE: “Pig Stripping: Fetish or Sadism?” [Letters, Nov 21], in which a reader questions whether there’s “perhaps a whiff of sadism” in “Barnyard Butchery” [Food Issue, Nov 14], in which author Chris Onstad recounts the experience of taking a pig-head butchery class. I’m a vegetarian, but still, I can’t see how it’s sadism to cut meat off of the head of a DEAD pig. If Porky has already slipped this mortal coil, cutting meat off his head is no more sadistic than performing an autopsy is being sadistic to the corpse you’re performing it on. posted by AlaskanNow
Mission TheaTer
Fun
here believe in homeopathy, horoscopes, and fluoride as a conspiracy. I’ve been on ghost hunts. I’ve chased UFOs. There’s a lot more psychology, sociology, and flat-out misinterpretation that takes place under heightened circumstances. It’s not ignorance by any stretch, but it does go hand in hand with a poor understanding of the scientific method. When you start at your conclusion and work backward, the tendency is to cherrypick data to support your conclusions and see patterns that aren’t really there. As for collecting evidence: We live in an age where virtually everyone is armed with a camera phone. If there were so many convincing cases of hauntings, alien encounters, hell, BIGFOOT… we’d have some decent photos or video by now. As the maxim goes, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. At such time that something convincing is submitted, tested and tested again, the scientific outlook will adapt. posted by groschopf
Hail Satan (and Carrie Brownstein)!
RE: “Ah! So THIS Is What an Atheist Looks Like.” [Blogtown, Nov 20], in which author Wm. Steven Humphrey shares a billboard meant to un-demonize atheists by showing an example of a normal, smiling dude that had been vandalized to give him devil horns.
Sex
1624 N.W. Glisan St. • Portland • 503-223-4527
JOhn Cale
tue
12/4
(Of the velvet undergrOund)
Cass mcCOmBs Meshell Ndegeocello Dedication to Nina Simone
Luz Mendoza
wed
(of Y La Bamba)
12/12
CRYSTAL
THE
CARRIE ON
RE: “Tonight at the Bagdad: Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein” [Blogtown, Nov 20], regarding a promotional appearance the Portlandia actors were making in support of the new book Portlandia: A Guide for Visitors, and containing an unfavorable review. I just want to say that I sincerely appreciate the amount of time the Portland Mercury spends on writing about Portlandia. Your critique and dislike of the show makes for a more interesting conversation and polemic, and I much prefer those to ambivalence. Anyhow, just wanted to say thanks. Carrie Brownstein CONGRATULATIONS TO CARRIE for publicly admitting that we’re right about why Portlandia isn’t funny. That must have been a very difficult and brave thing to do. As consolation, Carrie wins two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater, where you can drink a pitcher of beer while watching a film, which is kind of a Portland (no “ia”) thing.
COVER ART:
HOTEL & BALLROOM
CRYSTAL BALLROOM HOWS ALLLSD OUT! SO
94/7 and Widmer Brothers BreWing present
DecembeR TO RemembeR the lumineers · 12/3 passion pit 12/5 of monsters & men the joy formidable 12/8 atlas genius 12/10 the shins · 12/12 fun.
12/2 12/6
80s VIDEO DANCE ATTACK
sat dec 1 $6 • 9 p.m. • 21 & over • lola’s room
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30 8 PM $5 21+OVER
WITH VJ KITTYROX
LOLA'S ROOM red cube presenTs
McMenaMins and True WesT presenT...
RailRoad EaRth
ED
CANCELL Thur Dec 13 16 & over
12/29· Tumbleweed Wanderers 12/30· Fruition saT-mon Dec 29-31 all ages
AmericAn Girls
COVER ART:
happy hOur w/ flOating pOinte-ringlers 12/27 & 28 Beats antique 1/8 keane flOater 1/20 slightly stOOpid 1/25 sChOOl Of rOCk: Best Of pOrtland 2 2/6 ellie gOulding 2/8 super diamOnd 2/16 leftOver salmOn 2/23 galaCtiC 2/27 fade tO light 3/15 Big head tOdd & the mOnsters 4/25 lOCal natives
12/1
SUPER SCIENCE RE: “Keep Portland Paranormal” [Feature Nov 21], in which author Alex Zielinksi takes a look at the prevalence of interest and belief in the paranormal in Portland. First of all, this article asks the wrong question. How about “Why do so many people in Portland believe in the paranormal?” I’d wager for the same reasons so many people portlandmercury.com
1/11
Souther Salazar southersalazar.com Score this 11X14 archival print and many more pieces of artwork in the Mercury Cover Art Charity Auction at portlandmercury.com More details on page 11.
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Wm. Steven Humphrey
INTERNS Lex Chase, Kathleen Marie-Barnett,
MANAGING EDITOR Marjorie Skinner
Cheyenne Sophia Ruth, Rose Finn, Cara Mico
NEWS Denis C. Theriault, Sarah Mirk
DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION Jay Williams
SENIOR EDITOR Erik Henriksen MUSIC Ned Lannamann
SALES DIRECTOR Rob Thompson
ARTS/WEB EDITOR Alison Hallett FOOD Chris Onstad
SALES COORDINATOR Autumn Webring
COPY CHIEF Courtney Ferguson CALENDAR Bobby Roberts
DIGITAL SALES MANAGER James Deeley
PRODUCTION MANAGER Joe Davis
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Sarah Elliott, Katie Peifer, Marissa Sullivan
SENIOR DESIGNER Nick Olmstead
ALTPERKS OPERATIONS MANAGER Michelle David
AD DESIGNER Nami Bigos
OFFICE MANAGER Noah Dunham GENERAL MANAGER Katie Lake
ART DIRECTOR Justin “Scrappers” Morrison
PUBLISHER Rob Crocker
danceonair.com
AL’S DEn at CRYSTAL
HOTEL
FREE LIVE MUSIC nIghtLy · 7 PM 11/29-12/1
scott law
12/2-12/8
josh and Mer
ED FoRMAn Show - late-night talk show Mix of coMedy, Music, and interviews – thursdays thru saturdays at 10:30PM
Ballroom: 1332 W. Burnside · (503) 225-0047 · Hotel: 303 S.W. 12th Ave · (503) 972-2670 mcmenamins.com
CASCADE TICKETS
cascadetickets.com 1-855-CAS-TIXX Outlets: Crystal BallrOOm BOx OffiCe, Bagdad theater, edgefield, east 19th st. Café (eugene)
November 28th, 2012 portlandmercury.com
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