Opportunities for mutual aid exist everywhere.

Maybe you can learn some de-escalation skills. Provided you have consent, it’s a whole lot better to listen to the person having a mental health crisis and see what they need, rather than laughing with your friends and calling the police, possibly turning things into a deadly situation. Of course that comes down to your personal comfort level, but speaking from personal experience, just listening to people and asking for consent before assisting them with their needs can cool down a tense situation. If a local drag show is facing online harassment, show up with some friends to support the event and help them feel safe.

abilities to have a role. We can’t keep hoping that someone else is going to provide the new beginnings for us, especially as conditions worsen in every area of our lives.

Due to the burnout that will inevitably happen when you actually want to make tangible change happen, the connections we make and the communities we build will become increasingly important. We need to crumble the walls, fences and all other barriers that are only causing more harm and division. The rugged individualism that is intrinsic to this country needs to die so that it can stop causing harm.

Although I’ve always been drawn to the aesthetics of cyberpunk, let’s heed its warnings about the path we have yet to deviate from. One where we oppose the extractive methods of our current systems and institutions that are continuing to gaslight and greenwash everything in their path, leading us toward a future of desertification and increased suffering. A future of increased suffering, even with cool neon lights and body mods, is still a future we need to make irrelevant.

A new beginning can be as simple as an idea and a new way of thinking and analyzing the world around you. An idea that leads you to believing that things don’t have to be this way, that they can actually be better, can be empowering. While an idea may start off as something small and intangible, it can grow into something beautiful.

Talking to your neighbors and getting organized would be a great start as well. Workplaces aren’t the only places you can unionize in. We need to dream big if we are actually going to change things. Saying that “at least it isn’t as expensive as Seattle or Northern California” does nothing but deflect the problems that are only growing.

If you are concerned about the sight of needles, you can always help out with harm reduction organizations or needle exchange programs. Training on how to use narcan is also quite simple and could save someone’s

Opportunities for mutual aid exist everywhere. If you don’t feel like seeking out established mutual aid groups, set up your own. Get some like-minded friends together and do weekly food or supply distribution. More people are struggling than you may think, and many more people are on the brink of not having a roof over their heads than they would like to believe.

It’s imperative that we build power from below through collective struggle and solidarity. We need to look to the struggles happening elsewhere, both nationally and internationally, to learn and grow from.

I am also aware that not everyone has the ability or resources to do some of these things and that’s fine. There are plenty of options for everyone of different

The chance to grow something new, to build something outside of the systems we currently have, won’t be easy. It will require getting your hands dirty and working with the soil, but it’s the only way forward if we want to create a new beginning for everyone. A springtime that sees the flowers grow out of the ashes of the old.

The White Boy Shuffle

by Paul Beatty (1996)

Dan’s Score: *****

Sincerely sardonic and viciously funny, Paul Beatty’s first novel The White Boy Shuffle is the fictitious memoir of Gunnar Kaufman, a black prodigy poet and basketball player unpacking the significance of identity, blackness, and the American Dream. An interrogation of the pressures and pigeonholing of black literature and art, Beatty’s dense prose, rife with figurative language and cultural references, is both highly amusing to read and an impressive feat.

I Am The Dog

by Sir Chloe (2023)

Edwin’s Score: *****

Though the full album won’t be released until May, Sir Chloe has been dropping singles over the past few months to give their fans a taste of what’s to come in I Am The Dog. Consistent with their established angry-girl indie rock sound, my favorite track so far is “Hooves.” Directed at a soon-to-be ex-partner, simultaneously high-energy and full of disdain, it’s hard not to shout-sing your feelings along.

Boys of Alabama

きくおミク7

by きくお (2023)

Edwin’s Score: *****

The rumored final installment of his notorious Miku series, the ideas presented in Miku 7 are more abstract and existential than some of Kikuo’s previous work (iykyk). Accompanied by the ethereal Miku VOCALOID software, he meticulously weaves and layers swaths of sound into a hyperpop paradise. If you were a 2000s kid traumatized by Kikuo (like me), I recommend giving a cautious relisten to one of the world’s most diligent and provocative producers.

Metroid Prime Remastered

by Retro Studios (2023)

Dan’s Score: *****

As a diehard fan of the original Gamecube release way back in 2002, Metroid Prime Remastered does everything right. Not just a reskin, but a full asset redesign, this is a remaster that other studios should take notes of. From the upgrade to 60 fps, to the added control schemes, and the faithfulness to the original, Metroid Prime Remastered couldn’t get much better. Although the game design has some aged elements (such as copious backtracking), it’s still a masterpiece and well worth a revisit.

by Genevieve Hudson (2020)

Dylan’s Score: *****

Authored by Genevieve Hudson, a graduate of Portland State’s MFA Creative Writing program, Boys of Alabama follows Max, a foreign-exchange student from Germany, as he adjusts to high school in modern-day Alabama. Part queer-coming-of-age, part magical realism, part SouthernGothic and 100% addictive, Boys of Alabama casts a spell on the reader, drawing you deeper and deeper into an intimate portrait of longing and transformation.

Overwatch 2

Edwin’s Score: *****

by Blizzard (2022)

Overwatch’s “sequel” is fun for the same reasons it was back in 2016, but feels more like a mega-patch than a new game. Pros: it’s free to play, has some great hero reworks, and runs much smoother than the original. Cons: It’s full of micro-transactions that are necessary to experience the full game, and content that used to have a lot of attention-to-detail now looks noticeably rushed. But I guess we should’ve expected as much from the company that [REDACTED].

extras!

NIM: HOW TO PLAY

Grab a friend and 2 different colored things to write with.

First player crosses out as many sqaures as they want. Squares must be from the same row, and at least one must be crossed out.

Second player does the same. The person who gets to cross out the last square is the winner.

Covet w/ Yvette Young

Founded by virtuoso finger-tapping guitarist Yvette Young, this instrumental math rock band is known best for their songs “Shibuya” and “Falkor.” 21+ event.

Earth Day Cleanup

Hosted by Eastburn, a taproom and bar, this open mic night is a good opportunity to showcase your latest song, poem, or other work of art. Sign-ups start @ 6:30 PM, and the show starts @ 7:00 PM.

A day to help cleanup our beautiful city, you can find more information, details on event organization, and how to participate @ solveoregon.org.

...Municipal Waste, Sacred Reich, and Creeping Death. A killer lineup with a couple of metal’s biggest names plays at the Hawthorne theater this month. 21+ event.

Comedy Night Oregon Symphony

$5 $64+

With a cheap entry fee & happy hour pricing all night long, this is a great spot to hunker down and laugh at some of our best local comedians. 21+ event.

See the Oregon Symphony live! The 6th oldest orchestra in the United States (est. 1896), they’ll be playing at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in downtown Portland.