Rep. Jennifer Williamson

Williamson, a Democrat, currently serves as the majority leader in the Oregon House of Representatives. She has been the representative for Oregon’s 36th district, which includes much of Northwest and Southwest Portland, since 2013.

In her time in office, Williamson has sponsored sweeping reproductive rights legislation, and worked on legislation to strengthen gun control, provide paid family leave protections, and reform Oregon’s juvenile criminal justice policies.

In a press release sent Wednesday announcing her candidacy, Williamson said her secretary of state platform will include protecting elections from foreign influence, increasing transparency in campaign finance, and combatting climate change by “building clean energy projects on our public lands.”

“We need a Secretary of State who will tenaciously protect our election process from foreign tampering,” Williamson said in the release. “I will make the cybersecurity of our election data and voter information my top priority.”

It's official! I'm running for Secretary of State. Join me in this critical fight to protect our democracy. #ORpol#ORLEG#ORSOS#ProvenProgressive#electionsecuritypic.twitter.com/QZkdBcLhNT
— Jennifer Williamson (@Jennifer_for_OR) October 16, 2019

She will likely face fellow Democrats Sen. Mark Haas of Beaverton and attorney Jamie McLeod-Skinner in the May 2020 primary election.

Oregon's current Secretary of State Bev Clarno, a Republican, will not seek re-election—Clarno was appointed by Gov. Kate Brown after previous Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, also a Republican, died in February. No Republican candidates have registered political action committees with the state yet, so it’s unclear who the winner of the Democratic primary will be facing off against in the November 2020 general election.

Williamson has raised $56,000 in campaign donations so far this year; Haas has raised $35,000, and McLeod has raised $40,000.

Williamson, an attorney, recently faced scrutiny for championing a new law that will significantly limit Oregon’s use of the death penalty, with some lawmakers and district attorneys claiming she intentionally misled Oregonians about the intent of the bill. Williamson defended her support for the law in a September email to the Mercury.

“If you want to be an elected official—especially in this era of Trump’s Twitter Presidency—you have to have a thick skin,” Williamson wrote. “Right now, I guess everything is fair game in politics. … The stakes literally couldn’t be higher in this fight. I’m not backing down.”

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Last night reverberated with decades of rock as Bush, LIVE, and Our Lady Peace closed in on the final stretch of "The ALTimate" North American tour, celebrating 25 years since Bush’s Sixteen Stone and Live’s Throwing Copper.

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Our Lady Peace (OLP), who was in town recently celebrating 20 years of Clumsy (ok, so that was in 2017, WHICH FELT LIKE YESTERDAY), performed their heartfelt extended ending to “Superman’s Dead,” which was long enough to make the eyes sweat. Singer Raine Maida’s voice has certainly dropped a bit since the early-'90s days of whine-yi-yi-yi-yi-yeahh rock, and it resonates with their newer music.

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With a second percussionist on stage, LIVE’s show was full of loudness. In between their hits like “Shit Towne” and “I Alone,” vocalist Ed Kowalczyk’s enigmatic self was dancing and smiling all over the stage, singing choice covers like R.E.M’s “Losing My Religion,” and Rolling Stones’s “Paint It Black”. During a pre-tour interview, Kowalczyk said becoming a father has changed him as a musician; songs like “Lightening Crashes” are felt more profoundly.

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Bush blasted open the last set with Sixteen Stone’s “Machine Head” and “Little Things” before losing lead singer Gavin Rossdale in the crowd during "This Is War,” as he circled the upper deck of the venue, still singing and greeting fans. Tuesday, October 15 was an awesome night for remembering the sounds from the past 25 years.

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Ok. All you last-minute-left-turners listen up! When you do that sudden stop and flip your turn signal I’m busy ass traffic, YOU are also pissing off dozens of people.
Stop it. Go to the next intersection and double back like a decent person does. Stop being such a self important anus and holding us all hostage because YOU can’t pay attention. Dick.

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Stay up to date on Portland news and politics. Looking for fun? Here are the best Things to Do in Portland today.

Gordon Sondland Alex Wong / Getty images

Good morning, Portland! Here's your handy weather forecast: RAIN.

Here are the headlines.

Gordo Speaks: Gordon Sondlond, Portland hotelier and Trump's ambassador to the European Union, will finally testify before Congress today about his involvement in the Ukraine scandal. Read his full prepared statement—which places a lot of blame on Rudy Giuliani—here.

Rest in Power: Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Democrat from Maryland, has died at 68. Cummings served in Congress for over 20 years, and was central to the Trump impeachment inquiry.

Prevention Problems: According to a new report, at least 92 homeless people died in Multnomah County last year. Tri-County Public Health Officer Paul Lewis says "many of these deaths are preventable, but prevention is hard to implement if people are unhoused.”

SOS: The 2020 race for Oregon Secretary of State is getting interesting—or at least, the Democratic primary is. Three high-profile state Democrats, including Oregon House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson, have thrown their hats in to the ring.

Brexit Deal? The British Parliament will vote on a pending Brexit deal this Saturday, which means Brexit could finally go into effect. It will likely come down to whether Northern Irish lawmakers agree with the deal.

Honestly, Same:

Dubbed the ‘blob,’ this mysterious new organism has 720 sexes, can move without legs or wings and heals itself in two minutes if cut in half https://t.co/LSsTtm6EgDpic.twitter.com/C4bdowySbQ

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) October 16, 2019

Schooled: An annual report on Oregon school districts shows that for the first time in a long time, student absence rates aren't getting worse. Read OPB's report for more info.

Sentence of the Day:"There is a certain class of brain-rewarding products that lead to a form of pathological learning that we call addiction and it’s that branch of capitalism that is especially dangerous."

ARE YOU HUNGRY? Then may I interest you in the Portland Mercury's upcoming Nacho Week? OH! AND YES, YOU DO LOOK SEXY!Tickets for HUMP! 2019 are right here. (Oh, and psst! Check out the new, very sexy, and decidedly NSFW HUMP! trailer here.)

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Jessica Miglio

The problem with comedy sequels is that it's hard to tell the same joke years later, but funnier. Despite the ravages of time and changing tastes, filmmakers must suplex the lightning back into that bottle, hoping everyone's down for another helping of that one bit everyone quoted in college, except now with too many celebrity cameos. (I'm very deliberately looking at you, Anchorman 2). But despite lurching into theaters a full decade after the original, Zombieland: Double Tap avoids those pitfalls while delivering a suitably zany Zombieland experience with the easy charm of an off-brand Mike Judge picaresque.

Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone all return to banter and blast zombies, and their wry camaraderie speaks a seemingly genuine desire to play in this viscera-splattered sandbox again (rather than, as with many long-delayed sequels, simply the desire for a new beach house). Added to the mix are a spate of goofy newcomers, including a delightfully unapologetic flibbertigibbet (Zoey Deutch) and a pair of dirtbag doppelgangers (Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch). It's more a live-action cartoon than a serious entry in the zombie canon, but as a low-key genre comedy, it totally works. Best of all, the celebrity cameos remain sparingly deployed. (Still looking at you, Anchorman 2.)

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HUMP! 2019

So what are you waiting for? Get your tickets now for HUMP! 2019—it'll screen over three weekends at Revolution Hall (Nov 8-9, 15-16, 22-23) and depending on what show you see, they'll be hosted by myself (Wm. Steven Humphrey), comedian (and former HUMP! winner) Kate Murphy, or sex columnist/creator of HUMP Dan Savage!

Feeling lucky? Then fill out the widget thingy below to win TWO FREE TICKETS to HUMP! 2019, as well as $69 (get it?) gift certificate for food and beverages at Revolution Hall! We're giving away three pairs and three gift cards over the next three weeks, and every Tuesday will notify the winners. Want to increase your chances of winning? After entering, you'll be given the opportunity to share this contest with your friends and earn 10 bonus entries! OH WOW, YES! (Good luck!)

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Netflix

Rudd’s trending on Twitter specifically seems to be the result of a promotional appearance he made on the Youtube series Hot Ones, in which he eats some very, very spicy wings. As with other interviews he’s done, Rudd’s age-defying charm is put to good use—he’s just a funny, genial guy who seems like he’d be super fun to hang out with. That charm is also the key ingredient in Living with Yourself, which gives us twice the Rudd: He plays a fellow who accidentally clones himself after undergoing a mysterious and very expensive rejuvenating process. This is a good idea for a show! Paul Rudd is funny and fun to watch! Doubling the number of Rudds in your television program is a can’t-lose proposition!

Seeing Rudd play with himself—sorry for the dirty joke, but one of the Rudds does do a bit of that—is what makes Living with Yourself worth watching, to the extent that it is worth watching. The half-hour, eight-episode series, created by Daily Show alumnus Timothy Greenberg and directed by the team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine, Battle of the Sexes), is strongest at its outset: Miles (Rudd) finds himself in a rut at work and at home, and pays a visit to a bizarre spa in a deserted strip mall, on the recommendation of a much more successful co-worker. There are appealing science-fiction elements here—reminiscent of the Netflix show Maniac and the 2009 Paul Giamatti movie Cold Souls—along with fun, small shreds of suspense as Miles tries to figure out what exactly happened to him.

The Rudd vs. Rudd stuff is a kick: Original recipe Miles is a depressed slob, underperforming at work and unable to rekindle the flame of romance with his wife, Kate (Aisling Bea, recently terrific in Hulu’s This Way Up). Miles’ new clone, however, has a sparkle in his eye and a spring in his step; when he steps in for Miles at the office, his—their—career kicks into high gear. And Kate finds this fresher, dewier Miles to be a happy reminder of the man she married. Needless to say, old Miles is irritated by his clone even as he takes full advantage of him.

Eric Liebowitz/Netflix

Which leaves Living with Yourself in a somewhat precarious but not unprecedented position for a Netflix show. It’s an easy binge, and diverting enough, but instead of accelerating to a new level during its final stretches, it becomes dissolute and unfocused. The last episode of this run—and I’m certain there will be more—has a left-field plot development that is wacky fun on its own terms but doesn’t click at all with the rest of the arc. And striking the correct tonal balance between suburban-set sitcom and the pure existential terror of facing your own clone is something the show never quite pulls off.

It’d be easy to say that this is merely a two-hour movie stretched out to double-length as a Netflix series, and there are some loose ends, like Alia Shawkat criminally underused in a nothing role as Miles' sister. I will counter, however, by saying that the changes in POV with each episode are one of the better elements of the show. In the end, Living with Yourself is, like a lot of Netflix shows, a decent if not exactly life-transforming weekend watch, albeit one that’s slightly elevated by this proposition: Why settle for one Paul Rudd when you can have two?

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Doug Brown

On Wednesday, Portland City Council approved $250,000 of extra city budget dollars to pay for “counsel to be available for outside legal counsel for labor negotiations."

According to Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office, this chunk of money is specifically earmarked for an attorney that will help hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement with the PPA. The police union’s current four-year contract is set to expire in June 2020, and negotiations between PPA and City of Portland are expected to begin as soon as January 2020.

While the city has yet to announce which specific attorney it plans to hire, Wheeler’s office has confirmed it won’t be anyone from the Bullard Law firm. In June, Bullard Law—a firm notorious for representing anti-union organizations—sent a proposal to city commissioners (later obtained by Willamette Week) offering the firm’s legal help on the PPA negotiations for $250,000 to $350,000. The city has declined this offer.

In the recent past, the city’s largely relied on its internal labor relations team and city attorneys to lead PPA negotiations. But an outside hire isn’t necessarily an indictment on the city’s own legal team.

“I believe we have the best law firm in the city working at the City of Portland,” says Commissioner Nick Fish. “But there are a small number of people whose specialty is in public sector labor contracts. The benefit of outside counsel is having a subject member expert working with us to offer strategic guidance. I think that’s a plus.”

City Attorney Tracy Reeve agrees.

“Our labor and employment attorneys are extremely capable and will be integrally involved in the bargaining process,” writes Reeve in an email to the Mercury. “Nonetheless, the reality is that we are necessarily generalists who represent all City bureaus and carry extremely heavy workloads.”

Hiring an outside attorney, Reeve says, will ensure that Portland walks away with a contract “that serves the interest and welfare of the public and our officers.”

This decision is one of many being made by City Council—for now, behind closed doors—in hopes of improving the outcomes of the historically contentious contract negotiations.

The last time PPA renewed its bargaining agreement in 2016, negotiations ended with few wins for the city—and with cops forcefully removing dozens of protesters from City Hall. The deal was widely criticized for being weak on police accountability. Portlanders also expressed anger over the dearth of community engagement prior to contract negotiations, and the overall opaqueness of the closed-door meetings.

Dan Handelman with Portland Copwatch says he's encouraged that the city's seeking outside legal counsel this time around. He says the idea of having the same city attorneys who represent police officers in court working against them at the bargaining table poses a conflict of interest.

"It's good to have someone who is not in a position where they represent both the police and the city," Handelman says.

City Council will take the next few months to finalize its strategy—with the help of an expert attorney—and consider changing parts of the negotiation process to improve the public’s frayed trust.

It’s still unclear which areas the city will want to tweak in the new contract—or what the PPA will be fighting for. A coalition of local civil rights groups, however, have already put forward a few suggestions.

Fish believes the city won’t need all $250,000 to retain a lawyer who specializes in public sector work. But City Council’s unanimous approval of the funds was a way to “put a marker down” to show the city is taking the process seriously.

Fish and Commissioner Amanda Fritz are the only currently members of City Council who were at the bargaining table for the 2016 contract negotiations. At the time, activist group Don't Shoot Portland considered petitioning to recall both officials for supporting the final PPA contract.

“These negotiations are going to be very high profile,” Fish says. “We’re committed to negotiating a fair contract on behalf of the community.”

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My girlfriend and I are both avid listeners of your podcast. Admittedly, I am always a few episodes behind her because I have a fairly demanding work schedule, but it’s great to hear your thoughts on sex and intimacy issues. I had to email rather than call because she would definitely recognize my voice if you wound up playing the call over the air.

Okay, we are both very open and open-minded people. We’ve known each other for years, but only have been dating for four months or so. And the sex is great. We’ve both had our share of experience in the bedroom, which certainly helps. When talking about what turns us both on, I feel like we do share a good amount. However, she’s made a few comments recently saying that she “doesn’t want to scare me away” with her sexual fetishes and interests. I don’t think she realizes it but that makes me a little nervous. What could it be? What did I do to make her feel that she can’t share this with me? What should I do?

Thanks For Reading

Sometimes people with perfectly mundane, ordinary, non-scary, and easily realized sexual fetishes/interests will say something like "I don't want to scare you off" early in a relationship because they've been pretty badly kink-shamed by previous/shittier partners for their perfectly mundane, ordinary, etc., kinks and/or it takes them longer than [however long you've been together] to feel comfortable sharing their kinks. But sometimes people will say something like "I don't want to scare you off" because their kinks are objectively, well, not scary, per se, but things that would give even the GGGiest partner with kinks of their own pause, e.g. ABDL play, hardcore vore, sensory dep scenes, etc. Which is it with your girlfriend? I have no idea, TFR. Only she knows the answer to that question and she's not ready to talk about it.

So what can you do? You can't force her talk about her kinks before she's ready, TFR, but you can make it clear that you're not going to kink-shame her when she's ready to share her kinks with you. Promising not to kink-shame her before she lays her kink cards on the table and then refraining from kink-shaming after the big reveal doesn't obligate you to explore her kinks with her if indeed she does wanna be swallowed whole or mummify you. We can affirm our partners' kinks without having to indulge them. If you're not into it, whatever it turns out to be, you can cheerfully hammer out a reasonable accommodation that allows your partner to have her kink(s) and her relationship with you too, TFR, and those can range from allowing (read: not being a dick about) your partner to indulging themselves via porn up allowing your partner to find some casual partners who share their kink for occasional play.

But that's the worst-case scenario. Best case scenario, DTF, your partner's kinks will be something you've always wanted to explore or that you're suddenly excited to explore because, as sometimes happens, you're so into her that you're turned on by whatever the hell turns her on.

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Walt Disney Pictures

The first Maleficent provided some much-needed backstory on the powerful and so-called “evil witch” from the animated Disney classic Sleeping Beauty. Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) is actually a dark fairy who can control natural elements like roots, plants, and the weather. She can also cause other creatures to shape-shift. And for all means and purposes, Maleficent is also Aurora’s godmother. In the first film, we learn that despite the fact that she cursed a newborn baby—to get revenge on Aurora’s power-hungry father, who drugged Maleficent and, tragically, removed her magnificent wings—Maleficent watches over Aurora throughout her life, tries to revoke the curse, raises her to love the Moors, where fairies and other magical woodland creatures live. Eventually, the two form a deep bond, and it’s revealed that Maleficent’s maternal kiss (of true love!) is what broke the sleeping curse—not Prince Philip, who Aurora had only met once. During the film’s violent climax, Maleficent grows a new pair of wings, returning to her rightful glory once more. [SIGH] I love a good re-telling, a la Wicked. One of my favorite things about this re-telling of Sleeping Beauty from Maleficent's perspective is the way it highlighted dissenting societal ideas about family, acceptance, and diversity.

When the sequel started, it quickly occurred to me that Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent never had a Disney-typical teenage-bride scenario that we all pretended to be okay with. And as we all know, the people (and magicfolk) love a royal wedding! Mistress of Evil is set five years later (so Aurora’s now a ripened 21), and uses Prince Philip’s proposal as a jumping-off point, with a new actor (Harris Dickinson) playing the prince. Of course, with a wedding looming, Philip’s parents request to meet Maleficent, the woman who raised Aurora. Over an awkward dinner at the in-laws’ castle, things get heated.

The animal- and plant-lover in me was fired up by Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer), Aurora’s obviously shady and prejudiced mother-in-law to be. When the queen criminalizes magicfolk, and then brings up Maleficent’s baby curses of past, Maleficent gets defensive, and can smell the evil emanating from the queen. During the exchange, in which Maleficent has already trashed the place a bit, the much more tolerant King John (Robert Lindsay) suddenly falls unconscious. Maleficent is called a witch, blamed for cursing the king, and then flees.

This story is just classic: Once again, a woman (er, female creature?) is made out to be a villain because of her dark features. Despite her breaking her own curse in the first movie, propaganda left Maleficent in the role of the villain. (She’s a hero and a villain, thank you very much. Some of us can evolve!)

Speaking of evolution, the film takes an unexpected turn when it introduces a community of dark fairies in hiding, on the verge of extinction, who all look just like Maleficent. As Maleficent flees the castle, the queen has her shot out of the sky with an iron bullet (iron burns fairies), and as she’s sinking to the bottom of the ocean, another dark fairy (Chiwetel Ejiofor) saves Maleficent and carries her to the hideout. When Maleficent awakes in a giant dark fairies’ nest, bandaged up, with her hair down around those horns? Jolie is an absolute VISION. And since she’s the most evolved of her species, Maleficent is essentially queen of the dark fairies; none of the others share her same powers.

Mistress of Evil is a decent enough sequel, though it's less magical than the first installment, which, admittedly, blew my mind. Jolie is still spot-on in Maleficent's socially awkward unhuman-ness, Sam Riley is still excellent as her right-hand crow, Diaval, and while some might feel like Jolie is underutilized, this story is more focused on no-longer-sleeping-beauty Aurora (Elle Fanning), who Maleficent has made queen of the Moors, to the delight of all the magic creatures and fairies. (THE FAIRIES ARE SO CUTE, MY GOD. I’D LIKE TO ADOPT ONE MUSHROOM FAIRY, AND ONE HEDGEHOG FAIRY, PLEASE.)

As the film coalesces into a full-blown wedding-day war, political, and environmental undertones abound, along with another new weapon developed by the evil queen’s basement minion who experiments on fairies, and creates a powder that bursts into red smoke, exploding magicfolk into regular flowers and things.

While this film is sure to hit with kids, adults may have a harder time staying awake and connecting. (They made this whole sequel just so Aurora could get married and Maleficent could find her dark fairy community?) But the film’s cute animation, excellent special effects, and emotional themes applicable to the real world make it easier—and more fun—to find meaning in the fantastical chaos. This sequel was unnecessary, but I'll take it.

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Nijat Nasibli/Getty Images

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) released a statement this afternoon on the decision, which said, in part:

"The Oregon Health Authority has been informed that the Court of Appeals granted a temporary stay of OHA’s rules that ban the sale of flavored vaping products. This decision means the rules are, for now, not in effect; the agency is communicating with its partners, including local public health authorities and other state agencies, that enforcement of the rules will be temporarily suspended."

This is good news if you're a liquid nicotine fan who likes piña colada vapes (and getting caught in the rain), but the appeals court ruling has no impact on cannabis.

The challenge was filed yesterday by a e-cigarette industry group known as Vapor Technology Association, who said they would “suffer severe and irreparable harm long before the (ban) can be subjected to full judicial review,"per the Oregonian. (It's interesting to note that no Oregon cannabis industry trade groups filed similar challenges—perhaps because cannabis can taste great on its own without artificial flavors.)

Two plaintiffs in the challenge said that the ban would have "[forced] the permanent closure of their businesses within the next two weeks.” The O's report says that "Oregon regulators lack the legal standing to enforce the governor’s ban," and that it would force people who vape to get their stuff from the black market.

I'm not a tobacco user in traditional or nicotine-cartridge form, so I can't speak to the plaintiffs' claim of "promoting vapers to the black market," but it seems the wide variety and easy access of flavoring agents from online sellers would allow people to simply add flavorings of their choice to unflavored nicotine carts. But one plaintiff, the owner of two Division Vapors stores in Portland, said that overturning the ban had temporarily saved 10 jobs at his business, which is a positive outcome. We'll continue to monitor and report on how this ruling stands up.

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Vieux Farka TouréDavid Thompson Fairchild

Morrison Market was dreamt up by the MMIO Corporation, a consortium of local business developers, including former No Vacancy Lounge co-owner Dele Okedara, who, according to general manager and talent buyer Eric Gerber, joined forces solely for the purpose of creating this business. In addition to the Stage 722 venue, the 8,000-square-foot space—located next door to Holocene—will host seven “food pods” for grab-and-go-type meals, a full liquor bar, and a beer-only bar.

“I can’t recall exactly what was in the space before,” Gerber says, “but there was literally nothing in it. No piping. There were two outlets. Minimal power. No infrastructure. So we’ve been building it from dust to what it is now.”

And what it is now, says Gerber, is a “construction site.” But with the two concerts on the calendar, the crew behind Morrison Market and Stage 722 are rapidly working to make the space at least workable to host a couple of fairly well-known touring acts by the end of next week.

Gerber, who previously worked as a talent buyer for the Doug Fir Lounge and still runs the artist management and booking agency Royal Artist Group, says the plan is to let next weekend’s shows serve as a soft opening for the space. “I want this first weekend to go well and then I want to improve on the experience,” he says. “It’s not exactly at my vision level yet, so I want to give myself time to re-roll it out in its full glory.”

As well, Gerber emphasizes that the goal is to keep the possibilities for Stage 722 wide open, so that it can be used for community events, theater performances, bar mitzvahs, and weddings.

At the moment, though, all that Gerber and Stage 722 can promise are live music events. Beyond the two happening next weekend, they’ve already lined up a couple of performances in 2020: Singer/songwriter Greyson Chance plays next January, and jazz-funk collective Antibalas appears as part of the 2020 PDX Jazz Festival on February 22.

Stage 722 and Morrison Market are located at 722 SE 10th; the website for the venue is here.

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Sometimes it feels like the whole month is just one long pre-amble to Halloween, which is, to quote poet laureates Daryl Hall and John Oates, "so close... so far away!" but it's not like there won't be a million amazing things to do this week in the meantime. Legitimate geniuses like Ta-Nehisi Coates and Thom Yorke are both in town, Lucy Dacus and Sara Bareilles are exciting minds and stirring heartstrings in their own unique ways, Comedy Bang Bang and Nick Kroll are both here to get weird and hilarious, and more! Hit the links below and plan your week accordingly.

Black Belt Eagle Scout, Hikes
Raised on Swinomish Indian Reservation in Washington State, Katherine Paul AKA Black Belt Eagle Scout’s new album At the Party with My Brown Friends sees the artist channeling her community through music, with many songs inspired by her indigenous culture. “Going to the Beach with Haley,” for example, is powered by a melody that reminds now-Portland resident Paul of the traditional powwows from back home. Her intimate show in the laidback Mississippi Studios showroom seems like the perfect opportunity for people of color to take up space, and revel in the creativity of one of the region’s most notable queer and indigenous artists. (Mon Oct 21, 8 pm, Mississippi Studios, $15-18)JENNI MOORE

Ta-Nehisi Coates
"Literary Arts presents a night soaking up knowledge direct from award-winning author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates, in conversation with fellow bestseller Renee Watson, as they discuss Coates' previous works as well as his first novel, The Water Dancer. (Mon Oct 21, 7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $15-85)

The Wicker Man
This is a screening of the 1973 original, meaning you will not be seeing Nicolas Cage in a bear suit socking up women and swallowing gallons of CGI bees. Instead, you will be immersed in the off-kilter world of this slow-burning British cult classic, starring Christopher Lee at his confidently creepiest, where the horror isn’t contained in loud orchestral stabs and brutal bursts of bloody gore, but in the careful peeling away of idyllic island life to reveal the placidly unnerving and profoundly disturbing wrongness underneath. (Mon Oct 21, 9:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9)BOBBY ROBERTS

Hot 8 Brass Band
One of New Orleans' all-time great brass bands, the Hot 8 Brass Band combines jazz, marching band music, hiphop, and that indefinable Crescent City swagger. This is the authentic real deal and it demands to be seen live, so get down to Star Theater and join the second line. (Mon Oct 21, 9 pm, Star Theater, $20-25)NED LANNAMANN

An Evening of Improv Comedy to Benefit Rahab's Sisters
Some of Portland's finest improvisers come together to create unique, irreverent comedy right on the spot in an effort to raise money for Rahab's Sisters. Presented by Bridge City Improv, Comedy Really Cares, and Portland Center Stage, and featuring performers from Girls With Heads, Kickstand Comedy Space, Curious Comedy Theater, ComedySportz, and the Stumptown Impov Festival. (Mon Oct 21, 7 pm, Portland Center Stage, $15)

Judah & the Lion, Flora Cash
An evening of "Folk Hop 'n Roll" with the rising Nashville-based trio who are currently crossing the world in support of their latest album, Pep Talks. (Mon Oct 21, 8 pm, Roseland, $25, all ages)

Tyler Childers
The Crystal Ballroom serves up one last night of Americana and whiskey-soaked folk from the quick-rising singer/songwriter hailing from the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Paintsville, Kentucky. (Mon Oct 21, 8 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $36, all ages)

Thom Yorke
This has been a plentiful year for fans of Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke’s wobbly falsetto, around which he builds the majority of his ethereal, noise-touched pop ballads. Last fall he waltzed in with his first feature score, for Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria remake, which was terrific if overpowered by the titular “Suspirium” track. (Keep it on the record; just, for god’s sake, get it out of the movie.) In June, haxxors stole over 16 hours of Yorke’s MiniDisc recordings with the notion of ransoming them and—being truly unmoved by this threat—he offered them up to his fans, donating the profits to environmentalist group Extinction Rebellion. (I bought it.) Weeks later, Yorke’s third solo album Anima hit number one on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart, his first record ever to do so. You can expect a night of quiet, delicate musical majesties so no talking, and no shouting for “Creep.”(Tues Oct 22, 8 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $59.50)SUZETTE SMITH

Saintseneca, Nick Delffs
Everything is cooler than nasally, refined indie-folk-rock these days. Bands like the Decemberists are doing fine, no doubt, but their sound isn’t exactly in vogue, pushed from the public sphere by pop and hip-hop. Which means excellent albums like Saintseneca’s 2018 effort Pillar of Na flew even further under the radar. The veteran Ohio band has been cranking out fuzzy, buzzy acoustic stomp-pop for several years, with a handful of solid records on its resume. But Pillar of Na brought Saintseneca’s strengths—elegant arrangements, lovely vocal harmonies, Zac Little’s winsome melodies—into crystal-clear focus. It’s a terrific work that deserves to reach more ears. (Tues Oct 22, 8 pm, Polaris Hall, $12-14)BEN SALMON

Joe Pug
If you’re fond of fellas like Jason Isbell, Josh Ritter, and Ryan Adams but haven’t yet dug into Pug’s work, do so immediately. (Tues Oct 22, 8 pm, Doug Fir, $20-25)

Steve Lacy
Fresh off the release of his solo debut, Apollo XXI, the Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter, producer, and guitarist for the Grammy-nominated R&B and soul band, The Internet, makes his way to the Wonder Ballroom for an all-ages headlining show. (Tues Oct 22, 8:30 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $30, all ages)

Jordan Rakei, Sam Wills
New Zealand-Australian singer/songwriter and producer Jordan Rakei heads up a night of soulful, jazz-tinged R&B at the Star Theater when the North American tour supporting his latest album, Origin, touches down in Portland. (Tues Oct 22, 9 pm, Star Theater, $25-45)

WLCM: An Evening of Experimental Jazz + Beats
KMHD and Soul'd Out team up to present this live mashup of styles and sounds from some of Portland's most adventurous music makers, starring Italian producer/drummer/DJ Tommaso Cappellato and Portland's Korgy & Bass and Brown Calculus, each exploring musical realms both rooted in—and traveling far beyond—post-soul movements. Live visuals by Reliqs. (Tues Oct 22, 8 pm, The Hallowed Halls, $10)

Leonard Bernstein at 100
45th Parallel helps celebrate the centennial of an American musical legend, featuring chamber music as composed by Bernstein in his earlier career, including Seven Anniversaries and 4 Salon Songs. (Tues-Wed Oct 22-23, 7 pm, Oregon Jewish Museum, $15-30)

Wage War, Like Moths to Flames, Polaris, Dayseeker
Florida-hailing quintet Wage War bring their melodic metalcore and hardcore through the Hawthorne for the Portland stop on a tour supporting their latest album, Pressure. Like Moths to Flames, Polaris, and Dayseeker round out the all-ages bill. Tues Oct 22, 7 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, $18-20, all ages)

Portland Diamond Project World Series Watch Party
Watch game 1 of the MLB World Series, hear from Portland Diamond Project members and featured guests, enter to win giveaways and raffles, and get your hands on the latest PDP merchandise. Guests include Portland Diamond Project Founder and President Craig Cheek, former television play-by-play announcer for the Portland Trail Blazers Mike Barrett, former Major League Golden Glove winner and Oregon State infielder Darwin Barney, and more. (Tues Oct 22, 5:30 pm, Revolution Hall, free w/ rsvp)

Lucy Dacus, Liza Anne, Sun June
It makes sense that Lucy Dacus has catapulted to such high acclaim; the directness of her writing, and the subdued music she drives it with, is a great study in earnest songwriting. Following Dacus’ 2016 debut, No Burden, she hit the road and seems like she’s hardly been off it, what with her immediate post-“No Burden” tour forming of Boygenius with Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker. 2018 was even more a stepping-out party for Dacus, as her follow-up LP, Historian, basically floored everyone who’s heard it and landed at or near the top of numerous Best of 2018 lists. If you haven’t invested any time listening to Dacus yet, what the fuck are you waiting for? (Wed Oct 23, 8 pm, Aladdin Theater, $18-20, all ages)RYAN J. PRADO

Comedy Bang! Bang! Live!
The reliably hilarious Comedy Bang! Bang! is one of the longest-running podcasts for good reason. It features the intensely funny Scott Aukerman and some of the best guest improvisers in the world. So try not to miss this rare live taping of the program, with special guests and character drop-ins who will assuredly bust your gut (with laughter). (Wed Oct 23, 7 pm & 10 pm, Revolution Hall, $35-45, all ages)

Pure Bathing Culture
There probably isn't a single space-related word that hasn't been used to describe Pure Bathing Culture. Sure they're dreamy, astral, and euphoric—they'll turn your eyes into diamonds, your arms into flowing robes! They're downright mystical, and the reason we're running out of words to contain them is proof that you should have seen them live by now. (Wed Oct 23, 8 pm, Mississippi Studios, $16-18)JENNA FLETCHER

Amulets, Derek Hunter Wilson, Hugo Ra Paris
Three artists on local record label Beacon Sound will celebrate the release of new works at this show. All are worth investigating, but for now let’s focus on Amulets, a project of Portland-based audio/visual artist Randall Taylor, who combines tape loops, field recordings, and live, processed guitar to create dynamic, layered drones. The resulting music sounds like it’s living and breathing and sad and hopeful and slowly growing more beautiful by the moment. Tonight, Taylor will celebrate not only his new album Between Distant and Remote but also joining the Beacon Sound roster after moving to Portland from Austin, Texas last year. (Wed Oct 23, 8 pm, Holocene, $8-10)BEN SALMON

Brent Weinbach, DJ Dougpound
With his amazing facial contortions, deadpan delivery, and confusing audience participation, Brent Weinbach's comedy is wonderfully absurd, and a welcome change of pace from the usual "LOL Portland, am I right?" jokes. (Wed Oct 23, 8 pm, Polaris Hall, $20-25)MEGAN BURBANK

Lisa Loving
Longtime journalist and media activist Lisa Loving reads from Street Journalist, offering aspiring journalists insight into her well-honed approach to reporting whats meaningful, holding the powerful accountable, and enriching the community from the ground up. (Wed Oct 23, 7 pm, Annie Bloom's Books, free)

Heart Bones, Atari Ferrari
Sean Tillmann (aka Har Mar Superstar) and Sabrina Ellis (A Giant Dog, Sweet Spirit) bring their newly-minted collaborative project to the Jack London Revue to perform a set of songs influenced by their favorite classic duos like Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood, Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, and Sonny & Cher, and their love of doo-wop, musical theater, and electro-pop. (Wed Oct 23, 9 pm, Jack London Revue, $15-20)

Y La Bamba
Portland-based singer/songwriter Luz Elena Mendoza brings her beloved indie-folk and pop project to the Doug Fir Lounge for a two-night stand celebrating the release of her new Tender Loving Empire-issued EP, Entre Los Dos. (Thurs-Fri Oct 24-25, 9 pm, Doug Fir, $16-20)

Sara Bareilles
Is it possible to have an artistic career whose arc doesn't seem to ever bend downward at any point? Sara Bareilles seems to be enjoying such a thing, after "Love Song" took over the world in 2007, and her Little Voice LP blew up. Since then it's been over a decade of nothing but tours, and awards, and albums, and books, and an ever growing fanbase—which exploded upon her taking over Broadway via her musical adaptation of Adrienne Shelley's low-key indie classic Waitress. She stops in Portland as part of her "Amidst the Chaos" tour, supporting an album that might be her most meaningful to date. (Thurs Oct 24, 7 pm, Veterans Memorial Coliseum, $31-92, all ages)

Nick Kroll
The comedian, actor, and writer known for his hilarious arsenal of characters in Kroll Show and Big Mouth, along with his portrayal of Gil Faizon alongside John Mulaney's George St. Geegland on The Oh, Hello Show, brings the "Middle-Aged Boy" Tour to the Newmark stage for a pair of Portland performances. (Thurs Oct 24, 7 pm & 9:30 pm, Newmark Theatre, $29)

Guerilla Toss, Blesst Chest
Guerilla Toss has long been enamored with the danceable strains of no wave and post-punk, taking inspiration from the whacked out disco-skronk visions of James Chance and the sweat-stained grooves of ESG. (Thurs Oct 24, 8 pm, Polaris Hall, $13-15)ROBERT HAM

Big Thief, Palehound
Due to the runaway success of their 2016 debut Masterpiece and 2017 follow-up Capacity, Brooklyn’s Big Thief is becoming one of the most important bands in indie rock. Songs like the folksy, haunting "Mythological Beauty” revolve around the voice of singer/guitarist Adrianne Lenker, who alternates between mumbling and howling lyrics that vividly reanimate memories with details like “shrapnel and oil cans, rhubarb in the yard.”(Thurs Oct 24, 8:30 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $25, all ages)CIARA DOLAN

Mumiy Troll
The long-running Russian rock outfit headed up by Ilya Lagutenko returns to Portland to perform an array of hits and deep cuts from throughout their career, along with new material off their latest album, East X Northwest. (Thurs Oct 24, 8:30 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $35-40, all ages)

King Black Acid & The Rainbow Lodge
In the 1990s, Daniel Riddle released a handful of albums under the name King Black Acid, adding his unhurried brand of cinematic psych-rock to the fertile local scene. In the years since, Riddle has kept busy playing shows and composing lots of music for TV and film, but his newest release—Super Beautiful Magic, out on Cavity Search Records—is his first full-length since 2000’s Loves a Long Song. It’s a very welcome return. When all is said and done, Super Beautiful Magic sounds a bit like a cross between the Flaming Lips and the Polyphonic Spree, but with the silliness stripped out and only the freaky, fluttery beauty left behind. (Thurs Oct 24, 9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $12-14)BEN SALMON

The Wailers
Pioneering reggae rock bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett and the rest of the reunited Wailers make their way to the Aladdin Theater for the Portland stop on North American tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of the band's 1979 album, Survival. (Thurs Oct 24, 8 pm, Aladdin Theater, $25-30, all ages)

Jake Brennan
Jake Brennan reads from Disgraceland, a book adaptation of his popular rock 'n' roll true-crime podcast, exploring the seedy stories lurking in the shadows and back alleys of music history. (Thurs Oct 24, 7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books, free)

The Golden Girls Bingo: A Q Center Fundraiser
The Q Center hosts an evening of Golden Girls-themed bingo, with a photo booth featuring wigs and outfits, and delicious vegan cheesecake. Tickets are $25 and will net you 5 bingo cards and a slice of cheesecake. Additional cards can be purchased for $5. All proceeds from ticket sales provide funding for Q Center. (Thurs Oct 24, 6 pm, Q Center, $25)

Blackwater Holylight, R.I.P., Pushy
Rising Portland psych outfit Blackwater Holylight brings their haunting, heavy, and melodic sound to the Star Theater stage to celebrate the release of their latest album, Veils of Winter. Like-minded locals R.I.P. and Pushy round out the proceedings. (Thurs Oct 24, 9 pm, Star Theater, $10)

Don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!

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Stay up to date on Portland news and politics. Looking for fun? Here are the best Things to Do in Portland today.

Mick Mulvaney: "Yes there was a 'quid pro quo'! Wait... shit... I was supposed to lie!"Win McNamee/Getty Images

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! I never had a dream come true 'til the day that I found you. Even though I pretend that I've moved on, you'll always be my baby. LET'S GO TO PRESS.

So you remember how Trump keeps insisting there was no "quid pro quo" in his famous impeachable call to Ukraine's leader? Unfortunately for him, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney flat-out admitted in a press briefing that $400 million in aid to the country was withheld in order to force Ukraine to investigate the Democrats. He later tried to take back his statements, but too late for that! Whoopsies!

Opinion: Mick Mulvaney’s walkback doesn’t pass the laugh test. Here’s the timeline. https://t.co/eFUyakLLBj

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 18, 2019

At roughly the same time yesterday, Portland's own wealthy hotelier and Trump crony Gordon Sondland testified before congress saying that he disagreed with Trump putting Giuliani in charge of pressuring Ukraine leadership into investigating the president's opponents, but he didn't know how serious (read: illegal) it was until later. UH-HUH. Nobody believes you, dummy! Keep boycotting Sondland's hotels.

Meanwhile another one of the corrupt "Three Amigos" (fuck these guys), Rick Perry, who also happens to be Trump's energy secretary says he is resigning after being caught up in the president's mess.

Most people, when faced with impeachable crimes, would try their hardest not to commit more impeachable crimes. But not Trump, who announced he's holding next year's G7 summit of world leaders at his very own, profit-making golf resort in Florida.

After mysteriously betraying the Kurds and giving the green light for Turkey to move into Syria, Trump has been trying to backpedal on this colossal mistake... so how did he do it? By working out a deal with Turkey for a temporary cease fire in exchange for giving the Turkish leader EVERYTHING HE (and by extension, Russia) WANTS. (I guess Nancy Pelosi was right when she said that with Trump "all roads lead to Putin.")

Oh, and it's being reported that Turkey has already broken their cease fire promise. Nice dealmaking, Trump. (By the way, it's becoming clearer by the second that in their original chat, Turkey's leader Erdogan told Trump exactly what he was going to do, and the president caved in.)

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg made a speech yesterday in a sorry-ass attempt to defend the platform's decision to allow political ads that outright lie, saying that Facebook was originally intended to protect "free speech" and not "rate hot girls around campus." We're not stupid, Mark. (Oh, and he also made a comparison to Martin Luther King Jr.)

Like Sarah says, this is a stone-cold lie. Zuckerberg started Facebook to rate how his classmates looked and to compare some of them to farm animals. We know, because he liveblogged it.https://t.co/Exq6TUvOotpic.twitter.com/8D1agXzZ3M

— Ryan North's Severed Head, Kept In An Attic Box (@ryanqnorth) October 17, 2019

I heard #MarkZuckerberg's ‘free expression’ speech, in which he referenced my father. I'd like to help Facebook better understand the challenges #MLK faced from disinformation campaigns launched by politicians. These campaigns created an atmosphere for his assassination. pic.twitter.com/h97gvVmtSZ

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) October 17, 2019

In good news: It was "One giant leap for WOMANkind" as NASA conducted its first all-female spacewalk this morning.

More good news (at least for us atheists): "Americans becoming less Christian as over a quarter follow no religion."

Please take a minute and check out the following video. Then find someone who helps others and thank them today.

The trials and tribulations of being a new member of the British royal family, a new wife, AND a new mom. Plus potentially dealing with post partum blues? No better words than #WeLoveYouMeghan. pic.twitter.com/tMKUJ9fWWe

— s. (@cachedeposits) October 18, 2019

IN LOCAL NEWS: Portland city council will be hiring an outside legal firm to represent the city in upcoming contract negotiations with the routinely problematic Portland Police Union—which according to Dan Handelman of Copwatch is a good idea: "It's good to have someone who is not in a position where they represent both the police and the city," Handelman says. Our Alex Zielinski has more on the story.

An appeals court has put a temporary halt on Governor Brown's vape ban, which was intended to help slow the national epidemic of teens vaping flavored tobacco products. Vape shops argued the ban would put them out of business. Check out the story from our Josh Jardine.

The Multnomah County Health Department is warning that a person with measlespassed through the Portland Airport last Saturday, potentially exposing others who were there at the time.

By the way... ARE YOU HUNGRY? Dive headfirst into the Portland Mercury's Nacho Week! Happening right now! OH! AND YES, YOU DO LOOK SEXY!Tickets for HUMP! 2019 are right here. (Oh, and psst! Check out the new, very sexy, and decidedly NSFW HUMP! trailer here.)

Now let's get a load of this WEATHER: Expect more scattered showers and a high of 56 from now through the weekend.

And finally, this is also true of many Mercury readers. (Turn the sound up, it's a classic!)

this is the most cat thing ive ever seen pic.twitter.com/EXrVuNfhog
—𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚊🕷🕸 (@disharryland) October 16, 2019

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Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers

The Opponent

Off the field, this season was a mess for Real Salt Lake. Their manager Mike Petke shouted homophobic slurs at the referee of a friendly match against Tigres in August, was fired, and is now suing the club for wrongful termination.

The general manager Craig Waibel, named in Petke's suit as having harsh words for owner Dell Loy Hansen, departed at the end of September. Hansen has for years been notorious in league circles among owners, and there are questions about what kind of talent he'll be able to attract to fill Waibel's position.

On the field, though, especially in the months after Petke was fired, RSL has proceeded calmly and efficiently. Their third place finish in the Western Conference was their best in five years, they improved drastically in defense, and finished the year with two straight wins.

Salt Lake is not by any means one of the more star-studded or explosive teams still playing — they scored the fewest goals of any Western Conference playoff side — and have flown mostly under the radar as a result. But they're 10-2-1 in their last 13 home games, and will be playing with a chip on their shoulder.

The Tactics

The other reason that RSL has flown under the radar is that they don't have marquee wins. They went just 1-9-2 against the other Western Conference playoff teams, and lost both home and away to the Timbers — 2-1 in Sandy in May, and then 1-0 in Portland at the very end of August.

The August game was particularly telling: RSL controlled the game for long stretches, moved the ball well, were difficult to play through, and simply couldn't create the chances they needed to get a result.

To have success in the postseason, this team is going to need some heroic individual attacking performances akin to the one that Damir Kreilach turned in against LAFC in last year's Wild Card round when RSL upset Bob Bradley's team.

Salt Lake does much of their attacking wide and in the open field, trying to set up Jefferson Savarino and Albert Rusnak, which means that both of the Timbers' fullbacks will be tested defensively. Jorge Moreira played well the last time these teams met; he'll need to a similarly strong performance tomorrow night.

The Timbers should get a boost at the other end of the field, where, after missing the regular season finale against San Jose, Diego Valeri is fit and ready to return to the fold. He'll likely slot in just behind Jeremy Ebobisse up top with Brian Fernandez unavailable as he goes through MLS's substance abuse and behavioral health program.

Despite their struggles during the stretch run, the Timbers will like their chances heading into this match. They've had a good deal of success at Salt Lake in recent years, they're well-equipped to play on the road, and they've been excellent in knockout games under Giovani Savarese.

RSL's legendary goalkeeper Nick Rimando, retiring at the end of the year, will be playing to extend his career. Ismail Elflath will be the center referee on what is expected to a cool, damp night in Utah.

The Lineups

Portland Timbers

12 - Clark
4 - Villafaña
25 - Tuiloma
33 - Mabiala
2 - Moreira
21 - Chará
22 - Paredes
27 - Asprilla
10 - Blanco
8 - Valeri (C)
17 - Ebobisse

— With Ebobisse's move up top, there's a spot open in the lineup for one of Andy Polo, Dairon Asprilla, or Marvin Loría. Given his performance against San Jose, Asprilla seems like the favorite to start.

— Outside of Valeri's return, it'd be a surprise to see Savarese make any changes to the team that beat the Earthquakes. That means Bill Tuiloma at center back next to Larrys Mabiala, and Cristhian Paredes in midfield.

Real Salt Lake

18 - Rimando
4 - Toia
14 - Onuoha
15 - Glad
22 - Herrera
25 - E. Luiz
5 - Beckerman (C)
8 - Kreilach
17 - Baird
7 - Savarino
11 - Rusnák

— RSL interim manager Freddy Juarez has rotated between Glad, Onuoha, and Marcelo Silva at center back, and it's not entirely clear who he'll opt to start on Saturday.

The Memory

The Timbers have made one other postseason trip to RSL, for the first leg of the Western Conference Final six years ago, and the result was the most lopsided loss in the club's MLS playoff history.

The Pick

This game sets up about as well as a playoff game could for the Timbers right now. They move on with a 2-1 win.

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DodgrAnalogue photos by Minh Tran

DODGR: Honestly, this was always a part of the evolution. If we wanna go back to 2010 when I decided to go by Dodgr just in my normal life, because I never really related to the name Alana. I didn’t feel like it was my name. I knew that I couldn’t just be like “Dodgr,” I had to be the Last Artful, Dodgr and explain that I am my mother’s last child, I’m the artful of the two, and the whole literary meaning behind the name... At the end of the day I realized they’re all the same and I wanted Dodgr—that’s who I am, that’s how I’ve been introducing myself for almost a decade now.

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I don't consider myself a hypersexual person but I do want a sexual relationship. My current boyfriend I have been with for about eight years and I love him deeply. He is my best friend. But he hasn't been in the mood for any sexual encounters (including just making out) for over a year. It started as a relatively slow decline probably about three years ago. I would try to initiate something but more often than not be rejected. Three years ago we were having sex maybe four times a year, then last year more like two times, and this year nothing at all. I've stopped trying to initiate as much but I will about once a month but I was rejected the last 12-15 times I tried. I love him but for personal fulfillment purposes I need a sexual relationship and I'm absolutely not looking to cheat. I'm in my early twenties and I'm a fit and healthy but maybe he's just not attracted to me anymore? Or he's bored? But he still says all the sweet things he used to. It's just that it feels like I'm back in college living with a roommate and not a boyfriend. IDK what to do. I've brought the subject up before but it's not something he likes to discuss so I feel like the subject is pretty much off limits at this point. He says he only wants to be with me and I don't feel like he's cheating. He's just, IDK, not that into me? But still loves me? Maybe? How do I navigate this?

Sexual Connection Absent, Relationship Entirely Delightful

You ask yourself if you can take another twenty or thirty years of this—decades of rejection, decades of feeling unwanted, decades of sexual frustration—and then break the fuck up with this guy, nice as he is, because you need a sexual relationship for personal fulfillment purposes and he isn't willing or able to meet your sexual needs.

It would be one thing if he could talk with you about this—about the central problem in your relationship—but he's managed to convince you that any discussion about the collapse of your sexual relationship is "off limits." If we were talking about his relationship with his siblings or a comic book collection stuffed in a storage unit somewhere, sure, he could declare the subject off limits, none of your business, etc. But you're in a monogamous relationship with him and this topic—your shared sex life—involves you intimately and you have every right to raise the subject.

And it's fine if he’s not as sexual as you are or he's asexual, SCARED, but if the reasonable assumptions you made at the start of the relationship and/or the explicit promises you made each other at the start—that he would be your exclusive sex partner, that you would be his exclusive sex partner—are no longer operative, SCARED, then you'll have to hammer out a mutually agreeable compromise/accommodation. And that requires discussion. If he doesn't want sex as often as you do, perhaps he could hold you/engage with you while you masturbate. But if he's no longer interested in sex with you at all—if he's incapable of meeting your reasonable sexual needs—then you'll need his permission to get them met elsewhere if you're going to remain together. If it's something else—if he's struggling with depression or or experiencing erectile problems—then he needs to explain what proactive steps he's taking to work on his mental and/or physical health and let you know roughly when you can expect to see a light/cock at the end of the/your tunnel.

You say you're in your early twenties and you've been with this guy for eight years—so you've been with him since high school. So it's possible your relationship has simply run its course. You share a long history and the relationship is loving (still) and low-conflict (for now)—it sounds like there's real affection here—buy you don't have to hate someone to break up with them. It's possible to love someone before, during, and after a breakup. The ability to recognize when a good relationship has run its course and to end it before it gets ugly—before you cheat on him in desperation, for instance, or engineer some other conflict so you can get out—is an important life skill, SCARED, on that will serve you well in your future relationships.

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Tina Fey and John Slattery hash it out.Christopher Saunders/Amazon Studios

As you might have guessed from the title, Modern Love collects a batch of romance- and love-oriented stories, and as its Gray Lady pedigree would suggest, they’re all set in the wealthier, whiter climes of New York City. The column (which has already been anthologized in a book and adapted for a podcast prior to receiving the TV show treatment) features essays by various writers, each based on real-life experiences. The show spins those brief essays out into 30-minute films, and the result is that most of the episodes feel embellished and manufactured, in addition to containing that under-flavor of smugness that’s inherent in such an endeavor. There's also a very palpable taint of Woody Allen hanging over the entire thing, which suggests that the show's makers didn't know how (or couldn't be bothered) to find a new way of telling these sketch-like New York stories.

Unsurprisingly, the quality of episodes varies wildly. For me, the high point is “Rallying to Keep the Game Alive," writer/director Sharon Horgan’s (Catastrophe) tale of a long-married couple (Tina Fey and John Slattery) who have forgotten how to be nice to each other. Less funny than incisive, the story is observational and wry, and its characters' predicament feels authentic. The other episodes never attain this level of vitality; instead, they loll about in beige feel-good-ness and softball emotions. For example, in “When Cupid Is a Prying Journalist," a story about a dating-app inventor played by Dev Patel, two characters become smitten with each other as they swan about the zoo. They gaze at a pair of gorillas, and one murmurs to the other, “Love is so universal.” Pretty fucking profound.

Will Anne Hathaway find love in the produce aisle?Christopher Saunders/Amazon Studios

Maybe the show is for someone less cynical than me. These aren’t romcoms, to be sure—they’re rarely funny, and they aim for a sort of oversized-sweater, cup-of-warm-tea, leafing-through-a-catalog level of coziness that I just don’t respond to. But there are some interesting elements here and there, such as the Julia Garner/Shea Whigham May-December pairing in “So He Looked Like Dad. It Was Just Dinner, Right?” (The episodes titles, taken directly from the newspaper column, can be rough going.) And “Hers Was a World of One” hits on some real friction between a gay man (Andrew Scott, terrific as usual) who’s hoping, along with his partner, to adopt the baby of a pregnant homeless woman (Olivia Cooke). The problem is that Cooke’s character is not actually connected to any sort of societal issue but is, instead, a sort of Manic Pixie Dream Vagabond who’s forsaken the boring comforts of a permanent roof in favor of a fun, not-dangerous-at-all life on the road.

In the end, I couldn’t help thinking how another show, High Maintenance, uses a similar idea to much better effect. That show consistently delivers these incredible, intensely emotional slices of life from the corners of the very same city, and its far more thorough tableau of representation notwithstanding, so much of High Maintenance’s power comes from those accumulated disconnected moments adding up to a much greater whole. Modern Love, I guess, is the version for those who think smoking pot is naughty? Those people are mostly bores; perhaps appropriately, this show is about mostly boring people.

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Movie Madness

The Kickstarter fell short of that additional goal, but the Hollywood vowed to build the screening room all the same. Movie Madness' screening room welcomed its first audiences yesterday, and the Mercury was there to check it out, from its laser projector to the framed posters for Rear Window, All About My Mother, and The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension on the walls.

The short version? Movie Madness has always been the best place to find a movie in Portland, but now that it has a micro-theater boasting gorgeous picture, bone-liquefying sound, and 18 comfy seats, it's also one of the best places to watch a movie in Portland.

Movie Madness

It's all set up to show DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, and VHS. There's also the capability to show media via streaming or a hard drive, along with 16mm film projection. About the only thing missing is a LaserDisc player—though when that came up, Colburn and several Movie Madness employees quickly started plotting possibilities.

(VHS, said Doug Whyte, the Hollywood's executive director, was put in "much to the chagrin of the installer. I don't think he's done one of those in a long time.")

A chunk of THX 1138 on VHS—the video upscaled, via all that tech, to emulate a higher resolution—looked surprisingly decent when piped through the system, but the real show-off pieces were, naturally, the sizzle-reel clips that companies like Triad use to sell and demonstrate their high-end home theaters. The opening of Mad Max: Fury Road, a WWII dogfight from Unbroken, and the wildfire battle sequence from Game of Thrones all showed off a level of crystal-clear picture and astonishingly complex sound that surpasses a number of Portland's actual movie theaters.

Erik Henriksen

Hollywood Theatre members can also rent out the screening room, with three-hour blocks going for $300—which sounds like a whole lot if you're the only one paying for a movie screening for you and 17 of your deadbeat friends. But if everybody chips in, it comes out to a decidedly more reasonable $16 per. That's a lot cheaper than $100,000.

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Today, you reminded all your friends of this quote from Ronald Reagan: "We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life—the unborn—without diminishing the value of all human life." Bravo! I have never heard a more persuasive argument for taking bold, immediate action to protect future generations from the devastating effects of global climate change. Because "the unborn" in that quote means all the future generations who will inherit this planet, right? Wait, you mean your idol, the Gipper, wasn't talking about protecting future generations, but was really rationalizing his (and your) desire for the government to seize control over women's bodies and fertility? And do you mean that you'll support, fund, and vote for people who want to do not only that, but also will prevent the rest of us from taking the necessary action to keep our planet as livable as possible, for all generations, present and future, in order to protect their profits and power? So that's what "pro-life" means, huh? What are your thoughts on the death penalty and universal health care? Yeah, never mind.

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