Radgirl's Portland Playground

Who wants the normal dinner date Valentine's Day experience that you have had every single year since the beginning of forever?  Wouldn't it be better to try something new?  Something fresh?  Something that makes your date cling to you like never before? Gresham's premiere haunt, House of Shadows has never been one to believe that haunted houses should be confined to the boundaries of the Halloween season.  Every holiday is fair game when these guys get their hands on it, and Valentine's Day is no different.  If you're looking for something to do that promises to be a different Halloween experience than before, House of Shadows should be your destination. House of Shadows pulls out all the stops when they put a haunt together.  Oh, and one more thing, if you don't like being touched, you should definitely stay home, because this is a full contact haunted house.  What does that mean?  You're fair game, and who knows where you'll end up. Are you

Packy approaches a wading pool in the south habitat of elephant lands.  Photo by Michael Durham, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo Packy, who made headlines during the Kennedy era as the first elephant born in the Western Hemisphere in 44 years, was humanely euthanized at the Oregon Zoo today. At nearly 55, he was the oldest male of his species in North America. “We loved Packy so much,” said Bob Lee, who oversees the zoo elephant program and worked with Packy for the past 17 years. “He was my favorite — the most impressive animal I’ve ever known. It’s hard to think about coming in to work tomorrow and not seeing him. There will never be another like him.” The decision to euthanize came following a lengthy search for alternative treatment options after  test results last fall  indicated Packy was suffering from a drug-resistant strain of TB. “We’d run out of options for treating him,” said Dr. Tim Storms, the zoo’s lead veterinarian. “The remaining treatments involved side ef

Long ago in a galaxy not so far away, a ska band won the hearts and souls of everyone who heard their sound and energy. For me, it was 20 years ago at a big festival show in George, Washington.  They took the stage, and I looked at the group of people I was with and said, "Who is this?"  As soon as I heard them say, "We're Reel Big Fish" I went in search of their merch tent.  This girl was not going home without some Reel Big Fish in her CD player. While waiting in line, this guy in a crazy Hawaiian shirt looked at me and said, "Come here!" That was the beginning of my love for Reel Big Fish.  Don't get any ideas, beers and laughter was what was shared.  I'm not that kind of groupie, gosh!  But, it did begin one of the most profound sound affairs I have had with a musical group. Reel Big Fish's sound is definitely 100% ska, but their hilarious lyrics are always rooted in truth in a way that allows them to say what everyone is th

So many amazing things are going to hit Portland Feb 17-19, and you're not going to want to miss out on a thing. Here are some of the Wizard World Comic Con deets: Q&A sessions with “Sons of Anarchy” stars Theo Rossi   and Ryan Hurst , Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black”), John Barrowman (“Arrow”), Alan Tudyk   (“Firefly”), Matthew Lewis ( Harry Potter franchise) and   Dean Cain (“Supergirl”), a concert by videogame tribute band “Critical Hit,” costume contests, comics-themed sessions, screenings, gaming and more are among the programming highlights at Wizard World Comic Con Portland, February 17-19 at the Oregon Convention Center. Most programming is included as part of the standard event admission and is in addition to the live entertainment options all weekend. Some highlights of the more than 100 panels scheduled include: Interactive Q&As with the “Anarchy” duo of Rossi and Hurst (Sunday, 2:30 p.m.) and “CHiPs” tandem of Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox (Sun

Here we are again, facing down another winter storm for the Portland Metro Area.  Are you ready for it?  Most people are cursing the freezing weather, saying things like, "We live in the Northwest because we don't want to freeze to death or burn up!" True, but let's think back to all of the snow dancing that happened in December when there was a hint that we might see a white Christmas.  Portland snow danced like there was no tomorrow, and guess what?  We did not have a white Christmas, however, now we're looking at a white February. Soon, the sun will come out, the heat will arrive, and people will forget all about the uncomfortable weather we've had this year and start dreaming of snow dances again. In the meantime, get ready for another round.  The wind is howling, trees are coming down, and it's not looking super amazing for the next few days.  Buckle up Portland, it's going to be a bumpy ride!! My weather go-to guy is always Mark Nelson