Radgirl's Portland Playground

Yesterday I got the notification that one of my favorite bands is coming to Portland, and they have been pouring from my speakers today every chance I got. I fell in love with Mayday Parade about a billion years ago (or somewhere in 2006-7 ish) at a Warped Tour concert.  They weren't well known yet, and they walked up to me with a very simple sign that I'm pretty sure was made from a sheet and some sharpies, and one of them said, "We're Mayday Parade.  We love you and we would love it if you would come see us and bring your friends." They told me what time and which stage, and I made a point to be there.   It was trance-like.  Every single song echoed deep in my soul and I was an instant addict.  Every time they came to town, I made it a point to see them.  My daughter, who was in middle school at the time, made Mayday Parade mixed CD's and they have remained in heavy rotation in my life since then.   Mayday Parade has just the right ...

Amazon is the go-to one-click-shopping site for many people all over the world, and if you're looking for that last minute one-of-a-kind gift, they have got you covered.  You are just a few clicks away from having your own radioactive sample of uranium shipped right to your door. Now, I don't know what actually comes in this little canister, or whether or not you should also order iodine tablets just in case, but I do know that I laughed until I nearly peed myself while reading the customer reviews. It does come with its own certificate of authenticity, so I can only imagine that this isn't something you want to purchase for your toddler's teething pleasure, and according to the seller, you cannot use it to power your DeLorean to get back in time, but many people are using it to power submarines to look for extinct dinosaurs, and one buyer has created some sort of bird eating roses. This one is for all you diabolical villains hell bent on taking over the worl...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  Decorations are hung, the lights are strung, and presents are wrapped and tucked neatly under the tree.  Last minute gifts have been purchased, and you’ve checked your list twice and thrice.  Now it’s time to sit back, enjoy a cup of joe, and snuggle by the fire in front of a classic Christmas cartoon.  Then the phone rings.  You’re invited to yet another holiday party and there is a white elephant gift required.  You already know it's tight, but you hate to turn down an opportunity to go to a party. Begrudgingly, you open your bank ap to find that you’re overdrawn and the fees are racking up.  You realize that there is a purchase of $200 from a store you never went to.  You turn and look at your spouse, who is oblivious to the hellfire brewing inside of you.  Trying to hold it back, you sip your coffee and stare at the screen stewing and wondering what gifts under the tree have to go ...

Pachyderms pumpkin pummeling.    The Oregon Zoo's annual Squishing of the Squash, in which some of the world's largest land animals demolish some of the area's largest pumpkins, will be held Friday, Oct. 28, at 10:30 a.m. The Squishing of the Squash is a precursor to the zoo's Howloween celebration. Events on Saturday and Sunday include a fun scavenger hunt that directs trick-or-treaters to easily accessible activity stations throughout the zoo where they can collect candy and prizes. Throughout the weekend, visitors can also watch the zoo's enrichment team and keepers provide animals with pumpkins and other holiday-themed treats. The Oregon Zoo is recognized worldwide for its Asian elephant program, which has spanned more than 60 years. Considered highly endangered in their range countries, Asian elephants are threatened by habitat loss, conflict with humans and disease. It is estimated that just 40,000 to 50,000 elephants remain in fragmented pop...

Willard Martin’s mosaic “The Continuity of Life Forms,” seen here at the zoo entrance circa 1968, was reinstalled last month at the zoo’s new education center. Photo by Anne Breeze, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo . After nearly 20 years spent languishing in obscurity, a classic Portland artwork is set to return to the public eye. “The Continuity of Life Forms” — a huge midcentury-modern mosaic by renowned Portland architect and artist Willard Martin — was reinstalled at the Oregon Zoo last month at a site near the old zoo entrance, where the iconic piece stood for more than 50 years. “This is a way of preserving the legacy of a local hero in addition to preserving part of the zoo’s history,” says Brent Shelby, one of the zoo’s project managers. “There will be a lot of nostalgia for those who visited the zoo prior to the late 1990s.” Originally installed at the entrance when the zoo moved to its current location in 1959, the striking mosaic greeted visitors for 40 years, be...

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Hindsight » Bible Chick Sometimes it is funny, but sometimes it can hit you like forty megaton bombs and bring your world to a standstill.