David D. Levine

Q: In the US, do Indian restaurant condiments make any noise?
A: No. In America we have the raita remain silent.

This brief Bluesky conversation between tef (@tef@mastodon.social) and Charlie Stross (@cstross@wandering.shop) is one for the ages.

At the Hollywood Theatre for its 100th anniversary! They showed "More Pay, Less Work" (the first film shown at the theatre on opening day in 1926), silent comedy with live pipe organ accompaniment! It was actually hilarious, with some amazing stunts.

Pon Farr…

At Portland City Council's City Life Committee meeting, where the fate of the Keller Auditorium will be discussed.

AI got the blame for the Iran school bombing. The truth is far more worrying https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/mar/26/ai-got-the-blame-for-the-iran-school-bombing-the-truth-is-far-more-worrying

"AI" is the radium of the 2020s. Pushed as a beneficial cure-all, it's actually horribly toxic and will remain harmful for decades.

Cartoonist Nicole Hollander has passed away. She was brilliant and incisive and I loved her strip "Sylvia." https://www.lambiek.net/artists/h/hollander_n.htm

Long but important essay about why the Right is attacking trans people (it's strategy, not policy) and why the Left must remain united. https://antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com/p/the-bus-is-coming-trans-people-coalition

Awwwwww

"AI" is NOT inevitable, and it can and will be defeated. Crypto, NFTs, and the "metaverse" were all also touted as game-changing and inevitable, and where are they now? On the same ash heap as the Segway and the Cybertruck. They do still exist, but no one is talking about them anymore.

One night in Rome before the LARP

Under New Olympic Sex Testing Policy, A Cis Woman Who Gives Birth Could Be Considered Male https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/under-new-olympic-sex-testing-policy

Montreal: Fun Badge Tour (en route)

Montreal: Fun Badge Tour stop #2: René-Lévesque Park

"Conscience" (Westworld) LARP

Bridge Command!

Tate Modern

Play #12: "Into the Woods" at the Bridge Theatre. An excellent production.

British Museum: Hawaii

Montreal: "Cirque Comes to You" signature event (2)

Play #13: "The Holy Rosenbergs" at Menier Chocolate Factory. Intense. A Jewish "Death of a Salesman" for the Israel-Gaza crisis.

Downtown Portland’s elk statue has a return date, for real this time! https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2026/03/downtown-portlands-elk-statue-has-a-return-date-for-real-this-time.html?gift=2bb60594-6529-4e3f-87cc-3676e88bf940 (gift link)

According to the Portland Parks Foundation, it's Sunday April 12, 12-4pm, details TBD. https://www.portlandpf.org/upcoming-events

Arabella and the Battle of Venus (The Adventures of Arabella Ashby Book 2) is on sale for $1.99 at Amazon (only) in the US and Canada for the whole month of April! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPW9SN9W

You might wonder why this snack is telling you to STFU. "StuFu" is short for "Studentenfutter" — "student fodder" — which is what the Germans call GORP. In French it's apparently called "student cocktail."

Arabella the Traitor of Mars (The Adventures of Arabella Ashby Book 3) is currently on sale at $1.99 at all ebook stores. I don't know how long this will last, or if it's US-only or international. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CPW98GBW

British Museum: Samurai

More info has been posted about the Thompson Elk Fountain Homecoming Celebration! It will be Sunday, April 12, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. https://www.portlandpf.org/elkhomecoming

Montreal: Fun Badge Tour stop #3: Éclusiers Park (Lock Keepers Park)

Victoria & Albert Museum

British Museum: Money

To the best of my knowledge, the band ABBA never used an ABBA rhyme scheme (line 1 rhymes with line 4, line 2 rhymes with line 3) nor an ABBA song structure (verse, chorus, chorus, verse).

Montreal: "Cirque Comes to You" signature event (1)

Worldwide potato glut results in millions of potatoes being given away free. "The surplus is a result of numerous factors, including favorable weather in some markets and perhaps even changing eating habits from the use of drugs like Ozempic." https://denverite.com/2026/07/24/denver-potato-palooza-giveaway-we-dont-waste/

Play #11: "Manic Street Creature" at the Kiln Theatre. Kind of a live concept album.

Heading home!

This weekend (7/10-12) is the "2nd Annual Portland Pride Play Festival" of queer theatre at the Back Door Theater on Hawthorne! I'll be performing in "Queerly Departed" at 7pm Friday and "Nothing is Nothing is Nothing" at 3pm Sunday! Pay what you will! https://thirdeyetheatre.com/

Montreal: "Beyond the Bagel" Jewish food walking tour

At SEA (forgot to take a carpet photo before leaving PDX 🤦‍♂️) on our way to Italy for the Bunker 101 LARP! https://chaosleague.org/bunker-101-larp/

Montreal: Fun Badge Tour stop #5: L'Anneau (The Ring)

Montreal: Fun Badge Tour stop #1: Maison Alcan

Home safe! ::thud::

Sadly prophetic… and we didn't realize that "we" referred to the USA, not the GOP.