State of Wonder

PDX Women In Tech, The Hilarious 'Stupid F**king Bird' And The Quest For The Perfect Pair of Jeans

By Aaron Scott (OPB), April Baer (OPB) and Joshua Justice (OPB)
March 12, 2016 5 p.m.
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A customer gets fitted a the Qcut pop-up shop. Beasley says, "If you're wearing a pair jeans that makes you feel comfortable in your own skin, it does change the way do you feel about yourself."

A customer gets fitted a the Qcut pop-up shop. Beasley says, "If you're wearing a pair jeans that makes you feel comfortable in your own skin, it does change the way do you feel about yourself."

Kathryn Elsesser / Courtesy of Qcut

We have

binders

full of stuff for you today. As it turns out, many are full of women.

Qcut And The Quest For Jeans That Fit -
A new Oregon start-up is hoping to provide relief from long, torturous hours of finding jeans that fit. Owner Crystal Beasley, a former Mozilla software developer, has developed an algorithm that pairs users with the right blue jeans out of a selection of some 300 different fits. We learn about some of the potential behind the new technology.

Painfully Honest Job Descriptions for Portland Women in Tech -
A recent report from SmartAsset.com lists the top towns for women in tech. Of 58 American cities, Portland placed dead last. Megan Bigelow of Jama Software, Kasey Tonsfeldt of Young Lions Collective, Amanda Brooks of 24 Seven Inc. help us imagine what a truthful tech job posting would sound like. Hint: it's not pretty (despite it paying to be pretty).

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

The Environmental Photojournalism Of Gary Braasch -
Environmentalist Gary Braasch died this week while documenting coral bleaching on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. OPB News' Kate Davidson spoke with Alison Jones, a senior fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers who says Braasch has been a huge influence on her work, about Braasch's life and legacy.

The cast of "Stupid F**king Bird" at Portland Center Stage.

The cast of "Stupid F**king Bird" at Portland Center Stage.

Patrick Weishampel/blankeye.tv / Portland Center Stage

What Are You Looking At: Stupid F**king Bird -
Portland theaters have staged a number of Eugene-born playwright Aaron Posner's more traditional adaptations. Now Portland Center Stage is producing the first of what he calls his irreverent adaptations: "Stupid F**king Bird." A play on Chekhov's "The Seagull," it was developed at Washington, DC's Woolly Mammoth Theatre to great acclaim and featured a number of PCS regulars, who reprise their roles here. Producer Aaron Scott invited "Portland Monthly" arts editor Fiona McCann to a showing as part of our "What Are You Looking At?" series.

The Soul-Hop of Dirty Revival -
Dirty Revival brought their seven piece down to the OPB studios to play some funky, energetic tracks off their 2015 self-titled album. The group sat down with host April Baer to talk touring, song reworks, and the social consciousness that permeates their music. You can watch videos of their performance here.

Portland Candidates: Bim Ditson & Jim Lee -
We continue our coverage of Portland candidates and the arts with two unique perspectives. Mayoral candidate Bim Ditson, a local music promoter and drummer for indie rock band And And And, talks with us about how to make a living with art. Our other guest is Jim Lee, who is running for city council Position 4, a seat currently held by Steve Novick. Lee prioritizes revitalizing Portland's venues and speaks with us about why he feels it's such an important move.

Walks in the Dark, 2011

Walks in the Dark, 2011

Wendy Red Star

Wendy Red Star -
Portland artist Wendy Red Star is blowing up. In the last 18 months, she has had her work featured across the country, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and at the Portland Art Museum twice. Oregon Art Beat's Katrina Sarson followed Red Star over that time and gives us the download on what makes the multidisciplinary artist so unique. Watch the Oregon Art Beat piece on Red Star here.

Cristina Henriquez And "The Book of Unknown Americans" -
Each year the Multnomah County Library chooses one novel to feature as part of their Everybody Reads series with the idea that the books might spur conversation throughout the community. This year's pick is The Book of Unknown Americans by author Cristina Henriquez. We share an excerpt of Think Our Loud's Dave Miller speaking with Henriquez in front of an audience at Literary Arts last week. You can hear the full interview here.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:
THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR: