Think Out Loud

When you think of professional wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment, also known as WWE, may come to mind. But the Pacific Northwest is home to its own indie scene of wrestling. As Katherine Cusumano writes in The Believer, the blood, sweat and tears that go into wrestling take a toll on the body and mind, but the spirit and drive keep many in-ring. Including Derek Drexl and Amira Lukens, both Portland-based pro-wrestlers who were profiled recently. They join us to share their wrestling careers, match stories and more.

Toody Cole has been a pillar in many beloved Pacific Northwest bands, including Dead Moon and the Rats and Pierced Arrows. After Pierced Arrows disbanded in 2015, Toody Cole and her husband Fred Cole performed together until his death in 2017.

Six years later, the 77-year-old would return as Toody Cole and her Band. They just got back from a Summer tour in Europe and will be returning for a Winter tour next month. Toody Cole and her Band join us for an in-studio performance and share more on the upcoming tour, her music and her decades-long career in Portland’s music scene.

The Leatherman tool came from a simple idea: What if a Boy Scout knife had pliers? This simple idea started a company with now more than 540 employees and a dedicated fan base. In a new book from the tool’s inventor, Tim Leatherman, “The Leatherman” shares the story of the tool's creation, the ups and downs of inventing and practical advice for anyone with their own big idea. Leatherman joins us to share more.

 Portland voters in two of the city’s four districts will soon be casting ballots to elect or re-elect their city councilors. It’s the second election using ranked choice voting. With half of the Portland city council seats up for grabs, what should voters expect? We hear from OPB politics reporters Bryce Dole and Alex Zielinski as they discuss the upcoming Portland election on the latest episode of “OPB Politics Now.”

The Oregon chapter of the international nonprofit “Dress for Success” was among the very first of the 130 member networks. It started by offering professional suits and clothes to women who couldn't otherwise afford them. But since 1998, it’s evolved to offering a range of career services. And now it’s opening its most ambitious program yet: WorkWell, a co-working space in NE Portland that includes all those services, plus childcare and more. We talk with Dress for Success Oregon Executive Director Lindsey Norlander and client Delaney Farve, who owns Tiny Travelers Play Place.

 Researchers at Washington State University were interested in seeing whether cannabis use decreased stress, based on both subjective reports and objective measurements of bodily changes associated with stress. That includes, for example, an increase in heart rate during stress. 

The scientists recruited 120 regular users of cannabis to vape a low or moderate dose of cannabis in the lab. They also included a placebo group who vaped without cannabis. Neither the scientists nor the participants knew which group the participants were in during the study.  

All of the participants reported feeling less stressed after vaping – even those in the placebo group. The scientists also found that cannabis appears to have varied effects on stress indicators in the body. For example, the drug significantly elevated heart rate in the moderate-dose group but had no effect on heart rate variability, which typically decreases during stress. 

Carrie Cuttler is an associate professor of psychology and the director of the Cannabis Research Center at Washington State University. She joins us to share more details about the study.

From Wonderwoman and Lois Lane to Cathy and Veronica Lodge, there have been no shortage of women represented in comics. In the new book, “Women in Comics,” authors Nhora Lucia Serrano and Portland State University’s Susan E. Kirtley explore the history of not only the women on the page, but the authors behind them. Using archetypes commonly found in comic books, Kirtley and Serrano look at some of the most influential women that have changed the medium. Kirtley joins us to share more on the book and the impact women have had on the industry.