Google Analyzes Seattle's Dreams, Fears, and Preoccupations

"Lake Union" from the Space Needle, courtesy of The SunBreak Flickr pool stalwart Slightlynorth

Zeitgeist, Google calls it. For me, the list echoes of Lawrence Durrell's Spirit of Place. These are ten search terms that are unique to Seattle in their popularity. Some need no explanation, like the leader "sounders fc." The Sounders Football Club has singlehandedly brought back scarf-wearing to Seattle sports fandom, if that gives you any idea. I think they could bring back umbrellas! Seriously.

But what about "bellevue college"? Yes, Virginia, there really is a college in Bellevue (previously Bellevue Community College). In 2008-09 it conferred its first Baccalaureate degrees. It's the third-largest higher learning institution in Washington, that's all. 37,000 people attend.

Next we have "seahawks 2009 schedule." What does that tell us? That the Seahawks play San Francisco this weekend, for one thing. But more importantly, we learn that Seattleites are prone to rubbernecking at train wrecks. Can't help themselves.

Next! Let's take a trip to the "snoqualmie casino," with its daily blackjack tournaments, 1,700 slot machines, and ten poker tables. It's 170,000 square feet, with eight restaurants, lounges, and bars. There's an 11,000-sq.-ft. ballroom. Michael McDonald is going to appear there this weekend.

Here is something historic: "west seattle blog" is fifth on the popularity list. It is the only time that West Seattle has been fifth at anything! Tracy Record and Patrick Sands run the blog night and day, and have full-time since Tracy left KCPQ in December 2007. Today they have great shots of the moonrise from West Seattle.

I think it has to be another record that "uw libraries" makes the list. Libraries in Seattle enjoy the fame and adulation that, say, Studio 54 did in New York. A lot of you can recall Suzzallo and Odegaard without hesitation, but what about the Miller Horticultural Library? What about the K. K. Sherwood Library at Harborview? The UW libraries contain 7.14 million volumes.

I don't imagine I need to spend much time on "myuw.com." Big research university, brings in about $1 billion in grants annually, has over 4,100 full-time faculty and almost 50,000 students, there's a football team.

Then, in a sign of the times, we see "wa unemployment" as those nine percent of unemployed Washingtonians go online to learn how to file for benefits. It's either that or go back to college: SCCC is reporting that students are about 32 percent more likely to be unemployed than a year ago.

Banks might fail, Boeing may be heading south, but "becu.com" abides. The Boeing Employees Credit Union is more Boeing than Boeing. It's Washington's largest credit union, with over 600,000 members and over $8 billion in assets. It was born in 1935 with 18 members and $9. Loans were held to $2.50. Currently their 18-month CD returns 1.56 percent.

Finally we end up where so many end up, perhaps after trying to rob the Snoqualmie Casino: the "snohomish county jail." Who's in jail? People you don't want to receive a collect call from. It gets crowded in there. Prisoners are being handed "cold case" playing cards in the hopes they will help crack the cases.