Recent Stories

Zillow, says Seattle Bubble, is down on homeowners in the western U.S. for being "overly optimistic" about their new underwater living arrangements. While 72 percent of all U.S. homes (Zillow's statistic) lost value last year, 51 percent of starry-eyed Westerners think their home's value stayed the same or appreciated.

Maybe, though, homeowners are expecting to get the kind of break that home builders are getting. Jon Talton, while commenting on the nosedive in new housing permits, also linked a story about how home builders can write off losses in 2008 and 2009 against profits as far back as 2004.

This is astonishing for two--no, three--reasons: First of all the provision was tucked into the unemployment benefits extension. Secondly, the government is rewarding home builders for overbuilding during a boom. And lastly, there's nothing about the provision that targets home builders whose losses might drive them out of business. A company sitting on $1.9 billion in cash will get a boost, too.

So who is not realistic,...

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George

In Year 2 A.S. (After Sonics), Key Arena has a new hoops tenant: Seattle University. The school's athletic program is transitioning into Division One, the top level of U.S. college sports. And they've scheduled a team that brings NBA-level talent back to the Key for the first time since the Sonics left.

Fresno State comes to town Thursday, along with their star sophomore forward Paul George. At 6'7", 210 lbs., George has an NBA body. And he for sure has NBA athleticism. Check out these dunks:

 

 

George will be the #7 pick in next year's draft, according to NBADraft.net,. After that if you want to see George dunking on people, you'll have to drive to Portland (or, as I now call it after coining this phrase last night, "Disneyland for guys with beards"), the nearest town with an NBA team....

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We like it ... but what does it mean? (Photo by Slightlynorth, from the SunBreak Flickr pool.)

Are you ready? Just another reminder that Wednesday the 18th is our second annual Blogsgiving. So RSVP already.  It's almost tomorrow!

Like last year's event, this year's Blogsgiving is a chance for a cadre of local blogs (us, of course, along with Seattle Metblogs, Seattlest, Seattle PostGlobe, and all of Neighborlogs) to host a big ol' blogger meetup while also raising money for Northwest Harvest.

Tomorrow night, put on your finest Pilgrim hat and head over to Central Cinema starting at 6 p.m. for food, drinks, and seasonal tidings. You know that free food is bound to go quick, so be sure to be punctual if you want to get your hands on a caramel apple or a slice of pizza.  Or a slice of caramel apple pizza.

It's a $5 suggested donation at the door, or feel free to bring some non-perishable food items.  Send us any of your favorite YouTube vids to broadcast on the big screen (via jseattle at gmail.com).  And for an extra $6, stick around for Big Trouble in Little China at 9:30 p.m.

For more details, take a look at the invite and be sure to RSVP:

The party begins at 6 p.m. Enjoy some mulled wine and caramel apples. On top of that, we're bringing back the amateur paper turkey contest, a big hit from last year. Will you see amazing things transpire on the big screen? Yes, obviously, or we wouldn't have brought it up. Invite your friends, family, and fellow bloggers, journalers, or tumblrs. See you there!

• Blogsgiving is this Wednesday, November 18th, 6-9 p.m. at Central Cinema, 1411 21st Ave. $5 suggested donation and/or two non-perishable food items.

It's like a bad advertising slogan: "Imagine yourself in a Mercury." Except this time it's "Imagine the mercury in you." Washington Toxics Coalition has produced a new study of pregnant mothers that illustrates just that. As the PostGlobe reports, Seattle mom Kim Radtke discovered eleven chemicals were coursing through her bloodstream, and "rated worst among nine West Coast women tested for a particular class of chemicals: perfluorinated compounds (PFOS)."

Every woman tested was found to have been exposed to , found in such things as the lining of food cans. Each woman had two to four so-called “Teflon chemicals” (All had detectable levels of , a chemical found in long-lived fish like tuna that is known to harm brain development. And every woman was exposed to at least four (pronounced THAL-ates).

This kind of news is just terrible for the chemicals industry, who have been on the lookout for a young, attractive pregnant woman willing to go on record about how the convenience of BPA outweighs its role as an endocrine disruptor. [Per Harper's magazine, subscription-only viewing] So far, no takers.

The hard news is voiced by Molly Gray, a Seattle midwife and naturopathic physician: "The answer I received from this study is that the fight is too big for just one person."

Seattle blog Sightline is running a series called "Sustainababy," about the real world challenges of mothering and sustainability, from polluted air to baby clothes. Anna Fahey writes that her eyes have been opened, too, by the impossibility of personal choice making a dent in her child's exposure to pollutants and contaminants. In a very real way, energy and air quality policy are where mothers need to focus their outrage, but that's not how anyone talks to moms.

The emphasis--and burden--is always on the mother to educate herself personally, to learn what to avoid, and to build a bubble of clean green living for the baby to enjoy.

But no mother goes out to shop for lead, carbon monoxide, or nitrogen dioxide. That comes for free with the air around her. Holding her breath for nine months is longer than most yogis can manage, and they really practice at it.

As Don previously mentioned, the Seattle Rock Orchestra's performance of the Arcade Fire's Funeral tonight is decidedly sold out.  I don't see any tickets up for grabs on Craigslist, nor a waitlist on the Fremont Abbey's blog. What is a orchestral rock lover to do?  Head to the Croc tonight for Fanfarlo.

Fronted by Swede Simon Balthazar, Fanfarlo is a British six-piece with the sounds of a mini-symphony.  They're Arcade Fire not on the edge of an emotional apocalypse, or Beirut minus the French Gypsies.  That is to say, there will be blood violins and mandolins and the occasional horn flourishes, and they're more than capable of a mean Neutral Milk Hotel cover.  They're touring off of their debut album Reservoir, released in the US last month, which begins with the lumbering yet delicate "I'm A Pilot," and is buoyed throughout by strong songwriting and graceful melodies. Check out the live performance of "The Walls Are Coming Down" above for a dynamic taste of what they're like live.

 

• Fanfarlo plays the Croc tonight with openers Freelance Whales. Doors 8 p.m.  $10, 21+.

I was there to review another band, but who could resist photographing Raphael Saadiq's show? Not me. For a review of the "knockout" tour opener, tune into Jonathan Zwickel's piece at Spin. Every word is true.

The Seattle City Council is working on its 2010 proposed budget, which differs from the "endorsed" budget in that this time they're serious. (The city uses a modified biennial budget process, producing an endorsed budget for two years that sets spending levels, but does not appropriate money, for the second year. The proposed budget takes care of that.)

The Council's 2010 budget is weighing in so far at $3.88 billion, and is supposed to address a $72-million shortfall between the endorsed budget's predictions of revenue and what has actually transpired.

For instance, Seattle City Light's surplus electricity sales were predicted to be  about $142 million for 2009, but now it's estimated at almost half that: $77 million. The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) was supposed to bring in $28 million from construction permits and licensing and so forth, but with construction and real estate markets in a coma, the new number is $14 million for 2009.

B&O tax revenue "growth" declined severely in 2009--I'm quoting the city budget there, but my loyalty to English demands that I mention there was zero growth--and in fact revenue is projected to dip about 7.4 percent, to $162 million.

So the budget cutting is general, though the Council has dialed back some of Mayor Nickels' cuts, and added back in some library funding. In this environment, it's odd to see that they have also repealed the employee hours (aka "head") tax, delighting the bean counters at the Seattle Times, but resulting in a loss of $4.5 million for the city. The tax levied was not more than $25 per full-time employee per year, and there were deductions if the employee(s) didn't commute by driving. Businesses grossing under $80,000 were exempt.

Political theater aside--the contretemps over whether City Council members would "chip in" to reduce a $72 million shortfall forced me to exhale slowly with my eyes closed--the reality is that the city's tax base has shrunk to what it was in 1987. It is a substantial shock, and with a jobless "recovery" on the horizon, the Council's Richard McIver is probably right in expecting a worse 2011. And while the City Council is busy getting lean and mean, simple budget starvation tends to yield the same results.

Mayor McGinn, your hot seat is ready.

Allen

Could Washington morph from a football-crazy school into a basketball mecca? Certainly there's no contest performance-wise. Now, media coverage is beginning to turn basketball's way.

For the first time, the Seattle Times has a reporter dedicated solely to Washington basketball: Percy Allen, who formerly was the Sonics' beat writer. Previously Bob Condotta covered both basketball and football, meaning that hoops coverage suffered in the early months of the season, while football was a going concern.

Allen has followed the Dawgs from practice one, is filing a story most every day, and has created a must-read blog.

Husky basketball also finally has a dedicated fan blog, Montlake Madness. Founder Josh Anderson is covering every game, doing interviews with players and opposing coaches, basically owning it. Like every good fan blog, it covers the team in-depth and is recommended for diehards.

If you're looking for a smart, Hoops 201 perspective on Husky hoops, check out Todd Dybas' writing in the Seattlepi.com. Dybas brings more advanced strategic insight than the average beat writer, going in-depth about offensive sets, defensive styles, and players' specific moves. Good stuff.

Moving more toward the advanced hoops end of the spectrum, Kevin Pelton of BasketballProspectus.com will be sharing his thoughts about Husky hoops from time to time. Here's his "Five Thoughts: Washington-Portland State" from Sunday. Good stuff. (The College Basketball Prospectus came out last week, if you want a bookful of advanced college hoops talk.)

Football still seems to dominate conversation here. At the Times, Allen's assumption of hoops duties frees up Condotta to write full-time about football. And paid sites like Dawgman, UDubSports.com, and RealDawg all focus primarily on the gridiron. Mainly because most media consumers grew up in the football glory days. As football flounders, and basketball...uh...blasts off (?), the landscape is changing.

Somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty-six musicians filled up half of the Fremont Abbey for their practice before the big show Tuesday night, November 17. Bassoons, oboes, French horns, clarinets, flutes, a harp, violins, violas, basses, cellos, percussion, tubas, trombones, trumpets, all collaborating with the standard singer, drumset, guitar, bass and keyboard of a modern rock band. Hundreds of years of musical development will culminate in a handful of Arcade Fire cover songs.

Those of you lucky enough to have a ticket are in for a treat. The sound is wonderful despite the inherent challenge of a live mix for four dozen instruments. The arrangements are true to form yet original. You'll get to see some of your favorite upcoming singers (from Hey Marseilles, Grand Hallway, The Kindness Kind, Black Swedes, etc.) sing all of the songs from Arcade Fire's first album, Funeral.

If you don't have a ticket, perhaps you can find one on Craigslist. If so, pick one up. Even the practice version of "In the Backseat" sung by the extraordinarily talented Shenandoah Davis backed up by an entire orchestra of awesomeness is worth whatever exorbitant markup a scalper might ask for. If you can't get in, look for more of these Seattle Rock Orchestra shows in the future....

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It is to Lucas Westcoat's credit that this looks picturesque and cozy rather than wet and soggy. (From the SunBreak Flickr pool. Which you should be in, too.)

Just another reminder that this Wednesday, the 18th, is our second annual Blogsgiving! So RSVP, dammit! We gotta know how many caramel apples to make.

Like last year's event, this year's Blogsgiving is a chance for a whole bunch of local blogs (us, of course, along with Seattle Metblogs, Seattlest, Seattle PostGlobe, and all of Neighborlogs) to host a big ol' blogger meetup while also raising money for Northwest Harvest.

So this Wednesday, head over to Central Cinema starting at 6 p.m. for food and drinks and seasonal tidings. Please be advised that the free food is gonna go quick, so be sure to be punctual if you want to get your hands on a caramel apple or a slice of pizza.  Or a slice of caramel apple pizza.

$5 suggested donation at the door or feel free to bring some non-perishable food items.  Send us any of your favorite YouTube vids to broadcast on the big screen.  And for an extra $6, stick around for Big Trouble in Little China at 9:30 p.m.

Once again, we kindly ask you to take a look at the invite and be sure to RSVP:

The party begins at 6 p.m. Enjoy some mulled wine and caramel apples. On top of that, we're bringing back the amateur paper turkey contest, a big hit from last year. Will you see amazing things transpire on the big screen? Yes, obviously, or we wouldn't have brought it up. Invite your friends, family, and fellow bloggers, journalers, or tumblrs. See you there!

• Blogsgiving is Wednesday, November 18th, 6-9 p.m. at Central Cinema, 1411 21st Ave. $5 suggested donation and/or two non-perishable food items.

If, like me, you were not entirely sure what an Anjulie was as of a few minutes ago, let me fill you in. She's a hot Canadian singer. She owes her "exotic good looks" (quoting her website, there) to her Guyanese parents, who emigrated to Oaksville, Ontario, outside of Toronto. Like Alanis, she's been all up in music's grill from a young age, though her style has that throwback vibe you've heard in Corinne Bailey Rae's songs. If you've had the TV on recently, the chances are good you've heard one of her songs playing in the background; here she is on MySpace if you want to refresh your memory with a listen.

She's opening for the very big Raphael Saadiq, who was two years old and living in Oakland when I was born in Napa. (Napa, as you know, is really just North North Oakland. That's how we locals think of it, anyway.) Saadiq is bringing back old-school R&B (his first album was titled Instant Vintage, which is probably not the sly wine country shout-out I think it is). The critics agree, the...

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Yawn.  It's part one of the season finale of Project Runway. As you may or may not recall, the three finalists headed to Fashion Week are Irina, Althea, and Carol Hannah.  So I'm pretty sure a girl is going to win this season. The ladies pack up their bags and head home for a couple months to work on a twelve-piece collection to show at Bryant Park.

Tim travels to each contestant's home to see how they're doing. (And for the record: One of my dreams is to open the door and find Tim Gunn.)  First he goes to see Carol Hannah, who moved from South Carolina to her friend's house in a wintry suburb of NYC.  She's been inspired by Duke University's campus and has designed a series of ethereal dresses. Tim likes her almost ice dancer frou-frou dress, but doesn't like a cape she has over another gown.  Though she was very dress-heavy during the season, Carol Hannah has done not just dresses, but also separates, like pants, shorts, and skirts.  She also has made use of color, which is probably more than can be said for the other two. Her family is there, and they are going to make a traditional Southern dinner--they even got Tim Gunn to make biscuits, which is a real coup.

Tim seems so happy to not be in LA anymore.  There is a jaunt to his step that's been missing all season as he visits Irina in her Manhattan bitch apartment.  Fittingly, she owns a terribly tiny yippy dog named Princess. Her collection is all about New York and Coney Island and is a tribute to her family's immigration there from Georgia.  So of course that means taking elegant designs and throwing a Brooklyn t-shirt underneath.  She's got a whole bunch of sweaters and furs and horsehair, and she's surprised that Tim was less than enthusiastic about some of her designs.  Tim has lunch with Irina and her friends and family too.  Turns out that for Irina, winning Project Runway would mean pleasing her uptight daddy.  So she's doing this for all the right reasons.

Next, Tim visits Althea in Dayton, Ohio, which looks to be your typical Rust Belt wasteland.  For her collection, Althea has been inspired by sci-fi movies.  Althea has made a sweater that impresses Tim and he encourages her to make more, even though Irina definitely invented sweaters and no one else can make one ever without being accused of plagiarism. Tim is concerned that some of Althea's pieces are too costumey, but he thinks that overall it has a strong foundation.  They go over to Althea's parents' house to meet her family and friends, but they don't have a meal together, just a chat.

Ten days till Fashion Week, and Tim Gunn has to deliver some harsh news to Irina:  the images of Coney Island that she put on her t-shirts are considered trademarked.  She can make t-shirts with new designs, but now time is an issue. And with Fashion Week almost here, the designers have all headed to New York.  There's still some tension between Irina and Althea, and they really don't have much to say to each other.  Irina is wearing a pair of over-the-knee skank boots, of course.  Carol Hannah hasn't shown up, and Tim has bad news: Carol Hannah has a terrible contagious stomach virus and can't be there that day.  It's such bad news that Irina and Althea and Tim Gunn immediately drink a bottle of champagne....

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"Public Library 1" courtesy of The SunBreak Flickr pool member Jeff Blucher

There was muted celebration at the Friends of the Seattle Public Library blog last week, after the Seattle City Council voted to add back $863,000 to the library's funding. Besides keeping library doors open longer, the money will allow the library to reinstate 27 staff positions that had been cut.

Besides the Seattle Central Public Library, the open-seven-days-a-week branches will be Ballard, Beacon Hill, Broadview, Capitol Hill, Douglass-Truth, Greenwood, Lake City, Northeast, Rainier Beach, Southwest, and West Seattle.

Columbia, Delridge, Fremont, Green Lake, High Point, International District/Chinatown, Madrona-Sally Goldmark, Magnolia, Montlake, NewHolly, Northgate, Queen Anne, South Park, University, and Wallingford branches will be open only five days per week, with only one weekend day: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Seattle Times reports that while $863,000 sounds like a lot, the library is still facing an operating budget cut of $1.77 million for 2010. Mayor Nickels' budget called for a $2.6-million budget reduction. At this point, the library is planning another week-long furlough for next year as well.

To make matters worse, that doesn't include a 37 percent gouging of the library's 2010 capital budget, down to about $1 million from $1.6 million this year. The capital budget pays for major maintenance of the library buildings, so losing almost 40 percent will result in a visible difference in library standards.

Capitol Hill gets all eye-candy-fied, thanks to Shawnmebo. (From the SunBreak Flickr pool. Join!)

Five committed Seahawks rooters gathered in a friend's new "man cave" and watched the last, gasping breaths of the 2009 'Hawks.

We saw a familiar sight--the undersized Seahawks' utter inability to stop Arizona's big, talented receivers. Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston combined for 19 catches, 257 yards, and two touchdowns. The Cardinals scored 31 points in the last 36 minutes of the game after the Seahawks had jumped to a 14-point lead.

The Seahawks have now lost four consecutive times to Arizona, by a combined 118-64 score. We knew in the offseason that the 'Hawks secondary couldn't cover the Cards receivers, and yet the front office's only move was to bring in free agent Ken Lucas. Fitzgerald beat Lucas badly on the Cardinals' final touchdown.

The 2009-10 offseason, which, with the Hawks at 3-6, essentially begins today, must focus on answering a single question: HOW DO WE BEAT ARIZONA?

Until the Seahawks figure out a solution, they're likely doomed to also-ran status in the NFC West.

One...

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I walk into The Dutchess, for 80 years a Husky bar, and crane my head toward the screen to see the score.

"You sure you want to come in?" says the buzzed middle-aged man drunk at the door.

"Oh God, what's the score now," I ask.

He shakes his head. "Not good. It's not good."

And it wasn't. The Huskies had allowed a touchdown right before halftime, and a long kickoff return to open half 2. I'd been spared hearing this misery by my car radio's sudden decision to inexplicably conk out. The score, then, was 34-7. The Huskies didn't even compete.

Washington, now mathematically unable to reach the six wins they'd need to be eligible for a bowl game, get a week of rest before the Apple Cup on the 28th.

Break out the galoshes.

Back on Friday, Cliff Mass was predicting a major pineapple express "event" starting today through Wednesday. His update post yesterday forecasts heavy rains on the southwest side of the Olympic mountain range. Heavy in this case means 2-5 inches on Monday and 10-20 inches on Tuesday. The North Cascades will also likely get flood-producing rain, though it looks like the Green River valley area may duck the brunt of this storm.

In Seattle, we will awake to a suddenly balmy (well, upper 50s) Monday, with the attendant winds produced by major temperature shifts. The National Weather Service has nothing but rain and showers for Seattle today through Saturday. That's a whole week of stomping in puddles!

If you want to stomp in puddles for the civic good, join the city's Adopt-A-Drain program and help keep your street's storm drains clear of leaves and debris.

It's hard to upstage, in writing, how much we need music. The description isn't even an echo. If you were there, on the floor, shoulder-to-shoulder with the strangers and singing along, it might spark a memory. Or it might not. And anyway, that's not what I'm interested in here.

I was at two shows this week, the Mountain Goats at the Showbox Market, which is downtown's gritty rock palace, a sprawling, sunken main floor overlooked by terraced bars; and Faun Fables at Neumo's, along with Chop Suey the ideal of the indie Capitol Hill music club: a shoebox of a room with a concession stand of a bar at the side.

The Showbox was already full during Owen Palett's Final Fantasy set; he closed with what he said was a song by Theodor Adorno: "Independence is no solution for modern babies." Babies (read "hipsters"), we learned, just want to dance. Adorno, I have just read, was critical of the replacement of art's merit by its social value. Music becomes a fetish when you enjoy it because other people like it.

The Mountain Goats

That is not John Darnielle's problem. His album The Life of the World to Come is twelve songs all titled after Biblical verses, selections from Hebrews 11:40 to Matthew 25:21. Here's an mp3 of "Genesis 3:23," which contains the chorus, "I used to live here." It's about a return to a childhood home, and there is also a superposition of a naive Eden of faith, "creeds and prayers that he can't wholly buy into" these days. (Maybe this is also why he's at the keyboard more often on this album, which impersonates a heretic organist's hymnal.)

Darnielle is a strange apparition in concert--skipping about the stage, face contorted in a middle-schooler's rockgod transport, he can remind you of David Byrne's spasmodic too-much-coffee guy except without the cool, self-appraising distance. Between songs, he drops little drawled hints as to their inspiration in a pleasantly low-key manner that contrasts with his higher, forced-nasal singing register.

He's funny, disarming, and a master of unsettling emotional harmonics. "Thank You Mario But Our Princess Is In Another Castle" was prefaced by an explanation of his delight at unexpectedly freeing a "little dude" instead of the princess. That bright "8-bit choir" catharsis has its malevolent bass counterpart in "Hast Thou Considered The Tetrapod," as the protagonist is battered by an abusive drunk.

The new album is more reflective than entrail-spilling, and as likely to question its Biblical sources ("Romans 10:9" contrasts the redemption of confession against taking your medication before you have anything to confess) as to quote them. The religious lessons that Darnielle has learned, or found, are in his music, despite the nods to the Bible....

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"Squirrel Mural" courtesy of The SunBreak Flickr pool member Great Beyond

The Greenwood arsonist may turn out to be...an arsonist. Seattle police have collared a 46-year-old homeless man with a long history of setting fires. The Seattle Times also reports that while there have been 17 arson-related fires in Greenwood in the past two months, there have been 68 in the past two years. Sleepy little Greenwood was wide awake--hundreds of residents and business owners packed an arson meeting earlier in the week, and a reward of $25,000 was offered.

Mayoral candidate Mike McGinn broke out the whiteboard and YouTube to update Seattle on his transition plans. One side effect may be ruffling Redmond feathers: McGinn is soliciting your input via Google Docs, famously uses an iPhone, and now his staff wants to use Macs, not PCs. Former Seattle-Times political reporter, current-Vulcan-PR-guy David Postman is advising McGinn on transition communications--Publicola commenters fear the worst.

Commercial real estate news continued to go down like a doubleshot of skunk-infused castor oil. The Mastro bankruptcy isn't going to be amicably settled. Calculated Risk calculated that 25 percent of Washington banks were "troubled," and Seattle Bubble noted that in terms of assets, not just institutions, 38 percent of the in-state lending market is held by "troubled" banks....

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It is on, bitches. After a couple delays, Capitol Hill gourmet hot doggery Po Dog is all set for their official opening tomorrow. Today's the soft opening, and our good friends at Capitol Hill Seattle were lucky enough to attend the friends and family gathering that took place last night. 

I've perused the menu several times, and I'm not still not sure what dog to try first. My brain knows that the best way to judge Po Dog's quality would be their classic hot dog, but my heart pines for a Chicago dog, while my stomach is tempted by the menu's wackadoodle offerings (hot dogs with guacamole and wasabi aioli sound NOM NOM NOM). I suppose I will have to go back more than once. Darn.

Full press release after the jump.

Dog Days - New Gourmet restaurant opens on Capitol Hill by first time Restaurateur

While her friends and co-workers were being laid off left and right, Laura Olson, 25 decided to take a risky and unique path. She quit her job as a recruiter and began the full time planning of Seattle’s first gourmet hot dog joint, Po Dog. Working all hours of the day and night, Ms. Olson created a substantial business plan. Inspired by hot dog institutions like Pinks in L.A., Laura spent the first few months researching, tasting and thinking everything hot dog. Her next struggle was finding the capital required to open a business in the worst lending environment in recent history. She ran into road block after road block and was turned down at every door. But she persevered and was finally able to interest investors and raise the capital required. She was ready to embark on her new venture.

First, she hired local modernists Pb elemental to design her space inside a vacant Auto Battery shop in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. The design of the 1100 sq ft interior and storefront in Capitol Hill (Seattle) is based on the desire to offer something as unique as the owner’s toppings (ranging from peanut butter and bananas to deep fried egg roll wrapped wasabi dogs) and a desire to leave everything in the open. A 30’ Caesaerstone counter is the centerpiece of the 16' wide restaurant, housing the open kitchen and bar area. The bar is clad in wainscoting and lined with white bar stools. Built-in mahogany plywood seating lines the back half of the restaurant along with Lyptus community tables. A twelve foot tall pixelated photograph of Olson’s pet pug hangs at the end of the tables watching over the customers as they eat. The original fir beams and concrete block wall were sandblasted and exposed to regain the original character. A series of framed 8'x4' mirrors line the western walls, reflecting the Thug Stripe wallpaper (a blend of colt 45's, bullets and floral print). A 4' wide vertical lift window allows Po Dog to open up to its patio in the summer as well as provides access for deliveries. Next, Laura planned Po Dog's menu with input from local culinary celebrity Josh Henderson, founder of Skillet street food. Henderson will be appearing as a guest chef at Po Dog for the month of November.

After managing the construction of her space for four months, Laura is set to open this Saturday, November 14th. Her menu features twelve signature gourmet hot dogs all on Macrina brioche buns, including the Deep Fried Danger Dog (bacon wrapped, deep fried), Texas Dog (Tillamook cheddar cheese, homemade onion crisps and mesquite BBQ sauce), Wasabi egg roll Dog (deep fried roll wrapped dog, covered in a wasabi aioli) and the Dub’T Dog (crushed potato chips and cheese sauce) to name a few.

One of the greatest things about the Grand Illusion Cinema is that the beloved local revival house still manages to dig up some seriously wiggy-assed schlock surprises for their late shows. And Devil's Express, which plays there tonight and tomorrow, qualifies on that front for damned sure.

Warhawk Tanzania plays Luke Curtis, a New York Kung Fu master who visits the Orient with his good-for-nothin' pal Rodan (Wilfredo Roldan). Luke studies martial arts on the sojourn, but Rodan busies himself by stealing an ancient Chinese pendant that releases a ping-pong-eyed demon. Said monster hopscotches to New York via boat, raising a ruckus in the Big Apple's subway tunnels. And somewhere amidst the horror show, there's some amateur-hour inner-city gang warfare, too (hence the movie's alternate title, Gang Wars).

Devil's Express arrives at the Grand Illusion courtesy of Code Red DVD, and this shotgun video label/theater union promises to bring...

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"Bad name. Lame name, actually. But kinda funny in its lameness. That was the point, to some degree. It was the late 1980s and Nirvana, Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and swarms of other Seattle area bands released albums on Sub Pop Records, the label started by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. The kids were so uncool, they were beyond cool. They embraced and reclaimed their high school denigration: LOSER. Sub Pop Records even threw an event they called Lame Fest."

That's how Grunge, a new book of photographs by Michael Lavine, starts—with contemporary indie rock figure Thurston Moore's intro spotlighting the wink-wink, Can you believe this shit is happening? side of Seattle's inevitably overblown musical era.

He would know. Moore, of Sonic Youth, was making noisy guitar rock when Kurt Cobain was a hormonal, directionless teen. And he introduced honchos at Geffen Records imprint DGC to Cobain's band in 1990. (Nevermind hit on the label the following year.) And you could argue that thanks to grunge's massive success,...

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Someday, you will do it. You won't have a co-worker's birthday party, a seasonal gutter cleaning, or brunch with an ex. Someday, you will watch sports all weekend. If, perchance, this is the weekend, here's how it should go:

FRIDAY
5 p.m.: Leave work, drive towards Hec Ed for the Athletes in Action Classic. Stop at Bartells and buy some socks on the way.

Melvin Jones

5:30-6:30 p.m.: Watch the second half of Belmont/Portland St. Cheer on PSU's Melvin Jones, a Chief Sealth grad who got his life on track after a rough start to high school.

6:30 p.m.: Dinner at Hec Ed. Recommended--Porters Place BBQ. Not recommended--Everything else.

7-9 p.m.: Watch the Huskies avoid a letdown like in last year's opening-game loss to Portland, and lay an ass-whooping on outmanned Wright St. The Raiders may stay in this game early if their shooters are hot, but UW's depth will mean WSU will be run ragged by the second half.

9-10 p.m.: Sit in the traffic lineup to get out of the Hec Ed parking lot. While you're at it, check ESPN 710 to see how Seattle U did in their opening game, at Oklahoma State. 

10 p.m.: Drive home--you've got a big day tomorrow!

SATURDAY
7:30 a.m.: Drag yourself out of bed and drive to the George and Dragon for World Cup Qualifying soccer.

8 a.m.: Russia v. Slovenia begins. Here's the deal--eight European countries are getting their last shot at qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. They are paired into four groups of two, each pair plays a home-and-home with the winner going through to the Cup.

9 a.m.: England v. Brazil begins. This is just a friendly, with no World Cup qualifying implications, but c'mon. It's England/Brazil!

10 a.m.: Greece v. Ukraine! Ouzo v. Vodka! Who wins? Everyone!

Noon: Ireland v. France. Even more testy after an Irish diplomat gravely insulted French PM Sarkosky this week.

2 p.m.: Drive to The Dutchess and catch the second half of the Washington/Oregon St. football game. Will the Beavers knock Jake Locker senseless again?

2:30-3:30 p.m.: Probably some sort of silly play by the Husky special teams that costs us the game late, ending slight hopes of a Husky bowl appearance.

3:30-4:00 p.m.: Enjoy a chicken sandwich so you don't have to consume any Hec Ed food.

4 p.m.: Walk down to Hec Ed. Yeah, it's a trek, but do you really want to sit in that post-game parking lot traffic again? Not worth it. Plus, those fries you just ate have a ton of calories.

4:30-6:30 p.m.: Wright St. vs. Portland St. This will probably be the most competitive of the six games to be played this weekend.

6:30-7 p.m.: Check Facebook on your phone. Note how many "status updates" are actually just people whining about pointless shit.

7-9 p.m.: UW vs. Belmont, which I'm hoping will be very entertaining. Both the Huskies and Belmont were among the 50 fastest-tempo teams in the NCAA last year. If Belmont plays their style instead of trying to slow the game down, the Dawgs could hit 100.

9-9:30 p.m.: Healthful walk back up to The Dutchess.

9:30-Midnight: Buy repeated rounds for everyone at the bar (or just me)....

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