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While I'm no weather forecaster, I'm pleased to provide evidence that there is in fact no Seattle Freeze. Ladies and gentlemen of the self-selected internet jury, I present to you as Exhibit A Couch Fest 2009.

How could a city that hosts a film festival that invites strangers to get together in random people's houses be mistakenly considered antisocial?

Couch Fest proposes that once a year we should go to a stranger's house and watch short films with other strangers in the awkward comfort of a strange home. Nine houses participated in hosting this year's film festival, which showed 77 submitted short films. Each house hosted a different selection of films from one of the following categories: Comedy, Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Horror, Mixed or Inappropriately Awesome.

The hosts started their DVD on the hour, showing 8 or 9 films in about 40 minutes with a short intermission. Audience members voted on their favorites and then walked, rode, or drove to the next house of their choosing. Prizes were awarded at the end of the night to the winners.

Each house did their best to make things as welcoming as possible. Couches and chairs were arranged in various fashions and covered in multicolored blankets. One of the comedy houses made chili. The Inappropriately Awesome house converted their garage to a DIY theater. The hosts were friendly and accommodating, even after watching the same films for the sixth or seventh time.

You'd expect us Seattleites to fold our arms and scowl at the sometimes spectacularly less than theater-like screens. You'd expect us to shush the person who talks first during the intermission. However, there was no trace of this "Seattle Freeze" that I read about on the internet. In fact, even your intrepid reporter here, a Seattle native, talked to several strangers he'll likely never see again. (After seeing one friendly couple several times at different venues, my date asked how I knew them. My confused reply was that I had just met them at the festival.)...

Griffey's Return Would Spike Program Sales

We'll likely know this week if Ken Griffey, Jr., and the Mariners will strike a deal to bring Junior back for his 22nd MLB season, 12th as a Mariner.

Last year, Griffey demanded a multimillion-dollar salary and attendance-based performance incentives to return to Seattle. This year, as if in tune with the rest of us poor saps in this disaster of an economy, Griffey has readjusted his expectations.

In negotiations that will take place over the next few days, Griffey's agent has telegraphed his "bargaining" strategy.

"Whether Junior comes back or not, he certainly has no demands as far as dollars or playing time," Brian Goldberg told the Times' Larry Stone.

In other words, Griffey will show up at M's HQ bearing a "Will work for food" sign.

Not that he needs the money. Griffey's earned nearly $150 million in his baseball career, and that doesn't count endorsement dollars. He apparently just wants to keep playing for the love of the game.

But do the Mariners want him? For all his clubhouse leadership, and for as much as I personally loved seeing him play, Griffey was one of the worst DHs in the American League.

Far better options exist on the free agent market: Carlos Delgado, Jim Thome, Vladimir Guererro, and Hideki Matsui, all of whom far outperformed Griffey at bat last season.

Or the Mariners may choose to bring back Russell Branyan as their designated hitter and hand first base to young Mike Carp.

Griffey could serve as a pinch-hitter, but most managers like versatility and speed off their bench; Griffey doesn't have either.

Mariner watchers are weighing in on the issue:

MLB.com's Jim Street: "(Griffey) was an absolute joy to be around the entire '09 season and it rubbed off on everyone. That reason alone seems to make it worthwhile bringing him back for at least one more season."

The Times' Larry Stone: "I believe Griffey still has something to offer. He can tickle Ichiro, bring laughter to the clubhouse, hit an occasional bomb and take one more crack at October. Sounds great to me."

USS Mariner's Derek Zumsteg: "The 2010 Mariners need to improve their offense, and they need better hitting from their designated hitters. Griffey doesn’t offer that. And as much as Seattle loves him, well, we love Edgar too, but we wouldn’t bring him back to DH next year."

My take is this: Do it for Ichiro. Griffey's presence took the pressure of being the team's superstar off Ichiro's shoulders, and gave Ichiro a friend in a clubhouse that had turned against him. The hit king responded with his best season since '04.

If Griffey doesn't mind coming back as the 25th man on the roster, and getting only a few at bats a week on the rare occasions that American League teams need a pinch-hitter, the M's won't really lose anything from a strictly statistical perspective. And they certainly gain if Ichiro hits .350 again.

I love it when the Seattle Municipal Archives turn our Flickr pool into a time machine. What else I love: When new people and new photos join the group.

Hey everybody, Wednesday the 18th is our second annual Blogsgiving!

If you remember anything about last year's event, Blogsgiving is a chance for a whole bunch of local blogs (us, of course, along with Seattle Metblogs, Seattlest, and all of Neighborlogs) to throw a massive blogger meetup while also raising money for a good cause.

So next Wednesday, head over to Central Cinema starting at 6 p.m. for food and drinks and seasonal tidings. $5 suggested donation at the door or feel free to bring some non-perishable food items.  Everything's going to Northwest Harvest. And for an extra $6, stick around for the screening of Big Trouble in Little China at 9:30 p.m.

Check the invite and shoot us an 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.
  

Fun fact: France has black people! This is something I learned from Claire Denis' new film, 35 Shots of Rum.

The film moves slowly, deliberately through the lives of a commuter train conductor, his college-aged daughter, and the other people in their suburban Paris apartment building who act as an extended family. It's a simple story, but Denis infuses it with lovely camerawork, oscillating between long, drawn-out wide shots and tactile, handheld close-ups. The acting is strong all the way around, with Alex Descas and Mati Diop giving realism to the complexities of the relationship between a parent and a grown child. Like Denise Richards (colon), it's complicated.

• 35 Shots of Rum plays at the Northwest Film Forum twice daily (7 p.m., 9 p.m.) through Thursday. Tickets are $9 non-members/$6 members; $4.50/$3 at the door on Happy Mondays.

Aerial view of Howard Hanson Dam courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Last week, because of successful repair work to the Howard Hanson Dam, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cut the risk of the Green River valley flooding this winter from 1-in-3 to 1-in-25. That's a significant improvement, although normal odds are 1-in-140. 

Even with the wild, wet weather the past few days, the USACE has not needed to let the dam's reservoir fill appreciably. (Here are recent dam inflow/outflow numbers.) Besides, with the repair work, the USACE now says the dam's reservoir level could rise to above 1,206 feet in elevation without fear of damage to the dam. And the Green River itself is nowhere near a flood alert stage.

Still, if you live in the area, keep this Green River/Howard Hanson Dam information page bookmarked, and it may not hurt to pick up the free sandbags King County is offering.

Over all the recent Droid smartphone hype, there is the looming shadow of Google. The idea is that Android::mobile devices is the 2.0 version of Windows::personal computer. Without realizing it, you're snug in Google's terabyte embrace. Is that so bad?

Tonight, November 9, New Yorker writer Ken Auletta talks to the Seattle Times' Brier Dudley at the downtown Seattle Public Library at 7 p.m. (listen to him on KUOW at noon). Auletta's book, Googled: The End of the World as We Know It is the "semi-official" story of Google; Auletta had access to Brin and Page, investors, and employees.

If you log in to Google and click on My Account, you'll see a Dashboard option that you can click--it assembles in one place most of the ways that you interact with Google. It's astonishing in some ways, the level of trust placed in a company that is gaining a market-spanning presence that will not need to rely on trust.

This is the dilemma Microsoft has faced for some time: How can we pretend that customers are making a choice...

Didn't start out so well--the Seahawks began yesterday's game down 17 points after a fumble, interception, and failed fourth down conversion gave the Lions' three chances in Seahawks' territory.

Then Matt Hasselbeck brought the Hawks back, delivering one of the finest performances ever by a Seahawks quarterback.

Hasselbeck completed 39 passes, breaking his own franchise record. He had a string of 15 completions in a row. He threw balls that led receivers into space. He dumped balls at their feet when they weren't open. It was a masterful, intelligent Sunday of work, made all the more impressive because Hasselbeck is playing with a broken rib.

Said coach Jim Mora of Hasselbeck: "He showed his true leadership to me. He showed everything that he is. I don't know if I have any more respect for any player that I've ever coached than I have for Matt Hasselbeck."

Video!

After Detroit got their 17-0 lead, Hasselbeck lead the Hawks to scores on six of their next seven drives. The defense...

Hey, people with no plans yet, Brooklyn's indie darlings Bishop Allen are in town tonight, at Capitol Hill's Chop Suey. Tomorrow night they play at PDX's Doug Fir Lounge if that gives you any idea of the cool embodied, however skinnily. The new album is GRRR...--be nice to them because Pitchfork sure wasn't. On before them are Seattle darlings Throw Me The Statue, whom we've reviewed with appreciation before:

They’re sharp instrumentalists live, and are exploring an interesting, eclectic sound that combines roller-rink new wave and indie-rock with sturdily-versatile real drumming and a dash of world-music percussion. "Yucatan Gold" sounded fab, and TMTS have managed to capture lightning in a bottle twice in the form of a second great single ("Lo-Fi Goon" sounds like Weezer fronted by synth-toting Muppets, and it too came off aces live).

For just $12, you can't go wrong. Doors are at 9 p.m. and "infectious...hard to dislike" New Yorkers Darwin Deez open.

The roar of cheers and applause that went up as Regina Spektor reappeared for her encore at the Paramount on Tuesday night was louder than anything else that night. All night, between songs, it had been "Regina, I love you!", "Regina, I love you more than that first girl!", and a baritone howl of "Regina, I want to have your babies!" Spektor, in contrast, traveled imperturbably from song to song, though the "babies" brought her up short. "All tour," she said, "it's been babies. I guess...thanks?"

If you were listening to her albums--Far is her latest--and debating about whether a live show was worth braving wind and cold, I can tell you it was. (Though if I had it all to do over again, I would have worn a scarf.) Spektor's ferocious talent puts her live show into life-flashing-before-your-eyes highlight-reel contention.

When she appears onstage, ducking and grinning shyly at the wave of applause headed her direction, you might not think "ferocious" is all that accurate or even appropriate. But when she's there alone on the stage singing "Silly Eye-Color Generalizations" a capella, full-throated, tenderly, mockingly, piercingly--over two thousand people are barely breathing.

Lyrically, she has a predator's ability to confound her prey so that you--little bunny rabbit, come for carrots--freeze right there, marveling at the silky verbal tricks. Vocally, she has very sharp teeth. One moment, she's a little breathy girl's bleat but with bounce, "It was so easy and the words so sweet", and then the mouth opens very wide and the voice gets very big and you would probably take a few steps back if your chair would let you. Still, even if she has you in tears or gibbering foolishly, she looks like she'd apologize profusely for having eaten the whole theater and gone to sleep.

Yes, she is acclimated, but she is a Russian bear. Do not forget this....

(l-r): Allen Fitzpatrick as Elliot, Shawn Belyea as Alan, Charles Leggett as Carl, Todd Jefferson Moore as Dorian, Chelsey Rives as Grace.Photo by Chris Bennion, Post Editing by Andry Lawrence.

"Wouldn't it be cool if there was a play about string quartets, and the interaction of the characters was like the interaction of instruments?" Michael Hollinger asked himself one day.

Being a playwright and a former violist, he was uniquely positioned to provide an answer that question. The creative genesis of Opus (through December 6 at the Seattle Rep, tickets: $30-$52, $12 for 25-and-under), though, belies the play's biting humor and sitcom pacing. And its cast of local all-stars knows from close-quarters pressures and catty infighting. Witness the invention of "reality theatre"--slightly trashy, sometimes squirmy, but mostly fun.

To borrow his expression, Hollinger starts off a little "flat" with Opus, with the members of the famed Lazara String Quartet front-of-stage delivering a scene from their documentary, filmed when they were riding high. It's pure exposition, leavened with gag set-ups.

Time has brought divisions to the group, and with one member out (and gone missing)--the mercurial, over-sharing Dorian (Todd Jefferson Moore)--the remaining male trio are interviewing Grace (Chelsey Rives), who is young, very talented, and female. They think they are filling a vacant chair, but they are about to learn a quartet's chemistry is more than the sum of its parts.

If the character-sketching initially is broad strokes and the jokes are a little too on the nose, as the cast gets more stage time they deliver character that transcends the pat disclosures of banter. In particular, Charles Leggett's Carl (who doesn't banter, doesn't have time for it) turns out to be more violent and more alive to life than even the bipolar, poetic Dorian. As Alan, Shawn Belyea is lovably lecherous and sloppy, a musical Oscar Madison who's not sure if that's a bag of old tea on his counter or pot from his last trip to Amsterdam.

As the group's unofficial leader, the violinist Elliot (Allen Fitzpatrick) may be the hardest part to play. Snippy control freaks are not particularly sympathetic characters, unless you have Jack Lemmon on hand. And Fitzpatrick (not a criticism, an observation) is no Jack Lemmon. His closeted fussbudget Elliot might be tragic, but I never got close enough to see beyond the snits and petulance....

"Taillights through the rain" courtesy of The SunBreak Flickr pool member Great Beyond

As of Friday evening, mayoral candidate Mike McGinn was looking like a winner, with a lead of 2,384 votes over Joe Mallahan. This makes the news of 860 ballots found in a ballot drop box with a vandalized lock less earth-shattering. In general, the election results were pleasing for King County's right-thinking lefties, with R-71's "everything but marriage" approved, I-1033's "government-spending straitjacket" rejected, and Prop. 1's "homelesss housing" passing handily even in a recession.

On the same day as the police procession to honor slain Seattle police office Timothy Brenton, just as his memorial at Key Arena ended, in fact, police confronted a "person of interest" in the shooting of officer Brenton, who was shot by police after drawing a handgun. (Monfort's now in critical condition.) The Seattle Times reports that bomb-making materials, linking Christopher Monfort to the October 22 pipe-bombing of SPD patrol cars, have been found in his apartment. Seattlepi.com worked up their own profile.

Arson flared up twice in Greenwood, making a total of seven arson-related fires over the past few months. Just two weeks ago, four Greenwood businesses were burnt out. This time, the businesses were an accountant's office and a guitar shop....

Moon at "Crazy Pretty Sunset" courtesy of The SunBreak Flickr pool user slightlynorth

It's been a while since we've visited the moon, 37 years since the last Apollo mission, to be more exact. Sure, we've sent robots up there, but no one's taken a leisurely stroll on the moon since Eugene Cernan on the Apollo 17 mission.

Andrew Chaikin has spoken with 23 out of the 24 people that have walked on the moon, and has written several books about moon exploration. Recently he visited the Pacific Science Center to make his case for a return to the moon.

After a short introduction by the Science Center's Senior Vice President for Strategic Programs, Chaikin shared with us his excitement for all things moon-related. In the cavernous reaches of the old Eames IMAX Theater, an intimate crowd of bespectacled gentlemen, families, and two kids that weren't like the others braved the weatherpocalypse to listen to him speak and show slides.

His tan sportcoat and the earthy green sweater of a college professor contrasted with the hints of smiles at the corners of his mouth. Like a kid who just got a Nintendo 64 for Christmas, his enthusiasm for the subject was contagious. I'm pretty sure that was his goal.

There are several reasons why we are not running manned missions to the Moon these days, according to Chaikin. The most obvious is the lack of money. Yet, the reason for the lack of money can be traced back to the distinct lack of societal interest. In the late '60s, Chaikin was 12 and visited a NASA space center. Like many young boys of his generation, he wanted to be an astronaut.

(I would guess that the number of young children who currently respond "astronaut" when asked what they want to be when they grow up is pretty disheartening to Chaikin)

Chaikin presented a slide show that felt a lot like family vacation photos. Except this family went to the moon. Even though Chaikin has never been, his description of the slides made it seem like he was a part of the exploration of it. And, in a way, he was. He has recorded the personal history of the experiences of those that have traveled to that remote vacation spot in various books in a search to know what it felt like to go.

As far as I can tell, it's pretty amazing. The view is pretty decent. You can run for miles and never get tired. You can drive as fast as your battery-powered car will go without worrying about tickets. Your tan when you come back will really impress your co-workers. And, you will have a chance to learn about the history of the solar system by checking out "a book from the cosmic library," as Chaikin calls it....

Holy ZOMG! Pavement is confirmed for Sasquatch next Memorial Day weekend, making the 2010 installment of the fest can't-miss, in order to see a reunited Stephen Malkmus and company.  The full lineup will be available in February, but discounted three-day passes are on sale as of 10am PST today. 

Full announcement after the jump. 

SASQUATCH! MUSIC FESTIVAL

MAY 29-31 (MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND) AT THE GORGE

DISCOUNT 3 DAY FESTIVAL PASSES ON SALE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7 (10:00 A.M. PST)

REUNITED PAVEMENT TO PERFORM

COMPLETE LINEUP TO BE ANNOUNCED FEBRUARY 16

Following early sellouts and rave reviews the past several years, and hailed by SPIN as “a pick-your-poison selection for your party at the edge of the earth,” the Sasquatch! Festival returns for its ninth year May 29-31 (Memorial Day Weekend), 2010 at The Gorge in Quincy, WA. For the first time, a special discounted 3-day festival pass will be available in time for the holiday gift season on Saturday, November 7 at 10:00 A.M. (PST) via sasquatchfestival.com . There are a limited number of discount passes, which will be available through December 31, 2009. Recently reunited indie rock legends Pavement will be performing. The festival’s complete lineup will be announced February 16.

Festival creator Adam Zacks founded Sasquatch! in 2002 with the aim of constructing an event that catered to the eclectic tastes of voracious music enthusiasts. Zacks personally curates the lineups for each Sasquatch! Festival, hand-picking the diverse array of artists. “It’s our goal each year to present a fresh line up that reflects the independent spirit of the Pacific Northwest, respects the artists and audience, and celebrates the grandeur of The Gorge.”

The Sasquatch! Festival has established a tradition of presenting critically acclaimed emerging artists alongside established headliners. Previous lineups have spanned a broad spectrum of genres from rock to hip-hop, electronic to singer-songwriters; past performers include R.E.M. Coldplay, Kanye West, Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, Wilco, The Flaming Lips, The Cure, Björk, and M.I.A. The festival also has a history of incorporating comedy including performances by Flight of The Conchords, Zach Galifianakis, Sarah Silverman, and many more.

Known for its bucolic location as well as its programming zeitgeist, the Sasquatch! Festival marks its ninth year at The Gorge, a concert venue built in the Columbia River Gorge and offering spectacular views of the river canyon.

That's the big news from today's update from King County Elections. Mike McGinn now leads Joe Mallahan in the mayoral race, 75,657 to 74,448. At this point, a machine recount is still in the cards. In civic pride news, it looks like voter participation in King County is up to 42 percent.

UPDATE: This evening's drop continued the pro-McGinn trend, with Mike McGinn's lead growing to 2,384, placing the count outside of mandatory recount territory.

I was hoping to have finished writing up a long interview with director Andrew Lazarow about this today, but as that looks like it won't quite happen, let me just throw it out there: the Satori Group's Artifacts of Consequence opened last night at the Little Theatre on Capitol Hill, and you should absolutely go see it. It plays Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m., tickets $12-$15.

First of all, the play itself is amazing. Written by Ashlin Halfnight and debuted by NYC's Electric Pear Productions only this last April, Artifacts of Consequence is a bit of a love story wrapped in philosophical conundrum: namely, what are the products of a culture that are worth preserving?

Set in an underwater museum and research facility in some sort of likely post-apocalyptic future, the story follows a group of people whose jobs it is to determine what products from contemporary society are worth saving with their limited resources. The NY Times called the play "deliriously imaginative," and that's a fair summation.

The second reason...

It's the week after Logan was kicked off, and Irina wakes up on the bitchy side of the bitch bed. She accused Althea of copying her ON THE RUNWAY (in the same episode that Althea was talking shit and claiming that Logan stole her zipper collar, but that's whatevs). Meanwhile, sans Logan, Christopher is the last boy standing. Everybody's excited that Bryant Park is so close.

They go the Getty Center, the "heart of Los Angeles culture." They actually made Tim Gunn say that, and then he had to give a little spiel about how great the move to L.A. was--as if this hasn't been the boringest year of Runway ever. Don't make Tim Gunn lie like that! And definitely don't make him introduce the mayor of L.A., who is there to officially welcome Runway to town. Whaaaa? Mayor, get back to your mayoring. This week's challenge is to be inspired by the Getty Center to make some clothes. The models are also there to be muses. YAWN.

They tour the museum, then sketch, then go to Mood. They all get inspired by different things. Althea likes the architecture, Christopher likes a fountain, Irina and Gordana both like paintings, Carol Hannah likes a bed. 

Althea doesn't have any friends in the workroom. Tim Gunn comes in and tells Carol Hannah not to lose the sophistication in her bed dress. He's concerned about Irina's pelt. He tells Althea that her dress is puckered, but he thinks Gordana nailed it. Gordana's all crying about the Monet, and I get that. But pucker-dressed Althea thinks her gown is just too simple.  Irina gets rid of the fur from her outfit and just focuses on the dress.

The next day, everyone's freaking out a bit and thinking that all the other contestants' designs have flaws. Meee-owww. On the runway, the judges are Heidi, Nina, and random Cindy Crawford. Once again, Michael Kors couldn't bother to show up, so designer Cynthia Crowley was there instead....

Enjoys soft favorites

Monster volleyball game tonight at Hec Ed, as the 19-2 Huskies take on 15-6 Stanford in what's traditionally been the best-attended and most exciting game on the UW home schedule.

Added intensity this year, as the Huskies lead the Cardinal in the Pac-10 standings by just one game.

Stanford beat the Huskies in Palo Alto on October 10, it was UW's first loss of the year.

The Cardinals top player is 6'5" outside hitter Alix Klineman. A two-time All-American raised in Manhattan Beach, CA, Klineman says one of her favorite songs is "Rainbows” by Jack Johnson and G. Love.

Tickets for tonight's game are $9 if you are fancy and want to sit all close, but you can get general admission tickets for $6. ($4 for kids and seniors).

"Rainbows"

Well i woke up this morning, rainbow filled the sky
Yes I woke up this morning, rainbow filled the sky
That was God tellin' me, Everything's gonna be alright

Well so long, good friends, When will we meet again?
I said so long good friends, When will we meet again?
Well i don't know, i don't know, But I guess I'll see you then...

Well I'm gonna pack my old guitar, Move on down the road,
I'm gonna pack my old guitar, and move on down the road (where you gonna go?)
Where I'll go, I don't know, But I guess I's gots to go

When I woke up this morning, a rainbow filled the sky
When I woke up this morning, a rainbow filled the sky,
Well that was God tellin me, Everything...Everything is gonna be alright....

The Huskies' exhibition win over Central Washington wasn't televised, so all I'd heard was rumors of some amazing Clarence Trent dunk. Turns out UW's video crew captured it. Here it is. Yowza.

Trent, a freshman who started his high school career at Gig Harbor and finished at Nevada basketball farm Findlay Prep, may not even see much playing time for the Huskies this year. Lorenzo Romar has compiled a wealth of talent.

H/T: Percy Allen's indispensable Husky Men's Basketball Blog.

I took a photo of this morning's procession in honor of murdered Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton, as it passed through Capitol Hill on the way to the memorial at Key Arena.

Garrison Carr, the sweet-shooting Issaquah grad who engineered perhaps the greatest upset in state hoops history, will get a longshot chance at playing professionally in the U.S. He was a seventh-round pick in yesterday's NBA D (for "Development")-League draft.

As a senior at Issaquah, Carr helmed his Eagles to a win over a high school team with two future NBA lottery picks, Spencer Hawes and Martell Webster.

You'd think that would be enough to get Carr a scholarship from a West Coast school, but it wasn't. Carr went to American University in Washington D.C., where they underestimated his talents by barely playing him his first two seasons. His junior and senior years, Carr led American to the school's first two NCAA tourney berths. He became the Patriot League's all-time three-point shooter, and had #15-seed American tied with #2-seed Tennessee in the second half of an NCAA tourney game.

Carr has been underestimated his whole career, a theme his high school coach Jeff Patrick struck time and again when I...

Mayoral candidate Mike McGinn hung on to his slim lead overnight, and even gained a few votes, leading Joe Mallahan by 515 votes. Yesterday he was up by 462. Over 131,000 votes have been counted, and it is unlikely that the remaining ballots contain a surprise Mallahan victory.

This is a webcam screenshot from out by Forks, Washington, fictional home of Twilight. Cliff Mass reports that the National Weather Service has put out an advisory for swells of at least 25 feet reaching the beach. The buoys off the coast are seeing some significant vertical displacement. The giant waves will hit every 15 to 20 seconds, and should an unsuspecting vampire stroll out to take a closer look during a lull, tragedy could strike. The high surf advisory (which needs a more dangerous-sounding name) is in effect until 4 p.m. Saturday.

Parella Lewis

"Why," I wondered, "is a TV weather forecaster part of the Washington's Most Wanted team?" This seemed like a form of modern metaphysical poetry: heterogeneous ideas yoked together by violence.

I met Parella Lewis in a Starbucks before she was due in at Q13 offices, determined to get to the bottom of this, like a newshound in an ersatz Jonathan Lethem novel. She was dressed for the weather. Point: Lewis.

I had researched, of course. First question/broadside: "I see that you are from Louisiana. Yet you never mention Jimmy Buffett." Turns out Lewis was born in Mississippi, is "not a cajun," but does love crawfish, in boiled or etouffée formats. She came to crawfish late, in her 20s. Relevant? Too soon to tell. Her anti-Buffett stance (not loving Jimmy is anti-) makes sense: the man's a pirate, an outlaw.

Lewis was on a two-track media-and-mayhem course from early on. She began in radio, which accounts for that cadenced enunciation you hear, while in college. But her goal back then was police work, despite the fact that she's medium height and willowy. (Since Wayne Cody, everyone in Seattle TV is thinner than me.) She attended the police academy, graduated in '99, and went to work as a reserve officer on the Lafayette force, logging 30 hours per month as a crime-buster.

She talked her way into undercover work early, and soon reported to her parents (her father is a preacher) that she'd be working as "an undercover hooker." This turned out to require a "gun in your back pocket, and a wire on," as well as detailed knowledge of Louisiana's Napoleonic Code. There was an awkward moment when she was solicited by ex-high schoolmates who, fortunately for everyone involved, didn't recognize her.

Yet, in the meantime, an appearance on a local TV telethon catapulted her out of radio and into the local TV market. Would she trade in her police uniform for forecasting courses? She would. Leaving Louisiana, she moved to Little Rock and then Indianapolis, becoming well acquainted with tornado weather. (A nearby tornado brought a finish flag to the 2004 Indy 500 at lap 450.)

Seattle, across the country, far from family and friends, was not her ideal destination. Even our bad weather doesn't match up. In Louisiana, floods mean "bodies float away regularly," said Lewis--tombs and crypts keep the dead six feet in the air.

Here, the tricky part is not where the funnel will touch down, but the effects of micro-climates on whether it's raining when you look outside or partly sunny. Lewis, in about 30 seconds, gave me a mini-lecture on the interaction of ocean air with the effects of the Olympic and Cascade mountains. Automatically, her voice shifted into that incantatory weather-forecaster mode....