Miscellaneous: June 2009 Archives

                     

The 2009 Seattle Air Guitar Championships: the spandex was ferocious, the fringe mesmerizing, and the audience filled with royal assholes. Unfortunately it fell to us to bust his air bubble. He lacked the fringe and ultimate "airness" which led us to give Cyclops the single low-blow score of 5.9 and gave Dick Courage the title of 2009 Seattle Air Guitar Champion.

From the comments on SeattleTimes.com, you'd think that spending a couple of bucks on a park was High Treason. But Belltown, home to some 10,000 of us, has no park.

Huen, an 8-year-old male tree kangaroo, will soon be getting busy with a mate at Woodland Park Zoo. It's part of the Zoo's work as conservation ambassadors through the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP). This year TKCP celebrated the passage of Papua New Guinea's first ever national Conservation Area to protect tree kangaroos in their native habitat. (Photo: Ryan Hawk)

If the recession is raining on your summer vacation plans, why not enter to win a free trip to the Washington coast, care of Seattlest and our good friends at Vacations by the Sea? This week we’re giving away a trip (worth about $900!) to wine, climb, and dine in beautiful Westport, Washington, smack-dab in what locals call the "Banana Belt."

Via the ex-Soundgarden frontman's Twitter: "Driving from Poland to Berlin. Just heard Michael Jackson died. Makes me sad. I remember the Jackson 5 on a black and white tv. He had magic!"

If the recession is raining on your summer vacation plans, why not enter to win a free trip to the Washington coast, care of Seattlest and our good friends at Vacations by the Sea? This week we’re giving away a trip (worth about $900!) to wine, climb, and dine in beautiful Westport, Washington, smack-dab in what locals call the "Banana Belt."

But we don’t get the people that hike Discovery Park, that choose to spend their time appreciating nature's beauty, and still have the nerve or sociopathic disregard to throw their garbage on the beach or trail. These creeps shift our lazy personality profiling system of out whack. Who does that? Who likes nature enough to seek it out but not enough to respect it for convenience's sake?

Maybe it's no surprise that Wenatchee's Tyler Farrar made the Garmin-Slipstream team for this year's Tour de France--he made the Tour last year, too. But his performance in this year's Giro d'Italia has people calling him the next great American racer, and to our recollection, certainly the best to come out of Wenatchee. He may not be an Armstrong-y dominating force, but he's going to be there for his stages.

If the recession is raining on your summer vacation plans, why not enter to win a free trip to the Washington coast, care of Seattlest and our good friends at Vacations by the Sea? This week we’re giving away a trip (worth about $900!) to wine, climb, and dine in beautiful Westport, Washington, smack-dab in what locals call the "Banana Belt."

Normal-looking-but-totally-crazy woman: (Begins singing, quietly at first) "Jesus loves me, this I know..." (and then much much louder) "...for the Bible tells me so!" Internal: Shit, shit, shit. Listen lady, you're obviously out of your mind, so we'll cut you some slack, but you're not a very good singer.

This past weekend we stopped by 20/20 Cycle after checking out the This Is A Powerful Corner art installation at 23rd & Union. We were pleasantly surprised by 20/20's selection of road bikes, since they had more to choose from than usual.

If the recession is raining on your summer vacation plans, why not enter to win a free trip to the Washington coast, care of Seattlest and our good friends at Vacations by the Sea? This week we’re giving away a trip (worth about $900!) to wine, climb, and dine in beautiful Westport, Washington, smack-dab in what locals call the "Banana Belt."

       

It was too nice a day to spend entirely indoors. (Not that we aren't going to the Ms game tonight, but--okay we were bored.) So we grabbed our camera and slogged across Marsh Island and beyond, past the youth groups, past the college kids sneaking Coors Light in the great outdoors. Montlake was humid and alive with summering wildlife.

Sadly, television personality Ed McMahon has passed away, today, June 23, at age 86 in Los Angeles. For many, he's most famous for being Johnny Carson's sidekick and the voice behind "Heeeeeeerre's Johnny!" on the The Tonight Show. But for us, the late twenty- and thirty-somethings, Ed will always be remembered as the host of the iconic TV show Star Search (1983-1995).

If the recession is raining on your summer vacation plans, why not enter to win a free trip to the Washington coast, care of Seattlest and our good friends at Vacations by the Sea? This week we’re giving away a trip (worth about $900!) to wine, climb, and dine in beautiful Westport, Washington, smack-dab in what locals call the "Banana Belt."

                    

The least visited of the lake's four sides, the western shore of Lake Union was first developed as a trolley line in the 1890s, then largely left alone. We happened upon the line by descending a stairway at the south end of the Fremont Bridge. We then followed the decrepit tracks south, encountering a neat mix of houseboats, marinas, and funny signs.

Yesterday, the Woodland Park Zoo uploaded the first video of the new snow leopard cubs to YouTube. The footage was shot Friday and consists of yet another weigh-in session. The female (Helen) weighed in at 3.8 lbs and the male (Tom) at 4.3 lbs. Starting at the one-minute mark, you can hear the cubs' noises, which are much more like a bird's peep than the yowl of the big cats they will grow up to be.

LOSE YOUR AIR VIRGINITY: A first for Seattle, tonight you can get pointers (or even perform) at the Air Sex Championships. Yes, you read that correctly. Think Air Guitar sans the guitar solo, but instead swapping it with two minutes of sexy, saucy, or pure naaasty love-making moves with an imaginary sex partner. All to love-makin' tunes sure to put the audience at El Corazon in the mood. And just so you don't start flashing dollar bills, there is no nakedness at this dry humping festival, however creative costumes are encouraged.

We’ve spent the last two Junes bitching about the weather, so we are using this gloomy Friday to rave about all the blue sky and warm temperatures we’ve had so far. Seriously, Greek god of weather, get over here so we may perform many high fives.

Turns out the King County Health Department might want to see those dead crows, because of West Nile Virus concerns. So report those dead birds, citizens! There's an online dead bird reporting form right there for your use.

Did the Jonas Brothers suddenly break up and nobody told us? Teenage girls in Western Washington are going violently apeshit this week and we can’t put a finger on why. Either somebody is putting testosterone in the water supply, or the hormone count in our processed foods has suddenly reached a tipping point--either way teenage girls in the area aren’t taking shit in stride.

Cliff Mass says no rain was detected at SeaTac (despite a few drops in Seattle yesterday), and so we've moved into contention for the "longest dry run in May-June" in recorded history. Truly these are days of miracle and wonder.

  

A pair of cutie pie snow leopard cubs, a male and a female, were born on Memorial Day at the Woodland Park Zoo. The above photos show the cubs at their neonatal exam and weigh-in (they currently weigh between 3.6 and 4 lbs). The 3-week-old cubs are the first offspring for the 4-year-old mother, Helen, and 3-year-old father, Tom. Whoa, baby: these cubs take the tally up to 29 snow leopards born at the zoo since 1972. That's a big deal, especially considering there's only about 3,500 snow leopards left in the wild. While you can't see them in person just yet (they're busy bonding with mom and drinking lots of milk), fans of the kitties can check out more photos and video via the zoo's blog, YouTube page, and Twitter.

           

Yesterday afternoon Seattlest readers and contributors gathered on the back deck of Capitol Hill's new Captain Blacks bar. There were happy hour mojitos and captain's teas, mac 'n' cheeses and chicken 'n' waffles. Outdoor drinking and dining spaces are at a premium in Seattle, and this newest addition (with a front and back deck) rates a thumbs up.

If riding a camel is on your life long bucket list, you won't have to travel too far. Starting Saturday, June 20, the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, will be the first zoo in the Northwest to offer camel rides. The three joy riding camels include: Mojave, 6, Duma, 4, and Ruby, 4, who all come from Australia. Two are Dromedary camels, and one is a Bactrian/Dromedary hybrid. It will cost you $5 per ride (not included in general admission). And if you can't make it out this Saturday, Mojave, Duma, and Ruby will be working the crowds from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day through September.

In the wake of the New York Times article on borderline personality disorder, "An Emotional Hair Trigger, Often Misread," in which she's quoted, Dr. Marsha M. Linehan, psychology professor and director of the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics at the UW, is answering readers’ questions on the NYT's "Consults" blog.

Last year at this time, we were spouting off about KCTS running, for a fundraiser, Dr. Daniel G. Amen's "self-produced show, 'Change Your Brain, Change Your Life.'" Charitably, Amen's claims were not always fully supported by conventional medical wisdom, and we wondered at PBS being wiling to do real damage to its brand for the sake of gulling aging baby-boomers with promises of eternal middle age.

Trying something new this week--a little preview of the weekend in sports action, to help you not get sucked into brunch when there's a game to watch. (Or, allow you to get sucked into brunch so you can beg off later to watch a game.)

SUMMER WINES TASTE SO FINE: South Seattle Community College's Northwest Wine Academy is celebrating the debut of the its newest prized 2008 vintages. During the school's Toast to Summer Wine Release Party, vino lovers of legal age can sample and purchase (in cases too!) the perfect summer pairings--created by the school's very own award-winning student winemakers--including an '08 Riesling, Rosé, Viognier, Barbera, and a new oaked Chardonnay.

It looks like that vice raid in Capitol Hill last night was for gambling after all. According to CHS: "This morning's vice squad bust shut down a secret card room and saloon that has been operating at 11th and E. Pike for 'several years,' a former employee of the illegal casino says."

                    

Yesterday being a gorgeous day with the sun shining and temperatures in the 70s, we decided to finally do something we've been thinking about for some time: Take the King County Water Taxi over to West Seattle for the helluvit.

Rumor has it that you can't build yourself up by tearing someone else down. That advice never made it to Portland, though. Evidence: The 2009 Rosey Awards site is all about sneering at other so-called creative communities, including our own. (See above.)

The Woodland Park Zoo tells us they have a new mouth to feed--a tawny frogmouth chick hatched last Thursday. They're pretty excited because Woodland Park Zoo is one of only four zoos to gotten some egg-fertilizing tawny-frogmouth-on-tawny-frogmouth action in the last six years.

Yay! Gothamist has gifted us with a more mobile-friendly version of the site--some of you have already noticed this, as it's set to serve up when you reach the site via your mobile phone or PDA. (If it doesn't mobile.seattlest.com is the address that will set things right.) Depending on how JavaScript friendly your phone is, you may even be able to comment and like posts from anywhere. Let us know how it goes!

June 6, 1889: Seattle aped "world-class cities" such as Chicago, London, Boston, and Peshtigo, WI, by losing our entire downtown to a fire.

A hearty Seattlest thanks to the Ballard Driving Academy. This is exactly the kind local advertiser--a business that screams Seattle, but really politely, doesn't want to draw too much attention to itself--we're looking for. Remember, with all that's going on in Ballard these days, the safest place is in your car. Why not let the Ballard Driving Academy show you how to drive it, while you're in there?

SWEET H.S. HOOP ACTION: Seattle will host the ninth annual Quaker Summer Slam tournament, in what is sure to be a crazy intense and heated weekend of high school basketball rivalry. If you can withstand the elements of a gym, you'll witness 32 of Washington's top prep team, we're talking serious shooter and truly a college basketball recruiter's dream. Seattlest Seth says certainly keep an eye on these rising stars Garfield's Tony Wroten and Pierre Wright, Kentwood's Josh Smith, Seattle Prep's Mitch Brewe and Franklin guard Anrio Adams. If you can't make it (or don't do h.s. gyms in the summer), follow Seth; he'll be tweeting live from the games.

From the Daily Show last night. Starbucks mating with Morning Joe starts at 1:15. Is this what's going on at Q13?

The scent of Romanza (2206 NW Market Street) hit our nostrils as we stepped past its portals. We stopped to try to identify the smell, but the flurry of fruity, floral, and musky scents were too overwhelming to permit the identification of any one scent. No wonder: the store seemed to be half full of candles. The other half was soaps.

We have to talk about something serious, you guys: it's summer. We know, it was warm yesterday and it's gonna be warm today. But it's not that bad. Wednesday was a record-breaking day, and the official temp at SeaTac didn't even hit 90. Today's going to be more of the same, but we're sure we'll make it through this terrible ordeal just fine.

Last weekend, more than 1,100 planeswalkers descended on Tacoma for Magic: The Gathering's Grand Prix. After the last lava axe had been wielded, the last craw wurm summoned, and the last holy strength enchantment cast, winners were announced and, lo and behold, the fourth place finisher was Seattle’s own Charles Dupont, 24, a software testing contractor for Microsoft.

On Monday, sports fans around the city celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Seattle SuperSonic’s 1979 NBA championship. Many people called it Seattle’s only professional sports championship. They were wrong. This year marks the 90th anniversary of a strange and sad occurrence in the history of Seattle’s first professional sports franchise: the Seattle Metropolitans hockey team.

From MyBallard comes a terrifying tale of strange new lifeforms on the back deck. "What is this strange animal?" asks a Ballard resident. "This guy showed up on our deck tonight on Seaview Ave. At first I thought it was a big rat and then thought it might be a nutria, but when I checked out information on nutria, it sounds like they are a lot bigger and have tails."

Ken Griffey Jr. remains the Mariners' designated hitter, despite being one of the ten worst hitters in the major leagues. Why isn't Junior's job in jeopardy? Primarily because the M's don't have anyone better. Ken Griffey Jr. is the Greg Nickels of Seattle sports.

This beauty has been sitting out at the corner of 14th Avenue East and East Thomas for a few days now. Do not let the missing cushions throw you off. That only adds to the unique nature of this item, which is not urine-scented to an offensive degree.

We've already recapped the UW vs. UF woman's softball World Series game one, but we really wanted to rub in the win just once more, this time with video.

"Beat L.A." "Beat L.A." The chant never worked in basketball, we never tried it for weather. But check it! Gloat away, Seattle. This week's weather is absolutely boomin'. After the jump, see how we house the rest of America's big cities. Yes, Chicago can suck it.

There is no doubt that the high water mark of Seattle’s professional sports history is the 1979 NBA Championship won by our dear, departed Seattle SuperSonics. It was 30 years ago today that DJ, Gus, JJ, Jack, Downtown Freddy Brown, and crew dispatched the Washington Bullets in the fifth and deciding game.