Hollywood Knowledge: Tonight the Northwest Screenwriters Guild hosts a talk with special guest actor/screenwriter Walter Dalton. Dalton has written for TV (Laverne and Shirley, Barney Miller, Benson) and appeared on it (Rhoda, Mork and Mindy, Northern Exposure, and Millennium). He'll discuss a Hollywood career's ins and outs, then hang around for a Q&A session. Saturday he'll lead a workshop on pitching. Friday 7-9pm, Saturday 10am-2pm // NWSG, Clear Channel Bldg, 351 Elliott Ave W......

Sometimes you go big *and* go home. Such will be the case with Iraq (give it time) and with Pretty Girls Make Graves. After signing to Matador and releasing The New Romance and Élan Vital to better than fair reviews, PGMG announced that they were calling it quits earlier this year. But the local post-punk band isn't throwing in the towel before one last hurrah and [insert your own tired cliche here]. Seattle gets......

MUSIC: Other than at Sasquatch in May, tonight's your only chance to see Smoosh on their current tour, when they open for Bloc Party at the Paramount. Yeah, Bright Eyes are also playing over at the Showbox, but seriously, you'd try to get scalped tickets to go see them over Smoosh? Whatever. 8pm // The Paramount // $25.50 plus fees FOOD & FUNDRAISING: Tarragona Wine and Food on Capitol Hill is hosting a wine tasting/auction......

A friend of ours just told us a little story today about how her Marine boyfriend, recently back from a tour of duty in Iraq, tried to break up a drunken fight a couple months ago outside the Jack in the Box at Broadway and Denny. Our soldier in question was out late one night with a drunken friend, who decided that what he needed most out of life was the thrill of throwing......

It looks like it's going to rain all weekend (T-Storms even!) and frankly there's not a lot going on barring Citizen Cope, which is sold out. Yeah, you should try to get in to the Robert WIlliams thing, but as Seattlest Silvie suggested in the comments, you may have to go early and spend some time waiting in line. In the rain. Tonight's also Bright Eyes, but since he sucks there's no way you'll be......

We have been spoiled by the decandent amount of sun recently, so we have decided not to go outside until it stops raining. Since we have a cable modem and free time, we would like to point out some free and legal downloads for your listening pleasure. The Bloc Party is a big buzz-y band garnering tons of press, including a blurb in the famed judge of cool, 'Newsweek.' Download a remix of their single......

-Seattlest introduces you to the fantastic imagery available at Flickr.com via the Space Needle. -Mary Letourneau's wedding registry at Macy's is posted. -Parental Unit Gothamist turns two and Seattlest dredges up the past in celebration. -We get interested in Seattle City Light's biodiesel program. -Seattlest ponders: Ghostface, Bright Eyes or both? -Seattlest tracks the progress of our reality TV stars. -New contributor Chris is impressed with a fast solo circumnavigation. -Monorail economics and Simpsons tie-ins......

Okay, let's be frank. The Wu-Tang Clan was the most important group in hip-hop history (sorry, Kriss Kross, but it's true). At one point, having the Wu-Tang ensignia on your CD was a sign of quality. It was like the Chiquita banana sticker of hip-hop. Unfortately, throughout the late ninties a series of bland releases dimninished the brand to the hip-hop equivalent of the AMC Hornet. The only Wu member who bucked this trend......

The Gang of Four reunion rumors were true: they'll play the second day of 2005's Coachella Festival in Indio, California. The rest of the lineup reads like John in the Morning's very special dream. Bright Eyes (a repeat from last year), Coldplay, Bauhaus, Weezer, Wilco, Keane, Snow Patrol, Rilo Kiley, Mercury Rev, New Order, Kasabian, Fiery Furnaces, British Sea Power. We'd be psyched to see most of the above, as well as Arcade Fire......

Think the new Bright Eyes album is hot sh*t? Then you should go see one of the godfathers of the alt-country movement play tonight and tomorrow night at the Tractor over in Ballard. Jay Farrar was the lead singer in Son Volt and Uncle Tupelo, two bands that evoked the heartland before you had ever heard of a trucker hat. There is as much pain in Jay Farrar's voice as a 'Joey' marathon on NBC,......