At the top of the P-I today is a story about nude swimmers who like to converge on the Ballard pool for a monthly go. The crux of the story is that the Ballard pool is having a tough time finding lifeguards to stand watch during Naked Swim. We're not sure that making sure nude people don't drown is akin to selling the morning after pill. Do lifeguards really need to turn down duty......

The script to Birdie Blue is the sort that, if there was any justice in this world, would have been unceremoniously trashed by every producer whose desk it crossed. Unfortunately, this being the real world and all, this awful script has been produced off-Broadway and in regional theatres all across the country, despite the fact it's guilty of every terrible conceit and device you could associate with the modern theatre. Nothing would have made us......

The Stranger has endorsed a No vote on the RTID Proposition 1 (along with the Seattle Times, but thankfully with more logic and, er, research). Their reasoning? "Rather than letting compromised politicians tell us what's possible, the people should tell the leaders what's needed: more light rail without massive roads expansion." So what is the proper course of action for Congress regarding the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, bill? The bill would ban employment discrimination......

The press release came in a short time ago and we haven't really had the opportunity to go through it with our hair pick of information discovery, but the fact that the Mayor even has an Immigration and Refuges Initiative is, itself, a good start. Look, World, Seattle has an immigration initiative and it doesn't involve the construction of any Great Walls, much less mass arrests or the floating of barges full of human cargo......

The clock is ticking down on statewide ballot initiatives that hope to throw themselves into the field of vision of voters in November, and an article in Sunday's Olympian has a good rundown on who's going to make it and who's a laughable crank. The article mentions the boring-but-important initiatives that are likely to appear on ballots as well as all of the hilarious hits like the initiative that would apply the death penalty in......

What defines a terrorist or terrorism? You know, besides standing between a Republican and the camera he wants to install in your panty drawer? Is it your actions? Is it your nationality? Is it your race? Is it your intent? We better figure it out because there are suddenly a whole lot of laws on the books all over the place that say criminals get this sentence and terrorists get this other one. Down......

Monday CALL 911! CALL 911!: Political and economic commentator and White House strategist during the Nixon administration, Kevin Phillips talks about his book, American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century. Phillips traces the set of related causes that caused the downfall of historical world powers. That same combination of ills he says -- global over-reach, militant religion, resource problems, and ballooning debt -- is......

One of the best things on the local internets last month was the Spanning_time blog's Black History Month series "A Revolution Stunted." February's over and the series has reached its conclusion, but that only means that now is a great time to check it out in its entirety. Blogger Donte Parks (of Seattlest fame) compiled the depressing, enlightening, inspiring, insipid and insightful body of video clips that chronicle one man's relationship to the revolution. A......

A few days of awful publicity later, the website of Americans United to Preserve Marriage, the anti-gay-marriage organization bankrolled by Sonics owners, is now "under construction." Tom Ward donated $475K and Aubrey McClendon $625K to the organization in 2004. Josh Feit broke this story on Slog, where a commenter pointed out that the WNBA team payroll cap that year was only $647K. McClendon practically could've paid for the whole team himself with money he instead......

--A portion of all Sonics/Storm ticket sales now go to opposing civil rights for gays!. --Local bloggers watched the Oscars: Slog, Northwest Progressive Institute, Blatherwatch, --The brackets for the 4A state boys and girls tournaments are set. --The best and worst of customer service in Kirkland. --The Pacific is learning how we talk about the weather in Seattle. --Why is the 48 called the Tiger Woods of the bus system?......

THEATER: The Brown Derby Series, which debilitated audiences last year with their staged production of Trapped in the Closet, is back, this time they're doing Total Recall. With Seattlest favorite Dusty Warren! Doors at 7pm, show at 8pm // Re-bar [1114 Howell] // $12, 21 and over only, runs through Thursday. No reservations, you may want to line up early. SPORTS: #1 O'Dea hosts #4 Chief Sealth. You've gotta see a game at O'Dea's gym......

MUSIC: Yeah, we're really not sure about this, it could go either way, but the Crocodile is hosting a Disney cover night, featuring members from Catch, Kane Hodder, Pris, and a bunch of other acts. That's right. Disney covers. If it fails, it should fail in a uniquely horrifying manner. 9pm // Crocodile Cafe // $7 SPEAKING: Come learn about the horrible ways in which you and your children will live and die as John......

We're not sure exactly what this guy's motivation is for sending us an email about his parking vigilantism, but we're definitely open to emails that are apropos of nothing. This guy and his stealth army of sleeper parking enforcement cells are going to get busier and busier as "density" happens to Seattle without any attendant infrastructure. Every time two houses are torn down like they recently were in Seattlest's backyard and a condo or apartment......

All this time we thought that Tim Eyman was just a greedy ego driven douche bag. Well, we are still right, but it also looks like he is a huge nerd. Eyman called a press conference in Olympia to show and turn in the signatures he gathered for two of his initiatives-- one that would repeal the civil rights legislation passed by the state legislature last winter and one concerning his obsession over 30 dollar......

-A fishing boat burned up this morning off of Richmond Beach. Six people aboandon ship and Chief Sealth put out the fire. -Protesters shut down a Sound Transit project this morning chanting, "No black contracts, no black jobs, no light rail!". Traffic was blocked on Rainier Ave and people were pissed. -The Puget Sound Business Journal had an article up about a new House of Blues next to the Paramount, but they've taken it......

It seems that everyone in town is buzzing about Maya Lin's new exhibition at the Henry Art Gallery. Personally, we only really know Lin through her premiere memorial in DC, and, really, there is no denying the power and simplicity of that work. There is, however, great scope to her work. The Vietnam Memorial launched her career, but she is also responsible for another simple, powerful monument--the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama. Creating......

You've heard of Gawker Stalker, right? When someone spots a celeb walking around Manhattan they notify the Gawker website of the identity and location of said star and a bunch of weirdos can track them on a map. Celebrities hate it and stalkers and people who think it's funny to piss of celebrities love it. Well today and tomorrow Seattlest is adapting the stalker game for use here, except in our version there's only one......

Ed Murray, the state representative you hate if you love firing your gay employees for getting stuck in traffic, is running for State Senate. He will take on incumbent Pat Thibaudeau this September in Seattle's 43rd District. Is this decision a good idea for Murray and the state's progressive cause? Dan Savage at the Stranger says Yay. George Howland at the Weekly says Nay. Murray has represented the 43rd since 1995, and after pushing for......

Today at 11:00am, KUOW 94.9 will air the gay marriage debate between King County Executive Ron Sims, and Eastside bigot, Rev. Ken Hutcherson. According to the P-I, the debate is centered less on whether or not gay marriage is morally right, and more on whether or not the gay-rights movement is an issue of civil rights. “Simply put, Sims, who is the state's highest elected black official, believes discriminating against a person based on sexual......

Earlier in the week it looked as if Mayor Nickels' plan to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a tunnel had run out of time. Olympia lawmakers wanted him to present a funding package by April 1, an almost impossible task given the project's 3 to 4 billion dollar cost. Yesterday, the state House approved a plan that would give Governor Christine Gregoire until January 1 to decide the future of the viaduct. The plan......

The Rev Sims vs Rev Hutcherson title fight went down last night and although we couldn't attend there's enough written material about it to keep us reading through the weekend and into next week. It would be cool if the Stranger guys could throw up a video or at least a transcript of it somewhere... Anyway, it sounds like Hutcherson brought a posse with him by bus so the crowd wasn't as one-sided as the......

In honor of President's Day, we've included our fave prezzes along with our weekend activity list. Michael vB is going to see the NW Dance Split Bill ($18) at On the Boards either tonight or closing night Saturday, 8pm. Then Sunday morning he plans to scram on down to the Hi-Spot before the brunch crush for some delicious breakfast vittles. He likes Harry S Truman, because he was "scrappy." Audrey will spend the long weekend......

-Liberals think he's guilty of hypocrisy. Conservatives would convict him for being gay. A Federal Court has decided there are no charges to be brought against ex-Spokane mayor Jim West. -In other news of no charges: The scandal involving hidden campaign donations from strip clubs will finally peter out and die after charges against the four Strippergate defendants were dropped. -That kid who married his teacher after she got out of jail for raping......

Last week Democrat Dwight Pelz and Republican Diane Tebelius were elected to head their state political parties. Local douche bag Tim Eyman will challenge the state’s new civil rights bill. Next year the state primary may be held in August. Today Sally Clark will be sworn onto the City Council. Blah, blah, blah. Nothing really changes. Before the game one of our roommates mentioned that Condoleezza Rice had picked the Steelers, to which our other......

-4000 black employees who brought a racial discrimination suit against Boeing were told today that the aircraft manufacturer did not, in fact, violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -A Bainbridge Island ferry and a container ship had a near miss last night when they passed within 1600 feet of each other. That doesn't sound that near to us, either, but apparently both ships had to manuever severely to avoid each other. -"Savage Love" illustrator......

At Seattlest, we read the candidate endorsements so you don't have to flip that far into your paper. In our thorough research, certain themes emerged. At the P-I, they wrote endorsements as if they were late for a meeting. For Seattle City Council--return all the incumbents, they say. Statewide Initiatives? Say no to everything! Port Commission? It's time for change! The Stranger used the dorky gimmick of asserting that they were drunk as they wrote......

A terrorist photographer was accosted in the Metro bus tunnel yesterday by a King County Sheriff's Deputy while he was taking pictures of the underground wonderland. Despite offering to delete his pictures (always a good strategy as they can be recovered) the deputy confiscated his flash storage (try to recover that!). Despite the overzealous deputy's claims, however, it is not illegal to take pictures in the bus tunnel. The Sheriff's office is working to correct......