Today marks the fourth annual National Dump the Pump day, yet another day supposed to encourage people to ride their bikes (check), ride the bus (check), and leave their cars behind (unchecked). It's not such a shabby idea, but as we found out last year, it pretty much requires gas prices to hit the $4 mark before Seattleites will give up their keys for public transportation. more ›

While we were in Iceland last week, we had the thrill of paying $7.50/gal for diesel, which means a half tank for our Land Cruiser rental pegged the needle at $75. That helps us keep this news from AAA in perspective: the average price of a gallon of gas in Washington is $3.13. It's dropped 63 cents the past month, thanks in part to people not buying the stuff because it costs too much. But Sightline's Clark Williams-Derry has just put up a post talking about how this volatility in price isn't helping us set a firm course away from oil addiction. more ›

• West Seattle Blog has what could at least be construed as good news for your wallet--the cost of gas is down $1 from its peak prices this summer.
• You've savored her crepes at local farmer's markets, and now you can support Anita and her delicious crepes at her brand-new Ballard restaurant.
• The Big Blog wonders why the Seattle P-I's website is blocked in Thailand.

We know how bad this whole crashing economy is. Really, we do. But every cloud has a silver lining, and we're pretty sure the sparkle you can see just past today's bankrupt financial giants and tanked WAMU stock is increased transit ridership translating into more routes and added runs on existing routes so you don't have to drive (or pay for gas) anymore. more ›

• In a weekend filled with sudden and shocking death, Blogging Georgetown mourned the violent passing of Monstero!, a well-loved skull-shaped art car in the neighborhood. Monstero! was destroyed in an early morning garage fire on Sunday morning.
• My Ballard lets us know that, despite the recession the rest of us are feeling, Ballard is still booming! The blog reported on the opening of a new skate shop on Ballard Avenue and that local pizzeria Snoose Junction is opening a second store in neighboring Greenwood.
• The Rainier Valley Post had an epic weekend of posting, including a detailed report on valley gas prices. Five gas stations are selling a gallon of gas for under $4. And, depressingly, that's welcome news.

Seattlest is grateful for our bus pass and our Zipcar membership. Paying more than $4 a gallon just doesn't sound enticing for us, but we're not surprised when we hear about rate increases and other ancillary fees (like having to pay for our baggage when we fly) being passed onto us for using public transportation. more ›

see more crazy cat pics more ›

The good news? Washington State has drastically cut back on its consumption of fuel, returning to consumption rates last seen when LBJ was in the White House. The bad news? The gas we do use costs a hell of a lot, and that's not going to change any time soon. more ›