The New York Times reports that our esteemed politicians have agreed on "an economic stimulus package", which sounds pretty high-falutin', but it basically amounts to cutting everyone in America a check. If you got a paycheck of any kind last year--even if you made too little to pay taxes--you will get $300. If you have kids, you'll get $300 for each one. If you made more money, you get more. You could get up to......

What better time to talk about beer and food than with the holidays coming up? We enjoy wine with a good meal just as much as everyone else, but we hate the perception that beer should not be paired with anything except pizza. Unless you are still drinking that macro crap, you can enjoy beer with a wide variety of food. This Seattlest is currently reading "The Brewmaster's Table", written by Garrett Oliver, the......

COMICS: Local cartoonist salon Friends of the Nib, founded by Jim Woodring, will create a work of narrative sequential art right before your eyes. You may purchase a copy of said art at the end of the evening. 6-9pm, drop in anytime // Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, 1201 S Vale St. in Georgetown // TRIVIA: If you think Seattlest James asks tough questions, take a gander at sample categories at the World Affairs Council's Transnational......

Next in line of Oscar-nominees: Steven Spielberg's Munich, playing at the Metro, Columbia City, and the Meridian 16. So far, this is the one that has us most baffled, Best Picture-wise. It's good, even brilliant in parts, just like most of Spielberg's work, but it's problematic, and not just in the political sense. Munich imagines what happened after the 1972 Olympics, when all of the Israeli athletes were rounded up by Palestinian terrorists and killed.......

There are so many things to love about Turkey: it's juicy and delicious, always reminds us of the holidays, and is a truly versatile meat. What's that you say---there's also a country by that name? We suppose that would be alright too, though probably not as tasty. Yes, today's the beginning of TurkFest 2005, "a cultural festival celebrating all things Turkish." Activities including traditional music and dance, a photography exhibit, and (good God) shadow puppetry......