There were all the things a soapbox derby should have at last weekend's Redbull Soapbox derby in Fremont: sleek, high-design vehicles next to totally scrappy, yet hysterically themed clunkers (the pickle seemed to be a crowd favorite). Attitude, bravado, and shenanigans mixed with derring-do. There were kids and old folks, and everyone in between. And ridiculous skits before each run (many requiring the removal of pants), a nice twist. Unexpectedly, there was Sir Mix-A-Lot and Travis Pastrana (we actually thought that was cool, but many seemed not to know the moto trickster by name) for judges. There was just one thing we wish there had been more of, and that was sightlines for the race. Or, as fellow Seattlest contributor Jack put it: "No matter where we stood along the course, it was hard to see anything without dry-humping the person in front of us as we leaned forward hoping to catch just a glimpse of our heroes cruising down Fremont Avenue." more ›

, and our guess would be that it applies even more to the latter. We've heard it from several people that adults don't vote, either. After last week's grossly misguided injustice, we're fairly certain both rumors are true. That's why we're making it a point to head off further sadness the best way we know how: with a blog post. more ›

involved with this competition. But no, Seattle. You had to flash those bedroom eyes of yours, do your best (a.k.a. worst) James Brown-ish dancing. You had to beatbox and reach your hand out at the camera like you're beckoning one of those teenage girls to come hither. more ›

A post in Tuesday's DCist mentioned a campaign in the other Washington to adopt a bland song named "Come to Washington" as an official "city anthem." Then, in a follow-up post, DCist nominated nine other, better songs. Readers voted for their favorites and suggested a few more. The current fave seems to be the Magnetic Fields' awesomely evocative "Washington, D.C." more ›

-An 88-year-old woman who misjudged a curve on I-5 and drove off the road was found today after spending five days trapped by Blackberries. Look, you may think that mobile email is the greatest thing since the Sir Mix-a-lot ring tone, but there's a real danger of these devices ganging together and waylaying elderly drivers. Seattlest thinks there should be a law. more ›

The past year has been a good one for Seattle. The Decibel Festival, Red Bull Music Academy, and one-off shows brought in talent to a degree that's inconsistent with the actual size of our metropolis. Seattle's producers and DJs also managed to make waves outside the region, with well-received releases and appearances at world-reknowned festivals. Most importantly, the year is closing with strong momentum, setting up next year to further propel the Seattle scene. In celebration of 2006, here are Seattlest's picks for the top 6 tracks and performances to come about this year. We recognize these lists are usually a source of controversy, so let us know in the comments if we've made any glaring omissions. more ›

Seattlest wants to introduce you to Hardison. Take a moment. It's worth it. You can find some of their mp3s for download here. more ›

There was a time when local television was interesting and original. Seattleites growing up in the 1970s, for example, spent childhood afternoons watching J.P. Patches: a clown who lived in the city dump with a drag queen. more ›

Did you know that "Baby Got Back" has consistently been one of the most purchased ringtones in cellphone history? Sometimes we like to think about the people out there who would pick that song to play whenever their cellphone rings. We hope there is a junior executive making a big sales pitch to a board of directors and that during a big presentation his phone starts playing "My anaconda don't want none unless you got buns hon." We do hope, however, that he still gets the account. more ›

Not content to raise money by selling candy bars, Northwest School has drafted Pearl Jam, Presidents of the United States of America, Ann & Nancy Wilson (of Heart), and Bill Frisell to play a benefit March 18th at the Paramount. more ›