JOHN FUCKING UPDIKE: His gallivanting rabbits may have lost a step, Updike reports: "When, against my better judgment, I glance back at my prose from 20 or 30 years ago, the quality I admire and fear to have lost is its carefree bounce, its snap, its exuberant air of slight excess." But as a critic he's an admirably close, inquisitive reader, and of course he's still John fucking Updike to all of us, so having him in town is a delight. In theory he'll be talking to the Seattle Arts & Lectures audience about small towns and the middle class. more ›

THAT'S FUNNY, BITCHES: Chris Rock is one of those people who can just stand there and we'll laugh. But when he opens his mouth, forget it. We kind of laugh so hard we can't even hear what he's saying half the time, cycling through our various laughs from chuckle to cackle and snort. So you're probably glad we won't be at the Paramount tonight for his show. We'd just distract everything, and he'd probably make fun of us. Which would be funny. more ›

Washington State 70, Oral Roberts 54: Oral Roberts was the trendy upset pick--nearly 25% of ESPN users expected Wazzu to Coug it (by comparison, less than 5% had #3-seed Oregon losing)--but our faith in Wazzu didn't waver. Though it was close at halftime, we predicted that Wazzu would play their typical strangling defense to open the second half, and they proved us right, holding O-Rob to one field goal in the first six minutes of period two. The Cougs won going away. Wazzu continued their terrific offensive efficiency, committing only six (!) turnovers. Only Bobby Knight's Texas Tech Red Raiders committed as few on the tourney's first day, which should give you some insight into how good a coach Tony Bennett is. more ›

No Dawgs in the tourney this year and no Seattlest bracket to fill out, but apparently they're going to play the thing anyway and we're inviting you to avoid the office for as long as possible with us on Friday at Spitfire. Come first thing in the morning. Come for a long lunch (I'll probably do this). Skip out early and show up at 3 (or this). We'll be there, or, at least Seattlest Seth will and our drink specials still hold even when he gets mad about something and tries to cancel them: more ›

ELECTION NIGHT PARTY: Get happy with Cary Moon and the People's Waterfront Coalition, the prophets of the surface/transit waterfront. more ›

If there are a better two days in sports, or indeed in life, than the first two days of the NCAA basketball tournament, please tell us. Because sixteen games in one day, starting at 9am and ending about twelve hours later, with usually at least one upset scare, three down-to-the-wire games, and a buzzer-beating shot? Sweet mama, that is some good shit. more ›