This Seattlest just returned from Austin, Texas, for the annual South by Southwest music festival. While enjoying Austin, we were struck by one thing over and over again--how much Texas really wants to be its own nation. Nothing drove that point home more than comparing Texas' Capitol building to our very own Capitol. The state building in Austin is easily three times the size of Washington States and rivals the size of the Capitol building......

This post is brought to you by, we believe, Seattlest's lone Hillary supporter or, as we like to refer to ourself, Hillpporter. If you travel around the tubes today, you might see all manner of photos of Hillary Clinton looking very happy, surrounded by oodles of confetti. That's because, last night, Hillary brought it, winning the primaries in Texas, Ohio, and Rhode Island. We kind of wanted to go watch the returns with all......

Tonight is the fifth in the Do-or-Die/Must-Win primary series that will hopefully be over by the Olympics. Texas and Ohio are the only states to care about, mainly because Vermont and Rhode Island haven't carried any clout since they both went for John Adams. So if you're not heading down to the Old Pequilar for Quiz Night, or over to Neumos for British Sea Power, why not turn on the TV and watch as......

We have gathered some of the top political writers in the country and asked them to discuss the presidential race throughout the year. Today they will discuss the Democratic race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Seattlest-- How do you feel Senator Clinton's recent attacks on Senator Obama are shaping the upcoming Texas and Ohio primaries? Jeff (San Francisco Chronicle)-- I've got to come clean with my dirty secret-- I'm starting to get cold feet......

Tonight's show deserves special attention because Reign of Terror is, to our knowledge, the only noir film set during the French revolution. NoirFan62 says: The great Anthony Mann takes a film that would probably play mostly as a colorful, sweeping, epic piece dealing with the French revolution and turns it, with the help of cinematographer John Alton, into a dark, shadowy and claustrophobic film noir/adventure/spy/suspense tale period piece featuring excellent performances from a cast that......

Today there is an extra skip in our step, and song in our whistle. All across Arizona pitchers and catchers are reporting to work, which means Spring Training is underway. [Large sigh of happiness] The Seattle Times’ Geoff Baker has this glorious day covered on his blog, including the news that Eric Bedard has been named the Opening Day starter. Larry Stone can catch you up on what you have may have missed during......

In the westerns we read growing up, cowboys were always punching each other right in the solar plexus. A scene in the lonelyhearts drama By the Waters of Babylon did that to the Seattle Rep audience last night, leaving people gasping and in tears. It was a lucky punch, though -- most of the time the play telegraphs exactly what's coming next: quips and tedium. If you go, go for Suzanne Bouchard's outstanding performance as......

In a press conference that's going on right now, Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren announced that 2008 will be his final year as head coach of the Seahawks. Holmgren is not retiring. He did not rule out returning to coaching in the future, but did say he would "take a break." He said he would leave the issue of who would succeed him as coach up to the Seahawks front office, saying "it wouldn't be appropriate"......

Where Paul Thomas Anderson's previous films are layered with multiple characters, dovetailing conflicts and weird kawinkydinks, his latest is refined, focused, and real-life unsettling. There Will Be Blood, an adaptation of Upton Sinclair's ever-topical 1927 novel Oil!, is just as skillfully orchestrated as Boogie Nights and Magnolia, but resonates more than a big-dick or raining-frogs story ever could. The slick black American gold that incites said bloodletting is the film’s indifferent spine. Oil captivates......

Expect the national TV broadcasters to rain clichés on the constant grey that is Seattle this weekend as the Seahawks host the Sean Taylor Memorial Experience at Qwest Field. It’s one thing to rip on Seattle’s weather from a heated broadcast booth, it’s another thing to have the stomach to actually handle it day in and day out. "I like the cold. I don't mind the rain. There's a certain hardness to it," Kerney said.......

When last we checked in with Texas A&M, their fans were sending us insane emails after we wrote about that whole Seahawks/12th man dispute. (Texas A&M has a 12th man tradition too, they said the Hawks were infringing on it). Our favorite such email concluded thusly: "Keep your latte sippin, tree huggin, PETA lovin, flannel shirt, leg humping asses off our traditions." It's funny because it's true. Honestly, what is it with our asses here......

Woody Guthrie was, and in many ways still is, one of the most important figures in the history of American music. He's responsible for hundreds of songs, some of which are still being found and put to music. His contributions to the American songbook include, of course, "This Land is Your Land," but also "Pretty Boy Floyd," "Pastures of Plenty," and other topical tunes by which topical songwriters continue to measure their worth. He also......

Last night the Colorado Rockies won the National League pennant and removed themselves from the dreaded list of franchises that have never made it to the World Series. The four teams still on that list: Texas Rangers/Washington Senators, Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos, Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Tampa Bay Rays, and our home town nine, the Seattle Mariners. If it's any consolation of those four teams the Mariners have come the closest in the past twenty six......

Tonight Earlimart, The Quiet Ones, and OFFICE play the Croc. We already said plenty of good things about Earlimart when they were in town last month, so this time we'll plug OFFICE. In their first ever video, the Chicago boy-girl glam-pop five-piece decided to insert themselves (huh huh) into clips from cheesy 80s porn. Despite the presence of Peter North, it's totally SFW. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have a two-night stand at Neumo's Saturday......

Last night, in the face of too-cold-too-soon autumn weather, we corralled our friend (and friend of the Slog) Carollani into her badass newish car and headed over to the 5th Avenue Theater for the official opening night of Lone Star Love--a Broadway-bound musical playing now through Sept. 30. We'll just cut to the chase. Lone Star Love has everything it needs to be a huge, raucous Broadway hit. There's the ballsy black woman, the......

If there's anything we learned studying literature in college, it's that everything either comes from Shakespeare, Greek mythology or the Bible. Seattlest used to entertain herself by playing "From Whence Did That Allusion Come?" Yeah, we only had two friends in college. The result of our education is an absolute delight for anything that successfully adapts some brilliant Shakespearean masterpiece into a slightly more ribald, contemporary spectacle. And so it is that we perked up......

For the first time ever, we ventured to the sophisticated urban wilds of Toronto for their 32nd annual International Film Festival. TIFF is a big 'un, and, along with Venice, its perpetually strong line-up of award-bait always mark the official beginning of Oscar season. We hit the Canadian cinema circuit in an attempt to catch as many of the year's best films as possible. One film you won't find on 2007's best-of lists is the......

Seattlest isn’t really a discriminating diner. We don’t have a sophisticated palate. We don’t demand impeccable service. If we get what we order, the food is reasonably priced and tasty, and the wait staff leans friendly, we’re content. We do, however, expect near-perfection from new restaurants. And fair, unbiased criticism from those who evaluate them. After reading a “first look” review of new Ballard eatery Austin Cantina, and subsequently eating there Saturday night with our......

Well, that was spectacular. From the heady days of August 25th, when the M's were three up in the wild card and only one back in the division, had won two straight in Texas, when we were all excited about Blue-za-palooza or whatever the fuck it was...to now, after 11 losses in 12 games, when we're all pretty much in wait 'till next year mode. You've all seen the boat sink, here are the numbers.......

We're not one of those people who hate "chemicals." Mmm, Diet Dr Pepper. But a few months ago we started to avoid buying milk that contained bovine growth hormone. Are we convinced it's bad for us? No, but we're convinced it's not explicitly good for us, either, since it exists to make life easier for dairy farmers. It's easy enough to avoid, and having a real live growing kid in the house makes us more......

The first thing Mike Hargrove did after quitting the Mariners? He followed Alan Jackson's advice and bought a Ford truck. Jim Moore of the P-I talked to Hargrove's car salesperson:Jerry Korum of Korum Ford in Puyallup read that the Hargroves always said when they retired, they would get a red truck, call it "Retired Red," load up their belongings and drive off into the sunset. Korum called the Mariners and told them he had a......

It was a week of bizarre, embarassing headlines at DCist. The trial of the local administrative law judge who sued his cleaners for $54 million over a pair of missing pants left everyone shaking their heads. Then the capital city was nearly brought to its knees, twice, by poop. Finally D.C. contemplated taking Vermont's place as a state and marveled at the GOP lessons learned from the "Macaca Moment." Due to some sad shootings......

Seattlest has a talk with the photographer from last week's "Segway Mom" and then experiences some dissension in the ranks over the question of wine vs. beer. It's not West Side Story, but about as close as they'll get. They're also still waiting on some inbox relief after a spammer is arrested. As Chicagoist counts down the days to its third anniversary party, they found all-organic pizza to be underwhelming amidst the hoopla, tried......

As has already been mentioned everywhere else, the wind nearly destroyed Sasquatch on Sunday, taking out the Polyphonic Spree (all 90 of them) on the mainstage, delaying their show till after the Beastie Boys later that night, and delaying other acts who then had to reschedule for other stages. Right before the Polyphonic group had to reschedule (yet another rendition of that one song that enjoyed way too much rotation on KEXP back in......

All across the Ist-A-Verse (or at least the American parts thereof), writers and editors are in the midst of enjoying their three-day weekend. But after the week we've all had, we feel like the break is not only needed, but deserved. Just look at everything we've been doing! Gothamist headed into the Memorial Day weekend with a number of tasks accomplished. They worried about Long Islanders giving New Yorkers a bad name. They tried......

Vitals: Scott Edward Kazmir, 23 yo LHP. Born in Houston, Texas. 6-0, 170. 24-22, 3.75 career. 2-2, 3.83 in 2007. $424,300 salary. Arsenal: Mid-90s fastball, a slider he'll throw to both sides of the plate, and a change. Recent Battles: Last May Kazmir shut the Mariners out for seven innings, allowing just three singles and striking out nine. Our Best Weapon: Nobody has more than 10 at bats against Kazmir. The Mariners have hit lefties......

Vitals: Gregory Alan Maddux, 41 yo RHP. Born in San Angelo, Texas. 6-0, 180. 336-205, 3.07 career. 3-2, 3.20 in 2007. $10,000,000 salary. Arsenal: Fastball and a changeup. Neither are as fast as they once were, but they get the job done. He mixes in a slow, tight curve and a slider. Recent Battles: Only one of Maddux' 685 career starts has come against the Mariners. In 2003, while with the Braves, he struck out......

Vitals: Christopher Ryan Young, 27 yo RHP. Born in Dallas, Texas. 6-10, 260. 30-17, 3.84 career. 4-3, 3.11 in 2007. $600,000 salary. Arsenal: Low 90s fastball, a curve that he changes speeds on, and a change. Terrible at holding runners on, he allowed 41 stolen bases last year. Recent Battles: Young started once against the M's in interleague play last year. He allowed three runs in six innings, all on solo homers by Sexson, Lopez,......

The two winningest Mariner pitchers ever, Jamie Moyer and Randy Johnson, start against each other today. Moyer had 145 wins as a Mariner, Johnson had 130. Combined, the two pitched 3932 innings as Mariners. They've faced each other once before--in Texas, 18 years ago. On Thursday, September 21, 1989, while the Berlin Wall was still up, Ed Koch was mayor of New York, and Samuel Beckett was alive, 26-year-old Moyer, then a back-of-the-rotation starter for......

Vitals: 22 yo LHP. Born in Austin, TX. 6-1, 200. 0-3, 5.32 career and 2007 (he's a rookie). Acquired via trade from Texas (Brandon McCarthy) before this season. $380,000 salary. Arsenal: Same was Barry Zito's. He's got a 88-91 fastball, a 80 mph change that he appears to locate well (and likes to use with two strikes) and a big looping curve--which, from what I've seen, isn't as big and looping as Zito's is. Recent......