The Friends of the Seattle Public Library are trying to get people to write to members of the City Council in support of funding collections before the council meets to discuss the budget Tuesday, October, 30. Seriously, a $2.5 million shortfall this year, and a shortfall every year since 2000 when Libraries For All funded a bunch of building upgrades (including the Central Library)? That's really lame, particularly here where we get all proud whenever some list ranks us as the most literate city in the world. The most literate city in the world shouldn't have budget shortfalls at the library, and unless it's all a big show we need to fix SPL funding. We've got a bunch of cool new branch libraries, and the Central Library is great (or not, but whatever, we've got it) but If we're going to take the time to burrow through the rat maze it would help if we could be reasonably certain of actually going home with the book we're after. It has to be fixed. more ›

The Friends of The Seattle Public Library Book Sale more ›

Today, One Reel canceled their Summer Nights concert series, which was to move from South Lake Union to Gasworks Park. The move comes after a group calling themselves Friends of Gas Works Park, but who we call a bunch of hippie assholes, claimed that the concerts would bring crowds, traffic and parking problems to the area. Boo-fucking-hoo. more ›