Friday, August 20, 2010
Music / Nightlife Yes, Yes, Ira Glass, Dan Savage—But, Seriously, Do Not Fucking Miss JD Twitch at Trouble Dicso Tonight
Posted by Eric Grandy on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 2:35 PM
Politics Didier Takes a Bunch of Hostages
Posted by Eli Sanders on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 2:12 PM
- Logan Gowdey
- Do what I say, or the 12 percent stay put.
Dino will keep working to earn the support of anyone who will work to reduce spending, get the economy back on track, and put Washingtonians back to work. He knows Washingtonians are principled and independent and expect their public servants to run on what they believe. In that spirit, Dino will continue to campaign on the things he believes, and will not submit to a list of demands made by anyone even people with whom he agrees, in Washington State or Washington, DC.
Senator Murray has been traveling this state talking about her record and the choice before Washington state voters. The reality is that Rossi took a hard turn to the hard right on issues ranging from Wall Street reform repeal to taxes to reproductive rights. His stance on the issues puts him out of steps with this state. Regardless of what happens today or the days to come, he can't run away from his record or rhetoric.
Comedy Caption Yet Another God Damned Picture of Justin Beiber!!!
Posted by Grant Brissey on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 2:06 PM
From Wm™ Steven Humphrey:
I feel like I have a lot of ground to make up after months of incessantly blogging about JUSTIN BIEBER, JUSTIN BIEBER, JUSTIN BIEBER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!Therefore I invite you to go ahead and caption this photo. (Sigh.) Have fun.
Homo Leave Earnest Borgnine ALOOOOONE!
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 1:42 PM
Earnest Borgnine is 94-years-old—he gets a pass on his homophobia. Let him have his award and let's not make ourselves look ridiculous by making a fuss about it.
Permalink | Post Comments (26)
Advertisement
Homo Looks Like They've Finally Found a Way to Stop Straight-Identified Men From Having Sex With Other Straight-Identified Men in Public Parks
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 1:35 PM
Books Independent Publishing Finds Kickstarter
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 12:51 PM
I don't think this is a bad idea, honestly; as long as the backers get something out of it, there's no harm in asking for money (a straight-up charity model would be a very bad idea for publishing, I think), and there's a community feeling that's beneficial for both the publisher and the reader. I'm surprised more publishers haven't tried to adopt an NPR membership model—it would be annoying to get a ton of pledge drive e-mails in your inbox from a bunch of different publishers, but the primary hardcore reading audience has already proven that they respond to that kind of appeal.
(Full disclosure: I'm already a backer of this project for $40. I like Wertz's stuff a lot, and I'd like to own autographed books by her as part of my permanent collection.)
Film / Teh Internets Chatroullette Still Good for Something!
Posted by Wm.™ Steven Humphrey on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 12:35 PM
Remember Chatroullette? And how we thought it was like the most awesome thing ever for two weeks until we completely forgot about it and moved on with our lives? Well, CR is apparently still around and teenage boys are still on there, desperately waiting for a chick to show off her chest meat. Happily, the viral marketers of the upcoming horror film The Last Exorcism know this, and totally punked some of these losers—whose expressions are PRICELESS. That'll do, viral marketing. That'll do.
(Audio NSFW! Headphones up!)
Arts Kelly O's Photos of the Gathering
Posted by David Schmader on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 12:26 PM
- Kelly O
Have you seen them yet? (Not just the dozen that made the print edition, but the whole slideshow?) You must.
Permalink | Post Comments (20)
Video of the Day Lunchtime Quickie: We've Got to Stop the Mosque at Ground Zero
Posted by Kelly O on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 12:05 PM
White people are so funny. SING IT!
Permalink | Post Comments (12)
Advertisement
Politics Clint Didier's Complicated Goodbye
Posted by Unpaid Intern on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 11:59 AM
Posted by news intern Logan Gowdey
- Clint Didier, American Dream
At a crowded press conference at the top of the Terminal Sales Building on 1st Ave and Virginia St with his campaign manager Katherine Serkes and daughter Brandie Didier, Clint Didier conceded the U.S. Senate race, but stopped short of endorsing Dino Rossi, the Republican candidate who will face Patty Murray in the general election for U.S. Senate.
Didier opened with a rambling football anecdote about his toughest coach who brought out the best in him, before finally getting down to business. He had been "riding his tractor and praying" in the past days as he tried to decide how to proceed.
"I want to endorse Dino Rossi. I really do. I want to beat Patty Murray in the worst way. I want to send her home with her pink slip in her hand," Didier told reporters. But he continued by saying he would only endorse Rossi under three very specific conditions. Here's what he said:
At this moment, I cannot endorse Dino Rossi. But, that can change in a heartbeat. It could change at the end of the day. Rossi and I have differences, but if we get some assurances from him about a few things, things that shouldn't be too much of a reach for him—there are things that really reflect the party platform—this could unite the party, bringing everyone together: one force, in one direction. Then I can and will change that endorsement to a yes and a 100 percent behind Rossi.Here are three things that the people tell me are most important for us to beat Patty Murray. First, show we are united on pro-life issues. We ask Rossi to promise to introduce in the Senate the same bill that Dr. Ron Paul introduced in the House: the Sanctity of Life Act. This simple bill restores the authority of elected officials to pass laws barring abortion without interference from the federal judicial courts. Second, we need to show how much difference there is between us and Patty Murray on taxes. We ask Rossi to sign the pledge that I signed, different from Grover's tax pledge. This tax pledge is very sinful [then correcting himself], simple and straightforward. I will not vote for any new taxes or increases in existing taxes.
Didier forgot to mention the third condition until later in the conference: "We ask Rossi to pledge not to vote for any bills that would increase federal government spending."
Didier's other big announcement was his new political advocacy group, "Take Back Washington," which will "keep the momentum going." Didier would not elaborate, instead asking everyone to "keep checking back. Please keep checking back on our website and Facebook pages for more information coming in the next few weeks."
Asked whether he will tell his supporters to write him in if Rossi does not meet his demands, Didier said, "No, because I cannot be wrote in. That's against our regulations. I have been voted off the ballot."
When asked which was more important, his three conditions or getting Patty Murray out, Didier replied simply "Patty Murray out. That's what I'm trying to do here," adding that there is no deadline for Rossi to respond to his demands. He finished with a word to Rossi: "Lead and the people will follow. Lead and I will follow."
Permalink | Post Comments (17)
Chow Ewwwww: NYC's Whopper Bar Unveils Their New Pizza Burgers
Posted by Megan Seling on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 11:50 AM
A full review is at A Hamburger Today.
Permalink | Post Comments (13)
Chow Really, Really Good Fried Chicken
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 11:31 AM
- Nickelas Johnson
Some people say Seattle's mini-marts, grocery stores, and gas stations have the best fried chicken. Often mentioned: Howell Street Grocery, Union Market, the Red Apple on 23rd and Jackson, the Shell station at Corson and Michigan in Georgetown, Quick Pack Food Mart at the intersection of Jackson and MLK, the mini-mart near Orcas and Rainier.Travel + Leisure magazine recently said that Seattle's best fried chicken—in fact, America's best fried chicken (among a dozen other places)—is to be found at upscale West Seattle restaurant Spring Hill. The catch: They only make it on Mondays. It also costs $20 per person, minimum four people, and is currently booked out six weeks in advance. Spring Hill's bird is very likely superlative, but six weeks is a long time to wait for fried chicken...
Media Seattle's Judge Judy Also an Insufferable Ass
Posted by Dominic Holden on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 11:29 AM
Reports Time Magazine:
When a defendant showed up on a traffic charge, Judge Judy delivered a zinger: "If you drive like an idiot 'cause you're late for work, you're gonna have to pay for it." Then she piled on: "You can see your picture on the headlines of the Seattle Times, stupid young man who shouldn't be driving."Another defendant recalled that the tart-tongue jurist humiliated and bullied her until she broke down in tears. "She frequently interrupted answers with insults," the woman recalled.
This bullying Judge Judy was not Judge Judith Sheindlin, the tough-talking former New York City Family Court judge who has the top-rated judge show on syndicated television. It was Judge Judith Raub Eiler, her real-life doppelgänger, who sits at a county court in Seattle. Instead of high ratings and rich syndication fees, this Judge Judy's aggressive demeanor earned her a five-day suspension without pay courtesy of the Washington State Supreme Court.
Read the entire thing here.
Visual Art George Clooney, Please Get Off My African Art Museum Story
Posted by Jen Graves on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 11:23 AM
Advertisement
Media Newsflash: Crazy Ladies Are Crazy
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 11:19 AM
However, as Slog tipper Chris points out, even though Dr. Laura has apologized and announced that she is canceling her radio show, Sarah Palin has decided to Twitter to Dr. Laura's rescue:
This is the sound of Sarah Palin jumping the shark in two tweets:• Dr.Laura:don't retreat ... reload! (Steps aside bc her 1st Amend.rights ceased 2exist thx 2activists trying 2silence"isn't American,not fair")• Dr.Laura=even more powerful & effective w/out the shackles, so watch out Constitutional obstructionists. And b thankful 4 her voice,America!The few black conservative candidates, columnists, and media figures—who represent the GOP’s only hope for reclaiming the legacy of Lincoln and, with it, long-term demographic relevance—are not amused. They’re now saying what many in the GOP increasingly believe: Sarah Palin is not fit to be a serious leader of the Republican Party.
It's become obvious that Sarah Palin is losing her touch. We all know she's as crazy as a wet cat in a swinging burlap sack. But it is entirely baffling that she would choose to jump in and defend Dr. Laura's racism with the expression "don't retreat ... reload!" She seems to be marginalizing her base to explicitly racist right-wing militia gun nuts. That might not be a smart idea if she's going to run for president, but it might be smart if she's trying to find a niche market that will remain loyal to her as a media brand for years to come. That is certainly an under-served demographic in the mainstream media, and she could probably profit from exploiting that small but loyal community.
Permalink | Post Comments (29)
Homo Target Targeted
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 11:00 AM
More like this, please. Via JMG.
Permalink | Post Comments (44)
Stranger Suggests Today The Stranger Suggests
Posted by The Stranger on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Music
Digable Planets
With their first album, Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space), Digable Planets brought brohemian culture to mainstream hiphop in 1993, the penultimate year of modern hiphop (after 1994 came the postmodern period, which ended in 1997). In 1994, the trio released Blowout Comb, one of the most complete works of hiphop art. What Blowout so successfully connected was revolutionary politics and the tradition of revolutionary black music. That was then; this is now: Ladybug may be the surprise of the show, but Doodlebug and Butterfly (who is one half of Shabazz Palaces, the winners of the first Stranger Genius Award in music) are certainly on the bill. Why? Because they're cool like dat. (Neumos, 925 E Pike St, 709-9467. 8 pm, $17, 21+.)
CHARLES MUDEDEBooks
Stacey Levine & Friends
Last year's Stranger Literature Genius, Stacey Levine, suffers from a curse: Due to publisher mismanagement, many of her books have fallen out of print. Tonight, friends of Levine, including poet Rebecca Hoogs and cellist Lori Goldston, will help celebrate the rerelease of what could be Levine's greatest achievement so far—her 2005 novel Frances Johnson—and hopefully break the curse forever. Johnson is a fine introduction to Levine's cockeyed narratives: A Florida town prepares for an upcoming big dance party while an angry nearby volcano named Sharla is belching lava, growing increasingly angry as the big day approaches. (Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 10th Ave, 624-6600. 7 pm, free.)
PAUL CONSTANTVisual Art Charlie Finch's Fifty Favorite Paintings
Posted by Jen Graves on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 10:57 AM
Lists like this are always fun. Like Charlie, I'm a sucker for this Matisse. It's my favorite of all his works. I think. Or maybe I'm just nostalgic for it (I studied it in college but never have seen it in person, and it rarely shows up anywhere). It's The Conversation—a scene in which absolutely no conversation is taking place. It's the anti-conversation, achingly so. This is a divorce in the making. The painting lives at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.
Music / Visual Art / Nightlife Help Pick the Winner of the Trouble Dicso Coloring Contest
Posted by Megan Seling on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 10:51 AM
See the seven finalists, and vote for you favorite, here!
City / Nightlife Five Great Questions Asked About the Mayor's Nightlife Initiative Last Night
Posted by Cienna Madrid on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 10:49 AM
James Keblas, Director of the Office of Film and Music, met with Capitol Hill residents last night to answer questions about the mayor's eight-point plan (.pdf) for improving Seattle's nightlife for business owners, residents, and the bar and club crowd. The mayor's office has an ongoing online survey up about the proposal—the graphs in this post were taken from that data—but you can't ask questions of a survey, and the Q & A last night was fantastic. Here are five examples:
- Click to enlarge
A: "We’re never going to gain traction with them without getting the support of politicians and the community," says Keblas. "We’re spending three months testing the waters, hopefully have an incredible amount of sign-off, and then petition for change. Most likely it would be a petition that would open up a process, an opt-in process throughout the state."
Q: How would the permitting work for staggered service hours for bars?
A: "I don’t want to get too far ahead of the process now," says Keblas, "but here’s a hint of what we think would happen. It would be a privileged license with a tremendous amount of conditions attached...You have to be able to measure it, in order to do it successfully. Measure SPD calls, drunk driving issues, economic impacts. Set these measures in place, say 'here are the numbers right now.' Then we'd grant something like 200 licenses spread among numerous neighborhoods, and build it up intentionally over time."
Q: Won't mandatory security training put an undue financial burden on businesses?
A: "The short answer is, yeah," Keblas says. "Security training is $90 per person, larger clubs have lots of personnel. But it is somewhat subsidized. We also think we’re creating an environment to make more money, we also think these things are going to reduce costs for the city. The training will be open to anybody who works for the club, required for security."
Q: The noise ordinance is the most troubling part of this—I don’t want anyone coming into my apartment at 4:00 a.m. taking measurements. There's not enough police to enforce this, so where’s the staff coming from, and where’s the training coming from?
A: "There'll be some fine tuning to the noise ordinance before it’s finished," says Keblas. "They can measure from the property line [if you don't want someone in your home] but then can’t tack on the $1000 fines." Keblas adds that "It won't be SPD responding most of the time. We have an enforcement plan, and the enforcers will be working for the Office of Finance and Administrative Services."
- Click to enlarge
A: "We’re not talking about buses," Keblas says. "We’re talking about things outside of that... habit changing things like allowing you to pay for your meter at 2:00 a.m. for the next morning. If you get to your car at 2:00 a.m. and know you can’t get back by 8:00 a.m. to pick it up, chances are you’re going to drive home. If you can put money in the meter, get back at 10:00 am, you might make a different decision." Keblas adds that "Right now when someone opens a nightclub, we require them to provide parking for cars. So we’re getting rid of that rule. And there are not even remotely enough taxis in the city. We're talking about increasing taxi cabs, increasing taxi stands." Keblas says that the mayors office is hearing pitches from state-wide and national safe ride programs—for example, a program that gets you home by cab and your car home (driven by a certified driver), all for $25, or another program that hands out vouchers for free cab rides home if patrons appear too intoxicated.
So what's the time line for all of these programs? "We're rolling them out slowly," says Keblas. "Some are moving forward now—the meathead ordinance was passed and the co-compliance team is already working. We're going to finalize the noise ordinance at the end of September, develop a proposal for the liquor control board at the end of this year to submit early next year, and security training for nightlife staff will start—hopefully—in January."
If you have questions of your own about the mayor's nightlife proposal, The Stranger's Nightlife Throwdown is scheduled for September 1 at 8:00 p.m. at the Hunter Gatherer Lodge on Capitol Hill.
Drugs / Money / International Wall Street Giving Up the Blow
Posted by Brendan Kiley on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 10:37 AM
As long as we're talking about cocaine...
From the WSJ:
A review of drug-test data compiled by drug testing firm Sterling Infosystems Inc., shows that cocaine is losing its favor among investment professionals. What drug is their choice? Marijuana.
Also pills and meth:
Seabrook House, a 24-bed luxury rehab facility in Pennsylvania, has been crammed with Wall Street refugees in recent months, according to Clinical Director William Heran. They are paying $24,000 for a three-month program to get clean.Mr. Heran has been around long enough to discern a forex trader from an M&A; banker. He says the rage these days is a Pez dispenser with the head of a red devil. Inside? Pills of Oxycodone or Percocet.
“We’re in crisis mode,” he says. “Many of these drugs are so accessible to the average person, let alone the person who is well-spoken and professional.”
Indeed, amphetamines seem to be gaining cache, showing up in 10% of Sterling’s positive tests this year, compared with 3% in 2007.
Meanwhile in Mexico, a mayor of a town near Monterrey has been found dead after he was kidnapped, probably for trying to clean up corrupt cops:
Edelmiro Cavazos was mayor of Santiago, a picturesque tourist town near Monterrey, Mexico's third-largest city and an industrial hub. He was grabbed from his gated home late Sunday by at least 15 gunmen wearing uniforms of a defunct police agency who arrived in a convoy of sport-utility vehicles, with patrol lights flashing.
News / Media Another Daily Show, Another Required Viewing
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 10:31 AM
When will one of the big three networks—CBS, ABC, NBC—get serious about actually covering the news and offer Jon Stewart the anchor slot he deserves?
Permalink | Post Comments (13)
Books Reading Tonight: You Must Go See Stacey Levine Tonight
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 10:22 AM
But the reading of the night is clear. Stacey Levine reads at Elliott Bay Book Company tonight. The Stranger's 2009 Genius of Literature celebrates the re-release of her awesome 2005 novel, Frances Johnson. She will be joined by other notables, including the lovely poet Rebecca Hoogs and cellist Lori Goldston. If you care about local literature, you will come to this reading tonight.
The full readings calendar, including the next week or so, is here. And if you're planning on staying in and you're looking for personalized book recommendations, feel free to tell me the books you like and ask me what to read next over at Questionland.
Film Rapture of the Deep: Piranha 3D
Posted by Andrew Wright on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 10:19 AM
For all of its eye-pinging bells and ticket-inflating whistles, modern 3D has yet to have its Jolson Sings! moment — a display which sizes up the possibilities of said technological breakthrough, boldly hurdles the gap, and forcibly shifts the paradigm. Midway through Piranha 3D, there’s a scene where two pneumatic bikini models nudely cavort underwater for at least a solid minute, to the strains of classical music. Welcome to the future, fellow travelers.
Following Joe Bob Briggs’ credo about having absolutely no plot to get in the way of the story, director Alexandre Aja wastes no time in getting to the gooshy stuff. After a borderline cine-sacrilegious cameo, an underwater earthquake frees thousands of Lil’ toothy prehistoric bastards, bent on crashing Spring Break. Throw in a handful of seasoned actors (including Elizabeth Shue and Ving Rhames) playing it mostly straight, a bajillion gallons of blood, and a gaggle of tanned, fit, and readily disposable extras, and you’ve got the blissfully empty-headed savior of the summer.
Director Aja first made his name with movies like High Tension and The Hills Have Eyes remake — technically accomplished, expertly paced movies that often went out of their way to be actively unpleasant. Here, though, he lightens up, doubles down on the ridiculous excess, and delivers an exploitation movie that may actually surpass its 80’s Velveeta inspirations — a film so absurdly gratuitous that it somehow becomes weirdly pure. It knows precisely what it is.
Theater / Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz The AP Hires a Theater Critic
Posted by Brendan Kiley on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 10:11 AM
He's helped cover 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. He's reported from Kabul. And now Mark Kennedy is turning theater critic.
From the LA Times:
On Thursday, the AP said that Mark Kennedy, who had worked for the news service for 13 years, is returning to the organization to assume the role of theater writer and reviewer. In addition to covering the theater beat, Kennedy's responsibilities will also include music, film and other aspects of pop culture.
At least the AP hired a theater critic. After Michael Kuchwara croaked it, I wasn't sure they were going to.
Like the old song goes:
Even newspapers don't like critics,
They stick 'em down in the basement.
And when they retire or they get fired
Nobody ever hires a replacement.
Most Commented on Slog
-
Buh-Bye by Dan Savage
-
SL Letter of the Day: Yeah, That'll Work by Dan Savage
-
It Can't Happen Here by Dan Savage
-
I Have
GayDead Friends by Dan Savage -
SL Letter of the Day: ISO GGG GF by Dan Savage
-
What Was That BOOM? by Megan Seling
-
Rumbaugh: What Happened. by Eli Sanders
-
Something About The Juxtaposition by Dan Savage
-
Someone Is Serious About Celebrating Lifelong Heterosexual Monogamy—Right, Ross? by Dan Savage
-
Into the Wild of Into the Wild by Paul Constant
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
