MetaFilter posts tagged with seattle

This actually happened.

empath — Fri, 03 May 2013 03:47:45 -0800

Brief disturbance earlier at 5th and Jackson between superheroes and clowns. Everything's under control.

Tell 'em Big Bertha sent ya!

Blazecock Pileon — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:41:15 -0800

Meet Bertha, the world's largest underground tunnel boring machine that will soon begin digging a controversial roadway underneath downtown Seattle, similar to Boston's Big Dig

The Irony Is

klangklangston — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:56:49 -0800

Charles Krafft is known for his ironic Nazi ceramics — except that he's a Nazi Jen Graves in the Stranger finds malice under Krafft's provocation. (Via; previously, previously.)

Long Gone Day

mannequito — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:34:55 -0800

Mike McCready, Barrett Martin, Mark Lanegan, and Peter Buck got together last year to finish tracks from a second Mad Season record that was abandoned following the deaths of John Baker Saunders in 1999 and Layne Staley in 2002. Rolling Stone has the first track streaming, with the rest coming in April for a double album + concert dvd re-release of Above.

Douglas?

shakespeherian — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 17:34:00 -0800

Click that 'hood! is a simple game which tasks you to locate neighborhoods in one of six cities: Chicago, IL; Lexington, KY; Louisville, KY; Oakland, CA; San Francisco, CA; and Seattle, WA. An easy game gives you 20 neighborhoods: A hard game gives you the entire city.

Marijwhatnow?

scblackman — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:02:55 -0800

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) has provided Seattle-ites with a practical guide for marijuana use in the Emerald City. In light of the recent passage of the I-502 referendum decriminalizing marijuana possession in the State of Washington (previously discussed on the blue), the SPD hired allowed its recently hired writer Jonah Spangenthal-Lee (also of the Stranger) to assemble a witty little FAQ, notable for a LOtR clip and the first mention of "Super Skunk" on a seattle.gov website.

... which really should be pronounced "fra" and not "pra."

librarina — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 18:50:00 -0800

RIP Bob Quinn. If you've spent any time at the University of Washington, you'll likely recognize him as the guy who wandered, with his well-behaved off-leash dog, up and down the Ave, spending all day at various coffee shops and bookstores. Or if you were using heroin or were otherwise at high risk for HIV in North Seattle anytime between the 1980s and now, you likely recognize him because he may have saved your life. Quinn started handing out clean needles and condoms on the Ave the 1980s as a response to the AIDS epidemic. "The exchange in many ways was just a gut reaction. It was an emergency, something had to be done and so I did it," he said. "I didn’t think of the consequences or whether it was right or wrong. It needed to be done and I did what I had to do." His informal table in front of the old Tower Records has since morphed into the People's Harm Reduction Alliance, a needle distribution program that will bring needles to you anywhere in King County, and also offers Hepatitis C testing, vein care, and an all-women staff on Tuesdays. According to reports, he attempted suicide last week, and died at the hospital several days later.

"Is this still you?"

litlnemo — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:28:43 -0800

On Election Night 2008 in Seattle, Renee received a random celebratory text from a stranger. She saved that text for four years, until last night.

Just how gay is Seattle?

modernist1 — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 09:47:22 -0800

Just how gay is Seattle? Pretty gay.

Do You Believe in Magic...The Gathering?

explosion — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:31:21 -0800

For three days, the world's best 'Magic' players battle it out in Seattle Three weeks ago, Seattle hosted the Magic: The Gathering Players Championship. Noah Davis writes about one of the most prestigious M:TG tournaments from an outsider's perspective. It turns out, Magic is still around, and it's a big deal.

Privately Owned Public Spaces

larrybob — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 18:31:04 -0800

When is a private space a public space? When it's a Privately Owned Public Space (POPS). In accordance with the planning codes of some cities, owners or builders of buildings are mandated to provide members of the general public access to spaces which include rooftop gardens, courtyards, and plazas. But how can you find these hidden gems? Here are some treasure maps: New York City's Privately Owned Public Space guide. There is also a collaborative project which rated NYC's POPs. Probably the best-known POPS in New York City is Zuccotti Park. Each week, OccupyPOPS visits different POPS in NYC. whOWNSpace, anyway? Pittsburgh is another city where the Occupy movement has occupied a POPS. The Guardian's list of privatised public spaces in Britain invites additional submissions. Space Hijackers is a British group which speaks out about the use of space and free speech rights. San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) points out some Secrets of San Francisco: Where to find our city's POPOS (privately owned public open spaces). The Planning Commission of the City and County of San Francisco has recently mandated an improvement in signage for POPOS, which are often obscurely indicated (an example is the rooftop of the Westfield Mall, which is accessible from only one elevator of a bank of four which is found through an door distinct from the entrance of the mall itself.) In 2006/07 a project called Commonspace by Rebar Art & Design Studio examined what uses of POPOS would be tolerated; their activities included practicing Balinese monkey chant; police refused to comply with security guards' attempts to eject them. Using public spaces freely: Ownership and management of public spaces is a research paper which discusses the history of New York's POPS and San Francisco's POPOS policies, which began in the 60s, and were subsequently modified, as well as examining the use of public space in Atlanta. Japan is another place that has had POPS since the 1960s. Los Angeles is lacking in green spaces, whether private or public. However here's a list of 10 public spaces along the CicLAvia Route. Seattle has also had Privately Owned Public Open Spaces policies since 1966 and the Seattle City Council offers a maps of POPOs in Seattle. Is Discovery Green in Houston a public or private park? However, Anil Dash notes that only 16% of POPS can be considered successful at what they purport to be. And the privatization of public space carries free speech ramifications.

Pinterested King County

bearwife — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 09:55:46 -0800

King County Archives, which has a "vast collection" of historic photos from Seattle's home county, has posted more than 100 to Pinterest. Images released thus far include art, historic photos, and maps.

Craig's Lift

gman — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 14:42:42 -0800

A dude found his stolen bicycle on Craigslist days after it had been lifted and then drives 160 miles to find the thief and confront him.

Honestly, you guys, these are supposed to be pretty rare...

hincandenza — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 19:16:59 -0800

Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners has pitched the Major League's ~~24th~~ 23rd perfect game, in a 12-strikeout, 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. You can watch an abbreviated video showing all 27 outs in succession at mlb.com here (6:08). This marks the third perfect game thrown in the major leagues this season, with about one-quarter of the season still left to be played. Non-baseball fans who read Metafilter may be unaware that this is not actually a common feat, as only 16 perfect games were thrown in the history of baseball prior to 2004, often with several years or even decades between perfect games. Yet in just the last 9 seasons, almost one third of all perfect games in history have been thrown (or exactly one-third, if we count Armando Galarraga's stolen perfect game in 2010). There had never been two perfect games in the same year- until two were thrown in 2010, and now three and counting in 2012. The Tampa Bay Rays have been a solid hitting team and perennial playoff contender over the last several years, yet seem unusually snake-bit when it comes to no-hitters/perfect games, as they have been no-hit 4 times since 2009- of which three have been perfect games. It also is the third no-hitter and second perfect game involving the Seattle Mariners this year at their home park of Safeco Field, as they were the victims of the Phil Humber perfect game in April, and combined for a rare six-pitcher no-hitter in June.

"The latest victim of the tumor has been my facial nerve."

skycrashesdown — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 21:12:46 -0800

Kathi Goertzen, a TV news anchor on KOMO in Seattle, has died after battling brain tumors for 14 years. In 2011, she candidly discussed how it felt to be in the public eye after a tumor caused one side of her face to become paralyzed. Kathi was first diagnosed with a rare form of meningioma back in 1998. When she was profiled in the Seattle Times in May, 2012, along with her two daughters, she was recovering from her 9th surgery. The Kathi Goertzen Foundation was formed to "support research for cures and encourage patients in their battles against brain cancers and tumors."

Best Cat Fort EVAAAARR

MiltonRandKalman — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 15:39:42 -0800

How do you cheer up a cat-loving teenage cancer patient who misses her kitty? With the Cat Immersion Project for Maga. Brought to you by Seattle Children's Hospital and 3000+ people who sent in photos of their cats. [via ZeFrank]

Ichiro Suzuki has been traded to the New York Yankees

Groundhog Week — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 09:34:58 -0800

Ichiro Suziki has been traded to the New York Yankees Ichiro Suzuki joined the Seattle Mariners in 2001 and became the most recent player to win Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors in the same year. In 2004, he set the MLB record for most hits in a season with 262 hits (More stats at baseball-reference.com). He is considered the must successful Japanese ballplayer to join the MLB. The trade occurred while the Yankees were in the Seattle to play the Mariners, so it must have been a surreal experience for Seattle fans to see a beloved player don an opponent's uniform and immediately single and steal a base against you in his first at-bat. Here is an essay on the cultural impact of Ichiro Suzuki. Jonah Keri of Grantland.com explains what you need to know about the trade, which includes links to "Ichiro's Theme" by Ben Gibbard (frontman for Death Cab for Cutie), Ichiro's laser beam for an arm and much more. (This is my first post to the blue... I hope I did okay.)

Florence Williams - Breasts: A Natural & Unnatural History

flex — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:44:00 -0800

Your Breasts Are Trying To Kill You: Slate reviews Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History by Florence WIlliams (an edited excerpt from the book re: breast milk in The Guardian - includes breastfeeding photo). NPR interview with Williams (41 min. audio and text highlights); a brief interview with Williams in The Star and a long interview in Maclean's. A recent piece by Williams in Slate: A new set of reports shows that federal policy on chemicals testing neglects breast health. Subject found via a post on IBTP discussing the ban, and then partial retraction of that ban, on allowing breast cancer survivor Jodi Jaecks to swim topless at a Seattle public pool - includes topless photo. Some may consider the photos noted NSFW.

Future past

the man of twists and turns — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 08:55:59 -0800

Driving down the street in LA, you may notice coffee shops, gas stations or motels with bright primary colors, sweeping lines, bold angles and a retrofuture feel: Googie - Architecture of the Space Age iO9 (GawkerMedia) collects some examples of Googie. The Guardian reviews Futuro:

Before the recession and the return of architectural probity, the phrase "like an alien spaceship" was all over architecture journalism like a cheap suit. Faced with anything that didn't look like a brick box, critics and headline writers would ransack their imaginations before inevitably reaching for the extra-terrestrial. Frank Gehry? Future Systems? Zaha Hadid? Yep, spaceship-mongers. Well there's only one building where that simile is inescapable, and that's the Futuro house, designed by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen in 1968.

Retronaut has examples from a children's encyclopedia, and the Seattle PI offers us a video and slideshow of the Seattle World's Fair, with lots and lots of Googie. ArchDaily writes: Googie Architecture: Futurism Through Modernism. One of the most prominent uses of Googie is at Disney, with the stunning mural The Prologue and the Promise Eldon Davis(slideshow), LA architect who 'defined it and refined' Googie style, passed away last year. Previously on MetaFilter: Denny's Saved by Googie Googie Wonderland LA Time Machines Googie?

The "Unstoppable Gay Jew"

zarq — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 18:30:03 -0800

In 1971, "decades before any state had seriously considered legalizing gay marriage, long before anyone had thought of creating—never mind repealing—a policy called “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” before Reagan, before AIDS, before the American Psychiatric Association determined that homosexuality was not a mental illness, and before half the people currently living in America were even born, a man named John Singer stepped into the King County marriage license office in Seattle." Meet Faygele ben Miriam, the radical activist who pioneered the fight for same-sex marriage in Washington State, 41 years ago. Via.

If More Gyms Had Sword Fighting Classes....

The Whelk — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 08:28:21 -0800

"I'm in a nondescript warehouse in Seattle, to which I've traveled so that award-winning science fiction novelists can demonstrate how they could cut me in half if they felt like it." i09 Talks to Neal Stephenson about working on the multi-author IP-experiment *thing* The Mongoliad and sword fighting as a heart-healthy hobby.

We love Cascadia! Oh yes we do!

salishsea — Sun, 27 May 2012 11:45:45 -0800

The latest match in North American soccer's Cascadia Cup was played yesterday between the Portland Timbers and the Vancouver Whitecaps, and the atmosphere was amazing. Since the mid 1970s, teams in Vancouver, Seattle and Portland have maintained a fierce rivalry. It has lasted through the rise and demise of four leagues and, with last year's expansion of Major League Soccer, it now takes place within the MLS, North America's highest level professional league. In 2004, the 30th anniversary of the rivalry, the supporters of all three clubs created the Cascadia Cup, which is awarded to the team that has the best result against the other two. Although there are other intra-league rivalry cups played for within the MLS, the Cascadia Cup is the oldest and best supported by fan groups. The rivalry is powered by the rabid devotion of the main active supporters groups in the three cities. Vancouver's Southsiders, Seattle's Emerald City Supporters and Portland's Timbers Army continue to feed the rivalry making derby matches among the most incredible sporting events in North America.

How many ways to get what you want

Artw — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:37:23 -0800

Anarchy is Boring

1962 Seattle World's Fair Turns 50

donovan — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:46:42 -0800

This weekend Seattle kicks off six months of celebrations marking the 50th Anniversary of the Century 21 Exposition, more commonly known as the 1962 Seattle's World's Fair. Conceived in the shadow of Sputnik, the Fair promoted better living through modern science with futuristic rides and exhibits including the Bubbleator, the Gayway (previously on mefi) and of course the Space Needle, which this week returns to it's original color. More: Seattle Time's World's Fair Souvenir Edition (or as 152 page PDF) Seattle Times 'Modern Living' quiz Seattle World's Fair on Pinterest Bringing the Fair to the classroom with the World's Fair Curriculum Selected photos from the Seattle Municipal Archives When Seattle Invented the Future (a local PBS documentary) The Future Remembered: The 1962 Seattle World's Fair And Its Legacy (out of print)

Amazon from A to Z

twoleftfeet — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 22:56:09 -0800

The Seattle Times has just published a largely unfavorable four-part series about Seattle-based Amazon.com. In Part 1, the newspaper questions how much Amazon is doing for the local community. Part 2 suggests that Amazon is damaging the publishing industry. Part 3 asks if Amazon's tax-free status gives it an unfair advantage. And Part 4 wonders whether Amazon is bad for its own workers.