Friday, July 17, 2009

Infinite Summer

I've decided to make the most of my convalescence. I am catching up on all sorts of media that I haven't had time to really delve into. My major project is actually a popular one this summer. In honor of David Foster Wallace's life (just after his death), loads of people are reading his Infinite Jest. There is a huge online community full of people from all of the world working their way through its dense 1000 pages together. It is a challenge, but engrossing, and I can't wait to be able to say I've read it start to finish.

P.S. If you decide to join in, here are some helpful tips from kottke.org.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Vicodin

I am apparently terrible at keeping my July 10th Resolutions... In my defense, I did just have my ankle chopped open on Monday, and have been lying around on Vicodin for the past few days. Perhaps it is a decent excuse. Perhaps not.

Friday, July 10, 2009

July 10th Resolution

I have made a new goal to write a blog post a day for one whole month. Partially, this is brought on by the fact that I am going to have my ankle chopped open on Monday, and will be in bed for at least two weeks. Also, I just want to be a real blogger, not one of those who starts a blog but then never ever does anything with it. I may change the format somewhat, I'm not sure what all I will be talking about. But, since I have a total of (I think) zero regular readers, that shouldn't shake the foundations of anybody's world. The end.

Friday, May 1, 2009

BSG Again

I know I've already written about Battlestar Galactica, but I can't contain myself. I honestly don't know how to describe how exquisite this series is. Within itself, it has astonishingly complex and compelling characters. Human relationships are messy and unpredictable, things don't always turn out the way you expect. And, below the surface, it is a remarkable commentary. Early on, the group we've come to identify as Us, the humans, did some terrible things, dehumanizing their enemies. This, unfortunately, is a position we've grown accustomed to in the United States these last few years. Then suddenly, in the third season, We are dropped into the opposite side. We are the Iraquis, and they are instantly humanized in a way I don't think I've ever seen before. We see ourselves in these characters, just trying to survive, resorting to measures that on the surface seem abhorrent. It is honestly some of the best television ever created.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

The Underground Tour

As promised, I will now tell you about the tourist-traps in Seattle that I actually liked. I know that all of the... one or two... of you have been just dying to get my take. I have to say, I loved the underground tour. The tour guides are charming and hilarious. You pick up a lot of fascinating Seattle history (our founders were CRAZY). My favorite bit was the story of the... ahem... sewing industry in the early days. It was lovely. Also, there is a bar.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

The Crocodile

This fabulous little music venue used to be one of Seattle's greatest music-type-dives. Then it mysteriously closed up shop about a year ago. It has reopened with a pretty swanky new interior, and it is hosting some amazing shows. I saw Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground (a great Seattle band), as well as The Builders and the Butchers there the other night. It was lovely. The floor is small enough that those of us who barely break five feet don't get swallowed up in the crowd, unable to see anything. They also have a great balcony space, if you (as a fellow vertically-challenged human being) want an even better view. The bartenders are great; the drinks are reasonably priced; overall, I'm in love with the place.

Dooce

Dooce.com is a blog run by Heather Armstrong. I suppose it would fall into the category of a mommy-blog, but it is so much more than that. She is a former-Mormon living in Utah (an experience I know well). Her writing is funny, engaging, and poignant. I met her last night at a reading for her new book, It Sucked, and then I Cried, about her experience with postpartum depression. She was brilliant and hilarious (and very pregnant). She read an excerpt from her blog about being in Washington years ago. It was about a fart. I would recommend her blog and books to anyone, whether or not you dig the mommy-blog bit.

Friday, March 27, 2009

The Space Needle

Have you ever noticed that when you live in a city, even if you are new to it, you tend not to see all of the tourist-y things it has to offer? I've found this to be the case here, but the solution to the problem is to have someone from out of town to come to visit. Last week, my dear friend from Kansas was here, so we went to see all of the sights. Some were amazing, and those I will talk about later. I have to say, though, that the Space Needle, the iconic building that anyone in the country can identify as ours, is a complete waste. You pay $16 (no student discount) for a two minute elevator ride, and a somewhat pleasant view of the city. And, of course, coffee, food, and tchochkes are incredibly overpriced at the top. I've been told that there is a building downtown which costs all of two or three dollars to go to the top, and has a better view (I don't actually remember which one it is, but I will let you know). So, the moral of the story is, don't waste your money.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Battlestar Galactica

I was a late comer to the whole BSG craze. The series just ended, and I've only seen the opening miniseries. But, I can tell you, this show is my new obsession. All three hours of the miniseries are riveting. The plot races along, but the characters are still very well-developed and three-dimensional. Even if you don't love Sci-Fi (or SYFY, as the channel now calls itself), this show is brilliant. Watch it.

The Best Show

Simply not the best. So, on TBTL(if you don't know it, check it out NOW), they occasionally have call-taking segments. They don't screen calls, and people are allowed to talk about anything they want to. Most of the time, it is quite entertaining, and occasionally it is a train wreck. But, when that happens, they know when to cut it off, and the banter afterward makes the whole experience delightful. The Best Show is like a train-wrecky call in segment on TBTL that lasts for THREE HOURS, and has no witty banter to make up for the thoroughly un-entertaining calls. Ugh. Not even funny while high.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Pizza Brava

This is one of the eight-million-and-six pizza joints on the ave. It is definitely not the best. The pizza (post oven re-heating) has an odd, gummy texture. There is some seating, but it's not particularly comfortable, kind of a high-school-cafeteria vibe. It is, however, cheap, so that's a plus in a pinch.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Sure Shot Coffee

The atmosphere is somewhere between stoner and WOW-er: dark, with acid trip style sci-fi art on the walls. The clientele features a lot of oddly colored dreadlocks, and laptops. The guy behind the counter is really nice, and will chat with you if you want. If you're not convinced yet (but, really, how could you not be?), the espresso is amazing! It is surprisingly lively, with berry flavors and almost a peanut-buttery body. I was astonished.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Showbox SODO

This is an offshoot of the Showbox at the Market. It is one of my least favorite venues for basically anything. Neither the floor nor the stage is raked, so if you are not in the very first row, or seven feet tall, you really can't see anything. I've seen two shows there: Of Montreal, and the Tim and Eric Awesome Show (on a side note, this show is only worth watching if you're extremely into diarrhea). Both were very visually oriented, so I missed a lot of the effect. The venue does get some big acts, but shows are always overpriced. The only reasons I can think of to go there are: they have a band that you absolutely have to see, and can't make it to Portland for; the point of the show is to be in the crowd, not to see what is on stage; or you just want to pay a large cover to get drunk in the lounge while some sort of something goes on at the front of the room.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Zokas Greenlake

Zokas is a company that is slowly but surely growing. They currently have 3 locations, each with it's own aesthetic. The two in the Seattle area are nicely tailored to the neighborhoods that they inhabit, rather than attempting to reproduce the feel of a different store with a different customer base.

Zokas cafe at Greenlake has a much more neighborhood and business oriented feel. You can still count on this cafe to offer a great study environment, but you're less likely to find a nice big table to spread your textbooks and notes out on, not to mention peace and quiet. That's not to say that this Zoka is loud; it's just more about being with people than the U-district location.

The soy cappucino I had here was pretty dang good but not the best I've ever had. I suppose that in all things, it really comes down to the barista behind the counter.

Zokas Coffee Roaster & Tea Company

Zokas University District

This place is great! The lobby is huge and conducive to study, hangouts, or whatever. Furthermore, they make the best mocha I've had in quite some time. The espresso here is great, and the mocha that they use is just the right level of sweet and bittersweet. High praise for the foam art too. Free wifi and unabashed music selections also make this place pretty primo.
Check Spelling
Check it out, I say!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Yummy Bites

It is, in fact, yummy. It's on the ave. It is cheap-ish. They have lots of vegetarian items (I recommend the tofu yakisoba). It is basically small and busy, not too noisy, and service is quick. That's all I've got.

Henry Art Gallery

The Henry Art Gallery is the sort of place you could lose yourself in, and I don't mean that in the blissful, well-stocked-used-book-store kind of way. The layout is confusing; it's difficult to know where you can/should/are allowed to go. Sometimes there is a doorway that seems as though it should be accessible, but is covered by a curtain velcroed on both sides. Only a slight deterrent, perhaps, but for me at least, it would be terribly awkward to get kicked out for walking into a supply closet.

The upside is that, if you go without a specific piece or exhibit in mind, the things that you will stumble upon are beautiful and intriguing. I don't necessarily consider myself to be one of those people who "gets" art, but I truly believe that it is essential to expose yourself to beautiful, thought provoking things on a regular basis. Life is just better and more complete that way.

Also, if you do it right, the enrichment is free. Every Thursday you can get in without paying, and if you're a UW student, it's free all the time.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Victrola Coffee Capitol Hill

Victrola Coffee is one of those places that is tailor-made for the neighborhood that it inhabits. If it wasn't there, it wouldn't be anywhere, and a cafe very much like it would be exactly where it is...or isn't. Wasn't? What I'm saying is, walking down the street, this cafe comes up like the inevitable wrong diagnosis halfway through an episode of House. That doesn't mean this is a generic coffee shop.

This surprisingly deep little coffee shop manages it's cavernous qualities by lighting it's depths with a soft golden glow that mitigates what would otherwise be an abyss of a retail space. With clever lighting, artwork and spacious windows, the abyss is translated into a fantastic coffee shop that manages to be large while maintaining a nice cozy atmosphere. It might have been the discussion I was having with my friend about my employer (Starbucks) but the barista did some truly impressive foam art atop the soy latte she was crafting for me. Too bad I ordered a cappucino. In any case, the beverage was fantastic, as was the environment.

Check out Victola Coffee's website for the ubiquitous claims of superior coffee knowledge and passion. Oh, there might be directions to the coffee shop too.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Russian Civic Center Swing

You know the scene: the crowded mass of writhing bodies. The sweat, the strangers. Yeah, the seamy underbelly that is our city's Swing dance scene. If you're under 21, there aren't too many well known options to get your fix. The most popular is probably Century Ballroom's Sunday night all-ages dance. The music is great and there's always an abundance of people to dance with. Unfortunately, that abundance of available dancers also means an extreme lack of space to...do anything. Thursday nights at the Russian Civic Center on the back side of Capitol Hill present a welcome alternative, though the lack of crowd has its cost.

The first thing I noticed is that this dance was a community thing. There was no bar, no low lights, no bouncer at the door checking ID's and stamping hands. This also meant that I could bring in my bottle of water without shoving it into a purse. At Century, you feel like you're somewhere doing something. At the civic center, you just feel like you're dancing, which isn't necessarily the most horrible thing ever, but it doesn't exactly feel like the wild night-life you'd always envisioned growing up in the boonies of Utah.

It's also harder to disappear into the crowd after an awkward dance. With an attendance struggling to reach 30 people, it's hard to find anything vaguelly resembling a crowd. If you've never been a single guy working the floor at a dance hall, you don't know what I'm talking about, but let me just make it clear that it is very important to be able to disappear if things go south, or if that girl that you really wanted to dance with finally escaped the clutches of the creepy old dude. Speaking of creepy old dudes, there are significantly fewer of those, making the dance hall much more high schooler friendly.

Long story short: If it's Thursday night and you just want to dance, the Russian Civic Center is a good bet, and at $5 a head, it's not too hefty wallet-wise. Plus, there's no creepy walk on Broadway late at night. But, it might be a good idea to bring a date, because the pickins are a little slim if you're hoping to work the floor.

Although we seem to usually be fans of making you do your own homework, I don't like to watch someone suffer, so here's a little website to help you on your way.

Cafe on the Ave

This particular cafe came highly recommended (by those sorts of sites I am trying to provide an alternative to). It has a classy, hip look, and fairly decent espresso. I can throw my recommendation behind the tomato basil soup, it was absolutely lovely, with just the right amount of texture (I'm not into the whole stewed-tomatoes-in-a-bowl bit). The bread that came along was obviously from a bag, and needed to be drowned in soup to cover the preservative flavor. My least favorite aspect, though, was the atmosphere. This is perhaps a place you would come to study by yourself (there were people on laptops everywhere), but the vibe does not encourage the meeting of new people, or even much animated conversation with people you already know. I know that many Seattle-ites pride themselves on respecting each-other's privacy, not engaging in unwanted conversation with strangers, or even exchanging glances on the street. However, I want to walk into a coffee shop and at least feel that people wouldn't bite my head off if I were to say hello. Studying alone is why god invented libraries.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Zak's Burgers, Ballard

By some standards, entirely far too much of my life has been spent in search of the perfect burger. When I say perfect, I don't mean pretty dang good. I mean the quentissential burger, the burger that embodies and epitomizes all that is burgerdom. Because my tastes in burger zen tend to run in the more expensive direction (at least relative to most fast-food standbys), I tend to reserve my pilgrimages for days when life is at its most bleak. Today is one of those days, for I am a geek without one of his beloved gadgets. Today I mourn the passing of my iPod touch to the heartless, clasping world of greedy Shoreline Community College Students*.

And so I journeyed to a new burger joint in search of the perfect burger. My quest took me to Zak's, a burger joint on Market St. next to the movie theater. Walking in the door, I was greeted by a blue bathtub with crayons and a stack of menu's crowned by a sign that read "Take a menu. Find a seat. We'll follow the menus." Yeah, it's that kind of place. There's no attempt to maintain traditional formality-unique considering the sit down and be waited upon format that the restaurant otherwise adheres to.

I shuffled in, snagged a booth and glanced at the brief menu. Nothing too crazy here: just good old fashioned burgers with a few extra choices for adventurers. A very unSeattle touch is their featured menu item: The Big Johnson. Yeah, it's huge, and the anatomical allusion made is probably in reference to the confidence you will feel having defeated such an epic beast as this. Tonight, however, was not a night for such madness. I was on a mission.

One of the great things about burgers is that no matter how you slice it, there isn't that much to burgers. Anyone that pretends differently is taking themselves a little too seriously. Burgers are not about fancy. They are not about goat cheese, or julienned carrots atop lightly glazed chicken breast nestled between two warm buns. NO. Burgers are about beef. And America. But I digress...

My bacon cheeseburger was absolutely fantastic. The extra toppings were not filler, they were present and demanded my respect while still melding well with the meat and cheese. A nice unique touch to this burger was the super thick chunks of bacon that appeared occasionally. These chunks were in addition to the standard bacon slices. The result was a varied burger consumption experience the made each bite a tasty adventure. Huzzah! A step closer to burger Nirvana.

The fries were also truly good. I tend to be a purist; I eat my bread without butter, I don't salt my eggs, and I usually don't put ketchup on my fries. I believe that a food should stand on its own. Zak's fries validate my belief with a unique flare: they're perfectly crispy, ever so slightly breaded and they have a nice zing that might be seasoning salt, or maybe even vinegar. Either way, it's all good.

The restaurant is decorated in a way that's a little reminiscent of a 50's style diner but minus the 50's. There's random stuff on the walls with no real uniting them beyond funky kitsch. Although this decorating style is in some ways a copy of many burger chains, Zak's has separated itself by building its collection, rather than hiring a designer. What I mean is that the arrangement is homegrown and on the boarderline of sparse. It's nice, and it's got character, even if it's shooting for something that does not. A tagboard sign on each table announces that free food will be rewarded to anyone that contributes to their decorating venture. Furthermore, free five gallon buckets are available upon request. Yeah, I have no idea either...but free stuff is cool I guess.

*A quick P.S. to the punk that snatched my ipod: I will find you, and you will pay sucka!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Beth's Cafe

If you're a newcomer to Seattle and you've never been to Beth's, your friends may hate you. That's okay though because now I'm your bff and I've got your back.

Remember that feeling you have every time you find yourself choking down a meal at Denny's? No, I'm not talking about the nausea, nor am I talking about the burning smell of old people in your nostrils. NO! I'm talking about settling! That sneaking feeling you have that you're missing out on something amazing. That something amazing is Beth's; an incongruous little joint on Aurora that you've probably driven past hundreds of times without really seeing it. Walking in, you'll immediately notice the crayon drawings that plaster every inch of wall space. Just roll with it. Order yourself a bottomless cup of coffee and anything from the menu: the food is absolutely bomb. Also, Beth's is open 24/7 and odds are good that if you go in at any sane hour, it will be almost empty. For an adventure in unique characters and creative seating arrangements, try going at 2 AM- the bar right next door keeps things interesting.

Too Beautiful To Live

Too Beautiful To Live, also known as TBTL, is a local nighttime show on 97.3 KIRO FM. It has, of late, become the soundtrack of my life. It consists of Luke Burbank, Jen "Flash" Andrews, and Sean DeTore: Japan's Number One Mixer basically rambling for three hours every week night. And it is brilliant. They tackle such important issues as the sociocultural and historical impact of The Karate Kid, as well as solving mysteries such as the Orion is A'Rising case. You can catch it every night from 7 to 10, or you can become a time bandit, and listen to it in podcast form. The website also has all of the old episodes available for download; I'm currently working my way through the entire bunch.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Tips for Local Entrepreneurs

I am greatly in favor of local, independently owned and operated businesses. I will take an independent coffee shop over a Starbucks any day, given the option. But, local businesses have have a responsibility to provide comparable quality, and ideally a little something extra in terms of atmosphere. So, I was walking along 55th Street near 35th Ave., and I saw ahead an old-timey looking barber shop. It had a somewhat faded, light up barber pole in front of a tiny, unassuming store front. Charming, I thought. As I walked by, I glanced in the window. Inside was a man lounging in one of the barber's chairs, reading a newspaper. Around him, barber-type implements were lying out on tables, and the floor was absolutely covered in hair. Much as I love the entrepreneurial spirit, I think I'll opt for the much cleaner, classier looking, and, I believe, still independently run hair salon just down the street.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Cafe Fiore Queen Anne

There was a time, not too long ago, when my social life was almost non-existent. It was during these months that I discovered the joys of Cafe Fiore, a great little coffee shop that lies just down the street from the rest of Queen Anne's retail madness.

Fiore has a unique interior design that would be hard to replicate. From the metal tree that climbs to the ceiling in front of the bar, to the well-loved wooden table that dominates a corner of the cafe, the space is equally conducive to an afternoon of study or a meeting with a friend. Best of all is the chilled-out neighborhood vibe that makes you forget that you're only about a mile from the heart of downtown Seattle.

Extremely talented baristas, free wifi and an all organic menu round out this great little cafe.

Unexpected Productions

Happy 2009! I rang in the new year at a fantastic improv show by Unexpected Productions at the Market Theater on Post Alley. Now, as far as being "Off Pike," this isn't far, but it has that off-the-beaten-track feel that I am looking for. The directions I was given by a man on the street were as follows: "Walk through the alley until you get to the pig in the market. Then go downstairs, and it's just past the gum wall." Oh Seattle... As for the show itself, it was rather brilliant. Like all on-the-spot comedy, it had its ups and downs, but even the downs had me giggling, and I nearly wet myself at some of the ups. And there's a bar, how can you go wrong?