Tonight: Ashlee vs. Motley Crue for the soul of Seattle

Sometimes, it's just not possible to have it all. You have to prioritize, damnit. Tonight is going to be a challenge. In one corner, you can entertain yourself with human monorail-wreck Ashlee Simpson's visit to Seattle. She's going to rock at the Showbox, apparently. In the other, wearing white bengal tiger stripes, there is this gem at the Funhouse. Come on kids -- it's right next to the Seattle Center Fun Forrest. Ashlee, mud wrestling AND a Motley Crue cover band. Sweet!

--j

Tags: uptown, seattle, motleycrue, ashleesimpson

"Large scale maritime disaster" scheduled for Elliott Bay

Such are the times we live in. Local min-rag Queen Anne News has the scoop on cheap entertainment this weekend if you're into paranoid pondering of what would happen should a ferry explode on the Seattle waterfront.

Thanks to a $2-million grant from the Department of Homeland Security, the Port of Seattle is holidng a series of exercises this weekend exploring various disaster scenarios involving Puget Sound salt water, boats and Ivar's Acres of Clams.

-snip-
"The Port and its partners in this exercise will do their best to simulate an actual emergency and practice our response so that we're better prepared if we ever face a real maritime disaster."
-unsnip-

We presume screaming and running around in circles is not a planned part of the response though that is our likely reaction to listed events. The show starts at 8 a.m. on the Seattle waterfront.


-- j

Tags: uptown, seattle, elliottbay, departmentofhomelandsecurity

Follow-up: Where to try on Certified jeans

We recently wrote about very cool and very local company CERTIFIED jeans -- where can you try on the pants made right here in Sea-town? We asked. They answered...

-snip-

We are not set up formally for retail public, but you can come by to our mail order facility in south Seattle, but call first to make sure we are in and have your size.

Best Regards, Dave

The Home of World Protector / Body Protector Jeans
100% Organic/Trans. Cotton jeans Made in the USA.

CERTIFIED jeans
8821 Renton Ave. S.
Seattle WA 98118

(tel) 206.286.9685
email: info@certifiedjean.com
website: www.certifiedjean.com

-unsnip-

BTW, Seattle makes the Daily Show

Jon Stewart thinks we're funny -- look for Face for Rent

Monorail: Show up tonight or not

The monorail activists at 2045 seattle are sounding the call for public transit supporters to come out and side with the Seattle Monorail Project at an important meeting tonight.

The project leaders are meeting to discuss Mayor Nickels' deadline for crafting a ballot initiative for the November election. If the project doesn't meet the deadline, the mayor has threatened to craft the ballot entry himself.

We think that version would read something like this:

"Citizens of Seattle. We know we have already asked you about this several times. But we want to be very, very, very sure. Do you not support absolutely, 200%, really-gotta-have-it, a way to not pay for and build not a monorail, notly? If no, do not check no."

It's a frustrating time for supporters of mass transit -- we have voted for the monorail concept multiple times and put Nickels in office partly because of his stance on transit. This is a good time to come out and stand by your votes to remind the city leaders what you want -- literally, what you will stand for.

5:30 tonight at the project community room, 1913 4th Avenue.

-- j

Tags: uptown, seattle, monorail

Voting in uptown Seattle

Apparently, we are the last in the city not voting absentee. The scene: 5 sleepy volunteers in an empty Labor Temple, 1 eager voter. 5 p.m. After the bubbles were filled in and the ballot slid into the ballot-eating machine, the little cash-register-green readout sadly displayed its paltry diet for the day: 51. Footsteps echoed too loudly as we tried to sneak away, partly embarrassed for not voting by mail ourselves, partly sad that 70% of the city wasn't there to join us.

-- j

Tags: uptown, seattle, election

You could do nothing but watch movies for the next 10 days

The Northwest Film Forum is celebrating its 10 year anniversary, by, no surprise here, watching its two dozen favorite movies. No particular genre - you can pick from notable foreign movies (Breathless), an old children's film (The Point), a 70s soul concert film (Wattstax) and just plain weirdness (Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation). If you can't find something interesting, you're lame. Super Hits, Vol. 10, runs from Friday, Sept. 23 through Sunday, Oct. 2. For a schedule click here.

The kick off party for all this movie-watching madness is tonight (Sept. 21) and will celebrate "10 years of cinema mayhem with a colossal event complete with red carpet, spotlights, live music, moving image, drink, and a who's who of Seattle personalities!" Spotlights! Moving image! Drink! How could you not go?

-- k

Tags: uptown, seattle, movies

Olympic Sculpture Garden: Good vibrations

Olympic Sculpture Garden Construction
Originally uploaded by jseattle.

As anybody who tries to sleep past 7 a.m. within 12 blocks can attest, construction on the Olympic Sculpture Park is in full swing. We're currently in the 'strange metallic pounding' phase apparently. No complaining here -- we'll take the wake-up call. We can't wait for the park to open. Though we do have to chuckle at the slightly apologetic construction note regarding the recent uptick in noise:

-snip-
Please Note: Pile driving will create noise and possible slight vibrations may be felt in the one block radius during regular construction hours.
-un-snip-

For more construction updates, go here.

-- j

Tags: uptown, seattle, olympicsculpturegarden, construction

Karaoke for progressives

Seattlest tips us off about neighboorhood hangout Mira's hosting of the 2nd Annual Tenants Union Karaoke-A-Thon this Thursday night. It's for a good cause and you won't have far to run when you flee the stage in horror after you realized what you've just done.

By the way, has anybody tried breakfast at Mira's? It's on our list but, hey, it's a long list.

-- j

Tags: uptown, seattle, karaoke

Neil Diamond visits Uptown Seattle

Dear Neil --
Welcome to Seattle. We hope you enjoy your visit to our city and, especially, the neighborhoods surrounding Key Arena. I'm sure you are very busy preparing for tonight's show. As a reminder, here are the reviews from one of your previous visits to Seattle. Make sure to play those songs again, buddy! They seemed to make quite an impression!

I do have one request, myself. No, not that cool blue jeans song or the one about ET. Please update your blog. I'm sure there are lots of people who are trying to plan a meet-up with you.

Hopefully, if we don't see each other sooner or later, I'll see you at the after party -- is Minnie's still hosting? Also, could you please run for mayor and get our monorail built. And also stop the viaduct and encourage family-friendly housing development downtown. Thanks.

Again, welcome!

-- j

Tags: uptown, seattle, neildiamond, rocks

Election Day festivities: free beer?

America
Originally uploaded by ¥§•ªˆ¨ˇ© LOVE © ˇ¨ˆª•§¥.

Why more businesses don't cater to the young political types, we don't know. But they seemingly don't. We've been jabbering about a killer election day promotion for years now -- thanks to goodness we have a blog now so we can take this whining public.

Does anybody know of bars or restaurants that offer election day specials? We're thinking a free pint with your voter registration card or somesuch. Is it even legal?

We're probably too late to get anybody inspired for the primary but let us know if you want to cook something up for Round II in November. Anybody willing to put up with this democracry deserves a free beer, no?

-- j

Tags: uptown, seattle, election, freebies

Why a monorail? Baghdad by the Bay

Herb Caen didn't have the current state of things in mind when we would refer to SF as Baghdad by the Bay. He meant it as a compliment with a wink. San Francisco, while a "new" American invention, is exotic, crowded and bustling and full of both filth and wonders. We return from a weekend in Caen's Baghdad to Seattle and find it almost as crowded, slightly less bustling but definitely equal in filth. It would be nice to add a few wonders here, however. No, we don't count the Space Needle. Instead, we find news that the mayor has pushed us to answer the question, yet again. "Are you sure, double-dog sure that you really, truly realy want a monorail? Absolutely positive?"

I don't know what we'll say this time. But since the question really does seem to be about the general want (and leaves the specifics to be fucked up later by political machinations) my guess it will be a simliar reply. We'll ask for something wonderful, again, no doubt.

Here's what the rest of the world has to say abou it.

-- j

Tags: uptown, seattle, monorail