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Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. editor@thestranger.com (The Stranger Editor) webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Thu, 23 May 2013 21:45:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/23/tacos-the-rambunctious-heavy-metal-duo-not-the-delicious-food http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/23/tacos-the-rambunctious-heavy-metal-duo-not-the-delicious-food Grant Brissey <p><iframe width="400" height="100" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=187625856/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"><a href="http://tacosband.bandcamp.com/album/tacos-tour-cd">Tacos! Tour CD by TACOS</a></iframe></p> <p>(<a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Event?event=16697184">Chop Suey</a>) <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tacos-Band/411212828919567">Tacos!</a> is the unlikely name of <strong>rambunctious heavy-metal duo</strong> Don Stewart (guitars/vocals) and Lupe Flores (drums). The two just wrapped up four days of recording at Matt Bayles's Red Room studio with Chris Common, who's in town working on the upcoming Helms Alee record. Stewart says they don't yet have solid plans for the release, but judging by the strident sounds of their tour CD (<a href="http://tacosband.bandcamp.com">tacosband.bandcamp.com</a>), we're in for a fun one. Tonight's a good chance to preview the stuff with the band fresh off four days' worth of tightening things up.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/23/tacos-the-rambunctious-heavy-metal-duo-not-the-delicious-food#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16845623&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Tonight 206 http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/23/tacos-the-rambunctious-heavy-metal-duo-not-the-delicious-food?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16845623&id=comments 0 Thu, 23 May 2013 12:35:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/23/bill-wixey-puts-morgan-freeman-to-sleep http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/23/bill-wixey-puts-morgan-freeman-to-sleep Grant Brissey <p><em>Whoops! Auto-play. After the jump, feel free to witnesseth the Lord Our God Morgan Freeman taking a nap on the teevee. -Eds</em></p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe src="http://embed.newsinc.com/Single/iframe.html?WID=1&VID=24836501&freewheel=69016&sitesection=kcpq_thismorning&width=601&height=338" height="300" width="500" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0"></iframe></div></p> <p><small>h/t: Travis R!</small></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/23/bill-wixey-puts-morgan-freeman-to-sleep#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16848794&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> TV http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/23/bill-wixey-puts-morgan-freeman-to-sleep?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16848794&id=comments 8 Thu, 23 May 2013 10:25:57 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/21/large-black-beanbag-under-the-overpass-watch http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/21/large-black-beanbag-under-the-overpass-watch Grant Brissey <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/76a7/1369141684-photo.jpg" alt="photo.JPG" title="" width="500" height="373" /></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/21/large-black-beanbag-under-the-overpass-watch#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16829062&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Crime http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/21/large-black-beanbag-under-the-overpass-watch?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16829062&id=comments 6 Large Black Beanbag Under the Overpass Watch Tue, 21 May 2013 22:18:37 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/21/puggle-love-it-or-shove-it http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/21/puggle-love-it-or-shove-it Grant Brissey <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:212px;"><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/ea24/1369162921-shutterstock_130933436.jpg" class="zoomable"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/ea24/1369162921-shutterstock_130933436.jpg" alt="shutterstock_130933436.jpg" title="" width="200" height="314" /></a><ul><li class="imageCredit"><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-130933436/stock-photo-cute-older-puggle-dog-playing-on-green-grass-outside.html">Puggle image</a> via Shutterstock</li><li class="imageCaption"></li></ul></div>Yesterday <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/20/have-you-seen-vinny">I posted about the plight of Vinny</a>, the puggle who was lost in the Roosevelt/Green Lake area. It would appear that Vinny was found, because I don't see the posters up anymore. That or <strong>there is a conspiracy to keep Vinny lost</strong>, which would be terrible for Vinny. </p> <p>In the comments section of that post, there was a minor debate about the qualities of the puggle breed. In case you hadn't figured it out, a puggle is <strong>a mix between a pug and a beagle</strong> (pictured at right).</p> <p>Commenter <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Profile?oid=1501651">The CHZA</a> said: "Puggles are the ugliest goddamn mixed breed invented."</p> <p>Then commenter <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Profile?oid=2872532">Teslick</a> said: "Pug/beagle mix? Between the braying and the breathing, that's one big load of annoying sounds."</p> <p>Then commenter <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Profile?oid=1552697">Just Jeff</a> said: "Puggles are great, especially if they're 3/4 pug. I have one, and he's adorable."</p> <p>To which gold star commenter <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Profile?oid=15017499">Totalpukoid</a> said: "HE CAN'T SEE WITHOUT HIS GLASSES!"*</p> <p><small>*Not relevant but hilarious.</small></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/21/puggle-love-it-or-shove-it#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16829068&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Animals http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/21/puggle-love-it-or-shove-it?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16829068&id=comments 33 Puggle: Love It or Shove It <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Adult_Puggle.jpg">Wikipedia Commons</a> Tue, 21 May 2013 12:38:08 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/20/have-you-seen-vinny http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/20/have-you-seen-vinny Grant Brissey <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/075f/1368926782-vinnie.jpg" class="zoomable"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/075f/1368926782-vinnie.jpg" alt="Roosevelt/Green Lake" title="Roosevelt/Green Lake" width="500" height="373" /></a><ul><li class="imageCredit"></li><li class="imageCaption">Roosevelt/Green Lake</li></ul></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/20/have-you-seen-vinny#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16807373&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> At Large http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/20/have-you-seen-vinny?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16807373&id=comments 13 Have You Seen Vinny? Mon, 20 May 2013 10:03:00 -0700 The Stranger http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/18/e-mail-subject-line-im-least-excited-about-today http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/18/e-mail-subject-line-im-least-excited-about-today Grant Brissey <blockquote><p>CHERRY POPPIN' DADDIES ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM <em>WHITE TEETH, BLACK THOUGHTS</em>, OUT JULY 16TH</p></blockquote> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/18/e-mail-subject-line-im-least-excited-about-today#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16805123&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Mailbag http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/18/e-mail-subject-line-im-least-excited-about-today?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16805123&id=comments 1 Sat, 18 May 2013 14:05:42 -0700 The Stranger http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/17/otherworldly-precision-man-or-astro-man-transmit-modern-intergalactic-sonic-wave-forms-again http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/17/otherworldly-precision-man-or-astro-man-transmit-modern-intergalactic-sonic-wave-forms-again Grant Brissey <p><em>Man or Astro Man? play <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Event?event=16553373">Neumos tomorrow night</a> with Audacity and Atomic Bride. Tickets are still <a href="http://neumos.com/event/man-or-astro-man-5-18/">available here</a>!</em></p> <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:312px;"><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/d7c5/1368680399-music-follow-570.jpg" class="zoomable"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/d7c5/1368680399-music-follow-570.jpg" alt="MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?: A futuristic surf-rock band from outer space." title="MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?: A futuristic surf-rock band from outer space." width="300" height="211" /></a><ul><li class="imageCredit"></li><li class="imageCaption">MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?: A futuristic surf-rock band from outer space.</li></ul></div>Man or Astro-Man? reportedly take their name from the promotional poster for the 1960 film <em>The Human Vapor</em>, known in its origin country of Japan as <em>Gas Human No. 1</em>. Also, Man or Astro-Man? are from outer space, and most definitely <em>not</em> Auburn, Alabama. Around the turn of the century, Alpha and Gamma clone replicas of the band began touring in order to meet popular demand for their highly sought-after intergalactic sonic wave forms. Twelve years after their last documented recordings, and after "years of hibernation," the original lineup of Birdstuff, Coco the Electronic Monkey Wizard, and Star Crunch have returned with their ninth album, <em>Defcon 5...4...3...2...1</em>, which finds their futuristic adaptations of surf rock to be otherworldly in technical precision. The following electronic communications were recorded on May 7, 2013.</p> <p><strong>Your intergalactic sonic wave forms are often documented by one Steve Albini. Is Steve Albini human?</strong></p> <p>Well, what a lot of people don't know is that Steve Albini is actually the inspiration for <em>The Six Million Dollar Man</em>. Last-minute studio changes resulted in the character having "bionic" implants as opposed to the "microphonic" implants Albini employs. Execs felt the world of studio recording was perhaps not as exciting as that of crime-fighting and espionage, so Albini's character was shelved. They then changed Steve's last name to Austin, and Albini became the Pete Best of electrical implants.</p> <p><strong>How have the years of hibernation affected your ability to manipulate your instruments?</strong></p> <p>It didn't affect us as much as it affected our instruments. Those things were dusty.</p> <p><u><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/otherworldly-precision/Content?oid=16766115">Continue reading &#187;</a></u></p> Interview http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/17/otherworldly-precision-man-or-astro-man-transmit-modern-intergalactic-sonic-wave-forms-again?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16779457&id=comments 0 Otherworldly Precision: Man or Astro-Man? Transmit Modern Intergalactic Sonic Wave Forms (Again) MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?: A futuristic surf-rock band from outer space. Fri, 17 May 2013 22:03:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/17/otherworldly-precision-man-or-astro-man-transmit-modern-intergalactic-sonic-wave-forms-again http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/17/otherworldly-precision-man-or-astro-man-transmit-modern-intergalactic-sonic-wave-forms-again Grant Brissey <p><em>Man or Astro Man? play <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Event?event=16553373">Neumos tomorrow night</a> with Audacity and Atomic Bride. Tickets are still <a href="http://neumos.com/event/man-or-astro-man-5-18/">available here</a>!</em></p> <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:312px;"><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/d7c5/1368680399-music-follow-570.jpg" class="zoomable"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/d7c5/1368680399-music-follow-570.jpg" alt="MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?: A futuristic surf-rock band from outer space." title="MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?: A futuristic surf-rock band from outer space." width="300" height="211" /></a><ul><li class="imageCredit"></li><li class="imageCaption">MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?: A futuristic surf-rock band from outer space.</li></ul></div>Man or Astro-Man? reportedly take their name from the promotional poster for the 1960 film <em>The Human Vapor</em>, known in its origin country of Japan as <em>Gas Human No. 1</em>. Also, Man or Astro-Man? are from outer space, and most definitely <em>not</em> Auburn, Alabama. Around the turn of the century, Alpha and Gamma clone replicas of the band began touring in order to meet popular demand for their highly sought-after intergalactic sonic wave forms. Twelve years after their last documented recordings, and after "years of hibernation," the original lineup of Birdstuff, Coco the Electronic Monkey Wizard, and Star Crunch have returned with their ninth album, <em>Defcon 5...4...3...2...1</em>, which finds their futuristic adaptations of surf rock to be otherworldly in technical precision. The following electronic communications were recorded on May 7, 2013.</p> <p><strong>Your intergalactic sonic wave forms are often documented by one Steve Albini. Is Steve Albini human?</strong></p> <p>Well, what a lot of people don't know is that Steve Albini is actually the inspiration for <em>The Six Million Dollar Man</em>. Last-minute studio changes resulted in the character having "bionic" implants as opposed to the "microphonic" implants Albini employs. Execs felt the world of studio recording was perhaps not as exciting as that of crime-fighting and espionage, so Albini's character was shelved. They then changed Steve's last name to Austin, and Albini became the Pete Best of electrical implants.</p> <p><strong>How have the years of hibernation affected your ability to manipulate your instruments?</strong></p> <p>It didn't affect us as much as it affected our instruments. Those things were dusty.</p> <p><u><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/otherworldly-precision/Content?oid=16766115">Continue reading &#187;</a></u></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/17/otherworldly-precision-man-or-astro-man-transmit-modern-intergalactic-sonic-wave-forms-again?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16779474&id=comments 0 Fri, 17 May 2013 12:04:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/15/rip-weird-housebusiness-thing-next-to-jokos-indonesian-kitchen http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/15/rip-weird-housebusiness-thing-next-to-jokos-indonesian-kitchen Grant Brissey <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/ec5d/1368582250-house.jpg" class="zoomable"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/ec5d/1368582250-house.jpg" alt="house.jpg" title="" width="500" height="373" /></a></div></p> <p><a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/29/rip-jokos-indonesian-kitchen"><small>See the first installment in this series, "R.I.P. Joko's Indonesian Kitchen," here.</small></a></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/15/rip-weird-housebusiness-thing-next-to-jokos-indonesian-kitchen#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16767400&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Death http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/15/rip-weird-housebusiness-thing-next-to-jokos-indonesian-kitchen?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16767400&id=comments 3 R.I.P. Weird House/Business (?) Thing Next to Joko's Indonesian Kitchen Wed, 15 May 2013 13:01:58 -0700 The Stranger http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/otherworldly-precision/Content?oid=16766115 http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/otherworldly-precision/Content?oid=16766115 Grant Brissey Man or Astro-Man? Transmit Modern Intergalactic Sonic Wave Forms (Again) by Grant Brissey <p><span class="dropcap">M</span>an or Astro-Man? reportedly take their name from the promotional poster for the 1960 film <em>The Human Vapor</em>, known in its origin country of Japan as <em>Gas Human No. 1</em>. Also, Man or Astro-Man? are from outer space, and most definitely <em>not</em> Auburn, Alabama. Around the turn of the century, Alpha and Gamma clone replicas of the band began touring in order to meet popular demand for their highly sought-after intergalactic sonic wave forms. Twelve years after their last documented recordings, and after "years of hibernation," the original lineup of Birdstuff, Coco the Electronic Monkey Wizard, and Star Crunch have returned with their ninth album, <em>Defcon 5...4...3...2...1</em>, which finds their futuristic adaptations of surf rock to be otherworldly in technical precision. The following electronic communications were recorded on May 7, 2013.</p> <p><b>Your intergalactic sonic wave forms are often documented by one Steve Albini. Is Steve Albini human?</b></p> <p>Well, what a lot of people don't know is that Steve Albini is actually the inspiration for <em>The</em> <em>Six Million Dollar Man</em>. Last-minute studio changes resulted in the character having "bionic" implants as opposed to the "microphonic" implants Albini employs. Execs felt the world of studio recording was perhaps not as exciting as that of crime-fighting and espionage, so Albini's character was shelved. They then changed Steve's last name to Austin, and Albini became the Pete Best of electrical implants.</p> <p><b>How have the years of hibernation affected your ability to manipulate your instruments?</b></p> <p>It didn't affect us as much as it affected our instruments. Those things were dusty.</p> <p><b>Fringe speculation on various web portals suggests that Man or Astro-Man? are from Alabama. Please verify.</b></p> <p>Actually, we are from Grid Sector 23-B6-1. Coco is technically from the next sector over and only showed up in B6 to play high-school football. His story was loosely documented in the movie <em>The Blind Side</em>. We crash-landed on Earth in 1991 in Auburn, Alabama.</p> <p><b>Are Man or Astro-Man? impressed by the World Wide Web?</b></p> <p>How many <em>www</em>s does your world have to type before they realize it is redundant to do so?</p> <p><b>What are the current coordinates of Man or Astro-Man?</b></p> <p>Unknown. Constantly shifting. But the humidity in the Southeast of your United States&mdash;specifically Georgia and Alabama&mdash;slows us down enough to call it our temporary home.</p> <p><b>What is the optimum temperature and atmospheric pressure to operate an amplified spring reverberation unit?</b></p> <p>It's not so much the temperature as it is the electrical current, the closer to pure superconductivity the better.</p> <p><b>Have you spoken with the Human &#10;Vapor recently?</b></p> <p>Due to ongoing litigation, we have not.</p> <p><b>For a time, there were traveling impostor Man or Astro-Man? clone units known as Man or Astro-Man? Alpha and Man or Astro-Man? Gamma. They haven't been detected in more than a decade. Were they terminated or assimilated?</b></p> <p>They were not impostors. They were bred on pure Man or Astro-Man? DNA, and their life spans were always under question&mdash;an experiment that ran its course. I believe you found similar results with your sheep named Dolly.</p> <p><b>What are the connections of Man or Astro-Man? with Bellingham, Washington, and/or the Northwestern sector of the United States?</b> Estrus Records is located in Bellingham, Washington. The founder, Dave Crider, is a member of the shortwave club there and heard our SOS beacon many years ago. He thought it sounded musical enough to put out as an album on his label.</p> <p><b>What prompted Man or Astro-Man? to title this recording</b> <em><strong>Defcon...5...4...3...2...1</strong></em><b>?</b></p> <p>It's color-coded and easy to remember. That's the easy answer.</p> <p><b>Do Man or Astro-Man? have future missions programmed, or is this the final documentation of intergalactic sonic wave forms?</b></p> <p>Our history has shown us we can only plan anything the very moment it is happening. <img src="/images/rec_star.gif" width="10" height="10" alt="recommended" border= ";0&quot;" /></p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/otherworldly-precision/Content?oid=16766115#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16766115&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Music/Feature http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/otherworldly-precision/Content?oid=16766115&show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16766115&id=comments 1 Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/14/boat-watch http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/14/boat-watch Grant Brissey <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/8911/1368580698-woodlawnandkenwood.jpg" class="zoomable"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/8911/1368580698-woodlawnandkenwood.jpg" alt="WoodlawnandKenwood.JPG" title="" width="500" height="373" /></a></div></p> <p><small>h/t: <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Profile?oid=4067801">biffp</a></small></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/14/boat-watch#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16767155&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Transportation http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/14/boat-watch?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16767155&id=comments 18 Boat Watch Tue, 14 May 2013 18:22:58 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/14/playing-russian-roulette-with-your-online-social-presence http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/14/playing-russian-roulette-with-your-online-social-presence Grant Brissey <p><a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/13/social-roulette-deletes-your-facebook-account/">TechCrunch</a> has the story of <a href="http://socialroulette.net/">Social Roulette</a>, which launched on Saturday. Like indicated by its name, Social Roulette claims that by playing it, you have "a 1 in 6 chance of deleting your account, and a 5 in 6 chance that it just posts 'I played Social Roulette and survived' to your timeline." From the site:</p> <blockquote><p>Everyone thinks about deleting their account at some point, it's a completely normal reaction to the overwhelming nature of digital culture. Is it time to consider a new development in your life? Are you looking for the opportunity to start fresh? Or are you just seeking cheap thrills at the expense of your social network? Maybe it's time for you to play Social Roulette.</p></blockquote> <p>No word on whether or not it was supposed to post anything shortly before it deleted your account. And, sadly but unsurprisingly, <strong>Facebook has already blocked it.</strong> </p> <p>My brother deleted his Facebook account last year and recently rejoined, vowing to "be friends with less classmates from high school." <strong>I think about deleting my account every day</strong>, and Social Roulette might just have been the ultimate way to do it. Instead I've just been checking it less, and since <strong>I'm someone who considers myself "a writer,"</strong> I justify its continued existence by saying that it's "a platform," because I read somewhere that publishers like a writer to have that sort of thing. </p> <p>Have you deleted your Facebook account? Have you deleted your Facebook account and then gone back? <strong>What say you, Slog?</strong></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/14/playing-russian-roulette-with-your-online-social-presence#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16756908&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Teh Internets http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/14/playing-russian-roulette-with-your-online-social-presence?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16756908&id=comments 44 Tue, 14 May 2013 09:16:26 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/13/thats-how-come-they-got-to-be-managers-at-a-movie-theater-in-missouri http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/13/thats-how-come-they-got-to-be-managers-at-a-movie-theater-in-missouri Grant Brissey <p>This one has been getting run over by the Information Superhighway for a day or two now, but I could not let the tasty schadenfreude disappear into the ether. In an effort to promote <em>Iron Man 3</em>, which clearly does not need additional promotion, managers at Goodrich Capital 8 Theatres in Jefferson City, invited actors who "appeared at the theater in the Missouri state capital during the weekend opening of <em>Iron Man 3</em> dressed as officers and one as Iron Man." <a href="http://www.abc17news.com/news/movie-theater-publicity-stunt-triggers-officers-to-respond-to-active-shooter-situation/-/18421100/20089958/-/66o97fz/-/index.html">Another actor</a> was dressed in "all-dark clothes" and carrying "what appeared to be a modified M-4 and 9 mm on his side."</strong></p> <p>Officers thought they were responding to a real shooter when they received multiple 911 calls. Later the theater would issue an apology:</p> <blockquote><p>We apologize and are sympathetic to those who felt they were in harm&#8217;s way with our character promotion for Iron Man 3. This was not a publicity stunt. We have worked with the Cosplacon group on many movies to dress up and help entertain our customers. We have had many complaints about the members dressed specifically as S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives carrying fake guns. We didn&#8217;t clearly tell our customers and some people didn&#8217;t realize it was for entertainment purposes only. We apologize that police were called to come out to our theater. We have a wonderful working relationship with the Jefferson City Police Department. Going forward we will take the necessary steps to make sure this doesn&#8217;t happen again. Security and safety for our customers is our number one priority.</p></blockquote> <p>Good job, everybody!</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/13/thats-how-come-they-got-to-be-managers-at-a-movie-theater-in-missouri#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16756870&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Guns Film http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/13/thats-how-come-they-got-to-be-managers-at-a-movie-theater-in-missouri?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16756870&id=comments 16 Mon, 13 May 2013 17:11:42 -0700 The Stranger http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/13/the-black-angels-are-back http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/13/the-black-angels-are-back Grant Brissey <p><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F79446633"></iframe></p> <p>(<a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/neptune_theater/Location?oid=7097368">Neptune</a>) <a href="http://theblackangels.com/">The Black Angels</a> hit the map eight years ago with a self-titled EP on <a href="http://lightintheattic.net/">Light in the Attic Records</a>. Their sound&#8212;drone-y psych rock that sounds as if it's been <strong>calculatedly transported from the 1970s</strong>&#8212;didn't change a whole lot over three subsequent records. That's different with this year's <em>Indigo Meadow</em>. True, the traditional psych-rock signifiers are still present, but the tempos are amped up and the song lengths are truncated. In general, things here lean toward the Angels' poppier tendencies, and it's another fine brick in a solid, if not particularly groundbreaking, discography. Still, the Angels are known more for their live performances than for their songwriting, and by far the best way to experience this stuff is via one of their <strong>heady and impressive multimedia</strong> performances.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/13/the-black-angels-are-back#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16710012&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Tonight http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/13/the-black-angels-are-back?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16710012&id=comments 0 The Black Angels Are Back The Owl Mag Mon, 13 May 2013 14:55:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/07/shitty-couch-with-a-laundry-basket-in-it-watch http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/07/shitty-couch-with-a-laundry-basket-in-it-watch Grant Brissey <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/f5e1/1367899306-photo.jpg" alt="photo.JPG" title="" width="500" height="373" /></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/07/shitty-couch-with-a-laundry-basket-in-it-watch#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16691583&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Crime http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/07/shitty-couch-with-a-laundry-basket-in-it-watch?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16691583&id=comments 15 Shitty Couch With a Laundry Basket in it Watch Tue, 07 May 2013 15:47:29 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/07/modern-times-dilemma-the-hobbit-is-stuck-in-my-dvd-player http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/07/modern-times-dilemma-the-hobbit-is-stuck-in-my-dvd-player Grant Brissey <p>So, over the weekend I rented <em>The Hobbit</em> from a Redbox. I thought is was pretty blah. All I'm saying is I hope that CGI technology improves a whole yardstick before the next installment comes out, because it blew on this one, and this one would have been approximately five minutes long if you cut out all the scenes involving the shitty CGI. WHY DON'T YOU JUST PUT A CGI BABY IN ANGELINA JOLIE'S ARMS?</p> <p>Anyhow, I bring this up because I have encountered a major modern-world/first-world problem. After beginning <em>The Hobbit</em> and then falling asleep, and then finishing it the next morning, I realized that my DVD player had decided to shit the tub. <Em>The Hobbit</Em> is stuck inside. Naturally, the only place I can turn for advice is the Collective Wisdom of Slog&#8482;. </p> <p>Thus:</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/07/modern-times-dilemma-the-hobbit-is-stuck-in-my-dvd-player#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16691587&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Tech http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/07/modern-times-dilemma-the-hobbit-is-stuck-in-my-dvd-player?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16691587&id=comments 32 Tue, 07 May 2013 10:46:48 -0700 The Stranger http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/04/dreamy-rock-poppy-shoegaze-and-trashy-punk-on-one-convenient-oddly-booked-bill http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/04/dreamy-rock-poppy-shoegaze-and-trashy-punk-on-one-convenient-oddly-booked-bill Grant Brissey <p><iframe width="400" height="100" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/track=3094262175/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"><a href="http://metz.bandcamp.com/track/wet-blanket-demo">Wet Blanket demo by METZ</a></iframe></p> <p>(<a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Event?event=16553341">Neumos</a>) In this oddly booked bill, local angular dream-rockers <a href="http://eighteenindividualeyes.com/">Eighteen Individual Eyes</a> are followed by Montreal's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nojoymusic">No Joy</a>, who trade in tempered, pop-leaning shoegaze that sneaks its way into your basal ganglia and becomes part of your basic motor functions. <strong>Go ahead, enjoy it.</strong> Just know that you'll be flung into full fervor as soon as headliners <a href="https://www.facebook.com/metz">METZ</a> power up. Their brawny thrash-punk&#8212;or is it post-punk? (Who gives a shit?)&#8212;pummels with precision. Think Sub Pop labelmates <strong>Pissed Jeans</strong> with maybe some <em>Lipstick Game</em>&#8211;era Rye Coalition smattered around&#8212;only with an exactness those bands don't tend to enact. The band shares a practice space with like-minded aural ruffians Fucked Up, so <strong>blockade your earholes</strong> appropriately.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/04/dreamy-rock-poppy-shoegaze-and-trashy-punk-on-one-convenient-oddly-booked-bill#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16647054&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Tonight http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/04/dreamy-rock-poppy-shoegaze-and-trashy-punk-on-one-convenient-oddly-booked-bill?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16647054&id=comments 1 Sat, 04 May 2013 12:14:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/30/mother-in-uk-forced-14-year-old-to-get-pregnant http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/30/mother-in-uk-forced-14-year-old-to-get-pregnant Grant Brissey <p><a href="http://news.msn.com/world/mother-in-uk-forced-14-year-old-to-get-pregnant">Good god</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>An American mom in Britain, prevented from adopting a fourth child, forced her eldest adopted daughter to impregnate herself with syringes of sperm bought on the Internet.</p></blockquote> <p>The daughter was forced to artificially inseminate herself seven times over a period of two years. When she was 16, she became pregnant and gave birth when she was 17. Caregivers became suspicious of the child-adopter/life-ruiner sociopath "because she was trying to prevent her daughter from bonding with the new baby."</p> <blockquote><p>We don't want any of that attachment thing," the mother said when a midwife suggested that the girl might want to breastfeed. After several such incidents the midwives alerted social services and police got involved in July 2011.</p></blockquote> <p>And just to cap off this most fucked-up tale, the child-adopter/life-ruiner wanted the unborn child to be a girl, and therefore subjected the adopted daughter/surrogate mother to "acid douches containing vinegar or lemon juice in the belief that this would influence an unborn child's gender."</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/30/mother-in-uk-forced-14-year-old-to-get-pregnant#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16628253&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Horrors Parenting Issues http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/30/mother-in-uk-forced-14-year-old-to-get-pregnant?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16628253&id=comments 16 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:00:31 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/29/rip-jokos-indonesian-kitchen http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/29/rip-jokos-indonesian-kitchen Grant Brissey <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/79e7/1367279715-photo-12.jpg" alt="photo-12.jpg" title="" width="500" height="373" /></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/29/rip-jokos-indonesian-kitchen#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16628103&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Chow http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/29/rip-jokos-indonesian-kitchen?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16628103&id=comments 11 R.I.P. Joko's Indonesian Kitchen Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:01:52 -0700 The Stranger http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/28/i-need-a-new-karaoke-song http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/28/i-need-a-new-karaoke-song Grant Brissey <p>What is yours, and why?</p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/28/i-need-a-new-karaoke-song#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16616659&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Karaoke http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/28/i-need-a-new-karaoke-song?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16616659&id=comments 17 Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:44:38 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/24/calling-bullshit-on-churnalism http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/24/calling-bullshit-on-churnalism Grant Brissey <p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6fvADRst_YM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p>This could be the start of something great. The humans at the Sunlight Foundation have <a href="http://churnalism.sunlightfoundation.com/">come up with a gadget</a> that cross-references whatever you're reading against a whole slew of collected press releases and other such source material in an effort <strong>to speculate how much of it has been plagiarized</strong>. The thing seems to need a bit of fine-tuning, because the last few of my blog posts and articles checked out A-okay, and pretty much <strong>all I do is plagiarize all day long</strong>&#8212;basically just surf the information superhighway in search of material that's worth plagiarizing for money and sport.* In fact, I plagiarized this entire post.</p> <p>Anyway, I learnt of this business from theAtlantic.com, whereas writer Rebecca J. Rosen&#8212;who <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/04/is-it-journalism-or-just-a-repackaged-press-release-heres-a-tool-to-help-you-find-out/275206/">apparently holds a far more generous estimation</a> of how the general public vets information than I&#8212;writes:</p> <blockquote><p>It's not really feasible for each of us to track each piece of information to its source (nor would it be efficient), so, instead, we use clues&#8212;<strong>who wrote this, where is this published, does this square with other information we know</strong>. But the trouble is that these clues aren't perfect indicators, at least in part because even credible publications and professional journalists sometimes regurgitate information without giving it a careful vetting, a process often referred to as churnalism (just as gross as it sounds).</p></blockquote> <p>I should think this tool stands to greatly improve if and when it acquires the functionality to cross-reference the piece in question <strong>against other works of journalism (or blogging) already out there</strong>, but Atlantis was not built in a day. As I said in the first sentence of this blog post**, this could be the start of something great, and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here. </p> <p>It's like a waterboarding of information every time you turn on the internet, people&#8212;time to see who's refilling your bucket during the breaks.</p> <p><small>*BIG money and lousy sport.<br />**Sometimes I plagiarize myself because I think I'm wicked smart.</small></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/24/calling-bullshit-on-churnalism#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16577343&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Media Teh Internets http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/24/calling-bullshit-on-churnalism?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16577343&id=comments 5 Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:16:03 -0700 The Stranger http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/19/federation-x-are-back-in-the-northwest http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/19/federation-x-are-back-in-the-northwest Grant Brissey <p><iframe width="400" height="100" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=2198892903/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"><a href="http://fedx.bandcamp.com/album/federaton-x-the-only-fool-is-you-12-single-7-inch-single">&quot;Federaton X: The Only Fool is You 12&quot; Single&quot; - 7 inch single. by Federation X</a></iframe></p> <p>(<a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/comet/Location?oid=24067">Comet</a>) <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Federation-X/10412627066">Federation X</a> meticulously constructed and then brashly detonated several <strong>explosive punk/rock</strong> records in the late '90s/early '00s. Then two of the jerks moved east to the lesser coast for a few years. But all that is in the past. Guitar extortionist <strong>Ben Wildenhaus</strong> and frontman <strong>Bill Badgley</strong> are, at least for now, relocated to this dank corner of the country. What's more, they've got a new record in the chute&#8212;this time with production team Deaf Nephews: Dale Crover and Toshi Kasai of Melvins/Big Business. Add to this the fact that this is the first of only <strong>a handful of C Average reunion shows</strong>, and WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU WAITING FOR?</p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/19/federation-x-are-back-in-the-northwest#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16532680&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Tonight http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/19/federation-x-are-back-in-the-northwest?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16532680&id=comments 0 Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:34:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/18/do-you-want-to-open-a-place-that-goes-out-of-business-in-about-three-months http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/18/do-you-want-to-open-a-place-that-goes-out-of-business-in-about-three-months Grant Brissey <p>Because this little banana shack is vacant again.</p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/4358/1366246091-biz.jpg" alt="Biz.jpg" title="" width="500" height="373" /></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/18/do-you-want-to-open-a-place-that-goes-out-of-business-in-about-three-months#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16522318&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Robots City Retail http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/18/do-you-want-to-open-a-place-that-goes-out-of-business-in-about-three-months?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16522318&id=comments 20 Do You Want to Open a Place That Goes Out of Business in About Three Months? Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:07:33 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/18/i-wonder-if-avis-is-bummed-they-bought-zipcar http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/18/i-wonder-if-avis-is-bummed-they-bought-zipcar Grant Brissey <p>All the way back in January, Avis Budget Group <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2013/01/02/zipcar_bought_by_avid_budget_group_for_500_million.html">bought Zipcar for $500 million</a>. Because their competitors were already getting into the hourly rental business, they figured they should too. But here's my question: <strong>Who the hell is going to rent cars on an hourly basis now that Car2go is here</strong>? Unless Avis plans on radically revamping their hourly rental terms, they&#8212;and their competitors for that matter&#8212;have bought into <strong>a business model that's wheezing its last bank transactions</strong>. At the time of the purchase, there was a fair amount of speculation about the motives for the deal, but <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-explanation-on-why-avis-bought-zipcar-2013-1">often it</a> failed <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-01-02/with-zipcar-avis-backs-steve-cases-sharing-economy">to mention</a> Car2go at all, and a lot of the coverage <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/technology-quarterly/21572914-collaborative-consumption-technology-makes-it-easier-people-rent-items">still does</a>.</p> <p>True, Zipcar will rent for a longer term, like for a weekend or whatever. But anyone with a credit card or a utility bill in their name can do that at a rental agency already with far less money. Say what you want about <strong>the lack of dignity involved with driving a Car2go</strong>, but, really, if I've got that option, and it's a fraction of the price of a cab and ten times faster than Metro, I'm going to take it. What's more, those <strong>giant Zipcar emblems</strong> on the Zipcars' passenger-side doors don't afford one a whole lot more dignity than does driving a Smart Car. You've seen them on the road; <strong>Cars2go are everywhere</strong>. Usually I can reserve one within a few blocks of my house. Heck, they're <a href="http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2013/04/police-arrest-suspect-in-car2go-hit-and-run/">already hitting cyclists</a>.</p> <p>And then there's the real clincher: With Car2go, you just leave the thing wherever you park and go find another one when you're done with whatever you went out for&#8212;<strong>you don't pay for the in-between time</strong>. You don't have to worry about returning a car if you want to have a few drinks, or, say, decide to have a sleepover while you're out. Any way you look at it, Car2go is just a vastly superior system.</p> <p>And I should note that I say this as a customer of both companies, although ever since I signed up for Car2go, I haven't touched a Zipcar, and <strong>I can't think of a single reason to</strong>.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/18/i-wonder-if-avis-is-bummed-they-bought-zipcar#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16512303&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Transportation Money http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/18/i-wonder-if-avis-is-bummed-they-bought-zipcar?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16512303&id=comments 40 Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:05:05 -0700 The Stranger http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/12/get-weird-with-corey-brewer-and-transparent-aluminum http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/12/get-weird-with-corey-brewer-and-transparent-aluminum Grant Brissey <p><iframe width="400" height="100" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3544113167/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"><a href="http://coreyjbrewer.bandcamp.com/album/the-destroyer-has-a-masterplan">The Destroyer Has a Masterplan by Corey J Brewer</a></iframe></p> <p>(<a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Event?event=16447175">Heartland</a>) Tonight's lineup of side projects at Heartland&#8212;the newish space north of the shipping channel, run by the unstoppable DIY force (and former <em>Stranger</em> intern!) known on the internet as "Kenn Job"&#8212;will be an interesting look inside the lesser-known efforts of a few familiar names. <strong>Corey Brewer</strong> of <a href="http://triumphoflethargy.bandcamp.com/">Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death</a> and <a href="http://coldcoldlake.bandcamp.com/">Cold Lake</a> also records under his own name&#8212;he describes his latest, <em>The Destroyer Has a Master Plan,</em> as "Serge Gainsbourg covering Bj&#246;rk (poorly)." Bill Badgly, front man for Federation X, and Jason Sands (Reeks and the Wrecks) make up <a href="http://partwolfmusic.com/">Part Wolf</a>, whose song on the internet rings out like load of horror through delayed percussion, guitar, and vocals. <a href="http://transparentaluminum.bandcamp.com/">Transparent Aluminum</a> is the light-headed electronic endeavor of Portlander Kelly Ockinga, most recently of garage rockers the Pathogens. Go there to get weird; stay around later to hear Mr. Job say interesting stuff.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/12/get-weird-with-corey-brewer-and-transparent-aluminum#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16463903&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Tonight http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/12/get-weird-with-corey-brewer-and-transparent-aluminum?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16463903&id=comments 0 Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:55:00 -0700 The Stranger http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/10/skarp-are-playing-at-highline-next-thursday http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/10/skarp-are-playing-at-highline-next-thursday Grant Brissey <p>...and it's for a <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/10/suspect-allegedly-pulls-gun-on-hired-driver-hired-driver-pulls-legally-concealed-gun-on-suspect-gun-fight-ensues">totally good</a> cause.</p> Upcoming Love http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/10/skarp-are-playing-at-highline-next-thursday?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16459493&id=comments 0 Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:23:54 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/10/suspect-allegedly-pulls-gun-on-hired-driver-hired-driver-pulls-legally-concealed-gun-on-suspect-gun-fight-ensues http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/10/suspect-allegedly-pulls-gun-on-hired-driver-hired-driver-pulls-legally-concealed-gun-on-suspect-gun-fight-ensues Grant Brissey <p>At approximately 11:20 pm on April 1, Rick Powell, a beloved member of the local music community, pulled over the Lincoln Town Car he operates for local car-for-hire outfit <a href="http://blackcrowncar.com/">Black Crown Car</a>, to take a cigarette break. That's when <a href="http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2013/04/04/felon-facing-charges-for-shooting-man-in-botched-west-seattle-robbery/">the SPD Blotter</a> says 19-year-old Juan Carlos Garcia-Mendez&#8212;released from a Yakima prison just four days earlier&#8212;approached him with a gun, "shoving" it in his chest. Powell, in possession of a concealed weapon permit, pulled out his gun in return. Then, <a href="http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2013/04/04/felon-facing-charges-for-shooting-man-in-botched-west-seattle-robbery/">the Blotter continues</a>, <strong>Garcia-Mendez fired "several shots" into Powell's chest</strong>. Powell returned fire, hitting Garcia-Mendez in the hand and hip. First responders to the incident found Powell slumped behind his car, and police later apprehended Garcia-Mendez after his girlfriend called reporting that he'd been shot. Miraculously, Powell survived the incident and after surgery is making a promising recovery.</p> <p>"Rick is doing super well, supposed to be released [today]," says a close friend of Powell's. "They had to take out some of his lung, but less than they thought. He's healing super fast." <a href="http://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/sv52/rickpowell/updates/22088">Charity fund efforts</a> corroborate that Powell is making a remarkable recovery, but without health insurance, he's facing some steep hospital bills.</p> <p>Friends have organized an online fundraiser for Powell, which you can access <a href="http://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/sv52/rickpowell?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fb_wall&utm_campaign=vanity_page&og_action=hug&fb_ref=864587">here</a>. Also, bandmates and friends have made <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/199148493563643/?fref=ts">their show at Highline next Thursday</a> a benefit to help pay for his mounting costs.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/10/suspect-allegedly-pulls-gun-on-hired-driver-hired-driver-pulls-legally-concealed-gun-on-suspect-gun-fight-ensues#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16423050&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Crime Guns http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/10/suspect-allegedly-pulls-gun-on-hired-driver-hired-driver-pulls-legally-concealed-gun-on-suspect-gun-fight-ensues?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16423050&id=comments 58 Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:13:39 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/09/dude-you-totally-mindhacked-my-passthought http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/09/dude-you-totally-mindhacked-my-passthought Grant Brissey <p>Because I am a completely unreasonable person, I'm constantly cursing at my computer for not knowing which application I want to be typing on. Or that it doesn't know that I want it to switch to whatever program I hover my cursor over when, say, I've got two monitors and I'm switching back and forth between multiple applications. Or that it can't just <strong>read my mind and then do all my work for me</strong>. Thanks to these hyper-nerds at Berkeley, computers are like three-quarters of one step closer to <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/08/no-more-typed-passwords-berkeley-researchers-develop-passthoughts/">facilitating that stuff</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Instead of typing your password, in the future you may only have to think your password,&#8221; explains a UC Berkeley School of Information press release about new research that utilizes brainwaves to authenticate users instead of passwords of numbers and letters. With a $100 consumer-friendly brainwave-reading headset, the Neurosky MindSet, Professor John Chuang found that the mere task of concentrating on one&#8217;s breath was enough to uniquely identify them.</p></blockquote> <p>Brainwave devices, or Electroencephalograms, are not at all a new technology, although this application is obviously in early development. TechCrunch, who also points out that these systems are <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/27/brain-hacking-scientists-extract-personal-secrets-with-commercial-hardware/">not immune to hacking</a>, has <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/08/no-more-typed-passwords-berkeley-researchers-develop-passthoughts/">this video</a> that demonstrates a totally practical use: <a href="http://en.necomimi.com/">the Necomimi</a>, which, according to the marketing guy in the video, means "cat ears" in Japanese. It's, like, <em>the future</em>, man. Only with furries.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/09/dude-you-totally-mindhacked-my-passthought#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16447650&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Tech http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/09/dude-you-totally-mindhacked-my-passthought?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16447650&id=comments 9 Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:10:16 -0700 The Stranger http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/05/another-reason-to-like-lady-gaga http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/05/another-reason-to-like-lady-gaga Grant Brissey <p>Frankly I'm not sure I could pick a Lady Gaga song out of a mixtape. That's not by design as much as it is pure happenstance. Or maybe it's kind of by design. Still, most of what I hear about her indicates that she's a person of integrity. Example 4,637: <strong>She turned down $1 million to perform at a Republican party party</strong> during pre-election times in Tampa Bay. Sure, it's not much of a surprise, as she's an outspoken proponent of gay rights, and for her to perform for the GOP <strong>would basically make her a total hypocrite</strong>. But still, a million fuckin' dollars. I'd have to work for like 40 more years to make that much, which really sucks because I'm already 47.</p> <p><a href="http://www.wenn.com/all-news/lady-gaga-rejected-1-million-offer-to-perform-in-support-of-republican-mitt-romney/"><small>Via this place</small></a></p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/05/another-reason-to-like-lady-gaga#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16431736&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Business http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/05/another-reason-to-like-lady-gaga?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16431736&id=comments 4 Fri, 05 Apr 2013 17:14:43 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/04/tom-cruise-deal-breaker http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/04/tom-cruise-deal-breaker Grant Brissey <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dQ3Mt9yiz6k?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></p> <p>These days I find everything about Tom Cruise to be so incredibly annoying that I cannot value a film in which he appears. Even though Tom is <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/holiday-box-office-tom-cruises-406273">popular with older folks</a> (like Goldy), I suspect I am not alone in this sentiment. Maybe it's the whole Scientology thing, or maybe it's just that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znsXA2aTXCE">the man simply seethes with insecurity</a>. I really love post-apocalyptic movies, but because Tom Cruise is in it, I can't get excited about <em>Oblivion</em>. Naturally, this bit of musing facilitates the need for a scientifically and legally binding Slog Poll&#8482;.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/04/tom-cruise-deal-breaker#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16413633&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Parenting Issues http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/04/tom-cruise-deal-breaker?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16413633&id=comments 38 Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:44:04 -0700 The Stranger