Washington Voters Aren't Immune to Vote-by-Mail Propaganda

Film/TV • Unstreamable

Poison Ivy Is Unstreamable

by Chase Burns and Jasmyne Keimig • Friday at 7:30 pm

SZA named a song after Miss Poison Ivy.
SZA named a song after Miss Poison Ivy. New Line Cinema / Poison Ivy

Unstreamable is a weekly column that finds films and TV shows you can't watch on major streaming services in the United States. This week: Drew Barrymore plays a wet seductress in Poison Ivy, a white dog is trained to attack Black people in White Dog, a psychedelic and gentle masterpiece in The Taste of Tea, and sweaty (and potentially unsimulated) sex in Wild Orchid.

POISON IVY
USA, 1992, 93 minutes, Dir. Katt Shea

WHAT IVY WANTS IVY GETS
WHAT IVY WANTS IVY GETS Poison Ivy
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News • Slog AM/PM • Coronavirus

Slog PM: Trump Picks His Supreme Court Nominee, U.S. Hits 7 Million COVID Cases, a New Baby Orca!

by Nathalie Graham and Jasmyne Keimig • Friday at 6:10 pm

We need your help. The economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis is threatening our ability to keep producing the stories you've come to love. If you’re able, please consider making a monthly contribution to The Stranger.

A nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court would be a huge win for Christian conservatives.
A nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court would be a massive win for Christian conservatives. Screenshot from C-SPAN
Trump will pick Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace RBG: Siiiiiiigh. Well, it's happening. While Trump plans to make the announcement tomorrow, Barrett is his choice to fill Ruth Bader Ginsberg's seat before election day. Barrett is described as a "female Antonin Scalia," the late justice who Barrett also clerked under. Female Antonin Scalia is my new safeword.

Three more businesses on Capitol Hill pack up shop: Heritage Distilling Capitol Hill, Amandine Bakery, and Bar Sue have all bit the dust, adding to CHS Blog's growing (and depressing) list of COVID-19 Crisis Closures.

Kim Jong-un is sorry about killing a South Korean official: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who I thought was in a coma (??) and being impersonated by a body double (???), apologized for North Korea's lethal shooting of a South Korean official crossing a maritime border between the countries. According to a letter Kim Jong-un sent to South Korea, North Korean officials fired at a man floating on an object after he didn't identify himself. They later burned the floating object. Kim said the incident "shouldn't have happened" and that he's "sorry to have disappointed."

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Food & Drink • Things To Do • EverOut

A New Hot Pot Spot and More Seattle Food News You Can Use This Week: September 25, 2020 Edition

by Stranger EverOut Staff • Friday at 5:30 pm

The hot pot chain HaiDiLao, which just opened a location downtown this week, is known for its noodle dancers who perform for guests.
The hot pot chain HaiDiLao, which just opened a location downtown this week, is known for its "noodle dancers" who perform for guests. HaiDiLao

This week in food news: the wildly popular hot pot chain HaiDiLao has added a new Seattle location, Li'l Woody's gets ready for Fast Food Month, and a Seattle chef will soon make her HBO Max debut. Read on for all that and more food-world updates. For more ideas, check out our full in-person dining directory, our takeout & delivery directory, our guide to where to try fresh hop beers in Seattle, and our guide to where to celebrate Oktoberfest.

NEW OPENINGS AND RETURNS


Artusi
According to a press release, Capitol Hill's Italian-style aperitivo bar, which has been closed since March, re-opened on September 15 after a renovation. The bar also has a revamped menu, which includes new dishes like corn fritters with lime zest, a tomato panzanella salad, braised rabbit and fried sage risotto, and huckleberry semifreddo.
Capitol Hill

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2020

More Bullshit from Superintendent Candidate Maia Espinoza

by Rich Smith • Friday at 4:45 pm

An important disclaimer.
An important disclaimer. Washington Voters' Guide

In her latest attempt to spread misinformation, conservative superintendent of public schools candidate Maia Espinoza repeated a claim in a robocall earlier this week that was ruled false by a Thurston County judge.

On the recorded campaign call, Espinoza introduces herself to the unlucky caller and then claims incumbent superintendent of public schools Chris Reykdal "championed a policy that teaches sexual positions to fourth graders."

As I have written, this is a false claim propagated by Espinoza and a small army of very confused or deliberately mendacious people on Facebook.

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News • Portland

Portland Prepares for an (Unwanted) Visit from the Proud Boys

by Alex Zielinski • Friday at 1:20 pm

This was originally published by The Stranger's sister publication The Portland Mercury. Follow the Mercury for daily coverage of Portland's ongoing protests. —Eds. Note


Members of the Proud Boys shake hands during a August 2019 rally in Portland.
Members of the Proud Boys shake hands during a August 2019 rally in Portland. KAREN DUCEY / GETTY IMAGES

The Proud Boys, a national far-right organization rooted in white nationalism and male chauvinism, is visiting Portland this weekend.

The group has planned a noon rally at Portland's Delta Park, where attendees from across the country plan to "take back" Portland from the grips of several villains, including (but not limited to) Black Lives Matter protesters, antifascist activists, Mayor Ted Wheeler, and District Attorney Mike Schmidt.

The dramatic rhetoric surrounding this rally comes straight from Tucker Carlson's soundbites, with organizers accusing Wheeler of allowing "domestic terrorists" to besiege his city. In a press release, the Proud Boys said they were protesting on behalf of Jay Danielson, the man who was shot and killed during a pro-Trump rally in Portland, along with other "victims" of Wheeler's leadership, including Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who fatally shot two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The press statement goes on to suggest that the two police officers shot in Louisville during a Wednesday protest were "emboldened by Wheeler's inaction in Portland."

While the group says they intend on having a "peaceful" demonstration, it's clear they're preparing for a fight.

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EverOut

The 61 Best Things to Do in Seattle This Weekend: September 25-27, 2020

by Stranger EverOut Staff • Friday at 12:45 pm

The Georgetown Morgue—an actual former morgue—returns this weekend for self-guided and socially distanced scares.
The Georgetown Morgue—an actual former morgue—returns this weekend for self-guided and socially distanced scares. Courtesy of Georgetown Morgue

Whether you want to stay dry at home or spend some time wandering (safely and socially distanced) around the city, this weekend is full-up with great options. We've compiled our picks below—from a Seattle Arts & Lectures talk with Claudia Rankine to Tacoma's Bite of Black Businesses outdoor market, and from Farm Aid 2020 On the Road to Seattle Center's virtual Italian Festival. For even more options, check out our guides to movies to stream this weekend, and our complete streaming events and protests & resistance calendars.

FRIDAY

FOOD & DRINK
Lupe's Situ Tacos
Do you feel like you’ve exhausted Seattle’s taco options? It’s because you have, and now you must look to Lupe Flores. Lupe is a drummer in three local Seattle bands: Wild Powwers, Tacos the Band, and LORBO. But since the pandemic started, Lupe hasn’t been able to perform. So, she’s made a unique pivot: her own taco delivery business called Lupe's Situ Tacos. Lupe’s menu is simple and her tacos taste unlike anything I've ever tried. There are two flavor options, Lebanese-style ground beef and butter—called “hushwe”—and a vegetarian option—“papas”—which are potatoes that pack a punch of flavor. The tortillas are fried and taste like crispy pillows. The meat is cooked in butter, so you can’t really argue with that. "Situ" is Arabic for grandmother, which is who her business is named after. CARO MEYERS
Holy Mountain Brewing (Interbay)

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Four Don't-Miss Documentaries at Local Sightings Film Festival

by Chase Burns and Jasmyne Keimig • Friday at 11:30 am

It's the last weekend to check out Northwest Film Forum's Local Sightings Film Festival. The regionally focused fest is particularly strong this year. We gathered a few of our favorite picks, below. Did you watch any of the films? Please drop us a note and let us know what you thought. —Eds. Note


TKTKTK
The World Is Bright follows two Chinese parents as they investigate the circumstances surrounding their son's alleged suicide in Canada. Courtesy of NWFF

This Friday marks the beginning of the 2020 Local Sightings Film Festival at Northwest Film Forum. The fest, which will run online thru September 27, highlights films and filmmakers from all over the Pacific Northwest. For the most part, all films will be available on demand, so you will be able to tune in whenever you want. Individual screening tickets grant access to Viewing Parties and Q&A Sessions.

The spread this year is diverse. CHS Blog spotlighted Danny Denial's CONDiTiONER, Willamette Week dug into Roland Dahwen's Borrufa, and the Tacoma News Tribune highlighted Tacoma filmmakers. For the Stranger's Local Sightings roundup, we decided to focus specifically on the fest's can't-miss documentaries. Check them out below:

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Savage Love

Savage Love: Missed Connections

by Dan Savage • Friday at 10:45 am

092329_Savage_Missed_Connections.jpg
JOE NEWTON

Married guy here. I’m 33, the wife is 31. Our fifth anniversary is next month but we’ve been together for almost eight years. We’ve recently both come out to each other as bi. She tried to tell me a long time ago whereas I came to the realization only recently. We’re both interested in new sexual encounters and this weekend we met up with a with a male escort. It was my first sexual experience with a man and the first sexual encounter between my wife and another man in eight years… and we found it lacking. It was too short, and too impersonal. Is this how it usually goes with escorts? Should we have been more upfront with our interests ahead of time? We don’t want to keep spending the money if we’re not getting the experience we want. We need to stay fairly discreet for most of these encounters due to our careers. Appreciate any input.

Basking In Confusion Over Underwhelming, Pitifully Lackluster Experience

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Drag

A Dispatch from the Set of the New Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme Holiday Special

by Matt Baume • Friday at 9:25 am

Just like it actually happened.
Just like it actually happened. Matt Baume

Puppets, surprise musical numbers, and tasteful nudity: I spent two weeks photographing the just-announced Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Special, and after the year we’ve all had, I can tell you this movie is precisely what the world needs.

As you’ve probably heard by now (or deduced from Jinkx and DeLa’s hyperventilating fans), our favorite former-Seattle gals will release a new holiday special based (and expanding on) their wonderful live shows that have toured over the last couple holiday seasons. I’m pretty confident that this is the best news I’ve received in all of 2020, and this is the year I finally got health insurance.

Jinkx and DeLa have a magical chemistry, a starry charm that reminds me of Tina Fey & Amy Poehler; Abbott & Costello; Wallace & Gromit; and most of all, Jim Henson & Frank Oz. Having been present for the filming of virtually the entire special, I was struck by just how much it’s shaping up to be the greatest Muppet movie in decades — without the actual Muppets, of course, but with something perhaps even better.

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News • Slog AM/PM

Slog AM: Defund the Supreme Court, Inslee Should Consider Using Dogs at Sea-Tac, Amazon Withholding Tips?

by Charles Mudede • Friday at 8:30 am

We need your help. The economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis is threatening our ability to keep producing the stories you've come to love. If you’re able, please consider making a monthly contribution to The Stranger.

This part of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is run by Trump.
This part of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is run by Trump. Charles Mudede

Gov. Jay Inslee Announces Airline Safety Measures That Do Not Do That Much: The problem is part of an airport is under the state's jurisdiction and the other part is under the jurisdiction of a president who has spectacularly mismanaged the pandemic crisis. So, all of Inslee's safety guidelines just die when "passengers cross through security." But what about temperature checks? Can Inslee at least do that?

Mike Faulk, Inslee's Press Secretary:

The governor has called for the federal government to implement a uniform national standard to protect workers and travelers in our aviation system, which includes this as one part of passenger screening protocol. It is unacceptable that we still don’t have a national system from this administration. States have limited options on this issue because federal law preempts our authority in some respects and places certain restrictions on the use of airport funding, but we’re stepping up to create baseline requirements where we can.

Many airlines, including Alaska and Delta, have run temperature screening pilots at SeaTac and across the country. While many workplaces across Washington have implemented temperature screenings as part of their safety protocols, it is not currently mandated for any other industry

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Slog AM/PM

Slog PM: SPD Officer Who Biked Over a Protester's Head Is on Paid Leave, Amazon Announces Indoor Security Drone

by Chase Burns • Thursday at 6:00 pm

We need your help. The economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis is threatening our ability to keep producing the stories you've come to love. If you’re able, please consider making a monthly contribution to The Stranger.

Totally chill.
Totally chill. Amazon

I'm sure you saw the video of the SPD officer rolling over a protester's head: A warning if you haven't: It's graphic. SPD placed the officer on paid leave. The Office of Police Accountability requested a criminal investigation of the incident by an outside agency. SPD referred the incident to the King County Sheriff’s Office, which will investigate the officer.

The Headline of the Day: 3 accused of creating man cave under Grand Central Terminal

Don't have plans for tonight? Have you checked out Northwest Film Forum's Local Sightings Film Fest yet? If not, tonight's a great night to watch one of the regionally grown films. I recommend The World Is Bright, a surprisingly moving documentary that follows two Chinese parents as they investigate the circumstances surrounding their son's alleged suicide in Canada. The filmmakers are participating in a live Zoom panel this evening. More info here.

Damn: Rangers recovered the body of a Seattle man from Mount Rainier National Park today. Alex Fitzgerald died at the age of 27 after he and his camping partner experienced white-out conditions while spending the night at Camp Muir. Fitzgerald's hiking partner says he became disoriented and unresponsive, and she left to find help.

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2020

The Peaceful Transfer of Presidential Power Will Be a Long Shot

by Charles Mudede • Thursday at 4:09 pm

The battle for the White House is going to get real...
The battle for the White House is going to get real... Philip Rozenski/gettyimages.com

The biggest joke today is that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised "the peaceful transfer of power if Trump loses the Nov. 3 presidential election."

The problem is very recent experiences have undoubtably shown that a promise from McConnell is, to the use the words of a character in Charles Burnett's film, To Sleep with Anger, "...not worth the salt you put in greens." Whatever McConnell says can be ignored. But what about the words of Sen. Lindsey Graham, another full-blown liar?

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told “Fox & Friends” on Thursday, “If Republicans lose we will accept the result. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Joe Biden, I will accept that result.”

The Supreme Judgement comes not from the voters but the Supreme Court? This is where the GOP already sees things heading. It's a done deal for them.

But the foundation for this certainty is the assumption that the Supreme Court's authority is, after very recent events, still valid. In truth, the question of whether or not a Supreme Court's post-Ginsburg decisions have the final say in legal matters is still in the air. Many on the left can no longer see that court as the measure of anything meaningful, but only as the expression of the dominance of the lies that have shaped its present composition. Whatever democracy there was in the Supreme Court will vanish when Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat is filled by Trump.

So, what is the GOP expecting from the Dems?

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News • Election!

Washington Voters Aren't Immune to Vote-by-Mail Propaganda

by Nathalie Graham • Thursday at 3:28 pm

Mail your ballots like youve been doing for nine years, Washington!
Mail your ballots or slip them in a drop box like you've been doing for nine years, Washington! Christopher Frizzelle

My roommates and I parted ways when we moved out of our place at the beginning of this month. Along with all the chaos of moving, we had to update our voter registration. In Washington, you can do that online, by mail, or by email. Though we each submitted our address changes weeks ago, they haven't been updated yet.

Nicole, a (former) roommate who is very organized and very anxious, called me twice this morning. She had updated her address online in the first week of September, and the change was still pending. Did I know what was wrong? Though I initially wrote her off for being annoyingly Type-A, Nicole was right. King County Elections has built up a backlog of new voter registrations and registration updates thanks to a wave of anxiety around mail-in voting, and it's taking them a minute to work through the filings.

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Film/TV • EverOut

The Best Movies to Stream in Seattle This Weekend: September 24-27, 2020

by Stranger EverOut Staff • Thursday at 3:00 pm

A scandal when it was first released in 1973, Alejandro Jodorowskys prototypical midnight movie The Holy Mountain is a follow-up to El Topo. Both films are screening through Grand Illusion this weekend, along with three others by the Chilean French filmmaker.
A scandal when it was first released in 1973, Alejandro Jodorowsky's prototypical midnight movie The Holy Mountain is a follow-up to El Topo. Both films are screening through Grand Illusion this weekend, along with three others by the Chilean French filmmaker. ABKCO Films

Those averse to splashing around in puddles will agree that watching movies is the perfect activity this rainy weekend. Here are all your options screening through local theaters, including five (five) psychedelic films from French Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky (including the infamous Holy Mountain) courtesy of Grand Illusion, and other notable picks streaming through national platforms, like the season 11 premiere of The Great British Baking Show. Longing for the big(ger) screen? Check out our guide to drive-in movie theaters in the Seattle area this week (Rocky Horror Picture Show, anyone?), or check out our calendar of on-demand movies streaming through local theaters and our fall guide to online film festivals.

New & Noteworthy: Supporting Seattle Businesses
15th Annual Hump Film Fest - Encore Presentation
Our colleagues, the creators of HUMP!, were crushed to cancel their originally planned fall tour. But after receiving enthusiastic support and permission from the filmmakers to show their films online, they knew that the show must go on! Even if we can’t watch together in movie theaters, we can still watch the 16 sexy short films, curated by Dan Savage, in the privacy and safety of our homes. Dan will introduce the show and then take you straight to the great dirty movies that showcase an amazing range of shapes, colors, sexualities, kinks, and fetishes!
Available via The Stranger
Saturday only

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Visual Art • Currently Hanging

Currently Hanging: "Untitled Anxious Red Drawing" by Rashid Johnson at Hauser & Wirth (Online)

by Jasmyne Keimig • Thursday at 2:30 pm

My insides.
My insides. Courtesy of Hauser & Wirth
At first glance, the Untitled Anxious Men Drawings by Rashid Johnson look like chaotic abstract messes. A burst of energy expressed through a bright blood red. But on closer inspection, the work is composed of rows of "anxious men," whose box-like faces, wide eyes, and clenched teeth communicate an emotion that falls somewhere between anxiety and anger.

Johnson created this small series—accessible in New York gallery Hauser & Wirth's online viewing room—during quarantine as an expansion on the work from his previous 2015 show, Anxious Men. Cameron Shaw of the New York Times has described these men as "on the verge of a breakdown — messy, cartoonish, stressed out, brutalized," a reflection of what it often feels like to be Black in America.

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