Checking in on The Stranger

News • Slog AM/PM

Slog PM: "Roger Stone Is Now a Free Man!"

by Chase Burns • Friday at 7:00 pm

He may look vanilla, but you just know this guy is kinky.
He may look many shades of vanilla, but you just know this guy is kinky. JOSHUA BLANCHARD/GETTY IMAGES

Trump has commuted the sentence of friend and Batman villain Roger Stone: Stone was convicted of seven felony crimes, including witness tampering and lying to investigators. He was days away from reporting to a federal prison to serve a 40-month term. The White House statement announcing the Executive Grant of Clemency, which reads like Trump's Twitter feed, ends with an exclamation point: "Roger Stone is now a free man!" Dems aren't happy about it!

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Film/TV • Unstreamable

Born in East L.A. Is Unstreamable

by Chase Burns and Jasmyne Keimig • Friday at 6:15 pm

Citizenship is slippery, as Born in East L.A. demonstrates.
Citizenship isn't so concrete, as Born in East L.A. demonstrates. Courtesy of Universal Pictures

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: Cheech is deported in Born in East L.A., Chong is roasted in The Tommy Chong Roast, Sidney Poitier and Abbey Lincoln get set up in For Love of Ivy, and there's actually more than one lady with a sword in Lady With a Sword.

If you're thinking: "Unstreamable? In this pandemic?" Scarecrow Video offers DVD takeout and a great rental-by-mail service so you can safely rent rare DVDs during self-isolation. Click here to learn more about their program.

BORN IN EAST L.A.
USA | Mexico, 1987, 85 minutes, Dir. Cheech Marin
I thought I was in love with Cheech at the end of this movie. Im not, but what a thought!
I thought I was in love with Cheech at the end of this movie. I'm not, but what a thought! JK
I can't stop thinking about this hat Rudy Robles (Cheech Marin) wears in a scene early on in Born in East L.A. I love the way the bill is crudely cut off from the hat; I love the message (No beer, no work); I love the man who wears it. But this comedy written, directed, and starring Cheech isn't about fashion, but rather the tenuousness of American citizenship if you're not white. Third-generation Mexican-American Rudy is erroneously deported when the factory his cousin works at gets raided by police and Rudy is caught without ID. Despite his family being in the U.S. for generations, the government stuffs him and other undocumented workers onto a bus for a country where Rudy doesn't even speak the language.

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Sponsored

Seattle Humane forming ‘Rescue Squad’ for Day of Giving

Seattle Humane will harness the power of community to raise $100,000 for deserving shelter pets during its first-ever Day of Giving on Friday, July 17.

Supporters are being asked to host fundraisers through social media platforms, and businesses can donate a portion of their sales to Seattle Humane through a Shop-to-Support campaign or become a Day of Giving sponsor.

Visit seattlehumane.org to join the Rescue Squad!

EverOut

The 58 Best Things to Do in Seattle This Weekend: July 10-12, 2020

by Stranger EverOut Staff • Friday at 4:10 pm

This still is from Dominick A.D. Bedasses Run Little Boy, which screens on Saturday with other BIPOC youth-focused shorts films as part of the virtual Seattle Black Film Festival.
This still is from Dominick A.D. Bedasse's "Run Little Boy," which screens on Saturday with other BIPOC youth-focused shorts films as part of the virtual Seattle Black Film Festival.

Whether you want to spend this weekend practicing social distancing in person or staying entertained from home, there are lots and lots of options. We've rounded up our suggestions for in-person events and virtual happenings below—from the MLS is Back Tournament (featuring the Seattle Sounders on Friday) to a Tax Amazon Victory Party in Volunteer Park, and from the South Park Swap Meet to a virtual concert with Matt Gervais, Navid Eliot, and Shaina Shepherd. For even more options, check out our complete streaming events and protests & resistance calendars, as well as our guides to the best movies to stream at home this weekend, anti-racism resources and events, and food news you can use this week.

Masks are required for all in-person events!

FRIDAY

COMMUNITY
Solitude Social Club
Hugo House's bookish happy hour gives the digital floor to guest writers every Friday evening. This week, tune in to hear how author Angie Kim (Miracle Creek) is finding happiness and meaning through literature during this period of isolation.

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City

It's Time to Vote on a New Slogan for West Seattle

by Christopher Frizzelle • Friday at 1:15 pm

There are so many good ones, but this is my favorite—created by Noah Bell-Cruz.
There are so many good ones, but this is my favorite. Design by Noah Bell-Cruz

Okay, it's not actually a new slogan contest, it's the West Seattle Bridge T-Shirt contest, inspired by the crumbling West Seattle Bridge and the identity crisis that being cut off from the rest of the city has plunged West Seattle into.

Whatever else you want to say about the crumbling bridge, it is clearly cranking up the already over-the-top creativity of that neighborhood. There are so many amazing designs that I think one of these t-shirt concepts could really stick as West Seattle's new identity. I'm partial to Accidental Island ("great neighbors... terrible bridges!") because it makes coffee shoot out of my nose. But you know what else makes coffee shoot out of my nose? The t-shirt that rebrands the neighborhood as East Vashon. LOL.

Before all of West Seattle gets mad at me for posting about this on Slog, a blog the whole city reads, when this is really just a West Seattle thing, let me hasten to add: You should not vote if you do not live in West Seattle. But! There are so many eye-popping designs, I just had to make sure you see them. You can browse all the designs here without voting at all.

Also, it should be noted: some of the t-shirt designs don't have slogans at all.

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Food & Drink • EverOut

Canlis Gets a Crab Shack, Biscuit Bitch Returns, and More Seattle Food News You Can Use: July 10, 2020 Edition

by Stranger EverOut Staff • Friday at 12:45 pm

The Pike Place and Belltown locations of the Southern-inspired, Lizzo-approved mini-chain Biscuit Bitch are now open for takeout and limited outdoor seating!
The Pike Place and Belltown locations of the Southern-inspired, Lizzo-approved mini-chain Biscuit Bitch are now open for takeout and limited outdoor seating! Biscuit Bitch

Until very recently, Seattle restaurant news revolved around takeout and delivery options as dining and drinking establishments switched up their game to accommodate the stay-home order. Things aren't back to normal just yet, but with the limited-capacity dining allowed in Phase 2 of the city's reopening, which in certain zones lets restaurants expand their seating into the sidewalk, you can now order food from some of the best restaurants in town without taking it back to your own kitchen table (although many places are continuing to offer takeout and delivery). Since Phase 2 (and Phase 1.5 before it) began almost a month ago, we’ve been keeping track of all the restaurants that have reopened for in-person dining here, but this week brings another round of noteworthy new openings. Read on for details on Canlis's soon-to-open Crab Shack (tickets go on sale today at 1 pm!), the return of the Central District's Barbeque Pit, the new Canon takeout emporium, and more. Oh, and be sure to wear a mask (duh)! For more ideas, check out our complete guide to Seattle farmers markets.

NEW OPENINGS & RETURNS

Ba Bar
The Capitol Hill location of this beloved Vietnamese mini-chain is back open for dine-in service for late-night crowds individuals and small groups. Stop by from 4-10 pm on Sunday-Thursday and 4-11 pm on Friday-Saturday, or continue ordering takeout.

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Coronavirus

King County Health Department’s Latest COVID-19 Report: Things Are Bad

by Matt Baume • Friday at 12:15 pm

1584574619-screenshot_2020-03-18_at_4.36.15_pm.png
ANDRIY ONUFRIYENKO / GETTY IMAGES

The Health Department held a briefing this morning on the latest coronavirus news and shared a lot of wonky details but it all pretty much boils down to: Things are bad; it’s going to get worse; and it’s going to be like this for a long time. As of today, King County’s closing in on 12,000 confirmed cases and just over 600 deaths, with a disproportionate impact on communities of color. We’re seeing around 132 new cases per day right now, compared to 40 per day a month ago.

“The disease is as severe as ever, and the risk isn’t going away in the foreseeable future,” says Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin. “We need to accept … long term behavior change and restructuring how we go about our lives.”

Well, shit.

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Weed • EverOut

Dispensary Deals for Dab Day 2020 in Seattle

by Stranger EverOut Staff • Friday at 8:45 am

Steps 3 and 4 of Dabbing 101, as illustrated in Lester Blacks 2016 piece, What Is Dabbing? And Should You Do It?
Steps 3 and 4 of Dabbing 101, as illustrated in Lester Black's 2016 piece, "What Is Dabbing? And Should You Do It?" Andrew Roberts

Urban legend has it that a man by the name of Doctor Leopold von Dabowitz is to thank for the invention of dabbing (aka the act of consuming concentrated cannabis as opposed to flower or edibles) and that his birthday, July 10, is the reason for Dab Day, the second biggest weed holiday of the year behind 4/20. A more likely explanation? The number 710 spells "OIL" when you look at it upside down. Either way, Dab Day is this Friday! Below, we've listed a few dispensaries—all of which encourage online preorders—offering special deals for all your dabbing needs this weekend. For more options, check out our complete pot shop directory and our roundup of online preorder deals.

Cannabis City
Seattle's very first pot shop, just a hop or two from the Sodo Light Rail Station, counts 15% off live resin cartridges and Pax pens, $17 Sticky Budz wax, and a $40 bundle with a Cannabis City Migos pen and a one-gram cartridge among its plethora of Dab Day deals. Get your goods from July 10-12.
Sodo

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News • Slog AM/PM

Slog AM: Mayor Durkan Says We Either Have the Police or No Police, David Shields Not Happy With David Sedaris

by Charles Mudede • Friday at 8:20 am

So, you want to do business in Washington State, COVID-19?
"So, you want to do business in Washington State, COVID-19?" ArtistGNDphotography/gettyimages.com

COVID-19 Deaths Are on the Rise in Washington State. Seattle Times: "For the past four days in a row, for the first time since May, Washington state reported double-digit numbers of COVID-19 deaths: 11 more deaths confirmed by the end of Sunday, 14 on Monday, 10 on Tuesday and 15 on Wednesday." What this means is reopening the state is not going to work out well. Expect the number of dead to go up and up. Economics and the virus are a lethal combination. There is no getting around this fact, even here in deep-blue Washington.

"Buffets, Salad Bars Reopen in Snohomish County." Translation: "Coronavirus to reopen in Snohomish County." We can expect COVID-19 to have excellent business at these locations. Indeed, if some thought is put into the biology of this virus (its spreading mechanisms), one will reach the conclusion that, in Darwinian terms, it chanced upon a genetic sequence that's perfect for overwhelming the subjects of American capitalist ideology. Without this kind of economic culture, which is driven by an insatiable drive for profits, COVID-19 wouldn't have much of a chance in the world.

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Message to the City

A Message to the City from Aaron Bagley

by The Stranger • Friday at 8:00 am

Aaron Bagley, on the left, is a painter and illustrator. His kid Baxter, on the right, is also an artist.
Aaron Bagley, on the left, is a painter and illustrator. His kid Baxter, on the right, is also an artist. Courtesy of Aaron Bagley

Good morning. It's Friday, July 10, and today we get to go inside the home of Aaron Bagley, a prolific and gifted artist. His work has appeared in The Stranger for many years, from the illustration that accompanied Eli Sanders's Pulitzer Prize-winning feature to half a dozen Stranger covers (scroll down to see them).

Aaron is married to the artist Jessixa Bagley, and they have a kid named Baxter, who is an artist, too. Baxter drew the art for this recording of "Elegy for George Floyd" by Silent Reading Party musician Paul Matthew Moore.

Aaron and Baxter have been making instructional art videos called "Drawn and Quarantined" and releasing them on Instagram to make social distancing more exciting. Here's their instructional video on drawing hands and feet.

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Slog AM/PM

Slog PM: Seattle's Cruelty, Trump's Hogwash, Seahawk's Refunds

by Chase Burns • Thursday at 5:45 pm

This won't be coming soon to a stadium near you.
Do you miss crowds? Getty images

More dadspeak from Gov. Inslee: Trump keeps bullying governors to reopen schools prematurely in the fall and Inslee thinks it's a bunch of "hogwash." Today at a presser, Inslee clarified that "decisions about school and how to have it, onsite or otherwise, will remain with the state of Washington." Is it just me, or does "hogwash" sound kinda hot? I'm probably only thinking this because I miss gay bars.

Come get your refunds: The Seahawks are offering season-ticket holders full refunds for the 2020 season. It's still unclear what will happen to this year's NFL season, although my bet is it's gonna look something like this:

Seattle made the front page of The Indepedent's homepage today, but not for reasons we should be proud of:

The top story on The Independents homepage this afternoon.
The top story on The Independent's homepage this afternoon.
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Visual Art • Currently Hanging

Currently Hanging: Johannes Vermeer's "Woman Holding a Balance" in Augmented Reality

by Jasmyne Keimig • Thursday at 4:00 pm

Vermeer virtually.
Vermeer virtually. JK
I have not seen Johannes Vermeer's "Woman Holding a Balance" (1663) since I was 17. And even then, it was probably shrunken down to fit onto a page in a glossy, heavy textbook or briefly shown in an educational video put on in the last ten minutes of class. I do remember being entranced by it—how delicately the pregnant woman held the balance between her index finger and thumb; the glow of the jewelry on the table in the soft light of the window above; the Last Judgment just over her shoulder. It was so fucking domestic and, as far as vanitas goes, pretty on the nose.

It was weird when I "stumbled" upon that painting again, but this time in Augmented Reality (AR). Big Daddy Google launched a Pocket Gallery feature on their Arts and Culture app in late 2018, allowing viewers to scan their surroundings with a phone so a virtual exhibition can be dumped wherever they please with their phone acting as a kind of looking glass. Real Big Brother shit. And even though this virtual Vermeer exhibition with all 36 of his paintings from across the globe has been around since the feature launched, encountering it now is different—I'd been previously unable to see it because of distance and time; now a pandemic prevents everyone from seeing it.

I miss being in a museum. I miss the contemplative quiet, the random artists sitting in the galleries trying to replicate an old master's paintings with charcoal, the flush of the bathrooms in the distance, the moment when an errant brushstroke or object you never noticed before captures your attention. But examining Vermeer's painting on my couch had its perks too. Namely in my appreciation of the way the Dutch artist rendered the light coming through the window as I gazed at the work on my screen, bathing in the cloudy gray brightness of Seattle that I imagine is not unlike the skies above 17th century Netherlands. All brought to you by a similarly shadowy, museum-like corporate intermediary.

Film/TV • EverOut

The Best Movies to Stream this Weekend in Seattle: July 9-12, 2020

by Stranger EverOut Staff • Thursday at 2:30 pm

Mushroom hunting, frontiersman drama, and the gentle clip-clop of hoofed creatures abound in Kelly Reichardts First Cow. SIFFs virtual screenings, available as of Thursday evening, include a pre-taped Q&A with the director.
Mushroom hunting, frontiersman drama, and the gentle clip-clop of hoofed creatures abound in Kelly Reichardt's First Cow. SIFF's virtual screenings, available as of this evening, include a pre-taped Q&A with the director. SIFF

Whatever type of screen you're working with at home will be graced with two important film festivals this weekend: the Seattle Black Film Festival and the Seattle Deaf Film Festival. On top of that, you have Kelly Reichardt's frontier-era period piece First Cow, a compilation of fan-favorite HUMP! shorts, and Grace Glowick's directorial debut Tito. Read on below for all of our top picks streaming through local theaters and national platforms. Longing for the big(ger) screen? Check out our guide to drive-in movie theaters in the Seattle area.

New & Noteworthy: Supporting Seattle Businesses

Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly
Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei, who's known for his bold public criticisms of the Chinese government's stance on democracy and human rights, was a force behind the portrait exhibition @Large, which depicted images of prisoners from all over the world—from Nelson Mandela to Chelsea Manning—on the exterior of Alcatraz Island, and also featured an inmate letter-writing project. This documentary explores the exhibition's process from start to finish.
Available via Northwest Film Forum

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News • 2020

Joshua Freed "Only" Owns 25 Guns

by Rich Smith • Thursday at 1:30 pm

I only have 25 guns, which is a starter kit according to most of my friends, is a fun sort of joke Joshua Freed has definitely not practiced in the mirror several times.
"I only have 25 guns, which is a starter-kit according to most of my friends," is a fun sort of joke Joshua Freed definitely does not practice in the mirror every morning. Screengrab

The "serious" Republican challengers to Governor Jay Inslee's seat include a bunch of freaky blowhards who so far have failed to crack double-digit support in recent polls, but the GOP establishment's pick increasingly appears to be former Bothell Mayor Joshua Freed.

Freed helped lead the failed initiative campaign against safe injection sites, and he's currently working on a referendum of the state's comprehensive sexual health education law. On Tuesday he picked up an endorsement from the King County Republicans, and he's also gathered a few endorsements from Republican elected officials.

To increase his support, Freed will need to bridge the east-west divide that obtains even in Washington's Republican politics. At the Kittitas County Governor's Forum on Monday afternoon, Freed got that chance when someone in the crowd asked him if he stood behind former Rep. Matt Shea, who declined to run for re-election this year after an independent investigator concluded that he'd planned acts of domestic terrorism.

Freed's stance on the controversial topic of whether to support a guy who promoted training child soldiers for the holy war will not surprise you.

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Internet

So Anyway, Here’s Why Furries Are Going Nuts About “Socialist Teeth” Right Now

by Matt Baume • Thursday at 1:00 pm

Chompy chompy.
Chompy chompy. Courtesy of @aqueerwolf on Twitter.

If you need any further evidence that Furry Twitter is the Best Twitter, feast your eyes on today’s discourse around “socialist teeth.” That’s right, you heard me, socialist teeth.

The facts as we know them are these: For the last few weeks, some furries have been posting profile pics of their fursonas chomping on “thin blue line” flags, as a form of protest against police violence, racism, and the various riots cops have incited over the last month. Meanwhile, a separate cohort of funny animals has been organizing Harvest Moon, a POC-led furry convention scheduled for fall of 2022 in Maryland if we are still alive at that point.

These two worlds collided, as such worlds so often do, in the alt-fur mentions of a weirdo with nothing better to do than complain on Twitter all day; and that individual took it upon themselves to make a particularly bold declaration.

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Music

Shaina Shepherd Is Performing Live at Nectar This Weekend

by Christopher Frizzelle • Thursday at 12:45 pm

And she has a new single that drops on July 17 from Freakout Records.
And she has a new single that drops on July 17 from Freakout Records. Photo by Jake Hanson/Courtesy of Shaina Shepherd

If you're looking at that face and you're wondering: How do I know her? It might be because of her amazing Message to the City a week ago. Or maybe you've seen her band BEARAXE. Or maybe you've seen her perform at Nectar in Fremont. "It's the first place I ever did a solo show in my whole life," she says.

She's performing at Nectar again on Saturday, on a bill with Navid Eliot (Planes on Paper), Matt Gervais (The Head and the Heart), and others.

The other question that might be on your mind is: What happened to Shaina's hair? "I just cut my hairs off, which everybody does during quarantine," Shaina says, laughing. "I used to have very long black lady hair. I dated that hair. I put that hair through college. But I cut it all off after George Floyd's murder, and in all the craziness and chaos in Seattle."

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