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Drug overdose is the top killer of King County homeless: And this year the number of overdoses is substantially higher than last. Last year 67 homeless had died from overdose through October, this year, that number is already at 100—and "the average age of death is 47."

Seattle housing market is… dropping? Spoiler! Don't get your hopes up! It's still unaffordable. Buttttt, for the first time in four years, houses on average are going for below list price. Gone are the days homeowners could confidentially under-price their house to create a bidding war. Mike Rosenberg reports, "Sales prices have dropped nearly 7 percent, or $55,000, in Seattle since the spring." Even Las Vegas has surpassed Seattle in "year-over-year increase in home prices," and that place is in the middle of a freaking desert, which if that wasn't bad enough, is compounded with, y'know, climate change?

Vigil for Pittsburgh synagogue massacre drew thousands: In addition to song, prayer, and speakings from Jewish leaders, Mayor Durkan and Jay Inslee also spoke at the Temple De Hirsch Sinai vigil, last night. While it is always a bit strange for me to see political speakers in a temple, their tone was for the most part spot on, and their condemnation of the attack was resounding. Durkan said, “They met their violence and died only because of who they were, their faith, and the God they worship. We must say out loud and not minimize in any way that they were targeted and died because they were Jewish.”


Meanwhile Vice President Mike Pence appeared at campaign stop with a Jews for Jesus rabbi: Jews for Jesus, for those who aren’t familiar, is designed entirely to convert Jews to believing in Jesus, which is in fact, not a part of Judaism. Long story short, people weren't really happy about it.

Detroit-area Rabbi Jason Miller said on Facebook that there are at least 60 rabbis on a directory of Michigan rabbis and "yet the only rabbi they could find to offer a prayer for the 11 Jewish victims in Pittsburgh at the Mike Pence rally was a local Jews for Jesus rabbi? That's pathetic!"


Wet Week Ahead!!!! I am going as an umbrella for Halloween!



The Nez Perce people smoked tobacco long before whitey showed up: It’s true, contrary to the false history that fur traders introduced the habit in the 1790s, “the Nez Perce people in the Northwest smoked indigenous tobacco 1,200 years ago.” How did researchers learn this? They used chemical analysis on pipes found along the Columbia River Basin in Eastern Washington. The traders’ “domesticated” tobacco was, however, far more potent, and eventually became the standard.

President Trump is finally getting his military parade: He is sending a resounding 5,200 troops to the southern border in anticipation of a migrant caravan that may or may not even reach the border. Oh! Remember that Trump seems to believe they are coming to vote for democrats in the midterm elections.

Actual invaders moving towards South Puget Sound: "They look small, but they can be a really big problem," said Sean McDonald, a UW research scientist. He is talking about, obviously, the feared European green crab. No, but seriously, these things can cause massive ecological disruption—apparently "one pair of crabs can produce up to half a million offspring in a single year." If you want to learn more about these sexually-prolific little fuckers there's a whole page of information here.

Seattle Times jumps in the great Candy Corn debate: It's true, the Seattle Times finally found the guts to talk about a real issue. But as with political endorsements, you don't have to look farther than the pages of this very website to learn all you need to know. On one side (the correct side), we have a strong argument against from Rich Smith. On the other side, we have a relatively weak, violent counterpoint from none other than Dan Savage (I know these are from two separate occasions, this internal conflict is longstanding). I suppose I'll be taking that slap now, Dan, because I've made my position clear, Candy Corn is a sick mutilation of everything good.

Fun October fact: 80 years ago today, Orson Welle's "War of The Worlds" was broadcast and terrified the shit out of everybody. Anyone who tuned in mid-broadcast had no idea that it was fictional. Without that little bit of narrative context, what was just meant as a spooky fictional story was interpreted as real news. Crazy!

Tonight's best Seattle entertainment options include: A reading with science writer and astrophysicist Adam Becker, a Halloween double feature of The Shining and The Conjuring, and an evening of elegantly eerie songs with Exploded View, Darto, and Advertisement.