_{Wil Wheaton was at PAX, courtesy of Jake of 8bitjoystick.com}

So, PAX 2008 is already upon us. I’m getting texts from friends in line, who are writing haikus and getting early concert wristbands down at the Convention Center.

I’ve never been to PAX before, but I like Penny Arcade and enjoy a good video game, and scads of my friends are going, so I thought I’d join them this year, particularly after finding out Wil Wheaton was coming again. I loved Stand By Me, what can I say?

Anyway, because I’ve never been before, and I’m a little freaked out by the thought of doing PAX for the whole geekend, I was hoping you Metblogs readers could help a girl out with some tips and tricks of your own for enjoying myself. I’ll be sure to report back on how things go!

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the merce cunningham duo, last year.

We’ve already told you what to see [sat :: sun ::mon ]; so now it’s time to haul out the advice that we post every year . We like to think of it as a classic, just revised with slightly-new content and under the assumption that surely we must have picked up a few new readers and Bumbershoot must have enticed a few first-time visitors since last time. But not a lot changes about Bumbershoot from year to year; so why not re-recycle? It’s good for the environment and for preserving our fingers for typing fresh stuff later. So, in the spirit of eco-friendliness and with thanks to everyone who ever contributed, here’s the revised and updated guide for 2008.

After the jump, our hints. Any of your own to add?

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- Benjamin Disraeli, Lothair

Most of our local literary arts venues chose not to schedule readings and signings during Bumbershoot, but those of us starving for words and too poor to pay One Reel’s cover charge can throw our own personal music & arts festivals. Spend your money on your beverage of choice, check out a work by the following Bumbershoot-featured artists from our handy-dandy public library, and thumb your nose at the crowds, bad food, long lines, and grotty toilets.

Saturday:
• Saul Williams has published several books of hip-hop poetry. The most recent, The Dead Emcee Scrolls, received a starred review from Publisher Weekly, particularly for the opening poem “NGH WHT”. Also well worth checking out is the DVD Russell Simmons presents: Def Poetry, Season 3, which features Mos Def, Jill Scott, Common, Kanye West, and Lou Reed, in addition to Mr. Williams.

• Seattle author Sherman Alexie made quite a splash this year with The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, but you’ll be waiting weeks for a copy to become available through SPL. Check out Ten Little Indians, a collection of 11 compassionate, wry, and revelatory stories, instead. The collection is outstanding, alternately poignant and hilarious, and often both at once. Another good choice is his 2000 collection of nine stories, The Toughest Indian in the World.

• Christa Bell doesn’t have a book out, but she does have a website and a MySpace page, so you can watch and listen to her rant, rave, and revelate about the power of CoochiMagick in the comfort of your own home. No lines, no waiting, plenty of comfortable seating.
http://www.christabellonline.com/
http://www.myspace.com/christabellonmyspace
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Going to the grocery store is getting interesting. Starting on October 1, 2008, a number of local grocery stores will be piloting a new program to allow wine and beer tastings on-site. A grand total of 30 stores were selected to participate in this program. Full listing of the stores and more details on the program after the jump.
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SIFF Cinema will be screening short film programs all weekend long for Bumbershoot. Not going to the festival? Check out one or more of these:

• John Ford’s masterpiece Western, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, was a four time Academy Award winner and just may be the finest Western themed film ever. Starring the legendary James Stewart, the iconic John Wayne and the gifted Lee Marvin, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a thoughtful, provocative film with action, romance, suspense and strong emotional heft. See it at the Grand Illusion.
• Speaking of the Grand Illusion, they’ve brought back their late night shows with the delightfully atrocious 1976 teen sex comedy Hollywood High.
• It’s non-stop action with Romeo Must Die, starring Jet Li, at Central Cinema.
• Northwest Film Forum presents on Friday Cartune Xprez: 2008 AMRCAN FALL tour, a “70 minute animation party” which includes a piece in 3-D. This Sunday marks the start of The Sprocket Society’s Secret Sunday Matinee which runs at NWFF through November. Every week you’ll get an exciting episode of Flash Gordon plus a different feature each week–since the feature is a secret, you’ll have to attend each week to find out what it is.
• Starting Saturday at NWFF is one of the most provocative films to ever enter the pop culture, Network, a film best summed up by a recent quote from Roger Ebert: “Twenty-five years ago, this movie would have seemed like a fantasy; now it’s barely ahead of the facts.”
• Midnight at the Egyptian: Raiders of the Lost Ark. Words are superfluous.

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On Thursday, September 18th at 7pm Babeland will be celebrating its 15th birthday with a party at their Pike Street location . Contact the store at (206) 328-2914 to RSVP. In honor of this upcoming event I spoke with Audrey, the Marketing/Education Coordinator at the Seattle store.

After the jump, one NSFW photo, and Audrey’s favorite classes, books, and toys.
You know you want more!

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So says Ballard Gossip Girl. One commenter says there’s an issue with getting fire sprinklers in the place up to code.

Way this town is going, we’re going to be thankful we lost the Sonics, because the Key may be the last venue we have left.

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If you’re taking the kids to Bumbershoot this weekend, be sure to swing by the Kids Pavilion for crafting, movie making, hula-hooping and more.

And if you’re not Bubmershootin’ or heading out of town for the long weekend, there’s still plenty to do around town with the kids:

Go Car-Free in Columbia City

The second Seattle car-free day is this Sunday in Hillman City and Columbia City and coincides with bicycle Sunday along Lake Washington Boulevard S. We were pleased to see a sign in the window of the Columbia City Bakery this week announcing their plans to stay open late that day. Here’s hoping this car-free day is more successful than last week’s debacle.

Take a Moonlight Walk

Moonpaper Tent celebrates the end of summer where “fire flies, fairies, moon snails, and more help create an illuminating visual tableau of lights and quiet, as children and parents create lanterns to take along with them on a magical moonlight walk through the neighborhood. Whispered stories, glittering face-paint, and glowing surprises await!”

Bremerton Blackberry Festival

Hop a ferry to Bremerton for the annual blackberry festival. Enjoy arts and crafts, live music, and a chalk art contest. And of course there will be plenty of blackberry treats on hand, including “blackberry slugs- a delicious type of maple bar made with blackberry filling and whipped cream.” Um, yum?

Blues for Food Fest

Dance in the grass to five local blues bands at this Magnuson Park event to support the P-Patch Trust.

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As we all know, Bumbershoot can’t go on forever. Below, find some suggestions on how to plot out your last day of the festival (a.k.a. Death Cab Come Home Day) before it even begins. TIP: don’t forget to get an elephant ear. It’s the end of the summer and you haven’t had even one yet, have you? Don’t spend the long dark winter dwelling on regrets, OK?

As usual, glance through the official lineup and don’t hesitate to loudly tell us what we forgot to mention.

All the picks (and, at least one pan), after the jumpcut.

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For those brave enough to return to Bumbershoot for the tricky “middle day”, Team Metblogs salutes you. Several of us will be there, scribbling and snapping the say away. Below, is a slate of recommendations to get you started. Let us know what else from the full lineup you’ll be seeing.

The Sound of Young America Live!: Honestly, Sunday looks like the weakest of the three days at Bumbershoot, so this is the day you should check out a live taping of public radio’s redheaded stepchild The Sound Of Young America. (It’s playing all three days at the same time.) In a world where twentysomethings give to public radio pledge drives, TSOYA would have a prime spot on KUOW instead of that one-off appearance on KXOT. (I mean, honestly, KUOW, do we need yet another tired talk show aimed at the middle-aged, middlebrow former hipster? You have 16 of them already on Sunday alone.) Jesse Thorn is funny, a great interviewer, bipedal, and mostly water. [dylan] 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM, Charlotte Martin Theatre (all three days)

After the jump, plenty of other reasons to make a return to Bumbershoot on Sunday.

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_{Planet SeattleX, courtesy of Bonacheladas}

The New York Times had an excellent article yesterday about what life is like for newcomers in the Big Apple. So much of it seemed applicable to more than just Manhattan, though, that I thought I would share it.

After you move to Seattle, at some point, you realize it either is or isn’t working for you. If it isn’t working for you, you spend a whole lot of time talking about the Seattle Freeze, comparing Seattle to your former place of residence, and complaining about the weather. And we’ve all done it a time or two.

Eventually, though, I think those who truly become Seattleites discover that it’s kind of nice that people don’t talk to you on the bus; the rain feels pretty refreshing after 73-degree heat; and suddenly, somehow you’ve become a coffee snob.

So, guys, what did it for you? When did you suddenly discover Seattle was a fit for you (or not, as the case may be)?

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In just two days, Bumbershoot takes on Seattle for another epic showdown of endurance and sensory overload. The festival at Seattle Center is a sprawling, multi-headed beast of entertainment and memory-making fun. We fired up the Recommend-o-Tron and collected a list of suggestions from Team Metblogs to help you sort through the overstuffed lineup to make the most of the long weekend. Be sure to fill the comments letting us know what we missed, what we should skip, and what you’re most excited to see.

All Weekend:

One Reel Film Festival : No matter what time you stop in for the series of short film programs SIFF is showing all festival long, you’re bound to see some excellent filmmaking. Today’s highlights include Films4Families at 1:00pm and Cuisine Art at 7:00pm. Short films made for children have a way of appealing to everyone, regardless of age, and how could a series of films about food be anything other than tasty? [zee] SIFF Cinema, 12:00 - 9:00 pm

One Pot: This may be your best chance to get something really good to eat at Bumbershoot. Dinner is at 6pm each night; go to onepotbumbershoot.blogspot.com for details. [jameson] 6:00 pm, NW Rooms.

ON THE RADIO: KEXP’s annual broadcast from an undisclosed location deep in the heart of Seattle Center will bring you live performances from a diverse selection of the weekend’s darlingest bands. A few lucky people who signed-up ahead of time will be able to watch for themselves, but everyone can tune in to get a taste of Bumbershoot from the comfort of their own home. [kexp]

VISUAL ARTS: All exhibitions are open 11:00 am to 8:00 pm all three days. Highlights include:

the Power of One : A series of photographs that illustrate the powerful impact a single person can have on global society, featuring works by Charles and Ray Earnes, Nina Berman, Phil Borges, Katharina Mouratidi and Jackie Renin; several of the artists will be on hand during the exhbiition. [zee] NW Rooms

FLATSTOCK 18: Your walls are looking a little empty, Seattle. The country’s best rock poster artists fill the Fisher Pavillion with the artistic ephemera created to advertise shows by your favorite bands. While you’re sure to swoon over the Seattle–Tehran poster show in the NW rooms, you can both adore and buy the ones here. Set aside a healthy budget, plenty of time, and a place to stow your purchases. The show runs all weekend, but the best stuff has a way of selling out early. [josh/samantha/zee]

Saturday-specific picks after the jump.

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Just a reminder that the urban coyotes are here to stay. PAWS has a great coyote fact sheet with tips on how to coexist with coyotes in an urban environment. Keep your small dogs and cats indoors, especially at night. If you have an outdoor cat, PAWS also has a good tip sheet for transitioning your outdoor cat to an indoor one.

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photo by Taylor Hain [flickr] via our group pool [#]

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a column [times] about how the cute little Belltown restaurant, Marjorie [#], was losing its lease. I immediately thought, “Dang it, Beth!” [mb] Although not quite a “landmark,” this adorable and quirky space was/is a nice place to go for dates and/or to sit on the patio and enjoy a nicely made cocktail. The warm intimate feel paired with the personal service was always a hit.

This morning I received the official news in my inbox:

“it is with a heavy heart that we announce marjorie’s last night…
after 6 beautiful years at our belltown location, and without a new home lined up as of yet, we have decided to end on a high note.
on september 6th, our last night, we will host a wine dinner.”

Former Marjorie chef and current Tavolata chef de cuisine, Matt Fortner, has created the wine dinner menu, of which there will be two seatings (5 and 8:30). Since the restaurant is on the small size, both seatings will be sure to sell out. Reservations are necessary [opentable] and the cost will be $150 per person, which isn’t bad for 8-ish courses and wine pairings.

If you’re not up for a fancy-schmancy dinner, make sure to stop by on the next nice day between now and the 6th and check out that off-the-street patio. Personally, I will mourn the loss of the perfectly made beignets and look forward to Donna Moodie’s new endeavor.

address: 2331 Second Avenue | Seattle, WA 98121 | phone: 206.441.9842

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Our own Wesa sends this video of traffic at a typical intersection in Ha Noi, Vietnam:

Sorry I can't embed the video on the page, apparently Metblogs won't allow video from Flickr.

She told me she will never complain about Seattle traffic again. I don’t think I’ll hold her to that though!

Also, from her Flickr photostream I found this gem:

Nom nom nom nom nom nom nom

You can follow Wesa and her sister on their trip through Asia on their travelblog at: http://emwesaasia.blogspot.com/.

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