_{Jonathan Coulton, courtesy of Takomabibelot}

My first night at PAX was full of surprises, not the least of which was getting to meet the brilliant Jonathan Coulton while having dinner at Six Arms. I made an idiot of myself, of course, but that didn’t negate the fact that I actually got to shake hands with the man responsible for the Portal theme song that never fails to get stuck in my head. Of course, his brilliant “Code Monkey” song is great, too (#).

Beyond that, and the shock at finding a 30,000 person convention where there was no line at the women’s restroom, I was also surprised by Ken Levine’s keynote speech. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but Levine started by describing his descent into comics (a “geeky gateway drug”) during his childhood, and subsequent involvement in D&D.

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_{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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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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