photo by liquidnight [flickr] via our group pool [#].

• Nifty: Magma is an inexpensive, local, dispersed festival taking over March weekends. [reverb]
• Orca is finally arriving. In “spring” you can get your RFID ride on. [seattletransitblog]
• Archie McPhee is moving to Wallingford, giving you options to buy their fixtures on their way out. [myballard]
• Home Alive is going into hibernation for lack of funds; a few events have sprung up to raise money. [chs]
• So maybe Ken Griffey, Jr. really is coming back to Seattle. [slog]

PLAN AHEAD: Iron & Wine is releasing a multi-disc collection of rarities in May and playing small venues with fan-selected playlists in support of it. We’re lucky enough to have two stops in Seattle — one at the Vera Project on 4 May and the next night at the Triple Door. Tickets go on sale on Friday and will likely go quickly.

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Yesterday, the White House released an updated state by state estimate of the impact of the ARRA on jobs. You can read the full text here, but the upshot is that Washington should see about 75,000 jobs generated within the scope of the Act, 8500 of them in Congressional District 7 (which includes Seattle, in case you had forgotten). I don’t know precisely how many people in the district have been laid off in the past 12 months, but it seems like more than that. In any case, no one knows how this will work out, but if the Act does what it was designed to do, 8500 workers re-employed is a durn sight better than more jobs lost.

You can read the complete release here.

You can also read Director Orzag’s (OMB) memo to departments regarding implementation and reporting of teh ARRA here. A quick warning: the memo is 62 pages long, and unlike the committee draft of the ARRA, it’s not triple spaced with two-inch margins, and 16-point font.

Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of Monsoon in Capitol Hill, and for a celebration they’re offering their 10 most popular dishes for $10, plus a glass of wine and some banana cake for free.

The items are: Bo La Lot; Grilled Monterey Squid Stuffed with Duck and Shiitake; Caramelized Catfish Claypot; Crispy Drunken Chicken; Barbecued Spare Ribs; Wokked Spicy Green Beans with Hon Shimeji; Imperial Rolls; Oxtail Pho, with Wagyu Flank Steak; Duck Egg Soft Noodles; Lacquered Kurobuta Pork Belly. All of which sound pretty delicious.

They’re not taking reservations for this, so prepare to wait for a while, I imagine. Monsoon is located at 615 19th Ave. E.

* 7:00 PM: Workhorse author Dan Simmons’ newest novel is a little different than we’ve seen from him before. Drood is a sprawling, Victorian thriller about Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, and possibly a vampire leading an army of the undead. While the premise is interesting, the trend of derivative fiction is looking more than a little like the movie industry, all remakes, sequels, and adaptations. Simmons writes well, though, so fans of his work will be happy to visit the U-District UW Bookstore for the reading and book signing.
[LINK]

* 7:30 PM: Elliott Bay Book Co. welcomes back E. Lynn Harris, author of some of the most interesting romantic fiction I have ever read. His latest is Basketball Jones, about an NBA star, his secret boyfriend, and his (the NBA star, not the secret boyfriend) new wife. Harris started out self-publishing, before being picked up by a publisher, and has been producing steadily ever since. I was a little disappointed by Say a Little Prayer, but I’m looking forward to Basketball Jones, which promises to be highly entertaining. And, of course, Harris is highly entertaining, which is why you should go to this reading.
[LINK]

* 7:30 PM: T.C. Boyle adds yet another remake, adaptation, whatever-you-want-to-call-it novel to the list with The Women, a novel about Frank Lloyd Wright, told by the women who loved him. Boyle has made a habit of fictional biographies, so if you’ve liked the others, you’ll probably like The Women. Boyle will read and sign at the University Village Barnes and Noble, tonight.
[LINK]

photo by s x 2 [flickr] via our group pool [#]

• Dear Seattle, can’t we for once stop whining and just be pleased that the city is turning over parking spots to bike racks even if the public art is a little cheesy? C’mon. It’ll O.K. [seattlerepresent]
• This weekend was chilly, but Golden Gardens was gorgeous. [myballard]
• You’ve got a couple hours left to burn your best mixtape and get over to the CHS meetup tonight at Vermillion to show-off and share your musical taste with your neighbors. [capitolhillseattle]
• Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head rocks the Vera for your modest dollars. [reverb]
• People’s Republic of Komedy brings the Brandon Ivey Show to the good people of Ballard. $5 gets you music, interview, and laughs. [sunsettavern]
• Via Seattle Subsonic [#] , the “videos” section has appeared on the Crocodile’s lovely new website* and features performances and interviews by the likes of Telekinesis, Rohn Roderick, Ships, the Moondoggies, Black Whales, and Throw Me the Statue. [thecrocodile]

–

* Really, the clean design of the Croc’s relaunched website only makes the sting of the Neumo’s tragic redesign sting even harder.

photo via a.c. newman [myspace]

You probably know A. C. Newman as one of the masterminds between mostly Canadian supergroup sensation the New Pornographers whose contributions have helped that band to turn out more pure pop gems that you can count on all of your digits. But before that, he was a member of Superconductor and Zumpano and since 2004 he’s also been cultivating a solo career of his own. This Saturday, he’ll be at Neumo’s in support of his January 2009 album, Get Guilty, which features guest appearances by members of Superchunk, Mates of Sate, and Nicole Atkins and is happily reminiscent of his New Pornographers material.

Also on the bill is Mississipi troubador Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele, (the name says it all, really), discovered by Animal Collective while they were recording Merriweather Post Pavillion. We have a pair of tickets for the show that could be yours. Send an e-mail to seattle.metblogs at gmail.com with ACNewman in the subject line and you’ll be entered to win.

// AC Newman, Dent May. 21 February. 8 pm, $13 [neumos]

After 21 years of showcasing the best of Northwest garden design, Duane Kelly is finally hanging up his bucket hat. Who’s Duane Kelly and why should you care? Glad you asked!

Duane Kelly is the founder of the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, the second largest flower show in the US, and tomorrow opens what may be the very last show, unless a buyer can be found. Kelly’s company, Salmon Bay Events, is a small family affair: seven people working in a small Ballard office, along with a couple of people down in San Francisco (Salmon Bay Events also produces the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show). True to their commitment to Seattle and the Show, Salmon Bay Events have surpassed themselves: this year’s show is truly a labor of love.

I got to take the Media Sneak Preview Tour of the display gardens, this morning, and I plan on going back at least twice more, once on my own and once with friends. The designers took this year’s theme, “Sustainable Spaces. Beautiful Places.” and used it to build gardens and outdoor “rooms” that take advantage of our mild climate, environmental sensibility, and native plants. Every garden features elements made of recycled, reused, or renewed materials, from a raised-bed salad garden made from an old trunk to a recast concrete cube as a water feature. Display gardens contain ideas for any class of gardener: there are three balcony gardens, showcasing what apartment and condo dwellers can do to grow food, flowers, and herbs, or just to bring nature a little closer to the urban home. Thrifty dilettantes like me will be heartened by the many low maintenance, but attractive ground covers, and creative reuse of found objects. More well-heeled or dedicated visitors might take notes on the solar cabin or the bonsai garden, which I can only drool over.

For kids, there is a new children’s area, with activities and demonstrations, as well as a scavenger hunt through the regular display gardens. The “Sprout Stage” (love the pun!) will feature kid-friendly demos from 10 AM until 4 PM on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The scavenger hunt asks kids to find the plushy (donated by a local company, and to be auctioned off for the Make-A-Wish Foundation at the end of the show) in return for prizes. There is a children’s garden, and one of the display gardens even has a theme of “Nature’s Classroom” advocating outdoor learning (check out the blackboard!) for all ages. Finally, if your sprouts are too young to enjoy these offerings, free childcare by licensed providers is available on-site.

In addition to the new children’s activities, a special exhibitor section focuses exclusively on products that benefit the environment. There is the usual dizzying array of seminars, as well, but it’s worth pointing out that all seminars on Friday after 2 PM will focus on “Green Living”: 3 stages and 12 seminars about water management, soil improvement, container and organic gardening, salvaging…

Let’s hope that the Northwest Flower and Garden Show finds a buyer with the same commitment as Salmon Bay Events. In any case, whether you are an annual attendee or have never been to the NW Flower and Garden show, this is the year to buy a ticket, drop in, and show your love. It may be your last chance. And if you see Duane, be sure to say “Thank you!” for all of his years of hard work.

Northwest Flower and Garden Show
February 18-22, 2009
Convention Center, 7th & Pike, Downtown Seattle
[LINK]

sasquatch crowd last time around; photo by me [flickr].

Time to start planning your Memorial Day weekend. The lineup for Sasquatch, once again a three-day festival at the extremely scenic Gorge amphitheater, made an appearance today. Some rumors — Animal Collective, the Decemberists — are confirmed along with plenty of enticing smaller acts — both local and national — below the big names:

Music line-up includes Jane’s Addiction (feat. all four original members), Kings of Leon, Nine Inch Nails, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Erykah Badu, The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, TV On The Radio, Animal Collective, Silversun Pickups, Bon Iver, Santigold [sic], Of Montreal [sic], Explosions In The Sky, Devotchka, Peter Bjorn & John, Gogol Bordello, M. Ward, The Avett Brothers, Doves, Calexico, Grizzly Bear, M83, Girl Talk, The Gaslight Anthem, The Walkmen, Chromeo (dj set), Deadmau5, Mugison, Sun Kil Moon, Airborne Toxic Event, Blitzen Trapper, Shearwater, BLK JKS, The Wrens, Tobacco, Monotonix, King Khan & The Shrines, St. Vincent, Passion Pit, John Vanderslice, Bishop Allen, Blind Pilot, AA Bondy, Black Moth Super Rainbow, The Knux, Ra Ra Riot, The Dodos, Beach House, Arthur & Yu, The Submarines, Owl City, Viva Voce, James Pants, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, The Builders & The Butchers, The Dutchess & The Duke, Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head, Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele, Fences, School of Seven Bells, Death Vessel, Horse Feathers, Hockey, Point Juncture, WA, The Pica Beats, Loch Lomond, Vince Mira & more to come.

Comedy line up includes Zach Galifiankas, Demetri Martin, Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job, Todd Barry, Jon Benjamin, God’s Pottery, People’s Republic of Komedy & more.

I wonder where they’re going to put Girl Talk and/or Bon Iver? Word to the wise: if you’re sure your going and want to avoid the camping wasteland, start looking for alternate lodging now.

* 12:00 PM: Drinking at work (or on your lunch hour) is not a great idea, but oeniphiles can get their midday fix at Elliott Bay Cook Co., today. Robert Camuto will discuss, read, and sign Corkscrewed: Adventures in the New French Wine Country. (I love that title.) Oh, and you can pre-order a lunch box from Elliott Bay for $10. Click the link for details. You can also check out Camuto’s blog [BLOG LINK] to follow the progress of his book tour.
[LINK]

* 7:00 PM: Jamie Ford is still pimping his lovely debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet [BLOG LINK]; if you missed him last week at the Panama Hotel, the U-District UW Bookstore claims he’ll be back tonight, to read and sign. However, Ford’s blog says that he left for the Bay area last night. I’d call UW Bookstore and/or the Panama Hotel to confirm, before showing up. Seriously, I don’t believe it, I think the UW Bookstore website has gained sentience and is just making shit up, now. Still, it’s a great book, inspired by a local landmark, so I’ll take any excuse to promote it, even an imaginary signing, erroneously reported.
[LINK]

* 7:30 PM: Elliott Bay Book Co. hosts Debra Gwartney, a Eugene-based journalist, to discuss her book Live Through This: A Mother’s Memoir of Runaway Daughters and Reclaimed Love. I want to say something snarky about titles, subtitles, and how very long they both seem to be getting, but I can’t, because the subject makes me all verklempt. If you’ve ever “lost” a loved one to the street, Gwartney is talking to you, and for you. Give her a listen.
[LINK]

* 7:30 PM: Town Hall Seattle presents Walter Williams and Bryan Jones, co-authors of The Politics of Bad Ideas: The Great Tax Cut Delusion and the Decline of Good Government in America. See what I mean, about long titles? Out of control! Anyway, Williams and Jones will be giving a presentation entitled “Barack Obama and the Challenge of the Bush Legacy,” which might as well be subtitled How Bush Destroyed America, so Go Ahead and Build Your Bunker, Now, Before It’s Too Late. I’ll be reading the book in my bunker, with the soothing sound of Ice Cube’s War & Peace, Vol.I to set the mood. Produced in conjunction with the Town Hall Center for Civic Life and University Book Store. Downstairs, $5.
[LINK]