7:00 PM – Dr. Stephen Wangen: Healthier Without Wheat: A New Understanding of Wheat Allergies, Celiac Disease, and Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance
UW Bookstore, U-District
Are you plagued by sinusitis, migraines, unexplained inner ear itching, pain in your joints, IBS, abrupt weight gain for no apparent reason? You may have a wheat or gluten intolerance or allergy. It’s not all about celiac disease, you know. Dr. Wangen is based here in Seattle, and is one of the few doctors that not only specializes in this topic, but suffers from it, as well.
[LINK]

7:30 PM – Peter Eichstaedt: First Kill Your Family: Child Soldiers of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army
Elliott Bay Book Co.
Journalist Eichstaedt writes about the underreported civil war that has been decimating northern Uganda for 20 years.
[LINK]

Visqueen photo by josh [flickr]; more pics in the photoset [#].

I was a little surprised to see that Visqueen was opening Friday night’s extravaganza, I suppose because I always expect them to be headlining the universe. But they kicked off the night nicely, with an adorable new bass player, a promise of a new album coming out soon, jokes about MSHVB selling soap, and an always-too-short set. The all-ages crowd, full of neon teens and primed for a dance party, shouted happily in answer to Rachel Flotard’s announcement that they would be giving out hugs for free (with purchase) after the set in lieu of CDs.

say hi, mshvb, and pictures after the jump

Last night, Seattle’s Bell Harbor Center played host to COCHON 555, a magical showcase of artisan wine, cheese, and porcine prowess.  Five local chefs were each supplied with one of five 70-100lb heritage breed pigs last week, and challenged to bring their meatiest representations to COCHON 555 for 200 guests and a handful of judges.  Using the entire pig was not only encouraged, it was demanded, and with good reason.  The amount of organ meat and gelatinized, stewed, and reduced pork parts marked the highlight of the evening for the majority of attendees.  After all, these people didn’t shell out $125 apiece to explore the multi-faceted world of BLT’s and pork rinds, even if the main benefactor of the evening was the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance.

Over the course of the event, I took multiple laps around the conference center, and along with it multiple helpings of the offerings from some local culinary giants (Matt Dillon of The Corson Building; John Sundstrom of Lark; Jason Wilson of Crush; Tamara Murphy of Brasa; Anthony Hubbard of Chow Foods).  In the end I sampled such wonderment as heart and liver skewers, chilled pork belly consommé with brain mousse, and more head cheese and pate than you could shake a hoof at.  It wasn’t all dishes that borrowed from some Fear Factor-esque menu mind you; the chefs didn’t fail when it came time to highlight the complex flavors of their respective heirloom pigs.  One dish that stands out in particular was Chef Jason Wilson’s roasted pork saddle, which had spent no less than 18 hours slow cooking its way into melt-in-your-mouth goodness.

Dessert wasn’t off the table by any stretch of the imagination either.  From bacon-chip cookies with whipped lard icing, to bacon macaroons, sweet bacon caramel popcorn, and creamy pig’s blood ganache, I hadn’t realized it was possible to engage in such a sinister coupling of both bacon and dessert without being the least bit ashamed about it.

In the end, there could be only one winner, and the honor (swanky pig-topped trophy included) went to Anthony Hubbard of Chow Foods.  Between his Sea Breeze Farm milk-braised pork leg with Gorgonzola mousse and — my personal favorite of the evening — candied bacon ice cream served on a crispy bacon cone, he easily won the crowds 50% share of the vote.  Although the judges were privy to a slightly more select menu (some of the tastier bits like ears and snout just weren’t in ample enough supply to feed 200), I did manage a peek at the announcers score sheet and see that Anthony won them over handily as well.

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Pictured above: Anthony Hubbard and his “Your brain says no but your mouth says dear God yes” candied bacon ice cream.  Abridged photo set of the evening can be found HERE.

Dyno Jamz, at the Sound Off finals. More in the photoset. [flickr].

EMP’s eighth annual battle of the underage bands concluded on Saturday night to a sold-out crowd (long lines of hopefuls waited outside for space to become available) in Sky Church. When all was said and done, Seattle’s own Dyno Jamz took the title. A sprawling soul-inspired combo, with winning lyricism (at one point rhyming “grandma’s house” with “I-5 South”), a rich back up section straight out of jazz band, and no shortage of charisma or confidence, it’s no surprise that they were the ones to break the long dry spell for hip-hop and claim the championship.

Overall, though, a case could have been made for any of the other finalists: Hip-hop wordsmiths SOL, wild-card quirky twee pop storytellers Dearboy, or two piece rockers Makeup Monsters (whose minimalist, off-kilter, songs and exceptional vocals played closest to my own sensibilities and made them my clear favorite). All were impressive, and not in a qualified “good for being an underage band” way. I suspect that any of them could easily be dropped into just about any lineup around town and more than hold their own against more established acts. Most of them already seemed to have tables full of merch, albums out or on-the-way, and devoted fan bases.

The fantastic prizes [emp] and guaranteed Bumbershoot slot (for Dyno Jamz) are sure to help, but I’d guess that all of these groups have bright futures. Congrats to all of them and to the EMP for showcasing the deep pool of young talent from all around the region

More pics online [flickr] and after the jump.

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In order to gather and provide a better representation of Metro’s routes during adverse weather, Metro has teamed up with KCNews to use Twitter and blogging in an attempt to let passengers know if/when their bus is running, and to find out from passengers what is really going on out there. All I have to say is: it’s about freaking time.

Twitter KCNews
KCNews blog

10:00 AM – Team Read: Read Around the Clock Read-A-Thon
SPL, Central Branch, Level 1, Faye G. Allen Children’s Center
Teenage volunteers will read to children from 10 AM – 6 PM. Yeah. That just doesn’t sound safe, to me. Noble, yes; safe, no. Dude, teenagers.
[LINK]

11:30 AM – Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Davis, Will Elder, Al Jaffee, & Arnold Roth: Humbug
Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
Fantagraphics has collected original art and artifacts from Harvey Kurtzman’s 1957 satirical magazine in a two-volume slipcase edition. Book launch and gallery exhibit preview.
[LINK]

2:00 PM – Susan Hildreth, City Librarian
SPL, Central Branch, Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium
Meet your new City Librarian! Mayor Nickels, Councilman Licata, Library Board President Eric Liu, SPL Foundation Board President Susan Adkins, Friends of the SPL President Linda Ruiz, and Hildreth will speak. Fortunately, there will also be refreshments.
[LINK]

4:30 PM – Randy Shaw: Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW, and the Struggle for Justice in the 21st Century
Elliott Bay Book Co.
Shaw argues that the success of the UFW’s grassroots organization created the model for current activists. He’s probably right.
[LINK]

7:30 PM – Brian Evenson: Last Days
Elliott Bay Book Co.
Something of a cult figure, the former Seattle-ite and graduate of the UWs MFA program is in town promoting a new edition of his novel. [CORRECTION: This is a new novel, not a new edition of a previous work. Sorry for the brain-fart.]
[LINK]

[Photo by Axle Adams]

The Rat City Rollergirls are gearing up for bout 2 in Key arena tomorrow, are any of you going?. Bout 1 was apparently more popular than anyone could have expected and the Rollergirls enjoyed a record number of fans. This of course came at a cost, specifically long lines. However, they promise to have more staff in place to handle the large crowds for the bout tomorrow night (Saturday!).

The Rat City Rollergirls would like you to know the following information as well:

The Rat City Rollergirls were absolutely thrilled at the turn out for
Season 5 Bout 1, and we thank you for supporting our transition from
Magnuson Park to our new Seattle Center home. A major factor for this
move was to make room for new fans, we did –estimated attendance was
more than 4,000 (as opposed to sold-out crowds of 1,200 at Hangar 30).

Why were the box office and concession lines so long?
Attendance exceeded the expectations of KeyArena staff, and we
understand many fans encountered long lines and a long wait at the box
office, concessions, and season ticket holder VIP lounge. We apologize
for any inconvenience, and assure you that these operational issues
are being resolved. At Bout 2 on March 7 and for the rest of the
Season 5 bouts, KeyArena will be fully prepared (with beer flowing) to
accommodate all of our fantastic fans.

Why were ticket prices higher than I’d seen advertised?
As in seasons past, day-of tickets for bouts are higher than tickets
purchased in advance. For the best possible deal, the Rat City
Rollergirls highly recommend purchasing tickets at the KeyArena box
office before the day of the bout (open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6
p.m.). In addition to the KeyArena box office, tickets are also
available through Ticketmaster’s Web site and retail locations.

What are ticket prices?
Before the day of the bout
Children (12 & under): $13 at KeyArena box office (fees included)
Adults: $20 at KeyArena box office (fees included)
$20 at Ticketmaster retail locations*
$20 online through Ticketmaster*

Day of the bout
Children (12 & under): $17 at KeyArena box office (fees included)
Adults: $28 at KeyArena box office (fees included)

* Additional Ticketmaster charges will apply. Ticketmaster fees are
variable and subject to change.

Where is the KeyArena box office and what are the hours?
KeyArena box office, 312 1st Ave N., Seattle 98109
Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
(206) 684-7200

Where can I buy tickets online?

http://www.ticketmaster.com/Rat-City-Rollergirls-tickets/artist/1280819

When is the next bout?
The Rat City Rollergirls look forward to seeing you on Saturday, March
7. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., and the first game of the night begins at
5:30 p.m.

Thank you again, Seattle, for supporting the Rat City Rollergirls.

Recent economic upheaval has resulted in job cuts, tightened purse-strings, clearance sales and a national non-farm unemployment rate of about 8.1 percent (the highest its been in 25 years. yikes). Recently laid-off Master’s degree holders from large companies like Microsoft and Boeing are having trouble finding work despite their experience and academic backgrounds. Now imagine what it would be like to be an immigrant or refugee in our dismal economic environment. The Bureau of Labor of statistics reported that unemployment rates in February read 8.1 percent for adult males, 6.7 percent for adult females, 7.3 percent for whites, 13.4 percent among blacks, and 10.9 percent among Hispanics. Additionally, events like last week’s fire in Rainier Beach highlight the necessity for the King county (the 2nd largest county in the nation of resettled immigrants and refuggees) to find more ways to serve the underserved.

March 13th & 14th, state officials, community leaders, advocates, academics, policy makers and service providers serving the immigrant and refugge population in the state of Washington will get together at the University of Washington for the annual Washington State Immigrant and Refugee Conference. The Conference will provide a series of workshops and lecture topics given by experts in the field to promote awareness of emerging immigrant and refugee issues. Participating organizations include the Somali Community Services Coaltion, UW school of Law, World Relief, International Rescue Committee, and many more. For more information on how to get involved, visit the conference website.

Introduced to and passed by the state senate yesterday was this funny little resolution that honors the contribution the two founders have made to the state, gamers, and children (through their Child’s Play organization). Penny Arcade organizes two significant events each year: PAX (Penny Arcade expo) and Child’s Play Charity Benefit Dinner/Auction. The Resolution is reprinted below:

SENATE RESOLUTION
8640
By Senators Jarrett, McAuliffe, and Fraser
WHEREAS, The greater Seattle area is home to over 45 video game companies, making the
video game industry in Washington one of the largest in the nation; and
WHEREAS, Jerry Holkins, a comic writer, and Mike Krahulik, a cartoonist and artist, both
originally from Spokane, Washington, collaborated to create an online comic about video games
called Penny Arcade in the fall of 1998; and (more…)