Swimming Beach Bacteria Levels and Water Temperature [kingcounty]

My friends have been flocking to the beaches to beat the heat. I’ve been envious of their nighttime frolicking, but am too terrified of flesh-eating bacteria and toxic water to make the trek to meet them, let alone set foot in the toxic muck.

To counter my fears, a friend directed me this map and informed me that — counterintuitively — the water at Green Lake is cleaner than that in Lake Washington. I’m not sure that I can get over my lakey superstitions, but maybe this evidence will help you jump in.

For the colder, and somehow less scary, salt water beaches, you can check the Washington State Department of Health; here’s King County, looking “good” [doh].

12:00 PM – Lisa Gardner & Karin Slaughter: Book Signing
Seattle Mystery Bookshop
Gardner will sign The Neighbor; Slaughter is signing Undone, the merger of two series.
[LINK]

1:00 PM – Pacific Northwest Writers Association: PNWA Conference
Seattle Airport Hilton & Conference Center
The 54th Annual Summer Conference features Terry Brooks as Keynote speaker.
[LINK]

7:00 PM – Brandon Scott Gorrell & Matthew Simmons: Cookie stuffing party!
Pilot Books
The local authors will stuff fortune cookies to promote their books. Stop by to say hi, and to check out Seattle’s newest indy bookstore, which is made of AWESOME with AWESOME SAUCE. Ahem.
[LINK]

7:30 PM – Christopher Beha & James Fuerst: Reading
Elliott Bay Book Co.
Beha writes about reading the entire Harvard Classics series, while Fuerst shares his debut novel, Huge. EBBC seems to think that the Harvard Classics series had become obscure until Beha wrote about it, a notion that makes the top of my head pop off like an annoyed champagne cork.
[LINK]

7:30 PM – Thom Hartmann: Threshold: The Crisis of Western Culture
Town Hall Seattle
Hartmann envisions a more just, equitable world, modelled on Scandanavian social democracies, but has trouble wrapping up his argument. Maybe he’ll do better in person, than on the page.
[LINK]

photo by g stonebraker [flickr] via our group pool [#].

• the OMFG it’s Hot Picture Meme is in full swing [lj.seattle]
• In addition, the heat is inspiring people to do stuff like taking off their clothes [slog], swimming in the sound [myballard], putting a pool on wheels [citizenrain], jumping in fountains [queenanneview], taking dangerous dives [madisonpark].
• Subsonic is not pleased with Spin‘s take (via Alex Crick’s super photos [#]) on the Seattle music scene. [seattlesubsonic]
• Bumbershoot announced their Music Lounge series, an intimate series of performances embedded within the festival and always a regular highlight. Reservations for Hey Marseilles, Telekinesis, Gang Gang Dance, Os Mutantes, Elvis Perkins in Dearland (Sat); Common Market, Sera Cahoone, Vivian Girls, Holy Fuck, Raphael Saadiq (Sun); and Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, The Cave Singers, Akron/Family, Vieux Farka Touré, Metric (Mon) are free and first-come, first-served starting 11 August. [bumbershoot]
• Get ready, the 3rd Annual Doughnut Eating Contest strikes on Saturday. Barsuk, Hardly Art, Sub Pop, Suicide Squeeze, and Light In The Attic will send their finest eaters to team up with a randomly-selected teammate to claim the title from  Billy the Fridge. [subpop]

photo by danny ngan [flickr] via our group pool [#]

Since only 30% of the buses in its fleet are air conditioned, Metro brings you this sure-fire tip should you find yourself on an “especially uncomfortable” trip that will likely be “hot, especially when they are crowded”:

Remove jackets and sweaters you wear in air conditioned buildings before you board the bus. [#]

The county has another page of sensible strategies for not dying out there; some (visit a movie theater) more fun than others (avoid alcohol). [kingcounty]

According to Ye Olde Thermometer at the Seattle Times, we have ourselves a tied temperature record today:

photo via the seattle times

Oh, and stay sane out there. Remember, obsessing and complaining doesn’t necessarily make it any better [twitter/seascorcher]

Microsoft has been trying for quite a long time to get its hands on a deal with web search and content giant Yahoo! and now at long last they’ve achieved their goal.

Yahoo! and Microsoft jointly announced today that they have signed an agreement to work together. Microsoft will power Yahoo! searching and Yahoo! will become the exclusive international advertising sales force for both companies. Yahoo! will continue doing what it does best, enhanced now by having Microsoft’s resources behind it. Per Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz, advertisers will appreciate the benefits of working with a single platform and sales group. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says that the deal benefits Microsoft by helping to attract more users and advertisers, leading to more relevant ads and search results.

Both companies hope that joining forces will allow them to knock out a larger portion of the market; currently Microsoft and Yahoo! combined handle less than 30 percent of web searches in the US and 11 percent globally. The 500 pound gorilla of the industry, Google, handles 65 percent of US searches and 67 percent everywhere else.

12:00 PM – Eric Stone: Shanghaied
Seattle Mystery Bookshop
Ray Sharp #4
[LINK]

1:00 PM – Make A Book! Workshop
SPL Chinese Information & Service Center
Instructors from the Seattle Center for Book Arts show you how handmade books can add a creative twist to traditional soft-cover and hard-cover books. All bookmaking materials and supplies provided. For ages 12 and up.
[LINK]

3:30 PM – Zinery 101 Workshop
SPL Capitol Hill Branch
A zine is a self-published magazine. Learn the basics and make your own zine with Lucy Morehouse of Ong Ong Press. For ages 12-adult. Limited to 20 people. Please pre-register with the branch.
[LINK]

7:00 PM – Clyde W. Ford: Whiskey Gulf
UW Bookstore U District
The author will sign Charlie Noble book #3.
[LINK]

7:00 PM – David B. Williams: Stories in Stone: Travels Through Urban Geology
Burk Museum
“When most of us pass through the Concourse A food court at Sea-Tac Airport, we’re likely to notice coffee cups, bagel crumbs, and frenzied fliers trying to retie their shoes outside the security checkpoint. Seattle freelance writer David B. Williams sees beyond all that: He sees Jurassic-era fossils in the concourse’s limestone walls. In fact, Williams says every stone structure has a geological story that goes back to Earth’s creation.” — Town Hall Seattle
[LINK]

7:30 PM – Adam Schell: Tomato Rhapsody: A Fable of Lust, Love and Forbidden Fruit
Elliott Bay Book Co.
A charming and original debut. Not perfect, but delightful, nonetheless.
[LINK]

sun setting on built to spill, photo by josh

I don’t know if you heard, but there was a Block Party in Capitol Hill last weekend? And the internet alternated between talking about it a lot and declaring loudly its intentions of being entirely elsewhere?

(more…)

photo by jeanine anderson [flickr] via our group pool [#]

• It’s the season of local elections and dozens of people are vying for the right to represent you, wonderful you, on the city council. If you have no idea who they are (or are still flummoxed by why there are different positions, instead of districts or some kind of system by which seats are allocated to the top vote-getters), yet feel that learning about them in a zany air-conditioned setting will make you a better citizen then tonight’s event at the Showbox is for you. The Washington Bus, givers of sweet sweet refreshing fruitsicles at the block party, team up with the Stranger to host “Candidate Survivor”, the contenders will show off their skills, strengths, and other special talents while you use the power of text messaging to boot them from the stage. $free, doors at 6. [showboxonline]
• If you’re riled up by all of the heat, the bloodsport of the gladiatorial city council event, or anything else, then close out your evening at Cal Anderson Park, where the usual tuesday night hipster gym class will be enhanced by the music and visuals from DJ Dodge. Grab a ball, dance, or just watch the spectacle while staying still and keeping your body temperature as close to cool as possible. [chs]