A few weeks ago, a pair of pitbulls got loose near my house in the Central district. They attacked and seriously injured three people, including a senior citizen, and a 6 year-old child. The child in particular was very badly hurt.

But for some reason neither the Seattle Police nor Animal Control seem to be taking any appropriate action. As a blockwatch captain, I’ve dealt with Seattle Animal Control in the past, and I can’t remember any situation where they took action on a complaint (or even gave polite phone service for that matter). These same dogs attempted to attack my neighbor last spring, and I know for a fact that there was never any follow up on the complaint. I’ve heard the same story on my neighborhood mailing list and from other blockwatch groups in the area.

I’ve dealt with many good and helpful people working for the City of Seattle and Seattle PD. I have nothing but respect for those people who do their best to serve their city. But I can’t say the same for Animal Control. People in this neighborhood have been calling City Councilors, journalists, and the Mayor’s Office to try and get some satisfaction, so I thought I’d do my bit to publicize the problem.

Has anyone had a positive experience with Animal Control? Does anyone have some advice for dealing with dangerous animals in the neighborhood?

These Seattlites don’t know anything about weather. I grew up in Northern Canada, and let me tell you, we had weather. Here a few snowflakes fall on Capitol Hill, and they close the city down. I lived through the Washington DC Blizzard of ’98 and we commuted 40 miles through three foot drifts – and that was on the highway. And another thing, drivers – snow means you drive slower, not faster. Just because you have an SUV does not make you immune to the laws of physics. If you drive too fast in slippery conditions you WILL scratch the paint on your previous Sequoia.

Rant completed. Thank you for your time.

What was your first Thanksgiving in Seattle like?

By the way, if you’re meeting someone at Ladro, never say “meet me at the Ladro on Queen Anne”. There are two such shops, as I discovered one day four years ago. I was waiting at the Cafe Ladro on Queen Anne Ave at the bottom of the hill. The group I was meeting was 10 odd blocks away on Queen Anne Ave at the top of the hill.

This reminds me, The Seattle Stranger published an interesting article about Ladro and their history of warfare with Starbucks Coffee in 2002. It’s quite an interesting read.

Over the years, I’ve actually grown to accept and even welcome the presence of Starbucks in our fair city. Here are a few reasons why:

Now when you mention your favorite blues/jazz/country/roots/world musician, the people in your office actually have a vague idea who that is.

Starbucks’ decision to charge for wi-fi gives independent coffee shops yet another way to differentiate themselves.

Almost the only place in town you can get that queen of all pastry, the chocolate croissant.

A whole generation of poets, musicians, and artists working day jobs at Starbucks gain additional art-producing angst at their corporate job.

Before Starbucks most people thought “shade grown” referred to some form of contraband.

Every six months in a vague effort to recreate itself, thoroughly explores some new permutation of what coffee shops were not meant to be.

And the number one reason to love Starbucks:

When you’re and addict, it’s any port in a storm, baby.

Favorite Starbucks moment: getting Starbucks cards through the reward program for a local business reveiw website where I panned several Starbucks locations.

Today on KUOW Weekday, their Canada correspondent reported on Vancouver’s plans to expand their elevated rail to include service to the airport. During the report, he hinted that perhaps Vancouver’s success in creating their elevated transit system is due to the fact that there’s never been a public vote on it. He seemed to be saying that city officials need to drive this kind of project in order for it to succeed. Is it possible he’s right? Is the failure of the monorail evidence that our system of public initiatives is flawed? Or are our elected officials to blame. Maybe it’s someone else’s fault. What do you think?

There’s a silent cadre of folks “in the know”, initiates in a secret pleasure. No one can tell who they are by looking at them, but it only takes a few words for them to find one another in a crowd. At least, that’s how it seems to the beginner. They’re players of the ancient Chinese game of go.

I was introduced to this game by a friend a month ago, and since then I seem to be running into Seattlites who are players all over the place. The game is simpler than chess, but boasts many millions more possible combinations of moves. No one has every made a computer program that can beat a skilled amateur, despite large cash prizes. Nevertheless, it is quite easy to learn.

Seattle has a healthy go community. The Seattle Go Center has regular events. Wednesday is Go night at Uwajimaya. There are also many players (like me), who love to sit in a quiet cafe and spend an hour ro so playing.

What’s the best cafe in town to sit and soak up the wireless Internet?

My personal favorites are Perkatory on 13th and Union and the Madrona Verite. I haven’t found a wireless coffeeshop downtown that I like. Can anyone recommend one? Where do you go to surf, work, and play?

Apparently Victrola on Capitol Hill turns off their wireless on the weekends because they felt wireless surfing was killing the coffeeshop scene. Do they have a point?