(in which we pluck the most entertaining features from local alt-weeklies)
This week’s The Stranger [which, is mysteriously still not online], Amy Jenniges gets a page and a third to speculate not only about a possible cocaine crackdown in Seattle’s music scene but also to spin through the rumor mills about who’s getting busted and why:

… others in the music scene speculated that one of the dealers potentially tipped off the police after a brewing turf war surfaced in the past few weeks …
the final theory was that someone in the music prevalence of cocaine, went to the police. But no one has been outed as the potential informant [the stranger, 26 august 2004]

If you read only one article from this week’s edition, this is your best bet — aside from the intimate portrait of the indie rock scene, there’s all of the thrilling cloak and dagger intrigue, counter intelligence, and hints of 80s coke resurgence.
The suspense is killing me! Let’s use this metblog for good and engage in some good natured outing of informants and tips about dealer turf wars. No theory too outlandish — prizes for best entries are possbile.

Today’s Starbucks Gossip weblog raises the question of how much someone should tip their Starbucks Barista. [stbksblg]
The hilarity of people’s extreme emotional response to tipping, corporate coffeee, and use of Italianesque sizie names ensues.
Luckily, the most useful comment is at the top [likely posted before the post was gawked.] — tips are pooled by the week and split among employees according to hours worked. This fact, though unsubstantiated, lets me feel better about my own irregular tipping at my office’s Starbucks.
Still, I admit to being one of those people who feels more compelled to tip generously at indie places. For instance, the giant glass vase full of dollar bills at Vivace is rather intimidating.

On the news last night, various tv reporters showed SEIU strike scenes where people were militantly marching around in an oval, waving their strike signs. Meanwhile, over at the Eastside hospital, the scene is a little more casual. Maybe it’s due to the fact that the union agreed not to strike here. So these aren’t strikers, per se. In fact, if you’re like me, and you’re not really reading the signs, you’re driving past them in the car thinking, “is this some sort of Vote The Huskies Into Office gimmick?”

Yes, finally, it’s happening. This letter was sent to the local community group about Trader Joe’s finally opening a week from Friday, on SEPTEMBER 3RD. Here’s the e-mail that went out on Tuesday or so:

Andrew Taylor, Chairman
Miller Park Neighborhood Association
Dear Mr. Taylor,
Trader Joe’s, the specialty neighborhood grocery store with foods and beverages from the basic to the exotic, is very pleased to be opening in Capitol Hill. We invite you to join  our crewmembers and customers in celebrating the grand opening at a ribbon cutting event on Friday, September 3rd.
WHO:  Trader Joe’s is looking forward to meeting our new neighbors! All new Capitol Hill customers and members of the business, political and media communities in the Capitol Hill neighborhood are invited to attend.
WHAT: The grand opening celebration will feature drawings for free groceries,
product demonstrations and food samples, giveaways balloons for the kids and lots of fun to welcome new customers in Trader Joe’s style.
WHEN: Friday, September 3rd, 2004. Ribbon Cutting begins at 8:45AM
Grand opening festivities will continue throughout the weekend.
WHERE: Trader Joe’s
1700 E. Madison, at the NEC of 17th
We hope you will be able to join us!
Best regards,
Pat St. John
V.P. Marketing

Whoohoo! Now I don’t have to leave the Hill to get my share of cheap Balance bars, tzatziki dressing, strawberry soy milk, cheap vitamins… etc. etc.
P.S. First post! =D

In an ongoing feature, Slate has been profiling “swing” states for the 2004 election. Today, our very own state goes under the microscope:

Political journalists look to these [swing] states for the same reason that Romans studied the flight patterns of birds: We believe they help us divine the future. By this traditional swing-state standard, Washington state fails miserably. In every close election since 1960, the Evergreen State has backed the loser. And it’s done so in a bipartisan manner. As one of the nine states to vote for President Dukakis, Washington has shown that it can get it wrong in not-close elections, too.[slate]

The rest of the article examines why Washington might be interesting thes year, highlights competive races, reveals the new movement toward finding warm/fuzzy conservative candidates, and calls Fremont a hip district. All in all, a nice primer to get you thinking about November.

Amid the numerous request for best places to take a tourist visitor and apartment advice, the Seattle community on LiveJournal occasionally turns up not only an interesting request, but people who seem to have an answer for seemingly impossible questions. Today is no exception:

Does anyone know of a service or a person who rent out goats for a few days? We’ve got a really bad himalayan blackberry and english ivy situation in our backyard and a goat or two would be the perfect way to take care of them in no time at all[lj]

Remarkably, instead of laughing, people respond with potentially helpful solutions!
Maybe people were especially sympathetic, given that the LiveJournal mascot is Frank the Goat [lj].

is there something wrong with me? I’m pretty happy to be living in Seattle, even though it’s overpriced [forbes], difficult to navigate [p-i], and currently raining [uw].

Another good reason to spend a day or two (or four!) at Seattle Center during Bumbershoot: the return of the semi-annual poster convention called Flatstock to the Center House.
In its fifth installation, Flatstock is an ongoing series of exhibitions featuring the work of many of the most popular concert poster artists working today. For people who love the advertisments for shows as much as the bands, it’s a fantastic opportunity to see a cross section of work from across the country. On top of that, you’ll get a chance to meet the artists, pick up some free buttons, and even buy some of the art. My own walls are decorated with a number of great prints that I bought last year.
This year, I’ll either need to find more wallspace or rotating some of my current collection to make room for new finds.
—
side note: to get discounted tickets to Bumbershoot, buy before August 27!

Here’s something to keep in mind if you’re planning to shuttle between Bellevue and the football game, or Hempfest, or whatever else is on your weekend agenda. There’s a half-mile stretch of northbound I-405 between Main and NE 4th (in Bellevue) that is shut down this weekend until Monday morning. They’ll be detouring traffic around by using the northbound collector-distributor lane. Won’t that be fun?

On Saturday afternoon, the Capitol Hill Sonic Boom Records will host a listening party for the brand new Future Soundtrack for America [barsuk], a mix CD made by a bunch of great bands to raise money for progressive political causes.
The good people from Music for America will be on hand with snacks and schwag to register voters. Listen to the album, buy a copy, and get fired up for the election this Saturday from 2-4 pm!
See also: The Future Dictionary of America [McSweeney’s], a companion volume featuring entries from hundreds of fantastic writers.