But I want to echo Fnarf's New Year's greetings and state that I think Slog is a great blog. Hey, I got to meet ECB in person thanks to Slog. Don't think I'll meet Andrew Sullivan that way...

Throw a 'Steven' in front of my tag and you've got my name. I do keep a blog but I'm not nearly the hardass in my blog on a day to day basis as I am in these parts :P

Happy New Year!

I used to be Monkey, until some other Monkey showed up (I'm looking at you, 14), and made away with my moniker. I chose Monkey because some of friends call me that (fondly, I am led to believe), being a slightly off-beat derivation of Michael.

However, I'm still quite curious who won the concert tickets on election night and if we can see the winning photo of the winner in their underwear? Please? I've been curious about this for well over a month now.

I agree with Fnarf. Giving me Slogging privileges would be dangerous, both to Slog and to me. I obviously spend too much time hanging out here already.

Oh, and I'm not giving up my real name. I like hiding behind my anonymity.

Flaming Banjo, John Galt, Erostratus, Brendan Kiley & Sean Nelson, Emeritus can back me up on that.

on the subject of hospitals, was anyone other than me born at Seattle General Hospital? Does anyone else even know where it was?

I had no clue until I googled it. According to this document, Seattle General Hospital was located at 5th & Marion between 1900 and 1971. In April 1971, after a merger, Seattle General took over the building at University & Summit formerly occupied by something called Maynard Hospital. Another merger, this time with Swedish Hospital Medical Center, was completed in May 1978. After construction of new facilities on the Swedish campus, the SGH building was closed in June 1980.

favorite slog post o the year: Where are you now? (not sure of the date posted) Realizing how far a wide the slog reaches and that I'm not the only non-seattle-ite reading everyday was cool.

Happy 2007 everyone.

ps can we stop sucking Fnarf's dick now?

Life is interesting, and that's why I read the Slog. ;-)

I loved reading The Stranger while I lived there. I'll never forget the first issue I picked up, just about a week or two after moving in: it was 1997's Queer issue and the cover art was of two Disneyesque bunnies (think Thumper), one of which was licking the other's face. Denver's Westword has never and would never do a cover like that, so I knew I had found something different.

I miss Seattle and the Stranger, but not the "Seattle Way" of handling major public projects, so when I read the current status of the Alaskan Way viaduct, 520 bridge, or the poor Monorail I'm glad not to be part of that. I'm also glad I missed out on all the rain and flooding you've gotten, along with the bus tunnel closure and the Fremont Bridge rebuild (I lived very close to it, on the Queen Anne side). But we're coming for a visit in March - hopefully the cherry and plum trees will be in full bloom.

Anyway, Happy New Year! Love, Matt

Right now I work at UW in SLU as a scientist. If anyone would like to see beating human heart cells made from embryonic stem cells, I can probably make that happen. ;p

Coming clean, it's probably a good idea to let everyone know just how big of a dork I am.

Despite making a fool of myself occasionally, it's been a pleasure to both read and respond to all of your posts.

A happy and healthy new year to you all.

But otherwise I'm completely transparent.

I just wanted to say that Slog was certainly one of the best blogs of the year, period.

I certainly come off as a prick in all these threads, but if I didn't care about giving feedback, I wouldn't read it nor post here. I don't intend to troll, and don't care to change up my posting name all the time -- which I do find annoying. I never intend to hurt anyone, but I don't intend -- in the immortal words of Son Of Bazerk Featuring Self Control And The Band -- to "Change The Style". Posting as the fuzzy puppet thorn on the side is just my thing. I do this out of love and nothing more. Strange, I know.

The Stranger is a unique paper in the country. Hell, the world. If I ever seem bitchy, it's only my attempt -- effective or not -- to give feedback to the folks who post here, and nothing more. I think it's great that the Stranger writers open themselves up for battery like this on a daily basis. Very few papers do this. This is one of the main reasons I think Slog is great -- and now think greater of the Stranger people for it.

For all the non-Seattle folks: just keep in mind that The Stranger rightly points out many shortcomings about the city. But I hope this isn't your only impression of the city. I don't think The Stranger is trying to convey that Seattle is the worst, most fumbling city in the world, even if this seems to be their Modus Operandi -- and I stress "seems".

I'm guessing if any of you had a chance to have a beer with the Stranger staff, if you haven't already, you'd be sharing beer with fun people. The long hours in the office, and the little time outside the office spent comparing everything outside it to Seattle must be exhausting. So yet another toast to the Stranger for being willing to endure that demoralizing mindset, because no one else in the city will sacrifice their brain on a daily basis for that.

And yes, I know I tend to ramble.

My name is Mel!ssa, I too was born at Swedish, my handle is a reference to the Prince song "Violet The Organ Grinder", and being a student seems to leave me with a lot of time to hang out on the internet.

As far as I'm concerned, the Stranger is Seattle's only newspaper, and the Slog is a great companion to it. Keep up the good work.

My handle is my first name and I have lived in Seattle much of my life, with a few years living abroad that I loved. I live in the city, and could never live in the suburbs (I'm looking at you Bellevue). After reading about my fellow commentaters, I wonder if I am the youngest in this thread, as I am 25. Anyone?

My name is Levi. I play music and I also work at the UW, which allows me ample time to type things to people I've never met.

So, from my official bio (which you will next be able to read in meat-space at Theater Schmeater, starting January 23rd:

CHRISTOPHER COMTE

"Chris is a Pacific Northwest native (born in Tillamook, OR), and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from Central Washington University, and a Master of Arts in Theatre from Western Washington University. Since moving to Seattle in 1985, he has performed and/or directed at companies across the region, including The 5th Avenue Theatre, Village Theatre, The Bathhouse Theatre, Pioneer Square Theatre, ArtsWest, Annex Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Theater Schmeater, Spokane Interplayers, Wooden O Productions, and Theatre Babylon among many others. Currently, he is the Membership Director for the Seattle local of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and is also Chair of the Seattle Liaison Committee for Actors’ Equity Association. In addition, he is Site Coordinator for the Kevin Hadley Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program for Performing Artists, Company Communications Coordinator for Annex Theatre, reviews local theatre productions for the national website AisleSay.com, and is a member of Theatre Communications Group and a founding member of Theatre Puget Sound."

Not that I should talk since I'm -7 years old.

The real reason I'm writing, however, is to resolve a curiosity:

SDA in SEA, does that refer to Seventh Day Adventist or just some sort of initials?

Sorry, I used to work with a bunch of Adventists and had to ask...

Just a thought: In some parts of the world, it would be considered the height of provincialism to announce (with pride) that you still live three blocks from the hospital where you were born.

Full name: Mike Morales. Born in El Paso, TX, raised in The Lou from the age of 8 on.

I'm the only liberal in a family of Conservative Catholic (how much fun is that?). They think I'm nuts.

Now I'm 33, married and work for a gigantic global corporation that drains the life out of my soul but pays the bills.

I discovered the Slog by being a fan of Savage Love. I still love Dan, and am glad to have discovered all the other great writers. Hopefully one day I'll visit Seattle and maybe run into some of you maniacs and have a beer with you...

Viva el Slog!

I'm married to middle school math & science teacher who is a Seattle native, we live in West Seattle, ride the bus everywhere, and I think the best thing that Seattle has to offer is The Stranger's politcal & social viewpoint.

My favorite product of the Slog comments is Fnarf's tourism slogan "Fuckin'A, It's Washington State!"

Thanks for a great year on Slog!

If you get out into the real provinces, esp. in western Europe (IME at least), you'll find plenty of folks who, while they may have jaunted the globe just as much as any champaigne-guzzling, yoni-exposing celeb, still prefer to reside in the small towns and villages where they grew up.

In this day-and-age, where one lives has far less bearing on ones larger Weltanschauung than does ones ability to be open to new experiences, and to new and differing points-of-view.

Provincialism is an attitude, not a state-of-being.

Happy new year, Stranger!

---Jensen

I wish I had been born in the midwest or something so I could feel better about planting my ass here, but alas, the more I travel, the more I realize that I was born where I belong.

My name is Micheál Keane. I grew up in Shoreline before it was a city. It's only the past few years that I've actually lived in Seattle city limits itself.

I work in Democratic politics and just got back from Rhode Island where I helped get Sheldon Whitehouse elected. (Go me!)

We should have some kind of Slog get-together. Drinks at some place next weekend?

Glad to hear you're back in town.

am...

Paul Schell

Boy do I feel better now.

Drinks = I'm in.

The Stranger should host and we can make it a fundraiser for the campaign to ban leaf blowers, or to save the squirles! I can just imgine everyone wearng name stickers with their alias.

If nothing else, I probably checked your coat at the Cuff at one point - even if you've never been there.

I'm always available at danlangdon.com, which should tell you what an egotisical jerk I am.

I've got the starship enterprise tattooed on my butt.

If you care, I'm Chris. I'm married and live in Port Angeles. I have two cats. I'm a government lawyer, which is why I have time to surf the slog all day, everyday. "I'm bureaucrat born, bureaucrat bred, and when I'm gone I'll be bureaucrat dead."

I'm down for drinks!

All you you 22 and 23 year olds make me feel like a creeky old codger!

Gloria is my real name so ... my Chinese name is Chei Yin, as in my Chinese parents named me that, not someone who made one up for herself.

Wedneday would be more slog-enriched, but Friday could be fun.

I'm not the smartest kid my mom had, but not the dumbest either.

My parents till death did they part. So, we all used to eat dinner together at the table every night. One of the things I love about Slog is that it reminds me of the tornado of rambunctious conversation we had over 'suppa', and either you spoke or didn't, one-upped or fumble-mouthed, forked into camps on a topic or built some understanding and consensus.

My handle is what I wish my name really was. Jesus, that would be awesome.

It's a pleasure to speak coherently or not-so-much with you bunch of friggin dickwipes. I wish Seattleites would have more flow, courtesy and knew how to hurry the fuck up a little more, and I especially wish you a confident-in-yourself, be-yourself 2007.

Ugh! Just the thought of that makes me want to scrub my eyeballs with a brillow pad. NO! SDA does not stand for Seventh Day Adventist. It's my initials, backwards. And SEA is just shorthand for Seattle. See, I'm really very boring and unoriginal. I think Fnarf sounds way cooler, and Catalina Vel-Duray is much more clever (and much more gay).

So now that you've got me sharing... I'm 45. Homo. Partnered (but not married, of course) for a long time. I was born in another country, but my family immigrated to the US when I was a kid, and I grew up mostly in the midwest (I can state with authority that Fargo looks just like it did in the movie). I moved to Seattle about 20 years ago. My parents tried to raise me as an Episcopalian, but it didn't take; I'm quietly but firmly atheist. I did a couple of tours in the Navy. I'm now self employed, which obviously gives me way too much time to slog.

(wishing I had come up with something more clever than Mike in MO)

Fnarf, your heart may still be small and less than brittle, however be reminded that by his choice, Lloyd Clydesdale is, and will continue to be, Lloyd Clydesdale absent any other identifier...such as "dickwipe"....which apparently, is reserved for the rest of us.

And fer Chrissakes, Fnarf, if you are going to suggest a place to drink, do suggest one which makes a proper
Margarita....not the slushy-
Las Vegas-in-a-cup crap that is oh-so-pedestrian in these parts.

Thank you.

---Jensen

Me, I'm just another dickwipe who needs a proper haircut.

Fnarf, I'll have you know that had I smaller feet and no ass, I'd likely be Jamaal Djbouti instead. Chin up, and may a glass of sparkling rose be your cardiac balm.

I'd party on behalf of team Slog if I could take on the role of going shot for shot with Kimberly or Shoshana. If I can hit my head off the corner of the TV getting into bed after being on the losing end of shots, I know what it would take to succeed, Sloggers.

Actually Lloyd. my parents got exceptionally hammered one evening after or before I was born...it was long enough ago that smoking and an occasional drinky or two was acceptable during a pregnancy...and they thought it would be rather amusing to name me after a model of an automobile. Frankly, I would have much rather prefered "Jensen
DeSoto", "Jensen Ford" or even "Jensen Ferarri", however no such luck.....

I will admit it has been an interesting ride.

---Jensen

I honestly don't remember when I thought that name up. I know I was a really little kid (how could my parent's not have known?) and it probably had something to do with Catalina salad dressing, which I despise.

Those of you with ties to Bailey-Coy books (you know who you are) might remember that my friend Marianne named a cat after Catalina (the cat has since gone to her final reward). Catalina is also nominally the matriarch of a drag family that has has no drag queens. (We just wanted to fit in).

Depending on who (whom?) is doing the talking, Catalina can be one of several people, but on the slog, it is always - to my knowledge - me.

Go figure.

I'm Lisa Herbold, 39, proud mama of a 20 yr old daughter, grandmother to a 2 1/2 year old granddaughter, happily cohabitating with the person who best matches me in my sometimes over-bearing intensity (who is prolific poster who has opted NOT to reveal himself). I have worked for Councilmember Nick Licata since the spring of 1997, first on his campaign and now on his staff.

I moved to Seattle in 1992 from Syracuse, NY. I had hippie parents who moved us around the country (PA, CA, eastern WA, and upstate NY) and forced me to live in unconventional ways that I loved when wee, grew to hate in adolescence and with maturity have grown to appreciate.

Before working for the city, I worked for 10 years for various non-profits, mostly organizing around issues of housing and equal access to public services for low-income people.

Drinks sound great. Count me in, I'm thirsty.

Biographical details: Seattle-native, graduated from Nathan Hale HS and The Evergreen State College, former writer for the Rocket and Backlash among other publications, live on Beacon Hill with spouse and two cats, working on MA that I may actually finish someday, lifelong Democrat, still mourning for the monorail.

As for me: I moved to Seattle in July for no particular reason other than I hadn't lived in the PacNW before. Reading The Stranger (and the Slog) was a pastime I picked up in my last job, much to the annoyance of my old boss, who I bribed with cigarettes to get her to go away. I'm younger than I'd like to admit and grew up under the thumb of the Air Force, who I have to thank for shuffling me around and threatening to send my old man to Qatar. Great times, really.

Also, Rebecca is my real name.

More to the point:

I propose Saturday 6 January, 7:30pm, in the back room of the Cha Cha. I'll wear a "Hello, My Name is Treacle" sticker on my cardigan.

Two more "see you there!" votes, and we can plan on it.
For you exacting folks who require expensive wine or some fancy alcohol or other, I suggest that you bring a flask. We can always move somewhere else.