The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper: Slog: CHARITY!

The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper: Slog: CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/ Seattle's #1 Weekly Newspaper. Covering Seattle news, politics, music, film, and arts; plus movie times, club calendars, restaurant listings, forums, blogs, and Savage Love. en-us Copyright 2013 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. editor@thestranger.com (The Stranger Editor) webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Sat, 25 May 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Sat, 25 May 2013 06:15:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss They Need Your Help, Slog!! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/22/they-need-your-help-slog http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/22/they-need-your-help-slog Dominic Holden <p>Seattle's Low Income Housing Institute is in the running for a <strong>$250,000 grant for housing homeless veterans and and assisting the beloved Urban Rest Stop</strong>. They're a few thousand votes behind, with nine days left, but they're closing the gap and they <em>need your help to win</em>. </p> <p>Please go <a href="https://apps.facebook.com/apronsinaction/?fb_source=search&ref=ts&fref=ts">here and vote for the Low Income Housing Institute</a>.</p> <p>Thank you, Sloggers.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/22/they-need-your-help-slog#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16845644&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/22/they-need-your-help-slog?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16845644&id=comments 7 Wed, 22 May 2013 14:16:28 -0700 The Stranger Fuck the Golden Globes http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/01/13/fuck-the-golden-globes http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/01/13/fuck-the-golden-globes Chicago Fan <p>If you want more celebrity bullshit posts, post 'em. And please note that the two Seahawks posts were by regular actual employees of <em>The Stranger</em>, and one of them was so disdainful as to actually constitute a Golden Globes post.</p> <p>And the Seahawks game was more important: There's a Golden Globes every year. The<a href="http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sea/playoffs.htm"> Seahawks do not make the post-season every year.</a></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/01/13/fuck-the-golden-globes#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15739253&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Dudes Crime Robots Etiquette CHARITY! Events Guns Cats Animals Comedy 2012 Booze Education Arts Music Homo News ??!! Life History Sports TV Conflict of Interest Nepotism Celeb Hetero Drugs Religion Nightlife Books Film Theater The Ladies Character Study Money Teh Internets Breaking News Games Nerd Fashion Genius Insomnia LGBTQITSLFA Drunk The Weather Dance http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/01/13/fuck-the-golden-globes?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15739253&id=comments 23 Sun, 13 Jan 2013 19:03:16 -0800 The Stranger And the Final Total for the Slog Charity Challenge Is... http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/24/and-the-final-total-for-the-slog-charity-challenge-is http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/24/and-the-final-total-for-the-slog-charity-challenge-is Bethany Jean Clement <p><del>...<strong>$11,740</strong>!!!</del></p> <p><strong>UPDATE</strong>: The splendid people of Slog are <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">STILL DONATING</a> even though the Charity Challenge officially ended yesterday... the new total is <strong>$12,140</strong>. You are MAGIC ELVES, all of you!</p> <p><strong>Two hundred and thirty-one</strong> of us lovely people <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">donated to Northwest Harvest</a> to help feed hungry people here in Washington state. And let us state for the record: <strong>Slog is magical. </strong> Thank you, thank you, everyone.</p> <p>And the winner of the final contest for the Charity Challenge 2012—that's dinner for two at lovely <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/olivar/Location?oid=623529">Olivar</a>, courtesy of <a href="www.dinearoundseattle.org">Dine Around Seattle</a>, a bunch of tickets to see great movies at the <a href="http://nwfilmforum.org/">Northwest Film Forum</a>, one water pipe from <a href="http://www.pieceofmind.net/home.php">Piece of Mind</a> (can we call it a bong now that it's legal?), and one <a href="www.rainglobes.com">Seattle Rain Globe</a>—is... <strong>Enigma</strong>! Here is what Enigma said:</p> <blockquote><p>This is the first year in five years I won't be seeing my family for the holidays—being unemployed makes traveling difficult. A few movie passes and a nice dinner at a swank place would be a nice change to the monotony of Top Ramen and Netflix.</p></blockquote> <p>YAY, and happy merry everything, everybody!</p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/24/and-the-final-total-for-the-slog-charity-challenge-is#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15603025&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/24/and-the-final-total-for-the-slog-charity-challenge-is?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15603025&id=comments 10 Tue, 25 Dec 2012 11:26:01 -0800 The Stranger Win $100 in Delicious Food, a Bunch of Movie Passes, and More! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/23/win-100-in-delicious-food-a-bunch-of-movie-passes-and-more http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/23/win-100-in-delicious-food-a-bunch-of-movie-passes-and-more Megan Seling <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p>Not only is there <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">still time to donate</a> to the Northwest Harvest, but there's still time to win some great prizes, too!</p> <p>The winner of today's contest will win a prize package that includes a $100 gift certificate to <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/olivar/Location?oid=623529">Olivar</a>, courtesy of <a href="www.dinearoundseattle.org">Dine Around Seattle</a>, 10 pairs of NWFF passes (free movies!), one water pipe from Piece of Mind (it's legal now!), and one <a href="www.rainglobes.com">Seattle Rain Globe</a> (like a snow globe, but Seattle style!). </p> <p>It costs only <strong>67 cents to feed a family of three</strong> a meal through <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>. So DONATE NOW!</p> <p>And after you do, forward your receipt to <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">charity@thestranger.com</a> and tell us in one or two sentences, why you want the prizes. The contest ends at midnight tonight, so hurry!</p> <p>The winner of the Hattie's Hat giveaway is Hyzenthlayk9!</p> <p>Read the winning sentence (stovepipe hat!) after the jump...</p> <p>"I like hats, not only wearing them, but when my friends and others wear hats - in fact I like hats so much that I stopped a guy wearing a stovepipe hat as he was getting into his car that proclaimed him to be a mobile haberdasher and complemented him on keeping up the fine tradition of handcrafting hats."</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/23/win-100-in-delicious-food-a-bunch-of-movie-passes-and-more#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15598261&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/23/win-100-in-delicious-food-a-bunch-of-movie-passes-and-more?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15598261&id=comments 2 Sun, 23 Dec 2012 11:36:09 -0800 The Stranger Win $100 of Deliciousness at Hattie's Hat in the Slog Charity Challenge! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/22/win-100-of-deliciousness-at-hatties-hat-in-the-slog-charity-challenge http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/22/win-100-of-deliciousness-at-hatties-hat-in-the-slog-charity-challenge Bethany Jean Clement <p><div style="text-align:center;">Mmmm... brunch at <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/hatties-hat/Location?oid=24300">Hattie's Hat</a> sounds good right about now. <br />Everybody loves Hattie's! <br /></div><br /><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:409px;"><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/hatties-hat/Location?oid=24300"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/1537/1356203444-screen_shot_2012-12-22_at_11.08.01_am.png" alt="Screen_shot_2012-12-22_at_11.08.01_AM.png" title="" width="397" height="232" /></a></div></p> <p><div style="text-align:center;">Do you want to go to there? <br />Enter to win a $100 gift certificate in the Slog Holiday Charity Challenge! </p> <p>All you have to do is <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/give">donate to Northwest Harvest</a>—any amount counts! </p> <p>Then send your receipt to <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">charity@thestranger.com</a>, along with one sentence about your love of Hattie's and/or hats, and you'll be entered to win. <br />Bloody Marys for everyone!</p> <p>Contest ends at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning, so <br /><a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">GIVE TO NORTHWEST HARVEST NOW</a>.</p> <p>And our Bumbershoot <strong>winner is M3</strong>! Read the nice thing M3 sent after the jump.</div></p> <blockquote><p>I would love to go to Bumbershoot because it's awesome, but I can't claim to have a better reason than anyone else. So instead, I'll just say thank you for the work you've done this year covering guns, marriage equality fight, local politics, police, the economy, and everything else.</p> <p>And thanks to Dan Savage for everything he's written about his mother.</p></blockquote> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/22/win-100-of-deliciousness-at-hatties-hat-in-the-slog-charity-challenge#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15592910&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/22/win-100-of-deliciousness-at-hatties-hat-in-the-slog-charity-challenge?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15592910&id=comments 6 Win $100 of Deliciousness at Hattie's Hat in the Slog Charity Challenge! Sat, 22 Dec 2012 11:19:27 -0800 The Stranger Win a Pair of Bumbershoot Tickets! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/21/win-a-pair-of-bumbershoot-tickets http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/21/win-a-pair-of-bumbershoot-tickets Megan Seling <p><em>Moved up because (1) <strong>THERE'S STILL TIME TO ENTER</strong>! And (2) We have a winner of our Victoria, BC, trip! See below...</em></p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/41d6/1356117506-screen_shot_2012-12-21_at_11.16.39_am.png" alt="Screen_shot_2012-12-21_at_11.16.39_AM.png" title="" width="500" height="92" /></div></p> <p>Good news, everyone! So far, <strong>we have raised $11,035</strong> in the Slog vs. People Who Are So Mad They Call Us Up to Shout at Us Holiday Charity Challenge! That's so great! And it's not over yet—there's still plenty of time to <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/give">donate to Northwest Harvest</a>. To give you an extra little push, we're giving away <strong>a pair of Bumbershoot tickets to one lucky donor</strong>!</p> <p>All you have to do is <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/give">make a donation to Northwest Harvest</a>. Then send the receipt to <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">charity@thestranger.com</a>, along with a sentence or two about why you'd love to win the Bumbershoot tickets, and you'll be entered in the contest!</p> <p>Contest ends at midnight tonight, so <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">DONATE NOW</a>!</p> <p>Remember, it costs only <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">67 cents to feed a family of three</a> a meal through Northwest Harvest. <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">GIVE TO NORTHWEST HARVEST NOW</a> and <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">send us your commenter handle along with your receipt</a>, and we'll set you up with a SWASHBUCKLING HERO badge.</em></p> <p>And our Victoria, BC, <strong>winner is Laurel</strong>! Read her submission after the jump:</p> <p>"Though I'm just half Canadian, I love Canada like a real Canuck. The first time I got drunk was in a campground on Vancouver Island, wearing a toque, drinking Molson, on my 19th birthday. A ranger politely tapped on our tent, saying, "Other campers have asked you to keep it down, eh?" I fucking love Canada so much that I got married at the Canadian border. My husband said, "We could get married in Seattle!" I said, "<a href="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/12/21/1356133549-235606081_6e8825747f_z.jpeg" alt="235606081_6e8825747f_z.jpeg">PICTURES IN FRONT OF THE CANADIAN FLAG FLOWER BED</a>." I've lived in San Diego for 7.5 years. Help me return to my roots."</p> <p>Aww! CUTE! Have an amazing Canadian adventure, lovebirds.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/21/win-a-pair-of-bumbershoot-tickets#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15586874&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/21/win-a-pair-of-bumbershoot-tickets?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15586874&id=comments 1 Win a Pair of Bumbershoot Tickets! Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:46:45 -0800 The Stranger Be Nice and Win a Weekend in Really, Really Nice Victoria, BC! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/19/15571398-be-nice-and-win-a-weekend-in-really-really-nice-victoria-bc http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/19/15571398-be-nice-and-win-a-weekend-in-really-really-nice-victoria-bc Megan Seling <p><div style="text-align:center;">Moved up because <strong>the deadline to enter to win</strong> the really, really nice Victoria weekend is<strong> today at noon</strong>! Let's give some more! Slog is so nice!<br /></div><div style="text-align:center;">>><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/give"> YES, I AM A GIVER! </a><<</div></p> <p><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/give"><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/c098/1355941373-grabbag2.jpeg" alt="grabbag2.jpeg" title="" width="500" height="744" /></div></a></p> <p><div style="text-align:center;">>><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/give"> DONATE NOW! </a><<</div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/19/15571398-be-nice-and-win-a-weekend-in-really-really-nice-victoria-bc#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15571398&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/19/15571398-be-nice-and-win-a-weekend-in-really-really-nice-victoria-bc?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15571398&id=comments 6 Be Nice and Win a Weekend in Really, Really Nice Victoria, BC! Fri, 21 Dec 2012 08:53:11 -0800 The Stranger Win $100 Worth of Deliciousness from Olivar! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/18/win-100-worth-of-deliciousness-from-olivar http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/18/win-100-worth-of-deliciousness-from-olivar Megan Seling <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p>Today, when you <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">donate to NW Harvest</a>, you also have the opportunity to win $100 in delicious food from <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/olivar/Location?oid=623529">Olivar</a>! </p> <p>To enter the contest, you've gotta do a little work. But it's fun work! First, <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">donate to NW Harvest</a>. Easy. Your money will help them feed hungry families all over Washington this season. Then, forward your receipt to <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">charity@thestranger.com</a> with an <strong>acrostic of Olivar</strong>. </p> <p>What's an acrostic? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrostic">From Wikipedia</a>: "An acrostic is a poem or other form of writing in which the first letter, syllable or word of each line, paragraph or other recurring feature in the text spells out a word or a message."</p> <p>In this case, because it's one word, each letter will be a new line. <strong>Here's a very terrible example!</strong></p> <p><strong>O</strong>bnoxious<br /><strong>L</strong>ittle<br /><strong>I</strong>diots<br /><strong>V</strong>oice<br /><strong>A</strong>nnoying<br /><strong>R</strong>uberic</p> <p>Now it's your turn! Yours will probably be better. Donate <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">here</a>, send your receipt and acrostic <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">here</a>, and do it by midnight tonight. The best acrostic wins, and the winner will be rewarded with a $100 gift card to use at Olivar. Yum!</p> <p><em>It costs only <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">67 cents to feed a family of three</a> a meal through Northwest Harvest. <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">GIVE TO NORTHWEST HARVEST NOW</a> and <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">send us your commenter handle along with your receipt</a>, and we'll set you up with a SWASHBUCKLING HERO badge.</em></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/18/win-100-worth-of-deliciousness-from-olivar#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15564667&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/18/win-100-worth-of-deliciousness-from-olivar?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15564667&id=comments 6 Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:08:10 -0800 The Stranger Once Tom Carr Called Me Up to Shout at Me http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/17/once-tom-carr-called-me-up-to-shout-at-me http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/17/once-tom-carr-called-me-up-to-shout-at-me Dominic Holden <p><em>This year, to raise money for <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>, current and former </em>Stranger<em> staffers are telling stories about <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge">times people have called us up to shout at us.</a> SO WITH NO FURTHER ADO IT'S...</em> </p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/c219/1354831783-1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="1354312169-somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></a></div></p> <p>A few years ago, I was <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/09/11/we-have-standards">covering a fiasco</a> involving the <strong>Faire Gallery</strong> and <strong>former City Attorney Tom Carr</strong>. It reached a grand crescendo two months before the election with Tom Carr screaming at me. </p> <p>It all began when the Faire Gallery applied for a liquor permit.</p> <p>But, to make a long story short, Carr lobbied the state liquor board to deny it on the grounds that the owner's husband didn't take a class for his probation (relating to a DUI charge, which he was never convicted of). Finally, after I'd been covering the story for weeks, Carr stopped challenging the liquor permit. Faire gallery had won. I'd called three different people in Carr's office for comment but nobody called me back, so I ran my story on Slog. And then I got this <strong>voicemail from Carr</strong>:</p> <p><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.thestranger.com/flash/audio/player.swf" width="290" height="24"><param name="movie" value="http://www.thestranger.com/flash/audio/player.swf" /><param name="FlashVars" value="autostart=no&bg=0xCCCCCC&leftbg=0x0056A5&lefticon=0xFFFFFF&rightbg=0x0056A5&rightbghover=0xE87217&righticon=0xEEEEEE&righticonhover=0xffffff&text=0x666666&slider=0x666666&track=0xFFFFFF&border=0x666666&loader=0x6CB112&soundFile=http://www.thestranger.com/extras/audio/tom_carr_voicemail.mp3" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /></object></p> <p>What was the <strong>"crap"</strong> he was yelling about? What part of my story lacked "truth"? Faire's attorney was quoted claiming Carr was caving to media pressure—partly from me—and Carr disagreed. "I don’t do things for political pressure," he said. Read the post here and <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/09/11/we-have-standards">decide for yourself</a>. In the end, Tom Carr was drubbed in that election two-to-one, Pete Holmes won on a platform to STOP FUCKING WITH NIGHTLIFE, and then Tom Carr left town. (Oh, and I also wrote a <a href="http://www.boulderweekly.com/article-2834-a-sobering-look-at-tom-carr.html">feature about Tom Carr in the Boulder Weekly the same day he started his new job</a>.)</p> <p>The end. </p> <p>Now: <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">PLEASE GIVE TO NORTHWEST HARVEST</a> and <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">send us your commenter handle along with your receipt</a>, and we'll set you up with a SWASHBUCKING HERO badge.</em></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/17/once-tom-carr-called-me-up-to-shout-at-me#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15469574&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/17/once-tom-carr-called-me-up-to-shout-at-me?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15469574&id=comments 9 Once Tom Carr Called Me Up to Shout at Me Mon, 17 Dec 2012 08:12:23 -0800 The Stranger You Can Win Eleven Free Books Just By Being a Good Person http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/15/you-can-win-eleven-free-books-just-by-being-a-good-person http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/15/you-can-win-eleven-free-books-just-by-being-a-good-person Paul Constant <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p><small><em>This year, to raise money for <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>, current and former <em>Stranger</em> staffers are telling stories about <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge">times people have called us up to shout at us.</a></em></small></p> <p>I've been straining for weeks now to come up with a story about someone yelling at me over the phone, and I really can't. Part of the problem is that I don't use the phone that much. I do most of my interviews in person, and I reach out to people via e-mail. I've had plenty of angry people yell at me in person (my favorite example of this is the local poet who bellowed "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" at me and proceeded to tell me that because I dared arouse his ire, <strong>my reputation was ruined in Capitol Hill poetry world</strong>) and via e-mail (my favorite example of this is the Ain't It Cool News writer who told me that maybe one day I would've been good enough to review movies for AICN, but I had ruined that possibility by writing something critical about their site). But nobody has ever yelled at me over the phone. I am a failure of a journalist. Maybe this should be my New Year's resolution for 2013? </p> <p>Anyhoo, I have a contest for you! Phil and Kaja Foglio, the good people behind the wonderful webcomic series <a href="http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/">Girl Genius </a>are such firm believers in the work Northwest Harvest does that they've donated all 11 Girl Genius collections to the cause. You can be entered into a drawing to win Girl Genius volumes one through eleven if you follow three easy steps. All you have to do is <strong>(1) </strong><a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">donate money to Northwest Harvest</a>, <strong>(2)</strong> e-mail your receipt to <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">charity@thestranger.com</a>, and <strong>(3)</strong> write the most steampunk sentence you can think of in the e-mail with your forwarded receipt. (Here is an example: "Professor Phinneas McCogsworthy finished polishing the brass edging of his goggles and gingerly manipulated the oscilloscope of his fantabulous dirigible.") The writer of the best sentence wins! And everybody who sends their receipt to <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">charity@thestranger.com</a> gets a nifty "SWASHBUCKLING HERO" tag on all their Slog comments for a whole year! Everybody wins!</p> <p><strong>Entry deadline</strong>: tomorrow (Sunday) at noon.</p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/12/14/1355529941-11_bundle_fan.jpg" class="zoomable"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/12/14/thumb-1355529941-11_bundle_fan.jpg" alt="Click to embiggen." title="Click to embiggen." width="500" height="411" /></a><ul><li class="imageCredit"></li><li class="imageCaption">Click to embiggen.</li></ul></div></p> <p><em>It costs only <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">67 cents to feed a family of three</a> a meal through Northwest Harvest. As of Friday, Slog has raised<strong> $7600</strong>! Which is so great. Let's give more, more, MORE! <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">GIVE TO NORTHWEST HARVEST NOW</a> and <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">send us your commenter handle along with your receipt and steampunky sentence</a>, and we'll set you up with a SWASHBUCKLING HERO badge and enter you into the Girl Genius drawing!</em></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/15/you-can-win-eleven-free-books-just-by-being-a-good-person#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15532845&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/15/you-can-win-eleven-free-books-just-by-being-a-good-person?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15532845&id=comments 2 You Can Win Eleven Free Books Just By Being a Good Person Click to embiggen. Sat, 15 Dec 2012 09:08:00 -0800 The Stranger Here's a Small, Unrelated Good Thing You Can Do on This Terrible Day http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/14/heres-a-small-unrelated-good-thing-you-can-do-on-this-terrible-day http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/14/heres-a-small-unrelated-good-thing-you-can-do-on-this-terrible-day Bethany Jean Clement <p>While we're all working on raising hell about gun control (<a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/14/time-to-march">Dom's mom: YES</a>), we can also <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">give to Northwest Harvest to help feed the hungry</a> children and families and old people in our state, as the Slog Holiday Charity Challenge continues. And we have the winner of the overnight at the Edgewater, Vanessa, after the jump, with a small, sweet tale. Sorry about the world, everyone.</p> <blockquote><p>Attached is my receipt for $10. I wish I could have given more; I realize I am more fortunate than many & far be it from me to bemoan the lack of a lavish Christmas, but this is why my donation is anemic and why I deserve <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/12/help-the-hungry-and-win-and-overnight-stay-at-the-edgewater?cb=19f20d40acbb32e7017cc876b10b9239">the night at the Edgewater</a>. On 12/9 at 1:30 a.m., I married my best friend, Daphne. Married. As in Legally Recognized in the State of Washington MARRIED. We shopped for our duds and rings at Goodwill. We are saving for a home and a baby. We would LOVE a one-night “honeymoon.”</p> <p>Please?</p> <p>Vanessa</p></blockquote> <p>Vanessa: Congratulations, and YES.</p> <p>UPDATE: Upon learning of her winning, Vanessa says:</p> <blockquote><p>STFU!!!! oh my god, i just burst into tears! are you serious???</p></blockquote> <p>YES!</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/14/heres-a-small-unrelated-good-thing-you-can-do-on-this-terrible-day#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15529911&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/14/heres-a-small-unrelated-good-thing-you-can-do-on-this-terrible-day?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15529911&id=comments 11 Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:21:04 -0800 The Stranger One Time a PR "Professional" Yelled at Me About Breaking an Embargo I Never Agreed To http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/14/one-time-a-pr-professional-yelled-at-me-about-breaking-and-embargo-i-never-agreed-to http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/14/one-time-a-pr-professional-yelled-at-me-about-breaking-and-embargo-i-never-agreed-to Mike Gore <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p><em>This year, to raise money for <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>, current and former </em>Stranger<em> staffers are telling stories about <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge">times people have called us up to shout at us.</a> Mike Gore was our news intern over the summer.</em></p> <p>When I was a puny little intern at <em>The Stranger</em>, I <strong>longed for the day that I made someone so mad</strong> they called and yelled at me. Lo and behold, such an event transpired one summer afternoon.</p> <p>The Port of Seattle had finished an assessment of what another stadium would do to waterfront traffic. We published the PDFs in the morning after receiving them from a source and were amazed that they weren’t online anywhere else. <strong>My amazement turned into fear</strong> when the receptionist said there was a “Carl Skanks” on the phone for me. Mr. Skanks turned out to be Charla Skaggs, a PR “professional” from the Port of Seattle.</p> <p>Skaggs breathlessly accused me of breaking a noon embargo, and demanded that we take the PDFs down. I nervously apologized, and she asked to speak to my editor, Dominic Holden.</p> <p>“Your funeral, lady,” I thought, as she was transferred to Dominic.</p> <p>Dominic unloaded on her—that the Port’s media efforts consist of their buddies at the <em>Seattle Times</em>, and that because we hadn’t received the documents or embargo agreement from the port, <strong>we hadn’t agreed to an embargo</strong>. Simple. Then Dominic edited the post to reflect their enlightening conversation:</p> <blockquote><p>Skaggs and her boss asked us to take down the reports. We're not doing it, even though Skaggs says it "will affect the way we interact with you in the future." By that, I assume she's not threatening to withhold information (after all, it's not much of a threat if that's already her modus operandi). I assume Skaggs means she will contact us proactively and professionally instead throwing a tantrum when her media strategies backfire.</p></blockquote> <p>Ms. Skaggs doesn’t work at the Port of Seattle any longer. </p> <p><em>It costs only <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">67 cents to feed a family of three</a> a meal through Northwest Harvest. As of this morning, Slog has raised<strong> $7600</strong>! Which is so great. Let's give more, more, MORE! <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">GIVE TO NORTHWEST HARVEST NOW</a> and <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">send us your commenter handle along with your receipt</a>, and we'll set you up with a SWASHBUCKING HERO badge.</em></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/14/one-time-a-pr-professional-yelled-at-me-about-breaking-and-embargo-i-never-agreed-to#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15525643&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/14/one-time-a-pr-professional-yelled-at-me-about-breaking-and-embargo-i-never-agreed-to?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15525643&id=comments 2 Fri, 14 Dec 2012 09:26:28 -0800 The Stranger All About the Time Ben Weasel Called Me a Moron and I Told Him to Take a Nap http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/13/all-about-the-time-ben-weasel-called-me-a-moron-and-i-told-him-to-take-a-nap http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/13/all-about-the-time-ben-weasel-called-me-a-moron-and-i-told-him-to-take-a-nap Megan Seling <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p>As you probably know by now, this year, to raise money for <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>, current and former <em>Stranger</em> staffers are telling stories about <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge">times people have called us up to shout at us.</a> My story isn't about being yelled at over the phone, as it is about being yelled at over the internet by the pop punk army and <strong>their bitter leader, Ben Weasel</strong> of the band Screeching Weasel.</p> <p>When I was a teenager, and even into my 20s, <strong>I fucking loved Screeching Weasel</strong>. Ben Weasel, the band's leader, was a known asshole—their songs were snotty, and his attitude was too. They've had a revolving door of members because, it is rumored, he is hard to get a long with (seriously, there are 20 "former members" <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screeching_Weasel">on their Wikipedia page</a>). Then, last year, Ben Weasel punched a woman in the face during the band's SXSW performance. She had been taunting him, he lashed out. He also took swings at another woman who was trying to break up the fight. Then he <a href="http://punksexism.wordpress.com/2011/03/21/oh-and-ben-weasels-anti-trans-too/">said some not-so-nice things</a> about a transgendered person on a message board, shit like "I'd like to see you without your wang tucked between your legs" and "You'd think if you wanted to be a chick, you'd want to be a hot chick; this dude looks like the Church Lady."</p> <p>Not cool, Ben Weasel. <strong>My love for Screeching Weasel was over.</strong></p> <p>But that doesn't erase the fact that they were a huge part of my teenage years. And earlier this year <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/pop-punk-puberty/Content?oid=14522967">I wrote about pop punk, puberty</a>, and how so many of pop punks lyrics could be (read: were) interpreted as either misogynistic or otherwise harmful to a young woman's (read: my) self-esteem. It was an autobiographical piece, about <em>my </em>experience growing up listening to dudes sing songs about girls. Namely, how girls have done them wrong and are terrible, unless they meet some very specific, unrealistic standards.</p> <p>I mentioned at least a dozen artists and songs—the Ataris, Fenix, TX, Blink-182, the Vandals, Less Than Jake, MxPx, the Mr. T Experience, and others, and <strong>I also recognized how I was pretty dumb </strong>for taking so many of the songs seriously at the time. But oh boy, Ben Weasel was not happy that I mentioned his song "Peter Brady."</p> <p>He posted a link to the piece<a href="https://www.facebook.com/screechingweasel/posts/190115727788786"> on the band's Facebook page</a> and his pop punk minions came running. They left dozens of comments on the story, as well as on the Facebook link. My favorite is:</p> <blockquote><p>i cannot believe you have a job, must have nice tits, idiot</p></blockquote> <p>Thank you!</p> <p>But the real good stuff came from Ben Weasel himself. <a href="">On Facebook he said</a>: "Moron writing for hip Seattle weekly makes me out to be a jerk because of her own cluelessness, managing to completely (and kind of hilariously) misinterpret a Screeching Weasel lyric. I'd write a new song about boneheads who can't manage to figure out the meaning of even the most obvious lyrics but she'd probably insist it was about gingivitis, or the moon or something."</p> <p>I defended myself with <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/08/23/ben-weasel-hates-me-because-i-misinterpreted-his-lyrics-when-i-was-15">this post</a>. And Ben did not like that either. He said I was "<strong>magnificently dishonest at every turn</strong>," and "Your problem isn't a bunch of dumb punk bands you listened to when you were a kid. Your problem is you."</p> <p>Then it became a back and forth dance, the <strong>first and only Facebook fight I've ever had</strong>. He was so worked up about getting me to apologize for the way I interpreted his song when I was 15, that all I could do was say: <strong>"Take a nap, Ben Weasel."</strong></p> <p>Then he called me a child. I really hope he took that nap.</p> <p>So if you are all for <strong>cranky men taking naps</strong>, <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">DONATE NOW</a>! We've already raised <strong>$7,564</strong>! But we can raise more! Even if you only have a little bit to give, do not feel like you can't help. It really doesn't take much to make a difference—it costs only <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">67 cents to feed a family of three</a> a meal through Northwest Harvest. So what if you gave $6.70? That's ten families! What if you gave $13.40? That's 20 families!</p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><a href=""http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">>> DONATE NOW. I didn't get yelled at by Ben Weasel for nothing. <<</a><br /></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/13/all-about-the-time-ben-weasel-called-me-a-moron-and-i-told-him-to-take-a-nap#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15522963&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/13/all-about-the-time-ben-weasel-called-me-a-moron-and-i-told-him-to-take-a-nap?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15522963&id=comments 10 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 13:20:56 -0800 The Stranger The Slog Holiday Charity Challenge Swag Bag Winner! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/12/the-slog-holiday-charity-challenge-swag-bag-winner http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/12/the-slog-holiday-charity-challenge-swag-bag-winner Bethany Jean Clement <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p>Slog is helping hungry people by <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">donating to Northwest Harvest</a>! SLOG IS AWESOME.</p> <p>And the winner of <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/11/win-a-big-bag-of-swag-in-the-slog-vs-pwasmtcuutsau-holiday-charity-challenge?cb=521f1a477cfa8e770e8d98b490deb35b">the Cayman Jack™ swag bag</a> is... <strong>BusyB</strong>, who sent this photo he took in Mali last year:</p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/eb88/1355345210-395655_10150538435848883_491269506_n.jpg" alt="395655_10150538435848883_491269506_n.jpg" title="" width="500" height="375" /></a><ul><li class="imageCredit">BusyB</li><li class="imageCaption"></li></ul></div></p> <p>BusyB says:</p> <blockquote><p>It’s at the Festival in the Desert in Tomboctou. It’s a closeup of a camel's face and you can see my girlfriend making the same face in the background (of course much prettier than the camel's). About a month and a half after this picture was taken the country was in turmoil. The city of Tomboctou has been ransacked and is being run by Al Qaede. They have destroyed a lot of the beauty there. For an example I’ve attached a picture of a door they destroyed. I feel saddened knowing that the people of Mali want nothing to do with Al Qaede. They are happy, beautiful and fun loving people who love music, dance and art. I hope one day soon they will take their country back and I can go visit them again.</p></blockquote> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/ed0f/1355345311-422366_10150538433058883_1372376433_n.jpg" alt="422366_10150538433058883_1372376433_n.jpg" title="" width="500" height="667" /></a><ul><li class="imageCredit">BusyB</li><li class="imageCaption"></li></ul></div></p> <p>Thanks, BusyB! Enjoy the compass cufflinks! And thanks, everyone! <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Give now!</a></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/12/the-slog-holiday-charity-challenge-swag-bag-winner#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15512516&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/12/the-slog-holiday-charity-challenge-swag-bag-winner?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15512516&id=comments 0 The Slog Holiday Charity Challenge Swag Bag Winner! BusyB Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:55:34 -0800 The Stranger "JEW COMMUNIST SCUM, WE ARE WATCHING YOU!!!!!!!" A Heartwarming Tale of Bipartisan Compromise http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/12/jew-communist-scum-we-are-watching-you-a-heartwarming-tale-of-bipartisan-compromise http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/12/jew-communist-scum-we-are-watching-you-a-heartwarming-tale-of-bipartisan-compromise Goldy <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p><em>This year, to raise money for <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>, current and former </em>Stranger<em> staffers are telling stories about <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge">times people have called us up to shout at us.</a></em></p> <p>For some reason, I've had a lot of people angrily yell at me over the years—in person, over the phone, and of course in the comment threads, where my old blog, <a href="http://HorsesAss.org">HorsesAss.org</a>, played a valuable role as the Pacific Northwest political blogosphere's preeminent troll magnet. Slog's comment threads are a veritable love-fest by comparison, a bubble of civility where death threats are generally frowned upon and antisemitic rants rarely prove persuasive.</p> <p>But by far my most memorable incident of angry yelling came via email, not so much for the rancor of the content, but for the affirmation that, if one truly makes an effort to intellectually engage with the opposition, a political accommodation can sometimes be reached.</p> <p>Back in February of 2006, a small group of uniformed, swastika-waving, <a href="http://horsesass.org/?p=1388">neo-Nazis marched on the statue of Lenin in Fremont</a>. (Say what you want about Nazis, but you can't accuse them of having an over-developed sense of irony.) Blog mockery ensued, ultimately prompting the regional chapter of the neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement to list one of my colleagues on their website as a "race traitor." </p> <p>"I guess one of the advantages of being Jewish," <a href="http://horsesass.org/?p=1409">I quipped at the time</a>, "is that no matter what I write, our local Nazis can’t exactly label me a 'race traitor,' can they?"</p> <p>I was wrong. A few days later the Nazis sent me the following email:</p> <blockquote><p>From: DerLeibstandarte<br />Subject: RACE TRAITOR<br />Date: March 4, 2006 9:32:10 PM PST<br />To: David Goldstein <br /> <br /><strong>JEW COMMUNIST SCUM, WE ARE WATCHING YOU!!!!!!!</strong></p> <p><br /><small>Confidentiality Notice: The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments is Racially and Religiously privileged and confidential. It is intended for specific Aryan recipients only and Brothers and Sisters of their choosing. If you are a jew, you can only be in possession through deceit, treachery, guile, cunning, dissimulation and chicanery, and such possession of this e-mail is contrary to law. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail through the error of someone else, you must notify the sender and permanently delete this e-mail and any attachments immediately. You should neither retain, nor copy nor use this e-mail or any attachment for any purpose. Disclosure of all or any part of the contents to any other jew is a punishable offense.</small></p></blockquote> <p>But you know me: Always looking to engage in reasoned dialog, I wrote back: </p> <blockquote><p>Are you calling me a "race traitor?" I'm just curious... using your own concepts, how exactly can a Jew be a traitor to the so-called Aryan race?</p></blockquote> <p>To which I quickly got the following response:</p> <blockquote><p>OH, well you are just <strong>a slimy jew</strong> then!</p></blockquote> <p>While I take issue with the editorializing, I can't argue with the facts. And I came away somewhat heartened from the exchange, knowing that no matter what your differences, no matter how wide the ideological chasm, if you make a genuine effort to reach out to your opponents, <strong>bipartisan political compromise</strong> can sometimes be reached.</p> <p>It is in that spirit of give and take that I remind you that it's the holidays, and <strong>people are hungry</strong>. Right now, Northwest Harvest is providing 1.7 million meals a month to hungry families across Washington. The Evergreen State is the 14th hungriest state in the country—and more than half of <strong>the people who are hungry here are children and the elderly</strong>.</p> <p>It costs only <strong>67 cents to feed a family of three</strong> a meal through <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>.</p> <p></a>Our quest to raise money for the very, very great <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>, helping feed hungry people in our state right now and all year around, continues...</p> <p><em>It costs only <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">67 cents to feed a family of three</a> a meal through Northwest Harvest. As of this morning, Slog has raised<strong> $6694 </strong>! Which is so great. Let's give more, more, MORE! <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">GIVE TO NORTHWEST HARVEST NOW</a> and <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">send us your commenter handle along with your receipt</a>, and we'll set you up with a SWASHBUCKING HERO badge.</em></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/12/jew-communist-scum-we-are-watching-you-a-heartwarming-tale-of-bipartisan-compromise#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15509968&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/12/jew-communist-scum-we-are-watching-you-a-heartwarming-tale-of-bipartisan-compromise?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15509968&id=comments 8 Wed, 12 Dec 2012 11:02:46 -0800 The Stranger Help the Hungry and Win an Overnight Stay at the Edgewater! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/12/help-the-hungry-and-win-and-overnight-stay-at-the-edgewater http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/12/help-the-hungry-and-win-and-overnight-stay-at-the-edgewater Megan Seling <p><a href="http://thestranger.com/give"><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/8233/1355330527-grabbag-570.jpeg" alt="grabbag-570.jpeg" title="" width="500" height="636" /></div></a></p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">>>DONATE NOW!<<</a></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/12/help-the-hungry-and-win-and-overnight-stay-at-the-edgewater#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15509884&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/12/help-the-hungry-and-win-and-overnight-stay-at-the-edgewater?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15509884&id=comments 1 Help the Hungry and Win and Overnight Stay at the Edgewater! Wed, 12 Dec 2012 08:43:37 -0800 The Stranger Why People Yell http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/11/why-people-yell http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/11/why-people-yell Jen Graves <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p><em>This year, to raise money for <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>, current and former </em>Stranger<em> staffers are telling stories about <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge">times people have called us up to shout at us.</a></em></p> <p>Everybody knows that if you want to get yelled at on Slog, all you have to do is talk about <strong>whiteness, white privilege, white anything</strong>. Because to many commenters on the Slogs, when a white person says she's white (DON'T STEP ON MY IRISH HERITAGE WE WERE MINORITIES ONE THOUSAND YEARS AGO AND IT STILL HURTS OWWWWWWWW THAT'S MY IRISH HURTING) and admits that being white from the years 1975 to now has made her life easier than it would have been if she hadn't been white in this day, age, and location, she is clearly a total asshole. So I will open the floor by saying: Who wants to join me at the <a href="http://www.whiteprivilegeconference.com/">White Privilege Conference</a>, held every year but this year for the first time in Seattle (it was invented by a Seattle guy)? Hmm? Let the yelling begin! Yeah!</p> <p>On the subject I write about most often, I must say: Folks love their artsyelling. Especially civic boosters.</p> <p>Twice, while working at <em>The News Tribune</em> in Tacoma, <strong>a parade of trustees</strong> from a local arts institution marched in, as a group, to formally complain. One group was furious because I'd written an essay about the profound dullness and lack of conviction in the programming at Tacoma Symphony Orchestra. It was one thing to write concert review after concert review saying that <em>Well, last night's program was dull</em>. But when you strung a season's worth of observations together to ask, <em>Why is the Symphony programming so lifeless?</em>, this was unacceptable. The people who came in fired up were powerful civic players: the superintendent of schools, bankers, attorneys. <em>The News Tribune</em> backed me. A memorable moment came when they asked me why I was an enemy of classical music, and I asked them why <em>they</em> were trying to kill classical music. Surprisingly, we came to a grudging mutual appreciation after that.</p> <p>No grudging mutual appreciation followed this: Josi Callan, the inaugural director of the Museum of Glass, screamed at me after we wrote about the fact that her salary was far higher than industry norms—while the museum was making <strong>layoffs and cuts to its hours and programs</strong>. <em>Why was I the enemy of art museums?!!</em> She claimed I had the numbers wrong. To which I had to respond, <em>Then why are you reporting incorrect numbers to the IRS?</em> It did not finish well. She is no longer at the museum, and its next director did not make bank.</p> <p>This final one was weirdest: I called Michael Monroe, director of Bellevue Arts Museum, to ask about <strong>money that had been embezzled</strong> by an employee. The news had already hit the TV stations. I asked the most basic factual questions—the sort of questions that write themselves, bearing no authorial voice or tone or inflection whatsoever ("How much money is missing?" "Do you have any idea who took the money?"). He hissed that I was "nobody" and that he, by contrast, had worked with journalists "from Washington, D.C., to New York City." To this day, I have no idea why he reacted this way. I saw him recently in a gift shop on Capitol Hill. I worried for the store.</p> <p>Now: Please consider fighting the people who yell at us! Because it’s the holidays, and <strong>people are hungry</strong>, and that is the most important thing in the world, about which we should all be yelling. Right now, Northwest Harvest is providing 1.7 million meals a month to hungry families across Washington. The Evergreen State is the 14th hungriest state in the country—and more than half of <strong>the people who are hungry here are children and the elderly</strong>.</p> <p>It costs only <strong>67 cents to feed a family of three</strong> a meal through <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>.</p> <p></a>Our quest to raise money for the very, very great <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>, helping feed hungry people in our state right now and all year around, continues...</p> <p><em>It costs only <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">67 cents to feed a family of three</a> a meal through Northwest Harvest. As of this morning, Slog has raised<strong> $6,469</strong>! Which is so great. Let's give more, more, MORE! <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">GIVE TO NORTHWEST HARVEST NOW</a> and <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">send us your commenter handle along with your receipt</a>, and we'll set you up with a SWASHBUCKING HERO badge.</em></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/11/why-people-yell#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15502787&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/11/why-people-yell?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15502787&id=comments 3 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:04:10 -0800 The Stranger Win a BIG BAG of SWAG in the Slog vs. P.W.A.S.M.T.C.U.U.T.S.A.U. Holiday Charity Challenge!!! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/11/win-a-big-bag-of-swag-in-the-slog-vs-pwasmtcuutsau-holiday-charity-challenge http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/11/win-a-big-bag-of-swag-in-the-slog-vs-pwasmtcuutsau-holiday-charity-challenge Bethany Jean Clement <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p>We'll have another tale of yelling from one Jen Graves later this morning, but meanwhile, wouldn't you love to help hungry people by <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">donating to Northwest Harvest today</a> and maybe also win a BIG BAG of SWAG?! Sure you would!!!</p> <p>The swag in question comes from one Cayman Jack™, which (who?) loves Slog so much, it (he?) sent a camera! [Edits are mine.]</p> <blockquote><p>Cayman Jack™ is the “Hand-Crafted Margarita” in a bottle. We’ve scoured the earth looking for <strong>blogs like yours who view life as an adventure</strong>, and when we found out you have a whole ‘Slog’ dedicated to [being awesome] in Seattle, we knew you should be one of the first sites to [get this awesome BIG BAG of SWAG].<br /> <br />Cayman Jack shares your adventurous spirit and because of that we’d like to give you 1 of only 15 Cayman Jack™ culture packs! These packs are custom made and include <strong>a messenger bag, a camera, [some cufflinks that are made out of tiny compasses that are really cute, some shot glasses,], and a sample of Cayman Jack™</strong>. [For some reason, they did not send the pocketknife pictured—we did not swipe it, I swear—sorry.] It’s everything you’ll need to take on your next adventure. As Cayman Jack says, “When adventure happens, take your best shot.” </p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.laurencolchamiro.com/neingrenze-5000t-review/">The camera is this one.</a> It seems fun to mess around with! We want to give it to you!</p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/59c3/1355245408-screen_shot_2012-12-11_at_9.00.16_am.png" alt="SWAG." title="SWAG." width="500" height="218" /><ul><li class="imageCredit"></li><li class="imageCaption">SWAG.</li></ul></div></p> <p>Now, to <strong>the photo contest</strong>! To enter to win the swag-bag*, all you have to do is <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">donate to Northwest Harvest</a> by way of the Slog vs. People Who Are So Mad They Call Us Up to Shout at Us Holiday Charity Challenge! Then, <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">email us your donation receipt</a> along with <strong>a photo that you took</strong> that is adventurous, funny, beautiful, cute, miscellaneously awesome, or all of the above.</p> <p>Entries will be accepted until midnight tonight, and the winning photo will be put up right here on Slog tomorrow. Just <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">give to Northwest Harvest right now</a>—whatever amount you can afford! </p> <p>You're just great for being a giver!</p> <p><small>*Fine print: You must come pick up your bag of swag at the <em>Stranger</em> offices on Capitol Hill in Seattle in the next week or so. And you must be 21 to get the free sample.</small></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/11/win-a-big-bag-of-swag-in-the-slog-vs-pwasmtcuutsau-holiday-charity-challenge#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15501781&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/11/win-a-big-bag-of-swag-in-the-slog-vs-pwasmtcuutsau-holiday-charity-challenge?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15501781&id=comments 2 Win a BIG BAG of SWAG in the Slog vs. P.W.A.S.M.T.C.U.U.T.S.A.U. Holiday Charity Challenge!!! SWAG. Tue, 11 Dec 2012 09:07:09 -0800 The Stranger The Slog vs. P.W.A.S.M.T.C.U.U.T.S.A.U. Holiday Charity Challenge: The Monsoon and Caffe Vita WINNERS! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/10/the-slog-vs-pwasmtcuutsau-holiday-charity-challenge-the-monsoon-and-caffe-vita-winners http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/10/the-slog-vs-pwasmtcuutsau-holiday-charity-challenge-the-monsoon-and-caffe-vita-winners Bethany Jean Clement <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p><a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">The Slog vs. People Who Are So Mad They Call Us Up to Shout at Us Holiday Charity Challenge</a> marches on! YOU GUYS ARE SO GREAT, WE'RE SHOUTING AT YOU ABOUT IT!</p> <p>Ahem... now for the winners of Friday's contest: </p> <p>· The <strong>$100 gift certificate</strong> to the very, very delicious <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/monsoon/Location?oid=24348">Monsoon</a> is... <strong>Katherine</strong>, who sent this incident of magical pho (Monsoon's pho, available at lunch and weekend brunch, is goddamned great, by the way):</p> <blockquote><p>After I broke up with the boyfriend who led me to Seattle I contemplated leaving town over a bowl of pho—the most perfect creation! Exotic (to a Central Virginia-raised girl)! Comforting! Cheap! Suddenly I got the phone call. Cast in my first show! I'm still here. Thanks, pho!</p></blockquote> <p>· And out of sheer pity—even WE buy our interns coffee!—the gift of sweet, sweet (not actually necessarily sweet) caffeine in the form of a <strong>$50 gift card to</strong> <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/caffe-vita/Location?oid=24972">Caffe Vita</a> goes to <strong>rookypox</strong>, who wrote in:</p> <blockquote><p>As much as I love helping those far hungrier than myself, there's a selfish motive here. I'm an intern and meet my boss weekly at Capitol Hill's Caffe Vita. I don't complain because their soy lattes are delicious, but they aren't cheap. Help a sister out?</p></blockquote> <p>Do YOU want to help a sister/brother out? <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Donate to Northwest Harvest</a> —whatever amount you can afford! You will also become a Slog <strong>SWASHBUCKLING HERO</strong>, if you're not one already—just include your commenter handle in the e-mail to <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">charity@thestranger.com</a>, and we'll set you up. </p> <p>You are all magical elves.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/10/the-slog-vs-pwasmtcuutsau-holiday-charity-challenge-the-monsoon-and-caffe-vita-winners#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15496042&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/10/the-slog-vs-pwasmtcuutsau-holiday-charity-challenge-the-monsoon-and-caffe-vita-winners?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15496042&id=comments 0 Mon, 10 Dec 2012 15:42:45 -0800 The Stranger How a Feature on a Book About Black Power Made Some White Supremacists Very Upset http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/10/how-a-feature-on-a-book-about-black-power-made-some-white-supremacists-very-upset http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/10/how-a-feature-on-a-book-about-black-power-made-some-white-supremacists-very-upset Dave Segal <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p><em>This year, to raise money for <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>, current and former </em>Stranger<em> staffers are telling stories about <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge">times people have called us up to shout at us.</em></p> <p>My Feb. 22 <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/white-mans-book-does-justice-to-black-power-music/Content?oid=12745243">feature</a> on Seattle author <strong>Pat Thomas</strong>’ book <em>Listen, Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975</em> didn’t provoke irate phone calls, but it did ignite an explosive response by the area’s white-supremacist cabal. </p> <p>What was essentially a straightforward profile of a Caucasian man recounting in vivid prose, photos, and album artwork a historically, artistically, and politically vital (and thwarted) movement by black people over three decades ago triggered an outpouring of vitriol in the comments section of the article’s online version from readers of a blog called Unamusement Park. The piece inadvertently served as a forum for these poor, oppressed white folks to <strong>repeatedly assert the inferiority of African Americans</strong> and to cite books like Thomas’ as ammunition in the <strong>great conspiracy</strong> to diminish the power of the Caucasian race. They also accused <em>The Stranger</em> as being complicit in this <strong>war against YT</strong>. (Okay, guys, you caught us red-handed. We’re so embarrassed.) You can <strong>smell the paranoia and fear</strong> in their words <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/white-mans-book-does-justice-to-black-power-music/Content?oid=12745243">here</a>. A small example should suffice:</p> <blockquote><p>The president of your white Western country is now a half-Kenyan from Indonesia. The immigration system is now dedicated to supporting non-white invaders, and reducing US Americans to a minority in their own country. And every educational, media, corporate or government institution has uplifting black people and suppressing white people as their primary goal.</p></blockquote> <p>Comedy <del>gold</del> tin. Dear white people of Slog: Please let us know ASAP if you feel the government is suppressing you. </p> <p>It’s the holidays, and <strong>people are hungry</strong>. Right now, Northwest Harvest is providing 1.7 million meals a month to hungry families across Washington. The Evergreen State is the 14th hungriest state in the country—and more than half of <strong>the people who are hungry here are children and the elderly</strong>.</p> <p>It costs only <strong>67 cents to feed a family of three</strong> a meal through <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>.</p> <p></a>Our quest to raise money for the very, very great <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>, helping feed hungry people in our state right now and all year around, continues...</p> <p><em>It costs only <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">67 cents to feed a family of three</a> a meal through Northwest Harvest. As of this morning, Slog has raised<strong> $6,227</strong>! Which is so great. Let's give more, more, MORE! <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">GIVE TO NORTHWEST HARVEST NOW</a> and <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">send us your commenter handle along with your receipt</a>, and we'll set you up with a SWASHBUCKING HERO badge.</em></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/10/how-a-feature-on-a-book-about-black-power-made-some-white-supremacists-very-upset#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15492766&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/10/how-a-feature-on-a-book-about-black-power-made-some-white-supremacists-very-upset?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15492766&id=comments 12 Mon, 10 Dec 2012 10:15:43 -0800 The Stranger The Case of the Mysterious Letter http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/08/the-case-of-the-mysterious-letter http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/08/the-case-of-the-mysterious-letter Christopher Frizzelle <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p>Can you be shouted at by a letter? The <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge">Slog vs. People Who Are So Mad They Call Us Up to Shout at Us Holiday Charity Challenge</a> is all about people <em>calling</em> us on the phone shouting at us, but the single craziest angry reaction I ever provoked came at me by way of the mail. So old-fashioned! This was back in the summer of 2003. I had only been on staff at <em>The Stranger</em> for a month, I'd freelanced for about six months prior to that, and to this day I have no idea what the letter-writer was so mad about. All I know is, one day in the mail, a letter arrived. In tiny, bold-face type that covered an entire sheet of paper, it read:</p> <blockquote><p><strong>FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU</strong></p></blockquote> <p>More of interest to the authorities, there was also <strong>white powder</strong> in the envelope. Considering this was two years after the anthrax killings of 2001, authorities took that white powder very seriously. Within minutes, they'd shut down traffic on the whole block. Then <strong>FBI guys in space suits</strong> were walking through the office. </p> <p>When they interviewed me, they asked if I'd <strong>written anything that might've angered someone,</strong> and I thought of about 20 different things it could've been. "I wrote a really negative movie review two weeks ago?" I remember saying. I was 22 years old and callow and wrote negative things all the time. The letter and powder constituted <strong>criminal threatening,</strong> they believed, whether the powder was or was not harmful. The fact that the sender used the US mail made the crime worse. They launched an investigation, and months later when we checked in with them they were still investigating, and truth be told I don't remember how that investigation ended. It didn't end up mattering. The white powder was tested in a lab the same day it arrived here and it was not harmful. Which was a relief. There are a lot of perfectly lovely people who work at <em>The Stranger</em> and pass through the mail room who have nothing to do with the jerks over in editorial writing their stupid opinions about stupid films... or whatever I'd done wrong. </p> <p>As for actual shouters, there have been lots of over the years, but they usually end up in voicemail, and they're usually mentally ill, and there's no sense trotting out their sad stories for everyone else's entertainment. </p> <p>Anyway! Slog's quest to raise money for the very, very great <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a> continues. As of this morning, Slog has raised $5,527 this holiday season from 124 donors. Be a giver! Just <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">donate to Northwest Harvest right now</a>—whatever amount you can afford! And of course, if anyone has ever shouted at you (by phone or by mail) you should give a little extra. And tell your story in the comments.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/08/the-case-of-the-mysterious-letter#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15446329&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/08/the-case-of-the-mysterious-letter?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15446329&id=comments 6 Sat, 08 Dec 2012 13:17:26 -0800 The Stranger Win a $100 Gift Certificate to Monsoon in the Slog vs. People Who Are So Mad They Call Us Up to Shout at Us Holiday Charity Challenge! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/07/win-a-100-gift-certificate-to-monsoon-in-the-slog-vs-people-who-are-so-mad-they-call-us-up-to-shout-at-us-holiday-charity-challenge http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/07/win-a-100-gift-certificate-to-monsoon-in-the-slog-vs-people-who-are-so-mad-they-call-us-up-to-shout-at-us-holiday-charity-challenge Megan Seling <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p>We have been on the wrong end of <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/07/yellers-i-have-known-skinheads-dori-monson-and-bart-sher">some angry yelling</a>. Most recently, a man <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge">claiming to be Kenny G's manager</a> shouted at us.</p> <p>I'd say it's about time for some good yelling! LOOK! <strong>YOU CAN WIN $150 WORTH OF DELICIOUS FOOD AND COFFEE! </strong></p> <p>To enter to win a <strong>$100 gift certificate to </strong><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/monsoon/Location?oid=24348">Monsoon</a> and a <strong>$50 gift card to</strong> <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/caffe-vita/Location?oid=24972">Caffe Vita</a>, all you have to do is <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">donate to Northwest Harvest</a> by way of the Slog vs. People Who Are So Mad They Call Us Up to Shout at Us Holiday Charity Challenge! Then, send your donation receipt to <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">charity@thestranger.com</a> along with 50 words (or less!) about how much you love Vietnamese food, coffee, or both!</p> <p>Entries will be accepted until midnight tonight, and they will be judged by the Stranger promotions department. Be funny! Be smart! Be creative! Be sincere! Whatever! Just <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">give to Northwest Harvest right now</a>—whatever amount you can afford! </p> <p>You will also become a Slog <strong>SWASHBUCKLING HERO</strong>, if you're not one already—just include your commenter handle in the e-mail to <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">charity@thestranger.com</a>, and we'll set you up. </p> <p>Good luck! And THANK YOU for being so kind this holiday season.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/07/win-a-100-gift-certificate-to-monsoon-in-the-slog-vs-people-who-are-so-mad-they-call-us-up-to-shout-at-us-holiday-charity-challenge#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15476001&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/07/win-a-100-gift-certificate-to-monsoon-in-the-slog-vs-people-who-are-so-mad-they-call-us-up-to-shout-at-us-holiday-charity-challenge?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15476001&id=comments 0 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:42:08 -0800 The Stranger Yellers I Have Known: Skinheads, Dori Monson, and Bart Sher http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/07/yellers-i-have-known-skinheads-dori-monson-and-bart-sher http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/07/yellers-i-have-known-skinheads-dori-monson-and-bart-sher Brendan Kiley <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p><em>This year, to raise money for <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>, current and former </em>Stranger<em> staffers are telling stories about <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge">times people have called us up to shout at us.</a></em></p> <p>Maybe because this is Seattle, and maybe because I mostly write about arts, but I don't tend to get yelled at. The worst I get is usually a stern whining.</p> <p>But there have been a few yellers over the years. The first (that I remember) was from Pacific Northwest Ballet, just months (or maybe weeks) after I got hired as the theater editor. I'd written a tiny calendar item about the ballet's annual <em>Nutcracker</em>, saying it was designed by Maurice Sendak and choreographed by Colonel Gaddafi. It was a total whim—not a commentary on PNB or North Africa or anything—but the p.r. person at the time was <em>pissed</em> and called me up during an editorial meeting. The receptionist explained what it was about over our phone-intercom. I was about to say I'd call her back but Dan Savage, my new boss, lit up with impish glee and said he'd take the call—while the entire staff was sitting around listening.</p> <p>I turned red with shame and despair. This was my death knell. I'd be fired as soon as the call was over.</p> <p>Dan picked up the phone and had a brief conversation. I don't remember what he said, but I remember him grinning through the whole thing and saying something like: "You hear a 'smile in my voice' because it's ridiculous—it's a joke." He hung up, told me (again, in front of everyone) that it was fine, and that if I wasn't pissing people off I wasn't doing my job.</p> <p>I consider that my <em>Stranger</em> christening. (That, and getting spanked by Mistress Matisse in her dungeon for <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=26579">a story.</a>)</p> <p>A few more yellers after the jump.</p> <p><em>It costs only <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">67 cents to feed a family of three</a> a meal through Northwest Harvest. As of this morning, Slog has raised $5,137. Which is good, but we can do better! <strong>Let's give more, more, MORE!</strong> <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">GIVE TO NORTHWEST HARVEST NOW</a> and <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">send us your commenter handle along with your receipt</a>, and we'll set you up with a SWASHBUCKING HERO badge.</em></p> <p>* People mad about the <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/hell_houses_the_freakout">Hell Houses Halloween story</a>, which included skinhead death threats over email and on the phone, and a stupid radio "interview" with shouty goofball Dori Monson.</p> <p>* People who continue to be angry at me for writing about <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/anarchy-is-boring/Content?oid=13597692">local anarchists</a> and <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/05/02/why-all-the-smashy-smashy-a-beginners-guide-to-targeted-property-destruction">political vandalism</a> in any tone other than sputtering indignation.</p> <p>* Here's a yelling voicemail I still keep around: "Hey you little fucking dick, I wanna fucking eat shit out of your poophole, I wanna fuck you so fucking hard, nah but it's [incomprehensible]. Call me at 1-800-GO FUCK YOURSELF, biiiiiiitch! And I like it in the ass." I'm not sure which story the caller was referring to.</p> <p>* Director Bart Sher once called me from Europe, where he was directing an opera, to yell at me about perceived slights in <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=612026&tr">this article</a> I'd written about Sheila Daniels when she was hired at Intiman. (A position she left soon thereafter). The conversation started off angry but ended up nice and friendly. That's my favorite kind of yeller—one who's pissed off at the moment but isn't welded to his pissed-offedness, and is happy to move on once things get talked out.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/07/yellers-i-have-known-skinheads-dori-monson-and-bart-sher#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15475283&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! Theater http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/07/yellers-i-have-known-skinheads-dori-monson-and-bart-sher?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15475283&id=comments 4 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:30:01 -0800 The Stranger The Time the Q13 News Director Got So Mad He Called to Shout at Us http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/06/the-time-the-q13-news-director-got-so-mad-he-called-to-shout-at-us http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/06/the-time-the-q13-news-director-got-so-mad-he-called-to-shout-at-us David Schmader <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p><em>This year, to raise money for <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>, current and former <em>Stranger</em> staffers are telling stories about <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge">times people have called us up to shout at us.</a></em></p> <p><br />The stupid weekly <strong><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/new-column/Content?oid=15280258">"New Column!"</a></strong> is a longstanding <em>Stranger</em> tradition. I imagine Wm. Steven Humphrey invented it, and a recurring joke has been to have stupid fake "guest columns" from celebrities who typically addressed an issue that rhymed with their name. (See <em><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/goin-gay-with-dr-dre/Content?oid=4623">Goin' Gay with Dr. Dre</a></em> and <em><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/my-thoughts-on-nato-by-dana-plato/Content?oid=5354">My Thoughts on NATO by Dana Plato</a></em>.)</p> <p>Eventually, we <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/eating-bologna-with-annette-bening/Content?oid=5501">ran out of rhymes</a>—but not before we ran a "New Column!" "written" by a semi-famous Q13 news anchor of the late '90s, entitled <em><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/rambling-filler-by-leslie-miller/Content?oid=5082">Rambling Filler by Leslie Miller</a></em>. As you can read, it was just a bunch of crud a news anchor might say while trying to fill dead air—but <strong>boy did it make the Q13 news director angry</strong>.</p> <p>So angry was the Q13 news director—<strong>Todd Mokhtari</strong> was his name—that he called <em>The Stranger</em> and left <strong>a furious voicemail </strong>on the answering machine of publisher Tim Keck. The following week, we published the text of this voicemail as a "New Column!" called <em><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/you-better-say-sorry-by-todd-mokhtari/Content?oid=5148">You Better Say Sorry by Todd Mokhtari</a></em>. Enjoy!</p> <p><br /><em>It costs only <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">67 cents to feed a family of three</a> a meal through Northwest Harvest. As of this morning, Slog has raised<strong> $4,897</strong>! Which is so great. Let's give more, more, MORE! <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">GIVE TO NORTHWEST HARVEST NOW</a> and <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">send us your commenter handle along with your receipt</a>, and we'll set you up with a SWASHBUCKING HERO badge.</em></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/06/the-time-the-q13-news-director-got-so-mad-he-called-to-shout-at-us#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15468590&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/06/the-time-the-q13-news-director-got-so-mad-he-called-to-shout-at-us?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15468590&id=comments 1 Thu, 06 Dec 2012 13:18:56 -0800 The Stranger The Time Frank Oz Got So Mad He Called Me Up to Shout at Me http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/05/the-time-frank-oz-got-so-mad-he-called-me-up-to-shout-at-me http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/05/the-time-frank-oz-got-so-mad-he-called-me-up-to-shout-at-me Andy Spletzer <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p><em>This year, to raise money for Northwest Harvest, current and former </em>Stranger<em> staffers are telling stories about <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge">times people have called us up to shout at us.</a> Andy Spletzer was the film editor of </em>The Stranger<em> from 1991 to 2000.</em></p> <p>In 1995, <em>The Stranger</em> was just a few years old. There was no such thing as an internet version of this or any paper, much less Slog. Once the distro squad took each issue off the street and replaced by a new one, that was it. Reviews were only kept by parents and <strong>hoarders. </strong></p> <p>I never heard from film directors except when publicists set up interviews, and I never really got letters about my film reviews. Sometimes I would see people reading them in Cafe Paradiso, but mostly I was writing for myself and my coworkers. I do remember that after my review of <em>The Indian in the Cupboard</em>, Nancy in sales told me she hadn't planned on seeing it until she read my review. That felt good.</p> <p>You see, my take on this very strange movie about a boy who is given a wooden cabinet for his birthday, one that happens to bring toys to life, is that it's a coming of age film about a young boy's first sexual feelings. Specifically, it's about a <strong>gay awakening,</strong> as young Omri brings a half-naked, anatomically correct American Indian to life and doesn't want to share his little male fantasy figure. </p> <p>So I was sitting in the Honeycomb Hideout, our nickname for the cubicle that all the arts editors shared, when my phone buzzed: <strong>“Andy, Frank Oz is on the phone for you.”</strong></p> <p>“Put him through,” I said as I wrapped up my conversation with my fellow editors. But by the time I picked up the phone, the call had gone to voicemail. Having just gotten a compliment on the review, I thought he might have been calling to commend me on promoting this family film to a new audience. </p> <p>He left a voicemail:</p> <blockquote><p>Andy Spleeetzor, or whatever your name is, my name is Frank Oz. I'm just reading your review in <em>The Stranger</em> of <em>The Indian in the Cupboard</em>. <strong>I've been in the business for a long time,</strong> and I don't mind a critique, and I don’t mind one that is critical of my work, but you know… YOU ARE A FUCKING HORSE'S ASS. You don’t have a CLUE as to what you are talking about. The thing that just <strong>GNAWS</strong> at me is when I see little people, working at <strong>these little horse-shit rag papers, </strong>suddenly think they’re experts on CINEMA and FILM, and they understand the story. You're a <strong>fucking dickhead,</strong> and I hope… I'm going to be in Seattle in about two weeks. I hope I get a chance to meet you.</p></blockquote> <p>Not the reaction I expected. Of course, because Frank Oz was the voice of so many famous Muppets, from <strong>Fozzy Bear to Miss Piggy to Yoda,</strong> and because <em>The Stranger</em> is <em>The Stranger</em>, we ran a transcript of the voicemail as a letter to the editor… in a word balloon coming out of Grover's mouth.</p> <p>Obviously something got under his skin about my review, and I don't think it was my calling it a bad but fascinating film. No, I think he objected to me calling it a gay coming-of-age film (an interpretation I stand by). </p> <p>I'd also like to believe that my review was in the back of his mind when Frank Oz chose his next project: <em>In & Out</em>, the one where Kevin Kline plays a closeted high school teacher who's outed by a former student on national TV. Then again, maybe it's a coincidence. </p> <p><em>It costs only <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">67 cents to feed a family of three</a> a meal through Northwest Harvest. As of this morning, Slog has raised<strong> $4,672</strong>! That's awesome, but only 99 individual donors have given so far. We can do better than that! <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">GIVE TO NORTHWEST HARVEST NOW</a> and <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">send us your commenter handle along with your receipt</a>, and we'll set you up with a SWASHBUCKING HERO badge.</em></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/05/the-time-frank-oz-got-so-mad-he-called-me-up-to-shout-at-me#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15455552&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/05/the-time-frank-oz-got-so-mad-he-called-me-up-to-shout-at-me?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15455552&id=comments 15 Wed, 05 Dec 2012 12:16:01 -0800 The Stranger The Slog vs. People Who Are So Mad They Call Us Up to Shout at Us Holiday Charity Challenge: The Haiku Contest Winner! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/04/the-slog-vs-people-who-are-so-mad-they-call-us-up-to-shout-at-us-holiday-charity-challenge-the-haiku-contest-winner http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/04/the-slog-vs-people-who-are-so-mad-they-call-us-up-to-shout-at-us-holiday-charity-challenge-the-haiku-contest-winner Bethany Jean Clement <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p></a>Our quest to raise money for the very, very great <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a> continues...</p> <p>So far <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Slog has raised $ $4,567 to help</a>! EXCELLENT.</p> <p>And the winner of yesterday's SEAFOOD DELIGHT haiku contest is the wonderful <strong>bitethemailman, aka Adam</strong>, who says, "I have donated $20 to NWH because no one should ever be hungry. And, something about being a Swashbuckling Hero." BEHOLD his masterpiece:</p> <p>Two blue rubber bands<br />I shot them across the room<br />Lobster Night</p> <p>bitethemailman/Adam wins a $100 gift certificate to Kevin Davis's <a href="http://www.blueacreseafood.com/">Blueacre Seafood</a>, courtesy of <a href="http://www.dinearoundseattle.org/">Dine Around Seattle</a>. </p> <p>Be a giver like him! Just <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">donate to Northwest Harvest right now</a>—whatever amount you can afford! </p> <p>You will also become a Slog SWASHBUCKLING HERO, if you're not one already—just <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">send us your commenter handle along with your receipt</a>, and we'll set you up. HEROES UNITE on Slog!</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/04/the-slog-vs-people-who-are-so-mad-they-call-us-up-to-shout-at-us-holiday-charity-challenge-the-haiku-contest-winner#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15444592&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/04/the-slog-vs-people-who-are-so-mad-they-call-us-up-to-shout-at-us-holiday-charity-challenge-the-haiku-contest-winner?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15444592&id=comments 6 Tue, 04 Dec 2012 10:56:28 -0800 The Stranger The Line at the Cherry Street Food Bank http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/03/the-line-at-the-cherry-street-food-bank http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/03/the-line-at-the-cherry-street-food-bank Dominic Holden <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/9015/1354565855-cherry_street_food_bank.jpg" alt="cherry_street_food_bank.jpg" title="" width="500" height="375" /></div></p> <p>This was the line last year at the <strong>Cherry Street Food Bank</strong>. I posted this exact photo a year ago, but I'm posting it again. I walk past this place all the time, and the line gets really long this time of year. </p> <p>The people in this photo were the lucky ones. The line was moving pretty slowly, and behind them, it went around the corner and all the way back to James Street. </p> <p>Don't get me wrong... Kenny G, people yelling, swashbuckling things on your comments! Those are fun reasons to donate. But it's for these folks right here. You can contribute to Northwest Harvest, which supplies the Cherry Street Food Bank and lots of others, by <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">donating RIGHT HERE to Slog's annual charity bonanza</a>. </p> <p>Thank you, Sloggers.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/03/the-line-at-the-cherry-street-food-bank#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15434149&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/03/the-line-at-the-cherry-street-food-bank?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15434149&id=comments 10 The Line at the Cherry Street Food Bank Mon, 03 Dec 2012 12:23:41 -0800 The Stranger Win Dinner for Two at Blueacre in the Slog vs. People Who Are So Mad They Call Us Up to Shout at Us Holiday Charity Challenge! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/03/win-dinner-for-two-at-blueacre-in-the-slog-vs-people-who-are-so-mad-they-call-us-up-to-shout-at-us-holiday-charity-challenge http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/03/win-dinner-for-two-at-blueacre-in-the-slog-vs-people-who-are-so-mad-they-call-us-up-to-shout-at-us-holiday-charity-challenge Bethany Jean Clement <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p>MERE SHOUTING WILL NOT STOP THE SLOG CHARITY CHALLENGE! We're <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge">putting all that behind us</a> and continuing to raise money for the very, very great <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a>, helping feed hungry people across our state this holiday season.</p> <p>So far <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Slog has raised $3,367 to help</a>! YAY, SLOG!!!</p> <p>Today's contest: Along with your donation receipt, <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">just send in</a> your <strong>original haiku about seafood</strong>, and you will be entered to win a $100 gift certificate to Kevin Davis's <a href="http://www.blueacreseafood.com/">Blueacre Seafood</a>, courtesy of <a href="http://www.dinearoundseattle.org/">Dine Around Seattle</a>. Haikus will be accepted until midnight tonight, and they will be judged by the Stranger promotions department on syllable-number, creativity, and humor and/or pathos. The winner of SEAFOOD DELIGHT will be announced tomorrow.</p> <p>Just <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">give to Northwest Harvest right now</a>—whatever amount you can afford! </p> <p>You will also become a Slog SWASHBUCKLING HERO, if you're not one already—just include your commenter handle, and we'll set you up. <strong>Ah, the sea!!!</strong> And YOU are a HERO for helping!</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/03/win-dinner-for-two-at-blueacre-in-the-slog-vs-people-who-are-so-mad-they-call-us-up-to-shout-at-us-holiday-charity-challenge#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15417190&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/03/win-dinner-for-two-at-blueacre-in-the-slog-vs-people-who-are-so-mad-they-call-us-up-to-shout-at-us-holiday-charity-challenge?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15417190&id=comments 3 Mon, 03 Dec 2012 11:19:12 -0800 The Stranger Kenny G's Manager Calls Us Up to Shout at Us About the Slog vs. Kenny G Holiday Charity Challenge http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge Christopher Frizzelle <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/343f/1354226918-kenny2.jpg" alt="KENNY2.jpg" title="" width="500" height="177" /></a></div></p> <p>As Slog readers know, earlier this week we launched the <strong>Slog vs. Kenny G Holiday Charity Challenge</strong> to raise money for the hungry this holiday season. We have a successful track record here at Slog of choosing some person/organization/thing and then challenging them to a fundraising-off <em>without telling them</em>. Last year, the Slog vs. Gawker Holiday Charity Challenge—which we did not tell Gawker about, and which Gawker maybe still doesn't know about—raised <strong>$29,327.21</strong> for Northwest Harvest. Considering Northwest Harvest can feed a family of three for only 67 cents, that did a world of good for some of the neediest people in the Northwest.</p> <p>So this year we were brainstorming about who to go toe-to-toe with for the holiday auction. The <em>Seattle Times</em>? Rob McKenna? Pit bulls? Then someone said "Kenny G?" And Kenny G it was! For no particular reason! Smooth-jazz hit maker! Haver of extra long hair! From the Northwest! Rumored to have been former <em>Stranger</em> managing editor Bradley Steinbacher's babysitter! <strong>Probably a total sweetheart!</strong> Music editor Emily Nokes drew a very lovely portrait of Kenny G for the charity-challenge artwork…</p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/ac93/1354310931-kennyg.jpg" alt="KennyG.jpg" title="" width="500" height="530" /></div></p> <p>…and the Slog vs. Kenny G Holiday Charity Challenge was on! </p> <p><strong>UNTIL!</strong> </p> <p>Until <strong>Kenny G's manager</strong> caught whiff of it. Whoa, boy, Kenny G's manager is <em>pissed</em>. Lordy, he's mad. Or at least he said he was Kenny G's manager. Seemed like he was Kenny G's manager. He was so mad, we thought for a minute it was a radio-station prank. On Wednesday, he called and yelled at our managing editor Bethany Jean Clement, who is one of the calmest and most understanding people on Earth. He screamed at her that it is vitally important that everyone know that Kenny G is not now and was never involved in the Slog vs. Kenny G Holiday Charity Challenge. He yelled, <strong>"HOW DARE YOU!" </strong></p> <p>Bethany attempted to explain that it was just a stupid joke and that Sloggers have a sense of humor. Kenny G's manager shouted from his office in Los Angeles, <strong>"I HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR!"</strong> He called Bethany, Slog, and Northwest Harvest itself <strong>"DECEITFUL!"</strong> Did we mention Kenny G's manager sounded very angry? Bethany was not the only <em>Stranger</em> staffer Kenny G's manager reamed out over the phone. </p> <p>Anyway, the human ball of anger who identified himself as Kenny G's manager will not rest until we put a stop to the Slog vs. Kenny G Holiday Charity Challenge. After insisting we add a disclaimer that Kenny G was not and is not involved in the Slog vs. Kenny G Holiday Charity Challenge, he shouted: <strong>"DON'T DO IT AGAIN!"</strong> So, after four great days and <strong>more than $2,000 raised for hungry people</strong> in our state, <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">the Slog vs. Kenny G Holiday Charity Challenge is over</a>. Because we have a better idea now.</p> <p>Effectively immediately, we are changing this year's fundraising drive to <strong>the Slog vs. People Who Are So Mad They Call Us Up to Shout at Us Holiday Charity Challenge!</strong> So the Kenny G art is going away (sad smooth-jazz trombone!!) and Emily has drawn a replacement image of what she imagines Kenny G's manager looked like when he was shouting at us:</p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:444px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/4cf7/1354310812-peoplewhoshoutatus.jpg" alt="peoplewhoshoutatus.jpg" title="" width="432" height="608" /></div></p> <p>You're not gonna keep us from raising money for Northwest Harvest, Kenny G's manager! Your anger is no match for the generosity of Slog. If you haven't given yet, now is the time! <a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Click here to stick it to people who are so mad they call us up to shout at us</a>, while also giving the homeless and the hungry a leg up this season. <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">Forward us your receipt</a> and your commenter handle and we'll tag all your comments with a SWASHBUCKLING HERO badge. If you've already donated something, consider giving a little more, just to let Kenny G's manager know where you stand.</p> <p>So the charity challenge artwork has changed...</p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/11/30/1354312169-somad.jpg" alt="somad.jpg" title="" width="500" height="166" /></div></p> <p>…and starting next week, Slog staffers will be regaling you with stories of past encounters with people who were so mad at us about something we wrote that they called us up to shout at us. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY. Also, if you've ever been screamed at by random people over the holidays, tell us the story in the comments. This is going to be the best holiday season on Slog yet.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15415356&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/kenny-gs-manager-calls-us-up-to-shout-at-us-about-the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15415356&id=comments 71 Kenny G's Manager Calls Us Up to Shout at Us About the Slog vs. Kenny G Holiday Charity Challenge Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:58:23 -0800 The Stranger The Slog vs. Kenny G Holiday Charity Challenge: A Video http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/28/the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge-a-video http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/28/the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge-a-video Bethany Jean Clement <p><em>NOTE: Kenny G is not now and never was involved in the Slog vs. Kenny G Holiday Charity Challenge.</em></p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/343f/1354226918-kenny2.jpg" alt="KENNY2.jpg" title="" width="500" height="177" /></a></div></p> <p><a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Northwest Harvest</a> provides 1.7 million meals a month to <strong>hungry families</strong> across Washington. More than half of <strong>the people who are hungry here are children and the elderly</strong>.</p> <p>So far—in just two days!—<a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Slog has raised $1680 to help</a>.</p> <p>Kenny G is teaching circular breathing on YouTube.</p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bkA_pxHaNZQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></p> <p><a href="http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/FeatEv_StrangerChallenge.htm">Give to Northwest Harvest right now</a>—whatever amount you can afford—and become a Slog SWASHBUCKLING HERO (just <a href="mailto:charity@thestranger.com">forward us your receipt</a> and your commenter handle, and we'll set you up). YOU are a HERO for helping!</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/28/the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge-a-video#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15392430&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> CHARITY! http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/28/the-slog-vs-kenny-g-holiday-charity-challenge-a-video?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15392430&id=comments 7 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:00:00 -0800 The Stranger