posted by on October 15 at 3:09 PM
After a Slog poll, a careful inspection of tax returns, and a consultation with our anagram generator, we've chosen Treehouse as the beneficiary of this year's Strangercrombie.
Congratulations, everybody.
posted by on October 1 at 12:21 PM
And that something is Strangercrombie, our annual exercise in fund-raising and do-gooding.
Last year's Strangercrombie gift auction raised over $60,000 for FareStart, an downtown restaurant that trains homeless folks to work in professional kitchens and finds them beds, counseling, and social services.
Readers bought all kinds of improbable stuff like a private concert with superstar cellist Joshua Roman (sold for $1,225), a cover song of the buyer's choice recorded by the Presidents of the United States of America (sold for $1,525), and pages of The Stranger (the cover sold for $3,350).
(There were more affordable packages, too. You can see all the auctions here.)
It's time to choose this year's good cause. The Slog vote isn't binding, but it is influential. And if you don't see a cause you like in the polls, nominate yours in the comments.
Who Should Get the Money?
posted by on August 18 at 3:29 PM
Remember Strangercrombie? That winter charity auction of ours that, last year, raised over $50,000 for FareStart?
Back in December, a Strangercrombie high-bidder named Sam paid at $523.26 for the privilege of going salmon fishing with our publisher, Tim Keck.
Last Saturday, Sam and Tim and boat captain (and friend of the paper) Josh Gurnee puttered into Elliot Bay at 4:45 am to catch some king salmon. A report from Tim:
Sam caught his limit that morning with two beautiful fish, the biggest around 20 pounds. Most boats on the water got zilch that morning. Way to go Sam and special thanks to Josh for donating his time and boat and being the best captain on the water.
Stay tuned for next year's Strangercrombie. We'll be picking the charity—with you help—next month. Last year, people were stumping for Treehouse, 826 Seattle, and Urban Rest Stop along with FareStart.
Which good causes do people like this year?
posted by on March 24 at 1:32 PM
Anna Ullrich, an eco-conscious artist and web developer who brings her own plate to lunch at the Microsoft cafeteria, bought the "Stranger Distro Team Fixes Up Your Park" item at Strangercrombie 2007. She sicced the distribution crew on St. Mark's Greenbelt, where they pulled out invasive holly, blackberry, and ivy on a sunny Saturday. (The $355 Anna paid went straight to job-training program FareStart.)
If this looks like fun, check out the list of ongoing green-space restoration projects at www.greenseattle.org.
posted by on December 18 at 4:42 PM
In case you weren't following the action on Friday, our annual 10-day charity auction was a a huge success this year. We raised $60,000 for FareStart.
You'll see a wrap-up in Thursday's paper, and you can see exactly how much everything sold for here.
A man named Jeff won the Guest Star on Slog auction. He says he looks forward to defending the honor of West Seattle and the Alaskan Way Viaduct. You'll learn more about him when he writes for Slog for seven days starting January 7.
Giant, glowing, red-hot thank yous to all of you who bid and to everyone who donated items and time and money. Sincerely, thank you.
posted by on December 14 at 5:07 PM
We raised over $60,000.
That's $20,000 more than last year, all for the homeless and hungry people helped by FareStart.
Thank you so, so much. I can't tell you how grateful we are.
If you won your auction, congratulations!
If you didn't, consider giving a little something of what you would've bid:
Thank you all—donors, bidders, the people who worked to make this happen—a thousand times over.
Happy holidays, everybody.
posted by on December 14 at 4:50 PM
posted by on December 14 at 1:50 PM
A reminder: if you don't feel like messing around with bidding (or if you lose your auction—perish the thought!), you can push some pennies towards FareStart with our handy direct donation button.
Look for it on the right side of the Strangercrombie home page. Or just press it now:
(Current total: $46,500.65. Go! Bid! Buy!)
UPDATES: Blake is still 2.6% ahead of Joshua Roman and Fnarf has again taken the lead on the "gift of family planning."
posted by on December 14 at 12:48 PM
posted by on December 14 at 12:34 PM
The grand total, as of this moment: $44,062 and rising.
You've got until 5 pm today—just four and a half more hours—to bid. And still, everything is goin' cheap.
The bicycle + messenger bag + bike fitting with track racing champ Kenny Williams? $405.
The Neumo's booking agent 101 package is a paltry $152.51. (Who knows? It might be your ticket to a job at the Crocodile... )
The dinner cooked for you and seven guests in your home by Renee Erickson of the Boat Street Cafe is just $530. (And check out these private dinners cooked by Ethan Stowell, Laurie Carter, and this champagne brunch by Robin Leventhal of Crave.)
The private performance by the deeply hilarious (and lewd) Sgt. Rigsby and His Amazing Silhouettes is just $102.50.
The Pizza Glutton? Undervalued.
Party crasher? Just $50.
The cover of The Stranger? Just over $1,000.
The VIP parties at Nectar, Neumo's, the Sunset, etc. are still a collective steal.
There's just too much—peruse the bargains here.
And the dramas:
Since the auction began, the private cello concert with Joshua Roman has been bid higher than the karaoke session with American Idol star Blake Lewis. Which was pleasantly surprising. (No offense, Blake.) As of this morning, Lewis (at $1,026) finally pulled ahead of Roman ($1,000), but their proxy war—pop versus haute—is still raging.
Slog commentors Fnarf and Mr. Poe, who were competing for the "gift of family planning," have both been bid out of the running.
After the initial freak-out about the Chris Crocker package (his fans swamping our site, a specious $10,000 bid, and a bunch of commentors getting all peevish), the price for a private phone call with Chris has been bid to a respectable, but not insane, $255.
And some generous soul has bid this titillating tote bag, estimated to be worth $39, up to $50.
And, in the time it has taken to write this post, the total has jumped to $45,512. You all are saints. Saints!
Strangercrombie: Once a year, we do something good.
posted by on December 13 at 12:49 PM
For the person who has everything...
Pins and Needles. Current bid: $43.
Ten free games of bowling at Imperial Lanes and a seven-foot-tall artificial Christmas tree from Champion Party Supply. A $200 value.
Laff Hole Roast. Current bid: $107.
It’s like a night with Shriners, but everyone’s 80 years younger. It begins with a private party for 20 guests at Chop Suey catered by Soy Cowboy, then drink tickets and free admission to Laff Hole, by the ever-funnier comedians of the People’s Republic of Komedy, and a roast of the person of your choice (must be a willing participant). You will never stop laughing. Ever.
Your Band's Big Break. Current bid: $567.99
This seven-part package has everything you need to leap from your bedroom to the big stage—studio time, gigs, a guitar, legal consultation, a photo shoot, styling, and a promise from Barsuk to listen to your demo. Behold: It starts with a beautiful white Epiphone G-310 guitar; eight hours in the studio at Electrokitty Recording (previous clients include Maktub, Mastodon, and U2); mastering by Sound Media (12 songs or up 74 minutes of music); a photo shoot with Stranger and Rolling Stone photographer Justin Renney; styling for the shoot by Christine Cherbonnier of VAIN; an hour of legal consultation with entertainment lawyer Wade Neal, esquire; four gigs at Sunset Tavern; and, of course, the star-makers at Barsuk will listen to your demo.
Get Smart. Current bid: $330.
One free SAT, LSAT, GRE, or GMAT preparation course, courtesy of the Princeton Review. Plus a $50 gift certificate to Elliott Bay Book Company to get you started on your textbooks. Plus-plus a $25 gift certificate to the Crypt, in the hopes you find a less expensive way to express your masochism than higher education. A $2,200 value.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Opera. Current bid: $173.50.
Two tickets to the Sunday, January 20, matinee performance of Pagliacci—the tragedy of a fatal love triangle in a commedia dell’arte troupe—at Seattle Opera. Plus, for the purposes of staging your own fatal love triangle, a paperback copy of The Threesome Handbook: A Practical Guide to Sleeping with Three by Vicki Vantoch. And, speaking of threes, you also get a $100 gift certificate to the Triple Door, the perfect setting for jazz shows or chamber-music concerts or adulterous assignations. A $340 value.
View a complete list of the actions here.
Strangercrombie: Once a year, we do something good.
posted by on December 12 at 12:21 PM
Every year, The Stranger sells off chunks of itself—the cover, a guest-expert slot in Savage Love, reviews, feature stories, etc.
My favorite thing about last year's Strangercrombie was the bunch of comedians who got together, pooled their money, and bought Suggests so they could publicize The Week of Fun, their big push to publicize the new comedy scene in Seattle. They collectively paid $610 for the Suggests and were terrified their gambit would fail and they'd all lose their money (which they couldn't afford to spend in the first place).
They didn't. The Week of Fun was a huge success with performances by the People's Republic of Komedy, David Schmader, Charles Mudede, Sabzi from Blue Scholars, and a bunch of other funny fucks.
It was a coming-out party for Seattle's comedy scene. It was a coup.
You know how much Suggests is going for right now? Forty-six threadbare dollars.
Even the theater review is going for more money than Suggests. I'm the theater editor, and even I have to admit that's pathetic. Nothing in this paper should be less valuable to the city of Seattle than a theater review.
How about this: You bid on Suggests, and the winner will get a dozen cupcakes from Cupcake Royale. Deal?
(In good news: As of this very second, you all have raised $36,672. Which is fantastic. Three cheers for FareStart, three cheers for you.)
posted by on December 12 at 9:38 AM
Dina Martina Covers the Song of Your Choice.
Currently at $280, this priceless item allows the winner to request the song of his or her choice to be sung (and recorded) by the one and only Dina Martina.
This year's Strangercrombie boasts a number of great custom-cover-song packages, starring Visqueen, the Presidents of the United States of America, the Posies, Erin Jorgensen, and more, but it's the Dina package that haunts my dreams.
If God were kind enough to let me win the Dina pack, I fear that I would be paralyzed by the privilege. There are so many songs I would be ecstatic to hear Dina Martina perform that choosing one is painful.
On one side are the Dina Martina classics, songs she's covered in her shows over the years that I'd love to have recordings of: "Bette Davis Eyes," "Year of the Cat," "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," "In the Ghetto."
On the other side are all the songs I'd love to hear Dina attack, including but not limited to: "Wind Beneath My Wings" (Dina could make great hay of the lovingly insulting lyrics), Tori Amos's "Me and a Gun," and "Loving You Is Easy 'Cause You're Beautiful" (just to see what happens when Dina confronts that note). (And, of course, "Smell Yo Dick.")
Strangercrombie 2007: You have two days and seven hours left to bid.
posted by on December 11 at 4:09 PM
Strangercrombie is rolling right along. With three days remaining, we've already raised a respectable $35,000 for FareStart.
Slogging privileges are currently going for $605. We know nothing about the current high bidder, but our fingers are crossed that she or he can string a coherent sentence and has something to say.
There are still quite a few undervalued packages awaiting your bid, including these:
Spend an evening at Moe Bar with 10 friends and food and drinks courtesy of your very own bartender. This would make a fabulous birthday or graduation party, no? Current high bid: $102.50
Have you seen Sgt. Rigsby and His Amazing Silhouettes? They are truly mesmerizing and lovely and silly; they would delight your mother and blow your kid's mind. A private shadow-puppet performance is currently at $36.
Retail Therapy donated a way generous 60-second shopping spree. Have you been there? The tiny store is chock full of wearable and fabulous indie-designer clothes for men and women, Miz Mooz shoes and boots, an entire wall of lingerie, jewelry, fragrance, handbags, high-end bath and body goodies, and more. The bidding has stalled at a ridiculously low $202.50.
Watch all the auctions here.
posted by on December 11 at 11:08 AM
Erin Jorgensen Covers the Song of Your Choice
One of the founding geniuses behind the French Project will sing your song of choice en français and play it on her mellifluous marimba. Priceless!
(Listen to her dreamy cover of Thin Lizzy's "The Cowboy Song" here.)
Strangercrombie: Once a year, we do something good.
posted by on December 10 at 3:35 PM
Slouching along at a mere $61:
An Afternoon on the Green with the Stranger Golf Squad
Eighteen holes of putting and puffing at the Home Course near Fort Lewis, with our slightly dazed in-house golf team (captained by Bradley Steinbacher).
Not pulling its weight at a shamefully low $71:
The good folks at Salon Dewi call it “manscaping,” but it sounds more like a clear cut—one Brazilian wax for a fellow. Cover up your deforestation with seven new pairs of sleek underthings from Red Drawers. Plus an ensemble from American Apparel—slim slacks, a T-shirt, and a cardigan. And a dashing cap from Bouncing Wall.
(Photos of the ensemble's constituent parts here, here, and here.)
UPDATE
I forgot to mention—so far, you generous people have raised $31,177 for the noble folks at FareStart. Thank you. So, so much.
But don't stop now—every little cent goes to help the homeless.
posted by on December 10 at 1:49 PM
The Slogging rights we're currently auctioning off are the same rights all editorial staffers and a few freelancers enjoy and the same editing rules apply to the winning bidder. All Slog posts are subject to editing, we reserve the right to edit or yank posts. So while we're auctioning off this item in good faith--and to raise money for charity (because once a year we do something nice)--we're not going to allow the winner to hijack Slog anymore than we would allow one staffer to hijack Slog.
The winner doesn't have to like us--it would be more interesting if someone that didn't got the item--but you won't be able to blow in here and make Slog unreadable or unbearable for others by swamping it with idiotic posts or screaming indictments of everyone on the masthead and everyone we've ever slept with.
FYI.
posted by on December 10 at 11:12 AM
In case you missed the announcement late Friday, we added a bonus item to the Strangercrombie auction: Slogging privileges for seven days in January. The current high bid is $405, and it's likely either Mr. Poe or someone trying to make sure Mr. Poe doesn't get his hands on Slog. All proceeds go to FareStart. Bid now, why don't you? Strangercrombie 2007 ends on Friday at 5 pm.
posted by on December 7 at 5:04 PM
We've just added a bonus item to the Strangercrombie auction, especially for you Slog fiends. Place the winning bid and you will be granted Slogging privileges for seven days. All proceeds go to FareStart, of course. (Thanks for the idea, Big Sven.)
posted by on December 7 at 5:02 PM
From comment #15 on this Strangercrombie post:
You wanna do this, Fnarf? You wanna try to outbid me? Try harder. That abortion is mine.
Posted by Mr. Poe | December 7, 2007 2:00 PM
Strangercrombie: Once a year we do something, uh, good.
posted by on December 7 at 11:07 AM
Three paintings of Jesus H. Christ.
A chow review—either you tell us what to write about or you write it yourself.
A Turbonegro poster by Jeff Kleinsmith.
A donated abortion.
And on the high end...
The cineaste's dream package (42-inch plasma screen, region-free DVD player, lots of stuff from Scarecrow Video) is going for $750.
The Italian leather sofa is going for $405.
And my favorite item—the miniature football signed by Daryl Tapp, defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks, plus a gift certificate to the online lingerie shop www.yourprivates.com (we're not implying anything)—is still at a measly $15.50.
posted by on December 6 at 4:52 PM
As of right now:
There have been 989 bids.
We—er, you—have raised $12,601.
The private concert with Joshua Roman is going for $306.
Karaoke with Blake Lewis is going for $217.
The giant motherfucking television is going for $401.
The yearlong pass to Town Hall is going for $202.
The tea dance at the High Dive is going for a mere $1.99.
There have been zero direct donations (if you wanna be the first—it's the blue button on the right side of the Strangercrombie home page).
And the slide show of our comely models is ready for viewing. Just go to the Strangercrombie page, scroll down and look for the slide show link.
Lovely.
posted by on December 5 at 3:43 PM
... and then I'll shut the fuck up about it. For today.
If you want to give a little something to FareStart but you don't want to mess with the auction, here's what you do:
Go here. Look for the little blue button on the right side of the page. Click it and make a regular old donation, for however much you want.
It's all about making it easy for you to help FareStart—it's all about helping.
Now back to your regularly scheduled bitching about fundies, mustaches, and the anal glands of lower mammals.
posted by on December 5 at 2:00 PM
Young Mr. Crocker, apparently dissatisfied that his item was only going for $1.99 in our Strangercrombie auction, just sent the following MySpace bulletin to his fans:
You may love to hate on Chris Crocker, but you gotta at least respect the size of his online army. Just 12 words from him to them ("You want to talk to me on the phone? Click here to bid.") and our web site gets so flooded with hits that it has a near-death experience.
posted by on December 5 at 12:05 PM
It's finally begun—Strangercrombie, our annual auction for charity.
In case you need catching up, there are two important components of Strangercrombie: good gifts and good causes. (Oh, and attractive models.)
This year's good cause is FareStart, which trains homeless folks to work in the culinary industry.
As for the good gifts—well, people are already bidding.
There's the guitar, signed by Cat Power:
This acoustic guitar, signed by the legendarily shy Cat Power is Seattle’s Red Violin. It was purchased by James Keblas (director of the Mayor’s Office of Film & Music) and given to King County Council Member Dow Constantine, who hung it in his office. This October, a man who witnesses say “looked like Kurt Cobain” tried to steal it, but was thwarted by a pair of council aides. If you buy this guitar, the ghost of Kurt Cobain will come haunt you, too.
It's going for $1.99.
Almost a grand's worth of bicycle, messenger bag, and gear? Going for $2.49.
The Posies covering a song of your choice, just for you? Going for $20.50.
A miniature football signed by Darryl Tapp, defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks, plus, a gift certificate to online lingerie shop yourprivates.com (we’re not implying anything)?
Going for $1.99.
Remember, every single cent goes to the virtuous folks at FareStart. All they have to do is cash the check.
Strangercrombie: Once a year, we do something good.
posted by on December 4 at 11:03 AM
Two days and counting...
Chris Crocker Bitches You Out
A telephone consultation with Chris Crocker, during which the YouTube celebrity, homo icon, and passionate defender of Britney will tell you what, exactly, the fuck is wrong with you. Plus: Chris sends you a pair of his underpants! Priceless! Opening bid: $1.99.
Giant Motherfucking Television
A 50-inch, Samsung plasma-screen television! Why would you want such a thing? You ought to be ashamed of yourself! Why don’t you pick up a book for once in your life? A $2,900 value. Opening bid: $1.99.
And I still can't believe Pacific Northwest Ballet is letting us do this:
Ballet Fetishist
Pacific Northwest Ballet has been sexing up its ad campaigns for a few years—pictures of its hotter dancers, all close-up and perspiring. Now you’ll be able to smell the sweat, with a pair of used pointe shoes, a used dance belt, (it’s basically a jock strap), and an invitation for you and a guest to watch Roméo et Juliette from backstage—the West Coast premiere, with choreography by Jean-Christophe Maillot and music by Prokofiev. Swoon! Opening bid: $1.99.
posted by on December 3 at 12:53 PM
Strangercrombie, our annual holiday charity auction, begins this week.
We'll be auctioning off dinner parties, furniture, a fancy bicycle, bands offering to cover the songs of your choice (ever wanted to hear the Presidents of the United States of America cover "The Lonely Goatherd"?), and stuff like this:
Vodka and Sticks: The Banya 5 and Venik Lounge Adventure
A Russian afternoon of steam, vodka, food, and light beatings with sticks for you and three friends. Start with a healthful shot of garlic-and-hot-pepper vodka at Venik in South Lake Union. Proceed next door for steaming and soaking at Banya 5, the Russian-Turkish spa. Then back to Venik to revivify with caviar, pierogi, borsch, a sampling of house vodkas, and other neo-Russian delights. A whopping $1,500 value. Opening bid: $1.99.
Who knows? Maybe this guy'll be there:
Strangercrombie: Once a year, we do something nice.
posted by on November 30 at 2:57 PM
Look for it. December 6.
Karaoke with Blake Lewis: In case you’ve been living under a stone—beatboxing marvel Blake Lewis is an American Idol superstar who makes everyone’s hearts go pitter-pat. Singing karaoke with him will cure the sick, mend the brokenhearted, and possibly score you a spot in the VIP section of heaven. In an acronym: OMG! Plus a 30 gigabyte pink iPod signed by fellow Idol-ator Kelly Clarkson, a life-size cutout of Ms. Clarkson, and eight cases of kiwi-strawberry Vitamin Water. Did you ever dare to dream of such happiness? Priceless! Opening bid: $1.99.
And...
The Best Damned Dinner Party in the History of Ever: For the second year in a row, culinary god Ethan Stowell—of Union, Tavolata, and How to Cook a Wolf—comes to your house to cook a feast for six. Plus a cavalcade of wines courtesy of Mark Ryan Winery. (And might we suggest Seattle Symphony cellist Josh Roman, for a private dinnertime concert?) Priceless! Opening bid: $1.99.
(And! How to Cook a Wolf, Stowell's tiny new 20-person restaurant on the top of Queen Anne, opens tonight.)
Strangercrombie: Once a year, we do something nice.
posted by on November 29 at 10:16 AM
A Chilean prostitute has auctioned 27 hours of sex to raise money for the country's largest charity during an annual fund-raising campaign.Maria Carolina became an overnight celebrity in the conservative Roman Catholic country.... "I've already auctioned off the 27 hours of love," Maria Carolina told Reuters on Wednesday, saying she had raised about $4,000. "One of my clients already paid. It seemed like a good deed to him."
posted by on November 23 at 11:55 AM
Dear Editor,
I hereby challenge you to an ad-hoc category for the Strangercrombie auction - we name the story we want written up by year team, for a sum of money, and you accept. Here is my story I want researched:
Go buy some fresh carp somewhere. Take said carp, minimally cleaned/ processed, to some of the best fish places in town, and ask them to prepare your carp - you pay full price for prep, of course. Find 3 upscale fish places that will prepare the carp for you, and judge the quality, and report it to us in your dining section.
I mean, you have one food/bar reviewer now that advocates exploding the tacky ornamental pigs around town, while another advocating eating their private parts with her father - I'm sure you can get such talent to get some nice places to cook up a carp. And if they can make a carp taste somehow palatable, then they can make anything taste good, so they deserve such mention.
What do you think ? I'll donate $999.99 to the cause, for 3 reviews on preparing fresh carp in upscale restaurants?
Thanks,
BB
You're in luck, BB. Like every year, we're auctioning off chunks of the paper for Strangercrombie, so readers like you can tell us what to write.
For the first time this year, you can do the writing.
We'll still write the stories if you want, but why would you? Why worry we'll fuck up your good idea? Why not write it yourself, get your name in the paper, and show everyone that anyone—even you—can write a superior story for The Stranger.
So if you want a chow story on carp, a chow story you shall have. And, for all our sakes, I hope you this is one you want to research and write yourself, you big sadist.
posted by on November 19 at 10:44 AM
Strangercrombie, our annual online holiday charity auction, is coming right up, with its great gift packages, feeling of do-gooder warmth, and photographs of people who are more naked than clothed:
In the past, all the Strangercrombie proceeds have gone to Northwest Harvest, which is great and all, but we thought it would be nice to start picking new causes each year and spread the generosity (your generosity) around.
This year, we chose FareStart.
(And for those kindhearted Slog commentors who worried that switching causes would screw up Northwest Harvest's life: We talked about it, they're cool with it, we're all still friends. Plus, Northwest Harvest is a pretty big organization and FareStart is a comparatively small one. But it's sweet of you to be concerned.)
And what's for sale for this year's Strangercromie?
• A several-course dinner for 10, cooked in your own kitchen by ace chef Ethan Stowell of Tavolàta and Union.
• A giant motherfucking 50-inch plasma-screen television.
• A salmon-fishing expedition with Stranger publisher and blood-sport enthusiast Tim Keck.
• And, um, karaoke with beatboxing marvel and American Idol superstar Blake Lewis.
• A "Chris Crocker Tells You What's Wrong with You" Package, for which Chris Crocker will give you what-for over the phone and mail you a pair of his underwear.
And lots, lots more. So much more, it's making me a little woozy.
Strangercrombie: Redistributing your wealth since 2002.
posted by on September 25 at 9:55 AM
Last week, we asked you all about your favorite local causes and where we should donate the proceeds from this year's Strangercrombie auction.
(Briefly: Strangercrombie is our annual holiday gift auction; all the money goes to a worthy local cause. In the past, that cause has been Northwest Harvest. This year, we're thinking about spreading the generosity—your generosity—around.)
So: we've winnowed your suggestions down to five, including Northwest Harvest. Before we return to our regularly scheduled programming (Ahmadinejad mocking, Larry Craig stalking, pet goats), take a look and let us know if you have a favorite:
1. Treehouse: An organization for improving the lives of abused and neglected children in foster care.
2. FareStart: "FareStart was started as a regular soup kitchen, but its founders then realized that if they trained their clients to help prepare the food, it would give them the job skills they would need to find employment and stable housing."
3. A medical-assistance organization: Maybe something like the Ada Jenkins Center (a North Carolina clinic that provides medical care to the uninsured), but in Seattle.
4. Urban Rest Stop: Showers, laundry, and other hygiene services for the homeless.
5. And, of course, Northwest Harvest: "We supply food free, without dues or fees of any kind, to a network of nearly 300 independent food banks and meal programs throughout the state."
If you had tens of thousands of dollars to give to one of these organizations, which would you choose?
Update: Now with a poll!
posted by on September 21 at 2:49 PM
Every winter, The Stranger has a charity auction called Strangercrombie, where we auction off great things (like a Vespa), weird things (like 16 boxes of porn), and things of dubious value (like, uh, ourselves) and throw the earnings at a local charity. For the past five years, the charity has been been Northwest Harvest, which has been giving food to the poor and hungry since 1967.
Last year, we raised (or, rather, you bid) $40,000. Which was great. We love Northwest Harvest. But is it possible we're being a bit myopic? Are there other local causes we should consider?
What do you think, citizens of Slog? Which are your favorite causes?
posted by on January 31 at 11:00 AM
Laff Hole
(BLOOD-SOAKED IMPROV) If you like to enjoy comedy while having your brains eaten by crazed zombies, then this is the show for you. See some of the best young comics in Seattle, then watch in terror as Bloodsquad improvises a puke-inducing horror movie in front of your eyes! Hosted by Scott Moran with Andy Peters, Derek Sheen, Ross Parsons, Kevin Richards, and Dan Carroll. (Capitol Hill Arts Center, 1621 12th Ave, 388-0569. 10 pm, $5, 21+.) PAUL MERRILL
And:
Don't Kick the Habit
(FOOD/RELIGION) Before the show, why not grab some delicious Pagliacci pizza? Why not do it in a nun's outfit? Tell them you heard it was $1 off for nuns and if they say no just act really shocked and sad. Cross yourself and mutter about sin. If enough people do this, they will probably give you the dollar off. If they show you this part of the paper, say you can't read. (Pagliacci Pizzeria, 4529 University Way NE, 726-1717. 11 am—11 pm.) DARTANIAN LONDON
[All Suggests items this week are written by the Strangercrombie auction winners over at www.weekoffun.com.]
posted by on January 30 at 11:00 AM
Darmando at the HUT
(IMPROVORAMA) I named my son Dartanion to make him tough. It gave him a sense of humor instead. Everything backfires on me. He's performing with his friends in something where the improv is based on the standup. That sounds insane and I want no part in insanity. Not in this house. Dartanion London, John Faga, Ian Schempp, Adina Gillett, Kevin Hyder, Ahamefule Oluo, and Heneghen combine to piss me off. (The HUT, 5510 University Way NE, 781-3879. 8 pm, $6, all ages; or check out Boys Allowed at Live Girls! Theater, 2220 NW Market St. 9 pm, 21+.) DARTANION'S MOM
[All Suggests items this week are written by the Strangercrombie auction winners over at www.weekoffun.com.]
posted by on January 29 at 11:00 AM
Seattle's Best-Looking Comedians
(STILL MORE COMEDY FESTIVAL) We ran out of clever ideas, so here's a straightforward standup-comedy show with some of the best-looking comedians in Seattle. Kevin Richards, Owen Straw, Meghan Hounshell, Brian Moote, and Stranger favorite Dan Carroll will be there. Some short movies, too, to relieve your eyes from the blazing hotness. (Jewelbox Theater, 2322 Second Ave, 441-5823. 8 pm, $6, 21+; or check out the Entertainment Show at Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave, 784-4880. 9 pm, $6, 21+.) HARI KONDABOLU[All Suggests items this week are written by the Strangercrombie auction winners over at www.weekoffun.com.]
posted by on January 28 at 11:00 AM
Celebrity Open Mic Night
(OPENNESS) Comedians in Seattle do much of their grunt work in the basement of a bar in Pioneer Square at the legendary Comedy Underground. We pay tribute to our home with this open mic night (that happens every Sunday anyway) featuring Saba from Blue Scholars and The Stranger's Charles Mudede, David Schmader, and Cienna Madrid. Showgirls and "pregnant sex" may be discussed. Open to public: Sign up at 7:30 p.m. (Comedy Underground, 222 S Main St, 628-0303. 8:30 pm, $6, all ages.) HARI KONDABOLU
[All Suggests items this week are written by the Strangercrombie auction winners over at www.weekoffun.com.]
posted by on January 27 at 11:00 AM
A Time for Fun
(VARIETY SHOW) Normally, I don't like these comedians with the potty mouths. What happened to EVERYBODY LOVES THE RAY-MAN? He was on the TV, and didn't have the potty mouth. But my son Paul Merrill has no attention span, so Dartanion London made him a show with movies, audience participation, and Paul Merrill. Also with Hari Kondabolu, Black Daisy, David Cope, Scott Moran, and Emmett Montgomery. I hope they don't have the potty mouths. (Central Cinema, 1411 21st Ave, 686-6684. 9 pm, $7, all ages.) PAUL'S MOM
[All Suggests items this week are written by the Strangercrombie auction winners over at www.weekoffun.com.]
posted by on January 26 at 11:00 AM
Mass Line Media Presents...
(SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS COMEDY) Mass Line Media is sponsoring this night of intelligent, socially conscious, and hysterically funny comedy at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. Saba from Blue Scholars and Khalil from Abyssinian Creole meet up with comics Hari Kondabolu, Ahamefule Oluo, and Dan Moore. (Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, 104 17th Ave S, brownpapertickets.com. 9 pm, $7, all ages; or check out the Local Ballard Comedy Show at Mr. Spots Chai House, 5463 Leary Ave NW, 297-2424. 9 pm, all ages, free.) HARI KONDABOLU
[All Suggests items this week are written by the Strangercrombie auction winners over at www.weekoffun.com.]
posted by on January 25 at 2:27 PM
Art director Aaron Huffman was so stoned earlier this week that the photo in the Strangercrombie book review, of a bride holding a bong...
...went to the printer without a photo credit. The photograph should have been credited to Heather Corinna. You can see more of Corinna's work here.
