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Two conventions: The words they used
- New York Times
- Westneat: Surprisingly, Obama won on substance
- The party in power sounded as if it weren't
- A redrawn race: new enthusiasm in the GOP
- McCain reflects and vows to shake things up
Boeing and Machinist negotiators escape to talk things over — in Florida
Social Services »'The kindest man': A meticulous life in a shed in the woods by a freeway
Microsoft »Microsoft's first Jerry Seinfeld ad: Pretty unfunny, not that there's anything wrong with that
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About Sarah Palin: an e-mail from Wasilla
The mayor's block party weekend
Is Sound Transit really one of 'the world's biggest boondoggles'?
An Alaska-sized gamble — and possibly a brilliant one
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About Sarah Palin: an e-mail from Wasilla
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Is Sound Transit really one of 'the world's biggest boondoggles'?
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The mayor's block party weekend
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The high price of Sarah Palin's candidacy
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Sarah Palin: the liberal voter's worst nightmare
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The case for Sarah Palin
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A classic evisceration speech by the running mate
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Extreme Seattle
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Why Palin, why now
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An Alaska-sized gamble — and possibly a brilliant one
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Crosscut most recent
Carless and carefree: Bellingham to Vancouver
I prefer road trips that don't include me as the driver. And now with the gas gods scowling down on us, even folks who would never leave their beloved vehicles at home are opting for alternative ways to roam. Plus, lots can happen when you're not behind the wheel. You can read. Listen to tunes. Eavesdrop. Take a snooze. Or see familiar sights with fresh eyes. My favorite way to travel to British Columbia is a combination of trains, buses, boats, and planes. This is the second in a series on my carless, carefree getaway to BC. Depending on your time and budget, cut and clip as necessary.
A Seattle gold rush house is endangered
There's little question that Seattle was put on the map by the Klondike Gold Rush. The man credited with setting off that rush, George W. Carmack, spent the last dozen years of his life living in a big Colonial Revival home in what is now Seattle's Central District. The National Park Service says the George Carmack House is fit for the National Register, but it may be too late. A for sale banner hangs on it today touting the property as a 4,800-foot lot ripe for redevelopment.
Our garden writer shares why those who refuse to follow the herd can best teach us.
Our Whidbey Island correspondent shares her favorite way to explore the food and atmosphere of Portland, Vancouver, and Seattle.
BC Ferries offer better fare
Even though I'm a Washingtonian, if I had to choose between the Washington State Ferries (WSF) and the BC Ferries, the Canucks win by a kilometer. Granted, BC Ferries has had its share of mishaps. In 2006, the Queen of the North sunk while cruising the Inside Passage on its 18-hour journey between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert. One hundred and one passengers were on board, and two are still missing and presumed dead. Human error was blamed for the sinking. Two years later, the Queen of Oak Bay lost power and plowed through dozens of boats at a marina in West Vancouver while attempting to dock at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal.
Land rush on top of the world
The search for the Northwest Passage spurred the European exploration of the Pacific Northwest. With global warming, Arctic land claims are heating up as the U.S., Canada, Denmark, Russia, Iceland and Norway vie for sea lanes, the seabed and once ice-bound islands. Finally, there's a great visual to sort out these competing claims.
Sausage Links, transit migraine edition
Ready to pay $6.85 round-trip to drive across the 520 bridge? Me neither. That's the proposed toll that would raise money to help pay for improvements to the floating fossil. But the idea of a toll begs another question, something I've been dying to get reader input about: Do you think having a toll on local bridges like 520 will sway voters to vote for the proposed light rail measure this November? Thoughts?
Vancouver's in-city oasis, VanDusen Botanical Garden, hopes to go green big-time with a $23 million visitor center that could be the region's first structure to meet the most rigid sustainability standards.
Fill it with American regular
While Fourth of July vacationers might be excited to see fireworks tonight, they won't be as enthusiastic about Washington's skyrocketing fuel prices. The Seattle Times reported on the recent 1.5-cent increase in the state's gas tax, the last of a three-year, 9.5-cent increase. So while commuters currently pay $4.35 per gallon, 55.9 cents of each gallon goes back to Uncle Sam, or George in Olympia.
But that ain't nothing compared to what's going on in British Columbia.
Sausage Links, potty-humor edition
Democratic congressional candidate Darcy Burner's home was "severely damaged" by a fire this morning. Horse's Ass has the coverage, while NorthWest Cable News has the video. ...
It's the time of year when animal-human encounters are on the rise. Bears are picnicking on hikers, moose are invading trailer parks, and muskrats are blamed for destroying entire towns. You could be next.
Sausage Links, media-bashing edition
Lefty blogger David Goldstein at Horse's Ass has been battering the local media lately. Yesterday, he unleashed on Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter Chris McGann for his coverage of Gov. Chris Gregoire's now infamous state gambling compact. Today he asks Crosscut's Ted Van Dyk to apologize to Gregoire for his own coverage of Casino-gate. ...
One of the world's premier music festivals is going on to the north of us, and lovers of live music ought to sit up and take notice.
A Seattle Expo legacy emerges from the trees
The University of Washington cut down a row of beautiful poplars on campus over the weekend. I love poplars and hated to see that. But as we approach 2009, the centennial year of Seattle's first world's fair, the tree-cutting at least had the benefit of revealing a lovely architectural legacy of the expo.
For one thing, bus and rail ridership represents only a fraction of trips now, and that's not likely to radically change soon. A Seattle think tank believes a balanced approach is called for, accepting the fact single-occupancy vehicles will play a huge role in years to come.
Seattle's Hollywood 'Head Hunter'
For Northwest history geeks, the most anticipated film event of the season is a rare chance to see a rare film, the just-restored 1914 silent, In the Land of the Head Hunters by Seattle's photographic master Edward S. Curtis. Known most for his monumental work photographing North American Indians, Curtis is mainly remembered and widely collected as a still photographer. Yet he also worked in film (including a stint for Cecil B. DeMille) during cinema's infancy. The "shadowcatcher" caught moving pictures, and his feature will be on screen again in June.
An environmentalist explains why better federal regulations are needed to police polluters among the world's fleet of cruise ships: State and local authorities can only do so much. Over six months this year, Puget Sound will see 211 big ships bearing 835,000 passengers call on Seattle.
The Northwest's real fairy tales
When it comes to Northwest legends, we usually think big: There's Bigfoot, D.B. Cooper's Big Heist, Paul Bunyan and his Big Blue Ox — even the Big White Worm of the Palouse. This tradition goes back. When Jonathan Swift documented Gulliver's travels in the early 1700s, he placed the land of the giants, Brobdingnag, in the Pacific Northwest — somewhere between what we know today as British Columbia and Alaska. But we have our mini-myths, as well. Yes, Northwest giants are fun to think about (remember Olaf?), but take a minute to think about our munchkins.
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Heart attack on McCain
I saw this coming. Last night after John McCain's GOP convention speech, the hall was blasted with the sounds of Seattle band Heart's rocker "Barracuda," which became the convention's theme music for Sarah "Barracuda" Palin (Barracuda was a high-school nickname). I figured an objection would be raised.
'Me' for president
Palin wouldn't be the first Northwest secessionist on a national ticket
The music you like tells a lot about your personality
The rebirth of activist theater
New theft of aboriginal art from Vancouver museum
27,000 Boeing workers will go on strike at midnight
Sausage Links, Postman stops ringing edition
Microsoft's first Jerry Seinfeld ad: Pretty unfunny, not that there's anything wrong with that
Heart attack on McCain
I saw this coming. Last night after John McCain's GOP convention speech, the hall was blasted with the sounds of Seattle band Heart's rocker "Barracuda," which became the convention's theme music for Sarah "Barracuda" Palin (Barracuda was a high-school nickname). I figured an objection would be raised.
Creationism is part of the case against elites
Dionne: The old McCain was a unifier, the new McCain is a divider
Salmonella sickens nine; health officials eye alfalfa sprouts
A new wine region emerges in Colorado
Slow Food Nation: now a political movement
Our Convention Center has growing pains
Seattle's Convention Center is taking a close look at expanding, perhaps at a different location. It might complicate the coming legislative session if it puts its hand in the state trough of money for tourism-related taxes. Also crowding around the trough are the Huskies, King County arts, Seattle Center, KeyArena, low-income housing, Puget Sound cleanup, and more. And the Convention Center might topple some other interesting transportation dominoes.
Mount Baker
A new wine region emerges in Colorado
Portland's baseball team owner wants city help to build a new stadium
Now official: Oklahoma City's NBA team is the Thunder
Did Howard Schultz pull the last plug for the Sonics?
Mount Baker
Proposed: Rename Seattle's Freeway Park for Jim Ellis, civic leader
Whassup with Wasilla
In touch with the average American
The funny thing about Seattle ...
'Drill their brains out!'
The music you like tells a lot about your personality
Final episodes: Northwest Afternoon sails into the sunset
A new wine region emerges in Colorado
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