KING-TV has a video report that’s worth a view – two fighting bald eagles got tangled up, and due to gravity, ended up falling into a yard in Burien on Christmas day.
No, it wasn’t some wayward animal gift from Santa’s sleigh, it was actually two male eagles who got caught up in each other and fell into Gary Hallock’s backyard. Hallock wasn’t sure what to do, since tangled, angry bald eagles with two-inch talons aren’t the easiest animals to deal with, so he called the Sarvey Wildlife Center in Arlington, who came to the rescue.
Here’s the video:
Read KING’s full story here.
If you just happen to be a local pirate looking for a last-minute gift idea, we’ve got a doozy – one of your neighbors is trying to sell a custom-milled, solid one-piece steel, “black powder cannon” that’s only been used twice for just $375!
Some of the features from the Craigslist Ad:
- Black Powder Cannon
- Custom milled solid 1 piece steel.
- Two year old Cannon
- Used Twice
- Fuse Hole
- Shoots Baseball sized objects
Our favorite part of course is this happy ending greeting:
Please email with any questions! Happy Holidays
Stacie
Wait, aren’t these things ILLEGAL?
Who cares…it’s Christmas! So act fast, and email your order in now:
sale-mrhhy-1520671908@craigslist.org
Oh, and whatever you do, don’t read this story about a makeshift cannon that killed a 4-year old boy in Thurston County in July, 2007.
Yes, “Happy Holidays” and have fun with your cannon!
Last Saturday (Aug. 22nd) there was an actual “Forklift Rodeo” held at Boeing Field, and Photographer Michael Brunk was there to capture both visual and audio elements, which he has built into the following “SoundSlideshow”:
Click to Play Michael Brunk’s SoundSlideshow
In the Forklift Rodeo, drivers were required to use expert forklift operating skills to negotiate a driving course that included various tasks and hazards. Contestants were evaluated on the “safe, efficient, skillful and proper completion of the course using accepted forklift operation standards.”
The top five individual competitors from this competition will advance to the final competition to be held at the 2009 Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Conference.
The Forklift Rodeo was presented by The Material Handling Panel of the Governor’s Industrial Safety & Health Advisory Board and the Department of Labor & Industries.
According to The Seattle Times, a 9-year old boy named Cosmo Miller caught a 150-pound sixgill shark while fishing near Burien last week.
(to enhance this story, please push the play button below:)
[display_podcast]
The story goes that Cosmo was fishing with his grandfather, Dave Woltz, using a 30-pound test line when he hooked something big. It apparently took him almost an hour to reel the shark in and take some pictures before turning it loose (thank goodness this large shark is still alive, right swimmers? Actually, sixgill sharks are not dangerous to humans…).
Cosmo told the Times that the fish was about 8 feet long, about half the size of the 16-foot boat he was fishing in, and that he had broken two other fishing poles trying to catch one before.
Here’s a pic of Cosmo’s shark the Times used in their story:
Read Susan Gilmore’s full story here.
See a video story from KING-TV here.
Previously, we did a story on a documentary about sixgill sharks being filmed nearby – read that story here.
Here’s a video of an encounter with one of these puppies:
| Aug ’09 |
| 22 |
| 9:00 am |
It almost sounds like a joke, as if it’s some kind of weird competition for unemployed warehouse workers wearing leather chaps, but it’s not – it’s a state-sanctioned “Forklift Rodeo” Regional Competition and it’s coming Saturday, Aug. 22nd to Boeing Field!
And lest you think this is just going to just be a buncha warehouse cowboys doing forklift stunts, keep in mind this is a serious, sanctioned event, ‘cuz there’s even a written test involved!
The prizes will range from $50 to $300, as well as some serious braggin’ rights and a chance to move on to the nationals.
In the Forklift Rodeo, drivers are required to use expert forklift operating skills to negotiate a fun and challenging driving course that includes various tasks and hazards. Contestants are evaluated on the safe, efficient, skillful and proper completion of the course using accepted forklift operation standards.
Regional Competition Day Schedule:
- 9:00 a.m. Registration/Written test
- 10:00 a.m. Drivers meeting/Course familiarization
- 10:30 a.m. Driving competition begins
The top five individual competitors from each regional competition will advance to the final competition to be held at the 2009 Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Conference.
Forklifts will be provided at the competition site, and will consist of sit-down, propane-powered ones with pneumatic tires, standard 42” forks, counterbalanced, with a capacity of 5,000 lbs.
The Forklift Rodeo is being presented by The Material Handling Panel of the Governor’s Industrial Safety & Health Advisory Board and the Department of Labor & Industries.
The entry fee is $40, and here are some other rules:
- No open-toed shoes allowed
- An Automatic Transmission 5,000 lb. forklift will be provided
- The top 5 individual competitors will go to the finals competition.
- Competition limited to 30 drivers at each region – First come, first served – So register now!
For more information, visit the conference Web site: www.wagovconf.org/forklift.htm
To register, download this PDF form here, or contact: Al Rainsberger at 206-281-3842 or toll free: 1-888-451-2004
We’re thinkin’ this rodeo will be held outside, as the website warns:
“Bring lawn chair and sunscreen. Seating may be limited.”
Now, if any Burien forklift cowboys or cowgirls are plannin’ on competin’, let us know ‘cuz we want to spread the word and get a good crowd cheerin’ ya on!
Here are some videos of forklift rodeos to get an idea of what these events are like:
We’re not saying that the 102.9-degree heat recorded Wednesday, July 29, 2009 was the hottest day ever.
No, that would be pretentious of us to think that it’s never been warmer here (since 1891 is when records started being kept, and there was plenty of weather history before then, right?).
With that said, can you FLIPPIN” BELIEVE HOW FLIPPIN’ HOT IT WAS TODAY???
104 degrees?
IN BURIEN???
Okay, so now that it’s cooled down a bit (and our keyboard isn’t drenched in sweat), we’d like to share some pics that BTB Readers sent us after we asked for “hot temp” pics (sorry, we’re only sharing the G-Rated stuff…and thanks gang, keep sending us more of those special pics!):
From Reader Carrie Rasmussen comes these photos of cookies being cooked in the back window of her Nanny Gloria’s car:
That's right...those are chocolate chip cookies baking in the rear window of a car.
And here they are...chocolate chip cookies. Freshly baked. In a CAR.
From Reader Candice Packer comes this pic of a truly-retro Honeywell thermostat showing that today’s temp was totally off the chart:
Our own Mini Cooper Blogmobile recorded the following 104-degree temp whilst overheating in downtown Burien:
BTB Photographer Francis Zera appears to have won the “hottest place” contest with this shot of his thermometer hitting 106.2!:
Francis’ prize of course is a duct-taped-patched down snowcoat we found at Value Village for $4.99, which he will be required to wear everyday (zipped up to the neck) until summer ends.
In the meantime, if you have any hot weather pics (wink wink), send ‘em our way. We’ll be posting more until we pass out from heat exhaustion.
Courtesy BTB Contributing Photographer Gregory Rehmke comes this slideshow of an unusual summer storm hitting Lake Burien around 6pm Saturday night July 25th:
Click to View Gregory Rehmke’s Photo Slideshow
BTB Reader Kathi Vallade sent us the photo above, which she took at Saturday’s Burien Town Square grand opening celebration; here’s what she had to say about it:
OK…So I was at the Burien Town Square opening today and snapped this random picture of this girl walking by because I thought her hair was adorable! (It had a few different colors in stripes,kind of like a rainbow…SUPER CUTE!)
ANYWAYS, when I got home and uploaded the pictures I noticed it looks like I may have captured her Aura! (Cool huh?!)
I would love to find her to show her the photo but HOW on Earth do you go about finding a complete stranger ?!
(And how weirdo does it sound “Hi, I took your picture at random and saw this interesting glow around you and just HAD to track you down!”)
So…is the light around the girl’s head her “aura” or just lens flare?
We sent the original, uncropped photo to our Photographer Michael Brunk, who studied it – here’s his take:
Having seen the uncropped original, I’d say this is almost definitely lens flare.
It was taken around 12:30pm according to the meta-data, so the sun was starting to burn through the clouds about that time. You can see the camera was pointing slightly up and to the right, which angles the lens towards the bright natural light bouncing off the clouds. And this was shot with a Canon Powershot A720 so it most likely did not have a lens hood on which would tend to help prevent lens flare.
This thread has a couple of examples of lens flare that look very similar to the photo you sent. It’s just a fluke that in this case, the visible artifact is centered on the girl’s head:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=465848
So…what do YOU think? Is that an “aura” or just lens flare? Please Comment below…
Sunday night (May 3rd) around 7:30pm, BTB Sales Diva Janet Grella happened to capture these images of a vivid rainbow over the water off Three Tree Point:
Janet says:
“Diva,” our Olympic swimmer wanna-be, dived into the sound and swam two miles to the end of the rainbow in Normandy Park Cove only to find a leprechaun being choked by a neighbor.
She tried mouth to mouth on the little guy only to find the swine flu of her rainbow.
From BTB Reader Ian Gunsul comes this shocking news about a recent theft in the 15700 block of 23rd Ave SW in Burien:
Subject: Jack snatched!!!
Message: Or “Pumpkinhead” as Shawn Underwood dubbed him: Jack has resided in front of our house off and on for a couple of years, becoming a neighborhood celebrity while waving a friendly hello to all passers by.
This year someone of obvious Gaelic bloodlines dressed him up for St. Paddy’s day, so we dressed him up for Easter – some nice person even came by and put bunny ears on him.
But alas, someone(s) couldn’t resist temptation and kidnapped Jack and his giant pinwheel sometime between late yesterday evening and lunch time today.
If you have him, bring him back no questions asked.
If you have any information on his whereabouts, leave it in the comments section.
We got to get Jack back!
Seen “Jack” (or “Pumpkinhead”)? Leave a Comment below…
EXCLUSIVE: This morning (April 1st) The B-Town Blog met and interviewed an unidentified male who claims responsibility for the spate of recent, unsolved laser-airplane incidents we’ve reported on in the area northwest of Sea-Tac Airport.
Below is a transcript of our brief and somewhat strange encounter with an area man who wanted to be called “Floyd.”
We met him in a garage not far from where the incidents occurred. He was working on an inflatable, remote-controlled helium-filled balloon and listening to some loud 70s progrock when we found him, alone.
BTB: Hello, I’m Scott from The B-Town Blog. Are you Floyd?
FLOYD: Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar (he offered us a cigar, which we politely refused).
BTB: No thanks. What can you tell me Floyd about these laser incidents?
FLOYD: (pulling out a chart of news clippings about him) Everybody else is just green – have you seen the chart? It’s a helluva start, it could be made into a monster, if we all pull together as a team…
BTB: Floyd, did you know it’s a felony to point a laser at an aircraft and it’s punishable under the Patriot Act?
FLOYD: Well I’ve always had a deep respect, and I mean that most sincerely…
BTB: A deep respect for what?
FLOYD: (he then cranked up his boombox, then pulled out a second laser pointer and played a shell game with both, apparently trying to confuse us) The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think. Oh by the way, which one’s pink?
BTB: You’re using a pink laser too? Which one is it? I say it’s in your left hand.
FLOYD NODS AND GRINS AND CONTINUES THE SHELL GAME.
BTB: Can you tell me Floyd why you do this?
FLOYD: I’m in the high-fidelity first class traveling set, and I think I need a Lear jet.
BTB: Oh-kay. Floyd what’s your reasoning behind these laser incidents?
FLOYD: I’ve always been mad, I know I’ve been mad, like the most of us…very hard to explain why you’re mad, even if you’re not mad…
BTB: Dude, are you off your meds or something? Why do you do this?
FLOYD: We don’t need no education, we don’t need no thought control. No dark sarcasm in the classroom…(yelling at a passing car) Hey! Teachers – leave them kids alone!
BTB: Um, okay. Anything else you want to add?
FLOYD: If you don’t eat your meat, you can’t have any pudding. How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat?
At this point, Floyd starting pointing both lasers at an inflatable, pig-shaped helium balloon which had floated out the garage door and escaped.
As Floyd chased the balloon down the alley, we snuck away.
Doncha just love it when signmakers run out of letters and have to get creative?
But can an “F” really substitute for an “E“?
Yeah, we don’t think so either…so we give this Burien signmaker an “F” make that an “E” seeing that’s the letter they need most.
I guess their drfams won’t comf truf either.
Courtesy BTB Contributing Photographer Gregory Rehmke comes this great photo of a rainbow over Lake Burien, taken around 6:15pm Monday night as a squall of rain passed through as the sun kept shining.
Some refer to these somewhat odd weather moments where it’s raining while sunny out as “The Devli’s Getting Married” or “The Devil’s Beating His Wife” (we’re partial to the former).
We’re wondering…what do you call it? Have an unusual saying for it?
Please Comment below…
Photos and Story by Scott Schaefer
At 14920 Ambaum Blvd. lies an aging, one-level, yellow cement/brick building that currently houses “Paty’s Furniture,” a discount “Mexican Furniture” shop adjacent to the Burien City Garage.
It’s chock full of discount furniture, couches, loveseats, recliners, mattresses, kid’s beds, “dinning sets” and more, all at marked-down prices, with many signs in Spanish and the words “Mexican Furniture” on their business cards.
One thing that people don’t realize is that the old wooden floors underneath the marked-down couches and recliners hide a secret, nearly-forgotten Burien history:
These were once the wooden floors of “Burien Bowling Lanes,” a 7-lane bowling alley that operated here between 1948 and 1962.
Where wooden dinette sets now sit, gutter balls once rolled.
Where blue velvet couches lie at a 30% discount awaiting to be taken to a new home, 7-10 splits once frustrated B-Town bowlers.
Currently, you can see the remnants of two or three of the lanes, including the aiming marks on what may have been lane two or three:
We were first alerted to this history by an email from researcher Scott Handley, who wrote:
I’m collecting information on local bowling centers, past and present.
Yesterday, I was at the University of Washington Library working with Polk City Directories, and I came across “Burien Bowling Lanes,” 14920 Ambaum Blvd SW.
Best I could figure from the directories, it opened around 1956 and closed in 1964.
Would anyone with a long memory recall how many lanes it had, or whether it closed coincident with the opening of Hi-Line Lanes, located less than a mile away?
Thanks very much. I’m impressed by your blog.
Scott Handley
Edmonds
Of course, we immediately forwarded the email on to Cyndi Upthegrove, Director of the Highline Historical Society, who quickly confessed to knowing nothing about it.
Our next step of course was to roll on in to Paty’s Furniture and do our own inspection. It didn’t take more than two minutes before we found the first evidence, and we starting snapping photos right away.
Shortly thereafter, we had to explain why were were crouched over, taking pictures of the old floor boards under the La-Z-Boys to Julio, the store manager – “um, I run a local website, and I understand that this was once a bowling alley…”
Julio just smiled a lot and nodded, and seemed to find what he could understand very amusing.
But that’s the truth, and we’re not afraid to admit we love unusual local history and stories. Especially the kind that involves a fun and funky sport that is now being replaced by a virtual video game version that we play with our kids.
If you have any memories or photos of this building when it was the “Burien Bowling Lanes,” or know of any other lost history in the Burien area, please email us – we’d love to do more features like this.
Otherwise, stop in and say hi to Julio, then walk down the ramp to the main showroom of discount furniture. Find an area of exposed wood, and take a look around at the floor and imagine what once went on in this building – people met here, had fun, got frustrated, won games, lost bets, relieved stress, perhaps even heard the first single by a guy named Elvis as they rented shoes, then stuck their fingers in heavy balls that they rolled down a wooden lane trying to knock down ten white pins, not knowing that some 50-60 years later it’d be mostly forgotten, covered by discount “Mexican Furniture” then revealed again on a community news source that wasn’t even printed on paper.
According to The Seattle Times, Alexander F. Hughes, 27, of Burien, was charged for Monday’s erratic ax attack at Schuck’s Auto Supply in Burien, with a bail proposed at $250,000.
Hughes, who apparently has a history of drug addiction, was charged with one count of second-degree assault and one count of first-degree attempted robbery in King County Superior Court. He is currently being held at the Norm Maleng Justice Center in Kent.
Documents detail Hughes erratic ax attack thusly:
- He went to the store at 5pm and tried to take a generator from a display.
- Upon realizing that the generator was chained down, he exited, then got an ax from his van and returned to the store.
- He swung the ax at a customer (Leonard Lucas), grazing the man’s stomach.
- Leonard Lucas of Burien, the customer, then pushed two people outside to safety who were entering the store.
- Hughes apparently followed them, asking, “You want something?”
- A worker came out, walked up behind Hughes and grabbed the ax out of his hands.
- Lucas then grabbed Hughes and pushed him into the back of an SUV, breaking the glass.
- Lucas pushed Hughes to the ground and punched him until he stopped fighting.
- Cops arrived minutes later, and our eyewitness counted seven patrol cars converging on the scene.
- Both Hughes and Lucas were taken to Highline Medical Center. Neither was seriously injured.
Also, according to the article:
- Hughes’ brother claims that the family had spent that day getting a protection order against him because he told his parents that “someone would die.”
- Also, according to his brother, Hughes had a history of drug addiction and recently sobered up. However, two weeks ago, he started acting “weirder and weirder,” and began taking cough medicine.
- Hughes also told his brother he was going to Washington, DC, because a man there was filled with “great evil,” according to the brother’s statement to police. He didn’t name the man.
Read the full story here.
The City of Burien has contracted with GoatTrimmers.com to bring in around 100 hungry goats to Mathison Park, where they have been eating up blackberry bushes, ivy and other invasive plants since last Monday.
The goats will be there through Monday, Feb. 9th, so if you want to see them you can – just be aware that there’s an electric fence keeping them in the southern part of the park.
Here’s a video we shot Friday, Feb. 6th:
We often glance out the window and check for snow by looking up at the street light in front of our house to see if there are still flakes falling.
Imagine our surprise when we looked up around 10pm Saturday night (Dec. 20th) to see this – icicles forming on the actual street light itself:
Here’s the latest National Weather Service Winter Storm Warning:
A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 10 am PST Sunday.
Periods of snow will continue across the area overnight. Storm total snowfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches are likely… with lesser amounts along the I-5 corridor from Tacoma northward. Localized gusty winds will also result in some blowing snow.
The snow has changed over to freezing rain on the central coast and will probably change over to sleet or freezing rain over the southwest interior… including the lower Chehalis valley… later tonight or Sunday morning. Elsewhere snow will continue through Sunday morning.
From our friends at Burien Parks comes this video and information on a very impressive sculpture coming soon to Burien Town Square:
Here’s more info on this project:
The Burien/ Interim Art Space is a year-long experiment, combining and transforming the concepts of art, temporary green spaces, and community gathering. The Interim Art Space at Burien’s Town Square will be kicked off by displaying Buriens first major temporary art piece, The Passage, a sculpture depicting a mother and child walking together to share and explore life.
This artwork was first created by Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito for the 2005 Burning Man Arts Festival in the Nevada desert. The figures stand a dramatic 30 and 20 feet tall and are fabricated out of recycled and scrap metal. The interim art space will occupy a temporarily vacant one-acre parcel of Buriens Town Square project. This exciting space will not only showcase art but will be an energetic gathering place for Buriens citizens.
B/IAS will be a working canvas that will be transformed by the efforts of both artists and the community throughout the year. The art space will celebrate its opening in December of 2008 with the installation of The Passage. The project will conclude when the sculpture is removed and construction begins at the site on a future phase of Town Square.
B/IAS is a collaboration between the City of Burien Arts Commission, Urban Partners, GGLO and Ignition NW. For more information please contact Gina Kallman, City of Burien Cultural Arts Supervisor, (206) 988-3713, ginak@burienwa.gov.
So…whaddaya think of this sculpture?
And do you have any ideas for what else should go in the “Interim Art Space” at Burien Town Square?
Email us or post a Comment below…
Twitter is the new black, even though their mascot is a blue bird.
And since we’re oh so ding dang fashionable at the B-Town Blog, we now use it as well.
Daily.
Hourly.
Sometimes even…minutely.
You should too – it’s a great way to get breaking news, unusual links, insight into your friends and more, and once you start using it you’ll become addicted.
Here’s a sample of some of the Tweets we follow:
Burien Parks- New York Times
- Seattle P-I
- Monica Guzman (of the P-I)
- Ron Sims
- KEXP
- News Headlines
- and many more
Every story we write gets Tweeted, which means you can read some before they’re even posted to the site.
We’ve installed an add-on for Firefox called Twitterfox, which allows you to see Tweets as they come in via a small pop-up window in the bottom right of the browser, which is pretty handy when you’re looking for breaking news (like say on election night).
So…follow your original B-Town Burien Blog here.
And we’ll probably end up following you too (especially if you’re in the Burien area).
UPDATE: According to KOMO News, SeaTac Airport was locked down Thursday morning for a security breach.
It is now “all clear” but we’re certain that long lines remain at all checkpoints.
Far as we know and can recall, this is the first time SeaTac has ever been put into “lockdown” mode.
Full story here.
That’s a 180-pound pumpkin sitting in the office of Burien Bark, grown in White Center at the home of owners Roger and Barbara Clairmont using their “Special Blend Garden Mix.”
The B-Town Blog has been informed that Burien Bark plans to harvest the seeds of said giant pumpkin and distribute them to customers and have a “Grow the Biggest Pumpkin” contest next year!
Courtesy BTB Reader Maureen Hoffman comes this interesting artifact from days gone by – an old price tag from a long-gone store called “Bell’s of Burien” which used to exist where the Burien Town Square is being built now:
Here’s what Maureen emailed:
Here’s a little bit of memorabilia I was amused by – my brother, a carpenter, was remodeling a local house recently and found this price tag from Bell’s of Burien, the original store (across from Mick Kelly’s) that was later Lamonts, (then Gottschalk’s) then sat empty for a long time before being torn down for Town Square.
I shopped there as a kid.
Driving through our soon-to-be-annexed neighbor to the north this morning, we found this fascinating scene of nature vs man: a blackberry weed-like bush growing through a traffic cone on the corner of SW 107th and 21st SW (possibly cultivated that way by a nearby resident):
First we reported on large six-gilled sharks swimming in Burien waters, and now we’ve discovered that there are also large jellyfish here as well – specifically “Lion’s Mane Jellyfish” (the world’s largest known species of jellyfish, and yes, they do sting) taped off Three Tree Point by area diver m4jwilliams:
| Sep ’08 |
| 19 |
Avast ye mateys…Friday, Sept. 19th be National International “Talk Like A Pirate Day,” and here be a (pieces of) 8 list o’what ye should be doin’ ta’ celebrate it in the general B-Town ‘hood:
- First, get yer booty up ta’ Party City an’ get yerself a pirate costume (just don’t ferget ye ol’ plastic parrot for ye shoulder)
- Strut ’round Olde Burien in full pirate regalia, sayin’ things a pirate would to th’ local merchants (pirate lexicon & tips available here)
- Go buy some new food fer yer hungry plastic shoulder parrot at Wild Birds Unlimited next ta’ Trader Joe’s
- Rush into Trader Joe’s in full costume and ridicule the whole “where’s the monkey hiding” kid’s game really loudly in pirate speak (yet makin’ sure ta’ videotape it an’ sendin’ us yer YouTube link fer postin’!)
- Go cheer on ye ol’ local high school football team, the Highline Pirates (“Arrgh Team!”) as they take on Mt. Rainier at 7pm at Highline Stadium
- Go see one o’ the final performances of the Hi-Liners’ Peter Pan (showtime be 7:30pm; buy yer tix here ya scurvy dog!)
- Drive slowly around SW 152nd near Lake Burien in hopes of findin’ ye Seafair Pirates’ “Moby Duck” amphibious mascot vehicle that be known ta’ hang ’round these here parts; if ye find it, be sure’n take pix of yeself wit’ it ta’ send us
- Watch this video to learn how ye too can be talkin’ like a pirate in no time:
From BTB Advertiser Philip Kelley comes this joke:
Arrrgh! I loves Pirates. So in honor of Talk like a Prate Day, I thought I’d share one o’my favorite Pirate jokes with you worthless landlubbers:
Two Pirates are talking over their tankards of dark rum, one sez to the other “Ayyy, those are mighty nice earrings you’ve got there Pegleg Pete.”
“Oh, thanks. I bought these off’a one-eyed Spaniard in New Orleans; paid two dollars for ‘em.”
“Arrrgh, that’s a pretty good deal for a buccaneer.”
Avast, that’s funny.
PK
Here’s some fan-captured video of the halftime jam session between Burien’s Northwest Symphony Orchestra and Seattle grunge legends Alice in Chains (drummer Sean Kinney is a B-Town resident) doing their version of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir”:
Here’s another angle with far superior audio:
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=42879864
| Sep ’08 |
| 14 |
Burien’s own Northwest Symphony Orchestra today announced its 2008 – 2009 season will open this Sunday, Sept. 14th with a special halftime appearance with legendary Seattle band “Alice in Chains” at the Seattle Seahawks opening regular season home game.
You read that right folks – B-Town’s very own Orchestra is going to jam with grunge legends “Alice In Chains” during halftime at Sunday’s Seahawk game!
And it might look/sound something like this (doing Led Zep’s “Kashmir“), which was shot when AIC played w/NW Symphony Orchestra at Benaroya in 2007:
This is the second time the Northwest Symphony and AIC have appeared together, after a sold out Children’s Hospital benefit appearance at Benaroya Hall in November 2007.
The orchestra and legendary grunge band will be under the baton of Hollywood composer and Seattle native Mateo Messina (Juno).
The orchestra’s entire season schedule will include:
- Seattle Seahawks Halftime Special Appearance With Seattle rock band Alice in Chains on Sunday, September 14, 2008 at Qwest Field, Seattle
- Concert #1: “Family Concert” – “Dance and the Dueling Violins” on Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 7:30pm at Highline Performing Arts Center, Burien
- Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center Benefit Concert: “An American Symphony” — World Premiere, with Mateo Messina, composer, Friday, November 7, 2008 at 7:00pm at Benaroya Hall, Seattle
- Concert #2: “Valentine’s Concert”, Friday, February 13, 2009 at 8:00pm at Highline Performing Arts Center
- Concert #3: “Spotlight on the Orchestra” on Saturday, March 7, 2009 at 8:00pm at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, West Seattle
- Concert #4: “Reflections of the Northwest” on Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 8:00pm at Highline Performing Arts Center
ABOUT NORTHWEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Now in its 22nd season, Northwest Symphony Orchestra has performed to local, regional, and national acclaim. The orchestra has performed an unprecedented 100 compositions of Northwest composers and has garnered seven national awards for Programming of Contemporary Music from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, including a first place national award in 2007. The orchestra has been featured repeatedly on National Public Radio and has recorded three compact disks. Dr. Anthony Spain is Music Director. Northwest Symphony Orchestra makes complimentary tickets available to local school music programs. Teachers may call the orchestra office at (206) 242-6321.
More information about Northwest Symphony Orchestra is available on their website: http://www.northwestsymphonyorchestra.org, or by calling (206) 242-6321.
UPDATE 11pm: Okay, so the webcam feeds aren’t working for everyone, so as a consolation we’re posting some original video we shot of the artists in action at Karuna Yoga doing their Performance:Memoirs art:
- 3 Artists,1 storefront window, 30 hours straight!
- Join artists Laura Curry and Lori Dillon as they live in the windows of Karuna Yoga until Sat. night Sept. 6th
- Stop by and share a story by writing on the glass, pose for a picture, be entertained and experience Burien in a whole new way!
Here’s a feed – click the image to see a larger version, and refresh the page to see the latest view. (NOTE: as we mentioned above, we haven’t yet perfected these feeds, so if you can get an image, great…if not, sorry…we promise to figure it out eventually!)
Or better yet, get your B-Town B-Hind up there and interact with ‘em!
Here is a link for viewing one of the live webcams that you can actually control (may not be working now but try anyway):
- http://192.168.10.253/CgiStart?page=Single&Language=0
- Usernames to try: burien, burien1, burien2, burien3, burien4, burien5, burien6, burien7, Password: artwalk
[NOTE: If you are asked for a Username/Password for the pic above, enter "admin" and leave the password blank]
We’re pretty sure this is a legit Youtube video of some Burien kid who calls himself l2ape doing a killer gee-tar solo – watch and let us know (in comments below) what you think – could this be B-Town’s own Jimi Hendrix?
Or have we been duped into a Purple Haze?
And if you know this kid, or perhaps you are this kid, please email us ASAP!
Play this MP3 file as you read this story:
[display_podcast]
Intrepid B-Town Blog Reporter/Sales & Promotions Diva Janet Grella had a random encounter last night with a TV Producer who was scouting the beach at Three Tree Point for a production he’s doing this weekend.
Turns out that the production is all about sharks.
That live in Puget Sound.
Off Burien.
Big, Six-Gill Sharks (these ain’t Dogfish) that grow up to 18 feet, as seen in this video:
The TV Producer, Vince Patton, who works for Oregon Public Broadcasting, explained the production via email:
The animal: The 6 Gill Shark. (Check Wikipedia for details. Their summary is accurate as I read it).
The Seattle Aquarium has an exhibit specifically on 6 Gill Sharks here.
Our show is “Oregon Field Guide” and we are shooting a story for OFG’s upcoming 20th anniversary season which begins in October. This story could run anytime between October and next spring.
The folks who sell Diving Tours with the Sharks on the boat you may see in the area are here.
The tours move around, depending on where they find the sharks hanging out. This year, it’s right near Des Moines. Dives happen at night. Yes, from 10pm to 5am. They have lots of lights set up on the shark cage where the divers go.
The 6 Gills have made the news in the Seattle area a few times since the late 90’s, but overall most of the public don’t know they’re here. They’re not aggressive to humans and there’s never been any human/shark incidents here.
So, next time you’re swimming in Puget Sound (ya right, at temps around 55 degrees! ha), and you hear a low, deep bass “da-duhm…” music sting, be sure to look closely, as you may see this friendly fella:
| Aug ’08 |
| 16 |
| 11:30 am |
A very interesting and highly unusual musical art performance will be taking place Saturday (Aug. 16th) at Seahurst Park at 11:30am and Eagle Landing Park at 12:30pm.
The performance, called Kidnapping Water: Bottled Operas will include opera singers and percussionists performing original work by Seattle Composer Byron Au Yong at Seahurst Park, Eagle Landing Park, Des Moines Marina, Des Moines Beach Park, and Salmon Creek Ravine.
Performers will be David Stutz and Stuart McLeod, and it’s basically an on-location opera performed at/near the water.
UPDATE: We now have a schedule, thanks to Mike Min:
- 10:30am: Salmon Creek Ravine
- 11:30am: Seahurst Park
- 12:30pm: Eagle Landing Park
- 1:30pm: Des Moines Marina (Farmer’s Market)
- 2:30pm: Marine View Park
- 3:30pm: Des Moines Beach Park
From their press release:
By taking opera out of the opera house, the Bottled Operas connect the power and beauty of traditional operatic voices with a musical experience intimately connected to nature. The site-specific performances allow Au Yong to take his music directly to places where people interact with many forms of water, creating opportunities for audience members from all walks of life to experience heightened awareness, understanding, and awe of the powerful forces of nature and humanity in a natural environment.
Percussionists play the water found at these locations with instruments that include wood, stone, bamboo, bone, rope, hide, plants, and metal. Libretti are written by eight writers from diverse cultural and artistic traditions not often represented in opera; the 64 Bottled Operas will be anything but a traditional operatic experience.
Kidnapping Water: Bottled Operas will be performed by opera singer/water percussionist duos in rivers, lakes, fountains, ravines, and other waterways as part of 4Culture’s Site-Specific Performance Network on August 4, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 26, and 28.
4Culture Site-Specific Performances are FREE to the public.
Byron Au Yong creates ceremonial musical events for voices with Asian, European and hand-made instruments. His works have been performed in Canada, China, England, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. Local projects include Piao Zhu: Flying Bamboo created for the Seattle Asian Art Museum and YIJU: Songs of Dislocation presented at the Jack Straw New Media Gallery. Au Yong was the only American selected for the Jerwood Opera Writing Programme where his mini-opera The River Museum was performed at Aldeburgh Music.
Performance Schedule available online at hearbyron.com and sitespecificarts.org.
NOTE: If you miss this on-location local performance, you can still see Kidnapping Water: Bottled Operas at Bumbershoot in two weeks (full details here).
Here’s a musical taste of some of Au Yong’s work:
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The Seattle Times has an interesting article today about a couple in neighboring Des Moines who’ve had their home-based swingers sex parties shut down by the city.
Apparently neighbors complained, cops “investigated” (undercover perhaps? or should we say undercovers…) then the city threatened them with a $513 per day fine for “running a business from their home.”
They called their ongoing sex parties the “Hardwood Cabin” and promoted it online at HardWoodCabin.com, which of course is no longer active (we know you’re going to check it but trust us, there’s nothing there now but an “Account suspended” notice but we’ll wait while you copy and paste the URL in…).
Okay, done checking it now?
We did a little online research and found some cache’d web stuff about the place, including this juicy description:
Description: The HardWood Cabin has a central entry and Kitchen space with multiple areas that consist of semi-private rooms for playing and a main Dungeon Area with 12 foot high ceilings that have 2 suspension points, along with 2 Crosses and spanking pedestals off to the sides. On one end of the facility is a more private room with a Large Bondage Bed and a third Cross. Scattered throughout the cabin you will find beds, and slings for additional places to play. Outside in a private courtyard, is a large pool, along with 3 hot-tubs, and a large overhead pergola structure for in-promtu bondage points among tables, couches and chairs.
Events at the Hardwood Cabin for those that have not attended a party before will find a very relaxed comfortable environment within to play. Basic things are provided (cups, bowls, plates, utensils, etc) along with some food and drinks, but everyone is encouraged to bring along something favorite. Typically parties become a pot-luck with regular attendee’s. There is also a gas grill which is available for anyone who has a taste for something BBQ’ed.
Regan & Nonah Lane-Smith
Owner/Operator
Des Moines, WA, 98198
And this:
we own a house in Des Moines wa, that we rent out per the day or night, and for parties. we are cheap and adorable and a safe place to hang out nude and suntan without tan lines. we have a masseuse on duty fo 20 dollars per 30 min. call us anytime 206 774 6XXX or check out our website www.hardwoodcabin.com
And here’s an excerpt from their Juy 5th party:
Attention all swingers 21 and over!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Got Patriotism? Come celebrate your Independence with a BANG!
Come meet, mingle, flirt, soak, swim and play in a safe and laid back environment! Join us in honor of our Independence & in celebration of our birthday guys & gals!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Play Date’s Patriotic Party will be hosted at the ever popular Hardwood Cabin, located centrally in Des Moines!
Grab your red, white & blue for an evening of Swinging Independance! Wear what makes you feel sexy, attractive and comfortable. Layer down, change outfits, go nude, have some fun! Clothing is OPTIONAL!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Party entrance fee is $20.00 per person and Does Not include food or alcohol. Play Dates will provide basic snacks & finger foods. We invite everyone to BYOB and a theme inspired dish, finger food or beverage to share and nibble on…help keep everyone’s stamina up:)
We will also have the BBQ fired up and ready to grill, but bring your own meat. Play Dates will provide bottled water, basic condiments, plates, napkins, cups and plastic utensils for everyone.
*Please do not throw the cups and utensils away, they are reusable*
**Help us recycle by using labelled bins for Plastic & Glass Bottles**
Good to know that at least these swingers recycled (insert your own inappropriate joke here).
And now at least we know what the source of those strange sounds were that were emanating from south of B-Town.
Full story here.
Found on seattle-tacoma craigslist > south king > pets:
R A C C O O N S kill your beloved animals–watch out!!! (Burien)
Our cat escaped late Thursday night as we closed the sliding glass door.
She was only outside for 10 minutes.
We heard her screaming and ran outside to find FOUR RACCOONS mauling her in our driveway.
We rushed her to the vet but because she had such severe injuries we were forced to put her to sleep. The vet recommended it and the making that decision sucked!
The vet said that there have been a huge increase in raccoons killing cats AS WELL AS DOGS AND OTHER DOMESTIC ANIMALS.
- RACCOONS MAY LOOK CUTE & CUDDLY, BUT THEY ARE DANGEROUS!! DO NOT FEED THEM!!!
- PLEASE KEEP YOUR ANIMAL INSIDE AFTER DARK. And if they escape, chase after them.
- YOU MIGHT JUST SAVE THEIR LIFE…
We emailed the Poster and got this response:
When we heard the fight & found our cat, we took her to the ER @ Five Corner Veterinary in Burien (at midnight last Thursday!).
EVERYONE there discussed with us how they had seen a huge increase RECENTLY in the number of attacks on domestic animals (cats+dogs+others) this year.
They also discussed how viscious & violent raccoons are. (even though they really do look cute & cuddly!)
So keep this in mind B-Town pet owners and friends of animals – raccoons may be cute and anthropomorphic in their “hand washing,” but they are also dangerous (and can be rabid), and we say this as a pet owner whose Jack Russell Terrier got in a fight with one last summer, and she still has battle scars to show from it.
On a lighter note – and we don’t mean to make fun of this issue but we couldn’t not post this video – be sure to lock up your floormats as well, or else you may suffer a fate similar to this:
Courtesy Janet Grella, Sales & Promotion Diva for this here B-Town Blog, comes these photos snapped today down at Three Tree Point, where two kitesurfers took advantage of a gorgeous yet blustery sunny day:
According to Wikipedia:
Kitesurfing, also known as kiteboarding, involves using a power kite to pull a rider through the water on a small surfboard or a kiteboard (which is like a wakeboard). Generally kiteboarding refers to a style of riding known as free-style or wakestyle where as kitesurfing is more waveriding oriented. These two styles usually require different boards and specific performance kites.
A kitesurfer or kiteboarder uses a board with or without foot-straps or bindings, combined with the power of a large controllable kite to propel themself and the board across the water. The sport is still in its infancy, but is rapidly growing in popularity. In 2006, the number of kitesurfers has been estimated at around 150,000 to 210,000, with 114,465 inflatable kites sold that same year.
The sport is becoming safer due to innovations in kite design, safety release systems, and instruction. Many riding styles have evolved to suit different types of riders and conditions, such as wake style, wave riding, freestyle, jumping, and cruising.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Courtesy our new Sales & Promotion Diva Janet Grella comes this interesting photo taken of the beach at Three Tree Point, with a distinctive red hue to the water.
Could this be red tide?
According to Wikipedia…
“Red tide” is a common name for a phenomenon known as an algal bloom, an event in which estuarine, marine, or fresh water algae accumulate rapidly in the water column, or “bloom”. These algae, more specifically phytoplankton, are microscopic, single-celled protists, plant-like organisms that can form dense, visible patches near the water’s surface. Certain species of phytoplanktonalgal bloom. contain photosynthetic pigments that vary in colour from green to brown to red, and when the algae are present in high concentrations, the water appears to be discoloured or murky, varying in colour from purple to almost pink, normally being red or green. Not all algal blooms are dense enough to cause water discolouration, and not all discoloured waters associated with algal blooms are red. Additionally, red tides are not typically associated with tidal movement of water, hence the preference among scientists to use the term
Some red tides are associated with the production of natural toxins, depletion of dissolved oxygen or other harmful impacts, and are generally described as harmful algal blooms. The most conspicuous effects of red tides are the associated wildlife mortalities among marine and coastal species of fish, birds, marine mammals and other organisms.
If there are any marine biologists out there who know more, please email us ASAP!
In the meantime, we suggest using common sense and not harvesting or eating any local shellfish until we know for sure.
BURIEN – Infamous former Burien grade school teacher and convicted child rapist Mary Kay Letourneau is back in the news – this time not for having an affair with an underage boy, but for wanting to be a King County Election “Poll Worker.”
We’ll pause a moment while you insert your own inappropriate pun here.
A spokesperson for King County Elections says that the now-Mary Fualaau applied in April for possible training.
She was scheduled to begin training later this month, but after reviewing the list of candidates, someone recognized her rather unique name.
Letourneau/Fualaau has been disqualified as a poll worker for being a known felon.
Some lovely Letourneau facts to chew on:
- Letourneau first met Vili Fualaau (born 6/26/83) when he was a student in her second grade class at Shorewood Elementary School.
- He was then eight years old; she was 29.
- She became his teacher again when he was in the sixth grade, and their sexual relationship began during the summer of 1996, when Vili was 13 and she was 34.
- Her husband became aware of the situation when he read their letters to each other in February of 1997 and revealed it to family members.
- His cousin then reported the relationship to local Child Protection Services.
- On February 26, 1997, Letourneau was arrested for statutory rape (aka “child rape”).
- Four months later, she gave birth to Fualaau’s daughter, Audrey Lokelani Fualaau.
- On August 7, 1997, she pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree statutory rape. She was sentenced to 89 months in prison by Judge Linda Lau.
- The prison term was suspended, and Letourneau was sentenced to serve six months in county jail and enroll in a three-year sex offender treatment program.
- She was released from jail early for good behavior, on the condition that she not see Fualaau. However, on February 3, 1998, police discovered Letourneau in a car with Fualaau and arrested her for violating the conditions of her suspended sentence.
- She had also failed to comply with her sex offender treatment program.
- In the car, police found $6,500 in cash, baby clothes, and a passport, indicating that Letourneau had been planning to leave the country.
- The original sentence of 7-1/2 years was reimposed.
- In March 1998, prison officials discovered that Letourneau was pregnant with another child by Fualaau. Their second daughter, Georgia Fualaau, was born in Tacoma on October 16, 1998. Hours after the birth, Mary Kay Letourneau was returned to prison.
- In November, 1999, Letourneau was placed in solitary confinement for six months for smuggling letters to Fualaau.
- In January, 2001, Letourneau’s father died. She asked to attend his funeral, but the request was denied.
- In May, 1999, while she was in prison, Letourneau and her first husband, Steve Letourneau, were divorced. Steve was given custody of their four children. He remarried and moved the family to Alaska.
- In 2000, Fualaau’s family sued the Highline School District and the city of Des Moines for emotional suffering, lost wages, and the costs of rearing his two children, claiming the school had failed to protect him from Letourneau. The jury ruled against them and no damages were awarded.
Here’s a video recap from CNN:
SOURCES:
Ever been pepper sprayed?
I haven’t, but from what I hear, it stings and burns like a son-ova-uknowwhat.
If you’re a cop, or a cop-in-training, like we have at our local Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission facility (located at 19010 1st Avenue South), it is apparently a requirement that you get pepper sprayed during training.
I guess this way you know exactly how those bad guys feel when they’re on the receiving end of it.
I found two videos of apparent WSCJTC trainees getting pepper (aka “O.C.” which stands for the main ingredient, Oleoresin Capsicum) sprayed.
The most interesting part of these videos is that, right after getting zoinked directly in the eyes (and being told to “open your eyes!”), each victim then blindly (and obviously in a great deal of discomfort) staggers over and starts punching and kicking a punching bag, all while being cheered (or jeered) on by classmates.
Man, there are some wild things going on around B-Town:
What happens when some thrill-seeking dude with a video camera decides to videotape his and his buddy’s longboard ride down SW 170th to Three Tree Point?
This does:
(thanks xcbarrett!)
Sometimes it’s fun to read the Craigslist “Missed Connections” and follow the fascinating storylines of all our rascally neighboring humanoids, and this last week was no exception.
We first found this ad on May 28th on seattle-tacoma craigslist > south king > missed connections:
How was your trip to Maui??? – w4m – 25 (SeaTac)
We met at at an airport parking place in Seatac on May 19th.
I was going to Disneyland and you were going to Maui.
You helped my daughter and I out with our luggage.
If you remember me, please let me know!
Then, a few days later, came this rather interesting rebuttal: 
Hi,
You posted this for my husband.
His trip to Maui went fine, I was a day late due to a conference.
Why do you want to know how his trip went?
You must be the lady he mentioned when we were in Hilo.
He said you have a nice looking daughter and thought that you may have adopted her.
He said you stared at him plenty.
Mrs. Jake B.
