Silenced Majority Portal

Starbucks Test-Marketing Under Fake Name on Capital Hill

Just reading in the Times (Seattle's newspaper) that Starbucks will take its logo down off of one of its Capital Hill stores and pretend it's something else.

The new names are meant to give the stores "a community personality," said Tim Pfeiffer, senior vice president of global design. 

They'll feature beer and wine and poetry readings and music, just like it's the East Village or something.  They also spy on and study indie coffee shops, to try to capture their secrets of authenticity.  I've been boycotting them for ages but this is new ammo.     

See the logos at the left?  Foreign coffee shops pretended to be Starbucks - life imitated art and now art imitates life, or something like that.  SB

Urban Dictionary:

1.	Starfucks
	The proper (some might say "derogatory", though I hope for the sake of the world they wouldn't) term for the evil coffee making entity sometimes known as Starbucks.  Also: a game which involves trying to fuck the most attractive member of staff working in said coffee shop, whilst buying the least number of products (See also Fuckbeans). "I hate Starfucks"  "Don't you mean StarBUCKS?  "No, I assure you, I meant Starfucks."
2.	Starfucks
	Parody of Starbucks. Starfucks has such awful coffee! it's expensive and it tastes like sewage.

Remembering the Refuzors

No videos that I know of survive of Slugbug's brief stint with an all-female band called "The Homewreckers" but this is one of the bands that sometimes rehearsed in the same building, as did the band Cannibal shown below.  This is Renee Refuzor singing lead - way beyond anything Courtney Love has ever done. Used to see her in Marie-Don Drugs in Wallingford kicking her white pit bull with her white cowboy boots.

 

Anyone remember Gorilla Gardens?  Wasn't it in Chinatown?

"Bruno" - Starring Ron Paul (Wallingford Landmark Theater Marquee)

PeeWee's Big Adventure at Fremont Outdoor Cinema, Seattle

Perfect night (spooky), perfect weather (ominous clouds, minimal drops), perfect neighborhood (still interesting pockets), perfect film (classic)

Skies over the deck of the Rainier place where we had beers, the sculptural condo with PCC below which used to be where the old outdoor theater was before Fremont became all gentrified, the bar down the street, some other big mural next to the theater that reminds me of Brussels, one of the best neons around, the garage sale signs by Circus Contraption building, finally the theater, then the darkening theater, and finally PeeWee!  Time to cheer for PeeWee and his bike and boo Frances!!

FollowUp on Seattle Woman Who Refused to Sell to Developers

  Remember the woman who refused to sell her house to developers for a million bucks? Now it's going to be preserved and elevated. Underneath will be created a special space that will be open to the public.  The story made international headlines when Edith first refused to sell.

Here is our original story from one year ago:                                                 

 Edith Macefield of Ballard just died at age 86, in her own home. The turned down a million dollars offered by a developer for her home. She lived with cranes towering over her roof and concrete walls near her kitchen window and just turned her opera up louder as trendy condos destroyed the blue collar neighborhood around her. The developer came to respect her tenacity (she also had pancreatic cancer) and at least left her house up but now it will probably disappear, as she left no relatives. Her car is still parked in front and her animal menagerie are still in her windowsills. Legend is that she may have been a spy during WWII and also toured with the big bands. She talked of once finding herself in conversation with Hitler. She had lived in Oregon, Seattle and New Orleans and knew both French and German. She cared for war orphans, adored animals and loved opera, politics and old movies. She said that she felt as though she had lived three lifetimes. (story alert from Alan Castle, summarized by Slugbug from what was presented in the Seattle P-I.)

Dying for Health Care

Our friend Glenda is helping promote the Everett healthcare event and all sorts of people are signing up, including several small business owners, a retired physician, a friend very familiar with European universal care, and others who are wanting to speak.  The more the merrier!  

Dying for Universal Healthcare will be hosting a public healthcare rally on Thursday, July 9 at 11:45 AM at Maria Cantwell's and Patty Murray's district offices on 2930 Wetmore Avenue in Everett, WA. 

Local residents will be calling on our senators to support a Public Health Insurance Option.  The Rally will profile speakers from doctors, small business owners, a resident familiar with European universal healthcare and other residents all struggling with the current health care crisis.

People are dying waiting for healthcare reform!  Rally yourself, your friends, your relatives, your co-workers to remind Senator Cantwell and Senator Murray to work for their constituents and not for lobbyist dollars.  Change cannot wait and real healthcare reform is necessary NOW.  Come join us and have your voice be heard!  Thank you.

Foo Fighters Played the White House Last Night

Foo Fighters played last night at the White House Fourth of July celebration.  The fireworks display started in the middle of their final song.  (Last year they protested McCain's use "My Hero.")  The White House streamed the concert on their website.

Dave Grohl, lead singer and guitarist for the Foo Fighters, grew up in Alexandria and said he used to “sweat his butt off” watching the fireworks on the mall. He said he never thought he’d be performing on a stage just yards from the Oval Office in front of about 1,500 people.

Seattle U Took Turn Housing Tent City But UW Can't?

(thanks Alan C) Apparently, the faculty unanimously favored the decision but now the plan is stalled. The idea is also popular with students and was student driven, but security and logistics are cited as reasons for not going ahead. Tent City has occupied more than 30 sites in Seattle and a winter head count found at least 3000 homeless. Residents must be sober and increase in crime around the sites is not proven. This couple (shown in the Times article) have been together for 25 years and have fallen on hard times.

Thanks to Alan and here's Alan's letter, and the link to send your own. 

To: pres@u.washington.edu 

Subject: TENT CITY NOW ! 

Date: Sun, 5 Jul 2009 09:51:05 -0700 

Dear Sir - I am asking for your definitive and immediate support of TENT CITY on the University of Washington Campus in Seattle by August. . As a Class of 1971 Alumni Member [ Graduate School of Social Work ] it is imperative for the University of Washington Community to step up to its Community Service Obligation to assist those folks in these tough economic times to have temporary housing offered by TENT CITY . My own religious community [ University Friend's Meeting ] has been designated a SHARE SHELTER for the last three years with no "deal breakers " . And frankly if Seattle University could house a TENT CITY on their Campus - certainly the University of Washington could also . Plus there are numerous educational / human service benefits for UW students & faculty on CAMPUS ......... So again President Emmert - I urge your support for TENT CITY now on the UW CAMPUS . 

Sincerely , Alan F. Castle [ LCSW - retired ] 

Class of 1971 

U W Alumni Former President of the Organization of Student Social Workers, UW [ 70-71]

The Commemorative Seattle P-I Cupcake Dispenser, Phallic SuperHero Treat & Complementary Palin Hat

This entrepreneurially ingenious baked product dispensing device was placed in the middle of Wallingford Avenue, which was closed off for the fireworks display.  It made good use of the dispensor, given that we are now a one newspaper town (Seattle Times - the P-I has gone to on-line only.)

This iced confection was purchased (by me) from the ice cream dispensing church which was parked in front of a church on Meridian that offered free rest rooms and water.  I found the free Palin hat on the sidewalk and the newspaper was the last one left.  

Another Seattle Suburban Homeboy - Hendrix Plays the Star Spangled Banner

I believe Jason Webley (see story below) hails from Lynnwood, and Jimi Hendrix was from Kent.