Bumbershoot: spanning_time Style

Here are the top three spanning_time reasons why Bumbershoot deserves your attention this weekend:

3) Bumberbout - Eight of the nation's best track roller derby teams compete for the inaugural Bumberbout title. Will Seattle's Rat City Rollergirls take the win with their home field advantage? spanning_time has yet to see a bout, and we think this will be a good introduction to the sport.

2) Flatstock - The annual highlight of Bumbershoot, Flatstock features works by some of the best poster artists in the business. It's inspiring just to walk through the room. The best part is that many of the artists also do postcards, so it's a great place to stock up on some unique things to send people.

1) Funnel Cake - We would like nothing more than to get a funnel cake at Bumbershoot. However, every damn year we end up having to settle for an elephant ear. For those of you saying "it's all just fried dough and the same thing" you're technically correct on the fried dough-ness, but it's not the same at all (with that logic you could say a beignet is the same as well, but try making that statement in New Orleans). Funnel cake deconstruction is a joy, with so many interlocked layers to work through. There's a real sense of progress with funnel cake that you just don't get otherwise. For us, eating a funnel cake is a zen-like experience that temporarily removes us from the overwhelming, claustrophobic environment in which we're eating it. Please let them have funnel cake this year. If they don't, we'll likely get more ranty than the Capitol Hill Blog did over the Blue Angels, and no one wants that.

If you need a comprehensive guide to Bumbershoot survival, Metblogs did a great job with that.

spanning_time Gets the RPS Scoop!

Two new Rock Paper Scissors tournaments coming up. As far as we know, we're the first to broadcast this information, so we're living up to our unstated goal as being your source for random event news.

Sunday, September 10, 9pm-11pm. Part of the "Bartender's Ball" (we don't really know what that means).

Friday, October 13 (ooh, eerie), 7pm-9pm. Will bad luck befall our competitors, allowing us to finally get past the first round? We shall see.

In other RPS news, the Seattle Times is doing a story on the subject, with interest on the local "scene," such as it is. spanning_time was asked some questions by the reporter, so we're making waves in the mainstream media as well as dominating the blogosphere. The article should be out September 13th.

PAX Recap: A Haiku

PAX '06 was fun
Kicked ass in Street Fighter Two
Nerds should shower more

Free Movies from Scion

Scion's done this before, and despite the obvious lifestyle marketing at work, we're pretty excited about their new monthly film series to be held at the Harvard Exit Theater. They've chosen some good films (one's about shoes!), they're free, directors are coming in for Q&A, and they'll even have cocktails. What's not to love? RSVP is required, so go to the site even if you're questionable on the event (and go ahead and use a fake email, there's no confirmation). Here are synopses of the films they'll be showing:

Infamy - An intense journey into the dangerous lives and obsessed minds of six of America’s most prolific street artists.
August 29 @ 7pm

Favela Rising - Anderson Sá is a former drug-trafficker who turns social revolutionary in Rio de Janeiro’s most feared slum. Through music, he rallies his community to counteract the violence.
September 26 @ 8pm

Just for Kicks - The first documentary film featuring the sneaker phenomena through interviews of world-renowned collectors, hip-hop pioneers, industry players, rap stars, journalists, brand marketers, and other sneaker addicts.
October 23 @ 7pm

Next: A Primer on Urban Painting - A personal exploration of this painting world, it will publicize and give these important emerging and established artists their dues.
November 14 @ 8pm.

[via Seattlest]

Certified Krump Dance Battle

For a few of you, that title already has a few of you wanting the details. For the rest of you, we'd highly recommend that you check out the beautifully shot (yet awkwardly paced) documentary Rize (film trailer), which tells the story of some major players involved with the South Central L.A. dance phenomenon. Having seen the movie, we couldn't help but to be excited about seeing the poster for a krump competition on Wednesday at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. We don't know if this has really caught on in Seattle the same way it has in South Central (Youtube shows that the dance has gone international), but with a $500 cash prize on the line, Seattlites will be giving it the best they've got. Here's the copy from the poster:

Konquer & Own Entertainment Presents
Certified Krump Dance Battle

$500 Cash Prize!!!
August 30th, 2006

Hosted by DJ Roc'Phella
With Special Guest Performances by Aluzjun, Kutt'n Up, Q4, Dynasty and More!!!

It's Goin Down
Don't Miss the Action!!!

Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
4408 Delridge Way SW, Seattle, WA
Across from Delridge Community Center

Doors Open @ 5:30-9:00pm, Show Starts @ 6pm
Admission $15 @ The Door - All Ages

Dress Code: No Bandanas

For More Info Contact Gemini @ 206.229.0981

Happy Anniversary to Us!

That last post was our hundredth. When we started this blog, we weren't sure we'd be able to keep up the enthusiasm, but we've done it (with some periods of sporadic posting), and we'd like to send out our thanks to our readers for sticking with us. You're the best dozen people on the whole Internet! We don't plan on stopping in the near future either. There are many more events to discover, more obsessions to share. We hope you keep reading and tell your friends about our little blog-home.

And since we're looking to make the next hundred posts even better than the first, let us know if there's something you'd like to see (either in the comments or via our tips email address). Because here at spanning_time, it's all about you. And funnel cake. And curling. And Kobayashi. Oh, and shoes. But really, all about you.

A Quick Geek-Test

What's your reaction to this photo? Do you think:

A) My, Earth really is full of things!
B) That cute, but what is it?
C) No really, what the hell is it?

If you answered anything other than A, then this weekend's Penny Arcade Expo is likely not for you. Organized by the guys over at webcomic Penny Arcade HQ, PAX (as the Penny Arcade Expo is affectionately known), is a geek gaming extravaganza. It's got tournaments, an exhibition center, panel discussions, and concerts, all game-centric. Game-centric concerts you ask? Well, imagine a band that does nothing but play covers of video game themes. Now realize that this isn't just part of your imagination, but this really happens, and it's going to happen on multiple occasions this weekend. You already know if this event is for you. In the case that it isn't, know that spanning_time will be in attendance, and we'll let you know how it goes. Geeking by proxy.

Megan Kelso Book Reading Tonight

Back in our youth we went to an after-school program called GRASP (we don't remember what it stood for). It was a weekly opportunity for kids to go and sign up for a variety of activities, like a weekly version of summer camp. It was fun and was a chance to meet kids from other schools. Thing is, after bussing back to our home school at the end of the evening, spanning_time's parents had a tendency to forget us. Week after week, Thursday after Thursday, we'd get back to our school and have to wait a half-hour or so until Mom wondered where we were, at which point she'd rush to pick us up, filled with apologies. One week it took hours for her to remember, so we sat outside the school until around ten at night, alone, waiting for a car we weren't sure was ever coming. It never did, and we ended up catching a ride with an English teacher that was working late.

We share that story not to reveal too much about our childhood, but because it's what came to mind after reading Megan Kelso's The Squirrel Mother Stories, a collection of her graphic short stories, recently published by Fantagraphics. Despite a departure near the collection's close into discussion of Alexander Hamilton, stories like the above are Kelso's bread and butter, with vignettes into her life as well as universal stories of dreams deferred. It takes a lot to create a work that operates both personally and universally, but Kelso handily succeeds. We'd highly recommend picking up a copy. You can do so tonight at Ravenna's Third Place Books, where Kelso will be giving a discussion of the work, specifically some of the Seattle-specific pieces.

Correction: Dream Interpretation Panel Tonight, Not Wednesday

The title says it all. The Dream Interpretation Panel is tonight, not Wednesday. Sorry for the confusion. Thanks for the heads up Erik!

Making spanning_time Stalking Even Easier

With this blog already representing a pretty good indication of how we're spending our leisure time, there's really no need to help out the legions of spanning_time stalkers by providing them with more information regarding our whereabouts. We're doing it anyway, and it fits here as much as anywhere.

We go out. A lot. It doesn't necessarily come across in the writings here, but on any given week, there's likely only one night that's spent quietly at home, and even those are sometimes punctuated by some form of misadventure. For example, last week's lazy Wednesday night was broken up by a 3am trek for a pancake that ended up as a quasi-tour of late-night dining spots in Seattle. On most nights it's music of some variety keeping our attention, and for a while we've wanted to keep track of all of the things we do for a week, along with how much money is associated with it. There aren't any plans to do anything with that information really, but it'll be interesting to see how the list grows.

So for a month we'll be keeping track of when we go out, defined loosely as when we go out for fun and merriment, not just for something like food. We're keeping the list here (and adding a link to our handy-dandy sidebar), and will post the overall results at the end of the period. Is it really too much? We shall see...

They're All About Sex, Right?

spanning_timer Erik tipped us off on an event he's helping with. It's a Dream Interpretation Panel on Tuesday. His obsession with Rock Paper Scissors surpasses our own, so if he's willing to call something entertaining, we're smart enough to listen. What does it mean that you keep dreaming about your AP History teacher and "detention?" Now you can find out.

Here's the copy:

The Po Show and The Fisher Ensemble present Trapdoor 62: The Dream Interpretation Panel. Using only words, an Indian harmonium, and a Sonabulist, a panel of writers and musicians will interpret the meanings of all your dreams. Before the panel, enjoy aperitifs and Surreal conversation. (All attendees will also receive a dream to be interpreted at the door.) Expect a labor-intensive disruption.

Edit: This is actually today, Tuesday, not Wednesday.

On Happiness

This post is a bit of a spanning_time departure, but we think the spanning_time readership will appreciate this. The whole idea for spanning_time is to bring people together to have a good time. Better living through silliness and moments of not taking yourself so seriously. Well, the CBC did a radio show on the science of happiness. It takes some time to get through it, but you could listen to it on your commute. It's worth your time. Take the scenic route if that's what it takes to finish it. Here's the audio.

Snakes on a Plane: The Recap

All we can say is wow. Seattle's SoaP massive truly delivered last night. From the drinking, ticket scalping, yelling, car honking, draped (fake) snakes and overall liveliness in the crowd, last night's premiere was easily the best movie-going experience we've ever had, and fully lived up to our expectations, which were pretty lofty. Thanks again to everyone that came out and shared in the experience. We were truly part of something special. It might not change the world, but for 4+ hours (including wait time) almost a thousand people came together and shared a beautiful unifying experience. That's saying something. We even went to a showing tonight to see how it would stack up. It didn't. Thursday's Seattle premiere was truly a once in a lifetime event, and we're glad to be able to say we were there. To paraphrase the Goonies, "This was our time."

All of this isn't to say you shouldn't see it if you haven't. However, if you do so, do your part and drink plenty first (or during), drag some friends along, and yell at the screen. Also, go soon. It really must be experienced in a full theater. It's meant to be an entire experience, not just a movie.

Here are some other recaps for you:
LJ's Interimlover
Seattlest (they had a full posse in the audience)
Seattle P-I (definitely a reporter who "gets it")
Seattle Times (the crowd only gets mentioned in the last paragraph)
Pics from the Official Premiere

Oh the Anticipation

OMGSNAKESONAPLANETONIGHT!!!!!!!

It's hard to believe that it's finally here. Snakes on a Plane is finally here. Only 4 hours until the Shorty's meetup (which got noted by MetBlogs - Thanks!), and it's incredibly hard to just sit in the office and try to get work done. Were this back in our less-employed days, we'd already be outside the theater, just because. Some teenagers have already done just that. We don't know them, but they've got spanning_time spirit to spare, camping out and generally being ridiculous. Oh yes, we'll be joining them soon enough. Only a few more hours of "work" to go.

The Right Shoes for the Occasion

spanning_time logic can be at times more than a bit circuitous. When we first came across the listings for this weekend's Brasilfest at Seattle Center, our first thoughts weren't for the education, costumes and overall cultural exchange that was presenting itself, or the enjoyment that could be had. Our thoughts didn't even center on the food, which is saying a lot. Instead of any of those things, our thoughts went straight to this pair of shoes, the special Brazil World Cup Nike Cortezes we didn't buy (opting instead for the Mexico edition). We've told you before we have a shoe obsession and we weren't kidding. All we can think about is how if we did next day shipping, we could probably get them in time for Brasilfest. We might have a shoe problem. Help.

Unnecessary Closure

I'm sure you've been just waiting to hear about the results from Akron, Ohio's Hamburger Festival. Well, we did indeed manage to hear word from the event, which featured a "Best Burger" competition. Our informant managed to sample a variety of the burgers there, and he was prepared to "call shenanigans" on the proceedings, since the best burgers didn't win. From the sound of it, there was some wheeling and dealing at work. It was still fun though, and that's what matters most. As for the official word on how it all went down, here's the press release.

SoaP Pre-funk Plans

Here's the plan.

8pm. Shorty's. Pinball. Video Games. Drinkin'.

Around 9ish we'll head to Cinerama to stand in line.

It's been advised that you may want to bring a flask with your favorite beverage. spanning_time doesn't support violation of liquor laws, but all the same, sounds like it'd just add to the overall spectacle, so do what you will.

See you tomorrow.

Samuel L. Jackson on The Daily Show

This is the best interview on the Daily Show ever. Samuel L. Jackson is just as excited about Snakes On A Plane as we're sure all you spanning_timers are. See you tomorrow. Post about the pre-funk plans in minutes.

Grilling Competition Update

The South Lake Union Block Party Grilling Competition is from 4-5pm (we stopped by today). There weren't any details about whether the results will be given to the audience, but even if they aren't, there are some sampling stations around, so the chances for free food are high.

F*ck Yeah

You're surely already aware of the greatness of Snakes on a Plane. We've refrained from blogging about it too much here, but don't worry, here in spanning_time HQ, we've been waiting almost a year for its arrival. Is it going to be bad? Gloriously so. So what? The hype even peaked a few months ago, but being SoaP True Believers that didn't dull our enthusiasm. It's bigger than us, and deserves all the spectacle it can get. So what's the perfect place in Seattle fit to take in the glory? Definitely Cinerama. Oh yes. Our periodic check of the Cinerama site finally yielded the sweetest of fruit. Thursday night. 10pm. This is now your plan. This is an official spanning_time event. Emails will be sent, phone calls will be made. We will be there, and our numbers shall be strong. Pre-funk plans will be sent out later. For now, you've got tickets to buy.

The Details:
Thursday, August 17, 10pm
Cinerama Seattle (Tickets)

Upcoming.org Event Link

Wanna Play With My Produce?

Completely, totally and blatantly quoted from The Stranger in case you missed it:

(FOODSPORT) Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to start your squashes at the Zucchini 500 Races at the West Seattle Farmers' Market. All you need is a dream—zucchinis, wheels, axles, and decorative bits will be supplied by the market and generous farmers. Finalists from each heat will compete in a final winners' race, and the victorious will receive ribbons, hard-earned glory, and adoration. (West Seattle Farmers' Market, SW Alaska St and California Ave SW, www.seattlefarmersmarkets.org. 10 am–noon, free.) ANGELA GARBES

The Only Reason To Ever Go To Ohio

This is the first and likely only time when spanning_time has wanted to spend a weekend in Akron, Ohio. Here's why. Absolute genius.

Remember when we mentioned that spanning_time was taking over the world? We're going to try to get a spanning_time field reporter to let us know how this festival is (no, really). Should that work out, we'll of course share the details with you. Why? Because we care.

Like Iron Chef Without the Fun

That subject makes this sound like a bit of a downer, but since I'm highly doubting that this will feature the same theatrics as the Iron Chef, it's not too far from the truth. That said, tempered expectations say this could be a more sedate kind of enjoyment. As part of this weekend's Vulcan sponsored South Lake Union Block Party, they're going to have a grilling competition. It's uncertain what the format is going to be, or when it really gets going, but they make it sound like it could be thrilling. If nothing else, it's free to watch ($5 suggested donation, which spanning_time suggests only paying if the competition doesn't suck).

Here's the official copy on what's going down:

It wouldn't be a block party without a grill! Seattle's best chefs will face off in the Whole Foods Market Natural Grilling Competition at the 2nd Annual South Lake Union Block Party, Friday, August 11th, from 5pm until midnight, and continuing on Saturday, August 12th, from 11am until 9pm.

Grill against Grill:

All contestants will be given the same all natural ingredients and a six pack of Redhook beer (it's not grilling without the beer), and then it's a race to create unique cuisines within a limited amount of time. This year's block party Natural Grilling Competition will feature:

Amanda Zimlich, Chef at the Madison Park Café

Scott Samuel, formerly the Sous Chef at The Herbfarm, and now working as Chef Instructor for Fine Dining at Seattle Culinary Academy

John Neumark, Executive Chef at Serafina

Bubbles Boats and More

The Pacific Science Center has two good things going for it this weekend. The Game On exhibit is still there until the end of the month, so you can still play games from all eras. This weekend is also Bubbles, Boats and More: A Summer Science Festival. Here's a bulleted list on why you should care:

- A bubblologist will be describing the science of bubbles
- Balloon animals!
- Sand Castle tutorials
- It's free!* (with museum entrance)
- Bubbles!

A Reading With Style

We just caught wind of this book reading later tonight, and it sounds pretty interesting, so we have to share. Here's the copy:

ELLEN FORNEY's biggest solo comic book project to date, I LOVE LEDZEPPELIN (Fantagraphics Books) hit bookstores in late July, andshe'll be having reading/video/performances at Bailey Coy on Thursday, August 10.

What we mean by reading/video/performance:

Since comics are a visual medium, doing a regular reading isn't really possible, so when Forney's last book, Monkey Food, came out,she developed a "multi-media show" using a slide projector, boombox,props, and live narration, which she toured in nine U.S. cities, Canada, and Portugal. For I Love Led Zeppelin, the show is a little more high tech, with images and audio on DVD (directed by Ellen andproduced by a couple of friend/techie artists) using a video projector and Forney's live narration and props. There will be video adaptations of four of her comics, and the performance will last about 30 minutes.

Edit: Forney will also be at Elliot Bay on the 16th. Thanks Josh!

Capture the Flag Recap

There was a Diplo performance, a performance down in Portland, and a house party for one of Seattle's kickball leagues that had just finished their playoffs, but Saturday night found spanning_time instead rushing to the silver sculpture at Seattle Central for the renegade game of Capture the Flag. Despite a slow start, it was ultimately a good time, although it left enough room for improvement that spanning_time is thinking of organizing its own game to show these kids how random gatherings are meant to operate.

Saturday's game was organized by a couple of SCCC students, who just wanted to see what would happen if they advertised a game (we fully support that idea). The primary flaw in their plan: scheduling for a Saturday night. Saturday night is going out night, and while that doesn't matter as much for someone underage, it very obviously impacted the turnout. Only ten people showed up initially, which required a change of venue from the SCCC campus to Cal Anderson Park, where the group picked up a few more players (by the end of the game, there were close to twenty people).

Organization for the game was a bit on the slow side, which we attribute to general youngster wishy-washiness. There was a lot of "Well we could..." and "What do you think about..." statements, which caused a bit of enthusiasm to fade. spanning_time eventually had to speak up and get things moving so we could move past the boundary setting and get to playing an actual game.

The game went pretty smoothly. We were on Team Washington against Team Brazil. Tasked with the larger end of the park with the fountain and hill, we decided to put the flag on a tree all the way in the rear. With only sidewalks and an open field as approach areas, it would have been impossible for a real sneak attack. Well, that is except for the fact that our partner in defense decided to go wander off instead of guarding the flag, giving the other team a clear shot to the flag. Luckily they were a smoker and were easy to run down. After that the game slowed tremendously, with Team Washington keeping the game centered on the other half of the field. After 45 minutes, a teammate returned wanting a rest and took over defense. We moved up to enter enemy territory, but eventually had to stop an opponent form encroaching. We ended up stalemated at the neutral zone, during which time someone from Team Brazil managed to get my team's flag. These young kids apparently know nothing of the value of defense.

As mentioned above, the game was a fun time. A bit disorganized but fun nonetheless. We think with a more clear direction and a larger crowd, this could be an incredible way to kill a weekday evening. Let us know in the comments if you'd be interested. If it seems like a plausible idea, you may see flyers for a spanning_time sponsored game in the coming weeks.

Capture the Flag: The Flyer

Here's the flyer for tomorrow's Capture the Flag game. It's also managed to create some discussion on Livejournal's Seattle community.

Make Sure to Stretch First

There are flyers appearing around Capitol Hill advertising something absolutely brilliant: late night Capture the Flag. Now, this could easily end up like the dunk competition that was one of the first posts on this blog, a great idea but ultimately something entirely different. That's a risk we're willing to take. Here's the copy from the flyer. We'll try to get a picture before the week is out.

CAPTURE THE FLAG
BROADWAY

Saturday Aug. 5th

Meet at Seattle Central next to the giant silver sculpture @ 11pm sharp!

Game will go until the flag is captured, or 1am.

See you there?

What's Grosser Than Gross?

Seattlest completely scooped spanning_time on a pair of eating competitions that occurred this past weekend as part of the Ballard Seafoodfest. We were too busy hanging with the hipsters, so we didn't even hear about it until it was all over. Thing is, we don't feel so bad. We're fans of eating competitions, and we hold an unhealthy reverence for all things Kobayashi, but while eating 54 hot dogs in 12 minutes or 67 Krystal burgers (think White Castle) in 8 minutes seems glorious, eating lye-swollen fish just seems...gross. Go read that post for the evidence. Ew.