August 2 to August 15, 2010

 

Irreverent, non-commercial and unrestrained fun for local urban professionals. You won't find a more connected, entertaining or succinct lowdown on What's Happening in Seattle! Subscribe here to receive Seattle Spin by email and to stay informed on Seattle events, culture and media. Free and delivered weekly.

Publisher: Gerard Wirz | Editor: Nathaniel Hollywood


Lecture: The Island of Memory: Jewish Life in Rhodes, 16th - 20th Centuries, Aug 12th, free.  Kicked out of Spain during the 14th-century Inquisition, this band of Jews sets up community on a tiny Greek island.  After a couple of centuries, the scenery gets a little stale, so they pack up the menorah and settle...in Seattle.


Women's Interest: Eat, Pray, Love Movie Screening & Party, Aug 18th, $35.  The pre-party covers the narrative arc of the movie, with mini-yoga classes, travel adventure stories, meditative chanting, Italian wine and spreads, vodka cocktails, and those oh-so-fabulous swag bags.  The event is a mix of networking and girly fun.


Star Gazing: Moon Viewing at Japanese Garden, Aug 21st, $15.  Japanese cultural entertainment in honor of our lunar lord.  Watch dancing, listen to string instruments, hear the haikus.  Hopefully, the weather will be agreeable that night for full moon observation at the gloaming.


Aircraft: Battle Of Britain Day, Aug 7th, free.  The backbones of Britian's WWII fighters, the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane, come out for display and flight.  When you see these air fighters, imagine yourself in the period: 22 years old crammed into a cockpit, taking to the air to fight for life and country.


Family: National Night Out, Aug 3rd, free.  The good folks of the city of Bothell celebrate for a night out against crime.  There's the fair activities of music, face painting, fingerprinting, and crime prevention information.


Outdoors: Luau on the Lawn, Aug 5th, free.  The Seattle Conservatory invites the public for some Hawaiian punch and Polynesian performance.  Don't wear any perfume or cologne, because wandering through all of the plants will put your nostrils on olfactory overload.


Environmental: Wastewater Treatment Plant Tour, Aug 7th, free. This is marketing spin for ya’ - they keep on talking about the beauty of this plant.  While it probably rocks, as far as treatment plants go, and there's certainly no mephitic odors, you can't help but think as you're taking the tour, "This is where my poo goes..."


Kid's Interest: Celebrate Twilight Series, Aug 14th, $5.  Have a spooky time in the woods and along the beach at twilight.  Kids are sent on a discovery adventure throughout the park exploring different aspects of the natural world portrayed in the series, such as bats and wolves.  On a kid level, this is four-star spooky fun.


Radio: Antique Radio Swap Meet, those vacuum tube radios just won't die.  Listen to radios when they were bigger than dormitory refrigerators.  Collectors come together to swap and repair and listen to that old time music.


Tales: Pacific Northwest Folklore Society, Aug 13th, free.  Local legends come out in song, dance, and lore.  Listen to the whoppers comprising our communal history.

 

Organization: Asian American Journalists Association, a niche of a niche organization.  This group promotes young Asians to the profession of journalism and the fair and accurate reporting on issues of importance to Asian Americans.

 

 

Free at the UW:


The tuition certainly isn't free at this great school, but plenty of entertainment is (and we're not talking about crashing the student parties).


UW

 

Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture and Henry Art Gallery, free the first Thursday of each month.
Musical Recitals, students and faculty perform for the public.


See the world's biggest book, Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey across the Last Himalayan Kingdom, just outside the Suzzallo Library Reading Room.  That book is just huge!
Stargaze with experts, peering through telescopes at the Jacobsen Observatory.  Ask them a zillion questions - they enjoy sharing their expertise.


See the six-story LED show while taking a break.  It's a bit of folderol, but still fun.


Take on the roots of poverty at the West Coast Poverty Center with thought-provoking lectures.  Attend one, and you'll be counting your blessings afterwards.
Share your pain.  The UW Medical Center has a support group for just about every ailment.  Our favorite is "Knit for Life" knitting group.


Graduate Lectures, hear thoughts and analysis from some of the world's leading researchers and luminaries.


Take a walk through the 230-acre botanic garden.  This is also an excellent spot for bird watching.


Watch the UW Hatchery in operation and the return of spawning salmon.  Go out for a drink afterwards because, ya know, fish make out in that water.


Stroll through the Botany Greenhouse, viewing over a thousand plant species as well as its medicine garden, showcasing a world’s worth of plants.


Go climb a rock, literally, at the indoor climbing center.


Take in a student's art show, works in sculpture, ceramics, and glass.

 


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