My "Go-To" Rag for the Haps in Seattle…read more SITREP Jetting in and out of SeaTac for work assignments keeps my head spinning. But when I want to decompress in a cutting-edge environment, THE STRANGER gets me the information I want to see in relationship to the entire scene at once. SETUP Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my iPhone. But what I've discovered is a "weakness" with our tech - or maybe an "insufficiency" - be it iPhones or laptops, tablets, what have you: these cool little devices are great at honing on more specific details of information when you already have a general idea of what you want to do. For example, you know what movie you want to see (maybe "Wrath of the Titans", etc.) and so you can do a quick search on the iPhone and get the 411. Or you might know that Tango has a great happy hour with inexpensive drinks and munchies on Tuesdays going on and you want to confirm these specials, and so you jump on the iPad and get the 411. THE RANDOM But what if you really just want to "see" what random stuff is out there? Expose yourself to the bills and the ads and the what not: "What bands are playing?" Tonight? Tomorrow? "What venues are DJ or Band or Dancing or all combined?" All in a grid matrix on a sheet of paper so you can compare (EASILY) or contrast (EASILY) all the cover charges, the location-neighborhoods? Oh, what's this? A random ad for a cool burlesque night at Noc Noc is going on for Thursday. Oh, what's this? Stumbling Monk is doing a special game night. THE WEAKNESS With my tech, it's not easy for the eye to capture than more than the little "streaming" bursts that are on my little iPhone screen, or even on a tablet. However, with the paper, I can look at a grid-matrix all at once - left-to-right, with my peripheral vision catching just as much as my focus. And until we get to the level of holographic projections (ie. the movie MINORITY REPORT) where we can turn pages of light with our fingers, I think the tech will still be smart, but very truncated and very limited. If I can make this make any sense there is an relevant adage that states, "You don't know, what you don't know." So if you don't enough to ask for information on bands playing in Pioneer square, you aren't going to remember to ask a search in your iPhone to get information on bands playing in Pioneer Square. But if you eye catches the ad placed by Central Saloon that gives the bands for the next 3 days, then you HAVE that information. Bottom Line: for all the tech I have accumulated and use regularly, I STILL find that there sometimes just is not a replacement-tech for the simple act of scanning and turning the pages of a news rag. THE LOWDOWN There are just some things that are tech can not encompass "randomly" that will get my attention as easily as turning the pages of a rag. And so that's why I still rely on THE STRANGER, and why it is still one off the best offerings for the truly random pieces of information that I still enjoy having "my eyes scan over" since I may not always know to search for something specifically on my tech.

This paper has really gone to the dogs over the past couple years. Definitely in need of new…read moreblood, from the editor-in-chief on down the line. Sad to say the only thing of interest these days is "Ombudsman" A. Birch Steen's snarky column on the Table of Contents page. And maybe once in a while David Schmader prints an amusing "Hot Tip" in Last Days. But he's like a Pavlovian dog. Anytime Hizzoner Mayor 5-Cents proposes something idiotic (like say a 20 cent fee on bags or build a tunnel), Schmader is there applauding wildly. He's a loyal soldier on Team Nickels. No longer (well, at least the last two weeks) are Letters to the Editor printed in the paper version. And pretty much, the movie times have disappeared too. And what happened to Lloyd Dangle's "Troubletown" comic strip? The Mercury in Portland still prints it. Miss Matisse and Adrian Ryan's columns have vanished too. And so has Charles Mudede's Police Beat. The Stranger is a shell of its former self. Borrrrrring!

Hit and miss. When its good, its really good, however I am…read morenot a fan of the best doctors, lawyers, dentists, real estate agents, and financial advisers issues. It is obviously just a way to get these categories advertising, which is a sellout. In addition, the editors seam to be bias to advertisers which taints the validity. A city magazine should be about city lifestyle and reflect the local flavor of the area. It should appeal to tourists and residents alike. Tell us what's interesting, worth trying, what happening and basically fabulous about the Seattle area regardless of whether or not they choose to give you their advertising dollars. Do that and the advertisers will choose to be there.

My friends and I paid $55 for the Seattle Magazine Brunch Run and it was terrible. They didn't have…read moreenough food or drinks for the number of people. Took at least 15 minutes to get thru a line. They needed more brunch options or a way to make things go quicker. For the price you pay it was absolutely not worth it.

My elders and family have relied on The Facts for over 20 years as a trusted source of information…read morewithin the greater Seattle community. It has also served as a source of inspiration, standing as one of the longest-running and most successful Black-owned African American businesses in the city. If you are a Seattle local or a newcomer, this is one of the best resources for business listings, obituaries, and community news.

While the FACTS newspaper has been a staple in the African American community for many years, our…read morerecent experience has left a lot to be desired. After the recent loss of our loved one, we knew where we want to go to post the information. A 6am call from the company to obtain credit card information, for a 307 word obituary, which cost 228.00 proved startling. We had no idea no idea anyone would call at that hour about such matters, but were happy our request to post the obituary was being handled. The individual on the other end seemed confused, as they fumbled the credit card information repeatedly. The obituary was to run front page, in their 3/27/19 issue, as well as on their Facebook page. After emailing Dennis Beaver (publisher) a couple of times, as well as making calls to the business I found locations near our home to pick up copies. What a huge disappoint! While the picture of our loved one looked great, there were several noticeable grammatical errors that stood out and made the entire obituary appear tacky. A call was placed to the company within an hour that day. Speaking to the female on the other end of the telephone, she seemed confused about my frustration. I pointed out the bold header states "in loving memory of for," the word importance 8 lines down is spelled "wimportance," homegoing services is spelled "Homeguoung Serves." She agreed to forward my concerns to Dennis Beaver, he called shortly, apologized, stated the company did not issue refunds ever, and that he would run a new obituary in the next edition. I explained this was pointless as the funeral was occurring that weekend, 3/31/19. we wanted copies for our family that were coming to town, and errors should have been captured. I emailed him a copy to demonstrate no errors were in the original copy sent. Even if there were, the company should have captured and corrected them prior to publication. I was assured corrections would be made on the social media part to bring things up to standard, and spare any embarrassment. A partial refund was asked for, since in our opinion " a half ass job" had occurred. Again, the response was "no." Over the next 24 hours no attempt was made to correct the errors on the social media site. Even up to the day of the funeral nothing was done, and Mr. Beaver no longer responded to our requests to make things look decent on the online page as he said he would. He never did what he promised. We felt this was because payment had been received already. Our family and many friends saw this page run with these errors. The day after the funeral occurred which was April 1st, Mr. Beaver emailed a copy of a FACTS link showing the new obituary that would run without the errors. A little too late. We would have preferred a refund, or partial refund. I would hesitate before doing business with them again. This proved to be a disappointing experience from a paper that always took pride in what they put out there for the community previously.

This is a great newspaper with a focus on activism and change. Some examples of the articles found…read morein this weeks paper: Wanna Talk Values? - Rhonda Soto attacks a report by the Pew Charitable Trust Economic Mobilty Project where most African Americans polled say that Blacks are responsible for their own economic situations and have "bad values." City Up Penalty for Targeting Homeless - Angie Jones writes about City Council approving a proposal that gives homelessness protected class status under the Malicious Harassment ordinance. Authority Unchecked - An interview with Charlie Savage on the Bush-Cheney Administration's quest for more power. Vendor of the Week - A story about an ex-cab driver who has been attacked and cannot drive a cab anymore. There are so many great, eye opening articles every week in this newspaper. Highly recommend you pick one up. Zipzap Zubidy Bop!

I WISH THERE WERE MORE STARS TO GIVE!…read more To those of you that know what Real Change is, keep giving! To those that don't follow me here... For me, Real Change is the ONE way I can give to the homeless and really and truly feel like I'm doing the right thing. Real Change vendors are people on the cusp. People deciding to make the first difficult steps to getting back on track. Real Change is a good thing in a bad world, and I really want you to understand why. Real Change vendors actually have to buy the copies that they sell on the street and Real Change allows them to keep the profit! Vendors have to agree to a code of conduct at work, just like the rest of us that says, among other things, that they can't be intoxicated while working or they will loose their vendor rights. When I look at a Real Change worker, I don't see a homeless person, I see a employed person. ONLY BUY FROM AUTHORIZED SELLERS. You can tell this by looking for their Real Change Identification Badge. I only give to Real Change vendors anymore, and I give as much as I can afford! When they say "Thank You", I really mean it when I say "It's my pleasure". I wish there were more programs like this. I wish we had passed the legislation for a homeless center at South Lake Union. Just a place where people can take a shower, pick up some clothes, and use a computer... is that so much to ask? Vote.

Gotta love free magazines. Especially ones that provide articles you don't find anywhere else. It…read morekind of reminds me of a mixture of Utne, Yoga Journal, and Vegetarian Times with a side of The Nation. Plus, no escort ads in the back! You would expect to find articles on spirtuality, yoga, organic food and sometimes art and politics. And best of all, most of its articles deal with local issues. This month there is an article on Washington's Green Vineyard Tour and Matt's in the Market, which I am now going to check out. Among some of the things you find in the classifieds: free yoga classes every saturday at 2:30 pm, a monthly movie series that presents problems and offers solutions, a free Transcendental Mediation session (I myself am not a follower of TM but am interested in checking it out), and much more. Check it out, and I guarantee you will get your moneys worth. Zipzap Zubidy Bop!

They have their money where their mouth is. Gotta respect…read morethem for that! The staff is very active in personally and with no pay volunteering and promoting their values. I volunteered for them at a booth at the Fremont Festival. I got to describe to people the merits an duse of an electric car. It was really fun and I learned a lot. I also got a cute green shirt, a little earth-friendly bag and a gift certificate from cafe Flora. i respect and appreciate that greatly. Like any media,, at times, they may feature a business or organization which has soem customer difficulties.. like all, they don't respond to calls to editor. I hope they read or listen to the comments. It always feel bad when a group whom I admire allows a business with poor customer service free coverage. Many deserve coverage. I am not the editor and as I ponder this dilemna.. I may not wish to be.

What a fabulous magazine! Bravo. Smart, beautiful, stylish…read moreand informative. It's a pleasure to devour from cover to cover. I highly recommend you give it a whirl and subscribe which is the cost effective way to get any magazine. Even if you don't live on the Eastside, you'll find it relevant and it may have you crossing the bridge a bit more often.

Love 425 Magazine! The stories are always one step ahead -- suggesting what I'm going to want to…read moredo or see on the Eastside before I even know myself. Looks and feels rich -- we keep each issue at the front of our studio and it usually disappears each month :-)

I have been with this agency for about a year or so. I have been pleased with the guidance I have…read morereceived from Emerald City Model & Talent. They have helped me to prepare for auditions. I have been cast as a principal for a commercial; a speaking part in a promotional video; was selected for a modeling shoot and have also participated as background talent. These were for local companies as well as national and one international. I have been sent on auditions where I did not get cast. It comes with the business. But each effort made to go out and try is a win-win because your perseverance will pay off. You help your ability as a performer grow as you become more experienced and comfortable with the audition process. I was with another agency for a few years before and was thankful for the training I received with them however I did not get cast for paid gigs. While on an audition I came across an old friend who is on the talent roster with Emerald City and who suggested I connect with them in hopes to get more audition notices and hopefully paid gigs. I have not regretted that. I have met wonderful people through the agency and have made lasting friendships with other talent. When I decided to be part of the talent roster I did not have any pictures for immediate use so I did have the agency take a headshot of me. It is standard to need a headshot and resume when going out on auditions or to even be considered for one. The picture or pictures you have available serve as a way for casting agents to select you from other candidates for a potential audition. I had the option of ordering a larger photo package wearing different outfits but it was not feasible for me at the time. I do have the option to slowly add to that portfolio as I have photos from my paid gigs. I can also have the agency take more photos to show a range of looks if I choose to do so to help make me even more marketable. I can't speak for others but as for myself, I am thankful for the experience I have received at Emerald City Model and Talent to focus on how to prepare for potential jobs and the opportunities to be sent on audition calls. When I had important people in my life going through rough times, they were supportive of me stepping back from auditions to focus on what needed my attention at that time. The agency has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and they have been in this industry for over 25 years plus I know other performing artists who have been cast as talent from this agency as well. All of these factors made me comfortable with choosing the agency. I have found it does take an investment of time and money plus your commitment to really aspire to make yourself better than before which really is what one would have to do for any endeavor. I look forward to more possibilities from the experience I have gained while being with this agency.

DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THESE PEOPLE! I made a comment here on Yelp, and "Easa H's" reply to my…read morecomment was a complete LIE - let's analyze: In his reply here on Yelp he wrote: "We are very Melissa that you feel that way..." -----NOT TRUE - when I expressed my concerns, I was denied a refund without sympathy, and via text, the recruiter girl's reply via text was a snide "Tough luck cookie, you've learned your lesson." He wrote: "when you came in you were very excited to start the business" ----NOT TRUE - I was NOT "very excited to start." NOT AT ALL. I was VERY APPREHENSIVE AND CONFUSED. I was told I was there for a shoe/foot model interview, and the 'interview' turned into a bait and switch. "i told you we had a audition for you" -----NOT TRUE! There was no specific mention of any kind of interview for me. "so we went forward and did the comp card" -----NOT SO EASY! I WAS EXTREMELY APPREHENSIVE, EXAPLAINED MULTIPLE TIMES I DIDN'T WANT TO BE A MODEL, I FELT OVERWEIGHT, MY HAIR COLOR WAS GROWN OUT, AND I WASN'T EXPECTING ANY KIND OF PHOTOSHOOT and was CONFUSED SINCE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR A FOOT gig. I was coerced into doing to shoot just to get you to stop hounding me. I was vulnerable and you took advantage of me. WORST YET, I gave you my credit card but you said it didn't work, so I gave you my debit card. When I realized I was conned as soon as I stepped outside - in went into my car and cried! Then I tried stopping the payment, BUT YOU CAN'T STOP A PAYMENT ON A DEBIT CARD!! SHADY! "and as i said as soon as i saved you in our database i submitted you for a casino shoot". ----GARBAGE! AFTER I CRIED AND TRIED STOPPING THE PAYMENT I went back inside to ask you to give me my money back and you refused. You did not say anything about a casino. You said you sent the photos off for editing and your editor had already started (In less than 5 minutes - extremely hard to believe) so that's why you couldn't refund my money. Then you jumped into a fancy car with your friend and went to eat - you left your office immediately after dismissing me - you didn't keep doing any work on my stuff. "and my client replied back and he wanted for you to send him a self tape for a casino shoot" --- IF THIS IS TRUE - DOUBTFUL, YOU MADE NO MENTION OF IT TO ME - NONE, NOT EVEN A WHISPER. "and for some reason someone talked you out of going forward with our agency" ---- NO ONE TALKED ME OUT OF IT - I FELT IT IN MY BONES THAT I HAD BEEN CONNED WHEN I WALKED OUT. The entire experience was so much uncomfortable pressure, and you wouldn't hear my polite ways of saying no, you just pushed and pushed. As soon as I stepped out of your office I knew I had been worked over, and it felt awful. I looked you up on Yelp and found you have CONNED LOTS OF PEOPLE!! I cried so hard! "so i had to tell the client you were not available" --- I Would have been available if I had known anything about it - I was stuck having $700 conned from me, might as well have made the best of it, BUT YOU NEVER TOLD ME. "and when a client likes your look and i submit you for a job and i tell him you are nor available it really makes us look bad" ----THIS IS CLASSIC GASLIGHTING 101. How could I be to blame when I knew nothing of it. THIS COMPANY MAKES ITSELF LOOK BAD. "and most clients if you keep doing that they will stop calling our agency" ---- Clients SHOULD STOP CALLING YOUR AGENCY. THIS AGENCY SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN and return all the money it has stolen from people back to them. "fortunately for us we have been working with this same casting director for forty years so he keeps calling us back. We literately have thousands of auditions and jobs every year because we have over 500 clients we have been in business for forty + years". ---- I would SERIOUSLY QUESTION AND DISTRUST EVERY casting team or directors that do business with this company. "we have a A+ raining with the BBB since 1991" --- This seriously makes me think there's something very shady going on here - I mean - LOOK AT ALL OF THESE YELP REVIEWS. LOOK AT THEM. REPEATEDLY CALLED OUT FOR BEING SCAMMERS- OVER AND OVER. "but still very sorry it did not work out for you" ---- I DO NOT BELIVE ONE BIT THAT YOU ARE IN ANY WAY SINCERELY SORRY. IF YOU WERE YOU"RE DO SOME SORT OF COMPENSATION. In 5 minutes, your editor definitely did not do $700 of work. You could have given me $600 back and kept $100 for the time it took to con me, and the 5 minutes of work your editor did, BUT YOU DIDN'T CARE. YOU HAD MY MONEY, and YOU KNEW THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO GET IT BACK - YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHAT TO SAY AND DO TO PREVENT ME FROM STOPPING PAYMENT. YOUR METHODS OF COERSION WERE AWEFUL FEELING. I'm STILL sick about it. I wish I could sue you, but you did say I was perfect - sure - perfectly vulnerable, gullible and too poor to fight back. SICKENING - all of it. Even the smell of the grease in your hair, blech.