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I've never been to Cafe Metroplitain's Thursday night open mic sessions but I've enjoyed a few of the performances while sitting in my underwear drinking a gin and tonic at my kitchen table. You know, the same way you spent last Tuesday night.

The clip above is a perfect example of what makes open mic great. The comedian's start is cringe-inducingly painful. I die for him each time I watch it. And then my heart soars with joy (remember the underwear and gin part) as he slowly recovers, finds his bearings and starts ripping off ridiculous one-liners. You will laugh because some of them are funny. But you will also laugh because your heart is surprised and happy he pulled it off.

You can catch...

Cal Anderson 6/2/7 Originally uploaded
by brandon 98122

TheChessPlace received $30 grand in community funds to "use the game of chess to support children and youth by establishing positive self-esteem, self-confidence, and critical thinking skills."

But we can't let politics get in the way of our coverage of life on the Hill. Yes, even though

CHECKERS IS VASTLY SUPERIOR TO CHESS

we need to let you know that TheChessPlace is hosting an event this weekend in Cal Anderson:

A Simultaneous Exhibition with Master David Bragg and another Master, which will be a Surprise!!!   Each board...

We forgive you.

Citations issued to cars during the city's "car free" event on Capitol Hill last weekend have been changed to warnings, city officials said Tuesday.

Walking home from work last night in the rain, I was surprised to see dozens of goats peeking out from a shelter in the grassy area between Plymouth Pillars Park and I-5. This morning, as I walked to work, they were still there. Great advertising for a business named Rent-A-Ruminant, LLC. If you are contemplating renting a goat (to keep your lawns...

In case you forgot already, we did have a few sunny days not too long ago on Capitol Hill. Thanks to everybody for adding to the CHS flickr pool.

If August's rain and ridiculousness have you a little down on Capitol Hill, you should read author Charles Johnson's recent essay for Smithsonian Magazine.

My wife, Joan, born and raised on Chicago's South Side in a sometimes violent housing project called Altgeld Gardens, and I happily raised our children here. They can truly call this place—accurately described as a "city of neighborhoods"—home. On Capitol Hill two years ago, our daughter, Elisheba, a conceptual artist, opened Faire Gallery/Café, which features jazz performances and the occasional play or open-mic poetry night as well as art shows and comedy performances by young local...

Our friend Matt at Urbnlivn posted a link to a site poking fun at Cap Hill condos: Cheapshit Condos!

Dissing those triangle porches at the Braeburn? Loves it!

Today's link fest has only one theme -- Capitol Hill:

• The oldest house in the city is on Capitol Hill.
• DOT responds to Car Free towing: "We don't want to create negative problem for the neighborhood, and that was an unfortunate consequence."
• Daily Candy tells you where to find the height of sartorial treatment on Capitol Hill.
• Wet, crappy weather means death from above. That tree was aiming for you.
• Press release for creation of a Capitol Hill Barrio.
• We all missed Sounds Outside last weekend. Except for Capitol Hill Triangle.
• My hobbies increase. More about this soon.

Pike/Pine would surely scoff at the enthusiasm. But Fancy Pants & 15th Ave don't get live KEXP-rock music every day. So we have an ongoing tradition of getting excited when Sonic Boom announces an in-store NOT in Ballard (sadly, we didn't post about The Dutchess and The Duke performance a few weeks back). And, it's always cool when the rugrats can rock n roll too -- even with a performance as weird as the Tiny Vipers.

TINY VIPERS!
THURSDAY AUG 28TH!
7PM! CAPITOL HILL!...

I love this post over at Seattle's Tribe.net page requesting a summary of Seattle in just three words.

So, I have to ask...

How would you describe the hill in just three words?

Play along! Three words only! :)

Here's mine, um, it's a little cheesy:

Community with spunk

More about the Car Free breakdown and a few other links of note this autumn-like August morning.

• A 14th Ave E. neighbor speaks out on the Car Free debacle: "How much cooler would the whole thing have been if someone had organized a street-wide garage sale, a group jam session, or a scooter rally. Now that would have been cool, and all of those events could have happened at the same time on the same street to great success." FYI, the Capitol Hill Community Council talked to an organizer about this event way back in July but didn't hear back from her until a week ago with a mass e-mail looking for volunteers.
• PDX blogger gets high and mighty about Capitol Hill's yuppification by pointing squarely...

Was cooking up a post about today's crappy rain and tried to hop over to KING 5's Schoolnet Weather report for Stevens Elementary -- and found, sadly, it's no longer available. Boo.

Anyhow, Stevens' replacement -- the Husky Stadium station -- says we got about .57 inches of rain today. If that's accurate, it's basically more rain in a single day than...

This rant from the Slog comment pool pretty much sums it up:

So is the Stranger (read ECB) going to do a followup of the "success" of the closed off street in Cap Hill today? Please make sure to point out all the happy people who had their vehicles towed in preparation for the fun and frivolity, only to have the entire event scrapped hours early, due to rain, lack of participation, lack of interest, and the general anger & annyonance expressed at the liberal freaks in charge of promoting said event. We'll see if folks still have unbridled enthusiasm for the ridiculous idea, but geeee it really sounded like a swell idea when it was...

I finally got a taste of Pike Street Fish Fry this past Thursday when Seattle Subsonic hosted a happy hour at Moe's. Myself and two girlfriends scarfed down three orders of cod and an order of fries.  The fries were forgettable.  As for the cod, the batter is nice and light and the fried and battered lemon slices that accompanied the cod were inspired.  Definitely, a step above most bar food.

Sketchy information right now, but it sounds like someone was robbed and assaulted inside their home. Update: This was a home invasion robbery perpetrated by 3 black males in their 20s, armed with handguns.

Life on a Hill requires ascension.

• Volunteer Park Water Tower - 106 steps (source)
• E. Howe St. - 180 steps (source)
• Broadway QFC South - 1 escalator (source: author)
• Pine Street trail - 54 steps (source, also author. I think)
• Interlaken Steps - 10 steps (source: author)
• E. Republican Staircase - 16 steps (source)
• The Cuff Complex - ad infinitum (source: author)...

Just a quick call-of-attention to a neighbor's excellent use of the communication opportunities we offer here at Capitolhillseattle.com -- neighbor Bill wants you to know about his yard sale this weekend so he posted this CHS event. Smart Bill.The event postings automagically appear on our calendar and over on the right side of our homepage. Got something...

Twitter is finally reaching the point where it is interesting -- your mom and dad are using it. Saw this interesting Twitter page on fellow neighborhood blog My Ballard. Want to build something similar for Capitol Hill -- in the meantime, here are some of the latest Capitol Hill-related Tweets:

dieselboi: @tbridge tom, hit up a restaurant named Via Tribianali up on Capitol hill. Excellent pizza
Portland Oregon USA
about 17 hours ago · Reply · View Tweet
...

Eat your heart out. Originally uploaded
by GB Bowers

In foodie news of critical importance to any Capitol Hill parent that hasn't abandoned the desire to have a pleasant dining experience, Seattle PI says Seattle is about to get a second Vios -- inside Third Place books in Ravenna:

"Thomas Soukakos and his crew will transform the pub into a tavern, serving beer, wine and mezze. The space upstairs will feature a larger Greek-Mediterranean menu, including flatbread pizza from a stone oven."

PI says opens around Thanksgiving. You lucky parents of Ravenna. We're sure 19th Ave's family-...

This Sunday the 24th, some of the streets in and around Volunteer Park will be closed to cars as part of the city's Car Free Day.

Volunteer Park and 14th Avenue East. From noon  to 6 p.m. 14th Avenue East from Volunteer Park to East Republican Street will be closed to cars. The Volunteer Park Western Loop will also be car-free.

According to Google Maps, that's a whopping 512 feet of closed roadway on 14th Ave E.

Here are a few things we suggest you do with that space on Sunday -- if you're not out of town, that is.

Volunteer Park Car Free Day Suggested Uses

• 170-yard sprint
• roller hockey
• BOB stroller drag races
• jay-walking practice
• pothole maintenance<...

Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world, after all. He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it – namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.

So, let's say you are building a light rail station. And let's say you are shutting down several city blocks to do it -- city blocks still covered with city block stuff like buildings, parking lots and, yes, even some bushes and trees. What to do about that pesky shrubbery!

Sound Transit has an idea that would make Tom Sawyer proud -- they're asking you to rip it up. Gently. Saturday Aug. 23rd from 9a to 11a, Sound Transit is inviting neighbors...

Interesting project being planned for 1530 15th Ave E. near Lake View Cemetery is making its way through the city's design review process. Here is the fancy design review proposal for the project.

The write-up by builder gProjects and archictecture firm b9 says the building will be "zero energy" and design will reflect "the building's progressive leanings....