Last weekend, the Annex Theater debuted its latest stroke of genius in the form of Alecto, Issue #1.  Written by Alexander Harris, Alecto is the story of a troubled heroine invited to join the ranks of a popular superhero team. While learning to understand and control her powers, Alecto must face the questionable motives of her new team. The Annex brings the comic book world to life in a comedic mix of hero/villain personas, electrifying fight scenes, clever social satire, and crafty stage magic.

I attended the sold out Opening Night on Friday, January 22, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The actor’s performances are vividly concocted and the special effects are creatively and humorously executed.From the Barbie doll stunt doubles to the mock superhero product endorsements, this play does not take itself too seriously while remaining a quality spoof on our notion of superheroes and the childhood fantasy of becoming one.  Highlights included people walking in flippers, a sidesplitting submarine scene involving a familiar tense relationship, and a brilliantly played reporter from the Midwest.

It’s been a while since I have loved theater this much or laughed that hard. I would definitely recommend this play, hands down, to anyone looking to enjoy his or her evening. 

The Annex Theater is located at 1100 East Pike St and Alecto, Issue #1 is Fridays and Saturdays from January 22 to February 20.  January 28 and 29 is Pay What You Can and Monday, February 8 is Industry Night! It does contain mature themes and language, and is not suitable for young audiences.

Halloween is a fantastic holiday. You aren’t expected to be thankful for anything and you don’t have to buy anyone presents. All you have to do is get a cheap bag of candy (or leave your porch light off) and let your inner child shine.

Although it may look like Halloween on any given day on Broadway, the rest of Capitol Hill actually dressed up for the occasion.  I attended two parties and saw a healthy dose of adult-concocted costumes. There were the usual trite costumes that appear every Halloween, with a significant boost in “Wild Thing” Max’s and a depressing decline in pirates.

I personally appreciate homemade costumes the most, like the six-foot tall robot completely encased in foil. But fear not party goers, there was a tube connected from the side beer holder into the robot so fuel could be properly consumed. My personal favorite: the Fruit Stripe Gum zebra handing out strip after strip of that delicious treat. I went as the H1N1 virus and my partner in crime was the out-of-stock H1N1 vaccine (we didn’t have a great deal of time!)

My night, however, soured when Sexy Hitler walked in the room. Hands down the worst costume ever. She was wearing a military type jacket with a red swastika armband, a Hitler mustache, silver bejeweled underpants, and heels. Sexy? Maybe, if you can ignore the giant symbol of hate and the booger-saver on her upper lip. Inappropriate? Yes.

At first I thought my horror was simply because I am a Jew. I am proud of it, yet I am not overly sensitive about Jewish jokes.  There is one thing, however, that I will never find funny:  the Holocaust. I will stand firm on this against Sara Silverman or anyone else. The systematic genocide of millions of people is never a laughing matter, or even a matter to take lightly.

I then realized that my horror was due to her utter lack of respect for human kind in general.  In the current political climate of threatened minority rights and deteriorating economic stability, why on Earth would a person wish to stir up such demons and laugh in their faces? There are plenty of creative costumes that are not politically correct, but they are usually ingenious and certainly fall short of downright offensive. What happened to her sense of decency?

Thankfully, even the gentiles I was partying with grew extremely uncomfortable as well. We left the party past throngs of people telling Sexy Hitler how good she looked. I would like to think that Capitol Hill residents would take a stand against this type of hatred. I am disappointed in all who knew her plans to be Sexy Hitler and did not voice concerns, and horrified at those who did nothing once Hitler actually arrived.

Capitol Hill is supposed to be the mecca of weird, the home for all who had to leave their homes, the place where people are finally accepted as people. If the outcasts aren’t safe on Capitol Hill, where are they safe?

If you think all religions damn homosexuality, think again. In a time where the rights of minorities are threatened, it is necessary to seek allies who support you no matter what. Lucky for us there are over 40,000 Jews living in the greater Seattle area, according to the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle.

An overwhelming amount of Jewish community organizations, synagogues and leaders are rallying to get Referendum 71 approved, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, Jewish Family Service, Anti-Defamation League, and the American Jewish Committee.

 A special screening of “Oy Vey! My Son is Gay” will be showing October 26 at 6pm at Cinerama on 4

^th Avenue.

The film was shot in Washington and a few scenes take place in front of Temple De Hirsch Sinai in Capitol Hill, located at 1511 E Pike. Carmen Electra stars in this comedy about two Jewish parents learning to understand their gay son. General admission is $25 and all proceeds from this event benefit the Approve Referendum 71 campaign.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle (http://www.jewishinseattle.org), Vulcan, Gemini Events, and Baltic Room are sponsoring the event. For more information check out: http://www.facebook.com/pages/OY-VEY-MY-SON-IS-GAY/212868250163

Being a frequent diner at Hillside Quickies made me super excited about eating at their new restaurant, Plum Bistro. I had no doubt in my mind it was going to be amazing, especially after the rave reviews it keeps getting. I finally had brunch there last Saturday morning and sadly, I was not impressed. I understand that most of their meals are excellent, but I was left wanting more, a lot more.

The brunch menu is sparse, with about seven options to choose from. I ordered the cinnamon and strawberry crepes with vanilla custard, thinking I was just about to get myself into the hottest, sweetest mess of all possible brunches. Much to my dismay, I received two cold, bitter, hard taco-sized “crepes”, folded over about 8 slices of strawberry. That’s it. I’d say they used about 6 strawberries to make this meal. I paid $9 for six strawberries while my friend paid $8 for a hot, delicious, and gigantic tofu scramble with four pieces of toast. What?

I did ask them to hold the soy whipped cream, as my body does not tolerate much soy, not to mention whipped soy. When I mentioned to the waiter that I was surprised at the small, bland plate I was given compared to what I’m used to from these establishments, he responded that the crepes are usually piled high with whipped cream. Apparently, a mountain of whipped cream is supposed to make me forget that I paid out the rear for a few strawberries.

I’m sorry, but we are in an economic crisis here and I could have paid less for more at the grocery store. It’s not often that I can afford to eat out, and I was so insulted when I got my plate I almost cried.  I came here for a gourmet vegan meal and I feel like they played a joke on me. How dare they set that plate down in front of me for $9 dollars and a plate two times the size in front of my friend for $8.

I didn’t send the food back due to fear of embarrassment. The last time something went wrong with my food at the Café by Hillside Quickie, the chef made me feel like a jerk for ordering something the way I wanted it. It’s certainly not “customer is always right” with her.  At least the waiter at Plum was pleasant.

All in all, if you want to venture out and try Plum Bistro, I’d go for lunch or dinner and skip breakfast. There are plenty of better, vegan friendly, breakfast places, like Portage Bay. If you do find yourself at Plum for breakfast, don’t get the crepes, and you should be okay.  

I attended the HIV/AIDS Vigil on Sat, Oct 10 at Seattle Central Community College for Seattle’s LGBT Equality Weekend. At about 150-200 people, it was smaller than I expected but educational and inspiring.

A local Cornish College singer/songwriter kicked off the vigil with a beautiful and eerie song. After, speaker Michael Dunlap informed us about the Rise N’ Shine program on Capitol Hill. Founded in 1988, Rise N’ Shine provides stability for children and teens affected by HIV and AIDS through emotional and educational support programs. You can volunteer to become a mentor to children and teens who have been orphaned by the disease, who live with someone with the disease, or who have been infected with the disease themselves.

AIDS has been haunting us for nearly four decades and we have yet to find a cure. Research is being done to find a vaccine, but it desperately needs volunteers. A video promoting volunteering in the research study provided answers and ways to get involved. 

I was also shocked to learn from the final speakers that HIV/AIDS is the leading killer of people ages 15-59 and only 17% of people with AIDS has health coverage.  Of all the people diagnose with HIV/AIDS, 70% are people of color. It’s quite difficult to take it all in.

Hopefully, more and more events like these will raise awareness about a disease that just won’t surrender.

If there is one thing that is painstakingly obvious about Seattle right now, it’s the construction. New buildings are popping up everywhere and I’m curious as to who is going to fill them. Not only that, but who is in charge of them once they are built?

Some friends of mine moved into the second phase of the condos built at 17

^th and Madison above Trader Joe’s. The units weren’t selling as condos, so they desperately decided to lease them, and lease them to anyone. The building is more like a dorm now, with parties and noise and drunken people roaming the halls. Not quite what they had in mind for 1700 Madison.

Although it boasts luxury, large stains dot the carpet just weeks after being cleaned, again. Piles of puke can often be found in the stairwells, left for some fairy-maid to clean up. The entrance sidewalk was finally paved after 6 months of people moving in through dirt. The structure walls already have long cracks, the windows leak, and when it rains water rushes under the outside door into the hallway, causing the carpet and hardwood floor to bubble. My favorites: the beautifully crafted trim punctured by a nail gun and left to bare its open wounds, and the fake fireplace that blows as much hot air as the building brochures.

My friends went two weeks without knobs on their cabinets, and their building keys still don’t work in half the doors. A roaring jackhammer at 2 a.m. in the lower garages has caused countless sleepless nights, but never merit a returned phone call from management. The landlords expected people to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for this bogus structure when they can’t even get their act together. Maybe this is why 1700 Madison still has open units.

If you research the company, you find it’s just the property of some big business offspring called Riverstone Residential, and the women in the office are only in charge of leases. So who is in charge of taking care of this building? Who returns the phone calls? The company’s regional president for Washington is located in San Francisco – not much help.

I just know that according to the City of Seattle Landlord-Tenant Laws, landlords are obligated to “maintaining roof, walls and foundation and keeping the unit weather tight.” I also know from experience that the city will do nothing to help you enforce your rights, and this must be stopped. Someone must be held accountable if we must continue to pay rent and occupy units unfit for habitation.

Just as Folklife celebrates the potential arrival of summer, Bumbershoot revels in the end of summer bliss. It is the last chance for Seattle’s own collective of crazies to sing and dance before retreating to their winter dwellings.

Although boasting an eclectic population, Seattle’s people are easily categorized at events such as these. I normally reject labels, however, festival patrons make it far too easy to judge.  The following have been randomly chosen from this city’s wide selection of summer fesitivites.

There are six groups of people who attend Folklife:

1. I have a washing machine and a shower that I don’t use because I’m a hippy.
2. I was actually a hippy, and this is what real tie-dye looks like you gutter punk.
3. Just because I own this doesn’t mean I should wear it.
4. I just took a pill from a guy I met at the fountain.
5. Thank God I’m normal, where’d all these freaks and weirdoes come from?
6. I’m the child of someone belonging to groups 1-5, I’m lost, and too young to be at a music festival.

 Then Summer Solstice comes along and six more groups join the collective:

1. My couch was out here at 3 a.m. don’t even think about taking my spot
2. Yes, those are my privates under all this paint. I’m free!!!!
3. I’m just trying to get to PCC and the gym.
4. I took the Burke-Gilman here, how do you like my spandex?
5. I’m so drunk, I’m having sex against the handrail.
6. My outfit could make a rainbow have a seizure.

 Just when you got bored the West Seattle Summer Fest drags out more crazies:

1. Oh, you must be from across the bridge
2. We are the new, cool Seattle
3. I’m so nice I will make you puke
4. If you don’t talk to your cat about catnip, who will?
5. I am at least 30, definitely a lesbian, and just moved here with my partner.
6. I’m only here for a few years before I move to Shoreline.

 And finally, just when you thought you had enough crazy, six more groups top off the collective at Bumbershoot:

1. My hat describes my personality, if not, you can read it on my t-shirt.
2. I don’t think anyone can tell I have liquor in my water bottle.
3. Find my friends, find my friends, find my friends, find my friends,
4. If the stage doesn’t have a beer garden, I won’t be visiting it.
5. I’m only here for the comedy, but I can’t get in.
6. I’m so glad this happens so my wife and I can get wasted once a year and relive the good ol’ days.

If you don’t find yourself in one of these groups, well, you are lying to yourself or you don’t get out much. Embrace the craziness! It’s what makes Seattle the diverse Emerald City that so many wish they understood.