Taxi Magic iPhone App

Erik Benson posted this screen shot of his successful deployment of Taxi Magic on Capitol Hill. Has anyone else tried the app?

2008 Most Popular Posts

marigolds in the pool of the ISTA Hyderabad hotel

Taking a look at the Feedburner statistics, the most popular read posts were the following (from what I can tell, CHT's audience likes coffee, food, elections and photography):

1. Breakfast Suggestion
2. Free Coffee at Caffe Vita
3. Capitol Hill in Autumn
4. Shadows in the Night
5. February 9 Caucus

The top 5 most clicked posts were slightly different:

1. Blockbuster v Netflix
2. Tarragona: Great Pesto & Free Wine Tasting
3. Capitol Hill Restaurant Notes
4. Free Coffee at Caffe Vita
5. Mirch Masala: Good Indian Food
   

If there's anything you readers out there would like me to post about in 2009, let me know.

Weather Advisory From King County Public Health

Are you prepared? Steps to stay safe in this weekend’s storm

With high winds forecast for this weekend and possible power outages, it’s time to take steps to stay safe and avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

How to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning

Carbon monoxide can kill you or cause serious injury. Carbon monoxide gas comes from burning fuels such as gasoline, propane, oil, kerosene, natural gas, coal or wood. Here are some steps to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Never use a gas or charcoal grill, hibachi, or portable propane heater to cook indoors or heat your home.
• During a power outage or at any other time, do not operate fuel-powered machinery such as a generator indoors, including the garage
• Avoid combustion “space heaters” unless there is an exhaust vent

Carbon monoxide poisoning can strike suddenly and without warning. In some cases, physical symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include splitting headache, nausea and vomiting, and lethargy and fatigue. If you believe you could be experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning, get fresh air immediately. Call for medical help from a neighbor’s home. The Fire Department will tell you when it is safe to reenter the home.

For a full list of carbon monoxide prevention tips and other safety and disaster information in English and other languages, visit King County Health.

Other important safety tips

• Make sure you are wearing enough warm clothing before going outdoors. Wind speed can create dangerously cold conditions even when the temperature is not that low.
• If you think power will be out for several days, check with your city for location of warming shelters.
• Watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia—slurred speech, confusion, uncontrollable shivering, stumbling, drowsiness and body temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit or less. Get medical help immediately if you think someone has frostbite or hypothermia.
• Check on elderly friends, family, and neighbors to make sure they are safe.
• If power goes out where you live, keep food safe by keeping the doors closed on your refrigerators and freezers as much as possible. A full freezer can stay at freezing temperatures about two days; a half-full freezer about 1 day. Potentially hazardous foods, like meat and fish, should be discarded if thawed and warmer that 41 degrees F.

Vino Verite Wine Tasting Thursday

Vino Verite is promising live music Thursday (by Eric Claesson) along with some bubbly - a definite way to beat the chill. Here is the lineup of wines they plan to pour on Thursday from 6 to 8 pm at 208 Boylston Avenue East (just up the street from B & O):

Jaillance "Renaissance" $10 and Jaillance Cremant d'Bordeaux Rose $13

NV Ampelidae "Armance B" Brut (Organic) $15

2005 Chateau de la Nauve (St Emilion) $18

2005 Domaine de Calet "Long Terme" $14

2004 Hecht & Bannier Minervois $19

Getting Involved: East Precinct Community Groups

The East Precinct Crime Prevention Coalition just sent out a notice that the next meeting for community members will take place Thursday, January 22, 2009, 6:30PM - 8PM at Seattle Vocational Institute, 2120 S Jackson St. Room 401. The EPCPC also sent out a comprehensive list of community groups you can be involved with in your own neighborhood/constituency. I noticed two glaring omissions - the Capitol Hill Community Council and the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce. Let Sita know if there are any others that she has missed.

• GOTS (Get Off The Street) – Every Tuesday, 1:30pm, 23rd & Union (in front of Liquor Store)
  

• Black on Black Crime Prevention Coalition – Wednesdays, 5:30pm, CAMP (18th & Cherry)
  

• Central Area Chamber of Commerce - 1st Mondays, 7:00pm, Safeco (23rd & Jackson)
  

• CNA (Colman Neighborhood Association) - 1st Tuesdays Quarterly, 6:30pm, Location TBD - Mural Update
  

• POWHat (Pike Olive Way Harvard area triangle) - 1st Wednesdays, Capitol Hill Presbyterian (Harvard & Howell)
  

• Miller Park Neighborhood Association – 1st Thursdays – does not meet every month, 7:00pm, Miller Park Community Center
  

• East African Community Advisory Council – First Thursdays, 6:30 – 8:00PM, Providence Hospital (500 17th Ave) Swedish Education Conference Center, Conference Room D (The Conference Center is located past the Starbucks on the right side of the building)
  

• Ladies First – 1st Saturday Evenings, Hidmo Restaurant (20th & Jackson) Sponsored by CARA (Communities Against Rape and Abuse)
  

• FHIA (First Hill Improvement Association) – 2nd Tuesdays, 7pm, Swedish
  

• Central Area District Council (CADC) - 2nd Thursdays, 6:30pm, Garfield Community Center
  

• Squire Park Community Council (SPCC), 2nd Saturdays (Quarterly – April 12, 2008), 10am, Langston Hughes (17th & Yesler)
  

• African American Community Advisory Council – 3rd Thursdays, 6:30pm, Seattle Vocational Institute Room 102
  

• Jackson Place Community Council (JPCC) - 4th Thursdays, 7:00pm, Moonlight Vietnamese Restaurant
  

• Cal Anderson Park Alliance – Last Tuesdays, 5:30pm (Shelterhouse)

Dumpster Art

This is a shot I took earlier this year - the dumpster in front of Value Village at 1525 11th Ave. I spoke to someone recently who had just moved from Los Angeles. She and her boyfriend lived in the apartments above Trader Joe's in temporary housing. They ended up buying a place in Green Lake. She mentioned that one of the things she least liked about Capitol Hill was that it was so dirty. I can't help but agree that Capitol Hill *is* dirty. But sometimes, it's the grit that I appreciate.

SLOG Happy In Da Hood This Week

To commemorate the fact that the Twilight is closing later this month - in preparation for the move to their new location - SLOG (the Stranger's blog) will have their monthly happy hour this Thursday December 11 starting at 6 pm.

Free Acupuncture, Massage & Reiki

Via Miller Park Blog, an announcement from Roxanne Geller about a Community Health Day today:

I run The Union Center For Healing with my business partner Vickie and we are having a Holiday Community Health Day at our clinic. Free treatments for everyone. It's a fun thing we are doing for our community. It's Saturday Dec 6th from 11-4 and we will be giving free acupuncture, massage, reiki, naturopathic counseling and waxing from 2-4. If you could post this that would be really great. Our address is below.

Roxane Geller, LAc, LMP
Union Center For Healing
2100 E. Union Street
Seattle, WA 98122
206-409-0566

Highlights From The Capitol Hill Times

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Just read the 12/3 edition of the Capitol Hill Times(which unfortunately will be reduced to a bi-weekly from a weekly). Here are some stories you shouldn't miss (grab the print edition at Charlie's on Broadway or subscribe):

• New Obama/Lincoln Mural to appear on the blank red wall at Villa Apartments (pictured above)
• Editorial by Geov Parrish on why Seattle Schools need to reduce capacity (hint: gentrifying Seattle means a greater percentage of well off older couples, DINKs and younger families who can afford private schools)
• New restaurant slated for the Pearl (where Thumpers used to be at 1500 East Madison) - called Healo to feature vegan soft serve with a topping bar, raw smoothies, sandwiches and salads - will open March 2009
• Article about the inspiring work at the Hearing, Speech and Deafness Center
• News that Tuatara (including REM's Peter Buck) will be playing at Neumo's on 12/10 for an Amnesty International Benefit Concert
• Article on The Pearl development including the tidbit that Anchovies and Olives is slated to open March 2009

Update (12/8): Anchovies & Olives to open January 2009

Greek Holiday Dinner

image by pugetive courtsey of Flickr Creative Commons License
Vios is my go to spot for Greek food on Capitol Hill (and Ravenna too). A favorite lunch pairs the Braised Greens (with olive oil and lemon) and a warm pita. But apparently, there is another institution serving Greek food in the hood - the Greek Orthodox Church. Yesterday was the last day to get in your holiday order(mark your calendar for next year), but you can still have a wonderful Greek holiday meal at the church this Saturday December 6 from 3:30 to 8:30 pm - $28 per adult / $12 for 12 and under.

Comic Book Release Party Tonight at Vermillion

For one night only (tonight from 6 to 11 pm), Gallery/Bar Vermillion is hosting a release party for MUX Adapter, an 80 page anthology by Michael Hall (aka SPECSCONE). If you need inspiration to check out Vermillion, read this glowing review by Bethany Clement of The Stranger.