Cancer comes for us all: Even for Edmonds' own prolific travel writer, Rick Steves. Steves, who I am going to dub "the gem of Edmonds," was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Luckily, he caught the cancer early, before it had spread. Maybe things will be okay. In the meantime, Steves said he's viewing the having cancer thing much like traveling. "You learn a lot more about your home sometimes by leaving it and looking at it from a distance," he told the New York Times. "The experience [of treatment] is, I’m meeting wonderful people, I’m gaining an appreciation of things I wouldn’t have gained otherwise, and I’m being reminded of what’s important in life." 

Mariners cut their coach: Thursday was a sad day in Mariners land and a sadder day for team manager Scott Servais. After nine years at the helm, Servais found out he'd lost his job via news alert. The Mariners, who had been in first place in their division for much of the incredibly long (some may say too long?) baseball season, have returned to "being the Mariners" recently by losing a fuck-load of games. Sadly, instead of recognizing that the team is cursed, team president Jerry Dipoto (who fans appear to hate) figured Servais was to blame and cut him loose. Here's Servais's statement:

Want to buy a dead billionaire's treasures? Well, you may have a chance depending on how deep your pockets are. Microsoft's co-founder, Paul Allen, was a notorious collector of all things and a huge influence in Seattle culture. After he died in 2018, parts of his estate were auctioned off. Now, three more auctions that will chip away at more of Allen's collections are planned for August and September. One auction, called "Firsts," will feature items of significance in technological and computing history. Much of that will likely come from Allen's Living Computer Museum, which shuttered for good earlier this year. That auction begins online Friday. It just goes to show that there is no such thing as a permanent legacy. 

Bob Ferguson declines a debate: Washington gubernatorial candidate and one-time Stranger heart-throb Bob Ferguson will not attend an Oct. 11 debate against his opponent, Republican Dave Reichert, in Ellensburg, WA. In a tweet, Washington State Debate Coalition Executive Director Alicia Crank announced the cancellation of the event, saying Ferguson "withdrew" from the debate. In a text, a spokesperson said Ferguson never "committed" to the debate. He added that Ferguson will debate Reichert on Sept 10 in Seattle and Sept 18 in Spokane. Crank said Ferguson's camp "agreed to save the date during the primary," and then after the primary said they were "trying to work out the scheduling," and then, after learning that Reichert's campaign had declined, said they were "ready to commit" but to let them know if Reichert changed his mind in writing. When Reichert did change his mind in writing, Crank claims, "Ferguson's campaign said thanks but no thanks." We're waiting on emails to confirm, but that's the he said/she said of it. 

We are so back: Back in the office, I mean. Downtown Seattle saw more worker foot traffic this past July than it had since the beginning of the pandemic. That peak is still only 63% of what the average was in July 2019. But, listen, we can't all go back to the office—some of us have work to do. 

What fucking month is it? Seattle will stay cool, partly cloudy, and kind of wet on Friday with a few showers in the morning and evening. Saturday will be mostly cloudy and mostly wet. Sunday should clear up and get temperatures back up into the 70s. Enjoy your faux fall before the heat returns next week. 

I hate when this happens: An Atlanta hospital allegedly lost part of a patient's skull during brain surgery. A man named Fernando Cluster received treatment for an intracerebral hemorrhage, which involved removing a 12 by 15-centimeter bone flap that would be reinstalled in a follow-up procedure. At the follow-up, the doctors couldn't locate Cluster's bone flap. They should really label these things! Instead, the doctors installed a synthetic bone flap, a procedure that cost around $146,800. Cluster and his wife are suing the hospital. 

"Whatever makes sense:" Robot JD Vance visited a donut shop for the first time in his life:

Seattle chef arrested for domestic violence: Eric Rivera, a chef who reached acclaim for his experimental Seattle restaurant Addo and who now seems to spend a lot of his time being annoying on Twitter, was arrested over the weekend in his new home in North Carolina. Rivera was booked on misdemeanor domestic violence charges, assault on a female, and assault by strangulation. He was released this week on $7,000 bail. 

Harris accepts the nomination: Kamala Harris is officially the Democratic nominee for president. She accepted the nomination in what Politico dubbed a "fluent, forceful, tightly argued address." In her stump speech, she contrasted her career with Trump's, saying she's "only had one client: the people." Continuing on with the prosecutorial language, she added, "Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails, and how he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States. Not to improve your life, not to strengthen our national security, but to serve the only client he has ever had: himself.”

Harris talked about protecting the middle class, expanding Medicare, protecting voting rights, and fighting against anti-choice abortion policies—all the major Democratic platform planks that poll well. But she also did her darndest to oppose the picture Donald Trump has painted of her as a left-wing liberal. (Which, like, lol.) As if she were deeply offended by the suggestion that she held progressive values, Harris strapped on her cop hat and promised to ensure that America "always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world.” She vowed to bring back the conservative border deal that Trump spiked. Out of one side of her mouth, she said she'd stand up for Israel's right to defend itself. Out of the other, she said she'd help see that the suffering "in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination." She only uses this rhetoric to appeal to the swing voters—horrible, haunted people—you must remind yourself. She must appeal to everyone. But, then, what is... true? I guess we'll find out if she wins? 

TMZ eats crow: An unsubstantiated rumor circulated around the internet yesterday: a big, surprise guest would appear at the Democratic National Convention. Who could it be? TMZ confirmed Beyoncé would perform. And, yet, no Beyoncé. No... anyone. 

A new joke is born:

RFK Jr. withdraws from Arizona ballot: Will he shirk his independent status and endorse Trump? That's what they're saying. 

The Taliban's new vice and virtue laws: New laws in Taliban-run Afghanistan make it illegal for women to sing, recite, or read aloud in public since a woman's voice is deemed "intimate." Women must also be veiled completely in public and they must not look at men they are not related to. 

Help! Lost birds! Birders! Scientists and conservationists need your help! There are 144 species of birds that haven't been seen in a decade. They might be extinct, or they might simply be lost. Can you help find them? In North America, three species are lost: the ivory-billed woodpecker, the Eskimo curlew, and the Bachman's warbler. So far, since the publication of the list and this research, a dozen of the 144 lost bird species have been found.

How about a song? What about two? Here are two vastly different new releases from across the spectrum that is genre.