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Most Commented

Crosscut articles of the past 10 days with the most reader comments.

Greg Nickels' rebel yell
(19 comments)

A city of scolds
(18 comments)

As long as we're beating up on the mayor today ...
(9 comments)

Evolution of a think tank
(8 comments)

Washington's million-dollar university president
(8 comments)

Mods versus snobs
(7 comments)

Psst! Wanna see the Viaduct disappear?
(6 comments)

It's not over until Hillary Clinton's cash runs out
(6 comments)

The city's own series of tubes
(5 comments)

Parents on the bench
(3 comments)

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Arts Beat

Meet the dynamos who make Portland's art music snap and crackle

Mark Powell. Four who are scene-shifting classical musicians talk about why they came to Portland, and why "a big small town" can be a more promising place than bigger Seattle for an art-music revolution.

Big Bach at Big Ben

Seattle's Benaroya Hall, home of the Seattle Symphony, also contains a fine organ, which is the most prominent visual feature as you look at the stage of Big Ben (as opposed to the recital hall, or Little Ben). This year, the Symphony has promoted a series of three Bach organ recitals on the Watjen Concert Organ, designed by the leading American organ builder, C.B. Fisk. Joseph Adam of St. James Cathedral was the soloist, and last week Dr. Adam concluded the series before a large and rightly enthusiastic audience.

Architecture / Design

How the West was nuked

One of the best trends in historic commemoration is a greater willingness to honestly embrace history some would like to forget. In the bill containing Washington's new Wild Sky Wilderness that just passed Congress, there is funding for a National Park Service memorial on Bainbridge Island commemorating the shameful internment of Japanese civilians during World War II. The internment proposal was pushed hard by Rep. Jay Inslee and Sen. Maria Cantwell. Coming to terms with our nuclear past is another problematic area, but one that is also getting a more attention in the West.

Mods versus snobs

Egan House in Seattle. Modernist architecture is for the elite, right? Not any more. The movement to preserve modern structures is finding new energy in populist appeal and as a counterbalance to today's McMansions and Viagra villas. The debate over a Ballard Denny's is just one squabble in a growing national discussion about preservation, proportion, and pedigree.

Psst! Wanna see the Viaduct disappear?

The debate about Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct used to be a very public, contact sport, but as many local politicians were carted off the field, the controversy moved to a 30-person stakeholders group, who meet very quietly. Meanwhile, the politicians edge back onto the playing field and hint at solutions.

Health / Medicine Lifestyle / Leisure

A city of scolds

Plastic water bottle. Seattle City Hall has cracked down on drinking and clubs, it's on the verge of banning fast food and taxing plastic grocery bags, and now even plastic-bottled water is a civic sin. Switch to tap water! says the mayor. Mossback thinks enough is enough.

A great ex-pat life — but a long way from home

Seattle's French Underground. Seattle's French Underground: Ensconced in metro Puget Sound, French nationals nonetheless feel the inevitable tug of the homeland. Conclusion

Recreation / Outdoors

The Northwest's real fairy tales

When it comes to Northwest legends, we usually think big: There's Bigfoot, D.B. Cooper's Big Heist, Paul Bunyan and his Big Blue Ox — even the Big White Worm of the Palouse. This tradition goes back. When Jonathan Swift documented Gulliver's travels in the early 1700s, he placed the land of the giants, Brobdingnag, in the Pacific Northwest — somewhere between what we know today as British Columbia and Alaska. But we have our mini-myths, as well. Yes, Northwest giants are fun to think about (remember Olaf?), but take a minute to think about our munchkins.

Olympics at sunrise

morning majesty A view from Seattle.

Religion / Faith

Evolution of a think tank

Bruce Chapman. A journalist comes of age with Bruce Chapman, watching him launch Seattle's Discovery Institute and the intelligent design movement.

Sports Weird

The Northwest's real fairy tales

When it comes to Northwest legends, we usually think big: There's Bigfoot, D.B. Cooper's Big Heist, Paul Bunyan and his Big Blue Ox — even the Big White Worm of the Palouse. This tradition goes back. When Jonathan Swift documented Gulliver's travels in the early 1700s, he placed the land of the giants, Brobdingnag, in the Pacific Northwest — somewhere between what we know today as British Columbia and Alaska. But we have our mini-myths, as well. Yes, Northwest giants are fun to think about (remember Olaf?), but take a minute to think about our munchkins.

Smells like ... Chanel No. 5?

In 1996, the album Grunge Lite featured Muzak-style versions of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Mudhoney classics, turning them into elevator music before anyone else did. It seemed like an attempt to inoculate the music's legacy by injecting a shot of irony before anyone else did. It didn't work. Today you can get a "Smells Like Teen Spirit" ringtone for your cellphone (just Google "Nirvana ringtones" and take your pick).

Annals of Northwest secession

Flag of Jefferson. A primer of regional separatist movements, real and imagined.

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Mossback »

The Northwest's real fairy tales

When it comes to Northwest legends, we usually think big: There's Bigfoot, D.B. Cooper's Big Heist, Paul Bunyan and his Big Blue Ox — even the Big White Worm of the Palouse. This tradition goes back. When Jonathan Swift documented Gulliver's travels in the early 1700s, he placed the land of the giants, Brobdingnag, in the Pacific Northwest — somewhere between what we know today as British Columbia and Alaska. But we have our mini-myths, as well. Yes, Northwest giants are fun to think about (remember Olaf?), but take a minute to think about our munchkins.

A city of scolds

Smells like ... Chanel No. 5?

Arts Beat » Mark Powell.

Meet the dynamos who make Portland's art music snap and crackle

Four who are scene-shifting classical musicians talk about why they came to Portland, and why "a big small town" can be a more promising place than bigger Seattle for an art-music revolution.

The Greenbank Farm on Whidbey Island is opening an art gallery

Irwin's installation 'Nine Spaces, Nine Trees' is better at UW, but still lacking

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Business / Technology »

A survey showed there was little voter support for Ballmer's KeyArena plan

Steve Ballmer's investment group conducted the survey, which showed that voters across the state opposed their save-the-Sonics plan by a 2-1 margin.

Texas may claim that Amazon owes millions in sales taxes

Fishing fleet adapts to loss of salmon off Oregon coast

Politics / Government »

A survey showed there was little voter support for Ballmer's KeyArena plan

Steve Ballmer's investment group conducted the survey, which showed that voters across the state opposed their save-the-Sonics plan by a 2-1 margin.

10 what-ifs for Hillary's campaign

Joel Connelly interviews Arianna Huffington, who will visit Seattle

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Travel »

Northwest Airlines plans to compete on the Seattle-to-Beijing route

By the time daily non-stops are begun next March, it will probably be called Delta Air Lines. In any event, the service will compete with that provided by Hainan Airlines starting next month.

The 787 program is 15 months behind, but some deliveries could be 30 months late

The revenge of the resource economy in the Mountain West

Flip Side » Golf ball and club.

An alternative reality show

In The Real Husbands of Seattle, power and success come at high costs, but you might have to read between the lines ...

John Moe: Sorry, Seattle, I'm moving away

Which presidential candidate has a recipe for disaster?

Recreation / Outdoors »

Montana judge allows gray wolf protection lawsuit to move forward

Administration wanted to delay the suit, but judge feared more loss of wolves. 39of 1,500 gray wolves in the Rockies have been killed since losing federal protection in March.

The Northwest's real fairy tales

Irwin's installation 'Nine Spaces, Nine Trees' is better at UW, but still lacking

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