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A Seattle software exec makes sure that the buffalo don't roam

In the 19th century, tourists used to slaughter bison herds from passing trains, blasting the big beasts into near extinction just for fun. That ugly tradition is echoed in the recent massacre of buffalo in Colorado, which has also touched off a classic confrontation over rights between two ranchers. The Northwest connection: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's John Cook points out that the man behind the recent massacre is the chairman and CEO of one of Seattle's top software companies, Jeff Hawn of Attachmate. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Another Teton Dam

Teton Dam. The golden age of dam building has long since passed, capped by the tragic failure in 1976 of the last big dam, an earthen structure on the Teton River of Idaho. Few new dam projects are being proposed these days, and many dams are being purposefully breached. But that hasn't stopped some from resurrecting the possibility of a new Teton Dam.

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.

Annals of Northwest secession

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

Greg Nickels' rebel yell

Mayor Greg Nickels at CityClub. Seattle's mayor waves the flag of secession. In so doing, he may have waved goodbye to a future in state politics.

The Great White hope

It may be the season for finding big white enigmas. In March, scientists spotted a long-rumored white killer whale in Alaska. Closer to home, researchers who have been pawing the sod in search of the Great White earthworm of the Palouse have come up with some surprising new clues about the elusive and possibly endangered creature. Two recent discoveries, one near Moscow, Idaho, and one near Leavenworth, Wash., suggest that the worms are not only out there, they may live farther afield than previously thought.

Northwest travel: Five courses up the Inside Passage

Weekend essay. Many Seattleites have either never traveled the Inside Passage or seen only parts of it, remotely, from the deck of a cruise ship. A trip through on a ferry is well worth the time.

Pioneer Square

Pioneer Square In Seattle.

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.

Northwest travel: A quick escape to Whidbey Island

Ebey's Landing. A mere 24-hour trip from Seattle can seem like a journey far away. For starters, all those lovely views ...

Tongue ties: a language bridge across the Bering Strait

Mikhail Baldin, a Ket shaman of Kellog Village, photographed in 1977. A Western Washington University professor has compared native languages in North America to those in Asia and found ties that suggest they come from the same ancestors.

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A Seattle software exec makes sure that the buffalo don't roam

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An Eastside community where craftsmanship defines the homes

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Business / Technology »

A Seattle software exec makes sure that the buffalo don't roam

In the 19th century, tourists used to slaughter bison herds from passing trains, blasting the big beasts into near extinction just for fun. That ugly tradition is echoed in the recent massacre of buffalo in Colorado, which has also touched off a classic confrontation over rights between two ranchers. The Northwest connection: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's John Cook points out that the man behind the recent massacre is the chairman and CEO of one of Seattle's top software companies, Jeff Hawn of Attachmate. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Life after Yahoo: Microsoft moves on — to Asia

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Politics / Government »

Saving our communal storm sewer, Puget Sound

The state's biggest paper finally weighs in on a subject of huge local importance — the effect of urban stormwater runoff on Puget Sound. Though following reports by The Olympian, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Crosscut, and others, this is an accessible overview of the problem with plenty of PDF visuals. If you haven't gotten yourself up to speed on the subject yet, this is a good place to start.

A stealth Ron Paul campaign makes the GOP nervous in Idaho

Just 15 years old, the state Department of Ecology building is cracking dangerously

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Flip Side » Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton will you please go now!

Flip Side: With apologies to Dr. Seuss and Maureen Dowd.

An alternative reality show

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

Sports » 1977 Seatle Mariners cap.

Perhaps Oklahoma City would also be interested in a baseball team

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Grandmother, mother, and daughter — on the same soccer team

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In the International District, an interesting approach to restaurant reviewing

The group assesses lunchtime eats in the ID, including whether or not the establishment uses MSG.

Yours for free: a guidebook to farm-fresh food

A city of scolds

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