Bobby Ferg will save us from the scammers.
Bobby Ferg will save us from the scammers. STEPHEN BRASHEAR/GETTY

Seattle rent prices ain’t going down: As someone who is currently looking for a new place, I can attest to the claim. According to the Seattle Times, Seattle is the 10th priciest place to live in the country. Hong Kong wants to try solving housing problems with artificial islands.
Maybe we should let them test that first. In the meantime, how about we put a lid on it?

Man who scammed rich people with fake luxury music festival sentenced to six years in prison: This is a story that started with only losers, and ended with no winners. You may recall last year there was a bogus attempt at a luxury music festival which took place on an Island in the Bahamas dubbed “Fyre Festival.” If you do remember this event, you probably remember that despite the exorbitant ticket prices, and the facade of luxury, the event turned out to be a total sham ending with the wealthy elite stranded on an island, many lawsuits, and charges of wire fraud. The man behind the sham, Billy McFarland, was sentenced Thursday to six years in prison, and is still fighting off a $100 million class-action lawsuit.

Washington apparently has a moose census: Check out this Crosscut piece on Washington’s moose census, why we’re counting them, and how climate change is threatening their population. As Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Richard Harris says, “It’s a difficult world for moose out there right now.”

Intelligent robot dogs—what could go wrong? Yeah... navigating construction zones... Mhmm...I’m sure that’ll be the premiere use for this type of robot. Also looks like it would be great for patrolling a prison, or navigating a war zone, or for a cameo in that one Black Mirror episode.


An even more sinister robot—the robocall: It’s not just you, everyone has been experiencing an unbelievable amount of robocalls in the last year or so and it’s hit the point where Attorneys General from 35 states, including our own Bob Ferguson, are finally doing something about it. The AGs want the FCC to allow for service providers to develop new technology that can actually and sufficiently block robocalls and scam calls, as scammers have clearly figured out a way around current number blocks, by using unsuspecting phone numbers.

KOMO please get out of the comedy game: Donating blood is an important thing people can do to support their community, especially with disasters like Hurricane Michael depleting supplies and cutting of supply chains. But c'mon, KOMO, leave the comedy to the professionals.


Amid journalist’s disappearance, Saudi investment conference invitees either back out, or don’t care: Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber has backed out of the conference, citing being “troubled by the reports to date about Jamal Khashoggi,” a journalist that has been very critical of the Saudi government, who has not been seen since October 2nd after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. In fact Turkish officials claim they have evidence that “Khashoggi was tortured and killed inside the Saudi consulate.” Virgin Galactic’s Sir Richard Branson has also pulled out of the conference. While some are pulling out of the conference on ethical concerns over the missing journalist, US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin will still be attending.

A no-rain weather tweet for your Friday consumption:


Weekend road closure: From 8 p.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday, the Alaskan Way will be closed. Detour and closure information here.

San Francisco school board president replaces pledge of allegiance with poet Maya Angelou at school board meeting: Not that anyone ever needs a reason to replace anything with a Maya Angelou quote, his was that “There are a lot of ways to express gratitude and appreciation for the country and its citizens. This is how I plan to do that.” Even if you are a stickler for people making nationalistic pledges before public meetings, or school, the Maya Angelou quote is much shorter, saving time and syllables, while providing a modicum of poetic provocation. The line chosen was, “When you learn, teach. When you get, give.”

Grand theft postage stamp: A postal worker in New Orleans has been accused of stealing approximately $630,000 of stamps to sell on eBay. It isn’t as glamorous as robbing a bank, or casino a la Danny Ocean, but damn that’s a lot of stamps.

Stocks rise: Good news investors, we’re rich again! Or at least, we’re green again! Who knows, by the time we post this the whole economy may have come crashing down, but for right now we’re green, baby!

I need your opinion on this, Sloggers: A company will be producing shows starting in 2019 that feature a holographic Amy Winehouse, singing previously recorded versions of the actual Amy Winehouse (RIP). Amy’s dad says, “Fans have been clamoring for something new from Amy, but really there isn’t anything new.” He also said that proceeds from the shows will go to The Amy Winehouse Foundation, a foundation that helps young people with addiction problems. This eludes my philosophical-ethical realm and I am left confused. Is this wrong? Is this right? Does it matter? As a huge fan of Amy Winehouse, and a huge critic of the music industry, the news makes me feel inexplicably sad.

This weekend's best Seattle entertainment options include: Taste of Iceland, TWIST Seattle Queer Film Festival, and the opera inspired by a Henry James ghost story, The Turn of the Screw.