​Our feature story this week, "End of the Rainbow," investigates the peculiar case of Marie Hanson, a 54-year-old grandmother who disappeared in a remote area of southwest Washington last July during the legendary counterculture bacchanal known as Rainbow Family Gathering. Hanson's skeletal remains were discovered this past October near her campsite, but the cause of her death remains a mystery.

More >>

Image Source

​This week's feature story details some fascinating research from the University of Washington about a suspected link between HIV and the birth control shot Depo-Provera. While the contraception is most popular in sub-Saharan Africa, there are a few local connections that should give Seattle residents pause.

More >>

​Back in the day, Domingo Martinez was a funny, witty colleague at Seattle Weekly, but one who didn't actually write for the paper. Instead, he worked in the production department, designing ads, but also occasionally helping those of us in editorial with Spanish translations and slang. My imperfect recollection is that I assigned him a few short calendar items to write, but they appear to be lost to the Web. But since leaving SW a few years back, Domingo has applied himself to memoir writing, recounting his '80s boyhood in Brownsville, Texas, and the subsequent life journey that brought him to Seattle. Now his talent has come to fruit: His first book, The Boy Kings of Texas: A Memoir, will be published next summer. And he'll be on public radio this weekend...

More >>

​What's the best way for a "sports" league that hardly anyone cares about or watches to get attention?

How about by announcing a shocking new program designed to offend both parents and Michael Jackson fans?

More >>

​The intimidating Chicano guy staring you down on the cover of the latest edition of Seattle Weekly is Carlos Garza, formerly known as Mr. Buzzard. As detailed in this week's feature story, Garza is an ex-gang member who now works for the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, mentoring Latino teenagers who have either joined a gang or are at risk of being recruited into one. The cover shot shows Garza's full-sleeve gang tattoos, and the inside photo reveals that his chest and belly are also covered in gang tats. Here's what those tats mean, and how he got 'em.

More >>

​The last time I spoke with Kurt Benshoof, we had a polite 20-minute conversation about why he thinks 9/11 was an inside job and why I think he's crazy. Today he's upped the ante.

He's offering me $1,000 to spend 30 minutes debating the World Trade Center's collapse--particularly the infamous "Building 7," which, according to Benshoof and his ilk, could have only fallen because of a "controlled demolition."

But being that I'm not in the habit of accepting money from readers (it's a constant issue I deal with, lemme tell you), I figured I'd put the question to you all. Anyone want to study a copy of Popular Mechanics' thorough debunking of every Truther argument ever and make a quick G?

More >>

​This week GQ named I Can Has Cheezburger meme baron Ben Huh #10 on its list of "The 15 Worst-Dressed Men of Silicon Valley."

Weird because Ben Huh lives in Seattle, not Silicon Valley.

Anyhow, Ben wears cat T-shirts. It's known. And GQ models wear beard ornaments. Also known. So what does one do?

Fashion duel.

More >>

​This week a reader took issue with staff writer Jonathan Kaminsky's using the word "fuck" in a post (in a direct quote), but using "n*****" to reference the word "nigger" (also in a direct quote).

Why did he do this? Would other writers do the same?

I asked.

More >>

​This week, like probably every week for years now, we brought you news about the ongoing fight over medical marijuana and states' attempts to legalize and regulate it.

The latest news is that the Obama administration, through the U.S. Department of Justice, is "clarifying" (read: reneging on) a widely sourced memo from 2009 that essentially says that the feds will stay out of states' pot business so long as people adhere to state laws.

One reader compared the federal attack on medical marijuana to the bursting of the housing bubble. Well-played, sir.

More >>

​This week Keegan Hamilton brought you the story of Richard Luckett, a 44-year-old Tumwater man who was getting set to plead guilty to two separate counts of child molestation. That was, however, until he put a plastic bag over his head, piped some helium in, and died--the latest person to use the Exit Hood strategy of suicide.

His death launched a discussion among readers over whether suicide should be legalized, even to the point of being an available medical practice.

One reader made a decent case that killing one's self should be "100 percent legal."

More >>