Just a few things to report: 1. Papa John's Pizza has announced that everytime the Seattle Mariners score five or more runs in a game, regular menu prices are 50% off the next day, if you order online. There are a few problems with this: One- the pizza sucks. I suppose if you're hungry and broke and don't care much about taste, good deal! Two- The total number of runs the Mariners have scored in the last four games combined? Four.  It's not a deal you'll likely be able to take advantage of too often. Three- When the Affordable Care act went into effect, Papa Johns turned  many of their employees into part timers, so they wouldn't have to cover their benefits. At the same time, they raised prices fifty cents per pizza to cover the benefit costs, and at the same time ran a promotion giving away millions of pizza. The CEO of Papa Johns, John Schatter, is an outspoken opponent of an increased minimum wage, was a donator to Donald Trump, and reportedly singled out

Twenty five years ago, if you'd asked me my favorite restaurants in the Seattle area, Gene's Ristorante in Renton, and Brad's Swingside Cafe in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood would always be at or near the top of the list. Both so good, unpretentious but inventive places, and primarily Italian. Gene's closed about sixteen years ago, and I was brokenhearted. I still dream about that antipasto. And that apple pie.  Often, when I'm brokenhearted that a restaurant I love has closed, the owners are not brokenhearted. They're very happy, relieved. Dancing a jig. Or the Kazatzka. Or in the case of Gene or Brad, the Tarantella.  A couple of years after selling Gene's Ristorante,  Gene started the still thriving Red House in Renton(which has on the menu the lasagna from Gene's), and had his fingers in a number of other restaurants ranging from Smoking Monkey Pizza, to Papaya Vietnamese in the Renton Landing, to Red Papaya Alehouse in Seattle, to Blossom Vege