Articles from September, 2007

squid 09.28.07 Staff List: Underrated Music

In this era of unprecedented cynicism, it’s far too easy for good music to be denigrated or even forgotten. Fed up with the world’s injustices, the Bureau staff stands up to defend great tunes that have been callously spurned or tragically ignored.
travel 09.28.07 Czech Republic: Communication Breakdown

This is the fourth in a series of essays by globe-trotter Kevin Nguyen, who is currently studying at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. After encountering the difficult Czech language, Kevin searches for alternate forms of communication to compensate for his linguistic ineptitude.
opinion 09.26.07 Caring for Your Barista

The life of a barista is difficult enough without the addition of rude, impatient customers. Inside man Jeff Merrion reveals a series of tips to help you avoid being an asshole at your local coffee joint.
humor 09.24.07 Channeling the Canon: An Interview with Sylvia Plath

The Bureau presents “Channeling the Canon,” a new series of interviews with past literary voices. In this inaugural installment, Jordan Barber chats up clinically depressed writer Sylvia Plath about life post-suicide, modern household odor eliminators, and new forms of poetic expression.
travel 09.21.07 Czech Republic: Káva and Pivo

This is the third in a series of essays by globe-trotter Kevin Nguyen, who is currently studying at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. In search of coffee, Kevin instead encounters the country’s ubiquitous beer culture.
personal 09.19.07 Lessons from the Puyallup Fair

The kitschy charm of fairs are pleasant for some but less so for others. As a booth worker at the annual Puyallup Fair in Washington, keen observer Caitlin Boersma judges her surroundings.
arts 09.17.07 Studyin’ Tunes

In theory, it’s great to listen to music while reading dry modernist criticism, but it rarely works so well in practice. It’s too easy to get distracted or fall asleep. Premier musicologist Nick Martens applies state-of-the-science research methods to combat this problem, and locates four albums that make studying a breeze.
travel 09.14.07 Czech Republic: Past in Present

This is the second in a series of essays by globe-trotter Kevin Nguyen, who is currently studying at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Wrapped in historical culture, Kevin sees how the country’s commemoration of its past is making way for its future.
personal 09.12.07 Date with Ikea

Swedish superstore Ikea can overwhelm the senses with its sheer expanse of furniture. Jeff Merrion wanders into this Mecca of cheap junk for the first time, which motivates him to, among other things, invoke the word ‘bumblefuck.’
opinion 09.10.07 Green Tea Grudge Match

The recent popularity of green tea has companies branding the word on consumables left and right. Investigating the ballyhoo, herbalist Nick Martens reviews just about every green tea product available.
travel 09.07.07 Czech Republic: Stranger in a Strange Land

This is the first in a series of essays by globe-trotter Kevin Nguyen, who is currently studying at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Traveling through London and Munich before reaching Prague, Kevin finds that feeling like a foreigner in Europe is all part of the study abroad experience.
arts 09.05.07 Bygone at Bumbershoot

Bumbershoot is Seattle’s largest outdoor music festival. Nick Martens, Jordan Barber, and Caitlin Boersma collectively attended all three days of this year’s festival, and all came away with varying degrees of satisfaction.