CatchCon delivers for Deadliest Catch fans

The Discovery Channel's CatchCon, a one-day Deadliest Catch fan festival, at Pier 66 on Saturday was a spectacle. The free event was top-notch from beginning to end.

I began my visit with a free box lunch where I was inches away from Matt Bradley of the Northwestern. I hadn't worked up the courage yet to say anything to him. Instead, I talked about him to my table-mate. That must be weird for him to hear someone at the next table talking about him -- oh, well!

Then, we had a Q & A with the boat captains: Sig Hansen, Keith Colburn, Phil Harris, and Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand. Later, they signed autographs.

I got a fisherman's cap from Verizon's booth and had all the captains, some of the crew and the show's producers sign it. I am going to donate it to a local youth nonprofit for their upcoming auction.

Outside, a helicopter could be heard and many of us went outside to see it. A Coast Guard helicopter was just off the pier giving us a demonstration of a rescue operation. From there, I toured the Wizard and Northwestern, which were docked alongside the pier.

Once back inside, I listened to a Q & A with the show's producers, including Jeff Conroy, co-executive producer. We heard their first-hand accounts of close calls, awnry crew members and the limb numbing challenges of filming at sea.

Finally, we saw exclusive video of the new season of the Deadliest Catch, which includes the the story of Seattle-based Katmai crew and interviews with its surviving crew members.

SPECIAL OFFER: The CatchCon fans also got an exclusive offer to purchase The Deadliest Catch 1-4 season set for a special price. If you don't tell them I told you (LOL)... and enter this promotional code at check-out: CATCHCON

Google to revolutionize the phone

Google is not only interesting in revolutionizing the web, but even old technology, such as the telephone. 

Google Voice is a service that gives you one number for all your phones, voicemail that is easy as email, and many enhanced calling features like call blocking and screening, voicemail transcripts, call conferencing, international calls, and more.

It is only available to users of GrandCentral at the moment, but Google says it will launch a public beta version soon!

Chris, a Seattlite and one of the fine podcasters from Jupiter Broadcasting, provides an excellent video review of Google Voice.

Your T-mobile suggestions

I lost my T-Mobile Wing. Contacts, appointments, twitter fix... all gone. Now, I need your help choosing the right T-mobile phone. Need the basics: QWERTY keyboard, Internet, and appointment book (Windows synch ideal). Post your recommendations in the comments section or e-mail: SEABlogger@SeattleBlogger.com

Seattle Councilmembers move to name P-I globe a landmark

After the launch of my petition to save the P-I Globe and the considerable news attention it recieved, I think you all know how I feel about the following news item.

Seattle City Councilmembers want to save P-I Globe 

The three former news reporters on the Seattle City Council -- Jean Godden, Tim Burgess and Sally Clark -- want the Seattle P-I Globe to be designated a historical landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Board.

Green Lab may bring 'green jobs'

Let me extend a warm welcome to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's new Green Lab to be based here in Seattle at 1429 12th Ave. on Capitol Hill.

The Green Lab will focus on ways to give new life to existing buildings nationwide and retooling them to be more energy efficient. Despite the $50K price tag to Seattle taxpayers, it's another opportunity for Seattle to be seen as a real leader in the effort to fight global climate change.

Green technology still has a long way to go before its full adoption by developers but has the potential to really take off as an industry. Seattle could potentially benefit from the new "green jobs."

This is one area I have to give Mayor Greg Nickels a lot of credit. His leadership regarding climate change has put Seattle on the world map and kept it there.

Seattle police sergent not so accountable

It would be ironic if it was not so sad...

A Seattle Police sergeant assigned to the department's Office of Professional Accountability would be charged Wednesday with second-degree assault for a domestic violence incident at his Sammamish home.

Seattle P-I reports:

Officer Scott Moss, 39, was arrested early Saturday after his wife ran to a neighbor's home and called 911. According to court documents, she told King County Sheriff's deputies that Moss had pushed her as she tried to leave during an argument and thrust a kitchen knife toward her hand, cutting her right thumb. 

The woman's thumb was bleeding when deputies arrived, court documents say. 

The argument started after his wife received a cell phone call from a woman who said Moss was having an affair with the caller's friend. Moss' wife confronted him when he got home, according to court documents.

Perhaps he was not "accountable" to the law or his wife!

P-I staffers look to offer online ventures

You've heard of Seattlepi.com but now two groups of laid-off P-I staffers are also looking to the internet for online news ventures.

The Seattle Times reports that one group of former P-I editors and writers met with University of Washington communications professor David Domke and other university faculty to establish a news organization, incorporated as a nonprofit, that would produce investigative, enterprise and narrative journalism.

Another group of former P-I journalists, calling itself Seattle Post Globe, is seeking to launch a community owned online local-news outlet. KCTS-TV is providing the venture with office space while former Seattle Weekly managing editor Chuck Taylor is an advisor.

Is it just me or does "Seattle Post Globe" sound like a ready-made trademark infringement lawsuit? Let's see: Seattle Post-Intelligencer vs Seattle Post; landmark P-I globe vs globe in their name. Maybe its just a working title?

My view: There is a lot of great talent that was lost when the P-I closed. I look forward to reading their work once again. I think there is always room in cyberspace for well-written journalism. However, the Seattlepi.com website is a beta test for the newspaper industry and its failure could have ramifications throughout the industry. So, while I believe in a competitive spirit -- the same spirit that fueled a healthy rivalry between the Times and P-I -- we also now know that there wasn't enough ad revenue for both of the newspapers. Proceed with caution!