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If you're looking for a cheap home to rent in Seattle beware who you talk to. Rents in Seattle have sky-rocketed in the past few years and it's becoming harder to find a decent place for a reasonable price, so don't rush to put down a deposit on a rental that is disproportionately, cheaply priced. Duh! It is most likely a scam. One that is gaining popularity all over the country, and it's made it's way to Seattle. Read more here. People seem to be so desperate for cheap rent that they forget to question these prospective new landlords. But seriously, how naive does one need to be to fall for this? I mean, unless you're new to the state, or the country, you have no excuse! If a landlord is allowed to ask prospective tenants every question possible to verify their rental reliability, then a renter should feel in all his or her right to question the hell out of any prospective landlord. It's fair and it's an intelligent move that could save you the trouble of falling for any stupid scams. Rent in Seattle is expensive, no matter where you are in the city, it will cost you. That's a reality, one we all live with. Be responsible and do your research. Don't fall for any tricks.

Has anyone noticed the new strollers on the market? Honestly, I hadn't been paying too much attention since my child is ten years-old. The only strollers that get my attention are the hideous ones with the enormous wheels. These can usually be spotted in narrow coffee shop lines or running trails at the park. My friends recently purchased a stroller for their one-month old. It's called a Bugaboo Cameleon and retails for about $900. I once bought a used car for the same amount and it lasted a good two years. This fancy stroller is pretty light-weight and comes in a variety of adult-conscious colors. More than anything though, this thing looks weird. The last stroller I bought, eight years ago when my daughter was two, was a fifteen dollar Evenflo umbrella stroller with a colorful animal print. I remember that it was light and easy to carry on the bus, while holding my daughter's hand. I saw lots of other young moms in downtown with very similar, if not exactly the same, stroller. I used this stroller for as long as it took my daughter to learn to walk beside me, so about a year. It wasn't always fun pushing the dinky stroller, especially over sidewalk cracks or gravel. But I figured it was a temporary situation since my daughter would be walking eventually. Fifteen dollars was all I would allow myself to spend on a stroller that I would only be using for a year, given that it last that long, which mine did, barely. Would you be willing to spend close to a grand for your baby ride? How great could a stroller really be that it be so expensive?

Alright, these aren't exactly books for kids, but I thought I'd include this story in here for fans of the illustrated book. For adults the graphic novel is the acceptable form of illustrated fiction books to read. I love graphic novels myself, but sometimes I want to read something that has the charm and length of a children's book but an aesthetic and sense of humor an adult can appreciate. I did some reading on the previous posts publisher and found this fantastic web site. The publisher is Baby Tattoo, and smaller publishing house that is committed to printing books by pop artists. The web site itself is beautifully done, it made me want to read everyone of the books they offer. I think it's great that these artists, whose work can be difficult to classify, have found a venue for their imaginations. The publisher has also opened a museum in Riverside dedicated to pop surrealism. Very cool stuff. Has anyone had a chance to visit Baby Tattoosville?

Alternative music from the nineties is getting a second life in the form of Guitar Hero. Bands like Soundgarden, the Stone Temple Pilots and now the Smashing Pumpkins are lending their music for one the most popular video games in recent history. Billy Corgan is taking it one step further by actually releasing the new Smashing Pumpkins single exclusively for Guitar Hero. This seems so bizarre. Has the status of this video game been elevated to the point of importance for musicians? How can any of these artists say no to the chance of having their songs be immortalized by millions of adolescent boys the world over? Not to mention the exposure they get in the mainstream. And for all the boys from the generation of when this music was popular, you get to live out your fantasy of being able to play Black Hole Sun or Sex Type Thing. But I wonder, are these guys selling out? Are they so desperate to be back in the spotlight that they will peddle their songs to a video game? It seems to go against the anti-commercialism philosophy of the nineteen-nineties. I was really surprised to see Billy Corgan paricipating, he's always been the dark cloud of alternative music. So what do you think, are these guys desperate and broke? Or do they just want a slice of the pie like anyone else?