We’re leaving you in good hands, though. To find out what’s happening on the tech scene around Seattle for any given day, check out TechFlash, or Seattle Tech Calendar or Gary’s Guide. And keep coming to the events – you’ll probably see at least one of us there.

We appreciate all of the comments, kind words and support we’ve received over the past few years. So please join Stuart and me for a last salute to the blog, and to Rachel, our muse and inspiration. We’ll be at White Horse Trading Company from about 7:30 to 9:30 on next Tuesday, the 2nd. Come, hang out with us and plan the next great Seattle event.

This should be an amazing show for any small child or any geek who is still fancinated by the giantic beasts that used to walk this land. 

Click the link below for a discount code for tickets to the show. 

[Update: In the comments, Heather says, “Check out this page for the daily Ticketmaster links for discounted tickets. I believe the initial link provided only works for Wed night’s showtime.”]

$10 Off Select Tickets w/ Code “MYDINO”
Ticket URL:  http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0F00425700B45CA7?did=mydino
Ticketmaster Phone: 866-448-7849
Discount not valid on lowest price level ($19.50)
Discount valid on the following dates: 4/29, 4/30, 5/1, 5/2 (7pm), 5/3 (5pm)

Brian sums up the reasons for the shutdown of Giraffe Labs pretty well in the TechFlash article. I think proper care and feeding of the space is the core issue. No matter how much it seems like any project can run itself, there always has to be someone in the center, keeping things running, taking care of the space, keeping an eye on members, etc. Someone who can take a plan from “hey, that’s a cool idea” to actual implementation.

I don’t want to use the word “demise” here. Giraffe Labs was an amazing experiment, and I think plenty of people learned a lot from it. I certainly did. There’s still room for a low-cost geek clubhouse (Hackerspace) here in Seattle, and I don’t doubt that one, or two, or three will come along. Hopefully, I can get in on the ground floor. There will be a grand send-off on April 27th. I’ll be there – hope to see you, too.

Gaming has come a long way since then, of course, and I think there’s no better evidence of this than Video Games Live, the national concert tour in which symphony orchestras and choirs perform music from games such as Final Fantasy, Tron, Frogger, and Earthworm Jim. As they say on their website, “It’s the power & emotion of a symphony orchestra mixed with the excitement and energy of a rock concert and the technology and interactivity of a video game all completely synchronized to amazing cutting edge video screen visuals, state-of-the-art lighting and special on-stage interactive segments with the audience.”

It’s a long way from bleeps and bloops, is what I’m sayin’.

VGL is coming to Seattle on Saturday and will include a debut of music from Halo 3:ODST. Halo Composers Marty O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori are slated to make an appearance, as are Gabe & Tycho from Penny Arcade. Tickets are available here and more international TOUR DATES can be found on the VGL site.

UPDATE: Thanks to Andrea for forwarding a link to this article about VGL in today’s Seattle Times.

Want to make it a whole weekend of geeky music experiences? Don’t forget that internet troubadour and podcasting hero Jonathan Coulton will perform on Friday night at the Moore Theatre.

Seriously. Please vote today.

Local election info:

• King County Elections
• Lookup your polling place

Wanna do the geeky thing when you vote?

• Video the Vote
• Twitter Vote Report
• Flickr Election 2008 photo group
• An Orange America

Flickr photo by Tom Arthur.

While the subject of this post isn’t strictly an “event,” there is a deadline associated with it, so we’re going to bend the rules a bit.

The City of Seattle is seeking new members for a Seattle Citizens’ Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Board. The full press release is available after jump, but in a nutshell, the 16-member board advises city officials on issues of community-wide interest relating to telecommunications and technology, including cable television access and community technology access. Members of the board are residents of the City of Seattle and are appointed by the mayor for 2-year terms. During their tenure, board members attend monthly meetings and may participate in a few other related events. Members are not compensated.

If you’re interested in promoting technology in Seattle and shaping city policy to get community residents better connected, this is a great opportunity. The deadline for expressing your interest is October 20. See details below for where to send your resume and cover letter.

NEWS ADVISORY

SUBJECT: Seeking telecommunications and technology advisory board members
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
10/8/2008 4:23:00 AMFOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jill Novik (206) 684-8583
Kristine Kertson (206) 233-0073
Karin Zaugg Black, Mayor’s Office (206) 684-8358
Seeking telecommunications and technology advisory board members

SEATTLE – Mayor Greg Nickels is seeking candidates for the Citizens’ Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Board (CTTAB) for terms beginning in January, 2009. Members are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council to serve a two-year term. Board members must reside in Seattle and serve without compensation.

“I urge those with a strong background in technology and telecommunications with a passion for keeping Seattle in the forefront of technology to consider this important work,” said Mayor Nickels.

The 16-member board advises city officials on issues of community-wide interest relating to telecommunications and technology, including cable television access and community technology access.

The board is involved in the Community Technology Matching Fund and My Neighborhood Map, a Seattle geographic information system available to the public. The board has also been actively involved in the City’s exploration of providing fiber to the premises, the digital television transition and looking at ways to make boards and commission meetings more accessible to the public through technology via podcasting and other methods.

The CTTAB reflects a broad range of professional and community experience and perspectives and seeks to be representative of the cultural diversity of the Seattle community. It includes residents from different city neighborhoods, members of various technology or telecommunications concerns, educational institutions, lawyers, and media activists. The board is seeking candidates from fields related to telecommunications or technology.

Participation in the CTTAB requires attendance at monthly meetings (second Tuesday of each month) and participation in at least one sub-committee that meets monthly. Board members also attend and participate in infrequent relevant public meetings and events.

To be considered for appointment to the Board, please email or send a letter of interest and résumé by October 20, 2008. In keeping with Mayor Nickels’ “Paper Cuts” program, electronic submissions are preferred. E-mail your letter and résumé to Jill Novik at jill.novik@seattle.gov including CTTAB in the subject heading or mail them to:

Jill Novik
Department of Information Technology
City of Seattle
700 – 5th Avenue, Suite 2700
P.O. Box 94709
Seattle, Washington 98124-4709
The Nickels Administration is committed to promoting diversity in the city’s boards and commissions. Women, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, sexual minorities, and persons of color are encouraged to apply.

Visit the Mayor’s Web site at www.seattle.gov/mayor. Get the Mayor’s inside view on efforts to promote transportation, public safety, economic opportunity and healthy communities by signing up for The Nickels Newsletter at www.seattle.gov/mayor/newsletter_signup.htm

Chris and Ponzi Pirillo’s conference for bloggers, podcasters, and über-geeky technologists starts in earnest today. This year’s lineup of presenters includes Ben Huh of iCanHasCheezburger, journalist Sarah Lacy, the best of Ignite Seattle, artists, security researchers, and much more.

One of the coolest things about Gnomedex is hanging out with a dynamic group of overtly friendly and sociable geeks. The sessions are thought-provoking and the hallway conversations are engrossing. However, If you can’t make it, don’t worry. With all the new-media alpha-types in the audience, it will likely be one of the most photographed, blogged, and twittered conferences of the year.

(Disclaimer: I volunteer for the conference.)

The Usability Professionals Association is working to create a new chapter here in the Puget Sound area. To kick off the new group, they are hosting Arnie Lund, Microsoft IT’s Director of User Experience, to speak about his work with user interface, emerging technologies, etc. There is a members-only event at 6, but the talk is open to the whole public. You can register over at Eventbrite, or you can sign up on the UPA Seattle mailing list to get more information about the group.