“The Book of Changes,” a new work by veteran Maple Leaf author Jack Remick, is having a “virtual book launch” tonight at 6 p.m. Seattle time.

The Book of Changes, the third book of The California Quartet, will be the subject of a Virtual Book Launch on December 10th. Using Michigan Avenue Media, I’ll be on The World of Ink hosted by Marsha Cook and Virginia Grenier.

This is a first-time event for me as a writer. First came the blog tours and how the virtual launch. The world is changing for us as writers, so hop on over and tune in. I’ll entertain you with a short reading from the book and share notes about the process of publishing in the new e-world.

From the web description:

“Beast”, the lead character in The Book of Changes, comes to Berkeley, the Cathedral of Learning, in 1971, a time of political chaos, hallucinogenic drugs, group sex, and electric, acid, psychedelic, mind-bending rock and roll. On his quest for meaning he hangs out with a Harley-riding dwarf, a raven-haired Gothic artists’ model, a sorority girl turned nymphomaniac, and the heir to a family of French aristocrats with a bloody history dating back to before Joan of Arc.

The website is here.

Use this number to call in to speak with Remick: (714) 242-5259.

Or find him on Twitter chat: #WOIjack

We’ve arranged for callers and listeners who care to sign in and/or leave a comment to get a free copy (now called a give-away) of The Book of Changes in any of three formats: MOBI, ePUB, or PDF.

For our post on Book Two of the California Quartet, go here.

From Remick: “An added note: My novel Gabriela and The Widow won ‘Best Women’s Fiction’ in the Orangeberry Hall of Fame Virtual Book Expo. We’ll be talking about that event.

The Seattle City Council this week discussed a plan to pick up our garbage only every other week - similar to the way recycling is picked up.

That means possibly smelly trash cans sitting outside your house for a fortnight, instead of disappearing every (at Maple Leaf Life South) Thursday. Seattle Public Utilities ran a pilot program last year in several neighborhoods, including Wedgwood.

There’s a good piece at Crosscut.com from earlier this week:

Over 60 percent of the pilot’s participants were satisfied with their service, but lower-income and minority customers and households with diapers were more inclined to say that the less frequent pick ups stink. Increases in bad odors and rodent sightings were among the reasons customers said they were dissatisfied.

The service cuts would save SPU about $5 to $6 million annually and, according to SPU officials, reduce garbage truck traffic and incentivize recycling and composting. Garbage collection bills should go down for most customers if the council approves the new collection regimen, but households that need to upsize their trashcans to hold two weeks of waste would pay more.

Reaction has been mixed. The Crosscut piece picked up perhaps a dozen-and-a-half comments.

But when the West Seattle Blog ran a piece at the end of November, they got 72 comments, some with praise but others along this line: “RATS our city will be filthy and infested with RATS if this goes through!”

A full City Council vote will likely take place in February, with any change in service set for 2015.

What do you think? Should the city change to every other week garbage pickup, and possibly save us money?

Seattle Police say they busted a 41-year-old man Monday night near Northgate Mall in a narcotics operation that involved a police sting.

Officers, posing as potential drug customers, contacted the suspect via telephone and “ordered” an ounce of methamphetamine for $1,100 dollars. A location and time near the Northgate Mall was suggested as a meeting place. The suspect stated that he would be driving a 2003 Mercedes.

As soon as the suspect pulled into the parking lot, arrest team officers pulled in attempting to make a stop and arrest the suspect. The suspect saw the patrol cars come in and attempted to get away by ramming one of the patrol cars. The suspect rammed his Mercedes into the patrol car twice, but was pinned by other cars. The suspect was taken into custody without further incident. One officer sustained minor injury when the suspect rammed the car. The patrol car had only front end damage.

The suspect was later booked into the King County Jail for drugs, eluding, and vehicular assault. A search warrant was obtained for the suspect’s Mercedes. Methamphetamine and over $500 cash was recovered from the car and seized as part of the investigation.

At 5:40 p.m. the National Weather Service in Seattle issued this short-term forecast:

A BROAD AREA OF SNOW AND RAIN SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED SNOW PELLETS WAS LOCATED FROM NEAR POULSBO AND KINGSTON ACROSS TO LYNNWOOD…NORTH SEATTLE…AND BELLEVUE. THE BROADER AREA OF SHOWERS IS SPREADING SOUTH AROUND 10 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL AFFECT BREMERTON…PORT ORCHARD…DOWNTOWN SEATTLE AND RENTON BY 630 PM.

ANOTHER LINE OF SNOW SHOWERS WILL SPREAD SOUTH OUT OF SKAGIT COUNTY…REACHING ARLINGTON AND SMOKEY POINT AROUND 630 PM. ANY OF THESE SHOWERS WILL LEAVE A QUICK SNOW ACCUMULATION OF ONE-HALF INCH OR SO…ENOUGH TO TURN THE GROUND WHITE. HOWEVER…AIR TEMPERATURES OF 36 TO 40 DEGREES WILL CAUSE ANY SNOW TO MELT IN LESS THAN ONE OR TWO HOURS.

Update Dec. 3: Metro is holding a public hearing on bus service on Thursday, Dec. 5, at North Seattle Community College:

You can learn more about why service must be cut and how you may be affected at a public meeting at North Seattle Community College this week. We’re also inviting you to help us understand the affects these cuts will have on you.

Public meeting in North Seattle

Thursday, Dec. 5, 6-8 p.m.

North Seattle Community College

9600 College Way N., Seattle - C1161 and North Star rooms

Update: The Seattle Times today posted a poll on how to fund transit. Click here.

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As 2013 enters its final month, there is still no agreement on how to avoid serious cuts to Metro transit service next year, including the elimination of several routes that serve Maple Leaf.

As our news partner The Seattle Times explains: “In all, 74 of the 214 routes would be deleted, while other buses become more crowded or run less often.” Click here for the full list of proposed changes.

Lawmakers in Olympia, who left town after a special session earlier this month without acting on a transportation package, are still discussing a hike in the state gas tax - and part of that deal could give Metro, a part of King County government, additional taxing authority.

Meanwhile, King County is considering asking voters to approve higher sales taxes and car-tab fees if the Legislature doesn’t act.

And if legislators AND voters say “no?” Here’s our analysis:

Route 41: Quick bus downtown from the Northgate Transit Center. No change in frequency but service would stop an hour earlier (Now 1 a.m. Proposed midnight.)

Route 77: Commute hour bus downtown that runs along 15th Avenue Northeast. No changes.

Route 66 Express: From Northgate Transit Center along 5th Avenue Northeast, Roosevelt Way Northeast and downtown via Eastlake. Deleted entirely. Recommendation – take the 70 or 73

Route 67: From Northgate Transit Center along 5th Ave N.E. Deleted entirely. Recommendation – take the 73

Route 68: From Northgate Transit Center, along Roosevelt, along 25th Avenue Northeast to University Village, to UW. Deleted entirely. Recommendations – in Maple Leaf and Roosevelt, take the 73. In Ravenna along 25th Avenue Northeast, use 372 express.

Route 73: Along 15th Ave. N.E. From North Seattle through Maple Leaf, along the Ave into the University District and downtown either on the freeway or via Eastlake (depending on time of day). Revised. New route essentially replaces 66X, 67, 68, 71 and 72) and goes from Northgate Transit Center through Maple Leaf on ROOSEVELT (not 15th). Recommendations to get to North Seattle, north of Northgate Transit Center: Take the 77 during commute hours, or the 347 and 348.

We’re not transit experts, so if you have recommendations or remarks, please use the comment section to let us know.