Me and my room mate (we are both 21 from San Diego) are visiting Seattle for a few days next week. We already have a good idea of things we want to see (Pikes, EMP, Olympic Sculpture Park etc.) but I wanted some advice on where to stay. We are looking to spend as little money as possible and are not afraid of a little "diversity". We’re trying to find a good place in the Ballard, Greenwood, University or Crown Hill neighborhoods, somewhere close to Metro services with relatively easy access to down town and the water front. I found a pretty good deal (around ) at a Days Inn on Aurora near N 85th Street, close to Greenwood park. Would it be easy to find a Metro nearby to get us around the city? And would I need an all day pass or is this inside the free ride area? Also I couldn’t find any info online regarding youth hostels, are there any reliable hostels downtown and are they safe?
I would take any advice on local values for eating as well (I have heard good things about Dick’s Burgers and the Alki fish and chips place in W. Seattle), I am basically looking for a local perspective that goes a little deeper than the Frommer’s guide. So any suggestions towards my questions or any general tips otherwise would be awesome. Thanks!
BTW we will be on a tight budget and in Seattle from the 18th to the 21st but really only need a room the night of the 19th Thanks again!
OK cool, I had Red Mill in my notes so I am glad you vouched for them, I also was looking through past answers and Skylar, the Seattle top answerer, recommended Mr. Gyros but the citysearch reviews were mixed as far as portion size and price, do you know if it’s any good? It’s super close to the motel so I thought we’d check it out..

I don’t mind fish. I really like salmon baked on a cedar plank, and tuna salad – I love fish and chips.

However, I hate anything that tastes or smells fishy. I don’t know which kinds of fish are more likely to have that smell and taste – or if its a certain way of packaging/preparing before buying that makes fish more likely to taste like that.

I stay away from making fish because of it, but I would really like to eat it more and try different kinds.

Any recipes or tips on buying fish?

Did anyone else hear about the ruling the judge made in New Zealand against parents naming their children odd names?

The name that caused him to make this ruling was a 9-year-old named "Talulah Does The Hula From Hawaii". Other names that were changed were "Sex Fruit", "Keenan Got Lucy" and "Fish and Chips".

When I first heard about this ruling about a judge changing odd names, I thought it was invasive on basic human rights, until I heard what the names were.

What are your thoughts?
**EDIT** The parents were going through a divorce and a judge was looking through the papers and saw the girls name listed. That’s how he got involved.

New Zealand law does not allow names that would cause offense to a reasonable person, among other conditions.

Registration officials blocked some names, including Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit. But others were allowed, including Number 16 Bus Shelter "and tragically, Violence,".

Judge Rob Murfitt made the 9-year-old girl a ward of the court so that her name could be changed from Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii.

"The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child’s parents have shown in choosing this name," he wrote. "It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily."

The girl had been so embarrassed at the name that she had never told her closest friends what it was. She told people to call her "K" instead.

Should US judges have the same right?

After seeing some of the proposed names on this site, I’m beginning to think so.

This morning at breakfast my friends and I were reading the news paper and one girl came across an article about a Judge in New Zealand forcing the parents of a 9 year old girl to change her name. The name that the parents had given her was- Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii

What on earth were they thinking?

There were some others listed like-

Fish and Chips
Masport and Mower
Yeah Detroit
Stallion
Twisty Poi
Keenan Got Lucy
Sex Fruit
Spiral Cicada
Kaos
Hitler
Cinderella Beauty Blossom
Passionate Love
twins called Benson & Hedges (cigarette brand)
Number 16 Bus Stop

http://stuff.co.nz/4628719a10.html

What on earth are these people smoking?
Number 16 Bus Stop made me laugh though lol. I agree it’s abuse.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080724/ap_on_re_au_an/new_zealand_bizarre_names
Judge: Girl’s name, Talula Does The Hula, won’t do

I think that it is officially time to start to sterolize people that want to name their kids things like:

"Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii"
"Fish and Chips"
"Yeah Detroit"
"Keenan Got Lucy"
"Sex Fruit"
"Number 16 Bus Shelter "
"Violence"
and the nut-job names that celebrities have been naming their kids like "Apple", "Soli Moon Fry", and others that, as the article said, "makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily."

White trash names like Cletus and Lerleen should be in the list along with the random mish-mash of Q’s and Y’s that constitute an "African American" name here in the US… (Because no, no one in Africa names their children Shaniqua… They know better.)

What is your opinion on such retardataion?

New Zealand! Yes, it is my home country and I love it but it’s just weird, haha, and it comes up with some of the funniest things. Maybe you should go visit? Is it safe? Well according to this

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_cri_percap-crime-total-crimes-per-capita

it has the second highest crime rate in the world. Last year it was voted the 2nd safest country in the world. Go figure!

When I was there at Christmas I saw so many weird things that made me laugh.

While driving thorough Wellington at 1 in the morning, I witnessed drank people playing paper scissors rock! While driving into Palmerston North there were people at three in the morning eating fish and chips on the foot path and no, they weren’t bums!

How weird can you get!

The people there are so free-spirited. If only we had that here in Australia lol.

What do you guys think? What’s the weridest place you have ever been to?

procreate?
Thu Jul 24, 5:41 AM ET

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – A family court judge in New Zealand has had enough with parents giving their children bizarre names here, and did something about it.

Just ask Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii. He had her renamed.

Judge Rob Murfitt made the 9-year-old girl a ward of the court so that her name could be changed, he said in a ruling made public Thursday. The girl was involved in a custody battle, he said.

The new name was not made public to protect the girl’s privacy.

"The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child’s parents have shown in choosing this name," he wrote. "It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily."

The girl had been so embarrassed at the name that she had never told her closest friends what it was. She told people to call her "K" instead, the girl’s lawyer, Colleen MacLeod, told the court.

In his ruling, Murfitt cited a list of the unfortunate names.

Registration officials blocked some names, including Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit, he said. But others were allowed, including Number 16 Bus Shelter "and tragically, Violence," he said.

New Zealand law does not allow names that would cause offense to a reasonable person, among other conditions, said Brian Clarke, the registrar general of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Clarke said officials usually talked to parents who proposed unusual names to convince them about the potential for embarrassment.
Remember this is a little human being who will have to endure all sorts of endless, and horrible teasings because of a name. What if your parents gave you a goofy name like "Hickery Dickery Dock?" Now imagine your school mates saying "The mouse ran up the clock." ( ^ _ ^ )

It appears that parents in New Zealand have been naming their children very bizzare names such as ‘fish and chips’.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10523288

Do you find this funny? I find it hilirous, I mean what were the parent thinking?

It’s sad if the children receive bullying as a result but otherwise I find it really strange yet funny and if any country in the world would have a story like this, it would be NZ! lol

What do you think?

A family court judge in New Zealand has had enough with parents giving their children bizarre names. Just ask Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii. He had her renamed. Other blocked names included Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit.

What is most unusual or bizaare name that you have come across?