A black hat riding into the sunset

There’s no crying in politics: Kevin Hulten, former aide to the former county executive, complained in a recently uncovered memo meant for his boss that he wasn’t being sufficiently rewarded for his clandestine efforts against Aaron Reardon’s political foes. “Am I just a tool to be used for the black hat jobs, then put back behind a desk … ?” he asks in the memo.

G. Gordon Liddy, who spent 52 months in prison for charges related to masterminding the Watergate burglaries on President Richard Nixon’s behalf, heard Hulten whining and slapped him for conduct unbecoming a political hack.

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World’s tallest revolving stage: The Seattle-based grunge band Mudhoney performed atop the Space Needle on Thursday, part of a weekend celebration of the 25th anniversary of Sub Pop Records, the label for Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and other Seattle music scene luminaries.

The band members were harnessed to prevent falls, but the safety equipment was made from plaid flannel in keeping with grunge custom.

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Going soft: Microsoft unveiled a radical realignment of the company, called “One Microsoft,” that it said would emphasize services and devices.

Among the changes, Microsoft is eliminating CEO Steve Ballmer and his “Start” button and replacing him with a series of touch-screen tiles.

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