Archives for February 2013

Due to my shameful 2-11 record in fantasy football this season, I welcomed the league to my house on Sunday for the game (it’s been a tradition for the last place finisher to host the Super Bowl every year). Our league started 15 years ago with a bunch of recently-transplanted Boeing engineers straight out of college. Most of us have left the company or been laid off, but a few of the original crew are still at the company. In talking to one of them this weekend, it’s clear that the battery problems with the 787 are a serious headache for Boeing, but many of the problems with the 787 were things that a lot of folks (even going back to when I was there and it was still the 7E7) were fully anticipating. And it sounds like some are starting to voice that a little more.

I left the company in 2000, but even prior to that, the vision of a global outsourcing model to build the next big Boeing plane had already been articulated. Some of the older folks in my group (I was a flight control test engineer) were nervous. Others were beyond nervous and predicting doom. One of them fired off a long, angry email to the all-company email list. He was reprimanded, but not fired. I’d love to read that email today, as I’d expect it would be like reading the scrolls of Nostradamus.

Outsourcing has occurred in a lot of different work environments. And in some of them, it’s arguably achieved its objectives – lower production costs with equal or near-equal production. But within the tech world, nearly all the attempts at outsourcing I’ve seen have been disasters. I’m not talking about just tech support or research or some specialized one-off skill, I’m talking about efforts to design, build, and test a large-scale development project with different project groups located around the globe. The logistical difficulties and communication issues involved quickly overwhelm your ability to move at the pace you need to move at.

Let me give a simple example more related to the world I currently inhabit, the world of software services and big data. This’ll be familiar to more people than the innards of a jumbo jet, but I promise I’ll get back to Boeing afterwards.

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Well now a thing that never should have happened probably won’t keep costing us all money too far into the future.

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn says the garage has been a drain on the general fund, with a projected loss of more than $4 million in 2012 and 2013. The city financed the construction of the garage with $73 million in bonds in 1998, to help jump start the shopping complex in downtown. City provided statistics show the gamble paid for several years, until the economy turned south and increased competition from shopping complexes which offer free parking. Debt payments are now bigger than revenue, despite a cut in parking rates.

Thank goodness. I don’t have an ethical problem with the city owning a garage per se. I mean providing parking is a reasonable thing for the city to do. But a bad investment is a bad investment, and that’s what the garage has always been.

Also, I like how revenue is less despite the fact that they cut rates is shocking. What a surprise, King 5.

The suggestion that Gov. Gregoire could be Obama’s next Secretary of the Interior has turned out to be wrong. Instead, another woman will get the job:

Sally Jewell, a retail executive and outdoor enthusiast, is President Barack Obama’s pick to oversee the national parks and vast energy reserves on public lands as Interior secretary, an administration official said on Wednesday. […]

Her private sector experience, most recently as chief executive of outdoor retailer REI, drew praise from conservationists and some industry groups…

And the Republican reaction to the nomination?

…Jewell’s nomination drew skepticism from some Republicans in Congress.

“I look forward to hearing about the qualifications Ms. Jewell has that make her a suitable candidate to run such an important agency, and how she plans to restore balance to the Interior Department,” said U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Jewell has been a leader in land conservation in the Pacific Northwest, but she worked in the energy and finance sectors early in her career.

(By, “restor[ing] balance.” Murkowski means “increased drilling while opposing laws to cap greenhouse gases that are blamed for global warming.”)

Gregoire is not out of the running for two other cabinet positions, as was recently pointed out:

Gregoire, who has made energy issues a cornerstone of her gubernatorial tenure, is likely headed for one of three Cabinet-level jobs that are vacant now or will soon become vacant: Energy secretary, Interior secretary, or head of the Environmental Protection Agency. As a former head of Washington state’s Department of Ecology, Gregoire is steeped in experience in energy and environmental issues. Her enthusiastic support for renewable energy has won plaudits from environmentalists, but she’s also known for her ability to speak effectively about the realities of the fossil-fuel economy.

Either remaining position, EPA or energy secretary, seems like a good fit to Gregorie’s experience, strengths, and interests.

My money’s on energy secretary. Gregoire has a long history of doing battle with the Department of Energy over the Hanford clean-up. More recently, the battles have turned into happy agreement, adoring joint statements, and public praise.

That’s the tell.

“A hazard of being a member of the stupid party is mentioning you are a member of the stupid party.”

…to Drinking Liberally

Please join us tonight for another lively evening of politics over a pint at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally. Today is the 10th anniversary of Colin Powell’s speech before the U.N. that carefully documented our reason for invading Iraq.

We meet every Tuesday at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. Starting time is 8:00pm. Some people show up earlier for Dinner.

Can’t make it to Seattle’s DL tonight? Check out one of the other DL meetings over the next week. Tonight the Tri-Cities chapter meets, and on Thursday Drinking Liberally Tacoma meets.

With over 200 chapters of Living Liberally, including fourteen in Washington state, four in Oregon, and two more in Idaho, chances are excellent there’s a chapter that meets near you.

– Tim Eyman and his birther friend team up to try to kill light rail in Vancouver, because of course they do.

– The IRS is already the administrator of the second-largest anti-poverty program in America. It’s about to become the second-largest health regulatory agency in the Federal Government

– Eat shit, Michael Brown.

– The sponsors of this bill have provided a Prima facie case that they should have all of their guns taken away.

– Dow Constantine’s vision for the county is certainly a fine one for when we don’t spend money, but in the long run, that isn’t going to cut it.

– Anyone doing STP this year?

The next two years of the state Senate are going to be marked by gridlock and division. But after that Rodney Tom is up for reelection. And I can’t believe that in the wake of his Senate shenanigans, that Rodney Tom plans on getting reelected. When he switched parties the first time it was for an election and everyone knew where he stood going forward. It was also a product of the district becoming more Democratic.

The district has continued to become more Democratic since 2006, and I just don’t see a majority of his constituents are backing him up on his giving the GOP control. So if he runs for reelection again, you’ve got to think he’ll lose.

Now maybe I’m reading the tea leaves wrong; It’s been known to happen. Maybe he thinks he can — and maybe he can — win reelection in an off year with a more conservative electorate. Still the party will go after him something fierce, and it’s a Democratic district. And even if he can get reelected, if the Democrats or the Republicans gain seats elsewhere, he’s still going to be sidelined. Maybe he doesn’t plan to run again, and this is him going out on top.

But still, I wonder if he’s thinking of greener pastures. I wonder if he’s planning to run for Congress.

Now, I know that sounds wrong, but hear me out: I assume he’s still in the 1st district. And we know he wants to be in Congress since he has run before. So maybe he thinks he can present himself as a moderate alternative to DelBene (never mind that she’s quite moderate herself).

I think it would go one of two ways: if the GOP are willing to clear the deck for him, he runs as an R. He hopes to get moderate Democratic votes (again DelBene should get moderate Dem votes since she’s a moderate Democrat) and all the Republican ones. If the GOP lets whoever run, he hopes there are a lot of Republicans and runs as a Democrat hoping to squeak through the top two and then in the general get all the Republican votes and some confused Democrats.

It’s a long shot, and DelBene still has the advantages of incumbency, a lot of her own money to spend if it gets close, and the qualities that got her elected in the first place. But I can’t imagine Rodney Tom sticking around the legislature.

The Washington Post is updating its list of best state-based political blogs…something I didn’t know existed until I stumbled across the nominations post.

So if you want to nominate some blog as a “best state-based political blog”, please feel free to do so using the web form at the bottom of this page. Alternatively, click here to submit your nomination via Twitter (keep the hash tag in there).

– The skeet shooting story is maybe the dumbest story the supposedly mainstream media have picked up about Obama. But nothing will keep the right wingers from making up nonsense about it going forward.

– Better moderation in The Seattle Times’ comments would probably be better than someone complaining that they exist on his way out the door.

– Fractions of a million dollars still seems like a lot of money to spout nonsense.

– I thought Washington’s legislators went off the rails. We’ve got nothing on Idaho!

– YOU are a computer criminal!

Last week’s contest was won by Geoduck. It was in Saltsjobaden, Sweden, where a woman stole a train and drove it into an apartment building.

This week’s contest is a random location somewhere on earth, good luck!

Ephesians 6:5
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

Discuss.

Thom: Is Gov. Rick Snyder (R-MI) lying about election rigging?

Obama speaks on immigration reform.

Hagel-ing:

• Sam Seder: Sen. McCain desperately seeking vindication for his Iraq war position.
• Maddow: McCain tries to use Hagel to justify his Iraq war position.
• Ed: The GOP’s total disrespect for a war hero
• Maddow: Ted Cruz thinks he is qualified to judge Senators Kerry and Hagel on military issues
• Sam Seder: Ted Cruz goes all Palin on Hagel.

SlateTV: Bloomberg on Joe Biden’s family jewels.

Ed: Latest GOP vote-rigging attempt hits a speed bump.

Stephen on Eric Erickson’s climate change denial (via Crooks and Liars).

Robert Reich: the hoax of “entitlement reform” (via Crooks and Liars).

Mark Fiore: Super Pacs and the Permanent Campaign.

Gun Lobbyists Don’t Kill Legislation, Legislators Kill Legislation:

• Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn on gun buy-back.
• Sam Seder: The NRA enemies list.
• Ann Telnaes: NRA and the gun show loophole.
• Pap: How the gun industry sells mass shootings.
• Thom: Typical school day in NRA utopia.
• Stephen: “Oh, Mississippi!”
• Lawrence O’Donnell: NRA wants women to arm themselves with assault rifles.
• Sam Seder: Young mother’s soothed by assault weapons?!?
• Young Turks: NRA lobbies against its own positions.
• Jon: Skeet-Gate!
• Thom: Why the hell is the NRA at Senate hearings?!?
• Sam Seder: NRA speaks at Senate Hearings

Hillary says “goodbye”.

Sharpton: Colin Powell takes Bill O’Reilly to school over voter fraud.

White House: West Wing Week.

Sharpton: Obama makes progress on his 2nd term agenda.

Thom with more Good, Bad, and Very, Very Ugly.

Palin’ Around With Terrorists:

• Liberal Viewer: Did Tina Fey soften Sarah Palin’s image?
• Sam Seder: Sarah Palin leaves FAUX News.

Bill Gates on education, health and Facebook.

Bill Maher with some new rules, Part I.

Bill Maher with some new rules, Part II.

Young Turks: Republican against voter fraud arrested for voter fraud.

Snohomish County plan to put police in schools.

Stephen learns that Gays are less stressed.

The G.O.P. Makeover Comb over:

• Maddow: The GOP’s War on Women™ continues to rage in Republican states:
• Ann Telnaes: Republican plan for the future.
• Sam Seder: Republicans take lessons to sound less hateful of Latinos
• Young Turks: G.O.P. has lost the culture wars.
• Maddow: Republicans learn to talk, Part I
• Maddow: Republicans learn to talk, Part II
• Alex Wagner: The tug-o-war for the soul of the G.O.P.
• Zina Saunders: Republican control press conference:
• Ed: The G.O.P. doubles down on the 47%

Thom: Why does the pro-life movement align with the pro-death party?

Obama honors America’s top scientists and innovators of 2011.

Susie Sampson’s Tea Party Report: Immigration.

Thom: The Good, The Bad, and The Very, Very Ugly.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

At least in Seattle, and probably in other municipalities* in Washington, there’s an election February 12. Seattle has 2 levies. They’re an operations and a capital levy. They renew levies that will expire, so it’s not new money. I suspect Seattle will pass it easily, but I’m still mailing mine in. Taking no chances and all that.

If you’re not sure how to vote (and please, vote for them) the voter’s guide is adorable. It’s so tiny, I love it. Itty bitty teeny tiny l’il voter’s guide.

If you didn’t vote in the Presidential election a couple months ago but would like to vote for an operations levy (or if you’ve moved), Monday is the last day to register. You have to do it in person at your county because we can’t adjust to the fact that people use the Internet in 2013. The Secretary of State’s blog has a link to a map of where you can go to register.

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Sen. Rodney Tom (faux D-48) is all about “bipartisan coalitions.” This lede suggests he has been quite an inspiration:

GOP and Democrats unite to fight Rodney Tom’s plan to erase parents’ ability to save for state college tuition through a state program. But the House effort carries a price tag.

I think Sen. Tom has a future filled with such coalitions….