Archives for February 2016

More cameras on buses seems like a no-brainer. Especially since they’ve been effective in the past. So cameras in 80% of Metro buses sounds like a good goal. There may be some privacy concerns with them, but I haven’t heard of the ones currently on buses being abused.

Genesis 9:20-25
Noah farmed the land and was the first to plant a vineyard. One day he got drunk and was lying naked in his tent. Ham entered the tent and saw him naked, then went back outside and told his brothers. Shem and Japheth put a robe over their shoulders and walked backwards into the tent. Without looking at their father, they placed it over his body.

When Noah woke up and learned what his youngest son had done, he said, “I now put a curse on Canaan! He will be the lowest slave of his brothers.”

Discuss.

What are basic human rights?

How is this a thing? Whitewashing.

Jimmy Dore: Bizarre Don Quixote lie & why Richard Dreyfus was stunned

Thom: Why are Republicans so vexed over Gitmo?

The 2016 Clown Show:

• The 2016 campaign is a nightmare for Marge Simpson.
• Lindsey Graham: My party has gone batshit crazy”
• Stephen: We may have to get used to a President Trump!
• Sam Seder: Someone finally brings up Trump’s University fraud.
• Pap and Farron Cousins: Trump monster stronger and more frightening than ever (p.s. you deserve this, GOP)
• Matthew Filipowicz: Network executive’s Trump confession:

• Sam Seder: Chris Christie’s heartfelt endorsement of Trump
• Seth Meyers: A closer look at Trump’s South Carolina win.
• The Pope weighs in on Trump’s wall.
• David Pakman: Trump’s fraud case.
• Sam Seder: Trump loses it when Rubio calls out his privilege
• Stephen: Pope shot first.
• Sam Seder: Glenn Beck fasts on behalf of Ted Cruz….
• Ted Cruz 30 second spot
• Seth Meyers with a closer look at Ted Cruz’s dirty tricks.
• Ted Cruz, the ZODIAC KILLER
• Sam Seder: Jeb Suspends…the crowd response is awkward.
• Stephen: It’s time to grow up with Marco Rubio.
• Young Turks: Marco Rubio thinks he can win via a brokered convention
• Stephen: Marco’s “Morning again in Canada.”
• Trevor Noah: Ben Carson’s blackness

Minute Physics: How do we know what air is like on other planets?

What is a rigged economy?

Obama is still trying to close Gitmo.

Seth Meyers: A closer look at Bernie Sander’s “Democratic Socalism”.

The Church for people who are “Spiritual, but not religious”.

Obstruction of Justice:

• David Hawkings’ Whiteboard: Election-year Supreme Court nominations
• Daily Show: Congress, the game.
• Young Turks: If Cenk was Obama’s nominee
• PsychoSuperMom: Block that nominee!
• Pap with Howard Nations: SCOTUS Limbo Is A Huge Gift For Liberals.
• Constitution or Chaos?
• What happens if a Supreme Court decision ends in a tie?
• Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) blasts Republicans for refusing to consider a SCOTUS nominee.
• LGBT Americans and SCOTUS

Seattle police release video of Che Taylor shooting.

Nikki & Dan Savage do politics.

Stephen’s wish list for Hillary.

John Oliver: Abortion laws.

For those who need help getting to the polls….

A moment with Triumph The Insult Comic Dog.

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

I am not a dog owner, but I know a fair number of HA readers are. So, you really should have been picking up after your dog any way, but now there’s going to be more enforcement of that and of off-leash areas. I’m of 2 minds. On the one hand, there is a lot of dog shit in the parks. Like a lot, a lot. It’s gross. On the other hand, I’m not sure a more enforcement approach is all that great in general.

If you want to name the new street sweeper, that’s cool. Don’t steal my 3 ideas, Farts, Fartz, and Fart Machine. Seriously, though, I’m glad that there’s a civic part of naming the sweeper, and it would be pretty cool to ride in it if you win the contest.

Please join us tonight for an evening of politics over a pint at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking liberally.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the small room at the back of the tavern. We start at 8:00pm.

Can’t make it to Seattle tonight? Check out one of the other DL meetings happening this week. Tonight the Tri-Cities chapter also meets. On Wednesday, the Burien chapter and the state’s newest chapter, the North Spokane chapter, meets. Finally, the Kent and Woodinville chapters meet on Thursday.

There are 177 chapters of Living Liberally, including twenty in Washington state, three in Oregon and one in Idaho. Find—or go out and start—a chapter near you.

Whenever I hear about NextDoor, it always seems problematic. I’ve never used it, so maybe it’s not just a hub for people to complain whenever they see a Black person or a poor person in a wealthy neighborhood. But that’s the impression I’ve got of them. It could be a distorted picture, but kicking a reporter out doesn’t help.

Ezekiel 23:8
She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.

Discuss.

Bernie and Hillary supporters kiss and make up.

Mental Floss: 37 ways you might be weird.

Stephen: Cory Booker talks what it means to be united.

What happens if the presidential election was a tie?

The 2016 Konservative Klown Kavalcade:

• Stephen with Hungry for Power Games
• Farron Cousins and Sam Seder: The GOP has destroyed itself with the worst candidates of all time
• GOP harmony.
• Young Turks: Jeb! tweets photo of gun…the Intertubes respond.
• Ann Telnaes: Jeb continues to shoot blanks.
• Young Turks: He’s back! George campaigns for Jeb.
• Jimmy Dore: Google users search for a troubling truth about Jeb!
• Trump’s Gamble: A failed bet in Atlantic City
• Stephen on Trump v. Pope:

• The Pope trashes Trump.
• Daily Show: Trump supporters speak out.
• Thom and Pap: Watch out for the fake populist.
• Susie Sampson: Donald, his people & the REAL issues.
• Jimmy Dore: Donald Trump bursts the GOP bubble.
• Jimmy Dore: Jeb defends George against Donald.
• Jimmy Dore: Donald Trump’s 9/11 comments rock the conservative world
• Young Turks: Trump continues to call out George Bush on 9/11.
• Thom: This guy could be President…Trump edition.
• Michael Brooks: Trump calls Cruz a liar.
• Young Turks: On Howard Stern’s show, Trump supported Iraq invasion.
• Seth Meyers: A closer look at Trump and the Iraq War.
• Stephen: Donald calling.
• Young Turks: Ted Cruz’s Photoshopped “dirty trick.”
• David Pakman: Ted Cruz hires a pornography actress
• David Pakman: Marco Rubio’s “America” in ad is really Canada.
• Liberal Viewer: Another Rubot slip-up?

Stephen: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog is now an Incisive-Political-Humor Dog.

Buy food ethically unless it is too hard.

Why are so many Mexican journalists being murdered?

WaPo: Journalism in peril.

Obstructing Justice:

• Obama on the passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
• How is a Supreme Court Justice selected?
• Jeb sez he probably would nominate a new Justice.
• Matthew Filipowicz with David Dayen: How to solve the Scalia Supreme Court Constitutional crisis
• Obama: “The Constitution is clear” on Supreme Court nomination
• David Pakman: Republican hypocrisy on Scalia appointment exposed
• Farron Cousins: Republican obstruction will hurt them in November
• How long is a Presidential term, anyway???

• Stephen’s tribute to Antonin Scalia.
• Mark Fiore: Constitution alert.
• Michael Brooks: Alex Jones thinks Scalia was murdered!!!
• Congress…DO YOUR JOB!
• Conservative commentators rip the G.O.P. over obstruction.
• Reagan on nominating a Justice in the 4th year.
• Maddow: Justice Scalia was a racist, judicial activist and hypocrite
• Young Turks: Will the G.O.P. take Reagan’s advice on Supreme Court nomination?
• Farron Cousins and Pap: Can Obama outsmart Republicans on SCOTUS appointments?
• Mitch McConnell: Secret Senate Rules
• David Pakman: Implications surface that Scalia was murdered.
• Matthew Filipowicz: Republicans reveal their ultimate Supreme Court plan after Scalia.
• Jimmy Dore: Justice Scalia was as much a person as the corporations he represented.

NASA: Celebrating African American History Month.

Bill Maher: For the love of bud.

Mental Floss: Misconceptions about sports.

Young Turks: Democratic town halls versus Republican town halls.

Jimmy Dore: Apple, Trump, Cruz and other bad apples.

FBI versus Apple:

• Seth Meyers: Apple versus the FBI…a closer look.
• David Pakman: Judge orders Apple to crack phone.
• Thom: Apple vs the FBI.
• Young Turks: Apple says iPhone “backdoor” risks all user’s security

White House: West Wing Week.

Does the President really need Air Force One?

David Hawkings’ Whiteboard: What is Regular Order?:

David Pakman: January was the warmest January on record.

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

I love when national publications talk about local issues. Even if it’s local people reporting, having to do it for a national audience makes it come from a new perspective. Usually, it’s more that sort of thing than new info. And when it is new info, it can be a gut punch that you didn’t know.

I don’t know how much y’all knew about Jacqueline Salyers, the Puyallup tribal member who was shot by Tacoma police (h/t). I had no idea. And it’s heart breaking for the family. This seems like the sort of story that a functioning local news would cover better.

Whenever we talk about raising the minimum wage, some supply-sider always shoots back that if we raise wages, employers will automate low-wage workers out of a livelihood. So on the latest episode of The Other Washington, we ask the questions: Are the robots coming for our jobs? And if so, is that necessarily a bad thing?

Our guests include renowned tech visionary (but not a futurist) Esther Dyson, Institute for the Future research director Bradley Kreit, and Hointer co-founder Nadia Shouraboura, who takes us on a tour of what the future of brick-and-mortar retail might look like in a highly automated age (hint: different jobs, not fewer).

For your convenience, you can listen to the embed above. But if you like what you hear, please go to iTunes (or wherever you get your podcasts), subscribe to The Other Washington, and leave us a review. Thanks!

There’s something great, or at least stereotype challenging, about the fact that Seattle’s Marxist City Council member organized a meeting for business owners to complain about city government. Specifically figuring out construction mitigation on 23rd Ave. I know, I know, it’s for small businesses, and representatives of the 23rd Ave Starbucks, for example, probably wouldn’t be welcomed.

I’m a big believer in parole over just locking people up. It incentivizes people to fix their shit in prison. And while it should be tough to get out of prison early for people who’ve committed serious crimes, it should be possible. I’m also not sure 3 strikes legislation, or in Washington’s case initiative, is a particularly helpful in reducing crime. It might make sense to go with something more grounded in crime prevention than sports metaphors. So, I’m glad that the Washington Sentencing Commission is proposing this, even if it has approximately 0 chance of passing the GOP Senate:

Three-strikes offenders serving life in prison without the possibility of parole should get a “second look.” That’s the position of Washington’s Sentencing Guidelines Commission.

It voted Friday to recommend a new review process for these prison inmates.

This is a non-binding proposal to the Washington Legislature. It basically says three-strikes inmates should be able to petition for early release after 20 years behind bars. Aggravated murderers would not qualify. A special “Second Look Review Board” would consider the petitions.

It has been over 2 decades since Washington passed the 3 strikes law. Even with the state becoming more liberal, I don’t imagine it would have much trouble passing again. Certainly, there will be victims who don’t want this sort of thing, and I’m not here to tell them how to feel.

Still, I hope the Legislature takes a good look at giving people another chance. It’s not even just for the criminals who should get another chance, or the cost of keeping reformed people behind bars. It’s as much about the kind of society we want to build. I’d like to build one where people can genuinely get out of prison.

Please join us tonight for an evening of political pontification and revelry over the beverage of your choice at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking liberally.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the small room at the back of the tavern. We start at 8:00pm.

Can’t make it to Seattle tonight? Check out one of the other DL meetings happening this week. Tonight the Tri-Cities, Vancouver, WA, and Shelton chapters also meet. The Lakewood chapter meets on Wednesday. And on Thursday, the Tacoma, Bremerton, and Spokane, chapters meet.

There are 188 chapters of Living Liberally, including nineteen in Washington state, three in Oregon and one in Idaho. Find—or go out and start—a chapter near you.

Numbers 22:29
Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”

Discuss.