Teachers are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Grocery stores and other public facing jobs may become eligible too. Hopefully, this will help open schools safely.
In the meantime, wash your hands right now.
by Carl Ballard — ,
by Carl Ballard — ,
It has been a year since the first COVID-19 death in the United States. It has been a hell year, although the absolute worst is behind us (touch wood). I haven’t gone further than a bike can take a round trip from my apartment. Here’s hoping the next year is better.
by Carl Ballard — ,
It is the right thing to let felons who have served their time vote. It will help them be part of society once they have served their time. And a democracy should include everyone. So I am glad that a bill to do that has passed the state House. The article doesn’t really say what its prospects are in the Senate, so it couldn’t hurt to contact yours.
One thing I’m curious about, although obviously it’s the right thing to do either way, is how they will vote. During the 2004 election lawsuit they found some former felon voters, and many were Republicans. Not sure how much you can extrapolate a small sample size, but it may be that it helps Republicans a bit.
Anyway, wash your hands right now.
by Carl Ballard — ,
The legislature is moving forward on police reform (first item, although the private prison story is interesting too). It would mean that police have to intervene when their colleagues use excessive force.
My favorite quote in the piece is Senator Jeff Holy complaining that it would make it tougher to hire cops. Good, my dude. Like, if it’s tougher to hire police who look the other way when other police are violent, it’s a better police force.
Anyway, wash your hands right now.
by Carl Ballard — ,
The COVID-19 bill Governor Inslee signed on Friday is pretty good. I hope that the relief can get where it needs to go in a timely manner. People are hurting in the recession. Rent is behind for a lot of people, and many businesses are hurting. This bill goes a long way to help.
Anyway, wash your hands right now.
by Carl Ballard — ,
Man, fucking Mercer Island. Homeless people should have housing. They are on Mercer Island for a reason. Maybe they’re less visible in the forested area than in Seattle or denser Eastside cities. Maybe they have friends and family on Mercer Island. But whatever the reasons, pawning them off to other cities isn’t helping them.
Anyway, please wash your hands right now.
by Carl Ballard — ,
Man, fucking Mercer Island. Homeless people should have housing. They are on Mercer Island for a reason. Maybe they’re less visible in the forested area than in Seattle or denser Eastside cities. Maybe they have friends and family on Mercer Island. But whatever the reasons, pawning them off to other cities isn’t helping them.
Anyway, please wash your hands right now.
by Carl Ballard — ,
Man, fucking Mercer Island. Homeless people should have housing. They are on Mercer Island for a reason. Maybe they’re less visible in the forested area than in Seattle or denser Eastside cities. Maybe they have friends and family on Mercer Island. But whatever the reasons, pawning them off to other cities isn’t helping them.
Anyway, please wash your hands right now.
by Carl Ballard — ,
by Carl Ballard — ,
by Carl Ballard — ,
by Carl Ballard — ,
by Carl Ballard — ,
I love The Admiral Theater. But man oh man, am I worried that it’s reopening today. As more and more people get the vaccine, get the second dose, and wait long enough to have full immunity, it makes sense for businesses to open. But it’s not worth spreading the disease, or dying, for Wonder Woman (I haven’t seen it, so this isn’t a review).
Anyway, wash your hands right now.
by Carl Ballard — ,
$4 an hour hazard pay for grocery workers goes into effect today. I am glad that happened, and that it is happening quickly. I hate that it was necessary; Grocery stores, pay your goddam workers, for fuck’s sake. Like, a few months of clapping doesn’t offset the risks of working in a public facing, indoor job.
And wash your hands right now.
by Carl Ballard — ,