The legislative session starts today. Are you excited? Now that it’s controlled by Democrats, what do y’all want them to do?

It seems to me that the top priority will be to finnnnnnnnaly fund education properly. Preferably with as progressive a tax as possible.

I would also like to have some version of the reproductive parity act.

And, I know I said this last year, but I would like to try to build a space elevator somewhere in Eastern or Central Washington.

Finally, I want them to resist Trump. Maybe make it tougher to deport Washington residents. Maybe fund the AG’s office more.

Remember the last Congressional redistricting? Washington got an extra seat, and at least from outside, it seemed like the Democrats’ main objective was making sure Denny Heck had a seat.

I saw someone retweet Congressman Heck the other day, and I realized how little I hear about what he’s doing. I know he has been in the minority party in an obstructionist Congress, but you hear about other Democrats from Washington more often. According to his Wikipedia page, his big thing is marijuana banking. I don’t know if that’s his priority, or the priority of Wikipedia editors.

Still, he got a safe seat, and I would have hoped he could use it better than a generic Democrat.

I know that compared to the rest of the country I can’t complain, but it’s too cold. Yesterday my bus kept being a few more minutes late than the previous time I had checked. So I stood outside for like 15 minutes. I recommend against that.

Now that Trump is president, can we say “Happy New Year”? Or does it still have to be “Merry Christmas” for that too? For the last few years, I’ve been a fan of “We’re Here Because We’re Here Because We’re Here Because We’re Here.”

I was walking to Drinking Liberally the other night, and the city was all lit up. Christmas decorations, trees, really looked nice in the remaining snow.

Still, all I could think was: Man, Christmas starts earlier and earlier. I mean, wait for New Years Day to pass at least.

Snooooooooooooooooooooow!

Important PSA everyone:

If it’s cold or wet, and there’s a line to get on the bus, have your payment handy before you get to the front. I don’t understand how anyone gets in line IN FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE and then can’t be bothered to fish out their ORCA Card or transfer. I don’t get it when it’s nice out, but it’s extra shitty in the winter.

Congrats to everyone who voted for the tax cuts for the wealthy. I look forward to hearing what a deficit hawk you are when you gut education and Social Security to make up part of the difference in a few years.

How far do you feel you have to go in a book before you abandon it. I say unless you’ve been told it starts slow, if you didn’t like chapter 1, stop reading. I don’t have time for this shit.

But now, I’m reading a book on the July Crisis (between Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand being assassinated and the outbreak of World War One). It’s good, but slow going. I am well over 200 pages in. There’s a lot of interesting stuff about Balkan nationalist movements and great power politics. But so far, the Arch Duke remains sadly still alive.

I think I might give it up even though it is interesting, because it’s taking forever.

I’ve got a bit of the yucks, so I think I will half sleep and hope I don’t miss my stop. As ever, I am the worst.

I was at the library the other day, so this is one of those posts.

There’s a remodel going on, and they’ve taken out the pay phones. I don’t want to write a post bemoaning progresses: It’s better that most people don’t need to use them. But! There is still a population that needs them.

Men knew: The Matt Manweller edition.

I’m glad that KUOW and other mainstream news outlets are reporting on Manweller. Still, they must have known earlier. I knew much of it when Goldy reported on it several years ago. But OK new info has come out, and the interview with his ex wife is sold reporting.

Still, what concerns me is that KUOW had him on the air, on the news roundup show, and acted like nothing was wrong with him. Didn’t question him on the air. It may have been a prerequisite to getting him. But maybe it’s not worth having him.

There is a problem going around Seattle. I have seen it a few times now, but I suspect that bus drivers and regular bus commuters see it more than me. I refer, of course, to men — always men — who put their ORCA Card in their front pocket and then hump the card reader when they get on the bus.

What is? But. Why? Just don’t.

I have been perplexed by seeing men who read about sexual assault and workplace harassment and whose takeaway is that you can’t even flirt anymore. The AP decided to add to the genera here. (h/t)

I don’t know, dudes. If you read the dozens of Weinstein stories, and your take away is I can’t ask about your weekend or compliment your haircut, maybe you shouldn’t. If you can’t tell the difference between a friendly hug and a creepy one, yeah, no hugs at work. Sorry, you don’t seem to know what harmless flirting is, so maybe don’t try it out at work.

At what point does Hillary Clinton have the right to sue Donald Trump for slander? I think making up lies about her lying to the FBI must cross a line. She’s a private citizen now. She isn’t running for anything.

There are protections for some presidential actions that would end up in court if they weren’t President. High crimes and misdemeanors are handled by Congress, for example. But this sort of slander is civil, so perhaps it can proceed.