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The streetcar is back on (probably). Thank goodness. I don’t know if it’s business interests, or a genuine desire to move people around without relying on cars. Still, I really like the First Hill streetcar, and it would be great if it connected to South Lake Union.

Please join us this evening for drinks and conversation at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally.

We meet every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the back room of the pub beginning about 8pm.

Can’t make it to Seattle? Check out one of the 263 chapters of Living Liberally, including 22 in Washington state, eight in Oregon and three in Idaho. Find a chapter near you. Or start a new chapter in your community!

Stephen has a message for MacKenzie Bezos.

Roll Call: World Central Kitchen on Pennsylvania Ave to help federal workers.

Bill Maher: Middle class squeeze.

Stephen: Doin’ it donkey style—Which Democrats are running?

Vox: The problem with video gambling machines

Minute Earth: Why are your fingerprints unique?.

Jimmy Kimmel: The week in unnecessary censorship.

The Dotard Трамп And Other Grifters and Charlatans:

• Jimmy Kimmel: Karen Pence takes job at a school that hates gays
• Stephen: The State of the Union is…cancelled?
• Trevor: Cardi B & Nancy P take on Трамп and unpaid workers crowdfund
• Bill Maher: Shutdown shutdown.
• James Corden: Dotard Трамп fed “hamberders” to the Clemson Tigers
• Daily Show: The A-Mexican Express Card—Buy whatever you want, Mexico’s paying for it:

• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп eats “hamberders” while government remains shut down
• James Fallon: Extended government shutdown chaos
• Rachel Maddow: Be Forewarned! The Dotard preps return of infrastructure week
• WaPo: How popular is Трамп’s border wall?
• The Atlantic bears witness to Трамп’s destructive presidency
• Democrats: Трамп’s shutdown is harming federal workers
• Seth Meyers: Трамп country
• Stephen: Nancy Pelosi struck a nerve with The Dotard
• Roll Call: Pelosi on what if The Dotard disagrees with SOTU delay?
• Steve Kornacki: Why did Mueller refute the Buzzfeed news report on Трамп & Cohen?
• Mark Fiore: Unbelievable vehicles invading America!
• Seth Meyers: Трамп is losing the shutdown fight
• Jimmy Kimmel asks The Dotard to end the shutdown
• WaPo: What we know about the Трамп–Putin meetings
• Trevor: Трамп is the world’s worst spy:

• Jimmy Fallon: Longest government shutdown in U.S. history
• Stephen: Трамп’s lonely weekend in the White House
• Jimmy Kimmel puts a NASA engineer to work during the shutdown
• Stephen: We’ve come a long way from “no collusion”
• Late Show: The interpreter’s notes from the Трамп-Putin Meeting
• James Corden: Michael Cohen created “Women For Cohen” Twitter account
• Stephen: The White House smells like hamberders
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп getting along with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing
• Seth Meyers: Late Night White House press conference with Трамп
• James Corden: Трамп denies working for Russia
• WaPo: Трамп tweeted about “prayer rugs” at the border, echoing a far-right bullshit scare tactic
• Roll Call: It’s official—the Трамп shutdown is the longest ever
• Chris Hayes: Special Counsel disputes blockbuster report in a rare statement
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп vs the Left, Pelosi & Cardi B
• Rachel Maddow: Buzzfeed stands by Michael Cohen story in face of Robert Mueller objections
• Trevor: The U.S. & The U.K. are allies in chaos
• Jimmy Fallon: Трамп cancels speaker Pelosi’s Afghanistan trip in shutdown retaliation
• Stephen: Chris Christie knows why Трамп wears long ties
• The Atlantic: It’s time to impeach Трамп
• Jimmy Kimmel puts a federal employee to work during the shutdown
• Late Show: Grimace puts Трамп on the hot seat:

• Seth Meyers: Rudy Giuliani contradicts Трамп on collusion
• Stephen: The art of the doing whatever Putin asks you to
• Jimmy Kimmel: Rudy Giuliani lies about lying about “no collusion”

Late Night: What is Brexit PSA?

Nova: How do government shutdowns affect science?.

Roll Call: The week in Congressional hits and misses.

Real Engineering: How the Ford Model T took over the world

Stephen: Another company was inspired by Gillette’s ad.

Vox: How tax brackets work.

Late Show: Mary Poppins—Post-Brexit.

Kurzgesagt: Is organic really better? Healthy food or trendy scam?.

Roll Call: The first 2020 Senate race ratings.

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

Donald Trump should resign, like today. I mean obviously. Not just because of the Buzzfeed story. But because he only has a few more days to fuck over Mike Pence before Mike Pence fucks him over. If Pence has to take the oath before the 20th, he only gets one full term.

Good morning.

Has your commute been thrown a monkey wrench with this traffic? Have you been forced to bike through somewhat chilly conditions? Have you had to sit in a somewhat more cramped bus? Have you experienced the horror of telecommuting? Are you in Southern or Eastern Washington and not seeing the fuss?

Personally, my commute is fine, but it’s a bit weird anyway.

The Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally meets this evening for conversations, politics, and conspiracies over a drink. You might say, “It’s Mueller time!”

We meet every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the back room of the tavern beginning about 8pm.

Can’t make it to Seattle? Check out one of the 261 chapters of Living Liberally, including 22 in Washington state, eight in Oregon and three in Idaho. Find a chapter near you. Or start a new chapter in your community!

Hey everyone, please learn to stand.

In an open thread last week, I mentioned that people on public transportation who stand in front of open seats are the way. But Seattle has a problem with people standing in all sorts of wrong places. In doorways. At the counter after they pay. On the curb cut when the walk sign is on.

Adam ruins everything: How big meat made bacon a meme.

Stephen: Monks of the quivering palm.

New Yorker: Lifeboat.

Roll Call: Congressional hits and misses.

Robert Reich: The big economic switcheroo:

WaPo: “I’m in trouble”—Virginia farmer hurting from shutdown:

Buzz Feed: How spicy food affects your body.

Now This World: Elections to watch in 2019.

Daily Show: Switzerland’s responsible gun nuts (Pt. 2).

Vox: How humans disrupted a cycle essential to all life.

The Dotard Трамп and Other Bricks in the Wall:

• Jimmy Fallon: Трамп’s primetime border wall speech
• Chris Hayes: Steve King, The Dotard Трамп, and why this is not about the wall
• Stephen: Трамп just wants to be on primetime TV
• WaPo: Why is Трамп waiting to declare a national emergency for what he calls a “crisis?”
• Trevor: The government shutdown and Трамп’s escalating wall gambit
• Ari Melber: Трамп Tower charge rocks Трамп Jr.
• Jimmy Kimmel puts federal employees to work during government shutdown
• Jimmy Kimmel puts another federal employee to work during government shutdown
• Stephen: The Трамп shutdown is bad for anyone who eats food
• Lawrence O’Donnell and Ezra Klein: The Dotard shutdown
• Former Republican Steve Schmide: Where are the Pesos?
• Late Show: Border Walls—the medieval solution:

• Mark Fiore: An address from the oval office
• Stephen is back…the government is not
• Jimmy Fallon: Трамп refuses to end government shutdown
• Ari Melber: Michael Cohen’s lawyer on how Cohen will expose Трамп to Congress
• Lawrence O’Donnell: The Dotard’s “big lie” collapsed today
• Chris Hayes: Mitch McConnell blocks vote to End Shutdown
• Jimmy Kimmel: The Dotard does NOT have temper tantrums
• Stephen: Трамп will “definitely” declare a national emergency, “probably”
• Ari Melber: Why Трамп’s wall “emergency” is a fraud
• Trevor: Paul Manafort’s PDF faux pas
• WaPo: The many ways Трамп said Mexico would pay for the wall
• Late Show: Yogi Bear in “Government shutdown”
• Jomes Corden: This monologue about Трамп is soooooo great
• Stephen: The clearest evidence of collusion yet
• Jimmy Kimmel: This former President supports Трамп’s wall
• WaPo: Fact Checking the Dotards Oval Office address
• Jimmy Fallon: Трамп visits Texas border amid government shutdown
• Seth Meyers: Трамп’s wall has changed a lot
• Stephen: Трамп—It’s my right “to do national emergency”
• Trevor: Трамп’s oval office address—sniffing and scaring the shit out of people
• Ari Melber: Трамп’s “Art Of The Deal” Co-author—It’s been fraud all along
• Rachel Maddow: Трамп A.G. pick advocated pardons by George H.W. Bush and bashed Mueller probe
• Daily Show: Shutdown day 20—Трамп heads to the border
• Jimmy Kimmel: Jimmy has not been entirely truthful
• Late Show: Cue cards from Трамп’s oval office address
• WaPo: Furloughed employees rally against shutdown
• Stephen: How Turkey smooth-talked Трамп out of Syria
• Chris Hayes: FBI opened an inquiry into whether Трамп was working for Russia!
• Jimmy Kimmel’s plan to end Трамп’s government shutdown
• Ari Melber: Why Mueller does not have final say on “Mueller report”.
• Seth Meyers: The Dotard goes to the border amid shutdown:

• Stephen: A border wall for a butterfinger
• James Corden response to Трамп’s wall address
• Jimmy Fallon: Трамп’s immigration speech recap
• Stephen with Sen. Kamala Harris: This won’t end with a wall
• Trevor: Here’s what will happen if Трамп declares a state of emergency
• The Late Show: Bird Box Part 2—The Трамп address
• Jimmy Kimmel on Трамп’s Presidential address
• Stephen explains the shutdown with beer
• Ari Melber: Meet the federal prosecutor who scares Трамп more than Mueller
• Daily Show: Bordersnatch—One wall, infinite possibilitie
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Republican describes The Dotard Трамп’s handling of the shutdown as total chaos
• Seth Meyers and Chris Hayes: Трамп doesn’t understand the government shutdown’s consequences
• Ali Velshi: FBI Opened Probe Into Whether Трамп Secretly Worked For Russia
• James Corden: Why does everyone keep saying Mexico will pay for the wall??
• Stephen: Трамп claims he “can relate” to unpaid workers
• Jimmy Kimmel: The Трамп shutdown is affecting the Coast Guard

Vox: How salmonella-tainted food gets in your fridge.

Jim Jefferies: A far-reaching conspiracy theory about chickens.

Jimmy Dore chats with Sen. Mitt Romney:

Wired: Why it’s almost impossible to ride a bike 60 kilometers in one hour.

Wendover: The new economy of the warming arctic.

WaPo: Why am I nonessential?.

Trevor: Malala Yousafzai—Helping refugee girls with “We Are Displaced” and Malala Fund

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

I don’t poop at Starbucks enough to know if it’s common, but the restroom in the one in Capitol Hill has a sharps container. This seems correct for harm reduction. If people were shooting up before, it’s better than used needles going in the trash, or being reused.

For the traffic mess some people are going to experience when the Viaduct shuts down, it might be a chance to take public transportation. I recommend it. But! You should probably know what the hell you are doing. So here are some tips to make sure that you don’t mess with other people’s commute.

Load your Orca Card now. Or if you don’t have one, know how much your trip will cost and have it ready before you fumble around at the bus door, or wherever you pay.

Figure out your route ahead of time. The driver (ar least Metro) will help you out, but if it’s super crowded, there might be a lot. They will talk to you at the door, but if you cause them to stay at the stop through a light, everyone on the bus will hate you. One Bus Away is great, and all the transit agency websites have tools to help you out.

Standing in front of open seats doesn’t help anyone. Jesus, man. Just have a seat. Or if you’re worried about getting off soon, move away from it so someone else can sit down.

If it’s crowded, move toward the back, and away from doors. Exit from the rear doors of buses. Don’t crowd the platform on the train.

Please join us this evening for the weekly meeting of the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally, border wall edition. Who knows…we might be in a state of national emergency by the time our event starts. You’ll need a drink.

We meet every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the room at the rear of the tavern beginning about 8pm.

Can’t make it to Seattle? Check out one of the 260 chapters of Living Liberally, including 22 in Washington state, eight in Oregon and three in Idaho. Find a chapter near you. Or you might consider starting your own chapter!

So, it’s probably too early, but 2020 primary elections for President and possibly governor are sooner than we might want. I am going to try to stay neutral. There are people I like more than others, but there’s no need to pick at this point. Hopefully we can get to issues at some point.

BuzzFeed: Americans and Russians swap snacks.

Jonathan Mann: Medicare for allllll:

Young Turks: Tucker Carlson does incel porn.

The Dotard Трамп and His Band of Mobsters:

• Mark Fiore: The year in lies.
• David Pakman: Трамп busted bragging about news written by his own staff
• Farron Cousins: Idiot Трамп says he can’t be impeached because he “won…the great election….”
• Jimmy Dore: Rick Perry pushes Israel loyalty oath for Americans:

• A quick recap of the 2018 Circus that is the Трамп Presidency
• Chris Hayes: Трамп golf club concealed undocumented workers
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Трамп looks ahead to worst year ever as Democrats retake control of the House
• David Pakman: Трамп provided FAKE GREEN CARDS to his illegal immigrant workers
• Farron Cousins: The Dotard lies and says voters are calling to express support for his border wall
• WaPo: “We’re gonna impeach the motherfucker” says Rep. Rashida Tlaib on Трамп
• Young Turks: Трамп hiding undocumented workers
• Winlar: Border wall
• Ari Melber and Lawrence O’Donnell: The Dotard Трамп destroyed Ronald Reagan
• Sky News: The true impact of the US government shutdown
• Rachel Maddow: Трамп is curiously well versed in specific Russian talking points:

• David Pakman: John Kelly confirms he was lying all along
• Farron Cousins: Jerry Falwell’s idiot son attacks poor people to defend The Dotard Трамп
• WaPo: Dirty parks, closed museums as the government shutdown enters 12th day

Vox: Why fixing the US bail system is tricky.

Nova: 2018 in review—the biggest science stories of the year.

Robert Reich: Why we must get Big Money out of politics.

Wired: How photography is affecting our brains.

The 116th Congress:

• Rachel Maddow: Democrats paint stark contrast with outgoing Republicans
• Sam Seder: New Congresswoman SLAMS The Dotard Трамп, “We’re gonna impeach the motherfucker!”
• Chris Hayes: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Dances, People Lose Their Minds
• Vice News: These scientists just got sworn into Congress and they’re ready for a fight
• Young Turks: ANOTHER Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attack backfires spectacularly
• Sam Seder: Conservatives lose their shit over Ocasio-Cortez dancing on rooftop
• Roll Call: New Congressional hits and misses
• David Pakman: Dems take over and IMMEDIATELY pass a bill to end shutdown
• Ari Melber: Why Nancy Pelosi shrugs off the haters like Drake.
• Steve Kornacki and Joy Reid: Nancy Pelosi will demonstrate what Democrats can do with power:

• Roll Call: Pelosi’s first responsibility as Speaker? A marathon of 300 photo-ops
• Sam Seder: Watch Mike Pence awkwardly swear in a bisexual member of Congress
• Young Turks: Conservative HEADS EXPLODE over Rashida Tlaib.

Pitchfork Economics: Whatever happened to the middle class?

The Atlantic: The world’s happiest animal.

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

I am excited about the US House of Representatives and the Washington State Legislature. Like, I actually expect great things from the state. A less regressive tax code and maybe steps toward pre Kindergarten education at the state level. At the Federal level, finally, finally, finally some accountability.

Oh right, I post open threads here sometimes. Anyway!

Over Christmas break, I listened to the Pitchfork Economics episode about trickle down economics, and how it’s the conventional wisdom. It made me think about the great chain of being. We can look back and see how silly it was. But if you were living in a time when it was professed by everyone around you, and presumed to be from God, it’s easy to understand why people kept using it as a way to understand the world.