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Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

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Ana Kasparian: Leave the Rich Alone!!!!

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

White House: West Wing Week.

Cable Cabal:

Sharpton: Ohio Republicans pushing new bills to suppress voting:

Jon: ‘Meth Labs Of Democracy’ (via Crooks and Liars.

ONN: Onion Week in Review.

Outrageous Anti-Science Positions of Gov. Pat McCrory (R-NC):

Pap and David Pakman: The Wall Street Secret Society.

Young Turks: Nutburger Tom Delay, “God created this nation. He wrote the Constitution….”.

WaPo: So you want to sue the White House?

Mark Fiore: Jack Gerrard’s American Petroleum Institute.

Discrimination:

Lawrence O’Donnell: The Koch ‘polluting’ Brothers are already dishing truckloads of cash to the GOP.

Sam Seder and Charlie Pierce: Why there’s no Republican party anymore.

Pap and Thom: GOP obstruction is killing the judiciary.

WaPo: The debt ceiling deniers.

Scott Walker’s Bridge to New Jersey:

The GOP Plan: Repeal, repeal, repeal.

Alan Grayson on Ted Cruz:

Ed: VW sides with UAW after GOP intimidates workers.

Mental Floss: 50 facts about 50 state Capitals.

David Pakman: “Joe” the anti-union “plumber” takes a union job.

The Christie Minstrel Show:

David Pakman: Madman Glenn Beck considers burning the American flag.

Richard Fowler: The GOP civil war rages on.

Thom: The GOP refusal to expand Medicaid is a disaster.

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

More Distracting?

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I really hope this doesn’t come across as either too pro-advertising or in any way pro-distracted driving. But I kind of dig the gigantic ads on the side of buildings that the city of Seattle might crack down on.

After years of debate over how to regulate (or ban) wall signs on the sides of buildings that advertise products or services that aren’t available in the building where they’re advertised, the city council’s Housing Affordability, Human Services, and Economic Resiliency committee met this morning to talk specifics.

Dozens of opponents of the proposal (from Vulcan to Total Outdoor Advertising to the Mariners) waited patiently while the committee slogged through the details, but they were probably encouraged to hear council member Bruce Harrell preemptively parroting nearly all of their points. The opponents argued that giant signs promote civic pride, are easier for drivers to read, and are a way for small businesses to supplement their meager incomes.

I like wandering around the city, and one of my favorite thing is when you see some faded paint from an ad that was on an old building a long time ago. Trying to figure out from the cost of whatever painted on the brick or the language used what time frame it might have been.

This isn’t quite that, of course. It’s for businesses that aren’t in the building that’s advertised. And it’s generally draped over the walls or plastered on instead of being painted. So perhaps future walkers won’t have the same thing. But it has been going on for a long time. Anyway, they’re on walls — often times boring walls — so they aren’t taking any views away.

And while these are big for drivers, they are in high pedestrian traffic areas. Most buildings tall enough for that to be an issue are in areas with high pedestrian traffic. So you can see plenty of them on a bike or on your feet, and that’s fine.

Really, also, if the goal is to stop distracted driving, this rule doesn’t make a lot of sense:

Currently, the city bans “off-premises” wall signs on the sides of buildings; it does allow businesses to advertise products or services they actually provide (those are known as “on-premises” signs). So if you’re Jimmy John’s (to give an example from SoDo) and you want to put a huge Jimmy John’s sign on your outside wall to attract customers, go for it. But if Subway wants to buy an ad on your wall, that’s against the rules.

Is an ad for a store in the building less distracting than an ad for a store somewhere else? I think they’re exactly as distracting. But as long as they aren’t animated, reflective, 3D, or whatever, I think most drivers will be sensible enough to ignore them.

No Accountability

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Well this certainly bodes poorly for police reform. As well as being pretty crappy in its own right.

I just got a call from Seattle Times reporter Steve Miletich confirming a rumor I’d heard recently: Seattle police chief Harry Bailey has overturned the one-day suspension of Officer John Marion, the cop who threatened to harass me at work in retaliation for reporting on police misconduct. Chief Bailey wants to provide more training instead, and as Miletich explains, Bailey doesn’t seem to understand that he’s also apparently overturned the misconduct ruling itself

The police in this city are problematic on a level enough for the DOJ to get involved. They have a pattern stretching back over a decade. The last mayor half assed reform only when the Feds got involved, and previous mayors didn’t even do that much. It’s disheartening to see Ed Murray’s team not even be able to match the halfassedness of his predecessor.

But maybe I’m making too much of one thing. Oh (Seattle Times link).

Bailey, who was appointed interim chief last month by Mayor Ed Murray, said he took the action as part of a sweeping review of more than 25 pending grievances stemming from backlogged disciplinary actions imposed by former interim Chief Jim Pugel and former Police Chief John Diaz.

He said he wants to “get all of these things cleaned up before the new chief comes,” a reference to Murray’s goal to find a permanent chief by the end of April.

Bailey said he was working with the City Attorney’s Office and the Seattle Police Officers’ Guild (SPOG) to resolve some of the cases.

We let police officers carry guns and arrest people on the public dime. We ought to expect there will be some accountability when the fuck up, but it’s looking like even that is too much to ask.

Dear VW;

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I just wanted to pitch you on building factories in the Puget Sound area. When I read that you probably wouldn’t be building more Southern plants as long as they refuse to unionize, I realized that Western Washington is a great fit.

We have some of the best manufacturing in the world being done in Western Washington, and the major manufacturing employer, Boeing, is currently in the process of screwing over its workers. That means that you can get a good strong workforce that understands manufacturing processes, that has the hands on experience required to build large things, that knows how to prevent FOD. And you can get them for a steal, because Boeing just gave them a horrible contract.

Airplanes aren’t cars, of course, and there will be hiccups. Not everyone will want or be able to make that transition. But the change won’t be nearly as rough as starting from scratch.

We are also a region that embraces unions. We know, like you, that keeping unions at the table, and keeping workers happy will lead to better products. We certainly won’t have Senators threatening you if the UAW tries to organize a plant in Western Washington.

Thank you,

Carl Ballard

Open Thread 2/20

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– The Big Burger Boycott is today, Seattle.

– Volkswagen’s top labor representative threatened on Wednesday to try to block further investments by the German carmaker in the southern United States if its workers there are not unionized. [h/t]

– (video plays automatically) Well I’m no expert but firing Hanford whistleblowers seems like a bad idea.

– Honestly? You probably don’t want just any old scab driving your kids around first thing in the morning.

– At what point does Rodney Tom just give up any pretense of being a Democrat(Seattle Times link)?

– The Dignity of Work

Pay It Forward

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The Pay It Forward program (Spokesman-Review link) sounds like it’s good as far as it goes.

Instead, under a bill proposed in the House, they’d pay after leaving school in the form of a small, fixed percentage of their future income for up to 25 years.

Rep. Larry Seaquist, who introduced the Pay It Forward program in House Bill 2720, said with tuition costs and loan debt skyrocketing over the past decade, those from low and middle income families find it increasingly difficult to access higher education. The Democrat from Gig Harbor said the Pay It Forward program would remove that barrier.

I don’t want to be too down on this It certainly seems better than getting into debt with whatever the interest rates are to go to college. Look, I hate to be a broken record here, the best way to make college affordable is to not make it so expensive. So long as we are a high tuition state, things like this are eating around the edges, not attacking the problem head on.

The biggest barrier to letting people from underserved communities into college is the fact that it’s fucking expensive. And this plan, while a better alternative for some, is still pretty expensive. Instead of paying for it with taxes, preferably as progressive ones as we can muster in this state, it’s gimmicks like this. And look, if this gets people who wouldn’t otherwise go to college into college, great. But ultimately it’s a poor substitute for making college affordable.

DREAM Act Came True

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Last night The House passed the Senate Version of the WA DREAM Act (or whatever the Senate calls it) and so now it will go to Governor Inslee to sign into law.

The legislation would make state need-grant money available to undocumented college students, young people who came to Washington with their parents and in many cases have lived all their lives in the Evergreen State.

The 75-22 House vote came after 14 months of tension and maneuver.

It is a testament to the hard work of a lot of people that this got through the logjam that is our legislature. When the Senate passed their version, I thought that this might help pry loose some other popular bills that are dying in the Senate. So far, no. I still hold out hope for the Reproductive Parity Act and other bills that the legislature would pass if only they could get to the floor.

Open Thread 2/18

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– Ed Murray’s first State of the City address.

– It’s a sign of the world we’re living in that we need regulations of drone use.

– The GOP Senate trying to hide the ball from their own constituents is just pathetic.

– On a disturbingly regular basis…

– Fare inspectors being able to issue tickets in real time seems both helpful and horrifying.

– Seattle’s Bitcoin ATM seems unnecessary, but it’s probably just another example of me not understanding Bitcoin. [h/t]

– The Drinking Liberally thread is below, if you’re looking for the address or whatever.

Drinking Liberally — Seattle

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DLBottle The Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally is still on tour investigating the fine pubs of Seattle. Eventually, we will settle on a new place to call home. If you can, please join us on our tour.

This evening we will visit The Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. We meet at 8:00 pm, but some folks show up even earlier than than for dinner.

DL goes to the Roanoke (Image by S.M. Schwartz)

DL goes to the Roanoke (Image by S.M. Schwartz)




Can’t make it? Check out another nearby DL meeting over the next week. The Tri-Cities and Shelton chapters also meet this Tuesday. The Lakewood and South Seattle chapters meet this Wednesday. For Thursday, the Spokane and Tacoma chapters meet.

With 215 chapters of Living Liberally, including nineteen in Washington state, four in Oregon, and three more in Idaho, chances are excellent there’s a chapter meeting somewhere near you.

Statement from Carl Ballard on “Statement from Rep. Jay Rodne on governor’s decision to suspend death penalty”

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Ostensibly small government representative Jay Rodne is still in favor of the state being able to put a needle into someone’s arm and put enough poison in them to take their life. You know, small government. Smallity small small. He’s angry enough to have a press release. Sorry this is a bit old.

Gov. Jay Inslee today announced he was suspending the death penalty in Washington state for as long as he is in office. In the wake of this announcement, Rep. Jay Rodne, R-Snoqualmie and lead Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement:

There has to be a more effective way of saying “cruel and lacking any political power” than “lead Republican on the House Judiciary Committee” but I don’t know what it is. Maybe just “powerless asshole.”

“The governor’s decision is a distraction from the issues that people care about the most. It also seems very political – at the expense of victims of violent crimes and their families. This must be a difficult day for these families as they are confronted with the reality that the governor cares more about a few convicted killers than justice for their loved ones. It’s unfortunate and prolongs the closure they deserve.”

It’s a distraction to even talk about it says the press release about it. And you know, I haven’t seen any polling on Washington and the death penalty, but I’m guessing the political thing to do would have been keeping it.

Also, what kind of a dickbag can write “the governor cares more about a few convicted killers than justice for their loved ones”? Seriously, is Jay Inslee making sure that victims of crimes are locked up for life? Because that’s what he’s doing with the killers. Unlike Representative Rodne, I won’t pretend to speak for all victims of crime or pretend they’re a monolith. However they feel about Inslee’s decision is the right way for them to feel. But to pretend that the state isn’t doing anything for them because the state hasn’t killed their killers is just so spectacularly dishonest, that I don’t know what to do with it.

Open Thread

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– On the Killing of Jordan Davis by Michael Dunn

– I’m looking forward to the Broadway Bikeway

– Few people ever stop to question why the 358 seemed to carry all of society’s “undesirables” — but the answer is simple: Because the 358 gets people to the necessary services they require to get by in an economy with no safety net.

– Remember, Stein’s report is quite informative – when Bush struggled with Part D implementation, he used executive-branch powers to tweak implementation. Obama is taking the same steps now. The difference is, when Bush did it, no one in Congress, in either party, ran around whining about the president creating a “government of one.” It just didn’t seem that important – because it wasn’t.

– Here’s hoping Oregon can pass their background checks legislation.

– Is Bertha still stuck?

– Just a quick note: When Drinking Liberally is in wandering mode, Darryl is going to post that thread in the morning, and I’ll post an Open Thread in the afternoon. Since you can use either as an open thread* it shouldn’t change conversations here too much.

[Read more…]

HA Bible Study

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Deuteronomy 25:11-12
If two men fight together, and the wife of one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of the one attacking him, and puts out her hand and seizes him by the genitals, then you shall cut off her hand; your eye shall not pity her.

Discuss.

Friday Night Multimedia Exravaganza!

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Mental Floss: 40 weird word origins.

David Pakman: AGAIN?!? Rand Paul accused of plagiarizing Obama lawsuit.

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

Absurdity Today: Comcast screws up and tells truth.

Political Olympics

White House: West Wing Week.

David Pakman: God will repeal ObamaCare….

Mark Fiore: ObamaCare Job Killers!

Young Turks: Terrible news about the deficit—if your afflicted with Obama Derangement Syndrome.

Kimmel: This Week in Unnecessary Censorship.

Default Averted:

Pap and Sam Seder: CBO report shows Republican illiteracy.

Sharpton: The latest anti-Obama GOP ‘Gestapo’ talking point.

Ed: Ted Cruz goes from stand up filibuster to stand up comedy.

Thom: The Sexy Liberal tour.

Stephen is the first lady of France.

The Christie Minstrel Show:

Abby Martin: Top 5 crazy weaponized animals.

Pap: Billionaires defend greed.

David Pakman: SC removes evolution from science standards.

Young Turks: Heterosexuals are under attack, says Rush Limbaugh.

ONN: The Onion Week in Review.

Rep. Cathy McMorrs Rodgers claims to be for equal pay, votes against it repeatedly:

O’Donnell: Reaction to Michael Sam….

Political Valentine:

Sam Seder: Michele Bachman’s reason for no immigration reform (hint: Immigrants aren’t Republicans).

Young Turks: Did You Smoke Marijuana Marco Rubio?

Maddow: The shifting dynamics, pressures & loyalties within the GOP.

Thom: Should felons have voting rights?

Obama speaks on raising the minimum wage.

Facebook adds gender options.

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

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