HorsesAss.Org

Inevitably, when a bicyclist death by a car is in the news, asshole comments will try to figure out why the bicyclist is at fault. And maybe the bicyclist was acting stupidly. Maybe they were riding poorly, making themselves tough to see, etc. But the thing those comments miss is that drivers have a responsibility not to kill people.

And it’s not just cars and bikes. Anyone that’s a step up on size and safety has a special obligation not to hit something that’s a step down. I have friends who ride their motorcycles pretty dangerously. They ride ridiculously above the speed limit and ride between the lanes. They sometimes don’t wear helmets. Stupid, stupid; don’t do that. Still, if you’re a driver, have the wherewithal to not hit one, for Christ sake. Be aware of motorcycles long before they get to you, and check your fucking blind spots. Even if a motorcycle was driving poorly, if you want to be on the road, be a good enough driver that you don’t hit one.

Motorcycles and cars similarly have an obligation to be extra careful of bikes. Ideally, they’ll wear bright colors, have lights, and drive defensively. But even if they’re ninja riding the wrong way, you should be able to avoid them. Slow goddamn down, and chill the fuck out when you’re near one. If you hit one, after all, there’s a good chance they’ll die. And they aren’t even coming particularly fast.

And finally, cars, motorcycles, and bicycles have an obligation to avoid hitting pedestrians. While a car-pedestrian collision is more likely fatal than a bike-pedestrian one, in both cases, the driver and the bicyclist are moving faster than the pedestrian and will hit them with a hunk of metal. If you can’t avoid hitting a pedestrian, even one who’s jaywalking poorly. Even one obsessed with their phone, and not paying attention at all.

None of this is to say that motorcycles, bikes, and pedestrians shouldn’t look out for their safety, of course. Only that we’re sharing the space, and the larger modes have an obligation to the safety of the rest of the road.

– Mitt Romney is a terrible person.

– The Stranger’s endorsements.

– You guys, the anti car tabs people are totally grassroots.

– a dangerous, hypersexual, unhealthy, emotional, and enraged mass of unmarried drama.

– The New Yorker’s Occupy Wall Street cover.

– Milquetoasts

Robert Mac hosts a debate between incumbent King County Council member Jane Hague and her challenger Richard Mitchell:

Publicola has a brief recap but, man, it’s worth watching the whole thing.

Who do you think does better, and why?

I got to the Ale House a bit late, but here is the open thread….

5:18: Wow…the five minutes I’ve watched has been a big hatefest on Cain’s 999 tax plan. Funny how Republicans suddenly embrace reality when it gives them something to crush their opponent with.

5:20: Apples and oranges. Double-topping pizza for only $9.99: Feast of the top .999%

5:22: The Newtster still insists on being called, “Mr. Speaker”. What a putz!

5:23: Michele wants to “Go back to the miracle of Ronald Reagan’s plan”, “abolish the tax code”, “flatten taxes”. My god, is she an idiot!

5:26: Once again, Rick Perry is caught napping. He doesn’t have a rival tax plan. Instead he wants to talk unemployment. That’s sooooo last month.

5:29: Rick Santorum shouldn’t show his teeth like that. People’ll think he’s British…..

5:34: Michele Bachmann points out that the Obama administration is arguing with itself over the CLASS act. Not really. A good discussion of CLASS come from Ezra Klein.

5:39: Ron Paul is in fine babbly form this evening!

5:42: Rick Perry’s health care plan is to prosecute those who hire “illegals”?!? (Like Mitt Romney, apparently?) I’m feeling healthier already!

5:45: It pains me to say this, but Mitt made mincemeat of Rick Perry over the interruptions and also the “hiring illegals” business.

5:50: Perry had a strong “border” comeback after the “illegals fiasco”, but it was prepared. After Bachmann’s babblery, Perry babbles back.

5:52: Perry tries mining the “Mitt Hires Illegals” again. Less disastrous.

5:53: A Hispanic man just asked a question. Who will be first to ask if CNN checked his citizenship documents?

5:55: I have no idea what Ron Paul just spewed about putting people in groups and group mentality.

5:57: Bachmann: America has problems with magnets and anchor babies. Magnets and anchors can be quite unwieldy! So…good point.

6:03: The Mittster solution to nuclear waste: Let the states BID on it!

6:04: Rick Perry just said that the Government shouldn’t subsidize energy in any form. Wait…wasn’t that his entire fucking Jobs Plan?!?

6:08: Huh…Michele Bachmann is a mom?

6:12: Ron Paul just admitted he is incompetent.

6:18: Fuck…a group of noisy diners just sat down at the table behind me. I could barely hear the debate as it was. Fortunately, the closed caption text is on. Looking at the bright side…is’s good practice for old age!

6:21: Candidates are now going through their pre-prepared statements on “faith”. Fucking YAWWWWWWNNNNN. None of them are going to go there about Mormonism, obviously. I mean, it wouldn’t be fair with Huntsman not there….

6:22: Rick Perry talking about “the founding fathers” is like Mike Tyson talking about nuclear physics….

6:25: A “question from the audience” CLEARLY being read off of a screen. Sheesh. What bullshit!

6:28: Was it a Closed Caption error or was the Newtster talking about “illeteral politicians”???

6:31: Herman Cain: “Policy that we do not negotiate with terrorists”…but maybe we can send ’em some pizza and coke….

6:33: Let’s step back for a moment. Is it my imagination, or is Anderson Cooper, essentially, trying to simply drag the most controversy out of the “debaters”? Seriously…the substance is excessively thin, but the show ain’t half bad!

6:40: Damn…even Ronald Reagan’s movie roles are sacred to the Republicans. They are in a FUCKING REAGAN CULT!!!!!!

6:42: Okay…I’m outta here. I have to go to a birthday dinner a couple of doors down. It has been another enjoyable debate, watching Republicans presidential wannabes trying to out-crazy each other.

So far, it seems that Herman Cain has succeeded in not being destroyed. Perry is toast…very burnt toast that has been thrown into the kitchen sink only to get soggy. What a mess. Michele, “Mr. Speaker”, and Santorum (eeewwwww!) are where they started—amusing sideshows. Romney still comes off as the condescending prick he probably really is…and he continues to be the reluctant choice of Republicans. Oh, yeah. Ron Paul…still the fucking kook-job he has always been.

And that concludes another fascinating episode of “The GOP Primary Asylum Reality Show.” And may God HELP America!

If you have the chance this evening, do show up at the Reject Rove Rally and let Rob McKenna know what you think of him hanging out with one of the architects of Shrubs Great Big Military Adventure in Iraq, renditions, torture, etc.

And then join us for Drinking Liberally, Seattle for another evening of politics under the influence. We meet at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. at 8:00 pm. Some folks will probably be there earlier to watch the Republican Debate and have dinner.

Can’t make it? The Tri-Cities chapter of Drinking Liberally meets tonight beginning at 7:00pm. Drinking Liberally Tacoma meets this Thursday, 7:00pm at the Hub Restaurant. And the Everett chapter of Drinking Liberally meets at the Buzz Inn in Snohomish next Monday at 7:00 pm.

With 227 chapters of Living Liberally, chances are good there is one near you.

Karl Rove is in town tonight to raise money for Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna.

Apparently Rob McKenna is okay with receiving the help of a co-conspirator in the Iraq war, illegal renditions, and the U.S. policy of torturing prisoners adopted under the Bush administration.

Anything for power, huh Rob?

The Democrats are holding a Reject Rove Rally this evening:

We will be at the corner of Bellevue Way (NE 104th Ave). and 6th St. Important Note: 104th Ave. is better known as Bellevue Way. We’ll be on the southeast corner on the sidewalk, directly opposite the Bellevue Westin and in front of the Bellevue Arts Museum. The rally starts at 5:30 pm, but please show up a little earlier than that.

If you have the chance, show up and let Rob McKenna know what you think of him hanging out with a fucking war criminal.

I was reading this piece on the laws that are being used against the Occupy movement, and it occurred to me that there is a process to change any law that isn’t working. So while there’s a case to be made (one that I don’t agree with) that McGinn and other mayors across the country are just enforcing the law, there’s no case that the law needs to stay the way it is.

So, while I understand that the legislative process is necessarily slow and as such tough to deal with in reaction to fast moving events, the City Council could take up a law legalizing camping in Westlake. They could make it temporary (say 3 months) if they were worried about what happens afterwards. They could at the very least extend the park’s hours to keep it open all day. They could just do that in the South part of the park if they’re worried about what’s going to happen with the Christmas Carousel. The same for preparing hot food or any other complaint that they’re breaking the law. I assume the Parks & Seattle Center Committee could at least start the process, even if I wouldn’t expect it to go that far.

Goldy captures remarkable video that shows an interview and the subsequent arrest of a defiant protester at the Seattle Occupation.

The woman has the audacity of building an un-permitted “structure.” It has a sleeping bag foundation (likely not up to seismic or structural codes). Goldy tells me that, aside from asking her to move, they didn’t really take any action until she erected the top portion of the structure, consisting of umbrella-based roofing materials supported by her own arm (certainly not up to structural standards). The city had no choice but to eliminate the dangerous, illegal structure.

As it happens, it was the woman’s only home.

The police first “disarmed” the perpetrator of un-permitted housing construction by taking away a paper cup from her hand and the cigarette from her mouth. It wasn’t just a cup, though, as one cop found out when he pulled the lid off and became moistened by the coffee within.

Dominic Holden has a follow-up report (emphasis in original):

“The only people who we arrest with umbrellas are the people with umbrellas who take their cups of hot coffee and dump it on officers,” says Sergeant Sean Whitcomb. He says you can see in the video below, at about the 1:00 minute mark, the woman “take her hand and forcefully slosh the coffee on one of the officer’s legs.”
[…]

The Seattle Police Department is asking prosecutors to charge her with obstruction, resisting arrest, and misdemeanor assault (for the coffee thing). She was one of eight people arrested this morning, Whitcomb says.

A clear case of assault with “hot coffee.”

Except that, as Goldy’s video timestamp shows, the coffee was no less than 38 minutes old at the instant it was used to assault the officer (and it was possibly much older).

And, contrary to Sergeant Whitcomb statement, the moistening/flesh-scorching incident took place after the police had begun detaining her, not before.

In any case, we certainly wish the officer a speedy and full recovery from his coffee burns and a complete dehydration from the moistening. And thank god(s), that when he pulled the lit cigarette from her mouth, the pain of his first injuries didn’t cause him to plant his palm on the lit end of the cigarette.

Thankfully, the dangerous structure was torn down without additional injury to Seattle police officers or innocent bystanders.

Postscript:

As a non-resident of Seattle, I don’t typically have much to say about the Seattle Mayor—I simply don’t have a dog in that race. It seems to me, this video is the nail in the coffin of Mayor Mike McGinn’s reelection prospects. Simply put, his handling of the Occupy Seattle protest has come off as bipolar.

– Several cities have shifted to smart cards for transit purchases, so adding the ability to use your smart card to pay for parking would be fantastic.

– Every military operation we take on has legitimate criticism. Rush Limbaugh is clearly not the one to provide it though.

– Well, in news that will shock exactly no one, at least one of the images featured on Erickson’s tumblr is fake.

– Some signs from Westlake.

– How many galaxies are in the universe?

When I first moved to Seattle from the suburbs, Will, who used to write here, and I took the bus somewhere. We caught the bus in Westlake Park. This was pre-ORCA Card and he took some cash out of his wallet and counted it out to make sure it was right before the bus came while we continued to talk. Someone must have saw him with his money out, because they came up to us and asked, “You buying?”

Up until a few weeks ago, that’s more or less the feel of Westlake Park whenever I go through it after dark. Now, it’s my city, and I’ve never avoided the park because of the people selling drugs there. It’s certainly safe enough for me as an able bodied fairly young man to walk through. But, it’s not exactly the best part of town. But now, every night it’s glorious, and vibrant. And the drug dealing has left.

So whatever the value of City Hall Park versus Westlake versus other potential occupy sites going forward, Westlake Park is better for the occupation.

Last week’s contest was a tough one, but it was won by milwhcky. It was a home in North Pole, Alaska built for an episode of Extreme Home Makeover.

This week’s contest is a location somewhere in Washington state, good luck!

John 2:13-15
Not long before the Jewish festival of Passover, Jesus went to Jerusalem. There he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves in the temple. He also saw moneychangers sitting at their tables. So he took some rope and made a whip. Then he chased everyone out of the temple, together with their sheep and cattle. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and scattered their coins.

Discuss.

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

Ann Telnaes: Taxpayer killing of the unborn….

White House: West Wing Week.

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks: Senator:

Thom: Did Republicans just prove they only care about the top 1%?

Occupied:

• Ann Telnaes: Gingrich, Cain and Cantor on “wall street mobs”.
• Young Turks: Occupy Wall Street epic win.
• Alonya: Speaking to the occupiers.
• Mark Fiore: Then meets now.
• Thom: We are the 99%…let’s get to work.
• Olbermann with Tavis Smiley and Cornel West on occupy Wall Street.
• Ed and Pap: Stop the looting, start the prosecuting.
• Aloyna: Bloomberg backs down.
• Young Turks: Conservatives claim OWS is anti-Semitic
• Ann Telnaes: Newt Gingrich’s trash talk.

Jimmy Kimmel talks to kids about politics.

Ed with some Psychotalk from John Boehner.

ONN: Obama’s approval soars after punching Wall Street banker in the face.

Koch Gives Cancer:

• Thom: Koch and Cancer.
• Young Turks: The Koch Brothers cause cancer.

Tom with more Good, Bad, and Very, Very Ugly.

Radio host Neal Boortz crazies his way to Worst Person in the World.

The GOP Primary Asylum:

• Jimmy Fallon: GOP political ads (via Huffington Post).
• Aloyna: MSM primary political games.
• Ann Telnaes: Palin ain’t running.
• Young Turks: Herman Cain takes the lead!
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Inside 999.
• Herman Cain: Revolution 999 (via TalkingPointsMemo).
• Newsy: Is Cain’s 999 tax feasible?
• Aloyna’s Happy Hour: Bachmann goes all 666 at debate
• Ann Telnaes: Christie will not run
• Thom: Values Voter bigotry over Romney’s faith.
• Young Turks: Ron Paul’s eyebrow?
• Pap: Who’s pulling the strings for Rick Perry?.
• Ed with some Psychotalk from Gov. Rick Perry.
• Young Turks: 999 or 666?
• CNN: Romney policies run up against reality.
• Tweety: The ‘Two Faces’ of flip-flopping specialist Willard Mitt Romney
• Mitt Romney through some Bad Lip Reading:
• Ed: Rush disavows Mitt’s conservative credentials.
• Young Turks: Newt’s moment of crazy.
• Actual Audio: Herman Cain versus the protesters.
• Susie Sampson: Social Security and the Romney-Perry Showdown!

Jimmy Starline, member of the County Board of Commissioners in Camden County, Ga is Worst Person in the World.

Thom: Dems fire-up to fire Walker.

More Hank, Jr.:

• Young Turks: Hank goes on The View.
• Barely Political: Hank’s apology.

Aloyna’s Tool Time: FL Gov. Rick Scott and the Liberal Arts.

Newsy: Parts of Alabama immigration law blocked.

Sam Seder: Corporate tax dodgers are destroying the economy.

Sharpton: The GOP “jobs plan”.

Kill ’em Dead:

• Young Turks: FL lawmaker wants firing squads.
• Aloyna’s Tool Time: FL Sen., Ol’ Sparky, and Firing Squads.

Rush Limbaugh is back in the saddle as Worst Person in the World.

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

Publicola announces the Friday Jolt winner of the day:

Anyone who’s thinking of running against US Rep. Dave Reichert.

US Rep. Dave Reichert tainted his reputation as a green Republican—one of the Democrats’ big problems when taking him on—by voting for a coal bill today that will weaken coal ash regulations and take the EPA completely out of the picture.

Reichert goes from a pale green to ashen….

– Sometimes you read a story about a new policy and you have a tough time with the fact that it’s actually a new policy because it’s so blindingly obvious that it should have been happening for years. Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion is one of those for me.

– I support these rule changes, Liquor Control Board.

– Looks like a good start.

– Another sure sign that Occupy Wall Street is on the right track.

– If I’ve been a bit Occupy Seattle heavy recently, well, here’s some info on Occupy Olympia.

– I FOUND A PUNCHLINE FOR YOUR COMIC STRIP

– Michael Schur is one of the best writers there is, but I sure do like any Red Sox fan suffering.

– I’m still going to get bumblebees and honey bees mixed up some times.