HorsesAss.Org

I have family up North, so I’ve taken my bike up there a few times since they started construction on the Burke-Gilman Trail. It’s less convenient than the trail; it’s not a bad ride but it’s hilly and curvy. Meandering through North Seattle and Lake Forest Park when it’s nice out is certainly fine. I imagine when it starts raining, I’ll be a bit less thrilled. I always appreciate a change of scenery, so for now it’s quite good. A few things I noticed, of course it’s all small sample size, and my experience:

• The cars are pretty good at giving room, and none have honked at me for the crime of being on the same street as them. This isn’t always the case for suburban streets, so it’s appreciated.
• People seem to be out more on the Seattle side of 145th than on the LFP side. A few LFP people walked their dogs, but more Seattle people were out. I don’t know if that’s actually a thing, or a coincidence.
• Some of the reroute signage is confusing. I’m not sure I went the way they were thinking behind the cemetery, but it worked, and part of being a bike person is being able to improvise.
• Even having lived in the area, I was surprised how much of the area I didn’t know.

The Seattle Weekly gets UW political science Prof. Matt Barreto’s take on the 2012 election. (Prof. Barreto is frequently heard on KUOW discussing elections and election results, and he is the director of the Washington Poll.)

Here’s his take on what will happen in Washington state:

“I think in the presidential election Obama will win handily, Cantwell could end up winning by 15 points, and the governor’s race will come down to the wire.”

“In 2008 Gregoire had a pretty sizable win thanks to the huge pro-Obama vote. Obama is likely to be elected by a big margin, but he’s unlikely to have that kind of enthusiasm. And if there’s not a big enthusiasm vote for Obama, McKenna could eek out a win.”

The Inslee—McKenna race will be one of the hottest contests in the country, and the Obama campaign knows it. So don’t be surprised if Obama makes several high-profile visits to Washington state during election season.

Sure…we’re always something of an ATM machine for Democratic candidates. But most importantly, visits by Obama will help generate the enthusiasm needed to put Inslee in the Governor’s mansion.

– Boot ’em.

– I haven’t delved into this map of Metro’s possible service cuts too deeply, but the cursory look is pretty scary.

– A fundraiser for Bread and Roses coming up July 23.

– The Revolutionary War is probably a richer topic for a movie than Angry Birds.

Update [Darryl]: The dust storm that ate Phoenix – videos and images.

Please join us tonight for an evening of politics under the influence at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. We meet at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. Starting time is 8:00 pm, but feel free to join some of us for an earlier dinner.

Can’t make it tonight? Drinking Liberally Tacoma meets on Thursday, July 7th 7:00pm at the Hub Restaurant.

Special Event:

The NWroots Conference will be held this Saturday, July 9th at the Comedy Underground in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. Speakers include attorney, Rhodes Scholar, and community leader Cyrus Habib, undocumented immigrant/UW graduate Alonso Chehade, Congressional candidates Jay Clough and Roger Goodman, Washington State Labor Council President Jeff Johnson, Congressmen Jim McDermott, Jay Inslee, and Dennis Kucinich, and former Canadian Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh.

Musical performances by Irthlingz and the Total Experience Gospel Choir round out the event.

The conference is $50 ($25 students), includes breakfast at Swannies & lunch at Fx McRory’s. Registration/breakfast begins at 7:30am. The conference is from 8:30am to 5:30pm.

You can find more information about the conference and register to attend here.

State Auditor Brian Sonntag has been contemplating a run for Governor, a move that would have left open another statewide office. Apparently, his 4th of July weekend self-performance audit convinced him otherwise. It appears he will run for a 6th term as State Auditor, instead.

Sonntag would have little chance of winning against Rob McKenna (R) and Jay Inslee (D). Sandeep Kaushik gives three reasons why a person who has been elected to statewide office five times wouldn’t successfully pull off a gubernatorial bid: The top two primary, money, and giving up a safe seat. The latter appears to have kept him from the race altogether.

Sonntag is nominally a Democrat, with a track record that includes things like endorsing Republican King County Executive candidate Susan Hutchison, snuggling spooning blowing Tim Eyman, and participating in Teabagger events.

We can only hope that the buzz about a potential Sonntag gubernatorial bid has encouraged some talented people to think about running for the open Auditor seat. And with any luck, they’ll still run, but now against Sonntag. Otherwise, I’m afraid, Sonntag will maintain his grip on the State Auditor’s office…well, until it’s pried out of his cold, dead hands.

I can’t get enough of these sorts of US history/civics quizzes. But this one is not right.

15. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states? (Five possible answers.)

The answer:

15. Provide schooling and education, protection (police), safety (fire departments), give a driver’s license, approve zoning and land use

I’m pretty sure driver’s licenses aren’t addressed under the Constitution. I understand that the question is really, “name some stuff states do.” But why bring up the Constitution in the question?

Happy 4th, the Declaration of Independence is below the fold.

[Read more…]

Last week’s contest was won by Milwhcky. It was the home near Orlando where the infamous Anthony family lives.

Here’s this week’s contest, a random location somewhere in the world, good luck!

Exodus 35:2
For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of sabbath rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death.

Discuss

I saw someone in a Powell’s cap today. It had the outline of Oregon on it. I feel like I see the outline of Oregon on a lot of stuff and the outline of Washington comparatively less. And Washington’s outline is much better looking. Between the coast, the Olympic Peninsula, and the Puget Sound, Washington’s state outline looks pretty unique, whereas Oregon despite a lot of coast has that one interesting curve toward the mouth of the Columbia river, and otherwise is basically a rectangle. Maybe there’s some graphic design difficulty, but I think we need to see the outline more.

Ann Telnaes: Sen. McConnell on raising taxes.

Thom: Will Ronald McDonald be added to Mt. Rushmore?

Maddow calls out Romney’s lie.

Glenn Beck Finally Goes the Fuck Away:

• A requiem for a Rodeo Clown (via Media Matters).
• Beck’s final show in ninety seconds (via TalkingPointsMemo).
• Newsy: Glenn Beck is gone, but no deed to “dispair”.
• O’Donnell: The end of a 2.5 year mistake
• Cenk: Glenn goes away

Goldman Sachs CEO outsources his way to Worst Person in the World.

Cenk: FAUX News’ Nixon roots.

Maddow: Koch Bros killing unions.

Thom and Jim Hightower: Gov Rick Perry is the Koch brother’s new poster boy?.

Palin Around with Crazy:

• Newsy: Teh Undefeated.
• Sarah and Bristol’s pathetic draw at Mall of America

Olbermann defines FOX Populi.

President Obama welcomes the Seattle Storm:

Thom: Proof that Rich people aren’t the job creators!

Some Flake Announces:

• Newsy: Bachmann makes it official.
• Young Turks: Is Michele Bachmann ripping off Sarah Palin?
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Bachmann’s ding-bat economic plan.
• Olbermann: Why Bachmann is a flake.
• Young Turks: Michele Bachmann’s founding fathers BS.
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Bachmann tries to rewrite the history of slavery.
• Newsy: Will Bachmann’s gaffes hurt her
• Cenk: Bachmann’s misuse of government funds.
• Stephen: American heroes Michele Bachmann and John Wayne (Gacy).
• Young Turks: Is Michele Bachmann’s pro-life story believable?
• Sam Seder: Tom Petty slaps Michele Bachmann with cease and desist.
• Young Turks: Michele Bachmann’s conservative christian husband.

Thom performs an an Exorcism on the GOP.

Seattle cop leaves assault weapon on top of car.

Head of TSA is Worst Person in the World.

Maddow: Arguments over the years against the ERA.

More Jon and FAUX:

• Jon eviscerates Jon.
• Liberal Viewer: Jon Stewart, FOX News argue if 2 wrongs make a right?

Stephen: Ted Nugent is hopping mad that youth aren’t joining the teaparty.

WTF: Has Mitt Romney ever heard of Teh Google?!?:

Jon on the the GOP candidate doppelgangers.

Tweety: Most Americans still blame Bush for economic hard times.

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

Olbermann: Kansas judge delays new abortion law from taking effect .

Cenk: TX Sen. John Cornyn’s batant anti-Obama hypocrisy.

Jon: Debt ceiling debate and the future American dystopia.

Teh Gay Marriage:

• Olbermann with The Stranger’s Dan Savage on what’s next for same-sex marriage.
• Ann Telnaes: Obama’s evolving views on gay marriage.
• Some natural love:
• Jon on gay people getting married
• Some U.S. Senators: It gets better.
• Obama celebrates LBGT month.
• Young Turks: Pat Robertson invokes “angel rape”.

Sam Seder: Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) dealing with two disasters.

Mark Halperin calls Obama “a dick” on national TV.

Olbermann defines fibber-tarian.

Thom with another episode of The Good, The Bad, and The Very, Very Ugly.

Mark Fiore: A child’s Supreme right to violence.

Thom with Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) on the constitutionality of the debt ceiling.

Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA-01) Runs for Governor:

• Jay Inslee announces.
• Rep. Jay Inslee on marijuana.
• Rep. Jay Inslee on marriage equality.
• Latest gubernatorial candidate is a former Yakima politician
• Rep. Inslee makes a stop in Spokane.

Maddow: Republican war on women in Kansas escalates.

Their Back! The Republican Plan.

Thom: More Republican war on Democracy—the Minnesota shutdown.

Olbermann: Are Republicans trying to sabotage the U.S. economy?

White House: West Wing Week.

ONN: Coal lobby warns that wind farms my blow earth out of orbit.

Maddow: Ohioans unite against Republican Gov. John Kasich’s union-busting bill.

Mr. Colbert’s Excellent FEC Adventure:

• Stephen explains his SuperPAC.
• Mr. Colbert may form his PAC.
• Colbert: “I am a SuperPAC.
• Stephen reflects on his new SuperPAC (via TalkingPointsMemo).
• Newsy: Colbert’s SuperPAC gets FEC approval.

Pap: deniers watching the world burn.

WI Justice Prosser has a hissy-fit with reporter (via TalkingPointsMemo).

Thom: The Supreme court ruling on Campaign Finance.

Young Turks: Herman Cain claims Obama isn’t a “real” black man.

Newsy: Minnesota shuts down.

Sam Seder: Spreading Santorum on Egypt.

Stephen: Should the US get sucked into the quagmire that is the US?

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

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

Isaiah Kalebu was found guilty on all counts. When someone does something as horrible as he did we still give him a fair trial. We still give him an attorney and let him speak in his defense to a dozen members of the public who will decide his fate.

The good in our justice system doesn’t come up as often as the flaws on this blog. We talk a lot about the failures of the drug war. We talk about racial disparities. We talk about the very real problems with the death penalty. We focus on these and other problems instead of the good because the problems can, hopefully, be fixed. Hopefully more attention can help alleviate the problems.

But the system does work sometimes. It does put away a murderer. It showed evidence. It was fair. It gave the defendant his day in court. Hopefully, the surviving victim can find some comfort in the verdict. Hopefully we’re a little safer with Kalebu behind bars.

I don’t know if it’s just a coincidence or if it’s the summer (so I and/or horses are out on city streets more), but I’ve noticed more piles of horse shit in the middle of the road recently. This morning riding to work, it was pretty heavy traffic where there was maybe the largest pile of shit I’ve ever seen on the street. I was afraid if I swerved around it, and a car tried to pass me, that it they would hit me and I’d die, but decided it was worth the risk.

I assume this has to do with those carriage rides. It looks like a fun way to go around the city for a tourist or a date. I imagine the romance is lessened somewhat if there’s a bag of shit in between you and the horse/driver. Still, I don’t want to ride my bike through, or have to navigate it around horse shit. And I don’t really want to drive my car through horse shit either. I feel like when I lived in a more rural place, that made sense, but it shouldn’t be a thing that troubles downtown Seattle.

– Seattle is one of three cities selected for the Better Buildings Challenge.

– Also at CGI America.

– Support exists for higher taxes.

– What a dick.

– Republicans really are the wimpiest wimps in Wimpville (Marco Rubio edition).

– You don’t expense your smoke bombs? (automatically loading video, no politics whatsoever)

Now that the dust has settled from Governor Gregoire’s epic fail on the recent medical marijuana bill, the state’s community of growers and patients are starting to pore over the new law to figure out how they can still provide safe access. After tonight’s meeting at the Cannabis Resource Center (the main Cannabis Defense Coalition office in SoDo), I feel like there’s actually a light at the end of this tunnel.

Of course, dispensaries who openly sell medical marijuana to any authorized patient are not allowed. And there will be no production facilities regulated by the Department of Agriculture. But what the law does allow, however, are collective gardens. This evening, defense attorney Aaron Pelley outlined what appear to be the parameters of any new system for distributing medical marijuana within that framework. This discussion stems from meetings that Pelley has had with King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg. The relevant language can be found in Section 403 of the passed bill.

That section allows:
– 10 people to participate in a collective garden, which can have 15 plants and 24 ounces per person (up to 45 plants and 72 ounces total)
– The collective members to share in the costs of maintaining the collective

Interestingly, the section does not disallow:
– Multiple gardens to occupy the same space
– A single person to belong to multiple collectives
– Central offices where multiple collectives can establish an “access point”

My takeaway from this meeting is that what we’ll end up with (probably first in Seattle, then across the state) are these “access points” (not dispensaries!) where people can join a collective. Once part of a collective, you’d only be able to obtain medicine grown in that collective’s designated garden – and would probably have to pay for the upkeep of the garden (rather than directly paying for the medicine). From my reading of the law, that would be fully compliant with the statute, but hey, I’m not lawyer. And even Pelley wasn’t terribly sure how all of this will be interpreted once it inevitably ends up in a courtroom.