Posted Mon, Aug 17, 10:48 a.m.

"Real Americans...real fears and concerns" I love hearing that phrase! As if having "real" fears and concerns somehow sets one apart from the rest of the electorate, you know, those other (presumably unreal?) Americans without real fears or concerns. Yeah, whoever those people are. By all means, let's let the ...

Posted Sun, Aug 16, 10:12 p.m.

"The public meetings this month have been so turbulent, in part, because voters are just plain overwhelmed by the enormity of the issues in front of them." Substitute "politicians" for voters and you're closer to the truth. The public by a 72% supports a public option: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/health/policy/21poll.html I wonder just ...

Posted Fri, Aug 14, 6 a.m.

Mr. Sell said: "It's why the Democrats have such a difficult time of overcoming the gross ineptitude of the Republicans. You're simply to the left of where most of the voters are." And here I thought it was because Democrats allowed for more freedom of thought and thus end up ...

Posted Wed, Aug 12, 5:45 a.m.

You call this the most significant survey in one breath and in the next you admit "The respondents did not constitute a scientific sampling of voters.". So who exactly is this significant to--the functionally illiterate? Do yourself a favor and go look up that old story from the 1936 presidential ...

Posted Mon, Aug 10, 12:26 p.m.

It's too bad thoughtful questions like yours couldn't be heard at the town hall meetings disrupted by the screamers. If more people worked to provide thoughtful analysis instead of actively preventing it, then we could actually make some headway on this issue. Your suspicion is understandable, after all we don't ...

Posted Mon, Aug 10, 7:48 a.m.

I've read and watched reports of several of the meetings and the screamers don't look interested in any kind of democratic discourse or reasoned discussion of the issue. Quite the opposite--they seem intent on stopping any debate on it at all. The bill isn't even complete, they are operating under ...

Posted Tue, Aug 4, 1:26 p.m.

Sheesh, I haven't heard this much wailing since we passed the indoor smoking ban. Some of the complaints are much the same: dire predictions of increased bureaucracy and "stings" (oh noes, not stings!!), vast conspiracies hidden in the deepest recesses of government between scheming politicians and...um...somebody, and of course don't ...

Posted Tue, Aug 4, 11:38 a.m.

Laws aren't needed because most people already do the right thing? What an inspiration! Let's follow Mr. Shindler's logic for more laws and see how much government bureaucracy we can eliminate: --Most people stop at red lights and seem to drive safely enough. Let's eliminate all those unnecessary traffic laws ...

Posted Tue, Aug 4, 11:06 a.m.

When it comes to plastic bags, it turns out that today's convenience is tomorrow's poison. This rule would be only one small step in reversing the onslaught of the throwaway society, but it is a good step. It's fair, it's well thought out and it's way overdue.

Posted Sat, Aug 1, 12:51 p.m.

Wow, Mr. Eyman, that's a whole bunch of people! I gotta wonder though why, if you have so many avid supporters, you waited until this election year to bring the issue? Was it not a valid concern until just this year or is it that your fringe causes don't do ...

Posted Fri, Jul 31, 12:08 p.m.

It'll arrive too late but as of last month there is a vaccine on the way, created using a genetically engineered version of P. falciparum: "Seattle scientists are ready to start human tests of a malaria vaccine... In mice the vaccine provided 100 percent protection. ... even if all goes ...

Posted Wed, Jul 29, 12:39 p.m.

Czars and outsiders separately might be okay, but how about we put those ideas together? Why flirt with the electing unqualified autocrats to run our government when we can go whole hog? Let's import some *genuine* autocrats and start a dynasty for each department. Preferably they won't know the language, ...

Posted Wed, Jul 29, 12:14 p.m.

A more recent death of a war hero which was also not commemorated in the mass media is that of SSgt. Darrell "Shifty" Powers: http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/shiftypowers.asp

Posted Wed, Jul 29, 7:05 a.m.

Certainly adherence is a serious issue in any area of medicine, most prominently in the area of mental health. That said, does the percentage of non-adherence take into account the growing perception of "over prescribing"? I've known doctors and pharmaceutical representatives alike who say that the drug companies are making ...

Posted Fri, Jul 24, 1:40 p.m.

The citizens of Washington pay Microsoft, Google and Amazon to build their datacenters here and then we pay them again to use those datacenters? What's not to like?! It's a win-win!! Well, it's a win-win for the commercial datacenters anyway. For the citizens, not so much. What Mr. Carlye et ...

Posted Mon, Jul 20, 10:43 a.m.

Truly Amazon's response was clumsy. To set matters right they should have at least offered to provide the buyers with a legal copy, not merely yank away the illegal one.

Posted Fri, Jul 17, 10:30 p.m.

I see that 10 of the 34 comments are from "teyman" himself. Permanently defensive much?

Posted Fri, Jul 17, 5:34 a.m.

Mr. Eyman is a walking case study in the "what could go wrong?" effects public initiatives, true enough. But at a time when every non-oil or gas producing state is running a deficit, the fact of the matter is that we are in a larger scale crisis caused by bad ...

Posted Thu, Jul 16, 6:46 p.m.

The rule applies if it's posted. The actual code says: "...or other park area designated by the Superintendent and so posted..." http://tinyurl.com/lldby6

Posted Thu, Jul 16, 6:16 a.m.

As per Seattle Municipal Code, dogs are not allowed at beaches: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/offleash.asp It's posted as a $500 fine. I'm surprised so many people flout it.

Posted Fri, Jul 10, 8:40 a.m.

Links: http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/07/08/qotd/ http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20090710_Agency_investigating_alleged_discrimination_at_pool.html

Posted Fri, Jul 10, 8:40 a.m.

Discrimination and bigotry are inherent tendencies of human nature, and efforts to combat and minimize them must also be inherent in the rules of our society. Any majority in a democratic society will always have the power to put down and hold down the minority--the fair government will actively address ...

Posted Fri, Jul 10, 8:12 a.m.

Agreed with Mr. Wade that the farmers need to take a look at their inputs, but that shouldn't stop us from applauding their efforts to responsibly deal with their outputs. Such efforts are all too rare in modern industrial farming operations. Perhaps there's a way to close the loop and ...

Posted Fri, Jul 10, 7:56 a.m.

The way Microsoft "broke" IBM at least in the PC market (afaik IBM is still doing quite well otherwise) was through an amazingly lopsided licensing deal. Don't expect Google to get the same break from the gang in Redmond. That said, market insurgencies certainly can succeed by starting in the ...

Posted Fri, Jul 10, 7:38 a.m.

@mikerol: From Powells "Read 'The Last Kid on the Beach?' an exclusive essay by Jim Lynch" http://www.powells.com/essays/lynch.html

Posted Wed, Jul 8, 9:11 a.m.

Smart, yes, diligent, certainly, sincere in his beliefs, absolutely. Add all of that to his being morally bankrupt and we can understand why he became what he was -- an extremely efficient mass murderer. Did he ever show signs of remorse for the millions of deaths he caused or was ...

Posted Wed, Jul 8, 8:34 a.m.

Good, thoughtful piece. Agreed--pity isn't productive. What's needed is recognition that people in tent cities are part of our community, just as people who sleep in the streets or in houses or condos are part of the community. A community that respects itself provides help for all its members whatever ...

Posted Wed, Jun 24, 7:50 p.m.

Mr. Lilly, when everyone in the room disagrees with you, it may be convenient to blame conventional wisdom but it is hardly a productive response. Neither the KIPP program nor Mr. Canada's efforts support your idea of only focusing on one aspect of a multi-faceted system--in fact they are direct ...

Posted Wed, Jun 24, 5:32 a.m.

In the field of health care it's understood that the patient comes to the practitioner with a history and with a host of external factors--environment, habits, financial resources-- and that all of this in addition to the efforts of the practitioner will play into the patient's health. Your piece implies ...

Posted Thu, Jun 18, 10:57 a.m.

Yes, it's a common occurence for a "movement" to have multiple faces--some groups provide a public face for political purposes, while the other groups perform the violence to put the bite behind the bark. The fact that the Minuteman groups have split in this way this does demonstrate some degree ...

Posted Wed, Jun 17, 9:20 p.m.

Don't be coy b.d., in the context of this discussion Shawna Forde and her fellow Minutemen are all hopped up about one target only and that's Mexicans. You spring to their defense all indignant about the claims of racism, and yet you can't bother to read what they've written or ...

Posted Wed, Jun 17, 5:46 a.m.

@bigdaddy: It's racist because the anger, hatred, and objections are only directed at Mexican immigrants. If the people complaining about immigration were truly not racist, they'd be directing their efforts and comments at "illegal" immigrants of all races. And calling them "scum" certainly doesn't help you prove your point either.

Posted Fri, Jun 12, 1:11 p.m.

To help Maribago with her confusion, we're discussing this because as much as some people would like to pretend otherwise, experience matters. It matters in flying a plane (you don't get your license until you have a certain number of hours under your belt), it matters in politics (hence why ...

Posted Thu, Jun 11, 12:31 p.m.

Seniority = experience. With all due respect to the two 15-year olds who agree with P-diddy St. Clair, in most places I've worked, experience is seen to be something to be prized not trashed. Why not address the root of the problem, which is why are we having the layoffs ...

Posted Thu, Jun 11, 10:39 a.m.

Pretty amusing -- putting on the anti-PC shtick is certainly a well-worn path. It's quite a trick though to maintain the rebel stance when rebelliousness itself is so accepted and celebrated. In that case is conforming (in this case to the PC culture) the real rebellion?

Posted Tue, Jun 9, 11:46 a.m.

Broadcast TV as a medium has its strengths and shortcomings. Its userbase is shrinking and the switch to digital certainly won't stop that, but it will be with us for quite some time. Compared to cable TV or the internet, the viewer is forced to adhere to a tighter set ...

Posted Tue, Jun 9, 5:46 a.m.

Certainly journalism is transforming as the old media organizations give way to the new. Through this process there will be some bumps along the way and some newsworthy events will be missed. Could some of the blame go to the journalists themselves who have failed to properly pass the baton? ...

Posted Fri, Jun 5, 10:20 p.m.

Randy, please do yourself a favor and check out these two sites which have helpfully compiled all the info to rollback the denial manure you're currently buried under: http://www.skepticalscience.com/ http://www.grist.org/article/series/skeptics/ Specific to a few of the myths you've shared: "We've always had climate change..." Yes, over a course of millenia. ...

Posted Wed, Jun 3, 2:58 p.m.

Could you specify what the breakoff points are for the various "classes" as well as tell us who is making those judgments? It would also be helpful to know whose data you're using. If you're using household income as the basis, do you take into account cost-of-living variations? An annual ...

Posted Fri, May 29, 9:07 a.m.

Cantwell's response is classic politician cowardice: never make the constituency face hard choices, let them lead you and never lead them. In this scenario it'll be up to the voters to get the message to Cantwell that they are willing to pay for healthcare with fair taxes. Evidently the overwhelming ...

Posted Fri, May 29, 8:39 a.m.

Livfinne: "None of the 5,000 people being laid off at Microsoft can teach at a public school..." And there's a good reason for that: They aren't *teachers*! However talented they may be in programming or whatever they did at Microsoft, they should have to demonstrate a basic proficiency in the ...

Posted Fri, May 29, 5:46 a.m.

No political force in this country has any chance of doing right by the American people until they can get the corporate monkeys out of the machine room. Government spending outflows to corporations, through defense spending, through "bailouts", through a vast array of contracting and outright cash payments, will continue ...

Posted Thu, May 28, 8:50 p.m.

It's hardly "gutsy" to give a one-way address making excuses for your and your friends' poor judgment. True guts would have been to offer up a self-critique, a how-to-not-make-the-mistakes-I-made speech. Instead he does the opposite, encouraging others into the breach of his poor decision making--and for this he's called "gutsy"? ...

Posted Tue, Apr 21, 8:33 a.m.

Choosing to attempt a channeling of populist anger rather than defusing it is walking on a knife's edge. Revolutions are just another form of mob hysteria and have a way of turning on those who would lead them. As a candidate Barack Obama showed some ability at harnessing populist sentiments ...

Posted Thu, Apr 9, 2:47 p.m.

You're hanging that whole diatribe on what? A third-hand anecdote from a conservative paper? How about we try some actual data to look more reasonably at the question of whether Seattle is too mellow on a crime. First do we even have a crime problem? According to a 2007 report ...

Posted Thu, Apr 2, 8:37 p.m.

Link omitted from previous post: http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html

Posted Thu, Apr 2, 8:36 p.m.

Excellent article Mr. Berger. This topic hardly ever gets coverage outside of bird-nerd circles and it has a huge impact on one of the most vulnerable parts of our ecosystem. The attitudes expressed in the comments are all too typical of the self-indulgent Homo sapiens americanus (did P-diddy St. Clair ...

Posted Thu, Feb 26, 9:29 p.m.

Luring people in for a visit to the winery/vineyard never hurts, especially if they will forever after associate a particular wine with a fun vacation. Oregon's Eola Hills Wine Cellars does a nice job with their annual bike tour--I'm sure they've picked up many a customer through this event: http://nwcheapsleeps.org/?p=81

Posted Thu, Jan 1, 8:09 a.m.

The link sourcing my quote about the fisheries was stripped in my previous post: http://www.seattle.gov/oir/datasheet/economy.htm

Posted Thu, Jan 1, 8:07 a.m.

To prevent missing two days of work every twenty years you would have us dump so much extra poison into the Sound that we risk losing "the nation's largest marine and fisheries sector (fisheries exports from Washington State exceed the total of all other US states combined based on both ...

Posted Wed, Dec 10, 12:27 p.m.

As you point out the current lack of funding for staffing our public universities is a clear indication of our public values: we value higher education, but resent the highly educated. Certain political groups who fear a population armed with critical thinking, like to encourage this resentment in order to ...

Posted Thu, Dec 4, 8:57 p.m.

Interesting piece. Certainly a more sensitive approach in delivering services to those without homes is a welcome recommendation. I don't take issue with anyone who wants to help though. I'll take the most obnoxious do-gooder any day over the callousness as expressed in a couple of the previous comments. Why ...

Posted Mon, Nov 24, 7:11 p.m.

While I appreciate that there may be a few lackluster programs in our state government, I just can't go along with the idea that this is the appropriate approach to an economic crisis. It's like selling off walls of your house down because you can't pay the heating bill. Economic ...

Posted Thu, Nov 20, 9:45 a.m.

I agreee with your idea that atheists have served an important role in our democracy, but I take issue with painting all atheists with the "obnoxious" and "irritating" brush. Sure, there are some atheist blowhards out there, but I have yet to have one show up at my door uninvited ...

Posted Thu, Nov 20, 6:50 a.m.

bk425--Thanks for your comment, I read what Mr. Berger posted and his discussion was most certainly not "all objectively rational disincentive/incentive consideration". If you check, you'll see he only got to the third paragraph before relaying a subjective story of an associate who was mugged and is now "afraid" of ...

Posted Mon, Nov 17, 11:35 a.m.

I appreciate the sentiment driving your piece Mr. Berger, as I and people I care about have been victims of violent crime. That said, I believe it's important to not let personal fears decide public policy, especially when it comes to deciding whether or not arming the general population with ...

Posted Sun, Nov 16, 9:04 a.m.

An excellent topic, seldom discussed on these days which are treated as holy by the unquestioning masses. Perhaps next Veterans Day, we can discuss why we have no days set aside for the innocent victims of U.S. aggression. Rarely if ever does the topic of civilian murder come up and ...

Posted Wed, Oct 8, 12:28 p.m.

RE: Why no debate coverage?: "All I heard her saying, over and over, was "Washington state, Washington state, Washington state." Most people would score a debate based on how well the participants made their arguments or refuted their opponents' arguments. You choose to decide who won based on what phrase ...

Posted Sat, Sep 6, 12:03 p.m.

RE: To see the light, open your eyes: "I don't recall seeing any suggestions anywhere that Hillary should have aborted Chelsea..." Surely you aren't being so lawyerly as to demand that exact same attack as evidence? Among the many personal, vicious attacks hurled at Clinton and her daughter by the ...

Posted Sat, Sep 6, 8:10 a.m.

RE: To see the light, open your eyes: "unprecedented vituperation...is unprecedented..." Actually the precedent is quite obvious, but perhaps not convenient for your case: Hillary Clinton. An unwarranted character assassination was carried out against Hillary Clinton before she was even considering public office. The scale of that attack blows away ...

Posted Fri, Sep 5, 4:43 p.m.

Scared? Damn right.: Yes, some in the Democratic Party are scared. For waht it's worth some independents and Republicans are scared too. And rightfully so. The Republicans have long stated their contempt for a government that works for the people. Aside from their ever-present sense of reverence and awe for ...

Posted Wed, Sep 3, 7:13 a.m.

RE: Pebblecreek,: Most of your post is unfiltered delusion, but I'll respond to the more coherent point, Obama and experience. Let's see, president of Harvard Law Review, civil rights attorney, community organizer (doing those oh-so-communist things like registering people to vote), state senator (in one of the most powerful states ...

Posted Tue, Sep 2, 11:37 a.m.

Excellent analysis: The pick of Sarah Palin for VP was so wrong on so many levels it's beginning to be difficult to keep track. The willingness to sacrifice her family on the altar of her ambition is only the latest and saddest example. That the McCain campaign would stoop so ...

Posted Thu, Aug 28, 6:55 a.m.

Excess regulation compared to...?: I'm interested in hearing more about your offhand comment that Seattle supposedly has an excess of regulation. Compared to what? By what measure? I've lived in several places across the country and abroad and I haven't seen that Seattle has more regulation. Maybe the reality is ...

Posted Tue, Jul 15, 5:58 a.m.

A bigger problem is the riders: Absolutely it was one of my frustrations when first riding Metro buses that the drivers either didn't call out the stops or were incomprehensible when they did. A pre-recorded announcement would be a big improvement. My chief complaint with the buses however is the ...

Posted Thu, Jul 3, 7:12 a.m.

Message vs. Messenger: Attempting to boost the importance of an idea based on knowing who is saying it is just as specious as attempting to dismiss an idea because of its source. So the messenger has the "courage of their convictions"--so what? To a rational mind that should in no ...

Posted Sat, Jun 28, 10:05 a.m.

Spending our way out: I wouldn't be so hasty to shoot down a much needed transit investment just yet. Although it looks pricey now, sometimes the perfect solution to economic downturn is public sector spending. A good example of this would be the combined effect of FDR's New Deal and ...

Posted Tue, May 13, 6:57 a.m.

Recommended reading: For anyone interested in dams, water and the West: Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner. Specifically he lays out the full story of the hubris that led to the Teton Dam disaster. In regard to this article, I don't remember that the Teton Dam design had any intention of ...

Posted Sat, May 3, 9:22 p.m.

RE: I couldnt *dis*agree more with Knute-: On the contrary, it's that statement that I find to be the most hollow. Buildings worth preserving aren't only those which represent some provincial, Northwest-only trend, but also those buildings which are iconic of an American trend in architecture, thought, or culture. The ...

Posted Sun, Apr 6, 4:15 p.m.

The right direction: Good to see things moving in the right direction, but it's unfortunate that the Eyman initiatives are gumming up the works. Oh well, we'll get that repealed soon enough. We'll all receive the benefits of a healthier happier next generation and when we're ready for retirement, those ...

Posted Sun, Apr 6, 8:01 a.m.

And yet, some things never change: Looking through the comments I'm glad to see that despite all of the change, the time-honored Seattle tradition of complaining about everything is still alive and well.

Posted Sat, Apr 5, 8:58 a.m.

RE: Tacoma's Electrical Arrogance: There's that old thinking again: the environment is no more a luxury than your lungs or kidneys. Subsidized electricity that doesn't make the consumer have to account for it's true cost is however very much a luxury--a luxury with a long-delayed bill that's now coming due.

Posted Fri, Feb 22, 6:27 a.m.

RE: find your sanity: Actually as long as we're dissecting, she used both phrasings that same day, once without "really" in a speech given in Milwaukee and once with "really" in a speech given in Madison. Here's a link to a youtube video with the clip from both speeches. Mr. ...