Posted Mon, Apr 23, 1 p.m.

There is a middle ground between the City actually buying real estate to prevent development, and just shrugging your shoulders and saying, "Change is Good". And that middle ground is arrived at by controlling density, design, and building types and uses thru zoning, building regulation, and, in the case of ...

Posted Sat, Apr 21, 9:28 a.m.

I cannot see the book vanishing. But many books are best as ebooks- science fiction, or romance, or the summer novel. And the ebook model will dominate those categories, and it will inevitably go down in price- data, no matter what copyright lawyers think, has a way of sneaking off ...

Posted Wed, Apr 18, 8:21 p.m.

I was once parked in the alley between First and Western in Belltown, trying to manhandle the top of the Toyota Carina I had just sawn off with a Sawzall into somebody else's dumpster. Micheal came walking down the alley, and, without a word, helped me toss that car roof ...

Posted Mon, Apr 16, 2:17 p.m.

It is a job- and I have no doubt that whoever Ann Romney pays to do it earns every penny of it. Pretty much anybody who reads about this understands what Rosen meant, including the 51% of americans who are women, most of whom work in both senses of the ...

Posted Sun, Apr 15, 12:52 p.m.

Ted Says- "We also need bipartisanship in addressing entitlement-program reform. The bipartisan Simpson-Bowles Commission, appointed by Obama, came up with solid proposals there (as well as for tax reform). But the President chose not to support its recommendations. Several House-Senate bipartisan efforts, based on Simpson-Bowles, have gotten nowhere because they ...

Posted Tue, Feb 14, 12:22 p.m.

"Geography and cost of bridge building pretty much demand a Ferry system, no more or less than an interstate system.." Actually, no. NIMBY social pressures and the failure to plan ahead demand a Ferry system. From a logistical, weather, maintenance, and cost per trip viewpoint, bridges are much smarter. But ...

Posted Mon, Feb 13, 3:29 p.m.

While I personally am in favor of a cross sound bridge or two, it doesnt solve the money problem. A bridge would be higher capacity, not dependent on weather, and never break down. But if you look at recent bridges that are similar- ie, longer spans than the Tacoma Narrows, ...

Posted Thu, Nov 20, 8:48 a.m.

I am a fan of the older work, Utopia's on Puget Sound http://books.google.com/books?id=XFuFFNzoCx4C&dq;=utopias+on+puget+sound&pg;=PP1&ots;=gsG4CYA1jR&source;=bn&sig;=Y9gUOR27Ftfjo2Bc_fLziFb60so&hl;=en&sa;=X&oi;=book_result&resnum;=7&ct;=result Lots of actual Utopian Communities have been here, over the years. There is also a book about Utopian Communities in BC- http://books.google.com/books?id=nMMNAAAACAAJ&dq;=utopian+communities+in++bc Havent read that one yet.

Posted Tue, Sep 23, 8:10 a.m.

Those have to be the ugliest mens shoes I have ever seen: Personally, I wear these. http://www.fluevog.com/gifs_2/fluseum/swordfish_lg.jpg

Posted Wed, Sep 17, 5:38 p.m.

There might be some lemonade in there somewhere: Passenger Blimps? The return of the Ocean Liner? Better trains?

Posted Fri, Jul 4, 11:57 a.m.

I see a pattern here..: Virtually every outfit you have posted lately has been almost entirely composed of cheap, sweatshop made, low quality mass market clothing. Is this intentional? Is this what you recommend when you consult? I know, its impossible to avoid "made in china" entirely, but I wonder, ...

Posted Sun, Jun 15, 8:40 p.m.

Its all about the real estate prices: Architects and Designers share something in common that painters, poets, sculptors, dancers, and many other kinds of artists dont- they get paid! In the early 80's, when you could rent a storefront on Capitol Hill or in Belltown for $200 to $500 a ...

Posted Sat, Jun 7, 2:58 p.m.

When One Door Closes, Another One Opens: If you step back and look at this globally, you will see that its not so much that giant SUV's day is done- its that their day is done HERE. To me, its more of a sign of how the USA is simultaneously ...

Posted Sat, Jun 7, 2:46 p.m.

Obama might note, but times have changed: There is no doubt Johnson did a great deal for the country- but he did it by being the consummate old time machine politician- he was the horse trader, arm twister, and head trip master of all time. He was constantly making deals, ...

Posted Fri, May 2, 9:56 a.m.

I like a bit of Brutalism in the morning: The big problem I have with Cheek's article is he acts as if "modernism" is actually all one thing. When, in fact, the style architectural historians call "modernism" actually was only one of many styles and stylebreakers that appeared in the ...

Posted Tue, Apr 8, 3:26 p.m.

You gotta pay to play: An overlay district is a way to say "we care" without spending any money. It wont do much. I agree with Marlow- the arts pay for themselves in many ways, and make money for other businesses as well. We think nothing of dumping a half ...

Posted Mon, Jan 28, 7:53 p.m.

I'll Drink to that...: Its not liberals, and never has been, that have been keeping WSLCB in "business". It was religious temperance activists, people who could be called "conservatives" by any reasoned observer. Us Liberals, (and you will know me by the big scarlet "L" I am required by law ...

Posted Sat, Jan 26, 1:02 p.m.

Its a TAKING!: For many years, I have dreamed of opening my own XXX drive in porno theater, with attached punk rock all ages beer garden, fronted by a museum of the history of appliances and dead cars. Unfortunately, forces of evil such as state liquor laws, zoning, obscenity laws, ...

Posted Fri, Jun 22, 8 a.m.

RE: There is no Silver Bullet: Okay- highway figures direct from the Horses Mouth- the Feds- http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohim/hs03/htm/hf10.htm If you check the chart, which is for one year only, of course, you will see gas taxes pay 51% of costs. The rest come from a variety of sources, but much of ...

Posted Thu, Jun 21, 9:44 p.m.

RE: There is no Silver Bullet: You know what you are talking about, eh? What about this, then- from here- http://www.smartskies.org/LearningCenter/faa_funding/ ""Today, the FAA is funded by two principal sources: The United States General Fund (USGF) which is general taxpayer revenue, and the Airport & Airway Trust Fund (AATF). Together, ...

Posted Thu, Jun 21, 11:33 a.m.

Hey, I'm a cranky old guy too...: And I think rail does work. I live in the Skagit Valley, and I would love to take rail to Seattle. Resurrect the old interurban.

Posted Thu, Jun 21, 8:11 a.m.

RE: There is no Silver Bullet: Air ticket prices pay all the expenses? Yeah, right. Here is 5 second google search- http://murray.senate.gov/news.cfm?id=219339 Showing a relatively small, but I am sure quite common federal contribution above and beyond ticket tax money. This kind of thing happens all over the country all ...

Posted Wed, Jun 20, 8:21 p.m.

RE: There is no Silver Bullet: When I say they are hidden, I mean to people like Stuka, who thinks that Light Rail trips cost 20 bucks each. He is assuming all those other costs to government, industry, and individuals are totally disconnected from the cost of light rail. My ...

Posted Wed, Jun 20, 11:55 a.m.

There is no Silver Bullet: But a lot of diverse strategies put together are going to be the best we can hope for. It is inevitable that higher fuel costs will force people to commute less, carpool more, and take more transit. I dont agree that trains dont work- every ...

Posted Tue, Jun 19, 6:19 p.m.

You must live in a different Northwest than I do...: Because as a northwestern man in his 50's, my idea of summer clothing is a Utilikilt, or a nice batik sarong. And I am not alone- Utilikilt has 100 sales crews on the road at any given time, and at ...

Posted Thu, Jun 14, 12:19 p.m.

Well, at least you didnt recommend a tie...: But really, as a dad, all I really want is decent bottle of scotch.

Posted Sat, Jun 2, 10:10 a.m.

Sell Ads. Sell more Ads.: AM radio has never been great, although there was a period in the 60's when KJR and KOL did allow some certified nut jobs on, and let them play songs like Little Black Egg over and over again. But really, nowadays, what do you expect? ...

Posted Fri, May 18, 11:20 a.m.

Kids are growing up faster, and we dont know what to do about it.: I see this whole prom thing as yet another example of the curious state of teenagers- they are physicallly and mentally more grown up, at a younger age, than ever before in history, and yet our ...

Posted Sat, May 12, 10:05 a.m.

RE: The big boys get all the press, but there is a lot more to it.: Well, its obvious your exposure to logging is mostly buying Presto Logs. Logging has changed, thats for sure- but it never employed very many people, compared to the numbers of people who now work ...

Posted Fri, May 11, 9:47 a.m.

The big boys get all the press, but there is a lot more to it.: One item you leave out- LIFESTYLE. I know lots of people who grew up in traditional manufacturing areas- Detroit, Pittsburgh, Springfield Ma.- and in every case, they couldnt get out of town soon enough. And ...

Posted Wed, May 9, 9:37 a.m.

This is a soapbox, isnt it?: The line between journalism and "free publicity" was blurred a few hundred years ago, if not longer. I would propose that Lundgren is an asset to Crosscut, but that if you must, you identify him in a bio/blurb at the beginning of anything he ...

Posted Tue, May 8, 10:42 a.m.

Democracy is great, unless its your ox being gored: As someone who has worked in Public Art for the last 30 years or so, I understand the motivation for your idea, but I sure hope it doesnt happen. In a case like the Cannon Beach show, it means the artist ...

Posted Mon, May 7, 10:05 p.m.

RE: Going my way?: You are certainly welcome to believe whatever you want- but if you really think all subsidies are wrong, and that transportation decisions are not made for social engineering reasons, you live in the wrong country. As a nation, we subsidise all kinds of transit- in fact, ...

Posted Mon, May 7, 9:51 p.m.

Wheres the crime here?: Sort of a tempest in a commode, if you ask me. Its true, he did not identify himself as a participant- but there was no attempt to mislead anyone for personal benefit, no financial gain, and the article was accurate. Its not really all that different ...

Posted Fri, May 4, 7:13 p.m.

Skateparks are like Daycare, in more ways than one.: As the parent of a skateboarder, I have spent what seems like most of the last 6 years or so in the parking lot of skateparks, reading the Wall Street Journal. A lot of what walker says is true- and its ...

Posted Fri, May 4, 5:03 p.m.

Highways never pay for themselves: The concept that the tolls should somehow actually pay for the construction is a bit naive, especially in todays construction cost reality. We, as a nation, have decided to subsidise certain transportation types. Other countries subsidise other ones. No subway or local light rail line ...

Posted Tue, May 1, 3:09 p.m.

Monument to the Video Game Industry? No thanks.: As the proud owner of two teenage boys, I am pretty familiar with video games- and cannot imagine why we would want to honor them in any way. Perhaps a statue of a glazed eyed teenager, in his boxers, staring into space, ...

Posted Mon, Apr 30, 9:42 a.m.

And I'm Never Going Back to my Old School: Well, I was there with Knute, and while I never puked in the bushes, and did indeed get beaten up in the locker room, in general I would agree that Lakeside has always had the best liberal intentions that people that ...

Posted Mon, Apr 30, 9:35 a.m.

He may be wack, but he's our wack: And me, I am wack too. I too grew up in the golden era of Seattle, and lament the current city- so much so that I have not lived in it since 1984. But I do travel all over the world, and ...