Apr 22, 2011

Last night, shortly before 9pm, a group of vandals used hammers to demolish the windows at the Chase Bank at Broadway & Thomas on Capitol Hill. The group also left paper flyers at the scene, although when I rode up to investigate this morning, the flyers were gone. This being the case, I cannot speak to the specific agenda of the group. If you will...

Apr 19, 2011

Today, I rode my scooter up to Broadway in order to check out a couple of eateries, including our newest business, Yogurtland. After circling the block once, I found a parking space in front of one of the restaurants. I backed my scooter in so that my rear wheel was touching the curb (as is required by law), purchased my parking sticker, and hung it on my...

Apr 15, 2011

Today is “National Don’t Buy Gas Day”. The premise of the day is obvious. In order to show your outrage over high gasoline prices, the organizers of the event urge you not to buy gasoline today. While I vaguely support this endeavor, the problem with such a “protest” is obvious. Since most fuel companies account monthly or quarterly, it is of no...

Apr 14, 2011

Earlier today, I learned that the construction pit near my home turned up some artifacts of old Seattle. I was excited. Never content to use other people’s pictures when I can get my own, I packed up my gear and headed across the street. When I got to the entrance of the pit, I encountered one of the construction workers. “Good afternoon”, I said, “would...

Apr 14, 2011

Officer James Lee, the Seattle Police officer involved in the following encounter was charged with assault yesterday: As you can clearly see, a man holding his hands in the air was kicked three times. Once in the leg, twice in the head/face. Ironically, City Attorney Pete Holmes ruled that the exact same behavior in the “Mexican Piss Incident” was,...

Apr 13, 2011

Even though Seattle is the greatest city in the country, it does have some peculiarities that make it lacking in some areas. One of these areas is a vibrant street food culture. In most large cities, street vendors are part of the landscape; a landscape that really helps add to the “energy” of the streets. Seattle, however, only has a few street...

Apr 13, 2011

Yesterday, a group of people lined 5th Avenue between Madison and Marion to protest Washington State SB 5073. I’m not terribly up to speed on this bill myself, but apparently it would, among other things, create a “voluntary” registry of patients who use medical marijuana. The registry would be “confidential”, with the caveat that...

Apr 12, 2011

Today at 10am, students gathered on the lawn of the Seattle Central Community College to protest the proposed 11% budget cuts in higher education funding. According to a release by organizers: “Our educated workforce is the engine that drives our economic survival, allowing us to attract and retain powerhouse multinational industrial and technological...

Apr 9, 2011

If you remember, back in December, a large controversy erupted when a group tried to place ads on King County Metrobuses that were critical of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. The ads were pulled because “County Executive Dow Constantine was advised by law-enforcement authorities that the Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign’s Israel ad could...

Apr 7, 2011

Speak of the devil. “Neighbors in Lake City are fighting back against the mayor’s plan to add bike lanes to a big North Seattle hill, eliminating two lanes for cars. This week, yellow-and-black signs questioning the change to Northeast 125th Street appeared on the hill with the main number for Mayor Mike McGinn’s office. The Seattle Department of...

Apr 6, 2011

When the King County Prosecutor refused to prosecute Ian Birk, I was pretty angry at Mayor Mike McGinn for not doing something tangible to make things right. I felt that his speeches after the fateful decision were long on words and short on substance. I thought then, and still do, that he should have fired the Seattle Police Chief. I also wretched several...

Mar 30, 2011

Oh, please make this happen. It’s one of the best ideas to come out of Olympia in some time. State Representative Hans Dunshee has introduced a bill that would completely abolish Daylight Savings Time in the State of Washington. Check out this article: http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=453164 Dunshee introduced the bill on Friday, but he...

Mar 30, 2011

Opponents of the deep-bore tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct have managed to get a petition before a judge. The petition basically requests that, before a tunnel can be built, the people must first approve it in a referendum. The story and a video can be viewed...

Mar 28, 2011

I spend the better part of the day avoiding potholes on my scooter, and believe me when I tell you, there are a lot of them. There are many streets in and near Downtown Seattle that I would not even consider “paved”. Fear not, however, our local government is on the job, uh, enforcing the newly doubled parking increases in Pike/Pine. Thanks city...

Mar 26, 2011

I just left Victor Steinbrueck Park near Pike Place Market where a group of about 30 people are currently protesting Monsanto in what they call the “Rally for the Right to Know”. Rallies to raise awareness of the danger of Monsanto are planned around the nation this Saturday, March 26th. They are being organized by The Organic Consumers Association,...

Mar 18, 2011

Well, Rachel the Pig is back “home” again, but before she was fastened to a Pike Place sidewalk, I decided to support the Market Foundation’s tour by paying respects at Westlake Park first. “What’s the big deal about this pig, Rex?” Nothing, nothing at all. It’s escapism. You have your football games and church services, and I follow bronze pigs...

Mar 17, 2011

Not the words I would use as the Mayor seems like a perfectly pleasant guy. This business owner in Pioneer Square, however, would appear to disagree. He’s very unhappy about the new parking rates ($3.50/hour), and I don’t suppose I can blame him. I think the parking rates are too high as well, and I think it is a matter of time before they are...

Mar 17, 2011

I expect to see a lot of strange things in and around the City Market on Capitol Hill, but this is not one of them: This. This is what we have become in post-Patriot Act America. I can’t even walk into a convenience store to pick up a gallon of milk without spotting manuals dedicated to stopping completely made up crimes such as “money...

Mar 12, 2011

But hopefully not chaos. This coming Tuesday, March 15, 2011, the anarchists will come to Westlake Park in Downtown Seattle. As noted before, I am conflicted about all of this. On one hand, I think it’s abundantly clear that the police stopped serving the people a long time ago … but, NO police in the streets? Ever? Somolia has tried that, and it didn’t...

Feb 28, 2011

Shot through the heart and you’re to blame … Even though I am often mistaken for one, I am not an anarchist. People routinely assume that my disillusionment with government means that I hate all government, but nothing could be further from the truth. I don’t hate government, I hate bad government. I would give my left ball for a good, ethical,...

Feb 28, 2011

Today, February 27, 2011, has been declared John T. Williams Day in the City of Seattle. For those who are unaware, John Williams is the man who was gunned down by SPD “Officer” Ian Birk several months ago at the eastern edge of Downtown. Today would have been Williams’ 51st birthday, and Deputy Mayor Daryl Smith made “John T. Williams...

Feb 25, 2011

A Woman’s Right to Schmooze Earlier today, I was walking up 5th Avenue when I encountered an eager young lady who greeted me with the following: “Excuse me, sir, can you sign my petition?” “What’s it for?”, I asked. “It’s to support a woman’s right to choose.”, she answered. “A woman’s right...

Feb 18, 2011

You know, I can’t stand Republicans. For that matter, I cannot stand Democrats either. In my opinion, the entire difference between the two parties comes down to this: - Democrats want the government to screw the people; - Republicans want large corporations to screw the people; I think this summarizes the entire issue accurately, and it helps explains...

Feb 16, 2011

Images from tonight’s protests, taken by yours truly.

Feb 13, 2011

It seems like only yesterday that O’Drama inspired a wave of naive optimism by winning the ’08 Presidential election … yet, here we are, on the precipice of the 2012 election cycle. Once again, I find myself in a familiar position of lonely alienation, for I have no candidate. For the 42nd year in a row, I am completely without representation...