Tuesday, November 24, 2009
News Dow Constantine Is Now the King County Executive
Posted by Dominic Holden on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 7:13 PM
- Ned Ahrens
Good job, voters. You almost had this:
- Eli Sanders
Text of Constantine's inauguration speech appears after the jump.
Health No Diplomas for Fatties?
Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 6:08 PM
This is nuts...
Lincoln University students will now have to endure a physical exam determining each student's BMI (body mass index) before they are permitted to graduate. An individual's BMI measures the amount of body fat. Amid fierce criticisms, Lincoln University has recently installed a new requirement for its undergraduate students. If your BMI is over 30, you are required to take a physical education class.This new requirement has caused an uproar from some students and professors who argue that the university is actively discriminating against those who are obese. Some students argue that their time at Lincoln may be prolonged because of an additional class.
There are so many problems with this I don't even know where to begin. If someone has done her required coursework, she deserves her diploma, regardless of the size of her ass. Or his ass. Also, the BMI—which I have never defended—is a crude instrument and Lincoln's standard will sweep up plenty of non-obese students. And if Lincoln University thinks that students would benefit from a physical education requirement, then the university should require all students to take a physical education course, not just students with BMIs over 30. The fat activists are right about one thing: there are plenty of unhealthy skinny bitches out there who could benefit from a little physical education. Everyone could benefit.
People have a right to live their lives and make their own choices even if their choices aren't necessarily healthy. I have no argument with big people—some of my best friends, favorite relatives, etc., are big—who aren't in denial about the elevated health risks that come with the added weight. I have an argument with big people who insist that it's bigoted to assert that there's some connection between diet, exercise, and size, or that obesity doesn't carry certain known health risks. Basically I have an argument with people who expect others to coddle and excuse in order to make them feel less conflicted about all the chow they're shoveling in. But I don't believe university administrators—who should focused on brains, not butts—have a right to meddle in the private lives of students like this. It's intrusive and it's discriminatory.
Politics Unveiling The Teabagger Plan, Part 2
Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 5:28 PM
There will be a National Tea Party Convention in February, and TPM reports that Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin will be co-headlining. This can only raise the political discourse.
Comedy / Drunk For Your Nighttime Pleasures: One Nite Only Part 3
Posted by Lindy West on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 5:24 PM
Tonight at the Sunset Tavern (9 pm!), 2009 Genius Award shortlisters Kevin Clarke and Travis Vogt will be presenting a live show: One Nite Only Part 3.
Recent Stranger Genius Awards short-listers Travis Vogt and Kevin Clarke return to their beloved Sunset Tavern to conclude the run of their "One Night Only" Trilogy the only way they know how: by writing the show, and then performing in it! Expect a shit-load of off color language (like "Shit-load"), bizarre twists and, of course, staged violence as the duo performs their first full length (mostly) live show in three years! With opening comic Paul Merrill and possibly others! Don't miss this rare opportunity to drink alcohol and look at stuff simultaneously!
They made a trailer for the show, detailing all the ways in which their prestigious almost-Genius status has changed their lives ("the amount of blowjobs of which we are on the receiving end has increased by approximately onefold"), but I can't figure out how to embed videos from Facebook. Because I am a girl. Instead, here's another video they made this one time:
I recommend this show very highly. Good day.
Politics The First 'Mo on the King County Council?
Posted by Dominic Holden on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 5:20 PM
Dow Constantine is being sworn in as King County Executive about now, leaving a vacancy on the King County Council. Eleven people—including known homosexual and confirmed state senator, Joe McDermott—have thrown their hat into the ring:
Jan Drago—A member of the Seattle City Council who is leaving the Council this yearHelen Howell—Former Director of the state Department of Financial Institutions, served as Deputy Chief of Staff under Governor Locke
Zack Hudgins—State Representative from the 11th District
Jake Jacobovitch—Engineer in the Road Services Division of the King County Department of Transportation
Arun Jhaveri—Former Regional Technology Manager with the Federal Energy Management Program and former Mayor of Burien
Lucy Krakowiak—Burien City Council Member and a member of the King County Library Board of Trustees
Joe McDermott—State Senator from the 34th District
Shawn McEvoy—Mayor of Normandy Park
Sharon Nelson—State Representative from the 34th District,
Vlad Oustimovitch—A partner at VoKa Incorporated, and a former Development Program Manager for the Seattle Housing Authority
Kathleen Quong-Vermeire, Commissioner, Highline Water District, former Mayor of Normandy Park
Here's how the decision is made: A 12-person committee will begin reviewing the candidates on December 3, making their recommendations to the council based on each candidate's knowledge of King County government, familiarity with the county's 8th District (West Seattle, Burien, Vashon), and ability to work with folks. The committee must recommend at least one person who plans to run for the office in 2010 and one who doesn't plan to run for the office. The full council is slated to pick Constantine's replacement on December 14, the last day the council council meets this year.
State Senator Joe McDermott (D-34), one of the forces behind Washington's three domestic-partnership laws, is the clear favorite of homosexuals everywhere. "Joe is well liked by those he works with in the legislature," says Ed Murray (D-43), sponsor of the domestic-partnership bills and King of the Homosexuals. "He will bring a fresh understanding of Olympia to the Council. He also has been a leader on LGBT issues in the legislature and deserves to be the first openly gay member of the King County Council."
Honestly, I don't know if Joe is more qualified than everyone else in the running. He seems like a smart guy, adored by the 34th District Democrats—a shrewd bunch—and very familiar with the area (the 34th Legislative District makes up more than half of the county's 8th District). But rumor has it that Republicans on the county council aren't that enamored with him (they prefer more moderate state Rep. Zack Hudgins (D-11)). That's good enough for me. The council's four Republicans should go to work with a gay person five days a week. It would be good for them.
Politics Who's That on the State Dinner Guest List?
Posted by Eli Sanders on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Why it's Rep. Jim McDermott, Democrat of Seattle.
How come he gets to rub elbows tonight with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Deepak Chopra, David Geffen, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Oprah bff Gayle King, Colin Powell, Ms. Emma Georgina Rothschild, Fareed Zakaria, and others?
Well, he's a fancy guy.
But, also: a small thing called the India Caucus.
Also spotted on the list: Gary Locke, once our governor, now the commerce secretary.
Transportation / News The Price of Preserving Metro Service
Posted by Garrett McCulloch on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 5:17 PM
As noted in yesterday's Morning News, King County will avoid cutting much bus service over the next two years. This is good, considering Metro was forecast a few months ago to cut nine percent of service overall (fewer buses and less service at fewer times of day). Instead, nearly every bus trip will remain.
But there's a downside. Rising the bus is about to get more expensive—again. Fares are already scheduled to go up by 25 cents on the first day of 2010; this plan includes another 25-cent jump in 2011. That would push the cost of an in-city rush hour trip to $2.50, twice its cost before 2001.
Most of Metro's increases this decade have come in the last two years. In-city peak rates were raised from $1.25 to $1.50 in 2001, but didn't see another 25-cent increase until 2008. Another followed this year, hiking the fare to $2. Is that enough to send more commuters back into their cars?
“Long and short of it, our ridership has declined quite a bit this year," said Kevin Desmond, Metro's general manager. “Our ridership trends really will depend on how soon jobs come back.” But Desmond doesn't blame the drop in ridership on the increased fares.
Like other recent increases, all full-price fares will go up by a flat 25 cents, whether the trip is one mile or 20. Over the last ten years, these flat-rate increases have pushed the cost of Seattle bus trips closer to that of longer trips to the suburbs. Before 2001, the cost of two-zone trip (from Seattle to the suburbs) was 40 percent more than an in-city trip. In 2011, the difference will be just 20 percent. It's the result of an agreement to standardize fare systems between several transit agencies, says Desmond. “As part of that, we all agreed to move fare increases a quarter at a time,” he said, although saying that has the potential to change.
The higher fares aren't Metro's fault, either. The agency is scraping by as best it can. It doesn't have any further taxing authority under state law—it tried earlier this year, but the governor in May vetoed a provision in a bill that would have allowed a car-tab tax to go to the ballot. But Desmond says they'll be back this year. “We’re gonna look at everything," he said. "I think the key is this is a very very deep structural problem.”
Sure, there's quite a bit of a downside to all this, but it's a far cry from the disaster scenario that the county was looking at a few months ago, and Metro seems to have managed to dodge a barrage of bullets.
Visual Art Number 1 Hit on Digg Right Now
Posted by Jen Graves on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 4:37 PM
This from Ellen Forney, which ran in The Stranger a while back.
Politics Unveiling the Teabagger Plan
Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 4:14 PM
We've been watching teabaggers scream and toss their signs around for 8 months now, and they haven't seemed to have a plan of action beyond, well, screaming, tossing their signs around, and talking vaguely about revolution. Well, Birther website The Betrayal has just published the plan for teabaggers. Now that it has been published, it's circulating on teabag websites. Here is the plan, in its entirety and with all (sic)s intact:
Time to ROCK & ROLL!!!!!1.) You need to get hold of You State Governor’s to put this into action.
2.) Get a hold of your state Senators in your state not Congress man or Senators in Washington DC.
3.) Find out what criminal charges can be brought against those in Washington DC.
4.) Next Steps are to tell them you want Your Governor to let Washington know We will not take anymore. Refusing to do so they have gone against WE THE PEOPLE. And They shall be removed soon or can step down. Be bold when you call and take no punches from them. Remind them they work for WE THE PEOPLE.
5.) Let them know that it is time for the states to secede from the union. Let them know you stand firm on this issue. This is the only way we have left to save our country Legally. Also let them know that the WE are ready to help protect your state in anyway possible.
If this fails then it will mean that they don’t want America back. Well, then it will be up to all American’s to fight for freedom and Liberty.
I stand in wait!
Also in hilariousness, Lou Dobbs might have quit CNN so that he can run for president.
Savage Love SL Letter of the Day: Serial Cheater Turns On the Tears
Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 3:51 PM
Last fall I posted an ad on the Casual Encounters section of Craigslist. My galpal had gone thru with a successful hookup, I had just broken up with someone, I was lonely and horny and she suggested I try it. I received hundreds of creepy responses, and none seemed all that appealing. One guy responded very cryptically and I replied to him out of curiosity and tons of emailing back and forth ensued, and before you know it we met for dinner. We had instant chemistry and hooked up (safely of course). We started meeting regularly. Soon we were hanging out as friends and getting to know eachother on top of having sex. I would still browse the Craigslist ads for fun and I continued to see ads that were clearly his, and it sort of hurt me, but we did not have serious intentions and communicated this to eachother, so I held my tongue.A few months pass and now we are clearly dating. I figure out thru looking him up online that he has lied to me about his age and his name as well. When I asked him about it, he broke down and said he lied with everyone he hooked up with (I guess he had a summer of hooking up on CL prior to meeting me), to protect his anonymity. He didn't think he would get to know me and like me as well as he did, and he said he struggled to figure out how to tell me, but couldn't swallow his pride to do it.
Then he lied to me about a few other things, such as not telling his best friend I existed and it was clearly obvious based on what he was saying to me she was in love with him, I gave him an ultimatum that if he was serious about being with me, to tell her about me, and when he did, she got all upset because... whaddaya know... she was in love with him! Then he went to England to visit his family, and when he was there, I checked UK Craigslist and... whaddaya know... he had an ad up. I confronted him about this and said if he messes up one more time I am dumping him forever. Again, if he's serious about being with me, no more trying to hook up.
The rest of LHIH's insanely long letter—and my remarkably short response—after the jump.
Visual Art The Pinky Show: We Love Museums...Do Museums Love Us Back?
Posted by Jen Graves on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 3:47 PM
Museums never seemed so sad as they do in the final shot of this video. (And there's some funny stuff along the way, too.)
(Thank you, Meghan!)
City The Fundamental Question About McGinn's Win
Posted by Eli Sanders on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 3:32 PM
I'm glad that this partial transcript of last night's political consultant face-off has been posted by Publicola, because it exposes what I think is the most important interpretive divide regarding this year's race for mayor.
The divide is created by this question:
Was the McGinn phenomenon simply a one-off anomaly in Seattle politics, or was it the first sign of a defining shift in the makeup of the Seattle electorate?
Last night Bill Broadhead, McGinn's top political consultant, answered the question this way:
There’s so many people that wish this was a one-time thing… that there was somebody behind the curtain that cast a magic spell for a few minutes and they can just go back to believing what they believed before and nothing really changed.But I’ve got to to tell you, from someone in my position, the math has changed in Seattle. The fundamental political math has changed. And part of that is a demographic shift, part of that is a values switch, it’s a self-selecting thing of progressive voters moving to Seattle—you know, it's as we're getting younger, as there's new urbanism coming up, Web 2.0. You can talk a lot about why you can't put Humpty Dumpty back together again, but there's a fundamental shift in politics in Seattle. I think this model is open to whoever wants to follow it.
Jason Bennett, one of Mallahan's top political consultants, had a very different answer:
The thing that wasn’t really talked about was the impact of Dow Constantine and everybody pushing the “Oh, shit” button on him and pushing a great liberal, left, Seattle group out [to vote]. Referendum 71 [which Bennett also worked on] and [Initiative] 1033—we had to win those, and there was a great effort to mobilize that effort and that impacted the mayor’s race… When liberals are activated and they push the “oh shit” button, they rally together, and I think McGinn sort of benefited from that and I do think that’s replicable. I hope that’s replicable. … When liberals and progressives unite, they can make a big impact on a campaign. I hope that that’s the lesson learned.
When we know more about who is more correct—Broadhead with his "Seattle political math has changed" theory, or Bennett with his "Oh, shit" button theory—we will be able to say a lot about the likely direction of this city's politics over the next decade.
Politics Obama Approval Rate Down to 39 Percent Among Honkeys
Posted by Grant Brissey on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 3:31 PM
But:
Obama won the Democratic nomination and the presidency with strong support from blacks and other racial minorities. In fact, according to exit polls and Gallup's final pre-election estimates, he won the election despite losing by double digits to John McCain among white voters.Those patterns of support seem to have persisted into his presidency, with his support among whites starting out lower and dropping faster than his support among nonwhites. And though he maintains widespread loyalty among Democrats, the small loss in support he has seen from his fellow partisans seems to be exclusively from white Democrats.
It is important to note that this pattern is not unique to Obama. For example, Bill Clinton averaged 55% job approval during his presidency, including 52% among whites but a much higher 76% among nonwhites and 82% among blacks.
Why the 22 percent drop among whites and only a 7 percent drop among non-whites?
h/t: gallup.com
Books / Money Is This the Ghost of Christmas Future for Borders?
Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 2:47 PM
The Literary Saloon and MobyLives are the most recent blogs to report the news: It looks as though Borders UK might be going belly-up. Their website has stopped taking customer orders, and the rumors suggest that the company is about to file for bankruptcy unless it can get one of its competitors to buy in.
It would not be a pretty thing for publishing in the United Kingdom:
One publisher told The Bookseller: "Our pool of clients is just getting smaller and smaller — they are the second biggest bookchain we have. The next six-to-12 months will be very interesting. I suspect lots of publishers could go bust [if Borders shuts down], because that's another 7-10% of the market gone."
Many American publishers are worried about Borders U.S. eventually following suit, because Borders has a much bigger share of the U.S. Market.
News / Religion / Theater Now THAT'S How to Get Fired from Your Nonprofit
Posted by Brendan Kiley on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 2:11 PM
Fired artistic directors of Seattle, take a tip from Larry Jones of Oklahoma's Feed The Children.
When he got fired by his board, he turned around and sued the bastards, then bitched to the press ("Do you want to feed the children or feed the lawyers?"), then convinced funders to pull millions of dollars in gifts, then threatened to destroy the charity with bad publicity ("the Web will kill you"), and then had the gall to say he wants to sit down and work it out "in a Christian way," without all the lawyers.
Of course he doesn't want lawyers—he's clearly a bully who gets what he wants by intimidation. Lawyers always want to use rational argument and garbage like that.
And what did our good Christian neighbor get fired for in the first place?
Directors fired Jones after he admitted having hidden microphones installed in April in the charity offices of three executives, including his daughter, Larri Sue Jones, the charity’s general counsel.Police began an investigation after a private investigator on Aug. 19 found remnants of the devices in the ceilings. Prosecutors are not expected to charge Jones.
And why was a private investigator inspecting the ceilings of this "Christian" charity?
The Oklahoman leaves that stone unturned.
Thanks to Slog tipper Matt.
News Census Worker's Death Believed to Be an Insurance Scam, Authorities Allege
Posted by Christopher Frizzelle on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 1:33 PM
The Kentucky census worker found hanging from a tree with the word “fed” scrawled on his chest staged his own death to look like a homicide so that his son could collect his life insurance, the authorities said Tuesday.
International Ever Been to Papua New Guinea?
Posted by Grant Brissey on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 1:23 PM
I haven't, but this photo alone makes me want to look into it.
- Jonathan Yamauchi
- Rabaul, Papua New Guinea (Click to Enlarge)
Books The Red Hat of Shame
Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 1:22 PM
Plaintiff's attorney Joann Brown Williams had brandished a clean, white piece of fabric before the jury in her closing argument and written the word “slut” on it with a permanent black marker.“This is what [Smith] did to the fabric of Vicki Stewart’s life,” she said. “She made her into a slut, an atheist and an alcoholic. Ms. Smith’s irresponsible words have stained the fabric of Vicki Stewart’s life. These stains will never come ou
The injured party won $100,000. After the verdict was announced, she claimed "All I wanted is for this not to happen to anyone else." Yes. Thank God this disturbing trend will never take off. Authors will never again base fictional characters on real people. What a terrible idea.
Media / Tech / Books Will This Save Magazines?
Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 12:25 PM
First, and mostly unrelated: I would very much like it if writers stopped using the term "Team of Rivals" when they refer to cooperation between competitors.
Second, and much more important: The New York Observer says that Time Warner is working with its competitors to build an iTunes for magazines:
The company will prepare magazines that can work across multiple digital platforms, whether the iPhone, the BlackBerry or countless other digital devices. The company will not develop an e-book, but create something that people familiar with the plans compare to iTunes—a store where you can buy new and distinct iterations of The New Yorker or Time. Print magazines will also be for sale.John Squires, an executive vice president at Time Inc., is planning to leave Time Inc. and become the interim executive of the new company, sources told The Observer.
I would very much like to suggest that this new company brings comic book publishers like Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Fantagraphics on board, too, as well as digital magazines like Electric Literature. If I may use another political cliché that has become nauseatingly commonplace: Your team of rivals needs to be all about the big tent.
Video of the Day Lunchtime Quickie: Christian Side Hugs
Posted by Kelly O on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 12:05 PM
New in Super Cwazy Cwistians™: The Side Hug! The CSH is especially great for Christian teens who should never be allowed to enage in a full-frontal hug. With full frontal hugs, young people risk accidently touching the fully-clothed crotch of another human. I'm glad there's a rap song about it. Hip hop has the power to change the minds of teens everywhere.
Crime The Amanda Knox Documentary Is Very Kind to Seattle's Appearance
Posted by Charles Mudede on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 11:52 AM
Here it is, LA7's documentary on the Amanda Knox/Meredith Kercher story...
LA7, which is "considered to be the third major network in Italy," filmed the Seattle section during our sunny summer. The soundtrack for Seattle is packed with American rock (for example, Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" is played on Amanda's image—no subtly there), and the city seems big and very busy. (Yes, I'm in the documentary, but so is Paul Constant's back and the left side of Kelly O's seated body.)
Death / City / Nightlife Bidding Farewell to the War Room
Posted by David Schmader on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 11:33 AM
Once again, some crappy, crappy news has instigated what sounds like a great party:
Books / Film / Teh Internets / Nerd Boy-Nerds Offended by Cootie-Ridden "Girl" Movie
Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 11:25 AM
- Robert Ullman
Not only do they have to do egregious things to retain their manhood from the castration-like trauma of watching the film—one reviewer "ran out of the theater" with his "manhood somewhat intact" and was forced to watch "HOURS of lesbian porn" to get over the pain of sitting through a movie and remind himself that he is a man—but they also take the opportunity to drag out old war stories of women who done them wrong, like Massawyrm from Ain't It Cool News:
I dated a girl like Bella once. Thank god they make medication for girls like that now…Yeah, Bella Swan is textbook; farm raised, corn fed cocktease bemoaning her pathetic lot in life. That women identify with her at all troubles me…If you see this, see it with beer or with promise of sex afterward. Just don’t let her lather up your dong in body glitter. You have to draw the line somewhere.
I know there are all kinds of creepy Mormon undertones to Twilight, but these jackasses are actually making me side with the movie. Let's look specifically at the biggest problem with the second review. Bella isn't a "cocktease"—she's the only character in the whole goddamned book/movie who actually wants to have sex. Unless Massawyrm is saying that Bella wanting to be a non-sexual friend with Jacob is teasing his cock, in which case fuck off, Massawrym.
Seriously, nerd-men. Are your weenies so teeny that you have to get threatened when women's sci-fi/fantasy is successful? Are you going to give the girls noogies out on the playground after lunch? There are plenty of legitimate reasons to hate Twilight; cooties is not one of them.
Music / Visual Art Goodiepal for Free Today
Posted by Jen Graves on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 11:20 AM
- Overheard in the office: 'He has hair all around his head!'
Radical Computer Music is a performance and talk by Goodiepal, a renowned yet controversial Scandinavian electronic musician and professor of music composition. Goodiepal is currently touring the states, spreading his new theories.Time:
3:00-4:00pmPlace:
Lawrimore Project
831 Airport Way S
(between 5th and 6th in the International District)Cost:
Free and open to the public.GOODIEPAL
A former teacher at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, Denmark, Goodiepal left his position when they refused to support his radical ideas about modern music. He declared war on the Academy and the stupidity of modern media art in general by opening his own free alternative school, first in London and more recently out of a castle in Norway.The term Radical Computer Music was coined by Goodiepal in relation to his Mort Aux Vaches Ekstra Extra compositional game scenario. It promotes an expanded dialogue between human beings and artificial and alternative intelligences as a way to transgress a condition of stagnation which, according to Goodiepal, is prevailing in contemporary computer music and media art. The game scenario is an exercise in the creation of musical scores to challenge the mindset of “other” intelligences, considering issues such as utopia, time, notation techniques, language, levels of unscannability, and the role of the composer.
Stranger Suggests Today The Stranger Suggests
Posted by The Stranger on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Music
The Books
NYC duo the Books write the kind of songs that give McSweeney's readers mindgasms; who else sings words like "therein" and "capitulate"? Beyond clever lyrics and track titles, the Books generate a distinctly arch yet oddly moving strain of folktronica. Their gently ruptured, collagist songs come adorned with digital glitches, acoustic-guitar plangencies, and cryptic dialogue. The Books' forthcoming album reportedly samples self-help cassettes and deals with new-age concepts. Expect visuals just as stimulating as the audio. (Triple Door, 216 Union St, 838-4333. 7 [all ages] and 9:30 pm [21+], $15.)
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