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Slog
News & ArtsWednesday, October 12, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
Politics / Economy "We Are the 99 Percent"
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 4:27 PM
If you're not paying attention by now, maybe this blog will help you put a face on the Occupy Wall Street protests.
We are the 99 percent. We are getting kicked out of our homes. We are forced to choose between groceries and rent. We are denied quality medical care. We are suffering from environmental pollution. We are working long hours for little pay and no rights, if we're working at all. We are getting nothing while the other 1 percent is getting everything. We are the 99 percent.
Brought to you by the people who occupy wall street. Why will YOU occupy?
To repeat: Seattle-based Occupy information can be found here and here. I know it's easy to snark about this sort of thing because it seems kind of amorphous and rudderless and full of flakes, but dammit, this is important for one simple reason: If the right wing can come out with pitchforks and teabags stapled to some hand-painted signs, by Jesus the left had better be willing to make a stink, too.
I've attended a couple of teabagger rallies, including the very first one to take place in Seattle, and I can tell you that they did not ever have a coherent message. But they were heard. If progressives in cities like Seattle just sit around and bitch about how there's no strategy or coherent plan for these protests, nothing will get done. The media has started, reluctantly, to pay attention to these protests, which means that if this just fizzles out, it'll look like liberals don't care. Every conservative blog will make hay out of the fact that we don't care enough about our issues to actually do something. They'll say we don't exist, that it's a bunch of fringe hippies and Hollyweird libtards raging against the conservative will of the people. That's not the case. I believe the majority of Americans want health care for themselves and their neighbors and regulations to protect the common good. I think these protests are an opportunity to refute the myth of the teabaggers. The only problem is that we need to stop fucking complaining and start fucking doing something.
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Chow / Tech Today in Depressing: Meet the Pizza Vending Machine
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 3:42 PM
The Oncoming Hope just introduced me to a whole new level of depressing:
Sometimes when I think about the last hundred years of inventions—vending machines, automobiles, the internet—I wonder if the ultimate lesson to be learned is that we humans just don't like interacting with people all that much.
Film A Sad Ending for the Accidental Millionaires
Posted by Charles Mudede on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 3:34 PM
WaPo:
A New Zealander who went on the run when a bank mistakenly gave him a multimillion-dollar line of credit in 2009 has been arrested in Hong Kong, police said Friday.We are now left to wonder what kind of dough buys you a proper disappearance in this technologically shrinking world of ours? Clearly seven mil is not enough.Police stopped Hui “Leo” Gao when tried to cross into Hong Kong from mainland China...
Gao and his then-partner Kara Hurring disappeared in 2009, two days after they received a 10 million New Zealand dollar ($7.6 million) credit line — 100 times their approved limit.
The pair, who had run a gas station in the scenic tourist destination of Rotorua, were dubbed “The Accidental Millionaires” when they disappeared.
Events / Hump HUMP! More Tickets On Sale Saturday at 10 am! Don't Sleep!
Posted by Kelly O on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 3:33 PM
So tickets for HUMP!—the midnight screenings—are on sale NOW at all Seattle Rudy's locations. Tomorrow morning, tickets go on sale online! 10 am! Right here!
Better get a ticket, or you'll be stuck home watching A Wet Dream On Elm Street, by yourself, for the 19th time. Actually this video makes me mad that I didn't think of it first. I mean, look at the dildo glove. LOOK AT IT!
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2012 Are You Reconsidering a Run for the Republican Presidential Nomination?
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 2:35 PM
Because everybody else is. First Christie has been dragged out into the spotlight again, now pundits are talking about a Huckabee re-run? Who else can the Republicans reconsider in an effort to make their shabby field of contenders look slightly less shabby? (George W. Bush constitutionally can't run again, remember.)
How about you? Are you going to run as a Republican candidate for president?
Crime / The Ladies / Fashion NY Cops Tell Women to Stop Wearing Shorts, Skirts to Help Prevent Rape
Posted by Cienna Madrid on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 2:31 PM
There have been 10 unsolved sexual attacks on women in Brooklyn, New York, since March. In response, NY cops have increased their patrols in the area. But that's not all the cops are doing—they're also criticizing women on the street for their allegedly rape-friendly attire.
Via the Wall Street Journal:
Lauren, a South Slope resident, was walking home three blocks from the gym on Monday when she was stopped.The 25-year-old, who did not want her last name to be used, was wearing shorts and a T-shirt when she claims a police officer asked if she would stop and talk to him. He also stopped two other women wearing dresses...."He pointed at my outfit and said, 'Don't you think your shorts are a little short?'" she recalled. "He pointed at their dresses and said they were showing a lot of skin."
He said that such clothing could make the suspect think he had "easy access," said Lauren.
She said the officer explained that "you're exactly the kind of girl this guy is targeting."
It would be swell if life was that simple, wouldn't it? If all the women in the world could agree to stop wearing shorts and, in return, all the men in the world would pledge to stop raping them.
City / News Occupy Seattle!
Posted by Unpaid Intern on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 1:59 PM
Posted by news intern Paul Holmes
A satellite of the Occupy Wall Street movement is coming to Westlake Center, conveniently titled Occupy Seattle. So who are these people anyway, and why are they coming to our city?
From their website:
Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%.
Part one of the Seattle campaign will be this Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. at Westlake Center Plaza, outside of LUSH. Organizers urge you to attend despite an anticipated low turnout: "WE NEED PEOPLE LIKE YOU TO JOIN IN SOLIDARITY TO SPREAD THIS MESSAGE AND MAKE THIS EVENT BECOME LARGER OVER TIME." The campaign seems light on specifics at the moment, but frankly, we don't care. It's much better to watch liberals get pissed off and try to do something instead of bitching about how Obama has let everyone down.
UPDATE: It looks like there's a very similar event daily at 4:00 p.m. at 915 Second Avenue. Truly, this is a leaderless campaign, as promised by the first website.
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City The Important Difference Between Mike McGinn and Rob McKenna When It Comes to Backpage and Underage Sex Trafficking
Posted by Eli Sanders on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 1:40 PM
Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and Attorney General Rob McKenna are a bit of an odd couple in the debate over what to do about Backpage.com, the online classifieds operation owned by Village Voice Media, LLC (and used by the VVM LLC-owned Seattle Weekly).
Both the Democratic mayor and the Republican attorney general agree that there's a problem with underage sex trafficking on the site, and both cite law enforcement statistics to buttress their moral disapproval of the way Backpage's operators are behaving.
Also, they both clearly want voters to hear them speaking out on this issue. (Politically, it helps McKenna seem tough on crime and sensitive at the same time, while for McGinn it does the same with the added bonus of not being a conversation about a tunnel, a bicycle, or a budget cut.)
So on Tuesday, McKenna offered his latest public condemnation of Backpage, saying its written response to concerns expressed by himself and 50 other attorneys general was insufficient. Then on Wednesday, McGinn noted McKenna's announcement and added his own update.
While Backpage was busy responding to McKenna, McGinn said in a statement, "We recovered three female children who were being advertised for sex on Backpage.com. Rescuing children from being sexually exploited is a top priority for our police department, but we can never get ahead of this crime while a company like Backpage.com profits from the sexual exploitation of children and uses their newsrooms to minimize the extent of the issue. This is unacceptable. How many more children will be exploited for profit on Backpage.com before this company changes their policies?”
McKenna agrees: Unacceptable.
But here's where the two differ: The remedy.
Books This Is Not How You Should Handle E-Book Corrections
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 1:29 PM
The Reamde Kindle Kontroversy™ just gets more and more komplicated:
The e-book had been pulled from the Kindle store on Tuesday, and today customers who had bought it received a cryptic (and ungrammatical) email from Amazon advising them that “the version you received had Missing Content that have (sic) been corrected.”The manner in which this correction was applied has upset customers such as Cynthia Ewer, who was 400 pages into the over-1,000-page novel, or cdale77 who was 500 pages in. They were not upset at obvious typos in the book that they found so much as they were put out by Amazon’s high-handed notification that told them there had been “Missing Content” but gave them no idea exactly what or where that “Missing Content” was. (Even Amazon’s phone support people couldn’t say.) Also, the replacement wiped out any highlights, bookmarks, and notes made in the previous version, as well as the place-keeping bookmark noting the furthest location read.
Whispersync™ giveth, and Whispersync™ taketh away. You should read the rest of the Teleread post, which links to someone who has compared both versions of the text and found very little "Missing Content™." (And I still heartily recommend Reamde, even if you have to read it—gross!—in paper form.)
At Large A Fellow Blogger!
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 1:10 PM
I'll have to check out his blog when I have some time.
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City Date Set for McGinn's "Road Safety" Summit
Posted by Eli Sanders on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 1:08 PM
The mayor's office is sending out a save the date for the "first of three" bike road safety summit meetings:
Please save the date:
The evening of October 24th
Bertha Knight Landes Room, City Hall
600 Fourth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
McGinn's office will also be asking for ideas about road safety in the lead-up to the first summit—"as soon as we’re ready to take your input on these topics." For now, feel free to leave your input in the comments. I know the mayor's office reads 'em.
2012 Will Sarah Palin Announce Her Candidacy Today?
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 12:33 PM
Conservative site Red State has been posting hourly updates about Sarah Palin not announcing her candidacy for president:
So today, by her own admission since July, this is the date Sarah Palin should announce. Throughout the day we will monitor whether or not there is an announcement.
And yes, “drop dead date” is Sarah Palin’s own word choice. It is not the media’s word choice or her fans’ word choice. It is Governor Palin’s own word choice
As of midnight tonight, Wasilla time, there should be no more speculation about Sarah Palin running for president.
News / Sex “Why the golden showers, Mr. Speaker?”
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 12:27 PM
Oh, Canada.
Music Have You Sent Your Entry for the Blue Man Group Coloring Contest Yet?
Posted by Christopher Frizzelle on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 12:13 PM
- Derek Erdman
The latest entry—from Eric Baugh—is RIGHT HERE.
Cats / Video of the Day Lunchtime Quickie: Why Are Cats In Russia So Frickin' Weird?
Posted by Kelly O on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 11:45 AM
This cat doesn't like you. Not one bit. No no no no no no no.
City Downtown Seattle Association Endorses YES vote on $60 Car Tabs
Posted by Dominic Holden on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 11:38 AM
The cash-strapped campaign asking voters to approve $60 car tabs secured the Downtown Seattle Association's endorsement yesterday, the sort of status quo blessing that backers hope will encourage donations. With only three weeks before ballots get mailed, Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission reports that the campaign has raised only $15,902—hardly enough to send mailers to Seattle's core voters.
Streets for All Seattle campaign manager Viet Shelton believes the endorsement will result in "some funding support one way or the other," but he didn't know if it would come form the DSA's membership or directly from the DSA, which, as an example of it's spending power in local elections, gave $32,775 to the pro-tunnel campaign.
DSA's vice president of Advocacy and Economic Development, Jon Scholes, stopped short of saying the organization would donate directly to the campaign. "We'll be helping the campaign on multiple fronts, including fundraising," he said. "Passage of Prop 1 is a priority for us."
If passed, Prop 1 would use the $60 vehicle license fee to fund transit, road, sidewalk, and pedestrian infrastructure improvements. We recently ran guest posts in favor and in opposition to eh measure on November's ballot.
2012 Rick Santorum Smells a Conspiracy
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 11:31 AM
Apparently, all Rick Santorum can do nowadays is whine about how life isn't fair. On the heels of the news that the Florida primary is moving up to January 31st, Politico reports on Santorum's latest whine:
What I believe is going on is somebody in Florida is shilling for Mitt Romney, and probably Rick Perry. They want to shorten the playing field now that these guys are ahead. I'm sure they'd like to have the election tomorrow. So by moving up the calendar, you help the favorites. And there's somebody in Florida who wants to help the favorites. They certainly don't want to help the people, because they're gonna be denied their delegates.
When pressed, Santorum declined to point fingers at any one candidate in particular, because he is a lily-livered coward.
Politics "There's a vast and growing apparatus of intimidation designed to deter and control citizen protests."
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 10:57 AM
So much for the First Amendment. This Glenn Greenwald post about the Occupy Wall Street protesters—and the concern trolling and scorn being heaped on them by some supposedly leftwing pundits—is required reading.
There's a vast and growing apparatus of intimidation designed to deter and control citizen protests. The most that's allowed is to assemble with the permission of state authorities and remain roped off in sequestered, out-of-the-way areas: the Orwellian-named free speech zones. Anything that is even remotely disruptive or threatening is going to be met with aggressive force: pepper spray, mass arrests by highly militarized urban police forces, and aggressive prosecutions. Recall the wild excesses of force in connection with the 2008 RNC Convention in Minneapolis (I reported on those firsthand); the overzealous prosecutions of civil disobedience activists like Aaron Swartz, environmentalist Tim DeChristopher, and Dan Choi; the war being waged on whistleblowers for the crime of exposing high-level wrongdoing; or the treatment of these Wall Street protesters.
Go read the whole thing. And where are all the rightwing Constitution fetishists when we really need 'em?
Chow Win Tickets to Omnivorous, Where You Can Eat All the Food!
Posted by Megan Seling on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 10:51 AM
Help the Capitol Hill Housing foundation continue to provide affordable housing in Seattle by hearing music by Global Flavors with DJ Rhythma and eating food by restaurants including Anchovies & Olives, Cafe Presse, Lark, Molly Moon’s, Monsoon, Poppy, Skillet, Spinasse/Artusi, Terra Plata, Zoe/Quinn’s, and more. Ticket price includes unlimited food and wine, so gluttony will be rewarded. Starred for a good cause plus GLUTTONY!
Tickets are $75 a pop, but it goes to a good cause! And it is happening TONIGHT! But if you don't have $75, you're in luck! We have a pair of tickets to give away! Just e-mail your first and last name to promotions@thestranger.com—please put Omnivorous in the subject line—and one winner will be chosen and notified via e-mail this afternoon.
Money Unions to Join Occupy Wall Street Protests
Posted by Dominic Holden on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 10:50 AM
Anne Martens—tweeting as @glossolaliac, who I recommend following—directs our attention to this article in Slate:
Crain's New York Business, New York Magazine, and The Village Voice are reporting that a "a loose coalition of labor and community groups" have pledged solidarity with the protests at Zuccotti Park in New York's financial district and are organizing a march for next Wednesday, October 5.
The list of labor groups involved in Wednesday's planned march include: The United Federation of Teachers; 32BJ SEIU & 1199 SEIU; Workers United; and Transport Workers Union Local 100, which has 38,000 members.
Additionally, Working Families Party, Moveon.org, Make the Road New York, the Coalition for the Homeless, the Alliance for Quality Education, Community Voices Heard, United New York and Strong Economy For All are involved in the organization of the march.
Good for them.
Life How to Keep it Cool in Front of a Hot Lady
Posted by Grant Brissey on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 10:23 AM
There are two excellent things about this clip. The second most excellent thing is when he catches the ball. The first is what he says after. Every other man on that field hung his head in shame. Today is Friday.
Film Ill Repute: Dream House
Posted by Andrew Wright on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 10:14 AM
Horror fans are by nature a forgiving lot, willing to overlook balsa-grade characterizations and visible zippers for a few decent jolts. When a scary movie fails to provide on that most basic level, however, the theater floor has rarely seemed so interesting. Released after riding the pine for nearly a year, the paranormal thriller Dream House is impeccably cast, handsomely mounted, and just as dead as dead can be. There are few hard and fast rules in the genre, but when the presence of two little undead girls can’t raise even a single goosebump, warm up the hearse.
David Loucka’s script sports a serviceable enough hook: After moving into a Thomas Kinkadeish new home with his wife (Rachel Weisz) and adorable little girls, a book editor (Daniel Craig) begins to receive disquieting hints that the previous tenants may not have left voluntarily. With the aid of a sympathetic neighbor (Naomi Watts), he begins to uncover the reason for the things bumping in the night. Those with a further interest in the story should avoid the trailer by any means necessary.
2012 / Religion Newt Gingrich on God
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 10:13 AM
The idea that taking school prayer out in 1963 made the country better, I don't see any evidence that children who don't spend a moment recognizing that they're subservient to God lets you approach God in any way you want to. There is an enormous difference between a culture which believes that it is purely secular and a culture that believes that it is somehow empowered by our creator. And I always tell my friends who don't believe in this stuff, "Fine, how do you think we came to — we're randomly gathered protoplasm? We could have been rhinoceroses but we got lucky this week?'
This is the smartest man in the Republican Party.
Sex / Celeb / Film Why I Love Seth Rogen
Posted by David Schmader on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 9:04 AM
First, he's so freaking good in 50/50, the new film that opens today and which I rave about here.
Second, he has an extremely good sense of humor about being a Bear Sex Symbol, as seen in this almost-NSFW clip from Wednesday night's Conan.
Finally and cumulatively, he's a dreamboat. Am I the only one who, given the chance to slow-dance with one of the leads of Pineapple Express, would pick Seth Rogen over James Franco every day of the week?
Tech IBM Bigger than Microsoft
Posted by Charles Mudede on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 8:54 AM
International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) passed Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) to become the world’s second-most valuable technology company, a reflection of industry changes including the shift away from the personal computer.Do you remember the time?
IBM’s market value rose to $214 billion yesterday, while Microsoft’s fell to $213.2 billion. It’s the first time IBM has exceeded its software rival based on closing prices since 1996...
Politics I've Finally Figured Out the GOP
Posted by Charles Mudede on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 8:39 AM
WASHINGTON — Setting a collision course with Democrats that could drag out for months, House Republicans on Thursday unveiled plans to cut federal money for job training, heating subsidies and grants to better-performing schools.It does come down to that bake sale thing. Those Republican students who sold cupcakes at different rates for different races. All this did, and all it could ever do, was upset or provoke liberals. The same is true with this budget plan. It lacks any seriousness. It will not cut the deficit, it will not create jobs, it will do nothing but upset or provoke liberals. This is the substance of the GOP. Their politics is a frat prank that never grows old for them.The draft measure for labor, health and education programs also seeks to block implementation of President Barack Obama's signature health care law, cut off federal funds for National Public Radio and Planned Parenthood, and reduce eligibility for grants for low-income college students.
Chocolate Cake for Choice
Posted by Dan Savage at 7:46 AM in News / Sex / The Ladies
Seattle Times Editorializes in Favor of State Income Tax!
Posted by Goldy at 6:27 AM in Politics / Media
Thursday at the Wall Street Protests (In Which I Catch Their Disease)
Posted by Andy Haynes at 6:00 AM in Politics / Economy
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The Hangover III...
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement at 7:03 PM in Film / Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Bank of America Continues to Suck
Posted by Christopher Frizzelle at 6:04 PM in Money
Witnesses Thwart Alleged Rapist in Lower Queen Anne
Posted by Unpaid Intern at 4:51 PM in Crime
Cheap Eggs, Social Geeks, and Coffee Snobs
Posted by Unpaid Intern at 4:40 PM in City
Let's Contract with America Again, Like We Did Last Summer
Posted by Paul Constant at 4:38 PM in 2012
The Tech Press Prepares for the Lionization of Jeff Bezos
Posted by Paul Constant at 3:28 PM in Tech / Books
More Photos from Saint Genet's First "Aesthetic Proposition"
Posted by Brendan Kiley at 3:03 PM in Theater
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