Slog
News & ArtsTuesday, February 5, 2013
News The Tuesday Morning News
Posted by Dominic Holden on Tue, Feb 5, 2013 at 9:47 AM
Still Going on Trial in June: George Zimmmerman, who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, has failed to persuade court to defer his case. Zimmerman is facing up to 25 years in prison.
One-Sixth Less Bus Service: King County Metro warns of service cuts unless we pay new taxes, the Seattle Times reports. Although the newspaper will likely editorialize against more bus funding—as it has before, saying the county council shouldn't raise taxes without a public vote (they ignored the newspaper)—it will also continue to bleat about Seattleites spending two days a year stuck in traffic.
Questions About Authorizing Drones: Lawmakers plan to pepper CIA director nominee John Brennan. When, exactly, is it acceptable for a drone to kill an American? How much evidence is required before the strike is authorized? Can it happen on US soil?
The Dell News: "Slumping personal computer maker Dell is bowing out of the stock market in a $24.4 billion buyout that represents the largest deal of its kind since the Great Recession dried up the financing for such risky maneuvers." Microsoft is also an investor in the deal. Someone had this to say:
Poor Dell. It's like there's no business in cheap, defective-on-arrival PCs with razor-thin margins anymore. Such a shame.
— Owen Pellegrin (@SittenSpynne) February 5, 2013
Reconstructing Richard III's Face: There's something about his eyes.
Cherry Street Coffee: They say on Twitter, "We will never stop learning how to elevate our company and community. We thank you for your understanding!"
Bombing the United States: A North Korean propaganda video set to the tune of... "We Are the World." Here's the video:
2
A guy in a Hotdog on a Stick hat had that to say about the Dell buyout?? That's fascinating, and it was so fucking witty too. Thanks.
3
Also, the British House of Commons is debating marriage equality today. They should be voting in the next hour or so.
Here's live coverage of the debate:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/house…
And here's a live blog of the important points considered:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/…
Here's live coverage of the debate:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/house…
And here's a live blog of the important points considered:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/…
6
Also, Sasquatch lineup was announced, and Lindsay Vonn was taken to the hospital in a basket hanging from a helicopter after shredding her leg at a Super G in Austria. Why couldn't they get her inside the helicopter and why is she dating Tiger Woods?
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/06/sports…
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/06/sports…
7
My big question for KC Metro is if RapidRide is saving any money. Or is it even more expensive? Please. Before you ask for more money, I need to know how that thing went over, because it seems sucktastic, especially the Queen Anne to Downtown one, while the 8 consistently has a lot of people even though it only comes by every 20-30 minutes.
8
we are you-all linking to fox "news"? (on the drone/bloody-ass-brennan hearings) ((shouldn't be msnbc either ...but might as well be links to north korea as fox on an issue like that))
10
That tweet on Dell is soooo on target.
First of all, it's the worst type of leveraged buyout, the MBO, or management buyout, said management (that Dell guy) admitting his business style sucks royally so he has to do a leveraged buyout on his very own company --- truly the ultimate of financial scams!
Secondly, Dell sux big time as the tweeter strongly suggests.
Has Micro$oft made any intelligent business decisions over the past 15 years which anyone is aware of lately?
Sure, they took extreme advantage of the horrible events on 9/11/01, to do an unscheduled job layoff of around 1,000 employees in the Puget Sound region on 9/12/01 (and no, I wasn't one of those people), but what else has McSoftware done of any moment?
BJs for Apple designers, maybe?
First of all, it's the worst type of leveraged buyout, the MBO, or management buyout, said management (that Dell guy) admitting his business style sucks royally so he has to do a leveraged buyout on his very own company --- truly the ultimate of financial scams!
Secondly, Dell sux big time as the tweeter strongly suggests.
Has Micro$oft made any intelligent business decisions over the past 15 years which anyone is aware of lately?
Sure, they took extreme advantage of the horrible events on 9/11/01, to do an unscheduled job layoff of around 1,000 employees in the Puget Sound region on 9/12/01 (and no, I wasn't one of those people), but what else has McSoftware done of any moment?
BJs for Apple designers, maybe?
11
Ironic, beyond Catch 22. When transit ridership increases, it costs more to provide service. Either fares must go up or service must go down. But if ridership decreases, fixed costs remain the same, so fare must go up.
My sense is that transit service should be thought of as a municipal utility. (So should wi-fi service.) Eliminate fares completely. A tax on residents, probably via car tabs and a sales tax, to provide funding. If buses were free, more people would ride and operating costs would go up, but we'd have the benefit of a truly useful public transit system.
My sense is that transit service should be thought of as a municipal utility. (So should wi-fi service.) Eliminate fares completely. A tax on residents, probably via car tabs and a sales tax, to provide funding. If buses were free, more people would ride and operating costs would go up, but we'd have the benefit of a truly useful public transit system.
12
@9) Let's just be clear about how this "bullying" is going down. It began when Cherry Street Coffee owner Ali Ghambari posted a sign that amounts to a protest of the sick leave law that draws attention to his employees--people who had nothing to do with this performance. To me, that seems humiliating to employees. To me, that's the bullying. But then it got worse. Ali said he thought his employees would fake illness to collect benefits. That looks like insulting, public bullying by a boss who is whining about doing the same thing he should have done for employees all along. He basically called his employees liars. So do I want to make an example out of that? Do I want to yell back with a louder bullhorn? Do I want to use an independent voice (who isn't employed by this guy and, thus, isn't afraid of getting fired by him) to tell another side of the story? You bet I do. But I don't think we're bullying him--I think we're calling out bullying on the schoolyard.
13
@11: If bus, light rail, etc were free you'd have some more riders but that doesn't help the vast majority that have only limited time to get to work or conduct business and must use their cars.
14
Washington deadbeats need to pay their property tax like a real state.
1% in WA
2% in Texas
Rick Perry provides
Jay Inslee starves
1% in WA
2% in Texas
Rick Perry provides
Jay Inslee starves
15
The House of Commons has just voted for marriage equality
by a vote of 400 to 175 - a majority of 225.
This is the first big hurdle for Marriage Equality in England and Wales.
by a vote of 400 to 175 - a majority of 225.
This is the first big hurdle for Marriage Equality in England and Wales.
17
I get the feeling tacomagirl has some personal stake in this. Not that I or anyone should give a shit. Ali is a scumbag, plain and simple.
18
@13 " If bus, light rail, etc were free you'd have some more riders but that doesn't help the vast majority that have only limited time to get to work or conduct business and must use their cars."
Sure, some of those riders will be vagrants just tooling around, but if you can't see how incentivizing people out of their cars and onto mass transportation isn't a huge benefit to those who "have" to drive, then you are a more myopic idiot than I generally give you credit for, Pheobe.
Sure, some of those riders will be vagrants just tooling around, but if you can't see how incentivizing people out of their cars and onto mass transportation isn't a huge benefit to those who "have" to drive, then you are a more myopic idiot than I generally give you credit for, Pheobe.
19
@18, exactly. Also, fuck this "the vast majority that have only limited time" bullshit. The fact that I spend 2+ hours a day commuting via bus doesn't mean my time is unlimited. It means that I'm choosing to prioritize differently.
20
Most people need mass transit to be fast and reliable. It's great that you might have the ability to chose to take your time, but that doesn't mean everyone's boss agrees or that a kids' school is going to understand being 15 or 20 minutes late for pickup.
If King County Metro is threatening service cuts to meet budget gaps, adding free rides is not realistic, and they just eliminated the free ride zone downtown.
If King County Metro is threatening service cuts to meet budget gaps, adding free rides is not realistic, and they just eliminated the free ride zone downtown.
21
@18: Yes, that tired "incentivizing people out of their cars" has been around since the 70's, and there are more cars than ever. It only can work to a limited extent, as people's needs are dictated by the geography, their vocation, and their desires.
That's not to say that mass transit isn't inherently desirable in the first place though.
That's not to say that mass transit isn't inherently desirable in the first place though.
22
@21 Fine, Phoebe, I apologize for underestimating you.
The extent to which the incentives have been successful has been drastically curtailed by our poorly implemented transit system, the weak incentives towards transit and the incredibly strong incentives dolled out _towards_ cars.
It is a shame that there are those who actually believe that these things exist like universal constants, somehow foiling our supposedly best efforts.
The extent to which the incentives have been successful has been drastically curtailed by our poorly implemented transit system, the weak incentives towards transit and the incredibly strong incentives dolled out _towards_ cars.
It is a shame that there are those who actually believe that these things exist like universal constants, somehow foiling our supposedly best efforts.
24
@17. I have no stake. I only know Ali professionally. We're not family, I don't work for or with him. I do know that he's an honest, decent person. From the beginning of this whole Stranger tirade about his signs it has sounded to me like the PC mafia beating up the small business owner who didn't play by their rules.
And, @12. I'm sorry but Ali still doesn't seem like a bully to me. I'm sure your steadfast defense of the common working stiff seems honorable to you but to me it seems a bit heavy handed. We'll just have to agree to disagree on that.
And, @12. I'm sorry but Ali still doesn't seem like a bully to me. I'm sure your steadfast defense of the common working stiff seems honorable to you but to me it seems a bit heavy handed. We'll just have to agree to disagree on that.
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