A conversation with Seattle
If you’re a fan of the Woodland Park Zoo’s pair of now nearly two-year-old snow leopard cubs, hie thee to the zoo posthaste, as it’s the last few days to see the family together. The male, Gobi, is moving April 7th to Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure in Salina, Kansas. Hope he likes Applebee’s. Continue reading In Which Kansas Steals One of Our Snow Leopards
The Misery Index tracks just three factors: decline in home value, increase in gas prices, and unemployment. As for the home prices, this headline from the Seattle Bubble gives you some idea: “Case-Shiller: Seattle Home Prices Nearly 30 Percent Off Peak.” Portland, same story. If that’s not enough, economists are predicting a double-dip in housing prices, while even renters are getting hit with increases, thanks to refugees from the housing market deciding to rent instead. Continue reading The Pacific Northwest, Home of Les Misérables
This week’s big release is Black Swan, which y’all know I did not think deserved all the accolades and awards. My issues with the film are myriad, but to keep it simple, I’d quote the Thermals and say it’s “hardly art, hardly garbage,” in that the film is too trashy to be high art and too artsy to be a campy ballet romp. Continue reading This Week’s DVD Releases
Musically it leans on country music a little bit more, in the slide guitar of songs like “Grown Ocean” and “Bedouin Dress” or “Helplessness Blues.” We used a number of new instruments including the 12-string guitar, the hammered dulcimer, zither, upright bass, wood flute, tympani, Moog synthesizer, the tamboura, the fiddle, the marxophone, clarinet, the music box, pedal steel guitar, lap steel guitar, Tibetan singing bowls, vibraphone, along with more traditional band instrumentation. Continue reading The Fleet Foxes’ “Grown Ocean” Video
“Only fair” sounds like a gentleman’s C, to me, and not to be unexpected from someone who is a) new to working within city government, b) taking up controversial positions, c) an outstandingly impolitic speaker, and d) in the unlucky position of cutting spending everywhere. (Just for the record, I’d give McGinn a C myself; though I sympathize with his positions on many issues, his ability to work the Seattle process out of stalemate is very much in doubt. So far, as a coalition-builder he’s failed, and he too often takes his eye off the daily government ball to fasten onto hot-topic issues.) Continue reading Why Do We Hate the Mayor So Much?
Even us serious baseball fans like a home run now and again, and the Mariners failed to homer in 52 of their 81 home games last year. But behold! I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people! That is, five ways in which 2011 Mariner games will be better than 2010 Mariner games. Continue reading Five Reasons Why Mariners Games Will Suck Less This Year
But the question remains. Is this levy aiding or enabling a school district already provided with half a billion dollars annually?
Besides the recent financial scandal, there is the more core-competency test of the district’s ability to lead in education. The latest news there is that the Washington Court of Appeals has, on legal grounds, struck down the challenge to the district’s choice of a “discovery” math curriculum on the grounds that (I editorialize slightly) the district did due diligence before choosing badly. Continue reading $231 Million Families & Education Levy Headed to Your Ballot