MetroNOTual

As reported by Slog, tonight is “the second of three public hearings on a proposed $20 “congestion reduction” car tab fee will be held at 6 p.m. in council chambers, 516 Third Avenue, 10th Floor”. Should the fee not pass, they will cut the follow routes:

1, 2 EX, 2, 3, 4, 5 EX, 5, 7 EX, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 EX, 15, 16, 17 EX, 17, 18, 18 EX, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 26 EX, 27, 28, 28 EX, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 48, 51, 53, 54, 54 EX, 55, 56 EX, 56, 57, 66 EX, 67, 68, 70, 71, 72, 73, 75, 79, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 99, 101, 106, 107, 110, 111, 114, 116 EX, 118 EX, 118, 119 EX, 119, 121, 123, 124, 125, 128, 129, 131, 132, 133, 134, 139, 140, 148, 149, 150, 152, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 161, 162, 166, 167, 169, 173, 175, 177, 179, 180, 181, 182, 186, 187, 192, 196, 197, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205 EX, 209, 210, 211, 213, 214, 219, 221, 222, 224, 230, 232, 233, 234, 236, 237, 238, 240, 242, 243, 245, 246, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 255, 257, 260, 265, 268, 269, 271, 277, 280, 308, 311, 312, 331, 342, 345, 346, 347, 348, 355, 358, 372, 373, 901, 903, 908, 909, 910, 912, 913, 914, 916, 917, 918, 919, 925, 927, 930, 935.

Routes in bold would be eliminated entirely. Whether or not you ride Metro, this WILL effect you. Many of these routes are often filled to capacity with riders. You do NOT want those people adding cars to the roads. If you can’t make it to tonight’s hearing, you can still email a testimony to City Council here. There will also be one more hearing. PLEASE take a moment to tell them how these cuts will effect you. And believe me, if you live in Western Washington and aren’t a complete shut-in, they WILL effect you.

July 13, 2011
Categories: Poly-tics, Seattle . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

Here’s to the State of Mississippi

When reading about the recent, town-wide conspiracy against Constance McMillen, the gay high school senior who only wanted to take her girlfriend to prom, I couldn’t stop hearing Phil Ochs in my head. Phil Ochs was a folk singer in the 1960s and it frightens me how often his lyrics are still relevant.

“Here’s to the State of Mississippi” is about the unpunished murder of a black man and how such things were pretty much par for the course back then. Well, apparently nothing has changed. I really couldn’t say it any better than Mr. Ochs did:

Here’s to the schools of Mississippi
Where they’re teaching all the children that they don’t have to care
All of rudiments of hatred are present everywhere
And every single classroom is a factory of despair
There’s nobody learning such a foreign word as fair
Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of

April 7, 2010
Categories: Poly-tics . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

Beyond-Clintonian Proportions

Recently, in an article entitled “My Kinky Relationship with Barack”, David Schmader beautifully summed up his feelings about President Obama’s failure to take some very simple steps toward finally making the gay community an equal part of American society. I still think he was the best available candidate for the job of cleaning of the mess left by the Bush administration. But I no longer think he was just downplaying his support of gay rights. It’s really seems like he doesn’t see it as the civil rights issue that it clearly is.

Schmader writes:

Of course, putting your trust in anyone involves banking on his or her motives, and with Obama, I’d consistently taken him at his word and filled in the blanks with stupid romantic hope.

I was slapped back to my senses this month, when the DOMA brief came out—the second punch to the face. The first had been easy to explain away. But with that brief, Obama was officially becoming the Chris Brown to my Rihanna. I tried to understand, but there’s only so much explaining away and narrative spinning you can do before you start looking like a deluded lovelorn masochist.

And yet, what am I supposed to do? He knows I’m not going anywhere. It’s not like I’m going to become a Republican or something. Like any abused boyfriend, I find myself equivocating. He’s not all bad. He’s doing nice things for the environment, the economy, abortion rights, and “America’s image in the world,” right? And really, he only shoves me when he needs to.

I’m starting to understand why my friend who is a lesbian, and also one of the “lucky” couples who’s marriage is still legal in spite of prop 8, wrote in a vote for Ralph Nader in 2008. I know he’s busy fixing the economy but how hard is it to pick up a pen and sign a repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”? How hard is it to just stop letting bigots tell people who they can and cannot love? And what the hell was up with that support of DOMA? I didn’t expect gay marriage to become legal on November 4th. But I did expect Barack Obama to prioritize. And as far as I’m concerned, getting people to stop smoking cloves is not nearly as fucking important as giving a large portion of your voters equal rights. Smoking, unlike homosexuality, is a choice. And being gay is only dangerous because political leaders support bullshit like DOMA, thus giving credence to hate.

June 27, 2009
Categories: Poly-tics . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

Today on Ellen…

Congrats to all the same-sex couples in California who are able to get married today! Here’s hoping this “family protection” madness will soon be behind us…

June 16, 2008
Categories: Poly-tics . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

The chemist provides customers a wide selection of quality medicaments.

I guess the anti-“drug” campaign realized that people aren’t going to believe them when they tell you that smoking marijuana will make you violent or ruin your life, so they decided to try a different tactic. WITH HILARIOUS RESULTS! An old woman is sitting at a table in her kitchen. Before her is a dinner spread. Next to her is an empty place setting. She stares forlornly off into the distance for an uncomfortably long time, before glancing at the empty place setting and futzing with the silverware. There is no music, only the sound of children playing and birds singing outside. Finally, we hear a voiceover:

“Try telling your Grandmother that you skipped dinner with her because you were stoned.”

Grandma sighs. AWWW!!!

Lesson: If you smoke marijuana, you make Grandma sad!

Let’s ignore the fact that the ONE obligation a hardcore stoner would probably remember is a big home-cooked meal.

September 16, 2005
Categories: Poly-tics . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

bad wife ambrosia

There's a big protest against Bush's inauguration in Westlake Center this afternoon. I really wish I could go but I'll be en route to the doctor at that time. I wonder if anyone in my office thinks that my doctor's appointment was just an ruse to go to the protest.

So much for “Not One Damn Dime Day”. I bought a sandwich because I didn't have any food from home to bring for lunch. I suppose if I was a good liberal I would have just gone hungry. I'm still wearing black though.

January 20, 2005
Categories: Dear Diary, Poly-tics . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

42805

Something is in the air today. Something baaaaad.

When I went to the post office, the cashier told me that a man was hit by a car outside our building. The driver sped off and later ditched his/her car by the waterfont. The man who was hit died a short while later. For some reason, the cops still have the street blocked off even though the man was taken away a while ago. There is police tape everywhere. It looks like C.S.I.

I walked up to Pike Place Market to pick up a fundraiser donation from Golden Age Collectibles. There were TONS of transients around moving their big carts and handtrucks full of bags. I've never seen so many at one time “moving”. Do they know something we don't?

The smell of the donut shop inside the market overtook everything with a sickly sweet fried scent.

Walking back to the office, the wind whipped my hair and clothes around violently. It seemed to have changed direction so that I was against it going and coming. The rain was light enough but felt colder than usual because of the wind. Everyone walked with their heads down and therefore I had to be careful not to bump into anyone. People were huddling their entire bodies into their coats rather than let their faces emerge and pay attention to where they were going.

Back in the office, everyone is working quietly and subdued in their offices. This is unusual, at least for the guys.

I was recently informed that Rossi took Washington State by 42 votes. That means there are at least 42 more literate fundies in Washington than there are normal people.

It's a holiday tomorrow but it today doesn't feel like it.

November 24, 2004
Categories: Dear Diary, I'm Working, Poly-tics, Seattle . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

Don't cry daddy

Ok. After two days of paralysis, I'm back. And here's what I've decided: Despite the fact that a horribly evil man has once again taken leadership of this country, I still (perhaps naively) feel that if things get REALLY bad (I mean REALLY) there are enough of us liberals out there that we we can band together and just mother-effing RIOT in the streets. I don't know what that will do, if anything. But I'm still pretty proud of what we did during the W.T.O. And even if THAT doesn't help repair ANY of the damage that Bushy is going to do in this country during his regime, we can at least be confident in the fact that there will probably be a whole lot of good rock music made that is political as hell. It can be just like the sixties! Only this time the Bob Dylans and the Phil Ochs's will have electric guitars (and not in that crappy way)! And maybe the liberals will smell a little bit better!
I'm just trying to see the bright side here, people. There HAS to be one…hasn't there?

In other news, we are going to Bellingham this weekend because two of my shorts (as well as Slavka's short from the 6SFP) are going to be in the Projections Film Festival! This is actually kind of a big deal because this festival gets a fair amount of exposure and important people go to it. (Not as many as SIFF, of course…but STILL). So I'm excited. I'm also excited about this bar up in Bellingham that is a mexican restaurant/karaoke bar. Those of you from Tacoma might remember the beloved El Toro which boasted the same features and was the stomping ground for a lot of our misspent college days. I have tremendously fond memories of El Toro and was utterly devastated when I stumbled upon its smoldering remains one sunny summer day. Anywhosel, I am hoping that this La Pinata will be at least 1/10 the fun that El Toro was. (Or at least that they will have free chips and salsa. {{{Homer Simpson noise}}}. I will be aided in this mission by the charismatic , the lovely , the superfun and the moustachy Dan.
I'll regail you will tails upon my return! In the meantime, happy Friday!
I'm gonna go listen to folk music and get riled up!

PS: I just want to say that Dominic Monaghan is a fine actor and Charlie is the only character on “Lost” thus far that has elicited an emotional response from me. And I'm not just talking about “down there”.

November 5, 2004
Categories: Dear Diary, I Made Movies, Poly-tics . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

Massive dlck in action!!

I have no words for what has happened. All I know is that I am terrified for this country and for myself. This is a dark day.

November 3, 2004
Categories: Dear Diary, Poly-tics . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

Re: On the mosaic floor

I VOTED TODAY!!!

I got my absentee ballot yesterday. I eagerly ripped open the envelope and bubbled right next to John F. Kerry (interesting middle initial, eh). There was a LOT of stuff to vote for on that thing, including a bill to ban monorail construction (which I voted AGAINST. Stupid SUV driving arseholes, stop trying to block the monorail!!!). I mailed in my ballot today. I shall track the number at this website to make sure it gets there ok. Now all I can do is sit back and hold my breath…

Happy Friday, everybody. It's still pretty up in the air about what I'm doing tonight. There are several parties about. I will definitely stop in at the Canterbury to say goodbye to Katie. I might hit up the Danwarming party. I'm not sure what else.

Tomorrow, however, is the Night of the Dawn of the Dead at Faye's house. We are going to watch Dawn of the Dead (ORIGINAL, fank you very much) and revel in it's stupendousness. After that, we will let the booze guide us.

Earlier in the day, (2-6pm) 1 or several of mine/Dom/Faye's films will be showing at The Market Theatre in Post Alley. It's some on-the-fly festival to benefit kids. Admission is $10. For the children. Think of the children. For god's sake.

I need a new little mood icon. My punk rock dragon is cute but all his expressions look the same.

PS: I NEED to see Team America at some point!!

October 15, 2004
Categories: Dear Diary, Poly-tics, Seattle . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

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