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Julian in Seattle

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Jan 3 Julian in Seattle commented on New Funhouse Film: A Documentary About Love and Loss In a Community.

Reminds me of an article I 'read' in 2007 (!!!ahem, coughcoughparodycoughcough!!!):

'Renting Owl' Seen in Neighborhoods for First Time in 30 years:

March 23, 2007: A tiny bird so rare and unusual that its scientific name means "renting owl" has been spotted for the first time in north Seattle in 30 years, scientists and land use planners announced yesterday.
Conservationists working around recently converted condominiums in the Roosevelt South neighborhood got their first natural glimpse in 30 years of the long-whiskered owlet last month while working to demolish a privately-owned single family house.
The species wasn't even known to exist after 1976 when upzoning began in earnest, and since then the only known living renting owls have been those caught walking to and from Safeway at night.
"Seeing the long-whiskered owlet is a huge thrill," said David Fox of Asociacian Ecosistemas de Seattle Norte, who was part of the research team, in a press statement.
The American Rental Bird Conservancy, which partnered in the research, described the sighting as "a holy grail" of rental bird biology.
As few as 250 of the owlets are thought to rent in north Seattle, land use planners said, and the birds are as distinctive as they are rare.
With their diminutive size, bright orange eyes, and wild, wispy facial feathers, the dainty birds belong to their own genus, dubbed Rentoglaux, or "renting owl."
The owlets owe much of their survival to the remoteness of their dense rental habitat from such "cutting edge" areas like Fremont, or Madrona, the researchers said. But as condo conversions encroach on Seattle's northern rental units, the birds' future looks dimmer.
"Due to the rapid destruction of its rental and single-family habitat and its tiny range, it is inferred that the species is in serious decline," Fox said.
"Until recently, the owlets key habitat was completely underzoned."

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Dec 29, 2012 Julian in Seattle commented on WHO IS THIS? Legends Edition .

Mme. Nokes, the Stranger should do contests where commenters come up with new names for bands looking for one. For this one, I'd propose the name the "Laughingproles."

Dec 7, 2012 Julian in Seattle commented on Marriage License Applications in King County Spike 1,200 Percent.

Happy Decuptials.

Nov 21, 2012 Julian in Seattle commented on Preacher-Plutocrats and Professional Seemers.

Additionally, the two poles in modern political discourse appear to be characterized as supporting the 'big family' versus supporting the 'rugged individual.' One can extrapolate further by sussing out maternal vs. paternal approaches to problems.

Nov 21, 2012 Julian in Seattle commented on Preacher-Plutocrats and Professional Seemers.

Modern issues will always have at least two positions, i.e., 'for' and 'against.' Political discourse will tend to be 'bipolar' in terms of perspective. It's as natural as the magnetic force. There will be a 'conservative' as well as a 'progressive' position on modern issues. Neither major party will die. You cannot abolish the North Pole.

Sep 14, 2012 Julian in Seattle commented on SLOG EXCLUSIVE: Ballard Public Library Computers Incapacitated Due to Tiny, Furry Security Breach.

Don't panic! They probably believed Deep Thought lived in Ballard. P.S. The answer is 42.

Sep 13, 2012 Julian in Seattle commented on Admit It, You're Already a Socialist.

You went back far in the article. But you can go back further, and wider afield than just 20th century Puget Sound. In the 19th Century, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints implemented a system of "isolated Christian socialism." This would have been in the Great Basin region. And not just "socialism", but other forms of economic innovation which gave us not just the first department store (I think it was called "ZCMI"), but other antecedents to the New Deal. Mormons helped craft President Franklin Roosevelt's economic program, including Marriner Eccles. Historian Ken Verdoia mentions "isolated Christian socialism" in the Frontline/American Experience series "The Mormons" in his commentary on "The Great Accommodation" of the Mormons to the American mainstream beginning in 1890. Today's LDS Mormons would say they're no longer polygamous nor racist. But in 1966, Elder Marion G. Romney characterized the LDS political-economic experience as something like "not that" socialist, using a 1951 definition of the term. So today's typical LDS church member would claim that their ancestors were never, ever socialist. This deserves more study.

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