May 17
Nemo commented on Tim Burgess Quits the Mayor's Race.
So many people are confident about Murray. I have not heard him say anything that shows he knows what he is doing or getting into. He has been working in Olympia so long, the only neighboorhood he can claim to understand is Capitol Hill.
I have heard him debate several times, going back to the DBT debate at city hall. He does not impress me, with his limited grasp of things, nor do I see his leadership abilities as a mayor. But say Gay Marrage, and everyone forgets the rest... I wish more people would challenge him on his role in the DBT overruns, and on transit issues, because it needs to be laid at his, and Harrell's feet. Railroading (no pun intended), things though is not my idea of leadership.
I also noted in the quick survey on this site today, that Harrell actually has the most votes. Now I know that survey not a reflection of the city as a whole.
I agree McGinn is stronger than he appears. He has been on somewhat of a roll lately, basketball notwithstanding. I still think Steinbrueck now has the inside track on the primary here. Money will not decide this election as it has in the past.
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I have heard him debate several times, going back to the DBT debate at city hall. He does not impress me, with his limited grasp of things, nor do I see his leadership abilities as a mayor. But say Gay Marrage, and everyone forgets the rest... I wish more people would challenge him on his role in the DBT overruns, and on transit issues, because it needs to be laid at his, and Harrell's feet. Railroading (no pun intended), things though is not my idea of leadership.
I also noted in the quick survey on this site today, that Harrell actually has the most votes. Now I know that survey not a reflection of the city as a whole.
I agree McGinn is stronger than he appears. He has been on somewhat of a roll lately, basketball notwithstanding. I still think Steinbrueck now has the inside track on the primary here. Money will not decide this election as it has in the past.
Apr 26
Nemo commented on Get Ready for Your Close-Up.
Ooops, Word missing: I meant to say falsely ACCUSED and exonerated...
Apr 26
Nemo commented on Get Ready for Your Close-Up.
People have already forgotten that the first "suspect" was falsely identifed, and was so scared he ran to the police station to clear his name. So much for the theory of "if I have not done anything wrong, I nothing to worry about." You can say that he was eventually cleared, but in other situations, there will still be a strong residual effect for awhile, like the guy who was falsely exonerated for the bombings in Atlanta during the Olympics.
Besides, even with all that surveillance around already, they could not get a positive ID from face recognition apps. It was luck that someone happened to get a closeup clear picture, recognize the similarities, and forward it to LE.
Mass surveillance does not prevent these kinds of things from happening, and does not guarantee identification. In fact there are so many ways to circumvent it, that you have to count on people being so numb to it's ubiquity, they don't think about it.
Beware when someone tells you it makes you more "secure" and that is the justification to get you to roll over. It does not. But it does makes the defense and surveillance industry money.
Next up: Surveillance drones...
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Besides, even with all that surveillance around already, they could not get a positive ID from face recognition apps. It was luck that someone happened to get a closeup clear picture, recognize the similarities, and forward it to LE.
Mass surveillance does not prevent these kinds of things from happening, and does not guarantee identification. In fact there are so many ways to circumvent it, that you have to count on people being so numb to it's ubiquity, they don't think about it.
Beware when someone tells you it makes you more "secure" and that is the justification to get you to roll over. It does not. But it does makes the defense and surveillance industry money.
Next up: Surveillance drones...
Apr 26
Nemo commented on Last Days.
Every rational person, firearm owner or not, does not have an issue with a background check, if indeed that is all it is.
Keep telling yourselves this all comes from the extreme right, but there were a lot of actual progressives against this bill too. It must be nice to cocoon yourselves into a nice bubble of righteous neoliberal indignation. I only thought that level of superficality, deliberate ignorance, and hype was possible by...the far right, before this.
Facts: The bill required use all of the Federal form 4473. It's easily available online for verification. The second part of that form requires reporting the type and serial number of the firearm. This gets filed permanently by the Feds. Just because you cannot call it a "registry" and limit the retention by the state, does not mean it cannot function as one for the Feds, or the State. You don't need that information to do a background check.
An actual amendment that removed using all of form 4473 was introduced by neocon Sen. Colburn, and Reid would not allow it to be voted upon. Despite the source, that was the one that would have helped that bill actually pass.
Keep telling yourselves otherwise, it won't help pass anything if it ever comes up for a vote again. In fact, you blew the best chance ever for putting in a "modest" piece of legislation in decades on the subject.
And if you have not figured it out by now, you never will. Obama is not your corner for anything that really counts.
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Keep telling yourselves this all comes from the extreme right, but there were a lot of actual progressives against this bill too. It must be nice to cocoon yourselves into a nice bubble of righteous neoliberal indignation. I only thought that level of superficality, deliberate ignorance, and hype was possible by...the far right, before this.
Facts: The bill required use all of the Federal form 4473. It's easily available online for verification. The second part of that form requires reporting the type and serial number of the firearm. This gets filed permanently by the Feds. Just because you cannot call it a "registry" and limit the retention by the state, does not mean it cannot function as one for the Feds, or the State. You don't need that information to do a background check.
An actual amendment that removed using all of form 4473 was introduced by neocon Sen. Colburn, and Reid would not allow it to be voted upon. Despite the source, that was the one that would have helped that bill actually pass.
Keep telling yourselves otherwise, it won't help pass anything if it ever comes up for a vote again. In fact, you blew the best chance ever for putting in a "modest" piece of legislation in decades on the subject.
And if you have not figured it out by now, you never will. Obama is not your corner for anything that really counts.
Mar 11
Nemo commented on The Madam Who Turned to Stone.
I think Ms. Lovejoy did not do enough research on Madame Damnable, and instead relied on word of mouth. Madame Damnable was a much more colorful (and tough), character, according to the Bill Spidel book: Doc Maynard: The Man who Invented Seattle.
She and the Denny's were always at odds, since she definately ran a house of ill repute. Doc Maynard was more practical, and far less devout. It was also mentioned the second floor of the first city municipal building was used for visiting business people to uh, relax, and uh, seal the deal. Lot's of city business was done this way in the early days.
The story in Spidel's book on her run in with the Marines is different: The Dennys wanted to put her out of business, and probabably burn her house down, and they convinced the Marines to do their dirty work. They tried to sneak up on her house in the middle of the night. Her three dogs alerted her, and she came out with them, carrying a shotgun. Between her dogs, the shotgun, and her cursing them, they backed off, and did not return.
This had nothing to do with a road. In fact, she would have welcomed a good road as making it easier for her customers to visit.
More...
She and the Denny's were always at odds, since she definately ran a house of ill repute. Doc Maynard was more practical, and far less devout. It was also mentioned the second floor of the first city municipal building was used for visiting business people to uh, relax, and uh, seal the deal. Lot's of city business was done this way in the early days.
The story in Spidel's book on her run in with the Marines is different: The Dennys wanted to put her out of business, and probabably burn her house down, and they convinced the Marines to do their dirty work. They tried to sneak up on her house in the middle of the night. Her three dogs alerted her, and she came out with them, carrying a shotgun. Between her dogs, the shotgun, and her cursing them, they backed off, and did not return.
This had nothing to do with a road. In fact, she would have welcomed a good road as making it easier for her customers to visit.
Oct 29, 2012
Nemo commented on It's Not About the Stoners.
"...That battle is strategic, it's overdue, and it's the goal. And in the meantime, the new state law allowing people to possess marijuana will be what's enforced locally. So we have our cake and eat it, too...."
Boy, are you going to look stupid if this passes and the Feds get an injuction that will keep it from going into effect until it goes through the Courts.
You don't need to be a concern troll to see the obvious, provided you actually understand what the Feds can and cannot do here.
Will it ultimately prevail? Maybe? But you are bringing a knife to a gunfight so far...
Boy, are you going to look stupid if this passes and the Feds get an injuction that will keep it from going into effect until it goes through the Courts.
You don't need to be a concern troll to see the obvious, provided you actually understand what the Feds can and cannot do here.
Will it ultimately prevail? Maybe? But you are bringing a knife to a gunfight so far...
Oct 29, 2012
Nemo commented on The Two Faces of Gael Tarleton.
If Tarelton is half as two-faced as you claim, she won't last more than one term if elected. The voters in the 36th are not exactly pushovers.
Unless you tell them "it's for the children."
Unless you tell them "it's for the children."
Jul 15, 2012
Nemo commented on Is It Time for Tim Burgess?.
If Peter Steinbrueck throws his hat into the ring, and he certainly seems to be quietly doing some groundwork, all bets are off on Burgess.
But you go with the buzz for now. Burgess may be philosophically temperate, but I don't see it being subservient to his ambition or necessarily and indication of his actions.
I agree that in real life he does not seem to give people much respect unless they are already important. Agreed that his faith should not be an issue, unless he makes it one.
Then again, you have Licata, who was not leaning towards the DBT initally, and turned out to write unconvincing op-eds in favor of it.
But you go with the buzz for now. Burgess may be philosophically temperate, but I don't see it being subservient to his ambition or necessarily and indication of his actions.
I agree that in real life he does not seem to give people much respect unless they are already important. Agreed that his faith should not be an issue, unless he makes it one.
Then again, you have Licata, who was not leaning towards the DBT initally, and turned out to write unconvincing op-eds in favor of it.
May 21, 2012
Nemo commented on Mayor McGinn's New Broadband Strategy Isn't New.
Actually this public-private "partnership" idea goes back to 2007 under Nickles. The city put out an RFI for those interested in doing this. They got a lot of responses, but none of them panned out to the benefit of the citizens. Actually WiFi does play a part, for those areas not easily provided with FTTH, and for other reasons of affordability.
The biggest issue is NOT just access, but affordability. The city could still establish am Internet utility with shared bandwith, or tiered service, but they don't have the will or the guts to do it. This is not about the costs of the Last Mile, as much as the threat to sue from Comcast and Century Link.
Many feasible ideas were floated back in 2006-2008. None of them mattered as much as fear of being sued. However, the City of Edmonds took Comast on and in 2010 beat Comcast in court over the "competition." issue. The "expense" is no longer a reason, but a convienent excuse to not deal directly with this.
This is why the big telcos and ISP's are now heavily lobbying state legislatures for statutes prohibiting municipalities from establishing municipal public broadband networks. They have not succeeded in WA St, yet. They have succeeded in several other eastern and Midwestern states.
More...
The biggest issue is NOT just access, but affordability. The city could still establish am Internet utility with shared bandwith, or tiered service, but they don't have the will or the guts to do it. This is not about the costs of the Last Mile, as much as the threat to sue from Comcast and Century Link.
Many feasible ideas were floated back in 2006-2008. None of them mattered as much as fear of being sued. However, the City of Edmonds took Comast on and in 2010 beat Comcast in court over the "competition." issue. The "expense" is no longer a reason, but a convienent excuse to not deal directly with this.
This is why the big telcos and ISP's are now heavily lobbying state legislatures for statutes prohibiting municipalities from establishing municipal public broadband networks. They have not succeeded in WA St, yet. They have succeeded in several other eastern and Midwestern states.
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