Neighborhoods that have to ask if they've lost their edge have lost their edge.

This week it became clear that Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee for president

You celebrated her coronation many moons ago and then you ignored anyone who said there was a meaningful primary race going on for the following many months (along as with saying many unfriendly things about Bernie Sanders). The thing is many people didn't listen to you and your media friends, and Hillary Clinton now probably needs Bernie Sanders to win thanks to the popularity of his campaign platform. Continuing to advocate for progressives not to be counted and dismissing their ability to mobilize voters would be even more ill-advised for the foreseeable future, Eli.

Um, "jungle" is a term that hobos and others generated to describe their own living conditions. It dates back to the Depression era of the 1930s. where encampments sprouted up around rail yards, where cheap and "free" transportation could be had for migration. It is so typical of middle class liberals to insist that the language of the impoverished working class should be eradicated into something less offensive--for middle class liberals. This appropriation of language robs people of their expression and falsifies the true seriousness of the issue. "Oh, they live in a green belt, just like homeowners, they are just like us". Sally is off the mark on this one.

@3: Interesting. Do you have a citation or link to support this? As I've said on the show, I'm also not convinced that "greenbelt" is the right descriptor.

Eli, here are some Depression-era oral histories of people who lived in "hobo jungles." This word was very much in use where I grew up in rural Indiana...the train went by our house and we weren't allowed to walk down the tracks one direction because a "jungle" was down there.

http://erroluys.com/RidingtheRailsTeenag…

"Neighborhoods that have to ask if they've lost their edge have lost their edge." Very true. People on Capitol Hill aren't asking that, though. It's people living in Highland Park that are asking that.

"Woowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww that's a lot of rage" (you DO realize your tone drips of I'm better than you arrogance, yes?). No, not rage. Annoyance, sure. Eye rolling, definitely. But not rage. Do not try to dismiss or diminish my concern. You sound like the men in my office when I object to things.

"It's not really telling me about edge, though." OH dear. What is this edge you speak of then? How is Cherdonna, a woman blasting gender norms, not edgy? How is not re-imagining the military industrial machine as Dante's circles of hell at 12th Ave's "9 Circles" show not edgy? How is having an over-the-top gender blasting shock drag how at Arthaus not edgy? How is having a night dedicated to raunchy gay male pictorials not edgy? Again, this was just that weekend. There's much, much more this weekend. And there was some remarkable queer art at last night's art walk. And a lot of the stuff is free or discounted, so don't start on that options for people that have a lot of money. That's BS.

What is the edge you speak of? Crime? Shadiness? Shoddy construction? Do you expect edge to fly out of the sky and land on your head? You have to experience these things to if you want edge. You have create the edge yourself.

You did mention Highland Park in west Seattle. You say the flood of artists moving there, to your new neighborhood, has made it more interesting (than what, Capitol Hill?). Well, if that is what you consider edgy and that's more interesting to you, then well, more power to you. Here are some images that popped up re: Highland Park. Am I missing something?

http://imgur.com/CvI3rvN
http://imgur.com/PkeIbRX

At any rate, I see that you all enjoy mocking your readers/listeners/artists struggling on the Hill. I'm sure it's no loss to you, but aftrer that, I am no longer listening to your Podcost (or recommending it or linking it to my social networks, which I actually used to do). Really nice.

@6 SeattleYogurt: We actually thought you made some solid points, which was why we aired your comment and brought Melanie back on to respond. Yes, it's true, we took some dramatic license with the reading. But that's the thing with anonymous online comments—all we can do is imagine the voice behind them. HOWEVER! If you want us to hear your real voice, please call the Blabberphone: 206-302-2063. We'd love to hear from you (even if you just want tell us off over the phone at this point), and I hope you give the show another chance.

Your headline states, "One Very Dramatic Reading."

Sure. Totally not condescending.

"We actually thought you made some solid points..." Right. Which is why you edited the podcast to have the dramatic reading followed by the television critic saying, "Wowwwwwwww that's a lot a rage." (Again, so reminded me of my male coworkers who dismiss my passion as being moody or, under their breath, bitchy). Instead of following the reading with, "those are some interesting points," you have a response that begins with something that was dismissive and elitist (and again, dripping with that tone).

And then you state in your response, "which was why we aired your comment and brought Melanie back on to respond. Yes, it's true, we took some dramatic license with the reading..."

Complete and total bullshit. You were mocking me, plain and simple. And there was no way you all weren't laughing when it was read aloud and you all edited into the podcast. A queer artist on the Hill, defending fellow artists, musicians, gallery owners, actors, dancers from a television critic who comes across as a, well, to be frank, snob and a--hole. And what does that provoke? Elitist Stranger staff mocking the defender.

Oh, and why do I say a--hole? Because of that final statement: "For that I thank you! Because now my area is really, really interesting!" I played that for a friend. Her response?

"Christ, what an a--shole."

It reminded of us of a petty 15 year old bully kicking dirt in the face of someone they've just knocked down. We could picture her going nya nya and thumbing her nose while skipping away (to her amazingly edgy neighborhood of Highland Park just BRIMMING with exciting art).

And then you close with, "We'd love to hear from you (even if you just want tell us off over the phone at this point)"

F-ck that. I'm spending my energy making sure the "edge" of Capitol Hill doesn't die. I'm not wasting anymore energy on people who are elitist (Pulitzer side effect: may cause insomnia, irritable bowel movements, and occasional spells of elitism) and who will mock me when I try to defend it. It's clear you don't care about discourse and only want to mock people. I am seriously never listening to the podcast again (feel free to gather around and laugh at that comment).

And again, do NOT tell me that wasn't done to make fun of me. You could have read the comment yourself in a neutral tone. But no, you went and got your book critic to ham it up. And there's no way you were not laughing - you are a liar if you state that. Funny this would happen only a couple weeks after Lindy West spoke about online toxic sludge - tables turned?

The saddest thing was that I was a fan of this podcast. And I was a fan of you, Eli. Maybe this is why I'm extra upset. I read your book, I went to your Town Hall reading in February and dragged my boyfriend, and I told all my friends to read it. I thought it was full of compassion. Little did I know the writer behind it would one day mock me for trying to defend my neighborhood and the people that keep it alive. So much for compassion. Maybe I gave you too much credit in that arena and it was just a facade to sell the book.

Feel free to read this aloud at your next staff meeting. Maybe you can have different writers take different paragraphs? I'm sure you all will feel much better about yourself when the laughs die down.

Sincerely,

An artist that still lives on Capitol Hill that just LITERALLY just threw an autographed hard copy of your book in the trash.

I hope that Blabberphone caller was able to do some warmups before that call about the primaries, because that was quite a stretch.

Granted, I am now an middle-aged voter with a stable address. But I was once one of those people with unstable addresses and a weird schedule, and I never missed a vote (and that was in the old days, when you had to go line up at a local school or church to vote)

One thing I would have certainly had problems with is giving up a Saturday, when I usually had to work, to sit around and have my fellow Seattle Democrats try to convince me who to vote for. I used to enjoy the Iowa caucuses, but they took a few hours in the evening, and were quite small affairs. WA caucuses are endurance tests.

And as poor as I've ever been (and I've lived off a Texaco charge card and taken government cheese) I have always been able to afford a postage stamp. Especially if it meant my ballot.

Maybe it's just The Stranger that lost it's edge: or at the very least it's humanity and compassion from the days when it was just a start up alternate weekly?

HIllary Clinton is the most corrupt politician in the modern era. How anyone could support her is beyond me. The fact that this woman, and her husband have the political power they do is the strongest evidence that the country I fought for in Vietnam is long gone (that's the only way the Kenyan Marxist Homosexual Barack Hussein Obama got elected). Donald Trump and other real Americans will have Yeoman's work to do to clean up the mess Obama's Marxist Fascist policies have created, starting with reintroducing the concept of individual liberty and limited government our framers enshrined in the Constitution.

Then maybe we can decide FOR OURSELVES what light bulbs we want to use instead of having the government decide for us. Maybe we can decide FOR OURSELVES what we want to eat instead of having Michael Obama (that's right I said it. Look closely, "she" is a man. No wonder Obama has come out so strongly for "transgender" [aka mutilated people] rights) decide for us. Maybe a Christian baker can decide FOR HIM or HERSELF whether or not they want to bake a cake for a homosexual wedding without having the government FORCE them too.

Welp, the genius of the second amendment may be invoked should Heilary be "elected" (because you know that Real Americans would never dream of voting for a Marxist socialist - voter fraud will once again play a role). My guns are clean and ready to go.

Lord Basil? Last of the Time Lords? Suddenly it's like Old Home Week here on Slog.

Wake the F#CK UP SLOG staffers. I know it's Sunday. But 50+ gay people were massacred in an Orlando gay bar last night. Omit your Sunday plans and start doing your job. Don't let it wait for a blurb in the Monday Morning News.

Never mind, Thanks Dan!

Support victims of Pulse Shooting: gofundme page

@8 SeattleYogurt: Give me a call, 206-323-7101. Let's talk about this IRL.

Why? So you can record the call and post it later to mock me again? I'm good, thanks!

I never knew the local yogurt was so tangy and bitter.