• Overheard on December 16 in the lobby of Seattle Police Department HQ: "Questioning the findings of the [Department of Justice] is political suicide. I'm actually impressed—I didn't think Diaz had the guts to fuck himself like that. Apparently, he wants to see himself replaced just as badly as everyone else."

• Speaking of the DOJ report on SPD, here's a section every homeless person or racially profiled male should clip out and carry in their wallet: "SPD must ensure its officers understand that, unless they have a sufficient factual basis to detain someone, a person is free to walk away from police and free to disregard a police request to come or stay. Officers should also understand that in such circumstances, the decision to 'walk away' does not by itself create cause to detain."

• A legally binding Slog poll found that 83 percent of Sloggers are incensed that the Capitol Hill Ice Rink is not made of actual ice.

• Washington State senator Maria Cantwell would not directly explain to The Stranger why she voted for the National Defense Authorization Act, which contains provisions that some feel could lead to indefinite detention of American citizens without trial. Noting that she voted for two (failed) amendments that could have dealt with the indefinite detention concerns, Cantwell spokesman Jared Leopold said: "Senator Cantwell supports a strong national defense that protects Americans from terrorism while safeguarding the civil liberties that are vital to our freedom." Seattle representative Jim McDermott opposed the Act, calling it "un-American, unconstitutional, and unnecessary."

• On December 15, Sound Transit voted to approve $2 million that, along with a $900,000 federal grant awarded to Seattle in October, will accelerate transit planning to Ballard by at least two years.

• Upon hearing that former Republican state senate majority leader Bill Finkbeiner will challenge putatively Democratic incumbent lieutenant governor Brad Owen in 2012, one Democratic legislator replied: "Hopefully, a Democrat will jump into the race, too."

• The special budget-balancing legislative session ended in Olympia on December 14 with basically nothing accomplished. Legislators will be back in January to (hopefully) get something real done. Meanwhile, Governor Chris Gregoire, desperately rooting around in the couch cushions for spare change, has proposed privatizing the state lottery... despite the fact that the bulk of the lottery's operations have been contracted out to lottery giant GTECH since 1995.

• Congratulations to the Seattle Times' Kate Riley on her promotion to editorial page editor. And good luck to Ryan Blethen, former editorial page editor, in his new role as "director of new product strategies." May we suggest opening up a Seattle Times We Trade Cash for Gold store?