Seattle is horny for bike share!
Seattle is horny for bike share! LESTER BLACK

Seattle is all about those dumb cool green bikes: And here I thought they were decorations, since I so often see them levitated onto tree branches, or piled up on top of each other off the side of a road. Turns out people actually ride those things. In fact, a lot of people ride those things. Lime says Seattle riders have surpassed 2 million trips in the last 17 months. Some people are saying this is a sign to the city that we need more bike safety infrastructure.


Puget Sound Schools are trying to become more representational: Because of the increasing diversity of their student body, reports the Seattle Times, "Seattle, Bellevue and Highline... have launched ambitious efforts to recruit more classroom teachers who represent the backgrounds of their students." Those three districts have been able to hire more teachers of color than they lost over previous years, but as the article states, "it’s easy to show growth because the starting point was so low." One big hurdle on top of figuring out how to hire a more representational educator-force, is overall retention of teachers. Exit interviews show that most teachers are leaving because of Seattle's high cost of living.

The post office is not for camping: But in a place where so many don't have a home it's bound to happen. A Lynnwood Post Office's 24-hour lobby has become a hot spot for homeless people to seek refuge from the shitty weather we've been experiencing. And of course, it can cause problems, because post offices, as one postal inspector says, are "a business, not a hotel, and our lobbies need to be used for our customers." It's true. And humans, are people. And people deserve to be treated with respect. Obviously if these people had a warm, safe place to go, they wouldn't be camping out in the post office. What does that tell us? Perhaps we should provide them with those basic necessities, and we can begin to solve two problems at once.

Oh this news is just so fucking sad: Sorry to ruin your day, people. Nothing good lasts for ever.


Uncle Ike's pot shop would like you to refrain from donating to panhandlers: Weed or money or both? Capitol Hill Blog has the scoop on a sign that went up outside Uncle Ike's urging patrons and passerby's to refrain from donating to panhandlers. Not long after the blog post went up, the sign was smashed by someone they've dubbed "Hammer Girl." According to CHB, Ike's owner, Ian Eisenberg, is encouraging patrons to make donations to the Country Doctor Health Clinics inside the store. He says he plans to update the sign to indicate that they will match donations made by 100%. Never a bad time to donate, but always better when it's being matched 1:1!

Another example about why the West is best: Also because if something rhymes it is potentially true.


Investigation into state Sen. Kevin Ranker: The Seattle Times reports that a woman named Ann Larson has accused state Senator Kevin Ranker of threatening to pull funding from her agency after she rejected his sexual advances. A spokesperson for Ranker says that he will not do interviews while the investigation is ongoing, but he did say in a statement "that he believed an investigation was needed to ensure the fairness of all involved."

More Facebook news: By now, you've probably read Eli Sanders' piece on Facebook, the story for which, by the way, has been picked up by Time Magazine, and basically every news outlet in the country. Then, yesterday, the New York Times dropped another story about how Facebook has been doling out far more access to private information, to places like Spotify, Amazon, and Microsoft, than it had previously disclosed. Not a good week for Facebook, but certainly a good week for journalism.

Just assume it's going to be like this for the next three months: There ya go.


I've been saying for years that all we need to do is inject some bunny DNA into shit to save the world, and no one believed me: Actually, I can't take credit for this idea, but I can share the headline! "Houseplant with added rabbit DNA could reduce air pollution, study shows." Weird.

Wallingford Walkaround: Today I've expanded my walkaround territory a bit, but I still have some beautiful photos for you. Here's a tree in Wallingford that is definitely in the spirit.

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Michael Bell

Here's a tree in Fremont that seems to have gotten the wrong holiday message. These chairs have been there for a while haven't they? I had completely forgotten about this one until I passed by it on my way to the flea market.

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Michael Bell

And lastly, that weather yesterday... I mean. Really? Despite standing in moderately heavy rain, I had to snap a picture of the confusing and tormenting weather. The blue sky peeked out as I was being soaked. Picture turned out very pretty though. Bonus points if you instantly recognize where this photo was snapped!

This is the most tormenting weather. Please stop.
This is the most tormenting weather. Please stop. Michael Bell

Tonight's best Seattle entertainment options include: The release of Mary Poppins Returns, a show with experimental hiphop artist Taylar Elizza Beth with Guayaba, PSA, and DJ KWEEN KAY$H, and a chance to buy prints from muralists who worked on the SODO Track project.