Deboarding downtowns Nordstrom...
De-boarding downtown's Nordstrom... Charles Mudede

Some Downtown Businesses Think We Are Out of the Woods Now: And so are removing plywood from their shop windows. KIRO reports that "worries about destructive protests led property owners to protect storefronts." Much of this worrying, however, has been calmed by Joe Biden's convincing victory. It seems there will be some peace during the money-making season. Shoppers, instead of protestors, will hit the streets.

Well, as the saying goes, it ain't until it's over. And this presidential election appears to be far from over. Trump has not conceded, and the dramatic purges at the Pentagon and also Homeland Security indicate that Trump is planning to use the military and other government agencies to repress the protests that will likely erupt if he steals the election in the only way it can, at this point, be stolen: in broad daylight. If I were lucky enough to own property downtown, I would hold on to that wood until Biden is for sure in the White House.

Biden Has Finally Won: Arizona. This means he now has 290 Electoral College votes. On top of that, Biden's popular-vote lead is now approaching a stunning 6 million (78 million to Trump's 72.6 million). By every measure, Trump has received a shellacking from voters. But no concession? What gives? President Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen might have the answer. He predicts that "Trump will not return to the White House after spending Christmas at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida." In this scenario, Trump does not concede, and Biden moves into the White House and does his presidential thing. And so we can look at it this way: Trump entered the White House with nothing more than a reality TV show and will leave owning a whole American party. That's not half bad.

Still, Pennsylvania Refuses to Give Trump Anything Coming Close to Good News:

Trump's Law Firm Withdraws from Pennsylvania Case: The case contests the state's election result. This is a big deal. The Guardian: "The abrupt withdrawal overnight is a blow to the president’s efforts to overturn the result of the vote in court." What's left? A hairbrained Electoral College scheme that can only result in an explosion of protests around the US. For an idea of the possible consequences of this scenario, I refer you to the first entry of this post.

The Second Largest Economy in the World: China, has congratulated Biden.

Meanwhile, At White House:
At this point, we should just call 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue the House of Covid.

Last Week: Washington beat every other state "in new unemployment claims," reports Seattle Times. And the future of the state's economy is not looking good. Experts expect "another wave of pandemic-related job losses." So, don't place your chips of hope on 2021. Best to move them to 2022, if not 2023.

Twenty Central and Eastern Washington Farms: Are not up on things. They want to exploit their workers like we never left 2019. As a result, these recalcitrant farms were "fined by the state Department of Labor and Industries for violations of agriculture regulations to prevent the spread of the coronavirus."

That King County Town Where a Number of Musty Men Were Fucked Hardily By Arabian Stallions in a Pretty Little Barn Under the Stars and not Far From the Active Volcano That the People of the Puyallup Tribe call Tahoma, Which Means "Frozen Water": This town, Enumclaw, which means "thundering noises," voted for Donald Trump. Danny Westneat: "Biden won almost everywhere in King County, save for the southeast 'Trump country' corner, where the president is once again carrying Enumclaw, by 51% to 46%." Those people. These horses. That volcano. I will leave it at that.

The International Space Station: Should not be in space but for sale at a business run by Sanford and his son.

Something Grumbling Up North: Vancouver Sun reports that "seismologists [have recorded] more than 3,500 'tiny tremors' on Vancouver Island in nine days." But don't lose your marbles yet. There is an explanation for these nerve-racking events that doesn't conclude with an earthquake, which, as the Sun put it, is "the last thing B.C. needs in 2020." And also Washington State, and Oregon, and California. Earthquakes should just make Alaska their home for good. They can raise a sizable seismic family up there. No one lives in much of Alaska. You can shake those trees, these wolves, that bear and beaver. They don't mind none.

Gov. Inslee to Washingtonians on The Holiday Season: "You better think... Think... Think about it... Think... Think..."