Eric Among the Northwest’s living treasures is surely Floyd McKay. I’ve had the great pleasure of talking with him on a number of occasions over the last several years as he covered the coal exports and oil train controversies that have wracked the region. And I’m delighted to note that he’s published a new book, … Read more
Eric Now this would be an interesting election year choice: Based on this interview in which Seattle Seahawks’ famously outspoken all-pro cornerback Richard Sherman criticizes taxpayer subsidies for sports stadiums, who would you prefer for president? Sherman’s got my vote hands-down. (I don’t mind his tagline either: “Make America the Place You Want To Raise … Read more
Kristin Rebecca Solnit, writing about why people insist on asking her, not about the life she leads and the important work she does, but about the life she doesn’t lead (mothering children). She describes a tension I have felt between being a mother, and the other work to be done in this world: “People lock … Read more
Margaret Most of the media flurry around Honest Elections Seattle died down after the Initiative’s landslide victory last November. But this spring, one of the Initiative’s lesser-known components took effect. All of Seattle’s elected officials had to file an estimate of their net worth with the City Clerk by April 15th. The Seattle City Council … Read more
Keiko This animated map shows the increase of million-dollar homes in Seattle over four years. Did you know that seven percent of all single-family homes in the Seattle area are worth seven figures? That’s one out of every fourteen homes. And the median price for a single-family home in Seattle is now over $630,000. So how can people … Read more
Eric Orcas Island resident Michael Riordan has a thoughtful post mortem of the Gateway Pacific coal terminal’s rejection. Remember how the oil train industry kept insisting that it had every intention of retrofitting it’s rickety old rail cars? It seems like the urgency isn’t what it might be: …according to information recently provided to DeSmog … Read more
Trisha If you’re a supporter of more housing—specifically more affordable housing—perhaps the “YIMBY” movement is for you. A “yes in my backyard” group in San Francisco is encouraging urbanists in Seattle to bring together pro-growth people, emphasizing the fact that people who need cheaper housing should work together with developers. With development in mind, we could all … Read more
Eric I had a wonderful time at OSU last weekend where I participated in a symposium on the Thin Green Line orchestrated by the Spring Creek Project. Among the many highlights, I got to meet two personal heroes: Cathy Sampson-Kruse, an elder of the Wallulapum Band of Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla and one of … Read more
Serena What do cigarette companies do when they can’t peddle their cancer-causing product to more Americans? Why, market to youth overseas, of course. Ahhh, my fellow (for a couple more months, anyway) 29-year-olds: We are not what you think we are. Wowowowwww! The amazing Outdoor Project has a hike map with a wildflower filter! Happy … Read more
Serena Last week, I was sorry to finish reading a stunning book The Sellout, by Paul Beatty. It’s an expertly cutting satire on contemporary American racism, following the life of a black man in LA and his attempt to revive his suddenly erased-from-the-map town, in part by re-instituting segregation. (Yes, you read that right.) Not … Read more