jenk

[The legislative blitz] wasn’t only a bathroom bill, though. That was the pretext — state legislation to override Charlotte’s city law protecting LGBT civil rights. But the effect — explicitly written into this new law — reaches far beyond just this immediate anti-LGBT pretext. The law claims for the state the right to overrule and override any local or municipal regulation — specifically mentioning local minimum-wage laws and child-labor laws.

So this isn’t just about prohibiting Charlotte from protecting the civil rights of LGBT residents. It’s also about preventing Charlotte from raising the minimum wage. Or preventing Charlotte — or any other municipality — from, say, requiring better water-safety standards than whatever state lawmakers might decide. It’s a centralized, top-down, Raleigh-knows-best power-grab by the capital. Because, again, small government conservatism.

For the amount Ballmer just paid for the Clippers, he could have built a new Sodo basketball arena all by himself, plus built the Safeco Field baseball stadium, plus built the CenturyLink football stadium and still had more than $600 million left over for buying a team.

The city of Seattle, which is slated to put a hundred-plus million in bonds into the arena, has not given final approval to that plan. What they passed two years ago was an agreement to do the studies while [the group, including Ballmer] pursued a team. But many council members have told me that their “yes” votes back then do not mean they’re necessarily going to be “yes” votes for a final go-ahead.

Altogether, some 12,000 members of the Lions Club — known best for its programs that help the blind and improving eye care around the world — will march from Seattle Center to downtown Tuesday morning. Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau believes it will be the largest parade in city history, said David Blandford, bureau spokesman. [...] The parade and convention will have a big impact on traffic, too, with some 20 bus routes to be rerouted to make way for the marchers on Tuesday. There will be 90 private buses shuttling conventioneers around the city throughout the convention.

If you don't like crowds, consider yourself warned. Officials are telling residents to expect heavy traffic and swarms of tourists in downtown, where the event will be held at the Washington State Convention Center and KeyArena.

An aside for my evangelical brothers and sisters: "The scripture saith, thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his reward" (I Timothy 5:18). So tip 20 percent. At least. Divide by five and round up. If you also plan to: A) say grace aloud before the meal; B) ask your server if he/she is "saved;" and/or C) leave a gospel tract on the table when you leave, then make that 40 percent.

The spiritual warfare gurus love to cite the story of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness as though it were an introductory course in Defense Against the Dark Arts. The salient point of the story, for them, is not its profound contrast of love and power, but rather its demonstration of mystical defensive techniques. A magic trick. When tempted by Satan, Jesus quoted scripture. Thus, they believe, when confronted by the forces of darkness, Christians should follow suit by raising their wands and chanting "Expecto patronum!" ... er, I mean, by citing chapter and verse from the Bible to invoke divine protection.

The more things change, the more they remain... insane.
— Michael Fry and T. Lewis

Most men are within a finger's breadth of being mad.
— Diogenes the Cynic