Recently in Washington State Category
Congress is doing some other stuff you may care about
Besides the big financial bailout package, Congress is doing some other things you may be interested in. One of those things is the descriptive and oh so eloquently named Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008. The short version this story, is that SoundExchange, a subsidiary of the much-maligned RIAA that collects royalties, decided to double the royalty that Internet radio stations would have to pay to play their music. This would pretty much destroy Internet radio, by either putting all the companies out of business or by forcing them to add so much advertising to their websites that you'd never want to go to them. The deadline for the talks between SoundExchange and the Internet radio companies has been coming up pretty fast and with no compromise in sight, SoundExchange's new rate (as ratified by the Copyright Royalty Board) would stand.
...more.The Melon Interviews: Mike Lonergan
Yesterday, The Melon sat down with candidate for Pierce County Executive Mike Lonergan. In our extended, 52 minute interview, we covered a range of topics, from domestic partnership benefits to transit and spending issues. Mike Lonergan is a nearly seven year veteran of the Tacoma City Council and has served on numerous local boards. Find out more about Mike at his website: http://electmike2008.org
This interview with Mike Lonergan is part 2 of 4 in our Pierce County Executive Candidate Interviews. A couple months ago we spoke with Calvin Goings. His interview can be found here.
Sad News
I just received word from Sarah Wright, Dino Rossi’s official scheduler, that the University of Puget Sound was not chosen to host a gubernatorial debate. Wright’s reason for why the UPS Field House was not selected for the debate was “concerns about the ability to provide sufficient television coverage” (which in my humble opinion sounds unlikely given that Hillary Clinton's speech was easily broadcast from their when she made her campaign stop in Tacoma during the recent Democratic Primary.)
...more.Lakewood Militarization Resistance
This week a military ship, the USNS Brittin, was spotted loading equipment off in Tacoma. Resistance groups have mobilized, determined to stop the shipments from reaching their destinations.
...more.The New G.I. Coffeehouse
A social movement doesn't have a specific place or a location. It lives in the actions, the minds, and the relationships between people. But there are places where the ideas of a movement develop, places where the movement's ideas go more mainstream.
Interview with Brian Sonntag 7/23/08
The following interview with Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag was recorded at the Tacoma Rescue Mission on Wednesday July 23, 2008. In it, Mr. Sonntag relates the particulars of one of the state's many important but less glamorous public offices which he has faithfully overseen since 1992. We also talk about what role, if any, partisan politics should play in influencing the findings of things like "performance audits" versus the realities of working with an elected legislative body. Mr. Sonntag suggests that he remains open to the possibility of making a gubernatorial bid in 2012, but makes it clear State Auditor is where he aught to be right now. Finally, he responds to the statements one of our earlier guests, Glenn Freeman - The Constitution Party's Candidate for State Auditor - made on an earlier show.
Seattle Out and Proud
The Seattle Pride Parade had an estimated 40,000 people show up to watch the parade and to party in the Seattle Center afterwards. I went around the crowd and interviewed various people on what they thought was important about the event and their thoughts on where the LGBT movement was going from here.
Interview with State Senator Ed Murray
It has always been impossible to celebrate the anniversary of American independence without taking a step back to examine just how violently our founding ideals have clashed with the realities of our nation’s historical experience. For many Americans, the past has been a constant obstacle they have struggled hard to overcome. Many are still struggling to this day.
Backed Against the Wall
This is a photoblog from the student sit-in I visited at Evergreen State College.
...more.PIERCE COUNTY CRAZIES
While the number of Pierce County residents who might qualify as “crazy” is potentially endless, only a select few are insane enough to be worthy of the distinction of a Pierce County Crazy. These individuals rise above terms like “unbalanced” or “eccentric” so that their every action ultimately encapsulate the very definition of what it is to be a true “maniac.”
...more.