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Osama bin Ladin: Was 'Justice done' ?

2011-05-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

The world now knows the good news, Osama bin Laden is dead. I too slept better tonight having heard. To recap: U.S. special forces raided a compound 35 miles north of Islamabad, Pakistan, were they engaged the al Quida leader in a fire-fight that cost the terrorist-in-chief his life.

However, a report this morning that the raid was a “kill operation” -- from the very beginning -- is troublesome. In all likelihood, a bullet to the head was the only outcome bin Laden would accept: a martyr for his cause. Yet, to think that we had no intention of capturing him and bringing him back to the U.S. to face charges for his crimes seems more like a stain on the gown of Lady Liberty than “justice,” as President Barack Obama later told the nation.

Revenge feels nice... I know. I feel it too. Since U.S. officials first pointed to bin Ladin as one of the masterminds of 9/11, I wanted him captured or killed as much as the next guy. As time went on, my fervor for his hide turned more toward dead vs. alive -- like a gas gauge moves from full to empty with each passing mile.

With the hope of Democracy spreading across the middle east and north Africa, why would we not want to show the world a better approach? If we could capture bin Ladin, assuming we could have, why not try? Why not put him on trial and make him answer for his crimes before the eyes of the world? Let’s be honest, he would have gotten the “chair” eventually anyway.

We are a nation that purports to have a fair and just system of laws that is better than any other system in the world. It's too bad our military and civilian officials behind the raid didn’t even want to give it a shot -- figuratively speaking.

EXCLUSIVE: Police investigate early morning crash; driver missing

2010-12-19T08:39:00.000-08:00

A silver Audi slammed into a guard rail at the intersection of Roy Street and 8th Ave North and came to rest only inches from a steep drop onto the underpass below during the early morning hours of Sunday, December 19. Police, fire and medics responded to the scene after receiving a 911 call at 3:30 a.m. but found no one inside the vehicle.

"The car must have been flying," said one officer, referring to the force needed to uproot the cement encased metal fence and to tear up the surrounding landscaping.

According to witnesses, a loud noise was heard approximately 20 minutes earlier and a passerby noticed a flashing taillight among the thick brush that line the walls of the underpass.

The scene, just a block west of the popular family-style restaurant, Buca di Beppo, is largely a commercial area. Two Lincoln towing trucks were called to the scene to wentch the car back onto the street.

The vehicle is registered to a Stanwood address and police suspect alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.

Big Victory for State Sen. McDermott

2010-11-02T21:54:00.001-07:00

The margin of victory was wide for State Senator Joe McDermott who will now take a seat on the nine member King County Council. The openly Gay councilmember-elect was well aware of the history making moment saying that he looks forward to representing the interests of the LGBT community and the people of the 8th District.

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NASA, asteroids and cocaine: Oh, my!

2010-01-14T19:33:00.000-08:00

While reading Google News during dinner tonight, ironically, I ran across these two stories...

Mystery object likely to be asteroid

"...this is a near-Earth asteroid about 10-15 metres across, one of approximately 2 million such objects in near-Earth space," a press release from the [Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL}] said.

"One would expect a near-Earth asteroid of this size to pass within the moon's distance about once every week on average."

THEN, I read...

Cocaine found in shuttle work area, NASA says

A bag containing a small amount of white powder residue that was later confirmed to be cocaine was discovered in the space shuttle Discovery's hangar at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The hangar, known as the Orbiter Processing Facility, is a restricted zone for shuttle workers only.

Danger, Will Robinson! Danger! (Lost in Space reference)

Veterans Day: We shall never forget...

2009-11-11T17:42:00.000-08:00

SEABlogger would like to honor all of the veterans who served our country. My heart also goes out to the the families of the fallen soldiers whose lives touched many of us here in the Northwest. Feel free to honor your loved one in the comment section.

Its Not in the PI: Play offers more than history lesson

2009-11-11T17:19:00.000-08:00

Its Not in the PI is a play almost equally about the current state of journalism than it is about the closure of the P-I, a Seattle journalistic institution with roots going back 146 years. This North Seattle Community College production in collaboration with NewsWrights United hints at what is lost when pesky reporters (experts in their beats) stop asking questions while providing a fascinating glimpse into the life of a reporter and a newspaper.

A quarter of the play seemed like an inside joke best suited for former P-I staffers, which made up almost have of the audience on opening night. Yet, there was plenty of material left for the rest of us to consume. In one scene, a reporter speaks of his frustration with his editor after attempting to tell the tale of a Paul Allen lobbyist who signaled to hold a vote on a local stadium until one of his votes returned from the bathroom.

The production's set was sparse and the quality of acting varied among the cast but this ensemble gave a cohesive presentation and, thus, delighted this audience member. It seems appropriate that students would tell the story about the sad state of print journalism when local universities are still turning out journalism majors who face bleak job prospects – unless they aim for jobs in PR and marketing where dodging reporters and handling the media has become an art form.

A panel presentation to explore the future of news reporting in the Pacific Northwest will be held following the play on Friday and Saturday, November 13th and 14th. Tom Paulson, former P-I Science Reporter and Co-Executive Producer of Its Not in the PI, will moderate the panel of local members of the media.

Fridays-Sundays through Nov. 22, Stage One Theater, North Seattle Community College; $10 suggested donation (206-526-0063 or www.brownpapertickets.com).

Microsoft to ban XBox Live users

2009-11-11T16:29:00.000-08:00

Microsoft aims at cutting down on pirated games and XBox consule modifications by banning XBox Live users who may have engaged in the practice, according to MSNBC. An estimated 600,000 and 1 million players could be cut off. Let us know what you think by voting in our interactive poll (see right ==>).

Seattle mourns slain officer

2009-11-06T01:09:00.000-08:00

A procession of approximately 1,000 to 1,500 vehicles will travel from the University of Washington to Key Arena, the location of a memorial service for the slain Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton, on Friday, November 6. The public memorial service will begin at 1:00 p.m., with doors opening at 11:00 a.m.

On October 31st, shortly after 10:00 p.m., Brenton and his female student officer were parked in their patrol car in the 100 Block of 29th Avenue South when a vehicle pulled up next to the parked patrol car and opened fire. Brenton was struck multiple times, killing him.

Brenton was born in Seattle on February 9, 1970. He spent his early childhood in Poulsbo and Woodinville, Washington. He later lived in West Seattle, where he graduated from West Seattle High School in 1988. He served in the Hoquiam Police Department and La Conner Police Department before joining the Seattle Police Department in 2000. He leaves behind his wife Lisa, daughter Kayleigh and son Quinn.

A fund has been established for Brenton's family. Donations may be made at any Bank of America branch under the "Brenton Family Assistance Fund."

The memorial procession will use the following route: begins at the University of Washington’s E-1 parking lot; south on Montlake Blvd NE to 24th Ave E; south on 24th to 23rd Ave E; south on 23rd to E Madison St; west on Madison to E Pine St; west on Pine to Broadway; north on Broadway to E Denny Way; west on Denny to 1st Ave N; north on 1st to Key Arena. Staging will begin in the E-1 parking lot (north of Husky Stadium on Montlake Blvd NE) beginning at approximately 8:00 a.m.

Memorial procession map (PDF): Click here!

Photo and information provided by the Seattle Police Department

My Google Voice account!

2009-07-17T00:52:00.000-07:00

I'm in... I just replied to my invite and set-up my Google Voice account.

Welcome to Google Voice! Google Voice gives you a single phone number that rings all your phones, saves your voicemail online, and transcribes your voicemail to text. Other cool features include the ability to listen in on messages while they are being left and the ability to make low cost international calls. To start enjoying Google Voice, just give out your Google Voice number. You can record custom greetings for your favorite callers or block annoying callers by marking them as SPAM. Just click on the settings link at the top of your inbox.

Once it's open to everyone, you can join me!

Got the road trip blues?

2009-07-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

On a recent road trip, I realized a lot has changed from similar trips I had taken just a few years ago. I couldn't put my finger on it until I was gearing up for another -- though much shorter -- road trip.

As I was doing my packing, I was downloading some new tunes to my Ipod and, then, it struck me. Portable music devices and video players are ruining the bonding experience that occurs when you have nothing to do than sing songs, play word association games or do other stupid things to pass the time on a long road trip.

On my last road trip, a friend was in the back watching TV shows, music videos and a movie on his Ipod Touch. I was riding shot-gun and spent my time snoozing, checking for Wi-Fi hot-spots during refeuling pit-stops and listing to tunes on my Ipod Touch (which I openly admit that I bought in a bout of jealousy after a friend of mine showed me his). The driver spent most of his time checking for traffic reports, scanning the dial every half hour for the nearest news and trafic radio station.

I will be leaving for the Pacific Ocean tomorrow and decided to burn a CD of my dad's favorite musice (well, at least the music I could stand to listen to). That way, we'll at least be listening to the same thing and -- who knows -- we might even do some father/son bonding along the way.

Tell us about your road trip blues...

Names of gay city employees may be released

2009-06-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Seattle City Light employee Philip Irvin wants the names of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) city employees who are members of a city-sponsored club working on issues of concern to their community.

The City of Seattle concedes that they may have to release the names. Members of the LGBT club have sued to keep their names from being disclosed. They claim there is no legitimate public interest to granting Irvin's request and will infringe on people's privacy.

Irvin claims to have been discriminated against because of his conservative anti-LGBT views. He once attempted to form a city-sponsored group for "ex-Gays."

A city light veteran, who is heterosexual and spoke on the condition of anonymity, told this writer that it is not a matter of discrimination but honoring a city ordinance and internal employee policy that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation among other protected groups. Irvin's actions are contrary to this ordinance and policy which puts him at odds with his co-workers.

King County Superior Court Judge John Erlick could decide the case on Thursday.

My two cents... Irvin's request amounts to harassment. What legitimate purpose could releasing the names serve other than to invite discrimination upon these people or, potentially, "out" them to family, friends and, even, their churches. I don't think a closeted Mormon would be received well by his elders after being "outed".

I don't see the public benefit from knowing the sexual orientation of the person on the other end of the phone line at the City Light customer service call center. All I care about is that the person is knowledgeable enough to answer my questions, take my payment or update me on an outage in my area.

Maybe Irvin should stop meddling in the affairs of his co-workers and go start his "ex-Gay" group somewhere else.

The courts would be wise reject his request.

CatchCon delivers for Deadliest Catch fans

2009-04-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

The Discovery Channel's CatchCon, a one-day Deadliest Catch fan festival, at Pier 66 on Saturday was a spectacle. The free event was top-notch from beginning to end.

I began my visit with a free box lunch where I was inches away from Matt Bradley of the Northwestern. I hadn't worked up the courage yet to say anything to him. Instead, I talked about him to my table-mate. That must be weird for him to hear someone at the next table talking about him -- oh, well!

Then, we had a Q & A with the boat captains: Sig Hansen, Keith Colburn, Phil Harris, and Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand. Later, they signed autographs.

I got a fisherman's cap from Verizon's booth and had all the captains, some of the crew and the show's producers sign it. I am going to donate it to a local youth nonprofit for their upcoming auction.

Outside, a helicopter could be heard and many of us went outside to see it. A Coast Guard helicopter was just off the pier giving us a demonstration of a rescue operation. From there, I toured the Wizard and Northwestern, which were docked alongside the pier.

Once back inside, I listened to a Q & A with the show's producers, including Jeff Conroy, co-executive producer. We heard their first-hand accounts of close calls, awnry crew members and the limb numbing challenges of filming at sea.

Finally, we saw exclusive video of the new season of the Deadliest Catch, which includes the the story of Seattle-based Katmai crew and interviews with its surviving crew members.

For CatchCon video and photos, click here!

SPECIAL OFFER: The CatchCon fans also got an exclusive offer to purchase The Deadliest Catch 1-4 season set for a special price. If you don't tell them I told you (LOL)... Click here, and enter this promotional code at check-out: CATCHCON

Google to revolutionize the phone

2009-04-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Google is not only interesting in revolutionizing the web, but even old technology, such as the telephone.

Google Voice is a service that gives you one number for all your phones, voicemail that is easy as email, and many enhanced calling features like call blocking and screening, voicemail transcripts, call conferencing, international calls, and more.

It is only available to users of GrandCentral at the moment, but Google says it will launch a public beta version soon!

Chris, a Seattlite and one of the fine podcasters from Jupiter Broadcasting, provides an excellent video review of Google Voice.

Your T-mobile suggestions

2009-04-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

I lost my T-Mobile Wing. Contacts, appointments, twitter fix... all gone. Now, I need your help choosing the right T-mobile phone. Need the basics: QWERTY keyboard, Internet, and appointment book (Windows synch ideal). Post your recommendations in the comments section or e-mail: SEABlogger@SeattleBlogger.com

Smoking: We CAN all get along

2009-04-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

Cigarette smokers are slowly killing themselves and, until recently, we had the misfortune of being the recipients of their second hand smoke. Now, we really all can get along...

Smokers light up with 'electronic cigarettes'

By ERIC WILKINSON / KING 5 News

They're marketed as a "cancer-free cigarette" and a way to beat the state's indoor smoking ban.

It's an electronic cigarette that costs a fraction of its traditional counterpart - and it's even rechargeable. But is it too good to be true?

Click here for the full story.

PSA of the day: How smoking harms babies

Seattle Councilmembers move to name P-I globe a landmark

2009-03-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

After the launch of my petition to save the P-I Globe and the considerable news attention it recieved, I think you all know how I feel about the following news item.

Seattle City Councilmembers want to save P-I Globe

The three former news reporters on the Seattle City Council -- Jean Godden, Tim Burgess and Sally Clark -- want the Seattle P-I Globe to be designated a historical landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Board.

Click here for the full story!

Green Lab may bring 'green jobs'

2009-03-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Let me extend a warm welcome to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's new Green Lab to be based here in Seattle at 1429 12th Ave. on Capitol Hill.

The Green Lab will focus on ways to give new life to existing buildings nationwide and retooling them to be more energy efficient. Despite the $50K price tag to Seattle taxpayers, it's another opportunity for Seattle to be seen as a real leader in the effort to fight global climate change.

Green technology still has a long way to go before its full adoption by developers but has the potential to really take off as an industry. Seattle could potentially benefit from the new "green jobs."

This is one area I have to give Mayor Greg Nickels a lot of credit. His leadership regarding climate change has put Seattle on the world map and kept it there.

Seattle police sergent not so accountable

2009-03-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

It would be ironic if it was not so sad...

A Seattle Police sergeant assigned to the department's Office of Professional Accountability would be charged Wednesday with second-degree assault for a domestic violence incident at his Sammamish home.

Seattle P-I reports:

Officer Scott Moss, 39, was arrested early Saturday after his wife ran to a neighbor's home and called 911. According to court documents, she told King County Sheriff's deputies that Moss had pushed her as she tried to leave during an argument and thrust a kitchen knife toward her hand, cutting her right thumb.

The woman's thumb was bleeding when deputies arrived, court documents say.

The argument started after his wife received a cell phone call from a woman who said Moss was having an affair with the caller's friend. Moss' wife confronted him when he got home, according to court documents.

Perhaps he was not "accountable" to the law or his wife!

P-I staffers look to offer online ventures

2009-03-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

You've heard of Seattlepi.com but now two groups of laid-off P-I staffers are also looking to the internet for online news ventures.

The Seattle Times reports that one group of former P-I editors and writers met with University of Washington communications professor David Domke and other university faculty to establish a news organization, incorporated as a nonprofit, that would produce investigative, enterprise and narrative journalism.

Another group of former P-I journalists, calling itself Seattle Post Globe, is seeking to launch a community owned online local-news outlet. KCTS-TV is providing the venture with office space while former Seattle Weekly managing editor Chuck Taylor is an advisor.

Is it just me or does "Seattle Post Globe" sound like a ready-made trademark infringement lawsuit? Let's see: Seattle Post-Intelligencer vs Seattle Post; landmark P-I globe vs globe in their name. Maybe its just a working title?

My view: There is a lot of great talent that was lost when the P-I closed. I look forward to reading their work once again. I think there is always room in cyberspace for well-written journalism. However, the Seattlepi.com website is a beta test for the newspaper industry and its failure could have ramifications throughout the industry. So, while I believe in a competitive spirit -- the same spirit that fueled a healthy rivalry between the Times and P-I -- we also now know that there wasn't enough ad revenue for both of the newspapers. Proceed with caution!

You voted, P-I globe petition closed

2009-03-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

You voted and the "Save the P-I Globe" petition is now closed and will be put in the mail to the Hearst Corp. shortly. I had eight votes to close the petition and three votes saying I should keep it open. Thanks to all of you who voted!

For posterity...

View the petition, click here. Featured on KOMO AM 1000, KIRO Radio, KOMO TV, Seattle PI's Big Blog, PI Opinion piece and Seattle Times!

Commentary: Charges against Seattle Blackwater guard

2009-03-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

I applaud federal prosecutors for filing charges agaist former Blackwater (now Xe) guard and Seattle resident Andrew Moonen who is aledged to have fatally shot a man while wandering drunk and lost in Baghdad on Christmas Eve of 2006.

According to the family, who has since filed a federal lawsuit naming Moonen and Xe, Moonen shot Raheem Khalaf Sa'adoon in an unprovoked attack while he was on guard duty for Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi. The lawsuit also claims that Xe hid evidence of its employees misconduct, a claim Xe denies.

I think that the truth must be rooted out through the judicial process. Only a judge or jury can decide if Moonen holds any responsibility for Sa'adoon's death. Likewise, the award of any monetary damages to Sa'adoon's wife and two children should be awarded through the same judicial process.

Until recently, contractors in Iraq could not be tried by the Iraq government for their crimes but only by the United States government.

My American sensibility tells me justice is best served through the courts of law. Only a thurough airing of the issues can reveal the truth.

Nightline's Face Off debate

2009-03-20T18:31:00.001-07:00

I'm here at the taping of Nightline's Face Off debate on the existence of the devil. The venue is half full with another half hour to go before lights up. Mars Hill followers are out in force. They are mingling about talking up their pastor and their church. Follow my updates on Twitter.

The winners are...

2009-03-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

I had 26 submissions and only three copies (if you don’t include my own) of the final edition of the Seattle Post Intelligencer to give-away. Most of you made VERY compelling arguments about why you should win this contest and a few, well, didn’t really try that hard at all.

Here’s some of the lack-luster efforts:

I never read the paper, but would like to.

I just want to make some money. What do you have against that?

Hmm… my dog ate my last copy. I swear. No, really!

This guy is just down-right mean:

I would line my birdcage with this rag. Should have died a long time ago. Good riddance.

Now, here’s the moment you all have been waiting for (play drum roll in your mind)…

The winners are:

1) I would donate my copy to the annual fund-raising auction for Old Mill Center for Children and Families, a school for developmentally challenged children. The Center is in Corvallis, Oregon, and I know has many ex-Seattleites who would be interested in bidding on the P.I. Thanks for the opportunity.

2) My son Alex is doing a report for school. They are studying the various different news sources as part of a communications class. He decided to write his report about newspapers. They just assigned the project and he's just starting to gather information. He and I were just talking about how people are starting to move away from printed materials. The future lies in devices like Kindle. If I win this I will give it to my son for his report.

3) Wow. I live in Florida, and I just heard today about the demise of the Post-Intelligencer. I never read a print copy, but when I was a broadcast news producer, I learned that I couldn't always trust the truncated AP broadcast wires, and for breaking news out of Seattle, I visited the PI website to read the full accounts of what was going on. Sure, I get a lot of my news online (I rarely even see TV news since leaving the biz), but I still feel great sadness at seeing a publishing institution fall by the wayside. Yes, times change, but saving a printout from the computer (or saving the file) is not the same as pulling a yellowed piece of newsprint out of a scrapbook to recall a world-changing event, a personal accomplishment, or the life and death of a loved one. I'm sorry for Seattle's loss, and I mourn the decline of the print media in America.

Sorry to all of you who didn’t win. It wasn’t easy picking from among your stories. One lady even twisted her ankle as she prepared to do battle for the last copy in a newspaper box. I almost gave it to her so that she would have something to read while icing that ankle.

The good news is that I decided to give away my own personal copy in a couple weeks to a random Twitter follower (my user name is SEABlogger). I really just wanted to hold the final edition in my hands and have the opportunity to read it cover-to-cover.

One final word of thanks to this contests benefactor who himself is unemployed and could have joined others on E-bay who are seeking to profit personally. He’s been a great friend to this blog and, hopefully, we can become personal ones too.

Former P-I writers turn to cyberspace

2009-03-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

Curt Milton, a former P-I staffer and owner of Infinite Zoom, reports that many former P-I writers are opening up shop on the information super-highway.

Several of my friends from the P-I are starting their own blogs now that the paper has closed. I'm starting a list on this blog so others can find them... They are the best at what they do and worth a look.

Check out his blog roll, here!

Boeing layoffs a sign of the times

2009-03-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

More pink-slips will be issued to Boeing employees today as the company seeks to shed another 900 jobs. The cuts are expected to hit the Puget Sound region hard because the bulk will be made in the company's Commercial Airplane unit whose employees are largely based here. In January, it was announced that 4,500 layoffs in the Commercial Airplane unit would be made through attrition and layoffs.

While Boeing is less of player in the region's economy than it was in the early '70's when the running joke was the last one to leave Seattle should turn off the lights -- with global commerce knocking at our door and a large tech and e-commerce industry in our backyard -- a large number of laid off workers will hit local retail and service industry jobs particularly hard. That has a spiraling effect.

Those of us who grew up here know that we've been through this before and we'll survive it again this time. However, with the current state of the economy we can probably expect the recovery to be more gradual than it once was. Let's just hope that things don't get much worse before they get better.