CDN's Exec Ed Ron Judd on political comedians and #1A: "... the principle that allows their existence matters more than ever. Because from his gold leaf throne, a malignant-narcissist president now asserts the right to go after, punish, marginalize and yes, cancel any and all who don’t praise him."

I may not agree with where Cascade PBS made its latest cuts, gutting its newsroom. But I do agree that what had been Crosscut did fine reporting in the decade after merging into Cascade PBS. It's worth a reminder of what was accomplished through its #journalism.

In the #Seattle area, Sinclair owns ABC affiliate KOMO-TV. I predict a lot more people in Seattle checking out the Jimmy Kimmel Live clips on YouTube as an alternative — especially to find out what Kimmel says upon his return Tuesday night. www.youtube.com/jimmykimmell...

The timely work of @ivan-ehlers.bsky.social, cartoonist for The New Yorker, MAD Magazine and others.

Whose speech is at risk? I suspect anyone a) with a large free broadcast platform, b) that does biting political humor and c) that has a parent company with a meaningful number of O&O stations (or large affiliate groups with broadcast licenses) that could be challenged by, or in front of, the FCC.

Items in my Business Briefs for Cascadia Daily News don't often lend themselves to enjoyable writing, but Spirit Halloween and Trader Joe's certainly did this column. Will that lead to enjoyable reading? I hope so. A writer without appreciative readers, no matter how few, isn't writing for others.

I am annoyed by those who claim I and other writers should avoid using emdashes because generative AI has co-opted them. They serve a purpose, along with the semi-colon and colon. They allow for cadence changes and variety in punctuation. I will not bow to our AI writing overlords — not ever.

Did the annual #Whatcom County Farm Tour for the first time Saturday. Learned a lot about smaller "market farms," visiting four of the 15 that participated. And saw ... baby lop-eared bunnies. The cute overload made memorable what we learned at that farm better than any brochure could.

NPR's Life Kit nailed this one: How to know it's time to quit something, or to give up on a goal. And it's in comic form. Never hurts to take time, occasionally, to reassess. This is a good framework of seven easy-to-understand indicators.

Reminder that muting specific words on social media for a day, a week, a month, or even forever can be laudatory self-care.

So now there's going to be #StarTrek LEGO. I'll get right on that. As soon as I finally build this AMT model I bought, and still haven't completed, from 1975.

A rare trip to Archie McPhee retail HQ in Seattle had me (um) stocking up on their remaining socks, as one staffer told me demand is down and its unique socks have one foot in the .... you know. I'll miss the art. And conversation starters.

Spotted at a miniature golf course's display near Bellingham, WA.

Took a break from my Cascadia Daily News business writing in the second half of August to speak at the World Science Fiction Convention in Seattle. Organized a few historic items and files. And found time for a short hike to Whatcom Falls in Bellingham at low, late August ebb. Back in CDN soon.

This analysis, with many examples, is worth reading if you're wondering if much of #journalism is up to reporting in a no-blinders-on way about the current reality.

More great Seattle #Worldcon coverage from Alan Boyle and @geekwire.com. I mean, I was at the #scifi convention and I'm learning stuff.

Moment of personal surprise at @seattlein2025.org: a reader tracked me down to ask me to sign a story I had published in Analog. In 1983. One of the best #scifi experiences of the last, oh, 42 years or so.

John Scalzi, after 93 minutes of signing autographs at Seattle #Worldcon 2025. Still smiling. Still able to shake a hand. I know. He shook mine after we briefly discussed some mutual adjacent Little Fuzzy writing history. And no, I didn't ask him to sign anything.

Why I don't use AI in any part of my writing: I don't like the ethics of the training, I don't like the sameness of the regurgitation, and I don't trust the accuracy of the details. AI also on the minds of #scifi writers & scientists at @seattlein2025.org this week with nuance, pro and con.

A good explainer of #Worldcon — and of the mutually reinforcing impacts of #scifi and tech in Seattle — by long-time journalist Alan Boyle (who also has a science-fiction podcast).

What's a mall to do with a large, empty space? Go more local, as Bellis Fair continues to do in #Bellingham since new owners took over in 2022. But Spirit Halloween still pops up every year — and is already open. More in my latest @cascadiadaily.com Business Briefs column.

Where to find me at Seattle #Worldcon this week. (Tip: If you download the @seattlein2025.org Guidebook app, you can pick any other panelist and see their schedule, too. That's where this screen capture came from. And there are HUNDREDS of speakers.)

As prep for @seattlein2025.org, I picked up some new socks. And found some masks. Today a panelist colleague dropped out of our #Worldcon session due to a case of COVID. Still a factor. So the masks. The socks? To creatively accessorize. I do not wear ties. I hope I don't confuse the two.

Seattle #Worldcon update: Prep done for MoPOP: Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture panel I'm moderating, with two #MoPOP curators and two longtime fans as we dig into MoPOP's archive. It's 8/14 at 4:30pm. My own dig? Found my media credential from 2000. I may wear it. seattlein2025.org/program-and-...

In #Whatcom or #Skagit counties of Northwest Washington state? Please weigh in.

Surrey, British Columbia isn't having any of it.

Disclaimer: While I'm speaking at Seattle Worldcon in August, I don't write #scifi anymore. My panels are on the future of #edtech (once a career), Seattle's innovation history (once a column) and MoPOP archives. The last will include images. Lke these. Panel info: seattlein2025.org/program-and-...

This is disturbing: Substack reports 45% of its surveyed publishers use AI. My take: OK for research (if verified). Not for finished posts. I want YOUR writing. "A typical AI-using publisher is 45 or over, more likely to be a man, and tends to publish in categories like Technology and Business."

A new survey of #Whatcom County businesses finds more than half report being impacted by a change or drop in cross-border travelers from Canada, and four out of ten have seen, or expect, a direct impact from U.S. tariffs. Most affected, to date? The smallest businesses. More in @cascadiadaily.com.

Cities the size of #Bellingham, at around 100K people, are large enough to attract national and big-box retailers. But when there's a string of bankruptcies and closures, their retail sectors take an outsized hit. That's what's happening now; Q2 numbers confirm it. My @cascadiadaily.com story.

I saw this last year during the #Whatcom Artist Studio Tour, chatted with the artist and wondered, 'what's the full story?". Now @jayaflanary.bsky.social has that full story.

Franksplaining was a way to play with #Substack. But after three months and five "explaining through experience" essays, I'm taking a break to reconsider and refocus. Because focus is critical in building a rep & audience. As I've discovered through lots of other writing. franksplaining.substack.com

In a new paper published earlier this year in the Journal of Marketing, we uncovered a surprising pattern: The more knowledge people have about lead poisoning, the less likely they are eat paint chips for a snack.

I'm a former radio host & news director, so @charlottealden.bsky.social's story in @cascadiadaily.com about the impact of threatened public broadcasting funding clawbacks on local community radio hits especially hard. Public, community #radio is also in danger downstream, directly and indirectly.

Seattle's Worldcon schedule is now live for Aug 13-17. With filters for days and tracks, all about #scifi, #fantasy, space and more. Join me at the World Science Fiction Convention for panels about MoPOP, edtech's future and Seattle's tech history. seattlein2025.org/program-and-...

Travelers needing to get between Seattle-Tacoma Intl Airport and #Whatcom or #Skagit counties now have two more bus options, early and late each day. And unemployment is slightly up in both counties, though not as high as this year’s peak. All in my latest @cascadiadaily.com Business Briefs.

Median home prices in Northwest Washington state have a Q2 twist: flat overall in generally more expensive #Whatcom County, and rising to nearly Whatcom's level in #Skagit County next door. Inventory is up, too, while mortgage rates remain stubbornly high.

Pain in Point Roberts, WA — part of the US, attached by land only to Canada — was on full display during a meeting with the Whatcom County Executive this week. Well described by @cascadiadaily.com Murrow Fellow Sophia Gates as border tensions continue. (A free read.)

Got my Friday, July 4 @cascadiadaily.com in the mail this morning. Thursday. The perks of being a subscriber: Living in the future.

There's only one logical response to the hot take on the CBS/Paramount extortion payment -- that perhaps major entertainment conglomerates shouldn't own and run news organizations, and cannot be counted on to act ethically when they do: Ya think?

Psst. Want a heads up on a new @cascadiadaily.com website feature? It's the button at the bottom of the "Latest News" box on the upper left. Clicking it gives you a complete, reverse chronological list of ALL of our hyperlocal coverage. It's ... "More Latest": www.cascadiadaily.com/latest-news/

CVS has revealed its plans for Rite Aid stores in #Whatcom and #Skagit counties. Five of the nine existing Rite Aids would be acquired. Prescriptions from two others would transfer to CVS locations. Deal still to close. All from a weekend exchange with CVS corporate, now in @cascadiadaily.com.

Effective #marketing — whether it’s for a company, nonprofit or individual — starts with a strategy. But it doesn’t have to be overly formal. Try these four Cs to build a framework. (And don’t forget unique, believable and true.) My latest, Franksplaining. franksplaining.substack.com/p/how-to-thi...

Got my draft speaking schedule for @seattlein2025.org, August 13-17. I'll be on three Worldcon panels: about MoPOP, future of #edtech and Seattle's innovation rep. All solid nerd stuff, aligned with my background. Final schedule's to be posted "in a couple of weeks." Expect 800+ speakers. Really.

Around two years in the making, I'm stoked to put this project out into the world! This is what @cascadiadaily.com is all about. Support local journalism!

Thursday, @cascadiadaily.com held its latest community Meet & Greet. We've now done these in Anacortes, Birch Bay, Van Zandt, Edison and #Bellingham. This time, a mike got loose. I helpfully captured it to field an audience question (@finnwendt.com caught the moment). But I had to give it back.

Latest Pew Research report could be read as a sad commentary on how much our society values fact-based #journalism. Only 17% paid for it in the past year. Subscription OR donation. Misinformation, of course, is usually free. Fortunately, libraries offer access without paywalls. Support them, too.

Canadian tourism is important to Whatcom and Skagit counties — but local #tourism orgs are taking a cautious approach to outreach in light of border tensions. And parts of Joann will live on at Michaels. All in my latest @cascadiadaily.com Business Briefs.

As @seattlein2025.org creates its program schedule for Seattle #Worldcon August 13-17, peruse the list of panelists. By my count, more than 800. Last update June 20. That's a lot of people speaking. And a number of familiar #scifi names (no, I'm not counting mine). seattlein2025.org/program-and-...

3 years ago, my first @cascadiadaily.com column appeared. While I shifted from Business Matters and Places & Things to deep features and Business Briefs, one quote from 6/22/22 stands out: "You’ll find I ask a lot of direct questions, and keep asking until I get an answer or everyone’s exhausted."