Almost done and we crushed our goal! Thanks for your support! Bikes are Magic: Goat Town! - ZineQuest 2026 by Ellen Exacto on @kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/ell...

The Urbanist has been doing great reporting for years now. I’d already been thinking about raising my donation; their new website made it really easy to do so! I’ve always preferred an ad-free paid membership when that’s an option, and that plus their work is well worth increasing my support.

I’m a little unclear whether the Senate changes actually improved the bill or not, but IIRC Sen. Liias started out by striking the entire House bill and replacing it with a much worse version, attempting to scuttle it, and clearly is getting his way. His obstructionism sucks, and he should go.

The Membership Drive is underway now and while the Attending Membership gets you entrance to our In-Person Summer Event. A Supporting Membership helps us keep playing and is a way for you to support the free Online Event if you can’t make it to Seattle this summer! goplaynw.org/membership-d...

The Online Event is THIS WEEKEND!!!! Join us for two days of virtual hangouts, scheduled games, and the ever-engaging Donut pitch circle!

As a longtime Catholic watcher, I am very interested to see that the most technologically savvy pope yet raise some very sharp and relevant cautions about the use of AI and Social Media for ministry. open.substack.com/pub/lettersf...

Following up on last week’s sticker preview, this week we have a T-shirt preview! Feast your eyes on the charming geometry that Sovanny is cooking up! Get the shirt—and your ticket to Go Play NW Seattle Summer—by March 20th to get early-bird prices and help us make Go Play NW happen! goplaynw.org

I agree with Nokes’ argument about this location, but she quotes Stewart Brand: “Preservation is capable of projecting a vision of new possibilities, of hope for our own future….” But in Seattle, “preservation” is used to delay and stifle any change whatsoever, never for visions of new ideas.

I feel like all I ever hear about Liias is him obstructing legislation that would make good progressive changes. Has he helped shepherd any good bills into law? Is it maybe past time he faces a more progressive challenger who might get things done, and done well?

Dearest Friends! Support Go Play NW today, in the middle of our Membership Drive, by adding a Sticker Pack Add-on to your membership!

I don’t know who decided that the Rapid Ride stops downtown should be halfway between the light rail stations instead of adjacent, but it seems like that could’ve been done better.

Too many people in Seattle—probably a minority of the whole, but with outsized influence—are too invested in preserving things with “historicity” as the claimed reason, to the extent of smothering Seattle to death rather than allow any growth that might somehow inconvenience them.

When I say the US does not have political parties in any real sense what I mean is in any functioning democracy a specific party could push this guy off the ticket, we can't, and that's bad actually.

As we chase the halfway mark of the Go Play NW Membership Drive, Halloween Cat is here to review some RPG book covers First up: Nobilis 2nd ed! Halloween Cat's review: "Ah, an understated classic promising elegance within. Could use a Russian Blue posing with the face, though."

Good advice. I try to focus on what I'm doing this week. Maybe next. Do I spend some time thinking about strategy? Sure, but not much time compared to the time I spend doing things now. And strategy still needs to be broken down into manageable steps.

When people oppose the expansion of the police surveillance state, it is generally not because they are mad at the wrong private company or delusionally refuse to see that police surveillance is actually benevolent and good.

I’ve never seen this many people at city hall for any reason. Over 100 people showed up to support light rail to Issaquah, including electeds from Sammamish, Maple Valley, and Snoqualmie. I’m proud to be on a team that’s working hard to find creative solutions to build light rail faster and cheaper!

Come to the Old Pequilar in Ballard on a Monday evening after 9 PM, and then tell me that there’s no desire in Seattle for nightlife.

This is a fantastic look at how English has changed over the centuries. At 1300 there were some words I didn’t recognize, at 1200 I got the gist of it, at 1100 I mostly couldn’t read it. @tonydowler.bsky.social will want to read this. www.deadlanguagesociety.com/p/how-far-ba...

We funded! www.kickstarter.com/projects/ell...

Until I read this, it did not even occur to me that priests are using ChatGPT to generate homilies, but of course they are, and my long-lapsed-Catholicism is kicking down doors in my skull yelling “HOW DARE THEY?!?”

Go Play NW is the best gaming convention in Seattle! You should definitely check it out!

It’s just under ONE MONTH until our Online Event; come join us for a weekend of gaming on our Discord! goplaynw.org/online/

I agree with this. Sometimes I'm asked about topics I'm researching but haven't written about yet. It's more difficult to discuss before I've written my article. The writing is the time when I pull all the pieces together and develop a greater understanding and analysis of the topic at hand.

It’s time for our annual membership drive! Help make Go Play NW happen and get early bird pricing for our Seattle event this summer. Become a member now: goplaynw.org

My friend and partner just launched her first game on Kickstarter! She's not on social, so please help spread the word! #zinequest @kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/ell...

Seattle Renters: join the fight for affordability! We are extending the deadline for the Seattle Renter’s Survey to February 20 and we want to hear from as many different communities as possible. Find all survey links below. English: forms.office.com/g/B1K37QsKt

I can see why the ST board might think Issaquah is dispensable, but when you contrast Issaquah fighting to stay in the plan versus places like Kirkland throwing up obstacles, go with the people who WANT to be part of ST3 and will work to make that happen.

it remains utterly delightful that @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social—who I bet has never watched an NFL game— gets to be Mayor Football and not the guy who constantly talked about his football career in the '70s, hired his football buddies, and dropped at least one football reference in every speech

Hey look, yet another pilot that shows GBI (guaranteed basic income) works. Meeting people's basic needs works. Housing, food, health care, education.

In the coming days you might well hear arguments that surveillance is the answer to the tragedy of gun violence, and therefore Seattle shouldn't turn off SPD's cameras. I urge you to interrogate this framing.

While I still think Durkan was the worst mayor we’ve had at least in the 24 years I’ve lived here, Harrell may actually have done more long-term harm to Seattle as a tool of the obstructionist wealthy. Hopefully Wilson will be able to remediate this mess.

Game submissions are now open for our online event! Submit a game to run and join us on Discord goplaynw.org/online/run-a...

Kettle continues to be unfit to serve as a councilmember and it’s a shame we have to put up with him at least another couple years. I hope we get a better candidate for District 7 in 2027.

STORY // Op-Ed: Shortening Seattle Park Hours Was Misguided, Failed to Promote Safety Op-Ed by Pauly Tarricone, via @theurbanist.org // 🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/24/o...

Journalists have been repeating again and again that the CARE program is not being allowed to operate as designed. If the two chiefs haven't even met? Not a single time? This sends a LOUD message about priorities from SPD and Chief Barnes.

One thing I learned through reporting today: The mayor can change this rule through an administrative rulemaking process. It doesn’t even require legislation!

Wasn’t it just last month though that the Market board or some similar authority was still claiming this was bad for the Market, no one wants it, and they intend to abolish it? What will it take to get the board to see sense—mass retirement and replacement of the board members?

This dude is 3D printing anti-ICE whistles to give for free to protesters in Minneapolis. He needs filament to make them, so if you'd like to help him out, here's a link where you can toss him a few bucks. heroprops.art/checkout/don...

This is great news (along with her order to expedite emergency housing), but even an extended bus lane won’t solve the problem of drivers routinely blocking the Stewart and Denny intersection, despite the supposed presence of a traffic camera, so they too can get to the Yale Ave onramp.

Game changer

and I feel like we were steadily heading in that direction for a half century (as i type on a shard of glass) and then this dude showed up, and a few other dudes like him, and now we’re in the mirror universe where people are trying to bring back slaves.

I’m not *in* this video, but I was fortunate to be there behind the scenes to watch the taping, so I can tell you it’s a great performance and interview by Abbie, check it out!

I got this press release from CM Bob Kettle. What a joke. He’s fine with ICE’s mission, he just thinks they should be more professional about it. We need better leaders than this.

My latest @theurbanist.org: I cover Erika Evan's swearing in ceremony on Monday, as well as explaining her minor policy shift regarding public drug use/possession and diversion and how SPOG turned this minor change into a media storm. www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/07/e...

I just want people to remember that what this was was transparently obvious at the time and universally condemned. Hold on to that fact and don't let people change it under you.

Katie Wilson Wants a City Where People Can Do More than Just Survive Turns out this IS the time for hope. publicola.com/2026/01/05/k...

NEW STORY // Katie Wilson Takes Office as Seattle’s Unabashed Urbanist Mayor Story by Ryan Packer via @theurbanist.org // 🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/03/k...

Katie B. Wilson has just taken her oath of office and been sworn in as Seattle’s 58th mayor.

"Mamdani walks in an older Jewish tradition. Not that of ritzy Upper East Side synagogues, but of so many of our great-grandparents: the socialist sweatshop workers who fought for a better and more beautiful world." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...