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...

Man, I should do this too, as a way of finding other coffee shops to work at—maybe I’m missing a few that keep my later hours? Granted that “neighborhoods” can be a bit of a loose concept and it depends how small one limits it, I wonder whether there are any that have no coffee shops.

I’d ask whether we could build a classy City Hall station by tomorrow for Wilson’s swearing in, but I remembered how Constantine and Harrell delayed ST3 by advocating for the N/S of CID alignment, worse for riders and ridership, in part as a new county campus concept that’ll never happen.

Good morning to everyone, but especially to Mayor Katie Wilson.

Travelmug Cafe at Porter Square Books Boston has this cool opening lines pattern on the wall, countertops, and tables—wait, what’s that I see? Enhance! …!!! @amalelmohtar.com @maxgladstone.bsky.social #ThisIsHowYouLoseTheTimeWar

A new exciting land use priority for @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social ?

On this, Jane Austen's 250th birthday, I will offer the gentle reminder that I authored a YA version of Pride and Prejudice in space that is available at many fine booksellers. books2read.com/totravelthes...

This article is ten years old. www.engadget.com/2015-12-02-p...

Suburban councils all like to use Ballard as the horrific example of what they do not want their communities to grow into; meanwhile I’m at Valentinas Cafe in Ballard which closes at 8:30 PM, looking at Google Maps for restaurants for dinner after that, and asking why so few are open past 9 PM.

NEW STORY // Three Councilmembers Dissent as City Approves Controversial Seattle Police Guild Contract Story by @amysundberg.bsky.social via @theurbanist.org // 🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2025/12/11/t...

Oh wow, CM Rob Saka has announced he will be voting AGAINST the proposed SPOG contract this afternoon. Unexpected! www.thestranger.com/guest-editor...

Okay while Saka has also been largely terrible, I’m obliged to give him credit here. He’s right about the flaws of the contract and he did vote against approving it.

Kettle is a fool of a tool and we cannot get him out of office soon enough.

This opinion is mostly correct, though it's not weird. Honkies are so boring we've /ruined the flavor attributed to us./

A 14-Point Plan for Mayor Wilson Channeling the original Wilsonian 14 Points, we offer 14 policy suggestions for the incoming mayor. publicola.com/2025/12/08/a...

Co-signing this complaint by Emily Nokes: “I’m simply asking that a city of nearly a million people does not keep the same hours as a small-town bank.” www.thestranger.com/the-complain...

Unfortunately we’re still saddled with a majority on the council who are shortsighted, small-minded reactionaries that firmly believe more money for more police is the answer to all Seattle’s troubles.

Coming home from SeaTac last week, I noted how the only way for a visitor to be sure how to get to Seattle would be to find the area transit map and determine where Lynnwood and Federal Way are relative to Seattle. There are no obvious signs anywhere indicating the platform for Seattle. Absurd.

The government is not and should not be run like a business because it is not a business, it is the government Hope this helps

I am so glad we will finally be rid of the feckless, reactionary, small-minded, shortsighted, incompetent, and ineffective council member Nelson. It’s a damn shame the city ever elected her in the first place. I cannot wait for the similarly worthless Saka, Kettle, and Rivera to also be voted out.

A question for something I'm doing: With what you know right now, without looking up anything or thinking too much, would you consider the band Rancid to be a ska band? Share please, I'd like to see as many answers as possible. Thanks!

@bluishorange.bsky.social Highly relevant to your interests: the Stahl House, up for sale for a mere $25 million. www.themls.com/properties/v... See also this news article about it. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

This seems like a thing some people I know (such as @tonydowler.bsky.social) would be into for its own sake as well as potential RPG use/inspiration. It might go well with the Stonetop RPG to help flesh out what daily life is like, since my impression is its (fantasy) culture has some similarities.

Better than totally empty space. Now add a daily hot dog, snack, and refreshment cart on the mezz. 😎

It sure would be something to have a competent, sensible, pro-transit person as the chair of the transportation committee. We haven’t tried that in YEARS.

Turns out we were right not to let Amazon be the fourth branch of our government!

My latest on how the 2026 Seattle budget (final Council vote on Friday) is not setting Katie Wilson up for success, between its accounting tricks, one-time funding, and CM provisos. Also some details about the federal Continuum of Care changes, which I know many of you have been concerned about.

At first glance, I read that as “pizza lane”, and while that’s not correct, I’m also not wrong.

When you ask voters to choose between corporate profits and protecting our neighbors – it’s not even close. This year, Seattle voters chose the tax corporations to fund social housing (63%) and to pass the Seattle Shield Initiative to protect our neighbors (71%). Let’s keep it going!

With GIG and other one-way car-sharing services gone, scooter/bike share is now filling some gaps for me. Some people will always treat them carelessly, but I think providing corrals and enforcing use through the app would help a lot to make shared use of public space better for everyone.

🤝 #thisisyourcity

So funny story: AAA owned GIG Car Share, which was the last one-way car-sharing service in Seattle. When GIG shut down a year ago, I had to at least briefly consider whether buying a car would be useful, but concluded since owning meant round trips, it was still cheaper to use Zipcar for that.

POLITICIANS: Here is how you answer that question: "King County sets the gold standard for ballot access, security and accuracy. The process includes multiple layers of quality control, tracking, and voter feedback to ensure every ballot is counted and the will of the people is upheld."

🤝

Contrary to what some people *cough* the lame duck mayor and the still-in power police guild president *cough* say, there was nothing wrong with the Seattle election: www.thestranger.com/news/2025/11...

Yeah to be fair to @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social, I agree that in her speech she’s just trying to make this point, which is similar to my own. I’m sure she understands this is not a new change for Seattle. It’s just infuriating that we still have to deal with this reactionary suburban mindset.

Watching now, @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social just said “and we are now a big city, with big city problems” and I am *enraged*. SEATTLE HAS BEEN IN THE TOP 25 US CITIES FOR DECADES. I swear the biggest problem in Seattle is this fucking pernicious pervasive mindset that somehow it’s not a big city!!!

Not to bring down the hopeful mood, but this is one of the things I was already concerned about. The current council’s already shown they won’t be any more responsible by reining the budget in, and undermining Wilson’s potential now sets up Seattle to be dragged back into the do-nothing mire.

OH MY GOD, HE KNOWS AND CAN SAY HER NAME. Who knew?!?