An Unpublished Life is Not Worth Living: The People Have Spoken...I Guess

Okay, now let me get this straight. An election was held in Seattle to see which of two options folks would prefer to replace an aging, increasingly unstable highway that 110,000 people use every day...and the answer was "No?" To both?
It's been said that in a democracy the people get the government they deserve. I've been, first, annoyed and then, incensed at the government's inability to lead on what is a critical issue of transporatation, commerce and public safety (It's one of the reasons we chose to move out of King County). But the vote on Tuesday only reflects that the public can't lead on the issue, either. It's also left the pol's to natter on about what that vote means (if anything).

55% of the city voted "No" on both options. Granted, the city isn't made up of engineers, but I'd love to see how a "surface street option" is going to get cars, trucks and multi-use vehicles and mass-transit from a sea-level street to the Battery Street Tunnel (which is, what, 50-60ft. above sea-level? The Internet has no such information available) to re-connect 99. Without some sort of elevated structure.

Fish-ladders, perhaps? Freight Elevators? Moto-cross-grading?
------------------------------------------------------------

Speaking of having an edifice-complex, did ya see where the AIA started polling people (and you know how painful that can be...) and they asked them "What's your favorite example of American Architecture? Here are the results. Shoot, my measley l'il favorite building only made it to 72. Recount!!
-------------------------------------------------------

I love Randy Newman *(Bolton introduced him to me 'way back in '74). I love his sly, sarcastic writing. I love his schlubby-hubby voice. I love the fact that he's so misunderstood by folks who don't read lyrics and can't be bothered with a word they don't understand...and I love that he doesn't cow to the standard equation "songwriter" + "songwriter's feelings" = song. There's a lot of untrustworthy narrators in Newman's writing. I like that a lot. I love the fact that he makes people uncomfortable.

So, I can forgive him when he plays it safe for Disney, and writes odes to birdies and trees and lovey-dovey stuff (at least, he produces them with a bit of an edge). I can tolerate "You Got a Friend in Me" and "I Love to See You Smile" and "When You're a Fool in Love" as long as he can write the songs I've been compiling for a week-long look at his lyrics. He deserves to make money, too. He can sell-out every so often. And those pin-heads from "Family Guy" can make fun of his voice, and the simplicity of his lyrics, because, hey, they don't have 1% of the satiric talent that Newman has in the finger he plays piano the least with.

Yeah, you go on and make your jokes, you little pin-heads. Randy Newman can make more money than you. And he can think deeper than you nine times out of ten. You wouldn't dare write a song like this one, and you'd shrink from the Standards and Practices Boys if you did: