Northwest Pork Fish Takes to the air

A local nonprofit agency, the Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board, gave Alaska Airlines a $500,000 grant to paint the jet (like a king salmon). The money came out of about $29 million in federal funding U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska and his congressional colleagues have appropriated to the marketing board, created in 2003, to promote and enhance the value of Alaska seafood. The senator's son, state Sen. Ben Stevens, is chairman of the agency's board of directors.

Cantwell Watch

For anyone wondering why posts to this blog have dropped off, there have been a number of reasons, some personal and some political. To the extent I have found time for political observations and comments, I have been focusing primarily on watching the race in Washington State for US Senate. Here is the link to Cantwell Watch. Check it out.

Democratic poll shows significant opposition to war

Click here for a poll report from the Democracy Corps, a left-leaning polling organization. The leading reason, by a factor of at least two, among those thinking America is going in the wrong direction is the War in Iraq. Gas prices, believe it or not, placed 6th, behind the economy, poor handling of Katrina and a general dislike for Bush.

Internet sales tax in the works

For several years, state and local governments have been in dispute who has a right to tax an Internet sales transaction. Now, according to the Tacoma News Tribune retailers will soon be asked to voluntarily collect tax money from online shoppers and remit it to the states where those shoppers live. This measure still needs state legislative approval, but given that taxes are the lifeblood of government, the chances of passage are pretty good.

Just wait until the folks at ebay get hold of this one. Anybody who has sold an old watch or a book collection on ebay is not going to want to prepare a form and mail $1.35 to Wisconsin. These guys must be dreaming.

Its a brave new world

Have cold? Forget your ID? Too bad.

Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day