Some people I know and respect have helped launch a new organization called TV Watch. It’s an encouraging coalition of traditional [read: "reality-based"] conservatives, broadcasters, and creative and artistic groups.

The premise is simple: parents, and not the government, should monitor kids’ TV viewing. It’s a sad sign of how bad things have become that this is a controversial position.

In fact, TV Watch’s research reveals the following facts about public opinion on the matter:

An overwhelming majority of Americans (91%) object to government deciding what they are able to watch on television, even if they don’t always approve of the programming. Instead, eight out of ten people (85%) prefer to exercise personal choice over what they watch on TV and not have the government regulate what they view. They also want the government and the TV industry to provide them with the information and tools they need to make their own television choices.

[I will point out, with some distaste, that Frank Luntz conducted this research--so it's hard to dismiss these findings as far-left propaganda.]

So why have the wingnuts had so much success in moving the needle on this issue? Because people like Brent “Did you see that tittie?!” Bozell have the ear of tens of thousands of people with nothing better to do than write the FCC everytime Howard Stern cusses. Bozell’s group generates as much as 99% of the comments the FCC gets about indecency, drowning out the majority of Americans who think parents can and should take responsibility for the issue. And even if they fail to provoke more action by Congress to censor broadcast–and even cable–content, they are already succeeding in changing the content of the shows we watch and love.

We simply will not win on this issue if we sit on the sidelines and complain, as sensible Americans, about the wingnuts. We have to get active and vocal. A great place to start is by signing the TV Watch petition and sending it to your friends.

Like so many other things that the right wants to dress in the sheep’s clothing of “family values,” this is really about depriving adults of choices we should be allowed to make. They want to make the choices for everyone, and use the specter of harm to children to justify their actions. You don’t have to be a wingnut to realize that there is content on TV that isn’t fit for kids. But you do have to be a wingnut to think that the answer is in DC, instead of on the front of your TV. It’s called the “OFF” button, parents. That–along with the Vchip and parental controls on cable and sattelite receivers–is where responsibility should start, and this ridiculous argument should end.

Why are Tom Alberg and Bob Herbold, two huge players in the technology driven Puget Sound economy, involved with an organization that is actively trying to block teaching of science in public schools? “What kind of accusation is that?!” you are asking. Connect the dots, I say. I hope I’ve got it wrong, but here goes.

This morning, I made the mistake of reading the excellent -but terrifying – report about the Scopes (V2) trial in the Independent. After making it through that, I read this about the Discovery Institute, the Seattle based think-tank backing the “Intelligent Design” side of the case.

Then made the mistake of clicking through the Discovery Institute website, where I found the list of board members. Among them, Tom Alberg, the founder of Madrona Venture Partners. Check out his bio on the site. You’ll find he’s been involved in a number of organizations local techies will recognize right away. You’ll also see Bob Herbold, former VP and COO of Microsoft.

Dig around a little in the links and affiliations. You’ll see Metro, the Vancouver Olympics, the WA and OR DOT. What’s going on here? I ask again, “Why are Tom Alberg and Bob Herbold, two huge players in the technology driven Puget Sound economy, involved with an organization that is actively blocking the teaching of science in public schools?”Do these guys not know about the Kansas trial? Or do they think it doesn’t matter? Or am I missing something? I’m open to the idea that I’m missing something.

On a personal level, this freaks me out. I can’t say it more plainly than that. I have worked in technology in Seattle for many years. I know which side my bread is buttered on. So I’m reluctant to go poking this particular nest with a stick. But creationism masquerading as the faux science of intelligent design doesn’t belong in public schools. Church and state, people. Sturch and chate.

While I was reading the Independent story about this parody of a trial, I was thinking that there was little I could do, not being a Kansas resident, about the absurd turn the nation has taken. But look, it’s funded right here in our backyard. Right here in downtown Seattle.

Am I freaking out about nothing? Let’s hope so.

This Businessweek article confirms what an email from the Pride Foundation told us this morning: Microsoft has learned its lesson and WILL be supporting the non-discrimination bill in Washington next year. I predict we will look back and regard this whole sordid episode as a great victory. The two Democrats who voted against the bill are going down, and we have shown every two-bit bible-thumper that their threats have less impact on corporations than the proven value of gay employees.

Congrats to Paulette and all the other Microsoft employees who, though not gay themselves, spoke out on our behalf. Here’s to Bad Germans!

This just in from Seattle’s Pride Foundation:

We are pleased to let you know that Microsoft has just informed us that they will be supporting the Anderson-Murray Antidiscrimination legislation in the Washington State legislature next year, and will continue their historic support for the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

Like you, we were disappointed with Microsoft’s change of position on HB1515 this year. Microsoft’s decision to reaffirm their support for these bills is consistent with the company’s long standing role as a strong ally of and friend to the LGBT community. Their decision to support this legislation in the future demonstrates that the management at Microsoft listens to their employees and their community and endorses equality for all Washingtonians

If true, this is another great coup for the Pride Foundation, who also managed to get Wal-Mart to add sexual orientation to their non-discrimination policy. Let’s hope Microsoft confirms this news soon.

The Bush administration yesterday opened the door to logging, mining and other development on 58 million acres of roadless national forests, scrapping Clinton-era protections and ceding Western governors greater control over vast swaths of public lands.

The plan now allows governors to submit petitions within 18 months to stop road building on some of the 34.3 million acres where it would now be permitted. Governors also could request that new forest-management plans be written to allow the construction on some of the other 24.2 million acres.

That’s from this morning’s Seattle Times. My interpretation of this – which could be wrong – is that unless the Gov acts to prevent road building and logging, then road building and logging there will be. Furthermore, they have to submit a petition that state their case but I haven’t seen anything saying that just because a petition is filed, the lands will be protected. The lands appear to be open by default, you can go up there and start log building unless otherwise expressly prevented from doing so. Also, a Gov sympathetic to development can say “open my previously protected lands” and a new plan will be written to allow that. How many of those plans do you think our current national lawmakers are going to turn down?

Because I’m reading this news through the lenses of an outraged lefty, I will admit my biases and that I could be misinterpreting this. It seems like there are still National Forest level protections in place, but I don’t understand the levels of government and what their goals are as far as protection is concerned. Still, if the protection process is in the hands of the Gov, better that Gov be Christine Gregoire than Dino Rossi.

It looks, again from my badly clouded perception, that the Gov’s office isn’t sure they’re going to act, thinking that the laws in place are sufficient. I don’t feel that trusting, plus, I would like any bulldozer driving chainsaw weilding Republican governor who may take office in our state to have to fight against existing protections rather than come from the position of the lands being open for business. That’s why I wrote to the Gov’s office first thing this morning asking that they act to ensure that our wild lands stay that way. A destroyed salmon run and a clearcut old growth forest take lifetimes to recover. I don’t think you can overprotect these lands.

Here’s a link to a roadless area QA on the NRDC site.

Went to see the Hitchhiker’s Guide at the Crest yesterday afternoon. While there are lots of things that are imperfect about this movie, I’m going to say something I thought I would never say: This movie has the funniest puking scene ever. Just in case you doubt my credibility, I still get queasy just thinking about the puking scene in Team America. Bleh. Yeesh.

I’m not going to be a spoiler by saying anything else specific. I will say it was fun and true to the spirit (if not the letter) of the books and made both J. and I laugh, a lot.