The Auburn couple arrested in the outskirts (or the ugly parts) of Port Townsend in early May for skipping their sentence on April 28 have finally been sentenced. One, Bernard Ross Hansen, received 11 years in prison; the other, Diane Renee Erdman, five years. Both were involved in a scheme that impressively defrauded 3,000 people of $30 million by way of a "precious metal company [called] Northwest Territorial Mint, which had offices in Auburn and Federal Way."

That fantastic enterprise suckered people who still believed in the certainty of "gold, silver, and other precious metals"; people who wanted safety and a sense of grounding in an economy of fictitious capital and floating currencies. The U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones had this to say to the couple: “(The victims) trusted you and had faith in the snake oil you were selling; that faith was met with manipulation and deceit.” I wonder if Jones wagged his finger at Bernard and Diane as he said these empty words. But what Adam and Eve taught the world is there's never not trouble in paradise.

These sure do sound a lot like fighting words: 

The broken escalators, the delays, the disruptions, the dead service signs. When will Link just grow up and be a grown person?

Today, a Red Barn in Marysville burned to the ground. See you at the crossroads, red barn.

Today, the clouds of Genesee Park in Columbia City put on a show for the ages. Each formation outdid the next. And when, as a climax, a cloud spread out like the spiritualization of the shell in Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus, the airplanes that passed it in the sky appeared to be transporting decadent angels rather than tin-crammed humans. The winged beings were now free to roam heaven. Genesee Park is one of the best spots to see the marvelous clouds of Seattle.

Today is the birthday of the Purple One. He was born in Minneapolis on June 7, 1958. We will love his music until the end of all time.

Wake up, the pandemic is still not over. Hospitalizations "are up 10% over the last week, reaching almost 600 cases in hospitals statewide." The nerves of doctors and nurses are once again under a great deal of pressure. And the key practice that can powerfully counteract the current surge, masking, is no longer an option for even the Dems in power. Necroeconomics is the order of the day.  

The new plan to keep homeless people away from City Hall Park, which is next to the King County Courthouse, involves a fleet of food trucks, an army of buskers, and a barrage of concerts. This soft attack will be reinforced by an increase of Orwellian cameras and lights, Rent-a-Cop enforced park hours, and that apparatus the propertied middle classes can't love enough, the fence. MyNorthwest has this story, which is sad as sad can be.

Washington now has what? The bestest economy in the whole United States? A website that focuses on "personal finance" has apparently come to this conclusion, reports Puget Sound Business Journal. Washington's economy is very active, very healthy, and packed with potential. Score high marks on these three rather dubious categories and: BOOM, there it is. 

What did Sen. John Thune say about AR-15s? In his state, South Dakota, people "use them to shoot prairie dogs and, you know, other types of varmints. And so I think there are legitimate reasons why people would want to have them." Of course he knows he is talking total nonsense. But that is exactly the point. The more nonsense you fill the politics of gun control with, the more it drags and drags for days and for days. Saying something reasonable is to be avoided because it might actually result in some progress.

Did the recent "controversial" drag show in Dallas kill any kids? No, it did not. And yet a bill has already been proposed by a Texas lawmaker to ban "drag shows where minors are present." Just like that, something is done. But nothing doing when it comes to guns and those 19 dead kids. This kind of corruption is from another world altogether. 

Are you at all surprised? Really? Of course FOX's main "news" channel will have nothing to do with the public hearing on the very white and right Jan 6 coup attempt. It will instead stick with its "star prime-time hosts like Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity." New York Times:

When the hearing begins at 8 p.m. Eastern [on Thursday], NBC will go into special report mode. CBS will air a special called “Capitol Assault Hearings,” while ABC will run “Attack on the Capitol: The Investigation — An ABC News Special.” MSNBC and CNN will have wall-to-wall coverage all night.

Let's be honest here. Those who watch Hannity and Carlson on the regular will never be changed by any amount of evidence or revelations presented by the Jan 6 committee. The scales falling from FOX-News-saturated eyes is much the same as seeing Jesus walk on water.

Let's end today's PM with Prince in the best place to be in the world, among the "merveilleux nuages."