State Senate Passes Bill to Join National Popular Vote Compact, No Depression Magazine Publishes Last Issue, : SeattleIAM

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Dave Niehaus Wins Ford C. Frick Award

A quick post on Buzzer Beater announces that today, “on his 73rd birthday, Longtime Mariners play-by-play announcer Dave Niehaus won the Ford C. Frick award.” This is an annual award that the Baseball Hall of Fame “gives to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball,” and it comes with “an automatic induction into the broadcasters' wing at Cooperstown.”

Our blogger recalls in the post having “grown up with Niehaus” and having narrated “innumerable childhood wiffle ball home runs with his ‘swung on and belted deep to left field...this one will fly away...my oh my!’” He sends kudos to Niehaus and writes that “the Hall couldn't have selected a more deserving candidate.” Next on this list would be “his finest color commentator… Ronald Ray Fairly.”

Will Washington Pass “Popular Vote” Compact?

Darryl reports on Horsesass.org that the Washington state Senate “has passed Eric Omeg’s bill to join the National Popular Vote compact.” If the bill passes in the House and is signed by Gov. Gregoire, it won’t have any immediate affect. However, after enough states have signed up, “so that their combined electoral votes total at least 270,” Washington’s allocation of electoral votes will change from the “winner take all” system “to a system where signatory states select Presidential Electors who are pledged to the winner of the national popular vote.”

Currently the only two states that have signed the compact into law are Maryland and New Jersey. “Illinois and Hawaii will likely join soon—there is a bill on the Governor’s desks in both states. Washington state joins Arkansas, California, Colorado, and North Carolina as states where the bill has passed one chamber.” All of these nine states combine for a total of 146 electoral votes. “Bills have been introduced in 35 other states as well.” If this idea appeals to you, the post encourages you to contact your local State Representative.

RIP: No Depression

Hannah Levin at Reverb announces that Seattle-based No Depression magazine will cease publishing with it’s 75th issue, due out for May-June 2008. No Depression, established in 1995, is a “bimonthly magazine covering a broad range of American roots music.” They plan to expand the publication’s website with additional content, “though it will in no way replace the print edition.” The current March-April issue includes a note from publishers Grant Alden, Peter Blackstock and Kyla Fairchild explaining the move, citing a severe drop in advertising revenue, the “well-documented and industry wide reduction in print advertising,” and “the precipitous fall of the music industry” as reasons behind the decision.

According to the post, “No Depression published its first issue in September 1995 (with Son Volt on the cover) and continued quarterly for its first year, switching to bimonthly in September 1996.” It has receive numerous awards, including “an Utne Magazine Award for Arts & Literature Coverage in 2001.” Artists who have graced the cover of the magazine include “Johnny Cash (2002), Wilco (1996), Willie Nelson (2004), Ryan Adams’ seminal band Whiskeytown (1997), the Drive-By Truckers (2003), Ralph Stanley (1998), Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint (2006), Gillian Welch (2001), Lyle Lovett (2003), Porter Wagoner (2007), and Alejandro Escovedo (1998, as Artist of the Decade).”

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