I'm on board. I'm voting No on Referendum 1 this November. The referendum asks voters if they favor a recent City Council law requiring patrons of adult-entertainment clubs to sit at least four feet away from dancers. While I'm not for turning Seattle into one big Red Light District, I don't want Seattle to turn into Salt Lake City either.

The Seattle Citizens for Free Speech (aka strip club owners) has launched a huge campaign to support disposing the four-foot rule, which was enacted along with other outrageous rules by Mayor Greg Nickels and City Council after a judge ruled the city's 17-year moratorium on new clubs unconstitutional. The interest group has compiled a ton of information on its Web site and launched a few of commercials, like the following:

It's true. Seattle police do have better things to do than measure how far away dancers are from patrons or determine if the lighting in a club is bright enough. Are these restricitions just an excuse for Seattle police to be in strip clubs?

I have a little brother who'll be 18 in a couple years. I'll have buddies getting married. Where could I take them if the strip clubs go out of business because of these ridiculous restrictions? And where could Brother Bear go? I don't want to face the alternatives, and I don't see any major problems with strip clubs the way they have been functioning for decades. If you don't like 'em, don't go. I'm voting No on Referendum 1.

Dear Google,

I've learned that, in your quest to monopolize the Internet, you recently purchased YouTube for $1.67 billion. Congratulations. To assist your efforts in achieving world domination, I'd like to offer you the next piece of the puzzle: my blog, Word Is Born.

YouTube was started by two 20-somethings in February 2005 and draws an audience of nearly 75 million people monthly. I created WIB in August 2005, just after YouTube went live, and the blog draws an audience of approximately 75 people monthly. The numbers speak for themselves. WIB is an asset to gain.

Unlike the YouTube creators, I already have experience in Internet acquisitions. I worked at PRWeb for a year, enhanced its value, and the company sold for approximately $28 million in August.

Sure, you might be thinking, "I already own Blogger, which hosts Word Is Born, so what's the point?" Good question. The blog's intellectual property is the value here. Some might say it's priceless, but I can part with it for only $1.19 million.

I look forward to speaking with you further about this acquisition. You know how to contact me. You host my email account.

Sincerely,
Paolo

Some timely events (North Korea's nukes, small plane crashing into N.Y. building) have pushed the Mark Foley story, to the GOP's relief, off the frontpages.

However, 107.7 The End, a Seattle radio station, is keeping the story alive with a "Mark Foley Weekend" promotion. All weekend long, whenever listeners hear an instant message ring on the air, they can call in to win Mark Foley-related prizes. Each winner gets a ruler, a pair of boxers, a T-shirt, a towel and some lotion and some concert tickets. It's a twisted, creative promotion, I must say.

The AP reports today that North Korea says attempts by the outside world to penalize the country with sanctions for its nuclear testing would be considered an act of war:

"If the U.S. keeps pestering us and increases pressure, we will regard it as a declaration of war and will take a series of physical corresponding measures," said a statement from North's Foreign Ministry through the official Korean Central News Agency.

Meanwhile, W. calls for stiff sanctions on North Korea. South Korea has already ceased its humanitarian aid shipments to its ugly twin, and Japan just imposed new economic sanctions.

According to the AP, approximately 29,500 U.S. soldiers are already deployed in South Korea, a remnant of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in a cease-fire, not a formal peace treaty.

As promised, I created a new Yahoo photo album with pictures of Ally's visit, Katrine and Kailyn acting like gangstas, and my Party Bus night with Moos, Bryn and Jeff. Paolo had a little too much fun this weekend and is now recovering. Check out the pictures here.