1. A tipster reports that the National Rifle Association is calling around with a "one-question poll" about the United Nations' covert plan to ban guns worldwide. The question, more or less verbatim: "Do you think that a bunch of third-world dictators and Hillary Clinton have the right to make gun ownership illegal?"

Why would the NRA be targeting folks in the Seattle area? Hard to say (and it could have simply been a mistake), but perhaps it has something to do with the lawsuit the group  filed recently against Seattle's ban on guns in parks?

2. Although the latest polling shows Joe Mallahan leading Mike McGinn in the mayor's race, internal McGinn polling reportedly shows McGinn and Mallahan in a dead heat.

Caveat, though: Despite Team McGinn's complaints about the sample size and other irregularities in the latest Washington Poll, the Washington Poll has a history of getting it right, correctly predicting the passage or failure of numerous state and local initiatives, Sen. Maria Cantwell's large margin of victory in 2006, and Gov. Christine Gregoire's win in 2008, among other outcomes.

(One thing they did miss the mark on, though? This year's mayoral primary. They had Nickels winning and McGinn in 5th.)

3. Seattle Displacement Coalition head John Fox, along with city council candidate David Bloom and other Displacement Coalition members, met at Kells last night with City Attorney Tom Carr, city council member Tim Burgess, and Downtown Seattle Association rep Dave Dillman to talk about Burgess' proposed new law placing restrictions on panhandling (which Carr and the DSA both support).

(We had noted in yesterday' Fizz that the surprise meeting between the seeming opponents was scheduled.)

Although Fox says the two sides didn't reach any kind of formal detente (Fox's group, which focuses on affordable-housing issues, unsurprisingly doesn't support the proposal), he calls the meeting a "good exercise" and a "real attempt to find a middle ground" on the panhandling issue.

Burgess has not yet proposed the legislation formally, but the concept seems to have the support of a majority of next year's likely council slate.

4. Northwest Hub founder Pete Buck called yesterday to say we "got it wrong" in our story about layoffs at the web site, which covers land use and planning. A statement posted on the site by Buck declares the site alive and well.

What his statement doesn't mention is that, as we reported, the site laid off its editorial staff earlier this week, and is now putting out a call for readers to submit their own stories. We'll try to reach Buck for clarification later today.

This morning's Morning Fizz is brought to you by Kay Smith-Blum for Seattle School Board.