Happy New Years...

Remember, pre-arrange a Tow for you and your car OR cab ride. There is no excuse for drinking and driving! If you have to folks, take the keys away from some one and make sure you get them home safe.

Happy Holidays....

I just wanted to wish everyone who may be reading this a happy holidays and a new year!

When you become frustrated with your local daily? (thought about the site being down?)

As some might know from my procurement of hell and outright disdain at time times for sites that simply can't figure out that how the web works, that there site goes down so many times like a cheap html junkie.

The excuse I have heard over the web was there was a contract internet backend vendor that was down. I was beginning to wonder if the local snoozemedia (sorry, the local name I have applied because for some reason or another, they simply always seem to be asleep at the switch!) simply could not find a good information technology person who knew how to right decent contracts to make sure their site was hosted at a decent provider and was up?

Have any of their web editors, IT or whomever is in charge of their CMS (for those who may not know, it is called content management systems with a template on the front that controls how a website looks, acts and does things.) contract does not seem to understand what SLA or service level agreement is?

This means, if the site goes down, does it have some serious penalty clauses or ways to switch to a computer system outside of the core development pod that the site is hosted on.  IN todays world, there is no excuse for a site being down, when web systems and cloud systems are so cheap!

Even when Amazon's EC2 and other cloud providers went down about six months ago that hosted every thing from your daily backup provider, ISP web hosters, Netflix and possibly web ad companies? This type of web disconnection for no decent or apparent reason should not tolerated by the owners of our local paper. Just as Amazon was villified for it's system being down.

And Amazon is a Seattle Based corporation with hands-across the world reach, so this tells you what a lot of people think about web providers in almost 2012. Why would they be down?

When money talks..

Our local newspaper has decided that they need through their Op-Ed section (see: http://tinyurl.com/br7g2zv ) to discuss the various subjects that are going around round and round the local blogosphere.

This weeks subject is  about the C-tran's board idea to layoff putting to a full voter vote in Clark County, Washington the option of bringing light rail across the columbia river (src: Columbia River Crossing Project  on a new bridge. For some twenty years, the people of our county have voted to not allow this train from various reasons like crime, underutilization of the trains, expense to build and maintain, etc,etc.

What the Opinion page editor was trying to show through a similar story vain that the Editor-at-large, his supposedly co-equal through a story of a phone conversation with the character Hub from Amboy (very rural, northern town northwest of Batltle Ground?) and how his ability to have to say in the local transit orientation in the southern major city was null and void because he would not have to pay the taxes on it.

He suggests that every single town, region, state and federal area has a human made sovereign jurisdiction and boundary lines. And that if you don't like how this works, you simply do not have to shop or give economic sustenance to it by choice. That he could go further south into another state and still conduct his business and the local area would lose out on the state tax benefits.

What he does not seem to understand is that people from throughout this region will be crossing that bridge every single day. And with our economy as bad as it is and possibly, why are we not facing reality that we need other options to cross the river, EXCEPT the most outmoded transit options that that do not offer the freedom to work at night (transit to and from do not work after 10pm unless you live in specially served areas and may not so in the future, do to budgetary concerns.)

My problem with light rail is not politicization of it, is that the technology does not fit our region well. We are a technically diverse and economically challenge. We simply do not fit in the same way other large community region of 2 million. This region is spread out, land locked by a mountain range and different state regulations?

If we were bigger, say Seattle's size at six or so million, then we might have a serious economic ability to spread the costs of a transit system across a wider base. And a really good case to be to MOVE more people in a singular fashion from a point-to-point system that light rail is. It is a great system if you are moving 1,000s of people short distances. (less than 10 miles.) And the general cost is significantly higher than running a general bus - spoke system where people are exchanged from lower feeding runs into fuller buses. A very similar system is the airline industry from the 1970s or so..

I'm all for a vote on this system for both the financing AND the politics of it for Clark County. Let the people speak? Instead of continuing to play each of the local communities against each other (think divide & conquer political will.) and shrink political borders to make sure and achieve a political outcome in your favor after many years of voters saying how they felt about a subject cogent to their interests. Then to also have state laws enacted in your favor to get your objective through?

If that is not political gerrymandering, what is? Or special interest attention, please do tell me how this is different?

How do I feel about people suing the state to keep the cuts from going effect

source: ( http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016807200_lawsuits20m.html )

The governor describes how she is dealing with the budgetary problems that are being blocked by lawsuits. 

Some might understand why I have such heart burn. I used to be on several subsistence programs because I was medically disabled at one time. But with the economy is as it was, I understand that we need to make some changes in Olympia. I want people to understand that suing the state just because life isn't fair isn't right. 

We have a multi-billion dollar revenue and growing deficit. And to sue to block one program from going under is just plain wrong. We have to make cuts and it may come to the effect that there might be future state constitutional amendments for a forced rainy day amendment that the state legislature can't mess with and would help greatly. But with a twenty percent in Clark County and in some places ten to fifteen around the state, the middle class is the one who is probably and generally going to be paying MOST of the taxes in the state. 

The businesses or llc's can be getting special tax breaks, liens and other ideas to lower their effective B&O, property, electricity - utility to keep them here in Washington State.

And I simply do not believe that an income tax or some thing like a B&O (which should be termed a business grose income tax...) will not pass here.Its simply just not severe enough for our population will go for it. 

So now I do believe we need to come to some realization here. Either one, we have to cut a lot more and get our people to drop their expectations down that everyone is going to get everything they want OR somehow the governor can kick the can down the road to the next governor elects that are campaigning now for the office. She sould just patch up what she can and pass the problem on like a LOT of the United State presidents do. 

Left Hand turners, watch out for me!

Is it that I seem to continually meet up with stupid people when I have the white light at 39th and Columbia trying to cross  and the left turning drivers think that green light is ok for them almost to plow into me? Its a frequent problem in Vancouver that I get it all over. I have the crossing light and people are so impatient, when they see the green, they hit the gas and go to the left almost plowing into me. 

I know the city have very FEW options and a budget cutting that leaves only a few active patrol officers that can are still in the traffic unit. Very soon, there might not be ANY traffic officers in our police department to nail these types of drivers. 

Any one else almost get killed on a routine basis like this?

What does a good legislator look like?

Ok, I'm asking myself this early morning: What is an effective and good politician? What do I think they look like and how I can mold that into a post here? 

Would love people to write their own version and exchange those definitions with other people locally... :)

(And remember folks, your definition is not going to be like mine or someone elses. So please create your own verson!)

Just a small note. (thanksgiving?)

For those who got loaded on a diet that gave you a turkey coma, I bet it allowed you to relax in the bounty of plenty!

Always remember folks, give thanks to the pleasures of life that you were given and remind yourself that there will always be a positive positive ability!

So pat yourself on the back and I wish you all a happy thanksgiving!

Those steamin' HOT coffees!

One of our consumate bloggers from Clark County is just steaming over the third congressional district federal legislator whom feels that to get the real scoop on what is happening locally, she needs to hold more intimate settings via coffee shop groups of less than one hundred and some times as few as thirty in various locations in her district. 

She cotinues to say through her publicist and former campaign workers, that she does not want to deal with the influential stereotypes and special interests from within and from outside her district that want time, attention and possibly legislation out of her. 

One of the examples she has used was a Clark County Washington event where several people got angry and screamed at her. (Though that could have been an event with the 49th legislative district? event where Sharon Wylie was new?) she's wanting more intimate events.

I can tell her that an effective way to get to know her constituents is to go out and meet them face-to-face through invitations throughout her district. And bring reporters along, that way they two can experience what is up with their congresswoman? Don't make these coffee times sound like their special interest shebangs for special interests? Casey (Bowman) This message is for you. 

Get Jaime out in the four or five regional areas of her district and stop hiding BEHIND pathetic excuses? Or Jaime's next election is going to 1,000 times harder to win because you are making her look like a fool.... 

 

Cowlitz County Example: ( http://tdn.com/news/local/rep-herrera-beutler-holds-community-coffee-gathering-in-longview/article_be0e7d2c-1578-11e1-8f25-001cc4c002e0.html )

Does anyone understand that THEY don't understand?

While listening to the radio today, I heard announcement that the super-committee made of two persons per legislative side per political party could not come down to an agreement in principle to help this nation cut down the fourteen trillion dollar deficit. It galls me to no end that either side is playing political games and possible finger pointing in this game, instead of getting down to brass tacks and getting done what needs to happen. 

How could two sides of the political coin and houses of our federal legislative branch fail so miserably to help our nation come to grips with what must be done. We have nearly enough debt to hang us with a rope we do not change expectations throughout our nation and pay it off. 

There has been thirty to forty years of this game of IOUs at various levels of government from your local city - county, regional, state and federal governments along with a lot of people that its easy enough to simply just stick their hands out, scream like a child and expect the the three branches of our government to come along side and stick in the money pacifier to shut us up when things don't go right. 

Maybe its time that at every level, that we start as a nation having a conversation? A conversation that is not headed by media types on any political aisle that will just continue to hit every single person with a verbal and visual hammer for their own person gain. 

Its time. I would love to see a local group of people get together and lets start having that conversation of what WE really need here in Clark County instead of a lot of the fluffy tomfoolery that has gone.... 

A wonderful, heartfelt story...

I wanted to give my own personal shout-out and heartfelt thanks to the yearly Chronis restaurant Thanksgiving dinner that they put on every year and donates so much of their time and effort into it, all without expectation of payment. Its been done for many, many years. I personally have witnessed many great feats of daring care in Clark County, even though there are the rotten crumudgeons around! :)

And yes, this is usually the heartfelt story printed in our local snoozemedia outlet. But hey, it takes a heck of a lot of work to put on. And I really wanted to thank the cooks, servers and this restaraunt owner in Downtown Vancouver whom has been around for some time and hopefully more future time to come!

src: http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/nov/19/tradition-of-turkey-and-fixins-lives-on/

Transportation is one of the keys to this region that MUST be addressed.

Some have said one thing, some have said other things, some have said we need to prioitize, some say we need to cut and some say we need to fix this or that problem. 

One thing that a lot of people around Vancouver can agree on is that some thing needs to be done with the Interstate Five bridge that is coming up on one hundred years in 2017 for one of its spans. There has been a process that went through various levels and I won't dispute or cause problems with that now. Too many others have said what I have wanted to say so much more succinctly. 

But the problems of congestion, moving freight efficiently through the interstate corridor that itself is nearing 60+ years old and mostly remains unchanged since its original basic structure within the region for the past thirty years, if not longer. I personally believe we need to start looking at other options PAST the columbia river crossing project that have been neglected for so long because one  reason, excuse or another keeps getting uttered and not enough people or interest is pushing forward ideas to grow our economic base outside same two interstate corridors. 

There has been some work done on the rail areas of Clark County at the county level to try to bring in more rail dependent jobs in the center of county and in the BNSF and Port of Vancouver areas. I also think I remember reading some where the the Port of Ridgefield and Woodland are talking about rail improvements themselves. 

But when you look at our community that is really the bedroom region to the north of Portland (the southern being Clackamas County)  to bring in enough workers to fuel their business expansion plans in Wilsonville, Hillsboro (think Nike, Intel, Addidas and others) and other counties of Oregon, some thing is serously wrong in my own personal opinion. 

We have a growing 20 percent jobless rating in Clark County. A lot of comments have been made and referenced to poor taxing and regulatory frameworks and slow application processes to get shovel ready projects in case someone wanted to come in and build here. There has also been comments on the lack of information on the basic taxing structure from the state for out-of-state and local taxing issues. 

"Live here, Land here" has been a business campaign being directed more at higher income, higher job proportionality jobs. Where is the campaigns to bring decent companies and innovators that might be small operations of one to fifty people? We have a small international airport in Portland that has some small international connections and a few, if not small airports to fly people who may have their own jets, yet there is no airport building because a lot of former small avation airports are being turned in high priced strip malls? Example Evergreen Airport, Clark County Aerdome and an abandon field up near Battle Ground called Cherry Grove field?

Now, how about our basic road infrastructure that we have talked about for some time needs repair. I'm directing my comments to the City of Vancouver at this point. But I do believe it is appropos for the county and other local, smaller cities. In the past because of MVET taxes, (cut down by a Tim Eyman initiative twice?) we did have the money to match federal and state grants until about two years ago when it finally was revealed that this year we would have enough for only 2011 to finish off some basic projects and then that would be it. 

There might be a little bit of funds to do some minor pothole recovery or filling in cracks with sealent. But there simply is not much more than that. So there was a new article by Andrea Damewood (src: http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/nov/19/vote-to-urge-fee-riles-local-activists-committee-r/  ) this week talking about setting up a new city benefit district through probably either sliced sectioned districts throughout the city or small sectioned area like the CRC Light Rail/BRT projects that are coming up or a whole city with I hope a vote on the matter or decent time framed discussion to allow people the ability to discuss it before it goes into effect. 

And finally, there has been suggestions at looking at creating a new bridge and interstate or highway from Battle Ground through the east side of Vancouver - Camas and go along eastern out edge of the more populace and growing areas of our community. The reason why I don't think that its an option right now, is there has been talk that the economy is slowing down and we have an excess inventory of housing, commercial and industrial areas open and ready to be used. If those were used up, then Portland has a bunch of areas that could use some filling up? 

And if you look just to the neighbor to our north, Seattle. It too has a commercial market that is overloaded with the same problem properties. Though they have an additional problem of higher income condominiums, strip malls and bankrupt lender commercial properties that you will find in Vancouver as much though they do have a serious impact on our economy because we have a number of builders who may still have debts owed on that work that was done and were never paid. 

All of this comes down to the economics of the situation: The City of Vancouver, Clark County, the State, the Feds and the region around us are still smarting from an economy that is still spiraling down. This effects us in how we will be able to finance bonds to pay for freeway miles, more road maintenance, bridges and highway contruction, right-of-way acquisition to built more highway corridors and on and on! 

So what does this basically say, some may ask. I might suggest to all who may read this. Contact your political leadership, invest some time in researching the issues and discuss with them either through emails, phone call to their offices or contacts, face-to-face contact or even a well written, supported letter?

Get involved. Find out what the issues are. We NEED you!

Local elections in Clark County, Washington

I pulled down a previous comment for the first time  since I started blogging here on blogspot because I felt it was not clear and broad enough to cover some of the newer elements that are running for local politics or using their to try to attempt to effect change.

One person in particular is putting his money where his mouth is, started a local website to counter the devoid that is coming from the local newspaper who refuses to understand that a number of us are tired of the cover-ups, the games, runarounds and the outright lies. He has has setup a Political Action Committee and is trying to help get people elected in places to try to change the tone.

And yet it seems to continue to backfire on him. He takes the hits with a smile and tries to shrug off the defeats of his candidates for the past two elections cycles. Some of his donation have brought criticism over the mailings that featured two of our local city council members who were on record making a serious gaff with the "Gavel Down" theatrics.

Now that the election is over, he has decided that he wants to mark private those old videos he used as political fodder over the past 24 months he has been to bash them. And honestly, it should be understand that once some thing comes on to the internet, it can be recreated, brought back and there is simply no way for a search engine to "forget it." If you don't understand, go look at http://www.archive.org or The WayBack Machine project as just two examples of this.

What I really want to impress upon this person without naming names is that the political process is NOT a pretty sight. And people or yourself will get hurt, both financially, mentally, physically and some say, spiritually.  If you don't understand that fact, you should pull out now and stop yourself from being used as a punching bag. Because I can tell you publicly, a certain group just loves taking direct aim at you because they DO fear the money, influence you have attained and some of the respect of local people who have some sway.

As it has been said best on at least ONE good political blog in town, please get yourself a DECENT political advisory team around you, if you are going to do this the right way for some significant amount of time, do it right. Not the haphazard way you have been doing it.  So that you craft a decent, honorable and winning message, maybe strike some further fear into that upper class that is getting political favors, shows up to the games and shows all year round like they own this place.

You have been the brightest shining light for the rest of us that have fought for years to change the system and continually had to hit the same brick walls over and over again that were raised to protect local political interests. And now that the special class is aging and dying to the point that a new and fresh blood is going to have to come in and fill in the background and vacuum of cracks in their chink and political armor.

This is the greatest and probably the first time in two generations that this group does not have a full grip on both the political realities and message locally that they have had for nearly thirty plus years to control through just about every single avenue as you and associates have readily witnessed.

As I said just a minute ago, please do some think this over the holidays and make decision if you feel the urge and need to put your own business, family and friendships on the line. Because this what you are going to have to do to defeat these people and answer their battle ax plans to trim you up slowly and perceptively until they have you neutered into the background.

They have the apathy vote here. Its been what, twenty years or more that there has never been a fifty percent or higher ballot return on ANY subject. Not even the 1994-96 Light Rail down votes.

If you really want to scare them, how about make one goal in your next election cycle to get 50+ percentage of voters to turn out and return their votes? If you get 50 percent or better for the election cycle which should be the election cycle for the brt/lrt vote in city of Vancouver only coming up next year. If that doesn't get their attention, NOTHING will.

Its even going to be a presidential election in November 2012. You should have even an EASIER time getting that goal! (Presidential election years tend to have a lot more returned ballots than our normal 20 to 35 percentage voter ballot returns.)

Voting....

I just wanted to leave a small note and thank every one who has voted and gave their vote to the issues in Clark County. Now we have a great 3 to 4 months before the next political commercials might start for a May 2012 election. Gosh, I am ready for some great silence of head banging from the television and radio of those notoriously bad and repeated commercials. I wish there was a LAW against repeated commercials.......

Voting Day, November 8th, 2011

As always folks, if you are legally allowed, please DO vote! It is again that time to let the nation know how you feel about a subject.

Is the bloodhound gang sniffing up the wrong tree?

I know that a several local politicians are privately screaming bloody murder because they got their hands caught in the cookie jar over the last two weeks by one of the local forensic cpa auditors. I have some of the materials that are floating around the internet and will be studying it over the next few days before the election is held on Tuesday. Until I have a chance to fully vet what is in those PDFs, I am going to withhold further personal comment on the major particulars that are causing so much stir.

But I can tell you, this auditor is causing a bee buzzing firestorm that might not just cause her to lose her business, but her local and regional reputation, business contacts and networking opportunities. It may make some of her friends turn their backs on her or she may become the subject herself of investigative reporting by the newspaper, who has all ready done several nice hit stories on people connected to her through a business arrangment. 

Political thought from one local man...

I just wanted to give someone a little in case your following the local Clark Count Washington. Though I would say I do not totally agree with his philosophies or the PACs he denotes for, you might want to go over and check out his Facebook page. As I just checked, you don't have to have a facebook account to read what is going. Though if you want to comment or do much else, you need one. http://www.facebook.com/DavidMadorePublic

Voting in the November election...

I am not asking for you to vote one particular way or another. I cherish the right to give others that great, humble ability to have an effect on their local, state and federal government choices. Through the will of the majority and the minority, we can come together through this mechanism to affect how we all percieve and desire to move our country or little spots of heaven in the direction we believe is greatest! So all i ask of you who may come across my blog today in Clark County, please crank up your own telle, bang out a text message or email or write a small letter to those whom you know and please ask them to take the time to VOTE! Nothing is more sacred than taking a few minutes to read up on the issues going on in your community and selecting those that you feel are the right ones. I am going to get my ballot out myself today, read the pamphlet through and through to what I hope you will all get a chance to do yourself!

What the local banter is?

I have no fault for the hard working men and women that put their minds, their lives and their families perpetual happiness in jeopardy for the pursuit of a new story. I have personally seen great examples of them going to great lengths to get a story and report it fairly.

What really bothers me and suggest to some of my readers here, the Clark County newspaper's editor-in-chief might want to change his local Press Talk weekly threads to the  monikor of "Cranky's Corner" so that he can give us the scoop on what the thinks the news was about according to his opinion. Because literally every friday there is a new edition being written for inclusion in Saturdays paper and web site.

And with no prescriptive relief here, it reminds me of an old cranky man who bellows into a microphone to be recorded and then some wise secretary takes the data down from the reel-to-reel and puts it in some semblance and form for the weekend paper. Saturdays paper tends to be the lowest circulation of all the week. So whatever he says won't get in front of most of the local people unless he makes it front and center on the local papers website.

So if you are interested in reading one man's opinion of the news as HE sees it, please jump over to the local newspaper and let him know what you think of his thoughts.

Wonderful pictures of Clark County.

One of the few great things I love from local newspaper is they have a WONDERFUL picture gallery.

(Due to copyright laws and some egregious examples of heavy handed enforcement in the US of news stories and photographs along with their digital conversions from the current multiple differing versions of the snoozemedia, I will not republish the work here. If you are interested, please take a look for yourself through the link and enjoy! :-)

I have always wondered WHY the Columbian photographers for years have not had been up for awards for their work??

Planes, trains and over enthused idiots?

Yep, I have a person infiniation with trains!

But this video scares me! Sees some thing thinks its a GREAT idea to run in front of a steam locomotive near Wishram, Washington in the Klickitat County ~ central area of the Columbia River Gorge on the Washington state side of the Columbia River. I say, if you love trains, get out your camera and stand back about 20 feet from edge of the rails. Most good video cameras and decent digital cameras will still be able to get you good shots from that far.  But you won't become human road pizza.

There is a reason why there are laws about being around trains this close or playing around. The engineers do not want to kill people or have it scar their memories banks and the railroads do not want the lawsuit from estates.

So please guys, use some COMMON sense!

Wonderful pictures of Clark County.

One of the few great things I love from local newspaper is they have a WONDERFUL picture gallery.

(Due to copyright laws and some egregious examples of heavy handed enforcement in the US of news stories and photographs along with their digital conversions from the current multiple differing versions of the snoozemedia, I will not republish the work here. If you are interested, please take a look for yourself through the link and enjoy! :-)

I have always wondered WHY the photographers for years have not had been up for awards for their work??

Do you tire of the political tomfoolery?

Some may not know that I have followed various controversies for near fifteen to twenty years. From the Vancouver (Washington) Police Department lawsuits involving Chris Kershaw, Sharma and a few others to the Columbia River Crossing Project. Yet, you don't see the average citizen except for the average person undertand what is going on and their still seems to remain an apathy and a "who cares? attitude" amongst local politicians and citizenry.

Do you hear the local people actually demanding in great numbers for change? A politician stand up for a citizen?

May be I'm just tired of what I see, is a lot of special interests here getting their way. I do have a love for the people here in Clark County and the business people I have met here. Why do I feel the government at some many different levels is just so out of touch with reality?

**Sigh** Maybe its time for me to move to a REAL Community that cares about its people instead of the game playing I see happening. I have been hear on and off for near 25+ years and it seems to be that nothing has changed. Even with the newest generation (my generation) of politicians...

Why should I have to continue to waste my time and the time of people I know that bust their asses off, yet every time some thing comes up, it gets ignored or told, no we can't do that?

Occupy Vancouver Washington?

If you so inclined, (though I am not) there is going to be a Vancouver, Washington of this protest this Saturday October 15th.

If you would like to know more, please go to this Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=281691328522682

Thank you to Cami Joiner for the link via Twitter.

Bridging the Gap 2 ~ The reason I won't be going...

I wanted to make a comment about this since I won't be able to attend. I am a ticket holder and wish I could go. But do to my medical history and not now possessing a license to drive. There is weekday bus service in that area  of the event center provided by Ctran but for financial and ridership reasons, they do not offer the service on the weekends.

I would have to ride the bus for ninety minutes to Target on 164th Avenue from the westside of Vancouver, then walk 2 to 3 miles to hosting venue through wind and rain that is going to happen in the morning. Then two to three miles with the rain, back to the C-tran pick up point, then ride the bus for another 90 minute ride home.

(The Camas ~ Gorge winds can be ferocious this time of the year that are not suffered by most of the other parts of the city. Ever wonder why the Portland Airport is on the east side? Strong, Strong Winds...)

If you add up all of the time I would be making to commit to this event, it would probably be around 7 to 8 hours total to go to this event. I also cannot justify the serious possibility of having to walk out in the inclement weather and getting sick from it.

Anyone else want to get up 5:30am (other than the organizers?) to make the morning session?

I don't mind going to an event I can get to that is not out in the middle of Camas or near the cliffs of former gravel mines. It is just way too out there for anyone who wants to come.

I do believe there to be a lot of good content there. I do hope David DOES record it and post the 3 hour event on Couv.com.  The last show really only had the highlights. I wish there was more content the videos that were posted.

If someone from Davids office reads this, please find a bigger venue closer into town? There has to be a huge amount of schools all over this county that could host it that is not out in Camas...

When does the new life Dawn upon me?

I have had my own struggles with various time wasters of life. It was easier to live my life without others, fufill with online distractions, excuses or other addictive fodder that the Internet has become.

Do you spend 8 to 15 hours a day, seven days a week sitting in a chair wondering what the prophet from the electric coaxial lines will bring you from the morning, afternoon and evening?


Some of my closest associates and family wonder what it is like to have this much freedom to chose their lives. Yet it is a daily occurrence that one just sits behind a computer screen, cell phone, tablet computer or some other "electric, high speed calculator" that has come from many generations. And now the applications on those devices are not returning a real life style for those who have chosen the life style that I live.

There are many others throughout the world that have chosen to pursue such a lifestyle with their "mobile leashes" of varying types, yet they don't chose to turn them off and allow them to constantly interrupt at the great inconvenience of time.

If you miss a phone call, text message, email, photograph, social media update or some other connected media, you become depressed for having missed one simple failure.

So my life has been a serious of technological and personal change over the past 25 to 30 years. Add into it an additional problem of working late night jobs, failed relationships, backstabbing friends, failed opportunities that I will always regret that I never forced myself to go after.

I'm bounded right now by an increasing amount of depressive thoughts. High stress and pressure because life is really hard right now for me, psychologically, physically, spiritually and financially. I wonder when I am going to hit rock bottom?

Have you ever had some thing like this happen to you? I don't have the depressive feelings for passing on to another life. But the stress of failure in my life is haunting my every night.

I hope I can find some thing good this weekend to keep me busy. I tire of this continued depressive existence.

Do you know or have a Mentor in life?

Hey All. I just wanted to make this day, October 7th, "Thank the Mentor Day."

If you have someone in your life (alive or upstairs, does not matter) who is watching over you, please look at them and give them a heartfelt thank you for the time, financial commitment, emotional support or any other wonderful thing that they helped you out with.

Do you hate mindlessly long searches on the web? I LOVE this search engine!

Blekko: Slash the web. New Search Engine BETTER than GOOGLE.

For Lou Brancaccio, do you still think Vancouver has an identity crisis?

Some time ago, the editor-in-steed at the Columbian decided that Vancouver needed to go through a name change or find some new identity through his own moniker process. It has gone around we have called it "Vantucky," "The Couve," "Where'sLouNow?" and many other fascinations from the intrepid leader of his own mind.

Well Dale Chumbley has for a year or so ago has been going around town trying to identify the great schmooze, machismo or wonderful places that he used to walk or drive by every day. Here is one of his wonderful attempts to figure out the identity of Clark County.

http://www.viddler.com/explore/DaleChumbley/videos/6/

Lou, are you being outdone??

Just to remember what IS possible in America.

I saw this video originally on Lew Waters Blog, Clark County Conversative about the 9/11 attacks and how average people rescued over 500,000 estimated people over 24 hours on every imaginable piece of floatilla that could make it into the New York Harbor to pull people off the Manhattan Island where the world trade center 1 & 2 fell along with other buildings.

If you ever wonder WHAT is possible and what an average person can do, please watch this video. I watch it every time for nearly a month when I get down into the dumps and need a real emotional life pick me up.

You know, I bet there are real life examples right here in our little jewel of county. Average citizens who are taking the time, the spirit, the love and with simple acts every day or as much as their lives allow, improves the lives of our wonderful community.

I would like to thank every single New York or New Jersey boat owner, boat hand or person who helped with this video OR help with the relief effort. And to Tom Hanks for doing some simple voice over work to add even more meaning!

BOATLIFT, An Untold Tale of 9/11 Resilience

I am also adding/editing in another wonderful video with Tom Hanks narrating. Its another wonderful piece just like the one above.

REBUILD - From The Ashes, The World Trade Center Rises Again

A very good morning to all in Clark County. :)

Good, early morning Clark County residents!  If you have not followed my blog before, I do a little smattering of this or that in my travels around the region, the nation or around the world through various forms of transportation or through the great world of the internet. I then post my musings here for my interest and hopefully, the interest of others.

I really do not do social media per se because my life is so busy. It would just add another life struggle into a chaotic life than what I am dealing with right now. (see previous posts on my blog to find out the history of my life.)

One thing that I came across on the web search through google was a website from Bruce Elgort, a local computer and business advocate from our little heaven! On his blog, he has a really interesting video series from Chris Martin Studios called Innovators of Vancouver. Thank you Chris for doing these.

Here is Dale Chumbley, who is a local Clark County realtor who does a lot of video and photography or having fun! Through his 365 Things to do in Vancouver . Or please search out Dale on facebook or twitter! :)

Innovators of Vancouver - Dale Chumbley Gives Back

Innovative contraption to capture wasp nest

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a wasp nest in an old fire drum?  Well here is a way one man did it. He put together a screened clear plastic/plexiglass container with an opening to a blower... It has a hose into the more risky parts so the wasps can be sucked in and he won't get seriously stung.

Even after he thinks the mass of the nest is gone, he opens it up and they are still a lot in there....

(**This video is for information, education and intrigue ONLY. Please do not attempt this idea unless you are seriously interested in getting hit by 1,000 or MORE stings from a WASP swarm and possibly risk death if some thing seriously goes wrong. This is NOT a jackass video or some other serious subject that is coordinated and choreographed by trained professionals. Please understand that there is a risk of life here to attempt this. Do not try this unless you are wanting to possibly die.**)

But here is the guys video:

Look towards your local bank or credit union

There was a complaint on another blog today about being charged what I consider to be a monthly "convenience fee" by a major national bank to access your cash through an atm from his local bank and that he will be going tomorrow to close his accounts, then open new ones at a local credit union.

I had a different but more sobering situation with another major national bank that grew over time to be one of the US's biggest banks through acquisition and finally it went belly up and bought by another major east coast banking concern.

Over the past year, it has been cutting a lot of services back. And it started asking for a minimum monthly cash flow by direct deposit or minimum $1500 deposit to get the free checking services. Along with that they also are looking to implement the same $3 to $5 monthly convenience fee that some other banks have all ready insituted.

All I can say is that the credit unions will have a field day with this now that they DO loan to small to medium sized businesses and will get more members from the continuing to push away unprofitable or low producing clients to smaller banks, high volume financial institutions or credit unions that want this business.

Then cherry pick the big and medium sized business that operate in cash flows of $10 million or more but below a threshold that it would make sense to have their own internal banking, bonding or economic staff that would handle all of these transactions internally or through a secondary, outsource company to take care of this for the company or corporate systems.

I did follow this other blogger, opened two separate banking relationships in Vancouver and working on improving my credit rating, saving and hoping that I might be able to operate my own business or own my own home. And really, I do believe that the bigger banks are just simply trying to unload what they deem as unprofitable customers...

And I want to privately thank the credit unions and local banks that are resisting this idea that your customer is the person that you just dump fees for every convenience but still charge fairly for the real services that deserve to be charged for.

Vancouver funeral home next?

I remember hearing somewhere on one of the many meetings off CVTV that the Vancouver funeral home may be moved or turn down to make way for a light rail station? Is this right and it might be one of the last 1st story building off the central downtown core to be razed for higher level building infrastructure?

I would sure love to hear on the blogs if this is true.

Downtown Vancouver Washington Burgerville gone for good.

As what is being reported by the Snoozemedia and other local news media outlets   are reporting that the former burgerville in downtown Vancouver,  that was closed near the a week or two ago is now finally torn down by the new owner Ellie Kassab to make way for a second phase of the development that he plans for the land that used to hold the City of Vancouver police station that contained asbestos and other things that was taken down a few years before and set vacant.

Always remember the great times and historical memories. Because that is some thing no one can take from you, even if a historical landmark has to give way to a new future developing use.

Thirty Day special session being called by the governor

As some might not know, I had the unfortunate distinction of being someone who has to depend on the government to stay alive. It is not by choice nor is it fun. If there was a way that I could get off, stay healthy and lead a normal life, I'd be there in a heart beat.

During the last go-around a year ago, the state legislature had to cut somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 billion dollars from the general fund and other priorities. They have also instituted closing of prisons, cutting heavily in to social services at many different levels and education, parks and recreation. It was sad for me to see that this had to happen. But with any common sense application, we were down 6 billion dollars and the cuts had to come from somewhere.

I won't play the blame game there. There are news media, state and local blogs, forums and other places to hash out the lastest rumor, fact or fiction that will have to happen soon.

The next step I do believe and my own opinion, that is going to happen is a huge and serious cut in medicaid, cutting off the full basic health plan, serious cuts in education and other big spending priorities that have come through the past legislative mandates. I also suspect that maybe a ferry or two is going to have to be held off, higher fees for basic recreation or choice options like state parks, even if they are allowed to remain open.

Both three parties are coming together, the independent, democrats and republicans to agree on a framework fo what they feel is going to need to happen in this special 30 day session so every single day session is not wasted on bickering, political posturing and sideswipes for no good or apparant reason. Nothing could be worse than emulating the US congress-of-the usual do nothings.

And to me, I do not see the ability to cut 2 billion dollars without a tax increase.
Now I have hurt some really good proposals from my political friends in here in Clark County. One has suggested opening up the contracts and giving the unions an ultimatum, this is what the state can do and if you don't like it, that is what there is. Basically have them take a pay cut or face mass firings.

*IF* there is a tax increase or a series of them to benefit certain sections, I want it to be temporary and targeted! Nothing is worse than just continually believing through lack of common sense that taxes aren't going to need to be raised to pay for BASIC services. That means NO free trips to the piggy bank trough for wasted political bureaucratic messarounds now.

I do believe that education needs to take its fair share of cuts, even if there is a decades old constitutional amendment making the paramount duty of state government to fully fund our students from kindergarten through College and beyond. Whether you or I like it, I do believe we cannot live in a political fantasy world anymore.

I want every single common sense idea from the our states citizens communicated to your legislatures. And with the new redistricting plan based on census and other data, coming forth and into fruition, it is more in need than ever for us to communicate with them what we feel is the more important and priorities of state government. I bet there are great solutions around our community in how to save further resources at ALL levels? I am repeatedly reminded every single day how good this community is for its citizens. We stand up, we charge and we take charge of the problems facing us. And if a political foe decides they want to be a barrier to our wishes, needs and desires? Hell, they are voted out of office.

I personally believe it is time for my generation of X, Y and Z born in the 1960 to 80s need to start standing up and communicating our needs! I am not going to slam, blam the bridge, baseball stadium or the biomass plant based on borrowed bonds or private funds or tolls. There are a number of good blogs in Clark County covering this issue!

But what I do not SEE is my generation stepping up and taking over from our grandparents and previous generations? Come on folks, it is time for us to step up and smell the coffee roasts!!!

Kiggins Theater. :)

If you are an officinado of Vancouver or old theaters, the Kiggins has been refurbished and is now open. If you would like to know more, please visit: Kiggins Theater of Vancouver Washington.

Swish down the frail lines

So I just got back from a 20 hour train ride from San Jose California to Portland and there were a few others with children that were going to go on to Seattle. All I can say is it takes some fortitude to ride a train that long with a child!

Amtrak coast starlight had some nice skyshows on the trip down. I got to stay up 15 hours until I got off at Sacramento, California to meet up with others. There was also the dancing jig waiter in the evening parlour tricks, the bar was nice to chat with other riders and finally, had an excellent chat with the cafe staff (where you can get more service and shorter lines. Most of the parlour eating is by reservations and may be some wait on the trains of up to one or two hours after the meal time.)

I cannot thank enough to each one of my fellow passengers to whom I owe so much for the fun. I should note that trains are NOT for the squeemish, the time sensitive ~ stuckupwads or for those whom have sensitivities to being closed in a metal raptures flying down rails at very NICE speeds. :) Or is that the same as riding in an aluminum tube tens of thousands of feet in the air?

Each coast starlight coach section usually handles about 100 passenger seats. And there tends to be several of those on each train. So I would not be suprised if there was not 1,000 people on each train along the Los Angeles to Seattle train loop. From my own hand calculations, I believe there are about six trains circulating and one of them is hitting either end point once a night.

So if my rough calculations are near correct, there might be 5,000 people riding anyone time per day on these trains and this is just one loop of main trains in the United States.

So if you are looking for a nice, little vacation away from the nagging mother, (maybe send her on a one way ticketed trip? joke!) to get away from the hussle and bussle, this might be an interesting choice/option for you and that significant other.

Well I have to run on on a vacation. The blog will be temporarily out of commission while I am gone. So you all have a great time while I step out for a bit.

If you have a moment, please check out Empower Up, The (revolutionized) New Kiggins Theater (on Facebook), or chuckle at The Daily Couve if you are stuck at work and have no more vacation time for the year! :-D

Or if you have the fortitude, give your local political candidate a call? Please have a comment or question ready for them. They always need to hear from you! You never know how they might answer or who might answer but its election season again and it is time for them to want to answer that burning question you have hidden away for that special time.

And remember, it is going to be soon enough that you are going to have to make a cognizant choice, so make at least one phone call, location visit with the candidates or go to the CVTV web site and find out how your candidate feels about the subject that you care about. Or better yet, enter them into the search engine sweepstakes and see what comes up! :)

And on that note, I Bid you all adieu.

*Sighs* What you need to find out about the "SnoozeMedia Patrol.... (tm)"

Ok, for those who don't feel that the local snoozemedia patrol does not have a sense of entitlement to humor, here is our fearless wanderer, Matt Wastradowski as the FOOD runway model for Saint Joseph's Sausage Fest cover that they were doing for a cover of the Weekend happenings section. (I have been thoughtfully corrected. It should be noted, this was an attempt at satire.)
With Troy Wayrynen, Sue Vorenberg, and other workers working on Matt to show us how they do a cover of the Weekend section from the inside! :)
And you shall note, that most of the employees in most of this video are in a hysteric state of myrth and happiness. So please,  Do enjoy! Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI8ZxY-TAIc

I want to thank Lew Waters over at Clark County Conservative for posting this youtube video on his wordpress site. I could not watch most of the September 11th videos on television, listen to it on the radio or view most of the other offerings but this seriously gave my heart a move that I could not move for nearly an hour after I watched it.

This video is about 15 minutes long. It shows you what average people can do when they put their minds to some thing. With one of the more horrific challenges of my generation and a couple overlapping generations coming, this news item will become one of our defining moments like a lot of our wars and conflicts of many different sizes and strengths of  preceding generations.

If you want to see what a group of Americans can do unselfishly in the moments of sheer terror, watch this video....

Source of the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDOrzF7B2Kg

Quotes & proverbs for today.

Have you learned from the old proverb, "As you do on to others that they do on to you?" or "Love they neighbor as though they are the the highest of ideals" even when they are not or "Take up charitable works to help others with no expectation of accrued benefit to thyself?"

As tomorrow is the anniversary of September 11th. Look for some way to help a neighbor out, pay forward a meal or coffee at a local restaurant, say hello to someone you may not know or go out to find someone out in your community that might need helping hand, a simple word of encouragement or simply leave a note on a door that says "I came upon this wonderful place & just wanted to let you know that you are in my prayers...."

And further, how about a simple, warm acknowledgement or smile without derogatory tone or expression? Some times the littlest things we do upon others, can come back 1,000 forward.

Politicians NEED to hear from YOU!

I learned a lesson a few years back when I had a strong opinion about a state issue and series of legislative bills going out on that. I believe I heard this from Craig Pridemore but I might attribute to several different state legislators in Clark County from the recent past.

What that legislator said to me is that if you HAVE an issue of any significance, please spend the time before the NEXT legislative session starts in January of 2012 speaking to legislative staffs, legislators and getting to know the various community groups or people that might have knowledge or influence in a particular area your interests lie.

There is the 49th district, 17th and 18th in central eastern and northern Clark County peal and finally the 15th that comes from yakima to represent the very rural and forested 15th of washougal and western edge of the columbia river gorge area.

And if you need to find contact find contact information, please use your favorite search engine to locate the nearest legislator contact information.

And one further piece of advise. Use a personal phone call, email, letter or face-to-face communication. Nothing is worse and I believe useless is to send some chain letter like response from an email forward, letter campaign or email service. It is not helpful and counter productive.  Would YOU want tor read one of those? The best best, write the subject or call with the best information you have and make as personable as you can.

Honestly, the legislators learn more from a constituent that has done their research WELL and can speak on topic intelligently. Why not give them a piece of your mind? :)

The September 11th memorials

I just wanted to add that I am praying for the friends, family and associates of September 11th, 2011 victims. You are in my prayers this weekend. I do hope all of you who are associated with this tragic event in any form do find some peace this weekend.

Is it time to face the music? (government discussion?)

I have begun to participate in online forums around the state  trying to find out the best questions and information about what I feel is one of the greatest issues my generation of X, Y, Z and millennials will have to face in their future. As it has been said, we are going to grow as a nation of older generations who have paid into a social security  and medicare systems, veterans assistance and benefits, given a lot of hurting folks a chance at life with Social Security Disability and other options, unemployment benefits at the federal and state level, tried to improve transportation options, clean up our environment all over the country and world. Then we can add US foreign aid, defense spending and covert operations and multiple generations of wars during the 19th and 20th centuries.

But if you look at what we have done, it comes down to one set of problems. And that is we have chosen as a nation to jump at every world problem, every need for some unspeakable, world public relations disaster as a nation. And that all comes down to every president and federal congress  who has chosen to use the power of our purse strings to run up a continued deficit of uneconomical  foundation from BOTH parties. Instead of me finger pointing one point in our historical, chronological order of our existence, I think its time we all had a talk around town, around the states and nation about how we want to run our nation.

There is s super deficit committee that was formed by the two major national parties to see if they can hammer out an agreement between themselves to avoid a bigger fight that happened just recently about lifting up our debt ceiling to keep our economy going and with it an agreement that if this committee cannot come up with some resolution of cuts, tax increases or economic modelling for the immediate future, there was going to be an automatic one to two trillion across-the-board cut down.

What I believe our nation needs to do, is cut out the special interests that hog down the political trough with what I conceive is unethical power-brokering and arm twisting and get down to business!

It is going to be my generation or one generation following who is going to have to stand up and finally deal with this mess if the vietnam generation of political appointees at the state and federal do not get off their butts and do the hard and unforgiving task that is before them over the next few years.

As the state and federal legislature of the vietnam die or chose to retire from political office, they are handing us a mess with a kick-the-can down the road mentality. Would you want to be voted into office to deal with a problem of heightened, over promised and hyped political maneuvered over generations? We have a generation X right now representing us in congress here in Southwest Washington. And there as the older generation of state legislators leave office, its is going to be my generation that is going to have to say NO to all kinds of special interests at many differing levels. Even the current governor is showing she does not have the fortitude to tell educational, health, safety, tribal and other opponents this sacred, two letter word?

I have not heard Jaime Herrera Beutler, Anne Rivers, Jim Moeller or many other local state or federal legislators stand up with gumption to say NO to something. I want them to stand up publicly at EACH of their state legislative districts and tell their political interests that we are going to be facing at a minimum this next session about a two BILLION dollar continued shortfall, just like the last session where they had to cut 6 billion. [Edit in, I am sorry to say I remember Ed Orcutt and Joe Zarelli, two local state legislators say no to a lot of things. And finally last year during the legislative session, I think the political powers that be were forced to listen when he had one of the biggest deficit reductions IMO in state history.--me]

I doubt there is anything left to cut at the state level. Though I bet there are a lot of people around who have GREAT ideas!?!?! And that is one thing I wish our next governor whomever it is, will do a listening tour during their campaigns to find things that we can agree on, ways we can simplify or simply CUT! I do not believe raising taxes is going to do anything because in any border county like Clark is (and MANY others!) people simply just use the state line as sympathy flag and go to the border towns to buy instead of paying the right taxes on use and ? on things that would go to our state government.

This is going to mean further painful cuts this go around. And no stone is safe. Not even the worst disabled amongst us, the orphan annie of yesteryear or any thing else. It time our state faced the music.

And another further development, I do believe our state government needs to get off the bond train like the federal government is using to finance all of its options. And that will mean an end in our county to stop going to differing government entities begging, pleading and conjoling and honestly, paying political influencers to bring money home here.

Clark County, its cities, regional partners and federal representation need to get off the gravy train. How would you like it to be known that in future generations, our great country had to default on its promise like California did with its IOU's and could not pay back to the bond holders back because someone could not say the two simple phrases, "I am sorry we cannot do this, there is no money for it" or "No, I am sorry its not in the budget and if you have any questions about the budget, see X director or go online to learn more."

And say that line at every government level!

Does anyone else have the same sense I do?

After watching the local political scene for some time & got horn swaggled a few times by misdirection, misleads and just plain tomfoolery of some campaigns, I think I am starting to smell another con coming up.

Now that the columbia river crossing project has passed Metro in Portland, the baseball stadium talks working there way through a process,  and Light Rail looking more and more like everyone who has fought it for near two decades is tired, that they have been worn down to pieces and that it actually might come to pass...

Now thinking things through, why do I have a feeling that the locals are again going to get shafted over and over again when they say, hey wait a second, what is this? And it is by then too late to have input.ON just about every new subject rumored or brought to bare, do the local constituents of Clark County feel they are being listened to or given consideration to their ideas, comments and opportunities?

I wonder if anyone else is getting this same feeling?

Terry Boyd moving over to KPAM @ 3-6pm

I just love that the caring Terry Boyd has moved over to KPAM with his show, Terry Boyd's World. I wish him the best of luck having to cover 20 hours or so of radio time. Matt Wilcox also moved over as his producer and Eriq the Great from the Victoria Taft show is helping them out to learn the new station and its format.

This man needs some help

There is a story going around on Publicola (src: http://publicola.com/2011/09/08/man-in-crotchless-spandex-outfit-sets-fire-tries-to-cook-his-own-weenie-in-city-park/  ) about a man who wore spandex chaps with exposed bits that lit a fire in a Seattle fountain early one morning recently in front of police & firefighters saying: "We are having a weenie roast.

Downtown Vancouver BurgerVille going away...

I just wanted to wish everyone who may has great memories of this great treasure that has been around for so many years. It will be closing tomorrow, Sunday September 4, 2011 at 10pm along 15th Street and C street across the street from the former City of Vancouver City Hall.

This is wonderful and I  hope others have a chance to have a great meal before going on with their days or nights.

How I feel about LGBT & Marriage?

Some might argue that Marriage is a paper certificated contract between two humans. And in some states, is engendered with as a man and woman only and some states, it is whomever you choose to love.

I have come down to a place in my life about this subject, which may be different from other local bloggers, community members or national speakers might feel about it. And it might be the first time in my life that I have finally had to make the decision to step up in my life and live it.

No, I am not LGBT or any other label that someone wants to slap on my forehead. I am just a simply person who lives a simple life.  This commentary may lose me some friends, family, business or engender further economic strain and stratification. And it might be the same way for many other families across this great nation.

Have you ever felt that someone else around you deserves to live their lives in peace? Without unearned slander, libel or label unless they so choose to apply it?

I believe two people should be able to live together and stay together, regardless of race, gender or any status, unless they so choose to bring it into their lives. And this may mean that they also will have to live with the stigma of past generations that may look down upon them as though they are not humans or people worthy of the basic rights of respect and love.

To me, marriage is about two people, who love each other. That are coming together to profess to their community that they are willing to take a step of a greater responsibility, to love, to nurture and to live the rest of their lives together. They may or may not choose to bring a child or multiples of children into their lives. That they are willing to make this union and bond for life that is enshrined on a marriage vow and certificated at a court house in their legal jurisdiction.

I feel that they are just looking for the same right, the same love and attention that anyone else wants. They don't want to be treated as spectacles, obfuscations, abhorants or problems.

Now I could spend a long time looking all over the internet for statistics two and fro about the subject. To defend, argue, debate, debase and honestly waste a whole lot of life tragically that our nation could be using to look at the REAL problems facing cities, our nation, our world.

Yet, this subject engendered so much anger, hatred and emotional tragedy. Does anyone else see a problem here? Why are we wasting time and energy on the subject, when there is so much other things that our nation needs fixing

As long as they are not hurting anyone, I'll go find some other subject to deal with and would love to take my community forward and on to the next thing? Hell, let them do what they want, even if they need to go to online paper mill for their marriage certificate....

Is there a real news media in Clark County?

So I have read for some time and heard through conversation over the past the past two decades that the people of Clark County wanted some form of local news and community connection to find out more about themselves and the state that they lived in.

Yes, there is a new radio station that plays twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week of syndicated conversative talk radio that was shifted from sister stations and other local conservative stations to KKOV.

And there is a local daily that does a small percentage of news of what is going on and spends resources to local charities and business partnerships. And it has an executive staff that ticks off the local political blogosphere. Yet does not do much more than that?

You also have FVTV, which offers low cost production classes, studio time and gear for local productions for non-profit and local community events. It replays all of its content off the PEG access channel on Comcast channel 11. If you are not a cable subscriber, how are you able to access the production content?

The Vancouver Voice was a local weekly sheet & blotter that broke a bunch of local stories like the Storrow Case, The Value Motel Saga and other stories. It is now on the chopping block by its owners. I am not sure if its going to get picked up by a new publisher and financial backing due to the economy and the newsprints continuing escalating costs and declining readership as more and more people move online to get their hard news.

Some other local options Daily Insider, Clark County Live, Daily Couve (local satire), Vancouver Business Journal are smaller readership but also fill the gap for important constituencies here in our little neck of the woods.

There are many other online discussion forums, Facebook conversations and forums and many other ways we can communicate. But where do you think you can find a place where all of us stand as one as community speaking to the nation about WHO we are. I would love to see some thing like that happen.

Walkways throughout Clark County.

I am hoping to figure out what kind of new walkways in Clark County that I don't know of. There are so many in Vancouver and Hazel Dell. Burnt Bridge Greenway, Salmon Creek walkway? I believe there is one around Lacamas Lake. What about Battle Ground lake?

Safeway finally giving us a wake up in the morning?

If you have not been to the Safeway on Main Street in Vancouver in some time, they have been under a 2 year remodeling project to improve the store with paint, new landscaping fixtures, restripe and take down a douglas fir and other trees that looked like they were going to fall a year ago.

Though I have I have been to some of the other stores in town, this one is one of the smaller in town and I wish they had expanded it in some form or another or moved it to another place to make it bigger.

But the reason for this post is that they installed a new Starbucks station on the northside door. So if you are shopping, go up when it opens soon and chat with the new barista.

How many Indian Casinos can YOU count?

Some might not know that I used to hang up near the Canadian border for years and again. Tonight I counted from Seattle North to the border along Interstate 5, six different opened casinos and cardroom operations opened. And one being proposed by a landless ~ non-reservation Samish tribe. ( source: Seattle Times http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015985686_samish23m.html ) are wanting to build a tribal gaming hall ~ casino operation.

They are right now at the very first step in the process. The Samish have identified land in Arlington Washington near their ancestral home that they would like to take into trust through the federal Beura of Indian Affairs ~ Interior Department, which can take anyone from three to ten years or longer, depending on the process.

The Swinomish have a casino very close by and are looking to open a hotel on their land site some time soon. The Lummi, Skagit and Nooksack also have with some varying degree this same setup ~model  that was started by the Tulalip tribe about a decade ago in planning after their tribe, outlet and box store campus and ampitheater complex near Quil Ceda contined to grow and expand near Marysville, Washington.

Now Clark County has its own version of this as well. The Cowlitz Tribe is proposing to take land into trust near La Center and build their own casino and hotel complex. There has been much discussion, concern and in some cases outright hostility to this proposal. This melodrama is still being played out many different fronts from county, regional, state, federal and external tribal fights over the Portland Metropolitan area. And one might also surmise through search engine querying that there is a LOT of money being thrown around in this fight.

Though if you look around, the Warm Springs wanted to move their Casino near Cascade Locks but this may have been put off and change recently within the past six months. The Lucky Eagle Casino and Great Wolf Lodge own by the Chehalish tribe  up near Chehalis is also competing with this same group of traveling bangos from both Portland and Seattle that pass by that the Cowlitz will also be catering to.

And finally the tribe to lose some significance and fighting the most, the Siletz  and Grand Ronde tribes are fighting the Cowlitz casino as it would be direct competition to their own reservation casinos that are on the coast or out-of-the way locations and probably directly depend on the Portland metropolitan to feed their operations. And there is no major urban populcation within 150 miles of the coast or near salem area operations.

So the nearest operation is Portland or Sacramento if you want to make a LONG drive to these operations. 

But the thought I finally came up for this post, is there a direct correlation of casino shopping going on?

 

What to do what you meet a FanBoi...

Have you ever been around technology circles and all someone can do is just cop a feel on the trigger of hate for a piece of hardware or operating system? Do you just get tired of someone who just plain wants to dump on you all of their troubles about X brand machine?

Well, here is my fix for this situation.

1) I ask myself, "Is there any educational value exchange for me or the other person to learn some thing?"

2) Is someone freeloading and wanting me to babysit their problems or waste my mental hours of computer persuasion and experience in such a way that I am basically doing it for free when our economy so desperately needs jobs? Basically they're looking for a free handout.

and finally: 3) Is there some fix out there that they could simply go out, find out or help with? (my usual answer to this question is to ask the person to search Google, Yahoo, BING or some other search engine that they prefer. That is how I am going figure out the answer to their question. So why not have them do their own research and take me out of the equation?)

 

Those are my general questions I ask. I also apply the priniciple of "don't reinvent the wheel, use what WORKS." Nothing is worse than buying an expensive doohickey that requires hours, days or weeks of tech support phone calls, friends coming over to help you fix or continues to give you problems. I also use a metaphor, what truly does not work because the most expensive doorstop or boatanchor.

Have you ever bought your expensive piece of  "_______" brought it home and come to find out, it is just a big boatanchor? Even worse, you bought it on clearance or no returns policy? It does not even have to be computer software or technology, it could be any thing. And later into the future, you can look back at this foepaw from the past and laugh at it.

Yes, I have done this many times. And it is a learning experience!

BoJack finally has the interesting side of Portland?

For those who may not know, Jack Bogdanski over in Portland has had a blog for so many years. Its an interesting take and taste of what he feels about what is going on in the mero portland region. He does include some Vancouver, Washington stuff. But his blog is mostly Portland geared.

Please go check it out any time. BoJacK

If California is losing big, Why is Washington state not going aggressively after the spoils

According to this CNN.com article, the state of California is currently losing about five times the amount of businesses to other states due to its business climate, tax and other regulatory snafus along with its worsening credit rating that is leading to a lot of I-o-U paperweight instruments that probably will never be paid.

Why is there not a major push by CREDC and other local businesses to push our positives? 

No autos on the new cable stay Portland Milwaukee Maxx

If TriMet can't get any sicker they are planning a cable stay bridge (think the columbia river crossing bridge options) that will have options for pedestrians, buses and light rail but NOT cars?

Some times I am begin to wonder what wisdom TriMet has installed inside its executive suites?...

Thanks to Jack Bogdanski for the link.

Now this does not work?

Look, I am really seriously upset that the state of Washington is spending hundreds of millions on differing processes on various state projects and now this:

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jul/10/photo-tolling-not-there-yet-switch-to-statewide-co/

They cannot even seem to get a simple technology of photo toll of offenders right. So are they now going to have to go back to hand written checks to make sure the right people get the right infraction?  And why do I have a feeling this will be put on the columbia river crossing project?

Has your girl or boy run away locally, you might want to get hooked into this organization!

I have been watching an hour long interview with David Madore, Naylene Frunk and Cindy Romine with Called to Rescue at US Digital Media Studios: (url: http://couv.com/issues-viewpoint/clark-county-today/called-to-rescue# )

This interview is four parts and an hour long. Very, very interesting on how these men AND women picking up young children locally or around the world by grooming them psychologically, physical threats and manipulation at so many different levels. And to make sure these children never come back, they are moved through a major corridor like Interstate 5 out of the original area they were taken.

So it is important in the first 48 hours to locate your child.

If you would like to contact Cyndi for more information, please check out her website at http://www.calledtorescue.org

Before you hand your Laptop, Cell phone or other technology over?

I have been having several discussions in email about what you should do with recycled computers, cell phones or other electronics. First, do a full assessment of the condition of the hardware and determine if it is sellable?

A good market to check is Craiglist, Ebay? Try posting there if you think you can make money on it. Though understand some online operations will charge fees or percentages of a sale as a condition of final sale. Though you could get some good hard cash!  

If you have an item that is older than a decade, why stress selling it? Try selling it on craigslist with a price negotiable in the ad. It might be one of the few places your old technology in the clutter closet might be worth some thing to someone else. As always, be smart, meet in a well lit, public area like a local grocery store or venue to do the final exchange! Never do it at your home, place of business or private area that you would not want some burglar or thief to steal from. 

Next try some form of free give away, FreeCycle and other sites offer free postings of offfered items for free. You could also try some form of free ads sites depending on the item and its options. 

And finally and probably the best option, try donating it to a local charity!  I would first go find a phone book or go online with your favorite search engine to look for contact information (email, phone, address.) Please save yourself the aggravation of driving a bunch of electronics somewhere!  Call or email them first to get an idea of if they take the item in question. A couple phone calls will save you the driving around town trying to donate an item?

Also check with friends, acquaintances or your local church members? (if you have that inclination?) You never know what your social circle of friends might have for recommendations. There are so many different options for getting rid fo stuff, it is just your imagination as to what they can be.

Oh, one more thing and vital thing. If its a computer related item, say Desktop or laptop, by all means, PLEASE get some form of software to wipe the magnetic media! There are many options out there for cell phones, computers, copy MACHINES! (have an office? they have hard drives in most of the newer models. Wipe that too) to wipe the data from them. A good search engine with the appropriate model will help to ensure you private data, email, documents, pictures, email and phone trees do not land into the wrong hands. 

Be smart, your ID and data is becoming more and more valuable to the criminal element. Please be smart, take the time to do what needs to be done so that your electronics do not betray you.

Holland Partners doing a lot of building up in Seattle?

Hey guys, I am reading all over the pacific northwest papers that you guys are sure doing a lot of apartment building up in Seattle?  I hope the local newspaper picks up on that because you are sure moving a lot cash up there to build in some nice, prime areas.

And thank you for thinking of doing business here in the state.

The dues, the don'ts and who is missing out...

Some people may have read some of my earlier posts that basically say that I have a chronic disease that forces me to do a couple visits a year. Its not some thing I enjoy, but its a fact-of-life for me right now. And for those who may not know, the current Washington state and governor has some important bills up in Olympia to reshape government to effectively cut along many lines to cover a five billion dollar shortfall and possibly have to deal with an even weaker economy than the washington state economic forecaster had predicted just before the end of the current session of both state houses.

Here is a simple list of what passed and what didn't.

 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015149811_legislature26m.html

 And a second one:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015149811_legislature26m.html

 

Just in case you need to follow along to find out what finally came out of the special session that just ended. And there are going to be some serious cuts all over the budget and no one is going to be happy with it. And in these economic times, screaming bloody murder or suing the state isn't going to help the situation. 

We are in bad times. That means everyone from teaches to health professionals to medicad recipients are going to have to tighten their belts and if they can do without to help the state, then do it!

Weather, what wonderful weather?

:) Yes, its time I should have posted some thing great upon the minds (some say mindless?) of people who found my blog by search engine, fate or luck or some time of connection to a story or mess that I posted.

If you are in the Clark County Washington area, two suggestions for your wonderful Sunday! First, stay out of the rivers and lakes right now. They're all running HIGH and fast, hypothermic cold level that will kill you almost within minutes of jumping in. With that some of the bigger streams to Columbia River, they're full of snow and runoff, logs and other debris and could pull you under with flip of a wave. 

If you must go out on these rivers, please wear a life jacket and the appropriate gear for the weather. 

Have a wonderful, early summer sunny day.

Patriot Act four more years

Today, congress just passed this act for another four years against money launderers, terrorists and any other person they feel they need to control. I have my own personal opinion and hope to be able to write tomorrow more about how I feel about it. Its late but from what I saw, there was very little debate on the floor of both houses of congress on this before it was passed. Now it is now on to President Obama for his signature. 

Mr. President, do we have a problem?

According to a Yahoo News article, a computer generated a code name for our dear Mr. President when he went to Ireland to retrace his Irish ancestry before his great grandfather left for the United States of America. What makes this so funny is the name that was chose was so appropos to his personal demeanor.

The name that was chosen for him was "smart alec."

I wish the president the best on his upteenth joy ride at presidential expense to some foreign function that really could be done after he leaves office. 

 

Link to story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20110524/ts_yblog_theticket/obama-code-named-smart-alec-in-britain

 

Swish, its time to begin that eternal sunshine to put a spot on that mind.

It is another day in Clark County paradise with another day of fountain of water from the ethersky coming down on my head as I head to several of the local stores. Its also again time to look into pulling those greens, yellows and other floral of fun, weeds!  Anyone else got the green or in some great cases, the thumb for having fun in the garden?

I am working the past day or so to clear out my lawn and other common areas of weeds and getting ready to plan some small amounts of things. I Just moved last fall and do not have time this year to put in a huge garden or any thing bigger than small few flowers to beatify my space. 

How do you like to create your own wonderful, outdoor visual space?

Get out and enjoy, Clark County Washington!

If you have not all ready noticed, its a wonderful, lush, green and sunny Sunday. Get out if you can to breathe in and sample all of the wonderful sunny things you can do after spending months in a hermitic ice sleep going from work to home to work.

Whatever you have to do, enjoy this wonderful sun before it goes into 100 degree heat around August 1st, which is not far from today.

Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, What's up Doc?

As some might have been able to surmise, I do not like to make my blogs political statements. But after what has happened in Washington State and in the United States Congress with our budgetary situation, I felt it was time for me to speak my piece on the subject of Federal entitlements and VA benefits.

I have heard comments in my local travels around Clark County about how we should just cut the defense budget, foreign aid, the Enviromental Protection Agency or the many other offices of the federal government to pay these entitlement costs. 

What I cannot believe is that our local population understands the issue very well. I do not think that they believe that they need to have a hands-off my pocketbook or entitlement-itis or do not my favorite program.  Maybe they are wholely ignorant about the financing of these great society programs that have been brought into existance in the 1930's and in some cases, as late as the 1970's to help people out of a jam. 

I personally believe that these federal entitlements have become these growing and out-of-control financial monsters that have not been no one at the federal level has ever had the guts to stand up and say, Wait a minute? How much do we have left? Or asked any further questions to clarify or get a handle on this problem. It has always been hand the hot political potato off to the next generation of political leadership, instead of dealing with the immediacy of it. 

Sure, there was some changes under Bush2, that helped create a donut hole and some other additional perscription relief. But what I remember from the last three or four presidents was that no one was willing to dare to ask the hardware question of where is the money going to come from?

And now our problem is going to balloon into an even huger problem with a growing, aging populations and a growing and bigger Veterans from multiple wars that we have fault over the last fifty years, some fresh from Gulf 1 and 2 - Afghanistan and previous engagements of Vietnam, Korea and several other engagements. 

I am all for helping people out to get them on their feet and if they are SERIOUSLY developmental problems, get them the local help if it is needed. Clark County can show the United States how we can take care of our veterans and some of our other residents as best we can financially. 

But there is a bigger question that is going to be facing my generation of Gen X and Y'ers.   How are we going to deal with this ballooning debt situation that will possibly come due on our watch here as United State citizens. I would love to hear some local commentary on this situation. Because politically and very soon, there are not going to be the options. 

Representative Paul Ryan has a plan and options. I bet there are several others out there in our nation that have ideas to help. It is going to take a national ADULT discussion, asking people on these programs lower their expectations of what they are used to be able to get under these programs and ask every single American if they can help find ways to cut, reduce fraud or save money within these government entitlements. 

Make no bones about what is coming up in our nation, there are gong to have to be significant cuts, restructuring of these programs to make them sustainable. And with the future savings, we can plow that to pay off the people both foreign and domestic that hold debt notes. There comes a point we have to ask ourselves, could you continue to live on credit cards, the family budget or piecemealing out bad checks and not be able to be forced through societal shame or some other tool to payback what you have spent? 

This is what the entitlements are at now. My generation is coming into political power and the Vietnam and World War 2 generations are now leaving the last poltical vestiges to us to handle, botht hrough retirement or scandal at the executive and legislative branches or at the simple government job level, they are being replaced by younger generations. And in some circumstances, the jobs are evaporating. 

And finally, we are now being handled the reigns of the political hot potato that Franklin Delano Roosevelt and successive presidents have signed into law and passed the political bucket down the road until we now are faced with fallout. 

And the very NEXT political Hot Potato that is going to have to be dealt with is our defense sector and all the jobs that it entails in ordinary America. I'll leave that for another post. Its a discussion we need to have and to figure out if we can still afford being the world's intervening police force through the United Nations.....

Why I love and Live in SouthWest Washington.....

So many of us have not always had the wonderful chance to explore every square foot of the southwest washington region that I define as the wet side of the Cascade range, the south corner of the Olympic penninsula to the Aberdeen - Long Beach to back down to Clark County and the wonderful and grand entrance of the Columbia river gorge near the west side of Skamania County. 

Here is a video I found of many great treasures we have here. Please watch, but MUTE the sound. It is quite loud but the video says a million things that not many people can say but can see the wonder things.

H/T to VesperTint