Happy Holidays, Everyone... Clark County, WA

I just want to wish all of my family, friends, local politicians and all whom may grace this wonderful page, a Happy Holidays in what ever form you choose to celebrate.
But I ask of you one simple request. If you are going to get hammered or even a HINT of it, please hand some one the keys to some one you truest or pre-arrange a taxicab or sober ride home. Nothing is worse to watch another preventable trajedy happen!

Westboro Baptist Church? What now?

Some might argue with the religious freedoms we enjoy here are not with frought and peril. I don't mind when someone has right to a privilege of thought and freedom as long as they don't impinge on others their rights.

(Westboro member Shirley Phelps Roper said on twitter that they were going to picket the burials of the adults and children of the Newtown, CT mass shooting...)

The case in point I have such a problem with is the Westboro Baptist Church, who have made it all the way to the supreme court in a case represented by the family of lawyers who's father is the head founder. The case was about a soldier who died and a law from the state they were picketing had to be a certain amount of feet or yards away from the funeral procession or burial site.

Now, common sense and decency will tell you that, out of moral conviction and human respect, you would go and picket a funeral unless there were circumstances that were way out of line and could not be addressed in some other forum.

The family who took this case up to the supreme court eventually won their case and now are back picketing any public relations opportunity they deem will get them massive attention. This church reminds me of a little child that when it does get its way, it goes running to the courts and in more cases than not wins the day or appeals failed rulings to higher courts and wins again?

Well, a group of uninitiate, separatist computer users and technical experts with a desire to teach the church going members of this group a lesson. Some how gathered up the list of members of the church along with employment data and requisite phone numbers and connection to the church or the Phelps family tree. The group eventually posted it on a text based web service called pastebin.com...

Now if this group named Anonymous did their home work right, they would have used a encrypted connection of some means so they could protect themselves from being discovered and having the web site or service come back with IP based logs of whom posted this comment. Kind of like a persecution protection. Though I do feel whomever was dumb enough to post this and was used as an entry or exit node, will be the one facing the a lawsuit action.

Or it could be an internal leak from within the family that wanted to teach the whole church a lesson and got access to the internal computer or system where this data was stored on insecurely... This by means teaches all a lesson! SECURE YOUR DATA, Idiots!

Newtown, Connecticut and another local Mass Shooting

Right now, I am just praying for the parents, families and the people of Connecticut who in some way were or are involved with the mass shooting there two days ago. Right now, there are twenty children and eight adults that were killed at a school in that city.

And with the recent three person shooting a week ago in Clackamas Town Center southeast of my current coordinates in Clark County, Washington. I also pray for the talk show hosts and people in the radio industry within the Portland, Oregon metropolitan media market and the families along with the thousands of people that were touched by this tragedy as well. It may have only been two people plus the gunman and one survivor who remains in the hospital with unpaid medical bills that might haunt her and her family for years to come because one person chose to take his mental anger and screwed up-ness on to others.

Luckily, he was not able to inflict more emotional and physical death on anyone else. I'm praying tonight that no death shall ever be inflicted in this manner any time soon....

And for the first time in my memory, this will be my generations turn to be parents of future generations to explain what happened and how this may impact the live of others. I now pray also for those parents and adults, who are going to have to explain to younger generations, what this really means.....

Columbia River Crossing and the state legislature...

I just wanted to let everyone know, regardless of how you feel about the light rail component or not, please contact them at your leisure through email, a phone call or letter your duly elected representation and let them know how you feel.  I am chosing to remain silent on the main political scuttle butt that stirs the passions amongst some of our local population because I simply feel it does not add any positive to the discussion that has been had for the past thirty years that have gone on about replacing the current Interstate Bridge that rests on wood pilings.

And further, I want peoople to get to know their local elected officials. Nothing is worse than allowing yourself to remain ignorant as a voter of whom are running for various elected offices that you can vote on without doing the requisite homework onn the issues you feel strongly about or whom you trust.

A party label is not going to be a guarantee of how someone is going to vote in the future or will choose to represent you in Olympia.

I won't put up the various officers and representatives information here. Clark County is way too big and too many offices that one can find out with a simply search on a search engine (there are plenty around) you can find out whom is running for your political interests,  geographic area AND party affiliation, if that is office is partisan or not.

Political Games 1 - My Sanity ZZZERO

Well, in about three weeks the Washington state budget will be coming forward. The the legislature will convene with its new and old guards and a new governor will be in office starting around the first of January 2012.

What my concerns are, is where they are going to be cutting to square the budget. My feeling is, they are going to be targeting what is left of social services to fill a billion dollar budget hole plus a washington state supreme court ruling with an additional billion dollars from this same budget area. And a new democratic government is saying he will be able to do a lot of reformation to make it happen.

As someone who has come to depend on social services of the state to stay alive, this concerns me. And no, please do not call me a leech, ok? I would like some of our local bloggers to live my life and walk in my shoes before they continue to utter such thievery of thought process.

I have done everything within my power to stay off these subsidies. So please go take your crank and go churn out your bull over on your own blogs about the columbia river crossing project, ok?

I am worried for the voiceless. The ones who may not be able to say much. The ones whom don't have the options and opportunities I have had. And it won't just be the social services that I feel will have to be targeted, it will be targets at higher education and transportation projects that are not bonded to achieve this promise.

If K-12 education is protected monies in the state budget, where else (short of long term bonds can you target?)

Sadness - When things are looking down....

AS someone who has been in various hospitals in Clark, King and Whatcom counties over the past twenty years, I read this story of a young woman who died within the past week of Cancer. Liz Rowan passes on

I will not go into a comment on the comment section, that will be for the family, editor, publishing family to discuss. It is not something I feel is my place and would just inflict more pain on the family.

But I wanted to add some perspective as some one who has a debilitating chronic disease, lost body parts and watched older and younger members of my family that have died from this disease. And eventually, I will have more things go wrong in my own, young body.


I feel from my own issues and chronic disease, that at some point I will succumb to the damage of its effects. My family will have their time to grieve and since the local paper knows of me, I probably will also be target of an article by a local reporter.

My hope that the point that I do succumb, there will be a leadership change and possibly a new media system that covers our local community. I have seen what that local newspaper is capable of. Though I am not going to hold this reporter up as some one who has no heart or emotions, I have issue with her bosses and how they continue to use this community as a target practice for their own initiative and desires.

And how it manipulates situations to get what it wants. The whole story coming through the comments section alone is a tragedy in its own right.

I will say that I pray the reporter, the family and people who are closely involved will come to some comfort and resolution at some point.  When some thing like this comes along, no one wins, no one.

And I just hope my own family or friends are the subject of it.

The Columbia River Crossing Project

As some might have seen me post on several local blogs and the local snooze media, I believe in a project that people can get their hands on, that is effective, efficient and reliable. I won't say every project is one hundred percent perfect or that people will ALL want it the same or its perfect.

What I am looking into and desiring is to see what people really, really think about this project. And the facts surround it. I'm not really interested in th same group that has complained vociferously the same lines and issues since this project started in 2004 or so.

I will say I personally have issues with how the public was treated and how it was formed. And it is seems like some of the local politicians don't give a damn about listening to the locals and how they feel.

I am still watching the Wasington state legislature and wondering, with a two billion dollar deficit, five megaprojects with three being in Seattle, one in spokane and the CRC down here, where are they going to get the money for this project? That deficit is one part a mandate from the state sumpreme court and the other a financial hole that is about a billion dollars each.

One jump over the Cuckoo's Nest....

Ok, people. There is a new legislative session coming up at the state level and a new clark county commission coming together both in January.

I have one question, WHAT do you think should be the top priorities?

All I ask of you is get in contact with your local and state representatives and PLEASE email or tell them what you think. I might suggest not using a mail form or template email - mail... Instead, take the time and write it from the heart. Nothing is worse than wasting their time and yours sending out pre-made templated email or spam with name on it.

A phone call, personal email or letter goes a lot farther because a staff person knows you took the time to compose some thing from your heart. And remember, no politician is going to 100 percent agree with you. But at least their staff or they will read what you sent.

Politics, Grandma is it over yet?

I just feel that I am happy to say, the presidential election and politics is over for a few more months until another round of political backstabbing and mediocrity is back.... And no, I am not happy about the elections. Not because of the choices, but the tone and some of the savagery, poor sportsmanship of the losers. Now, I am going to turn off the television, through it out the window and finally say, guys on both sides of the political....

Only the human mind makes things "infallible..."

What do you get when you have one generation writing down their 

interpretation of another generations interpretation of another

generations interpretation of another generations interpretation?

Now add that interpretation is sent through oral stories, grunts and 

physical communication?

Could you apply this model to the Bible or any other multi-generational 

document? And with each successive generation, could it have a different  

meaning than another one?

Next time you hear someone suggest that something is "infallible" or 

"Must BE True beyond a Shadow of a Doubt?" Share with them this wisdom. 

In any form other than exacting testing, it shall or should be known as 

an unproven theory.... 

Finding Whitney...

My prayers go out to the murdered woman, whitney heichel. May she RIP and family find some comfort tonight as her body was found. Her killer was Johnathon D. Holt was arrested and as a occupant of the same of the same housing complex as whitney and her husband were. They found her liscense plate and cell phone today, which will have further evidence against whomever did this heinous crime. 

(edited to include a few more bits of information....)

An added addendum: This guy was found to have ditched two guns while being followed by investigaters, child porn on his computer and other stuff... He has been charged by a grand jury that there is probable cause that he is the one in question by cicumstances beyond doubt that he committed these acts. And he further confessed to the murder... :(

Political debates - twitter - facebook and social media...

Well, I might be a different duck in this world. But I got tired about fifteen minutes into the debate hearing the same political slapstick being uttered by "both" sides of the presidential coin. It sounded like both sides couldn't come up with a decent, cognitive argument that wasn't prepared like an iron on T-shirt. Kind of like snake oil salesman selling a product to the masses.

I even have had to turn off twitter and facebook tonight, because all of my friends and family are tweeting or facebooking this crap up to the highest hilt. I might go back tomorrow, when social media finally gets muttered down to a reasonable number of comments, because people are going to sleep. I also don't appreciate the filter and file b$ from the cable news outlets telling how from their own political perspective some thing looks. I don't know if anyone else thinks like I do, but I simply will not turn on these people during the last two presidential political debates rounds because all I heard was these fools in the background barely muted tell us their perspective when someone was talking.

Every person has the right to their first amendment spoken privilege, but I should have also the privilege to tone down or tune out the drivel. This is what I had to do with social media tonight. What I want from social media is quality content about a subject, not 100GB per second flood or higher of social media fire hose flooding me with crap!

Look, I have my bent on the presidential election, but I am right now remaining independent to near the utter end. I want to see how these guys handle themselves, as well as the vice presidential debate coming up within the next two weeks I believe from Danville, Kentucky.

I want to hear decent discussion. Decent thoughts. Decent options and perspectives. But with social media, I get flooded with the drivel up on high. You know, I think this might be a great saturday night live skit! Or a youtube video?

In other words, I don't want someone who blathers - yawn for hours telling me of "their perspective" on a very old medium like cable television... What I want to hear is a control, filtered experience of differing opinions. Very much like a good Opinion - Editorial page might form up. It is probably why I turned off the radio, the television and any online media systems tonight.

It probably is a great time to just get some rest and near the first week of November, vote for the best candidate I feel will do the right thing for America....

Columbia River Crossing a UP, WOW?

Jeff Mapes writes that this group wants to put this bridge on a plan of "common sense" cuts because they feel it may be like a "bridge to nowhere." There is more you can read from his short piece, you can find here:  Link

And you can find the report (Courtesy of Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian) from Taxpayers for Common Sense...  Link

The Columbia River Crossing Project - Light Rail vote

Sorry guys, I normally don't get too sap happy with politics around in #TheCouve. But I felt the need to add my generous helping of shlock, since i really have been involved real quietly since 2004 - 05 with the whole process in the back corner of many meetings..... But I wanted to share and sum up my feelings I have had about the local newspaper and its ten years of reporting on the subject, along with its head editor and op-ed page prognosticator...

Some time in early November, the residents of community in the C-Tran district will have a chance to vote on it one way or the other. It has been near a decade of meetings that will come to fruition. I hope this will decide whether our community of both Vancouver and the outlying areas want or do not want this project. So, which ever way it goes, I hope the community can follow that direction and the elected leadership will listen....

Daily Couve, she's BACK?

As some might not know, I took a temporary break from posting here at Blogging Around the Pacific Northwest. Family, medical and other life stuff happened. Not much I can do about that. But now that I am back, I thought I might comment on the Daily Couve Cheshire Grinner is back from the past! 

Temple Lentz, the bombastic, sarcastic and female conway twitty of her age is back roasting local Clark County politicians with fervor that our local snooze media Op-ED editor combs through the local blog scene to find the little ditties he can borrow for his weekly column to try and awake his career from the dead... 

I have to give her credit. I love some of her videos and posts. Though I might not personally agree with the viriliity and word choice she choose to impart on her readers. But hey, she's different and not like many other information choices you can find locally in Clark County or for that matter, in the extended Portland, Oregon media market that we are a part of. Now that a good group of the snooze media has finally figured out Twitter and Facebook, (which will remained un-named because a year or two ago, a lot of them were not on it!) 

So if you feel the need to clean out your mental filter with something fun, interesting and different, please head over there and give it a spin. http://dailycouve.blogspot.com/

Eastern Vancouver - Why are you not getting the same attention?

Now I am not suggesting that Washougal, Camas or many other areas around there are not effectively represented by local interests. But what I am curious about is I see a LOT of new busling movement around Downtown Vancouver. Yet, I see a lot of stagnation around building more and more infill and strip malls and how is there any effective communication of events and special things coming to that area. 

Yes, I know about Dozer Days, the Library, Firstenburg Center and a few other "minor works" around that area. But why isn't there a huge, growing  and glowing community around there that has some pride, takes ownership and publicizes the great employment center, condominium and rental space? Community and neighborhood options? 

Not everyone wants to live in a cubicle based housing system that basically means you are sharing four walls with your neighbor that is being built in growing succession in Downtown Vancouver and many other parts of Vancouver. Yet, I do not see the same connection, the same commmunication, the same continuity and togetherness that I see in the westside of town. 

May be I am just missing some thing?

The Colorado Massacre....

At the movie theater that was showing the new Batman movie Dark Knight Rising in Aurora, Colorado.  For someone to come in, kill 14 innocent people and hurt 50 others. Some that might turn into deaths later... Is so tragic.

I am praying for the families of husbands, wives, friends, children that might have been up at the late night movie. My prayers go out to you...

Fourth of July...

Hey guys. I just wanted to wish everyone reading my blog a happy and safe Fourth of July, 2012 this year!

Ann Rivers - How someone should serve...

I want to let publicly know how much I appreciate Ann has moved from being a repesentative of the 18th legislative house district into Joe Zarelli's senate seat to help him finish out his term. IF you really want to see how a legislator should conduct themselves, take a look at Ann, Ed Orcutt, Don Benton and a few others, they'll show you how to lead by example. 

I shall state that I may not politically agree with their viewpoints. But how they carry themselves, interact with consituents and represent the will of the people of their district to members of our state who may not know Clark County that well...

Things that go Boom. Could it be an economic engine?

Even though I know that there are some on the Oregon state side that complain about our fireworks, going across the columbia river, it IS one of the economic exports for clark county for both charity and other non-profit as well as a few for-profit stands that pay special assessment - fees and other basic state taxes to help support other services we depend on.

Vancouver does has a very controlled few days of the year you can blow off fireworks, I believe to be July 1st to July 5th at midnight, along with some time limits. The outer Clark County have a longer buying and light off season. And other cities in Clark County  might have their own rules or desires, so if you live here, please check into the proper rules BEFORE you light stuff off. 

Happy 4th ALL!

Politics - What drives me nuts?

Have you ever thought you got so sick and tired of the label making and approbation of the responsibility of making good decisions for the sake of what is best for your community?

Yes, I am frustrated with the fervor of illegitimate thought to kowtow to a certain political persuasion or another instead of what is best for Clark County community or simply, to whine about how this is or is not fair?

Guys, you have now represented me for near a decade now out of thirty-five year plus existence.

I CARE LESS:

-About what people do in the privacy of their bedroom or the legitimacy of their private relationship or the gender thereof. If you want to get married, what is it the business of government?

-What business you construct as long as you DO NOT inflict harm on some one else. That means if you want to sell controlled substances in a decent, fair way, why is it the governments job to babysit you?

-I do believe that taxes should be fairly applied, if they necessarily NEED to be at all. I do believe in giving everyone a level playing field in employment and trying to run a business. But do you think those special tax breaks for corporate businesses still need to exist, when they are usually applied for a special, political interest or region?

-If you so choose to join a group of other employees to bargain in good faith with a government or private employer, you should be able to opt out of having your dues going into political places that the are chosen by executive or group decision. I call it a way to protect the minority political free speech....

-There are some local political bloggers that are bitterly into opposed to various freeway project. Some for what I term good reasons, some questionable. I'm now stating my preference to find a workable, transportation solution for the columbia river crossing. And that may MEAN restarting this process over?

I am also into an electronic controlled, toll based system to add another bridge over the columbia river that surpasses around the whole current year 2000 or older idea of a bridge across river as it seems fit. I do not say I believe that this toll system should be implemented in variable tolling fashion for this system but I believe it probably could be financed through private means to help grow the future of our county.

I am not sure of the exact location as per se. There is a lot of proposals out there on this, so I won't belabor this point!

-Find an effective and cost efficient way to deal with our government problems. Step up and let the ideas flow. I don't always believe that the answer is to hire more people to through out at a problem. I am not saying that there aren't certain parts that work great right now but with the continued deficits that are facing in local, regional and state governments just to name a few, why are we not looking at solutions?

That may mean privatizing the fire and law enforcement in our community or how about regionalizing some of these functions? Like the sewer and water works, health department? If someone does not want to join in on the effort, they could hire the people for the right forces for non-emergent issues.

For police and fire, there are agreements in place for sharing of resources in emergent situations and I applaud this. But I also feel that due to the cost and financial strain as this is the highest cost center employee outside of executive positions in government, why are we not looking for merging or some other way to wring costs out for the communities in Clark County?

Maybe merge all of the suburban areas with fire department areas, City of Vancouver and other urban areas into subdistrict areas of a greater whole?

Well, I think this is a start. I may have more later. But this is my feelings for the moment in Clark County, Washington....

Ahh yes. I think we need some humor... (the columbia river crossing project and the local hounds of whinerville....)

While other blogs take more insane features of the columbia river crossing project, note here,  here and here?

There needs to be a little leavitt-y in the situation that have been still born around the local blogs for nearly two decades.

Now I know that Mayor Leavitt (and passionately Mr. Stuart) have their private moments and feelings about this project. I thought this song might some up the comments and conversations that have been going around recently and probably will sum up the mayors current position, quite nicely.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor for having some thick skin. And now, what I feel sums it up SO well.....

HOT<> HOT<> HOT!

Get out the water bottle, ice pack or find some great place that is cool! Expect the next three or four days to be in the upper 80s to mid 90s in Clark County, Washington. If you need to, go seek out the library, grocery store or some other great, cool place!!!

Clark County What a RIDE! :)

Hi everyone. I am back.... I hope you all are having a warm Thursday May 10th, WARM afternoon. Go out, enjoy that sun and maybe go talk to one of your neighbors. I know that I did recently in this beautiful weather!

CRC project over for me, time to move on.

The people who know me well in real life know that I decaded near ten to fifteen years of daily meetings, weekly briefings and political discussions. After a personal medical crisis in 2010, I decided I had to cut back my schedule and nightly watching of the City council and Board of Clark County commissioner meetings, which can take DAYS to watch, 

And if you add in all the blog posts, forums and exchanging email on the subject? Some who know and have done this for this long, know that you have to give up your right-to-family or second mortgage on your body for the time it took away from family and every year you had that project in your life. 

After the fantasy and games I have seen going on in the community to get this project built, I have decided that I must step aside from the politics of this project, the columbia river crossing project. Will it ever get built?

I doubt it will come under the guise of this currrent city of Vancouver mayor. Even if he wins the next mayoral election in 2013? He will have to dedicate two full time jobs of workload plus travel to junkets on rail and other topics of concern plus vacation AND keep down a full time position employment wise to fufill the life needs and keep the lights on in his own home. 

The you add in events from his community he has to attend 24-7? I would not wish that job on the insane. 

I think tis time to go on and live a more fruitful life. I wish the people who want to spend significant resources defending or disputing the columbia river crossing process the best. I don't find it worth the fight in me anymore. 

:) The Columbian tweet-UP

On March 1st, 2012, I was over at Pizza Schmizza over in Salmon Creek that hosted a three hour event from 6pm to 9pm or so. What a fun event! I loved meeting Andrea Damewood, Laura McVicker, Matt Wastradowski and so many of the reporter faces over at the Columbian. 

Jack Burkman, Cheryl Bledsoe and some other community and Twitter regulars were there for the festivities. I want to thank Schmizza Pizza for hosting us. If you are looking for a great date place or an awesome pizza, please, check them out if you are in Salmon Creek. (southeast end of the Salmon Creek Fred Meyer.) 

I hope to see you all soon at another one of these wonderful events! :)

Hallejuah, It's a new year! :)

So I'm back blogging again and its a new year. Life has been crazy with family, medical and the holidays have left me little time to go visit my old haunts in the Uptown Village and around the Mill Plain race course from I-205 to Camas. 

Ever been to Chuck's or Neighbors Markets? Dare everyone of my readers to go find some new feature in their local neighborhood! Nothing stays congnizantly the same forever. Go out for a walk or a drive and find some thing new. :)

Or you can find me in a local coffee shop listening to KPAM around 3pm with Terry Boyd's World. He's such a caring individual with a fullness of life and vim! So check him online via KPAM's online streaming or their web site. 

Columbian Tweet-UP (clark county, washington.)

Are you a local blogger, social maven or a part of the unknown twitterati? Would you like to get together with like minded individuals without agenda and have a few laughs?

Well, March 1, 2012 at Schmizza Pizza in Salmon Creek. Take 134th street exit off I-205 or I-5, head west for a short distance and its in the one of the associated business clusters around the south southeast side of the Salmon Creek Fred Meyer. 

Please let us know your coming, so we can get a head count or you can sign up here:  (more contact information here.)

http://columbian-esearch.eventbrite.com/?srnk=1

Squatting in old folks homes... Portland News item....

There is a story going around in the Portland news media about a group of occupiers that are going into older folks or the "not so mentally able" homes and squatting. Now if it is true that these people had information on how to pick locks or used some type of trickery or deception to get into these people's home, is that not concerned forced entry or burglary?

Honestly, if these places had been seriously abandoned and were foreclosures, I might have a different view. 

But to into someone's home and do this, is just way beyond what I consider, beyond reproach or decent. A few people have been arrested and now, I think they should be held to a higher standard that your average drug bust idiot from Downtown Portland Crack-alley victim. 

Here is an example from the Portland Tribune. 

Back from the Holiday finery & winter season.

Yep! I'm back and the political season is upon us. Would love to see more clark county blogs in shape and form. I do hope to have more content coming soon. 

Snow-MAH-Geddon...

Be safe out there today and tonight people. We are expecting a lot of ice and some areas snow. Though I'm not seeing a lot here in the City of Vancouver, there is a lot of rain falling. And all it would take would be a simple freeze tonight to turn it into black ice. A really BAD case. 

If you have go to Portland or any area of the metro (which Vancouver is in) watch out for the icy hills as well!