Should Clark County, Washington have a vote on Light Rail?

I have spent the last five yeas following the columbia river crossing project in its current form. And have followed some past iterations over the past twenty years. And for some reason, I felt that I should not post on my blog any information because it might lead back to me. I spend so much time on the local blogs, newspaper forums and discussing it to death, watching cvtv, we-the-people and other video forums and David Madore is working in his business a new local media medium.

So looking at how much I contribute, why duplicate such matters? Why duplicate all of that effort on this blog and the many other blogs that I run?

But I felt there was one thing out of the whole discussion and war-of-words that is being waged here in Clark County right now by many levels of the political scene. Larry Patella (and some volunteers) is putting together an advisory vote that is going to go before the City of Vancouver council, their clerk, the city attorney.

Larry is commended for standing up and trying to be his own voice amongst many and stand up for what he believes. I would say the same for several newcombers that have come together and are making their views known. I wish more would come to the local community meeetings than the same central view that coninue to beat the same pulpit views into the ground each and every week.

Maybe it is time to have some fresh faces? New people that have not come in and spoken on subject?

But the one thing that I *DO* believe in, is that the full and complete Clark County who are going to have to pay tolls each and every day into several generations until the next revolution in transporttion comes along and makes fifty year mode of transport obsolete, should have the right to vote on it. There are several interest groups that are pushing to cut this discension out of the public discourse and try to control the public relations outcome, so they have some surety that their project will be built and they will benefit from it.

There is no doubt that Clark County needs this new bridge. What is at odds, is to what degree, how much is that going to cost and how it is going to be paid for. With Oregon and Washington state along with the United States government are record deficit levels, there is really no money for this project to be built. Some say we're at the cusp of a great assumption of a greater trillion dollar recession that we, the current three generations of children, middle aged and mature older folks will never be able to pay off and we will be held in bondage to that debt.

And if you add in that Clark County along with the Portland metro area and its onion layer outer rings, Washington, Clackamas, Clark and Yamhill counties growing at higher rates than just about any other community in the united states. Clark was also one of the fastest growing counties in the 1980 and 90's. I-205 was planned and built in the late 1970s and early 1980's.

Isn't it time thirty years later to start looking at a new corridor for a new freeway crossing on the west side? There was a time in the 1980's there was a talk of doing such a thing from near Felida west to beaverton and back around near Oregon Highway 217 back to Interstate 5.

Look, I could go on and on about the subject, the intricacies and particular characters of this issue. Please go get informed by attending the politicial process that is going on right now. They need your input! And if you feel strongly, PLEASE go speak your mind and get involved if you feel even stronger.

Desktop operating systems inherently insecure...

Have you ever wondered why your Desktop and other consumer based computer operating systems are so insecure? Have you ever asked the question that maybe it might be designed this way?

And have also asked yourself, could it even be further thought of that all of the virus, drive-by downloads, trojan horses, hacking, sql injection on servers and many other exploits are easier because the operating system is weaked by the average user that does not want to the basic network security, computer cleaning up and protecting it.

I am going after many different operating systems, not just your average Windows flame. Linux, BSD, Apple and many other options have these same problems. How much time have you spent on additional time, money to download or install software, hardware to plug bugs, programming errors, secure systems from infection, cut out programs to plug your operating system from further infection.

An person who owns a computer for any length of time has to do this on many different operating system levels. And please do not tell me that this does not go on any platform, because it does. Even DOD - miltary systems are not secure. Watch the news and tell me how your average human being can get around their security. Do a search engine search?

And that comes down to my original comment, WHY are Desktop operating system so inherently not secure?

My heart & prayers go out to the families and individuals of the Japanese disaster

As most know, Japan within the past week has suffered an amazing almost 9.0 on the richter scale earthquake. It has damaged at least three known nuclear plants near Fukushima and two of that three pair has experienced partial meltdowns.

They are trying to watch cool them with seawater, slow down the radiation cycle and some how effectively get them to eventually become inactivated. There have been some minor radiation releases and hydrogen explosions.

Vancouver has a couple of companies and many ties to Japan. SEH America is just one of those companies in Clark County that has its parent company there.

My prayers, my thoughts AND my greatest wish to those who have died and families that are greeving from the North Japan island of Honshu, where Tokyo is located to the south.That they might find peace, comfort and an extended hand from not just me and the locals but from all the nations who have experienced such tragedy and loss, that has happened over the past few years.

Khan Academy on TED

I just wanted to add further, that TED did a wonderful talk about the Khan Academy. I wish more Clark County kids could be exposed to this free, online system to help them with their studies.

 

Please do watch the video & become as inspired as I was.

Free education on the Web - Khan Academy

Have you ever thought you wanted to learn some wonderful examples of multiple levels of arithmetic and the sciences?

Well here is a wonderful resource on the web. It has so many different options and subjects within the above two subjects. Please do go take a look and have some fun learning!

http://www.khanacademy.org

Amtrak Cascades FINALLY has wireless internet aboard!

As many may not know, I ride the Amtrak Cascades to medical appointments from Clark County because the area does not have the specific care that I require.

And for some time I have wondered aloud while talking to the conductors and people on the train when we were going to have wireless internet. The airlines have had it for some time via land based cell phone or by satellite if it went over the Ocean and a central caching machine to keep onboard data transfer to a minimum over the sparse and slow satellite links.

Now that the kinks have been worked out (AND Hopefully that lone Amtrak train that has that ANNOYING analogue buzzing sound in its audio equipment can be taken out of service and have problem FIXED. Nothing is worse than riding 6 to 8 hours with that high pitched whine....)

I have been riding the Talgo spanish trains since there inception in 1999 or so when the trains were first put into service. I loved them for being so sleak and fast (except for that kludge stop almost all the time near the Port of Tacoma waterfront and on every train that I had to ride that went past it.)

So if you would like to know more, please go to this site:

http://www.amtrakcascades.com/WiFi.htm

Do you have a blog that hasn't been updated? Our Mayor does!

Hey, does any one else wonder why the City of Vancouver Mayor's blog has not been updated in 8 months?

leavitt4vancouver.blogspot.com

Yes, I wish the mayor would stop playing with his phone bouncing tweets and email with the "Pontiff" of the Board of Commissioners and spend a little more time letting his community know where he wants to go further with this community? And may I ask why some kid intern need extra credit could not update this site?

Last I remember, it was originally created because of his race with the former Mayor Pollard.....