This is a picture of me from early spring, 1985. Like the recent Evergreen riots in Olympia a party resulted in some anti-police action. In this case a cruiser didn't get rolled and burned, rather just 'keyed' - scratching a paint job with a set of keys.

Standing next to me is John B. Mitchell, a great friend.

In hindsight, I have to wonder if the on-campus, unarmed, security force blamed me for that. Not the case, though I was certainly known to play a prank or two.

This posting marks the start of some biographical and portfolio items - these will be filed by original date, so won't show up on the home page. They all can be accessed easily from the Biography/Portfolio Category page.

Frank Shiers filled in for Dori Monson on the popular KIRO 710 AM afternoon talk program last week.

Overheard:

Did you hear about the guy who fueled his car with bio-diesel with lipsuction from his own butt?

That about sums it up in America these days, doesn't it? FWIW, I'd bet Shiers wasn't the first to make this double edged observation, but no cite was given. If your tastes run more to left of Center, check out Dave Ross, mornings.

Quoting oneself can be a dangerous vanity, that risk though I leave to you dear reader, to assess.

I went to an Economics lecture a few weeks ago. Arthur Laffler, a big Chicago School Supply Sider from the Reagan Administration gave a well publicized speech at PLU. This was my first time to visit this school - a beautiful campus tucked away just South of the Tacoma City limits.

The event was well attended. I though didn't know a soul, save recognizing Dave Muri, from the Pierce County Council.

I like to make it my signature to ask a memorable question, and I felt doubly pressured to come up with something for this event, especially as I kind of missed the target by a shade, in commenting in the News Tribune.

Pardon the vanity, but I do think I nailed it.

My question:

Mr. Laffler, you talk of reduced taxes increasing the incentive to produce, but what about the incentive for a corporate executive to give themselves bonuses they didn't earn, such as at a company losing money? Have your policies in fact created incentives not to produce, but to cheat?

His response was okay, maybe a B-; something about everyone taking what they can get. It is certainly true that there are people who work harder for better money. The important question is what the split is, and, of course, if there is actual collusion from the government with the cheaters.

Go Figure Mr. Laffler!

Or for that matter know what you should be doing.

This is another Sound Transit piece. Discussion is currently underway as to the components of a November submittal, if at all.

The News Tribune's Patrick O'Callahan writes on the subject in this Sunday's edition.

In my opinion, for all the so-called 'expertise' they've hired on they aren't a functional organization. I'm not dissing any individuals, save for the folks that are supposed to be coordinating it all. The conversation about what to do isn't happening - rather it is all an exercise at self-congratulation and control, not doing about what is most important to be done NOW.

O'Callahan's editorial does make a good point about obtaining rights of way for the Tacoma to Sea-Tac segment and I hear there feelings about the priority of this segment, also important to their geographic market. But even this is framed in a way unneccesarily expensive. Instead of purchasing right of way outright why not just get the rights to purchase it 20 years down the road, give or take?

In a companion editorial board piece they acknowledge the problem of people voting for something that won't happen until after they are dead, perhaps as succint a statement of a core problem with this leadership. Instead of asking us to give them a free ride for the rest of their lives why don't they go away and give us some leadership that will respect the needs of small and medium sized businesses to operate unitl they die.

Give or take.

One last comment - though Olympia 'free-riders' going to Dupont to ride the system might be viewed as a problem I'd bet that Olympians might just well vote to join a system - one, say, that was only Sounder Train and Bus?

On the occasion of the Dalai Lama's visit to Seattle let met tell my two tibetan stories. I'm not very religious at all, though I do have some sense of faith - call me, if you will, 20% Budhist, 10% Catholic, 10% Protestant and who knows about the rest.

I had the opportunity to visit one of the last pockets of unblemished Tibetan culture - pockets of which exist in northern Nepal, near the Chinese border. I was 18, less than a year out of High School and it was definitely a formative experience. I did the Annapurna Circuit, half of which had only opened to foreigners the previous year. It's a 3 week hike around the Annapurna Massif, best examples of Tibetan villages are Manang and Pisang. That valley is awesome The floor at the lower end is ten thousand feet up and the ridge above is another 15, all in all probably 30 miles or so long, leading to an 18,000 foot pass.

It would take a feature length movie to give the experience it's full due. One interesting story - Tibetan rebels had operated out of the area with CIA funding. Nepal put a stop to it, and still keeps a small military presence in the area. I had the chance to spend an evening with the Commanding Officer in small Inn. He was probably checking me out, but it was well done. I don't remember his name, but he definitely had an influence on me with his stories.

Second story is about the Dalai Lama himself - I had the opportunity to see him in Eugene in the days before that Nepal trip. It was a date with one of my best relationships ever (in hindsight, sigh) - the crowd was probably less than 50. I do remember making eye contact with him, a strange remembrance as one passes his image in the press and films. Perhaps the best of which is Heinrich Harrer's '7 years in Tibet'.

No great conclusions, save perhaps though I do respect the Chinese history they really should step up here and do the right thing.

In reflecting on comments regarding the Dalai Lama I realize I made an ommission about my religious influences - and a great little story.

I worked for a year as a legal messenger - S. King and Pierce County every day - plus legal service in SE Seattle, a large minority area. The biggest thing volume wise were these small claim suits over bounced parking checks. The biggest dollar wise was probably New Hope Baptist church.

New Hope had been burned a few years earlier and the suit was regarding the construction loan to rebuild, which they had defaulted on, or some such. The reverend, Robert Jeffries, is known as an activist type - taking on Nordstrom most notably. Though he might be a bit of a Jeremiah Wright type he also worked closely with the mostly white Church Council of Greater Seattle. I didn't know him well, but we had met, and I liked him.

In order to get ahold of people for the legal service I had to show up just prior to the Sunday Church service. So imagine, if you will, the white boy entering perhaps the most radical successful black church in Washington when the most faithful have already gathered. Key the church choir warming up and the church elders gathered at the Baptism pool. This is where I needed to wait, until that morning's baptisms were completed. The one face I remember was an early teen female getting the fear of god put into her followed by a quick dunk.

I don't know if that writing captures the experience, but it was certainly quite memorable.

**********

Curiously my earliest memory ever is of playing with black children at one of the first Head Start programs, I believe just as that program was getting started. Mom had been a social worker in L.A. County, getting promoted to supervisor just before getting pregnant with me. She volunteered for this Head Start program - perhaps with an eye to a job.

My memory is mixed - I do think there was some sort of an incident - nothing any more significant than any other non-racial playground incident. I remember that vaguely - the two strongest memories are more emotional ones - I remember stopping going and Mom's emotional state as we left. I was sad about leaving, even in spite of the incident. The overwhelming memor was one of curiosity - of having kids to play with that were very different from me and trying to figure out what it all meant.

Doug Schafer pointed out this 'small problem to me'. Former Seattle City Attorney Mark Sidran was fond in his speeches of noting how such small problems can lead to bigger one's. This is perhaps the pre-eminent example.

In the early 1980's the Washington State Bar made some changes to the 'Rules of Professional Conduct' (RPC), including 3.3 D. This rule concerns the necessity of a legal professional reporting the illegal behavior of a client, including, perhaps most saliently, another Lawyer.

Washington State Bar Rules

Section 3.3 Candor Toward the Tribunal

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(d) If the lawyer has offered material evidence and comes to know of its
falsity, and disclosure of this fact is prohibited by Rule 1.6, the lawyer
shall promptly make reasonable efforts to convince the client to consent
to disclosure. If the client refuses to consent to disclosure, the lawyer
may seek to withdraw from the representation in accordance with Rule 1.16.

American Bar Association Model Rules

Section 3.3 Candor Toward the Tribunal

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d) In an ex parte proceeding, a lawyer shall inform the tribunal of all material facts known to the lawyer that will enable the tribunal to make an informed decision, whether or not the facts are adverse.

You may be aware that just before I started this blog I filed a bar complaint against John McKay. This was, as former Seattle City Attorney (or Rudy Giulianni) would put it - a 'little thing'. Specifically I raised a legal point about the profession's responsibility to the public as spelled out in the Constitution. Personally I'm most concerned about the financial aspect of this - called 'fiduciary responsibility'. This complaint though focuses on election law and illustrates the same problem - the law does not believe they have any responsibility whatsoever to the public.

Consider, if you will, just how this fact might overlay with the changes in Bar Rules implemented by our local profession. Say 'WA', eh?

The McKay Bar documents are here, here, and here.
(These were originally referenced in my blog in my first post ever - 6 months ago, to the day.)

Schafer has a web site, here:

Equus

Starring Richard Burton

Directed by Sydney Lumet from a Play by Peter Schaeffer

1977

I believe in the future historians will have a field day with this film as an expose of the ethos of the era. Today, those perspectives are a bit droll, especially at the begining. The movie does still engage, and builds from there..

I'd put it in a class with 'Last Tango in Paris' for its frankness. This story is about a young man making his way into the sexual world. Richard Burton plays his psychiatrist and is not totally out of the Story. Like Brando in Tango he may well be ending his sexual life.

The movie does contain full frontal nudity, male and female.

Crosscut can put forth some of the worst seattle centric limousine liberal right wing conspirator friendly propoganda - but at the same time they also manage to occassionally publish stuff from some of the best.

Today I commented on three pieces, a great example of this profile.

A piece by Hugh Spitzer is an example of some of the worst:

Hugh Spitzer on the Constitution

An op-ed by former WSDOT Director Douglas MacDonald is an example of some of the best:

Douglas MacDonald on Transportation and Realistic Growth Management

What Crosscut will actually mean to the NW is perhaps best foreshadowed by a piece by Business Manager Yazmin Mehdi.

Yazmin Mehdi writing about business

Blame it on Rio

Starring Michael Caine and Demi Moore

Directed by Stanley Donen

1984

This is another historical sexual oddity. No way would this ever get produced today, save perhaps something similar in the adult genre. In one of her first roles Demi Moore plays 17 year old daughter to Michael Caine - both go on a vacation to Rio with their mutual best friends, another father/daughter pair.

Caine and his best friend's daughter seduce each other. Hillarity ensues, as one might imagine it. Movie includes a fair number of topless shots, but alas, not of Ms. Moore.

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency

By Alexander McCall Smith

1998

Rhodesian born European McCall Smith somehow channels Oprah Winfrey into an entrepeneurial African Native in a successful emerging free market democracy. Mma Ramotswe is a businesswoman, make no doubt about it. And her P-I business gives McCall Smith a platform of social commentary.

One of those lessons is that men are dogs, and this can be tiring in traditional english literature. However these flaws are well presented here. I'm not enough of an African expert to say whether the profile of character here is one central to the success of this African nation, but if so, this is truly a guiding work.

Certainly quite the opposite effect to what Christine Gregoire is doing to the State of Washington right now.

Doug waits anxiously for the Acme Real Estate Agency to bring him a buyer....

MLS Listing of my house

The remodel work is mine. It's a bit rougher than it looks in the pictures, but not bad. It did take longer than I orginally thought, hence the sale right now.