MSNBC vs. FOX News

As a follow up to my last post, a relevant article in the New York Times discusses the two networks. Essentially, FOX News was formed 12 years ago for "nonliberals" starved for a non-biased show during the day and an openly conservative-leaning opinion at night. It wasn't until recently that MSNBC established itself as a liberal alternative to FOX News during primetime after struggling for an identity and probably lagging in ratings.

Moving to Canada?

That's what people were talking about back when Bush was elected. And I hear it now, on the chance that McCain gets elected (okay, so it's not likely based on all the polls). I don't hang around and talk with McCain supporters, so who knows if they're saying the same thing if Obama gets elected? People just need to calm down. It's not like we're changing to a dictatorship with Saddam Hussein back from the dead if Obama gets elected, although people may think that (they do share the same name...) And if McCain gets elected, is it really all that bad? He is a moderate Republican (well, I guess you have to ignore the fact that Palin is his VP).

When it comes to politics, similar to religion, people get all worked up about it, because only their view is right, they can only see their side, and they have such big blinders on. Isn't there a possibility that you could be wrong? That the opposing side may have a valid viewpoint? That's why I don't like to seriously watch MSNBC or FOX News because of their inherent biases. It's fun to watch and see what one channel is talking about that the other channel isn't even discussing, but you can't watch it seriously. It's just so funny to hear pundits talk until they're blue in the face about some point that any sane, reasonable, objective person would think is ridiculous. You hear them going on and on, using the same talking points, defending some ridiculous point. Both sides do it, liberals and conservatives.

People get worked up over politics and elections. I get it. I know sometimes I do when I'm watching the news channels about that day's "breaking news." Maybe to ease up on the blood pressure, we just all need to admit that we could be wrong. Tell yourself, maybe Palin could actually speak in a coherent way, and even if she doesn't, it has no reflection on how she would lead.

It has been nerve racking at times waiting for the elections on Nov. 4th. Maybe the best way to cope is read the Seattle Times guest article that talks about this whole idea that I've been thinking about for awhile: the fact that you could be wrong and it wouldn't be that bad if the other side won. And in the meantime, before you move to Canada, appreciate the fact that you're actually voting between Obama and McCain, and not between Hitler and Saddam Hussein.

I-985 - Vote NO

Seattle Times: No
Post Intelligencer: No

This measure would open high-occupancy vehicle lanes to all traffic during specified hours, require traffic light synchronization, increase roadside assistance funding, and dedicate certain taxes, fines, tolls and other revenues to traffic-flow purposes.

It's sponsored by Tim Eyman. Need I say more?

Vote No if you want to reduce traffic congestion, make roads safer, and want the 520 bridge rebuilt before it collapses. Vote Yes if you think Eyman is really cool.

If you're still reading, then read this from the Times:

Members of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, including professionals who worked on many highway projects in Washington, issued a report saying Eyman's proposals would "increase congestion and possibly impact safety."

Anyone who wants to see a new Highway 520 floating bridge should oppose I-985, says King County Executive Ron Sims. The measure would limit the use of toll revenue to the route on which the toll is collected, with any excess going to the traffic-congestion fund.

"If you only limit tolls to 520, you cannot rebuild 520," said Sims, who favors tolling both the 520 and I-90 bridges. Sims predicts no one would buy bonds necessary to build a new 520 bridge if motorists could avoid tolls simply by using I-90, substantially cutting the revenue 520 tolls could generate.

Some additional info on I-985 from the Washington State DOT and the Puget Sound Regional Council. Thanks to Tony Woody, P.E. and Aimee Woody for providing the info on the links above. See Tony’s credentials in the Proposition 1 section below.

A recent Seattle Times article indicated that a letter from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration indicated that I-985 could cost the state millions of dollars in federal funds, stall highway projects, aggravate traffic congestion, increase air pollution and force the closure of some freeway-access ramps.

I-1000 - Vote YES

Seattle Times: Yes
Post Intelligencer: Believes editorials should not take a stance on issues as personal as lethal injections for the terminally ill. That being said, the PI believes that you should not reject this if you feel that the safeguards are inadequate, since the Oregon experience belies that argument. Instead, a rejection or approval should come from your own personal moral beliefs.

This measure would permit terminally ill, competent, adult Washington residents, who are medically predicted to have six months or less to live, to request and self-administer lethal medication prescribed by a physician.

This one is easy to decide, based on your personal beliefs: Vote Yes if you believe in assisted suicide and vote No if you don’t.

This law mirrors the Death with Dignity law in Oregon that has been in place for over 10 years. From the Voter’s Pamphlet:

This choice belongs exclusively to the terminally ill individual. Government, politicians, religious groups and others should not dictate these personal decisions.

From the Seattle Times Editorials:

I-1000 aims to protect the patient by making him or her ask for the lethal dose several times, once with witnesses and in writing. It requires two doctors to certify that the patient has an untreatable disease likely to be fatal within six months.

I-1029 – Vote NO

Seattle Times: No
Post Intelligencer: No

This measure would require long-term care workers to be certified as home care aides based on an examination, with exceptions; increase training and criminal background check requirements; and establish disciplinary standards and procedures.

Vote No if you want the Legislature to take care of this in a more cost-effective manner, vote Yes if you want to improve the finances of the powerful Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

This initiative sounds good, but similar to Tim Eyman’s proposal, you need to know all the facts before voting. It does sound funny to think government could do a more cost effective job, but I am real suspicious of the sponsors of this initiative. From the PI Editorials:

I-1029 would load up the expenses and worsen Washington's serious budget problems…The better alternative is to let the Legislature pass a smarter bill, which already is in waiting. I-1029 is, in fact, a my-way-or-the-highway substitute for good legislation that was sailing into law before the powerful Service Employees International Union intervened to strike fear of lost campaign support in cowardly lawmakers.

After leading a state task force on the issue, Democratic Rep. Dawn Morrell -- a registered nurse who knows the issues well -- wrote a bill that passed the House of Representatives 95-0. It would have provided new training in a smarter, targeted, cheaper way, which was designed to help workers advance into nursing assistant and even nursing training. A similar version went through the Senate 47-2, but the SEIU had the clout to keep lawmakers from finishing work so the union could run its initiative.

I-1029 sounds good, and the idea behind it is absolutely necessary. But manipulating the process to thwart good lawmaking is completely wrong. Reject I-1029 and let Morrell and the Legislature finish their good work on the cause.

King County Charter Amendments

These are all on the King County Charter Amendments:

Amendment No. 1 - Vote NO

Seattle Times: No
Post Intelligencer: No

This would create a non-partisan elective position to oversee elections.

Vote No if you think the director of elections is a technical job and should be appointed. Vote Yes if you feel that an elected person should be in charge of elections.

From the PI Editorials:

…Supervising elections primarily requires management skills and professional knowledge. Like the League of Women Voters, we believe elective office should generally be reserved for policy-making positions, not this type of administrative job. Under the current system, the County Council confirms the executive's appointment of an elections director. The executive should be held responsible if voters are unhappy. The director of elections is a technical job and should be appointed.

Amendment No. 2 – Vote YES

Seattle Times: Yes
Post Intelligencer: Yes

This would add disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression to the prohibited grounds for discrimination in county employment and county contracting.

Vote Yes if you’re against discrimination. Vote No if you’re a bigot.

From the Times Editorials:

This is a housekeeping measure that follows what was done in state law two years ago.

Note that the Voters Pamphlet had no “Statement Against.”


Amendment No. 3 – Vote No

Seattle Times: No
Post Intelligencer: Yes

From the Times Editorials:

Amendment 3 concerns membership on the regional transit, regional water-quality and regional policy committees. These now have six council members and six from city governments. The amendment would cut it to three council members but give each member two votes. The council would therefore have the same power with half the work.

Vote No if you think the Council needs all the help it can get. Vote Yes if you think the committees would be more efficient with less people.

Note that the Voters Pamphlet had no “Statement Against.” I still voted No.


Amendment No. 4 – Vote No

Seattle Times: No
Post Intelligencer: No

This would allow the council to establish additional qualifications for separately elected officials, such as the assessor, sheriff, and the elections director, if Amendment No. 1 is approved.

Vote No if you feel the qualifications of these officials should be left to you. Vote Yes if you feel the County should narrow the list of potential candidates for you.

From the Seattle Times Editorials:

Currently, the requirements are: age 18, citizen, county voter. That's all. While we agree that anyone elected should have more qualifications than that, it should be the people's business — not the council's — to say what those qualifications are.

Note that the Voter’s Pamphlet indicates the qualifications require you to be 21. Not sure which is correct, and I don’t have the time to figure out who is, since it’s really not that much different.


Amendment No. 5 – Vote Yes

Seattle Times: Yes
Post Intelligencer: Yes

This would require the establishment of a forecast council and an office of economic and financial analysis.

Vote Yes if you want to make sure the budget is done right. Vote No if you could care less.

From the Seattle Times Editorials:

This is what the state has been doing for 24 years, and it has made the state's budgets more honest.

Note that the Voters Pamphlet had no “Statement Against.”


Amendment No. 6 – Vote Yes

Seattle Times: Yes
Post Intelligencer: Yes

From the Seattle Times:

Amendment 6 would move up certain budget deadlines by 20 days. Budgets are more and more complicated, and the fine-print folks need more time. Give 'em a break.

Vote Yes if you want the Council to have more time to review the budget. Vote No if you think the county budget is easy to understand.

Note that the Voters Pamphlet had no “Statement Against.”


Amendment No. 7 – Vote No

Seattle Times: No
Post Intelligencer: No

This would increase the number of signatures needed for citizens to directly propose amendments to the King County Charter.

Vote No if you want power to remain with the people. Vote Yes if you feel that the King County Charter is our county’s constitution and should not be amended easily.

The increase in the number of signatures would make it essentially impossible to get a citizen based change to the Charter. Although the Voter’s Pamphlet “Statement Against” is written in part by Tim Eyman, I still feel as if more power should remain with the people.


Amendment No. 8 – Vote Yes

Seattle Times: Yes
Post Intelligencer: Yes

This would make the offices of King county executive, assessor and council nonpartisan, and establish the nonpartisan selection of districting committee members.

Vote Yes if you think this will make the county offices operate better since county issues are not as relevant to Democratic or Republican views. Vote No if you enjoy partisanship or feel that this simply puts less information at the hands of voters.

From the Seattle Times Editorials:

Voters in August had a first crack at this proposal but it is a two-step process. The favorable vote in the primary must be followed by another yes on the official charter change on the November ballot.

County government can operate more smoothly, in a less rancorous manner, if partisanship is removed. Issues of transportation, land use, density and criminal justice do not really lend themselves to the traditional divisiveness of Republican and Democratic ideology.

Getting rid of the partisanship could open the offices to more challengers. Too frequently, County Council and executive campaigns lack vigorous opponents. It's the land of incumbency. Making the offices nonpartisan ought to attract more new participants.

President and Vice President of the United States – Vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden (Democrats)

Seattle Times: Obama
Post Intelligencer: Obama

Obviously, I’m going to vote for Obama because my views align closely with the Democratic Party. But regardless of his policies, what I really like about him is his ability to inspire others. Did you see that picture in St. Louis where over 100,000+ came to see him speak? Of course there is the historic speech in 2004, but even his speech this year at the convention moved me. When was the last time this many people were energized over the President? I know this sounds cheesy, but hearing him speak, it inspires me to be a better citizen.

The other thing about Obama is his intelligence. I don’t get the people who think sounding professorial or graduating from Columbia and Harvard is a bad thing. This is actually a good thing. Like many people I talk to, I want someone smarter than me running our country, the more elite, the better. From the Seattle Times Editorials:

Obama is a little young, but also brilliant. If he sometimes seems brainy and professorial, that's OK. We need the leader of the free world to think things through, carefully. We have seen the sorry results of shooting from the hip.

From the PI Editorials:

If the country ever needed new direction under a fresh, steady, calm president, this is the time. Sen. Barack Obama is the country's hope, the kind of promising, intelligent leader who comes along perhaps once in a generation.

Vote for Obama if you want a “once in a generation” leader.

Vote for McCain if:
· your household income is over $250,000.
· you think Obama is a terrorist (he’s not).
· you think Palin is qualified to take over as President

I’m not going to spend time going through all the issues. You can read a quick Seattle Times Summary.

United States Representative Congressional District No. 8 – Vote for Darcy Burner (Democrat)

Seattle Times: Reichert
Post Intelligencer: Reichert

I like Dave Reichert. I heard him give a speech when the Nisei Veterans Hall re-opened, and his sincerity when he spoke moved me. There were plenty of other Democrats who spoke and I don’t remember their speeches, but I remembered Reichert’s sincerity. With his background as the King County Sheriff, I also feel safe around him. Based on their endorsements, both the Times and the PI believe he’s done a good job as a moderate Republican.

On the other hand, I don’t like Darcy Burner. There is something weird about her voice that I just can’t peg, and frankly, she sounds unintelligent (I’m sure she’s not, seeing as how she has a computer science degree from Harvard). Maybe it’s her smile, or her glasses, I don’t know, but she just downright annoys me.

But I’m not voting for Miss Congeniality. I’m not going to be working with these individuals and I won’t be interacting with them. For local races, I have no problem voting for Republicans (except for the Governor’s position, see below) as the social conservative agenda doesn’t come into play. However, for a federal election, as a Democrat, I vote to support the issues, and Burner more closely mirrors my beliefs.

Some may say to vote Republican in this race, since there is a strong possibility that the Democrats will control both Congress and the Presidency, creating unchecked Democratic control. Maybe with another President there would be something to fear. However, as an Obama believer, I believe in him to do the right thing. I want to give him all the help he can get to enact his policies if he wins. And we still don’t know who will win, the polls could be way off. Some polls have Obama leading in double digits, and others have it as a virtual tie. If you believe in Obama’s policies, why wouldn’t you also vote for Burner whose policies would closely mirror his?

Vote Yes for Burner if you believe in Obama. Vote No if you fear the possibility of both Congress and the Presidency controlled by the Democrats.

If you still can’t decide, look at the Seattle Times Q&A, and see the Seattle Times Voters Guide for a side-by-side comparison of their stances.

Governor - Vote for Christine Gregoire (Incumbent, Democrat)

Seattle Times: Rossi
Post Intelligencer: Gregoire

Are you really going to vote for someone who lists himself as “Prefers G.O.P. Party?” The Grand Old Party Party? To quote an unnamed individual at work, “Seriously?” To be consistent, maybe he should put his name on the ballot as “Dino Rossi Rossi.” Or list his current occupation as “Commercial Real Estate Estate.” Or his education from “Seattle University University.” I really hope Rossi doesn’t stutter, ‘cause then I’ll feel bad.

If you are a Democrat please vote for Gregoire. Don’t even think about Rossi. In a blue state, it’s amazing that the race 4 years ago was so close, and is still probably close this year.

Some of it may have to do with the fact that Rossi just seems to be a likeable, funny guy. When you see him, he’s always smiling. I like people who smile, it makes we want to smile and puts me in a better mood. Gregoire on the other hand, looks downright scary. In fact, I’m afraid of her, she looks really mean, like the strict Vice-Principal you once had in middle school that would kick your ass if it was legal. She’s like McCain and Rossi is Obama. But Gregoire can’t help it – a woman at her age (61) to have succeeded early on in the old boys network, she had to act hyper-professional. That’s just how it was back then.

Some may say in a local election, party affiliation doesn’t matter as much. The Seattle Times wrote an editorial blasting the Gregoire campaign for discussing Rossi’s stance against embryonic stem cell research, saying that it is irrelevant to the Governor’s race since there are no plans for stem cell research in Washington.

I disagree. A likeable Republican who can sway the votes of Democrats, I would be very afraid to vote that person into the governor’s office. Why? Many Presidential candidates come from the Governor’s office. I know, Rossi probably won’t be running for president anytime soon, but you have to stop thinking short-term and make strategic decisions that benefit you in the long-term. I would do all that I can to prevent giving Rossi a position in the Governor’s office, because you never know when a likeable Republican’s stance on embryonic stem cell research may come back later to haunt you if he gets propelled into the national spotlight. Look at Palin, who would’ve ever thought she would be on the ticket? It's not like I'm just voting for Gregoire to keep Rossi out. I believe she's done a good job and we need someone proven.

Vote Gregoire if you’re a social liberal. Vote for Rossi if you like people who smile.

From the PI Editorial:

Washington voters should re-elect Gregoire based on proven performance, capability and drive. Especially for uncertain times, she's a much more proven leader than her Republican rival, former state Sen. Dino Rossi.

Rossi was a capable senator and is a capable campaigner. But his avoidance of questions about his social conservatism, his unrealistic transportation ideas and even his unwillingness to be labeled Republican on the ballot all warn there's a lot about how Rossi would govern that most of us, including perhaps the candidate, would learn only after he took on the job.

Gregoire is a known, trustworthy performer. She led state agencies well for years, and has done the same for the whole state. Gregoire has made improvements and smart choices in perhaps every area of major responsibility, many long neglected.

If you want to look at a quick summary on their views, you can read the Seattle Times Summary. Note that Gregoire supports the WASL while Rossi is in favor of replacing it with a proven standardized test model. You’ll see below that I’m in favor of changing the WASL, but her stances as a social liberal trumps her position on the WASL.

Lieutenant Governor – Vote for Brad Owen (Incumbent, Democrat)

Seattle Times: No endorsement given
Post Intelligencer: Owen

What does the Lieutenant Governor do? From the PI Editorials:

The lieutenant governor acts as president of the Senate, serves on various boards and committees, appoints members to more such bodies and fills in for the governor during an absence.

Nothing I’ve seen really sways me one way or the other. I’m voting more for Owen just based on his experience. If you want to know more, see the Seattle Times article summarizing the two very different individuals, the article on McCraw and the article on Owen. See also the Seattle Times Voters Guide with the side-by-side comparison.

Secretary of State – Vote for Sam Reed (Incumbent, Republican)

Seattle Times: Reed
Post Intelligencer: Reed

Yeah, I know he’s a Republican, and not only that, he graduated from WSU. And I’m still voting for him.

What does the SecState do, you ask? Manage elections. From the PI Editorials:

Managing Washington state's elections requires solid professional oversight,fairness and openness to differing ideas…That's what the public has in its current leader.

From the Seattle Times Editorials:

He is methodical, steady and refreshingly nonpartisan in carrying out official duties of his office.

Sam Reed: Will bring you the most comprehensive election information in the country. Brings experience and qualifications and a reputation throughout the state as someone with integrity. Supports the new top-two primary format. Supports law requiring ballots to be received by election day (many states already require this).

Jason Osgood: Believes unique bar codes on our ballots violates voter privacy. Brings change after having Republicans in this position since 1964. Doesn’t support the new top-two primary in its current form. Opposes requiring ballots to be received by election day.

State Treasurer – Vote for Allan Martin (Republican)

Seattle Times: Martin
Post Intelligencer: McIntire

Really, Randy? Another Republican graduate from WSU? Hey, it’s not a national office. The Seattle Times Editorial says it best:

…There is not a Democratic nor Republican way to manage the state's cash and sell its bonds. There is simply the right way.

Note that retiring State Treasurer, Mike Murphy, a Democrat, says, “I enthusiastically endorse Allan Martin.” Other endorsements include 45 current and former County Treasurers, both Republicans and Democrats.

Allan Martin: Assistant State Treasurer with experience and well-established relationships with other state, local, and municipal finance professionals.

Jim McIntire: Business economist who believes the challenges of these uncertain financial times are not technical problems to hand off to the next bureaucrat in line.

State Auditor – Vote for Brian Sonntag (Incumbent, Democrat)

Seattle Times: Sonntag
Post Intelligencer: Sonntag

The Seattle Times Editorials:

For more than 10 years, Sonntag pushed for the ability to do performance audits of agencies…In 2005, voters passed an initiative to give him authority to do performance audits.

His office has completed 11 performance audits, recommending changes that could save $3.2 billion. The audit of the Port of Seattle produced stunning findings that attracted a federal investigation. By the end of this year, the state Department of Transportation will have implemented 80 percent of recommendations in four performance audits.

Brian Sonntag: Will focus on refining and advancing our performance audit program. Experienced, earned certification as a Certified Government Financial Manager.

J. Richard (Dick) McEntee: Focus on appointing top financial and planning professionals, implement savings from performance audits, perform audits on Office of State Auditor (audit costs have been spiraling upward), Department of Social and Health Services, secondary and higher education districts. Will not spend one minute in office running for re-election, and rather will spend full-time taking fiduciary responsibility for every tax-payer dollar.

Attorney General – Vote for Rob McKenna (Incumbent, Republican)

Seattle Times: McKenna
Post Intelligencer: McKenna

Yup, another Republican. He’s done a lot as AG, protecting children from sex predators, clamping down on identity theft, fighting the methamphetamine epidemic. From what he’s done, I believe he deserves another term. In regards to nonpartisanship, from the Seattle Times Editorials:

The attorney general is the law officer of the state, and should represent the people before his political party. Ladenburg says he would do this, which is good. McKenna has done it.

And from the PI Editorials:

Most critically, he (McKenna) delivered on promises to nourish the existing nonpartisan professionalism in the office…It's a reassuring, even inspiring contrast to how any attorney general's office can be degraded from the top by partisanship, incompetence or both, as in the Justice Department under Alberto Gonzales.

McKenna: Distinguished Eagle Scout. That says it all.

Ladenburg: Believes status quo isn’t working. Says McKenna believes that the primary function of his office is to act as the State government’s chief council – issuing legal advice and never taking a stance on the policy of the state agencies.

Commissioner of Public Lands – Vote for Peter J. Goldmark (Democrat)

Seattle Times: Goldmark
Post Intelligencer: Goldmark



Both papers believe a change is needed at this job. The Seattle times endorsed Sutherland twice before this, but has now switched to Goldmark after last winter’s flooding in Lewis County, where a Times investigation showed an absence of expert review of slide potential on land approved for clear-cutting.

What does the top dog in charge of the Department of Natural Resources do? From the Seattle Times Editorials:

Management of DNR is a big job. The commissioner oversees millions of acres of state-owned timber and aquatic lands. The office also has responsibility for harvest levels on industrial-scale forestland and small lots. In the summer, the department runs the state's biggest fire department.

Key issue related to this contest? Logging. From the latest article in the Seattle Times:

Goldmark: Environmentalists seem to support (encouraged Goldmark to run and have been a big source for his campaign). Environmentalists have won several lawsuits against the timber policies of Sutherland. Knows that last winter’s storm was bad, but belives DNR did nothing to determine if there was a risk of landslides in areas before they were clear-cut. Supports logging levels set after a 2005 court decision, and wants an approach that balances the needs of industry with environmental protection.

Sutherland: Timber industry supports (they’re pouring vast money into his campaign). Landslides were product of an extraordinary storm that dumped more than 19 inches of rain in some places, and not from mistakes by his agency or logging companies. DNR more open to logging, which means more money for schools (school construction is funded by timber sales from state lands). Has earned some grudging praise from his environmental critics in relation to creating a 1,600 acre reserve protected from logging in Skagit County.

Vote for Goldmark if you’re a tree hugger and blame the Lewis County landslides on the DNR. Vote for Sutherland if you like Paul Bunyan and believe there was nothing that could have prevented the landslides.

Superintendent of Public Instruction (Nonpartisan) – Vote for Randy Dorn

Seattle Times: Bergeson
Post Intelligencer: Bergeson

Both papers endorse Bergeson primarily for her experience and longevity. However, this race really comes down to your opinion of the WASL. If you don’t have a kid taking the WASL, talk to someone who does and find out their opinion of how well it does or does not work. For me, it comes down to Kari’s opinion that the WASL needs to be changed.

My only hesitation in voting for Dorn is that he declined to respond to the Seattle Times Voters Guide. What’s he hiding? Another interesting thing to note about Dorn comes from the Seattle Times Editorials:

He (Dorn) emphasizes vocational education and says not all students need to take Algebra II. That opinion is diametrically opposite the view of Bergeson, the State Board of Education and this page. Regardless of what students do beyond high school, they will need a solid foundation in math.

I’m not sure I really agree with Dorn on that, but the need to change the WASL trumps that.

Vote for Dorn if you think the WASL is flawed and need to be changed. Vote for Bergeson if you think the WASL is fine.

Dorn: Will replace WASL with a testing system that is more fair, understandable, and takes less time, so testing doesn’t dominate curriculum and the school calendar.

Bergeson: Top goals: fix inadequate and outdated school funding system, reduce dropout rate/achievement gap, fix problems of No Child Left Behind law. Supports reading/writing WASL and the current delay in the Math WASL

Insurance Commissioner – Vote for Mike Kreidler (Incumbent, Democrat)

Seattle Times: Kreidler
Post Intelligencer: Kreidler

The Seattle Times calls Adams a “token challenger.” But at the same time, they endorse Kreidler with some observations:

During the recent good years…the major health insurers — Premera, Regence and Group Health — piled up surpluses by the hundreds of millions. This page raised an alarm about that several years ago…Our thought was that the state had created a kind of economic umbrella, and that under its shade the three big insurers had been liberal about raising rates, and not as competitive as the people had a right to expect…Kreidler did fight back when Premera wanted to convert to a stock company and sell shares on Wall Street. He fought the company in court, and won — at considerable expense — what we thought was a huge victory for consumers.

Kreidler: Proposed, and got passed, a law that expands authority to review proposed rate increases for regulated health care products. Guaranteed Health Benefit Plan proposal would not require employers to provide health care, but would have everyone covered whether working or unemployed.

Adams: Would review reserves and expenses of the major three health insurers to determine rate increases/decreases. Believes competition is necessary to bring down premiums. Would encourage looking at a true catastrophic illness and injury program for all employed workers.

Legislative District No. 5

For State Legislative District No. 5, I got lazy. Look at the Seattle Times Voters Guide which does a good job of listing out the answers from each candidate on top priorities, transportation, economy, projected budget shortfall, teacher salaries/class sizes, environment, health care, and boom/bust cycles of the economy.


State Senator - Vote for Cheryl Pflug (Incumbent, Republican)

Seattle Times: Pflug
Post Intelligencer: Pflug

How do you pronounce her name? Who cares, she is a UW grad. Finally. a Husky to vote for. Yeah, she’s a Republican, but from the Seattle Times Editorials:

The Maple Valley Republican is a workhorse reflective of the values of her rural-suburban district. Pflug's voting record eludes partisanship. When her GOP colleagues walked out last year after voting against scientifically accurate sex-education legislation, Pflug was one of two Republicans to stay and vote in favor of it.

See the Seattle Times Voters Guide for a side-by-side comparison.


Representative Position No. 1 – Vote for Jay Rodne (Incumbent, Republican)

Seattle Times: Rodne
Post Intelligencer: No endorsement available

From the Seattle Times Editorials:

An experienced lawmaker who pledges to deal with the state's mushrooming deficit through strict prioritizing, Rodne is needed in the Legislature. His opponent, John Viebrock, doesn't make a compelling case for change.

See the Seattle Times Voters Guide for a side-by-side comparison.


Representative Position No. 2 – Vote for Glenn Anderson (Incumbent, Republican)

Seattle Times: Anderson
Post Intelligencer: No endorsement available

From the Seattle Times Editorials:

Despite the growing presence of Democratic lawmakers on the Eastside, Anderson has won three terms and the respect of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. This is because he offers experience and a sharp fiscal eye. Veteran teacher David Spring is a worthy opponent, but not a better choice.

See the Seattle Times Voters Guide for a side-by-side comparison.

Superior Court Judges

For Superior Court Judges (all non-partisan), I’m not sure how to evaluate the candidates, so I’m just going to follow the endorsements of the papers. But this is one area you don’t have to worry too much about who you vote for since it seems as if all the candidates are qualified. Maybe the PI put it best:

We are not fond of electing judges. But King County voters have choices that would be hard to complain about.

Judge Position No. 1 - Vote for Tim Bradshaw

Seattle Times: Bradshaw
Post Intelligencer: Bradshaw

Seattle Times Editorials:

Trial-court experience is crucial for a Superior Court judge, and prosecutor Tim Bradshaw, 52, has a lot of it: 125 Superior Court jury trials, far more than his opponent for Position 1, Assistant Attorney General Sue Parisien.

Judge Position No. 22 - Vote for Julia Garratt

Seattle Times: Garratt
Post Intelligencer: Garratt

Seattle Times Editorials:

Garratt…has been a Superior Court judge pro tem since 1998…She has been a prosecutor and a public defender… Her Position 22 opponent, Holly Hill, has been a lecturer at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, giving her a big-picture overview of courtroom issues, but Garratt has more recent experience on the ground. Garratt has a precise, technocratic manner that will brook no nonsense.

Judge Position No. 37 - Vote for Jean Rietschel

Seattle Times: Rietschel
Post Intelligencer: Rietschel

PI Editorials:

Rietschel is the choice on the basis of experience and a record of firm but fair handling of cases as a municipal court judge for 12 years. Rietschel received exceptional ratings.

Proposition No. 1 Mass Transit Expansion - Vote to Approve

Seattle Times: No
Post Intelligencer: Yes

This measure would expand and coordinate light-rail, commuter-rail, and express bus service…authorize Sound Transit to impose an additional five-tenths of one percent sales and use tax, and to use existing taxes to fund the local share of the $17.9 billion estimated cost…

On transportation related issues, I always try to find out what I can from a subject matter expert: Tony Woody, P.E., a transportation engineer who has led and worked on a variety of freeway, arterial, and transit micro-simulation projects. His professional experience includes traffic operational analysis, transportation planning, and microscopic traffic simulation modeling. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering and is a registered professional engineer in the state of Washington. Note that although he obtained his Bachelor’s from Oregon State University, this is more than offset by the fact that his Master’s is from that fantastic institution of learning that is the University of Washington. Although he is slightly biased in relation to this proposition, a summary of Prop 1 from Tony Woody, P.E.:

Prop 1 will fund:
· Additional Light Rail facilities to the North (Northgate w/extension possibly to Lynnwood) and East (Bellevue/Redmond)
· Increase Buses by something like 17%
· Provide easy access to a large portion of Puget Sound region homes (many new stations, stops, P&R with 1/2 mile of homes/business)
· Additional planning studies for new lines to Issaquah, and the South
· The ability to expand capacity for 50+ years (roads are already maxed out)

Some of the things that might be conceived as a disadvantage are the design modifications (conversion of lanes to tracks, etc.), but these changes are actually expected to make a net increase in mobility because we will have less people in vehicles. In addition, this will be something that we can continue to expand on for a long period of time.

For more information, check out the Seattle Times Proposition 1 Guide, which has a quick and dirty summary, plus Pros and Cons as well as the Seattle Times Voter’s Guide which has statements from both sides. See also the Sound Transit website, and click on the “Setting the Record Straight” for misleading or untrue statements about this proposition.

Why vote yes? Light rail is superior to buses. We need to encourage people to get out of their cars and into mass transit, and they only way to do that is if it is quicker and easier and light rail would do that. This proposition won’t even have light rail come out to Issaquah (although I keep trying to tell Tony’s wife to get him to sneak it in there somehow), but I still support it because we need to start off with a base network of light rail, and then expand from there.

Yes, we have excellent bus service in King County Metro, with more than 9,000 stops. It provides a spider web of services whereas light rail will only have a few stations to begin with. But we have to start somewhere, and buses have problems that light rail solves, and would therefore encourage people to get out of their cars. Problems such as…

Buses get stuck in traffic. When I’m sitting on the bus, and we’re not moving because of a traffic accident or a Mariner’s game, I think to myself, I should have drove in today. Yes, you can build more bus lanes, but light rail has dedicated tracks. I’d think about trading in light rail for buses if you agree to build bus-only lanes for the majority of their routes. And that still doesn’t solve the problem of when buses merge onto the freeway or other streets and have to fight through regular traffic just to get to the HOV lane, like you do by my house. Yes, this issue is being fixed in many areas, but light rail would never have that issue.

Another reason light rail is more efficient, is because you would be able to get on and off much more quickly. For commuter park n’ rides, in the morning, when I get on the bus, it takes way too long for the entire line to snake through one set of doors. Same thing when you get off in evening, you have to pay and go through one set of doors. With light rail, you’ve already paid as you get to the loading area, so when the train comes, it’s an easy on or off through multiple sets of doors, making the whole process more efficient. Okay, maybe time-wise, you only save a few minutes, but the perception of efficiency would help encourage people to take light rail rather than buses.

So, maybe you’re all for mass transit, but you don’t like the cost. The position of the Seattle Times is that a 0.5% increase would bring our sales tax to 9.5% in Seattle, one of the highest in the nation, and that it would retard the economy and hurt the poor.

First of all, we don’t have a state income tax, so quit your whining about the high sales tax. The second part is, do people really stand in a store and think, well, I was going to buy those shoes for $70 ($76.30 with tax), but now, with the additional tax, those shoes are going to cost me $76.65, so I’ll pass? If I was making a big purchase, I would consider the impact of the sales tax. But right now, when I’m calculating the sales tax, I just round it off to 10% anyway. As in, hmmm, I was thinking of buying a Tag Heuer watch for $2,000, can I really afford that? Oh, wait I need to adjust for tax, so really it would be about $2,200 – can I afford that amount? One other thing to note: most food in groceries are not subject to tax. But if you really need to make a non-grocery purchase, and you’re low on money, it would be easier to select the $40 pair of shoes rather than the $70 pair, rather than worrying about the 0.5% increase in sales tax.

What’s the actual dollar impact to you? The typical adult would pay about $69 a year, and the median household, earning around $65,000 a year, would pay $125 per year. That doesn't include sales taxes paid by businesses, some of which would be passed on through higher prices.

When the Seattle Times Editorials came out with their recommendation against Prop 1, it occurred right about when the credit crisis was happening and the Dow Jones was taking a tumble. I think their thinking back then was, why add on a tax now with the economy in shambles?

The PI endorsement came out more recently. The thinking here is that, yeah, a tax isn’t great right now, but what’s worse is job loss. It’s all about “jobs, baby, jobs.” From the PI Editorials:

All things being equal, we'd support the expansion of Sound Transit for many reasons…We could make the case on transportation grounds, the environment…But all things are not equal. Not now…The first priority in this economy must be the creation of good-paying jobs and voting yes on Proposition 1 will do just that… Sound Transit is a critical public works project. A one-half cent boost in the sales tax seems a reasonable price to pay for so many new jobs.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels estimates at least 66,00 direct and indirect jobs would be created, and the US. DOT estimates 47,500 jobs are created for every billion dollars invested in transportation projects. These are jobs that will not come to the region if we do not expand mass transit.

Vote Yes if you understand that light rail is far superior to buses and realize the benefits in terms of transportation, environment, and jobs outweigh the costs.

Vote No if you can only see in the short-term and want only immediate fixes, or you believe building more freeway lanes will relieve congestion (which it will not, since it just means more people would end up driving), or if you enjoy sitting in a bus while it’s stuck in traffic.

"Antiphospho-what?" Part 2

Just some last thoughts on antiphospholipid syndrome:

From the Mayo Clinic:

The cause of primary antiphospholipid syndrome is unknown. However, some factors are associated with developing antiphospholipid antibodies — though not necessarily developing the syndrome.

These factors include infections, medications, and genetic predispositions. None of which Kari had. In regards to genetic predispositions:

Although the disorder isn't considered hereditary, research indicates that relatives of people with antiphospholipid syndrome are more likely to have the antibodies.

Antiphospholipid Antibodies

We had a doctor's appointment earlier today and found out some more things. After running a few preliminary blood tests, we've learned that the placental abruption took place as a result of a small placenta. There are several reasons for a small placenta, from a bad implantation to the uterus, to high blood pressure, and finally as a result of antibodies.

For Kari, the small placenta was a result of the antibodies. The immune system is comprised of white blood cells which make a variety of antibodies. Some antibodies protect us and others are harmful to our bodies. The antiphospholipid antibodies can damange the inside of the blood vessel wall, which allows blood cells to stick to the site of the injury and cause blood clots. In addition, the antibodies can cause blood vessels to constrict, causing decreased blood flow throughout the circulatory system. The combination of blood clots and constricted blood vessels may impair blood supply to the fetus and placenta. There is more to this that I won't go into, but suffice it to say that antibodies to phospholipid molecules can interfere with the development of the placenta.

These antibodies are not usually tested for during pregnancy, since it's rare. Our doctor mentioned that he only sees it once every 5-7 years. But up until the point of the abruption, everything was normal and healthy and it could not have been detected. All pregnancies have some sort of reaction against the fetus as it has a component of a "foreign object" (the paternal side of things) but it's just a matter of when the reaction occurs, as some may develop later, and some not at all. The trick is to understand how the mother's immune system is altered so that her body does not reject the fetus and allows the fetus to grow. There are many other antibodies that are important to the reproductive system, but the one that affected us was the antiphospholipid antibody.

Ethan Blake Kanai

In order to avoid having to tell what happened over and over again (and having to re-live the painful moments every time) I'm documenting what happened. Be warned, however, as you read this at your own risk...

On Thursday, May 15th, I came home around 6pm or so and Kari mentioned she was having some lower abdominal pain. It didn't sound like it was too painful or anything, maybe it was just some cramping. Anyway, around 10pm, Kari went to the bathroom and noticed a lot of blood. While I was trying to research what to do on the Internet, Kari was yelling at me to get going and bring her some clothes and a bra (she was already in her pj's). I guess I'm not that good in emergency situations like this, since I was moving kinda slow. We went to the Overlake Urgent Care in Issaquah, and they told us to go straight to the emergency room at the main Bellevue Overlake hospital.

Once we got in, they took us to the childbirthing area, where they hooked Kari up to check her blood pressure and our baby's heart rate. We were thinking maybe the baby was already a goner by that time, but the heart rate was still going strong. However, Kari's blood pressure was really high, but we didn't feel too concerned, because she has "white-coat syndrome": her blood pressure is high at the beginning of a visit to the doctor's (probably due to anxiety on her part) but then it settles down when you check again 20 minutes later. Anyway, they were like, "no, this is really high." Kari was also contracting, with each contraction about a minute apart. How are we supposed to know what a contraction feels like? They had her on medications to reduce the blood pressure and get the contractions to slow down, but nothing seemed to work. Kari's doc showed up and mentioned how serious of a situation this was. After some time, her blood pressure may have gotten better, but nothing significant, and the next thing you know, the baby's heart rate just dropped, and the doc and nurse wheel Kari out of the room. It was such an emergency, that they didn't allow me to "gown up" and watch the birthing (via c-section) process. So here I am sitting all alone in the room, waiting to hear what happens. It goes from chaos, noise and craziness to silence.

Ethan Blake Kanai was born on May 16th, 2008 at 12:54AM after just 24 weeks of being in the womb. (I wasn't too hot on Blake, but the alternative was Henry...) They were able to successfully intubate him (put a tube down his throat to help him breathe since the lungs are still immature) and I was able to see him with all his tubes and wires (they had lines running through his umbilical cord to support him). While I was waiting for Kari, who they were sewing up after the emergency c-section and was still bleeding quite a bit, I was able to observe Ethan as they helped him along. He did have a pnemothorax (collapsed lung) in his right lung, so they had to put a chest tube in him. (Just like me, in high school, I had a spontaneous pneumothorax three times...) A doctor I talked to did say that Ethan did have a chance to live, even though he was born so early, but the survival rate was probably around 50-60%. He also had to be taken to the UW Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) since they are the only ones in the area able to handle a 24 week old.

In the meantime, I found out Kari was out of surgery and in the room recovering. The doctor said that it was essentially a life-threatening situation for both mom and baby as a placental abruption occurred - the placenta was separating from the uterus, and without that connection Ethan would not have been able to survive in the womb. The doctor did mention at that time that it's possible that Kari's body was rejecting the paternal blood (mine). In first time pregnancies this could occur, but then the second time around it's fine since Kari's body is now used to it. Later on, we discovered this may not be the case, but hopefully we will get more answers on why a placental abruption occurred so early. The pregnancy book we have discussed this at the 33 week stage and we were only at 24 weeks.

I was able to talk to Kari right after, but she doesn't remember too much of the conversation. After running around back and forth between Kari's room and Ethan's room, (Kari's parents were there, so they were able to watch over her and Ethan) it finally came time to transport Ethan to the UW NICU. So while Kari stayed at Overlake recovering, I rode in the specialized infant Ambulance to take Ethan to the UW.

After arriving at the UW, it sounded as if the transport couldn't go any better. Everything was ideal and I'm guessing that sometimes in transport things can go very bad when you're moving such a young premature baby. By this time it's around 5 AM. I go back and forth between the waiting room to get some rest and to the NICU watching the nurses and doctors do what they need to do and absorbing as much information as I can. They let you just watch while they work right up next to the isolette (or incubator).

I go home and get some rest and see how Kari is doing at Overlake. She is doing great. It seems ridiculous that the same day she had an emergency C-section, she is looking good and coherent, and fighting the pain like a champ. I guess she didn't press the morphine drip button very often at all and since it was an emergency C-section, she didn't get all the drugs she would have if it was a regular C-section. All I know is that when I had general anesthetics, I woke up from it, and threw up every time I moved my head an inch.

That night at the NICU I read a book to Ethan (Kari strongly suggested it...) I found it hard to talk to him, maybe I was self-conscious, so it was hard to read the book. Anyway, everything we've heard at the NICU was relatively positive. For someone born so early, things looked promising. All the nurses did say to take things one day at a time, and there was a "honeymoon" period of like a day or two where things were stable and then the real craziness starts. But they did say also to be prepared for the long haul, since Ethan would have to be in the NICU up until his expected date of early September.

The next day on Saturday, Kari was released from the hospital (she was supposed to stay until Monday, but she told them she was ready to go home and after doing some tests, they let her.) In some things such as this, Kari is really strong. It's ridiculous how good she looked and acted just two days after surgery. That night, Kari was able to truly see Ethan for the first time in the NICU. She read a lot of stories to him and talked to him as he couldn't see what was going on yet (his eyes weren't open yet). Unlike me, she was very comfortable talking to him and making him feel comfortable at the same time. She also was very good in asking the doctors and nurses a lot of questions, which helped us understand things better. It seemed like there were ups and downs in Ethan's condition, but overall, things seemed good.

The next day, Sunday, most of Kari's family was there earlier. Kari and I rested at home in the morning and then headed over to the NICU in the afternoon. We were at home as Kari was trying out the breast pump as the nurses all mentioned how every single drop of breast milk is important to save, as it is vital for the health of a preemie. So even though we felt ridiculous scooping up 4-5 drops of breast milk in a 3mL syringe, we did, to be frozen and stored until such time that Ethan could use it, even to wet his lips before he can truly have breast milk. There is something about the breast milk coming from the mom of a premature baby that is especially helpful for the preemie, so we were doing all that we could.

Anyway, once we got to the NICU, there were some good news and bad news we heard about him, but all in all, I thought pretty good. By 8pm or so, after Kari read Ethan's favorite story "Larry Gets Lost in Seattle," (which Ethan enjoyed as we could tell from his increased oxygenation rate) we left to go home, and right when we got on 520 to head home, we got a call from the NICU to head back as things turned for the worse. By the time we got there, Ethan had essentially passed away, there was nothing more they could do for him. Earlier in the day, it sounded like there was something going on with his left lung, but it didn't seem anything too pressing. It sounded like the ventilator had too much air going to the right lung, and not enough to the left lung, so they re-positioned it to help the left lung out. Anyway, later on something must have happened, and there was a lot of air outside of the left lung area. They put in a needle to get the air out, and some fatally large amount of air was trapped in there that wasn't supposed to be there that they took out. Combine that with the pneumothorax he already had in his right lung, and it was just too much for him. His heart rate dropped and he just couldn't make it.

Needless to say, this was the worst possible day in our lives. Ethan was in the isolette this whole time, and the only time we got to hold him was after he passed away. Kari was finally able to touch his small, cute feet and toes. Kari wanted him in a cute blanket, so we were able to get a snoopy blanket to wrap him up with. After reading all those baby books, I knew how to swaddle him properly, but unfortunately the first time I have ever swaddled a baby was after Ethan passed away. Kari didn't want Ethan to be lonely, so she left a picture of Henri with Ethan to keep him company. We didn't want to leave him there at the NICU, but we finally had to let him go.

Even though we knew Ethan out of the womb for less than 3 days, the sense of loss we feel is indescribeable. It's almost worse in knowing him for such a small amount of time because you think about all the possibilities that he didn't get to do, like his first birthday, or halloween, or going to Lake Chelan every year. Even having Stan teach him baseball, or me playing basketball with him. I stopped playing basketball a long time ago, after I blew my knee out, but I was going to start up again so that I could play ball with him. Ethan and I were also planning on going hiking and camping together, since Kari won't go with me. And Henri was finally going to get a playmate and we looked forward to our son growing up with him. It seems worse because so early on, you idealize what was going to happen. Maybe Ethan would have hated going camping like Kari, but you don't think that when he's just 2 days old. Anyway, this just sucks. It's been really hard and we wish Ethan was still here with us. It does makes Kari feel a little better knowing that Ethan is probably with her grandpa. Maybe her grandpa will be the one to teach Ethan baseball.

I'll stop for now and just say that I want to thank everyone for all of their thoughts, support, prayers, help and food we have received from everyone. We appreciate all of the offers of help and assistance as we could not get through this without all of you. Some people have asked about a funeral service, but I think we're just going to hold a very small, private, family only service, but I appreciate people inquiring.

I'll hold off for now, but once the memorial service is over, I'll update the blog with more info on Ethan and possibly some pictures if Kari lets me.

Week 24 - Update

Some out there feel as if there isn't enough info about Kari on this blog. Well, Kari won't exactly let me disclose certain info or post pictures of her, so there's not much I can update about her. I mean, what's wrong with disclosing how much weight she's gained or how big her belly is? Her belly is rock solid though. Since I've never touched a pregnant belly before, for some reason, I thought it would be softer (like if you actually had just a big gut) but it's actually pretty solid. Anyway, some things of note:

Kari felt the baby move for the first time on May 1, 2008, at 4:35AM (Week 22). I still haven't felt it, but Kari described it as someone knocking on her belly from the inside. Kinda like, "hey, let me outta here..."

Still finding it challenging to get enough protein for a non-meat eater. I mean, her doc says to get 100g of protein a day. That is ridiculous. Even back in the day when I tried to gain weight I couldn't average 100g of protein a day - and I wasn't about to chow down a steak every night. At least her doc says size-wise her belly is average although Kari probably feels like it's in the kujira range (that's whale...)

She's had some back and neck aches in the morning, and sleeping on the couch with her back against it helped for awhile, but now she uses the snoogle:

Also, it helped to do some neck stretching exercises before she went to bed (my idea) and it seemed to help.

No real food cravings to report, but she has wanted to eat a lot of fruit, which she never did before. She's had a lot of food aversions though, to pretty much anything. Especially since her sense of smell was strong from before being preggers, and now she's like a bloodhound. You should hear her try and take her pre-natal vitamins every night. She downs it and then makes this gagging noise like it's the worse thing that she's ever had. It's not like it's in her mouth very long and you just swallow it, but apparently it's that bad...or she's just dramatic about it.

Push Presents

Here's another thing that you might not know about pregnancy and childbirth. Push presents, or push gifts, are gifts that a new father gives to a new mother after the birth of their child. It's usually jewelry, but everything I've read so far indicates that it wasn't invented by the jewelry industry (yeah, right...) but actually has roots in England and India where gift giving to commemorate a birth has a long tradition. Leave it up to Kari's sister to bring up the topic of a push present the other day...

From wikipedia, quoting a New York Times article: "A 2007 survey of over 30,000 respondents by BabyCenter.com found that 38% of new mothers received a push present, and 55% of pregnant mothers wanted one. About 40% of both groups claimed that the baby itself is already a present and did or do not wish an additional reward. The trend has generated a backlash, as some couples dislike the implicit materialism of push presents, and would prefer increased help in chores or baby care, or save the money for the child's education."

Note that when you actually look at BabyCenter.com's website, I pulled up the poll and current results indicate that 40% of new mothers received a push present, but 15% gave something simple, but heartfelt, like a framed picture of the mom and baby, or a bouquet of flowers, and only 23% gave jewelry or another keepsake (the other 2% gave something pampering, like a spa treatment.) Please vote on the right for our own, unscientific, completely biased poll.

Anyway, forget the push present, where's the "I have to put up with my hormonal pregnant wife" gift? It's not as catchy as "push present" but this gift has deep rooted traditions in things like, giving my wife directions both to and from a destination or doing Friday night cleaning by myself (what, you guys don't clean on Friday nights?) FYI, I'm getting Kari a push present, "implicit materialism" and all. As if you couldn't guess...

Here's a link to a foxnews article that I thought was pretty good:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,99962,00.html

Away from work...

So I took a half-day to go in to see the ultrasound specialist with my wife. I didn't need to wonder how things went at work while I was gone, since the next day when I got back to work, I get this e-mail that goes as follows:

One day, Mr. Boss Man left the office early.
There was celebrating…

[um...that's my office cube you're messing around with...i'm glad that you feel that my desk serves as a great footrest. oh, and shooting rubber bands are dangerous, you can poke an eye out! this is duly noted for everyone's performance review next year...]

But soon it was back to business…

[i do appreciate the ability of focused concentration, even while wearing Karl Kramer's size 21 shoes and reading about Britney.]

Until other mayhem ensued…

[um...that mug was in my drawer when i left the office...]

[well, i guess kelly does have to listen to me blow my nose all the time...]

[don't even think about touching my whiteboard!]

Will he ever leave the office early again?

It's a boy! Or is it an alien?

Ultrasounds are a funny thing. It can tell you the gender of your baby and assist in diagnosing certain problems like Down's Syndrome. And obviously it gives you the first pictures of your baby and with the new 3d ultrasounds, it's no longer a fuzzy, grainy, black and white photo (See photo at left, courtesy of Wikipedia - it's not our boy, since Kari didn't want to post ours.) For some, looking at the ultrasound pictures and videos is an enjoyable experience. Not so much for Kari and I. We've had some minor issues, so we've probably had more ultrasounds than normal. So when the ultra sound specialist is going on and on about how beautiful your baby boy is, and we're sitting there thinking like, that is one ugly baby, I guess we're in the minority with our viewpoint? I mean, yeah, I understand that the baby is only 20 weeks old and can't open his eyes and isn't fully developed, but is it really that enjoyable to look at? I mean, he looks like E.T.! We still ended up paying the $5 for the DVD so that we could show Kari's mom the video.

Baby Questions Round 1 (Continued): Financial

Continuation of the questionnaire, this is the last one for Round 1:

1. Which is better, the flexible spending account for day care vs. taking the federal child care tax credit? Since account contributions reduce dollar for dollar the federal child care tax credit, which do you take or a combination of both?
Sounds like there are phase-outs for the federal child care tax credit, so you would probably use the FSA.

2. Did you add or increase coverage on disability or life insurance? For both spouses?
Seemed like most increased life insurance but didn't touch disability. Also if you're going to do it, do it soon since it's cheaper when you're younger and healthier.

3. Did you draw up a will or a living trust?
Most said no, but are planning to soon. [Anyone know of a good lawyer that focuses on wills?]

4. Have you started a college fund? Which is best: 529 Plans, Coverdell, Roth/Traditional IRAs, UGMA/UTMA?
Some are looking into this still, some are already doing it. Of the ones doing it, they're in the 529 plans: GET Program ("I think currently if you pay $7K, that guarantees a year's worth of tuition in the future."), the one in the state of Nevada (it's run by Vanguard which has low fees) and one run by Fidelity (based on financial advisor). The laws related to this may be changing, so it may be good to look into this soon. Anyway, looks like you don't need to enroll in the 529 for your state, you can enroll in any state's 529 plan.

Baby Questions Round 1 (Continued): Safety

Again, continuation of the questionnaire...one thing to note is that it seems to just depend on your kid and how curious they are about certain things on whether or not you need to do anything about it...

1. Are electrical outlets covered in the house? Which rooms?
Seems like most did have them covered either in most if not all the rooms, but at least in all of the rooms that the baby would tend to crawl/walk in. "Not necessary until they start becoming mobile." Also the plastic covers are a pain to put in and out if you use the outlet to vacuum for instance. In that case, you can buy the switch plate that swivels to allow a cord to be plugged in, and when not in use, it's covered.

2. Are safety latches installed on cabinets? Which rooms? Some did (bathroom cabinets and under the kitchen sink) and some didn't (just move all of the hazardous stuff out of the cabinets/shelves that the baby can get into. ) For one, they bought some cheap ones and their kid was able to figure it out in a week. One recommendation (echoed by another) was to have one drawer in the kitchen that a child is allowed to get into. It seems as if it satisfies their curiosity and they don't need to get into the other drawers. Also, you just need to keep telling them not to go around opening drawers and cabinets, that way, when you go to someone else's house, then your kid already knows not to go opening cabinets and drawers.

3. Where are poisonous (cleaning supplies, liquid soap, perfume, cosmetics) and hazardous materials (shaving razors, nail clippers, etc.) stored?
Either in cabinets up high or moved most of the hazardous stuff to the back of cabinets.

4. Doorstops – Do you use stops near the top of the door or replaced the originals with one-piece doorstops or didn’t replace at all?
Nobody replaced them, but some just removed the ones that their baby were interested in. One did buy the foamy things to put at the top of the door to prevent fingers being smashed in the door, but never used them. [seems therefore like it's not neccesary]

5. Do you anchor heavy bookshelves or entertainment centers to the wall?
Responses were received both ways. Note that there was that Grey's Anatomy episode where Bailey's kid was brought to the hospital after something similar happened

6. Do you use corner or edge protectors on furniture such as coffee tables?
One couple answered yes, but they just got pulled off - and then you're left with sticky glue on the furniture. You can get a soft ottoman to use as a coffee table, and also, just generally try to keep your eyes on your kid at all times.

7. Have you installed any window guards or window-stopping devices?
No one did, usually more because their infant/kid couldn't reach the window lock or they're too heavy for them to open.

Baby Questions Round 1 (Continued): Registery

A continuation of the questionnnaire...I've tried to italicize the answers that appeared on both the "most useful" and "least useful" lists.

1. What are the most useful items?

• baby wipe warmer
• swaddle blanket by "swaddle me" they have them at Nordstrom
• diaper genie
• "Born Free" baby bottles and sippie cups [innovative air vent bottles which helps reduce colic symptoms and are free of Bisphenol-A] note also that "all the celebrities use them too. Nicole Richie, Christina Aguilera, Tori Spelling." [author's note: uh, those three don't seem like they would be ideal moms, should i be scared?]
• "for the first 6 months all they will do is live in onesies and jumpers"
• rear view mirror for the cars.
• Pacifier "Soothies" the green ones for newborns, they are the closest ones to a moms nipple
• "Swing you have to get a swing"
• Happiest Baby on the Block book and DVD
• Dreft [baby detergent]
• baby monitor - the one with the video came recommended, although it may break easily.
• stroller with the ability to transfer the baby seat from the car seat based directly to the stroller
• "i would have preferred an infant seat and hollow frame at the beginning and then a lightweight but heavy duty stroller (like maclaren volo) for later"
• breast pump
• pack and play (pick one with the changing table feature, allows you to "set up shop" anywhere)
• glider chair to sit in while feeding the baby,
• baby bath (although they grow out of them pretty quickly and it's easier to bathe them in a sink)
• baby bjorn (or sling), "I recommend the one with more back support b/c they get heavy fast"
• humidifier/vaporizer (works well when they are sick)
• buckle for the car seat to make it tight
• My Brest Friend nursing pillow [author's note: as the baby bargains book puts it, "it probably qualifes as the Most Stupid Name for a Baby Product Ever award"]
• Baby Einstein dvds - "I know there was that controversial study but ____ loved them and they buy you 30 minutes to do something like make dinner."
• hooded bath towels
• lots of baby washcloths
• crib soother that plays music or sounds
• reclining highchair that an infant can be put in
• compact thermos (for hot water on the go, for mixing formula or warming milk)
• Britax Marathon carseat "it seems this is the carseat that all our peers...swear by"
• baby einstein music cds or other baby music - "can do errands/ride in car for hours
• hot water tap - not really a registry item, but useful for making formula.

2. What items are useless (but you thought they would be useful)?

• shoes...are pointless [before 6 months]
• baby wipes warmer
• baby bottle warmer - "You can just microwave a glass of water and stick the bottle in there."
• changing table
• high chair
• "too many toys clutters up the house"
• bumper for crib
• expensive infant clothing
• Boppy pillow - "advertised so much but we didn't really use it much and it wasn't enough support to breastfeed with."
• "don't buy too many baby bottles at once... you dont know what type of bottle your baby will prefer"
• bottle sterilizer
• baby bjorn "got too heavy too fast"
• "think about the breast pump really hard"
• too many 0-3 month clothes

Baby Questions Round 1: Baby

In my quest to become a parent, I've sent out a questionnaire to become better informed. Below are the questions and a compilation of the answers I have received. Please add you comments if you have anything else insightful that may help me.

1. Why or why would you not bank your baby’s cord blood?
It seemed like the answers ranged from "it's like a sham" to "our OB recommended it". At the same time the general feel that I got was that it was too expensive (thousands of dollars), and although "banking your cord blood could help in the future, it's not a guarantee"

2. Circumcision – why or why not?
The general sense here was that it was done for hygiene and looks. Also laziness, since if you don't circumsize, you'll have to spend more time cleaning that area (again, the hygiene issue). However, the best response for support of circumcision was "because as quoted by my OB 'looks good for the ladies.'"

3. Vaccines/Immunizations – Would you delay or not administer certain vaccines? Why or why not?
Seems like everyone followed the schedule as recommended by the doctor. Either people didn't have an issue with vaccines, or felt that nothing was proven as far as the side effects. There were comments in relation to autism, but then nothing has been proven, and it wouldn't explain why "boys tend to have it (autism) more."

Parenting: Why Aren't More People Worried?

For some reason right now, I’m more worried about parenting than about the actual childbirth process (maybe that has to do with the fact that I’m not the one actually carrying the baby.) Regardless, why aren’t more people worried about parenting? I mean, if you think about it, parenting is a job. A 24/7 job that never ends. I know nothing of parenting, yet I am going to be a parent, and therefore I am going to have to do some “parenting.” There is no training – okay, there are some books that I’m going to read (actually a lot, you’ll hear about that later) and the hospital offers classes, although usually most people take the childbirth classes which we’ve signed up for, but not the post-birth classes.

Back to parenting being a job. Think about this: If I told you that I decided to quit my job in accounting and I’m going to be your nanny for your kid for the rest of his life, what would you say? Something probably along the lines of “you don’t know a thing about taking care of a kid, I’m not going to hire you!” But then why is it okay for me to take care of my own kid then? I wouldn’t even hire myself to take care of my own kid, but then why is it okay for me to be a parent?

I can understand that raising a family is a right given to anyone. Some will say that parenting comes naturally, that there is an intuition that is genetically encoded in us, that we already know how to take care of a kid and therefore no class is needed. That’s nice and all, I’m sure I can wing it and still do okay, but is doing just okay good enough? I mean, look at how crazy our dog is. Humans (in some form) have been working and living with dogs for ages, back when they roamed the lands, yet that genetic coding for taking care of dogs seems to be missing in many people. Why wouldn’t it be the same for the genetic coding for parenting? As another example, we must be genetically encoded to hunt for our own food, but the best that I do is get a grocery shopping list over e-mail from Kari and head on over to QFC, and that is the extent of my hunter/gatherer instincts.

What People Don't Tell You

There are some things about childbirth that never gets talked about. There are probably a lot more that I just don’t know about yet, but here are some of the things that I’ve found out:

1. Placenta delivery – after the actual delivery of the baby, the uterus naturally contracts to push the placenta out of the uterus. What the frack?!? It’s not enough to deliver the baby you have to also deliver the placenta?!?

2. Donating or banking your baby’s cord blood - Apparently, you can save your baby’s cord blood for some potential future use (and it costs a lot of money) or you could donate it for research. I guess the donation part sounds nice, but what kind of research is being done? Sounds similar to stem cell research (which I don’t have a problem with), but do I really need my baby’s genetic material floating around out there in the research world? What if some mad scientist creates an evil Frankenstein twin? Have you ever seen the SpongeBob SquarePants episode where SpongeBob finds the magical pencil and ends up creating an evil twin? If not, see below:

http://www.nick.com/turbonick/index.jhtml?extvideoid=25981

Or maybe I’m the only one worrying about these things?

Kari's Pregnant!

So I know that I’m starting this blog late, seeing as how Kari is 20 weeks pregnant, but anyway...

When we found out that Kari was pregnant, it wasn’t that exciting for us. But what was fun (at least for me) was telling everyone you know for a period of 5 years after you got married that you’re not planning to have kids (in fact, vehemently denying that we would ever have kids), then finally telling them that your wife is pregnant, and watching the looks and reactions from everyone. Ha ha, suckas! However, you do have to live with the fact that you essentially lied to them all during the time that you’ve been trying (in our case the last two years). But if your wife wants you not to tell people that we’re trying, what am I supposed to do? It is a personal matter, and besides, do you really need people creating mental images in their head when you tell them you’re trying? I mean, physically, it only means one thing...

The problem now is that my credibility is shot – nobody can believe me anymore. You can add having kids to the list of items that I said I would never do: like get air conditioning for our house, or get a dog, or get a right-hand ring for Kari (although she wears it on her left, is it still considered a right-hand ring?) Of course, right now, I’m telling everyone that we’re only going to have one kid, but I don’t know if anyone believes me.