I suspect it may have to do with the State's largest refinery - BP Cherry Point - being completely shut down as a result of the Feb 17, 2012 explosion.

I have a lot of friends who work there, and word around the water cooler is that the restart is not going well. I had dinner yesterday and breakfast today with guys who work/have worked there. This is the first time since it was constructed in 1971 that the refinery has been completely idled, and they are discovering problems they didn't know existed which must be fixed before it's brought online. They had anticipated that it would be up and running in early may, so it is highly likely that tanker traffic inbound to Puget Sound began resuming a normal pace in anticpation of this. 

This April 19 Article that ran in the Bellingham Herald and Tacoma News Tribune quotes BP as saying the refinery should be back online in early May. It didn't happen, they have encountered unexpected problems and are still not back online. 

So why are they off Manchester? There's only about a dozen places in Puget Sound where these guys can anchor up, and many of them have an extensive list of restrictions (Anacortes in particular) or are in exposed open water areas where you really don't want to moor (Cherry Point being high among them). 

The waters off Manchester are demarcated as Anchorage Area 110.230 in the Federal Regulations, and constitute arguably Puget Sound's most protected and least restricted anchorage for tankers. You can see Anchorage 110.230 on NOAA Chart 18449. If you read the complete list off federally-approved Anchorages in Puget Sound under 33 CFR 110.230 - Puget Sound Area, Wash. you'll see that there are really only a few places they can stop and wait at anchor. I was on Bellingham Bay this morning, and this tanker was sitting in the Bellingham Bay Whiskey Anchorage, which is not unheard of, but is unusual. I can also report, anecdotally, that I was on the water in Skagit County the last two weekneds and saw several tankers - more than I am accustomed to seeing - stacked up in the Anacortes Anchorage 

It is highly likely that those tankers headed to Puget Sound in anticipation of BP Cherry Point restarting in early May, and are now anchored off Manchester simply because it's just about the best place on Puget Sound to sit and wait. Whether they are waiting to get in to US Oil in Tacoma, or biding their time until Cherry Point comes back online, I have no way of knowing. But, I would say that one way or another it is highly likely that the fleet of tankers you see off Manchester is related to the fact that our state's largest refinery is offline, and way behind schedule in restarting. 

I'm not clear on if you want the cheapest "computer" possible or the cheapest laptop possible or the cheapest desktop possible.

The cheapest functional computer possible is probably something along the lines of a Picotux: http://www.picotux.com/ (99 EU for the 2MB version). There are very specialized versions of Linux (such as minix, or some BSDs) that can run entirely from a floppy (1.44MB), so 2MB of flash RAM is plenty of room.

Oh, but you mentioned you wanted 4GB of RAM, and 1.44MB is only 0.00036% of that, so I'm going to assume you really want the cheapest desktop or laptop available.

The cheapest of both is always free. RE-PC (or one of the several other electronic recycling places with a retail store in the Seattle area) won't give you stuff for free, but the people who give them stuff for free (or even pay them to come pick it up and get rid of it!) will.

You have to find those people. Since I manage a large-ish amount of computers, I am occasionally one of those people and have given away dozens (hundreds?) of things that were put up for grabs before eventually ending up at RE-PC. Everything from USB cables to hard drives to monitors to desktops to (really old) laptops. Even a couple Macs! Unfortunately, right now the closets are clear at work and I don't really have anything for you. But someone out there might!

Second to free, RE-PC (and similar stores, there is another one literally across the street) are worth checking out and do sell used, bare-bones machines, but to be totally honest I have always felt their prices are too high for me when I'm at RE-PC and feeling cheap.

You could try to find a decent deal on craigslist (try not to get robbed), or maybe the QuestionLand marketplace, but there is a large demand for cheap/free computers that don't suck so I wouldn't expect a miracle.

If you're going to buy a new laptop, my first advice is to see if you can afford a used Macbook. They start brand new at like $899 (I think) so you may find one 4-5 years old that is in your price range. Macbooks are the best laptops in existence and anyone who disagrees is simply wrong.

As far as PC laptops go, netbooks are cheaper than laptops (especially since their market is disappearing to tablets), but they are also not very high quality. I've seen a lot of people blow through a lot of netbooks from all different makes. You can find netbooks as cheap as $199, but with 4GB of RAM you're in "good netbook" to "crappy laptop" territory (aka $400-500). I have no strong opinions on good PC laptops but I have seen Dells, Lenovos, HPs, and Sonys that seemed okay in the last year.

PC desktops are much more interesting to build cheaply because you can build them part-by-part if you know how to build a computer, which really isn't very hard. There are lots of videos and articles online that take you through parting out a computer to purchase and build on Newegg. Only shop at Newegg or Amazon Prime -- every other site sucks for computer hardware (unless you need any sort of cable, then you go to monoprice.com).

Since Newegg rules, they have a whole category of "bare bone" computers of varying levels of bareness. Here are all of them sorted by price: http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=3&name=Barebone-Systems&Order=PRICE

At the end of the day your average "cheap but decent" (as you described) netbook should cost around $300, laptop around $500, and desktop (without monitor) probably closer to $400. Keep in mind Windows 7 costs $100 bare-minimum unless you pirate it or use a free OS (I'd try out Ubuntu). Reduce all prices by 20-30% if you go for used.

I'd buy a used 3-5 year old Macbook for $400-600.

Some people nerd out and try to build the cheapest functional computer possible. Here is an example:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=1659798 ($210!)

These are interesting and educational because you can get an overview of the specific components that make up a bare-bones system, and a functional system.

Here are two other articles to help as well:

http://lifehacker.com/5151369/the-first+timers-guide-to-building-a-computer-from-scratch

http://lifehacker.com/5826509/how-to-build-a-computer-from-scratch-lesson-1-hardware-basics

Good luck and feel free to comment if you have any specific questions.

Parcel Post is just standard ground package (or parcel) delivery through the United States Post Office. According to their website, it looks like 2-8 days is considered standard. https://www.usps.com/business/parcel-post-for-business.htm

If customers are having issues with items taking weeks or months, the issue is probably with the person doing the shipping, and not the shipping method. I've shipped and received items through the post office very frequently for over a decade now, and almost never have a problem. Honestly, if there are reliability or consistency issues, I'm guessing it's the seller's issue. If they don't pack the item and get it to the post office in a timely manner than, obviously, that will delay things. There's an option to add delivery notification/tracking, but those are additional charges and would've had to have been negotiated/selected before the sale. You should be able to contact the seller and ask them specifically what day they sent it. That should give you a good indication of arrival time. Because Miami to Seattle are as far apart as possible in the states, I'm guessing it'll be closer to the 8 business days length of time.

The size of the box shouldn't affect shipping time.

Wow this is a really tough decision; I feel for you. I have had to make a similar choice around contacting a father who from a lot of perspectives didn't "deserve" to be contacted (it was a matter of neglect more than abuse for me). Here are some thoughts.

1) The first answer that came to mind was: Only do it for you - not for him. Don't do it out of any sense of obligation or responsibility that you may still carry, or for what you think you're supposed to do for your father; "How can I leave him along, he's still my father," etc. (I don't know if that is relevant or not, but I thought I'd mention it.) Is this something you want? Do you feel it is important for you?

2) I can see that you're already thinking about your motivations enough to recognize that you are looking for a parent, especially with your mom gone - that is understandable, and is not a reason NOT to contact him; but be aware that it's very unlikely you will get that need fulfilled - in other words, prepare to be disappointed.

3) All that said, this actually has the potential to be a healing experience and an experience of growth for you. It's likely the situation will bring up some old, unresolved patterns around your relationship with your father, and how you see yourself. This may give you the chance to "digest" what happened, and "digest" your relationship with your father, in a way that you were not able to do in 6th grade.

4) So, if you think you will be able to emotionally handle the experience, and if you want to, I would see him.

5) I recommend enlisting the help of a therapist to help you work through this process. Our relationships with our parents cut very deep. You're likely to experience a range of contradictory emotions - anger, hatred, love, confusion, desire to be seen by him - its all okay, and it can be helpful to have some kind, objective support. Before you see him, a therapist can also help you understand what you want to get out of this contact, what is realistic, and what action/communication will be most likely to get you what you want. Then, afterwards, you can process the experience with your therapist.

These are just my thoughts - I tend to be supportive of counseling for everyone. Regardless of whether you go that route, I encourage you to stay with your feelings, and be kind to yourself in this process.

Obviously, this so depends upon the people and what they like. For over a decade, I've been pleasantly surprised by some of the fun stuff at the Zoostore at Woodland Park Zoo. You don't have to buy zoo admission, you can get into the store at the west gate, i believe. If not, just explain to the admissions person that you're looking to shop. Along with all the souvenirs you'd expect, there's some fun world art and crafts and jewelry, and notepads made from elephant dung paper.

If you've got time to wait for shipping, etsy.com can be a great resource. Like all of the internet, you've got to wade through some real crap to find the good stuff. But there's a surprising amount of delightful handmade stuff at reasonable prices. If you're stumped, try entering some key words (this is how I found a much-beloved slow loris print, and an adorable sloth necklace). And while this won't help now, remember that the Urban Craft Uprising show is in July. It's great getting to touch and hold wonderful creations from many of our local etsy sellers.

Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park has a really wonderful collection of "prizes." Lots of great and quirky finds, many in the $5 range. From housewares to stationary to finger puppets. I haven't been in their Ravenna store, but they probably also have good stuff. Independent bookstores, in general, often have some really great and unusual gift items.

Portage Bay Goods has a great selection of gift items, cards, journals, and they try to stock stuff that is FUNCTIONAL as well as fun (some type of cool hammer, or hipster mug, or whatever). I appreciate that, as I prefer to gift items that have a purpose. http://www.portagebaygoods.com/page_info?pages_id=1

If you're looking for gifts that are cute/adorable, CakeSpy has a pretty nice selection. http://www.cakespyshop.com/

Not A Number was that wacky store in Wallingford that was similar to Archie McPhee's, but had more liberal bumperstickers everywhere. They're now on N 35th. So for the funny stuff, the quirky stuff (America vs Communist Unicorn action figures), and liberal political gifts, this is the place. http://notanumbergifts.com/

City People's Mercantile in Laurelhurst is fantastic, as well. I've never gotten anything hardware related here, but it's a treasure trove for finding amazing gifts and things. And it's pretty big, so there's lots to check out. http://www.citypeoples.com/

Lastly, while I haven't been there, Andaluz seems well loved on yelp, for having fun little items in addition to their clothing and jewelry. http://www.yelp.com/biz/andaluz-seattle

Hi MR,

I've had my grinder for nearly 5 years now with no problems. So for $15 a year, I'm content.

There used to be an "ask this person a question" button, but maybe no longer? This I cannot answer.

Cheers,

Griffin

Numbers that hold a significant lucky or unlucky status in many cultures seem to have commonality in the basic nature of being odd or even and are notably within single digit amounts (or sometimes certain multiples). You can read all sorts of things about numbers of gifts given or numbers of people in a photograph, but that tends to break down when the numbers are large.

What I did find repeatedly mentioned was that the numbers of distinctly separate ethnic groups (sub-cultures) with separate languages, heritage, and cultural identities within Vietnam itself number 54.

Here is a list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_groups_in_Vietnam

They play in the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NORPAC).

Here is the story of their loss to the Oregon Spartans this year in the championship series (Cascade Cup).

http://norpac.pointstreaksites.com/view/norpac/news-59/news_45277

The last line reads:

"The Southern Oregon Spartans and Seattle Totems will both be heading to the USA Hockey National Championship Tournament in Rochester, Minnesota which will be held March 30-April 3"

My short answer for you is that I don't know, I'm not an oceanographer and I haven't the foggiest idea how cyclones and weather patterns around the Pacific affect the Washington Coast.

I'll tell you this, however. Nobody is "surfing"-surfing in Seattle. There is a dedicated group of outdoorsy folks on the water at Surf Ballard, many of them are "Stand Up Paddleboard" or SUP enthusiasts. http://surfballard.com/ This form of surfing doesn't require any waves, which is good because there really aren't any on Puget Sound. The inland waters of Western Washington are too protected to allow any ocean breakers in through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and down Admiralty Inlet.

Westport, Washington in Grays Harbor County is the surfing capital of the Evergreen State however. There are some killer waves out there, and you'll find hardy guys and gals in wetsuits year-round. I'm told by my boyfriend, a Westport native, that the waves in the winter aren't typically the best, but lots of people like winter surfing in Westport because it's less crowded. Westport is a great place to visit, it's one of the last places left of what I'd call "Old Washington," where lots of people still make their living off the land, and the tourists haven't ruined it yet. If you've never been, it's definitely worth a visit. http://www.westportgrayland-chamber.org/

Also, Tofino, British Columbia on Vancouver Island is another nearby surfer's haven. Tofino is also a popular destination for storm watchers. I know Canadians who have travelled throughout Canada and swear that Tofino is the most beautiful place in their entire country. Might be worth a visit someday, http://www.gotofino.com/

The answer lies pretty much individually with each shoe thrower.

http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/sneakers.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe_tossing

I did enjoy finding out that there is a term used by some for this: "shoefiti".

It won't be too expensive to have children; it may become too expensive to raise them well, but it seems like there are plenty of parents who don't give much of a shit about that (at least enough to keep the population up).

In any event, birth rates decline the wealthier a society becomes. If we get poorer while everything gets more expensive, there's a good chance that birth rates will increase. The resulting undereducated, neglected population will lead to a decline in our society, but not necessarily a collapse.

It's smeared on the edges of things (curbs, park benches, railings, etc.) so that you can grind smoothly on that edge. That's why many stone park benches and retaining walls have bumps glued on--you can't wax over large bumps, and they keep people from riding on them. It's a pain in the ass to clean wax off of rough surfaces like concrete, hence those little bumps to prevent riders.

Go to a skate park and you'll see waxed edges everywhere. Ski wax is softer and thus works better, but I have seen broke-ass kids use candle wax for the same effect.

I will speak up for Gerald Ford (no. 38).

Here was a man that found a way to take a country from one of the darkest criminal periods of the Presidency with Nixon and move it on. Many of us were so angry at the pardon he gave to Nixon, but in retrospect, it was the one way to start the healing, instead of untold months of unpacking the ugliness that would have ensued.

He was very aware of the unique position he held in history being a person who became President without ever being elected (by Electoral College) to either of the two top jobs of this nation. He was a respected honest and principled man, with an impeccable past, scholar, athlete, WWII Navy veteran, and 25 years as a representative of the State of Michigan.

He served 10 months as Vice-President before taking on the remainder of Nixon's term, nearly 2 and 1/2 years of the Presidency. He had a full presidency even though he served a shortened term (it is worth reviewing). Betty Ford in her own right was a trailblazer and had a profound effect on promoting the open discussion of mental health, addiction and breast cancer issues for women.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Ford

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Ford

Without knowing the exact taxi company and the day of travel it may be pretty difficult to track back details to a particular trip. However, if you really suspect that this was the origin and then you may want to contact the appropriate office at Seatac airport to see if a lost property report was made there:
http://www.portseattle.org/sea-tac/passenger-services/pages/lost-and-found.aspx
Ask for advice there on finding other lost report lists through the various taxi companies.

I assume you have been pretty thorough in looking through the contents of the bag for leads in tracking this person down. Look again and be very complete in searching for any addresses, phone numbers, business cards, receipts, references for appointments, mail. Even a serial numbered electronic device or other expensive item might be tracked back to the registered owner by contacting the manufacturer.

Some thoughts:
Prescription medications can be tracked back to the exact person by the pharmacy.

If there is a library book, head there and have them look up the person's contact information and they can call him (without releasing the info to you).

Perchance, if there is a laptop inside I would suggest making a sign to hold up in front of it (pin to your shirt while you use it) stating something like "I found your backpack and want to return it to you, call 555-1212", just in case there is a tracking program installed that uses the onboard camera when powered up. Then, of course, try locating the owner's email address by looking at incoming/outgoing mail. If not available then look at created files for leads.

Here is the link for WA law concerning lost and found property which outlines the procedure for being within the law for claiming found property - which will give you the details for how to go about seeking the original owner under the law.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=63.21&full=true

I would say you have no problems as far as how you came into possession of the bag, but the clock started on your efforts to find the owner in a timely manner once you figured out it did not belong in your home. There is no downside in going to the police and reporting it but I think you may be more motivated to seek the owner then they may be if you just turn it in.

You could always GET JESSE:
http://www.king5.com/on-tv/contact/64675492.html
They might have some advice and contacts if they are not interested in the story.

Because the President of the United States is in town. The Secret Service and military don't f*** around when the Chief is here. Among other stops in the Seattle area, Air Force One will be landing at Paine Field for Mr. Obama to tour the Boeing factory where it was built, and talk to Boeing workers.

Nothing to be alarmed about, just Presidential Security.

I operate in high security zones on a fairly regular basis, and I can tell you that most high security areas in fact operate on a dual layer basis of scrutiny. People who are for one reason or another on the clock are typically subject to lower levels of scrutiny than your average interloping citizen.

This is what has caused some security experts to decry the security model we have in this country as "security theater," that is, a series of measures that are designed to enhance the appearance and feeling of security without actually making us safer. Witness the fact that everybody working at a restaurant at SeaTac Airport gets to bypass the metal detector, but you as John Q. Traveler have to go through and get groped by the TSA.

I don't want to get down into the weeds of whether or not this is sound policy (it isn't), but it is what it is. Contractors are often subject to even less scrutiny. Often in a high security environment there will be an unintended triple layer security approach. Security to keep the public out is very high, security to make sure regular "there every single day" workers are who they say they are is medium high, and security for contractors who have a legitimate reason to be there is, truth be told, usually just a quick look at an ID. "ID says Jones, you're Jones, go ahead"

As far as specific advice on the two situations you describe, SeaTac Control tower and Washington State Ferry wheelhouse, in the interest of not having the feds kick in my door I'm not going to delve into specifics. I will tell you that these are both environments where everyone is required to have a TWIC card issued by DHS. If you don't have one, the chances of walking through the door are very slim.

For airports, you might have better luck at a smaller airport that is not on quite as tight of lockdown, such as Boeing Field, Bellingham International or Grant County International. Things are still mellow enough there that I feel you would have better luck than at a major Intercontinental hub like SeaTac. Hint, hint.

As far as a Washington State Ferry, you're not going to be able to get into the wheelhouse of an actively moving on-duty ferry. Those days are very much gone. But, you're in luck, Washington State Ferries oldest boat the MV Rhododendron retired yesterday, sailing her last voyage from Point Defiance home to Eagle Harbor for de-crewing.

Shameless self-promotion, read my blog if you want to learn more about that http://www.soundslikepuget.com/2012/01/fair-winds-and-following-seas-mv.html

The State Ferry system has promised that they will host a public event in February to say goodbye to the Rhododendron and celebrate her 59 years of safe service on Puget Sound. I'll bet dollars to donuts if you show up to that event on Bainbridge Island in February and ask nicely, they'll let you in the wheelhouse. The date will be announced by the Ferry System soon, so if you read my blog I'll make sure you know when it's going to be. You can also keep an eye on the WSF webpage.

Meet perceived adversity or even just poor manners with a smile, a kind word or compliment, wish them well and change that person's day. You could be the agent of change for everyone else that person meets all day!

Here's a list of movies about POW camps. There are even a few about WWI, in case you'd like to make comparisons: http://www.imdb.com/list/Y0JzNFmc7LM/

A list of 5 to get you started:

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
The Way Back (2010)
Paradise Road (1997)
Colditz (2005)
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983)

Well, if you need a red colored cheese: Cheese made with port wine is red.

Other than that a little more info about size and scope would be useful.

Maybe ask everyone to wear red, it'd make photos fairly nostalgic if people dressed to a theme. Ladies in red, gentlemen in black w/ red accents?

Oooh, my favorite is the Stars' album, Heart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_(Stars_album)

I listened to it non-stop the year I was in grad school in a very snowy place, and it will always remind me of the snow.

Hey Griffin,

Ok,
Protestant is a hard one - (for me especially). Episc & Baptists; you can always get them music and make them happy ;). I take issue with the protestants' Sola Scriptura doctrine especially (as much as Catholics were wrong to sell salvation, protestantism hasn't really righted all the wrongs that the 5 Pillars are supposed to)- Sola Scripture is, roughly, the idea that holy books are to be the law of the religion, and interpretations are suspect. Yet Sola Fide, the other prime protesant rule, says faith alone saves you - not works. Sola Fide doesn't reconcile if you a) believe the bible is the only law or literal law, - and b) read Matthew 25:31 through about 46 to see that Doing Good Works is absolutely essential to performing the essence of 'good' and getting the fastpass to the Disneyland Heaven Adventure.

Sorry, I digress, sorry... Gift! yes, well:

Every pastor needs vestments. They are damn expensive and ,well, what good pastor is secretly a stock broker, right?? (A good alb alone runs about 100 bucks!) So vestments, or a gift certificate for Kaufers.com at the bare minimum are good. You could also get a liturgical book, like 'Pastoral Care of the Sick' (depressing but perhaps useful if she somehow doesn't already have one).
But then you're in danger of just getting a gift for the sake of getting a gift. Give your sis something for HER, from the heart, and everybody wins.

A thought: being as she's working the VA (damn hard job to do btw, send her kudos for that choice alone), a selection of warrior's prayers might be fitting... or even something like a piece of art with proper soldiers-in-mind inspiring words.

The soldiers of old (I mean, like, Crusades-era old) used to inscribe Loricas on their shields - little songs/prayers/chants to recite before battle. Soldiers recovering in VA hospitals are in many ways 'battling' still, each day they try and heal: A lorica-inscribed shield for her office, (or even a customized plexi/clear clipboard? to take on rounds?) with a lorica printed on it would be a thoughtful way to go, if I were in your shoes.

St Patric's Lorica was/is particularly well known as a soldier's incantation. http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/patrick.htm

Note; some pastors will frown on it, as incantations are, to some eyes, spells/enchantments... To them I say: prayers are as well. So are Hymns. And no woman or man of the cloth should have shame in singing hymns. And besides, The Lorica of St Patrick was made into a hymn, conveniently enough.

But go from the heart. It doesn't have to be a present catering to her profession/calling. It can just be something for Your Sis.

Bernie Whitebear

http://www.unitedindians.org/about_history.html

My first guess would be Cost Plus World Market. It might be worth calling one of their stores to check.

Just so they know what you are dealing with, invite them over for a cup of coffee at night and be sure the lights are activated. You can then demonstrate what you are dealing with in your home from their lights. Experiencing it firsthand will go a long way to getting cooperation for adjusting the aiming of the lights.

Hump-Two-Lips takes the cake - especially considering mcNutt road, big bottoms, flatbottom crk, humptulips valley dike road, and all the other fun names in that area.

these are all WA towns of a sex or bodypart vein--
Horlick
Climax
Mount Brook (okay, if she asks nicely)
Hump-Free (Humphrey)
Ryderwood
Grand Mound (next to Es-sex)
Blewitt
Chumstick
Longbranch
Azwell
Asotin ( down the road from buns o' steel?)
Proebstel
Chiwaukum (chew what, now?)
Newuakum (from NJ)
Ki-tit-ass
Rimrock Retreat has always sounded dirty to me (Spiral Butte is 10 mi east of Rimrock)
Surprise Valley
perenneal favorite Cherry Valley
and Coal Canyon -the flip side?

substance abuse--
Pysht
Stoner
High Rock - high point - highland
Mushroom Corner
Cokedale

None of which are anything compared to-
Wanker's Corner, Oregon
and Maggie's Nipples, Wyoming.

From the US Flag Code (United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1 — The Flag), Section 7, subheading K.

"When used on a speaker's platform, the flag, if displayed flat, should be displayed above and behind the speaker. When displayed from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the flag of the United States of America should hold the position of superior prominence, in advance of the audience, and in the position of honor at the clergyman's or speaker's right as he faces the audience. Any other flag so displayed should be placed on the left of the clergyman or speaker or to the right of the audience."

This appears to indicate the flag is on speaker's right (audience left) and the other flag to be displayed is then placed on speaker's left (audience right), presumably at the same height. When the US flag is displayed on a pole with other flags on separate poles they are all flown at the same height.

I am sure you know this but will mention, that when the flag is on stage (pole or flat) it is to the speaker's right but when it is located on the floor level with the audience it is on the audience's right.

When people shut down the streets of Seattle during the WTO, we succeeded in the goal of disrupting that meeting - I remember how awesome it felt to be a small part of that as an individual. But there was a least one year of serious organizing before the protests, both here and in other cities. Also there were people working within the WTO trying to reform the structure. Afterwards, everyone thought change was really going to happen because so many lefty groups had successfully worked together, and it blew up when people from different groups came together and tried to define more specific goals for future organizing.

I guess I'm jaded, but I think Occupy Seattle is going down the same path with much less organization. It seems like a lot of people are on a "protest high" and are just totally focused on staying in Westlake to spite the mayor and the cops. I can't see how this is going to help bring about affordable health care, for example.

I don't think I agree with anything the tea party believes in, but they have been successful in pressuring elected officials to make promises to never, ever raise taxes. I would like to see the Occupy movement hold our elected officials accountable, but it seems like a lot of Occupistas don't vote or want to work for reform within the system.

I'm really hoping an established non-profit will start a related campaign I can do something with, because I don't have time or energy to go to a general assembly every day and bring these issues up.

I did a search online and found some ecommerce sites that carried them. I looked at the Sutter Home & Hearth site but it had no accessories displayed on its site.

I would probably order online, or see if the manufacturer's website lists retailers.

This question reminds me of the question that was posed to Ford Motor CEO Alexander Trotman back in the 90's when asked why Ford was making a particular new car to sell in Europe. "We're doing it to make money," he said. The press, dumbfounded by the point blank response, struggled to come with a follow up question to that.

I think you hit the nail on the head. They're doing it to make money. Charge $12 for shipping, pay FedEx $6 and pocket the difference. I'll tell you this much though, I once worked in the corporate HQ of a Seattle-area based company, and I learned something about shipping. Using the Post Office can cost a fortune for large organizations because it requires a tremendous amount of staff time to prepare, weigh, package, address and label mail and deliver it to the post office.

For companies doing high volume, UPS and FedEx cut huge discounts, and provide pre-prepared (is that a word?) labels and shipping boxes or envelopes, plus they pick up at the office. When time is money, it makes way more sense for large organizations to pay higher postage and spend less staff time preparing shipments.

So, there's that. But in short, yeah they're probably just screwing you. Your best option is to try and find a local retailer that has your product, or find a website that offers free shipping. http://www.freeshipping.org/ offers a searchable list of several thousand websites that ship for free.

Bummertown is just a short ferry ride away but you'll have to go almost to the ocean if you want to see Scabberdean.