Tacoma Water is developing a new water conservation goal that will affect the types of conservation programs we offer our customers for the next seven years. As part of this process, we want to know what you think about water conservation and the types of programs we should offer.

To gather input we have developed a short online survey. The results of the survey will be used to design a draft conservation goal, which we will present at a public meeting in the spring. Please assist us by taking our survey at www.tacomawater.com/watergoals. Please be advised that the survey will close March 19.

If you would like more information about the water conservation program and our offerings, please contact us at 502-8723 or visit our webpage at http://www.mytpu.org/tacomawater/conserve-water/water-conservation/Default.htm.

Thank you very much for your time.

Daniel L. Muir
Water Conservation Supervisor
Tacoma Water
3628 S. 35th Street
Tacoma, WA 98409
253-502-8191

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The truth of the matter is, we’d all like to be actively contributing to solving some of the world’s crises on a day to day basis, but we have mouths to feed, burgers to flip and other things on our agendas. I know there are things in my life, like ultimate frisbee, which doesn’t necessarily contribute to the common good beyond my own interests, but damned if I’m going to quit that while I still have working knees. That’s the glory of charities, you’re donating your money so someone else solves the world’s problems for you. It’s like you’re hiring those dancing brooms from Fantasia to clean up the world.

But by “Do Something for Charity” I don’t just mean donate money. I mean participate in the culture of donating. For example: In March, I am participating in an event called The Big Climb in which I will race up 1,311 steps to benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I’m currently raising money for me team and need $135 more to reach my goal. Click here if you want to help out and donate.  The Big Climb is a fine example of meshing some of what you enjoy (be it running up flights of stairs or running in a marathon, etc.) with contributing to a good cause.

Two other examples of this (which I’ll note are shameless plugs for donations) are The CLAW and The Melon’s charity drive.

The CLAW (or Cartoonists League of Absurd Washingtonians) is a group of Washington based cartoonists who gather to await our robot overlords and prepare for the zombie apocalypse, all the while drawing tons of cartoons and having two awesome meetings a month. While our primary goal is to draw cartoons, we’ve integrated charity into what we do by offering a Young Cartoonists’ Scholarship composed of member dues and donations from local businesses and supporters.

The Melon in its annual drive for support has vowed to send half of all funds raised to Friends of the Orphans Haiti Earthquake Relief fund in honor of Molly Hightower, a native Tacoman who passed in the recent earthquake while working to aid children in need. We’re still looking for support btw .

Both CLAW and Melon are prime examples of integrating charity into what you do already. Not only is this a more active approach which helps promote your different issues and charities, but it’s a hell of a lot more fun.

So, donate to charity. But don’t just donate, do a relay, join a race, start a haircomb enthusiasts group which supports young barbers, I don’t know. Just make charity part of what you do already instead of just dropping a few coins in a cup.

YOUR TURN:

What are some of the events or organizations do you take part in to support charity? What can you recommend to others?

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Vote for the name which you believe suits Washington best and we will then draft a proposal to the state legislature asking our elected leadership to adopt legislation to formally change the name of our state.  In 2010, The Melon will endorse only those candidates who agree to change the name from Washington to our newly endorsed alternative.

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Find out more about the initiative to legalize cannabis (I-1068) and how you can help support it at http://sensiblewashington.org/.

Download audio file (potFINAL.mp3)

Download mp3

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Aside from the obvious fact that our state shares its name with the nation’s capitol (consequently leading to unnecessary confusion across the heartland) our state lacks any of the indigenous flavor that peppers our neighbors.  States christened in native tongues include: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North/South Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Other states were named by explorers who found something unique about the land, it’s climate, or people.  These include: Colorado (from the spanish, “ruddy” or “red”), Florida (from the spanish Pascua Florida, meaning “feast of flowers” (Easter)), Maine (used to distinguish the mainland from the offshore islands), Montana (from the spanish word meaning “mountain.”), Nevada (spanish for “Snow-Capped”), Vermont (after the french “vert mont,” meaning “green mountain”)

A few were named after similar places.  These include: New Hampshire (From the English county of Hampshire) New Jersey (from the English island of Jersey), New Mexico (you guessed it) and New York (after the English city of York), Rhode Island (after the Greek island of Rhodes)

Finally, there are states whose names were derived from the imaginations of Europe’s most popular writers, like California and Indiana; and states with names whose origins remain a complete mystery to linguists and historians alike.  These include: Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho and Oregon.

True, a few states were named to honor certain individuals – but that was usually accomplished by adding an “a” at the end of the name:  Georiga (after England’s king Georgia II), Louisiana (in honor of Louis XIV of France), Maryland (in honor of Henrietta Maria (queen of Charles I of England), North/South Carolina (in honor of Charles I of England), Pennsylvania (in honor of Adm. Sir William Penn), Virginia/West Virginia (after Queen Elizabeth).

Washington remains the only state named after a president and that president is usually ranked second to Lincoln in the public’s esteem.

So I vote we change our name to something more appropriate and fitting of this great land we call home.  I have a list of suggestions and will be accepting more as the days and weeks go by before asking you – The Melon’s loyal readership – to vote on which name you like best.  We will then draft a proposal to the state legislature asking our elected leadership to adopt legislation to formally change the name of our state (a first in United States history).  In 2010, The Melon will endorse only those candidates who agree to change the name from Washington to our newly endorsed alternative. (We would have settled for a pledge to introduce a flat income tax but that seems unrealistic.)  The following is my brief list of alternatives.

1)  North Oregon

2)  West Idaho

3)  New Canada

4)  American Columbia

5)  Cascadia

6)  Salmonia

7)  Seatacolycane (Seattle -Tacoma -Olympia-Spokane)

8)  Clevelend’s Folly

9)  Middle Earth

10)  Altruria

11)  Ecotopia

12)  Camelot

13)  Wankalupa

14)  Aquaterra (water land)

15)  Verdeterra (green land)

16)  Washingtonia

17)  Skoocoom (lummi for “supernatural”)

18)  Sasquatch

19)  Holistic

You may vote for any of these or suggest your own. The top 10 will be funneled into a poll until we reach the final name.

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Step 1: Move your money into a Credit Union.

It’s no secret that the greed of Big Banks have not only greatly contributed to the current recession, and furthermore millions of taxpayer dollars have slipped into the hands of BB CEO’s thanks to the botched bailout.  If this is the first you’ve heard of this do a google search and type: I have been living under a rock for the past 2 years. Continuing to leave your money in the hands of Big Banks like Bank of America and Chase only supports a crooked system and crooked businesses. This is why you should pull your money out now and join a local Credit Union.

Credit Unions are locally-based, non-profits which act like co-ops. Which means, when you open an account with one of these banks, you own a piece of the company. Here’s some internet-style bullet points which should make the decision clear.

Why should I join a Credit Union?

1. Not supporting the crooked Big Banks and their economic poison.
2. Credit Unions are local institutions, which means the money stays within the community as opposed to supporting global or national interests.
3. CU’s are non-for-profit, which means they’re not out to make a serious profit. Of course they have to survive, so there are fees, but you know where their interest lies.
4. CU’s are co-ops, which means you own a piece of the company and can vote as to what direction you want the company to move.
5. Better interest rates. You make more money.

So to recap. By joining a CU you’re:  Supporting your community, not supporting a volatile system, and making more money.

When I first considered joining a CU, I was a bit concerned that their online system may not be advanced enough to handle transactions as well as my BB. I was pleasantly surprised that not only did my local CU have a system just as advanced as any BB, they also supported green by rewarding paperless accounts with even better interest rates.

Another concern of mine was receiving money abroad or when out of state. But like all banks, CU’s give you a nifty Debit/Credit card and most of the more established ones have a wide network. My CU doesn’t charge fees anywhere, and I can deposit and withdrawal in most 7/11’s or almost any other CU around the US.

Joining a CU may seem like a stretch at first, but it’s really easy to do. If you’re nervous about it, try moving some of you money first and sit on it for a couple months. You may not realize the impact on your wallet or community right away, but trust me, this is a step in the right direction. (Cue cheesy end of sitcom music.)

If this brief, non-data supported article didn’t convince you to act, maybe Bill Maher will.

Your turn:

Have you joined already joined a Credit Union? Why or why not? Share your experience!

Comic by RR Anderson. Some other CU comics by RR.

Need more convincing?:

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain/article/0/1/1520862/KPLU.Local.News/Credit.Unions

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Friend of The Melon, David Tveite has begun presenting his work on “A Regular Dude’s World Atlas, ” a presentation of the world by someone with a really good internet connection. Here’s a clip from one of his hilarious entries:

“Andorra is a thoroughly unimpressive little country of some 88,000 citizens located in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. Andorrans speak Catalan, a language which is kind of like Spanish but not nearly as useful. Andorra was first discovered in 1278, when France was taking a shower and noticed a kind of abnormal growth near its genitals. Distraught, France rushed to the doctor, who assured it that the growth was Andorra, not cancer. France was very lucky this turned out to be correct because relatively speaking, 13th-century oncology wasn’t exactly the most reliable science ever.”

David is only on the A’s right now, but I’m excited to see this develop.

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Pecha Kucha Night, devised and shared by Klein Dytham architecture, was conceived in 2003 as a place for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public.

Each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each – giving 6 minutes 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps presentations concise, the interest level up, and gives more people the chance to show.

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more comics at btdcomics.com

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The Melon’s Jack “Joe” Faust, interviews Tacoma Community House’s Hana Kato and Derrick Rhayn about the community event that is taking Tacoma by storm: Scrabble Rousers.

Download audio file (scrabblerousersFINAL.mp3)

Download mp3

Press release:

Brush up on your two letter words because Scrabble Rousers: Season Deux is on its way.

TCH presents Scrabble Rousers: Season Deux, an amazing line up of nontraditional and themed Scrabble tournaments for players of all levels to gather together and celebrate words. Through community
partnerships with King’s Books, University of Puget Sound (UPS) Office of Community Engagement, and Click! Cable TV, TCH is offering Scrabble Rousers monthly from February to September throughout the Tacoma. Each
tournament will have an individual theme like Mardi Gras, Alfred Hitchcock Day, Bad Poetry Day and the ever popular International Talk like a Pirate Day. Prizes and bragging rights will be available for the winners.

TCH  has been an advocate for education and words since Jan. 10, 1910. Scrabble Rousers is one of the ways TCH honors and celebrates 100 years of service to the community. All Scrabble Rouser proceeds benefit Tacoma Community House’s Student Scholarship Fund, a student run committee that helps students transition from TCH to other educational institutions and programs.

Event Details:
February 16th, 2010
Mardi Gras Scrabble-Rousers
UPS- The Rotunda
6:30pm-9:00pm
$10

Scrabble Rousing Details:

Dressing up: We encourage everyone to dress up in Mardi Gras flare.

Games: We will play two 45 minute games. Warm up games will be available in the beginning of the night.

Mardi Gras word list: We will have a list of Mardi Gras related words at the event. If you use one of those words you get 25 bonus points.

Eats: We are having a cake donated by Kathy’s Cakes. Water and cider will also be available.

For more info contact:
Derrick Rhayn
Phone: 253-383-3951
Email: drhayn@tacomacommunityhouse.org

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