General Colin Powell Endorses Barack Obama

One of our nations most respected leaders, Colin Powell, who served as President Bush's Secretary Of State has endorsed Democrat Barack Obama to be our next president. General Powell says that although he feels that they are both qualified to be commander in chief, Senator Obama is more qualified to handle the economic crisis facing our country. In an interview on NBC's Meet The Press, General Powell also expressed disappointment with Senator McCain's campaign tactics.

The Record Center

I mentioned "The Record Center" in the article about Dave Cochran. The Record Center was a dark seedy store on Main Street in Walla Walla that specialized in, of course, records. It used to have booth where you could listen to the records before you bought them. This was a "must stop" for teens in Walla Walla. Eventually the Record Center moved to a bigger store down the road, it eventually lost it's mystique. It later changed it's name to "Brumback's House Of Music" and was soon forgotten even by me. Right up to the point that I wrote the Cochran article.

Burner To Speak To Rotary

Democratic Congressional Candidate Darcy Burner will speak to the Overlake Rotary Of Bellevue this Wednesday in one of her last aprearance before the general election. The club has already heard from Burner's Republican rival Dave Reichert and both candidates for governor.

Final Tribute--Lloyd Thaxton

Lloyd included me in this post from his blog.

Dave "Rockin" Cochran And The Voice Of Thunder

If you were a teenager or a young adult in the late 60s or early 70s and a fan of hit music
growing up in Walla Walla Washington, you would be perfectly happy turning your radio to a scratchy fading in and out station in the Tri Cities,(KALE or KORD depending on the era). If you had a good summer or night job, you could go down to the "Record Center" or later "Hot Poop"(Walla Walla's Hippest Record Store) or "StereoBird"to buy enough records to satisfy your hunger for the hits, as night fell and the Tri Cities stations followed FCC guidelines and broadcast in low power, you could turn on KTEL. KTEL,at 1490 khtz, was one of three local AM radio stations and one of only two that were allowed to operate at night. It was also the only one to play rock and only at night. Dave "Rockin" Cochran was prime time night Disc Jockey. He was actually working in the daytime as well playing country music and what not. Dave Cochran had a voice that would boom into the radio and as such you would think that he could shout from one end of town to the other without benefit of a microphone. The station consisted of a fly and spider infested ramshackle hut under the big radio tower on the outskirts of town, but to listen to Rockin Cochran, you would have thought it was a palace on a hill as you could hear some of the greatest music ever played. His lifestyle was a topic of frequent discussion at schools. Cochran would play teen music from 8:00 until 10:00 and hard core FM style rock from 10:00 until 11:00, I would hear groups like "10 Years After" and "Quicksilver Messenger Service", it is no wonder that I was bitten by the radio bug. Dave was assisted in the hour off that he got for dinner by first Steve Lloid and then Mike Turner. At 11:00, it was time for the Star Spangled Banner and sign off. This was, afterall, Walla Walla.

Seahawks Thrashed At Qwest

The Seattle Seahawks showed they can be just as ineffective at their home field as they can be on the road, losing to the Green Bay Packers 27-17. The game was really not as close as the score would indicate as they were listless on both offense and defense. Matt Hasselbeck sat out the game with a hyper extended knee and his replacement Charlie Frye could not move the ball against a patchwork Green Bay defense.

picture above--Coach Holmgren greets Gary Payton, who raised the 12th man flag.

Air Supply Concert

Last night, Deb and I, along with her sister and brother-in-law went to the Emerald Queen Casino to watch the Australian Band Air Supply

OSU Basketball Coach Will Apear At Maggie Awards

Craig Robinson will be the featured speaker at Seattle's Warren G. Magnuson Awards Dinner on October 27th. He is the head basketball coach at Oregon State, but more significantly, he is Michelle Obama's brother.

Obama And Israel

American Jews have been slow in jumping on the Obama Train. A group of Israelis have made this video to perhaps ease some concerns about his stance in the Middle East.

This video should close my tribute to the man who brought so many rock and roll memories, Lloyd Thaxton!

A Sad Irony From LT Blog

Last May, Lloyd Thaxton asked readers write his obituary. He must have known something that we didn't.

Teen Show Host Lloyd Thaxton Dies At 81

Lloyd Thaxton, whose televised LA dance show went into national syndication during the 1960s, has died at 81.
Unlike the "cool" Dick Clark host of American Bandstand, Thaxton was animated and unpredictable with endless gags and skits. In recent years, he wrote a blog where he connected with many of his old fans including myself.

5th District Democrats Out At Salmon Days

The 5th District Democrats were at Issaquah Salmon Days last weekend and the response was incredible. Festival goers cleaned out every Obama button, bumper sticker and souvenir. Gregoire signs were in high demand also. The Republican (oh I'm sorry--GOP) was right across the way and they looked on jealously.

SNL Biden-Palin Satire

SNL keeps it's sketches under wraps for the most part, but this was what I found on the "Net".

NFL Commercial--Feelin' Kind Of Sunday

The way the Seahawks have played lately, I almost think the song should be "Feelin' Kind Of Sick."

Man--It Was Ugly

With Bobby Engram and Deion Branch back in uniform, the Seattle Seahawks came off of a bye and ran into a buzz saw, losing to the New York Giants (called the New York Football Giants by those remembering a bygone era) 44-6
The Seahawks are 1-6 on their last 7 trips to the East Coast and at 1-3, are have their worst start since 2002. The game was the coup d'gras after both the Cougars and the Huskies suffered humiliating defeats this weekend. The only bright spot for the Hawks was that Matt Hasselbeck was able to remain in the game after hyper extending his knee on one of the first plays.

Barers Of Maple Valley Get 20 Thousandth Hit

It may not sound like much, but it's a milestone. Thank you to everyone who reads this blog!

Mr. Barer Goes To Walla Walla

My cousin Burl, traveled to our former hometown of Walla Walla and writes about it humorously in his blog.

Let's Find Out What Sarah Palin Reads

I'd like her to be a little more specific.

New Evidence May Be Surfacing On Rossi Fundraising

Campaign activist group FUSE is petitioning Attorney General Rob McKenna to investigate charges that Dino Rossi may be involved BIAW fundraising. That would be a violation of the law since the trade organization sponsors advertising that is not approved by political candidates.

A Little Campaign Fun

5th Legislative Democrats Starting To See Pay-Off

Democrats in Washington's 5th Legislative district are very familiar with the bitter taste of defeat. While Democrats have won at least one seat in every other district in King County, the 5th which includes Issaquah, Sammamish, North Bend, Maple Valley and Black Diamond, has continued to send an all Republican slate. According to an article in today's Seattle Times, Democratic gains on the Eastside may have finally filtered down to the 5th. The article recognized the efforts of District Chair Hank Thomas, a former Issaquah City Councilman.

When Thomas took the helm of the 5th District Democrats two years ago, he had fewer than 30 precinct committee officers — community members in charge of canvassing their neighborhoods and building support for candidates. That number has grown to nearly 70, and by the beginning of next year, Thomas expects to have more than 100.

The article mentioned legislative candidate David Spring. When Spring began his campaign he was traveling a lonely road, the House Democratic Caucus wanted nothing to do with the district. Spring was not deterred and ran with what little he had. He wound up taking 49 percent of the vote against seemingly entrenched GOP opponent Glenn Anderson. The 5th has two other outstanding candidates in Jon Viebrock running for Jay Rodne's House seat and Phylis Huster, running for State Senate.

David Spring will be holding a meet and greet tomorrow (September 28th) at Beaver Lake Lodge, 25101 SE 24th Street Sammamish.

America Loses Paul Newman

Paul Newman, one of Hollywood's greatest actors, died yesterday at 83.
I remember Newman was my Mother's favorite actor.

PJ Reports On Hurricane Ike

PJ of Galveston, Texas is a good friend, an excellent blogger and now, a survivor. In her blog (No Deep Thoughts), she talks about her ordeal with Hurricane Ike.

Democrats Dine In Luxury At Newcastle

Washington's 5th Legislative District hosted this year's 22nd annual Eastside Dinner. The dinner is usually held in a hotel in downtown Bellevue. This year tradition was broken as was bread at the Golf Club At Newcastle. The Newcastle course and clubhouse are about 10 years old. Just south of Bellevue, it affords striking views of the Seattle skyline.
Host Ross Hunter, a member of the Washington House of Representatives, mentioned that the dinner was started by the late Karen Marchioro. In those days, the Eastside communities of Bellevue, Renton, Kirkland and Redmond were seen as solid Republican communities. Today, except for the 5th, the representation in Olympia is solidly Democratic.
Governor Gregoire, in her keynote speech, sited all the transportation projects during her tenure including the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Candidate Darcy Burner and Congressmen Jim McDermott and Jay Inslee also spoke.
The evening was capped off by Liberal talk show host Ed Schultz. Although this clip was not from last night's dinner, it shows Ed Schultz at his fighting best.

Seahawks Finally Get Victory

The Seattle Seahawks were able to capitalize on a hapless StLouis Ram team and beat them 37-13. Julius Jones had 140 yards for the 'Hawks and TJ Duckett had his first two touchdown game in four years. Rookie wide receiver Michael Bumpus got his first career touchdown on a 10 yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck The Seahawks go into the bye week 1-2 and have a chance to get Bobby Engram and some other players heathy before the next game in 2 weeks.

Early 60s TV Dobie Gillis

Hopefully this will bring back a memory or two. From a much more innocent time.

Local Paper Endorses Obama

The Seattle Times today has endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president. You can read the editorial here

Last Year's Eastside Dinner

It's hard to believe a year has gone by, but last year's Eastside Dinner was highlighted by this unscheduled discourse.

Anea Barer is a frequent guest on Outlaw Radio. Heard Saturdays at 3:00 Pacific time. The program can be heard throughout the world on the internet. Anea's dad, Burl, is a regular on the program.

Details On Eastside Democratic Dinner

The Eastside Democratic Dinner, hosted by the 5th Legislative District Democrat of Washington, will take place this Sunday, September 21st. It will take place at The Golf Club At Newcastle, 1500 Six Penny Lane. Registration begins at 5:00 pm with Governor Gregoire scheduled to speak at 6:00 pm sharp. Tickets can be ordered at Brownpaper Tickets or purchased at the door.

An Old Face Returns To The 'Hawks

For the first time in 4 seasons, Koren Robinson will wear the Seattle Seahawks uniform. The 'Hawks signed Robinson after losing six wide receivers due to injuries. Robinson was the first round pick of the Seahawks in 2001 and showed flashes of brilliance. He was released in 2005 after running into trouble with the NFL's substance abuse program.

Ed Schultz Headlines 2008 Eastside Democratic Dinner

Democrats throughout the Puget Sound Region will get a chance to hear Air America Talk Show host Ed Schultz Sunday September 21st at the swanky Golf Club At Newcastle. Washington Governor Chris Gregoire will be keynote speaker at the event.

Tod Goldberg Talks About His Art

My cousin Tod Goldberg enjoys writing novels. Tod is interviewed by Jina Bacarr in this piece that I found on his blog.

Seahawks Fall To 0 And 2

The Seattle Seahawks showed that they could be as dysfunctional as any other Washington sports team after they blew a 14 point lead to the struggling San Francisco 49ers. The loss was at home and to a 49ers team lead by second string quarterback JT O'Sullivan who had over 300 yards passing against what has been billed as a strong Seahawk defense.

Washington Democrats Meet At Tulalip

The Washington State Democratic Central Committee made history this weekend with it's choice of meeting places. The brand new Tulalip Resort and Casino was the site, marking the first time that the committee has met at a tribal hotel.

Democratic National Chair Howard Dean, on a campaign swing through the Northwest spoke at the meeting. The committee also voted to keep it's sole endorsement of Randy Dorn for the Non-Partisan position of State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Washington's Newest Democratic National Committee Representative Lona Wilbur, a member of the Sinomish Tribe, also received special recognition.

A Moment Of Silence

We pay tribute to Skagit County Deputy Anne Jackson--an American Hero.

The 1977 song "Baracuda" by Heart has created controversy. Lead singer Ann Wilson and sister Nancy, were angry that the song was used at the Republican Convention without the permission of the group. However, in an interview on Seattle's KZOK with morning talk show host Bob Rivers, former Heart guitarist
Roger Fisher did not seem to mind the GOP's taking liberties with the song.

Seinfeld And Gates In Windows Commercial

It's getting bad reviews but I like it. Reminds me of when we saw Bill at a movie theatre in Bellevue many years ago.

Walla Walla V--One For The Road At Cougar Crest

We left Walla Walla on Labor Day, but first we had a Picnic at old Fort Walla Walla Park. Fort Walla Walla probably the city's crown jewel as far as parks go. It has a Military Cemetery, a Viet Nam Memorial and a museum. It is spacious and very rural, being on the outer west edge of town.

On the way out of town we stopped at the Cougar Crest Winery. They are putting the finishing touches on a brand new tasting room on Highway 12 (a designated driver is suggested). It is a very strategic location as it is the first Winery you see coming in from Seattle, except for the two in nearby Lowden. Cougar Crest was started by a couple of WSU graduates, one a pharmacist and the other, a veterinarian. No telling on whether they will change the name after the Coug's embarrassing 66-3 loss to the California Golden Bears this last weekend.

Seahawks Start 2008 Season With Thud

In what certainly can be described as a nightmare year in the Seattle sport scene, the Seattle Seahawks provided no relief losing to the Buffalo Bills 34-10 in the season opener. With Matt Hasselbeck returning after missing two weeks of practice and wide receivers Bobby Engram and Deion Branch out with injuries, the Seahawk's offence was not able to get off of the ground. Marshawn Lynch lead Buffalo with 76 yards and one touchdown.

Palin Video Should Be Sign Of Concern

I can respect Sarah Palin for holding to her religious beliefs, but this video shows that she has no trouble blending them into her political agenda and visa versa. Thank you to Tod Goldberg for this video.

Walla Walla IV--Walking Wine Tour

My cousins checked in to the Whitman Hotel for their last 2 nights in Walla Walla, Kevin and I began a walking tour of the wineries. Our first stop was the Hiney Winery on 2nd Street. It was based on a radio bit by renown DJ Rick Dees 25 years ago. The winemaker, Tom Hodgins, actually has owned radio stations in Walla Walla and had acquired the rights to name his product after Dees's

fictitious winery.

We met up with the girls (my wife and cousin C) at the Hiney and walked to the Spring Valley Winery, which was owned by the Derby family. Before the days of Drew Bledsoe (whom I have read also owns a winery in Walla Walla) Dean Derby was one of the few Walla Wallans who played in the NFL. Derby went to the University Of Washington and played professionally for the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is quite a presentation at the tasting room where they give the winerie's entire history.

Still on foot, we turned the corner onto Main Street and went to the Waterbrook, which was one of Walla Walla's older wineries. We looked around, but did not participate in the tasting.

Our final tour stop was the Sapolil cellars. We sat with some other people at a piano bar where the owner was talking about all sorts of area history. We enjoyed the wine there although noone played the piano, we decided that it was a delightful place.

Walla Walla III--Bergevin-Lane Winery

We began wine tasting Saturday afternoon at the Bergevin-Lane Winery, west of downtown Walla Walla. It is run by Walla Walla native Annette Bergevin and Amber Lane. Bergevin made her mark in area high school athletics and is a Washington State graduate. Their Calico Red is one of my favorite wines and I try buy a bottle whenever I'm down there.

Walla Walla Part II

We arrived in Walla Walla Saturday night and went to the fair with Cherie, Kevin, Steve and Dawn. The Walla Walla Fair, formerly the Southeastern Washington Fair And Frontier Days, takes place over the Labor Day Weekend.

You can't help but love this song, it also has a special place in Washington politics.

Labor Day Weekend In Walla Walla

We are looking at Walla Walla's number one landmark--the Whitman Hotel. When I was born in Walla Walla, it was the tallest building in town. 51 years later, it still is. It has been through many incarnations, originally known as "The Marcus Whitman" it evolved in the early 70s into the Eddie Mays Inn. When that ran it's course, Stewart Anderson ran it as the Black Angus, with a remodeled look. The latest addition of "The Whitman" is part of a remodeling effort by Walla Walla entrepreneur Kyle Mussman.
I touched a little about the changes Walla Walla has gone through in the last ten years, what I would like to talk about in the next few posts is a look at some of those changes. Deb and I made the five hour drive last weekend and met up with my cousin and her husband who also journeyed down from Seattle. My brother Steve and his girlfriend Dawn still live there.

New Banner Picture

Lake Wilderness is in the center of Maple Valley. The park surrounding it is the hub of summer activities in the area. It has become the banner picture for this blog.

Racist Obama Three Dollar Bills Distributed At Monroe Fair

After complaining, rightfully so, about an advertisement for Governor Gregoire using the Sopranos theme to smear Dino Rossi, who is of Italian heritage, the Republicans have shown hypocracy by distributing phony 3 dollar bills showing Barack Obama in an African headdress with a racist caption at the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe. The chair of the Snohomish County Republicans has apologized.

McCain Choses Sarah Palin

John McCain, desperate to steal thunder from Barack Obama, has picked Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate. Obama delivered arguably one of the best speeches in American history, however, McCain aparently is trying to woo Democrats angered over Hilary Clinton being skipped. Palin is Pro-Life, so it is doubtful that many Hilary supporters will crossover, in fact some may stay home altogether. Remember, George W. Bush did not win much support from the Black community after picking Colin Powell to be the first black Secretary Of State.

Seahawks Finish Exhibition Season With Win

The Seattle Seahawks finished their pre season on a winning note, beating old AFC Nemesis Oakland 23-16. The victory, just 4 days after the loss to San Diego, was costly as the 'Hawks lost
Ben Obomanu. T.J. Duckett(pictured above), a first year Seahawk and designated short yard specialist, ran for 71 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Move Over, Hilary!

Michelle Obama is a force to be reckoned with.

Chargers Edge Seahawks

Deb and I watched the third Seahawk exhibition game at The Joker. The Joker is a Beer Joint (or Sportsbar as they're now called) on the Sammamish Plateau. It was an exciting game but the Chargers beat the 'Hawks by one point.

Ted Kennedy Addresses The Democratic Convention

Senator Kennedy's endorsement of Barack Obama earlier this year was a turning point in the race.

We Will Be In Walla Walla This Weekend

Joe Biden Is Democrat's Pick For VP

Barack Obama has picked Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his Vice Presidential nominee.

Seattle Times Nails Dino Rossi

The normally Conservative Seattle Times has called out Dino Rossi for voting in favor of a gas tax that he blames the governor for. Check here.

Crossroad UPS Store Featured In Connection

The Neighborhood Crossroads paper "The Crossroads Connection" did a feature on our store. Here I am with my wife, father-in-law, and of course, Rusty.

Lieberman Will Speak To GOP

When Senator Joe Lieberman was the Democratic Nominee for Vice President in 2000, many thought that he was much too kind to opponents like Dick Cheney in debates. Now our misgivings have come to pass as Lieberman will be a speaker at the GOP Convention. He is also a leading candidate to become McCain's VP.

Two Potential VP Candidates Debate Iraq Policy

This interview was set up probably figuring that Lieberman and Bayh would be on the respective Republican and Democratic tickets. Lieberman's support for the Iraq invasion is astonishing.

Is Rossi Fit To Be Governor?

While I take videos off "youtube" with a grain of salt, I think anyone planning to vote for change for the sake of change should study Rossi and what he stands for.

Washington State Primary Tommorrow

Just a reminder to mail in your ballots or go down to the polls as Washington's first "Top Two Primary" or Cajun' Primary (Louisiana has chosen this way for years) takes place tomorrow (August 19th). According to the Daily Olympian, Secretary Reed has predicted a turnout of 46 percent.

Linda Woods Feature

(cousins Linda and Karen)
Writer Jane Devin features my cousin, Linda Woods in her blog. Linda's Journal Revolution
blog which is also credited to sister Karen, is a worthy read in it's own.

We Were At Qwest For Pre-Season Victory

Seahawk Rookie Justin Forsett was impressive as the Hawks beat the Chicago Bears 29-26. Deb and I were in attendance at Qwest Field were the crowd was so juiced, you would never know that it was a preseason game with no bearing in the standings. Forsett finished the game with 136 yards.
The Bears had a chance to win the game on a last minute field goal, which barely missed. The game went into overtime. The Seahawks got first possession by winning the coin toss and were able to march down the field and set up a 36 yard field goal by Seahawk kicker Brandon Coutu.

Sadamania has gripped the Barer blogosphere, I thought this piece that I found on "youtube" was appropriate for a final tribute.

KBSG Gone--KIRO Newsradio Begins Simulcasting At 97.3

KIRO news radio has increased it's reach by simulcasting on the FM band. Long the voice of news, talk, and sports in the region, KIRO is arguably Seattle's most successful radio station. That point was driven home in 2004, when morning host Dave Ross ran as a Democrat for Congress. KIRO has traditionally broadcast at 710 on the AM dial. It will continue that spot and will also be heard at 97.3 on FM. Oldies station KBSG, which was KIRO's sister station, is no longer in existence.

Maple Valley's Brandi Carlile Does Car Commercial

Brandi Carlile sings her hit "The Story" in this commercial for GM cars.

Sada Jacobson Wins Silver In Beijing

pictured: Sada, Mariel, and Becca

The US Women's fencing team swept Gold, Silver, and Bronze in the Olympic Saber competition. A notable feat, considering that fencing is a sport that is more popular abroad.

Portland's Mariel Zagunis won took her second Gold Medal by defeating Dunwoody Georgia's Sada Jacobson. Sada came back and beat Ukrainian Sofia Velakaya for second place and the Silver Medal. Becca Ward, who is also from the Portland area, also beat Velakaya to take the Bronze. Jacobson was the only one of the medal winners not from Oregon, however her Great Grandmother, who was my Grandmother Barer's sister, did live in Portland.

Rough Water For John Edwards

John Edwards personal troubles remind me of the movie"Beau James" where Bob Hope played the colorful New York mayor Jimmy Walker. Attending a baseball game, Walker was asked about a scandal he was involved with. His comment was "I hope the Yankees win."

My Brother Steve Gets His 15 Minutes

Steve and Dawn went to a Boxing match at the Emerald Queen Casino and were able to get on TV, according to this youtube clip off his blog. You can click here to see it, don't blink.

It brought back fond memories of when Deb and I went to the Space Needle for New Year's Eve and managed to get on camera.

Seahawks Start Exhibition Season

The Seattle Seahawks will play their first pre-season game tomorrow. The 'Hawks will take on the Minnesota Vikings in the Metro dome in Minneapolis. The game will start a 5:00 pdt.

Garage Sale In Maple Valley!

Residents of Maple Valley, Covington, and Black Diamond can find some great deals at a one day multi-family garage sale this Saturday August 9th in the Belmont Woods neighborhood of Maple Valley. The sale begins at 10:00 am at 23831 SE 246th Street. You can find toys, furniture, books, and much much more!