Inslee: More than just (daytime) talk

A headline from Saturday's Bainbridge Review gave me one of those "Zoinks?!" moments.

"Jay Inslee's goal: to get on Oprah." the front page declared.

Uh, wow. I'll have to check this out, I thought. After all, Inslee's made a name for himself promoting such lofty stuff as breaking our addiction to Middle East oil, promoting bio-fuels, fair trade vs. free trade, pushing for recognition of those Islanders sent to concentration camps during World War II.

Now his 'goal' is to yak it up with Oprah.

I wondered, as I forked over my three gilded Washingtons, what would Jay and Oprah discuss before a live studio audience. Weight loss tips? Childhood traumas? What in this spring's fashions will bring out the azure of Jay's peepers?

Nothing of the sort. Seems Inslee's writing a book about what Inslee loves best: clean energy. Not much of a Zoinker after all. I felt a bit duped, a little tricked. But I got to hand it to you Bainbridge Review - you got me.

You got my 75 cents and I got a journalistic wedgie.

Spartans! The movie?

Right on time, Hollywood has produced an action-packed thrillride of a feature film about the Spartans.

Ok, so it's not about our Spartans, but the timing is uncanny. When was the last time you saw a movie about the hardest-core warrior society of the ancient world? And when was the last time Bainbride High's high-flying hoopsters were a hair's breath from taking a State Title? Here it is, a cosmic overlap of (Greek) mythic proportions.

I don't know how much islanders truly appreciate what it is to be a "Spartan." Honestly, I don't understand why the island of olden days would pick such a mascot.
For those not in the know, the movie "300" about a group of Spartan soldiers pulling an Alamo at mountain pass against the Persian invaders, should give Bainbridgers a hint at what it means to be Spartan.

But for a little, more history, check this out:

Sparta was, above all, a militarist state, and emphasis on military fitness began virtually at birth, according to Wikipedia. Shortly after birth, the mother of the child bathed it in wine to see whether the child was strong. If the child survived it was brought before the elders of the tribe by the child's father. The elders then decided whether it was to be reared or not.

If found defective or weak, the baby was left on the wild slopes of Mt Taygetos. In this way the Spartans attempted the maintenance of high physical standards in their population.

It was customary in Sparta that before the males would go off to war, their wives...would present them with their shield and say: "With this, or upon this." The idea was that a Spartan could only return to Sparta in one of two ways, victorious or dead.

If a Spartan hoplite were to return to Sparta alive and without his shield, it was assumed that he threw his shield at the enemy in an effort to flee; an act punishable by death or banishment.


A strong emphasis was placed on honour and carrying out acts because it was the 'right thing to do.' Xenophon wrote about the Spartans as he observed them during an Olympic game:

"An elderly man was trying to find a place to sit and observe the Olympic Games, as he went to each section. All the other Greeks laughed as he tried to make his way through. Some ignored him. Upon entering the Spartan section all the Spartans stood and offered the elderly man their seats. Suddenly the entire stadium applauded. All the Greeks knew what was the right thing to do, but the Spartans were the only ones who did it."

Perhaps our Spartans can await such honors when they return to Bainbridge with their shields rather than upon them.

Chilling images

Recovered yet from the Chilly Hilly?

Well, now re-live the battle. The Review newspaper has posted an online gallery from the ride.

Bainbridge ferry company kaputt

The island based Kitsap Ferry Company is throwing in their sweat and sea salt soaked towel.

Reading this story in the Sun, we learn that the passenger-only ferry service can't make ago of its infrequent crossings from Bremerton to Seattle once Kitsap Transit pulls its subsidy away. Kitsap vote-casters gave the big thumbs down to the notion that they'd allow their tax pennies to revive the trail of little steamers. I guess people wanted more money for Cayannes, Cross Countries and Outbacks (i.e.=the mosquito swarm of our paved inland canals...ah, the romance...)

Too bad. A true web of ferries in the Mosquito Fleet tradition would be a real boon for commuters, travelers, revelers and rovers looking for a quick jaunt over to the Big City or a visits with cross-Sound family. Imagine it: kicking back, enjoying the Puget-perfect view, sipping coffee, chatting with neighbors, listening in on conversations, reading the paper - all while traveling from the old ports-of-call at Port Madison, Manzanita, Fletcher Bay, Point White, Eagledale, Yeomalt, Rolling Bay to Manette, Port Orchard, Seattle, Suquamish, Poulsbo and Manchester.

Here's a map of a Kitsap County effort to catalog the old Mosquito fleet trail:



It's a small map, but the bounty of black dots lining the island's coast gives you a pretty good idea of what once was, and what one day could be......Alas, we'll stick to our cars, resigned to burn copious hydrocarbons and plumes of road rage fumes.