Who? What? Why?

I, and plenty of other women, got quite a kick this week out of Apple naming its new wonder-toy iPad. It seemed fairly obviously to us why this was an unfortunate name, and we delighted in the numerous jokes that followed: Will it come with wings? Will more memory make it a MaxiPad?
Many men, however, didn’t get the joke. I find that hard to believe, but perhaps some traumatizing errands buying feminine-hygiene products have left them so scarred they prefer to block out any knowledge of those items. (Believe me, most of us women would like to be able to forget about them, too).
And for any men who find all this iTampon talk silly and immature, just imagine if the iPad had been called the iJock. Could you hold back a snicker?
The fact that Apple went ahead with this name at first led me to believe that they must not have consulted with any women beforehand. Do no women work in the corporate offices? Are none of the bigwigs married?
But maybe I’m being naive thinking they were naive. Perhaps it was brilliance, not ignorance. What better way to get free publicity than to set the Internet, particularly the Twitterverse, on fire with jokes? Even the New York Times covered the hoopla.
And maybe Apple had women in mind all along. I think men are much more likely to plunk down money for the latest technological toy, so naming anything iPad is a surefire way to get all the women paying attention, too.

I realize many in this town might want me tarred and feathered for suggesting that Bay Street get a Starbucks, but in my layman’s opinion, if Port Orchard wants more bodies downtown, adding that familiar green sign is a good place to start.
I don’t care what time of day it is, if Starbucks on Lund Avenue is open, there are people inside and cars lining up for the drive-thru. In the afternoons, it’s often too crowded to find a place to sit, and when the sun is out, the outside tables are full of people soaking in the sun with their coffee.
If I was a nearby business owner, I would be tickled pink to have that much consistent foot and vehicle traffic — especially since I’d figure if people have time to sit in the sun and drink coffee, they’ve also got time to take a stroll in my store, as well.
And Starbucks is more than a place to get a caffeine fix. When arranging a place to meet, business or personal, Starbucks — or perhaps Tully’s — is the first place that comes to mind.
And judging by the number of people I see huddled at the store’s tables discussing business or gossip, it is the No. 1 meeting place for plenty of others, too.
And those are just examples of consistent business from locals. Tourists and other visitors are attracted to the Starbucks sign, too.
As a dedicated coffee drinker who likes to support local businesses, I like to find a local, independently owned place close to home that serves a good Americano to frequent. (Supreme Bean comes immediately to mind).
But when I’m traveling, I can’t sample several places to find a decent brew, so I head straight for that familiar green sign.
And just as you can expect an Egg McMuffin from any McDonald’s across the country to be about the same, you can expect a cup of coffee from any Starbucks across the country to be about the same.
Sure, drinks vary slightly depending on the store and barista, but overall they are very consistent. (Except when you stray overseas, of course. Word to the wise: the Starbucks in Scotland are very much NOT the same).
If I were a tourist driving through Port Orchard for the first time, the first thing that would tempt me to stop is the water. And though I might get out of my car and stroll along the waterfront for a bit if it was a nice day, I would be very unlikely to linger and spend any money unless I saw a Starbucks or another recognizable coffee chain store.
And while whatever money I spend at a chain coffee store isn’t necessarily helping local businesses, you can rest assured that I will be walking into whatever interesting stores I see as I head over to get my coffee. And if one of those stores has cute earrings, it will very likely have my money in its cash register soon as well.

At the Oct. 12 meeting of the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners, South Kitsap Commissioner Charlotte Garrido abstained from voting on whether a national nonprofit should be allowed to lease county land for $10 a year in order to build a housing development for low-income seniors in Central Kitsap.
Garrido said she liked the project, but expressed concern that the county was collecting too little money for the land.
“That seems really low, and I’m wondering how those terms were reached,” she said.
Then she abstained from voting after fellow commissioners Steve Bauer and Josh Brown voted to approve the contract.
“I don’t want to oppose it, but in the future I would like a bit more say in the details,” Garrido said.
Since the resolution already had two yes votes, it passed regardless of Garrido’s non-vote. But I left the meeting questioning why a Kitsap County commissioner can abstain from a vote simply because she wants to.
I could not find abstention addressed in the county code, and board clerk Opal Robertson said that the county does not have a policy that directs the board on abstentions.
However, the situation is addressed in the Port Orchard Municipal Code (2.04.160), which requires voting by each council member:
“Each member present must vote on all questions put to the council, except as to matters with respect to which such council member has a personal financial interest; matters presented for council consideration by an entity other than the city in which the council’s determination is advisory only; or meeting minutes of a meeting the council member did not attend.”
I must say that I agree with the city’s code. Elected officials should do what they are elected and paid to do — make a decision, take a stand, and vote.

Perhaps local artist James Kelsey’s recent initiative to “donate” a sculpture downtown did not fail for lack of publicity or the down economy, but because of something much more simple — people didn’t like what they were buying.
Personally, I have never much cared for abstract art. It may mean I’m a simpleton, but the art I most enjoy looking at has easily recognizable objects such as people, animals or everyday items.
Taste in art is completely personal and subjective, however, so I could be dead-wrong, but I have a feeling that if the sculpture represented some part of Port Orchard’s past or present, such as Bremerton’s Lone Sailor or Poulsbo’s Viking, it may have garnered much more support.

I had a crazy thought today when the Port of Bremerton’s Chief Executive Officer Cary Bozeman met with most of the Port Orchard Independent’s editorial staff to share his vision for the port’s next three years.

One priority high on Bozeman’s list is regaining the public’s trust after the port quietly raised taxes for its district’s residents to build the new Bremerton Marina. Another high priority is to have that marina start making some money.

I suggested that if and when the marina does become profitable, perhaps the port could win back the public’s trust by giving them back some of that money. (As you can guess, that floated like a lead balloon).

Everyone was too polite to laugh at me, which was nice, but afterward columnist Robert Meadows explained that not only was my idea crazy, as far as he could tell it would be completely illegal.

Phooey. Made perfect sense to me. What never makes sense, however, is how governments — national, state or local — are run.

“Tell the reporter if she had a brain in her head, she would have said what kind of worms they were!”

That was the message from a man who read a story I wrote years ago about a Sunnyslope Elementary School teacher bringing a worm bin into her classroom to teach her students about the cycle of life. 

I loved the subject, I loved talking to the kids, and it is still one of my favorite stories. Funny enough, I actually asked the teacher what kind of earthworms they were, but did not include that fact in the story.

At the time, I was shocked that anything about the story had inspired such wrath. Now, with a thicker skin, I can look back on the call and laugh. And realize it taught me some valuable lessons about reporting: no detail is too small, and it is usually what you think is the most innocuous detail that will cause the most trouble.

The suds were back this morning — for at least their second visit this summer — in the rock fountain the Port Orchard Rotary Club added to the Bethel Roundabout a few years ago. 

They always make me wonder: who has to clean the soap out, and how exactly do they do it?

Well, according to Alan Rickett of Port Orchard’s Public Works Department, there isn’t much one can do to clean the soap.

“You just have to let it run its course,” Rickett said. “We would look silly trying to get suds out of the fountain.”

Rickett guessed that the suds have invaded the fountain about “a half-a-dozen times” since it was built, and that they usually subside in a day or two.

As to who might be adding the soap to the water, Rickett said, “We’re not pointing any fingers, but we have our suspicions that it starts on a barstool across the street.”

My vote goes to the “Greek” panini at Cosmo’s Deli, which comes toasty warm and full of hummus, olives, onions and red peppers. The words olive and hummus are enough for me, but it’s also vegetarian and pretty darn healthy. It ain’t cheap, but it is delicious.

For those who want something a little less healthy and a little more carnivorous, however, there’s a new sandwich in town that may tempt many.

It’s the “deep-fried sandwich” at Shishini BBQ House, which recently opened on Bay Street between About Floors and Los Cabos Grill. The bread is fried — yet somehow not greasy — then filled with thick ham, hard-boiled egg slices, tomatoes, cucumbers and mayo.

It may sound awful to some, but it was actually pretty tasty, although I was nowhere near as excited about it as one of my male co-workers.

Perhaps it will become Port Orchard’s version of McGriddles® — sounds a bit crazy and far from healthy, but is surprisingly addictive once you try it.