From Cascadia Scorecard Weblog::

The US Census Bureau has issued population estimates for the states, which allow us to give an updated Cascadian population tally. As of July 1, 2005, the region -- counting British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington -- had 15.6 million people. (Adding western Montana, southeast Alaska, and northwestern California pushes that figure up by another million or so, but running the county-by-county figures takes more time than I've got at the moment.)

The (four main jurisdictions of the) region added 227,000 inhabitants over the preceding 12 months. That's about the number that live in greater Olympia, Washinton. And it's a 1.5 percent increase, the largest since 1997.

I had no idea so many people live in the greater Olympia area.

Here's the details on the blogging conference scheduled for next week.

The forum (and workshop) will focus on Internet communications strategies and the emerging progressive infrastructure and tentatively will be called “Help Us Help You

From kingcountyjournal.com:

A group of religious leaders representing a wide range of faiths gathered Wednesday at Lake Washington High School to urge state lawmakers to ensure gays and lesbians the same rights and protections from discrimination as other minorities.

At an informational demonstration outside the Kirkland school, about 30 clergy and members of groups including the Anti-Defamation League called for passage of a revived bill that died by just one vote in the Senate last session.

Supporters said they chose Lake Washington High School for Wednesday's demonstration because the school is home to Sunday services for Antioch Bible Church and its outspoken pastor, Ken Hutcherson, who successfully lobbied against the bill in previous legislative sessions.

Hutcherson, a former Seattle Seahawks linebacker, took credit for convincing Microsoft to drop its backing for the bill.

``We stand in the face of discrimination,'' said the Rev. Monica Corsaro, ecumenical campus minister at the University of Washington and a member of the Religious Coalition for Equality.

``We here today are asking the state of Washington to honor all people and love all people individually.''

The relatively small demonstration was a warm-up for a much larger rally Jan. 23 on the Capitol steps in Olympia. The bill would include sexual orientation in current state law banning discrimination by race, sex, religion, national origin, marital status and other categories.

Does anyone have any more details on this protest? One footnote to the story: Microsoft changed their position again under pressure from the gay community, led pimarily by AMERICAblog.

One of the most popular shows on KAOS-FM during the second half of the 1970s was a musical program dedicated to nothing but cheesy, commercial Hawaiian music.

Go figure.

In 1974 the community kitchen on the 3rd floor of A Dorm was blessed with one student who loved to cook. And her dishes never failed to fill the air with a pleasing aroma. But there was a problem. Someone was stealing food out of the community kitchen fridge, including our favorite cook's gastronomical works of art. So she decided to do something about it. She cooked a gift for the repeat thief.

One day she made a nice chocolate pie and stored it in the fridge. Sure enough, within a short time it was taken. But that was her intent when she prepared it. I don't know many other people who would've been so generous when it came to food robbers.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention one important ingredient. The pie was made with chocolate Ex-Lax.