We do our best, but every once in a while we have something slip through the net, and we’re sorry to say this happened for our December issue. You’ll be hearing from Vashon Bikes in our next issue, but in the meantime please be sure to drop by and thank them for being an island…
By Andy Valencia Even as an old dude, I still remember bits of my own boyhood. Parts were great, and parts were terrible. But I thought I should mention the thing that really sticks out in my memory: Boys are the greatest force for good in the world. The odd part is that, mostly, modern…
By Andy Valencia Yes, another recipe from my mother – a holiday favorite. Nominally for the adults only, I always managed to sneak a few! Makes 2-3 dozen, depending on size. Ingredients 3 cups rolled vanilla wafers (12 oz box)1 cup powdered sugar1½ cups finely chopped nuts1½ tablespoons cocoa2 tbsp white Karo syrup½ cup bourbon…
Many of us have lived with loved ones who suffered from Alzheimers or other types of senile dementia. More recently, we’ve also seen complaints of “mental fog” coincident with the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus. One medical researcher, Dr. Michael Nehls, believes he’s found a common mechanism for all of these afflictions. Dr. Nehls…
By Andy Valencia Vashon is awake and very, very interested in what the upcoming zoning changes for our Island will mean. One of our leading citizens helped the Vashon Loop highlight some important questions in our previous issue, and follows that with more commentary in this issue. Our Community Council has also spoken clearly to…
One of the Loop’s editors spotted a distinctive car this afternoon: A DispatchHealth car We assumed it was to “show the flag” for VHCD’s upcoming urgent care solution. But when we ran into DispatchHealth’s people, we confirmed that they are on-island and ready to provide care. What can they do? Stitches. Assessments. Limited blood panels….
By Andy Valencia Imagine you’re in an argument – you, your opponent, and some people listening. Your audience is nodding their heads when your opponent speaks; they’re expressionless when it’s your turn, and you’ve already used all of your best material. The honorable person will graciously acknowledge their defeat. What do the other kind of…
By Andy Valencia In college, a friend of mine periodically ran a game called “Assassin.” None of the players knew each other, and all were paired up: one target, one assassin. You were “assassinated” with a chalk mark, and the target could defend with chalk-filled small cloth bags. The rules favored the target once they…
By Andy Valencia f you’ve been a voter in Washington for more than a few years, you have seen a candidate calling himself “Goodspaceguy.” In fact, if you’ve lived here 10 years, or 20, or 30, or even 40 – you’ve been seeing him on your ballot. Since 1980, he’s run for public office 21…
By Andy Valencia What would you guess your political view is worth? What would it cost to change it? The 2020 election could have gone differently if just the right 100,000 voters had voted differently. Given that our federal government prints $1 trillion dollars every three months or so, you could easily justify spending $10…
Alert reader M.D. noted that our apple cake recipe, lacking any oil, milk, or water, might end up being unusably dry. Happily, reader C.H.L. wrote in about the recipe; she had discovered that there’s an entire genre of oil-free cakes. Finally, M.T. noted that these were likely rooted in the Great Depression times, when one tried…