Thursday, February 9, 2012 @ 2:20am

Underwear and paper dolls for a good cause

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Janine Keblish is a leggy, blond model who is going to try to break the world record in Seattle tonight for the most underwear worn at once. 250, is the record by the way. It's a stunt, she admits, to bring attention to a cause that's difficult to talk about.

While many of us see things that are wrong in the community or around the world, we generally don't do anything about it. Meet three Seattle-area women who've become accidental activists.

On a trip to an orphanage in Kenya a few years ago, Keblish and Celeste Mergens discovered a shameful secret. There's a total lack of feminine hygiene products for young women.

"Millions of women all over the world go without, resulting in infection and exploitation and even girls being sold into slavery. They also miss three months of education each year, just for lack of hygiene," says Mergens. "And you wonder, how could this be happening in this day and age? The truth is, it's taboo to talk about."

Mergens started talking about it, and then doing something about it. She founded an international program, based in Lynden, Washington, called Days for Girls to create and distribute washable hygiene kits.

"I just couldn't look the other way, and even if it was 10 girls we could help or 50 girls or 500 girls. No matter what we had to do, it would be worth it," Mergens says.

The organization now has thousands of volunteers and has distributed 50,000 kits in 22 countries. I will post a photo tomorrow of what Keblish hopes will be a successful, new Guinness World Record for the most underwear worn at once.

Sarah Francis is a Seattle mom who noticed, "Every parent I talked to was frustrated by the same issues I faced."

After her son was born, she had a tough time finding quality child care for him.

"I was a first time parent with no idea how much child care cost," she says, "In Washington state one year of care for an infant costs as much as one year at the U-dub."

Francis is one of 40,000 women in the state with a group called MomsRising. Tomorrow they're taking paper dolls to Olympia to urge lawmakers not to cut funding for early-learning programs. In the photo, Francis and her son Jack trace a child-sized paper doll for the demonstration.

"These paper dolls are two dimensional, but our kids aren't. Well-rounded, quality care matters to the future of each individual child," says Francis. "These families are counting on legislators to consider the head start they can provide every child with early learning programs."

Every dollar invested in a quality preschool saves $7 in remedial education and juvenile justice costs later on, she says.

Washington is one of 40 states that fund pre-k learning programs, but our state has a $2 billion budget deficit hanging over it.

"Any way you cut it, early learning programs aren't just another figure on a piece of paper, they matter to Washington's families," says Francis.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012 @ 5:41pm

Effort to replace embezzled Lakewood funds

A local company is trying to raise the money an officer is accused of embezzling from a fund the families of four murdered Lakewood Police officers.

Two years ago Northwest Embroidery employees gave up their holiday bonuses so they could donate money to the officers' families. The Milton-based company teamed up with the Ron and Don Show selling Lakewood Police baseball caps, and raising $30,000.

"Northwest Embroidery staff gave a lot to donate over 1,000 baseball caps. Our factory employees didn't get Christmas bonuses that year because we felt the need to donate," says the company's operations manager Erik Mickelson.

After hearing of the charges against a Lakewood officer, accused of embezzling money from the police guild's fund for fallen officers' families, he wanted to offset some of the loss.

Skeeter Manos, the Lakewood police guild treasurer, pleaded not guilty to embezzlement.

According to the criminal complaint, Manos set up a secret bank account for donations to the Lakewood Police Officers' families. He then diverted about $151,000 intended for the families into the account and spent about $120,000 on himself.

"I don't want this to taint the rest of the amazing Lakewood officers. We are ready and willing to donate another 500 caps to get the money back for the families," he says.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012 @ 3:33pm

Lakewood officer was thankful for donations

The Lakewood Police Department officer accused of embezzling from a fallen officers' fund thanked families for the money.

The treasurer of the Lakewood Police Independent Guild, Skeeter Manos, is being charged for embezzling more than $120,000 from a fund set up for families of four officers killed in the line of duty in November of 2009.

Manos posted a comment on the guild's website in December of 2009 that now seems insincere, if the accusations are true:

"Words alone cannot begin to describe how much donating means not only to the fallen officers’ families, but to each and every Lakewood officer. The comments that are sent along with each donation are personally read by me. Many times I have had to stop and recompose myself because of the overwhelming support and compassion displayed by the generous community supporting us during this difficult period."

Manos is a 34-year-old Dupont resident facing 10 federal felonies for allegedly embezzling from the fund while serving as the treasurer of the police guild.

Federal investigators say Manos set up a secret bank account under the guild's name and funneled approximately $151,000 in funds intended for the families of fallen officers. He used some $120,000 from the account for his personal use. Investigators say he also made purchases at several stores including Costco, Home Depot and REI, buy plane tickets to Las Vegas, and make cash withdrawals at several casinos with the funds.

The money was part of $3.2 million contributed for the benefit of the families of Sgt. Mark Renninger and Officers Tina Griswold, Ronald Owens and Greg Richards who were gunned down at a coffee shop. Cop killer Maurice Clemmons fled the scene. That led to a statewide manhunt which ended when a Seattle police officer shot and killed him two days later.

December 8, 2009 memorial for four fallen Lakewood Police Officers AP/Ted Warren photo

Wednesday, February 8, 2012 @ 2:16am

Catholics urge action against gay marriage

Ahead of today's House vote on a marriage equality bill, the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle is using its website to urge representatives to defend the legal definition of marriage as being a union between a man and a woman.

The Archdiocese, which represents nearly 1 million Catholics in Western Washington, has an "action alert" on its home page. It asks people to send an email to state representatives urging them to "defend marriage" and to vote against marriage-equality legislation.

The Church believes marriage is the foundation of civilization. "It has long been recognized that the stability of society depends on the stability of family life in which a man and a woman conceive and nurture new life," according to a statement from Catholic bishops in the state.

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, who is Catholic, admits she struggled with her faith's teaching before deciding to support same-sex marriage. Gregoire says, "All families in our state that they are equal and that the state cannot be in the business of discrimination."

Washington United for Marriage, a pro-gay rights organization, says, "People from all walks of life, including gay and lesbian couples, share the same values of love, commitment and family - and a majority of Washingtonians support these couples getting married and building their families."

The bill legally recognizing same-sex marriages goes to a vote in the House at 1 p.m. After a floor debate, the majority of representatives are expected to pass the legislation. The Senate has already approved a marriage-equality bill on a 28 to 21 vote. The Governor has said she will sign the legislation within five business days of the House passage.

Gay and lesbian couples would then be able to wed beginning in June, unless opponents follow through with enough valid signatures to force a public vote in November.

Gov. Chris Gregoire on Jan. 4, 2012, announcing she wants Washington to become the seventh state to make gay marriage legal. (AP Photo)

By Linda Thomas

Related: Wording of Washington's marriage equality bill

How Washington Senators voted on gay marriage

Macy's attacked for support of same-sex marriage

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 @ 12:18pm

New podcast: 140 seconds on social media

What's your motivation for being on Twitter? It has to be something beyond, "Because the boss says I have to be."

Listen here

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 @ 7:56am

Audio: Josh Powell's voicemail message to his brother

ABC News has obtained a voicemail they say was the last message Josh Powell left before he killed his two little boys and himself.

"Hello, this is Josh, I'm calling to say goodbye. I'm not able to live without my sons and I'm not able to go on anymore. I'm sorry to everyone I hurt. Goodbye."

Listen to the message

In the short 32 word voicemail, he says refers to himself "I" or "I'm" five times. Thinking only of himself.

AP Photo/file of Josh Powell at a court appearance

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012 @ 2:16am

Your Vote 2012: Jay Inslee's third revolution

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Between Jay Inslee's days as an economics major at the University of Washington and his election to Congress - first in 1993 in central Washington and again in 1999 representing the suburbs north and west of Seattle - he's done some unusual things.

He's driven a bulldozer in Bellevue, run jackhammers at construction sites, painted houses in Burien, waited tables in Edmonds, taught community college classes, earned a law degree from Willamette University, prosecuted drunk drivers, and represented Hanford nuclear. He's even grown alfalfa in Yakima.

That list of experiences is of value, he says, because it gives him an understanding of working-class people in our state.

He believes the middle class is slipping away in the United States and in Washington.

"We have over 300,000 good people in our state who aren't working and when that happens your revenues fall off the cliff. That's what happened in the state of Washington," says Inslee, a Democrat. "The best, most important, most fundamental thing we have to do is get people back to work."

But how?

Inslee, sitting less than a foot away from me, with piercing eyes and hands gesturing toward the window of his downtown Seattle campaign headquarters, gets fired up talking about creating more tech jobs here.

"In Seattle, I can throw a rock from here and hit the EnerG2 company, which is the leading ultra-capacitor company to help electric cars take off," says Inslee. "We need more companies like that."

We've already had two technological revolutions in our state, he says. The first revolution was in aeronautics with Boeing. The second was with computer technology, driven by Microsoft. Inslee wants to lead a third economic uprising based on clean technology.

Many clean energy companies already exist in the state. Moses Lake's REC Silicon is the world's largest manufacturer of the raw materials for solar panels and electronic industries. Spokane-based Itron has nearly 8,000 utilities worldwide relying on their technology to optimize the delivery and use of energy and water.

With the right tax incentives, other manufactures could be lured here creating more jobs for residents. He wants to close tax loopholes while giving tax breaks to start-up research companies. The cap for a company would be $4,000 per job created, up to $8 million for the state.

Inslee's clean technology proposal is part of a larger economic plan that focuses on aerospace, biotech, agriculture, small businesses, the military and information technology in Washington state.

"We are fifth per capita in the United States for technical jobs, but we're 45th per capita in the production of people to fill those jobs," he says. "We're basically filling these jobs, these tremendous well-paid jobs, with everybody else's children around the country, rather than ours. We need to reverse that."

Creating jobs is a main concern, but as governor Inslee would have to deal with other issues including same-sex marriage. Inslee supports the state's marriage equality legislation and he does not want voters to overturn it.

"I've been in a marriage of 39 years and I know the rewards of that long-term relationship and I know the rewards of the community recognizing it," says Inslee, who turns 61 this Thursday. "No politician should be allowed to deny any of my fellow citizens that right to decide who they love."

Of his competition in the Governor's race, Inslee only says he "respects all" of his opponents but "fears none" of his opponents.

Next Tuesday, a profile of Attorney General Rob McKenna who also wants to be Governor of Washington.

By Linda Thomas

Related: Your Vote 2012 Step aside men, the effort to elect more women this November

AP file photo/Kevin P. Casey from June 27, 2011 when Congressman Inslee announced his bid for governor of Washington

Monday, February 6, 2012 @ 5:59pm

Breastfeeding moms challenge Facebook

Like everyone else on Facebook, Emma Kwasnica posts pictures and videos about things that are important to her. The social media network objects to some of her photos which show breasts.

Kwasnica is a Vancouver, B.C. child birth educator who says Facebook has wrongfully removed several of her pictures and blocked her account four times for posting breastfeeding photos. She says 30 of her pictures have been flagged as inappropriate. But anyone can report a page as offensive, and then it's up to Facebook employees to decide what should or should not be allowed.

Now she's fighting Facebook with Facebook, by setting up several pages and organizing "nurse ins" at Facebook offices. There's a Facebook page titled "FB! Stop harassing Emma Kwasnica over her breastfeeding pics." Another group is, "Hey Facebook, breastfeeding is not obscene!"

On her page, Kwasnica claims Facebook has removed 257,000 supporters from a group petitioning the site to stop removing breastfeeding photos.

Screen grab from a breastfeeding mom's Facebook page

Facebook's policy pictures and comments posted to the site reads: You will not post content that is hateful, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence."

The company released a statement to me that elaborates on their policy as it relates to this issue:

"Facebook is glad that mothers and their families – including many who work at Facebook – use our site to share their parenting experiences, including breastfeeding their children. By uploading photos, joining groups, and engaging with different organizations, these families are able to share and connect on a very important topic, and we are thrilled they are using Facebook to do so.

When it comes to uploaded photos on Facebook, the vast majority of breastfeeding photos comply with our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, which closely mirrors the policy that governs broadcast television, and which places limitations on nudity due to the presence of minors on our site. On some occasions, breastfeeding photos contain nudity – for example an exposed breast that is not being used for feeding – and therefore violate our terms. When such photos are reported to us and are found to violate our policies, the person who posted the photo is contacted, and the photos are removed. Our policies strive to fit the needs of a diverse community while respecting everyone’s interest in sharing content that is important to them, including experiences related to breastfeeding.

It is important to note that any breastfeeding photos that are removed – whether inappropriately or inaccordance with our policies – are only done so after being brought to our attention by other Facebook users who report them as violations and subsequently reviewed by Facebook.

Facebook receives hundreds of thousands of reports every week, and as you might expect, occasionally we make a mistake and remove a piece of content we shouldn't. When this happens, we work quickly to address it by apologizing to the people affected and making any necessary changes to our processes to ensure the same type of mistakes do not continue to be made. We encourage people to re-upload the photos they believe were removed in error."

By Linda Thomas