Greeters Ercan Turkarslan & Colly Radford
Colly Radford gave the invocation and led members in the Pledge. Ercan Turkarslan introduced visiting Rotarians and guests.
Rick Klobucher
Rick Klobucher encouraged members to consider estate planning as a way to make an endowment to the Rotary Foundation.
Bellevue 5K Wrap-Up & Celebration
Jane Kuechle honored the dozen-plus people who helped make the 5K Run/Walk a success.
Jane Kuechle thanks the 5K crew.
- Tim Johnstone, who pushed the idea of having the event and getting professional help to make it come off so well.
- Jonathan Koshar, for leading the sponsorship line-up.
- Tim Moriarty, for working with the City of Bellevue on all aspects of the event.
- The Bellevue Police Department, who helped out every step of the way.
- Christine Addison, for getting so many organizations to participate with booths.
- Elena Howell, for the excellent publicity before and after the event.
- Kaj Pedersen, for the excellent press releases.
- Katherine De Stephano, for getting brochures out to all the running stores. There were so many entrants that there was a shortage of shirts. More are being made and will be available at the Helly Hansen store at Bellevue Square.
- Steve Luplow, for course management.
- Paul Chapman, for handling parking.
- Bill Rambo, for finding 500 nearby parking spaces for those attending the event.
- Steve Roberts, for securing the Porta Potties.
- Chip Erickson, for the music and getting promotion from 106.9 FM.
- Chuck Kimbrough, for getting a letter out to nearby residents alerting them to the Sunday event.
- Hal Teel, for coordinating registration on the morning of the event.
- Paul Martin, for leading fundraising efforts.
- Jeanne Thorsen, who brought 30 paid runners from the King County Library System.
- Bob Bowen, for clean-up after the event.
- Margie Burnett, for taking over the online registration.
See photos from the Bellevue 5K below.
Click an image for a larger photo.
Use left/right arrows in larger images to click through slideshow.
President Jenny Andrews and ROTM Jane Kuechle
Rotarian of the Month: Jane Kuechle
Following a round of applause, president Jenny called Jane back to the podium and presented her with the Rotary of the Month award. Congratulations, Jane!
Sergeant At Arms David Bolson challenged members in a Cruise or Lose contest, with each table having to name the part of the world for five ports of call. Those who didn’t get all rive right had to put a $1 on the table.
Third Thursday Special! Beer Tasting & Barbecue With the Martinkas
You are cordially invited to the BBRC's May 21st Third Thursday social event (and make-up). It will NOT be at the Rock Bottom. It will be held at the John and Jan Martinka residence, 10819 101st Avenue NE, Kirkland, Ph 425-827-4979. Doors open at 5:00 pm; food will be served about 6:30 pm. Click here for a map.
We will host a beer tasting and barbecue, with five distinguished beer loving members at the tasting stations. These members are working hard to increase their beer knowledge, so we encourage you to come and see the results of their efforts and study. Your taste experts are:
Steve Lingenbrink - IPA - Phil Salvatori - Porter & Stout
- John DeWater - Czech & German lagers
- Tim Leahy - Amber Ales
- Jim Zidar - Pale Ales & ESB
Your job is to bring 2-3 bottles of your favorite beer that fit into any of these categories. Taste what the experts have, compare that to what you and your fellow Rotarians bring and have some fun!
There will be wine for those who don't care for beer [yes, it does happen].
Bring your spouse, your (potential BBRC member) friends, and your adult children. Please note: this is an adult event and is not for under-drinking-age children.
We need an accurate headcount for provisions, so please CLICK HERE TO RSVP (no need for negative replies). This will be a great opportunity to socialize with your fellow members. If you haven't attended these events before this is a good time to start!
"What Makes Google So Innovative," Peter Wilson, Director of Engineering & Site Director for Google's Kirkland Development Center
Peter Wilson
Friday's speaker was Google's Peter Wilson, who leads the development of a set of Google applications. Peter also serves on the boards of the Washington Technology Alliance, the University of Washington Information School, and the Experience Music Project. Peter has held a variety of positions with Microsoft, Diamond Cluster Consulting and Accenture. He has a BSC in Computer Science from London University's Imperial College.
Peter talked about “What Makes Google so Innovative” and focused on Cloud Computing, Social Media and Online Advertising.
President Jenny Andrews & Peter Wilson
Google thinks about what it wants to achieve before it starts. Everyone is required to list quarterly goals and then grade themselves on their efforts.
Another interesting aspect of Google is that everyone is required to spend 20 percent of his/her time on something outside of their core job. Managers can’t tell those under them what they can or can’t do with that time.
Google also follows a practice of launching products early and often and the company measures everything.
Peter Wilson asks Margie Burnett why she doesn't use her Gmail account.
Google believes in learning from failures. The idea is to fail quickly, celebrate the failure and not to penalize for it. As a result, Google is always experimenting with various aspects of its products to see which ideas work better than others.
On Cloud Computing, Peter noted that in 1993, most businesses ran their own computing systems, and they were mainframes. In the future, there will be a very few companies running computers and they will run them for everyone in the world.
Courtesy of Wally Mahoney
AGELESS WIT AND OBSERVATIONS
If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed, if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed. ~ Mark Twain
Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress ... but then, I repeat myself. ~ Mark Twain
I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. ~ Winston Churchill
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. ~ George Bernard Shaw
Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. ~ James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)
Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries. ~ Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. ~ P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian
Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else. ~ Frederic Bastiat, Economist (1801-1850)
Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. ~ Ronald Reagan (1986)
I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. ~ Will Rogers
If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free! ~ P.J. O'Rourke
In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other. ~ Voltaire (1764)
Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you! ~ Pericles (430 B.C.)
No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session. ~ Mark Twain (1866)
Talk is cheap ... except when Congress does it. ~ Unknown
The government is like a baby's alimentary canal — with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other. ~ Ronald Reagan
The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin. ~ Mark Twain
There is no distinctly Native American criminal class ... save Congress. ~ Mark Twain
What this country needs are more unemployed politicians. ~ Edward Langley, Artist (1928 - 1995)
A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. ~ Thomas Jefferson
