South Sound Sidekick series offers advice from experts living in the, well, South Sound. It posts every Friday. Today, musician Hozoji Matheson-Margullis of Lozen and Helms Alee discusses her experiences harvesting geoducks beneath the surface of Puget Sound.

Hozoji Matheson-Margullis writes,

I started training for my job harvesting geoducks with the Puyallup Tribe in December of 2009. So I'm coming up on my third year of diving. Three years definitely does not make me an expert on the subject, but I have learned a lot about diving, myself, my tribe and our environment in that time.

The word "geoduck" is an adaptation of "gwideq," the Nisqually Tribe's name for the clams. In their language "gwideq" means "dig deep." Harvesting gwideq has been a life source for many of the coastal Salish tribes for as long as we have lived here.

An average adult gwideq can weigh around three pounds. If you manage to wrestle just one of them out of the ground you can feed several people.

Many people today still go down to the beach and use the old school method of harvesting: a shovel, a bucket and patient persistence. The giant clams bury themselves about three feet deep in the sand and then extend their long necks up through the sand to filter feed. When they sense a predator they retract their necks down close to their shell, which means you have to dig all the way down to the base of their shell to get them out.

Washington state has its own geoduck program and each tribe has its own program.

There are gwideq farms where they plant the clams in PVC tubes placed in the tidelands and harvest the mature clams at low tide.

The type of harvesting I do is surface supplied air diving off of a dive boat. Divers wear full-face helmets that provide our air and allow us to communicate with our crewmates on the boat. We wear dry suits to keep warm and carry a back-up tank of air that would give us an additional three minutes of air should the generator up top malfunction. The diver takes a net bag and a high-pressure water nozzle and descends to the seabed to search for the clams. Gwideq can be harvested anywhere from 20 feet shallow to 70 feet deep. Much of the time the clams are completely submerged in the sand and you are looking for just the tiniest divot in the surface or a slight discoloration of the sand. But when you're lucky the siphon of the clam will be sticking out above the sand filtering food. This is common in the summer time when the algae are blooming in our waters and the gwideq are feasting. Come wintertime the clams go dormant.

To harvest a gwideq you grab the neck with one hand and stick the water nozzle down by the shell with the other. The high water pressure blows away the sand around the base of the shell releasing it to be collected.        

Being down there walking around feels how I imagine it would feel to walk on the moon. Movement is slowed. The most prominent sound is your own breathing. Fifteen feet visibility is a normal day but some days you can see up to 50 feet. Other days there is almost zero visibility and you spend the entire dive with you face in the sand.

When I signed up for my training I was pretty confident I wouldn't make it through to become a diver. The course was a two-month session taught at Joint Base Lewis-McChord by two former Navy Seals. The Seals' end goal was to push us to our limits of fear and physical exhaustion. I was born and raised in Tacoma and spent much of my life on our beaches but I've always had a primal fear of the dark murky water. The idea a seal or sea lion being anywhere near me in the water sent me fleeing for shore. And back then I had no idea that we have two of the largest sharks in the world in our little bay!

After my very first dive, my mind shifted. I was amazed by what I saw down there. I enjoyed facing my fears. Despite what it looks like from the surface, it is colorful and beautiful on bottom.

Puget Sound is one of the most nutrient rich bodies of water in the world. Because of that we have a vast array of sea life. I highly recommend getting certified and getting down there. There are dive shops in our area that do SCUBA training. It would blow your mind to see what's beneath the waters you have been staring at all these years!

LINK: Smoking marijuana in Washington state advice

LINK: Speeding ticket advice

LINK: DUI advice

LINK: Music business advice

LINK: First tattoo advice

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MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION >>>

South Sound Sidekick series offers advice from experts living in the, well, the South Sound. It posts every Friday. Today, The Counselor is back with a breakdown of what you can and can't put in your pipe now that Initiative 502 passed.

"The people intend to stop treating adult marijuana use as a crime and try a new approach. ..." (Intent section of I-502)

Well the good news is that marijuana is now legal in Washington. Bad news?  Many of the old rules still apply and there is and will be for sometime a whole bunch of unanswered questions.

Can I smoke dope in public?  Nope. (Law provides that it is an infraction just like drinking in public to display marijuana in public.)

Can I buy grass?  Nope.  (How are we supposed to get it?  Good question.)

Can I smoke my very fine bud in my own home?  Yes you may.

How much can I possess?  A person over 21 years of age may possess up to one ounce of bud, 16 ounces of solid-form marijuana in food products and 72 ounces of cannabis in liquid form.

Can I grow my own? No you cannot.

The law provides that the state will license and closely regulate the production and distribution of marijuana.  But the law this does not provide for anyone to grow their own.

Can I smoke a big honking doobie while driving?  Bad Idea, first, grass is treated just the same as alcohol; it is an infraction to drink while driving and would be to smoke as well. You are in the motoring public.Got it? Also you will be inviting trouble from the police. You cannot drive under the influence of marijuana. (5 nano-grams per milliliter of blood.) You cannot drive under the influence or be affected by any drug to a degree in which you are impaired. Marijuana remains a drug; it just is legal in some scenarios.

And smoking while driving is an open invitation to the police to at least check you out for the infraction. Then they pull you over and the cop says:

Hey man that smells like good shit.

And you say:  Yeah man it is the best.

You will most likely be having your blood drawn to see if you are under the influence, (probable cause being your own admission that you are high as a kite, likely combined with several visual cues, bloodshot eyes, food spilled all over your shirt, stereo playing full blast). While a Judge in most cases has to authorize a blood draw, the whole thing is and would be a pain in the ass.

So just do yourself a favor and don't smoke and drive. Go home and smoke in your living room.

The new law does not have any affect on the older Medical Marijuana law. None. Not one bit.  Whatever you could or could not do under the medical marijuana law remains unchanged; they are two completely different laws.

Do not go anywhere near a Federal building or Federal Courthouse with your Washington legal dope.  To the Feds it is still illegal and subject at the very least to seizure.  What else the Feds will do remains a question.

There are tons of unanswered questions about what the future of marijuana will be here in Washington. I-502 gives the State until December 2013 to come up with some answers.

"The people intend to stop treating adult marijuana use as a crime and try a new approach".
The voters of Washington have spoken and we should all be proud.

Be intelligent and respectful in your use of marijuana.  Treat it as you would a good scotch. Don't be stupid. And don't go straight. Just go forward.

The Counselor

LINK: Speeding ticket advice

LINK: DUI advice

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South Sound Sidekick series offers advice from experts living in the, well, South Sound. It posts every Friday. Today, Maurice the Fish Records CEO Raymond Hayden has advice to musicians who are starting out in the musicic business or musicians who need a re-boot.

Raymond Hayden writes,

About a week ago, I was contacted by the Weekly Volcano to write an article based on what it takes to get started in the music business, get gigs, promote bands and their respective brands and stay true to ideals and visions.  Of course, being entrenched in the music scene I said yes and considered it a real opportunity to give back to the music community from which I thrive - you know, pay it forward.  As I started developing ideas for this article, I was reminded that without some very basic tools you shouldn't even make an attempt at jumping in. So, it is with that premise that I write to each of you who are either just getting started or are a veteran that needs a re-boot!

Like other industries, the music industry is always changing and adapting to the times.  However, over the past decade, the music scene has over gone some major changes with how people acquire music. With the onslaught of MP3s what used to be a "brick and mortar distributed" product is now easily accessible (free in many cases).  This was a total game changer for the industry.  Back in the day, artists and bands were looking to "get signed."  With these changes, record labels lost their ability to control the sales of their artist's albums - the whole getting signed goal for artists changed as well.

The current state of the industry is centered on three letters - D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself).  Technology has exponentially increased the ease of producing a CD and there has been a flood of new music to the market. Not necessarily to be looked up on as increased competition, but as a larger talent pool as there is plenty of room for great music at the top.  With this, comes an increased amount of responsibility to the artists themselves.  They must now be the artist, the merchandiser, the engineer, the producer, the publicist, the booking agent, the tour manager, etc. In other words, artists' futures and money are in their own hands. 

Reading between the lines? 

If you are not disciplined and expect someone else to do it for you, don't even bother - just stick to playing at family get-togethers.  If you work hard enough and put forth the effort, you might catch someone with influences ear, but the key is to NOT count on that.

My suggestion is simple. If your fire burns strong with the desire to create music and you are willing to put in the work, then start prepping for the marathon: practice your instrument; rehearse with your band (there is a difference); work your social media (Facebook, Twitter, Reverb Nation); go see other shows (support your local peers); network with your peers, venue owners, local periodicals, studios and radio stations (both traditional FM Stations and internet); above all, have fun and make sure your fans know how much you love and appreciate them. Other than what I just listed, I suggest you become involved with local music organizations, performance writing organizations (BMI, ASCAP), local Grammy chapter conventions and learn about the industry. Educate yourself on what you are getting yourself into.

Years back, when I realized how difficult it was to get people to respond, I created my own reality. I call it Maurice the Fish Records.  A family of like-minded artists who adhere to everything I've written about today.

If you hit a wall, be creative and CREATE YOUR OWN REALITY!  Be the game changer. ...

South Sound Sidekick series offers advice from experts living in the, well, the South Sound. It posts every Friday. Today, The Counselor is back with advice for those pulled over for speeding.

Dear Counselor,

I got a speeding ticket. What should I do?

ANSWER: Obviously slow down!  Quit driving that Hot Rod Lincoln.

Everyone at some point in his or her life will probably get a speeding ticket.  What should you do?  Here in Washington state you have four choices; you can 1) pay the ticket 2) ask for a mitigation hearing, 3) ask that the ticket be deferred or 4) contest the ticket.

Let's look at each of your options for a minute and the consequences of the choice you make.

If you pay the ticket it will remain on your driving record for three years.  You car insurance could increase by 10 to 11 percent per year for the three years. (Depending on your carrier). You might not have had a ticket in 15 years, but you know what they say, "When it rains it pours."  I have spoken with many insurance agents who say that same thing, no infractions in 20 years and then two or three in a short time, not good.

You can ask to mitigate the fine. Mitigation is where you go and tell the judge why you had a good reason to be speeding and the ask the court to cut you some slack, which will, in most cases, be granted to some extent. All this does is reduce the fine, it still goes on your record as an infraction and stays there for three years and has the same insurance issues.

You can go to court - and if you have not had a ticket in the last seven years - you can ask that the ticket be differed under RCW 46.63.070.  Basically, this means you pay court costs, typically around $150.00 and if you don't get any more tickets for one year the case is dismissed and does not go on your record. But, if you get another speeding ticket in that year then, well you are looking at two tickets not one.  Remember, when it rains it pours.

My suggestion?  I am a firm believer in option #4.  Hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer and let them do their job.  An attorney trained in traffic infractions can almost always make the outcome of you situation better (not always, but nothing in the world is 100 percent), either by getting the ticket dismissed, or getting it modified to a non-moving violation.

With a lawyer you probably won't have to take a day off work to go to court, you won't have to stand up in a courtroom and make an argument to a judge and you will greatly increase the chances your insurance premiums won't be skyrocketing. For some people that is money well spent.

Now, what to do when pulled over for speeding? Be polite, as with all things in life, politeness goes a long way in making things better. The officer in the field has tremendous discretion in what they do and what message they convey to the judge who will ultimately decide your case.

The citing officer only writes a few lines on the back of the ticket.  But those words will clearly telegraph to the judge whether or not you were a butthead. If the judge gets the feeling before you even open your mouth that you are a jerk, it is going to make prevailing just that much more difficult.  So BE POLITE DAMMIT.

Next, do not say anything to the officer about your speed.  First question out of the officer's mouth always is "You know why I stopped you?"  Then you say something (that by the way will always be written on the back of the ticket) like "Speeding?" with a sheepish look on your face. Or "Sorry I was talking on my cell phone"  (Whoops another $125), or the classic "I am running late."  Basically these are all admissions that you were speeding and you knew it.  Be polite and do not answer questions about your speed or why you were stopped.

That's it for me.

The Counselor. 

P.S Stay out of the left lane unless you are passing every one.  It is an infraction to drive in the left lane and impede traffic so stop doing it. And it really frosts my ass.

South Sound Sidekick series offers advice from experts living in the, well, South Sound. It posts every Friday. Today, tattoo artist Wizard Garrett has advice to those seeking their first tattoo. Garrett has been tattooing since 2001 and has worked in comics since 2006. The focus of his work is on the aggressive and rapacious approach in the dark side of human nature, the magic and phantasmagoria that dominates the fantasy, horror and Gothic themes of the late 1800s.

Wizard Garrett writes,

When getting your first tattoo there are usually lots of roadblocks, hurdles or unseen complications that make it hard for a client to get into the chair with a design that makes them and the artist happy. Imagine bringing your own recipe printed off the Internet to a restaurant requesting the chef to prepare that particular meal instead of what he was trained to do or even knows how to do.

Now, most of the time artists tell their clients to go through portfolios to find the perfect tattoo artist for them. In theory this makes sense. In reality, in most cases, clients don't know exactly what they want. They find themselves searching for subject matter that comes closest to what they want tattooed on them - not quality of lines, blends, values of shading, saturation of colors, composition and flow of design.

Why would anyone coming in for a first tattoo look for these things?

I will tell you, it's because it's not their job, just like I have no idea what seasonings to use when cooking certain main course meals.

So, what does a first time client need to do when getting their first tattoo? Trust, faith and good intuition. Let the professionals worry about the technical blueprints of creating the perfect design for you. Most trained artists understand the importance of the body's anatomy and why it's relevant to designing your tattoo.

Quick don'ts for any new tattoo client: Don't bring your child and/or big group of friends with you for consultations or procedures.

Don't speculate that just ANYone can do your simple (lettering, logos or single lined) tattoo, the simpler they look the easier they are for someone with little experience to mess up.

Don't price shop for your tattoo. Make the investment the first time so you don't have to spend more to have a different studio cover or fix it. Rome wasn't built in day; we understand the importance of forever just as much as client is concerned. Most studios will try their best to accommodate their client's budget.

Don't listen to your friends, co-workers, family members, the Internet or other tattoo studios when it comes to the aftercare of your fresh tattoo. Listen to whatever aftercare instructions your particular artist gives you and follow them. Most artists guarantee their work and will do a touch-up if its necessary, but if you start playing mad scientist with the healing of your new tattoo then you might not get that understanding artist with your she said he said story.

Do eat an hour or so before you come in. Might be a good idea to bring a sucker or two, that way if you get light headed you can help level out your sugar levels to prevent from passing out. (Also, it can be nice to have something to bite on.)

Do dress appropriately for where ever the tattoo may go. For example if your getting tattooed on your back you should bring a zip up hoodie to wear backwards exposing the back for the artist to work but still providing a professional and comfortable atmosphere.

Yesterday's comment of the day came from Peggy in response to the Weekly Volcano's first South Sound Sidekick column, which posts every Friday. Our first column was penned by The Counselor aka Jim Foley, who shared his thoughts on what to do if you're pulled over on suspicion of DUI.

Anyway, Peggy writes,

Not only is he a good counselor, he is very entertaining. He single-handedly entertained my out of town relatives at a wine tasting this summer.

Dear Counselor,

I have friends that have gotten DUIs, and they all seem to have different advice on what to do if you get pulled over and have been drinking. I've got to know, if I get pulled over while drinking, what should I do?

ANSWER: "If I blow there will be trouble, if I don't there will be double."  Remember that.

If pulled over for D.U.I always blow.  When you blow you are complying with the implied consent law and you are giving your attorney tools to work with.

Under the law in Washington state, licensed drivers are required to give a BAC - Blood Alcohol Content - sample to law enforcement officers.  The officer must have 1) have a valid reason to pull you over; 2) reasonable grounds to believe you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol; 3) then they must arrest you; And most important ... 4) give you a BAC test in accordance with the Washington Administrative Code.

All these things must be done in strict accordance with the law and an attorney trained in such matters will have numerous options to help defend you. BUT ONLY IF YOU BLOW. 

Not blowing is giving up your driver's license for two years automatically. Yes you can get occupational licenses and interlock ignition licenses. But your license will almost 100 percent of the time be revoked for two years.

What is worse about not blowing is that your refusal can, and will most certainly, be used against you in a jury trial.  Not blowing will allow a prosecutor to argue your refusal means you were drunk. 

Finally, a refusal to blow results in an automatic penalty enhancement that doubles everything: jail time, license suspension time and the monetary fine.

If I blow there will be trouble ... If I don't there will be double.

So, what to do if you get pulled over? Be polite. This is the single most important thing you can do. Be polite. The officer in the field has enormous discretion in choosing what they do. Even after your arrest, the prosecuting attorney often talks with the arresting officer to see how you acted. If you're an asshole then you are going to feel the pain big time.  If you are really polite it will go a long way in helping your case.

Also, DO NOT TAKE ANY TEST IN THE FIELD. So called Field Sobriety Tests and the Portable Breath Test BT are evidentiary in nature and you have no obligation to take them. POLITELY REFUSE TO DO ANY TEST IN THE FIELD.  No walk and turn, no stand on one leg, no ABCs - none.  You have a constitutional right not to do them and they will be used against you in court.

Lets summarize: be POLITE and ALWAYS BLOW.

Submit your questions to "The Counselor" Jim Foley at thecounselor360@hotmail.com. Foley will do his best to answer any legal question you have.  Even though he has tried more than 300 jury trials to a verdict, he does not rely on his 22 years of law practice alone. Every question submitted will be reviewed by five or six of the brightest, wisest and most clever lawyers in Thurston County. After a consensus is reached, an opinion will be rendered. Foley is also a world traveler and enjoys building boats, weight lifting and memorizing poetry. He's known for making some of the world's best cookies, bread and pickles. He also enjoys a nice scotch.