Celebrating Hannukah!

A beautiful menorah stands in the Landing, a Renton shopping center 

President Carter Dead

Sources announce the death of Former President Jimmy Carter. He was 100. 

Carter was the 39th president of the United States and the first president that I voted for. I had turned 19 when Carter ran in '76. 

Cougars Tap Rogers

 Washington State University has named its new head coach.  Jimmy Rogers will leave his position as coach of The South Dakota State Jackrabbits to head the Cougar program.

In 2023, Rogers led the Jackrabbits to the FCS national championship.  Last year, he took the team to the FCS semifinals.

Rogers replaces Jake Dickert, who left the Cougar program to become head coach at Wake Forest. 

Iliza Shlesinger and Noa Tishby Light Candles for the Fourth Night of Han...

This was for some reason, billed as the third night, but is actually the fourth night. 

Former CBS Sports announcer Greg Gumbel dead at 78

A great football announcer and a groundbreaker, I was sorry to read of Greg Gumbel's passing.

Mayim Bialik and Noa Tishby Light Candles for the Third Night of Hanukkah

Israeli activist and roving reporter Noa Tishby has been doing daily Hannukah reports.  This is for the third night.

Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song- 2025 (Rewrite/Cover)

Unfortunate Son is back with his latest rendition of the Hanukkah Song.  Listen!

Go Seahawks

The Seahawks face the Chicago Bears tonight (December 26th, 2024) on Thursday Night Football.  This is a must win game for the Hawks. 

Chanukah Begins

 

Merry Christmas!

 From Barers Of Maple Valley, have a wonderful holiday season!

Happy Holidays From Oliver

With Santa at Southcenter.

Three All Time Greats Leave Us In 2024

So long to three of the best baseball players in my lifetime all in 2024.  

Willie Mays (middle), at the time, the oldest living Hall Of Famer died in June.  Mays was perhaps my most favorite player.

Pete Rose ,(top picture), baseball's all-time leader in career hits.  Rose was banned for life from MLB, creating a debate on whether he should be in the Hall Of Fame.  A debate that will never probably never end. 

Rickey Henderson (bottom picture), perhaps the most shocking passing died Saturday December 20th.  Henderson holds the season record for stealing bases and is the career leader. Henderson was 65.

These three players brought excitement and new fans into baseball during their careers.  They will all be missed 

 

Rickey Henderson--Baseball's All-Time Base Stealer

 Rickey Henderson, baseball's all-time base stealer has passed away, he was 62.  Henderson, who played most of his career with the Oakland A's, who amongst  nine teams he played for, he was an A four separate times. 

Henderson holds the season and career record for stolen bases.   He played for the Seattle Mariner in 2000 as he entered his fourth decade in the majors. 

Henderson will be remembered as one of baseball's colorful characters as well as one of the sport's all-time greats.  His passing at 65 was a total shock to the baseball world. 

Carol Of The Bells Trans Siberian Orchestra

From 2023 at Climate Pledge Arena. 

Maple Valley Christmas Lights 2

This was from last year (December 2023)  The Maple Valley Christmas Lights show.  For info on seeing the show, click here

Christmas Lights

We went out to enjoy Christmas Lights near Tahoma High School.

Six13 - A Wicked Chanukah

Another act following the "Wicked" theme.  

WSU Coach Leaves

Jake Dickert, WSU football coach since 2021, is leaving the program to become head football coach at Wake Forest.   Wake Forest is based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Dickert, who took over the program after Nick Rolovich was fired for refusing to take the COVID vaccine, had an overall record of 23-21.  The last two seasons have started well, but seen the team fall into losing streaks.  

The Cougs will play Syracuse in the Holiday Bowl on December 17th without Dickert and star quarterback John Mateer, who has entered the transfer portal. 

Assistant Coach Pete Kaligas will be interim head coach as the team plays its last game.  

 

TV Historian Dave Sundstrom Checks Out Adam West Day

Dave Sundstrom does great reports of You Tube on some of my favorite shows my childhood, in this video, he outdid himself and went to my hometown of Walla Walla for Adam West Day.

The backdrop of his report is the Kirkman House Museum, which I have yet to visit, even though, the motel where we often stay is only a block away. 

Pullman Radio Station Celebrates 50 Years Of Family Ownership

 Congrats to KQQQ radio, in Pullman, as they mark 50 years with Bill and Susan Weed owning the station.    I worked for Bill and Sue back from 1979 to 1980 while I was going to school at WSU. 

The AM was known as KNOI, meaning K-number one.  They were automated country.  KQQQ was the FM and they had straight rock and roll. 

As I understand now, the station is news talk on the AM, now also known as KQQQ and holiday hits (Christmas music) and new country on the FM, now known as KHTR. 

The station was known as KPUL with the Weeds purchased it in 1974.

A Wicked Adon Olam

Temples often jazz up traditional prayers with contemporary melodies. The Park Avenue Synagogue, being in the town where Broadway is a thing, chose this melody for the Jewish prayer Adon Olam. 

Family Member's Get Mention In Goldberg's Latest

 

My cousin, Tod Goldberg, has been known to use names of actual people to portray characters in his novels.  I intentionally waited for the season to start before diving into Tod's Eight Very Bad Nights.  A collection of short stories from various writers that he knows.

In the forward, Tod mentions my Uncle Arny, (bottom picture), who is actually Tod's cousin.  He is addressed as Uncle Arny, as he will always be. 

When I got to the next page of the forward, there was a reference to Tod's Auntie Esther, (middle picture), who is my Grandmother Barer.  She is actually addressed as Auntie Esther, as she was Tod's great aunt.

Now, I 'm ready to see what else awaits me in the book. To order the book, click here

Seahawks On Sunday Night Football

 

The red hot Seattle Seahawks will host the Green Bay Packers tonight (December 15th, 2024) on SNF.  Kickoff is scheduled for  5:20 PST.  It will be carried locally on KING 5 TV. 

Fun Pictures From Over The Years.

 Google Photos puts together some great collages. 

NEW 2019 Chanukah Song #5 (Adam Sandler original cover)

We will start the holiday season with this gentlemen's version of the Chanuka song.  This is a few years old, so it will be a little outdated.  Still, it's well done and enjoyable. 

Kraken Owner Bonderman Dead

 David Bonderman, owner of the Seattle Kraken has died, he was 82.  Bonderman, a University Of Washington graduate, was the driving force to bring NHL Hockey to the Seattle area and building Climate Pledge arena. 

Bonderman's daughter, Samantha Holloway is executive chair and equal co-owner of the team. 

Bonderman was honored last night (Thursday, December 12, 2024) before the Kraken faced off against the Boston Bruins. 

Mod Squad Star Dies

Michael Cole, the last surviving member of the Mod Squad, a groundbreaking show where three young misfits are turned into cops, has died.   

The Mod Squad, featuring three rebellious actors, ran on ABC from 1968 to 1973, the network who more than its two competitors, reflected the youth culture of the time.  

Longtime Seattle Rock Journalist Patrick MacDonald

 Word has been received that longtime Seattle Times music critic Patrick MacDonald has died.  He was just shy of his 80th birthday. 

For over 30 years, MacDonald worked for the Seattle Times, reviewing concerts.  I always enjoyed reading his stuff.  Especially after attending concerts.  He really was the area's connection to Rock and Roll. 

MacDonald is pictured above with Jimi Hendrix.  

MacDonald wrote for the UW Daily, then the Seattle PI.  He also was a DJ at then Seattle progressive rock station KOL-FM. 

He left the Seattle Times in 2008.

Seahawks Win 4th In A Row

 Congrats to the Seahawks, who, yesterday, nailed a fourth straight victory.    The final score was 30-18 over the Arizona Cardinals in Phoenix. 

Snowflake Lane. Bellevue 2024

Last night (December 7th, 2024) we watched the parade at Snowflake Lane, in front of Bell Square.  

This is the annual celebration of the holidays, now in its 20th year.  

We had eaten with some out of town guests at the Central. 

Scary View In Issaquah

This tree, totally uprooted, presumably during the recent Bomb Cyclone, is too close for comfort to this house on Front Street in Issaquah. This picture really doesn't do it justice.

Barers Of Maple Valley Learns Sad News Of First Washington Lottery Winner

 A dream come true can turn into a nightmare. 

I was working at KYYX in Seattle during the early 1980s, when Washington's first ever million-dollar lottery winner was announced.  I was happy to see that it was a woman who lived in my hometown of Walla Walla.  At the time one million dollars was, and really, still is, a ridiculously high amount of money.

Being the first, afforded her celebrity that went beyond her hometown.  Years later, I had moved back to Walla Walla from 1985-1989.  There was an article on her.  She was a nurse and was alleged to have taken medicines from work.  This was a headline in the local Union-Bulletin and it too, had reverberations across the state and beyond. 

Walla Walla is a very small town and really there is "nowhere to hide".  Having that type of celebrity and money that quickly in a town where folks are generally modest and unassuming can cause any number of problems.  Whether the weight of becoming a first winner, caused the problem or simply drew attention to an existing problem remains to be seen. 

Last week, on the eve before Thanksgiving, I was asked to pick up scratch off lottery tickets for everyone attending the feast at my wife's sister's and brother-in-law's house. I was reminded of that lady and googled to maybe see what she is doing now.

I was saddened to see that she had passed away in 2017.  In the obit, there was no mention of her winning or the trouble that she found.  Because of that, I decided that if I did this post, I would not use her name. 

The Temple Theater

This is the Temple Theater in Downtown Tacoma.  This is where we saw last weekend's concert.  

I really loved the "retro" vibe.

Happy Anniversary--Little River Band

More from our concert last Sunday at the Temple Theatre in Tacoma.  It was a lot of fun, but I had not realized the appearance of LRB was mired in controversy.  After, or instead of watching the above video, click here on a little background of the politics and legal issues surrounding the latest band. 

To put it in a nutshell, not one member in this iteration of the band, is one of the original members.  I think that the bass player and lead singer may have been in the band with some of the originals. 

Anyway, it's a pretty tangled web.

Reminiscing--Little River Band

This is another clip from Sunday's (December 1st, 2024) concert.  On this one, you can hear the full song. 

Cool Change--Little River Band In Concert

We watched the Little River Band at the beautiful Temple Theater in Tacoma.  This was a make up concert that was originally scheduled earlier in the fall. 

The Temple is an historic building in the downtown area of Tacoma.  Just being in the building was an experience.  

The Little River Band, which started making hits in the 70s.  The band was formed in Melbourne Australia and has had about 30 member changes. There are currently no original members in the band and none of the current members hail from Australia. The band also has a new release, from which a few songs were played. 

I'm planning to post a couple more songs from the concert. 

Wyoming vs WSU

 The Cougs face Wyoming today (11/30/2024) at 3:30pm at Gesa Field in Pullman. Go Cougs!!!

Blue Friday--Seahawks Take On Jets On Sunday

 Go Seahawks!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

 Have a great holiday!

Classic TV Theme: Room 222 (Jerry Goldsmith)

One of my favorite shows from the late sixties and early 70s.  I thought it would be fun to post the theme song, which has an almost too close resemblance to the Beatle's song "Fool On The Hill."

Windstorm 2024 3

 Nearly a week after the devastating "Cyclone Bomb" branches and trees are scattered in the park of nearby subdivision Patrick's Faire in Maple Valley.

Windstorm 2024 2

Damage was even worse in the outskirts of Issaquah.

Go Seahawks

Enjoying the game at Lumen Field!

2024 Bomb Cyclone Maple Valley

Accessing the damage. "Windsday" after the storm.  

NBA close to announcing Seattle & Las Vegas expansion?

I'm thinking more and more that the Sonics will return soon.  This gentleman agrees. 

WSU vs OSU--In Corvallis

The last two original members of the Pac 12 face off today (Saturday, November 23rd, 2024 at 4pm.  Go Cougs!!!
 

Our Power Is Back

We can all breathe easier now.  Our Power came back on yesterday afternoon (Thursday, November 21st, 2024).
 

Windstorm 2024

Damage at our house was relatively minor.

Lights Out!

This is our living room. Power in the area is out.  Probably for a long time.  

We have flashlights and lamps so we are doing alright.

Area Prepares For Bomb Cyclone

 

A heavy concentration of wind, known as a bomb cyclone is happening as strong winds are picking up and our lights are flickering.  We'll see what this brings to Maple Valley and the surrounding area. 

Seahawks Return To Winning Path

 The Seahawks fortune took a good turn yesterday with an upset win over rival San Francisco.  A last-minute touchdown on a run by quarterback Geno Smith, put the Hawks ahead in the contest played on the road.  

Although the Hawks were behind through most of the game, improvement on both sides of the ball was evident from the beginning. 

The final score was 20-17.

Seahawks Take On 49ers

 Go Seahawks!!!

Washington State Cougars Vs New Mexico

 Go Cougs!

It's Blue Friday!

 Seahawks face the 49ers this Sunday (November 17th, 2024). Go Seahawks!!!

Mariner Announcer Hired By The Yankees

Longtime Mariner Dave Sims, it was announced today (Thursday, November 14th, 2024), will leave the area, to become the voice of the New York Yankees.  

Sims will replace the legendary John Sterling.  It will be no small task to step into those shoes. 

It is well known that Sims is a native of the East Coast, he started his career with the New York Daily News. 

Even though I am a tried-and-true Mariner fan, this really is the job of a lifetime, working for MLB's most storied franchise, I'd like to wish Dave the best of luck. 

Dow Will Not Seek Reelection

 The Cascadian Advocate, the blog of the Northwest Progressive Institute, reports that King County Executive Dow Constantine will not run for re-election.   He is finishing his fourth term at that position. 

In King County, the executive position is similar to the mayor of a city or the governor of a state. 

Constantine was a King County Councilman at the time of his election in 2009. The position had recently been made non-partisan, but Democrats and Republicans were clear on their positions. 

At the time, Republican pulled more weight in county politics, often representing the views of the more rural South King County.  

Constantine beat former KIRO anchorwoman Susan Hutchison. Hutchison kept her Republican leanings, mostly quiet.  She would later become the State Chair for the party.  

Constantine, a Democrat, had been mentioned many times as a potential Washington governor.  

His future plans were not revealed. 

Washington State Victorious Over The Weekend.

 Congrats to the Cougars for their 49-28 trouncing of the Utah State Aggies last Saturday (November 9th, 2024). 

The Moon In Pictures Over The Years

 Here is a Google Photo vignette of pictures of the moon that I've taken, usually when walking our dog.  

Remembering Our Veterans

 

Linda Cohn Works Seattle Hockey

ESPN personality Linda Cohn was doing analysis at last night's (Friday, November 8th, 2024) Seattle Kraken game.

The Kraken had an exciting 4-3 overtime victory over the Las Vegas Golden Knights.

Cohn was a recent hire of the newly formed Kraken Hockey Network.  She is shown here with veteran area sports reporter Ian Furness.

Former Blazers announcer Brian Wheeler dies at 62

It was trending on Twitter when I found out.  Former Sports Radio KJR host and longtime Portland Trail Blazer voice, Brian Wheeler has died, he was 62.  

Wheeler had been an interview subject many times on Mitch Levy's Mitch Unfiltered podcast. I believe he also filled in as cohost one or more times. 

Wheeler replaced veteran Bill Shonely in 1998.  He left the position in 2019.

Wheeler reportedly had dealt with many health challenges.  

The Garfield High School Band's tribute to Quincy Jones

Last weekend, we got the sad news of the passing of Quincy Jones.  Practically, without peer in the industry, Jones was a product of Seattle's Garfield High.  

In tribute to this fine artist, the Garfield High School Band performs the title track from Michael Jackson's "Thriller",one of the music industry's most iconic albums and one produced by Jones. 

Election Day 2024