Holocaust Museum To Open In Seattle

I was happy to read in today's Seattle Times that a museum memorializing the Holocaust will open at 2045 2nd Ave. in Seattle.  The museum is scheduled to open for the first time tomorrow (Sunday, October 18th), after that it will be open the first and third Monday of every month and every Wednesday hours are 10am to 4pm.  For information, you can check the web site here.  The Times reports admission is free, but reservations are required.

Autumn Sunset

The sun goes down on Meydenbaur Bay near where I parked to attend a meet and greet at the 520 Bar And Grill  for Bellevue mayor Claudia Balducci.  Balducci is in a race to topple 20 year incumbent Jane Hague from the King County Council.  The honored guest of the evening was U.S. Representative Adam Smith.
Although the race is officially non-partisan, it is quite clear that Balducci is a Democrat and Hague is Republican.  Hague was first elected to the council in '94, since then, the Eastside has totally changed, becoming much more diverse and blue collar. 

Chicago "Make Me Smile" [live 1970]

Classic Chicago, in fact, I believe this is the first song I ever heard by the group.. They played in Walla Walla in either 1969 or 1970, but I did not see the concert. About that time, they started to get heavy airplay on the radio.

Jason Ritchie To Run For State House Rather Than Congress

In a surprising move, 5th LD Democratic sources have reported that Jason Ritchie will run for the state house of representatives.  Ritchie, who challenged Dave Reichert for Congress, had been preparing for another race for that position upon the idea that Republican Reichert would challenge Governor Jay Inslee.  However, Reichert at this time, has indicated his desire to stay in congress. 
Ritchie plans to run for the seat to be vacated by Republican Chad Magendanz, who is expected to challenge incumbent Senator Mark Mullet for that position.

Kathy Griffin Entertains At Snoqualmie Casino

Deb and I joined the Todds for an evening of laughs as Kathy Griffin brought her show to the Snoqualmie.  The comedian follows in the footsteps of Joan Rivers, with insulting jokes about Hollywood celebrities and public figures.  Pushing and occasionally crossing comical boundaries, Griffin parodied Gwyneth Paltrow, Donald Trump, all of the Kardashians, and much more.  Even locals were not safe as Griffin read stories from the Snoqualmie police blotter. 
Many may find Griffin mean and may not enjoy her humor, however, on stage she is very relatable. although her material is rapid fire and on the blue side, the award winning comedian comes across as someone you may enjoy joining for a cup of coffee.

Cougs Beat Oregon In Shocker!

The WSU Cougars are celebrating a 45-38 double overtime over perennial Pac 12 powerhouse Oregon.  The Cougs were trailing 31-21 with 4 minutes left in the game however a field goal and a last minute touchdown allowed them to tie it the score at the end of regulation play.  In the first overtime the teams traded touchdowns. In the second overtime, quarterback Luke Falk dove into the end zone.  A Cougar interception sealed the deal.

Beauty In Washington

Last weekend we took a little trip to Nooksack Falls near Bellingham, this picture barely does it justice.

Mariner Manager McLendon Fired

Lloyd McLendon, who in his first season, lead the Seattle Mariners to a rare winning season, has been fired after a very disappointing 2015.  The Seattle Mariner were a chic pick at the beginning of the season.  However they never got on track and finished again with a losing record.  Word is that new GM Jerry Dipoto wants a field manager that shares his vision.  Dipoto is reported to be a fan of the new thinking in baseball, while McLendon is considered "old school".  Edgar Martinez, who rejoined the club as hitting coach in mid season, has been invited to stay in that position.

Behind The Scenes--New Day Northwest

From our appearance on KING 5's New Day Northwest, a few of air shots.  Top picture, our props are staged before taken into the studio.  The pumpkin man, who is the size of a small kid, was used in the show's closing.  Bottom picture, the studio audience was invited to get it's picture taken with it's great host Margaret Larson. 

Back On TV--Talking About The UPS Store On KING 5's New Day Northwest

We had to shorten our segment but this is how it turned out.  It's our first time on the show since early 2014.

Mike And Deb On New Day Northwest

After a brief hiatus, Deb and I will be on New Day Northwest  (Wednesday, October 7 at 11:00), on KING 5 in Seattle.  Should you read this, and this has already happened, don't worry, we will once again post a video of the segment here on the blog.  As always, we will represent The UPS Store, this time the topic will be small business solutions. Margaret Larson is the host of New Day Northwest.

Go Hawks!

Seahawks face Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football

Radio Personality T-Man Seeks Office

Rob Tepper, known in the area as the former bombastic radio voice T-Man of KUBE-FM is running for school board according to the SeaTac Media Blog.   Tepper is seeking an open seat on for position 2 in the Lake Washington School District which encompasses Kirkland and Redmond.  According to Tepper's web site, he says he wants "the best and safest learning environment possible...."
Tepper goes on to say he is from a family of educators and that he has gone to every school board meeting over the past year.

Remembering Roseburg Oregon

Our hearts go out to the Roseburg, after 10 students were killed and several others injured at Umpquah Community College.

Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now

One of my favorites songs of that era.

Mariners Hire Dipoto

The Seattle Mariners are hoping that the hiring of Jerry Dipoto to be it's General Manager will set the team on a course toward winning baseball.  Dipoto, a former Major League pitcher, was previously the GM of the Los Angeles Angels.  He spent 3 years with the team until a power struggle with field manager Mike Scioscia  and owner Arte Moreno led to his resignation from the post.
Dipoto is considered an expert at baseball analytics, the ability to look beyond tradition personal statistics in helping to create a winning program. 

Lunar Eclipse

This was what I could capture from Sunday night's lunar eclipse.  This was taken from our deck in Maple Valley with my cell phone.  We were able to observe a great deal driving from Woodinville, where we had watched the Seahawk game with family, through Duvall, Carnation, and Fall City. On the drive the red color of the moon was more apparent, however, I don't think my camera could really have done it justice.

Starring Adam West - Official Trailer

Adam West, a Walla Walla native who shot to stardom in the 1960s, faced the perils of typecasting after the run of Batman.  He alludes to his Hollywood journey in this video.

Chancellor Rejoins The Seahawks

Was missing Safety Kam Chancellor a factor in the Seahawks losing the first games of the season?  Last Wednesday, Chancellor decided to rejoin the team after holding out since the beginning of training camp.
  A scathing column by Seattle Times writer Matt Calkins, published the morning Chancellor announced his return, may or may not have been a factor. It just seemed a little too coincidental to me.  You can read that column by clicking here
The Hawks face the Chicago Bears this afternoon at Century Link Field.

Ron And Don Humanize Tragedy On 97.3

They are often derided as sophomoric, but Ron Upshaw and Don O'Neil, afternoon hosts at KIRO 97.3 have once again become the go-to people when tragedy hits the area.  Whether it's the Oso Landslide, the Marysville High shooting, death of firemen, or the horrible duck-tour bus crash, Don and Ron have a unique style of comforting the listeners.  They do not report facts like robots, nor do they shed phony tears.  In my opinion, they have a talent for displaying just the right demeanor, while giving information, such as how to help in ways such as giving blood.
Often thought Seattle's guilty pleasure, there is no need to feel guilty listening when disaster hits our area.

Tragedy Hits Seattle

A "Duck" tour vehicle has run into a charter bus on the Aurora Bridge in Seattle. Four people are known to have died at this time.

Yogi Berra Dies

The baseball world is mourning the death of Yogi Berra.  Berra, a catcher who played on 10 championship Yankee teams, also managed both the Yankees and the Mets to World Series appearences.  He was famous for catch phrases and non sequiturs like "it ain't over til it's over" and "when you get to a fork in the road, take it".   He reportedly inspired the cartoon character, Yogi Bear.   Lawrence Berra was 90.

After The Meeting--Wenatchee

We enjoyed the Wenatchee area after the State meeting.

Top picture  Abby's Pizza was a popular restaurant in Walla Walla decades ago. It had locations all over the Northwest.  It is still going in East Wenatchee.
2nd from top  We picked Apples at Stautzman Orchard in Wenatchee.
2nd From Bottom  The city of Cashmere, near Wenatchee.  Home of Aplets and Cotlets
Bottom picture: We stopped on the way home at Stillwater Cellars,. part of the Suncadia Resort, to watch the Seahawks play Green Bay.  The winery is dog friendy.

State Democratic Central Committee Meets In Wenatchee

The Washington State Democratic Central Committee met in Wenatchee this past weekend.  The area was recovering after a summer of near by wildfires.    Top picture was takenat  from the Coast Hotel sky bridge which leads to the Convention Center.  
The Yakima County Democrats raffled off a piñata of Donald Trump (center), unlike the real guy, this one had sweets inside.
Washington Commissioner Of Public Lands Peter Goldmark (bottom picture) addressed the issues of protecting the states from wildfires.  Goldmark is also a volunteer fireman.
The Maggie Dinner, the annual state Democratic fundraiser honoring the late Senator Warren Magnuson was held later in the evening.

Miller Lite, 1982 09 16, First Lite Beer Bowling Tournament

Now that football season has started, let's journey back to 1982 and Miller Light commercials.

Sock It To Me Girl Judy Carne Dies

Her catch phrase somewhat endured, but her career didn't.  Judy Carne, the lovely lovable cast member of NBC's Laugh-In from the late 60s has died.  The English actor was known for getting smacked or dunked with water everytime the phrase "sock it to me" was heard.  She was cast in the comedy variety show at a time when America was smitten with the British.  This was, after all, only a few years after the Beatles had come to America.  Carne had previously starred in the ABC situation comedy "Love On A Rooftop" with Pete Duel.
Carne left Laugh-In after the second season and did not enjoy the success that some fellow cast members like Goldie Hawn enjoyed. She eventually returned to her native England.

VANESSA WILLIAMS APOLOGY ACCEPTED Miss America Smooths Things Over. F N

While Vanessa has gone on to a great career. The pageant and the Miss America title seems slipped considerably in the American conscience.

The Mariners Last Sunday

Good seats in Safeco Field help us get to see Mariner Superstars Nellie Cruz (top) and Robbie Cano (bottom). Sadly, the M's could not overcome a poor start by James Paxton and wound up on the losing end of  3-2 decision to the Colorado Rockies.

Rosh Hashanah Shana Tova / שנה טובה

Taco Corp The League

You think they are trying to say something here?  Marshawn Lynch makes a cameo on "The League".

Barers Of Maple Valley Enjoy Friday Night Lights

Deb and I  went to Bothell last night to enjoy watching the Woodinville High School Falcons take on Skyview High Storm from Vancouver, WA.
   The High Schools in the Northshore school district play at Pop Keeney Stadium.  My nephew goes to Woodinville High, he does not play on the football team, but like me, is a sports enthusiast. He was watching the game with his friends and we took him back home.
 I had been meaning to get to a high school football game for some time. The cool thing was the enthusiastic crowd and the band.  Some of the things that I love about the college game. 
This game was really exciting.  Woodinville had been trailing from early on but staged an amazing comeback in the 4th quarter,  A last minute touchdown gave the Falcons a chance to tie the score, but the 2 point conversion failed,  Better luck next week to the Woodinville Falcons.

We Remember 9/11

Labor Day III

We finished our trip with lunch at Paradise Ridge at the Mount Rainier National Park  We saw a film at the visitor center and hiked a trail..

Labor Day II

We took Dasher down to Skate Creek near the cabin.

Labor Day Weekend Getaway

Deb and I and our friends, Marjie and Rick, rented a cabin in Packwood, WA over the weekend.  Packwood is an unincorporated town not far from Mt. Rainier in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.  The A-framed cabin is pictured at the top.  Inside the skis are a permanent set-up near the stairs.  Deb and I stayed upstairs.   We frequently saw Elk wondering through town (third picture).
Every Labor Day and Memorial Day weekend, Packwood has a huge weekend long flea. market. (bottom picture)  The cabin, located at 144 Alpine, is located within easy walking distance of the town.

Scully calls Aaron's historic 715th home run

One of the greatest televised sports moments of all time.

Wall Street - Bud Fox Meets Gordon Gekko

He was cast as a villain, but did we all secretly admire him?  My guess is that his persona helped make The Apprentice with Donald Trump popular.  Fictional tycoon Gordon Gekko meets young stockbroker Bud Fox in the 1987 movie, Wall Street.

Goodell's Suspension Of Brady Overturned

A federal court has overturned the 4 game suspension of New England  Patriot quarterback for allegedly conspiring to alter game balls.  This is a move that could have a chilling effect on how professional sport leagues meat out future suspensions.  Federal District Court  Judge Richard Berman determined that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had delivered a much too harsh penalty. Of course, my feeling is that if Brady or any other player, no matter what team they played for, was accused of alter equipment, harsh discipline should be in order.  Of course, when all is said and done, neither Brady, nor Goodell will be viewed well in history. 
Goodell has been a punching bag for the sports media for years, even though it looks like his motivation seems to be noble.  Goodell has said that the NFL will appeal.
 

Dasher Brings The Paper

Dasher's mission is to keep me informed on the goings on in the world.  Every morning, he brings in the Seattle Times.

Vin Scully To Broadcast Dodger Games In 2016

His longevity is legendary, Vin Scully, in 2016. will spend one more season in the Los Angeles Dodger broadcast booth.  Scully will be entering his 67th year with the time.  He is a living link to baseball history.  When he began, probably many of Babe Ruth teammates were still active, of course, that was the American League and the Vin's team was in the National.  He has probably called every pitch of Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and Fernando Valenzuala (while Fernando was with the Dodgers). Jackie Robinson was still in the early stages of his career when Scully started and the Dodgers had not won a single world series at that time.  People born after Scully started have grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Scully started when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn and has been with them every year that they have played in LA. 
In addition to being there a long time, Scully is good, Ken Levine talks about what Scully brings to the booth here.

Cabo San Lucas

From July, a video I took on our trip to Cabo...

M's Fire GM

Mariners report General Manager Jack Zdureincik has been fired.

Trip To Seaside IV--Cannon Beach

Down the road from Seaside,  Cannon Beach is the more relaxed town.  It has no arcades, but instead art galleries and book stores.

Trip To Seaside III

We stayed at the Shiloh Inn at the Seaside Turnaround.  Our room was unique in that it had a stairway to a "viewing room" allowing us to see the surf.

Trip To Seaside II

A Seaside memory is the lifeguard tower, which is up every summer.  You can see it in the background in the top picture.  This was taken from the turnaround at the end of Broadway.  Generally during the course of the day, the lifeguard will drive up and down the beach. 
Bottom picture, a sand mermaid, sculpted north of  the turnaround just down from the Prom.

Trip To Seaside--Astoria

We stopped for lunch in historical Astoria Oregon, a fishing town located where the Columbia River runs into the Pacific Ocean. We had lunch at outside at the "Baked Alaska" on the waterfront.  We also rode the street car which runs back and forth on the waterfront.  Astoria is named after fur trapper John Jacob Astor.  It is 16 miles from Seaside.

Comemorative Bench

This bench now sits on the Prom in Seaside Oregon, just south of the turnaround.  Seaside was our vacation spot growing up.  About 18 years ago, I brought my wife down who in turn, introduced it to her family (who were originally from the East Coast).  They fell in love with the place and have returned every year.  Along the Prom, there are benches with plaques honoring many of the families that have lived and vacationed in the oceanside town.  My wife's grandmother's (Lillian "GG" Eldridge) wish was to be remembered with such a bench.  She is alive and doing fine, and will soon get to visit and see the bench.  The bench also mentions my in-laws.
Thank you to my cousins Barbara and Laurie, who posted this picture along with a couple others on their visit.

Morning Radio Host Jane Shannon

Seatac Media blog announced that former KIRO morning host Jane Shannon died suddenly.    No details were provided but there were multiple tributes on her facebook page.  It's a sad loss for the area.