Scmoozing On Election Night

In this picture in the Issaquah Press, I (second from left) can be seen celebrating at the victory party for city council candidates in that town.  The party was held at the Issaquah Brewhouse and included candidates Bill Ramos, Paul Winterstein, and Jennifer Sutton.  Also in attendance were Issaquah Mayor Fred Butler, former Issaquah Mayor Ava Frissinger, Councilman Tola Marts, and 2014 legislative candidate Essie Hicks.

How Will They Deal With Russia and China? - Obama Mocks GOP Candidates -...

Got to admit, this is a good one!

Ducks On The Pond

2015 has been a dry year.  It has been a while since the storm water run off pond in the Belmont Woods sub division in Maple Valley has been full, but Sunday's rain filled it and allowed three duck couples to take a leisurely swim.

Royals Crowned Baseball Champs

The Kansas City Royal overcame a 2-0 deficit  to force game 5 of the 2015 World Series into extra innings and an eventual 7-2 victory. That gives KC it's first championship since 1985.  2015 Hutch award winner Alex Gordon was on the winning team.

The Mamas & The Papas - Monday Monday

Burl With Sean Young

Burl Barer poses with Sean Young, I believe that Burl met Sean, when she was a guest on Outlaw Radio, the internet radio program that Burl does weekly in the LA area.

Have A Fun And Safe Halloween!

TRAGEDY- Grey's Anatomy - Music video

Maple Valley's Brandi Carlile does this....

Happy Birthday, Dasher!

Dasher looks at his presents with his Mom and Great Grandma (top picture).  He turns 4 today.

Groovie Goolies Monster Mash Music Video

Get ready for Halloween!

Mets Foil Cubs Again

Not long after when I first got interested in baseball, I read a magazine article about a star player for Detroit named Al Kaline.  Kaline was a veteran outfielder who was playing his last season in 1968.  He has never played in the World Series and this was his last chance.  As it turned out, the Tigers went to the series that year and became world champions.  During the season, on the NBC game of the week, after the Tigers had clinched the American League, Curt Gowdy mentioned that Kaline had gotten a letter or telegram from Chicago Cubs star Ernie Banks congratulating him for being able to play in the upcoming series and hoping that he (Banks) would get the chance.
The next season (1969) it looked like Banks and his team would get the chance.  Stocked with all time greats like Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, and Banks, it looked like it would be the Cubs year.  How could you not love the Cubs?  They played in Wrigley Field, a beautiful traditional baseball field in  the middle of a neighborhood.  At that time, it had no lights and the all the games were played in the daytime.  Everyone loved Ernie Banks, considered one of baseball's ambassadors.
However, post game play was not to be.  The New York Mets, who were only 7 years old, most of them as a baseball laughing stalk. Suddenly they starting winning and winning.  The Cubs were sputtering, soon the Mets had overtaken the Cubs.  The Mets would go on to win it all and go down in history as the "Miracle Mets".
This year, The Cubs won a post game series for the first time since 1908,    It looked like this was the year for them to go to the World Series and perhaps win it. Except once again, someone stopped them in the National League Championship Series.  After 46 years, the Cubs dream was once again crushed by the New York Mets.

Three Dog Night Lead Singer Dies

His name may not be familiar, but the voice and the name of the group is.  Cory Wells was one of three members who sang lead for Three Dog Night, a band who recorded a multitude of memorable hits in the late 60s and 70s.  The band's songs still enjoy frequent airplay.  The members of band functioned as a unit that not many people who heard the music seemed to know the names of the members.  At least I didn't.  Wells was a native of Buffalo.  He sang lead on the novelty song "Mama Told Me Not To Come" about a man who went to an out of control party in spite of  his mother's warning.

Mariners Pick Servais To Be Manager

The Seattle Mariners have chosen Los Angeles Angels Assistant General Manager Scott Servais to be the team's manager.  Servais worked with GM Jerry Dipoto when they were both in the Angel organization.

5th LD Democrats Endorse Senator Mark Mullet, Along With Ritchie

A full house, which included some long missed faces, attended the 5th District Democratic Meeting in Issaquah and unanimously endorsed incumbent Senator Mark Mullet and hard charging Issaquah businessman Jason Ritchie for the Washington State House Of Representatives.  Mullet broke a 10 year hold of Republican representation from the 5th when he was elected Senator in 2012.  Ritchie challenged Dave Reichert in 2014 to Represent the 8th CD and had planned to run again for the seat, when the opportunity of an open seat in the state house presented itself.  Republican Chad Magendanz, who now holds the seat the Ritchie is seeking, is planning to challenge Mullet for his senate seat.  Both Mullet and Ritchie spoke at the meeting.

Trudeau Son Becomes Canadian PM

In  the late 1960s, Pierre Trudeau became Prime Minister of Canada, he was young, handsome, and Liberal, a far cry from earlier Prime Ministers.  He seemed to emblematic of the era, a throwback to our John F. Kennedy.  Pierre Trudeau led Canada from 1969-1978 and again from 1980 to 1984. 
This week the Liberal party is in power again after 10 years of  Conservative rule.  Justin Trudeau, son of Pierre is now in power and promises to bring progressive policies forward.  Trudeau has a Northwest connection, he received his degree in education at University Of British Columbia.  He also taught Math and French in Vancouver.   The outgoing Prime Minister was Stephen Harper, a Conservative.

King 5 Reports No Evidence Of Race In Fred Jackson Car Crash

A report on the KING 5 web site contradicts a report on the TMZ Sports site by saying there was no evidence of a drag race in an accident where Seahawk running back Fred Jackson  ran his black Corvette into a stop sign on the road from the Virginia Mason Athletic Complex (VMAC) where the team practices.  TMZ Sports had initially reported that the accident occurred after a drag race between Jackson and fellow running back Marshawn Lynch.  More details are sure to emerge.

Goldberg Meets Las Vegas Rabbi Cohen

Cousin Tod Goldberg, whose breakthrough novel, Gangsterland, featured a hit man who goes under cover as a Las Vegas rabbi named David Cohen, poses with a real Vegas rabbi, named Cohen.  The real Rabbi revealed his astonishment of the coincidence in a you tube video.

Democratic Debate Cold Open | SNL

Comedy writer Larry David got plenty of internet attention with his spot on imitation of Bernie Sanders in the SNL opening.

The Moody Blues - Nights In White Satin

As Top 40 radio began to wear thin,  many turned to Album Oriented Rock on the FM band, where long album cuts highlighting instrumental music as well as often more sophisted vocals could be heard. This is one of the most memorable songs...

Cougs Make Statement--Trap The Beavs

Quarterback Luke Falk tied a school record with 6 touchdown passes, all in the first half, as the Washington State Cougars defeated their Oregon counterparts, the OSU Beavers 52-31.
 Cougar fans know that their is no safe lead and indeed the high powered offense was held scoreless in the second half, however, a 4th quarter interception by Shalom Luani run for a touchdown, put this victory away for the Cougs.  The victory was especially sweet because it was Homecoming and had come one week after an overtime victory over the Oregon Ducks in Eugene.  This victory should make way for the Cougars to be nationally ranked.

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..