Sunday, February 28, 2010

zondag 28 februari 2010

zondag 28 februari 2010 Up at 7:10. Turn on KEXP to listen to Mind Over Matters. Making Contact talks about the Unmaking The Public University. It seems to me that I was lucky owning only $16,000 graduating from BGSU. I paid the loan off as soon as could. I switch to Wait, Wait. They play the News Quiz with someone from Fountain Hills, AZ. So, I play with Google Earth... taking I-15 from Fountain Hills. NV to Los Angeles via I-10. What's this in Hesperia, CA? It looks populated after this town.

End of the road... Santa Monica.

Listen to A Prairie Home Companion. Chili for breakfast. Bath. Try to watch Paris 2054... It's too weird. Turn on KUOW again to listen to Marketplace Money. Query - Who has the recession affected more in your house: Men or women? I like Bill Radke's Marketplace Minute.

Marketplace Minute with Bill Radke 2/26 from Marketplace on Vimeo.


Walk up to M Street Grocery to get a few things. New guy - Aaron - is my clerk. Back to my place. Watch Legend Of The Seeker - Torn.

Watch some Olympic stuff. Nap from 4 to 7. Watch movie - The Love Guru. Not hungry for dinner.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

zaterdag 27 februari 2010

zaterdag 27 februari 2010 Up 5:30. Rest in bed for a little while. Play movie - Ocean's 13. It gets complicated sometimes. You just need to be patient to the end when all the threats come together in the nick of time.

It's crazy, but his ring-tone is Don't You Want, Baby. Don't You Want Me? Woooo.

Vegas, baby, Vegas!

Brad, if you don't button up your shirt, you're going to drive me crazy.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

Yen - The Man Of The Hour.

George and Brad - The Most Handsome Men On The Planet.

Palak Paneer for breakfast. Shower. Walk up to Cal Anderson Park. Look at the headlines - Ohno Helps U.S. Take Bronze In 5,000 Relay - in the Seattle Times.

Watch a couple teams playing Frisbee. They are quite energetic. I notice that the new location for the Elliott Bay Books has a long way to go.

Back to d'town. Catch a #510 down to Uwajimaya. Get some Sukiyaki, roasted duck leg from the cold case, almonds and tomato juice. It's spitting a little rain. #150 bus tunnel back to my place. Turn on KBCS to listen to the Hawaii Radio Connection. The program give updates about the tsunami threatening The Hawaiian Islands. Tsunami Warning In Effect Fro Hawaii. So far, so good. Turn on Rick Steves. He interviews author - Richard Ellis - about his book On Thin Ice: The Changing World Of The Polar Bear. Richard Ellis has been in Churchill, Manitoba and all along the Hudson Bay studying the habitat of the Polar Bears. He says that they're revered by the Inuit. And he makes reference to the Inuit Inukshuk for the 2010 Winter Olympic games.

"But it's not an Inukshuk". What an Inukshuk?

Sukiyaki for dinner. Watch St. Elmo's Fire.

Rob Lowe rocks!

Friday, February 26, 2010

vrijdag 26 februari 2010

vrijdag 26 februari 2010 Up at 4:50. Rice with chili for breakfast. Turn on Stephanie Miller. They give their opinions about yesterday's health summit. Republican Glossary: “Government run” – imposing some regulation over insurance companies who made an additional $4 Billion last year during the biggest recession in 80 years and who are allowed to drop you and kill you if you get sick. “Start over” – Kill the bill. “Step-by-step” – make piece meal changes like the unfunded Medicare Part-D that don’t even negotiate for better prices for the government like the VA does, and are designed to destroy Medicare. I like Jimmy Kimmel's perspective.

I get hot water right away for my shower. Down to Caffe Ladro for coffee. Walk up Westlake to work. It's a mellow Friday. 10 to 11 - Open space. Hang out with 7 Rainforest Kids on the big playground. David is singing Eye Of The Tiger really loud! He knows the whole thing by heart. Impressive for a 3-year-old.

It's a bit wet and drizzly. I head inside to spend some time with the 6 Sea Otters. 11 - Charmaine's lunch. We open the doors and share our room with the Dolphins. Wow! Nolan is walking! 12 - Pam's lunch. Five Dolphins eat lunch. Toni is subbing for Teresa. One by one, they go down for naps. 1 - Toni's lunch. It's quiet for most of the hour. 2 - Patty's lunch. Alex roles into the wall and wakes up sad and mad. Charmaine can't get him back to sleep. Everyone else keeps sleeping. Walk back to my place in a light drizzle. Turn on France 24. Economic report - The US Economy Grows By A Robust 5.9% In The Last Quarter. I'm surprised. Trying to keep track of the Olympics.

Apolo Ohno, left, finished second in his heat behind Britain's Jon Eley - NEW - 06:51 PM. Whew! Ohno Avoids Crashing, Adavances To 500m Final.
Watch Hardball. Oh, NO! Ohno Disqualified, Fails To Medal In 500. Here's another montage of the Health Summit - Start Over/ Clean Sheet Of Paper/ Step By Step. Seeeeeee.....

Sorry about the switch back-and-forth. Olympics & Politics. That's the way I swing, baby.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

donderdag 25 februari 2010

donderdag 25 februari 2010 Up with alarm. Turn on Stephanie Miller. Live From D.C.: Obama's Health Care Summit. Boehner is being a bone head... as usual. He says that the health care bill is 'a dangerous experiment.'

Two fried eggs on toast for breakfast. Up to Kaladi for some coffee. The new kids is on duty. Sit and sip my coffee for a few minutes. Back to my place for a bath. Check on the Winter Olympics. Vancouver 2010 To Be Warmest Winter Olympics Yet. It's hard to believe that the rest of the country is experiencing Winter while is very mild here. WINTER STORM WARNING for much of northeast Ohio is in effect through Friday evening for heavy snow & wind.

Turn on KUOW. Steve interviews journalist Peter Hessler about the impact of automobiles in China in his book "Country Driving." His journey through China sounds fascinating.

Up Westlake to work. 10 to 11 - Breaks for Andy and Margot. Seven Rainforest Kids play in the Bike Room. Fire Drill! 11 to 12 - Cover for Patty's DAP work with new employees. 12 to 1 - Charmaine's lunch. The 7 Sea Otters eat only their yogurt. The rest of their food goes to waste. 1 to 2 - Up to Wild Flowers for nap time. 2 to 3 - Patty's lunch. Noise in the hall wakes up Alex and Caitlin. The rest sleep through it. Walk all the way d'town. Short walk around. Up to my place. Turn on The World. Interesting interview with Swiss inventor Martin Mischler - Scanners To Help Blind In The Kitchen. Back to the Health Care Summit... I remember this from NPR... "The Election Is Over."

Oh! Smack down! Grandpa McCrankypants got his chance at the Health Care Summit to voice his "concerns" about health care reform. Funnily enough, his "concerns" sounded an awful lot like Republican talking points with a splash of electoral sour grapes thrown in. Go back to sleep now, grandpa. MSNBC seems to have repeats, but the Nightly News is fresh. Chicken soup with noodles for dinner. Watch movie - Ocean's 12.


Wednesday, February 24, 2010

woensdag 24 februari 2010

sick woensdag 24 februari 2010 Up at 1:34. Turn on BBC News. I fall back to sleep and have a dream with a British accent. Awake again 4:40. I call in sick. My back is crazy painful. Take Aleve. Pepperoncini and cheese omelet on toast for breakfast. Turn on Stephanie Miller. Hal is in NYC with Stephanie and his web cam.

I listen for a little while to the show, but I re-play Swingers... a glimpse of the Los Angeles "lounge" scene that was in vogue during the early and mid-1990s.

Trent uses the word "money" as an adjective ("Man, we look totally money tonight")... while the gang looks for the club.

Mike -- a crestfallen loverboy (Jon Favreau) is in the throes of a breakup, and his confidence has hit rock bottom. I rather like this character.

Up to Kaladi to warm up with some tea. Luka is on duty. Sit with my chamomile tea and my little Samsung. Thanks, Kaladi, for being my 2nd living room. Nice to have Luka back. Down to my place. The Aleve has kicked in. My back is not so sore. Do a white load of laundry. KUOW plays in the background. Subject - The Discouraged Worker.

A recent summary by the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a drop in unemployment- from 10% to 9.7%. That statistic doesn't include "discouraged" workers. Those are people who abandoned the job hunt altogether after fruitless searching. In January, their ranks topped 1 million for the first time. After listening to this report... I am very ready for another world... a Bright, Shiny, Triumphant world. I'm ready... and waiting. Switch to France 24. It's been a while since I've listen to their service. I like it. Report - France’s Socialist Party could sweep the country’s regional elections in 2010. Watch out UMP.

France 24 interviews Asaf Avidan - The Mojos!


I'm waiting for the rain. Here it comes.


We need it.


Watch MSNBC. America gets a schooling with Anthony Wiener on the Congress floor- The Republican Party is "a wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance industry" -, Keith Olbermann's special comment - An American Cry For Help - and Rachel Maddow - Deal With It! Thanks, Rachel, for showing us this again.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

dinsdag 23 februari 2010

dinsdag 23 februari 2010 Up at Midnight. Play movie - Swing Vote.

Swing Vote, a populist comedy about the U.S. presidential election--because of an electoral deadlock--coming down to one man, one vote. Alarmingly (for the future of the world), that one man is Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner), a beer-swilling, newly-unemployed divorced dad in Texico, New Mexico.

The film targets voter complacency and the winning-is-everything bloodsport of the presidential race. Believe it or not the film makes a good case for voting as a moral choice, a choice we should take seriously.

After the movie, I turn on BBC News. Karzai is testing the world with his decrees. Report - Karzai Poll Body Power Grab Sparks Concerns In West. I never go back to sleep. Rice and hummus for breakfast. Turn on Stephanie Miller. Hal Sparks is spending time at her place, and he shops for groceries at Whole Foods for her. What a nice guy.
It takes a while to get hot water for my shower. Check out reports about last night's Olympic Ice Dancing competition. Oh! Charlie White, you're cute.

Make my own coffee for my walk to work. 10 to 11:30 - Planning time for Patty. Kenn covers for Charmaine. Seven Sea Otters enjoy free play. I hurt my back somehow when picking up toys. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! I'm really stiff, but not immobile. Open space 12 to 1:30 - I make myself extra for Sea Otters. Make things easier for lunch clean up, diapers and naps. The Sea Otters sleep well. 1:30 to 2 - Liz's lunch. 2 - Patty's lunch. Still quiet through nap time. Streetcar to d'town. Up to QFC to get a few things. I'm still hurting and stiff. At my place, I try to work out the cramps in my back and leg in a warm bath. Watch Hardball and Countdown. Start movie - Swingers, but I'm too tired. Conk out.

Monday, February 22, 2010

maandag 22 februari 2010

maandag 22 februari 2010 Up at 5:30. Turn on AM 1090. Listen a little to Bill Press. Hal Sparks visits Stephanie Miller. She talks about her visit to Charlotte, NC. to see her Republican relatives. I'm exploring Charlotte on Google Earth. Check it out! They have the LYNX light rail. Hal is staying at Steph's place. Bow-chicka-bow-wow! Steph has many male visitors this morning. The Rude Pundit (Lee Papa) calls in to talk about CPAC and the guy who flew his plane into the IRS building in Austin. Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in to co-host Right Wing World. And... Robert F. Kennedy Jr., co-host of “Ring Of Fire,” joins Steph in the NYC Bureau to talk about the news of the day.

Kashi Lemongrass Cononut Chicken for breakfast. That's yummy! Shower. Walk up to Cal Anderson Park. So bright and sunny! Up to B'way. Back down Olive Way to d'town. Phone mom. We chat for about 7 minutes. Ohio has so much snow. Watch KING-5 News At Noon on-line. Turn on NOS to hear about the collapse of the Dutch coalition government under Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende over disagreements on extending the country's military mission in Afghanistan.

Down to the Convention Center to get a Mondo Burrito. Over to Barnes & Noble. I order Capitalism: A Love Story. It will be here in 2 weeks. Yeah!

Play movie - Stalingrad.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

zondag 21 februari 2010

zondag 21 februari 2010 Up at Midnight. Check out the Winter Olympics... Apolo wins the bronze for the 1000 meter sprint. I bet that he gets laid tonight. Finish my Superman series... Superman IV - The Quest For Peace.



Back to sleep. Up again at 7:30. Listen to Making Contact - Redefining Human Rights: The Case for Food, Health Care & Housing. Are food, housing, and health care human rights? Do Americans have these, and if not, what’s standing in the way? Tofu fried rice and egg for breakfast. Watch Michael Moore's interviews on Democracy Now about Capitalism, A Love Story. Watch movie - Superbad. I love the character McLovin. "Yo guys! Sup?" Those crazy cops!



Saturday, February 20, 2010

zaterdag 20 februari 2010

zaterdag 20 februari 2010 Up at 1:38. Finish watching Surrender Dorothy. Actually, I start from the beginning again.

Yikes! It's a creative and disturbing movie. Kevin DiNovis worked hard on this film - being writer, acting as main character and directing. I find this comment on IMDB interesting - No addict of any kind would submit to the indignities depicted here unless predisposed to do so. In my "S" file of films, I play Superman III... Christopher Reeves back in 1983. Synthetic kryptonite laced with tobacco tar splits Superman in two: good Clark Kent and bad Man of Steel. The film centers mainly around Richard Pryor's character - August 'Gus' Gorman. I saw this film at the Coliseum (I think) just after returning to Seattle from Ohio. Look at those ancient computers, yet Gus manages to control the world with them.

Jimmy Olsen and Clark Kent look cute together.

Class reunion takes place in Smallville. Lana Lang has feelings for good ol' Clark.

Chili for breakfast. Listen a little to Mind Over Matters. The blue skies and sunshine beckon to me. Take a walk around First Hill. Here's a view from the top of Freeway Park. The Magnolias are budding like crazy with sunshine.


More walking... I head down to Pioneer Square, over to Uwajimaya, #41 bus tunnel to d'town... Drop off my Swimming Rama from Mae Phim. More walking! I head down Virginia Street towards the Pike Place Market. Look at how many people are enjoying the day! Lots of tourists, for sure.

Mount Rainer says "hi" to Market Park.

This is really April in February!


I don't need a coat. Lots of people wearing just t-shirts and shorts. (Seattlites usually go shirtless at 60°) So, call me a weather geek, but, under these unusual circumstances, I doubt that we're getting any snow this winter. The KOMO weather geeks explain why...

Listen to Rick Steves' program - Dan Austin describes what it takes to be a "Road Trip Pilgrim" It seems to me that we need to take a sense of purpose and mindfulness every time we take a step.