tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21755363835333901902012-01-31T08:29:53.651-08:00Just a moment of miscellanyJust a moment of miscellanyBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.comBlogger861100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-85402747895956414482012-01-28T17:00:00.000-08:002012-01-29T16:29:52.382-08:00Going - Not going Home“You can’t go home again” is often said, mostly relating to a state of mind, usually in reference to personal growth or inner changes. In my case, I cannot go home because there is no house and everything about the land is an antithesis of my childhood.
For twenty years this was the view from my bedroom window. I don't know when this photo was taken but it was probably in October or November Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-39928633252559852262012-01-26T09:39:00.000-08:002012-01-26T09:48:48.138-08:00Mimi, where are you?When I began blogging in 2007 I certainly had no idea what I was going to do with the blog. I'm not a diary person and while I'm very practical, I do not overly plan things and I work at being disorganized. I suppose I'm a complex mix of action and reaction.
When it comes to art and design or writing a creative piece, I instantly focus on those things and everything else becomes secondary. Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-41564404393738430052012-01-24T14:41:00.000-08:002012-01-24T14:41:37.228-08:00Of course it's chicLast time I mentioned Seattle Chic a friend offered to buy me new boots.
Oh, the shame of it!
(heh heh)
While I didn't take him up on his offer I did visit REI. I figured, now's a great time to buy new boots because once the snow, muck, cold drizzles, really deep mud holes and low temperatures subside ... and the calendar indicates springtime, everyone will be shopping ... thus making it a Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-20585626730918910242012-01-21T08:46:00.000-08:002012-01-21T08:46:32.220-08:00Seattle chicWe go everywhere together plus they're an inseparable pair.
I suspect they'd prefer a rocky mountain trail to the lowland's mushy show.
Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-46286598279283186722012-01-20T12:48:00.000-08:002012-01-20T12:48:56.981-08:00FinallyA bit of snow shoveling and we're able to get away from the house. I estimate this storm deposited 8-10" of snow. And, yes the bare pavement is part of our driveway. Steep isn't it?
We were lucky ... we didn't have power outages tho the lights flickered throughout the storm
... the latest report indicated over 100,000 homes are still without power.
If you are moving here from a region (most of Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-21673176151933945702012-01-19T10:12:00.000-08:002012-01-19T10:12:02.810-08:00another dayStuck.
We've been snowed-in for most of the week, the roads are unplowed and now the falling snow has changed to ice pellets.
If interested, our local weather guru.
Otherwise, I'm sitting at my Mac waiting for the thaw.
Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-75282356101705442682012-01-18T13:59:00.000-08:002012-01-18T13:59:07.444-08:0024 hours laterYesterday's snow event
and today's
Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-77214355643116854272012-01-15T16:24:00.000-08:002012-01-16T00:53:45.531-08:00Yo, first snowI was hoping for a winter with no snow ... alas, so much for hoping.
Here are a few pics taken from various rooms at different times of day.
from the dining room
the kitchen's window box
view in the master bathroom
where we spend time talking and drinking wine
a Mac, naturallyBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-75472590945940413862012-01-12T09:38:00.000-08:002012-01-12T09:38:59.304-08:00addendumIn the previous blog I stated my resistance to international travel.
One other thought about that ... I’m not in agreement with much of our foreign policies, including our exportation of right wing religions and our flooding the globe with materialistic/hyped-up consumerism.
American foreign policies have been horrid during most administrations since Eisenhower left office and those policies Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-43490204272118929222012-01-09T13:55:00.000-08:002012-01-09T14:53:59.451-08:00Where or whereDo you watch TV travel shows? My favorites on PBS: Rick Steves, Rudy Maxa and Globe Trekker (especially when Ian Wright is the Trekker).
Conversely, I’m really not terribly interested in international travel, because of cattle-car airlines, dealing with tourism and most of all, the cost of leaving home.
Maybe, if airline seats were comfortable and had adequate leg room and there were no crowdsBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-53575029600045651522012-01-08T16:25:00.000-08:002012-01-08T16:25:30.668-08:00DisqusRandom and not of great important observation:
To those using Disqus ... it's a real pain in the ass to use when writing a comment.
I've mostly stopped commenting on blogs using it.
Thank you.
I'm now returning to watching the football game.Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-55732114890542618732012-01-01T03:26:00.000-08:002012-01-27T03:27:33.289-08:00Resolution madnessI've never made New Year's Day Resolutions - ever. I figure, a calendar date doesn't mean that much, if something needs to be done, it must be immediately attempted, otherwise it infinately slides.
More to the point, in Blogland - the place of one-sided conversations - spelling out a resolution list is acceptablen nay, it's expected because it's part of the blog culture.
In no particular orderBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-32186418851258983482011-12-28T03:15:00.000-08:002012-01-27T03:30:40.263-08:003 amIn the cool dark morning, ruffled, all I heard
Sitting here quietly, whiskey glass long empty
Piano tinkling familiar songs, assuring romance
A bit frayed, how many times has this happened?
What is that perfume she wears, velvet and ice?
Lingering where she was, shadowy dream and all
My hands holding air, hopeless fingers clasped
Holding the night unsteady, one more song please
Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-28850172604988955102011-12-24T11:31:00.000-08:002011-12-24T11:31:12.489-08:00Rudolph flies againHe's real because there he was ...
photo by Bill Stankus
and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-40069887011201267952011-12-22T21:58:00.000-08:002011-12-22T23:10:47.248-08:005 big needlesYesterday's words: "Supraspinatus Calcific Tendonitis".
Also, "Ouch".Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-32772141888289584512011-12-18T18:22:00.000-08:002012-01-27T03:32:08.490-08:00Old magazinesWe had hundreds of old magazines shelved in the garage, gathering dust and slowly crumbling. These were decades old magazines, saved by my father from years before I was born.
His reading choices, Popular Science, Science and Mechanics and Mechanics Illustrated, were uniform in size with splashy covers and they featured no-nonsense articles about how things worked and they were packed with Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-2660880474357220402011-12-12T22:20:00.000-08:002011-12-12T22:20:30.459-08:00Christmas Lights
Macy's, downtown Seattle
December 2011
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-50381235623195381662011-12-09T10:03:00.000-08:002012-01-27T03:39:18.946-08:00If I was singleThis isn't impetuous noodling, I’ve given this concept plenty of thought ... and it has nothing to do with me loving my wife or the wonderful things we've done together. But there is that other path, the one not taken or even spoken about ... the 'what if' I had been selfish and done things my way.
So here goes, the things I’d do differently.
The most important one - I would never have childrenBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-47320721736761944742011-12-08T08:27:00.000-08:002011-12-08T08:27:57.953-08:00Favorites... making life enjoyable.
• Radishes
• Potatoes
• Artichokes
• Lettuce
• Cabbage
• Benchmade pocket knives
• Japanese (traditional) handsaws
• Stanley Bedrock hand planes
• Williamsburg oil paints
• #8 filbert and #8 bright brushes
• Pop Surrealism
• Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2
• Leonard Cohen
• Sons Of The Pioneers
• Diana Kroll
• iMac
• iPad
• Klipsch Image 4 earbuds
• Canon G11 Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-27772088305770260572011-12-03T00:33:00.000-08:002011-12-03T00:34:20.119-08:00PhotographyI've been looking at a ton of photos for my new blog "Say Cheese" (see sidebar) and while doing so I've also given considerable thought to my own photographs. Comparing all the things I've done in my life, taking a good photo rates as one of the my most difficult accomplishments.
Ansel Adams said photography is the same as music. Others relate photography to painting with light or capturing Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-37377534887034019142011-11-30T07:28:00.000-08:002011-11-30T07:31:37.831-08:00See adPatagonia.
... take the pledge ...Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-46416047111101413542011-11-27T01:34:00.000-08:002011-11-27T01:34:31.180-08:00Black Friday savingsWe avoided Lemming Stampede Day (aka, Black Friday) and saved a ton of money ... the old fashioned way ... by neither shopping or spending. Peace out.Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-15680338944081668012011-11-24T08:01:00.000-08:002011-11-27T01:38:11.827-08:00Driving in rainstorms, Seattle areaFor the past 3-4 days we've been searching for products and sources for our bathroom remodeling project. This was a rewarding few days ...we discovered fresh info on materials and their installation. A few decisions were reached and we hope to begin sometime soon.
However, the point of this blog is not remodeling, it's about driving hundreds of miles during very heavy rain storms... and using Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-8317151235232324812011-11-22T07:15:00.000-08:002011-11-22T08:55:43.714-08:00note to selfYesterday's highlights while it poured rained all day:
Toast, tea, juice breakfast.
Bought a Hilti cordless circular saw to use for wood floor installation.
Quick stops at grocery, pharmacy and 2nd hardware store.
Made appointment with guy who makes floor to ceiling glass shower wall panels.
Made appointment with guy who makes custom bath counters using concrete.
Played around on the Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-39951286492709837782011-11-21T12:19:00.000-08:002011-11-21T17:23:08.166-08:00A day for questingSaturday was a good-busy day.
First a visit to Velocity to see if they had a George Nelson "Marshmallow Sofa" on display ... they didn't.'' Boo.
The only good part of no-Nelson sofa stop was now we had time to walk across the street to the downtown REI store, which was crowded due to a big sale but it was still a pleasant experience. (Now's where's my What-I-Want-For-Christmas-List?)
LUNCHBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-57678696556784397502011-11-19T21:31:00.000-08:002011-11-19T21:31:19.714-08:00Pretty pretty
photos by Bill Stankus
.Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-83555497961263202042011-11-16T15:47:00.000-08:002011-11-16T15:47:31.938-08:00next year I'm gluing 'em in placeLike, ah, I've been raking leaves for 8 hours (over several days) and they just keep coming.
Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-8038691339113244752011-11-15T10:08:00.000-08:002011-11-15T10:55:27.853-08:00How can this be?Wealth gap grows between young, old Puget Sound Business Journal Date: Monday, November 7, 2011, 6:39am PST
<a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/bzj.seattle/article_page;at=blog_post;pageid=6637331;pos=c1;template=blog_post;td=1;tile=2;kw=seattle;page=6637331;sz=300x250;ord=1320689536.3188.6.11477?" target="_blank"&Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-21348581980786773022011-11-14T20:17:00.000-08:002011-11-14T20:27:24.307-08:00wondering• Do Russians shoot pool using body English?
• Do serial killers eat Special K?
• Does anyone really say the word, "automobile"?
• What exactly are chicken nuggets?
• Wouldn't New Spice smell better than Old Spice?
• Are you a wee bit curious about moth balls?
• Do comedians eat rye bread?
• Would a purple boat clash with the Yellow River?
• Do you regret buying single-ply toilet paper?
Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-12166774075418407522011-11-14T05:00:00.000-08:002011-11-14T07:56:33.006-08:00Seafaring waysRemembering the real.
However, in dreams and memories there's no noise or curses or the smells of diesel and the galley ... there's none of the exhausting diligence, the difficult repairs to equipment and none of the unexpected.
Regarding the day to day, it's difficult to describe the anxious vigilance and tedium while waiting for the dredge to reach the ocean’s floor ... or how really hot it Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-86503121405031458672011-11-12T17:51:00.000-08:002011-11-12T17:51:15.826-08:00I went there
and found
then
and
afterwards, home.
the end.
photos by BIll StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-35371590941272868212011-11-12T00:37:00.000-08:002011-11-12T00:37:33.741-08:00almostI considered writing something important but after further thought I realized the errors of my ways.Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-67005765876414276472011-11-11T23:59:00.000-08:002011-11-12T07:01:26.361-08:0011 11 11Absolutely nothing important happened today. Then again I wasn't paying much attention. Wait a minute ... I had a bagel for breakfast, a chicken sandwich for lunch and I answered my cell phone when I was standing atop an eight foot ladder.
There was the deal about Skyrim, the kid dancing with a box on her head and the stuff prepped for eBay ... and I do recall something about cork flooring and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-35052334780378234282011-11-11T10:30:00.000-08:002011-11-15T10:51:52.048-08:00My Tipping PointsExperiences, people, books, music, art and other things which changed my life.
Husserl
Vonnegut
Mailer
Vidal
Eric Sloane
Colin Fletcher
Ansel Adams
Sam Maloof
Expressionist art
California music
Pop art
Jazz
The Shakers
Bauhaus
Mid-Century Modern
Building furniture
California and Wisconsin
Seeing the Milky Way from the desert
Gold panning
Mountain climbing w/out ropes
Rowing in 8-man crew
Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-47534049702178204802011-11-10T08:25:00.000-08:002011-11-10T08:28:22.682-08:00Leaf leaves left
About 120 feet from my front door ... one final splash, Big Leaf Maple leaves, going out in glory ... as seen during a brief sunny moment November 9, 2011.
Raking begins.
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-18318565582055799962011-11-09T18:06:00.000-08:002011-11-09T18:17:19.594-08:00One way to use a treeNothing subtle about this, we call it the Woodpecker Tree.
During the past dozen years Pileated Woodpeckers* have been feasting on bugs within this dying alder. Whenever we hear a tree fall we look to see if this one is finally down. Thankfully it's located on the edge of a slope so when it does fall it will thud into a ravine and I won't need to do a clean-up on aisle 7.
* there are Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-69350459555670760802011-11-09T07:38:00.000-08:002011-11-09T10:20:35.602-08:00Can't find the TV remoteSo ... A bunch of thoughts popped up.
• Why is Life impermanent?
• Besides construction and destruction what else are we good at?
• Two beautiful skills, music and teaching, rarely receive fair compensation.
• If you need a bucket list you're doing something wrong.Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-49495825595607170822011-11-07T08:23:00.000-08:002011-11-08T09:41:59.671-08:00Seattle Car ShowOne of Life's annoyances is the difficuly of shopping for a new car. It's a process a bit like laser tag ... you walk into a showroom, and zap, you're tagged, marked, separated from the herd, engaged in conversation ... and declaring, "I'm here just to look", means nothing to the hunters who live within the glass cubicles.
Car Shows offer the terrific opportunity to freely look and touch and to Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-31259546252365209222011-11-03T14:33:00.000-07:002011-11-03T14:33:39.314-07:00the other night... while out hammering stakes through random vampires I stopped long enough to snap this photo (which has nothing to do with vampires or werewolves).
Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-39574981413799360712011-11-02T11:36:00.000-07:002011-11-02T11:36:57.554-07:00It’s mostly over. 2011, that is.I figure, with the kick-off of Halloween, the annual holiday season has begun. At first, there’s the steady release of must-have video games and movie teasers. These continue but fade a bit as the really serious pre-Christmas hype n sales erupts.
Comet-like, there will be a gush of super sales from both brick and mortar stores and internet businesses ... all leading up to Thanksgiving, a Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-10376841346084375392011-10-31T20:42:00.000-07:002011-10-31T22:26:16.597-07:00Along came a spider ...
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-41672605969671588732011-10-28T08:11:00.000-07:002011-10-31T20:43:41.989-07:00Boo
Happy Halloween!
borrowed from this scary placeBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-11649722971574026762011-10-27T14:49:00.000-07:002011-10-27T14:49:08.244-07:00Outside my windowPeering over the top of my computer and looking out the window ... fall is here (and so is raking leaves).
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-54834743079467617652011-10-25T13:43:00.000-07:002011-10-25T13:43:15.143-07:00Spam, proving the value of English ClassDo you ever read the spam sent to your blog but filtered out by Blogger? Just click on the Dashboard's "Comments" and then the Spam tab.
This little gem, titled "Relationships", was obviously written by someone who slept through most all of his English classes ...
And, no, I did not click on "see more".Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-52644479802556789922011-10-20T10:55:00.000-07:002011-10-20T12:24:50.805-07:00Greetings Earthlings!My name is TT&QeR8zp{*}iiX and I know you can’t pronounce it so, please, call me Bob. We have come from the stars, further away than seen by your Hubble spy camera.
We’ve been monitoring your television and radio signals for many decades and from what we’ve pieced together we decided to visit and offer our assistance to you because you seem deeply troubled.
Please, no questions until I’m Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-74861226178369791462011-10-18T00:01:00.000-07:002011-10-19T08:14:51.658-07:00Getting thereI was never a tourist. At least that’s how I saw it. Chasing after freedom, maybe, but the road was all-important, a ribbon of mystery and promise. Places offered distractions, Kodak moments, jokes with my buddy but travel was all about motion and distance.
If John was driving I talked and joked, took pictures out the open window and of other nothing important stuff - the dashboard, empty Coke Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-83975996512941155092011-10-17T16:50:00.000-07:002011-10-17T16:50:56.041-07:00The new updated Blogger interfaceHate it.Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-90228288418089141762011-10-14T12:11:00.000-07:002011-10-14T12:11:28.540-07:00TragedyThose damn plastic bags.
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-44659390192746366072011-10-13T18:11:00.000-07:002011-10-13T18:11:11.540-07:00a beautiful mindPeople who claim certainty or deal in absolutes baffle me. It's as if they have a switch in their brain which, when flipped, turns subjective thought into something they think is real.
How can anyone believe with absolute certainty their views and ideas are "real world"?
How do you really know if you are processing fact, distorted wave patterns or lies? Do we really understand the world aroundBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-86877039731826483842011-10-12T11:34:00.000-07:002011-10-12T15:45:40.589-07:00Roof timeThe trick is to have 2 or 3 days without rain so the product I'm about to apply to the roof has time to do it's job - kill the moss. For this application I will be spraying liquid Moss Out! on the entire roof.
Moss build-up is greatest at the edges of the shingles ... in some places it's about the diameter of a pencil or Sharpie pen but in bright sun a green sheen is seen just about everywhere.Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-46971521262648908482011-10-11T08:26:00.000-07:002011-10-11T08:29:24.635-07:00Omenthey're arriving ...
joy joy
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-2045045806508756292011-10-10T00:55:00.000-07:002011-11-15T10:40:07.312-08:0012:30 PMFairly dark right now. Dinner was 4-1/2 hours ago. A creative mix of chopped veges and Szechuan spiciness. No dessert. Oops, forgot that handful of M&Ms.Watched a bit of football ... Seahawks nice win. Green Bay, 5 and 0, super. Did I ever mention my good times in Green Bay? Nothing to do with football just woodworking. Baraboo's up there too.
It's now 12:40 PM and I'm sitting with ear budsBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-57029702747116159042011-10-09T19:48:00.000-07:002011-10-09T19:48:29.843-07:00truth, small "t"Since none of you actually know me, I can say with complete certainty, in writing this blog, there's a 50/50 chance I am truthful, honest and faithful to facts. Besides, does it matter?Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-6966541494746725942011-10-07T12:21:00.000-07:002011-10-07T12:21:28.398-07:00CorrectionIn a previous blog titled, "A Simple Calculation", I made several miscalculations.
In this revision the mistakes are corrected.
I determined it’s possible to make reasonable calculations of subjective issues which are often considered outside the norm of measurable quantities. Using some of the basic psychometric work of Schwartz and Bowlus, I extrapolated their data, keeping in mind the Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-23169984050114038782011-10-06T14:44:00.000-07:002011-10-06T17:07:52.803-07:00Apple and meMy first computer was a Macintosh SE - as seen in this tear sheet for a desk and chair I designed and built.
The first time I saw an Apple computer was at a friend's house. He was an architect at the Chicago firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (architects of the Sears Building, Hancock Building, plus many other skyscrapers) and it took just a few minutes for me to realize the wonders of thatBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-44740352240653144362011-10-05T10:31:00.000-07:002011-10-05T21:08:11.968-07:00to TV or not to TVSo, how much TV do you watch? And how many TVs do you have in your house?
We have one TV, a nice Sony 42” and it doesn’t get much use.
We don’t have the money pits, cable or satellite. Instead there’s a skinny antenna on the roof. With it we receive ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox. That’s about it except for a few channels associated with the ones mentioned and they mostly show old programs, Route 66 -Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-39626353864837318812011-10-04T09:39:00.000-07:002011-10-04T16:42:07.118-07:00Huffing and puffingnot really.
But I have been considering getting a techy thing - something to accurately measure time and distance (plus a few other things) while I motivate myself around the local running track and the trail circling Lake Washington.
I've decided on the Garvin Forerunner 210. This thing does more than a team of coaches urging me to take HGH. Besides being a gadget, the 210 would give a ton Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-56134572055831988402011-10-03T07:00:00.000-07:002011-10-03T08:27:48.764-07:00Girl childIs She the one?
Possibly. She mentally controls seven nine adults, speaks several languages, is technology savvy and she breaks out in song and dance with no provocation. She really cares to know if you are happy, she's on excellent terms with a big black dog and she knows famous people (Dora, Mickey Mouse).
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-40520389927936667972011-10-02T14:45:00.000-07:002011-10-02T15:50:18.430-07:00Just wonderingWhat ever happened to the bad samaritans?
Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-43168735402048477542011-10-01T22:17:00.000-07:002011-10-01T22:17:13.378-07:00Have you seen this?Interesting place we live in.
9-eyes
Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-30653976095337744492011-09-28T23:54:00.000-07:002011-09-29T12:32:12.795-07:00GunsOnce upon a time, especially in the movies, real men carried guns 24/7. Besides being tall, lean and bow legged, they frequently said, “Ah shoot”, especially if they spilled their shot glass in a saloon. These were tough, strong men, often wearing heavy leather belts crammed with dozens of big bullets. During mating season they accessorized with several fully loaded bandoleers, making an “X” onBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-90902196350066994542011-09-28T08:53:00.000-07:002011-09-28T11:45:41.247-07:00A Danish Oracle told me ...It's possible you're blog reading on a portable thingee, maybe a cell phone, iPad or a miniature lap top. Because of this, you probably blow off long blogs, photo arrays and anything else that's extended beyond a few minutes worth of attention. These reasons also apply to the commenting or not commenting process. Plus, while you may have a keyboard in your cubicle, it shows a lack of office Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-66188571724340921902011-09-28T05:04:00.000-07:002011-09-28T05:04:00.369-07:00the other woodworkingBefore it was firewood, it was a tree, specifically a 110 ft. tall Western Hemlock ... then me and my chain saw happened.
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-37711232768133515592011-09-27T08:23:00.000-07:002011-09-27T09:36:55.648-07:00Are you lazy?Despite advances in digital cameras, camera companies cannot improve humans.
Perhaps you've been drinking (for several hours) and suddenly before you is an awesome blooming cactus or a beautiful model, lost on her way to a car show ... or perhaps it's getting dark but you really want to take snaps of that oh so cute baby squirrel-bird-kitten-hamster-slug-three toed sloth ... and you realize fromBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-71744291356621456822011-09-26T15:52:00.000-07:002011-09-27T15:35:21.449-07:00On a clear day... I can see my workbench.
photos by Bill Stankus
For those curious, the top is solid hard maple laminations and measures 88" in length. The two widths are 33.5" and 26.5". The work surface height from floor is 35.5"
The legs are also maple and the connecting beam between the leg assemblies is European Beech.
Two Record brand quick release vises (52D and 53E) are original to the Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-49118258261780656402011-09-25T11:39:00.000-07:002011-09-25T11:39:09.600-07:00Tarp Shoes - The Latest Thing in the NorthwestClamoring throngs are impatiently waiting for the on-the-spot construction of Tarp Shoes. Soft, roomy and semi-waterproof ... they're don't have traction for hiking trails but are excellent for gum encrusted urban sidewalks.
Besides, you can tell it's serious business - the cobbler is wearing a hard hat.
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-23963450343549375142011-09-24T18:50:00.000-07:002011-09-26T06:54:35.795-07:00I'd rather be a slice of pizza
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-29781412937712862782011-09-24T18:00:00.000-07:002011-09-26T06:53:23.190-07:00Free food at the sewage plantno kidding, people are in food lines ... and it is a sewage treatment plant
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-7367547940030889542011-09-24T15:56:00.000-07:002011-09-24T18:53:38.811-07:00I'm sure it makes sense to someonebut I really don't want to know...
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-75339226816505033482011-09-24T04:33:00.000-07:002011-09-24T04:33:00.278-07:00it's not about the dog
photo by Bill Stankus
ps: Thank you Lee FriedlanderBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-80371759170000326872011-09-23T08:32:00.000-07:002011-09-23T08:32:56.033-07:00What kids see at Disneyland
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-30838358593891087162011-09-22T23:40:00.000-07:002011-09-22T23:40:07.230-07:00Please, chew responsibly
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-58543490305666320422011-09-22T08:00:00.000-07:002011-09-22T08:57:42.892-07:00Composition it is what it is
.. four men
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-10620436753339784992011-09-21T19:56:00.000-07:002011-09-21T19:56:19.946-07:00your attention pleaseIt's sooo taxing using the keyboard to write stuff ... so, for awhile, I'm mostly posting photos. I know, I know, you want to read every scintillating word I can dredge up from my angst-riddled soul ... but the pain, the agony!
The problem is, if I return to writing I'll have to drink less wine and hold a thought for more than a few minutes ... oh, look, there's rain drops on the driveway ... Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-1731606313620388102011-09-21T10:26:00.000-07:002011-09-21T10:26:53.971-07:00Deflating AffairAll he could do was lay there.
photo by BIll StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-64432879311588185592011-09-21T04:12:00.000-07:002011-09-21T04:12:00.100-07:00Guardian
photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-44857095714689517792011-09-20T11:29:00.000-07:002011-09-20T11:29:13.499-07:00above the Yakima RiverThere's a trail, along the high ridge overlooking the Yakima River, with a glorious view ...
The Yakima River, in eastern Washington, is a world-class destination for catch and release trout fishing. Generally speaking, walking the Skyline Ridge Trail and fishing aren't done at the same time.
color photo by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-3971427033743252962011-09-19T08:53:00.000-07:002011-09-19T08:53:26.013-07:00perfect metaphor
black and white photo, from a negative
by Bill StankusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-16274292131270132642011-09-18T17:10:00.000-07:002011-09-19T13:01:33.473-07:00What to do with photo filmblack and white film, that is ...
Without beating it too hard, digital photography is about using a smart camera and even more clever applications (Photoshop) to take pictures. The photographer is almost irrelevant, especially when the camera is in it's auto mode. As long as the shutter button is pushed - whether by a squirrel or human, a nearly perfectly exposed photo is captured. Humans areBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-79474355078913421942011-09-17T15:45:00.000-07:002011-09-19T08:56:15.587-07:00I'm going back... at least for a little while
and only for black and white
Imagine, everything on the camera, prior to snapping the pic, must be manually adjusted.
Then there's the darkroom with chemicals, tank & reels, thermometer and a timer all ... used to produce a long, wet strip of negative film. After the film dries, comes the enlarger, photo paper, more chemicals, trays, a reddish colored light Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-74617119549447756042011-09-17T14:55:00.000-07:002011-09-17T15:25:20.603-07:00DownhillThe previous photos of our hillside were taken at the upper area ... this one is at the lower part of the property.
Swans on their pebble pond
I feel as if I'm channeling Atget.Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-78614279186244522392011-09-16T07:58:00.000-07:002011-09-17T15:26:25.096-07:00Outside my front doorWe live on a hillside and the general stuff of lawns, tweaking a shrub or two doesn't count.
The most common native vegetation on our property includes: Salal, Thimbleberry, Trillium, Oregon grape, Blackberry, Horsetail Equisetum, Skunk Cabbage, Stinging Nettles, Douglas Fir, Big Leaf Maple, Red Alder, Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar and a variety of ferns and moss.
Animals and birds come Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-38003703331763037412011-09-15T11:53:00.000-07:002011-09-16T07:26:02.313-07:00Genie's cousin, right?Hurry up kid, move along, I'm next in line... (and I've a plan) I've got a biscuit to distract the French guard dog then I’ll have several minutes to find out just how magical she really is.
She does grant three wishes, right? Let's see ... what will it be? A new car or maybe the state of Texas or maybe a yacht. Yeah, I need a yacht.
Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-58820468345469258952011-09-15T07:25:00.000-07:002011-09-15T07:25:56.045-07:00She was with me for momentsAh, Beauty ... you never gave me a chance ... we didn't even exchange numbers. I know, I know, there's tomorrow ... if only I'm willing to wait but I have to catch a flight back home. At least we had Main Street. We'll always have Main Street. Good-bye and please, don't look back as you dance away from me.
Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-88971626123923941042011-09-13T11:36:00.000-07:002011-09-13T11:36:26.033-07:00owl
Watching each other.
Don't see Owl too often.
I was standing on our patio.
Owl was about 6 meters away.
........
photo by Bill Stankus
camera - Canon G11Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175536383533390190.post-9494630170045992512011-09-11T10:52:00.000-07:002011-09-11T10:54:21.070-07:00I know what I said about silence, but it's 9/11We were drawn to the memorial at the Seattle Center ... It was a quiet event, no speeches, just a few fire department personnel and people.
Flowers were placed in the fountain while some sat and others slowly moved around the area in an almost aimless fashion.
Once in a while someone would silently shake hands with the fire fighters. We stayed maybe 30 minutes, feeling a crowd energy rarely Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.com5