Tags

So, I add tags to just about every post, why I'm not sure, but I do. Anyway I have found that the two most common tags are, "Eastern Washington," and "Kodachrome." So tonight I'll be showing off a Kodachrome photo from Eastern Washington.

Enjoy

Dan

My Early Sunday Morning

Tonight's photo was taken in back in 1997 or 1998. It's an early morning shot of Main Street in Ellensburg, probably a Sunday morning, probably taken on my way to work. I remember taking the photo because I had seen a picture of Edward Hooper's painting Early Sunday Morning, and thought I can do that.

Dan

The State of the Union

Tonight's blog will not be about the State of the Union, because I forgot it was tonight. What is worse, I'm not sure I care I missed it. Actually what I miss is being excited about events such as this, heck I'd settle for being plan interested. So enough on the state of the union, lets talk on the state of the state.

Our beloved governor and her friends in Olympia have decided to close 20 or so trails in the State most in Western Washington, including Mount Si and Little Si, which bring 500,000 visitors a year, the rest of the effected sites bring in about 225,000 visitors a year. Now our beloved state is $2.6 billion dollars short this year, because we have sent idiot children to Olympia to do grown up work. It's not a Republican problem, it is not a Democratic problem and it's not George Bush's fault, it is our fault and we are paying for it by having our public land shuttered. You might ask how much is shutting down these 20 or so sites going to save, a couple million dollars maybe. No, $278,000.00, so now the state is short only $2,599,722,000.00. Of course a per use fee of lets say $1 would more than cover the cost to keep these trail and sites open. A $5 per use fee would produce revenue and might help the state and the forests in the long run. But that would be user specific taxation, and we only target that sort of thing for smokers. Besides the Governor wants to raise taxes across the board for all of us, so user targeted revenue streams aren't going to be necessary. Please do yourself a favor and in November, don't vote for the same idiots that have run the state into ground. Vote for new idiots.

Happy 50th Bubble Wrap

In honor the big Five-O for bubble wrap, pictures of Quin, stomping on bubble wrap. Now go pop some of your own in celebration.

Return to Routine

We have our routines, some we like, some we don't, and some we'd rather not have at all. Routines are like mileposts, then help you wade through the mundane parts of life, so you can get to and enjoy the good parts. Then you get the stomach flu, and a bad case of it, routine ceases and it ceases suddenly. That is what happened to me, earlier in the week, hence no Wednesday blog. But once you are relatively certain that you can eat food again, or get so sick of soda crackers you pick up your routine again. It is not unlike getting back on a bike after a fall. Tonight's photo really has nothing to do with any of this.

Dan

The Airport

Oh, if it wasn't for the blasted terrorists, going to the airport might still be fun. But nowadays, the airport is just about as much fun as the downtown Greyhound station. The real difference between the two, being that the questionable people are employed by the NSA, not hoping to somehow get together enough cash for a ticket to Twin Falls.

Sad thing is, that the airport, unlike the Greyhound station, was actually a fun place, once upon a time. I can remember going to the airport on a family outing as a kid. Watching the planes take off and land, taking the train, eating at a coffee shop and window shopping at the really expensive shops, think of an expensive version of the Made in Washington store. When I was older in the days before the first gulf war, we would go to the airport and play tag and raise hell in general, throughout the terminals. Never drawing the ire of the hired help. Nowadays, if you are flying it is a bunch poking and patting down, and don't forget taking off shoes. I suppose that is the price of freedom, but I hate it, I haven't even started on how miserable the flights are anymore, but I'll save that for another time.

In honor of a time when Airports were fun and flying was exciting, pictures of a bygone era.

A Pretty Cool Bathtub

Say you have a blog, and say you are at a loss as to what to blog, what do you do? Some may wax on about Pat Robertson, or Fox News, some may get all wordy about the great job Senator Reid is doing, others might tell you about their new key lime colander. Here at America's Finest Blog, well it's a bathtub, or at least tonight it is a bathtub.

The bathtub at Hotel 1000, in Seattle, WA, is pretty darn cool, if for no other reason the water falls from the ceiling.

Dan

Time it Marches On

Sometimes change occurs in a rapid, sometimes violent, sudden sort of way. Those at the epicenter and those who look on, stare in wonderment at what has occurred. Subtle change can be just as violent, but since it is usually much slower much quieter, subtle change goes often goes unnoticed, especially to those within the epicenter. A town may grow from a couple homes and mill, into vibrant community, only realize its zenith and begin the slow march toward the bitter end. For those in the epicenter these events are not realized until it is far too late and fate is sealed. However sometimes change albeit rapid or subtle, brings about a Phoenix, a new creation, stronger and better adapted for longevity. History is littered with examples of better and stronger cities and societies arising from the ashes of the old. We undoubtedly hope for this anytime we see the effects of change with our eyes in person or upon our televisions.

Tonight a photo from Preston, on the 107th birthday of its' post office, once a Swedish mill town, now an increasingly affluent bedroom community.

Now That's Cold

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the great cold snap of 1950. It was real cold for three weeks, Snoqualmie Falls ceased to fall, there was lots of snow, it was it living in Moose Jaw or Medicine Hat probably, but warmer. Anyway, my mom every winter would wax on about just how cold 1950 had been. As a kid 1950, sounded like what winter should be like, man verses cold in a battle that must be won, or at least endured until the rain returns.

This is a photo from the night of the first blizzard of the cold spell.

Dan

The Monster and the Guy Who Shot Him

Tonight's title, courtesy of my 3 year old, who told me that was the name of the Star Wars comic he has, the comic features Chewbacca and Han Solo. Now that I have a title, what to blog about. Maybe Obama's willingness to get tough with the forces of evil, or the Woodland Park's Nocturnal House closing leaving the 61 animals unemployed. Nah, lets face it Chewbacca and Han Solo got tough with forces of evil without the need to speak so much about it. As for the animals in the Nocturnal House, they should have gotten day jobs anyway.

So tonight we will celebrate the light. Electric light that is and Seattle got it 105 years ago today. Previously Seattle had been much like the Nocturnal House, at least at night it was. On this date back in 1905, the powerhouse and Cedar Falls began lighting Seattle's street lights, in fact Cedar Falls generated nearly all of Seattle's power.

Tonight celebrating the creation of electric light for the Seattlites, I give you pictures of Seattle by electric light.

75 years of Elvis

Elvis lives in an East Texas retirement home with black John F. Kennedy, no its the truth. Of course nobody is suppose to know it's Elvis, he's just an old Elvis impersonator, and JFK well that's complicated. How do I know about all of this, well I can't tell you, but I can tell this: When I think Elvis, I think of the Elvis clock I bought in San Jon, New Mexico, Elvis' hips waved back and forth as the king kept nearly perfect time. A real classy clock, and when I think of that clock, I think of three things; one the massive truck stop that the clock was purchased in, two just how cold it was and three Feeding the Children

Happy Birthday David Bowie!

No. 3

Today is my son's 3rd Birthday, so tonight pictures of people celebrating birthdays.

Enjoy

Happy Birthday Quin!
Dan

A New Year, Now What?

First before I get to now what, here's a link to all of last year's favorites. All 53 of them: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2048328&id=1312809085&l=8c27dd0c4e

Now on to the new year...

I'm currently without an official project, although there are a couple projects I could pick up. Being without an ongoing project, I wonder if I will continue on the 3 times a week blog schedule. We shall see. What I do know is that 2010 is a new start with a fresh set of challenges, so I looking forward to seeing what they might be. Tonight's photo is a classic favorite photo taken about 5 years ago, at the Puyallup Fair, why this photo on this night? Why not.

Better blogging to come...

Dan