Umami or savory is one of the five basic tastes. It is characteristic of broths and cooked meats . . . and somewhere in-between. It sometimes produces an exclamation like, “Whoa? What the heck is that?” I found the answer! The day before I had made Peggy a sausage-mushroom omelet breakfast with one little strange […]
Letter: Monkeying around with tax dollars
Chimpanzees – for “their care, maintenance and transportation, owned or controlled by the National Institute of Health” (NIH) – for the fiscal year 2018 received authorized funding in the amount of $9,400,000 (p.171). That’s $18,650.79 per chimpanzee. And that’s even though the 504 NIH-supported chimpanzees are “no longer useful for biomedical research” according to conclusions […]
Letter: “Splendidly short fuses”
In his syndicated column of July 4, 2008, Pulitzer Price-winning columnist for the Washington Post and Newsday, George Will wrote concerning the birth of our nation, specifically of those in Mecklenburg County, N.C.: “The impatient patriots here had splendidly short fuses in 1775.” But now, our current age is described by G.K. Chesterton as “a […]
Across the Fence: Football
Why a game in which a ball is mostly carried and thrown is called football, obviously defies any European’s logic. Football over there is definitely always played by your feet respectively legs only, and any involvement of your hands, even involuntarily, earns you a penalty – unless you are the goalie, of course. Also, football […]
Westside Story – Non-Compliance Is Worth Millions
On January 28, 2019, I read a story in The Seattle Times (linked from The Suburban Times) that proves once again that a citizen acting out with enough poor judgment and bad behavior can create an opportunity for their family that adds meaning to the phrase, “Non-Compliance Is Worth Millions.” For story details in The […]
The Problem with Some Contractors
Most contractors are reliable. Some aren’t. I’ve run into both. Here’s a list of top contractor issues from a Rental Property Investor from Milwaukee, WI: Quality of work Timeliness (showing up late to appointments) Smoking and leaving cigarette butts on the property Not cleaning up the job site in general Communication biggerpockets.com/forums/311/topics/175251-what-are-your-top-5-complaints-hang-ups-with-contractors Most of my […]
Letter: Leaving no tern un-stoned
This is not an article about marijuana. The title just got me thinking about someone who leaves no stone unturned in his or her relentless effort to right a wrong. The joke – and play on words – concerns ‘scientists’ who, wanting to study the effects of cannabis on birds – terns specifically – got […]
Westside Story – Waughop Lake – Trump Solution
For years a small body of water in the City of Lakewood, known as Waughop Lake located inside Fort Steilacoom Park, has been the focal point of many news stories, comments, scientific studies, and alternative solutions to fix its toxic algae bloom problem. Knowledgable citizens have generated much of this information. The opinions of these […]
Across the Fence: Calendula
Gray January days are normal in Western Washington. And you could get depressed if it weren’t for Nature dealing with the gray in her own very subtle ways. Such as an incredible array of shades of green. Or … well, have a look into your garden or your neighbor’s. Because I’m pretty sure somewhere there […]