“Service Desert Germany” – unfortunately that is one of the self-bestowed nicknames of my mother country. At least it was true in many ways when I lived there. Who knows where it derived first or whence? I guess it all started when Germany recovered from World War II. At first, pretty much everybody was lending […]
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Wooden Ships, Cars, and Cities – Old Hat or New Thinking?
Batteries storing energy for electric cars are heavy, but imagine electric cars built, not with steel, but with a shell of carbon fibers that also act as a battery. Currently, there are estimates that reductions of vehicle weight up to 50% might be possible. My little neighborhood ZENN (Zero Emissions No Noise) had six car […]
West Pioneer Grill – Restaurant Review
Our little Sunday morning breakfast group journeyed from Tacoma’s north and west ends to dine at the West Pioneer Grill in downtown Puyallup. Although hungry, I was captivated by the standing work of art, “Rise,” which is in the park directly across the street from the restaurant. In downtown Puyallup you can simply drive the […]
Petty, Perverse and Pernicious Harassment
It seems like every day some white woman is calling the police to report a disturbance, or suspicious behavior, or threatening attitude of a black man. The black man, of course, is doing nothing more dangerous than walking home, cheering his child at a soccer match, driving his car or buying a soda pop on […]
Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad About My Baby – Reputation Management in Lakewood and Tacoma
“Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad (About My Baby)” was a teenage-angst filled song from 1963. It was written by the great rock and roll song writing duo of Gerry Goffin and Carole King and performed by the girl group, The Cookies. In the song a young girl and is singing about her hard-working man. An old […]
Home from Home: Crafting
In a little over a month, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving again, and then the final rush into Christmas preparations begins. Which means writing dozens of Christmas cards and sending them out in time before the cut-off date. Which means that now is the time to start crafting Christmas decorations and Christmas cards. The latter […]
Donating Vehicles in Tacoma and Lakewood
I was offered an International pickup truck for $25.00. I bought it and had it towed, not to my home in Tacoma, but an aunt and uncle’s home in Puyallup just off River Road. It was a flatbed truck. I bought a new battery and would turn it over periodically and drive around the berry […]
Living in Tacoma and Surviving in an Imperfect World
Hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes, war, and disease are relentless. They sometimes destroy everything in their path, but through it all life survives. There are human storms that plague humanity. Everyone wants to be a success, but sometimes being a success is merely surviving . . . and helping others if we can. I think World War […]
Future Visions of Train Deaths in Tacoma and Lakewood
Fourteen years ago I saw an Amtrak train run down a woman. The train didn’t follow her or chase her; it merely stayed on the tracks. It couldn’t stop in time to save her life and it certainly couldn’t swerve out of the way to protect her. The train was already moving slowly as it […]