"Play, Dance, Sing, Taste, Learn, Participate" – this is the slogan for the 2008 Seattle Folk Life Festival*. I think it would be fair to say that I took about 91% of that advice*. If you've ever been to a Folk Life festival at the Seattle Center, you have a general idea of the scene. For those of you who haven't, let me paint a picture.
There are stages everywhere with all kinds of music and dance that you can imagine*. In between stages, there are food and vendor booths selling your typical array of festival foods and goods. On just about every corner and tucked into any open space between stalls, there are buskers galore: jugglers, musicians, little kids doing their cute thing, and the smattering of 'performance art' folk. Just about every inch of remaining space is filled with people, esp. at midday when the weather was so gorgeous. It all combines for an atmosphere that does well to support the festival's slogan. Highlights for me included: Spoonshine on stage and on the street corner, having an 'in' with a troupe of street performers and being able to watch their show evolve and progress*, juggling with friends new and old on the lawn as the sun was going down, and lazy, directionless time where I was free to follow my nose to good food and ears to good music. To have a listen to some of the music from the weekend, click here. No clips from the Spoonshine or Citizen's Band shows unfortunately, but it might be worth checking out the June Madrona show from Saturday. Also, here are a few photos I snapped: people galore around the International Fountain, me seeking shelter from the sun, and the ever present Space Needle in the setting sun and at night. |
Monday May 26 2008 | File under: Seattle, misc |
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Friday May 23 2008 | File under: comic |
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Buried beneath the bustling streets
With your single focused mind Your people need no longer worry About delays, weather, taxi interference Where were you when I rode daily This vast city's bus system That sometimes feels so tacked on Almost as an afterthought You bring modernity to us To this already modern city And you promise us more modernity still When light rail graces your sterile halls |
Wednesday May 21 2008 | File under: transportation, poetry |
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I've mentioned before the qualms I have with Greyhound. While I appreciate the coverage they offer–bringing transportation to places that may have no other options–I've had enough bad experiences* to actively seek out alternatives. Until I started looking, I didn't even know they existed. "Bus travel" and "Greyound" were always synonymous in my mind. I was pleased to see that this isn't the case. On the off chance that you have some of the problems with Greyhound that I do, I thought I would share some alternatives I've come across.
These are a few alternatives I've come across in my travels. While I haven't ridden all of them, the ones that I have proved a better experience for me than GH. I don't always discount Greyhound because they occasionally have better rates or better schedules. I've found, though, that it is always nice to have options. |
Monday May 19 2008 | File under: travel, transportation |
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After a week of hard work, Sunday mornings are supposed to be that time when we can all relax. Staying in bed late while listening to the puzzler on NPR. A big breakfast, of french toast and eggs – maybe even some fresh carrot, celery, apple juice if I am feeling saucy. Divvying up the paper and everyone retreating to read; comics here, sports page there, ads in the recycling.
For the past 8 years or so, every time I see a newspaper, there is really only one section for me: the crossword. It has become somewhat of an obsession, actually. I've worked my way through my back stash of puzzles and am now always on the lookout for more. I find myself going through recycling bins in public places to get my fix (ferries and airports are treasure troves of discarded papers). To eat breakfast without a crossword is my own little torture. All this is to say that if in your household competition for the crossword puzzle is stiff, fear not! I've just finished creating my 5th crossword*, and I am glad to say that there are no clues* that I am ashamed of, making it my best yet. If it wasn't for a minor oversight in the grid construction*, I would be submitting it to the powers that be and expecting my $60 check in the mail. Without further ado, I present Large Places. If you do give it a try, and I hope you do, I would love any feedback you can share. My journey to be a published crossword puzzle author can use all the help it can get. |
Sunday May 18 2008 | File under: games |
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Thursday May 15 2008 | File under: comic |
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A couple of months ago, I posted about a little project I was working on that had high hopes of promoting public transportation use in the North Sound region: the working name was North Sound City to City Public Transportation Guide. When it came to revamp, the name was the first thing to change. The NSC2CPTG has now become the North Sound Transit Guide with a fancy web address of www.northsoundtransitguide.com*. While the main guts of the site, the trip planner, haven't changed much beyond the addition of a few more routes, I added a little window dressing to the rest of the site, along with other helpful tidbits such as tips for travelers and links to other related sites. It is still somewhat a work in progress, but I feel it is now ready to release out of the "proof of concept" stage and into that ever ubiquitous "beta" stage. To the non-computer nerd, that means it is open and ready to go. So help me spread the word: www.northsoundtransitguide.com! (In getting nstg up and going, I also spend a little time cleaning up www.peoplesguidetoanacortes.com to get the domain name directly properly and the layout to better accommodate various window sizes etc. And since we are just getting into tourist season here in Anacortes, I thought it might be worth putting a reminder out there: if you or anyone you know happens to be traveling through Anacortes and is look for all the area has to offer that doesn't require you to take out your wallet, check out the People's Guide to Anacortes.) ((Okay, I'll try to hold off on the self promotion for at least the next week. No promises though.)) |
Wednesday May 14 2008 | File under: coding, links |
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Here's the story*: while waiting in line to attend the David Letterman show, they make you fill out a survey with your name, age, where you're from, etc. It also has a place to highlight any stupid pet tricks your pet might be able to do, famous people you may have met, and stupid human tricks you might be able to do. Thinking that the field was required (and that if anyone knows a stupid human trick or two it would be me), I filled it in, thinking nothing further of it. Sure enough, the next day, I get an e-mail from the show asking how I came about knowing this unique trick of mine and if I had a video I could share with them. I was on the road so I postponed a filming session until I got home. And after practicing a bit*, this is what I got (view the video above or check it out here on YouTube). I sent it off last week and haven't heard back. Judging by the speed of their response last time and lack of a response this time, I can only assume that my trick just isn't stupid enough for them. Or maybe it is too stupid. Either way, there went my hopes and dreams of being on the David Letterman show, at least for now. Next on the agenda: come up with an even stupider trick. |
Monday May 12 2008 | File under: video, misc |
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Society for Creative Anachronisms folk boff at each other at the Port Orchard Farmer's Market That time of year has returned again: farmer's market time! Granted early May is a little before most local farms are producing anything edible (at least in the Northwest), but communities are still gathering around those blue- and white-topped booths to look in on local crafts that were knitted, painted, and hot-glued over the winter months. Also prominent are little vegetable plants ready for transplant in your garden. The vendors, however, know that your plants won't produce nearly enough and that you'll be back. This weekend, I've been to two new markets, one of which I've been wanting to visit for a long time. I've been hearing about Olympia's farmer's market for a long time from friends and family that have lived there. Sure enough, after a visit, I can see why it gets all the hype. Besides having a good selection of local produce and crafts, there is local meat, honey, and baked goods*. We moseyed on down for lunch from one of the many hot food vendors and listened to some of the live music. And as is often the case with every farmer's market I've been to, we ran into people we know. Good food for now, good food for later, and good friends to enjoy both with: yep, I'm glad it's farmer's market time again. |
Saturday May 10 2008 | File under: food |
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Because of the huge positive response (and wealth of material on the subject), I present you another entry in the MS Paint Paper Scissors Rock* collection (MSPPSR #1 and #2). Present is pretty much all I get to do with this comic, because unlike other comics where I've at least had a hand in conceiving, coloring, or captioning, this one is all Annie. She not only artistically crafted this one pixel by pixel, but also came up with the idea for it. When I was visiting her recently, she joked about possibly starting her own comic series to rival mine. (At least I hope she was joking.) |
Friday May 9 2008 | File under: comic |
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