New Years Fireworks

From YouTube - New Years 2011 fireworks in Cebu? It reminds me of our New Years 2007, and looking down from our room in Club Ultima. It was like a war zone...

frosty berry bushes

from this morning...

little ice balls

We had this funny mix of hail and snow a few days ago, and it's been so cold that the cold little balls have been hanging around. They make this snapping, crunching kind of sound when you step on them, sort of like Rice Crispies.

I love my Kindle

I love my Kindle, and the following post just re-inforced it...

"...I printed both to PDF, and I had the boarding pass on the Kindle screen when I approached the counter to board. I asked if they could scan the screen, as I was curious if it would work. The woman didn’t even skip a beat. She just scanned the screen, I heard a beep, and she waved me through."

http://fkbt.wordpress.com/2010/12/30/your-kindle-is-a-ticket-stub/

Amazing!

HUSKIES WIN THE HOLIDAY BOWL

Washington Defense Shuts Down #18 Nebraska, 19-7


So much fun! But I did miss my favorite sports fan being here with me. A fare weather sports fan's dream...

Fuente Osmena rotunda at xmas

These images are from flickr. This traffic circle is in the center of Cebu, not far from the Crown Regency hotel and the condo.



I lightened up this photo a little so you could see Fuente Tower 3 just to the left of the Crown Regency. The hotel is the lit up building you can see behind the xmas tree. I put a little blue square near the corner where our condo is (I think). I should be getting more photos soon.



This is one view we have looking out towards the mountains. Fuente Osmena will be off to the left and beyond the next building when you go up to the window.

23 degrees

The temperature outside when I went out to pick up the paper at 6am. I'm going to have to get that ski mask soon.

ski mask

Going out early for my walks in this weather means I'm going to have to add a ski mask to my ensemble (long johns, etc). With the temperature down in the 30s, and below, my face is getting cold! Wow. I just googled "ski mask" images for this post, and there's some scary stuff there. Not this one though.

Video unites long-lost daughter and mom

Interesting story by Julia O'Malley (McClutchy Newspapers)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013799485_lostmother30m.html

World's last Kodachrome lab closing

From an article by A.G.Sulzberger in the NY Times:

"An unlikely pilgrimage is under way to Dwayne's Photo, a small family business that has through luck and persistence become the last processor in the world of Kodachrome, the first successful and still the most beloved color film."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2013799349_kodachrome30.html

"One of the toughest decisions was how to deal with the dozens of requests from amateurs and professionals alike to provide the last roll to be processed.
In the end, it was determined that a roll belonging to Dwayne Steinle, the owner, would be last. And over the course of the week he fired off shots of his house, family and downtown Parsons.
The last frame is already planned for Thursday, a picture of all the employees standing in front of Dwayne's wearing shirts with the epitaph: "The best slide and movie film in history is now officially retired. Kodachrome: 1935-2010."

"End of Life Decisions"

From abc news last night, called "End of Life Decisions". If you watch the abc clip, there's a short commercial first.

What I liked most were the words of a terminally ill cancer patient who chose "quality of life" over "quantity if life". She talked about having "snapshots" in her mind, meaningful moments. Everything is important to her.

"I don't want to let any moment to go un-noticed."

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/open-end-life-conversations-reduce-stress-doctors-patients-family-decisions-advice-health-12495669

photos from Cebu

Some photos have started to come in. This is a view from Club Ultima, just to the left of a foot bridge going over to the condo I think. The 16th floor might be the second one up from the bottom in this photo. I'll post some more shots soon.

real snow!

talk about snow, this is a mobile upload posted by Richelle in NY, from today's Facebook:

5:30am, a few snowflakes, and darkness...

This is the little coffee house down at the bottom of the hill. They're trying their darndest to stay open, and it seems like they're slowly building up business. I try to go in every once in awhile.




I couldn't get the focus and clarity I'd prefer, but I've always liked it when people did up the tree trunks with green lights.


the focus was a little better later in the morning

Good morning...

I did this on purpose

here go hell come

Zen

I was just reading a little about Jack Kerouac's book "Dharma Bums" on the Google eBook website, and I saw another title:
"The complete idiot's guide to Zen living."
Funny...

some smiles and a little teary eyed

for a Sports column?!

"Good news, Dad, it's a great time for Philadelphia sports", by Seattle Times Sports columnist Steve Kelley.
His father passed away in 2003. He'd have loved seeing the success of his beloved Philadelphia sports teams.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/stevekelley/2013753511_kelley24.html

fish sticks

Ooops, I did it again...left for my morning walk without snacking first. I got up super early again, and I left at 5am for my walk. It's really nice out there, not exactly balmy, but perfect for walking, and I ended up walking along the G river. Very different from yesterday. I thought my walk would be shorter. Super hungry by the time I got home, so I'm now eating the remains of a chicken sandwich and some fish sticks with ketchup. Yummy.

walk in the early morning dark...

My walk this morning was a brisk and cold one, but it was a good 40 minutes. Walking in the dark is interesting when I'm walking on a grassy pathway, or on gravel by the side of the rode. I let the occasional headlights of cars help me see where I'm going. I'm careful.
I love my new Long Johns, which I wore for the first time today! It's getting colder, and I was toasty comfortable this morning. Everything but my fingers, even with the gloves. I feel guilty complaining though, especially after watching the TV news. We here in the NW are lucky not to have what the rest of the country is experiencing...

" 'Wilson High School'. Photo sent in by Fat Tony.", in the Long Beach Post


Colorado, after the storm moved east, from denverpost.com

"Eyman's star rising at a cost"

"Nothing shows how we dance round and round with Tim Eyman, to our detriment, like the story of the Washington State Ferries. Our initiative instigator-in-chief sure is feeling his oats right now."
- from an article in this morning's Times, by Danny Westneat

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2013733794_danny22.html

My rule of thumb has always been to vote against anything that Eyman supports or sponsors.

Been through the wars...

This is one pathetic bunch of nutcrackers. Been through the wars... From left to right, the tall white one is missing his left arm, the little purple one is missing his nose and feet, the King guy is using his left leg as a crutch, and the little guy with the red pants is lacking both of his feet, and he needs a nose.
Sad...

a few more Puddle Pictures from the other day...

a few night time Puddle Pictures

I took these this morning when I was walking around, waiting for Fred Meyer to open:





No puddle, but sort of cool. The dot over the 'i' is a full moon, on the shortest day of the year.

Star Spangled Banner

I put in an old CD when I was driving home this morning. I just grabbed one without looking, and on came Jimi Hendrix, playing the National Anthem at Woodstock. An instant flood of nostalgia: Vietnam and rocket attacks, Kent State, tie dye shirts, rock festivals, and on and on...

Puddle Pictures

I never know what kind of images might get me "clicking". Sometimes I just walk, which is good for my body, but yesterday I got all excited when I saw my first "puddle picture". A combination of early morning sun, and the puddle remnants of a good overnight rain. I ended up with over a hundred photos (and frozen finger tips), and I haven't had time to do much editing, but here are a few of them:

"Words matter, in politics and in fiscal policy debate"

I have to admit that I have always been a little envious of people who have money, the families for whom going to college isn't a major financial undertaking, people who have "summer homes", the ones who snapped their fingers at me when I was a "busboy"...
Maybe it's a little too easy to say "giving tax breaks to the rich will add to the deficit", or that "the rich are somehow hurting the poor and disrupting the proper functioning of...government". I took that last part out of context I think.

Anyway, an interesting article by KATHLEEN PARKER, Washington Post, Dec. 18, 2010:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/7345605.html

from "Sideline Chatter" in today's Sports:

--Brad Dickinson in the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald, looking ahead to the Washington-Nebraska bowl matchup: "The Husker volleyball team's season ended with a controversial loss to Washington. This is about all the motivation Nebraska coach Bo Pelini can summon for the Holiday Bowl. 'Let's go out there and ... and ... get revenge for our volleyball team!' "

--Bill Walton reflecting on his performance in UCLA's 71-70 loss to Notre Dame (24 points, nine rebounds and a missed 12-footer in the final seconds) that ended the Bruins' 88-game winning streak in 1974: "A complete failure on all levels, particularly as a human being. A disgrace to the game of basketball, a disgrace to sport."

video with Andrea

Below is a link for the "Haring Center for Applied Research and Training in Education". Andrea works in their Experimental Education Unit (EEU), and you can see a few seconds of her in the video on their Home page. A very nice video.

http://www.haringcenter.washington.edu/home

Mr Sun, Nate and Andrea, and Me

this morning...

Nature did a little of it's own "clearing" behind Becu this morning. I was up early and I heard the storm before I left for my walk.

Tukwila Community Center Christmas tree



There were some tree branches on the road when I drove to the Community Ctr, but I was still surprised when I walked around the corner behind the bank.

It was still dark, so I used my flash to take these photos:

fire...

...

by Tony Auth of the Philadelphia Inquirer

Why the "lazy jobless" myth persists

"Why the "lazy jobless" myth persists
We're asked to believe that the 15 million jobless Americans are all George Costanzas"
BY DAVID SIROTA:
http://www.salon.com/news/unemployment/?story=/opinion/feature/2010/12/17/sirota_lazy_jobless

Fuente Christmas tree

My favorite Fuente Christmas tree photo, by Line of the Visual Halo-Halo photo blog:

http://visualhalohalo.wordpress.com/

there's this little park down the hill from Nate's school...