tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44454793499780699932012-02-19T13:03:17.607-05:00The Roving Pacific Northwest EmbassyLife, sports, science, and politics thru the eyes of a Washington State native.Cassienoreply@blogger.comBlogger19021100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-78325446978049538902012-02-19T13:03:00.000-05:002012-02-19T13:03:17.615-05:00Science isn't all lab coats, protective goggles, chemicals, and equationsMathematicians Organize Boycott of a Publisher
The signers included three Fields medalists — Dr. Gowers, Terence Tao and Wendelin Werner. The statement was also signed by Ingrid Daubechies, president of the International Mathematical Union, who then resigned as one of the unpaid editors in chief at the Elsevier journal Applied and Computational Harmonic Analysis.
“We feel that the social compactCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-87109800792623070292012-02-19T11:51:00.002-05:002012-02-19T11:51:37.489-05:00Quote of the day"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." -Maya AngelouCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-65205911856077366052012-02-18T16:52:00.002-05:002012-02-18T16:52:53.540-05:00Quote of the day"The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action." -ConfuciusCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-71336608806530893962012-02-18T13:22:00.001-05:002012-02-18T13:43:43.355-05:00Writing for an over-educated fan base will definitely be a challengeWith this whole Seattle arena proposal, I've offered my writing services to SB Nation Seattle - the local hub website. The editor-in-chief has been extremely thankful; to the point that he's almost embarrassing, frankly. But, I guess it's nice to be appreciated, right?
So I'd sent him an email explaining the situation in Phoenix, to the best of my ability, and Danny then posted that up in a blogCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-26621609529968410802012-02-17T20:01:00.000-05:002012-02-17T20:01:00.325-05:00Song of the dayThis was recorded last night in San Francisco - and what an awesome rendition, too!
Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-34445443963300333472012-02-17T15:25:00.001-05:002012-02-17T15:27:49.831-05:00With a possible relative like this, who needs enemiesHitler had son with French teen
Just before her death in the early 1950s, Miss Lobjoie finally told Jean-Marie that his father was arguably the most infamous dictator in human history.Wow. Can you even imagine? That's just crazy, if it's true. I wonder if they'll try genetic testing, just to be sure.Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-15327298790489649612012-02-17T09:48:00.000-05:002012-02-17T09:48:17.561-05:00Quote of the day"Hard work without talent is a shame, but talent without hard work is a tragedy." -Robert HalfCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-76862452982702934312012-02-17T09:45:00.000-05:002012-02-17T09:45:12.330-05:00There will always be some of each, but that still doesn't mean it makes any senseMoochers Against Welfare
Presumably, then, voters imagine that pledges to slash government spending mean cutting programs for the idle poor, not things they themselves count on. And this is a confusion politicians deliberately encourage. For example, when Mr. Romney responded to the new Obama budget, he condemned Mr. Obama for not taking on entitlement spending — and, in the very next breath, Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-29209924558945864402012-02-16T15:59:00.000-05:002012-02-16T15:59:52.803-05:00Playing spectator at your kid's gamesWhat Makes A Nightmare Sports Parent -- And What Makes A Great One
Nearly 75 percent of kids who play organized sports quit by age 13. Some find that their skill level hits a plateau and the game is no longer fun. Others simply discover other interests. But too many promising young athletes turn away from sports because their parents become insufferable.I can't say that any of this ever happened Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-54355720626465876822012-02-16T10:42:00.000-05:002012-02-16T10:42:22.952-05:00Quote of the day"The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." -Ayn RandCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-68879279702802147112012-02-16T09:00:00.002-05:002012-02-16T09:17:22.938-05:00One step closer - or maybe it's already thereSource: New Seattle arena press conference set for Thursday [KING 5 News]
NBA arena backer Chris Hansen to reveal Seattle plan Thursday [Seattle Times]
Christopher Hansen steps out of shadows, now real game begins [Seattle Times]
Old-school Sonics fan delivers optimistic but realistic message [Seattle Times]
[Chris] Hansen said all of the right things, and he said them with conviction. This Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-84349292700496840782012-02-15T13:06:00.000-05:002012-02-15T13:06:33.612-05:00The echoes of global war still ring loudly down the decadesQuest: Greece 2012 equals Versailles 1919?
The situation seems to be as grave as it has been. On the one-hand the eurozone nations are playing hardball while back in Greece, there is instability, poverty and the destruction of the economy. But is the eurozone demanding too much? If Greece sinks into riot and rebellion, will we look back on this time as being an error in history because, even for Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-57222496600731033862012-02-15T09:15:00.000-05:002012-02-15T09:15:05.767-05:00Quote of the day"It is not length of life, but depth of life." -Ralph Waldo EmersonCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-57503860906134226612012-02-15T08:44:00.000-05:002012-02-15T08:44:50.624-05:00NHL fans - and hockey journalists - just don't quite get itLatest developments on potential NBA/NHL arena in Seattle
Well, would you look at that. An entire page on the Seattle Times website devoted to news about a potential arena. Notice that most of the articles revolved around the NBA and not the NHL? Yeah, that's no coincidence.
Though, I must admit, it's rather fun to see them try to work in mentions of a potential NHL team into what's essentiallyCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-42131409325339228572012-02-15T08:36:00.000-05:002012-02-15T08:36:23.182-05:00Don't think this can't happen here again, because it could have 10 years agoCarrying the pain for 70 years: Japanese Americans' internment
She remembers her family's fear of reprisals after the Pearl Harbor attack, a fear that increased as FBI agents searched homes and possessions of Japanese residents on the West Coast.
In an attempt to avoid trouble, her Japanese-immigrant parents, Heisuke and Mitsuno Matsuda, burned all their Japanese mementos. Piece by piece, they Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-86875945120106301962012-02-14T18:27:00.000-05:002012-02-14T18:27:00.107-05:00Song of the dayPlease disregard the Spanish subtitles - this was the best quality image I could find. Oh, and Fred Astaire is really singing in real time. That is, it's not recorded later and dubbed over. Which is why his timing singing isn't absolutely perfect with the band. His timing while dancing with Ginger Rogers is just fine, though.
From the movie, Top Hat (1935), "Cheek to Cheek".
Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-80389324364955385122012-02-14T10:56:00.000-05:002012-02-14T10:56:14.495-05:00Quote of the day"Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love." -Mother TeresaCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-2095863416550069112012-02-14T10:55:00.000-05:002012-02-14T10:55:57.852-05:00The hand-written word is much more powerful than people think these daysLove letters of Barrett, Browning go online
"It's the fact that she defied her father, she was in ill health, they fell in love through letters, she left with hardly anything," said Ruth Rogers, Wellesley's curator of special collections.
"If you want a perfect romance, just read the letters," she said.Readers can see for themselves how they fall in love, while corresponding about other writersCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-21880515337927810902012-02-14T08:46:00.000-05:002012-02-14T08:46:29.163-05:00One step closer to an even more egalitarian societyGregoire signs gay marriage into law
Same-sex couples in Washington can't make wedding plans just yet. The changes in the state's marriage laws won't take effect for 90 days, until June 7 — at the earliest.
Within hours of the bill signing, same-sex-marriage opponents filed Referendum 73 with the aim of repealing the legislation. If they succeed in collecting 120,577 signatures by June 6, the Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-63640502173146105772012-02-14T08:34:00.000-05:002012-02-14T08:34:58.174-05:00You'd think it'd be a perfect fit, but you'd be wrongWomen having success coaching high-school boys teams
It's the boys state championships. And both title-hopeful teams are coached by women.Personally, having been on girls'/women's teams, I'd rather coach boys or men over girls or women. Males are just easier to deal with. You tell them what you want them to do, and they'll do it. Females aren't nearly so easy since you've got to cater to Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-89700991278948351952012-02-13T20:03:00.000-05:002012-02-13T20:03:22.235-05:00Be prepared to cry if you ever watch this entire movieThis is the movie that made meeting at the top of the Empire State Building fashionable - or, at least, a cliche. A man and a woman who are both engaged to other people meet and fall in love on a cruise, and they then agree to meet in six months, just to be sure that what they're feeling is real and true. There's a wicked twist towards the end, though I won't give it away here.
An Affair to Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-56886665065975438672012-02-13T19:12:00.002-05:002012-02-13T19:21:38.033-05:00This could be awesome...or, this could be so bad that it's awesomeI cannot even believe that someone actually green lighted this movie. Not that it's a bad idea or anything. But, seriously, when all movie companies are putting out are prequels and sequels and reboots, original ideas tend to be left for dead.
Ha - no pun intended.
Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-7648052707634273002012-02-13T10:17:00.000-05:002012-02-13T10:17:04.104-05:00Quote of the day"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." -Andy WarholCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-63154084821084684612012-02-13T09:16:00.000-05:002012-02-13T09:16:02.253-05:00So I guess it's time for me to start seriously looking for some cats?The M.R.S. and the Ph.D.
One of the dire predictions about educated women is true: today, more of them are “marrying down.” Almost 30 percent of wives today have more education than their husbands, while less than 20 percent of husbands have more education than their wives, almost the exact reverse of the percentages in 1970.There's a sort of joke going around colleges about women that attend Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-33329254160547399282012-02-12T12:15:00.000-05:002012-02-12T12:15:12.569-05:00Song of the dayHere we go. The obligatory Whitney Houston song in memorandum. This song was released at the end of 1990, just before I turned 18 - which would've been in the middle of my senior year in high school. I was never a big fan of Whitney Houston - I liked some of her stuff at the time, though nothing she did really grabbed me - but she did have a fantastic voice.
Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-13508334034748678612012-02-12T11:11:00.000-05:002012-02-12T11:11:06.458-05:00Quote of the day"Do not give your attention to what others do or fail to do; give it to what you do or fail to do." -BuddhaCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-58112991963909674172012-02-11T17:40:00.002-05:002012-02-11T17:40:57.114-05:00Song of the dayCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-17331618185130871092012-02-11T17:23:00.000-05:002012-02-11T17:23:12.229-05:00Quote of the day"When deeds speak, words are nothing." -Pierre-Joseph ProudhonCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-33035952129139940232012-02-10T21:02:00.002-05:002012-02-10T21:10:11.074-05:00This is PERFECTCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-13278889257657804482012-02-10T19:26:00.000-05:002012-02-10T19:26:32.140-05:00Picture of the dayFrom the slopes of Mt. Rainier at Paradise, that's the Tatoosh Range (which is completely separate from Mt. Rainier geologically) with Mt. St. Helens lurking just beyond - taken last weekend, 4 February.
(Click on the picture to make it bigger.)Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-68288442415627494832012-02-10T10:35:00.051-05:002012-02-10T17:30:37.642-05:00Wisdom in fantasyPeople are funny. You can have a group of individuals all agree upon something, and then when one actually does it, the rest are all up in arms over it. It's like this quote from Enchanters' End Game by David Eddings:
... Like so many people, Queen Islena took such pleasure in an imagined triumph that the real thing became almost too much trouble The victories of the imagination involved no risksCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-42020947634962758212012-02-10T08:50:00.000-05:002012-02-10T08:50:39.253-05:00Quote of the day"You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late." -Ralph Waldo EmersonCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-4071905090255223182012-02-09T17:41:00.000-05:002012-02-09T17:41:48.221-05:00Song of the dayRing of Fire by Johnny Cash on GroovesharkCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-50792523389285659442012-02-09T11:25:00.000-05:002012-02-09T11:25:09.901-05:00I've always regretted not getting that 289 V8 rebuiltAmerican Car Brochures
1969 Ford Falcon / Interior
They didn't have a link for the 1968 model, but they didn't change it very much in 1969. Oh, I can tell the differences, but most wouldn't be able to. Not unless you had one yourself.
The dash is almost exactly the same, tho - except the vents along the bottom of it. Or, maybe both of mine were just never like that. It's hard to say sometimes.Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-11599059079267119302012-02-09T10:32:00.000-05:002012-02-09T10:32:37.239-05:00Quote of the day"Life has no limitations, except the ones you make." -Les BrownCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-90011252978606888582012-02-09T09:07:00.000-05:002012-02-09T09:07:21.664-05:00Splinters piled up around the listsTry Medieval Hot Pants? Surely, You Joust
“I’ve played hockey all my life,” [Shane Adams, the show’s genial ringmaster and a champion jouster] said. “I could’ve got hit by the whole team at the same time, and it didn’t compare with the amount of force I just got hit with.”I've actually worn armor before. Not a full suit of metal armor, but close. I just tried it on, though - I wasn't wearing it Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-63849896195589214692012-02-08T15:42:00.000-05:002012-02-08T15:42:27.809-05:00What sort of relationship do you have with food?Mindful Eating as Food for Thought
Mindful eating is not a diet, or about giving up anything at all. It’s about experiencing food more intensely — especially the pleasure of it. You can eat a cheeseburger mindfully, if you wish. You might enjoy it a lot more. Or you might decide, halfway through, that your body has had enough. Or that it really needs some salad.In theory, this is a good idea. ButCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-59165248327081309862012-02-08T11:00:00.001-05:002012-02-08T11:07:27.104-05:00It's not just about being strong, but also about being smartIn Defense of Gisele Bündchen and Strong Sports Spouses
Of course, some may still think that an athlete’s wife should be seen and not heard (let alone use profanity or actually weigh in on an athletic performance), look pretty on the arm and have no opinion about the game. In Bündchen’s case, she’s supposed to be a supermodel on the arm who doesn’t get into the playbook even when she actually Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-10614093401609488252012-02-08T09:44:00.000-05:002012-02-08T09:44:41.553-05:00Quote of the day"If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning." -Mohandas GandhiCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-19146913478077965062012-02-08T08:57:00.000-05:002012-02-08T08:57:51.210-05:00Society's expectations do some funny things to people sometimesMore Men Taking Their Wife's Last Name
Mark says he's proud. "Shortly before the wedding I decided to make the change. She (Carol) was stunned. Actually, she asked me to reconsider, that it was cool with her for me not to change. But I told her it was too late, and then she said GREAT!"My thoughts about this have shifted over the years as I've gotten older.
For a long time, I took it for grantedCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-91506566190481309392012-02-07T18:31:00.000-05:002012-02-07T18:31:20.521-05:00Wolves to dogs, apes to humans...it's all about the same, reallyWhy Some Wild Animals Are Becoming Nicer
The essence of domestication is a loss of aggression. Because this is such a basic trait, involving modifications to nervous and endocrine systems, and alterations of complex gene networks with multiple functions, it generates a variety of changes. Researchers call them a "domestication syndrome," and while aspects are seen in all domesticated animals, theCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-34692764765189247072012-02-07T13:27:00.000-05:002012-02-07T13:27:12.368-05:00While it's possible (I think) to have a fossil that's a mere 100,000 years old, this isn't the caseEntire genome of extinct human decoded from fossil
Well, isn't this a very misleading title.
First off, you can't actually get DNA from a fossil. A fossil, by its very definition, is something that was previously of biological origin but has had it's material slowly replaced by rock in an oxygen-free environment. Therefore, a fossil is rock, and rock doesn't have DNA.
Bones are biological, Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-8145043048660655342012-02-07T09:27:00.000-05:002012-02-07T09:27:05.570-05:00Quote of the day"The hardest thing to see is what is in front of your eyes." -Johann Wolfgang von GoetheCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-79603062253648036322012-02-07T09:20:00.000-05:002012-02-07T09:20:39.638-05:00Give me a couple of more days and I could come up with moreSo I got to thinking about this yesterday. Which, you know, me thinking is sort of a bad idea. Of course, I don't actually think - that's just a turn of phrase. How can I when I was hatched without a brain?
Anywho, I was considering the issue of a 'new' hockey blog on SB Nation for a Seattle team. When the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg, the Atlanta bloggers were so heartbroken about it Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-47621148615562289602012-02-06T13:17:00.002-05:002012-02-06T13:23:47.993-05:00Funny how people are so selective about what facts they choose to believeIs This Russian Landscape the Birthplace of Native Americans?
The scientists received written consent to take DNA samples from nearly 500 people, many of whom were living in remote areas and had never met Americans. As part of ongoing genetic research, the team had previously taken samples from close to 2,500 Native Americans in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.I seriously doubt that this is going toCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-35331506377988280832012-02-06T12:35:00.001-05:002012-02-06T12:36:10.492-05:00Working at any job for 60 years is an achievementDiamond Jubilee: Queen celebrating 60-year reign
The moment a princess became a queen
In pictures: Princess Elizabeth becomes Queen
I think it's sort of sad that this one fact has been lost in all of this: the day Elizabeth became queen was the day her father died. Think about that for a second. The elevation to the throne was expected, of course, but she had to lose her father first - someoneCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-88645577578849300112012-02-06T09:50:00.000-05:002012-02-06T09:50:27.252-05:00Quote of the day"When a thing is done, it's done. Don't look back. Look forward to your next objective." -George C. MarshallCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-82864238761073828162012-02-05T17:03:00.000-05:002012-02-05T17:03:41.850-05:00Song of the dayFrom the YouTube page:
The new music video from OK Go, made in partnership with Chevrolet. OK Go set up over 1000 instruments over two miles of desert outside Los Angeles. A Chevy Sonic was outfitted with retractable pneumatic arms designed to play the instruments, and the band recorded this version of Needing/Getting, singing as they played the instrument array with the car. The video took 4 Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-60883525549085798722012-02-03T20:08:00.000-05:002012-02-03T20:08:33.523-05:00Picture of the daySpeaking of volcanoes and blowing your top, here's Mt. St. Helens earlier today. It's approximately 1300 feet (400 meters) shorter than it was on May 17th, 1980 - the day before it erupted. To give you an idea of what it had looked like before, it used to be referred to as the "Mt. Fuji of America". This is the west-northwest side of the volcano, as the crater (to the left side of the picture) Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-9324731240793565162012-02-03T19:28:00.000-05:002012-02-03T19:28:29.718-05:00The phrase "blowing your top off" probably came about from a specific eventThe Top 10 Reasons I Love Volcanoes (And You Should, Too)
10. They erupt molten rock. In a sense, this speaks for itself. What person of any age isn’t impressed with taking something as seemingly permanent as rock and having it come out of the ground molten. ...Actually, #2 is my favorite on this list.
Volcanoes are fun, aren't they? Tall, grand, majestic...time bombs. Just waiting to go...BOOM!Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-83488768229642829032012-02-03T18:37:00.000-05:002012-02-03T18:37:42.124-05:00Song of the dayWow. Both the song and the video are like straight out of the 1980s. I mean, the video is like three 80s Madonna videos all smashed into one - with football added. And the song could've come right off her Like a Virgin album (which came out in 1984). And yet...it all somehow works. How scary is that?
Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-19228250293937972702012-02-03T10:03:00.001-05:002012-02-03T13:21:19.738-05:00Quote of the day"It is easy to see the faults of others. It is hard to see our own." -BuddhaCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-83396244463083051942012-02-03T09:59:00.000-05:002012-02-03T09:59:39.502-05:00You just have no idea how long it took me to get to school riding the bus5 little hikes get you closer to some big Northwest legends
The Hike: When in Shelton for the Forest Festival (the weekend after Memorial Day) or Oysterfest (October), go where Paul would most likely take Babe for a walk: the Huff-n-Puff Trail, near his old stomping grounds at Shelton High. Despite its name, the trail is mostly flat, short (1.5 miles) and a pretty easy walk through the woods. ButCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-75267281114918232952012-02-02T17:54:00.001-05:002012-02-02T18:03:59.155-05:00Ugh. What. A. Day.[START RANT] I went down to Norfolk last weekend, got little sleep. Decided to not sleep in on Sunday so I could fall asleep at a reasonable hour for work. Then, of course, I get insomnia and get even less sleep Sunday night than I did Saturday night.
Which, naturally, led me to my current cold, which hit on Tuesday - and I took that day off, otherwise, I'd likely be completely miserable right Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-14515648144290447142012-02-02T09:35:00.000-05:002012-02-02T09:35:10.707-05:00Quote of the day"To write well, express yourself like the common people, but think like a wise man." -AristotleCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-1691624530884818812012-02-02T08:36:00.001-05:002012-02-02T08:36:59.490-05:00It couldn't have happened in a better state - finallyState Senate approves same-sex marriage bill [Photo Gallery]
How senators voted on same-sex marriage bill
Historic Senate vote clears way for gay marriage in state
Gay-marriage opponents have promised to challenge any same-sex marriage law at the ballot. A referendum cannot be filed before the governor signs the legislation.
Under state law, opponents have 90 days from the end of the session Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-79819811360454294082012-02-01T19:53:00.003-05:002012-02-01T20:21:44.389-05:00It's so obvious to me that men create superheroesThe 5 Most Ridiculously Sexist Superhero Costumes
Every now and then, I'll watch a superhero movie. Why not, right? And whenever there's a female hero involved, I casually break down what she's wearing. I try to decide how practical it would be in the course of doing the job.
In the end, they're very rarely all that practical. The easiest and biggest killer to practicality is the hair. And it'sCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-5376615730107357452012-02-01T18:25:00.000-05:002012-02-01T18:25:31.744-05:00Quote of the dayThe Total Perspective Vortex derives its picture of the whole Universe on the principle of extrapolated matter analyses.
To explain — since every piece of matter in the Universe is in some way affected by every other piece of matter in the Universe, it is in theory possible to extrapolate the whole of creation — every sun, every planet, their orbits, their composition and their economic and Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-51797892884909655542012-02-01T10:27:00.000-05:002012-02-01T10:27:43.659-05:00What you believe this to be cheapens it greatlyWhen to Quote Poetry or Moan Like a Moorhen
There is advice about the types of people with whom you should socialize, and a section that functions as a kind of charm school primer for women. Among the “64 arts” a woman should master are “improvisation of poetry; knowledge of dictionaries; knowledge of prosody” and “reciting difficult verses.”
There are some surprisingly metrosexual grooming Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-12746110632889595432012-01-31T18:26:00.001-05:002012-02-17T22:18:39.037-05:00You don't have to be a mountain man to appreciate theseCabin Porn
(Warning: there is no actual porn involved in this site.)
I sort of wish the pictures on this site were smaller, because then it'd be easier to scroll through the pages. Some of these ideas are really very clever, actually. They should be applied to every day living, not just heading up to the mountains-ish.
That whole "keeping up with the Joneses" thing is so...boring, predictable,Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-29396118219982125152012-01-31T11:31:00.002-05:002012-01-31T11:31:49.741-05:00Quote of the day"Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all." -AristotleCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-32612068187726112752012-01-30T18:20:00.000-05:002012-01-30T18:20:35.010-05:00Song of the dayThe Woman Before Me by Trisha Yearwood on GroovesharkCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-16925745401302609182012-01-30T13:30:00.000-05:002012-01-30T13:30:14.524-05:00Don't even try making excuses - you know you do thisThe Truth About Fat Women and Self-Control
Although heavy men and women alike suffer prejudice, "it appears to happen a little bit more for women," said Janna Fikkan, a clinical psychologist and researcher at the Duke University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the current research. "Women are generally judged more harshly for not meeting attractiveness standards," an age-old truth Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-31431446334239985162012-01-30T13:05:00.000-05:002012-01-30T13:05:04.742-05:00Quote of the day"Unless you change how you are, you will always have what you've got." -Jim RohnCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-51746012646868299832012-01-30T09:23:00.000-05:002012-01-30T09:23:57.121-05:00Do you know how to say hello in bonobo?Dolphins Reported Talking Whale in Their Sleep
And as if to entice the scientists' curiosity, just as these reports were emerging from France, reports and pictures surfaced from the waters around Hawaii, on the other side of the globe, that show the same kind of whale - humpbacks - playing a unique, even sensual, lift-and-slide game with the same kind of dolphin - the bottlenose.To put this in Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-44845974870582662352012-01-29T20:00:00.000-05:002012-01-29T20:00:39.831-05:00Just something in the air that time of year, I guessHow to Seduce a Sagittarius Woman
I love reading these types of things, just to see how accurate they are. Astrology is actually a pretty fair predictor of personality - at a superficial level, of course. So, to continuously test this theory, I to see what they have to say about me; just to see if it fits.
I don't get the prediction part of astrology, though, so I tend to ignore horoscopes and Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-27201592689173264342012-01-29T14:44:00.002-05:002012-01-29T14:44:52.526-05:00Song of the dayCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-59083378830099299582012-01-29T13:54:00.000-05:002012-01-29T13:54:41.767-05:00Picture of the dayThis was just too awesome to not share. Mongolian nomads out hunting with their golden eagles. Gotta love the guy on the left with the sunglasses, huh?
(Click on picture to make bigger.)Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-62505184429030243912012-01-28T09:54:00.000-05:002012-01-28T09:54:07.785-05:00Quote of the day"The true way to gain much, is never to desire to gain too much." -Francis BeaumontCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-79408882271620870112012-01-27T21:24:00.000-05:002012-01-27T21:24:40.522-05:00Song of the dayThen I Kissed Her (16 Bit Digitally Remastered 95) by Beach Boys on GroovesharkCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-80717506513570418722012-01-27T18:47:00.002-05:002012-01-27T18:47:54.151-05:00This is sooo right!Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-16070217191952223522012-01-27T10:47:00.000-05:002012-01-27T10:47:32.655-05:00So close, but somehow still not at all rightA Dad Asks: How Do You Raise Pretty Girls?
What kind of message is that? I wondered. Being yourself isn't good enough, girls. To get the guy, it's best wear super-tight spandex. And, if you're feeling it, call Romeo a stud as you stomp out the cigarette you don't even know how to smoke with your four-inch, hooker pumps.The question isn't how to raise "pretty" girls, but how do you combat a Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-9742443470616579452012-01-27T09:48:00.000-05:002012-01-27T09:48:40.805-05:00Quote of the day"A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle." -Kahlil GibranCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-75680169978653415262012-01-27T09:31:00.001-05:002012-01-27T09:32:42.292-05:00People tend to read into things even when something is stated plainlyWhat the Bible really says about same-sex marriage
But many who invoke the Bible in the same-sex marriage debate begin with quotes from the Torah, so, again, it's worth taking a look.
There are 5,888 verses in the Torah, and homosexual behavior is mentioned in just two of them. Leviticus 18:22 reads, "Do not lie with a male as one lies with a woman. It is an offensive thing." Leviticus 20:13 Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-20362639605282663922012-01-26T15:44:00.000-05:002012-01-26T15:44:50.290-05:00I've been guilty of one of two of these myselfThe 6 Stupidest Things We Use to Judge People We Don't Know
All of these - every single one of them - are totally true. Heck, I have friends that do this sort of stuff to me without even thinking about it. I call them out on it, naturally, but still.
I think we've all had at least one of these happen to us at one time or another.Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-26827523295870985752012-01-26T09:51:00.000-05:002012-01-26T09:51:23.589-05:00There's nowhere near as many as you probably think there areCensus releases data on American Indian population
Amber Ebarb, with the National Congress of American Indians' Policy Research Center, said the data also is used to track trends among states and regions, determine the mobility patterns of Natives and figure out how best to deliver services to Natives or conduct outreach.
"It's kind of a function of geography," she said. "There's this trend Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-81640660055056610682012-01-26T08:48:00.000-05:002012-01-26T08:48:02.606-05:00Quote of the day"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never have tried to succeed." -Theodore RooseveltCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-7321576663149461692012-01-26T08:39:00.000-05:002012-01-26T08:39:20.166-05:00Skewing the data to tell the story you want to tellPoll Finds Consumer Confusion on Where Apple Devices Are Made
The Times poll found that most Americans considered it very important to buy American-made products.
Over all, 52 percent of the public said it was very important that the products they buy were made in the United States; only 42 percent of owners of Apple products agreed.They've only published part of their poll, which I find Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-51617494982376699422012-01-25T13:46:00.000-05:002012-01-25T13:46:57.157-05:00If someone from 1000 years ago spoke English to you, you wouldn't understand them10 Shakespeare Quotes you Use Every Day
5. Love is blind. Jessica: "But love is blind and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit…" The Merchant Of Venice, 1596Anyone who pays any attention to language can tell you that William Shakespeare still has a huge influence on English. Which is sort of funny, if you think about it. I mean, the guy died almost 400 years ago. And, not Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-61962820360982171762012-01-25T10:16:00.000-05:002012-01-25T10:16:25.528-05:00Quote of the day"He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak." -Michel de MontaigneCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-35956598407994114102012-01-24T13:09:00.000-05:002012-01-24T13:09:18.434-05:00Quote of the day"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live." -Henry David ThoreauCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-22506686458023127122012-01-24T09:22:00.000-05:002012-01-24T09:22:30.621-05:00Sometimes, my ramblings even have a pointCraft distillers fret over new liquor laws
While Oregon's cocktails swelled with locally made whiskey and absinthe, Washington had little liquor to call its own.
That changed dramatically beginning in 2008, when Washington's Legislature passed a craft-distillery law allowing small distilleries to open tasting rooms and sell limited amounts of liquor from them.
In less than four years, the Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-54246332647504134522012-01-23T18:32:00.001-05:002012-01-23T18:33:35.564-05:00Picture of the dayThis was a common view whenever I took the ferry into Seattle from my parents' house. Although, I think this was taken from the Bainbridge Island ferry, and no my usual Bremerton ferry. This was shot last month, 16 December. And, yes, that's Mt. Rainier lurking on the horizon. As usual.
(Click on picture to make it bigger.)Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-75531416288606946982012-01-23T11:43:00.000-05:002012-01-23T11:43:41.244-05:00Impressive that this has seen the light of day on a major internet new siteOnly Atheists Should Hold Public Office
Let me start by saying such an arrangement would actually protect Christians. Leaders who are influenced by religious belief often act in ways that support that religion -- sometimes to the detriment of other faiths. While Christianity may hold sway now in the U.S. other religions might someday enjoy a political majority. If that day comes Christians who Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-73378340657757197762012-01-23T09:43:00.000-05:002012-01-23T09:43:56.305-05:00Quote of the day"He who knows most grieves most for wasted time." -Durante degli Alighieri (AKA, Dante)Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-72701199730960888092012-01-23T09:11:00.000-05:002012-01-23T09:11:55.182-05:00Flooding was obvious, but the wind was the one thing that I'd forgottenWeather doesn't cooperate but storm cleanup makes progress
High winds continue to hammer Western Wash.
Why giant ice storm fooled the forecasters
Small hiccups in data that feed the computer models can produce inaccurate projections, so experts every day adjust interpretations based on decades of experience. But with ice storms in Washington so rare, there is no past pattern with which to Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-61599308503736301852012-01-22T17:09:00.001-05:002012-01-22T17:10:49.508-05:00Nowhere near the mountains, but still prettyMy very first thought when I saw this picture was, "huh; the tide's in". I can't help it. Whenever I'm around saltwater, I automatically gauge whether the tide is going in or out.
Anywho, this would be Puget Sound, taken last week - 18 January, to be precise. I'm not exactly sure where this is at, though. Supposedly, it's Vashon Islanand, but it could be just about anywhere south or west of Cassienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-40632056565180947812012-01-22T10:59:00.000-05:002012-01-22T10:59:05.398-05:00Quote of the day"You are only young once, but you can stay immature indefinitely." -Ogden NashCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-59674331140292717972012-01-21T13:25:00.001-05:002012-01-21T13:26:24.202-05:00Did you know that there are businesses that sell used items like doors from old houses?Starbucks Now Served in a Cargo Container
Spokesman Alan Hilowitz described the Tukwila store as another step in fulfilling Starbucks' core mission -- providing a gathering place for communities, using Starbucks' scale "for good," and reducing the corporation's carbon footprint -- while also recycling "the same kind of shipping containers that transport our coffees and teas around the world."Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-47248532354737495332012-01-21T13:02:00.000-05:002012-01-21T13:02:39.764-05:00From Stadium's courtyard'Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus' goes viral
Bethke’s video may have also tapped into a larger trend in American religion: a growing skepticism of organized religion, particularly among younger generations. A 2010 Pew Forum poll found that Americans ages 18 to 29 “are considerably less religious than older Americans,” even when compared to their parents and grandparents’ generations at the Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-65295245894586648012012-01-21T11:57:00.000-05:002012-01-21T11:57:46.753-05:00Song of the dayWhoever came up with this video watched far too many 1930s movies. I should know, because so have I. It's perfect - up until the female dancer has wires making her float through the air. Although, if they had had that technology perfected in the 1930s, they likely would've used that, too.
Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-40629429420836551412012-01-21T11:21:00.000-05:002012-01-21T11:21:31.904-05:00Quote of the day"It isn't sufficient just to want - you've got to ask yourself what you are going to do to get the things you want." -Richard D. RosenCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-23314761805374385022012-01-20T20:22:00.001-05:002012-01-20T20:27:09.548-05:00Song of the dayCyndi Lauper's tribute to Etta James, who died today. I'm pretty sure that this is shot live - no lip-syncing to a recording going on here. You don't expect an 80s pop star to have such awesome pipes, do you.
Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-108500702811189282012-01-20T11:21:00.002-05:002012-01-20T11:26:35.060-05:00If you're going to drop money on something expensive, then make sure it's worth itWorld's largest cut emerald to be auctioned off in Kelowna
The gem was never cut into smaller rocks for jewelry because it is opaque and not translucent. So the value resides in the fact it is so big, said [Jeff Nechka, owner of Premier Gems].Emeralds are one of the rarest gemstones on Earth. They're far, far rarer than diamonds. Only rubies, perhaps, are rarer than emeralds.
It's almost Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-70811001211564913782012-01-20T10:31:00.000-05:002012-01-20T10:31:42.122-05:00Quote of the day"Success lies in doing not what others consider to be great but what you consider to be right." -John GrayCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-10870670760376572032012-01-20T10:14:00.000-05:002012-01-20T10:14:40.788-05:00Just because you feel abused doesn't mean you really areWhy Taxes Aren’t as High as They Seem
The truth is that most households probably pay a lower rate than Mr. Romney. It is impossible to know for sure, given that he has yet to release his tax return. What is clear, though, is that a large majority of American households — about two out of three — pays less than 15 percent of income to the federal government, through either income taxes or payroll Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-44868120884099601732012-01-20T10:00:00.001-05:002012-01-20T10:25:55.291-05:00Not just an academic interest, but also a personal interestExperts were off, but Friday's forecast: rain, high of 47 — really
The Bellevue Reporter noted that the "hashtags" — a # plus a short name used on Twitter to help identify different threads of conversation — have changed as the storm progressed. In a condensed way, they tell the story of what we've been through:
"It started with #WAsnow, then it was #WAice, now we have #WAsnow, on top of #WAice,Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-2734782920965512532012-01-19T13:22:00.000-05:002012-01-19T13:22:40.089-05:00Regardless of gender, people react to inequality the sameMeghalaya, India: Where women rule, and men are suffragettes
"If you want to know how much the Khasis favour women just take a trip to the labour ward at the hospital," [Keith Pariat, President of Syngkhong-Rympei-Thymmai, Meghalaya's very own men's rights movement] says.
"If it's a girl, there will be great cheers from the family outside. If it's a boy, you will hear them mutter politely that,Cassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-15980555242086600792012-01-19T10:10:00.001-05:002012-01-19T10:48:07.301-05:00This affects single men as well, but in an entirely different wayThe new minority status at work: single woman without children
I don’t believe single, 40-plus men experience the world quite the way I do. There’s far more pressure from society for women to act a certain way and fill certain roles – namely, wife and mother. If she’s neither of those things a woman is sometimes pitied, or just regarded as odd. I’ve certainly started to feel my lack of ‘normalityCassienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445479349978069993.post-76567717351794541992012-01-19T08:28:00.000-05:002012-01-19T08:28:55.944-05:00Quote of the day"When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too." -Paulo CoelhoCassienoreply@blogger.com0