Yes, I’ve been remiss in keeping TofuWatch.com up to date with good stuff and noteworthy posts.

So, here then, is a photo of a street lamp in my neighborhood – complete with snow falling in front of the light and icicles hanging before the eye.

If you live outside the Seattle area and haven’t seen the weather, it snowed on Monday in this slice of the Pacific Northwest. Two words: Stay warm.

I’ve been busy with a few odds and ends recently. But certainly, a flying car – in 2010 – will catch my attention.

The people at Terrafugia are the brains behind this flying vehicle, the Transition, which has received much online and television attention.

I should note that while it captures human attention, there was another flying car from Moulton B. Taylor of Longview, Wash. It was called the Aerocar – and yes, newsreel cameras captured it flying in the 1950s.

The Aerocar is on display at The Museum of Flight in Seattle. And I will say this about the Terrafugia Transition – it is inspiring.

Oh, yes. You also can own a flying hovercraft, if you like.

I’ll get to more blog entries as soon as I can. I know there’s much to talk about these days.

If you only look up at the Victorian architecture in this city that borders the Puget Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca, you might miss a fascinating human-powered vehicle.

That’s right – this red-and-white tricycle with hearts, beefy tires with fins in the rear, a long-necked steering wheel and wooden pontoons that would make any floating bridge engineer happy.

And you know what?

It apparently works – on land, sand, mud and water, according to a sign left on it.

It’s a kinetic sculpture that the artist left in front of some apartments until its next temporary home can be found.

My parents, wife and son visited Port Townsend in early June. My dad, son and I wandered off looking at the water and the great architectural sites that this city has to offer.

Then, for some reason, we spotted the tricycle, sitting across from these buildings.

I’m sure the Victorian-era building has much history for a visitor to learn. But for some reason, I kept studying the kinetic sculpture tricycle.

After all, it had everything a bicycle has – plus more.

It had a derailleur, crankset, turning mechanism, horn. You name it, it looked like it was there.

It looks just as fun to ride as I’m sure it was to build.

The only catch, of course, is that I didn’t have the chance to take it out for a spin – on the nearby beach and in the water.

That being said, though, my son enjoyed sitting on it for a few minutes. He pretended to drive it around – which was cool with me.

For decades, I’ve found human-powered vehicles to be fascincating, partially because you question whether a goal will actually be reached.

Of course, you rejoice when it is accomplished, whether that’s in the air or on the water.

And this red-and-white multipurpose tricycle and boat just looks great – so much so that I kind of overdosed on taking and posting images of it.

But think about how much fun you’d have riding that to your office, the store or school.

Like I’ve said before: Let the good times roll.

Given the number of colorful floppy disks attached to the Honda Civic at the Seattle Artcar Blowout, one question needs to be asked: Is a memory stick car soon to be created?

The artcar show is was part of this weekend’s Fremont Fair in Seattle - and before my family and I left Saturday, we walked around in search of some good-looking cars that have been given the tender, loving care that only artists can give to their creations.

And smiles came to our faces when we spotted the whimsical, colorful vehicles sitting in a parking lot.

Diskdrv caught my attention not only for the colorful, square-shaped disks that made an older Honda look, in a sense, like a dot-inspired painting but also for the details.

Yes, when I was younger, I never used the floppy disks that the artist attached to the hood – but my friend, Martin, and his family used them with their old IBM.

But when I was in high school and college, I used those smaller, plastic-covered floppy disks that are seen on the car’s bumper.

Man, I thought those disks were the coolest at the time. I even had a plastic box to hold all of those smaller floppy disks.

Keep in mind that my family once owned an Apple Lisa.

As for the car’s details?

Well, the car’s hubcaps and rear bumper have what appear to be AMD chips from the 1990s, as you see photographed below.

Some of the AMD chips actually have “1996″ stamped on them.

Let’s see, now. Where would that year fall on my Information in a Box timeline?

It’s the timeline I made last year so I could remember points in time and what type of technology or medium I used for news and information.

Yes, in 1996, I was fortunate enough to have been backpacking in China – and lugging an Apple PowerBook 520 laptop (yes, complete with floppy disks).

And in the Other Details Department: The car’s artist attached keyboard pieces around the windows.

In addition, this car is or once was able to park at the Ballard Health Club.

So, if you think about it, what you’re looking at is a combination of old-school high technology, artistic creativity, a fuel-efficient car and a nod to good exercising.

All great things, if you think about it as a whole or on an individual level.

Art Car Central, a blog, has a short interview with the maker of the car.

I wonder whether anyone who once owned one of those floppy disks has ever recognized it on the car and said to the artist: “Hey, that’s the disk I used in 1995!”

And on a closing note, I leave you with The Cars and their popular song about letting the good times roll.

Suffice it to say, all sorts of people attended Saturday’s festivities of the Fremont Fair in the Seattle neighborhood known for, well, bringing a lively, creative bounce to the city.

My family and I were among the masses, um, people.

You can catch other images from the annual parade and fair at other sites that cover Seattle in closer detail. While we were there, we bought our son a bottle of juice – and I know many types of juice like to boast of their goodness in a pure, genuine, unclothed sense.

There’s even a Seattle-based company that plainly states in the open what it is: Naked Juice.

So, if you’re following my hints and have never visited Seattle before, you get the idea of the types of people who might have strolled about or paraded on two wheels before the crowds.

As the saying in the photograph on top says: Wherever you go, there you are.

Or as I like to say: If you have nowhere to go, you’re never really lost.

We opted, well, for the basic type of fun - it was relaxing to stroll along the pavement and soak up the atmosphere. After all, no one can ever beat being at the Center of the Universe.

As you can guess, just about anytime I spot what looks like a Chinese dragon, I’ll stop and look.

I’ll admit it: I have not seen wooden toys – particularly tops – in years. I actually bought one for my son. We’ve spun it once or twice. But more spinning is on our agenda.

My son asked a balloon twister to make a dinosaur, which is photographed above.

And I like the balloon twister’s balloon-twisted hat so much that I’ve included a photograph of it – and the twister in action – below.

Over the past year, I’ve taken many digital snapshots of Seattle. If you’re interested, links to them can be found here.

Yes, after seeing the clip above, the only thing I’m waiting for is an actual online video game in which a person can go to Google maps (or some version of them), pick out a car and drive it (virtually) in a city just like this great video from Honest Directors.

Such a video game might actually exist. But you know, I’m a bit old school. I might be out of the loop.

Ah, yes: Google maps. You can do much with them these days. I actually still have paper maps of China, if you can believe that.

In fact, the whole online world has created a cavalcade (if you will) of online information that can inundate and wash over someone or something rather quickly.

A minor point: TechCrunch is certainly a leader in online news and blogging, especially with that AT&T news. But, um, the image used with this post is somewhat dated. I like the idea and understand it. I also like the old no matter what form it takes.

But the uniforms and equipment are much more modern. There’s also a huge push for more modern buildings – in some areas and in some cases, that has created, well, some discussions.

You know: Out with the old. In with the new. Or something like that.

I gotta run. And if I could merge reality with the imagined – or the layers and ideas between those two realms – I’d do so in a car which zooms down the street on Google maps.

Since I don’t get back to China as often as I’d like, I plan to watch construction, as projects develop, with the help of, yes, Google maps.

As a side note, I like color, too, especially the lucky color of red. And fun is good, as are serious topics.

It is tempting to post a consecutive string of stop-motion clips of various sights because, well, they’re so fun to make.

I was ready to move on to other types of postings since I made stop-motion clips of a larger-than-normal chess match and Snoqualmie Falls in the past few days.

But then, I spotted a pretty big jar of kimchi at a local Korean grocery store. We’ve bought seaweed salad, seasoned squid and kimchi there before. My wife suggested that I buy more kimchi. This $10 jar seemed to fit our needs. We didn’t have any and it was an easy move to replenish our supply.

I know there are some seriously rocky sectors remaining in the U.S. economy. Of course, I hope the country’s economic picture picks up. At the store, I looked at the jar kimchi and thought: Yes, a $10 jar of spicy, garlicky Korean-style cabbage really is a solid investment – at least for us.

I did say that my wife is fighting a cold. Right?

I’ve written about kimchi in the past – including a woman in South Korea who has invented an odorless version and a delicious tuna, tofu and kimchi dish. I first ate that kimchi dish back in 1998.

So, kimchi in and of itself is not new at TofuWatch.

But combining it with stop-motion photography, I thought, might be something different.

I mean, in a strange way, I thought a spinning, moving jar of kimchi would be compelling.

Then again, I like food – especially from Asia.

I know my parents and older sister (and yes, my wife, too) might think that I somehow have too much time such that I can make a stop-motion clip using a big jar of kimchi.

Well, my answer to that would be this: If life lacks fun, humor, memories and meaning, well, then it’s just a series of connected events that unfolds before you.

Life is kind of leading you.

You take each step. You go through the motions of eating and living but if you can’t appreciate it or smile, then, well, you’re kind of missing out on the good stuff of life.

My other answer to having too much time would be this: Yes, I do find time to post blog items. But these days, I also have access to more technology.

Plus: In life, nothing can be something.

And don’t the stop-motion images of the jar of kimchi remind you of a robot? Or is it just me?

I’ll post more serious topics soon.

I hope everyone is enjoying Memorial Day.

It might be easy to criticize many U.S. suburbs for lacking a central public square – where you can sit, people watch and enjoy the type of civic life that other cities offer.

But in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, there is one place that’s worth visiting – Crossroads Bellevue, a mall that offers a large, boisterous food court with plenty of offerings, a stage with live music and a great larger-than-normal chess board.

Yes, it is not a grand square that many European cities have and it’s not a central place such as Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

The mall is close to Microsoft’s headquarters. So, since Microsoft has been able to attract top talent from around the world, you’ll see the same type of representation in the people who play chess and gather for meals.

But it is a place that has a vibrant pace to it – and that’s what suburbs, as well as big cities, need.

It’s safe to say that on any day, you probably have people from Europe and Asia (both east and south), as well as long-time Seattle area residents and others from different parts of the globe who gather at the mall.

The larger-than-normal chess board has always attracted me since I’ve lived in the Seattle area.

When I saw these two men playing, I decided to mix their contemplated moves with stop motion.

What struck me, as I looked at the stop motion series of images, is that it looks like one player seems to be shuffling, as in dancing (though he really isn’t).

What the faster speed doesn’t allow you to see though is the contemplative pauses that each player took before making a move. There could be a few minutes of people just sitting and watching.

Then, one player would move and sometimes take another player’s chess piece. Almost instantly, the other player would return the favor.

Strange as it may seem to say this but it is good to see people using their brains and just hanging out over an old-fashioned game on a Saturday evening.

For years, there has always been that emphasis on going out to bars and trendy restaurants to enjoy the nightlife. That’s great if you like that.

But there are people who enjoy doing other things.

When I lived in Berkeley, Calif. for a summer, I would visit all the great bookstores – sometimes three to four on a weekend evening – and just sit and read what was there. Then, I’d leave.

Of course, I often would head to Blondie’s Pizza for an inexpensive slice of cheese pizza.

What the camera didn’t catch at Crossroads were tables of other people playing chess (on much smaller boards) or cards.

We showed up at Crossroads because we were heading home and needed to grab some dinner.

As I saw the two chess players, as well as all the people who were watching, I thought: Yes, watch chess – in addition to tofu.

In a way, the Saturday evening chess match also made me happy in a way – that people were pursuing a game that requires some thought and on a weekend night.

Years ago, when I was in graduate school, I always wondered if my study group and I were out of the ordinary when we were spending our Friday and Saturday evenings to finish our problem sets.

There were some Friday and Saturday evenings in which we couldn’t find seats in the libraries – yes, plural – to study.

As I took the photographs of this chess match, a boy stood next to his dad. The two analyzed each player’s move. Wow, I thought, people really do like this game.

When I later showed my son and wife, they liked the match, too.

UPDATE: Speaking of chess, if you didn’t see this third-grade student from Seattle play against 16 of his classmates, have a look at this video from The Seattle Times. By the way, he won all the matches. I’m impressed.

There was so much rain and wind in the Seattle area that when I pumped some gas today, I saw at least three people wearing hoods from their jackets.

Ah, yes. Late May 2010. Seattle area, USA. Good times.

Last Friday, I thought it would be a good time to watch Akebono sing Journey. This Friday, I thought it would be interesting to look at rain from inside our car.

Rain is essential, right?

Earlier this month, it was so sunny that my family I visited the International Fountain near the Space Needle for a great afternoon of outdoor fun.

Watching rainy weather, for some reason, brought back memories of that old television show, WKRP in Cincinnati.

Why?

The comedy show’s newsman, Les Nessman, enjoyed reporting eyewitness events. As I recall, he stood at his office window, looked outside and either reported the traffic or weather.

Like I said: Good times.

I couldn’t find that particular episode. But I’ve included part of the pilot.

Anything that can make people stop and think about themselves, their surroundings and others nearby really can serve the public good.

Art, photography, architecture and even the news media can fill these societal niches – which hopefully will help us think in new, more broad ways.

So, I’m sure the sidewalk art video produced by Brian Stillman and posted on NYPost.com last week has produced page views as well as questions and thoughts.

Why?

Well, in the video, a mysterious street artist drew a white stripe down Fifth Avenue, between 22nd and 23rd streets. One side is labeled “NEW YORKERS.” The other is designated for “TOURISTS.”

The words are in big white lettering. They make all of us think.

The message is clear: Tourists are a bunch of slow-moving people who gawk and gaze once they hit the city and really are similar to countryfolk who marvel at anything that New York has to offer.

A few years ago, they might even stop, point and yell: “Look! There’s Bernie Madoff.”

And locals, well, are a speedy bunch who need to get to places, like, last week. So: “Outta my way!”

Stillman does a great job of including a variety of opinions in the piece and includes the important fact that tourism brings in money and can actually transform a fast-changing, on-the-edge place.

One thing, though, is that Stillman overlooks the buildings around the area where the stripe mysteriously appeared.

If Google maps is correct, the stripe is near the Flatiron Building – which is a great triangular piece of architecture.

View Larger Map

For some reason – and I’m going out on a limb here by guessing – but humans really love triangular – or odd shaped – architecture.

Or I should be more precise: I like traingular architecture.

So, in a sense, when you have something that is different – and especially in a place that is so famous – you’re going to have, well, out-of-towners stop, look and raise their cameras.

In the past, I’ve pointed out the interesting geometric shapes of the CCTV tower in Beijing, the International Forum in Tokyo and the Central Library in Seattle.

Yes, even in Seattle, there is the Triangle Pub and floors above it – and each time I’m near the building, I try and make it a point to look at it, well, because many of the buildings around it are square or rectangle in shape.

In fact, the Triangle Pub building is so noteworthy that it is on the National Register of Historic Places, according to the National Park Service.

And if a LEGO replica is a sign of flattery and success, well, then the Triangle Pub building has arrived, as evidenced by the creation pictured below.

Seattle's Triangle Pub building is seen here in a depiction by a LEGO artist. The actual Triangle Pub in Seattle is an offshoot of the famous Flatiron Building on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Image source: Puriri deVry's photostream on flickr.

But I digress.

In terms of that dividing line on Fifth Avenue, it makes sense in one way: It is efficient.

It reminds me of going up those escalators and there are people who want to stand. They either move to their right or left (I forgot exactly which side).

Then, those who need to sprint up the moving escalator – say, you’re late for a meeting – can do so on the other side.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg reportedly commented on the line. But Ben Fractenberg of DNAinfo pointed out that Bloomberg might not have fully understood the line’s meaning.

I’ve been fortunate enough to live in New York City years ago. Yes, the city is crowded. On Canal Street in Manhattan’s Chinatown, I often walked near the curb to make my way from place to place.

Once, when I was near Times Square, I saw a bulky guy become frustrated at some slow-moving women who were soaking in the sights and noise that New York City has to offer the world.

After he passed them he turned, raised his arms a bit and yelled – and loud enough that I perked up: “You must be from Ohio!”

And I thought, as we say now: Classy.

I was also in New York City after the September 11th terrorist attacks. One thing I do remember: People from around the country – from cities and towns of all shapes – rallied to give their support to the people of New York City.

So, did other people from around the world.

And you know what? People around the world consider New York City to be the World’s Capital – and they are going to visit.

Yes, they might walk too slowly for your fast, hurry-it-up, you’re-in-my-way pace of life.

So, when I hear that one New Yorker say on that NYPost.com video that he knocks tourists down when they’re in his way, I think about karma.

It’s a good thing that people from New York City don’t like visiting other cities and countries – say, as tourists in Beijing or Shanghai.

Then again, people in China really are expected to speak and spell English correctly because, well, the country is opening to the world.

And there are so many mistakes that a native English speaker in China can spot.

Right?

UPDATE: I forgot that not all sidewalks that look open to the public actually fit the bill.