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.
In December, I wrote about Edith Macefield, the late Seattle resident, and her refusal to take $1 million from a developer for her house. That prompted crews to build around that structure.
Her actions later sparked online chatter in China – about a homeowner in Seattle who said no to developers – because a Chengdu area woman ended her life when she was forced to move so developers could begin work.
As you can see in the video and story from The New York Times, the issue remains hot, especially among ordinary people who are being pushed from their homes.
In China, a “nail house” is one in which the owner refuses to leave and make way for development. Fair compensation for the property is often a sticking point.
Certainly, I appreciate The New York Times for covering this issue, especially since its journalists were detained, and for letting people embed the video on websites.
UPDATE: The Times was letting people embed this video after I first saw it. But the company has since removed the code from its website. I should add that my site is free of advertisements.
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.
My thanks to Gil Asakawa for posting this on his blog, Nikkei View. He also gives his thoughts about Akebono, sumo wrestling and the clip.
Yes, I remember Akebono, the sumo champ who was born in Hawaii. He made it, um, big in Japan.
I admit that I owned albums (as a kid)Â by Journey. But I’ve never watched “Glee.”
Oh, yes. This video, in a way, reminds me of the fun exhibited in this trailer, which is part of the Chinatown Film Project in New York City. And Asakawa spotted the Akebono clip on Angry Asian Man.
UPDATE: The original video that I saw on Nikkei View has been removed by the YouTube user. I’ve posted the same video from another YouTube user. AsianCorrespondent.com gives context on the issue of Akebono, the former sumo champ who sings, if you’re interested.
In recent months, I’ve found myself gravitating toward this site’s crystal clear videos – many of which cover fascinating topics, the pinnacle of power and behind-the-scene glimpses at a world I typically don’t see.
The professionally-made videos tell a story as well as capture historic moments. Plus, there are plenty of videos from which to choose.
In the world of online convergence, the planets have aligned in a surprisingly precise way with the YouTube show, Cooking With Dog.
A gray dog, named Francis, serves as the show’s host, sits next to a human friend and speaks English without moving its lips to help other people (that would be you, me and anyone else who watches) in making what looks like some delicious Japanese food.
My thanks to Todd Bishop at TechFlash for posting this insightful TEDx chat last month by science-fiction author Greg Bear.
It involves the brain and thinking. And the questions and ideas that Bear raises do require some thought.
Does too much information – dare I ask it – need some type of editor or online guide or moderator? What should be off limits? When we talk about a free flow of information, what do we mean by that?
Speaking of information and monitoring, there are sensors that help police locate gunfire. In the future, the bicycle and camera might be redesigned. Journalists and cooks might come in new forms.
Also on TechFlash, John Cook posted an entry about the founder of TechCrunch moving to the Seattle area.
And the last time I typed the letters TED, it was about the Rhode Island School of Design president growing up in a tofu factory in Seattle’s International District.
When my family and I went to Saturday’s Opening Day event in Seattle, I didn’t expect any surprise. We just wanted to have a fun day during the event that kicks off the summer boating season in the region.
We saw the annual event last year and, as a journalist, I once covered the parade of boats.
But then I saw a custom-designed rowboat pass in front of us – with two tall guys standing. I thought: Hey, I think I interviewed those guys. The shape of their boat – with two enclosed ends – looked familiar.
Researchers in China have designed a robotic wok - capable of serving hundreds of dishes. What about mapo tofu? That remains unclear, according to a Xinhua news article. Photo source: Xinhua
I’ve said this many times: I know there are serious topics in the world today.
But since I launched this blog last year, I’ve talked about how mapo tofu – and its spicy, sweat-inducing, numbing taste – is one of my favorite foods around.
With the right amounts of garlic, chili and Sichuan peppercorn, your cold can be down on the ground in minutes.
And robots? Well, robots have found new popularity – thanks to the online world’s ability to connect homosapiens with mechanical discoveries.
Now, thanks to Alaric Bien, a friend who pointed this out, it looks like there’s a robot that can use a wok like the best chef around and knows how to whip up more than 600 dishes.
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