New Hardware Store in the Old Jones Pharmacy Building.

I am very excited about having a hardware store that I can walk to, or bring huge things home from on the Xtracycle. I was wondering how they were going to compete for parking lot space at Huckleberry's, but it looks like some possible parking spaces going in under the structure. Cool. As long as they have a decent bike rack.

It has been a great project to observe as it unfolds. It looks like it is going to be pretty upscale. I noticed this paint job on a metal column that has now been exposed. I wonder what the story is. It's on the east side, the one facing Monroe.

I like the design.

The gift that keeps on giving!

Last year at this time, my thoughts were on the Windermere Marathon. The course turned out to be quite short, requiring a turn around at the finish. Months later, I tried on my shirt and it proved to be a very strangely proportioned garment. When I contacted the organizers, they said they had many complaints and would get me a new one. This promise was a nice gesture.

This morning, I noticed an email saying that there would be fairly substantial charge on my credit card to "renew" membership to "Active Advantage." WTF? Who is this? So, after some log-in attempts to ascertain what this was all about, I finally found success. Active Advantage was the website in which I had to register for, you guessed it, the Windermere Marathon. That's how they had my credit card number.

I have to say that Active Advantage took care of the problem immediately, no questions asked (we'll see what the bank statement says in a few days). And I was able to enjoy this on-hold music for a while:



I sure hope the third time is the charm for the Windermere Marathon this year. I mean this. Yet, I might start wearing my shirt (never replaced) around town to help them advertise. It certainly would spur some conversation.

If you ran the marathon last year, you may want to check your junk email for "Active Advantage" and your credit card statement.

River Run 2011!

We didn't do the 50K, this year. Sarah did the 25K. I did the 10K and Ike did the 5K. We all did pretty good. I did 7:10 splits on the miles, which is faster than I expected running on the trails - way faster!

Really looking forward to Bloomsday. I am on the city's corporate cup team and was a little worried about how ready I would be for it. It's funny when you run for a team (even though I haven't met anyone on the team) how you can get a little worried about "letting the team down."

After the race I ran into a gal I recently met who was visiting from Baltimore plus neighbors, friends from work and even Hank!

On a strange note - I went for a swim afterward. I was getting dressed afterward and put on a pair of brand-new socks. I could feel something in one of them. Took the sock off and pulled out what looked to be a toenail. I thought this odd. It wasn't that long of a run. Which toenail did I lose? Upon examination, all my toenails were present.

When I returned home, I showed Sarah the toenail. She said, "I know exactly which toenail this." I said, "I know the one you're thinking of. It isn't it." Her incredulity prompted a quick sock removal. There was the suspect toenail, still intact, as I had stated. We are both flummoxed.

I wonder if these socks were returned.

They were made in the USA, so I know at least it's an American toenail.

Inspiration on a Saturday morning

Here.

Another great article and picture in the Spokesman-Review this morning!

A guy in Seattle wore a replica Civil War cap to work. In a twist, the work in which he was engaged was "unrelated" to any Civil War commemoration, according to the article. Now that is something!

I bet that people are going to start wearing caps to work that have nothing to do with what they are working on. Watch out!!

Xtracycle doodads

I confess I am, when it comes to bicycling bloggers, kind of lame.

I only have three bikes. I couldn't tell you what components are on them, who manufactured the tires, gear ratios or what. I bicycle year-round but not very well. I don't race. The fastest bike I own has a basket in front. I am not very good at maintaining my bikes. I oil the chains maybe twice a year, change my tires when the tubes keep getting punctured and put new brake pads on when the metal is on the metal. I've never built a wheel.

I think I would like to be more of an in-the-know cyclist, and maybe someday I will be. That being said, every year, I change up the Xtracycle. This usually occurs outside of winter when my thoughts of bicycling are less survivalistic and more optimistic. Because of my lack of bicycle mechanical smarts, the enhancements are usually along the lines of entertainment spectacles. One year it was the sound system. The next year it was the light show on the front wheel. Then there was the Christmas Tree. In a break from tradition, I did this one in the winter. Why not?

Two weeks ago, I put campus pedals on the long bike. Very nice. Also, after reading about John's experiences with sandals, I gots me some of them too. The pedals and sandals are both from Nashbar. I like the look of the sandals - an obvious USSR - North Korean joint venture. I was surprised at how much smoother the spd system is than what I am used to (Crank Brothers).

Other than being in class all last week (8am- 5pm) looking at stuff like this:


, I have been running long and swimming a lot. I am really looking forward to bicycling other than for transportation. That will come in May I think.

Today's "news" story makes me nostalgic for 2008 Posting and a side dish of MLK irony...

As usual, my big problem with the Spokesman-Review's push for the "Our Kids" stuff is their continual endorsement of candidates and positions responsible for hurting kids. In other words, their political ideology and money runs contra to their annual PR campaign.

But maybe I am seeing it all wrong. Perhaps, they have taken a deeper look than I:

Why is child abuse so prevalent in the United States? One reason is poverty. Why is there poverty in the USA when it is such a prosperous nation? Because there aren't enough tax breaks for wealthy individuals and corporations? Because the minimum wage is too high? Damned unions? Maybe this violence is more of a mindset. Is it because our nation overly models nonviolence and diplomacy when it deals with other nations? Maybe our justice system needs to be tougher.

Why are our drop-out rates so high? Because teachers have too small of class size? Because teachers belong to unions?

Why are our kids not getting proper medical care? The specter of socialized medicine? Sure, health insurance companies are the only "industry" exempt from anti-trust laws. But, maybe allowing them to price fix is not good enough. What more can we do for them? If we could just get union workers to give up more health care benefits, wouldn't this help the kids?

Why are our kids malnourished? Free lunch and breakfast programs at schools? You would have thought allowing commodity speculation for our basic food needs would have helped bring the cost of food down, much like how speculators are always bringing the price of gasoline down. Maybe if we could deregulate the financial markets more. I mean what could happen?

Why are our kids homeless? See above.

At least we can all thank our lucky stars that we don't have to pay a penny more on tax for a can of pop. Think about what that would have done to the kids!

I am looking forward to the parade on Sunday. It is the 43rd anniversary of Dr. King's speech supporting the striking union sanitation workers in Memphis. He was assassinated the next day.

Will the Spokesman-Review talk about MLK's support of unions, his support of the antiwar movement, his campaign against the economic system of the time (one which has tilted much more to the right)? J. Edgar Hoover's FBI labeled King a communist for his political beliefs and actions. I would imagine that had a lot to do with his assassination, as well.

Incidentally, the union workers belonged to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO. Reading the SR's recent editorials about public sector unions, I wonder if the Spokesman-Review editorial staff will have a sense of irony when they eulogize MLK this weekend. It would be great to read some articles and editorials they printed BEFORE Dr. King's assassination. That would really be something!

Enough ranting for today about our beloved newspaper. But, if you want to read some historical ranting on the subject, please continue:

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Spokesman-Review's pinwheels are made by Chinese child laborers...

Ironically the factory uses the same slogan "Our kids: Our business."

















Can I prove this? No. But, let's face it, there are probably no pinwheel factories left in the US of A. Spokane lost its pinwheel plant back in '57.

This SR campaign really bugs me. I think it is very self-serving in that they create their own "news." Even the great Cheryl-Ann Milsap has been forced to write about the pinwheels... in the sun... with the wind.

More than anything, I know, from my job, that there are many kids whose future is quite bleak. It makes you sick and sad when you meet these children who really have the deck stacked against them.

Yet, the Spokesman-Review continues to endorse political candidates and political positions that have a direct correlation to the crappy conditions that these kids find themselves in. Instead of changing their political stance to help these kids, they give us pinwheels.

It's much like the SUV drivin' folks who voted for Bush not once, but twice, and are directly responsible for sending our kids to war. They will put a made-in-china "support the troops" magnet on their SUV and call it good.

Spokane lost its yellow ribbon magnet factory back in '73, I believe.

In other countries, do you think they placate the masses with magnets, ribbons and pinwheels as an answer to real problems, or do they act with political resolve to fix the problem?

Sorry about the political rant. I know that's not why you read this cyber-rag, but I feel better now.

Wrecking Ball at the Y

If you have small children, and if they were anything like me (I am sorry), take them down to Riverfront Park today because it is a kid's dream come true. The river is churning and the Y is getting repeatedly whacked by a wrecking ball. The crane now sits where the old dispatch center used to be.

I had some problems with the video, but you can still hear some good thuds over the river chorus.

Cutting Edge Prosthetics

After an incident at work last week, I was sent this brochure.

It's hard to tell if this rookie cyborg was assigned to do car buffing work or industrial lighting. Maybe it's a laser bazooka. That would totally be worth it.

Signs of Spring!

Spokesman-Review gives world first glimpse of suspected MLK Bomber....

OK. I know this is not Breaking-News, or News-As-It-Happens, or Doppler-2000-Plus-Story-Tracker, but I've been busy!

Have you seen this man?

No, he wasn't a guest on King of the Hill or Beavis and Butthead. Here is a photo:


I usually like Molly Quinn's illustrations, but this looks like something that they forgot to task her with until 5 minutes before going to press:

If I were the judge, I think this would be my Christmas Card photo:

Maybe Molly has had enough of the S-R's crap. One can almost sense the desperation and anger in the close-up of the witness stand as it bleeds into the defendant's table. Symbolism?

Or maybe she has taken a note from Bill Keane and is on vacation, and "Little Molly" is filling in.


There is a story behind this story. Perhaps a "Konnect with Kleck" segment is in order. He's pretty sharp. The other night he talked about how he suspected something was not right when someone was calling senior citizens and asking them for their bank account numbers. Q6 keeps using the illustration of Harpham so maybe Kleck will investigate.

Funny Online Headline in this morning's SR

Household/Community Repair and Retrofitting

Spring, for me, if the usual time to start thinking about house repair stuff. Yesterday I met with Joel Williamson from The Spokane Alliance. Their latest project, one that has been going on for some time, is SustainableWorks. And, if you're thinking about any repair or retrofitting to your home this summer or spring, you may want to give them a call.

In a nutshell, you can get a home energy audit from them for $95 (fully refundable if they don't recommend any improvements) and includes installation of CFL light bulbs, shower heads and faucet aerators to start saving wasted energy $$$ immediately. This audit is a $650 value. If you decide to get some improvements made, they will act as the general contractor, and will put union workers to the task of doing the retrofitting you want done. The people doing the work are journey level workers who are receiving training and supervision while they make a living. SustainableWorks will even line up the financing and take care of all the paperwork for you. So what is the expected outcome of the project?

120 direct full-time jobs
25 apprentice positions and direct employment pathways
3,000 ton reduction of carbon emissions
$12 million in retrofit work.

To date, 200 journey level workers have received special energy systems training and 50 have been trained in energy auditing,

Throughout Washington, SustainableWorks has audited over 500 homes and completed over 200 retrofits. 85 of these retrofits have occurred in two neighborhoods in Spokane.

Your home must be in Lynwood-Edmonds, Shoreline or Spokane to qualify. Yes, if you own a rental, it can qualify too.

SustainableWorks is increasing good-paying union jobs, decreasing energy consumption and building up our community of Spokane from the grassroots. How cool is that?

If you want more information, you can click on the link or give them a call at 532-1688.

Labor Rally Last Friday

It was cold!

Two-hundred or so union members and their supporters showed up to wave signs at the triangle where Ruby, Division and North River Drive come together. I couldn't believe how many drivers honked horns and waved back. It was great!

It's easy to forget that Spokane has the labor movement entrenched in its founding and growth. No surprise that as union membership dwindled in Spokane, so did the general prosperity of the city. Mining, timber, the railroads, and of course, aluminum built a Spokane with a thriving middle class.


You can look it up for yourself. The overall prosperity of the individual in this country reached its peak coincidentally with the peak of union participation. Although, there weren't as many billionaires, failed banks, investment scams, unemployed, and medical bankruptcies either. Hmmmm.


The Wobbly Free Speech Movement put Spokane on the map for showing how much the authorities despised unions and how willing they were to persecute them. Look at some of the old newspapers from the time. The Spokesman-Review led the pack, calling for violence and worse against union members. The governor in Wisconsin is resurrecting this spirit, in a way that I don't think even the most fascist-leaning, turn-of-the-century Spokanite would have bought into.


Let's see Governor Walker, you give tax breaks to your benefactors to put the state budget into the hole. This deficit allows you to conveniently blame union employees and their meager pensions for the problem and go after their money, their rights and their political clout. Sad that so many who have been chewed up and spit out by these same forces continue to cheer on those who destroyed them and gleefully anticipate destruction for those who have fought on their behalf. Unbelievable that there are voters in Wisconsin who look to failing (education, health, employment, finances, standard of living) states in the south as their new model because it fits their Koch-brother-sponsored talk-radio, FOX News ideology.


Here in Spokane, the first gathering of firefighters to organize a union resulted in an instantaneous firing of those members, almost a hundred years ago. In fact, Local 29 - The Spokane Fire Fighters' Union celebrates its 93 year year birthday tomorrow. It was one of the original founding locals of the International Association of Firefighters, hence the low number of "29." They are now up to Local 4780.



There was a small article in the Spokesman-Review yesterday about the rally. Thank you SR! The TV news outlets, however, were pretty silent about it. Although on KREM, yesterday, they had a five-minute story, with an in-depth interview, about a guy who was waving a sign on Division to get people to come into a furniture store for a sale. It was cold outside. I kid you not. That was the story.

The Onion has nothing on us!

We Are One - Rally Today!

Corner of Ruby, Division and N. River Drive - 4:30 - 5:30 pm

We Are Wisconsin from Finn Ryan on Vimeo.

Cat and dog spooning - End Times!!

One more reason Time Bomb is a favorite store!

For many years I have been on a quest. I've haunted Value Village, Goodwill, Craig's List and eBay. Yet, I came up empty handed every time. Last weekend was the Spokane Firefighters Credit Union Dinner, otherwise known as "The Prom." I needed it and I needed it bad. But, I knew that, chances were, I would come up, once again, empty handed.

Value Village - nothing. I say to Sarah, "Let's just make one stop at Time Bomb. I think I am going to strike out again..." She agrees.

And there it was. One leisure suit. It looks like it was tailor-made for me. A Levis brand. It appears to be denim. No. Wait, It's double knit polyester! I can't believe it. What an incredible day.

Reactions at the dinner were mixed. From "Holy shit, where did you find that?" to "Oh. Hi, John."

It is amazing and, once again, Time Bomb ROCKS!!!!!!"

Oh yeah. Sarah looks pretty good too. Don't you think?

Decaying snowman waves goodbye to the Y as it is being dismantled

I believe this is the only remaining Christmas decoration from the old popular Hangman Golf Course extravaganza. The city sold the rest of the decorations to Coeur d'Alene where they cash in on them every year.

Every year, the snowman has more and more burned out bulbs, but he still waved to me on my way to work yesterday. Be of good cheer Brave Snowman! You still brighten my ride.

That's the river you hear in the background.

Swedish Swim Goggles

First read about these in Cool Tools here.

The first thing you notice about these goggles is that there is no rubber gasket between you and the plastic of the goggle. How do they maintain a seal? I don't know, but they do - better than any goggle I have ever used.

After the swim, my eyes don't look like someone has been punching them for the entire time (unless someone has). I bought a pair of nonfogs for about $3. They are super cheap and come in just about every color.

It looks like I have been shilling for SwimOutlet the last two posts. I wish. I like their service and they have a lot of stuff you aren't going to find around Spokane. I just returned something recently, so we'll see if the honeymoon is over.

Swimovate Pool-Mate Swimming Computer

For a long time I have been thinking there has to be a better way to count laps. I make my turn and then I say to myself the number of the lap I am now swimming. Or is it the lap number I just finished? Shit. Round down. Don't do that again. Turn. Arrrrgggggghhhhhh.

So, I found this watch. It costs around a hundred bucks. There is an upgraded version for $200.

When I opened the box I was amazed at how chintzy it felt. It had a plastic goodness to it that you might find in a watch costing 10 times less. The LCD numbers look like they may have been scrounged from surplus Soviet gopher trap detonators.

The confusing instructions were loaded with helpful hints like "If you find that the 'computer' did not count your lap, try extending your arm for a longer time after each turn. This is also a great way to take a little rest." Huh?

It was hard to ignore repeated warnings of - WHATEVER YOU DO - DO NOT, REPEAT, DO NOT - PRESS ANY BUTTONS WHILE "COMPUTER" IS UNDER WATER!!!!

So how did it actually work? It worked fantastically, thank you.

It just clicks off every turn you make. My only complaint is that it only records 99 "sets." It takes 72 "sets" in a 25 yard pool to make a mile. Not a big deal in that all you have to do is reset the watch after every mile. Of course, you will have to keep track of your overall miles. Maybe there is an underwater abacus available for this purpose. Note to self...