Author Archives: Jim deMaine

Ah, that pizza

Posted on January 25, 2025 by Jim deMaine
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What to know about Lunar New Year traditions

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Jim deMaine

JiaYing Grygiel – Special to The Seattle Times (thanks to Marilyn W.) Jan. 1 has come and gone, but Lunar New Year is right around the corner, celebrated by some 2 billion people around the world. The Year of the … Continue reading →

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Short Sighted

Posted on January 23, 2025 by Jim deMaine

thanks to MaryLou P. Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.— “Popular Mechanics,” forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949 I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.— Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, … Continue reading →

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The Pediatrician’s Lament

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Eleanor R. Menzin, M.D. in The New England Journal of Medicine “It’s your fault!” the renowned infectious disease attending told the cluster of students and residents. In the late 1990s, the varicella vaccine was relatively new, and uptake was disappointingly low. “You … Continue reading →

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Listening?

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Jim deMaine
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Commentary on Day One

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Ed note: Somehow the Trump cartoons don’t seem funny to me anymore. They reflect the negativity that is now reality and evoke sadness rather than humor. Historian Heather Cox Richardson helps me see the present in an historical context. As … Continue reading →

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In Praise of California

Posted on January 21, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Paul Krugman in Krugman Wonks Out (thanks to Kate B.) One of the unwritten rules of American politics is that it’s OK to sneer at and smear our big cities and the people who live in them, while it’s an … Continue reading →

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How Trump “Won”

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Michael Podhorzer (thanks to Kate B.) With all the ballots counted and all the races decided, in today’s post, I want to unpack what we already know about how Trump “won” the popular vote.1 I use quotes around the word “won” … Continue reading →

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Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman wants attention on Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and not his own trailblazing

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Freeman will be the first Black head coach in an FBS national championship, which occurs Jan. 20 on Martin Luther King Jr. Day By Shehan Jeyarajah (thanks to Pam P.) Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman is set to become the first Black head coach … Continue reading →

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Two great presidents’ masterful inaugural speeches

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Jim deMaine

By David Adler in the Seattle Times Special to The Idaho Statesman When Donald Trump assumes office Monday, as the 47th president of the United States, he will mark the solemn occasion with an inaugural address. While not required by the … Continue reading →

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Yes, there are heroes

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson You hear sometimes, now that we know the sordid details of the lives of some of our leading figures, that America has no heroes left. When I was writing a book about the Wounded Knee … Continue reading →

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Advent Calendar

Posted on January 19, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Ed M. Just 97 Mondays until Mid Term Elections…

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Protecting friends and neighbors from illegal searches

Posted on January 19, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Linda T. Dear Friend, You may have seen the reports that the Trump Administration is planning a large-scale deportation of immigrants from blue “sanctuary cities.” We must be prepared to protect our friends and neighbors from illegal searches … Continue reading →

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Quelle bouquet!

Posted on January 19, 2025 by Jim deMaine
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When the Retirement Community Goes Bankrupt

Posted on January 19, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Ed note: There is a natural tension between Leading Age, the industry lobby group for CCRC’s, and WaCCRA, the residents voice for the state of Washington (NaCCRA is the national organization). Years ago when I was unsuccessfully trying to have … Continue reading →

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An American tragedy: how Biden paved the way for Trump’s White House return

Posted on January 18, 2025 by Jim deMaine

From The Guardian by David Smith – Thanks to Frank C. To admirers, Biden will remain one of the most consequential one-term presidents in US history – to detractors, he was undone by a fatal flaw His back straight, his … Continue reading →

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Dick’s Drive-In begins serving Seattle hamburgers on January 28, 1954.

Posted on January 17, 2025 by Jim deMaine

In History Link – thanks to Pam P. On January 28, 1954, Dick’s Drive-In opens to begin serving hamburgers, french fries, and milkshakes on NE 45th Street in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood. Dick’s comes to represent the quintessential 1950s, a cross … Continue reading →

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The Santa Claus Stages of Life

Posted on January 15, 2025 by Jim deMaine

THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE  1) You believe in Santa Claus. 2) You don’t believe in Santa Claus. 3) You are Santa Claus. 4) You look like Santa Claus 🙂

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Sorry I’m booked

Posted on January 15, 2025 by Jim deMaine
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How Jimmy Carter’s love of music helped launch his presidential campaign

Posted on January 14, 2025 by Jim deMaine

By Abi Inman (thanks to Pam P.) July 21, 1978: President Jimmy Carter greets Willie Nelson, left, after watching the star country and western music singer perform in a concert at the Merriweather Post Pavillion at Columbia, Md. Charles Tasnadi/Associated Press … Continue reading →

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The National Zoo’s giant pandas make the most of D.C.’s snow

Posted on January 13, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Pam P. The National Zoo’s latest giant panda residents basked in the downpour of snow that blanketed Washington, D.C., on Monday, giving onlookers a view into the playtime of the two furry bears ahead of their Jan. 24 public debut. … Continue reading →

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Canadian dolphin

Posted on January 13, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Cyndi W.

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A picture tells the story

Posted on January 13, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Mike C.

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The peaks from the Cascade Tower’s rooftop

Posted on January 13, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Taken and labeled by friend and mountain climber John Roper.

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Can you read cursive? It’s a superpower the National Archives is looking for.

Posted on January 12, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY If you can read cursive, the National Archives would like a word. Or a few million. More than 200 years worth of U.S. documents are in need of transcribing (or at least classifying) and the vast … Continue reading →

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