Author Archives: Jim deMaine

The Anvil Cloud

Posted on September 7, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Dick Thompson for this amazing photograph Dick Thompson wrote, “I have never seen an Anvil Cloud so well formed. It was beautiful. Later in the afternoon, other Anvils could be seen much further south but none so perfect.” … Continue reading →

Posted in environment, In the Neighborhood, Nature | 1 Comment

How neighbors created the Burke-Gilman, the nation’s first urban rail-to-trail

Posted on September 6, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Ed note: My wife and I were a small part of this activist neighborhood group in Mathews Beach in 1970-71. The group was meeting in each others homes to discuss politics and world affairs. Frustrated that there was little we … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Fitness, Health, Transportation | 1 Comment

Messages on the beach

Posted on September 6, 2026 by Jim deMaine
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No country wants our model

Posted on September 6, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Pearl McElheran

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“Well-informed” cartoon is famous

Posted on September 6, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Mary Jane Francis From a death notice about a man named Shumway: “At the time of his death, he had a framed New Yorker cartoon in his room that said ‘My desire to be well-informed is currently at … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Media | Comments Off on “Well-informed” cartoon is famous

How Gloria Steinem helped shape feminism and gender equality

Posted on September 5, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Pam Peterson — (This story was originally published by The 19th)  Gloria Steinem, one of the leaders of second-wave feminism and a feminist thought leader for generations, has died at the age of 92. In a career that saw … Continue reading →

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Papering it over

Posted on September 5, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Bob Peterson

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Your morning meds?

Posted on September 4, 2026 by Jim deMaine
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Gloria Steinem

Posted on September 4, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Pearl McElheran We’re all old enough to remember these women, aren’t we? Gloria Steinem (1934 – 2026)  Just a few years ago she said, “I hope I live to be 100.  There’s so much work to be done.”  … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Government, happiness, Health, Justice, Law, Mental Health, Politics, protests, Race, Social justice | Comments Off on Gloria Steinem

‘The Whale’ museum offers immersive look into life under the sea

Posted on September 4, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Pam Peterson Set to open on June 4, 2027, The Whale is a new museum in Norway dedicated to exploring the “science, behavior, evolution, and cultural history of whales.” Using immersive art, storytelling, sound, and architectural features, The Whale will … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Museums | Comments Off on ‘The Whale’ museum offers immersive look into life under the sea

The Measles-Stricken Mother Who Lost Her Newborn Son

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Jim deMaine

The family at the center of Pennsylvania’s measles controversy tells their story. By Tom Bartlett in The Atlantic (thanks to Ed Marcuse) When the Amish man emerged from his barn to greet me, he had no idea that his newborn son’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Government, Health | Comments Off on The Measles-Stricken Mother Who Lost Her Newborn Son

MapQuest’s app surges to No. 1 in Navigation after refusing to rename Lake Ontario

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Pam Peterson (source from Techcrunch.com) MapQuest stood up to President Donald Trump, and now its app is reaping the rewards. The “OG of online mapping,” as the company calls itself, announced on Thursday that it would not change the name of … Continue reading →

Posted in Geography, Government | Comments Off on MapQuest’s app surges to No. 1 in Navigation after refusing to rename Lake Ontario

From Louise Penny’s Newsletter

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Mary Montgomery

Posted in Government, Poetry | Comments Off on From Louise Penny’s Newsletter

Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch answers elementary schoolers’ burning questions

Posted on September 2, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Submitted by Pam Peterson – from Goodgoodgood NASA astronaut and Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch was honored Wednesday with the Order of the Tar Heel, the highest award bestowed by the North Carolina Commissioner of Labor. Koch, a Jacksonville … Continue reading →

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Peace by chocolate

Posted on September 1, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Pearl McElheran In  2012, during Bashar al- Assad’s ruthlessly bombing of both the successful and the unsuccessful, the Hassad family was forced to flee Syria.  Their successful chocolate business was totally destroyed.  After a few years stay in Lebanon as … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Kindness, War | Comments Off on Peace by chocolate

Is it HOMES or SHAME? The new pneumonic for the Great Lakes

Posted on September 1, 2026 by Jim deMaine

When I was in grade school in Ohio, I learned this pneumonic, HOMES, in order to remember the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. Now kids will have to try something new. So SHAME (Superior, Huron, America, Michigan … Continue reading →

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Google Maps buckles

Posted on August 31, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Submitted by friend John Roper

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Oh Canada, it’s Mutual!

Posted on August 31, 2026 by Jim deMaine
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Meeting Bill Gates at his website

Posted on August 30, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Tim Barrick has sent this link to Gate’s website which has info about his work, books, autobiography, family, etc. The initial link is a bit daunting showing all the questions (mostly unanswered) about AI: https://www.gatesnotes.com/a-turbulent-ai-era-and-critical-choices-to-make You can click on other … Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, History, Science and Technology | Comments Off on Meeting Bill Gates at his website

The Cities That Said Yes to Drugs

Posted on August 30, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Policies that gave addicts clean needles and places to use drugs were intended to reduce harm. They created a “zombie apocalypse.” By Michael Powell in The Atlantic Photographs by Dana Golan Late last year, I walked roughly a mile from downtown … Continue reading →

Posted in drugs, end of life, Government, Health, In the Neighborhood, Law, Legislation | Comments Off on The Cities That Said Yes to Drugs

Is it still Lake Erie?

Posted on August 30, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Submitted by friend John Roper Even the sportscasters now mock Trump for his lunacy. Last night Al Michaels, narrating an aerial shot of the Cleveland Browns’ waterfront stadium during the first quarter of last night’s Browns-Patriots preseason NFL game, pointed … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Government, Media | Comments Off on Is it still Lake Erie?

Getting to the bottom of our bizarre war with Canada

Posted on August 26, 2026 by Jim deMaine

By Danny Westneat Seattle Times columnist It won’t go down as one of the higher moments in foreign diplomacy. It did hint, though, at how low relations with our northern neighbors might go. At a news conference, Ontario provincial premier, Doug Ford, … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Essays, Geography, Government, Kindness, Mental Health, Morality, Politics, protests, Satire, Shopping, Social justice, Traffic, Travel, War | Comments Off on Getting to the bottom of our bizarre war with Canada

Let’s show our love!

Posted on August 25, 2026 by Jim deMaine
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The ‘Rosetta Stone’ of San Francisco’s Counterculture Revolution Comes Home

Posted on August 25, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Ken Kesey’s psychedelic bus, immortalized in “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test,” is preparing for one more run. And to its owners, America sure could use it. By Heather Knight in the New York Times (thanks to Mary Jane Francis) Visuals by Ricardo … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Transportation | Comments Off on The ‘Rosetta Stone’ of San Francisco’s Counterculture Revolution Comes Home

Think about it! Words of Pete Buttigieg

Posted on August 24, 2026 by Jim deMaine

On August 17, former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg recorded a video to assure those Americans who oppose the Trump administration that they are in the large majority. He noted that the strategy Republicans are pursuing shows how unpopular they are. … Continue reading →

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