Category Archives: History

For Seattle, Viadoom gridlock is history repeated

From Crosscut: On Jan. 11, Seattle enters a period the city has dubbed the “Period of Maximum Constraint.” It sounds a bit like bondage, but without the fun bits. It kicks off with the closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, resulting … Continue reading

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Irene Peden’s talk at Skyline

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January 15th – 7:30 Parallels in Autocratic Leadership by Wolfgang Mack

Ed Note: Living in a totalitarian state was a transformative experience for the author. He will tell of his concerns about the rise of fascism in a number of countries and the dangers of nationalistic movements in our current politicalarena. Can we learn from the past? … Continue reading

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He’s not the guy on Quaker Oats: he’s much more interesting

Ed note: The statue of William Penn is a Philadelphia landmark. Sitting on top of City Hall, it maintained the highest perch in the center of the city for many years until the building codes changed. The history below gives … Continue reading

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Operation InfeKtion: How Russia Perfected the Art of War

Ed Note: This is a superb piece of investigative journalism by the NYT: “Russia’s meddling in the United States’ elections is not a hoax. It’s the culmination of Moscow’s decades-long campaign to tear the West apart. “Operation InfeKtion” reveals the ways … Continue reading

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“Baby It’s Cold Outside” becomes controversial

Ed note: There are two versions with the sexes reversed in this video clip – the second is hilarious. Is it flirting or harassment? I find it pretty tame when compared to “modern” rap songs.  From the NYT: “Rock Hudson did … Continue reading

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Restaurant entrepreneurs in Seattle – Canlis and on

Thanks to Paul T for finding this article The Fifties By Ronald Holden 1950 Once the Legislature changed state law to permit the service of liquor by the drink in restaurants, Peter Canlis, a restaurateur from Hawaii, almost immediately commissions architect Roland … Continue reading

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The Roots of Seattle’s Filipino Community

Ed note: My sister-in-law always calls me Kuya Jim. And have you noted the suffix “po” used by Filipinos as a term of respect? This video talks about the generational shift in the international district and the contribution of the … Continue reading

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Chanukah

Terrorists could not stop Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg from lighting the menorah in Mumbai, India, where his daughter and son-in-law had been murdered just weeks earlier. From the History Channel: The eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during … Continue reading

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Blond hair and the Norden bombsights -a fascinating WWII story

Thanks to Tom G for sending this along. Mary Babnick Brown was an American woman who donated her long blond hair to be used as crosshairs in Norden bombsights in WW II. Brown was a Coloradan; the children of Slovenian … Continue reading

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Loving Legacy Video

At a conference today I met the owner/filmmaker of Seattle based Loving Legacy Video today. He noted, “Your kids don’t want your stuff, they want your stories!” Connect generations of your family members Have a profound impact on your life … Continue reading

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E Pluribus Unum – a warning about the rise of fascism

             A warning. Where is America heading? I met Dr. Wolfgang Mack briefly in the Skyline dining room last evening and was given a copy of his most recent book. He had the traumatic experience … Continue reading

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Lance Rhoades – film historian

Last evening we were treated to an incredible talk about Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein which she wrote at age 19 – and how Frankenstein has become part of our culture. Actually the monster has no name. Frankenstein was the doctor … Continue reading

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Three former Boeing CEOs at Seattle U provide insights

Thanks to Marilyn W Three former Boeing Commercial Airline CEOs kicked off the Albers Executive Speaker Series for 2018-19.  Frank Shrontz, Alan Mulally, and Ray Conner collectively provided the leadership for Boeing’s work in commercial airlines for over two decades, … Continue reading

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Clay Jenkinson as Edward S. Curtis

From Don Philips Don’t miss award-winning scholar of history and humanities Clay Jenkinson at Seattle’s Broadway Performance Hall on Sunday, November 18 at 2 p.m. Jenkinson brings to life early 20th century photographer Edward S. Curtis through a unique blend … Continue reading

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How Rembrandt used light and motion to make a mundane commission a masterpiece

From Aeon: The oil painting Militia Company of District II Under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq (1642), better-known as The Night Watch, is probably Rembrandt’s most famous work. Its status and critical acclaim, though, have little to do with its subject matter: … Continue reading

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The evolution of the universal genius – October 2nd at 3:30 PM

From Cornelius Rosse: There is only one Weekly Update I can paste in here. With SkyOpera events coming fast one after one another, I did not have time to write a second one. The piling up of our events is due … Continue reading

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Food, culture and the Library of Congress – October 4th

Constance Carter, the Head of the Science Reference Section at the Library of Congress will be speaking here this Thursday October 4th. We hope she discusses the Library’s food collection. In the Julia Child’s video above, the Library’s collection shows … Continue reading

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Capitol Hill’s Hugo House gets an extreme makeover and an historic designation

From Crosscut: Washington state welcomed its first official Literary Landmark last week — a surprising statistic given Seattle’s reputation as a bookstore-loving, writer-nurturing, library-card-holding, even poetry-slam-attending city. The designation comes from national group United for Libraries, which over the last 30 years has … Continue reading

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Ken Burns – the Mayo Clinic: Faith – Hope – Science – tonight 9 PM on KCTS

From Dick Dion: Take a timely look at how one institution has met the changing demands of healthcare. The Mayo Clinic: Faith – Hope – Science is a new two-hour documentary executive-produced by Ken Burns and directed by Burns, Erik Ewers … Continue reading

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The History of Merit Badges is our own cultural history

Sent in by Ann Milam Over the years, scouting has encouraged boys and girls to be prepared for the world around them   (Girl Scouts of the USA; Boy Scouts of America) By April White; Research by Zoe Sayler and Samantha … Continue reading

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Anita Hill: How to Get the Kavanaugh Hearings Right

From the New York Times: “There is no way to redo 1991, but there are ways to do better. “The facts underlying Christine Blasey Ford’s claim of being sexually assaulted by a young Brett Kavanaugh will continue to be revealed … Continue reading

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Meghan McCain tribute to John McCain

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Fascism a Warning – by Madeleine Albright

Ed note; We must remember Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and Milosevic in order to understand democracy and how it can be eroded. This book was given to me – one that I didn’t know about. It’s one though that I think … Continue reading

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Video – former Governor Dan Evans speaks at Skyline

 

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