Falcon nesting in a tree –

Posted on April 8, 2018 by Jim deMaine

From Al MacRae

Falcon in a tree

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New falcon nest in the neighborhood

Posted on April 8, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Falcon cam: http://1201thirdtenants.com/falconcam.aspx

From Mark Dambourg: “As the site states, the building is downtown at 1201 Third Ave.  The current view is of a bird on the eggs in the nest of pebbles which are in a in a wooden frame.  There are at least 2 eggs but I think a normal clutch is 3 or 4 eggs.  The building is the pyramid-topped building directly behind the Renaissance Hotel as viewed from our apartment.  Any apartment on the West or North of our building can see it.  The nest is on the East side of the building directly under the arch at the top and right of the small, square window/light.  We can’t see the nest when looking at the building as it is behind a ledge but sometimes there will be a bird on the ledge just right of that window/light.  Binoculars or a spotting scope is probably essential.  This is usually a very boring view as the adult just sits there, shifting position once in a while.”

Posted in environment, In the Neighborhood | Comments Off on New falcon nest in the neighborhood

Recycle those ink cartridges!

Posted on April 7, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Why buy new ink cartridges? Several stores (like COSTCO) will refurbish your old ones, but the most convenient place I’ve found is LxTek – whose products conveniently bought on Amazon. They’ll send you factory recycled cartridges (all types) and a green postage free envelope to send your used cartridges back to them. All for less than half the price of new cartridges and great for the environment.

 

 

 

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Who is the “Unmoved Mover”

Posted on April 7, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Aristotle

Ed Note: After taking courses in philosophy and religion in college, I found Aristotle and his logic appealingly difficult. Of course, none of us can get our heads around infinite space and time; a beginning to everything; or where does energy/matter come from. But here’s an article from Classical Wisdom Weekly which tackles the problem. It seems to me that Aristotle was drawing a logic tree toward the existence of God-the Unmoved Mover. Others might find their god in nature itself. But, if so, where did it all come from?

From Classical Wisdom Weekly: “Before you get too excited, or perhaps frightened, rest assured that we will not be going in to too much depth regarding Aristotle and his rather detailed explanation of motion. I have mentioned before that tackling too much Aristotle at once can lead to spontaneous bouts of insanity. I spent many restless nights as an undergrad tossing and turning, trying to make sense of sentences like…

“In any case, the actuality of what is potentially F, whenever, being in actuality, it is active-not insofar as it is itself, but insofar as it is moveable- is motion.” –Aristotle (Physics)

Try to explain that to yourself without having nightmares…

And so to avoid unnecessary confusion, we will let Aristotle’s formalized logic take a back seat on this particular road trip. While we could spend our time exhaustively examining the logical arguments that Aristotle lays out for the definition of motion, the types of motion, and the actuality and potentiality for motion within all things, we will settle for an abridged version instead. I simply do not have the time, patience, or caffeine required to discuss the entirety of Aristotle’s Physics in the span of this article.

Continue reading →

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Life span calculator

Posted on April 7, 2018 by Jim deMaine
from Margarete Biermanski

Interesting calculator developed by Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company.

Watch your age in the upper right corner! 

http://media.nmfn.com/tnetwork/lifespan
Posted in Aging Sites | 1 Comment

Market to Mohai – an urban trail

Posted on April 7, 2018 by Jim deMaine

By Dana E. Neuts (from the AARP Bulletin)

Thirty years after retiring from Boeing, John Pehrson, 91, of Seattle, is helping the city become age-friendly.

Pehrson is the volunteer chairman of the Market to MOHAI project. When complete, the 1.4-mile pedestrian corridor will stretch 20 blocks from Pike Place Market to the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) at South Lake Union.

The corridor will include lighting and signage aimed at pedestrians and connect two Seattle landmarks and four parks—Lake Union, Denny, Bell Street and Victor Steinbrueck. It will also meet or surpass requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

John Pehrson is the volunteer chairman of the Market to MOHAI project. Photo by Ian C. Batest

“We wanted to create a pedestrian corridor that was well lit, engaging, safe and comfortable,” Pehrson said.

Overall, the city has earmarked $535,000 for the Market to MOHAI project ($500,000 for lighting, $10,000 for a summer festival in the parks and $25,000 in a neighborhood matching grant). Other funders include Amazon, Vulcan, Clise Properties, Google and Facebook.

Continue reading →

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Alternate help with prescriptions

Posted on April 6, 2018 by Jim deMaine
Sent in by Katherine Graubard:

Washington residents need help paying for prescription drugs. The Health Care Authority (HCA) offers a state-sponsored program to provide savings to all people living in Washington.

Click here for information.

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Working from a checklist

Posted on April 5, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Image result for new yorker cartoons

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Trinity Bingo Night – for WHEEL (Women’s Housing, Equality and Enhancement League)

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Jim deMaine

TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH

SECOND ANNUAL BINGO NIGHT & DINNER

WHEN: Saturday, May 5th from 5pm – 8pm
WHERE: Trinity Episcopal Church Parish Hall

FEATURING: Dinner & Dessert· Drinks · 4 Rounds of Bingo · Trivia · Silent Auction · Fun & Fellowship!
BENEFITING: The Women’s Housing, Equality, and Enhancement League (WHEEL). WHEEL is a grassroots organization that has been working to end homelessness around Seattle for over 25 years. Trinity houses numerous women through WHEEL each night and will use all funds raised through this event to respond to requests identified by WHEEL, including hosting a series of community dinners for WHEEL participants and Trinity members to share together.
ALL AGES EVENT AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
TICKETS
$20 per person
$160 for entire table
Financial assistance available! All welcome!
PRIZES…
Multiple Winners Each Round! Last year prizes included:
– Restaurant gift cards
– Sports games tickets (Sounders, Mariners)
– Theme gift baskets
– Excursions
– And more!
CAN’T ATTEND?
All donations made to this event will go directly to WHEEL
CONTACT
Email Sally Sundar with questions, donations, or to purchase tickets at slacy1113@gmail.com

Posted in In the Neighborhood, Social justice, Volunteering | Comments Off on Trinity Bingo Night – for WHEEL (Women’s Housing, Equality and Enhancement League)

One reason to live apart

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Image result for new yorker cartoons

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PechaKucha Night Seattle

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Jim deMaine

 PechaKucha Night Seattle 

Age-Friendly City: Care. Community. Vision. For All.

Thursday, April 5, 6 PM, Central Seattle Library, 1100 Fourth Ave.

The evening will feature innovative discussions by regional and national leaders exploring the vision and central promise of AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly States & Communities, which strives to help create livable, equitable communities for everyone.

What’s a PechaKucha? Each speaker uses 20 slides, with exactly 20 seconds per slide — a total of 6 minutes and 40 seconds — for their presentation.

Posted in Advocacy, Education, In the Neighborhood | Comments Off on PechaKucha Night Seattle

Age-Wise local activities

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Jim deMaine

AgeWise King County has very useful newsletter about activities and presentations that are going on in our community. Click on any of the list if interested.

Posted in Advocacy, Aging Sites, Education, Health | Comments Off on Age-Wise local activities

Passover and Easter – side by side

Posted on March 31, 2018 by Jim deMaine

BY 

The frequent overlapping of Easter and Passover — of the Christian Holy Week with our eight-day celebration of Passover — merits attention. Unlike the yoking of Christmas and Hanukkah, Easter and Passover are festivals of equal gravity. Side by side they bring to light the deep structures of both religions.

First, their inviolable matrix is spring. In each case, the calendar is adjusted to ensure that the holiday is celebrated early in the spring. For the church, which believed that the resurrection took place on a Sunday, the First Council of Nicaea in 325 determined that Easter should always fall on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. In consequence, Easter remained without a fixed date but proximate to the full moon, which coincided with the start of Passover on the 15th of the Hebrew monthNissan.

By the same token, the rabbis understood the verse “You go free on this day, in the month of Aviv” (Exodus 13:4) to restrict Passover to early spring — that is in a transitional month when the winter rains end and the weather turns mild. The word “Aviv” actually means fresh ears of barley.

Continue reading →

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Puppies in Probate at the Seattle Humane

Posted on March 31, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Puppies

Sent in by Dorothy Wendler.

For residents with pets who have no family, this may be a helpful suggestion. Popular “Puppies in Probate” Program Back at Seattle Humane

In February, Seattle Humane presented its popular “Puppies in Probate: Caring for Your Pets in Your Estate Plan” program for the first time in the new facility’s Gene Colin Education Center.

Between the afternoon and early evening sessions, nearly 100 guests gathered together to learn about designating a pet caretaker in their estate plans, establishing a pet trust, and our Pet Guardian Program. Long-time volunteer attorney Tiffany Gorton with the Seattle law firm Kutscher Hereford Bertram Burkart and Scott Fraser, Seattle Humane’s Planned Giving Director, presented and answered questions. Tours of our new facility before each session were popular.

Guests were eager to understand the options for ensuring our pets are properly cared for when we no longer can. “I don’t want to think about not being there for my pets, but the program was a great catalyst to start making plans for my dogs’ care.” “Just need to figure out what strategy would work for us.” “Gave me a chance to think in more detail about my dogs’ care if they outlive me. It was good to hear about the Pet Guardian Program.”

We plan to present the program again in the fall. In the meantime, should you have any questions about the various pet planning alternatives, contact Scott Fraser at scott@seattlehumane.org or 425-373-5387. It’s never too early to give yourself peace of mind that your furry family members will be cared for if something happens to you.

Posted in Advocacy, Pets | Comments Off on Puppies in Probate at the Seattle Humane

Volunteer for the Green Home Tour 4/28, 29

Posted on March 31, 2018 by Jim deMaine

 

Greenhome Solutions, Seattle’s Sustainable Building Materials Supplier

The Northwest EcoBuilding Guild (http://www.ecobuilding.org/) is recruiting volunteers, ages 21  to 80 to be Greeters for 3 – 4 hour shifts at the April 28-29, 2018 NW Green Home Tour (NWGHT) (http://www.nwgreenhometour.org/)  The NW EcoBuilding Guild has been a green building educational pioneer in the Pacific Northwest (with chapters in Seattle, Spokane, Portland and Olympia) for the past 20 years.   Its mission is:

… to support through education the progressive work of our members in the Pacific Northwest in order to improve the relationship between our communities and our built environment.

The NWGHT is an annual self-guided tour, organized by the Guild and its green built environment experts to showcase energy-efficient, sustainable construction and spark ideas for more. The tour generally includes two dozen sites which have several “green” features, often numerous innovations.

Greeters are the face of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild on this day.  The homeowner(s), contractors and vendors will also be present. Your role as a Greeter is to make guests comfortable and answer questions if you can.  A second, vital role is to track attendance and ensure that everyone coming into the venue has signed a waiver as part of their ticket acquisition. The waiver is essential to protect the venue (homeowner) and the Guild from liability.   Detailed instructions and materials will be provided.

Greeters give the following:

  • Attendance at a (strongly encouraged) training and networking event April 18 in the evening.
  • Four to eight hours of their time on April 28 or 29, 2018. The tour is 11 am-5 pm and there are 2 shifts per day with some overlap between the morning and afternoon shifts.

Greeters get the following:

  • Face time with green building team of the site;
  • One free ticket per Greeter to tour the other venues on the Green Home Tour;
  • A 2018 Chinook Book crammed with offers and coupons from green businesses in greater Seattle;
  • Fun!
  • Massive amounts of good karma; and
  • Exposure to the membership and leadership of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild, a source of ideas, networking, jobs and enthusiasm.

If you’d like to be a Greeter, or if you have questions about the Tour or about being a Greeter, please send an email with your contact information  to volunteer@nwgreenhometour.org

OR:  Simply go to the Signup Genius button at http://www.nwgreenhometour.org/volunteer/ and pick your shift.

Thanks!

Posted in environment, Volunteering | Comments Off on Volunteer for the Green Home Tour 4/28, 29

Where are we going?

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Jim deMaine

charlie brown

Posted in Humor | Comments Off on Where are we going?

“Happiness is a choice we make”

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Is happiness a choice? This could be the subject of a long essay or a rousing debate, but John Leland has written a book about his observations of the “oldest old.” Click here for his book. Tonight he appeared on the PBS news-hour with a brief summary of the ideas he took away from seniors.

Posted in Aging Sites, happiness | Comments Off on “Happiness is a choice we make”

“How going gray made me feel younger”

Posted on March 25, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Gray hair image

From the San Diego Tribune: “I found my first gray hair when I was 16. (Cool!) By the time I was in my mid-30s, I was coloring my hair dark brown every six to eight weeks. (Not cool.

By my mid-50s, it was every three weeks: Every third week at home; every third week at the salon. (I. Am. So. Over. This.)

I had become a slave to my silver roots, having spent thousands of hard-earned dollars and countless hours on the weekends trying to hide the fact that I was getting older.

But who was I kidding? Did people look at my dark hair and think, “Oh, she must be young?” Of course not.

Continue reading →

Posted in Aging Sites, Essays | Comments Off on “How going gray made me feel younger”

The gifts of Czeslaw Milosz

Posted on March 24, 2018 by Jim deMaine

We were riding through frozen fields in a wagon at dawn.
A red wing rose in the darkness.

And suddenly a hare ran across the road.
One of us pointed to it with his hand.

That was long ago. Today neither of them is alive,
Not the hare, nor the man who made the gesture.

O my love, where are they, where are they going
The flash of a hand, streak of movement, rustle of pebbles.
I ask not out of sorrow, but in wonder.
~ Czeslaw Milosz “Encounter”

From the New Yorker: “In July, 1950, Czeslaw Milosz, the cultural attaché at the Polish Embassy in Washington, D.C., received a letter from Jerzy Putrament, the general secretary of the Polish Writers’ Union. The two men had known each other for many years—they had been contributors to the same student magazine in college, in the early nineteen-thirties—but their paths had diverged widely. Now the arch-commissar of Polish literature told the poet, “I heard that you are to be moved to Paris. . . . I am happy that you will be coming here, because I have been worried about you a little: whether the splendor of material goods in America has overshadowed poverty in other aspects of life.”

The language was polite, even confiding, but the message could not have been clearer. Milosz, who had been working as a diplomat in the United States for four years, was no longer considered trustworthy by his superiors. He was being transferred to Paris so that he would be within reach of Warsaw. Sure enough, a few days before Christmas, Milosz was summoned back to Poland, and his passport was confiscated. “He is deeply detached from us,” Putrament observed, after meeting with Milosz in person. There was “no other option” than to keep him in the country, lest he end up defecting to the West.” Click here for the full article.

 

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And what’s your medal for?

Posted on March 24, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Image result for new yorker cartoons

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New Medicare cards are coming soon – things to know

Posted on March 24, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Sent in by Barb Williams

New Medicare cards are coming starting in April

 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will start mailing redesigned Medicare cards to beneficiaries in Washington state after June 2018. The new card contains a unique, randomly assigned number that replaces consumers’ Social Security numbers. The purpose is to prevent fraud, combat identity theft and safeguard taxpayer dollars. All replacement cards should be delivered nationwide by April 2019.

Here are 10 things to know about your new Medicare card:

  1. Mailing takes time: Your card may arrive at a different time than your friend’s or neighbor’s.
  2. Destroy your old Medicare card: Once you get your new Medicare card, destroy your old Medicare card and start using your new card right away.
  3. Guard your card: Only give your new Medicare number to doctors, pharmacists, other health care providers, your insurers, or people you trust to work with Medicare on your behalf.
  4. Your Medicare number is unique: Your card has a new number instead of your Social Security Number. This new number is unique to you.
  5. Your new card is paper: Paper cards are easier for many providers to use and copy, and they save taxpayers a lot of money. Plus, you can print your own replacement card if you need one!
  6. Keep your new card with you: Carry your new card and show it to your health care providers when you need care.
  7. Your doctor knows it’s coming: Doctors, other health care facilities and providers will ask for your new Medicare card when you need care.
  8. You can find your number: If you forget your new card, you, your doctor or other health care provider may be able to look up your Medicare number online.
  9. Keep your Medicare Advantage card: If you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan (like an HMO or PPO), your Medicare Advantage plan ID card is your main card for Medicare – you should still keep and use it whenever you need care. However, your medical provider may also ask you to show your new Medicare card, so you should carry it too.
  10. Help is available: If you don’t get your new Medicare card by April 2019, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. You can also find help in Washington state from SHIBA advisors in your area by calling 1-800-562-6900 or online. 
Posted in Health | Comments Off on New Medicare cards are coming soon – things to know

Temperature – what’s the Goldilocks answer?

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Too low, too high and never just right? Sigh!

dt180320.gif

Posted in Humor | Comments Off on Temperature – what’s the Goldilocks answer?

The Slow Medicine Movement

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Jim deMaine

What it you’re over 75 and seeing a doctor when a question about starting a statin comes up. She might note that your cholesterol is elevated. But is there a real benefit to starting a statin as a preventative?  The evidence doesn’t point that way! The harm may be greater than any benefit. This is another argument for the “Slow Medicine Movement” which has been promoted by Dr. Victoria Sweet.

Dr. Sweet is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and a prize-winning historian with a Ph.D. in history. She practiced medicine for over twenty years at Laguna Honda Hospital in San Francisco, where she began writing.

GOD’S HOTEL: In God’s Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine Dr. Sweet lays out her evidence—in stories of her patients and her hospital—for some new ideas about medicine and healthcare in this country.

Continue reading →

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