At a memorial service yesterday the officiant quoted an active politician speaking about his view of religion. He chose not to mention the person or their political affiliation so the ideas expressed could be considered:
“Before you speak to me about your religion, first show it to me in how you treat other people; before you tell me how much you love your God, show me in how much you love all His children; before you preach to me of your passion for your faith, teach me about it through your compassion for your neighbors. In the end, I’m not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as I am in how you choose to live and give.”
Posted inReligion|Comments Off on Speaking of religion
Katherine Graubard, Facilitator Rick Baugh, Minutes
Report on Past events:
DATE/TIME
EVENT
RECORDING
July 28, Thurs – 3:30 p.m.
Candidate Soap Box – Host: Steve Ellis, Timer: Mary Jane Francis
No
Description of Coming events:
DATE/TIME
EVENT
PLACE
Sept 16, Fri – 4:00 p.m.
CEG Meeting
Tahoma & Zoom
Sept 21, Wed – TBD
Attorney General Bob Ferguson
TBD
Oct 12, Wed – TBD
Voting Systems Tutorial by Skyline Residents
TBD
Oct 19, Wed – 7:30 p.m.
Voting Systems Advocates
Mt. B, Zoom & 370
Oct 26, Wed – 7:30 p.m.
King County Prosecutor Forum
TBD
Nov 3, Thur – 3:00 p.m.
General Election Skyline Soapbox
TBD
Discussion on Future Activities
Ideas on topics and speakers: Marc Dones, CEO, King County Regional Homelessness Authority (kcrha.org) – Kathy Bainbridge Dow Constantine, King County Executive – Katherine Graubard Possible Election Forums in October – Jim Sanders – Volunteers Needed Secretary of State Candidate Forum Decriminalization of Possession of Controlled Substances Forum
Interview of Individuals Involved in Civic Activities Bob Plotnick – Board Member of the Seattle Zoo Next CEG Meeting Fri., Sept 16, 2022 at 4:00 Tahoma Room (OT) NOTE THE NEW LOCATION for Meetings CEG Coordinators Rick Baugh Katherine Graubard
Remembering the ‘Knocker-Ups’ Hired to Wake Workers With Pea Shooters
Mary Smith using peas as an alarm clock. COURTESY OF THE IMAGE WORKS
THE MODERN WORKER ROLLS OUT of bed, groans, and turns off an alarm clock. But industrial-era British and Irish workers relied on a different method for rising each morning. In the 19th century and well into the 20th, a human alarm clock known as a “knocker-up” (knocker-upper) would trawl the streets and wake paying customers in time for work. Armed with sticks—or, in the case of Mary Smith, a pea shooter—they tapped on windows or blasted them with dried peas.
During the Industrial Age, people toiled at unusual hours in mines or factories. They could have used alarm clocks—adjustable versions had been invented by the mid-19th century. But they were still relatively expensive items, and unreliable ones, at that.
Whether they wielded rods or pea shooters, knocker-ups became familiar presences throughout the United Kingdom. Many of them were older, and woke people up professionally for many years—they often wouldn’t leave people’s houses until they were sure they were awake.
One of these characters, Mary Anne Smith, became a beloved presence—along with her trusty pea shooter—around London’s East End in the 1930s. John Topham, who snapped photos of Smith in action, remembers “every morning but Sunday she would rise at three to ‘knock up’ local workers—using a pea shooter. She charged sixpence a week and her nearest competition was an old man three miles away who did the same job using a fishing rod to tap on upstairs windows.”
Smith was known for the rapping, clacking sound of her peas against windows and doors. In the children’s book Mary Smith, she’s depicted as waking up everyone from fishmongers to the mayor. She was often seen “beating her mats on the street, calling out greetings to her neighbours,” and offering people, Topham included, a cup of tea. Later on, Smith’s daughter, also named Mary, took up the pea-blasting practice in her stead.
Of course, the knocker-up line of work meant dealing with grumps who didn’t want to get up. In 1878, a Canadian journalist writing for The Huron Expositor interviewed a well-known knocker-up, Mrs. Waters. She recalls that “a surly or hot-tempered fellow would growl or knock things about as he came to the window to reply, and his responding rap would sound as peevish as possible.” By contrast, the good-tempered risers were cheery presences: “You could hear from his very tread that he was grateful even, and his reply tap sounded quite musical, and when he spoke and bade you good morning, it was really encouraging.”
While the practice continued in some parts of the United Kingdom until the 1970s, it waned as alarm clocks and electricity became more widespread and affordable. Sure, beeping alarm clocks and smartphones that play morning music are simpler and more convenient. But they can’t match being awoken by the soft, distinctive tap of Mary Smith’s pea shooter.
Posted inHistory|Comments Off on That wake up call!
A little boy goes to his father and asks, ” Daddy, how was I born?” The father answers, ” well son, I guess one day you will need to find out anyway! Your Mom and I first got together in an online chat-room. Then I set up a date via E-mail with your Mom, and we met at a Cyber café. We sneaked into a secluded room, and googled each other. There your mother agreed to a download from my hard drive. As soon as I was ready to upload, we discovered that neither one of us had used a firewall, and since it was too late to hit the delete button, nine months later a little Pop-Up appeared that said, ” You’ve got male!”
Posted inHumor|Comments Off on The story of the birds and the bees retold
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) – In a no-holds-barred attack on the President, Senator Mitch McConnell blasted Joe Biden for “violating Congress’s most cherished traditions by accomplishing things.”
Excoriating the Senate’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, McConnell declared, “The hallowed customs of this Capitol have been shredded forever.”
Posted inHumor, Politics|Comments Off on McConnell Accuses Biden of Violating Traditions of Congress by Accomplishing Things
The new Congressional legislation will take a while for savings on our medications to kick in. The $2000 maximum out-of-pocket per year won’t take effect for a few years and Medicare will take some time to negotiate down exorbitant drug prices. In the meantime, here are a couple of options to consider (please let me know if you have more).
First check out GoodRx. You can download the app onto your phone or computer, then present the free coupon to the pharmacy. It works!!
The second option is all web based (but also can be done by phone). There are a number of valid Canadian on-line pharmacies that will obtain meds for you at a very very reasonable cost. I have had a positive experience with this one – PricePro Pharmacy: https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/create-account/. I simply needed to mail, email or fax a prescription to them, send a copy of my check and then receive the prescription. My last one, a brand name, was shipped to my home from Australia. But you might get a generic from Canada or the large pharmaceutical industry in India. I’m paying 20% of what it would cost here in the USA. This system is legal and not too difficult to use.
Posted inHealth|Comments Off on Beating the price of those expensive meds
Most new large apartment and commercial buildings must install heat pumps under the state’s new energy code.
New construction goes up in Bellevue in February 2022. A recently enacted state building code will require most new commercial buildings and large multifamily buildings to install electric heat pumps. (David Jaewon Oh for Crosscut)
Mr. Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft, is also the founder of Breakthrough Energy and the author of “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.”
Turn on the evening news and it immediately becomes clear that Americans are experiencing the effects of climate change. Extreme heat and drought are affecting tens of millions of people, as floods and wildfires ravage communities from Appalachia to California. In the coming days, Congress has the opportunity to face down the climate crisis while strengthening our country’s energy security, creating opportunities for businesses and improving the lives of Americans. We can’t afford to miss it.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 may be the single most important piece of climate legislation in American history. It represents our best chance to build an energy future that is cleaner, cheaper and more secure. Senators Chuck Schumer of New York and Joe Manchin of West Virginia deserve a lot of credit for reaching this agreement, as do countless others. Many business leaders and activists I’ve gotten to know through Breakthrough Energy, the climate organization I founded in 2015 to accelerate the clean energy transition, have worked relentlessly for decades for this moment. But although it appears the legislation will pass, success is not guaranteed, so it’s critical to keep pushing for it. Let me explain why.
Many of the technologies we’ll need to reach net-zero emissions don’t exist, are in early stages of development or are still too expensive to scale up. At the same time, more mature technologies like solar, wind and electric vehicles must be deployed more quickly in more places. Through new and expanded tax credits and a long-term approach, this bill would ensure that critical climate solutions have sustained support to develop into new industries.
These incentives would also provide the private sector with the confidence to invest for the long term. This legislation would begin to transform the parts of our economy that are hardest to decarbonize, like manufacturing, which we must do to reach net-zero emissions. As many Americans face summer blackouts, power shortages and high electricity bills, these measures would help build a modern, reliable power grid so all can have access to affordable, abundant and clean energy.
With those incentives and investments, this bill would catalyze a new era of American innovation. The ability of America’s universities and industries to innovate remains second to none, yet the country risks falling behind as other countries race to build their own clean energy economies. This legislation would help turn American energy innovations into American energy industries and unlock huge economic opportunities in the energy market. If it becomes law, few nations would have the capacity for producing homegrown clean energy like the United States. America could quickly become a leader in the deployment of clean energy at the scale required.
American businesses are ready for this change. I’ve spoken with corporate leaders who are eager for our government to act. Many have made big climate pledges and invested significant amounts in clean energy, both because they care about making good on their promises and because it’s good business. Even more businesses are waiting on the sidelines for a strong signal from government that clean industries are a solid long-term investment. Passing the Inflation Reduction Act would send that message and enable private capital to supercharge our clean energy future with even greater confidence.
With President Biden’s signature, this legislation would jump-start and support clean energy industries that could create millions of jobs, many in communities that have been built by fossil fuels. In fact, many of the most promising technologies in the clean energy economy will require similar skills and expertise possessed by today’s coal, oil and gas workers. This will help ensure a fair transition.
Solving climate change is perhaps the hardest challenge humanity has ever faced. It will require fundamentally transforming how we power our communities, move goods, build things, heat and cool buildings and grow food — basically how we do everything. We need to do it rapidly with a cohesive and coherent plan if we want to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
The country has an opportunity to set an example by offering a vision of what’s possible — and then by making it happen. By passing this legislation, Congress would mark a moment when, despite the many challenges facing the nation, lawmakers in Washington acted with ambition and foresight to build a cleaner, healthier, and more prosperous future. Let’s get it done.
Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, is also the founder of Breakthrough Energy and the author of “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.”
Posted inClimate, environment|Comments Off on Bill Gates: We’re on the Verge of a Remarkable Moment for Congress and the Country
Whatever your preference, if you’re reading this story, chances are, drinking coffee is among your daily rituals. Everyday, people drink more than two billion cups worldwide, and experts predict that demand for it could triple by mid-century.
Coffee consumption is highest in Europe and North America. In the US, 66 percent of adults drink coffee every day — more than any other beverage, including water — and in the UK, coffee is now officially as popular as tea.
But it’s the Netherlands and Nordic nations (Ed note: think Ballard) who routinely top the charts for most-caffeinated crowd, with the Dutch, Finns and Swedes consuming 8.3 kg (18.3 lb), 7.8 kg (17.2 lb) and 7.6 kg (16.8 lb) coffee per person in 2020. Compare that with Italians’ 4.7 kg (10.4 lb) or Americans’ 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) in that same time period.
Posted inenvironment, Essays, happiness, Health|Comments Off on Wonder about the impact of your daily cup of coffee on the planet? Here’s the bitter truth
A winter day in December 2018 at the Old Burying Point Cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts, where the Salem witch trials took place. Photo from Shutterstock.
An eighth grade civics teacher, working with her students, helped win the exoneration of the last convicted witch in Massachusetts.
Teacher Carrie LaPierre of the North Andover Middle School in Massachusetts used her quest to exonerate Elizabeth Johnson Jr. to teach her students about how bills become law and how to contact lawmakers. She spoke with the New York Times and Courthouse News Service about her efforts, which came to fruition after Massachusetts Democratic State Sen. Diana DiZoglio added the exoneration to a budget bill.
Massachusetts Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed the budget bill July 28.
Johnson had confessed to practicing witchcraft and was sentenced to death in 1693. The sentence was never carried out because the governor at the time issued a reprieve. Johnson had no heirs to fight to clear her name, and she was not included in Massachusetts bills exonerating witches that passed in 1957 and 2001.
Johnson may also have had mental disabilities, which may have made her exoneration less of a priority, according to Courthouse News Service.
Johnson may have confessed to witchcraft because accused people who did so generally avoided hanging, while those who maintained their innocence were quickly tried and put to death, according to Emerson W. Baker, a history professor at the Salem State University, who spoke with the New York Times. Some also hoped that a confession would help them avoid torture.
Thirty people were convicted in Salem, Massachusetts, where the trials took place, during a four-month period. Nineteen were executed, and all had pleaded not guilty.
Overall, 156 people were accused of witchcraft in Essex County, Massachusetts, which includes Salem and Andover, where Johnson lived. She was one of 45 people accused in Andover.
LaPierre told the New York Times that she was “excited and relieved” that Johnson had been exonerated. She also expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the class project with Courthouse News Service.
“It’s a great way to do civics education, and it has nothing to do with critical race theory, so everyone feels good about it,” LaPierre told Courthouse News Service.
Posted inJustice, Law|Comments Off on Thanks to civics teacher’s efforts, last convicted witch in Massachusetts is exonerated
It’s the end of a dirty era in Hawaii. The state’s last-ever coal shipment arrived in Oahu on Wednesday, bound for the last remaining coal-fired power plant, which is due to shut down in September.
“This week Hawai‘i is receiving its final shipment of coal,” Governor David Ige said in a statement. “This is a huge step forward in Hawaiʻi’s transition to clean energy. In its time, coal was an important resource for Hawaii and I’d like to thank the workers who have run our last remaining coal plant.
“Renewable energy projects to replace coal are coming online with more on the way,” the governor continued. “Even as we face challenges in making this transition, it’s the right move for our communities and planet. Most importantly, it will leave Hawaiʻi a better place for our children and grandchildren.”
Hawaii has been pursuing an aggressive shift toward renewable energy. In 2014, the state pledged to get to 100% renewable energy by 2045, the first state to make a net zero pledge—while also making attempts to phase out fossil fuels and overhaul its utility structure. In 2020, Senate Bill 2629 in Hawaii banned the use of coal for power on the islands. The owners of AES Hawaii had already announced the plant’s retirement before the coal ban was passed, but coupled with other coal bans in states like Oregon and Illinois, the pledge sends a strong message about the state’s intentions.
FREE 30 minute Memory Navigator consultations provided by an Alzheimer’s Association care consultant on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Discuss resources for living well with memory loss or caregiving. Sign up here.
Relaunch of the Alzheimer’s Cafe with the Frye Art Museum, 2:30-4 p.m. Tuesday August 9. Enjoy music, refreshments and social connection. Sign up here.
Tech Lab Talk & Demo with UW MBWC neuropsychologist Dr. Carolyn Parsey. Learn about supportive technology for daily life with memory loss in this interactive presentation and demonstration. 1-2:30 p.m. Tuesday August 23. Sign up here.
Elderwise Adult Day Program on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Conversation, light exercise, garden exploration and creative engagement. Learn more here.
Dementia Training for Family Caregivers, offered by Full Life Care. A free online course with individualized coaching. Learn more here.
Music in Maude’s Garden, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Tuesdays August 16, 23 or 30. Enjoy live music and informal conversation with others in the memory loss community. Sign up here.
Memory Hub Public Tours, 11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m., every Thursday. Learn more about the people and programs that make up the Memory Hub, and end with lemonade outside in Maude’s Garden. Sign up here.
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