Black Diamond NOW

Why E-Commerce Is The Future Now

We've seen lots of statistics regarding the drop in retail sales during the Great Recession.  On-line sales also took a hit but pretty small really and look at the recovery - bigger and better than ever.  Why?

A lot of reasons but my recent trip to Fry's Electronics yesterday really hit home.  Our stereo receiver seems to have croaked with just one stereo channel now working.  A little complicated because we have speakers in two different rooms but a real bummer just being able to listen to only one speaker in each room.  After 20 plus years with our current Denon receiver, the time has come to face the abuse of our past.  For today try the Black Keys El Camino album turned up to top decibles if you want to test your system and "rock out" a bit - just as a test of course, but I guarantee you won't be able to sit down.

So, in search of a solution, we first stopped at Costco.  Limited selection, low price but figure it out ourselves.  Then on to Fry's in Renton to talk to a real person at a brick and mortar retailer.  And no more Best Buy for me.  Bad experiences.  Other than learning that I am pretty dumb regarding electronics I heard little of value at Fry's other than I needed to do my own research. So why pay the overhead cost for brick and mortar retail if you can't get something of value more than you can get on line?  Guess where we won't be investing any of our resources in the near future.  On line it is for us now.

One more observation - just think how much easier it is for seniors and others not so mobile to order online compared to having to manage the logistics to get to and from a mall.  By comparison, a computer can be a lot easier way to navigate for our increasingly tech savy shoppers and UPS/FedEX deliver to our door step.

And don't forget, if you buy on-line, you directly benefit our city's sales tax revenue.  A rapidly changing world indeed that we live in today.

Why Do We Like Pets So Much?

I continue to be intrigued by our society's affinity for having pets, be they dogs, cats, birds, horses, rabbits or even snakes. Why do we have so many pets?  If one were to quantify the economic value of the "pet industry", I think that we might be staggered by what an economic powerhouse this industry really is.  Have you been to a vet lately?  So, being the ever curious, I decided to do some research.  Thanks to the internet, I consulted three "experts" - first a psychologist, second, scientists from the California Institute of Technology and third, none other than Oprah herself.  What did I learn?

1. The Psychologist - In an article published last year in Psychology Today, we learn than the simple answer is that pets make us happy.  "If there is a purer, less complicated joy than that of making an animal happy, I have yet to experience it. And there's something deeply fulfilling about knowing that, even in a complicated and often unkind world, you've managed to create a pocket of perfect security and bliss for at least one small creature."
2. The Research Scientists - CalTech scientists have difficulty dealing with esoteric concepts such as "happiness" and instead focus on how our brain functions in the presence of pets. They actually measured activity levels in different segments of the brain in the presence of animals.  Surprisingly, there was little difference between a cuddly cat and dangerous pit viper.  "Our study shows that neurons in the human amygdala respond preferentially to pictures of animals, meaning that we saw the most amount of activity in cells when the patients looked at cats or snakes versus buildings or people".  Their conclusion - we are hardwired to love pets.
3. Oprah - For the definitive answer, I was sure that Oprah could set us straight. The right pet emboldens us. "People who think of themselves as socially inept often choose dogs who are very socially assured. I've heard from so many people who say, 'I was always painfully shy, but my whole life has changed because of the confidence I feel with my dog by my side.'" Forget the "crazy cat lady" stereotype. Try "compassionate cat guy" instead. "The male cat owners I've worked with are incredibly empathetic, sweet, intuitive, tender people." The Prophet Muhammad may have been the earliest Cat Guy: "His cat fell asleep on his sleeve, and when he had to move, he cut the cloth rather than wake the cat—he couldn't bear to disturb it. Any cat lover can relate."
   Stop wagging the dog… "Do you love your animal, or do you love loving your animal? If you treat your dog like a dress-up doll, chances are that its needs aren't being met, because you're projecting a fantasy. There are times when I just have to tell my clients, 'Put the dog on the floor!'"…and let the love in. "In all of our relationships, we need not only to give affection but to see that affection reflected back to us—we want to know that the other being enjoys it. So a dog wagging his tail or a purring cat closes the relationship loop for us in a very profound, nurturing way."

There you have it.  For whatever the reason, we do love our pets and pets represent a very large economic industry segment.  Have fun with your pet(s) and be sure to shop local at Horizon Pet Supply and don't forget to also get a pet license from the City - it's in your best interests and does serve to help us fund essential animal control services.

Polar Bear Plunge 2012

Courtesy of the Black Diamond History facebook webpage, the above picture was taken yesterday at the annual Polar Bear Plunge event held at the Lake Sawyer Boat Launch park.  Follow the above link for more pictures.  According to the Lake Sawyer Weather website, current water temperature is 42 degrees.  Seems a little low to me but I am sure that all of those who took part in the event will attest to how cold it really was.  Brrrrrr.

Did any of our readers participate?

Reflections On Becoming A Techno Retard

I've always considered myself to be ahead of the curve in adopting new technology, but increasingly I find myself scrambling to keep up.  The above picture is of the Apple II plus of which I was one of the early adopters.  Introduced in June 1979, well after I was out of graduate school where we still had to use punch cards to run our BASIC computer programs on mainframes, we jumped in early and bought this wonderful machine which was the latest and greatest at the time.  With 48 K of ram expandable to 64 K, there was not a lot of computing power here.  Doing a financial spreadsheet for home budgeting was about all we could do, except for playing Tetrus.

Today, we are just deluged with all of the new electronic tools.  When our children and grandchildren come to visit we see laptops, iPads, smart phones, iPods and Kindle spread around the house.  Wii Dance is great fun on the big screen and Nintendo DS units are in every bedroom.  Want to watch a movie - just go to Netflix running through our home wi-fi connection and Wii.  Judy's home desk top computer is pretty lonely these days.  Wow - what a change in such a short period of time.

But while we can keep up by buying the latest and greatest hardware, being "functionally" skilled is a whole nother issue and it seems that I keep falling further and further behind.  Anyone else out there feeling this same angst?  Fortunately, we have our grandchildren to help us keep learning.  And if you want to get in touch with me, don't txt.

What are your tips for keeping up?

And true confession - I still really enjoy reading a hardback book from Bob at Baker Street Books here in Black Diamond.  This is truly one of our community's treasures and increasingly a great entertainment hub with live jazz most every Friday or Saturday evening.  Am almost through the tome Peter The Great by Robert Massie that Bob got for me - great russian history and a great read.

One more tip.  If you buy any of this new technology and it's not available in town, do it on line. In that way, the City of Black Diamond will recieve the sales tax that would otherwise go to the brick and mortar outlet's home city.

Gain Weight - Stop Being Skinny and Tired

Apparently this ad preceded McDonald's and the fast food industry. 

Leftovers For Your Pets - Or Not

(Photo: A holiday reminder via Reddit)

One enduring impression I have from my own doorbelling experience two years ago was becoming more aware of all of the pets in our community.  The number of households with two or more pets really surprised me and few homes were without any. 

As the signs say, be careful what table scraps we give them.  Apparently turkey bones and nuts are the worst, particularly walnuts and macadamia nuts.  Dogblogtimes.com says, "Within twelve hours of eating the nuts, dogs can start to develop symptoms such as an inability to stand, ataxia (walking wobbly), depression, vomiting, muscle tremors, hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), weakness and an elevated heart rate. Usually the symptoms go away within 48 hours but the weakness, vomiting and fear can lead to dangerous, and sometimes deadly, shock."  Scary.

Thunderbirds Hockey - Pretty Fun

How many of you have never been to a hockey game before?  Me for one prior to this last weekend.  The Seattle Thunderbirds (one level below the NHL) play at the Showare Center in Kent, right next door to Kent Station.  For some reason, hockey has never been on my radar screen, but with grand kids in town, we thought we would give it a try.  Seeing hockey on the tube just doesn't do it for me.  However, live and in person, it's a very different game and quite exciting.  These guys are so athletic - fast, agile and strong.  Seating about 6,000, the Showare Center is also a wonderful facility and the place was packed.  We heard the chant "Portland Sucks" more than enough (for the opposition Portland Winterhawks) but hey, our grand kids were more than happy to join in the chorus and Seattle won 6 to 3.  Looking for something new to do over the holiday season - get your tickets and have fun.

Odds & Ends

• UnExercise - Not a real word but very descriptive of what I observe in the exercise club parking lot.  I regularly see people actually waiting in their cars for other drivers to pull out of the parking spaces right in front of the club entrance so that they won't have to walk too far.  Go figure.
• UnTwilight - Headed to the theatre over the holidays?  If ever there was a book and movie series that captured the differences between the sexes, this may be it.  How many of you guys out there are chomping at the bit to go see vampires and maidens engage in romantic trysts - in Forks of all places and no sex (so I'm told).  Nothing but moss there.  But for those of you that need, don't miss the continuation of the Twilight Saga -The Breaking Dawn (or Breaking Wind as I call it), now in a theatre near you.  Unfortunately, my own schedule is already "full".
• Un ???? - Sorry, I forgot the third.               

 

This last one might be a little subtle for some.  Think GOP and RP and even more recently, where is Libya?

Understanding Women

At last, we guys now have the definative guide to understanding women - Volume 1.  Volumes 2 through 10 will be released soon, followed by ..............

Kids These Days

When a book just doesn't work as well as an iPad. The video that follows is an absolute must see.  Great commentary about the world our children and grandchildren are now growing up in.

 

And to think that I bought the first Apple II+ with 56k of capacity when it was first released well after graduating from college.  My, my!

 

 

 

 

Garbage Collection - Then & Now

Earlier, I did a post regarding King County's Solid Waste Rate Proposal.  This got me to wondering what solid waste collection was like in the early 1900's during our community's formative years.

Photo courtesy of University of Washington Libraries, James P Lee photo collection, PH COL 294, circa 1915, Seattle

Garbage trucks were also beginning to be used during this period, the following photo also courtesy of University of Washington Libraries.

If you are like me, a little humor would be most welcome right now.

A man and his wife were sitting around the dinner table discussing what she would like him to get her for her birthday.  Long wanting a flashy new sports car, she suggested that she would really like something that can do zero to 200 in under 4 seconds.  After considerable thought, he bought her a bathroom scale.

Now a true story from last week.  After procrastinating for a long time, I finally went in to get my new "smart" phone and join the 21st century.  Being in the construction business, we are still a bit retrograde and value the durability of Nextel armada dumb phones over today's higher technology.  Afterall, if you accidently drop your phone down a sewer manhole never to be recovered, as I have admittedly done serveral times, what's the loss?  So, I finally decided to break from this standard and trust that I could handle it.  So, after we went through all of the options and agreed upon a phone model, features and plan, the young lady who helped me get set up offered the following parting advice:  "If you any have problems and want to learn more about the phone's capabilities, just ask your grandchildren".  WHAM - that pretty well sums it up.

Signs Of The Times

With most waking hours these days devoted to reviewing MPD Development Agreement proposals and testimony, I'm in the mood for a little humor.

Fun Time At Black Diamond's Labor Day Parade

Following are a few photos taken earlier today at Black Diamond's Labor Day Parade.  A perfect day and a big crowd.

Keith Watson, Citizen of the Year and very well deserved.

What's a parade without candy?  These kids came prepared.

Wonderful to see Vicki Harp back home with her family and looking great after her near fatal auto accident, hit head on by a drunk driver.

Now let's see you do this.

On The Lookout For Transport - Need Your Input

Judy and I are on the lookout for new transportation in the months ahead and could use your help in sorting out where we should focus our energies - and $$.  I will admit to being a child of the 60's and to reading Tom Wolfe's book Electric Cool-Aid Acid Test many times.  Ken Kesey (author of the seminal book One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest that served to launch Jack Nicholson's film career) led his band of Merry Pranksters on an epic journey across the U.S - so well chronicled by Tom Wolfe. 

Sounds like fun to me, even to this day. 

The only book that I can find to come even close to equaling this is Blue Highways written by William Least-Heat Moon.  If you haven't read either of these books, they're a fun summer escape.

Has anyone been to Experience Music Project at the Seattle Center recently - Jimmy Hendrix, The Who, Bob Dylan, they're all there.

Looks like a bit too much maintenance and watering to me.  What about this?

Or should we just settle for a Prius or Leaf and turn up the music really loud? 

Your thoughts?

Black Diamond Labor Day Parade - Monday Sept. 5

The Labor Day Parade in Black Diamond on Monday Sept. 5 is an absolute "must do" event.  Put it on your calendar.  The parade begins at 10:00 am followed by a car show and vendor booths spread around the Elementary School playfields that give you an opportunity to connect with many of our local artists and artisans.  I have had the opportunity to both watch and walk in the parade in the past and find it to be unique fun for our community.  Hope to see you there.

Weather Perspectives

I have heard so many people complain about the weather this summer.  Although I understand, perspective is sometimes required.

1. I spent most of Wednesday trying to get our Middle Green River Coalition set up with the ability to accept credit cards for this Saturday's Rock The Green event planned at Kanaskat Palmer State Park - please join us.  Although I met with eventual success, I now have less hair and what is left is far greyer and clearly not bleached by the sun.  Common sense and banks are truly an oxymoron.  But, the people I had to deal with were all based in Arizona.  When I inquired about their weather - 120 plus during the day and at least 90 at night.  Now talk about complaints!  When I offered that it was 75 here, I was asked which airline best serves us.  Hmmm!
2. Our company currently has a construction crew working on a project in Georgia.  Have you ever had to work in 90% humidity with temps in the upper 90's?  Would make Jenny Craig proud and hot yoga enthusiasts absolutely ecstactic.
3. Thursday morning is Finance Committee meeting time so I rode my bike to and from the meeting - didn't even break out into a sweat.
4. Think about all of the water and $$ you are saving from not having to water your lawn.  Water district budgeters are not so happy with this.  The salmon will thank us though.
5. Think about all of the sunscreen you don't have to purchase, let alone how "greasy" you won't feel.

What more could you want in these economic times?

Djeneba - Cruising The Broughtons In BC

We recently had the opportunity to spend time with wonderful friends boating in the Broughtons - an archipelego of islands just off of the northern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia.  George and Kathy Weyerhaueser can be seen to the right in back.  Too much fun reminising about my days with Weyerhaueser, which were great times for our family.  Believe it or not, I think that we had better weather up there the last two weeks than we did here in Black Diamond.  Anyway, much sun and fresh crab cooked every night.  Our biggest haul was 30 crab in one day - I had to have help getting one crab pot over the boat's bow, it was that heavy.  7 days - 7 days of more crab than 14 of us on 3 boats could eat every night, not to mention the salmon, halibut, shrimp and scallops caught earlier in the week.  Our shrimping adventures were particularly memorable as we dropped shrimp pots in 300 feet of water and ended up having to track them down nearly 6 miles from where we dropped them - pushed down current by the tides and how little weight we had on the traps.  But retrieve them we did and we even got a few fresh big shrimp in the process.  They tasted more like lobster than shrimp - very tasty. 

More pictures from the Broughtons.  Kenmore Air floatplanes to and from - very fun.  Judy and I are departing on the plane shown below.

Notice the WSU crimson of my shirts - a return to the Rose Bowl is certain for the Cougs very soon.

 Vancouver Island in the background.  One of the archipelago islands in the foreground.  Just beautiful!

Experimenting With My New IPAD

Thanks to another birthday and our daughter Hillary, I am learning to use my new IPad. Judy and our grandkids are working on our stars and stripes cake after catching all of the candy and water balloons from the community club boat parade. What fun. As if Nathan and Claire need another sugar high. I certainly enjoy the innovation of Apple and Google but wonder more and more about the future of Microsoft which is so important to our region economy.  Is Microsoft in fact destined to be the next Kodak?   For now, enjoy the 4th and our great weather - and all of the fun new technology.

Whitney Bridge Park

The Whitney Bridge crosses the Green River just west of Flaming Geyser State Park along Green Valley road.  As you can see from the picture above, snow melt is keeping water levels in the Green quite high well into the summer months.  The bridge area is also home to a relatively new King County park aptly called Whitney Bridge Park.  If you drove from Black Diamond to Enumclaw when SR 169 was closed, you detoured across this bridge.  This past weekend, Judy and I decided to explore the park.  As it turns out, there has been quite a bit of restoration effort here to replant trees native to this area.  Park land appears to be an old Christmas tree farm, since abandoned and purchased as open park space by King County.  Beautiful piece of property along the Green River.  Following are a few pictures taken Saturday of the park area.

Wonderful views of the hills bordering the valley.  Though there was a rough trail through the park, we decided to make our own way to the river through brush and very wet grass.  As the trail blazer, my jeans were wet, wet, wet.  But we made it through and found the river forked here with a smaller sidestream paralleling the the park area and an island in between. Following is a picture taken from the bridge that shows the island and side stream to the right.

All of this vegetation is very important to keeping water temperatures low and suitable for salmon habitat.

As so often happens when you are exploring new territory, you run into some very unexpected pleasures.  In this case, there was an agility dog show being held at the Argus Ranch located just across the river.  Argus Ranch calls itself "Argus Ranch Facility" for dogs or A.R.F.  Lots of people at the event and some very skilled dogs.  Having not seen such an event before, we were both just amazed at how talented these dogs were in navigating what was quite an obstacle course.  Pretty amazing and a real treat for us both.  Following are some pictures of Argus Ranch and of dogs doing their thing.

Quite an event.

Argus Ranch.

Black Diamond Miners Day, July 9, 2011 - A Must Do

Be sure to put July 9th on your schedule for this year's Miner's Day events in Black Diamond.  Each year it keeps getting bigger and better.  and this year we even have a 5K family fun run, more live music, a beer garden and wine tasting - the run to burn some calories and the latter two to help you digest the BBQ lunch and chili cook-off.  A great time for our community.  For more information, follow this facebook page link to Miners Day.