Category: Seattle and Beyond

Hey everyone,

Point your browser over to my new site: www.NotJustSeattle.com. I’m exploring life in the region, but trying to expand past all the Seattle-centric messaging.

Let me know what you think.

I’ve heard so much discussion about texting and driving. Mostly angry rhetoric about “those guys”, and how terrible they are. But the real culprit here is our lack of taking driving seriously.

Operating cars is a core part of American culture, a rite of passage, cultural status symbol (what you drive says so very much about who you are), etc. We drive so much (we invented the ‘Sunday Drive), and from such a young age, it’s hard to remember how dangerous this is.

Thousands of pounds of mass hurtling through space, bearing an amazing amount of force. And yet we eat, apply makeup, text, talk…rarely do we fully focus on driving. Funny, really, that we minimize the power of driving. Such a powerful act, controlling amazingly powerful forces, keeping everyone around you (as well as yourself) safe. That wound be worthy of adding to your resume for anything less mundane.

The solution requires a more rudimentary cultural-psyche change than many realize. We must elevate driving from the mundane to the serious. Or, I guess we can automate it. Acquiesce another thing to our machine overlords at Google. Taking the human out of the equation might be for the best.

What I did this weekend. The Seattle Science Festival is a great way to get kids excited about Science. Yet it is way more.

My photo explorations from Folklife in Seattle last weekend. Had lots of fun, but it was way too short.

We’ve had quite enough of the wet stuff, I believe. The Snoqualmie Falls below aren’t, generally, this full. Both impressive, and scary. Glad I don’t live that close.

We went to the Pacific Science Center’s member’s preview for theirStar Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination production. As a (nearly) life-long Star Wars fan, it was a delight to be part of. Many other geeks my age were there; I’m pretty sure there were more adults than kids. The official show starts today, and I expect the attendance to be more balanced.

Behind, somewhat, on working my way through my reading pile, I came across an iPad article from the April 5th Newsweek, “What’s So Great About The iPad?” (Anna Quindlen). I’ve been fond of her writing for awhile, so this was a must read, especially considering the synergy between writer and the subject. She isn’t as focused on the iPad, rather the state of reading and the impact (iMpact?) of e-readers on the book and reading. I’ve been wondering for awhile how the iPad, or any of these devices, will change the market…much less reading. Perhaps, just maybe, this could be a more productive way to manage my reading?

Is the book dead? No. Transforming? Yes. She points out a few key statistics. First, it’s not youth that are driving the new market. Rather, it is middle-aged men (her statement was that specific). I don’t know if her assertion that this might be due to adjustable font sizes is the driver, or that simply they’re the ones who can afford the devices? Another thing that middle-aged men (especially those with significant discretionary income) tend to travel a great deal. They would be a major beneficiary of the ebook’s prime benefit: one device with hundreds of books. Besides, the changes in other sectors (CDs and MP3 for music; tv, vhs and dvd’s for video), well, the ones that result in major demographic transitions, get driven by youth first and then flow up to the other age groups (think Facebook). Additionally, she points out a significant up-tick in the number of people currently reading a book “currently” (18% in 1952, 47% in 2005). So, I don’t expect that the electronic reader will displace the paper book anytime soon. Not until the cost comes down dramatically, at least. And the gee-whizz app comes onboard.

As I consider the subject, I’m reminded of vinyl records. CDs were going to kill them. And, actually, they had…at least to the naked eye. Turns out there’s still demand (and companies selling), and a debate about the superiority of the CD. I love Ms. Quindlen’s statement, “Americans, however, tend to bring an either-or mentality to most things…”. We do love hyperbolic drama…look at politics and political speech. Anyway, I’m reminded of all the discussion, back in the 90s mostly, about the demise of Apple, Inc. as they didn’t have the largest market share. Microsoft had the largest market share, so everyone else is dying. No consideration of the profitability of the company. Now look at things. The prognosticators and now, of course, predicting the demise of MSFT. Much like the immortals in Highlander, they feel there can be only one. I find the notion laughable. There is room for more than one technology. One can exist without being dominant in the market. And, shocking from me I’m sure, new isn’t always better.

I’ve wondered if having all my materials in one place, i.e.: a Kindle or iPad, would enable me to work through the pile quicker. If nothing else, having it with me “all the time” would provide more chances to read through the pile at odd moments. Perhaps, though, I benefit from not fitting every moment with productivity. I feel pressure to fill every moment with productivity…what I have I completed today? How many items on my task list have I checked off? Quiet and calm have value. Just like paper books. They may not be the most efficient, or most dazzling, but they work. We need to remember that the can be more than one medium, more than one platform, more than one way of doing things. We’re better for the diversity.

Today was spent, for the most part, at the Pacific Science Center. Wandering around the halls that my cousin and I walked as kids was both nostalgic, and a bit disconcerting. Though I spent much time over the years there, it has been at least two decades since I’ve been inside the main exhibit space (though I’ve been to the Imax theatre several times). Very little remains of the space we explored. Ok, the walls are still in the same places, and the exterior is almost exactly the same. And the cafe is just as lame, and easy to ignore; and worthwhile, too. Still, there were things that triggered memories. Biking to light lights (the thing was rather rickety and felt like it was 30 years old). The Gemini capsule. A giant moon, though now hidden a bit inside an unrelated exhibit.

As a boy, youth, whatever you wish to call that age, I spent many hours wandering the facility. I first experienced Lazerium here. This was the first place I experienced large computer labs. So much of that is, rightly, gone; replaced by much more contemporary items (or at least by the less obsolete). One thing remains, though. The capturing of science and presenting it to young minds in exciting and dynamic ways. Thus it was, and remains, a treasure for Seattle. I, at least, am glad its here.

We have a bear running around the Seattle area. Amazing for a bear to racing around our urban confines. What’s fun, though, is how the social media scene is taking this and running with it. Twitter has a few threads: #bearalert and #seattlebear. Also, someone has started posted to Twitter as Seattlebear. If you’re interested, you can go to seattlepi.com and vote on a name for the fella.