Ricardo Montalban was My father and Julia Child was My Mother

I am the product of the television. Just as millennials are the product of the internet.  It was not uncommon for my generation to be placed in front of the TV daily and told to stay there. The TV was a babysitter for many of us. A time when parents could walk away and have a few moments of peace thanks to the radiation box. 

I drove the helm of channels to watch since none else was around. There weren't that many to choose from unless you swiped the neighbors cable. I was oddly attracted to the odd channels and PBS. I enjoyed watching Julia Child and Wan Can Cook. There was also the Electric Company and Great Plays. I was first introduced to my favorite writer not from books but from the reenactments on public broadcasting. 

I had a set schedule (this was of course before the DVR). In the morning while getting ready for school it was old shows like Sea Hunt and Lone Ranger. When I came home form school it was Julia Child and Richard Simmons. Saturdays it was a barrage of tv. Starting the morning with cartoons rolling into the afternoon with Sherlock Holmes and Charlie Chan. Then late afternoon with some god awful 70’s flick. After dinner came prime time. When I was younger that meant Lawrence Welk and Hee Haw. When I was a little older it was a variety of sitcoms and dramas. But no matter what then it was finished off with a late night movie. Sunday was church and then some disney movie. 

I fully admit to my dark addiction. Often I have been observed as becoming a zombie. Some people even hate watching tv with me, especially if its a crime drama. I can often tell you who the killer is before they reveal it. Not because I am some super sleuth. It is because I know the formula they use in most shows. If you haven’t figured it out, television shows are for the most based on basic formulas to help the viewer move along the story line. So once you start seeing the pattern you can predict who is the murder or who will be eliminated next. 

Today with internet and the DVR it is easier to go down the rabbit hole. 

One Step Back and Two Steps Forward

Let me preference that I do not profess to be a great anything. I just use these writings to let out my thoughts. If you read this and like it, then I am happy. If not oh well.  With that said, this article is about my feelings for an individual I have encountered.  I am now going to list the offences to me. They may not be to you but then again you could see my side.

The Background: This individual is an important and talented individual in the community. They were around in the glory days of madmen. They work in a top corporate company and hailed by older individuals of one of the greats.  Here are some key points that I have a problem with. 

The Name Dropper: This individual’s persona seems to be wrapped up in name dropping of past greats. Every other sentence is peppered with this name and that name. How they broke the mold and who can compare to the great such and such.  I am all for the study of the past and who paved the road for creatives, but really. Let not talk about whom you know but who you are as an individual.

My Way is the True Way: I always find it hard that even in this day that people feel the only way is the past and computers are the end all of the creative.  I know there are some people that I know who can say “Hey Kettle!” due to my early days. You see I was a paint covered smock wearing artist who took up arms against computers. That is until I played with some software (which I will not name to reveal my age).  After that I began to reinvent my ideas about technology and art.  Don’t get me wrong this person has used a computer or it would seem, but he has little computer knowledge.  I think he feel due to his position that is not necessary to understand technology.  With an advent of the new creative that is a big mistake. You shouldn’t lose track of what the big picture is in the reinvention of creative problem solving.

Thou Shall Call Me Lord of All: Narcissism mentality is the biggest mistake a creative could make in this day of agile flow.  Back in the day of push pin and other iconic studios the key players were gods and goodness pulling the studio forward in their reputation. But today there are many creative studios with many different facets that the reputation is based on the team work. I hate to pull out the cliché “There is no I in team”, but it is what holds true in today’s modern workflow.  What makes a studio is there happy high client list and team work.  It is especially funny of this persons godlike complex because they are in-house. If there is one place that wields no power is corporate America where the only god like individuals are the C levels and even then it’s wrong.

So there you have it my rant on this person. Now I feel better. It’s no longer a fester in my thought and I can let it go.  Thank you for reading my simple rant.

Line Behavior

To the tweens out there stop reading. This is not about the chat app “Line”.  No this is about the behavior where people wait in line for a bus. I noticed it when I came to Seattle. It also doesn’t happen at every stop. Its more prevalent at commuter buses or large passenger buses. I noticed the city buses there seems to be a free for all at times and it’s a funnel effect. 

I have been looking on line to see if I could find any reference to this behavior. I found one blogger making a comment to it on her bus etiquette article saying that if there is a line get in it and don’t cut. Other reference I found mostly talking about events where large numbers of people waiting in line for a bus to get out of the city. I also saw images of lined up people waiting at various stops all over the world, but nothing really talking about the behavior.

In my research I did recognize a singular image popping up regularly. That of school children, they were lining up for the school bus. Could this be the piece I need to understand the behavior? But what about the other times when it’s a free for all? Is this due to the lack of riding a bus when they were at a small age?

  I myself think of the etiquette and get in line.  I feel the pressure to do so or be shunned by the bus society. One slip and you are known as “the cutter” or the “slow to get your money out” person.  We all go through this assumed pressure. As humans beings we have an instinct way of following order.  Sometimes we lose this idea and break order weather for a cause or to create chaos.

Please feel free to chime in on the whole bus line behavior.  I would love to hear others perspective.

FYI...I use line. I was as to get it some time ago by some of my friends from other countries. I guess its cheaper than regular texting. 

A Bus More Traveled

“Wow, you take the bus. That is so environmental of you!” This is what I hear often before I reveal my secret. It’s not that I am environmental, it is a necessity.  See what most people don’t realize I have never learned to drive a car.

See life sort of got in my way and led me down a different path. I often attribute this non driving to the first car incident.  I was five years old and going to McDonalds with my grandmother and we had an accident.  It had rained earlier that day and the drive through entrance was a bit slippery. Instead of going in the entrance we ended up through a rail and hanging off of the ravine.  The individuals nearby told us not to move until help arrived. This was to a young girl forever and a day. I can’t remember how long it was because I was young. Perhaps it was only thirty minutes but that began the scar of the car.

When I was older, I was given a chance to either go to driver’s education or Florida. One would say hey that’s a no brainer go for the education and get your freedom right? But alas, I was a stupid kid and I went for the non parental guided Florida trip.

The final push to no driving came when I was much older. I was newly married and my father-in-law decided he would take the on this situation and teach me to drive.  Let me give you a small synopsis on the background of this guy. He is not a nice person.  I could go into sorted details but I won’t. When you hear the Grinch song during this time of year, just think of him that way.  Anyway, he ordered me into the car and began to bark out the different parts and told me to go. We got as far as a major road before I fell apart. He was quite angry needless to say adding to the fear of driving.

Please don’t get me wrong, unlike some of my friends, I really like taking public transportation. Especially when I travel to new cities, my friends who travel with me often call me the rain man of public transportation. When I went to New York with a group, they laughed when tourist were asking me which subway goes where and even more astonished when I gave the correct answer.

So I travel on foot, bike and bus. Often if not most in the passenger seat of a car seeing and guiding the driver to a path less traveled.

Walking in Seattle

Seattle is a walking city. Not like New York of course where you can get hot pastrami at any time and then fulfill your craving for rice pudding on the same walk. I am just saying if you had to you could walk form Jackson to the Seattle center. Of course you have to be savvy about it. I would not recommend it for the novice or the tourist who doesn’t know the streets to avoid.

If you are a Seattleite you know the streets that I am referring to. Streets like 3rd avenue. You say all of third? Well yes. Unfortunately, third no matter where you are on it has become a sort of hit and miss refugee of undesirables and illegal activities. I could say the pocket between Madison and university is ok but past that in either direction and there seems to be a roll of the dice to walk. But alas post of the busses run on third so at some point you have to go there.

But if you choose the walking path I highly recommend 4th, 1st or even 2nd that is until bell then it’s not great. Also 4th and Battery is where the psych clinic is so cross the street if you can.

A great all day walk if you’re up to it is the path between downtown Seattle and Ballard. There is a walk way on the water behind Elliot. The view is great and its good exercise. Also if you just can’t walk back you can hop on the bus back. Be sure to wear good shoes. Seattle unfortunately is dirty at times and white becomes dirt covered in no time. Also back pack not fanny back if I even have to say but just in case. Also if need no where bus stops are located. Great app is one bus away. In this day in age it’s pretty hard to get lost anywhere. But sometimes getting lost is good to find new treasures you have not seen before. I am still exploring. Be safe.

So I challenge you to set your own path and create your own stories. Let me know how it goes.

Crow Man

I often walk to work when I don't feel like taking my bike. On these walks I pass a park. One day while I walked to the park, I noticed a green car pulling up and in tow above were maybe about 30 to 40 crows. When the car parked the crows lined up on the telephone wire in a row. An elderly white haired gentleman stepped out of the car with a bag of trail mix in hand. He band to toss it all over and the crows dived in like fighter jets. While this was going on a small white dog hopped out of the car and ran into the park. The elderly man followed while throwing the trail mix behind. Today again I saw the crow man but this time there were two squirrels waiting on the side. Perhaps I need to change the name to trail mix guy. I would be curious, if those who read this had similar experiences. Please let me know. Oh, and I know about 3rd Ave Pigeon Lady so you can skip that.

Introduction

I am not a writer. But sometimes I want to tweet more than just 140 characters. So I created this blog.