Monday, November 30, 2009

What The Hell Is Wrong With Our Society??????



On Halloween night, two police officers parked on the side of a street near our home were ambushed, with one murdered. The city was in shock, with a huge memorial immediately forming at the site, candlelight vigils, the whole nine yards. Not just in our neighborhood - which is on and off a center of horrible violence - but everywhere. You just don't kill cops just because they're cops. You just don't.

Sunday morning at about 8:15, four police officers in a coffee shop in Parkland, a suburb of Tacoma (about 30 miles south of here), were murdered. A man walked in, pretended to place an order at the counter, then turned and executed the officers as they were getting ready for their shift. The murderer is still not captured - although there was a night-long vigil at a home in the Leschi neighborhood (just south of us) where he was last seen, and apparently another surveillance tonight in Renton, just south of Seattle.

Now, I understand that there has been talk of retalliation against Seattle police for brutality in some arrests recently. I don't discount that. That, in and by itself, is disgusting. And hopefully, being investigated and corrected. I get it.

But "an eye for an eye" leaves both sides blind.

All of these officers were, quite blatantly, executed. These were not any officers who had any dealings, to public knowledge, in any case that would call for retaliation. These were hard-working members of a force that is sworn to protect us. These were fathers and mothers who leave behind families who will grieve for the rest of their lives. These were mentors, teachers, people who I wish I had known. These were people who were murdered for the mere fact that they wore a badge and had devoted their lives to the protection of people that they didn't even know. People like the cowards who decided that they weren't worthy of living.

This is all "alleged". Nothing has been solved. And I'm a pretty far-left leaning liberal, who is supposed to fight for the rights of anybody, no matter what they "allegedly" did.

But what the hell is going on in our society???

You kill because you have a beef with the police??? WHY DO YOU HAVE A BEEF WITH THE POLICE??? Is it perhaps possible that you did something that you SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE that got in into trouble in the first place??

I am less and less tolerant the longer I live in this neighborhood. Yes, it's true - you have been living a down-trodden, unlucky life. That in iteself is not your fault. Yes, you've been left out of the good-luck lottery. I get it. I DO get it. I support all kinds of things that will help you. I want you to succeed.

But really. Seriously?? This is what will lift you up, will make your life worthwhile, will show the whole damned world that you are as good as everyone else???

Our neighborhood, our city, our lives are in turmoil right now because there is no respect for authority, for right and wrong, for society, for anything but "an eye for an eye"?





This, truly, is our downfall. The idea that no one is better than "me". We're all in this together. C'mon - this isn't the way to do this. And the fact that this alleged assasin should have been put away for life (another idea that I strongly am disagreeing with - with some, there is no "rehabilitation") is even more dusgusting. How should this person have been "treated"? How far do we go in trying to rehabilitate someone? When do we know that someone should be released back into the world, with the risk that they're going to do something evil, and harmful, and life-altering to someone and to their friends and family and the world and that we should just take that risk???



I realize I'm ranting and am writing in frustration, so I'm ready to take my lumps. I just don't get it. I don't understand - or agree with - the "eye for an eye" mentality. You look at the pictures of these officers, of their families, of what this is doing to my city, and you explain to me that it's right. Please explain it to me ... I have no perception of this.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

There's No Place Like Home

Scott and I just watched a video of the Kristen Chenowith's last performance of Wicked (don't ask how) - which reminded me of this video. Enjoy, kids.


Friday, November 27, 2009

In Which Matterdays Is Visited By The Ghost Of College Friends Past.

My very dear friend Jodi - whom I went to college with and have not seen in at least 16 years - made the long trek from Columbus, Ohio to Seattle this week to spend Thanksgiving with us. I was, admittedly, nervous about seeing her - what if we had nothing in common and nothing to say to each other after so long? My fears were unfounded, since we have kept in touch on and off all this time. She reminded me quite quickly what a warm, gracious, intelligent and charming woman she is. It went by far too quickly.

My camera was not as active as I had wanted it to be, but our wonderful few days together - and her first visit to Seattle - are at least captured in a few highlights.

We ventured down to Pioneer Square - here's the big totem pole by the pergola:




First Avenue in Pioneer Square - my old stomping grounds, in a way. I really miss working down here:





The ferry terminal at Colman Dock:





Arriving at Pike Place Market:





Putting up the Christmas Tree at the Market:



Christmas decorations at the Market:





The famous "fish throwers" stand. Didn't see any fish thrown - but still entertaining:





The view from the back of the Market over Elliott Bay towards West Seattle:





Looking northwest at a barge:





The Space Needle and downtown from Kerry Park on Queen Anne - with a dramatic view of Mt. Rainier:





The Port of Seattle and West Seattle:





Panorama of Seattle:





Proving that Jodi really was here (how cute is she?):





Wednesday was her birthday - and Scott bought her a cake shaped like a turkey:





We considered posting this as our Thanksgiving dinner:





Jodi and Scott (yes, she's wearing a sweater from The Ohio State University):





Thursday morning - ready to go in the oven:





Jodi helping with dinner:





La Table:





Me and Jodi (nice extra chins, Matt):



During dinner:



The aftermath - table cleared:


Scott bought this - A Charlie Brown Christmas tree - I love it:



Friday morning - after taking Jodi to the airport at 5 a.m. - Stoli already misses her new sleeping buddy:



I'm absolutely exhausted from trying to get the house presentable for a houseguest ... and to be honest, I'm pretty lonely tonight. Jodi's back in Columbus, Scott is working late. But I have great memories and it was so wonderful to reconnect live with someone who has been such a dear friend to me.

Happy Thanksgiving Jodi and all of my friends ... you're all invited for next year.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

"Do whatever you wannakuh"?

So what do YOU think of this GAP ad?



UPDATE: Here are the lyrics - seems pretty all-encompassing to me. I know I'm biased, but I read this as a pretty damn positive message:

Two, Four, Six, Eight, 'tis the time to liberate

Go Christmas, Go Hanukkah, Go Kwanzaa, Go Solstice.

Go classic tree, go plastic tree, go plant a tree, go and add a tree.

You 86 the rules, you do what just feels right.

Happy do whatever you wanukkah, and to all a cheery night.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Your Beach/Disco Needs You

With windy, rainy fall and winter bearing down on us here in Seattle - I thought a good beach flash mob would make us all smile a little.

Props to Joe.


Thursday, November 12, 2009

November 12 of 12

Welcome to November 12, 2009. My name is Matt and I'l be your host from Seattle. My Master is Chad - pay homage to him.

These pictures were all taken on Thursday, November 12, 2009 in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Chilly morning:





Pretty leaves that have NOT been blown down by the rain - on the way to work on Thomas Street:



Heading towards the Space Needle and the Sound:







Later that day - the view from my desk:




Leaving work - the Space Needle at dusk:




Running up that hill ...




Holy Shmokes, Bullwinkle!!






Love the car on the top of that building:




Out neighborhood Trader Joe's - with the unbelievelably horrible parking garage. We need to just walk here.





Scott bought some more Halloween decorations on sale afterwards. (STOP!!!). Here's one in the refrigerator:


Waiting for a response from my brother - terrified. But it came out okay:

Dinner (spaghetti with meat and tomato sauce):

Kinda drained now. Hope your 12 was happy!!

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Something Wicked This Way Came ...

Our house has been kinda the main attraction in our neighborhood for Halloween for a number of years, and this year did not dissappoint.



It turned out a pretty nice day - no rain, but it was windy - we had to chase some decorations down a few times and find bricks and rocks to keep them in place.




Someone decided to camp out in the back seat of Joe Jetta for the festivities.





Getting creepy out there. A BIG number of our decorations move or fly or make scary noises when people approach ...





Even Scott was a little scared.







The graveyard out front. That guy in the middle slowly stands up from behind the tombstone. Eek.



From across the street. It's a busy place.



Hard to get a good night picture, but let me tell ya - it was spooky. Too bad you can't hear the noises and see the strobe lights flashing in the attic window.



And how was your weekend?