July 2010
15 posts
4 tags
High Anxiety
As a seasoned commuter in the Puget Sound Megalopolis, I try to lessen the High Anxiety by breaking the trip down into a point to point scenario. I don’t think too far ahead. Just make it to the next marker. Hopefully the little successes will add up and out number any failures and by days end (now home),
I’ll feel like a winner.
Keep it simple, (A) the points you dread, you know the...
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If I were a rich man...
If I were a rich man…
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
Remember those lines? I do…
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I’d build a big tall...
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Web 3.0... Here we come.
Seattle… “Is your head in the cloud? Are your feet on the ground?”
Driving to work this morning the tall buildings had their tops in the clouds. Ah, clouds, it got me to thinking about Google’s purchase of Metaweb a few days ago.
Metaweb invented Freebase, a massive semantic database using what it calls “entities” that improve search by distinguishing...
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Localism 101, or is that Colloquialism 101?
One thing I really love about what I do is the opportunity to travel around the region and talk to real estate professionals in their community;
And there’s nothing like a good social media marketing conversation to quickly peel through the colloquial layers and get right down to the local state of the onion.
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col·lo·qui·al ...
The Narrows in Summer Fog...
The Narrows Bridge…
Out of the office today and headed for Gig Harbor, Washington for a day of social media marketing with Amy Kalafatich at The Talon Group. A new wave of real estate professionals are discovering the necessity of having a good online presence.
The dynamics of relationship building are essentially the same as they’ve always been, but where they start and how they...
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A thriving vibrant downtown say's a lot about a...
When the recession hit here in Renton, Washington a couple of years ago the evidence was immediate in old downtown. In less than a year it seemed every 4th or 5th door was closed and there was a For Rent sign in the window. My heart went out to these small shop merchants. I use to be one. Back in a different recession in the 70’s I had a small music store, Renton Guitar Studios. I...
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Eastlake & Lynn
Just a half block from work on a Friday morning. It’s gray and cooler this morning, but not raining. When I got off the freeway at Lakeview Ave I got hit by a sprinkler. It startled me and got my adrenalin pumping. Direct hit across the windshield from about 50 feet.
Headed for the office: The Talon Group, 2345 Eastlake Ave E…
July 16, 2010 Seattle, WA 98102
The Blackberry...
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Music Concrete
Friday morning and yahoo the traffic is light. Headed north through downtown Seattle, coming up on Madison St, and headed for the Eastlake neighborhood.
I love the patchwork of grids the buildings create. It reminds me of music. When I was at Soundwork Studio on Capitol Hill, and the Center for Contemporary Music at Mills College in Oakland, California, I wrote and performed several electronic,...
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The bluest skies you've ever seen are in...
The upside for working late today is the traffic is light and I make record time getting home… Heading south on Interstate 5 around 7:00 PM the sky is a wonderful shade of blue and there’s ol’ Miss, her Majesty, Mt Rainier in the background. I’m at the northern end of Boeing Field.
I’m cracking myself up remembering as a kid watching ”Here Come the...
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and the wind cries Mary
and the wind cries Mary… Will the wind ever remember the names it has blown in the past?
The Pacific Northwest I grew up in was a quainter place, once upon a time. I was driving into Seattle passing an old familiar landmark today, the Chinook Motel. It was a Mom & Pop place, built in 1952. As I recall there were 8, or maybe 10 units. The owners (in the early years) lived on site in their...
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Stop Freakin...
I had a great social media marketing conversation in Spanaway this morning with some clients at Crescent Realty. We were talking about how search engines work, how to develop an online presence, and creating your own personal brand. It was a fun and lively conversation.
On the way back to the office I was replaying in my mind some of what we talked about when I came up next to the Beacon...
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The Peaceable Kingdom... Madrona, Seattle
The Madrona Neighborhood in Seattle, Washington has some of the area’s most beautiful views. I was heading home from the office, the freeway was jammed, so I opted for one my favorite drives down Lake Washington Boulevard. Don’t be in a hurry when you go this way. There are few stops and the traffic is usually light, but it’s mostly 25 miles an hour. But who cares?, there’s so much to look at....
June 2010
2 posts
4 tags
Commute
From the Blackberry Chronicles, random photos from around the Pacific Northwest.
Taking pictures with my Blackberry is a great source of entertainment while driving the work commute. I’m seeing things in a way that I haven’t before. Since I always have my Blackberry with me (8330 Curve), it’s handy. Eyes on the road, I pick it up and take random shots hoping I catch something...
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Please Don't Outsource Your Personality...
A local company in town claiming to be social media experts has recently offered a service to real estate agents that will take care of your Tweets, Facebook updates, Linkedin, and blog content for a small monthly fee. They’re offering you a social media system.
(Isn’t that an oxymoron?)
Dear valued clients and all real estate professionals: Please Don’t Outsource Your...
May 2010
2 posts
4 tags
The Pike Pine Triangle
The Pike Pine Triangle
It’s funny how things change over time… Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s I was a student at Cornish College of the Arts, then known as Cornish Institute. I lived on Capitol Hill just a few blocks from the school and studied music composition and performance. During that time I worked for And/Or, a Seattle nonprofit arts organization.
I was very involved in the...
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Title Insurance is Sexy...
At The Talon Group in the Pacific Northwest… Title Insurance is Sexy…
April 2010
1 post
7 tags
Take a virtual walk with me...
Last Friday afternoon a client requested information on a property for a potential listing in Gold Bar, Washington. Gold Bar is a small rural community in southeast Snohomish County about 55 miles northeast from my office in the Eastlake neighborhood of Seattle.
You’re definitely in the high country heading into Gold Bar and the Cascade Mountains on State Route 2. If you continue east you’ll...
March 2010
5 posts
3 tags
South by SouthWest (SXSW) Vicarious.ly...
SimpleGeo collected data from eight geolocated data providers (FourSquare, Gowalla, Twitter, Flickr, Bump, Brightkite, BlockChalk, and Fwix) during the South by SouthWest Interactive Festival to create this cool video.
Check out my new retaggr card! http://ping.fm/rZXaI
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water walker...
March 18, 2010 at the Pacific Northwest Housing Summit, Seattle Center. I ran back to my car parked at the Mercer Street garage. Taking a short break I encountered this small girl who was just delighted to walk the sheet of water fountain between the Exhibition Hall and McCaw Hall…
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Adverse Possession... really?
Adverse Possession
Recently it’s been all over our local news media about the Puyallup, Washington homeowners (that were in the process of foreclosure) and found the locks on their home changed and a new family living in their home.
In this second installment of “The Title Perspective” we’d like to share some insights from our Sr. Title Officer, Tim Daniels, on Adverse...
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Rockin out on my Birthday...
My friend Jana Schmidt of John L Scott - Renton posted this Happy Birthday video she did for me and posted to Facebook today. Jana, you just so cracked me up. You captured my essence better than you think!
What a cool site, JibJab… thanks for the video, I got stomach cramps from laughing so hard.
Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!
February 2010
6 posts
4 tags
Who's the right REALTOR® for you?
Who’s the right REALTOR® for you?
I’ve worked with a lot of them. Some just starting out in their 20’s, many in their 40’s, most of them in the US are now around 50,* and I know several still at it in their 70’s and even 80’s. They come from everywhere and every background. Most of them didn’t grow up in real estate. They chose it as a second career...
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We’re all self educating buyers… part one
We’re all self educating buyers… part one
Originally written for and posted on: Classic Homes Northwest, Februrary 18, 2010.
There are some pretty cool (and fun) tools to explore neighborhoods. Regardless if you plan to move there and buy, or rent, or maybe you’re just curious about what’s there. In part one, we’ll look at a couple of sites from my toolbox that I find invaluable...
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a new chapter...
Check out my new view!
… My first day at The Talon Group - Title and Escrow Services… I’ll be working out of their Seattle office located at 2345 Eastlake Ave E, Suite 301, Seattle, WA 98102.
From my office looking west (and a little north) at the Aurora Bridge.
Looking west at Queen Anne Hill north…
Looking west at Queen Anne Hill…
Looking southwest at the...
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Ghost Writers on my personal blog? I don't think...
OK, I have to chime in on this one, but my thoughts are too long for just a comment. Anyway, that is where my blog subjects most often come from, the online conversation.
Don’t miss Jessica Sulliman’s great blog entry: Pay Per Blog is it Kosher
You’ll find a great thread of opinions and conversation…
My answer to Jessica’s question regarding the use of Ghost Writers for your Active Rain blog;
...
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RE Bar Camp: Seattle March 19, 2010
“Community is conversation and conversation is opportunity”…
Here’s your opportunity to join in…
RE Barcamp is going to be held in the Northwest Rooms at the Seattle Center on March 19, 2010. A great in city location right next to the Key Arena with plenty of parking, hotels, and restaurants within walking distance.
Looking from the Northwest Rooms SE over the Key Arena.
Click for: Seattle...
January 2010
11 posts
4 tags
What was the very first personal technology you...
I was thinking the other day about the technology in my life and how it has shaped me. That took longer than I thought; several days in fact. I became fascinated (actually obsessed) about the lineage of electronic devices I’ve owned over the years and that prompted me to ask,
“What was the very first personal technology I owned?”
My quest had a simple premise:
1. It had to have something to do...
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Ferry ride with Coast Guard escort
Heading back from Port Orchard 1/18/2009 to the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal in West Seattle. There was a security alert and we had a Coast Guard escort.
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Naval Station, Bremerton, Washington
The Olympic Mountains were exceptionally beautiful this mild winter day, January 18, 2009 in Port Orchard, Washington. Mysterious and moody as they appeared like an impressionist painting in motion. Looking northwest over Sinclair Inlet from the waterfront in Port Orchard, Washington.
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Mt Rainier from Port Orchard Ferry
Muted colors this mild January 18, 2009. Looking Southeast from the Fauntleroy Ferry coming back from a nice day on the Peninsula.
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Parking sea gull in Port Orchard...
Port Orchard, Washington, January 18, 2009…
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Gig Harbor and Mt Rainier
Looking east over Gig Harbor at Mt Rainier, January 18, 2010. Enjoying the wonderful muted colors of winter in the Pacific Northwest.
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Gig Harbor through Scotch Bloom
Looking east over Gig Harbor, Washington with Mt Rainier in the background. January 18, 2009.
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How to do social media marketing... webinar
How to do social media marketing: bloggers, social networks, metrics, and more…
I found this webinar on YouTube.com the other day and thought I’d share. Chris Abraham and Sally Falkow present some great tips and simple straight forward ideas on how to develop a good social media marketing strategy. It’s almost an hour, but worth a listen no matter what business you are in. They...
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I'm a maker...
Igor Stravinsky… One of my all time favorite composers. I’ve read almost everything written about him, and listened and studied most all of his music.
I’m forever fascinated by the fact that in this modern age, he never had a post. He wasn’t a teacher at any college or school, never tenured, nor was he a resident composer of a symphony, ballet, or opera company. He wrote,...
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Did Beethoven hear that?
Leonard Bernstein, one of my heroes on the bleachers, teaching at Harvard. From ‘The Unanswered Question’ lecture series.
A great (and rather humorous) conversation asking the question, “As listener, are we feeling what Beethoven supposedly felt when he wrote…”
Music, through its far reaching metaphorical powers can, and does, name the unnameable. This could easily...
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Advice from Stephen King...
I love Stephen King’s book, On Writing.
This is a short clip from a talk at Yale on 4/21/03 to beginning writers…
December 2009
11 posts
1 tag
don't miss virtual rebar camp...
Educating Real Estate Agents On How To Use Modern Technologies To Better Their Business Will Never Be The Same!
On January 4th, 2010 dozens of the most respected educators in the real estate industry converge to host most exciting event of its kind, the Virtual Real Estate BarCamp.
Virtual Real Estate BarCamp is a 1-Day Learning Extravaganza. From 9am until 4pm PST, three concurrent webinar...
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Alfred's Analog Blog...
Alfred J. Sirleaf started the “Daily Talk” in the year 2000. This ‘anablog’ is the only news source for many residents of Monrovia, Liberia. Alfred’s news room is a small plywood shack where he publishes via large fold-out chalkboards facing the street. Every morning he posts news he’s found from around the city to the boards. The New York Times reported that the...
I hope Santa has GPS...
I hope Santa has GPS, it’s pretty darn foggy Off My Deck, in Renton, Washington.
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300 French students at the ESCP Business School
Some very talented kids from ESCP Business School in France created this stop motion video… showing off some very imaginative school spirit…
Cool Stop-Motion Student Project - Watch more Funny Videos
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Web 2.0 Suicide Machine...
Hilarious and poignant post by Duncan Geere…
Web 2.0 Suicide Machine
Reclaim your life! Delete your MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn profile.
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We are the web... and we got a lot of rethinking...
I made my way somehow, following a thread… to The Social Executive.
thesocialexec.com/
Ryan Harms posted this video, he found it on YouTube.
The video is by Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of
Cultural Anthropology, Kansas State University…
Here’s the link to Wesch’s YouTube channel… What a great find… MWesch
We are the web… and we got a...
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Happy Holidays 2009...
Tis the Season… Enjoy the Holidays with family and friends, and a Happy and Prosperous New Year…
They, upon one time and place...
Once upon a time, in another life… (10/9/1980)… I was at Cornish (now College of the Arts - 1980-1983).
I was organizing my storage this last weekend, looking at boxes I’ve carried around for years but have not investigated. I’m always one to go through that box of memorabilia, being the sentimental fool I am.
I did a piece (aka: composition, we called them pieces way...