"Enjoy Yourself," The Specials live
I thought I might choose a more overtly political song for this like "Gangsters" or "Concrete Jungle," but nah, let's keep it as simple as possible -- it's later than ya think.
Terry Hall of The Specials is dead at 63. All that positive energy channeled through music, it's still out there somewhere if we can grab it.
Chingu Cat: "Please fill wet food bowl."
— "Give Me Ammunition, Not a Ride" James (@wetcasements) December 18, 2022
Me: "You just ate."
Chingu: "But possible earthquake today, you don't come home."
Me: "No."
Chingu: "Possible Zombie Apocalypse, please fill."
Me: "Unlikely."
Chingu: "Locust plague. Wild fire."
Me: "No. No."
Chingu: "I'M GOING TO STARVE!"
Very technically speaking, this area is the tippy-toppy Northwestern part of the continental U.S. And it wasn't raining! And there's what's supposed to be a good place for raw oysters not far from here, but couldn't make it this day.
Chingu (tuxedo) and Mandu (cream with brown spots) taking a much needed rest after knocking something else over.
I've been working at the local Humane Society for over a year now, but I was one of the only people there who didn't have any pets. Living with my Dad it would have been too much for him -- I was convinced that during one of his 3 a.m. ramblings to nowhere he might have kicked a dog or cat, or simply just opened the front door and let them out to play with the hungry local foxes and coyotes.
Anyhow, we've moved my Dad into professional care and not long after that I adopted these two knuckle-heads (technically I'm fostering until they're fixed, then will formally adopt). The tuxedo is Chingu, a boy. His name in Korean is "friend." I didn't stop there, so his sister (not biological, but I'd challenge anyone to tell the difference) is Mandu, or "dumpling."
I've hesitated to say more about these two gorgeous creatures for a simple reason. Chingu was going to get put down due to some health issues. As horrible as that sounds, it's just a fact that in an Animal Shelter setting issues of "adoptability" and ease of re-homing are always present.
It's been about a month now and while I don't want to jinx anything, Chingu is improving. He's objectively doing better and growing all on his own. He had issues with his bowels. This might mean he'll later have the very common cat issue of bad kidneys. But for now he's lively and playful and makes me smile even when I'm scolding him for trying to light the house on fire.
And let's not give short shrift to Mandu -- she's also growing, has a beautiful coat and eyes, and will purr on first or second brush of a human hand. She's actually more shy than Chingu, even though as far as we can tell she's always been perfectly healthy.
I love these two, and in a few months we'll be driving across the country together once my Dad's house is ready for resale.
Chingu Cat: "I am getting in shower with you."
— "Give Me Ammunition, Not a Ride" James (@wetcasements) December 11, 2022
Me: "Why? You hate water."
Chingu Cat: "Here I come."
Me: /splashes some water at Chingu Cat
Chingu Cat: "IT BURNS! IT BURNS! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?"
/end scene
Whatcom Falls Park, Bellingham.
My Dad moved out here while I was in college back in 1994. As I spend my last few months here before headed back east I'm enjoying visits to spots that my Dad took me to almost 30 years ago. For any and all complaining I've done about life here, the city has done a pretty amazing job of integrating parks into the city landscape. There's no excuse to not get your 10,000 daily steps here because you can throw a rock and find a decent walking trail.
As my Dad got into his late 70's and 80's, understandably, we did a lot less hiking, a lot less "stuff" in general. So it's refreshing, maybe even a bit liberating, to get out and enjoy the cold and damp weather by myself, as only Bellingham can provide this time of year.
And my Dad's fine by the way. But at 93, and given some very scary moments involving his diagnosed dementia, we've moved him into a home.
I think France wins it all. They're certainly the most fun to watch, although Ronaldo-less Portugal playing better than they have in years was hilarious in its own right.
A good friend visited me here in Bellingham for early-Thanksgiving dinner. On Thursday itself I headed up to Canada to visit a place even my Dad never made it to -- the "pene-exclave" of Point Roberts, USA.
It's a truly weird place, geographically speaking. You go into Canada on I-5, then towards Vancouver, but you make big left turn / fish-hook to get here instead. And you actually have to go through Customs (albeit a much smaller operation) all over again.
There's not a whole lot to see. You'd be crazy to start a business here with all the necessary red tape. But strangely enough, it is part of Whatcom County and at the animal shelter we do occasionally get a call from here. Basically, I tell them (politely!) that most of our officers don't have passports, and it would take almost a whole day of driving just to get to and from there from Bellingham proper.
There are some beautiful views though. On the left of the horizon on the next picture you can see Mount Baker.
Anyhow, I love them both very much, scratches and all.
Meet Chingu and Mandu, my two new buddies from the shelter.
I'm thankful that I just adopted these two fluffly goofballs, and a college friend visited a few days before Thanksgiving itself. Going up to Canada for a hike today. Wherever life finds you, with or without or between family and friends, have a wonderful day.
Stereolab, "Fluorescences"
Fall has definitely arrived in Whatcom County. I raked yesterday and put a very minor dent in what needs to be done. In my defense, there's a few trees around the house that still haven't dumped their leaves yet. For work I'm taking on online class on cat and dog first aid which is about as interesting as it sounds -- a lot of it is common sense, but there are some weird things to keep in mind. (Dog and cat body temperature runs two to four degrees higher than a human's. That's one to grow on.)
Speaking of work, I'm picking up some decent extra shifts because the full-time dispatcher / new guy is a musician. I'm covering him tomorrow because he has a gig in Seattle. The fact that he's my age (48) and still living the rock and roll dream? Who am I to judge the greater PNW.
Also reading Harry Crews for the first time and enjoying it as much as you can enjoy the bleakness of poverty in America.
We might be getting snow next week. Yikes.
Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass, "Tis Autumn"
Such a beautiful, silly song. I've got raking to do. I've got house improvement stuff to work on. I'm backed up on some writing stuff as well -- the Diners of Whatcom County shall be finished! A few places only serve Eggs Benny on weekends though, which is when I work at the animal shelter.
But it's beautiful out, in the cold, windy, Bellingham way.
And I'm rooting for the Phillies, but deep down it's pretty clear the Astros will win it.
"Partridge [lead singer and guitarist], who addressed a rapt conference via video link, is proud of the fanbase, though confesses that the celebration badly triggers his OCD: he stayed firmly upstairs at home that weekend, and has previously hinted that he is autistic. Has he ever sought a formal diagnosis? 'I think I’m on the spectrum, yes, but it’s all helped me and I wouldn’t have it any other way.'Partridge is rarely sighted in his hometown, keeping nocturnal hours and staying at home where he devours military history. His vast collection of toys – mostly soldiers, some he has made himself – cover almost every display surface. Partridge tried social media, but withdrew following allegations that he used antisemitic tropes in a discussion on Middle Eastern politics (something he won’t be drawn on today). He’s given up his chief hobby of arguing with strangers about politics on online forums, telling me he now spends his days 'waiting for my music mojo to return, in between researching UFO events'."
Would they still be one of my favorites bands if they'd gotten even a quarter of the recognition (and money) they truly deserved? Probably. The songs are so strong.
"Pet food costs have outpaced general inflation by 0.6%, and a single surprise veterinary bill can launch 42% of pet owners into debt, according to a recent Forbes study. As a result, shelters around the US are seeing an increase in owner surrenders and a steep decline in adoptions with no sign of improving.
'We’re packed right now. We’re putting animals in cages in the hallways,' explains Katy Hansen, director of marketing and communications at New York’s Animal Care Centers (ACC), a no-kill shelter that has seen a 25% uptick in surrenders this year over last. 'It’s really sad, people crying, it’s a part of their family. But if you’re choosing between feeding your family and feeding your pet, your choices are limited.'”
It's impossible not to moralize here, but taking on a pet as a family member really is a life-time economic commitment.
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And The Mariners made the playoffs, damn.
Tune-Yards, "You Yes You"
Fall has definitely arrived in Whatcom County, although we're supposed to hit 75 today. Consider this a "life update preview" I guess. I can't really say more other than things are fine, as fine as they can be when dealing with age and dementia. Work is great. In addition to my morning walks I really want to get out and do some more heavy-duty hiking as the weather continues to cool down. As I wrap up the Various Diners of Whatcom County project (four more to go!) I'll also be putting together a longer post on where things stand with me and my Dad and our living arrangement, going over a year and a half now.
This is the reality Republicans want:
"An expectant Louisiana woman who was carrying a skull-less fetus that would die within a short time from birth ultimately traveled about 1,400 miles to New York City to terminate her pregnancy after her local hospital denied her an abortion amid uncertainty over the procedure’s legality.
Nancy Davis, 36, told the Guardian that she had her pregnancy terminated on 1 September after traveling from her home town of Baton Rouge to a clinic in Manhattan whose staff had agreed to complete the procedure."
If you didn't vote for Hillary in 2016, you very predictably voted for this timeline.
One thing we get a lot of at the animal shelter in summer is a caller telling us there's a dog locked in a hot car somewhere in the county. (And sometimes cats -- why?) Anyhow, if Google Weather is accurate yesterday was the last hot day of the year out here. The last day of actual summer, basically.
These are frustrating calls for a number of reasons (and I'm glad they're over for now):
1) Somebody might be being a butt-head, and knowingly leaving their dog in a hot car.
2) Somebody might be running into a store for five minutes, which might make them a butt-head but not necessarily.
3) You can't really hesitate on calls like these. They require an immediate response. (A barking complaint or a welfare check do not. We try to get to them ASAP of course.)
4) How to be delicate here? There's a certain type of caller -- a busy-body, an overzealous animal lover -- who actually goes out on a hot day specifically to call in these situations? And that's fine, but at the same time we'll get calls about dogs in cars with the engine on and the AC running, or parked in shade with all windows down. Of course, we err on the side of caution but some people wake up in the morning looking to cast aspersions on somebody in a Safeway parking lot. There, I said it.
5) It's possible we've got officers out in two or three corners of the county, and checking a dog in hot car situation is not going to happen in the next ten minutes. What I do is try and contact the nearest business and ask if they'll make an announcement, or send someone out to take a look. It's not perfect I realize, but neither is our funding as a non-profit. Anyhow, it's interesting to have a mental database now of "local businesses that care about a dog that might be suffering in a hot car" and "local businesses that do not give a single shit about a dog that might be suffering in a hot car."
6) In any event, no dogs died or suffered injuries this past summer due to being put in hot cars in this county. And no Animal Control Officer (ACO) had to actually break a window to save any of them. Usually by the time an ACO arrives the car is gone or pulling away. We do try and get license plate numbers for future possible offenses. And hopefully the fact that they zoomed out of a parking lot when they saw an Animal Control truck approaching, or got publicly shamed inside of a store, is enough of a lesson going forward.
7) The issue in a nutshell -- it is not illegal to keep pets in cars, given they have reasonable access to food and water. Of course, it is illegal to endanger their lives in hot (or cold) weather. But it's always a dynamic thing, requiring judgement calls on the part of the dispatcher (me!) and the ACO and hopefully concerned citizens who are genuinely worried about the animal's well-being. That's stressful!
8) We get calls from people who have locked themselves out of their cars. They assume (and for some reason the local Police Departments tells them) we have slim-jims, those long metal things you use to force open locked doors. We do not, never have, and never will. If you think a dog is going into heat-stroke (thick saliva or slobber, purple gums, vomiting) be prepared to grab a rock and bash. Laws vary by state of course, but my understanding is that if an animal is in genuine distress you have every right to save it, at least in Washington State. (Meaning, you won't be expected to pay for a new window.)
9) If it's going to be anywhere close to 70 degrees, please leave you doggos at home! Or do some research and find out which local business are cool with dogs coming in on leashes! There are plenty, and they deserve your business!
10) Hello, fall!
302 E Main St, Everson, WA
I found this place by accident. I knew Everson had at least one diner, but I'd driven past this building a few times before realizing what it actually was -- a restaurant that serves breakfast!
I guess you could call it minimal, but certainly not mediocre!
1217 Harris Avenue, Bellingham, WA (Fairhaven Location)
Well, let's head over to Fairhaven where the fancy people live! And let's see what delightful things they get to eat for breakfast! Bennies, of course! The best ones, apparently! That gauntlet has been thrown!
Talking In Bed
Talking in bed ought to be easiest,
Lying together there goes back so far,
An emblem of two people being honest.
Yet more and more time passes silently.
Outside, the wind's incomplete unrest
Builds and disperses clouds in the sky,
And dark towns heap up on the horizon.
None of this cares for us. Nothing shows why
At this unique distance from isolation
It becomes still more difficult to find
Words at once true and kind,
Or not untrue and not unkind.
-- Philip Larkin
I like to get to work a little early and read some poetry before I go in, at least when it isn't 90 degrees outside. Call it my "centering" practice. So it was nice to spend some time with one of my favorite, delightfully grim poets over the past few months with a used copy of his Collected Poems. (A prolific poet he was not, which I also count as a bonus. Take him or leave him. No sticky editorial issues. It's all there in about 200 pages. Was he a horrible racist? Yes, probably.)
Working at the animal shelter since last fall, maybe the choice was subconscious. Some of Larkin's best and most famous poems are, in fact, about animals -- "The Mower" (about killing a hedgehog accidentally), "Myxomatosis" (about killing a rabbit on purpose), "Toads" (about people, really).
I'll always tell people, if they ask, my favorite poem remains "This Be The Verse." But I was less familiar with "Talking In Bed," and I'd have to say it's my favorite utterly unromantic love poem of all time. Which is to say, it's beautiful and true. A response to Sonnet #130, I think.
It's supposed to hit 95 today. I don't blame my dad for not installing AC back when he built this place in 1994, but global warming has definitely changed the game up for much of the Pacific Northwest.
It's worse in Seattle.
It's worser in Portland.
Posting has been light due to stuff. I'm still working at the animal shelter, and that's actually going pretty well. I am about four diners away from finishing my Diner Reviews, which is also kind of exciting. At home, the wheels are turning on some changes with my Dad and our current living arrangements. I'll leave it at that for now. He's fine, doing as well as can be expected at 93.
It actually rained a little yesterday, which is pretty shocking for Whatcom County in July and August.
More to come soon!
"If we are extinguished by death, as I still try to believe, what point is there in leaving some books behind any more than bottles, clothes, or cheap jewellry? and if Sarah is right, how unimportant all the importance of art is. I tossed up, I think, simply from loneliness."
-- Graham Greene, The End of the Affair
"'It exists," Shevek said, spreading out his hands. 'It's real. I can call it a misunderstanding, but I can't pretend that it doesn't exist, or will ever cease to exist. Suffering is the condition on which we live. And when it comes, you know it. You know it as the truth. Of course it's right to cure diseases, to prevent hunger and injustice, as the social organism does. But no society can change the nature of existence. We can't prevent suffering. This pain and that pain, yes, but not Pain. A society can only relieve social suffering, unnecessary suffering. The rest remains. The root, the reality. All of us here are going to know grief; if we live fifty years, we'll have known pain for fifty years. And in the end we'll die. That's the condition we're born on. I'm afraid of life! There are times I -- I am very frightened. Any happiness seems trivial. And yet, I wonder if it isn't all a misunderstanding -- this grasping after happiness, this fear of pain. . . . If instead of fearing it and running from it, one could. . . get through it, go beyond it. There is something beyond it. It's the self that suffers, and there's a place where the self -- ceases. I don't know how to say it. But I believe that the reality -- the truth that I recognize in suffering as I don't in comfort and happiness -- that the reality of pain is not pain. If you can get through it. If you can endure it all the way.'"
-- Ursula K. Le Guin, The Dispossessed
316 W Holly Street, Bellingham, WA
Full disclosure: my very thrifty father was has never been one for eating out in restaurants. For years he maintained a beautiful vegetable garden, and one of the joys of visiting him was getting to eat fresh green beans and salads and squash. (He never did figure out how to get tomatoes to grow regularly here, with all the rain, alas.) But Old Town Cafe is a spot we'd usually visit once on my summer visits. So what I'm trying to say is -- even my frugal father, my prudent Pop, thinks this place is worth your time and money. Let's head south of downtown and try!
An old menu? I think so! Let's head on in! (Am I the only person who would have ordered the fried young beef liver 70 years ago? Maybe!)
Following up here, I agonized a little over what to do for phone communication while visiting South Korea recently. My current plan didn't (AFAICT) offer an international pay-as-you-go plan, which would have been perfect. So then I thought I'd rent a SIM in Korea (very easy to do) then had nightmares imagining I'd lose either the new or current one. So, it's also easy to rent an entire phone, and very cheap to do so.
In the end, I did nothing more than download Kakaotalk. And I hardly used it.
I managed to get by just fine using email and Facebook messenger. And believe me, I hate Facebook! But my Korean friends use it, and it worked out fine.
When it comes to travel I always find that less is more. Another stop at the airport to rent a SIM or phone is just that -- another 15 minutes I'm not enjoying myself.
So at least for me, everything worked out fine with the caveat that it's very easy to find free wifi in Korea, or to buy a data card at a convenience store and roll with that. Then again, I got along just fine with coffee shops.
Also, be prepared to use an app to get a taxi at night in Seoul, and probably smaller cities as well. There's a shortage of cabbies right now. If you ask nicely, I'm sure any good restaurant or hotel will order one for you but be prepared to ask. They will go right past you if you try flagging them yourself, because they already have a fare booked in advance.
I realize there's a certain risk in recommending any Nicolas Cage film, but I saw Pig on the way home from South Korea and it was incredible. Very sad, a real gut-punch in some ways, but thoroughly excellent.
(It's about a pig.)
I made it home in one piece. Daegu was hot, but not quite full furnace-blast as of yet. I saw friends, my former boss, and former students. In Seoul I met up with some foreigner friends. I got tested for COVID a total of three times, and only had to pay for the service twice.
I miss Korea and always will. At the same time, I think the time was right to transition back to home.
I caught a Samsung Lions game too -- they were crushed by NCsoft, 9-1.
I'm off to Daegu and Seoul tomorrow for a real vacation. I'll be back in a week. Planning on eating anything in front of me, that's pretty much it.
The Daisy Cafe, 114 W Magnolia St, Bellingham, WA
There are no shortage of downtown breakfast spots in lovely Bellingham, and here's another one -- The Daisy Cafe!
Eggs Benedict await!
I'm visiting South Korea next week for my first vacation in a long while. I hope early June isn't too hot, but it will be Daegu so who am I kidding? I'll sweat buckets.
Is it time, Poppa? Is it time to come up and out of the radish shelter now that winter is finally over Poppa?#Bellingham #CountryLife pic.twitter.com/5m3IUPiRxw
— "Give Me Ammunition, Not a Ride" James (@wetcasements) May 20, 2022
John Lennon and Chuck Berry live, 1972
If Chuck Berry is fine with Yoko being Yoko, I don't see why the rest of us should feel any different.
I watch a lot of Youtube. I'm pretty obsessive about music. I'm not sure how I never came across this mind-blowing clip before, with renditions of "Memphis" and "Johnny B. Goode."
You might remember that I've been living with my Dad since February of 2021 as his primary caregiver. We went to his doctor yesterday and got some information that's partly very bad and, in the strange logic of caregiving, very good as well, if only because it clarifies some things that were becoming more apparent to me and my sister over the past 12 months. To have his doctor confirm what we already knew might not seem like a big deal, but going forward it's important.
It's tough. We have good days and bad days together and, more often lately, a mixture of both.
You also might remember that I'm working part-time at the local Humane Society. It's been fantastic, mostly, with the usual bumps and lumps that come with learning a new job. The HR department offers some limited free counseling which I'm going to look into. I don't lack for people I can talk to, but a little professional help might go a long way.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that this is by far the hardest damn thing I've ever done. And on the one hand I'm proud of myself for having gotten this far, and on the other I'm still scared and stressed and terrified about what comes next.
Have I mentioned that when I do go in to work we're allowed to have pets in the office? That throughout the day some random shelter dog gives me hand licks and nuzzles, or tries to jump onto my lap while I'm taking calls from the public? And if that isn't enough in terms of what I need right now, it's certainly more than nothing?
Rusty Wagon Old Tyme Food, 6937 Hannegan Rd, Lynden, WA
Back to lovely Lynden, in the center of Whatcom County! Hope you brought your appetite, partner, as well as your tolerance for Western kitsch!
You're either going to love or hate this place, cowpoke!
"The man with the tweed cap was silent. Met by the impasse of Mary's nationality, he sat absorbed in his own thoughts. Finally he said, So you're not Canadian what are you? Mary had been looking in the mirror behind the bar and so did not catch this last question. He repeated it. She answered that she was an American, but her father was a Norwegian. He died several years ago. A Norwegen! Hah. Me, I'm Swedish. Norweganser no good! Oh? she said, My father was nice. Well, that's just because he was your father, he replied, his jaw set firm. That don't make Norwegians good. Are you married? he asked. Yes I am, to the man sitting next to me. And so that went, the Swede asked more questions and was generally skeptical of the couple's local residence. To him they remained Canadian. This word, along the coast from Blaine to Seattle, is commonly used to mean 'odd ball.'"
-- Edward Dorn, By The Sound
Little Cheerful Cafe, 133 E Holly St, Bellingham, WA
Let's go back downtown, shall we? On a rainy morning quickly turning to sunlight, or a sunny morning quickly to rain, Bellingham has got you covered when it comes to your breakfast needs -- at Little Cheerful Cafe!
Just thinking of all the shit-heads back in 2016 who really thought Hillary would make a worse president than Trump.
Web Locker Restaurant, 734 Coho Way, Bellingham, WA
Some places scream out "diner," others are more subtle. Very technically speaking, Web Locker is an all-day restaurant that serves breakfast, so it counts. Located on the newly developed part of Bellingham's waterfront, I expected something boujee and upscale. But it was actually quite friendly, with a bunch of regulars drinking their coffees and reading their papers on another rainy morning.
Well, so much for relative peace and quiet at work.
Two people in our building, one an immediate co-worker, have tested positive for COVID.
Another co-worker (meaning, in Animal Control) went to the ER last weekend with routine issues and was given a very serious diagnosis.
Spring and summer (Bellingham has a notoriously late spring) are our peak seasons.
This is really not good.
I'm really enjoying my work at the local Humane Society. If you've forgotten, I'm a part-time dispatcher in animal control. I've gained a lot of confidence over the past few months, which basically means I've learned many (certainly not all) of the ins-and-outs of local laws.
To get preachy though, the basic fact is that there are too many dogs and cats chasing far too few forever homes. Adopting a shelter animal means you're doing a small part to end the cycle, or at least slow it down.
I work with really good people though, and that says a lot.
Arlis's Restaurant, 1525 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA
You are a diner, Arlis's. I know this because you are only open until 2 p.m. every day. And your EBs and coffee are sublime. Look at you with your water-stained marquee, trying to pretend you aren't a wonderful stop on my breakfast journey, nay, pilgrimage.
I'll admit, it was love at first sight. Just a little shabby and used, but with huge plate glass windows all around. I knew I was in the right place.
Denny's, 161 Telegraph Rd, Bellingham, WA
Let's head back into town, shall we? We started off our journey with IHOP and while not great, it wasn't a complete disappointment. Even a corporate joint should offer some small pleasures in the form of coffee, decent service, and hopefully passable food.
Oh, sweet summer child. . . .
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"What a cruel twist of fate, I thought, my face reddening as I fought back the tears. I had spent my adolescence trying to blend in with my peers in suburban America, and had come of age feeling like my belonging was something to prove. Something that was always in the hands of other people to be given and never my own to take, to decide which side I was on, whom I was allowed to align with. I could never be of both worlds, only half in and half out, waiting to be ejected at will by someone with greater claim than me. Someone full. Someone whole. For a long time I had tried to belong in America, wanted and wished for it more than anything, but in that moment all I wanted was to be accepted as a Korean by two people who refused to claim me. You are not one of us, Kye seemed to say. And you will never really understand what it is she needs, no matter how perfect you try to be."
-- Michelle Zauner, Crying in H Mart
Fascinating Guardian piece about linguistic differences between the freedom fighters of Ukraine and Putin's unwanted invaders, especially when it comes to swearing:
"Ukraine’s move away from Soviet-style linguistic prissiness does two things. First, it makes the obvious point that war is serious, a time to put aside politeness. Second, it emphasises the gulf between the communication strategies of the autocratic Putin and the self-consciously democratic, media-savvy Zelenskiy. The Ukrainian president and his team have shown their mastery – even in siege conditions – of the idioms of social media, of the way it blends homemade and professional, public and private. The language of Zelenskiy’s public persona reinforces this sense of familiarity: in a 3 March press conference, he addressed Putin directly, in Russian, using the informal 'ty' form of address: 'I’m an ordinary guy, sit down with me, I don’t bite.'
This informality, which is also evident in the military-casual attire of Zelenskiy and the Ukrainian delegation at the peace talks, is a deliberate contrast to Putin’s presentation which, especially on the eve of the war, juxtaposed banality and absurdity with its long tables, rants about history and ever-present technocratic suit and tie. I’ve seen the talking heads of Russian state TV express contempt for the Ukrainians’ alleged lack of professionalism but the fact that, by 9 March, Putin felt obliged to come out of isolation to address a rally, and to do so in a polo neck and (expensive, Italian) puffa jacket made the failings of Russia’s plan A pretty evident."
If you're engaged in Tone Policing, you're probably the asshole to begin with.
Smokestack Diner, 210 W Main St, Everson
Everson is in the heart of Whatcom County, along the banks of the mighty Nooksack River. I've driven through it a few times, but finally had a reason to stop.
