Clips Update

In November I took three generations of my family on a vacation to a remote island and I truly hope to share the details of that magical place here on the blog soon. But vacations don’t get me off the hook from the hustle, and I did manage to get a few pieces published in the past few weeks.

If you’re looking for something to do in the Puget Sound region this winter, I recommend these  14 Off-the-Radar Winter Tours and Classes for Families. I had a surprisingly good time learning about the history of computers for All Hands on Tech, about the new and improved all-ages museum based on Paul Allen’s vintage computer collection.

Personally, I prefer curling up with a good book. If the Sherlock Holmes exhibit at Pacific Science Center has your kids itching for mysteries (or you just want to introduce them to the genre) I’ve got some book recommendations for you in It’s Elementary! Kid-size Mysteries Budding Detectives Will Love.

It hasn’t all been fun and games, though. I researched the laws around photography in and near voting booths, and although THAT election is over with, it’s something to keep in mind for next time when the voter suppression shenanigans are likely to enjoy renewed vigor, because Taking a selfie in the voting booth might be illegal.

Unfortunately I’ve lost the link, but I recently read an article on how authoritarian governments work. One point that really stuck with me was an observation on complicity. Under authoritarian governments, individuals often anticipate restrictions of freedom and other questionable policies, implementing them even before they are demanded. One reason that point struck me so hard was the news that federal prisons are quietly reversing their publicized policy of eliminating private contracts. Is jailing people for profit a good idea? We’ll soon find out.

Also scary was looking into possible changes under the Trump administration affecting small businesses. Never particularly stable, the gig economy feels particularly vulnerable in the hands a man whose expertise is bankrupting huge companies. What will President Trump mean for small businesses?

Amidst the horror there is one small piece of good news. I was heartened at the news that the City of Seattle will not cut their losses when residents cut down public trees to “improve” their private views. “Would you go to jail for a better view?” is no longer a rhetorical question.

As for the blog, there are so many books and destinations I want to write about, and I do still hope to find a way to do so. But in the meantime, I will keep up with the shorter, photo-based pieces that require less time from both me and my dear readers.

With fewer posts come fewer readers, but those who have stuck around (in November) came from

1. USA
2. Germany
3. Iceland

Mostly they came from Twitter, and unfortunately, for those who came from searches, all but one of the search terms they used to get here were “unknown.” I do miss seeing the search terms.

The most popular posts in November were:

Weather Diaries

Nabucco at Seattle Opera

Snorri Sturluson

I was especially pleased to see that people did click through on several links in Weather Diaries to check out the wonderful artists who were part of that exhibit.

Happy Holidays!