Editorials from Theslowlane

Finding memories tucked away in old suitcases. Some T-shirts and more. A project documenting my unique life.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 01:23:19 +0000

Before my parents took me to college, they gave me these suitecases for Christmas. I used them on the Greyhound Bus for vacation travels. Now they store some old clothing.

More recently, I have traveled by bicycle for the most part. Not using this luggage.

I still have a Greyhound Bus luggage tag from the bus trip back to college after Christmas Break my freshman year at Western Washington University. I lived in Ridgeway Delta Dorm. 1970s.

Memories of those college bus rides between my hometown of Pullman and Bellingham. Greyhound stopped for lunch at Martha's Inn Truck Stop in George, Washingtton.

Today the sign is all that was left when I biked through that area in 2022.

On a bike trip across Washington, I ate at Dusty Cafe in Dusty, WA. just west of Pullman. I got the T-shirt. Dusty Cafe is now just a memory.

My first perminant job after college was part time diswasher and janitor at Pizza Haven. Now also just a memory, but I kept the apron from the dishwashing shift.

I worked there for nearly 11 years back when one could afford to live in Bellingham on the cheap. Much of my time and energy could go into my avocations.

During the 1990s and till my retirement, my paid job was a janitor at the YMCA.

My jobs were always informal enough so I still had time and energy for a life of avocations. I was able to add leave of absence to my vacations which made long summer bicycle trips possible.

Much of my energy goes into sharing ideas. Today, on social media.

In the 1980s, there was writting letters. People had penpals and there was an informal network of artists called the "Mail Art Network." It was international. That network is still going, but electronic social media is larger.

One byproduct of participating in Mail Art was Air Mail Stickers from all over the world. I collected some and had a shirt made.

In the 1980s, I started to get into bike touring. There was an organization called Bikecentennial that I joined for a while. It's now called Adventure Cycling Association. I sent away for the T-shirt.

Then I sent one of those T-shirts to a pen pal I had in Brazil, back in 1987. He now lives in UK and is among my Facebook friends.

In 1991 and again in 1993 I biked across USA. This billboard was in Michigan. Later I had a shirt made from the photo.

I'm okay with biking at 15 mph or less, but still afraid to drive a car.

Here is the picture.

One of the fun things that happened at the Y in the 1980s was big aerobics classes in the main gym. Sometimes there were around 75 people in those musical classes. It was lake dancing.

Here is a T-shirt from an aerobics class reunion.

Dancing depicted on another shirt. There is still lots of ecstatic dance in Bellingham.

I even found a pair of shorts I had when I was really skinny in 7th grade.

I was almost too small for the Schwinn Bike I got in 7th grade.

A robe that was presented to me at an awards assembly in High School. I was also presented the award for being the most individualistic student. Yes, PHS had such an award back then. It was called the Tack Hammer Award.

A friend who's parents live in Ecudor got these pants for me back in the 1990s.

I wore them a few times, including at the 2011 Pride Parade in Vancouver, BC.

From 1980 when I took the bus down to a pride parade in San Francisco.

Part of gathering for 1980 pride parade in San Francisco among the big buildings.

For a while I had a T-shirt from the Bellingham Peace Vigil. I only have the button now.

In 2016, that vigil celebrated 50 years since the tradition started in Bellingham.

Most recently, these shirts were being given out at the 2026 Bellingham Food Coop Annual Party.

Hurray for the blue wave. Cultural issues are easier, but economics and gas prices are a harder nut to crack.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Fri, 06 Nov 2026 17:38:59 +0000

I'm happy that we had the "blue tsunami" election, especially for cultural reasons. Divided government means less chance of dictatorship and I basically like DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion).

Economics and bringing down prices is a tougher task. As for gas prices, we can stop fighting Iran, but will Iran gladly reopen the Strait of Hormuz? Places like Iran and Russia are still brutal dictatorships sitting on lots of oil. They may have incentives to let more oil flow if we lift sanctions so their economies, and unfortunately their authoritarian governments, can eat a little better. Is that the right thing to do?

Alternative energy is a nicer way to go, but that doesn't necessarily bring down prices, at least in the short run. Washington State has among the highest gas prices in USA, partially because we are trying to address climate change with our Cap and Trade tax on fossil fuel companies. They, of course, pass the costs along to consumers. We are back to these difficult economic realities that cause political pendulums to swing. The blue tsunami may be fragile.

At least I like the culture of liberalism. Hurray for diversity, bike lanes, transit systems and so forth. I remember when Trump's transportation secretary disparaged what he called "DEI bike lanes." The US Transportation Department was better under the leadership of former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

I think voting is usually more powerful than protesting.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 17:24:47 +0000

Voting does matter. In many cases, I think voting matters more than protesting. I've been to some protests, so I see it as one tool, but voting is more powerful.

In the past, like around 2020, there were many angry protests that were counterproductive. Some of the anti police rhetoric, back then, was used to fuel Trump's return to power.

More recently, there has been the No Kings Rallies which were peaceful and respectful. The last No Kings was encouraging people to vote and use a drop box.

I feel like voting and our lifestyle / consumption patterns are the most powerful tools for social change. Consumption drives market forces. Voting determines politics.

Years ago, I remember the Occupy Protests. Occupy Wall Street was a big one. I remember being in some of those crowds, but more to observe, or just going with the flow. Looking back, I don't think the Occupy Protests were that effective.

People often have reasons for not voting. Some of it is not wanting to vote for what they say is the "lesser of two evils." This can make things even worse. It's like being a self-fulfilling prophecy. I tend to believe that the most permanent change usually comes incrementally. Nothing is perfect, but we can step forward.

In Washington State, we have all absentee voting by mail or drop-box. For 2026 election, there was worry about the reliability of the Post Office under Trump Administration so there were public relations campaigns for placing our ballots in the county provided drop boxes.

I celebrate Democratic victories in the 2026 US elections.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Wed, 04 Nov 2026 18:28:11 +0000

The blue wave of last night's election was fun to watch on YouTube. I found NBC TV coverage which brought back my childhood fascination with Rockefeller Center in New York. They made it look like the newscasters were sitting in Rockefeller Plaza. It was probably done electronically, but the effect worked.

I did some screen captures.

From a brochure I got in 8th grade when I wrote to Rockefeller Center way back in the late 1960s.

During childhood, I use to seek out NBC Radio and TV because much of it came from that fabled "city in one campus" Everything you would want across plazas without needing to cross streets. Yes, I knew there were busy streets through the complex, but I thought it was all connected underground by something they called a "shopping concourse."

It looks like they were right there.

With the Senate and the House results being counted on the ice rink.

I am very happy to have Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress. We were getting dangerously close to one party rule before; with Republican majorities in all 3 branches of national government. Voting does matter. Yes, Trump is still president, but I'll guess he will deal with the new reality. He is said to be "transactional" without much in the way of a moral compass beyond his own ego and the god of prosperity.

I might be wrong, however. He and his people could clamp down clinging to the Republican Supreme Court (yes the majority of the Supreme Court is partisan). We'll see what happens. In the past 2 years, the lower courts have been a lifeline for Democracy, though eroded by the Supreme Court at the top.

I think there may be some staff shuffling within the administration to adjust to the new reality. Maybe the likes of Hegseth will go? Secretary of War back to being Secretary of Defense. As for the long-term prospects, optimism may become more in style, though solving deep economic problems remains difficult.

News commentators keep talking about people's anger at gas prices. Trump's war against Iran pushed them up, but will the straits of Hormuz reopen?

There are workarounds. Alternative transportation and energy are the best workarounds, but are they affordable? Supply and demand are big factors in the economy. Many are still dependent on fossil fuels. Increasing supply isn't necessarily something cheered by Democrats. I understand that, but I still favor reducing demand, for fossil fuels at least.

How about Canada's proposal for a big new pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific? A third and much larger pipeline is proposed from Alberta to a Vancouver area shipping port for serving Pacific Markets. Tankers headed out to sea through Strait of Juan De Fuca not far from Bellingham. Our governor and many Washingtonian's oppose it. Washington State oil refineries get some of their oil from that pipeline system, however.

Another thing that can look like a shining city. This oil refinery near Anacortes, WA. that I pictured across the water during a 2025 bicycle tour.

Yes, I know, Rockefeller Center was built on oil money also. It was built way back then. The Standard Oil Company money starting Rockefeller fortune.

I still had my childhood dream of an entire city in just about one building.

Front cover of the picture booklet I got in 8th grade.

Remember to vote on or before November 3

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Sat, 31 Oct 2026 17:43:32 +0000

Washington State uses all absentee ballots instead of polling places. I brought mine to a drop box.

Happy Halloween.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Sat, 31 Oct 2026 17:38:54 +0000

See images on my Flickr

Freedom of thought is more important to me than prosperity. I think of prosperity as a byproduct of innovative societies.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:38:16 +0000

I think of prosperity as being a byproduct of innovation and freedom of thought. Even though it seems like most countries strive for prosperity, authoritarian regimes seldom, if ever achieve it. More innovative societies often do. To me, the ability to innovate is more important than the prosperity itself.

Can we grow our way out of the national debt in a world with limits to growth?

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 17:22:14 +0000

Most strategies for reducing the national debt rely on growing the economy. This is especially true of Republican strategies which also include cutting government spending. With this strategy, the debt becomes a smaller percent of a bigger, mostly private economy.

One problem with any growth strategies are the environmental limits to growth. These limits are either real or perceived. Even if just perceived, they lead to significant regulation on new construction.

Population growth is also a driver of economic growth and US population growth is significantly slower these days. One brake on US population growth has been anti immigration sentiment, largely pushed by Republicans. This is contradictory for sure.

On the other hand, less population can make protecting the environment and lowering the carbon footprint easier. I see many contradictions in demands from mainstream political perspectives.

I found an interesting discussion about the debt where the growth solution was featured prominently, but it had no mention of limits to growth. Growth was especially prominent in the Republican perspective.

Budget cuts create their own problems due to how dependent people are on government spending; especially us seniors on Medicare and Social Security. Budget cuts also can reduce overall consumer spending which is, yet another obstacle in itself to economic growth.

As for relying on the growth paradigm, I see yet, another big flaw. Is GDP growth always the best thing for humanity?

True quality of life often improves in ways that are not measured by GDP. There are many things, such as happiness, health and longevity that are not always measured by GDP. Preserving a natural area can improve quality of life, though often not measured by GDP. On the other hand, a disaster, illness or car accident can be valued in GDP due to the economic activity it stimulates to fix the problems. War can add to economic growth as well.

Many quality of life things are not really measured in GDP like community connection and volunteerism. Even technological progress isn't often measured. Today's Smartphone is likely only worth a few hundred dollars, yet it can outperform an entire 1970s computer facility that was valued, back then, in the millions of dollars.

Maybe the only way we can grow our way out of the debt, if we rely on measuring things totally in dollars, is to inflate our way out of the debt. We can, of course, create more dollars. To some extent, we have done that already. A home, in the 1970s, cost far less than a home today. There is a big price difference between a 1970s fixer upper for $20,000 and one for $800,000 today.

This home value and cost situation is also a factor of limits to growth. There have been limits imposed on housing supply related to things like neighborhood restrictions, availability of water and traffic congestion. It also has to do with monitary expansion; more dollars chasing the same amount of land.

I realize that wealth inequality is a big issue as well, though I often look at other things. Basically, I think we need totally new values and paradigms about the economy and life in general.

Some infilling on its way. Putting Bellingham's former St. Luke's Hospital Campus back into use.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 03:10:28 +0000

The former St. Luke's and later St. Joe's South Campus hospital site has sat unused for years. It has recently been purchased by WWU with WWU Foundation money. This creates an opportunity for expansion to serve an educational need in the growing healthcare field. It may be a while before much change is made, but the wheels are starting to move in a direction at least.

Photo from WWU News publication.

It's a large area of land centrally located in Bellingham that has sat mostly empty for several years.

When I first came to Bellingham, there were two hospitals, St. Joe's and St. Luke's. During the 1980s, I remember a bit of rivalry between the hospitals that was labeled "Scar Wars" in the media. The 1980s also saw Ronald Regan's Star Wars plan.

I wasn't involved in the politics about this so my memories are only very tangential to the hospital situation.

Back in the early 1980s, Bellis Fair had not yet been built so there was a lot of debate over where expanded retailing should go in Bellingham; downtown or the outlying plans for Bellis Fair Mall. At some point, there was a plan, among many plans, to build a bigger shopping center near the current Fred Myers on Lakeway. Fred Meyers was there, but there was quite a bit of vacant land just south of it where a shopping center could "possibly" go.

In the middle, just west of I-5, was St. Luke's Hospital which, at that time, had some expansion plans, as I remember. It was trying to keep up with St. Joe's.

I wrote a letter to the editor envisioning a mall going in south of Fred Meyers as it was still somewhat close to downtown with Lakeway being just east of I-5 and downtown being west. For some reason I remember having a brain storm about St. Luke's in the middle becoming "St. Luke's University."

I was thinking that the central part of Bellingham could be a focus of growth; more compact growth than the plans to spread out along I-5 and Meridian.

As for a retail core in central Bellingham, I-5 has been like a barrier preventing this core from feeling cohesive. A strong mall, or downtown area, needs cohesiveness to offer the many choices within walking distance. This "core" is still pretty spread out and divided by I-5. Where busy Lakeway goes under I-5, there isn't much room. It's a bottleneck.

Imagine if a much wider connection crossed under I-5 in central Bellingham. Imagine if there was better bicycle and pedestrian connection. Then imagine if some of the commercial development, of the Meridian area, ended up more compact and in central Bellingham on both sides of I-5.

In reality, Bellis Fair eventually arrived much farther north at Meridian and I-5. Downtown has become a multi use area with more residential development. Downtown has evolved beyond just retail to multi use and residential. These days, retail is becoming less important in the era of online shopping anyway.

Fast forward to 2026. At least the old St. Luke's Hospital campus, that sat mostly empty, like a void in the middle of Bellingham, for several years, is now in a position for infill as Western Washington University puts that campus to use.

Underutilized parking lot.

Old hospital.

Chestnut Professional Building also part of the deal.

Autumn at the west end of Lake Padden.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 15:04:35 +0000

The desire to bring down oil prices is pushing Trump toward becoming more friendly with Russia. Democracy becomes less important than economic expediency.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 20:18:19 +0000

Sexual minority rights can be used as a litmus test for whether a country is truly democratic.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 16:40:05 +0000

Source www.cato.org/blog/democracies-autocracies-same-sex-unions.

I have often thought that sexual minority rights can be used as a litmus test for whether a country is democratic or authoritarian. It seems quite accurate. I ran the idea past AI and found that there is quite a bit of writing about that connection. Here is one of the interesting articles that came up in my search including a clear graphic.

I've also thought that the world is struggling to provide for over 8 billion people so it doesn't make sense to persecute people who are less likely to procreate.

Coming in AI's response is this sentence, "Authoritarian regimes do not look at population through an ecological lens; they look at it through the lens of economic and military power."

Now phasing in my own words, I see competition between countries and races for power vested in workers and solders. This goes back to ancient times, but could lead to mass die-off of populations today. Today's technology has much stronger impact on the environment than before. Old thinking becomes obsolete.

Old ideas continue to be propelled as much of the world is facing a demographic shift as population growth slows down. More retired people versus young workers. This causes countries to push "pro-natalist" policies viewing traditional families as units to replace the workforce.

On the other hand, democracies face a solution to the possible worker shortage as an overwhelming number of migrants wish to relocate to those countries as they flee the more authoritarian and war torn societies. This is overwhelming existing infrastructure for housing, transportation, water supply and so forth. Rather than embracing this new talent pool, democracies are tending toward tighter restrictions on immigration.

As time goes on, the need for labor may be reduced due to AI and automation as well.

AI talked me through making a do it yourself dipole antenna for FM radio.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:40:00 +0000

AI can be a help for do it yourself projects. I recently made an FM dipole antenna out of lamp cord, a fiberglass rod I had, some tape and alligator clips. This significantly improves my FM radio reception.

Some folks would wonder why I don't just listen over the internet. I do that also, but I enjoy the old art of DXing stations. People who go fishing at a stream enjoy doing that versus just buying fish at a supermarket. Ironically, AI has helped me figure out a way to reduce dependency on the internet for radio reception. Sometimes I use radio as white noise for sleep, but I feel guilty using bandwidth through the internet if I'm just sleeping to it.

It's not a fishing pole, but I got fiberglass pole way back in 1979 when poles with red flags were a popular safety feature on bicycles.

A dipole is made from two wires going in the opposite directions held straight by the pole. The wires meet at the center, but they don't connect. Then they both form the feedline to a nearby radio. I did not separate that part of the lamp cord.

The two sides of the dipole are a certain length to resonate with the frequency of FM station on the part of the dial I am aiming for. It's the right size to pick up the whole dial of stations, but can be aimed to any one station for best results. Works well for the whole dial, especially if the station one is aiming at is toward the middle of the dial.

If the radio does not have two antenna terminals, such only having a single whip antenna, instructions say to connect one wire to the whip antenna. The other wire clips to some part of the radio that goes to the chassis ground. A terminal for the battery works. The radio is plugged into an adapter for power so no batteries are in the way. Alligator clips work well.

My fiberglass pole was photographed in the Bellingham Herald with another use back in 1979.

The economy over human rights.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:34:04 +0000

It seems like Trump just thinks Ukraine is an annoyance in the way of better relations with Russia. Russia is rich in oil and other natural resources to be devoured by industry.

The political pendulum swings back and forth on pocketbook issues as the pocketbook never satisfies. I hope Democrats win based on many other cultural issues.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:43:50 +0000

I hope the Democrats can take back Congress. It does seem like the economy has never been totally fixed in my lifetime, but there are other values that are threated by Trump's rule, still supported by too many Republicans.

Trump's leaning toward dictators, such as Putin, with his distain for Canadian and European Democracies is a case in point. The list of Trump's cultural damage is long including purposely stirring up divisiveness between Americans, using government agencies to go after his enemies, using the government to stroke his own ego, trying to rig elections and opposing attempts to deal with climate change.

Now it looks like he wants to sell out to Putin due to the lust for lowering diesel prices in time for the election.

The pendulum of voter sentiment seems to swing back and forth based on trying to fix the economy and it looks like its swinging back to the Democrats. In the long run, the Democrats may struggle with the economy as well. The economy never seems to satisfy people, but there are other cultural values that are important as well.

Transactional Analysis versus ethics that are said to be transactional.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 22:11:48 +0000

In my past, there was a trend in psychology called "Transactional Analysis." It was about dividing the self into the roles of parent, adult and child to analyze human interaction. A topic of discussion in the liberal UCC Church where I grew up. I remember someone saying that he thought TA was replacing the Bible in discussions.

Today's talk is about past ethics being replaced with choices being "Transactional." Donald Trump the master of transactional deals. This is something totally different. I'd say this has been brought on more by many conservative Christians and others who voted for Trump.

According to an AI search I did, "When people say things are becoming transactional, they mean that human connections, daily interactions, and social expectations are increasingly treated like business deals, trades, or contracts rather than acts of care."

I say it is the ethics of things like dividing up the world into spheres of influence versus international cooperation. It is ideas such as "might makes right" and "the winner keeps the spoils;" more like the old ethics of the conquering Roman Empire.

As for writings in the Bible, those are among many things discussed and debated in liberal, open minded environments. Compassion, charity, love, conquest, rules, drama; you name it. Thinking of those writings as rigid laws is problematic. Unlike the laws of physics, which seem iron clad, ethical ideas offer lots of opportunity for civil discussion.

In liberal circles, compassion, charity and love tend to get more emphasis.

I find AI to be quite useful, but over emphasis on competition pushing it too fast can create "garbage in garbage out."

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 17:34:06 +0000

As for AI's threat to civilization, the old computer adage applies, "garbage in, garbage out." The pressure to keep up with the Joneses, either China or other corporate competition drives us forward, but it sure creates a lot of garbage.

Like having a personal tutor with plenty of time, AI has been useful as I took Windows off my old computer and installed Linux Mint. The old computer now works on Facebook, but it is still slow, that's okay. I have Theslowlane.com website.

I also now have my new computer running smoothly on Windows. It's remanufactured so the price was far less than even my monthly subsidized rent for this studio apartment. I got it online as local retail choices for remanufactured computers are scanty at best.

The future is ours, not to mention the billionaires we still follow. That's living in the modern world. At least I don't drive a car, speaking of the modern world.

Getting my Dell remanufactured computer, vintage 2018. It still works great. Thanks Santa Amazon, a repair shop and my bicycle.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 17:12:29 +0000

My new computer has arrived. It's a remanufactured Dell Optiplex 7060 from the 2018 era. Seems to be working great. A much better price than new.

Just got it out of the box. Like Christmas. Now getting ready to put it on the shelf behind my desk and get it set up.

I was able to have Amazon send it to a computer repair shop that held it for me. Local retail choices for remanufactured computers are scanty at best.

The repair shop sold the cables it needs and was a safe place for non post office carriers to leave it at; versus, at best, to my door on the 7th floor, or maybe in the lobby of my apartment building.

Then I brought it home on my bicycle, of course. It fits well in the pannier. I squished down some of the packing material to toss out at home.

Things looking up for the Chrysler Building in New York City.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 03:33:44 +0000

As a child, I used to have a fascination in New York's Rockefeller Center. Now it looks like the company, owning Rockefeller Center, is saving the Chrysler Building from being strangled by rising land lease costs and changing ownerships. They are buying the land lease under the Chrysler Building. Restorations are planned. Better sewardship of assets in the works, I assume. Interesting article in New York Post.

My picture of Chrysler Building from 1993 during the end of my second bicycle trip across USA. Starting that year's Amtrak trip back home.

During 8th grade, I was interested in Rockefellor Center thinking that it's large blocks were connected, below ground, by a "shopping conicourse." This, I thought, created a "super block" that one could walk around in, without crossing the streets that divide blocks in towns and cities.

from 1968 vintage brochures and more related to Rockefeller Center.

During my 8th grade year, Jeff Goebel and me were playing that we had various blocks in Pullman. I took a big block that had everything from farmland, at the edge of town, to the towering Rogers, Orton and Stevenson dorm complexes.

1973 view of Pullman with Rogers, Orton and Stevenson Dorms plus more rural lands to the right. Much of WSU campus to the north. The tallest building Webster Hall was built after my 8th grade year. Built around 1972.

Soon I realized that Jeff's block was (maybe) better than mine. He had the WSU Student Union, the stadium, playfields, gyms and the Holland Library; more diversity of things for people can do. I then deceded to extend the borders of my part of the fantacy to outside of Pullman.

Later in history, Jeff's block has expanded more, as WSU has turned many of its central streets into pedestrian plazas.

Meanwhile, my large block on the edge of town has been split (I think) into two by a new street connecting campus to the the Pullman Moscow Highway. Looking on Google Maps, it's SE Forest Way.

New uses for an old Safeway Building.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 02:59:32 +0000

In downtown Bellingham, according to the webpage of Whatcom Talk, this underutilized building is planned to become an active event space for a Bellingham organization I didn't know much about. I've heard of Fire and Water Story Festival on the waterfront. Now I'm learning more about their year round activities. This is in my newsfeed read from eclectic sources.

My photo from 2020 just before it served as a larger space for Lighthouse Mission homeless shelter. It had several uses after Safeway and sat empty for some of the time.

The old building was once a downtown Safeway supermarket. I remember when there were 3 supermarkets, for a while (maybe 4) in downtown Bellingham during my college years. This was before automobile dependency and limited space for parking pushed supermarkets closer to the outlying areas along I-5.

In my college years, we had Safeway on Cornwall. We also had Thriftway on Holly (where WECU later had their headquarters).

I think there was also Prairie Market where Grocery Outlet now resides. Then I remember when they first built the building now occupied by Habitat For Humanity. It was a brand new Tradewell that didn't last long.

This old Safeway Building is now owned by the WTA transit agency who is using it to promote downtown transit friendly development, such as housing and retail. It is also future space for transit use.

If the US military were to charge for pushing oil through the gulf, it could be like a carbon tax that should be charged for burning fossil fuels.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 02:47:12 +0000

As gas and especially diesel prices go up, some, mostly conservatives, call for relief in gas and diesel taxes. Problem is, potholes in the roads. Most of these taxes maintain the expensive highway system. Yes, foreign wars are costly. We can't do this all on low taxes. War taxes, carbon taxes, we may have to pay for what we get.

Whether one believes in climate change, or not, insurance companies are raising rates for property insurance in high risk places from seaside areas of Florida to dry forests of California.

Trump has signed one of his many executive orders broadening the sale of so called red dye diesel to other users besides farm use. I just learned about the existence of this tax free diesel for use on land that isn't the public roadways. Truckstops and other fuel retailers are reluctant about this plan, so says the news.

A red dye is used to better prevent tax cheating if that fuel is found being used where it is not supposed to be. We learn a new thing everyday.

I remember a famous red dye taken out of food. Now I look up in AI to aid my memory. It was Red Dye #2, removed from food in 1976 due to a 1969 Soviet Study linking it to more tumors in rats.

When all else fails, read the instructions, or consult AI.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 15:48:21 +0000

AI is good at condensing long lists of instructions to simpler answers for questions I have. I've used it to navigate complex software. For instance, it helped me install Linux Mint on an old computer. I don't have the patience to take classes, read books and so forth. It talked me through that process and was kind of fun doing it with AI as a patient tutor.

I haven't tried to debate with AI as if it had opinions. I tend to debate people and society's mainstream talking points. I do use AI to learn more about the talking points that are out there so I can have more informed opinions. I also look up dates in history and more solid (if anything is solid) facts about news I remember. I want to have correct information, or at least enough fact checking so people don't think I don't have the facts correct. Still, they might think that anyway.

I just don't have the patience or the time to read through the many books and articles that are thrown at us each day related to topics that come up in daily news and on social media platforms. It is interesting and complex times we live in.

Was pressure from Israel a big reason for Trump to start the war with Iran?

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 15:39:25 +0000

Tucker Carlson is now critical of Trump; especially the war on Iran. A war largely driven by the government of Israel according to Carlson in an interview on NPR.

In my own thoughts, Carlson has been an advocate of conservative agendas and agendas can go too far. Trump has stumbled into the war in Iran, which in some ways does not suprise me. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is also a hardliner, religious conservative along with the leaders of Iran. Hardline, religious conservatives.

I even think it could be true that creation of the state of Isreal, in reaction to the German atrocities in World War II, was likely a mistake. I have heard that hindsight can be better than forsight.

Still, Israel's recent scorched earth reaction against the Palistinians in Gaza is a reaction out of fear and concern for safety after the brutal Hamas attack on Isreali civilians on October 7 2023. Violence begets violence.

I am hoping for at least a slightly more liberal leadership, in Israel, after the upcoming election there. Also hoping for more liberal members of Congress to better put guardrails on our president, after the US elections in November.

The people and the nations that exist on earth are realities that we still have to work with, or maybe work around. Change seems to best come incrementally.

I also think part of Trump's war against Iran was his desire to help the civilian protesters, who were rising up against that brutal regime at that time. The war was not a good strategy.

At this point, it seems like Saudi Arabia is benefiting from higher priced oil now being pushed, by the US military, through the Persian Gulf at higher prices.

Oil dependency still plays a big part in recent wars, including George Bush's first war against Iraq in 1990; Operation Desert Shield. This was partially waged to protect stability of oil supply out of the gulf for the global economy. There was that dispute over sideways drilling and so forth between Kuwait and Iraq. We and many other nations got involved when Iraq invaded Kuwait.

President Carter warned us of the possibility of major wars in the Persian Gulf clear back in the 1970s when world dependency, on that oil, was a big issue. Remember his speech about that thin line of oil tankers stretching halfway around the world?

Back then, the Vietnam War and even the Red Scare and the Cold War was starting to fade into history.

Could the cost of trying to reopen the Strait of Hormuz be paid for by a carbon tax?

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 15:31:01 +0000

More oil being pushed through Persian Gulf by US military at great cost. Gasoline and especially diesel is still expensive anyway, though more supply could lower prices in longrun.

Who pays for US military? Will US start charging a toll on oil it pushes through the gulf given its 40 trillion dollar debt? Right wingers don't want a carbon tax to address climate change, but the cost of defending supply chains is a factor also.

When Bellingham Herald Building celebrated its 100th year since it opened.

noreply@blogger.com (Theslowlane Robert Ashworth) — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 22:19:01 +0000

The Bellingham Herald Building just celebrated 100 years plus a few months since it's opening in 1926. Celebration was Sept. 26 2026. There were tours and festivities. We even got to the roof. I was there.

The Newspaper is not there anymore. Bellingham Herald's offices are in Barkley Village. The old building still has many uses, however.

Big turnout for tours going most of the day. Tours by the Bellingham Good Time Girls organization.

Old flooring in a beauty salon that used to be production spaces for the newspaper.

Tours were booked full due to the chock point of elevator capacity. How many folks can fit in a Volkswagen?

More of us could be accommodated if we took the stairs. I was happy to do that.

We got to the roof above the 6th floor. There is also a penthouse that would be a partial 7th floor.

Yes, a unique perspective on Bellingham. Rumor's Cabaret, the red building, has solar panels. I didn't know that before.

Looking down to the corner of Chestnut and Railroad.

Walking on the roof.

Under the iconic Herald Sign.

What some of the hallways look like.

Dancing to 1920s music before a community group picture.

Getting ready for the group picture.

I'm in the group pictures they took with my bright green shirt and bicycle helmet. Photo from Daylight Properties Facebook Page.