todd sackmann

Not smoking, but apparently still drinking...

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:40:18 -0700

Washington state bars are supposedly doing great after they were scared that banning smoking would hurt them.

So…the smoking ban helped most bars? That’s what proponents of the initiative predicted at the time.

While I hate the smell of smoke and wish I would never smell it again… I like the idea of businesses being able to do what they want (while it doesn’t hurt others against their will) and survive or fail based on the public’s desire or non-desire to patronize.

Wanna start a smoking room? Great! You probably won’t attract many non-smokers. like myself.
Wanna start a bar? Great! You probably won’t attract many non-drinkers. i’ll be there!
Wanna start an auto dealership? Great! You probably won’t attract many non-drivers.

And the other issue about this non-smoking issue…

Wanna allow your restaurant customers to smoke? Great! You probably won’t have many smoke-hating waiters sticking around to work.

and…

Are you a smoke-hating waiter? Great! You have the choice to work where ever you want. Choose wisely.

Free Money...Do you believe me?

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:20:34 -0700

In this experiment, people wear sandwich boards on downtown streets which state that if you ask them for money they will give it to you.

Most people don’t interact with the person.

My assumption: because people assume there’s a catch. It doesn’t have much to do with money but rather people’s social interaction.

Reminds me of my earlier post on my frustration with people who can’t figure this stuff out.

Going Digital

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:49:53 -0700

Since the U.S. govt is providing us with coupons for converter boxes for the analog to digital TV conversion, why didn’t they provide everyone with computers and internet connections when newspapers started to go digital?

I mean isn’t it the same thing?

The govt shouldn’t waste our tax dollars on this. :(

America’s Unhealthiest Drinks

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:39:00 -0700

America’s Unhealthiest Drinks

Baskin Robbin’s Large Heath Bar Shake (32 oz)

2,310 calories
66 Teaspoons of sugar

Red Tree

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:56:41 -0700

Red Tree

"We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are."

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:47:52 -0700

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”

- Anais Nin

Casino...Church - Simularities in Photos

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:12:00 -0700

Photo by Thomas Hawk

Photo by Erasmus T

I just thought they share some characteristics.

-found the first one first, then searched for that same perspective in a church shot.

Upgrade - Camera Equipment

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 23:11:52 -0700

I finally upgraded my camera. I don’t actually have it yet but it’s ordered.

Ordered a Canon 40d and a EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS Lens.

Plus 2 extra batteries, plus another 4gb card.

I’ve had my old camera, a Canon Rebel XT for 3 years (minus 1 month)

I’m trying to figure out how many photos I’ve taken with it. Wondering if it’s going to die soon. I will keep it in my bag as a back up.

Stop Motion Nokia Commercial

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:53:00 -0700

So cool. Make sure to watch the video and then the ‘making of’ video.

Too many Photography websites

Wed, 14 May 2008 12:24:00 -0700

60 Photography Links You Can’t Live Without
via CameraPorn.net

Which had I seen already?

Now I need to check out the rest.

Spokane in the National News

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:18:55 -0700

Spokane in the National News

Understanding the Mystery Which is Me

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:05:47 -0700

I’ve recently tried to become aware of my own personality traits. It’s pretty easy to decribe others but sometimes I think we become unaware of how other’s may see us. Here’s the most recent thing I’ve noticed about myself.

I’ve found that I become annoyed when I hear people describe their confusion for why things are the way they are. I often think, “Really?” You can’t come up with any reasons for why the world might operate the way it does? Is it just easier for you to say “I don’t get it?”

Maybe this has to do with another possibly annoying trait of mine which is that I ~~can~~ must ponder nearly every curiosity I have.

This is just a tiny example but it proves my point just fine:

This is a blog post from the Seattlest.com. It describes how the Pike Place Market celebrated their 11th Annual Daffodil Day by handing out free daffodils on the downtown corners of Seattle, WA. Around 30,000 flowers were given away throughout the city.

“We quickly discovered that there are two types of people in Seattle: those who brighten up when presented with free flowers on an otherwise drab corner, and those whose expressions wilt with cynicism or annoyance as they cross the street to avoid them.”

concerning the people who shied away from the free flowers…

Maybe they didn’t want to carry around fragile blooms all day. Maybe they’re worried about the seasonal evidence of climate change. Maybe they hate spring. We’ll never know.

They just can’t figure it out huh? Really? You’ve never realized how the sheer volume of people walking the sidewalks of Seattle every day seem to attract so many people desperate for…

attention
donations
psychiatric care
a religious congregation … ??

You’ve never seen someone on the street corner who seemed like they weren’t just on their way to work or waiting for a bus? Maybe they appeared like they were about to interrupt your day to speak to you about a subject you’d rather not tackle on your way into The Gap.

You think if you replace the person with someone holding a bucket of flowers that people will immediately think “Oh, that guy who was warning me of the End of Time is gone and now someone’s handing out free flowers!”

Even though that is in fact what’s going on, you still can’t consider why people might be a bit hesitant to take a flower without wondering if they’re required to stick around for a sermon or something?

I’ll give the author the benefit of the doubt—maybe they weren’t actually perplexed by this strange occurance—maybe that’s just how their writing spilled itself onto their blog.

But for all of you others who spend most of your day uninterested but also unsure by how you don’t just float up into the heavens like a balloon…please take a moment to be more like me….and think, ponder, investigate, google, and let no curiosity go un-thunk.

I’m such a dork…Traffic Jams I’m such a dork…that I find this...

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:00:25 -0700

I’m such a dork…Traffic Jams

I’m such a dork…that I find this very interesting and would likely love to have a conversation with you about it.

found via: cynical-c.com

Teardrops on my bubble-gum heart

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:37:07 -0700

Teardrops on my Guitar by Taylor Swift

He’s the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star

I rarely listen to commercial pop radio stations but when I do happen to hear this song it strikes me as the most…fabricated, fake, piece of garbage that intelligent adults or anyone over the age of 8 shouldn’t be listening to. While I haven’t paid any attention to the rest of the song I’m sure it includes the following words:

rainbows
ponies or unicorns
bubble-gum
butterfly-kisses
fluffy clouds

I’m not that versed at keeping up on the Billboard top hits but I think this song is currently (03/14/08) at #20 and was at one time #5 on the list.

My Crocodile Cafe Photo

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:12:47 -0700

The Seattlest blog used my photo of the Crocodile Cafe for a post… again.

Don’t worry, it was with permission. :)

Thomas Hawk Endangers Us All

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:45:13 -0700

San Fran, photographer, Thomas Hawk did a pretty good job describing my attitude towards authority and also discussing current security-related sillyness.

He discusses, rules at the airport, the gas station, and how based on his not understanding things he purposefully disobeys those rules.

“…I’ve never seen any compelling evidence on how cell phones in the on position affect flight safety…”

…”I can’t imagine anything really hidden in a shoe that could possibly take down a flight.”

I’m sure everyone would feel real safe flying (or pumping gas) with Thomas knowing that if anything were to explode, it wasn’t from anything that he had understood to be possible. :)

Just kidding. When strange rules are imposed I’m also very likely to start picking them apart and show how they just don’t make sense. Things such as Thomas said…

“…I could do far more damage using my hefty Manfrotto tripod as a weapon than I ever could with a corkscrew.”

Not to quote his whole post but I also agree with this statement:

“As far as I’m concerned in many ways the terrorists have already won. When people live their lives in such fear that they make up all kinds of crazy rules and regulations and live security the superstitious way that they do today, then the terrorists have been effective at changing our life and getting their point across.”

Read the rest of what he said at his blog.

As far as myself, not being fully schooled on how static electricity or the power from a cell phone works I rarely choose to make a phone call while pumping my gas. And I don’t think that makes me a hyper-sensative always fearful, alarmist nut. But read this story because it’s totally real so be careful!!

Bees!

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:30:20 -0700

The other night, I pulled back the covers and hopped into bed.

Within about 1.5seconds I was back out of bed because I had just laid down on a bee/wasp that bit and/or stung me three times.

It’s only March and I wasn’t aware I needed to be on the lookout for vicious bees especially waiting for me in my bed. The assumption is that maybe there’s a nest in the attic and it came through a ceiling vent.

I stunned it with a bedside copy of Runner’s World and then flushed it down the toilet.

I was so shocked that the bees had come for me ‘in my own home!’ If I can’t expect to be safe there, where can I?

Sidenote: It was maybe 4 years ago that I got my first ever bee sting. I had made it about 26 years through my life without being bothered by these bastards and I got stung when I stepped on one while playing frisbee (frollicking) in the grass. And now I laid down on one. I guess from their perspective, I’m the one after them.

free chair

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 22:50:00 -0700

This chair has been on the lawn across the street from me for a couple days. It has a sign on it that says ‘FREE FREE’. I smile when I drive past it because It doesn’t sit straight but rather leans to one side.

Just because you’re trying to give something away for free you still need to make it look attractive. I can’t imagine anyone touching it, much less taking it home with them to sit on it. for some reason I assume it’s been urinated on. but if anyone out there does need a chair, please come remove this from my neighborhood.

Unknown phone calls

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:13:00 -0800

I just got a call from this number. Caller ID said Las Vegas. Since I don’t know this number nor, anyone in Vegas I chose not to answer. I immediately googled the number and found this site 800notes.com

There’s a note on the number from someone saying they got a call from the number but they missed the call. So that means someone else did nearly the same thing I did.

Strange.

And wow, they have websites for everything.

Rush Hour at the Airport

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:05:00 -0800

I FFFF’ing FFFFound something too.

This is the most awesomest thing I’ve ever seen!

FFFFound on FFFFound.com after Ben told me what FFFFound was!

It was only a couple clicks away from Ben’s ffffind.