安迪的垃圾堆

Washington Mutual 感謝你 119 年來在華盛頓州所做的… 不知道那棟西雅圖市中心最”閃亮”的建築物之一 (Washington Mutual Tower) 會改成什麼名字? WaMu assets bought by JP Morgan after massive withdrawals What happens to WaMu depositors, stockholders Washington Mutual: A long history History of Washington Mutual: 先從 Washington Mutual 的網站貼過來, 再幾個月這網址就會成歷史了. A City Rebuilds A long dry spell and a burning glue pot touched off the fire that blackened the business district of Seattle on June 6, 1889, engulfing 25 city blocks and destroying nearly everything in its 120-acre path. The Washington National Building Loan and Investment Association filed articles of incorporation on September 25, 1889, to offer its stockholders a safe and profitable vehicle for investing and lending. This allowed the Association to help Seattle residents rebuild after the fire. The company made the first monthly-installment home loan on the Pacific Coast on February 10, 1890. The borrower, a Norwegian-born seaman, used the $700 loan to build a house in Ballard, a neighborhood in Seattle. This creative amortized home loan proved so popular that the Association made more than 2,000 similar loans to help build 250 blocks of housing in Seattle. Turn of the Century On June 25, 1908, the company changed its name to Washington Savings and Loan Association. Eugene Favre, co-founder of Murphey Favre, Inc., of Spokane, became a member of the board in 1911, marking the start of a relationship between the investment firm and Washington Mutual. Winning the War Years Washington Mutual expanded its assets during World War I by 68 percent, thus escaping the impact of the recession that followed. The company emerged from the war years with a reputation as the strongest savings institution in Washington. Saving Their Pennies The company instituted its School Savings program to help teach children the value of saving money. On March 13, 1923, the first School Bank Day, nearly 17,000 schoolchildren made deposits. Several hundred thousand children have been introduced to banking through this program since it began. The Midnight Merger Facing financial distress in the early days of The Great Depression, officials of Continental Mutual Savings Bank asked Washington Mutual to purchase their bank. On July 25, 1930, Continental became Washington Mutual’s first acquisition. Early Innovator In 1962, Washington Mutual installed its first computer, an IBM 1401 the size of a refrigerator with 4k of memory—a third of the memory of a wristwatch computer in 1990. “The bank is the first savings bank west of Minneapolis to install this advanced computer system,” wrote The Seattle Times in its February 28 edition. In 1974, Washington Mutual pioneered the first shared cash machine network in the nation, The Exchange. Washington Mutual and a consortium of savings banks helped finance the first Pay-by-Phone telephone banking program during the 1970s. The 1970s were a time of turmoil in American urban centers. Recognizing the decay of inner-city housing, the company introduced the Step Rate Loan, which allowed low-income borrowers to meet underwriting requirements. This loan initiated Washington Mutual’s long-term commitment to community and neighborhood reinvestment. Going Public In 1983, at a time when many thrifts folded, Washington Mutual acquired Murphey Favre, a full-service securities brokerage firm. This acquisition was the first of its kind in the nation. The bank converted from a mutual form of ownership to a capital stock savings bank on March 11, 1983. The bank’s common stock debuted on this date and sold out, raising $72 million—26 percent more than expected. The bank held its first annual shareholders’ meeting on March 8, 1984. With the stock sold and the bank publicly owned, Washington Mutual reengineered, diversified and continued expanding. The bank’s assets more than doubled within six years of going public. Leading the Way After rapid growth in the 1990s, Washington Mutual, Inc. is now established as one of the nation’s leading financial services companies and continues to serve consumers and small- to mid-sized businesses through the various subsidiaries in the Washington Mutual family of companies.

今天又遇見一位搭錯方向的乘客… 想想就把這個寫下來吧!!! 也許那天會用到. 過幾天再寫搭錯另一個方向的. Seattle 4:05pm -> Edmonds 4:32pm 1. 在 Edmonds 火車站下車, 往南(出車箱後右轉)到 Dayton Street (約一個街口距離) (Edmonds Senior Center) 搭 4:41pm 的 Community Transit #114 到 Lynnwood Transit Center (5:07pm). 2. 在 Lynnwood Transit Center 改搭 5:18pm Sound Transit #511 回西雅圖 (5:50pm). Seattle 4:33pm -> Edmonds 5:00pm 1. 在 Edmonds 火車站下車, 往南(出車箱後右轉)到 Dayton Street (Edmonds Senior Center) 搭 5:08pm 的 Community Transit #116 到 Lynnwood Transit Center (5:37pm). 2. 在 Lynnwood Transit Center 改搭 4:48pm Sound Transit #511 回西雅圖 (6:19pm). Seattle 5:05pm -> Edmonds 5:32pm 1. 在 Edmonds 火車站下車, 往南(出車箱後右轉)到 Dayton Street (Edmonds Senior Center) 搭 5:41pm 的 Community Transit #114 到 Lynnwood Transit Center (6:07pm). 2. 在 Lynnwood Transit Center 改搭 6:18pm Sound Transit #511 回西雅圖 (6:49pm). Seattle 5:35pm – Edmonds 6:02pm 1. 在 Edmonds 火車站下車, 往南(出車箱後右轉)到 Dayton Street (Edmonds Senior Center) 搭 6:12pm 的 Community Transit #114 到 Lynnwood Transit Center (6:37pm). 2. 在 Lynnwood Transit Center 改搭 6:48pm Sound Transit #511 回西雅圖 (7:18pm). 從 Seattle 到 Edmonds 需要 $3.50. 如果你的車票沒有 $3.50 的面額 (比如只從 Seattle 到 Tukwila), 那看到列車長查票時要趕緊尋求幫助. 列車長會很好心的告訴你搭火車到 Everett (終站), 從那裡可以直接改搭 Sound Transit #510 回西雅圖. 也許會同情不幸, 就不用補票了… 不過不要聽從列車長的建議到 Everett 搭車, 因為那會浪費至少 20 分鐘到一個小時的時間(從 Everett 往 Seattle 的公車, 6:10pm 之後就只有一小時一班). 列車長會建議到 Everett 搭車是因為 Everett 的火車和 Sound Transit #510 的公車是同一車站, 不用有轉乘的顧慮. 可是如果在 Edmonds 下火車, 到 Lynnwood Transit Center 轉車. 從 Edmonds 到 Lynnwood Transit Center 是每十五分鐘一班車(114/115/116 都可以選擇). 然後從 Lynnwood Transit Center 到 Seattle 是在 7:10pm 之後才一小時一班).

Bartell launches free CFL bulb recycling program: Bartell 開始免費回收 CFL 燈泡. 因為這些燈泡含有少量的水銀. [img=images/cfl-bulb.gif popup=false] 照片出處: Montana DEQ Side Note: Men pay price to back equal pay for women 1900-1910: Snohomish County’s wonder years Issaquah makes list of healthiest U.S. places to retire Millions spend half of income on housing “In King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, 42.5 percent of homeowners with a mortgage spent at least 30 percent of their income on housing costs in 2007 and 14.5 percent spent more than 50 percent. In the city itself, 40 percent spent at least 30 percent of income on housing and 13.5 percent spent at least half.” Wage Comparisons by Occupation: 薪水對照表

今年的 Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day 是九月二十七日(星期六). 千萬別忘了列印並在入館時出示 The Museum Day Admission Card 才可以免費入館. 資訊來源: 西雅圖ㄚ姨の玫瑰花園…Museum Day.

雖然也有些三天兩夜的短期旅遊, 和更多的一日遊. 想想上次全家出”遠門”已經是 2001 年的事了. 和 Washington State Park 的營地比較起來, Oregon State Park 的營地的隱私不好. Washington State Park 就算是在 Cascade 山的另一頭少雨的地方, 營地間也儘量用矮樹叢區隔開來. 這也許是設計的想法不一樣. 例如 Washington State Park 有水電的營地佔整個營區不會超過一半或更少, 但是在 Oregon State Park 我們住過的三個州立公園每個營地都有水電. 只見很多家庭連電視和微波爐都帶上了. 不過老婆和小朋友都對 Oregon State Park 推崇有加; 比如無限使用的洗澡水 (Washington State Park 是要投幣的, 還不一定有熱水), 營區也有垃圾分類和餘廚的回收, 和吸引小朋友的 Junior Ranger Programs 等等. 這次也是第一次實地的測試已經買了快兩年的 Wintec 100 GPS logger (已經是過期貨, 沒有再賣了). 我想這類 GPS logger 唯一的缺點是無法顯示目前的經緯度, 所以並不適合登山健行. 等這台 GPS logger 壞了, 應該是要選可以顯示經緯度的 GPS logger 才安全. 這 Wintec 100 GPS logger 實際上是每 5 秒記錄一次經緯度. 只是如此一來, 每天都超過 7,200 個路徑. 這對部落格要顯示好幾天的旅途有很大的問題(會有上萬個路徑), 從而影響部落格的顯示. 所以就以約兩分鐘(兩路徑間刪了 24 個路徑)為單位, 大概的顯示所行經的路段. 另外也試了超過兩分鐘的路徑顯示, 不過行經路徑就很慘不忍睹了. 不過還是實現了有 GPS 以來, 一直想做的方式…記錄下來旅行的軌跡, 和記錄下每個照片所在的經緯度. 8/2: Seattle -> Fort Stevens State Park, OR 8/3: Astoria, OR 8/4: Warrenton, OR 8/5: Fort Stevens State Park, OR -> Umpqua Lighthouse Satte Park, OR 8/6: Reedsport/Winchester Bay, OR 8/7: Florence, OR 8/8: Umpqua Lighthouse Satte Park, OR -> Joseph H. Stewart State Park, OR 8/9: Joseph H. Stewart State Park, OR <-> Crater Lake National Park, OR 8/10: Joseph H. Stewart State Park, OR -> Woodburn, OR 8/11: Woodburn, OR -> Seattle, WA 最候由於現在是夏季日光節約時間, 因此路徑點上的時間比實際的時間慢一個小時… Side Note: House values drop by double digits How to change career path to nursing FDA tells parents to avoid infant formula from China Foreclosures rise quickly in Snohomish County