The Blog - SB Hopper

Shoulda been a tweet: Good LA Times article on reviving use of convalescent serum

This post is related to COVID-19. If that’s not a great topic for you right now, click right on outta here. Melissa Healy wrote a really interesting article about the efforts of three doctors [https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-08-01/inside-the-clinical-trial-testing-the-healing-powers-of-blood-from-covid-19-survivors] and an army of volunteers to use

2020

Use your words

If you’re a linear thinker, you might want to skip this one. You’ve been warned. It wasn’t my best pandemic day. Every time I told myself I should eat I poured another cup of coffee. That worked for Hunter S. Thompson. Not advisable for the rest of

Driverless vehicles priorities accident

Shoulda been a tweet (but twitter sux): Tuskegee

Idly scrolling through the interwebs and wasting one’s precious moments can suddenly run smack dab into JFC WTF. I saw an article about Dr. Fauci offering his thoughts on why the black community is suffering more than others from COVID-19. Fauci mentioned several things, including distrust resulting from the

24 Mantra

A first...

I had a big, late lunch today, so I wasn’t sure I’d eat anything for dinner. I ended up firing up a snack, but let me back up. In the past, I wouldn’t have told you what that lunch was, because I’m a weird eater. A

2020

Said it before, I'll say it again...

You should read Charles Mudede. Remember those Most Interesting Man in the World ads? Mudede’s a kindred spirit. In his 23 July column in The Stranger, Mudede laments the closing of Seattle’s College Inn Pub [https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2020/07/23/44146753/the-college-inn-pub-didnt-survive-the-pandemic] . Mudede writes wonderfully,

Adobe Audition

Cracked a couple of eggs

It’s a glorious overcast day. Cool enough that I didn’t mind the thought of turning on the stove for an omelette. I think I’m getting better at this French omelette thing. I’m probably still overcooking the eggs. I’m also still not entirely sure how it’

2020

Manifest

I know I’m not alone in wondering this. Can we manifest things? Don’t worry – you are at the SBHOPPER blog. I know I don’t get cosmic very often. I have not dropped acid. I really don’t even know what acid is. LSD? Timothy Leary stuff? I

The Blog

Shoulda been a tweet: Who's singing?

I can hear someone singing outside. Acoustics are always funny, but it sounds close, southeast of me. Maybe up on 12th? Sounds operatic. I wish I could go explore, but I procrastinated on my taxes.

Backstage Pass

My Subaru left me

It was always an aloof relationship. I’d been dreaming about a Subaru Outback for years. It was going to play an important role in my move to the Pacific Northwest, rediscovering a neglected love of the outdoors, finding a dog friend, and paddling the waters of this beautiful region.

BBC Merlin doesn't pay to be a commoner

Quarantine Watch: Merlin

I need to think of a new title. Quarantine doesn’t seem accurate. Isolation, perhaps? I’ll try to keep this one short. It is very early in the morning. I can’t sleep. I think something in the Test Kitchen decided to remind me that I’m an amateur.

Capitol Hill Seattle CHOP

Hopcast: another edition of old dude talks into a microphone

On 1 July 2020 Mayor Jenny Durkan ordered the Seattle Police Department to return to the East Precinct and to clear out the Capitol Hill Organized Protest. Look at that, I summed it up in one sentence. One sentence that doesn’t come anywhere close to conveying meaningful information. What

Charlie Savage Eric Schmitt Michael Schwirtz bounties Afghanistan

Consuming Journalism: Bounty

Every time I try to get out, they drag me back in. I admire the people who maintain a vigilant watch against reckless journalism. Their stamina and dedication are inspiring. I can’t do it. I know that I could spend 30 more years writing blog posts about the folly

Arrest the men who murdered Breonna Taylor

Butterfly Effect (AKA why did those Louisville cops murder Breonna Taylor?)

I walked out of my apartment this morning and ran into a white-winged butterfly dancing on the wind. And I thought to myself, why did those Louisville cops murder Breonna Taylor? Brett Hankison Jon Mattingly Myles Cosgrove If you believe the cops’ take on this, that they acted in self-defense

Arrest the people who killed Breonna Taylor

Everybody must get Stoned

> Well, they’ll stone you when you’re trying to be so good They’ll stone you just like they said they would They’ll stone you when you’re trying to go home And they’ll stone you when you’re there all alone But I would not

Black Lives Matter

Timing is a funny thing

I’m not a planner. It’s not a boast. 95% of the time I’m dropping an f-bomb followed by “I wish I was a planner.” I also used to stress about the subjunctive, but that’s wasted time. Go with what sounds better. That doesn’t mean you

@jseattle twitter feed

Shoulda been a tweet: Capitol Hill Seattle Blog is a local treasure

I went back over to the Pike/Pine corridor tonight to take photos. I got the sense that it’s less tense, even though there were (more?) National Guard reinforcements behind the barricade. At 12th and Pike the police looked to be standing much further behind the barricade. Turns out

Breakfast burritos

Southwest dreaming, with a dash of Old Blighty

I’m happy to be back here on the blog. I posted some photos of the George Floyd protest marches on Instagram. I think it’s important for people participating or witnessing the powerful, peaceful protests to post the imagery. But that platform and social media in general is a

Blogs are better than Facebook

Blogs are better - grateful for comments

My apartment is baking. It was chilly the other day (the best), and I forgot to open up the windows. Today’s heat sneaked** up on me, and now I’m miserable. I have a roll of film I want to process, but the idea of going into a dark

Adventures of Merlin

Temptation

I’m going to talk about food in this post. Before I do, I want to stress that I’m grateful I’m not worrying about food. I know a lot of people are. This plague has a lot of us keeping more food on hand than we’re used

Hopcast

The good, the bad, and the mullet

I finally said enough is enough and went for a grocery run. No list, so I over bought. I’m worried some of it will go to waste. If it does, I’m changing things up drastically. Wasting food never feels good, now it seems irresponsible. But yes, I’m

Chinatown-International District coronavirus

Drizzly Saturday in Chinatown-International District

Seattle’s rain has been nice. I’m not quite ready for a summer spent in a baking apartment. Today’s mission – get a fan. It was yesterday’s mission, but I grabbed two cameras and headed to Seattle’s Chinatown-International District. I wanted to walk around, take a few

Fremen

Somewhere in California

The mind goes where it will. Especially in the wee hours. I took this photo somewhere in California. Maybe Nevada, but I think California. I didn’t think much of the photo when I uploaded it. I’m not a landscape photographer. I like looking at landscape photos, but I’

Digital asset management tags

Tag you're it

This post is about something that will bore most anyone reading it to tears. Recommend skipping. Partly talking to myself, but I figured other photographers have a similar internal dialogue, so I figured I’d post it in case one of them stumbles in here and wants to chat. If

Canon FTb COVID

Let it come down

Thank heavens for this cooling rain. Right now I would love to have a balcony or a screened porch. A plane just flew over, and the sound was jarring. I don’t know the stats, so I’ll use blogger stats – the volume of flights has decreased during COVID to

Canon FTb

Hot in the City

I ventured out today. My legs and camera bag carrying back implored me to either never do this again or take steps to ensure that it gets easier. They also suggested that I should have chosen one path or another when it was cooler out. It’s hot. My Arizona