As a business owner in the city of Bellingham, my vision for the downtown area has remained cloudy since buying my commercial suite three years ago. After the city purchased the Georgia Pacific plant, my visions turned to grandeur, but just what kind of timeline is the city on with this project? I realize great things come to those who wait, or so it's said, but will we have to wait another decade for Bellingham's waterfront project to catch up with Fairhaven?
So, when I received a letter from the City of Bellingham's Planning and Community Development Department about the SEPA Determination, Demolition Permit and Shoreline Permit Exemption for the demolition of GP's Pulp Screen Room, Bleach Plant and Pulp Storage buildings, I got a little excited. I guess just bringing up demolition can excite a 34-year-old male. What guy doesn't like to see things blow up, right? But the thought of 80,000 square feet of an eye store I drive past nearly every day finally being demolished is promising.
Let's be honest, GP has hogged all that prime land for long enough. Sure, we put up with it when there was a business there that employed hard-working men and women from our community, but since it closed, it's been nothing but an eye sore in my opinion. I guess you can look at the brick construction and broken windows and find some artistic beauty in those relics, but I want new buildings. Give me the waterfront mecca the city dreams about. The one that accommodates cruise ships and tourists that will bring revenue to Bellingham. I mean, personally, my business is all done online, so it's not really gonna affect me one way or the other, but the thought of demolition and progress being made should excite all the other struggling downtown businesses I see closing left and right throughout Bellingham, shouldn't it?
Oh, I guess if you know more about the environmental impacts of such a project and want to comment in writing, the PCDD is accepting written comments by 5 p.m., Wednesday July 13. But let's not dilly dally on this people. Please don't get emotionally attached and drag this out longer than need be. Let's get your ducks in a row, do it right, and blow those buildings to the ground so we can get started on this project already...:)
Monday, July 4, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Now is the time to wait on a slug ... right?
So yesterday I went hiking up to Fragrance Lake near Chuckanut State Park. As I walked up the hill and enjoyed the fresh air and wilderness all around, I came upon a huge disgusting slimy slug. I had my camera with me and was messing around taking pictures of trees, moss, stumps and the other normal stuff you see on a wilderness hike. To me, wilderness/wildlife photography has always seemed kind of boring. I mean, after shooting action sports all these years, if the subject isn't sprinting, flying, jumping or some other adjective, why bother, right? Well, for some reason I decided to stop and take this slug's picture. I guess you could say he was "sliming" his way across the path, so that warrants enough action for at least a couple pics, right?
 |
| The Slug |
Well, on my first attempt, my lens didn't focus too well and my F stop was off, so it came out a little overexposed. Plus that slimy little slug was right between a shadow and the sunshine. As I waited for him to make his move into the spotlight, I got to thinking. Maybe this is the slug's chance to make his impact on the world. You know, like that Prairie Dog who has 31 million hits on YouTube Click To See. I started wondering if other Prairie Dogs are jealous of the one who is famous on YouTube. Maybe he/she is considered like the Tom Cruise of Prairie Dogs. Is that what I want for my huge slimy slug. Well, here's your time to shine slug. As I crouched low and snapped the second shot, the slug stuck his nasty little tentacles into the sunshine as if to say "make me famous Mr. Cameraman". It was his destiny. He was meant to make it to my blog. Well, without further to do, I introduce the slug. Not sure what to call him.
I guess, now is the time of year when you're supposed to enjoy the sunshine we've all waited so long to come. It's the time to smell the roses, jump in the water and wait on all the slimy little slugs that happen to slither into your life. Oh ya, I did manage to get a few other wilderness shots I figure I'd share in a separate post. Check them out and be sure to get out there this 4th of July and enjoy life for all it's worth.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free bird vs. Simple Man
So the other day I was goofing around on Facebook and heard Shinedown's cover of Simple Man originally done by by Lynyrd Skynyrd. A great cover by one of rock's great new voices in my opinion. So, me being me, I went on YouTube and did the comparison to the original. Well, after a few more clicks of the mouse, eventually I found myself listening to Free Bird in its entirety and wondering how I managed to blow yet another half an hour of my life listening to classic southern rock. Well, that stuff happens.
My somewhat random trek into YouTube library of southern rock got me to thinking about the dichotomy between those two songs. One one hand, you have Free Bird. A classic anthem, if you will, that became even more poignant when Skynyrd's lead singer died in a tragic plane crash. What I wondered after all this is which song I really liked better. Sure, I'm fans of both, but if I had to pick one, which would it be? Music and song writing aside, for me, it came down to my connection to the title. Am I a Free Bird or a Simple Man? I'm definitely a Simple Man.
After thinking about that for another 10 minutes, it also occurred to me that most people are either Free Birds or Simple Men/Women. When you ask someone which they think they are, of course they'd want to think they're carefree, fun-loving Free Birds, but when all is said and done, how many of us really are? I mean, really. Naw, we're Simple Men/Women. I could count on one hand the number of people I've met in my life who are truly Free Birds. Yep, we're all just simpletons choosing to live the simple life in our simple cars and simple homes, raising our simple 2.5 kids on a simple salary. And that's perfectly ok with me.
But wouldn't it be nice to be a Free Bird? Oh, to dream!
My somewhat random trek into YouTube library of southern rock got me to thinking about the dichotomy between those two songs. One one hand, you have Free Bird. A classic anthem, if you will, that became even more poignant when Skynyrd's lead singer died in a tragic plane crash. What I wondered after all this is which song I really liked better. Sure, I'm fans of both, but if I had to pick one, which would it be? Music and song writing aside, for me, it came down to my connection to the title. Am I a Free Bird or a Simple Man? I'm definitely a Simple Man.
After thinking about that for another 10 minutes, it also occurred to me that most people are either Free Birds or Simple Men/Women. When you ask someone which they think they are, of course they'd want to think they're carefree, fun-loving Free Birds, but when all is said and done, how many of us really are? I mean, really. Naw, we're Simple Men/Women. I could count on one hand the number of people I've met in my life who are truly Free Birds. Yep, we're all just simpletons choosing to live the simple life in our simple cars and simple homes, raising our simple 2.5 kids on a simple salary. And that's perfectly ok with me.
But wouldn't it be nice to be a Free Bird? Oh, to dream!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Decade - selling - eBay video game - reward
Ok, for those of you who don't know, I run an online clothing store called Mens_Choice on eBay (http://www.menschoice.info/). Yes, there's yet another shameless plug. Well, the reason I bring this up is that I realized this week that it's been almost a decade that I've been eBaying. It all started in 2002 when I visited my local Goodwill and started selling clothes to make a few extra bucks. After a decade of selling new and previously owned brand name clothing and shoes on eBay, I don't really have much to show for it. Or do I? Have I really learned anything in the last decade?
This month I've toyed with the idea of selling my business to move on to the next phase of my life, but what will that be? I received some interest from a couple interested in taking over my little eBay empire, but as I tried to sell the guy on my business, I quickly realized that what I do isn't the most desireable business proposal. How do I convince someone that they want to buy, sort, launder, picture and list hundreds of items each week just to get by? Sure, I've managed to move my business from my home to a commercial suite downtown, and the equity I build in that suite will pay off when it's sold, but at what cost?
I guess in 10 years I've learned how to do a few things, but I still haven't figured it all out. To me, eBay is like one cruel video game with no end. I click and click every week, but there's no princess waiting for me at the end of this game. There's no happy music and fireworks telling me I've conquered the game. Where's the reward in all this? At least when I was a reporter there was a finished copy of the newspaper waiting on my desk at the end of each week. A small reward staring me in the face as if to say "nice work kid, now what are you gonna write about this week?"
As more competition swarms the eBay market, and postage prices go up each year, my little evil empire has gotten more evil with each passing day. A decade of hard work and all I've really managed to do is pay my bills and get by. Is this really the American dream of small business ownership? When I was a kid I always wanted to have my own business. Back then, it was a baseball card shop. Why not, right? Take your interest and turn it into a business. I guess I've managed to live my dream for a decade. But, as my 35th birthday looms, I suddenly have the feeling that maybe it's time to start fresh and dream again. Hopefully my next vision will reward me with more than a huge stack of clothes each week and a commercial suite full of merchandise.
This month I've toyed with the idea of selling my business to move on to the next phase of my life, but what will that be? I received some interest from a couple interested in taking over my little eBay empire, but as I tried to sell the guy on my business, I quickly realized that what I do isn't the most desireable business proposal. How do I convince someone that they want to buy, sort, launder, picture and list hundreds of items each week just to get by? Sure, I've managed to move my business from my home to a commercial suite downtown, and the equity I build in that suite will pay off when it's sold, but at what cost?
I guess in 10 years I've learned how to do a few things, but I still haven't figured it all out. To me, eBay is like one cruel video game with no end. I click and click every week, but there's no princess waiting for me at the end of this game. There's no happy music and fireworks telling me I've conquered the game. Where's the reward in all this? At least when I was a reporter there was a finished copy of the newspaper waiting on my desk at the end of each week. A small reward staring me in the face as if to say "nice work kid, now what are you gonna write about this week?"
As more competition swarms the eBay market, and postage prices go up each year, my little evil empire has gotten more evil with each passing day. A decade of hard work and all I've really managed to do is pay my bills and get by. Is this really the American dream of small business ownership? When I was a kid I always wanted to have my own business. Back then, it was a baseball card shop. Why not, right? Take your interest and turn it into a business. I guess I've managed to live my dream for a decade. But, as my 35th birthday looms, I suddenly have the feeling that maybe it's time to start fresh and dream again. Hopefully my next vision will reward me with more than a huge stack of clothes each week and a commercial suite full of merchandise.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Obama's speech. Gay marriage. Legalize it!
Ok, so I found myself watching President Obama on tv yesterday and the one thing that stuck in my head was when he compared congress/senate action to his kids doing their homework a day ahead of time. Ok, so the President's kids can get their homework done a day ahead of time, but grown men and women in congress can't get a damn thing done. Is that really what Obama is saying and how he is dealing with things? Talk about a passive agressive way of getting your message across.
If we're talking analogies, it seems to me like the President isn't really in control of leading congress/senate to making decisions. Is that because the republicans are running that show? Isn't the President supposed to act like the coach and the congress/senate his players? Maybe Obama feels more like the water boy and congress/senate calls all the plays and runs the game however they damn well feel like these days. Maybe congress/senate are content sitting on the sidelines sipping Gatorade. Maybe Obama just needs to stop his passive aggressive ways of dealing with congress and strap on his helmet, suit up and lead the team. I just hope that once the fourth quarter rolls around, someone steps up and heaves a hail mary that will turn this recession around.
Oh, and another thing, why bother to even address the reporter's question about gay marriage if you're not going to stand up for something and admit that equality should be something for everyone to enjoy. For a black man who leads the most powerful nation in the world not to automatically come out in favor of gay marriage perplexes me. Endorse that movement and make it happen already. Get it done people! It seems that people can say that color/sexual orientation shouldn't matter in this day and age, but obviously it still does if the President can't even realize that love conquers all and gays should be given the same rights as everyone else.
Oh, ya, one last thing, legalize it already.
God knows we could use the additional tax revenue!!!
If we're talking analogies, it seems to me like the President isn't really in control of leading congress/senate to making decisions. Is that because the republicans are running that show? Isn't the President supposed to act like the coach and the congress/senate his players? Maybe Obama feels more like the water boy and congress/senate calls all the plays and runs the game however they damn well feel like these days. Maybe congress/senate are content sitting on the sidelines sipping Gatorade. Maybe Obama just needs to stop his passive aggressive ways of dealing with congress and strap on his helmet, suit up and lead the team. I just hope that once the fourth quarter rolls around, someone steps up and heaves a hail mary that will turn this recession around.
Oh, and another thing, why bother to even address the reporter's question about gay marriage if you're not going to stand up for something and admit that equality should be something for everyone to enjoy. For a black man who leads the most powerful nation in the world not to automatically come out in favor of gay marriage perplexes me. Endorse that movement and make it happen already. Get it done people! It seems that people can say that color/sexual orientation shouldn't matter in this day and age, but obviously it still does if the President can't even realize that love conquers all and gays should be given the same rights as everyone else.
Oh, ya, one last thing, legalize it already.
God knows we could use the additional tax revenue!!!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Blogging ideas? Feel free to share/request....:)
Since I'm not an expert on blogging and just getting started, if you choose to follow me, please shoot me a message about what you're interested in having me write about. I also hope to post pictures in my blogs, so if you like pictures, let me know what you like and I'm happy to try and accomodate you (within reason).
Starting a blog. What to blog about?
Hey people!
My name is Brian Kingsberry and I've decided to join the 21st century and start a blog. I'm not quite sure what I plan to blog about, but I hope to keep it interesting enough to get some followers and have some fun with it.
I guess I'll start by telling you all a little about myself. I'm 34 years old and I currently run an online clothing store on eBay and own a photo studio in the heart of Bellingham Washington. Prior to going pro as an eBayer, I worked for five years as a sports reporter here in Washington. I still freelance as a writer/photographer when I get a chance, but spend most of my time keeping my little eBay store running smoothly.
As for what I plan to blog about, I guess I'll probably write about eBay, photography, local news and other small businesses. I'm hoping to get enough of a following that I can some day write local reviews about small businesses if there's enough of an interest. I have a lot of ideas about how to start businesses. Whether any of my ideas are good is the real question. For example, my last idea was to start a sandwich shop and call it Sub Weigh and charge customers by the weight. Good idea, right?
Well, I think three paragraphs is enough to get started. Please follow me and help me out in this venture if you have some experience with it.
Cheers!
Brian Kingsberry
My name is Brian Kingsberry and I've decided to join the 21st century and start a blog. I'm not quite sure what I plan to blog about, but I hope to keep it interesting enough to get some followers and have some fun with it.
I guess I'll start by telling you all a little about myself. I'm 34 years old and I currently run an online clothing store on eBay and own a photo studio in the heart of Bellingham Washington. Prior to going pro as an eBayer, I worked for five years as a sports reporter here in Washington. I still freelance as a writer/photographer when I get a chance, but spend most of my time keeping my little eBay store running smoothly.
As for what I plan to blog about, I guess I'll probably write about eBay, photography, local news and other small businesses. I'm hoping to get enough of a following that I can some day write local reviews about small businesses if there's enough of an interest. I have a lot of ideas about how to start businesses. Whether any of my ideas are good is the real question. For example, my last idea was to start a sandwich shop and call it Sub Weigh and charge customers by the weight. Good idea, right?
Well, I think three paragraphs is enough to get started. Please follow me and help me out in this venture if you have some experience with it.
Cheers!
Brian Kingsberry
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)