The World of Joe - My Blog for Personal Ramblings

The World of Joe is all new and under my personal domain - and it's not about coffee. I'm planning on posting there mostly for awhile to see how The Eastside Life Community Blog does without my ramblings. I'm hoping that activity and traffic will go up ...

Wines from Week 1 at WSET Wine Foundation Course

Last Monday was the first class of James Cluer's Fine Vintage WSET Wine Foundation class held in Kirkland in the Bay Shore room at the Yarrow Bay Grill. We tasted 8 different wines - many of which I probably wouldn't normally taste elsewhere:

1999 Dom Perignon Champagne from Champagne France was the first tasting for the class, followed by a 2005 Cuvee Caroline Gewurztraminer from Schoffit in Alsace, France, a 2007 Viccar's Choice Sauvignon Blanc from Saint Clair in Malborough, NZ, a 2006 1er Cuvee Les Pargues Chardonnay from Domaine Servin in Chablis, France, a 2007 Carneros Chardonnay from Rombauer in California, a 2006 Block 5 Felton Road Pinot Noir from Central Otago, NZ, a 2001 Montestafano Nebbiolo from Producttori del Barbaresco and we finished the evening with a 1er Cru Classe Sauternes from Chateau Coutet in Sauternes, France.

Preferring red wines to whites, I especially enjoyed the Pinot from Felton Road and the Nebbiolo from Produttori del Barbaresco - but it was interesting to taste them all.

James is really a fantastic teacher and has great experience in the wine industry and I highly recommend his classes for anyone wanting wine certifications or simply wanting to learn techniques for wine tasting. I believe there are still a couple seats available in the class and that James is also offering a full day version of the class in the near future.

I Now Take Zune with Me Whenever I want a Tune, Pic or Vid

I just got a really cool gift the other day - an 8 gig Microsoft Zune. I really love that it's so small, yet still so functional. I still need to buy a protector for it, as I'm sure it will get dropped and want to make sure it lives. Both the software and hardware have easy to use user interfaces - so it's really easy to add files. I also like that it comes with a radio that sounds great!

Still Trying to Give Brian Tracy Away

A month and a half ago, shortly after I moved, I was starting to think about getting rid of a lot of possessions and lightening my load. I offered to give away a brand new, never been read copy of Brian Tracy's book Speak to Win. Judging by the title, the subject matter is good, but from my past experience with Mr. Tracy, I have found his actions to be very incongruent with his message.

Still the same, I'm sure there's some good information in the book. Does anybody here on the Eastside want this book? FREE!

What's in a name - Penny or Benjamin?

While signing up for a Windows Live ID to share files with the Board of Advisors for Eastside Entrepreneurs, I was asked for a "secret question. I chose "Name of First Pet".

The first pet I remember was a great dog named Penny. She was a mutt, but she was my pal and I loved her a lot. I'm pretty sure my parents named her - probably because it was sometimes hard to find a Penny while raising a family.

I was thinking about other dog names - I once had a best friend named Apollo, and then Esmerelda and Hans and Inga (all Rottweilers and some of the finest dogs that ever lived).

The next dog I get if he or she arrives without a name, will probably be named according to its personality, but I will strongly consider naming it Benjamin - short for Benjamin Franklin and his most famous portrait.

I Want to Go to EndFest!

I'd really love to go to 107.7 the End's EndFest tonight at the Sky Church at the Experience Music Project. So far I haven't been able to get anyone to respond to my requests for media passes - but we have banner ads for the event at Eastside Business and Eastside Business Online, so there's still a chance!

If you can help, please give me a call on my cell 425-213-4176. Thank you VERY much!

I'd love to see Seattle's own Presidents of the USA rock the house with all the other great bands!

Cool Pics from Bumbershoot 2008

My new friend, photographer Jim Bennett, took some awesome photos at Bumbershoot a couple of weeks ago ...

Here Comes The Sun

Talk about an all-star band, playing a great feel good song! I sure miss George ...

Apparently Nobody Wants Me to Sleep ...

This morning after dealing with the neighbor's barking dog all last night, I was rudely awaken before 6:30 am, by the garbage truck backing up the road next to my house - beep, beep, beep. (add in roar of truck). Here is the letter than I faxed to Allied Waste (of course there is nobody there to answer their phones before 8am):

September 12, 2008

Allied Waste

425-646-2451 FAX

Attn: General Manager

Dear Allied Waste:

It is now 6:39AM and I just tried to call your offices to reach someone to complain. Of course, I “reached your offices after normal business hours”, but did leave a message.

About 15 minutes ago, I was awaken by the sound of a very loud truck backing up our private cul-de-sac. Despite the fact that I sleep with ear plugs, the loud revving of the truck engine to get up the hill and the beep-beep-beep of the back up safety system has really given me a “wonderful” start to my day – that should not have started until after 9am (after working past 2am last night). I looked out the window and saw a Rabanco/Allied Waste Truck. It was white.

I live at 1138 Bellevue Way SE in Bellevue. The trash and recycling are picked up each Friday. I realize that your drivers may want to start extra early so they can start their weekends early, but this is not acceptable in our residential neighborhood. Perhaps (?) they can get away with it in commercial zones, but not here.

I would like you to make sure this does not happen again. Trash should not be picked up in our area outside of “normal business hours” – after 8 am at the earliest and the later in the day the better. I’m sure you would not appreciate this happening to you.

Thank you for your consideration and quick action.

Joe Kennedy

11xx Bellevue Way SE

Bellevue, WA 98004

425-213-xxxx cell

Promote@EastsideBusinessJournal.com

More Propaganda from The Bellevue Teachers

I really hate it that I am so emotional about the Bellevue Teachers Strike. I normally wouldn't care, but since Jackie Kennedy has been so negatively affected and the teachers have been so incredibly selfish - I find myself getting extra pissed off on a daily basis. I was fine this morning until I received the following propaganda from the teachers pr guy:
Bellevue teachers rally 11 a.m. Schedule update for Friday

Bellevue teachers will gather for a short rally Friday at 11 a.m. to noon at Crossroads Park in Bellevue.

We will not have regular picketing today. The rally is intended as an upbeat send-off to mark the conclusion of our second week of pickets and the start of a weekend that we hope will bring a resolution to this strike. The park, located near 164th Avenue N.E. on N.E. 8th Street, is just a few blocks east of the Crossroads Shopping Center

The district took a major step forward late last night on curriculum language, agreeing in substance to a proposal submitted by BEA about a week ago. The district also took another step ahead on compensation, sweetening its offer to 3 percent over two years, or 5 percent if BEA members agree to a three-year contract. Health insurance remained the same as in the offer voted down by members Monday, with a modest gain in year 1, but no additional change in years 2 or 3.

Our bargaining team is encouraged that the new offer signals movement in the right direction. Team members planned to study details of the district’s offer overnight before responding at the bargaining table today. Talks are scheduled to resume at noon.

This was my response:

Kindly remove me from your propaganda list. 2^nd and last nice request.

It does not surprise me at all that the teachers would take yet another day off. “But they work so hard, get so little and are entitled to so much. And they care so very much about our children.”

I’m sick of the BS from Bellevue teachers and am glad that my daughter’s mother withdrew her from BSD.

You should all be ashamed of yourselves.

Joe Kennedy

Eastside Business and Eastside Life newspapers and online news site

Joe@EastsideBusinessJournal.com , Joe@TheEastsideLife.com

Discourteous Neighbor, Excessive Barking, Noise Polution and (possible) Animal Abuse

This is what I just got done posting on the website at Bellecrest.org:

Discourteous Neighbor, Excessive Barking, Noise Polution and (possible) Animal Abuse

Since I moved back into the neighborhood about two months ago, there has been an ongoing problem of a large, loud, barking dog during the day and late into the night - many times after midnight.

On July 16th at about 11pm, I hunted down the location of the offending dog (11XX SE 107th Ave SE here in Bellevue) and left a nice note (with my cell phone number) for the owner, along with a 1/2 box of dog biscuits (I love animals and feel sorry for this dog). The barking was less frequent, but still very excessive for the next month.

On August 13th, the dog was barking for 3 hours straight. I could not get to sleep even with ear plugs. At 11:30pm, I went and knocked on the door. No answer. I left another note pleaded for the owner to take care of the dog and have some consideration for the neighbors and neighborhood.

For the past month, there has been ongoing excessive barking early in the morning (I’ve been waken up at 7am even with earplugs and all windows closed) and late at night (I’ve been kept up past midnight by this barking dog multiple times).

After getting no response or consideration, I am at my wits end. Tomorrow 9/12/08 (tonight 9/11/08?) I will be filing a noise complaint with King County Animal Care and Control Board. I’ve tried nice with no results, now I’m being forced to go through the complaint process.

According to the process, my complaint will be assigned a case number and I will be sent a petition form. As soon as I receive it, I will be looking for other affected neighbors to sign the petition.

If you have been affected by this barking dog, and its discourteous owner I would like to hear from you. I love animals and feel very sorry for this dog, but its owner has shown blatant and constant disregard for the animal and the neighborhood.

Let’s make sure our neighborhood is a decent place to live.

Thank you!

Joe Kennedy
eastsidebusiness(at)gmail.com

The silver lining in this story is that the neighbor came home, was there when I went to leave another note and now understands how her actions and her dog's barking has been affecting me. She has a chance to remedy the situation before I file the complaint. I hope she does.

"Live" plays Live at Microsoft Vitualization Launch After Party

On September 8th at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Microsoft held a great Virtualization Launch event. An intimate crowd of about 300 people were treated to a live performance by the band "Live" at the after party.

Microsoft always holds first class events - the entire day was full of great information, but the after party was awesome!

2nd Week of Bellevue Teacher's Strike

As predicted, the striking Bellevue teachers are obviously getting tired of walking the line. Very few smiles today, the pace is slower, more teachers sitting rather than walking and noticeably fewer teachers present (are some play hookey?).

According to some reports, many of the issues have been agreed upon, leaving dollars as the only issue. I suspect this was the case all along ...

My bet is that the teachers are realizing that it's more enjoyable to teach than to walk a picket line all day. I hope that they have figured out if they get their way, a good number of them will lose their jobs and have to find a new way.

I fully expect that Jackie Kennedy will finally have her first day of school this week.

Live to Play at Microsoft Virtualization Launch Tomorrow!

I've been looking forward to tomorrow's Microsoft Virtualization Launch for some time now, but didn't realize that they are going to have the band "Live" to play at their post event party! How cool!

Seattle Area Football Fans Face Tough Season

After watching the Huskies lose again (although it was a good game decided by a penalty) and the Seahawks sleep through an entire game this weekend, I don't think I'll be wasting any more of my time watching the home teams (probably will a little, but definitely won't plan around them).

The silver lining is that I don't have to worry about wasting my entire fall weekends, like I did as a kid growing up here in the Pacific Northwest.

Now is Not the Time - What Are Strikers Thinking?

With all the 'great news' in the headlines these days, I'm wondering what makes the teachers in Bellevue and the Boeing workers to think that the best thing to do is strike - especially at this time?

Jobless rate jumps to 5-year high of 6.1 percent

• Home loan troubles break record again
• Stocks end mixed after 'ugly' jobs report

King County budget shortfall rises to $90 million

These are headlines right next to each other on the Seattle Times website. Why would anyone choose to strike when unemployment is at a 5 year high? If they were going to do it, shouldn't they have done it a couple years ago when things were good and raises might have been more feasible.

As it is funding and budgets are down, expenses are up all across the board in good part due to high energy costs.

I am the first to admit that I know very little about the actual strike issues - and the current status of any negotiations, but I'm not sure I would be putting my job at risk in this economy - those that are employed are lucky to have the work.

STP Rocks Bumbershoot

Scott Weiland and STP rocked Bumbershoot in Seattle on August 31st, 2008.