a weblog of whereabouts & interests, since 2010
It has been a cold week here in the Emerald City with the low dipping below freezing on Friday morning, and a few snowflakes in the air this morning.
Highs were in the low to mid-forties (6° to 7°C).
Here is a late afternoon sunbreak on the Cascade Mountains today.
I am standing at Capitol Hill’s 23rd Avenue and Mercer Street.
That is Lake Washington and downtown Bellevue in the foreground.
Happy Friday.
Breaking News: The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled today in a 6-3 decision that Trump’s sweeping tariffs on imports from nearly every U.S. trading partner are unconstitutional.
Last April, in 2025, Trump had claimed that a 1970s emergency statute* (which does not mention the word “tariffs”) allowed him to unilaterally impose the duties without congressional approval.
*The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977.
It authorizes the President to regulate international commerce, including limiting or taxing imports, upon declaring a national emergency in response to an “unusual and extraordinary threat” from abroad.
The SCOTUS justices for the majority noted that no other US president had invoked the statute to impose any tariffs — let alone tariffs of this magnitude and scope. Tariffs are a tax and the President of the United States must identify clear congressional authorization to exercise it.
The U.S. Treasury has collected about $240 billion in tariff revenue since April 2, 2025. Consumers paid about 90% of that.
Trump is, um— shall we just say, mightily upset— over this ruling, and immediately ordered a new 10 percent tax on all imports to the USA.
For justification, he is using the 1974 Trade Act and a provision called Section 122.
(No president before him had invoked that provision, either.)
Section 122 was designed to address short-term emergencies, not long-term trade policies.
It can only be put in place for 150 days.
Ben Casselman and Ana Swanson write for the NY Times:
The total trade deficit, including trade in both goods and services, shrank slightly last year, as growth in exports narrowly outpaced growth in imports. But that was entirely the result of an expanding trade surplus in services. The trade deficit in physical goods, which has been Mr. Trump’s focus as he has sought to use tariffs to restore the U.S. manufacturing sector, actually grew in 2025.
The trade deficit grew sharply at the end of the year, rising 32.6 percent in December as imports rose and exports fell.
[Graphic by Keith Collins]
The Economist teased me with this post on X (the article is behind a paywall and I don’t have a subscription).
These days one can get a great summary when posing a question to AI, though.
Here is Google’s AI answer:
November was, for me and many others in tech, a great surprise.
Before, A.I. coding tools were often useful, but halting and clumsy.
Now, the bot can run for a full hour and make whole, designed websites and apps that may be flawed, but credible.
I spent an entire session of therapy talking about it.
The tech industry is a global culture — an identity based on craft and skill. Software development has been a solid middle-class job for a long time.
But that may be slipping away.
What might the future look like if 100 million, or a billion, people can make any software they desire?
Could this be a moment of unparalleled growth and opportunity as people gain access to tech industry power for themselves?
– Paul Ford writing in a guest essay for the New York Times
Off the top of my head I can think of a few things I would like to vibe code:
A bot that can search Ebay and the half dozen online stores for me to find postage stamps that I am looking for (Ebay’s new terms ban the use of AI bots for searches— but my bot will outsmart Ebay and elude detection);
A bot that can teach me to speak a little bit of a foreign language before I travel to that country (Duolingo and AI chat bots can just about do that already);
A PC housekeeping app that can learn how I use the directories on my computer and organize my files accordingly, especially ones I download and have to forever —aargh— retrieve from the Download folder and move elsewhere, or remember to go and delete them;
An all-in-one weather app that will tell me at the end of the day what the day’s high and low was (in both the international standard unit of measure called Celsius and Fahrenheit), what the precipitation was (if any), high wind speed & direction, UV index, atmospheric pressure, sky conditions (cloud cover) and hey, throw in phase of the moon, so that I have a heads-up for when the full moon is coming;
A sports app that will track where and exactly when Carlos Alcaraz (world No 1 tennis player) is scheduled to be playing next, and alert me.
Happy Lunar New Year— the Year of the Horse.
I bought this coin recently while I was in Singapore from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), as a souvenir.
It is not silver, but a nickel-plated proof-like zinc coin.
Majulah Singapura (on the back of the coin) is a Malay phrase meaning ‘Onward Singapore’ or ‘Forward Singapore’.
Happy Presidents’ Day.
This ensemble of US presidents on postage stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service is from my modest collection of US stamps.
President George Washington appeared on one of the very first U.S. postage stamps issued in 1847 (a 10-cent stamp). He subsequently appeared on over 300 different U.S. postage stamps— more than any other individual in U.S. postal history, and more often than all other U.S. presidents combined.
I made my way to the south end of the waterfront late this afternoon and walked up to Pike Place market.
The day was brilliant and bright out— but with the air temperature still sharp at 48°F/ 9°C.
I took the sunset picture from Elliot Avenue and Lenora Street.
The daffodils are blooming as well.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Happy Friday The Thirteenth.
The postage stamps I had bought from an Ebay seller in Mumbai, India, made it into the mailbox on my porch this morning.
Here are some of my favorite ones.
Issued by Royal Mail, Great Britain, Mar. 2, 1993 | Perf. 14 | Design B. Craddock | Lithography | Printer: House of Questa | Silver die-stamped w. Braille symbol for “10” embossed | Paper contains fluorescent colored fibers which, together with the ink on the shield, react under ultraviolet light
1658 1088| £10 Greenish grey, rosine, yellow, new blue, reddish violet, vermilion, violet, bright green and silver
[Source: Stanley Gibbons stamp catalogue Part 1, British Commonwealth 1997, Vol.1]
Britannia is the ancient Roman name for Great Britain and the national personification of the United Kingdom, often depicted as a helmeted woman with a trident and shield. Originating from the 1st century BC, it became a enduring symbol of British strength, power, and identity. It frequently appears on coins, on stamps and on artwork.
– Google AI
These imperforate labels, printed in red on phosphorized paper with grey-green background design, were first issued on 1 May 1984 as an experiment by the Post Office. Special microprocessor controlled machines were installed at post offices in Cambridge, London, Shirley, (Southampton) and Windsor to provide an after-hours sales service to the public.
The machines printed and dispensed the labels according to the coins inserted and the buttons operated by the customer.
Values were initially available in ½p steps to 16p.
In addition, the labels were sold at philatelic counters in two packs containing either 3 values (3½, 12½ or 16р) or 32 values (½p to 16p).
From 28 Aug. 1984 the machines were adjusted to provide values up to 17p.
After 31 Dec. 1984 labels ending in ½p values were withdrawn.
On 30 Apr. 1985, the machines were withdrawn from service.
P.S. I asked Google AI why these stamp labels were discontinued. The answer: Automated stamp label machines generally failed to achieve widespread success due to high operational costs, inconsistent print quality, and frequent technical failures.
[Source: Stanley Gibbons stamp catalogue Part 1, British Commonwealth 1997, Vol.1]
The crocuses are out here on Seattle’s Capitol Hill.
Spring is coming.
I was among the hundreds of thousands lining 4th Avenue in downtown Seattle today to catch a glimpse of the Seahawks victory parade.
I took the No 12 bus to Westlake Center and walked north along 4th Avenue to Belltown, checking in on the crowds at several of the cross street corners.
Look for Blitz, the Seahawks mascot, in my pictures below.
I believe that is defensive back Julian Love holding the Vince Lombardi trophy.
Sports anchor Paul Silvi is right next to him in the yellow KING5 jacket.
In another picture, a guy in stars-and-stripes pants wears a t-shirt that says WE.DID.NOT.CARE.
Those were the words of head coach Mike Macdonald following the team’s victory in the 2025 NFC Championship game, commenting on a reporter reminding him that many pundits had written the Seahawks off as an ‘afterthought’ in a division dominated by the Rams and the 49ers.
There is going to be a trophy celebration event at Lumen Field tomorrow at 10 am (tickets sold out in an hour or so on Monday).
Then, targeted for around 11 am, a parade will start along 4th Avenue in downtown Seattle.
The Seattle Times reminds readers that in 2014, hundreds of Seahawks fans had already camped out along 4th Avenue by 6.30 am .. and also that the day is sure to set light rail ridership records.
In 2014 some 500,000 people attended the parade and at that time the light rail ran only from Capitol Hill to Seattle-Tacoma airport.
BEEP BEEP THE HAWKS ARE BACK IN SEATTLE.
And so are 750,000 of your closest friends, all coming to Seattle to celebrate our SUPER BOWL CHAMPS.
So if you’re heading to Seattle tomorrow, take whatever ferry, bus, train, or spinning teacup is closest to you.
Please.
– Tweeted on X by Washington State Dept. of Traffic @wsdot
NFL staff writer Saad Yousuf from The Athletic ranked every Super Bowl halftime show since 1991. (In the 70’s and 80’s the halftime show featured marching bands and non-profits that staged song and dance performances).
His assessment is that last night’s performance by Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny (real name: Benito Ocasio) came in 6th. His review is below.
(Points out of 10 were awarded in each of four categories: Music and Dance, Staging, Performance Relative to Circumstance and Performance Relative to Stature).
6. Bad Bunny (2026): 36.5 points
The NFL managed to bring in one of the top artists in the world, at the height of his powers, and he delivered. The set was incredible. When the performance began, you wouldn’t know if you were watching something in Santa Clara, Calif., or in Puerto Rico. Even if you didn’t understand a word that he was singing, Bad Bunny’s performance and the production was more than enough to elevate the show. He leaned into the heritage and had unifying messages throughout the show, whether it be on the video screen in the stadium or written on the football he flashed to the cameras.
The bit where he gave the Grammy to the little child watching Bad Bunny receiving it on TV was touching, no matter how the viewer interpreted that moment. Given all of the scrutiny he was under coming into the performance, Bad Bunny showed that the stage — the Super Bowl or the current political climate — was not too big for him.
5. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem (2022): 37 points
4. Coldplay, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson and Beyoncé (2016): 38 points
3. Michael Jackson (1993): 38.5 points
2. U2 (2002): 39 points
1. Prince (2007): 40 points (Prince performed “Purple Rain” as it rained during halftime of Super Bowl 41 in Miami Gardens, Fla.)
Congrats to the Seahawks for their decisive win over the New England Patriots!
Matt Barrows writes for The Athletic on NYTimes.com:
The Seattle Seahawks, who rode a dominant defense to their first Super Bowl title 12 years ago, did it again Sunday, suffocating Drake Maye and the New England Patriots in a decidedly defensive 29-13 win at Levi’s Stadium.
Egged on by a raucous, pro-Seattle crowd, the Seahawks sacked Maye six times and picked him off twice, one of which was returned 45 yards for a touchdown by defensive lineman Uchenna Nwosu. The Patriots did not score until the fourth quarter, and Seattle also forced a fumble.
In praising his players, coach Mike Macdonald had to shout to be heard above the din of the fans who gathered in the southeast corner of the stadium.
“They made it happen,” he said of the dream of reaching the Super Bowl win. “They made it come to life. And we won the game.”
It is a time-honored tradition for countries and postal agencies over the world to issue postage stamps to commemorate the Olympic Games.
The Unites States Postal Service has not issued stamps for the 2026 Games, though.
Here is host country Italy’s stamps.
Very abstract— compared to say, the issue from Japan for the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo.
From olympics.com:
Sapporo 1972 was significant for both Japanese and Asian winter sport.
As the first Winter Games held in Asia, they inspired people across the continent to watch, and take up, snow and ice disciplines.
The success of the Japanese ski jumpers– known as the Hinomaru Squadron– created national heroes and showed that Asian winter sports athletes could compete with the best from Europe and North America.
Issued by Poste Italiane, Jan. 21, 2026
Miniature sheet of 2 stamps | Perf. 11 Die Cut | Engraving by I.P.Z.S. S.p.A. – Roma | Self-adhesive | No watermark
4877 FLV | €3.35 Multi-colored shades of green, yellow-green | Milano Cortina 2026 “Futura” emblem
4878 FLW | €3.35 Multi-colored shades of dark blue, purple, violet | Milano Cortina 2026 “Futura” emblem
[Sources: stampworld.com, Google AI Overview]
Issued by Japan Post, Feb. 3, 1972
Miniature sheet of 3 stamps | Perf. 13¼ | Photolithography | No watermark
1103 A730 | 20 yen Ultramarine & multi-colored |Downhill Skiing
1104 A730 | 20 yen Ultramarine & multi-colored |Bobsledding
1105 A730 | 50 yen Ultramarine & multi-colored |Figure skating, pairs and Makomanai Indoor Skating Rink (now known as the Makomanai Sekisui Heim Ice Arena)
[Sources: 2021 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue Vol. 4A, stampworld.com]
Happy Friday.
The 12s flag is up on the Space Needle.
Today was another very mild winter’s day here in the city (57 °F/ 14°C) with clouds and sun.
I walked down to the Melrose Avenue overlook to see if the 12’s flag is up on the Space Needle yet.
(It is not. I believe it will go up tomorrow, Friday).
The Seahawks team touched down in San Jose, California, on Sunday to begin preparations for Super Bowl LX on this Sunday, Feb. 8.
Here’s a cute picture from the Seattle Times of young fans in San Francisco.
I had a great view of the Snow Moon this morning, looking through my kitchen window.
The Snow Moon is the traditional name for the Full Moon in February, named for the heavy snow typical of this month in North America.
Here is the traditional Vietnamese lacquer artwork (called sơn mài) that I had bought in Ho Chi Minh City.
I love the bright colors and the gold background.
By the way: the Vietnamese have a long tradition of holding their wealth in gold. Vietnamese savers are estimated to have collectively socked away around 400 tons of gold items at home.
So what also happens is that a person building a home or starting a business, would borrow money from a relative in the form of gold— rather than taking out a loan at a bank.
The meteoric rise of the gold price has made a world of trouble for these borrowers, because they have to pay back their debts in gold, as well. They now have to buy it back at almost double what it was say, a year ago. The gold price has tumbled by 10% these last two trading days, but is still up by about 90% over the last 12 months.
