Carl Setzer

Yesterday was an interesting one. While sitting in a clock hour class up above downtown Everett, our region's windstorm made it's presence well known. Quite the bluster! Even in the 6th floor of a modern high-rise, we could hear the wind. My friends and family came through reasonably unscathed, most injurious were power losses and fence destruction. With the storm, traffic was significantly eventful and my poor instructor quite late. I took the opportunity to chat with many of the good folks at Everett's First American Title office. Such great people! A few folks I've known for years, but have never met. Such is the nature of modern business! Our class covered the Escrow Process, where we focused on several key changes and issues facing this sector. One of the biggest: cyber-fraud. I've been hearing an amazing number of cases of spoofed, or near-spoofed email addresses where funds are redirected. With this, we covered ways in which our business is responding t...

Walking this evening, I was looking at these houses in Lynnwood. These houses from the 50s and 60s garages have itty bitty garages. Today's cars don't fit. And I remember those 50s, 60s, 70s vintage cars. They were a tad bit bigger than cars today. Clearly, garages were for storage, not auto storage. Anyway, I've been around these houses most of my life. I'm rather fond of them, quirks and all. Actually, the quirks add delight, to me, at least.

Murder in Paris, rage boils over on the internet. I sit next to a Muslim friend while the vilest invective floats through my phone, rationalizing his death. The perpetuation of this murderous cycle. The cries against Muslims vary only slightly from the cries for the blood of the westerners. Their hearts are the same. Their heartbeats pulse from the same rage. "Love your enemies as yourself", and many other such words of Jesus, ignored by his followers. Rage so dominant a drive, we lose track of compassion and dignity.  Over the course of the evening, I couldn't stop watching or reading. I ran head long down the most horrible of rabbit-holes. Laden with brutality, with disrespect, frothing with corrosive invective. Chasing down other topics, equally ugly, our inability to dialog with other views. Both sides, neither able to express themselves gracefully, and each descending fast into the realm of personal insult. There were voices of reason, generating hope for me,...

Just posted this on Medium:  Upon The Horizon . Quite pleased with this one. Came to me during my walk this evening. It was good to be able to walk today. Last week, I wrenched my right arm and back at the gym. Rather intense pain drove me home from work early on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Saturday was spent planted firmly upon the couch. Sunday was punctuated by vertigo, leading me to a walk-in clinic, several appointments early in the week, a sinus infection diagnosis, and a battery of medications. Now I'm feeling more pain-free, and dizziness-free. Satisfying progress, though incomplete. Shortly, I'll be consuming my next blast of pain meds and drift off to sleep. Looking forward to the next day, this Friday approaching.