Good New Things to be thankful for
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'Tis the season of thanksgiving, and we've loads to feel grateful for. These days in general there is too much bad news, and too much pining for the Good Old Days. A lifelong Seattle resident, my childhood was in the 1960s and 70s. Below is a list of 66 New Developments or Things that either were in their infancy then, or were born then --or since then. Naturally, every person would compile a unique list. For example, I loathe coffee, so there is no mention on my list of the explosion of good coffee options; leaf blowers are hellish to me, so they're not on the list. If you dislike my list, make your own; the longer you live the longer your list grows. Below is mine. I forgot dozens of worthy matters, but its 66 entries are a start. Note that it is Seattle-centric:
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| Post-it notes |
| Digital cameras |
| Self-adhesive postage stamps |
| Cheap solar energy panels |
| Telephone answering machines |
| Trivia contests at local pubs |
| Color TV |
| Tamper-proof containers |
| Smoke-free buildings & planes |
| Metro bus shelters |
| Murals common on walls |
| Curb cuts |
| Much public art |
| Personal computers |
| The Internet |
| Seattle Opera |
| Spell checkers |
| Cell phones (though I do not use them) |
| Naturopathy medicine acceptance |
| Recycling taken for granted |
| Clean Green & curbside yard-waste pickup |
| Microbrew or craft beer |
| Woodland Park Zoo facelift |
| Bicycle racks |
| Dog leash-law |
| Fireworks restrictions |
| Plethora of dietary choices |
| Sewage secondary treatment |
| Pollution crackdown on autos |
| Master Gardeners |
| Velcro™ |
| Tougher DUI laws |
| More plant choices at nurseries |
| Car safety airbags, safety glass, etc. |
| LEDs (light-emiting diodes) |
| Grocery market scanners |
| Less lead in gasoline & paint |
| Ergonomic awareness |
| Surge of philanthropy |
| Neighborhood farmers markets |
| Energy-saving lightbulbs |
| Pocket calculators |
| Bikini swimsuits |
| PlantAmnesty |
| 911 help line |
| Bus/car-pool lanes |
| Community Colleges |
| More credit union enrollment |
| Telemarketer Do-Not-Call lists |
| Photocopy machines |
| Thai restaurants |
| Lithium-ion batteries |
| The EPA |
| Computer-generated movie effects |
| Multigear bicycles now the norm |
| P-Patch gardens |
| The Burke-Gilman trail |
| The Flower & Garden Show |
| Pro-Parks levy |
| Hair of the Dog brewing company |
| National Public Radio (NPR) |
| Green Building movement |
| Daylight Savings Time |
| Cargo pants with 10 pockets |
Houseplant surge
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(originally published in my November 26th 2007 newsletter)
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