Bellingham Wa. Home Inspection Blog, Steven L. Smith

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Stories Behind The Music -- Whiskey A Go Go - 09/30/08 10:45 AM

In the 1960's one craze that caught on was Go Go dancing. Do you remember Goldie Hawn on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In? She was a ding bat and danced wildly in her skimpy bikini. If you don't remember that, don't feel bad because I remember it well enough for both of us. … (8 comments)

Stories Behind The Music -- Ida Red Met Maybellene - 09/29/08 08:56 AM

Chuck Berry immortalized "Maybellene". Berry, no question about it, was on the ground floor of rock n' roll music when it became popular. He was one of the true innovators of the sound. While people know the song, not many people know that Chuck Berry's first big hit, Maybellene, was strongly influenced by … (8 comments)

Crazy Electrical Issues - 09/28/08 01:21 PM

Many of the concerns home inspectors see are routine. We see them over and over again. You almost know, pulling up to a house and glancing at it, what some of the problems will be.
Every once in awhile there is a problem within a problem. The main problem is obvious, … (19 comments)

Stories Behind the Music -- Vanilla Frosting on the Cake - 09/28/08 09:01 AM

In the late 1950's rock n' roll music had been discovered. While it was not mainstream yet, it was bubbling under the boiling point and gaining momentum among the white teenagers. The movie Black Board Jungle had been released, featuring Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley and the Comets, but … (16 comments)

Stories Behind the Music -- Fighting Soldiers From the Sky, Fearless Men Who Jump and Die - 09/27/08 08:50 AM

This is a little known story of an American tragedy. In 1966 the Vietnam war was raging and the country was undecided as to how it felt about the war. There were protests going on against it, mainly at colleges, but a large number of Americans supported the war and felt … (37 comments)

Stories Behind the Music -- Ricky Don't Lose That Girl! - 09/26/08 09:19 AM

At the mid-20th century Ozzie and Harriet and their family represented the All-American ideal. They were the perfect family. The TV series, which was adapted from a successful radio show, was the creation of Ozzie Nelson. Ozzie was a very intelligent man, a workaholic and a former band leader. He was a mover … (19 comments)

Move it A Little To The Right - 09/26/08 09:01 AM

I think the photo below might be the classic example of the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing. Or it is a case of doing jobs in the wrong order -- guessing instead of knowing how things will turn out. As you probably know, when furnaces and … (8 comments)

Stories Behind the Music -- Hey Stan, Ever Heard the Wife Sing? - 09/25/08 12:15 PM

This story is the classic case of an unlikely singing career that began as a result of unusual circumstances. We will go back to 1963. Stan Getz, a famed jazz musician, was working on an album, which would be influenced by Brazilian rhythms. He was recording with Antonio Carlos Jobim and … (2 comments)

Politics -- The Original Conspiracy Theory - 09/25/08 09:42 AM

I have been hearing so much about politics this year and, for some reason, the political talk tickled my memory gland and made me long for simpler times. I thought back to this novelty hit of 1966. If you have never heard it, I think that you will find it interesting. This … (4 comments)

Stories Behind the Music -- The Little Boy Who Grew Up Too Fast - 09/24/08 07:20 AM

In the early days of rock n' roll, the core audience was kids. The artists they listened to and followed tended to be older. Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Fats Domino were all in their 20's. Bill Haley had passed the 30 year mark. Enter Frankie Lymon. Lymon was a street-wise kid at … (15 comments)

Stories Behind The Music -- Goin' To Kansas City - 09/23/08 10:15 AM

The song writing team of Leiber and Stoller was responsible for some of the most popular songs of early rock n' roll, including Hound Dog as recorded by Elvis. They were two white guys who wrote songs that were popular with, and usually recorded by, African Americans. Originally, such music that appealed to the … (7 comments)

Economically Disadvantaged Rodents - 09/22/08 11:41 AM

The economy, for the average rodent or hare, must be really depressed at this time. You might wonder how I know that. Well, ever since I hired Nutsy the squirrel as my home inspection assistant (much to the chagrin of Charles Buell who is too cheap to pay an employee in … (13 comments)

Stories Behind The Music -- Elvis and the Hound - 09/22/08 10:35 AM

This is the story of Elvis and why he selected the song "Hound Dog" to be one of his earliest recordings. A double-sided hit, with Don't Be Cruel on the flip side, it ended up being Presley's biggest hit ever. From 1955-1988, Billboard listed it as the top single of all time. The 1956 … (14 comments)

Stories Behind the Music -- He Fought the Law - 09/21/08 10:05 AM

The history of rock n' roll is fraught with mysterious deaths. The best and the brightest die young and in unexpected ways. If there has been any common denominator, that caused so many to die, it would probably be a combination of drugs, plane crashes and car wrecks. Every once in awhile, … (9 comments)

Caution -- Danger in the (Active) Rain! - 09/19/08 07:44 PM

Just about the time I start taking Active Rain for granted, oops did I really say that, I have some mind-boggling reminder of what a giant this web site really is. I was trained in journalism so, by reflex, I try to write carefully, stating facts and giving attribution or wiggle room … (59 comments)

Stories Behind The Music -- The Tennessee Waltz and Patti Page - 09/18/08 09:14 PM

There are many versions of the famous Tennessee Waltz. There is the original song and there is even a popular version called the New Tennessee Waltz. Actually, the story of the first version pre-dates rock music but it was a very innovative recording that had a lot to do with what later … (10 comments)

Washington State Home Inspector Licensing Full Board Meeting, October 9, Seattle - 09/18/08 12:08 AM

The second meeting of the full home inspector licensing board will be taking place on Thursday, October 9, from 1:30pm to 4:30 pm in Seattle. It will be at the Hilton/San Juan Room, 17620 International Blvd.
This will be an open session and members of the public are encouraged to attend. The three sub-committees … (2 comments)

Wa State Home Inspector Licensing Sub-Committee Meeting, September 24 - 09/17/08 11:53 PM

Washington State home inspectors have asked to be made aware of upcoming board meetings and sub-committee meetings which are being carried out as part of the process of home inspector licensing in Washington State.

The next meeting of the licensing sub-committee will be taking place Wednesday, September 24 at 320 … (2 comments)

Ethnicity and My New Employee - 09/16/08 06:57 PM

It's true what they say (by the way, who is they? -- I always figure it is Reader's Digest) that the world is becoming a smaller place the result of technology and individuals moving around. This has created some interesting situations, such as sushi and Japanese food at Safco Field, the result of Ichiro Suzuki playing … (27 comments)

Sometimes I Feel Like An Umpire - 09/16/08 11:11 AM

Everybody knows how unpopular umpires, or those who officiate sporting events, are with the fans. Every sports fan can tell you how so and so lost the World Series, the Superbowl or some event because of a stupid call by an official. I think that, more than any other inspection concern, the one … (19 comments)

Music Nostalgia--Aftermath, 42 years later - 09/15/08 09:51 AM

Many of us at Active Rain are baby boomers. We lived the 1950's, 1960's. The culture of that era, and the music influenced us. In fact, here at Active Rain there are groups dedicated to pop culture as we remember it -- songs, American Bandstand, and the Beatles. here are probably … (7 comments)

Controversy: Would Ya', Should Ya' Ask For The Money Back - 09/14/08 05:00 PM

While mulling over the Sunday newspaper today, my wife read to me an article from the serious part of the paper. Personally, I was too busy reading, and looking at photos of, Britney, Lindsay and Paris, to waste my time on the business section. Anyway, the wife had an interesting article which … (41 comments)

Stories Behind the Music -- Singularly Unusual, The Beatles - 09/14/08 09:59 AM

Back in the 1960's, when rock n' roll was king, the record moguls were only too eager to get an album out on the market. If you are too young to remember, that was a 33 1/3. The singles were all 45 RPM, two sides to them, but one side was usually worthless … (4 comments)

Stories Behind the Music -- The Sounds of Silence - 09/11/08 05:49 PM

Probably most of you will remember the Simon and Garfunkel smash hit, their first hit -- The Sounds of Silence. Songs do not get much more classic than that and the vocal harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel are legendary today -- among the best harmonies ever recorded.
Fact is, it was 1966 … (5 comments)

Fee Fi Fo Fum - 09/11/08 05:41 PM

I smell the blood of vermin playing in my insulation. When insulation is down in a crawl space, it usually means any one, or more, of several possible causes.
The problem might be related to metal rods, that often hold the insulation between joists, coming loose and falling down -- not too … (33 comments)

Stories Behind the Music -- Who Is Bernard Webb? - 09/09/08 09:31 AM

Once there was a famous Englishman. This man was having psychological problems with his being, his reality, his self confidence. He wanted to know -- Did people like, or love, him for what he offered, or did they only love him because of what he appeared to be -- his successful brand?
What had … (7 comments)

Washington State Home Inspector Licensing Board, Changing Business Practices Sub-Committee - 09/08/08 10:08 PM

The State Department of Licensing has announced another sub-committee meeting, to take place on Wednesday, September 10th. This sub-committee is the one that focuses on Changing Business Practices, as home inspector licensing becomes a reality in the state.
The meeting time is 1PM to 4PM at the Double Tree Inn, Seattle. The … (2 comments)

Washington State Home Inspector Licensing Board, education sub-committee - 09/08/08 09:49 PM

Okay, I know it is dry, but a number of inspectors have asked to have these messages circulated here on Active Rain.
The next sub-committee meeting of the state home inspector licensing board will be taking place on Wednesday, September 10, at the Double Tree Inn, Seattle. The address is 18740 … (0 comments)

It Takes Equipment Too - 09/08/08 09:10 PM

While a home inspection is generally described, for purposes of the contract, as a "visual" inspection. The reality is that any inspector who hopes to achieve any level of sophistication during the inspection is going to have to have a certain number of tools for analysis of the systems in the … (4 comments)

Pacific Northwest Music Legend -- Quincy Jones - 09/08/08 01:15 PM

Future jazz and music legend Quincy Jones and his family moved to Seattle when Quincy was a youngster, in the early 1930's. In Seattle, the young Quincy Jones became involved in the busy Seattle jazz music scene. Upon graduation from high school, he was accomplished enough as a trumpet player and a … (2 comments)

Count On This One - 09/08/08 09:16 AM

There is one defect that involves conducive conditions for rot and other wood destroying organisms that I can almost always count on finding. Even when a builder has, generally, done a good job of building a home, it seems that this detail is wrong. When a home has a garage, I would … (3 comments)

British Invasion, First Wave - 09/07/08 03:11 PM

The year was 1963. Do you recall those early days of the British Invasion?

I remember those days well, having been in grade school with a bunch of screaming mimi girls. I think that, even though guys liked the rock music, the screaming, sobbing, near wetting one's pants with excitement, … (9 comments)

So Simple, But Necessary - 09/07/08 01:42 PM

This is so simple that I am almost embarrassed to write about it. But I am not that embarrassed, so I will put fingers to keyboard. Even quality builders often leave gaps, exposed areas, around wires and plumbing pipes that enter the home.
This creates a couple problems: First, moisture can … (5 comments)

Pop Went South (Of The Border) - 09/07/08 11:20 AM

How many of you remember Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass? They were huge in the 1960's. One thing that made the band even more unusual, as hitmakers, was the fact that almost all of their tracks were instrumentals. Few pop hits, in that era, were instrumentals. Sure there were some, but … (4 comments)

Home Inspector Licensing Board Sub-Committee Meeting - 09/05/08 05:19 PM

I know this is dry, but a few inspectors have asked me to periodically update them, here at Active Rain, as to the happenings with the Washington State Home Inspector Licensing Board.
The first meeting of the licensing sub-committee met yesterday, September 4, in Olympia at the Washington State Department of … (3 comments)

Stories Behind the Music -- What Was The First Rock N' Roll Record? - 09/05/08 12:28 PM

In fact, I think it might be impossible to answer that question -- What was the first rock record? Historians and pundits have guesses, and arguments that support their positions, as to what record was the first rock n' roll song. I have my own opinion, as to logical choices, and they are … (12 comments)

Stories Behind the Music -- Millie Small's Song Goes Big - 09/03/08 12:41 AM

I have enjoyed reggae music for several years now. Most people think of Jamaican music as first coming into the public eye in the late 1960's. Fact is, Jamaican music began to influence the pop world long before the late 1960's. Before reggae, there was "ska." Ska is noted for a distinctive "off beat" … (14 comments)

Buying a New Home Is Not Like Buying a New Refrigerator - 09/02/08 08:21 PM

I think one reason some buyers refuse to purchase a home inspection at a new house is because they hear the word "new." Think about that word -- "new." If you buy a new refrigerator, a new range, a new drill or a new car, you probably would not take it … (11 comments)

School Daze: How Time Flies - 09/02/08 08:35 AM

Boy, how time flies.
Last night the wife and I had to stop at a large department store, Fred Meyer, to buy paint for one of our rental houses. We were getting there late and we could not believe all the cars in the parking lot. The place was packed. When we got … (6 comments)

Biking Lummi Island - 09/01/08 11:14 PM

I have lived in Bellingham all of my life, born here. I have been over to Lummi Island a few times but yesterday was the first time that I have ever walked on the ferry and gone over just to bike. My wife is learning to speak Italian and her Italian group, … (3 comments)

My Least Impressive, Most Impressive Moment - 09/01/08 09:36 AM

I had a funny experience, at least I thought it was funny. Especially among younger people, that means 30 somethings to me, many of them are into the old music of the 1960's. I guess they never really connected with the Backstreet Boys or that Spears girl. You find many of … (12 comments)

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