Maurice Sendak ponders his life and legacy at 80 (N.Y. Times). Is he a “mere illustrator” or artist? And is he truly joking when he laments that his triple bypass made him feel like such a failure because it wasn’t a quadruple? His heroes: Mozart, Keats, Blake, Melville and Dickinson.

Jeremy Mayer ‘s typewriter sculptures. Very cool and, hey, recycling! (artist’s Flash site)

Northwest Women’s Surf Camps provides “an opportunity for women of all ages to learn how to surf in a supportive, progressive, learning environment.” They run day and weekend camps, plus longer retreats. Seattle Times columnist Nicole Brodeur gave a weekend camp a try and found camaraderie in the shared new challenge.

Two Russian sumo wrestlers were banned for life from the sport after testing positive for marijuana use. The Chairman of the Sumo Association took responsibility for the scandal by resigning. The Sumo Association tested all of its wrestlers recently after another Russian wrestler was arrested for marijuana possession.

The decorum and stiffness of the modern classical music performance began with the rise of the bourgeoisie, says The New Yorker’s Alex Ross in a history of the classical concert. When the aristocracy was in charge before the 1900s, the audience would converse during the performances, the program was a mix of portions of longer compositions, and, horror of horrors, people applauded whenever they felt like it. Pianist Franz Liszt took requests and improvised. The evolution into the modern program of complete works and an attentive audience gave more respect to the artists and composers, but resulted from status symbols the rising bourgeoisie wanted to keep hold of. That strict status is restrictive and Ross is all for continued evolution into flexible programming and fresh interpretations. And for loosening up: “The overarching problem of classical music is the tuxedo.”

I ordered a copy of The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge for our son since our local library doesn’t have a copy. This book introduced me to lighthouses and what they do and the George Washington Bridge was a central landmark in my childhood that we looked for whenever we drove into the city. Each time I read about a lighthouse in disrepair I’m concerned about the cost of upkeep. Lighthouses add so much character to the landscape but they are by nature in very harsh environments. The Heceta Head Lighthouse on the Oregon coast is the latest to come across the newswire. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places so repairs, estimated at $1.45 million, need to be of a certain standard. The lighthouse is in working order but it is leaking, cracking, and rusting. The keeper’s house is a bed & breakfast.

Friday’s Seattle Mariners game will be an ongoing commercial for Nintendo’s Mario Super Sluggers game. Mario will throw out the first pitch and at every inning a Wii will be given away along with a free copy of the game. Nintendo of America owns the Mariners and has done several cross-promotions.

A tollbooth from the old money-taking days of the 520 bridge has been living a second life as an espresso stand. It was reportedly purchased at auction for $500 after spending 1963 to 1979 in service a few miles south on the east side of Lake Washington. The booth is getting new attention now that toll collecting is on the horizon again to fund a new bridge, but it will of course continue serving up beverages.

It’s time to get postcards in for the Fall ZooDoo purchases at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo. Send in a card for a random drawing for “anything from a garbage bag to a full-size pick-up truck load.” It’s the “most exotic compost in the Pacific Northwest.”

Green building may be a new trend, but flooring manufacturer EcoTimber has been championing sustainable wood practices since 1992. The company was an early supporter of the Forest Stewardship Council, a non-profit that sets standards for sustainable forest management. With 24 kinds of hardwood and 6 kinds of bamboo flooring, EcoTimber commits to 100% FSC certified wood, not the mix that some of their competitors use. EcoTimber’s riding the green movement with plans to grow both in sales and in even more environmental awareness, looking at their transportation methods and the end of life story for their flooring.