I Wonder Why ... ?
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Why doesn't that part of Washington belong to Canada?
There’s a tiny part of Washington state that is so remote you have to cross an international border twice to get there.Isolated, surrounded by water and Canadians … why did Point Roberts become a part of Washington and not Canada?Read more on 'I Wonder Why ... ?'
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Why are Seattleites averse to stepping out in style?
Do most of the clothes in your closet range from hiking fleece to dress fleece, or some variations of plaid and jeans?That’s probably what has fueled Seattle’s reputation as an unfashionable city.Overdressing – something that’s just not possible in many American cities – can become a sort of phobia.Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?
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How did the 'City of Destiny' lose out to Seattle?
(This is the second installment of a 2-part series about Tacoma’s designation as the City of Destiny.)Why didn’t Tacoma become the premiere city on Puget Sound? How did the City of Destiny lose out to Seattle?Back in 1873, it looked like Tacoma would be graced with fame and fortune when the city beat out Seattle to become the terminus for the Northern Pacific Railroad.Read more on "I Wonder Why ... ?"
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Why Tacoma owes its slogan to a ‘crazy person’
Tacoma has been known as the “City of Destiny” for more than 140 years.And while the city’s slogan is unique because it has lasted for so long (when was the last time you heard Seattle referred to as “Jet City?”), it also comes from a 19 Century “crazy person” who was a relentless promoter of Tacoma.Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?
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Why does Seattle have so few kids and so many dogs?
Here’s an odd fact: Seattle’s dog population is estimated to be around 140,000 and climbing. The number of kids? … 93,000 and dropping.Seattle’s not such a bad place to raise kids, but based on the 2010 census, roughly 15 percent of our population is 18 or younger. And, when you compare Seattle to Boston, New York City or Chicago our share of little ones looks pretty paltry.In fact, Seattle is neck and neck with San Francisco, which has the lowest population of children of all major U.S....
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Why is "Louie Louie" Washington's theme song?
In the 1980’s, the Washington State Legislature considered making it the official state song. The measure failed, but “Louie Louie” is still listed on government websites as the “unofficial” state rock song.Sure it’s got a good beat and it’s easy to dance to, but is a song about a Jamaican sailor longing for his girl really the best tune to represent Washington State?How did this classic party song become so much a part of our cultural DNA, anyway?Read More on "I Wonder Why ... ?"
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I Wonder Why ... Reaction to 'Why is Seattle such a...
Race can be a volatile subject.Still, judging from the reaction to a recent "I Wonder Why ... ?" story, it’s something people are eager to talk about.Charla Bear’s story explored why Seattle is one of the whitest big cities in the country, whiter than such places as Denver, Oklahoma City, even Minneapolis.The response to the report was overwhelming.Read more on "I Wonder Why ... ?"
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Why are there so many serial killers in the Northwest?
From Ted Bundy to Gary Ridgway, some of the most notorious murderers in our nation’s history committed their crimes in the Northwest.While we may not have the most serial killers, we’ve certainly got that reputation. And that got us to wondering: Why are there so many serial killers in the Northwest?Read the story on "I Wonder Why ...?"
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Why are we such gear freaks in the NW?
In the Pacific Northwest, we know that yoga pants, polar fleece and hiking shoes are great for grocery shopping. But when we head into the great outdoors, we love to pile on the high-tech gear.Sure, the weather here demands a certain level of protection from the elements. But what is it that compels people in the Pacific Northwest to want every piece of equipment out there?Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?
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Why did blackberry brambles become such a NW problem?
“It just doesn’t like to stop. It’s very tenacious.”If you have property in the Pacific Northwest, there’s one plant you’ve most likely encountered … and battled – The Himalayan Blackberry.It’s enemy No.1 in the Northwest. So, where did this plant come from and why did it become such a pervasive pain in the garden?Read more on I Wonder Why...?
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Why can't you see the animals at Woodland Park Zoo?
Have you ever been to Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo and had a difficult time seeing the animals through all of the trees and plants? Well, it’s supposed to be that way. It’s all by design.The naturalistic animal exhibit was born in Seattle at Woodland Park Zoo nearly 30 years ago.Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?
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What's with all of the totem poles in Washington?
With all the totem poles in Washington State, it might surprise you to know the cedar monument isn’t from this region.Though some local tribes now carve them, they didn’t originally.In fact, the first one here was pilfered from another state.Read More on I Wonder Why ... ?
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Why is the 'Boeing Bust' still with us?
Maybe you’ve heard the line, "Will the last person leaving Seattle turn out the lights." That well-worn phrase came from a billboard in 1971 as the Boeing Company stalled and then fell into a tailspin.And while the "Boeing Bust" happened a long time ago, that economic slump, almost as much as the most recent one, is still a part of our collective consciousness.Why does it still resonate all these years later?Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?
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Why the Alaskan fishing fleet is based in Seattle
On the reality TV show “The Deadliest Catch,” you see the crew of the Northwestern enduring storms and other dangers while crab fishing in the Bering Sea in the middle of winter.You might be surprised to learn that the Northwestern and the hundreds of other boats that make up the North Pacific Fishing Fleet are not based in Alaska. Rather, they travel thousands of miles south each year to tie up in Seattle.So, why is the fleet based here? There certainly are more convenient ports closer to...
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Did Jesus Christ make Seattle under protest?
You might say Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest. Or, Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Pressure.Either way, this provocative statement is a big help when youre trying to get around downtown Seattle.Its a mnemonic device, a sentence that helps you remember the names and order of the citys streets. The first letter of each word corresponds to a pair of streets between Pioneer Square and Belltown. Jesus starts with a "J" which means Jefferson and James come first. The "C" in Christ signals...
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Why don't we bury our power lines in the Northwest?
Did you find yourself in the dark, shivering under blankets, eating cold rations during the recent snow and ice storms? Did it have you wondering why we are so dependent on overhead power poles to keep the lights on?Could there be a better way?Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?
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Why do Utilikilts appeal to many in the Northwest?
"Its only a skirt if youre wearing underwear."A Seattle guy set out to liberate men from their pants his solution?The Utilikilt.If youve ever seen a Utilikilt, chances are you havent forgotten it. Maybe you thought it was cool to see a Scottish-esque kilt with cargo pockets. Maybe you had a more visceral reaction ...Whatever your feelings about them, they are part of the Northwest. The idea was born here. Theyre manufactured here. They even have their own store in Seattles Pioneer Square...
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Mysterious demise of Tacoma, Seattle streetcars solved
Todays stylish way to get from your high-tech office to an urbane lunch date was once so old, rickety and decrepit that it was melted into scrap-metal.The revival of streetcars in Tacoma and Seattle would be a surprise to our civic leaders from the 1930s. But they used to be prolific throughout the Northwest. What happened? Was it a conspiracy, or just the changing tides of fashion?Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?
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Why is the 'Seattle Freeze' so hard to melt?
Is Seattle a great but lonely place to live?The city often ranks pretty high on those lists of the best places to move to Theres the food, the water, the mountains, the music. But once people get here, they find its pretty tough to make friends. Theres even a name for it: The Seattle Freeze.We wondered: When did the freeze set in? And, how can a newcomer ever break through it?Read more onI Wonder Why... ?
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A 'Rain City' mystery: Why don't people in Seattle use...
A lot of people in the Rain City take pride in the fact that real Seattleites dont carry umbrellas. But, I walk around town with a portable roof over my head.The result? I stay dry, my hair doesnt get tousled, and I can use my iPhone while I wait for the bus. I also get dirty looks. Granted, my umbrella isnt small. I actually call it my yurt. That might have a little to do with it, but the reality is this region is anti-umbrella.Why? Is it weather denial? Affinity for wet jeans? An...
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Is it really true that there is more MS in the Northwest?
Weve all seen the billboards and giant posters hanging off the sides of buildings: The Northwest has a higher incidence of Multiple Sclerosis than most anywhere on Earth.But do we really? Turns out the answer is more complicated than the awareness campaign that got everyone talking about MS in the Northwest.Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?
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Are we prone to mass hysteria here in the NW?
Everyone went a little crazy. Police were called, road blocks set up.Its 1954, early spring, and tiny chips, pits and dings are popping up on car windshields throughout the Puget Sound region at an alarming rate. Suddenly, communities from Anacortes to Tacoma are in the grip of a textbook case of mass hysteria. (In fact, it is in the textbooks.)Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?
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We don't have an accent in the Northwest ... or do we?
Do I have an accent? You hear me on the radio. I hear myself on the radio, many times a week in western Washington, and I didnt think so. But, a researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle tells me I do have an accent its in the way I say that very word accent.Apparently my pronunciation is a dead giveaway that I grew up here in the Northwest.Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?
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Just why is it that Seattleites don't jaywalk?
Fear of a ticket from paternalistic police? Group angst? Peer pressure? Whatever the reason, even if a car is not in sight, Seattleites will often wait patiently for the light to change rather than jaywalk.Pedestrians in this city are unlike their fellow walkers in San Francisco, Boston and even Portland, Ore., and the culture of waiting at the light goes back decades.Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?
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I Wonder Why ... Seahawks fans are loudest in league
This is the first story in a new KPLU series called "I Wonder Why ... ?" Each Friday, well explore what makes our corner of the world special unique attributes that amaze, irritate and sometimes just puzzle us.In this first story, we tackle Seattles reputation for having the loudest fans in the NFL. This isnt a particularly noisy place ... after all, you can get a ticket for honking your horn here.So, we wondered why were so loud in the stadium and just how loud are we?Check out the rest of...
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