I'm sure this has come up before by others (probably many times), but I do not understand tipping at food trucks.
Does anyone have a reason WHY I should tip at them? Can you justify the default 20% tip on card purchases (which one has to intentionally go to "other" and type in zero)?
The past month has honestly been great overall. I've been doing a mix of I-CBT and some ACT. I've been looking at my thoughts and physical feelings more objectively, and why I think what I do.
But then two nights ago, the thought popped in about "Maybe the reason WHY these feel so scary, or feel like it matters, or feels like I have to solve it, or feel like I have to search everywhere for an answer, is because there IS something I'm missing, and this is my mind's way of telling me to keep looking?"
As I type that out, I realize how OCD-esque that sounds. 😂
But I'm curious if anyone else does that too?
This is something that somewhat frequently happens, and I'm tired of wasting gas and money:
My partner will be down in Everett in one car Saturday morning. Our child and I need to meet up with them Saturday afternoon, to attend an event together that evening, and then we will all return to Bham later that night.
Rather than take our second car (so we have two cars in Everett), I figure there has got to be a way to get down there that is:
A. More cost effective
B. Better for planet
C. Not murder-y
Any suggestions? A bus? A train? Is there a ride share app or something? Anti-murder-y?
Just curious if I missed the memo, but I was quite surprised to see the amount of impatient people on the roads last night. Speed limit is 45, we were going at least that, typically closer to 47-48. We'd pull over when we could to let people pass, but we were also getting passed on straight aways.
What's the point of:
A. Going to a national park and then speeding to leave
B. Risking running into an animal (which are also way more active at dusk)
C. Hitting a cyclist (which I didn't see many of, but still)
Weirdly, the late morning traffic was much more chill.
Edit to add: We were in a regular car not towing anything.
I voted for him in every election since 2016, except for the primary this year. I can't do it again. I won't do it again.
I'm tired of voting for the lesser-of-two-evils. I'm tired of corporations, and billionaires, and religious institutions, and foreign governments all influencing and controlling our elections.
I get it: There are many things that the average voter (including me) doesn't know about our multi-layered government. There are nuances, relationships, history, etc, that we need politicians to be well-versed in, and at some point we have to trust that they're serving our best interests, even if we don't understand why or agree with it.
But I can't see how supporting the murder of innocent people is in our best interest. I can't see how funding these atrocities is keeping the peace or protecting us.
Being "Not MAGA" is a pretty fucking low bar, and I'm tired of lowering my standards.
Edit: To be clear, I never said I wouldn't vote for anyone. Also, I'll probably end up voting for him, but it feels gross and I hate it.
** Please no spoilers! **
My partner has been trying to get me to watch this show for years, and we finally started it a few weeks ago. (Interestingly enough, it was after I watched "The Beast in Me" and discovered that Mathew Rhys is a good actor). Writing up my notes to go back to after we finish it.
A quick summary thus far:
Alice and Pastor Tim just had their baby, William is just about dead with that terrible illness, Paige and Matthew are hooking up, Elizabeth continues to be a raging bitch to her daughter, Henry continues to be oblivious to the world, Stan invited himself over for yet another dinner (this time lamb!), and Phillip's son is beginning a quest to find him.
Predictions:
Stan is obviously going to figure out who Elizabeth and Phillip really are. It's kind of surprising he hasn't yet, since he seems to have a hunch for random things (Martha). But I don't know if he ever figured out Nina was playing him, so who knows. I'm guessing he'll figure it out in the season finale of 5, and then season 6 will be similar to Hank's experience with Walter White at the end in Breaking Bad.
The whole thing with Kimmy and her CIA dad is weird, and I think nothing will come of it. It seems like a story arch that the writers are keeping on the backburner, in case they want to use it. I don't think they will.
I don't think Pastor Tim and Alice will ever reveal the truth about Paige's family. I feel like that storyline is just going to fizzle out.
Martha will make a re-appearance at some point. Not in the US, but perhaps she'll connect with Misha (the son, not Phillip).
I like Oleg. Whatever he does, I hope they don't ruin his character.
Henry is going to be a sleeper character until he finally catches on that his parents are not who they say they are. I think he could actually be an interesting one, if the writers get a little creative. But also, maybe he's actually a terrible actor (yay for child actors) and the writers don't think he could handle anything too deep.
Paige will come out of this fine. She won't become a spy. She'll start dabbling, Phillip won't like it, and he'll protect her.
Elizabeth will die so Phillip and the kids can make an escape. She'll cover for him in some way. They won't go back to Russia, but will continue in the US, maybe Florida with all the talk of Epcot.
And that's that!
It seems like every election there are a number of people who find they don’t really know what the issues are or understand what the candidates really stand for. This is especially true for local elections like school boards, county commissioners, judges, etc. So I thought it might be useful to people to share some of my research, and invite others to contribute what they know. Ballots will begin arriving in a couple of days for the primary, so I thought now would be a good time to put this out.
There are five seats on the Washington Supreme Court up for election this year, which means the ideological bent of the whole court is up for grabs. Of those five races, four have more than two candidates running*, so those are the ones I’m going to talk about. I’m trying to make this simple, so I’m giving some key information about the candidates, and then at the bottom in italics I try to lay out a simple summary for who you might want to vote for based on your political position. I’d be happy if people want to discuss or fill out more detail in the comments.
I cribbed information from this website (which is focused on the issue of the millionaire tax), as well as used links from this helpful guide to get to candidates’ websites, statements, and fundraising info. I encourage anyone looking for more detailed information to use these resources.
* - For anyone who doesn’t already know, Washington has a Top-2 Open Primary system. That means everyone runs for office on the same ballot, and the people with the top 2 most votes advance to the general election. It also means there’s not a lot of point in discussing races with only 1 or 2 candidates, since they will automatically advance to the general.
Colleen Melody - Appointed by Gov. Ferguson at the beginning of this year to replace retiring Justice Mary Yu. Veteran of AGO’s office (Civil Right Division) who co-lead a multi-state lawsuit to protect abortion medication access nationwide, and spearheaded challenges to the federal Muslim Travel Ban, the Transgender Military Service Ban, the effort to end birthright citizenship, and the attempted repeal of DACA. Melody is endorsed by all current Justices, 5 former Justices, Gov. Ferguson, AG Brown, Gov. Inslee, Gov. Gregoire, 3 congressional reps, and a laundry list of state reps.
Scott Edwards - Edwards is a tax lawyer who has spent his career fighting (read: suing) the Department of Revenue. He was one of the attorneys who challenged Washington’s capital gains tax, and litigated against the Seattle income tax. He has taught tax law at the University of Washington for nearly 20 years. No stated endorsements I could find.
Laura Christensen Colberg - She is an attorney who has practiced family law for 30 years. She’s been endorsed by the WA Republican Party. She states that she is a person of faith, and asserts that Washington’s Constitution was written “in gratitude to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe”. Her campaign message is that she’s not beholden to any political favors.
Melody is the left wing choice. If you’re right wing (or deeply opposed to the income tax on millionaires), you’ll likely want to support Edwards. Colberg seems… under-qualified.
J. Michael Diaz - Assistant U.S. Attorney in Seattle, where he helped found the office's Civil Rights Program. Rumblings have circulated about a Diaz appellate opinion that ticked off labor and his defense of ICE agents while at the DOJ. Diaz has been endorsed by Justice Montoya-Lewis to succeed her, as well as Governors Inslee, Gregoire, and Locke, and many current and former Justices. He’s also endorsed by King County Democrats.
David Stevens - The conservative candidate, Stevens says the court lacks "diversity of thought” and that any change to the Washington State Constitution must be done by constitutional amendment and not through “judicial re-interpretation of the Constitution” or “constitutional court precedent”. Asserts courts should not reinterpret settled constitutional language to reach policy outcomes. Endorsed by the WA Republican Party, he says he’d emulate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Jaime Hawk - A longtime federal public defender and civil rights attorney. Serves on the Washington Supreme Court’s Minority and Justice Commission. Endorsed by Gov. Ferguson, Justice Yu, Justice Whitener, labor unions, Tacoma Indivisible, Democrats, FairVote, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, many state reps, long list of judges. The Urbanist characterizes Hawk as an “open-minded reformer” who “worked on ending mass incarceration and promoting economic justice.”
In this race Stevens is the lone conservative, with Diaz as the moderate option and Hawk to his left.
Theo Angelis - A partner at K&L Gates for 26 years, leading its Appellate and Intellectual Property practices. Opposing counsel in his cases described him as "the smartest lawyer I've ever faced." Angelis has provided thousands of pro bono support to immigration cases, including a class action to secure appointed counsel for children in immigration proceedings. He is the current editor of the Washington Lawyers Practice Manual, whose sales support Neighborhood Legal Clinics. He is endorsed by Governors Ferguson and Gregoire, State Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, and five sitting Washington Supreme Court justices.
Dave Larson - A municipal court judge and regular candidate who has previously run in 2000, 2016, 2020, and 2024. Endorsed by the WA Republican Party, and associated with the right-wing Federalist Society. Running on an anti-income-tax platform. Larson describes himself as a ‘textualist’, a judicial philosophy championed by justices like the late Antonin Scalia. He’s supported by Project 42, a conservative group seeking to remake Washington into a red state.
Sharonda Amamilo - A veteran and former public defender, currently a judge. Endorsed by various local Democratic bodies, the WA State Labor Council, the WPA, Fairvote WA, Rep. Strickland, Justices Whitener and Yu, and various state judges. Amamilo talks mostly about her various experience, and doesn’t seem to have a strong ideological lean one way or the other. In an interview, she stated, “Ultimately, my judicial philosophy is pragmatic. Some have described it as Hamiltonian because I like clarity. I like clarity a lot.”
Greg Miller - Appellate lawyer of 40+ years. No endorsements. Campaign site is deliberately policy-free, stating, “Justices don't run on policy.”
Larson is the clear right-wing choice in this race, while Angelis is more centrist. Angelis’s bone fides are solid, but his decades as a corporate lawyer are concerning. Amamilo seems to be intentionally ideologically neutral, but speaks cogently to her commitment to justice. Miller is a total wildcard.
Debra Stephens - Incumbent Chief Justice. She wrote the decision upholding the capital gains tax 3 years ago, specifically declining in that decision to rule on the 1933 Culliton decision that is the current barrier to an income tax. Stevens does not seem to have a visible ideological lean. On her website, she emphasizes access to justice and judicial independence. In her candidate statement, she says, “I respect legal traditions and constitutional principles.”
Todd A. Bloom - Tax attorney who specializes in helping millionaires and billionaires avoid paying taxes, two time-Republican congressional candidate, perennial Supreme Court challenger. Endorsed by the WA Republican Party. No campaign contributions other than about $3,000 of his own money.
Karim Merchant - Criminal defense attorney. On his website states, “My judicial philosophy begins with a commitment to constitutional fidelity.” He also states, “I… believe the judiciary must remain independent, impartial, and free from politics.” No endorsements. Merchant calls the 1933 Culliton decision 'rightfully' decided.
David Shelvey - Filed to run but appears to have no real campaign. No fundraising, no endorsements. In his candidate statement, indicates 11 years experience as a lawyer in various areas of the law, and mentions providing pro bono legal advice to low-income people and seniors, among others. Says, “I oppose a state income tax and won’t be soft on criminals.”
None of the three challengers to Stephens seem to be putting up an especially credible fight, but of the three Bloom seems like the strongest choice for an anti-Stephens vote. Given her stance as neither for nor against the income tax, I see no reason not to vote for Stephens unless your single issue is the income tax.
If you haven't heard the great news, the temporary moratorium for ICE facilities was approved last night. I wasn't able to attend, but I watched this speech from Tomas Scheel and am impressed. It's nice to have someone running for Congress who actually cares about human dignity.
For more news about the moratorium, check out this article from Cascadia Daily News. Key quote from Tomas:
Tomas Scheel, a Ferndale resident who is running for Congress against Rep. Rick Larsen, wrapped up an impassioned speech by saying: “We owe it to Whatcom County to stand up for human rights. We owe it to Whatcom County to stop the expansion of these facilities. We owe it to Whatcom County to do the moral and ethical thing tonight and support this moratorium.”
The WA-02 US Congress Rep seat is safely blue. Only one conservative in the race. The top two advance to the general. Then we can finally have a debate about the policy direction of the democrats.
I occasionally have to hire a mobile food truck to come to my work for employee events during the week at lunchtime. It is getting harder and harder to find someone that is
A. Not set up in a permanent spot and unwilling/unable to move spots temporarily
B. Willing to come out over lunch time
I'm throwing no shade at a food truck for wanting a permanent spot (steady income stream and not having to move around a bunch sounds ideal). I'm just really wondering if mobile trucks are going by the wayside.
Suggestions appreciated!
Stating the obvious, and I know it's been said many times before, but I'm still shocked at how true it is. I've just discovered this over the past two months and I'm literally blown away at how much less I spend.
Want to spend less money? Use your debit card, not your credit card.