u/poorfolx

Sound Transit is as corrupt as the day is long, and they knew from the very start that we would never see the Light Rail here, despite our egregious car tab taxes. Shameful!

Hi Everyone.

I just wanted to give a quick shout-out to the Oase PondoVac Classic pond vacuum. I’ve been using it for about 5 years now on my backyard pond, and it’s been absolutely rock solid.

It makes cleaning out sludge, leaves, and all the nasty buildup super easy without tearing everything apart. I run a small waterfall setup and plants, and this thing helps keep everything balanced without overcomplicating maintenance.

Not sponsored, just genuinely impressed it’s held up this long and still works like day one. If you’ve got a pond and are on the fence about a vac, this one’s been worth every penny for me. Just wanted to share. 🙏😎

The poor pup, Rinzen, ripped her pad up a good one chasing a damn rat. Out of commission for the next two weeks. Such a great start to the 2026 hiking season. 🐾💝🐾

One of my favorite earlier depictions of Old New Tacoma and Commencement Bay.

This engraving, published in 1878, captures New Tacoma just a few years after its establishment as the terminus for the Northern Pacific Railroad. This was a pivotal moment, as the railroad's arrival in 1873 was meant to transform the small settlement on Commencement Bay into a major port city and the hub of the Pacific Northwest. Before it became a city, the area was known as Commencement City. Mount Rainier, ever-present in the background, served as a majestic landmark guiding settlers and symbolizing the rugged beauty of the Washington Territory. The decision to make Tacoma the railroad's western end was a huge boon for its early development and growth!

Same story, different town.

Now it’s Chelan County; orchards getting ripped out so data centers can move in. A region built on farming is being reshaped into an AI infrastructure hub, and once that land is gone, it’s gone.

And that’s the part nobody seems to want to say out loud, this isn’t just growth, it’s a permanent identity change.

From orchards… to server farms.

This is the same data center land rush we’re seeing everywhere, just dropped into a town that can’t realistically absorb it.

Archbald, a town of roughly 7,000 people, being asked to take on infrastructure equal to 51 Walmart Supercenters isn’t “development,” it’s full-scale industrialization. And like always, it’s rushed through with promises of jobs while locals deal with the real costs; land use, water, power, and losing the character of their town.

When council members are resigning and the community’s split, that’s not progress, that’s a red flag, and should warrant much more serious discussion.

At some point, we’ve got to ask: why are small towns being treated like dumping grounds for Big Tech infrastructure?

Because once it’s built, there’s no undo button.

This shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Between Trump’s long-running friction with Washington State leadership and the broader gutting/reshaping of FEMA, expecting meaningful federal help right now is wishful thinking. Denying mitigation funding, basically the money that helps prevent the next disaster, says a lot about priorities.

At this point, Washington needs to plan like we’re largely on our own. Not ideal, but it’s the reality.

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Hi All.

I picked this up in Washington and I'm trying to identify it. It looks like a hand-pulled intaglio engraving (clear plate mark, rich/velvety ink).

Details:

Pencil notes: “Pl. 10” and “26 Hours”

Thick paper, lightly toned edges, no watermark

The subject appears to be a 26-hour chick embryo cross-section (neural tube, somites, notochord visible)

Theory: Possibly a working proof from an early 20th c. scientific series, maybe Carnegie Institution embryology plates or similar.

Does anyone recognize the plate, style, or handwriting? Looking for the original publication/artist. Any information greatly appreciated!