I am curious if other people in Washington feel like the pandemic is over? I am writing this on public transportation with my mask on. And in some places (more as of today) I have to show that I’m vaccinated. More people at my work — me included some days — are working from home than before the pandemic.

But Seattle is hopping. Downtown has people doing typical Downtown stuff. People are out and about all day. Brunch places are packed on the weekends. I am able to go to the dentist for an overdue cleaning. People are doing routine medical procedures. Most importantly, people are not getting sick and dying in large numbers.

I don’t have children, so I understand that for a population that can’t get vaccinated it’s tougher. But even then, they’re back in school unless there’s a relatively rare breakout.

Anyway, it’s still important to take precautions. So wash your hands right now. And for the love of God get vaccinated if you haven’t yet.

King County’s projection for the upcoming election is that 46% of eligible voters will participate. That means you — yes you! — can have an outsized impact on the result. Fewer people voting means that your vote will do more to help keep the yell at school board asssholes off the school board. It means your vote will go further in determining where city and county resources are spent. So use your power to vote every time, but know it makes a lot of difference this year.

Anyway, wash your hands right now. And if you haven’t been vaccinated yet, get the fuck on it.

I have negative sympathy for everyone fired for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine. I mean if you’re exempt, great. But if you didn’t have a medical exemption, man fuck off. Fuck off if you have a good government job. Fuck off of it’s a private sector job. We’re talking about a miracle drug with minor side effects. It means that you are much less likely to pass a major disease to vulnerable people.

Honestly, it’s better that you aren’t out spreading the disease on the public dime. It stinks that you didn’t get vaccinated; Not that you were fired. I think of all of the people who did so much work to get to the place where you can get vaccinated easily and for free.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now. And honestly, get vaccinated so I don’t have to make fun of your dumb ass.

Hey, if you’re in Washington State, you should have received a ballot. If you haven’t, you can contact your county elections office and ask for a replacement. It’s municipal elections, so it’s things you see on the ground.

Here in Seattle, the choice for the municipal elections actually feels like a choice. The Prosecutor’s race is a Republican versus an abolitionist. It’s very exciting, although I am old enough to remember the Sidran era, so am a bit pensive about the result.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now. And of you’re still unvaccinated, you’ve had plenty of time, just get vaccinated.

Salmon are spawning upriver of the Grand Coulee Dam. What an amazing thing. It still needs humans to get them upriver, but oh boy is this something. Can’t wait to see if any of them return in 2024 and beyond.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now. And if you aren’t vaccinated, rectify that today.

Congratulations to the Seattle Kraken on their first game. A win would have been nice, but that’s often not the case for expansion teams. We’ll see.

Personally, I don’t really understand the appeal of hockey. I suppose with sports, it’s more visceral than logical, and it just never grabbed me. But I love seeing people already excited on Twitter. Glad you’re having fun!

Anyway, please wash your hands right now. And if you aren’t vaccinated yet, for goodness sake, get vaccinated now; Make your appointment today.

Good morning to everyone except Kathy Lam­bert. Seriously, that isn’t a mistake, it was a deliberate choice. She must have thought that she could get away with it. And hell, maybe it still will.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now. And my goodness it’s time to get vaccinated if you haven’t yet.

Sorry, I forgot about this until now.

Holy cow, everyone. There’s light rail up to Northgate. Northgate. Northgate to Downtown. On a light rail. You don’t need to get a bus on the crowded freeway.

Some of you are recent transplants to the Seattle area, or lived further South. But I can remember as a teenager catching the 307 when I wanted to go Downtown. And it would inexplicably stop at Northgate. And then when you left Northgate it felt like forever. And the 41 to and from Downtown always felt so slow. I am glad that it will be much quicker. I can’t wait to try it out.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now. And for the love of God get vaccinated if you haven’t yet.

I haven’t been paying much attention to the Seattle mayor’s race since I already know who I’m voting for. But my goodness, Bruce Harrell is so bad on homelessness. Come on.

That said, I do think that as COVID-19 decreases in the region (touch wood) the capacity of some groups dealing with homelessness will increase. So the visible to non homeless people parts of homelessness may decrease regardless.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now and for goodness sake get vaccinated if you haven’t yet.

The other day, I linked to the Washington State Redistricting Commission’s legislative district maps. Now they have Congressional District maps. Very exciting.

Do the maps make sense for your community? Are you upset about them? Are you just dreading having to learn new Representatives? Rant about it here, or make your voice heard by contacting the commission.

And, hey, please wash your hands right now. And get vaccinated if you haven’t yet.

I forgot to mention it last week, but there are new potential legislative district maps from each of the redistricting commissioners. People who are much smarter than me can figure out the implications of those maps. But for me, I like the maps that keep me in my same district.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now and get vaccinated if you haven’t yet.

It seems like the right call for Eatonville Middle School to go back to remote learning when there’s an outbreak of COVID. Still though, must stink for the parents and the students. Quick change of plans, and a step backwards.

The vaccine has helped, but of course for middle school, there’s only so much you can do. And there are plenty of people who could be vaccinated, but aren’t.

So, please get vaccinated if you haven’t yet. And hey, wash your hands right now.

Coming soon, our eviction moratoriums will be much more patchwork. Washington’s will expire at the end of the month. And Seattle’s has just been extended to January.

One odd effect of this patchwork is that the places that have been hardest hit by COVID-19 are the least likely to offer further rent relief. I am very glad Seattle’s moratorium was extended. But COVID is hitting Eastern and parts of Southern Washington a lot harder than here. But it’s less likely that they have the same sorts of extensions.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now. And get vaccinated if you haven’t yet.

Good luck to the family of Manuel Ellis. Their lawsuit won’t bring him back. But it is the closest thing to justice they can get.

Justice would have been him still being alive. It would have meant he wasn’t detained for no reason. It would have meant no officers kneeling on his neck.

Perhaps it means that the next cop doesn’t do those things. That we never see the need for another lawsuit.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now. And get vaccinated if you haven’t yet.