Hey, Seattle and anywhere that has levies on the ballot, vote for your damb levies. The way we fund education in Washington is better than a lot of states, but it still relies too heavily on local funding. Still, it is how we fund education. So if you want structural change statewide, call your legislators. But fund education in the mean time.

On the bus home from Drinking Liberally last night, there was a homeless man with a keyboard. He was hitting the keys, but it wasn’t making any sound. At some point he started singing under his breath. In many ways Metro buses are homeless shelters, especially later at night. The louder version of that is something that happens at many homes.

Please, Howard Schultz, don’t run for President. Instead, you can not run for President. Maybe start with Senate. From Oklahoma, because Washington doesn’t need you.

Obviously, fuck the trans military ban. Fuck Trump ans anyone who helped him implement this garbage. Fuck you if you support the ban. I mean we’re in the middle of unending wars or pseudo war, and your concern is telling people their gender. Even if it was peace time, fuck you.

The streetcar is back on (probably). Thank goodness. I don’t know if it’s business interests, or a genuine desire to move people around without relying on cars. Still, I really like the First Hill streetcar, and it would be great if it connected to South Lake Union.

Donald Trump should resign, like today. I mean obviously. Not just because of the Buzzfeed story. But because he only has a few more days to fuck over Mike Pence before Mike Pence fucks him over. If Pence has to take the oath before the 20th, he only gets one full term.

Good morning.

Has your commute been thrown a monkey wrench with this traffic? Have you been forced to bike through somewhat chilly conditions? Have you had to sit in a somewhat more cramped bus? Have you experienced the horror of telecommuting? Are you in Southern or Eastern Washington and not seeing the fuss?

Personally, my commute is fine, but it’s a bit weird anyway.

Hey everyone, please learn to stand.

In an open thread last week, I mentioned that people on public transportation who stand in front of open seats are the way. But Seattle has a problem with people standing in all sorts of wrong places. In doorways. At the counter after they pay. On the curb cut when the walk sign is on.

I don’t poop at Starbucks enough to know if it’s common, but the restroom in the one in Capitol Hill has a sharps container. This seems correct for harm reduction. If people were shooting up before, it’s better than used needles going in the trash, or being reused.

For the traffic mess some people are going to experience when the Viaduct shuts down, it might be a chance to take public transportation. I recommend it. But! You should probably know what the hell you are doing. So here are some tips to make sure that you don’t mess with other people’s commute.

Load your Orca Card now. Or if you don’t have one, know how much your trip will cost and have it ready before you fumble around at the bus door, or wherever you pay.

Figure out your route ahead of time. The driver (ar least Metro) will help you out, but if it’s super crowded, there might be a lot. They will talk to you at the door, but if you cause them to stay at the stop through a light, everyone on the bus will hate you. One Bus Away is great, and all the transit agency websites have tools to help you out.

Standing in front of open seats doesn’t help anyone. Jesus, man. Just have a seat. Or if you’re worried about getting off soon, move away from it so someone else can sit down.

If it’s crowded, move toward the back, and away from doors. Exit from the rear doors of buses. Don’t crowd the platform on the train.

So, it’s probably too early, but 2020 primary elections for President and possibly governor are sooner than we might want. I am going to try to stay neutral. There are people I like more than others, but there’s no need to pick at this point. Hopefully we can get to issues at some point.

I am excited about the US House of Representatives and the Washington State Legislature. Like, I actually expect great things from the state. A less regressive tax code and maybe steps toward pre Kindergarten education at the state level. At the Federal level, finally, finally, finally some accountability.

Oh right, I post open threads here sometimes. Anyway!

Over Christmas break, I listened to the Pitchfork Economics episode about trickle down economics, and how it’s the conventional wisdom. It made me think about the great chain of being. We can look back and see how silly it was. But if you were living in a time when it was professed by everyone around you, and presumed to be from God, it’s easy to understand why people kept using it as a way to understand the world.

What a creep. Senator Ranker should stop being such a creep. Don’t be a creep, you creepy creep. I hope that the investigation is thorough. I hope that we as citizens get the full picture. And that he’s punished appropriately. But for now, we know that he is a creep.

I took the Sounder train for the first time, even though I have lived in the region since before there was a Sound Transit. I suppose it’s different for people on a packed train, but Tacoma to Seattle was rather pleasant in the afternoon, even with a delay. I don’t really know how much of my car tabs went to it over the years, but I am glad that it was there.