Woke up this morning: Another day without nuclear war. If there was a mass shooting, it was small enough that it didn’t make the news. These are the sorts of things we can think of as victories in the Trump era.

Another Open Thread written on the bus home from Drinking Liberally. The seat in front of me has a nondescript to go box in it. It’s past 11:00, so it’s not crowded; Nobody has to stand.

I both feel like I should do something, but also, nobody pays me to pick up trash. It seems pretty extreme to alert the driver. So, just write about it, I guess.

Another day, another mass shooting. Another round of meaningless expressions of thoughts and prayers. Another set of it’s-too-soons when anyone discusses solutions. Another rush to ignore a history of domestic violence (speculative at this point, but given the history). Another until the next.

Get your flu shot. Yes, you. Herd immunity is vitally important. And even if you think you’ll be fine, you never know who you’re passing it along to on the bus, out shopping, at work, etc. So for God’s sake, get a flu shot.

Do y’all use diacritical marks when writing in English? I only use the umlaut to indicate that you pronounce both vowels in words like reärrange. Because I am an idiot, when I write for work, I vary when I use them. So if I’m emailing someone in the office next to me, it’s äëïöü, but if it’s to a client or whatever outside, I just use unädorned vowels.

I was at a family function over the weekend. I know, the stereotype is that old white people are Trump’s base, but not my aunt and my grandmother. I never thought of either of them as particularly political, but my goodness.

So, who should replace Tim Burgess on the City Council? It can be anyone in Seattle. I will take myself out of contention.

When Jim Compton left, and there was an opening on the Council, they said they wanted a woman of color, got a hundred or so applications, and went with a white lady. This time, there are women of color on the Council, so maybe they’ll say that they need some other unrepresented group, and then not pick them.

So, Tim Burgess. Are you excited? This guy? (Seattle Times link, and he has changed some positions since then) The guy who wrote an excessive panhandling law so broad that it probably would have covered The Girl Scouts selling cookies on the street?

New, new mayor day, Seattle. I say we just have a new mayor every week. This year we’ll have a gay mayor, a person of color mayor, a Republican mayor (probably), and a woman mayor. What a shitty political year.

On the bus this morning, I realized I’m in all dark business attire while most people are in Seahawks colors. For the first quarter of the season or so every year, I forget. It’s a shame, since when else am I going to wear bright green to work?

New Seattle mayor. It’s a crappy gig, and I don’t know who on the Council would want it. Maybe Tim Burgess who is retiring anyway?

Then somewhat less bad is temporarily replacing that Council Member. The City Council can pick anyone for that. It seems like they’d elevate a staff member or find some city notable.

Where are people donating for hurricane relief? I gave some money to Save The Children but I don’t know if there’s something better. I’d rather be in a position where I thought taxes would cover it.

The WordPress app ate my last post, and now I’m almost at work.

Smoke? We’re dealing with smoke? With ash. With damn masks. Is this our future as a region every summer?

Any grand plans for Labor Day weekend? I don’t know when the switch from being excited about Bumbershoot to wanting to avoid the area happened. But it certainly has happened. I don’t know as many of the bands, but I know plenty. Just getting old.

Also, I will avoid the hell out of PAX.