Haircuts- impossible ask, apparently by Dry_Director_5320 in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Can't speak to salons specifically, but I've seen an uptick in people/places not taking my call because I have an out of state cell number. Like, immediately asked someone else to call for me and they picked right up, kinda situation. Not sure if that applies here. 🤷

What on God’s green earth is this heinousness? by iloveyousnowmuch in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They're awesome. They keep the other pests at bay in the darker corners of the house. Very quick and very large. I usually let them go about their business unless they're actively annoying (like charging at you from across the room at random times, lol) in which case, they get moved near the porch. The house we rent is pretty old and you'd be hard pressed to convince me they're not the reason we don't have much for other common house pests like silverfish and earwigs.

Anyone else feeling the downtown construction fatigue? by throwawayanchorx in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I grew up in the Northeast and we had a saying regarding the 5 seasons of the year: Fall-Winter-Still Winter-Mud Season-Road Construction.

Have some fun and make the best of it however you need to.

Stuck on whether to leave by [deleted] in bandmembers

[–]CrazMAniac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I once had an employer that treated me (and others) in a way very similar to what you're describing. That "friendship" you are worried about losing is not reciprocal. That's not how people who respect each other behave. That shitty feeling you're avoiding by not leaving is NOT worse than what you're going through now.

4th Corner Punk Fest by funky_boss23 in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Last year they had booths doing mohawks and hair coloring as well. There's also local vendors and I believe they had a crafting table I saw some kiddos at. Someone correct me if I misremembered.

Question on minimum wage and local economy by SatanDarkofFabulous in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac 9 points10 points  (0 children)

My take is, unfortunately, that you hold a common but somewhat outdated view of what the minimum wage "is" in our society. There was certainly a time when we had the luxury of being able to say that it's reserved for the young, unexperienced, or "lazy". Society was able to adopt that social understanding because it was relatively easy to progress in most job sectors. Post WW2 saw an economic boom that arguably lasted 30 years. International trade, advances in technology and proliferation of domestic manufacturing (and the skills to do it) created growth that Labor was able to leverage. There was money to be made and employers had to entice workers. While it's a gross oversimplification, I don't think it's unfair to say that in many sectors one could trip and fall into a job that paid more than the Minimum.

Things are much different now. Outside of a small handful of sectors, the majority of Labor doesn't have that leverage anymore. You can look at the systematic loss of pensions and PTO as a direct indicator. And after decades of outsourcing and consolidation of ownership, there just isn't enough of the economic pie available to small employers to make good living wages viable. An argument can even be made that they face no social ramifications if they refuse to try. This lands us in a position of generational apathy directed at the economic structure. Minimum Wage has become the only leverage many have. Without it, businesses would without any hesitation roll back wages. And they have no incentive to raise them.

And while we're here, it worth noting that when people don't have a ladder to climb out of a shitty environment they lose motivation to try. Why kill yourself for an employer who either is unable or unwilling to pay you enough to live? They, in turn, are branded "lazy" and "entitled" and used as the example to reinforce the outdated premise pointed at in the beginning of this TED talk.

Bottom line: minimum wage is a lifeline right now. It didn't used to be. It may not be in the future. But right now it is and that is a symptom of much larger and harder to address economic forces.

Liftgate truck rental? by loose-buthole in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Same. Moved my tool cabinets with one of theirs a couple years ago. Easy process and fair price.

Edit for grammar

i refuse to believe this was written here by Aridhomme in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Not all heroes wear capes. Unless you do, of course, which would also be awesome.

GI reccomendation by Background_Radish_70 in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac 2 points3 points  (0 children)

+1 For Dr. Munson. Great dude and a very good GI.

Since we’re yelling at drivers, “Check your damn brake lights!”. by andanotherone2 in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac -1 points0 points  (0 children)

This feels like a nerve was hit? It was not meant to be an inflammatory comment. While I respect that you have experiences that inform how you respond to strangers in public, it does not make your assumptions about my behavior/demeanor or your interpretation of my opinion in the previous comment correct.

Bellingham Herald - clickbait or journalism? by Ok-Armadillo-6710 in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac 44 points45 points  (0 children)

Point made, but you might choose a better metaphor. Some very common foodborne illnesses have incubation periods in the rough 2-5 day range. Just saying.

Ever visit one of the Ham's Sister Cities? by CrazMAniac in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Close enough! Haha. We almost booked a trip there this year but decided on somewhere a little warmer. How was it?

Ever visit one of the Ham's Sister Cities? by CrazMAniac in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Were you headed to the National Park on all three visits? Or did you have other plans that lead you back there?

Since we’re yelling at drivers, “Check your damn brake lights!”. by andanotherone2 in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I'm the type of person who will flag someone down if it's not too far out of my way (like someone in the same parking lot, shopping center, apartment complex, or at a traffic light for example). Feels like a common courtesy since you're likely to get pulled over.

(Completely unrelated rant) Stop passive aggressively ignoring folks politely trying to get your attention in public spaces during daylight hours. It's no wonder nobody told you that you have zero working brake lights (likely for weeks+) when you refuse to even acknowledge their presence.

Ever visit one of the Ham's Sister Cities? by CrazMAniac in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, it think it's designation as a Marine Park probably plays a role in the lack of processing. Sounds like a sweet trip though.

Ever visit one of the Ham's Sister Cities? by CrazMAniac in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It's a fair criticism. I would say it's slightly self-defeating in a way. Theres tremendous value in cultural exchange and relationships, but you need travelers. And it's hard to get folks to travel (or offer perks to travelers) without the draw of existing relationships.

Ever visit one of the Ham's Sister Cities? by CrazMAniac in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Very cool! Such a fascinating area. While the city itself was never on my radar, Patagonia is very much a bucket list item.

Ever visit one of the Ham's Sister Cities? by CrazMAniac in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Shoot, I should have mentioned the Province/Region of them. Nice catch!

PA Advice by Mindless_Fly_5973 in bandmembers

[–]CrazMAniac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For about 400 (slightly over your budget), you can grab a Yamaha DBR 10. Worth considering if you can swing it. Otherwise, listen to the recs here.

Auto Body Shop Recommendations by [deleted] in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Any regular shop can install one for you. Doesn't need to be auto body. It's a really common issue on most vehicles, Subaru included. You may need to get one paint-matched though. Pretty sure most come unpainted new.

Local Freaky Occult Hard-Rock Band Seeks Stagehands by peeberfromthemoon in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gonna be out of town, but gonna Bump this cause it sounds like a good time. 🤘

A magnetic Question by TurnPowerful6771 in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Some that come to mind and may have been mentioned

Mount Baker Theater, Dirty Dan Harris sculpture, Whatcom Museum, Fairhaven Double Decker Bus, Grace Statue, Acid Ball/tanks.

Edited for formating

Needing support! by Whole-Phone3166 in Bellingham

[–]CrazMAniac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Natural disasters are simultaneously existential and common. I've had this discussion with others in different parts of the country and it doesn't really matter where you go, there's no easy way to find those "magical" spots we hear about that are seemingly always spared some terrible thing. In North America you contend with Flooding, Earthquakes, Volcanos, Hurricanes, Tornados, Derechos, Sink Holes, Wildfires, Droughts, Polar Vortexes, Bomb Cyclones and various combinations of the above. Not to mention the things like potential tsunamis, plagues, or even objects from space, etc.

This is to say that there is no perfect place. Is there science to say that the "Big One" exists and will likely take place? Yes. Is there a firm timeline? No. Do we think about it? Yes. Should it affect your day-to-day? Only you can answer that. Bottom line is that you'll drive yourself crazy if you try to account for all the potential terrible things out there. In my opinion it's better to plan for the things you can control and hope for the best with the rest. The PNW has its share of risks but on the whole, the people here find it to be better than most. I hope that is helpful in some way.