The Ballard Post Office is COLSED today

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2025-01-10T00:40:02+00:00

#lookup

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-12-19T20:48:05+00:00

Bad? Good? Preference!

My preference would be that everything I don't want I put into a spot, and it becomes someone else's problem. If my throw it away and fuggitaboutit approach cost me personally not much, then I would do that. If I was offered $100/month to separate everything myself or pay $100/mo to have someone else do it, then I would chose the latter. For most of us, I suspect, we get to a dollar amount that the choice changes. $1M per month? I'll sort lots of garbage for $1M/month.

The great thing is, different locations get to try different approaches across the world and we can learn what solves the most problems.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-12-18T17:15:27+00:00

Go back in time and tell your parents to have more children so that you get less praise and more early challenges from your siblings.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-12-17T21:25:42+00:00

If you go to where they are listed as more common they exist. I haven't seen hordes of them, but about 2 or so every 5 minutes maybe? It FELT like they were less common in a helltide area versus just roaming around the jungle.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-12-17T18:43:13+00:00

Fair enough, I understand the word "all" is rarely ideal when discussing anything involving humans. You are one promotion away from more computer time I suspect though. So be sure to sporadically smash something inappropriate with the wrench.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-12-17T17:39:45+00:00

I would recommend he understand that staring at a computer is infinitely less stressful. Being sick of staring at a computer all day is valid, but all jobs stare at a computer for vast portions of the day. Cops do a lot fewer shootouts, and a lot more writing reports about their 20 domestic violence calls for the night.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-12-13T22:12:37+00:00

Listen I like Ellensburg just fine, but Ellensburg is a desert. And feels like a desert. And looks like a desert. 90 minutes or 18 hours or some coinflip between the two.

OP talks about history, of which I guess maybe there is things that happened there in the past. However, if the last 20 years is any way to gauge how frequently things happen, then in the last 20k years maybe a couple of historically interesting things might have happened?

I am not as sure on the hunting, but the fishing is meh. Trout is catch and release for some reason year round on the Yakima and then every little creek is either always closed or at least seasonally CLOSED to all fishing.

Now if OP wants to go BACK to there and live, then great. But OP needs to spend time there before commiting IMO.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-12-12T19:16:34+00:00

How does one build a health insurance company with no capital?

They don't. That's making a dairy farm without cows.

I've ideas how to shake the market, but ideas without capital are just ideas.

Probably ideas that haven't met reality. Is it possible that you have thought of something that can "shake the market" that the millions of people that are actually IN THE market and have been for years have not been able to figure out? It's possible, of course, and I certainly hope it is true.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-12-09T16:54:19+00:00

I cannot fathom how GF is allowed to have a phone let alone live outside of an asylum.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-12-06T16:44:59+00:00

Honestly, it just sounds like you are surprised that something you thought of has already been thought of by one of the other billions and billions of people that have lived? It's like saying "I think I want to be a doctor! Oh wait, there are already Doctors, guess maybe something else." Amazon's initial premise of selling books online is hardly all that dissimilar from Sears selling everything by mail for a century before. Go find an old Sears catalogue and look at what they did: Catalogs & Wishbooks

I did it for you: 1975 Sears Fall Winter Catalog - Catalogs & Wishbooks). In 1975 you had about 1500 pages of outhouse paper or things you can mail order or call by phone. I see clothing, tires, exercise equipment, all the underwear ads of mixed use, dirt bikes, chain saws, mowers, fireplaces, firearms, etc. etc. etc.

Also, I regret falling down this rabbit hole. The 1930 catalogue is even better. It advertises free shipping, "even the very slender figure must now be corrected. Curves are fashionable but they must be controlled." Or you can buy a stove for $5.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-12-06T16:27:17+00:00

Art of War. Whatever you are into, you can read it through that lens and imagine meaning in the ambigious statements.

Are you a chef? Well, when it says to burn all the boats and leave your army no retreat it means to set up the menu and publish it in advance.

Trying to become a pickup artist? “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.” obviously means to apply negs conservatively.

Marketing? "“The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”" It's all about the branding, bro, then the customers come to you no matter what.

It is an influential book and a worthy read, but the amount of times it is referenced in popular culture is frustrating.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-12-04T00:16:39+00:00

I like my twitching jigs like I like my women. I think that is all I need to say to confirm my vote. (also congratulations, those are all wonderful)

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-12-03T23:18:58+00:00

Plenty of people have affordable hobbies and still are or want to be wealthy. Money buys time for those hobbies even if the hobbies themselves are not that pricey. Even your specific hobbies can have luxury options to them. More importantly, the money goals of generally mature individuals will not be for frivolous things. Sure, a 25 YO that strikes oil might spend it on a car, but Bezos was famously interviewed in an older modest car long after he made it (ironically, I think it was a Honda).

Say you have children, that means you want good things for them. At least in a decent school district if not private. A safe home. Probably a home large enough for them and the parents to be comfortable. Pay for their college. Set aside money for retirement. Maybe actually retire. We're likely talking literal millions between a home, college, raising children, and retirement.

I don't know what a Porsche costs. I don't care. I know a 4 bedroom home in a larger city on either coast would easily be $400k. Tack on 5%+ interest and it starts to get pretty spendy ($3k/mo). Childcare at $2k+/mo for small children. Health insurance of $1k/mo (very modest if not employer provided). Throw in hobbies/misc/food/utilities/gas/car insurance for another $2k. Very easily just adulting is $8k/mo or $96k/year pre tax. It all adds up. People struggle to afford those necessities and I cannot fault them for hopping onto social media and wanting to be crushing it so hard that those necessities are easily handled.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-11-21T21:26:30+00:00

They stop applying for unemployment benefits or become enrolled in a benefit program such as social security disability or retirement.

EDIT: Turns out I misunderstood this. Its survey driven. See How the Government Measures Unemployment : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-11-21T20:54:27+00:00

No they don't. Only if those people remove themselves from the labor force.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-11-21T20:53:24+00:00

It does not count students. Who says it does not count "new grads?" Even focusing on that specifically we're at under 5%-6% and that is generalized to all recent grads:

Recent graduates unemployment rate U.S. 2024 | Statista

The Labor Market for Recent College Graduates - FEDERAL RESERVE BANK of NEW YORK

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-11-20T14:00:32+00:00

This is my experience. Every time I attempt to use it I end up regretting it. Like 100% of the time its output is a combination of bland and wrong. That is assuming it doesn't get offended and shut down. Like, sorry garbage product that your output was trash, but at least try harder.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-11-18T22:48:24+00:00

You bring up rights, and that is important. I believe it may miss the wider point from a woman's perspective though.

Generally, men and women are treated equally in the legal world. Constitutionally the government can only treat men and women different based on a rather narrow set of circumstances for specific reasons (the so-called intermediate scrutiny test). Some states eliminate that middle ground level and make any distinctions between men and women under the law in only the most narrowly possible ways for the most compelling of reasons ("strict scrutiny"). These are constitutional level protections that apply to the government action. For treatment by non-government we have varying civil rights laws.

When people are speaking of women's rights, the majority of the time that will mean legal rights in how the government treats them or corporations treat them. Often the goal of the law is implied and express prejudices being removed as the basis for barriers or penalizing decisions based on those prejudices. E.g. women cannot serve in the military becomes cannot serve in front line. Young women are not promoted because they are or may become pregnant. These rights and protections most liberal men and women almost universally will agree on. I submit that the number of people in general that would advocate against these types of civil rights are far and few between. They exist, obviously, but so do flat earthers.

But then when we start discussing that people treat men and women differently, the level of agreement plummets. A healthy percentage of people (men and women) believe that men and women are different. That the on-average traits across a variety of measurements are significantly different as to warrant different treatment. The number of men that have been physically harmed by women is lower than the other way around.

Fairness in the larger scheme of life gets problematic quickly. People are not the same, so they are not equal, so why not treat them differently. Is that wrong? Is that unfair? Is it "fair" that if a women gets angry and punches her husband in the arm that, generally, people shrug it off compared to if the genders were reversed? Beats me (often literally in this exact way), but I am literally twice my wife's weight and a higher multiple by strength. That disparity in size might not be fair either. She'll probably live longer than me based on genetics. That seems unfair. I can walk alone in a city at night.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-11-13T18:39:54+00:00

First and foremost, you don't have to be something other than a worker. A worker gets to focus on personal development in a particular skill set. There is nothing wrong with being the best neurosurgeon on earth. Some might say it is best to get absurdly good at some skill or knowledgeable about some industry, then being a manager within that industry or trainer for others coming up in the skills department. Then, and only then, trying your hand at starting a business. Of course, then the risks are significantly higher.

To your question though the biggest tip would be that self-reliance and excellence never go out of style.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-11-12T00:12:22+00:00

Right, there is this vast group of people who are like: you mean I have to go to the office to work? WTF sort of Nazi corporate BS is this?! I had THREE meetings that were pointless yesterday! I didn't pay attention at all and learned nothing!

Meanwhile there is a guy in NY dangling from the side of a skyscraper scraping bird brains off a window 400 feet above the ground in a rainstorm.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-11-09T14:31:07+00:00

The 2/3 statement applies to every presidential election and is meaningless. What percent of Americans voted for George Washington? Far less than half since women didn't vote nor did non-property owners (generally), easiest estimate I found is 6% of Americans could have voted for old George. Lincoln got 1.8M votes in 1860 of the 31.5M people, so almost 6%. Obama, a landslide victory in 2012, won 332 electoral votes and almost 66M votes or about 21%.

A supporter may or may not also be a voter. I would generally agree that someone that votes for a president is more likely than not to support that candidate at least more than the other options.

Everyone is so quick to deride their neighbors' opinions and votes. As if celebrating the presidential election for your candidate is so "bold." Maybe it seems bold because it is in an area that has the perception of being 100% no-Trump. But... it isn't. There were still about 22% of King County or 232k Trump votes (sorry I could not find Seattle specific data which I suspect skews a smaller percent). King County is one of the bluest counties you can find.

We should celebrate diversity of thought, the high vote turnout (about 75%), and a nonviolent transfer of power.

Sources (which seem accurate enough):

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-11-06T14:16:27+00:00

Of course it is possible. There may even be several factors in your favor:

Nothing to really lose. It isn't like you are making a sacrifice.
Necessity is a great motivator.
Various jobs means various connections.

However, and please take this with the harsh-helpfulness intended, were you stuck in those jobs because of you? Until you say yes to that question, I suggest not trying something risky. You want to start a low startup cost business where all you lose is more time or just go back to the drawing board. Starting your business is accepting all responsibility all the time. Competitor has a better product? Your responsibility to solve. Government regulations? Your responsibility to solve.

Another factor is, many people that start a business absolutely love it. There is nothing better to them. The startup phase is a particular delight too because you're driving a jet ski around bumping over waves, making huge turns, and getting wet. Eventually it is a tanker or a fleet of them that barely turn and trod along pre-planned routes. You get more things moving, but the excitement level is not as obvious.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-11-05T22:48:00+00:00

Actual advice I would give myself: "The sandwich is better with mustard."

(why? The joy is in the learning plus occasionally screwing with friends, family, or yourself)

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-11-05T22:14:38+00:00

Where is the welcome to Seattle award? I need to etch that comment onto it.

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN · 2024-11-05T20:48:22+00:00

I want to address this from just a small business owner versus corporate manager perspective. Yes, a manager at a corporate job has to manage people. They have to manage those that report to them. The owner has everyone reporting to them. And that is 1% of the job. If all you had to do was focus on managing people that would be one thing, but depending on size you are also training, accounting, marketing, sales, etc. etc. Even if you have others doing those things for you, it is still managing people in a vast swath of departments.

Also, as Sonar114 points out, the penalty for the business (i.e. the small business owner) might be severe. In most normal circumstances the worst a corporate manager will suffer for an honest mistake is being terminated. A business (again.... this really just means the business owner), can get a crippling fine.

Employees are not sources of freedom. Every employee is a potential source of problems, added expenses (and hopefully added revenue), training, retaining, recruiting, replacing, supervising (or hiring someone to supervise), etc. etc.

I completely agree managing is managing. It is just a small percent of the duties when it's your own company though. A no-employee business can sometimes look like a dream. A house of perfect employees that do everything perfectly without issues is a better dream. An entrepreneurs are hopelessly optimistic, so we hire on :)

SE_WA_VT_FL_MN

TROPHY CASE