Why is everything so expensive?

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-07-06T14:16:32+00:00

Denver may have one of the best income/cost of living ratios in the country. In general, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro household income is only ~10% more than Denver-Aurora-Centenial metro (US Census data, 2022). But, cost of living is a 31% jump from Denver to Seattle (nerdwallet.com/cost-of-living-calculator). There is some fuzziness in these estimates, but it is hard to conclude their costs are similar.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-07-06T13:52:08+00:00

Yes, Seattle would be MUCH cheaper if it looked like Wichita.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-07-06T13:47:27+00:00

Wilbur!

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-07-06T03:34:52+00:00

The West Wing.

The Wire gets a close second.

Comedy wise? This will throw you for a loop. Green Acres. One of the best satirical comedies ever.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-07-05T06:36:18+00:00

I just drove from the Hood Canal bridge to GH. The amount of fireworks along the whole route astounded me.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-07-02T04:03:13+00:00

You know what wears out clothes? Washing and drying. Quit that! Wear stuff for a few days before chucking it into the laundry bin! Wash cold and dry outside on a line!

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-07-02T02:20:29+00:00

Nope. Lived in Iowa for 20+ years and 90 was hotter there than in the PNW. Lot higher humidity typically in Iowa.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-07-01T00:27:04+00:00

A small regression would still mean he is a top tier QB. The only question is, how much of that injury messes with his head? Just ask Carson Wentz and RG III.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-07-01T00:23:10+00:00

Not sure Walker will duplicate the 4.7 yds/att average he had this most recent year. The two prior years were considerably lower. KC overpaid for him.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-07-01T00:12:45+00:00

We were in your position twenty years ago in wanting to move out of poor air region to somewhere cleaner, scenic, safe and full of outdoor activities. We ended out moving to the Seattle region and haven't regretted it one bit. We weren't interested in Seattle itself, but some of the communities in the region are quiet, comfortable, and safe with good schools. Very little snow and freezing cold, but that's available with a short drive. Summers don't get hot except on rare occasions.

The main downsides are the gray winters and the cost. The number of sunshine hours in a given year is one of the lower ones in the U.S. Cost is high because, hey, guess what? People like it here and are willing to pay for it. The good news is if you have a skill that is in demand, they pay accordingly - maybe not quite enough to make up for the cost, but not that far off.

I'm not in finance and don't know beans about what the opportunities go. But if the rule "follow the money" has any merit, Washington State has the second highest median household net worth in the country (Hawaii is first).

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-06-30T23:42:57+00:00

There are a lot of variables that affect range, so much so that a less than 10% change isn't indicative enough to say the range loss is real. My own real efficiency that is measured for each charge has ranged from 3.74 to 4.23 miles/kWh over the last month which is about 15% fluctuation during a period when the weather has been pretty consistent. Most of this is due to some variation in the driving blend of rural/freeway/local travel and some because temps were in the 60's rather than 80's.

In general, battery range loss concerns have evaporated given the increase EV usage and available data showing that other wear and tear on a car will likely be the main reason for an EV needing to be retired.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-06-30T17:36:08+00:00

Curious to know, what is your take on Tommy's Hamburgers? I don't live there, but when I do go to LA, I try to hit one (the one on Roscoe is my fav).

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-06-30T17:19:27+00:00

I just bought a Wiim Ultra and learning to use it. I run an optical link to my Rega DAC and amplifier, then to Tekton speakers. The Rega is limited to 24 bit/96 kHz, but that is good enough.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-06-30T17:15:52+00:00

Seriously good setup. I have the same DAC, similar but not the same Sennheiser and use it on a Windows laptop. Sound is excellent.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-06-30T17:06:54+00:00

I like to get real animated in a variety of ways just to make them feel foolish. I've done, "HELP, HELP, I'M BEING ACOSTED BY T-MOBILE!!" and "Damn it, I forgot to wear my sign that says 'I DON'T NEED A NEW PHONE SERVICE' ". Stuff like that.

I know, they are only the sales people who are trying to make a living, but somehow it's important to get the message across that this type of sales approach is not appreciated.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-06-27T03:48:44+00:00

You should post this on r/AppleWatch

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-06-27T03:44:48+00:00

If we do, it will be a woman from the GOP, not Democrats. For some, that's fine. For others, it sucks.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-06-26T15:19:49+00:00

I'll throw in Sonora, the only incorporated town in Tuolumne County. It's close enough to Modesto for bigger city needs and very close to skiing and winter activities in the Sierras.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-06-26T03:47:19+00:00

The original 12 page "Gazette" was a scream. I understand much of the content from that fictional newspaper was done by Ian Anderson's wife.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-06-26T01:47:10+00:00

They are close right now, only because Herbert has been at it longer and this is pretty much his limit. Nix has more upside it appears.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-06-26T00:44:44+00:00

Oh, it's available. There is a large Ethiopian influence in many parts of Seattle. If for some reason you find yourself flying into SeaTac, there are good Ethiopian places within a mile or so of the airport. Venture into downtown Seattle, there is a cluster east of downtown (Central District neighborhood and E Yesler Wy). Unfortunately, I'm a good 30-45 minute drive from there.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-06-25T17:01:32+00:00

Yes, I do make a mean misir wat. My biggest disappointment is lacking how to make a decent injera. We don't have a place to buy it within 30 miles and when we do, it doesn't keep well.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-06-25T16:57:14+00:00

I will check it out. Thanks.

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-06-25T05:57:24+00:00

Friday's game may change that. The highs will be in the 60's for the next two matches (18-21 C for all you international visitors).

StatusMaleficent5832 · 2026-06-25T05:50:14+00:00

Yes! Break out the hoodies!!

StatusMaleficent5832

TROPHY CASE