Ah Expectations and more of an adventure than one hopes.

Yesterday RantWoman set out on one of her occasional "OK, let's just try it" transit expeditions. Delivering something time-sensitive to Lynnwood in person sounded like, oddly, more fun than just using overnight mail. RantWoman also wanted to get back to Seattle for a late afternoon medical appointment. RantWoman was optimistic based on a late morning start. 

RantWoman is a grown-up. MAYBE RantWoman could have planned better. Maybe.

RantWoman first used Google Maps to her destination or basically how to get from the Lynnwood City Center station to a street address in Lynnwood. Google suggested several bus routings, all of which involved some walking from the last bus stop. 

The Lynnwood City Center station does not have great signage about how to find buses. Even worse, there is no sign at all marking a RideShare pickup area. More on that in a moment.

RantWoman does not have a great mental map yet of the Lynnwood transit center or of a path to the buses. There is wordy signage at the Light Rail station but RantWoman yearns for a more graphical presentation, with large enough letters that someone like her could read it, of course. 

RantWoman does not know Lynnwood very well but has an overwhelming impression of many cars, wide streets, probably sidewalks and MAYBE accessible pedestrian signals. So RantWoman was NOT excited about any bus routing that did not say something like "Walk 50 feet to your destination" from the last bus stop.

At some point RantWoman realized that her destination was near enough to Alderwood Mall that it probably is in the service area for the Community Transit Zip service.

Clap clap clap. RantWoman has previously, a long time ago, had good experience with Zip and a friend also uses Zip. RantWoman knows how to find the Zip / paratransit pickup area. There are nice benches.

RantWoman also checked FindARide. Destination definitely in the service for Zip. RantWoman has not set up a full profile on Find a Ride, but RantWoman checked several categories that apply to her including age, disability, use of a white cane. Find a ride definitely suggested the Zip service.

None of those options appear to be available on the Zip app. File that.

RantWoman has previously, quite a while ago had quite easy positive experience with Zip except for that version of the app being useless in accessibility terms. The App is better now. RantWoman learned this after ring, ring, I would like to book a ride. The first call: we have no record of you and there is not a ride available. Try the app. Call back in 20 minutes.

The app is better behaved than long ago. The app also gave RantWoman the same set of routes that Google gave her. It took two more calls at 20-minute intervals to actually book a ride.  RantWoman had to persuade the call taker that she is blind / low vision and intended to pay with her ORCA card disabled pass. Then a Zip vehicle showed up. The driver did not have the name identified. He waited but a rider never showed up. RantWoman also got a message that a driver had appeared but not found RantWoman and had gone away. So SOMETHING is confused and confusing.

By this time, RantWoman was climbing the walls. Summoning an Uber was feasible financially, if only RantWoman could find the RideShare pickup area. If only.

RantWoman and the Uber driver did manage to connect because RantWoman was able to tell him where she was. Yay Uber driver. Good tip.

Based on the length of the ride, RantWoman realized the distance might be walkable, if RantWoman were not feeling pressed for time and willing just to set out and trust Google walking directions. RantWoman has uneven experience with Google walking directions and did not feel like experimenting. If RantWoman makes the trip again, she will also try to summon more enthusiasm for one of the bus options.

The destination also turned out to be a quite non-descript office park with decent sidewalk but pretty subtle signage. 

But Voila! RantWoman arrived, made one wrong guess about how to find the office she needed and at last connected with a very nice human she has been emailing with for a while.

RantWoman summoned an Uber for the return trip to Lynnwood City Center. Bravo. RantWoman now understands how to find the Ride Share pickup area. File that.

RantWoman also realized that she just needed to reschedule a medical appointment she had hoped to get back to Seattle in time for. Sigh.

And a closing note: the Zip phone line kept offering RantWoman a satisfaction survey at the end of the call. At the end of the third call, RantWoman asked the woman not to route her to the survey. RantWoman just figured the survey would not capture everything RantWoman was cross about. Word!

Blanche!

 Congratulations Blanche, recently proclaimed the Icelandair "World's worst photographer.

Readers who don't want RantWoman ramble, scroll down for comments specifically about this. Readers game for more piquant notes from RantWoman's life, moments from RantWoman's Instagram learning curve, and / or more contributions to crowd sourcing social media market research, stick with us. 

1. RantWoman does not exactly have out loud conversations with Ambassador Thwack, the badly behaved white cane and anger management consultant. RantWoman does suspect need to note the following:

"Hot lava AND ice caves? You want me to do WHAT exactly?"

"Relax. We can handle it when necessary. Just Chill. Wait. Is that the wrong word?"

2. RantWoman thinks she has figured out how to do a like that is not just a reply with an emoji.

 RantWoman, knock on wood, seems to have trained her instagram to skip the annoying thumbnails and always just open with a full screen photo that RantWoman can swipe about.

RantWoman has not figured out what a reel is, how to sort out who to follow into coherent streams, or how to fire up her phone's AI to read the itty-bitty text way too many stick in their posts. Sorry, but if it's too busy for RantWoman, RantWoman just swipes away fast.

RantWoman really likes Instagram posts with sound, either sound that tells a good story or sound that bears some relationship to the visual content.

3. RantWoman has not fully gotten into the reply vibe, but RantWoman is going to gripe anyway. Along with all the congratulatory posts for Blanche, there were people still trying to vote for Diane, the mom from Kansas who can't photograph her own children. RantWoman can relate. RantWoman did not submit her own "who are these people and why can't they take decent photos?" specimens. 

Why? Because privacy. Even though a lot of the "who are these people?" faces have long departed to other realms, enough of the ones who are allergic to the internet are still around that RantWoman did not want to subject them to mockery. RantWoman has been looking at other older, pre-digital family photos and grumbling about all the times no one thought to note who the person is next to Aunt Tilley, or where the photo was taken. So maybe a nudge to everyone out there laying photo tracks in the digital sand: label your photos as soon as you can after you take them.

4. The chorus of voices looking for some Mom energy jogged RantWoman's memory about one thing. RantWoman has watched a ton of Iceland videos. She onley remembers seeing a child in one channel and the child was a toddler riding in his Mom's video. Surely children exist in Iceland. Surely some arrive as tourists. 

Iceland is EXPENSIVE but RantWoman wonders whether some videos specifically about family friendly travel would put Iceland in a better position for the "planning a family vacation" market segment. RantWoman's mind also wandered to the question: do kids do pen pals any more? or what about some kind of teleconference learning and interaction? Understand, RantWoman is tossing out the idea without necessarily any capacity to work details out further, but there are so many interesting things about Iceland...

So now we get to Blanche. RantWoman thinks Blanche will be an absolute hoot to travel with. So again Congratulations Blanche!

The Weather Forecast on D-Day

RantWoman is a big fan of Cliff Mass even though his graphics sound really silly through a screen reader.  

Here is a really interesting item about the weather forecast on D-Day.

History like this is always timely for the D-Day anniversary

Cliff Mass Weather Blog: The Real Story of the D-Day Weather Forecast

Iceland Volcano vid of the week

 Iceland #Seimicity #DataVisualization

RantWoman admits it: RantWoman is volcano nerd enough to find this video data snapshot in time interesting though a little bit tighter geographic specificity or pre-existing familiarity with Iceland geography would never be terrible. 

Sometimes one just digests the data without speculating whether an eruption is imminent.

Kind of interesting also to think about how to present this information to someone who is blind, either in sound or some kind of tactile rendering. Both ideas are on edges of products being worked on....

The World's biggest Instagram Cluck?

Iceland

First, a volcano vid from a while ago because RantWoman wants something visual

Hah! RantWoman figured that the Icelandair quest for the world's worst photographer will involve social media. If there is a subcategory in the World's Worst Photographer contest for world's biggest social media cluck, RantWoman would jump in with both feet, all10 thumbs, and an, um, unique visual experience.

RantWoman regularly gets lost on Facebook. RantWoman will save her full Dial-a-Tirade treatment about Instagram for another post. Luckily, partly because of someone pointing out a RantWoman appearance, RantWoman has been stumbling around Instagram lately more than average. 

RantWoman has plenty of opportunity to see what Irrepressible Nephew is up to. Currently his stream runs heavily toward car mechanic topics and lines of cars parked long a highway next to perfectly lovely mountains. Enough said? Some of the cars ARE electric at least.

RantWoman discovered and went looking for a number of former contacts who clearly fled the Elon Musk onslaught on Twitter / X. Okayyyy, maybe spending more time on Instagram will pay off. MAYBE.

RantWoman also happened on posts about the 13 finalists for the World's Worst Photographer contest. RantWoman is not sure she has been able to Coax Instagram into showing her all the finalists, and RantWoman has no idea how even to vote beyond attempting to share some favorites that definitely make RantWoman laugh. 

One of the examples gives RantWoman vertigo the same way anyone trying to do a Zoom call while walking (or HEAVEN FORFEND, driving) on a zoom call. And there is no audio explanation so NOPE.  Too worst for RantWoman.

Some of the finalists definitely make RantWoman smile.

RantWoman loves the idea of a mom competing. RantWoman would love to imagine a trip for a whole family.

A guy from Australia boasts of being "reliably unreliable" and persistent as well.

A woman named Blanche has a really funny blurry photo and boasts of being Delusional 

RantWoman grinned about a couple other finalists but is done trying to coax Instagram into revealing them again to refresh her memory.

Anyway, everyone definitely smiles better on camera than RantWoman does and if RantWoman can stumble on a hashtag will definitely to try to follow along with whoever scores the "World's Worst Photographer" crown.

Leonard Euler: famous blind person, among A LOT of other things.

 So there RantWoman was filtering long X / Twitter posts for connection to reality. Consider Leonhard Euler (umlaut needed). Besides being one of the most prolific mathematicians ever. Euler popped up on RantWoman's mind as someone who experienced progressive vision loss, seems to have had people he could rely on and definitely did not let a thing like Vision loss slow him down. First the X post and then a Wikipedia page, with references, for readers who might want to delve further.

Why should a mathematician keep a mistress as well as a wife?

because when the wife thinks you’re with the mistress, and the mistress thinks you’re with the wife, you have time to get on with your mathematics.

This Joke fits with Leonhard Euler who was the most prolific… pic.twitter.com/iKRLNWwvcu

— Math Files (@Math_files) May 29, 2026

A couple notes beyond a health Trust but verify reflex about many things on the interwebs these days

It took RantWoman a couple tries and hits at suggested links to hit the right orthography.

The Wikipedia entry is a virtual Who's who of scientists, mathmaticians, and political figures in Euler's era. All of this definitely invites more inquiry which RantWoman may or may not get to.

Leonhard Euler - Wikipedia

Who needs bad photography when there is VOLCANO DATA?

Iceland #VolcanicActivity 

Below please find RantWoman's periodic contribution to social media generated by Really bad photographer | Icelandair US .

Just give RantWoman volcanoes. Some of the ones around the Puget Sound are getting restive but no c=spewing anything yet. So off to Iceland it is. for some nice info about volcanoes about to spew.

Nah. Not a lot of photography, but BOY aren't those charts fascinating! So please enjoy a bit of a fractured timeline and the opportunity to binge watch volcano behavior videos

The Big Bulge Under Iceland - What Does It Mean?

Man Made ground Uplift Under Krafla Volcano Will Start Soon!

Volcano Update - More Magma Than Usual Is Bad News At This Sensitive Location

Just for variety

Kilauea Volcano Update; 1,600+ Ft in Height Gained in Only 6 Years

Tacoma Museum of Glass Low Vision Tour May 31, 10:30 am-1 pm.

RantWoman LOVES the Museum of Glass in Tacoma

Museum of Glass

Admission to Museum of Glass Tacoma

RantWoman definitely encourages readers to check out

Blind & Low Vision Tour

 

Sunday , May 31

10:30am–1pm

Free, with required pre-registration

 

Join Museum of Glass docents and learn about glassblowing and selected exhibition pieces as you visit the Museum’s Hot Shop and galleries.

 

MOG’s newest tour offering has been specifically designed to serve the Blind and Low Vision community. This tour includes a visit to the Hot Shop, docent-led gallery discussions of art pieces from current exhibitions Paul Stankard: Beauty Beyond Nature and Kids Design Glass with the use of tactile images, objects, and 3D prints made to replicate the shape and feel of glass art pieces, as well as a hands-on presentation in the Museum Store. Registration is limited to 20 participants.

 

It is our goal and aim to make the most inclusive and immersive experience possible for the Blind and Low Vision community.

 

To register, please contact Elisabeth Emerson at eemerson@museumofglass.org or 253.284.4713

Registration required by May 23.

Things RantWoman LOVES

RantWoman loves the building shape evocative of native american shapes.

RantWoman loves the walkway over I5 from the Sound Transit bus stop. The walkway is marked by large glass sculptures and then by display niches full of smaller sized works.

RantWoman loves the hot shop, the demonstration point for many glassblowing techniques. RantWoman is definitely thinking about what it would be like to put on a welder's mask, grab a stick full of very hot goo and get all creative.

RantWoman loves the display hallway where younger kids' work is displayed.

RantWoman loves the workshop shere visitors have the opportunity to experiment creating small pieces of their own. Full Disclosure Rant Woman as part of the panel of visually impaired people who weighed in to help shape the Low Vision tour. When we got to the workshop, museum staff was worried about whether people were afraid of getting cut handling small pieces of glass. Everyone on the panel said something along the lines of "The risk is worth it," though we also suggested laying out the glass pieces in single layers. RantWoman does not remember what she made on her tour but definitely enjoyed putting together some kind of glass mosaic. 

 

An easy day trip from Seattle on the Sound Transit bus. After the tour, a couple simple dining options across Commerce st.

Sorry: RantWoman knows driving directions exist but is a big fan of public transit.

Iceland Iceland and IcelandAir bad Photographer Contest

The daily trees photo

Iceland Iceland

Land of volcanoes that can eat small villages and occasionally disrupt global air travel. Sobering to think of that in this the year of our Lord 2026 when all global energy prices are through the roof. 

Thanks to RantWoman's volcano video habit, YouTube has previously sent RantWoman assorted tourism themed videos. Based on these videos, RantWoman has formed the impression that Iceland is very interesting geologically and if one wants to chase the aurora borealis. Also, nature is gorgeous but experiencing it can be challenging.  The weather is to put it diplomatically unpredictable. And travel is EXPENSIVE. 

Part of RantWoman's fun has been elaborating and adjusting that impression as well, repeatedly, as asking Google / Gemini questions and coming back with answers that keep RantWoman coming back for more and even thinking about how travel to Iceland can be affordable for many categories of travelers. More in a moment, in a few cases just RantWoman's queries replicated for readers to do their own next steps.

Land of many summits of world leaders. RantWoman is the kind of nerd tourist who might go to and even enthusiastically participate in a half day or even a full day opportunity to replay one of the summits held in Rekjavik. RantWoman has not gone looking to see for sure whether such a tourist attraction might exist but would seriously consider participating in it if it existed.

Land of many churches interesting to photograph, not just the famous tall one in Rekjavik.

what churches can one visit in iceland - Google Search

 Land of lots of hot springs and geothermal energy. Lots of the videos talk about people renting cars to travel independently. If RantWoman is travelling alone, renting a car or even a camper is not really an option. Global fuel prices are forecast to stay high for quite a while so RantWoman has wondered about but not researched, what is the electric vehicle scene like in Iceland. Is there geothermal electricity generation? Is that ubiquitous enough that people could simply plug cars in at every stop and charge without needing special charging stations? Is this whole paragraph just a dream that might need to be more fully realized

Land where one can't name their child Harriet? The short answer: a concept near to RantWoman's language nerd hear, to wit noun declension.

why can t you name your child harriet in iceland - Google Search

Icelandic girls can't be called Harriet, government tells family | Iceland | The Guardian

Iceland parents told children cannot be called Harriet or Duncan because they are not government approved names | The Independent | The Independent

Icelandic Naming Committee - Wikipedia

RantWoman did it. RantWoman submitted a VERY barebones video entry saying basically, RantWoman has a lot to say and cramming it all into a one-minute video is not happening so please check out this blog. RantWoman is having fun thinking about this contest. That is the main thing.

PS. There is a question in the application form about how comfortable one is being on camera. RantWoman can manage. RantWoman has other thoughts about whether one is supposed to be good or bad at social media in general, but the application does not ask that.

Stay tuned for some of RantWoman's favorite YouTube channels.

Again with the IcelandAir really bad photographer contest: some requirements!

A very sunny day

Really bad photographer | Icelandair US 

The basic gig: 10 days of travel all travel expenses paid with $50,000 to cover, as RantWoman understands it, gear and whatever one needs for a trip.

For more detail about the gig: 

This is who we're seeking:

• You must be able to take part in physical outdoor activities and adventures
• You must be comfortable hiking and navigating uneven terrain in spectacular landscapes

M'kayyy RantWoman has the impression there is plenty to do in Iceland for people with different levels of tolerance for physical activity, but um...

RantWoman has never had the body to, say, work as an underwear model. RantWoman has grey hair and arthritis that comes and goes. In other words, RantWoman is in a NOT QUITE senior citizen demographic that may or may not be the best fit for what is needed. But every time RantWoman hits something that might talk herself out of even applying, amother voice comes up and says just apply and see...

So to make this trip work, RantWoman might need to think about how to have a trainer or a massage practitioner on speed dial. RantWoman also imagines that well broken-in shoes will be a must.

The initial application does not mention anything like overnight camping. If that is on the agenda RantWoman is going to need some kind of solar powered battery to support a number of devices.

Spectacular landscapes sound glorious. RantWoman also has enough vision and has lived around enough mountains to be really interested in the task of writing good alt text or creating meaningful tactile representations of gorgeous views.

Another fun thing: RantWoman is poking around for some background. Simple well-behaved websites are making RantWoman SO happy.

Will RantWoman actually apply...or will RantWoman just go for more vicarious online experience...?

Stay tuned and in the meantime, check out the video and channel linked below.

ICELAND TRAVEL TIPS FOR 1ST TIMERS | 40+ Must-Knows Before Visiting + What NOT to Do!

But, but, do blind people really do photography? Sure. Now take me to the volcanoes

Which details
are not in the Alt text and / or
should just be cropped

 

Still a few days left to enter the IcelandAir "Really bad photographer" contest, and RantWoman is trying to demonstrate unique skills.

RantWoman again encourages everyone who might be intrigued or even just slightly interested to read the contest guidelines.

Really bad photographer | Icelandair US

But, but RantWoman keeps talking about vision loss and accessibility mixed in with bad photography commentary.

Yep. Plenty of visually impaired and blind people are very interested in photography, both as a craft and as something essential for documenting  realities of daily life that Need To Be Dealt with. Lots of people in the blindness community get very good at describing our wildly varying visual experiences. Readers who need some RantWoman perspective, please consider checking out the Death By Powerpoint topics.

But, But this adventure sounds like it might involve a lot of outdoor activity and Ambassador Thwack the Badly Behaved White Cane and Anger management consultant has a thing or two to say.

Thwack may have a thing or two to say but RantWoman is in charge. Would RantWoman pursue some sighted guide options? Will RantWoman rely on AI or call-in services? RantWoman will be interested to know what is available in Iceland. Plus, RantWoman wonders how much choice a person will have about where to visit....

RantWoman, do you actually know anyone in Iceland?

RantWoman does not know anyone in Iceland but does know a very wise accessibility hero originally from Iceland. RantWoman met this person a long time ago at the sort of mentoring event where people with different life timeliness and blindness experiences get together to network, share perspectives.

These days, RantWoman encounters this person from Iceland on the internet. He turns up in online demos of people using screen readers, text to speech tools that enable blind users to navigate around the Internet, or at least to do so better than without screen readers. One reality of screen reader use is the playback speed of the speech. RantWoman tends to fall asleep when listening too long to normal speed screen reader speech and runs her own screen reader quiite a bit faster. However, many blind people working in tech or finance can be found on the internet demonstrating screen reader speeds a lot faster than RantWoman.

Please note: a screen reader is not the only thing necessary for online accessibility: websites, apps, portals all need to be developed with some standard features to ensure that screen reader users can find and operate the same functions as other users, some of whom might have other accessibility concerns. The people and organizations who do this right are truly accessibility heroes.

The real reason RantWoman considers this acquaintance a hero: RantWoman's most recent Google search turned up a LinkedIn profile showing a job at a large financial services organization and lots of  connections to other names widely recognized in the online accessibility world. These are the people who not only persist in their work in their own organizations but also insure that organizational websites work for the likes of RantWoman who just wants things to work so she can do other things sighted people take for granted, in this case including managing whatever earnings there will be for 10 days of work after one figures out what all expenses to take on to make the trip a success.

And for fun some erupting volcano videos for different perspective than the pacific coast subduction zone

25 million M3 of Magma on Hold by Grindavik - Earthquakes in South Iceland

Iceland Magma Is Primed, But When Will It Erupt? Geologist Analysis

Iceland Is On Fire

Iceland: Fourth and strongest volcanic eruption in three months | DW News

Dear Gemini. Under NO circumstances EVER summarize email without permission.

RantWoman  HOPES there is some info in a privacy statement that will allow RantWoman to TURN OFF automatic summarization in Gmail. RantWoman is too gravely peeved and tired from personal emotional matters to go read it right now and, hell, DEMANDS option to OPT IN rather than have to read redundant and stupid verbiage longer than the original AND the response.

One Asterisk in this rant: RantWoman corresponds with TOO DANG MANY people who CANNOT CHANGE THE SUBJECT line with a new thread enters a conversation. RantWoman might really like to experiment about whether an AI can sort out the tangled threads and then present group messages by thread for RantWoman to review.

There. MAYBE RantWoman will get the privacy statement read soon.

Get this lady some taxi scrip?

RantWoman is playing crash test dummy checking out the process to apply for taxi scrip as administered by Metro. RantWoman recently learned that, although her income has been looking tup, she probably qualifies for Taxi scrip for those transportation moments when the bus won't do and travel is needed within King County.

Understand, RantWoman REALLY likes the bus for being easy to get on and off, for leg room, and for some level of adventure if, for instance, RantWoman is venturing to a part of the county she does not know well, and of course for modest physical exercise. RantWoman does like the idea of taxi scrip not expiring so RantWoman can have some on hand if needed and not have to worry about it expiring.

1. a search string for the Google or copilot, RantWoman does not remember which

King County Metro taxi scrip

RantWoman has in mind a nice path to an application even though RantWoman did not specify that in her search string. Instead RantWoman got a whole paragraph full of information she already knows. RantWoman lives in King County. RantWoman is definitely over 18. RantWoman qualifies according to the household income table she found a couple steps down.

2. Because of a recent software update on the computer RantWoman is using, some stupid message asking me which ads RantWoman finds most annoying--besides the stupid question when RantWoman is on a mission. 

3. Redo the search adding "application form" to the search string

Noodle around with a bunch of "people also asked" suggestions and god knows what, especially since RantWoman tends to try bad eyes first and then remember to tab around and / or do a links list.

4. Behold: a bare minimum form to apply. Form requests RantWoman's name and contact info. Form does not ask whether RantWoman already has a Regional Reduced fare permit though RantWoman does. The form just asks for contact info and promises a response. 

5. RantWoman notices a list of cab companies that will accept taxi scrip. RantWoman will come back to the list depending on a couple aspects of experience. RantWoman does not expect to use taxi scrip very often. RantWoman also notes that taxi scrip comes as paper that works like money except that cab drivers have to submit the paper for payment. RantWoman has heard that cab drivers are sometimes reluctant to deal with taxi scrip because of the processing time. 

Here RantWoman is going to acknowledge that paying cash for paper probably is really important for some riders. HOWEVER, RantWoman also fantasizes about either an app, maybe like the app that allows RantWoman to pay for laundry or a refillable debit card, perhaps like RantWoman's ORCA card. The card would need to work for drivers who accept credit / Debit cards and Rant Woman would like to know her taxi scrip balance. Okay, it;s a fantasy...

Elapsed time to step through the hoops and write a blog post, plus or minus a couple distractions 45 minutes but the task would get easier if done regularly.

Spidey on Erika Kirk

This YouTube channel fascinates RantWoman. 

RantWoman definitely does not look at entire videos in full detail. RantWoman tends to listen and only occasionally invest enough eye focus to see detail.

So the channel is fascinating because it spells out a LOT of things that are happening visually. Sometimes it feels like reason 320 zillion why blind people and sighted people miscommunicate, although RantWoman could be vaguely interested in seeing how much of the same info could be picked up by voice.

First, this video points out lots of visual specifics in Erika's speech at Charlie Kirk's funeral.

What Changed With Erika Kirk? Body Language Analyst Reacts to funeral

YouTube is full of opinions about whether Erika Kirk is grieving appropriately. RantWoman would just leave the poor woman alone. RantWoman's experience with grief is that it comes and goes unpredictably for a long time. 

As far as the state of national dialog about Charlie's death:

--RantWoman was part of a conversation where one participant made the fascinating point that it doesn't matter that lots of Charlie's detractors are disgusted by #MAGA comparisons between Charlie Kirk and MLK. What matters is that is how Kirk's followers see him.

--In that conversation, RantWoman pointed out that MLK never helped raise millions of dollars to help elect a corrupt pedophile as President. It will take some maneuvering to keep the gravy train running but the other question is what messaging will remind people that their presence in the national conversation is valuable as they HOPEFULLY come to grips with some disagreeable realities.

--Apparently #SecDef Pete Hegseth is terribly shaken by Kirk's assassination.

Somewhere in this line of thinking MIGHT be some threads Erika Kirk is thinking about.

RantWoman does not share Erika's theological certainty about what happens after death. RantWoman has enough faith not to worry about that until she gets there. RantWoman remembers one family hiccup after RantDad passed away about cremation. RantDad's younger sister was worried that if RantDad were cremated, he would somehow miss out on the Rapture. RantWoman's view: any deity that can pull off the Rapture can give people whatever corporeal presence they need for the situation.

RantWoman is interested in one moment in particular, the clip in the post here right at the beginning of her speech when the President summons her to the stage.

Adventures of RantWoman: President #Gropesaurus and Erika

The way the President summoned Erika creeped RantWoman out a little bit because of something about the President's voice. Erika strode out like someone used to the kind of summons that bothered RantWoman Erika won Miss Arizona in a beauty pageant run by the not-yet-President and perhaps is used to the kind of kiss on two cheeks that Spidey called out.

Something in the second video, from a different angle made RantWoman wonder about a really gross possibility. RantWoman just naturally assumes the President is a pervy lech who will grab every chance he gets to paw at beautiful women. Watching the President Embrace, RantWoman wondered whether there was some over-the-line pawing going on. Even worse, RantWoman found herself wondering whether the President tried to kiss Erika on the lips rather than on the cheeks. RantWoman can't really tell, but the question adds a possible interpretation. Did Erika pull away a little and bury her face in the President's shoulder far away from his lips.

All of this gets RantWoman to another #TPUSA irony: TPUSA preaches "tradwife" values about women's relationships with their husbands. But Erika has now become the head of the entire #TPUSA empire.

This also harkens back to CO Congresswoman Lauren Boebert's appearances at TPUSA events. Lauren in her spiky heels and scary red lipstick pranced around talking about Biblical values in marriage while she was busy divorcing her husband. So THANGS are not always what they seem, and there is probably room for LOTS of people to think carefully about what matters to Gen Z.

Vocational Rehabilitation Services are a BIPARTISAN concern

 The Washington Council of the Blind (WCB) on behalf of its member, fully supports the following statement from the Washington State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind:

 

The Washington State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind (SRCB) is an advisory group of volunteers, appointed by the Governor, who provide counsel and guidance to Department of the Services for the Blind (DSB). The committee reviews, evaluates, and recommends plans, policies, and activities to ensure that blind or visually disabled people in our state receive the most effective and efficient rehabilitation services possible.

 

We are sending you this letter regarding our concerns about the effect of the current Vocational Rehab (VR) funding cuts and how those cuts will affect Washington state residents who are served and supported by the DSB.

 

While the proposal includes $4.5 billion in mandatory funding for the Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants Program, the proposal also includes a Change in Mandatory Program (CHIMP) to reduce the post-sequester funding to $3.7 billion, aligning it with the FY 2024 enacted level. This would result in a significant cut to vocational rehabilitation grant programs.

Washington state will not have adequate state resources to make up for any lost federal funds. Our analysis of the impacts of this funding reduction is that we will have to place some or all applicants for vocational rehabilitation services on a waitlist to avoid overspending the budget.

 

In addition, the Department of Education budget proposal provides no funding for the following programs in FY 2026, and indicates that these services can be funded out of the already reduced Vocational Rehabilitation grant:

•             Client Assistance State Grants

•             Supported Employment State Grants

•             Training Program

•             Demonstration and Training Programs

•             Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights Program

 

Because of the proposed budget cuts, the DSB will need to  implement a waitlist. This is a devastating decrease in support and services especially since applications to DSB for services have increased by 20% in the past year.

 

Having to wait for Vocational Rehab services can truly be detrimental to those who are ready for training.  The programs listed above as being affected by funding cuts are truly essential to someone who needs a complete rehabilitation experience.

 

The bottom line is that these programs need to be fully funded. Blind and low-vision residents of Washington state deserve these services to continue to be independent, fully functioning employed citizens.

 

Respectfully,

Andy Arvidson SRCB Chair and Washington Council of the Blind President

Above is the gentle version. Please allow RantWoman to weigh in.

1. Need for Rehabilitation services is BIPARTISAN.and the big supposedly wonderful bill passed very narrowly but Congress still has to finalize the FY 2026 budget. So Congressional representatives need to hear from the public NOW. It might or might not make a difference, but speaking up still matters. Speaking up any way one can matters especially for representatives who are avoiding town meetings and creating lots of burdens in order to contact them electronically.

2. Full disclosure: RantWoman definitely benefited from vocational rehabilitation services decades ago when midlife DNA lotto hit. RantWoman can tell from others accounts of their rehabilitation experience, that vocational rehabilitation services make enormouse contributions to blind people's ability to thrive in the US economy and to help others thrive.

Enough said?

Tsunami Advisory for Washington 8pm update: with place names and ETA

#tsunami

RantWoman definitely approves of this tsunami advisory report for one very important reason:

The report lists out loud estimated arrival times at different cities tonight. No squinting at impossible to interpret maps, just a nice clear explanation of how big the wave is expected to be, clear advice to avoid low lying areas for several hours, and assessment of the low likelihood of impact far into Puget Sound.

And here is a nice explanation of tsunami dynamics

Tsunami watch issued for Puget Sound area after magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia

Officials close Washington beaches as tsunami approaches

Prayer service????

Protest Curmudgeon erupts again, regarding the Christian rock performance and counter protest at Cal Anderson Park. The bottom of this rant has links to many of the sources RantWoman has interacted with.RantWoman apologizes for sometimes lacking precise citation and is trying to make clear which points are speculation and which are derived from long familiarity with the tiresome repetitiveness of protest dynamics in Seattle.

For background, RantWoman hails from a definitely open and affirming faith community and here is an example of a relevant statement.

Minute of Inclusion.pdf

RantWoman still has not connected with members of various faith communities who sent out an emergency email about an event later in the day. After hearing on Twitter / X about melees and arrest, RantWoman decided that bad eyes did not need to get mixed up in whatever was going on and that RantWoman needed to deal with mundane matters such as grocery shopping.

RantWoman believes strongly both in free exercise of religion and in religious pluralism. RantWoman just decided that social media is going to have to be her venue.

b-b-but RantWoman...

Yeah. RantWoman has skimmed the Mayday USA tour website, the website for the On Fire ministry. RantWoman is not sure we are reading the same bible, but does have, at least for Capitol Hill, a higher than average tolerance for diversity of religious messages.

Call RantWoman a cynic though: chances are pretty good that somewhere in the Mayday USA crowd there is someone struggling with their sexuality or their gender identity or some kind of abuse experience who might have caregivers completely unequipped to walk with someone, someone who might  DESPERATELY want some kind of emotional safety valve.

But No. NO! NO!

Nothing says safety for transgender youth like people sort of trying to speak up for transgender youth by just chanting "fascists go away," and getting tackled by police, by getting everyone drowned in pepper spray and raising questions about whether officers' body cams are even turned on.

B-b-but one of the Burner podcast staff was told that the praying group had rented the whole park.

Is this a thing? It's hard enough for people who live here to rent even one picnic shelter. How do people who bus in from out of town get to rent a whole park? RantWoman is also amused by a comment about a police officer telling a journalist just to pick a side. It's STILL A PUBLIC PARK.It's open worship with a come as you are message. Aren't people allowed just to come and watch?

B-b-but they weren't just watching.

Noted. Needs more investigation. 

Finally RantWoman has had enough recreational blood pressure elevation and is not going to delve too far into the background and religious witness of Mr. Ross Johnson, of Spokane's On Fire ministries, but RantWoman has one thing to say to him:

No. NO NO!

Dear Mr. Ross Johnson

No, you DO NOT get to bus into town, demand to put your anti gay "worship service" in the gayest neighborhood in Seattle and then demand that Mayor Harrell resign. For one thing there is an election coming up. You don't get to vote unless you move to this hellhole one of your prayer service attenders basically in need of cleansing.

But thank you, RantWoman supposes for contributing to the latest rounds of:

--rage on the internet about what a godless hell hole Seattle is and how everyone involved in protests should be locked up

--Rantings on social media about protestors going unpunished

--complaints from the Seattle Police Officers Guild that Seattle PD is understaffed. (They are but many parts of town would probably prefer more ordinary neighborhood patrols and less pepper spray.)

PS. Maybe don't brag on X about starting a riot just by praying.

And now citations.

https://www.theburnerseattle.com/post/bigots-rally-in-gayborhood-katie-wilson-makes-her-case-as-a-labor-champ-and-the-burner-gals-hate-i

23 arrests at heated ‘Fascist Family Values’ protest in Seattle | The Seattle Times

Mayor Harrell Statement on Extreme Right-Wing Rally at Cal Anderson Park - Office of the Mayor

Seattle Police make multiple arrests during counter-protest of fundamentalist church group’s rally in Cal Anderson Park — UPDATE | CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News

Shout-out to Mayor Harrell, quoted at the end of this video.

On Fire Ministries – For His Kingdom

About - On Fire Ministries & Kingdom Christian Academy

Mayday USA event at Seattle's Cal Anderson Park sparks arrests and controversy

Protesters arrested at Cal Anderson Park appear in court

8 arrested during rally, counterprotest at Cal Anderson Park appear in King County court

23 people arrested at Cal Anderson Park when rally, counterprotesters clash

23 arrested during religious rally in Seattle

Seattle leaders blasted for permitting religious rally that sparked protests, arrests

MAYDAY SEATTLE RECAP

extremely produced propaganda recap

drone footage

🌟MAYDAY USA| Seattle Washington 🌟

No, RantWoman did not watch the whole video. After some testimonials, RantWoman skipped forward several times. At the end of the show, people who attended were exhorted to pick up their trash and guys were exhorted to walk women to their cars. RantWoman had an ick reaction but was fine with "don't walk alone."

Check out #DontMessWithOurKids on your favorite social media platform

Muckleshoot Artist John Halliday at MOHAI History cafe APRIL 16, 6:30 pm

J

John Halliday holding a drum with native symbols

 History Café: How Native Values Can Teach Resilience – Museum of History & Industry

John Halliday

John Halliday (he/him) is a legally blind Native American artist of Muckleshoot, “Duwamish,” Yakama, and Warm Springs Indian descent. Halliday recently retired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs as Deputy Regional Director for the Navajo Region after serving as CEO for both the Muckleshoot and Snoqualmie tribes. Halliday has shown his art at Lakewold Gardens, ANT Gallery, and the Sacred Circle Galleries of American Indian Art under the artist name “Coyote”. Halliday lives in Steilacoom.

Event will be Livestreamed for people who cannot attend in person

Link for the Livestream

From John: I have attached a live stream link for those people who can't make it. They're welcome to come in person, because it's a big venue, but if they can't make it, the live stream link is below. I talk on the history of the Puget Sound Indian wars and my personal story as a blind person finding a new career in art."

History Café: How Native Values Can Teach Resilience youtube.com

Presidents and spouses on parade with body language analysts at the #JimmyCarter funeral

The musical soundtrack and the word of the hymns are a fascinating aspect of this video. I would have to think to articulate the points that seem significant. It definitely enhances the sense of theater. Kamala and Barack are the only two people of color in this sea of white people. I don't think it would have helped to have Michelle Obama there. I wonder whether there is a gender aspect to the visual exchange or lack of between Kamala and Barack As an asterisk, Trump clearly cleans up well, compared for instance to the sketch artist images from his NY trial. But I also mean that there have been SO many comments about his body odor at different points and there was NO indication of that from anyone around him. All of the former Presidents are smiling because as one of you noted, they are very attuned to engaging and they are all with their peers. Hillary and Kamala are the only two women who have ever been at the top of a national party ticket and they have both lost to someone who has SUCH a long and deplorable record of behavior toward women. If I were writing an SNL sketch about this sequence, it might be WAY too much to play that up WAY beyond what is anywhere near appropriate at a state funeral. Daggers in their eyes.... The comments about the wives were interesting. I am guessing that some of Emhoff's expression might be desire to protect his wife. He is also the only Jew in the group at this very Christian funeral. He is probably used to that feeling of difference, but I imagine this might have been exacerbated in the context of everything else. I think Trump might be a little bit afraid of heat from his base if he admits to friendliness, even faint, with Obama. Anyway the commentary is really interesting. I am legally blind and probably would have missed everything here without the commentary.

Dear Amazon, Do you really want my opinion?

 Dear Amazon,

Thank you so much for space to provide driving instructions which I HOPE help all the drivers delivering to my building figure out how to come to the front door and not just dump packages at the back door.

Thank you, I guess, for NOT providing enough space to provide, in addition to driving directions, specific instructions such as "Please deliver to my apartment door and please text me when the order is delivered.

Thank you also I guess for inviting me to comment on the delivery. Thank you also for NOT providing a text box to specify exactly what is wrong. To wit:

Two columns down from
RantWoman's mailbox

Ahem. RantWoman does not see well and is not charmed to have to look at a picture without additional verbal commentary

What the mailroom looked like to RantWoman

RantWoman did find her package. Amid all the drama and upheavals around the world and the holiday whirl, maybe that has to be sufficient.

Part 2: Festive holiday sugar.

Today RantWoman went looking for an additional item that was not in the first box. RantWoman hand not thought to look in the adjacent cubby for the second package. HOWEVER, RantWoman lives in a world of at least SOME neighbors who do things like bring apparently mislaid items to the office.  RantWoman now has the festive holiday sugar she will dole out to visitors at a certain computer lab.

But One more piece of feedback: NO, RantWoman does not want to return the iten. RantWoman is quite happy to have it in her hot little hands. ALL RANTWOMAN WANTS is a little more space to write exactly what was wrong with the delivery, to wit: RantWoman sees poorly and got only pictures without meaningful text about where specifically to find her packages.

#DoBetter, what ever holidays you observe.