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.

Some Useful Iceland-themed YouTube channels

Iceland Iceland

Whether one is abstractly planning a trip to Iceland or just massaging the idea for the IcelandAir Bad Photographer contest, here are some YouTube channel suggestions, sometimes based on one example from the channel.

RantWoman is amused by a few points:

--All the videos with the word "Mistakes" in the title.

--Advice from everyone not to buy expensive bottled water and shopping at the regular grocery chains, not the big tourist-oriented store in Reykjavik. Also comments about using the city bus from the airport and saving money over lagoon prices by going to the many public pools.

--Very adamant safety culture: no speeding. No drunk driving. No stopping except in designated lookout points to take photos. Park only where authorized. No walkiing on hot lava. Avoid sneaker waves. Do not get too near all kinds of edges of things. TAKE WEATHER WARNINGS SERIOUSLY.  Only 4x4 vehicles are allowed on the F roads, roads not on the ring road.

--Equally consistent culture about cleanliness: NO pooping out of doors. Shower completely nude before entering the various pools. Take shoes off when asked

--Contradictory advice about the Blue Lagoon, staying in Reykjavik...

Rick Steves Iceland

Learn Icelandic in 10 minutes 🇮🇸 Essential Phrases for Tourists Visiting Iceland

or at least an introduction before checking out the next video

Stop Using Google Maps in Iceland. Use This Instead

Info about weather and alerts specific to Iceland.

Note: other videos say use Google Maps to check location of Air BnB

How to Explore Iceland Like a Local (Avoid These 5 Mistakes!)

Skip the Blue lagoon because there are other cool hot springs near by

Visiting Iceland Summer 2026: Travel Guide & Best Local Tips! 🇮🇸

Base in Reykjavik and do day trips

What NOT to Do When Traveling To Iceland | 15 Mistakes To Avoid!

Don't base in Reykjavik.

Waterproof gear

5 Proven Ways to Avoid Crowds in Iceland (Like a Local)

travel in winter

Hidden Gems of Iceland: Avoid the Crowds & See the REAL Iceland!

Iceland Travel Tips: 10 Things You Need to Know (From a Local) 🇮🇸 

5 Mistakes You Make When You Arrive in Iceland    

Car rental, the "Flybus, and PUBLIC TRANSIT. RantWoman loves public transit and does not care that it will take longer. Maybe the Flybus for the first day, but public transit at some point.

The Blue lagoon is on the way from Keplavik airport to downtown Reykjavik but ...

20 Things Tourists in Iceland Learn Too Late

Weather can be even more fearsome than RantWoman previously imagined.

20 Things Tourists in Iceland Learn Too Late

VERY limited public transportation outside Reykjavik. No trains. Only intercity buses. RantWoman is a bus / slow travel nerd and might really enjoy some travel by bus

3 Iceland Itinerary Mistakes That Will Cost You Days

Don't spend too much of your trip at Reykjavik at the beginning.

Don't rush the South Coast islands

The Westman(?) Islands and The PUFFINS.

What will make Ideland unique to Me?

Iceland Itinerary Mistakes 90% of People Don’t Know About

10 Things You Should Never Do in Iceland (Locals Hate It!)

15 Ways to Insult Icelanders (A Guide for Travelers)

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!

Pickled Greenland shark for breakfast?

Window trees building clouds

Contest Reminder:  

Really bad photographer | Icelandair US

When RantWoman travels, RantWoman likes to immerse herself in local cuisine, culture, and history as well as geography. Consider the question, delivered to Gemini "what do people in Iceland eat for breakfast?" 

At home RantWoman cycles among homemade porridge of the week, cold pizza, and sometimes other leftovers, often with a banana or hard-boiled egg.

Thank you Gemini, sort of. Submitting the question in natural language is cool. Here are a couple snippets from the first screen of results.

Why you should be eating an Icelandic breakfast

(summary: the basic low-fat, high-fiber, high protein regimen recommended in many places.

I tried a traditional Icelandic breakfast, and it was nothing short of intense — especially when the fermented shark hit the table. From creamy skyr, fresh rye bread, and liver pâté, to the infamous hákarl (a national dish made from fermented Greenland shark), this meal is unlike any breakfast I’ve had before. It’s all part of the unique and bold food culture of Iceland. #IcelandFood #IcelandBreakfast #TraditionalIcelandicFood #Hákarl #Skyr | Strictly Dumpling | Facebook

Thank you Gemini? 

Porridge or muesli? Checks out.

Good yogurt? checks out.

Rye bread or rye crisp: RantWoman likes both fine.

Pickled Greenland shark? RantWoman likes pickled herring on flatbread but does not eat it very often. As for Greenland shark...? 

How I Learned to Eat Fermented Shark with Iceland ProCruises - Food, Wine & Travel

So definitely a bit more of a big deal than mere pickled herring. RantWoman is fascinated to learn more about Greenland sharks. RantWoman also hopes that pickled Greenland shark is not an every day menu item.

As for Gemini

1. RantWoman is still not sold on Gemini offering to "help" abut email.

2. RantWoman appreciates getting info from multiple platforms but is lazy about wanting to sign in or even to read user agreements for these same platforms, especially since one BIG driver of whether RantWoman is going to come back to a site or portal is how easy it is for RantWoman to use. This is probably a trial and error iterative process. Most of the time RantWoman can live with that except RantWoman tends to want info NOW and in easily digestible form.

But speaking of easily digestible, RantWoman will check out other meal customs another time.

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

Lose weight with CHAIR EXERCISES

 

Useful #exercise jargon

reps = repetitions

sets = groups of repetitions.

Tip: get more fit while watching YouTube.

Also, this YouTube channel has some other items possibly of interest.

RantWoman attempts to replicate some information provided visually but not obvious from the verbal explanation.

The video does not have any terrifying suggestions such as "do three sets of 1- repetitions and do that more than once a day." Instead, RantWoman recommends working up from 5 or 10 reps at a time.

1. Extended a rm raises from touching the knee to shoulder height. The text does not mention overhand / palm down or underhand / palm up. RantWoman can tell the positions work different muscles and would say both versions are probably beneficial.

2, 3. March in place. From seated position, knees bent, thighs parallel to the chair: raise and lower first one knee then the other. Raise arm opposite of the knee being raised. The video shows two versions, one where fists get raised to shoulder level and the second where arms get raised straight overhead.

4. Raise leg, clap under. Alternate with the other leg.

5. Raise leg and reach to touch toe with opposite arm. RantWoman likes the demo because one doesn't have to do it perfectly and the exercise still counts even if one misses their toe.

These 3 Exercises Burn More Belly Fat Than Walking 10,000 steps Ever Will-doctor approved

1.Touch opposite foot from a standing position

2. Elbow to opposite knee, sone sitting down

3. Touch opposite toe from hands clasped behind the head. Also done while seated, legs bent.

The Waji? YES!

 Remember this post?

Adventures of RantWoman: Teriyaki pizza? MUST Try soon.

One bright and sunny day last week, RantWoman ventured out to Columbia City a little after lunch time to go buy a slice of the Waji, one of the current seasonal pizzas at Pagliacci.

About halfway there on the bus, after passing by no longer needed stops for a couple beloved elders INCLUDING RANTMOM (waaaahhhh), it dawned on RantWoman that it was well after lunch hour and there might not be slices of Waji just waiting for the late lunch trade. RantWoman decided to go forward anyway. RantWoman was rewarded with perfectly acceptable late lunch slices, a quite place to cool her heels, and the suggestion to come back on Friday.

Friday came. RantWoman evaluated her budget, timelines and energy level and her skittishness abotu teriyaki anything on pizza. RantWoman decided she should just order a small pizza and if the experience were too terrible, RantWoman has many neighbors who would be glad to share.

Wise move!

The pizza arrived hot and fragrant with the always fresh scent of chopped green onions. The flavor is a perfect balance of slightly sweet and umami. The pineapple is minced finely enough that some pineapplephobes might not even notice. The mayo drizzle is barely noticeable on hot pizza. 

Definitely on the consider ordering again list. 

Two comments;

RantWoman knows people who react badly to MSG. RantWoman reacts in a way that says don't overdo it. If MSG is an issue, ask before you order.

And if you order, order with enough friends around to eat the whole pie. RantWoman is quite comfortable eating pizza cold, but RantWoman was not pleased with the mayo taste on cold pizza and does not think reheating would help.

Nope. Not COVID, but...

    

#pandemic #COVID19 #COVID 

What's left of RantMom
in her new home

Possibly of interest:

RantWoman and the RSOF: Jessie Cornwell Memorial Invitation, updated

RantMom "departed for other realms exactly two months ago. Therefore, we interrupt the daily war coverage for...

--meditations on obituary writing process wrangling a whole life story into plausible obituary versions for different platforms

--effort both to collaborate with Little Sister and to tread among family religious and other emotional landmines.

--inchoate ranting about one popular obituary platform whose accessibility for RantWoman SUCKS.

Uhhh, how about just do the COVID piece?

Ding! Ding!

Adapted from the current draft of the obituary:

(RantMom) became good friends with the first Ida Culver Ravenna Resident to die of COVID. She tested positive herself cleared the virus and did not develop symptoms. The pandemic lockdown was very hard for everyone. The staff's meticulous observance of rules and safety practices as well as use of vaccines as soon as they became available ensured that COVID did not hit that community nearly as hard as other retirement facilities. 

(RantMom) and several other residents of Ida culver Ravenna moved to The Lakeshore, along with numerous other residents of Ida Culver Ravenna. At the Lakeshore, residents enjoyed an expansive view of Lake Washington and resident bald eagles nesting in a tree near the dining room. Art shows, special speakers,  music and dance performances and other activities kept life as lively as (RantMom)  wanted. 

The last year of RantMom's life at the Lakeshore was rough: Her younger brother died of prostate cancer. She had a lingering bout of actual COVID, not just testing positive and clearing the virus without symptoms as she had done previously. 

Other chronic issues were becoming more and more draining. Even so, she continued to volunteer weekly at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center. To RantMom, this was a means to pay forward the excellent medical care she had received during her multiple battles with cancer.

RantMom's last few weeks were a blur of hospital, skilled nursing, and ultimately placement at the Agape Senior Care at Montlake -- with its extremely loving directors and staff -- where she passed away peacefully thirty years and six months to the day after (RantDad).

Reprise on the topic of RantMom and #COVID

Adventures of RantWoman: Dinner and Plague

Adventures of RantWoman: Tested Negative!

(Part of RantWoman's own experience with "the 'rona."

There are probably other posts that reference both COVID and RantMom but this has to be enough for now

Adventures of RantWoman: Virus plus car ride plus pastor plus pandemic and worship plus pentecost

Adventures of RantWoman: Today in Corona Virus News

Adventures of RantWoman: Data Dump plus Neil Degrasse Tyson suggesting people listen to Science

precautions at a different retirement community

Adventures of RantWoman: Pollen or Plague? With a side of #DigitalInclusion

War is not healthy for children and other living things: reprise of the Gulf War

 

Hitting hospitals is a war crime.

Double taps are double war crime.

Queen Elizabeth meets First Ladies

 

A bit of human interest in the midst of ...

And don't forget the Presidents

What Queen Elizabeth Really Thought Of Every US President

Citizenship and the SEVENTEENTH Amendment

 A bunch of stuff about the SAVE act...AND the 16th Amendment. MUST learn more.

Melania. Melania. The world plans to miss your movie.

Update from the YouTube comment repeated below:

A theater in Boston has been running ads promising free tickets and $50 to anyone willing to sit through the new Melania movie. RantWoman is forced to contemplate how much she would have to be paid. RantWoman thinks the privilege of RantWoman's eyeballs and attention on this movie should be worth at least $50,000, the same as the bonus being offered to people willing to sign up for ICE thuggery. RantWoman promises to be a LOT less violent and to TRY to find something redeeming about the movie and / or the current first lady. RantWoman admits it may be a tough sell, but RantWoman is ready for the challenge.

Trump Forced To Cancel This As Melania Humiliates Him Publicly

The US deserves a first lady who either is interesting enough for someone to want to make a documentary about without paying a bribe or modest enough not to care about documentaries.

Needless to say, I am NOT going to spend money on this movie but if someone wanted to bribe me with good popcorn and some form of light alcohol, just out of pity I would be happy to sit through the movie and try to find something redeeming to say about it or about Melania or about the ways the press attacks her. Probably looking for intellectual depth from a former underwear model is not realistic, but in a spirit of adventure I would be willing to try.

The whole thing reminds me of a cartoon I saw during the Reagan administration. Ronald and Nancy Reagan were standing next to Mikhail and Raisa Gorbachev and the text had Pres. Reagan saying to Nancy "It's ok. I will get you a PhD in philosophy in the morning."

More Melania commentary

Melania FUMES After Kimmel Mocks DISASTER Movie Opening

Trump Meets #1 Fan Nicki Minaj, Has Repulsive Reaction to Ilhan Omar Attack & Still No Epstein Files

Melania's $40 Million Docu-Bribe Movie Premieres & Dems Make ICE Demands | The Daily Show

This resignation changes everything..

Springsteen's Scathing Protest | Italy: No ICE | Trump Threatens MAGA Donors | Skipping "Melania"

Trump Celebrates Melania’s Movie Premiere, Has New BFF Nicki Minaj & Government Shutdown Looms

MELANIA

Melania Trump’s Documentary BRIBE Is a Giant Flop

Melania Documentary FLOP Blows Up In Trump's Face

get to minute 13

"It feels like a caper."

"stylized"

How Melania’s ‘Doc’ Made Trump’s Chaos Even Worse | Inside Trump's Head

"the country's most famous immigrant" credited with ending the family separation during the first round of ... and now the news displacing the movie.

blame, backstabbing; Steohen Miller and Kristi Noem

Trump PANICS After Melania Movie BACKFIRES

🚨Trump RAGES As The WORLD LAUGHS At MELANIA'S MOVIE FLOP

Melania Trump's Documentary Premieres Worldwide

Melania Reacts After Her Movie Flop, Tensions Rise

Melania Trump Roasted After Documentary About Her Life BOMBS

The Mom Report: transportation to a new destination.

Just when RantWoman was starting to groove on some new to her transit options in N Seattle (Yeah 365),  RantMom will move soon, hopefully to a lovely Adult family Home on Boyer Ave E.

Location. Location. Location.

Location is so important that the RantSisters opted to skip visits to other Lake City locations suggested by the consultant assisting the RantFamily. If the goal is "comfort and quality of life," the Rant Sisters spending more time with RantMom and less time on transit is exactly on point.

The closest frequent bus route, the Metro 48 happens to serve Little Sister on one end and RantWoman on the other end. First day preview from bus stop to location was in a car. Irrepressible Nephew is good at spotting curb ramps but not so good at noticing sidewalk issues from the car. 

Stops at Boyer on both sides of the street seem a little steep to RantWoman but Little Sister has a power chair. 

RantWoman walked the sidewalk between the location and the bus stop the other day. The sidewalk is not brand new so it's bumpy in places. Little Sister at first dismissed RantWoman's observations but after a visit today thanked RantWoman for the heads-up.

Next comes visitors from Lynnwood on Light Rail. RantWoman has not put the route into a trip planner but did realize that in terms of easy connection to the 48 the best option would be to get off the Light Rail at the U District station and walk over to 15th Ave NE to get the 48. RantWoman remembers some nuance about the 48 ending at the U District station at least some of the time so probably a visit to the trip planner with some different date time combinations would be fruitful.

RantWoman generally does not try to plan / replan trips on the fly but does like to have general contours of the schedule in mind from planning ahead.

Anyway, the other option of course is to ride all the way to the University of WA station. RantWoman realized that option is less preferable just because the walk between the station and the 48 stop in front of the UW Medical Center is a pain and worse a pain to explain to another low vision person. RantWoman also notes that she may sometimes opt just to Uber part of the trip especially because of a vexing issue RantWoman REALLY needs to schedule her own medical appointment about.

Do not look at the news. DO NOT look at the news. How about some nice Nondriver eldercare transportation issues.

 

The tree outside
RantWoman's window

Same tree  different day
outside RantWoman's window

It's fashionable for stress relief to tell people to "Touch Grass." It's Seattle. WHO IS ANYONE KIDDING? After atmospheric rivers have innundated parts of WA and less cold hardy souls have made it through a few spectacular days of cold and beautifully clear, Seattle is back to grey skies and heavy mist and need for 100 words to describe Seattle rain.

The tree counts, especially since RantWoman gets tobe deliriously grateful that in the small part of her vision which sort of works, RantWoman can tell the difference between the light and cloud patterns in the two pictures.

RantWoman means it about the title of this post. The list of current news items that could make RantWoman's head explode is too long already. RantWoman may or may not get around to penning her own reflections on 2025, couture, health, technology in general, Twitter or X, and numerous other topics. RantWoman WILL be posting about eldercare and transportation.

Instead RantWoman will be writing about two non-drivers, RantWoman accompanied by Ambassador Thwack and Little Sister in her wheelchair looking for eldercare that provides RantMom a lot more services than simple independent living. HOEPFULLY RantWoman will spare readers both the sordid details of a decrepitating body and at least most of the family emotional landmines. 

Instead expect

--commentary about what kinds of vehicles are easy or difficult for people with different mobility needs to get into or out of.

--consultation about transportation options for candidate locations from multiple trip planners.

--comments from Walk Score, Access Map, and Find a Ride

We will start with one generalized rant: in some respects, Sunday is a GREAT time to visit candidate locations. That is whan bus service is sparsest, so how does life work under that condition.

HOWEVER, probably on NO planet will it be reasonable to try for a tour of three locations via transit on one day unless Irrepressible Nephew can drive his mother around and RantWoman can sync up with one of the people who has issued blank ride offers. RantWoman is not crazy about this option BECAUSE the POINT of demanding to test the get there on transit angle is specifically to evaluate everyday life realities.

STAY TUNED.

Interpreter level knowledge of 9 languages learned while growing up in a Housing project???

RantWoman means to research and fact check a couple points but enough of the story rings true to RantWoman based on educational background and experience that this is a powerful story.

The bias / discrimination angle also rings true.

"I SPEAK 9 LANGUAGES" — Said the Young Black Woman... The Judge Laughed,...

The way the story is told definitely lacks that US English dialect usually called legalese. I assume what actually happened in court as reflected in a transcript would be closer to standard courtroom argot with presentation of credentials by all the professionals serving as witnesses Since specific companies are mentioned, it should be easy to fact check. It would also be interesting to see how the court record reflects the demonstrations of different languages, says someone who has done some legal interpreting.

The story mentions specific companies and legal cases that can probably be easily researched. It also uses language I as someone familiar with dialect issues in different widely spoken languages recognize in professional terms. The way this story is told does not reflect legalese probably used in court proceedings so anyone who doubts the general thrust is free to research further.

Speaking of Go Bags, Holidays, and Bouncing around like Tigger.

#wawx #AtmosphericRivers

First RantWoman sends heartfelt holiday wishes to everyone displaced by recent flooding and / or struggling with cleanup. May there be joy in spite of all the struggles.  Closer in, RantWoman knows two people having lumpectomies for the holidays, a friend having a root canal, on top of what RantWoman is about to recound about RantMom. This year, all this is just going to be what is.

RantWoman feels VERY lucky to live warm and dry and far away from flooded roadways, communities, and agricultural fields. RantWoman watches evacuation orders and sometimes checks in with people who might be affected. RantWoman realizes she can be more robust in meeting the moment as far as one part of her network and has filed the observation for now. Mostly RantWoman listens to news, exchanges weather info with a couple friends. RantWoman is also collecting such data as others want to share about travel disruptions, extra long paratransit rides, and related experience.

And then a family member has a medical emergency. RantMom has been showing signs for awhile that a chronic condition is wearing on her. Friday after monitoring some concerns for several days, Little Sister decided that "bouncing around like Tigger" and hands fluttering sounded sufficiently odd. Little Sister persuaded RantMom to call the consulting nurse. The consulting nurse told RantMom to call 911. RantMom lives far away from direct flooding risk but in an area where a lot of first responders are dealing with flooding related deployment. RantWoman has no idea of the response time. RantWoman just needs to offer the following observations:

--look up Go bag via your favorite search engine and plan accordingly.

--if you are a senior with recurring reason to need to be scooped up by paramedics, don't wait around for disaster weather forecasts. Consider having a Go bag just in case of more specific first responder needs. Maybe also have a list of things to grab at the last minute.

In RantMom's case, her Go bag needs to include charger for phone (or other devices) and charging container for hearing aids. One may be able to grab such things before the paramedics arrive but it is probably not wise to expect paramedics to be able to help grab necessities, but having some kind of a plan seems like a good idea to RantWoman

In RantMom's case, it took a couple days before Irrepressible Nephew, the only driver in the family was able to take Little Sister to RantMom's to retrieve the needed items. The next parts of the story get to be told another day.

"Bouncing around like Tigger" makes RantWoman smile. Ads for ridiculous sugary cereals were one reason besides mindrot programming that RantMom for a number of years had strict limits on the Rant children's consumption of Saturday morning cartoons and weekly series. More recently, RantWoman notes that 20 years ago RantMom was finishing chemo for her second cancer treatment.

Make America Great Again--FOR GERMS!

Trump SCREWS UP BAD as DISEASE SPREADS

The short version: FIGHT AUTHORITARIANISM get your babies vaccinated. Get advice from reliable sources. Reliable sources do NOT include either President #StableGenius or #BrainWormBob, the ghoul currently atop the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Via multiple posters on X, the WA state and West Coast Health Alliance about the Hepatitis B immunization for infants.

The West Coast Health Alliance (WCHA) strongly supports that hepatitis B vaccination continue to be routinely offered to all newborns, with the first dose of the vaccine given within 24 hours of birth for newborns weighing at least 2,000 grams (4 pounds, 7 ounces), followed by… pic.twitter.com/Re9qhqlmjP

— Washington State Department of Health (@WADeptHealth) December 6, 2025

Trump SCREWS Red States as DISEASE RAGES Out of Control

And more on HepB AND Measles

And SPEAKING OF the land of X / Twitter / Elon's sandbox: inexplicable reasons to carp about this strong recommendations:

A certain newspaper columnist from Spokane who takes offense at the phrase "Pregnant PEOPLE." 

What? Aren't women people??? RantWoman assumes in the case of this complainer that the issue is transgender people having babies. NOTHING about whether or not the person giving birth is transgender changes ANYTHING about the epidemiology or the dangers of Hepatitis B. NOTHING.

Then there are the voices who say that universal vaccination is a sop to the pharmaceutical industry because only people who test positive at the time of a baby's birth need to get their newborns vaccinated.

1. If a baby is being breastfed, the person doing the breastfeeding can acquire HepB while the baby is being breast fed.

2. RantWoman should go look for some numbers but RantWoman would expect to see that the money saved from cases of HepB that don't occur more than justifies the cost of universal vaccination.

HerTake: WILL this be a regular listen?

Trump’s Ex-Terrorist Guest, Republican Chaos for 2028, and AI Afterlife ...

Since the 2028 races came up,

FWIW. DNC probably wouldn't listen to me but the ship has sailed about sending the #StableGenius in the White House to prison. That should have happened a month after #J6 and no one should have waited around for him to decide to run again before deciding to file charges. On the other hand. if #GrandpaSleepyhead where anyone else, he would already be a dementia patient with a court appointed guardian managing his affairs. If he doesn't leave office feet first before the end of this term, the goal needs to be secure, genteel, well-supervised retirement. And EVERYONE of both parties is going to need to focus on undoing all the damage his reign of error is doing to US democracy, US national security, and realities for ordinary hard-working people in the US.

Oh What the Hell: Protest Curmudgeon goes there. Try to avoid antagonizing...

ICE Agents CAUGHT Arresting Comedian For HUMILIATING Them

Forget tone "policing" RantWoman is about to go full generalissimo with a humble request to protestors.

1. Evidence from ICE hiring standards and ICE Barbie's endless propaganda efforts is that a lot of the brand new just signed on for the bonus ICE recruits are undertrained, uneducated, humor-impaired, and extremely thin-skinned. NONE of that is an excuse for all the different thuggery they are trying to pull off, but MAYBE could y'all, all y'all protestors possibly consider passing on at least SOME of the opportunities to torment and antagonize them? RantWoman admires creativity and really, really, really thinks y'all could all do MUCH better about verbal communications. So PLEASE try. Pretty please.

2. I don't blame the vulnerable families, veterans, people with disabilities, NEIGHBORS across from the ICE House of Ill Repute in Portland for being resentful of tear gas, blast balls. Try to sound concerned about them and keep pointing out that protestors aren't the ones bringing the tear gas and blast balls.

3. Remember this is about immigrants and all the hard work, creativity, richness they bring to the country. RantWoman is not sure how, meaningfully, to say "we've got your back," President #StableGenius keeps going off about how immigrants bring diseases. Immigrants have the same health issues as many other people in the US, but the President complaining about immigrants is NUTS when his own Secretary of Health and Human services is doing everything he can to shred public health infrastructure, disease surveillance, and OF COURSE vaccination.  Plenty of other really important "don't blame the immigrants talking points need airing and people who aren't crazy about running around in frog suits need to get their points heard too. Word!

And another video for the road

And Robby Roadsteamer in his own words. RantWoman recants, SOMEWHAT.

Robby Roadsteamer Sang Rod Stewart—Then ICE Opened Fire

ICE Agents KIDNAP Beloved Activist in Broad Daylight

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.