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)

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.

Line 2 Opening Day Adventures!

 First, please enjoy this lively commentary with some fun, yes, fun engineering details about how actually a light rail on a floating bridge actually stays afloat. 

RantWoman also enjoyed some hints of festivity at stations she did not make it to. For more on the RantWoman experience, please read on the other side.

First in the world: How Sound Transit built light rail on a floating bridge

First the wardrobe, with thoughts of POSSIBLY stopping by a #NoKingsDay event: Nothing organization specific. A #WhiteCaneDay T-shirt under a hoodie that said "ICE OUT" in a long-winded, pedantic and harder to read way: "the GPS coordinates of your mother's cervix at the time of your birth have no bearing on your value as a human being." The hoodie turned out to be a great weight, warm enough in the morning, not too warm when the sun came out.

RantWoman is thrilled that the #CrosslakeConnection is open. RantWoman appreciated mostly cheerful sunny weather. RantWoman definitely applauds all the parents getting kids started early, even the tiny ones who fell asleep on the bus or while waiting for the bus.

RantWoman probably has some "Dear Accessibility community...here is an opportunity to preview..." email she has not read. RantWoman and Ambassador Thwack the #WhiteCane caught a bus unencumbered by much knowledge of the day's schedule. Plus RantWoman wanted to check out the Rainier Avenue entrance to the Judkins Park station.

Meh. Whose bright idea is it to put the bus stop nearly a block away from the light rail entrance. RantWoman will be interested to see what actually happens about scooter and biker share users stowing their vehicles in the designated areas.

Also, issue a bullhorn for the nice woman whose job it was to stand behind the pull down barrier and tell people over and over that the opening of that entrance was going to be delayed.

Never mind the delay. Hanging out where RantWoman was turned out to be an easy way for friends to find her.  Excitement was contagious, even with the heavy crowds and long waits

RantWoman had an invite to an opening day meet and greet but realized that sleep was going to have to take priority. RantWoman also had to decide not even to try to get into a line to walk up the hill to the 23rd Avenue entrance where people were allowed to board sooner than from Rainier.

After about the third delay in the promised opening, with the line getting longer and longer, RantWoman decided to skip the thought of any inaugural ride. Instead, RantWoman did an errand involving the 7, the E line, a detour for lunch at IHOP and an ibuprofen, Despite some nasty pain issues, it felt good to walk to catch the 40 to Northgate. 

The southbound 2 line was already packed, but RantWoman basically zoned out. At every station, lots of people got off, but an equal or larger number got on. RantWoman was lucky to have a seat. RantWoman would have preferred to face forward, but managed with a side seat.

RantWoman would like to say the view over the lake was glorious. RantWoman would like to say that, but the train was too crowded to catch more than a glimpse of sky and open water, with views of trees as the train rolled through to Bellevue City Center. RantWoman decided that was as far as she needed to go before heading back to the Judkins Park station.

Score a couple bright spots:

--After seeing construction for quite awhile, it was nice to see the train actually serving downtown Bellevue.

--RantWoman likes that the platforms seem wider than  some other stations and that there is more space for people both to stand and to navigate along the tactile warning designs in the floor.

--It was fairly easy to find the elevator(s?) to go up and over to the return side of the tracks. One small grumble: RantWoman's glasses had turned dark but the hallway to the elevators could maybe use a little more lighting.

On the way back, RantWoman wanted to get off on the 23rd avenue side of the station so she purposefully headed for one of the rear cars. Again, the train was packed. A very observant guy indicated a seat next to him and then, when it was time to get off, stood and loudly asked people to move so RantWoman could get off the train. 

Next, walk the direction everyone was headed toward the exit. Locate the elevator(s), again in a hallway where RantWoman might want a tad more lighting. Out the door, across the plaza, hoepfully to catch the #8 bus southbound. That was not to be. After various wanderings and directions, RantWoman decided to just take the 48 NB from the stop she could actually find and pick up the 8 at Jackson as part of her quest for bananas.

From there, life was easy. The only minor hiccup: somehow the pavement in the crosswalk at MLK and Union is, um, worn unevenly. 

Teriyaki pizza? MUST Try soon.

It was a bright and sunny day and RantWoman...ALMOST...stayed on the bus to the Pagliacci in Columbia City to buy a slice of this month's seasonal pie, The "Waji." 

Look: Promo blurbs 

So here it is: The Waji features teriyaki chicken, pineapple roasted in chili crisp, pickled red onions, and mozzarella over an olive oil base, finished after the bake with green onions, furikake, and a drizzle of teriyaki mayo. It hits that sweet-savory balance, with some tang and heat, plus a little extra crunch and savoriness on top 

And from the Pagliacci blog:

This collab with Uwajimaya started with a simple question: what if we made an Asian-inspired pizza together? For Pagliacci co-owner Michelle Akiyama Galvin, the idea has roots that go way back. Growing up, Asian groceries were scarce in her town, so trips to Uwajimaya were youthful highlights. Later, as an adult, she found herself back in those aisles much more often, kids in tow. A few years ago she met Denise Moriguchi, Uwajimaya’s president and CEO, who mentioned how much her family loves Pagliacci, and that was the little spark. What if we built a pizza around that shared love of food?

Turns out, it was one of the quickest seasonals we’ve ever brought from idea to reality. And the best test panel we know came through fast: the kids in both families gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up.

“We are huge fans of Denise and Uwajimaya and are proud to collab with them,” says Matt Galvin.

And the toppings

Teriyaki chicken, pineapple roasted in chili crisp, pickled red onions, and mozzarella over an olive oil base, finished after bake with green onions, furikake, and a drizzle of teriyaki mayo. (Ingredients feature soy, sesame, wheat and egg.)

LONG ago during graduate school in another state, RantWoman had a disagreeable experience with chicken teriyaki pizza. The crust was much pastier than at Pagliacci. There was BROCCOLI, which in RantWoman's mind really does not belong with anything too sweet. Basically, as fusion cuisine, that long ago pizza was not it.

Still, RantWoman is intrigued by the Waji. Roasted pineapple on anything makes RantWoman happy. RantWoman had to look up Furikake - Wikipedia. So far, yum.

But why the bus trip and one slice at a time? RantWoman often orders a whole pizza for delivery, the large seems tempting for leftovers. There are plenty of leftovers. It's just that the slices are too big. RantWoman's budget can live with just ordering one small pizza at a time for now. But it hit RantWoman: RantWoman is not sure about buying a whole pie because of the bad teriyaki chicken pizza experience long ago so RantWoman WILL just try a slice SOON.

Binge watching Salmi

 RantWoman's binge watch of the week, in this time of global discombobulation and offerings struggling to emerge from the keyboard in memory of RantMom is a tuxedo cat named Salmi.

Behold. Check out her entire channel.

The opinions are definitely Salmi's but RantWoman is wondering whether perhaps she has persuaded her human to take dictation.

And should Salmi be able to bear sharing the spotlight with the tuxedo cat of RantWoman's childhood, please enjoy 

RantWoman and the RSOF: Mr. Tuxedo: reprint from the WA Council of the Blind Summer 2022 newsline

Adventures of RantWoman: Severe Weather Recommendations

PS RantWoman has never been to Finland in winter, but Salmi should be glad she has a radiator to sit on. And yes, winter air in CO mountain towns is probably at least as dry as in Finland. It's physics.

Buffalo NY "Border Patrol" officers leave nearly blind Rohingya REFUGEE to die in the snow.

 RantWoman's laundry is going to have to wait.

First, HEARTFELT condolences to the family of Mr. Nurun Alam and to everyone in the Rohingya refugee community in Buffalo NY.

RantWoman is shaking her tree of blind people contacts to see whether any blind people in Buffalo NY are familiar with the story below of Mr. Nurun Alam, a Rohingya REFUGEE. If RantWoman were a properly politic advocate, she might also collaborate with others to craft a carefully worded statement about why blind people--LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IN THE US--should care about immigrant neighbors, blind or low vision immigrants, and assaults on Constitutional and civil rights, not to mention all the ways ICE/ CBP are making life MORE unsafe for everyone in the US. RantWoman will be grateful if all these comments lead to such statements. 

In the meantime....

RantWoman's head is exploding about the heart-wrenching story of a nearly blind Rohingya REFUGEE left to die in Buffalo NY by Border Patrol agents. Aside from that outrageous level of cruelty, the whole story should make every jurisdiction in the country think twice or three or a dozen or seventeen times about handing ANYONE but the most dangerous criminals over on Border Patrol (ICE/ CBP) detainers. 

According to the TV news report linked below, Mr. Alam was originally arrested in 2025 after an encounter with 2 Buffalo Police Department officers. RantWoman has not found reports of the original altercation but one post on X referred to some kind of stick that may have been used as a walking stick. Mr. Alam was held in the Erie County jail until there was some kind of plea deal, someone recently posted bond and he was picked up by "Border Patrol" Border Patrol apparently figured out there was no reason to deport him. There was also no reason just to dump him out in the cold to die in the snow.

RantWoman does not endorse middle-aged blind people getting into hand-to-hand battles with police officers. That said, several elements of the story make RantWoman wonder whether, in a properly functioning Department of Justice, there would be grounds for a federal civil rights investigation.

Google turned up reference to a now-deleted missing persons report on Facebook that described mr. Alam as about 5'7" and slightly built. So two officers? COME ON. De-escalation ANYONE? Someone? Anyone?

Next, we have someone who speaks minimal English quite possibly has age-related hearing loss, and probably has no idea what police officers might be barking at him.

Next we have a REFUGEE who probably does not have great associations with anyone in uniform but who, if he has any vision at all, probably reacts very badly to police officers.

Next, the "walking stick." RantWoman would definitely like to know more about whether Mr. Alam used whatever he was carrying as some kind of a mobility aid, either for support or as a tool for navigating his environment.

RantWoman is not a lawyer and HOPES that someone with more authority will re-investigate the original case.

For now, focus on the outrageous behavior by CBP and a fragile LEGAL REFUGEE left to die alone in the snow.

Documentation / media selections below. 

Here are such media accounts and statements as RantWoman has been able easily to assemble, along with an observation that Grok, the Twitter /X AI validates accounts from several official sources.

TV Coverage of previous arrest

Border Patrol dump blind refugee 5 miles away from home—he was found dead on the street.

Officers dropped him off in front of a donut shop—didn't notify his lawyer or family he was even released.

When reported missing—local police said he was in ICE custody and stopped looking… pic.twitter.com/DKhS77qVqv

— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨‍💻 (@LongTimeHistory) February 26, 2026

Investigative report

Blind refugee abandoned by Border Patrol dies in Buffalo. : Investigative Post

Another Tweet

Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan provided the following statement to News 4:

"A vulnerable man — nearly blind and unable to speak English — was left alone on a cold winter night with no known attempt to leave him in a safe, secure location."

"That decision from U.S. Customs and Border… pic.twitter.com/ScSf4uj9Ik

— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨‍💻 (@LongTimeHistory) February 26, 2026

Hologram Weather Forecaster? According to Stephen Colbert

Georgia's Trees Are Exploding | The End Of Groundhog Day? | Year Of The ...

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.

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.

Flood waters. Flood waters. And magnificent Snoqualmie falls

#wawx #AtmosphericRivers

Snoqualmie Falls, WA flood stage 12/10/2025

RantWoman has the luxury of being warm and dry and in a comfortable position to watch water gush across Snoqualmie Falls.

Below RantWoman is offering a TINY fraction of the YouTube links available along with some pointed commentary.

LIVE: Gov. Ferguson provides details of emergency declaration after federal approval

President Trump grants emergency funds amid floods across Washington state

Flooding in MT and ID too.

How you can help during the flooding

For more options, check out kiro7.com/flooding

Western Washington faces historic floods that stranded families, damaged homes

They Were Told to Leave: Raw Stories of Flooding in Western Washington

Race to rescue people trapped in Washington floods

Coast Guard rescues people in Sumas trapped in attic by floodwaters

Western Washington faces historic floods that stranded families, damaged homes

Flooding devastates western Washington after atmospheric rivers pummel the region

100K pushed to evacuate due to ‘catastrophic flooding’ in Washington

CNN reporter unfamiliar with local pronunciations

Someone needs to say this and RantWoman ardently hopes other people also say it:

EVERYONE who needs or offers help deserves respect REGARDLESS of nationality OR immigration status. 

EVERYONE also needs to know "You drive a car, not a boat," though judging by some videos RantWoman has seen, the message is not necessarily sinking in.

Federal assistance matters and use of military resources in disaster relief is the ONLY appropriate use of the military within the US.

PS ICE, keep your clueless undertrained thugs THE HELL OUT of everything to do with this disaster. For one thing, there are so many dangers that RantWoman is speaking bluntly out of safety concerns. Swiftwater rescue is NOT a time to be checking people's documents and if people need to evacuate, they need to evacuate.

For another thing, RantWoman remembers all the accounts of essential but undocumented crews working very hard during recovery from Hurricane katrina. The same is likely to be true in Western WA.

Gratitudes--and Irritability

image from Free Press Journal

#HAPPY THANKSGIVING 

Happy posthumous 91st birthday to RantDad. And special appreciation to all transit, deivery, and taxi etc. drivers, with a particular asterisk for resonance about a couple anniversaries of horrible tragedies. The tragedies never go away, even when there is much else to occupy people's souls.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone involved in food production and food distribution! 

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone however you do or don't celebrate.

 

The pink Christmas Cactus

RantWoman considers Thanksgiving at least as important as Christmas. Enough said.

This year, the prep got off to more of a rocky start than usual. Dial-a-Tirade available about software updates and AI that seems to fry RantWoman's phone and other forms of technological disdain for RantWoman's current realities. On top of that, RantWoman spent half an hour of her usual Wednesday morning hourlong webinar trying to figure out a new portal.

Another novelty: an invitation to dinner with nephew and woman friend in exotic LYNNWOOD, but not the part of Lynnwood in range of the Alderwood Zip service. (Earth to RantWoman: did you check Find-a-Ride to see whether the service area might have expanded? NOooo.)

Nephew is both chef and chauffeur, with an offer to fetch both his parents, RantMom, and RantWoman, all in one trip. RantWoman had to reality check this offer. RantWoman is recovering well, but is still feeling a little irritable after some surgery last week. The thought of being crammed in a car even with one's nearest and dearest just does not sound fun.  RantWoman really did not want to request two roundtrips to assemble the whole clan. Somehow a request just to fetch RantWoman from a nearby transit location is too much. RantWoman is quite happy with some exercise and public transit before a holiday feast. More on that in a moment.

RantWoman also learned that Little Sister just assumed RantWoman would be bringing cranberry something. It is a VERY good thing RantWoman discovered a big bag of cranberries stashed in the bottom of her freezer and has been able to assemble TWO kinds of sauce. Uncooked relish will have to wait for another holiday and fresh instead of frozen berries.

Off RantWoman went to Google Maps with the freshly supplied street address. The options with a couple nuances: either Link + the Swift Blue line plus a walk with suggestions to have realistics expectations about walkability or E line plus a Community transit line that runs once an hour on Sundays and holidays. Also, expect rain. 

The actual walking distance from a close bus stop to final destination does not look very long. It just involves interacting with Highway 99 and no indication of crosswalk options. So fabulous: just take Uber the last leg of the trip and expect that family harmony will last a little longer with the right transportation options.

CO mountain towns: A dream destination for people needing permanent supportive housing?

Full Disclosure: RantWoman has visited, has family connection to, and might consider living in Durango, Crested Butte / Gunnison, Telluride, and Vail. Further reactions on the other side of the video.

Top 10 Colorado Mountain Towns in Total FREEFALL (The Real Estate Disaster)

RantWoman has clearly not been keeping up with the latest in real estate issues in CO. 

It has been more than 50 years since RantWoman and the Rant Fam lived in CO though RantMom still has a couple dozen living cousins, a lot of whom live in CO. 

Irrepressible Nephew, now residing securely in auto company influencer life and off-roading culture, including many destinations in CO, is not likely to land permanently there. 

RantWoman actually still finds the mountains stunningly beautiful. RantWoman even indulges in magical visions involving transportation for non-drivers and solar-powered eco friendly, water minimizing lifestyles. None of that seems remotely feasible in a market banking on short-term visitations by the uber wealthy, but RantWoman is entertaining the idea, if only because snow and sunshine might be more psychically appealing than grey skies and drizzle

Even more visionary, RantWoman is entertained by the thought of all the people living unhoused on the streets of Seattle finding permanent supportive housing in all the underused mansions in CO.

Sorry, city planners. RantWoman knows that idea is probably terrifying. It's also unlikely to come to pass, but please indulge RantWoman in reflections about gigantic wealth gaps and the well-housed of Seattle also being annoyed by the considerably less well-housed.

Admittedly, no matter the destination, it would be a tough sell to persuade people living homeless in many cities to pack up and move to places known for harsh winters, some risk of altitude sickness for people moving from sea level. But could some kind of 21st century neo homesteading movement save at least some of these communities??? Could it work? Are there people on the streets who might, just MIGHT be game to try it...?

Hark: the voice of iceland and Atlantic ocean current cycles.

For everyone tired of many forms of politics and enchanted by more slowly evolving disasters.

“A Global Climate Disaster Is Coming… And Iceland Just Sounded the Alarm”

But will there be enough snowpack?

RantWoman will try to come back to the question: how on-target was this forecast?

Here’s How Much Snow You’ll Get This Year…

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

A wholesome alternative to World Events anxiety: CONSTRUCTION at UW Montlake.

 

Map of the Montlake UW Medical Center

RantWoman has a medical appointment at the UW Montlake Medical Center soon.

Oh FUN! The reminder text came with info about construction in the main entrance, closed street crossings and who knows what all.

UW Medical Center – Montlake Entrance Upgrade and Waterproofing | UW Medicine

RantWoman first attempted to interact with the map on her phone. Bad idea. RantWoman has a couple options for enlargement but it's too easy to lose context and full orientation clues.

RantWoman appreciates that there are directions aimed at pedestrians. RantWoman however is baffled by some of the text and the map doesn't help. For one thing RantWoman is confused by the appearance of bus stops. The cute little bus icon seems to be pointing perpendicular to the direction buses travel and RantWoman is completely confused by how to get from the bus stop to pedestrian-friendly paths, with or without traffic signals.

Well, one suggested routing suggests to RantWoman crossing Pacific St somewhere Montlake. RantWoman has used that street crossing. RantWoman does not like it nearly as much as the simple straightforward one near a bus stop. RantWoman hopes between signage and the "Ask a human algorithm that she can find the underground tunnel referenced in the directions.

RantWoman appreciates that the text prints out in large print. RantWoman wishes she could say the same thing about the map shown above. RantWoman's first effort to print the whole webpage yielded lovely readable text but the map took up about 1/4 of the 11" side of regular 8.5 x 11 inch paper. 

Black and white printing also obliterated several of the lightly colored lines in the map.

But lo RantWoman is resourceful. RantWoman decided just to download the map image and print that. That is more steps than lots of people will want to try and RantWoman had to fight off several AI-based offers of "help." RantWoman now has an almost workable map.

HOWEVER, RantWoman how the miniscule map works for drivers, especially drivers unfamiliar with the area. Surely not only RantWoman but also at least some drivers would really appreciate an easily printable map, a page with only the map, with the text on another page.

There. Enough rant for now. RantWoman will now get to bed so she can pop out of bed and interact with the built environment well-rested.

PS. After whining and grumbling about all the travel disruptions over the weekend, RantWoman's travel experience was tolerable.

Adventures of RantWoman: Who needs riots? Thank you transportation planners? And Happy Ride Transit Month

Leg 1

7+5 downtown busier than usual and a helpful police officer directing at what is a pretty simple street crossing anyway. The 5 did fill up with people who all debarked at stops near the Fremont fair.

Event with a guest working on Accessmap.app who is going to get an email with suggestions about something to indicate whether streets are arterials, minor arterials or residential streets.

After event, a walk from Greenwood to Aurora along the N side of N85th street, to save a couple street crossings.

E line to another stop.

(Ordinarily RantWoman would just take the E line downtown and transfer to the 8 at Denny. Separate whine about that not being viable right now.)

Walk to catch the Eastbound 40 to Northgate station, followed by 1 line to Capitol Hill and the 8 home from there. Train crowded and platform way more crowded than average. Train was terminated at Capitol Hill, single tracking and there were humans to guide people to the shuttles (or bus lines) downtown. RantWoman found this tolerable even with having to add an extra transit segment and the Juneuary temps and bluster.

Madow: Hundreds of protests planned as Trump's abuses generate ...

RantWoman still hasn't collected the black pussy hat with pink ears that a friend promised to knit RantWoman for the worldwide women's march at the onset of Trump 1.0 but BOY is RantWoman glad people are willing to take to the streets now.

True confession: RantWoman has a long list of activities she may need to handle instead of rushing out in the pollen and glorious sunshine to stand around in visible outrage. Trust RantWoman on this: RantWoman will still be protesting but probably just no in the streets.

Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart on the Los Angeles Wildfires

Another evening of blog as electronic scrapbook.

California, America Is With You | Stealing Greenland | A Medal For Pope Francis | Tennis Drama

Jon Stewart Calls Out GOP Hypocrisy with L.A. Wildfire Disaster Relief | The Daily Show

Dear #GOP, if you are not going to help please SHUT UP and get out of the way of people working very hard to cope

#LAWildfires

"This is not a time to make political points. It's time for people to come together and help.

RantWoman knows almost nothing about LA geography. RantWoman is listening to the numbers of people  being evacuated and has realized that, overwhelming and horrifying as the fires and smoke are, on some level the news is only a notch or two above the image the world gets fed when a few blocks of Seattle are taken over by an extended protest.

LA is going to have a tough road to recovery. President Elect Gropesaurus can be expected to be at best worse than useless. So far, he has not shown up to toss paper towels at the problem, but he is trying to promise retribution: refusing to send federal disaster aid, endless chatter in Elon's sandbox about how CA officials should all resign.

#FelonDon will be taking office having scored a whisker less than 50% of the popular vote. Never mind the electoral college: more people want someone else than want him. He probably cannot find an ounce of humility anywhere. It would not distress RantWoman if the barrage of #GOP and #MAGA lies wound up washing the new administration of any shred of legitimacy or popularity. But enough. Find ways to contribute. This really is a disaster and NO ONE should be making things worse.

Plonkers, Parsnips, and pedestrian nightmare. Oh My

Pomegranates from
the party before the party

This post is about Christmas dinner, the day after the Christmas Eve party with pomegranates.

So there RantWoman was, feasting with RantMom and some of her neighbors.

(Feast highlights: the vegetables. Carrot rutabaga soup flavored with rosemary, squash parsnip mash rich in sage, baked cauliflower with capers. Other items.)

Anyway, conversation with one neighbor turned to bus connections. Neighbor is a senior who uses a mobility cane and has a hearing loss. Neighbor's car is apparently out of commission. 

Neighbor: tell me about bus connections.

RantWoman to herself "Oh honey." 

To neighbor: "What kind of phone do you have?"

"A land line."

"You need the number for Metro Flex 206.253.7739."

The exact reason a senior who uses a cane and wants to use transit needs the phone number for MetroFlex:

The nearest bus stop to 11440 Rainier Avenue S is on the route 107, at 87th Ave S and S 115th street. The stop is up an extremely steep street with no reasonable pedestrian infrastructure on either side of the street and a stoplight at Rainier Avenue just to ensure that there are cars turning up the steep hill at arbitrary intervals.  RantWoman tried this stop exactly twice and then opted for plan B, described below.

Neither the Google trip planner nor the MetroFlex route picker knows this and RantWoman has realized that she needs to speak up, and preferably more politely than "No that is not an ideal routing you plonkers," That was rantWoman's thought bubble after the MetroFlex app said "We found you an ideal routing."

RantWoman has discovered another stop on Route 107 at 87th Ave. S and South 118th.  There are a couple different combinations of streets between S 118th and S 116th and cross streets that will get one to Rainier with about a block to walk before the stoplight to cross Rainier at S 115th. Sidewalks are spotty and intermittent but the streets are walkable at least for RantWoman, but NOT recommended for RantMom's neighbor. Traffic is sparse enough to be reasonably safe. That is the walk RantWoman did for holiday feasting in the rain, after multiple Uber screwups and recommendation from the MetroFlex app to take the bus. RantWoman did not tell RantMom's neighbor all of this. RantWoman just encouraged RantMom's neighbor to call MetroFlex.

RantWoman spared her dining companion her long litany of vexations with Metro Flex.

The first time RantWoman tried to use it, she just tried the phone number and had not set up the app with complete information about her own traveler characteristics. The person on the line just hung up and did not respond when RantWoman tried to call again. RantWoman thinks that time she opted for a short Uber ride, but that was STILL more than her Regional Reduced Fare Permit fare.

Then RantWoman tried to look up some point A to Point B routings to see whether they fell within one of the MetroFlex services areas. Turns out the MetroFlex app will not answer such questions unless one is already within one of the service areas. BOO!

Another day, RantWoman was travelling at dinner time with a dying cellphone battery. There were MetroFlex vehicles swarming around the Renton Transit center, but without a working phone RantWoman in her trademark yellow raincoat with white cane could not even flag down a vehicle to see about a ride to RantMom's.

Somewhere in here RantWoman finished setting up her rider profile which CLEARLY SAYS RantWoman is a white cane user with a Regional Reduced Fare Permit. WHERE on planet earth is it reasonable to expect that a white cane user will be able to navigate a pedestrian routing that is insane on pedestrian amenetiy grounds in the first place???

Anyway, next RantWoman did use the app but the promised response time was over an hour. RantWoman opted to pay for a short-distance Uber ride.

So then comes Christmas day. RAIN. Some kind of hiccup about connecting with Uber vehicles. Try MetroFlex. "Please wait while we find you the ideal routing."

No! No! No!

RantWoman decided to cope with the walk in the rain, with one final hiccup. 

Ring, Ring. RantWoman has regular old fashioned gloves with no modern flap on the index finger. The rain makes it hard to take gloves off. And...it's RantMom wanted to know where RantWoman is.

ETA 5 ,minutes, in plenty of time for dinner.

RantWoman will now share this rant and if necessary harangue relevant people....

Happy Christmas, Kwanzaa, Passover, Festivus....