Wow this is a fantastic and artistic picture, bravo!

In Oregon tipped employees are required to be paid the state minimum wage. Tips are considered extra on top of that. Seems to be an exception though unfortunately.

I wouldn’t say Jackson or Josephine county “want” to join Idaho. There has not really been political talk or any votes for such a thing. The counties that want to join Idaho are east of Jackson county and have much smaller population. Anecdotally, everyone I know in both counties are proud Oregonians and would never vote for such a thing, even if they do hate Portland. The anti-tax sentiment is a separate issue all together.

I had like $6k savings until I did my taxes and apparently everything I saved up was how much I owed the tax man. I thought I had actually gotten ahead but turns out that was an illusion lol

Just got fiber in my area of the US, it’s $60 for 500/500, or $80 for 1000/1000

I don’t understand it either. What’s the purpose of making voting so difficult? Is it to keep the less fortunate and less abled from being able to have a voice in elections?

I’m in the US but my state does mail-in voting by default, so you get plenty of time to research and make your vote choices from the comfort of your own home. We also have automatic voter registration through our department of motor vehicles. I think either a system like your country has or my state has should be the standard across the US, but unfortunately it’s not.

I see lots of trucks in my area that are pulling trailers loaded with equipment that a transit van or kei truck would never be able to haul safely or at all. Realistically, if we’re talking about work trucks, there does need to be a middle ground between a transit van/small pickup and semi trucks/heavy duty commercial vehicles. I do agree that most people with these giant vehicles definitely do not need them though.

Oregon started issuing licenses to treatment facilities this year. It took a few years to get the infrastructure in place and to get professional therapists trained, but facilities are now opening up for treatment.

I bought a reasonably affordable small home in 2019 when I was 21-22. I got it on a 15 year mortgage. That means by my mid 30’s I’ll own my home outright and will be able to put my entire mortgage payment (minus property taxes) into my bank account every month, opening up tons of possibilities for the rest of the best years of my life. If I was renting that would never be a possibility, and I’d have to pay ever increasing rent until I die.

eBay has its uses, especially when you’re trying to find used genuine parts for whatever you’re working on, but other than that both eBay and Amazon seem to be flooded with Chinese crap

Fully loaded trim levels of the big 3’s trucks do reach towards the 100k price level, if not more