By March Twisdale Over the past few weeks, we have witnessed the perfect proof that social media can churn up a hurricane of inaccurate memes, cherry-picked quotes, and other sloppily shared content that utterly misconstrues the true breadth and width of a person’s very public and very well documented life. As the world responded to…
By March Twisdale Throughout most of 2023, I wrote about the ubiquitous “transaction fees” that have quietly infiltrated our modern lives. I refer to them as “Bank Taxes” because they occur with all debit and credit card transactions, skimming money off the top of communities with every purchase. These are an unavoidable burden placed on…
By March Twisdale For eons, there were no coyotes on Vashon Island. For 10,000 years (or longer), human beings have lived in and around the Puget Sound, along with wolves and bears and cougars and many other animals native to this region. But not coyotes. We humans are native to this land. And, like all…
Our skills at onboarding and offboarding information determine the quality of our opinions By March Twisdale Hundreds of books are written, lectures are given, and manuals are printed every year, educating businesses on “How to Onboard and Offboard Employees.” This is because bringing in new individuals, and shedding those who are problematic or no longer…
By March Twisdale “Please do not come to my house to clean. I can’t have someone in my home who supports this administration and the destruction of our democracy. I am not open to any discussion.” This is the text I received two days after President Trump’s inauguration. To be clear, I worked for this…
By March Twisdale Gratitude and appreciation are super powers. They can change our outlook on anything and everything in a heartbeat, without the participation or agreement of any other natural force on Earth, including other people. And yet, how often do we use these great life skills? In our own lives, for our own benefit,…
By March Twisdale Over the past few weeks, Islanders have heard about a new residential development planned for the open acreage behind the IGA. Reaction was mixed, with some red flags flapping wildly in the social media wind. Of the reactions put forth by Islanders, on Facebook, the following sentiments should concern us all. –…
By March Twisdale By now, you may have heard that “new zoning laws” are being proposed for unincorporated King County (KC). This includes three rural towns: Fall City, Skyway, and Vashon. I have no idea what is best for the residents of Fall City or Skyway. But, like you, I have some ideas about what…
By March Twisdale Dear Vashon Island Visitor, Tourist, and Summer People, Roughly one year ago, I began a series of articles about “Bank Taxes.” This is what I call the predatory and increasingly ubiquitous money extraction technology also known as “transaction fees.” Wherever you live, these are impacting you negatively and directly, but even worse,…
By March Twisdale Authors Note: Written in collaboration with Jane Valencia, Island queer community residents, business owners, and others impacted by recent events. No matter how you slice it, a pitchfork mob is to be avoided. Lately, we seem to be forgetting this. Most are familiar with the story of “Beauty and the Beast.” In…