Comments

1
I've lived in Seattle for more than 30 years and in all manner of domiciles, from boats to barns, and everything in-between, and I've learned that if you live in a brick building around here A/C is becoming increasingly necessary. Brick tends to absorb heat during the day and release it at night when outside temperatures cool down; however, it's pretty indiscriminate in the sense that expiration of heat tends to go inside (even with insulation) as much as out. We live in a brick triplex with lots of southern and western exposure, and for much of the summer, especially the past four or five years, the internal temperature has hovered in the high 70's to low 80's for weeks at a time, even at night. Fans only move the hot air around, and it's a constant dance to have to open and close doors and windows, and shift fans during the day to expel hot air out one side and to pull cool air from the other side. We use a 5,000 BTU portable A/C unit in our bedroom, but that only keeps it barely comfortable when we're sleeping; the rest of the house becomes essentially a brick pizza oven from July through early September.
2
Mudede, you can't start with "no true Scotsman" fallacy. It's too obvious, man. This is a rookie mistake. I thought by now you'd have gone pro, but if you haven't figured it out by now, after all these years at The Stranger, you'll never be more than bush league.
3
The 'hands on the crystal ball' recalls Sauron--who indeed referred to himself as King Excellent--and his palantir. The axis of evil could hardly be more concentrated.
4
@COMTE We're basically in the same situation, dark paint on exterior, no insulation to speak of, bedroom against a south wall. Added bonus that a medication I take makes me heat-intolerant. So the bedroom air conditioner is the only way we survive summers, when even a 60+ sunny afternoon puts the bedroom above 80.
5
Grew up in Seattle and nobody in our family ever owned an umbrella. Thought I'd try one after moving to Spokane, but I left it somewhere the first time I took it out of the house, and that was the end of that.
6
Does it matter how fast the trains between Portland/Seattle/Vancouver can go, when you're still going to be stuck at a bridge for 20 minutes waiting for a freight train to rumble by?
7
Charles, I'm disappointed that you didn't tie the umbrella and AC to global warming, Cliff Mass, and/or capitalism.

I've lived here a few decades and occasionally use an umbrella because I don't want my legs to get wet when walking to and from my bus stops to work. And I have a portable AC because I have a giant west-facing window on the downward slope of Capitol Hill near I5. At about 4, the temperature of my place goes from mild to ridiculous, and it doesn't cool off until about 10PM.

But I wasn't born here, so I'm not a true Scotsman. My roommate girlfriend, however, is a true Scotsman, uses an umbrella, and really, really loves the AC.
8
For those who don't know: today is Harvey Milk's birthday, or it would have been if a bigoted homophobic cop (and yes, shithead white was still an active member of the SFPD, even though on a leave of absence) had not murder him in cold blood, and then had the DA throw the case

For those who don't know the "twinkie defense was always a scam, the DA took a dive.
9
Chuck never spent time in one of the new apartment buildings going up everywhere. Few to none of them have significant window-opening opportunities; and what exists are tiny openings. I was in a new, non-A/C building in Ballard and the summer was nearly unbearable when the temperature approached 80ºF. If the buildings had windows which fully opened, maybe it would be OK. I've since moved to a 60-yr-old building which of course has full window opening capability.
10
These new rental units are disproportionately located in high-rise buildings.

It is common for hick-type peoples, people who were not raised in cities, to assume that any room anywhere can be cooled off simply by opening a window.

What these hick peoples do not realize is that in big modern cities, the big modern buildings do not have windows that can open, because acceptable ventilation* is a difficult and expensive problem in these big modern buildings (and those revolving doors aren't installed just to provide amusement for hick-type walkers and gawkers).

With the need for sealed windows comes the need for temperature control, it is as simple as that.

 

* e.g. no howling winds in corridors, no stagnant, suffocating pockets, no internal doors nearly sealed shut by air pressure, no sudden extra forces in elevator shafts, etc
11
People have to stop expecting that Mudede knows literally anything about the crap he pontificates on. He hypocritically lives in a single family home where he can control the climate in various ways, so that means no one else needs AC either. This is the way he thinks. He doesn't know anything about construction, building codes, needs for ventilation, air pressure, or anything like that.

So you get a childish "no one needs things I don't need" holier than thou scolding.
12
Getting told what a proper Seattleite does and does not do by an immigrant never gets old.
13
A fifty percent chance of a hotter summer evaluates to a sophomoric postulation.
14
first of all, its the 'Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation'. and secondly, a 50% chance of a hotter summer than normal is the stupidest statistic i have ever heard.
15
Isn't there always a 50% chance of being hotter than usual? Isn't that the definition of usual . What a stupid statistic.
16
50% chance of a hotter summer than normal? If it comes from the MyNorthwest website you know that's just gotta be credible information!

Where's the Buzzfeed link?
17
Oh bullshit. I was born in Seattle 60+ years ago and own several umbrellas. I also have a portable AC unit for my small condo in a brick building.
18
Just rage bought an air conditioned umbrella.
19
my umbrella is <12" long, fits in my manbag. it allows me to dress like an adult and not in a poncho every day. I don't see the problem.
20
@7 Cliff Mass (who is, as you know, Charles' sworn enemy) wrote basically the exact same piece over the weekend:

"A/C may be nice on a rare and extreme Seattle hot spell, but generally is unnecessary. More A/C is like the trend for expensive granite counter tops-- pleasant to have perhaps, but a luxury. More A/C is probably a better measure of the increasing wealth of our region than of increasing temperatures."

http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2017/05/ar…

21
Charles Mudede never misses an opportunity to show that he is an idiot.
22
Charles, at some point do you EVER get tired of being so drastically wrong about everything?
23
Charles agrees with Cliff Mass? We know what's next. Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes... The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!
24
Any chance of an increase in Amtrak trains and a major decrease in BNSF oil / coal trains?
25
@1 COMTE and @17 Jasmine C. : I don't own an umbrella (but raincoats and hoodies sure come in handy). As a Seattle native now living in a rented apartment in a 93-year old brick building for over the last 12 years, I feel your summertime pain. No AC here, but with open windows and a fan, life is better. I'm lucky not to be living on an upper floor on the western side. The heat worshippers can have it.
26
I face west with lots of large windows that crank out (ie not good for airflow). You can pry my a/c out of my hot, dead hands.
27
Oh, and there was also a fire in a Ballard boat house on Sunday evening.
28
"50% chance of being hotter than usual" is going on my platitude Hall of Fame list.
29
@26 Queue517: Actually, you have my deepest sympathy. Hope your unit also has a tub for ice.
@27 hey: Was it Ray's on Shilshole?
30
Canada doesn't have a premier - it has a prime minister. Provinces of Canada have premiers.

Please wait...

Comments are closed.

Commenting on this item is available only to members of the site. You can sign in here or create an account here.


Add a comment
Preview

By posting this comment, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use.