The Um, Sir Podcast

EmilyInEverett and her Neighbor, Samie

The “Um, Sir” Podcast, where Emily in Everett and her neighbor Samie attempt to defend democracy here in Washington while popping egos and deflating arrogance in a dude’s domain. They talk about pop culture, politics, and how the two collide and affect you. Join them for candid conversation, nervous laughter, and bad words as they offer solutions for crushing your imposter syndrome and putting your money where your mouth is. They don’t know all the answers, but they'll give you the feedback you didn’t know you needed.

  1. Apr 29

    Introducing The Future of Our Former Democracy

    While Samie and Emily break for their mental health, they're dropping a very special episode from The Future of Our Former Democracy—yes, the Signal Award-winning podcast that’s basically Snohomish’s coolest export besides, like, Colin Cole (hi, Colin!). It’s made by this Seattle-based racial justice org, More Equitable Democracy, which, same, icon behavior. This season they are drawing parallels between Nazi Germany’s rise and, uh… *gestures vaguely at everything*… our current political moment.And how Germany rebuilt its democracy to keep extremism from pulling a sequel. Episode one is all about how Germany overhauled its elections post-WWII to avoid, y’know, another fascist takeover. And now Colin and Heather Villanueva are over here like, ‘So… how do we not repeat history?’ Mood. Want more? Hit follow on The Future of Our Former Democracy wherever you get your podcasts: Apple, Spotify, all the usual suspects. Trust us, it’s a vibe.

    40 min

  2. Apr 28

    Um, Civics: The Unsexy (But Totally Necessary) World of Charter Review

    Guest: Randy Bolerjack, Everett Charter Review Committee Member The Gist:Emily in Everett sits down with Randy Bolerjack, another self-proclaimed "civic nerd" and Everett’s Charter Review Committee member, to unpack the wildly underrated world of city charters. Spoiler: It’s the rulebook for how your city (or county) runs, and most of us have no idea what’s in it, let alone, what it is! Why It Matters: Your city’s charter = its constitution. Want to change how local government works? This is where it starts.Everett’s committee (15 members, because democracy loves a crowd) is reviewing everything from council powers to election rules. And yes, they want your input.Randy’s day job? Overseeing WA state’s elections, libraries, and charities. So if you thought this was nerdy, just wait. Call to Action:Read your city’s charter. Attend a meeting. Pretend to care at parties.  Vibe Check:✅ Wonky but fun✅ 100% necessary✅ Guaranteed to make you the most interesting person at your next city council meeting Listen if: You’ve ever wondered why your local government works the way it does (or doesn’t). P.S. Randy’s a Coug. We’ll let you decide if that’s a pro or a con. Learn more:Follow Randy on InstagramEmail Randy: randybolerjack@outlook.comEverett Charter Review CommitteeCounty Forms of Government - Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington (MSRC)Snohomish County Charter Review CommissionWhat is a Charter? - League of Women Voters' of Snohomish CountyWho is running the Snohomish County Charter Review Commission? - News TribuneBy Abi Ludwig is a co-founder of Standing for Washington, sponsors of Everett Initiative 24-03Washington State Secretary of State ElectionsEverett Link Extension - Sound TransitBuild the Damn TrainsEverett Outdoor Event Center - City of EverettEverett AquaSox 2026 Season

    1h 13m

  3. Feb 25

    Um Civics: "Shit’s Terrible" The Marie G. Paradox

    This week on Um, Sir, we take a deep dive into Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. The vibes, the votes, the “I’m not like other Democrats” energy, and ask the question: who exactly is this for? From SAVE Act support to ICE funding to car analogies that never quite land, we unpack the rural vs. Seattle narrative, Blue Dog politics, and what it actually means to represent working people without throwing your own base under the bus. It’s nuanced. It’s spicy. It’s a little exasperated. And yes… shit’s terrible.  Note: She did, in fact, end up voting against the Save Act the very next day. Did she see our "bang" reel on Instagram? CHECK OUTSnohomish Podcast Network Right to Repair - Facebook The Banana Act (Food Handling Reform) - Facebook LISTEN Marie Gluesenkamp Perez on What Urbanites Get Wrong about Rural America - Blue City Blues Podcast with David Hyde and Sandeep Kaushik Seattle Nice Podcast - with David Hyde, Erica Barnett, and Sandeep Kaushik WATCHI'm definitely not your typical candidate for Congress - FacebookRunning an Auto Repair Shop (August 2024 Reel) - Instagram  "Shit’s Terrible” – ICE Funding Defense Clip  - Instagram  Bumper Stickers & Branding (October 2024)  - Instagram  Border Security / Fentanyl Messaging Shift (June 2024 Ad) - Facebook “I Can’t Believe I’m Still Saying This” (Fundraising Video – June 28, 2025)  - Instagram  4/24 Outside Marie Glusenkamp Perez’s Town Hall - TikTok That’s it! Emily is growing out her bangs. Thanks for the “heads up” - Instagram READThe Betrayals of Marie Gluesenkamp Perez by Karissa Halstrom - Current AffairsBlue Dogs aim to grow their ranks - Politico  Israel bars Muslim Reps. Omar and Tlaib from visiting the country - NBC News Gluesenkamp Perez Releases Statement After Voting to Reopen the Government - Press Release Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez joins other Democrats to vote against SAVE America Act - The Columbian  ON WHISTLES Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network on Whistles Our Common Power on Whistles   Update: WAISN blocked us - SuperFamilia_KC SUPPORTOur Common Power LEARN MOREFive Things to Know About the SAVE America Act - Bipartisan Policy Center Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez - House of Representatives Webpage Contributions - Federal Elections CommissionAccording to the American Jewish Committee “From the River to the Sea” Meaning

    1h 29m

  4. Feb 18

    Halftime Investigations & Full-Time Idiots

    Congress is investigating the Super Bowl halftime show (because priorities), the Epstein files are still a mess, and somehow Dr. Oz wants us to trust him again. Cool, cool. This week, Emily, Samie, and special guest Cindy Goble (elections queen, law degree holder, civic enthusiast) break down the Grammys fashion chaos, Bad Bunny’s culture-shifting halftime show, Jake Paul’s colonizer nonsense, and why Republicans are mad about Puerto Rico existing. We spiral (responsibly) through Epstein updates, local ballot drama, and the radical concept of… voting. Grab a beverage. Democracy is tired, but we’re not. CHECK OUTSnohomish Podcast NetworkBook banning in Washington state: An FAQ - ACLU of Washington U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Epstein Files Release Portal - U.S. Justice Department Washington State Voter Portal (register, check ballot status, text notifications) - WA Secretary of State Washington State Legislature bill tracker - Washington State Legislature LISTEN “I don’t have to understand something to appreciate it” - TheDadChats  WATCH PBS Documentary: The Librarians - PBSNaked Attraction - HBOAnoushka DiGiorgio, Epstine File Dump Betrayal - TikTokSuper Bowl Halftime Show full performance (Bad Bunny) - RedditTrevor Noah’s Grammy monologue recap - TikTokDropkick Murphys statement regarding Wasserman Media - FacebookCongressional press statements about investigating the halftime show - YouTube READ 'Suspicious' substance found in Snohomish County ballot box, sheriff says - KING 5“Good Republican” Bill. HB 1584: Ending vote by mail for nonabsentee voters and restoring in-person voting at polling places and voting centers. - Washington State LegislatureThousands of Epstein documents taken down after victims identified - MSNHeidi Klum’s Nude 2026 Grammys Dress Is Molded to Her Butt Crack - CosmopolitanEvery Single Gorgeous Red Carpet Look From the 2026 Grammy Awards - Cosmopolitan The Files & Carol Montgomery - Justice.Gov

    1h 23m

  5. Feb 11

    Part 2: Sanctuary Cities for Employers

    Um, Sir: Part Two picks up an unfiltered, wide-ranging conversation with Ryan Johnson that dives headfirst into immigration, ICE, labor exploitation, and who actually benefits from the system as it exists. From a blue-collar truck driver’s perspective, the hosts unpack why employer accountability (not worker punishment) is the missing piece in the immigration debate, drawing clear lines between labor trafficking, modern-day exploitation, and political cowardice. Along the way, the episode weaves in history, media, pop culture, and a brutally honest conversation about messaging, power, and why talking at people instead of with them keeps us stuck. It’s raw, funny, uncomfortable, and exactly the conversation we’re not having enough. CHECK OUTSnohomish Podcast Network LISTEN Um, Sir – Part One: Labor, Logistics, and Losing Our MindsCurmudgeon's CornerGood Hang with Amy Poehler - YouTube WATCH Stranger ThingsA Knight of the Seven KingdomsHouse of the DragonShameless READ Employing undocumented workers in Texas is illegal, but rarely enforced - KXKNEmployers steal billions from workers’ paychecks each year - Economic Policy InstituteThe Fourth Turning Is Here - By Neil HoweA Chill Sets In for Undocumented Workers, and Those Who Hire Them - NY TimesWithout DALE, Employers Gain More Power to Exploit Workers - Center for Law and Social PolicyUndocumented builders face unchecked exploitation amid Trump raids: ‘It’s more work, less pay’ - The GuardianThe Everett Massacre - Everett Public LibraryThe Minneapolis teamsters’ strike of 1934 - MinnPost1997 United Parcel Service Strike - Teamsters for a Democratic UnionChicago Teamsters’ Strike of 1905: Topics in Chronicling America - Library of Congress SUPPORT Northwest Immigrant Rights ProjectNorthwest Community Bail FundWashington State Labor Council(PBS) Public Broadcasting SystemsSupport KUOW & NPR BUY. IF YOU MUSTUnion-made goods and fair-labor brands (if you’re going to spend money anyway) Merch or memberships that support independent podcasts and creators LEARN MORE Workers’ Rights, National Immigration Law CenterImmigrant and Justice Toolkit - Washington State Labor CouncilSeattle Legal Defense NetworkNational Immigration Legal Services DirectoryWhat ITINs are and how undocumented workers actually pay taxes

    33 min

  6. Feb 4

    Labor, Logistics, and Losing Our Minds

    Um, Sir… why is everything terrible, radioactive, and somehow still about bathrooms? Emily and Samie are joined by Ryan Johnson, a veteran truck driver and Teamster, to unpack how trucking, labor rights, and basic human dignity collide. Ryan breaks down how trucking is structured to reward long hours, unpaid waiting time, and “pay by the mile” systems that leave workers absorbing all the risk — including the fight to secure something as basic as bathroom access. The conversation escalates (quickly) into fracking, radioactive wastewater, and how hazardous materials are moved and dumped with little enforcement, putting workers and communities at risk. It’s bleak, sharp, and painfully funny — a reminder that everything is connected, and none of it works without labor. CHECK OUTSnohomish Podcast NetworkInternational Brotherhood of TeamstersGeneral Teamsters Local Union No. 38HB 1706, Concerning truck drivers ability to access restroom facilities (2022) WA State LegislatureTrucker Resource, Port of Everett LISTENFrom Pitch To Puget Sound - upcoming new show!Good Time Girls in Bellingham - Bellingham History WATCH Ice Road Truckers, The History ChannelPoisoned Waters (full documentary), PBS FrontlineGeochemistry of produced waters sourced from the Marcellus Shale, Justin Makey, PhD, YouTube READ America’s Radioactive Secret, By Justin Nobel (2020), Rolling Stone I’m A Twenty Year Truck Driver, I Will Tell You Why America’s “Shipping Crisis” Will Not End, By Ryan Johnson, MediumI Am A Twenty Year Truck Driver, Part 2: How Truckers Are Paid, By Ryan Johnson, Medium Radioactive Shadow Workers: The treatment of oil and gas field waste is a dirty industry’s dirtiest secret, By Justin Nobel, Sierra Club Magazine Truckers Petition Feds to Enforce HAZMAT Rules on Oil and Gas Waste, By Dustin Renaud, Earth Justice Orphan Well Explosion in Wayne National Forest Injures 6, Including 5 Critically, The Intelligencer SUPPORTWorker-led labor organizations and strike funds supporting drivers, warehouse workers, and port labor. Environmental justice groups fighting toxic dumping and injection wells, especially in Appalachia. Local and national efforts pushing for enforcement of existing hazmat and labor laws (not just new bills). BUY. IF YOU MUST Union-made goodsWaste: One Woman's Fight Against America's Dirty Secret by Catherine Coleman Flowers (2020) Run to Failure: BP and the Making of the Deepwater Horizon Disaster by Abrahm Lustgarten (2012) Poisoned Water: How the Citizens of Flint, Michigan, Fought for Their Lives and Warned the Nation by Candy J. Cooper and Marcina Wheeler (2020) Not radioactive road salt. Ever. Just… don’t. LEARN MOREFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)Basics of hazardous materials law, bills of lading, National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA)How to read rail and truck placards

    1h 31m

  7. Jan 28

    Um, Civics: Please Open Your Ballot

    This week on Um, Sir, Emily and Samie are joined by veteran educator Steve Cross for a wide-ranging conversation that connects everyday chaos to the very real stakes of public education. From teaching middle school and surviving ninth graders to Caribbean travel detours and student protests, they manage to discuss it all.  Listen as they attempt to break down school levies and bonds, share how property taxes actually fund schools, and discuss why low-turnout elections have lasting consequences for students, teachers, and communities. It’s a reminder that school funding isn’t abstract—it’s counselors, class sizes, safe buildings, and support kids rely on every day.  Civics, but make it human. CHECK OUT Vote.Wa.GovSnohomish Podcast NetworkEverett Public Schools Bond and Levy InformationSnohomish School District Levy InformationProperty Tax Basics - Municipal Research & Service Center (MRSC)Everett High School students walked out of classes today in protest ICE activity in Snohomish County and around the country - Instagram, IganniphotoHappening now at the Snohomish County Campus Plaza. Everett High School students have gathered to protest ICE, today, Tuesday, Jan. 13. - Facebook, Everett Post LISTEN Um, Sir Podcast: RFK Impersonations, Property Tax Bills, and SmutUm, Sir Podcast: The System Is Designed to Kill Your Bil Morbid Podcast - Spotify Every Outfit Podcast WATCH Bonds & Levies: What’s the Difference - NWESD YouTube  Hilary Knight on Chasing Olympic Gold, Team USA Pressure, and the Future of Women’s Hockey - FanSided NHL, YouTube Aneta Tejralova —> Sarah Fillier #HFHits - HockeyFights, Instagram Professor Shocks High School by Speaking Gen Z Slang - Facebook READ Everett High students walk out to protest ICE activity - Everett HeraldLocal high school students rally in support against ICE activities - The ClipperSchools eye fixes to leaky roofs, aging boilers, old tech - Everett Herald (April 17, 2022)The Pathfinder: The Ballot Information Problem - Cascade PBS  In Our View: Local media’s decline factors into election - The Columbian Equal is Not Good Enough: An Analysis of School Funding Across the U.S. and Within Each State - The Education Trust Breaking down WA's school funding formula - Cascade PBS Explainers on property taxes and special taxing districts (fire, school, library, ports) 2023 is the new worst: Washington again sets a record for low turnout in a general election - The Cascadia AdvocateSeattle Torrent player suspended for 'forceful, predatory' check to opponent's head - KOMO News SUPPORT (PBS) Public Broadcasting Systems Support KUOW & NPR BUY. IF YOU MUST Rum from Antigua (coconut, vanilla, cardamom optional) - Total Wine and More Torrent Hockey Tickets LEARN MORE Levy Data, Rolls, and Election Results Data - Washington Office of Superintendent of Public InstructionGranite Falls School District Levy InformationSnohomish County Sample Ballots and Voters GuideNorthwest Educational Service District (ESD 189)

    1h 23m

  8. Jan 21

    Um, Civics: The System Is Designed to Kill Your Bill

    Emily walks Ashley (and all of us) through how a bill actually becomes law in Washington. Spoiler: it’s messy, slow, and absolutely designed to kill your idea. Using the fictional Rhythm Reduction Act (RIP dancing), they break down committees, sponsors, lobbyists, hearings, caucuses, companion bills, and why a 60-day session turns everyone feral. Along the way: dinosaurs, pickleball, Bic pens, why the minority party controls the clock, and a reminder that democracy is less Schoolhouse Rock and more group project with deadlines and vibes. CHECK OUT Washington State Legislature Bill Tracker The Snohomish Podcast Network Committee schedules & public hearing calendars  Washington State legislative session calendar & cutoff deadlines *Research your favorite advocacy organization and find their Advocacy Day!  LISTEN Um, Sir Podcast Um, Civics: FIFA 2026 and the Politics Behind the Pitch Capitol Ideas Podcast WATCH I'm Just a Bill, Schoolhouse Rock - YouTube  TVW - Committee hearings livestreams from Olympia READ The Washington Standard  Axios Politics Fiscal notes (and why they kill dreams)Governor’s Veto Power in Washington: How It Works and Why It Matters - Tri City Regional Chamber of CommerceInitiative and Referendum Processes - National Conference of State Legislatures BUY. IF YOU MUST Pocket Constitution Washington State Legislative Gift Center! LEARN MORE Washington State Civic Education Programs

    1h 26m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The “Um, Sir” Podcast, where Emily in Everett and her neighbor Samie attempt to defend democracy here in Washington while popping egos and deflating arrogance in a dude’s domain. They talk about pop culture, politics, and how the two collide and affect you. Join them for candid conversation, nervous laughter, and bad words as they offer solutions for crushing your imposter syndrome and putting your money where your mouth is. They don’t know all the answers, but they'll give you the feedback you didn’t know you needed.

Information

  • Creator
    EmilyInEverett and her Neighbor, Samie
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © EmilyInEverett and her Neighbor, Samie
  • Show Website
    The Um, Sir Podcast