I am even more confused by this recent article on the Olympia postmark.

Clint Burelson, president of the local postal union, has issued a press release concerning how service would be affected.

A choice comment on a Postal News (November 9) compilation of information on all this manages to blame TESC.

Pass Initiative 666 –Save the Puppies. If I had a pet monkey and one day decided to throw him into my wood burning stove, locking the door behind him, he would die. He would die because of his inability to sustain life in an environment into which I thrust him. If my actions happened to be witnessed by a Good Samaritan, I would certainly, and rightly so, be charged with a criminal act. Brothers and sisters, although some say monkeys resemble humans, you and I know that we were created in God’s image, and bear no direct relation to these creatures. Yet, still we care. We sympathize with the plight of a creature with whom we share not a shred of common descent, and we do so simply because we are Christians. I ask you then, my Christian brethren, can we not extend that compassion to that with which we are related in the very flesh and soul? Most states have made great strides in eradicating that satanic ritual known as abortion. With Alito on the Supreme Court, our dream of national God-reverence shall likely come to pass. But hearken Christian soldiers; there is another who begs our urgent protection. Many times per second, all day everyday, ZILLIONS upon ZILLIONS of our vulnerable little relatives are spat out like my figurative monkey into the inhospitable atmosphere and certain death. Conjure an image of ZILLIONS of white puppy dog tails wagging in a happily harmonious unison, within the safety of their perfect pink kennel. Now imagine the affects of that life sustaining kennel’s sudden disappearance. All those ZILLIONS of perfect white puppy tails freeze stiff with the suddenness of a volcanic spume ejection. Their little puppy eyes roll up into their heads and their little wet noses cease to pant. Brothers and sisters in Christ, the time is now. We must pass initiative 666. We must save our little brothers, the sperm. Choose Life! Prohibit masturbation!

I noticed that a state agency here in Oly had way cool posters for various facets of their work. I learned that the posters were available to the public and I e-mailed my request, asking for a copy of the latest and also of anything from past they had available.

I got a remarkably friendly e-mail back, stating that the recent poster was in the mail to me, but that alas, various unnamed co-workers has several days prior thrown all the past posters away. My correspondent also wrote that I could come watch him shoot his co-workers at 3PM the next day if I wished.

I e-mailed back and suggested that my correspondent teach his fellow workers the meaning of the word "ephemera" . This was meant as a jest, idea being that if the workers only knew how ephemera can become quite valuable and desired, perhaps they wouldn't be so quick to toss things.

I assumed that this was the end of the e-mail correspondence. But I got yet another e-mail today, the state worker wrote that it had taken 10 minutes to find out what that word "ephemera" really means, and that "it's a pretty good word!!!". Also with the news that enough yelling had happened that probably the co-workers would keep their mitts off of collections of past printed material.

I see this all as a mostly win win situation. I'll get my poster, a state worker learned a valuable word, and perhaps my new found appreciation for the ephemera of life has been shared.

I encourage everyone to read a great book, Rare Bird, Pursuing the Marbled Murrelet, by Maria Mudd Ruth. Locally, marbled murrelets have been seen out at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. Anyone seen one there or elsewhere?

As an incentive to get everyone to read this book, here are the common nicknames for the bird, listed by the author: "fog lark, dip chick, buzz bomb, Australian hummingbird, kiss-me-ass bird, and little hell diver.". What's not to love in a bird like that?

Don Brunell, president of the Association of Washington Business, (Washington state's chamber of commerce), thinks so, at least when it comes to a proposed community values ordinance.

Article is also interesting because of word choices, Don definitely has a distinct point of view here.

I found the article through Tidepool, news for Salmon Nation.

From MSNBC.com:

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The tempting smell of pepperoni pizza drifted through the air as students poured into the cafeteria.

But 11-year-old Cameron Landry walked straight past the cheesy slices and started piling organic lettuce, pita pockets and blueberries on his tray.

Sounds like a nutritionist's dream. But it's reality at Lincoln Elementary. The school's organic salad bar has proven so popular _ and surprisingly economical _ that all Olympia grade schools now have one.

Watch out for downtown detour. From The Olympian:

Construction begins Tuesday on the crossing at Jefferson Street and Fourth Avenue, and on Friday at the crossing on Jefferson Street and State Avenue.

Crews will be working from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. to reduce the effects on businesses open during the day.

Traffic will be affected. Parts of State and Fourth will be closed, except to merchants and residents in the immediate area.

I'm looking at the stats on traffic to the site. We've been getting an average of 200 unique visitors a day, with around 700 pageloads/day. This is pretty stunning for only being around for about 4 months. If we keep this up, we'll be pulling in 6k unique visitors/month, and 21k pageloads/month. Also, Olyblog is a Flippery Fish in the TTLB Ecosystem (based on the number of blogs that link to us).

One implication of these numbers is that there are a lot of folks who are looking at the site, but not commenting or posting. I encourage y'all to take the plunge and join the conversation. This site is public space for Olympians to talk to each other about what they feel is important. So, if you have a topic you'd like to see discussed, sign up and start a debate.

--Rick (your humble administrator)

There was an event on campus celebrating some kind of TESC anniversary around 1986-87 featuring important State political figures, including Gov. Booth Gardner. He was a Democrat who served from 1985-1993. Gov. Gardner was making a point about the heritage of Washington State.

"Washington, a great state, built by pioneer families ..."

And here I thought, how nice. He's going to recognize live-off-the-land Territorial families like mine. People who came here in the wild and woolly days to seek a better life. Citizens who contributed to the creation of entirely new communities. Real pioneers, hardscrabble workers and farmers who sacrificed everything they had to take a risk and jump into the unknown.

"... Yes, great families, like the Boeings, the Weyerhaeusers ..."

Silly me.