Sounds like good bedtime reading for stevenl. From Book Reviews 4 Seniors:

Beacon Rock "is the biggest single rock in the world next to Gibraltar . . . Lake Washington Floating Bridge is the longest and heaviest floating structure in the world. . . . The full-scale replica of Stonehenge, not to mention the Teapot Gas Station in Zillah, [and] the statue of Lenin in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. . . ."

Although rodeos can be found throughout the state, "the majority are held in eastern Washington," the almanac says. "The two best known are the Ellensburg Rodeo, held each Labor Day weekend, and the Omak Stampede, with its famous and controversial . . . suicide race. The race consists of 20 riders going hell-bent for leather down a steep embankment, fording the river, climbing back up the other side, and racing to the rodeo grounds."

Facts about Olympia center on the city's role as capital of the state and include its Korean War Veterans' Memorial "built in 1993 on the East Campus across the footbridge from the State Capitol Visitor Center" and its Vietnam Veterans' Memorial "built in 1987 on the hillside east of the Insurance Building."

In interesting breakdown of the effects of the Nisqually earthquake from University of Washington News and Information:

In the Nisqually earthquake, GPS sensors showed a Coast Guard station at Point Robinson on the east edge of Maury Island moved 8 millimeters to the south-southwest and the UW campus moved 5 millimeters -- about two-tenths of an inch -- south-southwest. The data showed that Satsop, which is about midway between the epicenter and the Washington coast, moved west about 6 millimeters and Pacific Beach, on the coast, moved northwest about 4 millimeters.

Though currently there are no measurements, Qamar also expects that data eventually will show that areas west of the earthquake's focus deep beneath the Nisqually River delta north of Olympia rose as much as a half-inch in the quake. He expects that areas to the east will have dropped about one-third of an inch. (An earthquake's epicenter is the area on the surface that lies directly above the hypocenter, or focus.)

A kick-off event for the Washington Climate Action Network (Washington CAN!)
6:30 pm-8:30pm at Climate Solutions, 219 Legion Way SW

This is a really awesome opportunity to learn about global warming and what we can do about it. Speakers include: Paul Horton, Climate Solutions; Heather Trim, People for Puget Sound; Bonnie Phillips, Olympic Forest Coalition

Saturday, December 3rd:
Another awesome bike ride meeting at 1:00 in the parking lot on Harrison and Division (where Rainy Day Records, Apollo's Pizza and Grocery Outlet are). We will bike over to:

Stop Global Warming Rally!
This will start at around 1:30 at the Heritage Park fountain downtown on 4th Ave.
We're getting speakers, music, drumming etc. There will be an open mike for anyone who wants to say or sing something. Bring instruments, signs, pamphlets and enthusiasm. Come and find out ways you can get involved to stop global warming. This is in solidarity with protests all over the world against global warming during the Climate Conference in Montreal, Canada (November 28th to December 9th).

Is Bush using his recent big talk about immigration and borders to keep us distracted?

This blog BAGnewsNotes is worth checking out for many reasons, including ongoing collective discussion of news images. "De-fence of Liberty" is on the plate right now. About immigration and borders and propaganda.

Speaking of propaganda, check this horror out: We Need a Fence.

I don't have all the pieces of this story yet, hopefully folks can fill in the blanks for us.

Okay. The Ramada Inn Governor House was unionized for over 20 years. The hotel's general manager then began outsourcing the food and beverage department to a non-union company. Protest happened. Then the restaurant was closed down, in what looks to be a classic union-busting maneuver.

A new restaurant, Southern Kitchen, is scheduled to open in that space this Saturday. No mention of union.

It was almost as if we are all endowed with a set amount of energy, and our dear friend Steve Charak burned his up earlier than the rest of us. My fellow artist Garn Turner called Steve "a force of nature." But man, what a show!

Steve arrived in Olympia from Chicago about 1976-77, I'd guess. I first met him shortly after he landed here. He was behind the counter of some fish and chips place on the Westside, with a ridiculous fast food hat floating a good foot above his cranium thanks to his wild hair which he called his "Jewfro." Most who got to know him later in life when his head was shaved find it hard to believe he had such a mane. He was a human blur in constant motion, his energy level was so intense I got tired just watching him. The only time I ever saw him move like a normal person was whenever he had the flu or a cold or something that would slow him down.