This article has a sidebar with a list of all the free wireless spots in Olympia and Lacey. (Extra points if you can spot the OlyBlogger in the article.)

South Sound's public libraries have just gone wireless, joining a growing network of places where laptop-toting residents can access the Internet for free.

Is it me or does anyone else find it ironic that the same day that the extension of the Patriot Act gets quashed, other senators are calling for investigation into the NSA and their use of surveillance inside the US without court order? I'm not shocked that the NSA is listening in, I'm shocked that the Senators are shocked.

Didn't someone tell them that stopping terrorists inside our own borders far outweighs any civil rights we had?

Sheesh.

Observed at local grocery store:

She has a cell phone glued to her ear and is talking animatedly with someone on the other end about nothing that sounds all that important. Her grocery cart is nearly full. She steers it up to the counter, empties the cart, then stands in the appropriate place as the groceries are checked out. All while talking on the phone.

She doesn't smile to the checker. She doesn't make a "please forgive me" face. In fact, apparently the checker is invisible.

She doesn't nod when the total is announced. The checker at this point has lowered her voice some in deference to the almighty cell phone. Groceries are paid for and she is on out the door, never once having shown any sign of interaction with another human being. Other than the invisible one she converses with.  

I live just outside the city limit, and we still separate out our recyclables, which is a major pain. It looks like there is the possibility of moving to a single-stream system. No more sorting -- Yeah! From The Olympian:

The county and area refuse haulers want to make recycling easier for residents, but that convenience will come at a price.

They're exploring reducing the current three-bin-plus system for residential customers who live in Thurston County but out-side of Olympia and Rainier.

Olympia made the switch two years ago. Rainier has a city disposal service but doesn't offer curbside recycling.

Haulers in other areas provide bins for glass, metals and newspaper. The county has allowed residents to provide their own bin for plastic since 1996. They also can bag up mixed paper such as junk mail and magazines.