Governor Gregoire's Office has asked us to contact them through their site  with our comments and concerns about the upcoming Neo-Nazi visitation. We can also ask for the Office to make an official statement.

Funny thing: I only saw one other walker. Is this the "out of sight - out of mind" mentality? Anyway, Ya'll are missing out.

I won't be able to check out the lake at 8 A.M. tomorrow morning, but I would be interested in hearing about its condition. There's a whole lot of water moving down there. That's for sure.

I JUST got a call back from Motel 6, their GM is Julie.... They are having a fit about being listed on the NSM site and are looking at taking legal action against NSM through their corporate office.

I have to go back to work but I want to let you know all the hotels were flabbergasted. Phoenix Inn GM, Greg Taylor would like to put up a huge HateFree Zone sign... Its worth a phone call to encourage a organized corporate response from Oly hotels...

They are having a second informational picket this Friday, February 3, during CenterFest at the Washington Center. After more than a year of negotiations, the stage hands at the Washington Center are still far from an agreement on a labor contract between management and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 15.

Frustrated by management's lack of progress during the negotiations, the stage hands are letting the public know why the venue, owned by the City of Olympia and partly funded with city tax money, is not an equitable place to work.

More...

ABC News' national broadcast Monday ran coverage on the extremely well equipped field and manned hospital at Balad Air Base, a transportable emergency room with not one but two neurosurgeons on duty, better than most emergency rooms in the United States.

It was a story ABC News became aware of because that was where Woodruff and Vogt were treated. It was not a story ABC necessarily had reason to do before; there was no news hook. However, this was where hundreds of wounded soldiers and Marines had previously been stabilized before being moved to Landstuhl Air Base.

"It's just a bit frustrating to see something so dramatized that happens every day to some 20-year-old American -- or worse to 10, 30-year-old Iraqi soldiers or cops alongside us. Some of the stories don't even mention the Iraqi casualties in this attack, as if they're meaningless," wrote the officer in Baqubah.

Complete Story

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush, in a push to take charge of the election-year agenda, is expected to say Tuesday that "America is addicted to oil" and must break its dependence on foreign suppliers in unstable parts of the world.

Continued

There's only three options in regard to petroleum:

1. Purchase on the open market at what will soon become a very significant chunk of change once India and China move closer to the front of the pack.

2. Develop alternatives which can operate at the same capacity which we are accustomed to.

3. Take control of the product at the source, promising uninterrupted access at the same relative cost.

I don't know what the answer is but we, as a country, are getting a lot closer to being forced into a decision. The first and third options are, in all honesty, only viable in the short-term. Petroleum is not an unlimited resrouce. I don't know whether it will end in 20 years or 200 years (and yes, I'm familiar with some of the estimates out there) but the tap will eventually run dry.

A note more directly related to President Bush's upcoming speech, if we were to stop purchasing from the Middle East region ("unstable parts of the world") I think you would see their governments make serious efforts to bring in their radical groups.

Right now everyone sort of haggles around, making wink wink, nudge nudge efforts.

It would appear that President Bush is preferring to take a course that will force Arabic governments to either modernize or choke on their petroleum.

EDIT: Watching the actual speech now. I realize commenting could lead to a wide array of responses but, it's my blog update. El Presidente is on the offensive against isolationism, those wanting to leave Iraq, re-newing the Patriot Act, and Iran obtaining nuclear capabilities.

Look for yellow sign at a table that reads "Olympia says: NO to Nazis" (from last rally) to find us.

We've confirmed that the NSM does have a permit. (Update: NSM has a permit for 2-4pm Capitol steps, July 2nd. No camping will be allowed at Capitol.)

All welcome on discussion list Oly Unity

NSM has put out a national call for its members and supporters to camp-out for two nights and hold a rally (for which they claim to have a permit) July 2-4. They appear to be well organized and are planning for this to be a major nazi event.

The following URL also has a registration form along with a P.O. Box address in Kent and telephone number to contact Justin Boyer, Seattle NSM organizer, who appears to be hosting the campout and rally (link).

Seems like we should also start thinking about how to respond. I suggest those that are interested in discussing this further go to Sarah's site, Olympia United Against Hate.

(CBS)BELLWOOD, Ill. A UPS driver was savagely beaten by middle school students while delivering packages in the western suburbs Friday.

The attack happened in Bellwood along the 3200 block of St. Charles. A teenager was arrested Monday after admitting he was involved in the incident. Another juvenile is expected to turn himself in Tuesday to appear in a line-up.

Continued

The parents should whip their these kids' asses.

And it was in suburbia, too. There's actually a movie coming out called Alpha Male about how these suburban kids think they're living some "tough" life. Get real. I feel the same way about the Olympia-area many times.

A lot of people talk a lot more than they've actually lived.