I know I'm stealing from Forest Gump, but I'm sure he stole from someone else. Olympia to me was like one of those perfect hand crafted wonderful chocolates.  Just magificant even with one bite.  One bite and you remember it forever and yet with Olympia you are free to keep biting and tasting.  It always was that perfect thing.

Now Olympia is becoming that faux waxy mostly artificial chocolate, the kind that has that strange white powdery stuff on it when you unwrap it.  It can't be called chocolate, even the wrapper states "chocolate flavored-Artificial".  How can people not recognize the real thing and how can they be so easily fooled to accepting such a poor substitute?

Duck the Malls Arts & Crafts Sale!

Who needs the mall? Support the local economy!

For one day only, the Capitol Theater auditorium becomes a local art and craft sale featuring the area’s best handmade fashion, artwork, and quirky quality goods—all produced by local and independent artists and artisans.

206 E. 5th Ave. [in the heart of the scariest of downtowns] Downtown Olympia, of course!

Proceeds benefit the artists and the OFS Art Gallery.

Shameless plug: www.pat-works.com

International Day of Solidarity with Green Scare Indictees, Detainees, and Political Prisoners

Olympia Benefit Show

Friday, December 8

at Solid Gold - 419 Boulevard Rd SE (at the corner of Pacific Ave. and Boulevard Rd. across from the shell station)
Olympia, Washington

Doors open at 7 pm, music and performance begins at 8 pm
Suggested donation $5-20

Performing:

Bridget Irish (performance)
Leonardo (soul, house dj)
Myello (experimental dance electronics)
Onyxoxo (acoustica + dj)
Rachel Diamond, one lady band (!)
Shizunomargot (songs, performance)
Timezone Lafontaine (southern hip hop soulrock)

and more!!!

There will be free literature, merchandise and beverages for a donation, and an opportunity to learn more about the "Green Scare" and how to support earth liberation indictees, grand jury resistance, preserving civil liberties & building solidarity, and refusing the criminalization of dissent.

This event is a benefit for Olympia Civil Liberties Resource, Books To Prisoners Olympia, and non-cooperating "Green Scare" indictees.

Hello dear family,

You are all welcome and encouraged to come and share with us what ever is on your heart be that a song, a poem, a prayer or a moment of silence. On sunday december 3rd we will come together at the reservoir, at 3723 36th ave NW on cooper point at 6pm.

The red cedar circle comes from the si.si.wis (sacred breath) medicine way that was practiced by the native people of this land. at 6pm we will share food (potluck meal, bring food if the way is open) then we will circle up after the meal. there will be an alter in the middle and anyone from any and all of the paths of life is welcome to come and share.

for more information on the red cedar cirlce and the si.si.wis medice please visit http://www.sisiwiss.org/ShamansDrum.htm

I hope to see you there!

May you be peace,
Michael Kelly (kate.on.sawgaa)

these all sound so familiar. read up.

• "An unfortunate trend in cities around the country over the past 25 years has been to turn to the criminal justice system to respond to people living in public spaces.  This trend includes measures that target homeless persons by making it illegal to perform life-sustaining activities in public.  These measures prohibit activities such as sleeping/camping, eating, sitting, and begging in public spaces, usually including criminal penalties for violation of these laws. " Link.
• " On three separate occasions, the Berkeley City Council discussed the proposed "Problematic Street Behavior" ordinances... sound familiar? Link.
• Many cities across the country have homeless laws, falling into a few general categories. Panhandling is restricted or banned altogether (Massachusetts passed a law of this kind several years ago but it was struck down by the state courts as unconstitutional). Anti-camping ordinances, such as in Austin, Texas, prohibit sleeping on streets or in parks after curfew or at all. And in many cities, the homeless are excluded from downtown areas and places where they congregate. Austin and Los Angeles, for instance, have no-standing zones and no-sitting areas where people may not linger. There are also such arcane laws as the prohibition of public parking lot crossing in Atlanta. Link.

food not bombs for thought. also what's with the "greener" bashing? i am not a student i quit school along time ago but it's funny the groups of people in this town that get lumped together and isolated for criticism.

There has been a lot of buzz regarding tonight's events at The Capital Playhouse, and even rumors that the PPU was involved in organizing the protest. This is not true. The PPU would not endanger it's members by taking part in activities that could potentially cause physical altercations with law enforcement. We wish to work with the local police, businesses and government to improve the lives of our members. It is unclear as to whether or not a blockade of the doors will happen tonight, but regardless, the PPU does not condone or support those actions. We wish to overturn the ordinance through legal means. We support those who are working with the city on what to do with extra money to be directed at services. We support those who peacefully protest, even in front of a city councilmember's place of business, because we feel that when you make the decision to run for office and ultimately take office, you open yourself up to a new level of accountability. We believe that councilmembers who cast a vote should either stand by it or admit publicly that they made a mistake.

Thank You.

Please call 359.3293 for more information on the PPU and our activities.

I am writing to encourage individual community members to re-consider plans to picket the Capital Playhouse tonight. It is my personal belief that this will only accomplish creating deeper divisions between various groups within our community.
While I understand that the intention is raise awareness of the opposition to the newly enacted Sidewalk Usage Ordinance, I do believe that this demonstration will further polarize our community.

I would like to invite community members to engage in dialogue aimed at bringing various perpectives out into the light of day and find creative solutions that take into account the various concerns and lived experiences.

A friend of mine who is an Appreciate Inquiry Facilitator, attended the Town Hall meeting in September. Following the meeting, she shared with me her observations that it seemed the community members were talking AT each other and not WITH each other. She has since offered to train a Steering Committee made up of community members and leaders in the appreciate inquiry process with our wider community aimed at opening up channels of dialogue, getting to know one another's perspectives, wants and needs in life and begin to find creative solutions to complex community issues. I have mentioned this offer to the City Council and will continue to follow up with individual council members about utilizing her knowledge and training. I mention this, because it is my belief that this form of communication may be much more effective in bringing our community together to meet the needs of both those on the streets and those who are housed. What do you think?

Another opprotunity to get involved is the Community Forum on Homelessness scheduled for next wednesday (7-9 p.m. at the Olympia Center). Food will be provided by Food Not Bombs. the intention of the forum is to raise awareness of the causes and consequences of homelessness. Please join us.

In Lieu of recent concerns for the protest tonight at the Capital Playhouse, we will NOT be blockading the playhouse due to possible police action(brutality) and also concerning protestors with previous criminal backgrounds, mostly the unhoused population. It would not be wise to endanger homeless protesters - however, we need as much support as possible.


what we WILL be doing, though is continuing a public display/public protest of the ordinances directly at the mouth of the beast, the Capital Playhouse. I noticed on the blog that a number of citizens/olympians were concerned with how this display is going down. it will be non-violent and under the guise of no organization.


i encourage you all to rid yourselves of dogmatic thinking, theory and fear of both the city council and the actions they will take
against the denizens and patrons of downtown olympia.

let's face the facts...

they passed the ordinance, and we need relentless action against the city council's decision.

I know a lot has been said about this, so I'll be direct.

You do not pass a measure like that over the cacophony of objections that were raised, without actually discussing these objections. Not unless you want a fight, or you have some damn solid moral ground. And since it was the moral-minded Olympia community that was doing the objecting, I don't see such ground.

The analogy of Jim Crow is right on. In the south, the Grandfather Clause was enacted when slavery was formally abolished, and when rich landowners would all qualify and freed slaves would all fail to qualify. The argument was later made that the Grandfather Clause was fair because it applied to everyone. The same goes for the Poll Tax, literacy tests, "Separate But Equal" schooling, the Defense of Marriage Act, and racist airport security. That double-standard was what made Jim Crow what it was. When you say "Jim Crow," you refer to that double-standard.

The "friendly amendments" were insulting. The nighttime clause was a joke. So now the homeless only have to worry for their safety 18 hours a day, and not 24? The sunset clause was just as intolerable. So now police have only 11 months to chase all the homeless out of town, instead of being able to do this at their leisure? And "busking permits"? A Poll Tax, no matter how minimal, is still a Poll Tax.

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