So I've read what other people on OlyBlog have written. I've read the Olympian. I've exchanged a few e-mails with some of our City Councilmen. And I've been letting it all stew in my gray matter. So here're my thoughts on working within the community to counter the negative publicity of downtown Olympia:

• Redevelop the Sound Hours program as an incentive for voluntary downtown cleanup year round.  The Hours would need to be redeemable at all downtown Olympia businesses (part of the price of doin' business in downtown Oly, like paying for that "environmental maintenance worker" now).
• An open call for local artists to develop positive image reinforcement pieces for potential mass distribution (read: propaganda for good).
• The creation of more housing downtown (across the income spectrum).
• An outdoor stage for theater, political stumping, protests, impromptu performances, etc.
• Municipal WiFi.  Seriously, as a city we should be investing in technology that will increase the odds of future income sources.

You may or may not have noticed that your local pirate radio station Free Radio Olympia was off the air for a few days. We were experiencing a small technical difficulty, which has been resolved. During our downtime we were still streaming content over the web, which is also available here. FRO is a resource for the Olympia area and we strive to bring you content that is original, challenges authority, and celebrates free speech. Thank you for your support.

--dj snorkie--

Free Radio Olympia
http://frolympia.org
studio phone 360.705.9780
FRO (a t) riseup.net

OperaGirl's post re: avocados prompts me to post this update for hyperlocal foodies: I just had the most devine sesame bagel from San Fran Stree Bakery with Tierra Bonita-Amando's Garlic Cilatro Sauce (the container has a sticker on it proclaiming: "A product for people who are not afraid to be alone (for two days!)"). Delish. Steer clear of goecono for the next 2 days. 

Note: Neither products are vegan...I rarely eat bread or dairy, but am indulging tonight.

Really, if you see a blog entry from me, just assume it's a nerd alert.

Inspired by recent posts re: why Lacey isn't a good role model for its neighbors, here's a good data source if you're just dying to get your hands on local tax info. The Washington Department of Revenue has a fairly good little report tool that you can use to get information like local retail sales, tax rates, comparative taxation, and tax distribution by city. Look for the "Create Report" button on the left hand side of the page.

I sleep better at night knowing these data are just a few clicks away.

(But in all seriousness, this is the kind of information city councils and boards of county commissioners look at to know how the budget is doing...We need to be savvy information handlers, don't we?)

Some historical succeses:

• 1830 - boycott of slave-produced goods.
• the boycott of Captain Charles Cunningham Boycott, an English land agent in Ireland who was subject to a boycott organized by the Irish Land League, 1880
• the boycott of British goods in December 1921 by Mahatma Gandhi, known as the swadeshi policy. Gandhi also urged people to boycott British educational institutions and law courts, to resign from government employment, and to forsake British titles and honours.
• by African Americans during the U.S. civil rights movement, late 1950s and 1960s.
• the United Farm Workers union's grape and lettuce boycotts.
• the boycott of South Africa by a large part of the world's countries during its apartheid period.

Hey OlyBloggers! Check out the chat widget that is on the right side of the front page. Kick the tires on this puppy and tell me what you think. Does it work better than Gabbly and Frapper? I could have it appear on all pages of the blog. Would that be even better?

In their November 6th issue, editors of The Olympian proclaimed that Lacey was a “role model for its neighbors