We gather together on the Monday nights in this small town that we call Olympia, at that sacred place known as The Brotherhood, to hear sounds played on instruments of string and metal. These strange folk talk of many things under the sky, a sky that may contain sun or rain -- or may be partly cloudy depending on whether there is an on-shore flow, but I digress -- and copiously and heartily quaff the suds of that wholesome drink we call beer. Join us for our merriment and you will leave with a tune in your heart and more than a few ideas in your head -- possibly contradictory ideas, but be that as it may -- and you shall not want for friends in this small town we call Olympia.

People are continuing to die unnecessary deaths in Iraq. Opposition to the war becomes more and more important as every day goes by. The Bush Administration has flipped its lid and lost every, and any, shred of credibility it once had, regarding the war. I feel obligated, as an American, to stand up in opposition to the criminal actions of my government. The Bush Administration is out on a limb, they have even received an indictment (albeit theoretical) for prewar intelligence fraud.

Now all of you, dear fellow Olympians, have an opportunity to express yourself and be heard. Next Saturday, December 9^th 2006, there will be an anti-war / pro-peace call for an end to the war. Join your friends and neighbors on the 4^th Avenue bridge at 12 O'clock Noon. Let your voice be among the many who demand redress of grievances relating to Bush Administration malfeasance.

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oly has always been a blue collar type of town the recent efforts to gentrify this vibrant growing community are wrong because they propose a value system that puts living and existence on a perilous level for some members of this place we call home and for this it is wrong. the reasons for poverty are simple the rich have all the money, and in order to subjugate the classes you have to have an under class. an "injury to one is an injury to all" or the catholic worker "god in everyone" or "to each acording their need each according there ability" all are revelant!! we are all humans doing and me must do even if we are don quixote tilting at windmills!!
society must accept the poor on equal footing as with the rich other wise its all bullshit.
the reason for "homelessness" are many and varied but the biggest issue is a lack of affordable housing.  here in oly as a long term poor person i find i cant afford housing because the greeners rent all the places and jack up the average rent.
 a good direct action would be for all you to move back to the dorms and stop impacting the community surrounding you. or expropriate some land and let us build houses. well i"m starting to ramble so i will through his out to you

Episcopal News Service

[Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, meeting October 27-28 in its 96th annual Convention, called upon the Episcopal Church's bishops and standing committees to join the diocese's affirmation for the full inclusion of gay and lesbian people in the life of the church. The resolution, detailed below, passed with 317 in favor, 79 against, and 51 abstentions.

"We know that the issue is not human sexuality," Bishop Vincent Warner told the convention, noting that the General Conventions of 2000, 2003 and 2006 "were times when the whole Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion were focused on issues of human sexuality."

"It's really been about our understanding of the Biblical authority that we have as Episcopalians as we live into the world of the Anglican understanding of the three primary bases for our theology: scripture, tradition and reason," he said. "My basis for my understanding of the Gospel as expressed in our baptismal covenant is based on the fact that we respect the dignity of every human being and work for justice and peace for all of God's people."

(frequent swearing behind "read more" link)

I know, I know. Like a**holes, everyone's got an opinion, and they all stink. Well, having just now got around to watching the video, I'm gonna let loose anyway.

Video of the initial incident

Richards' apology on Letterman

The two hecklers on the Today show

All things being equal, his flipping out like this on two people at a nightclub isn't a big deal. It's not. The prevailing racial inequalities in society are a big deal. The fact that the prison population of this country is as severly skewed racially as it is is a big deal. The disproportionate poverty levels between races is a big deal. The fact that the people who promote war are disproportionately White and the people who fight and die in war are disproportionately non-White is a big deal. The fact that people think all our racial problems are behind us is a big deal. One guy flipping out and having a racist tirade at a couple of people in a nightclub? Yeah, it sucks, but it's about as newsworthy as yesterday's 15 car pileup on the Interstate. The tirade is only a big deal in that it brings feelings which our society has never truly dealt with back to the forefront. It is not news, in and of itself.

But all things are not equal.

Richards says the two guys in question were heckling him, and then he just exploded in rage at them, not thinking about his choice of words. The two guys say he started making fun of "the stupid bunch of Blacks and Mexicans" who had just entered, and used epithets when they stood up for themselves.

No need to call Nancy Drew on this one. The two guys on the Today show are lying pricks. Seriously.