Don't blame me for this enigmatic suggestion, I clicked into the Gabbly and read a chat transcript that still has me puzzled. All I know is, porcupines are involved.

Beware. And have fun.

In Big Bold Red letters the City of Olympia wants you to know that they don't want to hear from you this week. Not in public at least. Send them emails, ok, but keep your seat at the meeting. For example,from last week's minutes:

Mayor Foutch announced that next week's Council meeting will begin at 5:00 pm and there will be no time for Public Communications. He noted the public can e-mail or phone Councilmembers with any comments. 

The reason for the no public comment this week is that the council is very busy, starting their meeting early, before the sun goes down at 5p this Tuesday. They'll be talking about who they want to have build the new city hall (that one down on the Port property). Competing for the bid are Team Olympia (a scrabby confederacy of local companies) and Wright Runstad (less local, maybe just as scrappy).

I had a thought earlier this week on the new city council issue. I'm all for building a new, consolidated city hall, and I'm all for doing it down on the port property. But, the Port's insistence that the city allow stores on the bottom floor of the new city hall is horrifying. For more on my horror, go here.

Also being talked about at the city this week are all those people that signed up to be on city advisory committees. Here are your list of folks that the council subcommittees like:

Design Review Board
Dr. Sam Bradley – Reappointment, business owner position
Meg O’Leary – Reappointment, Architect position
Mina Ghanaie – New Appointment, citizen-at-large position

Heritage Commission
Brian Sopke – New Appointment
Alan Hardcastle – Reappointment
Ken House – Reappointment

Human Services Review Council
Rob Richards – New Appointment

Glad to see the Judge had some common sense with his ruling to dismiss the lawsuit. The Corrie's need to get a clue and move on. Dragging Cat into this was stupid, regardless of what you think about Rachel. Read the comments, seems the community agrees with the Judge.

Link.

Clint Burelson's report on mail consolidation, as being reported on KAOS today at noon (listen live here). Talk about citizen reporting! There is even a song (wva file, 160Kps).

The United States Postal Service is reducing service to many communities by consolidating mail canceling and sorting operations into just a few large hubs. The proposal to discontinue canceling mail in Olympia, and to move many mail operations to Tacoma on April 3rd, is part of a larger national restructuring where as many as 250 mail processing facilities may be closed and consolidated. These consolidation plans will benefit the big mailers at the expense of citizens, non-profit organizations, small businesses, and businesses of any size that require fast mail service to and from their customers.

Large advertising based mailers such as AOL Time Warner (People magazine, etc.) plan to benefit from the consolidations by obtaining huge discounts for taking more work away from the USPS.  At the same time, the big mailers want the average citizen and small mailers to receive less service or pay more for the same service

The Seattle PI looks at local effects of global warming:

From the crests of the Cascades to Puget Sound, people in the Pacific Northwest can expect to experience changes driven by global warming.

Expect more winter flooding, more summer water shortages, more destructive wildfires and more troubled salmon runs. And, on average, shorter ski seasons.

The news isn't all bad. Maybe you won't have to chain up going over Snoqualmie Pass as often. It won't be as cold, on average, in the winter. In many years, you will be able to get away with starting your spring garden earlier.

Some juicy bits from the article in The Olympian:

“We can, in fact, stand up to the bullies currently running our government and demand they live up to the ideals of the greatest experiment in self- government this world has ever known.”

And:

“Neoconservatives should be banned from the adult table at foreign policy meetings,