The boys wanna fight
But the girls are happy to dance all night

They know best how they can mess with us
Nursing an opinion's getting dangerous
And in a world where good's not good enough
Let's get loaded and kick up a fuss

Boys Wanna Fight, by Garbage

This is my theme song tonight, but actually, I wanna fight too. I feel furious, on fire, angry angry angry. Some of this is due to the postdromal phase of migraine that I'm experiencing today. Much is due to the work I'm doing.

I burnt off some of the body reaction with a fast walk through the cool evening, then danced hard. Finding something to laugh about has helped also.

Humanity keeps creating situations that cause trauma. Some of us end up with PTSD. I remember a friend of mine who is out as a lesbian commenting once that she couldn't even get the chance to be "post" anything, trauma was ongoing, it hadn't stopped yet.

How do we deal in the mean time? How do we use the burn, the fire, the passion, without torching ourselves or others?

I've cracked open my copy of The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook - good suggestions here on discharging anger, dealing appropriately with it, and lookin' for insight. I'm reminded that I can view this fury tonight as a sign, not as a problem.

So, yeah, Boys Wanna Fight. Sometimes Girls do too. Tonight I dance and continue training to fight the good fight, the fight for social justice and liberation.

What is the BIAW?

The acronym stands for the Building Industry Association of Washington. Here's a brief description from the Northwest Progressive Institute:

The BIAW is the most aggressive, and the most ideological, right wing lobby in the Evergreen State. They despise regulation - everything from environmental laws to ergonomics rules.

The BIAW has used the initiative process repeatedly to get voters to repeal worker and environmental protection legislation it opposes. For example, Initiative 841 in 2003.

They are also partisan Republicans. They heavily supported Dino Rossi for Governor in 2004, dumping millions into the race, and stooped to playing dirty tricks on voters last year on Rossi's behalf. The BIAW also sued earlier this year to stop Puget Sound orcas from being listed under the federal Endangered Species Act.

In a very interesting article, NPI examines the scam that the BIAW has set up to fund its political activities. The BIAW's latest target is the Washington State Supreme Court:

In the last few years the BIAW has become more focused on the State Supreme Court. The BIAW's leadership would like nothing more than to stack the court with ideologically tilted justices who will consistently vote to strike down worker and environmental protection laws.

[snip]

The BIAW cannot be allowed to succeed in packing the state Supreme Court with its own handpicked candidates - for obvious reasons. What's at stake this fall is the existence of Washington's independent, impartial judiciary.

These are just a couple of quotes from a longer and more detailed article that everone should go read.

Does anynone know what this is about? From the Tacoma News Tribune:

The ports of Tacoma and Olympia want to develop a joint rail center near Interstate 5 in Olympia.

Pending approval from both the ports’ commissions, such a facility would provide a place outside the ports for rail operations and make the movement of cargo in and out of the ports by train more efficient, Port of Tacoma director Tim Farrell said today.

To get the project started, the Port of Tacoma plans to buy 74 acres of industrial property two miles east of the interstate in Thurston County.

Plan B Oly has scheduled more pickets of Ralph's, as well as one of Bayview.  We're starting with a Saturday picket at Ralph's, July 15th, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Later, we're planning to picket Bayview just before the Lakefair fireworks, 7-9 p.m., when everyone in three counties, it seems, drives over the bridges by Bayview. Our last picket of the month will be on Monday, July 31, 5 - 7 p.m. at Ralph's.  Small handfuls of picketers have also signed up to keep a smaller but constant presence at Ralph's during rush hour.  For the full picket schedule, check out the calendar on our website. 

Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice
and Olympia Rafah Sister-City Project present:

" GAZA STRIP "

A film by James Longley followed by a community forum to discuss the ongoing crisis of the Israeli bombardment and invasion of Gaza, Palestine, and the events leading to it.

Tuesday, July 18th
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Luther Hall
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
1515 Harrison Ave NW
Olympia WA 98502
(360) 357-3386
At the corner of Harrison and Perry St.

There will be time for questions and commentary from:

Professor Steve Niva, Middle East Studies, TESC
Will Hewitt, ORSCP, ISM recently returned from Gaza
Craig and Cindy Corrie, Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice

"Gaza Strip" pushes the viewer headlong into the tumult of the Israeli-occupied Gaza, examining the lives and views of ordinary Palestinians."

"Gaza Strip is an unflinchingly honest portrayal of a population under siege. As a perspective that is largely excluded from American attention, it deserves the widest possible audience."

-- The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Jan/Feb 2002

Watch this interview.

Mr. Deutsch tries to go beyond Ms. Coulter's divisiveness in this interview. If you listen to it from the standpoint of someone trying to really get to the bottom of the debate, and forget about who she is and what she has said in the past, there is insight to be gained. If you play her game of constantly dividing each other, then you learn nothing. I have learned, and this interview reenforces it, that we can gain nothing from playing the same game as our "opposition". Lakoff be damned. There is a better way.