Congress girds up for return to oversight

Probes include alleged contracting abuses in Iraq and the alteration of scientific findings.

By Gail Russell Chaddock | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

WASHINGTON - Not since the Depression-era Congress of 1932 has Capitol Hill ramped up so quickly for oversight hearings and related legislation – most targeting the Bush administration.

Both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue are hiring more lawyers, and watchdog groups say they are swamped with calls from committee staff asking for advice on pursuing the nearly lost art of congressional investigation.

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[via tesccrier]:

We are still accepting student art, although space is filling up. Please see previous tesccrier messages for additional info or peep the linkness:

http://podcollective.com/fora/viewtopic.php?t=776

We are expecting a large crowd (including prominent visionary artists), so this would be a great oppurtunity to share your flow!

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It's nearly May, time for Thurston County's 20th Annual Bicycle Commuter Contest!

Ride your bike in May to work or school or on errands and win some great prizes and gifts. Prizes include certificates to local bike shops, sports equipment, massages, goodies from area restaurants, and more. And if you ride often, you'll get in great shape, help improve air quality, save a LOT of money and win prizes and gifts!

All registered riders can get a free bicycle safety check, too. Just take your bike to the Wrenchers Ball at the Olympia Transit Center on April 27 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Registration forms will be available there as well.

I have been a member of the Doe Network for a couple years. I've had an..."interest" doesn't seem the proper word...in Missing People, John/Jane Doe Cases, and general forensics since I was in elementary school. I suppose you could say some of the cases haunt me. There's nothing really that I can do about any of them except to care. And to sometimes keep their name alive if nothing else.

There are some Black Hills area men listed as missing. The oldest I'm aware of is Christopher Bridgeman, who was last seen in the early 60s. Another disappearance from Olympia was that of David Boniske in the late 70s.

Of course this person could have been brought here from another location. He could be somebody who was never reported missing. It's going to be awhile before he's identified, and sadly there's the possibility that he'll never be.

The following was compiled to address questions raised by Olympia City Council members and some members of the community regarding the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project and official recognition of the work of its volunteers by the Olympia City Council. These were prepared by volunteers and board members of the sister city project in April 2007.

Read more:

You may experience difficulty loading the blog today, as we are beginning the process of rebuilding. We'll keep you posted as work progresses.

Smart Mobs has a good post on the ongoing conversations about blogging with civility. I'm especially interested in the Blogger's Code of Conduct being discussed through the Blogging Wikia.