Sleet, rain and snow turn the air silver.

The sky is coal.

A muffled roar soundtrack.

To my learned touch.

The machine leaps to my will.

Blank.

And as I piloted my industrial strength lawn mower in dozens of half-acre lines I sang to myself:

Sorrow drips into your heart through a pinhole
Just like a faucet that leaks and there is comfort in the sound
But while you debate half empty or half full
It slowly rises, your love is gonna drown [8x]

Your love is gonna...

Almost every week this is the "What's on the city council's plate this week" review. I don't cover everything, so if you want the full rundown, read the packet and agenda yourself.

Now you see it:

If Councilmembers plan to bring up new information about issues on the table or new issues at Council meetings, they should provide their fellow Councilmembers and the City Manager no less than 48 hours notice. Information should be as inclusive as possible and address such issues as: Why are you bringing this issue forward? What outcome do you hope to accomplish?

In a few weeks, you may not. The city council is seriously considering doing away with the dripping with process rule that makes sure council members check with each other before discussing new information in a public forum.

While possibly being a violation of the open meetings act (in spirit, if not in fact) this is (in my opinion) a fairly lame rule that only protects people's feelings while stifling debate.

On Monday the general government committee will review changes to the "rules of procedure" that the council lives by. One of the changes is the deleition of this weird "keep everyone in the loop" rule.

We all know the limits.  Enjoy...

Don't read this if you are easily offended by sexual content.  Too funny to pass up!

A vacationing penguin is driving his through Arizona when he notices that the oil pressure light is on.  He gets out to look and sees oil dripping out of the motor.  He drives to the nearest town and stops at the first gas station.

After dropping the car off, the penguin goes for a walk around town.  He sees an ice-cream shop and, being a penguin in Arizona, decides that something cold would really hit the spot.  He gets a big dish of ice cream and sits down to eat.  Having no hands he makes a real mess trying to eat with his flippers.  After finishing his ice cream, he goes back to the gas station and asks the mechanic if he's found the problem.  The mechanic looks up and says "It looks like you blew a seal."

"No no," the penguin replies, "it's just ice cream."

On Saturday May 10 @ 11am Olympia Standard Time Pangea Day commences. According to the website currently the closest location showing the films is Lacy. OFS would be a perfect spot for this...

As LOCAL discussion blog was closed before I got a chance to respond to something.

 "there is no comparison, the Quran is way worse. But don't take anybody's word for it, read the damn thing. Make your own direct comparison. The only way you will know what the Quran is about is by reading it. Eveybody that writes a book about Islam and the Quran has their own biases and puts their spin on it."

JT - first, you admitted in another post that you had not read the Quran, therefore challenging me to read it is strawman at best.  My comparison of what I have read is that almost all religious material is the same - other than the names were changed to protect the dogma. 

For instance, are you aware that there are several "virgin births' in religious history? This is but one example of the point.  Everyone has complete knowledge of God's will for those that don't follow the laws they way their god says so.

This type of conversation take place in churches all over Olympia every Sunday and many Wednesdays.  It divides our community.

Although his actual birthday is on Sunday... my ex step dad will be having a surprise 60th birthday party on Saturday.

Hmmm. This calls for PIE

Please, just a discussion.  We won't pick the president here.  Use your vote instead.

What's wrong with Hilary?  I was starting to come around to her (not saying she gets my vote over McCain) and then this from the debate last night:

Moderator:  Do you think Senator Obama can beat Senator McCain?

Hilary:  Yes, yes, yes - I think he'd win. [paraphrased]

Why?  Why not take this opportunity to say, "No, I don't think he can win," and leave it at that?  When pressed (you will be), talk POLICY!!!  Would've been a smart move to get some undecided vote decided.

Instead we spend most of the debate talking about how they've messed up in the past 2 weeks.  Weird.  No wonder people don't get more involved.  I don't like that we have pundits moderating.  Seems like the wrong group of people focused on the things that turn me off to politics at this level.

On a lighter sadder note, one for the vault.  President Bush, while hosting the British PM Gordon Brown in Washington D.C. today, said:

"And so ah, so long as I'm the President, my, my measure of success is victory... and success."

10 months.  10 months.