Terra Commons presents:

With Heather C. Flores
Presentation and Book Signing
May 6th Traditions Café
7-9pm Donations Welcome

Food Not Lawns combines practical wisdom on ecological design and community-building with a fresh, green perspective on an age-old subject. Activist and urban gardener Heather Flores shares her nine-step permaculture design to help farmsteaders and city dwellers alike build fertile soil, promote biodiversity, and increase natural habitat in their own "paradise gardens."

Tonight's event will also be a seed and plant swap. Bring your seeds and plants to share!

For more information contact Michael (360) 866-1331 terracommons@gmail.com www.terracommons.us

Probably going to lurk and keep in touch with a few people here, but for the most part I'm done.  I'm sure a few will breathe a sigh of relief, but I don't think I can add anything to Olyblog.

For those I've pissed off with strong convictions and ideals.  I'm sorry.  My strong convictions and ideals run contrary to your strong ideals and convictions.  It was a fun ride, and I made a few friends and met some cool people, but it's time to get off the train.

For those I've enlightened or shared with, thanks for the fun.  6 months, three divisive events in Olympia, and I'm on the liberal progressive board with my not so liberal views....

Rick, thanks for putting up with my dumb ass, you have a nice place and I wish you the best, I'm probably not the best person to be a regular on OB anymore.  If you are near Tugboat Annie's sometime I think I offered you a beer onetime.

Enpen, Rob W, I promised you guys beers too., PM me if you want to take me up on it.  You guys are more I can't see eye to eye with at times, but reasonable and articulate about your beliefs which I appreciate.  

Rob R, I think you and I won't see eye to eye on most things, and have pissed each other off a few times.  Good luck with B&R.

Emmett, thanks for popping by my webpage and your encouragement.

To quote the great bard himself Mr. Jimmy Buffett

At the corner of Jefferson St. and Wheeler Ave. the state Department of General Administration is hell bent on constructing a new building for the Department of Information Services. Most of the press so far has been about the loss of the childcare center.

If you read the linked page you can see that the folks who live in the neigborhood are referred to as "others." Well these "others" through the South Capitol Neighborhood Association are appealing GA's decision that this project doesn't need an environmental imapct statement. My personal concern is traffic. They came and looked and said, "Nope it ain't a problem." and decided that was all they needed to do. We disagreed and are filing an appeal.

Thanks goodness we live in an area where we are somewhat organized and have folks who can volunteer time and services needed to contest this. My wife and friends are closer to this than I but I will do my best to keep you informed.

We sat down and watched Flock of Dodos recently and we recommend this movie. It’s a documentary about the American culture war to teach creationism and creationism’s cousin, intelligent design, as basic science, on a par with the science regarding Darwin’s thoughts on natural selection and the origin of species.

It’s a film by an evolutionary biologist, so it definitely leans toward respect for the scientific method and that does not bode well for the creationists, but the filmmaker expended a fair amount of effort making the point that the scientists are wonderfully inept at conveying the science.

In the end it becomes clear that there are dodos on both sides of the argument. The creationists are hoping to hang on to the notion that there is a controversy about natural selection and the origin of species despite the scientific record and the evolutionary scientists sputter, pontificate, talk over each other in a way that makes it painfully clear that the scientists wouldn’t know a talking point if it evolved or was created right in front of them.

Great letter from Glen Anderson today at the Daily Zip

Check out what we've already gathered at Oly May Day: Justice for All [2008]. Anything further on this theme will eventually also be added in. Look through what has happened in past years in Oly May Day.

I encourage everyone to tell us their experiences, there is no deadline, and all civil discussions are welcome. Got photos, video, stories to tell? Please join in.