My friend Kris Krug went down to document the event and came back rather moved by the experience by seeing friends yelling at each other with no resolve and also the fact that we as humans haven't developed a method to resolve these absurd conflicts predicated by race, religion, and territory.

Personally, I think we can do better. Respect, forgiveness, kindness, friendliness and ecumenicality for starters.

Here are Kris' remarks:

It makes me sad that in 2008 there is a such an immovable mountain of a conflict whose central tenants seem to be based on racism and religious intolerance. On both sides. All sides.

I feel sad and my head hangs a lil lower every time I hear about an escalation of the violence in the middle east. I like to be positive and optimistic in general and am frustrated not only in the terrible things that are taking place in terms of violence, but also that we don’t seem to even have the institutions in which we can seek forgiveness and resolution. I’m disappointed in all of us.

Here's KK's post: Anti-Israel Protest @ US Embassy in Vancouver and video of the protests. The reaction from Sean Orr and Jonthan Narvey suggest a microcosm of how to resolve conflicts - ergo: have a chat and a beverage and start find finding things in common.

Narvey says:

Sean Orr and I trading accusations of supporting fascists, until we realized who each other were. Afterwards, deciding to grab a coffee sometime to discuss our political ideas and things webby. I’ve got quite a bit of respect for the guy since his and Krug’s bit of genuine heroism the other day in the dark side-streets of Gastown. I must confess I find Orr’s alignment with the pro-Hamas crowd disconcerting and not particularly consistent with his standing up for justice on the streets of Vancouver. Perhaps I’ll end up winning him over to my side some day.

Orr says:

And this is why, despite my constant disappointment with our leaders and the tyranny of our economic system, I am proud to be Canadian. I completely and fundamentally think Jonathan's support of Israel is racist, imperialistic, and in opposition to world law; but as I stuttered to him in the pounding hail, I'd fight for his right to speak them. We talked a little bit about the fight and about art, then I crossed back over and joined in a chant or two of "End the Occupation Now" before returning home.

This podcast interview between travel writer and activist Rick Steves and Lord Alderdice called "Road Maps to Peace" provides some practical methods of resolving conflicts between cultures who have harmed each other for generations. Here's the description:

Rick speaks with Lord Alderdice from Belfast, one of the key political figures who helped resolve Northern Ireland's long-standing "troubles" between its Catholic and Protestant citizens. He shares his approach for addressing the tensions facing the United States and its allies today in overcoming terrorism and in designing road maps for peace.

Rather than being in the awkward position of speaking in third person, I'll just come out and say that "I am presenting a panel about "Podcasting for Social Change" at Net Tuesday on July 8th at 5:30 at Workspace up here in Vancouver, BC."

Yes i know it isn't Olympia but thought my pals down in the southlands would be interested in seeing what i am brewing up and perhaps i can do a similiar gig when i down in OlyWa sometime.

Here's a preview video to let you know what's in store plus introducing the All-Star panel and talking points. The topics and agenda are also pasted below for your pre-education convenience.

Where = WorkSpace
400, 21 Water St.
Vancouver BC
V6B 1A1

Topic: Ways Non-profits/Social Change orgs can use podcasts to spread their message

1) publishing conferences and repurposing stuff you are already making
2) event and campaign crowd coverage (including micro podcasting i.e. utterz)
3) special reports interviews etc.

To make it easy, we’ll cover:
1) planning
2) producing tips (with toys to demo)
3) publishing/promoting

panel:

As per previous communique, while in Olympia I had a stirring 23 minute chat with docent Emmett plus Zhonka's Jay, Nat with a cameo by Old Timey Dave. Not just tech talk, plenty of banter about Olympia's unique character, you Olybloggers, free speech and fascism.

Get your mitts on the goods at:Managing a Hyper-local Community with Drupal - Raincity Radio podcast

... and here's the 'offical' blurb and snaps for posterity:

Managing an active, hyper-local community blog site using Drupal is the topic as Dave O sits down with Emmett, a docent at Olyblog.net and Drupal-ists Jacob and Nat from Zhonka Broadband at an Olympia, Washington coffee shop.

photo by OldTimey Dave on Flickr

Bonus:

Enjoyers of modern art (impressionalist to surrealists) should run to the bus stop immediately to head north for the Monet to Dali exhibit at Vancouver Art Gallery (that's Vancouver BC eh).

The pieces on loan from the Cleveland Museum give a fantastic narration through the development of modern art sensibilities starting with early Monet's (you get a great sense of Monet's progression beyond the customary waterlillies stuff), plus Manet, Pisarro and Renior (including some from the original Paris exhibitions) - then moves on to a Cezanne, two van Goghs a sculpture room with a few Rodin bronzes before Matisse, Gauigan and a half dozen Picassos and a room of German experimentalists and Dadaists then surrealist collection with a huge canvas by Henri Rousseau, a couple of Dalis and finishes with a Henry Moore sculpture. Whew.

The exhibit ends on Sept. 17th so rush up as the crowds are growing as the deadline looms.

Here's a fine camera phone snap to *really* convince you to go:

By the way, the Gallery Cafe is a great place to have a glass of wine and a cheese plate while listening to jazz al fresco and watching the Vancouverites stroll by.

Former Olympian and Zhonka guy DaveO here. I am livin/working in Vancouver BC for a Drupal development shop Raincity Studios and a drupal community site called Happyfrog.ca a brand-new, hyperlocal eco-biz directory and info-clearinghouse. I also make heaps of podcast on my own (hemp, literature, hockey, etc.)

Anyhow, all this background is to say that I'll be in Olympia tomorrow (Friday Sept. 7th) and would like to record a podcast episode with an Olyblog docent for Raincity Radio.

I seek to interview OlyBlog from both a community interaction lens and a technical angle. Topics will include: who is the community?, the challenges of management, tweaking site performance, best practices, and the results of the project.

So who's up for this? Preferably a docent who is comfy speaking to a mic and has some long experience with the site and some compelling stories to tell. Not to fear though, as a drupal-entusiast and community builder, i'll lob you up easy topics to riff on and my Zhonka colleagues Jay and Nat will be participating as well.

We can do this from a convenient Zhonka Surfbreak downtown, preferably early afternoon (say 1 or 2pm) and the process will take about an hour.

Holler back to dave (at) raincitystudios (dot) com or add a comment to this post.

"Our power, then, has the grave liability of rendering our theories about the world immune from failure. But by becoming deaf to easily discerned warning signs, we may ignore long-term costs that result from our actions and dismiss reverses that should lead to a re-examination of our goals and means."

Wow, is he really questioning the doctrine of "roll in, f$#% it up and deal with it later"?

The article "Imperial overreach is accelerating the global decline of America" discusses how US foreign policy (i.e. imperialism) is isolating the US from the rest of the world and creating opporunity for China to "take over" as world's largest economy with India ramping up behind. No real secret there but i thought the quote from Henry Hyde was revealing to say the least.

The article was written by Martin Jacques, a senior visiting research fellow at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore.

In short, the exhibition will juxtapose works of art from different eras in an attempt to emphasize the similarities of concept or intent despite the apparent differeces in medium or technique (i.e. Monet next to Jimi Hendrix). In other words, art is art is art unless it is not art.

Here's the roster (BTW, I am totally gonna see this stuff and try to resist my art thief impulses):

“The DoubleTake: From Monet to Lichtenstein

Here's the relevant excerpt from Fresh Cup - the Voice of the Speciality Beverage Industry February 2006.

"Why Wi-fi? Pros and cons of a wireless cafe" by Kristine Hansen.

Some people in the industry , however, see no problem with offering free wireless Internet access, believing that if a customer can pay for a mocha and owns a laptop, they can probably order a second drink, too.

Dave Olson, minister of marketing at Zhonka, in Olympia, Wash, sell DSL Internet connections to a variety of companies (mostly cafes) in Olympia and throughout the Pacific Northwest. Cafe managers then turn around and offer wireless Internet to their coffee and tea sipping customers at no cost. "For us, it's a good marketing ploy," he says. "It promotes us in the community and puts out a lot of marketing goodwill. A year or so ago, it was mostly pay-per-use. Now people are drifting more toward doing the free thing."

With an Internet line and a piece of hardware that processes the signal, cafes can be up and running in no time. The initial set-up cost is between $30 and $50, according to Olson.

He believes pay-per-use Internet access turns customers off because they have to spend time entering their credit card information onto a home page and might have to make immediate decisions about the number of minutes or months they want to subscribe. Also, the fee to jump on the Internet might seem silly to some people when they have plunked down money for a mocha and pastry, and perhaps plugged a parking meter for the time they are in the cafe. "You're already in there paying for premium beverage and a place to sit," says Olson.

There is more but it is a little lame and misleading so ya gott