Bear with me for a minute. Last night I had a dream - I don't often have them anymore, or at least don't remember them when I wake, but I did this time. I dreamt my Mother barged into the bedroom and was trying to get me to wake up. I guestimate I would have been dreaming this in the 2 or 3am hour.

I sleep with the blinds up and window cracked open - and at around 4:20am I heard this loud rumbling and BEEP BEEP BEEP. I finally peeked out the window and saw a big ladder truck backing up. I wondered if they were just practicing maneuvers while most people were at home and not driving around.

Because I wake up early, and the sun was bright, I left before 7:00 to head into work - I like being able to stop for coffee first, and to ease into the workday without having to jump right to it. I logged into The Olympian and saw this.

According to a comment posted at 7:40 there was still a unit pumping water out. I hadn't noticed anything, but then again when I left I went straight out of the complex without driving all throughout the parking lot.

One of my co-workers lives at Crowne Pointe too, and when she still wasn't in at 8:20 I asked if she had called. She had, and she wasn't the one burned out. However, after she came in she told me she had been outside for a smoke break and thought to herself that window's glowing awful bright when suddenly it shattered and the flame's erupted.

So far as yet there's no word on what caused the fire, whether it was accident, negligence or deliberate. It won't affect me - unless rates go up drastically when it's time to renew the lease.

I'm perhaps a bit more sensitive on this than others since I lost my Grandparents to a fire at the East Bay Condos in '95. I don't like the idea that I could lose all my possessions or even my life because of my neighbor's actions.

The following is a cleaned-up, mostly Olyblog-safe revision of a vitriolic, profanity-laden rant soon to be posted elsewhere.

Currently roadwork is being done on the 4th Ave bridge - the eastbound entrance from the roundabout has been blocked off. This is confusing some drivers who subsequently forget how to drive. What they have been doing is stopping in traffic and one by one breaking into the 5th Ave lane (which requires traffic to be backed up all the way along Harrison Hill.

Folks - it's called a roundabout: you're supposed to circle until you can exit.

Free Mechele: A positive place to share in the journey of bringing Mechele Linehan home, is run by friends and family of the former Olympian and wife and mother. Besides updates the site allows supporters to donate assistance to the Linehan family. Merchandise, including shirts and buttons, is also available for sale.

First they came and took the gambling. I didn't care because I'm not lucky at gambling. Then they came and took the cigarettes. I didn't care because I don't smoke. Then they came and took the music and it was too late because there was no one who said "No" to the government.
FOF Life Member | 05.25.08 - 4:55 am

Copied from today's KAOS Meeting Minutes (distributed to programmers) although I WAS in attendance for an enjoyable ceremony

KAOS AWARDS 2008

10 YEARS OF SERVICE - Andras Jones, Scott Stevens
20 YEARS OF SERVICE - Jon Epstein
25 YEARS OF SERVICE - Tom Foote

Sub of the Year - Joe Pollock

Best Performance in “Tough” Timeslot - Richard Sinclair - Dancing In Circles

Outstanding Public Service - Paul Peck - Homelessness Marathon

Promising New Program - Soul Story Hour w/Nag Champa - Jesse Callahan
No Bones About It - w/Ranting Raven Redbone - Brian Frisina

Voted “Programmer’s Choice” - Retroactive - JJ Syrja

Significant Service - Evan Hashi - KAOS website development

Austin Potter - volunteer live-music engineering

Christina Masden - KAOS “Hot Box” work

Scott Stevens - “The Standard” for Specialty Music Director work

Sean Izzarone & Dave Holocher - Saturday open-shift coverage

GM’s Award for Excellence - Miriam Khan - Tuesday “Breakfast Special”

Training & Operations “Smooth Operator” Award - Jose Luis Pineda (DJ Kalambre)

Development Dept. Exceptional Service Award - Deb Greenwood

Congratulations to those awarded and thank you to everyone who makes KAOS the #1 Community Radio station.

It's a story Radio8Ball's creator Andras Jones doesn't want told - he's already threatened legal action along with illegally threatening blacklisting. However it's not illegal to report an honest and accurate account of personal experiences with someone, even if said experiences are negative and don't leave the subject in a flattering light.

The story is long (having originally been serialized in five parts on Myspace) - covers four years meticulously - and features a woman who wouldn't agree to be pushed around or treated like a dog.

- and after I've thrown away a bag of hair that must've weighed a pound and I start to feel that evaporating coolness and even remember the Sunblock - the weather inevitably cools down and goes back to dismal normal.

It's happened more than once before, I had no reason to believe it wouldn't happen again.

Sorry kids, it's too cold to go swimming now.

The rules are simple. Questions are asked, contestants buzz in to answer, and wrong answers are mocked unmercifully. It's not a night for the timid or easily offended.

Unlike the early years points no longer matter. During the Final Round most teams wager something that has nothing to do with their score. Most nights John and his dangerous assistant Elle McFearsome have already decided who that night's winner is. (Be sure they know when your birthday is.)

Six teams can play. People who wander in to see what's going on are encouraged to start or join a team. Each team has a cheap third-grade level buzzer shaped like a pipebomb, which if pressed first activates a corresponding light on the scoreboard. If you buzz in before a question is completed you must answer with what you have, even if the question is "What was the...." One common trick the Host often uses is to ask a long, rambling question where premature pressers end up answering the wrong question.

Arguing with the Host and Hostess is encouraged, although doing so will often cost you in present and future points. You will never win a fight with Elle who has been known to throw people out of the game. Trivia Newton John, conversely, takes the lion's share of abuse - however, since he is one of the most self-deprecating Hosts in the history of cheesy games the winds are usually let out of the sails of amateur hecklers.

To enliven the event Production Engineer Gary Keyes will interject a lightning round utilizing their projector. This can be anything from identify the song and band to guess what the person in the video's going to do.

Unlike Tschida Jeff has shown an ability to participate in Olyblog within the guidelines that were asked of him. (at least, a greater ability than even I have to admit Tschida possessed.)

It is not right that participants are allowed to "play the player instead of the ball" when it comes to him. He submits a post, or a comment, and he gets attacked with something unrelated to the thread or what he said.

Are certain people eligible for ad hominem attacks? Are certain people exempt from the community-protections that have been pushed and pushed on us these past few months?

I understand that there are people here who personally knew Rachel Corrie, and who will never forgive Jeff for his insensitivity. That's fine. But what they need to do is ignore him unless they can contribute to the discussion.

[EDIT: I posted this at the same time Rob R removed the offending comments (mine too, which was only right.) I offered to have him remove this post - I feel I make a good point though.]

Their pictures, taken from video shot at the scene, is available at The Olympian's webpage.

Tips and Identification can be sent to TCSO or Crimestoppers (phone numbers available in linked article.) Calls to Crimestoppers may be made anonymously.

[EDIT: An expanded article.]