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Submitted by contron on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 10:52pm.
Dec 1 2006 - 6:00pm Dec 1 2006 - 8:00pm Please join me downtown in front of Last Word Books for a new Oly Tradition! FRIDAY NIGHT SIDEWALK SITTING!!!!!!! Please dress "shabby" and maybe come with a hat as we will head to the Capital Playhouse around seven and panhandle good ole MR SCROOGE! Perhaps we can stop in front of Olympia Outfitters along the way and take a rest on the sidewalk. Maybe we can rest at City Hall too! Or near the fountain. One thing is for sure, there is some good sitting to be had. |
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More Flickr photos tagged with "olympia" and "washington" OlyBlog is a site for news and discussion about Olympia, Washington. |
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Sit Happens
Submitted by Crenshaw Sepulveda on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 11:08pm."I would make it impossible for the covetous and avaricious to utterly impoverish the poor. The rich can take care of themselves."
^@^
Did they sound convincing?
Submitted by bubbaz (not verified) on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 11:13pm.Were you enlightened in any way?
Crocodile tears were shed by Laura Ware
Submitted by Crenshaw Sepulveda on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 11:26pm."I would make it impossible for the covetous and avaricious to utterly impoverish the poor. The rich can take care of themselves."
^@^
Were they fake?
Submitted by jlw on Wed, 11/29/2006 - 6:50am.Friendly amendments
Submitted by Crenshaw Sepulveda on Wed, 11/29/2006 - 7:56am."I would make it impossible for the covetous and avaricious to utterly impoverish the poor. The rich can take care of themselves."
^@^
Pretty soon it will be
Submitted by Merwyn Haskett on Wed, 11/29/2006 - 8:12am.You say that a good cause will even sanctify war! I tell you, it is the good war that sanctifies every cause!
Friedrich Nietzsche
DISOBEDIENCE
Submitted by slogvomit on Wed, 11/29/2006 - 12:50pm.Will be opening night of Jeff Kingsbury's Play, Scrooge the Musical. How ironic.
THIS IS A CALL TO ARMS,LEGS,MOUTHS and other dissenting organs.
We need your help to blockade the doors of the capital playhouse,cause a raucous and otherwise DISOBEY at the aforementioned date and time. bring your friends, clients, lovers, family and fellows to help myself, my neighbours and the growing population of those without homes and places to go.
as of last night the new city ordinances have passed, and will go in to effect on February 1st. these ordinances are plainly life threatening to all denizens of the downtown area. Let's upturn these cowardly proposals.
Jeff Kingsbury, a City Council member, directly responsible for the fraudulent ordinances will be starring as Ebenezer Scrooge in the musical.
He needs a wake up call.
Help disrupt Jeff Kingsbury's 21.00-31.00 priced EMBARASSMENT TO THE COMMUNITY.
we will convene around 7:00 at the Capital Playhouse - 612 Fourth Ave. E. Olympia, WA 98501
Maybe I'll stop by after the
Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Wed, 11/29/2006 - 7:40pm.Not as bad as it looks.
Submitted by Phil Owen on Wed, 11/29/2006 - 7:58pm.What we've got to do is to make sure that everyone who wants one gets a busking permit. And then we need to push for more public benches.
The council really doesn't like all the controversy they've been exposed to lately, and I think there's a lot that they will be willing to consider.
The Canaanite's Call
I'm sorry if they don't like
Submitted by Rob Richards on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 12:06am."Everybody who imitates Christ is a fake Jesus." –Alan Watts
I'm sorry if they don't like
Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 12:36am.The tone of this comment is rattling around inside me somewhere, but I can't put my finger on it. It sounds divisive, exclusive.
I think that there is a window of opportunity opening for discussion and dialogue. Angry voices and actions can hurt the chances for that discussion to be successful, or even the chances for it to happen.
They did bring it on themselves...
Submitted by bubbaz (not verified) on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 12:42am.This ordinance targets the homeless..
One would have to live on Mars no to see this..
Yet the Olympia City Council continues to claim that it is not about the homeless..
But that is a lie, and they are not allowed to lie to us..
Remember: Patrons do not "panhandle", homeless people do..
I will not deny that there
Submitted by Rob Richards on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 1:43am."Everybody who imitates Christ is a fake Jesus." –Alan Watts
Anger isnt going to get us anywhere..
Submitted by bubbaz (not verified) on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 1:52am.There is too much work to do..
We need to subvert The Olympian,
We need to canvass..
And we need to organize with some $$.
We are up against people that are dug in..
But they do need to go..
They cannot be worked with..
The deception I just witnessed was no illusion..
It was real..
What I'm saying is that
Submitted by Rob Richards on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 2:19am."Everybody who imitates Christ is a fake Jesus." –Alan Watts
Right on Bro!
Submitted by bubbaz (not verified) on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 2:46am.We can do this, We are smarter then they are..
This is a small town, lets kick the corporate shills off of the City Council!
We owe it to to our great town to do this!
If we all unite under this one goal, im sure we could pull it off..
An "Anti - Homeless" City Council candidate is an *extremely beatable* City Council candidate in this town..
Thats exactly why Laura Ware was crying..
Lets beat them over the head with their own "Anti - Homeless" ordinance..
You make it sound as if you
Submitted by Ehver Green on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 4:45am.You make it sound as if you and those that oppose the ordinance own this city. You don't. You are a piece of a larger puzzle which you don't seem to see or refuse to see. Olympia is more than TESC and downtown hipsters. It is made up of families too; Moms and Dads and Kids. Families that would like to share the experience of downtown but don't for one reason or another. In your definition of community around here it would be nice to see you paint it with a much wider brush and be inclusive rather than exclusive.
I love that you can express in vain how much smarter you are. Tell ya what, run for council and see if you can get elected. If you are elected, you sit with 6 other people and 3 of them must agree with you to get anything done.
Maybe Olympia will go the way of Dallas, TX. Dallas' downtown is made of up districts. On one end you have your downtown Bellevue like atmosphere known as West End. At the east side of downtown Dallas is Deep Ellum. Deep Ellum is much like the current state of downtown Olympia - lots of bars, tattoo parlors and specialty shops. It's great if you want to party and cause trouble, but not worth much else. A virtual ghost town during the day. Why can't Olympia serve both? Or is that asking too much...
The people supporting this ordinance definately do not run..
Submitted by bubbaz (not verified) on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 9:51am.The City Council has very little clout around here if you havent noticed..
Maybe you should take a look at how the past attempts at passing this type ordinance have fared..
And nothing has changed..
We like the homeless here in Olympia, better than we like the yuppies..
Remember: 20 to 1 opposed at the council Meeting..
Personally, im starting to like this ordinance..
Its going to come in very handy come election time..
Wouldnt you agree?
A couple of pretty broad
Submitted by Norm on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 11:32am.Broad statements?
Submitted by bubbaz (not verified) on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 12:48pm.Get 'er going. If Olympia
Submitted by Norm on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 12:57pm.At least I stay on point..
Submitted by bubbaz (not verified) on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 1:17pm.It just turns into an ordinance about anything anybody makes up at any given point in time..
RE: "get 'er going.."
Im all smiles there, holmes..
(means *POSITIVE*..)
EG,You make some very valid
Submitted by NWarty on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 11:18am.EG,
You make some very valid points regarding some of the comments made here and I've held off typing away for the last couple of days.
I disagree with many bloggers here regarding the issue of the ordinances...but I have to say that folks like Rob R and Phil have kept a very level head and are willing to express their thoughts eloquently without a knee-jerk reaction.
Some of the posts here in regards to the ordinances, in my opinion, are completely "I didn't get my way, so now I'm going to throw a fit". Sounds like something my two year olds would pull.
So to Rob R and Phil, your posts are nice to read even though my thoughts differ from yours. Your posts keep this topic a little more civil.
after the ugly night that wasn't
Submitted by enpen on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 11:19pm."Olympia is more than TESC and downtown hipsters. It is made up of families too; Moms and Dads and Kids. Families that would like to share the experience of downtown but don't for one reason or another."
I've been struggling to keep up with all of these posts while not being able to be online much the last few days, so pardon my jumping out of the woodwork.
I am not a hipster and I don't know what "TESC" is an acronym for yet, but I can answer affirmatively to being a dad. I also can answer affirmatively to being an Olympian who takes his daughter downtown. The problem that you're alluding to here is deep. You're referencing a group of people who, instead of developing grassroots coalitions to pick up litter downtown and develop community oriented projects involving downtown, prefer to use structures of authority to see their will enacted. I love how "responsibility" and "civility" are thrown around like daggers at people throughout, yet those preaching demand armed patrols make clean the red carpet rolled out before them so that, heaven forfend, they don't have to speak with a person who has a different sense of style, social etiquette, slang or gainful employment.
Tonight, while listening to Tim (a founding member of the P.P.U.) speak outside of the Capitol Theater in a successful bid to calm any riotous behavior, a mother and her daughter walked behind me and suddenly all I could hear was "I don't know what this is about but hurry past it and get inside.' Is this really the kind of head-in-the-sand mentality and blatant bigotry that we want to encourage? At first I wanted to laugh at the woman, but then I just felt really fucking sad.
"Anybody who doesn't know that politics is crime has got a few screws loose."
I hear you. It is sad that
Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 11:31pm.TESC: The Evergreen State College
Aldo Leopold: "We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."
Particularly being a female
Submitted by Norm on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 10:51am.woo hah
Submitted by enpen on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 3:09pm."Particularly being a female with a small child I can see why she would do that."
Sometimes, instead of speeding up, slowing down is so much better. Then she may have seen Janet standing there with her daughter. But that's okay, we can excuse willful ignorance until we're blue in the face and we've given away all of our liberties in the name of security. It's precisely because we, as a society, do not encourage and reward questioning that ignorance gets its fetid little paws farther and farther in the door. It's a familiar refrain. Rather than stop and ask questions (or, god forbid, listen) people are encouraged to fear because fear brings about laws which make our fears police problems. It's ignorance that leads to our ever dwindling gun rights, because people see a boom stick and people get afraid.
"“This bridge will only take you halfway there, to those mysterious lands you long to see. Through gypsy camps and swirling Arab fair, and moonlit woods where unicorns run free. So come and walk awhile with me and share the twisting trails and wonderous worlds Ive known. But this bridge will only take you halfway there. The last few steps you have to take alone.
So, if you would have
Submitted by Norm on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 3:53pm.So, if you would have "educated" her and pointed to the woman in the group and her daughter, and she still said, "I don't care, you guys are weird, leave me alone." Then what? Hell! You may have explained and she might have said "Screw the homeless! I love the new ordinance." Instead she chose to be polite and not interact with the situation and make it volatile towards her.
You may find this hard to believe but there are people out there who want to go out and do things, but do not want to interact with society. I've had those days too, they are generally the days when I skip the broho. There are times when I am somewhere and I just don't feel like talking with someone. I will literally walk a street over in order to avoid talking with people. I might be in a grumpy mood, anti-social, introverted and I may not want to subject other people to that. Or, I may just not feel like putting up with people's bullshit! Maybe this woman really wanted to get into the play and avoid whatever kind of audience you had going. You can't tell me you don't have your own willfull ignorance towards certain subjects going on. I turn off the TV anytime Bush starts talking about something, does that make me a bad person? I generally don't want to hear his bullshit.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding your point, but it almost seems like you want to shove socialization down people's throats.
you're a target
Submitted by enpen on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 4:58pm."So, if you would have "educated" her and pointed to the woman in the group and her daughter, and she still said, "I don't care, you guys are weird, leave me alone." Then what?"
I think OperaGirl's point was that if indeed the woman was acting out of fear then isn't it at least partially my duty to try to quell her fear if I know that there is nothing to be afraid of.
"You may find this hard to believe but there are people out there who want to go out and do things, but do not want to interact with society. I've had those days too..."
Y'know, Norm, one of the purposes of this ordinance was to address the perceived anti-social behavior downtown. You'd better watch yourself lest you end up with a $1000 fine. As far as your point about people wanting to go out and do things without interacting with society, of course that's true. I don't think I ever denied that. I also see you're not arguing that the world ought to make way for you when you feel this way. I agree with that, too. As a society we need to develop for social interaction. As an individual anyone can choose to not partake in that social interaction. Of course, too much wanting the benefits of society without putting oneself back into it is called the free rider problem in the social sciences.
"Anybody who doesn't know that politics is crime has got a few screws loose."
Granted I'm deducing this
Submitted by Merwyn Haskett on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 1:06pm.Granted I'm deducing this from vague second-hand information but my gut reaction of the woman with a small child is different from yours. She was taking her daughter to see a Christmas Musical. We can't assume that she reads the paper or pays attention to articles concerning downtown and the homeless.
For all she knew the crowd could have been anything: It could have been Christians trying to forcibly witness, it could have been employees from an adjacent business threatening to strike. Most people with small children won't walk with them into an unknown gathering like that.
Besides, it's still cold out. If I had a kid I'd be hurrying them inside too.
You say that a good cause will even sanctify war! I tell you, it is the good war that sanctifies every cause!
Friedrich Nietzsche
heh
Submitted by enpen on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 2:58pm.Both you and Norm make my point beautifully, I think. From previous posts, I know neither of you are in favor of this ordinance, so I realize I preach to the choir. But,the crux of the social psychological problem here lay within her reaction and our ability to find it acceptable; willful ignorance. This ordinance rewards willful ignorance about our fellows by sweeping them out of sight and out of mind.
"She was taking her daughter to see a Christmas Musical. We can't assume that she reads the paper or pays attention to articles concerning downtown and the homeless."
You're correct, we cannot assume that she reads the paper or pays attention to the articles. I would argue that we can assume she knows which musical she was taking her daughter to, though. And as Dickens so nicely lays out for us, it is good and right when living in a society to not only reap the rewards of that society, but to help others access those rewards too (often by merely stopping and introducing ourselves). I'm not saying the woman is bad, or morally bankrupt. I would say she's been socially conditioned by being rewarded for her ignorance. And that is why I found the entire scenario so sad.
"Anybody who doesn't know that politics is crime has got a few screws loose."
But is this all on the woman
Submitted by OperaGirl on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 3:07pm.But is this all on the woman with her daughter? You said that you first just wanted to laugh at her. By your standard shouldn't you have turned around and said something friendly to let her know that everything was cool? I am not disagreeing with what you are saying exactly - it just seems like there is some sort of double standard here.
"She grew on him like she was a colony of E.Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef."
ye-as
Submitted by enpen on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 3:13pm.I should've turned around and said something to her but sometimes my brain processes a little too slowly to adjust to somebody running by, so that by the time my sadness meter kicked in and I had processed what had just happened, she was in the door.
"Anybody who doesn't know that politics is crime has got a few screws loose."
You almost sound as if you
Submitted by Norm on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 3:29pm.woah there Norm
Submitted by enpen on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 4:02pm."You almost sound as if you wish to punish people for reacting towards you in a way that you disagree with."
I do? Because her behavior caused me to feel sad? Or because I think that willful ignorance is a social disease? First of all, there are cases where I do believe it should be criminally punishable for reacting in ways I disagree with. Burning crosses on lawns, vandalizing somebody's property because of their sexual orientation, etc., etc., etc. Secondly, as I said, I believe her behavior is completely a product of our society and I direct my frustration and sadness at that. I'm not sure where you got anger.
"Free will is an interesting thing, we all have it, we all use it daily, don't seek to educate people on what they can freely think."
Oh come on, Norm. We have some bare facsimile of free will, nothing more. Look at all of the money our major corporations pour into advertising (not just the product, but the research and development end where psychologists are hired out of grad school). I'll stand up for people's individual rights all day, until they negatively affect other's rights. This woman's fear and disregard strike me as emblematic of the fear and ignorance that led to the push for and passage of the Pedestrian Interference ordinance, which directly affects individual liberties.
"Anybody who doesn't know that politics is crime has got a few screws loose."
I know what you mean, enpen
Submitted by jlw on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 4:18pm.From you: Tonight, while
Submitted by Norm on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 4:58pm.From you: Tonight, while listening to Tim (a founding member of the P.P.U.) speak outside of the Capitol Theater in a successful bid to calm any riotous behavior, a mother and her daughter walked behind me and suddenly all I could hear was "I don't know what this is about but hurry past it and get inside.' Is this really the kind of head-in-the-sand mentality and blatant bigotry that we want to encourage? At first I wanted to laugh at the woman, but then I just felt really fucking sad.
The sad part I can understand, but laugh at, that seems a little cold at best. Bigotry? Definition of bigot: A bigot is a prejudiced person who is intolerant of any opinions differing from their own.
So because she chose to hurry her child inside, and not get caught up in the crowd, or generally not give a flying f*&% about what you were talking about, she's now a bigot? Who's to say she was even afraid, maybe she just didn't want to listen to people trying to calm each other down from their little protest.
I got anger from what you call frustration. Your post sounded like an angry rant. How dare this woman react this way. Me? I'm frustrated, because typically I don't like to be caught up in the bullshit that happens downtown, and I can understand why other people wouldn't either. I don't feel I'm a bigot, or that I have my head in the sand. I know what most of it is all about and I just plain don't give a shit. I wouldn't want my child involved in it either. Call it what you want but I think the woman was completely justified to get herself and her child out of a group of people that she didn't want to be involved with.
uh
Submitted by enpen on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 5:22pm."Who's to say she was even afraid, maybe she just didn't want to listen to people trying to calm each other down from their little protest."
It certainly isn't a 100% guaratee that I can tell the difference between fear and annoyance in a person's voice, demeanor and actions, but I'd bet you wages for a year that she was afraid. As far as my initial reaction to laugh; often when I'm faced with the absurd, I laugh. The atmosphere was calm. Tim was explaining to overeager Greener protesters that in many ways the rapid expansion of their school has a lot to do with him being unable to afford a home. Nobody was chanting. Nobody was trying to bar the doors. All was calm and peaceful. There were even several well dressed (by Olympia social standards) people in attendance.
By opinions in your "bigot" definition I would include look, smell, language, too-many-classifications-of-'different'-to-list. Yes her behavior came across as being bigoted. The fact that she was implicitly giving her daughter a lesson in stereotyping and fear makes me sad as well.
"Call it what you want but I think the woman was completely justified to get herself and her child out of a group of people that she didn't want to be involved with."
Justified? Sure. A member of the Klan is likewise "justified" in keeping his/her daughter away from people of color, Catholics and Jews. Does "justified" mean that it's behavior conducive to a good and just society, though?
"Anybody who doesn't know that politics is crime has got a few screws loose."
I'm saying she may have
Submitted by Norm on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 5:32pm.I'm saying she may have avoided you simply because you were a gathered crowd. I think that is justified. You seem to think that a "crowd" is somehow comparable to a religion or a race. I'm not saying, "Well yeah, when you all are dressed like homeless people and greeners she's right to avoid you." I'm saying that because you were in a crowd, and she didn't know what was going on ( unwilling to ask or just plain didn't give a shit ) she was well justified to simply steer clear of it.
If I see a bunch of people crowded outside of a bar I'm not going to tap someone on the shoulder and ask what they are all looking at, I'm going to walk in the other direction and not give a damn. How is that wrong? How am I hurting society if I decide not to ask you what the hell you are doing in a crowd outside the theatre?
In my mind, she was giving her daughter a lesson in how to avoid trouble. I don't care if you were all gathered around a lamp-post singing Kumbaya. I don't know you, I'm not here to GET to know you, I'm going to avoid you while walking into the theater. How that's bigotry to you I'll never understand.
I just find it amusing
Submitted by Crenshaw Sepulveda on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 2:27am."I would make it impossible for the covetous and avaricious to utterly impoverish the poor. The rich can take care of themselves."
^@^
cancel friday and participate tonight: thrusday
Submitted by contron on Thu, 11/30/2006 - 10:08am.6 pm at Last Word
Submitted by Crenshaw Sepulveda on Sat, 12/02/2006 - 9:38am.I know that there are people that have no choice, the space on the sidewalks is their only choice for staying out of as much of the weather as they can. Me, I was a wimp, all I could think about is getting back to my warm apartment and a nice hot meal. Maybe listen to the radio and spend some time on the computer. I had a choice and I made it, I caught the next bus back to Tacoma, which was also nice and warm, well lit so I could read and be comfortable.
But I was troubled, not because of my weakness and my ability to get out of the elements. I was troubled because there are so many that don't have the options that I have. To some people a few square feet under an awning is all they have. Not really a great life, but better than being in the gutter. So I am wondering what kind of cruel society will deprive a person with almost no options the option of seeking shelter under an awning. The nights are cold in Olympia, a friendly amendment to the ordinance will allow people to avail themselves of the awning during the coldest and most miserable times. What a wonderful show of compassion.
I have trouble sleeping if it gets just a little cold in my apartment. I don't know how people can get any serious sleep when it is below 20 degrees outside and they don't even have the rudiments of cold weather gear. To be honest i'd be trying to get my necessary sleep when the conditions were better, like during the day time. If you don't get any good sleep you are pretty much useless for doing anything else.
I ask, again, what kind of society takes away options from people that have so little? Our sidewalks are wide enough for everyone, but it seems that our hearts are not.
"I would make it impossible for the covetous and avaricious to utterly impoverish the poor. The rich can take care of themselves."
^@^
Width of Sidewalks v. Width of Compassion
Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Sat, 12/02/2006 - 2:57pm.I think this whole thing boils down to fear. Some fear homeless people. Some fear losing the business of those who fear the homeless. The homeless/houseless fear persecution. In order to combat this fear, I think that an all-inclusive round table discussion would be really helpful.