Almost 30 years since a tight-knit band of crazed alumni began the tradition of Evergreen Graduation Festivals, first at Mud Bay, and later in the legendary Meadow in the middle of Evergreen's forested campus, we come forward with a new twist on something that many feel was already adequately twisted to begin with: The first Virtual Meadow.

On Saturday, June 14th (after Evergreen's Super Saturday), we will bring together those legendary psychonauts, Heliotroupe, with up-and-comers and all-around swell fellows, High Ceiling, for a night of festive frivolity. To top it all off, we're going to throw in the mind-bending moves of the Troupe O-Wa belly dancers, beautiful processional decorations, throbbing multimedia mindscapes, and much too much more.

We'll have a beer garden for the over-21 crowd, staffed by volunteers from Media Island, the nonprofit whose social justice mission will benefit from every drop of frothy suds you swill.

In further solidarity, you will have opportunities to toss those evil Federal Reserve notes that are sullying your pockets into the Mushroom Richard Commemorative Inferno of Love, the proceeds of which will go to farm relief efforts from last winter's terrible floods.

The all-ages event begins at 7pm on Saturday, June 14th, in the Eagles Ballroom, 805 E. 4th, in downtown Olympia. And it's only $5. Better yet, it's completely FREE for 2008 Evergreen graduates!

Why free for them? Well, partly because they're cute as buttons and awfully fun to have around, but they're broke. Mostly though, because some of us alumni want to honor Evergreen's graduates and, in some little way, give our thanks to that amazing center of learning and weirdness. We can't begin to express how much we owe to Evergreen, how important it is to who we are today and to the quality of community we live in now, and how proud we are to be Greeners!

I also want to add that I requested that the Congressman's office staffer fax a copy of my cover letter along with the entire 65 pages of Impeachment Articles text to Congressman Baird (who is in D.C.). I suggest that you do the same (deliver the articles and ask that they be faxed) when you deliver your message of support for impeachment, governmental accountability and the rule of law:

Tuesday, June 10, 2008
To: Congressman Brian Baird
US House of Representatives
Washington D.C.

From: Robert F. W. Whitlock
[redacted address]

Dear Congressman Baird,

Cindy was joined on-stage by Gary Murrell [link to campaign website], who is a Green Party candidate for Washington State's 6th Congressional District. He is challenging the re-election of Congressman Norm Dicks, a 30 year veteran of the Congress. The audience was also treated to a presentation by Linda Boyd, director of Washington for Impeachment [.org]. Linda Boyd has been instrumental in lobbying for the passage of impeachment memorials in the Washington State legislature that would call on national representatives to begin investigations into impeachable offenses as they have (allegedly) been committed by members of the Bush Administration. She continues a very active promotion of impeachment, based on apparent high crimes and/or misdemeanors having been committed by members of the Bush Administration.

Is there a list of the CSAs that are in our area (South Sound)?

CSA: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): Partnership between consumers and farmers in which consumers pay for farm products in advance and farmers commit to supplying sufficient quantity, quality and variety of products. This type of arrangement can be initiated by the farmer (farmer directed) or by a group of consumers (participatory).

I'd like to see local CSAs promoted by the Neighborhood Associations, and I'm looking to invite CSAs to the ENA Picnic in August to "show us how" =)

...any thoughts?

This is an excellent article by Stephen Franklin: Nine steps to citizen journalism online

You can have your own point of view or opinion. But if you want people to pay attention to you, you must give them a chance to make a decision. You can present the information you think is important, and then explain your view. When people feel you are honest and credible, they will return to your place on the Internet. You can also separate your work into clear categories. This means you mark some of what you write as what you have learned and reported, and some as your opinion.