The most depressing part about the story a week or so back about the most recent buyouts at the Olympian was the horn tooting by the paper's publiser about how they're fighting back the tide:

The paper is pushing its advertising and circulation departments to drive revenue and it recently launched Vitality411 — http://theolympian. vitality411.com — a new health care Web site, Miller said.

“We’re not just playing defense; we’re trying to play offense as much as possible,” he said.

Vitality411, to put it nicely, isn't a local product. It may have listings for local resources, but by and large, it is a canned copy product the Olympian bought from MediResources, a company from Toronto that describes itself here:

We are at the forefront of creating new technologies that deliver health content. We differentiate ourselves from others, as we don't just create health information or just develop technology, we do both. This has allowed us to have a unique perspective and create more technologically innovative ways to deliver information that effectively improves health.

The copy that the Olympian is buying from Canada isn't even exclusive to the Olympian. This column on dancing is also available here and here. Actually, now that I think of it, the Idaho Press-Tribune's health website looks exactly the same as the Olympian's, minus the masthead of course.

All the talk about the bats made me curious, so I went to see for myself. It was a nice day for a walk around the Woodard Bay DNR Natural Resources Conservation Area. I didn't see any bats though.

Woodard Bay with Madroña

slideshow on the flipside

When: Tomorrow, Monday October 6, 2008 from 11 to 1 (or 2)
Where: State Capitol Legislative Building Steps (North side of building)

The No LNG workshop at Traditions earlier tonight was informative. I learned that there are a number of good reasons to be opposed to a proposed LNG terminal on the banks of the Columbia River in Southern Washington State. The composition of the opposition is grass roots; it's a coalition of local stake-holders who would be affected by the Bradford Landing liquid natural gas terminal, as well as advocates for environmental justice.

Tomorrow's rally will call on Governor Gregoire to assist the peoples' opposition to this unnecessary and environmentally harmful project. The office of the Governor has made noises about even going so far as suing to stop the Houston based NorthernStar Energy Group's efforts to develop LNG terminals and pipelines - given the lack of appropriate state level input, environmental review, and oversight. The proposal has thus far been pushed and ferried through under authority of the 5 person Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), although one member of the Bush Administration appointed commission, Jon Wellinghoff, who is also the only one to have met with concerned stake-holders, has written a powerful and substantive dissent of the FERC position (to permit) the NorthernStar LNG endeavors. Find out more about that at tomorrow's rally! (More detailed information is available on the FERC website, as well.)

Jay Manning from the Dep. of Ecology will be among the speakers. There will be important information about what exactly is going down with proposals for pipelines and shipping terminals, the natural gas market, and the dangers and environmental pitfalls of the LNG trade.

No to global warming! No to LNG! Yes to renewable/sustainable energy! Yes to a better tomorrow!

More information: No LNG [http://nolng.net/]

[correction: It's the "NorthernStar Natural Gas" Energy Group that has proposed the Bradwood Landing LNG Terminal and associated pipelines, not the "Northstar Energy Group", as previously stated above, article amended to reflect correction.

Also for more information please see: River Vision: Renewable Energy Sources, Columbia River Vision.]

Earthbound Productions and The Community Sustaining Fund of Thurston County, are presenting a “Day of the Dead” fund-raising benefit beginning at 7 pm on Saturday evening, November 1, 2008 at the Eagles Ballroom, Fourth Avenue and Plum, Olympia. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door and can be purchased at Traditions or Rainy Day Records.

Bands include: Bevy, Planetary People, The Excuses, and Devils's Boots.

Please bring a donation to YWCA’s Other Bank. Specific donation needs include: Toilet Paper; Pads and Tampons; Bar Soap; Deodorant; Toothpaste; Toothbrushes (kids too!); Shampoo; Shaving Cream; Razors; Liquid Dish Soap; Powdered Laundry Soap; and Bathroom/Kitchen Cleaner.

12 mini-reviews for the short attention span, taken from dark corners of stevenl's video vault:

Flying Saucers Over Hollywood: the Plan 9 Companion / directed by Mark Patrick Carducci (1992, VHS). Forrest J. Ackerman, Carl Anthony, Stephen C. Apostolof, Conrad Brooks, Joe Dante, Drew Friedman, Rudolph Grey, Valda Hansen, Paul Marco, Harry Medved, Sam Raimi, Harry Thomas, Vampira, Gregory Walcott. Container title: The Ed Wood Story. In spite of having the feel of an amateur production, or maybe because of it, this is the best of the attempts I've seen to document the phenomenon of Ed Wood and his unique method of filmmaking. Short-sighted critics who have called his movies and novels, "the triumph of will over talent" might change their minds after hearing some of the backstory. This is very much a video version of Rudolph Grey's excellent biography, Nightmare of Ecstasy: The Life and Art of Edward D. Wood, Jr. It also reminds me a little of those Michael Wood documentaries, tracing the actual footsteps of the subject himself. We see where Ed Wood lived, where he liked to hang out, film locations, and the remains of the cramped little studio where Plan 9 was filmed. One of the many film critics interviewed made the point that Wood didn't employ "special" effects. When he used cheap flying saucer models on fishing line they were "symbolic" effects. In addition to Wood, coverage is given to characters out of what Walcott calls the director's "menagerie": Bela Lugosi, Tor Johnson, Vampira, Criswell. Criswell was a psychic and I recall buying his book, Criswell Predicts, in Ralph's Thriftway in the 1960s. Among other things he predicted the end of the world in 1999. My father saw the book in my possession and just scoffed about Criswell finding another sucker. I was disappointed to see little mention of "Bunny" Breckinridge or Dudley Manlove in this documentary. My fellow comic art practitioners and comrades will enjoy the interview with Drew Friedman, who immortalized the cast with his amazing illustrations on a special card set. In case you sequential art guys want to look at Wood's work and laugh, Drew puts us in our place when he says, "The lowest kind of artist you can be is a cartoonist."

WHEN: Oct. 10 and 11, 4-8 p.m.

WHERE: Gull Harbor Lutheran Church, 4610 Boston Harbor Rd. NE

BENEFITS: Previously, proceeds have gone to Thurston County Food Bank, Safe Place, and Lutheran World Relief.

MENU: Sausages (Kielbasa, Bratwurst, Knackwurst), German potato salad, red cabbage, strudel, root beer...

ENTERTAINMENT: Live accordion music. What else?

COST: $12 adults, $5 kids

Forum on Financial Melt-Down, Bailout

Political Economists and Evergreen State College faculty members, Peter Bohmer and Peter Dorman, will make short presentations on the causes of the current financial crisis, its current and future economic implications for our daily lives; the likely impact of the $700 billion bailout, and progressive alternatives to the recent bailouts.

Most of the time will be devoted to a discussion on these topics organized around audience questions and comments.

Place: Lecture Hall 3, The Evergreen State College - free and open to public

For more information contact:

Peter Bohmer, 867-6431, bohmerp@evergreen.edu or Peter Dorman, 867-6899, dormanp@evergreen.edu

Come one come all and learn to dance at Ballet Arts Olympia! Free classes during October.