Maybe you haven't heard it. If you live or work in Olympia and you haven't heard it, then you need to get your hearing checked. Because it's loud. I went by today. I saw it in action. More so, I heard it - felt it actually, as it vibrated the ground. I got right up close and personal. It was painfully loud. I wonder how it felt to the workers who were standing there, watching the machine hammer away... I wonder how long their shifts are. They did not look happy. In fact they seemed quite close to the point source, and not too enthused about the whole situation.

The deep piles are necessary for tall structures in this area because the land is composed of fill, which is mostly mud dredged up from the bay. The land is prone to liquefaction (where it turns into a soupy mess and becomes unable to support heavy structures) in an earthquake situation.

Is this the face of progress? Or is this an attempt to create an illusion of security and permanence? These are heavy questions. But it's time to be asking them, considering the amount of piles that we might, as residents of Olympia, be looking forward to - given the impetus for development, "revitalization" and investment in the vision of a "vibrant" downtown core.

Food Mart with signs, including one saying, "Peace on Earth"

Peace on Earth, wouldn't that be great! So, it's cigarettes, ATM, lotto, energy drinks, beer, wine, and Peace on Earth.

Earlier I blogged about the Capitol Theater facade and about the aquifer. Here they are during Procession of the Species and I think really demonstrate their potential. As I mentioned, the awning on the Capitol Theater is a great place to watch a parade.

Also, people are just hanging out on the cement blocks by the aquifer. Imagine how cool it would be if this was an even larger space with more places to sit! Maybe I'm just being greedy. There is also something extremely great about this space being so rugged and unpolished. I agree with the earlier commenters that making it into an official park may gentrify it. But does it have to be one or the other? Can we make an intentional and inclusive public space that works?