Antonia Juhasz at the Capitol Theater at 7 PM on Monday, October 20th, 2008 will present her new book The Tyranny of Oil: The World's Most Powerful Industry, and What We Must Do To Stop It.

Link to event details: Antonia Juhasz at the Capitol Theater October 20, 2008

Juhasz will also appear at SPSCC earlier in the day at 2 PM. More details about that event: Antonia Juhasz at South Puget Sound Community College

more about the book on the flipside:

On September 9, The Olympia City Council voted, and passed on first reading, to ordain the repeal of the city's 2005 Nuclear Free Zone Act. A decision was also made to pass a noise ordinance for downtown Olympia. Higher quality video is available at the city website (www.ci.olympia.wa.us). This video has some audio/video synchronization issues, but it works especially well for purposes of leaving it to play in the background.

Here's the video as posted to the Google Video:

Photo from Arlington Northwest
Poetry by Iraq Soldier, Brian Turner

More information about Turner's collection of poems on the publisher, Alice James Books' website: Here, Bullet, a collection of Iraq war poems by soldier-poet Brian Turner.

Ashbah
by Brian Turner

The ghosts of American soldiers
wander the streets of Balad by night,
unsure of their way home, exhausted,
the desert wind blowing trash
down the narrow alleys as a voice
sounds from the minaret, a soulfull call
reminding them how alone they are,
how lost. And the Iraqi dead,
they watch in silence from rooftops
as date palms line the shore in silhouette,
leaning toward Mecca when the dawn wind blows.

I posted a couple of comments on Peter Alden Stroble's OLY 2012's Final Position Paper Endorsing the Urban Waterfront Rezone post (about the Isthmus rezone.) I want to separate them and post them here. The first comment is in response to my effort to deepen the discussion about OLY 2012's advocacy of Smart Growth in regard to the furtherance of sustainability. Can "Smart Growth" further the goal of "sustainability?":

Deepening the Discussion

Yes, I would like to deepen the discussion. It's not easy for me. This is really difficult. I don't want this to get personal, because I know there are good people on both sides of this issue, and most people on both sides are honest and genuine when they think their way is the best way.

I would love to respond to every point in your paper. I would love to respond to every point in your above statement. I just don't think that I have it in me. I don't right now. I might not anytime soon. Maybe it will be easier for me to approach these points one by one after Tuesday's Council Meeting.

I just looked up Smart Growth today. I don't know all the details. I just know what it said on wikipedia - my understanding of which is that Smart Growth basically is a meme that seeks sustainability through dense urban living. That sounds great to me. And I am glad that we don't have any disagreement here.

I have been thinking about the concept of perpetual war. What are some of the consequences of the perpetual war economy? George Orwell's classic novel, 1984, speaks directly to that question. I urge you to read it, or to remember it if you have already...

The following is something that I wrote up a while ago, after seeing the Actor's Gang performance of "1984" at the Washington Center for Performing Arts:

An adaptation of Orwell's 1984 for stage, it was a great performance.

Let Ralph Nader Debate!

I went to Arlington Northwest at Heritage Park today. I helped set up headstones and did some photography too. I am going to post some of those photographs, and set up a flickr embed to display some more. The whole set can be found here: Arlington Northwest Iraq War Memorial 2008

Arlington Northwest

There were many hands to help set up the memorial, but it still took about 5 hours just to get all the markers in place. Here's a statement published by the Veterans for Peace Rachel Corrie Chapter (VFP 109) about the Memorial:

WHY WE PRESENT THE ARLINGTON NORTHWEST MEMORIAL



Veterans for Peace presents the traveling Arlington Northwest Memorial Display and Vigil to support our troops, their families, and our community.


I heard a rumor that 600 people have been arrested!

Wow!

All are invited to our community Iftar at Masjid al-Nur, Olympia Assalamualaikum brothers and Sisters in Islam, FREE Dinner and Ramadan Fast-breaking, with peace circles, prayers, meditation, reflection etc. We, the Islamic Center of Olympia will be putting together a big fundraising Iftar, Thursday September 11. Come one, come all, come hungry for a very delicious special ethnic food. It is well known in the Puget Sound area... ((smile!)) If you stay to hear Sheikh Joban's inspiring speech... alhamdulillah! May Allah reward you. If you decide to come just for Iftar... alhamdulillah, May Allah reward us for feeding those who fast. In any case, all are welcome... see you then Insha Allah Agenda Iftar (breaking fast) 7:31 Maghrib prayers Dinner Imam Joban: words of wisdom Venue:

Islamic Center of Olympia,
Masjid Al-Nur 4324 20th Ln NE
Olympia, WA 98516
Tel: (360) 491-5760
Email: info@IslamicCenterOfOlympia.org
Web: www.IslamicCenterOfOlympia.org

Call the President of the masjid - ISA ABDUL GHANI - Timberland HighSchool Alumni (and SPSCC too !) at (360) 491-5760 FREE Dinner and Ramadan Fast-breaking, with peace circles, prayers, meditation, reflection etc. To know what Ramadan is all about and why muslims fast, please see: www.whyislam.org

I lined up for this photograph after the regularly scheduled Friday evening Percival Landing peace vigil. The vigil is sponsored by the Olympia F.O.R.. The Friday afternoon/evening vigil has been ongoing on a weekly basis for almost 10 years (since November 1998.)

A similar weekly vigil occurs on Wednesdays from 12 o'clock Noon until 1 pm at the corner of Capitol Way and Legion Avenue, Sylvester Park. The Wednesday vigil has been ongoing weekly for over 28 years, since March 5th, 1980.

Here's me in the picture.

Photo and sign by Glen Anderson of the Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation.

Insist that public officials tell the truth.

Stop the war! and...

Create a culture of peace, justice, nonviolence and sustainability!

more information about the t-shirt, including how you can purchase your own: Bush Lied: They Died