Dems Serve Up New “Baracky Road” Flavor at Molly Moon’s

Have you been to Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream yet? What are you waiting for? Surely this is some of the best ice cream in the Northwest — without a doubt, in Seattle. Sourcing locally when she can, collaborating with community organizations like the Washington Toxics Coalition on special ice cream social events, and promoting the use of sustainable materials in her Wallingford storefront, Molly Moon Neitzel is creating ice cream with a purpose. I love trying out new flavors, but ultimately I always return to the obsession-worthy cardamom ice cream. Salted caramel is also pretty dreamy. Today when we stopped by, Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) was dishing up the new “Baracky Road” flavor, with help from King County Councilmember Dow Constantine.

Urban Crop Circles

Purple Kohlrabi in La Puente Home

Just got back from a lovely and lively gathering in the Ballard neighborhood, called the Urban Crop Circle. About eight of us, all women, gathered for a few hours to share delicacies from our own gardens and to share gardening experiences, questions, and techniques. What a fabulous evening — we ate outside in Ingela’s backyard, with chickens and cats roaming free. Russian banana fingerling potatoes, kohlrabi, collards, green beans, garlic beets, grilled eggplant, heirloom tomatoes, accompanied by elderberry juice, and followed with my peach-blueberry crisp (admittedly not from my garden – but rather, Yakima farms; the plum cobbler, which would have been from our yard, fell across the bottom of the oven in an unfortunate little mishap), among other desserts.

Most of the conversation covered our own gardening experiences — which vegetable varieties did well this year, which didn’t? what do you use for winter cover crops? how to grow the best and most prolific potatoes; how to use a cloche; how to gather seeds from bolted lettuce plants. It was fascinating, and fun, to share this gardening enthusiasm with others — especially those who share the same climate and soil conditions. From newbie like me, to those with decades of experience, it still felt like we were all sharing and learning from each other.

A few other topics, resources, and events mentioned over the course of the evening:

• Sustainable Ballard – www.sustainableballard.org
• 5th Annual Sustainable Ballard Festival
• Community Alliance for Global Justice – www.seattleglobaljustice.org
• Seed Savers – www.seedsavers.org
• Territorial Seed Company – www.territorialseed.com
• Ruby de Luna’s report on KUOW  – “Home Canning Enjoying Resurgence”
• Vandana Shiva – Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply
• Michael Pollan – Omnivore’s Dilemna
• Permaculture
• Urban Crop Circles Forum

Local Buses Overflow, Squeezing Riders & Transit in King, Snohomish Counties

OK -- this was taken during the DNC events in Denver, but it gives you an idea of the Seattle bus crunch. Packed in, like sardines.

From the Seattle Times, Sept 7:

Buses are overflowing throughout the central Puget Sound area. On a typical weekday this spring, people took about 477,000 rides on King County Metro Transit, Sound Transit and Community Transit buses, up 8 percent from 2007. Thousands of others used a van pool, train, water taxi or streetcar. Read story at NewsCloud.

I’ve definitely seen the increase in ridership on my own commute — #2 bus from the Central District, heading downtown. At peak commuter hours, the bus is often overflowing. I feel the impact directly, as I need to connect with ferries to Bainbridge on a commute schedule that takes 1.5 hrs minimum, door-to-door. Full busses mean more frequent stops and more time spent at each stop as people struggle to reach the doors – resulting in schedule delays. I hope that more busses and/or more frequent busses, are in store for downtown commuter routes. Alternatively, it’s time to get that bicycle!

Proud to be a Community Organizer

I’m among the many who were disheartened and outraged by the insult Sarah Palin levied against  community organizing — Barack Obama’s early work in Chicago, and by inference, community organizing in general — at last night’s Republican National Convention speech:

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a “community organizer,” except that you have actual responsibilities.

What folks are saying about Sarah Palin’s attack on community organizing/organizers:

* Nerdette’s instructional video on YouTube — “Thank You Sarah Palin”

* K. Myles’ excellent post on the Wichita NAACP Blog (thanks, Super Spade, for the link!) — “In Defense of the Community Organizer”:

As they sarcastically derided the concept, I couldn’t help but think about the countless men and women who freely give of their time, usually for little or no money, at tremendous risk to themselves and their reputations, in an effort to help others help themselves. Community Organizers are the men and women who make personal sacrifices to gather people around common ideas and ideals, and work collectively to bring about much needed changes in their respective societies. Organizers are often the voice of the voiceless, the presence of those too often ignored, and the lightning rod for the untoward.

* Sally Kohn’s post at Huffington Post — “Defending Community Organizing”:

I have the privilege of working everyday with community organizers across the country who wake up everyday burdened by the very real responsibilities of the people in the communities around them for whom our economy and our government isn’t working, and hasn’t worked, for a very long time. This election, the ranks of poor people, communities of color, factory workers, single moms, elderly Americans, janitors is swelling to include the vast majority of Americans who now realize that our economy and our democracy just is designed to benefit an elite few rather than all of us. The change voters are talking about this year builds on the shared problems community organizers have been helping people identify for decades. The change voters want builds on the solutions community organizers have been nurturing and putting into place, building the leadership of everyday Americans all across our country to demand that America work for everyone.

* MagisterLudi’s post on DailyKos — “Did You Know Sarah Palin Was a Community Organizer?”:

Probably not. Perhaps even Sarah Palin did not know she was a community organizer. But she was a member of one of the oldest community organizations in the country. Like most community organizations, this one was founded to promote a cause, a cause that its founders felt was being largely ignored at the time. In 1897 when the National Congress of Mothers was formed by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst, women did not even have the right to vote. The organization these community organizers began on that cold February day in Washington, D.C., would grow from the 2,000 women in attendance then to more than 5 million members in 2007. John McCain has cited Palin’s membership in this organization as part of her qualifications to be Vice President.

So when Sarah Palin proudly mentions her PTA membership, she is acknowledging the work of community organizers and building upon that work by contributing to the efforts of the organization. The importance of community organizations in bringing about needed reform cannot be stressed enough. Many of the reforms in our education system would not have come about without a large and active group advocating for change.

The National Congress of Mothers would eventually go on to become the National PTA. While Republicans might think of the PTA as a sort of social club for women with school-aged children, the PTA was a legitimate agent for reform in child welfare and education. The PTA advocated for kindergarten, child hygiene programs, teaching children with special needs, nutrition for children, vaccinations for children, toy safety and child safety in general, to name a few. Local PTA chapters are often responsible for the creation of programs that benefit children in their own districts. But none of this would have been possible without community organizers.

* Jack Turner’s blog roundup at Jack and Jill Politics — “Why GOP Attacks on Community Organizers Are Attacks on the People, and Why They Won’t Work“

New Facebook groups:

* We Are All Community Organizers

* Martin Luther King, Jr. Was a Community Organizer

* Proud to be a Community Organizer

* I Am a Community Organizer

Amy Goodman, Two DN! Producers, Unlawfully Arrested At RNC Protests in St. Paul, MN

Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!, and two other DN! producers, were detained today in St. Paul, MN. Click here to read the Democracy Now! press release or find the full text of it published below.

Update from Coldsnap Legal Collective:

Amy Goodman has been released. Many other journalists, legal observers, medics, and friends are still inside … No estimate of arrest #s at this point. Hundreds.

Take Action: Democracy Now! is calling on all journalists and concerned citizens to call the office of Mayor Chris Coleman and the Ramsey County Jail and demand the immediate release of Amy Goodman [now released], Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. These calls can be directed to: Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman’s office at 651-266-8535 and the Ramsey County Jail at 651-266-9350 (press extension 0).

Other Action: Video of Amy Goodman’s arrest is posted on Digg; give it Digg votes/points so that more people will see it.

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Breaking & ongoing news coverage of independent media and RNC protestor arrests and raids:

* Cold Snap Legal Collective on Twitter – http://twitter.com/coldsnaplegal; 24 hr reporting and updates from RNC legal office. Jail support hotline: 651-356-8635

* The Uptake on Qik – http://qik.com/theuptake; live and archived independent video coverage of RNC-related activities

* Twin Cities Indymedia - http://tc.indymedia.org/

* Twin Cities Daily Planet on Twitter – http://twitter.com/tcdailyplanet

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Earlier Democracy Now! coverage of the RNC-related raids on protestors: The following story, from the Monday, 1 September DN! broadcast, covers the arrest/detention of Democracy Now! producer Elizabeth Press:

Armed groups of police in the Twin Cities have raided more than half-a-dozen locations since Friday night in a series of “preemptive raids” before the Republican National Convention. The raids and detentions have targeted activists planning to protest the convention, as well as journalists and videographers documenting police actions at protests.

Also…

AMY GOODMAN: As we interviewed Jon Stewart at the Minneapolis airport next to baggage claim, we got a text message that Democracy Now! videographer, filmmaker Elizabeth Press, who had arrived before us, had been arrested, or she had been detained, or she was in a house with I-Witness Video, and somehow the group was surrounded by police. That was the last details we had. We had the address of the place; they were texted to us. And we raced off.

Click here for the full transcript.

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Democracy Now! Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.democracynow.org

September 1, 2008

Contact:
Dennis Moynihan 917-549-5000
Mike Burke 646-552-5107

ST. PAUL, MN—Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman was unlawfully arrested in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota at approximately 5 p.m. local time. Police violently manhandled Goodman, yanking her arm, as they arrested her. Video of her arrest can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ

Goodman was arrested while attempting to free two Democracy Now! producers who were being unlawfuly detained. They are Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Kouddous and Salazar were arrested while they carried out their journalistic duties in covering street demonstrations at the Republican National Convention. Goodman’s crime appears to have been defending her colleagues and the freedom of the press.

Ramsey County Sherrif Bob Fletcher told Democracy Now! that Kouddous and Salazar were being arrested on suspicion of rioting. They are currently being held at the Ramsey County jail in St. Paul.

Democracy Now! is calling on all journalists and concerned citizens to call the office of Mayor Chris Coleman and the Ramsey County Jail and demand the immediate release of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar. These calls can be directed to: Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman’s office at 651-266-8535 and the Ramsey County Jail at 651-266-9350 (press extension 0).

Democracy Now! stands by Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and condemns this action by Twin Cities law enforcement as a clear violation of the freedom of the press and the First Amenmdent rights of these journalists.

During the demonstration in which they were arrested law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and excessive force. Several dozen others were also arrested during this action.

Amy Goodman is one of the most well-known and well-respected journalists in the United States. She has received journalism’s top honors for her reporting and has a distinguished reputation of bravery and courage. The arrest of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar is a transparent attempt to intimidate journalists from the nation’s leading independent news outlet.

Democracy Now! is a nationally-syndicated public TV and radio program that airs on over 700 radio and TV stations across the US and the globe.

Video of Amy Goodman’s Arrest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ

When you throw something “away” what does away mean?

When you say “away” what does away mean?, originally uploaded by deepmedia.

Seattle City Councilman Richard Conlin once mentioned in a meeting that Seattle is sending a good portion of its garbage to a small town in Oregon. Trainloads of Seattle garbage head down to this town, where imported waste is considered an economic development option.

Bad Habits #1: “to go” cups

Bad Habits #1: “to go” cups, originally uploaded by deepmedia.

Every couple of ferry trips the Washington State Ferries crew clean out the garbage and recycling bins. I’m guilty of adding to this waste with my morning espresso drinks. I’ve got to start bringing travel mugs on this commute!

Bullock’s Permaculture Homestead, Orcas Island, WA, USA

This looks amazing — a must visit:
Bullock’s Permaculture Homestead

The Portal serves as a resource for permaculture information as well as the online home for our extraordinary permaculture site on Orcas Island, the Bullock’s Permaculture Homestead. For over 25 years we have applied our shared experience to create what experts refer to as the finest permaculture site in North America. Together we develop and implement practical solutions for sustainable living while offering hands-on permaculture courses, workshops, internships, and more.

“The Bullock brothers up on Orcas Island have always been great, you know, mixed system, marsh and hillside and there are many others, I’m sure. But for every Bullock brother, there are a hundred woo woos spinning around in circles.”
- Bill Mollison, Permaculture Founder

“What permaculturists are doing is the most important activity that any group is doing on the planet. We don’t know what details of a truly sustainable future are going to be like, but we need options, we need people experimenting in all kinds of ways and permaculturists are one of the critical gangs that are doing that.”
- David Suzuki, International Environmental Advocate

Thank you, Seattle Permaculture Guild, for the tip.

Our own garden is doing well this year — with thanks to Jay Day, who drops in now and then and Jenny Heins, from whom I bought my organic vegetable starts. Small Wonder Farm rocks.

It’s great to be home

Originally uploaded by Jonathan Lawson.

April is Seattle’s most beautiful month — or at least our garden’s best month. Tulips abound, fruit trees are shedding blossoms, and our lilac tree is in full bloom.

J. just got back from a meeting of grassroots media justice organizers in San Antonio, including the Esperanza Center for Peace & Justice, Reclaim the Media, Media Alliance, Media Tank, Youth Media Council, and others. He’s got photos up here.

And I just returned from the Chicago Green Festival. This was my sixth Green Festival, and one of the best so far. The biggest highlights included meeting with new friends Michael Maranda (www.wrythings.net) and Michael Herman (www.michaelherman.com), and deepening connections with Mark Dixon (www.yourenvironmentalroadtrip.com) and In These Times publisher Tracy van Slyke. And, of course, I had a fabulous time traveling with Fran Korten of YES! Magazine, and Neva Welton and David Korten of the People-Centered Development Forum & www.greatturning.org.

What did I love about Chicago? The public art, the dramatic architecture, the wind, and most of all, the down-to-earth people. I met some of the inspiring folks behind Beyond Today, a neighborhood group working for peace, sustainability, and social justice, others working on permaculture solutions in Illinois, others rehabilitating bicycles and sending them wherever they’re most needed, and still others working at great independent bookstores like Transitions Bookplace.

It was fun making use of I-GO car-sharing (via my Flexcar membership) and the local bus system, CTA — and even more fun, dancing at the Funky Buddha. I missed out on seeing DJ Spooky at the Hothouse — next time! Can’t wait to visit again.

Scott Keva James – new visual work

My favorite videographer/visualist, Scott Keva James, has a new site up: www.scottkevajames.com

It’s a nice site, but Scott’s gorgeous, organic, improvisational video has to be experienced live. I missed a recent chance to catch his work live at the Northwest Film Forum but fortunately other opportunities are right around the corner:

* April 19th, VJ Night at 911 Media Arts

* Tuesday Nights – Oscillate – at The Baltic Room, Seattle