A History of Toilets

A few years back in Seattle they spent millions on a new automated public toilet system. The handful of toilets included a very expensive cleaning system, a self closing door with automatic timer, and a lot of crime. Now after only 4 years all of that money is going down the drain has the city ponders what to do next.

"They give people a place to duck-in and be hidden from public view. Unfortunately, the activity that we're seeing, in terms of drug use and prostitution, is keeping the other users, who are actually looking for public restrooms, away," says Seattle City Councilwoman Sally Clark.

And here is a briff history of toilets

1948- City authorizes bids to install new pay toilets in Belltown and Pike Place Market.

late 1980's- City faces growing complaints about defecation in the streets and criminal and non-customer use of private restrooms culminating in an outcry for more public toilets in Seattle's Downtown and urban centers. In response, the City installs 10 portable public toilets (Port-a-Potty) (a total of 14 at the peak).

1994- City authorizes improvements to the facades of its portable public toilets and to its permanent toilets at the Pioneer Square Fire Station.

Sunday Scan: Get it in gear

SCAN0111
Originally uploaded by George Bentley

The Battle For Freedom Bridge

At exit 122 on Interstate 5 a battle took place today as antiwar activist planned to take Freedom Bridge for their protest as part of their 5th aniversity “week of action”. Freedom Bridge has been manned by the 122nd bridge brigade, a group of troop supporters and vets, from the beginning of the war, and they called for reinforcements to help hold the bridge. This blog is a brief account of that battle.

I arrived at 1 pm after work from Everett, Our guys were already there and the first wave of antiwar protesters were on the way, this was a small scout group sent to judge the level of resistance.

State police were efficient in crowd control and kept the two sides well apart.

So this gave the anti's a false confidence as they left to report back to HQ.
At 3:00 the main assault was to begin has the enemy departed from Harry Todd Park to take our bridge.

They march with confidence. But soon that confidence was replaced with dread.

They did try to put on a brave face, but it did little good.

After just over 20 minutes they gave up and went away

Well not just yet, one brave fighter made one last stand err sit. A Sit In!!!

Well that didn’t last long.

Now with our enemy vanquished, the police depart and we enjoy the fruits of our Victory.

The Bridge held!!!

More Photos can be found on my Flickr Site.

Update: Video Added;

My Seattle Adventure, The Movie.

I did in fact get a behind the scenes view of the action while guarding the door to the recruiting center on Jackson Street As the antiwar group World Can’t Wait Drive out the Bush regime gathered around me.

This was the end result, them calling our troops murderers, rapist, and torturers. And this is something they are not backing down from anymore, Winter Solider gave them the cover they needed. At least for now.

More winter solider testimony, notice the first answer when I ask what he based his accusations on, racism.

So after hearing account after account of the atrocities our troops were committing in Iraq, as reported by Winter Solider testimony, I ask one of the protesters if he would like to see the men who confessed to these crime convicted. He answered that he would only if bush and Cheney were also convicted I asked him to repeat it for the camera and his answer was a bit more nuanced

I was not the only troop supporter who showed up. This guy came with some large flags to show off. The antiwar gang then went to interfere with his free speech right, so the police had to step in to protect him.

The next part was the siege of the Fisher Plaza, The home of KOMO TV and KVI radio (Sean Hannity). So I wonder why they chose to come here. Update: The other camera man seen here posted his video on you tube also.

Well the first time wasn't very impressive so lets march around the building and try again. Well, to me at least, that didn't seem to work much better.

At westlake center I really didnt have a point of view that allowed for recording the event, the truth is that is not why I come to these thing anyway, this is.

Thank You Julia and thanks to your brave son for serving our nation.

I've Had Enough Free Speech!

Or: My day in Seattle.
By G'Willie

Today’s anti-war activities started at the Military recruiting center on Jackson Street. I got there an Hour early and was greeted by a anti-war protester.
He was very friendly and I had thought he was on my side :) but after a few minutes he took another look at my sign and asked me what it meant.

We did continue to have a nice pleasant exchange, and then the rest of the anti’s began to show.

I placed myself in front of the door with no intention of moving, at least until the recruiters arrived (they never did). The Leader “Maggie” got next to me warned me not to touch her or I was going to jail, and then proceeded to try to push me away from the door. It didn’t work, so she and her group just gathered around me and had their rally. This situation gave me an insider’s look at what goes on in an anti-war protest. Video to follow.

Now it’s time for the press to get their footage, with interviews all around until they came to me. Then Maggie came over and interrupted my interview with the words “He’s had enough free speech”. Yet I did manage to get in a few words. And after a bit it was making them look bad so they relented and allowed me to have a few interviews.

This rally was all about attacking the troops, I know they will say they are not attacking them, but, The words were vicious, there was no allowing that any of the charges maybe false or isolated incidents.

No, these were crimes carried out by all of our men and woman and done so all the time with Bush and Cheney calling the shots!

Well with the fact that the Recruiters did not intend to come to work today our protest was largely symbolic. But I stood my ground in front of that door for 3 ½ hours. And soon the next rally would be starting and I’m hungry, so I went away!

The Recruiting center was a disappointment for the lefties but Fisher Plaza was a total failure!

A very small crowd and no real plan of action other than “no business as usual” I think the photos will speek for themselves.

The only point I would make is the “Truth Booth” which was empty the whole time!

And now for the main event, Westlake Center… 1hr 15mins of anti-climatic nothingness.

Some Music some evil bush speeches some evil America speeches and some “lets pass the buckets around folks” follow by more music and evil racist America speeches.

All done, good night.

All the rest of my photos can be found on Flickr.

Sunday Scan: The I completely spaced it, Tuesday edition

Yea, this is support

This is a conversation in the comments section of my puppet video. It shows in full the lie of this sign.


from ds9harb (19 hours ago) in 2 parts due to word count

As a soldier I feel I have the right to make comments for or against the current administration because I am the one putting my life on the line, not you! You talk about the geneva conventions, Saddam is the one that used chemical and biological weapons on his own people. We are still finding mass graves in Iraq. It's sad that as a soldier I am told I can't go to a mall in my own country cause I will get harrassed by protesters and goated into taking action. Thanks for the GREAT support there!

part 2

I myself am an Army medic coming up on my 6th year in the Army next week. I have been overseas 3 times and will go for the 4th time this fall. Please do not try and talk on my behalf. While as a soldier I will always be the first to embrace peace and shy away from war but I made a choice to join the Army knowing that I could be sent overseas just like all other Military personel.

And now for the lefty answer:
from Briannathegreat (2 hours ago)

As a human being, I feel you are committing war crimes and crimes against humanity through killing civilians, the unapologetic use of torture. yes Saddam did commit war crimes. How does that justify illegally occupying a nation. You KNOW they don't want you there. the U.S. were originally the ones that supplied him with biological weapons to use against the kurds.

Thanks Brianna for the support... Our troops are not the ones loading up car bombs and parking them in markets... Our troops are not the ones beheading men who do not "enlist" with the jihadist... Our Troops are not the ones who hide in mosque and launch missiles at civilians. I just thought you might like to know that. And as for the "unapologetic use of torture" I think all those at Abu Ghraib are somewhat apologetic and will be for 15 to 30 years.

Why do we need this?

So why all this excitement over one little protest?

“WHAT ARE THEY RECRUITING FOR? MURDER, RAPE, TORTURE, WAR!” -Chant from February 12

That's Why!

On the Fifth Anniversary of The War... 1 million Iraqis are dead. Torture, rape, and murder are being carried out daily by the U.S. occupation.

To stop the lies

Marine Recruiters Will Be Treated As
“Unwelcome Intruders”

To end the hate.

News Coverage

The Seattle Times has a story on yesterdays rally. I would like to compare his story with my view of what happened.

That exchange, moments into the two-hour protest, set the stage for a bitter exchange between a group of about 40 anti-war protesters and a slightly larger group gathered to denounce them.

First, if 150 to 40 is “slightly larger” I guess that’s ok.

Second, we did not come to “denounce them” (that we did for fun) we came to protect the recruiting center from them!

In all, nearly 4,000 U.S. service members have died. The estimated number of Iraqi civilian casualties varies widely, between about 30,000, as counted by the Bush administration, to more than 650,000, as counted by a 2007 survey of Iraqi medical providers.

The Iraq and Afghanistan wars will cost between $1.2 trillion and $1.7 trillion by 2017, according to the Congressional Budget Office; the 12-year Vietnam War cost $670 billion, in inflation-adjusted 2007 dollars. Other economists estimate the Iraq war alone could eventually cost up to $2.7 trillion, if veterans benefits are included.

This reporter cited every one of those “facts” about the cost of the war as part of every question he asked me, funny he didn’t print any of my answers.

As Nathan Bowling, a Tacoma middle-school teacher leading the anti-war protest,

I had no idea he was a teacher.

began reading off the list of deceased soldiers, he was pelted with catcalls from George Bentley and others.

"You will not defile their names," yelled Bentley, a 45-year-old Navy veteran. "Defilers!"

They defile the names of our troops when they use them as they do, to undermine their sacrifice, so I had to speak out.

Amid the taunts, Emma Kaplan, a 23-year-old anti-war organizer, tried in vain to sway Vince Wagner, a 48-year-old carrying a red, white and blue cellphone.

Emma Kaplan is a babe! I think this is her.

The rest of the story is your standard fair, for the last line I think I should point out I saw at least 5 active duty and reserve there, and many wives of service men on our side.

"You know what, that's what we fight for," Ramsey said, pointing to the anti-war crowd. "I just ask that they respect me."

HT: SondraK

Update: The Newest ad from Move America Forward

Update: yet another teacher?.. in comments,

Pseudotsuga: Hey, I know that guy with the 13 colonies American flag! He teaches English at local colleges

Victory!!!

March 15th 2008. The anti-war group World Can't Wait wanted to shut down the military recruiting center at the Tacoma Mall... We however had other plans. Over 100 troop supporters showed up to protect our recruiters and to prevent the protesters from accosting people wanting to join our military. Less than 40 anti-war people showed up, they were overwhelmed and left far earlier then they had planned. The recruiting center stayed open and two young men joined up to serve our great nation.(correction: they may have only begun the process) Much has been said about how the far left have attacked our military recruiters including a bombing in New York, all that makes today's victory even sweeter.

We set up early to make sure we would be in place to protect the entry way,

We stood up and waited for the enemy to arrive, they came and had no idea of the trouble to come.

They tried to do their thing, but soon it was clear they would not be allowed to block any doors, so they did what children do

They had a tantrum and left.

Today's rally was one of the most satisfying I had ever attended the other side was completely foiled.

Update: Photo's on my flickr page.
Update: the video is now up.