A linguistic renaissance?

The character of Seattle has changed notably over the last ten to twenty years, from a relatively provincial enclave to a mix of immigrants from all over the United States, and further. Local disdain for the Californian influx is pretty well-known here, as is the Seattle “politeness” that is viewed as an oddly distant reserve by people that have come from other parts of the country. But many of the things that defined Northwest culture for people have become little more than annoying quirks to the “outsiders”; nowadays most people you meet in Seattle are from somewhere else.

However, a strange phenomenon seems to be rustling through the area here- a conscious effort to reclaim the local jargon.

What’s good for the garden…

Ever since more people around here have started turning their lawn space into gardens, I’m seeing more of these signs pop up:

A nice side benefit of people getting closer to their land.

You can read more about the Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary program here.

Meta: Announcing the Seattle WWO Meetup Group!

As the organizer of the Seattle Meetup Organizers Group, I’ve realized I’m in a unique position to promote WWO. So here comes… Seattle WorldWithoutOil Meetup!

Your Losses (Gains?) Response

There is a poll on the WWO Livejournal site about how people are adapting to the times- go take a minute and fill it out! I decided to expand on my answers here.

ALERT: inside info on West Coast food supply status

Guys, I bribed our vendor to let me take a look at his produce sheet. He wouldn’t let me keep it, but I was able to get off a few photos before he left.

A brief rant.

I’d like to take a moment to complain about the people I run into lately who throw up their hands and say, “we’re almost out of oil! That’s why this is all happening.” These folks, while well-intentioned and reasonably informed, bug me almost as much as the people who spent years saying there was plenty to go around, but Big Oil just wanted to stick it to us.

We’re not out of oil. Get a grip.

SNAP to it, neighborinos!

Yes, it’s already gotten a little nutty here, but there’s still time to get on board… you can go to the city’s site or pick up one of those little cards that have been showing up around town; maybe you even found one stuck in your door by one of your neighbors. Meet your neighbors, build a kit if you haven’t already, learn to do things. Let’s keep our city going together.

Ain’t Nothing But A Family Thing

Things appear to be stabilizing around here, at least in the denser parts of the city where people can walk or bike, or take the metro. I’ve always walked to my job anyway, so my commute and daily routine there, has changed very little compared to most people.