Okay, what's the straight poop on Oly? Here's an excerpt from the article and following that the story link.

No. 6: Olympia, Wash.
Population: 233,113
Percentage of Workforce in Creative Class: 36.1
Cost-of-Living Index: 105 (100 being the national average)
Median Household Income: $55,129
Salary Growth (2004-2008): 22%

Olympia is a cultural diamond in the rough of the Pacific Northwest. Mischaracterized sometimes as a sleepy government town, Washington's state capital enjoys a thriving visual and performing-arts scene. But its state government continues to be the keystone of the city's economy; it employs about half of the city's workforce. Education is another big driver of the city's growth and character.

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/best-cities-its-all-about-jobs.html

I guess prostitutes and drug dealers are now considered to be "employed".

is that the "diamond in the rough" part?

I think Evergreen has a degree program for that!

Just think, some day you could be:

Dr. Abu-Loomis - Stonerologist

I know there's an Enumclaw joke in here somewhere......

I'm not sure, but I think "earth biscuit" is more PC than hippie chick. Or it could be a description of a hippie chick muffin. I don't know, you decide.

"Washington's state capital enjoys a thriving visual and performing-arts scene"

appearantly, enumclaw sex-fiends are really just performance artists

"Washington's state capital enjoys a thriving visual and performing-arts scene"


watching greeners

My brother is learning bird calls in his junior year at Evergreen.

if oly is 6th best for jobs, i'd hate to think about how horrible it is elsewhere. i'll be rounding up my first month of unemployment sometime next week

What's with all the unemployed hating John?
It's the cool new thing.

Yeah I picked the wrong time to take some time off.
Fishin's pretty good though.

Who doesn't. Chick just pulled up. Talk to you boys later.
Dog is wore out. Time to do the same.

Oly's a pretty cool town...I've lived there twice over the past fifteen years, and if you're not one of the panhandlers downtown, it's a pretty nice place.

The only problem it has is that it's at least an hour to any good fishing...and yes, I have heard of the Skokomish, the Capitol Lake fall king boot snagfest, the Nisqually river floss-a-thon, and I've caught hundreds of 4 inch cutthroat in the Deschutes.

I said "good fishing".

Fish on...

Todd

I find it hard to believe and wonder who lobbies for these awards.
I have lived here most of my life (only because family is here) and it is not that great and getting worse every year.

I've lived in Oly for 10 years and like it here. Go figure, I moved here from Aberdeen. My only complaint is the same as Todd, an hour to good fishing.

come on todd, what about the skookumchuck? the van would fit right in there...well, as long as you bring the lawn chairs and case of schmidt ice!

Don't forget the plunking bell and Eminem cd.

Sorry...I forgot about the Skook...I promise to remember how much it sucks next time

Fish on...

Todd

The article looks to be listing all of Tumwater, Lacey, Olympia, and part of Thurston County as Olympia's population. I'd like to know what defines "creative work class" to understand how 36% of the workforce is in it. Must include government fishery biologists I suppose. While there isn't much good fishing minutes from my door, there is a lot within 1 hour and a whole lot within 2 hours. Even when I lived on the Skagit, I drove at least 45 minutes to an hour to fish, so even living "on" the fishing is limiting and has its downsides.

Sg

How much money do you earn in the creative work class? Olympia has a lot of jobs that contribute roughly 0 dollars to the GDP.

I noticed today that the Crepe Shop was going out of business, or the building was up for lease. Can you imagine? A crepe shop not making it? If they only had diversified into organic scones.

I am sure it is a good place for jobs though. The other day I was walking to the gym and saw a female bum, give a male bum a quick blow job right on the sidewalk. She earned herself a cigarette for it. Another bum got to watch, and verify that it was indeed happening. There you have 2 jobs. Blow job, and official timekeeper.

was this in oly? yeah, sounds like a real gem.....

weener watcher

politician or union rep...

I should have given a caveat. All that I saw was the fat bum stop walking, the female get down on her knees on the sidewalk and go for his zipper. I looked straight ahead after that, but as I got to the corner I heard the timekeeper yell to the other bums on the roof of the building I was standing by: "Yep she's suckin' it!"

I was waiting for the light, and they both walked up to the opposite corner, and he gave her a cigarette. It was pretty damn gross.

I am getting pretty tired of the Oly bums. I get panhandled by the same tweaker every day, sometimes twice. I finally stopped and told her: "Why don't you stop being so poor and ragged all the time, I am trying to enjoy my mocha latte!"

Twice a day huh?

How many cigarettes in a pack and what does a pack cost?

Sounds like you've still got good thing going on there - even if it is a toothless street methhead.

TFF

I've heard how addictive smoking is...

RR,

Don't let that ruin your mocha latte. Before the recession whenever I was approached by a panhandler, usually a young guy, I'd ask him if his mother knew he was downtown doing this. That always seemed to confuse them enough that they'd go away. Given the current condition of the economy I feel like it might be in poor taste to mock someone not willingly unemployed.

For all the BMWs and Jaguars and way expensive houses in this town, a lot of people are doing something far more creative than I am for a living. The median income looks about right for a single wide in a trailer park. Wonder what the median creative income is at the big houses overlooking McAllister.

Sg

Lots of jobs available right now but many are satisfied to be unemployed and stay connected to the government teat right meow.