Is it really Talk Like a Pirate Day AND Park(ing) Day today? Don't tell us it's also a Friday, lest we swoon.

Park(ing) Day originated in San Francisco a few years back when an artists' collective decided to seize control of a tiny plot of public land by setting up a miniature lawn, complete with a bench and a few other park-like effects within one parking space for a day. A park in a parking space, get it? Calling attention to the fact that we're misusing our public lands by devoting them to the automobile instead of other, more high-minded, uses? And extrapolating that to call into question all the decisions that we, as a society have made, regarding space, transportation, and energy? Or something?

Park(ing) Day has since been co-opted by The Trust for Public Land and turned into a global affair with a much more specific message. Here's how they describe it:

What is Park(ing) Day?

National Park(ing) Day is an opportunity to celebrate parks in cities and promote the need for more parks by creating temporary public parks in public parking spaces. National Park(ing) Day is Friday, September 19, 2008.

The picture attached was taken on 1st Ave Downtown today. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to luxuriate on their tiny lawn, and we left our little bamboo lawn-sitting mats at home today, but if you brought yours, and you have a few minutes, go strike a blow for sensible public land policy and participate in some good, old fashioned, pun-based activist performance/installation art. Check out the map of Seattle Park(ing) Day locations.