The Cables on Half Dome

view larger: The Cables on Half Dome, Yosemite National Park

Woodard Bay Madrona

view large: Woodard Bay Madrona

Military Evil

Viewer be advised: This is very graphic and highly disturbing material.

War is a Government Riot! (Mouseover)

War is a Government Riot!
(this is a mouseover - try it! move mouse over the image—be patient, sometimes it takes a minute for the secondary image to load!)

Percival Landing

I regularly attend a weekly peace vigil that happens on Friday evenings in Olympia, Washington. It's been ongoing weekly for over 10 years at Percival Landing. Here's a photo, I make an effort to photograph Budd Bay from this perspective every week.


view larger: Percival Landing, October 31, 2008

You can find more photos of this perspective from Percival Landing on my flickr website.

Powerful Sculpture

The expression in this sculpture is just striking to me.


see larger: Untitled Expression

More Photos from the Getty Museum

Money Worries - The Mighty Maytones from film: The Rockers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOmMyXlUzlM

Antiwar Protest Interview

Olympia, Washington
November 2007
Photo by Kay Schultz

Here I am talking to news reporters about the way police attacked peaceful protesters with chemical weapons, and also the anti-war/anti-imperialism civil resistance movement's need for legal support.

Cathedral of St. Paul

41 photos:

Night Panoramas from Olympia Washington

view large: Madison Scenic Park Vista


view large: Capitol Lake Panorama

Things Behind the Sun | Nick Drake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr7RCYd645c

Trip to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, April 2009

This is one of the amazing views from the Getty Museum in Los Angeles (see large: Getty Center Garden Cafe and Valley Panorama

Here's a slide show with about 100 or so photos from April 2009 during a visit to the Getty Museum:

The Getty Museum

Revolution (The Beatles)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cSJQPvsmf4

Getty Museum Water Feature

This is at the Getty Museum, Santa Monica, Los Angeles
It's a multi-image composite, and it's from April 2009
view large: Water Feature

The Known Universe

I found this via the Astronomy Picture of the Day website, apod.nasa.gov/apod/

Pacific Ocean View

see large: Steep Dropoff to the Ocean

Celebrate the Vision of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.

Here are some resources to help celebrate the vision of MLK:


original size: Excerpt from Martin Luther King Nobel Peace Prize Lecture 1964

Read the full text of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1964 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

Full text of the Nobel Lecture: MLK Nobel Lecture 1964

Listen to the speech MLK delivered on April 24, 1967 - one year to the day prior to being assassinated: Beyond Vietnam

Celebrate the vision of Doctor and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.!

Nuclear Weapons Facility Break-in: Video

Mark Rahner: Old vs. Navy

Seattle Times reporter Mark Rahner takes a satirical look at how Bill "Bix" Bichsel, 81, broke into Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/flatpages/video/mediacenterbc3.html?bctid=59768780001

GZ MLK Day Photos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rwhitlock/sets/72157623225518786/

Capitol Lake, Isthmus, and Budd Bay

view larger: Capitol Lake, Isthmus and Budd Bay

Why Should You Have to Pay to Live on a Planet You Were Born On?

more commentary: Why Should You Have to Pay to Live

A Strong Dose of Truth to Do Away with the Lies

Recently posted at OlyBlog: A Strong Dose of Truth to Do Away with the Lies

"Fighting for Peace is like Fucking for Virginity"

Olympia, Washington
Tuesday, December 15, 2009

I must admit that I am not a fan of this particular slogan. For one, I don't like the comparisons between fighting and "fucking", nor peace and virginity. For two, I think it isn't family friendly, nor particularly welcoming.

But I do like the photo, and the person holding the sign.

more information about the protest: Army Recruiting Station Protest

One thing is for sure, we need to end these wars - and we need to end all imperialism - for the sake of the well-being of all people.

Arbitary and Abusive Policing

Port of Tacoma, Washington
August 4, 2008
Port Militarization Resistance Protest

The officer in this unmarked vehicle made sure to tell everyone where not to park.

He was telling people that their cars were too close to driveways and had to be moved - or that their vehicles would be impounded.

When asked how far away from the driveway cars were allowed to park, he responded, "Didn't you pass the driver's test? If you don't know, then read the book."

If I remember correctly, when I took the test the distance was 10 feet.

Is that right? In this case the cars were more almost certainly more than 10 feet away; they certainly were not blocking anyone's access to driveways.

Really, it seemed to me that the officer was just being mean. He was abusing his authority and threatening people, people whose cars were not blocking driveways, with the impounding of their vehicles.

Arbitrary and discriminatory abuse of power. Why are people mean to each other? What causes people to behave like that?

Is it fear? Low self-esteem? I want to know!

The world would be a much better place if people were not mean to each other.

link to larger version: Unmarked Police Squad Car

Help us love even those who hate us; so we can change the world. - Cesar Chavez

Pillars with Sky and Cloud

This is near the City of Olympia Police Department, Administrative Headquarters, and Council Chamber.

Gifts of Being Human

Caring and Consciousness - Two Gifts of Being Human

Olympic Mountains

I am not super keen on the thick border on this photo, but it's a pretty view of the mountains:

Olympic Mountains

view larger: Olympic Mountains

Tumwater Hill Overlook Park

October 2008
11 image composite

view larger: Tumwater Overlook Park

and larger still: Tumwater Overlook Park

The War Stops Here - Olympia, Washington

I love the sign, "The War Stops Here," that one of these vigilers was holding in this photo:

Friday, January 8, 2010
Women in Black - Olympia, Washington Silent Vigil
The War Stops Here!
Olympia, WA

some more recent photos: 01/10/2010 Recent Photos | OlyBlog

Spirits of the Revolution

Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad by Woody Guthrie

Going where the river runs with wine oh loard, and I ain't gonna be treated this 'ere way!



Lyrics: http://www.woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/Going_Down_The_Road.htm

Night Flower

Yesterday was incredible! It felt like Spring. It was almost 60º and sunny! It looked like it might rain in the morning, there were some dark and low clouds over the Black Hills. But as the day went on, it just got sunnier and warmer, and more calm. It was beautiful.

Here's a photo from last Spring.



see larger: Night Flower

Mouseover

Glowing
(this is a {triple image} mouseover - try it! move your mouse over the image if you're curious)

No Donkey! No Elephant!

No Donkey, No Elephant

"No" to bi-partisan support for U.S. international policies.

Policies of dominance and aggression, and exploitation of overseas material and labor resources are wrong - these policies are harmful and violent!

If the U.S.A. wants to counteract "extremist" opposition - then the people of the U.S. will need to take a look at the extremely abusive economic policies that have their roots in U.S. policies and practices.

No to Abusive Economic Policies!

View Larger: No Donkey, No Elephant

Mariposa Grove

June 27, 2007
Among the Giants in Beautiful Lower Mariposa Grove
Sequoiadendron giganteum

view larger: Mariposa Grove

Cultural Transformation

I have posted this before here, but I am posting it again, because I have been thinking about this quote recently.

Here's another MLK quote that I like:

We must accept finite disappointment,
but we must never lose infinite hope.

– Martin Luther King Jr.

see photo larger: Cultural Transformation Shift

No More for War

From the Gaza Freedom March Solidarity Demonstration in Seattle, Washington
Saturday, January 2, 2010

Gaza Freedom March

view larger: No More for War!

Peace for All People

Peace for Children. Peace for Our Children. Peace for All Children.

Peace for All People.

All people deserve to live in peace.

The real vital national interest is peace - and not war.

The real vital national interest is to create mutually beneficial and cooperative economic structures - as opposed to the economics of domination, as opposed to policies of imperialism.

The real vital national interest is social justice and ecological sustainability - not exploitation - nor any other harmful economic activities, which cause so much, and so many, horrendous social and environmental degradations.

I believe that it is wrong for some people to personally "benefit" from activities that are socially and/or ecologically exploitative, abusive, or harmful in any other way.

Check out this video of a speech by teenager Severn Suzuki to a UN Conference on Environment and Development: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW_YxJy-9Y8

view larger: Peace

Global Village Slideshow

I received this great slideshow today from my Mom. Thanks Mom! Check it out:



Regarding the information contained in the above power point; we, as a humanity, can do better. I know it.

There is no good reason why 80% of human beings (or any human beings) need to live in poverty.

Have a good day,
-Berd

Love is the Way

Help us to love even those who hate us - so we can change the world.
Cesar Chavez

4th Ave Mouseover

4th Avenue
(this is a mouseover - try it! move your mouse over the image if you're curious)

I also posted a similar but different mouseover here on OlyBlog.net: Triple Image Mouseover

Cremation of Care

One of the biggest stories that I followed in 2009 was about the Bohemian Grove and the Cremation of Care. In early June of 2009, Lindsey Baum, an eleven year old child from McCleary, Washington went missing (and was possibly abducted.) McCleary is near Olympia and the story received a lot of attention. For some reason, the abduction of this child struck me, and made me think of the Cremation of Care ceremony that occurs at the annual midsummer Bohemian Grove encampment. In the ceremony, the effigy of a child named Dull Care gets cremated.

Alex Jones claims to have infiltrated the grove and the ceremony, and to have made the following video of the ceremony - which is shocking and highly disturbing.

I believe that to care is a virtue, and oughtn't be thought of as onerous or burdensome. And as you can see from the video of the ceremony, it is obvious that some of the members of the Bohemian Grove may think differently - maybe even going so far as to think of care as an obstacle to the workings of the marketplace.

An attitude of disdain for care - amongst some of the world's most powerful, and influential, men of business and government - an attitude of disdain for the important necessary moral place of care in our society is, I believe, a tremendous driver of social and environmental violence (ranging from child abductions and other domestic violence, to industrial pollution, global warming, and the extinction of species, to the structural roots of the world's problem of one billion chronically hungry human beings, to war and the military-congressional-industrial complex, and the multitudinous various oppressions and injustices that exist in between...)

I don't know about the authenticity of this video - but it seems to be genuine. I don't know how Alex Jones could have possibly infiltrated the Grove - he even claims to have been stopped numerous times by security, meanwhile the secret camera he has in a bag just happens to be out of tape at the time. I think it's possible that the Jones video was done with some sort of consent (very much unlike Alex Shoumatoff's visit.) And I certainly do not necessarily agree with Alex Jones on everything, including some of the comments made in the video (some of which sounded quite racist, homophobic, and anti-pagan (just because the Bohos do some pagan ritual doesn't mean that all paganism is corrupt and/or evil!)) But the ceremony is interesting to see, and you can judge for yourself.

Your truth will set you free.

So check it out, and see/decide for yourself.

And I should add a warning - this video is quite shocking and disturbing.

Here's what I think is the full length video, though I can't be sure. The CC Ceremony starts about 1 hour and 17 minutes into the video:


The following video is a smaller excerpt from the above. I recommend watching the above.


http://www.blogger.com/video-play.mp4?contentId=5ebf0bd11a8549b5&type=video%2Fmp4

Here's an embed of the same video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5617720002953136903

Sunset with Clouds

Bermuda, view larger: Dramatic Bermuda Sunset on the Ocean with Clouds

Earth Shaking Transformation

I was alerted to this great quote by Rob Brezsny's excellent weekly newsletter. freewillastrology.com

"At this point in history, the most radical, pervasive, and earth-shaking transformation would occur simply if everybody truly evolved to a mature, rational, and responsible ego, capable of freely participating in the open exchange of mutual self-esteem. Then, there would be a real New Age." -Ken Wilber

I love the idea of all of humanity learning to live alongside each other, the idea of all human beings learning to live alongside each other in peace and harmony. Instead of engaging in destructive competition over resources and in order to "get ahead" of each other—instead of striving for dominance, and instead of putting each other down—we can work to lift each other up, we can work with each other to rise up with each other for the benefit of all.

Now we have a world that is largely dominated by the singular push for economic self-interest - the financial bottomline. But another way is possible. Imagine it. Imagine all of humanity working in unison for a common and meaningful purpose—an uplifting purpose (e.g. to put an end to hurtful and degrading socio-political-economic systems.) We can strive for truth, for peace, for justice, for nonviolence, for equality, equitableness, equity, for sustainability, and for an end to oppression, and an end to destructive economic systems. Yes we can. We can make it happen.

The harm that is being done to ourselves, to each other, and to this beautiful planet Earth that we call home—is unnecessary. It is unnecessary to do harm. We, as human beings, have the potential to live in ways that actually make the Earth a better place to live. Right now, our socio-political-economic systems do a lot of harm. But it doesn't need to be this way. Another world is possible. Another way is possible: a way of peace, truth, justice, compassion, kindness, cooperation, and harmony between humanity and itself, and between humanity and the rest of the world.

view larger: Earth-Shaking Transformation | Open Exchange of Mutual Self-Esteem

David Korten on Time of Useful Consciousness Radio

Hi All,

I want to plug this excellent speech by David Korten. It was delivered in March 2009 at the Northwest Regional Veterans for Peace Conference. I heard it the evening of Wednesday, December 30, 2009, on KAOS 89.3 FM Radio. The speech is in two parts, and both are excellent. The speech is titled, "Community and the New Economy: Why Wall Street Can't be Fixed, and How to Replace it."

In the speech Korten very clearly talks about what's happening in our world in relation to corporate power, militarism, policies of dominance, economics of growth and profitability, violence, poverty, socio-economic inequality and exploitation, and environmental degradation (among other topics.)

Korten also addresses the hopeful and great potential that exists for change to a society (and a money system) that would serve life (rather than profit) - a society that would be cooperative, consensual and mutually beneficial for all people.

I think the speech is a very worthwhile listen.

Korten is the Chair of the Board of Yes! Magazine.

Here are links to the streaming audio, in two parts; an excerpt (that I transcribed,) and a link to the Time of Useful Consciousness Radio Program website.

Please enjoy!

Part One: http://www.tucradio.org/090429_Korten_ONE.mp3

Part Two: http://www.tucradio.org/090506_Korten_TWO.mp3

excerpt:

"...replacing the culture and institutions of an economy devoted to the service of money, with the culture an institutions of an economy devoted to the service of life...

"War is an outmoded institution that serves no beneficial purpose other than to enrich the unscrupulous - and it has become an act of global scale collective suicide."

links to the mp3s can also be found here: http://www.tucradio.org/

Kindly,
Berd

Good Tidings for 2010

Good tidings for 2010. And Joy to the World! May 2010 be a time of real change toward a world that works for all people, a time of meaningful and substantial culture change (at all levels) toward a world of peace, justice, nonviolence, sustainability, truth, and mutual prosperity for all people...

Good tidings to all for a blessed and joyous 2010.