Some Silliness...

This video was recorded almost a week ago, at the YDHWM (Your Daily Hour With Me) studio, in Olympia, Washington. The official program will air on TCTV (Thurston Community Television) tomorrow (Friday the 30th,) or the day after that, New Year's Eve (Saturday the 31st.) It will eventually also be uploaded to the YDHWM YouTube user channel. [now available here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ES-PH0QGXg]

It was a silly episode, including blowing the cover on some extraterrestrials that have been hiding behind the couch.

Look out!

Lately I have been doing a lot of work with the Occupy movement. There was a tent city here in Olympia. It was evicted six days ago, on Friday of last week. It was sometimes referred to as an encampment and sometimes as a village. I liked to call it the Olympia Occupy Wall Street Solidarity Village.

I have been helping with the Occupy effort. Some of the work I have been doing is along the lines of moral and metaphysical support. And some is decidely more physical. For example, I befriended and helped a homeless person (Catron) get services for alcoholism.

I have also been helping with documentation. Mostly with photos and video. But also with my own eyes and ears, personally witnessing the situation.

I have put a ton of work into communicating with people, via email and Facebook and Twitter, and other Internet media, as well as face-to-face, really working to protect and 'mother' the movement's position regarding popular support.

A lot of that work has occurred on Facebook, as well as in personal interactions, and in the General Assemblies.

Mostly though, the amazing work that has been done, and the accomplishments that have been achieved, have truly resulted from what has been a remarkable and spectacular TEAM EFFORT. No one or two or three or four or twenty of us could have done it by ourselves. It has truly been a VILLAGE EFFORT.

I want to recognize everyone who has participated in that effort, in ways great and small, in ways obvious and overt, and in ways that can only be sensed on the most subtle wavelengths. We all deserve credit and recognition.

And the effort is far from over. In fact this may be just the beginning of a real resistance. There is certainly a lot of work still to do. I hope that most of us are looking forward to working for as-long-as-it-takes, and also looking forward to doing in good ways what will be necessary to get the changes that are necessary.

I love you all, happy holidays. Happy Channukah, Merry Christmas, Blissful Kwanzaa, and Super Solstice to you and the ones you love.

Occupy Holiday Cheer.

And Peace!

some of the videos and photos and other information can be found at the following websites:

Occupy Olympia Main Website:
http://occupyolympia.org/

OO Twitter:
http://twitter.com/@mediaoccupyoly

OO YouTube:
www.youtube.com/user/OccupyOlympia

OO Flickr:
www.flickr.com/photos/69293302@N04/

OO Facebook(s), Page:
www.facebook.com/OccupyOlympia
Group:
www.facebook.com/groups/OccupyOlympia

Enjoy,
Berd

Lamps in the Capitol (1 of 2)

Lamps in the Capitol (1 of 2), a photo by ˇBerd on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Sunday 18 December 2011, Olympia—I was in the Legislative Building for an Occupy Olympia/Wall Street solidarity General Assembly. One of my friends from the former village where we lived pointed out these lamps to me, and said they were reminiscent of "Moloch."

I am interested in Moloch. My understanding is that this mythical character, an ancient deity, stems from Babylon.

Do you know anything more? Please tell. I am interested. Thank you!

another view of the same lamp: www.flickr.com/photos/rwhitlock/6534473617/in/photostream

this was also posted on facebook along with more information there: www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2701927541676&set=a.1070985569146.12223.1061322373

Occupy the Conversation

occupy conversations!

Just today I had the most excellent conversation with someone.

I think most people really understand and support the movement against the Wall Street Style speculative and predatory economic cultural and system.

Occupy the conversations in our neighborhoods and in our homes and with our families and friends with uplifting words of solidarity and moral support. We can carry on! An ongoing occupation of the heart and mind!

Regarding encampments: I think they're important. It is an important physical space. It takes a lot of work. Work that the state should be doing. Work that the state should have prevented from having to be done — if the state would have regulated and protected against the harmful "Free Market" behaviors that have resulted in so many injuries and impairments...

A better world is possible. A world that works best for everyone.

Fight the good fight. Keep the faith.

Livestreaming the Past Few Days

Monday 5 December 2011 UPDATE: After posting this I realized that I want to apologize profusely for losing my temper, and my own anger, frustration, and violent language. I am making efforts to take better care of myself. To not get as hungry! I am going to my favorite local food store to pick up some easy to eat snacks that I can keep on my person at all times! Best, Berd

The Olympia Occupy Media Team has been utilizing real-time live streaming onto the Internet more and more over the past few days. Some of us at OO are hoping to be livestreaming more and more, including at General Assemblies. This past Friday and Saturday, I recorded about 2 or 3 hours or so. Here's the material, in order of first to last. It starts out from Friday night, when I attended the State Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony. Other people from our team have also been streaming, and their efforts are also very much worthy of watching. The reason I am posting this is because I want to represent my own work here on this blog. Some of the topics ranged from challenging the myth of the honorableness of our "Founding Fathers" of the USA (re: talking about freedom and equality while holding slaves and destroying indigenous cultures/populations...) to the behavior/demeanor of protestors, as well as many other different topics and discussions in between! The following descriptions are far from complete.

Some people might say that my views are "anti-American."

I want to make it clear that I love this land, and the people very much. The problem for me, is the culture. And it's very deep. But not personal. When we speak of defending against enemies, foreign and domestic, I think we need to also examine our very own selves, for the "enemy" within — as evinced in attitudes of hate, feelings of superiority, conceit, and other such similar personality flaws.

Please watch. Thank you!

Berd

Watch live streaming video from occupyolympia at livestream.com

*** Here is about 45 minutes from Friday night, after projecting images onto the Capitol Campus hill, I walked up the switchback trail and attended the Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony. This video includes commentary about the basic nature of violence in our society, and questions the story that the "Founding Fathers" of the USA were entirely honorable (maybe they were manipulative—psychologically, economically—to suit their own benefit at the expense of others???)

Watch live streaming video from occupyolympia at livestream.com

This is another 45 minutes, from Saturday afternoon. Someone was arrested for disobeying their order to stay off the Capitol Campus for 30 days (after having been warning earlier in the week.) I don't have the full story. But I went around and had some really interesting conversations with people, including about the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The person I talked with, Nona, said that 10 of the 30 universal rights had been broken in the Special Legislative Session Opening Week of Action. Then I talked with Ryan and Ashley. We talked about a lot of stuff, including the State Patrol, and the events that occurred on Monday, when protestors attempted to "un-arrest" some people from a City Bus. There's more, but that's a little bit of what's in this video.

Watch live streaming video from occupyolympia at livestream.com

In this video, I return to the Legislative Building and visit the Military Re-enlistment Ceremony that took place in the State Reception Room. Visited the MLK Jr. bust, mentioned the "Beyond Vietnam" speech. Also visited the George Washington head, and rubbed his nose vigorously, with both hands.

Watch live streaming video from occupyolympia at livestream.com

In this video, there was discussion about the craziness of my hair. I also got really angry because people off-site were interfering with our livestream broadcasts. And someone from Seattle who introduced themselves as "Burning Man" broke a condom that was filled with skittles candy and made a mess. Susan asked about why humanity is evolving so slowly. Local members of the National Lawyers Guild were on hand with an information card, "What to do if you are stopped by the police." It was produced by the ACLU—and it was funny because the ACLU had just called me 10 minutes prior with their annual fundraising appeal. Thank you ACLU!

Watch live streaming video from occupyolympia at livestream.com

I was still confused about multiple streams operating and my livestream broadcast being interrupted. I was very angry. I said, "That's some bullshit." Then I apologized, and Susan gave me some food. And I felt much better. I talked about how I love military personnel. Cassie gave a report-back about Dakota, who was being detained for trespassing on public property. We theorized that we were mis-treated because we were second-class citizens.

-Berd

Susan, Ktron, and Berd with Kenny on YDHWM

Come from everywhere in the state and converge in Olympia. Bring tent, pallets, pads, blankets, bags. Converge! check out http://www.occupyolympia.org/ for more information!

Today is Thursday the First of December Two Thousand Eleven. I have been talking with Kenny about Occupy Olympia and Occupy Wall Street every so often on his daily television show, Your Daily Hour With Me, so stay tuned if you want to hear more about what's going on that way.

Senate Ways and Means Committee Hearing Comments

LINK
During the meeting testimony/comment period, I encouraged the Senators to spend some time each day meeting with people under the dome in the rotunda — to validate the experiences of the people who gather there, the unpaid lobbyists, the non-monied people, who really feel that they are not being listened to and not being represented.

Wednesday 30 November 2011, 3:30pm, Olympia Global Occupy Wall Street Solidarity——I was just under the dome in the Legislative Building rotunda. About an hour and a half ago a Representative was talking with a few of the gathered. He was asking them what the 99% movement means/is about.

Yesterday, I attended the Senate Ways and Means Committee hearing. My understanding is that the agenda was changed before the meeting. Instead of a hearing directly about the budget situation, it was an emergency proposal to develop a finance plan to help a struggling municipality.

Lots of people attended the meeting anyway. During the meeting people used the People's Microphone to override regular meeting business. People were able to be heard when otherwise their concerns might have been relegated to working within the present-day system —which many of are coming to realize very well might be systemically corrupt —rotten to the core.

I was #7 on stack for the People's Mic. But the public speak out was ended by the Committee. Thus I was forced to wait until the very very very end of the meeting in order to speak to the Committee.

TVW did not publish the People's Mic portion of the meeting. Many people were taking video. Some is uploaded to the OO YouTube Account, you can find that here: http://occupyolympia.org/day-two-videos-and-photos-whatta-day/

There is also a url link to the TVW program where I commented next to the very end of the meeting here, you can find that in the comments section of the blog, here: http://occupyolympia.org/day-two-videos-and-photos-whatta-day/#comment-161

Here are some re-pasted words I wrote earlier in the day:

I am sitting in the rotunda right now. About an hour ago, a Representative stopped by to meet with the people who are gathered here now.

We have been having a great seminar here about how the system is basically corrupt. And the system older than the USA. The corruption goes way back.

In the beginning, this continent represented a refuge from persecution and oppression. Then things changed, and it turned into a place to be conquered.

The State of this nation was founded by owning class, and the function of the system is born to maintain that corrupt owning class establishment.

The whole election system is corrupt, because campaign finance contribution limits are EASILY circumvented ( and have been easily circumvented for a long long long long long long time.)

This is what we are finding here in the rotunda.

So here we are. Rising up from the ashes of this inane and criminally inhumane culture of disease.

Grace Lee Boggs' Message to Occupy Wall Street

Grace Lee Boggs' message to Occupy Wall Street - 10/9/11 from American Revolutionary on Vimeo.

More YDHWM

Dear Governor Gregoire, Join us in solidarity!

Dear Governor Gregoire,

I am discouraged. I am looking at the prospect of the emergency special session. According to your office, the special session will focus on cutting programs in order to balance the budget.

I want to ask you to think about whether this is the correct approach. I want to ask why are we pushing for cuts, before seeking new revenue.

Maybe there is a better way.

Maybe, just maybe, instead of a "first cuts" approach, your office could call for a special emergency session to RAISE REVENUE.

For example, the Boeing and Microsoft corporations have tons of money. Tax exemptions that these corporations enjoy could be allowed to expire, instead of making cuts that will result in death and further suffering for so many. Look at this. The Boeing and Microsoft corporations have outsourced jobs to exploit cheap labor overseas. The government, by granting them indefinite tax exemptions, enables, encourages, promotes and rewards these, and other, harmful behaviors.

There is an appearance of betrayal. After all, we cannot abide policies that enable cash profits at the expense of the well-being of so many people (and planet.) We cannot abide cash for killing!

Please consider this: Instead of a special "cuts first" legislative session, how about an emergency session to raise revenue. To save lives.

You could even say to the people and the legislature something like this:

"If at the end of this special session to raise revenue the legislature has failed, then I as Governor of the State of Washington, will leave the luxurious abode of the Governor's Mansion, and move into Solidarity Village, in solidarity with those whom are most afflicted as a result of the systemic injustice and corruption that plagues this society."

Please join us. Please protect us. We call on you.

I hope that you will seriously and sincerely consider this message.

Thank you,
Robert Whitlock

beautiful morning!