Full Moon Tree Climb

Last night I climbed to the top of a giant sequoia tree. I have never climbed so high in a tree before. I have never been in a tree that is so perfect for climbing. This tree is probably about 60 feet tall, maybe more, and it's very healthy, with many similarly sized branches, which makes for a pretty easy climb. I don't know how old the tree is, but its leaves are very healthy, and it must be 6 or 8 feet in diameter at breast height. I would guess it's somewhere in the vicinity of 100 years old.

The Moon is full right now. Here's a photo of the moon from about half way up the tree.


Full Moon from Tree
April 28, 2010
Olympia

Dramatic Sky

Tuesday, April 27, 2010, Olympia, Washington

The sky has been dramatic recently here in Olympia, and there is even a slight chance for thunderstorms tonight. Today, Wednesday April 28, 2010 the weather is a little gusty and the sky is alternating between big dark storm clouds and a bright sunny deep blue.

Capitol Theatre Olympia Free Wall

This is a photo of a wall in the alley behind the Capitol Theatre in Olympia, where people are free to paint whatever they want to.


Sunday, April 25, 2010
Olympia, Washington

Interstellar Dust Cloud Art in Space

Carina Nebula from NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Toward an altruistic use of technology!

Indomitable Spirit of Peace and Justice

The spirit of peace, justice, humanity, love, caring, nonviolence, gentleness and tenderness between people is indomitable.

End Poverty

January 18, 2010

This photo is from a rally in Olympia, Washington, the state capitol, where hundreds of people gathered for a rally to call for an end to poverty, and an end to abusive economic policies.

Cala Luna

Under the Light of a Quarter Moon

Technology, Industrialization, and a Patterns of Harmful Human Behavior

I think we can have a lot of dreams, and make the world a better place, without space exploration.

I really appreciate, and like, some technologies. But I think we have to start questioning and increase our awareness of the effects of these technologies. I think we have to question whether many of these technologies are really making our lives better, and whether there are any harmful side-effects, and whether the side-effects are "worth it."

Instant communications for example. What exactly is the benefit of being able to communicate instantly? There are obvious implications in the financial sector, and in terms of efforts toward economic domination. But economic domination is wrong. It is bad.

Look at the effect of industrialization on the environment. Hundreds of thousands of species driven to extinction by human activities. Climate change, climate disruption, global warming, ocean acidification. You name it. The list is long.

The problem is that human beings have been doing harm for a long time. I believe it is wrong for human beings to hurt each other. I believe it is wrong for human beings to hurt the environment. When we hurt the environment we hurt each other.

When we add industrialization and technology into the mix of harmful/abusive/violent patterns of human behavior, then we get a dangerous and highly undesirable mix.

Does technology really make life better for all of us? Or does it only seem to make life better? Are there harmful consequences that we are unaware of?

Does technology make life considerably worse for some of us? Consider the effect of gun technology. Consider the effect of extractive technologies on miners around the world - and on the environment.

I think there is a very strong argument that technology actually has made life worse for all, or at least many, of us, in many ways!

I prefer a cooperative, caring, kind and compassionate social ethic, rather than one rooted in dominance and oppression, violence, cruelty, hate and fear.

Love and Harmony!

Cheers,
Berd

Put on a Happy Face

Mr. Fish:


Put on a happy face!

Space Exploration and Social Distress

Whitey on the Moon by Gil Scot-Heron


Dear President Obama, and Administration,

It is just plain wrong! to spend so much on space exploration in the face of so many problems—so many suffering people—here on planet Earth.

Additionally, all space exploration which is geared toward national dominance is fundamentally anathema to the goal of peace.

Attitudes and behaviors that are rooted in dominance ought to be discarded and go along with full apologies to the afflicted (which includes everyone.)

Thank you for seriously considering my comments, and for taking them to heart.

Yours Truly, Berd

New Leaves

New Leaves
This is from Fautleroy Park in West Seattle. The Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation Spring Assembly was yesterday, at the Fauntleroy Church. I was able to go for a nice walk in the park during the time allotted for a leisurely lunch.

Distributing War Resisters League Truth about Income Tax Flyers at the P.O.

Scott Yoos distributes WRL (War Resisters League) Where your income tax money really goes flyers at the Olympia Post Office.

Blue Marble

Bumper Sticker

"I'm not mean, you're just a sissy."

—Really? ...What does this say about a person?!

A Photo from the 2009 Iraq War Anniversary Protest in Olympia

End All War

Human beings commit war upon each other. Human beings do harm to one another. It isn't right.

There is a better way.

Another world is possible.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial

I was recently alerted to an effort to create a national memorial in an effort to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr..

Check out the website here: www.mlkmemorial.org



"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity"
--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Words about the World

I think that the concept of unfettered capitalism lends itself to violence, ranging from household violence, to workplace violence, to community violence, to the violence that is expressed between nations - as well as all other types of violence.

So long as it is considered socially acceptable for one person to put down another, then there will probably always be those amongst us whom will be willing to engage in unscrupulous (i.e. harmful) activities and behaviors (like, for example, killing, cheating, lying, stealing, greediness, exploitation, and dealing in fear and cruelty,) which are geared toward the purpose of personal gain and maintaining power over others.

The above is adapted from a statement written this past January. It was about the Bohemian Grove, the Cremation of Care Ceremony, and a missing child named Lindsey Baum.

That's here.

Berd

Bigelow Night Scene

Interesting about this photograph: my shadow is visible on the house in the lower right
center portion of the frame.
view larger
and larger again [7+ MB file]

Industrial Zone

This is the industrial mouth of the Puyallup River, at the Port of Tacoma tideflats.

Beautiful Sun Cloud Play

War Taxes and War Profits

In the USA, almost half of collected income taxes are used to support the military industrial complex. I think that such militarism is wrong, i.e. morally incorrect.

And as if such an expenditure on the military is not bad enough, to add insult to injury: some people are actually profiting off of the sales of military and war related products and functions.

And as if that's not bad enough, the wars our government are engaged in are not even defensive!

The body politic is paying for (is subsidizing) profits reaped from what are essentially imperial ventures, wars of profit. I think that is just plain wrong (as well as basically disgusting, in the sense of offensive.) War is the worst violence. And aggression is the worst crime, because in aggression therein cumulatively lie all manner of harm and violence.

I believe that no one deserves to profit from war. And indeed, that no one should profit from war (nor any other harmful economic activity.) What do you think?

Please inform your lawmaking representatives, at all levels of gov't, of your beliefs on this matter.

Also, on tax day in Olympia, Washington there will be War Tax Resistance Leafletting. There might be similar efforts in your neck of the woods.

Peace,
Berd

p.s. I have a letter published in today's (Thursday, April 8) edition of The Olympian newspaper: April 8, 2010 Letters to the Editor | The Olympian

Fun with Film

I used an old camera to make this. The camera is an Olympus XA rangefinder. It was my Mom's camera, although I have been holding on to it for a few years now. I had an old roll of RGB asa 200, which I used to make these.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rwhitlock/sets/72157623652596733/

Big Yellow Taxi

more Joni Mitchell:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgMEPk6fvpg

Audio Visual Experience

Okay, first I want you to start this youtube, it's Joni Mitchell's song from 1979, Hejira.



Then I want you to click on one of the following links. They are to photos, which should open in new tabs or windows.

The following photo is of two gulls flying in the sky with some clouds: sky dance

Another photo is this one of from the beach. From this past December: ocean shores

Even better would be to save the photo to the computer you're using, and open it in full screen.

The Global Richlist

Check out this site to learn where you sit in regard to global wealth. You might be VERY surprised by HOW RICH YOU ARE in comparison to the rest of humanity. http://www.globalrichlist.com/

Forest Trail

August 2008
Grove of the Patriarchs Trail

Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode

I heard this song last night:

Happy Easter, Peace to the World!

Stand There as a Witness

"Sometimes all you can do is put your body in front of a problem and stand there as a witness to it."

Quote from Granny D. (Doris Haddock), who, in 1999, at the age of 90, walked
from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. in order to demonstrate her concern, and gather petitions for campaign finance reform.

Another Brick in the Wall

Build a peace economy.

Ah Yes. Wouldn't that be wonderful!

Road

Road


I'm reading a book of compiled writings by Gandhi about Satyagraha.

Mount Tahoma

Mount Tahoma, January 27, 2008

Comments re: Cesar Chavez Day Proclamation and Offshore Drilling

The following is posted on the White House flickr page:

Dear President,

This looks and sounds good.

But please, please, please move beyond the rhetoric and take action according to the ideals that Cesar Chavez fought for!

Thus far we have seen a lot of talk, but we need to see the walk.

Corporate greed is running humanity and this planet to ruin.

A better way is possible. Please. Lead the way to real change - to a real redistribution of wealth. To environmental and social stability, to ecological and economic justice and sustainability.

Wall street speculators driven by greed do not deserve a greater influence over policy matters than anyone else.

All people deserve to be treated equally by government.

This is good rhetoric. Now make it into good policy. Please - stand up against corporate power! Stand up against this tremendously abusive economic environment! Stand up against the exploitation of the poor by the rich!

Sincerely,
Berd

p.s. I think the move to deregulate off-shore oil drilling was incorrect.

Because, it makes sense to focus on reducing consumption, through improvements in efficiency, subsidies for public mass-transit, and the like - rather than open up the planet to increased industrial exploitation, which will only cause greater harm and increasing potentials for global warming and other related environmental catastrophe.