29 December 2011, McLane Creek Nature Area Beaver Dam Pond
There are a whole bunch more photos posted below the fold:
01 February 2012
Photo Essay, a whole bunch of photos!
more photo essay!
29 December 2011, McLane Creek Nature Area Beaver Dam Pond
There are a whole bunch more photos posted below the fold:
29 December 2011, McLane Creek Nature Area Beaver Dam Pond
There are a whole bunch more photos posted below the fold:
31 January 2012
Some Recent Photos
The scene at Boston Harbor, on Saturday the 28th of January.
Gazebo with gull at the end of the boardwalk, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Sunday 29 January
View from the Gazebo, in the distance is the Tacoma Narrows, and the Narrows Bridge can be seen.
Percival Landing, during the weekly peace vigil, Friday 27 January—the vigil is sponsored by the Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation
Scene from the "snowpocalypse"—a week of snow, including one very significant event, descended upon the Puget Sound Lowlands. The first snows fell on Saturday the 14th. Then the big snow happened Tuesday night the 17th. Atmospheric conditions warmed so that rain fell. It was not warm enough to melt the snow, some of which is still around in piles today, Tuesday the 31st of January. Many tree branches snapped under the weight of the heavy snow, and many electrical lines were damaged. Hundreds of thousands of people were without electrical service for days.
Thursday 26 January 2012, View of the "Isthmus", former Department of Corrections building (aka "Mistake on the Lake,) and the former site of Occupy Olympia, an encampment in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street—against the harmful socio-economic-cultural status quo that trickles down.
Thursday the 26th, Crescent Moon and Venus above Washington State Legislative Building dome—not pictured is the planet Jupiter, which has also of late been joined by the Moon and Venus in the evening sky.
Snow scene, Heritage Park, former site of Occupy Olympia, on Wednesday the 18th of January. This was a major snow day. Many if not most schools were closed, and many businesses were also shuttered. Annie Appel, Evergreen graduate and LA area photographer, visited Olympia, and conducted a series of portraits to help tell the story of the Occupy Movement. Please learn more about Annie and her portrait project here:
www.annieappelphotography.blogspot.com
and short YouTube documentaries here:
www.youtube.com/user/DocumentingWorlds
15 January 2012
End Aggression, Find Common Security in Beloved Community
Following are three live ustream videos from yesterday, during nuclear weapons protest with the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action (www.gzcenter.org). After the videos is a photo from the day published by GZ Center, then more written description of the protest, by me. After that, will be some thoughts of prominent thinkers/writers about aggression and humanity. First the Ustream videos:
The first video, I thought was about one minute long, although only about 30 seconds show up here, so maybe I was wrong about that. Anyway, it shows the walk from the GZ house to the main gate. The house is about one quarter of a mile from the main-gate:
The second video is about a minute or a minute and a half, it shows the scene around the main-gate prior to protesters entering the roadway to blockade. We had a banner that read, "Enriching a few at everyone expense: occupy trident," on one side. On the other side it said, "Care for sailors and marines. Peaceful jobs for all." This shows a little bit of that.
The third video is from on the grounds at the Ground Zero Center. It includes some information and thoughts about the day, and more information about Ground Zero and the military base, which is called Naval Base Kitsap Bangor.
[Sunday 15 January 2012photo and description from the GZ Center Facebook Page: In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and in resistance to the first strike Trident nuclear weapons system, Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action closed the Main Gate to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor (West Coast homeport for Trident) for 26 minutes earlier today. More photos, video, and reports to come.]
While protesting nuclear weapons, I was cited, yesterday, for a pedestrian infraction. Location: main-gate at Naval Base Kitsap Bangor. At Bangor is a nuclear weapons storage facility, as well as port for a class of submarines that carry the Trident weapons system. Trident is an ICBM with a range of 4,000nm. They can be launched, again, from a submarine.
I believe that the Trident submarine ICBM nuclear weapon system is aggression. Carried on Submarines, there is potential to lurk nearby targets, and to strike without warning.
I believe that the best defense is not offense. And further that the best defense is certainly not aggression. Instead, it makes more sense in a humanistic world that the best defense is simply to be a good neighbor, be kind, respectful, build trust, find common security—in deed mutual security for all—in what MLK Jr. talked about as, "Beloved Community."
The following is a collection of various words of wisdom on the topic of Aggression and Humanity, partly inspired by my participation in a weekly peace vigil (hence the photo):
Aggression has bankrupted and impoverished humanity...
This is from a weekly peace vigil that I regularly participate in. I try to be there every week. It's from 4:30pm to 6:00pm every Friday at Percival Landing, the corner of 4th Avenue and Water Street, which is in downtown Olympia, Washington.
The vigil is sponsored by the Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation, and anyone is welcome to attend. If you would like, you can bring a sign to hold, or you're also welcome to use of one of the signs provided by the Oly FOR.
President Dwight David Eisenhower:
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron." - April 16, 1953
George Owell:
"The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labour. War is a way of shattering to pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable, and hence, in the long run, too intelligent."
Major General Smedley D. Butler U.S.M.C.:
"War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small 'inside' group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes."
...
"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents."
Albert Einstein:
"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."
Photo by Dennis's friend from Croatia, Charles Tauber
The first video, I thought was about one minute long, although only about 30 seconds show up here, so maybe I was wrong about that. Anyway, it shows the walk from the GZ house to the main gate. The house is about one quarter of a mile from the main-gate:
The second video is about a minute or a minute and a half, it shows the scene around the main-gate prior to protesters entering the roadway to blockade. We had a banner that read, "Enriching a few at everyone expense: occupy trident," on one side. On the other side it said, "Care for sailors and marines. Peaceful jobs for all." This shows a little bit of that.
The third video is from on the grounds at the Ground Zero Center. It includes some information and thoughts about the day, and more information about Ground Zero and the military base, which is called Naval Base Kitsap Bangor.
[Sunday 15 January 2012photo and description from the GZ Center Facebook Page: In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and in resistance to the first strike Trident nuclear weapons system, Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action closed the Main Gate to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor (West Coast homeport for Trident) for 26 minutes earlier today. More photos, video, and reports to come.]
While protesting nuclear weapons, I was cited, yesterday, for a pedestrian infraction. Location: main-gate at Naval Base Kitsap Bangor. At Bangor is a nuclear weapons storage facility, as well as port for a class of submarines that carry the Trident weapons system. Trident is an ICBM with a range of 4,000nm. They can be launched, again, from a submarine.
I believe that the Trident submarine ICBM nuclear weapon system is aggression. Carried on Submarines, there is potential to lurk nearby targets, and to strike without warning.
I believe that the best defense is not offense. And further that the best defense is certainly not aggression. Instead, it makes more sense in a humanistic world that the best defense is simply to be a good neighbor, be kind, respectful, build trust, find common security—in deed mutual security for all—in what MLK Jr. talked about as, "Beloved Community."
The following is a collection of various words of wisdom on the topic of Aggression and Humanity, partly inspired by my participation in a weekly peace vigil (hence the photo):
Aggression has bankrupted and impoverished humanity...
This is from a weekly peace vigil that I regularly participate in. I try to be there every week. It's from 4:30pm to 6:00pm every Friday at Percival Landing, the corner of 4th Avenue and Water Street, which is in downtown Olympia, Washington.
The vigil is sponsored by the Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation, and anyone is welcome to attend. If you would like, you can bring a sign to hold, or you're also welcome to use of one of the signs provided by the Oly FOR.
President Dwight David Eisenhower:
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron." - April 16, 1953
George Owell:
"The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labour. War is a way of shattering to pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable, and hence, in the long run, too intelligent."
Major General Smedley D. Butler U.S.M.C.:
"War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small 'inside' group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes."
...
"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents."
Albert Einstein:
"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."
Photo by Dennis's friend from Croatia, Charles Tauber
07 January 2012
Pick Punch on Your Daily Hour With Me
On the show, will air on TCTV next Friday, the 13th.
some plugging for the show earlier in the day
04 January 2012
Photo from Day of Eviction
Thanks to David for capturing this photograph, which includes me talking to a reporter on the day of eviction for Occupy Olympia from Heritage Park:
Friday 16 December 2012, Occupy Olympia Eviction from Heritage Park
Friday 16 December 2012, Occupy Olympia Eviction from Heritage Park
29 December 2011
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!
It was a silly episode, including blowing the cover on some extraterrestrials that have been hiding behind the couch.
Look out!
22 December 2011
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
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
19 December 2011
Lamps in the Capitol (1 of 2)
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
11 December 2011
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.
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.
04 December 2011
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
-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
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