I observe in wonder how some people 'buy' a business and then have others do the work for them so the owners can travel and figure out how to spend their 'hard earned' profits.  Time and again I see how a whole list of businesses are cutting workers hours so they don't qualify for healthcare. Time and again I have followed in the news how businesses have had to lay off workers in order to stay profitable.  Time and again I have wondered why the owners don't actually do anything.

    I have stood up time and again for myself against exploitive employers. To the point of walking off the job several times rather then be the whipping boy for an arrogant manager or owner. Sometimes deciding to not even work for a company or take a position because of exploitation. I wish everyone would be able to do the same. I can envision a much different economic envirionment if that could, or would, happen.

    I have the same feelings about absentee landlords. Although I do understand how some people would rather not be respnsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the house they live in. Also, the way that our economics are established, only those with money can afford to buy. And then they get more money by having the renters pay them a profit for being rich in the first place. The game is rigged.

   "And so it goes." - Kurt Vonnegut

Thubten Comerford first attended a Startup Weekend in September of 2009 when he was invited by the web developer for Startup Weekend Seattle, and now he is volunteering his time to lead the Startup Weekend in Olympia this weekend. As a Startup Weekend veteran, he knows that Startup Weekend is as real as it gets when it comes to starting a business.

“I’ve been a part of several technology startups and this is really the startup experience. It’s meeting deadlines, coming up with something exciting and new, and getting into revenue,” Thubten said.

He also says it is similar to running a 54 hour sprint and at the end you have something to show for. At the end of the sprint, you’ll have more than just a business idea though. Startup Weekend is about meeting people you didn’t know and coming up with something that is marketable, then having that experience continue on. Thubten’s project continued and actually split into to spin off companies that are still going a year later.

One such company is CluePad which helps make sense of SEO for business owners. CluePad gives daily recommendations to business owners on how to improve their business online. The recommendations are based on data about their website, and take anywhere from one to 30 minutes to complete. That is just one example of a technology startup that was created from a Startup Weekend team. Not everyone in the team was a technology person, but they were a part of a team and that is what counts.

July 10, 2010

A ship carrying logs is seen at the Port of Olympia, in the City of Olympia, Thurston County, Washington State. The ship is the STX Pioneer, of Panamanian registry.

I recently found out that the solar panels on top of the parking pay stations downtown were made by BP.

What if we had a government that wouldn't do business with companies like BP that engage in harmful activities? What if we had a government that fundamentally and functionally stood up against the harm that is intrinsic to this profit system?

Toward a better world for all, Berd

The latest issue of the Bruce and Berd talk radio hour is available for listening on the Internet. Unfortunately, due to logistical difficulties, we were unable to record last week's (May 9th) episode (although it was a great show.) So if you want to be sure to be able to listen, the best way to do that is to tune in to KOWA 106.5 LP FM on Sundays from 7 to 8 pm. I will continue to make efforts to record upcoming shows and upload them to the Internet.

There were dozens of May Day demonstrations yesterday in cities all over the USA. The New York Times has a story about the relatively high turn-out compared to some other recent demonstrations.

I went to Seattle and marched along with about 10,000 other people, on a route that was about 5 miles, from Judkins Park to Memorial Stadium. The purpose of the march was to demonstrate for immigrant and worker rights, and to protest racist policies. The march was large, there were enough people to solidly fill in the whole of four-lane city streets for a length of about 3/4 of a mile - about 12 or so city blocks.

I was quoted in a Seattle Times article about the demonstration by Christine Clarridge (link).

"It's racist, when you get down to it," said Robert Whitlock, of Olympia, one of Saturday's marchers. "I'm here to demonstrate in support of immigrant rights, worker rights and to protest racist policies."

Casa Latina: Respect for Workers

Nadie es ilegal. NAFTA refugees are not criminals!

Slideshow (31 photos) below the fold:

The Corporation

Video Description:

3:00:06 - 2 years ago
You'd think that things like disasters, or the purity of childhood, or even milk, let alone water or air, would be sacred. But no. Corporations have no built-in limits on what, who, or how much they can exploit for profit. In the fifteenth century, the enclosure movement began to put fences around public grazing lands so that they might be privately owned and exploited. Today, every molecule on the planet is up for grabs. In a bid to own it all, corporations are patenting animals, plants, even your DNA. Around things too precious, vulnerable, sacred or important to the public interest, governments have, in the past, drawn protective boundaries against corporate exploitation. Today, governments are inviting corporations into domains from which they were previously barred.

An injury to one is an injury to all." IWW slogan

There are a lot of great things that get done through the PBIA and the ODA that largely go under the radar.  This is not one of them, and is a project that I am particularly proud to be part of.  Kudos goes to Dave Rauh of MIXX 96 for making this happen two years in a row.

Here's the deal.  The PBIA has set aside money to pay local artists--$1000 honorarium and $500 for supplies--to take a bench from downtown and have their way with it.  The results of the first round were great.  And now we're ready for the next round.  My goal is to get every bench downtown redone courtesy of our pantheon of artists.  And then to add more benches, but that is for later.

For now, check out the attatched RFP and application.  Due date is Feb. 27th.  So get off your keisters and show us what you got. 

The first meeting of 2009 for the Parking and Business Improvement Area (PBIA) Advisory Board to the City Council will be at the MIXX 96 Conference Room this Thursday January 8th from 6-8 pm. On the agenda is officer elections, 2009 budget review and updates on on-going projects. The meetings are open to the public.  Public comment is always one of the first agenda items.

***There is a vacant seat that the board will be filling by appointment. The only requisite is that you are a PBIA rate-payer.***