My Bernie Journey Release Notes and Other Exciting Projects

I wanted to let everyone know what’s going on with various projects I’m working on. Honestly, some of this stuff is going to bring a lot of joy to a lot of people and have a pretty major impact on the world.

The book, My Bernie Journey will be out in October. I really wanted to have it out by August 28, but it wouldn’t have been as good as it could be. I’m just adding a couple of chapters and tidying a few things up. Am I allowed to say that I’m incredibly proud of it? Or I am supposed to just spout modest cliches? Either way, I’m damn proud of the book. I really just wrote it for my friends, you guys. But anytime you start doing something for others, it always rewards you a hundred fold. Writing the book put me in touch with some things. It evolved me a bit. I think it will make some people happy. If you donated and thereby got the book to press, thank you so damned much. That’s seriously like the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. I hope when you read the book you feel the love that I have for you.

I started this company, basically from nothingness (isn’t that where everything starts?). I’ve dubbed it Activist Media. There may already be a company out there with that name. So if that’s an issue, I will call it Resist/Revolt Activist Media. We are the tiniest of businesses at this time. Through kind people donating to our mission we were able to purchase a basic mobile film kit and we went on the road recording interviews with activists, basically just trying to listen to people and get a pulse for what our movement is doing.

That was an incredible experience. Carrie and I emptied our meager bank accounts to do it and it was incredibly freeing. Carrie and I have an ongoing conversation regarding manifesting and our relationship has been an exercise in helping each other to remove the obstacles that cloud the path towards that manifestation. And if that sounds like crazy hippie talk to anyone, just let me say that I completely understand how you feel. I used to feel the exact same way. It’s all good.

As to what we are manifesting, well it remains to be seen. I am Steve Jobs tinkering in my garage. All I have is a vision. In time Activist Media will define itself. I just know that there are viewpoints that aren’t being represented on all sides of the political spectrum. I’m going to assist in that process. I’m not going to be competitive or cut-throat with other content creators. I’m going to help them. There is no time for petty squabbles among allies. Fascism is afoot. We must take control of the media.

With that in mind, I have been turning a room of our house into a television studio. It’s our dining room, so it can’t just stay that way all the time. So I’ve been setting up a ten minute room conversion with infinity green screen that I built from materials I got at the Dollar Tree and Ace Hardward that were paid for with Catherine Harris’s donation and then Karin Heinley, Susan Simonsen and Marcia Stewart sent in donations that bought the editing software that we are using with it. Thanks to those incredibly compassionate people Activist Media will be producing a series of shorts, premiering in September that focus on topics ranging from effective political debating to creative activism. We’ve spent a ton of time preparing these projects and shooting them and editing them is laborious, but I know once Activist Media finds it’s stride then we will be able to bring on people who share our vision for a better America. In fact, I’m just declaring right now, that, in a year, I am going to have a personal assistant. I never thought I’d say anything like that, but it’s for the greater good. I’ll create a job. Starting pay $15, which is about $14 more an hour than I am currently making. I am wearing way too many hats to be as effective as I need to be, but it’s important that I learn what each of those hats feels like. That way, later, when I have someone else doing editing or whatever roles I sacrifice, I will be able to have a real dialogue with that person. Right now, it’s pretty exciting and challenging. I’m working twelve hour days and wanting to work longer. I’m inspired.

I’m also enjoying the last time in my life where I don’t know how I’m going to pay my bills. I know this may sound crazy, but I’m trying to cherish that. Once Activist Media gets off the ground, I’ll take some money and hire a lawyer and figure out the smartest way to set it up to be the most effective. Once the company is successful, I probably won’t be below the poverty line for the first time in my life. At that point, I’ll go hardcore into philanthropy. I don’t have anything against money. But my only motivation to have money is to promote positive change. I don’t understand how people can horde money when there are people starving in the world. It will take a couple of years to really get it off the ground, but I’m completely dedicated to it and human beings can mostly accomplish anything they put their minds to. They can do this, because when people are extremely dedicated others come and join to help them.

In closing, I wanted to tell you that in October (that’s Mr Optimist talking…he means NOVEMBER) we have an interactive music video that is actually an open letter to Bernie Sanders encouraging him to run in 2020. This is going to be epic and I’m just putting it out there, right now, that I’m going to ask my kid’s hero, Kimya Dawson, who is a super Sanders supporter, to be part of it. I’m actually working right now to get the demo prepped to send to her. If you’re reading this, you’re going to be part of this epic project. I can’t even go into all the nuances of it now, but for real, the word epic was made for this project.

Anyway, back to work. Thanks for letting me rant. 🙂