Why I (and probably others) rarely discuss certain interests

Believe it or don’t, I love music. Like everyone else, I have (and have had) favorite songs, favorite bands, and preferred genres.

However, unlike most “normal” folks I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, I rarely discuss these topics as much as they do. Though as I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed there are many others like me who rarely make music a subject of discussion.

Like politics and religion, music and other socially collective interests can be sensitive matters to certain individuals. There are many people who greatly judge what others like or dislike. For example, if you mention disliking The Beatles to a cluster of diehard fans, prepare yourself — these folks may never speak to you again. To demonstrate the impact of this topic, think of someone above the age of 12 who likes Justin Bieber (yes, they exist). How do they make you feel? And if you’re this awesome grown-up “Belieber” I’m describing, how does that last condescending statement make you feel?

Regardless of your preferences, the above scenario probably makes you want to get off this planet.

In my life (yes, a Beatles song reference shortly after mentioning them) there have been two great instances where I felt discussing music was a do-or-die social situation: When I was either in front of my older brothers, or in a car listening to the radio with my past girlfriend.

Let’s start with my brothers. In their minds, they knew what to love (heavy metal), and they also knew what to instantly thrash (rap). Being a little twerp desiring to impress his older siblings at a young age (spoiler alert: it never happened), I would naturally freeze up when it came to discussing music; my strategy was to avoid making an ass out of myself if I couldn’t impress them. I do, however, remember once saying I liked a certain Michael Jackson song, and my oldest brother still found me a cassette with the track after laughing at me (yes, I remember the time).

Moving along, my last relationship was where the real magic happened. If I let her know I disliked a certain song on the radio before she had a chance to tell me she loved it, game over. Same thing if I said I loved a song she couldn’t stand, so I’m pretty sure these repeated offenses helped nuke the entire relationship. This situation brings me to my next subject — using music and other interests as a way to determine who your friends and partners are (or aren’t).

Yes, it’s fantastic to share your life with people who enjoy the same things as you. But if you’re cutting off other people because of some disagreement over a material — yes, music is technically material — aspect in life, you could be making a mistake. For instance, I’m not a fan of sports video games. In fact, I’m terrible at them. Though if a bud of mine loves to play a certain genre of games and says Diablo III is “boring,” I’m not going to hit the “unfriend” button on Facebook. There are obviously other reasons we became friends, and I’m going to work on that — even if they tell me Mario games have no heart. We all have opinions — theirs is “Mario sucks” and mine is “your opinion blows, but I still like you.”

Sometimes people get along great and still have certain differences in their areas of interest. After all, a wise individual once said “opposites attract,” and we’re never going to find folks (at least where “soul mates” and significant others are concerned) who are exactly like us. And hell, if we do find those people, they might eventually irritate us since they’re a little too familiar. Many would agree that it’s nice to mix things up.

Perhaps I’ll continue discussing the topic of music (among other interests) as I become comfortable around certain individuals. Though for now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go enjoy a timeless classic from The Bieb– I mean Beatles.

Updates: DRM issues, on the move IRL and PPR anniversary

Life has a funny way of launching us into overdrive when we least suspect it. Returning to school has caused my former free time to become occupied by (almost) endless mounds of homework — no surprises there anyhow. But lately, as the final term of this year winds down, I’ve found myself more occupied with other endeavors. Some are familiar, and others… well, let’s just say it’s an extreme step up.

Latest Bitmob/GamesBeat post: DRM ruining the future of gaming

Some folks who read my latest Bitmob submission unfortunately confused my “this situation sucks for us all” rant for “Diablo III is a terrible game.” To clarify, the game itself is spectacular when it’s working, which is thankfully 99% of the time now that we’ve passed launch. The entire future of video games, however, remains hazy with the prospects of future DRM attempts which only succeed in hurting loyal consumers.

New position at LBCC’s Commuter: Next year’s editor-in-chief

After a year as a staff writer and “makeshift copy editor” at my college’s newspaper, I was selected as next year’s editor-in-chief. I’m really looking forward to this opportunity, as it gives me an opportunity to really give something back to the college I love while engaging in an active position of leadership. We have an awesome crew right now, and most of them are returning. Meanwhile, we still have an extraordinary year to wrap up.

The official website is http://commuter.linnbenton.edu, so feel free to check it out.

Press Pause Radio approaches its 3-year anniversary

The zany podcast I both edit website articles for and sometimes appear on is turning three years old. I’ll be approaching my second year with the crew in September, so I can safely say I’ve been along for a good chunk of the ride. The anniversary extravaganza with the original three — George, Toast and Ser — will be recorded this Sunday, followed by episode 58 hosted by yours truly next week.

The last episode we did (which we tell ourselves we’re very proud of) can be found here.

So that’s all in the way of updates at the moment, so you can return to playing Diablo III and Torchlight 2. And if you seriously read this instead of taking more time to play either one of those gems… wow. You’re an amazing human being and I adore you.

Evolution: The Video Game “Witch Hunt”

Video games have always prompted multiple debates regarding both violence and how much time they caused kids to “waste.” I recently came across an old Good Morning America broadcast on YouTube where the console war is discussed with the topic of video game influence on children as a whole.

Now if you flash forward to a more recent newscast, you might notice a change in tone. If it’s not a simple briefing of how many units another Call of Duty game sold on opening night, it’s usually a local news organization attempting to expose some kind of evil or mischievous plot engineered by video game developers (as illustrated in this next video).

I already thrashed this clip last year, but you get the idea.

I would say it’s weird how mass media outlets treat video game events like frightening extraterrestrial activity, but it’s not strange at all. Video games are still a young medium, so it’s not surprising to see them receive this treatment. Like a new student arriving from another school, video games are highly misunderstood by a majority of “regulars” who already enjoy other forms of entertainment.

What’s terrible is how mass media reactions to video games have actually devolved. Since the early days of crucifying games like Mortal Kombat, the mass media “witch hunt” against video games continually found ways to discredit the hobby. More often than not, video games are portrayed as the harbinger of social problems among both misguided youths and deranged adults alike. Hopefully with some education and time, more individuals will not only validate video games as an acceptable activity, which actually promotes social interaction, but as an interactive medium with limitless applications.

World Events: Knowing where you stand (or don’t stand)

Let’s discuss how everyone’s reacting to this whole “Kony 2012″ mess. At first, an infamous viral video started it all. Internet users were spreading the heroic word by shouting everywhere they could.

“Get the message out there, Joseph Kony is real and he must be stopped,” said the masses as they shared the documentary on their favorite social networking platform. That was all swell, until something else happened — other individuals, coming from a more critical background, started discussing how the Invisible Children campaign was, well… for a lack of better words, bullshit.

That’s the Kony guy! I know who he is! So… now what?

Now these individuals had some of the best points, and so it was up to Invisible Children and their co-founder, Jason Russell, to clear their reputation. The organization promised many counter arguments to keep the discussion going and prove their worth. But before any valid statements could be made, Russell completely lost it.

As a result, this caused yet another subcategory of individuals — the “see, he’s crazy, so his points were invalid all along” demographic — to rise up. These were folks who didn’t even know about the entire “Kony 2012″ debate until they saw the “Crazy Advocate Caught Nearly Naked in Traffic” headlines on their favorite news site.

So let’s take a moment to summarize everything. The first group of people simply believed what they thought after watching a video, and without looking up anything else. The second group, who were the most civilized, actually did their research and outlined why the Invisible Children campaign was probably a scam, providing both reasoning and financial figures to back up their claims. The third group (my least favorite) pretty much saw the video on TMZ, and used it as a way to pretend like they agreed with the second group by adding “yep, I saw the underwear video. Total scam.”

And finally, we have the most lost of all individuals: those from category one who never stopped to consider category two’s argument. Yes, they heard it — they’re just not agreeing with it. Worst of all, some of them won’t say why they disagree with debates against Invisible Children. They’re still going strong, posting flyers and writing on telephone polls all across town, but simply because they want to support something. Many of them simply think with Nike’s “Just do it” attitude, and without ever considering the alternatives. Take a statement from the woman in this article as an example:

“I’ve been paying attention to the Kony campaign for the past six months or so, and I’m really interested in things that will get young people up off their butts to go get involved.”

This is probably her best reason for supporting the Kony campaign. Sure, it’s highly admirable to want younger generations involved with a cause (I especially agree with her remarks about how people waste their time online), though it can’t be healthy to simply say “I’m doing this since Uncle Jason and his adorable son say it’s correct,” without even researching the subject. After all, maybe you are promoting a shady organization when you could take action in more helpful ways.

We must understand the messages we discover and check facts. Get up, go out, and support a cause. But make sure you actually know what you’re supporting and why you’re passionate about it. Don’t just hop on the nearest bandwagon because you’re eager to “get involved” without even realizing the significance of the issue. Otherwise, the only “cause” you’ll support is another mass media mishap.

Creation of “Collectaholics”

Chances are if you have me on any of your Facebook or Twitter feeds, you’ve heard lots of rambling about this Collectaholics thing I’m working on. Well, in short, it’s a Tumblr blog for the purpose of profiling video game collection updates — and not just my own, but everyone who wants to contribute. Whether you just recently became a “gamer,” believe you’re “playing with power” on Nintendo, or that “Genesis does what Nintendon’t,” you’re welcome to submit.

If you’re a video game fan who likes documenting your collection updates, thrift store pick-ups, and other tidbits involving game cleaning or repairing procedures, then I’d love hearing from you.

If you’re just a person with a Tumblr blog who likes gawking at photos of insane video game collections and hearing stories of people’s incredible finds, you can help by simply following the Collectaholics blog.

The general plan is to get as many people involved with this as possible. We all enjoy sharing our collections, but there aren’t too many outlets collectively allowing this in a form where you know it will be noticed and discussed. Ideally, Collectaholics will become a steady flow of multiple people’s — myself and Press Pause Radio included — collecting experiences.

If you want to get involved, simply comment below or shoot me a direct message in Twitter. All it takes are a few simple pictures and short sentences as described in the “About Collectaholics” section.

I look forward to seeing which of us is more likely to wind up on the next episode of Hoarders.

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Main page, Collectaholics
Collectaholics Facebook page

Blurbs and Pieces: Mass Effect (1 and 2)

[May contain spoilers from Mass Effect 1 and 2]

In an effort to summarize thoughts on games without generating reviews similar to what’s already available online (times 100), Blurbs and pieces aims to deliver… multiple blurbs.

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The Mass Effect series defined the end of last decades gaming experiences, presenting the final chapter as we begin gazing into the future of the medium. One of the biggest selling points of this series is how every character maintains an elevated level of personality, which is really something many video games — regardless of flawless storytelling or moral decision engines — fail to do.

Sure, you have unlimited opportunities of interactions in franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Final Fantasy, but characters seem no more attached to you than they would any other “could-be-hero.” Mass Effect is unique because your characters interactions depend on your choices as a player, and aren’t simply predetermined parts of the cinematic storyline. Though one could argue every path you take is already predetermined by Bioware (and they are), it’s still a fresh experience to not know where your decisions will lead you in the way of continual character development.

So that’s where the bulk of the experience is found. As for other little tidbits…

- First thoughts when encountering the Illusive Man were “he has Saren’s eyes and the voice of the man who raised Charlie Sheen… that can’t be good.”

- Customization options of skills and equipment made 1 seem more like an “RPG” than 2. Both games had solid setups, but the second one struck me as having more “for dummies” features when it came to leveling up and equipment. Regardless, I don’t miss item restrictions and all the omni-gel garbage.

- There weren’t as many dialogue opportunities with characters in the second installment. Bonding with squad members was more delightful in the first game, but everyone in Mass Effect 2 suddenly gets antisocial when you complete their loyalty mission. Bastards.

"We respect you, trust you with our lives, and have seen what you're capable of... but we still don't believe you."

- In the first Mass Effect, the council has a hard time believing about Saren. You bring them proof, and they still don’t believe you about the threat of Sovereign. You destroy Sovereign (which latched on to their very chamber like it was eating the damn thing), rescue them, and they still won’t acknowledge the Reaper threat. Why should anyone keep dealing with these ass hats?

- It’s amazing how the Mako vehicle flips around in every direction possible and still manages to land on its wheels. It’s kind of like… a giant, mechanical kitty cat, only it blows up Geth.

- It’s highly irritating how one can obtain a “Shepard VI” from the Mouse character on The Citadel, but can’t ever see what kind of crazy remarks it generates.

Press LT to perform a paragon action and give Legion a hug.

- Why does nobody freak out when Shepard escorts Legion — a completely active Geth unit — anywhere with civilians? Who cares if he’s friendly to your squad, this cybernetic nightmare still represents the same “heretics” that impaled corpses on spikes back on Eden Prime, not to mention killing everyone else in the first game. People should be afraid of this thing… just saying (or at least asking “is that a Geth?”).

- On the collector ship, Shepard’s crew had plenty of time to get that first colonist out of the pod before it turned into a blender. Then again, wouldn’t have been a show if they had.

Notable couples in video games

The Beatles once said “love is all you need,” but on a holiday like Valentines Day, some of us need something different: a way out, whether it be real or simply virtual.

Well too bad, because love is everywhere — even in our precious video games.

Since the evolution of storytelling in the mid ‘80s, the element of love in video games is now continually used, whether it’s giving the protagonist something worth fighting for, or simply adding some romantic passion into an already rich pot of fictional elements.

Though many games now involve some kind of romantic endeavor, the following is a list of some more popular couples in the virtual realm, and why they’re so memorable in the first place. Whether or not they last, well… sometimes that’s even up to the player.

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Mario + Princess Peach (The odd couple)

Like everyone else who’s played a Super Mario Bros. game, you’ve probably asked yourself, “How in God’s name did a chubby plumber wind up with an overly attractive princess?”

When it’s all said and done, nobody really cares — it just works.

But Princess Peach wasn’t always around. If Mario ever had a thing for Pauline (the kidnapped girl from Donkey Kong), it was probably ruined over the fact that he — once a carpenter — randomly obtained giant pet gorilla with a thing for kidnapping women.

Perhaps after this Mario simply decided that plumbing was a better way to go.

“You know what?” he said to himself. “Chicks dig guys who kick turtles, conquer haunted houses and stomp on giant dinosaurs just to reach them.”

Turns out he was right.

Mario and Peach remain as a popular pairing, but she’s not the only princess he’s rescued… he also swept Princess Daisy off her heels in Super Mario Land for the Game Boy.

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Squall + Rinoa (The hopeless romantics)

Squall and Rinoa are the people you’ll see and find yourself saying, “these kids have it made.” Sure, it’s kind of gross how one seems to almost always be inhaling the other, but you have to respect the passion they have — at least if you’re in a good enough mood.

Every Final Fantasy (minus the first) has a “hopelessly romantic” couple, and they’re pretty much identical. But there’s something special about Squall and Rinoa, especially since the game they’re in (Final Fantasy VIII) is notoriously known as “the one about love.”

What’s even more funny about this pairing is how they also cater to the whole “opposites attract” theory, given the fact that Squall is a reserved and self-motivated type, and Rinoa is described as a “free spirit.” Of course, Squall can’t help but fall in love with her “do anything, anywhere” attitude… eventually.

Anything. Anywhere. Good stuff for Valentines Day — just keep it out of the open public.

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Link + Princess Zelda (The long distance relationship)

Who would’ve thought that the representations of courage and wisdom would make such an ideal pairing? Link and Zelda may not be a smoochy bunch, but they make an excellent team. And besides, the whole premise of practically every Legend of Zelda game is for Link to rescue her.

In Ocarina of Time, Link was constantly surrounded by other girls, but his interest always peaks in Zelda (he is saving her ass after all). As for Zelda in Skyward Sword, she’d rather have the comfortable, more polite Link as opposed to that muscular idiot Groose, who’s honestly… well, he’s just plain creepy.

With that being said, Zelda and Link (especially in Ocarina of Time and the recent Skyward Sword) are the couple who know how to put their heads together in a tough situation — even if they’re apart — and find their way to safety. As for their future relationship, we’ll just have to see how everything goes.

Out of sight, out of mind? Not for these two.

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Pac-Man + Ms. Pac Man (The perfect match)

Everyone’s favorite pie chart duo is the perfect example of an ideal match. In fact, it’s almost scary how similar they are.

Sure, they’re not the most romantic couple (though the the Ms. Pac-Man segue scenes suggests otherwise), but they’ve got a great thing going. These two eventually become that couple you’ll see sitting on a park bench and feeding ducks together. They have stories to tell, for better or worse, and a love stronger than their cravings for the lunchtime buffet special.

Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man blasted into arcades decades ago, and their family’s been growing since the ‘80s when Namco thought it would be cute to release “Jr. Pac-Man.” Later on, the entire family got their own game in the form of “Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures,” where the player can (and probably will) do everything to either help Pac-Man and his family, or completely ruin their lives (no, seriously, Google this game).

It’s safe to assume that Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man are of the greatest couples in gaming history. After all, they spawned an entire nest of little Pacs — there’s a Pac-Baby and (somehow) a Pac-dog — to continue the family legacy, and eventually drive an aged Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man to the park after their bingo tournament with the ghosts.

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Of course, there exist countless couples in the video game world, so these are just a few famous faces. Which pairings strike you as some of the most memorable, romantic, saucy, or even outrageous?

Blurbs and pieces: Skyrim

In an effort to summarize thoughts on games without generating reviews similar to what’s already available online (times 100), Blurbs and pieces aims to deliver… eight blurbs.

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There’s way too much to do in Skyrim. I know I’m the type who could sit in front of an MMO for many hours and play them nonstop (which is why I refrain from doing so anymore), but I never thought I could invest so much effort in a single player adventure without focusing on the “main” quest line.

Seriously, my general progression rate in this game is currently slower than a sloth attempting to reach the top of a backwards escalator. I’ve probably spent more time acquiring real estate and getting married than I actually have saving the world.

But enough of the obvious… here are some promised blurbs involving Skyrim:

- The civil war is tough — not because it’s a deadly war, but because players have to choose between blatantly hypocritical racists and a weak, misguided legion that beheads people for crimes as minor as crossing the border.

Oh, but they could have drugs, like skooma. Off with their heads.

"The Empire is an evil and oppressive government. Now if you don't mind, I have innocent Dark Elves, Khajiit, and Argonians to ridicule."

- Jon Battle-Born in Whiterun constantly says “You know what’s wrong with Skyrim these days? Everyone’s obsessed with death.”

Is this a joke? Skyrim is a continent where each city is surrounded by tombs (not to mention the catacombs beneath each major city). Of course everyone’s obsessed with death.

- Why do so many towns recruit so many injured guards with “arrow in the knee” stories? No wonder cities are so damn easy to capture.

- Maven Black-Briar is a horse’s ass. There, I said it.

"I know your kind... too cheap to afford your own fancy bathrobe."

- I’ve noticed frost dragons — some of the strongest and most annoying — only seem to attack right before I need to do something really, really important. What’s even worse is how there’s never anyone around to help with them. Oh, but if a basic green dragon swoops down, you’ll have more reinforcements than you know what to do with.

- Too many “old” Orcs seem to want too many “good deaths.” My solution? Send some sort of mechanical “good death” apparatus through aging Orc camps and just get it over with. Might I suggest “the cleaners” from Jim Henson’s Labyrinth?

- I was appalled that the Jarl of a crap hole like Riften — an excellent source of both crime and being at the ass end of nowhere — expects me to purchase property before becoming a thane. It’s like they want me to be stuck with Black-Briar mortgages and coming home to a burglarized home each night.

- If you’re looking for a great way to become morally confused, look no further than “The Forsworn Conspiracy” quest in Markarth.

Post Holiday Memories: Consoles for Christmas

With another Christmas out of the way, some of you can finally sigh in relief. You’ve survived another year of potentially awkward family moments, and another season of unwanted socks, fruitcakes, and emotional roller coaster rides. Many of you will also get the chance to sit down and enjoy some of the gifts you received, including video games and consoles.

Video games were a Christmas sensation since the beginning, and the days after Christmas are an excellent period to experiment with newly received gadgets. Many families also choose the holidays as a time to welcome video games into their household, and purchase consoles for family experiences.

As gamers, we almost always expect a game or two will find its way into one of our stockings. Still, some holiday moments stick out more than others. So in honor of the passing of Christmas and the next few days of gaming paradise, here’s a list of some significant holiday console moments.

1991 – SNES

Everyone in my family loved the NES, so naturally we were crushed when the device stopped working. We owned heaps of games and constantly rented other titles like R.C. Pro-Am and Shadowgate. The day our Nintendo machine died left an entertainment void that wouldn’t be filled until Christmas in 1991.

As I unwrapped gifts with my brothers on that day, we worked our way to the designated “family” present — a Super Nintendo bundled with Super Mario World. Following the holidays, my family got involved with other hits like Final Fantasy II (IV in Japan at the time) and A Link to the Past. Once again our trips to local video stores became common, and we began sampling other titles like Mortal Kombat, Lagoon, Sim City, and U.N. Squadron (Area 88).

Years later, I inherited the console as my first, and the still functioning SNES turned 20 yesterday. The old family SNES has survived three cross-country movies and a corroded AC adapter, and I still consider it to be the greatest Christmas present I ever received.

2000 – PS2

Sony’s PlayStation 2 left an exceptional impression, becoming just as popular as longtime running consoles like the NES and Atari 2600. My own dad, a heavy opposer of Black Friday and other crazily unnecessary shopping “doorbusters” even stood outside of a Best Buy at 4:00 AM to assure we would be playing Tekken Tag Tournament on Christmas Day.

Out of 58 available console tickets, he received ticket 56.

Sony wanted to create a revolution with their newest system, and it’s safe to assume they succeeded. Titles like Devil May Cry, Final Fantasy X, Grand Theft Auth III, Persona 4, and other big time hits were released throughout the years, making the PlayStation 2 a popular holiday gift for several years.

The PS2 is still sold in most gaming and electronics retailers, and even continues to hold a tab on the front of PlayStation’s US page. Though support for Sony’s most popular product remains at large, most of the “new” PS2 games released are nothing more than shovel-ware titles plugging kids movies, and so-on. Still, gamers who have yet to experience the best of this system will want to snag one if they can find any of the titles listed above for a reasonable price.

2001 – Xbox

When high school began, I knew getting good grades during that first semester might guarantee a pretty neat Christmas gift. But there was one problem: I never really specified what I wanted. Either way, my dad ended up purchasing an Xbox with Halo when it came out. Honestly, I think my dad wanted it more than I did.

Microsoft’s Xbox changed the way most individuals thought of gaming. Friends of mine (or “friends”) who used to make fun of my excessive playtime on the PC or PS2 were now spending double the amount on their brand new Xbox. Most of them even went so far as to haul giant TVs over to other peoples houses so they could all play in LAN Halo matches together. Being one of the only other kids with an Xbox, I was usually invited to go along. After countless frags and multiple stacks of pizza boxes, the art of tea-bagging and shouting the word “owned” after each kill became common rituals.

With that being said, I’m wondering if I should travel back in time and warn myself about the future of FPS shenanigans. Then again, I’m a fan of pizza and shouting. I could, however, live without repetitive “teabagging” references.

2004 – Nintendo DS

Also an early graduation present, this was the last major Christmas gift I received from a parent. The Nintendo DS was a huge landmark for the handheld console since the classic gaming giant almost always set the standard for portable gaming. The Game Boy name was retiring, and it was time for Nintendo to invest in the next big thing. Thankfully, their planning paid off, and the Nintendo DS became another on-the-go sensation.

Initially, the only unfortunate drawback of this dual-screened powerhouse was the delay of Metroid Prime: Hunters, which was scheduled to release shortly after the system’s launch. Still, the “First Hunt” demo did an excellent job of selling the system. Lucky for Nintendo, the DS successfully recreated the same innovative and portable experiences consumers loved experiencing on the Game Boy, and continues to live on in the form of the 3DS, the company’s latest attempt at capturing the portable market. Sony and Apple have made the handheld market one tough arena for Nintendo, but even the 3DS maintains a classic on-the-go charm that remains unique in every way.

Of course, you’re going to recall multiple happy Christmas gift moments if you love video games. We look forward to hearing what you got this year, whether it was a couple of big time hits like Skyrim, or a brand new console. We’ll just be happy to hear you didn’t get stuck with an unwanted pair of socks — or even worse, a video game based on receiving socks for Christmas.

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(Original post at PressPauseRadio.com)

Occupy Corvallis: The General Assembly In Action

Two nights a week, the Orchard Court Community Center fills with dozens who discuss Occupy Corvallis, another formation of united individuals seeking to take charge of their community’s financial well-being.

The General Assembly — or GA for short — puts the democratic process to work for Occupy Corvallis, discussing the organization and finances behind demonstrations. Anyone can make proposals, highlight events involving direct action and help craft solutions. Simply put, voices are heard and plans are carried out.

Thursday’s meeting began with Lisa Gonzales, facilitator of the evening’s events, prompting everyone to introduce themselves and make proposals if they had them. Proposals would then be discussed near the end of the meeting.

Assembly meetings are regulated with the help of a co-facilitator, who keeps track of the order in which individuals raise their hand to give input. Both the facilitator and co-facilitator change positions often, and give others an opportunity to moderate assemblies. Decisions are voted on through a series of additional hand signals representing agreement, disagreement, off-topic discussions and proposal blocks.

Thursday’s agenda began with discussions on the GA’s involvement with local businesses, and lead off into debates regarding the assembly’s finance committee. Members of the finance committee rotate often for the sake of regulating diversity and maintaining equal views.

Tom Fuller, current spokesperson for the committee, also announced that the next financial meeting would take place at the 2nd st. Beanery on Nov. 26 at noon.

“Anybody who wants to put in their own two cents — figuratively — is welcomed,” said Fuller.

After Fuller concluded his announcements, GA member Eric Coker went on to describe events that took place earlier in the afternoon, including a march dubbed “Funeral of the American Dream.” Nearly 80-120 individuals joined up as four mock coffins labeled “American Dream,” “Democracy,” “Living Wage” and “Middle Class” were carried during the precession.

Chants like “The banks got bailed out, we got sold out,” and “We… are… the 99 percent” echoed through downtown Corvallis as marches progressed.

Events started at the Gazebo in Central park, moving on to U.S. Bank, the county courthouse, city hall and Bank of America. GA member Dylan Schwartz could be heard reciting the eulogy at U.S. Bank.

“We, the 99 percent, hope to lay to rest, these growing economic injustices with America and the world,” said Schwartz. “Rest in Peace, the American dream.”

When demonstrators arrived at the Bank of America branch, managers locked the doors and selectively chose – based on appearance – who was allowed to enter the building for routine transactions.

Aside from organizing events in their own communities, members of the movement also aim to personally keep in touch. Occupy Salem supporter and GA member David Kay popped into the meeting to announce updates in Oregon’s capital. Kay explained why mock coffins were not used after noticing Occupy Salem’s banners read “Save the American dream.”

“We decided it was inappropriate to carry the coffins in the Salem march,” he said. “It just didn’t feel right.”

The evening concluded with announcements and outlined proposals. One new suggestion called for future Occupy Corvallis poetry readings, which would increase the movement’s overall artistic development.

Occupy Corvallis continues to receive excellent support from local institutions, including the Corvallis Police Department and Public Library. During a march, police were contacted by bank officials in an attempt to remove demonstrators from the area. Unlike other cities, the officers refused and claimed marchers were harming nobody.

“When they start throwing things or hurting people, give us a call,” one officer said.

The CPD was not contacted again. In order to express gratitude for the department’s more civil reaction, a “thank you” card was passed around and signed by all present GA members.

The Corvallis Public Library has also been supportive. The library allows for demonstrators to have sit-in meditation sessions with signs, but has also requested Occupy Corvallis members bring their own seats to keep others open for additional patrons.

Tony Vogt was among many GA members who sympathized with the Library’s requests.

“It’s a public space and people love their library,” Vogt said. “We need to do this in a way that’s welcoming.”

Aside from Saturday meditation sessions, GA member Todd Jones can be seen outside of the library with his daughter most mornings, as he passes out flyers outlining the time and location of GA meetings.

The GA meets at the Orchard Court Community Center in Corvallis, located near the corner of 35th and Jackson. Meetings take place on Monday and Thursday nights between 5:30-7:30 p.m. Up to date information on the Occupy Corvallis movement, as well as a video of the direct action march from Nov. 17, can be found on the Occupy Corvallis Facebook page.

(Original post at LBCommuter.com)