Forum Post: AMAZING VIDEO: Instead of Flowers We Sent a Message (Our Valentine's Day Money Drop) #MicCheckWallSt
Posted 12 years ago on March 5, 2012, 9:18 p.m. EST by MicCheckWallSt
(141)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Money can't buy love... but it can buy speech? Our Valentine's Day Money Drop in Seattle (yes, it's all real money) You can read more about this action here: http://miccheckwallst.org/valentines-day-money-drop-2-14-12/
Kudos. Great job. Loved the fleeting nature of the money as it floated through the sky like the birds. Very fitting. People first!
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Nice job, guys! This video totally blew me away. What a creative and powerful action. Bravo!
P.S. Nice soundtrack too!
the song is great!!
thank you & please share :))
you guys are totally awesome.
Posted it on my Facebook!
awesome!
Incredible! What a beautiful statement! I only wish I had been there so experience this in person...
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occupywallst.org should totally post this video. For reals. It's FANTASTIC! I feel so INSPIRED. People NEED to see this!
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it's just too bad we have no clue how to make that happen lol
any ideas on how to do that? haha
um...
no. lol
well you're no help :P haha
You could try writing to them on here maybe? :)
done. thanks :)
That's a good idea!
lol I'd help if I could!
aggreeeeeeeeeeeee
^^^ up twinkles ^^^
totally.
yes, please!
x100000!
I can't stop watching this and I cant stop crying!!!!! wah! so moving! :(
thank you very much! please share if you can!!
that IS Beautiful ;)
thank you so much,please share it if you get the chance! :)
already have .. ;) Fantastic Stuff !!!!
thanks!!! :))
MicCheckWallSt, who was doing the music ? you ?
The song is "How It Ends" by DeVotchKa.
If you like it there are some links off the video to support the artist and buy the track. Given that it wasn't our we figured it was the least we could do :)
It made me cry, you guys are awesome...
me too! haha very moving!
it says so many things,
and most of all it tells us about the people who did it, and that's why we will win...
You're so right!
I love that not only the people who grabbed the money see the message, but that they will have to think about it again right before they hand that money over to someone else. Maybe even just for a second, but they will have to think about being the person handing that same message to someone else.
And that person will in turn read it and think about it. And so on and so on.
I get so happy and excited just thinking about it.This was such a good idea! So much better than just handing out a plain ol flyer!
You are so right...people don't throw money away.
no they don't :)
Some of us have been talking about hand writen letter campangian for mininum wage increase (and hopefully index to CPI) do you think there be any interest in this?
The idea being that a handwritten letter would be more effective than a form letter?
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aww thank you so much!!!! we are really proud of how it turned out!
please share it if you get the chance!
re-posted and shared
http://www.citicommons.com/contributors/richard-gates/insteadofflowerswesentamessageourvalentinesdaymoneydropmiccheckwallst
good show
Thank you so much!
It's every little thing, not unlike a person, each cell just doing what it needs to, all these "little" things makes something huge, something wonderful.
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Breautiful, poignant footage. Thanks.
thank you for the kind words!! please feel free to share it!!
we're not professional videographers by any means, this was actually our first attempt at ever making a video (obviously haha), but are pretty proud of how it turned out :)
You should be proud-it shows some real talent. The soundtrack was also very fitting. Thanks again!
someone suggested below that maybe occupywallst.org would be interested in posting this video. we've no clue how that works or who to contact or anything, but we thought you might? or know someone else on here who might? we tried writing a message yesterday to the OccupyWallSt account on here, but didn't get a response. anyway, since you liked it, we thought you might be able to point us in the right direction :)
Contact Jart, the forum moderator. You can find him/her by entering user:jart in the search link and clicking on the name.
awesome thanks! :)
no, no, no thank you again! haha :))
this is so powerful and beautiful! great message!!!! :)
thank you & please share :))
omfg. sooooo gooooddd!!!
wtf was up with that cop though? I guess he has a hard job protecting people from the danger of all that money! hahaha
thank you! please share it!!!!!
the cops started screaming at people to clear the street. the guy on the corner was just standing there. all he said was, "you yell like my grandmother!" and that was enough to set the cops off. pushing him and pulling down his hat, calling him a "bitch", and taunting him like "what are you going to do, tough guy?" as he was trying to walk away.
WOW
:) thanks!
Your welcome (just a bump)
heh ;)
heh heh heh....
lulz...
good afternoon too
and a good afternoon to you as well!
brilliant! was it actually real money?
yes, it was :)
how much was it???
does it matter?
hahaha I guess not! :]
haha :)
this is amazing!!! so fucking good!
peace & solidarity Seattle!!!
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wow. wow wow wow wow wow wow. <3 this so. effin. hard. thank you for doing this and sharing it!
thank you! please share if you can! :))
The day the NYSE went Yippie
Forty years ago, Abbie Hoffman and friends invaded the heart of American capitalism and sprinkled dollar bills on the exchange floor. Did it make a difference?
By James Ledbetter, CNNMoney deputy managing editor August 23 2007: 2:51 PM EDT
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- It remains perhaps the most striking act of guerrilla theater in American history, certainly in the financial world.
On a steamy summer morning forty years ago - Aug. 24, 1967 - about a dozen young men and women led by James Fourrat and Abbie Hoffman entered the visitors' entrance to the New York Stock Exchange at 20 Broad Street. (The trading floor gallery had been open to visitors since 1939.) They waited while a member of the security staff approached; the group had previously phoned the exchange and asked for a tour, but the guards became nervous about the way that some in the group were dressed.
Still, the group went up to the visitors' gallery, two stories above the busy trading floor. They snaked their way past exhibits showing the virtues of the industrial revolution and the development of modern capitalism. As they turned the corner, they encountered a horde of reporters and cameras.
This made exchange officials nervous. John Whighton, the captain of the exchange's security force, told the group that no demonstration of any kind would be tolerated. Whighton asked the group for a name, and Fourrat said: "George Metesky," and identified his group as ESSO, the East Side Service Organization (the first a reference to New York's "Mad Bomber" from the 1950s, the second to the successor to Rockefeller's Standard Oil). The guard wrote "George Metesky and friends" on a pad, and escorted the group up to the railing directly above the trading floor.
Immediately, the group of pranksters began throwing handfuls of one-dollar bills over the railing, laughing the entire time. (The exact number of bills is a matter of dispute; Hoffman later wrote that it was 300, while others said no more than 30 or 40 were thrown.)
Job cuts from subprime: 18,000 and counting
Some of the brokers, clerks and stock runners below laughed and waved; others jeered angrily and shook their fists. The bills barely had time to land on the ground before guards began removing the group from the building, but news photos had been taken and the Stock Exchange "happening" quickly slid into iconic status.
Once outside, the activists formed a circle, holding hands and chanting "Free! Free!" At one point, Hoffman stood in the center of the circle and lit the edge of a $5 bill while grinning madly, but an NYSE runner grabbed it from him, stamped on it, and said: "You're disgusting."
If the prank accomplished nothing else, it helped cement Hoffman's reputation as one of America's most outlandish and creative protestors. Along with Jerry Rubin and others, Hoffman had founded the Youth International Party earlier that year, and the "Yippie" movement quickly became a prominent part of America's counterculture.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/17/news/funny/abbie_hoffman/index.htm
This was definitely part of the inspiration behind part of it :) Though unlike Hoffman, the intent was totally for all the money to go right back into circulation with the message ;)
What was the impact on the media, public opinion, etc.?
Overwhelmingly super positive.
It was only our 3rd action as a group, and no one had any experience with the press so we probably could have handled that better (had a press release ready, contacted them before hand to tip them off, etc. haha).
As far as the press goes, we ended up on the news on a couple stations every day at 5, 11, and 6 am for a minute or two over several days. Like, "This weird thing happened!", "Wait, here's a little video from that weird thing that we mentioned yesterday" kind of thing. Our local indy paper (home of Dan Savage actually) who we did tip off never bothered to show up or write about it at all (before and after), which we found both really surprising and well, lame haha.
As for public opinion it was resounding positive as well. People just on the streets were talking to each other for days and days about it. Many of us would overhear conversations about on the bus, on the street, in cafes, etc. Even 60 year ladies were talking about it positively while waiting for a bus it a few days later! Again, had we handled the press part it correctly it would have been a far more informed discussion we're sure, but it did get people talking and thinking and we'd chime in and fill them in when we could.
That said one of the best parts, and a really big part of the intent, was broken down by "mrtimmy" someplace else in this thread. I'm just going to quote him cos I'm being lazy haha:
"I love that not only the people who grabbed the money see the message, but that they will have to think about it again right before they hand that money over to someone else. Maybe even just for a second, but they will have to think about being the person handing that same message to someone else. And that person will in turn read it and think about it. And so on and so on. I get so happy and excited just thinking about it.This was such a good idea! So much better than just handing out a plain ol flyer!"
Thanks. You did a very good thing.
Thanks a lot! We really appreciate the kind words!!! :)
I can imagine this sort of action being duplicated in other places too. I'm an old guy who was stationed for a while in the army at Fort Lewis and Seattle is where I spent 24 hour passes. I have a warm spot in my heart for Seattle.
When we announced the action we hoped it would catch on but we planned to do it anyway. I think most people we know thought we were kind of crazy or that it wouldn't "work" somehow or be interesting. We were super happy with how it turned out tho
No kidding, one of our members just finished basic there.
I was a clerk in the Reception Center at Fort Lewis for part of 1968. We processed the paperwork of the new recruits who in those days either were draftees or "volunteers" who were trying to avoid the infantry by signing up for specific MOS' (military occupational specialties) in return for another one or two years of their lives. What possesses anyone today to join the Army ?? If he's an occupier I'd expect he's read a newspaper lately.
yeah. he's a good guy but i've kinda wondered the same thing to be honest lol
News for soldiers with murder afghanistan
Globe and Mail Fort Lewis Soldier Held in Murder of 16 Afghans
Patch.com - 1 hour ago By Ryan Smith A US soldier allegedly went on a shooting spree in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan Sunday, killing 16 Afghan civilians, including women ... Former US Army Captain on Afghanistan murders: 'This doesn't ...
CNN (blog) - 3 hours ago Afghan civilians murdered by US soldier ABC Online - 13 hours ago US Soldier Describes Thrill Kill of Innocent Civilians in Afghanistan ...
►► abcnews.go.com/.../us-soldier...afghanistan/story?id... Sep 28, 2010 Five GI's are charged with pre-mediated murder of innocent civilians in ... of the U.S. soldiers holding the ...
Yeah we saw that. so tragic. everything about it is so sad.
best. action. evar.
EVARRRRRRRR!!!!!!
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please share! :D
Money is just paper at the end of the day. Love and meaningful relationships with people last forever. So simple and beautiful. It works.
Thank you so much for the kind words! We're glad the message spoke to you! Please repost and share the video! :]
Wonderful. This was really touching. Good job!
Thank you! Please share it if you can! :)
This was profoundly beautiful. Many thanks.
you're welcome! please share! :)
rad!
super-rad.
Thanks!! please repost & share! :)
extra super rad!
Thanks! please share it!
Thank you! Please share! :)
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:) thank you! please share!!
gladly! :)
and thanks!
awesome!
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if speech is free,
why is it paid for?
p.s. please share!! :)
Yeah, especially advertisements. The fact that people pay money for cable or satellite television, only to be coerced to spend more money on crappy products and services is beyond ridiculous.
oh please share on Facebook & twitter btw! :)
it's a vicious circle fo sho.
If contraceptives are free, why can't my neighbor pay for them?
And if religion is free, why do I have to pay for a Bible?
exactly.
um. WOW. How have I not seen this before?!!
'Situationist Pranksters Rule !!!" Love It !! Thanx for commenting because without it, I'd have missed it too ! And thus : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rb13ksYO0s&feature=related ; A whole month later - but hey, you know what 'they' say, right ?! ~;-)
radix malorum est cupiditas ...
Aww thanks guys! Please share! :D
You seem to have had something to do with this, me thinks Mr. 'MCWS' !
I am very impressed indeed !! '
Art is a real way into every human heART, bro' !!!
Blessing be upon you and all who sail with you ;-) & time for more Toots : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2VbRiBDcCk&feature=related !!
Love Your Stuff Mr. 'Mike Cheque', BIG thanx for posting.
~*~
pax, amor et lux et ...
ars gratia artis. 1 <3 .
~
[ps : Also on the theme of 'Valentine's Day' : http://occupywallst.org/forum/we-may-declare-that-w-m-d-those-words-of-mass-dist/ ]
Heh maybe ;)
"Art is a real way into every human heART, bro' !!!" - and we couldn't agree more.
Also 'Mr. Mike Cheque' : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-nvm_EVfUM&feature=related ;-)
Ahem ! Actually, of course you did NOT have anything to do with that "Situation"... maybe !! & ~{:-)
More Toots me thinx : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R62Sk6sBBRA&feature=related & check the lyrics !!!
per ardua ad astra ...
nice track!! :D
I don't speak latin. buuuuttt... I guess I could google it... unless you want to save me loads of time! haha
'tam' : "Radix Malorum Est Cupiditas = Love of money is the root of (all) evil", cf. radishes = 'root' vegetables ; 'mal' = bad ; 'est' = is ; cupidity = love of money / wealth / material stuff !!!
Also, "Sweet and Dandy" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_St8Kbo4uwU&feature=related also by Toots and The Maytals !!
IF you still feel like googling something, try "Situationist" ... ah heck, here's the 'wiki' : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situationist_International , because IF you liked the video on the forum-post, you''ll get the connections and possible inspirations !
pax et lux ...
This rocks. Well played, sirs & madams... well played...
Thanks! please share!
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what was the message ?
http://miccheckwallst.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/dollar_reflected-large.jpg
Oh man, this is so cool. I bet it was crazy in person!
please share! :)
It was pretty spectacular to say the least! :]
Soooooooo beautiful !!
Thank you! \:D/ Please share it! :)
\:D/ Please share it! :)
This can't be real! No way! How didn't that start a riot!
It's real alright!
please share! :)
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I'm sharing this to all my friends!!! everybody needs to see this!!
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Do you know why a cop may poke you in the chest or ribs when they ask you a question? They hope you will take a swing at them or poke back or push them away. Just like anyone would to anyone else. It is instinctive reaction to physical confrontation, and a good way to say that you assaulted them or tried to. Unless the whole incident is caught on camera, good luck claiming your right of self defense or that you just reacted to their initial jab. Cop always right until proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to be the instigator.
Just sayin, if you were wondering about those cops actions in the video.
I think that cop was being a complete jerk. totally out of line, excessive and unnecessary. legal or not.
agreed!
True. No argument here.
But you see it is also a tactic. One they use often if not oftener.
Yeah... but I mean that doesn't make it right! and I don't it doesn't make it something we can change, right??
We can change it, just not at the moment.
Why? we are in a major fight that we need to win, when that is accomplished we can address proper conduct and the fact that no one is above the law.
For now we do our best to deal. We record and we protest. If the opportunity presents we file charges and a law suit.
I don't disagree but I think we can do more than one thing at once. I mean that guy can at least be reported for his conduct or exposed to the media (or at least try).
I realize it wouldn't "fix" the problem, but it could at least get one guy who shouldn't be carrying a gun off the streets!
Very true I will not argue one little bit. It will be piece work for a long time, even after we are able to address this full on with full authority. There will always be weeds needing to be pulled.
my thoughts exactly. it's too bad round-up sucks haha
lol
laughing - Well I always believed in the hands on approach whenever possible. Though if there were a non-toxic type of round-up for attitude adjustment - I would be tempted.
haha if only!!!!
I think Berkley still has the good Dr.s notes.
just sayin.
hahahaha
just sayin - I think he was a progressive - anyway a man ahead of his time. The trolls could benefit from a little Leary TLC and LSD. Make em real positive contributors to society in practically no time at all.
lol
Thank you .. thank you . . .I'm here everyday doing shows at................
Has anyone seen my troll?................OH I hope it got hit in traffic.
I just got it today............it was a gift.
cool beans! thanks!!!
Any time. We are all in this together.
someone suggested below that maybe occupywallst.org would be interested in posting this video. we've no clue how that works or who to contact or anything, but we thought you might? or know someone else on here who might? we tried writing a message yesterday to the OccupyWallSt account on here, but didn't get a response. we asked a someone else on here but they didn't repsond either. anyway, since you liked it, we thought you might be able to point us in the right direction :)
There is contact information at the top of the page - on the tool bar - just click "ABOUT". You could also try talking to jart. But I would try the contact info 1st. Some times return messages/contact can be slow as this is not a full time staffed site - or at least that is what I think. Anyway hope this helps.
does everyone here get assigned their personal troll? haha
If you run into any trolls send them to me, you know on hockey teams they have enforcers?
Have you ask "rising" about who to summit the video to for consideration?
I see the numbers on YouTube are growing for views :).
Sometimes the hardest thing about this, as with all things, is the ego. When you put so much thought and love into something you care so much about you want everyone to see it, you know that it will make a difference. When doing something for the good of all, it is harder to catch our egos at work, “It’s not for us, it’s for the cause.” Now don’t get me wrong promoting creative work is as important as doing it in the first place, but however it turns out, feel good, do good.
Know that we are many, and we all know this same thing, we know the truth. Don’t stop, as long as one will listen, the only way we lose is if we stop.
hahaha nice
Thanks . . . I been tryin to work in some humor throughout the day. A little stress relief. The trolls have been very helpful.
well, you may be correct (we're not lawyers or experts), we're not sure that pulling his cap like that was ok. in any event, calling him a bitch on top of all that, while maybe technically within their rights, was totally unwarranted and unprofessional conduct in our humble opinion.