Today I am painting a neighbor’s house for some cash. Tomorrow I’ll be weeding another neighbor’s garden. This is how I’ve been raising money while I prepare for the “Tour” part of my Exile to kick off (Aug 18th). It’s therapeutic putting my body to work at these tasks, though I would much rather be filming and editing videos with a liberty message. I’m making the best of this time though, and I’m finding that making connections with neighbors and providing services for them is rewarding in a different–almost spiritual–way.
Even if I work this way every day for the next 2 weeks, I still won’t be totally prepared for Exile. I’ll need some money for Greyhound tickets, meals, and crash-spaces, as well as the ever-important livestreaming services I’ll be using to document the journey. Some supporters of mine have chosen to donate to help me cover these costs. You can too! I’m already 43% of the way to completing my goal of raising $1,000 to begin the tour. Read more about how you can support me here. To those who have already donated, thanks for your support!
Kari DePhillips of PR firm The Content Factory wrote up an official press release for Derrick J’s Victimless Crime Spree, which can be seen here. Kari did a remarkable job at presenting the information in a scintillating and succinct way. She was able to walk me through every step of the way and made helpful recommendations about how to stay at the front of the action. I am extremely grateful for her very professional services and will be sure to follow her advice in the future. For those of you who do not know Kari, she is the strikingly eloquent young beauty who graced our televisions on the likes of CNN and FOX (Video).
Previously, Ian Freeman had written up press releases about activities with which I’d been involved. For example, he sent out e-mails to a list of news agencies regarding our arrests at the Cheshire County Superior Courthouse for “criminally trespassing” (on public property). Those were always good and got the point across in a brief message, but I know professionalism when I see it, and this press release sets the bar high. If anyone, activist or otherwise, is looking for a hand promoting a message or event, consider Kari from the Content Factory. I’m glad I chose her!
Woo!! I finally have a working internet connection!
Well, I feel like I’ve been living in the dark ages. Thank you, faithful subscribers of my blog, for holding in there. Tonight is THE NIGHT of the premier of “Derrick J’s Victimless Crime Spree” documentary and I’m feeling OVERWHELMED by all that there is to do, now that I finally have a reliable internet connection (which happened TODAY for the first time since I left the Shire 2 weeks ago).
Here’s what’s going on:
I want to be updating everyone with pictures, video, etc. BUT!!!
I used to do all that stuff in the Shire–-Keene, specifically, which is the liberty media capital of the world. My mom and dad don’t get what I’m doing at all and they’re like, “It’s great to see you! Now go do these chores.” And I’m like, “GUYS! I have a million and one things to do! People are counting on me to update them on all this exciting stuff that’s going on and–” nope….so I’ve been getting sunburn, bug bites, and developing blisters on my hands and feet as I attempt to reassemble my life after jail. (more…)
Shane Stockwell is my age, 23. He’s the most laid-back jailer at the Cheshire County House of Corrections and shows sympathy for those incarcerated. He never seeks to embarrass or harass anyone and is generally well-liked among the inmates, who in turn show him respect.
Today he was fired. He was also arrested. Picture taken, fingerprints scanned, and brought into a jail cell all by his friends and coworkers for the dastardly crime of (gasp) having a mind-altering substance in his pocket. If it were coffee, sugar, cigarettes, or any of the thousands of pharmaceuticals the FDA approves for human enjoyment consumption, then it would be fine. But allegedly, according to “the Slantenel”, Shane brought in “articles prohibited.”
Today I am painting a neighbor’s house for some cash. Tomorrow I’ll be weeding another neighbor’s garden. This is how I’ve been raising money while I prepare for the “Tour” part of my Exile to kick off (Aug 18th). It’s therapeutic putting my body to work at these tasks, though I would much rather be filming and editing videos with a liberty message. I’m making the best of this time though, and I’m finding that making connections with neighbors and providing services for them is rewarding in a different–almost spiritual–way.
