Kaleidoscope Soup

2011-12-07T14:42:00.000-08:00

People in America are radically shifting their ideas about success, failure, future, and personal interaction from strict individualism, in which everyone must fend for themselves and their own beliefs, to one of individuality with a great concern for fellow man.

International Day of Action Tomorrow

2011-11-16T14:39:00.000-08:00

NYPD prepares for thousands of protesters tomorrow. Large numbers expected as people respond to police crackdowns. Protesters around the globe affiliated with #Occupy prepare to take to the streets.

Highly Publicized Police Attacks on Citizens

2011-11-07T14:40:00.000-08:00

Highly publicized police attacks on citizens of Oakland has spurred outrage at local government's handling of the #occupy movement. Mayor responds by publicly supporting the protesters right to free speech and assembly. It is speculated she had no choice as the protesters were not moving despite violence against them.

#OccupyOakland

2011-10-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

Protesters clash with police with leaving at least one person seriously injured. Tear gas, flash bang grenades, and rubber and beanbag bullets were used. Rumors the police will use military grade focused sound cannons. This level of violence against peaceful protesters appears to be contained to the Oakland protests.

#Greece

2011-10-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Greece continues national strike. Greek government voting on yet another austerity bill. Massive peaceful protest turn violent. A 53 year old worker passes away in hospital after being injured protesting in Athens, cause of death still unknown.

It is a Tuesday

2011-10-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

Global Occupations gain momentum. Italian protesters step up the game by setting cars and buildings on fire while simultaneously storming and holding the streets. Londoner's gain blessing to use St. Paul's cathedral as a meeting ground for their Occupation. In NYC protesters continue to show up in large numbers, taking Times Square. Many protests small and large continue.

US Political Parties Attempting to Co-Opt the Occupy Protests

2011-10-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

DISCLAIMER: I STRAYED A BIT FROM BEING UNBIASED. PLEASE MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS. WHAT FOLLOWS IS MORE OF A RANT.

In an expected yet disconcerting move, both US political parties have tried to paint democrats as a voice in the Occupy Protests. While it is fine for anyone to join the protests, lets go over a few key issues to illustrate why this is likely a move to stabilize and marginalize the protests.

First, it is important to remember whether you are protesting for more green industry and innovation or for a reevaluation of central banking and fiat currency, large corporations and banks have the most money, power, and ability to act for our benefit. These corporations, created by the US and global consumer buying iphones and reeboks, and the governments they work with (http://littlesis.org/list/39/Government_Officials_with_Ties_to_Goldman_Sachs) are who #Occupy will petition and protest.
Secondly, with the amount of corporate/banker influence in our politics happening on "both sides" (http://littlesis.org/list/39/Government_Officials_with_Ties_to_Goldman_Sachs, http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/about_hal/chronology.html, http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cid=N00009638) why would either political party want to endorse protests that are very clearly AGAINST corporate influence in politics?

As you're aware, phrases like "both parties" and "either side of the aisle" really show that we live in a system where democrats and republicans perpetuate each other as the only alternative (fishy?), there are MANY political parties in the US (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_the_United_States) who very well should be in the streets representing their platforms.

I hope these protests produce a real effect on the economy that will create wealth for the middle class US citizen and change for the world globally.

Just Gonna Leave This Here

2011-10-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

Note 10/11/11

2011-10-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

Are these protests disingenuous cries for help from a spoiled first world?

Essentially, no. It is glaringly obvious when people who want labor, even in a system where the only value money has is regulated by a government heavily entrenched in corporate/banker interests(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nt2ViSQUJ1g/TlbJfz-g0kI/AAAAAAAAAH0/r9hT5jRzNPo/s1600/income+inequality.gif, a bit dated, but read in conjunction with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_money), a system that doesn't necessarily reward it's laborers fairly, can't find labor.

That and other demographics are coming out to represent their plight.

As an aside, and I don't know how much merit this has, but a friend told me about the holocene extinction while we were discussing the protests. We are living through one of the most devastating mass extinctions in history (species going extinct at up to 10,000 times the normal rate). It is due in large part to our treatment of the earth by corporations and individuals. I would VERY much like to see some more green energy guys out there. More innovators for alternative energy and production methods. This is crucial to any future humanity hopes to have.

Protests - An Opinion

2011-10-11T03:47:00.000-07:00

While chatting with a friend at a metal show last night he made some vehement points about the #Occupy Protests. As he spoke the overwhelming feeling I got was that he was angry. The #Occupy Protests are not enough. He felt someone (read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_bloc) should, in a Palahniuk-esque act of vandalism, destroy a corporate symbol. Or more specifically, "a symbol of how broken things are." Because to my buddy, the bull on Wall St. is the ultimate capitalist paradox. It symbolizes that Wall St. and therefore the rest of the US economy is strong; yet we are 3 years into a recession that might never end while the bankers on Wall St. continue to make money at the expense of the middle class. It is plausible, to him, that if an innocuous mass of television watching citizens saw that symbol destroyed perhaps it would shock them into realizing there are a lot of people on the same socio-economic rung out on the streets with force. It would show them that something does need to change.

I don't condone harming any people of course. Bronze bulls may want to be wary. Anyway, it was a good chat that brought to mind a lot of ideas. Is class warfare eminent? Has it been going on for decades in the favor of CEOs, bankers, and the like? How long are the protesters going to protest? What if they don't see results?

The Occupations

2011-10-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

Civil disobedience and cyberattacks on government/banking institutions continue. Hacker movement marginalized as on the ground protests begin in cities globally under the #OccupyWallStreet banner. Tokyo, Chicago, New York all bombarded by protesters. Estimates of 20,000+ rallying at New York City.

These protests have no one, centralized idea. More often than not protesters are yelling anti-capitalist harangues. Angry that they work for literally hundreds of times less pay than CEOs. That these CEOs influence government to their own ends. They persuade politicians with means the voting public doesn't have.

The Revolution Will Be Tweeted

2011-06-20T11:15:00.001-07:00

I woke up at 1:30pm. My face hurt, my clothes smelled like cigarettes. Wash hands, brush teeth, wash face. Comb hair back. Im awake. I login. For days I've been following and digging for news on a few hacker organizations. What I have gathered is not much. But today, as I continued my search, I noticed some very interesting memes, tweets, hashtags, and headlines. LulzSec Launches Open War Against All Governments. OK, that one got me. Mostly because LulzSec doesn't play around. Indiscriminately hacking not only websites, but also video game servers and even high level government computers they have made a name for themselves. A little more research and yes- it is like the movie Hackers. They are calling out the profiteering gluttons. They are shouting with a voice that seems it will only get stronger, "Hackers of the world unite!"

More as it develops.