The information on Activist Post is just so ridiculous that I almost forgot how infuriating it is. The mayor of Philadelphia, Mayor Nutter (fitting), essentially said that feeding the homeless took away their dignity. It might be redundant even to mention it, but that guy is an absolute fool. Parts of it reminded me of a “don’t feed the pigeons on the platform” campaign. Which made me think of this excerpt from Unbearable Lightness of Being:

I’ll be honest in saying that when mainstream media abandoned the Occupy movement as old news several months ago, my interest began to wane. It’s not that I rely on constant media input in order to stay involved in something, it’s just that I didn’t think I could  find any good resources that piqued my interest and colored my stories. I didn’t have the time or the resources to camp out and document the human stories. I didn’t have the sense of a software engineer to uncover what was going on in the digital realm. I just didn’t know what was going on anymore. After a month studying yoga, and cutting myself off from almost all media contact, I had pretty much forgotten about the movement.

Well, a few weeks ago, all of that started to change. I was fortunate enough to meet DTA, someone who did know what was going on. Over a dinner of Pho and spring rolls, I was regaled with amazing stories of FBI entrapment, hacker vigilantes, and Walkupy. I also was tipped off to one extremely captivating story about a hacker who thought he was off the record when he let a Forbes writer take a photo of him with a martini, a mac, and an open bag of cash. DTA isn’t an internet vigilante by any means, just an informed citizen who knows how to navigate the internet. When I asked DTA how to find some of this stuff, I was given a list of things to Google and told to head “down the rabbit hole.”

I look forward to sharing my findings with you as I plunge deeper into the abyss, uncovering the truths buried within the code, telling the stories buried within a populace willing to fight back while there’s still a chance. If that sounds melodramatic to you, perhaps you should take a trip the rabbit hole with me.

What resources have you found to track the Anonymous and Occupy movements?

Just because it’s becoming old news doesn’t mean we should loose our focus or passion.  As a generation that grew up with relative economic stability, only to have it torn away from us as soon as we’re old enough to try and carve a life. We have the most to gain by remaking the financial institutions in our favor. While going to protests is an important way to show our government that enough is enough, we also must speak with our wallets. Money is the only moving force in the world, and the 1% has control over most of it, however, if we started making sure we used our money to purchase and support products that have our morals and ethics in mind, we can control how the 1% make their money from us. This means focusing locally. Support business and services that are owned by the people in our own city and neighborhood. Follow blogs that focus on the health and locality of items rather than just the cheapest avaliable.  This way you can make sure your money stays where you live, rather than getting deposited in some out of state corporations bank account.  Go as far as to refuse to buy anything made outside of the USA, and from any corporation who deosn’t reinvest a majority of its profits back into the community it’s using to make it’s money. Nothing speaks more than the way we spend our money, so research the products you use the most, and eliminate anything that does not adhere to your ethics.

The way the future works is up to the majority, not the minority. With the advent of social networking, it’s easier than ever to sort out the lies from the truth, or at least be able to see multiple views from any argument and make up our own minds about what is best for us. Do yourself and everyone a favor and do a bit of research before you spend another dime on a corporation that only wants to drain your wallet and the joy from your life.

photo via Technoroti

Considering the lull in activity and/or media coverage in many of the cities that experience a winter, you would think that the Occupy Movement was on its death bed. Activists can him and haw about that statement all they want, but the movement has become notably more fringe as the winter settled in.
But with the Chicago weather showing signs of an early spring, it got us wondering… will there be a resurgence of activity once it’s warm again? Will people take to the streets as soon as they can ditch their mittens? Or has the movement’s image been tarnished by disputes over the meaning of the phrase “public property”, violence (no one will forget that picture of the police officer pepper spraying those sitting folks), and by the liberal reputation that the movement has attained because of it’s associations with fringe and socialist groups. The 99% has started looking more like the 20-40% after all sorts of political organizations jumped on the bandwagon.
If there is no resurgance, does that mean that the movement is dead? Wouldn’t that be sad? If a movement this large dies out without any Wall Street accountability, it would seem like a waste. If no long term reform comes from these actions, what would that mean? Would it mean a loss for the 99% or for the Occupy movement?
I’m starting to think that Occupy has turned into something too broad. Perhaps critics were right when they labeled it as such early on. Perhaps a movement without a head is like Frankenstein running around without bolts. It’s sure to fall apart.
Perhaps it will go the other way. Maybe this spring, Occupy will figure out a way to rally the troops, get something done, and move this movement forward. Maybe the streets will be so filled with tents that no one will be able to drive anywhere. Then the environmentalists win. Maybe the Wall Street fat cats will see how much fun city camping is, that they’ll come down out of their ivory towers, and share Cuban cigars with everyone and give all the money back. Then the 99% wins. And perhaps Obama will finally come out as a socialist, and everyone will accept him with open arms. There you go, socialist movement.
In a perfect world, maybe. Or maybe this spring.
What do you think will happen to the Occupy movement come spring?

Pardon me for a moment while I air out some minor frustrations with this whole movement. Today I checked out the Occupy news and came across a piece about the Occupy DC movement winning out and not getting evicted from their encampment. I thought, “Victory! Way to go DC! You won’t be moved. You will continue to winter camp no matter what it takes! You are the public and you have the right to occupy public property! Liberty!”

And then, I couldn’t help but think that it was sad that this is what this movement has turned into. This movement is defined by the fight over camping on public property. The Occupy Wall Street movement that began as a way to get Wall Street to take accountability for their irresponsible actions, has turned into a debate over what our land means to us. I’m not saying that it’s not a valid argument. And I’m not saying that it shouldn’t be up for debate, I’m just saying that I think the original message of intent has been lost in the rabble.

Who wins in this scenario? Do the people win? It seems to me that for all of the cold nights you endure, fighting for the right to occupy a public space, the Wall Street moguls who started this whole thing sleep soundly in warm beds. It seems to me that this hasn’t created a genuine dialogue about reform.

As much as I commend Occupy DC-ers for their resolve and for sticking to their guns, this old song and dance doesn’t seem to be working.

Perhaps it’s time to try a new tactic.

I know I’m not the only one who feels this way, but I think that the majority of us don’t really have any other options in mind.

What do you think?

A midst all of the media coverage of the violence that took place during an Occupy Oakland rally last week, Occupiers are becoming divided over the protesters’ response to police action. Oakland’s protests have seen the biggest reaction from police and have seen the most unchecked police brutality by far.

Last week, when most Occupy cities have faded into the background noise, Occupy Oakland let out a cry in response to unchecked violence from police men who smiled as the protesters gathered and clutched their large weapons. When Occupy Oakland members attempted to take control of an abandoned building, both to turn it into a community center and to make a statement about foreclosure, several hundred protesters were arrested (the number reported is over 400). The takeover turned into an attempted occupation of Oakland City Hall, where protesters distroyed property and burned an American flag.

If you’re like many occupy supporters, this report may make you want to shout, “Yes! But no!”

On one hand, all of the violence, and arguing over whether or not we’re allowed to sleep in city parks is really drowning out the main purpose for the occupy movement. As many of us have understood it, it’s supposed to be about bringing justice to those folks on Wall Street who’s arrogance and greed have pushed our economic system into collapse. It’s supposed to be about equality but it seems to have become more about anarchy.

On the other hand, it’s news. That’s really all there is to it. If this movement is not going to go quietly into the night during these cold winter months, than something has to happen. Can Oakland protesters control the violent actions of the police department? Apparently the criminal justice schools in Oakland teach over-reaction as a hard and fast rule. But they have the choice to react violently or non-violently. Can we all say that it’s an easy decision after months of police brutality? It may not be right for the mission, but is it understandable? And is it what’s keeping occupy alive?

What do you think?

If you’ve been to any of the occupy rallies that have been going on for the past several months, you’ve no doubt seen a Guy Faux mask or two. Perhaps you’ve seen pictures of folks wearing the mask and you’re wondering why everyone’s been so into V for Vendetta cosplay this year. Maybe you haven’t noticed at all.

That’s partially okay. The ladies and gentlemen who sport that mask want you to notice what they’re up to, they just don’t want you to notice who they are. They are Anonymous, both figuratively and literally. Anonymous is the collective name for folks who conduct internet vigilantism. They’re hackers, trollers and activists who began undertaking acts of discent on the internet way back in 2008.

Four years later, they’re taking it off of the interwebs and into the streets. They’re joining the occupy movement en masse. If you’re a V for Vendetta fan, you have to be at least a little amused by the use of the mask. It’s pretty amazing watching internet meme combine with a pop culture icon to turn something fictional into something in the real world.

Anonymous has taken on some pretty amazing feats. But right now, they’re rumored to be taking on one of the biggest hacking feats in history. They’re threatening to take down Facebook.

This would probably be one of the funniest and most ridiculous take downs in internet history, since the site serves no actual purpose. It would be amazing to see what the world would be like without Facebook for a day. Would anything change? Would alcohol consumption go up? Would there be a No-Facebook baby boom nine months from the date of the black out?

There’s no doubt in my mind that many people would be angrier than they’ve ever been before. But who would they have to blame? Anonymous? What would they have lost? A day of wasted time?

What do you think about anonymous? How would you feel if they shut down Facebook’s servers for a day?

Happy Nuclear Internet Blackout Day! I’m sure you may have noticed that when you got up to have your eight a.m. martini and Lucky Strike (good morning Mr. Don Draper) that your internet was broken (Don Draper, what are you doing in the future?). Okay, so maybe your internet isn’t broken (and maybe you’re not Don Draper), but there doesn’t seem to be as much on it as there usually is. Well it looks like you’re getting the point of this here blackout pretty quickly.

The internet is giving you a gift today. The internet is showing you what the digital world would be like in a few years, if the bills SOPA and PIPA were to pass through congress. Pretty 1984-ish, eh?

Yes, what the internet is trying to convey, is that letting SOPA and PIPA pass, would be like giving the internet gastric bypass surgery. Once the procedure is done, there will be less and less of the internet until it’s rid of all of it’s porn and free downloads. But that’s not all, the internet will continue to wither away like the dude did in Steven King’s Thinner, until there’s nothing left of it but us.gov and the Nyan Cat video.

Okay, maybe that’s a little bit of an exaggeration. I’m sure you’ll still be able to check your bank statements and apply for wacky scholarships sponsored by Duck Tape. But seriously, the people who are in charge of the largest technology companies in our nation are freaking out about this bill.

Google Inc. co-founder Sergey Brin likened the act to China’s censorship of the Internet saying “I am shocked that our lawmakers would contemplate such measures that would put us on a par with the most oppressive nations in the world.”

Not only would websites be penalized for hosting material under copy write law (even if it was written in the comment section by a user) they would also not be able to operate unless they were granted an ISP containing numbers. It gets creepier. Here’s a great article about the more oppressive statutes in the bill.

Beyond that, this is a fight against the government serving the interests of a select few corporations and themselves. Let’s face it, he who owns information and communication, owns everything. But this is a fight that the internet is taking to the streets…. Totally makes sense.

What do you think about today’s internet blackout?

t may not look like it at first glance, but these kids are actually making a politcal statement... It's the aristocracy vs. indigenous people/nature/furry green folks.

In Charlottesville, Virginia, a classroom of third grade students is getting a lot of attention for their lyrical talents this week. These youngsters wrote a song in a workshop, that people are calling “leftist” and “Marxist.”

Yes, you’d better watch out. The kids are going red. The reaction to the song called has been heated, to say the least. The song is called “Part of the Ninety Nine.” It mentions “the one percent,” who had everything but still wanted more, and “the ninety nine percent” that they’re happy to be a part of. The children went through a workshop led by Kid Pan Alley. For the workshop, instructors helped them write their own lyrics to learn the creative process. Unfortunately, the children came out on the other end as song writing socialists.

Conservative bloggers jumped on the story and reported skepticism that the children had come up with the lyrics on their own. Kid Pan Alley founder, Paul Reisler, released a statement that he had in fact added some phrases to the song. But Kid Pan Alley has been quick to say that they don’t condone any political stance after the backlash from conservative bloggers. They have also clarified the rules for lyrical guidance.

Since this blog is about the Occupy movement, we’re probably supposed to hop on board and say that this is freedom of speech. But, I have to say, I’d be outraged if children were taught to sing a song about Mitt Romney’s ideology or something equally politically conservative.

So what do you think? Is this wrong? Was he right to promote the idea of solidarity and unity to a group of young children? Was it wrong for this man to guide children into writing a protest song? Is this leftist and Marxist indoctrination? Or is this a case of letting something that you care about mistakenly seep into your work life?

It’s interesting to watch this movement continue to grow and change over time. Occupy Wall Street may have started to address a very specific set of problems in a nation that has relatively few problems. But “Occupy” has become a buzzword that begins to fuel any kind of mass unrest and protest in the world. Now civilians in nations that regularly face life and death issues at the hands of their governments, finally have something to rally around, in order to start organizing and standing up to their respective “man”. It’s some pretty amazing stuff.

Occupy Nigeria is a protest responding to the governments repeal of a gas subsidy that kept gas prices in the nation at around $1.70 per gallon. Since the subsidies repeal just six days ago, gas has reached over $3.50 per gallon. This has caused food and transportation costs to skyrocket in the nation causing more food insecurity in a country that has a great deal of problems already. Most of the Nigerian population lives on under $2 per day. They experience water and electricity shortages on a regular basis. A large portion of the population doesn’t have access to clean drinking water. Many face hunger on a daily basis. They’re also facing a radical militant group of Muslims that killed over 500 people in the country in 2011. What do police officers do in the face of that kind of violence? Apparently, not enough. We’ll see how active they become when the mass strikes begin on Monday.

“We are sitting near a keg of gunpowder and we are playing with fire,” said Rep. Pally Isumafe Obokhuaime Iriase of the Action Congress of Nigeria. “This will be the last straw that will break the camel’s back if we do not act.” [Christian Science Monitor]

Nigerians are gathering in solidarity to re-enact the gas subsidy which would cost the government $8 billion in the coming year. But many in the nation feel that that’s not unreasonable considering the years of corruption that the populace has had to deal with at the hands of the government. Nigerians have seen billions of oil dollars funneled into politician’s pockets over the past few decades, and they, like us, are tired of being taken advantage of.

What do you think about Occupy Nigeria?