Quote Of The Day

"All the Occupy movements start with the premise that we all owe them everything. They take over a public park they didn't pay for, to go nearby to use bathrooms they didn't pay for, to beg for food from places they don't want to pay for, to instruct those who are going to work to paying their taxes to sustain the bathrooms and sustain the park, so they can self-righteously explain that they are the paragons of virtue to which we owe everything. Now, that is a pretty good symptom of how much the left has collapsed as a moral system in this country, and why you need to reassert something as simple as: 'Go get a job, right after you take a bath.'"

- Newt Gingrich, at last night's Republican candidate debate discussion.

If you were watching the debate, you could tell that Gingrich was chomping at the bit, waiting for the right time to drop this scripted line.  This isn't the first time that he has stood on the side of the wealthiest of wealthy.  He has a history of railing against the unemployed and disenchanted.

Not only were his comments dead wrong about the Occupy movement, but nothing more than a soundbite he knew would make Fox News the next day.  As one website put it, "The second and longest sentence in that graf is meaningless -- it's just strung together, invective-flavored words".

Meanwhile, at Fox, the network is having a field day with recent developments in New York City...

Take a look at the way MSNBC covers Occupy Wall Street, compared to that of Fox News.  At the very end:  A breaking story from Wolf Blitzer on CNN.

Occupy Wall Street Coverage: MSNBC Vs. Fox News

Then again, Republicans believe that getting the HPV vaccine makes you mentally retarded.

We Are The 99%? Try The 99.99%

Courtesy of The Guardian:



#OccupyTheWorld

Security Worker At Zuccotti Park Fired For Homophobic Slur

Unless you're a fan of the Howard Stern Show, you've probably never heard of Joey Boots.  That is, not until this week, at least.

While filming at the newly vacated Zuccotti Park yesterday, a security officer taunted him, on camera, saying, "Your fly's open, faggot".

Little did the security officer know that Boots was indeed gay.  He came out on the Howard Stern Show in June of 2007.

Chalk this one up to the power of social media.  Within 24 hours, the video went viral, and many online news sites carried the story.

Today, the guard, who was employed by Brookfield Properties (the owners of Zuccotti Park), has been fired.  According to Matthew Cherry, a spokesman for Brookfield:

"His comment was offensive and inexcusable, and we have a policy of zero tolerance for such behavior. In accordance with our code of conduct he's been terminated from his work with Brookfield."

When pressed for further information, Cherry confirmed that he was a security subcontractor, but refused to comment as to whether a contract was still in place with his employer.

Looks like the guy has more in common with the demonstrators than he thought.

Political Cartoon Of The Day

by Jimmy Margulies, The Record of Hackensack, NJ

Protest Sign Of The Day

Easily, the most elaborate protest sign I have ever seen.  It's so big, it had to be mounted on a crutch.

Octopi Wall Street (Photo)

(Source)

Protest Sign Of The Day

How 37 Financial Institutions Became Four (Graph)

This wonderful graph, which was originally shared by Lucas Rohenaz, has floated around the net for the last month or so.  It has been shared on Facebook alone nearly 13,000 times.  It shows how, since 1990, 37 financial institutions have merged into the four largest banks in the nation: Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo.

The most egregious of the Wall Street offenders is Bank of America, taking over twelve other banks in the course of the last two decades.  I worked for BofA in 1993, shortly after their buyout of Security Pacific Bank.  I was also employed by Chase Manhattan Bank (now JPMorgan Chase), shorly after their merger with Chemical bank in 1997.

Mergers are messy.  They are tumultuous for both customers and employees alike.  Upper management rarely gives a shit.  As long as stock value continues to rise, their yearly bonus increases as well.

Below is a clear example of why people are demonstrating in more than 80 cities nationwide.   These four corporations effectively control 40% of the nation's economy.  If that is not a motivation for action, I don't know what is.

Protest Sign Of The Day

Isn't it, though?

Photo Of The Day

Glenn Beck: Wall Street Protesters 'Will Drag You Into The Streets And Kill Everybody'

Glenn Beck has a history of saying some pretty ridiculous things on his programs.  However, what he said yesterday on his radio program really takes the cake.

In the opening minutes of the broadcast, he made his disgust for the demonstrators crystal clear.  He started his show by mocking the "human microphone" method of communication used at the General Assembly at the protests.  As he started speaking, his in studio cohorts screamed his words into their microphones.  His producer then yelled, "We demand shorter sentences".

Former Rep. Alan Grayson Schools Panel On Occupy Wall Street

On last Friday's 'Real Time with Bill Maher', the subject of the Occupy Wall Street protests came up.  One of Bill's regular guests, self-described libertarian and author P.J. O'Rourke jokingly said, "Or is it simply that the Occupy Wall Street people, like us, flunked Econ (Economics 101 in college)?"

Former Democratic Congressman from Florida, Alan Grayson, who up until that point in the program, had largely remained silent, stepped up in support of the demonstrators.  To say the least, he put O'Rourke in his place.

His standing ovation was well deserved.

Protest Sign Of The Day

Tea Baggers Criticize The Occupy Demonstrations

How ridiculous.  If you Google "Down With Evil Corporations", you'll see hundreds of Tea Party sites over the last week, which have posted this photo, criticizing the Occupy Wall Street protests.

Corporations are a necessity in a Free Enterprise marketplace.  They offer legal protections for the owners of a business that aren't available to a sole proprietorship.  Also, a business must be incorporated to offer stock options to interested parties.  They are a necessary evil.

The Occupy Wall Street protesters are not against corporations per se.  They are against exorbitant corporate greed.  When Bank of America institutes a $5.00 monthly fee to use your debit card, there is a problem.

When Wall Street rewrites qualifications for home loans, then plays the stock market to where they are essentially betting against your ability to make your mortgage payment, there's a problem.

When a company would rather lay off thousands of employees, than lose 3% profit for the year, there is a problem.

When teachers salaries have dropped 20% since 2008, but CEOs get wealthier, there is a problem.

There are ethical, moral corporations in the world.  There are many that are immoral.  Sadly, we cannot boycott them all.  We must clothe ourselves, eat, communicate and use transportation on a daily basis.

To suggest that since the Occupy demonstrators are rallying against corporate greed, that they should rid themselves of any corporate attachments is ludicrous at best.  A large part of the Republican right already thinks of those involved in the movement as "dirty hippies".  With this recent photo floating around Facebook, we're now made to look like corporate savvy hipsters.  Well?  Which is it?  What do they want from us?

Do they expect us to camp out in the streets naked, unshowered and without makeup?  Do they want us to communicate with tin cans and string?  Are we really supposed to buy this rhetoric? 

Quote Of The Day

"The next step, I am sure, by the way, for the Occupy Wall Street crowd is for Anderson Cooper, Bill Maher, and Jon Stewart, the trifecta of conventional wisdom's failed liberalism, to come down to Wall Street and join the masses in demanding more of our tax money so they can all be supported as novelists and movie directors. 

"You poor kids. You are basically asking to be supported and taken care of by Mommy and Daddy. Wake up, kids. Wall Street is you, with all of your wants and needs and wishes, only they have the balls to go out and work for it. Sometimes they are crooks and sometimes they are fools -- but you know what? So are all of us.

 "Listen to Mr. Cain. Shut up and get to work."

- Asshole, failed actor, and Creationism enthusiast Ben Stein, on the Occupy Wall Street movement. 

Jon Stewart Asks 'Why Aren't Occupy Wall Street Protesters Getting Tea Party Respect?' (Video)

On last night's 'Daily Show', Jon Stewart pointed out that many of the protesters in Liberty Park are saying things that are very similar to what Tea Party supporters were saying themselves.....back in 2009.  But, if you ask a Tea Partier today what their opinion is of the masses gathered, demonstrating against corporate greed in New York City, they make it sound like it's a bunch of uneducated Nazi zombies.

"They probably don't even masturbate to the Constitution."

Watch Barack Obama's Vs. Herman Cain's Reaction To The Occupy Wall Street Movement

If my recollection is correct, today is the 16th or 17th day of Occupy Wall Street.  I tend to lose track of time.

Today, President Obama held a press conference to discuss the jobs bill that he is trying to get through Congress.  Eric Cantor has recently bragged that the bill will never be introduced on the House floor.  Essentially, today Obama told House Republicans to either come up with something better, or shut the hell up and pass the damn bill.  After making his statement, he took a number of questions from reporters.

A reporter asked the question, "Are you following the "Occupy Wall Street" movement, and how will you respond?".  This was his response:



In essence, he has seen reports of the protests on television, and people have a right to be upset.  People may disagree with me, but that's fair.  He's not exactly advocating for the dismantlement of the Federal Reserve, but he did sign into law the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, which promises sweeping changes to be implemented in corporate America.  Due to stalling and roadblocks from the Republican side of the aisle, only 38 of the nearly 400 reforms have been implemented since the bill was signed last July.  All current Republican presidential candidates have publicly said that, if elected, they would repeal Dodd-Frank.

Yesterday, Herman Cain was asked by the Wall Street Journal about the movement.  First, he said that he believes that, while he can't prove it at this time, the Occupy Wall Street protests are secretly being orchestrated to divert attention from President Obama's failed economic policies?  He also said, and I'm quoting here:

"Don't blame the big banks.  Don't blame Wall Street.  If you don't have a job, and if you're not rich, blame yourself.  (Snip)  When I was growing up, I was blessed to have parents, that didn't teach me to be jealous of anybody, and didn't teach me to be envious of somebody.  It is not a person's fault if they succeeded.  It is a person's fault if they fail."

He does admit that the banks were responsible for the "economic crisis" that we went into in 2008.  But, according to Cain, "we're not in 2008, we're in 2011".  Obviously, he doesn't have the basic conceptual understanding of economics.  Just take a look at the clip.  The level of ignorance and apathy in the room can be cut with a knife.



So, in Herman Cain's mind, unemployment equates failure.  The millions of people that have been laid off since 2008 were failures in their life.  In September, the Department of Labor determined the unemployment rate at 9.1% nationally, meaning 14 million people in this country were without work.  Those are the people that are receiving unemployment benefits or are reporting to the government that they are still trying to find work.  They have been unemployed for less than 99 weeks.  Analysts believe that the real unemployment rate is along the lines of 18.09% in July of this year.  That's more than 28 million losers, according to Herman Cain.

This is why someone with no political experience has no business being in the White House.  Go back to making pizzas.

Deepak Chopra Meditates With The #occupywallstreet Protesters (Video)

I was sent a link to a moving YouTube video a few minutes ago.  I would like to share it with you.

Last night, Deepak Chopra visited the General Assembly of Occupy Wall Street.  The General Assembly is the nightly meeting that is held at Zuccotti Park every evening.  At the meeting, ideas are discussed.  Updates are given.  Plans are shared for the next day.  Bullhorns are prohibited within the park.  Instead, they use what is referred to as "the people's mic".  One person speaks, then everyone within earshot repeats what is said, so that the people in the back of the crowd can hear the speaker.  The occupiers have created a sanitation team, as well as a medic team, legal team and a team dedicated to establishing a web presence.  Each team sends representatives on their behalf to the General Assembly every night.

Chopra offered a short meditation to the group.  He said,

“I just want to do a two minute meditation, or even less. Put your hand on your heart and just ask yourself internally what kind of world do I want to live in? And listen. Do it now. And now ask yourself how can I make that happen? How can I make that happen from a place of love, compassion, joy and equanimity? Simple anger will only perpetuate what already is out there. It was created by greed and fear. We have to go beyond that, and come from a place of compassion, centered equanimity and creativity. Once again, ask yourself, how can I be the change that I want to see in the world? Thank you.”

Here is a video of Chopra speaking to the General Assembly:



While he quoted Gandhi ("Be the change you want to see in the world."), and at the same time, almost quoted Yoda ("Fear leads to anger.  Anger leads to hate.  Hate leads to suffering."), it was still a very thoughtful and moving moment with the demonstrators.  Think about this.  Deepak Chopra is one of the "one percenters".  In 2007, Forbes magazine estimated that he had earned approximately $22 million.  So, why was he there?  Simple.  He has a conscience.  He knows the difference between right and wrong.

He isn't the only celebrity to join the cause.  Susan Sarandon, Rosanne Barr and rapper Lupe Fiasco have all taken part of the protests in the last week.  Actor, and future Incredible Hulk, Mark Ruffalo, even spent last Saturday and Sunday camped out in the park with the protesters.

Deepak Chopra used the word equanimity a couple of times during his meditation last night.  I couldn't think of a more appropriate word.  It means "mental or emotional stability or composure, especially under tension or strain".  So far, this has been a peaceful protest.  The protesters need to maintain a level of composure, especially now, to ensure this has a peaceful outcome.  The NYPD is not seeking peace.  We have already witnessed their brutality toward unarmed, innocent men and women, exercising their First Amendment rights.  It's up to us to remain tranquil.

As the video mentioned, a walkout is planned with CUNY students tomorrow.  That, along with as many as 38,000 transit workers taking the streets to protest, could mean more than 100,000 people in the Wall Street area tomorrow afternoon.  Regardless, it will, by far, be the largest day of demonstrations to date for Occupy Wall Street.  It is unclear whether the transit system will be affected in New York City tomorrow.  Many are hoping that workers will protest during their off hours.  Others believe that workers across the city will be a "no show" at their jobs, crippling New York commuters.

Tomorrow should be an interesting news day.

13 Year Old Girl Arrested Yesterday At #occupywallstreet, Apparently 18

Dozens of news outlets were reporting that the above, unidentified female that was arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge was 13 years old.  She has since been identified, only as "Katie".  According to people that claim that they know her, she is, in fact 18.

This is (allegedly) a link to her DeviantArt page.  It has quite a few photos from the protests, which were last uploaded yesterday.

Breaking Out Of Zip Ties (Video)

For any readers that may have accidentally tied their wrists together while protesting at Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Boston, Occupy Albuquerque, Occupy Phoenix, or any other locations in the United States.

I have found a couple of videos that show you how to remove yourself from those cumbersome zip ties that tend to get around your wrists during such protests.  Coincidentally, they are also the same type of restraints that many police departments carry with them during mass demonstrations.

Pay attention, and remember:  We are the 99%.



And for duel restraints...