Good evening from Occupy Wallstreet.
The past few days have been a whirlwind of events - I just got off the phone with MoT/Jesse and he was having some drinks with Pinkflamingogirl in Seattle. So far the trip has been a success and I can't wait for MoT to get back to NYC next week.
Below is a description of some of the events I have witnessed in my time here. I can only continue to share what I have seen in this inspiration of pure democracy because the netroots has allowed it. With MoT gone there has been a small void in my day to day activities down here. I've done sanitation/sweeping and helped with KP in the kitchen. I've sat in on one or two of the working groups while trying unsuccessfully to find the "Demands" working group for the last few days.
This performance artist has sat in the cold, the rain, and any weather well through almost every night. I have never seen anything like it before. Each day he changes slightly with a different message. It is a beautiful thing to behold.
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Yesterday I saw several events that disturbed me. Nothing shocking like the arrests at citibank - or the Marine dressing down the cops at TIme Square.
We have however lost access to the red sculpture down at the park. It stands maybe 50 feet high and many working groups have been meeting there over the course of the past weeks. Now I personally think it is pretty ugly in terms of modern art appeal but it has come to be a familiar sight and therefore it has slowly been growing on me.
Now last week I awoke with MoT by my side and another brand new Kossack convert who has been helping us with our reporting. MoT left to go home and get ready for an interview he was giving and I fell back asleep. An hour later I was awakened by a guy who had decided to co opt our pillow and put his head on half of it as we lay there. Now I am a pretty easy going guy and basically said "When in Rome" and let it lie. After a half hour though I wanted to pack up and pulled his head out from the pillow. He awoke right away and said "Wanna hear a poem? My head hurts and I need a cigarette!"
We indulged him but listened to him recount his wild night of drinking and partying and that he was traveling from Canada. We wished him well and departed. I was not shocked to discover that the very guy who had decided to co opt half of my pillow in the morning was the same guy that decided to go ape shit crazy and climb the sculpture. So now because of a random stranger who decided to get intoxicated both the cube and the red pillar has been closed to the public.
Now since our encounter with Jesse Jackson and his defense of the medical tent. Tents have began popping up all over the park. I actually don't think having a standing structure tent is needed currently as it has been really warm in NYC for this time of year. Thank you global warming for facilitating our occupation.
Well here is a picture of the updated tent that was put up the next day after our confrontation with the police. I think we are tempting fate by having all these structures up but I can't control what the crowd is going to do.
Now some of you got to read my rant against BOA and Mcdonalds over their soft warfare against the working class - well I was happy to discover that over at the library they have set up sockets/plugs for people to be able to charge their equipment for free.
So I no longer have to worry about my phone dying in the middle of the night and not waking up for work on time. It is the small conveniences like this that can make the occupation seem like a second home where all our creature comforts are met.
Also I have not given up on putting up my own structure. I was going to do a how to video but I don't have anyone to hold my phone while I do it. So I took a couple of photos of the process in which I have used to keep warm, dry, and safe down here.
First you lay a tarp/yoga mats.
Next you roll up the sides and place weights and sleeping bags over the mats.
Then you open your umbrellas and secure them.
Then you pull a tarp over and tuck it in safely.
Then you have a Tool Bubble - It might not look like much from the outside but it is very comfortable on the inside!
Now I hope some of you have heard that Pete Seeger joined us down at Occupy Wallstreet. He is a legend and it was amazing to have him down here. Here is him performing "This Little Light"
Now the music down here is great. MoT and I keep saying that we don't want a fucking revolution if there can't be good music. If you have to compare us to the silly teapartiers then you can at least say WE know how to party.
Here is what the drum circle looked like last night before the General Assembly. I musta danced for a good hour to that sax beat.
Then as the night wore on the Sanitation workers took a break and started up some serious folk music. We jigged and danced till around two am before I had to pass out.
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Now this is only a slice of the life down here. There are a billion things to capture on film and remember. Thankfully my memory will never be filled up and I will continue to experience the magic of this movement. Each day that I am down here brings me closer to the realization that progressives will one day control the narrative and enact policies that will benefit the 100 percent of this country. Now Hunter had it right today. If you don't know why we are down here then you are ether willfully ignorant or a tool or an idiot. All I have to do is look at one graph and know why we are down here.
Now Hunter had it right today. If you don't know why we are down here then you are ether willfully ignorant or a tool or an idiot. All I have to do is look at one graph and know why we are down here.
It is only class warfare when we fight back. I leave you this evening with a clip that George Carlin put out six years ago. He predicted all of this and I hope he is looking down on us from the sky and smiling.
Goodnight and Goodluck.
Tool.