Wordless Wednesday

Sharing Maya

For literature Tuesday this week I thought I would share Maya. I have mentioned before that she is my idol. When I was a kid - lost and trying to find my way - Maya saved me. She showed me that women could be strong and scared at the same time. She showed me that honesty is always the best option. She showed me that I could dream and succeed and triumph. She gave me strength.

I devoured everything she wrote. But in the end this poem, the first poem, is my favorite. I also read the book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which always helps me remember that even when I think life unbearable, it could be worse and I will survive.

I finally broke down and asked for a Nook this Christmas and I was lucky enough to receive it. I have always been a "book" person. I love them - the pages, the type, folding the corner neatly, writing notes in the margin - the experience of reading a book. On the other hand, it is difficult to carry all the books I love with me all the time, to read while waiting for an appointment, to read at lunch, to read on the train. This allows me to always have all the books I want in a format small enough to carry in my purse - plus I can watch movies, update facebook, and if I wanted to, write my blog. I decided on the Nook over the Kindle not because of any specific feature or the price because each device is primarily the same. But, if I have a problem with the Nook (which is completely possible since technology is moving faster than my brain can keep up) I can just go to the Barnes & Noble and get help, instead of trying to figure it out while on the phone with a tech person. I digress, but the point is, I have added a lot of Maya to my "wish list."

There are certain authors whose work I can read over and over again. Maya is one of them. Every time I open the book it is like a childhood blanket or those really comfortable shoes you just can't throw out. And at the same time, I always find something new.

She made me want to write, to paint pictures with words. She can get to the bare bones of pain on one page ..... and create a world of hope on the next. And I now intend to read it all again.

Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now

Phenomenal Woman

And Still I Rise

Even the Stars Look Lonesome

So, for today I share with you Maya ..... my idol!

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

The free bird leaps
on the back of the win
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill for the caged bird
sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze
an the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

Addendum to Broccoli Kazan!

I always start the day with the very best intentions! However, the day did not work out that way. Instead of a hair cut, food shopping and cooking I spent the day on the couch with a headache and an inability to get out of my own way.

Then the teenager decided to go out with friends instead of coming home for dinner and the 5-year-old didn't ask to cook. So instead of a gourmet dinner culminating in Broccoli Kazan, I made Hamburger Helper!

There is always tomorrow.

Family Friday ..... Broccoli Kazan!

Sometimes after story time, the 5-year-old doesn't like to go right to sleep so we lie down and watch TV. You have to be very careful what is on the television, the goal is for the child to be bored enough to fall asleep. So, we watch Food Network. I didn't realize how much he was absorbing. 

Yesterday he was shopping with my husband and wanted to get ingredients to make Broccoli Kazan (we still have no idea what that is). He began running around the produce section of the store grabbing ingredients (broccoli, cantaloupe, etc). When my husband asked what the heck he was doing his reply was "that is the way the chefs get ingredients on TV" ( think Chopped and The Next Iron Chef). 

So, this evening when dinner is being made - we will have a new side dish - Broccoli Kazan. And then tomorrow we will be having our own Cupcake Wars (that may be the next Wordless Wednesday post). For today I will share some recipes for a dinner that may go with broccoli kazan and cupcakes. Bon Appetit!. 

Stir-Fry Empress Lemon Chicken

I love this recipe. Since Broccoli Kazan ingredients include rice (and Apple Jacks Cereal) Lemon Chicken may be the way to go. Whenever I make this I always feel the need to add more lemon. I love lemon!

Lemon Spinach

For this dinner I will make just the spinach. When I cook I like to have a "theme." For tonight I am thinking Lemon. Did I mention I love lemon!

Lemon Risotto

I have never made this one but always wanted to. But I think I will forgo the lemon cup.

And then tomorrow for Cupcake Wars!

Strawberry-Lime Stuffed Cupcakes

Prep Time: 25 minutes Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 jumbo cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Icing:

o   1 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

o   1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest

o   2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

o   1 drop green food coloring

o   6 large ripe strawberries, hulled

o   Green sanding sugar

o   Fresh mint leaves or candied leaves

± Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the muffin tin with cupcake liners.

± Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

± In another medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. While beating, gradually pour in the butter and then the vanilla.

± While mixing slowly, add half the dry ingredients, then add all the milk, and follow with the rest of the dry ingredients. Take care not to over mix the batter. Divide the batter evenly in the prepared tin.

± Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove. Cool on the rack completely.

± For icing: Mix the confectioners' sugar and lime zest in a medium bowl. Add the lime juice and mix with an electric mixer to make a firm but pourable icing. (If needed, add up to 1 teaspoon more juice, but take care if the icing is too loose it doesn't set properly.) Add food color to make a pale pastel green icing.

± To assemble: Remove cupcake from its liner. Cut and remove a strawberry (coned) shaped portion of cupcake from the top of each cupcake, leaving about 1/2 to 1-inch of cake in the bottom. Stuff each cake with a strawberry and cover with a little bit of cake. Spoon and spread icing over the top of the cupcakes. Sprinkle with green sanding sugar. Top with small mint leaves or candied leaves.

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

So, this weekend will be a fun-filled cooking weekend! Perhaps I am planting the seeds for the next celebrity chef! Have a great weekend!!!

Wordless Wednesday!

Literature Tuesday..... Mariana

I remember when I started college I had very little experience with "literature." I read a lot, but I was unfamiliar with literature. American public high schools do not prepare students for that. I of course was not a great student so that may have also been part of the problem.

But then we read Tennyson and I met Mariana. My heart broke for her. I wanted to put my arm around her and help diminish her pain. And for the first time I started to look at language and the ability to paint pictures with words. While in college I tried to appreciate literature, but never had the time. There were works to be read and papers to be written and all on deadline. The professors wanted us to analyze and dissect and explain. All of this took the brief spark of Mariana away and I studies, as I was supposed to and got through college.

And then I began commuting to work and needed something to read on the train. I reintroduced myself to the authors and the words that had been mundane while I was studying them. I fell in love with Dickens and Austen .... muddled my way through Hawthorne and Shakespeare. And even if I did not understand the political background or the satire I enjoyed the stories.

Today my bookshelves are full of the classics (and every Stephen King book written). They have become fond friends. And while I got a Nook for Christmas which will make carrying my "books" easier, I will never dispose of the books on my shelves ..... even the ones that are highlighted to the hilt with notes in the margins!



Mariana by Henrietta Rae



Mariana in the moated Grange

Alfred Tennyson

With blackest moss the flowerpots
   Were thickly crusted, one and all,
The rusted nails fell from the knots
   That held the peach to the garden wall.
The broken sheds looked sad and strange,
   Unlifted was the clinking latch,
   Weeded and worn the ancient thatch
Upon the lonely moated grange.
     She only said, "My life is dreary,
       He cometh not," she said;

     She said, "I am aweary, aweary;
       I would that I were dead!" 

 Her tears fell with the dews at even,
   Her tears fell ere the dews were dried,
She could not look on the sweet heaven,
   Either at morn or eventide.
After the flitting of the bats,
   When thickest dark did trance the sky,
   She drew her casementcurtain by,
And glanced athwart the glooming flats.

     She only said, "The night is dreary,
       He cometh not," she said:
     She said, "I am aweary, aweary,
       I would that I were dead!" 

 Upon the middle of the night,
   Waking she heard the nightfowl crow:
The cock sung out an hour ere light:
   From the dark fen the oxen's low
Came to her: without hope of change,
   In sleep she seemed to walk forlorn,

   Till cold winds woke the grey-eyed morn
About the lonely moated grange.
     She only said, "The day is dreary,
       He cometh not," she said;
     She said, "I am aweary, aweary,
       I would that I were dead!"

About a stonecast from the wall,
   A sluice with blackened waters slept,
And o'er it many, round and small,
   The clustered marishmosses crept.

 Hard by a poplar shook alway,
   All silvergreen with gnarled bark,
   For leagues no other tree did dark
The level waste, the rounding grey.
     She only said, "My life is dreary,
       He cometh not," she said;
     She said "I am aweary, aweary,
       I would that I were dead!" 

 And ever when the moon was low,
   And the shrill winds were up an' away,

 In the white curtain, to and fro,
   She saw the gusty shadow sway.
But when the moon was very low,
   And wild winds bound within their cell,
   The shadow of the poplar fell
Upon her bed, across her brow.
     She only said, "The night is dreary,
       He cometh not," she said;
     She said "I am aweary, aweary,
       I would that I were dead!"

All day within the dreamy house,
   The doors upon their hinges creaked;
The blue fly sung i' the pane; the mouse
   Behind the mouldering wainscot shrieked,
Or from the crevice peer'd about.
   Old faces glimmered through the doors,
   Old footsteps trod the upper floors,
Old voices called her from without.
     She only said, "My life is dreary,
       He cometh not," she said;

     She said, "I am aweary, aweary,
       I would that I were dead!" 

 The sparrow's chirrup on the roof,
   The slow clock ticking, and the sound
Which to the wooing wind aloof
   The poplar made, did all confound
Her sense; but most she loathed the hour
   When the thickmoted sunbeam lay
   Athwart the chambers, and the day
Downsloped was westering in his bower.

     Then, said she, "I am very dreary,
       He will not come," she said;
     She wept, "I am aweary, aweary,
       Oh God, that I were dead!"

Medical Monday: I wish I understood this better!

The headlines are a little scary!

Monkeys Born from Stem Cells

Chimeric Monkeys Born in Stem Cell Study

Chimeric Monkeys Boast Six Genetic Identities

First I needed to look up the word "Chimeric." Which, according to Merriam-Webster means: "relating to, derived from, or being a genetic chimera or its genetic material." So I looked up the term Chimeric and came up with this:

a fire-breathing she-monster in Greek mythology having a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail an imaginary monster compounded of incongruous parts

So, that made it a little more scary .... so I investigated further and looked up the medical definition and came up with this: An individual, organ, or part consisting of tissues of diverse genetic constitution

Still pretty scary! So I started reading the articles. And I admittidly did not fully understand what they were talking about. But several phrases made me even more nervous:

"cloning primate and even human stem cells, into living breathing organisms"

"More interestingly, although they have both male and female DNA, they are all developing as males, because masculine genes have dominated the monkeys development"

Science is not my area of expertise. I won't even try and pretend otherwise. But I do understand the basic need for stem cell research. And I am torn. I understand the desire to be able to regenerate organs to save lives; the desire to use stem cells to treate Type 1 Diabetes and the desire to relieve symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. But it is scary.

My dad remembers when things like stem cell technology were part of comics. I remember when video phones were on the The Jetsons and yet today even my Nana Skypes. So, I look to todays science fiction (movies like Children of Men, I am Legend even Project X); creating life from a petri dish scares me. My fear is are we playing God and what will the consequences of that be?

I completely understand the desire to end pain and save lives. But what if we are not supposed to? What if this is how the human population contains growth? I would love to find a cure for Lupus. I would love to find a cure for small cell lung cancer (a disease a very good family friend was recently diagnosed with). But at what cost?

I don't have the answers. I am not even going to try and have the answers to these questions. It hurts my head enough to get through the articles. But a future of genetically modified children, genetically modified food, growing organs in a petri dish, creating life in a lab scares me ~ I think it should scare all of us to the point that we keep a closer eye on the people push the line in the sand a little bit further all the time.

Happy New Year .... what are your resolutions?

It is now midnight! A new year has begun. My days of going out and drinking myself senseless with my friends have long since past and this evening I altered between watching the Walking Dead marathon and cooking for dinner with friends tomorrow. But now it is 12:01 am and it is officially time for the best New Year tradition .... the resolutions!

I am not sure why I go through this process every year. I never keep them, and by February I feel like a failure. But here I am doing it again.

1. I will not procrastinate! It is probably my worst habit. I am full of good intentions but in the end I work better under stress and I do things last minute (seeing as I started this post on New Year's Eve and have still not posed it, I am not sure this resolution is going to work for me this year).
2. I will quit smoking!!!! I want to purchase a new car. I am hoping that if I start putting the money I save from smoking less away for the car I will have a better chance of quitting. I decided that I will not focus only on the fact that it is bad for me. I have been smoking since I was 14 years old and have known for the past 24 years that it is bad for me and obviously that hasn't changed my mind. Maybe a monetary reward will. Since New Year's I have not smoked more that 10 cigarettes a day. In February I will cut that down and then in March cut it down again and so on, until I quit.
3. I will listen more than I speak. I am outspoken. I need to remember that not everyone wants my opinion when they tell me something. I know this because most of the time I don't want people's opinions when I tell them things. I need to remember that the best friends, spouses, and parents are better listeners than they are speakers.
4. I will stop trying to be superwoman!!! Logically I know that the more I try and do, the more tired I will be and the less I will accomplish. For the past five years I have tried to do everything I did before I had lupus. I basically try and forget I am sick. I want my youngest son to have the same mom my oldest son has. That just isn't possible and it is about time that I realize it. That does not mean I am giving in .... it means I am becoming realistic.
5. I am going to go to the gym! I don't understand why this is such a problem for me. I fully admit that I feel better when I go to the gym. I have more energy, I eat less, I don't need as much pain medication, I can focus better ..... and yet if there is something I need to give up I give up the gym. Can someone explain this to me please.
6. I will find my creativity again! When we purchased our house I lost my craft room. All my supplies are still in the basement waiting for a home. I will organize the guest room so that it can be a multi use room, guest room, office & craft space! And I will create!

So that is it!

Tomorrow starts a new week and I have done some organizing so that a few of my resolutions will be worked on. I got a Nook for Christmas and there are several apps I have been looking into that will help me to organize and live better. It is time I start using technology for more than my job!

Here is to a fabulous new year!!!!

Family Friday ~ It is Christmas .... Let the Games Begin!

My husband and I begin the holiday season each year on Black Friday. We have been doing this since we started dating (again) 6 years ago. It used to be fun. We always started at Target. There was coffee and donuts; a silly security guard; and always one woman trying to be in charge that everyone else laughed at. My husband and I never looked at the circulars before hand or knew what was on sale. We just went and people watched .... if we got a good deal thrown in all the better.

This year was no fun at all! The stores now have corrals and barricades around the stores, keeping people not only in a straight orderly line, but also keeping them from stomping each other when the stores open. Gone are the coffee & donuts, random Christmas carols and comradery. Black Friday has become instead Dante's 5th Circle of Hell! It is sad really. But at least from now on my husband and I can sleep late the day after Thanksgiving because I do not think we will be doing this again. I feel like Christmas has become Whoville at the beginning of the Jim Carey version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! And this year I feel like Cindy Lou Who!

We like tradition. Spending time with family. Lots of lights and decorations - some of which my husband and I have had for a long time. Letters from Santa. A Charlie Brown Christmas. I think you get the point. But it does not seem like tradition (or Jesus for that matter) has much to do with Christmas this year. Bigger TVs cheaper TVs .... faster more expensive computers ..... car commercials changing lyrics to Christmas carols ... and the very few people practicing the fine art of Christmas cards .... I could go on and on about what is wrong with this Christmas. But I won't!

Instead I will talk about how fabulous it is to sit here and watch my Christmas tree all aglow - covered in ornaments I have been collecting since I was 16 and worked in a Hallmark store. We needed a new tree this year. My husband searched far and wide for one we loved. We looked at all the new fancy prelit, easy assemble, rotating, outrageously expensive trees. What we found was an old fashioned - no lights - tree for a quarter the price of all the outrageous trees! And we love it! It fits almost all the ornaments, but we have several other small trees in our very small house to take care of that. Our house actually looks like a gingerbread house outside, with a Santa perched on the chimney.

I have found some really great gifts this year that I am proud of. But still have no idea what to get the husband or the teenager! I really should get on that with only 9 days to go!

And in all the bustle I found this article on being destressed during the holidays. Usually I read articles in women's magazines for a good giggle this time of year. They talk about handmade gifts and decor and fabulous extravagant dinners with plates on chargers with handmade name cards. That is just not my world and I can never figure out where people who do this find the time. Usually this time of year I think paper plates and napkins with gaudy poinsettia prints are just fine for me! As long as there are lots of people to share it with.

So I shall end with one of the best holiday traditions .... I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

post-script:

As I was about to post this blog about the lack of Christmas spirit in the world I heard music .... Christmas music. I put down my laptop and went to the front door and outside was a band. Decked out in full holiday gear .... playing Christmas music for the man next door who has had a really rough year, both economically and medically. For a moment rekindeling my faith in the holiday season.

Where Have I been?

It has been a really long time since I wrote a post. I got really side-tracked with the Occupy Movement. And then I got really disappointed in the movement and felt guilty about it so I stopped writing. But the other day as I was driving to work I realized how much I missed the blog and decided to get back to my roots (my very young blog roots).

I still belive in the fundamental spirit of the Occupy Movement. And I really think now that the majority of the "occupations" are over it really can begin to sprout roots of a movement. As I listen to polititians gearing up for the 2012 elections they too have begun to create sound bites supporting the movement. But really it is just that, sound bites and face time. Until the movement has some leadership and a clear message they will not be effective. Nor will they be seen as more than a bunch of unemployed people complaining. I believe they are more than that - even if I became cynical of the people who were taking leadership roles. That had all been sorted out at the Boston Occupation - before the courts shut them down. So I do believe there is hope that the movement will grow into something more. And I am proud to say I had a very small part in the beginning - sowing the seeds sort of speak.

The other reality hit me that I am not a good protester. Life got in the way. It is hard to go to a protest when you work 40+ hours a week and have two children depending on you when you get home. I know there are lots of people doing it and I tip my hat to them. That however is just not my world. I became obsessed with following news coverage, commenting on other blogs, updating the list of news articles and trying to get to General Assembly meetings. My work was suffering, my family was being neglected, and lets not even begin to talk about my health. So, I let it go and I felt guilty. So I stopped writing.

And that is where I have been.

But the new year is coming and I am feeling fresh and full of hope again. I am going to go back to my blog plan and make each day interesting again. I will still follow Occupy Boston and be a part of it in my own way - but not at the expense of my health or things I hold dear to my heart.

So back to our regular programing - Observations of a Crazy World!

Dear Mr. President ... we are the 99%

While I can't speak for the entire Occupy Movement ..... this is what I see as the movements strengths, and this is why I participate. The letter is addressed to "Mr. President" but only because this is a poem and "Dear broken & ineffective government and corporations that have destroyed our nation" just did not flow the same.



Dear Mr. President,

We are the 99% of America that you have failed.

We are men and women,
Young and old and middle aged.

We are Democrats, Republicans and Independents,
Socialists, Communists. Tea Party members and Anarchists

We are red states and blue states,

Massachusetts to California and every state in between.

We are the upper class, the middle class and the poverty stricken.

Citizens, immigrants and those seeking a home.

We are the 99% Mr. President, do you hear us?

We are Catholics, Protestants, Baptists and Jews,
Muslims and Atheists and Buddhists.

We are straight and gay, lesbian and transgendered,
Soccer moms and stay at home dads.
We live on $7.25 an hour, and 401Ks and spare change and fixed incomes,
Balance our budgets, live week-to-week and drown in debt.

We are carnivores, omnivores, herbivores and vegans,

The well fed and the starving and the farmers.

We are the 99% Mr. President and we have found our voice.

We are the healthy and sick and uninsured,
The mentally ill and differently abled.

We are the strong, and the weak and the bullied,
The outspoken and the ignored.

We are Black, Hispanic, Native, Arab and Asian,
Legal and illegal and white.

We are optimists, pessimists, and disenfranchised,
College educated, undereducated, college drop outs and illiterate.

We are the 99% Mr. President, we love our country and we want it back.

We are veterans and teachers and doctors and lawyers.

The employed, the unemployed, the underemployed,and the self-employed.

We are on social security, medicaid, welfare and unemployment,
Entrepreneurs, small business owners and volunteers in our communities.
We are homeowners and the foreclosed upon

Families living in suburbia and on the streets.

We are creative and artistic, crunch numbers and cure disease,
We are the people.

We are the 99% Mr. President and we are waiting for you.

To acknowledge our voice and send us the support,

You sent Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

To let the Supreme Court know,

Corporations are not people.

To tell the banks that are too big to fail,

That they are on their own.

To let the Congress know their responsibility is their constituents,

Not getting funding for the next election.

To tell the lobbyists they can no longer purchase our government,

Because it is not for sale.

We are the 99% Mr. President and you have failed us.

We love our country and we want it back.

We want a future of hope for our children.

We want the change you promised us.

We want equity and justice.

We want transparency and accountability.

These are not demands,

They are our Constitutional rights,

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness!

We are the 99% Mr. President,

And if you can't hear us,

We can turn it up!

Occupy Boston .... I am a Patriot

I would like to start today by noting I have never gone to a protest, I have never been part of a revolution. I do not know the customs, the language or the process of organizing. But this evening I dipped my toe into the pool that is the "Occupy Movement." I was impressed by the number of people that were there. A few hundred I think. I was also very aware that I suddenly felt old. And for a few minutes I thought that I should just go home, hang with the kids and protest from the comfort of my couch. But I decided to stay and I listened.

This lack of knowledge may have led to my feeling of frustration for the first 30 minutes or so .... I didn't understand the language or the gestures. Being who I am I couldn't understand what I saw as a lack of organization. I couldn't understand why people were not listening. Fortunately my impression ended on a better note than it started.

The meeting this evening was to organize and plan what "Occupy Boston" is going to look like .... all details that people do not think about when they watch people chanting and protesting on the news ..... the where & when & how ...... food, shelter, entertainment, etc. But people kept talking about why they were there. Evictions, the execution of Troy Davis, sustainable farming, the evils of the banking system (specifically Bank of America), homelessness, unemployment .... it was like people had been so silent for so long that they wanted to be heard no matter what. It would have gone on for hours I think were it not for the one person who stated simply ..... I think we know why we are all here lets work on how to change it (this is a bad paraphrase but I wasn't taking notes).

And as I sat there watching people struggle to get organized, struggle to be heard, struggle to understand I thought to myself this is what it must have been like to organize the Revolution, this is what it must have been like when the Constitution was written:

Chronicle of Revolution

A New Nation 1784-1790

Proceedings of the First Continental Congress

Chronology of the Declaration of Independence

I know most of us are aware of these things, but I think sometimes it is good to look back and reflect. The 99% are the new patriots, charting new territory, trying to fix the problems. There will be egos, there will be people who just want to vent, there will be people who are frustrated with the process ... we are going too fast, we are going too slow, we have no message, we have too many messages. But that is ok .... that is how change happens. So while I am sure the founding fathers did not wave their hands in approval of something or use the human microphone to be heard, I am also sure that there were days they thought is this worth it and why am I here. I am grateful that they stuck it out and I am hopeful this movement will as well.

I read a book years ago by Walter Cronkit "A Reporter's Life." He said during the Vietnam protests "How can patriotism be determined anyway? Is patriotism simply agreeing unquestioningly with every action of one's government? Or might we define patriotism as having the courage to speak and act on those principles one thinks are best for the country, whether they are in accordance with the wishes of the government or not? It is everyone's duty to obey the laws of the land, but I think your definition of patriotism, Mr. Secretary, would preclude our listening to and reporting upon the opinions of those who believe your policies are inimical to the best interests of our nation. Perhaps these dissidents are the patriotic ones. At least they have the right to believe that their love of country is as sincere as yours, and that they have the right under our Constitution to speak their beliefs. And it is no breach of patriotism when we report on their half of a historic dialogue."

We broke into groups and that was where the real work started. That was where people really pulled together their expertise and got down to business. I choose to attend the media group (I know you're surprised). It is going to be tough work but it will be worth it. Only history can tell us what this movement will end up as. I am hoping that my children will read in their history books that this movement changed the way we view our fellow Americans, the way our government works and the way our communities thrive. I spoke with a man last night who said he came out because this was something new ..... the idea that the "occupations" are occurring all over the country, the feeling of belonging to something bigger than ourselves. And really that is why I am here ..... because the 99% of the country who does not have a voice should have a chance to be heard and be part of the process.

So, even if you can't come to the protests you can still be a part of the process. Be involved. Silence is the voice of complicity .... don't be silent, be heard!

Occupy Boston on Facebook

Occupy Boston on the web

@occupy_boston

The Occupation Continues .... the media coverage does not

Occupy Wallstreet ... for What?

Does Anyone Care About Occupy Wall Street?

Well I care - but I can see their point. I have been waiting patiently for the United States to follow the lead of the Arab Spring. In a country where we are allowed to voice our opinions we have been decidedly silent as the communities we live in fall apart around our ears.



https://www.facebook.com/#!/OccupyTogether



But even with all this excitement one of the problems for the Occupy Wall Street movement is that there are so many problems to deal with right now: Unemployment, the purchasing of political seats, tax loopholes for the rich, the environment, women's reproductive rights, lack of education funding, disparity of wealth, healthcare, social security, medicare/medicaid, campaign finance, the electoral college. And these are just the complaints I have seen aired on facebook and blogs during lunch. If you jumble all this together into a series of chants and video clips the essential message of something needs to change gets lost. And all the establishment (which includes mainstream media) hears is blah blah blah .... whine whine whine ..... these people are insignificant because they can't organize. It is time to prove then wrong. I read someone's comment on facebook and they said basically worry about getting people there and the message will come. As more and more groups want to be part of "the movement" it will be harder and harder to create the clear message.

The message will get lost in terms like hippies, anarchy and more focus will be put on the NYPD and less on the protesters themselves ..... if it gets covered at all.  

On the otherhand, you have the article from The Indypendent which states

"An on-the-ground view of Liberty Plaza clearly affirms why many more should actively support this project’s growing significance. Soon after thousands peacefully set up camp in Zucotti Square (since re-named Liberty Plaza) at the corner of Broadway and Liberty on Sept 17, the assembly’s various workgroups coordinated food, clean-up, bedding, student/labor networking, media/online and community outreach, legal support, childcare, arts/culture/festivities, and more. The on-site OccupyWallSt.org broadcasts daily statements that address the square’s purpose, goals, and concerns, which much media coverage chooses to ignore. All group decisions are made in the assemblies, with constant attention to historically under-represented voices, ongoing political education, and yes, good vibes."

Or the piece from today's Huffington Post 

" To say that the demonstrators are only hippies and radicals pining for 1968 would be a gross misstatement. Rather, the demonstrators come from diverse backgrounds: environmentalists, feminists, former and current Wall Street bankers, traders and brokers, anarchists, socialists, members of the LGBTQ community, teachers, students, Republicans, Democrats, libertarians, people of color, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Atheists, retired NYPD police officers, members of the FDNY, journalists, musicians, photographers...the list could go on and on. Yet, the one thing that this varied group of people has in common is that they are tired of government corruption and the privileging of corporations and the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans by the American government.

And that is a pretty clear and concise message. One that is being adopted by "Occupy" groups all over the country (there is even an "Occupy Facebook" group on Facebook). But I do understand how the media can get confused when there is a jumble of messages such as these: Signs of Wall Street. It is good, however, that Michael Moore set the record straight!

So remember .... stay peaceful, stay focused, stay strong!

Photo Gallery - Occupy Wall Street

Protesters Plan to Occupy Boston

First Boston General Assembly - 9/27/11 - 7:30 pm - Boston Common Gazebo

So, when people ask what is the message? And when people ask why should we care about Occupy Wall Street? Show them this video and the message should be loud and clear!!!!

Occupy Wall Street ..... pass it on .... and on ..... and on!

I know I already posted a blog today but I had to write again because I am appalled at the US media coverage of the protests in New York.

What protests you might ask? That was my question when my step-daughter posted this link on her Facebook page this evening: Livestream: Global Revolution. I shook my head and thought what the heck is this. In case people hadn't noticed, current events and politics are kind of my hobby. I subscribe to several newsfeeds on Facebook, listen to NPR daily on the radio, follow CNN and BBC blogs so the fact that I didn't know anything about this made me think it probably was a hoax. So, like most people who have no idea what is happening, I Googled it.

The first thing that popped up was an article from the Wall Street Journal - Social Media March on Wall Street, which was posted about 3 hours ago and in essence calls the protests an epic fail. But then I searched further.

occupywallst.org

The protests started on September 17th  and according to the Occupy Wall St. webpage consist of the 99% tired of being led by the 1%. I have read that it is being referred to as the nonviolent American Fall. They have protests in New York planned through 2012 everyday from 1-3 and 7-9 at Zuccotti Square (AKA now Liberty Square). It also says they will be planning protests in other places, including the protests planned for October 6, 2011 in Washington D.C.

When I searched news coverage for the events that have taken place I got 4 pages of American mainstream media, with no real coverage until September 23, 2011. I did find this one article from September 6, 2011 at Market Watch. But I really wouldn't call this mainstream. The earliest mainstream American coverage was from September 23rd, 6 days after the protests started.

I have been reading for a couple of hours now and have found some interesting articles that I had missed from the Huffington Post and The Guardian:

Occupy Wall Street Enters Its Fourth Day

"Occupy Wall Street" Protesters Vow to Camp Near Wall Street Indefinitely

Keith Olbermann, Michael Moore Criticize Media for Ignoring "Occupy Wall Street"

Occupy Wall Street Rediscovers the Radical Imagination

Occupy Wall Street: Protesters Speak

The Call to Occupy Wall Street Resonates Around the World

Al Jazeera was covering the protests before ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN - US Protesters Rally to Occupy Wall Street.

This is insane to me! Unlike London, these protests are nonviolent. People are not looting stores or roughing people up. I liked the point in the Keith Olbermann piece about the fact that if this were 100 tea party members supporting Wall Street it would be everywhere. It took a week, but now it is everywhere and people are angrier - not only about the mess this country is in, but about the lack of respect people who want to change things get.

Now the videos are everywhere - a search for news about it has gone from 4 pages to 10 in the past hour! Protesters Broadcast Arrests on Social Media. The number of those arrested have been anywhere from 80 on NPR to as many as 200. Reports of tear gas have been retracted, but the video of a woman being sprayed with pepper spray is all over the Internet.

Someone on the group's Facebook page is suggesting a national "don't go to work" day on October 5th. The idea is for noone to  go to work, or purchases anything for one day. I think it is a great idea if they can get organized and get enough people to do it to make a point! The problem is, all the people who work on Wall Street won't participate in a protest like this ..... but maybe, just maybe you could still get enough people to do it to make it work!!!

http://www.thetechherald.com/

I guess the point of this blog is to spread the word!! If the media isn't going to get the message out than we need to. If the Teaparty can take control of Washington in less than a year ..... we need to let Washington know that there is another voice! If Facebook can be covered with useless rumors about it starting to charge a fee - this should spread like wildfire!!!

As they said in Tienaman Square in 1989 .... take pictures, take video, let the world know what is happening here!!! The 1st Amendment is our strongest weapon ..... it is time it is used!!!!

Good Luck Wall Street ..... I think you are going to need it!