Saturday, February 9, 2013

Updates 2/9/13

Hello everyone.


I cannot believe I broke a tooth again. I'm going to need dentures soon.



-- The charges against over two dozen Boston Occupiers have been dropped, but at least five of the activists are fighting to have the charges reinstated. They want to fight the accusations on their own merits, pointing out that Freedom of Speech and Assembly come first. The Occupiers were in a public park when they were first arrested.




-- Israeli forces dismantled two different Palestinian protest camps, apparently growing more violent as they moved through. The first camp had no injuries or arrests. At the second camp, at least six people were arrested, including two credentialed journalists there to cover the activity. Two protesters had to be taken to the hospital. Israeli officials have declared the area to be a "closed military zone."




-- In Dublin, Irish unions are hitting the streets to show their disdain for austerity clauses in the country. ROughly 20,000 people were in attendance of the march, which declared that people wanted "Jobs, not Debt." 




-- While some people will jump for joy at getting free publicity, others are none too thrilled with the multi-million dollar comic industry cashing in on Occupy. They have new comics set to come out soon, one set up with the 1% trying to make the world better, and one with the 99% trying to regain the power. Personally, I'm on the not so thrilled side of things. Check out more info on the comics here.




***Solidarity***

To contact me, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks. 
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Friday, February 8, 2013

Updates 2/8/13

Hello everyone. 


The news is short today.



-- [Chuck] A new Spanish Revolution is taking place in the streets of Barcelona, Madrid, and other cities across Spain. These people are fighting for their rights, and they aren't stopping anytime soon. Read more bout why they are calling themselves the "winters at Sol."




-- [Chuck] Three different US states are fighting to put climate change denial in their textbooks in order to promote what they call a "balanced view" of global warming. The states of Oklahoma, Colorado, and Arizona have the bills ready to go, thanks to the help of ALEC.




-- Around 150 people marched in San Francisco last night to once again protest police brutality against the citizens of the city. Two weeks ago, police apprehended a man who was allegedly assaulting someone on the sidewalk, and the event was caught on video. People at the protest say that the police used excessive force against the man, and shoved his face into a storm grating.




***Solidarity***

To contact me, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
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Thursday, February 7, 2013

Updates 2/7/13

Hello everyone.

The medication for my back seems to be helping quite a bit. I am up and about, albeit carefully. I wish I knew why I kept getting inflamed for no reason. Maybe fibromyalgia can do that to you. I'm honestly not sure. I should probably do a little more research into the illnesses I have. 



-- A judge has ruled that the case against government officials by an Occupy DC member can go on, despite protests from the government claiming that the doctrine of qualified immunity made the case null. The judge disagreed, citing that they should have known they were violating someone's constitutional rights by destroying the property.




-- Students in Milwaukee took a stand on their college campus, demanding that their school stop ordering Palermo's Pizza, where workers have been on strike since June. The manager of the on-campus pizza stand told students that regardless of the protest and a written Faculty Senate resolution condemning the sales, they will continue to offer the choice of Palermo's Pizza.




-- In a great display of defiance, protesters took to the balcony of the Birmingham Council House with banners decrying the massive cuts lawmakers are planning for the area. Over 625 million pounds will be cut from the budget, which will disproportionately affect the poor and sickly. A march is planned for February 28th, the day that the votes for the cuts will go through.




-- Do you want to support Palestinians and Gaza? Here's a great way to get involved. If you are in or around Washington DC, you can join up with this 5k and fundraise for the people of Gaza. If you aren't in the area, you can donate through this site, support a runner, or even start your own fundraising webpage. 




***Solidarity***

To contact me, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com.
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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Updates 2/6/13

Hello everyone.


Thanks for bearing with me. I'm dealing with a lot of pain again, but the medicine seems to be working. I slept okay last night for the first time in a week. One of the worst things about getting sick or injured this often is that people tend to either stop believing you or stop caring. I can deal with the not caring part better than I can the not believing. I don't understand how hypochondriacs pull it off.


Let's get to the news. :)



-- Some interesting paperwork has been released by the Berkeley Police Department, showing the calls and movements of their Tactical Unit back in November of 2011. You can see where they went, what the orders were, and in some cases, who gave them. Accountability may be finally showing up, folks.




-- [Chuck] America's largest debt problem isn't education, credit cards, or even war. It's the exact problem I'll be dealing with when I graduate: student loans. How fast are student loans growing, and how big of a problem is this? Check this out for more information.




-- One of the leaders of the Occupy Our Homes Atlanta movement was knocked down during a protest while houses were being auctioned off. He wasn't injured, and the man who knocked into him claimed that he simply fell over a sign and tripped into the protester. No charges were filed.




-- A man was trampled and injured in Greece as farmers handed out over 50 tons of free fruits and vegetables to desperate citizens. The images of the event were plastered all over the media, with a large outcry pouring forth concerning the state of growing despair faced by many in the country. 




***Solidarity***

To contact me, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks. 
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Monday, February 4, 2013

Updates 2/4/13

Hello everyone.


I have injured my back somehow... I'll be seeing the musculo-skeletal doctor tomorrow morning, so it's unlikely that I'll write tomorrow. Sorry.



-- [Chuck] Today would have been Rosa Park's 100th birthday, and this courageous woman deserves to be remembered well. Many people don't know that she was actually a lifelong activist, instead attributing her actions to one single day. But that's not the case. Check out this link to learn more about her "Rebellious Life."




-- [Chuck] What would be your reaction if you found out that fracking really was devastating your home and the areas around it? Here's a video of what happens when Yoko Ono and her fellow activists find out the truth about fracking effects in Pennsylvania.




-- [Chuck] A three day summit was held in Brooklyn over the weekend to discuss what else grassroots movements can do to help the people affected by Superstorm Sandy. The summit was open to the public and well-attended, with many looking for ways that they could lend a hand. Those who have been helping told stories of their activities and stories of what they have seen.




-- It would appear that the FBI isn't the only government agency with its eye on Occupy. The Canadian Mounties were also spying on the protesters in Ottawa, accumulating a dossier on the group. It has been 14 months since the surveillance occurred, but much of the details are just now coming to light.




-- Several members of Occupy Boston are not giving up their fight, even in the face of fines or possible jail time. They were arrested in 2011 for trespassing after their encampment expanded into a nearby area. Most of the people charges have paid small fines of 50 to 75 dollars, but others refuse to pay, stating that they did nothing wrong in expressing their freedoms. 




-- [Chuck] I must admit that I am a little emotional lately, for a wide array of reasons, but this video really touched me. I wish people would be more willing to help others.. to go out of their way to save someone or do one good deed. This is truly a heart-warming video.




***Solidarity***

To contact me, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks. 
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Sunday, February 3, 2013

Updates 2/3/13

Hello everyone.



Apparently there is some sort of big game today... I wonder what the big deal is. (That's sarcasm.)


-- [Chuck] But let's talk about that "big game" shall we? It seems as though not everyone is thrilled to have the Super Bowl in their city. New Orleans citizens are unhappy with the police state and pat downs that accompany the turmoil, and they are even more angry that the Super Bowl decided to use roughly 8,000 "volunteers" instead of hiring area laborers who need the work. Check this video out for more information. This is something we likely won't be seeing on TV. 




-- Last year, in Minneapolis, police officers were accused of drugging members of the city's Occupy movement and homeless population, but the media swept it under the rug. Now the story is back in the form of a lawsuit, which says the police officers were using the people as part of a drug use spotting training exercise before they dumped them, still high, on the streets. 




-- Occupy Steubenville is back with a third rally in support of the young rape victim. The activists braved freezing temperatures in order to provide "community pride, and to end all bullying, violence, rape, and assault on people." The trial for the two teen athletes accused of raping the girl begins in early March.




-- While this isn't related to Occupy, it is related to human rights, and I felt that we should include it. Google Maps is officially annoying the country of North Korea, by allowing amateur cartographers to provide maps of the country. These maps include the typical hotels, schools, and hospitals, but also less common items, such as the military parade routes, a tower that celebrates their doctrine, and even some of the gulags are beginning to appear on the maps.




***Solidarity***

To contact me, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
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Friday, February 1, 2013

Updates 2/1/13

Hello everyone.



Happy February, everyone. 



-- Occupy Monsanto popped out to protest the annual shareholders meeting where the new board members were being elected. Activists said that they were protesting the company's practices in lack of research transparency and the continued use of GMOs. 




-- Another Occupy offshoot, called Intern Labor Rights, is heading to Fashion Week in NYC to protest the unpaid internships that many must face to get into the industry. Most of these interns are overworked and paid absolutely nothing, which the group says isn't right. At a for-profit company, they say, compensation should be paid.




-- [Chuck] People are still recovering from Superstorm Sandy, three months later. The stories of people and their needs are still coming in. Here's a really interesting read about how people are coming together to recover collectively.




-- [Chuck] Is America still the Land of the Free? It's difficult to say. This article says that at least some of our freedoms are gone, and I have to agree with it. FDR once outlined the four essential freedoms, and this article describes how we've lost them.




***Solidarity***

To contact me, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks. 
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