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WALKING ON THIN ICE

Red worry

November 21, 2011 1 Comment

Suits and Sandals

You sitting on your recovered Persian rug
on the slate kitchen floor
in the pre-dawn dimness
stroking the cat
gentling your fear
in rum and coke morning
before facing the suits
without sandals

— Smith, 2010

Wrote this when I woke in a dark bed alone, went looking for my wife, and found her sitting in the dark on the kitchen floor, wildly worried about the speech she had to give to a room full of would be web design customers later that day.


red fotos by Smith

Unelevated elevator

November 20, 2011 1 Comment

Fuzzy was he – foto by Smith

My MySpace friend Mary Ann Blinkhorn posted an orange bluebird poem today which mentioned a trapped elevator, and it made me flash to my own unelevated elevator event twenty years ago

In 1981 I went into my computer programming job at 4 in the morning to handle a deadline. Since it was pre-dawn and I’d be the only one in the office for hours, I got stoned before walking the 4 blocks to work from the downtown warehouse I was illegally living in.

Going up in the elevator, it made a weird noise and jerked to a stop mid-floor, totally dead. I called on the fone for help and was told it would take 3 hours for the elevator guy to get there, so I lay down on the carpeted floor and went to sleep. When I awoke, still stoned, my brain simply could not compute where I was or what I was seeing as I looked at the ceiling of a small oddly lit silent box. Half an hour later a part of the wall silently swung in and a guy in overalls helped me step across the dark shaft to the next elevator where he took me up to my floor.

It was a marvelous experience.

The building where this happened was on the northwest side of Public Square and was soon torn down for a new building which was never built, so it’s now the parking lot in front of which Occupy Cleveland has their white reception tent. In fact, their tent stands in front of where my office building’s front door used to be.

Who said irony’s dead? Long live the absurd.


Was he fuzzy – foto by Smith

Daily Digest – Sunday, Nov. 20 – Toward the Sky

November 20, 2011 No Comments

Mayors Conspired to Close Occupy Wall Street Encampments * Today’s (Sunday’s) Events * Please Speak out Against Violence Against Dogs, Arrests and Other Inappropriate Actions in NY * Recap Links * Important Movement Needs Raised 11/15-11/17 * Possible Community Meetings with Police * Call for Help with Winter Occupation Quarters, Volunteers and Food * Call for Help to Stop Garbage Incinerator * Fresh Facilitators Wanted * Upcoming Events of Note * Meetings / WAGs * Current Haves and Needs * More Reading / Links * Call for Information

Weekend Schedule: Today’s Events; 3PM GA (General Assembly); 8-10 PM Entertainment; 10 PM-2 AM Night Shift #1; 2-6 AM Night Shift #2;  Upcoming Events; Stuff happens continuously in the NW Quadrant of Public Square 24/7.

Get Occupy Cleveland in your inbox! Sign up to receive home page articles and the daily digest via email here (http://bit.ly/tCcnzQ).

New! YouTube list of OccupyCleveland tagged videos: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=videos&search_query=occupy+cleveland&search_sort=video_date_uploaded

Marches, interviews and more!

NOTE to readers: I am posting this here today as the OccupyCleveland site is undergoing maintenance. – Lady

Mayors Conspired to Close Occupy Wall Street Encampments

From http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/nov2011/occu-n17.shtml. Snippets from the article with embedded contact info throughout. Suggestion: call and politely ask that freedom of speech, assembly and the innate freedom to work together long term to solve problems (which means sleeping overnight in tents and communal situations sometimes) be respected by people who are mayors and people who are police.

In an interview with the BBC Tuesday, Oakland mayor Jean Quan said that she had coordinated her efforts to crack down on the occupation with the mayors of other major cities.

“I was recently on a conference call with 18 cities across the country who had the same situation where what had started as a political movement and a political encampment ended up being an encampment no longer in control by the people who started them,” said Ms. Quan.

. . .

Oakland contact info:
Mayor: (510) 444-2489
Police: (216) 625-5011

.. .

On Tuesday evening, police indiscriminately sprayed large bottles of pepper spray into a peaceful demonstration in downtown Seattle. The victims included an 84-year-old woman, a priest, and a pregnant woman who was sent to the hospital as a result. An Associated Press photo of 84-year-old Dorli Rainey with her face covered in pepper spray

. . .

Seattle contact info:
Call the Mayor’s reception desk at (206) 684-4000
Police: (206) 684-2489

. . .

The same night, five people were arrested in Pittsburgh and charged with defiant trespass, failure to disperse and obstruction of roadways.

. . .

Pittsburgh contact info:
Mayor: 412-255-2626
Police: (412) 323-7800

. . .

Police cleared out Occupy San Diego at 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, arresting 9 people.

. . .

San Diego contact info:
Mayor: (619) 236-6330
Police: (619) 531-2000

. . .

Police likewise raided a portion of the Occupy San Francisco encampment Wednesday morning, arresting seven people and dismantling 15 tents.

. . .

San Francisco contact info:
Mayor: (415) 554-6141
Police: 415-553-0123

. . .

Tuesday’s clearing of Zuccotti Park, in which 200 people were arrested, was only the most prominent in a string of crackdowns in dozens of cities.

. . .

NY contact info:
Mayor: 212-639-9675
Police: 212-334-0611

. . .

On Sunday, police cleared a camp in Portland, Oregon, arresting 50 people.

. . .

Portland contact info:
Mayor: (503) 823-4120
Police: 212-334-0611

. . .

Today’s (Sunday’s) Events

In addition to our regularly scheduled weekday events, here are some special events that are happening today! Lots to do! Unless otherwise noted, events are in NW Quadrant (Tom Johnson/Free Speech Quadrant) of Public Square or nearby in the white tent area. More upcoming events after today are here…

Sun., Nov. 20 @ 11 AM
Keeping Warm & Signs and Symptoms of Hypothermia Workshop
For everyone who is interested, especially if you spend a lot of time outside, this Sunday, November 20th, at 11am, First Aid WG will be having a Workshop on the following topics: Keeping Warm & Signs and Symptoms of Hypothermia and Frost Bite. Talking points will be on Clothing: What to wear, how often to change certain garments (ie socks, gloves), laundering the wet stuff; Hypothermia: how to avoid it, figure out if this is happening to any of our members, what to do in case it is. With winter virtually upon us, the wind picking up, and people who may plan to continue to occupy outdoors, please show up, and let anyone who is not in the online group know! http://www.facebook.com/events/216903115047801/

Community Outreach WAG
Next Mtg. Sun., Nov. 20 @ 1 PM * Alternating Saturdays and Sundays * PLEASE NOTE CHANGED MEETING VENUE
Coordination with groups to help grow the movement. We are meeting at the Root Cafe in Lakewood, 15118 Detroit Ave. 11/5 meeting notes. Outreach email: occupyclevelandoutreach (_at symbol_) gmail.com.

3 PM GA

Formal forum at NW corner of Public Square or in white info tent west of this area. At this assembly, proposals and announcements are made. This is where consensus items are decided.

Direct Action WAG * Every day after GA (7 PM Weekdays, 4 PM Weekends) * NOTE CHANGED TIME

Coordination of Direct Action communication and initiatives. Wed., Nov. 2 Mtg Notes.

10 PM – 2 AM and 2 AM – 6 AM Evening Shifts

Please sign up at the white tent for an evening shift so that we can maintain effective occupancy overnight and relieve people who are overburdened. Dress extremely warmly with lots of layers and bring appropriate gear to keep yourself warm.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Toward The Sky

Tonight as I write I sing songs
Of soulful bliss extended into storm
The night where i was born
Again as I just became woman
I lived life like I knew you, and I knew
That all these little prayers were for each star handed to me as I spoke of you
Get this world in your hand
And take cover as they attempt to hold back tears
They know they are on the wrong side of justice
Hold on, hold on to your heart and let if fly
Toward the sky
Feel the depth of the planet in your stomach
And sincerely, eagerly participate

Let it all go, let the ‘I know I should’ be replaced
By ‘I can create a new day’.
We have a voice, we have our hand,
We can lift them up to say ‘no more’.
The life I lead can turn hate into pixie dust
Shaken from the palms of children
Onto the ground before you as you stand
With your weapons in hand
Ready to fight progress and truth

The restlessness is white noise silenced
life and faces of innocence triggered sadness
Cold nails drilled souls like yesterday
When the door we opened was abruptly
Shut in our face, our palms reached out to sky
Again to seek guidance
justice whispers her breathless allegiance
Intake coming from our soul, we will no longer
Bail out news, government thinned out like
Hair on a presidents brow, like those taken
From homes, foreclosed, we have foreclosed
Upon ourselves, our ability to speak has
ripped out like rugs under faceless dictators
Those that seek to destroy restoration, take notice.
We have come. We have arrived to ourselves
Like a new day has dawned its fresh face
On our existence. We say goodnight, we let
The moon rise and the light fall onto itself
We end this day with hope.
A new day will be born tomorrow
In the earths womb, she will carry our sorrow
Toward her core, embrace it and hold it close
To her heart. We will be carried by song birds
Facing new mornings, yes, new mornings they have come
To greet us with their hands held out.

– Shelly Gracon-Nagy

Please send poetry submissions to occupyclevelandpoetry (_at symbol_) gmail.com.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Please Speak out Against Violence Against Dogs, Arrests and Other Inappropriate Actions in NY

Update: some are uncertain if the killings of the dogs actually occurred as it has not been widely reported. The NYPD killed 2 dogs, clubbed them in tents. Pepper sprayed another NY sanitation worker while sorting debris of camp. Poured “pee bottles” on the majority of library. They managed to save a few hundred (there were approx. 5,400), all tech found in camp was smashed, spent 6 hours prepping 300+ “post jail kits,” many beaten today… Over 30K on Brooklyn Bridge today. ~Reliable source in NYC~

Another source: over 300 people were arrested yesterday in NY.

Please call or email the mayor of New York at 212-639-9675, email: http://www.nyc.gov/html/ma il/html/mayor.html, and/or call the NYPD at 646-610-5000 and respectfully request that the Occupy Movement be tolerated and respected by the city and people who are police and for it to be allowed to persist easily. You can also go to http://faxzero.com/ and send a fax to the Mayor’s office! (212) 788-8123.

More #’s:
NY Governor Cuomo: 518-474-8390
NYPD 1st Precinct: 212-334-0611
NYPD 5th Precinct: 212-334-0711
NYPD 6th Precinct: 212-741-4811
NYPD 7th Precinct: 212-477-7311
NYPD 9th Precinct: 212-477-7811

Recap Links

Please post Saturday’s notes. Friday’s notes from memory, Wednesday livestream GA, Tuesday’s GA Notes – Thank you for posting! New notekeepers: please post GA notes in forum http://unju.st/forum/viewforum.php?f=3

Videos
11-17 march in support of Occupy Wall Street
11-17 rally in support of Occupy Wall Street

New! Media Wiki: http://wiki.occupycleveland.com/index.php/In_the_Media

Recent proposals – http://unju.st/forum/viewforum.php?f=32
11-16 forum proposal: consolidation of social media accounts
11-15 forum proposal/GA result: letters to mayor & council; modification of Good Neighbor Agreement; no secret meetings; proposal presented to yesterday’s (Tuesday’s) GA and looks like parts of proposal are going to be worked on some more.
11-14 GA raised proposal: “Occupy the Food Bank” day – sent tentatively to Outreach WAG for thought
11-14 GA raised proposal: Community meetings with police- sent to Gov/Legislative WAG for thought
11-14 GA raised proposal: Nov. 26th Holiday Ceremony signage/handouts – sent to Outreach, Media, Direct Action WAGs for thought

Interesting Threads
11-17 thread by Cummins asking for list of contact info on website
11-17 thread about Roadway permit signatories (need for) and heat.
11-15 thread about individual visions of Occupy
Discussions about winter occupation solutions in Occupy Cleveland Non-violently Facebook Group

Important Movement Needs Raised 11/15 – 11/17

  • Help with laundry
  • Boots (mens size 10 to 11), flashlights, long underwear, hats, gloves, socks, prepared foods, easy nonprepared foods, plastic dishware, rubber gloves, meat, coffee, walkie talkies
  • Help with where we are going to be in two weeks – please review http://unju.st/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=960
  • Help with Dec. 10 NO CUTS day (RE Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Super Committee) – please review http://unju.st/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=972

Possible Community Meetings with Police

From Monday’s GA: “Kevin (the white one) happened to meet Police Commissioner McGrath, who suggested a more regular community liaison approach with Occupy Cleveland, which Kevin offered as a proposal. We discussed it a bit and agreed to refer that to the Government/Legislative Working Group that has been working informally.” – http://unju.st/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=969/

Call for Help with Winter Occupation Quarters, Volunteers and Food

Currently looking for space between E 30 and W 30 (marching distance to banks and fed are key here) that is accessible 24/7. (Also, should have heat that won’t cost us a fortune). For the most part this means storefronts or office space (maybe in one of than bank buildings so we can occupy the bank?) but if you’ve got another idea that doesn’t look like that don’t let that limit you.

If you know of a space, know someone who might help us out, or just drove by something with a sign outside and feel like calling and checking, we need your help and any information you find.

First Aid needs more volunteers, and Housekeeping and Sanitation need people to help with the tent. We are running out of food and we call for donations.

Call for Help to Stop Garbage Incinerator

We have an environmental justice issue going on here in Cleveland. We have to put the kabash on this insane deal! Some want to burn toxic garbage right near community gardens and tons of schools. Please help stop this whatever way you can!

http://heresanotherreason.tumblr.com/

Fresh Facilitators Wanted

The facilitation group has asked for fresh people to do the facilitation process. Here’s a training video put out by Occupy Wall Street: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfTf2db6YfI. Interested parties can get in touch with the Facilitation workgroup as well.

Upcoming Events

Events are in the NW Quadrant (Tom Johnson Quadrant) of Public Square unless otherwise noted.

Sun., Nov. 20 @ 11 AM
Keeping Warm & Signs and Symptoms of Hypothermia Workshop

For everyone who is interested, especially if you spend a lot of time outside, this Sunday, November 20th, at 11am, First Aid WG will be having a Workshop on the following topics: Keeping Warm & Signs and Symptoms of Hypothermia and Frost Bite. Talking points will be on Clothing: What to wear, how often to change certain garments (ie socks, gloves), laundering the wet stuff; Hypothermia: how to avoid it, figure out if this is happening to any of our members, what to do in case it is. With winter virtually upon us, the wind picking up, and people who may plan to continue to occupy outdoors, please show up, and let anyone who is not in the online group know! http://www.facebook.com/events/216903115047801/

Mon., Nov. 21
Request from OccupyCincinnati that we Occupy Portman offices, phones, emails, faxes

Wed., November 23 @ 8 PM & recurring every Wednesday
Occupy Womens Group
We aim to create a safe space for woman-identified individuals to discuss ideas and goals on how Occupy Cleveland can incorporate events/direct actions to better demonstrate the movement’s solidarity with women in their struggles. Meeting place: Tower 230 Bar & Grill, 230 W. Huron, Cleveland. https://www.facebook.com/events/168133733282156/

Fri., November 25
Benefit concert for #OccupyCleveland at Phantasy Nightclub in Lakewood

Fri., Nov. 25
Buy Nothing Day
http://www.facebook.com/events/304240506270048/

Wed., November 30
Move to Amend Cleveland Meeting
Meeting including film and discussion of Jan. 20, 2012 Occupy the Courts action and campaign to pass resolution to abolish corporate constitutional rights & money as speech. Peace House, 10916 Magnolia Ave., Cleveland. http://www.facebook.com/events/259126194134066/

November Date-time Continuum Slot/Event Name TBD
Theater production(s) RE pertinent topics

Sat., Dec. 10 @ 12 NOON
International Human Rights Day No Cuts! Rally and March
A coalition of community members and organizations (including #OccupyCleveland) are banding together to organize this event to stop the proposed cuts by the Super Committee. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=130719423702177; forum discussion: http://unju.st/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=972

Wednesdays @ 8 PM – 10 PM
Community Drum Circle
Bring your drum to the NW Quadrant (“Tom Johnson Quadrant”) of Public Square Wednesdays at 8.

July 4, 2012
New Continental Congress July 4 in Philadelphia
“WE, THE NINETY-NINE PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in order to form a more perfect Union, by, for and of the PEOPLE, shall elect a NATIONAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY to convene on July 4, 2012, in the City Of Philadelphia.” – http://www.facebook.com/events/118304291615364/

Regular Meetings / WAGs*

WAGS are located in the northwest quadrant of Public Square by the Tom Johnson statue or in the white tent adjacent to the quadrant unless otherwise noted, and all are welcome to come and participate! Please send your meeting/WAG info to occupyclevelandstories (_at symbol_) gmail.com so that it can be listed here.

Community Outreach WAG
Next Mtg. Sun., Nov. 20 @ 1 PM * Alternating Saturdays and Sundays * PLEASE NOTE CHANGED MEETING VENUE
Coordination with groups to help grow the movement. We are meeting at the Root Cafe in Lakewood, 15118 Detroit Ave. 11/5 meeting notes. Outreach email: occupyclevelandoutreach (_at symbol_) gmail.com.

Occupation WAG * Tuesdays and Thursdays after 6 PM GA
Coordination and research of physical occupation

Tech WAG * Wednesdays 8 PM
OccupyCLE.tech (_at symbol_) gmail.com, 216 200 6278

Direct Action WAG * Every day after GA (7 PM Weekdays, 4 PM Weekends) * NOTE CHANGED TIME
Coordination of Direct Action communication and initiatives. Wed., Nov. 2 Mtg Notes.

Communication WAG * 1-3 PM Daily Check-ins
Facilitates communication with reps from each group–check in with John between 1-3 PM in Public Square–phone coming.

Foreclosure and Bank Action WAG – Video/Phone Conf * 8 PM Mondays
Concerns ways to brainstorm to change the situation with banks such that banks are held accountable for foreclosure impact on community

Education WAG * Next Mtg. TBA
Coordination of Education / Teach-ins / Scheduling. occupyclevelanded (_at symbol) gmail.com. Meeting Notes from 10/30 on Ed Forum (unju.st/forum)

Theater Subgroup of Arts and Culture WAG * Next Mtg. TBA
Collaborative Theater Meeting
This particular meeting pertains to theater event(s) and other creative actions. We are planning a major creative event in November and we invite poets, artists, singers, musicians, dancers, theater people and anyone interested in participating to come to this planning event Wednesday, which will also be a group collaborative event that will be fun. More details below. occupyclevelandtheater (_at symbol) gmail.com

First Aid/Housekeeping/Sanitation WAG * Next Mtg. TBA

* WAG: Working/Affinity Group

Check the forums for more info on working groups. There are probably working group meetings that are happening that are not on the above list. Here are some known working groups: Outreach * Phone & Q&A * Arts & Culture * Spirituality * Food * Mission/Vision * Legal * Peacekeeping * Entertainment * First Aid * Sanitation * Nightwatch * Direct Action * Facilitators * Finance * Tech * Logistics * Transportation * Permanent Occupation Base

Current haves and needs

Work, kindness, self-critique, community, patience, persistence, dialogue, peace, rationality, health, equality, empathy, civic support, solidarity, idealism, courage, listening, dialogue, mentoring, participation, calmness, respect, compassion for one another, outreach, ethical banks, small business loans from banks, energy, focus, kindness, wholeness, tolerance, listening, global tribal ethic, fostering leadership in young adults, restoring reverence to older adults, community, focus, patience, lots of love, pride, humility, moving forward, reaching out.

Practically speaking: Boots (mens size 10 to 11), flashlights, long underwear, hats, gloves, socks, prepared foods, easy nonprepared foods, plastic dishware, rubber gloves, meat, coffee, walkie talkies, people to help wash clothes and to help drive people to wash clothes, overnight occupiers to work in shifts in our overnight area–sign up at the tent, particularly the 2 AM – 6 AM shift, water (particularly hot water), very large thermos for hot water, more computer equipment and luxurious hot food made as ethically as you can conveniently or inconveniently muster–especially in the morning when people are cold–and donations.

Other Reading Items/Links of Note

Huffington Post: Occupy Wall Street Groups Protest Foreclosure, Try To Halt Evictions

Mentions Cleveland action mucho!

11-14 Ohio Woman Credits Occupy Cleveland For Saving Her Home

Letter of Support from Dennis Kucinich (10/28)

OCCUPY CLEVELAND T-shirts

Recurring Info

Weekday Schedule: Today’s Special Events;  6-7 PM GA; 7 PM Community Chat; 8-10 PM Entertainment; 10 PM-2 AM Night Shift #1; 2-6 AM Night Shift #2; Upcoming Events; Stuff happens continuously in the NW Quadrant of Public Square 24/7

Weekend Schedule: 3PM GA (General Assembly); 8-10 PM Entertainment; 10 PM-2 AM Night Shift #1; 2-6 AM Night Shift #2; Today’s Events; Upcoming Events; Stuff happens continuously in the NW Quadrant of Public Square 24/7.

Info Tent #: (216) 202-4999 | Phone Rules

New Media Wiki: http://wiki.occupycleveland.com/index.php/In_the_Media

Call for Information

Dear Readers/Occupiers:

People who are planning events and work groups–please email these events to occupyclevelandstories (_at symbol_) gmail.com so I can post them rather than having dig and dig every morning through the forums and multiple facebook pages to find these items. It is taking between one to three hours to do this Digest every morning, so emailing info to me will help me get this out more quickly.

Please continue to post GA notes daily in the forum “General Assembly” here: http://unju.st/forum/. It is vital to post these notes for the larger Occupy community so that we know what items are being consented to and what events are consensus events. Thank you to those who have been posting notes!

Peace,

The Temporary Editor

What Would You Like to See?

Please mail letters to the editor, story ideas, meeting times, articles, etc. to occupyclevelandstories (_at symbol_) gmail.com. Also, the Daily Digest is having a working group meeting Sunday, 10/30 at noon in the Tom Johnson (NW) quadrant of Public Square. If not right in the quadrant, please check the white tent west of the square.

Call for Poetry/Creative Writing/Art Submissions – we’re looking for poetry seeds from the larger poetry community, again, a great outreach action. We’re putting together an Occupy Cleveland poetry zine and I’d like to feature some creative items in the Daily Digest as well. Please send submissions to occupyclevelandpoetry (_at symbol_) gmail.com.

Thank you to all people who are making information available!

Gypsy, Carl Sandburg, 1900

November 19, 2011 No Comments

The shadow knows – foto by Smith

Gypsy
by Carl Sandburg, 1900

I asked a gypsy pal
To imitate an old image
And speak old wisdom.
She drew in her chin,
Made her neck and head
The top piece of a Nile obelisk
    and said:
Snatch off the gag from thy mouth, child,
And be free to keep silence.
Tell no man anything for no man listens,
Yet hold thy lips ready to speak.

— Carl Sandburg, 1878-1967


Shadow song – foto by Smith

19 U.S. mayors conspire against their constituants

November 18, 2011 1 Comment

3rd Eye Occupy – foto by Smith

What’s the difference between Mafia dons and our elected officials? Darned if I know.

This city is trying to kill off Occupy Cleveland via a thousand paper cuts, along with icicle cuts and frostbite and hypothermia and disease — causing us as much “dis”ease as they can legally (and illegally) get away with.

A judge ordered Cleveland to grant us 24 hour protesting rights downtown because he didn’t want Cleveland to look like the police state Oakland has shown itself to be, so the city granted us the least they could get away with: for our “free speech” rights, we’re “allowed” one canopy tent with the front open to the weather where we can sit 24 hours a day in rain and snow and ice and freezing cold to give literature to passers-by — BUT, no heat, no electricity, no sleeping, no cooking, no protection from the winter weather.

According to a recorded interview by Oakland mayor Jean Quan, this is all part of on-going government coordinated attacks all across the country against Occupy Wall Street.

If Obama’s government is honest and true, he’ll open a RICO investigation (the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) into Oakland mayor Jean Quan’s public admission she conspired with the 18 other mayors to illegally shut down the Occupy movement.

According to a multiplex of articles, as well as this one headlined “Mayors conspired to close Occupy Wall Street encampments” . . .

“evidence has emerged of a conspiracy between city officials—possibly coordinated with federal intelligence agencies—to shut down the occupy encampments on the basis of trumped-up charges of sanitation and public safety.

“In an interview with the BBC Tuesday, Oakland mayor Jean Quan said that she had coordinated her efforts to crack down on the occupation with the mayors of other major cities.

“’I was recently on a conference call with 18 cities across the country who had the same situation,’ said Ms. Quan.” — wsws.org/articles/2011/nov2011/occu-n17.shtml.

This is a direct violation of the RICO Act — conspiring for the criminal intent of breaking our country’s laws.

Of course Obama made sure he was out of the country when these coordinated attacks occurred, so no way’s he going to investigate any corporate crimes against the people who actually voted for him.

Obama is such a disappointment to me, bitterly so.

I first tried to register in Baltimore to vote against Richard Nixon in the early 1970s, but Maryland didn’t allow ex-cons to vote, so I said the heck with it, if I can’t vote against Tricky Dick, I won’t vote at all.

I was wrong, because Ronald Reagan was worse than Nixon, and the two Bush dimwits way worse than Reagan.

Nixon started the destruction of this country when he took us off the gold standard in the early 1970s and made inflation jump 300-some percent. Reagan’s handlers pretty much finished dismantling the country social infrstructure while trading heroin for guns to give to South American despots to kill American nuns with while Reagan and his Alzheimer’s slept through two terms; and the two Bush-Leaguers basically fracked up what was left by giving all our tax money to their rich friends while starting three illegal, immoral, useless wars that have killed at least 1.5 million people.

These are concentration camp death numbers, but no one in authority seems to care. In order to start healing the divisive hatred alive in this country today, Cheney and Bush really need to be indicted, arrested, jailed, and put on trial for murder, crimes against humanity, theft and malfeasance in office, violating the Constitution, and treason.

After the plague of Cheney/Bush crimes, Obama originally inspired me so much that in 2008 I finally registered at the age of 62 to vote. My first vote was a vote of hope for him.

Of course he violated his campaign promises and my trust immediately by negotiating prescription rates with Big Pharmacy behind closed doors, and then ever since by giving the Republicans and Wall Street whatever they asked for while blowing off the wishes of those who had actually voted for him, while at the same time lining his coffers with Corporate cash. To me he’s just another Wall Street money rat with a nicer personality than most of the Washington slippery slimes of sin.

More on the coordinated attacks from the article above:

~ ~ ~

Tuesday’s clearing of Zuccotti Park, in which 200 people were arrested, was only the most prominent in a string of crackdowns in dozens of cities.

~ ~ ~

The morning before, police had cleared out the Occupy Oakland encampment, arresting 33 people.

~ ~ ~

On Tuesday evening, police indiscriminately sprayed large bottles of pepper spray into a peaceful demonstration in downtown Seattle. The victims included an 84-year-old woman, a priest, and a pregnant woman who was sent to the hospital as a result.

~ ~ ~

The same night, five people were arrested in Pittsburgh and charged with defiant trespass, failure to disperse and obstruction of roadways. They were part of a group of about 200 participating in a protest downtown.

~ ~ ~

Police cleared out Occupy San Diego at 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, arresting 9 people, saying that the encampment was an unlawful assembly, and that the raid was a response to “a significant increase in the number of violent acts” at the protest.

~ ~ ~

Police likewise raided a portion of the Occupy San Francisco encampment Wednesday morning, arresting seven people and dismantling 15 tents.

~ ~ ~

On Sunday, police cleared a camp in Portland, Oregon, arresting 50 people. On Saturday, the occupation in Denver, Colorado was raided, resulting in 17 arrests, and the Salt Lake City, Utah occupation was shut down with 18 arrests. The day before, police in St. Louis, Missouri cleared the occupation there, arresting 27 people.

~ ~ ~

In Columbia, South Carolina, police acting on the orders of Governor Nikki Haley arrested 19 Occupy protesters on Wednesday evening. While Haley claimed to be upholding a legal ban on staying overnight on the grounds of the State House, she was under pressure from Republican state legislators who claimed the protests were disrupting preparations for the state’s presidential primary January 21.

~ ~ ~

The attacks on Occupy encampments that began in the United States have spread to other countries. Australian officials ordered protestors in Melbourne to remove their tents, and police in London pinned eviction notices to the encampments outside St. Paul’s Cathedral, demanding that they be taken down by 6 p.m. Thursday.

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Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said Tuesday that he wants to see the city’s encampment “gone before the Grey Cup weekend,” referring to the Canadian football game scheduled for November 27.

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There’s tons more of course – the Oakland police firing a rubber bullet directly into the face of an Iraq war veteran; Berkeley police clubbing bystanders without provocation; NYC police clubbing bystanders without provocation; NYC upper police brass macing penned-up women who were doing nothing; NYC police assaulting reporters and city council persons and throwing them in jail; and all the cops in all the cities violating our right to a free press.

I gotta say, this appears coordinated to me, definite RICO violations committed by elected public officials.

Since the courts have granted Corporations personhood, we should start putting their CEOs into jail for breaking the laws, or else kill off corporate personhood.

What’s the difference between Mafia dons and their thug enforcers and our corporate elected officials with their hired police thugs? Damned if I know.


4 steps to victory – foto by Smith

10 unknowns in a row

November 17, 2011 3 Comments

Rapid Eye Movement by J.E. Stanley – cover design by John Burroughs using Smith foto

Last night’s poetry reading went smashingly well.

Poet/Publisher Bree was in fine form singing some of her poems and reciting others, while 89 year old Lakewood Poet Laureate Jack McGuane was as droll and insightful as ever. We missed the dancer due to it being past Lady’s bed time . . . hard for her to get up at 3:30am and then for us to go out to late evening readings.

I decided to try a high-wire act and read my ten newest poems written over the past 24 days – which was a risk because they’d never been read nor heard nor judged for public heft and flow. It was odd reading 10 unknowns in a row, but they all worked amazingly well, except the last collapsed when I tried to rewrite the ending in my head on the fly as I read it.

Great applause, perhaps my best ever, even some whistles and cheers. Look ma, I got my mojo back. Reading was recorded, so may see it on the Crisis Chronicles Library one of these days or weeks or months or years. He’s already posted 31 entries there of me and another 18 of Lady K.

And there’s two new chapbooks of other poets work using my artwork on their covers . . . both from Crisis Chronicles Press. This gives me a dozen or more poetry book covers over the past decade.

The one above is J.E. Stanley’s Rapid Eye Movement.

The One below is Grace, You Let the Screen Door Slam by William Merricle, which uses my assemblage sculpture Downstairs.


Grace by William Merricle – cover design by John Burroughs using Smith assemblage

Here’s my original foto of the piece.


Downstairs, 1996, 11″ x 22″ x 5″ – sculpture & foto by Smith

Lullaby for One-Eye

November 16, 2011 1 Comment

Traffic jam- foto by Smith

Lullaby for One-Eye

Dark horses break for dawn
pulling me along
through pop of bubble wrap
to poop of cultured crap
where we get as our reward
green stamps in lieu of cash
in corporate core of corpse
defrauded failing fast
Humpty Dumpty held
together by the past
herded into hordes
of traffic jam
and jazz

— Smith, 11-16-2011

I’m one of three poets and one dancer featured tonight at the Bela Dubby at 7pm for the 3rd Annual Lix & Kix Poetry Extravaganza.

The dancer is Jacueline Honoshofy (her outfit in the foto on the flyer looks Latin American or Mid-Eastern), while we three poets (Bree, Jack McGuane and me) are each showcasing our new chapbooks put out by Dianne Borsenik’s Nightballet Press facebook.com/nightballet.press and John Burroughs’ Crisis Chronicles Press facebook.com/crisischronicles.

Bela Dubby is at 13321 Madison Ave, Lakewood, OH 44107 . . . fone# is 216.221.4479.


Green cramps – foto by Smith

Face

November 14, 2011 No Comments

Thou shalt not – foto by Smith

Face Lift

I don’t want to be face
but if memoir works
I’m face
if artwork works
I’m face.
if work works
let it be face
not me
which is really weird
because for years and years
face is all I wanted

— Smith, 11-14-2011


Preoccupation – foto by Smith

Snake and apple, anyone?

November 13, 2011 5 Comments

Stop – foto by Smith

What kind of man advocates murder to make a better world?

I had a disturbingly weird converstaion last month that’s still eating at me, except it wasn’t a conversation so much as a snake in the grass with an apple saying “Take a bite, it’ll be good for you; and if not a nibble, how about a little lick just to test the texture and taste; or at least hold it a bit and admire its sweet round redness awhile. (Book of Genesis, Garden of Eden anyone?)

I was standing in a crowd enjoying the sun and feeling good about seeing such a large outpouring of the young in their articulate awareness protesting all that’s wrong with our current economic and ecological systems, when a dude behind me said this is all well and good, but it won’t accomplish anything because working inside the system will never bring fairness and equality; in fact even letting us vote was just a trick to make us believe we had a voice in the process. (Unfortunately he has a point.)

I said we at least had to try, and that there were some encouraging signs of hope — for example, the Occupy Wall Street movement was growing explosively around America as well as the world, and it was already changing the minds and perceptions of millions; he poo-poohed it, said the cities will shut them down for their rich masters (again, he has a point), that the very system had to go — we needed a revolution to first destroy the current unworkable system, then rebuild a fair and equitable society.

Told him violence was not necessary, especially now that the internet and social media were wakening people to what’s going on, both the good and the bad of it all, and that the good was expanding. He said no, the government can cut off social media anytime they want (which is true — Egypt did it, as did San Fransisco). He went back to insisting we had no choice but to bring down the system, then rebuild.

I explained that even as angry as I was at the system, I was non-violent and tried (with great difficulty) to walk the path of Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Then I asked him the obvious question: “Won’t your revolution kill thousands, maybe even millions of people?” ‘Yes,” he replied, “but not as many as would die if we don’t, so actually we’d be saving lives”.

“So basically you’re advocating murder.”

“I don’t like to use that word, it has such negative implications. I prefer to say killing.” Oh great, that’s supposed to make me feel better? I told him killing IS murder, even when sanctioned by governments, and he was just playing word games. He saw I was disgusted and moved on.

But his statement still chills me. How can anyone rationalize murdering people to make a more moral world?

Even if you set morality aside (as our Government seems to have no trouble doing in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Latin America, the USA, etc), exactly how do you go about killing a government composed of millions of people, an armed forces of millions, cops of millions? Do you kill their secreteries and chauffers too? What about their wives and kids and pets? Who chooses who dies, who decides who lives? And just where and when and how does your more moral and better world result from you becoming the very thing you’re fighting? How can a pure and fair Utopia rise from your neighbor’s decaying flesh? It certainly hasn’t worked very well in Libya.

Yet I can see his point. In one way, it’s simple self-defense.

I think I could kill a person who was attacking my wife; and I would defend myself were I physically attacked, be the attacker robber, rapist, soldier, policeman, or random chanced upon mentally disturbed individual. I can’t know this for sure untill I’m put in such a situation, so on one level it’s all a mind game; but no one has the moral or legal right to harm my wife or myself, so morally I believe I could would and should defend my family from actual immediate attack.

And as a people, we ARE being attacked. The corporations are killing us with their products, their processes, their prophets of profit, their purchased prostitution of our government which keeps sending our soldiers overseas to kill brown-skinned people for their oil and political beliefs.

So yes, our system is literally killing us, and killing the earth as well with greed and corporate global toxins. But you can’t fight force with force, especially when they have a much bigger force than you do because then you’ve changed nothing . . . you’ve either just been wiped out yourself, or else you’ve successfully killed them and then you become them and then you await the next them-to-bes who will come after you when they don’t like the way you’re running things.

You can’t defeat force with force because when you use force to overcome force you become the very force you’re opposing, as the past 3,000 years more than adequately proves.

No, you oppose wrong with awareness, education. You open people’s minds with words and actions and examples and humor and being the change you seek.

It is our job — the artists and poets and musicians and singers and activists — to open people’s eyes, to expand their minds and hearts, to help unite spirit and flesh, to raise their moral awareness and get them in touch with their inner Buddha/Christ/Cosmic Consciousness within each of us.

This is the real revolution, the revolution of minds opening, eyes seeing, ears hearing, hearts listening, people helping, sharing, coming together in tribe community family friendship patience compassion hope need and consensus.

You cannot enforce morality with a gun. You cannot make you, the world, or another better by killing people. This is true whether you’re government, soldier, policeman, or revolutionary. As we’ve seen over and over again, when our soldiers overseas kill people in government sanctioned murder, they damage something essential inside themselves, warp their basic humanity, making them shells of shame and rage when they return to the “civilized” societry that hired them to kill.

It’s scary because things are getting more complicated much faster, maybe approaching bad beyond fixing, and if we don’t come together immediately and start doing something right now, then the dude will get his wish – there will be blood in the streets in a vicious violant class war clash and the whole mess will start all over again because power and ego will continue to corrupt the winners and we’re back to “Go Directly To Jail, Do Not Pass GO.”

You don’t fight evil with evil. You don’t fight wrong with wrong. You don’t fight killing with killing. You can’t create a paradise while sleeping with slime.

And yet it looks to me like that’s where we’re heading. And all the blood and violence and death and destruction will not do one iota to help solve our problems of greed, ego, financial inequality, racism, worshipping Mammon, and global warming.

Or wait, I may be wrong. Maybe if we do hasten the process and start killing each other off in the name of right and God and morality, we’ll rid poor Mother Earth of our diseased stench that much faster and she and whatever animals we haven’t yet extincted can get on with healing themselves.

So maybe the dude’s right.

But count me out. As much rage as I have within due to the crimes against humanity and Mother Earth constantly committed by our Cioporate controlled Governments, I still have to try to walk the path of light and right, just so I can bear to look at myself in the mirror.

Power to the peaceful.


Power to the Peaceful – foto by Smith