Teach-ins are being conducted all over!
You can find one near you by clicking here: http://rebuildthedream.com/teachin.
I received this email today, and am posting it for anyone in Houston who might be able to attend.
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For those of us outside the pop culture loop, a frequent question related to the Occupy movement is, What’s up with the mustachioed mask?
The LA Times has provided a brief, cogent explanation. Click here to read the article.
This artist's concept shows NASA's two Voyager spacecraft exploring a turbulent region of space known as the heliosheath, the outer shell of the bubble of charged particles around our sun. After more than 33 years of travel, the two Voyager spacecraft will soon reach interstellar space, which is the space between stars.
For those who maintain the occupation at night and all day: “They also serve who only stand and wait.” ~ John Milton (1608 – 1674) from Sonnet XIX.
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The #OccupyHouston web site is very much a work in progress. I search for bits and sources of information every time I go to it, and sometimes find new sections or capabilities. What I try to do on this blog is consolidate and point out these pieces of information, and direct you to them. I also make small editing changes in an attempt to emphasize or clarify some details. Any errors or misinterpretations in that area are mine.
They’ve been busy bees down at Tranquility Park. Getting ready for the Halloween weekend appears to have really consumed the time they might otherwise have been dedicating to information updates. Tonight (Oct. 30), there is the HauntHouston Open Mic Night Party & Protest, from 5-8PM.
Now, it appears that the folks of #OccupyHouston are catching up on some admin work and looking ahead, planning new protest demonstrations.
The OccupyHouston Divestment March will take place on Friday, November 4 from 9:00am – 12:30pm, with a tentatively scheduled guest appearance by renowned activist, commentator, donor and documentary film maker Michael Moore!
Details on the November 4th protest, as well as the minutes of the last several days, are posted after the jump.
There is a new “Upcoming Events” section on the right-hand side of #OccupyHouston’s Home Page. You have to scroll down a bit to see it. Some details are posted at the bottom, after the jump. Some of the on-site links there are ‘hot’; mine here are not.
Details of the OccupyHouston Divestment March, and recent updates of General Assembly minutes are posted below the jump.
For those who maintain the occupation at night and all day: “They also serve who only stand and wait.” ~ John Milton (1608 – 1674) from Sonnet XIX.
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Is anything scarier than corporate over-reach and Koch-power? Maybe the CORPORATE HOUSE OF HORRORS! See details below!
It is my intention for all links from OccupyHouston.org to be live. If they don’t work, it’s my head-scratcher, and I apologize. Let me know.
This weekend’s OccupyHouston agenda is below the jump.
I had intended for this to post on the 26th, but it somehow didn’t happen. I’m now belatedly posting these videos to have something representative of this horror on the blog.
This video was shot by John Osborn of Mission Local during the initial part of the police raid on the Occupy Oakland campsite in downtown Oakland, from around 4:30 am to 6:30 am Tuesday morning. It depicts footage of several hundred police officers dressed in riot gear and armed with helmets, batons, plastic hand cuffs, and megaphones evicting the protesters from the tent city they have been living in since October 10 in front of Frank Ogawa Plaza by City Hall.
This video is a rough cut and has not been edited. There are gaps and changes in the sound level, and it is not entirely in chronological order. This video also contains strong language. Additional footage provided by guslto99.
For those who maintain the occupation at night and all day: “They also serve who only stand and wait.” ~ John Milton (1608 – 1674) from Sonnet XIX.
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It’s 2 AM Thursday. OccupyHouston’s planned events for the Halloween period look really cool, fun and educational and everyone should really enjoy it. [I’m afraid that “educational” might scare some folks off – Mike] You can learn all about it here: HAUNT (aka, OCCUPY) HOUSTON: News of October 26th, 2011, At TRANQUILITY PARK (Bagby/Walker, or Bagby/Rusk. Maybe later, something will be reported, and I’ll update today’s Occupy news but, sadly, I currently have nothing to add to yesterday’s post
I have tried to blog about OccupyHouston every day almost since the beginning at Hermann Park. I’ve been down there four or five times. Once, I even brought my wife.
My step-daughter goes to school in the Boston area, and I’ve encouraged her to learn about, and participate in, OccupyBoston.
I believe in this movement.
In Houston, visibility is THE key issue. We absolutely don’t want to be in the news for violence, but the problem is that OccupyHouston doesn’t seem to be in the news at all. Our so-called hometown newspaper does stories on OccupyWallStreet/Portland/Oakland/etc., but the Houston Chronicle doesn’t mention OccupyHouston unless they’re practically forced to. I can’t even find any mention in the Chronicle of OccupyHouston at City Hall, and from the OccupyHouston blog it sounded pretty successful. This is true, even though I’ve done a moderately time-consuming search of recent Chronicle articles. And the simple fact is, if I have to HUNT for news of OccupyHouston, than our local part of the movement is missing the point.
I have what may be a bold suggestion: Occupy The Houston Chronicle! Not necessarily the building itself, since that would be trespassing, but certainly the protest can make itself visible outside the Chron.
Can a newspaper ignore a protest against itself? Would the TV or radio stations in Houston cover a story protesting the Chron’s failure to cover its own homegrown protest movement? Would the Chron’s failure to report a protest against itself (if such should be the case) become its own story?
Things that make you go, “Hmmmmm.”
For those who maintain the occupation at night and all day: “They also serve who only stand and wait.” ~ John Milton (1608 – 1674) from Sonnet XIX.
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As of 12:30 am Wednesday, no minutes are posted. I’ll try to update later.
Greetings boys and ghoulssssss,
Occupy Houston is proud to announce its first ever Corporate House of Horrors! On October 29th, 7:00pm-10:00pm, Tranquility Park will be transformed into a spooky, eerie, freaaaaky haunted house – with one catch! Info below the jump.
Come to “Haunt Wall St.,” Occupy Houston’s open mic poetry night this Sunday, Oct. 30th from 5:00-8:00pm! Info below the jump.
The #OccupyHouston FAQ can be found here: F.A.Q.
You can also find forums (technically ‘fora’) here: Forum.
It is my intention for all links from OccupyHouston.org to be live. If they don’t work, it’s my head-scratcher, and I apologize. Let me know.
For those who maintain the occupation at night and all day: “They also serve who only stand and wait.” ~ John Milton (1608 – 1674) from Sonnet XIX.
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#OccupyHouston will be appearing at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Details below the jump.
The #OccupyHouston FAQ can be found here: F.A.Q. You can also find forums (technically ‘fora’) here: Forum.
It is my intention for all links from OccupyHouston.org to be live. If they don’t work, it’s my head-scratcher, and I apologize. Let me know.
GA Minutes below the jump. Today, the GA Minutes for the 24th were posted same-day. No question about it, the folks at Occupy Houston are working hard and really getting up to speed.
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For those who maintain the occupation at night and all day: “They also serve who only stand and wait.” ~ John Milton (1608 – 1674) from Sonnet XIX.
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The #OccupyHouston FAQ can be found here: F.A.Q. You can also find forums (technically ‘fora) here: Forum
GA Minutes below the jump. Two impressively punctual days in a row. Obviously hitting the Zone! :)
One of the things on this site of which I’m most proud are my links to various counties’ voting information. If you live anywhere near Houston, TX, you may be able to find your info at one of the links here: https://thinkwingradio.com/political-information-and-resources/. If you don’t live near Houston, but are in Texas, you can go to the Secretary of State by clicking here: https://thinkwingradio.com/political-information-and-resources/texas-state-of/. Voting information is also available here: votexas.org.
I received this from the Texas Democratic Party, but it applies to all Texans, regardless of party affiliation:
Dear fellow Democrat,
Early Voting for the November 8, 2011 elections begins on Monday, October 24th and runs through Friday, November 4th. There are a few things we thought you should know before heading to the polls.
If you have additional questions about voting in this year’s election, check out votexas.org.
Thank you,
Sondra Haltom
Political Director, on behalf of Your Texas Democratic Party
OPINION PIECE: Like some of the commentors I’ve been reading at various places on the OccupyHouston.org website, I, too, am concerned about a loss of focus of our #OccupyHouston movement.
The diverse support for OCCUPY seems to coalesce around one basic premise: The out-sized influence exercised by large corporations and the rich — the 1% — on our nation’s politics, policies, and destiny.
At the risk of mixing metaphors, diverse support splinters when you start ‘goring’ an increasing number of different ‘oxen’.
Popular support for the OCCUPY movement has crossed virtually all ideological and philosophical lines. In spite of pundits’ criticism that there is no coherent message, there actually is a very clear message of sorts: “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!”
That’s a message! Read our angry lips!
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For those who maintain the occupation at night and all day: “They also serve who only stand and wait.” ~ John Milton (1608 – 1674) from Sonnet XIX.
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Some interesting new items on the OccupyHouston site.
On the home page, there’s an article called Made Sustainable by Occupy Houston, wherein OH announces that it has secured a 1999 Lincoln Navigator, with the object of using it as a testbed for various, undesignated pollution-lowering technologies. I’m not prepared to criticize (I wasn’t at the GA where this decision was taken, after all), but I am concerned about ‘muddying the message’. I’m also curious how OH tends to proceed with this project.
The GA Minutes are being kept more current. The GA Minutes for Oct. 20th posted below are from Thursday. Nice job, guys!
In addition to the previously announced clean-up day (Clean Sweep!, Saturday, Oct. 22), there is mention in the GA Minutes of Oct. 22nd as a day to “Protest against police brutality”. The Minutes (posted below) provide some more details, but I’d like to see an actual announcement on the site. There’s also some question about how this event will dovetail with the clean-up event, time-wise.
Remember, you can support #OccupyHouston without participating in specific demonstrations with which you do not agree! (Read: OPINION: #OccupyHouston and the Energy Day Protest (Oct. 15) Just bringing your warm body (and any other warm bodies you can rustle up) represents support for the movement.
More stuff after the jump.
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I think that this is an appropriate way to see the heroes among us who maintain the occupation: “They also serve who only stand and wait.” ~ John Milton (1608 – 1674) from Sonnet XIX.
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Nothing new that I can locate in the site as of 1:30 am on the 20th. (Correct me if I’m wrong.) At 3 am, I found a summary of ‘passed’ General Assembly (GA) motions which was posted on the 18th (but I had not seen the post previously). Possible updates later. Latest announcements and Details after the jump.
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I made time to visit Tranquility Park this evening at about 10:30 PM. It’s amazing to me how inspired I feel by very little visible activity. It reminded me of the famous quote, “They also serve who only stand and wait.” ~ John Milton (1608 – 1674) from Sonnet XIX.
These are the folks who spend the dark and now increasingly chilly nights on the grass, the benches, the walls, and whatever few amenities have been gathered or donated, in order to maintain the occupation of Houston. To keep the beachhead, as it were, for the spirit and maintenance of the Occupy movement.
As usual, it didn’t take long to strike up a conversation with a couple of the occupiers. This is the third time I’ve made it to the Occupation for any span of time, and I still find it remarkable how quickly it begins to feels like I’m among friends.
I urge you to experience it.
Mike
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Latest announcements and Details (as of 2:30 AM) after the jump.
Remember, you can support #OccupyHouston without participating in specific demonstrations with which you do not agree! (Read: OPINION: #OccupyHouston and the Energy Day Protest (Oct. 15) Just bringing your warm body (and any other warm bodies you can rustle up) represents support for the movement.
SIGNIFICANT AID FOR OccupyHouston PARTICIPANTS! Tweeted by“@OccupyHouston: http://Www.wepay.com/donate/OccupyHoustonBailFund this account has been made to assist anyone who can’t financially bail themselves out for taking part in CD.” [Civil Disobedience – Mike]
OccupyWallStreet has grown, and it’s all over the country! You can find an OCCUPY[YourTown] event by visiting OccupyTOGETHER.
If you live in or near Houston, Texas, the organizational web site is:
http://occupyhouston.org/
According to: Vipul Divecha on October 1st, 2011 at 12:33 am # Parking is free in Downtown Houston after 6PM M-Saturday and free all day Sundays. Here is a resource on Downtown Houston parking, http://downtownhouston.org/resource/parking. This is an interactive map with locations of buildings, underground tunnels, parking, etc: http://www.marketscenter.net/ext/houstondowntown
Remember that Occupies[YourTown] need supplies and money. #OccupyHouston has a link of their needs here. Use it as a reference, since your local group probably has similar needs.
Posted after midnight, Oct. 18th. May update later.
#OccupyHouston declares solidarity with Houston Unido in its protest against corporatized detention of illegal immigrants.
There are just some things which should not be ‘privatized’.
Protest at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at the Federal Detention Facility in Downtown Houston:
1200 Texas Ave (at San Jacinto)
Houston, TX 77002
Details after the jump.
Remember, you can support #OccupyHouston without
participating in specific demonstrations with which you do not agree! (Read: OPINION: #OccupyHouston and the Energy Day Protest (Oct.
15) Just bringing your warm body (and any other warm bodies you can
rustle up) represents support for the movement.
SIGNIFICANT AID FOR OccupyHouston PARTICIPANTS!
Tweeted by“@OccupyHouston: http://Www.wepay.com/donate/OccupyHoustonBailFund this
account has been made to assist anyone who can’t financially bail themselves
out for taking part in CD.” [Civil Disobedience – Mike]
OccupyWallStreet has grown, and it’s all over the country! You can find an OCCUPY[YourTown] event by visiting OccupyTOGETHER.
If you live in or near Houston, Texas, the organizational web site is:
http://occupyhouston.org/
Remember that Occupies[YourTown] need supplies and money. #OccupyHouston has a link of their needs here. Use it as a reference, since your local group probably has similar needs.
Contrary to earlier information, the #OccupyHouston base camp may be in one of TWO places: Bagby and Walker, or Bagby and Rusk. Both are at different parts of Tranquility Park.
So far, the news for Monday the 17th is about the Art Show. Try to attend and have some fun. Details are after the jump.
Remember, you can support #OccupyHouston without participating in specific demonstrations with which you do not agree! (Read: OPINION: #OccupyHouston and the Energy Day Protest (Oct. 15) Just bringing your warm body (and any other warm bodies you can rustle up) represents support for the movement.
SIGNIFICANT AID FOR OccupyHouston PARTICIPANTS!
Tweeted by“@OccupyHouston:
http://Www.wepay.com/donate/OccupyHoustonBailFund this account
has been made to assist anyone who can’t financially bail themselves out for
taking part in CD.” [Civil Disobedience – Mike]
OccupyWallStreet has grown, and it’s all over the country! You can find an OCCUPY[YourTown] event by visiting OccupyTOGETHER.
If you live in or near Houston, Texas, the organizational web site is:
http://occupyhouston.org/
Remember that Occupies[YourTown] need supplies and money. #OccupyHouston has a link of their needs here. Use it as a reference, since your local group probably has similar needs.
Twitter has its bad points, like spam tweets and sheer addiction-making.
But THIS … This is the pearl in a thousand oysters that reminds you why Twitter and Youtube are amazingly great!
(Okay, this post won’t win Pulitzers for writing style, but watch the video!)
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FROM: @KeithOlbermann amazing video of marine defending protesters to NYPD near Times Square Oct 15 RT @jopauca: This is the Marine from last night http://bit.ly/p5ElQLLong post from Deck.ly 2011-10-17T03:29:44 View on Twitter
From the Youtube site: Uploaded by BklynJHandyon Oct 16, 2011
United States Marine Corps. Sgt. Shamar Thomas from Roosevelt, NY went toe to toe with the New York Police Department. An activist in the Occupy Wall Street movement, Thomas voiced his opinions of the NYPD police brutality that had and has been plaguing the #OWS movement.
Thomas is a 24-year-old Marine Veteran (2 tours in Iraq), he currently plays amateur football and is in college.
Thomas comes from a long line of people who sacrifice for their country: Mother, Army Veteran (Iraq), Step father, Army, active duty (Afghanistan), Grand father, Air Force veteran (Vietnam), Great Grand Father Navy veteran (World War II).
UPDATE: Free parking in Downtown Houston on Sunday!! (According to #OccupyHouston)
It’s 4 AM on Sunday and the biggest news I can find is … no news. Nothing new on the OH site, and nothing in the Houston Chronicle about the protest march today. (“All the news that’s fit to ignore”?)
I’ll try to update this post later today. UPDATE BELOW THE JUMP. (10/16, 6:43 PM)
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Check Friday’s post for some travel and transit information which is relevant for this weekend.
Remember, you can #OccupyHouston without participating in specific demonstrations with which you do not agree! (Read: OPINION: #OccupyHouston and the Energy Day Protest (Oct.
15)
SIGNIFICANT AID FOR OccupyHouston PARTICIPANTS! Tweeted
by“@OccupyHouston:
http://Www.wepay.com/donate/OccupyHoustonBailFund this account has been made to assist anyone who can’t financially bail themselves out for taking part in CD.” [Civil Disobedience – Mike]
OccupyWallStreet has grown, and it’s all over the country! You can find an OCCUPY[YourTown] event by visiting OccupyTOGETHER.
If you live in or near Houston, Texas, the organizational web site is: http://occupyhouston.org/
Remember that Occupies[YourTown] need supplies and money. #OccupyHouston has a link of their needs here. Use it as a reference, since your local group probably has similar needs.
Continue reading
Check yesterday’s post for some travel and transit information which is relevant for this weekend.
Remember, you can #OccupyHouston without participating in specific demonstrations with which you do not agree! (Read: OPINION: #OccupyHouston and the Energy Day Protest (Oct. 15)
OCTOBER 15th Plan: “RALLY For Responsible Energy! 12:00 noon, SATURDAY, Oct 15: Background information: Occupy Houston will be conducting a Silent March to demonstrate against the interests behind Energy Day. Find out more information on our website, or Facebook event page.”
SIGNIFICANT AID FOR OccupyHouston PARTICIPANTS! Tweeted by“@OccupyHouston: http://Www.wepay.com/donate/OccupyHoustonBailFund this account has been made to assist anyone who can’t financially bail themselves out for taking part in CD.” [Civil Disobedience – Mike]
OccupyWallStreet has grown, and it’s all over the country! You can find an OCCUPY[YourTown] event by visiting OccupyTOGETHER.
If you live in or near Houston, Texas, the organizational web site is: http://occupyhouston.org/
Remember that Occupies[YourTown] need supplies and money. #OccupyHouston has a link of their needs here. Use it as a reference, since your local group probably has similar needs.
Latest site posts (October 15, 3:42 AM) below the jump.
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On the #OccupyHouston site, I saw the following comment about the planned October 15th demonstration:
Holt Carle on October 14th, 2011 at 11:09 am #
Protesting the Energy Day event will give the impression that the Occupy Houston, and by association, the OWS movement is about environmental issues, which it should not be. This move will alienate some people and distract others from the more pressing issues of the growing income disparity in the US and corporate influence in US politics.
I think I agree with this.
The appeal of #Occupy runs across all divides: political, ethnic, social. That appeal is: 1. Getting big donor and corporate money out of our politics so that leaders need many more small donations (and voters’ support) to win office, and 2. Focusing our leaders’ attention on the nation’s real and pressing problems, and not their next election challenge.
This simple notion is the reason I met folks ranging from homeless to socialist to Ron Paul Libertarians at #OccupyHouston. It’s the one thing pretty much everyone agrees on.
KISS! (Keep It Simple, Stupid!)
One message, one goal, one people, one movement.
Other groups will glom onto #Occupy’s now-high profile, but they should not be supported by, or identified with, #Occupy.
IMHO.
#OccupyHouston has a major rally scheduled. Click on this link to get details. RALLY For Responsible Energy! 12:00 noon, SATURDAY, Oct 15
SIGNIFICANT AID FOR OccupyHouston PARTICIPANTS! Tweeted by“@OccupyHouston http://Www.wepay.com/donate/OccupyHoustonBailFund this account has been made to assist anyone who can’t financially bail themselves out for taking part in CD.” [Civil Disobedience – Mike]
OccupyWallStreet has grown, and it’s all over the country! You can find an OCCUPY[YourTown] event by visiting OccupyTOGETHER.
If you live in or near Houston, Texas, the organizational web site is: http://occupyhouston.org/
Remember that Occupies[YourTown] need supplies and money. #OccupyHouston has a link of their needs here. Use it as a reference, since your local group probably has similar needs.
Unfortunately, I didn’t make it downtown on Thursday, but I’ll try again late Friday afternoon.
[The posts below the jump are from SITREP – Occupy Houston is at TRANQUILITY PARK, Getting to Tranquility Park, MetroRail not running Saturday or Sunday, and RALLY For Responsible Energy! 12:00 noon, Oct 15. I’m posting this at about 4:57 AM, the 14th. – Mike]
OccupyWallStreet has grown, and it’s coming to a city or town near you.
You can find an OCCUPY[YourTown] event by visiting OccupyTOGETHER.
If you live in or near Houston, Texas, the organizational web site is: http://occupyhouston.org/
Remember that #OccupyHouston, and all the other Occupies[YourTown} need supplies and money. The Houston site has a link of their needs here. Use it as a reference, since your local group probably has similar needs.
They’re all fighting for us; for you! Help how you can!
I will make an effort to be at Hermann Square Park sometime around 5PM, Thursday, traffic and circumstances permitting. If possible, I might make it a personal project to mark available parking and restricted zones around the park on a suitable map. (We’ll see how well that mission works out, but the thought is there.)
[The post below the jump is from http://occupyhouston.org/rally-for-responsible-energy-1200-noon-oct-15/#comment-399 Wednesday 12th, presumably late in the evening. I’m posting it at about 4:37 AM, the 13th. – Mike]
micmac99Michael Sheldon Reed by OccupyHoustonOccupyWallStreet has grown, and it’s coming to a city or town near you.
You can find an OCCUPY[YourTown] event by visiting OccupyTOGETHER.
If you live in or near Houston, Texas, the organizational web site is: http://occupyhouston.org/
The two most recent posts from occupyhouston.org (as of 4 AM on the 12th) are below the jump.
They are now back Downtown across from Houston’s City Hall. (YAY!) “Hermann Square Plaza” is the reflecting pool right outside City Hall on 901 Bagby St. Be careful if you park there. Some stretches of curb are legal, many are not. Some legal places have parking meters, some don’t.
When I was there last week, I noticed that many legal parking spaces were coincidentally occupied by various official vehicles. Sometimes one would fill a space some civilian had just vacated.
DON’T GET A TICKET OR TOWED!! Inspect vacant stretches of curb carefully for signs. (If it’s too good to be true…) If you want to attend and are driving downtown, be prepared to walk or pay for parking, if necessary.
This will make it much more likely that your protest experience will be a happy and gratifying one!
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