Occupy Harvard Street As Well

It's been a while

I noticed some of the complaints had to do with tuition debt, and while I completely agree with the sentiment "Give us a bailout instead of big corporations". I think the bigger problem here is that schools are charging too much. These days you can learn from 50 other sources if you so desire. If anything, the person who deserves the big bucks is the teacher who taught you how to read and write, she enabled you to open the world before you! OK, some degrees are useful, very useful and even enable you to function in the work you will be pursuing, but speaking as a graduate of arts and science I am disappointed.

If people here can organize a demonstration on a world wide basis, they can surely do the same with some kind of "opt out" year where everyone just stops going to Universities until they get their act together. These bastards have it coming.

OK, here are my thought from my trip to Zuccotti Park on Friday

Went again at lunch time, the movement is growing. More people then ever in Zuccotti Park but so is the police presence. Cops everywhere this morning but it seems the protesters won this battle as the City backed down on getting them out of there to clean up the park. Don't know what that was really about. Tensions are still high along Broadway where guys in stock exchange jackets argue with the hippies. Police stand on the ready. The more people show up at the park, the more it gets hairy. But I will say this, the majority of these people are college kids, the same ones I saw at NYU protesting this or that, they are pretty harmless, idealistic, actually good kids. But I see there some gutter punks in the mix, kids who really do live a more anarchistic existence. These guys were sitting in the middle of the park and smoking a joint. I can't even explain the utter lack of concern this displays. There are a thousand cops surrounding the park not to mention the hundred that must be in there undercover. Wow. Some interesting characters as well. Like the V inspired one I took a picture off, some libertarian minded guys supporting capitalism and one guy who stood holding up a sign with these three words: CONSIDER MAXIMUM WAGE. There are some good ideas out there, lot of half baked ones but I can't see this ending well for anyone I'm afraid. Only the cold weather can disperse the event, 'till then, shit can still go down.

excuses, excuses, excuses

Sorry, haven't written anything in a while. Just ran out of inspiration I guess also the logistics of updating have become more difficult. I intend to remedy this soon and be back bitching in the next few weeks when I get some new hardware. Until then please enjoy the old posts and this picture I took of a bum sleeping on a park bench just off of Canal Street this week. He covered his face with an I LOVE NY T-Shirt, classic.

(my) Egypt Analysis

This weeks Newsweek had an article on the riots occurring in Egypt and other Arab countries, they mention a population boom of young men. that's not entirely accurate. Birth rates have always been high in these countries, that's not what has changed. People are dirt poor and opportunities scarce, also, no change. The fact that dictators rule these nations is as old as society itself in Northern Africa. But there is something that has changed. 50 years ago, young Muslim men were welcome into Europe where many emigrated and found jobs. About 10 years ago those jobs began drying up. In recent years high numbers of unemployed and voiceless young men in these countries began causing problems for authorities. Many of the lax immigration laws were changed and much of Western Europe has been closed to new immigration ever since. What was once a release valve for excess populations in no more.

The groups gathering at Liberation Square in Cairo (at least what is being reported) are revolting with no particular cause other then the ouster of Mubarek. What's that going to do for them? Democracy in the hands of this mob is a bad idea for everyone and I suspect much of these troubles have been instigated by the Muslim Brotherhood and other pro-militant Islamic factions. The only thing I am sure of is that the people throwing rocks and burning cars probably never got a cent of the billion dollars the US sends Egypt's way every year.

I feel bad, the angry young men are like rebels without a cause, full of testosterone and trouble they are not what is being portrayed. These are not lovers of democracy, freedom and other such lofty ideals, well, maybe on some superficial level they are. Mostly this is a mob of people on the fringe. You are in your twenties, your job prospects are horrible and in a society where access to a wife is severely limited by your religion and income, you are frustrated. This can't end well for them. Mubarek may be every nasty thing they say but for international purposes, he is stable and does not cause trouble. Internally, I couldn't tell you but from the looks of the real life flash mob, reporters better keep filming from their hotel rooms because what is on the ground is neither uplifting nor worth the accolades.

You know what it is?

Little old ladies who haven't been felt up in years seem to be the only ones benefiting from the new enhanced screening methods.Watching the TV coverage last night of the TSA protests were more revealing then the newscasters thought. Of course people did not "opt out" of one intrusive search over another, both are equally humiliating and people don't have time when travelling. What the reporters inadvertently did convey was the that fact that people just opted out of flying altogether. Yes, the airports were free and clear and running smoothly, but that's because anyone who could drive, board a bus or ride a train was doing just that, Amtrak reported having every single car available in service yesterday.

People have just had enough, the frisking was the final straw it seems. People will put up with just so much before they revolt. In the name of safety they will put up with even more, but these airport molestings are just not making people feel any safer, and as far as I know, the TSA has not stopped one single terroris tever. I'll tell you from personal experience that being treated like a criminal is not pleasant. I worked for Century 21 once, I lasted five days. My primary reason for leaving was the twice daily pat downs by store security that every employee was subjected to. How can we support the notion that every man is presumed innocent before a court of law but somehow is presumed a terrorist at an airport? Once again, the common man is afforded less rights then the common criminal.

The whole Government logic just seems a step behind the realities of the situation. A guy tries to blow up a plane with his shoes, we are all taking our shoes off. Another uses his underwear to smuggle a bomb, we are now being ogled and felt down to our skivies. I can't wait to see to reaction and the type of agents they hire after a future terrorist smuggles something in his ass! That is the next logical hiding spot, am I right?

I understand that the Government really has no great interest in sexually assaulting flying passengers on a daily basis, but this is a disaster. The airline industry cannot cope with yet another setback of this magnitude. Yes, people who have to fly will fly. You just can't get to Europe or California in a reasonable time period unless you take a plane, but I project the death of short and medium distance flights. Expect more mergers, bancrupcies, more fees and crappier service. The protesters didn't have to make a point, economics will. I will however like to congratulate the man in New York who showed up in underwear and the gal in LA who came in bikini, nothing like mockery to bring home a point.

Nations Editors Abdicate Duty To Snooki

THE LEEK
(an Onion parody)
Dateline: New York

In case you were confused as to how our esteemed leader could know the names of notable cultural institutions like Jay-Z but feign ignorance when asked about Snooki on The View, we now have more insight. This weeks premiere of The Jersey Shore began with Snooki packing up for a reunion with her Guido pals in Miami, she tells the camera "I am bringing tons of bronzer with me since I am no longer going to tanning salons. I ain't going since Obama started to tax them. Of course he doesn't have to tan, just look at him".

Bravo Snookster, the only person (outside of a few well written blogs) to mention the tanning tax and its implied racist overtones. When asked for comment, editors of our countries newspapers started staring at their shoes and mumbled something before running away to hide their heads in the soil of the nearest office plant.

X-Grown Ups

I saw a flyer for a water balloon fight this weekend, not for kids but for grown men and women. Whimsical, sure , but it is also a bad sign. People are just not growing up. There is even a movie out right now called Grown Ups that seems to confirm what I am saying.

Look at the X Games, I guess it's not much different from any professional sport that pays grown men to play games that are really meant for children, but there is something just so stupid looking of a 20 year old on a tiny BMX bike or a 30 something skateboarding around like he is a ten year old popping over to the local park to trade baseball cards and drink soda pop. At least to me, they look absurd, sort of like Boy Scouts who stay on long past the point where they look stupid in little brown shorts so they can make Eagle Scout. Sometimes you just have to know when to hang up childhood pastimes. Maybe that's why people have kids of their own, then they don't look ridiculous on the ball field when they are teaching their own sons and daughters how to hit a ball.

In The Field

After 2 weeks of bureaucratic BS I finally got to go out and do what I am being paid for, conducting the Census. Man, I almost forgot how much I love doing this. I went around house to house ringing bells and just talking to people. I only got one family counted tonight but it was everything I remembered it to be. People are interesting and when they cooperate it's just a pleasure to do this job.