nadinbrzezinski's posterous

Well got caught in a weird hail storm in Mexico City over the weekend. Will save the controversy as to whether the teformula field reporter could even be right on the concentration on Chapultepec and Reforma. Since it's not on your tv, it could never happen. I have now found just how accurate that observation from Rhandhi Rhodes is, if it is not on your tv it never happened.

What matters is this. The frequency of these storms is up. As in way up, as in 25 or so in the region since 1999 and 11 in the city proper. All of those who are still denying climactic change is real, this matches the science which predicts more dramatic weather events.

But hey denial is easy.

Doing what is right is hard and that includes the slew of measures we need to take. Increasingly we are approaching the point of no return and quite frankly it could be a self inflicted extinction level event.

For the record, your neighbors to the south get it.

It seems some of the solutions people have for cyber bullies are the exact same pieces of advise that do not work in schools. IGNORE IT, they will get bored and go away.

The problem is that real bullies do not react like that. They simply do not. So at this time I have to take the same step I took when I was in HS facing the same crap, with the same advise... transfer. It does not work, ignore does not work with people like that. It simply does not. 

Such is life, but one has to wonder if one is an attractant to these types of personality, and they are a personality type.

But as far as I am concerned there is a time to say fuck it... throw up arms and move on. This is one of them. Will I miss some friends, likely, as in very likely... but the wookie wins. 

And when do sites take this shit seriously? Given the history of facebook and myspace, only after they get sued. This is the US... the land of personal responsibilty until well, it becomes a legal matter. 

Suffice it to say there is a track that they were warned, so when they get sued they cannot pretend they were not, 

As hard as it is to do, when faced with an unresponsive site to this issue, yes walk away. It is  your mental health that is at stake, nothing minor. 

Nadin

A hundred years ago my city fathers went after free speech hard. It became an affront against local laws to actually set up a box, and step on it and start talking within a six block area. (Yes, that is still in the books, technically, so today my local occupiers, using a tad of street theater, broke the law, THAT law). Anyhow, for six months the city, and the Wobblies went back and forth on this. People were arrested, and then refused bail and the courts were clogged. You could call it an occupation.  Today my local Occupy presented to the city a proposal to reform a very specific piece of the city code that is being abused in order to arrest them. Yep, you are an occupier and you register voters, you are encroaching. You are an occupier and place your backpack on the ground, you are encroaching... you put a cup of coffee... well you get the picture. It is being used to stifle free speech... and political activity.  The occupiers have a legal team, and they did file in Federal Court. While the court found against them, it also was specific that the police was interpreting this muni code too broadly. So they are keeping track of all this crap. (Oh so far 200 arrests, 30 actual charged)... And they plan to go back to show to the Judge that nope, the city is not wiling to obey the federal ruling either.  And today they approached the city with an actual ballot proposal to amend this very specific city code. No, it's not just about occupy. You see, the city could also use it, as written right now, to arrest labor or other peaceful picketers in any PUBLIC space. So today they went to the city clerk and put this in. It will be considered next week as a regular agenda item, as in Wednesday at nine in the morning.  Now to all those bemoaning the lack of action or worst. Why is it that you are not getting news of this? (I am sure this is happening in one way or another around the country)... care to guess how much elite press was there? If you guessed close to zero, you'd be correct. I just filed, but it was me, and my husband, playing photographer. That was it. And as is I am risking a relapse of a pretty bad cold by covering this... but any other media? Nope... I mean there is no blood, there is no action, and this is as interesting as the city water works... or paint dry. Think about it... it does not bleed, goes into the circular filing...  Now this is well beyond the Occupy movement... realize that our modern media relies on hits, and actual things that draw eyes to... so having a reporter on a regular city water works beat is not done any more. Most press agencies do not have enough reporters. As is I heard a joke that applies. when the Huff Post sends reporters to the Water Works wake me up. And this is the role of the media in a democracy... so if you wonder why there is a certain level of well, corruption at the local water works, or city council... there you have it... but you will surely learn of the latest car wreck, or house fire. The police blotter used to be the police blotter, not the distraction blotter. Today it functions as a distraction blotter, and as a former medic I enjoy those stories... but realize they are like sugary snacks... not really nutritious.  Things that matter and at times take time no longer get the resources... period. And there is a reason for that... muckracking journalism could uncover something that you might want to keep under wraps if you are part of the governing elite.  I mean my local occupiers also tried AGAIN to meet with the Mayor. Anybody wants to lay odds on the president of the local chamber of commerce getting an interview on a last minute basis?  Other things they are planning... well getting money out of politics is a top priority. There is a state wide petition in the works. They will, most likely, gather signatures for it and canvas. That is on the agenda for Saturday's GA... and in spite of my cold I got 20 or so pages of legalese to go through... there will be a story there as well. One that chances are my local major news media will studiously avoid... it goes against the idea that they are actually organized and have an agenda. Now I am considering a damn nap... this cold is killing me.  And yes I did bundle up, even in sunny san diego... and yes we were all joking today, since half the people were sick, that this was the occupy flu... our lungs got occupied...  A little occupy humor...

So I went to visit my sister today. And what do you know? This is her neighbor's car. This is as far as I can get from Occupy San Diego... 

I have said it many a times that this movement has dug a few deep roots. Well, here you go. Not even away from downtown can I escape the occupations! It is all over!

Oh and I am not complaining. It makes my heart sing. 

Nadin

Well aparently having too thick of a flag staff can land you in hot water with the cops in this town. WHO KNEW? So occupy San Diego called for an emergency flag rally after the cops confiscated everything overnight and cited a Marine Vet for having too thick of a staff on that flag. 

To say that I have not seen that many flags outside a Memorial day... anyhow, I decided to go for the more cute photos for my blog. I mean who can resist that pooch! He is an occupier! 

 

Oh here is a very unusual mall photo (protesters) and a flag photo at Civic Center.

I admit, I am geting my exericse every time I go down there anymore. 

One humorous scene, occupiers mic checking the police oat to the cops... there is humor in that one, There is a lot of humor in that one. Not one of those things you expect to see every day. 

It was funny... anyhow, enjoy the photos... and from seeing what the folks at Anchorage are going through, we got it easy in this town. 

 

The season for singing and merry making was met with some interesting new lyrics at Mission Valley Mall tonight. Mind you the reality is that these women, members of the Women Occupy San Diego, came to sing a very political message with their Carols. They were mostly received well, except for the gentleman who gave them the single finger salute. Guy if you read this, that is not cool.

Anyhow, they brought the message of economic and social justice to shopers mostly busy with last minute shoping, and my irony meter hit a high point on the way home. Yup, after all the festivities were over, on the way to the car a homeless kid asked for money for shelter. No, this is not Minessota, but it is telling that these women were singing about these issues.. and I find myself buying this kid dinner. I guess this is the reality we now live under. It is a sad realty. 

Regardless, I invite you to once again look at these women. Do they look like the images the media gives you? Hardly. They are middle class women, period. Think about this next time you read about the dirty hippies in the encampments. Occupy is deep and across all strata of society. And this is but one more of those moments. 

Nadin

Well my Congress woman got occupied. No serious. People went to her office, after finding out the local Democratic Paty HQ was closed. That was the first target. Why were they there? Folks, they were angry. Ok anger is a somewhat trite word these days. So what is better? Concerned? They were not happy, why? This is a question rarely asked these days by elite media. So WHY? 

They were not happy since the President is about to sign the National Defense Authorization Act. They are truly scared that Provisions 1031 and 1032 will pretty much gut the bill of rights. 

So you might ask... them must be Republicans right? Nope. 

Will Robinson danger ahead. These are the base of the Democratic Party. These are the people who usually come out and happily vote for DEMOCRATS. So if I were part of the Democratic Party I'd start paying attention, unless of course it matters little anymore. 

Oh and for the record, these well dressed folks are also OCCUPIERS, and members of Veterans for Peace and Progressive Democrats, and a few other groups that are traditionally alined to the left, So there you have it. A few more into who really the Occupy movement is, and in my view how deep it is. 

Oh and a few points made... one was truly concerned that this has been rushed through, and perhaps it is meant to deal with the Occupy movement. After all, apparently my local cops, and your local cops, are told that political activists are low level terrorist. Now I don't know if this scares me, or just angers me... but hey.. there you have it. 

(Yes, they have been trying to bring a few of these points to the local city council... pulling nails would be easier) 

Quiick, thanks to Elite Media what comes to your mind when Occupy comes into conversation? Hippie, dirty... young... perhaps even smelly.

Well the women above ARE occupiers. They are part of the local Middle Class Women Occupy movement. They support the local occupy, and today they went to the Mission Valley mall to serenade shoppers with slightly modified Chirstmas Carrolls, that bring the message to people who work.

So you'd think a lot of people might have been a little annoyed right? No, not quite. There is more, people were mostly supportive of them, clean cut middle class women.

Since I was covering this as press I got to gauge reactions and talk to people. I talked to people from all walks of life, including Union Members who see them as sisters in the struggle. Yes, I did talk to an SEIU Union Member. I also talked to a teacher, a mother, and a couple kids. 

Truth is, this is also what Occupy is... and this is what a grassroots movement looks like. Oh and I forgot, they vote. 

So you might ask... what are these nice ladies doing out there? Well to quote one, "So our children will have a democracy and a future." 

It sums it up nicely, now doesn't it? 

So next time you watch the local or national ELITE CORPO news... and all they show you are the usual, think of these women singing to shoppers in the middle of an average mall in an average city. 

Nadin

Nothing like walking to the Crosby Park Entrance of the Port of San Diego and finding that one. Suffice it to say when I arrived it was me, and the Channel 9 Guys... and yes a few cops, and the Spokesperson for the port who gave me a list of do's and don'ts that got filed away in back pocket. It was cold, it was dreary and just starting to rain.

 

 

Well this is the early part of the march... what can I say, only about a hundred people showed up.

So off to the North Gate I go... long walk... good two, two and a half miles...(mind you I needed to do this again to come back)

And here is what we see.

 

So we continued to observe until the cops literally fomed up and walked away... after we learned that Oakland and Portland were closed. (Cheers from the crowd).No, it was not victory, they already had declared the assembly ilegal and all that. Nope. They pushed occupiers from the Crosby entrance and onto Cesar Chavez and Harbor Drive... and that is when the four arrests happened. 

So after the officers had a 1:1 ratio, I knew it was time to go home, and just file.

Nadin

 

"I can be as nasty and slimmy and tricky as any Corporation." 

Hank Bfepetter, San Diego Occupy.

So today I spent the day at Occupy, and was there for the Occupy Foreclosures. I learned that Mr. Kenney is still on his hunger strike, and that the Occupy movement is also branching into the Foreclosure crisis. To say that this is a serious crisis is to put it mildly. Here I can actually go into a story I heard from a women from Women Occupy. A women in South San Diego, in Bonita, was helped by Congressman Filner to keep her home. Bravo Congressman. But as she pointed out, banks are willing to go there, when there are examples, but in general nope, not at all. 

Like the Great Depression we are seeing similar patterns occur, that includes dealing with the housing crisis. I am not surprised, and I am not surprised that people feel they need to do this. The statistics are horrible, and when 60% of the homes in this county are underwater that is serious business. But hey, the banks got bailed out... and that seems to be all that matters. 

 

Nadin