One of the many many things I love about the Occupy movement is that it is bringing people of different walks of life together on a common interest. When this happens, innovation occurs. After all, one cannot make a cake using only flour, and one cannot make a society by only including the like-minded. Tolerance, acceptance, love, and a common goal – these are the things that are needed for a group to come up with ideas. One cannot be afraid to try and fail; no idea is a bad idea, especially as one ‘bad’ idea can always lead to a spate of better ideas that would have never been considered otherwise. Feeling free enough to try – that is an amazing and beautiful thing, even and especially if it is a teense bit snarky. For example:

Occupy protesters return to UC Berkeley
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news%2Flocal%2Feast_bay&id=8435331

I make no secret of the fact that I am utterly charmed by nose-thumbing.. This is pretty darn classy – I’d love to see someone try to bulldoze those down! Yeah yeah strings, but it still doesn’t steal the charm of the intent or the idea.

Interview with creator of Occupy Wall Street “bat-signal” projections during Brooklyn Bridge #N17 march
http://boingboing.net/2011/11/17/interview-with-the-occupy-wall.html

Once again, I’m utterly charmed by the concept and usage. The interview is also pretty darn excellent, and I think, captures the spirit of what this movement is all about. We have been told to be scared, and now we fight back with love and song, beaming our message as we go.

I also wanted to share some fascinating factoids about the London camp and how it operates. The OLSX branch gets a lot of flack for being a part-time movement, for being benefit scroungers, and so on; it’s about the same as what any other branch of the movement gets, to be fair. I think this clearly demonstrates that the camp isn’t just the couple of hundred of people doing the day-to-day work – it is so many more:

Camponomics: the well-oiled machine that has kept St Paul’s tent city alive
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/article-24007894-camponomics-the-well-oiled-machine-that-has-kept-st-pauls-tent-city-alive.do

That is what the people can do, people. It might not be utopia, and there might be some unfortunate victims (nothing is bloodless in any sort of war – there is always some sort of casuality), it is nothing short of amazing that this is what a few supposed slackers can pull off by working together.

And finally, just a reminder of some at-source reading materials:

The Occupy Wall Street Press
http://paper.li/occupymanhattan/1317517749

The Occupied Times of London
http://theoccupiedtimes.co.uk/

Just remember, change is coming, and society as a whole needs you and me and everyone to be a part of it. While there will always be bad elements, it just means that the rest of us have to work a little harder to try and educate and love them a bit more. I don’t think we can fix everything and everyone, but we can surely make things better if we try. So what do you have to lose, really? 😉

Have a great Saturday!