Sometimes when you fight

you succeed like our friends who had the Food Stock  & the Soup Stock http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/11/21/quarry-melancthon-proposal446.html  ...

Meditation Flash Mob @ the Toronto Eaton Centre

Meditation Flash Mob @ the Toronto Eaton Centre took place today on Black Friday, November 23 to help to break the spectacle of consumerism and help raise the vibration of the city! Treehugger.com article and video can be viewed here: ‘Meditation Flash Mob Sits in Middle of Mall on “Black Friday’ http://bit.ly/V3auif Facebook Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/495212660513613 Check out this 360 panorama photo: http://360.io/7gUjVQ courtesy of: Simon Plashkes Flashmob artwork design by: Selena Flood Event organized by: Cee Re Ality and Shawn Jason Photos by: Derek Soberal...

Consume less

Consume less as we try to emulate America with Black Friday and Cyber Monday! Here’s an article Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S., is traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year as retailers kick off the holiday season. But this year could begin a new tradition — of Black Friday being the biggest labour protest day of the year. Workers at the giant retailer Wal-Mart are preparing for walkouts and rallies at as many as 1,000 stores across the country. The actions are part of a wave of strikes and protests that began at several distribution centers in September and then moved on to Wal-Mart stores in October. The rolling walkouts have continued sporadically since, as workers organize for the call made by their OUR Walmart campaign for actions on Black Friday around the country. The scale of the Black Friday walkouts will vary from store to store, involving smaller or larger groups of workers. Wal-Mart, of course, is nonunion, so the ‘associates’ who answer the call for a strike will do so in protest over grievances about management retaliation, harassment and unsafe conditions — this gives them some protection under U.S. labour laws. Meanwhile, supporters of the Wal-Mart workers are planning to gather alongside them for rallies, pickets and other actions at the stores — to show their solidarity with this long-awaited challenge to a corporate goliath....

Conformation Bias

So Obama won and Romney was just another side of the same Capitalistic coin. Fortunately, the corporate raider didn’t win. Also losing the popular vote and electoral college. The Senate has remained in Democrat control; though the House is in Republican control. So the question is the TEA(taxed enough already)party people going to double down this term? Here’s what I wrote 8 months ago… http://otga.ca/2012/03/elections-super-tuesday/...

Emergency Toronto Casserole in solidarity with Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois

Saturday, November 3, 12pm Dufferin Grove Park, Toronto (Dufferin St, between Bloor and College) The former spokesperson for CLASSE, the main student union responsible for the Quebec student strike was found guilty of contempt of court on November 1st. He could face up to a year in prison and a $5,000 fine. The judge ruled that Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois incited protesters to disobey the ban on picket lines when he stated in a Radio-Canada interview: “If students need to form picket lines to ensure that their strike votes are respected, we think that’s completely legitimate.” We agree! Most of the student movement agreed! That’s how they won! The court ruling is unjust. It is a political attack on the student movement as a whole and an attempt to criminalize protests. It sets a dangerous precedent for free speech and dissent. We must be vocal in opposing it. Another 3000 people are fighting charges from the strike as well. Drop all charges! Solidarity with Gabriel and the students of Quebec! Please join us in the park with pots and pans  More info: http://montreal.mediacoop.ca/story/ex-student-spokesperson-nadeau-dubois-found-guilty/14042 To make a donation towards legal costs: http://appelatous.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/164380417036919...

‘new economics foundation’ – ‘new economy’ renegade economists propose radical changes in banking

Occupy Toronto 01 August 2012 by Michael Holloway   ‘The Centre and Centre-Left, Social Democrats and Liberal opposition parties could effectively, electorally challenge neo-liberal governments’ economic policy with this model…’   “new economics foundation” is a group of renegade economists who have named themselves as part of a new school called the  ‘new economy’ school. They propose specific changes to banking rules; basically a coarse away from fractional reserve banking – and towards sovereign central banks under democratic control. ‘New Economics’ is a sensible and realistic economic policy alternative to the neo-liberal regime and their austerity approach to solve the crisis they have created. It’s a template that a people’s government could institute right now as an alternative to the neo-liberal economic model. The strategy takes key powers away the banks and financial institutions which presently account for almost all the ‘growth’ in the neo-liberal economys. New Economics proposes a restart the economy with spending by central banks to maintain and expand public infrastructures – education, transportation, housing, energy. Centre and Left-Centre, Social Democratic and Liberals in opposition could effectively, electorally challenge neo-liberal governments with this model – the model becomes a more effective political tool as the crisis deepens. “new economics foundation” (nef) is a group of  ‘radical’ economists who propose specific changes to banking rules that would end the financial crisis. By returning the power to create new money back to the central banks, thus ending the recent era marked by the dominance of the financial sector. Solving the Debt Problem & Financial Crisis: On Monetary Reform with Ben Dyson      About nef  (http://www.neweconomics.org/about) nef (the new economics foundation) is an independent think-and-do tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being. We aim to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environment and social issues. We work in partnership and put people and the planet first. nef was founded in 1986 by the leaders of The Other Economic Summit (TOES) which forced issues such as international debt onto the agenda of the G7 and G8 summits. We are unique in combining rigorous analysis and policy debate with practical solutions on the ground, often run and designed with the help of local people. We also create new ways of measuring progress towards increased well-being and environmental sustainability. nef works with all sections of society in the UK and internationally – civil society, government, individuals, businesses and academia – to create more understanding and strategies for change.   Renegade Economist with Positive Money    Ben Dyson lecture (24:24) Ben Dyson of Positive Money at the Just Banking conference on 20th April 2012 Dyson fields questions from the audience at 19:16.   Via Critical Mass Film | Critical Press | podcasts | “The Magic Box of Money Creation with Ben Curtis and Ben Dyson of Positive Money “    * * *   [Via Donna Jennison post at Casseroles Canada –https://www.facebook.com/groups/242330792546515/permalink/263875993725328/]   Links: Positive Money – http://www.positivemoney.org.uk/ New Era Network | Ben Dyson profile – http://neweranetwork.info/generationnext/ben-dyson/ Youtube, Event Video Services | playlists | Just Banking Conference –  “Just Banking conference on 19th April 2012” (2 videos) – http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDF418BE7D931F75A&feature=plcp “Just Banking conference on 20th April 2012” (13 videos) – http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6A55C517496A1DE7&feature=plcp Just Banking – www.justbanking.org.uk/ Critical Mass Film | http://www.criticalmassfilm.com/ The American Monetary Institute – http://www.monetary.org/ The American Monetary Institute 2012 Conference – Chicago, Sept. 20-23, 2012 –http://www.monetary.org/2012-conference Alternet, “The Rise of the New Economy Movement” (Activists, theorists, organizations and ordinary citizens are rebuilding the American political-economic system from the ground up.)– http://www.alternet.org/economy/155452/the_rise_of_the_new_economy_movement   mh...

1% Ex Doctor & Ex CEO

  is on the hot seat. The tell was Chris Mazza hiring his girlfriend Kelly Long and ordering the Board to approve his actions! This is an example of what happens when you move from a Not for Profit to a For Profit. It shows what happens when you run a Public entity like a Business… http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1228532–ornge-mazza-s-performance-long-on-drama-short-on-answers...

VIDEO: Tim O’Reilly, ‘Work on stuff that matters’

Occupy Toronto 01 August 2012 by Michael Holloway   “..a business should create more value than it captures.” One of the most engaging philosophers of our time, combining a leading edge comprehension of technology and ancient understandings in the humanities – O’Reilly Media and Open Source Convention founder, Tim O’Reilly talks about ‘what’s wrong with this economy’ in keynote at OSCON 2012. “The Clothesline Paradox and the Sharing Economy” Watch live streaming video from oreillycode at livestream.com     References: O’Reilly Radar, January 11, 2009 “Work on Stuff that Matters: First Principles” by Tim O’Reilly – http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/01/work-on-stuff-that-matters-fir.html Open Source Convention – OSCON 2012 – http://www.oscon.com/oscon2012   Via, Google+ post by Tim O’Reilly –https://plus.google.com/u/0/107033731246200681024/posts/Ga2tWrgtqCr Search: “Lynn Stout,  The Shareholder Value Myth”   mh...

VIDEO: Gar Alperovitz, ‘these are revolutionary times’ in keynote at U.S. Green Party Convention

Occupy Toronto 01 August 2012 by Michael Holloway   By the looks of it, the Green Party of the United States is FAR to the left of the Green Party of Canada, after the US party’s national convention this weekend. What do you think? Is that true? Via “Domocracy Now!“, Gar Alperovitz gave this keynote address at the United States Green Party convention that selected Massachusetts physician Jill Stein and anti-poverty campaigner Cheri Honkala as presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the November 2012 general elections in the United States. His speech outlines what he believes is a period of history that is revolutionary in nature, he compares it to the rise of he Republican Party as the anti-slavery party in the 1850′s. While he doesn’t call for a revolution via armed insurrection (the hollywood vision of what revolution means), he does call for the end of capitalism – to be replaced by a socialist state. Gar Alperovitz’s Green Party Keynote: We Are Laying Groundwork for “Next Great Revolution”    FOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! ONLINE: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/democracynow Twitter: @democracynow – http://twitter.com/democracynow Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/democracynow Listen on SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/democracy-now Daily Email News Digest: http://www.democracynow.org/subscribe Gar Alperovitz is a professor of political economy at the University of Maryland, co-founder of the Democracy Collaborative (imagining a future we want – and creating it here, now), and author of, “America Beyond Capitalism: Reclaiming Our Wealth, Our Liberty, and Our Democracy“.   mh...

Bank rates could be

Bank rates could be scandalous in the hands of corrupt & greedy banksters… http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1223877–barclays-libor-scandal-could-at-last-lead-to-real-reform...

VIDEO: Spanish coal miners conclude 3 week march to Madrid with mass rally at Puerta del Sol

Occupy Toronto 13 July 2012 by Michael Holloway   Update: 20 July 2012 – This story so, did NOT get coverage in the 1% media that it’s taken me until now to come across this great photo of the Spanish Coal Miners arrival in Madrid 10 July 2012 – via Twitter user, ‏@EnekoAA (Eneko Aritz) – at 4:43 PM – 10 Jul 12 –https://twitter.com/EnekoAA/status/222838397209808898 – and Via a Retweet by XenoxNews @xenoxnews – https://twitter.com/xenoxnews. @EnekoAA (Eneko Aritz) – at 4:43 PM – 10 Jul 12 https://twitter.com/EnekoAA/status/222838397209808898 (Image link to original Tweet)   I don’t follow mainstream broadcast news – did this story make the evening news Wednesday? Please comment. Spanish coal miners walked 400km across Spain from the Castile coal mining region, to the Spanish capitol in Madrid on Wednesday – to protest new austerity introduced by Spain’s centre-right, People’s Party (PP) government. Today the miners continue their protest with a civil disobedience occupation of of Madrid’s Puerto Del Sol, the place where in October 2011 decisions were arrived at though consensus in general assembly, which lead to the birth of the North American Occupy Movement. * * * (A little history: The PP has been in charge of  Spain’s austerity regime after beating the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) in a Novemeber 2011 general election.  The PSOE’s electoral fortunes began to take a turn for the worse after they introduced Spain’s first – G20Toronto mandated – austerity budget in 2010. The democratic socialist’s first hit came after regional elections on May 22nd, 2011 with 28,000 ”Indignados” occupying Puerta Del Sol the result of a spontanious grass roots movement known as 15M (May 15th). About a week after the regional elections police forces of various Spanish cities began to clear occupiers by force. An on-going cat-and-mouse game developed over the summer all across Spain: occupyers occupying Squares; police clearing them; a new occupation of different square. This police crack down on dissent, more austerity, and constantly higher unemployment, resulted in a massive 500,000 strong Occupation of Puerta Del Sol on October 15th 2011. The result was another election trouncing for the democratic socialists, about a month later – this time in a general election.  The centre-right PP gained the most from PSOE’s collapse – many observers noted a record number of spoiled ballots as an important factor in the PSOE’s demise. The PSOE suffered it’s worst showing in the modern democratic era (which begins at the end of the fascist dictatorship of Francisco Franco, 1975).  * * * The coal miners three-week march against a proposed slashing of Federal Coal Subsidies began in the last week of June.  As the procession neared Madrid people  joined the march in their thousands – by the time the procession reached Puerta del Sol on Wednesday (11 July 2012) the rally had swelled to 10′s of thousands of people.  On the same day as the mners arrived in Madrid, Spain’s Prime Minister announced another round of  austerity cuts to services – with new taxes – that helped swell the crowd appreciably. The Guardian’s Giles Tremlett reports from Madrid, “A tense standoff saw occasional police charges, rubber bullets, and demonstrators hurling objects at police. At least 76 people were injured in clashes along Madrid’s central Castellana Boulevard, but the march eventually ended with nothing more violent than a rousing singsong.” (from “Spanish coal miners bring message of defiance to Madrid” – link below) Some real beautiful moments in the video below (Reuters, published at the Guardian), of men letting themselves show ‘feminine emotions’; coal miners from small mining towns and urban Indignados hugging and crying.   Spanish miners’ anti-austerity protest reaches Madrid – Guardian.co.uk (Source: Reuters) Once again, The Indignados rock!   Map indicating Spain’s coal mining region of Castile via Google Maps In the central Spanish coal mining region of Castile, miners have been on strike against the government’s plan to end coal subsidies since May 1, 2012. There, residents of coal mining towns are blockading roads – defying government authority over the region – after the minister of natural resources tried to downplay the effects of the subsidy changes – that miners now believe will end coal mining in the region for good. The government’s tactic of lies and half-truths has lead to a loss of faith by area residents in the democratic institutions of the country, and to daily running street battles between police armed with riot guns and rubber bullets; and teams of protesters armed with fireworks, practicing their aim with bottle-rockets shot out of pipes. One teenager has been killed by a rubber bullet to the head. Protesters have found golf balls which have been fired out of riot guns – a much more lethal projectile, says one activist. The video below reminds more of the civil war than a contract negotiation.   Spanish coal miners: ‘We need to keep on fighting’ – Guardian.co.uk   Meanwhile in Madrid o Wednesday, Al Jazeera reporter Tim Friend reports “isolated clashes between police and demonstrators”. The article under the video embedded below seems to have little to do with Tim Friend’s reporting. It tries to accent the violence that ended the day at the Industry Ministry – where, the unattributed Al Jazeera article says, “The miners detonated deafening fireworks as they marched, then hurled them at the police riot vans guarding the ministry, which oversees the mining industry.” The article, which sights “Agencies”, goes on to say the violence caused the demonstration to break up immediately, “Most demonstrators fled to side streets for safety after the violence began, …” . These ‘Block bloc’ style tactics (teenagers and young men with psychological problems – or an all-consuming hedonism), use mass demonstrations to launch violent attacks on authority figures – then run and hide in-amoungst parents, children and the elderly who are participating in these other-wise peaceful mass demonstrations. In this writers opinion, there is a good possibility that agent provocateurs are nested in amoungst these masked anonymous ones who don’t like to take responsibility for their actions (unlike the everyone else). Wednesday’s isolated incidents of violence in Madrid give authorities the framework they need to justify violent police action to break up the peaceful, mass, civil-disobedience occupation now under-way at Puerto Del Sol – by the miners and their Indignados supporters.   Spanish miners dig in for prolonged protest – Al Jazeera   I suppose if there was any coverage from Spain on the evening news Wednesday, it most likely focused on this tiny minority of hedonistic individuals with unresolved parental issues. A quick video search of of the major broadcast outlets confirms my prediction; in all, the accent is on the isolated incident at the Industry Ministry building. Most people ignorant of the details of a news story will stare at violence on a screen – it attracts our attention because of our social imperatives – we are soft wired to resolve conflict. But because it is virtual, not real – and we know it – we slide into a transfixed, zombie like state, much like that which happens when an advertisement offers an intellectual paradox. Our eyes widen, the pupils dilate – and the ears open, and the subtle narrative message seeps in without the reasoning parts of our intellect getting in the way – because that part ofour brain is busy trying to resolve the paradox; either – as in the advertising example – an intellectual one, or the paradox attacking one of our most essential imperatives – our conflict resolution imperative: settle conflict – (can’t, not there) – but watching… . The zombie reaction is most common, but another popular one is the individual who  jumps up and starts yelling at the screen, throwing pop-corn spilling drinks – unfortunately that is also a neutered response – (and one that internalizes a violent response to a conflict resolution paradox). It’s a symptom of a condition of isolation from real life, community – identity. Later, after getting drunk – in order to numb an intuition towards this truth – this individual will hit a significant other, or fantasize about running down a cyclist (or other non-conformist) on the way to a job they hate (but which, paradoxically, provides for the beer, or whatever the addiction is – shopping for example). Anyways, enough amateur physiology. Turn off your air conditioning; turn off your Facebook – get out of the house, meet your neighbours – talk to them.     References: Wikipedia, “Spanish local and regional elections, 2011″: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_local_and_regional_elections,_2011 Wikipedia, “Spanish general election, 2011″: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_general_election,_2011 Al Jazeera, 12 July 2012, ”Spanish miners dig in for prolonged protest“: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/07/20127126330831737.html Guardian.co.uk, 11 July 2012,  ”Spanish coal miners bring message of defiance to Madrid” – Article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/11/spanish-coal-miners-protest-madrid Guardian.co.uk, 11 July 2012, ”Spanish coal miners: ‘We need to keep on fighting’ ” – Video: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/jul/11/spanish-coal-miners-video     mh...

TRNN’s “Is Public Ownership the Solution?”

Occupy Toronto 01 August 2012 by Michael Holloway   Big banks and financial institutions are too big to fail – and too big to regulate. Everyone knows that too-big-to-fail bank lobbyists on ‘K street’ are writing the regulation that is supposed to prevent another banking collapse – like that which happened in 2007-08. Everyone knows that the US congress is so awash in corporate acsh that getting real regulation passed is next to impossible. Good regulation law that does get passed in times of great crisis (“Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act” – 2010) gets watered down so it is meaningless in application. Today’s news that JP Morgan is gambling in the Billions and has lost 5 billion one one deal then made it all back on another in these still ‘black’ derivative markets shows the world that the next crisis is likely to be bigger than the last. As I high-lighted earlier here – in the “Chris Hedges talk with Occupy Wall Street activist Kevin Zeese” article from July 5th, “Our job is to build pockets of resistance so that when the flash point arrives, people will have a place to go,” Zeese said.” That ‘flash point’ may wait to until the next massive bust in this stupid economy. Nest occupiers, nest. Great interview on all this and more from The Real News Network (TRNN) – Executive Producer Paul Jay interviews Gar Alperovitz, professor of political economy at the University of Maryland.   Is Public Ownership the Solution?     References: OccupyToronto, 05 July 2012, “Chris Hedges with Kevin Zeese: mass movement key to disobedience tactic’s success“: http://occupyto.org/2012/07/chris-hedges-with-kevin-zeese-mass-movement-key-to-disobedience-tactics-success/ Zero Hedge, 07 July 2012, “JPMorgan To Clawback Bonuses, Will Announce CIO Loss Just Over $5 Billion“: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/jpmorgan-clawback-bonuses-will-announce-cio-loss-just-over-5-billion The Real News Network, 13 July 2012, “Is Public Ownership the Solution?“:http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=8449 United States Government, 05 January 2010  “Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act“: http://www.sec.gov/about/laws/wallstreetreform-cpa.pdf     mh...

Labelling People

Outreach was forwarded information about this event happening July 10 to 15 http://www.madprideto.com Some people in the movement may have mental health challenges and to avoid hurting anyone’s feelings here is a case study; Read this last month. Where the person who lost his mother when he was young and had the door shut in his face looking for work  was HOPEFUL; found work and a life partner… http://metronews.ca/news/world/267325/zimbabwe-mr-ugly-pageant-winner-hopes-for-modeling-career/...

Memories… of the park…

in pictures:  ...

TRNN Commentary: “No Accountability Yet for Toronto G20 Police Crimes”

Occupy Toronto 05 July 2012 by Michael Holloway   In this The Real News Network (TRNN) Commentary, Paul Jay, Executive Producer of TRNN lays out the case for a  full public inquiry on policing at the G-20 Summit (2010);  and warns that if Ontarian’s do not demand accountability on this, we will – in fact – lose our Constitutional Rights to Peaceful  Assembly.   “No Accountability Yet for Toronto G20 Police Crimes”   Canadian Civil Liberties Association:  “Demand a public inquiry now!” (February 28th, 2011) – http://ccla.org/2011/02/28/take-action-g-20/ The Real News Network (TRNN) – “No Accountability Yet for Toronto G20 Police Crimes” – http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=8565   mh...

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