Occupy Wall Street

The ‘Occupy’ movement is intriguing.  The idea of social and economic equality is a continuation of equality movements that have spanned over the past 150 years.  I’m not writing this to argue and protest against The Man and corporate America playing a role into the toilet flush of the world economy.  Instead I want to discuss this movement in terms of this supposed ‘change’ that so many believe or have been talking about with the approaching magical date in 2012.

I’ve written about 2012 before, both debunking and informational posts on the many beliefs, facts, and theories behind it.  To say the least, I’m intrigued, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m a hard core believer – especially when you get all into the alien and sci-fi aspect of it.  If I was to ‘believe’, then I would say my beliefs stem more from the theories of discovery and enlightenment of the Human race that are clearly around us all today.  The ‘Occupy’ movement, Human Genome Project and the advancements in the understanding of our genetics, the exponential advancement of our technology, and the unexplained occurrences: Massive animal deaths (as mapped on Google Maps), increase in major natural disasters (According to the EM-DAT, the total natural disasters reported each year has been steadily increasing in recent decades, from 78 in 1970 to 348 in 2004.), etc.

As far as the ‘Occupy’ movement, the huge global participation is directly attributed to today’s internet and technology.  The internet, in some respects, is the collective subconscious of this planet.  Never before has information been so easily distributed and readily consumed.  One could argue the increase of natural disasters is also a result of internet and technology – 1. We can now live in places never before habitable. 2. News of every natural disaster reaches millions.  So, it’s no surprise how the ‘Occupy’ phenomena has spread so quickly to 1500 cities worldwide.

Is the world finally becoming enlightened and demanding a global change?  Social and economic equality makes sense, but how can that be achieved?  Can the ‘Occupy’ movement really force global change?  All great questions that have yet to be answered. The timing is impeccable though with 2012 right around the corner when mentions from ancient civilizations, modern day spiritualists, and even scientists all theorize one similar concept: Change is upon us.

My generation has seen some extreme advancements in evolution. My high school career marked the birth of the internet on a major scale.  Although it existed, the use of the internet was still in the exploration stage with AOL being the predominant online entity. Regardless, I was still resorting to visits to the library to read up on current news, research for essays, and learning how to do things.

Just over 10 years later, times have really changed.  I asked my brother about this (he just graduated high school). Turns out students aren’t really using libraries these days to research. They use Google to write their papers, Google to keep up on current news, Google to figure out answers to questions, and Google to figure out how to do something. These libraries seem to be serving little purpose other than a giant dust collection, and a public bathroom for the homeless (at least the homeless here in LA use it for that!).

There is definitely differentiation on how rapid this degradation of print publishing is occurring. For example, I think it’s safe to say that most people still prefer buying a printed novel and reading it that way rather than reading it online. Although I do see a lot more books available as downloadable PDFs, if the book is over 20 pages long and requires more than one sitting to read, it’s still more convenient to have a hand-held paperback you can take with you rather than lugging around a laptop.

It’s the print magazines and newspapers that are facing extinction. With books, the content usually doesn’t change. So if you buy a book, you don’t really have to worry about a new version coming out before you read it. With magazines and newspapers, it’s a completely different story. Typically, the minute a story is printed, it is at risk as being outdated. And the quickest the story can be updated is the next day.  More and more people are realizing this everyday and, instead of grabbing the Times to read with their coffee in the morning, they are simply jumping online to their favorite news site and consuming the information there.

This has been detrimental to the print industry.  There isn’t a newspaper out there that is reporting an increase in circulation or ad sales.  Most likely, there isn’t a magazine that can report that either.  Just recently, the hip-hop, R&B and soul magazine, Vibe, had the verdict handed down to close its doors as it enters its 16th year of publication by it’s parent company, the Wick Group.  16 years of publication, shut down!

One may argue that these publications should simply cut the costly process of printing and distribution and shift to being strictly an online publication.  On paper that may seem like a good idea, but it’s tough for any business to completely shift its business model…successfully that is.  In my opinion, it’d be easier for a brand new business to start as an online publication, then it would be for a print publication to shift to being strictly online.  The print publication, which most likely has been previously established with advertisers and readers as a printed publication, will have a hard time carrying over loyalty from it’s readers and advertisers to strictly the online world.

In addition, the online advertising business model has not proven to be one that makes profits easily.  CPMs are getting lower and lower and web traffic becomes more and more dispersed everyday.  And although publications like the Times, magazines like 944 have both print publications and websites they can sell advertising against, they are still struggling and are approaching that feared “red line” where profits are no more and instead turn to losses.

I think we’re years away from the extinction of printed publications, but we definitely are and will be witnessing more and more of these “smaller fish,” like Vibe magazine, dying.  People may say it’s a sad thing to see, but if you look at the scientific process of evolution…as one species dies out, usually a better more evolved species takes its place.

Los Angeles is a ridiculously big town with way too many different industries for me to even begin to mention.  Regardless, being here 5 years, I’ve been around the business block and seen some sights.  Last week I attended two ‘mixers’ that had absolutely nothing to do with each other, yet had lots to do with each other.  I saw a lot of the same faces at both places.  Let me explain…

The LA Tech Crew LA in all it’s glitz and glamour has been and still is the entertainment capitol.  Although technology is clearly a large party of some of the Hollywood blockbusters we all know and love, people wouldn’t necessarily refer to LA as a ‘tech town.’  Well it seems the times…they are a changin.

First, on Thursday, I attended an event at place called Blankspaces.  Blankspaces is a pretty innovative idea for today’s entrepreneur.  Let’s be frank, LA isn’t your typical ‘suit and tie’, ‘slave in an office for 10hrs’ kind of town.  Why?  “Oh the weather outside is weather.” – It’s too damn nice out to be stuck in an office.  Alas, to be a good entrepreneur you must have an office at some point in your work week (there are exceptions of course).  Enter Blankspaces.  For as little as $475 a month, you can “lease” office space at their complex.  That is the basic price, but the maximum price that I saw on their rate page was 1100 for a private office unlimited use for just 1 month.  Obviously if you buy in bulk, your rate is cheaper.  They have day rates as well, so basically, any solution to your office needs.  Pretty nifty idea if you ask me.

Back to the event…It was really quite amazing; the turnout was great and there was free food and drink (always the way to a crowd’s heart).  They had Shira Lazar hosting it (which only strengthens my argument that LA is becoming more of a tech town…afterall, Shira is the ‘hot tech girl’…duh).  Asahi was providing the beer (although I’ll admit I was too hung over from the night before to enjoy any of it), and there was live music and lots of networking going on. 

There are two sponsors I remember, one being a company called the Xbrand Group – another interesting idea.  You’ve seen it with water…take a bottle of water and slap your company logo on it and you got your own brand of water.  Well, take that idea and apply it to energy drink.  Now you can throw your own parties and tell Redbull and Rockstar to f#@% off!!  Actually this is a great idea for events where title sponsors want to own everything…even the energy drink.  I know you event industry people are feeling me on that tip.

TheScene.com was the other sponsor showing off the Hollywood Prom landing page and the technology behind it.  People are starting to get the idea that nightlife can be social.  If you are curious as to what I mean by that…I will explain soon in another blog post.  But for now, just visit: www.hollywoodprom2009.com.

On to the second event…the Tubefilter Meetup.  Before I get into this, take a look at this highlight video so you can get an idea of what I’m about to talk about.

After the Streamy Awards, Tubefilter kept the momentum going by producing this great mixer (what they call a ‘meet-up’) at Avalon in Hollywood.  Here again you see the influence of tech as Tubefilter’s  existence was born with the web television industry and the technology that goes behind it (ok…the art too).  The sponsors on board were a tech company out of Canada that has this cool iPhone app that brings web television shows right to your iPhone.  I’m behind the times because I don’t have a cool smart phone like that (I’m waiting Helio) so I’m not qualified to speak on such technologies.  But it seems as if the iPhone is turning into a portable entertainment center/computer.  Not bad.

So there you have it.  Proof that there is life on Mars..I mean…for the tech biz in Los Angeles.

I find these types of “conspiracy theory” videos interesting, but before I jump on the bandwagon with a theory and start preaching to the world, I always do a little research to see if there is any validity in what the message is.  In this case, I was astonished.

If history has taught us anything, it’s that large empires only manipulate and persecute the majority population (often times the poor) for the better of the small, but powerful, wealthy sector of society.  Mankind has evolved…right?  We showed our evolution of these principles when we stopped Hitler…didn’t we?  In a way, yes.  But I also see that the world domination conspirators might have evolved in their methods as well.  It’s no longer possible to take over the world by force without nuclear destruction of the planet.  What about a strategic takeover through an idea of world unity through governments, currencies, and controlled media.  If ever a way to take over the world in this day and age, this would be the method.  Does this sound improbable?  Here’s some conspiracy vocab to think about: RFID Chips, 9/11 conspiracy – did we do it to ourselves to create this so-called war on terror?, global economic crisis – interest rates lowered, credit easier to get – all decision our government made…which has led to this recession, war on Iraq – Iraq happens to be in a very strategic location for military attacks on Iraq and Syria, U.S. supplying Georgia with weapons and training in support again Russia – all of these question raised by very public actions taken by our government.

The U.S. Government may be the best PR agency in the world.  With our standards of democracy, they cannot control the media like China or similar factions do.  Our government had to evolve with the times and become a PR expert that can covey a controlled message across our media to influence the public.  Here’s a great example:  We not only condone, but we emphatically support this so-called “war on terror” as we invade countries in search of terrorists.  Our own constitutional rights are compromised with our own support due to this message of “it’s a national security issue”.  There are families voluntarily implanting RFID chips in their children which now place them forever under the surveillance of satellites in response to fears brought on by these so-called terrorist threats.  All of this accomplished primarily through the media communication this message of terrorist threats and national security issues.

The New World Order as explained by Wiki, refers to a new period of history evidencing a dramatic change in world political thought and the balance of power. However, in conspiracy theory, the term “New World Order” (the capital letters are distinguishing) refers to the advent of a cryptocratic or totalitarian world government.  Is this happening now?  Let’s look at some examples of some current government movements and decide for yourself.

RFID Chips – Reference: http://www.jonesreport.com/articles/301006_id_cards_2008.html

Last year there was quite the controversy surrounding our very own U.S. government pushing these “revolutionary” ID cards.  These ID cards would carry RFID chips that would carry every bit of information on each one of us as an individual that our government has on file – Social Security, credit history, legal history, etc.  These were supposed to be implemented May of last year…obviously the American people had a different feeling about that happening.  Oh, yeah and these chips…traceable anywhere in the world by satellites.

The North American Union – Reference: http://www.google.com/search?q=north+american+union&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t

The North American Union (NAU) is a theoretical regional union of Canada, Mexico, and the United States similar in structure to the European Union, sometimes including a common currency called the Amero. The idea of regional integration has been discussed, proposed, ^[1], or debated amongst former government officials with business leaders in academic and scholarly circles for many decades,^[2] but nothing approaching the integration suggested by a “North American Union” has ever been seriously considered by leaders of the three nations, and government officials from the nations say there are no plans to create such a union.^[3] The formation of a North American Union has also been the subject of various conspiracy theories.^[4][5][6][7] It is said to be a conspiracy theory, yet there have been several reports over the past couple years, like http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=49877, stating that George Bush was actively pursing agreements with Mexican and Canadian officials to make this union happen.

Iraq – Reference: http://www.accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=1246

We all know about the war on Iraq.  And I think many of us have our concerns with the motives (**cough** OIL **cough**) behind our invasion of that country.  Not to say that Saddam wasn’t a tyrant and deserved to be removed, but we must question the “big picture” that the Bush administration had in mind.  Did he really feel compelled to invade Iraq just to liberate the Iraqui people?  When you take into account countries like Iran and Syria that are conveniently located nearby, questions of strategies to use Iraq as a strategic military base against those countries make a lot of sense for oil domination…which in turn may be world domination.

U.S. and Israel help Georgia fight Russia – Reference:http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-57569

Why did we care?  Russia is a long time “enemy” yes.  But when you look more into it, look at the location of that area.  Yet another strategic military location the U.S. could use in it’s efforts to take over the oil-rich Middle East.  And if Russia controlled that area, most likely they wouldn’t be so quick to allow our military to occupy it.

Is this all paranoia?  It seems a lot of people are picking up on these trends.  Yet the overall public awareness does not seem to follow suit.  Is our media and entertainment industry yet another point in the plot for global domination – One World?  Hulu’s commercial jokes about a plot to take over the world by turning brains to mush by feeding it meaningless “entertainment”.  Perhaps that message is not too far off.

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I wrote a blog about this a little while ago (Would You Name Your Son Hitler?)how a couple had a civil rights dispute with a bakery over decorating the name of their son, Adolf Hitler Campbell, on a birthday cake.  The bakery refused to do it and the story was featured on blogs and news sources around the world.

Well, the power of the media has flexed its muscle once again.  The Associated Press released news that the New Jersey state Division of Youth and Family Services removed 3-year-old Adolf Hitler Campbell and his younger sisters, JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell, from their home Tuesday.

I have mixed feelings on this.  First of all, I think there is definitely something severely wrong with those parents who are clearly prejudice against non-aryan people.  But whether that constitutes removing the children from their parents and forcing the children to go through this horrible custody battle between the state and the parents…then, if decided, to have the kids adjust to being placed with foster parents, is a hell of a lot to put them through.

It seems as if the state department took harsh actions due to the media exposure behind it.  In my opinion, perhaps forcing the parents to go through counseling or some sort of anti-prejudice educational curriculum would have been a more appropriate move.  Or at least a psychological analysis done by a doctor before they determine the parents are not fit to be guardians of the children.

Am I wrong?  Is it right that the state snatched these kids up?

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