My two cents on the occupy movement

The real fight of the Occupy movement: consumerism. I can’t afford cable but I do have the internet, my retail addiction is fed at second hand stores only, I don’t have money invested in the stocks (probably because I have no idea what “the stocks” are). I ride my bike and use public transportation to save money on gas, do my little part in helping pollution and I don’t have to experience any road rage. I have a job but I also have student loans and a car debt. Thankfully I do not have a credit card or a medical condition to drain my bank account. I’m approaching thirty, have worked since I was 14 yrs old and was unemployed for 5 months. It was the most depressing 5 months of my life.

My degree isn’t complete but I’m a good worker – generally in the auto business or office work. But I would work retail or the food/beverage industry as long as I was making at least as much as my minimum wage. I applied to over 70 jobs in 5 months, attended two job fairs and joined the Oregon Unemployment Website in hopes to finding a job ASAP. I went on 13 interviews before I landed my job.

Please stop saying to the occupiers, shut up and just get a job. Some of these people legitimately cannot get a job worthy of their skills, education, passion and experience. I don’t believe anyone should settle for just any ol’ job. People have the right to dream, to strive for happiness and obtain it. Now, I don’t know who to blame for these legitimate people not being able to get jobs, I just know it’s not them. There is a crisis happening and regardless if you think these occupiers are just hypocrites and fucking hipsters that are doing this for attention as they wear their GAP clothes, use their iPhones and drink Starbucks – I believe the outcry is being lost. There should not be billionaires. There should not be CEOs of large companies awarding themselves thousands, millions in bonuses when they charge ridiculous prices for electricity and communication (cable, media, etc) while people lose their homes, can’t find work with health benefits and go on food assistance.

I do not have any suggestions on how to fix this problem. It breaks my heart though that this is happening in my life and I don’t have the time and energy to do my part with the occupiers. I acknowledge a percentage of people that maybe homeless, mentally ill, addicts and violent that are turning these protests into civil disturbances. I acknowledge the hypocrisy of the people demanding big corporations to not bleed America dry – and they post this on Facebook while using their AT&T connection and iPhones and wear GAP, Nike and J.Crew – my message is simple – there should be no millionaires in a country where people are starving. There should be no millionaire CEOS in a company that cuts employees solely to keep their paycheck in the six to seven figures.

Accountability should be the message. The fucking hipsters should get a job – as long as they don’t settle for flipping burgers or pumping gas. Their BA, BS or master degrees give them that right. Perhaps the millionaires will use that card to argue where they're at and justify their paycheck. So be it. My response – psychopaths live amongst us, and they don’t all feed their social inabilities with murder. They do it by living without empathy.

Accountability. Yes, the occupiers maybe loud, unsightly, annoying, costing thousands in police overtime, littering and etc. But can we all be accountable; as viewers – can we all accept that something is happening? A social movement, an outcry … I’m just so thankful I have a job. I’m so thankful that my health benefits will kick in soon. I’m so thankful that I didn’t lose my car, my sanity, or my hope by being unemployed for five months. Who knows what I would have done if this Occupy Movement would have happened this summer when I was desperate.

Occupy Portland Eviction?

Big announcement from Mayor Adams was the Occupiers would be evicted Sunday November 13th at 12:01am. The police and media presence was saturating the streets much earlier than midnight last night. After the Fada Salon event and a late happy hour at Portland City Grill, I drove home through the Occupy Portland site. Happy to report it was very peaceful.

Ben's Last Deployment Dinner

The fam met up to celebrate Ben's last deployment as a Marine happening here shortly. We had some sushi at Bara Sushi House, our favorite SE Portland sushi restaurant.