Occupied

This Flatland Diva has been struggling since the bubble busted 3 years ago. Just about everyone I know is a paycheck away from financial disaster. Where is our bailout? Instead, multi-national corporations and banks have received billions upon billions to correct a market they put in risk everyday by manipulating the market to feed their own greed. The rich have gotten so much richer in the shortest amount of time in American history. The government has assisted them every step of the way and we are at a place now where there is more disparity between rich and poor than ever.

Occupy Wall Street is right on the money. It was Wall Street that initiated what has amounted to class warfare by stealing people pensions, life savings, homes and jobs. I am so proud of my fellow citizens for finally standing up to say, "No more."

My friend, who I'll call Stacey, was simply disgusted with the Occupy Movement when we texted about it the other day. "Girl, what do you think they are going to accomplish? Corporations have been greedy. Do you think they are going to stop? This world is made on greed. So [change] will never happen." She believes that voting is the best form of political action for the masses.

I could not disagree with her more. It's been shown time and time again that change comes when people defy business as usual and get in the streets to protest. The 21st century protester has a tool that is unarguably more powerful than a musket. A shot caught on film and streamed live is truly a shot heard around the world, in real time. More repressive governments have restricted access to social media and expression because they recognize what a threat it is to their governmental control.

There is little doubt in my mind that the Age of Aquarius is in full swing. The masses are thinking for themselves, in their best interest and they are acting out in the streets, in America, land of the complacent. Nothing like it has been seen coast to coast in nearly 40 years. Everyday people have had enough of being underpaid, underemployed and thrown under the bus by our representatives and financial institutions.

Occupy Oakland has taken on an important role within the Occupy movement against police misconduct. Oakland PD has shown it's ass to the world. Their modus operandi  has been exposed as Scott Olsen, a two tour Iraqi war vet fell victim to their violence on camera, hit in the head with a tear gas canister. Olsen survived an actual war zone for years but a trip to Oakland to execute his citizen's rights got him a fractured skull and nearly killed. Oakland PD is very serious about their obligation to protect two things-- the State and private property.

Oakland PD has a long standing history of exacting brutal force on it's own citizens, particularly the black and brown. The Black Panther party was formed in Oakland as a reaction to the merciless treatment of the cops to the community. Many, from Bobby Hutton to Oscar Grant, have simply been murdered by cops who get off because the State protects it's own. The disproportionate number of traffic stops of Blacks compared to Whites is astronomical to this day in Oakland.

To police brutality and the thieving financial system, I too say no more. I am a member of the 99 percent. We have strength in numbers. We cannot allow the powerful to hijack our pursuit of happiness and that of future generations. With our numbers we must demand a return to regulations that ensure our interests are being protected.  I'm hoping with many others that the Occupy Movement is too large to fail.

Cramps

Menstruation must be one of the trickiest processes in nature. That's my opinion anyway. Most women, come to think of it, every woman I've ever talked to about it has lamented about it. Hate is a strong word, but if there was ever anything to hate it would be a steady flow of blood the spews from the body out of our treasure chest ever three weeks. I hate it. It costs so much to be a woman. And I'm not just talking about the ridiculous cost of Kotex.

I recently agreed to a writing assignment for Rapstar Magazine that I'd consider a great opportunity to share information with the public as well it would nicely add to my clips. I met with my principle interview and his fiancee a few weeks ago at Everett & Jones Barbeque in Oakland's Jack London Square. He is the uncle of Oscar Grant, the 22 year old black man fatally shot by a BART police officer New Year's Day 2009. The uncle who has founded a foundation in Grant's honor, The Oscar Grant Foundation. His fiancee, is it's director.

The three of us had a great talk about how we'd like to proceed with the article. I wanted him to know that I would write a thoughtful piece, which in order to do I needed access to interview other principles, particularly Grant's mother and the mother of his child. He agreed to see what he could do. He and his fiancee then invited me to the Oscar Grant Foundation's reading festival for children. I agreed to attend, knowing I could adjust my schedule to make it that day to the event.

As it turned out, that gorgeous Saturday morning came with an ever unwelcomed guest, Aunt Flow. Ugh. Cramps. Motrin in the house, zero. I left Johnson a message that I was "not feeling well."  I hung the phone up just knowing I looked like a complete flake. After all it wasn't exactly flu season. Meeting his fiancee too, I didn't want to be inappropriate and reveal my cycle. It would have been tmi. My etiquette would not allow it. The chances it would have been taken for tacky or crazy would have been too great.

Riding the crimson tide is a lonesome misadventure. Which brings me to another topic. Most people just don't want to hear about your personal hell or abject misery. They just don't have time for your pain. Fact is on any given day hundreds of millions of ladies are cycling, yet the world manages to go around. We must just pull up our big girl period panties and just keep pushing forward without missing a beat.

With my cramps tearing at my womb without the meds to stop it, I had to concede defeat. Hopefully, I can work my way into better graces with Grant's uncle and his fiancee. Why I allow myself to ever run out of Motrin must be examined. Is it subconscious sabotage? Probably so. Am I being hard on myself?  Probably so. Is Motrin on the shopping list? Definitely.