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You are here: Home / Politics / Crazification Factor / Spectator Off The Sidelines

Spectator Off The Sidelines

by Zandar|  October 9, 20113:35 pm| 79 Comments

This post is in: Crazification Factor, Don't Mourn, Organize, Our Failed Media Experiment

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And speaking of Occupy Together protests in other cities besides the Big Apple, it seems at least one conservative magazine editor has admitted to joining Occupy DC as a mole with the intent of causing problems…and was at the incident where protesters were pepper-sprayed at the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum.

An assistant editor with a right-wing magazine admitted in a column Saturday evening to posing as part of the 99 Percent Movement in D.C. “in order to mock and undermine” it. Patrick Howley, an assistant editorfor the American Spectator, was committed enough to his deception to be at the vanguard of a demonstration that saw police firing pepper spray and closing a downtown Washington museum.

In his column, Howley says he took part in the demonstration Saturday at the Smithsonian Institute’s Air and Space Museum reportedly directed at an exhibit about the unmanned drone aircraft used by the U.S. and others for spying and, increasingly, targeted killings in far-flung hotspots.

As between 100 and 200 anti-war demonstrators arrived at the steps of the museum — some of them affiliated with a group organizing the “Occupy DC” spinoff of the Wall Street protests — a few intrepid protesters made a rush for the door despite apparent warnings from security guards. One of them was Howley, who recounts that “as far as I could tell I was the only one who got inside the museum.”

Howley’s own words are revealing:

[A]s far as anyone knew I was part of this cause — a cause that I had infiltrated the day before in order to mock and undermine in the pages of The American Spectator — and I wasn’t giving up before I had my story. Under a cloud of pepper spray I forced myself into the doors and sprinted blindly across the floor of the Air and Space Museum…

And of course, he got his story.  Maybe he got swept up in the moment, maybe he actually learned something about the Occupy Together protests, maybe he’s an adrenaline junkie, maybe he’s just an inveterate liar of the first order.  He admits to joining the protest at the Air and Space Museum under false pretenses and cops to being in the thick of things when the pepper spray started to fly.

So yes, no matter what motive you assign to Howley’s actions, the establishment is taking the various Occupy Together protests very, very seriously.  If you’re headed out there this week (Occupy Cincy ended up in downtown right on Fountain Square this weekend with peaceful demonstrations) be aware, and be careful.

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Reader Interactions

79Comments

  1. 1.

    Liberty60

    October 9, 2011 at 3:39 pm

    As a MoveOn coordinator, I always caution my people to be aware of their words and actions, to be aware that another Breitbart or O’Keefe may be filming, and to always remember that each of us is a representative of the larger progressive movement.
    The other side will nutpick of course, but no sense in giving them cover and ammo.

    As for Howley, it would make a tingle up my leg to see him prosecuted fully, but I won’t hold my breath.

  2. 2.

    JGabriel

    October 9, 2011 at 3:40 pm

    Zandar:

    … a mole with the intent of causing problems …

    Also known as an: agent provocateur.

    .

  3. 3.

    Chad N Freude

    October 9, 2011 at 3:44 pm

    @JGabriel: Or melanoma.

  4. 4.

    JGabriel

    October 9, 2011 at 3:45 pm

    @Chad N Freude: Yes, that too. Heh.

    .

  5. 5.

    Dougerhead

    October 9, 2011 at 3:45 pm

    Interesting story.

  6. 6.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    October 9, 2011 at 3:47 pm

    As it was in the 50s and 60s, only conservatives get to cause violence.

  7. 7.

    Mister Harvest

    October 9, 2011 at 3:48 pm

    Although, to be totally fair to the security guards, if I saw his smug, preening face, I’d mace it, too.

  8. 8.

    Chyron HR

    October 9, 2011 at 3:48 pm

    “But… but I’m still part of the 1%, right, guys? Guys?”

  9. 9.

    Jay C

    October 9, 2011 at 3:53 pm

    @Belafon (formerly anonevent):

    As it was in the 50s and 60s, only conservatives get to cause violence.

    You forgot the corollary “…but liberals get the blame“

  10. 10.

    Amanda in the South Bay

    October 9, 2011 at 3:54 pm

    This country would be in an all out civil war if a left wing journalist admitted to infiltrating the teabaggers to incite violence

  11. 11.

    JGabriel

    October 9, 2011 at 3:55 pm

    Patrick Howley:

    But as far as anyone knew I was part of this cause — a cause that I had infiltrated the day before — and I wasn’t giving up before I had my story. Under a cloud of pepper spray I forced myself into the doors. … I strained to glance behind me at the dozens of protesters I was sure were backing me up, and then I got hit again, this time with a cold realization: I may have been the only one who had made it through the doors.

    So. Let’s get this straight. When the protesters were asked or ordered by guards and/or police to stop, they did.

    The only person who disobeyed, the only person who actively sought to cause mayhem and ignore requests to maintain order, was a teabagger.

    Fucking typical. Once again, the right accuses the left of its own sins. Projection, it’s not just a booth in a theater.

    .

  12. 12.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    October 9, 2011 at 3:57 pm

    Interesting response from Krugman to Ezra’s piece.

    http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/was-failure-inevitable/

  13. 13.

    Mike G

    October 9, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    One of them was Howley, who recounts that “as far as I could tell I was the only one who got inside the museum.”

    Because the cops took one look at his blue blazer and Reagan Youth pin and realized he wasn’t really part of the protest.

  14. 14.

    RossInDetroit

    October 9, 2011 at 4:16 pm

    spectator-off-the-sidelines

    Clever title!

    You HAD to know this was going to happen. Conservatives see all those peaceful demonstrators and think all it will take is a spark to set off the riot they think ought to be happening. Had to be too attractive to pass up.

    Note that he was the only one rushing the building who got in. Maybe he was the only one who really wanted to.

    As the old line goes: “Let’s you and him fight!”

  15. 15.

    Chyron HR

    October 9, 2011 at 4:16 pm

    “I deserved to get disentigrated by an energy blast, and Lord Freeza acted with more courage than I saw from any of the Saiyans.”

  16. 16.

    MikeJ

    October 9, 2011 at 4:24 pm

    @RossInDetroit:

    Clever title!

    When I read this story earlier I was expecting a Steve Bartman reference.

  17. 17.

    Dee Loralei

    October 9, 2011 at 4:25 pm

    What cracks me up is the guy wore a brown shirt. Either he was woefully unknowing of history, or his hipster irony meter is broken and he thought it would be funny. And yea, I get that he was a rightwing nut job, and therefore prolly not hipster or cool. But sheesh way to be fucking tone deaf dude!

  18. 18.

    RossInDetroit

    October 9, 2011 at 4:26 pm

    IIRC in the longer column he evaded a security guard who tried to stop him from leaving as well.
    I wonder how his bosses feel about his ringleading civil disobedience and escaping the consequences.

  19. 19.

    burnspbesq

    October 9, 2011 at 4:30 pm

    @RossInDetroit:

    I wonder how his bosses feel about his ringleading civil disobedience and escaping the consequences.

    Somewhere between content and gleeful, I would imagine. They’re getting lots of eyeballs and didn’t even have to post bail.

  20. 20.

    KCinDC

    October 9, 2011 at 4:32 pm

    An additional complication is that the group in Freedom Plaza in DC started as a Stop the Machine protest (october2011.org) that was scheduled before Occupy Wall Street even existed and was focused much more on opposing the wars than on OWS’s main issues (though of course war spending ties into the economy as well). There’s an Occupy K Street group in McPherson Square that’s specifically inspired by OWS, and I don’t think they were at all connected to the people who went to the Air and Space Museum.

    There’s quite a mix of people in Freedom Plaza with different agendas. There are certainly people who’ve gathered there because of OWS, but not all of them have. I’m not sure it’s accurate to describe the museum protesters as Occupy DC, though I suppose with a leaderless movement anyone who says they’re with it is. But I believe most of them were actually with Stop the Machine.

  21. 21.

    Dee Loralei

    October 9, 2011 at 4:33 pm

    And on 2nd thought, that had to be why just in the last few days, the Rightwing talking heads and some politicians started fretting about left-wing violence. I mean for 3 weeks these mostly peaceful protests have gone, and since Friday or so, they are hyping the possibility of violence. And then when it kinda occurs, it leads back to only one group of agents provocateurs who are bragging about it.

    Seriously, the memo must have gone out, or there would not have been so many of them bringing it up. They knew this action and others like it would and will occur.

    They are so afraid of this movement, they are trying to kill it from the inside, and scare off the middle-class who agrees with the protesters. That can be the only logical reason, I can see.

  22. 22.

    Villago Delenda Est

    October 9, 2011 at 4:41 pm

    Anyone who works at The American Spectator is, essentially, a shitstain.

    Period. End of discussion.

  23. 23.

    RossInDetroit

    October 9, 2011 at 4:42 pm

    Are we allowed to play the ‘one bad apple’ card here, or have they patented that maneuver?

  24. 24.

    M. Bouffant

    October 9, 2011 at 4:46 pm

    The American Spectator‘s Young Journalist Training Program.

  25. 25.

    VOR

    October 9, 2011 at 4:54 pm

    IIRC the Teabaggers were claiming that all the people with mis-spelled signs, racist signs, etc… at Tea Party events were all Liberals out to dis-credit them. Can’t recall any actual proof provided, but I’m sure Fox “proved” it. So now when a conservative is admitting to trying to start problems, I am sure the line will be that he is secretly a liberal plant pretending to be a conservative, pretending to be a liberal.

    Projection – it’s what’s for dinner.

  26. 26.

    Yutsano

    October 9, 2011 at 5:00 pm

    @VOR: Conservatism cannot fail, it can only be failed. Or something.

  27. 27.

    KCinDC

    October 9, 2011 at 5:03 pm

    @VOR, more likely the reaction will be to high-five each other because the conservative was able to fool those stupid liberals by the clever tactic of showing up at a public event. Clearly any smart demonstration should be running instant background checks on anyone who wants to join.

  28. 28.

    PeakVT

    October 9, 2011 at 5:06 pm

    Projection – it’s what’s for dinner a 24/7 buffet.

    FTFY.

  29. 29.

    Marcus

    October 9, 2011 at 5:11 pm

    FDL claims:

    “It is highly likely that the events that occurred would not have taken the turn they did if it were not for Howley’s admitted adventure”

    Which is written below the photo of this guy being behind a bunch of others at the protest which he joined rather than created. And the photo where he’s not the guy screaming at the guard. Right.

    It’s like every time I go for coffee and have to wait in line. If it wasn’t for that 3rd guy in the queue, none of us would be there.

  30. 30.

    Linda Featheringill

    October 9, 2011 at 5:18 pm

    @Dee Loralei: #21

    They are so afraid of this movement, they are trying to kill it from the inside, and scare off the middle-class who agrees with the protesters.

    I wonder if that is what’s happened to OccupyAtlanta? I mean, what the hey? The meeting regarding Congressman Lewis was just plain weird.

    The people in that group who are serious ought to track down the person who talked them into that nonsense, kick him/her out, and try again. And this time, act like normal human beings.

    Sheez!

  31. 31.

    Chris

    October 9, 2011 at 5:18 pm

    @VOR:

    Yep – I read the Pajamas Media article warning their people about “liberal infiltrators” with swastikas and racist signs and whatnot. It was just their way of covering their tracks – they need the racism to power the movement but they need the plausible deniability too.

  32. 32.

    henqiguai

    October 9, 2011 at 5:24 pm

    @Bill E Pilgrim (#12):

    Interesting response from Krugman to Ezra’s piece.

    And he still generally refused to acknowledge political realities and whether anything actually could have gotten through beyond what was passed. Only in his item 7 does he suggest that there may, just may, have been some issues with passing anything more than what was actually passed. Just maybe.

  33. 33.

    Linda Featheringill

    October 9, 2011 at 5:24 pm

    @VOR:

    IIRC the Teabaggers were claiming that all the people with mis-spelled signs, racist signs, etc… at Tea Party events were all Liberals out to dis-credit them.

    Well, to be fair: I always thought that the “Youth in Asia” sign holders might be infiltrators of some sort.

  34. 34.

    B W Smith

    October 9, 2011 at 5:26 pm

    @Linda Featheringill: I viewed the Lewis incident as more of a power struggle. The young organizers wanted to set the agenda of the meeting and were resisting giving in to the older establishment. I’m not saying it looked good, that’s just how it appeared to me.

  35. 35.

    Judas Escargot

    October 9, 2011 at 5:34 pm

    @Mister Harvest:

    Alleged shot of alleged perp (courtesy BoingBoing).

    This kid, O’Keefe, Breitbart… wtf is up with that particular “look” in the eyes they all seem to have in common?

  36. 36.

    JGabriel

    October 9, 2011 at 5:35 pm

    @Dee Loralei:

    And on 2nd thought, that had to be why just in the last few days, the Rightwing talking heads and some politicians started fretting about left-wing violence.

    As pacifist as actual philosophy is, I can’t resist snarking that there’s a part of me hoping the protests end with Charles Koch and Roger Ailes in guillotines.

    .

  37. 37.

    Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)

    October 9, 2011 at 5:37 pm

    @VOR:

    Then how do they explain voting for G.W. Bush, Stupor Mundi, King of the Malaprops?

  38. 38.

    Linda Featheringill

    October 9, 2011 at 5:37 pm

    @B W Smith:

    You could be right.

  39. 39.

    Maude

    October 9, 2011 at 5:39 pm

    Anyone remember when McCain said that the anti Vietnam protests were infiltrated by commies? He wasn’t fond of those protests at all.

  40. 40.

    RossInDetroit

    October 9, 2011 at 5:39 pm

    @Judas Escargot:

    BoingBoing got the shot from a FDL article. I hope more evidence turns up. Considering how these protests are just flat covered up in still and video cameras, especially the smashy hitty parts, there has to be someone with more images.

  41. 41.

    RossInDetroit

    October 9, 2011 at 5:43 pm

    @Maude:

    In that case he may have technically been right, but I doubt Communists contributed significantly or that it would have made a difference if they hadn’t.

    Overall I’ve been pleased at how few instances the MSM has had to trot out the ‘union thugs’ line or similar. With a loosely organized and semi-spontaneous series of protests there’s always a chance of someone getting carried away, but cool heads seem to have prevailed.
    Unless overruled by a punk from a right wing rag.

    ETA: OpEdNews.com has more shots from the fracas:
    http://www.opednews.com/articles/Reporter-and-Occupy-Wash-D-by-Rob-Kall-111008-611.html

  42. 42.

    Amir Khalid

    October 9, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    @B W Smith:
    Joan Walsh at Salon says there was no disrespect shown to John Lewis by Occupy Atlanta, and no offense taken by the congressman.

  43. 43.

    cleek

    October 9, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    and MSNBC says:

    Washington’s Air & Space museum shut after protesters storm in

    no mention of the source of the trouble. of course.

  44. 44.

    Maude

    October 9, 2011 at 5:53 pm

    There seems to be a conflict of what happened.
    Howley says he was part of the 99 protest, but they were not at Air and Space.
    Either he is highly confused, has no idea what he is doing or a liar.
    As far as the commies, I know there were some, but McCain was just trying to discredit the protests. He was gung ho war.

  45. 45.

    Mike in NC

    October 9, 2011 at 6:03 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    Anyone who works at The American Spectator is, essentially, a shitstain.

    Well, back in the day when they were spending millions to take down Clinton, many of us in the DC area called it “The American Sphincter”.

  46. 46.

    JGabriel

    October 9, 2011 at 6:06 pm

    A little over an hour ago, in the story directly following this one, Anne Laurie posted excerpts from the obituaries of Civil Rights activists Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and Professor Derrick Bell.

    I’m pointing this out just to remark upon how fitting it is to have this Howley asshole’s actions contrasted with real heroes and activists.

    .

  47. 47.

    Linda Featheringill

    October 9, 2011 at 6:17 pm

    @RossInDetroit:

    from opednews:

    Love the drums. They could serve the same purpose as bagpipes for Scots.

  48. 48.

    Villago Delenda Est

    October 9, 2011 at 6:20 pm

    @Maude:

    Either he is highly confused, has no idea what he is doing or a liar.

    Being a liar is not a problem at The American Spectator. More than once they’ve made up shit out of whole cloth and passed it off as “reporting”.

  49. 49.

    Narcissus

    October 9, 2011 at 6:22 pm

    This might be a dumb question, but is there a wiki or something for the Occupy protests? Apparently there was one in my area recently and I had no idea until it was over.

  50. 50.

    SiubhanDuinne

    October 9, 2011 at 6:24 pm

    @Amir Khalid:

    I totally believe everything Joan Walsh at Salon writes.

    Every word.

    No, really.

  51. 51.

    SiubhanDuinne

    October 9, 2011 at 6:26 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    Not only is being a liar not a problem at AS, I think it falls into that amusing “feature-not-bug” category.

  52. 52.

    RossInDetroit

    October 9, 2011 at 6:28 pm

    @Linda Featheringill:

    Love the drums. They could serve the same purpose as bagpipes for Scots.

    To terrify opponents and drive them from the field of battle in disarray? If only. No percussion can match the plaid air-bag from hell when it comes to causing confusion and fear.

  53. 53.

    B W Smith

    October 9, 2011 at 6:33 pm

    @Amir Khalid: I have sworn off all things Salon so I’m not going to read what Joan had to say. I live in Georgia and every time I have ever witnessed John Lewis in any crowd or gathering, he has been a gracious and gentle man. I really do believe the organizers were asserting their authority over the agenda. I don’t think it was meant as slight. I do, however, hope they will invite him back. His support would be a good thing and he could share significant knowledge about non-violent protests.

  54. 54.

    jaywillie

    October 9, 2011 at 6:36 pm

    I’m going to flaunt my Koch-sucking credentials by sharing a great article by Al Giordano, well-known cryptofascist sympathizer (/snark): http://narcosphere.narconews.com/thefield/4664/trait-du-savoir-vivre-occupy-wall-street-generations

    A couple snippets of Al’s thoughts (Al knows what the fuck he’s talking about btw):

    At least one leader of the post-Seattle genre of protests has written so much in a NY Times column: “when police attack peaceful occupiers (and the protesters catch it on camera), it generates tremendous sympathy for the cause.”

    That is truly awful advice. It would doom any movement that followed it to abject failure. Entire swathes of the American (and New York) public in fact are prone to cheering the police when they beat up on certain kinds of protesters. Hey, everyone knows that America is a violence-loving society.

    If the YouTube video of the October 5 confrontation were widely seen, that would indeed be the response from much of the public. Why? Because the way the protesters responded to the situation – yelling hysterically at the cops in the most visibly disorganized way possible – does not endear the protesters to public opinion. It does quite the opposite. A few chanted “the whole world is watching” while dozens of people with cameras and cell phones elbowed each other for the best shot of the moment. Mainly a lot of screaming and whistleblowing drowned out any sound of substance or meaning from the video. More than 430,000 people have watched that video in just a few days and while the police behaved badly, to many observers the protesters would seem like an unruly and dangerous mob, too.

    The consensus decision-making process used by the protest’s governing body, a “general assembly” that meets for hours each day, into which anybody can walk in or out at any time at will, may seem like a cute and harmless form of peaceful action. But it actually contributes greatly to the lack of discipline of the revolt. Consensus process is by definition exclusionary to most of “the 99 percent” of the public in whose name these protests are held. That’s because most people are working at jobs or taking care of children all day and don’t have the time, or the interest, in trying to write a declaration by committee-of-hundreds.

    The only thing I’m going to say about the John Lewis incident in Atlanta is that a) organizational paralysis cripples a movement, b) in a city that’s 65% black you had a crowd that was 99% white, c) get smarter; don’t be so easily set up to be mocked and exploited by the right, and take advantage of someone like Lewis to reach out to POC, because OWS simply does not look like 99% of Americans. It just doesn’t.

  55. 55.

    Jebediah

    October 9, 2011 at 6:39 pm

    @Chyron HR:

    disentigrated by an energy blast

    Is “entigration” the process of being made part tiger?

  56. 56.

    Linda Featheringill

    October 9, 2011 at 6:41 pm

    @Narcissus:

    Occupy Together on facebook has some information. They are trying to become a clearing house of current activities and plans.

  57. 57.

    Dee Loralei

    October 9, 2011 at 6:41 pm

    @JGabriel: Yea, unfortunately, too often I think that too. And a ton of other folks to the guillotines!

  58. 58.

    Narcissus

    October 9, 2011 at 6:50 pm

    Thank you, Linda.

  59. 59.

    SiubhanDuinne

    October 9, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    @Jebediah:

    Lovely! I lionize you in your cubicle, if you can bear it. Hope you’re not a PUMA; I, however, am a cougar if you know what I mean. Panther? I hardly knew her!

    /Def Leopard

  60. 60.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    October 9, 2011 at 7:05 pm

    @jaywillie: I can’t tell if you’re trolling or concern trolling.

  61. 61.

    JITC

    October 9, 2011 at 7:27 pm

    I clicked the link to Howley’s article in American Spectator but I got an error page. I thought the link might be broken so I searched for it from the American Spectator site. I see it listed here when I search for Howley’s name, but when I clicked on the article, I got the error message again.

    The American Spectator has pulled this article.

  62. 62.

    AA+ Bonds

    October 9, 2011 at 7:38 pm

    This is actual fascism, gg everyone

  63. 63.

    AA+ Bonds

    October 9, 2011 at 7:39 pm

    @Belafon (formerly anonevent):

    No, as jaywillie is attempting to laugh off, jaywillie works for the Kochs.

    Expect to read a lot from jaywillie in the coming days about how Occupy Wall Street sucks. There’s money in those ones and zeroes!

  64. 64.

    AA+ Bonds

    October 9, 2011 at 7:43 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    Anyone who works at The American Spectator is, essentially, a shitstain.

    ^ The correct post.

    Anyone who doesn’t know this hasn’t read David Brock’s book, Blinded by the Right. And if you haven’t read that book, not only do you not know why Media Matters exists, or why the American Spectator is the vanguard of America-destroyers, but also, you don’t really understand American electoral politics in the 1990s.

  65. 65.

    maven

    October 9, 2011 at 7:44 pm

    To find your local gathering:

    occupytogether.org

  66. 66.

    AA+ Bonds

    October 9, 2011 at 7:47 pm

    @maven:

    Clickable:

    http://www.occupytogether.org

  67. 67.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    October 9, 2011 at 7:49 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: “/Def Leopard”

    Ahem… “Def Leppard”

    That is all.

  68. 68.

    SiubhanDuinne

    October 9, 2011 at 8:02 pm

    @Odie Hugh Manatee:

    :: hangs head :: I know. Apparently my auto spell- check doesn’t, and I failed to catch the “correction” until too late.

  69. 69.

    SiubhanDuinne

    October 9, 2011 at 8:05 pm

    @efgoldman:

    Wow. The Grey Lady!

  70. 70.

    Linda Featheringill

    October 9, 2011 at 8:12 pm

    A bit OT but just for fun:

    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/09/1024477/–sekritarmy-rules-4-radical-pooties,-woozles-critters?via=siderec

    For animal lovers. :-)

  71. 71.

    smelter rat

    October 9, 2011 at 8:30 pm

    They Shoot Horses Don’t They?

  72. 72.

    Calouste

    October 9, 2011 at 8:35 pm

    @Dee Loralei:

    And obviously real Americans are not going to protected from left-wing violence by union thug police, so real Americans have to start an organization (let’s call it the Freedom Corps) to organize themselves for “self-defence”.

  73. 73.

    Bago

    October 9, 2011 at 8:51 pm

    @Chyron HR: SHIT! Was it over 9000?

  74. 74.

    Q.Q. Moar

    October 9, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    This douchebag’s article contains an interesting glimpse into the conservative mindset: “In the absence of ideological uniformity, these protesters have no political power.” Wanting the same outcomes; equality, fairness, justice, human rights, what have you, isn’t enough. Political power comes from ideological uniformity, and that’s why conservative dogma trumps all in the Republican party these days.

  75. 75.

    Lawnguylander

    October 9, 2011 at 10:02 pm

    @AA+ Bonds:

    @Belafon (formerly anonevent):

    Did either of you read the post that jaywilie linked to? I did and not only is it a fascinating account of the author’s experience as a protestor and organizer, it contains what seems to me to be some good advice for leaders and participants in the OWS movement. It’s definitely written from a sympathetic viewpoint. How does linking to it make someone a troll or suggest they’re on the Koch brothers’ payroll?

  76. 76.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    October 9, 2011 at 10:56 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Ah forgives ya. :)

    Total Def Leppard fan here since their 1980 release of On Through The Night. I’ve seen them in concert seven times now and have all of their material. As a rhythm guitarist myself, Steve Clark was one of my favorite players. Phil Collen is an extraordinary player too but I liked Steve’s style better and worked some of it into my own playing style.

    Vivian Campbell had some big shoes to fill and I think he did a great job of helping DL pick up the pieces after Clark’s death.

    Legendary band, that’s for sure.

  77. 77.

    Jebediah

    October 10, 2011 at 3:32 am

    @SiubhanDuinne:
    I bow to your superior punnage…

  78. 78.

    Jebediah

    October 10, 2011 at 3:33 am

    @Odie Hugh Manatee:
    The right spelling removes the humorious reference to the rest of the post…

  79. 79.

    OhioCane

    October 10, 2011 at 1:35 pm

    Zandar – My sister and I went to the first couple of hours of Occupy Cincinnati – very peaceful, and everyone was in good spirits.

    There was one guy there trying to stir things up – wearing a “Viva la Reagan Revolution” t-shirt and carrying a sign about being a proud 20+ year employee of a huge corporation. He left disappointed, because no one took the bait. A few people were chatting amiably with him, but he didn’t get his chance to show that it’s the liberals that are the *real* fascists.

    Anyway – we need to keep these things up!

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