"OCCUPY" Movement features in the Guide - Index

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

Special Features from the Guide, at individual addresses...

“OCCUPY WALL STREET / OCCUPY EVERYWHERE” – our series of special Feature Stories, are available as individual items including READER FEEDBACK.

The Guide's special series examines events with an emphasis on the roles being played by artists, and / or the implications for the future of the arts and for arts & music funding. Each part and our recent related features are still available – and still receiving (and posting) your comments.

Listed from most recent to earliest, here's how to find them:

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

A special report from New York City ran in the Dec 12 edition. It is
> 8) “FREEBO REPORTS FROM OCCUPY WALL STREET NYC JUST BEFORE THE EVICTION” and it is available at
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/12/news-features-acoustic-americana-music.html


~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

THREE FEATURES ran in mid-November, on the eve of police shutdowns and evictions of “Occupy” sites nationwide. Those features are:
> 2) “CRITICAL LANGUAGE IN ACTION” CLASS SATURDAY, PRESENTED BY OCCUPY
L.A.
> 3) ELIZA GILKYSON REMIXES "BEAUTIFUL WORLD" AS SALUTE TO “OCCUPY”
MOVEMENT
> 4) DOES THE OCCUPY / 99 % MOVEMENT STILL NEED A DEFINING SONG?
Ran as three individual features in the Guide's November 18, 2011 News Features edition. Each is available by itself, with YOUR COMMENTS, as follows:
2) “Critical Language...” is available at
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/12/critical-language-in-action-class.html
3) “ELIZA GILKYSON's ... Salute to 'Occupy' Movement” is available at
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/12/eliza-gilkyson-remixes-beautiful-world.html
4) “Does the Occupy / 99 % Movement Still Need a Defining Song?” is available at
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/12/does-occupy-99-movement-still-need.html
Here are some excerpts:
(From Feature #2, “Critical Language...”): “Whether or not you are inclined toward the whole “Occupy” Movement, this is a fine opportunity to learn about the use and impact of specific words in specific settings and circumstances. All artists should understand that words are powerful and always laden with impressions and images. Whether those are the ones you wish to communicate, or are even aware of what subtext you create is often the difference of how successful you are in attracting or repelling others with your cause.”
(From Feature #3, “Eliza Gilkyson...”): “The press statement from Red House notes, 'The album and song are still timely today, especially in light of the protests going on around the world.' … Music in support of the 'Occupy' protests has already come from other Red House artists, with support from the label's PR office. A recent press release began with the words, 'In solidarity with the “Occupy Wall Street” protestors, Americana songwriter PIETA BROWN is offering her song “I Want It Back”...' Now Gilkyson is stepping up to the plate. She says, 'I originally wrote the song as a means of staying inspired and engaged in the struggle to defend our beautiful world against the ravages of humankind... I am excited to release this provocative new remix, in solidarity with a struggle that is more crucial than ever.'”
(From Feature #4, “Does the Occupy / 99 % Movement Still Need a Defining Song?”): “It's been one of the points we've made in several features in our series on the participation and influence of artists with the 'Occupy' / 99% Movement: It's the only American protest / social change / you-name-it movement in modern history that has no anthem. As we detailed last week, the movement is heavily inclusive of young people who don't know the rich legacy and catalog of songs from the Civil Rights era. And because this movement is so much about text messages and cyber communication, the movement conspicuously lacks an orientation toward songs sung by groups...”

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

> SO, WHAT'S UP WITH THE “OCCUPY / 99%” MOVEMENT? IS A “LEAGUE OF NON-VOTERS” COMING? IS MUSIC PLAYING A ROLE? from the Guide's Nov 11, 2011 News Features edition, is available by itself, with YOUR COMMENTS. Here are a string of excerpts: “This protest movement is different in its modes of expression.” - “Is it a political or an economic or a social justice movement? Yes.” - “Could the masses that comprise the 99%, in and out of the movement, be induced by manipulators to feel deeper disillusionment, and “guided” to see no point in one thing in particular – voting? Yes.” - “An ultimate irony is coming: during the Civil Rights Movement, the disenfranchised fought for their rights to vote. Now, disillusioned masses might, in droves, give up entirely on the notion of bothering to vote.” - “The net effect isn't to make everyone fight for their rights. More people than ever are simply disgusted and sensing futility.” - “We may soon be governed by people who literally do not represent us, because too many of us see no point in fighting the overwhelming spending by corporations that purchase politicians to do things their way. With that conclusion reached, why vote? It's not individual or group apathy. It would be an intentional act, driven by entrenched and widespread disgust. It's the electoral equivalent of a sit-in. It will be tantamount to an organized 'League of Non-Voters.' ” - Of course, there's plenty more. Read it in full at
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/11/so-whats-up-with-occupy-99-movement-is.html

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

> ARTISTS JOIN “OCCUPY WALL STREET” AS UNEMPLOYMENT, ECONOMY WORSEN, The Guide's Oct 7, 2011 feature story, with YOUR COMMENTS, is available by itself. Here's an excerpt: “We should be talking about the exact form and structure of a new WPA and a new CCC to re-employ Americans with projects that will give us all a future legacy – like that we inherited from the enduring public works projects of the '30s. We could be building high-speed rail and alternatives to gas-guzzling automobiles and alternatives to polluting coal-fired power plants. We could be leading the world in high tech investment and encouraging math and science education with a vigorous space program, aimed at Mars, instead of pouring money and blood into the sands of Afghanistan. We could be creating jobs so that the 24% of the military enlistees, who go there because there are no other jobs, could find career work in improving our society and rebuilding it for their children's future... Instead, we are told that a tepid jobs bill is dead on arrival in the House of Representatives, even as we see record profits for companies that took our money to employ people overseas, but not here. We see money being used to make money without creating any jobs or benefits for our society in a time when meaningful, career-track jobs should be our key national priority. We're not building for the future. We're not even doing required maintenance on the gifts we received from our parents and grandparents. We hear politicians rant that government must charge the rich no taxes and make Capital Gains profits off-limits to taxation, altogether. We see bonuses paid to money manipulators who exported America's jobs even as they took bailouts from taxpayers. Rome is burning. They're buying Stradovari violins with our money.” Plus, there's a “Memo to those wallowing in Wall Street bonuses and bank bailout billions.” read it all at
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/10/artists-join-occupy-wall-street-as.html

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

> OF AUTOHARPS, JOBS BILLS, AND A VISION FOR OUR FUTURE (OR THE LACK OF IT) a feature that PRE-DATES the Occupy Movement by just two days, examining ways artists can oppose the “I've got mine, f--- you,” attitudes of the power elite, and fight against “a corporatocracy or an intolerant theocracy or a place of ruthless end-game capitalism.” It first ran in the Guide's Sep 15, 2011 edition; it's available by itself at
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/09/of-autoharps-jobs-bills-and-vision-for.html

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

> 9-11's LEGACY: THE PART PLAYED BY ARTISTS, AND WHAT'S STILL TO BE DONE, is our feature that PRE-DATES the Occupy Movement, but presents several of what would be its focal points. It ran in the Guide's Sep 9, 2011 edition. Here's an excerpt: “Together, military over-commitments and a select few no-bid civilian defense contractors bankrupted our economy, cost us our space program, cost us any chance for spending on arts education, cost us renewal of our decaying bridges / highways / city streets / utility infrastructure, cost us building any major new public works projects, and essentially cost us our vision for the kind of 21st century future promised by '2001: A Space Odyssey.' Meanwhile, our drone-based wars have cost our troops unprecedented numbers of re-deployments to war zones, record numbers of suicides, and record numbers of PTSD cases that all but assure us a tragically plentiful supply of homeless disturbed individuals for decades to come... It's a fitting time to ask our politicians whether contrarian intransigence is worthy of their silenced constituents... or worthy of their constituents who rushed to help [on September 11, 2001] and in the days and months following, and who now suffer as a result, yet who receive little or no help from what should be a forever grateful nation.” And, “Just as Congress appears unable to help 9-11's surviving first responders, both political parties appear bereft of any real vision for a better future for all of us.” It's available at
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/09/acoustic-americana-music-guide-news.html

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

> CALLING STEPHEN COLBERT: HELP! WE'VE BEEN COMPROMISED! is the Guide's August 4, 2011 feature that PRE-DATES the Occupy Movement by six weeks. It looks at the ability of Super PACS and big money to control politics. It's a scathing and satirical piece on the devastating and maddening manipulation of the people's money and what was – and was not – evident in the Debt Crisis, with MUCH reader feedback. It anticipates some of the central themes that would become those of the Occupy Movement. It's available by itself at
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/08/calling-stephen-colbert-help-weve-been.html

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

> IS THE FUTURE OF ARTS FUNDING GONE IN AMERICA? This is, for us, the feature story that started it all. It's the Guide's pioneering, in-depth, July 18, 2011, feature, that PRE-DATES the Occupy Movement by two months, with analysis and quotes by a host of experts and iconic Americans, and it reaches far beyond Washington's maddeningly gridlocked politics. It debunks the Debt Limit, spending cuts, and budget battles and examines the roots of issues that motivated Occupiers. It's available by itself, with a then-record-number of comments, at
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/07/is-future-of-arts-funding-gone-in.html


~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

Copyright © 2012, Lawrence Wines and the Acoustic Americana Music Guide.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~