Have a Wonderful Halloween!

I hope you have a wonderful Halloween! Caution, though, these are real bears, not trick-or-treaters! This year I didn't spend much time choosing the treats we will give away since we had so few trick-or-treaters last year. I guess Halloween parties must be much more fun, or at least less work for the children.

" We are the 99%" Protesters: Who are They?

Snappy protest  wear

Generally speaking, it is never a good idea to ignore protesters, as they can provide early insight to developing social change. I am, however,  scratching my head on these "We are the 99%" protests in Chicago and around the country. Who are these people and what on earth are they trying to say? They seem to be organizing at the "Daily Kos," an online newspaper that mostly seems to support promoting and electing Democrats, so perhaps they are Democrats who had a falling out with their local Ward organizations? The Daily Kos made a nonstop push to elect Barack Obama, and he won, so what is to protest? I am lost. Maybe because the Daily Kos also supported 10th District Democrat Dan Seals in a huge way, and he didn't win? Some evidence seems to point to the identity of these people as Socialists, who are probably tired of having to carve out a piece of the Democrat Party for themselves, and whose posters note "that from London to Madison, people are joining in struggle to defend their lives, their rights, and their future." Okay, but perfectly unclear.

The 99% also are organizing on Facebook (search "Occupy Chicago,") where the comments seem quite gung-ho, as participants request things that they forgot to take to the protest, such as sleeping bags. The protesters also have some professional poster art, and apparently the 99% also seem to have something to do with organic farming, at least in Maine.

Muppets take to the streets

Perhaps, soon, the protesters will enlighten us, but in the meantime--just to put it all in perspective--when you are done reading the heartfelt but mostly unintelligible comments at "Occupy Chicago," search (on Facebook) "Occupy Sesame Street." There the posters are a great deal less professional but much more fun. While the 99% Protesters seem blissfully unaware that Monday is a Federal and bank holiday which means the 1% won't be downtown, it is wonderful weather for a protest, and a reason to get outside and enjoy the day.