There is a feeling a jubilation and fellowship at Occupy LA, with people who normally wouldn’t come in contact with each other now hanging out, sharing common ground, talking, sharing food and stories. And within this, solutions are discussed, actions are planned, and plans hashed out. I saw a La Rouche supporter getting schooled by an activist while a decorated infantry specialist, a veteran of the Afghanistan War in full uniform, carried a sign asking why the government and financial institutions won’t do what’s right.

Last week, President Obama racked up several more broken campaign promises as he pushed through Congress three new job-killing corporate trade agreements. The Senate Finance Committee was quite open about the fact that these agreements will kill off more jobs and eager to mitigate the damage with band aids attached to the treaties. Some of us who were in the hearing room felt an obligation to speak up and ask why in the world the senators — with perfect bipartisan harmony — insisted on causing the damage in the first place. And for that we were thrown in jail.

Sean Penn says “Occupy Wall Street protest is telling the world we cannot be controlled by fear anymore” and that the protests have made him prouder than ever to be an American. The whole interview is very inspiring, and Penn is a thoughtful and articulate American philosopher.

The repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was an all-out battle, at times tougher than combat. Military Veterans and Political Lobbyists, College Professors and Grassroots Organizers pushed the government in such a way that the issue could not be ignored, but that did not mean the coalition or the struggle was an easy one. We all learned many tough lessons about research, messaging, politics, and perseverance. The roller coaster of DADT repeal is brought to life from “the foxhole” perspective of Dr. Aaron Belkin of the Palm Center (formerly known as the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military) who has the deserved distinction and title: The Professor of The Movement.

At least one hundred US cities participated in an October 15 Global Day of Action yesterday. Each demonstration was part of a growing “Occupy” movement that was ignited by Occupy Wall Street just over four weeks ago.

A few of the cities attempted to start permanent camps, like Occupy Wall Street has successfully done in Liberty Park. But, in cities like Chicago, the police enforced a park curfew and arrested about 175 protesters who refused to leave Grant Park.

I was in New York City to cover the day of action.

I see the wingnuts are running around trying to tie the Occupy Wall Street movement with Nazis and Communists. Oh, this is going to be fun.

There is a difference of opinion among the civic leaders of Hennepin County when it comes to OccupyMN. R.T. Rybak, the Democratic mayor of Minneapolis, likes it; Rich Stanek, the Republican Sheriff of Hennepin County, does not.

So the fact that the protesters are camped at Government Plaza, in front of the Hennepin County Government Center, means that they are at the questionable mercy of Sheriff Stanek — and a little over an hour ago, Hennepin County officers moved in and took away the Occupiers’ tents.

Media reporting about OccupyWallStreet is bound up in its traditional mindset. The important things are clothes, demands, impact on the political horserace, police actions, and spectacle. Media pundits agree, trying to figure out what is happening here, using the usual categories, hippies, protesters, dirty, ignorant of reality on one side, and on the other side more positive terms, they speak for all of us, they raise important concerns that aren’t being addressed, they are the equivalent of the Tea Party on the left.

After referring to David Brooks as the “Bard of the 1 Percent,” I was assaulted with a barrage of threatening letters and phone calls from representatives of Thomas Friedman who insisted that he holds this title. I will let the two NYT columnists slug it out between themselves and deal with the substance.

Apparently the simple act of closing your account at a CitiBank can get you arrested. Watch as this nice woman in the business suit is manhandled and hauled away as she and some friends decided to close their CitiBank accounts at the same time.