Corporate Criminal in Post-Occupy America
Author Archive
Don’t Let Bigots Occupy Your Mind
by Lisa Martinovic
Despite a generation of sensitivity trainings and multicultural studies, an astonishing number of people still feel emboldened to express their misbegotten bigotry in very public arenas. Cops and vigilantes alike are caught on tape throwing down racial slurs before they kill, Rush Limbaugh has no compunction about “slut-shaming” for a national audience, and classroom bullies drive a steady stream of gay youth to suicide. In the face of such madness we may be tempted to question the wisdom of the old nursery rhyme:
Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.
That’s what we were
The Universe in a Zucchini
After the morning fog cleared during my meditation, I went out to the backyard to enjoy breakfast in the crisp sunshine. I’ve been practicing mindfulness for some time now and lately it’s begun to wash over me independent of my breath-by-breath coaxing. Slowly, I ate a bite of oatmeal, savoring its creamy texture and innate sweetness. I took in a few slices of steamed zucchini, put down the spoon and chewed, eyes closed, facing the sun.
Opening my eyes, I peered into the bowl. The squash was such a soft green, so pretty. I looked closer and
Rules of the Road
by Lisa Martinovic
“God damn I hate Indianapolis.”
That was Bull Case, long-distance trucker, rendering his opinion on the shit-hole truckstop he and his buddy, Tex, had the misfortune to gas up at.
Tex was still in la-la land.
“She had me to-stay the night, Bull. She made me breakfast. Mmmmmm mmmm.” He rubbed his belly.
Bull looked down at his scrawny weatherbeaten friend and shook his head in disgust.
“You’re a goner, Tex.”
“Well, I don’t care if I am. Home-cooked meal ain’t a thing a man of the road oughten to take lightly.”
Bull snorted, pulling the nozzle from the shank of his 18 wheeler. He
Occupy Oakland and Aggrieved Truckers Can Learn From Each Other
by Lisa Martinovic
When the Occupy Movement hits ninety-nine percenters in the pocketbook, do we have the right to say it’s for their own good?
I am an enthusiastic supporter of the Occupy Wall Street Movement. Though I am in no condition to camp out in public plazas, I take every opportunity to participate in actions—be it a march in San Francisco, a general strike at UC Berkeley or a speak-out against police brutality in Oakland. I am thrilled to be alive in this historic awakening.
Still, I had mixed feelings as I trekked down to the Port of Oakland to support the