Steve Jobs…need we say more? Actually we will. Jobs has literally changed the way we view and experience the world. This is no easy feat, in case you’re trying to do it yourself, I’m sure you already know. In the late 1970s, Jobs help design and develop one of the first commercially successful lines of personal computers, the Apple Series. Think Jobs’ life didn’t effect you that much? Read on.

Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple

”Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” (Jobs’ voiceover from an unaired Apple commercial featuring Virgin’s Richard Branson)

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Just imagine your life right now, without ever owning an Ipod, or a MacBook, or even without ever digitizing your music? We’d still be slinging our DiskMan’s around the street, toting our scratched up CDs, and making mix tapes for our significant others. For you younger one’s, a Diskman is simply a portable CD player. Remember those? (If not, DY a favor and click the words “CD Player”) Now we can transfer music to each other through the internet, press a button and open up thousands of songs, which we can listen to in privacy, in public, anywhere (except on the initial ascent on the airplane…) Most of us even learn the most vital news on our Apple devices. Even Jobs’ death itself, most of the industrialized world learned of it through and on an Apple device. Amazing.

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“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me…Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful–that’s what matters.” CNN, May 25, 1993

The above quote really makes one think–are YOU going to bed thinking you’ve done something wonderful? If not, change it. We can. Jobs’ resignation from Apple was a global shock and the interesting thing is, he did it right before his death. That means he was working, doing what he loved, right up to the last minute of his professional existence. And to bow out gracefully while the company is at an all-time high…that is, to put it mildly, reverent class.

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The sun sets much later in the evening, the air has a distinct clean chill, the ground crunches when you walk…yes, fall is here. So imagine coming home from work after a long day, to find one of these tantalizing cocktails waiting for you. Embrace the new season with a series of spiced drinks to warm your spirits in the upcoming chilly evenings.

1. The Pumpkin Martini

Pumpkin Divine Cocktail Photo Courtesy of: © Grey Goose Vodka

Everyone seems to love the Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte, so why enjoy that same fall taste with vodka. This recipe is very easy, assuming you have a strainer, tumbler, and can get your hands on some pumpkin spice liquor. But if the Pumpkin Spiced Latte is your favorite, it may be a good seasonal investment to purchase Pumpkin liquor. Here’s how you make it, recipe courtesy of About.com:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 oz Sylk Cream Liqueur
• 2 oz vanilla vodka
• 1/2 oz pumpkin liqueur or pumpkin spice syrup
• 1 tsp whipped cream
• cinnamon stick for garnish

• 

  SPIRAL BLUE BOTTLE

Mmm…Vodka mixed with fashion!

Preparation:

1. Pour the Sylk Liqueur and vodka into a shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake well.
3. Add the pumpkin liqueur or syrup.
4. Shake again.
5. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
6. Top with a teaspoon of whipped cream.
7. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

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Got pumpkin?

2. Yamazaki Autumn Delight

Yamazaki Autumn Delight Photo Courtesy of: © Yamazaki Whiskey

This drink can either be served cold or warm! The fresh cinnamon stick adds a little kick of flavor while remaining a perfect fall-esque garnish. If you can’t find the Japanese Whiskey, use a mellow Scotch.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Yamazaki 12 year old whiskey
• 6 oz Apple Cider
• Fresh cinnamon

Preparation:

• Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
• Shake and strain into an ice filled old-fashioned glass.
• Dust with fresh cinnamon.
• Garnish with 2 apple slices and a cinnamon stick.

3. Herb’s Harvest

Herbs Harvest Photo Courtesy of: © Herb’s Aromatic Vodka

The refreshing taste of rosemary is showing up not just at the dinner table, but behind the bar table as well. This recipe uses Rosemary Infused Vodka and is a modern cocktail with an herbal twist. Fresh ingredients are best for full flavor:

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Garnish your sleeve with an orange slice cufflinks

 

 

Ingredients:

• 2 parts Herb’s Rosemary vodka
• 1/2 part pear puree
• 1/2 part lemon juice
• 1/4 part almond syrup
• 3/4 part cranberry juice (optional)
• sprig of rosemary for garnish

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake well.
3. Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice.
4. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

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Revolutionary Letter #1

I have just realized that the stakes are myself
I have no other
ransom money, nothing to break or barter but my life
my spirit measured out, in bits, spread over
the roulette table, I recoup what you can
nothing else to shove under the nose of the maitre de jeu
nothing to thrust out the window, no white flag
this flesh all I have to offer, to make the play with
this immediate head, what it comes up with, my move
as we slither over this go board, stepping always
(we hope) between the lines

-Diane di Prima

(excerpt from City Lights Pocket Poets Anthology, edited by Lawrence Ferlinghetti)

Stephanie Keith/AP Photo Police arrest a protester on New York’s Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, during a march by Occupy Wall Street. Photo by Stephanie Keith/AP photo

Occupy Wall Street Blog

“The protests have been mostly peaceful. That is, until Saturday, when 700 were arrested after a march on the Brooklyn Bridge spilled over from the pedestrian walkway onto the roadway, blocking traffic for several hours. Most of the demonstrators who were arrested were given a summonses and released.*”

An Occupy Wall Street protester with placard in Zuccotti Park, New York, 2 October 2011. Photograph: Andrew Holbrooke/Corbis

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Occupy Wall Street protesters are now backed by powerful labor unions with hundreds of thousands of members and millions of dollars behind them. So much for that “nonsense” march, huh? Undoubtedly the Tea Party is cringing in the attention to the left-wing uprising, but the protest isn’t about segregation, even politically. It’s about uniting white, black, rich, poor…because everyone has financial inequality pressing down on them and we’ve all been “scammed.” “In fact, some tea party members have been down to Liberty Square to lend their support. Both groups are fed up with the status quo. Still, the protesters insist they are not all Democrats nor Republicans,” reports ABC news.

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Are people now waking up from the American Dream, only to realize they’ve been lulled into exactly that: a complacent, quiet dream? People won’t be complacent anymore, they are standing up, banding together, and fighting with their presence. Turns out the young liberals have learned a thing or two from Egypt: stick together, use your voice, and protest the inequalities. And what better city in the USA to start such a revolution than New York City?

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Following suit is Chicago, Illinois; Joplin, Missouri; Fargo, North Dakota; Allentown, Pennsylvania; and more. The revolutionary spirit is spreading like a wild fire around the country!

*Quote from ABC News

Before the veil of a “good” economy fell off onto an indecipherable puddle of lies and rubble, American’s had some faith left in big banks. After the Great Depression in the 20th century, we looked at implementations by the New Deal with a faint stare of hope, mixed with skepticism at the pseudo-socialist endeavors, but nevertheless, with hope.

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Then the economy crashed and the rubble of lies unveiled itself as a grotesque beast threatening the welfare of millions of Americans. Well the whole country, actually. Well…the whole globe, to be frank. But let’s not get overly dramatic here, let’s start with the little things, or big ones: BANKS. Not only were the big bad banks bailed out with American tax payer’s money, but now they’re still crying a river...

The Atlantic Wire reports that “The Wall Street Journal found that 98 banks that had received bailout funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program are in danger of failing.” Forbes.com reports: “Last week, Bank of America shocked customers when it announced that it would begin charging $5 per month for using their (well, your) debit cards. The fee kicks in beginning 2012 and would apply to debit cards to make purchases but would not apply to ATM withdrawals (those are subject to other fees), online bill payments (also subject to other fees) or mobile phone transfers (may be subject to other fees).

Bank of America isn’t alone. Wells Fargo has made noise about a new $3 per month fee for debit card usage and J.P. Morgan Chase has signaled that they would impose a similar fee.” (ContributorKelly Phillips Erb, Contributor).

Presidential Seal Medallion Coin Money Clips

So after all of our loyalty, our bail-outs, our sympathetic but silently out-raged stares in the face of these money giants, they are asking for MORE money?? I’m sorry, but something is wrong here–definitely wrong. As a society we have moved away from the paper fixated world (this is apparent in the fad of e-books as well) and as soon as we are dependent upon “technology” for cash, we have to pay extra for it. We are forced to use our “debit” or “credit” cards for everything from making a plane reservation to ordering take-out food online. We have grown so accustomed to using plastic for everything that most Americans don’t even carry paper money around anymore.

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So we gotten with the game, so to speak, used our plastics proudly, and now we’re being charged extra for it…they’re telling you “Take out all your cash once a month, to avoid an extra $5 fee.” or simply “Use your credit card and get charged the extra APR and fees that go along with it.” For all of you non-mathematicians out there, the $5 monthly debit fee adds up to $60 per year, just to use your plastic. Not cool man, not cool. (For those of you interested in boycotting said institutions, please refer to previous Occupy Wall Street blog.)

To make a very complicated sob story short, Bank of America and others, have got us by the Ball and Chain:

Ball And Chain Cufflinks

Occupy Wall Street has been going on for weeks now (since September 17th to be precise), gaining the attention of millions through social media sites and limited National media attention. At first it seemed as if news channels scoffed at the perceived “feeble” attempts of left-wing liberals to protest the greedy corporations that led us to an economic future with no future. That’s the thing with protests: first they are ignored, then scoffed at, then finally, taken seriously. And this 20-something educated generation is now looking at their massive college debt and employment rejections and noticing…something just isn’t right.

Wall Street

The generation primarily conducting these now global protests are the so-called “apathetic” generation: the social media, internet obsessed, cell phone era, post-radical civil rights movements kids. Now it seems they’re stepping up and not backing down. What was considered (and expected) to be a short-lived attempt at protest has now gained global attention, using social media as a tool in spreading the language of non-violent protest.

“Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants.”

The Christian Science Monitor says, “As the movement spreads, political analysts and social scientists are asking whether this is the sort of social unrest that emerges only in hard economic times and recedes in better days, or is a sign of a new political movement emerging on the American landscape.”

“The movement has also attracted the attention and support of more traditional liberal organizations, such as organized labor, he notes. This group includes the United Federation of Teachers and the Transport Workers Union, some of whose members defied a New York City police request and refused to bus protesters arrested Saturday for blocking traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge.”

Nobody Can Predict The Moment Of Revolution from ivarad on Vimeo.

Nobody Can Predict The Moment Of Revolution from ivarad on Vimeo.

But it’s not always a sunny day at the protests: over 700 protesters were arrested on October 2nd, 2011 while crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. Some say it was an intentional “trap” by the NYPD to split half the march of protesters, proceed to block them in, and proceed with arrests. The rest of the protesters continued to march over the pedestrian side of the bridge with no legal repercussions.

The New York Times reports: But many protesters said they believed the police had tricked them, allowing them onto the bridge, and even escorting them partway across, only to trap them in orange netting after hundreds had entered.

“The cops watched and did nothing, indeed, seemed to guide us onto the roadway,” said Jesse A. Myerson, a media coordinator for Occupy Wall Street who marched but was not arrested.

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Currently there is a plan for a National Student Walk-Out on Wednesday, October 5th and a Community/Labor March to Wall St against Corporate Greed and the Big Banks** at 4:30pm. The labor march will take place at: NY City Hall (250 Broadway) to Zuccotti Park (map)