Now, I’m not easily surprised by what our politicians and business leaders do anymore. Consider the failure of the “Super Committee.” The mess that Jon Corzine got MF Global into. The disaster that is Greece, Italy and Spain.

But this one is a doozie.

Take a look:

City Offers Occupiers Housing, Office Space, Farmland

In a preposterous act that could set a dangerous precedent, Los Angeles officials have offered protestors from the movement to end economic segregation and social injustice prime downtown office space, housing and public land to farm.

It marks the beginning of legitimate negotiations between an established government entity and the often violent, leftist “Occupy” movement that’s paralyzed cities nationwide to denounce corporate America’s unjust treatment of minorities and the poor. In New York more than 150 people were arrested and several police officers suffered injuries. In Oakland California police were forced to use riot gear and tear gas to disperse the huge, violent crowds and in Las Vegas nearly two dozen protesters were arrested.

In Los Angeles, Occupy leaders have promoted “violence as necessary” to achieve their goals, yet Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has supported the effort since the encampment was established in front of City Hall two months ago. This week he ordered his staff to offer Occupy protestors a package of incentives that includes downtown office space, housing and farmland, according to the local newspaper.

The idea is to persuade them to abandon their camp outside City Hall, where the lawn has been trashed, business disrupted and a police force permanently deployed to keep things under control. The city has offered protesters a generous $1 annual lease on a 10,000-square-foot office space near City Hall, land so they can farm and housing for the battalion of homeless folks who have joined the camp.

…Before you know it the feds will follow L.A.’s lead by offering Occupy protestors a national headquarters near the capitol and maybe even health insurance and other benefits.

Wow.

It just goes to show that, once again, the crazier and more irresponsible you are (and I’m talking about the overall movement), the more respect, dollars and support you’ll get from the government. The government that all of us pay for.

Occupy Wall Street kitchen staff protesting fixing food for freeloaders

The Occupy Wall Street volunteer kitchen staff launched a “counter” revolution yesterday — because they’re angry about working 18-hour days to provide food for “professional homeless” people and ex-cons masquerading as protesters.

For three days beginning tomorrow, the cooks will serve only brown rice and other spartan grub instead of the usual menu of organic chicken and vegetables, spaghetti bolognese, and roasted beet and sheep’s-milk-cheese salad.

They will also provide directions to local soup kitchens for the vagrants, criminals and other freeloaders who have been descending on Zuccotti Park in increasing numbers every day.

To show they mean business, the kitchen staff refused to serve any food for two hours yesterday in order to meet with organizers to air their grievances, sources said.

…The Assembly officially approved the three-day menu crackdown announced earlier in the day — insisting everybody would be fed something during that period.

Some protesters threatened that the high-end meals could be cut off completely if the vagrants and criminals don’t disperse.

Unhappiness with their unwelcome guests was apparent throughout the day.

“We need to limit the amount of food we’re putting out” to curb the influx of derelicts, said Rafael Moreno, a kitchen volunteer.

A security volunteer added that the cooks felt “overworked and underappreciated.”

Many of those being fed “are professional homeless people. They know what they’re doing,” said the guard at the food-storage area.

Today, a limited menu of sandwiches, chips and some hot food will be doled out — so legitimate protesters will have a day to make arrangements for more upscale weekend meals.

Protesters got their first taste of the revolt within the revolt yesterday when the kitchen staff served only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chips after their staff meeting.

Organizers took other steps to police the squatters, who they said were lured in from other parks with the promise of free meals.

The irony here is obvious, of course: the protesters want government to take more from the rich to help the poorer among us, yet they complain and protest when the same is expected of them.

The 99 percenters don’t see it that way. The problem is, the rest of us do.

My godfather, one of my father’s closest friends for more than 60 years, died last Sunday.

Here’s his obit from something called MyRecordJournal.com:

Norman “Hackman” Rollins Abrams

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Norman “Hackman” Rollins Abrams, 85, died Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011 in Syracuse, N.Y., after a brief illness.

He was an accomplished artist, teacher and graphic designer. He worked in advertising on Madison Avenue during the 1950′s and 60′s and later taught at Kansas University and Iowa State University. He was also employed by Southern Connecticut State University before retiring to work on his art. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, training as a paratrooper, and served as a member of the Occupation Forces in Japan. He was a graduate of Syracuse University and Columbia University.

He leaves behind his loving wife, Suzanne; his children, James W. Abrams and his wife, Mary, of Meriden; his daughter, Janet Steele and her husband, Robert, of Maiden, Mass.; and his son, Bruce Abrams and his wife, Rocio, of Lima, Peru; he is also survived by his stepchildren, Elizabeth Chin and Gabriel “Jack” Chin; eight grandchildren; and many devoted friends.

Pursuant to his request, there be no services or calling hours.

That last line, by the way, is vintage Abrams.

Norm was a very special man. Politics aside, he was talented, funny, inspiring, insightful, brilliant, inventive, warm, quick, laid back and so much more.

Every trip he made from Malden, Massachusetts, to my Dad’s house in New Jersey was a treat. Dad would call Norm a “pain in the ass,” but they would sit and talk and watch movies and make jokes and have a good time. And then he would be off for another year or so. Sort of like a blue-eyed, hairless Santa.

In fact, some of my warmest memories were of our family loading up in the station wagon and traveling to Cazenovia, NY, where Norm, Lofton, his first wife, and his three kids lived. The town was storybook, especially in the Fall, their house was storybook, their lives were storybook. At least that’s what I remembered.

Norm lived a free and mostly happy life.

God bless you, Norm. You will be missed.

Lauren – Maybe it’s because I live too far away to “feel the vibe” of the Wall Street protest, but I don’t understand it.

Why Wall Street? The issues these people are raising are better suited for protests in D.C., where people who can change laws actually reside. It frustrates me that our own citizens understand so little about how our country works.

If they want anything to change they should familiarize themselves with a few things:

1) Accounting. Just cause it seems like companies aren’t paying taxes doesn’t make it true. The IRS would definitely notice major companies not paying taxes and in this economy, they take all the money they can get.

2) Coherence. If no one else in the nation can understand what it is exactly you’re protesting, they’re not too likely to support it. You also undermine any good points you may have parading around like a bunch of clueless, disgruntled hippies. Also, a little bit of eloquence (and intelligence) goes a long way.

3) Understanding your own causes. Pretty much all the issues being raised are something that should be carried to your legislature. Wall Street trades stocks. Washington D.C. deals with laws, which brings me to number

4) PLEASE STOP COMPARING YOURSELVES TO THE PROTESTERS OF THE MIDDLE EAST. It is embarrassing and degrading to them. You are not under a dictator; you have more rights than they ever had. If you understood how your own government functions, you would probably have a more effective protest; clearly, the only constitutional right you currently understand is the first amendment. Please familiarize yourself with the rest of them, primarily the right to vote. There have been five amendments (yes, five) to the constitution so that almost every citizen over 18 has the opportunity to vote. People in other countries that have had the pleasure of dealing with an oppressive government actually go out and wait in line for hours to exercise this right because they understand what it is to be without it.

Unlike our friends in the Middle East, you actually have the ability to legally change the government free of risk of tear gas, tanks, being shot at, beaten, tortured, or “disappeared”.

Perhaps you should begin by paying attention to candidates running for office, primarily, your state representatives. These people are the ones that are supposed to represent your views and concerns to the government.

If you really cared about how the country is being run, you’d actually show up and vote every election instead of just camping out on the streets, sitting in drum circles and complaining.

Hassan – You make sense. The one thing that I would say in defense of these protesters is that although they are disorganized on their issues they are bringing to light some of the feelings that Americans have been feeling for a while and that reached their peak with the default deadlock. For this I thank them and hope America will too.

Lauren – Agreed. Plenty of Americans agree with their sentiment, however, this is not an effective movement. It is a knee jerk reaction and about as coordinated as one. If they wanted to have more of an impact, they would be better organized and more logical about their protesting strategies.

Jim (Her Dad!) – Yeah, but just think… All this discontent was the start of the Tea Party, who now holds the Republican party hostage! Expect big things!

Lauren – The only big things that have come from hippies have been Woodstock and Burning Man.

Ouch.

Funny that you mention the Tea Party though, because both their messages are about as clear as mud. I’m not entirely certain however that the Tea Party took the Republican Party hostage, more so the other way around, just as the unions and political parties are trying to use the Wall Street movement as a soapbox for the upcoming elections and publicity.

If they REALLY want to make an impact, they will keep this nonpartisan. Both sides of the aisle need to be held accountable for the responsibilities they signed up for when they were elected to office.

Lauren – P.S. It’s not the protest itself that really strikes a nerve, more the fact that they keep comparing themselves to the protesters in the Middle East. It’s like when Paris Hilton compared herself to Princess Diana: intended to make this protest look better, but instead just makes it seem frivolous.

Hassan – Agreed. No comparison is needed. They were ruled by a government that didn’t acknowledge freedom of assembly and speech.

David (Me) – Great post, Lauren.

I consider myself a TEA Party person in spirit. Although there isn’t one entity that provides a voice for us (much like the OWS crowd), I do see a common thread in the TP “movement” — that 1) government has become too big to be effective, 2) that our taxes are being used (and wasted) to support this bloated machine, and 3) that smaller and less intrusive government will allow our country to regain its momentum and return us to greatness.

True, the GOP has tried to coop the TP. And I suppose some are ok with that because the GOP’s overall values align with ours — but mostly in words, not in actions these days. I think you’d find that many TP people are not happy with any politician at this point, with a few exceptions — Jim DeMint, Rand Paul, Paul Ryan, etc.

And yes, the TP is pressuring the people who can do something about this mess we’re in — whether they’re in office or wish to be. But the notion of the TP holding the GOP “hostage” is BS. The truth is that the TP is a conservative movement. Conservatives generally elect Republicans. Therefore, we are the Republicans’ constituency. We’re not going to make any inroads with people like Pelosi, Van Hollen, Wasserman-Schultz, Reid, Frank, Schumer, etc. because we didn’t get them elected, nor will we ever have a chance.

On the other hand, because I align myself with the TP, I may be filtering what I see and hear, making me think that the TP has a clearer message than the OWS people.

I see the OWS situation as the same, only different.

There’s the same level of frustration, but it’s directed at greed, unfairness, injustice, helplessness, etc. — an imprecise target.

They’re marching on Wall Street, but they’re angry at all sources of power — including government — for not doing something about it.

They are younger, with a few old, stinky hippies sprinkled in, much like the TP is mostly older, with a few Alex Keaton-types in the mix.

And just like the TP, a political party is seeing an opportunity to benefit from the movement — in the form of votes, money and power.

In time, they may become the left’s TP. And we may see a polarization in politics — and the nation — that will cause us all to just stop talking to each other.

Then what will happen? That’s even scarier than it is right now…

Finally, I agree with you that comparing OWS to the Arab Spring is wrong and potentially dangerous. Yes, it is an uprising against authority. Yes, it is a demand for the people to be heard. But no, they are not betting their life on the outcome, no matter how dire they think circumstances are.

Of course, people — and videos — like this will do little to help their cause:

Nor articles like this.

Anyway, it’s good to know that there are people like Lauren out there.

From The Daily Caller:

With (Warren) Buffett concerned that he does not pay enough in taxes, congressional Republicans have introduced legislation to allow Buffett — and others who believe they are under-taxed — the easy option of voluntarily donating to the U.S. Treasury on their tax forms.

South Dakota Senator John Thune and Lousiana Rep. Steve Scalise introduced the legislation.

Dubbed “The Buffett Rule Act of 2011,” the names of the bills take a mocking swipe at President Barack Obama’s own proposed “Buffet Rule,” which conversely would close tax code loopholes to ensure that Warren Buffett and those like him no longer pay a lower tax rate than their secretaries.

According to Thune, there is nothing stopping Buffett from paying more in taxes, and his legislation would streamline that capability.

Let me repeat, there is nothing stopping Buffett from paying more in taxes. Truth is, the Treasury has allowed any citizen to make a gift to the U.S. Government all along. You’ll find the details here.

“If individuals like Warren Buffett or President Obama are inclined to donate their own personal money towards paying down the federal government’s debt, they ought to have that right to do so voluntarily,” said Thune.

“This bill would make it easier for those wealthy individuals who feel they are currently under-taxed to pay more to the U.S. Treasury, above and beyond their current obligations, without raising taxes on America’s job creators.”

Buffet has made a lot of right financial decisions in his lifetime. But entering the arena of politics was a big mistake, especially with the bunch we have in Washington right now. He has now opened himself up to ridicule. And two pieces of legislation named after him.

I don’t know which is worse.

The first is a story that defines how stubbornly independent we are deep down, especially in our cars. From the Telegraph:

Caroline Turner, 76, (NOT pictured at right) ignored blue flashing lights, but eventually stopped when an officer ran alongside her on a dual carriageway and tapped on her window.

He asked her to stop and she said: “Why, what have I done?” a court heard.

The officer explained that her driving was unacceptable. She replied: “There is nothing to discuss, I’m going home.”

Her crime? She was driving between 10-20 mph on a major highway. The cops eventually formed a rolling road block to shut the little old lady (NOT from Pasadena) down.

Then there was this, from the AP via MSNBC. This struck me as an example of how desperate people have become:

A 50-foot-long bridge in western Pennsylvania has been stolen, and its owners say they’re baffled by the crime and have no idea who took it.

New Castle Development (the owners) spokesman Gary Bruce said Friday that he “couldn’t believe it when they told me it was gone.”

A state police report says the 20-foot-wide span in North Beaver Township went missing between Sept. 27 and Wednesday.

The bridge was made out of corrugated steel and valued at about $100,000. Thieves used a blowtorch to cut it apart, presumably to sell it for scrap metal.

And this demonstrated to me how litigious we’ve become, as if I needed any reminders. From Movies.com:

A Detroit woman is suing film distributor Film District because she went to see Drive, and left angry because she thought it would be more like The Fast and the Furious.

So she’s suing.

There’s some more to that story, but what’s the point? It’s clear: The world’s gone daft.

In Danvers, Massachusetts, a family of four became “disoriented” in a 7 acre corn maze, panicked, and called 911 to ask the cops to help get them out.

The father and mother, along with their two children, entered the maze at the end of the day, wandered around for a bit, forgot even the basics elements of survival and apparently, totally freaked out.

According to the Patriot Ledger:

Danvers Officer Justin Ellenton responded to the call and entered the corn maze with Connor’s Farm manager Ritchie Potter to search for the family.

Within nine minutes of entering the maze, Ellenton and Potter found the family. The family had almost found their way out; unbeknownst to them, they were only 25 feet from the street. Police were not releasing the name of the family.

No kidding. I’d seriously consider changing my name if I were in their shoes.

Potter observed:

We had a few people who got a bit lost last year, but they found their way out. There is no wire or fence around the maze, so if they really want or need to get out all they have to do is listen for the sound of traffic.

Duh.

I don’t know. Maybe Obama was right after all. Maybe we have become a little soft.

At least in Danvers, anyway.

In just 2.5 years, Obama has decimated that record…and then some.

According to Judicial Watch via the Washington Examiner:

President Obama was not the first to have “czars,” nor have all the positions that go by that informal name fallen within the lines of (the Judicial Watch) report. But Obama’s use of policy advisors who “enjoy positions of power and authority in the administration and yet have not been subjected to vetting and confirmation by the U.S. Senate” is unprecedented in several ways, the report suggests:

President Barack Obama has installed personal advisors in czar positions in the White House and has created new czar positions elsewhere in the Executive Branch. As of the date of this report, the number of czars that have been appointed by the President, or by others in his administration, appears to total 45. In addition, there are as many as 18 other unfilled or planned czar positions.

Many of these ‘czars’ are unconfirmed by the Senate and are largely unaccountable to Congress. Further, their activities are often outside the reach of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), creating a veil of secrecy about their precise role in the administration.”

And then there’s this:

Czars appointees have seized unprecedented control over major aspects of government policy and programs. In some instances, unconfirmed czars have authority, in seeming violation of the U.S. Constitution, over certain Senate-confirmed officers.

Take that, Russia!