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Activate Radio: Community Radio meets World ! Formerly Occupy Boston Radio . It was December 10th, 2011 that Occupy Boston Radio began broadcasting.

From it’s beginnings as a working group in Dewey Square, Occupy Boston Radio has been one of the longest functioning parts of the Occupy Movement. Occupy Boston started officially on September 30th 2011 through a series of twitter conversations that resulted in an encampment in the heart of the financial district of Boston, Massachusetts. We had no expertise, nor did any of us have the benefit of

an education in broadcasting. What we did have, was a belief that a better world is possible. So we began broadcasting a very diversified lineup of programming that we thought would fill a void that has been a vacuum in our society, a free and independent press. Alongside our comrades at ‘the Boston Occupier’, and with partial funding through Occupy Boston, we forged a studio space at encuentro 5. In the past almost three years, OBR.fm (Occupy Boston Radio), has been broadcasting original programming by and for the 99%, with focus upon the voices of those marginalized in our society. We have broadcast directly from Occupy protests, held public forums, broadcast election coverage, and helped put together some decadent parties. We have participated in community events, and stayed true to the principles of the Occupy Movement. As the crowds diminished at GA’s, and the social media buzz was waning around Occupy, we continued broadcasting. Through countless hours of learning and then doing we have spent enormous amounts of time and personal resources to continue . Along with the help of many members of the community, we have been able to survive though we face many challenges in doing so. Some of us found something at Dewey Square. It wasn’t the drum circles, or the meals served to around a thousand people a day, or even the amazement on peoples faces as they experienced the oppression by our camp derelict. What we found was a dream and the ingenuity, or perhaps insanity to believe that we could accomplish this endeavor of building a viable independent radio station. Though our road has not been easy, we persevere to continue to build an independent media resource for all people. To build a resource that is centered around teaching, as well as expanding the voice of oppressed and marginalized people, and building our community. We envision an organization that will help others create their own media based organizations, and a media creation branch to support the success of those organizations. We also would like to become a larger resource for our own community, in helping our local worker and social justice organizations reach their own potential. We found our dreams of a better world in Dewey Square, and we found the many invisible people to our society. We also found forms of oppression that many of us didn’t even know existed. These dreams are what press us forward to to the realization that in fact, a better world is inevitable. With our deep admiration, respect and solidarity for all Occupies across the globe, as well as the many organizations that have been, and are supportive of our efforts, we will realize the fruition of our efforts through the community that we strive to build. This will be accomplished through the cooperation and collaboration of many different groups and peoples.Through innovative funding, and the wisdom in our community, and just plain old elbow grease, OBR.fm will become an actual entity with Activate Radio. Much like the phoenix that rises out of the ashes, Activate Radio is the direct transition of OBR.fm. In order to accomplish this task we need two things, the expertise of our comrades, and the support of our community to realize our goals.

11/08/2024

Day72:

Good Day Peoples

“They Don’t Care About Us” by Michael JacksonListen to Michael Jackson: https://MichaelJackson.lnk.to/_listenYDSpike Lee directed two short films for Michael...

06/08/2024

Just a heads up....

8,000 plus refugees are in the process of being put out on the street.

This started yesterday. My understanding is that they will all be out by Wednesday. There are going to be a lot more problems in the parks and downtown.

I don't believe that the Governor or Mayor are doing anything to facilitate this or help the situation. Drugs, crime and violence are about to get much worse than we have seen.

03/08/2024

Please instruct your employees on how 'not' to violate my and others 1st amendment rights.

Protecting free speech means protecting political expression vital to our democracy, diversity of thought, a free press, and so much more. The ACLU has long defended these rights for everyone — especially those disproportionately affected by suppression and censorship, like members of the public exercising their rights to criticize their government, protesters, reporters and photographers, religious and racial minorities, and people experiencing homelessness.

https://www.aclum.org/en/issues/free-speech-and-expression

Mayor Michelle Wu 吳弭 Michelle Wu

Protecting free speech and expression means protecting a free press, the democratic process, diversity of thought, and so much more.

01/08/2024

Day62:

Good Morning Peoples

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupWho's Lovin' You · Jackson 5Goin' Back To Indiana℗ 1971 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.Release...

31/07/2024

Day61:

Good Day Peoples

29/07/2024

Day59:

Good Morning Peoples :)

Brrrr... Chilly and rainy today.

When I was homeless at 17, it was very different than today in some ways. Then I was not nearly as busy as I am today. Not complaining about that aspect, just noting that things are totally different. Today, I'm not alone in my struggle. Not that the resources that are supposed to be available really are, but that I really have community/tribe/family.

Back then, I was truly alone. I was vulnerable to many people that I thought maybe might help me in some way. As a homeless person I felt an incredible shame, and didn't feel that I could just be. Anywhere. Anything I needed, I had to steal. I became good at that. I never stole from people, only large corporate entities. I felt as though there were some form of ethics in that.

Today, I don't have to steal to survive. Today, I don't have relations with the opposite s*x with the purpose of having a roof over my head, being dry and warm for a night or two. Today, I have all of you!

Things you may not know about Segovia on https://www.veojam.com/news/archives/190/andres-segovia-interesting-factsMaster Segovia plays "Leyenda" also known a...

20/07/2024

Day 50:
Another day in the struggle. Yesterday was a tough day to swallow. I must have paced back and forth for 3 or 4 hours after all was done and said for the day. It wasn't a defeat, but was a step toward keeping me lost in the system.

Do What I Gotta Do - https://buff.ly/4f3TnHE

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupDo What I Gotta Do (BW's Vibe) · Ralph TresvantRalph Tresvant℗ 1990 UMG Recordings, Inc.Released on: 1990-11-27Pr...

20/07/2024

Day 49:

Very bad day today peoples. :(

I was supposed to have a second meeting this week with the RAFT people. I was asked to jump through more hoops, even they know I'm homeless and have the damn court order, they made me get a third party to write a letter stating I'm homeless, and mail that I'd received at the St. Francis House where they treat you like it's your first day in prison.

I got everything I was asked to get. I went over to Metro-Boston Housing for my appointment. I arrived 3 minutes late as a result of an orange line train that traveled slower than I walk. The doors were locked. I knocked and some lady came to the door and yelled at me that they were closed on Friday, and if I had an appointment, I was late. She then told me to wait. She came back and told me that they couldn't help me and that I should come some other time.

3 minutes late, and they made me come up with that letter from a third party stating that I was homeless and the letter I'd received ibn today's mail at the St. Francis House, where they treat you like it's your first day in prison.

So I go to Gov. Maura Healeys office as they had made the people over at Metro Housing Boston call me to set up the meeting. I walk into the office and explain my situation to the two women working as reception... They tell me they arent going to help me, and have a state cop come up behind me and get me to go.

I'm beyond disgusted.

17/07/2024

Day 47:

I just paid for the radio server for this month. I'm always glad to be able to get that out of the way.

I need a small core group of folks that want to help out with the radio station. This will involve me teaching folks how to run things. The streaming server interface that we use isn't a drag and drop app, but it's not hard to understand the basics. Currently, nobody else knows how to run things. I'd really like to remedy that before fall comes. The radio station is going to relaunch in the fall, and that means that things should begin moving forward sometime in August. I'm working on a spot for a new studio for the station, and am putting a list of stuff together that will be needed for that.

I'm also going to reach out to BNN soon in regards to the radio station and a project that I've been rolling around involving my current housing situation. I also need to take a peak at whats happening at public access in Cambridge.

If anyone wants to do some urban camping with me, let me know. The more the merrier.

13/07/2024

Day 43:

This Week's Highlight's

- Girl Fight
Thursday there was a girl fight by the fountain in the Common. I was helping Daniel Kontoff at Park Street and heard some yelling over by the fountain, then this fast moving scuffle, from left to right, that ended up on the ground. It was that girl that had been arrested for animal abuse in the Common a few weeks ago. She'd bottled her dog. So it was her and this tiny girl, and the tiny girl seemed to be the aggressor. Honestly, the way they were fighting, I didn't see anyone getting anything beyond maybe a few scrapes. The smaller girl was straddling the bigger one and flailing her arms over her head at the bigger one, not even connecting half of her blows, and with no impact. The bigger girl was overwhelmed, and I think the smaller girl going after her confused and startled her. All the big girls would have had to do, is roll over and make sure the smaller girl goes with her. That little girl wouldn't have been able to move. I don't care how much of that MMA bulls**t little girl may have watched, there would be no getting out of that. But people don't think.

- Police Raids
There were a lot of police raids at Park Street at the beginning of the week. They seemed to subside a little bit at the end of the week. What happens, BPD rolls trough the park real slow and scopes everything out from a distance in an unmarked SUV with blackened windows. This vehicle will generally have just the driver in it, with a lot of extra-nice computer equipment and a camera pointing out the side window. I'm not sure if its just a recording device. I think it may be facial recognition stuff that works in real time, just like those license plate camera's that some police departments use to scan all the license plates in traffic to find warrants etc.. The unmarked SUV will pull away and loop back around some distance away. Then another unmarked SUV will slowly make it's way over like the last one, they speed up bit as they draw closer, and then 4 or 5 detectives jump out all swat style and do their thing.

- Ways I've noticed homeless folks don't take care of themselves.
I've met a lot of other homeless peoples over the past 43 days. It's clear that folks are lacking adequate housing and the ability to sustain themselves. But what is not clear at first is that many of them are not accessing mental and healthcare that has to be available to them. Everyone on the street should qualify for MassHealth. There are far too many people I see out there everyday, that do not have dentures or eyeglasses. There are others that clearly need medical attention for conditions that are associated with living outside, in the field/street. Why do all those holes in the statehouse not spend some of those BILLIONS on sending social workers and medical support to the encampments. The Commonwealth has a clear responsibility to those that cannot care for themselves. We as human beings have responsibility for our brothers and sisters. There are many damaged peoples out there, and they need help. The Commonwealth owes them more.

- Raft Meeting July 16th/ No news from CHAMP
So, RAFT has undoubtedly expired for me, and I have never been able to access it once to be able to even figure out how it works. My meeting on the 16th, I believe will be only to somehow blameshift, because I am a homeless person. Most homeless folks have no ability to fight back in anyway. Who are you going to believe, the homeless assumed crackhead, or the person who lords over them as a gatekeeper.

CHAMP: God only knows whats up with that....... To me, this just seems to be a system of false hope. Housing as it exists in Massachusetts has to be one of most oppressive agencies to the homeless. This is a system in which everytime you've done everything that they have asked, they push the impossible dream of having a space of your own a little farther away.

- Waiting on the right price:
I'm being stubborn about the price for the phone. I've been watching the fluctuation in price and am thinking after the weekend may be a better time to pull that trigger. However, if it gets there before then, I'll definitely pull that trigger. Looking very much forward to that, as it's going to make communicating much easier all the way around.

There's an event at Communty Church of Boston I will be at tonight. it's an event called a Pena! There will be music and speakers. I think that the theme this evening is Chomsky and Assange. I'll be there this evening, and would love to see some of you there.

Buena Vista Social Club Full Album

11/07/2024

Day 41:

Good Day Peoples

George Harrison - What Is Life (Official Music Video)Subscribe to not miss any updates and videos: https://GeorgeHarrison.lnk.to/SubscribeYTListen to George ...

08/07/2024

Day 38:

Warm day :) Much rather have it this way than cold out. New week. I need to get in touch with the governors office. I need to find a solution that allows me to purchase a reduced rate T-Pass like low-income people are allowed. The homeless should not be excluded from this, but have been. I also need to make some noise about my housing and RAFT with them.

Hoping over the next couple of weeks to be able to start creating some media around some of the things that I find myself in the middle of.

Current Needs
- Iphone replacement- We are at $277, only $50 to go.

- Carbiners and bungee cords(dollar tree)

- Blue tarp. (Is there dark green or black?)

- A bullhorn

- Remote Device battery Charger Block thingy (need to figure out which one I need)

- I know this one's crazy sounding.... If anyone has a cheap old acoustic with a soft case that has been collecting dust forever. You could give it a new life! I could definitely use such a thing in my current adventure.

Last week I was able to:
- Stop bank account from going negative as I was short a little bit for July's Storage.
- I was able to pay my phone bill for July.
- Was able to get last weeks T-Pass.
- Was able to pay the monthly fee for the Radio Streaming Server.
- Was able to purchase a small amount of to***co to get me through the week.
- Was able to get a new blanket/Comforter. It's big enough to fold over and use.
- Was able to get 2 pairs of really good socks.

I'd really like to thank:
Bil Lewis
Erin Winslow
Karen Hansmann
Mary Pierce
Hope Alane
James O'Keefe
Lisa Hayes
Deborah Sirotkin Butler
Angela Edge and Wendy Love Edge
Zoe White

Without your kind help, I wouldn't be able to continue the good fight. I want not only to help myself in this situation, but to help others live something better than they are experiencing. We're all human beings.

I think there is a lot that I can document, in simplest terms, about what is going on out there and what people are experiencing. I Thank You for your belief in me and hope that you and others continue to be supportive of my efforts.

Go to paypal.me/activateradio and type in the amount. Since it’s PayPal, it's easy and secure. Don’t have a PayPal account? No worries.

03/07/2024

Day 33:

I got into a physical altercation sort of thing last night.

Last night there was a van at the common giving out food and some basic supplies for the homeless. I got a new blanket( looking for a decent sleeping bag), my old blanket got kinda trashed. I also got some really really awesome socks. Woohoo!!!!!

03/07/2024

Go to paypal.me/activateradio and type in the amount. Since it’s PayPal, it's easy and secure. Don’t have a PayPal account? No worries.

02/06/2024

Come on, Join the Peace Train1
Veterans For Peace 10AM ET Sunday Mornings
Activate Radio activatemedia.org