About Those Guy Fawkes Masks You See at #OccupyWallStreet Rallies...

From the Houston Chronicle:

Five things you should know about the English folk hero Guy Fawkes before donning a mask to join the Occupy Wall Street movement or celebrate Guy Fawkes Day.

* As part of the Gunpowder Plot, Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the House of Parliament in 1605 as a religious protest. He was caught in the cellar, tortured and hanged.

* The Fifth of November aka Guy Fawkes Day celebrations in Britain feature bonfires, fireworks and the burning the effigy of Guy Fawkes because Britons did not appreciate a conspirator trying to take down the king and parliament.

* The masks with the upturned mustache and dagger goatee were made famous by the 2006 film V for Vendetta, which was based on a faceless comic book character who plots to overthrow a totalitarian society. The image created by graphic novel artist David Lloyd for Alan Moore's story has become a symbol for anti-government and to protest any tyranny.

* Pay attention to how Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul marks Guy Fawkes Day. During his 2007 campaign for the White House, the Texas congressman used the line from a British rhyme: "Remember, remember, the fifth of November" to rally support.

* The word "guy" is traced to Guy Fawkes. During celebrations, children would beg for "a penny for the guy" to be torched. Guy became a term for a "person of grotesque appearance" which eventually became a general reference for a man, such as bloke and chap.

Well, the #Occupy folks seem to have the bombing and destruction part down.