Archive for the 'travelogue - nyc' Category

Happy Roe v. Wade Day (belated)

Published
by
alice
on January 24, 2005
in photos - 2004, travelogue - nyc and wombs
. 2 Comments

We’re really going to have to dig in our heels if we’re going to avoid losing the ground we have already earned in the battle for choice, and I think it is important to take a moment and think about that this year. Let’s also choose our language carefully and do our best to find common ground with those who seem to be the opposition. No one wants to kill babies. That fact seems to get lost in all the so-called “discussion.” This conflict isn’t about killing babies vs. not killing babies, because most of the pregnancies that are currently ended by legal abortions would not have continued to term if abortions were illegal. Rolling back Roe v. Wade would do nothing more than make abortions something that rich women get in other countries, while poor women return to the backalleys and women with pregnancy complications are left to suffer and die. This issue is about women’s health and our right to control our own bodies. We women are much more than just our wombs and are quite capable of running our own lives. Many men seem to be completely oblivious to those facts (or deliberately obtuse) and unfortunately, they’re the ones who are currently in charge. So, until more reasonable, compassionate souls take back our government, please do what you can to oppose those who would take away our right to choose. And let’s remember that the real pro-lifers support our schools, sex education, universal health care, prenatal care for the poor, social services, gay rights and responsible environmentalism while opposing the destruction of war and the death penalty.

(in case you’re wondering, the photo is from the Planned Parenthood march across the Brooklyn Bridge in August, on the day before the protest of the RNC convention)


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More 2004…

Published
by
alice
on December 27, 2004
in family, photos - 2004 and travelogue - nyc
. 1 Comment

I hope you’re not getting tired of my look back at the year. Here’s a photo from a July trip to New York, for a family gathering upstate and then a quick swing through NYC. This is a picture of one of my very talented brothers, during an exciting evening spent hanging out in Times Square. Our bartender that night was a talkative guy who was afraid he would get fired before the election because of his ourspoken views about the war. He was, briefly, pretty pissed off that evening because he’d been stiffed by some very healthy-looking kids who spent quite a while sitting at the bar — they were very rah-rah Iraq war, but when the bartender (who was a Desert Storm vet) asked them why they weren’t over there fighting, the kids got kind of cranky. There was also a lot of excitement outside the window that evening as a drama unfolded after a bomb scare at the local subway stop. More ambulances, fire trucks and police cars than I’ve ever seen outside of a Blues Brothers movie converged on the street outside. We ended up having to take an alternate route back to lower Manhattan, as the subway line we’d taken up to Times Square was still shut down when we headed home for the night. In this shot, my brother is checking New York One (local 24-hour news) on the TV for the lowdown about the police drama outside. I’m not sure what kind of drink this was — some sort of martini, I think — but its color and the light pleased me. My brother, DH, a very dear and clever cousin and I hatched up a great idea for a screenplay that night, but we still need to get most of it down on paper…


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Butterflies for a Better World

Published
by
alice
on December 22, 2004
in photos - 2004 and travelogue - nyc
. Closed

2004 has been, and continues to be, a tumultuous year. Last January seems to be such a very, very long distance away. When this year began, Howard Dean was the frontrunner for the democratic nomination and my office was still on the upper floor of my employer’s house. Over the course of the year, I spent a week in Paris, went to New York City twice, gathered with my family on my uncle’s farm, and continued to enjoy Chattanooga and its people and environs.

I’m not a big fan of the christmas holiday, so as I observed the solstice yesterday my thoughts sort of skipped over the xmas thing and moved on to New Year’s. Looking forward is a wonderful thing, and reflecting back on the year past can be cleansing, if a little bittersweet. The Japanese have a tradition called bonenkai — parties held with the purpose of leaving the old year’s worries and troubles behind. It’s a nice idea. Here in the States, we tend to focus on the clean slate of the new year without giving too much thought to clearing out old baggage. Today I’ve found myself starting that process of looking back and reflecting on the time passed. I want to give some thought to what I’d like to leave behind with the old year (besides the weight I’ve gained since I quit smoking), but at the moment, my thoughts are turning to the many memories of 2004 that I’ll cherish. One of the highlights of my year was the trip to NYC in August to join the protests when the Republicans had their convention at Madison Square Garden. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I brought back countless images of so many people who put their hearts and souls into that peaceful expression of free speech. This little girl is one of them. Her sign says simply, “Butterflies Against Bush.”


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A few more photos from NYC

Published
by
alice
on September 11, 2004
in photos - 2004 and travelogue - nyc
. 1 Comment

Visiting Ground Zero, either while on vacation in July or up for the protests in August/September.




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Thank Dog for Jon Stewart

Published
by
alice
on September 2, 2004
in nyc, photos - 2004, stewart and travelogue - nyc
. Closed

I feel better now. Sorry about my previous outburst. ;-)


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Please make it stop!

Published
by
alice
on September 2, 2004
in bush, nyc, photos - 2004, republicans and travelogue - nyc
. Closed

There’s a reason half a million people took to the streets in NYC on Sunday, despite the heat and humidity.

Ugh. Black is white! Up is down! This speech defies even my low expectations!

Just one little example: right after claiming that he values all US citizens (btw, zygotes are decidedly not citizens), Bush launched into anti-gay rhetoric! How is it possible that so many people support such a stupid asshole?

Four more months! Four more months! Four more months!


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Bonus photo!

Published
by
alice
on September 2, 2004
in cool sites, links, nyc, photos - 2004 and travelogue - nyc
. 4 Comments

While you’re watching the convention coverage this evening, here are a few good places for discussion:

… and THIS is just freakin’ kewl.

Do you have any suggestions for additions?


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Bush speaks

Published
by
alice
on September 2, 2004
in bush, nyc, photos - 2004, republicans and travelogue - nyc
. Closed

If last night was any indication of the tone that the republicans want to set in their campaign, tonight Dubya should spew lots of bile and hate while not fussing over silly little details like truth and accuracy. (Well, acutally, he’ll probably just try to scare us with gloom and doom scenerios now that Zell and Dick have done his dirty work for him.) As Bush accepts his party’s nod, I offer this image, taken last Saturday afternoon in lower Manhattan, at the site of the World Trade Center.

If watching his smirking chimpness gets to be too much for you tonight, head over to the New York Press to read their ([outdated link redacted]) 1001 Things to Hate About the Convention.


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Who is the busiest person at the RNC?

Published
by
alice
on September 1, 2004
in nyc, republicans and travelogue - nyc
. 2 Comments

The guy with the pants extinguisher.

‘Nuff said.

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Images from New York

Published
by
alice
on September 1, 2004
in beer, chattanooga, nyc, photos - 2004, places, republicans, stewart, tmi!, travelogue - nyc and ~politics
. 2 Comments

Here’s the first of the photos from my long weekend in NYC. I’m always glad to see Jon, even if it’s just on a billboard. If it weren’t for Jon Stewart and beer, I don’t know if I’d be able to survive this political season.

Reentry into life back in Chattanooga has been rough after being in such a vital, vibrant place like New York, and being there with so many incredible activists. Watching the Republican Convention hasn’t helped at all. I don’t normally have time to indulge in much escapism beyond just watching the Daily Show on weeknights, but in honor of the convention I’m going to revive my “In Case That Idiot Wins the Election (or steals another one)” List:

1) Bergen, Norway 2) Southwest Ireland 3) ???

… or, if I decide to stick it out here in the good ole USofA:

1) Boston, MA-NH-ME 2) San Francisco, CA 3) Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV 4) Long Island, NY, or 5) New York, NY (according to best places)

… or perhaps:

1) Baltimore, Maryland 2) Little Rock, Arkansas 3) Frederick, Maryland 4) Charleston, West Virginia 5) Portland, Oregon (if find your spot is to be believed).

Hrmmm… I know I’d love to live in NYC. I’m also intrigued by DC, but I couldn’t live there as long as the current clowns are under the big top…


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