Blogs from New York, United States, North America - page 480

Monday was a day for another march, this time unpermitted. I joined the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign for a permitted rally at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza across from the United Nations. The rally started off with promise and vigor, with each speaker taking no more than a minute at the microphone. But it was at some point after Nicole from the Deaf and Blind Committee for Human Rights "spoke" through an interpreter (don't ask me how Nicole was able to see her hands in order to speak in sign language) that I realized that brevity in speakers could easily be overcome by quantity of speakers. After the tenth speaker took to the stage, the press started to drift out of their pit in front of the podium, and headed to the back of the plaza, ... read more

"Dude, you're on TV!" Thus said my fellow protestor Tom as we watched CNN Headline News at close to midnight. For a few fleeting seconds my face and wide-brimmed Tillie hat stoud head and shoulders above a crowd of thousands of people participating in the Pro-Choice March across the Brooklyn Bridge. The footage must have been taken early in the day, because by the end of the day I was considerably less enthusiatic after spending 12 hours on my feet in 90 degree heat with a camera bag over my shoulder, at which point my clothes were entirely soaked through with sweat and I was craving salt on anything, "I'll have an order of fries, please. They come with salt, right?" I doubt that I will ever be able to forget the sublime joy of marching ... read more

I left Newport News this morning on the Amtrak train to New York City, and along the way I read several chapters in "Lies My Teacher Told Me," by my Vermont homeboy James Loewen, which follows up quite nicely on a conversation I was having with my boss Mary. Yesterday she half rhetorically asked, "Why don't more Americans know about the terrible atrocities our goverment has done?" I replied, ''Education. Or a lack thereof." My homeboy James Loewen offered up a quote by Helen Keller that extrapolated upon the American tradition of willful ignorance. Helen Keller pointed out, "People do not like to think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant." It is not pleasant to consider that, for instance, the United States has not promoted democracy in the Middle East. In ... read more

Ok, goed aangekomen. De vlucht verliep allemaal voorspoedig en soepeler dan ik had verwacht. En om 12:00 stond ik al buiten het vliegveld. Toen met de subway naar Manhattan. Hotel gezocht en gevonden. Toen ff wat te eten en drinken gehaald en Central Park in gelopen, waar ik vlakbij slaap. Redelijk vroeg gaan slapen vanwege de jetlag en toen vanmorgen had ik met floor en Michelle (waar hij slaapt) afgeproken. We hebben toen zo'n toeristische busrit gedaan. Af en toe uitgestapt om wat te eten of om naar het United Nations gebouw te gaan. Daarna naar de film geweest, Alien vs Predator en na afloop stiekem Open Water gekeken. Toen ff een burger gegeten en nu zitten we op Michelle's werk te internetten. Morgen maar 'ns kijken of ik 'n auto kan vinden en voor overmorgen ... read more

Saw a phish show in Saratoga state park. The park was beautiful. We had to walk through a golf course to get to the venue. The venue was pretty large with two levels of seats and a huge lawn. We had lawn tickets so finding a spot to hang out was difficult. We ended up relatively close and have a good view of the venue TV screen. Show was great with the end of the sets being there strong parts. Driving back home to Grand Rapids, Mi tonight.... read more