Tuesday, November 12, 2013

A new challenge

I was reading a friend's blog the other day, and she issued this challenge ...

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Today I am starting a new Blogger Challenge. 
Why? 
Because all of us bloggers need ideas.
Because all of us readers want great content.
Because it will be FUN.
And because I really want to read what you guys have to write.
So.

Each Monday I will be writing about a First. I will choose the First (first kiss? first drink? first fight? first phobia?)

I will post the topic here and write my own little piece about it. And I will invite YOU to write about your own First (Insert Topic Here) on your blogs anytime during the week. If you have never done that particular first, write about why not. And how you feel about that.

Then link to your piece in the comments below, or on my Facebook page. 
Also tweet it under the hashtag #MyFirst.

 Ready? Let's begin.

Today's First is 

MY FIRST ACT OF REBELLION

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So I had to think back to remember my first act of rebellion. I am not sure if it was a testament to my mother and father's parenting skills or just my desire not to get in to trouble, but until I got to high school I can't even think of an act of rebellion that I perpetrated. But in high school I once smoked a cigarette while waiting to get into an ice skating session. Not much to write about there.

However, you need to remember that my high school days corresponded with the war in Viet-Nam. It was a very polarizing time in the U.S. and I was on the side of those who wanted us out immediately. (Also I did not want to be drafted and sent there against my will ... Hell No We Won't Go!)

In my senior year in high school there was a well planned march on NYC City Hall as well as the individual Borough Halls. Thousands of us left school and took part ... I was one.

But can this be actually considered an act of rebellion if there was no consequence to the participants, and the school system actually (and officially) sanctioned it? No!! For that we skip ahead a year to my college days.

Cambodia had been invaded and the students were taking action. On Friday night we took over the school's administration building. It was not much of a takeover as the building was unlocked and security basically handed it over to us.

I found myself in some professor's office, calling my local politicians for statements that we could use ... today we would call them soundbites. I found myself calling three very prominent politicians of the day ... Congresswoman Bella Abzug ... Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm ... and Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman ... all three active supporters of the anti-war movement.

Amazingly I actually spoke with Ms. Abzug and Ms. Holtzman (who would - in a few years - be the speaker at graduation) and got a quote from Ms. Chisholm through a spokesman in her office.

That same weekend, I took part in a shut down on the New York State Thruway - a major highway with high volume of traffic. The state police showed up and started arresting those of us who were sitting in the roadway, blocking traffic. Shortly before they would have come for me, however, the vehicle they were loading protesters into was filled, and they stopped "collecting" us.

By Sunday night, we had peaceably "returned" the administration building so that the offices could be used by their rightful owners come Monday morning ... and we all (?) returned to our normal routine of classes.

For what it is worth, I became more rebellious as I got a bit older ... just ask anyone who has worked with me over the years!


Wednesday, April 3, 2013

A Snap, A Set and A Song - Hop




Time once again to link with Thea at A Snap, A Set and A Song for this week's theme of Hop. Stop by her site to see her take - and possibly join us with your own post.




When I first saw this week's theme I was stumped. I couldn't think of anything I had that would fit the theme. Then I remembered a visit to the small zoo we have here on Staten Island and its special exhibit in the summer of 2010. The exhibit was Down Under Summer, and it had received a number of Australian animals that were on display here all summer. The big surprise was that when they arrived here in the US, there was one more animal than was loaded in Australia - a baby kangaroo - a joey. No one expected it and he was the hit of the exhibit. After all, how often do you get to see a kangaroo? ;-). (This was back when I was still using a point & shoot and hadn't yet gotten my DSLR and you can see the lack of control that was inherent with that camera.)


The Snap




The Set





The Song





Wednesday, March 27, 2013

A Snap, A Set and A Song - Bush




Time once again to link with Thea at A Snap, A Set and A Song for this week's theme of Bush. Stop by her site to see her take - and possibly join us with your own post.




The Snap


This week Thea has picked the theme of Bush and specified that it be the Australian meaning of the word so I won't be showing any shrubbery, minor league baseball or images relating to two of our former U.S. Presidents. The closest I can figure that "bush" will translate into American is woods/forest/natural setting. So with that in mind, we know that Thea is a country girl ... a farm girl ... but what is this dapper urbanite, this New York City resident to do? I live within the city limits of one of the most densely populated cities in the world, but as it turns out, the borough that I call home - Staten Island - actually has a good deal of protected natural landscape which we call "The Greenbelt." As a photographer I often walk through areas of The Greenbelt with my camera - so let's join this couple along this woodland trail and take a nature walk through the woods.




The Set

Our nature walk continues ...



The Song


When I first heard about this week's theme (and it's restrictions), this poem came to mind immediately. The next day I was talking with someone, and something in our conversation prompted her to quote the same poem I was thinking of, so it seems appropriate that I should include it here.





Wordless Wednesday - The Water Tower



Linking up with Thea at A Snap, A Set and A Song for Wordless Wednesday.






A New York City icon - a water tower






Wednesday, March 20, 2013

A Snap, A Set and A Song - Irish




Time once again to link with Thea at A Snap, A Set and A Song for this week's theme of Irish. Stop by her site to see her take - and possibly join us with your own post.




The Snap


With St. Patrick's Day just past, Thea has chosen the related topic of Irish for this week's post. At first it puzzled me and I wasn't sure how I was going to handle it, but then I remembered that New York City has not only the largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the US each year, but more than one. In the days that my son and daughter were in their high school marching band, they marched in those parades - both in Manhattan and here on Staten Island. This is a shot of that marching band in my son's senior year ... and that is him ... the drum major with his back to the camera ... leading the band down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.



The Set


As I mentioned, New York City has the largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the US, and it passes right in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral.




The Song


This traditional Irish folksong has been a favorite of mine since I first heard it over 45 years ago when I purchased the album shown below.


Here is an alternate version presented by the Dubliners in a more traditional format.





Wednesday, March 13, 2013

A Snap, A Set and A Song - Book




Time once again to link with Thea at A Snap, A Set and A Song for this week's theme of Book. Stop by her site to see her take - and possibly join us with your own post.




The Snap

Right from their early days, my grandsons loved books - both having them read to them and reading them by themselves. Here they were at their first birthday party.


The Set

This may be stretching a bit, but this is one of my favorite books - a video book containing a set of photos of the twins' first trip to Walt Disney World.



The Song

From the Broadway musical - You're A Good Man Charlie Brown




Thursday, March 7, 2013

A Snap, A Set and A Song - Sky




Time once again to link with Thea at A Snap, A Set and A Song for this week's theme of Sky. Stop by her site to see her take - and possibly join us with your own post.




I have seen some very interesting skies in the past month. Allow me to share some of them with you this week.


The Snap


This is the skyline that I see whenever I take the ferry into Manhattan. There is something new taking shape on the site of the former World Trade Center - the Freedom Tower.



The Set





The Song