Travelling used to be relaxing. Getting to the destination was only half of the fun. Taking the country roads and winding your way through hills and valleys across the U.S. was the only way to go. There were service stations where the attendants would pump your gas, check your oil, clean your windows and send you off with a smile… Read more →
Category: heia
2003.7.16 – packrat living
The wedding was a success. The honeymoon was lovely. The apartment is a mess. Yes, the presents have all been opened, looked over, and stacked in the most out of the way spot. A few items are in use. The rest wait patiently for their spot on the kitchen counter, bathroom vanity, or bedroom dresser. This is the life of… Read more →
2003.6.5 – the pride is on!
“Pride – In the Name of Love…” Sorry, channeling Bono for a moment. Let me switch the channel… “Celebrate good times, C’mon!” Ah, ha! Kool and the Gang is better. Getting serious now, this pride I speak of is not about music or pop culture, but rather a way of life. This weekend, we have our annual Gay Pride festival… Read more →
2003.5.16 – interiour design
I am thinking about going back to school. Yes, the hippie has decided it is time to get back to the creative and try to get out of this cycle of customer service hell. Ofcourse, there will be a short time where I will have to continue working in the service industry, to supplement my income, but hopefully after returning… Read more →
2003.4.25 – earth day should be every day
22 April 1970. The first national celebration of Earth Day. Since that time, Earth Day has evolved into Earth week and really taken shape in the grassroots community. Tree plantings, rallies, and festivals are just the tip of the iceberg and this year is certainly no exception. Being from an area of toxic waste, I am well aware of the… Read more →
2003.4.16 – feminism in the 21st century
We’ve come a long way, baby! Degrading as that statement may seem, it is actually very true. We HAVE come a long way, but the only way to know for sure that the struggle was not in vain is to continue on with it. We cannot just rest on the laurels of our foremothers who fought for the big stuff.… Read more →
2003.4.1 – where do you fit in?
Do you ever feel out of place, everywhere? Lately, I have been visiting a coffeehouse, on my lunch break, that I used to hang out at when I was in college. I sit there, drink my coffee and read or write. This would be a relaxing experience but for the cold stares of the freaky deaky clientele. The coffeehouse is… Read more →
2003.2.28 – what became of the jingle?
When did Generation X music become a marketing ploy? At what point did the advertisers decide that it was time to start using punk rock and new wave music to sell us cars, clothes, food, and anything else they can think of? I suppose, since Generation X itself is a construct of mass media, it was inevitable that our music… Read more →
2003.2.21 – speaking english?
Are there certain turns of phrase that bother you? Words or sentences that make you cringe uncontrollably? In recent years, even the newscasters seem to have become grammar-impaired. I realize that they are just puppets and read what is written for them, but you would think that they would be able to have some common sense. It seems that they… Read more →
2003.2.13 – how small do you feel?
Let me paint you a picture. The background colour will be that of baby blue, which is plastered on every flat surface in sight. The bench you are sitting on looks as if it was ripped out of a 1970’s church and has been split apart in order to keep people at a distance. Fake wood is all you can… Read more →
2003.2.5 – children first!
In recent weeks a new advertising campaign has been unveiled across the country. On my way home from visiting my family in Niagara Falls, I passed a billboard that struck me immediately. This isn’t like any other advocacy campaign over the years. It is heart wrenching and, in all likelihood, should be effective. The first billboard shows a closet door… Read more →
2003.1.23 – roe vs. wade, 30 years later
They came, they saw, they fizzled out. Thus was the plight of the “Army of God” in Buffalo, New York. Wednesday, January 22, 2003 marked the 30th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision, meanwhile, in Buffalo, the trial of James Kopp continues. “the hate filled want to build bunkers in your beautiful red earth, they want to build them… Read more →
2003.1.7 – diy or die!
Distros. The new wave in online independent distribution. Sites run by committed individuals with a passion for spreading the “word”. In this case the “word” would be the DIY scene. Do-It-Yourself is a movement that came into full force in the 1970’s. Punk rockers were looking for a way to express their individuality. Sure, the music was unique, but the… Read more →
2002.12.18 – holidays the way they should be
Holiday shopping. A time to wade through the endless sea of shoppers at your local mall and fight them off with your bags of holiday treats. A joyous time of peace and goodwill, as long as everyone on your list receives exactly (or something close to) what they asked for. Is this really what it’s all about? If this is… Read more →
2002.12.5 – a bit territorial, aren’t we?
Have you ever felt territorial? This past weekend gave me new insight into territorialism in modern day relationships. A trip to Toronto would be the backdrop for a very educational trek down memory lane. First of all you must know that Canada is almost like a second home to most of us here in Western New York. Border dwellers tend… Read more →
2002.11.21 – a movie changed my life
Can a movie change your life? It may sound trite, but it can happen. Once the lights go down in the theatre, anything is possible. That is why they call it the “silver screen”, isn’t it? My first year of college wasn’t the finest time of my life. I commuted 60 minutes round trip per day and being a freshman… Read more →
2002.11.15 – wish you were here
Ah, Buffalo in November. The leaves are getting near that brown crispy stage and the snow is about to fall any day. Yes we have long hard winters here in the Queen city, but there are so many other reasons to come and visit us. I don’t think that Buffalonians realize how famous their city actually is. Maybe not in… Read more →
2002.10.30 – nature vs. perfection
Insecurity. Low self esteem. Depression. These are all symptoms of what I like to call, modern American society. In a perfect world there would be no lack of pride attributed to a person who is “different” in some way. In different, this means that the individual doesn’t share the majority likeness, when in reality, the majority isn’t always the secure… Read more →
2002.10.22 – road trip
The one year itch has come upon me full force this past week. If you aren’t sure what the one year itch is, I’ll fill you in. After working at a specific job for one year or more I become unsatisfied with the job for one reason or another. Usually, I just get plain bored and I want to move… Read more →
2002.10.14 – sedaris in buffalo
Readings are often long, drawn out evenings, in which the audience is forced to sit and listen to a writer spout off about the tiniest details of writing and their own personal craft (or crap, as the case may be). I tend to stray away from actually going to see the author in person, for fear that the greatness of… Read more →
2002.10.8 – gardening guru?
Do you know how difficult it is to have a green thumb in an apartment building? Actually…I don’t have a green thumb at all, but the fact that I live on the third floor in a blacktop jungledoesn’t really help matters. Living downtown is extremely cool, except if you like to see greenery. So…I have started a lovely windowsill garden. Mind… Read more →
2002.10.1 – hippiegrrl goes goth
Yes, it is that time of year again. Time for that “sweet transvestite” and his minions to light up the night. Time to gather the rice, toast, newspaper and lighter and head to the local showing of the greatest cult movie of all time. Take that “jump to the left…” Whether you are a magenta, riff raff, columbia, brad, janet,… Read more →
2002.9.21 – help me, help you
What can we do to change the face of our community? For starters, revolt! Don’t follow the staus quo. Walk your own way and think however you like. Take every opinion and then form one of your own. Basically, don’t believe the hype and don’t buy in to the norm. People everywhere today want to fit the mold. Be normal.… Read more →
2002.9.12 – love canal, 25 years later, the saga continues
Before we dive in…this is a continuing piece. The previous entry gave a history of Love Canal and it can be found in my archives under “My Life and Love Canal…Part 1”. So…without further ado…away we go… Next year will be the 25th anniversary of the evacuations at Love Canal. My family was one of the first to leave the… Read more →
2002.9.3 – my life and love canal part 1
On the 13th of November 1974, Karen Silkwood, a union member and activist hero, was run off the road in a mysterious “one car crash”. One day earlier, on the 12th, I was born in a sleepy suburban area of Niagara Falls, New York. At the time it was called LaSalle, but would come to be known, over the world,… Read more →
2002.8.27 – why did i ask?
How many rhetorical questions do you ask in one day? 1? 10? 50? If you work in the customer service industry, like me, you probably ask anywhere from 50-100. The main rhetorical question being, “how are you doing today?”. This is a question that very rarely requires an answer longer than 2 or 3 words, yet many customers feel the… Read more →
2002.8.22 – why romy and michelle were right
if you are a fan of cheesy 90’s, saturday night live humour movies, you probably rushed out to your local cinema the day “romy and michelles high school reunion” was released. don’t fret! this isn’t an article to make you feel guilty for liking those movies, in fact, it is just the opposite! i love cheesy movies, if only for… Read more →
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