Author: chantale

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2005.8.22 – 3 years and counting…

today is my third anniversary here at the ‘wash and in honour of this momentous occasion i decided to do a retrospective of sorts of my personal favourites. this doesn’t mean that i am going to try to boost my own ego, but rather the egos of my favourite past and present backwashers. although this is my space to pontificate on matters that i feel worthy, i would like to turn it around today and give credit to my fellow writers. so – without a moment longer to wait, here are my top 10 favourite posts on the ‘wash!

10 – Hippie Helen And Her Merry Band Of Twisting Scriptures by Opinionated Dyke With An Axe To Grind

9 – I don’t have a problem. I could stop any time I wanted to by Book Slut, Media Junkie

8 – A Note To My Biographer by All Grown Up And Nowhere To Go

7 – Suffragettes, Hatchets & Rhinestones by Eclectic GlamKitty Living Despite The Odds

6 – The Reflective Jodi by Hawaiian Punch In Cocktail Glasses

5 – He’s Your Doctor When In Need by Scratch, Pop & Hiss

4 – Decades by Bored

3 – The Spoonman Diet by There Is No Spoon

2 – Skating On Shit by Outside Of Society

1 – Long Live The Muppets by Grrl Gets The Goods

so what do you think? good choices? there are many others that i love as well, but i was in a bit of a hurry to get this list up today, on my actual anniversary, so these will have to do for now.

keep on reading all these and the other backwashers and come back often. i promise (not crossing my fingers behind my back) that i will return shortly with more insight and hippie hurrah!

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2005.4.18 – so much to say

i was going to talk about pop culture today. try to lighten things up, but then andrea dworkin passed away and made things ever so heavy again. it happened last saturday (9 april 2005) so i am a bit behind in my reporting, but she was important enough to warrant an entry even a few weeks after her passing.

who was andrea dworkin? only one of the greatest radical feminist writers of the 20th and 21st centuries. she would delve into issues that most of us don’t even want to think about, let alone write and talk about in public. her ideas on pornography and the subordination of women in all institutional constructs would make her a sworn enemy of other feminists critics such as camille paglia (who believes in the artistic value of pornography and dismisses the objectification of the industry). although not outwardly argumentative, you can be quite certain that paglia did not appreciate dworkin’s views on feminism and pornography.

what would be a good book of dworkin’s to read to become acquainted with her work? all of dworkin’s books were fantastic, but the one that i feel is the most moving and influential is her memoir “heartbreak”. it explains much of her struggle as a radical feminist and the reasons why she did what she did. “heartbreak” would also prove to be the writer’s last work having passed at such an early age of 58.

wasn’t dworkin just basically a man hater? this is something that the conservatives have long said of dworkin. that she was basically a misandrist (a term used by anti-feminists to point the finger at what they believe to be “man haters”) and that because of this her views were null and void. this, of course, makes no sense (just like most conservative ideas) because she lived with and even married her best male friend, john stoltenberg, in 1998. both individuals identified themselves as gay, but they felt it necessary to wed (perhaps for legal marital status). now, if she really hated men would she have married one? even though he was gay?

why is it important to know about andrea dworkin? just as it is important to have an open mind and always be learning about new people, places, and things, it is important that we know about dworkin and her place in the feminist movement. although many women in the movement thought dworkin annoying for her push toward the demise of all pornography (calling it an infringement of free speech) it remains to be seen exactly what her impact will be on the movement in full. i believe that dworkin was a driving force in a movement that badly needed a push in any direction and this current generation of feminists can gain much knowledge from a woman who defied all stereotypes and wrote from her gut. without her books, the movement would be completely different.

r.i.p. andrea dworkin
26 September 1946 – 9 April 2005

peace,
hippiegrrl

 

important links:

feminist majority foundation

national organization for women (now)

feminist campus

feministing

feminist frequency

feminist ryan gosling

everyday feminism

the feminist press

the feminist wire

aha feminist caucus

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2004.12.20 – the holiday rush

Back to the holiday shopping season. I realize that it is a bit past now, but for me it has really just begun. The tendancy for me is to wait until the last possible second for everything, get really really stressed out and generally catch a cold of some kind directly after Christmas that is caused by the level of stress wreaking havoc on my body’s immune system. Such a lovely holiday tradition. Such a wonderful way to spend the season.

I realize that everyone seems to complain about the commercialization of Christmas. That it is somehow “hip” to be anti-mall, anti-buy, anti-hoopla. The difference between the hipsters and myself is that I truly believe that Christmas has been co-opted by big business and that something needs to be done about it. Instead of sitting around and whining about the way things are some habit changes to lessen the reliance on big business are the order of the day.

To help you on your stress-free, Christmas shopping experience I have some suggestions to offer. If you prefer to skip the whole present buying mumbo jumbo please see my article from 2002 – “Holidays The Way They Should Be” detailing alternate ways of celebrating the holiday season.

Ways to have a stress free shopping experience:
1 – Shop at locally owned stores. Often you can get to know the owners and have a leg up on the best sales and when items will be coming into stock. This also supports your local community and gives you the ability to know and understand your local merchants political views.
2 – Bake cookies and assemble them in a lovely cookie tin purchased from your local flea market or thrift shoppe. Be sure to wash the tin thouroughly and line with wax paper before placing the cookie assortment in. This will make everyone happy and is even more thoughtful then that little gadget you thought the person “might” like. Everyone loves cookies!
3 – Make a record bowl from an old album purchased *again* at a flea market or thrift store (instructions on assembling a record bowl can be found here) and pot a small, window sized plant in it. Herbs are the best plants for these planters. A great way to re-use albums in a funky and earth friendly manner!
4 – Make some lovely candles (instructions for making candles can be found here) and arrange in a basket with a holder and some matches. This is *obviously* an adult oriented gift. Include instructions and warnings with the candles so your gift recipient doesn’t get burned!
5 – Shop online! There are still 2 or 3 days left to buy from many sites online. This cuts out the crowds and assures you that the items will be available. At this late date you will definitely want to be sure to pay a little extra for overnight shipping.
6 – The gift of your company is always best. Come to the family party armed with pictures, stories, games and other things that you find at home. Being the life of the party can be even better than buying everyone a gift they won’t use.

Happy Holidays and keep it stress-free, if at all possible!

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2004.10.20 – 14 days and counting…

Yes, it is almost time to step into that polling place and cast your ballot for the next President of this great land we call the United States. It is time to put aside all the political smear campaign tactics and look at the facts. To consider the ideals and policies of each candidate and make a truly informed decision.

In your quest for good information, I would love to help you with a little bit of great information. I realize that my opinion is not always what the mainstream enjoys, but I have a great hypothetical scenario for each of you to consider. It is on my number one issue – Choice. Whether you are pro or anti choice, it is always good to consider all the facts. So – without further ado – one girl’s sad story of the days after Election 2000.

It is a dreary night in December of 2001 and Clara, (for lack of a better name) a 16 year old high school junior, is sitting silently in her bedroom. This afternoon she visited her doctor and received some shocking news. The news was twofold and both pieces of information would be taken badly. First, the doctor did not want to grant the request of Clara to administer her birth control pills. The doctor remarked on the fact that it was a moral decision on her part. She felt, as a Catholic, that it was immoral to give birth control to anyone, because it was just as bad as abortion in the eyes of her God. Clara, did not understand how the doctor could inflict her religious beliefs on her patients, but she was willing to overlook it and find another doctor who would prescribe the pill. The second piece of information was slightly worse. Clara had contracted HIV. A look of horror came over Clara and she asked the doctor how this was possible? The doctor told her that she had most likely contracted it from sexual intercourse, seeing that Clara was neither an intervenus drug user or had had any surgery in the past 10 years that would have involved a blood transfusion. Clara thought back to 2 months ago when she did have her first sexual experience and still didn’t quite understand. The doctor told her that it would be best if she discussed the matter with her parents and Clara left the office.

Let us stop here to consider that Clara was attending a public high school that had recently (in the last year) instituted an “abstinence only” sex ed program, signed into law by our newly appointed President. Clara’s parents were not forthcoming with sexual information and had absolutely no intention of ever speaking to her about it. They figured that “out of sight, out of mind” was the best defense, but obviously this tact didn’t work.

Clara begins treatment for her HIV infection in January of 2002 and thankfully (because of her young age and the good condition of her body) she is able to take well to the medication. She is, however, forced into a feeling of shame and ignorance from her classmates and doesn’t have another intimate relationship through the rest of her high school career.

November 2, 2004 – President Bush is re-elected as the leader of the United States.

May 29, 2007 – Clara attends her College graduation and gets a job offer from a non-profit organization that helps HIV patients deal with the disease. They feel that Clara’s background in dealing with her own symptoms and the fact that she has a bachelors degree in psychology will make her a perfect candidate for the position. The pay isn’t fantastic, but Clara jumps at the chance to work with others and use her personal experience and college education for a good cause. In light of the fact that the job is somewhat low-paying, Clara is forced to move into a somewhat less desirable neighbourhood, but she is not deterred.

One night in 2008, Clara is walking home from work and suddenly is grabbed from behind and dragged into an alleyway. The attacker rapes her and then flees. Clara, although shaken and certainly upset about what has happened, immediately goes to the emergency room. After the rape kit is done, Clara requests a morning after pill, so that she will not have to worry about becomming pregnant from this incident. The doctor informs her that due to new laws, they are no longer able to give the morning after pill to patients. It has been taken out of circulation by the FDA under the provisions in the overturn of Roe vs. Wade, which had passed in 2007 under the current President.

Upset over the incident and enraged over the fact that a drug previously available to victims of sexual crimes is now not available, Clara returns home and crosses her fingers that the incident will not fertilize. Unfortunately, Clara’s prayers go unanswered and a few weeks later she returns to the local women’s health clinic that she attends to find out that she is, indeed, pregnant.

At this point Clara inquires about the possibility of an abortion. Obviously, if they won’t give her the morning after pill, she is sure that safe and legal abortions are not available either. She is right. Overturning Roe vs. Wade was the first step in the rewind of the clock. In the court decision there were no provisions made for rape victims or individuals with life threatening illnesses. Remember, although the disease is pretty much under control, Clara still has HIV. Rather than attempting to find a cure for HIV, the government has concentrated it’s efforts on turning back the clock on women’s rights, which has left Clara in a horrific situation. HIV positive and pregnant, with no health care available to her that would relieve either of these problems.

The doctors tell her that it is possible, in some cases, for HIV inflicted patients to have healthy babies, so once again Clara crosses her fingers, says a few prayers and hopes that everything will turn out fine.

8 months into her pregnancy and Clara visits her doctor. A problem has been detected with the fetus and the doctor informs Clara that the child appears to be dead. A few more tests are done and it is determined that, in fact, the child is not living. Clara inquires as to what the next step is and the doctor informs her that there isn’t anything they can do at this point. The partial birth abortion ban that was passed in 2001 forbid the practice to be done in any circumstance, even if it meant the demise of both child and mother. Since it was a procedure that was esentially outlawed, medical schools stopped teaching it within the curriculum. This meant that there were most likely no doctors in her area that were able to perform the surgery. Clara was floored by this news. What was she to do? The doctor was telling her that her baby was dead. There was not a doctor able to take care of the problem and because she was HIV positive she most likely would not be able to carry the baby for longer than 24 hours before Clara’s own immune system began to deteriorate.

In the end, Clara and her baby are lost.

This is a hypothetical example of many different situations that could be prevented by simply leaving the laws the way they are in this “free” country and not trying to oppress women by taking away civil liberties. The President thinks that by passing legislation to roll back Roe vs. Wade, he is saving lives. He is WRONG. More lives will be lost by virtue of the fact that women will still seek out abortions. Making them illegal will not end the practice and both woman and child will die in the process.

We have already begun this cycle with the passing of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban. This ban did not take into consideration cases where the mothers life is at risk. This isn’t a rare case. Women have trouble late in pregnancy more often than we can imagine and telling them that they have no recourse, no healthcare for these situations is akin to something that would happen in an underdeveloped country. Somewhere that women are still looked upon as second class citizens.

We are better than this.

Vote Kerry and look toward a future with equal rights and healthcare for all!

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2004.8.23 – subversives

Let me first say that I would like to commemorate my second anniversary here at Backwash (one day late, it was actually 22 August) by saying thank you to all of my readers. I realize that I have been hot and cold with the updates over the last six months, but I promise to get back into the swing of things for fall. So, happy anniversary to me and happy reading to you!

This weekend brought about many new thoughts and feelings. On Friday night, the filmmaker and I attended a concert at a local club. “Lowest of the Low” (a fantastic Canadian band) and “The Marble Index” (a new group, also from Canada) were the headliners and it turned out to be one of the best shows of the year. At least for us.

This is where things get complicated. Canadians, in general, are a much more laid back breed then Americans. So it goes to show that when you get a huge group of people (composed of both Americans and Canadians) together you are going to have a bit of conflict. This is unfortunate, but true. Here is what happened.

Ron Hawkins (the leader of the Low) was talking about the release of the latest album, which will be happening in September, and he wanted to let the crowd know that after the album comes out there will be another Buffalo appearance of the Low. The next thing he uttered was felt with mixed response from the audience. Hawkins stated, “we will see you after September, although we don’t really want to play here again until you have a new president”. Being the liberal, green party members that we are, the filmmaker and I screamed and clapped at this comment, but the gentleman behind us felt the need to yell, “Go back to Canada, ass****”.

This wasn’t the end of it either. After the comment was made and the next song was started the group behind us began to give a very loud critique of the remainder of the concert. Not loud enough for the band to hear, but certainly louder than I would have liked. At one point I was ready to turn around and confront the hecklers, but I didn’t think it wise to get into a fight with Republican hicks that don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground. I just thought it strange to continue to be pissed off and complain, when you paid money to see the band.

Artists have a platform. They have a stage to pontificate from and a captive audience in a concert situation. If the people behind me at this concert have something to say they should really find their own platform from which to spew crap from. Ruining other concert attendees experience is not the route to take.
This goes to show that Canadians are truly more laid back than Americans. If we could just take ourselves a little less seriously and not dwell on what was, we would be a lot happier and perhaps even healthier. Anger and condescension only lead to ulcers. Letting things go is the best way to deal. At least in this sort of situation. Enjoy the music and relax. What will be will be and things that are said at a dive bar in Amherst, NY on a Friday night in August are not going to change the outcome of our futures here in America. Save the cattlecalling for the debates. We just want to enjoy the show.

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2004.7.14 – the bane of one’s existence

So, I’m back yet again and this time I’m on the Bravo television bandwagon. Yes, I have been thoroughly sucked in. Why, oh why, must Bravo have such fantabulous reality tv shows? I generally hate reality tv, but for some reason I cannot turn the channel when “Showbiz Mom’s and Dad’s”, “BlowOut” or “The Restaurant” are airing. Even if I have seen the episode 7 or 8 times, I still cannot bring myself to switch off the television.

I have been brainwashed. I admit it.

This evening I watched the finale of “The Restaurant” (which I must say was horrible, yet I still didn’t click to another channel) and found it massively difficult to tear myself away afterward. I mean, c’mon, the finale of “BlowOut” was airing directly afterward. I did see the “BlowOut” finale twice last night which is the only reason I was truly able to hit off on the remote and come here to write this snappy little rant.

Why are these shows so damn addicting? Does it have anything to do with the fact that watching people on television ruin their lives/careers/family relationships/etc. is seductively fun? Is my life so bad that I must watch others folly to make myself feel better about my daily existence? Are we all so wrapped up in the media that we are physically unable to live without some sort of background television noise to calm the questioning in our heads? Or is it all just another addiction that is impossible to give up?

I don’t really think it has to do with my own life and I’m banking on the fact that I’m NOT brainwashed, but who the hell knows anymore. The one thing I do know is that the moment I walk into my home after work the second thing I do after locking myself in is turn on the television set (or boob tube, if you prefer). This is a product of my upbringing. I didn’t watch a massive amount of television growing up, but there was always some form of media blasting into my home. A television or radio was on pretty much 24 hours a day and all though I didn’t always pay attention, I was still aware of it. This could also be why I can be three rooms away from the living room and still sense that a television is on, even when it is muted. There is a high-pitched buzzing, that even animals are unaware of, that humans are in tune with.

This makes you think, doesn’t it? Makes you wonder if the fact that we are inundated on a daily basis with millions of media images, whether we pay attention or not, is the reason why we continue to watch and listen. It is a subtle way to keep us buying products that we don’t necessarily need. Life is one big commercial and we are all the consumers, willing or not.

I don’t think that Bravo is that harmful. But, then again, who knows. Maybe they are sending out signals beneath the surface of “Showbiz Mom’s and Dad’s” that makes us want to buy more cheesy pop music. Perhaps “The Restaurant” is just a way to cover up the sublimal messages that make us want to intake as many calories as possible in a 60 minute span of time. Maybe I am just paranoid. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been accused of that, I assure you. Whatever the messages are, I’m listening and you are coming in loud and clear!

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2004.3.18 – urban renewal

I live in a city, so I guess you could call me an urbanite. I enjoy being around tall buildings and having the ability to walk to restaurants and night clubs. With these abilities also come problems. Our cities are in danger of extinction. The yuppies have abandoned the city to live in the suburbs and although they work and (sometimes) play in the city, they make their home elsewhere. This threatens the very essence of the city lifestyle. Less people = less customers for small and medium sized businesses and this tends to drive more and more residents out. A vicious cycle.

In the city I live in (Buffalo, NY) we are seeing a sort of urban renewal happening. Three major department stores on Main Street (which have been abandoned and laying dormant for several years) are being remodled. The average rent for a studio in one of these new, fancy buildings is between $900 and $1500 per month plus utilities. The lofts go for even higher amounts in the hopes of bringing some professionals back downtown to live, as well as work.

This plan seems like a good one, but it may leave some of us out in the cold. With new buildings going up around us rents increase in current structures. Small businesses get a boost, but at times they can get greedy. With this new found customer base they will have the ability to raise prices on basic necessities and this may send those of us who have been here for several years packing. Don’t get me wrong – I love the fact that more people will be populating our city streets on a nightly basis, but I am just a bit worried.

Urban renewal is about bringing more business and green space to an area that has been devoid of human contact. It is about giving life to a neighbourhood that is dying. I just hope that this new life doesn’t also bring higher prices and less access to services already in place.

The one thing that would make me happier than anything is the idea of a community garden. We have them in the established neighbourhoods and we now need to find a way to bring one downtown. Growing our own vegetables and flowers would be a great thing for many downtown residents and it would give us more reasons to hang out in the wonderful (short) summer weather that we experience here. A rooftop garden would be ideal, but that seems a bit of a pipe dream, so we shall settle for what we can get.

If you are interested in urban renewal and community gardening please check out the great links below for more information on each. Our cities need help and it will only happen when everyone realizes the need and begins the journey of coming home to downtown! Our country was built around the city idea and we don’t want to lose this wonderful part of history.

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2004.4.22 – the earth and us

Earth Day 2004! What have you done? I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention that today is the actual day and refer you to my column from last year – Earth Day Should Be Everyday. The fact that we should take care of our planet each and every day is something that should be second nature, but having a specific day devoted to it reminds people how important it is to do something.

Another column that you may find useful this week, which is also from last year, is Roe vs. Wade Turns 30. This Sunday, thousands of women (and hopefully men) will attend a rally in Washington D.C. to support women’s reproductive rights. This rally, sponsored by Planned Parenthood, proves to be an historic event.

The main reason that this rally is even necessary is the complete erosion of our rights as citizens of a free country. Each individual in this country should have the undeniable right to do with his/her body what they see fit. The government should have no rights over individuals in reference to their bodies.

Last year President Bush signed into law the Partial Birth Abortion Ban of 2003. Although I agree that the act of partial birth abortion is unsavory, I still feel that the government has no right to limit the availability of this procedure to women who find it necessary. Banning this procedure is merely the first step in the process of eroding the rights afforded to us through Roe vs. Wade. It also continues to chip away at our rights to contraception and safe sex education.

The government imposing an “abstinence only” tag to sex education in our nations schools is another reason why this weekends march is needed so badly. This is the year 2004 and if the government thinks that kids are not having sex, they are sorely mistaken. In fact, kids actually begin having sex at a younger age then they did in the 60’s, when the pill was invented and free love was everywhere. Not educating the nations youth on ways to protect themselves in addition to abstinence is like walking through life with our eyes closed. If we don’t see it it hasn’t happened. If we don’t teach our youth about sex they won’t have it. Yeah, right.

Besides, if you teach a teenager (or even younger sometimes) about safe sex and they choose to have relations, they will be protecting themselves against disease and the risk of having to make a choice, down the road when they become pregnant. Keeping things from kids only makes them want to explore more and exploring without facts and protection is just not good.

To wrap this column up I have posted a link below for more information on this weekends event in D.C.

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2004.3.17 – spring into action!

Just around the corner is the best season of all. Yes, I am speaking of Spring. The sun starts to show up on and off for the month of March and by April it stays with us nearly everyday. Growing up in a relatively grey area of the country makes the spring even more special.

The snow melts, animals come out of hibernation, and the trees, plants and flowers start the growing process. After a long hard winter, spring is this great surprise. People begin to walk and ride bikes instead of driving their cars and we all get together more often. Leaving the house has to be the best thing about springtime.

A sense of energy comes over us all and we are ready to start the season of action. Activism should be a year round thing, but as many of you know, it tends to be a lot more active in the warmer months. So, without further ado, here is a list (you knew I couldn’t get through a column without including a list, right?) of great ideas for the coming seasons of activism.

Host a March For Women’s Lives House Party
Organize for the largest march in support of reproductive freedom in history, 25 April 2004, in Washington, D.C.

Send a Letter on Intolerance
Oppose writing intolerance into our Constitution!

Get Busy. Get Equal.
Helpful tips from the ACLU on how to forward the cause of gay and lesbian rights in our land of the free.

Help the Homeless
Bringing America Home Campaign

Take Back the Night
Help out with your local events or organize your own rally and march if one does not exist in your town!

Literacy Volunteers of America
Volunteer your time to help someone learn to read!

This is just a short list of ways that you can take action this spring! Now get out there and search for a way to positively effect the people and places around you. March in a rally, volunteer your time, help others, do something. You will feel great about it and help someone in the process.

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2004.2.4 – no coffee for you!

Aria had been serving these yuppie scum for years now and not one could remember her name. It was apparent that they didn’t give a damn about the low wages of the barista or how the beans that made their concoctions were picked by migrant farmers being paid next to nothing. None of this mattered, ofcourse, because yuppies don’t care about the little inconsistencies in life.

All for me and none for you and I don’t care!

That was the moniker that Aria had attached to each dreadful one of them. The whole lot made her nauseous, but she had to keep pulling shots or she would be on the streets.

Unbelievably, this was a good day. For each nasty customer there were two or three cool people that walked in that morning for a cuppa joe and so she was feeling melancholy. More than that would strain her, so melancholy it was.

As she sat behind the register, reading the latest Janowitz book and dreaming of being someplace else, she nearly missed the hipster that entered her space.

“Hey Aria. Can you get me one of those death mixture things?”


It was Harley

“Aria? Are you awake? C’mon chicky, I need to get back to work.”
“You don’t work Harley.”
“Well, I need to get back to life then. Can I please get the death mix?”
“I’m a little busy right now.”
“Are you not working today Aria? I mean, you look like you are working. You have that lame apron on and you are sitting behind the counter, so I just assumed…”
“You know you should never assume Harley.”
“Yeah, yeah. Get me the damn coffee.”
“Well, now I definitely won’t be getting it for you. I don’t serve scummy artboys.”
“So you would rather just deal with the lame yuppies and not the deck people?”

A line had begun to form behind Harley and the people waiting glared at this last remark.

“Deck? Oh, you are so hip dude. I can’t stand it. Tell me more oh holy hipster one.”

The customers began to look more and more impatient.

“Fine, Aria. Be that way. Just don’t come crawling to me next week when The Walkmen are in town and you want to mooch a cover charge off me.”
“Later Harley.”

Aria motions to the next person in line and begins making a latte. Harley, seeing Aria alone at the other end of the counter, stands behind the espresso machine and continues to talk to her.

“Aria, why are you acting like this? What the hell did I do to you?”
“You really don’t know, do you Harley?”
“Um, no. All I wanted was a coffee. The special kind you always make me.”
“Well, maybe now you can cop the special kind off that bitch whore of a girlfriend that you have been seen around town with.”
“What? I don’t know what you are talking about. You are my only bitch whore Aria.”
“Nice Harley, real nice.”
“You know I am just joking. I really don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Yeah, sure, whatever. I have to get back to work, some of us actually work for a living.”
“Hey, don’t act like that. Trying to squeeze those dollars out of my parents is hard work. Besides, you could quit if you really wanted to.”
“How would I pay bills if I quit? How would I live? How would I eat or smoke?”
“You could talk to your parents about it. Just tell them that you are trying to find yourself and they will front you some cash.”
“It isn’t that easy Harley. Not everyone is like you. Not everyone has naive parents that will…hey…you totally changed the conversation. Why don’t you just leave me alone and go find that slutgirl.”

The milk that Aria is steaming is beginning to make that high pitched “it is time to turn off the wand” noise, yet she continues steaming. A customer yells for her to hurry up and she shoots him the finger. He proceeds to leave, but not before asking for her name, rank and serial number.

“See what you made me do Harley? Now that guy is gonna call my boss and I’ll be fired.”
“Who gives a shit. This job is so beneath you.”
“Fine, whatever, leave.”
“Alright, but I swear there is no other girl and I’ll prove it. Meet me back here after your shift and we’ll go get coffee.”
“Yeah, that is just what I want to do after a six hour shift at a coffeehouse.”
“Fine, dinner then. ?Somewhere that we can sit and talk this out.”
“Alright. Be back at nine o’clock and I’ll be waiting for you.”

As she is saying this to him Harley notices a girl in his peripheral vision. His goodbye trails off slightly as he leaves the shop and walks down the street towards the other girl.

“Hey Andi! Wait up, it’s me, Harley!”
“Hey Harley. What’s goin’ on?”
“Nothing, just a little tiff with the girlfriend. No big deal. Are you on your way to meet me?”
“Yeah. I am running late, but I’m here.”
“Well, I thought we could just hang out at my place anyway if that is deck with you.”
“That’s deck Harley. Anywhere you are…”
“Deck.”

Back at the coffeehouse Aria continues to read her book and thinks that perhaps Harley is being truthful. After all, they are living together and Chara gets things wrong a lot of the time. Maybe she just thought she saw Harley, but it was someone else with that girl. Her reading is again interrupted, this time by Chara, her friend from art school.

“Hey Aria. How are you doing? Sorry about Harley.”
“You know Chara, I think you may have that situation wrong. Maybe that wasn’t Harley that you saw the other night.”
“No, it definitely was. I wasn’t gonna say anything, but I actually just saw him again outside.”
“Yeah, he just left. He is coming back later to pick me up for dinner so we can talk.”
“But Aria, I think that is just an awful idea. He is definitely cheating on you and you need to get out now while you can.”
“You can’t be sure of that. I trust him completely and you are planting seeds of doubt in my head. Sometimes I think that maybe you have an ulteriour motive of your own Chara.”
“I don’t have any motive. Only that you are my friend and I don’t want to see you hurt.”
“He couldn’t do that to me. We have been together for 3 years now and he seems content with me. Not ecstatic, but who really is anymore?”
“Well, I think that he is content, but maybe because of this other person.”
“I can’t listen to you anymore Chara. You are doing this on purpose. You just want Harley and that is why you are trying to make us split up.”
“Why would I want Harley?”
“Well you are always around and you talk about him all the time and you are giving me these ideas about him. Plus, last week you offered to let me stay with you if we broke up. It was as if you knew it was going to happen and you would just love that wouldn’t you?”
“No, because it would hurt you and I don’t want that for you. There are better people out there for you Aria. I know that for a fact.”
“Oh yeah, who? All my other male friends are gay. Who could I possibly find?”
“Well…”
“Well what Chara?”
“Maybe you shouldn’t be looking in that department.”
“Yes, I know, I should cut out the fag hag stuff and start looking for straight guys, right?”
“That isn’t EXACTLY what I meant Aria.”
“What then, be celibate? Be alone? Join a convent? What?”
“What about me?”
“What about you Chara?”
“I mean…”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“Um. I never thought of that. Well, that would kind of make sense I guess. Why you have been telling me all this horrible stuff about Harley.”
“Aria, I was doing that because it is true.”
“You are gay? Wow…that is a shocker. Not that I’m opposed to…I mean…oh, I don’t know.”
“It’s okay Aria. No pressure. No worries. I just want you to be happy.”
“I guess I really have to think about this now.”
“By the way, I know you still don’t believe me, but I saw Harley walking down the street with that girl before I came in here. I wasn’t going to tell you, but…”

Aria takes off her apron, locks the register, calls to the manager that she needs to leave for a little while and bolts out the door. After running for a few blocks she decides to hail a cab. She doesn’t want to be totally winded when she confronts Harley. In the cab she tries to get her head together and think of what she will say to him when she enters the apartment. Their apartment. The apartment they have shared for 3 years. The apartment she has decorated and made into a nice home for the two of them. A sick feeling begins to form in her stomach and her eyes begin to tear up. The cabbie asks her if she is okay and she can only murmur out a weak yes. She tells him to pull over and pays him for the fare. One more block and she will be at the building. Climbing the stairs she finds her courage and as she opens the door all her hopes of Harley’s faithfulness fall to the floor.

“What the hell is going on?”
“Aria. What are you doing here?”
“I live here Harley. What is that bitch whore doing here?”
“I can explain.”
“I don’t want you to. I would leave, but I have nowhere to go, so just pack up your shit and get out of here. NOW!”
“You don’t understand Aria! Let me explain.”
“How can you explain this? Chara was at the shoppe. She told me. She has been telling me, but do I listen? No. Why would I…”
“Chara? What the fuck Aria? Why would you listen to that chick. She is so hot for you it isn’t even funny. She has been looking for something for years. Ever since art school.”
“Well now she has found it Harley. Did you not hear me before? Please leave now.”
“Aria. Please please calm down and listen.”

She sits down on the couch and then moves to the chair before finally standing up and pacing the floor.

“Aria, this is my sister Andi. She is in town this week and we were going to surprise you at dinner tonight. If I had known that you were talking about her before at the coffeehouse I would have said something, but I didn’t want to ruin the surprise. She just got in a couple days ago and has been staying with our cousin Pez at the complex on Fifth Street.”
“You are kidding right? Do you actually think I believe that crap Harley?”

Andi takes her wallet out and shows her id card to Aria. Aria is visually embarassed and slumps onto the couch. After a few moments she hugs Andi and attempts an apology.

“You know that I didn’t mean to call you a bitch whore, right?”
“Yes, Aria. Don’t worry about it. I would have done the same thing.”
“Oh God! I just completely ran out of work to come over here. I have to get back. Can we talk this out over dinner. I’m really sorry again.”
“Sure. I’ll still be here. You can’t scare me away that easily.”

Aria decides to walk back to the coffeehouse so that she has time to think up a good excuse for her quick exit. She returns to the screams of her manager and the continuing acts of cruelty from her customers.

Back at the apartment Harley and Andi continue the movie that was interrupted by Aria’s entrance.

“That is quite a girl you got there Har.”
“Yeah, she is pretty great. I just wish that I could stop cheating on her.”
“What? You really are a pig then. So that little scene was warranted really.”
“Yeah, yeah. When did you ever know me to be faithful Andi?”
“Well, I had rather hoped you had grown up, but I guess for someone who is still living off the parents, this is just par for the course.”
“Whatever, just don’t tell her okay. I’m getting around to it, I swear.”
“I don’t get involved in your life and you don’t get involved in mine. Besides, there is a bigger and better bomb to drop at dinner when Chara shows up.”
“Chara?”
“Yeah. She is my girlfriend. We are getting ready to tie the knot, as it were.”
“Wow! I didn’t realize that you knew Chara.”
“Yeah. She is crazy about me. Not sure why she would tell Aria that you were with me, as if she thought you were cheating with me, unless…”
“God. Chara really did see me with the other girl, not you.”
“Yeah, but why would she say that she saw you with that girl tonight then?”
“Well. Before I went in to see Aria, I kinda met up with Lola.”
“You are kidding, her name is Lola?”
“Yeah, whatever, anyway Chara must have seen us walking down Pier Ave.”
“I’ll talk to Chara. Everything will work out brother. If she is into Aria then we have a way to keep her quiet, right?”
“Deck, sis! You are truly the best.”

And so it goes…

copyright 2004 – CLOnesi-Gonzalez

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2004.1.23 – that nostalgia thing

Are you a piner? One who pines? Does nostalgia overtake your existence to the point of you being unable to continue with your daily routine? Does it make you feel sad that you are living in the now, rather than the then?

Hello. My name is Chantale and I am a nostalgia addict. I am addicted to the past and it?s rosy coloured memories. I realize that everything was not as grand back then as I see it now, but I still look back fondly. In fact, after about 20 years have passed, I will most likely look back fondly on this time as well. Time passes and apparently they say that it heals all wounds. The passing of time also seems to put a bright glow on everything that happened. Terrible moments are still remembered, but the ordinary becomes extraordinary through the historical lense.

I am the worst kind of nostalgia addict. The kind that longs for days prior to her birth. The kind that feels a strong connection to a time and place that was before her existence. Hippies are not very prevalent in the 21st century, yet I still feel a strong connection to the hippie ideals. It is almost as if I have memories of being there, in the moments of the sixties. Perhaps it is past life memory. Perhaps it is being raised by hippies and hearing stories. Perhaps it is just a longing to be a part of history. Even of a history that happened before my actual time on earth.

The sixties weren?t so bad. Sure the hippies were a little spacey, sometimes based on drug use and sometimes not, but they had the right idea. Peace and love, man! Make love, not war! Hell no, we won?t go! We should be shouting these slogans from the rooftops now-a-days. Where is our Janis? Our Jimmy? Our Morrison? There are no heroes or idols like there were in the sixties. Sure, we had Kurt Cobain and an entire generations hopes and dreams were set upon this unwilling indie prince. Cobain ended it for reasons truly unknown at the time, but as the years progress we see more and more evidence of foul play or simple depression. This voice of a generation? was nothing compared to the voices of the sixties. When did we lose our spirit of revolution? Where did it go?

Living through the eighties hardened even the softest of hippies and made them into a new breed of business people. Yuppies were all the rage and still press forward to this day. Current young business people are opting to be the new-yuppie, rather than falling back on the peace and love ideal. This makes for a poor situation when attempting to rally groups of young people toward resistance. Where there is injustice we need voices of dissent, yet it appears that these voices have been hushed. The number of people who speak out against social injustice has declined in recent years and it seems that the trend continues.

This is one of the reasons for my hippie nostalgia. I long for the days of peace and love. Of being kind to one another no matter what race, gender, ethnicity or creed. Of caring about the feelings of others and treating people in a civil manner. Of having a peaceful resistance. I am not saying that we can win a war with peaceful resistance, but perhaps we can stay out of a war with it. When the time of battle has ended will be feel happy? Content? Safe? I can honestly say that I will feel just as unhappy, discontent and scared as I was the day those two planes made their trip into two tall buildings in the city that never sleeps. Catching one man in a foreign land doesn?t make us any safer. Showing mercy on the people that live beneath the leaders would do good. It certainly would not hurt.

So how can we quench this thirst for nostalgia? How can we live in the present while honouring the past. By remembering what became of our heroes and idols. Continuing to follow the path of peaceful resistance. Walking down memory lane once in a while, but not getting caught up in history. Be loose and free and live the life you want to live. Never be afraid to be different. Follow your instincts. Treat others with care and kindness. Don?t be afraid to admit your mistakes. Make nostalgia worthy memories. Learn from the past and relish the future for it is always tomorrow and only we can mold it.

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2004.1.9 – ill activism

‘Tis the season to be….sick as a dog, or cat, or some type of animal.
Anything but human.
Now you know the reason for my lengthy absence. I was not out having a good time, but rather in bed for several days. The best (and perhaps worst as well) part of the flu is that you are unable to go out. You feel a strong need to stay in your room and wallow in your sickness.

This was evidenced by the fact that I stayed in my little apartment for four full days without a breath of fresh air. I didn’t even go in the hallway or down the elevator to pick up the mail. I kept myself secluded and it seemed to have worked.

So, now that I’m back to about 90% of my original health I am ready to write! I hope everyone is prepared for a great activism piece, because I’m ready to give you one.

New Year Activism 101
What can i do to make my little piece of the world a better place, you ask? Well, there are many things you can volunteer to do and even some things that you can make money doing, but I am only going to mention a few in this column, for obvious reasons. Activism isn’t the most interesting topic, but I will try my best to make it fun and exciting for you!

Reproductive Rights March
25 April 2004, Washington D.C.
You can either reserve a seat (for yourself) or sponsor a seat for another individual to attend this rally in April. The cost is only $40 and it is well well worth it. Reproductive Rights are coming under swift fire in this country of late (culminating with the signing of the partial birth abortion ban by our fantastic President) and we definitely need to do something about it. Visit the link below for the NYCLU to sign up to take the trek.

Clean Energy NOW
Join the mailing list on Greenpeace.com and be informed about actions that can be taken to gain cleaner energy alternatives throughout our country. If each of us did some conservation of our own it would go a long way toward solving our energy problems. Our dependence on oil from foriegn sources is quite unhealthy and we need to find ways to become independent of this curse.

Support Fair Trade
This is definitely a favourite of mine and once again I will attempt to drive home the point. Farmers in hot weather countries are treated terribly in the face of exporters who pay them next to nothing to pick the beans for our morning lattes. Working in the coffee industry gave me insight into the conditions that these farmers work under and things that we can do to change their plight, if only in a small way. Support fair trade campaigns, the most popular of which being the Organic Consumers Association Starbucks campaign. Focusing on one of the highest grossing chain coffeehouses in the world, the OCA establishes press releases, protests and other actions to counteract the coffeehouse money making scheme. Coffee should be about pleasure, but if the farmers are being paid next to nothing it can only be about pain.

So, that is all for now. I promise to update more frequently now that I am well again. Keep an eye out for more activism columns and
keep fighting the good fight!!!

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2003.11.18 – hug a soldier

Veteran’s Day. One of those holidays that tends to be overlooked by the population at large. If you work in a professional career you most likely had the day off. In the malls we are drawn to the idea that Veteran’s Day simply means sales. If you watch primetime television you will see at least one commercial detailing the “one day only” sale at Sears or JCPenney.

Is this what Veteran’s Day should be about?

Should we be shopping or mourning?

The best way to observe this day may be to spend time with a Veteran. If you know someone who fought for *insert country here* (which you certainly should) give them a hug and a thank you. Let them know that no matter what your political beliefs might be you are still proud of the men and women who had the courage to fight for our collective freedom.

Here are a few stats to take with you on your journey and keep in mind that without soldiers none of us would be free to do as we please. I am not advocating war. I am merely praising those who had the courage to help out during times of conflict. With that in mind, these statistics are shocking and sad.

23% of the homeless population in America are veterans. Of that 23%, 47% of them are Vietnam era vets, 17% are post Vietnam and 15% are pre Vietnam.

89% of those homeless veterans received honourable discharge from the service.

23% translates into 529,000 to 840,000 individuals nationwide.

Disturbing. How can we have this many men and women in need who fought for the rights of a nation of consumer consumption madness. After all, Veteran’s Day is one of the biggest sale days of the year. The freedom to shop and consume is something not necessarily extended to the homeless. At least not the idea of conspicuous consumption. So how do we make a change?

I propose that this holiday season, rather than buying tons of presents for people that they may or may not enjoy, we band together as a nation and attempt to help those less fortunate. So, in the spirit of giving I have compiled a list to give you a few ideas of holiday cheer that you can spread through actions this winter season.

Volunteer at your local mission or shelter
Providing food and monetary donations is always helpful, but actually giving of your time and efforts is even better. Hell, do both, it couldn’t hurt.

Donate old clothes and other items to your local AmVets
Organizations like Goodwill and Salvation Army are quite helpful in the community and are both worthy or your donations. The reason I suggest donating to AmVets is the obvious connection to Veterans. The money that is acquired from the sales at AmVets is put directly into funds to support veterans. Much like other donation centers the donation helps twice. First by giving a cheap alternative to those less fortunate shopping for warm clothes and second by putting the proceeds back into the veteran community.

Give directly to a homeless Veteran
What do you do with your leftovers? If they are not eaten within a specific amount of time most leftovers are thrown away. In our household the extra food that is left at the end of the meal is kept in fridge and given away. One individual loves my homemade mac & cheese, so I am sure to give him the extra helpings each time I make it. This is one of the best ways to know that someone in need is actually receiving your donation.

Spend time with an Older Veteran
The best gift that can be given to anyone is the gift of friendship. If you know of an old timer that is one his/her own, spending time with them could be just the thing that makes this holiday season brighter. Veterans tend to have fantastic stories too, so you can never be bored chatting with them!

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2003.11.5 – green party blues

Another Election Day has come and gone.

The Green Party had no representation in our little corner of Western New York, but that was no problem. Voting is a privilege and definitely not something to be taken lightly. Yes, I read up on the candidates before stepping into the booth this evening. It may have only been hours prior to my final decisions, but I was still informed.

The thing that irks me the most are the people that simply vote across party lines with no knowledge of the candidates or their platforms. Just because you register in a specific party does not mean that you are required to vote for those candidates.

Sometimes I actually do vote Republican **hush now** but only if the candidate is well deserving. Being in a new party makes it difficult to follow party lines. Although, sometimes I will vote for another candidate even if a Green Party person is on the ballot.

Speaking of the Green Party…here is a fun little story about trying to present alternate views to staunch Republicans and Democrats. A few nights back, the filmmaker and I went to dinner with some family members. The discussion (inevitably) turned to voting, as the election was pending, but there was no heated debate of candidates. The table was split about 50/50 between Republicans and Democrats, excluding the two freaks (that would be us) that are registered Green.

When presented with the idea that any individual would choose to register in a third party the table burst into laughter. Taunting us for being “tree-huggers” (which I actually do not find offensive, trees need hugs sometimes) and acting as if the Green Party was not worthy of our vote, the family began to turn on us. Slowly the conversation slanted away from the voting issue, mainly because there was no argument from the two of us as to whether or not our party was “real” as they put it.

I believe that voting is something that every American citizen should take part in, regardless of political beliefs or which party one registers for. We should have been praised for even getting off our butts to vote, rather than being mocked for our political affiliation. Most people in the 20-something generation are so disillusioned that they don’t even bother to vote, let alone register and inform themselves of political happenings.

Of course, letting the table know that we had come back from an environmental fundraiser the night before sealed our fate as the weirdoes. This is not right, but if I let it bother me I would be just like everyone else. Being a hippie means that people are going to pick on you. There is no way around it. So, the best defense is none at all, at least when dealing with Democrats and Republicans who feel that their parties are the only parties that should be allowed on the ballot.

Happy voting to one and all! Go out there and make a difference…It is truly the only way to affect change!

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2003.10.10 – a hippie on the jury

Grand Jury. Sounds like it could be exciting, right? Well, that is where you would be wrong. Finishing up a Grand Jury term this week, I feel totally drained. Indicting people is exhausting. All we really had to do was sit and listen to witness testimony and prosecutors arguments, but it was draining.

Deciding the fate of another human being is not the easiest task. There is solace in the fact that our decisions were not final. The accused still have a chance in court with a trial jury.

New York is one of only 18 states in America that still uses a Grand Jury system. The other 32 states have elected to dispense of this antiquated system and simply have District Attorneys signoff on cases. Basically, the Grand Jury system is only around now to help the prosecutors. To show them if they really have enough evidence to take an accused individual to court for a felony. If there isn’t enough evidence, the Grand Jury can dismiss the case and the prosecutor must find new evidence in order to reopen the case.

The most striking thing about attending Grand Jury proceedings is how relaxed they are. On the first day of service I was expecting a very formal situation where I would need to continue to dress in my work clothes. This is not the case. We were ushered into a small room with 20 elevated chairs and 3 chairs at a desk, a small witness booth, and an even smaller desk for the prosecutor to question from. The stenographer brings in the stenograph at the beginning of each case. There are many breaks and we were able to eat in the room, even during testimony. Nothing like what you would expect. Although there were tense moments throughout the month (especially when individuals who were incarcerated testified and had to be accompanied by a very large guard), but overall it was an interesting experience.

Most people want to get out of jury duty, but you should think again before making up a silly excuse. Especially if you get paid by your company to attend jury service. It is a welcome break from the work week and it can be highly informative. Making you more aware of your surroundings and more interested in following the news in paper, radio or television form. It also gives you a clear view of how skewed the news media actually happens to be. When you know the facts of a case and then hear the news report later in the week, you realize that the local news just scrapes together what they can get to report on. They rarely have all the facts in a case and most of the time have misinformation.

The only real frustrating part of jury service is the fact that you have to keep everything completely secret. With Grand Jury it is even more secretive for the mere fact that if a case is dismissed the accused may never know they were being investigated. Leaking a story would be detrimental to those individuals who are truly innocent. I had a hard time the first week keeping things to myself, but by the end of the month I was a pro at it. The severity of some of the later cases was enough to keep me quiet. Nightmares are not uncommon and I’ll certainly be much more cautious when walking down the street now, but it is good to be informed. It is good to know what you are up against in life and especially in your neighbourhood!

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2003.9.15 – things we can do without

Now that the smoking ban in New York State is in effect I believe that it is about time we outlawed some other harmful things.

First up – cellphones. These are the most annoying inventions of the modern age. The fact that every yuppie, granny and teenybopper has one makes it even worse. While serving coffee in my former employment, I had to deal with customers ordering from me while talking on a cellphone. This is rudeness and ignorance at it’s finest. Personally, I would wait for the customer to finish speaking before I would acknowledge their presence, but I feel it is about time to take it a step further.

Business owners of the world unite! Get together and ban the use of these horrid appliances in your businesses. Ignore customers who insist on shouting out their order while chatting with their spouse. Give customers a reason to be kind and courteous to the staff at your establishment and banish the use of cellphones while doing business with you.

Secondly – Hummer SUVs. Yet another invention that we could have most definitely lived without. Why do you need to drive an army utility vehicle when you live in the city? Is there really a need for this big clunky machine to be on city streets and highways? The gas guzzling hummer is not only bad for the environment (see changing the climate for more details), but they are bulky eyesores as well. If we were going to battle I could understand these contraptions, but as far as I know at this point the urban landscape is relatively safe. At least from the type of warfare that hummers are necessary in.

Third – Plastic pop bottles. I know they are unbreakable and that is the charm, but they are also very often lethal. If everyone recycled the plastic bottles there would be no problem, but some people choose to throw them away. Worse yet, some people burn them. This lets off harmful, toxic chemicals that can cause many types of diseases, the least of which would be cancer (which, ironically, is also the reason for the smoking ban). I say bring back the tall, skinny pop bottles. At least give consumers the option of purchasing the bottles in the store. When travelling in Canada I noticed that it is still possible to buy glass bottles when purchasing cola products. Why can’t we have glass here in America again? Glass is reusable and doesn’t lose any of it’s consistency. It can be used over and over again and can even make a nice vase if one chooses not to return it.

Lastly – Big Chain Coffeehouses. I will not mention any names. I will just say that one chain coffeehouse per square mile (or kilometre for my metric friends) is quite enough. Luckily the city I live in has been spared for the moment. We only boast two chain coffeehouses in the downtown area. Granted, they are the same chain slightly a mile apart from each other but it is still good. Big cities, such as Toronto, Ontario, often have these coffeehouses on every corner. Buffalo has been lucky in this department, but you never know what will happen. Keeping the local businesses strong is important and there is no room for big chain coffeehouses in that equation!

We shouldn’t stop purchasing the products we love, we should merely consider the consequences of our actions. Consider what the world will be like hundreds of years from today. Just because we won’t be around to see it, doesn’t mean that we should trash it for future generations.

I realize that this may all sound like nonsense to some of you, but I am the Hippiegrrl afterall. If I don’t publish an article like this now and again you will think I’m slacking off. I just find it humourous that we have banned smoking in bars but we continue to sell liquor, which can also cause serious damage. Perhaps this is because choosing to drink is personal and being adults we should have that choice. Interesting point. Too bad it doesn’t translate to everything in life.

We stop selling glass bottles because they are breakable but don’t consider the consequences of plastic on our planet. Plastic has many uses. That I cannot deny. We would be hard pressed to live without it. It is the best invention of our modern times. We just need to learn better ways of recycling it and keeping the harmful elements out of the picture.

Someday everyone will be conscious of their surroundings and hopefully it won’t be too late.

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2003.8.22 – saving the music

Before I begin…I just want to say that today is officially my one year anniversary here at the ‘wash! 22 August 2002 was the day I wrote my first column and since then it has been a wild and wonderful ride. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere…I just wanted to acknowledge the milestone. It doesn’t feel like it has been a year, yadda yadda yadda…Thanks to all the readers and columnists who have stuck with me thus far. It has been fun and there is definitely more where that came from!

So…without further ado…

What would the world be like without music? Waiting rooms, elevators, grocery stores, office hallways, window shopping sidewalks, coffeehouses, hotel lobbies, restaurants and parades would all be silent. Without music the world wouldn’t feel alive. Without music colours would seem more pale and sunshine would be blah. Without music voices would be monotone and television shows would be stagnant. Would you ever want to live in a world without music? I know that I certainly wouldn’t and yet, political leaders feel otherwise.

Music is a basic part of my being. Without it, the days would be totally useless. The same can be said for fine art, but on a smaller scale then melodies and harmonies. It is a well known fact that music helps kids retain more information in school and can be a great factor in the development of useful problem solving skills.

Due to these facts it is a travesty that music and art are ever cut from the public school system. Starting with grammar school, the arts are always the first department to be dwindled down. If you don’t begin teaching kids about music theory, how to play a musical instrument or sing, and giving them a sense of rhythm why would any child want to take up these things in high school? Children are like clay in grammar school. They are easily molded and subjects like music, art and even foreign languages are more comprehendible. Learning these skills at an early age benefits future studies by training the brain in a different manner.

Music can serve as an extension of your being. Without music there is no personality. No presence. No identity. No meaning. In my own life, music serves as a soundtrack to my day. A cd player in the bathroom provides me with shower music while my car stereo gets me to work everyday. Internet radio helps me make it through the job and the car stereo brings me back home. Music serves as a background to my favourite television programs and puts me to sleep every night through my clock radio.

My own personality is extended through the music that I listen to. While studying music in college I was exposed to many different forms of melody. Some that stuck with me and some that I left in the classroom. The music that I took out of that experience gave me a more vivid appreciation for all types of music. In college the goth scene was something I couldn’t live without. Nine Inch Nails, Nitzer Ebb, Ministry, andBauhaus were staples. The music had a culture that I somehow identified with and needed to be a part of. Black clothes, fingernails, hair and eyeliner were must haves and I played the goth music part. As my personality changed I stopped the dressing up, but continued to love the music. My appearance changed but the music stayed with me.

So, what can we do to keep the music flowing? Write to your local officials and demand that music and art programs in public schools not be cut. Ask that other budget options be looked at. If these officials had a good music and art education to begin with their creativity should be developed enough to think of a better way to balance the budget. Creativity is the key after all. Without it, where would we be?

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2003.8.18 – get out there and do something!

This column is not about the inconvenience of losing power in your home.

It is not about politicians who suddenly become experts on power generation and consumption the moment the lights go out.

It is not about major news networks giving the exact coordinates of the New York State power grid to every individual in the world in possession of a television.

It is not about fear or angst or boredom.

Each of these topics are worthy of a column, but I will not be the one to write about it. It is time to rise above the pettiness. Time to attempt to look objectively at the situations surrounding us and weeding out the unneccesary information.

Yes we were inconvenienced for a short time while the lights were out, but it also gave some families a reason to actually talk to each other. Interaction in the wake of no televisions, radios and video games was up several percentage points, bringing us back together for a few short hours.

I could go on for hours about the politicians and news media that felt they needed to spin the blackout in their favour, but what would be the point. The irony of debating on issues of power outages in front of an eastern seaboard that cannot turn on the television is priceless. Attempting to warn power outage victims of the dangers of leaving appliances plugged in, running generators indoors and using up hot water is utterly useless.

So, to move along, let us focus now on a more worthy topic…

Community Service

How are you helping in your community? Do you even know what types of programs are available for volunteer opportunities? Caring is the first step, commitment runs a close second. With these two traits volunteering at an afterschool program or a homeless shelter or even a senior citizen center can be more rewarding than you ever imagined.

Ofcourse, there are always causes. My choice is the Citizens Environmental Coalition. This organization works in the community to better the environment. The major event right now is the attempt at re-funding the superfund. As you may know from my love canal columns, the superfund was set up after the disaster that forced the evacuation of nearly 300 families in the city of Niagara Falls. Superfund money was ear-marked for toxic waste clean up efforts, but the fund has been broke for several years now.

There are many worthy causes that need your support. Giving monetary support is always at the top of the list, but giving up part of your week to volunteer is priceless. It makes you feel good while helping out those less fortunate.

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2003.8.5 – love canal, revisited

2 August 1978 – The New York State Commissioner of Health declares a state of emergency at the Love Canal site in Niagara Falls, New York. All pregnant women and children under two are advised to seek shelter somewhere else, if possible.

The fated day. The day that we knew it was all real. That our fears had been realized. There were real chemicals bubbling under the ground in our backyards. There was toxic waste seeping through our basement walls. We were being contaminated by a substance that was decades old and the only solution was to run.

Being merely 4 years old, it was difficult to understand exactly what was taking place. My grandparents house was a nice vacation and that was all I believed I was taking. A vacation from home. A day at the pool. A fun time that would end when my mother would pick me up to go home. Little did I know, there no longer was a home. Home was where the toxins lurked and my mother made sure we were moved out that day.

2 August 1978 – The last day we saw our house from the inside. The rumours around the neighbourhood all came true on that day and the reaction was quick and severe. There was no time to waste and my mother would never let her child enter that home again. Even though I left a toy or two. Even though I wanted to go back in. My mother stayed strong and didn’t let me see her tears as she drove me away from the only house I had ever known.

Panic-stricken. Any 25 year old mother being evacuated from her home because of contamination within would have felt it. Any 65 year old spinster would have felt it. Anyone with any sense of fear at all would have most certainly felt it.

2 August 1978 – The day that my parents dreams were dashed. Their first home as a couple and family had turned out to be a toxic bomb. What would happen now? How would we be able to rent an apartment or get another mortgage if we couldn’t pay off the first one? Would the government come through for us?

7 August 1978 – The President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, declared Love Canal an emergency and provided funds to relocate the 239 families in the area. Our prayers were answered, for now. This was a great relief and my parents were happy to be able to not worry about the home, but what about the effects of the chemicals on our bodies? What would be the long term effects? Would my mother become sick because she spent much of her time in the basement doing laundry right next to the seeping sludge through the wall? Would I be effected as I grew because I was in the basement much of the time with my mother?

Health problems are never connected to chemicals. Doctors will not admit that a chemical substance could be attributed to any sickness. Why would they? Lawsuits are sticky and more trouble then anyone needs. You could have a chemical dumped on you while walking down the street and there would be a way for the doctors to turn it around on you. It would be your fault for walking down the street at that particular time and therefore, your sickness was caused by you.

This is not to say that some doctors may concur that certain illnesses can be attributed to chemical factors, they just don’t want to committ to that on a personal level with their patients.

Take a drive through Love Canal and notice the signs. “Deaf Child Area” on every street. Coincidence? Practically every home had a child or adult with a medical problem. Birth defects ran rampant for citizens in this small section of Niagara Falls.

This weekend there were several events involving the Love Canal mouthpiece, Ms. Lois Gibbs. She came back into town for a rare visit to give toxic tours of Love Canal and other dumpsites in Western New York. Ms. Gibbs fled from the scene after the evacuations, but her voice was still loud and clear. She continued to fight for the rights of the residents, she just did it from a safer place. Unfortunately, when Ms. Gibbs visits Niagara Falls, she brings negative attention to the area. She gets to go home, but there are still residents in other areas of the city other than Love Canal. This has become a downtrodden area and bad publicity is not the solution.

One Superfund site and the whole city gets a bad rap. Not to say that there are not other areas in Niagara Falls that needed cleanup, but they have been contained. It is not the best idea to move back to the Love Canal area, but other parts of the city are still habitable. Ms. Gibbs blows into town, makes a few headlines and then bolts back to her home far away.

In 1978, the lives of hundreds of people were changed. Upheaval was a daily occurance and there was nothing that anyone could really do about it. The city officials of the time were paying the price of city officials decades prior and the blame was falling squarely on their shoulders. They had to try and right the wrongs of the past. They had to see through the eyes of the families that were effected.

2 August 1978 – The officials saw. The people were set free from a life of contamination. The eyes of the world were opened and millions of people were exposed to something that they could not believe. The country was better for it. The citizens were united because of it. The world is wiser from it.

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2003.7.24 – what is your rush?

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 and wave.

Diners were owned by locals who came to a destination on the way to somewhere else and just decided to stay.

Landmarks meant something and driving was never a hurried experience. A family would actually talk and play road games while going to visit family and friends.

Today we manufacture minivans that have small televisions and personal plugins for the stereos so that the kids keep quiet and the parents “enjoy” the trip. We make every attempt to disconnect from each other and get to where we are going as fast as possible. If a train is quicker, we go that route. If a plane is the way to get there in the shortest span of time, we hop on.

What has happened to us? Gone are the days when a roadtrip was the only way to get anywhere and you didn’t complain about how long it took to get to the hotel or beach. We stopped along the way to visit new places and see the outdoors. We took pictures next to giant statues and quirky monuments.

Whole families used to pile into the camper and trek across the country. This is no longer the case.

Perhaps the economy is to blame. The longer hours and less time that we spend as a family, in order to make enough to go on that once a year trip to somewhere nice, could have some effect. Most families want to hurry up and get there because the trip is so short as it is that driving just makes the time spent away even shorter.

The frame of mind has been skewed. We have to begin to realize that the whole trip can be enjoyable. The amusement park at the destination is not the best part, but the togetherness is what really makes a vacation special. Spending time together and seeing sights along the way. Not just at the destination.

If we could just take the time to stop and see the sights, we might be more relaxed and have a lot more fun on our short time away.

This is a pipedream but it is one worth having. America is beautiful and the only way to know this for sure is to see it first hand. To share it with others and to keep a photographic record of the journey. After all, the journey is truly the best part of the trip!

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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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 a packrat. Always attempting to throw out or give away excessive things, but eventually filling the spaces with more stuff.

In the month of May there were 5 garbage bags full of clothes taken to the local AmVets for donation. Three boxes of Christmas Decorations and one box of sheets were also dropped off. Despite the giving away of a multitude of clothes, the closet and dresser still remain packed to the brim.

The only good that came from the purging was the disposal of several articles of clothing over 10 years old. Yes, there were flannel shirts and corduroy vests. Even a pair of acid washed jeans. Heavens!! Clothes that went out of style in the eighties and had been packed up and moved into four different residences since the beginning of the nineties, are now in the hands of charity. Hopefully to be worn by people who can actually fit into them.

Moving on to the kitchen. In April a small renovation was done. The microwave cart was added to the already miniscule kitchen space and several appliances were able to be freed from their boxes. The blender, espresso maker and milkshaker were all set up in a nice looking manner atop the microwave. They have yet to be used, yet still look smashing and are happy to be away from the storage they had languished in for years.

In the living room the coffee table complains of clutter. The mail and other detritus that has built up is only the work of one week of dropping. Things tend to be set down and eventually die there. Weekly organizing takes place but within a day or two it is back to normal.

The room that is designated as the dining room has become the magnet for the bulk of the wedding gifts, mentioned earlier. These gifts cover the table, bar, racks (bought especially for the gifts) and floor of this space. There is barely room for a foot to be placed in order to lunge toward the table. This area has been tackled but once since the return from Toronto and will take several more attempts to get organized.

Eventually all this clutter will be gone. The packrat moniker will no longer be viable. Energy is valuable in this quest for organization. It has been elusive thus far.

In time, everything becomes garbage. The dilemma of the packrat is in the throwing out of things. Which things deserve to see the garbage can, goodwill bag or storage container. In the quest for organization things become blurred. Is it really necessary to save that collage that was made in 8th grade art class? Even if it is the coolest looking thing you made in junior high? Even if it gives you fond memories of an easier time?

I cannot judge. It is painfully obvious that I am a packrat. A hoarder of the tenth degree. My clutter is immense and continues to grow daily. I realize that to other people this may seem like a problem. To me, however, this is my way of life. The apartment has not reached immovable status of late (like my old bedroom at my parents house eventually did), so I feel that I’m doing well. As long as the junk gets moved around, turned over, and some of it actually given away, I feel that I will be okay. I don’t need a therapist or a professional organizer. The help I need is inside and one day I will release it and make my space more livable.

Until that day, I will relish my clutter. Love my junk. Be proud of my status as a packrat. After all, it is better than being a neat freak. Isn’t it?

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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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 in Buffalo and it should be one rip roarin’ celebration!

Am I gay? No. Does it matter? No. That is the great thing about the community. Anyone and everyone is welcome and each person makes the party better.

I am, however, what some might call a “fag hag”. By the way, that isn’t a self described title, but rather what my friends have called me. The first time I heard that term I got this flash of a short, ugly woman following around herds of boys, but now I have learned to love it.

Being a shoulder to cry on is my specialty and frequently they let me have a little room edgewise in the spill the beans department. Many of my friends have moved away, but we still keep in touch via the internet (ah, sweet computer, where would I be without thee…). Hopefully, this weekend will draw us back together, if even for a short time. Pride is important, no matter who you are and celebrating it is a great triumph and a fab time.

So, where will you be this weekend? Sitting in front of the tube, watching another episode of “While You Were Out” (no pun intended and I do love that show) or getting out and doing something? If you are anywhere near the vicinity of Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo, New York, I highly recommend joining the fun!

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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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 to school I can come out with something that projects me into a future with creativity and interest.

The boredom of day to day is getting me down and I think that design is just what I need in my life. A new design perhaps. Interior or Graphic. The decision has not been finalized yet. I am leaning more towards the former, merely because of my obsession with any and every design show on TLC, HGTV and The Discovery Channel. Trading Spaces, While You Were Out, Design on a Dime, Designing for the Sexes, and on and on.

If I could stay home all day and watch these shows I would be in my glory. Even better, to be able to do for a living what these designers do. I’m not talking about being on television as a designer, but just being a designer. Visiting people at home and decorating their lives. Bringing colour and light into spaces that are drab and dim. Giving new life to old rooms. All those cliched things that are used in the commercials for the above shows.

The result of design school would be a BFA degree that I could use to further my craft/design career. The major goal is to not end up in an office again after graduating.

After I received my music degree in 1997 I immediately went to work for a telephone company. It made sense at the time (for the money aspect), but when I look back on it now it was the turning point that brought me here. To a bank. Sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day staring at a computer screen. Sure, there are perks to working in an office on a computer. If I finish up my work early I can work on my websites or write, but overall it is depressing.

So…I am going to go back to school. The only way to do this is to say I am, rather than I think and then just do it. Now is the time and might be the only chance, so wish me luck as I embark on finding a good school and applying. Thankfully I did well in my first bachelors degree, so that will lend me a bit of credit towards a new degree.

Interiour design, here I come! Watch out, ’cause the hippie is on her way!

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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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 effects of chemicals on living things. Last year I wrote a two-part column on Love Canal, the area of Niagara Falls, New York where I spent the first few years of my life. To learn more about Love Canal click here and here. There will certainly be more to the Love Canal Saga, but I will save that for later in the summer. Right now I want to focus on Earth Week and the things we can do to make mother earth happy and healthy again.

Plant a tree!
This seems to be the most popular way to celebrate Earth Week. Planting trees helps to restore the natural eco-system of our planet and keep the oxygen flowing in the environment. We give trees love, water and CO2 and they reciprocate with enough oxygen to keep us sustained on this planet. Yes, this may be a truly tree-hugger thing to do, but it is necessary for our survival and the future of our species.

Attend a rally
Is there an environmental hardship in your community? Perhaps a disaster occurred that has changed the make up of the soil, water or air. No matter how small, grassroots efforts are what keep environmental agendas moving ahead in this country. Contact your local chapter of the citizens environmental coalition and join the protest! ?As Patti Smith says people have the power!

Volunteer
Helping others can give you a great feeling of accomplishment and pride. Volunteering your time and efforts toward the common goal of saving the earth can make you feel even better. Anything from working in the office of your local environmental coalition to taking field samples and processing the results can be of great use. ?Lend a hand and feel your heart expand!

Be charitable
Volunteering is always the best option, but if you don?t have the time for that you can always give of your wallet. All environmental organizations can use cash. Most will put it to good use. Just be sure that the money you send goes where you intend it to.

Teach kids about the environment
Start them out young. Reaching a child with the ideas of recycling, planting, and keeping the earth clean can do a world of good for our future. Kids have to live on this earth longer than us, so they have an even more vested interest into what happens environmentally.

Remember Woodsy the Owl

In 1970, an ad campaign ran to get kids into the enivronmental protection act. Woodsy the Owl would say “Lend a Hand. Care for the Land!”? and at the end the tagline song was Give a hoot, don’t pollute. Never be a dirty bird. In the city or in the woods. Help keep America, lookin? good! Next time you see garbage on the ground, pick it up and throw it away. It is a small gesture, but in the grand scheme of things every little bit helps!

Make Earth Day Every Day!
The best way to honour the earth is to keep it healthy. Rather than just once a year doing a good deed, we need to learn how to help out everyday! Making earth day a daily and weekly activity can do wonders for this great planet!

Whatever you decide to do this weekend to end our Earth Week festivities, remember that the earth thanks you for every little thing that reverses the effects from so many technological years. We made it this way and now it is time to turn it around! What will I be doing this Earth Day Weekend? Attending a rally ofcourse! Ralph Nader and Patti Smith will be there! If you want to check out where I will be, click here!

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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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. We have to rise up and continue in their honourable footsteps.

Equal rights are not fully won with just the right for women to vote or equal pay for equal work. Feminism has to evolve into the 21st century and be a force to sustain these rights while winning new battles for women. Many times, in our society, women are treated unfairly in the workplace by other women. This is the most tragic event of all. Whether it be for reasons of contempt towards one another or ladder climbing, maltreatment of women by women is unacceptable.

It is an undeniable fact that, in organizing, petitioning and speaking out to free the slaves, American women learned how to free themselves. -Betty Friedan – The Feminine Mystique

In the early days of women’s rights, the feminist movement moved parallel to, and many times in conjunction with, the civil rights movement. Women were getting out and speaking up for the rights of blacks in America and, in turn, realizing that these rights should also be extended to themselves. With the notion that every human being was and is important, we see the struggle that would befall the most noble of feminists. In the process of helping to free the slaves and secure their civil rights, women saw something that they too wanted. Equal rights.

Feminism was a movement of resilience and militant pride. In recent years, feminism has begun to be looked at as a bad thing. Many factions have been ever increasingly more critical of feminists. Taking the example of two or three militant femi-nazis and making the whole group of feminists seem to be that way. This is yet another way for the establishment to dumb down the concept of equal rights for women. A way to make it seem unnecessary and even, in some instances, dangerous to be a feminist.

Every glamour magazine that sits on a shelf, screaming from its pages to the teenage girls of America, is a factor in this anti-feminism. Every add on television that makes a girl or woman feel less than she is contributes to anti-feminism. Each and every day that a girl or woman is taunted or made to feel inferiour results in the persistence of anti-feminism. Anti-feminism is a force in this country far stronger than the masses would give credit to. The ability to make women feel guilty for not spending every waking moment with their children is a form of anti-feminism.

Society still perceives career women and working mothers as a short phase in life. It is supposed that eventually these women will come around and learn to love staying at home. The assumption in that is that every woman is exactly the same and does not want to reach for a higher goal then marriage and motherhood. That the education of women ends when they become mothers. This is obviously not so, or we would not have so many career women as it were. In so much as it is possible for women to learn as well as men, so is it necessary for women to be afforded the luxury of both children and work. Women should not have to be “tied down” to family, giving up dreams of work success, unless they choose that as their goal. There are women who truly want to be housewives and nothing more and feminism extends them that choice as well.

The central theme is choice. The ability to choose career, family, home. The right to be able to choose whatever, whenever, and however without the consultation of a man. This does not, by any means, lessen the role of man in society. If anything, men are strengthened by feminism as well. They are able to have more openness in relationships because their wives/girlfriends/friends are more content and therefore more honest. Feminism is good for everyone, not just women, and this is the message that needs to be conveyed to the masses. Keep up the fight because no matter how far we have come, there is always road ahead to travel and to stop short would be nothing other than a travesty.

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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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 across from U.B. – now being made infamous by MTV’s Sorority & Fraternity Life shows. Since I take a relatively late lunch (2 or 2:30pm), I am often in the midst of high school kids on their way home or students from the aforementioned college, skipping their 2 o’clock classes to play pool or shoot the proverbial shite.

Surrounded by these people I feel totally odd. I have lost touch with what I thought was my generation. In my job, I am required to wear suits, rather then the preferred uniform of angst.

At the point I begin to see the grounds in my coffee cup I pack up my stuff and head back to work. Pulling into the bank parking lot confronts me with the notion that I will again feel apart from my surroundings.

My hippie wool gloves, sweater and doc martens are not exactly what the “establishment” feels to be proper. Even in a suit, I still look less than the others. My beaded necklace and straight, center-parted hair are a little too left of center for corporate America. The fact that I am not trying to work my way up the ladder is a bit of a turnoff to my co-workers and superiours.

I realize now that I haven’t really fit anywhere since college. In the 6 years since graduation, my persona has skewed slightly from comfortable. This is what being a hippie is all about though. The ability to hold a decent conversation with pretty much anyone is overshadowed by the fact that I never quite look “correct” in any given place. At work I’m too liberal, while at the coffeehouse I appear conservative.

Comfort is obviously not an option at this point in my life. In two years I will be leaving my twenties and I will have to learn to be an adult. You would think that being 28 would afford me the tag of maturity by default, but that isn’t the case.

I still want to skip out on life to go have coffee.

I still want to drive around town with my stereo cranked up.

I still want to go to concerts, instead of work.

I still want to read for pleasure, rather than pay.

I want to be able to look at the world through rose tinted glasses and see my future as a canvas waiting to become a masterpiece.

With all this in mind, I leave behind a piece of me at that coffeehouse, in the hopes that whatever I choose to do next will be my destiny.

This lapse in columns has been brought to you by the leader in computers that crash, which will remain nameless for fear of lawsuits. I have installed the new hard drive and will be updating regularly once again!

Chat is always fun, so come visit me whenever you get a chance…Just click the chat link in any of our wonderful backwash communities!!

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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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 would come to this point.

We are now the target demographic for such things, but it is still upsetting. Just as my mother was upset when Mercury used Fire by Jimi Hendrix to sell Firebirds in the mid-90?s, now we have to hear Forever Young by Alphaville in an attempt to sell us the new Ion.

The commercials are admirable. Showing stages of life and the fact that we have grown up now from our childhood and high school days. The connotation is, if we buy this car we can move on with our life. Leave the past behind and get on with the future. The future where we will hear more songs from the 80’s and 90’s used in commercials to sell us everything from laundry detergent to baby food.

Why don?t we hear jingles anymore? Are advertisers so strapped for new ideas that it is just easier to use an old song or do they truly believe that if we identify with the music it will make us more apt to purchase their products? I have never been swayed to purchase something simply based on the advertising campaign, but I am good at resisting. My affinity for not following blindly gives me the ability to make informed decisions based on things other than advertising campaigns.

Being an informed consumer is what it is all about. The ability to distinguish between good and bad products based on company history and product quality is invaluable. Consumers who buy products merely to have more stuff don’t have the drive to become informed. Reading magazines like Penny Power (the kids version of “Consumer Reports”) and watching Fight Back every night during dinner made me into a consumer of quality rather than quantity. Learning that products may not be all they seem from the commercials, made me able to be an inconspicuous consumer, rather than conspicuous. It gave me the ability to differentiate between quality and crap.

With this knowledge in mind, it is utterly impossible to sell an informed consumer a product simply based on the music used in the commercial. Why then, do advertisers insist on using catchy tunes from a generation ago to try and lure us in? I guess it fits the robot fa?ade. Advertisers think that consumers like this music so if they play it we will follow blindly to the stores to buy the products associated with these songs. What they don?t realize is that the only products that truly go up in sales are the cds of the artists used. This, is a good thing, but I am still miffed by this trend.

I don’t want to hear One Way Or Another by Blondie in a Revlon commercial.

I don’t want to hear Just Can’t Get Enough by Depeche Mode in a Gap commercial or Holiday in Cambodia by the Dead Kennedys in a Levi’s Dockers commercial.

I don’t want to hear Melt With You by Modern English in a Burger King commercial or 88 Lines About 44 Women by the Nails in a Volkswagon commercial.

I don’t want to hear Blue Monday by New Order in a Sunkist commercial or I Know What Boys Like by the Waitresses in a Budweiser commercial.

I don’t want to hear She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult, Tom Sawyer by Rush, How Soon Is Now by the Smiths, Tom’s Diner by Suzanne Vega, or Cannonball by the Breeders in a Nissan commercial.

I want to hear these songs on the radio, not on the television. The most melancholy part of all this is that MTV now plays more popular music in their commercials, then they do in videos. In the future, commercials may become our only source to truly good music. That will be a sad, yet inevitable day for true music fans everywhere.

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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 are just regurgitating whatever mess of the English language has been presented to them in the past.

It is easy to locate the source of my preoccupation with grammar and usage. My maternal grandmother is an English language freak. She has a dictionary near to her at every moment of the day and if you mispronounce or misuse any word, she immediately scans the pages to find the correction. This isn?t something she does to make you feel badly, on the contrary, she wants to make sure that everyone speaks properly for when they go out into the world. We are all small pieces of the bigger family puzzle and as such, we must represent it in the best way possible.

In the event that you are put on the spot and do not know how to phrase something, just remember that the vast majority of people will not know if you are speaking correctly. With this being the case, people as high up as the President of the United States get away with some of the worst grammar in the free world. Not only mispronouncing words, but using phrases that would make anyone cringe. The worst offenders seem to be newscasters. At least, the local area news anchors, maybe not the national ones.

In college, students who wish to pursue careers in media are told that they need to train their voices to have a non-descript accent. The general consensus is to use the ?Mid Western? manner of speaking. This is a flat tone accent, and shows no ethnic or regional influence. Presenting the news with this accent supposedly makes it more official. Personally, I would rather hear someone with any old accent, as long as they pronounce the words correctly.

The thing that throws me is when I watch Canadian news. Newscasters in Canada have thick accents and they don?t try to hide it. This is the way it should be. We just want the facts presented in an intelligent manner, no matter what the tone of the voice presenting it is. Cutting back on useless jargon and gobbledygook would help the news flow better. Being sure that the phrases chosen are understandable to the masses and also make sense is a key attribute of good news writing. With or without a regional influenced speaking pattern, bad turns of phrase remain bad.

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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 think of as you stare at the line of seats against the wall.

The door suddenly opens and you are summoned into a room with more baby blue walls and wooden retro benches. There are large signs hanging from the ceiling that state emphatically, NO TALKING! You sit on another bench, by yourself, and wait for your name to be called.

Is this high school? An Alcoholics Anonymous meeting? The rec room at the local hostel? No, it is the wonderful and pleasant surroundings of the Traffic Violations Bureau.

Yes, you “California stopped” (downshifted) at a stop sign one blustery midnight in December. Yes, you plead “not guilty” on the ticket, believing you could somehow weasel out of it. You are now awaiting your destiny, in a courtroom sense, and it looks nothing at all like The Practice or even Judge Judy.

This is strictly low budget all the way and you assume that the blue walls are to keep the criminals calm. You wait, and wait, and wait and finally a judge shows up (45 minutes after your hearing time) to process the miscreants.

He thoughtfully, although condescendingly, explains that in this “major” city of New York State there is no way to plead down a traffic violation. You are either “guilty” or “not guilty” and it is basically your word against the police officer’s.

If you turn back now you will have let them win, so you decide to stick it out for another hour or so, in hopes that the cop won’t show.

As you watch the other offenders have their “day” in court, as it were, you realize that they are hiding the police. See, at the moment, you are surrounded by only moving violations offenders, no officials. Directly before each case, the clerk picks up the phone and calls somewhere to summon the police officer named on the ticket.

Your name is finally called and you step up to the bench. There is a big, smelly microphone staring you in the face and the judge is looking more foreboding up close. He instructs you to wait for the officer and your palms begin to sweat. The officer enters and you look in the opposite direction. He tells what happened on the night in question and you listen intently. When the judge asks you if you have anything to add, you decide to let this all go. You will not surrender your pride, to be shot down by the court.

“Yes”, you state, “that is exactly what happened, sir”. The judge looks at you in disbelief. You wait to be lectured on the point of wasting the courts time, but all you see is a big rubber stamp and a fine. You walk out into the hall, feeling like dirt and pay the ticket. You will have 3 points on your license for a term of 18 months and your ego will be down for a few days.

You did learn one thing from this experience. Never mistake democracy for happiness. You will only be let down in the end.

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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 with a caption that reads, “A closet should only be a place to hang your coat.” The second shows a stovetop in the heated stage with a caption that reads, “A stove should only be a place to cook dinner.”

The sheer horror of these ads is what makes them honourable. Leaving the rest to the imagination is the best way to make people feel. Without a distinctive point, the ads reach out to everyone in a way that just showing violence cannot.

In case you haven’t guessed by now, these are new ad council ads sponsored by Prevent Child Abuse America, an organization that works to lower the cases of child abuse and neglect across the country. I have to admit that child abuse ads on television, radio and billboards have always been highly effective for me, but this has to be the most striking campaign. Unlike the campaigns to curb drug use and smoking, this campaign really reaches everyone. It grabs you by the throat and makes you realize how awful the act of abuse is. It makes you want to give of yourself immediately.

I was lucky enough to live through a wonderful and happy childhood. I didn’t have to worry about parents who were abusive or uncles that were “too close for comfort”. Once, when I didn’t get my way, I threatened my mother with a call to the child abuse hotline and she looked at me with that disapproving look saying, “Honey, you have no idea what child abuse is!” She was right, I didn’t. At the time I was angry because I wanted something I couldn’t have, but that could never be construed as abuse or neglect. After speaking to people in college that were abused and/or neglected, I understood how frivolous my younger comments had been.

At this point I realized that listening was the only thing I could do and it helped more than any words that I could utter. Without experiencing abuse myself it was impossible for me to ever truly understand the hurt and anguish involved, but being there to vent to was the best thing I could have done. The cycle repeated for one of my friends as she went from an abusive father, to an abusive husband, to an abusive boyfriend. People may argue that it is the fault of the woman, but you must first realize that abused women start out as abused children a majority of the time. They don’t choose to be abused, abuse chooses them.

The only way to stop these cycles of hatred and anger is to advocate for children. Start from the beginning. Making strong kids will make strong adults. With these new ad campaigns and more involvement in children’s organizations, we can make a difference. There is certainly a long road ahead, but continuing down it is the only option available.

Peace –
Hippiegrrl