In recent weeks a new advertising campaign has been unveiled across the country. On my way home from visiting my family in Niagara Falls, I passed a billboard that struck me immediately. This isn’t like any other advocacy campaign over the years. It is heart wrenching and, in all likelihood, should be effective. The first billboard shows a closet door… Read more →
2003.1.23 – roe vs. wade, 30 years later
They came, they saw, they fizzled out. Thus was the plight of the “Army of God” in Buffalo, New York. Wednesday, January 22, 2003 marked the 30th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision, meanwhile, in Buffalo, the trial of James Kopp continues. “the hate filled want to build bunkers in your beautiful red earth, they want to build them… Read more →
2003.1.7 – diy or die!
Distros. The new wave in online independent distribution. Sites run by committed individuals with a passion for spreading the “word”. In this case the “word” would be the DIY scene. Do-It-Yourself is a movement that came into full force in the 1970’s. Punk rockers were looking for a way to express their individuality. Sure, the music was unique, but the… Read more →
2002.12.18 – holidays the way they should be
Holiday shopping. A time to wade through the endless sea of shoppers at your local mall and fight them off with your bags of holiday treats. A joyous time of peace and goodwill, as long as everyone on your list receives exactly (or something close to) what they asked for. Is this really what it’s all about? If this is… Read more →
2002.12.5 – a bit territorial, aren’t we?
Have you ever felt territorial? This past weekend gave me new insight into territorialism in modern day relationships. A trip to Toronto would be the backdrop for a very educational trek down memory lane. First of all you must know that Canada is almost like a second home to most of us here in Western New York. Border dwellers tend… Read more →
2002.11.21 – a movie changed my life
Can a movie change your life? It may sound trite, but it can happen. Once the lights go down in the theatre, anything is possible. That is why they call it the “silver screen”, isn’t it? My first year of college wasn’t the finest time of my life. I commuted 60 minutes round trip per day and being a freshman… Read more →
2002.11.15 – wish you were here
Ah, Buffalo in November. The leaves are getting near that brown crispy stage and the snow is about to fall any day. Yes we have long hard winters here in the Queen city, but there are so many other reasons to come and visit us. I don’t think that Buffalonians realize how famous their city actually is. Maybe not in… Read more →
2002.10.30 – nature vs. perfection
Insecurity. Low self esteem. Depression. These are all symptoms of what I like to call, modern American society. In a perfect world there would be no lack of pride attributed to a person who is “different” in some way. In different, this means that the individual doesn’t share the majority likeness, when in reality, the majority isn’t always the secure… Read more →
2002.10.22 – road trip
The one year itch has come upon me full force this past week. If you aren’t sure what the one year itch is, I’ll fill you in. After working at a specific job for one year or more I become unsatisfied with the job for one reason or another. Usually, I just get plain bored and I want to move… Read more →
2002.10.14 – sedaris in buffalo
Readings are often long, drawn out evenings, in which the audience is forced to sit and listen to a writer spout off about the tiniest details of writing and their own personal craft (or crap, as the case may be). I tend to stray away from actually going to see the author in person, for fear that the greatness of… Read more →
2002.10.8 – gardening guru?
Do you know how difficult it is to have a green thumb in an apartment building? Actually…I don’t have a green thumb at all, but the fact that I live on the third floor in a blacktop jungledoesn’t really help matters. Living downtown is extremely cool, except if you like to see greenery. So…I have started a lovely windowsill garden. Mind… Read more →
2002.10.1 – hippiegrrl goes goth
Yes, it is that time of year again. Time for that “sweet transvestite” and his minions to light up the night. Time to gather the rice, toast, newspaper and lighter and head to the local showing of the greatest cult movie of all time. Take that “jump to the left…” Whether you are a magenta, riff raff, columbia, brad, janet,… Read more →
2002.9.21 – help me, help you
What can we do to change the face of our community? For starters, revolt! Don’t follow the staus quo. Walk your own way and think however you like. Take every opinion and then form one of your own. Basically, don’t believe the hype and don’t buy in to the norm. People everywhere today want to fit the mold. Be normal.… Read more →
2002.9.12 – love canal, 25 years later, the saga continues
Before we dive in…this is a continuing piece. The previous entry gave a history of Love Canal and it can be found in my archives under “My Life and Love Canal…Part 1”. So…without further ado…away we go… Next year will be the 25th anniversary of the evacuations at Love Canal. My family was one of the first to leave the… Read more →
2002.9.3 – my life and love canal part 1
On the 13th of November 1974, Karen Silkwood, a union member and activist hero, was run off the road in a mysterious “one car crash”. One day earlier, on the 12th, I was born in a sleepy suburban area of Niagara Falls, New York. At the time it was called LaSalle, but would come to be known, over the world,… Read more →
2002.8.27 – why did i ask?
How many rhetorical questions do you ask in one day? 1? 10? 50? If you work in the customer service industry, like me, you probably ask anywhere from 50-100. The main rhetorical question being, “how are you doing today?”. This is a question that very rarely requires an answer longer than 2 or 3 words, yet many customers feel the… Read more →
2002.8.22 – why romy and michelle were right
if you are a fan of cheesy 90’s, saturday night live humour movies, you probably rushed out to your local cinema the day “romy and michelles high school reunion” was released. don’t fret! this isn’t an article to make you feel guilty for liking those movies, in fact, it is just the opposite! i love cheesy movies, if only for… Read more →
Welcome
Hello and welcome to the new space for Hippiegrrl Explains It All! This space will hold the archives of my backwash.com column as well as new writing. Please return often to see what is new! Hope to see you back here soon. Peace, Chantale aka hippiegrrl Read more →
The Internet and Procrastination
I start off on a good note. Looking things up. Reading articles. Doing schoolwork. And then, all of a sudden, something happens. Like a shiny coin in the corner of a webpage, I see a link that takes me away from my original thought. I follow this link and begin reading other articles. Eventually, an hour later, I realize that… Read more →
Are you registered?
It is almost time to select our next president. If you are not registered yet, please use this form to do so. We need to band together and keep moving forward. Our country cannot afford four years of another Republican. We had eight years that got us to where we are and now that we are finally coming out of… Read more →
from the archives – just a girl – 6 July 2008
this weekend i had a realization. no matter how old i am or how successful i become – no matter what trials i face in my life and what struggles i overcome – i will always be (to some people) just a girl. someone who is vulnerable and needs to be taken care of. someone who creates worry for others… Read more →
Singing as Therapy
Back in the day, when I was in college the first time, I used to be able to work two part time jobs while I was studying. This was partly due to the major that I had chosen. See, even though I loved school, I didn’t really care about going to college. My mother was on my case about it… Read more →
May Holidays and Changes
This week has been crazy. I began a new job and it has been somewhat overwhelming. I love it, but it is taking me some time to get up to speed. Anyone that knows me knows that I am not good with change or being behind the eight ball. I like to know everything about what I am doing and… Read more →
Slackers Unite!
Troy: what happened to your normal clothes? Michael: wow! Lelaina, look at you. You look…where’d you get that dress? Lelaina: Oh, um… I don’t know. I just bought it. But I think I’m gonna go change because… Michael: No, don’t. You look beautiful. You look like… You look like… Troy: A doily. Lelaina: I’m gonna change. Michael: No, don’t change.… Read more →
Rochester NY or The Place To Be
“I’m a pixie, I’m a paper doll, I’m a cartoon” Ani Difranco Music has always had an effect on me. It brings memories rushing to the surface, good and bad. When my iPod shuffles to an Ani D song that I have not heard in a while, most likely my thoughts will turn to Rochester, NY. This past week, there… Read more →
The Girl Scouts Turn 100
This past weekend was highly eventful for me. I participated in a project, that I will discuss in the future, that I hope will finally bring justice and closure to decades old issues in the city of Niagara Falls. It might not be the magic bullet, but it could certainly be the spark that ignites peoples curiosity and unites those… Read more →
New Year New You
I never attempt to make resolutions. I feel they are a waste of time. Something to dwell on that usually disappoints in the end. Instead, I prefer to make goals. I suppose goals are resolutions cloaked in the costume of positivity, but they always seem more attainable. Resolutions have the pressure of one year, while goals have a forward motion.… Read more →
The Holidays and Gender Roles
Studying Sociology has become a double edged sword for me. Over the holiday season, my sense of gender roles and norms becomes heightened. Most of the time I have to keep my mouth shut and ‘go with the flow’, but sometimes I decide that I want to engage in a conversation that will hopefully lead to a better understanding for… Read more →
The Holiday Rush
During my time writing for Backwash (Hippiegrrl Explains It All – archived here), I wrote many posts on holiday shopping and alternatives to giving store bought, big box stuff. Over the years, the writer and I have tried many alternative ways of shopping (or not shopping) for the holidays. Taking the handmade pledge, pushing ourselves and others to buy local,… Read more →
from the archives – here we go… 26 november 2007
The holiday season is here. Black Friday (or Buy Nothing Day as we like to celebrate it) has come and gone and we are left with images of crazed shoppers trampling each other on the way into the local Wal-Mart. Highly motivated, yes, but for the right reasons? In an attempt to make a difference this holiday season, we are… Read more →
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