Tag: love

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You Better Vote

“I was just a girl, in a room full of women, licking stamps and laughing. I remember the feeling of community brewing, of democracy happening.” – Ani Difranco – Paradigm

The election is in 3 days. As I sit here at the coffeehouse and think about all the years of struggle that women in the United States of America have had to endure just to get to a point of almost being equal to men, I realize that although we have a woman as nominee of a major party for the first time in history, the actual historical moment is being downplayed. It is being under-emphasized. It is being overrun by a man and a party that do not want to let go of their power. They cannot imagine a world in which the United States of America is no longer theirs, alone. No longer the nation of straight, white, wealthy, men. It is a true melting pot. And in 3 days, it will be a nation where anyone – regardless of their sex organs and gender representation – can be the leader. A nation where, only 8 years ago, we finally smashed the restriction of race to this highest post. A nation that can now, finally, continue to smash the white privileged patriarchy that we all suffer under.

The election is in 3 days and although it seems like an eternity to wait it is nothing compared to the 94 years we have waited, since the day that we were given the right to cast our vote. Nothing compared to the 144 years that women had to wait for that right in the first place. Nothing compared to the 72 years that suffragettes waited from the beginning of the movement to the day they were allowed to legally cast a vote. In 3 days, all this waiting will finally be for a reason, rather than always being for naught. We will finally win the highest office in the land. Then, finally, some real shit will get done around here.

The election is in 3 days and Secretary Clinton is already poised to be one of the most effective Presidents in our country’s history. She has already fought for the rights of women and children for decades and she will continue this work in the West Wing. She will continue to ensure that women have the right to reproductive care and autonomy over their bodies. She will continue to fight for the education of our youth and training for those currently in or returning to the workforce. She will continue to keep our country safe and fight for the rights of the disabled, low income families, the lgbtq community, and continue the fight for racial justice. She will fight for the rights of all, regardless of sex, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, ability, or age. This is what we truly need for the next 4 (or 8!) years. Our country needs to be able to continue down the President Obama path. We need to continue to improve our employment numbers and secure the rights of all people. We need Secretary Clinton to be President Clinton.

The election is in 3 days and the future of our country hangs in the balance. If you are thinking about skipping the voting booth, you are making a mistake. If you are thinking about voting for Donald Trump, you are a racist, full stop. Do the right thing. Make your way to the polls and vote for Secretary Clinton. Let’s make this happen, together. The choice is clear. We must let the bigots know that we will not stand for their way of life. We must let them know that the United States of America is no longer for them. It is for those of us that care about each other regardless of what we look like. The United States of America is not for racists or sexists or homophobes or transphobes or xenophobes. It is not for people who cannot see the value of every human being. Or at least, in 3 days, my hope is that we will see that it is not for these people. Let’s make sure that this nation does not turn into a nation of hate, but remains a nation of hope. Let’s make sure we continue to grow and evolve and allow our citizens to dwell in a nation where each of us is free to practice our religion, practice our traditions, and practice our love in peace. That is what the United States of America is all about. Freedom. Let’s keep it that way by voting for Secretary Clinton.

Peace and happy voting!

Chantale (aka hippiegrrl)

Please vote – so much is at stake.

A video for your viewing/listening pleasure:

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Ghosts

Driving home yesterday, from my writing hours, I heard a gentleman on the radio talking about Western New York ghost tours. This peaked my interest less because of a desire to attend a tour (of which I have zero interest) and more about my previous writing on the subject of ghosts. When I was in the Sociology program, one of my professors had published a book (and has since published a second book) on the subject of memory landscapes and ghosts. He wrote about the things that lurk just under the surface in all of our lives and he encouraged us to write in a similar fashion. During my time in his classes I wrote several pieces about my own encounters with ghosts of the past. The pieces revolved around the people in the spaces, but also about the “marks” those people left behind. My professor was especially interested in these “marks” and how we incorporate them into our own lives.

It seems like forever since I thought about these concepts, but since I graduated (in 2011) I feel like the dots have connected much more often than they did while I was in the classroom. When writing for class, I would often have large lapses of understanding. Completing the readings (or as much of the 200-300 pages per week we were assigned) often left me with a void. My thoughts would wander and I would pull my material from my own surroundings. My writing was riddled with personal memories and less connections were truly being made. Even when I did make a connection, I did not always see the bigger picture of what my writing was revealing.

Now, I am hoping to restart this journey of making connections. Through intentional writing and researching, I hope to be able to continue what I started 8 years ago. My research has languished on a thumb drive and it is ready to be revitalized. I hope that my updates here will serve to push me toward greater output and I also hope that you will join me in my quest to uncover the greater truths in my work. Your responses and criticisms are always welcome and I will receive them with an open mind and heart. As I begin my research again, my posts may be spotty, but I hope to get into a rhythm of posting at least 3 (or more) times per week. This is my goal. Thank you for following along with me.

Peace,

Chantale (aka hippiegrrl)

 

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Relevant links:

Soft Arcades

Walter Benjamin, Hannah Arendt, Karl Marx, Judith Lorber, Max Weber, Georg Simmel, Simone de Beauvoir

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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 that need to be united for the cause. This is cryptic, but I promise to tell everyone about it in more detail, later on. Right now, I want to discuss something that is near and dear to my heart. The Girl Scouts.

In discussing my childhood over the weekend, I realized that there was much turmoil, but there were also a few rays of light that guided me to become a wonderful human being. Girl Scouts was certainly one of those things. Being a troop member and working together with other girls to solve problems and complete badge tasks gave me a greater sense of who I could be in the future. It was a wonderful way to instill confidence and pride in myself through hard work and diligence. Girl Scouts taught me that if I worked hard I could do anything and that nothing in life is beyond reach, no matter what. Being a girl/woman would not, and never should, hold me back from doing anything.

On this 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts, I think it is fitting that we say THANK YOU to the woman who began it all – Juliette Gordon Low. A wonderful lady that saw a need and filled it. Creating the Girl Scouts of America was just the beginning of her fight for the rights of girls and women everywhere. She continued to be a champion for womens issues, and the Girl Scout organization has grown to mammoth proportions, serving not just America, but countries worldwide.

In the latest Girl Scout campaign, the ads talk about ways in which EVERYONE can give girls a chance so that we can make sure that we gain equality. This is a great campaign and hopefully it pushes forward the notion that girls/women really CAN do anything and there should be no obstacles in the path of greatness.

Today, I am wearing my Girl Scout pin, in solidarity with girls across the country and around the world. To show support for one of the best organizations in our country and a great legacy of work for girls. 2012 has been deemed the “year of the girl” by the Girl Scouts of America and we need to keep that up moving in to 2013, 2014, 2015, and beyond!

And for the haters out there, spewing the vile garbage about the Girl Scouts, you can take your rhetoric and stick it where the sun don’t shine. Conservative “christians” can often take a position that is silly in order to further their own agenda. Going after the Girl Scouts is not only humourous, but odd and base. We, as former Girl Scouts, must stand arm and arm with our fellow scouts and say “no!” to these attacks. Show, with confidence and courage, that the Girl Scouts are the best organization for girls in this country and that without this organization we would not have the small bit of equality that we have obtained so far.

So, let us celebrate the good that Girl Scouts have done for girls and women over the years and focus on the future. Equality is out there to be won, we just have to continue struggling toward it!

Peace and Happy Activism!
Chantale aka hippiegrrl

appropriate links:
Women, girls herald Scouting’s 100th anniversary
Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace site
On Monumental 100th Anniversary, Girl Scouts of the USA Commits to Building Girl Leadership in the Next Century

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If I Were a Roller Disco Queen

I always say that I want to live in the seventies, but I never explain why. There are many reasons, and so I will be sharing a series of pieces on things I love from the seventies. The first of these is the roller rink… Enjoy and please come back soon to see the next installment!

Now, as you know, I was born in 1974, which actually makes me a child of the 80’s. I did most of my roller skating in the 80’s, but wish I could have been around for the roller disco days. I would have loved to be on a roller disco team, skating to hits of the 70’s. I mean, Xanadu was one of my favourite movies as a kid, so you see where this obsession might come from.

When I attended church (way back when) the youth group used to take us to the Rainbow Roller Rink, in Tonawanda, NY, to skate. I had a pair of roller skates that were mine, but they wouldn’t let me use them there so I had to rent with everyone else. A bit like bowling, if only for the shared footwear.

Here were a few key elements of skate night – rolling up to the snack bar to buy french fries with malt vinegar (good thing that writerchaz was not around then, he would have never chatted me up), ladies choice, trying to partner skate but failing miserably, almost making it into a competition but being yanked out by the mini christian coalition that gave us the bus ride to the event, and trying to pee in a bathroom with ceramic tiled floors – what a silly thing to do to the kids with the skates.

If it were the seventies I would have been able to wear awesome skate outfits (covered in rainbows) and skate semi-professionally on a local team. I would have skated to disco hits and won trophies for my efforts. I would have dated a roller disco guy and found secret areas of the roller rink to make out during “all skate” or “ladies choice”. Instead, I had the 80’s, cleancut christian version of roller skating. We could barely hold hands without one of the chaperones skating up and breaking our grasp. The boys were not too good on their feet, so most of the time the girls would skate in groups. It was fun and boring at the same time. The songs were all 80’s hits, since this was after the point at which disco was announced to be dead. I did learn how to skate backwards, so that was cool.

If only I could have been born 10 years earlier, I would have been a roller disco queen.

Peace – Chantale

Something fun:

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The Evolution of the Internet or How I Became a Social Media Junkie

It all began in 1984. Orwell could not have predicted it any better. Generation X was truly the cohort that would bring about the ways in which Big Brother could infiltrate every facet of our lives. That story is for another time though, since this story is about me and how I got to where I am on the chronological timeline of electronic history.

When I was ten years old (1984) I was placed in an accelerated grade five class. The acceleration was based on CTBS scores and such and my classmates and I were placed in what would come to be known as the honours track. One of the bonuses of being in the accelerated class for grades five and six was that we had a computer in our classroom. In the late 80’s this was a rarity. Most grammar schools were without a computer lab, let alone a computer in each, individual classroom. We were the lucky ones, or at least it seemed so. The technology was new and we were to be the generation (X) of students that grew up using these technological instruments. Word Processing would not be available for several more years, meaning that we would have to continue typing our term papers on manual typewriters until we reached Freshman and Sophomore years in college. We could never imagine carrying the internet (which was not for public consumption quite yet) around in our back pockets. Yes, the computer industry would grow by leaps and bounds in the following 30 years, but in 1984 we were happy to play lemonade stand and oregon trail in our grade five class.

As you can imagine, I took to the computer like I had been at it for years. Every gift giving holiday for the next 3 or 4 years I would as my parents for an Apple IIe. You see, this was the computer that we were given to use and we all mastered it in a matter of weeks. The computer was freedom and order all in one. There was possibility in the amber screen but also the ability for teachers to keep students interested and focused. It was a mutually beneficial relationship. We all loved the Apple IIe and from the day it rolled into the classroom I was hooked.

Due to the extremely high price of Apple computers at their first introduction to the market, it wasn’t feasible for my family to obtain one. Instead, my parents invested in a Texas Instruments computer, complete with Atari-like cartridges to play games and learn how to type. My favourite program was the typing cloud. At the age of 11 I was typing 75 words per minute and almost beat the program on several occasions. These computers had no means of saving programs or scores (much like my Atari) and so each use meant starting over again. As a child, I had an inordinate amount of patience and it served me well in the first few computer systems my parents obtained.

The next computer we purchased was a Commodore 128. This model came with a separate tape recorder (yes, audio tapes) that one could save programs on. When “playing” back each program it made a horrible high pitched noise, but we suffered through. At least we had the beginnings of being able to save things on our computer system. I had an old black and white television set as a monitor and with the Commodore I began learning how to code in DOS. My mother would bring home computer magazines from work and I would spend hours on the computer typing in lines of code. Typing in ‘run’ at the end of a 500 line code would give an ASCII coded HELLO! back and I was intrigued. That summer, I went to computer camp at the local community college and sealed my fate as the tech guru of the family, at the age of 12.

Around this time my best friends father purchased a Macintosh, the original Mac computer from the Apple company. It was tall and grey and had a slim view screen. Since there were no pictures to view, at the time, the 3 inch wide screen served the purpose of being able to write code quickly and easily. He was extremely protective of the computer (as he should have been for it’s high price on the market) and would not allow us to touch it when he was not supervising. My friend was somewhat uninterested in the computer, but I was obsessed. Going to her house began to be simply to sit and watch her father use the Mac. Sometimes he would let me use the mouse (a mouse on the table, really?) and showed me how to code in this somewhat different environment. My friend began to be jealous of the computer and told me that I could no longer come over unless it was to play with her. No more Mac. I complied, our friendship ended a couple years later when we hit high school.

As we moved through Compaq and HP and other IBM compatible computers, I continued to yearn for the ellusive Mac/Apple that had been my first contact with computers. To this day I am still using an IBM compatible laptop, but someday a Mac will be mine.

Getting back to the history…

When I began my freshman year of college I had moved my computer unit (a Compaq, still using the b&w television as a monitor, but with a floppy disc drive and a rudimentary word processing (in DOS) program) into my bedroom and discovered telnet. At Buffalo State, the professors were starting to use something they called the internet. It pales in comparison the current day Internet, but for the time it was extremely useful. Having been invented by the military to use as a source of intel sharing, it was perfect for professors doing research. Telnet was the system we used to ‘log in’ to the network. At school we also had access to email on amber screened terminal units. My best friend and I would spend hours upon hours in the basement of Chase Hall chatting and mudding on Olohof or IRC. Every Friday from 1993 through 1997 consisted of classes from 9-3, work from 5-10, Gord’s from 11-2, Towne Restaurant from 3-4 and Chase Hall from 5-8 or 9. Sometimes we would skip Towne, stop off at a mini mart for soda and rice krispie treats and head straight for Chase Hall, full goth persona, to login to Olohof until 5 or 6am.

I must stop here again to stress that at this time the internet was still just terminals hooked up to phone lines with people talking. No pictures, no websites, just chat. This was enough to keep us interested. In fact, I had been calling the school telnet line from my home computer for a few months before my mother decided she no longer wanted to see the $500 or $600 phone bills due to the 5 cent per minute charges I accrued. She told me to curb the phone use or get my own phone line. I opted for a personal phone line in my bedroom and continued to pay $500/month phone bills just to get on Olohof. It was an addiction, but not labeled as such, continued on until the World Wide Web appeared.

In 1998, I logged on to a new website called iVillage. On this site they offered free personal websites and I decided to go for it. They had templates that we could use to setup the site and I created my first online persona – bubbles fletcher (my drag name, if you must know). From there I began buying books on HTML and AOL in order to learn how to ‘code’ and ‘surf’ on the Internet. Next up I purchased a domain name, hippiegrrl.com, and started doing all my code from scratch in notepad. Templates were nice and easy, but why would someone with so much computer experience half ass it, right? To this day, I still feel that way and that is why I maintain my sites and blogs with notepad rather than Dreamweaver. Using programs to code is just a crutch. At least that is how I personally feel.

As the Internet grew, I grew with it, joining the Backwash community (in 2002) and becoming an online writer and admin for a site that boasted the tagline ‘Backwash – the Internet organized by personality’. I was in good company and we were trying to make this new phenomenon more user friendly for those who did not grow up with the technology, as most of us did. Writing articles and adding links for more information was the basis for my current day journal, all learned from being a member of the Backwash community. Fellow alum are now doing great things in the Social Media environment and I believe that the bulk of their expertise was driven by being early members of Backwash. We were not only building writing portfolios, but also learning how to manage online communities and comment feeds that would assist us on future sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

As I continue to journey through my life, I obtain more knowledge of computers and the Internet.  When I look back on all the changes over a very short period of time, I find it mind boggling how quickly everything has changed.  I began my computer life learning how to code in DOS and now I can write HTML code from scratch for a website.  I have learned how to maintain a database, how to use content management systems, how to create beautiful sites, with and without tables.  I lived through frames and javascript and flash that was faulty.  My career began in web design the day I started that iVillage page and has not let up since.  I may not always get paid for my designing, but I continue to learn and grow in the field.

Next year I will celebrate 20 years of being online and in 3 years I will celebrate 30 years with computers. I am squarely in the technology generation. Generation X might not be “the greatest generation”, but we are certainly the most malleable and the quickest to learn new things, especially when it comes to new technology. For those of us in our 30’s and 40’s the future looks bright, if we can continue to harness the greatness of the technology that we grew up with. If we can drop the petty arguments on Social Media and make it a place to truly share ideas and problem solve we could really make the future brighter for our generation and those to come after us.

Peace, Chantale (aka hippiegrrl)

appropriate link:
Internet Archive – jump in the wayback machine and take a ride to Internet days gone by.

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