20 years beyond 1984. What did we think it would be like? Flying cars? Food pellets? Cars that turn into briefcases? Or just Big Brother monitoring our every move? Well, we got one of those things. Unfortunately, it isn’t any of the cool, techie things that we thought it might be. We got the monitoring without the flying cars. I… Read more →
Being Bohemian
While walking through our favourite neighbourhood in Toronto, the writer and I strike up a conversation about bohemianism. I contend that he could “never be truly bohemian. Never just get up one morning, pack two bags, and leave.” By which he responds – “I could if there was a list and a plan” (presumably written before bed the night before… Read more →
Things I Learned at the Caffe
The scent of coffee lures you in, while the camaraderie you experience from the patrons makes you want to return and, perhaps, become a regular. In all public spaces, there are annoyances to be had, but in the caffe these annoyances become quirks. In this environment, all people are equal, and we co-exist in a space where improvement is inevitable.… Read more →
You Can’t Get Off, So Pitch In!
A few months back, the CEO of the Nestle corporation announced that it is his belief that “access to water is not a human right”. On the surface this is sad and awful, but if you think about it, obvious for him to believe. After all, how can you run a company that makes a bulk of its profits from… Read more →
Nice To See You! How Have You Been?
I realize that it has been almost a year since the last update here at rise up buffalo. To my readers, I am truly sorry. Life has become chock full of things to be done and this web journal had to be put on the back burner for a bit. I should have mentioned that, but sometimes life takes off… Read more →
Find Your Calling
For 24 years, I have worked in customer service, in one capacity or another. With that many years under my belt, I can say that I have become pretty damn good at it. I am excellent at smiling through the bullshit of unreasonable requests. I am a master of making the people on the other side of the counter or… Read more →
With Liberty and Justice For Some
We live within the confines of our environment. Although there are dreamers amoung us, the majority of the human race just goes with the flow. This is why it is so hard to come up from our country’s racist past. Why is it so difficult to look at a situation and really see it for what it is? Mainly because… Read more →
Evolving Out of Racism
How do we live here? How can we continue forward knowing that this has happened and continues to happen. Paula Dean is not the first racist to be “found out” and she will not be the last. The problem lies in the fact that she cannot admit she was wrong. That is because she doesn’t believe that she was wrong.… Read more →
Quick post: Oregon
Within this world of coffee and eggs, the people sitting next to me are, in years, younger, but in attitude quite a bit older than me. They had their sandwiches, no coffee, and discussed where their next stop would be. First the Verizon store, then groceries, then the beer merchant. Oy. Yuppies in training. It isn’t the places, but the… Read more →
Words
Today, we saw change on a grand scale. DOMA was killed. Prop 8 was killed. LGBTQ folks can move forward with the struggle, with a little bit of it behind them. I am there too. Fighting for equality for ALL. Until we have it, there is no rest. Until we understad how our words pierce through others, we can never… Read more →
On Allies and Cataloging Practice
While watching my favourite weekend morning show, the Melissa Harris-Perry show on MSNBC, I was struck by the idea of cataloging practice and how it can be demonstrative of a critical point in social movements. This moment of clarity, however fleeting, made me giddy in knowing that I may have truly found my calling. Finally. So, to better demonstrate my… Read more →
What Is A Family?
This week, the supreme court will hear arguments to overturn both the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California’s Proposition 8. These two pieces of legislation have brought injustice to a segment of the population for many years now and it is time to end the inequality. A poll that came out this past week showed that in the 20… Read more →
Let’s Talk About Gender (and Media)
Earlier in the week, I posted an article to Facebook, from New York Magazine. It was titled “The Retro Wife”. Maybe you saw my post, or the comments that transpired after the fact, maybe not. Either way, I have decided to get up on my gender studies soapbox and write a post. This is one of the great things about… Read more →
The Scene That Was
“Through the fear of being real, through the fear of being really you…” Tones on Tail – Go! When I was in college (the first time around, in the 90’s) I spent most of my time doing only a few things. Singing, drinking coffee, working a crap job or two in the customer service industry, and going to bars. Since… Read more →
What’s Wrong With Indiana?
This past week, in the State of Indiana, a new bill was introduced for consideration to again attempt to install the requirement of a transvaginal probe for women that are persuing an abortion. This is a travesty, considering it is an additional hurdle that needs to be overcome just to exercise the right to choose. Bigger than this, however, is… Read more →
Why I Am A Feminist
I am a feminist because I believe that people of all genders are equal. All human beings, no matter what gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or creed, are equal. We all live on the earth and we are all homosapiens. We also all have to perform basic bodily functions, such as eating, sleeping, hydrating, and eliminating waste, on a daily… Read more →
Finally
Five years. That is how long it has been since GBSB officially closed its doors. Even though First Niagara took over the GBSB customers, the culture and time of GBSB was over. Since February 2008, many things have changed in my life. Looking back now, I can see that I have been stuck in a haze that I have been… Read more →
De-cluttering
In an attempt to simplify my life, I have decided to better organize my surroundings. This begins at home, with my apartment. The writer and I have quite a bit of stuff from 11 years of living in the same place. When we moved back to Buffalo, from Rochester, we had few items that we brought along, but over the… Read more →
Positivity
It is the last day of 2012. The year has had great ups and downs for the writer and me, but we have persevered. Now that we are at the end, it is good to look back, reflect on the previous experiences, and move on. The moving on part is the thing that I most look forward to. Taking stock… Read more →
Creativity
Over the years I have lost sight of my creativity. It still exists and once in a while I use it, but overall I feel like the day to day creative is gone. Music, writing, web design, dance, beading, barista. There are so many creative ways in which I am able to express myself, but I tend to put all… Read more →
2006.6.30 – closing in on year four
Yes – my column will be turning 4 in August of this year. That’s sort of like nearing 30 in Backwash years (I figure it similar to dogs – 7 for 1) so I thought I would do a little re-cap/nostalgia column. My original intention was to use this column as a fun place to vent about movies, television, nostalgia… Read more →
2005.10.30 – what if?
What would our country (the United States) be like if we hadn’t lost JFK, Martin, Bobby, Malcolm & Lennon? Would we have true equality? Would we see less of a gap between the upper class and everyone else? I feel that our country would be much more well adjusted if we didn’t have so many senseless losses of great leaders… Read more →
2005.12.23 – holiday rush part 3
So – there are 2 days until Christmas & Hanukkah! 3 until Kwanzaa. Are you ready? If not – here are a few tips to get you through these next few days and have a stress-free holiday season! – Hard to shop for friend or relative? Why not donate some cash to a charity in the name of your gift… Read more →
2006.1.26 – working things out or how we deal
A question has been forming in my head over the last few weeks. It was made crystal clear when discussed on a weekend car trip with my hubby. Is it possible for someone to be so totally ingrossed in the born again christian/organized religion dogma that they would deny their own sexuality? Would they just not notice (being such “good”… Read more →
2006.7.24 – feminist musings or the ani revelation
Over the weekend the NOW conference was held in Albany, NY. Being honoured this year with a “Woman of Courage” award was the Buffalo Folksinger, Ani Difranco. During her speech, overwhelmed by the supportive NOW audience, Ms. Difranco let a revelation loose by announcing that she is, indeed, 12 weeks pregnanat. Ani will be giving birth in February 2007, smack… Read more →
2006.8.17 – relaxation and nostalgia or how i learned to let things go
Nostalgia – the silent killer. It may not seem like something that could harm you, but beware, it is deadly. It will sneak up on you in the middle of the night and invade your dreams. Or, even worse, keep you from sleeping at all. Over the past few years I have noticed a trend in my waking life. When… Read more →
2006.11.8 – the day after – and the sky didn’t fall
The pins and needles are gone. Election night is over. Now what? The Democrats have taken control of the House and the Senate still hangs in the balance. The big story of the night, at least for feminists like myself, was the rejection of the South Dakota ballot initiative to Ban Abortion. Thank goodness that the good people of South… Read more →
2006.12.23 – holiday gift giving 2006
I realize that this year has not been one of my finest here at backwash. Although it is my 4th year, my posting frequency dwindled immensely. I have no excuse, but I will say that 2007 will be the year of turning over new leaves. Not just in my personal and professional life, but also here, at backwash. With all… Read more →
2007.9.8 – how i got here and where i’m going
2007 has been grim, at best. I’ve been so wrapped up in the day to day of this year that I totally missed my Backwash Anniversary. Yes – on the 22nd of August, I would quietly celebrated my 5 year anniversary here at the ’wash. Around that time, I started to get interested in writing again. In an attempt to… Read more →
2008.9.24 – since we are here
A couple of weeks ago I wrote an entry on my blog – rise up buffalo – about the demise of Backwash. Talking about the better days, I lamented the onset of newer technologies and how Backwash had been a jumping off point for most of the writers under it’s wing. Now I have been proven wrong. Like a phoenix from the… Read more →
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