Tag Archives: #OWS

April 19, 2012

4-18-12 Ramping Up

“There is no week nor day nor hour when tyranny may not enter upon this country, if the people lose their roughness and spirit of defiance.“

Walt Whitman

I was at the Union Square Greenmarket today and spring has definitely arrived in the tri-state area. Ramps have been easily available for several weeks but just this week asparagus has flooded the market. Two weeks ago one or two farmers had a small supply. This week everyone has a grand supply. I bought enough ramps to eat for several meals and pickle two pints and enough Asparagus to preserve at least 3 pints. Canning season is here.

If the events of September 11, 2001, have proven anything, it’s that the terrorists can attack us, but they can’t take away what makes us American – our freedom, our liberty, our civil rights. No, only Attorney General (John Ashcroft) can do that.

Jon Stewart

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4/18/11 Fort Tryon Park

2 comments | tags: #OWS, 9/11/01, Asparagus, Hudson River, John Ashcroft, Jon Stewart, New York City, Occupy Wall Street, postaday2011, postaday2012, Ramps, Union Square Greenmarket, Walt Whitman | posted in Photography

February 1, 2012

1-31-12 Hanging On By The Seed Of My Plants

By Robert S Johnson

This morning there was a demonstration in Foley Square outside the Federal Courthouse where oral arguments on Monsanto’s motion to dismiss OSGATA et al v Monsanto are being heard.

This lawsuit revolves around some very big issues about seed and farming and genetic modification but the primary issue of the suit is that the Organic Farmer’s Association wants its members held harmless from patent infringement claims if Monsanto’s genetically modified and patented seed crosses with the organic farmer’s seed.

“Genetically modified rapeseed, canola, has become a point of controversy and contentious legal battles. In one high-profile case (Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser) the Monsanto Company sued Percy Schmeiser for patent infringement after his field was contaminated with Monsanto’s patented Roundup Ready glyphosate-tolerant canola. The Supreme Court ruled that Percy was in violation of Monsanto’s patent because he knew Monsanto’s variety was growing on his land, but he was not required to pay Monsanto damages since he did not benefit financially from its presence.”

The farmers, of course, don’t want Monsanto’s frankenseeds at all, but given what happened to canola seed after its introduction…

“A genetically engineered rapeseed that is tolerant to herbicide was first introduced to Canada in 1995. Today 80% of the acres sown are genetically modified canola.^[17] A 2010 study conducted in North Dakota found herbicide resistant transgenes in 80% of wild natural rapeseed plants. The escape of the genetically modified plants has raised concerns that the build-up of herbicide resistance in feral canola and related weeds could make it more difficult to manage these plants using herbicides.”

My friend Katy Keiffer was in the courtroom and felt that Monsanto’s legal team – very expensive legal team – had a good day. Time will tell.

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Tomorrow, February 1, 2012…possibility that it will be 60 F in New York City…

7 comments | tags: #OWS, frankenseed, Genetic engineering, Hudson River, Monsanto, New York City, OSGATA et al. v. Monsanto, postaday2011, postaday2012, Roundup | posted in Photography

January 16, 2012

1-14-12 – For The 1%

By Robert S Johnson

“And so castles made of sand fall in the sea, eventually”- Hendrix

New Bank of America Tower - 6th Ave and 42nd Street

B of A to Cut Branches?

3 comments | tags: #OWS, Bank of America, New York City, Occupy Wall Street, postaday2011, Recession, Tall Buildings | posted in Photography

November 2, 2011

11-1-11 Waiting

By Robert S Johnson

Today I saw a red and yellow sunset and thought, how insignificant I am!

Of course, I thought that yesterday too, and it rained.

- Woody Allen

I spent a lot of today waiting. Waiting for the Orthopedist’s office to call back with an appointment time so I could take Abigail and discover what we already knew, that she dislocated her patella, again…

waiting for a conference call about a how to restructure the accounting system for the PA at Abigail’s school as the auditors insist we must be a division of the school for tax and budgetary purposes – waiting for meetings to start that kept being pushed back until they were pushed into next week…waiting to find a parking place…

While I was circling NYC looking for parking, I listened to the Brian Lehrer show on WNYC (the local NPR station). The topic was Occupy Wall Street and what “they” want and why it is occurring. The guests were Elliot Spitzer, former New York State Governor, Greg David of Crain’s New York Business, Kathryn Wylde of the Partnership for New York City and Jesse LaGreca who is a member of Occupy Wall Street.

For the most part it was a boisterous but respectful conversation with LaGreca on one side, Spitzer leaning to him, Wylde on the “other” side, although agreeing with many of the complaints and issues that have brought OWS into the streets and then there was this obnoxious Greg David person. Listening to him was very much like listening to Eric Cantor. “I am right and you all are idiots and no I will not change my mind no matter how many facts you have because I am right!”

He reminded me of the Teapublican members of the “Super-Committee” who will not comprise on anything because they know that Mom and Dad won’t actually let them burn down the house and so they expect to get their way…and if they don’t…

…let it burn.

Leave a comment | tags: #OWS, Brian Lehrer, Eric Cantor, Hudson River, New York City, Occupy Wall Street, postaday2011, Woody Allen | posted in Photography

October 22, 2011

How I Was Arrested at Occupy Wall Street (A Press This Forward)

By Robert S Johnson

How I Was Arrested at Occupy Wall Street.

This is a truly important article, I believe

Leave a comment | tags: #OWS, Naomi Wolfe, New York City, Occupy Wall Street, postaday2011 | posted in Photography

October 22, 2011

10-21-11 There’s Something Happening Here

By Robert S Johnson

“Wall Street: A thoroughfare that begins in a graveyard and ends in a river”

Source Unknown (by me)

Pete Seeger marches in support of Occupy Wall Street.

Being a blog about the Hudson River…Pete Seeger being one of the great champions of the river and a truly great citizen of The United States, I truly felt the need to report this. To quote Mr. Seeger:

“The words are simple: I could be happy spending my days on the river that flows both way-ay-ays,”

Leave a comment | tags: #OWS, Arlo Guthrie, Hudson River, New York City, Occupy Wall Street, Pete Seeger, postaday2011, Tao Rodríguez-Seeger | posted in Photography

October 18, 2011

10-17-11 Occupy Wall Street – One Month In

By Robert S Johnson

I went to Liberty Square (aka Zuccotti Park) in the late afternoon today. It was the one month anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street encampment and I wanted to see how things were going. Despite what you may have heard, this is a tremendously organized camp. Food, Sanitation, Clothing “store” (aka Comfort Station), art area for sign making, a press to sloganize t-shirts, A Speaker’s Corner, a Library, a Nurses Station, Legal Aid, even a Community Altar/Sacred Space, are just a few of the necessities that the group has created.

I hear a lot of people who work downtown in finance complaining about how this inconveniences them which I don’t understand. You work in New York, an extra block walk won’t kill you. Anyway you have certainly inconvenienced many of us. There is a strong sense of purpose among the participants.

As far as I am concerned those people who are insisting that some manifesto and policy points come out of here are wrong. We all know why this started. While hundreds of thousands of citizens have lost their homes, their jobs, and/or gone bankrupt, not one of the people who caused the crash has been touched, indeed many of them got raises. A few small chiselers like Madoff have gone to jail but he was a pilot fish. The sharks still swim free.

The people I saw had a variety of grievances, the recent college grads have their specific issues, the union people have theirs, the long-term unemployed have theirs and so on but the one thing they have in common…they are all part of the 99% and are sick of the 1% profiting while everyone else loses.

Anyway, if you frequent this blog, you know I prefer images do my talking. Below are my impressions of the encampment. Click on the thumbnails to get the full-sized picture.