GammaBlog

St. Mark’s Hawks

gamma — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 02:35:36 +0000

Are these red-tailed hawks? I saw them circling above Second Avenue and St. Mark’s Place. The two inserts are full resolution shots from my new Lumix dmc-fz35. I suspect that 12 megapixels is overkill for the camera’s sensor, full resolution should not be so fuzzy. I sharpened it bit in Photoshop.

Samantha Up High

gamma — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:25:54 +0000

This is a shot from a couple of weeks ago. Samantha is high up on a tree I never saw her in before. I haven’t seen her since the snow storm of a couple of days ago and was worried for her. But Flickrite Marlene_Forever, who has an apartment overlooking the cemetery, informs me that Samantha is fine, and hanging out on her roof. She’s not trapped there and probably has found some shelter from the elements on the roof. Her wings are healing and she has more mobility.
Update March 5. I followed the sounds of her calls, and found her on the edge of a roof on the northeast side of the cemetery. She was almost hidden by tree branches. When the leaves come back she will have a place of complete privacy from the street.

Snowicane in the East Village

gamma — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:50:57 +0000

Sad Snowgirl

gamma — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 10:09:26 +0000

Third Street

gamma — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 10:05:58 +0000

Chinese New Year

gamma — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 09:39:41 +0000

Heading to the parade on Ludlow Street last Sunday.

The parade started a full two hours after the time stated, after standing that long my legs cramped up and I bailed. I was too far from the action to get any good shots anyway.

1,000 G.I. Deaths in Afghanistan – Peace Grannies hold Memorial Tonight

gamma — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:12:05 +0000

According to icasualties.com, the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan has reached 1,000 as of today, Feb. 22.

Therefore, Grandmothers Against the War will go ahead with its commemorative vigil tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 5:30 p.m. at its regular weekly Rockefeller Center vigil site — specifically, the west side of 5th Ave. between 49th and 50th Sts.

Other peace groups participating will be the Granny Peace Brigade, Veterans for Peace, the Raging Grannies, Peace Action NYS (PANIX), The World Can’t Wait, Code Pink, Gray Panthers, West Side Peace Action, and others. A large turnout is anticipated.

In a candlelight ceremony, names of U.S. military and Afghan citizens who have died in war-related incidents will be read, to the somber beat of a drum. Invited political and celebrity speakers, including actor/author Malachy McCourt, actress Kathleen Chalfant, State Sen. Bill Perkins, civil liberties attorney, Norman Siegel, and others will make brief remarks. At 6:30 p.m., the vigil group will walk to the Times Square recruiting center for more comments, and name readings and songs.

It is the hope of the grannies that this public occasion will send a strong message to the war-makers that it is time to bring the hostilities to an end and replace missiles with missions…. destruction with diplomacy.

“It’s the same sad story,” said Barbara Walker, associate director of Grandmothers Against the War. “Our bombs increase anti-Americanism, cause death and untold damage to all, and achieve nothing positive. As in Iraq, our “surge” in Afghanistan has caused a dramatic increase of casualties to our American kids valiantly fighting there, for no apparent recognizable goal achieved. We must bring our troops home and rethink our foreign policy.”

DATE: Tuesday, Feb. 22
TIME: 5:30 P.M.
PLACE: in front of Rockefeller Plaza, on the west side of 5th Ave. between 49 & 50 Sts. (across from Saks)
TIME: 6:30 P.M.
PLACE: group will walk down 5th Ave,, turn right on W. 44th St., walk to recruiting center at Broadway & 44th St

Slushapocalypse 2010 – East Village

gamma — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:02:47 +0000

I wrapped my camera in plastic wrap and took it out into the wet blowing snow.

Though I purposely let the drops accumulate on the plastic in front of the lens, for the cool light effects, next time I’ll wipe it off more often. The camera remained dry under the Glad food wrap, which had the additional benefit of acting as a wind screen for the microphone.

Samantha Raven Faces the Snowpocalypse

gamma — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:41:33 +0000

Samantha finds something to eat

Bob and Angie in the Studio

gamma — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:31:59 +0000

My brother Bob is a Myrtle Beach celebrity, at least among the easy listening crowd of WEZV in Myrtle Beach, SC. I took my camera along to watch him record the inserts for his weekend shows. He is assisted by my lovely and talented niece Angelina. Listen live.