Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Almost Turkey Day

Photo 147: The holiday season has been officially kicked off. Half days at the office - check, Turkey day tomorrow - check, lights and snowflake ornaments all around the city - check! I'm off to PA today, to do some cookin', drinkin' and spendin' time with the family. I know this blog has been hungry for pictures, and I'm a complete slacker, but I have excuses... a long list of them. I've got photo ideas out the ying yang, and will be posting a lot more after this crazy week is over. What's coming up: Nashville, an engagement session, Brooklyn Promenade...

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Shine a Light

Photo 146: I'm a traveling fiend this week, and feeling a bit like a nomad. So, shine a light for me, I'm back on Sunday night, and staying put for a while. Well, until Thanksgiving next week, and that's to PA to see my best friend and her family. I can't wait for some family time, turkey galore and lots and lots of wine. lol Aaahhh... the holidays. :)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Busy Week of Travelling

Photo 145: I am in to Charleston, WV, today, but I don't have time to take any pictures this time around. I was there for a training last July, and got some beautiful shots of the Capitol. It's not going to be as warm this time around, the forecast says rain, so Pedro gets a rest, and I get to collect some more frequent flyer miles. I'm off to Las Vegas, NV, on Thursday through Sunday, part work, part play. Still debating about whether Pedro is coming with me...

Here's a shot of my favorite building in NYC. I'm working on getting a shot of it at night, but with everything that's been going on, I haven't had a chance to do that yet.


Monday, November 16, 2009

Childhood

Photo 143-144: "But, DAD, I won't fall in..." I found this little boy trying to sneak past his dad and plunge right into the fountain, but his dad, ever vigilant and apparently without shoes, was Mr. Eagle Eye. The second picture below is a perfect example of how quickly they grow up though. I heard various forms of "dude," "bro," and stories of recently acquired scars and skin gouges coming from these two skaters. I think I even saw a little blood after a not so successful experimental introduction between the skateboard and a railing that was meant to help people UP the stairs, not provide an "obstacle" to flip over.

Friday, November 13, 2009

The Fight for Color

Photo 141-142: Even though the wind is howling outside, and the temperatures are dropping a bit, fall is not yet ready to bow out of the month of November. Here are two shots that shout FALL, and embrace nature's reds and greens.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Winter is Coming

Photo 140: I have nothing new to report, been traveling a lot for work, and I'm getting ready for Turkey Day and the holiday season. I'm almost done with Half the Sky, and I'll post a recap of it soon. It's such an inspiration, and I'm trying to think of an event or program I can get involved with that will make a difference even if it's just a little dent in a global problem.

Friday, November 6, 2009

A Little Hope, A Little Zeal

Photo 139: It's absolutely freezing here today, but the Yankees are enjoying their much-earned parade, and I'm stuck at my desk, with twitchy photo fingers, wishing I could be outside clicking away with Pedro. Poor me... At least this image brings me some happy thoughts.

I've also been reading a great book called "Half the Sky," and it's stunning.

Half the Sky is a passionate call to arms against our era’s most pervasive human rights violation: the oppression of women and girls in the developing world.With Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn as our guides, we travel through Africa and Asia to meet the extraordinary women struggling there, among them a Cambodian teenager sold into sex slavery and an Ethiopian woman who suffered devastating injuries in childbirth. Drawing on the breadth of their combined reporting experience, Kristof and WuDunn depict our world with anger, sadness, clarity, and, ultimately, hope. They show how a little help can transform the lives of women and girls abroad.

That Cambodian girl eventually escaped from her brothel and, with assistance from an aid group, built a thriving retail business that supports her family. The Ethiopian woman had her injuries repaired and in time became a surgeon. A Zimbabwean mother of five, counseled to return to school, earned her doctorate and became an expert on AIDS. Through these stories, Kristof and WuDunn help us see that the key to economic progress lies in unleashing women’s potential. Throughout much of the world, the greatest unexploited economic resource is the female half of the population. Countries such as China have prospered precisely because they emancipated women and brought them into the formal economy. Unleashing that process globally is not only the right thing to do; it’s also the best strategy for fighting poverty.

Women facing poverty, oppression, and violence are usually viewed as victims. But this book shows that unimaginable challenges are often met with breathtaking bravery. These stories show us the power and resilience of women who would have every reason to give up but never do. It's an inspiration to me and for anyone who reads this book, and a model for those fighting for justice around the world.

The book is titled after an old Chinese proverb that says, "Women hold up half the sky." We need to embrace that proverb and work together to ensure that women everywhere are able to rise to their fullest potential.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Sunset at the Waterfront

Photo 138: I'm in Valley, Alabama, today for work, and yes it's ... well it's Alabama along with it's southern food and hospitality. I had a great weekend, gave Pedro a rest, didn't get much sleep, did a little Halloweening, ate a ton, in need of a nap, but looking forward to the month of November. I've been itching to post some sunset pictures lately, and my next photomission is to capture the sunset and the NYC skyline, but until I have time to drag my tired butt out to the promenade this will have to do.

Lesson for today: Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck, so experience every day with that in mind, and value what great things life can give you.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Pink is my favorite color...

Photo 136-137: The first picture says it all, followed by the queen bee herself, Madonna. It's great what you can see as you're wandering around on the streets of Manhattan.