September 18, 2014: People's Climate Change, New York City

Today, Sunday September 21, 2014 in New York City was the People's Climate March calling on the leaders of the world to do something real about climate change.

Of course I participated.

Organizers were hoping I’d be one of 100,000.

Turns out, I was one of an estimated 310,000.

It was quite an experience.

Most memorable moments:

• Being at the front of the march (as a spectator) when it stepped off at 11:30 am. Lots of cheering. Lots of excitement.
• Winding my way with thousands of others up Central Park West, looking for a place we could slip into the crowd.
• Standing at 68th Street for over an hour not moving. Knowing the march had started, and knowing that if we weren’t moving yet, this march was massive.
• The moment of silent followed by the “Sound the Alarm”. At 12:58 all noise in the crowd stopped and people just raised their hands into the air. It was in honor of all those that had already lost their lives due to the effects of climate change. Then, from uptown, we could hear it. This cacophony. It hadn’t reached us yet but it was coming. Getting closer. Getting louder. Then it overtook us and we were in it and we yell and screamed and I blew my whistle and it gave me chills. Massive chills.
• The chants of “Show me what democracy looks like!” “This is what democracy looks like!”
• Passing a group of people in Central Park holding an Earth Vigil. Even as people chanted loudly and banged drums and whooped it up, these people just sat there in silence. Holding vigil.
• All the kids.
• All the seniors.
• The signs. Someday, I want to grow up and be someone who can make clever signs.

Now, people need to go vote in November!

And because this story, this experience, in many ways is simply best told through the visuals of the day, I’ll just post a ton of pictures (click the READ MORE)

September 18, 2014: Visiting 4 sets along 5th Ave in 2 hours

Because I have been traveling so so much this year, I haven’t been able to take in one of the things I love about New York: visiting television and movie sets and watching them filming… whatever it might be they’re filming.

Yesterday thanks to On Location Vacations I saw that there were no less than four TV productions filming on or near 5th Avenue in Manhattan spanning from 10th Street to 92nd Street. Well, the thought of four productions all on one avenue struck my fancy. It really emphasized the idea that New York, the city itself, really is the largest backlot in the country. I love seeing and following all the brightly colored “To Set” signs. I love seeing the movie chairs with the production name on the back. I love seeing the trailers where the stars hang out when not filming. I love all the random equipment. I love seeing just how they make TV. I do. No shame. :)

So, I decided to visit all four of those sets along 5th Ave. Just… because.

In the end, it was a long walk on an absolutely gorgeous day. I didn’t see any actual filming but I saw a lot of cool behind-the-scenes things that I love seeing almost as much as filming itself (almost), and generally had a wonderful walkabout on the streets of New York. Man, I’ve missed doing that!

So, let’s start. Here’s the location of the sets I was going to visit.

September 15, 2014: #StartWeekending Art Installation at Madison Square Park

A friend of mine, KayKay, who doesn’t even live in NY texted me telling me about this art installation in Madison Square Park… because she knows I adore cool little things in New York. And the text was enough to get me to grab my camera and walk up to the park. And I’m so glad I did!

Now, full disclosure: this art installation is/was sponsored by Visa, but that doesn’t make it less artistic or less meaningful. In this installation, a huge lined chalkboard was set up with the words, “I want to be…” written on it, and any and all passersby were invited to grab a piece of chalk and finish that sentence.

I actually grabbed a seat at a nearby table and just read the various responses and allowed myself to be alternately moved, amused, confused, in agreement, and generally entertained. Some people went deep. Some people went frivolous. Some people dreamed big. Some people dreamed small. But there was, I would say, a huge amount of just plain, honest, human truth on that board.

And yes, I added my own. :)

September 6. 2014: Reading Rainbow Live with the cast of Battlestar Galactica!!

Several months ago I became aware of a Kickstarter campaign for Reading Rainbow. Its goal was to bring Reading Rainbow back for “every child, everywhere”. Now, I’ll be honest, I’m a Sesame Street / Electric Company / 3-2-1 Contact kid, not a Reading Rainbow kid, but after reading up on the program, it seemed utterly worthwhile. Not to mention it was lead by LeVar Buron (aka Geordi LaForge from Star Trek: TNG) and I’m a huge ol' Trekkie. And THEN when they announced an opportunity to attend a Reading Rainbow Live event with not only LeVar Burton but with the cast of Battlestar Galactica?! I mean, I could help kids learn to love to read AND indulge my geeky heart all at the same time!?

Oh yeah, I was in.