All You Need Is Love

.

The crowd was thick in front of the venomous anti-gay demonstrators at the Pridefest parade. I had to dodge and weave through people to get angles to shoot. The feeling was getting tense. Although the police were nearby there could have been a nasty confrontation. It was then I heard a chant from a few people that quickly spread to everyone in the area: no hate, no hate, no hate . . .

It was infectious. The marchers gathered in groups to have their pictures taken in front of Kansas' worst, full of smiles and laughter. They mocked the demonstrators with their joy. The atmosphere on opposite sides of the yellow police line was, well, something like heaven and hell. Peace, love and tolerance won the day. We don't get to say that often enough.

Hate Speech

.

I mentioned there was some unfinished business with the Pridefest parade shots. This is it.

There is a fundamentalist church in Topeka, Kansas, whose members have the most extreme, virulent opinion of homosexuality. They and their allies travel around the country demonstrating like this at military funerals, much to the offense of the bereaved families. They think that God causes the deaths of American soldiers because the country tolerates gay relationships and a few states allow same-sex marriage or civil unions. Holy . . .  If they are indeed Christian, I wonder how they deal with the concept that the same God made them and the objects of their scorn. Reason does not trouble them.

These people enrage almost everyone; I am posting this simply as reportage. The police kept them on a side street but next to the march. Tomorrow's post will be about the crowd's reaction. Here's a hint.

Blast Off

.

We blasted out of New York yesterday back to the furnace in St. Louis, where it was 108F/42C. It was the city's 10th consecutive day with a high temperature over 100F/38C. People are going outdoors as little as possible. If you're poor and don't have air conditioning, you are in trouble.

The top photo is similar but not the same as yesterday's. Just a better quality image. It feels like you could be approaching a space station or looking upward within the atrium of the Guggenheim. (The second option is the correct one.)  I got barked at by a guard for taking the second picture near the top. They have a rule against taking pictures above the ground floor. It is understandable that they don't want people holding cameras six floors over the heads below, but I was well back from the wall here. Well, they didn't make me erase it. It shows the spiral structure of the gallery.

On The High Line

.

Back in the 1920s, the New York Central Railroad had a line at street level on the lower west side of Manhattan. The area was industrial back then. The rail line was dangerous on the crowded streets so the company built an elevated trestle, the High Line. The service eventually fell into disuse. In the last few years it was transformed into a brilliant park space. The views of the city and Hudson River are stunning; the gardens are a delight. Some of the most interesting views are just off to the sides. These are a few samples.

The bottom picture is the obligatory shot looking up from the ground floor of the Guggenheim Museum, Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece.

Back home this afternoon, and back to visiting my friend's blogs.

A Day In New York

.

Oh my, it's late. I need to go home and back to work to get some rest. Anyway, Mrs. C and I went into the city yesterday and spent hours at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The top shot is the entrance to a small special exhibit about early nude photography. Below is sort of a Bob and Carolyn portrait around a crazy sculpture on the rooftop garden. The last museum shot is just something that got my eye in a sculpture gallery.

Seventeen members of the family met for dinner at a Greek place on 9th Avenue in Hell's Kitchen called Uncle Nick's. Gordon Ramsay was nowhere in sight, thank heavens. In the first shot, brother-in-law Mel discusses wine with the manager. Below that, the kitchen crew gives (and deserves) a thumbs up, while brother-in-law Rob, sister Sue and sister Mary Beth wait for the next round of ouzo. Opa! Sister-in-law Pam and nephew Steve rount out the series.

There were lots more pix but it's time to go to bed.

Fourth of July Impressions

.

Oh. what a day. This is an assortment ot Fourth of July images from Ridgewood, New Jersey: fireworks; old family friend Lee with my my brother, John, the family's French connection, the traditional skirt steak sandwiches fresh off the grill; the traditional cake and photos from the parade.

Into NYC tomorrow. Hot and humid. It's worth it.

Straight Outta Brooklyn

.

Landed at La Guardia yesterday on a hazy summer day. The photo below is lower Manhattan from somewhere over Brooklyn. (Please turn off all electronic devices for landing.) Note the Liberty Tower, built on the site of the World Trade Center, which is near its full height. Below it and just to the right, on the shore of the East River, is a much smaller building, whitish and with stepped upper stories. It's the last building on Wall Street. My father spent most of his career working there. He was in commodities, not securities - sugar, actually. He always had a huge cache of candy when grandchildren started coming to his home.

Son Andy and special someone Claire came out Monday from Chicago and spent the night with an old high school friend of his who now lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The picture above is from the friend's rooftop, looking back toward Midtown.

Fourth of July parade and fireworks in Ridgewood, NJ, today. Into NYC tomorrow.