Being the Continuing Adventures of a Woman and her Trusty Kayak in New York Harbor, the Hudson River, and Beyond.
(with occasional political rants just to keep things lively!)
Monday, July 12, 2010
?
Caption, anyone? (click on picture for larger shot.
More photos from a wonderfully photogenic afternoon paddle here! Glad Joan suggested it.
OK, now I know there IS something worse than being targeted by Chinese commentspam.
To be raked over the coals as a racist, by someone whose links include an indictment of "To Kill A Mockingbird" as a racist text ... that's just horrible. Apparently Eloise's glasses cast a racist tint on everything she sees.
And to have these comments mar a post consisting of lovely and somewhat humorous pictures is a travesty. I was thinking of good captions until I got diverted by the malicious comment.
So, Bonnie, isn't it great to be a blogger! You can't wait to see all the comments your inspirational post generates, and then you get a rant from someone who is mad at the world! It seems like there should be a way to tie the vitriol and the caption contest together (something like "lost in muck that is my outlook on life") but I can't think of it right now. Maybe I'll try later ... after I finish using my Chinese-to-English dictionary on the next comments.
sorry about that. The first commenter (now deleted) was actually the person who was, I believe, the originator of the whole "ditmas park blog is racist" ridiculousness. Fighting with her or the sort of people who have picked it up is about like trying to convince a certain Sailing Anarchy thread that Reid Stowe isn't such a bad guy & a heckuva sailor to boot.
Not the first time she's been here either, but this time I did bring it upon myself. She was first offended by my monster carrot.
What's really depressing is that I do think that things like using racism accusations to further some sort of weird personal vendetta is a horrible, horrible trivialazation of something that's still an incredibly serious issue.
Actually I'm about to reinstate Eloise's comment - figure if I'm going to leave in the rest of the conversation I might as well leave in what kicked it off.
Hm. Don't understand why Blogger comment-delete has 2 steps (delete & delete forever) when there's no "restore". Ironically, perhaps, I never had second thoughts about a delete before because aside from spam, the only other comments I've ever deleted were actually ones with racist content or links. I hate that stuff. Anyways, what Eloise had to say was,
Bonnie,
Your comments on The Real Flatbush were disturbing. How dare you stand up for DPB when they are blatantly racist.
You do not know what it is like to face discrimination every single day of the year so you should not be commenting on racism.
Her blog is still linked at the carrot post if you really want to pay her a visit.
Ditmas Park Blog is here. They do have some commenters who'll occasionally leave some thoughtless stuff -- what blogger doesn't? -- but mostly those people get called out by other commenters, so there is balance. On the whole, it's a nice neighborhood blog, good place to keep track of events, politics & other goings-on in the area.
Since your post spawned an irrelevant, deleted and re-instated comment, here is another one that has nothing to do with your pictures. The new Willis Avenue Bridge (all 315 feet and 2400 tons of it)is making its way down the Hudson on two barges at this very moment. It passed Malden a little after 10, so you city folk should have it very shortly.Maybe that is what the kayaker was searching for in the marsh. (Insert your own "Willis" comment at the risk of creating further controversy).
Oh, excellent digression. Actually for anyone on Facebook, Capt. Perricone (tug Cornell) is working on the job, has a few excellent pictures & will probably have more! Link here. Cornell has a website too, haven't got time to see if he's got those there too for the non-FB crowd, will check into that tonight.
"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."
Of course, there is real racism in the world, but it's a lie and a trivialization to see men in white sheets behind every bush and to deny all the good people out there who are striving to fight racism and hate in the world and within themselves.
It's also somewhat of self-defeating behavior and a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more bad stuff you look for, the more you think you see -- and the harder it is to see the good things.
And it's also a sad fact that racism, gross chauvinism, jingoism, and the denigration of those outside one's chosen "tribe" are not the exclusive property of any particular race, color, creed, or ethnicity.
And then there are the scientists who question whether the whole notion of "race" has all that much biological validity and whether it might not be mostly a social and cultural construct.
I just hope the paranoid poster doesn't attack the RACing Rules of Sailing as another example of institutionalized racism! Especially if she finds out about the potential for Black Flag Disqualifications.
Hey Bonnie, I'm currently an intern for the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance. Love the page, first of all, and thanks for the shout out to our organization!
We have our annual event, City of Water Day, coming up this July 24th and we’d love for you to mention our event if you think it is of interest to your readers.
Here is the event description. Or you can just check out the website (www.cityofwaterday.org).
If you have any further questions please contact: Ian Douglas, Development and Communications Associate at 212-935-9831 ext. 103 Cortney Worrall, Director of Programs at 212-935-9831 ext. 102 Website: www.cityofwaterday.org
Thanks! Lorraine Kim
*****
A FREE day of entertainment, education & adventure for the whole family celebrating the potential of our waterfront!
On Saturday, July 24th thousands from throughout the metropolitan region will make their way to the waterfront for the 3rd annual City of Water Day Festival, presented by Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance. A FREE day of entertainment, education, and adventure for the whole family celebrating the potential of our waterfront, the City of Water Day Festival is held each year on Governors Island and this year features activities in Liberty State Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and Atlantic Basin. Festival highlights include: over a dozen fun and free narrated boat tours; special children’s activities like fishing, races, sing-a-longs, arts and crafts, and more; an exciting line-up of local bands; delicious foods from NYC’s best vendors; and more! Please visit www.cityofwaterday.org for all of the exciting details.
From the upper Hudson to Raritan Bay, we are a City of Water—yet too many of us are cut off from this tremendous resource. Help us revitalize the waterfront with a festival for the entire family.
I think mostly she attacks things related to the Ditmas Park Blog. The couple who run that blog are an obsession with her, and I'm not using the term "obsession" casually.
Not much fun being attacked by Eloise. But just based on what I've read by & about her (again, mostly after the carrot attack), it must be even less fun being her.
Lorraine, of course! Sorry, I was responding to Pat's comment just as you were typing. So sorry about the weirdness here today, not usual, just stupidly got involved in an unwinnable debate on another blog. TOTALLY ready to move on to another topic. City of Water day was great last year, really sorry I'll be out of town this year but of COURSE I will post about it!
If you go back in the archives of Eloise's blog it seems that she was attacking DPB for perceived racism right from the beginning. It almost looks like she started her blog simply to attack DPB. The only situation remotely similar situation that I can remember is that 1000 Days of Hell attack site on Reid Stowe.
I guess there is a valid debate to be had in your area about gentrification and to what extent that is linked, if at all, to subtle racism. But Eloise's tactics and style are hardly contribution to a civil discourse on the matter.
I guess some people have so much pent up anger that they use a blog (and comments on other blogs) as an outlet for their emotions.
After reading some of her stuff I even wondered if Eloise is a fiction, and her whole site is a parody meant to bring disrepute on the kind of person that the author of the site purports to be.
Unfortunately for her targets, I think she's dead serious.
OK, lunch break's over, I must go earn my keep now. Lorraine, upcoming-events post will go up tonight!
And hey, in case people got sidetracked on the comment circus here - I guess the caption contest is dead, but seriously, if you've got a couple of minutes for something pretty,go check out the gallery I linked to in the post, I don't think I ever saw J-bay skies as glorious as yesterday's!
Word verification: Benesse. That should mean the generous distribution of goodness. Benevolence + largesse.
Eloise was a precocious little girl who lived in the Plaza Hotel with her nanny, until they closed it and re-opened it as apartments and condos. That's why she's got such an attitude now!
DPB and its bloggers are racist. You do not know what their family has done to the neighborhood and the black community. I suggest you google Ben and his family in particular.
Go ahead and joke. As a mother of African-American men, I pray to god each night that nothing happens to them because of the racist thug cops that Ben and his family like to prop up.
Did you know that Ben's family gave $30,000 to the Republican party? I think that says it all.
I also love how you act like you understand racism when you have mostly benefited from it.
And, btw (I DON'T pretend I understand racism. I don't get it at all. I read something like this and I'm just blown away thinking what it must be for person (especially a growing kid) to be humiliated like that at ALL, let alone all the time. My square-white-chick brain can't begin to comprehend it - and I KNOW that.
But I don't have to have complete comprehension of it to know that it's terrible, and terribly sad, that that's still how things are.
Hm. Maybe I'm not at such a loss for words after all. However, I've said enough about what I think & I think that's the last I'm going to say on the matter. Eloise, if it will make you happy to get in the last harangue, please feel free to do so.
"Of course, there is real racism in the world, but it's a lie and a trivialization to see men in white sheets behind every bush and to deny all the good people out there who are striving to fight racism and hate in the world and within themselves."
What nonsense. What have you done lately to fight racism? I won't hold my breath to hear your tales.
Bonnie-
You proved my point. The fact that you don't understand racism which is very strange given your age, doesn't mean that you haven't benefited from it. You have and so have the asswipes over at DitmasParkBlog.
Finally, I don't have a personal vendetta against the owners of Ditmas Park Blog. Why would I? I just hate what they are doing to my neighborhood.
26 comments:
OK, now I know there IS something worse than being targeted by Chinese commentspam.
To be raked over the coals as a racist, by someone whose links include an indictment of "To Kill A Mockingbird" as a racist text ... that's just horrible. Apparently Eloise's glasses cast a racist tint on everything she sees.
How sad.
And to have these comments mar a post consisting of lovely and somewhat humorous pictures is a travesty. I was thinking of good captions until I got diverted by the malicious comment.
So, Bonnie, isn't it great to be a blogger! You can't wait to see all the comments your inspirational post generates, and then you get a rant from someone who is mad at the world! It seems like there should be a way to tie the vitriol and the caption contest together (something like "lost in muck that is my outlook on life") but I can't think of it right now. Maybe I'll try later ... after I finish using my Chinese-to-English dictionary on the next comments.
Gee, you sure to get interesting stuff here!
I was thinking more "just add water"...
sorry about that. The first commenter (now deleted) was actually the person who was, I believe, the originator of the whole "ditmas park blog is racist" ridiculousness. Fighting with her or the sort of people who have picked it up is about like trying to convince a certain Sailing Anarchy thread that Reid Stowe isn't such a bad guy & a heckuva sailor to boot.
Not the first time she's been here either, but this time I did bring it upon myself. She was first offended by my monster carrot.
What's really depressing is that I do think that things like using racism accusations to further some sort of weird personal vendetta is a horrible, horrible trivialazation of something that's still an incredibly serious issue.
And btw I think the Chinese spammer (also deleted) wins the caption contest.
Has anyone seen Eloise? She was paddling right behind me. Must have taken a wrong turn in the marsh. We need volunteers to go and find her.
....
.....
Anyone?
Ha. Thank you Atticus!
Actually I'm about to reinstate Eloise's comment - figure if I'm going to leave in the rest of the conversation I might as well leave in what kicked it off.
Hm. Don't understand why Blogger comment-delete has 2 steps (delete & delete forever) when there's no "restore". Ironically, perhaps, I never had second thoughts about a delete before because aside from spam, the only other comments I've ever deleted were actually ones with racist content or links. I hate that stuff. Anyways, what Eloise had to say was,
Bonnie,
Your comments on The Real Flatbush were disturbing. How dare you stand up for DPB when they are blatantly racist.
You do not know what it is like to face discrimination every single day of the year so you should not be commenting on racism.
Her blog is still linked at the carrot post if you really want to pay her a visit.
Ditmas Park Blog is here. They do have some commenters who'll occasionally leave some thoughtless stuff -- what blogger doesn't? -- but mostly those people get called out by other commenters, so there is balance. On the whole, it's a nice neighborhood blog, good place to keep track of events, politics & other goings-on in the area.
Since your post spawned an irrelevant, deleted and re-instated comment, here is another one that has nothing to do with your pictures. The new Willis Avenue Bridge (all 315 feet and 2400 tons of it)is making its way down the Hudson on two barges at this very moment. It passed Malden a little after 10, so you city folk should have it very shortly.Maybe that is what the kayaker was searching for in the marsh. (Insert your own "Willis" comment at the risk of creating further controversy).
Oh, excellent digression. Actually for anyone on Facebook, Capt. Perricone (tug Cornell) is working on the job, has a few excellent pictures & will probably have more! Link here. Cornell has a website too, haven't got time to see if he's got those there too for the non-FB crowd, will check into that tonight.
"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."
Of course, there is real racism in the world, but it's a lie and a trivialization to see men in white sheets behind every bush and to deny all the good people out there who are striving to fight racism and hate in the world and within themselves.
It's also somewhat of self-defeating behavior and a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more bad stuff you look for, the more you think you see -- and the harder it is to see the good things.
And it's also a sad fact that racism, gross chauvinism, jingoism, and the denigration of those outside one's chosen "tribe" are not the exclusive property of any particular race, color, creed, or ethnicity.
And then there are the scientists who question whether the whole notion of "race" has all that much biological validity and whether it might not be mostly a social and cultural construct.
I just hope the paranoid poster doesn't attack the RACing Rules of Sailing as another example of institutionalized racism! Especially if she finds out about the potential for Black Flag Disqualifications.
Hey Bonnie,
I'm currently an intern for the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance. Love the page, first of all, and thanks for the shout out to our organization!
We have our annual event, City of Water Day, coming up this July 24th and we’d love for you to mention our event if you think it is of interest to your readers.
Here is the event description. Or you can just check out the website (www.cityofwaterday.org).
If you have any further questions please contact:
Ian Douglas, Development and Communications Associate at 212-935-9831 ext. 103
Cortney Worrall, Director of Programs at 212-935-9831 ext. 102
Website: www.cityofwaterday.org
Thanks!
Lorraine Kim
*****
A FREE day of entertainment, education & adventure for the whole family celebrating the potential of our waterfront!
On Saturday, July 24th thousands from throughout the metropolitan region will make their way to the waterfront for the 3rd annual City of Water Day Festival, presented by Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance. A FREE day of entertainment, education, and adventure for the whole family celebrating the potential of our waterfront, the City of Water Day Festival is held each year on Governors Island and this year features activities in Liberty State Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and Atlantic Basin. Festival highlights include: over a dozen fun and free narrated boat tours; special children’s activities like fishing, races, sing-a-longs, arts and crafts, and more; an exciting line-up of local bands; delicious foods from NYC’s best vendors; and more! Please visit www.cityofwaterday.org for all of the exciting details.
From the upper Hudson to Raritan Bay, we are a City of Water—yet too many of us are cut off from this tremendous resource. Help us revitalize the waterfront with a festival for the entire family.
Well said as usual.
I think mostly she attacks things related to the Ditmas Park Blog. The couple who run that blog are an obsession with her, and I'm not using the term "obsession" casually.
Not much fun being attacked by Eloise. But just based on what I've read by & about her (again, mostly after the carrot attack), it must be even less fun being her.
Lorraine, of course! Sorry, I was responding to Pat's comment just as you were typing. So sorry about the weirdness here today, not usual, just stupidly got involved in an unwinnable debate on another blog. TOTALLY ready to move on to another topic. City of Water day was great last year, really sorry I'll be out of town this year but of COURSE I will post about it!
Posts from last year's fun here!
If you go back in the archives of Eloise's blog it seems that she was attacking DPB for perceived racism right from the beginning. It almost looks like she started her blog simply to attack DPB. The only situation remotely similar situation that I can remember is that 1000 Days of Hell attack site on Reid Stowe.
I guess there is a valid debate to be had in your area about gentrification and to what extent that is linked, if at all, to subtle racism. But Eloise's tactics and style are hardly contribution to a civil discourse on the matter.
I guess some people have so much pent up anger that they use a blog (and comments on other blogs) as an outlet for their emotions.
After reading some of her stuff I even wondered if Eloise is a fiction, and her whole site is a parody meant to bring disrepute on the kind of person that the author of the site purports to be.
Anonymous, you nailed it.
Unfortunately for her targets, I think she's dead serious.
OK, lunch break's over, I must go earn my keep now. Lorraine, upcoming-events post will go up tonight!
And hey, in case people got sidetracked on the comment circus here - I guess the caption contest is dead, but seriously, if you've got a couple of minutes for something pretty,go check out the gallery I linked to in the post, I don't think I ever saw J-bay skies as glorious as yesterday's!
Word verification: Benesse. That should mean the generous distribution of goodness. Benevolence + largesse.
Eloise was a precocious little girl who lived in the Plaza Hotel with her nanny, until they closed it and re-opened it as apartments and condos. That's why she's got such an attitude now!
Hey, Baydog, can you think of anything better to do with a free-range goose who's had the bad luck to range in the wrong range than bury it?
Just curious.
You stay classy Bonnie.
DPB and its bloggers are racist. You do not know what their family has done to the neighborhood and the black community. I suggest you google Ben and his family in particular.
Go ahead and joke. As a mother of African-American men, I pray to god each night that nothing happens to them because of the racist thug cops that Ben and his family like to prop up.
Did you know that Ben's family gave $30,000 to the Republican party? I think that says it all.
I also love how you act like you understand racism when you have mostly benefited from it.
I'm completely at a loss for words, but I will say that it is my firm belief that racism benefits no one. Hatred hurts the hater too.
btw, the easiest way to avoid being offended by a blog that makes you angry (for whatever reason) is this:
Just don't read it.
And, btw (I DON'T pretend I understand racism. I don't get it at all. I read something like this and I'm just blown away thinking what it must be for person (especially a growing kid) to be humiliated like that at ALL, let alone all the time. My square-white-chick brain can't begin to comprehend it - and I KNOW that.
But I don't have to have complete comprehension of it to know that it's terrible, and terribly sad, that that's still how things are.
Hm. Maybe I'm not at such a loss for words after all. However, I've said enough about what I think & I think that's the last I'm going to say on the matter. Eloise, if it will make you happy to get in the last harangue, please feel free to do so.
"Of course, there is real racism in the world, but it's a lie and a trivialization to see men in white sheets behind every bush and to deny all the good people out there who are striving to fight racism and hate in the world and within themselves."
What nonsense. What have you done lately to fight racism? I won't hold my breath to hear your tales.
Bonnie-
You proved my point. The fact that you don't understand racism which is very strange given your age, doesn't mean that you haven't benefited from it. You have and so have the asswipes over at DitmasParkBlog.
Finally, I don't have a personal vendetta against the owners of Ditmas Park Blog. Why would I? I just hate what they are doing to my neighborhood.
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