On My Radar: NYC Bridge Project & People Giving A Shit

 

Hyperlocal election coverage and citizen journalism was at an all time high in the days leading up to and after this year’s historic presidential election. For many, this was an opportunity to document a part of history from their own perspective and to share it with the world through twitter feeds, blogs, and cellphone videos that were posted on the internet within minutes of the results.

Other citizen journalists had been preparing for the historic day and were anticipating the opportunity to put plans of content aggregation in action.

NYC Bridge Project co-founders Bashira Webb and Danny Peralta took their students to Harlem on November 4th to photograph local residents who were voting – many for the first time – and to record their stories for a multimedia project entitled “Election ’08: Voices of Harlem” that will soon be available to view on Current TV.

Webb and Peralta’s work culminates a year of collaborative effort between themselves, their students, and the International Center of Photography (ICP) who awarded the grant in early 2007. These Bronx residents were committed to teaching photography skills and providing mentorship opportunities to local youth who are desire to document their world, through their eyes.
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Times Square Celebrates Obama Victory

It is almost midnight and Times Square is on fire. From my view on the 29th floor I can see them below like ants – there is a huge crowd (bigger than in the photo I took a few minutes ago) cheering and all the taxis are honking like crazy! I can hear the roar of the crowd, even this high up. It’s amazing.

The sounds of the crowd and the horns are growing louder and louder with each passing moment, a cacophony of joy and excitement. It’s like New Years.

When the results came in, I was in the bathroom and heard the news through the door. I was so shocked and happy I dropped my cellphone in the toilet. Since I can’t call anyone right now, I am temporarily only able to share my experience through The Lair.

Breaking It Down: Hey Meghan McCain… “Punk Rock Republican” Is An Oxymoron!!

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Meghan McCain was recently quoted by MTV News (my job) as saying that “the only way to be punk rock anymore is to be conservative”. Not only did she say this with a straight face, she said it while allowing herself to be interviewed at what has to be one of the most un punk establishments on earth – the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas.

I find Meghan’s statement to be grossly inaccurate and bollocks.

All jokes aside, before I challenge the concept of being a Punk Rock Republican, let’s start with one example of general un punk behavior – from Meghan herself:

HER BLOG DOESN’T ALLOW COMMENTS.
She can write whatever she wants and make associations to any identity she chooses – but she doesn’t have the guts to address public opinion, or at least allow people to leave their two cents? Obama‘s blog even lets you comment. Why won’t she let people speak their mind on her blog?

Does condoning censorship sound like punk rock behavior to you?

Moving on… (more…)