THEJNSREPORT’S: NYC Subway Scene End of 2014
What do you see in this picture?
I see space for another seat if someone chose to be less selfish. Image is property of THEJNSREPORT.COM (c) 2014.
2014
All posts tagged 2014
Welcome to THEJNSREPORT’S: The Day’s Climate: NYPD & Protests For Justice
I took the following photos during the day on weekends during this winter’s street protests in the city following both the grand jury’s in Ferguson, MO and NYC failing to indict officers in the killings of unarmed black males Michael Brown Jr. and Eric Garner.
The biggest difference between the two cases being one of the killings was actually captured on video in its ENTIRETY. There can be no justification or excuse as to why after seeing that video his killer is not charged but allowed to continue receiving a paycheck and go about his daily life.
We don’t condone the recent killings of two NYPD officers murdered in cold blood in their patrol car over the weekend. However, this is what was alluded to in previous posts. Now that killings of NYPD have happened people want to have “real serious dialogue” about race relations, the police, their interactions and policing of minority communities as well as Accountability.
It’s important to note that with regards to Michael Brown Jr. he gets lumped in as a “man” even though he was only 18 yrs old because of his size, & ethnicity. Legally Michael Brown Jr. would be considered an adult at 18, but for all intents and purposes most reasonable people acknowledge that being 18 doesn’t make one a “man”. He was a kid. He was not perfect and he did make mistakes in his life as we all have.
The question is, does that mean he deserved to be gunned down in the streets like a wild animal and then be blamed for his death? With regards to 12 yr old Tamir Rice, there is no justification for gunning down a 12 yr old playing with a toy gun in 2 seconds. Can we recall a year hotter than 2014 for the police with the continued rampant reports of their killing of unarmed black males and youth?
Akai Gurley is yet another recent example. This man was shot dead in a stairwell by a police officer who then waited six minutes to call not an ambulance but his union rep while Akai lay dying. Tensions are boiling over and little is being done to quell the emotions of those who are unstable or unwilling to wait for the wheels of justice to turn in their direction especially when justice seems not to turn in their direction at all. 
Whether we like to admit it or not there has been a war waging for a long time against the disadvantaged and/or the poor. Addressing the symptoms or consequences of inequality, prejudice as well as injustice, instead of the source of these issues is part of the problem. The question is where does NYC and the nation at large go from here?
All images are the property of THEJNSREPORT.com (c) 2014
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Welcome to THEJNSREPORT’S: Toronto: Photo Walk 2014
It was overcast and chilly throughout the day but not as cold as the day before where temps were at -3 degrees Celsius.
My friends and I were on our way to the metro heading toward downtown Toronto when we saw …
Those are some pretty large nests.
Looks like we’re about to enter a portal ahead.
When you enter the station you can purchase tokens to enter the subway. These tokens are smaller than the ones the MTA used to use decades ago. One thing that stood out to me once inside the station was how clean it was as opposed to New York’s subways. The difference is night and day. It really shames NYC to be such a wealthy city and yet be so dirty compared to other large cities. 
The other thing I noticed was the width of the tracks and subway cars is larger than that here in NYC. Someone had foresight here and realized cramming many people into tight subway cars isn’t in the best interests of the riders.
Once outside the metro we made our way through the streets in search of somewhere to have brunch.
We ended up on the famous Church Street of Toronto the LGBT area of the city.
The first place we encountered that looked good for brunch was Lola’s Kitchen.There was a small wait once we got inside as this place seems quite popular for brunch.
The decor inside was interesting and had quite a bit of art work throughout.
Once we looked over what Lola offers we settled on our selections. 
The margarita wasn’t that good to me. I guess I’m just used to getting more alcohol in the states. 😉 Once we finished brunch I decided to make a pit stop to the restroom before our photo walk continued. When I entered the restroom I was pleasantly surprised to see the stall door painted.
Pretty cool I think. Anyway after paying our tab we ventured back out into the cold with full stomachs bidding Lola’s a fond farewell.
As we walked further down Church Street we came across the Rainbow crosswalk.
Church has some pretty interesting things out on display.
Incredible public art displays were all over the place. Stay tuned for Toronto: Photo Walk continued…
All images are the property of THEJNSREPORT.com (c) 2014.
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I took this photo mid afternoon catching a glimpse at glory in the sky
All images are the property of THEJNSREPORT.com (c) 2014
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Welcome to THEJNSREPORT’S: Central Park “Spring” 2014 Location: Duh..Central Park, 2pm
On a day my friend and I decided to get out and enjoy a beautiful day out in Central Park we walked through the park on a way that I hadn’t been thru Central Park before. Shame on me a native new yorker but the great thing is, it’s never to late to learn something or discover something new. 
Entering Central park from the upper east side and 5th ave led to a cross the park hike up and down and slight inclines and declines in the trail which is being given a face lift from it’s previous decades.
The sight of the canoes gave me flashbacks to child hood sleep away camp Summer’s gone by.
This is what you will encounter more and more throughout the park as Spring unfolds more slowly this year than I remember in recent years. Next on our way through the park we encountered multiple bird feeders in the trees along the paths. Immediately captivated by the different colors on display we got a little caught up “bird watching”. 😉
To be continued…
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All images are property of THEJNSREPORT.com (c) 2014
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Welcome to THEJNSREPORT’S: Gay Athletes in Pro Sports 2014
Aloe Blacc’s “The Man” is the theme for this post. See the video on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm660vIn8Tg
Waking up to the news of Mizzou football player Michael Sam’s coming out this morning was a surreal trip in which we found ourselves asking the question much like in the Matrix, whether we were dreaming or not. Nope we’re not dreaming.
A proud Afro-American man (Michael Sam) stood up today and stole the thunder many would use against him in the media, or boardrooms, and various other “closets” and let everyone look, listen, and understand who he is.
Ultimately, Sam’s statement means that all of us not just in sports, or media but in everyday life to face the controversial if not taboo subject of sexual orientation, bullying, discrimination, and equal employment opportunities that would be denied to many people based on criteria that isn’t supposed to be part of the hiring process, but in reality plays a role in whether one finds employment in a certain industries or not.
Pro Football much like most male dominant sports and the military proves a formidable platform to take on the spectacle of gay athletes and whether openly gay athletes can coexist in the heterosexual male testosterone based concept of masculinity in team sports and the Locker Room in particular. Team unity/cohesion are often mentioned as issues as to whether an openly gay athlete can succeed at the pro level.
To that I think that if people didn’t know an athlete’s orientation before it was disclosed and rather focused on the skills and talents and work ethic of the athlete, letting the person’s performance speak rather than their prejudices or stereotypes this would be a non issue.
Much has been said of Vladimir Putin’s remarks in Russia yet the Winter Olympics still go on. Gay athletes have competed and won Gold medals already so what are we really talking about today? In the end I think personal projections of personal insecurity cause people to judge others based on their sexual orientation.
What does a man or woman have to fear from another man or woman if they are secure in their own sexuality? Performance in the work place is really all that should be discussed at this point. Is the potential employee capable of performing the job they are applying for?
If the answer is yes, there’s nothing left to say other than you’re hired. Michael Sam’s ethnicity is also worth mention in this subject because often in the black community it’s viewed as the lowest of the low for a black man to be gay let alone open about it. What’s the first insult one hears whether in jest or a rap lyric as one of the most disrespectful ways to address another male? Call him a faggot, punk bitch, or bitch N@(**@.
One things for sure the stereotype of gay athletes being mostly effeminate, weak, figure skaters, or queens is starkly if not immediately dispelled when looking at Michael Sam. Kudos to Mr. Sam and this monumental moment in history during Black History Month 2014.
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