pottery_tower

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night_conversation

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screened-in_sunset

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bird soar

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screened-in_dawn

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tree_me

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playground_chained

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new photo: "painting_scale"

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caber toss_onlookers

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Minnie Bruce Pratt_sunglasses

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caterpillar_sunglasses_audience

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fire escapes_summer shadows (3 of 3)

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elder, walk-up tenement, summer swelter (2 of 3)

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willow_gentrified tenement (1 of 3)

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no access = disability

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two families: two-parent, single-mother

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blue suit

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fit the fashion, or fashion that fits?

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piano_player_park

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fence_flowers prevail

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going to work_monday am_sunrise

new photo: for some reason the photo just won't post,
so please click on this TEXT to view photo.

shoes, gender

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early Monday morning rush hour, Port Authority

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for larger view

Click HERE to view
on black background

today's photo: 'Niagara Falls, first light'

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(click HERE for more photos)

yesterday's photo: 'point of view'

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(click HERE for more photos)

between hammer & anvil

To new friends and old friends:

My health is forcing me to change how I communication with you at this time.

My primary battles are against 3 serious tick-borne infectious diseases that have been entrenched for more than three decades: Babesiosis, Bartonella and Lyme. Since 1995, I've survived infectious endocarditis, atrial fibrillation, an electrical change in the rhythm of my heart rhythm that required an invasive procedure to "solder," extreme high-low swings of pulse, similar extreme swings in blood pressure, in addition to bouts of life-threatening infectious diseases.

After 13 months of anti-malarial medications, I seem to have pushed back the Babesias. Babesiosis is similar to malaria, and treated with the same medications, which are "ototoxic--they cause toxic damage in the brain that can cause ringing in the ears, vertigo, hearing loss or deafness.

I wasn't worried about losing my hearing. My body recalls the vibratory memory of Deaf generations united inside Gallaudet University's gymnasium--everyone on their feet, rhythmically stomping the wooden bleachers underfoot, demanding in signed language (ASL) as one: "Deaf president now!" My experiences with Deaf languages, cultures and struggles have enriched my life and understanding, enhanced my visual awareness, and has had an impact on my own self-expression.

The medicines left me with only mild hearing loss. However, the toxic drug damage left me with excruciating pain and high-frequency noise in my ears.

Bartonella treatments also rely on antibiotics which are similar in their damage, and could quickly or gradually increase the pain and noise to even more unbearable heights, removing all quality of life. I'm already the threshold of pain that I can endure, in my ears and my body as a whole. So when I decided not to begin medication for Bartonella, the decision was based on longevity with quality of life.

Recently, however, I'm experiencing cardiac problems again. Both Bartonella and Lyme infections do damage to my heart. So after much consultation with my doctor and Minnie Bruce, I will be beginning treatment for Bartonella in early September with the least damaging antibiotic.

I have a lot of preparatory work to do. And I need to change the way I'm working and communicating right away. I have to leave my language-driven work, including attempts at analytical reading and writing, spoken and written dialogue. That part of my brain is a painful and frustrating workspace that engages my central nervous system and leaves me weight wasting. Instead, I will be continuing to make photographs, develop and print them.

I flickr'd up a new photo I call "point of view" to share with you this morning on my online stream of photographs this morning:

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/transgenderwarrior/

I will try to upload a photo each morning in order to communicate with you and to stay connected.

I have also been writing something about information you may never have read before about the Lyme epidemic. I've been working on it over the last year and I am trying to finish it before my Bartonella treatment begins. Look for: "Casualty of an undeclared war."

solidarity in struggle,
Leslie

my flickr photo sets: http://www.flickr.com/photos/transgenderwarrior/sets/

health update: 'fast forward'

I've been chelating high levels of lead from my body for the last 9 weeks. I wouldn't want to go through it again, but I got to be in much more social interaction. It was glorious--like an extremely painful vacation.

The treatment began with excruciating damage to my ear, resulting from an allergic reaction to the pharmaceutical chelating agent. For the time it lasted, I experienced total loss of quality of life.

As a result, I began a non-pharmaceutical protocol--all of which was healthy for me to ingest. What a relief from fighting infectious disease with pharmaceuticals!

I felt more able to read and write snippets, although analytical reading and writing in English is still a very painful work space in my brain.

Before being treated for lead exposure I had been almost confined to bed from muscle loss during the last antibiotic treatment. So the lead protocol gave me time to heal and try to build my strength for the next round of pharmaceutical treatment.

By the end of the 9 weeks I actually marched 2 miles on May Day in heat and humidity, and even ran a little (well, trotting a little) to get ahead of the march to make images. [* see link to my photos below.]

However, while I was getting stronger from having pushed back the Babesiosis and detoxified from lead, the untreated diseases are worsening, quickly and increasingly dragging down my strength and stamina.

The plan was to treat the Bartonella next--the tick-borne disease that may well account for my endocarditis in 1995 and loss of balance that resulted in falls and one broken wrist.

Clinical experiences advise Lyme patients to try to eradicate Lyme co-infections like Bartonella first, in order to isolate and weaken the spirochetes. But the class of medications used to treat Bartonella (a relative of World War I trench fever) has the potential to cause even more permanent damage to my ears. That danger lasts for up to a couple of months after the antibiotic, as well.

At this point, the level of pain and noise in my ears is a threshold I can't go beyond without complete loss of quality of life. After extensive medical consultation, I am not going to attempt to treat the Bartonella.

Instead, I will be immediately beginning antibiotic treatment for Lyme--maybe as soon as tomorrow. It's not clear how long I will be able to physiologically tolerate these antibiotics. My ability to tolerate any medication, even traditional herbal-based medications is narrowing. That's why I'm in integrative medicine.

In order to focus myself for what is going to be an isolating treatment, during which I need to stay out of sunlight, I will be trying to post one photo online each day the during the first month of treatment.

The last two months were precious and productive for me. Each course of treatment has its trials and tribulations. But treatment is life--I'm ready!

solidarity in struggle,
Leslie
5/14/10

*May Day 2010
Buffalo, New York
through my lens:
http://tiny.cc/3s371

All out to defend our immigrant co-workers, neighbors!

(double-click photo to see more of my flickr photostream)

It's a lie that immigrants "take jobs" from workers born in the U.S. There's no fixed number of jobs in society: In addition to creating wealth through their labor, each worker also creates the need for more jobs, goods and services. But in this economic crisis of over-production--abundance--bosses are trying to blame immigrants for the widespread suffering caused by capitalist production for profit

... so ...



Minnie Bruce and I are already making our plans to travel to Buffalo on May 1, from 2-5 pm, gathering at Main and Goodell, marching to MLK Park

There we'll raise our voices with others to vow: "No human being is illegal! There are no borders in the workers struggle! Workers united will never be defeated!

Where will you be on May 1? 

Boycott Arizona tourism!
Divest from the apartheid state of Arizona!

BUFFALO, NY:
May 1
2:00pm - 5:00pm
gather at Main and Goodell, march to MLK Park

NEW YORK CITY:
May 1
noon
gather at Union Square rally
march to Wall Street!

SU students vs. bank

[Please help spread the word]

Here is a link to an album of photographs I just flicker'd up, SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera):
[click here]

These are photographs from an April 16 rally organized by Syracuse University students. They are angered that the SU administration has invited top banker from JPMorgan Chase to deliver the 2010 graduation address.

SU students are leading the protest: "against using the 2010 commencement to restore the public image of the banking industry and validate the anti-environmental and anti-humanitarian interests of JP Morgan Chase."

No matter where you live, PLEASE take a moment
to sign this student-led petition:
www.petitiononline.com/SUGRADUA/petition.html

Buffalo, N.Y.: anti-fascist protest

click URL below for more information about this struggle on April 12, 2010:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/transgenderwarrior/sets/72157623845622396/

Say "NO" to "Tea Party" neo-fascism

Minnie Bruce and I will be traveling to Buffalo, New York (northeast U.S.) for this important protest. Please join us!

From the Buffalo International Action Center:

"The Tea Party will rally in Buffalo this Monday, April 12, at 11am at the foot of Pearl St and Scott with the racist millionaire developer Carl Paladino as their speaker.

IT'S ABOUT TIME WE STAND UP TO THESE EXTREME RIGHTWING RACIST, ANTI-IMMIGRANT, ANTI-WOMEN, HOMOPHOBIC NEO-FASCISTS!

It's time we let everyone know they don't speak for us! We're going to be there. Bring your own signs, or pick up one of ours."

After reading this article by Minnie Bruce:

Students organize against bank ‘takeover’ of commencement

please take a moment to sign the student-led petition and please help spread the word:

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?SUGRADUA&1

Protest top banker as SU commencement speaker (please sign & help spread the word)

Syracuse University bosses approved head banker of JP Morgan Chase to deliver the 2010 commencement address. Please take a moment to click here to sign the protest petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/SUGRADUA/petition.html

Today we're being told that the cupboards are bare, as millions lose work in a jobless recovery and the banks have foreclosed on miles of former neighborhoods.

But the money is there, as Pete Seeger sings (click on YouTube link below). Six decades after he sang these words--brave to speak or sing in those McCarthyite days of anti-communist witch hunt in the U.S.-- the working class has changed in this country. The historical images that accompany this recording today need more labor of workers of color, immigrants, women, youth and elder--and more pronouns are needed in these lyrics, too.

The living struggle will refresh the lyrics of demands through chant and song and lift up more music from the international working class and oppressed, as well. But the truth in this song still resonates as we struggle today.

click here for: Pete Seeger singing "Banks of Marble" / YouTube

Heavy metal (not the music):

(click photo)

After 13 months of treatment with three different anti-malarial approaches, I have finished treatment for babesiosis. The treatments have left me with inflamed, sore, ringing ears but without soaking sweats and painful chills.

I had hoped to wait to begin antibiotics to treat the late-stage lyme, but I needed them for these early battles. By day 13 of treatment it was clear that antibiotics won't be an option for long. Hopefully I will be able to get through at least 30 days treatment for bartonella--similar to WWI trench fever. Unlike the medicinal herbs, this new phase of pharmaceuticals are more debilitating and more isolating. And there's no medication "holiday" in the lull between drug treatments. I'm having a difficult time stabilizing after the last antibiotics so I'm not ready to take more antibiotics to try to eradicate the bartonella.

I have tested high for lead exposure, so I will be spending the next month trying to chelate to reduce the toxicity. Although the treatments can be quite miserable to go through and are not expected to make me "feel better" I'm doing so to help strengthen my immune system.

I'm so relieved that I've been in reality about the degree and impact of illness and treatment. Last year, between treatments, I worked at the Community Darkrooms. Now tat I can't get outside very often, I need to work on photos at home. I'm prepared and set up to do so. Last year I was working on large-scale printing and thinking in RGB color work space. Now I'lll be paying more attention to size/cropping and the saturation of my sRGB conversions for the web, as well as grayscales and duo/tri-tones.

While it may be hard for me to develop photos during the next four weeks due to headaches and other symptoms of treatment for lead exposure, I look forward to working on photos and posting them online to share with you. During the last 45-day treatment, Minnie Bruce and I made it to two demonstrations in Buffalo: one in support of Gaza and the other to stop daycare cuts. After the treatment, I was able to take some photos in New York City at dawn just before an early morning doctor's appointment. Just before starting the heavy metal chelation, Minnie Bruce and I traveled by car to Niagara Falls.

Minnie Bruce's poem from Niagara Falls trip is in her facebook notes:
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/note.php?note_id=374448393479&ref=mf

I'm raring to develop and post photos. In the meantime, here is my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/transgenderwarrior/sets/

yours in struggle and in solidarity,
Leslie

red thread (2 of 2)

[click photo for flickr source]

[click here for more photos]

sewing machine, typewriter tattoo (1of 2)

[click photo for short caption & more photos]

the role of labor

[click here for more photos]

[click photo for slightly larger view]

#30 hands, rainbows

[click photo for short caption]

#29 communication

[click here for short caption]


[click here to see 2nd photo, few minutes later]

#28 moving forward

[click photo for caption]

more photos soon

My hard drives crashed almost simultaneously after an OS reformat/upgrade. I've reconstructed a database of the developed photos, but I couldn't recover them all.

Check back here in upcoming days and weeks for more photos.
In the meantime: http://www.flickr.com/photos/transgenderwarrior/sets/

#27 Minnie Bruce Pratt, moving day

[click photo for short caption]

#26 Minnie Bruce and Ben

[click here for caption]

#25 Minnie Bruce Pratt triumphal

[click on photo for short caption]

#24 Minnie Bruce Pratt writing

[click here for more photos]

[click photo for short caption]

#23 vultures

[click here for more photos]

#22 women, children

[click here
for more photos]

#21 pink hats (2 of 2)

[click here
for more photos]

#20 blue hats (1 of 2)

[click here
for more photos]

#19 archers

[click here for more photos]

yours in struggle

As I get deeper into pharmaceutical treatment, it gets harder to work and to communicate on as frequent a basis.

I have heightened respect for photographers who have posted 365 photos daily for a year. I still strive to post 30 photos in 30 days--the last archiving of my large-sized prints, but it's a stretch. And it's hard for me to take new photos at this time. So, during winter and spring here, I'll try to develop some of the photos I already have into photo narratives, slide shows and panoramas.

In the meantime, I offer you my photographs. My photos all have a Creative Commons copyright, requiring only attribution; and no derivative or commercial use without permission--my gift to you all personally:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/transgenderwarrior/sets/

#18 Erie canal, terminus

[click here

for more photos]

#17 recruiters, New York State Fair

[click here for caption]

#16 lion, gift, captivity

[click here for more photos]

#15 blue dog, pink dogs

[click here for more photos]

#14 neighbors

[click here for more photos]