Tuesday Truths WK 55: This recent red light will not stop me!

Hello, and welcome to the fifty-seventh week of my Tuesday's Truths series which I'm posting at night! I apologize to readers who might've been expecting me to publish an entry earlier in the day, which is my standard — at least for my Tuesday's Truth series.

The truth for this week is that I'm in the middle of embarking on a new path after having received a red light for a book project that I was helping Cam's daughter with. Ever since June 9th 2017, I've been going back and forth with a big company, in order to get their permission for Cam's daughter to use images that I took over the course of a couple years of their public event (a parade), which is very well known by people all over the world.

Therefore, even though the pictures which Cam's daughter wanted to include in her story, are all taken by me, I had to get their permission, as their event is considered a trademark. Most folks had thought I would not have a problem, and that Cam's daughter could use my photos under a clause for fair use, but it seems that's not the case.

The Year of The Monkey

Happy Chinese New Year to you and yours, dear reader. I guess you know that in their calendar, tis The Year of The Monkey.

Perhaps Julius The Sock Monkey is happy about this news, for any time  it’s the year of a given animal, folks begin to think more about that animal type.

However, Julius The Sock Monkey may not need The Year Of The Monkey as an excuse to endear others to him. After all, he has notoriety from being the fictional character created by cartoonist and fashion designer, Paul Frank. And he appears in a variety of media today, including The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Change of Heart?

(Note the "scratches" you may think you are seeing are strings supporting "Bob")

It seems Sponge Bob (pictured above) was as surprised to see me as I was to see him yesterday morning, a "mild" one (weather wise) for Thanksgiving! For on this particular holiday, in bygone years in New York City, where I live, weather conditions have often been either rainy or windy or both, not exactly a "comfortable" atmosphere for a parade — especially one so huge as the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Sponge Bob is one of the participants in the parade, and since I have not watched television since the 1980's, I don't know much about him. I'm more familiar with good ol' Charlie Brown, the beloved Charles Schulz character who is pictured below, where he can be seen "marching" in yesterday's parade.

(Note the "scratches" you may think you are seeing are strings supporting CB)

Although I now live very close to part of the route of the Macy's Parade, it is an event that I prefer not to make an effort to attend, as the crowds are often massive, as well as aggressive. 

Be that as it may, one of the first times I made an effort to go to the parade was when my grandmother's sister (and hence my great aunt) Ruth came to New York City to visit me. 

The time period was during one of my first few years of living in Manhattan, and during those years I was living in a rooming house (or SRO as "we" refer to them in the city). It was a miserable place to live, but I managed to procure a room for Ruth, and she insisted we navigate the crowds to travel and to see the parade — even though it was very windy and rain was pouring down.