Bar Crawl Radio

This is our third BCR show with Brooklyn Council Member Raphael Espinal -- at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar on W. 72nd Street.

Our first conversation with this young politico was in BCR #6 to talk about his initiative to create the office of Night Life Mayor. Then on BCR #16, Raphael joined us at Gabriella's for our summertime 'Margarita Crawl' to talk about his ban on plastic straws. Raphael joins us a third time to talk about his run for NYC Public Advocate. We talked about his vision for the city and his early life growing up on tough Brooklyn streets. He promised on the show that if he wins this prestigous position he will return to Bar Crawl Radio to report on the state of the city and what it's like to be a big "macher" in the city that never sleeps.

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See "BCR #30 Extra: Walking with a Young Politician" for a revealing conversation with Raphael Espinal -- Brooklyn City Council Member -- running for NYC Public Advocate. I joined Raphael as he walked and subwayed to the Greene Space for an appearance on Ilana Glazer's "Humanize Policy" show.

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Guantanamo or Gitmo has held many hundreds of men accused of terrorism against the U.S. in connection with the 9/11 2001 attacks – most were innocent of any crime – several dozen remain at the prison on the Cuban island. They have been imprisoned for 17 years in limbo -- beyond judicial recognition.

“Is this who we are?” is a podcast series reflecting the actions, arguments, and emotions of the WAT protesters who gathered for a week in 2019 in Washington. D.C. My name is Alan Winson. I lived with the WAT members in the First Lutheran Trinity Church Hostel on E and 4th Streets – and followed their actions and talked with them. For me - it was a formative experience.

In the end – WAT members held little hope that Guantanamo Prison would close in the near future. They accepted that neither the news media nor those on the DC’s streets where they demonstrated and got arrested knew what they were doing – and yet they persisted in marching and fasting through those cold, windy, wet days. To a great extent this series is about that hopeless struggle, and what buoyed them and what makes them important citizens of this flawed democracy.

“Is this Who We Are?” podcast series culminated in Bar Crawl Radio podcast #29 – recorded at the Iron Horse Tap Room on E and 7th Streets. We talked with several of the Witness Against Torture protesters who reflected on their experiences of the week.

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Witness Against Torture or WAT was formed in 2005 when 25 Americans attempted to visit the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In the years following, WAT has demonstrated to shut down Guantánamo. Each year since then – These dogged civil protestors have carried out dozens of nonviolent actions to build awareness about the mental and physical torture of these men and to establish human ties with the prisoners at Guantánamo.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guantanamo or Gitmo has held many hundreds of men accused of terrorism against the U.S. in connection with the 9/11 2001 attacks – most were innocent of any crime – several dozen remain at the prison on the Cuban island. They have been imprisoned for 17 years in limbo -- beyond judicial recognition.

“Is this who we are?” is a podcast series reflecting the actions, arguments, and emotions of the WAT protesters who gathered for a week in 2019 in Washington. D.C. My name is Alan Winson. I lived with the WAT members in the First Lutheran Trinity Church Hostel on E and 4th Streets – and followed their actions and talked with them. For me - it was a formative experience.

In the end – WAT members held little hope that Guantanamo Prison would close in the near future. They accepted that neither the news media nor those on the DC’s streets where they demonstrated and got arrested knew what they were doing – and yet they persisted in marching and fasting through those cold, windy, wet days. To a great extent this series is about that hopeless struggle, and what buoyed them and what makes them important citizens of this flawed democracy.

“Is this Who We Are?” podcast series culminated in Bar Crawl Radio podcast #29 – recorded at the Iron Horse Tap Room on E and 7th Streets. We talked with several of the Witness Against Torture protesters who reflected on their experiences of the week.

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Witness Against Torture or WAT was formed in 2005 when 25 Americans attempted to visit the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In the years following, WAT has demonstrated to shut down Guantánamo. Each year since then – These dogged civil protestors have carried out dozens of nonviolent actions to build awareness about the mental and physical torture of these men and to establish human ties with the prisoners at Guantánamo.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guantanamo or Gitmo has held many hundreds of men accused of terrorism against the U.S. in connection with the 9/11 2001 attacks – most were innocent of any crime – several dozen remain at the prison on the Cuban island. They have been imprisoned for 17 years in limbo -- beyond judicial recognition.

“Is this who we are?” is a podcast series reflecting the actions, arguments, and emotions of the WAT protesters who gathered for a week in 2019 in Washington. D.C. My name is Alan Winson. I lived with the WAT members in the First Lutheran Trinity Church Hostel on E and 4th Streets – and followed their actions and talked with them. For me - it was a formative experience.

In the end – WAT members held little hope that Guantanamo Prison would close in the near future. They accepted that neither the news media nor those on the DC’s streets where they demonstrated and got arrested knew what they were doing – and yet they persisted in marching and fasting through those cold, windy, wet days. To a great extent this series is about that hopeless struggle, and what buoyed them and what makes them important citizens of this flawed democracy.

“Is this Who We Are?” podcast series culminated in Bar Crawl Radio podcast #29 – recorded at the Iron Horse Tap Room on E and 7th Streets. We talked with several of the Witness Against Torture protesters who reflected on their experiences of the week.

______________________________________________________

Witness Against Torture or WAT was formed in 2005 when 25 Americans attempted to visit the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In the years following, WAT has demonstrated to shut down Guantánamo. Each year since then – These dogged civil protestors have carried out dozens of nonviolent actions to build awareness about the mental and physical torture of these men and to establish human ties with the prisoners at Guantánamo.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

INTRODUCTION to the series. The U.S. Guantanamo Prison on the Cuban island was opened in 2002 and has held many hundreds of Muslim men accused of terrorism following the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. Most were innocent of any crime and hundreds were released. Forty remain in a limbo -- beyond judicial recognition.

This four-part series follows the week-long activities of the civil disobedience organization "Witness Against Torture" - a collection of unique individuals who put their bodies in danger to raise awareness about the horrific conditions of the 40 men who remain at "Gitmo."

BCR's “Is this who we are?” podcast series reflects on the actions, arguments, and emotions of the WAT protesters who gathered for a week in 2019 in Washington. D.C.  I lived with the WAT members in the First Lutheran Trinity Church Hostel on E and 4th Streets – and followed their actions and talked with them. For me - it was a formative experience.

In the end – WAT members held little hope that Guantanamo Prison would close in the near future. They accepted that neither the news media nor those on the DC’s streets where they demonstrated and got arrested knew what they were doing – and yet they persisted in marching and fasting through those cold, windy, wet days. To a great extent this series is about that hopeless struggle, and what buoyed them and what makes them important citizens of this flawed democracy.

“Is this Who We Are?” podcast series culminated in Bar Crawl Radio podcast #29 – recorded at the Iron Horse Tap Room on E and 7th Streets. We talked with several of the Witness Against Torture protesters who reflected on their experiences of the week.

______________________________________________________

Witness Against Torture or WAT was formed in 2005 when 25 Americans attempted to visit the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In the years following, WAT has demonstrated to shut down Guantánamo. Each year since then – These dogged civil protestors have carried out dozens of nonviolent actions to build awareness about the mental and physical torture of these men and to establish human ties with the prisoners at Guantánamo.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I -- Alan -- met Chris Brandt when I interviewed him for "UWS Neighbors" -- a show featured on UWS Radio. We spoke about the work he was doing for the "Medicine Show" Theater in Manhattan. As he was leaving the studio, he turned and said, "You want to know what I'm really interested in -- torture." And that started Becky and I on an adventure that took us to Washington, D.C. and a most important conversation with members of

This is a dedicated, spirited, inspired and inspiring group who detest what our country is doing to Muslim men in Guantanamo Bay Prison on the island of Cuba. WAT members have conducted civil disobedience, fasted, and risked arrest since 2005 to end the incarceration of 40 men in a judicial limbo.

I spent a week with WAT, recording their efforts to raise awareness about Gitmo and the January 11th anniversary of its creation in 2002. Following the posting of this episode -- BCR #29 -- four extra programs will be posted with the sounds and stories of what happen during that week of protests and arrests in our capital. Be sure to check out the four-part BCR Extra -- "Is This Who We Are?"

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For BCR #28, your stalwart crawlers traveled to a small town east of Los Angeles, CA to help put the finishing touches on the La Canada/Flintridge float entry in Pasadena's Tournament of Roses Parade.   We met float enthusiasts from around the country and played with roses -- lots of roses. If you watched the parade this year, you can just catch our contribution on the back bumper of the award-winning "Three Frog Night" float. This episode includes everything you need to know about the secrets of creating and building this TRP float and the swampy music that these frogs creating.

For our color commentary, Becky and I visited Cold Spring Tavern on Stagecoach Road at the bottom of the San Marcos Pass.

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Erin is a pharmacy manager at a NYC academic medical center -- she must "mute" her appearance so as not to distract her male office-mates.

Tulie is a project manager for a large NYC general construction firm -- at times, she needs to be the "mother in the room" to mask any sexual "messages."

Jessica is the program manager of a Philadelphia after-school music program -- who reminds us that in this "me-too" moment "everything is considered sexual harassment."

From Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar -- this BCR episode looks at the male-dominated American workplace through the experiences of three young professional women. We also spoke with Helen Rosenthal of the NYC 6th Council District and her efforts to introduce United Nations CEDAW ethics--protecting women's rights--into the city charter.

Becky and Alan start the show at Vino Laventino talking about the pitfalls of trying to create THE PERFECT HUSBAND.

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Folks -- this is a weird one. Little worked in this episode as we planned; nevertheless, your intrepid podcasting bar crawlers forged ahead and continued to drink at their moderate rate. That's good--yes?

Rebecca and Alan were joined for the intro segment by Paul Alan Ruben -- author of Terms of Engagement -- at Vino Laventino to share Malbec and bad poetry. Alan introduced this episode's ennui by sharing his discouraging experience of The New York Review of Books--Holiday Issue. And Becky ended the intro by describing her "Little Stool."

We then gathered ourselves and crawled to Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar to talk about the Action Against Bulling with DJ King Assassin and Dr. Sairah Qureshi -- Dr. Q -- or -- that was the plan. But, the plan went awry. In any case, we wrestled the fates to the ground and captured what is now another addition to the BCR legend.

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The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument -- W. 89th Street in Riverside Park -- has sat majestically overlooking our Upper West Side neighborhood in Manhattan since 1902. The battles of the Civil War and the Northern generals festoon its Greek-styled columns - and it is slowly crumbling under the wear of the elements and time. For this BCR show we talk with officials of New York City Parks, John Herrold and Jonathan Kuhn -- and the president of the Soldiers' and Sailors's Memorial Association, Peter Galasinao -- and historian Cal Snyder about the Monuments history, its importance in Memorial Day commemorations and plans for its restoration.

If you want more information about what is being done to restore the Monument you can link to the NYC Parks Department "Conditions Survey and Restoration Treatment Study," and the "Conditions Report by the New York City Landmark Conservancy."

Becky and I recorded our conversation at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar -- and started this show's "crawl" at 5 Napkin Burger where we talked about healthy approaches to senior urinating issues. In a sense -- like the grand Monument on W. 89th Street -- we are in need of restoration.

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