Airline service workers want 5-cent fee added to tickets to cover insurance costs

Commercial aviation helps to create some 11-million jobs in America. If that is not enough to get your attention, I don’t know what will?

While in Washington D.C., I stumbled upon a major protest on Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House. The wind was blistering cold and I struggled to take photos without my gloves on, but I wanted to make sure I captured the emotion that was stirred up by the workers who were asking for help to cover the cost of their personal medical insurance.

The group of airline industry service workers were asking for the airline companies they work for to add a nickel to the cost of every ticket sold in hopes of acquiring better health insurance for their families. The group suggested that an additional 5-cents added to every ticket would cover the cost of their family medical insurance plan, which right now is unaffordable for many. Their website stated, “We will be forced to pay the Obama Care Income Tax Fine for declining to purchase this un-affordable insurance.” That 5-cents per ticket, according to the protestors, would cover their expense.  

I walked in close for these shots as I was using my small 23mm fixed lens Fuji X100s. Those who were protesting seemed to be too busy shouting what they felt was needed for their family to even notice my encroachment into their personal space. Several police officers asked me to step back as they began making arrests while the crowd deliberately blocked the flow of traffic in the area of Pennsylvania Avenue.

After 15 or more protestors were arrested, the chants continued. The big question that lingers, will that additional 5-cents be added to the cost of an airline ticket and if so, will it be noticed by the traveling public? Only time will tell.

Break away from the norm - Go to the races

This photo was captured in the area of Huntsville, AL. 

“If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough.” ― Mario Andretti

Best salesman ever? Possibly!

A retired vinyl siding salesman who is now 85-years old is finding joy in helping others. M.C. Radford quietly lives in a small home located behind his daughters' house in Woodbury, TN. Mr. Radford is a big believer in Cybernetics and possibly one of the best salesman ever, at least that's what you will think after visiting with him.

While the word Cybernetics sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, it actually means the science of control and communication. Others describe it as the science of effective organization or the science of understanding. It is used by salesmen far and wide.

Read the entire story and hear soundbytes of Mr. Radford HERE. 

Trail of Tears

79-Year old Gene Glasscock and his wife Noqah Elisi are taking a trip, but not just any vacation. They are traveling by covered wagon along the Cherokees’ Trail of Tears. The trip is to memorialize the thousands of Indians who died on the route in the 1800’s. The Glasscock’s have Cherokee ancestry in their blood. Noqah Elisi is also taking the trip as a way to remember her son Johnny who died the year before in Alaska. Johnny died in an accidental shooting, according to Noqah Elisi. She had planned to take the trip with him four years ago. That never happened. 

About 16,000 Cherokee Indians were driven from their lands by the US Army under the command of Andrew Jackson. They were forced to walk about 1,000 miles to an area that was titled “Indian Territory.” Some 4,000 died along the Trail of Tears that is also called “The trail where they cried.” The Glasscock’s will end their travel in Oklahoma, which is where the Cherokee also ended their trip.

I captured this shot when they stopped at MTSU in Murfreesboro, TN to spend the night. 

Photo shoot with the General Lee

For this little journey, I followed a man from Rockvale, Tennessee all the way to Georgia where we captured his General Lee / Dodge Charger in original filming locations of the Dukes of Hazard. The popular American television show was aired from 1979 to 1985. Re-runs soon followed for years. Most of the show was filmed in small communities all around Atlanta. 

Food Not Bombs

The group Food Not Bombs set up shop in a small Atlanta park on a sunny Sunday afternoon and served food to the homeless, the addicted and the less fortunate. It was a very positive event with smiling faces and live music for all to enjoy. 

According to the groups website, "Even though we provide meals and groceries to thousands of people we are not a charity. Food Not Bombs is trying to inspire the public to participate in changing society and focus our resources on solving problems like hunger, homelessness and poverty while seeking an end to war and the destruction of the environment."

Empty Places: Got Milk?

I was honored to tour the old Flagship Atlanta Dairy, LLC in Georgia, thanks to the generosity of a local government worker at the property that is now used as a parking lot for Government of Atlanta vehicles. 

In these photos, I decided to make the exterior shots in black and white and the interior ones in color. Why, you ask? Who knows?

I do not know why the Flagship Atlanta Dairy, LLC closed, but I have to admit that I found data from the federal government quite interesting. Evidently, the company had a Food Service Contract with the Department of Defense. 

In 2005, the dairy had a contract with the Department of Defense that added up to $98,037. By 2008, that number grew to $2.28 million. In 2009, the contracted amount dropped significantly to a mere $3,225.

Empty Places: An abandoned school in Georgia

I was able to walk through and photograph the John B. Gordon Grammar School with a man whom attended the school in the 1970’s. He had fond memories of every room, including the cafeteria, the auditorium / gym and of course the principal’s office. He pointed to the stage with a smile and said, “My very first school play was right there.”

The school opened in East Atlanta, GA in 1909. As you look through these photos, you will be able to see some of the vibrant colors of years past as lead based paint flakes and falls to the now dirt floor. You will also see that some years, the colors were dark or bland. Other years boast pastel greens and yellows.

The school was shut down in 1995 and later purchased by a development group with plans to turn the structure into loft apartments. That never happened and in 2009, the property was foreclosed on.

In April of 2014, the building caught fire. Today, it is a total loss and will likely be torn down in the near future to make way for development. When that will occur is still up in the air.

These photos were captured in June of 2014. 

Empty Places: Welcome to the Prison Farm

The Prison Farm is just as creepy as it sounds. This structure, once owned by the Federal Government, opened in 1920 as an experiment for alternative punishment for prisoners. The inmate population of 100-beds (which later grew to 700-beds) knew their home as one of the first sanctioned "Prison Farm's" in early American history. Guards oversaw about 1,200 acres in the area of Atlanta, GA. 

The prisoners that lived on the farm were trusted individuals from a variety of backgrounds. The population was hand picked by the warden and each inmate worked hard to raise not only crops, but also animals. 

The prison, while successful, was expensive to properly oversee the inmates. The prison eventually closed in 1983. 

The prison, which is a very significant part of history, now sits abandoned. Fires, vandals, drug addicts and the like have been unable to destroy the massive structure, which is falling apart all by its lonesome due to nature. 

Race or Dye... Interesting

I didn't take too many photos, due to all the dye dust in the air, but this is one of several I shot at a recent race in Nashville, TN. As folks ran the 5K course, volunteers through handfuls of powdered dye on the participants. It was a very messy race. 

I shot this with my little Fuji X100S. It did a great job and it was easy to keep it covered from dye debris. 

It's Called Freedom of Speech

Woman: "You can't take his picture, it's called freedom of speech!" 

Man getting arrested: "Don't take my picture, dude, don't take my picture!" 

Police officer making the arrest: "Man, come on, would you want your picture taken if you were getting arrested out in the street?" 

Me: "I take street photography and I document life and what takes place in America." 

Woman: "You can't take his damn picture, it's called freedom of speech!" 

Me: "Freedom of speech?" 

I whisper: "It won't mean a thing in 100-years."

Random visits to motel rooms?

How many times have you driven past a motel and asked the question, “I wonder what goes on in there day to day?” “Why are there always cars parked in front of that place all day long?”

We have heard about stories of prostitution in some motels, we have seen police reports from others in Rutherford County outlining drug arrests, rapes and robberies. One thing we haven’t done is to simply walk up to some of these motels and knock on the doors to find out what really goes on behind the dirty windows and dusty curtains. So we did just that to share with you some of the stories that we heard from behind the doors (hear and read the story here). 

This story is featured with interviews on WGNSradio.com. 

See our past random knocks on doors HERE.