Genius is largely a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
And, of course, it helps if you bring a camera. It was a risky bet, as demonstrations outside the esoteric sessions of esoteric international trade bodies had, up to that point, developed a reputation for being, er, esoteric. Not to mention small. Mercer, a native of Seattle whose parental pedigree is equal parts longshoreman and earthmother, bet that her hometown would produce the protest heard 'round the world on Nov. 30, 1999. And she turned out to be right.