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A Lively Evening

Someone asked me yesterday which region of the world I typically cover at work.

I said it depended on who else was working at the time, but that I never did East Asia. Of course I went to work for an overnight shift last night and was assigned to East Asia. Go figure.

At some point I went to the website of Xinhua, an official Chinese government media outlet. I was there to see if they were reporting anything interesting and was surprised to see a link on the front page to a photo gallery of “Men’s Most Desirable Women of 2010.”

I was expecting something more like “Official Resigns Amid Labor Scandal.”

It is encouraging to see that while the Chinese government is less than interested in opening the Internet to its people, they do want citizens to see Blake Lively’s smiling face.

Seems like a good way to keep the people happy.

I would write more, but after the overnight I went home long enough to eat a bowl of cereal and then went to work at the other job. I have been up for 25 hours, and 32 of the past 34.

More developed posts coming for the rest of the week.

June 14, 2010 Uncategorized
Quickly Now

Finding the time to post something every day has not been too difficult. After all, it doesn’t really take that long.

But today I am losing my evening to work and lost my afternoon to a nap in order to be awake for that work. Given the time crunch, I’ll keep this short.

Here’s the fuel for all of the news stories that will be flying out of my fingers in the coming hours:

In the morning, I will turn to my friend Cocoa Puffs for an energy boost before heading to job No. 2 for Monday. Thankfully this will be the last time I have to eschew sleep in favor of double-shifting between the two jobs.

June 13, 2010 food Uncategorized
Trying to Make a Difference

There are people in this world who see someone in need of help and walk past. Someone else will help, most of us think.

Then there are those who stop. They ask what’s wrong. They take action.

This weekend I came across two stark examples of how good people trying to better the lives of others can have completely different outcomes. The positive ending came last night with a viewing of “The Blind Side” with a much sadder outcome this morning in the form of a Washington Post story.

“The Blind Side” is one of those films that I found incredibly enjoyable despite the fact that I already read the best-selling book by Michael Lewis. If you are not familiar, the story follows Michael Oher, a black teenager in Memphis who ends up at a mostly-white, private Christian school. He has survived some of the most challenging conditions a child in America can face, including never really knowing his father and spending long stretches in foster homes away from his mother.

He is taken in by a white family who gives him the stability and support he needs to achieve academically and athletically, eventually earning a football scholarship to the University of Mississippi. The story is about football, but more than anything it is about human beings–both the Tuohy family and Oher–opening their hearts to one another.

Not surprisingly, you can’t help but feel optimistic about how we can affect one another in positive ways by the time the movie ends.

That’s how I went to sleep.

This morning I opened the Post to read the story of a Maryland State Trooper who was gunned down in the parking lot of an Applebee’s where he had just finished a shift doing security. Police say the killing stems from an argument with a patron who was removed from the restaurant after refusing to pay his bill.

The story describes the trooper as a young man, 24, who had just asked his girlfriend to marry him and who was scheduled to take a group of kids on a trip to New York. In 2007, he founded an organization that mentors teenagers, takes them on trips and brings in professionals to talk to the kids.

Where the Tuohys were able to overcome difficulties in connecting with an initially reticent kid and the stigmas of their community (rich, white side of town vs. poor, black side), this trooper was senselessly yanked from the lives of kids he was trying to help.

We hear about these kinds of negative outcomes too often, but it is heartening to know that there will always be people trying to help out those who need a hand.

June 12, 2010 movies Uncategorized
Your Fireworks Are in the Mail

Most people would equate ending up on a mystery mailing list as a bad thing.

You get a few catalogs you don’t want–office supplies, clothing stores you don’t frequent–and wonder why the companies waste their time and yours month after month.

Because of my work as a federal contractor I get lots of mail targeted at my “business.” I hope Comcast one day figures out I do not need their corporate Internet package in order to write news stories from an office in Washington, D.C.

But today I hit the mother lode of random mail. The walk to the mailbox was like so many other days. I slipped on the closest footwear, which happened to be sandals that I rocked despite the fact that I was wearing socks. The neighbors clearly recognize my refined sense of style.

The volume of mail inside our box was pretty typical, three or four letter-size envelopes and a single catalog. The envelopes were pretty boring (thanks Comcast), but the catalog is unlike anything I have ever received in my life.

It is clear the fine folks at Phantom Fireworks do not think my pyrotechnics needs are being met. Or perhaps they heard that my brother Pat and I have been tasked with teaching our forthcoming niece about fireworks (and baseball).

In either case, the pages contain all kinds of fire-based fun that is definitely not legal in my home state of Virginia. That is too bad, since you definitely don’t see things like this in the JCPenney catalog:

The picture is cut off at the bottom, leaving out the part that says your $349.99 gets you 3249 different fireworks. I can’t even fathom how long it would take to light all of that stuff. Fourth of July festivities would last for weeks.

Despite the great deals on supplies to blow up a small part of your yard, the best part about the fireworks catalog is all of the great names given to the different products. Where else can you see things called Fortress of Fire, Untamed Retribution, Wizard of Ahhhs, Cirque de Pyrotechnique or Tiger Fury?

I’m not sure how I ended up on their list, but I sure thank Phantom Fireworks for giving me 20 minutes of enjoyment today.

June 11, 2010 mail Uncategorized
Time for an Office Exorcism

There are some days you should just push back from your desk, get out of the chair and walk right out the office door.

Today was one of those days, mainly because I think the office at the part-time gig is cursed or otherwise possessed. For some reason just about every piece of equipment we have decided it didn’t want to work, all at the same time.

I wanted to transfer some PAL (foreign format) video tapes to DVD. Shouldn’t have been an issue. We have a VCR that plays the tapes…but of course the capture box wouldn’t even register on the computer.

Time to move onto another project — a seemingly easy request to burn two copies of a DVD photomontage project we did last month. The burner was able to make the discs, but for some reason has decided it will now only print labels all in red ink. Fine, probably not a big deal for the client. Now to make labels to go on the outside of the DVD cases…and we don’t have a single sheet of the correct kind of paper.

Maybe we can capture some audio tapes instead. The reel-to-reel machine works. The mixer works. The computer even recognizes the mixer. The program that actually captures the audio does not show any audio inputs. Le sigh.

Ok, we just got a microcassette tape that needs to be digitized. Hm, that would require the mixer that still has no interest in playing nice.

All of that doesn’t even count the VHS transfer process that was going swimmingly, until my boss’ son turned the computer off.

At least my peanut butter & jelly sandwich was tasty. Here’s to a more productive tomorrow!

June 9, 2010 technology Uncategorized
Are You a Movie Star?

I am slowly but surely making it through last year’s Oscar nominees for Best Picture.

Last night I watched “An Education,” though I spent 90 percent of the movie trying to figure out why Carey Mulligan looked so familiar. It’s quite possible I have seen her in something else, or maybe I just remember seeing her at the Oscars (where she was nominated for Best Actress).

Hm, I just checked IMDb, and the only other movie of hers that I have seen is “Brothers,” and while that was an excellent film she only had a small role. So we are back to possibly resembling someone I know.

Let’s try something. Go look at yourself in the mirror. Do you look like this?

If so, please let me know. If not, do you know any of my friends who look like that?

As for the movie itself, I thoroughly enjoyed it. That’s not surprising since the screenplay was written by Nick Hornby, the author of several books I have read in the past few years. (From last year, A Long Way Down and from 2008, How to be Good).

In addition to “An Education,” I have also taken in “Up” (fantastic), “Up in the Air” (pretty solid) and “Inglourious Basterds” (also fantastic).

Earlier in the week I watched “Crazy Heart” which was not nominated for Best Picture but did feature Jeff Bridges’ Best Actor performance. Not a huge fan of that movie. It’s possible I was just tired, but I wasn’t the least bit interested in what was going on.

Maybe I will just blame Maggie Gyllenhaal. I didn’t dislike her before, but she probably killed this movie for me. Put in Kate Beckinsale and things may have been different.

June 8, 2010 movies Uncategorized
Show Me the Video

I work part time at a company that, among other things, converts older media into digital formats.

Usually what that means is lots of boring hours plowing through people’s VHS collections of video nobody should be forced to watch again. But sometimes I get to be a part of some cool stuff, usually only involving old movie film.

We see the reels come in three forms — 8mm, Super8 and 16mm (each progressively better than the last). The conversion process means I am likely the last person to ever see the film played in its original form.

The projectors are sometimes a pain to deal with, and given their age can give off some strange smells. It’s a strangely serene experience with the sound of the projector clicking along in a dark room as you watch family movies from people you don’t know.

Last month I heard an episode of This American Life that delved into the world of home movies. They said the movies are all the same, that is, that everyone pulls out their camera for the same events. Having converted hundreds of videos, I can absolutely say that is true.

The show talked about the strange phenomenon in which there are videos of children, parents and grandparents, but rarely any teenagers. In my experience, that is definitely the case.

You can, however, count on seeing babies in bathtubs, toddlers getting haircuts, Christmas morning festivities, a trip to the beach, a grandmother hiding her face from the camera and a young child tottering around the yard.

Most of those I completely understand. The one I can’t quite wrap my head around is baby bath time. I see these ALL the time — from 8mm film from the 1950s to miniDV tapes shot last month. Parents seem to think this is a great idea and must believe there will be a day the family will want to sit around and relive the experience. I’m not sure I see the entertainment there.

I am still holding out hope for a great America’s Funniest Home Videos moment. I mean, for the hundreds and hundreds of hours of footage I have seen, would it be too much to ask to see someone fall off a trampoline or take a whiffle ball bat to a sensitive region?

I think not.

June 7, 2010 Uncategorized
Run and Learn

Last year, I had several running goals and hit all of them.

I also got a stress fracture in my foot at no extra charge. Actually, the medical bills cost me something, so that’s not exactly true. I wonder if there is a market for a used one of these:

This year, the list is pretty short: avoid the stress fracture. So far I think things are going well. I have logged about 100 fewer miles (187 vs. 289), and have not been as focused on pushing my longer runs to unnecessary lengths.

Of course that means I’m not nearly as fit as I was last year. That was clear this morning when I ran the Herndon Festival 5k and totally crashed in the third mile.

Last year I placed second in my age group in 21:34, which was a personal best at the time. This time around I struggled to finish in 22:25 (7:06, 6:41, 7:54, :42), though it probably didn’t help that it was a pretty warm/humid morning.

That second mile was really where I went wrong. At the start of the race I saw the woman I passed right near the finish last year and figured it would be a good idea to pace off of her. But she slowed down as we went up a hill in mile 2, and I just couldn’t resist blowing by. Clearly I paid for that in mile 3 and had to just keep the feet moving through the end.

I don’t have anything else on the race calendar right now. Looking a bit ahead to the fall for a half marathon, with Denver as the early leader. At least it will be cooler for that one.

June 6, 2010 running Uncategorized
The World at Night

Since I am blogging every day this month, I thought I would try some new things. I have never done a running diary of anything, and with an overnight shift at work what better time to try it out? Here’s the 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. shift writing news for the world (all times Eastern):

9:02 Okay, here we go! On the Metro from Vienna to downtown D.C. Odd that on a train with so few people, we all seem to be packed into the same area of this train.

9:06 The guy in the seat to my left is rocking out to his iPod. And by rocking out I mean he should be featured on the auditions for American Idol since he clearly thinks he’s a FAR better singer than he actually is. Strangely, as more people get on the train, he seems to sing louder. The falsetto is not helping his case.

9:18 Two girls just got on at the Virginia Square station. I would peg them at 20 years old. One of them is explaining the plot of “Office Space,” which clearly means the other has never seen it. I resisted the urge to throw something at her.

9:37 Just got off the train at Federal Center. I know it’s almost 10 on a Friday night, but no one else EVER gets off at this station. Don’t they know how happening this area is at night?

9:42 Got the assignments for today. We’re covering Europe, the Middle East and sports. Good mix for an overnight — while Europe sleeps I can write sports stories and when I want to sleep the Euro folks will wake up and keep me busy.

10:19 Quick start to this shift — legendary UCLA coach John Wooden has died. The Washington Post took some heat earlier today because they reported his death yesterday. Always interesting to see how quickly everyone can put out their pre-prepared obits for famous figures. L.A. Times was ready with a great one.

11:09 Took a while to fill my obit out, but I think it’s a decent look at Wooden for our audience.

11:18 In case you were wondering, all of Europe appears to be very, very asleep.

11:43 That means lots of trolling for stories, including the always-enjoyable London newspapers. Interesting story I’m not writing about–UK considering dropping its legal limit for drinking/driving from .08 to .05.

11:54 In other random news, an Australian restaurant REALLY wants you to finish your plate.

12:26 There’s some trouble brewing in the Middle East. An aid ship is heading towards Gaza, which the Israelis are not exactly keen on letting happen. LOTS of conflicting reports about what is going on here — some say the ship has been intercepted, some say it has been boarded, while others say none of that has happened. Might take some time for sources to get things straight so I can do a story.

1:28 Most painful story of the night to write. Philadelphia Flyers even the Stanley Cup Finals at 2-2. Game five Sunday in Chicago.

1:42 Big advantage of working your overnight shifts in a media environment: there is a TV on my desk. Latenight with Jimmy Fallon is a rerun (though usually a surprisingly entertaining show). I also can’t believe I don’t hate this Carson Daly show. He just had an interview with former Minnesota Governor (and wrestling star) Jesse Ventura. Ventura has book about all kinds of historical truths. Just said the U.S. government knew about 9/11 and let it happen.

1:46 Just polished off a lemon lime Gatorade and a granola bar. May have erred in not bringing a sandwich. Check back in a few hours.

2:47 There’s a CNN sports show out of London earlllly in the morning. It is strange to see highlights of our sports with a British accent…particularly hockey.

2:52 Orange Gatorade has been opened. Nacho Cheese Doritos won’t be far behind.

3:20 With Europe still asleep, time to do a baseball recap story. Poor Orioles.

4:01 Finally have enough agreeing information to put together an Israel/Gaza story.

4:32 Celebrating with the Doritos. Crunchy foods are an amazing asset to staying awake.

4:52. Struggling a bit…employing the nuclear bomb of awakeness — chewing gum.

5:45 Rest of the Middle East is awake. Politician in Iraq has been shot and killed in his home. Second from the Iraqiya bloc (just won most seats in parliamentary elections) to be killed in two weeks.

6:09 New info out of Gaza — confirmation from Israeli military that they boarded the ship. Live interviews on al Jazeera have been REALLY good all night.

6:57 Oh look, British Airways crews are going on strike…again. Third time since March and second in as many weeks. They always seem to announce the details of their strikes long in advance.

7:04 Looks like a growing bloc of countries are ready to drop the U.N. sanctions hammer on Iran. Russian President Dmitri Medvedev just announced a deal is in place (Russia has long resisted because of close economic ties to Tehran). Look for something Monday.

7:37 Iran story is out. Always interesting to get stories that cover both of your regions at once (Iran-ME, Russia & Germany-Euro). If only they could have worked a soccer game in there somewhere I’d really have something.

8:00 Off to the Metro and a nice nap. Goodnight. Or is it Good day? G’Day? Whatever.

June 5, 2010 metro Uncategorized
A Few Cups of Tea for a Better World

My daily trips to elementary school were easy. We lived in the neighborhood right behind the school, and all it took to get there was an easy five-minute bike ride.

It is that kind of access to education that makes me–and every one of you reading this–very fortunate.

In Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin’s “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time” there is the story of a young child who has to walk for two days, then float down a river to reach his school. Never mind that he has never been away from his home and can’t swim.

But the prospect of an education for the Pakistani child is enough of a reward to go to such lengths.

The book is one of those that makes you almost feel bad to read it while sitting in an air conditioned room in a comfy chair.

After spending time in the mountainous northern region of Pakistan as a climber, Mortenson becomes inspired to help the people living in the area. He sees how simple things–like schools–could make a huge impact on their lives.

The description of his efforts and the way he bonds with the people of the far-flung villages just shows how different this world would be if we all just sat down to talk. So many misconceptions about nationalities and religious affiliations have poisoned the perceptions of too many minds.

At the dedication ceremony for one of the schools Mortenson helped build, Syed Abbas, leader of northern Pakistan’s Shiite Muslims, gives a speech. It is September 14, 2001, and Abbas says the day is one the Pakistani children and their children will remember–not because of the terror attacks, but because “today, from the darkness of illiteracy, the light of education shines bright.”

Mortenson described the speech, saying the entire crowd was in tears by the end: “I wish all Americans who think ‘Muslim’ is just another way of saying ‘terrorist’ could have been there that day. The true core tenants of Islam are justice, tolerance, and charity, and Syed Abbas represented the moderate center of Muslim faith eloquently.”

It is the lack of knowledge, or the understanding that comes with the exposure to another culture, that can so often lead to incorrect assumptions and unfair groupings. Mortenson often gave talks during his time in America, transitioning from his experience climbing K2 to the efforts to build schools. They often served as fundraising events, but also frequently drew only a few attendees.

For one such speech in Montana, there were only six people. One, however, turned out to be Representative Mary Bono, who told Mortenson she learned more about the region in that hour than she had in all the briefings she had attended on Capitol Hill. For all the intelligence gathering and report after report, it took a guy who had spent months living with Pakistanis to give a clear view of what was happening on the ground.

“Three Cups of Tea” is one of those books you should read and pass onto someone else. If you want to skip ahead to learning more about Mortenson’s efforts through the non-profit Central Asia Institute, check out their website.

June 4, 2010 books Uncategorized