Sorry about not keeping on top of things.
There was this nagging feeling, see, that maybe I was being too hard on the NW (Newsweek) since they are actually kind of doing a decent job lately in re: Valerie Plame leak. However, I did think Jon Stewart did not hit Michael Isikoff hard enough on TDS and treats Fareed Zakaria ("I talk to people on planes I'm next to!") with a little too much respect, and have since come to see NW as leak printers. What? Do they think they're a community paper or something?
Sike. I do a LOT more reporting than not. This week was an abundance, in particular. I'm experimenting with alternative story forms (mostly long-form Yopo, the headshot with quote staple of the OpEd page — it's a little, um, random in practice) and that's a lot of dang work. It's easier to bang out ten inches than call a bunch of people and do something creative. Anyone have any ideas on alternative story forms for newspapers, do tell, I'm looking for a little difference.
Netflix is a good investment. There are so many videos you can't get at the corner store. I'm going to Bollywood/Hong Kong martial arts/indie myself out. Or not. So far of the few movies I got I would recommend "Infernal Affairs," "Bride and Prejudice," and "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge." If you can get through Shahrukh's mugging for the first hour and a half in "DDLJ" you will appreciate the second hour and a half.
Also keeping me away was a waiting game. I have been patiently awaiting some certain news which could have arrived at any time this month. It was very distracting waiting, especially as the month wore on. But today, the wait is over. I did it, people! I achieved the thing I was waiting for but now there is a second and, after that, a third waiting game to play. Anyway, once the whole thing is finito I may just have some awesomeness to report. Or not. It's all still up in the air. But not as much. I'll keep you all posted.
Why so secret? Because I follow the rules of blogging under one's real name. The first rule of blogging under one's real name is don't say anything too terribly real. So that sangria-soaked night I babysat (making it up!) is mentioned as often as the time the city councilperson called me up drunk (ha ha! Err... wait... it could happen). It's all off-limits. You'll have to decide for yourself which category the news fits in.
But I've got at least a little slice of awesomeness right now. Word found my blog and I have a mini trampoline!
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Jobs even KBR won't fill
In between news items about Angelina Jolie's adoption of a little girl from Ethiopia (why, Brad and Angelina, must you thwart the conception of the World's Sexiest Baby, that sweetest of tabloid dreams? Brad, this is your second such thwarting, and with Jennifer apparently hooking up with Vince Vaughn, the eyes of the world have come to rest upon your pouty, ripped self) and finally giving in to the Netflix pressure, I found this.
Now, I don't know what kind of pie-eyed optimism or incredibly negligent person would sign up for a job in the soon-to-be biggest target in Iraq (actually, it kind of already is. I forwarded the link to a co-worker who pointed out that the embassy building has already been the target of a bombing attempt and it isn't staffed), but I can see the attraction. I mean, you get room and board ("a food service contractor provides food service for all employees, including adequate supplies of fresh fruits, vegetables, ice and safe drinking water") and a phat paycheck of $30k to start. (This was up this morning in a graphic, it's gone now. Also, after reading more, I think it is on top of whatever federal salary the applicant already makes, since the opportunities are for current federal employees, but I wouldn't swear to it.)
Upsides listed are as follows:
"Employees have access to a movie theater, a DVD library, a fully equipped gym, and a pool. Special activities are frequently scheduled. Religious services are regularly scheduled in the Annex Chapel found in the north end of the Palace." Okay, it's a Palace, how grim can it be? But should the gov't be advertising the location of the place Christians are going to congregate on Sunday mornings in Iraq?
"The following services are provided by the logistics support contractor: expendable supplies; motor pool; free laundry service (both drop-off and self-service) and dry cleaning; barber shop; beauty shop; full-service cafeteria; small theatre; gym; swimming pool; shuttle bus, facilities maintenance, morale and welfare; and other services. Residents are charged a nominal fee per service for barber/beauty services." What are "expendable supplies?" Who will need a "motor pool" and why? How casual is this pool? I mean, it obviously isn't for getting to the airport, right? How many times can they pimp their swimming pool before it gets repetitive? But thanks for the cheap salon. That's kinda cool.
"Satellite cable TV is currently being installed in all Embassy housing units."
"Employees are not authorized to ship or own privately owned vehicles (POV). Official and personal travel outside the International Zone will be in accordance with post policy in Full-Armored Vehicles (FAV) with personal security details (PSDs)." Well, I could have told you that. But that don't mean it don't sound pimp!
"Nearly all 3161 employees are housed in modular units on the heavily guarded and fortified Embassy Annex compound." Okay, that isn't what I think of when I think of a Palace. Especially a capitalized Palace. "Post will make every effort to ensure that each permanently assigned employee on a one-year tour of duty is the sole occupant of one room, sharing a bath with the occupant of the other room in the modular unit." I suppose the fact that not all, merely nearly all, the 3,161 employees are in a heavily guarded and fortified annex is something of a downside. For those that aren't, I mean.
Downsides listed by the the site? They include:
"Clothing and shoes become dirty and worn very quickly from the fine dust, gravel, dirty air, and, sometimes, mud."
"Bring towels, but bed linen is issued."
"Those who are posted to the Embassy for shorter durations or who are not USG employees should expect to either share a room or live in temporary, less private, group accommodations."
"Each modular unit consists of two separate rooms with a shared bathroom/shower. Rooms typically contain at least one single bed, a small closet, an air conditioning/heating unit, a small refrigerator, and a television." I guess I should be glad the government isn't being too profligate with those tax dollars, but this sounds pretty grim. I mean, what, are the diplomats going to go outside in the Green Zone much?
"Credit cards and travelers checks are not yet a means of transacting business in Iraq. Shop owners only accept cash ... ATMs are available in Kuwait City, but they are NOT available in Iraq at the present time."
"Internet is not available from local service providers"
"The logistics support contractor transports employees to the military side of the Kuwait airport. Meal tickets will be provided. The logistics support contractor will issue a helmet and protective vest. There is usually a long wait and departure schedules are not published due to security concerns. Luggage is palletized. Employees must carry their helmet and vest on the plane and wear them during the trip into Baghdad. Only one briefcase or small backpack can be hand-carried onto the C-130 aircraft in addition to protective gear." This is starting to sound a little intimidating, this year in Iraq thing. For $30k, anyway.
"Bring towels, but bed linen is issued." No towels? Those things are a pain to pack.
And although the logistics person "palletizes" luggage, above, those towels will become a major burden. To wit:
"Iraq entails some unique medical challenges. Travel in and out of Iraq is physically demanding. The trip may take several days and uses military aircraft. Personnel must wear heavy body armor and helmets, and carry all of their own luggage over long distances. During the summer months this is all done in extreme heat. "
Also the Rabies pre-exposure shot is recommended.
The having to pack towels thing puts me right off. I mean, I was all set to sign up for a lovely year of being stuck in an embassy with a staff the size of my college (likely with the same social tensions, but none of the tension-reliving, uh, tools? we had at our disposal) and minimized contact with the host population and having to worry about bombs.
I mean, you have to be REALLY dedicated to the reconstruction to join up. Or mercenary. Or barking. Godspeed, volunteers.
Now, I don't know what kind of pie-eyed optimism or incredibly negligent person would sign up for a job in the soon-to-be biggest target in Iraq (actually, it kind of already is. I forwarded the link to a co-worker who pointed out that the embassy building has already been the target of a bombing attempt and it isn't staffed), but I can see the attraction. I mean, you get room and board ("a food service contractor provides food service for all employees, including adequate supplies of fresh fruits, vegetables, ice and safe drinking water") and a phat paycheck of $30k to start. (This was up this morning in a graphic, it's gone now. Also, after reading more, I think it is on top of whatever federal salary the applicant already makes, since the opportunities are for current federal employees, but I wouldn't swear to it.)
Upsides listed are as follows:
"Employees have access to a movie theater, a DVD library, a fully equipped gym, and a pool. Special activities are frequently scheduled. Religious services are regularly scheduled in the Annex Chapel found in the north end of the Palace." Okay, it's a Palace, how grim can it be? But should the gov't be advertising the location of the place Christians are going to congregate on Sunday mornings in Iraq?
"The following services are provided by the logistics support contractor: expendable supplies; motor pool; free laundry service (both drop-off and self-service) and dry cleaning; barber shop; beauty shop; full-service cafeteria; small theatre; gym; swimming pool; shuttle bus, facilities maintenance, morale and welfare; and other services. Residents are charged a nominal fee per service for barber/beauty services." What are "expendable supplies?" Who will need a "motor pool" and why? How casual is this pool? I mean, it obviously isn't for getting to the airport, right? How many times can they pimp their swimming pool before it gets repetitive? But thanks for the cheap salon. That's kinda cool.
"Satellite cable TV is currently being installed in all Embassy housing units."
"Employees are not authorized to ship or own privately owned vehicles (POV). Official and personal travel outside the International Zone will be in accordance with post policy in Full-Armored Vehicles (FAV) with personal security details (PSDs)." Well, I could have told you that. But that don't mean it don't sound pimp!
"Nearly all 3161 employees are housed in modular units on the heavily guarded and fortified Embassy Annex compound." Okay, that isn't what I think of when I think of a Palace. Especially a capitalized Palace. "Post will make every effort to ensure that each permanently assigned employee on a one-year tour of duty is the sole occupant of one room, sharing a bath with the occupant of the other room in the modular unit." I suppose the fact that not all, merely nearly all, the 3,161 employees are in a heavily guarded and fortified annex is something of a downside. For those that aren't, I mean.
Downsides listed by the the site? They include:
"Clothing and shoes become dirty and worn very quickly from the fine dust, gravel, dirty air, and, sometimes, mud."
"Bring towels, but bed linen is issued."
"Those who are posted to the Embassy for shorter durations or who are not USG employees should expect to either share a room or live in temporary, less private, group accommodations."
"Each modular unit consists of two separate rooms with a shared bathroom/shower. Rooms typically contain at least one single bed, a small closet, an air conditioning/heating unit, a small refrigerator, and a television." I guess I should be glad the government isn't being too profligate with those tax dollars, but this sounds pretty grim. I mean, what, are the diplomats going to go outside in the Green Zone much?
"Credit cards and travelers checks are not yet a means of transacting business in Iraq. Shop owners only accept cash ... ATMs are available in Kuwait City, but they are NOT available in Iraq at the present time."
"Internet is not available from local service providers"
"The logistics support contractor transports employees to the military side of the Kuwait airport. Meal tickets will be provided. The logistics support contractor will issue a helmet and protective vest. There is usually a long wait and departure schedules are not published due to security concerns. Luggage is palletized. Employees must carry their helmet and vest on the plane and wear them during the trip into Baghdad. Only one briefcase or small backpack can be hand-carried onto the C-130 aircraft in addition to protective gear." This is starting to sound a little intimidating, this year in Iraq thing. For $30k, anyway.
"Bring towels, but bed linen is issued." No towels? Those things are a pain to pack.
And although the logistics person "palletizes" luggage, above, those towels will become a major burden. To wit:
"Iraq entails some unique medical challenges. Travel in and out of Iraq is physically demanding. The trip may take several days and uses military aircraft. Personnel must wear heavy body armor and helmets, and carry all of their own luggage over long distances. During the summer months this is all done in extreme heat. "
Also the Rabies pre-exposure shot is recommended.
The having to pack towels thing puts me right off. I mean, I was all set to sign up for a lovely year of being stuck in an embassy with a staff the size of my college (likely with the same social tensions, but none of the tension-reliving, uh, tools? we had at our disposal) and minimized contact with the host population and having to worry about bombs.
I mean, you have to be REALLY dedicated to the reconstruction to join up. Or mercenary. Or barking. Godspeed, volunteers.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Where's the Jazz???
I'm listening to some joker from the new TV One talk to KCRW's The Business. The interviewer and the joker are talking about how much BET has relied on the "cross-over" appeal of hip-hop. They clearly don't watch any BET or they'd be like, where the black people?
Last night on BET Jazz I saw some Punjabi pop videos. That ain't jazz and it ain't Black. Then it was more Latino stuff. Stop trying to be all things to all minorities because you are failing miserably. AZN has its hands full trying to blend Anime, South Korean dramas, Indian variety shows and Chinese historical/sci-fi movies into a pan-Asian channel.
The one true thing I heard the joker and Brodesseur (sp?) say that was correct is that BET has not marketed itself well. The first thing it needs is an identity. A Black one. The joker was talking about making TV One more of a Cliff Huxtable (his words) to BET's Martin Lawrence (my analogy). The thing is, all he has to do is show half-decent Black shows and explain to advertisers why they should go after Black viewers.
BET has the infrastructure to be a decent channel, but it is both insanely cheap (the video quality of recently filmed BET Jazz shows is very 80s, apparently the defunct ComicView stopped just getting rid of its human hosts for the world's cheapest computer-generated host and moved on to getting rid of the whole show, there is almost no original programming of any sort and you know music videos are chockablock with payola) and doesn't seem to have a focus. Of course, if they had a focus they couldn't afford to be so cheap; they'd have to scrap the Punjabi pop (and Rasputina cello goth) for entertainment relevant to the African American community.
As it is, BET is an equal opportunity sucky music rump shaking channel. Which is, I'm sure, the noble dream King died to bring forth.
Last night on BET Jazz I saw some Punjabi pop videos. That ain't jazz and it ain't Black. Then it was more Latino stuff. Stop trying to be all things to all minorities because you are failing miserably. AZN has its hands full trying to blend Anime, South Korean dramas, Indian variety shows and Chinese historical/sci-fi movies into a pan-Asian channel.
The one true thing I heard the joker and Brodesseur (sp?) say that was correct is that BET has not marketed itself well. The first thing it needs is an identity. A Black one. The joker was talking about making TV One more of a Cliff Huxtable (his words) to BET's Martin Lawrence (my analogy). The thing is, all he has to do is show half-decent Black shows and explain to advertisers why they should go after Black viewers.
BET has the infrastructure to be a decent channel, but it is both insanely cheap (the video quality of recently filmed BET Jazz shows is very 80s, apparently the defunct ComicView stopped just getting rid of its human hosts for the world's cheapest computer-generated host and moved on to getting rid of the whole show, there is almost no original programming of any sort and you know music videos are chockablock with payola) and doesn't seem to have a focus. Of course, if they had a focus they couldn't afford to be so cheap; they'd have to scrap the Punjabi pop (and Rasputina cello goth) for entertainment relevant to the African American community.
As it is, BET is an equal opportunity sucky music rump shaking channel. Which is, I'm sure, the noble dream King died to bring forth.
Friday, July 01, 2005
Why people don't watch summer TV
Because of this.
I mean, honestly, I think this is a pretty terrible idea that could be incredibly subversive entertainment. I don't think anything on a network could actually *be* subversive; I think the typical TV tropes would be all that came into play from the casting to the story arcs. But really, this could have been a show where all the nasty passive aggressive White people who have bought thier way out of diversity are now confronted with the very world they are so quick to run away from. This could have been a show where the despised outcasts become the sympathetic heroes.
But it had to be about deciding which housefull of oddballs was, in ranking order, least to most able to get along with the intolerant honkies in pleated khakis and Hawaiian shirts (for men). And that makes it pretty uncool. Also it makes whoever "wins" look bad because ... and here's where I'm going to get inarticulate about it ... they are suddenly "the whitest" of the bunch. And they "fit in" the best with a community that is happy with them (and just this representative family of "thems") living on their block. By staying in that racist-homophobe-intolerance-surrounded Texas home, they function less as bringers of a new perspective than as the most symbolic enforcers of the old world view — they adapt to being like honkies; the honkies don't really ever adapt to being like them.
Summer programming stinks. Well, except "Reno 911."
I mean, honestly, I think this is a pretty terrible idea that could be incredibly subversive entertainment. I don't think anything on a network could actually *be* subversive; I think the typical TV tropes would be all that came into play from the casting to the story arcs. But really, this could have been a show where all the nasty passive aggressive White people who have bought thier way out of diversity are now confronted with the very world they are so quick to run away from. This could have been a show where the despised outcasts become the sympathetic heroes.
But it had to be about deciding which housefull of oddballs was, in ranking order, least to most able to get along with the intolerant honkies in pleated khakis and Hawaiian shirts (for men). And that makes it pretty uncool. Also it makes whoever "wins" look bad because ... and here's where I'm going to get inarticulate about it ... they are suddenly "the whitest" of the bunch. And they "fit in" the best with a community that is happy with them (and just this representative family of "thems") living on their block. By staying in that racist-homophobe-intolerance-surrounded Texas home, they function less as bringers of a new perspective than as the most symbolic enforcers of the old world view — they adapt to being like honkies; the honkies don't really ever adapt to being like them.
Summer programming stinks. Well, except "Reno 911."
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