Translating my thoughts into words.
Pirate ‘washes ashore with cash’
The body of a Somali pirate who reportedly drowned soon after receiving a huge ransom has washed ashore with $153,000 in cash, his uncle says.
The man was one of a group of pirates who seized the Saudi supertanker Sirius Star in November.
They reportedly received $3m (£1.95m) for freeing the tanker but five were said to have drowned after fleeing.
A relative of the drowned pirate told the BBC the family was now trying to dry out the recovered money.
Yesterday I read with mild interest Bono’s guest column in the NYTimes and even thought about blogging on it. Upon reflection I realized there was not much substance in it and the only thing I could comment about the column would be to say that it shows a mind that is always making connections and likes consonance. Otherwise his column seemed a bit self-serving (“They’ve asked me for a column. What should I write about? Anything I am thinking of at the moment! After all, I am Bono, who wouldn’t want to know what is going through my mind right now. Start the recording!” The audio is available in a side bar…). So, imagine my amusement when I read this column by Jeff Bercovici just now on Portfolio.com:
Jan 11 2009 7:18PM ESTConfidential to Bono, ‘New York Times’ Columnist
Dear Bono,
No doubt you are, as Andy Rosenthal describes you, “an extraordinary man who thinks deeply about his art and the major issues confronting the world.” To be sure, your work on AIDS and poverty is just great. Thanks for that.
But as a newspaper columnist, you are truly an execrable failure. “Glasses clinking clicking, clashing crashing in Gaelic revelry”? Did you come up with that in a freshman writing seminar? It’s cool that you got to hang out with Frank Sinatra and all, but we really don’t care that much. You’re a rock star. It’s expected.
Bono, you don’t see us getting on stage at the Meadowlands butchering “Where the Streets Have No Name,” do you? So please return the favor and stay off the op-ed page from now on.
Respectfully yours,
Journalists Everywhere
I think Bono’s job is safe, on stage and on the op-ed page, if this is the best response that “Journalists Everywhere” can muster.
This is a touching story of an exceptional woman.
Edith Macefield, 1921-2008: Ballard woman held her ground as change closed in around her
Edith Macefield died at home, just the way she wanted.
The Ballard woman who captured hearts and admirers around the world when she stubbornly turned down $1 million to sell her home to make way for a commercial development died Sunday of pancreatic cancer. She was 86.
… In the last year of her life, she forged an unlikely friendship with a kindred soul, Barry Martin, the senior superintendent on the construction project engulfing her home. They met when he started working at the site.
It started with an offer to drive her to the hairdresser, then a doctor’s appointment. He made sure she had food, ran to get groceries for her, picked up prescriptions, cooked her dinner.
… Some wonder at her stories, hinting at being a spy during World War II and touring with some of the most famous big bands of the day. She talked about attending teas and dances, once finding herself in conversation with Adolf Hitler.
Her friends never doubted a word.
Not because we took a vacation but because we were thinking of and praying for our friends in NOLA. My wife, as you know, continues to telecommute as a media consultant for the Episcopal Diocese of LA and she was busy all last week and through the storm coordinating media coverage, calling, texting, and just checking up on folks. We are thankful that NOLA seems to have been largely spared, but lives have been lost, homes destroyed, business as well, and the region will again struggle to get back on its feet. Many are saying they will never come back, that twice in three years is too much.
The clean up has already begun, after all, the bars and casinos need to open as fast as possible. People are being told to wait before returning, and are not happy about it. But it is not safe and until power lines and boats are cleared from roads, sitting tight is just what should be done. For all of us not in the region please give to the charity of your choice that serves in disaster relief. If you are looking for a suggestion I can promise you that the Episcopal Diocese of LA will make sure your donation is used well and for the benefit all those in most need.
Finally a few sites worth visiting if you are looking for news on Gustav and NOLA.
WWL TV – They had constant live video coverage. They radio partners did as well: WWL Radio.
NOLA.COM – This is the website for the Times-Picayune.
Chris Rose – Writer for the TP who is always relevant, humorous, and prescient.
NOLA Blog – The blog from NOLA.COM writers.
