The Wandering Michigander

Name Change

2010-01-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

I had to change the name of the blog.

It's not that I didn't like the name "The Mid-Twenties," but I'm getting older. That's right: I turn 27 in three months so instead of just changing the name to "The Late-Twenties", I went for something that I felt encompassed what this blog is all about.

See, I first started this blog in 2007 when I moved to California. I've used the site to write about my adventures, to put unpublished stories up somewhere, and to advertise my published articles.

As I moved to San Francisco, Loma Mar, back to Michigan for a while, New York City, Accra (Ghana), back to NYC, and now rural New Jersey, one thing has remained constant: I'm a boy from Michigan exploring this great planet of ours. My moves have never been very calculated, so to say I'm "wandering" about sums it up.

Thank you to everyone who read my stories when I first started "The Mid-Twenties are a Bitch" (I realized that name was a bit sexist) and followed me when I changed it to "The Mid-Twenties [in Africa]." I hope you keep reading!

CNN iReport: Part 2

2010-01-08T17:11:00.009-05:00

Well, it turns out that CNN iReport works out pretty well.

After publishing my article a few nights ago, I got a call from CNN that they wanted to use my story. I just had to answer a few questions and emails. Then they put a nifty CNN iReport badge on it.

I wasn't sure to think about all this, and I was a bit upset that CNN ruined my chance to hang out with my friends in the Comic Book League. That was until I checked how my story was doing today that night.

Then came the real shocker: It was over 2,000 views!

I'm not really sure how many people have read my articles in the past, but this had to be some kind of record. As the day went on, more and more people were reading the story and then CNN.com put it on the homepage. I was ecstatic.

The only real downside was a few negative comments about my figures used. So, I just went into the comment section myself and explained all my sources.

Then, the comments started getting a bit racist. Some moron wrote this:

"Current Americans of African ancestry fail to realize how good they have it in the USA."

Of course, then the rest of the comments just ended up battling that one dumb thing. Oh well, I guess this was my first chance to write for a huge website, besides the Daily News, and this comes with the territory.

As the day went on the amount of view were over 10,000. I was in shock.

To make things better, I got a call from a paper in New Jersey that they were hiring me as a full-time reporter. They had no idea that I had the story on CNN, but it was more of just icing on the cake for a really great day.

As of this moment, the CNN story is at 12,828 views and has been shared 17 times. God bless getting the job in Ghana and having an editor catch my story on iReport. What a day.

CNN iReport: Elmina Castle

2010-01-06T22:04:00.004-05:00

I recently heard about this thing CNN was doing called "iReport" where everyday people - not just those with a master's in journalism - could upload stories.

I think it is very smart of CNN to do this. They get sources easy, a few scoops, and maybe even a good story. Of course, it sucks for actual reporters because they don't get paid and CNN gets a free story. But, like an unpaid internship, you get paid in clips.

So, while I apply for jobs and sit on a few stories that might never get published, I threw this Elmina Castle story on there: http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-378837

Still not sure if it was worth it, but I think it is a good travel story and worth a read.

How is New York City Different?

2009-12-18T15:51:00.004-05:00

There are a million ways to answer this question, and as unique as this place is, probably every single one of the 17.2 million people in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan region has a different answer.

Let’s start with the statistics: It has the largest population of any city in the United States. Not only are there a lot of people here, but there a lot of different kinds of people. I grew up in Detroit (one of the most segregated cities in the world – South Africa has nothing on that place) and I am still astonished by the mix of integrated diversity here. The population is mostly white (35.1 percent), but not far behind are Hispanics (27.4 percent), blacks (24 percent), and Asians (12.8 %). No other city in the country is so mixed.

Of course, then there’s the jobs: Whereas the rest of the country seems to focus their cities around one industry (i.e. the car), the Big Apple is exploding – aside from manufacturing – in every type of sector imaginable. The retail trade, financial services sector, and education/health are much larger than the national average.

The sprawling train system can take you anywhere. If the subway can’t take you there – just take the PATH, or a bus, or light-rail. Sure, when the Daily News used to send me to murders in Queens I would end up taking two hours getting to the scene of the crime. It can be really hard to get too much of that borough…but, it is still a lot better than most place I’ve been.

That brings me to another point: I’ve lived a lot of places.

So far, I lived in London for six months, Chicago for two years, San Francisco for nine months, Accra (Ghana) for two months, and now New York for a year and a half. Nothing touches this place.

Chicago thinks it’s a big-time metropolis. It’s not. If your city is all white Midwesterners, it’s not a real city. Well, not like the melting pot we have here.

Sure, London is amazing. The history, the beauty, the people, blah, blah, blah. But, there is only one tall building. How can you call yourself a city when the only thing you’re scrapping is the gum off the ground? If none of the buildings can be taller than Buckingham Palace than why bother trying to live there?

I love San Francisco. It is my favorite place to live. But, I realize it doesn’t have anything on New York in terms of jobs, culture, history, sports, etc.,etc. The one thing San Francisco has on New York though is green space.

New York City is really lacking in the nature department. Sure, Central Park, Pelham Bay Park, and Prospect Park are great. But, there is nothing like having a forest nearby or more than ten trees on a block.

Still, it is the people that make New York City the most amazing place on earth. So, if we need to knock down even more trees, so be it. If they tore down a large chunk of Central Park so that I could live in a cheap apartment for only $300 a month, I say treehuggers be damned.

The Digitization of Comic Books

2009-12-04T12:20:00.001-05:00

In this short video I explore the recent digitization of comics in the form of motion comics. The video also features the premiere of the Astonishing X-Men motion comic, a Joe Quesada press conference, and interviews with comic art superstars Greg Horn and Joe Madureira.

Please watch and rate the video!

Race, gender, class, and ethnicity in New York mayoral elections

2009-11-02T17:35:00.004-05:00

New York Mayor Series: Part Three

This Tuesday, New Yorkers from all over the five boroughs will go to their local polling stations to vote for – according to the most recent polls – a white man for mayor.

This is typical in New York City history, but there have been a few exceptions to the rule, and in this election 44 percent of the candidates are non-white. Only one woman is running, Francisca Villar, even though women make up 53 percent of the city’s population.

The only real competition for mayor comes from City Comptroller Bill Thompson Jr. If Thompson is elected, he will be the second black New York mayor in history.

I have listed below how four factors have influenced the mayoral race:

Gender

Aside from 89 years of voting power, women have played a very small role in mayoral elections. No woman has ever been elected mayor and, as evident by this election, there tends to be few female candidates.

Villar – a Dominican female immigrant – is remarkable in how much she stands out from the 2009 candidates. She is mainly running on an economic justice platform but is only one of two candidates (the other being Billy Talen of the Green Party) to mention fighting racist profiling by police in the 2009 General Election Guide. Villar is also part of the second and third largest races in the city, Hispanic and black.

She was not allowed entry to the mayoral debates.

Ethnicity

Historically, New York has been a city run by white Protestants. Although only a few candidates have been Catholic or Jewish, that may be changing. The last two mayors – Guilliani was Catholic and Bloomberg is Jewish – may be a sign of the times.

Race

The voting power of the minorities in New York City are staggering for most major American cities. Whites make up the largest group, at 35 percent, but Hispanics (27 percent), blacks (27 percent), and Chinese (5 percent) make up a sizable portion.

Minorities will continue to play an important role in choosing the mayor and will probably be the greatest voting force in the future. For example, there is a black solidarity rally for Thompson today in Brooklyn. Rev. Al Sharpton has endorsed Thompson.

Aside from the only black mayor, David Dinkins, the population of the city has not actually factored into the candidates for mayor.

Class

Bloomberg has spent more campaign money on a public office – over $100 million - than any other American in history. Considering the median income of New York households is around $50,000, Bloomberg has no problem buying this election as the richest New Yorker.

This reporter has saved every single advertisement I’ve got in the mail for mayor. I have eleven advertisements for Bloomberg. I have none for Thompson.

In one my previous posts I mentioned the vast powers of the mayor of New York possibly being harmful to the democratic process in the city. I now also feel that this election is out of control and Bloomberg is using his vast wealth to control the race.

NYC Mayoral Cadidates on YouTube

2009-11-02T14:26:00.005-05:00

New York Mayor Series: Part Two

(In alphabetical order)

Mike Bloomberg:

Tyrrell Eiland:

Daniel Fein:

Jimmy McMillan:

Billy Talen:

Bill Thompson:

Frances Villar:

The Power of the New York City Mayor

2009-11-02T12:38:00.003-05:00

New York Mayor Series: Part One

The immense powers held by the Mayor of New York today would make Robert Moses blush.

Some examples of Michael R. Bloomberg’s eight-year impact on New York City are the smoking and trans-fat ban, increasing property taxes, and opening up Times Square to pedestrians. In any other large city in the world, such a list of accomplishments would be unheard of.

Based on the New York City Charter and several articles I have read, I have identified - what I believe - to be the three most important powers of the Mayor:

1. The appointment and removal of heads of departments

Arguably the most important job of the mayor is to name the deputy mayors and officers of the 10 departments. These officers, who are not democratically elected, have the immense power to shape and control life in New York City.

The mayor also has the power to remove any officer as he sees fit. As stated in the charter, the mayor may “remove from office any public officer holding office by appointment from a mayor of the city.”

In the mayor’s role as magistrate, he essentially controls the finances of New York City through the deputy mayor for economic development. Except for a stipulation where he must work with the comptroller to determine obligation terms, he can exercise powers of the finance board without regard to provision of law.

2. The ability to create or abolish bureaus, divisions, or positions within the executive office.

The charter does not define bureau and department roles, so it is up to the mayor to decide what they do. If he so wishes, entire departments can be removed and new ones created.

In addition to being able to use executive power to remove positions, he can also require that information obtained by city employees be kept confidential.

Both being able to create departments and hide information from the public could be seen as undemocratic, but also as a source of strength for the mayor. Following most definitions of democracy, the powers of the mayor here enter some questionable territory.

3. Power to coordinate the criminal justice system

The mayor is in charge of appointing the coordinator of criminal justice, another position that greatly affects New Yorkers. The coordinator advises and assists the mayor in planning operation in criminal justice activities. This position is also limited in its description, stating, “[the coordinator will] perform such other duties as the mayor may assign.”

In Bloomberg’s eight years, he has overseen NYPD spying on protests and social and political gatherings. He also continued his predecessor’s crackdown on so-called quality-of-life crimes. Both of these activities disproportionately target the poor.

Decisions that will affect 8 million people are largely in the hands of one man, the mayor, making it one of the most powerful positions on Earth.

100th Post: Beyond the Printing Press

2009-10-20T21:06:00.005-04:00

When I started this blog in 2007, I was closing one chapter in my life and moving to San Francisco. A lot of stuff has happened since then, but one thing has been constant: I'm chasing my dream of becoming a journalist.

I'm not sure who is reading, if anybody, but according to Google analytics, I'm getting around 5 hits a day. To my friends and the occasional web surfer, thank you.

For End of the Dial I wrote the piece below about adapting to new technologies in order to succeed in journalism. I hope you'll be here for the next 100 posts!

Beyond the Printing Press

I truly love journalism. But, like most of us in the industry, I'm worried about the possibility of getting, and maintaining, a job. So, I've decided to get proactive.

I'm spending last semester at NYU picking up some new skills that might make me a bit more marketable to editors. I am studying how to make radio and video pieces with some of the best multimedia journalists this industry has to offer. It hasn't been easy.

See, when you're in the NYU print program, Reporting New York, you grab your notebook, a pen, maybe a camera, and run straight into whatever story you are covering. Sure, things go wrong all the time, but it is nothing compared to the equipment troubles I've been having recently.

Last weekend, I took an Edirol recorder and a shotgun microphone to the National Equality March. I interviewed people on the bus ride there, at the march, and recorded speeches at the foot of the capital. Then, I listened to my tape.

It turns out on that every bump I hit on the bus created a weird wobbly sound in my interviews. I monitored my recordings with headphones the whole time but I must have missed it. I hope that I can still create a piece out of it, but the possibility that a whole trip to the capital was wasted keeps me up at night.

Unlike my radio work, I've been successful at video. My first piece, "The New York Comic Shop," (shot on a Canon FS100) was praised by my professors and peers. I spent hours and hours filming and putting it together to create something I am proud of. But, when I started filming for my second project, all hell broke loose.

My ambition got the better of me and I decided to take a high-tech HD camera I was unfamiliar with to the Big Apple Comic Con. Everything imaginable went wrong: My headphones weren't working, I accidentally filmed in high quality so I instantly filled up all three of my memory cards, I couldn't figure out how to shut off the flash, and - to this day - have not figured out how to get the videos on my computer.

Sure, video problems might haunt me, but it is radio that will be the real challenge. Right now, I am spending, what seems like, my fortieth hour of work on a 90 second radio piece about Disney buying Marvel Comics.

I might be cursing Nikola Tesla for inventing radio, and Dean Olsher for being a perfectionist, but I’m determined to create a radio story so good that End of the Dial becomes the hottest source for radio on the web.

So, put some faith in me and stay tuned.

National Equality March Wrap-Up

2009-10-12T20:10:00.003-04:00

Early this morning I arrived back in New York City from my trip to Washington D.C. I was there covering the National Equality March for EndOfTheDial.com and it was a thrill to be a part of.

In my last post, I excitedly reported that there was up to 500,000 people there. According to Time magazine, there were around 200,000. So, even though I'm still not completely sure, sorry for any inflation on my part.

I had a hard time find an official number. I suppose I can't fault any media sources because of how hard it is to look at a large crowd and actually figure that out. Also, there has been a lot of heat on media outlets about the amount of people at Glenn Beck's 9/12 rally. Beck claims there were up to 2 million - the local fire and police departments said 30,000-70,000.

Live from the National Equality March

2009-10-11T16:41:00.005-04:00

I'm writing to you live from the National Equality March in Washington D.C.

As my fellow journalist, Ryan McClendon, and I sit in a coffee chop, we are still trying to come to grips with the events here in the capital.

My rough estimate is that there are around 250,000 - 500,000 people here protesting for LGBT equality. The excitement and the enthusiasm here is insane. People are chanting, carrying signs, and flooding the streets of D.C.

I've uploaded a bunch of my pictures to Flickr (see below).

Ryan and I got into the press area and were only a few feet away from all the speakers, including Lady Gaga. We were sitting there directly in front of the Capitol Building - loving every minute of it.

The New York Comic Shop

2009-10-09T21:59:00.003-04:00

After hours and hours of footage, I have created my first short film. I'm lucky enough to be taking a class at NYU with two of the top multimedia journalists, Matt Rivera and Adam Penenberg, and this is what I've come up with. I have two more videos to go, so I hope I continue to get better. Thanks for your support and please check out the website I set up for their class: The Comic Book Times.

Photography

2009-10-03T14:32:00.005-04:00

I'm not sure what makes great photography. Sometimes, I think it is being at the right place at the right time. Other times, I think it is just taking a fantastic photo - regardless of the subject.

As a journalist, I take my camera with me every time I cover a story. Of the hundreds of photos I have taken, only one ever got published. Still, I think I have produced some good stuff over the years.

I have posted above, what I believe, to be my best photos.

John Titor

2009-10-03T12:01:00.005-04:00

Sort of a follow up to my Best YouTube Conspiracy Videos post, I recently came across a video about John Titor, a time traveler. The stories of Titor on the internet are cool, but a lot of his predictions never came true (like the Olympics ending in 2004).

It seems like a lot of Titor's advice to people had a right-wing agenda. You can view all of his predictions here.

According to his fans, Titor came from a different dimension, so that is why several of his prophecies never came true.

My favorite thing about the theory is that there is actually a real Florida family with a young boy named "John Titor" who has hired a lawyer. Pretty funny stuff. I couldn't find any other talk of the young John Titor, besides the one radio program fueling much of the story: Coast to Coast AM.

I was reading an issue of Marvel Comics' Cable (a time-traveling mutant) and thought to myself, "I wonder if there are any time travel theories on YouTube?" It's amazing what you can find on that site.

A long overdue return to radio

2009-09-22T21:32:00.006-04:00

It seems like a lifetime ago now, but back when I was at Northern Michigan University I had my own radio show called, "The Philly Philmore Show." From 10-Midnight for two and a half years I played my own brand of rock on WUPX FM.

NMU's radio station was different than all others in the state because DJs were allowed to play whatever they wanted (with me it ended up being a lot of White Stripes, Flaming Lips, and Elliott Smith). Another great thing was that we had an extremely strong antenna (second of all college radios in Michigan, except for MSU).

This semester, my last at NYU, I decided to take a radio journalism class. It's not the kind of radio I'm used to, and it is way harder to do, but it sure is a lot of fun.

My radio piece is on a website I set up for class: The Comic Book Times.

“I hear her voice, in the mornin' hour she calls, The radio reminds me of my home far away, And driving down the road I get a feelin' That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday” - John Denver

Michigan Diaspora

2009-09-20T13:56:00.003-04:00

I have been reading about foreign immigrants moving to New York City all morning and I've started wondering about how many Michiganders have moved here.

My roommate and I (both from Michigan) keep running into people from our home state in the Big Apple, so I have to guess there are a lot of us. Before we both moved here, we lived in Chicago where it seemed like every other person was a Michigander.

Does anyone know how many Michiganders live in New York City?
Also, a larger question, with the highest unemployment in the country, where are Michiganders moving?

My guesses would be 1) Chicago, 2) New York City, 3) Indiana, 4) Florida, 5) Ohio.

I have been unable to find any hard data on this, although this article touches on it a bit. I feel like this would make an excellent article, so please pass forward any information you can find. Thank you!

Britain’s Unions Boycott Israeli Goods

2009-09-17T10:37:00.005-04:00

I feel this is rather big news that is not being reported by the mainstream news, so I've put it on my blog.

PRESS RELEASE -- In a landmark decision, Britain ’s trade unions have voted overwhelmingly to commit to build a mass boycott movement, disinvestment and sanctions on Israel for a negotiated settlement based on justice for Palestinians.

The motion was passed at the 2009 TUC Annual Congress in Liverpool today (17 September), by unions representing 6.5 million workers across the UK .

Hugh Lanning, chair of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said: ‘This motion is the culmination of a wave of motions passed at union conferences this year, following outrage at Israel’s brutal war on Gaza, and reflects the massive growth in support for Palestinian rights. We will be working with the TUC to develop a mass campaign to boycott Israeli goods, especially agricultural products that have been produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the Palestinian West Bank.’

The motion additionally called for the TUC General Council to put pressure on the British government to end all arms trading with Israel and support moves to suspend the EU-Israel trade agreement. Unions are also encouraged to disinvest from companies which profit from Israel ’s illegal 42-year occupation of Gaza and the West Bank .

The motion was tabled by the Fire Brigades Union. The biggest unions in the UK , including Unite, the public sector union, and UNISON, which represents health service workers, voted in favour of the motion.

The motion also condemned the Israeli trade union Histadrut’s statement supporting Israel ’s war on Gaza , which killed 1,450 Palestinians in three weeks, and called for a review of the TUC’s relationship with Histadrut.

Britain’s trade unions join those of South Africa and Ireland in voting to use a mass boycott campaign as a tool to bring Israel into line with international law, and pressure it to comply with UN resolutions that encourage justice and equality for the Palestinian people.

The Best YouTube Conspiracy Videos

2009-09-05T15:35:00.007-04:00

Somehow, I got really into conspiracy videos on YouTube. It started with "Obama Anti-Christ." At first, it was so stupid that I just laughed. But, as I watched more and more, before I knew it I had spent hours on YouTube.

Then, I wanted more. I got into the some of the big conspiracies of the day. The majority of conspiracy theory movies are horrible, but I have found a few that are pretty entertaining. These are the best of the best:

The Obama Deception:

This video by "infowarrior" Alex Jones is a great New World Order/Global world government theory. It is really well done and hard to stop watching. The movie kind of falls apart at the end with Jones going on a rant outside a federal reserve building, but, for the most, this is one of the best.

Denver Airport:

There is some crazy shit going on at the Denver Airport. Seriously.

Obama Antichrist:

None of the Obama Anti-Christ videos are that great. But, this one is okay.

...And this one is a little more thought out.

Georgia Guidestones:

There a lot of good videos about the Georgia Guidestones. This is not one. But, this video is worth watching...Once you get past the music, it is just gold.

A little explanation: This guy named R.C. Christian hired a granite company in 1979 to build these stones. Nobody knows anymore than that.

The guidestones have a sort of "10 Commandments" for the New World Order. The first is, "Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature." So, basically, they'd have to kill a few billion people.

Reptilian Illuminati:

David Icke, a former English footballer, came up with this conspiracy theory that all of our rulers are actually reptilian. I know, I know. But, it is surprisingly thought out and he finds a lot of facts to back it up. Judge for yourself.

Lots of people believe him, including this guy, in my favorite conspiracy video:

9/11:
If you haven't heard that people think 9/11 was an inside job then you are living under a rock. Loose Change is the best video.

Also, the picture on the top left has a hidden Satanic message in it. It is not a doctored photo. Good luck finding it :)

The Big Rock Candy Mountain

2009-08-26T13:00:00.007-04:00

In this song about a hobo's paradise, I sing poorly and play the guitar even worse. So, basically, like how a hobo would do it.

I wish I was playing this song in a railroad car, but at least my New York City apartment is a small and cramped just like one. I reckon.

I ♥ Michigan

2009-08-21T17:19:00.010-04:00

Last summer, I really hated Michigan. After returning from living in Northern California for nine months, my hometown of St. Clair Shores seemed like a prison of concrete and consumerism. The only thing I could seem to focus on was how much I missed things in California: My friends, San Joaquin School, my girlfriend, the redwoods, AJ’s bar, etc.

I found solace in a small patch of woods behind Fishbones restaurant on 9 mile and Jefferson. I would walk my dog, Dugan, everyday through a ¼ mile patch of overgrown weeds to a hidden patch of trees. I immediately began work on a shelter of sticks, duff, and twigs in the middle of the hidden patch.

With a group of 20 kids in California I could create a shelter in about 45 minutes. In SCS, it took me two months. As the summer proved more and more difficult, it was working on the shelter that kept me sane. The world outside the hidden patch sucked: No one in SCS would hire me. My former health insurance was refusing to pay for a trip to the hospital in Chicago when a car hit me. I couldn’t get a loan for NYU because I owed $2,000 to a Chicago hospital.

I started the shelter with a large branch that looked like a “Y” and rested it on a large straight branch. Then, I combed the hidden patch for more branches, which served as the ribs of the shelter. Dugan kept taking the branches and running off with them. He was a pain, but I was happy in my work.

Eventually, we grabbed (well, mostly me) a bunch of twigs for the lattice over the ribs. That part took a really long time because I was used to having a whole redwood forest to provide materials, but the hidden patch only gave me 15 or so trees.

It was during phase 3 of the shelter that my life in Michigan started looking up. First, my former employer, Brogan & Partners Convergence Marketing, rehired me for a fifth time. Then, I was able to prove to the insurance company that I was hit by a car while I had health insurance. Lastly, I got my loan to attend NYU.

During the final phase of the shelter, putting duff above the lattice, Dugan had nothing to bite so we were able to enjoy each other’s company. I finished the shelter in the first week of August. I even created a little sitting area inside to dream of the future, and the past.

After my first semester at NYU, I took Dugan for a walk at our old spot through the howling December winds and falling snow. Arriving at the hidden patch, I was distraught.

Someone had taken a bulldozer through the patch, knocking over trees, plants, and our shelter. All that was left was a muddy, frozen patch of dirt and four trees.

* * *

A few weeks ago, I returned home to St. Clair Shores after nearly two months in West Africa. After seeing much of the worst of what human beings had to offer, from both American college students and Ghanaians, I was thrilled to be home.

I looked at the place I had resented so much since I first left it in 2005 with new eyes. The people were so friendly. The food was good. My family was, slightly, normal. And SCS, the Detroit suburb on the shores of Lake St. Clair, was beautiful.

The waters from our canal rested peacefully (except for when Dugan would jump in them), the sun and bright blue sky sent my heart soaring, and massive midwestern thunderstorms were gorgeous in their fury.

Aside from working on two stories that were way past due, I spent my two weeks at home constructing a trail through the weeds to the hidden patch. I began dragging old logs from, what I believe to be, the remnants of our shelter up through the weeds. Placing the sticks side-by-side, we cut a path through weeds so overgrown that it seemed no one had even breathed on them since the spring.

The trail is now, in my opinion, pretty swell. If any Michiganders come across this blog, here are instructions: Enter the weeds at the very end of the Fishbones parking lot where there should be two 2X4's guiding the way. Walk about 15 paces until you see a collection of sticks tied together by weeds (see picture below) and turn right. The rest of the path has sticks at least every 6-8 feet. It will lead you directly to the hidden patch.

I didn't travel much while I was home, but that was fine by me. I was able to get take out from my two favorite Detroit restaurants, Buddy's Pizza and National Coney Island. I spent some time in the western suburbs chasing a story that I started work on in Ghana (more on this later).

As I pack my things for New York, I can't help but think I'm leaving something behind. Although, I'm reminded of what one Ghanaian said in an interview to a friend of mine: "Sometimes your destiny is not in your own country." I think for me, and many of my NMU friends, our destinies are off in different states. But, that doesn't mean I can't still love my home.

I ♥ Michigan

Bill Maher Isn't So Bad

2009-08-18T11:26:00.003-04:00

I usually am not a huge fan of Bill Maher, but this clip from his show last month changed my mind.

In it, he is actually the first person I have seen on TV (who actually has a large audience) say what a lot of us are thinking. His analysis of the United States' two-party system is refreshing and, in this blogger's mind, totally true.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Final Thoughts on Ghana

2009-08-17T14:22:00.011-04:00

Ghana Log 18

I think every experience in life changes a person. Sometimes you can notice it right away, other times it takes years.

I don't always thing change is a good thing. Coming back from war with PTSD being one example. But, I have already noticed a few positive things about my time in Africa.

First, I'm really interested in Africa now. As worldly as I like to think of myself, I must admit I didn't know hardly anything about Africa until moving there. I'm not as bad as Sarah Palin, but I knew more about some European countries than I did about the whole African continent.

Now I have a better idea of what is going on over there, but perhaps more importantly, I'm actually interested in it. I've been going on BBC Africa (my favorite site for all things Africa - sorry allafrica.com) everyday since coming back and I can't get enough!

I think every American should visit there, if possible. It might actually change a lot of perceptions of our country being this great "world helper." Real progress won't happen until both sides get over what the West did way back when. It's time for us to work together to stop all modern forms of colonialism.

Second, I dislike rich white people even more. I'm willing to accept that we are all products of our environment. A poor kid from Stockton, Calif. is unwilling to try in school because his dad is in a gang and he has no support at home...and a rich white girl from the Upper West Side has everything she ever wanted so she doesn't show any respect. It's all relative, I suppose. But, I hope that if I win the lottery some day, my daughter won't get any money in her account from me.

Last, God bless America!

In no way do I support the policies of the American government or even have minimal feelings of nationalism, but the people and culture of America are amazing.

The American people are the kindest, most charitable, and most intelligent in the world. Even if half our population is ignorant, that still leaves 150,000 that are really cool. We might have one of the most evil ruling classes in the history of the world, but the American masses are still the best people anyone would want to meet in their life.

It has taken me a very long time to come to this conclusion. Before I left for England, I thought all of USA sucked. I realized after I was wrong. Before leaving for Africa, I thought even the best of us had somehow been corrupted. I now realize that is wrong.

In my travels I have met a lot of Europeans that think differently. Let me tell you, an American would never move to Ireland or Germany and start talking about how stupid the population is or how fat everyone is.

I know Europe was hot shit back in the day. All the greatest music, literature, and ideas came out of there. Well, now it's America. All the music you listen to, the movies you watch, and the best political thinkers (Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, Jeremy Scahill, Paul D' Amato, etc.) are here. Get over it.

I hope if America someday pays second fiddle to China, my kids have the tact not to go over there and start hating on the people.

That's a wrap for my time in Africa! Thank you to everyone that read my blog during this time and, especially, if you left comments.

I hope you still follow my adventures in New York City.

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

My Last Three Weeks in Ghana

2009-08-12T14:01:00.007-04:00

Ghana Log 17

Well, I became Ghanaian.

My job as teaching assistant had a lot of free time and I developed some bad habits leading into the last few weeks.

I worked extremely hard the first three weeks, but it was too easy to start relaxing towards the end. When I left for Ghana I hoped that I would get at least get two stories published. After the Obama visit, I greatly exceeded my own expectations. In addition to three published stories, I also had one story reprinted in Newsday and got a photo published in AFRican Magazine.

So, I decided to slow down a bit. Then, I slowed down A LOT.

I would usually sleep until about 11 a.m. Then, I would have some coffee and surf the internet for an hour or two. After eating something, I would hop in the shower around 2 p.m. After a light activity (walking to the academic center or grocery store), I would take a 3-4 hour nap.

The next big thing of the day would be dinner at 7 p.m. So, after that I would either go to a bar with some of the students or watch DVDs.

So, basically I started acting like a Ghanaian.

A few other factors affected my behavior. First, in Ghana they have these bootleg DVDs with like 50 movies on them. Seriously, I don’t know how it works, but some have entire seasons of TV shows on them and others with all the latest movies for the equivalent of $2. So, it was kind of hard to pull myself away from that.

Second, I wasn’t always thrilled with a lot of the students. If I am at a bar in New York I will tell you all about it, but the only thing I’ll say here is that many of them spent a huge amount of time talking behind each others’ backs and it depressed me. It's hard for me to explain because I went to an all guys Catholic prep school for High School, but it was sort of like that movie Mean Girls - except way worse.

I had such an excitement about meeting new people, but I was sad to find out that a lot of the students were not friend material.

Third, I love sleeping. Yep.

One really great thing did happen to me in those last three weeks though. After a short trip to the second-largest city in Ghana, Kumasi, I went a bit north to an orphanage in the small village of Nkwantakese.

The story coming out of this place is, I hope, going to be the best article I ever write. I've put this insane pressure on myself and I'm not sure how to deal with it. If you have any suggestions for a writer who knows he's on to something but can't quite piece it together, please write in the comments section...That is, if anyone is actually reading this?

I’m writing this as I am flying back to America. According to the GPS map on my flight, I’m passing over Senegal right now. I’m going to miss Africa, but I am very excited to come back home.

I’ll be in New York for one night and then going home to Michigan for two weeks. I still have one other story for a California paper I am working on so I’ll be posting updates about that, and the orphanage story, here.

"If you want to say something to God, say it to the wind." - Ancient Ghanaian phrase

* * *

My Worst Day as Program Assistant

2009-08-11T09:49:00.004-04:00

Ghana Log 16

The knocking of British Girl on my door woke me up.

British Girl had left her belongings with me a week earlier while she traveled around Ghana. I promptly took out her laptop and gave it to the one student without a computer.

I know my actions are pretty despicable, but I’ll try to justify myself here.

See, a few days earlier I had told a few of the girls from a separate university program they could keep their bags in my room while they traveled. Then, about a day before British Girl was set to leave, this conversation took place:

Phil walks into House 3 to check on a sick student. British Girl is on the couch.

British Girl: Phil! You look really good today.

Phil: Uh, wow, thanks.

British Girl: Yeah, are you doing something different?

Phil: Um, I haven’t shaved in a while.

British Girl: Yeah, that must be it.

Phil: Thanks, have a nice –

British Girl: I hear you are storing some luggage for people.

Phil: Yes.

British Girl: Could I keep my stuff with you?

Phil: Sure.

I am all about helping people if they just ask. I don’t need my ego stroked before I do something for someone. I suppose I could have just said no but I was taken off guard and the whole encounter was frustrating.

Back to the present…

British Girl is still knocking. She was supposed to come back on Friday, not Thursday. I stall for a few minutes saying that I am going to the bathroom. My friend, GF, has the computer in his room, so I panic.

I come outside and tell British Girl she needs to go try and find a cell phone of a student that had left it behind. It was true, my friend Simone had indeed lost her phone, but I had already checked and not found it.

While she is on her bogus search, I run up to GF’s room. The first thing I see is the computer with like 5 programs opened, blaring music, and an iPhone attached. GF is shaving and I tell him what is up. “Oh shit,” he said.

Both of us scrambled to shut off the programs and remove history of him using it. It was really dumb – GF, complete with shaving cream on his face, and my paranoid self scrambling to both operate the computer.

Then, I left GF and tried to stall her even more. While I am going to do that, I get a phone call…

My Boss: What two students are staying over night somewhere?

Phil: No one.

My Boss: Sammy [our driver] said he dropped two students off at the bus station and they told him they were staying over night.

Phil: I’ll try and find out who.

This was huge. My job was, essentially, to be the communication between the students and my boss. As we told the students MANY times, you can go on all trips you want, but you just have to tell us.

This looked horrible. They left without telling me and made me look totally incompetent. I was furious. I eventually found out the two students that had took off, whom I’ll call Bonnie and Clyde.

The reason this is a problem is that my boss and I were in charge of making sure nothing happens to the students. My university even has insurance to evacuate all the students if there is a coup or something; The insurance is pretty useless in western Europe, but in Ghana, where they had a military government up until 1996, it is important to be cautious.

I walked into my house to call my boss and I got hit with my third curve ball.

California Student: Phil, I can’t walk.

Phil: What?!

California Student: It got worse overnight. I can’t even put weight on it.

Ok, a little background here. California Student had managed to run straight into a ditch the night before. She cut up her leg pretty bad and also hurt her ankle. Clyde and I managed to bandage her up the night before and it was our opinion that it wasn’t too bad.

At this point, British Girl was starting to get annoyed. I gave her some B.S. about having to lock up her computer upstairs because my closet wouldn’t lock or something.

I called my boss about Bonnie and Clyde. He was very mad. Then, I told him about California Student. He then told me to take her to the hospital.

Clyde eventually called me back and I yelled at him. It felt good to finally let off a little steam.
I got our other driver to take CA Student and I to the doc.

Before I left, I found out British Girl had figured it out. The conversation with GF went something like this:

British Girl: The computer is still warm. Did you use it?

GF: Uh, yeah, actually I did.

British Girl: It’s OK. You’re not the one that lied to me.

So, I gathered she was pretty upset with me. Oh well, it was time to get the other girl to the hospital.

I spent the rest of the day in a horrible Ghanaian hospital. The craziness of that situation is another story altogether. After five hours of frustration, I found out the student was fine. Her ankle wasn’t broken. It was just sore. We then had to drive all over town to find a crutch for her – there are, apparently, no crutches in Ghana.

Bonnie and Clyde came back early. Clyde apologized. Bonnie, to this day, has never apologized. Imagine how I feel about that.

Over all, being program assistant for NYU this summer was one of the best jobs I ever had (second only to working at San Joaquin Outdoor School) and I can’t complain too much. But, this was one day I wished I were doing something else.

Guy's Night 2009!

2009-07-22T08:48:00.000-04:00

Ghana Log 15

You'd think it would be really cool to be the only couple guys in a big group of girls. For the most part, it is. But, every once in a while you need a break.

On Friday, the only two guys at the NYU compound (the other two were AWOL) hit the town. I wish I had more video to work with, but I think the YouTube clip I created is still fun to watch.

We went to Champs, which was really similar to a New York bar, and Tantra, a packed Osu club. A few of the girls crashed the party at Champs, but we were actually glad to see them.

The photo on the left is from my favorite comic of all time, Y: The Last Man.