How is New York City Different?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

The Best YouTube Conspiracy Videos

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 :)

I ♥ Michigan

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

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

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

Guy's Night 2009!

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.

Garin in Ghana

Ghana Log 14

My friend Garin has a fun blog called Follow Garin in Ghana that I recently helped with.

One of his friends from Florida sent him a list of misconceptions about Africa, so I did my best to clear them up.

It's crazy to think that in a few days I will have been living in Africa for one month.

You can view the article HERE.

Also, during research for an article I'm doing about African-Americans coming to Ghana I discovered that Garin probably has ancestors from England. So, considering my ancestors come from Scotland, he is the one oppressing me...in a roundabout kind of way. It seems strange considering he is such a nice guy, but now everytime I look at him I want to yell, "Freedoooommmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Obama Wrap-Up

Ghana Log 12

I feel like I am following this guy around.

So far, I have had seven published stories about Barack Obama. Three were on NYC Pavement Pieces, one (about Obama political buttons) for the New York Daily News, one in Socialist Worker, one in amNew York, and, as of yesterday, one in The New York Amsterdam News.

I also got my first ever photo credit for a story in The AFRican Magazine.

I also have written a lot about his policies on my blog. I even had a poll asking visitors if they cared about him visiting Ghana (72 percent said "Yes" and 27 percent said "No").

My personal views on the political system in the United States are much different than the president's supporters so I don't want to risk this blog becoming an "Obama blog." Regardless, I'm happy for each and every visitor to The Mid-Twenties.

* * *

“In America the President reigns for four years, and Journalism governs for ever and ever” - Oscar Wilde

Africa Bites

Ghana Log 11

Well, it was going to happen eventually.

The hardest part about living in Africa, and one the things that has made life for Ghanaians so hard, is disease caused by a poor water supply. It is all too easy to get this bad water into food and, I assume, I ate something with contaminated water.

On Monday, I woke up feeling a little sick. I first took care of a student that had been throwing up all night and then went to class. The whole morning I felt like I might throw up myself, and then around noon it finally hit: I threw up more than I ever have in my whole life. At least 8 or 9 times.

Then, I went home and slept for four hours. When I woke up, it was the same thing all over again. Basically, my body was doing anything possible to get rid of something inside me. It was gross, painful, and exhausting.

Four other students ended up being sick too. We think it was from the same Chinese restaurant, but who knows. I'm happy to say, after a truly brutal 24 hours, I'm back to my old self.

I guess having stomach problems is part of the African experience.

My First Published Story from Ghana!

Ghana Log 9

Yesterday, Barack Obama visited Ghana and it was time for me to get to work. I wrote three stories for three different publications. It was a real challenge because I had to have different sources for each story and had to write them differently. It was rough, but by 7:15 p.m. I had submitted all the stories.

My first story published from this amazing country was in am New York.

You can read it HERE.

Obama Song is a Hit in Ghana

Ghana Log 8

Blakk Rasta, a Ghanaian reggae artist, created a hit song called "Barack Obama" that is all the rage here in Ghana.

You here it blaring on radios all across the capital, Accra.

Tomorrow I will go to the Convention Center where Barack Obama is speaking, and then attempt to follow him to the Cape Coast. I'm sure I'll be hearing this song A LOT.


You can read the lyrics Here.

Obama Excitement Grows in Ghana

Ghana Log 7

While wandering around Green Court, an area close to Labadi Beach, I met a 22-year-old student named Lovelace Telleh. I noticed that he wore a cross around his neck and we found out that we were both Catholic, so from that point of reference we started to hit it off. It turned out we shared an interest in music, writing, and talking about girls.

I was a bit nervous, at first, that Lovelace might not be as genuine as he seemed, but I was wrong. He helped me travel all around Accra, translated for me during interviews, took pictures for me while I interviewed, and taught me a lot about Ghana.

At the end of the day, I gave him some money for a taxi and he wouldn't take it! But, then I insisted and he finally took it. So, not bad for a Ghanaian. Anyways, he was an awesome guy and we will hang out again soon.

EXCLUSIVE: Baboon Risks Death in Harrowing Escape!!!!

Ghana Log 6

In a blatant disregard for his own life, a baboon known only as "Fred", runs across the highway in this exclusive clip obtained by The Mid-Twenties.

Little is known about Fred other than he is, in fact, a baboon, and was given his name by a mysterious and good-looking red-haired reporter.

WATCH AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Nightlife in Accra

Ghana Log 5

If there is one thing the notoriously slow Ghanaians are fast at, it is handing you a beer.

The nightlife in Accra, Ghana is vibrant and growing. I still have so many places to go, but here are some of the ones I have gone to thus far:

1. The Chelsea Hotel and Jazz Tones - Located in my neighborhood of North Labone, the Chelsea Hotel hosts a variety of musical acts ranging from jazz, to soul, to reggae.

Beers are about GH¢ 1,50 - 2,00. A large Star beer (a local beer that tastes a bit like Heineken) is only GH¢ 2,00.

The service here is pretty bad, so I would recommend buying two Stars at once.

2. Reggae Night at Labadi Beach - My favorite thing to do, so far, is to go on Wednesday nights to one of Accra's most famous beaches for reggae night.

I always thought of reggae as a Jamaican thing, but everywhere you go in Ghana there are amazing reggae artists.

Labadi Beach is right on the Atlantic Ocean and although locals tell you not swim in there, it is a common occurrence (at least when this reporter is there).

If you are a girl, don't go there alone. Ghanaian men, in general, are very aggressive and the only chance of them leaving you alone here are if you are with a guy.

3. Ryan's Irish Pub - This bar in Osu is nothing but white people.

As expected, the prices are also just for white people. The food is really good, but spending $12 (USD) for bangers & mash doesn't sit well with me.

I guess, maybe, if I am having a "Ghana overload" I would go there, but if I wanted to hang out with a bunch of chain-smoking, drunk, obnoxious Americans I would just go to Ace Bar on E. 5th Street back home.

4. Twist - One of my American friends invited me to this North Labone bar our third night here. It's small, and expensive, but the DJs are great and it has the best mix of ex-patriots and Ghanaians that I've seen.

I could sit here writing about all the details, but there is only one thing that matters about this place: every time I go I have a good time.

* * *

A Haiku for You

Ghana Log 4

I wrote a haiku about life in Ghana using three metrical phrases of 5, 7, 5 moras (sometimes I veered off).

"Monday in Accra"

Accra's sun is strong
Rain comes to a stubborn end
The O'bruni is red

Lizards move swiftly
Frogs croak in rain puddles
Crows eat on the roof

Street kids hustle goods
No school for these poor chaps
Can you spare a cedi?

* * *

Hearts of Oak Soccer Match

Ghana Log 3

Yesterday, I went to a soccer match at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in Accra.

I'm working with the students on a whole package about the match; We are going to have a slideshow, a video, and a print story on Africa Dispatch.

I have posted a video below of the Hearts of Oak player, Eric Gawa, scoring the winning goal against Eleven Wise FC.

The Hearts of Oak is the top team in the Ghana Football Association.

Settling In

Ghana Log 2

Ghana is the greenest place I have ever been.

As soon as we walked off the plane we were surrounded by huge palm trees, hundreds of trees and plants that I have no idea what they were, and vines covering everything.

Driving to our apartments we saw streets so packed with people that they were spilling out into the street, cabs (colored with orange panels in the front and back) driving crazier than NYC ones, and Ghanaians selling everything you can imagine in the middle of the road.

The first few days are a bit of a blur.

My ears were severely clogged coming off the plane and my cold was pretty bad that first day. Luckily, as can be expected, my cold went away very quickly. It must have been my nerves. Each day I woke up feeling better and better.

I've been here five days and love it.

The people are so friendly it is sick. I'm met with an unbelievable curiosity everywhere. I can seriously walk out my apartment and not see a single white person all day. Everyone stares - which sucks a bit - but they all are extremely eager to be interviewed (a huge contrast from reporting from in NYC).

Two days ago I got lost in our neighborhood in Accra, North Labone, and I met two Ghanaians, David and Juice, who helped me get to a restaurant. I had been lost in the blazing sun for over an hour and was extremely stressed out. They decided to stop what they were doing and walk 20 minutes with me to the ChocCheese (the weirdly named restaurant). They didn't ask for anything in return. It was amazing.

I have a gigantic apartment to myself and love my job. The undergraduate students are really cool and we are quickly becoming friends. My job is extremely rewarding - helping students work on stories and report actually rivals my experience teaching in California.

The main thing I needed to get used to was the unreliability of things. The water goes off, the internet is almost never working, the power goes out at least four times a day, and food at restaurants takes about an hour to come out - if you're lucky. Still, I find it kind of refreshing; I feel like my mind is becoming clearer without so many distractions.

I want to stay longer than I am set to be here. In fact, I've already been asking around about extending my flight.

* * *

The photo in this article is by my friend Stephen Zook. Check out his excellent Dateline Accra blog.

On the Road Again

Ghana Log #1

I can't tell you why moving this time around freaked me out so much. Maybe it was because I was going farther from home than ever before. Maybe it was that I was going to a new place with an actual job to do. Or, yet still, I knew that spending two months in west Africa would be the greatest challenge I ever had.

The night before I left I started coming down with a cold. This is pretty typical of my nerves taking over. The same thing happened to me the day I moved to London and Chicago (for some reason, I was spared this when going to SF and NYC) so I tried to not let it bother me.

To make things worse, I have a feeling that the bugs in my apartment know when I'm nervous. (If you know anything about this phenomenon, please write in the comment section below).

Let me tell you a quick story...

On a hot September night last summer, I nervously prepared for my first day of class at NYU. I ironed my clothes, set my automatic coffee maker, and programmed my alarm clock for three hours before I would have to walk 15 minutes to NYU.

When I woke up the next morning I felt really odd. I couldn't stop scratching my skin, and I could barely open my eyes.

I had been ferociously attacked by a swarm of bugs in the night.

I had bites all over my face and hands, one huge welt on my cheek, another on my nose, and my eyelids (evidently bitten) were near swollen shut.

I went to my first day of class looking like I had been up all night getting my ass kicked.

Back to the present...

Complete with a now very swollen throat, I was awakened around 4 a.m. by a mosquito flying around my face. Now ever since that first day of class, my roommate Nathan and I had gone through great pains to protect ourselves from the merciless bug farm known as "Avenue B Community Garden." But, as if those heartless scum could tell I had a big day coming up, they struck again.

I woke up Friday morning with over 20 bug bites (I counted) and my left eye horribly swollen. To say the least, I was disappointed. I had spent the last month and a half almost exclusively getting ready for Ghana. I was working out four times a week, setting up freelance gigs, getting shots and visas, etc. This is not the way I wanted to arrive in west Africa.

Regardless, I managed to finish packing and get to the airport. It was my job to find the NYU Journalism in Ghana students and make sure they got on the plane. The only problems were one student temporarily not getting her boarding pass (credit card problem) and three students not showing up at the last minute (one student was so late that we didn't see her getting on the plane and thought she missed it).

Luckily, all the students were really cool and it calmed my nerves. Still, I didn't sleep the whole 11-hour flight. I stayed up blowing my nose, watching the in-flight movies, and daydreaming about Ghana.

I thought hard about all the new things I would see, all the friends I would make, and hoping our apartments were near the beach.

Pedestrians in Times Square

In New York City, it's the little things that matter. Last week, I was thrilled to experience Times Square opened to pedestrians. 

A stretch of Broadway between 42nd and 47th street became a haven for tourists and curious New Yorkers to sit on beach chairs and really soak in the famed square. My mom and I (see above) sat for close to an hour near 42nd street. It was as if, for once, you could enjoy the place. 

Walking around Times Square is usually havoc; the streets are so packed that people often spill over into roads filled with out of control Taxi drivers and tour buses. I must say, I'm impressed, for the first time, with something the local government is doing here. 

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he will decide in December if the closed-off areas will become permanent. Well, this New Yorker hopes they do...but that doesn't mean I'm voting for Bloomberg.

NYU Comic Book League

Over at the NYU Comic Book League blog, I made a video of my friend, Mike, and I walking all over Manhattan giving out our publication. 

It was a lot of fun and you can view the video here. 

Below I posted one of the many videos I shot on my camera phone for the movie. Unfortunately, I could not get the .3gp files from my phone into iMovie. Once again, I find myself frustrated with a Mac - and missing my PC. 

Anyways, in this video I discover the New York City library at Bryant Park is haunted!

Last Day at the News

For five months, I poured everything I had into my internship at the NY Daily News. In the end, I didn't get hired as a full-time reporter. But, besides learning a lot about journalism, I got a lesson in humility; there were a lot of us NYU students at the News and it was hard to 1) Keep it to myself when I got stories published, and 2) Not become insanely jealous of my peers' success. I still have a lot to learn about controlling my competitiveness, but the things I learned there will, hopefully, help me in future newsrooms. Working at the News was competitive, heart-breaking, and, overall, a lot of fun.

I have listed almost all of my work below (some articles didn't appear online). For those not in the know, a byline is a story written just by me, a joint-byline is one I wrote with someone else (or just gathered quotes for), and a tagline is a story I worked on that didn't do enough for to warrant a byline. Thanks for your support!

Bylines:

1. Mammograms: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/03/30/2009-03-30_wait_to_schedule_lifesaving_breast_exams.html
2. National Pig Day: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/03/01/2009-03-01_central_park_zoo_goes_hogwild_for_squeal.html
3. Obama Really Pushes Buttons: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/02/01/2009-02-01_president_obama_really_pushes_buttons.html
4. City Hall Money: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/01/25/2009-01-25_new_york_in_line_for_34b_boost_under_oba.html
5. Cheyenne Diner: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/01/25/2009-01-25_cheyenne_diners_bright_lights_leaving_bi.html
6. Cyclone Rollercoaster: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2009/04/06/2009-04-06_new_yorkers_turn_out_in_droves_to_catch_.html
7. World Laughter Day: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/05/03/2009-05-03_world_laughter_day.html

Joint-Bylines:

1. Lottery: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/03/09/2009-03-09_new_york_state_lottery_draws_same_number.html
2. Dead Motorcyclist: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/03/08/2009-03-08_motorcyclist_21_killed_in_brooklyn_by_dr.html
3. City Pets: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2009/03/01/2009-03-01_city_pets_are_suffering_through_the_rece.html
4. Prisoner Escape: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/02/15/2009-02-15_at_new_yorkpresbyterian_hospital_drug_su.html
5. St. Valentine’s Day: http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/02/15/2009-02-15_valentines_day_is_over_but_many_stores_o.html
6. Three People Killed: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/02/09/2009-02-09_three_people_killed_in_overnight_mayhem.html
7. Inauguration: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/01/18/2009-01-18_days_align_in_mysterious_way_for_barack_.html
8. Bronx man shot dead: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/04/27/2009-04-27_shows_off_gun_pal_shot_dead.html
9. Bronx violence: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/04/27/2009-04-27_2_killed_in_weekend_of_bx_violence.html
10. Heat wave: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/04/26/2009-04-26_its_a_heat_wave_in_april_tempature_climbs_to_record_territory_in_new_york.html
11. Post Office closing: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/04/16/2009-04-16_james_a_farley_post_office_to_close_24hour_window.html
12. Man killed in chute fall: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/04/13/2009-04-13_man_killed_in_trash_chute_fall.html

Taglines:

1. A-Rod Partying: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/02/08/2009-02-08_steroidtainted_arod_gets_his_drink_on_in.html
2. Porn Tax: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/02/15/2009-02-15_adult_download_tax_proposal_awaits_clima.html
3. Chicago Murders: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/01/26/2009-01-26_chicago_police_question_violent_exboyfri.html
4. Chicago Murders 2: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2009/01/25/2009-01-25_for_knicks_eddy_curry_nightmare_continue.html

Big Day at the News

Yesterday was a busy, but fun, day at the News. I travelled across four boroughs and chased a bunch of stories. I have three shared by-lines in the paper today. Not bad, I think. 

It's a heat wave in April!

Two Killed in Weekend of Bronx Violence

Bronx man shot dead by accident as friend shows off gun

Also, I had enough pictures left from the first story to make a Coney Island slideshow:

*Update* Raw Video: GSOC Protest

Note: Journalism ethics prevent me, a GSOC/UAW member, from reporting on this event. So, I just pieced together some footage here for my personal blog. 

Early this afternoon a group of 60 New York University students met in the main floor of the Bobst library to protest the university's refusal to negotiate with the graduate student union. 

The GSOC/UAW union has been without a contract since 2005 when the NYU administration used a controversial National Labor Relations Board decision to no longer recognize its student employees as workers. 

To make things worse, the university is planning a drastic restructuring of funding for graduate school. The new plan, Financial Aid Restructuring 4 (FAR4), which has yet to be implemented but is getting closer to NYU President John Sexton's approval, will do the following:

1. Eliminate Dean Dissertation Fellowships
2. The reduction of the number of fellowships (students)
3. Elimination of ALL TEACHING ASSISTANT POSITIONS
4. The institution of unequal funding packages

5. Recklessly endanger the visa status of all international students 

For more information (there is a lot more to it than I wrote) go to GSOC/UAW's website, or email: gsocuaw@gmail.com

There were less people at the protest than last time, but considering the rain and tough schedule of students leading up to finals week, it went really well. 

The rough video below shows footage from the of the one hour, silent and peaceful, "work-in" protest. 

GSOC/UAW Work-In

GSOC/UAW, the graduate student union at NYU, is currently having a peaceful "work-in" protest in the first floor of Bobst Library. 

About 70-80 people are here. These are some photos.