A Silver Lining

Wow - now that's what I call a blog this week! Not only have I stirred the emotions of readers with my views on adoption, self and ego but I've gained some valuable friendships and opposing perspectives about a very sensitive topic. And you thought travel blogs were nothing but bragging tales of planes, trains and trips around the world. At GoNomad, taking a trip to the core of your belief systems is just as important as visiting diverse cultures and scenic locations. Now that I've established a tone for the week let me mention an interesting tidbit I heard on a NPR radio broadcast today. In 2005 Americans adopted more than 22,000 foreign babies while presently 1.6 million little people are growing up with new families. That's simply wonderful and even better, on the flipside, hundreds more foreigners are coming to the United States to adopt our children as well. The statistics continue to climb for open adoptions while not-for-profit organizations take strides in improving and simplifying the process. The show mentioned Ethiopia as especially needing of adoption attention. 2 links I found especially noteworthy and shed light on the changing dynamic: Ethiopianblog and Adoptionblog. So, now that I've vented my frustration on the matter there's a silver lining after all.

Follow-up to Selflessness

I succeeded in creating a heated debate from my previous post. It's always rewarding to take in other points of view to assuage my own and see how much my stubborn side budges. Maybe I've read too much Schopenhauer, watched too much news and/or have visited one to many poor countries but no argument changes how I feel about adoption. I don't believe in the Bell Curve as a measure of success so "good genes or not" everybody is capable of becoming an Albert Einstein, Rembrandt or President of the U.S. (obviously). It might be more difficult for those with impairments or lower I.Q.'s but nothing is impossible with the right attitude. And until you've been in places with thousands of babies waiting for their turn at adoption (the documentary I shot last year) it's hard to embrace artificial insemination, hormone treatments and/or parents having more than 2 or 3 children before considering adoption. Parents who have no way to support, nurture, provide and positively influence a child’s life do the most noble thing - they give someone else a chance to do so. What could be more gratifying to the child, the parent as well as the couple adopting? I'm searching for enlightenment here so anyone with a wiser understanding of this would be appreciated!

Survival of the Selfless

Finally I found a friend who feels the same way I do about over-population, adoption and the selfish reasons parents give for having children. She shatters the stereotype that voluntarily childless women are self-centered, immature or materialistic but instead exemplifies the selfLESS reasons for not having children in today's world. I realize I'm going to upset a few parents out there but reflect for a moment. Read over the following list and ask yourself how these reasons for not having children can be misconstrued as selfish?

1. There are so many children already here who need foster parenting, adoption or charity why have your own?
2. When two people have to work to support the child, the child is usually raised by day care and that's upsetting.
3. There's a strain on environmental resources - the world is already overpopulated and unable to support the people already here.
4. Increase in overpopulation - having children geometrically increases this problem and all of the problems that come with it.
5. Choice not mandate - parenthood has to be a choice, not everyone is meant to be a parent and the church and medical society are guilty for encouraging thoughtless procreation.
7. Danger - the world is a dangerous place and it is not right to bring a child into it.

Now check over some of the reasons I heard or read for having children of your own:
1. Personal Biological Urge - to satisfy a biological urge triggered in a women's thought process.
2. Personal Extension - carrying on the genetic heritage, family name or personal image of the parent.
3. Personal Status - culture affords parents respect just for being a parent.
4. Personal Competence - gratification from facing the challenge of parenting and proof of personal achievement.
5. Personal Power - some find the power they have over children gratifying
6. Moral worth - some feel it is a good and selfless act to put the life of another first, or that it is a moral obligation to have children.

Now, you tell me who's being selfish when a couple chooses to have their own instead of adopt? For more information: Childfree-by-Choice and Population Connection and of course, this Alternative Choice website.

More of Moi

If your not sick of seeing enough of my mug with my articles, here's a link to my most recent GoNomad Profile as well enjoy an article or two that will inevietably give you some great ideas where to spend your summer vacation this year. And if you like to share your stories and photos give travel writing a whirl and submit it to GoNomad. You never know, you too can have your name is lights: LED-style.

Soul Food in Graceland

I'm unwillingly earning something of a reputation for taste-testing exotic cuisine but what's there to love about collard greens, black-eyed peas, okra and age-old cornbread in Memphis? Actually, nothing. But there is a time-honored tradition in the South to fry the bajesum out of everything besides. So, gathering at comfortable restaurant across from the Peabody Hotel a "mess o' fried foods" is ordered. Appetizers include fried green tomatoes and an alligator sampler bathed in a piquant creole-style salsa washed down with a local brew or in Jen's case, a bowl of jambalaya. Yours truly saved room for the chocolate raison brownie dripping in carmel and vanilla icecream. Everything was absolutely yummy and crushed the myth that only trailer cooking exists south of the Mason Dixon line. Following that, what could be more southern than paying homage to the "King of Rock 'N Roll"? A few weeks ago Graceland was overwhelmed with Christmas and birthday fans stretching down the hill to the musical gates but on late Monday evening all is quiet. We're running late for our flight home though and have no time for a tour of the jungle room, meditation gardens and final resting place of Elvis. The mansion as well as fried possum will just have to wait until the next time we visit Memphis.

I Smell a Grammy

Peeping through the front windows of an otherwise average looking bar on Beale we couldn't believe our eyes. 2 worlds inside we're colliding. A 25 piece Jazz Orchestra with a full-horn section playing karaoke-style. This was the culture magnet Jerry had been looking for to fulfill a life-long dream. It took a few sips of Blue Moon beer and a plea from me for the band to play longer but as soon as everyone had the right sheet music the performance began. Our secret crooner took center stage and wowed the audience as well as the musicians belting out a Harry Connick Jr. version of "It Had to Be You". The Channel 6 weekend anchor proved he must be moonlighting somewhere in Albany, if not, maybe he should be. Following a roaring applause, even the boys from the band were offering the freshmen crooner a permanent weekend spot at Alfreds. More to come on Memphis Mania in tomorrow's entry.

Memphis Mania

Memphis Mania started Sunday morning barreling to Albany airport with little less than 10 minutes before my flight. I prayed to the Travel Gods, "Please, let this be one of the days Northwest is delayed". No can do - my cohorts boarded and bound for Memphis without me leaving angry messages in transit on my cell. Sunday and Monday, St.Jude hired PilotGirl to shoot the Danny Thomas Children's Hospital, Target and Grizzly House and tour the Ronald McDonald Home. It's the CBS St. Jude telethon time-of-year and some favorites from my old stomping grounds, Reporter Jerry Gretzinger along with Anchor Greg Floyd and Producer/Director Michael Bobnick were along for the adventure. Skip ahead 7 hours and one very expensive cab ride later and I've caught up with my troops. I worked inside the St.Jude Research Hospital 2 years ago but much has changed since the last visit. New buildings, new doctors, new artwork but alas, the same hopeful and resilient children battling cancer everyday. We wrapped up early to pop a trolley for Beale Street and the Peabody Hotel. In the heart of “Blues City,” the The Peabody Memphis is a historic southern treasure. Ducks roam the fountain in the Grand Lobby and monthly scotch and cigar tasting is the norm. Jerry couldn't resist taking home a bag of Davidoff No. 2 Classic Series handmade in the Dominican Republic. Besides a few dozen straggler pan-handlers and bright neon signs we had the restaurant as well as the bar scene to ourselves. But then things got interesting.

(To Be Continued...)

PilotGirl's First Official Write-up

Joel Stashenko, top writer for the Business Review stopped by last week to write about PilotGirl Productions. This was a really big deal since the Business Review is a national paper in 41 cities covering businesses in growing areas like Albany. The article debuted on Friday and Joel really captured the reasons I left Channel 6 TV News and the difficulties venturing out on your own. The printed version is finally online (and front page) so no need to download the PDF files. Check it out here.

Freezing Fitness

"I can't possibly jump off the treadmill and break my stride now", I think to myself. But the fire alarms at the YMCA are going off loud and clear and there's no pretending that I can't hear them. A flood of disgruntled trainers and excercisers reluctantly head for the stairs. We all know its a false alarm. Ever since the new YMCA opened it's doors with a huge Olympic size swimming pool, sauna, steam room and whirlpool, membership has doubled leaving hundreds more little kids pulling pranks and electricians still testing the system. Whoever caused the distruption this time couldn't have been picked worse weather to vacate to. With windchill the arctic blast topped -10 degrees this morning. And protocol demands you leave immediately so there's no time to grab a jacket, hat or mittens. Most of us had beads of sweat from our workout freezing to our foreheads and wet hair forming icycles in minutes. Can anyone say hypothermia? Back inside I skipped the rest of my work out and heading straight for the sauna to melt off. If I'm sick in a week I want February for free Mr. Y.

Travel Chakra

Another fantastic weekend spent at the Adventure Travel Expo with the GoNomad gang and my beautiful film Producer friend Miss Angela. The Adventure Travel Expo stirs your travel juices for the year ahead by rapping with reps at hundreds of fancy booths - many offering door prizes, freebies, cool swag and discounts. Unlike last year, or the year before, the party was not held at the Jacobs Javits Center but rather Pier 94 way uptown. But that gave Miss Angela, a friend I haven't spoken to in many months, time to rattle off all the amazing projects she's been working on. Movies and documentaries that should be debuting any day now. At the Expo, I scored business cards for press junkets in Florida, Montana (again) and Maine. Angela got a sugar buzz off samples of free salt-water taffy and Organic Açaí superjuice. Paul, Max and Kent signed up several more GoNomad brethren with passion for travel. The Adventure Travel Expo truly is THE place to find your travel chakra - the epicenter in everyone's consciousness that energizes our physical, emotional and mental states.

Following the show the party carried on at a pizza place called Patsy's on the East Side at 200 East 60th S. One Insalata, 2 bottles of red, several large pizza's and 2 pasta bowls later and I was ready for bed. But Angela had other ideas. She invited me to a friend's cockroach-infested apartment in Chelsea for an all-night poker party. I sat wedged between a plug-in volcano (not the kind that spews lava), a guy a shade away from being "Silent Bob" and 3 dudes with more tatoos than nose hair. Yuck, definitely not a pretty site but an experience akin to my college-beat years. Oh, and I learned Poker.

Travel Ideas for 2007

Thinking of traveling to Europe this year? Look no further than Lincolnshire, England. It's much more affordable than London, Kent or Birmingham and much prettier. Check out my latest GoNomad article/photos all about the town of Lincoln. There's even two video travel shorts I shot and edited at the bottom of the article to enjoy. Vic Hughes is the country's most knowledgeable tour guide with a crafty sense of humor that only the Brits can deliver. Article #2 is soon to follow all about ancestral tourism and the 400th anniversary of the founding of North America. Of course, as you know, it was the sailing of 3 bath-tub size ships (Discovery, Susan Constant, and Godspeed) from London in 1607 that founded the first English-speaking settlement in Amerca, known today as Jamestown, Virginia. Enjoy the article and write with feedback.

Shadow Puppet Theatre

When I can't quite take another minute of suburban living I hop in the car and head straight for the East Village in downtown Manhattan. Artist-graphic designer-poet extraordinaire Jenn Drue, is sure to drag me to a bohemian nightclub or wacky performance gig to mingle with eccentric characters. Last night was no exception. When I finally found parking, we thought we were late for the 7pm 'Shadow Puppet Theatre' show so we ran like crazy up and down blocks on the Lower East side. Dodging traffic and potholes we arrived with zero seconds to spare. The deserted building was splashed with graffiti, spray paint, posters and tags. The neighborhood epitomized pop and punk culture and I knew immediately it was the panacea I drove here for. We lifted the black curtain to discover we were early by an entire hour. One hour of beer and fries at the corner pub later and the show started.

First up a slam poetry tag-team by the name of Alixa and Naima. They slam about activism, racial justice, prison abolition and gay equality. Their words are so poignant and body language so powerful that I didn't mind sitting on a crowded dirty floor for hours. I could have done with a little less shadow puppets but this sample from a favorite called BEING HUMAN by Naima quickly made up for it.

I wonder if the sun debates dawn
some mornings
not wanting to rise
out of bed
from under the down-feather horizon

If the sky grows tired
of being everywhere at once
adapting to the mood swings of the weather

If the clouds drift off
trying to hold themselves together
make deals with gravity
to loiter a little longer

I wonder if rain is scared
of falling
if it has trouble letting go

If snow flakes get sick
of being perfect all the time
each one trying to be one-of-a-kind

I wonder if stars wish
upon themselves before the die
if they need to teach their young to shine

I wonder if shadows long
to once feel the sun
if they get lost in the shuffle
not knowing where they’re from

I wonder if sunrise and sunset
respect each other
even though they’ve never met

If volcanoes get stressed
If storms have regrets
If compost believes in life after death

MORE

No Umbrellas Needed

When I was little I wanted to fly in the worst way. Then I saw Mary Poppins and determined that that was the way to do it. I grabbed the biggest umbrella I could find and crawled up the side of the house to the second story roof. There I waited for a big gust of wind to jump into. This was it - I was going to fly! But I didn't wait long though before my worried parents frantically cajoled me to come back down. I refused and then hurled myself into the next big gust. I could have sworn I was airborne for a brief second. The sensation was wonderful. But then all 60 pounds of me came crashing down twisting an ankle and scraping up my elbows.

Fast forward 30 years and there's a ride that lets everyone experience Zero G's and weighlessness and not risk breaking a limb. It's called ZERO GRAVITY and it's not a simulated ride. An actual 727 plane flys between 24-34,000 feet pulling maneuvers that lets it's passengers float free like astronauts do. You may have seen this advertised on a 7-Up commercial or on an episode of the Apprentice. This is definitely going down on my Top 10 List of things to do before I die. And I might need a lifetime to save up the $3,750 it costs for the experience.

Pretty Pelham, New York

Who wouldn't love a town symbolized by a large oak tree surrounded by a circular iron fence? In Pelham, NY you'll find plenty of large oaks along with hauntings at the Priory, historical carriage houses and high-society mansion museums. I made a day trip yesterday when the weather was a creepy 72 degrees. Weather this warm reminds me of the 2004 tsunami. It's curious, exciting and tempting to want it to last forever. But when the tide comes rushing back we're all going to be caught off guard by the consequences. Anyhow, Pelham was a good diversion from the weather because I basically worked inside all day. I did however get the chance to explore the area after getting lost coming home. The city was established a little over 350 years ago by a English Brit by the name of Thomas Pell. It's located 30 miles north of New York City in the seriously overpriced neighborhood of Westchester. What's wonderful is that thousands of acres of woodland have been preserved for hiking, fishing, picnicking and camping. Yes, lots of oak trees still mature here and schools like Pelham Memorial High School crank out students at the top of the heap. A school like this would inspire me too.

The Cult Continues

I've been batting around an old track phone for years. It costs a fortune to call outside area code and gives terrible reception. It's missing all the fancy bells and whistles of a Blackberry and service from a premiere provider like T-Mobile. In short, it sucks. Sure to be a cell phone, Apple pundits are 99% confident that Steve Jobs will debut the gadget du-jour at the Mac World Expo on Tuesday. Apple's been teazing throngs of faithful with something dubbed the iTV since September. The iTV (or cell phone) is sure to have enhanced music capabilities, email and synchronisation with other Macs. Being a zealot of all things mac I pay homage to the retail store once a month. The staff though are very tight-lipped and won't reveal a word. But like the i-Pod, i-Sync, i-book, i-Life and everything else with the ubiquitous "i", it's safe to say that investing in Apple (even this late in the game) might be a good "i-dea".

Mistletoe Moments

Is it 2007 already? I finally have time to blog again making this the first entry in 2007. I was asked months ago to film a wedding on New Years Eve and thought nothing of it until alternative party invitations starting pouring in last week. Regretably, I turned down some wild, wacky, crazy celebrations on New Years Eve to instead butt heads with a minister, trip on the bride's train and capture mistletoe moments on the dance floor while the DJ spun Spears and Simpson requests. It took a tall order of Cranberry and Vodka to wash away that evening! The following morning I sprung back into action working on the New York State Inaugeration address of our new Governor Eliot Spitzer. Finally, a Democratic Governor with hopes of cleaning up government corruption, a mess of debt, rising tax burdens and a failing health care system. I guess some things are worse than getting "happily-ever-aftered".... like being Governor of this crazy state. Well, it's not as optomistic an entry as I hoped but it is honest.