• In which I answer Hank Green’s annual survey

    January 8, 2016 / 2 Comments

    Each year, vlogger Hank Green shares this survey with his friends and family, and they send him their answers. I’ve decided to follow suit by answering the questions myself and encouraging my readers to share their responses.

    Ready?

    1. Your name:
    Jade Walker

    2. Your Web page:
    http://www.jadewalker.com

    3. What have you been up to this past year?

    Working, mostly. But also saving up to buy a house and move. Full list of activities was posted here.

    4. How much longer do you think you’ll be doing what you’re doing?

    I really don’t know. I’ve been a journalist for 25 years now and the business has changed dramatically in that time period. Whether I shall continue to work in the media or branch out into another field is something I’m weighing this year.

    5. Why are you doing it?

    I’ve always felt a calling to write and serve the public. Journalism has allowed me to do both.

    6. What do you want to be doing?

    Ah, now there’s the $1 million question. I’d like to win the lottery, move to Scotland, write books, write obits and launch a podcast. But first I have to get my voice back (stupid cold). And I need to win the aforementioned lottery.

    7. What’s next in your life?

    Covering the Olympics. Covering the 2016 election. Continuing to work toward our goal of moving, possibly out of state.

    8. How You Doin’?

    On the plus side, I’m feeling better than I was last week. On the down side, I’m helping my youngest cat through the final phase of her life (fucking cancer). I also wish it would snow more.

    9. What’s the best book you read last year?

    My favorite nonfiction book was “Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania” by Erik Larson. Favorite novel was “Finders Keepers” by Stephen King.

    10. Describe a perfect day.

    Bake something delicious. Sit by the fire and drink a cup of tea while reading a good book. Spend several hours writing. Enjoy a double feature at the movies. Buy books at the Strand. Wander through an old boneyard and greet the moon. Hang out with my friends at a 24-hour coffeehouse or diner. Snuggle with my animals. And then at dawn, sleep in the same bed as my husband.

    11. Assuming that all things come to an end…how do you think humans will go extinct?

    Hubris.

    12. How are you feeling about kids these days?

    They’re our only hope for the future. I just wish they’d look up from their phones more often (and not text while driving).

    13. In this space, compose your own question, and answer it.

    What is your personal motto? Carpe noctem.

    14. Ambrosia tastes better than anything else. What does Ambrosia taste like?

    Pots de creme.

    15. If you were a cliché, what cliché would you be?

    Keep your nose to the grindstone.

    16. What is your least favorite part of any given day?

    9 p.m.

    17. Do you enjoy science fiction?

    Yes.

    18. Cheese or Chocolate?

    Chocolate, preferably dark chocolate.

    19. Where would you live if you could live anywhere?

    Scotland. Canada. New Zealand.

    20. What was your first concert?

    Winger.

    21. If you could start a business that would be instantly successful, what kind of business would it be?

    A wire service for obituaries. Or a book store that’s only open at night.

    22. Invisibility or Time Travel?

    Time travel.

    23. What’s wrong with the world?

    Lack of compassion and curiosity.

  • Help Wanted

    It’s a new year, let’s network!

    January 4, 2016 / No Comments

    Are you looking for a new job? Do you know someone who’s searching for work? Have you come across a position that would be just perfect for a friend who’s stuck in a stalled career? Let’s use social media for good.

    First, take a look at your friends list on Facebook and Twitter. Make a note of all the people you know who are unemployed or underemployed.

    Next, if you see a great career opportunity, share it! I do this several times a week and it’s such a joy to hear back when one of those postings pan out.

    Offer to write a professional or character reference. When human resources is weighing the merits of two potential candidates, the one with the sterling reviews and glowing letters of reference will probably get the gig.

    Send an attaboy/attagirl to your unemployed friend. Looking for work can be a demoralizing process, particularly when most employers fail to respond to applications in a timely manner (or at all). Sometimes, just receiving a note that says “heads up, you’re great” is all that’s needed to keep up one’s spirit while hunting for gigs.

  • Quote of the week

    January 3, 2016 / No Comments

    “I bit my tongue and did not tell my already suspicious friends that the country was also dotted with libraries that provided books to all patrons free of charge. They wouldn’t believe me anyway since I hadn’t believed it myself. My first time in a library in the United States was very brief: I walked in, looked around, and ran right back out in a panic, certain that I had accidentally used the wrong entrance. Surely, these open stacks full of books were reserved for staff only. I was used to libraries being rare, and their few books inaccessible. To this day, my heart races a bit in a library.” —Zeynep Tufekci

  • Lightbulb moment

    And so it begins…

    January 1, 2016 / 3 Comments

    Here it is, my friends: a new day, a new month and a new year. I know some people complain about how we, as a collective, simply accept when a year debuts, but I’ve always appreciated having a clearly defined moment to make a fresh start with calendars and resolutions.

    As I mentioned in a previous post, I intend to spend more time this year working on my fiction. Making stuff up is so much harder than reporting what’s actually happened, and it’ll be an uphill climb to get my imagination in shape. However, I’m determined to give it the old Girl Scout try.

    Another one of my goals is to engage in a series of 30-day experiments. The purpose of this activity is twofold — to build up my discipline levels and to explore new interests. Here’s the current game plan (subject to change, of course):

    January – Listen to a new song every day
    February – Walk for at least 20 mins a day
    March – Meditate for 15 mins a day
    April – Read a new poem every day
    May – Write a blog post every day
    June – Go vegetarian at least one meal a day
    July – Take a photo every day
    August – Record all of my dreams
    September – Write a postcard or letter every day
    October – Try a new recipe every day
    November – Write a new poem every day
    December – Perform an act of kindness every day

    In case you’re curious, today’s song is “Escape Artist” by Zoë Keating:

    If you have any additional song suggestions, feel free to send ’em. I’m pretty open to any genre.

    Lastly, in honor of new beginnings, I have redesigned my website. I hope you like it as much as I do.

    Happy New Year!

  • In Memoriam: A Look Back At Some Of The People We Lost in 2015

    December 31, 2015 / No Comments

    hourglass.jpgSome people view obituaries as morbid stories, but in truth only one line of an obit deals with death. The rest of the story focuses on the amazing lives people lead. In 2015, these 15 obituaries featured the people who most resonated with me:

    * Alana Baranick, obituary writer
    * Leonard Nimoy, actor, photographer and artist
    * Maureen O’Hara, actor
    * Harriet Klausner, author
    * Wes Craven, director
    * Kenji Ekuan, industrial engineer
    * James Horner, composer
    * Bertrice Small, author
    * Oliver Sacks, neurologist and author
    * Ann Rule, true crime writer
    * Mary Ellen Mark, photographer
    * David Carr, columnist
    * Roger Rees, actor
    * B.B. King, musician
    * Rudy Perz, ad man

    Other wonderful obituaries that shouldn’t be missed (and people who shouldn’t be forgotten):

    * Jonathan Crombie, actor
    * Yogi Berra, baseball player
    * Christopher Lee, actor
    * Ben E. King, singer
    * Jackie Collins, author
    * John Nash, mathematician
    * Terry Pratchett, author
    * Bob Simon, journalist
    * Stuart Scott, sportscaster
    * Alex Rocco, actor
    * Ruth Rendell, author
    * Burt Shavitz, businessman
    * Vincent Bugliosi, attorney