• What I read last week

    March 20, 2017 / No Comments

    One of my favorite aspects of social media is being able to share stories that others might have missed. Due to my work, I read so many interesting articles on a wide variety of subjects, features I believe should have a broader readership. If you don’t follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr — or if you didn’t get a chance to read every item I posted — here are some of the fascinating articles I read/shared last week:

    WORLD
    UNICEF says 2016 was worst year yet for Syria’s children by The Associated Press

    In drought-stricken Somalia, starving mothers forced to choose which child to feed by Dominique Mosbergen, The Huffington Post

    NATIONAL
    Trump gives CIA new authority to direct drone strikes on terrorists by Gordon Lubold and Shane Harris, The Wall Street Journal

    White House says cutting Meals on Wheels is ‘compassionate’ by Eric Levitz, New York Magazine

    BUSINESS
    The 10 hardest parts of the funeral industry by Caleb Wilde, Confessions of a Funeral Director

    TECHNOLOGY
    DriveCare devices silence cellphones to prevent distracted driving by Sherri Borden Colley, CBC News

    HEALTH
    24 million people stand to lose insurance under GOP Obamacare ‘replacement’ by Jeffrey Young, The Huffington Post

    For Melinda Gates, birth control is women’s way out of poverty by Celia W. Dugger, The New York Times

    SCIENCE
    Large sections of Australia’s Great Reef are now dead, scientists find by Damien Cafe and Justin Gillis, The New York Times

    Meet Diego, the centenarian whose sex drive saved his species by Nicholas Casey, The New York Times

    Talking with Jeanette Epps, the first black crew member on the International Space Station by Dayna Evans, The Cut

    OP ED
    The bombs of Steve Bannon by Timothy Egan, The New York Times

    From an obit writer, the last word on “The Last Word” by Bruce Weber, The New York Times

    FEATURES
    New York’s secret doors and hidden rooms by Ronda Kaysen, The New York Times

    VIDEO
    The best argument for saving public media was made by Mr. Rogers in 1969:

    AND MY NEW FAVORITE THING…
    Improve any novel by changing its second line to “And then the murders began” by Clayton Purdom, A.V. Club

    Did you encounter an interesting news or feature story that I should read? Let me know about it.

  • Tablet news

    Quote of the week

    June 18, 2016 / No Comments

    “Today we are not so much communicating as miscommunicating. Or failing to communicate. Or choosing to communicate only with those who think as we do. Or communicating in a manner that is wholly detached from reality. Too often we look only for affirmation of our own ideas rather than opening ourselves to the ideas of others.” —Marty Baron

  • 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.

  • 2015: The Year In Review

    December 29, 2015 / 1 Comment

    At the end of the year, I always take a moment to examine the ups and downs I experienced, both personally and professionally. What follows is my accounting of 2015:

    * Celebrated my 25th year as a journalist (and contemplated what that means for my future).

    * Produced hundreds of breaking news stories, including the battle against ISIS, the Charlie Hebdo attack, the Paris massacre, dozens of U.S. mass shootings, the crash of TransAsia Airways Flight 235 in Taiwan, the Russian-Ukraine conflict, the fighting between Israel and Hamas, the worldwide refugee crisis, the Baltimore riots, the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling, the change in U.S.-Cuba relations, the dangerous California drought, the Pope’s visit to America and the 2015 debate cycle.

    * Blogged for The Obituary Forum, The Blog of Death and Afterthoughts.

    * Passed the 41,000th tweet mark on my personal Twitter account (@jadewalker)

    * Received the verified checkmark on Facebook (I exist!)

    * Penned 58 journal entries.

    * Wrote 3 poems

    * Worked on my novel.

    * Walked 1.11 million steps (more than 465 miles) and climbed nearly 1,000 floors.

    * Read 45 books and countless magazines.

    * Watched 25 films.

    * Completed classes in The Most Powerful Empires in History, History’s Greatest Entrepreneurs, the Biggest Wars in History, the Most Advanced Ancient Civilizations, the Greatest Cities Throughout History, the Greatest Battles of All Time, the Most Influential Speeches in World History, Significant American Writers of the 20th Century, Great Short Stories and Beautiful Inspiration Poems.

    * Updated The Written Word and The 10th Muse mailing lists.

    * Participated in the The Society of Professional Obituary Writers, the New York City Writers Group, the South Florida Freelancers Group, the Journalism & Women Symposium and the Author’s Guild.

    * Went house-hunting in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

    * Traveled to Boston and New York City.

    * Twice hosted vacationing friends.

    * Joined a CSA.

    * Saw Stephen King and Lee Child in person.

    * Shot off a large cache of fireworks.

    * Suffered from at least 22 migraines.

    * Celebrated my 6th wedding anniversary.

    * Grieved the death of my eldest cat, Buddha, and received the news that my youngest cat, Sera, has terminal cancer. My father also died.

    * Turned 42.

    End of the yearGoals for 2016

    * Save up enough money for a down payment on a house and move.

    * Work on my fiction.

    * Write more obits.

    * Read at least 50 books.

    * Complete a series of 30-day challenges.

    * Win the lottery.

  • 5 true confessions of a jaded mind

    July 26, 2015 / No Comments

    * I can recite every line of “The Parent Trap,” “Better Off Dead” and “Pretty in Pink” from memory.

    * I believe that kitty toes are cuter that human toes.

    * I am far more likely to buy individual songs than albums. Alternatively, I prefer to purchase short story collections over individual tales.

    * I tend to savor food, particularly when I’m eating out, so it drives me a bit mad when wait staff in restaurants try to remove plates from the table before I finish my meal.

    * After 24 years in the news business, I still try to make a difference.