Chris Hondros

I was sad to hear that war photographer Chris Hondros died while covering the fighting in Libya. He took amazing photographs of some of the rawest human events imaginable. I admire journalists who are still willing to go where the action is and bring it back to us. Sometimes that means putting one’s life in danger. It looks like Chris’s luck simply ran out.

I was thinking earlier today that I would’ve probably liked Chris had I met him, but upon reading more about him I realized I might have actually had my chance. Chris was photo editor at the Technician around the time of my week as a Technician photographer. He obviously took his photography more seriously than I did!

Not funny

Dear Facebook friends,

Thanks for thinking of me when you posted that video of some poor soul falling off a table, smashing head-first into an ice-covered lake, or the myriad other unfortunate injuries that occur to people. Though you might think it’s “HILARIOUS!!1!!!!!!!,” I certainly do not and it only makes you look like a callous jackass. I don’t find it funny when people get hurt and you wouldn’t either if the person in question was a friend, family member, or (perhaps one day) you!

Karma is a bitch, y’all. Best not to go there. Show some compassion or one day that poor bastard in the video might be you.

KTHXBYE,
Mark

in Rant | 112 Words

Dear costumer . . .

Another phishing attempt hit the inbox, this time addressed to “costumers” and targeting Earthlink users.

From: “Earthlink.net” noreply@earthlink.net
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 02:18:08 +0200
Subject: Earthlink.Net – Account Suspended

Account Locked !

Dear costumer,

Due to the number of incorrect login attempts, your earthlink account has been locked for your security. This has been done to secure your accounts and to protect your private information in case the login attempts were not done by you.

If you did not trigger this lockout, follow this link to Log on to your Earthlink Account:

Click here to unlock your account
http://stsoft.homelinux.org/oscommerce/images/webmail.earthlink.net.html
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Thank you for using Earthlink.Net!

Please do not reply to this e-mail. Mail sent to this address cannot be answered.

Digging out East Raleigh

Volunteers assist with storm cleanup

I took some time off from work today to participate in volunteer efforts to clean the storm debris out of the neighborhood streets. The city’s Community Services department collected contact information for interested people to join in with dragging trees to the street.

At 10 AM, folks met at Lions Park for a safety briefing. Then after a waiver was signed, participants received a vest and pair of gloves. Then volunteers were sent to the field staging area at the Raleigh Boulevard Food Lion parking lot, where they boarded buses and vans to move into the neighborhoods. That way a bunch of cars weren’t parking along streets crowded with storm debris.

I took two other volunteers with me in my car and we drove up Millbank. Right beyond the first intersection (Brighton), we found a work crew clearing a yard of tree limbs. Feeling this was as good a place as any to pitch in, we hopped out and began to work. A construction crew was there volunteering as well, and with all the helping hands (and two chain saws), the yard was clear in no time.
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When the lights move on

At tonight’s CAC meeting, several neighbors brought up stories of people in their neighborhoods who have lost everything. These are folks who are on food stamps and have no renter’s insurance. The water bottles the Red Cross was handing out seem ludicrously wanting when one doesn’t have a roof over one’s head.

It was a sober reminder that once all the power crews and the debris crews and the news crews move on, there will still be folks here with nothing left but a pile of bricks.

Cheap thoughts: foul contest

Through each game, basketball players carry stats on their shots, assists, and fouls. There are contests held for free-throw shooting, there are dunking contests. Why aren’t there any foul contests? Players could take their best shot at each other and whomever has the most egregious foul wins. Maybe they could make it pay-per-view.

Raleigh Tornado, Part II

My night did not last long, though. It was too quiet and my urge to put my neighborhood back to right was too strong. I reluctantly left my bed and wandered through a dark home, wondering what I would do without any electricity or daylight.

I ate a breakfast of two cold mini-bagels and cream cheese, with an orange. The fridge temperature was about 50 degrees but I didn’t feel brave enough to get the other items from it. I picked up the paper from the driveway and mulled what to do next. A few neighbors stopped to chat after the sun had come up and we traded stories and tips. I got word that our power would be out for another three days. Turning down a “coffee run” offer, I gathered my gloves and new wheelbarrow and made a decision to go back to Longview to help clear trees.
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Raleigh Tornado, Part I

Boy, that doesn’t happen every day. A huge tornado roared through the Triangle yesterday, leaving a path of destruction across Wake County. Skywarn spotters reported that the Lowe’s hardware store in Apex was smashed. Other reports told of brick buildings on South Saunders Street being busted. Downtown, there are streetlights out everywhere and trees blocking many streets on the east part of town. Here at home, I’m fortunate nothing happened to our home but we’ve been without power since about 3:45 PM yesterday. I’ve been keeping the dog company while Kelly and the kids are in Virginia for a few days.
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Walter Breuing, world’s oldest man

I salute the late Mr. Breuing. What an amazing life he lived – all 114 years of it!

Walter Breuning, the world’s oldest man and second-oldest person, died Thursday. He was 114.

Breuning was born Sept. 21, 1896, in Melrose, Minn., and spent his early years in De Smet, S.D. That first decade of the 1900s was literally a dark age for his family. They had no electricity or running water. A bath for young Walter would require his mother to fetch water from the well outside and heat it on the coal-burning stove.

via Walter Breuing, world’s oldest man.

Family bonds

I got the chance to take the kids to school this morning. After I gave each of the kids a hug and walked them to the door, I was thrilled to watch them give each other a hug before they went to their own classrooms.

Now, if that’s not a great way to start the day, I don’t know what is!