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Thriller fiction and Non-fiction

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CCTV on Lobster Divers in Honduras

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A few weeks ago, I posted a blog about being “made up” for international television. I had been invited to Washington DC for an interview on China Central Television (CCTV). They were doing a story on the lobster divers of Honduras for their broadcast on an English-language show Americas Now. The network broadcasts all over the world to English and Asian audiences.

The story aired last night on the network. Technically, it aired at 9:30 am Beijing time on Monday the 16th, but with the International Dateline, that made it Sunday night at 9:30 pm.

The network and the reporter, Michelle Begue, did a great job with the story. From the looks of it, they weren’t able to go out on one of the lobster boats to dive with the divers, mainly relying on stock footage and live footage and interviews with the divers who have suffered the results of diving for lobster.

As I have written about this issue and given interviews about what I’ve seen there, many people understand the issue, but others have questioned why we should care. I find it somewhat ironic that China television is telling a story about people laboring under terrible conditions when just a few weeks ago, stories broke about Chinese workers laboring under unfair conditions in China at an Apple factory building iPads and iPhones.

I see no difference in the lobster divers and men and women toiling in sweat shops. Groups have attempted to teach the divers safer diving techniques, but they get paid piecework. If you cut their diving in half, they can only make half as much money on a dive trip. They very quickly realize they can’t feed their families and their only option is to sacrifice their bodies. Apple is changing their work rules, hiring more people and still paying the men and women in the factory the same amount of money. Until that sort of thing happens for the lobster divers, there won’t be a significant change.

The story is called “Dangerous Prize” from the April 16, 2012 show. It is the first segment in the broadcast. My interview comes in around 14:09. All of the video clips and still images that show during my segment are mine.

If you want to see other stories on this subject, visit the page on my website for more links and images. You can also scan back through this blog. There are many posts from four trips to Honduras and trips to Brazil and Isla Natividad Mexico where divers harvest the sea and sacrifice their bodies..

Digital age and West Virginia

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Last night I attended the opening of a cool new place in Charleston called DigiSo. The name is short for Digital and Social media and it is an incubator for entrepreneurs in the digital age. The facility has video editing suite, a video studio with a basic lighting package, a sound studio, lecture space and office spaces for developers to rent by the hour, by the half day or longer term.

For a small time developer working on the next big digital business out of his/her home, that is a great resource. You won’t have to buy all of this equipment and don’t have to have client meetings in your living rooms! Better still, DigiSo has organized a group of 13 “anchors” who are digital innovators from the local creative community. The anchors will be there part-time to serve as mentors for people who are starting out or working on new projects. The social aspects of working together and finding inspiration and collaboration are extremely important.

Sixteen years ago, I was working on a gubernatorial campaign for Lyle Sattes. We ran heavily on the idea that West Virginia was an ideal place for people who wanted to work in the digital age, but live in a place where they could enjoy a higher quality of life. He felt they could live in West Virginia and do jobs for companies all over the world. We even published a campaign book and at least half of it was devoted to the concept. I looked around to see if Lyle was at the opening, but he wasn’t there. It appears he was simply ahead of his time. (A bit of irony, I saw the eventual winner of that primary, Charlotte Pritt, at the opening last night. She lost in the general election to Cecil Underwood.)

I am thrilled by the prospects and my hats off to the people at West Virginia State University and the people from the WVSU Economic Development Center for realizing the potential of the “digital economy”.  Just yesterday, a company announced they were going to make a $100 million investment in the old South Charleston Stamping Plant and will hire as many as 700 workers. That is fantastic news and will definitely give the local economy a shot in the arm. I see this incubator having just as much of a positive influence on the economy. It won’t happen overnight, of course, economic development and small businesses never do. But it will help to position West Virginia as a place where people can go to enjoy nature, beautiful scenery, less congestion and a greater quality of life, and still be able to compete and contribute to the global digital economy.

If you’re thinking about a creative, digital or web-based business, stop by or check it out online. The people of Charleston should be proud DigiSo is in their own back yard. I predict people will come there from all over the state to take advantage of the resources there. I know I plan to.

And I hope Lyle see this and smiles a bit, knowing he was right…if just a little early..

Getting “made up” for International Television

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Some of the earliest posts in this blog, and many posts since then, have talked about the situation of the lobster divers of Honduras and the work Dr. Elmer Mejia does in caring for those divers. I’m happy to say that the documentary project I created while working on my Certificate of Documentary Arts at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University has been used for background by the New York Times and NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams.

 

A couple weeks ago, a journalist from CCTV was in Honduras working with Dr. Mejia on her own story. Dr. Mejia recommended that she speak to me because I have been to Puerta Lempira (where the divers live) twice. After a number of phone calls and emails, we finally worked it out that I would head to Washington DC to be interviewed in their new studio for the show Americas Now. And that was how I ended up getting “made up” by a makeup artist before heading to the studio.

 

Never heard of CCTV before? It stands for China Central Television. At the beginning of February, they launched a new show called Americas Now from their still-under-construction studio in DC.

“CCTV America (as it contributes to global CCTV News) aims to inform, engage, and provide debate on a range of issues of relevance to American and global viewers with a particular interest in China and Asia. It aims to highlight coverage in underrepresented regions of the world with diversified perspectives and alternative views.

 

“On Sundays, CCTV America will feature a unique magazine program. “Americas Now” will focus on issues in Central and South America. Recognizing an absence of in-depth reporting from the region in the US media, “Americas Now” will provide long-form investigations across Latin America.” 

After getting thoroughly made up, I was interviewed in the studio by Americas Now anchor Elaine Reyes. We talked for about 25 minutes with two cameras going the entire time. It’ll be cut down to probably five minutes, but that is the nature of television. The story is scheduled to air on April 1. Should be interesting to see how it all comes together.
As you might have noticed, this is one of those stories that has gotten under my skin. I hope the continued attention will help find a way for the Moskito Indians to earn a living without sacrificing their bodies for lobster. It’s been interesting. Some of the reactions to these stories have been negative. People have said “It’s their fault. They know the risks.” Or variations on that. I don’t really believe they do. But when the only way you can feed your family is doing this job, you do it. I see no difference between this situation and people working and dying in sweatshops or in coal mines 100 years ago.

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The power of monuments

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Washington DC is full of monuments. (Yes. I know that is a fairly obvious statement. I get it.) I was there earlier this week and had to pick and choose which ones I spent my limited time appreciating. We hit all of the majors–Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR and MLK.

 

Probably more moving, though, were the monuments to great events in history—wars. More importantly, those monuments are a tribute to the men and women who offered their lives as part of them—World War II, Korea, Vietnam. These were especially relevant as I have been interviewing veterans of each of these conflicts. 

Women in Vietnam Memorial
Where the World War II monument had an almost festive atmosphere (it might have had something to do with the fact that it was 80 degrees and sunny out and that monument is full of water and fountains), the Vietnam Memorial has a much quieter, much more contemplative atmosphere. Both are appropriate to the situation, but it’s interesting to feel the power of each of these monuments. My own feelings and reactions changed while I visited them…influenced by nothing more than stone, water and emotions tied to history.
A place that you might not think of as a “monument” is Arlington National Cemetery. If you’ve never been there, plan to go sometime. I’ve been a couple times and each time I can sense the power of the place. It is beautiful, immaculate and quiet—even with the ever-present gardeners tending to the grounds.
As Bev and I walked up the hill toward the Tomb of the Unknowns, we heard the distinctive crack of a 21-gun salute. And then the second. And finally, the third. Another soldier was being laid to rest. I have no idea if it was a modern solider who died in Afghanistan or one who served years ago and returned home to die peacefully in his sleep. It didn’t matter to the men of the 3rd Infantry Division’s Old Guard. They take their duties at Arlington extremely seriously.
We were fortunate to time our arrival (totally by happenstance) just before the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns followed by two wreath laying ceremonies. It was stirring to listen to a bugler from the Army Band play taps following the laying of the wreaths offered by visiting school children. I was relieved to see the Army sergeant in charge of the ceremony smile when he spoke to the children, because he seemed like he was a moving piece of granite up until that point.
On our way out, we saw a horse-drawn caisson pulling an open hearse with a flag-draped coffin. Another funeral was about to begin. A contingent of the Army Band was on hand to play. I noticed an interesting mix of emotions on the men and women of the band. They stood around waiting for things to begin, laughing and joking, but you could also see the seriousness of it. I watched one man help make sure another’s uniform was perfect, pulling and tugging it to make sure there were no wrinkles –and this was in the back. Everything had to be perfect for the honor they were about to bestow.
A different sort of monument, but one no-less powerful, was the monument to 9/11 at the Pentagon. It honors the men and women and children that died on the plane and in the building on that terrible day. It had a quiet, reflective air about it. We were there in the early evening, just after the sun had set. Lights illuminated each of the benches. Paul Ambrose died on Flight 77 when it crashed into the Pentagon. I didn’t know Paul, but I took several classes from his father at Marshall University. Paul was a Marshall University alumnus and had everything to live for. On that day he was flying to California to deliver a report on youth obesity prevention for his employer, the Office of the Surgeon General.
Each of these monuments served its own purpose and had its own feeling and spirit. And each must be seen in person to be appreciated. Monuments may only be cold stone, water and bronze. But they serve as triggers to something deeper inside of us. That is their ultimate purpose.

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Old Bridge in Elkview

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Lately, I’ve spent more of my time writing than I have working as a photographer. I enjoy both, it’s just seemed like writing has taken precedence. I’ve been working hard on the next novel, a new children’s story and some other things as well. And most of the time, when I pull my camera out, I prefer to photograph people. I enjoy the expressions, the emotions and the connections a photograph makes.

But occasionally, an inanimate object catches my eye. There is an old bridge in Elkview, crossing the Elk River, that I find fascinating. I’m not sure of the history of the bridge or even its name. I would guess it was constructed in the 40s, but I’ll have to dig around some more and see. There was a heavily-rusted plaque on one end, up high on the steel structure, but I couldn’t read it. It has a wooden deck and would barely be wide enough for one car if it were open to the public. Today, it is officially closed, but it still carries the occasional pedestrian.
Some morning when I’m motivated, I want to go see that bridge when the fog is rising off the river. I’m sure it looks mysterious and imposing. As I walked across it this morning, it still felt solid; no sway or bounce. At the same time, it is showing the signs of decay and neglect of a bridge that has been metaphorically put out to pasture. It stands silent and lonely beside its replacement, carrying cars, trucks and buses speeding by with barely a glance from the passengers. I’m sure most people never even notice the old thing anymore. That is the fun part about coming home, I guess. I see the old things again as new to me.
I did manage to photograph one person…
I am both rediscovering my past, and the past of my home, and excited about the future. I’m always amazed at how re-energizing it is to go “be creative”. I need to remember to drag my camera out more often and capture the mundane directly in front of me. And who knows, I might just stumble across something that will show up in my next book or short story.
Just because a bridge is closed, doesn’t mean it can’t open the imagination, I guess.

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