NRU...

Here are a few stories about trains ... one is about folks from my home county figuring out it is cheaper to take the train and more entertaining... and here is one about how to kill time on the nearly two day trip [it is a NYTimes mag story - so it's long!].  I love a train ride, but after my last overnight train, I am less keen on it without putting a lot more thought into the comfort quotient.  Not saying it won't happen again, just saying it might need a lot more preparation.

More commercial like "reporting" on a teen volunteer project ... but at least this is the kind of "story" that it suited to this kind of "reporting."  I mean, there isn't anything to uncover here other than to know that these students are doing the work ... I would have asked different questions of the teens and their supporters, but I am not a journalist.  I hope those jeans do help the homeless people...not sure we found out how that would work in this story...but I am for teens thinking through *leadership* and *service* and getting patted on their backs for seeing the needs of those other than themselves. Those are all good things, but what is happening with those jeans?!

Lovely story about a young man in Kenya who figured out how to keep the lions away from his cows using recycled parts and a solar panel... ingenuity times 1000.

Nice story about someone who loves the news and still delivers it at 93!

Move over Golden Gate, the Bay Bridge would like some attention. [It's a video] Here's a text piece - it has a video, too, if you are into that kind of thing.  I don't usually spend time on the videos, but this story makes good use of it.

Back at the beginning of February in a NRU, I tried to capture all of the gun death stories I found over a two or three day period ... there were plenty. It turns out I wasn't the only one who thought there might be some reason to try to catch all of the deaths on one or two days to show the range of those whose lives are touched by gun violence.  The AP, with its many reporting resources, took it on, and this is the result.   Heartbreaking stuff, but what we need to make this issue real.  Write your congresspeople and senators -- they need to know we care and are watching. 

While in Chicago, I had the lovely surprise that a good friend from college just happened to also be participating at the writing seminar I was attending.  He was on the other side ...giving the help rather than receiving it.  He was busy with his group and I with mine, but on the last day, we selfishly sat at the table in the back of the room next to each other to finally catch up (it's been at least five years since we've seen each other).  My time in graduate school, as his time in academia, has been fraught with the microaggressions and blatant racism that our undergraduate years were, so in time, our talk turned to this as well.  Upon my return, I stumbled on this op-ed written by a "guest" columnist at the NY Times.  You see, this does belong here in the NRU!  I thought I would share it ... it echoes many parts of that convo Mo and I had on that last day in Chicago ... and some of the musing I have been doing about my time back in the ivory tower.

Not really news so much as information. I generally don't repost blogs, sometimes I do... but not usually if it is "newsy."  However, I trust Shreve to have done her homework and not misrepresent facts.  If you are wondering about grass-fed beef, this will interest you.  If you want more animals that gives their lives for our sustenance to be treated humanely, this will interest you.  Enjoy...