CHRISTMAS MYTHS

We have been so steeped in Christmas traditions that it often surprises people to know that:

NEW ZEALAND HOPES FOR A "CHILE" ENDING




24 of the 29 Missing Miners in New Zealand's Coal Mine Explosion, November 19, 2010
Please see names at the end of this entry. 

Three weeks ago, I wrote an article about how Chile’s mining rescue gave me pause as it reminded me of a tragic coal mine explosion in my beloved former country of residency - New Zealand. I was talking about the Huntly coal mine disaster in 1914.

Never in my thoughts did I think that a mining explosion would happen in New Zealand so soon (let alone the possibility of it) after I posted my opinion piece on October 28, 2010.

EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT

There is a continuing debate on what is considered “newsworthy.” Some elements of “newsworthiness” often cited are:
timeliness
is it unusual?
conflict or controversy
impact or effect
local connection
human interest
update to previous story
informative
relevance to current events/holidays,
is it breaking news?, etc.

Chile Celebrates, Will New Zealand Remember?

As Chile celebrates the rescue of its 33 miners, I am reminded of a disastrous mining incident little remembered in New Zealand.

Japanese Naporitan

There was a new cafe in Vancouver, Canada and the owner, Chef Yamato Takahashi a nouveau entrepreneur originally from Japan requested me to help him promote his restaurant. In order for me to do so intelligently, I have to taste the food. One of the dishes that piqued my interest was the Japanese version of the spaghetti called Naporitan or Napolitan.

The Flying Peacock

Yesterday at 8:30 am, I woke up to a call from area code 202. I knew this was from the Washington D.C area. A young-sounding lady asked for Mr. Lopez.


"This is he."

Steven Slater and the unglamorous life of a flight attendant

Steven Slater and the unglamorous life of a flight attendant

published in The Washington Post  
see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/13/AR2010081304919.html

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By Joseph Lopez

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Whatever happened on Jet Blue Flight 1052 on Monday clearly touched a nerve. Much has been written this week about flight attendant Steven Slater, who used the plane's intercom system to deride a passenger, announce that he was quitting his job and then took the emergency slide to the tarmac. Web discussion abounded about whether Slater had been surly, whether he was provoked by the passenger whose bag allegedly hit him in the head and whether he wants his job back.

I'm intrigued that discussion is also bubbling over whether flight attendants are right to stand up for themselves. Post columnist Petula Dvorak wrote this week that, "So many of us want to deploy that chute, too . . . but often it's to escape from someone like [Slater]."

It's a hard job. I know. I did it.

I was a flight attendant for an international airline for almost a year. Some airline employees may strive to make the job look fun, but it isn't.

Passengers never see our pre-flight meetings with oral exams about procedures, safety checks, galley preps and clean-ups in between flights. Trained in self-defense, we also are prepared to deal with hijacking and other security problems. Many flight attendants are college graduates -- I have two graduate degrees -- yet a number of passengers treat us like dummies and servants at their disposal.

I vividly recall the late-night flight on which a passenger in a suit and tie stepped out of the restroom and waving his wet hands at my face, spraying water on me as he complained about the dirty sink. In the name of customer service, flight attendants are trained to listen to passenger complaints that can border on the abusive, so unless it was a matter of safety and security I had to bite my tongue. I did think this was a potential health risk, but the senior member of the cabin crew told me to let it go.

On another flight, a businessman told me he was in the shipping trade. Thinking we were having a friendly chat, I asked which company he was with. He brushed me off, saying "You wouldn't know [it]." I didn't tell him that an uncle of mine works in shipping; instead I walked away.

When the fasten-seatbelts signs are off, the job of a flight attendant is to be a glorified waiter or waitress. I don't miss those fingers poking my waist, arms and shoulders as adults demanded food, playing cards, beer or wine. What really galled me, however, were the bodily fluids on the lavatory floor and sink and around the toilet bowl. Most planes do not have space for mops. In our crisp uniforms, we had to get on our knees and clean the mess.

I was hit by bags being stowed in or taken out of the overhead compartments. Check-in employees don't weigh every carry-on, and overweight bags frequently made their way on board. Once passengers boarded, flight attendants generally didn't squeeze through the incoming line to pass a bulky bag to cargo attendants. We found a place for it.

Some consider being a flight attendant glamorous. When I did the job, based out of New Zealand, our cabin crew supervisor used to say we were like peacocks, strutting our plumage in the airport concourse or down the plane aisles. Some parts of the job were indeed fun: meeting a wide variety of people, most of whom were courteous; getting free or discounted flights; the overnight or days-long layovers that gave time for sightseeing. But after a while, the ever-changing flight schedule takes a toll on employees' body clocks and family life. And even first-class food begins to taste boring.

That's one reason why, sitting in the jump seat one day, preparing for landing, I asked myself, "Is this the job I want to do the rest of my life?" I didn't use the emergency slide to ground myself. I resigned.

And reading comments like Dvorak's this week, I empathized with passengers incensed at unhelpful or downright callous flight attendants. Flight attendants behaving that way are not doing their jobs.

It would help, though, if passengers keep in mind that their frustrations in flight are often not sparked by the attendant in front of them but the airline. And perhaps before more intercoms or emergency slides are invoked, we could all remember that common courtesy can go a long way in the sky.

Joseph Lopez, a flight attendant from February to December 2007, is a freelance writer. His e-mail address is writetojosephlopez@yahoo.com.

© 2010 The Washington Post Company

The Public Relations of an Oil Spill

While the Gulf oil spill, which began with a drilling rig explosion on April 20, was still raging in its fourth week with no end in sight, BP Chairman Tony Hayward said that the environmental impact would be "very, very modest" because the gulf was a “big ocean”. No one ever spoke out and supported his declaration then. After all, no one could have predicted that the oil leakage estimated to be almost five million barrels before the well was capped in mid- July, would disappear, evaporate or dissolve as nature pleased.

Obama Shares His Views

Yesterday Barack Obama appeared in a daytime talk-show, The View, a first in television history for a sitting US President. Prior to the airing, there were some preoccupation in the show’s production.

Sitting President Makes TV History

Today, President Barack Obama is scheduled to appear in the daytime talk-show, The View. Although pre-taped yesterday, for the first time in television history, a sitting US President will be interviewed in a program genre, which in journalism circles is considered as lightweight, and in a time period decidedly not prime. The View is seen in the morning in most parts of the United States and Canada.

Second Life for Cookies

One hot summer afternoon, I found the chocolate chip cookies I left uncovered overnight in an aluminum bowl on the dining table as hard as granite. Then I remembered an evening party chat a year ago. Helena, a grandma of two boys offered me her home-baked cookies and asked: “Joseph, guess how old those cookies are?”

10 Ways to Win Your Bachelor

All those TV reality-dating shows cast model-type gals or guys. However, as statistics of who actually are still together after the taping prove, good looks and romance do not lead to "in sickness or in health".

And as real life has shown, you don’t have to be a beauty queen or the cheerleader type to catch the eye of the dashing Romeo who you think is out of your league.

Pike’s Peak or Bust!

You have a week to play and the budget to fly. Hawaii is simply too pricey. Alaska is too far. How about fresh air, jaw-dropping vistas and affordable attractions?

At 14, 110 feet above sea level, you can’t help but be amazed and sing,


For amber waves of grain
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain.

Welcome to Colorado Springs! Katharine Lee Bates, wrote the unofficial national anthem America The Beautiful, at the summit of Pike’s Peak. The sights have remained unchanged for more than a hundred years. Kansas with its amber grain, the Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ) purple range and the orchards/vineyards of Western Colorado are lo and behold.

Joey's Cassava

Just like any dish, there are many variations to Cassava Cake. Cassava is also known as yuca or manioc. Whether in the Caribbean, South America, Africa or Asia-Pacific, cassava snacks tend to be dense, heavy, and overloaded with coconut flavorings – such as shredded coconut meat toppings.

Grand Canyon True To Its Name

A Simple Step-by Step Guide To The Grand Canyon

My jaws dropped the second my eyes marveled at the panorama. Imagine a vast chasm the size of the whole state of Rhode Island or six times the island nation of Singapore, precipitously dropping a mile deep and containing hundreds of conical buttes, spires and mesas towering a mile high. You are looking down at a massive crater populated with rock platforms, amphitheaters, gates, shrines, and temples four times the height of the 110-story Sears Tower, across a never-ending horizon. Truly it deserves the name GRAND Canyon.

Taking Care of the Family Jewels

When it comes to physical challenges, the male mantra is “No pain, no gain.” When it comes to health care, our action is often reactive rather than preventive. Our masculinity is defined by many factors but from a biological point of view – our genitalia plays a major defining role. We take care of our hair, our eyes and our skin but do we need to pay attention to our family jewel, as my father would say, other than the usual shower? We consulted several reports and the American Urology Association regarding questions we males want to know but are often too embarrassed to ask.

Talking With The Media

There is still nothing that ups the reach of television media. The following are suggestions I gave to a female executive prior to her national exposure in the United States.

Discovering Glen Innes

I am not a mall-a-holic. Occasionally, I would join a tramping club to energize my weekends. However, sometimes I am not in the mood to go lugging my behind. Variety is motivation. This set me thinking. What can I do in Auckland, New Zealand on a Saturday and have fun?

Carnaval at RIO

There are carnivals all over the world but no one does it with a frenetic nationwide exuberance as Brazil.  And when in Brazil, the biggest party is in Rio de Janeiro.  Next year, the event starts in March.  The following is a budget guide, ala backpacker category.

The Wedding Toast

Have you ever winced at someone’s wedding toast?

A toast is not a license to tell all. It is not a talk-show moment. A toast is a feel-good celebration.

Here are some tips in preparing your toast speech:

In Search Of The American Cowboy

When visiting what was the American Wild Wild West (mostly states west of the Mississippi River such as Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming)), you will rarely find a cowboy on a horse. Sure, you will see modern-day cowboys driving pick-up trucks wearing ten-gallon hats but nothing is quite like the Hollywood image of a ranger leading a herd of cattle out in the plains.

Thank You

Thank you for visiting my knowledge site.


Often, when I would make a presentation, train, teach, or just converse, I would get comments like "I never knew that" or "Really" or "Good tip" or "Great to know." I hope you found this site just so.


Comments, suggestions, and your own Really wisdom are always welcome.

Do come again




Joseph