North Korea: Evil Hostage Takers

This story, about an 85 year old Korean War veteran taken hostage by North Korea, is the prime example of why this government is evil and the United States should never negotiate with that "country."

And it's mistaken identity, probably.

Merrill E. Newman was traveling with a group on a tour bus through North Korea, and was taken away after boarding an Oct. 26 flight out of the country, his family says.

"They had checked out of the hotel, gone to the airport, boarded the plane," his son Jeffrey Newman told ABC News. "We understand [they] were five minutes from taking off when the Korean official came aboard, asked to see his passport then asked the stewardess to ask him to leave the plane and he left the plane with apparently no incident or drama and he's been there ever since."

But the North Koreans may have thought they were detaining a highly decorated U.S. Korean War veteran who happens to have the same -- or almost the same -- name as him.

Merrill H. Newman, 84, was awarded the Silver Star for holding off a heavy Chinese attack during the war. Both men fought in the Korean War, have almost identical names and are around the same age.

"The thought did occur to me ... that maybe there's a case of mistaken identity," Merrill H. Newman, who lives in Beaverton, Ore., told Reuters.

Off to Denver

Snow awaits, and so does Peter's wedding, after years of waiting for it, right? I need to get out of town, almost as much as I need to get some sleep. Snow, not so much. I am looking for some quiet away time, to think and be with family and forget about work in an environment where it'll be work friends. Silly.

Pray that things go smoothly.

Overcome

So much to do....surviving our annual conference is a challenge, but I'm stuffed up and sleep deprived and right now heavily dependent on caffeine to make me feel normal. Is this how it always is? I don't know if last week's event will necessarily stand out, but I'm always grateful for the opportunity to visit with friends, see amazingly insightful speakers, and engage in random conversations ranging from Wrestlemania to concerts. So I'm off again, to a wedding for a colleague I've know for 13 plus years. If I survive the snowstorm, of course.

 I will be back in Michigan in a week. And for that, I am grateful. I won't care about anything else as long as I am with my family.

Boo to the Runners

A contrarian's view of runners. Boo. One reason: he thinks runners are social media savvy show-offs.

Why would someone want to get up at 5 a.m. and run 10 miles adorned with fluorescent tape to avoid being struck by someone who has the good sense to use a car for a 10-mile journey?

I have a theory. There is no more visible form of strenuous exercise than running. When runners are dashing down a street in the middle of town or through a subdivision, they know that every driver, every pedestrian, every leaf-raker and every person idly staring out a window can see them.

These days, people want more than ever to be seen. This is the age of taking a photo selfie and posting it on Facebook with the announcement that you're bored—in the hope that someone will "like" that information. People want attention and crave appreciation. If you're actually doing something like running—covering ground, staying healthy, almost even having fun—what better way to fulfill the look-at-me desire? The lone runner is a one-person parade. Yay.

Yeah, I think the "slow" runners who go at a 13 minute mile pace and then brag about their six hour marathons are kind of annoying. It's a catch-22, though. The likes of Michelle Obama are so focused on getting everyone active, that anything goes. And you need to "brag" to make yourself feel better. I've been running since before a FB account, and I started running in order to  lose the 15 or so pounds I needed to when I was 30. And I was seeking an individual sport, because you know how I feel about team sports. And yeah, I wanted to prove I was more athletic than how I was perceived at 14. So maybe there's something to it.

I don't agree that nothing is more strenuous than running. I would find hot yoga or swimming much more challenging. Once you can sustain a 10 minute mile pace, you are golden. But as for this running backlash? I kind of get it. But most "real" runners aren't like this. This piece is more of a symptom of Gen Y showboatism, more than anything. But ultimately, I won't begrudge anyone who is exercising and focused on health.

Superzips

I've been reading the Charles Murray book on Coming Apart, and I heard about the recent story in the Post about the superzip phenom he describes. It's an interesting thesis. And yes, I fall squarely in the category of middle class raised/upper middle ascending. We aren't in a superzip in 20002, but I'm sure with the streetcar, the Whole Foods coming, the spate of new theaters and condos, we'll be there soon enough. H Street has jumped the shark. It's gentrified now, and that demographic will follow.

And yeah, there's an uneasiness about all of this. Kids who are second or third generation with this privilege will never know a childhood like one in Detroit, or south Texas (the Post story on junk food in McAllen, example). I still feel like we're squarely middle class, despite the size of our mortgage. We aren't extravagant people, we don't splurge on $300 boots or $200 meals every weekend. But any weekend? Yeah, just because you can afford it, it doesn't mean anything.

Values don't come from the size of your paycheck, but the paycheck may determine how entitled you feel. And once you get away from never taking anything for granted, that is when values diverge. And the next generation gets away from you.

Detroit's New Mayor

Detroit elected--gasp!--a white mayor yesterday, Mike Duggan. And what does that mean, especially for race relations? This woman has it right:

Southwest Detroit resident Tiffany Johnson said her decision to vote for Duggan created tension in her household, where her husband is a Napoleon supporter.

Johnson said he told her she’s “voting against (my) color, basically, but I don’t think it should be a racial thing, and that’s what I told him.”

“We need to stop thinking of things as white or black. It’s not about that,” said Johnson, who drives vehicles for a company contracted with Chrysler.

Detroit will have many challenges, obviously. The biggest may be the recalcitrance of the City Council.   Good luck, Mayor-Elect Duggan. You will need it.

Angry yet Assertive

Anger scares me. I am not the most assertive person, and I do recognize that is a weakness. I want peace and harmony and avoidance of conflict. Until I get angry, and then sometimes I say things without the appropriate level of measure. But sometimes I need to say things, and I need to stand up for myself.

I still have horrible guilt over how I let myself be bullied as a child. I remember standing on the playground, often alone, in junior high. I would let the popular kids accost me, rattle me, burn me with statements meaning one thing but conveying another. I let them storm away from me, huffily pronouncing they were just trying to be friendly. But in reality, they were trying to get a rise out of me, and I was not going to dignify them with a response. What I really should have done is told them they cannot treat me that way. They are not allowed to make me feel inferior.

I eventually closed myself off. It was easier to withdraw within myself, disappear into a rapid imagination that often made fantasy and stories and on-screen entertainment the kind of reality that allowed me to get up in the morning. And that came crashing down at least twice: before senior year and half-way through my Freshman year in college. And maybe again at the beginning of Sophomore year.

Friendships cured much of that, and developing relationships where people loved and accepted and respected me. But I've always wanted to please others, and that is to my detriment. That lobster analogy of the slowly simmering pot is always something I am aware of. And if I had seen that arise to a boil immediately, as opposed to gradually and erratically, then I may have become assertive at another time.

What I am trying to say is I need to stand up and defend myself, and not think of myself as a 12 or 13 year old girl. But it is hard to change that conception of yourself, even a quarter of a century later. So what to do?

Autumn's Peak

Some beautiful pictures here of the Tidal Basin. Though I'm still a Spring person...

Charlottesville

The days are going by so fast now. We had a fun weekend in Charlottesville this past weekend. Yeah, the UVA-Clemson game was a blowout, and we did leave at half-time. But the Fall colors were gorgeous. We had a fantastic dinner at Brookville, sharing a steak and this zucchini short stack with maple syrup and goat cheese. Perfection, pretty much. We went to T's old favorite watering hole, and then had another drink after the game/before dinner. It was a fun day, with one highlight being the receipt at CVS :-)

We stayed overnight in historic Staunton at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel. A little disappointing and over-priced, though I think the noisy wedding party dimmed my view. We made it back in time for football, of course. And a beautiful drive through the Shenandoah Valley in peak Fall colors.

How is it November?!

Best of October

5/6 of the year is done, and most of the major releases of 2013 are out now. So best of October? I'm going with the Fanfarlo EP, the Head and the Heart, Amos Lee, the Fratellis, and Lissie. There was also Los Campesinos!, Pearl Jam, Arcade Fire, and Blitzen Trapper (which I think came out on September 30). Anyway, great music month, and it's only a few more weeks til best of 2013 lists start coming out. Already, I know.

November is a good time to catch up on albums I have yet to check out, and maybe discover some ones I neglected. And the Killers have a best of coming out, which should be good, too!