March 30, 2007
Talking Cyberbullying On The Brian Lehrer Show This Monday
Just wanted to pass along a head's up that I will be a guest on The Brian Lehrer Show on Monday, April 2. It airs on WNYC in New York City, and can be heard online if you click the previous link. I'll be talking about cyberbullying. The segment is expected to air around 11:40am eastern, 8:40am Pacific. -andy
Tags: cyberbullying | public radio | radio | stopcyberbullying | The Brian Lehrer Show | WNYC
Posted by acarvin at 5:13 PM
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March 29, 2007
On Air with the BBC Today
Looks like I'm going to be on the BBC this afternoon as part of their World Have Your Say program, talking about cyberbullying. I believe Beth Kanter will be on air as well. It'll air live at 1800 GMT - that's 1pm ET, 10am Pacific here in the US. I think I'll be popping into the conversation somewhere around 40 minutes into the show. Wish me luck! -andy
Tags: anonymity | BBC | blogging | cyberbullying | Kathy Sierra | radio | stopcyberbullying | World Have Your Say
Posted by acarvin at 10:43 AM
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March 24, 2007
Springtime is Gadget Time!
Spring is in the air, so I thought I'd celebrate by throwing away lots of money and getting some new toys. Okay, "throwing away" might be a bit misleading, because my mobile phone just died and my digital camera is moribund at best, so it was a matter of time before I had to get replacements anyway.
First, there's my new mobile phone - a Treo 700p. My old Treo 600 gave up the ghost at SXSW a couple of weeks ago, so I needed some kind of replacement. It just came in the mail yesterday. It's working fine as a phone and Web device, but it crashes when I try to use their email client. Can't wait to spend an hour or two on the phone with Palm later this weekend.
Then, there's my new video camera. I decided to take the plunge and buy the brand-new Sanyo Xacti HD2. A lot of my vlogging buddies have sworn by its predecessor, the HD1, which shoots in high-definition and records to digital SD card in MPEG-4 format. Unfortunately, I got scared away by several online reviews that lamented the HD1's ability to shoot video without ample light. From everything I've heard about the new HD2, they've solved this problem. And if they're wrong, well, that's why 30-day warranties exist.
Anyway, I'm really psyched to have some new gadgets to keep me busy for a while. The HD2 should come in really handy for our new Dirty Diaper Diaries videos, which could use some help in the production values department. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 2:21 PM
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December 29, 2006
Tag, I'm It
In case you haven't seen it yet, the latest blog meme going around is "five things people don't know about you." Ethan Zuckerman just posted his own list (He ran for president once; who knew.) after being tagged by Rebecca MacKinnon. Well, it's my turn now, as I've been tagged by Angela Stuber of Grassroots.org. This is actually a tough exercise, having been journaling online and blogging for the better part of 12 years now, leaving few stones unturned. For example, I would have included random tidbits like Ethan Zuckerman being my distance cousin, but dammit, I've already blogged about that. So here it goes:
1. I've been shot at twice; once intentionally and the other not. Okay, I'm already cheating somewhat because those of you who have been reading my website since the late 1990s know that I was shot at in eastern Turkey by a pair of Turkish military police. But what you may not know is that it happened again in Havana in 2001. I was there visiting an urban telecentre and Susanne was shooting footage for a National Geographic documentary. We'd just finished walking through a neighborhood festival when we strolled down a side street. Ahead of us, two men were having an argument, but it didn't seem serious. Suddenly, one pulled out a machete, the other a gun, and they started chasing each other in circles around the car. The gun went pop pop pop a few times, and I stood there like an idiot, somehow not registering what was going on. Then a nice shopkeep grabbed Susanne and me by our necks and yanked us out of the line of fire. Only then did it sink in that these two guys were really trying to kill each other. A few moments later, unmarked cars zoomed in, and plainclothes policemen had them tossed into the back of the cars faster than you can say "Fidel Castro is recovering nicely."
2. I have achilles tendon problems because I got scared by a rubber snake. When I was three or four, I got freaked out by a rubber snake at a toy store while shopping for a friend's birthday gift. At the birthday party, I then saw a similar toy snake on my friend's carpet, and freaked out yet again. For months I wouldn't walk on carpets, associating all floor coverings with serpents. My grandfather patiently coaxed me back onto carpets by encouraging me to crawl first, then walking on my tip toes. Problem solved, right? Wrong. Turns out I spent the next ten years walking on the balls of my toes subconsciously when I crossed a carpet, and it caused my achilles tendons to grow improperly when I went through puberty. Ever since then, I've had tight achilles tendons that require constant stretching.
3. George W. Bush once gave me a personal cheer. It was early 2001 and I was going for a jog at lunchtime. I was near the Department of Energy and suddenly several policemen came by on motorcycles to block the roads. It was the presidential motorcade. I stood there, the only other person on the city block, and watched the motorcade approach. There were two limos; in the first I thought I saw the president reading a newspaper. But then came the second limo. Bush had his faced pressed against the glass and he was giving me an enthusiastic thumbs up with both hands, mouthing what appeared to be a fratboy-like, "OH YEAH!!!" I waved back, dumbfounded. It was only later back at the gym that I realized he was actually saying "Go Yale!" due to the Yale sweatshirt I was wearing.
4. I was nearly smushed by a drunk driver in high school. My friend Todd Demetriades and I were leaving another friend's house, and we were talking outside. Todd was getting in his car, standing behind his open door, while I was leaning on my car across the street. Suddenly we saw a sports car racing down the street, heading directly for me and my car. It then swerved at the last minute, clipped Todd's car, knocking him into the air. The car then spun out and stopped. Todd, miraculously, wasn't hurt. We ran over to the sports car and yelled at the driver that he nearly killed us. He looked at us blankly, wreaking of beer. "I did?" he said, groggy. "Sorry." He then hit the gas and raced away. But he was so drunk he just went around the corner and parked his car in front of his house, falling asleep, making it easy for the police to find him.
5. I went to a UN summit wearing eyeliner. In December 2003, I went to the annual National Geographic Channel Christmas party with Susanne. Their parties always had a costume theme, and that year happened to be rock stars. For me, there was only one choice; I went as Dee Snider of Twisted Sister. We spent about an hour plying layers of makeup on my face that evening. Unfortunately, the mojitos at the party were much stronger than any previous year, and I got rather smashed, too ferschnickered to remove said makeup when I got home. Complicating matters was the fact that I was leaving for Geneva that next morning for the UN's World Summit on the Information Society, and I couldn't get all the makeup off my face. In particular, the eyeliner was practically tattooed on me, so eventually I had no choice but to give up and get on the plane with traces of Dee still on my face. It didn't fade for about three days. Lesson learned: if you have to dress up like a rock star before going to a UN summit, dress like John Lennon instead.
So that's my list of five things you probably didn't know about me. Now it's your turn, assuming your name is either David Warlick, Jonny Goldstein, Amanda Congdon, Steve Garfield or John Bracken. Tag - you're it. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 6:27 PM
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UPS Has Lost Me as a Customer
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A row of fresh UPS package slips adorn our apartment entrance. |
For the last month, Susanne and I have been fighting with UPS over the behavior of our local driver, who refuses to drop packages at our apartment. Normally, when a package is brought to our building, whether it's UPS, FedEx or the Post Office, they'll try to contact us using the downstairs intercom. If they can't reach us, they'll try again or leave it in front of our door. But for some reason, our local UPS driver doesn't try to contact us. Five times in a row now, when packages have been sent to us via UPS, the driver simply posts a sticker downstairs saying he tried to contact us, couldn't reach us, and delivered the package down the street at our complex's main office. The only problem with this is the sticker always seems to denote a time when we're at home - and the phone never rings.
At first I thought there was a problem with the call box downstairs, since it took a while for them to add our phone to the system. But I tested it and it worked fine. Then I talked to other people in the building who experienced similar problems. It didn't seem to matter that we were home; the driver would just put stickers on the door and dump the packages down the street. This may not seem like a big deal, but it's difficult for Susanne to pick up packages during the day because she's with the baby, and there are also people with disabilities in our building who lack the mobility to walk half a mile to the office and back.
The first few times it happened I called UPS and complained, and they said it would be resolved, but I should check to be sure our call box worked. It worked fine. By the time it happened the fourth time, Susanne called UPS and said she'd like to make a complaint. The woman she talked to said she was more than welcome to file a complaint, but she should know that the UPS driver might decide to retaliate and refuse to deliver packages altogether, forcing us to drive across town to pick it up at the local UPS center. We couldn't believe what we were hearing. While the woman wasn't intentionally trying to make a threat, that's basically what it was - if we complain, the UPS driver would just make life more difficult for us, without being held accountable for it.
At this point, my mom hears about this and gets in on the act - she was one of the people who sent us a package via UPS. She called them and gave them an earful, and the manager she spoke with said they couldn't believe a UPS employee would do this. They also promised we'd receive a personal apology via a phone call. So far, nothing. And meanwhile, we continue to get package slips claiming the driver tried to call us, even though we're home at the time.
From now on, it's either FedEx or the Postal Service - UPS has lost me as a customer. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 1:29 PM
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November 18, 2006
Dave and Sumner Remembered, Side By Side
The Denver Post ran a featured obituary for my father-in-law Dave Cornwall yesterday. By sheer coincidence, they also ran an obit for my cousin Sumner Shapiro right next to it. What are the odds of that? I wonder if I have a picture of the two of them together at my wedding. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 2:48 PM
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November 13, 2006
My Father-in-Law's Funeral
Today we buried Dave Cornwall on a hillside facing the Rocky Mountains in Denver. We left the house this morning, resigned to the fact that none of us could get all the dog hair off our clothes. Pulling out of the driveway, we saw that Pike's Peak was enveloped in a skirt of clouds around its base, its snow covered summit shining in the morning sun. We'd never seen it so beautiful. Dave would have loved it.
The funeral service was held at St. John's Episcopal Cathedral in Denver, where Dave had been baptised, confirmed and married. Several dozen family, friends and colleagues from the Lamont School of Music attended, including his 13 1/2-year-old golden retriever, Beethoven, who was given full rein of the cathedral during the service. It was a beautiful tribute to Dave, with readings by two of his sisters-in-law and his nephew Mike. Susanne and her sister both gave their own eulogies. Fighting back the tears, Susanne said
I must have been about nine years old. My dad and I were walking through the nature preserve near our house, our dog Rosy tugging at the leash. My dad wearing a khaki colored winter coat, me wearing a khaki colored coat that I'd picked because it looked just like his. We'd been walking for a long time and at some point I realized that the paths no longer looked familiar; we were totally lost. I looked up at him and worriedly said, "Are we lost?"But he was smiling. "Why does it matter?" He shrugged. "We're here." At the time I took that to mean, here in the forest - because he loved nature so much. But I think now he meant that and more - we're together, we're on an adventure, we're where we've never been before. To my dad there was nothing better than getting lost in a forest.
He was such a great dad. He could be silly - so many of my friends this week have told me that is what they most remembered about him. But I could also go to him for advice, or even sit quietly with him, just enjoying his company. He was brave - the way he accelerated down mountain roads (to the terror of my mom and her sisters), but also the way he handled the enormous obstacles that life threw at him. But I think I will remember him most for his creativity - the beautiful music that he left us will forever be a reflection of his soul.
And now I miss him so much - I hear his music in my head, I see him in my baby daughter's face. And I imagine he is in heaven's equivalent of a national park. Binoculars in hand, walking over log bridges, followed by all the dogs he loved over the years - Mozart, Rosy and Goldie, Cubby, Tawny and Reddy. Never needing to stop for breath, never running up against a barrier he cannot climb, so happy, so excited to scout every last inch of a boundless forest. He's humming his latest composition, and his footsteps become percussion, the birds his string section, and as the wind carries off the melody, all of heaven is filled with his music....
The organist then performed one of Dave's compositions - a three-minute fugue. Even though the piece had been composed for piano and the organist fumbled a few times, it was an extraordinary moment, feeling the deep bass of the pipe organ resonating through your bones. Dave would have loved it. Susanne's Aunt Ginny recorded it on her video camera; I hope to make a copy of it and extract the audio so friends and family who couldn't attend could experience the performance as well. (UPDATE: I've uploaded the audio of the performance.)
At the end of the funeral, I joined the five other pall bearers as we led Dave's casket out of the church and towards the hearse. Beethoven joined the procession, pacing just behind me near Susanne and her mom. We then made the 30-minute drive to the cemetery, passing Dave's childhood home along the gorgeous Monaco Parkway.
An honor guard was waiting for us at the cemetery, where they and the church canon performed a brief interment ceremony. After performing taps on the bugle, the honor guard folded the flag draped over his coffin with precision and dignity, presenting it to Mary, who sat in the front row with Susanne. The funeral party then concluded the proceedings with a luncheon at a local hotel, reminiscing moments with Dave and agreeing unanimously that he would have thoroughly enjoyed everything that had been done for him on this most difficult of days. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 9:12 PM
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November 11, 2006
Dave's Obituary
Dave's obituary ran in today's Rocky Mountain News:
CORNWALL, DAVID R. David Randolph Cornwall died November 7, 2006 at Sky Ridge Medical Center. David was born May 18, 1937 in Denver, Colorado. He attended Harvard College and University of Chicago. He joined United Airlines in 1957 as a computer engineer, and retired in 2000 from Covia-Galileo International. A professional trombone player in his youth, David attended classes after retirement at Denver's Lamont School of Music, and developed his natural musical talents. He became an accomplished composer of many beautiful pieces. His music will live on for years to come. Surviving Dave are his wife, Mary of Parker, CO; brother John Michael of Los Angeles, CA; daughter Catherine Swanson and husband Stephen of Brea, CA; daughter Susanne Carvin and husband Andy of Silver Spring, MD; and three grandchildren, Alicia and Alex Swanson, and Kayleigh Carvin. Viewing, Sunday 2-3:30 p.m. at Fairmount Mortuary. Service, Monday, 10:00 a.m., St. John's Cathedral, 1350 Washington St., Denver, followed by burial at Fairmount Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Young Musicians Opportunity of Colorado, 1281 S Akron Way, Denver, CO 80231.
Tags: davecornwall | obituaries
Posted by acarvin at 9:56 AM
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November 8, 2006
Funeral Travel Plans
Susanne and her mom are working out the arrangements for Dave's funeral today. It's probably going to take place this Monday, not far from the house where Dave grew up in Denver. This should give plenty of time for family and friends to assemble in Colorado.
I wrapped up my work at NPR West this afternoon after a productive 12-hour day that began well before dawn. Tomorrow morning, I fly to Houston to participate in the Technology for All conference, pretty much as scheduled, though I'll have to leave an hour or so earlier on Friday to catch a flight to Denver. I'll stay there through the funeral, then hopefully continue to Atlanta to the Georgia Edtech Conference. Once that wraps up on Thursday, November 16 I'll return home, where I'm sure our cats will be relieved to see me. Still don't know when Kayleigh and Susanne will come home. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 8:01 PM
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November 7, 2006
Dave Looking His Best
This is a picture of Dave and Susanne's mom at our wedding three and a half years ago. Just the way I want to remember him.
Posted by acarvin at 9:29 PM
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Supporting Young Musicians and Preserving a Musical Legacy
For those of you who have asked about sending flowers or making a donation to a charity, we'd like to ask you to consider making a donation in Dave's name to Young Musicians Opportunity of Colorado. The mission of YMOC is to create an environment in which all young individuals and their families have the opportunity and support to obtain music education, develop and polish their musical talents, and contribute acquired skills to the community.
As many of you know, Dave was passionate about music. As a young man in Denver, Dave was a professional trombone player who performed with the Central City Opera. After a long career as a software engineer, Dave retired five years ago and dedicated all his free time to re-embracing his love of music. He audited graduate courses at the Denver University Lamont School of Music, and began what would be an extraordinary period of music composition. He wrote dozens of classical pieces, from short fugues to complex concertos for orchestra. The string quartet he wrote for our wedding was later performed by the Lamont Orchestra. His last work, completed less than two months ago, was a lullaby for Kayleigh.
Following the funeral, I plan to work with his former professors an colleagues at the university to catalogue, record and publish as much of his work as possible. So far I've identified more than 70 different works that he recorded either electronically or with local musicians, along with countless scores. I hope to catalogue any notes he wrote about his work and publish them as part of a podcast that I will create in his honor. It's a legacy, I hope, that I will be able to pass on to my own grandkids some day.
In the meantime, I urge you to support YMOC by making a donation in Dave's name. You can help a new generation of young Colorado musicians develop the same passion for music education that Dave cherished his entire life. -andy
Tags: charity | davecornwall | education | music
Posted by acarvin at 8:33 PM
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Planning a Funeral
So it looks like Dave's funeral will be early next week. Apparently there is a problem arranging a funeral over a holiday weekend. I can understand how this might be a problem on Christmas or something, but am somewhat baffled that Veteran's Day would interfere with the ability of organizing a burial in Colorado.
My parents are flying to Denver on Friday, though they probably won't be able to stay for the funeral if it has to be later than Monday, because of my mom's post-chemo doctor schedule. Susanne's aunts and cousins will probably begin arriving before the weekend; her sister should arrive with her family any moment now, if they haven't already.
Currently I am planning to fly to Denver Friday afternoon after wrapping up my duties at the Technology for All conference. I offered to go there today but Susanne wants some time alone with her mom, which I totally understand. Meanwhile, we've received condolences from friends and strangers alike, for which we are most grateful.
I still feel terrible I could not be there at the end, but am relieved that Susanne and Kayleigh made it in time. Dave was coherent enough to meet Kayleigh, hold her hand and smile for the very last time. I can only imagine how terrified he must have been in those last hours, but Susanne and Mary did everything they could to make him comfortable, telling him that soon he'll be able to get out of his wheelchair to run and play with his dogs Rosie, Goldie, Mozart, Cubby, who would be waiting for him in Heaven. Susanne said that in the end, he died peacefully.
I just wish I could have been there when he needed me most. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 7:51 PM
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In Memorium, David Cornwall
David Cornwall, Susanne's father, passed away approximately 20 minutes ago. At the time of his passing he was with Susanne, my mother-in-law, his dog Beethoven, the ICU nursing staff and our daughter Kayleigh, whom he finally got to meet in the early hours of this morning. The doctors determined that the x-ray contrast liquid that had aspirated into his lungs was terminally toxic, so after performing last rights, they shut off his life-sustaining equipment; he passed several minutes later. I am just devastated I couldn't be with them.
I do not have any information about memorial arrangements, but I imagine they will be some time this weekend to allow the rest of the family to arrive in Denver.
Posted by acarvin at 12:46 PM
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November 6, 2006
In LA, But For How Long?
I arrived in LA about six hours ago. Before I could even check into the hotel I got a call from Susanne informing me her father had suddenly taken a turn for the worse, after making enormous progress over the last month. They were getting ready to move him out of the ICU to a rehabilitation facility later this week, and they had him drink some concoction so they could x-ray his intestines and get a clear contrast. He aspirated the liquid, which is apparently toxic to the lungs, and he nearly died on the spot; he's not expected to survive the night.
Susanne and Kayleigh are en route, hoping to get there in time. I fear they won't. I was going to hitch a ride with Susanne's sister, who lives here in the LA area and is driving overnight to Denver. But Susanne has asked me to stay in LA then go to Houston for my conference.
There's nothing I can do but wait. This is going to be a horrible week.
Posted by acarvin at 9:01 PM
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November 2, 2006
My November Road Show: LA, Houston and Atlanta
For the first time in a long while, I'm about to hit the road for an extended period. Next Monday, I'm off to NPR West in Los Angeles for a few days' worth of meetings before catching a flight to Houston. There, I'll keynote the annual Technology for All conference. If you're in Houston and feel like joining us on November 10, please do; it's not too late to register.
I then head home for a few days before getting on yet another plane to spend a few days in Atlanta at the annual Georgia Education Technology Conference (GaETC). I'll be one of their featured speakers, and I plan to present a whole slew of talks on blogging, podcasting, wikis, video blogging and a few other things that'll undoubtedly fall out of my sleeve.
Anyway, if you're going to either of these conferences, drop me a line; always eager to say hello in person.... -andy
Posted by acarvin at 4:54 PM
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Adopt a Four-Legged War Veteran
The Israeli animal rights group CHAI is organizing a massive airlift of dogs that were abandoned during the July Israel-Lebanon war. Hundreds of pets were separated from their families during the chaos that month, and many of them have not been reunited.
Early tomorrow morning, 40 of these pups will be arriving in the US for adoption.The puppies, all around 4 months old, will be boarded at shelters throughout the Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland area, including the Montgomery County Humane Society, and the Arlington and Alexandria Animal Welfare Leagues, while they make appearances at adoption events.
"We reunited many puppies with their original families, and placed more with new families in Israel, but adoptions go slowly there," says Nina Natelson, CHAI's director. "We want to give them the best opportunity we can to find homes, so we are bringing them here."
If you'd like to see some of these puppies, please visit CHAI's adoption photo album. For more information, contact one of the aforementioned shelters to find out when you can meet the pups in person, or call CHAI at (703) 370-0333.
Meanwhile, I haven't heard of a similar initiative for animals that were abandoned in Lebanon, but if I do I promise I'll pass it along.
Hat tip to Ketzel Levine for passing along this announcement. -andy
UPDATE: Just a few minutes after I posted this, Ketzel chimed in again and alerted me to another organization that's airlifting abandoned pets from Lebanon. Thanks, Ketzel!
Tags: adoption | animalrights | dogs | israel | pets | war | washingtondc
Posted by acarvin at 1:48 PM
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October 5, 2006
Passages: My Tour of Duty with Aubrey and Maturin
This morning while taking the train to work, I completed a journey that began nearly two and a half years ago. I turned the final page of Blue at the Mizzen, the last book in Patrick O'Brian's 20-part naval epic known as the Aubrey-Maturin series. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, you probably know the movie inspired by the series: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. The movie version is loosely based on the 10th book in the series, peppered with scenes and quotes from perhaps a dozen other books. In it, we get to meet the dashing naval captain Jack Aubrey and his best friend, naval surgeon, Stephen Maturin, as they sail around South America chasing a powerful French frigate. (In the book they were actually chasing an American frigate; it was the War of 1812, after all.)
The movie, one of my all-time favorites, inspired me to read Master and Commander, the first book in the series. Little did I know at the time that I'd spend the next 30 months absorbed by it and 19 other books. The books cover a span from 1800 to 1816, beginning with Aubrey and Maturin's first encounter at a concert to the peace following the end of the Napoleonic Wars. In the intervening years, I got to know both characters as intimately as any in literature. Even though I always pictured Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany as the characters, in the books they are much more layered and nuanced than those portrayed in the movie. Aubrey is a brave, inspiring sea-captain, yet he constantly mixes metaphors incorrectly and blunders even the simplest of jokes. He is a loving, but unfaithful husband, fumbling over bad business dealings and childhood racial prejudices. Maturin is even more complex - the most brilliant surgeon in the fleet, he's also one of its most accomplished spies, a polyglot with a photographic memory. He's also an aloof misanthrope, uncomfortable in the presence of women and children, weak-minded in the presence of opium and coca leaves. They are personal opposites, yet endlessly loyal to each other.
The books gave me a grand tour of the Napoleonic world, from the shores of the Baltic to the Spice Islands of Indonesia to the mountains of Peru. The geographic breadth of the books is stunning; thankfully there's even an atlas you can buy to follow along for those occasions where you find yourself lost. But it's the immersion in 19th century British naval culture that's most extraordinary about the books. From the moment you begin the series, you are inculcated in their damp, salty world, with all the colorful nautical terms used in the period. It probably took me three or four books to get a hang of it, but after that, I was finally able to navigate the differences between larboard and starboard, sheets and braces, skysails and studdensails, bights and bitter ends, foc'sles and quarterdecks. Early on, I downloaded an archaic naval dictionary for my mobile phone, so I could look up terms on the fly; eventually I read A Sea of Words, the unofficial dictionary for the series, to immerse myself even further in the diction. In the end, I probably mastered just a fraction of the hundreds of nautical terms used throughout the series.
And now I've come to the end. It's a bittersweet moment for me, having gotten to know Aubrey, Maturin and scores of other characters over the last two years, loving many, hating some, but always thoroughly absorbed. It's been the most satisfying literary experience of my life.
So what am I going to read next? The first book in the series, of course. I always felt I missed half of what was going on because I didn't understand the naval lexicon yet. I don't plan to start re-reading the whole series again, but who knows - the Aubrey-Maturin series are as difficult a habit to break as Maturin's love of the poppy. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 9:33 AM
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October 3, 2006
Keeping a Promise
Sunday evening I left the hospital, in preparation of flying back to DC on Monday. I didn't know how to say goodbye to Dave, even though my goodbye might be my final one. So I told him I'd see him soon, saying that I'd return to Denver at the end of the work week. "I'll see you soon," I repeated, two or three times, not sure how to fill the deafening silence. Then out of nowhere, I added, "I promise."
I hadn't planned on saying that; it just came out. As soon as I said it, though, I started to regret it, knowing that there was no way I could know whether I would see him alive again. Yet saying goodbye - the final Goodbye - seemed out of the question as well. I felt that if Dave thought I was saying Goodbye with a capital G, it would tell him that I didn't expect him to live. I'm still not sure I will, but I knew in my heart he needed that hope. Not just the hope in seeing me again, but seeing all of us again.
Still, my sudden exhortation of "I promise" might have gone too far, since I don't know what will happen between now and Friday. Fortunately, Dave has started to show some small, but important gains. His organs are working stronger. His fever is staying down. They even took him off the ventilator for 90 minutes yesterday - something that would have killed him 24 hours earlier. For the first time all week, the doctors are saying that there is a small chance he may pull through this. It won't be easy, but then again, they didn't expect him to make it through last Friday night. One doctor said he was "astonished" by Dave's improvement, but warns that he's hardly out of the woods yet.
Now I'm home with the cats, back at work for a few days, eagerly awaiting each call from Susanne. So far, so good. And if Dave keeps fighting like hell, perhaps I'll be able to keep my promise after all. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 2:42 PM
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October 1, 2006
The Wall That Separates Them
One of the most difficult aspects of coping with Dave's illness is the fact that he hasn't met Kayleigh yet. Since Kayleigh was born premature, we dreaded the thought of taking her on an airplane before she was at least six months old. And being wheelchair-band, Dave could not travel very easily, particularly on airplanes. Then came the move to DC, the job.... We always assumed we'd get to see him over the holidays.
Today's been a better day than yesterday for Dave.... His temperature and white count are down, while his lungs and kidneys seem to be working relatively better. He's awake for several hours a day, and can communicate by nodding or blinking his eyes. There is no doubt about his alertness; as long as his strength holds, he doesn't hesitate to respond to yes or no questions. Having said all that, the doctors have made it clear that it will take a miracle for his body to recover from the massive infection that's overtaken him.
I'm sitting here in the ICU waiting room with Kayleigh and Susanne's cousin Mike. The rest of the family is spending time with Dave while he sleeps. The waiting room, by coincidence, is adjacent to Dave's room. Sometimes when it's quiet in here I can hear Dave's music, particularly when his Parade of the Wedding Party - the orchestral version of the string quartet he composed for our wedding ceremony - reaches its crescendo. And sometimes when I'm visiting him, talking about his music, I can hear Kayleigh crying in the waiting room.
Because Kayleigh is so young, the doctors will not allow her in the ICU. And Dave is too weak to leave his room and visit her somewhere safe. Only a wall separates them, but I fear it may be a wall that wall never be breeched.
I would give anything for a sledgehammer. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 7:33 PM
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September 30, 2006
Prayers for David Cornwall
Friday I had to fly out to Denver after finding out that my father-in-law, Dave Cornwall, is gravely ill. Dave has abdominal surgery about a week ago but somehow he got an infection, and it's erupted into full-blown sepsis. His temperature spiked to 104 yesterday and he is on life support, but today his temp has come down to 97. He also woke up for several hours this morning, appearing alert and nodding his head to yes or no questions.
While he was awake, Susanne asked him if he wanted to listen to his music. As many of you know, Dave started composing classical music after his retirement and has written dozens of pieces, including the wedding march for when Susanne and I got married. We're playing a copy of it in his room in the ICU right now. Here's a podcast of it, performed by a string quartet from the Denver University Lamont School of Music.
All in all, the situation is very touch-and-go, and he has an uphill battle ahead of him. Any forms of prayer, good thoughts, karmic energy, etc, would be most appreciated by Susanne and her family during this difficult hour.
Posted by acarvin at 6:37 PM
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September 22, 2006
Rock Hashanah: The Virgin Mobile Festival
Tonight is the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. There's only one way to celebrate. It's time to rock.
Music maniacs from across North America will be converging upon Baltimore's Pimlico Racecourse tomorrow for the Virgin Mobile Festival, one of the biggest concert events of the year. The 10-hour festival features more than two dozen bands on three stages, including The Who, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gnarls Barkley, the Flaming Lips and Wolfmother. And I've managed to score a press pass. I haven't been this excited about a concert since the first Lolapalooza.
My plan is to drag around as much equipment as humanly possible, including my laptop, two digital cameras and a minidisc recorder. I honestly don't know how much I'll be able to capture successfully since I also just want to enjoy the show, but I'm definitely going to do my best and record some good stuff. In the small chance that there's Internet access in the press tent, I'll try to liveblog some of it; otherwise stay tuned on Sunday and next week.
Shana tovah, everyone. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 5:12 PM
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August 28, 2006
Moving Sooner Than Expected
Due to an apparent miscommunication with our moving company, it seems we'll be moving a bit sooner than expected - this Wednesday to be exact. The movers are coming tomorrow to help us pack our things, at least, so it's not a total mad dash, but it's pretty darn close. We spent the entire day running errands, sacking our closets and making lists. I think I threw out more industrial-size bags of garbage than I have in the last two years.
Currently we're piling up all the various baby and feline-related sundries that need to accompany us in the car ride to DC. Our dining room table has turned into a mound of diapers, nursing pads, cat medicines, toy mice and the occasional five-megapixel camera. We may have to put yellow police tape around the pile to ward off overzealous packers. I just feel bad for the cats because they see their carriers and clearly think that they're about to go to the vet.... -andy
Posted by acarvin at 8:04 PM
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August 22, 2006
My New Job at NPR
Some of you have commented to me that my blog has been unusually quiet the last couple of weeks. I suppose this shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, as it's the middle of August, not to mention the fact that I've been thoroughly enjoying my time with Kayleigh watching her learn how to smile.
But the main reason I haven't been posting is because I've just accepted a new job. Starting in just a few weeks, I'll be working at National Public Radio in Washington DC, serving as senior product manager for online communities. In this role, I'll essentially act as a Web 2.0 strategist for NPR, helping them develop new initiatives that encourage greater public involvement in NPR's online activities. These activities could take a variety of forms: online social networks, wikis, blogs, mobcasting, citizen journalism, original content sharing. The NPR digital media team is very excited about the possibilities, and I'm honored that they've turned to me to work with them on this endeavor.
Now some of you may find it a bit odd that I've gone from digital divide work to NPR, but it seems quite natural for me. For many years now, I've argued that one of the main reasons we should bridge the digital divide is to provide the public with new outlets for civic participation, encouraging them to become producers of knowledge rather than mere consumers of it. Just giving people Internet access isn't very profound unless they also have platforms for dialogue and debate - platforms where they can have a voice in the public sphere. This new job at NPR will give me the chance to help develop platforms that I hope will do just that. Additionally, I'll continue to serve as one of PBS Online's three bloggers, focusing on education technology at PBS learning.now. So it seems like I'll be spending my waking hours covering the entire public broadcasting spectrum in one way or another. :-)
In the coming weeks I'll try to write more about the new job. For starters, I'll be spending a lot of time analyzing the Web 2.0 universe, with particular interest towards things like online social networks, citizen journalism and networked journalism. I can't predict where all of this will lead, but I'm very excited that NPR has asked me to help them blaze new trails with them.
Meanwhile, I'll also have to focus on the move itself. We're planning to head to the DC area during the first week of September, living in Silver Spring, MD. I'm really looking forward to being back in the DC area, too. While Boston has been good to us (read: Kayleigh), I feel like we're now getting ready to go back home.
See you soon, Washington. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 12:05 PM
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June 12, 2006
Fatherhood: 10 Days and Counting
So it's been 10 days since our little Kayleigh was born - life has been a total blur. Susanne and Kayleigh came home from the hospital last Wednesday, and it's been nonstop action ever since. Since she's got to start putting on some weight, her feedings have been almost constant, every two to three hours. Thankfully, Susanne's sister is in town helping out for the week, since I've been rendered useless by a very random case of strep throat.
Kayleigh's doing really great. Like most babies, she lost about 10% of her weight in the days following her birth. She's still not back up to 5 lbs, 12 oz, but hopefully she'll be there sometime later this week. Our biggest concern was a slight case of jaundice and her corresponding bilirubin levels. I'd never even heard of bilirubin until last week. For the first few days I just kept wondering, "Who the heck is Billy Rubin?" - until someone explained to me it was a substance that occurs when red blood cells break down. For a few days, her bilirubin levels were creeping up, to the point that Susanne promised Kayleigh that they'd collectively "kick Billy Rubin's ass." The best way to get Kayleigh's bilirubin level down was to get her to eat more. Unfortunately, preemies don't always know how to breastfeed very well, so it took her a few days to get the hang of it. Combined with a bit of bottle feeding and a lot of sleepless hours on Susanne's part, Kayleigh's gaining weight and Billy Rubin, the sucka he is, is running for the hills. Because of this, we won't have to make any more daily trips back to the NICU ward and the pediatrician's office.
Meanwhile, one of the biggest challenges we had assumed would be waiting for us at home has amounted to nothing. We were worried that our two cats, Winston and Dizzy, would have a hard time adjusting to Kayleigh. Man, we called that one wrong. When we brought her home, we placed her car seat on the floor so the boys could give her a good sniff - with careful supervision on our part, of course. Dizzy approached cautiously, treated her with some suspicion, and left the room. Winston sniffed her foot, shrugged, and sat down on the carpet a few feet away from her. And that's been about it. Occasionally the boys will come over and watch her from across the the room; sometimes they even sit below her crib. They seem to recognize that she's now a member of the family and isn't a threat to their supply of food, water or treats. Winston actually seems almost protective of her, which seems to be a really good sign.
Kayleigh takes a nap as Winston guards over her.
So that's about it for now. Susanne's nursing Kayleigh while I'm nursing my throat. Can't wait to get healthy so I can hold Kayleigh again. As for those diapers, though, they can wait a little longer. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 8:21 PM
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June 3, 2006
The Story of Kayleigh's Birth
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My first picture with Kayleigh |
Susanne's official due date was July 4 - patriotic, isn't it? - but we knew for a while that the baby would probably come early. (We didn't know the gender until she was born.) Susanne had what's known as a placenta previa, and it meant that she could experience serious bleeding during a natural birth. So, her doctors put her on bedrest in mid-April, and we tentatively planned a c-section birth in late June, a couple weeks early.
Everything was going according to plan until a few days ago, when Susanne experienced some bleeding at 2am. We rushed over the hospital, fully expecting the baby might have to be delivered that night. But we and the doctors decided it would be okay to have her stay at the hospital for about a week, and then shoot for a delivery once the baby was within 36 weeks gestation. So I stocked up Susanne's hospital room with plenty of DVDs and yogurt, ready for a long, but uneventful hospital stay.
There was one logistical complication, though not a serious one - we'd planned on having a virtual baby shower on Saturday, June 3. Susanne's friends are scattered all over the US, so we thought we would make a video blog of Susanne and me opening the presents, mixed with video clips from our friends wishing her well. Just to spread it out a couple of days, I brought some of the smaller presents into the hospital for Susanne to open on Friday, June 2. We spent the afternoon opening the presents and making videos, at which point she suggested I go home and shoot some more video of me opening the biggest boxes, which couldn't be brought to the hospital.
I got back home and enjoyed an hour of opening huge boxes, mugging for the camera and watching our cats get lost in the packing materials. Just as I started to wonder aloud the purpose of one of the gifts we received, Susanne called. I joked on camera that it was Susanne, and maybe she'd know what the gift was for.
"Shut off the camera," she said. "I'm bleeding."
I ran light a bat out of hell to get back to the hospital, which thankfully was less than a mile from our apartment. By the time I got there, I discovered that Susanne was actually doing well, but had experienced a small amount of fresh bleeding. The monitoring devices also suggested that she was having mild contractions. Both of these symptoms could have been early warning signs of the big bleed we'd all feared, so everyone agreed it was time to get the baby out - at 35 weeks, three days - even if our instincts told us to wait a little longer.
Susanne's obstetrician, Dr. Prami Yadav, came in and talked us through the procedure, as did a nurse and anesthesiologist. I'd first assumed we'd be rushed into the surgical theatre, taking out the baby by dinner time, but that was far from the case. Susanne was stable, and there were higher-priority pregnancies ahead of us. In an odd way, the fact that we kept getting pushed back because of other deliveries was reassuring. Susanne received an epidural sometime after 7pm. And then we waited.
Just before 10pm, Dr. Yadav returned and said it was time. Susanne was wheeled into the surgical theatre, while put on my blue surgical overalls, booties, mask and hair net. A nurse then had me wait in the post-operative recovery room, which was totally empty at the time. Soon, a pair of Haitian orderlies came in and started cleaning the beds; I sat there in a zen-like state, a content grin on my face that I hadn't felt since the minutes before I got married, when our friend John Doran had given me a beer and told me to enjoy the moment. I thoroughly did.
Sometime around 10:20, a nurse appeared and said I should follow her to the surgical theatre. The room was brightly lit like a professional photo shoot; the doctors were busily working on Susanne in a way that I successfully avoided viewing directly, lest I pass out from over-squeamishness. Susanne was splayed out on a cross-shaped table, oddly like the table where Mel Gibson's Braveheart met his end; the fact that the docs were tugging on Susanne's insides only added to the surrealness of the situation. Susanne was clearly uncomfortable and anxious, but not in pain. I held her hand and listened to the wonderful anesthesiologist, Dr. Cadogan, as she talked us through each part of the procedure.
We waited for what felt like an eternity, ever worried about the possibility of a sudden bleed.
Then someone said, "There we go! Do you want to see him?"
Him, I heard her say. Or was it 'em, as in "Do you want to see 'em?" For a split second I didn't know if we had a boy or a girl.
"What do we have?" I asked anxiously. Waiting for the answer seemed like an eternity.
"A little girl," someone piped in.
"A little girl?" I repeated, making sure I heard it correctly.
Suddenly, there was a chorus of nurses telling us, "Congratulations!"
"Susanne, you're a mommy," I said, barely able to get the words out. "She's beautiful!"
Of course, she was a bit of a mess, but the nurses were working hard to clean her up. She let out a few cries just to let us know she was here.
"Does she have a name?" someone asked.
"She does have a name," I said, relishing the moment in a way that only a new father can.
"Kayleigh India Carvin."
Susanne got to spend a few tearful, joyful moments with our little girl before it was time to suture up her abdomen and get Kayleigh to the newborn intensive care unit (NICU). One of the nurses told us she'd scored an eight and a nine, on a scale of one to 10, on a newborn vitality test known as an Apgar score, conducted at the first minute and the five-minute mark. We couldn't have asked for a better start.
I stayed at the hospital until almost 2am, visiting with Kayleigh before wheeling down Susanne on the gurney so she could see Kayleigh once she was all cleaned up. She was doing quite well, though with a bit of respiratory distress that I assumed was just a cute little squeak on her part - something that would clear up before the night was over.
Now, mother and baby are doing well, spending copious amounts of time together getting to know each other. After three years of sheer hell dealing with surgeries, countless hormone shots, failed in-vitro fertilizations and inter-utero inseminations, and a tragic miscarriage almost exactly one year ago, we now had our beautiful, glorious little girl.
Kayleigh India. I'm in love. -andy
Photos galore: kayleighcarvin.com. What can I say - I'm a geek. :-)
Posted by acarvin at 9:55 PM
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May 25, 2006
The Day the Canons Went Silent
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Photo of me talking to a pair of young women while lost in a Tibetan neighborhood of Kathmandu in November 1996. Note my faithful Canon EOS Rebel G camera hanging around my neck. And check out that hair. |
I suppose I'm partially to blame for the Canon SLR's demise. For years, I was a loyal owner of a Canon EOS Rebel G camera, which accompanied me on my travels to probably 30+ countries on five continents. Between 1995 and 2003, it was the only camera I would use, from first trip to the Middle East to our Bali honeymoon. Then in the fall of 2003 I decided to buy a small Canon digital camera before a trip to Oman and Dubai. I think I've used the Rebel on only two or three occasions since, while shooting at least 20,000 photos on the three digital cameras I've owned since then. For years I swore I'd never abandon the 35mm format; even my first digital camera was a matter of packing lightly rather than making a permanent switch. But the ability to get immediate feedback on the quality of a picture was a siren who couldn't be silenced; I could no longer resist the digital camera's charms, even though I knew in my heart I was being an unfaithful cad to my beloved Rebel.
I hope all of you Canon SLR owners pause for a moment of reflection today. An era has come to an end. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 1:42 PM
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April 21, 2006
In New Haven for the Yale Access to Knowledge Conference
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Crossing the bridge into New London, Connecticut |
Assuming they have wifi at the conference, I'll try to blog some of the sessions. It should be a lot of fun - at least I hope so, since I'm skipping a Dresden Dolls concert to be here. :-) -andy
Posted by acarvin at 12:17 PM
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April 5, 2006
Talking About My New Book at the Harvard Berkman Center
On Thursday, April 6, I'm going to be giving a preview of my new book, "From the Ground Up: Evolution of the Telecentre Movement," at the Harvard Berkman Center for Internet & Society. Every Thursday, a group of local bloggers get together to discuss Internet issues, and I'll be talking about the book for this week's meeting.
The book, edited by me and Mark Surman of Telecentre.org, explores the diversity of public computing initiatives around the world, examining the common visions and goals that unite them. It's intended to inspire technology activists to realize that they're part of a worldwide movement to bridge the digital divide, rather than working in isolation. The book will be distributed this spring by IDRC in Canada, but for now you can review a very large PDF version (It's around 10 megabytes - a necessary evil given the hundreds of photographs in the book.)
If you happen to be in the Boston area, please feel free to join us Thursday evening at Berkman. It'll take place at 7 PM at Baker House, 1587 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, north of Harvard Square. Hope to see some of you there!
Here are some screen shots of the book:
The book cover
Opening to the Hungary chapter
Opening to the USA chapter
Photo spread from the Ghana chapter
Page from the Chile chapter
Posted by acarvin at 2:15 PM
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March 31, 2006
Post-Game Summary of My Appearance on Radio Open Source
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Chris Lydon live on Open Source last night |
I arrived at the studio just before 7pm, when the program airs live. I sat in the studio with Chris, who was busily jotting down notes for the show, peppering me with interesting questions about the subject. I'd met Chris once or twice at Harvard Berkman events, but this was the first time we'd ever really chatted. You can tell he's done thousands of interviews in his long career; he really makes you feel comfortable. I think it was particularly helpful that I was with him in person. Sometimes I've done radio interviews in which I'm over the phone or checking in via another studio, and the lack of eye contact can affect the rapport of the conversation. So it was great being able to sit at the same table with Chris, microphones bobbing six inches from our noses; it would make for a very comfortable, casual conversation.
I didn't come on for the first 40 minutes; Chris interviewed Spencer Wells of National Geographic and John Hawks of the University of Wisconsin first. This allowed me to observe his interview style and take notes. During music breaks, Chris would talk simultaneously with the control room as well as with me, taking advantage of every moment to prepare for the next segment.
Eventually, it was my turn to appear on air. Chris opened things up by asking me how I started my own family tree odyssey, and the brick wall I hit in terms of a lack of a genealogical paper trail beyond my great-grandparents. I talked about how I learned about genetic genealogy in early 2000 and tracked down the founder of Family Tree DNA, which was just getting off the ground as one of the first commercial providers of DNA tests for genealogical purposes.
From there, we talked about some of the findings I had, including the connections on both sides of my family with the Middle East and northeast Africa. I also talked a bit about my father-in-law, Dave Cornwall, who got tested last year and ended up connecting with other DNA customers who happened to be named Cornwell and shared a similar story of how their families came to America. Chris wrapped it up by asking me what I plan to tell our first child about our family's history and what we've learned from the DNA testing. I said I hoped that it would give them an appreciation of how we're connected to people from all over the world, and that we're all one large human family, all equally deserving of dignity and respect.
The hour was over quite fast - it's amazing how these things fly by when you're into it. Chris said he'd be getting tested soon; I can't wait to see the follow-up show and learn what he discovered.
In case you didn't catch the show, here's the podcast of the full hour. It's about 24 megabytes, so it may take a while to download. My segment is about 40 minutes into the show - not that you should skip ahead or anything. :-) -andy
Posted by acarvin at 11:37 AM
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March 30, 2006
Discussing Genetics and Genealogy Tonight on Radio Open Source
Tonight I'm going to be a guest on Christopher Lydon's public radio program, Open Source. The show will focus on genetics and genealogy for the full hour; I'll be talking about my own personal experiences with DNA testing for family tree research. Other guests include "Journey of Man" author Spencer Wells of National Geographic's Genographic Project and anthropology blogger John Hawks.
Open Source is syndicated over public radio international. It airs live at 7pm ET/4pm PT in many communities, though sometimes it's recorded and aired at other times. Check their schedule for station air times near you.
Otherwise, you can go to hear the program streamed live over the Internet. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 3:01 PM
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March 24, 2006
Turkey Trip Cancelled
I'm no longer going to Turkey. My mom is ill and she's up here in Boston for surgery next week. Some things in life are just more important.
Posted by acarvin at 9:38 AM
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March 21, 2006
Going to Turkey This Weekend
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Istanbul, photographed by me in 1999, distorted via Photoshop in 2001. |
This will be my first overseas trip this year, and my third visit to Turkey. I'm really excited about it - if I were forced to name my favorite country in the world to visit, Turkey would certainly be a finalist. I plan to blog, podcast and vlog as often as possible, so please drop in and follow along... -andy
Posted by acarvin at 11:55 AM
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February 22, 2006
Now I Can Relax
Wrapped up my hour-long speech at the University of Missouri just a little while ago; sipping some mint tea to rescue my throat as Nancy Davenport of the Council on Library and Information Resources delivers the second keynote. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 12:40 PM
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February 16, 2006
My Interview with Netsquared
Blogger Marshall Kirkpatrick has just published an in-depth interview with me on the NetSquared blog. The interview, which was conducted a few days ago via instant messaging, covers a whole range of issues, including the debate over mobile phones vs. laptops in the developing world; the Digital Divide Network; blogging and disaster response; video blogging; and my upcoming book on the telecentre movement, among other topics. Check it out when you get a chance.
Posted by acarvin at 6:07 PM
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February 2, 2006
My Debut on Rocketboom; Rocketboom's Debut on CSI
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Rocketboom is getting so popular, young punks are even tagging my neighborhood with its logo. |
My Rocketboom debut couldn't come at a better time, as it will be featured tonight on the hit crime drama CSI. I'm a little unclear about how it fits in the plot line, but from what Rocketboom co-creator Andrew Baron told me, the episode will include scenes from a Rocketboom episode created exclusively for CSI. The show's producers sent Rocketboom the episode's script, which in turn was used to create a Rocketboom newscast for the show. So if all goes according to plan, you'll have a chance to see Rocketboom host (and my fellow Northwestern alum) Amanda Congdon on CBS tonight. Last week's CSI episode attracted 25.9 million viewers and was the third most watched program of the week, only behind two episodes of American Idol. Assuming the show'll generate similar numbers this week (and there's no reason it shouldn't), I can imagine that Rocketboom's traffic should, well, skyrocket.
So tune in to Rocketboom - and CSI - tonight! -andy
Posted by acarvin at 9:59 AM
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January 27, 2006
Remembering "My Kennedy" - In Memory of the Challenger Astronauts
Tomorrow's the annivesary. January 28, 1986.
I can't believe it's been 20 years.
I was an eighth-grader at Hoover Junior High School in Indialantic, Florida. Like so many other kids in my community, I'd grown up with the space program. The launch pads of Cape Canaveral were only 40 miles north of our town, jutting out of Merritt Island, just north of the barrier island I called home.
I'd probably seen at least 20 of the previous space shuttle launches, going back to STS-1 in April 1981, when John Young and Robert Crippen piloted the Enterprise; the local newspaper even ran a picture of me awaiting that first launch, eagerly scanning the sky with my binoculars.
Growing up along the Space Coast, you couldn't avoid a shuttle launch; if you didn't happen to step outside to follow the contrail racing through the sky, the sonic boom would rattle the neighborhood so loudly it would set off car alarms. Our community was a part of the space program, whether or not our individual families contributed to it. My elementary school had been named after the Gemini program; our rival high school was Satellite High. The outdoor shots for "I Dream of Jeannie" were filmed just north of us at Patrick Air Force Base. My friend Todd Demetriades even had a life-size mockup of a Gemini capsule in his garage, left over from when a NASA engineer lived in the house; playing astronaut in that Gemini capsule was as good as it gets when you're a 10-year-old boy.
Sometime during my lunch period at school that chilly morning in January, the space shuttle Challenger was expected to take off. Normally if a launch were taking place at this time, I'd cram down my lunch and wait outside to catch it from the start. Today, though, I wasn't in a rush. It was ridiculously cold outside, to the point where there had been a frost warning the previous night for the orange crops, and I'd become so acclimatized to Florida weather that I didn't want to be outside in such frigid temperatures. To make matters worse, I had a big test later that day and wasn't particularly prepared, so I kept my head shoved in a text book while scarfing down lunch.
As lunch period wrapped up, I figured I'd poke my head outside just to see if the launch had been delayed. Stepping out the front doors of the school, a small group of people was staring upwards facing due north. I looked up, expecting to see the shuttle barrelling towards space, its contrail tracing gently through the sky.
What I saw, though, didn't make any sense.
The contrail was shaped like a Y, as if two stunt jets had flown up in a tight formation and then parted in two directions. Then the contrails split again and again, a weeping willow-like fractal pattern splitting into hundreds of faint lines, all drifting slowly downward.
I walked back into the school, unable to process what I had just witnessed. Throughout the hallways, students wrapped up the final lunch period and were making their way back into class. There just seemed to be more commotion than usual. I made my way back to Mrs. Deppner's French class when my friend Dave Wallack stopped me and said, "Someone just told me the shuttle blew up."
I shrugged and told him it was crazy. My head still hadn't processed what my eyes had just witnessed.
Sitting down in Mrs. Deppner's class, I half-expected the period to begin as it always did. Instead, the school principal came over the PA system and announced, with great sorrow, that the Space Shuttle Challenger had exploded about a minute after takeoff. Most of the class sat there, stunned. A few students began to cry; some of them rushed out, no doubt eager to call home and check to see if their parents - NASA employees - were safe. I asked Mrs. Deppner if I could be excused.
I left the classroom and went straight for the small media lab at the school library. It was probably the only place in school outside the principal's office that had a television, and I couldn't sit in class not knowing what had happened. Every channel was covering the disaster non-stop, but it was all chaos - no one knew what caused the explosion or whether the astronauts could have survived. It certainly appeared that it was a fatal accident. I kept thinking of those hundreds of delicate contrails descending to the sea. Which of those weeping willow branches was the astronauts' chamber?
I must have sat in the media lab for two, three, four hours. Who knows. Time became irrelevant that afternoon. At some point, my American history teacher, Mr. Deppner - my French teacher's husband - came into the room. Normally a real jokester, Mr. Deppner was very somber, silently watching the TV with me. It must have been his planning period. I couldn't keep my eyes off the TV. Mr. Deppner then grabbed his things and began to walk out the door. I looked back and we made eye contact.
"This is your Kennedy," he said, closing the door as he left.
Soon enough, the school day had ended. There was no point in staying in the media lab any longer when I could get on my bike and go home. Stepping outside, I looked one more time in the direction of the weeping willow contrails. Incredibly, they were still hanging in the air, as if the explosion had occurred moments earlier. Normally, a shuttle's contrail evaporates within an hour of takeoff, if not sooner. But the air was so cold and calm that particular day, it remained etched in the sky, as if to hammer home what had happened to anyone who had doubted it the first time around.
I've thought about the Challenger disaster many times since then; the events of that day were so formative to my teenage years that I even wrote my college entrance essay about it. The Challenger explosion was indeed My Kennedy. As the Kennedy assasination had been for my parents, the Challenger disaster one of those rare life-altering events for which you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing at that particular moment - whether you want to remember it or not.
In Memoriam:
- Commander Francis "Dick" Scobee
- Pilot Michael J. Smith
- Mission Specialist Judith Resnik
- Mission Specialist Ellison Onizuka
- Mission Specialist Ronald McNair
- Payload Specialist Gregory Jarvis
- Payload Specialist/Educator Christa McAuliffe
We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God.
Posted by acarvin at 12:53 PM
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January 25, 2006
Searching for R2-D2
Remember last November when I spent a week traipsing around southern Tunisia to put together an article about Star Wars tourism? Well, I'm proud to say that it's featured as the lead story on the Associated Press asap website. The story grew from a simple article to a photo gallery and a pair of two-minute videos documenting the night I spent in Luke Skywalker's house. I'm pretty happy with how the whole thing turned out; check it out when you get a chance. -andy
Posted by acarvin at 6:40 PM
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January 4, 2006
New Years Resolution: Become a Dad
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Introducing Peanut, our (currently) gender-neutral child-to-be, coming to a delivery room near you on the Fourth of July, 2006. |
Getting to this point hasn't been easy; Susanne had to go through two rounds of endometriosis surgery over the last two years. And in the end, we needed a bit of a kickstart from science, using in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to get to this point. The IVF procedure allowed us to avoid the pitfalls caused by endometriosis; even with two surgeries, there's no way to ever "cure" it per se. The PGD, in my mind at least, was even more important. PGD is basically genetic testing for newly formed embryoes, making it possible to detect whether or not an embryo contains an ill-fated chromosomal flaw that would lead to a miscarriage. Since Susanne had experienced previous miscarriages, PGD was in many ways our last hope; from the good news we've received with each ultrasound and blood test, it seems it was well worth it.
Needless to say, I'm absolutely thrilled about pending fatherhood, and very thankful that everything is going as planned. Not only did I want to share this good news with the world, I felt it was important to talk about the context of Susanne's pregnancy. It's all too common for people to not want to talk about miscarriages or infertility, even though millions of couples have gone through the same hell we've experienced for much of the last three years. It shouldn't be a taboo. I wish I'd been more open to talk about it earlier. Thankfully, my offline and online friends have been tremendously supportive, particularly those on Omidyar.net - they helped us realize we're not alone in the world.
The IVF experience has also made me very, very thankful that we've spent the last two years living in Boston, as Massachusetts is one of the few states that requires insurance companies to cover fertility procedures like IVF. If we'd been living almost anywhere else, we would have wiped out much of our savings paying for multiple IVF procedures, making it impossible for us to explore other options like adoption. I'm grateful that state legislators in Massachusetts were thoughtful enough to make IVF a reality for couples who can't afford to spend $15,000 per attempt. More states should recognize the plight of the millions of couples struggling with infertility and subfertility - they shouldn't have to face bankrupcy just to start a family.
Anyway, enough politics. Time to buy some baby clothes.... -andy
ps - in case you're wondering if it's a boy or a girl, don't ask. We haven't decided if we're going to find out, even though we've got a pretty good guess. For now, we're just calling it the gender-neutral nickname "Peanut," based on the first ultrasound pictures....
Posted by acarvin at 3:23 PM
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January 3, 2006
Testing My New Comment System
For those of you who've had problems getting my blog's comment system to work, I've just scrapped Typekey. Now, I'm experimenting with Haloscan to see if it will make it easier for people to post comments. It's not the most exciting comment tool out there, but at least it works, and that'll be a big step in the right direction... - andy
Posted by acarvin at 8:05 PM
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December 10, 2005
Back in Boston after a Break from Blogging
For those of you wondering why my posts from Tunisia stopped rather abruptly, it's because my hands needed a break from typing. I've been home in Boston for about 10 days now, but haven't posted much of anything except a few videos just to take a break from all the writing I did in Tunisia.
After leaving Tataouine, Marouen and I spent a couple of relaxing days in Djerba, where I got to visit the famous El Ghriba Synagogue. Otherwise, I didn't do too much there, apart from rest and get ready to fly back home. My time since then has been absorbed in preparing the Digital Divide Network to move from EDC to TakingITGlobal.
So in case you were thinking I got thrown in jail in southern Tunisia or something, I didn't. (Not that I wouldn't put it past them give the way we got treated by local authorities.)
Anyway, now back to your regularly scheduled programming... -andy
Posted by acarvin at 8:52 PM
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November 8, 2005
My Departure from EDC
Hi everyone,
We've recently learned that the primary funding for the activities of the Center for Media & Community will not be continued, including support for the Digital Divide Network. The Center is therefore in the process of closing its doors, and Andrea Taylor and I are preparing to leave EDC at the end of November, following our involvement in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis.
Fortunately, this transition will not mean the end of DDN. Over the last several weeks we've worked out arrangements for DDN to move its operations to TakingITGlobal (TIG). As many of you know, TIG is an online community of nearly 100,000 young activists in more than 200 countries. They've played a major role in getting young people engaged in bridging the digital divide and other aspects of global development. I'll say more about the arrangement when we make an official announcement in Tunis next week.
As for me, I'm just beginning to sort out my options. While I still hope to volunteer with DDN - several people have joked about calling me "editor emeritus," which is kinda funny at my age - I'll have to start searching for a new day job. Susanne has expressed interest in moving back to DC or the Chicago area, either of which would be great, but we'll probably search more broadly as well. Having spent the last few years on the fundraising side of things, I may explore going back to the grantmaking side of the business (I started off as a program officer at the Corp for Public Broadcasting creating Internet-related grant programs back in the day.) Or I may want to focus a bit more on participatory media and citizen journalism - who knows. And I certainly don't want to end my involvement in digital divide work. So if any of you know of anyone looking for a digital divide pundit who spends a lot of time blogging, podcasting and vlogging, please do let me know. :-)
It's been an amazing six years with DDN - four years at Benton, two at EDC. So this is quite a bittersweet moment for me. At least I know, though, that DDN has reached the size and maturity to succeed well after I'm gone; and with TakingITGlobal taking it over, I know it'll be in the best of hands. Thanks to everyone who's made my involvement with DDN a pleasure all these years - I really appreciate it.... -andy
Posted by acarvin at 11:27 AM
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October 14, 2005
Celebrating 11 Years of Blogging - Sort Of
Eleven years ago today, I launched my first website, EdWeb: Exploring Technology and School Reform. The site was the result of a post-graduate fellowship from Northwestern University's Annenberg-Washington Program. I'd spent the summer of 1994 working at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting researching the impact on telecommunications reform on K-12 education. Because I was just a lowly grad student, they weren't willing to publish my findings in an official capacity, so instead I learned HTML, set up a Web server on my old Mac Classic, and launched EdWeb myself. It was one of the very first websites examining the role of the Web in education, and it propelled me into the work on the digital divide that I'm doing 11 years later.
Meanwhile, as part of EdWeb, I set up a personal homepage for myself called Andy Carvin's Waste of Bandwidth. As you can see from this archival copy of my homepage from around eight years ago, the page was organized with my latest news updates at the top, with older information further down the page. Over time, I eventually stopped coding the page by hand and switched to various blogger tools, including Blogger and Movable Type.
Today, of course, Andy Carvin's Waste of Bandwidth is my primary way of saying whatever it is I want to say online. So in a way, I'm able to celebrate the 11th anniversary of my blog today. Perhaps not a blog in function that whole time, but certainly a blog in spirit. (grin) -andy
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