November 2008 - Posts
From John Rutherford, Producer, NBC News, Washington
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Mickey Weiner supplemented his teaching salary at Irvington High School in New Jersey by repossessing cars for a local bank and working as a lifeguard, a waiter and a bartender.
"In general, everyone had a tough time because of the Depression years," Weiner, who just turned 100, said recently. "There was a lot of 
unemployment, and people who had jobs were lucky. I had a job, and I was pretty well taken care of. I had a new Ford I bought. It cost a little over $500."
Gas cost 12 cents a gallon back then, which was a good thing, because Weiner's salary was cut in 1932 from $1,800 to $1,200 a year. That didn't stop him from continuing at Irvington High for the next 42 years, retiring in 1974 as principal. He and his wife Ginny live in relative comfort because of investments he made over the years in the stock market.
"I've gotten myself a house and a lot that's worth about $1 million, and it's more than I earned teaching, and that's because of the stock market," he said.
Weiner believes today's tough times will turn around in a couple of years.
"It's a bad year," he said, "but it'll come back, that's the thing. Right now it's not too good. I think eventually it'll turn around and become better."
Another centenarian, 100-year-old Herbert Winckelmann of Staunton, Va., is also generally optimistic about the future.
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From Kerry Sanders, NBC News correspondentSharon Matola is one of those rare breeds who not only loves what she does, but she sucks you right into her exciting world. When a jaguar licks your face and doesn’t tear it off, how can you not feel an adrenaline rush? (More on that in a moment.)
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| Jorge Pujol/NBC News |
| Kerry Sanders gets a jaguar kiss |
Matola’s journey is an amazing path of twists and turns, from Baltimore upbringing, to circus lion tamer, to assistant filmmaker to pioneer.
Pioneer? Indeed! Twenty-six years ago, Matola came to Belize and after helping film wildlife for a documentary, she realized the native animals were disappearing and no one seemed to notice.
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From Ann Curry, NBC NewsAnn Curry checked in today to give a status report on her trek up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania – and offered some photos to help illustrate her journey. “Climbing the hardest route up Kilimanjaro during the rainy season has been a real challenge for our news team,” she admitted.
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From Meredith Vieira, TODAY anchorSunday morning we flew to Sydney. One look at the harbor here and you understand why so many people fall in love with this place. I took a long run along the river, passing by the spectacular Sydney Opera House (where Australian Idol is having its final showdown this week!) and the botanical gardens. Then it was off to interview Robert Dane, the inventor of a boat called the
Solar Sailor. 
Robert was a doctor, but his passion since childhood has been sailing. He is also a true environmentalist who worried about what was happening to his beautiful harbor as a result of pollution. He told me something I had never been aware of before: the shipping industry is responsible for a tremendous amount of the carbon emissions in the world, twice as many as the aviation industry. Robert had long been thinking about ways to make a greener vessel. Then he found true inspiration. I won't tell you where it came from; for that you'll have to
watch the piece. All I will say is that sometimes the smallest creatures can provide the biggest ideas. Robert figured out how to combine solar, wind and battery power to create a hybrid boat that uses far less fuel (meaning less pollutants) than standard vessels. He says his technology can easily be adapted to be used on even the biggest ships and tankers. We sailed through the harbor taking in the beauty around us. What struck me about Robert was his passion and determination to make this world a better place. As he put it, "it's a no brainer." We ended the evening with a lovely dinner at a restaurant overlooking the ocean.
As I write this it is Monday morning in Australia (Sunday afternoon in New York). My voice is starting to go, probably the result of jet lag and talking so much. Just finished two pots of tea with honey and am headed out for a brief walk in the sunshine before beginning to prepare for the live show (which will occur from 11pm to 2am Australia time). Call it my attempt at using some solar energy to get my act in gear!
To find TODAY's complete Ends of the Earth coverage, click here.
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| NBC News |
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From Kerry Sanders, NBC News correspondent
Ecotourism has exploded in the last five years, and Belize couldn’t be sitting prettier. The United Nations World Tourism Organization estimates ecotourism is a $60 billion dollar-a-year business. And because Belize is late to the huge business of tourism, in many ways, this country is still untouched.
That’s turned out to be fortunate. Much of what tourists do when they visit this Central American country is to get up close to Mother Nature. Forty-two percent of Belize is a green zone, a protected territory by government decree.
The most popular activities are scuba-diving and snorkeling. But there's much more to see and do, like tubing on rivers that flow through mile-long caves. Native Maya Indians believed these were the opening to the underworld. Zip-lining through the jungle is another highly-energizing thrill.
Our NBC crew didn’t want to quit.
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From Meredith Vieira, TODAY anchorWe made it to Melbourne, Australia after some 22 hours of flying. Lots of water and sleep aboard Qantas, one of the nicest airlines I've ever experienced. There's something about a pilot with an Australian accent that instills confidence in even a white-knuckled flyer like myself.
We took off Thursday night from JFK and landed in Australia Saturday morning. Then after a quick pit stop at the hotel we all loaded into a van and drove an hour and a half to Prince Philip Island. Among other things, it is home to the Little Penguin sanctuary. The Little Penguin is so called because he is a little guy, smaller than the black and white penguins we all know. Those tuxedoed characters come from Antarctica, whereas the Little Penguins are warm water birds. Every night for thousands of years they have washed onto the beach here and waddled up to their burrows, often dodging foxes and birds of prey.
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From Ann Curry, NBC News
Arusha, Tanzania "I am a Masai," Jonas Eliau tells us.
And the Masai he says, believe Mount Kilimanjaro is dying. "We fear there will be no more water for the people, if all the snows on Kili melt."
Scientists say 84 percent of the mountain's glaciers have disappeared in less than 100 years. Climate change is the lead suspect. Since before memory, the glaciers on Mount Kilimanjaro have fed the rivers that sustain Tanzania's many tribes.
As our truck bounces along unpaved roads, Jonas points out a river he says is two-thirds the width it once was. He tells us there is less rain during the rainy season and wells are drying up.
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| Belinda reading at a table |
It is because of one dry well that 13-year-old Belinda Amon might have to stop going to school. CONTINUED >>
From Peter Alexander, TODAY correspondent
Note: This blog has been updated to include a new slide show. It was originally published on Friday, Sept. 26.
So, here we are. In the Arctic. Day 23. Good times!
Producer Paul Manson and I, along with cameraman Callan Griffiths and soundman Ben Adam, were sent here on assignment to report on climate change and the Arctic for an upcoming broadcast. The primary news peg -- and one reason for our visit -- is that for only the second time in recorded history the Northwest Passage is ice free, effectively clearing this shortcut between Europe and Asia.
Our intention was to stay on board for 10 days, shooting video and interviews. Mother Nature, apparently, had other plans. Inclement weather, along with an emergency search and 
rescue mission, has spoiled all five of our attempts to leave the ship. Getting stuck in the Arctic is not uncommon; getting stuck five times is like punishment.
Joining the team
We left NYC Sept. 3, joining up with a team of scientists from ArcticNet on board the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker, Amundsen. (In Canada, the Coast Guard is civilian, not military. It is part of the country's Department of Oceans and Fisheries.) This particular Coast Guard ship has been dedicated to scientific research and outfitted with all the necessary tools. In a unique partnership, the scientists work side-by-side with the Coast Guard crew. For example, the scientists are testing water samples and sediment samples (from the ocean floor) as well as mapping uncharted territories in this remote part of the world. There are 40 scientists, 40 Coast Guard members and the four of us. By now we're part of the team, learning to help on deck, in the lab and at dinner. See more photos here.
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Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, and Al Roker found themselves barred from Studio 1A by a very large and officious bear with a badge who demanded identification. “Is this your current address, Mr. Lawyer?” Bobo the security guard growled at one of the most familiar faces on television.
“Lauer!” the TODAY hosts corrected him.
IS THIS YOUR CURRENT ADDRESS, MR. LAWYER?!” Bobo boomed obligingly.
Meanwhile, inside the studio, the show was going on — but with some very curious stand-ins. Muppet versions of Lauer, Vieira, and Roker had taken over their flesh-and-blood analogues’ duties, blithely bantering and teasing segments before introducing a bemused Lester Holt with the news.
The Muppet mimicry was an impressive demonstration of the versatility of Whatnots: customizable Muppets who serve as supporting players to A-list Muppets like Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, who were also on the set. Perhaps not coincidentally, a Muppet Whatnot Workshop, where kids and their parents can build their own unique Whatnots, is now open at toy emporium FAO Schwarz.
As Lauer, Vieira and Roker continued to remonstrate in vain with Bobo (Vieira even resorted to seduction, only to find herself pushed up against the wall for frisking), Muppets and Whatnots consolidated their takeover of TODAY. A Whatnot Al Roker buttonholed puzzled plaza visitors before introducing a Whatnot Willard Scott, who announced the birthdays of a succession of centenarian Muppets with dubious names like “Lee Turgid” and “Flick Flashman.” Muppet mice and monsters populated the control room, switching cameras and going to commercial without missing a beat. A gregarious Whatnot version of Ann Curry revealed her location for the show’s globe-spanning “Ends of the Earth” series: across the plaza at Dean & Deluca, where she persisted in introducing herself to the amused patrons. WATCH VIDEO
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From Ann Curry, NBC News
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| Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania |
Arusha, Tanzania We can see her silhouette, rising above the clouds under a full moon in the darkness. And she is gorgeous in her solitary pose, as the world's largest free standing mountain, one of its seven summits. And she waits for us.
Looking up at her, we are a humbled NBC News team, driving in a lurching safari truck from Kilimanjaro International Airport, brimming with excitement.
Our mission is to report on Kilimanjaro's vanishing glaciers, expected to disappear completely as soon as 2020. And if we are successful, we will reach millions of Americans with the story in an unprecedented way.
Our crew is talking nonstop about technical challenge we face in going live over five days from as many as four places on this 19,000-foot mountain. So many things could go wrong. But Bobby, Peter, Julian, Jen and Ray are jazzed, and listening to these talents, it is easy to be calm. If it can be done, they will do it.
What worries me more is whether we are up for the physical challenge. Just a third of those who try reach the top of Kilimanjaro. Eighty percent suffer altitude sickness, 10 percent the point where their lives are threatened.
We are taking the hardest route, known as the Western Breach, because it will get us closest to the ice. We will be careful, take our time, and take care of each other.
And so an adventure begins.
Watch
the video of Ann preparing for her hike, and read her
blog report about the how the melting snows of Kilimanjaro are affecting the local people.
TODAY's Ends of the Earth series begins Monday, Nov. 17. Find out more here.
For this year’s Ends of the Earth series, which begins Nov. 17, Ann Curry went down to one of the lowest points on Earth for an expedition with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
One of the challenges she faced was negotiating for room in a six-foot space along with her fellow travelers. See why Ann called the journey a “once in a lifetime experience.”
WATCH WEB-ONLY VIDEO HERE
From John Rutherford, Producer, NBC News, Washington
Centenarian L. F. Beasley sold his car when he went off to serve in World War II because he expected to be gone for 10 years and didn't want to come home to Tennessee to a 10-year-old car.
Dr. Beasley, 100, who now lives in Franklin, Ky., ended up spending four years in the medical unit of the 80th Infantry Division, including several nights in a French family's home in 1945.
"The people I was staying with couldn't speak English, and I couldn't speak French, so we didn't have a whole lot of fun together," he said recently.
The only German that Dr. Beasley ever tried to shoot was a German Shepherd dog that threatened to attack him.
"I thought I'd kill that dog, but my gun [a .25 caliber pistol] wouldn't fire," he said. That's the only time I ever tried to fire it, and it wouldn't fire. I had a driver, and he and I jumped in the car and left."
Dr. Beasley's mother was seriously injured in an automobile accident in 1945, and he was "rushed" home by the Red Cross.
"I came home on what I thought was a cattle boat," he said. "It took us 10 days to cross the Atlantic Ocean. When we went over to Europe, we went over on the Queen Mary and landed in four days.
"By the time I got home, she was much improved. When I got to New York, first thing I did was call home and found out she had left the hospital."
Since Dr. Beasley was already home, he was allowed to muster out of the military ahead of his unit. After the war, his son John asked him if he'd like to go back to Europe as a tourist.
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