My sister-in-law called from Indonesia this week with a report on my brother, Blane. He’s somewhere in the Aceh province of northern Indonesia, helping coordinate relief efforts.
Most of the cell towers were destroyed so calling home (1,000 miles to the south) is iffy, but Tonya got a call a few days ago. Blane says it’s far worse than anything shown on CNN. And the corruption is beyond description.
Because he speaks the language and knows the culture, his role seems to be more one of coordination than hands on. But it’s ugly, stressful work. They only allow team members to do body recovery for a couple of days at a time before rotating to other tasks. No shit.
He’s scheduled to return to Bandar Lampung late this week and we’re praying for safe return. On a brighter note… I learned that he, Tonya and the kids will return to the US (Tulsa) in June. Every four years, they return for six months furlough. I’m sure he will have some amazing stories to share.
Nokia’s snazzy new 6620 gives Internet radio its due. It boasts plenty of impressive video features, including a still camera that produces surprisingly good photos. But it’s the radio, available on a service through AT&T Wireless — now part of Cingular — that sets it apart. Why is the radio so important? Because it’s live. Viable live TV on handsets is at least a couple of years away. Radio works right now.