http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/china/ Scott Bremner is a highly-respected television journalist in northwest Pennsylvania. His writing won first place in the first-ever National Society of Newspaper Columnists' online column writing award and he's published a book called, "Thoughts From Under The Hat". en Copyright 2008 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:08:48 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss It's easy sometimes to forget, in the midst of story after story about insurance co-pays, arbitrations and budgets, that real people put real lives on the line in the performance of their duties. Those priorities straightened considerably when a 100 pound chunk of metal fell on Lawrence Park Deputy Chief Michael Crotty this week, ending his life after only 24 years. He had just been hired as a City of Erie firefighter. His family told us he had never been prouder. I'm not here to tell you who is right or wrong in negotiating budgets. I'm here to tell you that all of us have better lives because a precious few are willing to risk it all in the protection of the lives and properties of others. As hundreds of firefighters come to Erie County this weekend to say goodbye to a promising young talent, I'm drawn to a single statement usually embroidered on a cloth displayed at firefighter funerals. Lest We Forget. We never should. http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2008/04/lest_we_forget.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2008/04/lest_we_forget.html Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:08:48 -0500 If you want to draw a crowd there's nothing quite like talking about other people's money. Our look into what the executives for the City's ten authorities make compared to cities of similar size brought quite the response. Viewers are now asking us to look into neighboring communities, what people drive and what other perks are being handed out. Authorities are free standing by design, the thinking being that certain assets are either too important or too profitable to be left within the normal political systems. But that freedom also creates less accountability, and even though all of us foot the bill we often don't have easy access to what is being spent where. You can check out the stories under local headlines or top videos for the next week or so. http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2008/02/salary_look_gets_big_response.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2008/02/salary_look_gets_big_response.html Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:57:26 -0500 Lindsey's Wedding One . Lindsey's Wedding Two . More Wedding Video . Here's just a sample of the comments we've received so far: I've been critical lately of some of our local news coverage (just how many times must we watch stories about graffiti on trains?????????), but I must tell you that I heard and saw the story about the Fuhrman girl twice today. I was moved to tears each time. Thank you for such a nice piece. J. VanCise Corry,PA --------------------------------------- We smiled, through our tears, as we viewed your story on the 6 o'clock news about the bride walking down the aisle with 2 proud "fathers." Thank you for the story and may it be an inspiration for others to become donors. J. Harrison-Means --------------------------------------------- I wanted to share how splendid it was to see the Wedding footage of my little brother and his new wife. My husband and I recently moved to MN and were unable to make it into town to attend and much to my pleasure and surprise I received notice from my little sister today that you had aired the wedding, Lindsey’s story, and subsequently Adam’s story in not one, but two segments! I have enjoyed the footage tremendously, and am thrilled that my brother has been blessed with a soul-mate and that the Lord has seen fit to keep her safe and healthy through it all. From a loving big sister and brother-in-law in MN, Nona & Dave ------------------------------------------------------ Feel free to email your thoughts to scott.bremner@wsee.tv. We'll add more as we can.]]> http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2008/01/lindsey_fuhrman_wedding.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2008/01/lindsey_fuhrman_wedding.html Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:44:40 -0500 But for me, and I suspect many Americans, there is a chilling sensation when walking the ground where a group of kids in 1989 stood up to the machine, literally, in protesting for democratic reform by risking their lives by standing in front of government tanks. This Associated Press picture culled from an Internet library remains one of the defining images of freedom from the end of the last century. That brings me to Mike, our tour guide, a tall and affable 25-year old Chinese student who taught himself English and practices words with his tour groups. Mike (a name he uses to spare visitors the real pronunciation) knew an awful lot about Chinese history in general and the history of the Square in particular. Until delegation members asked him about the 1989 uprising. Then his face went blank. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said in perfect honesty. The people were never told. Complain about the media all you want. A lot of the criticism is justified. But sometimes it takes going half a world away, to realize the price of the alternative.]]> http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/post_4.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/post_4.html Tue, 18 Sep 2007 07:08:19 -0500 Going to Beijing and not seeing the Great Wall of China would be like coming to Erie and not seeing any water. More than a million people died building what is ultimately the granddaddy of all neighborhood fence disputes. Longer than the United States is wide, the Great Wall was the Emperor's way of keeping China together and keeping the hordes out. Contrary to popular belief, a Chinese astronaut recently confirmed that you can NOT see the Great Wall (or any other man made structure) from outer space, kicking off a Great Debate among Chinese educators about whether all of the text books should be changed. I don't know if these pictures convey just how steep this wall is in places, I mean it is straight up and down, and the steps are not evenly spaced. More than a few delegation members complained of leg aches and pains the next morning, but we simply could not visit this place without standing where sentries did hundreds of years ago, one long testament to the grit and determination of a people we have yet to fully understand.]]> http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/post_3.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/post_3.html Sun, 16 Sep 2007 17:52:47 -0500 We've also been noticing a dryness in the throat and a dirty film that covers cars parked in one place too long. It seems clear that China's environmental law is not keeping pace with her explosive growth. I asked one of the district governors in Zibo about infrastructure, if China was able to keep up the roads and sewers and water supplies needed for all the new companies. But either the question got lost in the language or he was clearly looking for a place to address the air quality issue. 'We are focused on environmental protection," he assured us through an interpreter. "We are focused on improving the lives of our workers," They may need to hurry. Delegation members visited an abrasives plant where sand and silicate were being ground into fine powder for machining parts. The workers wore no breathing protection. China will have to work quickly, or all of the citizens may need help breathing soon.]]> http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/post_5.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/post_5.html Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:01:16 -0500 Visitors are met by the highest ranking party or government official who welcomes them to sit down to eat. Then that leader stands up and offers the first toast of the night, usually with some really good locally made Chinese wine, about a third of the glass. Then, as young women scurry around trying to refill the glasses, the leader of the visiting party (aka the Mayor) must toast to the expectations of the meet and greet. Then anyone who's anyone stands up and gives a toast to the group, which usually happens before the host walks around and personally does a toast to each and every delegation member. And if you don't think the Chinese have game, just consider that there are 16 members of the Erie group. It would be one thing if you could just sip your toast, but the Chinese have an answer to that, too. I don't know the Chinese spelling of the word but it sounds like "Gum-Bay!" It means "bottoms up" and you must empty your glass and then show the glass to the host so he knows you're serious. You really have to watch your "Gum-Bays" or you could be "Gum-Bye-Bye" by the salad course. The Chinese don't do business with strangers. But to be their friend risks never making it to dessert, which is just as well since the Chinese don't end meals with sweets. ]]> http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/gum_bye_bye.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/gum_bye_bye.html Thu, 13 Sep 2007 10:21:10 -0500 Either way, it's clear that we just can not mass produce products more cheaply than the Chinese can. The same way we have lake water in abundance, they have people, and that many people wanting jobs will keep wages low, even with China's current boom which is creating a new level of middle class. Let's face it, the Chinese have been making goods out of metal and wood and clay for thousands of years. We visited a commerce street in the Old City of Zibo that was 3400 years old! America's last birthday was 231! What we're learning though, is that American companies can partner here to strengthen the bottom line on items that make sense to mass produce, and we have to be smarter at home to develop business that uses specialty technologies or emerging science that the Chinese don't have. It won't be easy, but we don't have 3400 years to figure it out, either. ]]> http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/post_2.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/post_2.html Tue, 11 Sep 2007 23:10:52 -0500 We would be completely lost without Linda, who is our interpreter, our guide and our mother hen. We're kept on a very tight schedule, and Linda keeps us always moving forward. Linda's not her name by the way, but she says it's easier to call her that than her real name. From what I've seen so far, I'm betting she's right. Depsite the language barrier, the Chinese people usually go out of their way to be helpful. News Director John Christianson went inside a tiny store to ask directions and learned quickly through some meaningless hand gestures that no one spoke English. When he finally made his request known, one of the young workers not only walked us outside, but walked several blocks with us to take us exactly to the store she was describing. Now that's service. ]]> http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/post_1.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/post_1.html Mon, 10 Sep 2007 19:57:42 -0500 The Chinese are paying special attention to the American delegation this week, and since Mayor Joe Sinnott is our leader, he is getting special attention too. Every move he makes is photographed or videotaped by someone. When we were picked up at the airport, there was a police escort followed by a private car for the Mayor, and then a bus for everyone else. It's led to some ribbing asking the Mayor how the other half lives. When we visit someplace, the leaders come out and stand on the steps to welcome us, always directing their attention toward Sinnott. It's his party and we're just guests in the background. The police even shut down traffic (no small feat in a town of 4.2 million) to make sure the Mayor gets to his next stop on time. I asked him if he wants that treatment when he returns home. He says he likes things just the way they are.]]> http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/post.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/post.html Mon, 10 Sep 2007 03:51:31 -0500 Turns out nothing could be further from the truth. The food has been great so far, and every dinner has different offerings. We've been told that the menu was "Westernized" a bit and doesn't really carry the local flavor. Maybe we'll head out on the town later on this week to find out what the locals eat. Maybe I'll just hang around the hotel. ]]> http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/food_for_thought.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/food_for_thought.html Mon, 10 Sep 2007 01:18:05 -0500 In other terms, that's enough time to watch Spiderman III, Shrek III, The Ex, The Rise of the Silver Surfer and several episodes of The Office. All of which I did. Then it's another three hours to Beijing where we stayed overnight then in the morning flew another hour to Jinan, about another an hour away from Zibo. Here's another truth. The world isn't built for people my size. Whether it's the airplane seat or the shower stall or the ceiling height, it's clear that I'm 10 pounds of potatoes and the world is an 8 pound sack. (Note to self: When we get home, lose a couple pounds of potatoes). But at least we're here. Tomorrow starts a lot of official pomp and circumstance and tours of the state's television facilities as well as several museums and Zibo's world class china operations. Be sure to check out our stories on WSEE every night at six and I'll give you more behind the scenes stuff right here! ]]> http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/a_long_plane_ride.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/china/2007/09/a_long_plane_ride.html Sun, 09 Sep 2007 00:53:41 -0500