From the Land of Oz to the Mile High City

A small-town girl who moved to the mountains in the name of food

[ashleejwu-blog]

The News is Dying... I Think.

In the introduction for his novel, But What If We're Wrong?: Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past, Chuck Klosterman states: “It’s impossible to understand the world of today until today has become tomorrow.” Klosterman spends the publication, which he insists is not a series of essays, reiterating the idea that it is impossible to make accurate assumptions about the future due to our inability to foresee the motivations that will drive future change. Even though it may be a completely fruitless effort, humans are a nervous species and people continue to predict on every aspect. A favorite topic: Is television really dying? Some, like Evan Shapiro at Huffington Post, hold the opinion that TV, especially American TV, is “the most liked, followed, desired and demanded content on earth,” that may not be the complete truth. While television as a storytelling device is flourishing–we spend over five hours a day watching on average–the television as a device may be declining in popularity.

According to AdWeek, about 40% of Americans subscribe to a streaming service like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, or HBO GO. Netflix alone has 41.3 million subscribers, which as a singular service, approaches half the combined viewership for the top 13 cable providers. While over 3.8 million American homes “cut the cord” in the past 6 years, more Millennials are refusing to ever pay monthly cable bills in favor of picking their preferred streaming services for slivers of the cost. PBS NewsHour called this group “cord-nevers.” All this talk about the conceptual cord, and streaming, and Netflix’s success… this is dialogue we have all been hearing about for years now. Narrative television series will continue to exist, in a very similar dramatic format, for the foreseeable future. News, though? That may be a different ballgame.

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Younger generations are getting news differently. In 2015, Pew Research Center found that about two-thirds of Millennials get their political news from Facebook and the other third rely on traditional broadcast news for information. With Baby Boomers, those statistics are flipped. A quarter of Millennial Facebook users say about 50% of their newsfeeds are made up of political or governmental information, which is almost three times the population of Gen Xers or Baby Boomers that say the same thing.

With virtually all major news providers going digital, it is not difficult to see how these users are filling their feeds with news. Some are more successful than others, though. AJ+, Al Jazeera’s online-only Facebook-focused outlet created in October 2013, boasts over 7 million followers. Both AJ+ and their similar competitor, NowThis, focuses on content that is video-centric, with an emphasis on visual. The success of the two pages can be partially attributed to shareability, which is directly connected with the potential for volumeless viewing. Their videos are generally about a minute long, with textual highlights and high quality visuals that pivot around one specific subject. This allows viewers to focus on the details of a singular situation instead of getting the overview of many events that is the standard formatting of a broadcast news show. Instead of being saddled to watching a whole half- or whole-hour report, a ten-minute stint on Facebook can provide fairly in-depth stories covering a large range of topics, both new and from channels that the viewer has intentionally subscribed to about specific stories that they care about.

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The aim of AJ+ as described on Facebook is to create a “global news community for the connected generation.” By abandoning the medium of expensive cable television subscriptions, online news has the potential to not only become more global, but it has become more obtainable. Whoever said, “If it's inaccessible to the poor, it's neither radical nor revolutionary,” had the right idea. Social media is a vital asset in developing countries, and with internet access and smartphone ownership rising globally every year, news centered around online users may be the only true potential for a global news community. Of course, none of this can be certain. Personally, I will have to accept the inevitable uncertainty of Klosterman’s Razor on this.

Cites

Klosterman, C. (2016). But what if we're wrong?: Thinking about the present as if it were the past. New York: Blue Rider Press.

[ashleejwu-blog]

The Copenhagen Post: An Example of a Failure in Translation

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To most non-Danes, mentioning Denmark may elicit mental pictures of beautiful canals bordered with colorful houses or be reminiscent of literary achievements like the tales of Hans Christian Anderson or Hamlet’s “something rotten.” Maybe it brings to mind the 5.4 million Danish citizens, who are consistently ranked happiest in the world. Their emphasis on peace, togetherness, and the cozy concept of “hygge,” is perhaps one of the largest reasons why Denmark is largely viewed as a simple, contented nation. What lies below this stereotype? Many people around the world are beginning to see progressive Denmark in a new light as the country begins to show a new side and respond to the European refugee crisis in ways that are both serious and surprising.

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Of the 5+ million population, 96.3% of Danes were reported internet users in July of 2015, according to the World Factbook. This is over 20% more than the United States. While internet usage is up, traditional forms of media like printed newspapers have fallen in popularity. According to the Media Development in Denmark report of 2015, printed newspapers are losing readership. Daily printed newspapers have lost 25-30% of their readers on average between 2010 and 2014. Weekly newspapers have suffered less of a hit with only about 14% of their readers deserting. With about 68% of Danes reading or downloading news on mobile phones, it is not difficult to imagine that Danish print newspapers of all kind are racing to stay competitive with their online content (Media Development…).

According to a report by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, fewer Danish citizens are willing to pay for news, which may be a large part of the reason for the shift to online content. Like many readers around the world, Danes are most likely to consume the news when it is free and easy to access. When popular Danish news site Politiken.dk established a mandatory login for users in March 2015, the site saw a decrease of page views by about a third (Christensen). Even without requiring users to pay or log in, the Copenhagen Post appears to be struggling to stay relevant in the online sector.

Targeted toward English-speakers living in Denmark, the Copenhagen Post publishes weekly printed papers about current events in Denmark, as well as online articles. The staff is made completely of native English speakers like Ben Hamilton, who is the British editor of the publication. It is independently owned and published by Ejvind Sandal, about whom very little information is available. The paper can be acquired via subscription, for purchase at newsstands, or for free in some areas like the Copenhagen Airport.

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While Denmark, like the rest of Europe, is experiencing panic in the face of the refugee crisis, the online Copenhagen Post seems less concerned with reporting serious news than publishing dull novelty articles and labeling them as “Top Stories.” While hostility against refugees continued to grow, the top story of early October was an inane debate of the pros and cons of TGI Friday's. The lack of valuable information the Copenhagen Post would be comical if it were not so concerning. The printed paper is the only regularly printed Danish paper that is in English. The scope of the online articles is so limited, if one looks under the “International” news tab at any point in time, it would not only be difficult to spot an article that was not about how Danes are affecting other countries… it would be impossible. Even when there is a truly non-Danish story, it is related back to Denmark. For example, one of the only stories on the site about the American election is titled: “If Denmark was the US, would we have our own Trump?”

The Copenhagen Post may be the sole English paper based in Denmark, it is not without competition. The Local, which is a content agency based in Sweden, is reporting Danish news as well as news from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Norway, and Spain under separate outlets for each country. TheLocal.Dk reports political, national, and even opinion pieces that have unarguably more substance than those of the Danish originated paper.

The Local: a content creation agency (Source)

Each week when I would present what I was seeing in the Copenhagen Post, I would do it with a certain humor. It was funny, seeing stories about sex toys or morning sickness-relieving ice cream in a news site that touted itself as a leader in its field. But the longer I read trivial article after trivial article, the more exasperated I became. Was there nothing happening in Denmark? That, of course, could not be the case, as I was seeing important news come across my feed from other sources like The Local. As I searched elsewhere, I found story after story detailing Denmark’s recent blunt policies regarding immigrants and refugees. Are Danes ashamed to no longer be living in what International Business Times called “Europe’s liberal darling?” According to The Local, some Danish citizens may be. None of this controversy can be seen online at the Copenhagen Post, though. In translating from Danish to English, the paper may be an accomplishment, but in translating real-world information into meaningful stories, the Copenhagen Post is an outright failure.

Works Cited

Christensen, Dennis, ed. Media Development 2015. Rep. DR Audience Research Department, 2015. Web. 1 Nov. 2016.

Media Development in Denmark Summary 2015. Rep. Danish Agency for Culture, 14 Oct. 2015. Web. 1 Nov. 2016.

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Haute Cuisine: A Film About Food, France, and Women Chefs

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In 2013, Danièle Mazet-Delpeuch told the New Zealand Herald, “Cooking has never been a career for me - it is a passport for adventures.” Mazet-Delpeuch was the first woman chosen to be a private chef to a French president. She cooked private lunches and special meals for President Francois Mitterand for two years before leaving the Élysée Palace to work at the ends of the earth as a cook in an Antarctic research station. Her cooking has taken her around the world and created fascinating stories. Her tale has served as the inspiration for the French film, released in 2012, Haute Cuisine. Through the lens, viewers are able to discover the world of traditional French cuisine, bureaucratic culture, and the male chauvinism that seems all but ingrained in the global kitchen.

Haute Cuisine, originally named Les Saveurs du Palais for its French release, was directed by Christian Vincent and stars Catherine Frot as Hortense Laborie, the character who was loosely based on Danièle Mazet-Delpeuch. The film starts at a science base in Antarctica where Laborie is working as the chef. Her tale is told in flashback, jumping from a golden-hued France to the cold blue of the Antarctic. From the first scene, we hear Laborie speak about foie gras and truffle-scented eggs from the contrasting basic kitchen of the research center. It jumps back in time to Laborie’s farm in the Perigord region of France. She is being ushered into a car by two government staff men. Here, we see the first of many moments where Hortense Laborie is spoken over and disregarded by men. She speaks from the back seat: “[Mr. Landron] called yesterday saying a senior public official needed a cook. He couldn’t say more. He just said they wanted a woman who can cook.” The driver continues to honk at a truck and the other man talks over her. She adds, “With large breasts, if possible.” The other man asks moments later, “What were you saying?”

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The tone of masculine disdain continues throughout the movie. As the chief of staff leads Laborie around the palace and into the main kitchen, the entirely male kitchen brigade leer at the woman standing in their kitchen. The chef de cuisine is too busy on the phone to speak with her and the sous chef does not take his hands out of his towel to shake hands with her. She is given a private kitchen, tucked away from the bustling main kitchen. As the film progresses, the audience sees Hortense struggling against the executive head chef, bean-counting accountants, and rigid dieticians in order to complete the goal that was given to her by President Mitterand: to give him “the best of France.”

By calling the classical food that the president describes in the film, the kind that his grandmother used to make, as the best thing that France has to offer, it is not discounting France but rather gives light to the pedestal on which “a simple kind of cooking” is placed. In Haute Cuisine, food is not shown glutinously but rather the dishes–and the preparation thereof–are given a dignified gaze. Perhaps the greatest irony of this film lies in the fact that the actual style of haute cuisine, modernistic and overly elaborate, is the furthest thing away from Laborie’s tasks. Traditional foods lie at the cornerstone of French culture and to many, the foundations of the culinary arts can all be traced back to France. In his interview with Reuters, author Michael Steinberger states: "France taught people how to eat and how to eat well."

While France may be a leader in food, Haute Cuisine shows that even female French chefs can not escape the ever-present misogyny that is found in kitchens around the globe. Julia Moskin writes about the American restaurant domain in her New York Times article, “A Change in the Kitchen,” about the increased ratio of women in the kitchen. Moskin explains how women are being freed from the “pink ghetto” as she calls the position of the pastry chef, and gaining sous-chef positions and coveted chef de cuisine roles. Enrollment of women in culinary schools is rising as well, as Sarah Henry writes in Edible: San Francisco. Half of the student body at the Culinary Institute of America was female in October of 2015, which is a 20% increase from the year 2000.

So why are there not more female chefs that are household names? Henry quotes Michelin-starred chef Melissa Perello: “Men are definitely a lot more confident and eager to flaunt their talents. They’re happy to put themselves in front of a microphone and applaud themselves.” In Gastronomica, a critical food studies journal, Charlotte Druckman takes a look at this question in the context of how women chefs are portrayed in media. On television, men are shown as “serious chefs, experts, adventurers, [and] competitors.” Women are portrayed as warm and nurturing. She blames the culinary machismo not on the lack of airtime for women, but the quality of it. On the Food Network, Paula Dean was shown first and foremost as a mother; Giada de Laurentis, is an “alluring (cleavage-baring) girl-next-door;” Rachel Ray is the  “everywoman.” She uses the following example to demonstrate the tones set:

These men are fearless mavericks, the women—domesticated goddesses… Gordon Ramsay... is given a reality show where his culinary expertise allows him to put chefs through their paces, taunt them, and decide their fates. His tyrannical, tantrum-throwing tendencies are encouraged; they make him all the more compelling to watch. Quietly, on another channel, Nigella the home cook lovingly frosts a cake for her child's birthday, with a little swivel in her hips. (Druckman)

Charlotte Druckman addresses the real-life culinary industry, too. To compete with the men, women are expected to leave their “womanliness” at the door. She says:

[In] the restaurant kitchen,women who wish to be taken more seriously forego virgin-whore style in favor of androgyny. They are generally unfeminine, short-haired, and makeup free, often quite muscular, even manly, in appearance. It's as though the only way to gain legitimacy as a food force is by hiding all traces of femininity. (Druckman)

All of this is played out in subtleties in Haute Cuisine. Laborie walks around the Élysée Palace in skirts and pearl necklaces and is disdained by the “real chefs.” She cooks simply and is rumored to be the president’s mistress. The movie had a lukewarm reception by critics. The Harvard Crimson called it “pretty but tasteless.” Stephanie Merry from the Washington Post believed that the biggest conflict in the film centered around a fuss over cream cheese. Personally, I tend to disagree with these reviews. The use of colors to represent the golden dignity of France and Laborie’s cuisine in juxtaposition with the blues and gray to represent the loneliness of Antarctica added to the overall beauty of the film. Even the main kitchen was shown in bleak silvers to show its disconnection with the pride of traditional cooking. Hortense Laborie connects with her ingredients, like the “Loire carrots.” She says, “I like things to come from somewhere.” This is evocative of today’s “farm to table” movement. While this film does not offer any serious dramatic thrills nor does it explicitly conquer any moral quandaries, there are aspects to be appreciated. It tells a sincere story about simple food and it quietly raises the question: “How can women be taken seriously in the professional kitchen?”

Danièle Mazet-Delpeuch | Source

Works Cited

Druckman, Charlotte. "Why Are There No Great Women Chefs?" Gastronomica 10.1 (2010): 24-31. Print.

[ashleejwu-blog]

The Office: A comparison of two countries’ takes on comedy

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Mention The Office to any television viewer and it is almost guaranteed that he or she will have an opinion. Whether one is a purist and believes the U.K. version reigns or the U.S. version was an improvement, there is no argument that the two series act as translations of the lifestyles in each country. In this analysis, the pilots of both interpretations will be used as the points by which to observe the culture of the United Kingdom and the United States.

The British Office debuted in 2001, starring one if its co-creators, Ricky Gervais, as the bumbling and unlikeable office manager named David Brent. The show takes place in a modern office space, under the premise of a paper business, shot in a staged, documentary-style format–commonly known as a “mockumentary.” Gervais tells the Sun that during its first season, the show got bad reviews and low ratings. People did not seem to appreciate the comedy show that had replaced all its jokes with “awkward comments” and “agonizing pauses.” Before long, though, something “clicked” with audiences, and the show was winning Baftas and even American Golden Globes (Lowe). Alessandra Stanley at the New York Times called it “television’s funniest show” because of its “deliciously mean-spirited” nature (Stanley). She blames its addictiveness, not on audience growing to love the characters, but the opposite: the continued emphasis on the unlikeability of their personalities. About the then rumors of an American, she says that The Office is the “least likely British import to survive a Hollywood makeover” because of its lack of “laugh tracks, adorable child actors, and obvious jokes.” (Stanley). The British Office ended the year that Stanley’s article was published. According to the Huffington Post, Ricky Gervais made the decision to end it before any ideas were reused or the show itself became “watered down.” Two years later, the American version of The Office aired its pilot.

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Between the two shows, the similarities abounded. Much of the same script was transferred over for the U.S. pilot, with only slight changes to delivery. As the BBC reported in the week after, it received very mixed reviews. Some, like the Hollywood Reporter and Time, heralded the show and leading man Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell, as being “superb,” “unflinching,” and ironically, “original.” On the other hand, New York Daily News called it “neither daring [nor] funny” and Entertainment Weekly published a review that accused the American reboot of never being able to reach a deeper level of humor (Office remake…). Just as the British Office had a lapse before audiences started loving it, the American Office took off and won 5 Emmys before its conclusion after 9 seasons in 2013. Carell even took home a Golden Globe for his role as Michael Scott in 2006, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Regardless of public opinions, the show does share many similarities in tone and characters. David and Michael both act as the obnoxious bosses who, while constantly trying to be the funny men, cannot seem to accomplish their efforts to be politically correct. Gareth and Dwight are the overly-intense brown nosers who are eager to gain power over their peers. Tim and Jim are the “cool” and laid back pranksters who are the audience’s voice for exasperation. 

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Dawn and Pam are the unobtrusive supporting characters who unwillingly aid David/Michael and act as a sidekick to Tim and Jim. While the British Office does not deeply develop many of the supporting characters in its two seasons, one of them in particular is carried over to the American version. Jan in the reboot is based on Jennifer, the career-driven and serious authority figure. Across both cultures, women who are high-up on corporate ladders are flatly shown as stoic and humorless.

Because the beginning scripts were so similar, the two series had fairly similar comedic tones as well. The humor was based on awkward pauses and annoying character quirks. There were some discrepancies in content, though. While the U.K. version included an abundance of references to drinking and going to the pub, the U.S. tended away from mentioning alcohol. The U.S. also excluded certain words that are taboo in American network television but were heard in the series’s predecessor. Two examples were in the dialogue of Tim, played by Martin Freeman. He tells Dawn that he could “give a shit” about redundancies and repeatedly calls Gareth a “cock” through the entire episode. In fact, the first line of the series comes from Ricky Gervais whose character says, “I don’t give shitty jobs.”

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Across both versions, the true focus of The Office is the balance between the public work personalities and the private lives of the characters. Emma Tinker talks about the British characters’ struggles for self-identity in her article in the Journal for Popular Culture. She builds an argument that The Office is in no way politically revolutionary because of the tendencies for the characters to return to conformism and workforce tedium at every turn. She uses The Office as grounds to demonstrate power struggles in the modern workforce. Most interestingly, Tinker explores Brent’s evident deep-rooted self-consciousness in connection to his status as a white, able-bodied, middle-aged male who continues to play by a defunct rulebook that no longer applies to a more diverse and tolerant work environment (Tinker). This theory is proven in every line of dialogue that David Brent babbles, trying to undo an ill-received comment.

In his comparison of the two series, Jeffrey Griffin offers that the Americanization of The Office has created a hybrid of the two cultures, creating a type of media that had not existed before. The shows opportunity for transferal and evolution has allowed it to be taken in a form similar to its origin and built upon for American audiences by allowing the characters to enter into realms of likeability and adding happy endings. Griffin asserted that the American Office developed into its own show, away from the world of its British counterpart and into independence (Griffin).

The two series may have started out similarly, but by the last episodes, the two series were very different pieces of media. For some, the success of The Office in America symbolized that the European brand of humor was not as different as previously suspected. English actor Simon Pegg even wrote in the Guardian about how the assertion that Americans do not “do” irony in the same way as Brits do can be a false accusation… Just because irony is not as ingrained in the comedy of the United States does not mean audiences will not enjoy it. “We're all capable of getting the same joke,” he writes. “In a world beset by prejudice and difference, how ironic is that?” (Pegg). The Office is one show that kept people laughing… regardless of the country.

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Works Cited

Academic Journals:

Griffin, J. (2008). The Americanization of The Office: A Comparison of the Offbeat NBC Sitcom and Its British Predecessor. Journal Of Popular Film & Television, 35(4), 154-163.

Tinker, E. (2009). Talking Cookie Jars and Tongue-Tied Bodies: Posthumanism and The Office. Journal Of Popular Culture, 42(4), 756-772.

Hyperlinked Articles:

Emmys 2011: 'The Office's' Rainn Wilson Angered By Steve Carell's Loss. (2011, September 19). Retrieved October 8, 2016, from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/emmys-2011-office-rainn-wilson-steve-carell-237347

Lowe, D. (2016, April 04). Early audiences hated the fact there were no jokes in The Office but we wouldn’t allow the BBC to change it. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/news/643984/early-audiences-hated-the-fact-there-were-no-jokes-in-the-office-but-we-wouldnt-allow-the-bbc-to-change-it/

Office remake has its US TV debut. (2005, March 24). Retrieved October 8, 2016, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4375947.stm

Pegg, S. (2007, February 09). What are you laughing at? Retrieved October 8, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/feb/10/comedy.television

Ricky Gervais Explains Why The British 'Office' Had Such A Brief Run. (2012, March 12). Retrieved October 8, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/12/ricky-gervais-the-office_n_1421772.html

Stanley, A. (2003, October 10). When the Boss Thinks He's Funny. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/10/movies/tv-weekend-when-the-boss-thinks-he-s-funny.html

[ashleejwu-blog]

Alexander Litvinenko

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On November 23, 2006, British citizen and former Russian spy, Alexander Litvinenko, died in London. The cause? Three weeks prior, he had been given a cup of tea with a lethal dosage of polonium-210. Previous Moscow correspondent, Luke Harding; author and journalist, Oliver Bullough; and the outspoken widow, Marina Litvinenko spoke about the death of Alexander in a podcast hosted by the Guardian.

“The murder was cruel, almost impossibly so,” Harding said. “The execution of it was incompetent. Two bumbling amateurs, one of which was a nouveau riche mobster; the other was a failed porn star with a drink problem” (Harding et al., 2016). Who were these “amateurs” and from where did the orders for the murder come? Like Sherlock Holmes’s scarlet thread, Alexander Litvinenko's story deserves to be unraveled, isolated, and explored, casting light on the state of Putin’s Russia in the process.

The story, outlined in Canadian Broadcasting Channel’s feature documentary, The Polonium Plot, begins with a wealthy and powerful Russian businessman named Boris Berezovsky. In the mid-1990s, a bomb was placed beside Berezovsky’s car. He survived the attempt on his life and Alexander was ordered to find the person responsible. During the investigation, Litvinenko and Berezovsky became friends. Because of this, when Alexander was subsequently ordered to kill Boris, he not only refused the order but informed Boris, who used his sway to persuade current Russian President Yeltsin to “clean house” in the FSB–previously the KGB–and suggested Vladimir Putin be appointed as Police Head (Shprintsen & McKenna, 2016).

In his new position, Putin met with Litvinenko to discuss corruption within the FSB. During the meeting, Putin asked Alexander for his home phone number. When asked why, the Police Head told him, “I’ll call you.” One of his acquaintances in the FSB soon informed him that Putin had ordered his phone bugged (Shprintsen & McKenna, 2016).

Alexander lead a televised press conference in November of 1998. He sat amidst a panel of his colleagues–several of whom had donned sunglasses or even masks to hide their faces–and accused secret policemen of murdering their political enemies. For this, Litvinenko was arrested and charged with a myriad of crimes, none of which he was convicted of. He and Boris Berezovsky left Russia to seek political asylum in London (Shprintsen & McKenna, 2016).

Litvinenko still had informants in Russia, though. In 1999, there were explosions at apartment buildings in Moscow. The FSB put out statements that Chechen separatists were to blame. Nearly 300 people were killed. Alexander wrote Blowing Up Russia, blaming the FSB for causing the explosions to incite the another war with the Chechens… after all, there were FSB officers that were literally caught putting explosives in basements. The Russian parliament, the Duma, ordered an investigation regarding the bombings. Sergei Yushenkov and Yuri Shchekochikhin, both members of the investigative commission, were murdered in April and July in the next year. The Second Chechen War ensued and because of the patriotism that swept the country, Vladimir Putin won the presidency (Shprintsen & McKenna, 2016).

Alexander Litvinenko felt fairly secure in the UK, although he did receive threats to his life. One came from a retired Victor Shebalin, who stated in an email that Litvinenko had been sentenced to “extrajudicial elimination.” He did not hide in fear, though. He still spoke about the regime in Russia. In fact, he had plans to testify in court against some Russian mafia members who had been arrested in Spain. Litvinenko had information that proved a longstanding connection between those gangsters and President Putin. He told all of this to Andrei Lugovoi, who had met with Litvinenko in London to propose a business to him: Lugovoi would supply information, Litvinenko would sell that information, and they would share the profits. Andrei met with Alexander a total of 3 times, bringing his associate Dmitry Kovtun to the first and last of those meetings. Later analysis of the planes they flew in, the hotels they stayed in, the places they ate, and even the stadium Kovtun went to watch soccer in showed strong levels of radioactive contamination from the polonium-210 they carried with them on these trips (Shprintsen & McKenna, 2016).

The first attempt to poison Litvinenko resulted in a tablecloth full of radioactivity–the glass of laced water had spilled. After this meeting, either Lugovoi or Kovtun had tried to dispose of the polonium by pouring it down a bathroom sink. One week later, Lugovoi threw a second batch of polonium into a waste bin in the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel, seemingly changing his mind about the poisoning.  Two days after that, both Kovtun and Lugovoi return to London and meet with Litvinenko. This time, Alexander drinks from the spiked teapot (Shprintsen & McKenna, 2016).

By midnight, Litvinenko began vomiting. Almost immediately, he told his wife that his symptoms reminded him of chemical poisoning, which he had studied in college. Alex Goldfarb, a biologist and friend to Alexander, compared the deterioration that occurred in the next week to what cancer takes months to do. It was only when an oncologist compared Alexander to his patients that undergo radiation treatment that doctors begin to suspect radiation poisoning. 

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It was only discovered to be polonium a day before Alexander died. Polonium had never been used as a murder weapon and it could have easily gone by unrecognized. Litvinenko was buried two weeks later in a casket that was lined with lead to avoid radioactively contaminating the pallbearers (Shprintsen & McKenna, 2016).

According to the BBC, both Lugovoi and Kovtun deny that they were involved with the murder. They have been named as prime suspected by the British police. Neither have been extradited. In 2007, Andrei Lugovoi was up for election to the Duma and now has parliamentary immunity. In 2015, he was even awarded a medal from President Putin for “services to the motherland” (Litvinenko suspects…, 2016). There was an inquiry set up by the British government that concluded that “probably” given approval by Putin (Alexander Litvinenko…, 2016). At this point, no one has faced punishment for the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.

Alexander joins a line of Putin critics to be killed, including reporter Anna Politkovskaya and politician Boris Nemtsov are also included in the list. Putin’s defenders say that Putin would never involve himself in foreign assassination. Putin himself has said that Litvinenko “didn’t know any secrets. Everything negative he could say about the organization that he worked for in the past… he already said” (Shprintsen & McKenna, 2016).

Putin’s regime has been called an “authoritarian kleptocracy” by Andrei Piontkovsky at the Strategic Studies Centre in Moscow. Putin continues to push at the West without much pushback. The United States seems unsure how to handle the escalating situation in Russia as Putin continuously gains more control over his citizens and attempts to undermine other world powers. He and his government hold the rest of the world in place with threats of nuclear warfare and mutually-assured destruction, even as he holds any critics within his country hostage. If a country takes action against Russia, it can be assured that that country can be destroyed. If a detractor takes action against Putin, it can be assured that he or she will also be eliminated. Who will take up arms when they are guaranteed extermination? Litvinenko and his fellow journalists continued to spread truth, if only for the sake of spreading light on Russia.

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Works Cited

Alexander Litvinenko: Profile of murdered Russian spy. (2016, January 21). Retrieved September 17, 2016, from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-19647226

Harding, L., Litvinenko, M., & Bullough, O. (2016, March 30). Marina Litvinenko on her husband's murder - Guardian Live event [Podcast]. Retrieved September 16, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/membership/audio/2016/mar/30/marina-litvinenko-on-her-husbands-guardian-live-event

Litvinenko suspects Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun. (2016, January 21). Retrieved September 18, 2016, from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35370621

Piontkovsky, A. (2015). Putin’s Russia as a revisionist power. Journal on Baltic Security, 1(1), 6-13.

Shprintsen, A. (Director), & McKenna, T. (Writer). (2016, January 21). The Polonium plot: A feature documentary [Video file]. Retrieved September 16, 2016, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/the-polonium-plot-a-feature-documentary-1.3414071

[johnsonandwales]

What’s Been Happening at JWU Denver?

I know, I know. It’s been a while since I’ve given y’all an update about what’s been happening on our lovely Denver campus. And so much has happened! Color me sorry; I just wanted to let the anticipation build, of course. (Are you buying it? Yeah? Cool, thanks.)

Hey, let’s get down to what you really want to know, right?! What’s really been happenin’ in Denver?

Monsanto Speaks! (Queue the gasp from the audience)

I gave you a heads up the a few days before Robert Fraley, the Executive Vice President and Technology Officer of Monsanto, was scheduled to speak at our campus. The day of the talk, hundreds of students, professors, and chefs filed into the auditorium to hear what a representative of one of the biggest GMO-pushing companies in the world had to say.

He stumbled through a brief introduction before he could get into his memorized spiel of Monsanto’s attempts to cure world hunger through the use of genetically modified organisms. The floor was soon opened up for questions from students, which was the main appeal for many attendees: the chance to pose a direct inquiry and get real answers. The lines to the microphones soon filled out.

Fraley was approached with questions ranging in topics from the history of GMOs to the political issues, including the burning of Monsanto’s seeds by Haitians and farmers getting sued by the company. Robert Fraley responded to each of the questions with long, rambling answers. In the end, only about 10 questions were asked before it was announced that the talk would be coming to a close, but Robert would stick around to talk to anyone who still had questions.

By the way people swarmed towards him, it was clear that many still wanted answers. Among those who walked out, one could hear chattering on all sides about Fraley’s words and their… emptiness. Conclusion: Robert Fraley talked. A lot. But whether he actually said anything, most JWU Denver students would contend not.

Edible Book Contest

Book lovers and dessert lovers rejoice! A few weeks ago, Denver held an Edible Book Contest, with all the equipment and product provided for any students willing to enter. As it turns out, we really have some talent here (no surprises here!)

Some of my favorites included the various Harry Potter entries (Potterhead for life right here), as well as the Beauty and Beast cake and The Very Hungry Caterpillar piece.

Awards included Judge’s Favorite, People’s Choice, Funniest/Punniest Book, and Best Representation.

Culinary Connections: Chef D’Or

Coming up this weekend, we have a major culinary event happening on our campus. For several months, a few students have been working incredibly hard for a contest called the Chef D’Or, which means Golden Chef. It all comes to a culmination on Saturday at Culinary Connections. Many local business have been invited to come join us and take part in not only the contest but a silent auction and a few other opportunities in JWU Denver’s culinary department.

The winners of Chef D’or will be receiving not only a cash prize but also the truly priceless choice of a stage with several incredible restaurants, including Morimoto in New York City and Thomas Keller’s restaurant, The French Laundry.

Spring Springing

Perhaps one of the happiest things to be happening in Denver is one of the simplest…

Spring is coming to Denver.

Slowly, we are getting rid of the winter chill and the snowy days are getting fewer and farther in between, although we have had several “surprise” spring snows nestled in between weeks of lovely spring weather.

Day by day it is warming up and the feeling of summer is getting more obvious as people are busting out the flip flops and laying on the grassy lawn to soak up the sun.

Keep the warm weather coming, Denver. Bring it on.

[johnsonandwales]

Culinary Quirks

Just like every major, culinary arts has its own set of oddities associated with not only the major itself, but the people studying it. I can confidently say, though, that no other learning environment comes anything close to the environment of a culinary lab. There’s a few things that only happen at a school with a culinary program.

Alcohol has a different significance than at a regular college.

We work closely with alcohol. We cook with it. We have a class on how to mix drinks (using colored water and not actual spirits, of course). We learn how to sell drinks and how to manage service. We even have skill sessions outside of classes to learn how to create drinks or how different alcoholic products are made. Yes, we taste a lot of products. No, we never drink. The campus is strictly sip-and-spit and for good (and obvious) reasons. For us, alcohol isn’t just a recreation.

It’s all about networking.

Get to know your chefs. Talk to the people in the hall. Stop at that employer’s booth that’s set up in the hall. Go to all the culinary events. In the culinary industry, having as many contacts in the industry as possible is so valuable. So many people get job offers to work with incredible chefs just because they presented themselves well and politely spoke to those around them. Skill can get you some of the way, but it is really about attitude and how you conduct yourself.

The kitchen isn’t the only thing that gets heated.

Tensions get high in any kitchen, even in lab classes. You are with the same 20 (or fewer) people for 6+ hours a day, 4 days a week, for 11 weeks. Obviously you usually end up getting pretty close to your peers during this time. You work with those people, joke with them, watch out for them… But tempers can flare up fast. Little annoyances can add up from so much time together, or somebody can just snap suddenly. People can fuss and argue, and sometimes it can actually get quite heated… But almost always, by the next day, things are smoothed over. There isn’t time for grudges in the kitchen, and the camaraderie formed in labs is strong to overcome the disagreements. 

For all of it’s peculiarity compared to a conventional university experience, to Culinary Arts majors, it’s our normal. Johnson & Wales is so unique in the aspect that you can have the real-world experience of a professional kitchen, with some of the ups and downs of the industry, and a college academic track. There are few schools in the country that can offer both reputable culinary training and academic reinforcement. As my first year here at JWU begins to wind down, I’m still loving my choice of the school.

[johnsonandwales]

Next Week at JWU Denver: Monsanto Talks

Next week, Robert Fraley, the Executive Vice President and Technology Officer of agricultural super-business Monsanto, will be here to speak to our campus.

Now, if you are interested in food politics (and if you are in culinary arts, maybe you should be), you know the amount of controversy the surrounds Monsanto and their practices, especially regarding genetically modified grains. Rumor is, the majority of the speaker’s time will be an open floor for questions, after a brief introduction about feeding a growing population.

It should be incredibly interesting to see what Fraley is asked and what he has to say in return. If you have any questions you would like to see asked, reply to this post, ask our page, or make a post and tag it, #JWUasksMonsanto.

What do you want to ask Robert Fraley?

[johnsonandwales]

FINALS.

Excuse me, I think the whole Denver campus is full of zombies. Everyone’s dazed looks, the packed library, and the inevitable campus-wide coffee shortage can only mean one thing…

 It’s finals week.

Right now, everyone is cramming for various upcoming finals and those of us who are in labs are counting down until Day 9. Underneath the scents of coffee breath and desperation, though, is something sweeter. It’s a certain hope—that light at the end of the tunnel, the way out of this labyrinth of suffering, that thing that college kids wax poetically about and is the subject of every pleasantry and small talk. Why the subtle optimism?

SPRING BREAK IS NEXT WEEK

I personally will be hitting up San Diego for a fun filled week including Sea World, the zoo, possibly Disneyland, along with so many other things. But whether students are like me and having a little vacation, sticking around Denver, heading home, or using Spring Break to move for an internship or graduation, you can feel the excitement radiating from each person for this long-awaited break. 

But right now, let’s just concentrate on getting through finals week, k? 

(Good luck guys)

[johnsonandwales]

Real Talk: Roommate Troubles

It’s that thing that you go into college thinking, “I’ll never have that problem!” It is an issue that other people deal with, sure, but you? You’re easygoing and dare you say it, a pretty cool person. Why would a roommate ever have an issue with you? And hey, if someone is annoying you, you just talk to them! No big deal! You are going to head off to college, be best friends with your roommate, and neither of you will ever lock the other one in the bathroom. Cool.

I’m going to get real with you. Everyone has roommate troubles. Everybody. Whether you move in “blind,” not knowing your roommate from Adam until move-in day, or you met them at orientation, or they’re your best friend from back home. Living in the “cozy” spaces of residential halls is enough to cause tension within any dynamic.

Am I saying that any roommate pairing is doomed to end badly? No way! It’s all about how you manage the tension, especially as the year goes on and maybe those habits that didn’t bother you at first are starting to make your eye do that little twitchy thing. Now, I would love to sit here and give you a list of solutions to dealing with situations with your roommate, but that wouldn’t be fair to anyone. Every dynamic is different and there is no magic “Solve It” button. I’m sure you know all of the clichés already anyway. Everyone expects to hear “Communication is key!” to pretty much every problem nowadays. I mean, it’s true though. Communication is HUGE. It is THE most stereotypical piece of advice ever, but in practice, it is actually so difficult. It is worth it though. When it is hardest to communicate your feelings is probably the most important time to do so. Tell your roommate when there is an issue so you can get it fixed right away instead of letting the situation sit and build up. Let me repeat that point because it is really important: Tell your roommate when there is an issue so you can get it fixed RIGHT AWAY instead of letting the situation sit and build up. Because you can be surprised at how quickly things can build up, and dealing with the mess when those issues blow up can ruin relationships.

But hey, there are always those lucky few that just seem to click with their roommates. They seem like best friends and they do everything together. And you will definitely be jealous of them. But take it from me, no roomie is perfect… and that’s the cool part, because hey, you aren’t perfect either. Don’t try and force a best-friendship with the person you live with, but do seek to enjoy their company. Remember, make friends besides the person who sleeps 10 feet away from you… but also try to make friends with the person whose toothbrush sits right next to yours.

[johnsonandwales]

Last Week at JWU Denver

On Wednesday, the Campus Activities Board hosted a Town Hall meeting here at JWU Denver. The speakers were President Robin Krakowsky; Richard Wiscott, Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs; and Jeff Ederer, the Dean of Students. The three spoke about the construction that was happening on campus, specifically that of the rennovations of our new residential hall, Founders Hall (formerly Yena Hall, before that the student center) and Centennial Hall (formerly Treat Hall).

They also covered topics such as new majors, changes in Room & Board costs, and parking passes alterations. The meeting was very open, with people asking questions throughout the presentations. Many great questions were posed, and valuable information was gained through the interactions with some of the leaders of JWU Denver.

The Town Hall was incredibly informative and cleared up many concerns. I and many others left feeling very optimistic and excited about what the upcoming years at JWU hold!

Oh, and hey Instagram users, check us out @JWUAdmissions. There you can find lots of awesome pictures about our lives at JWU!

[johnsonandwales]

Things to Do: Boulder

During the long MLK weekend, we decided to hit the road and head to Boulder, Colorado for some fun! 

Our main goal was something that is somewhat of a legend here in Denver… The Celestial Seasonings tea factory.

It seems like everyone you talk to has gone here, and for good reason. The place is awesome. Before the tour, you are able to walk around a room filled with interesting tea-related paraphernalia and tea samples. There was even a counter where you could buy a cup of tea… Or request a free sample of any of the hundreds of types of tea that Celestial makes on-site and ships worldwide or sells exclusively in their own tea shop.

The actual factory part was filled to the ceilings with all kinds of ingredients that go into the varieties of teas, like lemon grass, chamomile, and cloves. One ingredient in particular was sectioned off from the rest in it’s own room: peppermint. If you ask someone who’s gone, you’re pretty much guaranteed to hear about the peppermint room associated with the words “Yeah, that room is an experience…” (because that isn’t vague at all). Now that I have indeed “experienced” the peppermint room, I can assure you… It’s an experience, and a sinus-clearing experience at that.

At the end of the tour, you are invited to visit their Tea Shop, where you can buy flavors of tea that aren’t sold in stores or get some cool memorabilia of your visit. I personally walked away with a box of Sleepytime Vanilla (a secondary flavor of their highest selling tea). A friend of mine got some Fast Lane, which is a highly caffeinated black tea that I’ve borrowed to drink instead of coffee in the morning… Yum!

Before heading home, we decided to take a quick drive up into the Flat Iron mountains near Boulder and got some great shots!

Boulder was a blast… I can’t wait to go back!

[johnsonandwales]

Winter Week at JWU Denver

Last week here at the Denver campus was a blast! Even though it was winter week, the weather actually decided to be more like spring, which in my opinion made all the Winter in Wonderland activities even better! As a reminder, here are the events that CAB planned for us throughout the week:

My favorite two events were seeing Magician Peter Boie on Tuesday evening and the Winter Formal on Friday.

Peter Boie, A.K.A. the Magician for Non-Believers, was great! He had a perfect mix of humor, drama, and shock factor! I particular liked his paranormal-esque trick with some whiteboards that wrote by themselves, it was really crazy and I still am trying to figure out how he managed it!

Getting all dolled up and heading over to the Roxy Theatre was a blast! The music selection was incredible and the colored lights hitting the crowd gave the perfect mood! 

If you’d like to see more pictures from Winter Week or have more information about the type events that the lovely Campus Activities Board plans for us, visit their Facebook page here!

Next week: a review of Boulder, Colorado!

[johnsonandwales]

Exploring Denver: The Mercury Cafe

Tonight, I and a group of friends visited The Mercury Cafe here in Denver to watch their Open Mic Poetry Night. As we drove down the street, we spotted a windowed building, full of warm colors and soft, strung lights. I said, “Hey guys I think this is it?” and received a resounding chorus of “YESSSS” and “It’s so pretty!!”

We walked in and were even more in awe. It seemed like everything you’d want in a comfy café. Homemade desserts (all sweetened naturally) and a list of coffees, as well as menus to order food from. We followed into the Jungle Room where the poetry was going to be performed and sat down, just taking in the beautiful curtained walls and red and white lights strung from the ceiling. Absolutely perfect ambience.

We ordered coffees and apple cider, as well as a “wild card” drink which a friend of mine told the barista to make whatever she thought would taste good. Everything was… more than good! The apple cider was particular great, all warm and spicy. Perfect for warming you up on a winter evening!

As people stepped up to read or perform poems, all you could do was sit and listen to people as they got into each individual rhythm of each unique poem. Such talent and brilliance from most of poets, it was lovely.

All around assessment: I can’t even think of a word to describe how great this experience was. I cannot wait to go back!

I’m so sorry about the lack of pictures in this post, I did take some but it honestly seemed like a disservice because none of the pictures could capture how truly comfortable and pretty it was!

[johnsonandwales]

Thanksgiving Break

Happy (late) Thanksgiving! I’ve had an absolutely lovely break, spending time at home, with local friends, and my family.

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday… What can I say, I love making Thanksgiving food! I don’t fear “The Turkey," I wait all year to make it! This year, I also made a signature of mine, a pumpkin pie with walnut streusel topping, along with something I had never tried before, a peanut butter pie. Luckily, both turned out great.

I head back to JWU tomorrow, and although it was great to be home with my friends and family (and my pets), I can’t wait to be back in Denver! Until next time, stay thankful!

[johnsonandwales]

Last Week at JWU: Late Night Breakfast

During the last week of our fall trimester, we continued a tradition here at the Denver campus of Johnson & Wales: Late Night Breakfast.

At 10 pm, we headed over to the dining hall to be served eggs, potatoes, bacon, and biscuits and gravy by some of the staff and faculty.

All the while, music played and people piled onto the dance floor for some grooves after their coffee and croissants.

There was even a ballon artist there to create adorable balloon animals.

After the great last night of the trimester, I was ready to head back home.

It was a great first trimester at JWU.

Next up: LABS.

[johnsonandwales]

Last Week at JWU Denver: Rose Levy Beranbaum

Have you ever heard the name Rose Levy Beranbaum? Maybe you recognize the name, perhaps not.

But if you’re baker, or even if you’re not, you’ve probably heard of her tenth and latest cookbook:

(Source)

On November 13th, last Thursday, Rose visited JWU Denver as a Distinguished Visiting Chef and spoke to a group of rapt Baking & Pastry and Culinary students about her history in baking and about some of the revolutions she has introduced to the field. 

She brought an abundance of wit and fascinating stories from her experiences with setting her own rules in the science of baking. For those interested in food writing, she even spoke about her background in writing and going through the publishing process for almost a dozen cookbooks.

For samples, some of the baking students had followed one of her recipes for meringue cookie ice cream sandwiches, for which she indulged the story behind. The treats were absolutely delicious! 

Creamy cold ice cream paired with crisp sweet meringue and crunchy pistachios, they were perfect!

It was absolutely lovely to see Rose Levy Beranbaum and hear some of her “secrets” first hand! It definitely served as a major motivator for us to remember to discover for ourselves the rules about what we can and can’t do, both in our careers as chefs and bakers, and elsewhere!

I’m so excited to see what other experts in the field we will see this year here at JWU!