Angelo did a yearly blog recap, so I figured I'd do the same as it might be fun.
January
I didn't really blog then, so I can't remember much. The Colts beat the Patriots that month. That was fantastic. Let's hope history repeats itself.
February
I notice Angelo, Brad and others are blogging, and figure I'll join in as well. I make this my first post. There are posts before this, but they were second homes for the stuff I'd written for the Marianas Variety, which is all I ever expected this blog to be and where this blog might ultimately end up. A mere 255 people showed up that first month.
March
I went to the Philippines for my sister in law's wedding. I meet her family and they are supercool. They are a tight knit, fun loving bunch. I went to Baguio, which is a long bus ride from Manila to the "countryside," yet still crowded and polluted. It's supposed to be the summer capital, but I'm not getting the draw for the reasons noted. I find it wildly overrated. I went to Cebu, which has a lot of what Manila has without the horrific traffic. I also go to Bohol, which was nice, but seemingly lacking something. I am impressed with the Malate section of Manila, which reminds me a bit of New York City with all the bars, restaurants and bohemian young people.
April
The federalization debate really heats up. The CNMI hires a lobbyist both to remind people they once hired Jack Abramoff and to screw over a few Filipinos who have lived here a long time. I blast them while sitting in a computer room in Manila. I was the first to do so. PSS folks have to do the dance on whether they are getting the funding needed to function even moderately properly. I turn 35.
May
This is the month I did my best writing on this blog. There were a lot of good posts that month, toot toot. It was fun then, it was taking off, and there were big topics I still hadn't addressed. Dengre calls Bruce Bateman "the Drunken Face of Evil" in his headline, which is still the world's greatest headline. I didn't know Bruce too much at the time, other than column Bruce, who comes off as quite the dick on occasion, but I heard enough good things to add some balance to the debate. I find out liberals don't like shades of grey.
June
School ends. I go to Palau and relish a few days hanging in the coalition of the willing. I also put together my Variety profile on CNMI bloggers. Carl and Clarence become Carl and Alexander Turbitt and my legal kids. I get a Virginia teachers license, go on Harry Blalock's show to discuss blogging and a couple of us do a dive on Bruce's boat. I wrote what I think is my best post blasting Guam airport. Every week a disgruntled traveler googles Guam Airport and reads my post slamming them. This will deservedly go on into perpetuity. Cheers for my pea shooter. I head to the states to avail myself of urban pleasures like MLB games, Cuban food and museums. I meet my newborn niece Samantha Lynn, see Rush and the Dave Matthews Band in concert and visit a good friend in North Carolina. This was a great month.
July
Tao Tao Tano blows its credibility with its "Go home protest." I definitely was the first to blast them writing from the states as soon as those stories hit the website. Many others did as well. The sexiest and best blog contest rages. Angelo tries to cheat with a proxy server, but still loses. Brad and Harry win. The campaign was nasty, with Brad Ruszala getting the Nambla endorsement.
August
I get switched from senior to freshmen English and am not happy. Classes are wildly overcrowded. Cynthia gets her green card. I get offered a Marianas Variety column. I'm embroiled in the Korean tourists enrolling in PSS shitstorm.
September
I find out Cynthia is with my child. Distinction made so I don't have to slap Angelo. The blogger trolls come out finally and in force, largely because of Brad Ruszala's endless arguments with them on Middle Road. I was surprised it took that long.
October
PSS starts its bimonthly maybe we can't make payroll or keep school going talk. The Red Sox win another World Series as George Bush finishes Ph.D dissertation on Greek philosophy and Brad Ruszala practices monogamy. I dive a lot -- a real lot.
November
From 255 visitors in February, I'm now over 3,300 in November. In every month, until this one, traffic goes up. The CNMI has elections and goes for change by inserting all the people who lost the last election to do presumably the same things that didn't work last time. Tina Sablan and Galvin Guerrero win to provide some hope. I seek refuge in humor writing rather than focusing on our lousy government.
December
We find out Cynthia is having a girl. While waiting for her ultrasound, some guy wheeled in by ER folks and looking half dead picks his head up, smiles at me and says, "Love your column, man." Ambrose Bennett sets record for using the phrase "Common Sense" in a single calendar year for letters to the editor no one reads. Harry Blalock quits blogging -- for real this time. I hang out with friends during Christmas break and have fun.
Showing posts with label CNMI bloggers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CNMI bloggers. Show all posts
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Porky's, Rep. Waki and some good new blogs
I went to Porky's last night, which I have to admit is becoming my favorite bar. They have some pretty good mojitos, my favorite drink, I've gotten into Chicken Kelaguen and I like it there, and Bruce Bateman draws a bunch of hypercritical malcontents, and also normal people don't get scared away, that I can relate to.
Last night there was a group of island commentators such as Ron Hodges, Doc Murdoch, Bruce Bateman, Randy Steele, myself and others having an informal chat with Rep. Absalom Waki, who had a lot to say and virtually all of it I was in agreement with. Waki was very forthright about the problems with our government such as too many bills being introduced, too much good old boy network goings on, and not enough serious work being put in by a lot of people up there. There is going to be a candidate a week for these meet ups each Friday at Porky's, and I won't be there for all of them I'm sure, but last night was fun.
***
Angelo's Master List of CNMI blogs is up to 112 -- quite a few blogs. One of the best recent entrants is Steele on Saipan, which comes from Randy Steele. Randy gives his own take on things said by others, or provides his own original thoughts. He has something to say, which always helps to make a blog of broad interest. Richard Sikkel has a new blog as well that describes many of the dives in Saipan, Tinian and Rota. Richard is a real pro as a dive instructor, and he is the person I dove with when I visited Saipan as a tourist many moons ago. I have links to them both, which brings me to the topic of my links. There are so many blogs that I can't link to them all, so I'm going with the blogs that I read most regularly or that have something in common with mine. If those blogs don't get updated somewhat regularly, I'm going to remove the link. If you have one post every two weeks or less, you'll never draw any interest in your blog. If I took yours down, it is for one of those two reasons, and that includes my own relatives, it isn't anything personal.
Last night there was a group of island commentators such as Ron Hodges, Doc Murdoch, Bruce Bateman, Randy Steele, myself and others having an informal chat with Rep. Absalom Waki, who had a lot to say and virtually all of it I was in agreement with. Waki was very forthright about the problems with our government such as too many bills being introduced, too much good old boy network goings on, and not enough serious work being put in by a lot of people up there. There is going to be a candidate a week for these meet ups each Friday at Porky's, and I won't be there for all of them I'm sure, but last night was fun.
***
Angelo's Master List of CNMI blogs is up to 112 -- quite a few blogs. One of the best recent entrants is Steele on Saipan, which comes from Randy Steele. Randy gives his own take on things said by others, or provides his own original thoughts. He has something to say, which always helps to make a blog of broad interest. Richard Sikkel has a new blog as well that describes many of the dives in Saipan, Tinian and Rota. Richard is a real pro as a dive instructor, and he is the person I dove with when I visited Saipan as a tourist many moons ago. I have links to them both, which brings me to the topic of my links. There are so many blogs that I can't link to them all, so I'm going with the blogs that I read most regularly or that have something in common with mine. If those blogs don't get updated somewhat regularly, I'm going to remove the link. If you have one post every two weeks or less, you'll never draw any interest in your blog. If I took yours down, it is for one of those two reasons, and that includes my own relatives, it isn't anything personal.
Monday, August 13, 2007
The things that we fear are a weapon to be used against us
There is this debate raging at Middle Road about federalization. Those folks are great at writing three lines and getting thirty comments. Who should be the next governor drew 112 comments -- maybe because they suggested the radical notion that Angelo Villagomez would be better than Holani Smith. Amazing and good for them. I like the way the blogs are drawing out debate. I haven't had many anonymous comments on this blog, but if it starts to happen, I'm going to end anonymous comments.
Here is what I don't get about this federalization discussion. People like my buddy Bruce Bateman are talking about the U.S. being "our colonial masters" and the dialogue out here is as if this isn't the U.S. Is this place the U.S. or is it not? I think it is. We have American law. American style schools. An American post office. An American military presence. When the tsunami comes and people here need money to rebuild, it sure is. When kids have nowhere to go and want to join the military, it sure is. When this economy implodes and the people here want somewhere else to go, it sure is. When the government is broke and wants a bailout, they didn't ask Germany. So why are we acting like federalization is Pearl Harbor, some sneak attack by a foreign power. We are one country and it's time to stop acting like the U.S. is them -- they is us. Yeah, I realize we are far away from the mainland and there are some renegade differences we've been allowed to enjoy like minimal accountability, low taxes, a bloated third world labor supply where contract workers on 1980's U.S. minimum wage outnumber residents two to one, but this is still American soil. Do you really like low taxes and minimal accountability when you have an accident and the hospital doesn't have blood or doctors, or your 15 year old is not exactly on grade level, or when the power is out every day because the power plant sucks?
Middle Road is also the hub of the anonymous comment, not mention being an anonymous blog. I find anonymity pretty awful. People are out there anonymously feeding into the hysteria about speaking up. One time when PSS was screwing over about 30 of us on our salaries on a raise we were due as per PSS' guidelines, I was at PSS professional development, and one of my colleagues asked me about it. We were in a hallway about three feet from the commissioner, so I said there is the man, go ask him. She recoiled in fear as if she woke up in the middle of the night next to Brad or something. I'd have asked in about three seconds. I did. What are people so afraid of around here?
Some anonymous guy on Middle Road is talking about being a parent, so his concern is feeding his kids, so he can't speak up. He views the world differently because he has kids. What kind of sorry ass, middle age bullshit is that. Imagine if Martin Luther King said, "You know, I have kids, I think I'll just sell insurance. My kids have to eat. That civil rights thing isn't so important." I find that kind of selfish stance awful. Imagine all of these real examples following that model. They're rounding up Jews, I have kids. I'll shut up. They are putting Japanese in internment camps. I have kids, so what for them. They won't let that black guy use the water fountain, my kids get thirsty, screw em. How revolting!
This place is American soil -- voluntarily. Incidentally, Guam and Saipan are more prosperous than the non-American islands out here. If the government thousands of miles away can send these people here off to war, which they have and are, they can tell this government you can't bloat the labor supply with contract workers at meager wages and it isn't exactly tyranny. The federal government tells the individual states to do all kinds of things. By the way, I have kids and it hasn't stopped me from criticizing this lousy government.
Here is what I don't get about this federalization discussion. People like my buddy Bruce Bateman are talking about the U.S. being "our colonial masters" and the dialogue out here is as if this isn't the U.S. Is this place the U.S. or is it not? I think it is. We have American law. American style schools. An American post office. An American military presence. When the tsunami comes and people here need money to rebuild, it sure is. When kids have nowhere to go and want to join the military, it sure is. When this economy implodes and the people here want somewhere else to go, it sure is. When the government is broke and wants a bailout, they didn't ask Germany. So why are we acting like federalization is Pearl Harbor, some sneak attack by a foreign power. We are one country and it's time to stop acting like the U.S. is them -- they is us. Yeah, I realize we are far away from the mainland and there are some renegade differences we've been allowed to enjoy like minimal accountability, low taxes, a bloated third world labor supply where contract workers on 1980's U.S. minimum wage outnumber residents two to one, but this is still American soil. Do you really like low taxes and minimal accountability when you have an accident and the hospital doesn't have blood or doctors, or your 15 year old is not exactly on grade level, or when the power is out every day because the power plant sucks?
Middle Road is also the hub of the anonymous comment, not mention being an anonymous blog. I find anonymity pretty awful. People are out there anonymously feeding into the hysteria about speaking up. One time when PSS was screwing over about 30 of us on our salaries on a raise we were due as per PSS' guidelines, I was at PSS professional development, and one of my colleagues asked me about it. We were in a hallway about three feet from the commissioner, so I said there is the man, go ask him. She recoiled in fear as if she woke up in the middle of the night next to Brad or something. I'd have asked in about three seconds. I did. What are people so afraid of around here?
Some anonymous guy on Middle Road is talking about being a parent, so his concern is feeding his kids, so he can't speak up. He views the world differently because he has kids. What kind of sorry ass, middle age bullshit is that. Imagine if Martin Luther King said, "You know, I have kids, I think I'll just sell insurance. My kids have to eat. That civil rights thing isn't so important." I find that kind of selfish stance awful. Imagine all of these real examples following that model. They're rounding up Jews, I have kids. I'll shut up. They are putting Japanese in internment camps. I have kids, so what for them. They won't let that black guy use the water fountain, my kids get thirsty, screw em. How revolting!
This place is American soil -- voluntarily. Incidentally, Guam and Saipan are more prosperous than the non-American islands out here. If the government thousands of miles away can send these people here off to war, which they have and are, they can tell this government you can't bloat the labor supply with contract workers at meager wages and it isn't exactly tyranny. The federal government tells the individual states to do all kinds of things. By the way, I have kids and it hasn't stopped me from criticizing this lousy government.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Top Ten List
Top Ten Reasons to Vote for Me
10. If Brad wins again, nobody can stop him.
9. Right now I'm tied for fifth place, I haven't seen judgment this bad since O.J. was acquitted.
8. If you're Chamorro, I doubtlessly taught one of your relatives at SSHS.
7. If you're Filipino, I married one, adopted two and supported all politically when few others did.
6. If you're a Democrat, I abused Republicans relentlessly.
5. If you're a Republican, forget it I've written off your vote. I am friends with Bruce Bateman, though.
4. I've hardly ever mentioned my cute dog, cute kids and great wife, like all the other blogs.
3. You're either with me or with the terrorists.
2. Angelo will be really pissed.
1. My competition, Harry, Bruce, Brad, the Doc, the Undercover journalists, Boni, "missing person" Bree, Cinta and Angelo -- links to this guy. What a nasty campaign.
10. If Brad wins again, nobody can stop him.
9. Right now I'm tied for fifth place, I haven't seen judgment this bad since O.J. was acquitted.
8. If you're Chamorro, I doubtlessly taught one of your relatives at SSHS.
7. If you're Filipino, I married one, adopted two and supported all politically when few others did.
6. If you're a Democrat, I abused Republicans relentlessly.
5. If you're a Republican, forget it I've written off your vote. I am friends with Bruce Bateman, though.
4. I've hardly ever mentioned my cute dog, cute kids and great wife, like all the other blogs.
3. You're either with me or with the terrorists.
2. Angelo will be really pissed.
1. My competition, Harry, Bruce, Brad, the Doc, the Undercover journalists, Boni, "missing person" Bree, Cinta and Angelo -- links to this guy. What a nasty campaign.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
A guide to CNMI bloggers updated
Editor's Note: You are encouraged to post this entry on your own blog as a guide to CNMI bloggers.
By Jeffrey C. Turbitt
Whether to keep up with friends far away, enjoy a new forum for self expression, change the perception of the CNMI or simply to opine on matters local, national or personal, blogging has taken the CNMI by storm. The community of CNMI bloggers cuts a wide swath of society: lawyer, doctor, journalist, principal, environmental activist and dental hygienist to name the day jobs of a few CNMI bloggers. All have their own particular focus and passion, but each finds a creative outlet in this new form of self expression that readers are increasingly responding to.
For those unfamiliar with the rapid machinations of cyberspace, blogging is an online diary in which participants can offer written thoughts, as well as audio, video or digital images, on virtually anything. Blogging allows most anyone to be a journalist of sorts. Journalism even at the highest level doesn’t require a license. Blogging took on a new level of social cachet in the party conventions during the last presidential election, as a media area devoted specifically to bloggers was set up, and the opinions set forth by bloggers have increasing influence on the establishment media. Blogging is included and covered in everything from the New York Times to Slate.
There are now approximately 1.3 million English blogs on the web. One can conservatively estimate there are now at least 30 CNMI blogs. There were five or less a year ago.
The pole position blogger in the CNMI is probably Angelo Villagomez, a privately employed political/environmental organizer who recently returned to his birthplace here in the CNMI after being raised and educated in the U.S. mainland. Villagomez’s blog averages a solid 430 plus hits per day, and partially took off after having links related to a sex scandal involving Miss Nevada Katie Rees. But sex scandals aren’t the crux of Villagomez’s blog, though he has been known to display a bevy of athletic bikini babes on his site. His blog discusses all types of things with a particular focus on environmental issues. “My blog is about life in Saipan. I touch on politics, people, places, events, and when things get boring I just post girls in bikinis. I also talk about national topics. I also post videos and pictures,” he said.
Villagomez notes blogging can entail certain negative experiences, such as when he was fired for blogging. He was critical of management at a restaurant he was employed in, discussed his thoughts in one of his earlier blogs, and was then told his services weren’t needed anymore. That experience didn’t stop him, but he acknowledges a certain vulnerability from his online journal. “When you blog, you are opening up yourself to the world. When you allow people to see the world through your eyes, you become sort of a celebrity. People who don't know you will think they know you. People will leave you comments with the intent of pissing you off. I've had people leave some very personal nasty things about my family. Most things have been good. I make some money off of the yahoo ads on my blog, plus people are always telling me that what I publish online reminds them of what a great place Saipan can be.”
Changing that perception of Saipan has been one of the goals of many of the Saipan bloggers. Most anyone who makes the move to Saipan will come across the Saipan Sucks web site, which is extremely critical of the CNMI and can scare off a potential recruit. There was very little on the internet to give a more balanced view of the islands prior to this rise in blogging, so a recent entrant to the CNMI, Walt F.J. Goodridge, an author, career coach and “nomadpreneur,” started the We Love Saipan network, a launching point for many CNMI bloggers last year.
“Right now, because of what we're doing, there's a new dialogue developing. There are an increasing number of people around the world who, after now discovering us through these new blogger channels, are saying things like: ‘I'm thinking of moving to Saipan! Have you ever heard of a place called Saipan? Ever thought about retiring on Saipan?’Yes, the dialogue is changing,” Goodridge said.
The dialogue isn’t completely Wild West, a common criticism of blogging. Given the size of the island, some people can feel a little bit of self censorship – especially if their career seems to require more discretion. Melissa Simms, an assistant Attorney General with the Division of Immigration, says the focus of her blog is her own usual day to day life struggles, as well as observations and sometimes tirades, but there are limitations. “Due to my position in the community, I tend to steer away from anything too political or controversial, even though I have very strong opinions. I find it is a great outlet for me to express myself and communicate with my friends and family who are far away. I have met many wonderful people and made a lot of new friends through my blog that I wouldn't have met otherwise.”
Simms also said things she read on CNMI blogs helped influence her recent move to the island, and she has come to enjoy the friendships of other bloggers, who meet on the last Wednesday of each month at 7 pm at Java Joes café to talk and offer advice. There is an open invite to potential bloggers to join in as well. “I think that the blogging community in Saipan is very strong - we are all very different in occupations, political opinion, hobbies, etc., but blogging ties us together, and helps paint a picture of what Saipan is really like from the perspective of many different people.”
Cinta Kaipat, an elected Saipan representative, is another prominent blogger who was encouraged by friends to begin her blogging efforts recently, and she uses her blog to maintain communications with constituents. “I recently posted my office's 2006 and 2007 expenditures online and received very positive feedback on it. Some people took me up on my offer to post the bills I'm working on online and use this blog as a way to communicate with my constituents. I've done some of this, but not as much as I hope to do in the future.”
Kaipat’s brother Gus Kaipat, a legislative aide and one of the island’s most well known ukulele virtuosos, uses his blog to promote his band. “Traffic to my band's site has increased since I started blogging. People are discovering my band's homepage without me having to pay a cent for advertising. It's incredible,” he said. Kaipat also hopes to use his blog as a cultural tool: “I would love to be able to utilize my blog to help me preserve my two cultures of Chamorro and Refaluwasch.”
Brad Ruszala, a sportswriter and general sports enthusiast, professes great love for his adopted hometown of Saipan, and posts mostly about sports and daily life. He enjoys the different perspective blogging allows. “Too many negative stories about our islands come out in the local and international press. For some, that's the only way of getting information. I am the only reporter in the CNMI who is an American citizen. I have a real stake in the future of this place and I know that there is plenty more to read about then the evaporating garment industry, the ridiculous utilities firm and the soap opera politicking on the hill.”
Ruszala also likes the democracy and different perspectives blogging allows. “The multimillion dollar foreign owned corporations and the overpaid politicians have lost touch with the regular people, so it's time that the regular folks like me speak up. I'm not here to change the world, but I am here to say that it's a lot different down here where I am.”
Yvonne Reyes-Gomez is the principal of Garapan Elementary School, the largest elementary school in the CNMI, and she is someone who simply enjoys writing. ”Reading and writing are the two hobbies that give me the most satisfaction because I am able to expand my own thinking and express myself. I'm a wanna-be published writer, but without the guts or time to actually sit down and produce something worthy of publication. Blogging is my fix. I can be a poet, a political activist, a short story writer, even a comedian in a blog.”
Reyes-Gomez also eases her day to day anxiety through blogging. “I have a very stressful job. I never get a chance to really sit down and reflect on the other areas in my life. Blogging helps to re-focus. It's sort of like a gratitude journal, a chance for me to see and say all the things that I do outside of work. Sometimes I feel like I don't contribute enough to my community and especially my family. Blogging is tangible proof that I have a life outside of the campus gates.”
Unlike Simms, Reyes-Gomez feels less need for self-censorship. “I write about my thoughts on government and its leaders or lack thereof. In my blog I do not have to worry about being "proper" and keeping my government agent hat on too tightly.”
But government officials aren’t the only ones who might be a bit cautious around Reyes-Gomez, her own family must keep an eye on what they say. “Sometimes even my family self-edits what they do and say because they know it will eventually be publicized. I am the mamarazzi!”
One of the challenges all bloggers face is updating their blogs with fresh thoughts on interesting topics. “Sometimes I get blogorhea. Sometimes I'm on every day. It all depends on what's going on in my life. When you're a blogger, there may not be an event to post everyday, but there is always a thought worthy of sharing. I'm not against posting a one sentence quip either, just to get it off my chest. I read blogs every day though,” Reyes-Gomez said.
Sometimes devotion to a hobby leads to blogging. This is the case for Melissa Highfill, a self described “stay at home mom” who said she started blogging after seeing other people's blog addresses in their signature on needlework message boards. “I use it as a tool to keep up with my friends and some of my family back home while we are stationed out here. If I had to pick one general theme, it would be needlework...that is what started it all and that is what I mainly look at when I am looking at other blogs. Many of my needlework friends are intrigued by our life here...hardly anyone has heard of Saipan,” Highfill said.
Mike Tripp is a scuba instructor, underwater photographer and pharmacist, and he also recently released the Underwater World of Saipan, a dvd featuring Saipan’s dive sites. The purpose of his blog is to discuss responsible ecotourism, conservation and diving life in Saipan. “I've had positive responses from my web site devoted to The Underwater World of Saipan and I imagine it will be a mater of time before the same is true for the blog. For the web site I have had people email me after they purchased the DVD and tell me they have decided to travel to Saipan. Perhaps the DVD was the tipping point in their decisions.”
D.C.Revilla, a government worker, tries to keep her blog fun and lighthearted. “I don't have a focus - I describe my blog as stories of life, about everything and nothing. I post light hearted pictures of my life - my family, the island. I stay away from politics; I generally steer clear of the serious stuff. I mainly write stories from my day, random thoughts, and very simple movie reviews. I also write about my experiences as a customer. I hope that somehow my blog is going to help improve customer service on island.”
Bree Reynolds, a science teacher at Hopwood Junior High School, has a spouse who wonders why she devotes so much energy to blogging. “My husband actually asked me what the appeal was. Don't get me wrong, he thinks it’s great that I'm documenting our lives, posting pictures, communicating with family, etc. That way he doesn't have to do it, but he doesn't get the appeal of sitting in front of a screen for hours reading other blogs, posting comments, etc. I told him, ‘I like to talk’ and blogging is sort of like talking to other people. Plus it’s a creative outlet.”
Reynolds also thinks blogging is an educational tool. “I created a blog for students to post about science and environmental related topics and another blog for posting about books and writing. These blogs are open to anyone in the CNMI that wants to contribute. They just need to email me to become an author. My students have also received a greater audience for their work and I really love that because it shows what students from an overcrowded, under-funded public middle school can do when they are motivated and inspired.”
Beverly Cabanatan, a registered dental hygienist, is one of the many CNMI bloggers with a spiritual focus. “I wanted to keep my family and friends in touch with what my life is like as a missionary dental hygienist with the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Saipan. I wanted to record my adventures, my experiences with my patients, and my spiritual growth in Saipan. I blog about my spiritual journey, the outreach of the SDA Church, missionary life, scuba diving, and random other things about my life on Saipan.
Dr. David Khorram, an eye specialist and surgeon, uses blogging as an outlet for his many different interests. “My most positive experiences relate to influencing people’s lives and opinions in a positive way through my writing. I’m now getting about 100 visitors a day, so I know that people are enjoying what they read. Recently a friend sent me a link to a website in the Philippines where someone was quoting me after reading my blog. That was cool. The Saipan blogs provide personal perspectives on issues I’m not usually exposed to, uncover news, provide information on events and activities, and are made by a pretty savvy group of individuals that I have come to know and trust. As a result, the Saipan blogs have positively influenced my experience of Saipan.”
The net result of all this activity is a massive increase in the amount of online information about these islands, and a more balanced and diverse view of life here. It might take a little longer, but even global internet trends make their way to these tiny Mariana Islands.
Jeffrey C. Turbitt is author of Saipan and Other Random Hypercritical Thoughts, a blog focused on local politics. His blog can be viewed at http://turbittj.blogspot.com/
By Jeffrey C. Turbitt
Whether to keep up with friends far away, enjoy a new forum for self expression, change the perception of the CNMI or simply to opine on matters local, national or personal, blogging has taken the CNMI by storm. The community of CNMI bloggers cuts a wide swath of society: lawyer, doctor, journalist, principal, environmental activist and dental hygienist to name the day jobs of a few CNMI bloggers. All have their own particular focus and passion, but each finds a creative outlet in this new form of self expression that readers are increasingly responding to.
For those unfamiliar with the rapid machinations of cyberspace, blogging is an online diary in which participants can offer written thoughts, as well as audio, video or digital images, on virtually anything. Blogging allows most anyone to be a journalist of sorts. Journalism even at the highest level doesn’t require a license. Blogging took on a new level of social cachet in the party conventions during the last presidential election, as a media area devoted specifically to bloggers was set up, and the opinions set forth by bloggers have increasing influence on the establishment media. Blogging is included and covered in everything from the New York Times to Slate.
There are now approximately 1.3 million English blogs on the web. One can conservatively estimate there are now at least 30 CNMI blogs. There were five or less a year ago.
The pole position blogger in the CNMI is probably Angelo Villagomez, a privately employed political/environmental organizer who recently returned to his birthplace here in the CNMI after being raised and educated in the U.S. mainland. Villagomez’s blog averages a solid 430 plus hits per day, and partially took off after having links related to a sex scandal involving Miss Nevada Katie Rees. But sex scandals aren’t the crux of Villagomez’s blog, though he has been known to display a bevy of athletic bikini babes on his site. His blog discusses all types of things with a particular focus on environmental issues. “My blog is about life in Saipan. I touch on politics, people, places, events, and when things get boring I just post girls in bikinis. I also talk about national topics. I also post videos and pictures,” he said.
Villagomez notes blogging can entail certain negative experiences, such as when he was fired for blogging. He was critical of management at a restaurant he was employed in, discussed his thoughts in one of his earlier blogs, and was then told his services weren’t needed anymore. That experience didn’t stop him, but he acknowledges a certain vulnerability from his online journal. “When you blog, you are opening up yourself to the world. When you allow people to see the world through your eyes, you become sort of a celebrity. People who don't know you will think they know you. People will leave you comments with the intent of pissing you off. I've had people leave some very personal nasty things about my family. Most things have been good. I make some money off of the yahoo ads on my blog, plus people are always telling me that what I publish online reminds them of what a great place Saipan can be.”
Changing that perception of Saipan has been one of the goals of many of the Saipan bloggers. Most anyone who makes the move to Saipan will come across the Saipan Sucks web site, which is extremely critical of the CNMI and can scare off a potential recruit. There was very little on the internet to give a more balanced view of the islands prior to this rise in blogging, so a recent entrant to the CNMI, Walt F.J. Goodridge, an author, career coach and “nomadpreneur,” started the We Love Saipan network, a launching point for many CNMI bloggers last year.
“Right now, because of what we're doing, there's a new dialogue developing. There are an increasing number of people around the world who, after now discovering us through these new blogger channels, are saying things like: ‘I'm thinking of moving to Saipan! Have you ever heard of a place called Saipan? Ever thought about retiring on Saipan?’Yes, the dialogue is changing,” Goodridge said.
The dialogue isn’t completely Wild West, a common criticism of blogging. Given the size of the island, some people can feel a little bit of self censorship – especially if their career seems to require more discretion. Melissa Simms, an assistant Attorney General with the Division of Immigration, says the focus of her blog is her own usual day to day life struggles, as well as observations and sometimes tirades, but there are limitations. “Due to my position in the community, I tend to steer away from anything too political or controversial, even though I have very strong opinions. I find it is a great outlet for me to express myself and communicate with my friends and family who are far away. I have met many wonderful people and made a lot of new friends through my blog that I wouldn't have met otherwise.”
Simms also said things she read on CNMI blogs helped influence her recent move to the island, and she has come to enjoy the friendships of other bloggers, who meet on the last Wednesday of each month at 7 pm at Java Joes café to talk and offer advice. There is an open invite to potential bloggers to join in as well. “I think that the blogging community in Saipan is very strong - we are all very different in occupations, political opinion, hobbies, etc., but blogging ties us together, and helps paint a picture of what Saipan is really like from the perspective of many different people.”
Cinta Kaipat, an elected Saipan representative, is another prominent blogger who was encouraged by friends to begin her blogging efforts recently, and she uses her blog to maintain communications with constituents. “I recently posted my office's 2006 and 2007 expenditures online and received very positive feedback on it. Some people took me up on my offer to post the bills I'm working on online and use this blog as a way to communicate with my constituents. I've done some of this, but not as much as I hope to do in the future.”
Kaipat’s brother Gus Kaipat, a legislative aide and one of the island’s most well known ukulele virtuosos, uses his blog to promote his band. “Traffic to my band's site has increased since I started blogging. People are discovering my band's homepage without me having to pay a cent for advertising. It's incredible,” he said. Kaipat also hopes to use his blog as a cultural tool: “I would love to be able to utilize my blog to help me preserve my two cultures of Chamorro and Refaluwasch.”
Brad Ruszala, a sportswriter and general sports enthusiast, professes great love for his adopted hometown of Saipan, and posts mostly about sports and daily life. He enjoys the different perspective blogging allows. “Too many negative stories about our islands come out in the local and international press. For some, that's the only way of getting information. I am the only reporter in the CNMI who is an American citizen. I have a real stake in the future of this place and I know that there is plenty more to read about then the evaporating garment industry, the ridiculous utilities firm and the soap opera politicking on the hill.”
Ruszala also likes the democracy and different perspectives blogging allows. “The multimillion dollar foreign owned corporations and the overpaid politicians have lost touch with the regular people, so it's time that the regular folks like me speak up. I'm not here to change the world, but I am here to say that it's a lot different down here where I am.”
Yvonne Reyes-Gomez is the principal of Garapan Elementary School, the largest elementary school in the CNMI, and she is someone who simply enjoys writing. ”Reading and writing are the two hobbies that give me the most satisfaction because I am able to expand my own thinking and express myself. I'm a wanna-be published writer, but without the guts or time to actually sit down and produce something worthy of publication. Blogging is my fix. I can be a poet, a political activist, a short story writer, even a comedian in a blog.”
Reyes-Gomez also eases her day to day anxiety through blogging. “I have a very stressful job. I never get a chance to really sit down and reflect on the other areas in my life. Blogging helps to re-focus. It's sort of like a gratitude journal, a chance for me to see and say all the things that I do outside of work. Sometimes I feel like I don't contribute enough to my community and especially my family. Blogging is tangible proof that I have a life outside of the campus gates.”
Unlike Simms, Reyes-Gomez feels less need for self-censorship. “I write about my thoughts on government and its leaders or lack thereof. In my blog I do not have to worry about being "proper" and keeping my government agent hat on too tightly.”
But government officials aren’t the only ones who might be a bit cautious around Reyes-Gomez, her own family must keep an eye on what they say. “Sometimes even my family self-edits what they do and say because they know it will eventually be publicized. I am the mamarazzi!”
One of the challenges all bloggers face is updating their blogs with fresh thoughts on interesting topics. “Sometimes I get blogorhea. Sometimes I'm on every day. It all depends on what's going on in my life. When you're a blogger, there may not be an event to post everyday, but there is always a thought worthy of sharing. I'm not against posting a one sentence quip either, just to get it off my chest. I read blogs every day though,” Reyes-Gomez said.
Sometimes devotion to a hobby leads to blogging. This is the case for Melissa Highfill, a self described “stay at home mom” who said she started blogging after seeing other people's blog addresses in their signature on needlework message boards. “I use it as a tool to keep up with my friends and some of my family back home while we are stationed out here. If I had to pick one general theme, it would be needlework...that is what started it all and that is what I mainly look at when I am looking at other blogs. Many of my needlework friends are intrigued by our life here...hardly anyone has heard of Saipan,” Highfill said.
Mike Tripp is a scuba instructor, underwater photographer and pharmacist, and he also recently released the Underwater World of Saipan, a dvd featuring Saipan’s dive sites. The purpose of his blog is to discuss responsible ecotourism, conservation and diving life in Saipan. “I've had positive responses from my web site devoted to The Underwater World of Saipan and I imagine it will be a mater of time before the same is true for the blog. For the web site I have had people email me after they purchased the DVD and tell me they have decided to travel to Saipan. Perhaps the DVD was the tipping point in their decisions.”
D.C.Revilla, a government worker, tries to keep her blog fun and lighthearted. “I don't have a focus - I describe my blog as stories of life, about everything and nothing. I post light hearted pictures of my life - my family, the island. I stay away from politics; I generally steer clear of the serious stuff. I mainly write stories from my day, random thoughts, and very simple movie reviews. I also write about my experiences as a customer. I hope that somehow my blog is going to help improve customer service on island.”
Bree Reynolds, a science teacher at Hopwood Junior High School, has a spouse who wonders why she devotes so much energy to blogging. “My husband actually asked me what the appeal was. Don't get me wrong, he thinks it’s great that I'm documenting our lives, posting pictures, communicating with family, etc. That way he doesn't have to do it, but he doesn't get the appeal of sitting in front of a screen for hours reading other blogs, posting comments, etc. I told him, ‘I like to talk’ and blogging is sort of like talking to other people. Plus it’s a creative outlet.”
Reynolds also thinks blogging is an educational tool. “I created a blog for students to post about science and environmental related topics and another blog for posting about books and writing. These blogs are open to anyone in the CNMI that wants to contribute. They just need to email me to become an author. My students have also received a greater audience for their work and I really love that because it shows what students from an overcrowded, under-funded public middle school can do when they are motivated and inspired.”
Beverly Cabanatan, a registered dental hygienist, is one of the many CNMI bloggers with a spiritual focus. “I wanted to keep my family and friends in touch with what my life is like as a missionary dental hygienist with the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Saipan. I wanted to record my adventures, my experiences with my patients, and my spiritual growth in Saipan. I blog about my spiritual journey, the outreach of the SDA Church, missionary life, scuba diving, and random other things about my life on Saipan.
Dr. David Khorram, an eye specialist and surgeon, uses blogging as an outlet for his many different interests. “My most positive experiences relate to influencing people’s lives and opinions in a positive way through my writing. I’m now getting about 100 visitors a day, so I know that people are enjoying what they read. Recently a friend sent me a link to a website in the Philippines where someone was quoting me after reading my blog. That was cool. The Saipan blogs provide personal perspectives on issues I’m not usually exposed to, uncover news, provide information on events and activities, and are made by a pretty savvy group of individuals that I have come to know and trust. As a result, the Saipan blogs have positively influenced my experience of Saipan.”
The net result of all this activity is a massive increase in the amount of online information about these islands, and a more balanced and diverse view of life here. It might take a little longer, but even global internet trends make their way to these tiny Mariana Islands.
Jeffrey C. Turbitt is author of Saipan and Other Random Hypercritical Thoughts, a blog focused on local politics. His blog can be viewed at http://turbittj.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
A guide to Saipan Bloggers
I wrote a lengthy story on CNMI bloggers that is running in three parts in the Marianas Variety. Part one was published Tuesday. Part two was published yesterday. Part three is out today. I'll be posting an online version that includes even more bloggers next week, probably next Friday, as if this wasn't long enough. If you'd like to be included, leave a comment with your email address, and I'll send you a questionaire. You don't have to know me to be included. If you already responded, you're already on my list to be integrated. I just ran out of space in the paper version. Thanks to everyone who participated.
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