Podcast: From Slaves to Kings

The Southern Poverty Law Center claims that “thousands of men and women have joined black supremacist groups on the extremist fringe of the Hebrew Israelite movement.” The Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ openly teaches it’s believers that the Lord does not love everybody equally, and skin color does matter. They also use the public libraries of our nation’s capital to spread their message.

NOTE: Much of the audio obtained for this piece was done so covertly. Apologies in advance for any audio abnormalities.

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Close Call

On October 25, 2009 the Iraqi Justice Ministry was bombed by two vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED) that killed 127 people.

Two months earlier I shot this video of my trip on the infamous “Road of Death” from the Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) to the Mansour Hotel which is located across the street from the Ministry.

I spent five days at the Mansour which houses our offices and living quarters. The bombing destroyed our offices but thankfully none of our staff were injured.

Traveling Culinary Carnival Goes Viral

I am pleased to annouce that LocalKicks.com has picked up my Fojol article.  Here is the link

Traveling Culinary Carnival Goes Viral
Oct 26,2009
by Michael Clarke 

Photo by FLICKR/dklein/3978272078/ The Fojol Bros of Merlindia built up a loyal following using only social marketing and word of mouth.

Washington D.C.’s latest food craze, a self-described “traveling culinary carnival” on wheels complete with a roving band of followers has gone viral. 

The Fojol Bros of Merlindia (pronounced Fogoal) built up a loyal following using only social marketing and word of mouth. Launched by four out-of-work Obama campaign volunteers on Inauguration Day, the Fojols goal is simple: provide good food, a great atmosphere, and an instant sense of community.

The Carolina Chocolate Drops

This post reminds me that life takes you to strange places.  This past weekend I ended up in Michigan visiting some family.  On Friday night my 69 year-old uncle bought tickets to see the Carolina Chocolate Drops at the Ark in Ann Arbor, MI.  What a surprise!  A self-described "African-American string band", the Chocolate Drops played two sold-out nights.  Here is a short video I shot of their encore from Friday night.  Toward the end the crowd was so fired up, the camera starts shaking.

Windows 7 $30 for students

Never went to Vista so why am I thinking about going to Windows 7?  Because it is $30!

"Like so many of the recent Windows 7 promotions, it’s a limited time offer with more than a few caveats. But, details aside, Microsoft is offering college students Windows 7 for $29.99, according to a new deal announced on September 17." The http://www.win741.com/ site has the details.

Update: Flip UltraHD

I received my Flip UltraHD yesterday and am really enjoying it. It is sleek, and is ready to go right out of the box (just be sure to put the battery in). What is really impressive is how easy it is to use. Literally just point and shoot. I used it to shoot this video at the Detroit Airport.

The Flip UltraHD shoots 720p HD video and has an HDMI port so you can directly plug it into my plasma.

Once you are finished shooting just plug the Flip into your USB port on your computer, the software is already installed, and you are presented with an array of options on how you want to view, upload, or edit your video. The software lets you directly upload to your YouTube or MySpace account so you can share your video with anyone. I added Flip's music to the video, added a title screen, and credits in less than five minutes, very impressive.  Use it with the Gorillapod tripod and the Flip UltraHD is a must for any backpack journalist.

Zoom H2

My newest purchase for school: Zoom H2

From the Zoom website: "The H2 begins with a simple idea: provide brilliant stereo recording in an easy-to-use, ultra-portable device. Now everyone can record pristine audio in an infinite variety of applications. From seminars and conferences, to electronic news gathering(ENG), interviews and podcasting, to musical performances, songwriting sessions and rehearsals, the H2 provides amazing recording quality. And no matter what kind of recording you want to make, the H2 can effortlessly record it."

Home Theater

Over the past year I have put together my dream home theater system.  My wife's rules were that she didn't want to see any equipment (all the equipment is in a side closet out of sight!), no speakers running all over, and no wires. By shopping online I saved 34% over retail. Here is how it came out.

 

St. John Video

Here is a video/slideshow I put together for my family on a recent trip to St. John, USVI and Jost van Dyke, BVI. With 70% of the island being a national park, St. John is not over developed and manages to keep its local island charm. We stayed with a college buddy who lives on the island and had the best time acting like a local. Near the end of the vaction we rented a sailboat and spent the night at Jost van Dyke enjoying great bars like Foxy's, One Love, and the Soggy Dollar Bar. 

All the video and photos were shot by me.

Documentary: Chasing Butterflies

This is a short 10 minute documentary on Lupus I shot along with two other students as part of Georgetown's Intro to Documentary Film.  It is now being used by the Lupus Foundation of America Greater Washington Chapter. 

This is a video chat with Kamel Mansari, an inspiring Algerian journalist, I put together for World Press Freedom Day.

World Press Freedom Day