First things first

Dogwoods are the first trees to flower around here…and the first to start showing fall color.

Remember last spring’s dogwoods? Here’s what they look like now.

I’ve related here a few stories about annoying experiences with the USPS. For the most part, though, I’ve been a supporter of that organization. It does its job very well (most of the time) and at a decent price (though my opinion has been shifting a bit on that one lately, with the recent rate hikes).

And then I read this, on the Consumerist:

“Postal employees have been ordered to upsell pricey express or priority mail services to anyone sending anything more than a letter, according to an anonymous tipster. The directive comes straight from Washington to help combat the Post Office’s $1.1 billion operating deficit. To avoid the upsell, specifically ask if there is a cheaper way to ship your package.”

If you read the letter from the anonymous tipster inside the USPS, you’ll find that you won’t be offered the lowest shipping rate unless you specifically ask for it.

Really, now. Come on!

Argh.

Today be Talk Like a Pirate Day!

In honor of the occasion, here’s the famous We Call Them Pirates hat. I’ve been wanting to knit this for a while and finally tackled it this summer—my very first Fair Isle project ever.

For the body of the hat, I used some Dutch worsted yarn that I bought on my last trip to the Netherlands. For the lining, I used some worsted cotton I had on hand.

I really enjoyed knitting this hat and plan to try this pattern again. I’d make a few changes next time, though. First, I definitely need to make the hat a little larger—it’s a bit too snug on an average-sized head. Second, I think I’ll follow Elizabeth Zimmerman’s instructions for knitting a lining (no need to use a smaller needle, just decrease your stitches 20% on the first row) rather than the ones given.

Don’t forget to find out your pirate name!

Me? I’m Dirty Mary Flint: “You’re the pirate everyone else wants to throw in the ocean — not to get rid of you, you understand; just to get rid of the smell. Like the rock flint, you’re hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you’re easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!”

“Arrrrrrr!” indeed!

When Jan brought home this week’s CSA box yesterday, I was astonished not to see green beans in it. The deluge of green beans seems to have given way to the endless stream of tomatoes. We have far more tomatoes than we can manage, and I’d like to turn them into tomato sauce and can it. My experience in this department has been only with Roma tomatoes, though. Is it possible to make and can good tomato sauce with regular tomatoes? Anyone have a recipe they think is good?

We also have what the CSA farmer told Jan is a cheese pumpkin. Neither of us has ever heard of such a thing, and we have no idea what to do with it. Suggestions?

My blogging has been derailed for the past month a half—first by our trip up to Vermont, then by the Nigerian State Security Services arresting my brother-in-law. Andy is back in New York now (Jan, Sylvia, and I took a day trip up to Brooklyn to see him today), so things can start to return to normal around here.

First up, two weeks of CSA boxes. We’ve been getting a lot of potatoes, nectarines, green beans (we ate the last batch smothered in mayonnaise and garlic—yum!), and tomatoes lately. We’re in the end-of-summer phase now; two weeks ago we got what is likely the last watermelon of the year, and last week we got what is probably the last of the season’s sweet corn.

So what else has happened in the month since we returned from Vermont? Sylvia started preschool (for the first time ever) nearly two weeks ago. That’s a biggie that warrants its own post—not one of mimsy musings about how my little girl is growing up so quickly (even though she is), but one about our commute to school.

I’ve been doing quite a bit of knitting.

And pickle-making. (What else am I going to do with all of those CSA cucumbers?).

And game playing. (The cake is a lie! Bonus points to the person who knows that reference.)

And just enjoying the end of the summer. (I hope you are, too.)

More on all of that later…

Jan’s brother, Andy, was released from detention today. He boarded a plane out of Abuja, Nigeria, earlier this evening and is currently en route to Frankfurt. He should be home in New York tomorrow afternoon.

Jan and I are both very grateful for all of your efforts on Andy’s behalf. Thanks so much for your communications with senators (ten of whom issued a public letter to the Nigerian president today calling for Andy’s release), congressional representatives, people in the media, and the U.S. State Department. Every e-mail and phone call helped, I’m sure.

We are cautiously optimistic that Monday’s scheduled “routine final processing” will be just that. Please continue contacting your legislators, encouraging them to monitor the situation and take any appropriate action until we know for sure that Andy is safely out of Nigeria. Ask that they not forget to mention his translator, Samuel George, who has also been provisionally released in Port Harcourt.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

*****************CONTAINS UPDATES***********************

CONTACT Aaron Soffin, Storyteller Productions Phone: 917.887.4063
/ 212.712.2781 Email: soffin@gmail.com

American filmmaker provisionally released from Nigerian custody to US embassy personnel

NEW YORK, September 5, 2008 – American filmmaker Andrew Berends is being provisionally released to US embassy personnel late Friday night, but is required to return to the State Security Services on Monday for what is expected to be routine final processing. Berends was moved Friday from the SSS offices in Port Harcourt to the Nigerian capital of Abuja. His translator, Samuel George and a Port Harcourt businessman have apparently also been provisionally released in Port Harcourt and must return to the SSS there on Monday.

“Andrew’s family, friends and colleagues are relieved and happy to hear of this progress and appreciate the hard work on many fronts to get to this point,” said Aaron Soffin, Berends’ colleague and coordinator of the release efforts. “We trust that his final processing on Monday will be expedient and routine. We are anxious for confirmation that he is safely on his way out of the country.”

When she heard the news Polly Berends, his mother, said, “Nothing will make me happier than to hear his voice, except to hug him.”

Hearing of Berends’ arrest Senator Charles Schumer, D-New York and Senator Hillary Clinton, D-New York, each responded with a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calling for Berends’ immediate release. Several other US lawmakers, including Senator Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, have also been actively engaged in advocating for Berends.

Berends was arrested at approximately 6 pm on Sunday, August 31st, by the Nigerian military along with his translator, Samuel George. Andrew entered Nigeria legally in April 2008 to complete a documentary film.

He’s still being detained in Nigeria. He has just been moved from Port Harcourt (where he’s been all week) to Abuja, the capitol. This is good news, as he will be closer to U.S. consular officials. It’s been six days since his arrest, and no one from the U.S. consulate has visited him yet, which is highly irregular in a situation such as this.

Senator Clinton and Senator Schumer have both issued statements urging the U.S. State Department to press the Nigerian government for Andy’s release. Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s chief international correspondent and a board member of the Committee to Protect Journalists, has also issued a statement calling for Andy and his translator, Samuel George, to be released.

Updates are posted here as we have them.

Here’s the latest:

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Day 6, and still no action

Day 6 of Andrew’s illegal detention by the State Security Services of Nigeria. The U.S. State Department has been aware of Andrew’s detainment since Day 1, and he has still NOT been visited by a US consular official. This is highly irregular, and not the treatment we expect for a US journalist held in Nigeria — a country the US affords full diplomatic relations.

It’s time to take strong action NOW to advocate on Andrew’s behalf. With the weekend approaching, our ability to reach the State Dept. is diminishing.

Please take a few minutes out of your day to call the State Dept. and demand action for Andy:

We need him to be visited by a US consular official immediately. No more delays.

Please pick up the phone and make this call NOW.

What to say:

* As a constituent and a concerned citizen, I wanted to bring your attention to the news that it is the SIXTH DAY that American journalist Andrew Berends has been detained by the Nigerian government while working on a documentary.

* Nigeria enjoys the highest level of diplomatic relations with the United States, and for an American journalist to be detained without representation for such a prolonged time and continually subjected to coercive questioning is both highly inappropriate and illegal.

* We ask you to work to ensure the good treatment and speedy release of Andrew Berends, his interpreter Samuel George and Joe Bussio from Nigerian custody. Someone from the State Department in Nigeria needs to see him immediately.

Washington DC

Andrew Silski is at the Nigeria desk: 202-647-0252
Stuart Denyer is in charge of the case in DC: 202-736-9163

Nigeria

Call the main consular line in Abuja 011 234 9461 4262
Call the main consular lines in Lagos: Telephone: 011 234 1261 0050 or 011 234 1261 0078

We know that many of you have been in contact with your elected official, both your Congressional Representative or your Senator. We encourage you to continue to contact them towards Andrew’s release. If you have not contacted your Congressional Representative or your Senator, please do so today.

To get your Representative or Senator’s contact information, click here.

Senators from New York:

In addition to calling your local representative, we would like everyone to call the two Senators from New York State, Andrew’s home state. When talking with the New York representatives, please make sure you mention that Andrew is a New Yorker.

You can reach them here:
* Senator Charles Schumer (D- NY) 212-486-4430
* Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D- NY) 212-688-6262
Please forward this call to action to anyone you think could help by making a call to their representatives and the NY senators.

This just in from Andy’s editor, who is coordinating the effort to get him released:

We’ve engaged the help of Senators Schumer and Clinton, and we suggest you contact them to urge their continued involvement toward a speedy end. We also suggest you get in touch with your local congressperson and your U.S. senators to inform them of the situation and of the New York senators’ role. You can also call the state department and the embassies directly to voice your concern. I urge you to include Samuel George in your inquiries. He is Andrew’s translator and was arrested with him but has not seen the privileged treatment afforded to Andrew as a U.S. citizen.  We must make sure that our efforts work toward his safety and release as well.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

*****************CONTAINS UPDATES***********************

CONTACT Aaron Soffin, Storyteller Productions Phone: 917.887.4063
/ 212.712.2781 Email: soffin@gmail.com

Senator Charles Schumer calls American filmmaker’s detainment by the Nigerian government “untenable”

NEW YORK, September 4, 2008 – Hearing of the arrest of Andrew Berends, an established, award-winning American filmmaker and journalist, Senator Charles Schumer, D-New York, responded with a letter on Wednesday to Secretary of State Condelezza Rice calling for Berends’ immediate release.

“This situation is untenable,” said Schumer. “Mr. Berends, an award-winning journalist, was making a film about the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s oil-producing area, where government forces and armed separatists have been fighting for years. Unfortunately, it seems that the Nigerian government thinks that it can conceal the economic and ecological disaster in the region by harassing and intimidating foreign journalists. This is unacceptable.”

Berends was arrested at approximately 6 pm on Sunday, August 31st by the Nigerian military along with his translator, Samuel George. Andrew entered Nigeria legally in April 2008 to complete a documentary film.

At the time of his arrest Andrew Berends was filming women going to market at the Nembe waterside in Port Harcourt, a public place. Andrew received verbal permission to film in the area from the Sargeant in charge at the waterfront that day.

After Andrew’s initial arrest by the Nigerian military, he was transferred first to the police and then to the State Security Services. He was interrogated by all three groups for 36 hours without access to legal representation, and without being allowed to eat or sleep. Andrew stated that the interrogation was coercive, and that all of his statements to the SSS were involuntary.

There has been no news of his translator, Samuel George, since Monday, and there is concern that he may be undergoing poor treatment at the hands of the Nigerian Government.

The State Security Services confiscated Andrew’s personal belongings, including his passport, notebooks, camera, hard drives and laptop computer. Andrew remains under the custody of the Nigerian State Security Services.
Two-time Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker James Longley, who has known Andrew Berends for the last 16 years and worked side by side with him on documentary films in Iraq, added: “Now that more information is available to the highest levels of the Nigerian government about Andrew’s situation and the circumstances of his arrest, I am optimistic that this unfortunate matter will be resolved immediately.”

The US State Department continues to work on the situation, as does a private lawyer retained on Andrew’s behalf. Reporters without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists have issued statements condemning Andrew’s arrest. We, Andrew’s friends, family, and colleagues, are deeply concerned that he has been held without cause and are calling for the safe treatment and immediate release of Andrew Berends and Samuel George.

“Of course I am devastated by what my son is going through,” Polly Berends, Andrew’s mother said. “I’m terribly worried about him, and want him home as soon as possible. Throughout childhood and adolescence in Hastings-on-Hudson, Andy was always passionate about fairness. His work as a filmmaker reflects the same dedication. His films reveal untold stories of injustice objectively, letting facts speak vividly for themselves. I am hugely proud of him. I am also profoundly grateful for all the people working to get him released, and for the efforts of Senator (Hillary Rodham) Clinton’s and Senator Schumer’s offices on his behalf.”