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December 28, 2006
The MTW Conference: Mary has more balls than me
Hertzliya, Israel, December 17-18, 2006.
All my posts about the conference are collected here, also links to other blogs writing about the conference.
I will post about the panels, I promise.
So Michael Totten emails me and Richard Fernandez about two weeks before the conference to invite us to join him in Beirut, and to remind us not to write on our blogs that he was in Lebanon becauseHezbollah was watching his blog and he was on their shit list right now, and he didn't want them to know he was there. Beirut is beautiful, Michael went on to say, it's cheap to stay here, I would love to show you Lebanon, it's very safe, easy to get to from Israel, etc. I replied that I hadn't been to Israel since I was a kid and planned to spend most of my time there being a tourist once the conference was over, but I would definitely consider a side trip to Lebanon.
About a week later Michael emailed to warn us that things were heating up, but emphasized that Beirut would be safe, especially in the Christian quarter, and that in any case he knew how to get to safety immediately, but he would understand if we hesitated, but really we would be safe, and by the way, Judith, I might go south to visit some Hezbollah villages to ask them about the recent war and do you want to come along and be a war correspondent, it would be a lot of fun.
My response was basically err no as a small Jewish American woman who doesn't carry firearms I am not up to being a war correspondent in south Lebanon right now but have fun.
A few days later at the "pack presents for the troops" party at my apartment, I told Mary this story and she pouted and said he didn't ask me to come to Beirut, and I told her to email Michael because I am sure he would love her to come, us three being blog drinking buddies and all. Next day I get an email from Mary: I got in touch with Michael and I got a flight to Beirut this Sunday, I'm going to be there 4-5 days and I'm really excited.
So let me set the scene here. Mary is cleverly disguised as a mild-mannered soccer mom (except her kids are mostly grown) in Hoboken. She comes across as the opposite of an adrenalin junkie. But if you knew that she met her husband sky-diving, has a pilot's license and scuba-dives wrecks and stuff, it would be like her to go to imminently-unstable Lebanon on a whim. I asked her what her husband thought of all this and she said he owed her one for some exciting vacation they didn't get to take and anyway he sorta wished he could go too.
So Mary has more balls than me. But I can dine out on that anecdote for a few months.
So Mary came to Israel along with Michael right before the conference, a day early because there were rumors Hezbollah were going to close the airport, so Richard Landes put her on the 2nd blogger panel. She hadn't prepared anything so she showed her photos from the Hezbollah rally in Beirut by way of talking about how political factions try to manipulate the media. We were sitting together in the audience while she made a Powerpoint presentation out of them. You can see more at her blog.
I tried to twist Mary's arm to go traveling with me in Israel. I promoted Petra and scuba diving in the Red Sea. Scuba diving, Mary! But going to Eilat and taking a cab to Petra and back is more than a day trip and she couldn't stay any longer becaused she wanted to be home with her family on Christmas. Some war correspondent. (Warning: the Petra link will make your browser go full-screen but it is worth it.)
Judith | 12/28/06 at 07:46 PM | Categories: - Media as Theater of War
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Comments
Some people are ballsy about going into warzones and some people are ballsy about talking in public. I'd guess that when that picture was taken, I was terrified to realize that my speech (which I had already cut to the bone) was going overtime, and I had to do a completely on-the-fly wrapup. I don't remember what I said, but if I was waving my hands around, it probably wasn't good.
Just one quibble - I think I whined about the fact that I wasn't invited to the conference, but it was really a faux-whine, since my blog has been intermittently dormant for a few months and Richard had no pressing reason to invite me. I was really surprised and honored that he asked me to speak.
Those days at the conference were just a blur of interesting conversations with wonderful, interesting people. And the dinners out with Charles, Lee Smith, the Richards, Nidra, Noah, our blog drinking group - it was all good. If it wasn't for the Christmas holidays, I would have stayed longer. And I would have bought a warmer coat.
mary | December 28, 2006 11:01 AM
"I think I whined about the fact that I wasn't invited to the conference"
No you whined that Michael didn't invite you to Beirut, not about the conference. You didn't say anything about the conference. The conference was barely a smudge on the horizon. And we all know it didn't even occur to Michael to invite you to Beirut because a) you weren't going to Israel anyway (as far as we knew) and b) you're a mild-mannered soccer mom. But now we all know better, and you should be getting some major media assignments soon.
Once Cory is off to college you might look into being a bureau chief in one of these places. Michael has friends who have done that, he can tell you all about it.
Judith | December 28, 2006 11:57 AM
I engaged in the same terrified arm-waving when I realized I had another 20 minutes of files to show, and my time was up. I don't think I did a wrapup, I just smiled sheepishly and stopped.
Judith | December 28, 2006 12:00 PM
I honestly don't remember you doing any arm-waving during your speech, and I thought it was very good. I guess everyone's versions of conference are a mostly positive Rashomon thing.
I think everyone agrees that it was a great meeting of the minds. It was also great to dine with Solomonia, to meet Aussie Dave and especially Ambassador Zvi Mazel.
..a bureau chief? honestly?
mary | December 28, 2006 12:16 PM
Honestly, ask Michael. But you basically work 24/7, because most of the time the "bureau chief" is also the bureau.
Judith | December 28, 2006 12:25 PM
Well, I'm sure you'd have to work your way up the ranks. I was being 30% facetious. But only 30%.
Judith | December 29, 2006 04:18 AM
Well, I'm sure you'd have to work your way up the ranks. I was being 30% facetious. But only 30%.
You're only being partially facetious - someone in Lebanon did mention that they have a hard time finding reporters to cover the area. If you're living there, and if you're willing to work, you can basically be the bureau.
I'd just have to convince Bruce that Beirut is a fun/interesting place to live...
mary | December 29, 2006 10:39 AM
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