Update from LA

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to send you a short note to say that all is well here in LA. Kristin is still very busy with Rima trying to finish the radio program. So I have been free to play with Ted, Oscar, and Willa during the day. It is still cool here but the sun has been out during the day so I have been able to play outside.

I'm not sure exactly what's happening with the radio program but I do know that Kristin has been on the phone with Keith and her friend Simon in Washington many, many times in the past few days. Kristin says this is normal and I shouldn't worry.

I had no idea but Kristin tells me the radio program MUST be a very specific time....or "on time" as she calls it. She says this is like being on time for school everyday. If the program is over time...or late...it will cause many problems. I know I don't want to be late for school or I will be in trouble so I don't want Kristin's program to be late too!

On Tuesday afternoon Kristin looked very happy and did a small, but strange dance at Rima's house. She calls it her "happy dance." She told me that she, Rima, Keith and Simon had finally gotten the program script "trimmed" to the correct time. I think this must be similar to making sure I cut along the lines when I am making a craft project.

Kristin says this is very good but she and Rima still have a great deal of work to do. Today they spent part of the day "polishing" parts of the program. To me, polish is something you put on a car to make it shiny. I was curious so I asked Kristin, "how do you polish a radio program?"

Kristin says what she and Rima are doing is similar to polishing a car. They are making sure the radio program is perfect....like a shiny new car. Kristin says it will be Friday before she and Rima finish the program.

Man...it REALLY takes a lot to make a good radio program.

I am really enjoying LA but Kristin told me she feels bad that she hasn't been able to spend more time with me. I keep telling her not to worry. But, tonight she gave me a new present. I guess when I wasn't looking at the airport in Chicago, Kristin bought me an entire set of metal planes, cars and other airport items.


This means I can now create my own airport and pretend like I am working just like the people I see working at real airports. This is SO cool!

I have decided that I am going to play "airport" here at the hotel at night while Kristin works on her computer. I will continue bring Ted and Oscar with me during the day when I play with Willa.

That's all for now. Until next time...

My Trip To The Beach

Hi everyone. I am SO glad I get to go on these trips with Kristin. She always shows me new and cool things.

Today Kristin had lunch with Rima and Rima's husband, Norb. Rima said the restaurant was near the Pacific Ocean and she said she would take us there if we wanted to see it. Of course I said YES!

We walked just a few blocks and suddenly we were walking on a sandy beach along the ocean. The sand is very thick and Kristin said it is a bit hard to walk on with shoes on. Rima took her shoes off but Kristin had on a pair of boots and decided it was OK to keep them on.

The beach is SO COOL! It smells like nothing I have ever smelled before. Kristin says the smell is a combination of the sand and the salt in the ocean. Kristin says the Pacific Ocean is a saltwater ocean. I had no idea!

It was VERY windy today and quite cold for this time of year in California but there were many people playing sand volleyball on the beach. Others were walking along a trail.

Norb took this picture of me with Kristin and Rima. You can see the ocean behind me.

Can you tell it was really windy? Look at how funny Kristin's hair looks!

Kristin said it was way too cold to actually play in the water but she did let me play in the sand. I noticed while playing in the sand that there were lots of little pieces of shells. Here you can see me looking for shells in the sand.


Most of the shells I saw were broken but I found a small one and Rima found a few more for me. Kristin said I could keep them so she is storing them in a safe place for me.

I am so glad I got to see the ocean. I had never visited an ocean before today. Did you know there is more than one ocean in the world? See if you can look up the names of the other oceans.

Until next time....

Hollywood...Here I Come!

Hi everyone. I had a very exciting time with Kristin today.

Since it is the weekend, Kristin says we have a few spare hours to explore LA. So today she took me to Hollywood Boulevard. Can you see the street sign behind me in this picture?

I've heard of Hollywood. Kristin says that's because Hollywood is where movies were made many years ago (long before I was born). I guess they still make movies here in the LA area but not as many as they used to.

Anyway...Hollywood Boulevard is the center of activity in Hollywood. It is really cool. All along the sidewalk on both sides of the street there are tons of reddish starts with the names of very famous people on them. This is known as the Walk of Fame. It is really cool!

I saw the stars of many people I recognize and many more that I don't. It is very busy on the sidewalk. Lots of people were crowding around the stars but Kristin was able to get my photo with a few of the stars of famous people or cartoon characters.

Mickey Mouse


Kermit the Frog


Big Bird


Donald Duck


The Simpsons


And Kristin's favorite....Bugs Bunny!


We also walked past the famous Chinese Theatre and the Kodak Theatre. Guess what? The Oscars award ceremony Kristin and I watched on TV last weekend took place and the Kodak Theatre. How cool is that?! This is the Kodak Theatre.


And this is me near the entrance of the Chinese Theatre.


Kristin says it could take us days to look at all of the stars on Hollywood Boulevard so we just walked a few blocks. Then we stopped at a store and Kristin bought me a stuffed black bear with the word "Hollywood" stitched on it and a map of the area so I can learn even more about Hollywood.

I don't need any help naming my new bear. I have decided to call him Oscar. I think that is a good name since he came from the home of the Oscars...Hollywood!

After we left Hollywood Kristin said we had to stop at a beauty salon. I wasn't so sure I wanted to sit and watch Kristin get her hair fixed. Kristin must have seen the look on my face because she immediately told me not to worry. We were just stopping to buy a special hair product at a place called Jonathan. Kristin told me Jonathan is a very famous TV personality and he fixes hair for movie and TV stars! I guess he has his own TV show on a channel called Bravo. I've never seen it but Kristin says she has. He owns two "salons"...or hair shops here in the LA area.

We didn't see Jonathan at the salon we visited but Kristin bought two jars of something called "dirt." I thought this was really cool. I had no idea Kristin liked to play with dirt!

But it turns out the dirt she bought is white and smells like something a girl would wear! It is NOT the dirt I like to play in outside. Instead it is something she puts in her hair. Yuck!

We got very lucky when we arrived near Jonathan's salon. There was a parking spot right across the street. It had a really cool parking meter. It didn't look anything like the ones we have in Muscatine. It was electronic. I must tell Aunt Lynn about this! Plus, it cost 25-cents for 15 minutes! That is WAY more than it costs in Muscatine.

By the way....I'm not sure I have mentioned that the traffic here is really bad. Kristin calls it "crazy" and says it reminds her of driving in Houston, Texas. I've never been to Houston but I do know that it takes a very long time to get anywhere here! Everywhere Kristin drives there seems to be a long line of cars on both sides of the road. I can tell the traffic bothers Kristin. I asked her why. She told me she had never driven in Los Angeles before this trip. Kristin says she learned how to drive in Houston and has driven in other big cities before but she doesn't like to drive in places she doesn't know.

Well I must tell you that Kristin has done a great job of driving. Rima let her borrow a big map of Los Angeles. The map is actually a book that is thicker than the Muscatine phone book. Between the map and the maps Kristin looks at on the computer, Kristin says she hasn't made a single wrong turn. Whew! I am SO glad she is driving. At least I know we won't get lost.

Our big day out made me very tired. I fell asleep in the car on the way back to the hotel. So, Kristin tucked me into bed with Oscar.


Until next time!

Making a Radio Program

Hi everyone. All is well here in Los Angeles (or L-A) as everyone here seems to say.

After Kristin told me about the big award for the foundation's last radio program, I decided I needed to learn a bit more about how Kristin and Rima "mix" a radio program.

On Friday, Kristin helped me understand the process.

First, she and other journalists record sound in the field and interview many people. This is what she and Keith were doing on our trip to Doha and Dubai.

Second, Kristin and others on her team start working on a script. The script is the written version of the radio program. Remember the photo of me with Kristin and her friend David in New York City? That was when David was reading his parts of the script. Kristin and all of the other journalists working on the program also read their portions of the script.

Third, Kristin and the other journalists edit the actual audio that they gathered in the field so it matches the written script. Remember when I was in the foundation's studio in Muscatine a few weeks ago? Kristin was working on editing the script audio. There are many, many pieces of audio that make up a radio program. It is Kristin's job to listen to all of the pieces in Muscatine and then she sends them over the Web to Rima. Kristin also brings all of the pieces of audio...or "bites" with her on a back-up computer. I think this is very smart. That way if something doesn't work on Rima's computer then Kristin should be able to find the audio on her computer.

WOW! Are you confused? I'm not sure I understand all of these steps. But now I know making a radio program is NOT easy.

I was looking at the full show script yesterday and it is VERY long. She calls it the "master script." It is more than 25 pages! And the script Kristin is working with has many different colors and handwritten notes on it. Kristin says this is because sometimes she and Rima have to make changes to the script during the "mix." Kristin sends her notes to Keith and her friends Simon and David every night. THIS is why Kristin always seems to be working every night when we get back to the hotel! Here's what Kristin's "master script" looked like on Friday night. Pretty messy if you ask me!


Once Kristin has done all of the things she needs to do in Iowa, she flies to California to work with Rima. Rima helps Kristin put all of the audio pieces together on the computer in the correct order. Rima uses the same program Kristin does in Muscatine. It is called ProTools. Here you can see me with part of the radio program on Rima's computer.



Kristin says the various pieces of audio are placed onto "tracks." On the computer, each track is a different color. This helps Kristin and Rima stay organized but it sure looks very confusing to me! Kristin and Rima are using several tracks to mix the radio program. Kristin says tracks are like layers of a cake. Each track is separate just like each layer of a big cake is separated with frosting.

Each piece or bite of audio shows up as a rectangle on the tracks. The goal is to connect all of the rectangles together. I told Kristin I think this is like putting my Lego sets together. One piece fits into the next piece. Kristin agreed the mix is similar to building a Lego set.

By the end of the day on Friday, Kristin told me she and Rima had draft versions of roughly 40 minutes of the program. WOW! They must have worked really hard on Wednesday and Thursday while I was playing with Ted and Willa. Tuesday night they had only finished 4 minutes of the program.

When the entire program is done then Rima will put it onto a CD. Kristin then sends the CD to a company that makes many copies of the CD. I hope Kristin will let me have a copy of the final program.

So....that's what I can tell you about making a radio program. I think I am going to have to spend many years in school learning more about radio if I want to have a job like Rima and Kristin.

Oh...I almost forgot. I think I told you Rima helped Kristin with the program that just won the big award. Here you can see me with the CD folder for the winning program, Security Check.


And here you can see me with the "preview" CD folder for the program we are working on now: 24/7: The Rise and Influence of Arab Media.


Kristin says the preview is VERY short sample of the program that is mailed to radio stations so they can get a "taste" of what the final program will sound like. Is it just me or does it seem like that radio people must always be hungry? The words Kristin and Rima use are ones I hear in the kitchen: "bites", "mix", and "taste."

Well all of this is making me hungry so I think I will ask Kristin if we can head to dinner now.

Until next time....

BIG NEWS!

Hi everyone.

I wanted to send a quick note to let you know that all is OK. Kristin is still very busy at work. She spends all day at Rima's working on her radio program and then spends most of the evening working on e-mail. I'm glad I don't have to work so many hours!

I think her hard work is paying off. Kristin learned this week that the last radio program she and Keith worked on just won a VERY BIG award. Kristin says the program is called "Security Check: Confronting Today's Global Threats." So I don't get it wrong: here's what I know about the award. The radio show won best documentary and the overall grand award for radio in the National Headliners competition. That sounds really important, doesn't it? Kristin says this is better than getting TWO gold stars on homework!

You can see more about the awards at:
http://www.nationalheadlinerawards.com/

Kristin tells me she and Keith will travel to Atlantic City, New Jersey in May for a special awards program. I hope if I am really good on this trip that Kristin will take me take me with her to Atlantic City! Do you know what state Atlantic City is located in?

Kristin says she and Keith traveled to Uganda for that radio program. Kristin also visited Thailand for that radio program. See if you can find those countries on the map.

Kristin also says Rima helped her "mix" the winning radio program. I think I am going to have to spend less time playing with Willa and more time learning what Kristin and Rima are doing every day. Maybe I will learn how to make an award winning radio program.

I knew about the award on Monday but Kristin said I had to keep it a secret until today. I'm not sure why but I promised I wouldn't tell anyone until today. Man...it is REALLY hard to keep a secret that long!

I am still having fun with Ted and playing with Willa. Kristin hopes she will get to show me more of Los Angeles this weekend. I told her not to worry. She is busy and I am just happy to be in Los Angeles and seeing new places.

Until next time....

A Piece of Muscatine in California

Hi again.

Kristin is VERY busy working so I don't have much time on the computer tonight but I wanted to give you a brief update on my trip.

Today I discovered that Kristin's friend Rima doesn't actually live IN Los Angeles. She lives in a place called Culver City. It is next to Los Angeles on the map but Culver City is a separate city. I think this must be similar to the way Fruitland is next to Muscatine on the map.

Speaking of Muscatine, today we had lunch at a local restaurant called Coco's. Guess what? Kristin says the ketchup on our table was made in Muscatine! She says she can tell by the small black letters on cap of the bottle. How cool is that! We found something made in Muscatine right here in California!


I am starting to realize that it takes a great deal of patience to make...or "mix" a radio program. Even more patience than it takes to travel! This means Kristin doesn't get to spend much time with me. But that's OK because I have Ted and Willa to play with. Willa jumped and barked when we got to Rima's house today. I think Willa was excited to see me.

Today is was very sunny and about 60 degrees. So I played outside for part of the day because the weather is so nice.

Kristin says she and Rima finished a draft version of THREE more minutes of the show today. That's way more than yesterday. But if my math is correct, that means Kristin and Rima have 50 more minutes to complete. Whew....good thing I have some toys with me. I think Kristin is going to be very busy for the entire trip!

Until next time.....

My New Friends Rima and Willa

Hi everyone!

Today was my first full day in Los Angeles. I am here because Kristin is still working on her radio program.

Today, I learned that she is working on the last part of the show (MAN...it sure seems like Kristin and Keith have to spend a lot of time and work making a radio program!).

Kristin says the final step in making a radio program is something called "the mix." This is where all of the many pieces of audio recorded for the program are put together to make one program. Kristin says it is like making cookies. She has to put all of the ingredients into the computer, "mix" them, and then the computer will play the final radio program. I'm still not sure I understand all of this but I expect I will learn more about "the mix" during my visit here.

Kristin is in Los Angeles because her friend Rima helps her with the mix. Kristin says Rima is a genius. That means Rima is REALLY smart at making a good radio program. Rima is very nice.

Rima has equipment similar to the equipment in Kristin's studio at the Stanley Foundation. But Rima's studio is located in her house. How convenient! Rima owns a business is called "Red Wagon Audio." Thus, Rima has many red wagons in her house. She also likes trolls. So here I am in one of Rima's wagons with one of her trolls.


Rima also has a great big dog named Willa. Willa is very nice too! I think she must really like Kristin because Willa jumps and barks every time Kristin walks into Rima's house. Kristin packed a special container of dog treats before we left Iowa and now I know why. She was bringing them for Willa!

Here I am with Rima and Willa. Willa is a bit camera shy but I had great fun playing with her today. I know Kristin thought I would be bored while she worked all day but between Willa and Ted (my plane) I am very happy.


I noticed today when I wasn't playing with Willa and Ted that Rima and Kristin were listening to the same sounds OVER AND OVER again. On the way back to the hotel I asked Kristin why. She says this is normal. She says she and Rima will listen to the same bits of audio dozens of times to make sure it is in the right spot in the program and to make sure it sounds OK. I thought it all sounded just fine but Kristin and Rima said they could hear "clicks" and other noises that must be fixed or the program won't sound good. Wow...they must have really good ears!

Kristin says the final radio program will be around 54 minutes long. Guess what? Today they finished what Kristin calls a "draft" version of the FIRST MINUTE of the show. Kristin has sent the draft to Keith and her friends Simon and David to listen to. She says they may want changes before she and Rima can finish the first minute of the show.

The first minute is called "the billboard." And given how long it takes to make the first minute of the show....I wonder if we will end up here longer than two weeks! Good thing I have Willa and Ted to keep me busy.

Until next time.....

Greetings from Los Angeles!

I everyone. I am now in sunny Los Angeles, California. But I must tell you I had yet another adventure getting here!

The weather in Muscatine this morning was very bad. It was snowing, raining, and raining small ice pellets when we left Kristin's house at 6:30AM. Kristin's husband, Eugene, drove us to the airport in Moline. It was a VERY scary ride. Kristin's SUV was slipping and sliding all over the road at one point. Eugene told me it was the worst weather he has driven in in a long time.

But Eugene got us to the airport safely and on time! Thanks Eugene for getting us to the airport safely! Eugene even stopped to have breakfast with us before our plane left for Chicago.

We had a very long wait at the airport once we reached Chicago. Kristin was worried that I would be bored waiting for our flight to Los Angeles so she kindly bought me a stuffed version of a United Airlines plane. It is really cool! When you squeeze it, it makes the sound a plane does when it takes off. And it really sounds like that in real life!

So I played with my plane as we waited in the same business lounge we waited in with Keith when we went on our Doha trip. I have decided to name my plane Ted. I saw some planes today with the name "Ted" on them. Kristin says that Ted is part of United. So I think it is a perfect name for my new plane.

I also got to spend time watching airplanes land and take-off and the workers move luggage and cargo while waiting in the lounge. I LOVE watching the planes. When I grow up I think I might want to learn how to fly an airplane.

I was in for a big treat when I got on our flight for Los Angeles. Kristin's seat was in FIRST CLASS. Kristin says it is a special part of the plane that costs lots more money. But, she got her seat for FREE! Kristin's seat was much bigger and softer than the seats she normally sits in. Here you can see me in her big seat.



In First Class, we also got a hot lunch and they even baked warm cookies for us! Kristin and Keith have never gotten anything special like that when I've been on trips with them before. So I had to ask Kristin how she got her cool seat for free. It turns out that Kristin is a member of a special club for people who fly a lot (and she sure spends lots of time on airplanes). Kristin says she earns "miles" and "awards" every time she flies. She says this is similar to the allowance I earn every week for cleaning my room and doing chores. Kristin says she can "spend" her miles to upgrade her seat to First Class. She says she can't always do this because sometimes award seats are not available. I'm glad it was available today. I had a very nice time in First Class.

It was snowing and cold when we left Chicago but it is sunny and warm here in Los Angeles. Once we arrived at the airport, Kristin picked up her luggage and then we boarded a bus similar to the ones in Muscatine. It took us to a place called Budget Rental Cars. Normally when I arrive at an airport with Kristin, someone picks us up or we take a cab to the hotel. But Kristin says it is easier and cheaper to rent a car here since we will be here for two weeks.

As luck would have it...our hotel, Embassy Suites, is located right next to the rental car place. Our room is very nice. It has a separate living room and TWO televisions. It also has a microwave and a small refrigerator (although it is not filled with food and drinks like at the hotels in New York and Washington). Kristin says not to worry. She will take us to a grocery store when we are out tomorrow.

Throughout the day I kept hearing people talk about a guy named Oscar. I had NO idea who this Oscar person was but everywhere we were today, people were talking about him. Finally I asked Kristin, "Who is this Oscar person?" It turns out that "Oscar" is a major award for the movie industry. Kristin says the Oscar itself is like a trophy....like one I would win in sports. Except she says Oscar is worth a LOT of money.

Guess what? TONIGHT is Oscar night here in Los Angeles. That's because Kristin says the American movie industry is based here in the Los Angeles area. I had no idea! Now I know why everyone was talking about the Oscars.

Kristin says many movie stars are in Los Angeles tonight for the awards ceremony. She says they dress up in special suits and big formal dresses and they arrive at the ceremony by walking down a red carpet. I wanted to go see the red carpet but Kristin said there would be way too many people and she is tired. But, I did get to see the Oscars on TV tonight. And I think Kristin was right. It was just fine to watch the Oscars on TV.



Well that's all for now. I am really tired and I need to get to bed. Kristin says we have a lot of work to do beginning tomorrow.

So until next time....

My Next Big Adventure Is Sunny California!

Hi everyone. I am SO excited. My friend Kristin has asked me if I want to go with her on another trip. Of course I said YES right away! I always have great fun and learn interesting things when I travel with Kristin.

This time Kristin is going to Los Angeles, California to continue working on her radio project. See if you can find Los Angeles on the map.

Kristin says we are leaving early Sunday morning and we will fly from Moline to Chicago and then from Chicago to Los Angeles. We will be gone for TWO weeks! I guess I had better get packing!

I'll be in touch as soon as I can when I arrive in California.

Until next time....

Flat Stanley and My Trip to City Hall

Hi everyone!

I have just spent a very special day here in Muscatine. It started with a surprise visit from my friend Flat Stanley. Guess what? He is flat just like me!

Flat Stanley is visiting from Merritt Island, Florida. His Grandmother Lora is friends with my Aunt Lynn.

Flat Stanley tells me that sometimes his hometown gets hit by hurricanes. I’ve never experienced a hurricane before but Flat Stanley tells me they are very bad and very scary storms. He’s even had to leave his house to get out of the way of the storm. My friend Flat Stanley also lives near Cape Canaveral. Do you know that’s where the Space Shuttle launches from? I think it would be SO cool to live so close to where the Space Shuttle takes off, don’t you?

Aunt Lynn took me and my new friend to City Hall where she works to meet Muscatine Mayor Richard O’Brien. Aunt Lynn says Mayor O’Brien is VERY important. So it was a special treat that Flat Stanley and I got to sit in Mayor O’Brien’s big office chair.

Mayor O’Brien then invited us to a meeting of the Muscatine City Council. The council members are elected officials that make decisions about how to make the city of Muscatine run from day-to-day. I think you must have to be very smart to be the mayor or on the city council.

The council members were kind enough to have their picture taken with me and Flat Stanley. Mayor O’Brien is holding us in the center of this photo.


Aunt Lynn tells me that city council meetings can sometimes be very long. So I am glad that we had our picture taken just before the meeting started because Stanley and I were starting to get very sleepy from our big day at City Hall.

I want to thank Aunt Lynn for taking us to City Hall. And, I want to say special thanks to my new friend Flat Stanley. I hope he has enjoyed his trip to Muscatine.

Bye for now....

Home Again!

Hi everyone. I am once again home in Iowa.

I am sad that I had to leave New York City. There are SO many things I didn't get to see. Hopefully I will get to visit NYC again.

Before we left the hotel this morning, I asked Kristin to take my picture with a sculpture near the entrance. There were many of these figures throughout the hotel. Kristin says they remind her of the game Monopoly. I just think they are neat!


When we arrived at the airport, LaGuardia, we waited in the business lounge before boarding our flight. Keith and Kristin saw someone they knew from Muscatine and visited with him for awhile. While they were talking, I watched planes take off and land. One of the runways at this airport is VERY close to the gates where they park the planes. It is so cool to see planes land and take off. They go very fast down the runway!


Then, just as we were about to board the plane, Keith and Kristin ran into someone else they know. Man, they sure seem to know a lot of people!

I was still tired from my adventure in NYC so I slept all the way home. But I did help Kristin unpack Geoffrey and my UN bear when we got back to her house.


Once again I want to thank my friends Keith and Kristin for taking me to another exciting place!

Goodbye until my next adventure......

Making Radio, The UN and More!

Hi everyone!

Today was another great day here in NYC!

I spent the morning with Keith and Kristin as they continued to work on their radio program. Today we visited a recording studio where I got to meet another member of their radio program team. His name is David Brancaccio. He is very, very nice. Kristin says he is a very famous television reporter. He has his very own show on PBS...the same station that shows Sesame Street every day.

His name is hard for me to say...so I will just call him Mr. B. Kristin says his job is to "host" the program. This means he is like a television anchor...except he is on the radio! Kristin says Mr. B has worked on the last two radio programs she and Keith have worked on.

His job today was to read all of his lines. This is very important and as I soon discovered, something that isn't very easy. I couldn't understand why Keith and Kristin had spent so much time working on the computer yesterday. Now I know they were working on their script for Mr. B.

The script is broken into small sections and each has a number. There were more than 30 sections for Mr. B to read. Kristin calls these sections "tracks." This is very confusing! To me a track is a round outdoor path that I run around in gym class.

To complete his task, Mr. B and Kristin sat in a small room with a few microphones. Keith was in a room that looks similar to the radio studio at the Stanley Foundation. And their friend Simon was on the phone from Washington DC.

Kristin said I could stay in the studio with her as long as I was VERY, VERY quiet. So I didn't make a sound!

It was very interesting to watch this process. Mr. B would read his lines and sometimes read the same line two or three times. They sounded the same to me so I asked Kristin why he was repeating himself. Kristin says sometimes Mr. B was making what she calls a "safety" copy. I think this is like a back-up copy just in case.

Other times, Kristin says Mr. B was changing the tone of his voice. This will allow her to pick what she thinks is the best version as she gets ready to complete the radio program.

I also realized that it didn't matter that Keith and Kristin were really prepared before we arrived, Mr. B sometimes made changes to the script. Keith says this is normal. Sometimes the way we write something on paper doesn't sound very good when it is said outloud. I had no idea, but I guess it makes sense.

Here you can see me watching Mr. B and Kristin make changes to the script.


The entire process lasted about three hours. Kristin says Mr. B's script...of voice tracks...are now saved on a CD. It is Kristin's job to find the best voice tracks and get rid of the rest. She says she will start working on this next week.

After we left the radio studio, Keith and Kristin took me for a brief tour of the United Nations...or the UN. Keith says this is a very important place. He says this is where leaders from all over the world meet to try and solve very big problems. Keith and Kristin told me the Stanley Foundation does a lot of work with the United Nations, and they have visited this building several times.

Here you can see Kristin and me standing across the street from the main UN building. Kristin says this build is called the Secretariat. Did you know it has 38 floors?



There are 191 countries in the world that are members of the United Nations. Each country has a "delegate" or representative assigned to work here in NYC. I think the UN works similar to the way Congress does in Washington, DC. Except here, there is only one representative from the United States.

Keith and Kristin took me inside to see part of the UN. We had to go through security to get inside the building. Yes...I got to go through the x-ray machine again! But I also had to be checked after the x-ray machine with a hand-held tool Kristin calls a "wand." I had to hold my arms out very wide so the guard could pass the wand over my body. The machine beeps when it passes over a metal object like a zipper. I've never had to go through this kind of security before. Kristin says there are many important people who work at the United Nations and security must double and sometimes triple check everyone entering the building.

Inside, Keith and Kristin showed me a few art and photo displays in the main visitors lobby. They were very interesting. Kristin says these displays are changed every few months so if I ever visit the UN again I will see new items in the lobby.

But one of the displays that you can always see is a series of pictures of several men. The pictures are actually handmade carpets but they look like real pictures. Keith says these men are the past leaders of the United Nations. The leader is called the "Secretary General" and this person is elected to serve in the position by the representatives of all of the countries that belong to the UN.

The current Secretary General is a man named Kofi Annan. Keith says he is one of the most important people in the whole world! He is from the African nation of Ghana. See if you can find Ghana on the map.

Here you can see Keith and me standing near Kofi Annan's portrait in the UN visitors lobby.


As I looked at the picture of Mr. Annan, I realized that he looked very familiar. Then I remembered that he is in one of the pictures in Kristin's office at the Stanley Foundation. In the picture, Kristin and Keith are interviewing Mr. Annan. WOW! They have interviewed one of the most important men in the whole world!

After we finished in the lobby, Keith and Kristin took me downstairs to the United Nations bookstore. There, Kristin bought me a few books about the United Nations so I can learn more about what actually happens here. Kristin also bought me a UN teddy bear to add to my collection of items from my many travels. The bear is an interesting blue color. Keith says this is the official color of the United Nations, and it is special or "unique" to the United Nations. I had no idea!

I was so tired after our trip to the UN that I took a nap in Kristin's room with my new bear.



After my nap Keith and Kristin took me to a famous restaurant in Times Square called Roxy's Deli. I learned it is famous for its meat sandwiches and cheesecake. Kristin shared a piece of Snickers Cheesecake with me. It was made with real Snickers bars AND the slice was almost bigger than me! But it was sure yummy!



Kristin says NYC is famous for cheesecake. It seems to me that NYC is famous for many things.

We then walked home...through Times Square...so I could see all of the lights one more time. We are headed home tomorrow.

Until next time...

Bright Lights, Big City!

I’m sorry it has taken so long to write but Keith and Kristin have been working very hard and I have been too busy exploring New York City!

Have I mentioned that New York City…or NYC…is SO cool?!

After Keith and Kristin finished their work yesterday afternoon, they took me to Times Square for dinner. WOW! I have never seen anything like Times Square. There are so many billboards, ads, bright lights, and interesting people that I could have spent all night in Times Square and only seen a small part of it. Here I am standing with Kristin in the center of Times Square. One of the large screens behind us shows NBC news.



Kristin says near the top of the building with the NBC screen is a giant ball. This ball is lighted and “dropped” several feet to mark New Years. She says millions of people stand in Times Square every year to see the giant ball drop. I think I am still too young to stay up to “ring in the New Year” as Kristin says but someday I want to see what this giant ball looks like.

Kristin says Times Square is the heart of NYC. It is called Times Square because the building that houses the New York Times newspaper is at one end of the square. But, Times Square isn’t really a square. I thought it would be like the square block around the Muscatine County Courthouse. But it is more like a long triangle. The street that runs through Times Square is called Broadway. Kristin says it is a very famous street. There are many theatres where actors perform plays and musicals all around Times Square. When someone says they are headed for Broadway…they are likely headed to the theatre. Who knew?

We didn’t go to any theatres last night but Keith and Kristin gave me a grand tour. We ate dinner at the Hard Rock Café. It is a famous restaurant chain that displays instruments, clothing, and other items from famous musicians. Keith says the one in Times Square is brand new. Kristin and Keith were amazed when we walked in because there was a large display case that included the suits worn by members of a band called the Beatles when they first visited New York in the 1960s. I don’t know anything about the Beatles but Keith and Kristin tell me they are one of the most famous bands ever. Who knew?

I liked the Hard Rock because they gave me crayons to color with while Keith and Kristin waited for their food. They also have bottles of Heinz Catsup on every table. I wonder if it was made in Muscatine?



After dinner Keith and Kristin showed me the ABC studio where they tape Good Morning America. Of course we weren’t there in the morning so no one was in the studio. But, the building has a neat sign that shows news and sports headlines. Kristin calls it a “news ticker” and she says she could stand for hours just watching the news headlines. I think this is boring.

We also walked past the NASDAQ building. It is REALLY neat! The whole front side of the building is like a giant computer screen. And as you can see in this picture, this large screen that displays pictures wraps partially around the building.



As we walked through Times Square I noticed a number of people eating large pretzels. Guess what, you can buy these pretzels and lots of other food right on the street! I have never seen such a thing. Here I am with Kristin by a pretzel cart.



Keith and Kristin saved the best part of the night for last. There is a HUGE Toys R’ Us Store near the middle of Times Square. It is the largest toy store I have ever seen! And guess what? There is a full-sized Ferris wheel like the one you can see at an amusement park INSIDE the store! Can you believe it? I was too scared to ride the Ferris wheel but you can see part of it behind Keith and me in this picture.



I have never seen SO many toys in my life. There is a large dinosaur that roars on the second floor. There is also a large Lego section. The Lego section includes large versions of famous New York City buildings like the Empire State Building. Kristin says it was once the tallest building in the world. I am told it is the same building King Kong climbs in the famous movie of the same name. Can you see me as I try to climb the Lego Empire State Building?



This store also has a very large candy store. I felt like Charlie in the movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But Kristin said I didn’t need any sweets so I settled for a picture with one of the characters in the candy area. Don’t you think this looks just like one of the figures in the game Candyland?



I could have stayed in Toys R’ Us forever but Kristin said we needed to get back to the hotel because it was WAY past my bedtime. Kristin did buy me a new stuffed toy. It is Geoffrey, the Toys R’ Us mascot. But this one is dressed up to look like the Statue of Liberty. I learned this is a famous monument here in New York that was given as a gift from France many years ago.

Keith says that some people call NYC “the city that never sleeps.” Well if I wasn’t SO tired, I wouldn’t sleep. There are way too many things to see here. But, I must have been very tired from my Times Square adventure because I was sound asleep before we got back to the hotel. So, Kristin tucked me into bed with Geoffrey.



Until next time…..

Greetings from New York City!

WOW! I was really surprised today when I got off the airplane today. I am in New York City! Kristin says “The Big Apple” is a nickname for New York City! See if you can find New York City on the map.


I can’t say I’ve seen any apples here so far but New York City is REALLY cool.

We arrived here by taking a plane from Moline to Chicago and then another plane to New York’s LaGuardia International Airport. Kristin and I left her house before 5AM! I was so tired that I slept the entire way. So you can imagine my surprise when Kristin finally told me that we were in New York.

Kristin says New York City is divided into 5 “Boroughs” or regions. They are called Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. We are staying in Manhattan.

We had to take a cab to the hotel and I immediately noticed that ALL of the cabs in New York are yellow. Some are cars, some are mini-vans, and some are SUVs but they are all yellow. I found this very odd. The cabs in Washington DC were many different colors. Kristin says the city government here says all cabs have to be yellow. This is why all of the cabs look the same. And, Kristin says New York taxicabs are very famous. Here you can see me as I study the map of Manhattan during our cab ride to the hotel.


I now understand why Kristin said Dubai reminded her of New York City. There are TONS of VERY tall buildings and skyscrapers. But here the buildings are much closer together. The traffic here, however, is even slower than the traffic in Dubai. I’m glad I packed my walking shoes!

We are staying at the Hilton-Times Square. The hotel is very nice. Kristin’s room is much larger than the one she had in Washington DC and she has what the clerk at the front desk calls a “city view.” I don’t really understand what that means but I can see many tall buildings from Kristin’s window. I can also see the Hudson River from her room.

Kristin says the building behind me in this picture with the clock on it is home to the New York Times newspaper. Keith says it is a very famous newspaper.


Keith and Kristin have spent all afternoon working on the computer and making tons of phone calls. Kristin says they are trying to finish the script for their radio program. Do you remember what a script is? I first learned about it in Doha.

It is starting to get dark here now. I think we are going to dinner soon. I will check back in when I can.

Until next time.

The Big Apple?

Hi again. I am so excited that I forgot to mention in my last note that Keith and Kristin have asked me to come with them on another trip this week.

Kristin says we are going to a place called “The Big Apple” to gather more material for their radio program. I’ve heard about a book called “James and the Giant Peach” but I had no idea there was a place called “The Big Apple.” Have you heard of this place?

I think Kristin is trying to surprise me. I guess I will find out on Tuesday. Kristin says I will have to go to bed early on Monday night because we will leave for the airport at 5:00AM! Wow! Keith and Kristin travel at the strangest times.

I’ll check in once I know more about my next adventure. Bye for now.

My Trip to the Office

Hi everyone. I hope you are staying warm.

Since it is far too cold to play outside today, my friend Kristin asked me if I wanted to go to her office with her today. I thought this might be interesting because I only see her when she is traveling.

You might be wondering why Kristin was working on a Sunday. I had the same question. Kristin says she and Keith and their friend Simon (who I met in Washington DC) are still working on their radio program. Kristin says they are now on something she calls “deadline.” She says all of the material for the radio program needs to be ready to go by a certain date. I think this must be similar to homework assignments at school. I might get in trouble if I don’t turn my homework in on time and I think Kristin wants to make sure she gets all of her work done on time.

Kristin has a very nice office at the Stanley Foundation. I can see the Mississippi River and the big bridge from her desk. I can also see the building where Aunt Lynn works. Here you can see me sitting in Kristin’s office chair.


I noticed that Kristin has a number of small masks, boxes and wooden dolls on her bookshelf and walls. Kristin says these items she brought back from her many trips overseas. This makes sense. I brought home Oasis and my new bear from Washington so I could tell my friends about my trips with Keith and Kristin.

Kristin also has many pictures of children in her office. She says they are pictures of children she has met all over the world. She says they hold a special place in her heart. I’m not really sure what that means but I can tell Kristin takes good care of the pictures.


I noticed that many of the children look sad and are wearing torn clothes. Kristin says many of these children don’t have many clothes or toys or even a house to live in. I had no idea that some children around the world don’t live like I do here in Muscatine. I can’t imagine not having toys to play with! Kristin says this is why I should be thankful for all of my toys. I promise I am going to be thankful for everything I have from now on.

There were so many things to see in Kristin’s office that I could have spent all day wandering around. But she said we didn’t have time. We had work to do! So she took me down a flight of stairs to the foundation’s radio studio. It is a very little room full of many electronic items. The studio is similar to the control room I visited at Al Jazeera but this one is much smaller. Here you can see me on a machine Kristin calls “the board.” It is a series of buttons and slides that move so you can hear audio. The board looks very confusing. I’m glad Kristin was there to make it work right!


The tall tower on my left in the picture is something Kristin calls a “rack.” Basically it is an open metal box that holds machines that play CDs and allow her computer to play audio.

The studio computer is very cool. It has TWO monitors. Today, Kristin was using the computer to download audio from something called an “FTP” site. She says the FTP is a special Web site that allows her friend Simon in Washington to send her audio from his computer. She says this is much faster than having Simon send her a CD in the mail. Very cool! I think this is similar to downloading songs to an ipod or mp3 player.


Wow! I had NO idea all of the many skills things a journalist must know to do their jobs.

Until next time…..