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Free at last Free at last

The other day was the anniversary of the "I Have a Dream" speech. At the station (I work at a TV station for those not in the know), we did a story about it and ran it the day before and the anniversary day but it had NO SOUND on it.

In the TV biz we call it NAT SOUND, or Natural Sound, basically if you run some video and the anchor is talking over it we like to add the natural sound from the video under the anchor's voice, the video is called a VO (Voice Over) and the NAT sound adds a little to the story. For example, a rally for an issue with the chants heard underneath the anchor as we see the video, or the sound of a helicopter landing. Sometimes when the audio guy is good (and I am) and the anchor trusts him you can make the piece a little more dramatic by bringing up the nat sound on the tape and the anchor can (unscripted) pause for effect. Example, the demolition of a building, while the anchor is talking we bring up the countdown, she hears the subtle increase in nat and pauses at "2" and the audio guy brings up the "1...KA-BOOOOOOM" then the anchor continues with the story. Makes for better Television!!!!

Anyway, the other morning we run the MLK story and there he is at the podium, speaking and the anchor, trusting me, allows a little pause when we go to the tape for the "I Have A Dream", and we get nothing; no Martin, no crowds, not even crickets. Pissed, I let the producer know that the editors better get their shit together and put nat sound on these tapes. Well he informs me that the video was sent Silent because someone owns the copyright and we must pay for the audio (which my cheap station wont do).

Now I was very irritated by this. I can understand his family not wanting this speech and MLK's likeness to end up dancing with a Dirt Devil vacumn cleaner ala Fred Astair but this speech is an important 'document ' in our history, like Lincoln's Gettysburg Adress, FDR's Pearl Harbor Speech or Lou Gehrig's Farewell to Baseball Speech. These are all held in high value and deserve to be heard, uneditted and in their entirety AND by it's presenter if possible. For the copyright holder to require payment to re-broadcast such an important speech on an important date, to me is reprehensable.
[/rant]

The Friday Five

1. Are you going to school this year?

NO!, Thank God!!!!!

2. If yes, where are you going (high school, college, etc.)? If no, when did you graduate?

I graduated High School in 1988 (Yorktown High in Yorktown, New York) and college in 1992 (SUNY Oswego, Oswego, New York)

3. What are/were your favorite school subjects?

High School: Music and Social Studies

College: History and Broadcasting

4. What are/were your least favorite school subjects?

High School: Math and Math

College: Math and Math

5. Have you ever had a favorite teacher? Why was he/she a favorite?

High School: Mr Russell, my music teacher.

College: Vince Doody, my Video Production teacher for several years.

Vacation is over. It is back to work and boy am I tired. Woke at 4am this morning and hit the road by 20 after. Same old same old here at the station. Got a lot of work done last week. Including finishing the kitchen (with help) yesterday. Friends came over yesterday, we grilled, swam and worked on the counter top for a few hours. Good time with nice people.

I have a few ideas for some good artilces/blogs, hope some come to fruition..................

Today is the first day of my vacation. Tons of work to do, finish the kitchen, clean the pool, work on some landscaping, 3 baseball games and mayber a trip to Toronto. We'll see how things progress.

I am usually quiet on political fights, especially one's that do not involve me or mine. However, while watching the California recall I came upon this:

voters won't like Schwarzenegger's support for Proposition 187, an initiative passed in 1994 to cut social services, including education and welfare benefits, to illegal immigrants and their children.

I had to be sure I read that correctly, education and welfare benefits to illegal immigrants and their children, OK maybe I did. He's a helpful hint, when these illegals show up to collect on thier benefits, arrest and deport them. They are here in our country ILLEGALLY!!!! Return to sender and make them go through proper channels. I have a friend from Sweden. She went to school here in the states and then got a work visa to work in the states for a year. She then wanted to stay in America, she had a good job in TV, met a nice guy and was doing very well for herself. She tried for months to get an extension but she had to return to Sweden for a year before she could come back to America. In the end she married that guy (who went to Sweden with her for that year) and now lives in NYC. Why is it that she had to jump through all those hoops, was a productive member of socity, paid her own way and still had to leave, while these other people sneak across our borders, pay no taxes, live here "illegally" and receive government benefits to boot. It makes me sick.

Man for some reason I am bumming today. Everything and everyone is annoying me. Sorry just in a mood. Went car shopping yesterday and test drove the PT Cruiser, LOVED IT!!!!! But we might have to look into leasing as it would be the second car and I am not spending $360/month for a commuter car. It is fun to drive and I would like to get one, the wife likes to have a SUV in the family, right now I drive a Jimmy but it likes the gas and just hit 100k. We'll see what happens.

Cross your fingers on the job front, sent in two resumes and working on a 3rd one this week.

I have decided not to run for President of the local broadcast union. I've spent the last 4 years busting my ass for it (and several years before that as Vice President and a Shop Steward) and it is time to step aside. I envisioned myself as running for as long as they wanted me but the past year of negotiations, arbitrations and deceit from my Executive Board put the cap on it for me. I can stand many things but not lying. It was a good run, I feel I did some good things and made a lot a relationships I wouldn't have had available to me without the union. Plus I went to Anaheim and Las Vegas. I am sure to keep in touch with many of the local officers from around our region (New England, NY and Pennsylvania) as well as the staff in Washington, DC. I will enjoy 'retirement'

Well the summer is almost over. We went to the Sterling Renaissance Faire this weekend, like we have done every year since 1990. It was a great time, the boy enjoyed it more this year than in awhile, he's 10 now and starting to get more of the acts. He laughted so hard at Daniel Duke of Danger and played in the human chess match (he was a rook). Lots of good food, as always. I tried a portobello mushroom sandwich and was very impressed, I might have it again. IF you are close to it you MUST GO, we hope to continue going for years to come!!!!!

Baseball is going well, we have had 2 of our games rained out so far. This week we had a game on Saturday (rained out after 2 innings), Monday (rained out after 1 inning), today, Thursday, Friday (make up for yesterday) and Sunday (make up for Saturday). Chock full of baseball!!!! The boy is doing well, got a new bat and got a nice hit last night. Have to go to the batting cage today before the game to practice with the new bat.

I am starting ot get antsy about work, moving, life in general. It is near time to move on, start anew in a new city and get closer to family. Things are in the works, so we'll know more in a few weeks.

Again thanks for stopping by and leave a comment or two.