Well here in N.E. Ohio, we're under a flood watch from Katrina. It's raining very hard here. She's no longer a tropical anything but just a low front bringing a lot of rain.
I'm gonna get soaking wet. No matter what you wear, no matter how much you prepare, you get wet. Or at least I do.
I'll be out in it telling everyone...."Look...It's raining!!!"
I'll let you all know how dry I kept...
I'm not looking forward to this morning....
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Monday, August 22, 2005
Quick Update
I apologize for not posting much, but my wife is in the hospital. She's been there for the past five days and they can't figure out what is wrong.
They thought it was her heart and a heart attack. But that came back negative. Then they looked for bloot clots in her lungs. That was negative also. Now they think she might have a hiatial hernia or an ulcer, or possibly a bad gall-bladder.
They're scoping her tomorrow to look at what is going on inside. I'll keep updated.
Soon, I hope to return to more camera captured mayhem.
They thought it was her heart and a heart attack. But that came back negative. Then they looked for bloot clots in her lungs. That was negative also. Now they think she might have a hiatial hernia or an ulcer, or possibly a bad gall-bladder.
They're scoping her tomorrow to look at what is going on inside. I'll keep updated.
Soon, I hope to return to more camera captured mayhem.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
What's Going On Recently
Sorry that I haven't posted much. I've been busy. We've had many funerals for the 16 local Marines killed in Iraq. Lots of sadness. Plus we've added a new reporter in the morning. So, we've got two reporters in the morning now and it makes things a little more busy.
Plus we've been down an editor for the week and I'm usually the one that fills in. Nothing interesting happens when you're inside editing. THAT SUCKS..
But, today I particpated in a promotion shoot for our morning show. Yep, I'm going to be in a promo spot. They actually are going to put my ugly mug on TV. Fools..!!
One month until my two weeks off. Not that I'm counting....
Plus we've been down an editor for the week and I'm usually the one that fills in. Nothing interesting happens when you're inside editing. THAT SUCKS..
But, today I particpated in a promotion shoot for our morning show. Yep, I'm going to be in a promo spot. They actually are going to put my ugly mug on TV. Fools..!!
One month until my two weeks off. Not that I'm counting....
Monday, August 01, 2005
I'm Big in Belgium
Just a note to the overseas readers of my blog. Welcome and thanks for reading it. Apparantly, besides my own country, Belgium seems to like me. Thanks to Belgium..!!
Tribulations About Vacation
My wife and I try to take an annual trip to the Outer Banks. My wife went to school at the University of North Carolina. To tell you what a fan of North Carolina we are, that's where we spent our honeymoon. Yup, Chapel Hill.
But the honeymoon is another discussion entirely. Like I said earlier, we try to get to the Outer Banks every year. Well, as usual, we rented a house on the beach well in advance of our trip. I have two weeks off in a row and I plan on doing nothing except taking pictures, surfing the net occasionally and maybe getting a little inebriated after eating lots of seafood.
My wife asked her work for the same two weeks in a row off that I asked for. Shockingly, she was able to get both weeks off. Then this last week, everything fell apart. That line, "If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans...", never rang truer.
My wife's work tells her that because of a drop off of staffing, that she can't have the third week of September off. She can have the second week off that she requested though. That totally threw our plans into the proverbial toilet. We made the reservation for THAT third week.
Ok, no problem, right?? A frantic search of the web site showed the same house available the week earlier. We called the rental company and explained the problem. Well, no problem on their end. Just send another $260 for the change of date because the move of one week moved us from off-peak to peak season. This also will cost us an extra $600 in rental fees.
So, the wife and I get ready to send the $260 when she gets a call from her work explaining that she will not be able to take that second week off either. Oh Joy!!
I looked at my wife and said, "Well, I'll send you and the boys a postcard from the beach." That did not go over very well. So, we called the rental company, explained the situation and were told that we'd lose our original deposit unless we'd like them to try and sublet the place for the second week. We'd at least get SOME of our original deposit back. Well, some is better than none, so we told them to have at it.
Not 10 minutes later, my wife's work calls her and says, "We've made a big error. You can still have that second week off, but not the third. Sorry if that messed up your plans."
My wife and I are staring at each other opened mouthed while hearing this on the answering machine. What do we do now?? Pay an extra $860 for the first week, lose our deposit, try to get some of it back or just chuck it all and stay at home??
As we're contemplating those options, our phone rings once again. It's my wife's aunt. She lives in North Carolina and she's calling to see if we're available to come down and stay with her at their BEACH HOUSE in Nags Head the second week of September.
The timing of this was nothing but a miracle. My wife's aunt OWNS a house on the beach. They do lease it out on a time share, but on a very limited basis. They're going to be there the whole month and they thought we'd like to come down for a week.
Prayers answered. Just need to sublet the other beach house. Anyone interested??
I'm just waiting for phone to ring once again..
But the honeymoon is another discussion entirely. Like I said earlier, we try to get to the Outer Banks every year. Well, as usual, we rented a house on the beach well in advance of our trip. I have two weeks off in a row and I plan on doing nothing except taking pictures, surfing the net occasionally and maybe getting a little inebriated after eating lots of seafood.
My wife asked her work for the same two weeks in a row off that I asked for. Shockingly, she was able to get both weeks off. Then this last week, everything fell apart. That line, "If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans...", never rang truer.
My wife's work tells her that because of a drop off of staffing, that she can't have the third week of September off. She can have the second week off that she requested though. That totally threw our plans into the proverbial toilet. We made the reservation for THAT third week.
Ok, no problem, right?? A frantic search of the web site showed the same house available the week earlier. We called the rental company and explained the problem. Well, no problem on their end. Just send another $260 for the change of date because the move of one week moved us from off-peak to peak season. This also will cost us an extra $600 in rental fees.
So, the wife and I get ready to send the $260 when she gets a call from her work explaining that she will not be able to take that second week off either. Oh Joy!!
I looked at my wife and said, "Well, I'll send you and the boys a postcard from the beach." That did not go over very well. So, we called the rental company, explained the situation and were told that we'd lose our original deposit unless we'd like them to try and sublet the place for the second week. We'd at least get SOME of our original deposit back. Well, some is better than none, so we told them to have at it.
Not 10 minutes later, my wife's work calls her and says, "We've made a big error. You can still have that second week off, but not the third. Sorry if that messed up your plans."
My wife and I are staring at each other opened mouthed while hearing this on the answering machine. What do we do now?? Pay an extra $860 for the first week, lose our deposit, try to get some of it back or just chuck it all and stay at home??
As we're contemplating those options, our phone rings once again. It's my wife's aunt. She lives in North Carolina and she's calling to see if we're available to come down and stay with her at their BEACH HOUSE in Nags Head the second week of September.
The timing of this was nothing but a miracle. My wife's aunt OWNS a house on the beach. They do lease it out on a time share, but on a very limited basis. They're going to be there the whole month and they thought we'd like to come down for a week.
Prayers answered. Just need to sublet the other beach house. Anyone interested??
I'm just waiting for phone to ring once again..
Friday, July 29, 2005
Strip Clubs and Leaky Pipes
Last Friday, I went out to a "gentleman's..." Nahh..can't say that with a straight face. I went to a titty bar with a buddy of mine. We went to toast the departure of a certain person we didn't like. Childish I know, but hey, when you get a chance to drink, do Jager shots and see boobies, you jump. Well, at least I did.
After about 11 or 12 beers, Jagermeister shots and numerous lap dances, we staggered back to my buddy's place after a great breakfast of steak and eggs. I fell asleep at around 4:30am on my buddy's couch. I was dreaming that I was in a bar hearing the Cantina song from Star Wars playing in the background when I realized, it was my cell phone. I woke up slowly and answered the phone. Hey..no hangover at least! I never get hangovers, but there might be the first time. never know. Anyways...
My wife is on the phone, "YOUNEEDTOGETHOME.THEREISWATEREVERYWHEREINTHEBASEMENT!
APIPEBURSTANDTHEREISNOWATERINTHEHOUSE!!"
Me: "Ummmm...whazz time is it??"
Wife: "It's six in the morning and you need to come home right away..."
Thus ending my blissful sleep and having to wake my buddy up out of his self induced coma so I could get my car and leave.
Oh, what joy it was when I got home. What a double joy it was to call a plumber on a SATURDAY which was double the service charge.
I'd have rather have gone back to looking at boobies and paying for lap dances. It was a lot cheaper...and much more fun.
After about 11 or 12 beers, Jagermeister shots and numerous lap dances, we staggered back to my buddy's place after a great breakfast of steak and eggs. I fell asleep at around 4:30am on my buddy's couch. I was dreaming that I was in a bar hearing the Cantina song from Star Wars playing in the background when I realized, it was my cell phone. I woke up slowly and answered the phone. Hey..no hangover at least! I never get hangovers, but there might be the first time. never know. Anyways...
My wife is on the phone, "YOUNEEDTOGETHOME.THEREISWATEREVERYWHEREINTHEBASEMENT!
APIPEBURSTANDTHEREISNOWATERINTHEHOUSE!!"
Me: "Ummmm...whazz time is it??"
Wife: "It's six in the morning and you need to come home right away..."
Thus ending my blissful sleep and having to wake my buddy up out of his self induced coma so I could get my car and leave.
Oh, what joy it was when I got home. What a double joy it was to call a plumber on a SATURDAY which was double the service charge.
I'd have rather have gone back to looking at boobies and paying for lap dances. It was a lot cheaper...and much more fun.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
A Giant Rooster
I'd forgotten I'd written this. I wrote it a long time ago on photogslounge.net so I decided to post it on my blog as well. Talk about one to remember...
" Well, it seemed like a normal day, morning live shot then head back for a too early lunch. When I get a call from the desk, "Ready for a little spot news?", she asked laughing. Well, sure..any type of spot news can make a day go along faster. The desk says, "Ok..at E.65th and Bessemer Ave. A giant rooster is attacking cars.."
I smack my radio and make sure it's working right. I ask if I heard right, and all I get is "Yep." Ok...off to my truck I head with thoughts of old Japaneese Godzilla movies running through my head. I can see it now, blood, gore, buildings on fire, tanks, army men getting killed and the putrid scent of singed feathers in the air. I get to the scene to find.....NOTHING.
But, on the adjoining street, I find a house on fire with fire trucks just pulling up. I call the desk and tell them no giant rooster, but a house fire. I go to shoot it and bump into two of Cleveland's finest. I tell the cops that I've never done any type of illegal drug and I'm not under the influence of any right now...but I have to ask this, "Did you guys get a call of a giant rooster attacking cars????" Fortunately, instead of hauling me in, they laugh real loud and say, "Yeah, but it wasn't a giant rooster..it was a huge Rottweilier chasing cars. Some drunk coming home saw the dog and called it in as a giant rooster attacking cars."
Well, Ok..at least I got a house fire out of the trip. Then later on that day, I get another assignment to drive out to Aurora, Ohio to the Sea World to shoot the newborn baby penguins. I ask the desk, "What's with all the bird stories..first the giant rooster, now penguins?!?!?!?" The reply..(and it's true).." Well Brian, I guess you're just having a foul day...."EVERYBODY'S A COMEDIAN!!!
Friday, July 15, 2005
Looking for a Mother
This morning I spent a good bit of time with my reporter and good buddy Vic. He's working the morning shift to fill in for our regular morning reporter, Obie. I really enjoy working with Vic. He's a funny guy, smart, a real quick wit and quite the trivia buff. Oh, and if he reads this, he's also a pretty good man, even though he's a liberal.
Anyways, this morning Vic and I were sent out to chase down the mother of one of the London terrorist bombers. The tip we got turned out to be a dead end. Apparantly she lives here in the Cleveland area and the bomber, Jermaine Maurice Lindsey, a Jamaican born Muslim convert visited her.
This is in itself very disturbing. He might have just been visiting his mother, working up to the final goodbye. But he also could have been meeting with other terrorists, doing recon, making plans for other attacks. It makes you wonder what else was he doing??? Here in Northeastern Ohio, we have a nuclear plant, many bridges, a major metropolitan area vulnerable. Just as many other cities are.
I don't plan on hiding in a hole, changing my life in anyway. But it makes one think and I keep my eyes open a little longer at people now.
Although, the Kinks may have said it best, "Paranoia will destroy ya.."
Anyways, this morning Vic and I were sent out to chase down the mother of one of the London terrorist bombers. The tip we got turned out to be a dead end. Apparantly she lives here in the Cleveland area and the bomber, Jermaine Maurice Lindsey, a Jamaican born Muslim convert visited her.
This is in itself very disturbing. He might have just been visiting his mother, working up to the final goodbye. But he also could have been meeting with other terrorists, doing recon, making plans for other attacks. It makes you wonder what else was he doing??? Here in Northeastern Ohio, we have a nuclear plant, many bridges, a major metropolitan area vulnerable. Just as many other cities are.
I don't plan on hiding in a hole, changing my life in anyway. But it makes one think and I keep my eyes open a little longer at people now.
Although, the Kinks may have said it best, "Paranoia will destroy ya.."
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Elder Abuse (I wish...)
This morning my live shot was in Euclid, OH. The city was having a recall election on their mayor. Apparantly, he ignored a no vote on an issue and proceeded on a project despite the objections of the public. Seems kind of straight forward, right? We've all covered elections. Get b-roll of people going in, sound with voters (supporters and opposition) and b-roll inside the polling place.
My reporter and I asked for permission from the presiding election official for permission to enter the polling place and shoot some video. After a phone call to the county board of elections, our request was granted. The head offical goes inside and tells them that I've been allowed in.
As soon as I stepped into the polling area, you'd have thought the four horsemen of the apocalypse had walked in. An old man, a poll worker, starts screaming, "NO CAMERAS IN THE POLLING AREA !!!!!!!! GET OUT!!! NO CAMERAS...!!!"
This starts off a chorus of other harpies (old women poll workers) reciting his words. I'm trying to explain that the official got permission from the B.O.E. and that I was allowed in. This didn't phase him and he kept repeating and yelling, "NO CAMERAS!!!!"
Another old man gets on a cell phone, "I'M CALLING THE POLICE IF YOU DON'T GET OUT!!!" I told him to go ahead and I started to shoot b-roll. They all start howling at me to stop...
No way.
Finally, the election official comes out and starts telling the poll workers that I was allowed and that he got the permission from the head of the B.O.E. himself. This didn't phase the old man who kept yelling, "I DON'T CARE!! I DON'T CARE!! NO CAMERAS ALLOWED IN!! I DON'T CARE!!"
The official had had enough and yelled back, "HE'S ALLOWED TO BE IN HERE AND I DON'T GIVE A DAMN IF YOU CARE OR NOT!!!" That settled them all down, quick.
When I was ready to leave, I went up and shook the hand of the official and thanked him for his help in the matter. Then, I went directly up to the old man, squeezed his hand hard enough during our handshake to get his attention,and said, "Thanks for protecting the Democratic process from that evil First Amendment..."
And as I left, I swear this is true, I hear the old guy ask, "When will it be on...??" I didn't answer but I did shoot a look in his direction.
I've never wanted to bitch slap someone so much in my life. I don't care if he was close to 70 years old, he needed it.
Old Fart...
My reporter and I asked for permission from the presiding election official for permission to enter the polling place and shoot some video. After a phone call to the county board of elections, our request was granted. The head offical goes inside and tells them that I've been allowed in.
As soon as I stepped into the polling area, you'd have thought the four horsemen of the apocalypse had walked in. An old man, a poll worker, starts screaming, "NO CAMERAS IN THE POLLING AREA !!!!!!!! GET OUT!!! NO CAMERAS...!!!"
This starts off a chorus of other harpies (old women poll workers) reciting his words. I'm trying to explain that the official got permission from the B.O.E. and that I was allowed in. This didn't phase him and he kept repeating and yelling, "NO CAMERAS!!!!"
Another old man gets on a cell phone, "I'M CALLING THE POLICE IF YOU DON'T GET OUT!!!" I told him to go ahead and I started to shoot b-roll. They all start howling at me to stop...
No way.
Finally, the election official comes out and starts telling the poll workers that I was allowed and that he got the permission from the head of the B.O.E. himself. This didn't phase the old man who kept yelling, "I DON'T CARE!! I DON'T CARE!! NO CAMERAS ALLOWED IN!! I DON'T CARE!!"
The official had had enough and yelled back, "HE'S ALLOWED TO BE IN HERE AND I DON'T GIVE A DAMN IF YOU CARE OR NOT!!!" That settled them all down, quick.
When I was ready to leave, I went up and shook the hand of the official and thanked him for his help in the matter. Then, I went directly up to the old man, squeezed his hand hard enough during our handshake to get his attention,and said, "Thanks for protecting the Democratic process from that evil First Amendment..."
And as I left, I swear this is true, I hear the old guy ask, "When will it be on...??" I didn't answer but I did shoot a look in his direction.
I've never wanted to bitch slap someone so much in my life. I don't care if he was close to 70 years old, he needed it.
Old Fart...
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
A Fuzzy Pink Terrorist
The other day, I did a live shot outside my station in the parking lot. This live consisted of a fuzy pink character named Slider. Slider is the Cleveland Indians mascot. The whole premise of our live that morning was to help promote Dollar Dog Day. Hot dogs at that days ballgame were $1.00.
Let me intoduce Slider:
Slider is around 6 foot tall. When you have a grown man inside a goofy outfit, the man tends to become more animated. Hey it's his job, right???
Well, we planned one of the hits to have Slider throwing hot dogs, fully wrapped in their foil packaging, at the camera. The shot started and Slider started to throw the hot dogs. Ok, throw isn't the right word. Rear back and throw at the speed of a Nolan Ryan fastball is more like it. I was pummelled with dozens of freshly cooked hot dogs, still warm...some hot.
Most of them bounced off the lens.
Some missed me entirely.
Some hit my hands.
Some hit me SQUARE IN THE FACE.
And I came away with a slightly bleeding and swollen lip.
I love my job...ehhh.
Let me intoduce Slider:
Slider is around 6 foot tall. When you have a grown man inside a goofy outfit, the man tends to become more animated. Hey it's his job, right???
Well, we planned one of the hits to have Slider throwing hot dogs, fully wrapped in their foil packaging, at the camera. The shot started and Slider started to throw the hot dogs. Ok, throw isn't the right word. Rear back and throw at the speed of a Nolan Ryan fastball is more like it. I was pummelled with dozens of freshly cooked hot dogs, still warm...some hot.
Most of them bounced off the lens.
Some missed me entirely.
Some hit my hands.
Some hit me SQUARE IN THE FACE.
And I came away with a slightly bleeding and swollen lip.
I love my job...ehhh.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
The Porn Show....Almost...!!
Did a live shot this morning. Just beauty shots for a Friday, trying to get the perfect sunrise over the city from an overlook. A car pulls about twenty feet behind me and a man and woman get out. Their ages had to be early 20's. They sit in the grass, him first, legs outstretched and then her, in his lap..
They knew I was there, in a clearly marked live truck, with the mast extened and my camera cabled out the back of the truck. My camera was faced away from them and towards the city. I guess they thought they were in the clear for a little huggin, touching and squeezing.
They didn't see the MAST CAMERA..
They didn't see it slowly swing over to their direction....
They certainly didn't hear me call back to the control room to let them know what was going on.
And lastly, I know they didn't hear the editing deck in the truck get up to speed when I pushed play and record...
They started off innocently enough. She sat in his lap..and he started kissing her back.
Then his hands went into her lap. She smiled brightly. He must have been well manicured.Then she leaned back and they started kissing and playing tonsil hockey.
They would stop every once in a while, when a jogger ran by. But went back to a lot of kissing.Then her hands went behind her back and into his crotch.
That's when this started to get interesting.Yep...I'm a perv.
Anyways, Mr. Smooth decides to go back to kissing her back and get a handful.
Can't say as I blame him. She has a nice body.After a while of dialing in radio stations, they laid back and relaxed. Mr. Smooth starts to put the moves on big time and decided to do a little undercover work.
His lady love didn't mind the previous PDA's but, this might have been too public. She stood up and helped him up.Damn...show over.
However, the control room was enthralled as was I. I didn't have a beauty shot taken during that time. I did have the MAST CAM punched up feeding the station.
Ahh, too bad I didn't get to see "fireworks" early for the 4th. But, I'm sure Mr. Smooth was having a good time. And I was stuck at work..
Friday, June 24, 2005
Unnoticed Celebrity
I was surfing through the channels last night looking for something to hold my interest long enough for the Nyquil to take effect. I've got a cold and the weather is just as nice as it can be outside. Hooray.
Well, I stumbled on a program on CMT called Southern Rock. The program traced the history of some of the most famous southern rock bands and they highlighted Lynyrd Skynyrd. That opened up the memory floodgate of a chance encounter about ten years ago.
Admittedly, I'm not a big Skynyrd fan. I could only tell you a handful of their songs and really only name one or two of their band members. I certainly couldn't have told you by sight who they were. And that leads to where my story goes.
Back in 1995, I had just moved to Cleveland and had only been here a few weeks when I recieved an invitation in the mail to a World Premiere Screening of the movie 'Freebird'. A documentary on Lynyrd Skynyrd being premiered at the newly opened Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Well, I don't know how my name got on the A-List but I wasn't asking. My wife and I RSVP'ed and went to the RNRHOF for the event. We got there a little early and had looked around the hall. We were considered VIP's for some reason and were able to get into a secluded section. We found the bar and sat down at a table to have some wine and cheese. We sat there in a fog. Here we are in a movie premiere, invited as VIP's and we're like fish out of water.
My wife and I are waiting for someone to realize the error that was made by inviting us when a frail looking woman in a peasant dress, that screamed "Ultimate Flower Child", says hello and asks if she may sit with us. We said sure and we proceeded to have a little conversation with her. She was a very pleasant person who, through conversation, we learned had never been in Cleveland before. I asked her where she was from and she replied, Florida. In hindsight, this was a tipoff, but I'm not very smart.
Then a thin man with his hair pulled back in a pony tail and a very long, bushy beard walked up to the table and said, "Hi honey.." and sat down with us. I introduced myself and my wife and he did likewise. He said his name and I though he said "Artimus" Like I said, I'm not a fan of Skynyrd, so I didn't recognize this gentleman. We talked for a while about the HOF and he seemed really interested that I was in the news business and asked me a lot about being a videographer. Then things began to happen.
They let the general public in and the people lined up outside the ropes and started yelling "Artimus..!!" and "Mr. Pyle.." He grumbled something, got up and walked over to sign autographs. I looked at his wife and she said, "I'm glad you didn't ask him right off for his autograph. He just likes to be left alone at times.." I said to her, "Forgive my ignorance, but who is he??" She smiled and said, "You don't know?? Not real fans huh??"
"He's Artimus Pyle. He was the drummer for Skynyrd..", she told us. My wife and I looked at each other and then laughed. "Well, we like the music, but I never really paid attention to the members of the band too much..", I replied. She laughed also and said , "Well, thanks for not noticing and bugging him. He's had a rough time recently."
After he signed the autographs, Artimus came back and sat down with us again. I apologized for not recognizing him and he said it was just fine with him. He did ask if we wanted his autograph now that we knew and I told him only if he wanted to give it to us. He smiled and signed the poster that we were given as part of the VIP gift bag.
We talked a little more about the hall and music in general. My wife and I didn't want to make the conversation about him. I think he appreciated that because, he told us to sit with him and his wife in the theatre. So, when they called him and his wife over to enter the theatre, he told the Rock Hall people that we were with him. So, we got past everyone and were able to sit with the remaining members of Skynyrd and the Honkettes through the whole movie.
When the movie was showing, you could see the tears in his eyes. The footage that was shot in the plane before it crashed was particulalry chilling. He did wipe a few tears away. Just as I did. Just as everyone in the theatre did. When the movie was over and we all go to up to leave, Mr. Pyle thanked my wife with a kiss on the cheek and a hug for me.
It's one of those memories that you look back on and say, "Wow..did that really happen??" Now I can look back on it and see how stupid I was by not recognizing him but then again, if we had been a regular fan, we'd had probably behaved like one and made a complete asses out of ourselves fawning all over him and his celebrity.
Sometimes ignorance is truly bliss.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Different Meanings
Last night, I was watching a show on the Discovery Channel about Boston firefighters. One of the firefighters made a comment while a fighting a church fire. He said, "This was a good fire..."
To a rgular person, "A Good Fire" could mean a nice cozy fire in a fireplace on a cold winters night. To the dad at home, a good fire could mean the grill is just right for a barbeque.
Now, to us as photogs, it means...
"Holy Shit...the flames I got!! The house was still burning when I got there. You could really feel the heat from across the street..."
Man...we live in a world of our own, don't we..??
To a rgular person, "A Good Fire" could mean a nice cozy fire in a fireplace on a cold winters night. To the dad at home, a good fire could mean the grill is just right for a barbeque.
Now, to us as photogs, it means...
"Holy Shit...the flames I got!! The house was still burning when I got there. You could really feel the heat from across the street..."
Man...we live in a world of our own, don't we..??
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
The Scenic Route
This morning I was pulled off my live shot to "go chase the FBI". My assignment desk person said she'd heard Cleveland PD assisting the FBI around the Buckeye and Woodhill road areas. Those of you who are familiar with Cleveland should know this area. It's a wonderful place of trees, hummingbirds, deer in meadows and wild flowers...
Nahhh...actually it's pretty much a run down area. I drove there in about five minutes because rush hour was headed in not out. When I got to Woodhill and Buckeye I found....nothing. So, I drove around the side streets where I was treated to lovely images reminicent of the old Burma Shave signs. These were more modern versions though..
R.I.P. Lil' Marcus
Thug4Life
E.120 Folk
Crip Land
Pimp Daddy R.I.P. Bro
Like Simon and Garfunkel sang, "The words of the prophet are written on the subway walls and tenement halls.."
Nahhh...actually it's pretty much a run down area. I drove there in about five minutes because rush hour was headed in not out. When I got to Woodhill and Buckeye I found....nothing. So, I drove around the side streets where I was treated to lovely images reminicent of the old Burma Shave signs. These were more modern versions though..
R.I.P. Lil' Marcus
Thug4Life
E.120 Folk
Crip Land
Pimp Daddy R.I.P. Bro
Like Simon and Garfunkel sang, "The words of the prophet are written on the subway walls and tenement halls.."
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Kalahari Waterpark Resort- A Review
Last weekend, myself, my wife and two boys took a mini-vacation to the newly constructed and newly opened Kalahari Waterpark Resort in Sandusky, OH. I posted earlier that I was upset and needed a little time to calm down before writing about my experience there.
Well, I think five days is enough of a calming down period, don't you??? Plus, I have to keep repeating the mantra:
Checking in was a snap but remember to take the map they offer you. You'll need it.
The room we stayed in was fantastic. We had a family suite which had three beds plus a pull out sleeper sofa. The room also had a gas fireplace. Really good to have when you come into a room wet and the A/C has been on full blast. Nice and cozy. The room that we stayed in had two bathrooms, two sinks and most importantly, a door that separated the two rooms so a little privacy could be had for the frazzled parents and sleep could be had for the overtired children.
The waterpark itself is an indoor/outdoor one. The majority of the funto be had is inside the resort's water area. There is an indoor water roller coaster which is fun...well, looked fun when it was working, which wasn't often. There's a lazy river that winds around the indoor part. Relaxing to just float around on a tube.
There's also the slides and indoor tower with huge waterbucket that dumps a lot of gallons on you every three minutes or so, if you choose to stand underneath it. Lots of climbing and water spraying devices to keep kids occupied for hours.
Outside, there is a pool that is wonderful for those that just want to relax and float, tread water and maybe take the kiddies in to start to learn how to swim. It goes from 1 foot deep to the deepest at 4 feet. In the deep end is a large water fountain that my sons found enjoyable to float under. Attached to the outdoor pool is a medium sized "jacuzzi". The water is a little warmer than the pool, and it has multiple jets to produce bubbles. Plus a ledge to sit on and enjoy the warmth and sun yourself.
Another part of the pool is an above ground sprinkler area for the little ones to run around in and get wet.
There are lots of chaise lounges and thatched umbrellas to sit around and sunbathe or people watch. (The propensity of hot women in revealing swimsuits was remarkable..) I did get a few dirty looks from my wife. So sue me.
There are two bars that serve cold drinks plus beer and alcohol at the pool. I gave in and had a frozen daquiri, just because I didn't feel like drinking a beer. There is also a walk in snack bar that serves light snacks such as hot dogs and such for a quick lunch when at poolside.
Inside the resort, there are numerous restaurants, kiosks, a candy store, a sushi stand (that wasn't open yet), a coffee shop, an art store and a couple of clothing stores. For the kids, there is an arcade that you can blow money on. A indoor nine hole miniature golf course is also inside which isn't all that impressive but you can learn to count to nine in Swahili. There's also a pottery area that kids and adults alike can paint pre-made pottery items and have them fired in a kiln. There are multiple activitites geared to kids on a daily basis and it can be quite a fun experience for the kids and parents as it does induce family activity.
Inside the lobby, which I thought was the coolest was the glass booth that contained two lion cubs. You have the opportunity to have your picture taken with the cubs although it is for a nominal fee.
The one thing that I noticed is how friendly the staff is. They go above and beyond helpful. Their courtesy is welcome, especially to those who have screaming kids and need a smiling face once in a while.
The one thing I can say is that staying here is not cheap, but if it's for a family vacation, it's worth it. Especially if the kids have a good time.
Now, that I have reviewed most of what I consider important, and somewhat thorough, let me tell you of my experience. Remembering my mantra (see above...) the family and I had an enjoyable time although there were a few bumpy parts on the road to happiness.
The few problems we ran into, I believe were a part to have just opened recently. The first problem I ran into was that the in room internet access was non-existant. They charge you $9.95 for 24 hours but they were having major IT problems they said, so I had to settle for the lobby Wi-Fi but trying to get an access code from the desk and IT guy was like pulling teeth, even though they offer it for free. So, if you want to go wireless in the lobby, have at it.
The second problem which really made us mad was we didn't get our room cleaned until we complained about it. We had gone out to the pool early, came back at 11:30am. They were four rooms away and the supervisor asked when we would be out of the room so it could be cleaned. We told him we'd be showering and be out in an hour around 12:30pm. We left the room before 12:30pm and the cleaning lady was two rooms away. We came back from lunch around 2:00pm after playing a few games in the arcade. We entered and found the room the way we had left it, including the dishes from the room service order the night before.
We changed and went back to the pool again. This time, we returned to the room at 5:00pm and it still hadn't been touched. To make a longer story short, the room wasn't cleaned until we called twice and complained. Finally at 6:30pm it was cleaned.
Third, the phone system wasn't completly functional. We couldn't direct dial many of the services. Plus the quick dial buttons weren't functioning either.
Overall, we did have a good time at the waterpark. We just wish it had been a more organized and run a little better...
But, then again, there is the mantra...
Well, I think five days is enough of a calming down period, don't you??? Plus, I have to keep repeating the mantra:
- IT JUST OPENED ON MAY 20th...
- IT JUST OPENED ON MAY 20th..
- IT JUST OPENED ON MAY 20th.
Checking in was a snap but remember to take the map they offer you. You'll need it.
The room we stayed in was fantastic. We had a family suite which had three beds plus a pull out sleeper sofa. The room also had a gas fireplace. Really good to have when you come into a room wet and the A/C has been on full blast. Nice and cozy. The room that we stayed in had two bathrooms, two sinks and most importantly, a door that separated the two rooms so a little privacy could be had for the frazzled parents and sleep could be had for the overtired children.
The waterpark itself is an indoor/outdoor one. The majority of the funto be had is inside the resort's water area. There is an indoor water roller coaster which is fun...well, looked fun when it was working, which wasn't often. There's a lazy river that winds around the indoor part. Relaxing to just float around on a tube.
There's also the slides and indoor tower with huge waterbucket that dumps a lot of gallons on you every three minutes or so, if you choose to stand underneath it. Lots of climbing and water spraying devices to keep kids occupied for hours.
Outside, there is a pool that is wonderful for those that just want to relax and float, tread water and maybe take the kiddies in to start to learn how to swim. It goes from 1 foot deep to the deepest at 4 feet. In the deep end is a large water fountain that my sons found enjoyable to float under. Attached to the outdoor pool is a medium sized "jacuzzi". The water is a little warmer than the pool, and it has multiple jets to produce bubbles. Plus a ledge to sit on and enjoy the warmth and sun yourself.
Another part of the pool is an above ground sprinkler area for the little ones to run around in and get wet.
There are lots of chaise lounges and thatched umbrellas to sit around and sunbathe or people watch. (The propensity of hot women in revealing swimsuits was remarkable..) I did get a few dirty looks from my wife. So sue me.
There are two bars that serve cold drinks plus beer and alcohol at the pool. I gave in and had a frozen daquiri, just because I didn't feel like drinking a beer. There is also a walk in snack bar that serves light snacks such as hot dogs and such for a quick lunch when at poolside.
Inside the resort, there are numerous restaurants, kiosks, a candy store, a sushi stand (that wasn't open yet), a coffee shop, an art store and a couple of clothing stores. For the kids, there is an arcade that you can blow money on. A indoor nine hole miniature golf course is also inside which isn't all that impressive but you can learn to count to nine in Swahili. There's also a pottery area that kids and adults alike can paint pre-made pottery items and have them fired in a kiln. There are multiple activitites geared to kids on a daily basis and it can be quite a fun experience for the kids and parents as it does induce family activity.
Inside the lobby, which I thought was the coolest was the glass booth that contained two lion cubs. You have the opportunity to have your picture taken with the cubs although it is for a nominal fee.
The one thing that I noticed is how friendly the staff is. They go above and beyond helpful. Their courtesy is welcome, especially to those who have screaming kids and need a smiling face once in a while.
The one thing I can say is that staying here is not cheap, but if it's for a family vacation, it's worth it. Especially if the kids have a good time.
Now, that I have reviewed most of what I consider important, and somewhat thorough, let me tell you of my experience. Remembering my mantra (see above...) the family and I had an enjoyable time although there were a few bumpy parts on the road to happiness.
The few problems we ran into, I believe were a part to have just opened recently. The first problem I ran into was that the in room internet access was non-existant. They charge you $9.95 for 24 hours but they were having major IT problems they said, so I had to settle for the lobby Wi-Fi but trying to get an access code from the desk and IT guy was like pulling teeth, even though they offer it for free. So, if you want to go wireless in the lobby, have at it.
The second problem which really made us mad was we didn't get our room cleaned until we complained about it. We had gone out to the pool early, came back at 11:30am. They were four rooms away and the supervisor asked when we would be out of the room so it could be cleaned. We told him we'd be showering and be out in an hour around 12:30pm. We left the room before 12:30pm and the cleaning lady was two rooms away. We came back from lunch around 2:00pm after playing a few games in the arcade. We entered and found the room the way we had left it, including the dishes from the room service order the night before.
We changed and went back to the pool again. This time, we returned to the room at 5:00pm and it still hadn't been touched. To make a longer story short, the room wasn't cleaned until we called twice and complained. Finally at 6:30pm it was cleaned.
Third, the phone system wasn't completly functional. We couldn't direct dial many of the services. Plus the quick dial buttons weren't functioning either.
Overall, we did have a good time at the waterpark. We just wish it had been a more organized and run a little better...
But, then again, there is the mantra...
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Car vs Amish Buggy
Before I left for the mini vacation I'm on, I covered a really horrific accident. Out in Eastern Geauga County,Ohio there is a very large community of Amish. They are centered around the communities of Middlefiled and Huntsburg. They live in a peaceful existance with land and God. To a lesser extent, they have a tolerance for the modern life that surrounds them.
Cars for one are a danger to human and animal alike in the Amish community out here. Especially when people get impatient and just have to get to the store in a hurry. Damn the torpedoes and the Amish, FULL SPEED AHEAD!!
When a driver encounters an Amish buggy his first reaction is to try and get around the slow moving horse and cart. Sometimes people just don't have the proper tolerance and patience to wait for an opening and they try to pass without slowing down and giving the buggy proper space. To them, share the road is a joke.
Take the accident I covered two nights ago. A car driving westbound on a two lane road. A straight two lane road...A clear two lane road with no other traffic on it except an Amish buggy also traveling westbound. The driver was speeding. Well, speeding doesn't properly put it into perspective. As Mel Brooks put it in Spaceballs, "My GOD...they've gone PLAID!!" That's the speed he was going.
The car slammed into the Amish buggy literally destroying it. It was in splinters. Worse yet a family of nine were thrown out. Mother, father and seven children aged 2 months to 12 years old were all injured. I was on scene within fifteen minutes because I was at home and was called out to the accident from my house.
Three helicopters were called in and five ambulances were dispatched to the scene. It looked like a battle zone. The horse that was in the accident survived but was later destroyed. I was unfortunate to catch that on camera.
The driver of the car was finally charged with failing to maintain a safe distance. H's lucky he's not facing multiple vehicular homicide charges. The Amish family is incredibly lucky. I'm very happy that they're going to survive. It was one of the worst accidents I've ever seen..
Cars for one are a danger to human and animal alike in the Amish community out here. Especially when people get impatient and just have to get to the store in a hurry. Damn the torpedoes and the Amish, FULL SPEED AHEAD!!
When a driver encounters an Amish buggy his first reaction is to try and get around the slow moving horse and cart. Sometimes people just don't have the proper tolerance and patience to wait for an opening and they try to pass without slowing down and giving the buggy proper space. To them, share the road is a joke.
Take the accident I covered two nights ago. A car driving westbound on a two lane road. A straight two lane road...A clear two lane road with no other traffic on it except an Amish buggy also traveling westbound. The driver was speeding. Well, speeding doesn't properly put it into perspective. As Mel Brooks put it in Spaceballs, "My GOD...they've gone PLAID!!" That's the speed he was going.
The car slammed into the Amish buggy literally destroying it. It was in splinters. Worse yet a family of nine were thrown out. Mother, father and seven children aged 2 months to 12 years old were all injured. I was on scene within fifteen minutes because I was at home and was called out to the accident from my house.
Three helicopters were called in and five ambulances were dispatched to the scene. It looked like a battle zone. The horse that was in the accident survived but was later destroyed. I was unfortunate to catch that on camera.
The driver of the car was finally charged with failing to maintain a safe distance. H's lucky he's not facing multiple vehicular homicide charges. The Amish family is incredibly lucky. I'm very happy that they're going to survive. It was one of the worst accidents I've ever seen..
Saturday, June 11, 2005
On a mini-vacation
The family and I are away on a mini vacation this weekend. I'm at the newly opened Kalahari Waterpark Resort in Sandusky, OH. Will have pictures and a better review after I calm down. When a place opens for business to the public, you'd think that they'd pretty much have things in order.
Well....stay tuned.
Well....stay tuned.
Saturday, June 04, 2005
A Fire...A Multiple Homicide.
The past week and a half, here in Cleveland, the local news outlets here have been devoting their time to a house fire that killed eight children and one adult. The thing about it is, the fire has been ruled an act of arson. Thus making it the deadliest house fire in Cleveland's history. It also, sadder still, makes it the worst case of multiple homicide in the town's history.
The coverage was pretty much wall to wall. There was a mass public viewing for eight of the victims. five were open coffins, three closed. The funeral was the day after. The families had requested that the media be kept across the street, and of course, we complied. We actually worked with the city of Cleveland to help out with the families wishes. The families said recording devices were not allowed in the Public Hall where the service were held. We all agreed to that also. But when it was revealed there was a video camera in place by the city to provide video to the people attending the service, all the media outlets here asked for a feed. We were shocked when the families agreed to it.
Then it happend. It was my job to set up our station's live truck and run the cable into Public Hall to connect to the mult-box. Cleveland was having all kinds of problems with getting a video signal. Turns out they had a bad reeler. They asked the TV trucks if they had an extra reeler. Turns out, I was the only truck that had an extra. So, I gave ours to the city to use for the funeral. Then, it turns out their video signal for the two giant screens in the Hall had a double signal in it. They tried everything but couldn't get rid of it. They came to us again and asked if anyone had a video DA. Once again, I was the only one with a video DA. I went to the truck, got it and came back to the hall. I couldn't find the stagehand who wanted the DA, so I followed the cable from the mult-box into the hall. What I saw, stopped me in my tracks.
There were eight coffins in a row. Five of them open. All children. I wasn't prepared for it. I don't think that anyone could be. It was just sad. I was in shock. I've never seen so many coffins.
I hope to God I never see that many again in one place.
The coverage was pretty much wall to wall. There was a mass public viewing for eight of the victims. five were open coffins, three closed. The funeral was the day after. The families had requested that the media be kept across the street, and of course, we complied. We actually worked with the city of Cleveland to help out with the families wishes. The families said recording devices were not allowed in the Public Hall where the service were held. We all agreed to that also. But when it was revealed there was a video camera in place by the city to provide video to the people attending the service, all the media outlets here asked for a feed. We were shocked when the families agreed to it.
Then it happend. It was my job to set up our station's live truck and run the cable into Public Hall to connect to the mult-box. Cleveland was having all kinds of problems with getting a video signal. Turns out they had a bad reeler. They asked the TV trucks if they had an extra reeler. Turns out, I was the only truck that had an extra. So, I gave ours to the city to use for the funeral. Then, it turns out their video signal for the two giant screens in the Hall had a double signal in it. They tried everything but couldn't get rid of it. They came to us again and asked if anyone had a video DA. Once again, I was the only one with a video DA. I went to the truck, got it and came back to the hall. I couldn't find the stagehand who wanted the DA, so I followed the cable from the mult-box into the hall. What I saw, stopped me in my tracks.
There were eight coffins in a row. Five of them open. All children. I wasn't prepared for it. I don't think that anyone could be. It was just sad. I was in shock. I've never seen so many coffins.
I hope to God I never see that many again in one place.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Photo Bloggers Unite 2- Television Is Furniture
Coming up with the description of how to describe myself as a piece of furniture. As much as I'd like to say I spent quality time thinking about this, I didn't really. I'd like to give my heartfelt thanks out to FTOJRLST, who took guesses at what he thought we might be. Describing me as a Burkline Recliner, warm, cozy, etc.. I have to ask myself, what the **** is he smoking?? Just kidding. I'm flattered but it's nowhere close to what I'd describe myself as.
What WOULD I describe myself as??
I think of myself as an Otoman. But a really expensive one. The one above costs $1,275. So, I'm basically someone who will support you, but it's gonna cost ya.
I asked my wife what she thought I'd be. Her reply, " A big OVERSTUFFED chair." So, it seems that FTOJRLST and my wife seem to be on the same wavelenghth.
How warped it that??
Here's the all the photog bloggers that are doing the show-n-tell today.
Be sure to check them out!
What WOULD I describe myself as??
I think of myself as an Otoman. But a really expensive one. The one above costs $1,275. So, I'm basically someone who will support you, but it's gonna cost ya.
I asked my wife what she thought I'd be. Her reply, " A big OVERSTUFFED chair." So, it seems that FTOJRLST and my wife seem to be on the same wavelenghth.
How warped it that??
Here's the all the photog bloggers that are doing the show-n-tell today.
Be sure to check them out!
lenslinger
tv photog blog
newshutr's views
beFrank
kazz's world
little lost robot
smitty
erin winking
colonel corn
Friday, May 20, 2005
Drill Sarge
I was out doing beauty shots for our morning show. 
It was a slow overnight. No spot news, plus a slow night before equaled a light-hearted morning show. I was sitting in my live truck after setting a shot, when I heard a man yelling...
"C'MON YOU MAGGOTS...RUN...RUN...RUN..!!" I looked out my window and see a man wearing makeup. Ok, so it's actually camo makeup but still...
He's got about 30 people running towards the green field known as Mall B in downtown Cleveland. The people all run over and line up in three rows. He proceeds to make them do all kinds of exercises. Some I haven't seen since my football days. I remembered how painful they were and I felt pity on them.
He made them jump in place, crab walk, run gassers, jump and roll, all the while screaming at them and calling them "Maggots..." I thought to myself that someone has exchanged the real world for their fantasy world.
His harassment made me wonder what these poor people had done to deserve it. I wanted to go ask what their crime was, but he was running them so hard, that I couldn't find a person that could talk.
I called out control room to let them know what I was seeing and they decided to use me as much as possible. The morning anchors were asking why these people were doing this, but since I couldn't find an available person to talk to, I couldn't answer their queries. So, our anchors took to calling the resident drill instructor, "Sarge..."
"Sarge" then made them run laps around a large mall walkway. As they ran by my live truck, I was able to shout out my questions...
"Who are you?? Why are you doing this..?? Who's the Drill Instructor??"
They all looked at me with fear in their eyes. As if talking would get them more laps or a night in the box.
Finally, I walked up to the DI and asked him point blank, "Who the hell are you guys and why are you beating these poor people to death.."
He laughed and said, "I'm a trainer in the health club at the Key Tower. We do this intense training twice a year.." I didn't have the heart to tell him that our anchors were berating him on the air..
And then it hit me. These people are PAYING for this abuse....
I retired back to my truck and took this picture of the things that I abuse and abuse me..
It was a slow overnight. No spot news, plus a slow night before equaled a light-hearted morning show. I was sitting in my live truck after setting a shot, when I heard a man yelling..."C'MON YOU MAGGOTS...RUN...RUN...RUN..!!" I looked out my window and see a man wearing makeup. Ok, so it's actually camo makeup but still...
He's got about 30 people running towards the green field known as Mall B in downtown Cleveland. The people all run over and line up in three rows. He proceeds to make them do all kinds of exercises. Some I haven't seen since my football days. I remembered how painful they were and I felt pity on them.
He made them jump in place, crab walk, run gassers, jump and roll, all the while screaming at them and calling them "Maggots..." I thought to myself that someone has exchanged the real world for their fantasy world.
His harassment made me wonder what these poor people had done to deserve it. I wanted to go ask what their crime was, but he was running them so hard, that I couldn't find a person that could talk.
I called out control room to let them know what I was seeing and they decided to use me as much as possible. The morning anchors were asking why these people were doing this, but since I couldn't find an available person to talk to, I couldn't answer their queries. So, our anchors took to calling the resident drill instructor, "Sarge..."
"Sarge" then made them run laps around a large mall walkway. As they ran by my live truck, I was able to shout out my questions...
"Who are you?? Why are you doing this..?? Who's the Drill Instructor??"
They all looked at me with fear in their eyes. As if talking would get them more laps or a night in the box.
Finally, I walked up to the DI and asked him point blank, "Who the hell are you guys and why are you beating these poor people to death.."
He laughed and said, "I'm a trainer in the health club at the Key Tower. We do this intense training twice a year.." I didn't have the heart to tell him that our anchors were berating him on the air..
And then it hit me. These people are PAYING for this abuse....
I retired back to my truck and took this picture of the things that I abuse and abuse me..
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