Craziness!

Whew! You know I really never thought that it would be "Big City" crazy living in Cincinnati, but I'll be damned if the city isn't trying to prove me wrong.

Last night (Saturday) at work was one of the strangest shifts that I've worked in my going on 22 years in the News business.

Starting at 2pm yesterday we had: 4-people shot, 2 of whom are dead, a murder-suicide, a 2-alarm house fire and another homicide.

Now I realized that we live in troubled times and all of that and yes, I know that I've been working mostly in Sports over the past 10 years. But geez, the only thing missing was a plane crash (Maybe I shouldn't say that out loud).

((Me at a Reds game//Courtesy: TLB))

I'm hoping that it won't be like that all of the time. Heck, even in Atlanta we didn't have many days like that.

Somehow, even with very limited weekend staffing, we got it all covered. Even with only one reporter and one nightside photographer. The dayside guy was able to keep us going with the stuff in the afternoon, that freed up the night shooter to do the other stuff.

Whatever unsure-ness that I had about being back at at a TV station and not in the field pretty much has now gone away. Between running the dayside desk by myself on Friday and dealing with yesterday, I feel much better.

Now it is on to learning the producing systems. I'm beginning to post stories and video to the website, which is now a very big deal and I'm getting more comfortable writing for news. It is a little more difficult than I thought. Writing my own Sports stories and an occasion News package isn't too difficult, its the breaking news voice overs and the re-writes of poorly written wire stories where it becomes a challenge.

But, as they say...challenges are good. It is a lot more fun to be on the upside of a learning curve than the down side. At least for me...it keeps me involved and pushing forward. Learning is always a challenge and that folks...ain't such a bad thing.

Enjoy your accompanyment music...Ozzie does the "Crazy Train":

Long Nights...True Stories

We've finally begun to settle into a bit of a routine up hear in Southern Siberia and that is, I think a good thing.

This weekend I finally got cut loose and was on my own working the Assignment Desk Saturday and Sunday night. I can't say it was the greatest experience I've ever had...because it wasn't. Mind you it wasn't bad and I don't want it to sound like a complaint because I am really quite thankful for the job.

I never really had to work on the Desk much before this. Sure, I filled in on occasion...a shift here, a couple of hours there but never really had to do it regularly.

In some respects, its kind of interesting. You'd be amazed at the wide variety of people who call TV stations, particularly on the weekends.

My favorite thus far is Keith. He calls every Saturday and Sunday night, he's always drunk and he's always being chased by the KKK who are trying to beat him up. The conversation is usually quick, "I'm Keith (I can never understand his last name), I want to report that I'm bein' chased by the kkk and they is tryin' to beat me up". "Hi Keith, Okay, I'll look into it, I've gotta go, thanks for the call".

My other is the guy who wants to know why we aren't investigating the government making us a socialist state. Not "in the process of" for all my crazed republican friends but rather, "already done it". He also calls every weekend. "You do know that we've been taken over by a hostile force don't you?" "Why aren't you investigating them?" and "Don't you want to save Democracy?" . "Well sir, I can't start the investigation myself, but I will pass your concerns on to the I-Team, thanks for calling I've gotta go".

Love it. I learned a long time ago that when you get callers like that, you give them a minute and when they want you to say something...which they always do, you give them a long, run-on sentence that finishes with "I've gotta go" and hang up. Works every time.

Of course there a wide variety of others. I think that a lot of people believe that TV folks work 24-7. I got a call about 10pm this past Sunday..."I need to speak to someone on the I-Team right now". "Well, ma'am, they aren't here tonight, I can send you to their voicemail". "Why aren't they there?". "Well, they usually work during the week". "When should I call?". "Try after 10am on Monday".

There are other weird things that go along with this, most of the job involves either calling people or in a lot of cases police departments and taking calls from people.

This past Saturday, I had to try and get some information on a shooting that I sent a photographer to. He tried, but couldn't get much information. This happened in one of Cincinnati's smaller "Townships" (for those who have never been here, there are hundreds of them, some have their own PD's, some don't). I called the "Township" Police Deparment...not once, but seven times trying to get some information or at least someone who could tell me something. On the 7th try, I finally got a human being. "We can't release anything" "We'll be sending a release to you by no later than 2300 (11pm)". That release...showed up...at 2pm on Sunday.

Really, in some respects it is kind of fun. But it is also kind of sad. I always knew that people randomly called TV stations about pretty much every aspect of their lives, but over time you forget that. I never really understood it and I never really considered that a large view of the audience. It just I guess is a statement on people in general, there are always bad and strange, but I also know that there are plenty of good and normal...they are the ones you don't hear from.

Enjoy one of the truly great Classic Rock Groups...Styx featuring our Fav Tommy Shaw...singing about the "Blue Collar Man". Thanks You Tube:

Anticipation...is making me wait!

Well, friends, family and fans I think we touched on this topic about 6 weeks or so ago, but it is again a relevant topic of conversation.

It looks like the drought is over, the semi-retirement is at an end and by this time on Monday, I should be employed.

Granted, it isn't official yet, but the background checks are happening and the references are being called. That unto itself I am taking as a good sign, a sign from the gods or a sign that things are again right with the world.

((Me at the Masters in 2006//Thanks Mark Harmon))

Assuming there aren't any skeletons out there that I'm not aware of or any of my long time friends and associates don't make me out to be the world's biggest liar, I'm going to get a job offer.

Yes, it is with the TV Station that I've been talking to on and off for the past...well pretty much since I've been here in Cincinnati. Yes, they have totally dragged things out, but this time it is serious. I spent almost an hour with them on Thursday and they asked me every question my little brain could have imagined. Surprisingly, though I have been on the proverbial beach since September, I seemed to actually have the right answers. OK, I think I did.

The irony here is that it looks like my days as a Video Photographer may be behind me. I'm not sure that I'll miss them...or carrying around the rock on my shoulder. Yes, it was a lot of fun and I had some unbelievable experiences...for those who haven't kept up, you'd be amazed at some of the big-time national stories, events and games over the past 21 years that yours truly has been at and a part of.

It's been in the makings even before I left Atlanta. My shoulder had started going south and my interest had too. I had been trying...up until the freaks took over...to remake myself as a Producer in Atlanta and almost was successful, but I got the opportunity to do a lot of things before they got in place. Everything from helping the Chief with hiring and equipment and running things to revamping the editing department in 2003 and running the Sports Department in 2005. All of that helped me get where I am about to head.

I did what I would tell anyone to do...if they can in any job: Do as many different things as you can at your job. The more you can do, the more valuable you can be and the more opportunity you'll have. It's true.

I know that TLB (The Lovely Bride) will get on me for jumping the gun and announcing this, but I am very confident that it will happen. I was told..."Assuming you check out, we're going to do this, we just need to decide if it will be full-time or part-time". They also, after I asked...said that "We should have done this 2 weeks ago".

No, I haven't said what I'm going to be doing yet...that would spoil the surprise...wouldn't it? Let's just say that I won't be in the field much any more. I'll be doing some of the things that I had begun getting very good at in Atlanta before the rug was pulled away. It isn't in Sports. I was asked though "If you had to pick which you could do, would it be News or Sports?". I was honest...I said "Sports", but added "I realize that isn't available, I've been in News, done News and am very good at it" "News is a part of Sports and vice-versa, I get that". I'm pretty sure that was the right answer.

Anyway, it is going to be a long, anxious weekend. I was told I would be called on Monday and fully anticipate that I will. I won't get into what happened the rest of the day, it is another story for another day...but it made for a really crazy Thursday afternoon.

For those of you who have been there and supportive, I genuinely thank you from the bottom of my heart, you have helped me get through a very tough time in my life. I promise that on Monday I will report on what I am going to be doing...I can't wait!

In the meantime...here is the most appropriate song I could think of: Anticipation by Carly Simon. Thanks Carlysimon.com and You Tube:

The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

Okay. So now I sit through the end of a mild snowstorm and now really, really cold temperatures while waiting to hear where my fate lies. It's a little strange, really I haven't felt like this in quite a few years; 1999 to be exact.

For those of you who don't know, I finally got another job interview this past week. Ok, really it wasn't much of an interview, more like a "Get Reacquainted" meeting. I had interviewed with the nice folks at the ABC affiliate here in Cincinnati back in November for a part-time position and I didn't get it. But, I must have made somewhat of an impression because they asked me to stay in touch with them, which I did. I came in on Wednesday and spent about 20 minutes with the News Director, we talked a little about the job and he said he'd be back to me by early next week.

((Me and Intrepid Sports Guy Mark Harmon doing an interview//Courtesy: Atlanta Falcons))

The job this time; a full-time gig. The job would be Weekend Assignment Editor and Weekday Associate Producer. No, it isn't ideal and doesn't totally play to my Storytelling experience nor does it play to my Sports Background. But, right now; beggars can't be choosers. I am working, but it's because I need to do something to keep me sane and have some cash flow. The job is a part-time food prepper at the Panera Bread down the street from my house. Though they really seem to like me there and would love for me to stick around, it isn't exactly a career path that I'd like to stay on.

Some of you who were around me the last year or so before leaving Atlanta are probably asking "Thought you were done with Local TV?". And yeah, at that time I was, though I am really wondering if I just needed to get away from the crappy TV station that I was working at. Granted, I feel a little bit like Brett Favre right now, but at least I know it.

I've already gone on at length about my last two years or so at WGCL in Atlanta. A really bad work environment in a town that I really wanted to stay in. They dumped on me pretty hard and quite honestly, I was never the same after 2005, when I worked 42 out of 44 days trying to keep the Sports Department afloat. The only 2 days I took off were when my Grandfather passed away. It was never totally the same after that stretch of work.

It's really true the absence makes the heart grow fonder. I've been out now since September. No, I still don't care too much for what Local TV has become. Really it has become a somewhat irrelevant parody of its former self. Well, at least in some places it has. Atlanta is a tough market to work in. Most of the time, the TV stations there are comically bad. They think that it is one of the great TV/Media centers of the world; it isn't.

I do like what I have seen so far here in Cincinnati. Does the News here still do lots of goofy, odd things that aren't relevant to most people; sure they do. But, the pace here is a bit slower, the market is older and experienced. They actually have experimented with and tried some interesting things that nobody in Atlanta really had thought of. The quality of the work here for the most part is pretty good. Well shot and told stories, not heavy on the flash, trash and violence that Atlanta lives on.

I hopefully will know something in the next few days about my fate. I'm not really sure what I will do if I don't get this job, there are very...very few openings for anything in this market. I do know that I need to get something in the video or production world and get it soon. As much as the Panera folks have been very nice to me and I like the people that I work with there, I am oh so ready to do something a little more challenging...at least for me. I'm ready to do something in my career field...if only I didn't have to wait so damn long to find out if I get to make a comeback!

Enjoy you obligatory Tom Petty://Thanks Vevo/You Tube:

Motivation Part 2

OK, so I'm glad that I got yesterday out of my system. I guess that every once and a while that there will be days where you just don't want to deal with anything and Monday morning that was exactly how I felt.

The trick is finding a way to either get over it or get past it and I think that I did that. I admit, I was a bit bummed that I did not get the job at WCPO, not that working weekend overnights producing a show would be anything spectacular, but it would have been something to do and it would have paid a whole lot better than the current part-time job that I have does.

((Photo//Me at the old job Producing the Sunday Sports Show...Circa 2005))

I think I snapped out of it after I went out and ran an errand yesterday and returned to a nice e-mail from one of my Facebook friends who as it turned out has a cousin up here who works for another of the TV Stations. Will it work out? I don't know, but I sent his cousin an e-mail...I'm waiting to see if I actually get a response from him...but hey, it's something.

The other is a potential opportunity with one of the teams here in Cincinnati. The job is a bit different, I don't know that I want to get into detail, yet, but it would be a lot of work and a lot of hours. We will see what happens. The reason that I mention it is that I got on their radar because someone that I met knew someone who worked for the team and would be involved in the hiring process. He introduced me to her, we talked and I sent my information to her, we'll see what happens from there.

I guess that my point today is this. Don't dwell on bad days for very long. You are going to have them. Deal with it and move on. Chances are when you do, something good will happen shortly thereafter. It's weird how it works that way, but I've found, at least for me...that is how it works. Do I think that I will immediately get a job from this? I don't know. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. But opportunities or potential opportunities were created where there were none and really, given the situation...it's all that you can really ask for.

And on that note, enjoy the trailer for the Greatest Christmas Movie Ever: Thanks You Tube

Google is your friend (Not in a Facebook Kind of Way)

It's true. Google may be the answer...or at least the provider of all the answers that you will ever need. Amazing as it is...and quite honestly for those who are hip and up and technology, you already know this...you can find out just about anything you want by doing a Google search.

I had used the search engine on occasion, mostly for stuff relating to Onlinesportsguys.com, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. Really, if you know the right combinations of keywords, it's amazing what is out there.

Most of my searching...at least the job search related ones have been using derivatives of keywords that would work for my profession. For example: Video Photographer or Video Editor. You can be even more specific: Television Video Photographer or Final Cut Pro Video Editor...be specific if you can because adding one word will make a huge difference as to what will come up in your search.

The other thing that I've learned is this; while your search will call up umpteen million hits, you probably don't need to go past the first 5 pages or so. After that, the links become pretty repetitive and often times are older and out of date.

This search method works in other places as well. One of the cool things that you can do on Indeed.com is type in Keywords like you do in Google. In fact it will list jobs only rather than some of the excess crap that Google spits back

So far, I've found some useful stuff on these searches. I've found a couple of production companies that keep a crew database for available freelance help and I'm now on their lists. I've also found some local production houses who may or may not be looking for help, but they at least have an e-mail and my resume'. Yeah, they could delete them...or they may not act on them...but they are there.

I've also had a bit of luck with one of the local TV Stations. I went to there website and found a job listing for a Fill-in Producer, something I have some experience at...at least in doing Sports shows. I applied at their corporate site and got a call 4 hours later from the Assistant News Director who saw my resume' and wanted to talk. 20 minutes later he said "I just wanted to talk to you and see where you were at" "If this position doesn't work out, I'll probably have some others, with your resume' it looks like you can do a lot". Maybe that will work out and maybe it won't, but...it keeps me hungry and interested because I got feedback and probably the biggest thing I've learned with this job search is this: "Any response is a good response, it keeps you going and motivated to do more". It also validates that the search does work, if not this time...eventually.

If you are interested, here is a brief tutorial that I found on the You Tube:


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