Tue - April 12, 2005
We caught a house! ... We hope...
For those of you who don't check my other blog,
Jenny & I found a house last week! It's in the Lake Highlands area of
Dallas, and we couldn't be happier!
Now it's on to the inspections and all the other stuff one has to do in the option period. Then there's the mortgage stuff. But hey-- we found a house!
Here are some initial pictures of the place... more to come soon:
Now it's on to the inspections and all the other stuff one has to do in the option period. Then there's the mortgage stuff. But hey-- we found a house!
Here are some initial pictures of the place... more to come soon:
Posted at 08:41 AM Permalink
Wed - April 6, 2005
Jenny Quote of the Day
While watching last night's Baylor-Michigan
State basketball game:
Announcer: And up against this zone defense, the Lady Bears have no trouble finding the gap.
Jenny: Of course they have no trouble. They're from BAYLOR! Finding The Gap is a REQUIREMENT!
Announcer: And up against this zone defense, the Lady Bears have no trouble finding the gap.
Jenny: Of course they have no trouble. They're from BAYLOR! Finding The Gap is a REQUIREMENT!
Posted at 10:51 AM Permalink
Tue - April 5, 2005
Looks like it's gonna work
I checked my FreeiPods.com account yesterday, and
it said I'd been approved to order my free iPod. So I did that... the order's
processing, and I'll report if and when it arrives.
And for a bonus, I bought a Pepsi last night, and the cap told me I won a free song on iTunes . Cool!
And before I forget... GO BEARS!
And for a bonus, I bought a Pepsi last night, and the cap told me I won a free song on iTunes . Cool!
And before I forget... GO BEARS!
Posted at 01:41 PM Permalink
Mon - April 4, 2005
Be vewy vewy quiet... it's wabbit-- er, house hunting season!
So, um... yeah. House hunting is tiring work.
Jenny & I officially started our house hunt this weekend, although we've
been looking informally for about a year. By that I mean we've been driving
around neighborhoods, looking stuff up on realtor.com , making lists of what
we like and don't like, that sort of thing. So you shouldn't be surprised when
we say that we *almost* found the perfect house for us on our first day of
actually looking. Almost.
The house itself is gorgeous, in very good shape, and has a huge and glorious back yard. Only problem is the neighborhood. It's not a bad neighborhood, but some of the homes to the south of it need some love. To the north, all the homes are in great shape, and the neighborhood is beautiful. It's just not 100% perfect, so we're not too sure it's worth plunging into it right now.
We also found what would have been the absolutely perfect house for us. Wallpaper/paint adjustments would be unnecessary. The kitchen is huge and beautiful. Hardwood floors throughout. Gorgeous neighborhood. The right price. But a freakin' pool. We DON'T want a pool. This will be a house where we'll start a family. We need a back yard that wouldn't be a death trap for an infant. (Not to mention, the doglet really needs a yard. It can be small, of course, but it just needs to be a yard!)
So we shall keep looking. And we've been taking along our digital camera... it's quite funny how awful some of these houses are. We're going to build a little photo site with some of the gems we've found. For example, we found toilet art.
The house itself is gorgeous, in very good shape, and has a huge and glorious back yard. Only problem is the neighborhood. It's not a bad neighborhood, but some of the homes to the south of it need some love. To the north, all the homes are in great shape, and the neighborhood is beautiful. It's just not 100% perfect, so we're not too sure it's worth plunging into it right now.
We also found what would have been the absolutely perfect house for us. Wallpaper/paint adjustments would be unnecessary. The kitchen is huge and beautiful. Hardwood floors throughout. Gorgeous neighborhood. The right price. But a freakin' pool. We DON'T want a pool. This will be a house where we'll start a family. We need a back yard that wouldn't be a death trap for an infant. (Not to mention, the doglet really needs a yard. It can be small, of course, but it just needs to be a yard!)
So we shall keep looking. And we've been taking along our digital camera... it's quite funny how awful some of these houses are. We're going to build a little photo site with some of the gems we've found. For example, we found toilet art.
Posted at 11:44 AM Permalink
Thu - March 31, 2005
Glowing praise for Pat
Patthebone
clicked on my freeiPods.com link, completed an offer and received credit,
becoming referral No. 6-- my emergency backup referral! Thanks, Pat! Now, your
praise...
A "Renaissance man" is defined as one who dares to "acquire more than superficial knowledge about many different interests"-- an apt description of my friend Pat Gary. He is an accomplished musician, skilled at playing more instruments than I can even imagine. He's an incredible composer and songwriter, and he currently lends his talents to Dallas rock band Full of Eels. Plus, he's smart as a whip and one of the wittiest people you can know... and he is never satisfied in his quest for further knowledge. All this, with his progressive stance on political and social issues, makes him an outstanding friend and an all-around great guy.
There you go, Pat, and thanks again for helping me in my quest toward a free iPod. Now that I have all the referrals I need, if anyone is interested in helping my friends out in their iPod endeavors, here's how.
• To help out Jessica , click on this link, sign up and complete an offer. She's a good friend to have, and she'll repay you with kindness, I'm sure.
• To help out Leila, click on her referral link, sign up and complete an offer. She's offering a choice of incentives: Glowing praise, a free T-shirt or $10 in cash.
• To help out katjabee , you'll need to click on her referral link, sign up, complete an offer, and probably do a little dance. (just kidding about the dance). Her incentive: Glowing praise, and I bet she's better at it than I am.
A "Renaissance man" is defined as one who dares to "acquire more than superficial knowledge about many different interests"-- an apt description of my friend Pat Gary. He is an accomplished musician, skilled at playing more instruments than I can even imagine. He's an incredible composer and songwriter, and he currently lends his talents to Dallas rock band Full of Eels. Plus, he's smart as a whip and one of the wittiest people you can know... and he is never satisfied in his quest for further knowledge. All this, with his progressive stance on political and social issues, makes him an outstanding friend and an all-around great guy.
There you go, Pat, and thanks again for helping me in my quest toward a free iPod. Now that I have all the referrals I need, if anyone is interested in helping my friends out in their iPod endeavors, here's how.
• To help out Jessica , click on this link, sign up and complete an offer. She's a good friend to have, and she'll repay you with kindness, I'm sure.
• To help out Leila, click on her referral link, sign up and complete an offer. She's offering a choice of incentives: Glowing praise, a free T-shirt or $10 in cash.
• To help out katjabee , you'll need to click on her referral link, sign up, complete an offer, and probably do a little dance. (just kidding about the dance). Her incentive: Glowing praise, and I bet she's better at it than I am.
Posted at 01:47 PM Permalink
Things I learned while home sick
I stayed home Monday and Tuesday with a bad cold
and a particularly nasty sore throat. I don't get sick very much, so being puny
at home is kind of a foreign concept to me. Here are some things I
learned:
1) It is possible to nap more than the doglet.
2) The doglet likes it when you nap. He gives you an expression like, "Finally! He gets it!"
3) Hot tea is very good for a sore throat.
4) Contrary to what you might expect, the tea called 1812 Gunpowder isn't actually laced with high amounts of caffeine. Bummer.
5) When you're battling a particularly bad headache, nothing tastes better than that forgotten bottle of Dublin Dr Pepper you find hiding in the back of the fridge.
6) Nothing, that is, except maybe that cherry danish your wife bought you from Central Market .
7) No matter what all TiVo has recorded for you, it is easy to get incredibly bored by 2 p.m. of your first day home sick.
1) It is possible to nap more than the doglet.
2) The doglet likes it when you nap. He gives you an expression like, "Finally! He gets it!"
3) Hot tea is very good for a sore throat.
4) Contrary to what you might expect, the tea called 1812 Gunpowder isn't actually laced with high amounts of caffeine. Bummer.
5) When you're battling a particularly bad headache, nothing tastes better than that forgotten bottle of Dublin Dr Pepper you find hiding in the back of the fridge.
6) Nothing, that is, except maybe that cherry danish your wife bought you from Central Market .
7) No matter what all TiVo has recorded for you, it is easy to get incredibly bored by 2 p.m. of your first day home sick.
Posted at 10:08 AM Permalink
Wed - March 30, 2005
Glowing praise for Glenda Brown!
Well HERE was a nice surprise! Glenda, Jessica's
mom, clicked on my freeiPods.com link and became my fifth referral! That means
I have enough to be eligible for a free iPod. I'll keep everyone updated on the
status. And since there are a couple of others in the system still pending, I'll
continue to write your paragraphs o' praise when they alert me that you've
completed your offers!
Now, without further ado... glowing praise for Glenda:
Glenda Brown is the second mom everyone would like to have. She cooks great food, pours a tasty glass of wine, and takes good care of people. She's also a gifted quilter, and her quilts are treasured gifts for all their recipients. On top of all that, she's Jessica's mom, so she is indeed quite accomplished!
There you go, and thanks!
Now, without further ado... glowing praise for Glenda:
Glenda Brown is the second mom everyone would like to have. She cooks great food, pours a tasty glass of wine, and takes good care of people. She's also a gifted quilter, and her quilts are treasured gifts for all their recipients. On top of all that, she's Jessica's mom, so she is indeed quite accomplished!
There you go, and thanks!
Posted at 02:07 PM Permalink
Tue - March 29, 2005
Glowing praise for katjabee
Now a belated -- but heartfelt -- thanks to katjabee , who
clicked on my free iPods
link and completed an offer, thus giving me one more referral toward
the goal. Get five friends to complete an offer, and I qualify for a free iPod.
So, Princess Mary Sue, here is your
praise:
Katjabee is one of the most vivacious and friendly people you could ever know. In addition to being smart as a whip, she's one incredible performer. She's the frontwoman rocker-chick for Dallas band Full of Eels , and she's a proven talent on the Renaissance Faire stage. And she hails from my hometown, which makes her even more of a delight.
I hope I could do you justice in just a few sentences. Thanks!
Katjabee is one of the most vivacious and friendly people you could ever know. In addition to being smart as a whip, she's one incredible performer. She's the frontwoman rocker-chick for Dallas band Full of Eels , and she's a proven talent on the Renaissance Faire stage. And she hails from my hometown, which makes her even more of a delight.
I hope I could do you justice in just a few sentences. Thanks!
Posted at 01:30 PM Permalink
Fri - March 25, 2005
Understatement of the day
We're treated on this Good Friday to a
wonderfully obvious lead from a DMN
front-page story:
The Easter Passion story is always the same.
Yup. Not a lot of surprise there... Jesus dies every time.
The Easter Passion story is always the same.
Yup. Not a lot of surprise there... Jesus dies every time.
Posted at 08:50 AM Permalink
Wed - March 23, 2005
Glowing praise for Leila
Special thanks to Leila for
clicking on my FreeiPods
link, signing up and completing an offer. That's three down, two to
go!
Now, her paragraph o' praise:
Leila Merrill is quickly becoming one of The Dallas Morning News' star copy editors. Her award-winning headline skills are matched only by her uncanny sense of style. In addition to her professional skills, she is a human of exquisite character, known especially for her caring attitude toward animals. She is a fantastic caretaker of the feline phenom Eliot, and she is dedicated to the humane treatment of all creatures. A devoted vegetarian, the flesh of no animal shall ever cross her lips!
There you are, Leila. And thanks!
Remember, those who sign up via this link and complete an offer (a very necessary requirement -- Jeff and Jessica did Blockbuster Online; I don't know yet about Leila) will receive a few sentences of glowing praise. What's not to like?
Now, her paragraph o' praise:
Leila Merrill is quickly becoming one of The Dallas Morning News' star copy editors. Her award-winning headline skills are matched only by her uncanny sense of style. In addition to her professional skills, she is a human of exquisite character, known especially for her caring attitude toward animals. She is a fantastic caretaker of the feline phenom Eliot, and she is dedicated to the humane treatment of all creatures. A devoted vegetarian, the flesh of no animal shall ever cross her lips!
There you are, Leila. And thanks!
Remember, those who sign up via this link and complete an offer (a very necessary requirement -- Jeff and Jessica did Blockbuster Online; I don't know yet about Leila) will receive a few sentences of glowing praise. What's not to like?
Posted at 01:54 PM Permalink
Mon - March 21, 2005
Synthetic Organics and the Tire-less Weekend
I'll wrap up the weekend in a second, but first
an observation. Central Market
recently introduced their own line of organic foods. So I thought I'd try their
microwave popcorn... it might make a good snack at work. I detected a slightly
"earthier" flavor than regular popcorn, so I checked the ingredients list:
Certified organic gourmet popcorn, certified organic palm oil, certified organic butter flavor, salt, annatto.
Could someone please tell me what is "certified organic butter flavor?" Not actual butter, mind you-- butter flavor. How can imitation anything be organic?
SATURDAY
Jenny & I slept in for the first time in several weeks. We had a leisurely breakfast... next to the Highland Park high school crew team. One of our favorite breakfast spots is right by our apartment-- Barbec's . It's just a classic diner, but a guilty pleasure nonetheless. And it's usually enjoyable... except when you have a bad headache and a bunch of boisterous teenagers right next to you. I know, I know... it's kinda petty to complain about loud teenagers on a Saturday morning.
After a couple of errands, we went to Cedar Valley College for a production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers . Jenny's brother Jonathan was one of the brothers. The cast was pretty darn good. The musical itself was awful. let me explain-- The best cast in the world can't rescue a poorly written script and disjointed musical score. But the performers were great.
The rest of the day involved some shopping, dinner and crashing in front of the TV, catching up on stuff TiVo found for us. Boring? Perhaps. But we'd had a busy day. Then came Sunday.
SUNDAY
We knew we were in for a bad day when we headed for the car to go to church and found that the two back tires on my Mustang were flat. VERY flat. Like they had been slashed, or punctured. Having no time to inspect them (we were running late), we decided to deal with the tires later. Church. Lunch at Maggiano's , where we had awful service for the second time in our last two visits. (How does one forget to turn in the order for THE MAIN COURSE?) Then back home to deal with the tires.
When you have one flat, it's not hard to change the tire, put on the spare, and head to the store to get it fixed. But when you have two flats-- it gets a bit more challenging. You have to take both tires off and take another car to the store. Unless you're lucky enough to have two spares, but we weren't. So here's my sad car in our parking lot:
I wish I'd thought to take a picture with the two flat tires... alas, I did not. Anyway, off to Pep Boys, where we saw the cause-- two screws, thoughtfully placed in the treads. Freak accident or deliberate job? Who knows? One screw, I wouldn't think twice about it being an accident. Two? I just don't know. Whatever the case, since they were screws and not, say, a razor blade or knife across the sidewalls, the damage was covered by my road hazard warranty, and we got the tires fixed for free. Our luck was turning around.
It shot most of the day, of course, but that was resolved, and we didn't want to mess with the world anymore last night. So we ordered a pizza and watched a marathon of Alias, season 3, courtesy of the fine folks at Netflix . Things were looking better. Then, of course, the weekend ended. Darnit.
Certified organic gourmet popcorn, certified organic palm oil, certified organic butter flavor, salt, annatto.
Could someone please tell me what is "certified organic butter flavor?" Not actual butter, mind you-- butter flavor. How can imitation anything be organic?
SATURDAY
Jenny & I slept in for the first time in several weeks. We had a leisurely breakfast... next to the Highland Park high school crew team. One of our favorite breakfast spots is right by our apartment-- Barbec's . It's just a classic diner, but a guilty pleasure nonetheless. And it's usually enjoyable... except when you have a bad headache and a bunch of boisterous teenagers right next to you. I know, I know... it's kinda petty to complain about loud teenagers on a Saturday morning.
After a couple of errands, we went to Cedar Valley College for a production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers . Jenny's brother Jonathan was one of the brothers. The cast was pretty darn good. The musical itself was awful. let me explain-- The best cast in the world can't rescue a poorly written script and disjointed musical score. But the performers were great.
The rest of the day involved some shopping, dinner and crashing in front of the TV, catching up on stuff TiVo found for us. Boring? Perhaps. But we'd had a busy day. Then came Sunday.
SUNDAY
We knew we were in for a bad day when we headed for the car to go to church and found that the two back tires on my Mustang were flat. VERY flat. Like they had been slashed, or punctured. Having no time to inspect them (we were running late), we decided to deal with the tires later. Church. Lunch at Maggiano's , where we had awful service for the second time in our last two visits. (How does one forget to turn in the order for THE MAIN COURSE?) Then back home to deal with the tires.
When you have one flat, it's not hard to change the tire, put on the spare, and head to the store to get it fixed. But when you have two flats-- it gets a bit more challenging. You have to take both tires off and take another car to the store. Unless you're lucky enough to have two spares, but we weren't. So here's my sad car in our parking lot:
I wish I'd thought to take a picture with the two flat tires... alas, I did not. Anyway, off to Pep Boys, where we saw the cause-- two screws, thoughtfully placed in the treads. Freak accident or deliberate job? Who knows? One screw, I wouldn't think twice about it being an accident. Two? I just don't know. Whatever the case, since they were screws and not, say, a razor blade or knife across the sidewalls, the damage was covered by my road hazard warranty, and we got the tires fixed for free. Our luck was turning around.
It shot most of the day, of course, but that was resolved, and we didn't want to mess with the world anymore last night. So we ordered a pizza and watched a marathon of Alias, season 3, courtesy of the fine folks at Netflix . Things were looking better. Then, of course, the weekend ended. Darnit.
Posted at 10:00 AM Permalink
Wed - March 16, 2005
Glowing praise for Jeff
Jeff clicked on
the FreeiPods link
and completed an offer, so now I have two referrals... Thank you, Jeff! And now,
your glowing praise:
Jeff Franks is an emerging master in the field of visual arts. His video production skills are unmatched, and his set design skills are among the best anywhere. In addition, he is an accomplished actor and a person of impeccable character. He's the one you want standing next to you on the biggest day of your life. Reliable, strong, witty, smart and talented -- Jeff Franks has it all.
There you go, Jeff! And thanks.
Jeff Franks is an emerging master in the field of visual arts. His video production skills are unmatched, and his set design skills are among the best anywhere. In addition, he is an accomplished actor and a person of impeccable character. He's the one you want standing next to you on the biggest day of your life. Reliable, strong, witty, smart and talented -- Jeff Franks has it all.
There you go, Jeff! And thanks.
Posted at 11:08 AM Permalink
Tue - March 15, 2005
Friggin' Albertson's
I am not the most disciplined grocery shopper. On
my days off, when I must visit the grocery store on my own, Jenny sends me with
great trepidation. I'm supposed to pick up tomatoes and nothing else? I also
come home with cheese. Oh, and fruit. Maybe some flowers. I'm an impulse grocery
shopper, the kind that stores must love.
Today, I vowed to be different. We needed tomatoes to go with dinner tonight, along with some sandwich fixin's for Jenny. I had a list. I was going to stick to that list for once.
The list included postage stamps. Now, I usually use the self-checkout lanes at my local Albertson's. But I'm not sure if you can buy stamps in those lanes like you can when you use an actual, human checker. So I stand in the express lane, proud that I've purchased everything on my list, and nothing more.
Then a woman comes over from the bakery, wheeling a cart filled with french bread, fresh out of the oven.
Resistance.... fading... No, I'll be good. After all, we're going to eat dinner in just a couple of hours, and I already have bread for Jenny's sandwiches and a baguette for tonight.
But... it smells soooo goood..... and I could use a snack.... and it's only a dollar....
I caved. I bet you, would, too, if you had that cart right in front of you, the pleasant aroma of fresh-baked bread wafting through the air.
So my streak of not being able to go to the store without an impulse buy continues. And I'm eating fresh bread while typing this. And I have no regrets.
Today, I vowed to be different. We needed tomatoes to go with dinner tonight, along with some sandwich fixin's for Jenny. I had a list. I was going to stick to that list for once.
The list included postage stamps. Now, I usually use the self-checkout lanes at my local Albertson's. But I'm not sure if you can buy stamps in those lanes like you can when you use an actual, human checker. So I stand in the express lane, proud that I've purchased everything on my list, and nothing more.
Then a woman comes over from the bakery, wheeling a cart filled with french bread, fresh out of the oven.
Resistance.... fading... No, I'll be good. After all, we're going to eat dinner in just a couple of hours, and I already have bread for Jenny's sandwiches and a baguette for tonight.
But... it smells soooo goood..... and I could use a snack.... and it's only a dollar....
I caved. I bet you, would, too, if you had that cart right in front of you, the pleasant aroma of fresh-baked bread wafting through the air.
So my streak of not being able to go to the store without an impulse buy continues. And I'm eating fresh bread while typing this. And I have no regrets.
Posted at 04:43 PM Permalink
Mon - March 14, 2005
Thank you, Jessica!
Jessica is
the first to have signed up completed an offer so I can selfishly get a free
iPod. Thanks, Jess!
As promised-- glowing praise:
Jessica Brown is one of San Antonio's brightest young engineers. Work from her latest project is being used the world over in the battle against heart disease. Her amazing talents, combined with her fortuitous good looks, make her one of Texas' most desirable professional women.
There you go, Jess-- copy that paragraph and put it on your Web site, a book jacket, or anywhere you'd like it.
Who's next?
As promised-- glowing praise:
Jessica Brown is one of San Antonio's brightest young engineers. Work from her latest project is being used the world over in the battle against heart disease. Her amazing talents, combined with her fortuitous good looks, make her one of Texas' most desirable professional women.
There you go, Jess-- copy that paragraph and put it on your Web site, a book jacket, or anywhere you'd like it.
Who's next?
Posted at 12:54 PM Permalink
Thu - March 10, 2005
Purely selfish request
So I'm not asking anyone to sell their soul or
anything, but I would like your help toward my getting a free iPod. Click on this link, sign up,
complete an offer. What will you get in return? Nothing but glorified
praise from me, in this here space. So what do you have to lose?
Posted at 02:02 PM Permalink
"I'm sorry James, I'm afraid I can't do that."
My computer is restricting what I can buy on
iTunes. At least that's the only way I can explain the "unknown error" message
that keeps popping up whenever I try to buy OutKast's "Hey
Ya."
Jenny got me an iTunes gift card for Valentine's Day, and I'm just now getting around to redeeming it. I've downloaded several U2 songs I didn't have, and of course, U2 is fully agreeable with my computer. I then branched into Jazz and found an album by Diana Krall. Again, no objection. But click on OutKast, and the computer says "nuh." It's like it doesn't approve!
Jenny got me an iTunes gift card for Valentine's Day, and I'm just now getting around to redeeming it. I've downloaded several U2 songs I didn't have, and of course, U2 is fully agreeable with my computer. I then branched into Jazz and found an album by Diana Krall. Again, no objection. But click on OutKast, and the computer says "nuh." It's like it doesn't approve!
Posted at 01:27 PM Permalink
Tue - March 8, 2005
Time waster of the day--Speck!
OK, so it can be lame to post pictures of your
pet. But we were bored the other night, and Speck was playful, and we had a
camera. So here you go.
You'll find the rest on this iPhoto page.
You'll find the rest on this iPhoto page.
Posted at 01:44 PM Permalink
Fri - March 4, 2005
Television and madness for Martha
I think my little talk yesterday to the Mesquite
high school students went well. I gave 'em a little song and dance and wrapped
up with my tap number... Actually, I talked about my career path-- what led me
to radio to television to the newspaper, stuff like that. They seemed to like my
tape of stories I did in College Station, even though that was 4 1/2 years and
about 25 pounds ago. But I think I burst their idealistic bubble a bit when I
told them how much I made then and why I got out. (Two different reasons, but
pertinent nonetheless) I think I may have effectively scared all of them from
ever pursuing a career in television
news.
The speaker who followed me is a DJ for a local country station. He started off by saying how his first professional radio job paid him $6 an hour... He didn't realize how bad that was until he went to Jack-in-the-Box after a shift and saw a sign recruiting employees. Starting pay: $8 an hour.
Being on the air doesn't pay a whole lot, at least not when you're starting out.
Afterward, I got to talk with Jeff for a little bit. He works in the same building, doing video production for the school district. He showed me a project he was working on, which was really too good to be used by a school district. Jeff, you have great talent! You should be making 5 times what they're paying you, whatever that is.
---
Any shred of hope I had for the future of television news was dashed last night. We turned on the TV at work to CNN to find live team coverage of Martha Stewart's release from prison. This put the OJ coverage to shame. I mean, there was a reporter & camera outside the jail, hoping to get footage of Martha leaving. They caught two SUVs leaving the property... you couldn't see inside either one. Nevertheless, CNN replayed the video of the SUVs over and over.
Actual quote from last night: "And this just in... Martha Stewart has been released. MARTHA STEWART HAS BEEN RELEASED!"
What... are we supposed to lock up our children? Is she going on a raffia spree? Is it no longer safe to use store-bought instant cake mix? She lied about a stock sale and spent five months in prison... it's not like she's a serial killer or anything. (Cereal, on the other hand...)
Then there was a reporter & camera at the municipal airport, where Martha boarded her private jet. And Nancy Grace at CNN's studios anchoring the whole shebang with two analysts in studio. IT'S JUST MARTHA STEWART, for cryin' out loud!
I liked the play-by-play on savemartha.com last night:
FREEDOM! At 12:30 AM Martha is released!!!!
Update: 12:56 AM MARTHA ARRIVES AT THE ARIPORT...12:50AM. Martha's plane taxis up and prepares for boarding...carvan is 15 minutes out...12:31: 10 media chase crews following Martha from Alderson Prison to Greenbrier Airport 30 minutes away....Falcon jet will take Martha and Alexis back to Westchester...fans are gathered at the gates....media goes wild for Martha: Nancy Grace says "We are waiting for Martha to break out of the big house"..."MSNBC: Midnight release is highly unusual, most let prisoners go at 7 or 8AM...Fox News shows split screen: Middle east crisis on right, Martha watch on the left...everyone waiting in 16 degree bitter cold...
Now, the big news is Martha's broken cappuccino machine . Oh, the horror!
The speaker who followed me is a DJ for a local country station. He started off by saying how his first professional radio job paid him $6 an hour... He didn't realize how bad that was until he went to Jack-in-the-Box after a shift and saw a sign recruiting employees. Starting pay: $8 an hour.
Being on the air doesn't pay a whole lot, at least not when you're starting out.
Afterward, I got to talk with Jeff for a little bit. He works in the same building, doing video production for the school district. He showed me a project he was working on, which was really too good to be used by a school district. Jeff, you have great talent! You should be making 5 times what they're paying you, whatever that is.
---
Any shred of hope I had for the future of television news was dashed last night. We turned on the TV at work to CNN to find live team coverage of Martha Stewart's release from prison. This put the OJ coverage to shame. I mean, there was a reporter & camera outside the jail, hoping to get footage of Martha leaving. They caught two SUVs leaving the property... you couldn't see inside either one. Nevertheless, CNN replayed the video of the SUVs over and over.
Actual quote from last night: "And this just in... Martha Stewart has been released. MARTHA STEWART HAS BEEN RELEASED!"
What... are we supposed to lock up our children? Is she going on a raffia spree? Is it no longer safe to use store-bought instant cake mix? She lied about a stock sale and spent five months in prison... it's not like she's a serial killer or anything. (Cereal, on the other hand...)
Then there was a reporter & camera at the municipal airport, where Martha boarded her private jet. And Nancy Grace at CNN's studios anchoring the whole shebang with two analysts in studio. IT'S JUST MARTHA STEWART, for cryin' out loud!
I liked the play-by-play on savemartha.com last night:
FREEDOM! At 12:30 AM Martha is released!!!!
Update: 12:56 AM MARTHA ARRIVES AT THE ARIPORT...12:50AM. Martha's plane taxis up and prepares for boarding...carvan is 15 minutes out...12:31: 10 media chase crews following Martha from Alderson Prison to Greenbrier Airport 30 minutes away....Falcon jet will take Martha and Alexis back to Westchester...fans are gathered at the gates....media goes wild for Martha: Nancy Grace says "We are waiting for Martha to break out of the big house"..."MSNBC: Midnight release is highly unusual, most let prisoners go at 7 or 8AM...Fox News shows split screen: Middle east crisis on right, Martha watch on the left...everyone waiting in 16 degree bitter cold...
Now, the big news is Martha's broken cappuccino machine . Oh, the horror!
Posted at 02:19 PM Permalink
Wed - March 2, 2005
Corrupting tomorrow's leaders
I've been asked to be a guest speaker at KEOM's career day tomorrow. This is a
radio station, owned and operated by the Mesquite Independent School District,
where I got my start in the world of media. I was a student DJ there my senior
year in high school, and I worked weekends for a couple of years afterwards.
From there, I got an internship at the Texas State Networks (radio) and
later a weekend gig at KRLD .
I'm supposed to talk to high school students about my experience in radio, television and newspapers. This should be fun! Also, I'll be in the same building as Jeff , so I can help the effort to give the kids "Every Reason to Succeed" along their "Quest for Excellence."
I'm supposed to talk to high school students about my experience in radio, television and newspapers. This should be fun! Also, I'll be in the same building as Jeff , so I can help the effort to give the kids "Every Reason to Succeed" along their "Quest for Excellence."
Posted at 01:29 PM Permalink
Adventures in advertising
How do inanimate things grow? I ask this because
of two recent ad/marketing
campaigns.
Jenny & I watch Gilmore Girls on the WB each Tuesday night. After the credits and previews for next week's episode, there's a promo for One Tree Hill, which the announcer bills as "America's fastest-growing new show."
I don't understand... is it because the cast is so young? Or that they're adding new cast members every week? Is the tree getting taller? How can a TV show be America's fastest-growing?
OK, I assume it's referring to ratings or something like that. But that would be the audience growing, not the show.
Another was an ad for a beer... I think it was Bud Light, but I didn't really pay attention. The tag line: "America's fastest-growing beer." Again, are the cans and bottles getting taller? If there really is a way to grow beer, wouldn't Homer Simpson be all over it? For that matter, *I* would be all over it. Guess that's what happens in a "beer garden."
Jenny & I watch Gilmore Girls on the WB each Tuesday night. After the credits and previews for next week's episode, there's a promo for One Tree Hill, which the announcer bills as "America's fastest-growing new show."
I don't understand... is it because the cast is so young? Or that they're adding new cast members every week? Is the tree getting taller? How can a TV show be America's fastest-growing?
OK, I assume it's referring to ratings or something like that. But that would be the audience growing, not the show.
Another was an ad for a beer... I think it was Bud Light, but I didn't really pay attention. The tag line: "America's fastest-growing beer." Again, are the cans and bottles getting taller? If there really is a way to grow beer, wouldn't Homer Simpson be all over it? For that matter, *I* would be all over it. Guess that's what happens in a "beer garden."
Posted at 12:12 PM Permalink
About the Author
James Pecht is a copy editor and has experience as a reporter and anchor in both radio and television news. His sense of humor is a bit twisted. He lives in Dallas with his pulchritudinous wife, Jenny and their 5 lb. Chihuahua, Speck. All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of the author, unless otherwise noted.
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Published On: Apr 12, 2005 08:41 AM
Published On: Apr 12, 2005 08:41 AM