Match Made in Heaven

This guy, meet this guy.

I'm sure you'd have lovely conversations...

I'm The Media Guy

I'm starting to become The Media Guy here at Healthcare Central.

At work, we recently bought a new SOTA video camera to use in shooting stock footage, interviews, and other video features. These primarily have been used in our interactive kiosk at West Town Mall, but lately we've been shooting for other things. TV commercials are becoming more called for, and I've been out lately taping participants training for the 2005 Knoxville Marathon.

Today was a first - a press conference was called to demonstrate a new robotic surgery device, and I was asked to not only video the event for later broadcast on our local PBS affiliate, but run mikes to all six speakers at the event, and integrate the sound into the camera.

Now I've run sound and used sound board for years in theatre and choir, so I certainly know my way around the various switches, toggles and displays. But today was a first in that I'd never used external audio for the video camera.

So there I was at 8:45 am this morning, lugging in a rented 12-channel mixer, the video case, tripod and bag 'o assorted gear. I met Teresa/Hatamaran (who was taking still pictures of the event, and also uses the video gear a good deal) to begin setting up.

The press conference started at 10:00 am, and it wasn't until 9:45 that I'd worked out all the bugs and actually gotten an audio signal :) From there on, the event went smoothly and I got some great footage.

Trials by fire are never fun while they're going on, but it feels good after knowing you can take on a new project and succeed.

However, there's the old saying - nothing succeeds like success. I now seem to not only be the Website Coordinator, but I pretty much the new Media Guy. And I have a feeling I'm going to be asked to do this again someday :)

The Name Game

An interactive website charting the history of peoples' names and their popularity over the last century here.

One of my candidates for Coolest Website Ever.

(Hat Tip: No Silence Here)

What Do You Get...

...when you cross:

1. scads of junk food
   
   
2. several 2-liter bottles of soda
   
   
3. DVD's, Gameboys, iPods, lightsabers and footballs
   
   
4. Four hyperactive nine-year-olds over for BrainyBoy v8.98's birthday party sleepover
   

Give up?

Answer:

Tonight.

Friday's Feast

Feast Thirty-Five

Appetizer - What do you want for Valentine's Day?

All I really want is some quality quality time with my wife. Free from sick kids, work, school, church... Dinner, movie...whatever.

Soup - If you could change the color of something you own, what would it be and which color would you make it?

I love green, and my car is a kind of lightish green...but I'm a bit over it. I'd love to get a new one, or paint it something else. What other things do people own that are specific colors? Their hair? Their house?

Salad - What's your favorite day of the week and why?

For some reason my favorite day's always been Thursday. I don't know why - I think at one time all the good TV shows came on Thursday or something.

Main Course - What excuse do you use most often?

Ok, so you're going to force me to say it. All right... the worst excuse I use is that it was somebody else's fault. "Well, if they'd just been more on top of things and given me the material sooner, the project wouldn't have been late" (disregarding the amount of time I procrastinated on it).

Dessert - Name something or someone you feel sorry for.

I feel sorry for people that are so stuck in tradition, or pride, or cowed by those with stronger wills that they are unable to clearly think through issues and make clear, reasoned decisions for themselves.

I'm guilty of it myself, sometimes.

These past two years have seen intense partisan debates on a multitude of topics: war, terror, presidents, economy... the battle lines are clearly drawn. But so many people on both sides are where they are simply because: a) They always have been, just like their parents were and everyone they know, b) I made this choice a long time ago and to suddenly change my mind and adopt a different viewpoint would put my intelligence or judgment into question, or c) all the cool kids are doing it, and it feels good.

You Know It's Really Cold When...

...you're out shooting footage for a commercial your company is putting together, and as you're filming a dad wheeling his 8-month-old twins around the park in 30-degree weather you realize you can no longer feel your fingers. This renders you unable to press the RECORD button on the video camera.

Breezy, frigid and cold.

Or, as I was working with Tink on her French the other night (yes, French. In kindergarten):

Il fait froid - It's cold.

Il neige - It's snowing.

And to addd my own embellishment:

MERDE, IL FAIT FROID!!!!

Confessions of a Salty Mind II

A couple years ago, not long after The Inn opened, I commiserated with you about my nasty, nasty habit. I eat too many potato chips.

I gave up potato chips, tortilla chips, cheetos, cheese curls, cheese crunchies, cheesy poofs and Funyons for Lent in 2003. I made it, too. Not only was it good for my body, it was good for my soul.

Last year at this time I was getting ready to travel to Florida for an out-of-town music directing job, so I knew it would be very difficult to make sure I had enough to snack on eat. Therefore I chose not to pursue a Lenten decision at that time.

This year is different - I'm home with no major plans and no excuses. I'm doing it again. Starting today, Wednesday, February 9, 2005 I can have no more chips until Easter. That's about 47 days. 47 l-o-o-o-n-g days.

But that's not all. I'm thinking of taking this one step further. I'm thinking of giving up caffeine as well. I know it would do my body good to cut back on it - the only hitch is this afternoon I have a consult with a Sleep Physician to figure out if I have a sleep apnea.

Yes, I snore. And apparently, quite loudly. Laura says I have several episodes at night where I apparently stop breathing for a few moments, then restart breathing rather explosively. So after a number of months of cajoling, I'm going to investigate it.

What does this have to do with cutting out caffeine for a month and a half? Well, you know what effect caffeine has on the body, and I'm afraid if I suddenly cease intake, it will disrupt my normal patterns and interfere with the sleep study. So I'll ask the doc today what he thinks - if he doesn't believe it will make a difference, I'll start the caffeine tomorrow.

I realize that you don't give up certain things for Lent just for diet or physical enhancement - that it's a personal covenant between yourself and God, and a character test. However, there's nothing wrong with killing two birds with one stone, hm?

I'll be chronicling the Sleep study in the blog, as it will likely require I stay the night at a Sleep Clinic for observation. I'll be napping with the electrodes on my head, as my brain turns to mush. Well, that happens every day so it shouldn't be much different.

So, here we go again. Goodbye, Lays. So long, Ruffles. Manana, Munchos.

*sigh*

There's always crackers....

TV Tuesday

Week 42: The Super Bowl

It's the biggest spectacle in all of sports--the Super Bowl. It's more than just a game, it's the pre-game, half-time show, post-game report and the coveted post-Super Bowl spot to pump up a show. And let's not forget the commericals.

This week, we turn our attention to...the Super Bowl.

1. How much of this year's Super Bowl did you watch? Do you watch any of the pre-game hype?

Very little. Watched a bit of the second half, but since I was interested in neither team and didn't get invited to any Super Bowl parties I didn't pay much attention.

I did tape it, so I'll be going back later to watch whichever commercials they say were decent...

I watched none of the pre-game.

2. What was your favorite commercial during the Super Bowl? Least favorite?

Haven't seen them yet - but I did see the one about the guys jumping out of the airplane after the case of beer on the Today show Monday morning. That was great :)

3. Did you like the half-time show?

I watched a little of McCartney singing "Live and Let Die" (I love that song) and "Hey Jude" (I like that one, too).

4. What's your favorite food to eat while watching the Super Bowl?

Same as for any other football game - my wife's special Gameday queso cheese and sausage dip.

~ BONUS ~ A lot has been made over the years about the post-Super Bowl slot to highlight or launch TV shows. It was the post-Super Bowl spot that brought us the A-Team and the Wonder Years. Do you stay up to watch the post-Super Bowl shows? What is the most memorable post-Super Bowl show you've seen?

Probably the best post-Super Bowl show was the hour-long Friends with the return of Marcel the Monkey, and Brooke Shields. I've seen others that were just plain bad. I taped the Simpsons and will watch it tonight.

The Force Will Be With Him...Always

Sunday, I kid you not...

In the newspaper listings for local births - a couple gave birth to a little boy. The little boy's last name was, let's say, Smith-Jones.

His name?

Anakin Skywalker Smith-Jones

I weep for his future.

Actually, that's pretty cool. In about 18 years, his parents will have twin grandchildren!

And the Band Plays On

Apparently I'm #1 or thereabouts on Google for Faeries Aire and Death Waltz

Google search for Faeries Aire and Death Waltz

The Continuing Crisis

When this current flu crisis in East Tennessee is eventually over, I would really like to see some reliable statistics on how many people who got flu shots eventually came down with the flu, and how severe it was.

Each year I hear anecdotal evidence that the shots didn't do much to protect people, usually because the wrong strain was antipated. But I think it would be important to know this so we can determine how useful flu shots actually are.

Blog Pet Peeves

As I've been surfing around using BlogExchange, et al, I've noticed a disturbing trend.

I won't assume to be the world's greates blog template designer. I mean, hey, just look around... But I do design regular websites for a living, and you pick up a few things.

There's one thing that will make me jump right past your site without a second glance. And I'm sure I'm not alone:

A huge graphic header that takes up the whole screen.

I know a lot of people out there are wonderful graphic artists, and love to show off their craft. But a blog should be an information source, and if I have to scroll down even a little just to find an entry, I'm moving on. If you want us to see your handiwork, that's great - link to it, or feature it on down the page. But not at the top. Headers should be understated, not overstated.

Agree? Disagree? Pelt me with rocks and garbage?

And the Fun Just Keeps Coming

Do you remember the old Agatha Christie story, "Ten Little Indians"? Ten people are invited to be guests at a mysterious mansion on a distant island, and one by one they are all killed off until only one is left...

I kind of feel that way myself. First BrainyBoy v8.95 got sick, then Tink. Friday Laura called me on the way home from a meeting in Oak Ridge with the grand and glorious news that she, too had succumbed. A day later and she's recovering, but still weak and sore.

I feel like that final poor Christie victim, as she watched her compatriots killed off one by one, knowing that she was next.

It's Saturday evening about 11:15pm. So far, I'm fine.

So far...

UPDATE: Monday morning, 12:33am. Still fine....

Volunteer Tailgate Party

Mike of Half-Bakered is hosting the latest Volunteer Tailgate Party, a monthly compilation of the best and brightest blatherings of the Rocky Top Brigade.

Go visit! Click the Links! Now!

Friday's Feast

Feast Thirty-Four

Appetizer - If you were a dog, what breed would you be, and why?

I'd be a yellow lab or a golden retriever. I have no idea why.

Soup - What does the color purple make you think of?

Well, the obvious first idea is royalty, since that's why the color was first sought for. But my second grade teacher, Mrs. Peters - Mrs. "Purple" Peters - wore purple outfits every day of the year. I mean every single day. Purple skirts, purple blouses, purple suits.... you name it.

Salad - Approximately how long does it take you to get ready each morning?

I get up at 7:00 am, and leave the house to drop the kids off at school between 7:50 and 8:00. As for actually getting myself ready, I can be done with a shower, dressed and appropriately groomed in about 20 minutes.

Main Course - How many cousins do you have, and are you close to them?

Right now I have 5 cousins. Unfortunately, I'm not really close to any of them in particular. Only one lives here in Knoxville, 2 more live in the Atlanta area and the other 2 I believe life in South Carolina. The Knoxville cousin I see at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and she is expecting her second child.

I had a 6th cousin - a younger sister to the two that live in Atlanta - who died when she was about 15 or so. She fell off the top of a waterfall while on a hike and was killed in the fall.

She was the same age as my younger brother.

Dessert - Take your initials (first, middle, last) and come up with something else those letters could stand for. (Example: SFO = Sweet Funny Otter)

BWW - Best When Warm. Stupid groundhog...when's spring coming???

Thanks Goodness There's Another One!

Everyone create a new account at Blogazoo and let the clicking commence!

Quick! Now! What are you waiting for???

New Iraqi Fighting Force

Due to the continuing levels of danger to the common American G.I., the Army has announced the introduction of an automated defensive/offensive force to the region.



These mechanical war machines will begin to replace the standard G.I. "Joe" already in the field, which apparently is prone to capture by enemy combatants. It is hoped that the new models will be in the field by the Christmas season.

When Good Hospitals Go Bad...

King/Drew Stripped of Accredited Standing

"A national healthcare accrediting agency revoked its seal of approval Tuesday from troubled Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, a rare sanction that underscored repeated lapses in patient care at the hospital."

I don't actually have anything to say about this, I just read the story and thought of a great blog post title to go along with it.

Organ Donation

We bought a circa-1910 Beckwith Reed Organ, sold by Sears in the early 20th century.

Seems, as kind of a lark, I put down the opening bid for the organ - and no one else bid for it ;)

Now, I play the piano but know beans about organs. Some of the keys are stuck, and a few of the labels have come off the stops, but the exterior is bee-u-tee-ful.

The picture above is from another website, and not an actual photo of our organ - I'm still researching the exact model and date of manufacture, but it's very close to ours.

So, there you go... tres cool, huh?

Round 2

Now Tink is sick with 101 temp, throwy-uppy last night, headed to the doc, yada yada yada.

So far neither Laura or us have it. It's called mycoplasma, which is a preliminary form of walking pneumonia that we had last year. Caught early, it goes away fairly quickly.

On the positive side, BrainyBoy v8.97 is back at school today. Tired, a little cough-y, but much better.

(by the way, if you've noticed BrainyBoy's version numbers steadily and inexorably creeping upward lately - understand that his 9th birthday is in about 2 weeks. And he doesn't let us forget)

UPDATE: Tink has the flu. Actually, two flu's - type A and type B. "It's two (click) two (click) two flu's in one!" Laura and I have both had our shots, so we'll see what happens. Actually, so far today she (Tink) hasn't had that high a fever, and none of the other typical symptoms, so we're holding our breath.

Knoxville and Loudoun County schools have been hit hard by the flu and these other illnesses. One local elementary school had 80 kids - 1/4 of their population - out today. Keep us all in your prayers.