Fantasy Madness

No the sign says it all. I am into fantasy football and that time has come again. The time where junkies all over the world would buy magazines and go online to play football with teams formed by the figments of our imagination. Teams known as TheSteelCurtain, TITAN4LIFE, or thewhodatnation take to the internet in search of bragging rights, a cash prize, and trophies usually given out to little leaguers.

For us it means our return to the fantasy realm. It means stat sheets, roster updates, and watching for the slightest edge that will bring us the joy of success. It has been four years since we last played this and our competitiveness was dying to get out. We have the usual cast of characters plus a few new faces and this should be fun. Just have to remind myself it’s just a game.

Who am I kidding, if it comes down to me and XRAY TED that would be a matchup of biblical proportions.

$$$$$ From Heaven

So I'm nearing the end of 12 straight days at the Raggedy and as luck would have it I end up going to Metro Council. Joy was just pouring from my face. Once the 3 hour marathon ended, with nothing to show for it, it was time to get some dinner. I was going to settle for the meeting feast of M&M’s and a Dr. Pepper but I decided to walk across the street instead. That may have been the 2nd best decision of the day.

While heading to the Golden Arches I look down near the front door and stumble across this…..
That’s right $40 just laying there on the walk way. My first reaction is that this cannot be happening. A pair of Andrew Jackson’s just resting there in a time where penny pinching may become the next Olympic sport. Once I realize that Ashton Kutcher nor his camera crew wasn’t in the area I pocket the money then start thinking that I just picked up an extra four Hamilton’s. Now what to do with it?

Buy 40 cheeseburgers? Nah, been losing weight besides the grilled chicken salad was better for me. Hey can go pick up the new fantasy football guide? That wasn’t an option since I already had one. I know make a fast trip to the Gold Club. No, Stormy Daniels wasn’t in town however I wonder if I can still write that off as a campaign donation.

Here’s what I do know? Someone is looking down on me and has given me opportunity to something good. I’m open to ideas, did you know?

Slim Pickings

As I drove to the Raggedy there was only one thought that would pop up in my mind, what in the world are we going to do today? The weekend is always slim pickings since the who’s who of sound bites were trying to enjoy what little freedom they had with Monday fast approaching. I recall that Saturday was bad so Sunday was going to be worse when it came to finding something to put on television. If you don’t believe me just ask the Nubian Princess. Although we got some free snow balls when it was all said and done.

Once I meet up with C-Line she could only conjure up two ideas. One would involve a proposed mass transit system that was scrapped because of some unwanted scrutiny. The other would be a trip to the Purple and Gold faithful as they get ready to embark on another semester of broadening their minds and exploring the opportunities to better prepare themselves for the real world. Since we didn’t get a call back for the first idea, we headed to LSU to follow the kids getting ready for the first day of school. Almost got away without doing any first day of schools stories, oh well it was going to happen sooner or later.

So as we roll past the clock tower, we were still pondering about what angle to take with this? What will get people interested in parents getting ready to send their pride and joy away for four years? The economy is still trying to gain strength. Colleges across the state have to tighten their belts some have increased tuition to make their budget, while students have to be more frugal during these times. Then an idea came to us faster than a pop quiz in chemistry, what is the one thing that the kids have to get?

Textbooks.

They have to get the books for the classes they are taking. Granted some of the prized literature may by online but most are in hardback, if you’re lucky you may find a paperback.

We catch a break. Grab some kids having to cough up some extra cash and get the books with hefty price tag attached to them. Now we had to hope the Turdpolisher left some “Turd El Wax” in the edit bay. We scrapped the sides of the jar for this one but it turned out to be a good piece.

The weekend tour is in the bag, now I have to wonder what Monday will bring the Raggedy’s way.

Posts of the Past

It’s been said that the sins of the past can come back and haunt your future. The things we do today will affect you tomorrow. If you forgot to clean the fridge then odds are that your kitchen will have unique odor. If you ran all over the house without taking "Spot" out for a walk then he’ll probably leave you an unwanted present when you get home.
This can be applied to the people who use the social networking sites, Facebook, My Space, Twitter, etc. All are wonderful tools to help connect with friends and family. But now you have to careful with what you put on the “world wide web”. The social sites are now being used by employers who look for more intel on their potential employees. Is it right or wrong, that's debatable. However more than just the eyes of those you trust are now watching.

This gets me back to that whole what whole past affecting the future thing. Turns out that the Super Model, has an interest in doing a story on the social network issue. The question, how do we put it together? Got to find someone who’s saying “ be cautious” on the sites then find a small business owner who has no interest in that practice. Too bad driving around the metro area isn’t as fast as typing a web address. Once the interviews were in the can our next challenge, making all of this make sense. Naturally you get some pics of the sites but what adding a little extra smoke to this piece. Another spur of the moment that made for decent television.

Now is you excuse me I got update my Facebook page, did you know?

GO Time

Nothing beats a little rest to recharge your battery, even if it was a couple of days to extend the weekend. No meetings, no crime tape, no flashing lights, no Pookey and the Gang, and no XRAY TED, almost. Alas, all good things must come to an end. Time to get back into the swing of things. Football season is right around the corner, that means Sportsline. The sweeps months will always present their challenges. And you never know what just might pop up at a moment’s notice. Time to saddle up for the long haul, did you know?

Cross The Line - Part 3

Normally, after shooting a great wrestling show then hanging out with the lovely Velvet Sky, one of the TNA Knockouts, would be the icing on the cake. Turns out that was a close, and I mean close second.
What I was really waiting for was the chance to put this story together. I really needed to put this one together. I’ve been stuck in a serious rut lately. There have not been too many memorable stories to sink my teeth into. Mostly it’s been yellow crime tape, people sitting around tables, and bunch of talking heads. Maybe that’s why there is extra padding at the asylum.

I knew how I wanted to put this one together. The biggest challenge wasn’t going through all of the video or logging the sound, but convincing our resident daredevil to let me handle this one. Any other time Darin Erin would handle the editing duties but after some dealing I got to take the reins on this one.

It was a couple a late nights, a bunch of quick edits, and tweaks in the audio that lead to one cool piece of television. Stories like this are few and far between and I was glad to cross the line, did you know?

Cross The Line - Part 2

Normally when wrestling decides to pay the Raggedy a visit, I’m looking to score seats so close to the action that I could do a run in for one of the matches. However, the stars of TNA and a certain daredevil had other plans.
Turns out the promotion literary opened the doors for us. I’m guessing it is part of their act to be fan interactive. What would you expect when they are prominent on the social networks. Cranking out match by match results in the six sided ring while proclaiming to the world that the revolution of pro wrestling was upon us. This time they took it to the next level by offering Darin Erin a chance to manage one their top draws in the promotion. That meant that someone had to shoot the festivities. Looks like all the years of watching on television and the re enactments in the sports department were paying off.
It’s one thing to watch from the comforts of home or from seats in the arena. It is a different beast when you have to shoot all of the clotheslines and sleeper holds during the event. This wasn’t the first time I was up close and personal. I remember when members of the famous group called “The Band” traveled to Galliano, La., for an independent promotion from the swamp. Some local guys and gals from the bayou were looking to make their mark in the industry. There is a lot those performers have to go through. I wonder if any of theme are still at it and if they made it one of the other indy promotions. That day there were two photographers, XRAY TED and myself. This time I have to go solo but it was worth it.
Can’t give away any of the storyline right now. All I can say is that Darin Erin handled herself quite well. Now if you will excuse me, got to go to the edit bay since I have a lot of video to sort through, did you know?

New Art

Like I said before, I’m always open to new experiences. However, who would have thought a brush, a blank piece of pottery, and some paint would be the latest revelation.

It all started when C-Line invited us out and one of things she likes to do is paint pottery. Little did I know how addictive this would become? Go in to the store select your subject, pick some colors, grab a table, then go where your imagination takes you.

However, this is similar to what we do five days a week. We take a glob of clay, or idea, draw out how we’re going to put it together, add some color, then show it off to the world. Only it’s a lot more chaotic.

It is nice to go at a slower pace. Carefully going over every detail of your work. No worrying about scanners, live shots, deadlines, or Pookey and Ray Ray. It’s just you and the pottery.

Now granted, I’m no Picasso but I’ll put my work on my mantle, did you know?

Cross The Line - Part 1

There has been who’s who that has walked through the door of the Big Raggedy. A number of celebrities, countless politicians, and a ton of athletes have graced the padded walls of the asylum. Hell even the Saintsations have paid us a visit. I need to find that picture. Anyway, back to the entry.

Today was no exception. Turns out a new wrestling promotion, known as TNA, is doing a tour and the Raggedy, along with a certain dredevil, was in their sights. No sooner than you could put together a storyline with a few headlocks a plan was in the works for a weekend house show.

I’ll have more on this in another blog entry, did you know?

The Fuzzy Cam Returns

Expressions of joy are raining down upon me. After a three-month hiatus, my trusted fancy cam is back from the shop. Ah, thank goodness. I missed the little things about this rig. The ability to macro some shots. Being able to shoot in low light areas. In addition, it is nice to reset the time code generator after an assignment.
While I welcome the Big Fuzzy back, I must say good-bye to the Micro Fuzz. I had some good stories with this one. We roamed the halls of the capital, demolished a house, hung out with models, and kept state agencies honest.
Now that she is ready, it’s time get reacquainted. Good thing I kept my back and shoulder in shape, did you know?

The First Steps

When you do something long enough you are going to see many faces come and go through the revolving door. Eventually you are going to garner the attention of the young interns who want to make their mark in this business. Some just go through the motions to get a grade in class. Some just want to become famous without getting their hands dirty. Then there are the select few that have the desire to good in television. That’s where my girl Mallory comes in.

She is one of the special few that has a desire to be a journalist not just someone who wants to look good in front of the camera. Last year she walked through the door of the Raggedy with nothing but determination and passion to become successful. Always willing to come in early and stay late to help better herself. Always asking questions on how this works or what can I do differently to make things better? I knew she had something special in her.

Now she’s graduated from school and is now working at the ABC in Jackson, TN. All of her hard work is starting to pay off. I’m thankful that I helped played a part in her career. I have a feeling she'll make a big splash down the road.

Nothing's Going On

Whoa? It’s August already? The year is flying by. My apologies for the lack of posting on the Forum. It’s a good thing I don’t paid by the entry since Congress is starting to clamp down on all the bailout money being dished out.

However, there really hasn’t been anything to blog about. There are so many times I can talk about Pookey shooting Ray Ray. Ray Ray shooting Pookey. Moreover, Pookey and Ray Ray shooting someone else. Lately the night shift has produced nothing but budget cuts, problems with a high end strip mall, and a ton of council meetings.

July has come and gone now it is August’s turn to step up to the plate. The month is young but I have a feeling that some strange events will be worth scribing about, did you know?