Love of my Life

Behind every great man is a greater woman. I’m far from great but I definitely have a great wife. Ember is always there when I need her and is very understanding of my job. She is supportive when I start talking about going on some not so safe assignments like covering hurricanes. Even though she is worried about my safety while I’m gone, doesn’t sleep well and has to get up earlier than normal to take care of the pets she always tells me to go. She even gave me her blessing to be an embedded photographer with an artillery unit of the 101st during the beginning of the Iraq war. I think she was worried sick the whole time I was gone.
I love her so much and I don’t know what I would do without her. I learn something new from Ember all the time but she made me laugh last night after reading my blog entry. I made mention of wireless internet connections or a wifi hotspot. When I got home Ember asked me, what is a wiffee? I smiled and explained it is pronounced whyfi. Just another reason why I am crazy in love with her.

I'm Back

I'm sorry for not getting back to my blog sooner. I left last Thursday on a trip to Louisiana for hurricane Rita coverage and did not have internet access. I became spoiled on the Katrina trip because we had a wifi hot spot at the satellite truck we were using. During Rita, News 2 sent our own satellite truck for us which was awesome.
I know some of you might be wondering how the vj concept was implemented on this trip. News 2 sent three vjs, Neil Orne, Alex Lucas and me. Our main goal was to help our sister station KLFY in Lafayette, Louisiana. We also did group live shots for many of the Young Broadcasting stations (a live shot where more than one station across the country tunes in at the same time to have Neil do a live shot for them). We arrived in Lake Charles, LA as one of the first tv crews in the area and were even there before the fire department was back in the area. The first thing we did was find a live location that offered shelter from the tropical force winds. We found a wind break at the Lake Charles Civic Center which later became the hq for the flooded fire department and also media central as more than a dozen sat trucks later showed up.
Once on the scene, Alex ran the camera for Neil's live shots while I gathered video from the area. We ended up doing live shots for the rest of the day. On Sunday, Neil and I worked together and Alex did a few vj stories that were really good. Alex is a good writer and I hope to be as fast as he is when I'm writing my stories. Since our primary goal was to assist our sister station, we did a lot of live shots on the trip and we didn't have the chance to split up and each turn a story.

With a few more hurricane trips under our belts, Neil and I will have the drill down. We come back with better ways to get things done after each trip. If you get a chance go to Neil's blog and read his perspective.

Big Joe

I have found a new respect for my friend Joe Dubin. Joe has always done well at anything he sets his mind to. I'm always laughing around him. Joe has made some down right hilarious Tennessee Titans promos in the past.

Since I started blogging I have been reading Joes blog. He is a great writer. His entries are relevant and funny. If you have not been reading Big Joe on the Go's blog, check it out and set your bookmark to it because you will want to visit daily like I do.

wifi

Don't you love technology? I'm sitting at a pizza shop eating lunch and writing this blog while connected to the internet. I love it. I have been assigned a beat area to cover so today I'm meeting people around town and getting story ideas. I don't have many contacts yet so this time has been valuable. In the old days, I would not be able to check my email until the end of the day. Now, the internet is a useable tool while away from your desk.

I know a few places already where I can use wireless internet connections. If you know of a business that offers wifi, please let me know.

A Proverb

I read this the other day and thought I would pass it on.
Proverbs 21:13 says, Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard.

Life

Life is not fair! I’m sure we have all heard that statement before. I trust God to lead me where I need to go, play the cards dealt to me and keeping moving forward. Whining or complaining isn’t good for anyone so I try not to do it.

I would like the attitude around News 2 to be like a sports team. An underdog team that everyone expects to beat easily, until they face us and realize they have seriously underestimated our team. I think we are on the way to that attitude around here. As a staff, we were blind sided by the switch to video journalist. I have been a video journalist for nine weeks and I still like it. Those who didn’t want to do the vj thing have moved on and that is okay too. I would much rather work beside someone who is happy with their job!

If you have a good attitude and see the glass is half full, then send me your resume and I will be happy to put in a good word for you.

The feedback from friends and people on the street has been really good. I think our audience likes the changes they are seeing on the news.

Last Thursday

Here are a few images from last week at Camp Causeway. It hardly seems like a week ago.

More Pics

The dog is one part of a family that Davis Nolan rescued. He drove two dogs and a couple all the way to Nashville where they found an open hotel room. The other shot is a picture of the satellite truck we used and the rv that saved our rear ends.

On the Lighter Side

I told you the sad part of the New Orleans trip so I thought I would share a funny moment. Last Thursday, after a long, hard, sweaty day, Davis took a shower and put on clean clothes. Next thing I know, he is out of the rv doing what Davis does best, constantly looking for ways to help people. As usual, it didn't take Davis long to find someone in need of help. One of the ABC affiliate crews got their car stuck in the mud so Davis tried to keep innocent bystanders clean by blocking the mud splatter with his body .
He came back to the rv and told us what had happened and we all had a much needed laugh.

Home Again

The trip to New Orleans proved to be the hardest assignment I have ever been on. During the last ten years I have witnessed the aftermath of countless storms and even seen the loss of life. I’ve felt sadness and been touched by those stories in the past but the trip to Louisiana hit me like a ton of bricks. I wasn’t prepared for it!
I believe the combination of several ingredients came together and reached a boiling point early Friday afternoon. Friends calling with names and numbers of people missing from the area who I wasn’t able to track down, wanting to help the evacuees but not being able to do anything for them, feeling guilty because I was sleeping in an air-conditioned RV with a home to go to and seeing pets abandoned because they weren’t allowed in shelters.
My wife Ember, gives me a hard time because I don’t show any emotion. The lack of emotional displays was involuntarily changed for me last Friday. While talking with Neil Orne and Karen Carlson, a reporter from Los Angeles, I was overcome with sadness. I started crying and couldn’t stop. I called my wife and cried even harder. I told Ember I loved and missed her and after hearing her voice I felt a better.
Since being home I’ve been able to tell my story a few times which has been good medicine. I can finally talk about the experience without tearing up. Please keep the evacuees and rescue workers in your prayers.

Devestation

We had another long day today but it’s nothing compared to what people down here in Louisiana. I have nothing to complain about. I was walking through a neighborhood looking at the destruction and I felt the emotion welling up inside me.
We were able to offer a little help to a few. News 2 sales staff hooked us up with extra water to hand out and we were able to give water to a few families that needed it. It wasn’t much but it helped in a small way. I have a list of names and phone numbers of people to call and tell them their loved ones are okay. Cell services has been non existent for the most part. We got into New Orleans around 3pm and found cell service but it has been spotty because of the volume of calls going on.
We are at the spot were people are being evacuated from the city. There are about 1500 people waiting to get on a bus to Houston, TX. I have never seen any thing like it.
The picture is Carol Weller finding a destroyed Bible that meant a lot to her.
ps. please pardon mistakes because I am not getting much rest.