Happy Halloween...and hello-o-o-o November!

Before the chance to say it completely disappears, "HAPPY HALLOWEEN" to one and all.

As my first day of intern-ing fast approaches, I need to make this quick so I can get some rest before tearing out of here at 7 a.m. The drive to Dearborn is 40 miles one way (ouch!), and with the morning commuters, it will take roughly an hour - so extra sleep is mandatory. Yikes! My days of falling asleep by 9:45 p.m. are behind me (sadly), and I miss my very early wake-up regimen...but tomorrow will test my ability to follow the command of the freakin' alarm and get out of bed and into action in a timely way. Over the last two months I have slowly migrated away from 6+ years of "training" and habit, and I find myself becoming more sloth-like in the a.m. Maybe this internship will help to get me back in to a better routine. Naaaawwww! [sgnort!]

Anyhow - here are the latest offerings (photographically speaking). Some of the pics were too fuzzy to post, so I apologize to anyone who was looking for something specific and doesn't find it. But, I hope you manage to find something that makes you smile.

I did notice a bit of an alphabetical theme happening as I captioned the pictures. Lots of 'c' words, so I guess this would be a C-average collection. Grant me a little latitude while you read my descriptions, it's late, and I am only thinking about copping some z's.

The day starts out somewhat normally, until you take a closer look.

A

All quiet on the western front.

Tell me if this next picture doesn't look as though DblD is playing Jose's head like a bongo. Seriously. Remember, grant me license to s-t-r-e-t-c-h here.

B

Bongo is Beautiful . . . . . . . Bride of Boogey Man

Pardon the alliteration with this next bevy of beauties.

C

Cheeky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cheesey

Chickie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C.HI.P.PY

I was having a hard time trying to decide who's feet were larger, until I saw these plates of meat (English term for "feet")...

Chachi

Larry, Curly, Moe and Shemp -

- you decide which is which.

D

Dorkscout

Dameon before . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What the Dameon?!

E

The eyes have it! The Madhatter thinks his hair is dreamy (of course), but the ever-exhuberant entourage ogles his eyes. Everybody has an opinion...what's yours?

A picture says a thousand words, like.....

Eeks!

And hopefully, these last two pieces (video-ettes) upload. Happy haunting!

And still more photographic foolishness

So, we are now into week four of the second semester (or, week 12, as the Specs folks call it). Hardly seems possible this second semester is flying by, but I think I am glad it is....otherwise it would all tend to drag. And faster passage of time is a good thing for the time being.

Carlos attacks the Big Green Monster. The only way to tackle the weather, is to do it with "'tude." Lots and lots of 'tude.

What an Engineer sees...

what an engineer doesn't want to see.

One who walks with giants. Or is that "she" who walks with giants? I can never keep that straight.

Oh yeah, sorry.... My bad. Ladies and gentlemen... Without further ado - here are the giants.

With camera work, it isn't so much the size of your camera that matters, it's your composure. It really is. It's your composure...and your sense of direction. And keeping it "out of the lights" (but I tend to think that's some sort of ugly hooker phrase). Oh, and whether you can keep a grip on your hardware. And focus, f-o-c-u-s, FOCUS!

A little more nonsense with the big green monster.

Way to "put your shoulder to it!"

Brendon finds he has lots of friends...at the airport. Hari Krishna!

For crying out loud, Austin! We keep telling you Double D is a nick name... not a bra size. You cheeky bugger. ;^)

Mid-terms happen next week - YIKES! Following those, we begin our graded taped shows in DblD's class. I think it's his class, and the audio production work/time, that just seems to make the week go so fast. The only thing halting the progression is the noise and bad behavior of so many peers. It goes like this, folks:

When the teacher is talking...YOU AREN'T!!! If you have to lean over and ask someone a quick question about what you missed for note taking, do it quietly. It can be done...QUIETLY! Please, try it. Thanks.

Have a great day, and be safe & happy!

As promised, more photographic foolishness [wink wink]

If you are a blogspot blogger, you have probably noticed the foibles (and plain trial and error) in attempting to post photos to text, in order to make it look as though your photos have a natural order. Ha ha ha ha ha ha....sorry, I will try and get myself composed.

So, please, pardon the randomness in the chaos which follows - for it may not have been intentional. It's just, well...in trying to make it look nice (multiple tries at correcting the layout/order of the photo flow), I get cranky and frustrated, and usually throw in the towel while throwing my hands in the air and walking away. Oh, and if the pictures are a little blurry, you can run your mouse over the photo and left click once...the pictures will enlarge on the screen for better viewing. When you are satisfied, you can close THAT larger view by using the left-facing GREEN "BACK" arrow in the upper left corner, and the photo will close, but leave this page open.

ENJOY!

Our day begins with our line-up(s).

And we take our positions.

From the bridge

to the teleprompter

Let me introduce you to a few positions and classmates -

There's Tony and Jill at the newsdesk [below], as seen through the camera lens of Charles "Schnapps" Beleau (did I spell that correctly?). And below them, Scott gets thrasher'd... Katie

Everybody goes through a complete rotation - meaning, you take part in nearly every position over the course of two days...it's nearly foolproof. In a week, we will be doing these show rotations for grades, so we will need to 'dress the part' for two days of the week for the next several weeks, just to be prepared for the possibility of your name ending up in one of the "talent" spots. Of course, there is always the likelyhood of standing in for an absent classmate, too. Preparation is a necessary evil in production. By the way...this photo would illustrate how NOT to dress. :^) Pardon the fuzziness of the photos, pls.

So, from the talent's perspective, this is your view...

...from the newsdesk - of your co-anchor

...and of your sportscaster. By the way - it's all fun and games until you can see yourself on a monitor - then it's AAAarrgghhhh!

And this would be your "birdseye" view of your camera crew, floor director and weather person. Say "hello", Jory. Everybody, say "hello" to Jory.

Let's not forget Elmer Fudd, who showed up to work on camera detail (Aw, damnit), and Gillian B, who likes to fluff and fold before her sports presentation.

Say, now you know what production mushrooms look like!

And still more production mushrooms.

More later...I promise. But for now, I hope you enjoyed these. Cheers!

How can she possibly have more to say?!?!

Well, it's fairly easy. I mean, have you met me, yet? LOL

Today was a day...not hard, just frustrating (oh, but very, very gratifying in many ways). I was flattered by several requests to dub in as a second (and sometimes third) voice for our second project in the audio class. My thanks to Austin, Scott, Tisheena (hi 'sheeners) and Matt for requesting my services - I am honored to be a part of your work. Never have I ever been a more enthusiastic costume-shy, English gum-pimping, bag-pipe licking, lounge sleeze than I was this afternoon. Wahoo! What fun, thank you. And to Lauren as well, for agreeing to be my daughter in my 60-second spot.

Now...if I can just find the time to get my bed mixed and mastered so I can lay my VO on top for a final cut. Austin, I still need to try my hand at tweaking the audio - but thanks for the quick lesson. Very cool!

Dear family, I've tried to insert my first project for your listening pleasure (it is just an audio mix, and I received an A- for the grade), but the blogsite does not accept the file type. So, if you want to hear it, I am afraid you will have to email me and request the small file. I can send it individually and you should have no problems opening it and listening. (Note: Brian says I sound like an NPR voice and not like myself at all.) I hope to be able to post my PSA from first semester here soon, as it was pretty good, even with me in the shot. And, from what I can tell, I should have no troubles posting the video...go figure.

Have a good night, and check back in over the weekend. I will place some new photos here tomorrow, but for now, I am going to put my feet up and get lazy for the evening - it's been a lo-o-o-ng week. Love to all.

Just a few more photos...enjoy!

Let's see....hmmm??

Q: How do you organize chaos and mayhem?

A: You don't...apparently. Oh yeah...btw...nice purse.

Today, I was an olive.

Nothing ventured... nothing gained. Be the olive!

Holy cow! It was a Hollywood surprise moment...and then some!

For all of you Predator fans out there, here's one for you. Bill Duke (http://www.aoffest.com/pop-2.html) made a surprise stop to Specs this morning to speak to the Production Assistant Boot Camp attendees about PA work and film work in general. Two of my RTV-09-07 classmates were also at the class, and Maria got the biggest kick out of Mr. Duke's arrival. I truly think I saw her on Cloud 9 when she realized who it was she was looking at. Double takes became triple takes, and she was as cute as could be when it came time to shake hands and say a few words with him.

I was glad I had downloaded the training booklet, because I was able to take some great additional notes to add to it as Mark Adler spoke. There is so much opportunity 'in the field' that you learn from every new experience and meeting, and I am now more geeked than ever (who'd have thought that possible?) to get into something - anything! The start of the Bible Quiz Bowl gig is really right around the corner, and that will be a worthwhile (and fun) credit to add to my resume. Sunday I will attend the ITVS freebie on writing convincing grant proposal treatments. I should be able to use that information to solicit grant monies from other entities for indie works not strictly for PBS. I think the protocol will be pretty much the same, just different initials on the forms. But what a great way to learn. Many thanks to Grant for turning my attention to the industry copy that made it possible for me to attend the event! :^)

I did not get any clear photos of Mark A, as he is such a moving target. Needless to say, he was entertaining and informational, and pretty well followed the handbook (as downloaded from the website)... so READ IT...LEARN IT...START LIVING IT! But if you are truly itching to see a picture of Mark Adler, you can Google him with great success. He is a huge entity in the Michigan Film Industry, and a linch pin for anything remotely film-oriented.

Oh, and the other gentlemen attending as guest speakers included Jim Haggerty, Bob Binell, Darren Brown (a Specs grad), and Gary Pillon - a 30 year film industry veteran and pioneer. So, while I may have slaughtered their names, there were no slouches in attendance in the cheese-head selection. There was a lot of groovy information passed along, and I was very glad to have been a part of it all. I would like to take a moment to thank the powers that be at Specs for making these opportunities available to us (THANKS!), and to those people who volunteered their time on the early Saturday to set up the rooms and snacks, et.al. (THANKS!) I would have sat in the warm sunny parking lot for that event...but I am so glad we didn't have to. I truly have a better understanding, now, of PA work and expectations. But the Q&A and meet and greet with the additional personalities was priceless.

Ah, yes, the new semester. Have you got a minute?

So we began the new semester (Q2), and we are all terribly excited. [General laughter can be heard from the peanut gallery.] Actually, there is quite a bit of excitement at the prospect of getting a lot more hands-on time in the labs and with the TV studio equipment.

We've begun Radio Promotions, Audio Editing, and Television News Production - not to mention, continuing with Broadcast News Writing... but now that I've mentioned it... howdy, Mr. Stockwell. Much of the class remained intact, but we are down to 40 students - with a lot of absenteeism. Once this quarter is over, and we have declared which way we want to go with the final two semesters (Radio or TV), the size of the class will drop dramatically as the two factions go their seperate ways. These last two weeks we have been chest deep in the actual production of the news - handling the cameras and the bridge in total; teleprompters, VTR, the switcher, CG, and all other positions including, Director and AD roles, etc, etc. Of course, it is ALL scripted, but it is a real eye opener.

I am always amazed at how people can simply refuse to try. The exercises are repeated over and over again with everyone playing a different part. The attitudes and lack of interest are apparent with so many, but then so is the eagerness and desire to learn with so many more. I love the energy of a lot of my peers, and I get a chance to learn from watching and asking questions from some of them. Others are like me, unsure, but not afraid to try. After all, we are there to learn.

The teams we've been running with will be tested, as our instructor for these sessions - Dave Daniele (or "Double D" as he prefers to be called) - is planning on breaking the groups into new teams. I have had probably the best set of the kids with the lesser amount of misfits, but I am afraid this is about to change. I was pleased with conversations yesterday with others who are also completely fed up with the clowning around and could-give-a-crap-attitude of about six to eight of our classmates. Can't wait for the next semester, where (hopefully) the level of earnestness and seriousness rises for all of the people remaining enrolled, not simply for those of us who arrived completely ready to learn about the industry in the first place.

This Saturday is the long-awaited PA seminar! Woohoo! It begins at 9 am and ends around 1 pm, and hopefully will lead to something. If nothing else, I will be more prepared for the last two quarters at SHS. I will keep you informed. Until then. be well and happy.

Doggone it!! Commentators to blogs, please read

If you've sent previous comments to this blog, and you don't see them published, please re-send. I believe the email addy they were forwarded to may have put them into a SPAM folder... and I never sort the SPAM - I just delete it.

So my sincere apologies, and if you wouldn't mind emailing me once more with your comments, I will do my best to read and post them all. Cheers!

Oh, keep this in mind: I just found out that Mac products (or the internet service that is most often utilized by Mac/Apple users) is not compatible for sending comments. I don't know why, but I have not filtered the comments application in any way. Try sending your comments on a PC.

Just a reminder, all quilting photos and blog entries now at: www.truenorthquilter.blogspot.com

Pay the mortgage...pay the electric bill...pay the piper

...the greedy bugger!

Let the piper get a job like everyone else! Speaking of which: I went to a job fair at the school yesterday - very entertaining - and so much better in the attendance department by hopeful employees than the job fairs I went to (larger venues and employer selection) this spring/summer. Makes me want to grab the state by the collar and shake it (and all of the job agencies that will sell you to a company as a resource and take the greater share of the money). Shame on them all. :^p

At any rate, I shook hands with a few characters, a few hiring managers, a couple of representatives who were sent to stand there and represent, and the regular rah rah Army recruiters. Most of the stations there (whether radio or TV) were not hiring per se', but they do encourage internships. Of course there were a few jobs sprinkled here and there, but those were for graduates or others who have some in-the-biz experience - and there were tons of those folks lined up. Truthfully, I did not wait in many of the l-o-n-g-e-r lines, but to those I had the chance to communicate with... THANKS! Thanks for the pointers and the words of encouragement and advise.

There was some interesting swag, and the typical junk. One of my classmates loves swag, so she grabbed everything she could while breezing through! LOL The Army made me take a calendar - so I did, but mostly because I felt sorry for them (nobody stopping to speak with them)... a-a-a-n-n-d because I could not have outrun them if I said "no". Hey! I was in heels.

I did go dressed for conversation, but not in my dressiest work/interview garb. I know, I know... first impressions and all of that. Blah, blah, blah.

I was wearing a professional looking jacket and a clean office-appropriate top, nice slacks and heels (yes, and pantihose), so I looked the part. But it wasn't the standard dark suit/all-business attire I probably would have donned if I had had a proper "invitation" to interview. There's plenty of time for that, I think. Lot's of Marketing and Advertising heads there, and they seemed to plead for someone to want the job(s) they did have available. I talked to enough people to get a feel for what is ahead, and I felt somewhat hopeful... but at the same time, predictably non-plussed. Not certain if that is a good thing. Hhmmmm.

ACTIVITY UPDATES

1) Well, we did get our grades back on Monday, and I managed a 4.0 (assisted a bit by attendance), but still - I am on the Honor Roll or Dean's List, or whatever it is; and my final exams scores were 96%'s to 100%'s, so I am happy. I simply need to retain the knowledge for the next 6 months to make it count!

2) My "internship" with the cable broadcast of a bible quiz bowl show in Dearborn/Detroit begins the first of November (and it will pay a bit... so gas/oil costs are covered, thank you). But, it IS a paying gig, with credits! Yeh!! And before the third semester!!! Ta-da-a-a-ah.

3) Still writing the screenplay, yes, and it is coming along very well. Slower than I would like, but all-in-all, I am putting down on the page what I want to have hit the screen. Twenty more pages and I will send it to Ross for a review, along with my list of questions regarding the formatting, etc.

4) The PA (Production Assistant) Workshop will happen in two weekends, and from what I have seen and heard, this will be as crowded as the job fair yesterday, so I am getting to the building VERY early to get a good seat in front.

5) Still have a lot of books to catalogue and re-box to sell. Please pray the woman in Metamora still wants to buy them (or the bulk of them). Plus, when the books are fully catalogued, etc., I will be able to park in the garage for the winter! Woohoo! (Many thanks to my little brother for adjusting my garage door and troubleshooting the issues we had trying to get it to close.

6) And when Rhonda is ready to roll, I am still on the chain gang for her movie production. The more knowledge I acquire during the wait, the more help I will be for her on the crew. So, looking forward to that whole process.

My cousin Scott, and his lovely bride Laura, were wed on Saturday, in a beautiful setting in Manchester. The weather was almost perfect for October, with the exception of high humidity. But, since it wasn't cold or raining, it was a beautiful day. Just really, really sticky with the hot temps. All of the aunts and uncles were there, as were most of the cousins (Scott's peers), and my secret desire is to upload photos into this blog of mine by the end of the weekend... so anyone reading can grab a copy of the cute family photos - the cuzzy cuzzes (cousins), the entire clan (save the bride and groom), and the Gram with her off-spring. So cool. Still waiting for the four generation shot from the photog (who, unfortunately for him, was sitting on the patio, in the dark), when we all went out there to get the last photos before the Ludwigs had to go. By the way, thanks to them for putting up with the last minute request.

OK, that's it for now. I have some things I need to do before getting out of here for class. New Wednesday schedule, and all. Oh, and my sewing machine is fixed and ready for pick-up, so I am really needing some extra time for me. My love to all, and thanks for reading. I will have a son update soon, although most of you saw them over the weekend, so there's not much to tell. TTFN

Welcome to October

Oh for crying out loud! Who opened the door and let October in?

I am only kidding. No, really, I love fall..... the smells, the beautiful colors..... oh, and let's not forget apple cider and cake donuts! Make room in the fridge for those jugs of cider. Oooooo-weeeee! And there are those new-to-Michigan folks in class, & I am thinking that introducing them to this Michigan institution is in order. Yes it's an 'institution', where have you been all your life? There's nothing like a lovely donut and a crisp, tart glass of Michigan grown and pressed cider to get your taste buds rocking.

I am in day three of the week off (between semesters), and the to-do list I assembled of really important things to accomplish, well... I can forget about at least three-quarters of it. Over the weekend I managed to aggravate a hernia condition, and this afternoon I must go in to a gastroenterologist / specialist to have it looked at. Without insurance, it will literally be a poke in the gut, as allowing them to do xrays or an ultrasound is soooo out of the question. Couple the hernia with my "check engine" light now on, and you have one nervous cat in a room full of rockers. LOL It is true... "it never rains, but it pours!"

Does someone have a rather large umbrella? I may need to borrow it for a little while. If you can say a prayer for a car - or, rather for the repairs to be minor and inconsequential in cost - please do. I can use all of the help I can get.

Welcome to October - where change is inevitable, but the flavor is delicious!