Nevada Plaque to DMC August 2000

Yep. Television can make all the difference in the world. So, you want to see a REALLY AWESOME #ThrowBackThursday clip?? FINALLY found it, after looking for it for YEARS! In August of 2000, a nasty fire known as the Arrowcreek Fire almost destroyed south Reno. The following week, I suggested in a live shot, on the air, that the Nevada Government ( along with the city of Reno and the mayor Jeff Griffin ) celebrate and honor all firefighters throughout the state in some kind of ceremony. The following week, that very thing happened, with the Mayor dedicating that week to all firefighters with a plaque for the ones in attendence. What I didn't know was I too was about to get one. . .AND on the air. Enjoy!

Edward Van Halen's "Rasta Guitar" brought in by Dweezil Zappa | Part 2

More Guitar History, with Dweezil Zappa!

The White Stuff of the Unknown

It's 1:45 am

I'm up. 

8 hours earlier, I received the following text:

" Hey Dave? Can you make it in at 2:45 am, for snow coverage? 

Every winter/fall, there is the traditional weather coverage routine. To be fair, I've never understood what the deal is when it comes to weather coverage. Call me a " weather rock " but rainy/snowy conditions don't really need to be seen on an app to know what the weather is going to be like. I like my weather people giving me updates. In fact, I used to LOVE watching the Weather Channel in the mornings, before heading to college, every weekday morning. Something about those very cool weather ladies, dressed to the nines, telling us that eminent doom is around the corner, with the " storm of the century " coming and we should be prepared. Cut to the New Age music with BIG white numbers! 

Have to shake my head. It's 1:50 am. I get up, thoughts running wild as I get dressed in the dark. Thank goodness, I prepared my gear, clothes, lunch, and fill-in-the-blank-here the night before. Wait. . . can't forgot to get the ole boots laying in the laundry room, the ones that have been there since the last time I covered snow. And there is the chili that my darling wife made last night. Hmm. . . could steal some of that.

For those who wish to know what it's like to work as a TV journalist, getting up and heading out the door, in the early am, gets more challenging as we get older. It's not that we don't get excited about covering news ( we actually do! ). It's the amount of preparation for the news that almost slows us down. And there is A LOT to prepare in order for us to get our live shots and live morning shows up and running. Everyone has their roles. But. . . there are days where we HAVE to be Indiana Jones: Have makeshift tools ready to go JUST IN CASE we have to improvise. When it comes to covering weather out in the field, it's simple: Be prepared for the worst and work out ( in your mind ) a back up plan.

Mother Nature could care LESS about what the news stations want to cover. 

2:05: Juiced up, no time for mail or social media checks. Brushed, pet the softly purring Kittie ( who is curled up in the aforementioned boots because she LOVES the smell ) and brushed teeth result in me kissing the wife and kids. It's like a prayer for them, to have an excellent day ahead, this ritual of mine. No one wants to be kissed with bad breath, though. However, they're all asleep so the ickies coming out of my mouth won't stay for long. 

2:09 am: Grab the bags, the extra gear, the lunch ( uh oh. . . missing the chili from the night before--guess I have to buy a mocha at Starbucks ). Up and out the door by 2:10. Yep, I'm fast.
Slow drive to work, one of the best parts of my day. Takes about 40 minutes, long enough to play one entire CD, which was chosen the night before. It's usually something from John Coltrane, Dream Theater, Miles Davis, Katy Perry or Van Halen ( yep, gotta get my brain working FAST ). There is no option B. Well, maybe NPR's Morning Edition. 

Arrive at the station at 2:43 am. Head inside, fill my tea, while wishing my Noble producers a hearty " good morning. " These are MY people, the ones who push me to excel, the same folks who want me to deliver the goods EVERY SINGLE TIME without fail. And I love them for it. These are the true heroes of the news business, the people who have to improvise scripts in MILLISECONDS, because a story fell through or there needs to be something that can fill 30 additional seconds. I love these ladies and gents. They are the real deal. I have my favorites, of course. No names. Want a clue? It's the ones who believe in me. They all do. They NEED me to be at my best, from the moment I step in the newsroom. I'm not quite there yet. But their belief in me sets the fire. 

Pick my reporter who is either 1.) NOT HAPPY we are covering snow. Or--in most cases--2.) Happy but we need to stop at a Starbucks en route ( ah, here's where I can get that mocha AND maybe a cookie ). Truth be told, I so wish I could have live GoPro cameras switched on ALL the time while inside a live truck. The stories I could tell. . . . Some folks don't believe me when it comes to these stories. That's all right. Some things should remain private, I suppose. But I could tell you about the GUILTY parties and their ridiculous gossip, for a price ( haha ).

Head up the hill after a LONG process of getting my gear inside a live truck, the interior of which is smaller than a Volkswagen Bug. With all of the extra camera/truck gear, space is limited. Which does not help in the long term ( everything eventually gets wet and has to be dried off ). Nevertheless. the stop at a Starbucks is a good sign. I get my mocha ( and cookie) and my reporter is humming along to the radio. The song playing ( don't laugh ) is AC/DC's " Highway To Hell. " Yep, this does happen--perfect timing. Now, I'm worried. 

The process of driving in the snow is not meant or intended to y my management with my safe and slow drive time. No, it is about NOT GETTING HIT from some reckless drivers who feel 55 miles per hour should be the proper speed when four wheeling in the deep highway snow. Again, I could tell you who really drives this way. But why spoil the surprising facts, right? Sometimes, I understand why a few people use the term fake news. They simply don't want to hear the facts. 

Set up time after parking. The drive took 90 minutes. Found a spot and we're FIVE minutes away from making our " slot "( sections of the newscasts running the stories ).  Now, here is where it gets REALLY intense: My station has TWO morning shows, running together. That means two different producer booths ( the central brains for how the shows are produced and aired ) have producers who are scrambling to get my live shots in for their slots. And, they are on my ass. They need my shots in less than 30 seconds. My Nextel is screaming for me as well while setting up in the snow. One of the producers reminds me to get snow video ( " because the night crews didn't get any video " ). Another texts me phone numbers to use so that we can talk and hear our producers. Finally, more Nextel calls, this time coming from other personnel telling me that our main network in New York NEEDS my shots up PRONTO for the network morning news on the East Coast. Keep in mind, I'm ankle deep in snow, my reporter is getting her makeup on, my gear is getting wet ( while I'm recording video from the aforementioned request  ), the truck is making ALL KINDS of strange noises ( uh oh ) and I can feel my heart rate JUMP from 77 beats per minute to 120 BPM in less than three seconds. And, can't forget the large amount of NOISE while setting up, coming from the larger 18 wheeler trucks that are chained up, driving ever so close to us ( well, we're parked safely but the truckers want to see who the reporter is ), all the while covering the WHITE STUFF of the unknown ( basically, toward Nevada from California ). Ah great. My top light is not working. I need another mocha. Gonna be a LONG day ahead. 

Cut to three hours later. My feet have frozen, my boogers are everywhere ( that's not water on my face ), my reporter needs to use the bathroom, my batteries need charging,my trail mix has spilled everywhere in the messay live truck ( thank God for that cookie ) and the CHP drives by and tells me to turn off any lights I've used for my live shots ( just as the producers scream at me to keep them turned on for " weather bumps " ). Oh, joy. It's another day up in the snow. But it's not all bad. How so?

There is an alluring sense of serenity when seeing and feeling snow. I can't properly explain it but I can try. 

When all is calm and you're surrounded by the soft and cold powder, it elevates your being. There is some so captivating about it. It's like you are in a land of zero prejudice. These moments don't come enough. But when they do come, I feel like I've transcended to another heavenly level. The scenery takes me away. I can breathe NEW air when these moments happen. Like Nature's ghost inspiring me to have spatial experiences not in my wildest imagination. The feeling close to it is like that moment when you fall in love with someone. You can't explain it, you just feel it. That comes close to explaining this transcendence. I've heard so many people who HATE these moments. It's too cold or too wet, they say. But this meditation is only available when you relax and let go. Like calling out to God and falling backward while hoping He/She catches you. Maybe that is the real deal when it comes to faith. I'm not a religious man. But there is not much choice in atheism, in order to qualify these meditative moments. 

I shake my thoughts and realize I have close to a few hours left. The 8:30 am hour is the where I have to put it in high gear. I have to shoot and edit new material for the noon show. Plus, I have no idea if I am going to have overtime or not ( in most cases, I do need OT for drying off items, editing additional video for other outlets and preparing for the next crew to take over my current live truck ). Also, my reporter wants me to stop somewhere for another bathroom run ( we do drink LOTS of water to keep from feeling dehydrated ). 

It never really ends until it ends. At the close of my day, after working from 2:45 am to about 12:30 pm-nonstop-I am BEAT. Mother Nature puts me to the test every time when I do these " runs. " But at the end of my day, I come home to a loving wife who has already turned the bed sheets down for me. She is knee deep in getting our kids to do their home work. She deserves the wife of the century award for this. There is one universal truth: Kids DO NOT like homework. 

It's about time for bed. After all, by the time I prepare my stuff, help the wife, hug the kids, clean the litter box, dry out my gear and clothes, pack a new lunch ( ah, there's the chili, right where I left it ), it's close to 3:30 pm. 

As I lay in bed, slowly drifting to sleep, I think about those silent moments of transcendence. I reflect and wonder at the joy of having those experiences. With the price of noise and distraction comes the peaceful result of serenity. The news business can unforgiving in the negative and sometimes affirms the positives in life. But Nature is another world unto itself. It does not care about skin color, politics or people. You yield to Nature. It's that simple. 

Asleep, in a matter of seconds. Dreaming of the White Unknown. 

And that's your news, until tomorrow. . . 

David 

Edward Van Halen's "Rasta Guitar" brought in by Dweezil Zappa | Part 1

Being a guitar buff is fun, especially when players know some details about their hero's guitars. Here's one of my favorites, Dweezil, talking 'bout Van Halen.

News of the day.

" Ugh. I HATE the news. . .it's always negative. " 

This little sentence, composed in one form or a slight variation of this, is spoken in many of my TV Land travels. Even after decades of travel and covering THOUSANDS of positive, community driven uplifting stories, I still see and hear viewers criticizing the news business. 

If these folks only saw what happens. . . 

So, what is the news for today, I hear you ask?

It's no secret the news covers many negative stories. From death and destruction, to fires and flood, we in the news business have to cover almost of these things which hurt ( sometmes even kill people ) that ultimately change us forever. And it affecs all of us, yes, even affects those in the business. Deeply. 

However, let's examine some things, for the sake of clarity. 

News, by it's nature, is NOT only about bad stuff. It is the communication of important information on events or people,  for you to know. It is INFORMATION only. And when a community is informed of these events, then the viewers ( or even readers ) have the option to take that info and make usage of it. To this very day, there are a few ( no names to protect the guilty ) who truly believe that fake news is a real thing. 

In short, there is no such thing as fake news (expect some future blogs on that little subject soon ). How do you fake information that is sent out by professionals?

Here's a great example: 

One summer morning, in 2016, I covered a house fire that occurred in South Sacramento. The cause for that fire, as seen by the first responders when they arrived, had to do with candles left burning overnight. Of course, somehow, the candles were not blown out before the residents went to sleep and the result was a total loss of that home. Luckily, the residents were able to flee in time and get out before the fire crews showed up. 

When we cover stories like this, the FIRST thing I listen to is the sound of smoke alarms going off. Sounds weird, but stick with me. The reason for this tact has to do with the upcoming question(s) I will be asking the fire deartment Chief, who is the usual person the media speaks to when getting information on fire. And, on this particular morning, the Chief informed the few of us camera folk that a smoke alarm was found and was not working. At all. 

In other words, it was a miracle the folks got out when they did. 

You would be surprised to know that even with all of the modern technologies we have in our society today, a basic smoke alarm is almost always not regarded highly. It's a VERY important responsibility to check on your alarms. And these alarms need battery changes, every few months. It doesn't hurt to " test " the alarms every few weeks, just in case. 

So, in the composition process of editing a story like this, camera people, along with a steady group of professional producers/anchors and production personel will edit/present a story like this with an emphasis on the smoke alarm not working in the first or second sentence of the story. Why do we do this? Simple: It's reminding everyone to ( highlighted for importance ) to PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SMOKE ALARM. This approach has nothing to do with being negative and everything to do with helping get the word out on smoke alarms saving lives. 

In this case, I was able to get to the " scene " early and get flames coming out of the house, with some footage of residents standing outside unable to move and rescue their home from flames. I got video of the Chief interview and sent back the important moments where he stated the smoke alarm was not working by the time the fire crews got to the scene. We used all of this footage of course. You could, dear reader, call this process gate keeping--the process of sending back certain information without the full picture. But the way I composed my shots had more to do with presenting the story as a reminder of the importance of smoke alarms ( most of my shots had flames coming out of the roof including shots of crews bringing out burned out materials ). I never shoot video of people crying. A loss like this is impossible to capture fully on camera. 

Having been in the news myself a long time ago, when it came to my own loss of someone important, I never forgot what it feels like when a camera and microphone is stuck in front of one's face. It's not paradise. And I'm lucky enough to have that experience which helps me get interviews with others. It's always good to be considerate when it comes to interviews. So, I approached the residents with my camera facing away from them. In the case of fires, people who survive them are in shock mode. Interestingly enough, I was able to get interviews with the aforementioned residents, one of which was holding a little dog, shivering. And they all spoke to me. 

In the end, my station came away with a story that changed lives. But in the presentation of this story, we all knew we did a story where the viewer could make changes to their lives, by simply paying attention to smoke alarms. There was nothing negative in the presentation but something positive in the end on human lives being saved by the skin of fate's teeth. 

There was nothing fake in this story. It was real and it happened. And my station did the right thing by covering the story for our community. 

But, what happens after we transmit a story like this? We simply send it out, make corrections as the story " progresses " ( i.e. the resulting investigation into the fire ) and go about our day. Sometimes, we get special updates on these stories, such as donational efforts to help these familes from fires. 

As a result, we always go out of our way to producer and update these kind of stories. But we never forget the importance of telling everyone how vital information is to our communities. We may never get it right ALL THE TIME. But we work hard , at my station at least, to make sure you know how to start and end your day right. 

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is your news for the day. 

Until tomorrow. . .
David 

Back to writing

Ah, back to typing with both hands. Full time. 

The way the keys feel under my fingers, the stress of finding ideas for sentences and the beautiful rhythm of typing the keys so that the right words appear in nanoseconds. It's nice to be able to write out thoughts under faster paces and hope you, dear readers, can find comfort in my ideas. Maybe I could make a difference in your life. 

I haven't been back to the blog due to some recent changes in my life. Just under four months ago, I was involved in an accident that rendered my left hand on the side lines. It became a challenge to type/move items/do anything without the full usage of my left hand. 

But thanks to patient family, encouraging co-workers and friends and wonderful physical therapy sessions, tonight I am finally back to typing up materials. Full time. 

Whew!

So how goes it, dear readers? Are things good so far, for your 2019? We're already the second month in and things are going great for me. I started back on my guitar playing full time two weeks ago. Toastmastery? I was writing speeches out but missed the typing sensation of seeing the words appear in fine print. 

Have LOTS to work on for this month. And, of course, there are serious plans that I have ignored. But, like I said before, LOTS of things have changed in my life. 

I guess you could say that this Peter Pan is finally growing up. 

Stay Tuned. . . .

Santana - In Search of Mona Lisa (EPK)

#Santana #NewMusic