Wednesday, September 7, 2011
My Favorite Sports Teams and athletes....
While I have favorite teams, some teams I like to follow as well....
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
First and foremost, IOWA HAWKEYES.....
I also follow LSU and UNLV. I sometimes keep track of San Diego State, Army, Texas A & M, and Maryland.
NFL
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS.
My wife and her family has got me following and a deeper appreciation for the Chicago Bears.
BASEBALL
Various: Tampa Bay Rays, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, and San Diego Padres.
NBA BASKETBALL
No real team. Casual interest in the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers (before and AFTER Lebron), and the L.A. Lakers.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
IOWA HAWKEYES AND ALL MISSOURI VALLEY TEAMS.
Also UNLV.
HOCKEY
Chicago Blackhawks
SOCCER
U.S. National Soccer teams and Hull City over in England.
AUTO RACING
KEVIN HARVICK
Some interest in Danica Patrick and I will be happy when Dale Jr. wins a race. Hopefully not at the expense of Kevin.
TENNIS
Roger Federer
GOLF
Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Zach Johnson.
TV WRESTLER
HHH and The Undertaker. Yaa yaa yaa, I know.....
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
First and foremost, IOWA HAWKEYES.....
I also follow LSU and UNLV. I sometimes keep track of San Diego State, Army, Texas A & M, and Maryland.
NFL
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS.
My wife and her family has got me following and a deeper appreciation for the Chicago Bears.
BASEBALL
Various: Tampa Bay Rays, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, and San Diego Padres.
NBA BASKETBALL
No real team. Casual interest in the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers (before and AFTER Lebron), and the L.A. Lakers.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
IOWA HAWKEYES AND ALL MISSOURI VALLEY TEAMS.
Also UNLV.
HOCKEY
Chicago Blackhawks
SOCCER
U.S. National Soccer teams and Hull City over in England.
AUTO RACING
KEVIN HARVICK
Some interest in Danica Patrick and I will be happy when Dale Jr. wins a race. Hopefully not at the expense of Kevin.
TENNIS
Roger Federer
GOLF
Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Zach Johnson.
TV WRESTLER
HHH and The Undertaker. Yaa yaa yaa, I know.....
Monday, June 7, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
30 Years At One Job, One word: Survival...
Back on April 21st in the year 1980. Jimmy Carter was President, Soviet Union was in Afghanistan (not us), there was no internet, no HDTV, no IPOD, no Fox Network, no American Idol, and no Craig Ferguson on TV. MTV, ESPN, CNN and USA Networks were fledgeling networks. Not sure if USA was going yet. Iowa was in the final four and a basketbal power and the football was about to make a big step to being a footbal power. Barack Obama was a young teen, Johnny Carson hosted the Tonight Show and Lady Gaga was not born yet. I started what at a community college THEN to a four year college that (sadly) closed in 1999. For me, it was the first day of a now thirty year run at television station WOC-TV now known as KWQC-TV.
My first day was someone showing me how to "floor direct" for our local noon news. Pointing the anchor to cameras, cueing them from a director who I didn't know what to make of his hot headed personality and really mean spirited old men in the control room. I also had to push out a "two state map" for Iowa and Illinois during the weather and then later in the segment the forecast was on this large cube that yours truly had to turn like five parts of it at the call of the weatherman for the forecast. The news anchor and sports guy had the chroma key, not the weather person.
I that span of 30 years, I have: been married twice, loved a woman more than my first marriage between wives until I got married again. Other failed relationships and one ladyfriend killed in a auto accident. A son, a daughter, and a step-son. Gained around 150 pounds and lost hair. I count at least 11 cars, five cats, two dogs, two guinea pigs, some fish, about five TV's, three computers, owned with the bank four houses, rented two apartments and live now in a duplex, and lost a house due to foreclosure some four years ago. Six presidents and the fall of the Soviet Union, The Berllin Wall, and no ever heard of Al-Quaida. Disco was dying quickly as new-wave was starting to get going. Music was listened to on cassette or vinyl records before mp3 and CD's.
I bring this all up because in time, you naturally think of what has transpired at some point in your life. When I started there, no one wanted to be labeled a "lifer". You think you are all the shit only to have life hit you at some point. I did not try to be a lifer but it appears that God wanted me to be there some 30 years and possibly beyond. There were several circumstances I could have left or even been fired. I was laid off over two years ago with either unemployment or a demotion or paycut. Thanks to some questionable antics of a couple directors, I was blessed in getting my old gig back. How often does that really come to people?
Some people think that my tenure there is a waste (you know who you are) and I am outdated and too sentimental because I noticed a chink in the armour for something the superior want "out of the box". Contrare to the argument. I am excited with all the new technology right now and would like to properly check it out without acts of finger pointing by others as you later get familiar with it. I have my ambitions still today as I did some 30 long years ago. I started there before taking TV classes at then Marycrest College in Davenport. A great TV department back then when you could get your hands on the first day. To go ahead, sometimes you do look back. Despite what one person thinks, I do look ahead, but just have decorum doing it. I wonder how many jobs people have in a 30 year span? Some are on the same as me but alot isn't for one reason or another. My wife must have had twenty jobs to my one. When I thought my job was cut a few years ago, it was such a shock. It is a diffrent world unlike the others who can change every few years.
Sadly, I will never run a sports television division except in my imagination. I never became a big time sportscaster or anchor. One gentleman said it best, "You have the words but not the music". He was so eloquent in telling me I don't have what it takes on air. Lately, I have had this thing about talk show host Craig Ferguson. I am a year older than him but he has been so blessed as of late. Not because of fame or anything like that but I wish he was a friend. I vainly think facebook pages was him but not. His path was much rougher than mine, yes. We contemplated losing our lives in the early 90's, both come from scottish anceastory, both felt the bite of divorce-him twice, both have a child who is eight as we speak, and telelvision is such a major part of our lives. I admire what he is doing with his life and he earned it. A peabody award, his ratings are doing well, parts in two big movies out now, he makes people smile and laugh (I am lucky to get a line or two with some people at most), women love him and men want to be him, he has a robot skeleton sidekick, and he can fly a plane. All that I wish I was. I admre the guy yet jealous of envy. My only sidekick is two black cats obsessed with treats.
So what is ahead??? I have no idea about the future. None, zip, nada. I cannot kid myself either by saying I am taking it "one day at a time". I have learned painfully from the phrase,"You make plans, God laughs". The almighty has done a ROFL at my behest. I will just do what I can in life, provide the best I can for my family, hope I can travel more (God willing), I can lose my excess weight and keep it off, and should I be still doing my job ten years from now, then after fourty years, hope to find a way to retire. Something about forty years sound good. But what I do after that, I am not sure yet. I still have dreams and ambitions but in this universe, it will not happen. If there is such a thing as an "alternate universe" then maybe there, William is doing what he wants and doing it well, and hopefully happy. So you ask what will I do in ten years? Get back to me in 2020 and I will let you know. I just hope for some financial security, my daughter about to go to college then and my sons more solvent and stable with a job that satisfies them. Even if they are not rich from it.
I am making a big thing about thirty years because to me, it is a survival. A bell weather mark. I am not looking in the past, I am looking forward, but doing it the right way. With common sense and using your brain. But as Craig's theme song goes, "Tomorrow's just your future yesterday". How poetic Mr. Ferguson is on that.
Started part time then not needed for a few weeks then full time in July of 1980. Surviving all that is thrown to me. I can relate to a song a younger and many thought straight Elton John sang in the early 80's that made a great video and I think one of his best songs. "I'm Still Standing".
Wonder if Craig needs an extra director with 30 years production experience?
My first day was someone showing me how to "floor direct" for our local noon news. Pointing the anchor to cameras, cueing them from a director who I didn't know what to make of his hot headed personality and really mean spirited old men in the control room. I also had to push out a "two state map" for Iowa and Illinois during the weather and then later in the segment the forecast was on this large cube that yours truly had to turn like five parts of it at the call of the weatherman for the forecast. The news anchor and sports guy had the chroma key, not the weather person.
I that span of 30 years, I have: been married twice, loved a woman more than my first marriage between wives until I got married again. Other failed relationships and one ladyfriend killed in a auto accident. A son, a daughter, and a step-son. Gained around 150 pounds and lost hair. I count at least 11 cars, five cats, two dogs, two guinea pigs, some fish, about five TV's, three computers, owned with the bank four houses, rented two apartments and live now in a duplex, and lost a house due to foreclosure some four years ago. Six presidents and the fall of the Soviet Union, The Berllin Wall, and no ever heard of Al-Quaida. Disco was dying quickly as new-wave was starting to get going. Music was listened to on cassette or vinyl records before mp3 and CD's.
I bring this all up because in time, you naturally think of what has transpired at some point in your life. When I started there, no one wanted to be labeled a "lifer". You think you are all the shit only to have life hit you at some point. I did not try to be a lifer but it appears that God wanted me to be there some 30 years and possibly beyond. There were several circumstances I could have left or even been fired. I was laid off over two years ago with either unemployment or a demotion or paycut. Thanks to some questionable antics of a couple directors, I was blessed in getting my old gig back. How often does that really come to people?
Some people think that my tenure there is a waste (you know who you are) and I am outdated and too sentimental because I noticed a chink in the armour for something the superior want "out of the box". Contrare to the argument. I am excited with all the new technology right now and would like to properly check it out without acts of finger pointing by others as you later get familiar with it. I have my ambitions still today as I did some 30 long years ago. I started there before taking TV classes at then Marycrest College in Davenport. A great TV department back then when you could get your hands on the first day. To go ahead, sometimes you do look back. Despite what one person thinks, I do look ahead, but just have decorum doing it. I wonder how many jobs people have in a 30 year span? Some are on the same as me but alot isn't for one reason or another. My wife must have had twenty jobs to my one. When I thought my job was cut a few years ago, it was such a shock. It is a diffrent world unlike the others who can change every few years.
Sadly, I will never run a sports television division except in my imagination. I never became a big time sportscaster or anchor. One gentleman said it best, "You have the words but not the music". He was so eloquent in telling me I don't have what it takes on air. Lately, I have had this thing about talk show host Craig Ferguson. I am a year older than him but he has been so blessed as of late. Not because of fame or anything like that but I wish he was a friend. I vainly think facebook pages was him but not. His path was much rougher than mine, yes. We contemplated losing our lives in the early 90's, both come from scottish anceastory, both felt the bite of divorce-him twice, both have a child who is eight as we speak, and telelvision is such a major part of our lives. I admire what he is doing with his life and he earned it. A peabody award, his ratings are doing well, parts in two big movies out now, he makes people smile and laugh (I am lucky to get a line or two with some people at most), women love him and men want to be him, he has a robot skeleton sidekick, and he can fly a plane. All that I wish I was. I admre the guy yet jealous of envy. My only sidekick is two black cats obsessed with treats.
So what is ahead??? I have no idea about the future. None, zip, nada. I cannot kid myself either by saying I am taking it "one day at a time". I have learned painfully from the phrase,"You make plans, God laughs". The almighty has done a ROFL at my behest. I will just do what I can in life, provide the best I can for my family, hope I can travel more (God willing), I can lose my excess weight and keep it off, and should I be still doing my job ten years from now, then after fourty years, hope to find a way to retire. Something about forty years sound good. But what I do after that, I am not sure yet. I still have dreams and ambitions but in this universe, it will not happen. If there is such a thing as an "alternate universe" then maybe there, William is doing what he wants and doing it well, and hopefully happy. So you ask what will I do in ten years? Get back to me in 2020 and I will let you know. I just hope for some financial security, my daughter about to go to college then and my sons more solvent and stable with a job that satisfies them. Even if they are not rich from it.
I am making a big thing about thirty years because to me, it is a survival. A bell weather mark. I am not looking in the past, I am looking forward, but doing it the right way. With common sense and using your brain. But as Craig's theme song goes, "Tomorrow's just your future yesterday". How poetic Mr. Ferguson is on that.
But one thing for sure, you appreciate what you have more. For thirty years, I have done what I wanted. I am not the best at it but not the worst. The highs are really high and the lows are crushingly low. But I am still there. The people I worked with there and still do would make a small country town probably. Some I miss and some I don't miss. Just hope I can be involved with whatever I am doing there for the future yesterdays. On my desk calendar, every month has one word written no top of it.... 'APPRECIATION". I may have been dealted the lifer card at this point, fine whatever. I was mean't to be there for a greater purpose.
Started part time then not needed for a few weeks then full time in July of 1980. Surviving all that is thrown to me. I can relate to a song a younger and many thought straight Elton John sang in the early 80's that made a great video and I think one of his best songs. "I'm Still Standing".
Wonder if Craig needs an extra director with 30 years production experience?
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