Hire me!

The cold weather is decidedly a downer. I've always been a fan of cold, especially in comparrison to hot, but this winter just seems to be chilling me to the core. I feel frozen in so many ways right now, but especially with my career.

I've always been pretty confident about my chosen profession, but that confidence has been shaken by the past year of unemployment. Technically, unemployment was a choice for me, but I didn't forsee the other circumstances of my life changing so dramatically.

I guess, honestly, maybe I thought that I'd have a baby and be a stay-at-home mom. Clearly, that didn't happen and it isn't likely to happen anytime in the next five years or so.

It's funny, but right now, what I want more than anything is a job. A job equals money and money equals freedom. But, it's more than that. It's something to do. Something to focus on. Something to keep my mind occupied.

I don't mind working. I get a great deal of satisfaction from my work. I want to work. I want to do good work and work hard.

So, I'm putting this out there into the ether. Someone hire me. I will work hard. I will do a good job. I am smart and adaptable and talented. I'm great under deadline pressure and stress.

Someone take a chance on me!

Less is More

I am 32 today. Thirty-two. Single. Childless. Jobless. Homeless.

I've never felt more hopeful about the future.

It's complicated

Paul and I have separated.

Well, Well, Well

Isn't Adam Lambert a dirty little boy?



Okay, seriously, people are up in arms because he kissed a dude. Um, hello? That's what gay guys do and this one has never made a secret of his sexuality, so you get what you pay for. It's just a kiss. Britney and Madonna kissed. Also an uproar, but not so much anger and hate. Like Joy Behar said, everyone loves a lesbian kiss.

But what really amazes me is that so much attention has been given to the kiss. I mean, the whole performance and song were pretty filthy. I mean, didn't the AMA producers listen to the lyrics before they signed off on this performance?

"It’s alright
You’ll be fine
Baby, I’m in control
Take the pain
Take the pleasure
I’m the master of both
Close your eyes
Not your mind
Let me into your soul
I’ma work ya ’til your totally blown

No escaping when I start
Once I’m in I own your heart
There’s no way ‘ta ring the alarm
So hold on until it’s over

Oh, do you know what you got into?
Can you handle what I’m ’bout to do?
‘Cause it’s about to get rough for you
I’m here for your entertainment"

What were they expecting for the performance? Personally, I have a soft spot for filth. I'm an old school NIN fan and I've listened to and enjoy much heavier and more subversive music than this. I think the real issue is that this dude is from American Idol, which is pretty much synonymous with wholesome family entertainment. Adam Lambert is no Carrie Underwood. This performance is certainly far from wholesome and probably not appropriate for the venue, but I might try to check him out when he comes to town.

Do Over.

I'm being reflective these days. Reconnected with some old friends who I let slip away. Making new friends. Trying to remember what is important. Basically, right now, I'm completely open to new experiences. What I've been doing isn't really working out for me in terms of emotional development. Sometimes, to move forward we have to reach back to the past and set right things that once went wrong, not to get all "Quantum Leapy" on ya.

I wouldn't call any of the choices that I've made about my life "mistakes." I'm only sorry that it took me so long to get where I am now. I'm not fearless. In fact, I'm pretty terrified, but I'm not letting fear hold me back anymore. Rhonda Britton says that fear is a result of not having faith in yourself. When you are afraid, it's because you don't trust yourself to be able to handle what might happen. You're not secure enough in your sense of self to know that no matter what happens, you'll be alright. But, I'm starting to feel just that. That I'm going to be alright. That I actually have what it takes to take chances and start over. Fear is my enemy.

There is no such thing as "safe." No matter how close you play your cards or how many rules you follow, none of us are ever safe. Seeking safety is a waste of time. Efforts are better spent taking chances, making mistakes and picking up the pieces. That's how you live life. Otherwise, you're just passing time until you die.

Sniper

John Allen Muhammad was executed last night. Maybe it's a sign that I'm getting old, but it seems like his sentence was carried out rather swiftly, comparatively. In 2002, during his killing spree, I worked in a newsroom and had some exposure to the story daily. A coworker attended a wedding in the DC area during this time and I remember him joking that he was going to wear a shirt with a target on it. Ah! Newsroom humor! This is the same guy that once said that he was considering cancelling his planned tour of Israeli sidewalk cafes. Humor can really get you through the daily death and destruction you are exposed to in a newsroom.

I remember once, a coworker and I were watching some aerials of a found body feed in. The chopper was over a parking lot and there, right in the handicapped space was the body and we both erupted into a fit of giggles. It's not that we don't care. Really. We care. It's just that we have to somehow cope and often, that's through humor.

I don't believe in the death penalty. I don't think the government has any business killing it's citizens, but it's not a cause I'm all up in arms about. I mean, there are people out there that are more deserving of my compassion. Even animals are more deserving of my compassion. I'd rather see a killer like Muhammad be executed than an innocent stray.

I don't know where I'm going with this. His death just feels like a bow on a tidy little package. That story is over now. The affects of September 11 are still with me daily. The wars continue. Daniel Pearl's beheading still replays in my mind. But the DC sniper is a done deal. I'm sure the families of his victims don't feel the same way.

Coat Sale!

In case you haven't heard, Old Navy is having a half-off outerwear sale this week only. Which is perfect for me, since I'm cold. I'm thinking something plaid, although I don't know when plaid came back in style or when I started liking it, but I've been kind of drawn to it lately. I guess my inner alternative-seattle-flannel-90s lumberjack is coming out.

Super Thrifty!

I wish I had the patience for this.

Email Hoax

I had a funny conversation via Facebook chat with my old pal Nick yesterday. Nick recently got married in Vegas and sent out a facebook message asking a bunch of people for their addresses, I presume to invite them to some sort of reception. In any case, in the message he sent out, he wrote, "Please do not 'Reply All'" Of course, everyone did.

1:42pmJennifer
Everyone keeps replying all
despite your warning
1:43pmNick
I am going to put them on direct mailing lists as punishment
1:43pmJennifer
hahaha
I'll just give my mom their email addresses
so she can send them warnings that Obama is the antichrist and it's dangerous to wear deoderant and heat water in the microwave
1:45pmNick
hahaha
I've got some awesome ones from my mom too
"This isn't a hotel... it's a house!"
1:46pmJennifer
I haven't gotten that one, but I can imagine
1:46pmNick
look at where your money goes when you fill up the tank! This sheik's house!
1:50pmNick
http://www.snopes.com/photos/architecture/nahyan.asp
Jennifer
hahahahahaha
awesome
1:53pmNick
I got so many crazy emails from my mom before the election
1:53pmJennifer
that's his home in Afghanistan where he worships Satan and kills puppies
2:05pmNick
what is your email address?
2:05pmJennifer
oh no
you don't really think I'm going to fall for that, do you?
2:06pmNick
I will send you my fake obama thing, then you send it to your mom, then we'll see if it gets back to my mom
2:06pmJennifer
wait
that's actually a good idea
I'm in

We then continued to collaborate on a terrific email hoax. I'm not willing to reveal it yet, because it will ruin the results of the experiment, but I assure you that I will alert you when Nick receives the email from his mom, if all goes as expected. I'm only sending it to one person- my mom. Let's see what happens.

2:22pmJennifer
ha
I gotta go
talk to you later
I'll be looking forward to the girl you're apparently about to send me
2:23pmNick
send me that thing when you're done!
girl?
2:24pmJennifer
hahahaha
gift
2:24pmNick
I'm actually sending you a girl to raise
have fun!
she likes to steal

Fall Fashion

After falling in love with dresses this summer, it's been hard for me to leave that love in the past and move on to fall. Normally, I love the warm roomy sweaters of the season, but this year, they seem so.... I don't know... cumbersome?

I'm in the process of a total image makeover. While my current frumpy and conservative look has served me well, I guess there's a certain sophistication that comes with aging that I've been lacking. Suddenly, I'm caring about designers and actually thinking about what my clothes say about me artistically. Formerly, my checklist went something like this:

- Does it fit?
- Is it comfortable?
- Is it appropriate?

I don't know how I fell into such a rut, but NO MORE! Really, it's been an issue of self-esteem. We've all laughed at those ridiculous people that go out of their way to look terrible. Behold:

It is my fear to be one of these people. The thing is that it's so much worse to put so much effort into looking good and then end up looking ridiculous, than to not put in much effort and look like it. I've been opting for the latter. But, now, I'm ready to take some chances! I mean, don't expect to see me in furry yellow boots anytime soon, but maybe I could do some fishnets. Under a pencil skirt. Not with white Reeboks.

I hope to be posting some pics of me sporting some new looks soon. Goodbye frumpy mom suits! So long careless jeans and t-shirts of my youth! Wouldn't want to be ya, pink velour sweat suit!

Schooled, Biden-Style

"Your dopes just got schooled, Biden-style!"

As you may have heard, three weeks ago, it started raining and it didn't stop for 15 days.




Photos Courtesy AJC.

Thankfully, my home wasn't affected and I didn't work Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday during the major hoopla. But, Thursday morning, I was reminded of what it's like to be in a newsroom during a major local breaking story. It seems, that in order to avoid the appearance of national government neglecting a state during a natural disaster, Vice President Joe Biden decided to come to town and have a look-see. He was in town for maybe 4 house, first taking a helicopter flight with CNN over some of the damage and then poppping down the the Cobb Civic Center, a makeshift shelter for those who have lost their homes, to make a little speech, where he compared our situation to Katrina (?) and then personally reassure about three people, from what I could tell watching it on a live feed, that the federal government would come through for them in their time of need, though not any time soon. Seriously. That's what he told them.

Naturally, he decided to start his speech around 11:30am. That's thirty minutes before noon, for those of you who are bad at math. And what happens at noon? The noon newscast, of course! So, that gave us half an hour to listen to his speech, pick out the highlights, write a little script about it, edit it and get it on-air for the lead story. Chaos ensued, which resulted in a reporter in the field and the anchor talking back and forth stretching while we tried to get something cued up for them to toss to. It didn't happen. There was a "technical error" and we had to come back to it in the next block. Instead, they decided to do an additional hit with another reporter who was in the flood area. Naturally, since water runs downhill, this is a low area and therefore had to be a satellite shot rather than a microwave shot. And the thing about satellite shots is that you have to book a window on the satellite and that's expensive, so you only book for the time that you need for the reporter to do their scheduled hit. So, when they decide to go back to the reporter, to fill time, there is about 30 seconds left in the sat window. EXTEND THE WINDOW!

Essentially, it was a half hour of total chaos. I had expected myself to completely spazz out the first time I was in a situation like this, not having worked in news for a couple of years, but, thankfully, I found that I still have nerves of steel.

Oops.

The look on the female anchor's face is priceless.

Come check out clips like this at The Atlanta Press Club's Gorilla Ball Saturday night! (Well, maybe not exactly like this)

Jackasses

Man, working is really interfering with my blogging. Silly job!

So, I'm sure everyone has heard all they want to hear about Kanye West and Taylor Swift, but of course, I have to throw my two cents in.

I flip-flopped about doing this post because... well, because of what I'm about to talk about. I don't want to be part of the problem, but like any skilled journalist, I'm going to avoid responsibility for what I write by using the "attribution" technique.

For those of you not in the know, "attribution" as the name implies, is where you report on something someone else said and basically put all the responsibility of the content onto someone else. It's the journalistic equivalent of gossip. Often, it's legit, such as, "Police said that so-and-so killed someone." Because a journalist couldn't possibly have that information independently and certainly shouldn't be making accusations like that, right? But often, it's abused. I intend to abuse it in such a fashion right now.

In the wake of the VMA's, President Obama sat down for an interview with CNBC. According to TMZ, before the interview began, Obama was asked how he felt about the Kanye incident. The audio of his response can be heard here on TMZ.com.

If you listen to that clip, it is apparent that Obama meant for his comments to be off the record. There are ethical guidelines that dictate that when a person requests to be off the record, a journalist should honor that. It is critical in getting sources to trust you. Typically, if you are given information off the record, then you have to go out and find another source to collaborate the information. Sure, it's inconvenient, but it's the honest and decent thing to do. See the Valarie Plame incident for more on this.

Well, the audio and eventually the video of the Obama incident was leaked, presumably by someone working for CNBC or someone else in the Presidential press pool. The person that leaked it is clearly some jackass with no journalistic ethics, but the larger problem here is the TMZ published it. While not exactly known for their ethical conduct, there was seemingly little to no backlash about this and it's worrisome that in this age of new media, the tried and true code of conduct is slipping away.

Yes, I realize that I'm blogging about it right now and I see the irony.

Since the vast majority of people seem to agree with Obama's assessment of Kanye, he's not really getting any backlash over this, but the point is that it was off the record and no one should have ever heard it. There are those that might say that the President should never be off the record. That every aspect of his life should be available for public scrutiny, but I disagree. I actually found this particular clip quite endearing, but I should never have heard it.

There is certainly a mistrust of media and having worked in PR, I understand this even more. I am all too aware of watching what I say when I have a mic on and Obama should certainly be experienced enough to do the same, but when it all comes down to it, we are all just people and when, as a spokesperson, I ask to rephrase something I just said or ask not to be quoted and they agree, I expect them to respect that agreement. It's common. Very common and frequently done. When someone breaches that agreement like that, it gives us all reason to worry.

Sity?

A hilarious little addendum to my earlier entry about the misspelled street sign- WXIA, the local NBC affiliate broke this story. Granted, it's not exactly as if someone plowed through historical documents and spied on underground political meetings. Likely, someone finally noticed that the sign was misspelled and called up the assignment desk. Since it was a slow news day, the producer decided to run with it, which is pretty cool. It's a fun story, worthy of note.

The fact that the other stations are following suit is what's funny. But, that's to be expected in this market. But where this story really gets funny is found in WGCL, the CBS affiliate's, morning assignment meeting notes, which for some reason, they publish on their website.

I'm really interested in local news. It's sad but true. Also sad but true, I get most of my information from fellow bloggers Doug Richards of Live Apartment Fire and CB Hackworth of Certain Speculation. That's pretty sad because I have much more time on my hands than either one of them, but they are just better at staying on topic than me. I mean, how am I supposed to find time to read assignment meeting notes when I'm busy looking for pictures of Kristen Stewart where she looks gay? In any case, it was on CB's blog that I saw this excerpt:

"JOHN CATER will follow up on this story. How does the sity misspelled the most prominent figure in Atlanta name incorrectly. How soon will the sign be repaired. We need to ask the city how many misspelled sign there are in Atlanta and how many they have changed for misspelling in the past year. TOUGH QUESTIONS!"

Tough Questions, indeed! Thanks for the, CB!

I know that Doug and CB have both at least visited this blog, but I doubt either of them are faithful readers, but it's really refreshing to finally have a critical eye watching local news. So, if they happen to be reading, good job, guys! I really enjoy your blogs!

Marin Luther King, Jr.

Something else to be proud of in the ATL. Not only are we home to Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but also home to his lesser known brother, Marin.

Typos can happen to anyone, but this makes you wonder how long this sign was up before someone noticed the mistake. Makes you wonder what you can get away with.

The Day the Moon Was Gone

Paul and I do pretty good on agreeing about what to watch on television. Usually, we settle on something about home improvement or cooking, but tonight, he had the remote and landed on a show called "The Universe" on the History channel. Would have been more appropriate on the Science channel, because this is history that goes WAY back. The official topic of this particular episode was "The Day the Moon Was Gone," but it didn't really talk about that a whole lot. Essentially, in this one hour, they covered everything about how the Earth formed and life evolved. Every once in a while, they would throw in some facts about how something might have formed differently if there was no moon. I mean, basically, everything would have been completely different. No mountains (somehow the earth's core would have been cooler, so no plate tectonics). More water. Shorter days. Constant winds. No advanced life forms.

It's those last two that really got me thinking, because at one point, when it was talking about the imaginary animals that could have evolved if there were no moon, it said that they could have evolved to have more arms to shield themselves from the wind. Hum.

Well, naturally, I was thinking that, personally, I could really use another hand. And everyone else probably could too. So, why don't we have one? I mean, if I had an extra hand, I really think that would give me an evolutionary advantage. Ahem.

And while I'm at it, I don't understand why we don't have tails. It seems like I learned in biology or somewhere that the animals that we humans evolved from had tails and then we lost them during the evolutionary process. Well, who were these lazy pre-humans that didn't use their tails? I would love to have a tail, especially a prehensile tail. It would really be a help when I'm trying to navigate the treetops. It would help me balance during a field sobriety test. I could wag it when I was happy...

The ending of this particular episode was almost like a punchline. They kept building up to and teasing with promises of talking about what life would be like if the moon suddenly disappeared. But, then, in the last two minutes, they covered this by simply saying that although in billions of years the distance between the earth and the moon would be so great that they would lose their gravitational attraction and the moon would go spinning off into space, BUT that will never actually happen, because long before then, the sun will explode and the earth and the moon will both burn up and cease to exist.

Cue Credits.

Kristen Stewart

I keep hearing all these rumors about Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson and how they are secretly in love, blah blah blah. I am not a Twilight fan. Sure, I read the book and saw the movie, but only because it was my duty as a member of the media sometimes writing on pop culture (ahem). Basically, Twilight is a sterilized version of Buffy, that lacks character development and witty dialogue.

But, I understand that it is a popular culture phenomenon, and somewhat validating, since my fascination with vampires dates back to 1994's Interview with the Vampire. See?! Vampires are cool! Robert Pattinson is no Brad Pitt. Or James Marsters.

Or even David Boreanez.

But, he's cute and I can understand why chicks dig him. Sure, it would seem natural for the lovely young Ms. Stewart to fall for him. Except for one clear fact that everyone is ignoring. Kristen Stewart is obviously gay.

Now, I'm not Perez Hilton. I'm not trying to out anyone. I have no inside knowledge of her sexuality, but what I do have is a highly refined gaydar and it's going off full alarm on her.

Do you see it? Like a little Jodie Foster, right?

I have no problem with gay people and this is not meant to disparage her in any way, but I'm just saying...

You heard it here first!

Cake!

I've long since loved to bake and have served up quite a few delicious treats in my time, but now that I no longer eat such delicacies, I've developed a strange fascination with looking at them. I'm scared to actually bake something, fearing that it will send me into a fit of grief for my old friend Baked Goods.

I saw a link to Cake Spy on a weight loss support forum, of all places, and have been enjoying scrolling through the pages, appreciating the artistry. There, you will not only see the beautifully photographed desserts, but also the cutest little illustrations you ever did see.

It's also well-written and a good read, if you're into that kind of thing. Not to mention, the attire available at the online shop.

"Might as well burn all of your other tee shirts, because from now on, this is the only one you'll ever need.Yes, it's time to acquaint yourself with the newest CakeSpy t-shirt! It has basically the most magical scene ever: cupcakes, rainbows, unicorns, hearts and shooting stars!"

How could it get any better than that?

And while we're on the topic, but with a completly opposite sort of appeal, Cake Wrecks is another can't-miss Web site dedicated to confections.

Dedicated to cake-disasters created by "professional" cake decorators, this site will make you LOL, even if you're not into baking.

Back in the WAGA again!

Well, it's been a while. Apologies for my absence, but I've been having some health issues taken care of and I'm all better now. Tip top shape. Ready to resume my blogging responsibilities.

So, first things first. I'm working again. Returned to work at the local Fox affiliate on Wednesday. As jobs tend to do, it has been sucking up an enormous amount of time! 35 hours this week. I'm freelancing there, so the work is irregular and the schedule is unpredictable. Not ideal circumstances, but I am thankful for the work.

Times sure have changed at the old tv station. They've gone digital, of course, but it's surprising how much this affects day-to-day activity. "Searching" for video no longer entails running around like a mad woman trying to find a tape, but instead simply conducting a query on a computer. Welcome to the 90s!

Of course, all this new technology means that I can't simply breeze in and resume my duties. I have to be retrained, so that's what I've been doing this week.

Other than that, during my convalescence, I have been making the most of my blockbuster membership (this is why I don't have netflix) and blazing through some excellent television shows- mostly Six Feet Under, Weeds, Mad Men and Big Love.

Big Love has been interesting. Paul and I agreed that we would not want additional spouses, but I think Paul may have been lying. Even in the show though, it seems like Barb is his "real" wife and the other two are like children that they have adopted that he also has sex with, which um... is surprisingly undisturbing. Although Barb has the most power of the women, it still seems like it would be easier to either be Margene or Nicki. Barb had a normal marriage with Bill, until whatever made her decide to be a polygamist happened (haven't gotten that far) and now she shares him. It would be easier to have never had a monogamous marriage than to have had one and then lost it.

Also, as discussed in the show, there are interesting implications for multiple marriage legislation, if gay marriage were to become legal. Who would ever have thought that traditional Mormons and liberal homosexuals would strange allies on an issue? Unlikely pairing (I almost said "bedfellows." Haha.). Also, it's hard to believe that there wouldn't be more affairs between the wives, especially in marriages with more than 10 wives. I mean, they barely get to spend the night with their husband, they share bedrooms, they are "married." Seems like it would work kind of like in prison, where there are no men, but plenty of women from which to choose.

Not sure how I feel about polygamy. It's not for me, that's for sure, but I suppose I don't mind if other people do it. Only, if it ever becomes legal, I would certainly hope that the law wouldn't mandate that men could marry multiple women, but that a woman could only marry one man. That would probably send everyone into a tizzy.

Mad Men

We've been watching the first season of AMC's Mad Men on DVD this week. The show is completely absorbing, not in the compounding mystery way of a show like Lost or in the action-packed cliffhanger way of a show like 24, but in that it creates such an atmosphere that it's hard to return back to modern times. It's no secret that I'm slightly obsessed with all things mid-century modern, and this show delivers that in a big way. The set design is unbelievable. That alone would keep me watching this show, not to mention the fabulous clothes. I mean, seriously, the simple glamour of the late 50's and early 60s is perfectly represented. It makes me want to live in that time period, although, the female characters on the show... well, let's just say that they are largely oppressed.

All the men are essentially lying cheats and all the women are victims. Well, not ALL, but an independent woman is the exception here, certainly not the rule. I remarked the my husband, "I certainly hope that all men aren't really like that." And he asked me how I perceived those men and I told him and he seemed to think that I was missing a lot of the depth of character that he relates with. I guess because there is such a hard line separating the gender roles in this show, it's difficult for me to develop empathy for the male characters.

Interestingly, one of the main characters is played by Vincent Kartheiser (far left). It took me a while (and google) to place him, but he was last seen as Conner, Angel's son on Angel. I pretty much hated him on that show, but he's really matured, both as an actor and physically, and he's a great fit for this particular role. Not so much for Conner.

The show also offers interesting insight into the origins of modern advertising strategy and the smoking hot Christina Hendricks as secretary, Joan.

Sewer Monster

Don't watch if you're eating. Or don't like to be repulsed.



You may be asking, "What the hell is that?!" and the answer, unfortunately, is that no one seems to know. The video was apparently taken by an independent contractor working in the sewers of Raleigh, NC. The city of Raleigh has confirmed that it is legit, and suggests "slime mold" or "worms" as a possible explanation. Right. Can we get some scientist with a microscope down there, please?

Elektra Decked

We just bought our first real grown-up piece of art. We have some pieces that we've inherited or otherwise aquired, but Paul really liked this piece by artist Lance Carlson. It's called "Elekta Decked." Paul immediately got the title, because of his familiarity with comic books, but it was lost on me. Apparently, the comic book character, Elektra, inspired by, but not to be confused with the Greek mythology character, Electra, was (in one version of the truth of the comic world) killed by a playing card.

It's hanging in the dining room, where is looks awsome. Paul and I always disagree over how to hang art. He always wants to hang it too high (ahem) but he won out on this piece because of a flaw in the paint on the wall left by a previous larger piece.

You can't really tell in the picture, but it's made from pieces of wire mesh. It's a sort of postmodern pop art, I guess, if I, with my limited knowledge of art theory, had to classify it, but it really compliments the classic modern tulip chairs we use in the the dining room.

Man, I wish I was rich.

Eddie "Edit" Stevenson

It seems that a lot of people have died lately. A lot of celebrities. Michael Jackson and Billy Mays shocked me, but the grief that anyone can feel for a celebrity they'd never met pales in comparison to the grief that those of us that worked day in and out with Edward A. Stevenson, chief editor at WAGA, feel since his passing on Saturday.

The overall sentiment I am hearing from my peers is appreciation that Eddie took a chance on them, and I fall into this category as well. Eddie hired me as a freelancer while I was still in college and had barely crossed the threshold of a newsroom. I don't know how he did it, but Eddie seemed to be able to recognize the ambition and dedication in people that working as a news editor requires. There were so many of us- Randy, Garret, Jorge, Johnathan, Matt.... me, that Eddie took a chance on and although there were a few misses (none of the afore mentioned), overall, we were a group of hard, dedicated workers that gelled together as a team. I've had several jobs since leaving WAGA, but no group of co-workers has ever touched the familial relationship that we had there. We were like siblings and Eddie, our father.

There was no doubt that Eddie loved us. He not only supported us in our jobs as we learned the ropes of the news business, but he also counseled us on personal issues and regularly took us out for drinks and to play pool after work. Eddie, who had no children of his own, loved us and nurtured us and when it was time for us to leave the nest, he sent us on our way, just as sure that we would be successes in our future endeavors as he was when he hired us.

Eddie was my boss for six years and not only did I learn the technical aspects of news production from him, but I also learned skills that have been invaluable since I have pursued other interests- namely, I learned to be laid-back. Eddie was never frazzled. Never shaken. Never gave in to the panic that can so easily take over when you've got thirty seconds left on your deadline and fifteen seconds of video left to cover. Eddie was always calm, even when producers and reporters were over his shoulder, watching as he made the final few cuts on a piece, literally seconds before it hit the airwaves. I always admired him for that and I've strived to take those nerves of steel with me. I also learned from Eddie, that a positive attitude goes a long way. You may not be the best, but you have to approach every situation with a can-do attitude and you have to believe in yourself. But you must also temper that with knowing when you aren't going to meet your goals and making a contingency plan. Don't say that you are going to make slot if you aren't because other people are depending on you. You have to know your strengths and weaknesses. You have to be honest.

Eddie took a chance on me and I know that he was happy with how I turned out and I am forever indebted to him for seeing something in me that I didn't know that I had.

He will be missed and remembered and appreciated.

Rivoting video!

Hahahahahaha. Okay. This is clearly a case of a reporter being forced to do a story for which he has repeatedly told his producer that he has NO VIDEO.

Sarah's Birthday

A couple of weeks ago I went out with some friends for my good friend Sarah's birthday. It was an interesting evening full of new activities for me. First, we all met at thrive for drinks and then dinner.

I've been in the 101 Marietta Street building many times (that's where Radio One is located), but never really noticed the swank little restaurant adjacent to the lobby. It turns out that the food was delicious, although we were practically the only patrons. We started with the Thrive sweet crab & artichoke fondue, which was so good that I could have eaten it all myself and I think we were all embarrassed by how possessive we were being over the dip. It was great. For my entree, I had the Springer Mountain chicken breast, roasted red potatoes & rosemary port reduction, which was hands down, the best chicken dish I've ever had in my life. I mean, except for, you know, McNuggets. As far as I could tell, everyone was happy with their meal.

However, the restaurant wasn't chosen for it's food. It was chosen for it's proximity to The Glenn Hotel where those that planned on drinking had reserved several rooms. Due to my unfortunate unemployment, I could afford to neither get a room or drink, so I didn't actually stay there, but I did visit Sarah's room between dinner and a trip to the bar on the rooftop of The Glenn Hotel. From the lobby to the elevator to the room, no detail was overlooked in establishing the modern feel of the hotel. It's retro-modern style remided me of the famous Parker Hotel, where I've also never stayed. But aside from the fabulous modern decor, the real highlight of the hotel was the afore-mentioned rooftop bar. The building is just the right height... you are high enough to see all the city, but low enough to still be able to recognize the streets and see the people. Unfortunately, it was extemely crowded on that night, but it would have been quite enjoyable when it is a little less busy, perhaps on a week night.

But the real highlight of the evening was meeting Tohper Payne, the partner of Sarah's good friend Tommy. When I got home and googled Topher, I read that he was a "southern humorist." That's what I want to be! Like Hollis Gillespie or Lewis Grizzard. Or Jeff Foxworthy or Larry the Cable Guy! *sound of record screaching* Ok, maybe like Hollis Gillespie. In any case, Topher was every bit as charming and warm in person as he is in his column, which is hilarious. Of course, Topher's also an actor and recently wrote a book. OF COURSE.

This blog, admittedly, is mostly a marketing tool for my store, but reading Topher's work makes me a little ashamed of that, because he clearly puts so much thought into his posts. And not just thought, but heart. It makes me want to be a better writer.

I stole all the photographs used in this post from the respective web sites.

2012

Hey, so have you guys heard about the impending apocalypse? Really, it's on wikipedia, an unwavering source of factual information, so we know it must be true.

Basically, the Mayan calendar ends on December 21, 2012 and because it seems that the Mayans had a better understanding or the solar system and the calendar than we do, then their calendar ending on this day must mean doom, right?

Well, since I'm always looking for something to worry about, I'm somewhat interested in this. I don't want to die, but more than not wanting to die personally, I don't want civilization to die. Why is it that the end of civilization is so much more disturbing that the death of an individual, even if that individual is yourself? Why does is matter what happens to the world if you're dead? No one knows what happens after death. Everyone has their beliefs, but from atheist to Muslim, no one thinks that once you are dead, you are terribly concerned with the living. But the world ending. It's disturbing. I guess maybe the end of the world is like the death of God, of hope. We are all part of something larger than ourselves. Some call it God. Some call it Atman. Some call it Humanity. Some call it Civilization. It's all that remains of us when we are gone and we live our lives hoping to achieve immortality through make some small impression on it. Some people have kids. Some write novels. Some blow up buildings. But we do all these things to try to make an imprint on society so that when we are dead and gone, our life will have mattered, even if it's in the smallest way.

But the apocalypse. That means that none of us matter. Nothing we do matters. And that's depressing!

So, if you only have three and a half years left until the world is consumed by fire, what would you do? Is it different than if you only had three and a half years left until you are hit by a car and killed?

And oh yeah. There's a movie staring John Cusack.

Sassy Lamb!

Isn't this lamb sassy with it's coy over-the-sholder glance?

Sassy lamb and more, currently for sale at Bad White Trash Memories: The Store.

Chairs for sale

Got these chairs at the church yardsale. Thought that they would work in my space, but after marinating on it for a week, I've decided they don't. They are awesome chairs though! I'm asking $80, if you're interested and local. And can pick them up. And have cash.

Like Ryan's...

Went out to dinner with my mom last night. She promoted the restaurant of her choice as, "Like Ryan's. Only not as good." That should have a been a huge red flag, but I figured, it's one meal, what the hell. So, my sister and I joined her at Kacey's Home Cooking on LaVista near Northlake Mall. Upon entering, I encountered the second red flag, which I also ignored- a health department rating of 80. I try to hang with 90 and above establishments, unless it's, you know, some seedy, but especially tastey ethic establishment, which isn't exactly my scene either, but I can at least understand why someone would temporarily lower their sanitation standards to eat there. In any case, Kacey's was not worth the health risk. In fact, it was mostly inedible. I only attemped fried chicken, mac and cheese and a slice of cheesecake. It seemed as though all the food had simply been poured straight from a can onto the buffet. Admission: $7.

Despite what a horrible culinary experience this was, I remarked to my sister how suprised I was that it was so busy and she noted that she was not suprised by how busy it was, but by the average age of the clientale. Unlike Picadilly or Morrison's, this place was actually mostly families, rather than the elderly population, which is who I would typically expect as such an establishment. Go figure.

The interior of this place... wow. I wished so badly that I had a camera. One review I read on yelp.com said, "The decor and layout of this place was amazing. Imagine if they put a Golden Corral inside a strip club from the 1980s. This place seriously looks like Crockett and Tubbs are going to bust in at any moment and clean house - every vertical surface in the place is mirrored. It's Scarface's All You Can Eat Buffet." Seriously, could I say it any better?

Also, another fact that I found hilarious is that while we were in there, there was a crew installing a new television. The reason this was hilarious is because there was a television about every two feet in this place. And these are fancy flat screen tvs. I think that if Kacey's has money to spend, perhaps they might want to reconsider getting that 12th flat screen television and perhaps hit up a market or even a restaurant supplier and quit getting generic cans of green beans from Costco.

It was seriously, probably the worst food I've ever eaten, which I mean, I was expecting, but it was actually worse than my expectations. So, if you must go to an all you can eat buffet, actually go to Ryans or Western Sizzler or whatever. But really, just either cook at home or go to a real restaurant. Or at least get yourself fast food. Whatever you do, don't go to Kacey's Home Cooking.

Jim Axel

I'm a little late on the draw on this one, but I would have been remiss to not mention it at all. If you're over 25 and you grew up in Atlanta, you'll remember WAGA's Jim Axel. He was an Atlanta television icon, much like Ken Cook is today. He was THE ANCHORMAN in town and much of my perception of what news was about came from Jim.

I never worked with him. He left WAGA in 1996 and I started there in 2000, but I did work with Amanda, Russ, Ken and Ken who all talk about Jim at the end of this piece. It isn't totally out of the ordinary for Amanda to cry on camera, but pretty much every time she does, she has good reason and seeing her cry always tears me up for some reason. I wouldn't call her an overly emotional person, just an emotionally honest person.

In any case, Jim Axel is dying of lung cancer. Back in the day, everyone who worked in television news smoked. Even when I started, the images of editors huddled in editing suites hovering over cellulose with cigarettes hanging from their mouths were still fresh. I smoked. My boss smoked. The director smoked. Eventually, I quit smoking and joined the new generation of professionals, who perhaps smoke in secret, but not at work. But some of those old school television news people still remain and still smoke and Jim was one of these. Well, it's caught up with him.

Here's is the moving tribute, produced by Executive Producer Marc Shavin who actually left his office and went to Florida for this piece, but who had the good sense to let Jim tell his own story, rather than muddle it with a voiceover.

It's a pure honest piece about what life looks like in hindsight, given to us from the man that told us what was news for over 30 years.



My only critique- I think that they would have been better served by not using cancer clips for his "career" montage. It would have perhaps been better to show clips of memorable stories. I know they did some of this later, but the cancer stuff seemed a little heavy handed and it didn't really serve to stir up the sense of nostalgia that would have given the viewer greater emotional involvement.

Much to say.

Okay. First things first. The Hills Season Finale. Are you kidding me? Lauren just leaves. That's it. We don't get any idea of where she's going? And Heidi and Spencer get married AGAIN. And I guess this was just an open invitation wedding because did Spencer and Heidi ever even meet Justin Bobby? Was he just there as a prop for Kristin to sit next to? And what about Spencer's family. I mean, there's Stephanie, obvy, but don't they have parents? Were they at the wedding? The rehearsal dinner? It's hard to believe that two people who could raise such fame whores wouldn't be interested in being in the show. So, Lauren and Whitney are gone and I'm supposed to watch this show next season? No way. Well, maybe. No promises.

Now on the less important things. There have been some major developments with our dogs. Primarily, we've decided to go ahead and adopt Douglas. Shocker, I know. We've had him 10 months now and he loves us and we love him and just couldn't stand to lose him. Also, Duke finally got neutered. Other than his incessant licking at his stitches, he seems no worse for wear.

Yesterday, I went to a huge yard sale with my mom. It's the Decatur First Baptist Church yardsale, billed as "The World's Largest Yardsale." Here's some video I ganked off the inDECATUR blog.


I snagged two chairs for my living room, which aren't exactly what I had in mind, but at $15 each they will do until I find the perfect chairs, at which point I'll resell these on Craigslist. I also got a Brody milk glass vase, a mushroom-themed canister, a little sheep figurine and a cute pink clutch. I should get those up on the Bad White Trash Memories etsy shop early next week.

In the meantime, I've listed several new items, including the following:

That last one is a bracelet that I found at an estate sale a couple of weeks ago. It's from Morocco and it seems to have a strange Islam/Hindu combination theme. I'm not exactly up on either my Islam or Hindu symbolism, but it has charms of the crescent and star and a woman in a burqa. Also has a camel, an Arabic man and what seems to be a hand with a henna design. Good stuff and more coming soon! I love yard sale season!

Also, when I was trying to find out if what the woman on the bracelet is wearing is actually called a burqa and how that it spelled, I found this:

That's an Islamic swim suit. It scores very low in the "aerodynamic" category, but very high in the "modest " category. Good times.

How many times am I going to have to watch Spencer and Heidi get engaged?!

AJC

The local newspaper in Atlanta, The Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) has recently undergone some significant changes. In an attempt to stay relevant, they've rolled out a new look and format, which is good. It needed an update. Unfortunately, part of these efforts has included several rounds of layoffs, which has eliminated a good portion of the staff. Good, veteran reporters and editors. Many of whom are my contacts and friends. Being unemployed myself, I feel their pain and the worst part is, there's no where for them to go.

When I lost my job in November, I talked to my husband about becoming a writer- a real journalist. After all, that's what I went to school for. My husband, gifted with foresight, warned against those hopes. "A dying industry," he said. He was right. Newspapers are on their way out. It's the natural progression. Technology has given us a new way to get our news. It's inevitable, but that doesn't make those of us who love journalism and believe in it's virtues any less sad to see the era of print journalism ushered out in favor of blogs and video clips.

Don't get me wrong. I admire the power that the Internet has given citizen journalists and I believe that many of them have much to offer in terms of insight and perspective, but I'm also wary. My friend, CB Hackworth, who is a much better media analyst than me, has, ironically, posted an excellent piece about why we should be wary on his blog, Certain Speculation.

As a new generation comes along, raised on the Internet, they bring a sort of sophisticated skepticism with them that previous generations have lacked. Thanks to the Internet, my mom is convinced that Barack Obama is the Antichrist and she's terrified to heat water in the microwave. My 17-year-old niece is wiser in the ways of media, but she's unable to distinguish the new urban mythology from hard hitting news. Where do we go for truth? Who is still bound by the long-enduring ethical codes of journalism?

Certain Speculation: Why we still need newspapers . . .#links

Woodland

I'm becoming obsessed with vintage Pyrex. I'm thinking that I want to start collecting the brown and tan woodland line.

It would go perfectly in my imaginary kitchen. It's not quite as desirable as the gooseberry stuff, but that's why it's perfect. It's a little cheaper, but also a little harder to find. Wouldn't my new imaginary cabinets look fab full of all coordinating Pyrex mixing bowls and casserole dishes? I think so.

Tonight, I'm going to an information session about how to become a teacher in Georgia. Substituting has been fun and it's a job with great benefits. Just interested in learning more. No commitments.

Gooseberry

I'd like to think of myself as the master of negotiation. When we bought our Honda, I handled the negotiations while Paul was as work and I did really well. I was cool, calm and collected. I was ready to walk away. But, when it comes to vintage Pyrex, I'm a teenage boy meeting a Playboy model. For example, I was casually yard saling with my friend Heffie a couple of weekends ago. We were browsing a table where a lady had a Lenox elephant, that I was mildly interested in, but she thought really highly of her elephant, so I was going to walk away and then I saw them.... a set of three near perfect condition gooseberrry bake-serve-store casserole dishes (with lids!). I looked at my friend and said something to the effect of, "I'm going to buy these. I don't care how much they cost."

Smooth. But, thankfully, the lady didn't seem to hear me and when I asked her how much, she quoted a price that would allow me to buy them and still turn a profit based on market value. Shew!

I also picked up some more Brody glass that day. It's a white ribbed milk glass pedestal vase and I got it for a steal, so I'm returning the favor and asking below value for it.

Both these items (and more!) and currently available for sale at Bad White Trash Memeories.

Swine Flu 2.0

I think I might have swine flu. Seriously.

I dig on swine!

I'm not scared of swine flu and you shouldn't be either. I'm not going to play the whole media hype card, because, having been a member of the media, I realize that media hype is not possible unless it is fueled by the public. Here's the truth about swine flu, according to the CDC and World Health Organization. You see that? One person has died. ONE. Usually swine flu doesn't even require medical treatment and the symptoms are not as severe as the regular old run-of-the mill flu. The reason that this is news is because there's a new strain that can be transmitted between humans, and not just from pig to human. Nothing to get all worked up about. Diseases are constantly mutating. Just wash your hands and don't pick your nose. You'll be fine.

In fact, you're far far far more likely to have a slew of other more deadly diseases including cancer, AIDS, diabetes, heart disease and the list goes on and on.

But, in case you're still worried, click here to find out if you're at risk: Do you have swine flu?