Beside the Point
Sometimes I hear a song that perfectly explains a point in my life or a feeling or an emotion or a memory. That’s what I found in this video of a performance by Paul Thorn.
Introducing the song he talks about breaking up with someone and how you thought you’d never be able to get along with them. And then later, years later, if you see them in Wal-Mart you’ll duck down on another aisle so you won’t have to talk to them.
I’m changing the theme in this here space, preparing for what comes Friday.
For those familiar with Twitter, this theme interface will make perfect sense. The theme is designed to work with mobile phones and texting so an author, or multiple authors can update the blog from a cellphone.
updated: that didn’t last long. I hated that theme. this one isn’t Twitterific but it’ll do.
Specifically, this twitter-like design is meant to be used with the new iPhone. I got an e-mail yesterday telling me that the local Apple store in Nashville will be open at 8am Friday morning to begin selling the new iPhone.
Now I don’t know if I’m going to be standing in line Friday morning or not. As anxious as I am to get an iPhone, I’ve learned it can behoove one to wait a few days until the dust settles after a debut.
My old contract with Sprint has expired and I’m free to move about the cellphone world. But another day or week won’t hurt me. I still have a 662 area code and would like to get that changed as quickly as possible.
So, in the event a new iPhone is in my immediate future, I thought I’d go ahead and switch this interface.
Like anybody cares.
Had a few minutes to surf the internet tonight and came upon a mention in Memphis Media-Verse about an investigative series by the new investigative reporter at Newschannel 3.
Keli Rabon was chosen some time ago to fill the big shoes of Andy Wise. I’m not sure when Keli came on board or how many stories she’s put on the air at 3, but I’m impressed.
Now a lot of times, sweeps months cause tv station news departments to make fools of themselves. They run out tired over-done “investigative reports” hoping if they promote it enough and if they jump up and down and talk louder, viewers might actually come back to the tv sets and watch. You know the kinds of stories I’m talking about: checking to see how clean or dirty hotel sheets are, pay an ex-con to break into a house on live tv and put a stopwatch on him, launch an investigation into dirty computer keyboards, or follow a panhandler to see if they go to a $150,000 home.
But Rabon’s first series piece (as far as I know) was a new idea, a real investigation, and something that could affect every homeowner. The premise is this: crooks stealing homes by filing a new deed with the county. I have never heard of this scam, but according to Rabon the FBI actually sent out a warning earlier this year.
Not only was the reporting solid but she held her cool when a voice on the other-side of a front door told her he’d start shooting in ten seconds if she was still there. In Memphis, that is no idle threat. And she seemed to laugh out loud while holding a wireless lav mic to her cellphone to hear the man inside the house repeatedly call her a b**** and a w*****.
According to the NC3 website, she isn’t anywhere near a newbie when it comes to investigative reporting. She’s won a Murrow (don’t think AW has one of those but I may be wrong) and a list of policy-changing stories under her belt.
And she isn’t as in-our-face as some other investigative reporters. She doesn’t seem angry or in some type of steroid-induced rage as some other investigators appear on camera. She seems…well, pretty normal.
I hope she’s careful. Memphis thugs and cons are a lot different, I would assume, than the ones in Pascagoula.
She may very well make viewers of 3 forget Andy.
When you’ve been in the tv business as long as I have, you work with hundreds of people. I was thinking about some of the folks I’ve worked with in Florence, Anniston, Huntsville and Memphis. Some moved on to big time network gigs. Some got out of the business all together. Some are working where they worked 15 years ago.
One name that didn’t come to mind was mentioned by Joe Larkins this morning. “Do you remember Giovanna Drpic?” he asked.
I do remember Giovanna. We met first when she was working at WHNT in Huntsville and I was at WREG. We were both covering an incident involving a Greyhound bus in the days or weeks following 9/11. We talked on the scene about her applying for a job in Memphis.
She got the job and worked at 3 for a year or two before moving on to Orlando. I found out tonight she is working in New York at WWOR.
Now, here is what happens when you leave medium market tv for the big time. I’m not sure if the first photo comes from WREG or Orlando,but the second photo is from Giovanna’s bio from NY.
By the way, Giovanna, if you happen to find this post through Google: Congratulations on the big market gig. You look fantastic.