I’ve posted a few times about the year-long renovation project that’s been underway where I work. Big push to have the new Sports Operations Center ready by the first football weekend (September 3, 2005) and they made it.
I stopped by with my camcorder. Once they get this thing fully tweaked, they’ll bring in a professional and really capture just how nice this facility is. Until then, here’s a little taste (6 min, 14 meg, wmv). If you have any trouble watching this, drop me a line.
Our company has the broadcast rights (football and basketball) for some of the top colleges in the country and most of the production happens here in Jefferson City, Missouri. A major expansion of our sports operations and engineering facilities is underway and I asked Chief Engineer Charlie Peters to give me a tour this week.
I’m sorry about the guy that got his face, foot (and balls) ripped off by the monkees… but I find chimps in TV commercials hilarious. Honorable mentions: FedEx (We don’t get French benefits?) and Dairy Queen (MooLatte).
I think the best answer can be found at the end of Sydney Pollack’s 1975 spy flick, Three Days of the Condor. Robert Redford’s character (Joe Turner) is talking to CIA agent Higgins (played by Cliff Robertson) about the no-longer-secret plan to invade the Middle East for oil.
Higgins: The fact is, it wasn’t a bad plan. It could’ve worked.
Turner: Jesus — What is it with you people? You think not getting caught in a lie is the same as telling the truth.
Higgins: It’s simple economics, Turner… There’s no argument. Oil now, 10 or 15 years it’ll be food, or plutonium. Maybe sooner than that. What do you think the people will want us to do then?
Turner: Ask them!
Higgins: Now? (shakes head) Huh-uh. Ask them when they’re running out. When it’s cold at home and the engines stop and people who aren’t used to hunger… go hungry! They won’t want us to ask… (quiet savagery:) They’ll want us to GET it for them.
One of the local supermarkets installed a mechanical Santa a week or so back. Push the little button between his feet and he sings and dances.
One of the websites I help feed and care for won a nice award back in June. On Monday, Clyde and Stan were kind enough to go to NY and pick it up. Many of the Big Names in journalism were there: Brokow, Jennings, Rather… and our own Bob Priddy who –as RTNDA chairman– MC’d the event.
You either like Quintin Tarantino movies or you don’t. I’m a fan. Especially the dialogue. His characters say things that sound perfectly natural within the context of the movie but would never be heard in real life (whatever that is). I thought the same thing when I first saw David Mamet’s House of Games. Tarantino would seem to be a fan of David Carradine but was only 9 years old when Kung Fu was on TV. Same for Michael Parks, who is wonderful in Volume 2. Tarantino would have been six years old in 1969 when Jim Bronson rode his motorcycle across the country in Then Came Bronson. And while I know less than zero about cinematography, there was a wonderful, surreal quality to the second Kill Bill. I won’t even try to describe it. Finally, if for no other reason, see the movie for the yummy Uma Thurman.
I spent most of Saturday doing something I’ve wanted to do for years. I shot some video of “game day” at Learfield Communications.
Our company produces the radio broadcasts (some TV?) for many of the top colleges in the country. Play-by-play crews feed back the game broadcasts to Jefferson City where some very hard working folks mush it all together and send it (via satellite) to radio stations throughout the country. Mega-stress. Give me a few days to edit the video and I’ll post something here. My little project will fall far short of capturing what it’s really like on a Saturday. You gotta be there.
Last night the Rolling Stones did a live HBO concert from Madison Square Garden. About half way through the two hour show they launched into Honky Tonk Women and out struts Sheryl Crow looking like ten million bucks. (Watch on YouTube)
It’s always difficult to tell if Jagger and Richards are leering but they both seemed delighted to have Crow join them and Mick couldn’t keep his hands off her. Crow –the only “special guest” to appear– was just a baby (one or two) when the Stones hit the charts in the U.S. but there she was, on stage in Madison Square Garden, before a world-wide TV audience. I kept asking myself, “What’s bigger than this? What’s ‘up’ from here?” The concert will be rebroadcast at 8 p.m., Monday on HBO2 and 9 p.m., Thursday on HBO.