tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252769385538516532023-11-16T10:54:01.005-08:00~Motor Doll Behind the Lens~photojournalist, motorcyclist, writer, vintage car loverModo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-17111829269570105822013-11-05T22:36:00.003-08:002013-11-05T22:50:43.216-08:00MOTOR DOLLS in PRINT!!So you all know I write novels, but up until now, I couldn't really call myself an AUTHOR. But guess what?? My novel MOTOR DOLLS is now in print!! Yee haw!!!
Check out the website, <a href="http://www.motordolls.com/">www.motordolls.com</a>, where you can keep up with book news, learn about other Motor Dolls from around the world, and... oh yeah! Buy the book!
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuSZdCEMZOtMs9GXn8j3BW5vNnIia0m44bZ3C8Zk8S9JdjZRI8qo6oLXQMQ0ewoLpjLExFnj0QzCwMPIXZcWgkGGN8jNWpckJWI1aVbi_MIbaloYaVvJ82M9gc7e0CXgUEMyh63rYqlg/s1600/Book8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuSZdCEMZOtMs9GXn8j3BW5vNnIia0m44bZ3C8Zk8S9JdjZRI8qo6oLXQMQ0ewoLpjLExFnj0QzCwMPIXZcWgkGGN8jNWpckJWI1aVbi_MIbaloYaVvJ82M9gc7e0CXgUEMyh63rYqlg/s400/Book8.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.motordolls.com/">MOTOR DOLLS!!! AVAILABLE NOW!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-6842336470946588752013-02-08T23:07:00.000-08:002013-02-08T23:07:46.660-08:00Hello???Where am I lately?
Here... writing about my motorized babies.<a href="http://www.bondorella.com"> www.bondorella.com</a>
And here... writing about food. <a href="http://www.eatingcleanintheoc.wordpress.com">www.eatingcleanintheoc.wordpress.com</a>Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-73540749991574440682012-01-27T20:45:00.000-08:002013-11-05T22:38:46.713-08:00Guess what?So remember, like, YEARS ago, when I wrote my novel MOTOR DOLLS? And then the sole focus was to find an agent cause THAT'S WHAT WRITERS DO even though only about ten percent get signed? And then--glory be to heaven--AN AGENT ACTUALLY SIGNED ME??<br />
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Yeah. I remember that too. I also remember how she had me rework the novel to the point it no longer resembled what I originally wrote. Argh. Then she shopped it to publishers and had interest from a couple of MAJOR houses, only to have them want further changes?"...maybe limit the cars since girls might not <i>get</i> it..." Really?<br />
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Yep. Remember that too. I also remember it all falling part and never wanting to write again.<br />
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I also remember several "Oh-joyous-day-I-want-to-write-again..." posts...<br />
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So why is this one different?<br />
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CAUSE I GAVE MYSELF A DEADLINE.<br />
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And since I work in news, I ALWAYS honor my deadlines. In fact, I already spoke with a couple of artists about doing the cover art (oh... will it ever be fun!!!) and have started laying out the novel for both it's e-book and the print book. I'm about a quarter of the way through the final cleanup edit...<br />
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Then I'm going to take the beauty to print under the MOTOR PALACE PRESS imprint.<br />
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My deadline you ask? MID-MARCH. I want the final product in my hand by April first. I want the promo materials like post cards and stickers and stuff by Viva Las Vegas. The I'm gonna plaster the joint! HA!<br />
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So your job? HOLD ME TO IT.<br />
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Okay.<br />
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That's all.<br />
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Later gators!<br />
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<br />Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-52190705304509779092011-11-30T17:17:00.001-08:002011-11-30T18:57:31.273-08:00Interesting and OddSince I've been slackin' the last couple days on the blog, and I don't really feel like writing about my news day, this post is going to be a mish-mash of the <b><i>INTERESTING </i></b>and <b><i>ODD </i></b>things that happened over the last couple of days... or at least <b><i>INTERESTING </i></b>and <b><i>ODD </i></b>to me. So here they are in no particular order.<br />
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Did you know a lot of people shop on their smart phones? That's something I learned during our Cyber-Monday story. You probably knew that, but I found it <i style="font-weight: bold;">INTERESTING</i> (if not a wee bit disturbing)! Rampant consumerism. So why is our economy tanking? Most <i style="font-weight: bold;">INTERESTING</i> .<br />
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Here's something kinda <b><i>ODD </i></b>and voo-doo-ish.<br />
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I went to the antique fair in Torrance on Sunday (seen here with my swell family), and because I felt like being a girl, I wore one of my favorite vintage dresses. While walking around checking out all the cool stuff, a woman approached and handed me a clutch. She said she wanted me to have it because it matched my outfit so perfectly and I had the guts to wear vintage. Super nice, right? Then like five minutes later, the handle on my own vintage purse BROKE. Yep. So her little gift came in quite handy. I find that <b><i>INTERESTING</i></b> and <b><i>ODD</i></b>... don't you?<br />
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Here's something for ya. Why don't we listen to our brains? <b><i>INTERESTING</i></b>, right?<br />
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On Friday, I took my visiting family on a SoCal tour (my super cool Aunt Debbie was in town from Kentucky) and one of our stops was the Crystal Cove tide pools. We were checking out all the cute little critters when I decided--despite my brain telling me it was stupid and I'd probably slip--to step over a crevasse to the other side. And guess what? I did in fact slip, doing a pirouette--so my Aunt Debbie says--and falling between the jagged rocks up to my hips in water and my shoulders in rock, and in that process, smashed up a rather expensive lens. <b><i>ODD </i></b>how I didn't listen to my own common sense, don't ya think?<br />
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Speaking of brain control, we did a most <b><i>INTERESTING </i></b>interview with Depak Chopra today.<br />
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<br />Talk about the epitome of calm! He's in town hosting a seminar for war vets on how to use the mind to heal both emotional and physical ailments. I'm a big believer in the power of positive thinking and know he's truly onto something. Heck. Norman Vincent Peale's <i>Power of Positive Thinking</i> pulled me out of pretty dark place once.Wanna hear something <i style="font-weight: bold;">ODD</i>? I found the book at a point when I'd hit rock bottom. I used to walk over to the La Brea Tar Pits and sit on a bench there to think, and one day it was just sitting there waiting. And guess what? The tar pits were one of the unplanned places we visited this week.... <b><i>ODD.</i></b><br />
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The Tar Pits themselves... <i style="font-weight: bold;">INTERESTING</i>. So very, very <i style="font-weight: bold;">INTERESTING. </i>Especially since my visiting Aunt Debbie had been reading about them, and we just happened to be driving on La Brea and she asked if they were near and we were just blocks away... so we went. WHOA.... <b><i>ODD.</i></b><br />
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Another <b><i>ODD </i></b>bit. Our legal system. Odd is perhaps too gentle a term to describe the disasters in our courts. Why is it that a man who walks into a salon, blows away eight people (including his ex-wife), and gives a full confession to the police when arrested, pleads NOT GUILTY during an arraignment for the crime???<br />
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Come on! Clearly he had no problem taking responsibility for the crime after he did it, so why do the attorneys talk him into pleading not guilty instead of sparing the tax payers a whole lot of money and time for a lengthy trial?? Talk about a waste! He knows he's guilty, all the witnesses know he's guilty, upon arrest his truck was full of the weapons used, he had on a bullet proof vest, and most of all, the man put up his hands when the cops stopped him minutes after the rampage and said, "I know what I did." What more do ya need????? <b><i>ODD</i></b>. And flat out stupid. That was my story yesterday.<br />
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<b><i>ODD. </i></b>The characters on Hollywood Boulevard. Totally <i style="font-weight: bold;">ODD </i>(and frankly quite creepy).<br />
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My family. Both <b><i>INTERESTING </i></b>and <b><i>ODD</i></b>. Whoa. Beyond odd! But that's why I love 'em! Thanks for a wonderful visit Aunt Debbie, Daddy, and Mommy! Love ya!<br />
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I could probably dig up some other <b><i>INTERESTING </i></b>and <b><i>ODD </i></b>things from the past couple of days ('cause life is full of 'em), but it's getting dark and I want to go veg. Hope you enjoyed this little diversion from the norm.<br />
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Later gators!<br />
<br />Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-90850217709476511832011-11-23T16:58:00.001-08:002011-11-23T17:38:21.817-08:00Woo hoo!!! It's almost T-Giving!!In less than twenty-four hours, I will be stuffin' the stuffin' into my gaping maw with my ma, pa, feller, and Aunt Debbie from Kentucky. Mmmmmm!!! I do so love Thanksgiving.<br />
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But first... I must finish my work day. Easy enough story: Tips on how to be safe during the holidays, like locking car doors and house doors. Should be obvious, right? But so many people forget. OR... and this is the big one... they leave STEAL-ABLE things in plain sight, like on the front seats or windows of their cars. Not that I'd <i><b>ever </b></i>do something like <a href="http://motordolls.blogspot.com/2011/11/shattered-glass.html">that</a>. Nope. Nuh-uh. Ahem... certainly not in the news van. Someone like me would NEVER get their windows busted out.<br />
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Ahem... okay. Moving on.<br />
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Mall parking lots are one of the most common spots for bad guys to take stuff from inside your car. It took a while, but we finally found a mall who would let us on their premises (most think we're Satan's Spawn and keep us far, far away). Shot the story. Had a little lunch. Bought a super cute pair of shoes!! (Yes, I really am a girl, even though it's often hard to tell). I especially like the cuteness of this shoe contrasted with my really, really ugly old Roots work boots! Ha!<br />
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I got back and put the mast up on the truck (it goes up 40 feet, but I needed only about 20). My pal Mark in routing said, "I never, never, never say this to a woman, but you're perfect!" Granted, he was talking about my microwave signal, not me, but I'll take it... when all of the sudden, BAM!!!! I look up to see my mast shooting the other 20 feet up into the air even though I wasn't holding the Up button!!! WHOA! My transmitter went into Red (not good) and I saw a cable dangling broken forty feet up. Uh oh. Really not good. SO... no live shot for us. The truck will have to go up for repairs.<br />
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Instead, I cut the piece and fed it in via MCDS, which is our video dropbox on the Internet. With the new 4G cards, it takes just a couple of minutes to feed versus 20-40 minutes on the old 3G. Gotta love technology!<br />
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And since I'll be with Mom and Dad the next four days (and I write this blog primarily for them), I'll be taking a break for a bit.<br />
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Until Monday...<br />
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Eat lots and lots and lots of good T-Giving stuff....<br />
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Later gators!Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-11489606520577811902011-11-22T15:41:00.001-08:002011-11-22T18:51:04.799-08:00Killer TreesOne thing you learn in this business, is that terrible things happen to people for no good reason, like Haeyoon Miller, who was crushed by a Eucalyptus tree a couple of months ago as she drove along Irvine Avenue in Newport Beach. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the Orange County Register</td></tr>
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People say the tree had been leaning, but no one reported it to the city. And then it fell, crushing the car and the driver.<br />
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There are tons of Eucalyptus in Newport, planted in the twenties and thirties as a wind break for the farmland once covering the area. They have a life span of about 100 years and most of the trees dotting the Newport landscape are between 60 to 80 years old. Yes, they're reaching the end.<br />
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But regardless, the city's reaction to the accident seems extreme to many, including me. Within weeks, the city cut down 140 trees, and now they're talking about cutting 33 more in a neighborhood.<br />
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Why kill more trees? Yes, I feel great sympathy for the Miller family, but that accident was just that. An accident. Like a lightening strike. The odds of something like that happening again I imagine are pretty steep. So why strip an entire community of nature?? Granted, the city promises to replant more stable trees in their place... and I get that. I really do. I know Eucalyptus are precarious trees with shallow roots, but why not monitor them instead, only removing them when absolutely necessary. Not only would that save the city money, it would preserve the trees for a few more years, maybe even decades. A commission voted against removing the trees, but the mayor wants to open it up for discussion again. Come on! Why not trust the experts??<br />
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Uh oh. I'm expressing an opinion. I'm not supposed to do that. But... SAVE THE TREES!!!<br />
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The vote is tonight. <br />
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I'll let you know tomorrow.<br />
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Oh! And to follow up on a story from a couple days ago. <a href="http://motordolls.blogspot.com/2011/11/what-began-as-lovely-day.html">Remember the fourteen year old who went missing right before Halloween?</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68WsHDee0AqX7C_jHWbUP6y59_DG7mU_w7cD7xLBzIsZyKpedPFZ8V2UcQyix_Nx3_FLKY2CyH7NjDfc_hhj1sYjmOJzU_jcYu7K_9Rn6550eWsPJy0PNse1pwx0gJuqVv1mEGwtRv78/s1600/Still1111_00004.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68WsHDee0AqX7C_jHWbUP6y59_DG7mU_w7cD7xLBzIsZyKpedPFZ8V2UcQyix_Nx3_FLKY2CyH7NjDfc_hhj1sYjmOJzU_jcYu7K_9Rn6550eWsPJy0PNse1pwx0gJuqVv1mEGwtRv78/s400/Still1111_00004.bmp" width="400" /></a></div>
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She is now home safe and sound after spending a couple weeks with a twenty-four year old man at HIS PARENTS HOUSE. Seriously??? What the heck were his parents thinking letting him keep his fourteen year old girlfriend there??? Oh dear. I'm really ranting today, aren't I. Sorry. At least she's home.<br />
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Until tomorrow...<br />
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Later gators!Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-80001731688207698212011-11-21T21:38:00.001-08:002011-11-21T22:06:29.330-08:00Play Hard or Go Home!I'm going to keep this post short, one, because our news story wasn't that interesting, and two, because I'm beat and stressed from a two hour drive home in bumper to bumper traffic. My regular reporter called in sick today, so I had to hoof it to Hollywood for a shoot. Amazing how a thirty-eight mile drive can take that long! Argh! Gotta love L.A.!<br />
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First, a quick note about the weekend. Our G-Girl meeting was fun and informative, and the plaque collection of Stan the Plaque man was phenomenal!! Click the picture to see the full photo album.<br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.266336723417842.86635.100001245489890&type=3"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4gBdjI3sWz6lnoLy9a5gt79sZWXKT_G1BvR-iaE0mB-13S6ds-7bxcxuWSjHqu23WWQUtbfg9m0JJ688zV4ATbLsWwpzwXLBhBUnNGutq5vVIixQfZcpXfstFSeym_gukTEXikl4Lis/s400/GGirls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The surf trip to San Elijo was FANTASTIC!! Kristin and I felt as if we'd been swept away on a magnificent vacation, even if only for a day. Lots and lots of time in the water--and I stood up first thing on the surfboard!!! Granted, I still didn't "surf" in my mind, just stood up. But that's a start, right? Great company, great food, a sunset dinner at a fantastic restaurant, and fireside s'mores. What more could a girl want??<br />
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I didn't make it through the day unscathed, though. Wanna see my war wounds??? First, my swollen foot from... a jelly fish sting? From over stressin' my foot? Not sure, although I did feel a sting during the day, but couldn't find a mark on the bottom of my foot. Pretty, huh?<br />
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My other war wound, this lovely, fist sized bruise on my hip! I got this from getting tumbled in a wave and whacked by the fin of the surfboard. Ouch!! Ha ha ha ha! No big deal. I think the wounds only add to the experience. Play hard or go home, right??<br />
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As for my news story, it really was rather pointless. It rained yesterday (oh no!), and Melrose flooded (oh no!). Melrose is a trendy, low-brow kinda shopping district, and, from what we could gather, the drains didn't drain quick enough and some water got into the stores. Yes, news to the shop owners, but not really news TODAY for the viewing public. Yesterday maybe, but not today. Fortunately, our place had sent a crew out yesterday so we had something to work with. To flesh it out, Jen and I did a couple interviews. Slapped it together. Set up on Melrose for a live shot.<br />
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The most entertaining part? The people watching of course. Punk rock, baby!<br />
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And then of course, my day ended with the two stinkin' hour drive home! Argh!!! Okay. Well... writing this helped mellow me out, so... thanks!</div>
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Now I'm off to the tub to further unwind. Hmmm.... I wonder if it's reasonable to use my new Kindle for tub reading? What's the worst that can... never mind. Electronics. Water. No bueno.</div>
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Until tomorrow...</div>
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Later gators!</div>
<br />Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-72374981643143690652011-11-18T14:42:00.001-08:002011-11-21T08:46:24.615-08:00Flyin' High!!Remember a couple of days ago when I did the<a href="http://motordolls.blogspot.com/2011/11/helicopter-joyride.html"> story on the helicopter supervisor </a>who allegedly took his girlfriend on a joy ride and I said it would have been a really cool day if I'd gotten to go up in the helicopter??<br />
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Well today, I got to go up in one!!! Woo hoo!! Lance here was our very skilled pilot.<br />
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In case you hadn't heard, the Natalie Wood death investigation has been reopened because the Captain on the boat that night has now come forward and said he lied to investigators at the time. He claims Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood had a terrible argument that night, and that after she disappeared, Wagner didn't want to make any effort to find her. The captain said he believes Wagner was responsible for her death.<br />
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Because we're the closest crew to Catalina, my reporter and I got to hop on a helicopter and fly over to interview Doug Bombard, the former Harbor Master of Two-Harbors, who, not only was friends with the couple, but was also the one who recovered her body. He gave us a helicopter tour pointing out where the dingy was found, and how he, from that, figured which way the current would have taken her body. Within half an hour, he found her.<br />
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An interesting tidbit about Doug: He was born on Catalina Island in 1926! His dad, a race car mechanic, moved there in 1920. What the heck was even out there back then?? For those of you who don't know, Catalina is a very small island off the Southern California coast, about 3600 people. You can pretty much see all there is to see within a day or two--although I guess there is quite a bit of uninhabited stuff to explore. I can't imagine growing up in such a place, especially that long ago!</div>
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The best part of the trip was flying low over the water. It almost felt as if we were skimming it. AND... we saw an AMAZING school of dolphin doing acrobatics! Along the shoreline, the water looked deep turquoise. So very, very pretty.<br />
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Often, people ask how I deal with all of the bad stuff I have to cover for the news, and sadly, I do see a lot of bad stuff. BUT... there are the days like today when I get paid to do something pretty darned cool. Granted, the core story is not a good one, but the experience certainly was.<br />
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And now I've gotta wrap this up. Busy night and weekend ahead. Tonight? It's our monthly Gasoline Girl meeting at Stan the Plaque Man's Shop (he's the one who made our plaques and many, many other SoCal Car club plaques). And tomorrow, fellow G-Girl Kristin and I are meeting a bunch of car guys down at San Elijo beach in San Diego for a day of surfin!!! Woo hoo!!!<br />
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Until Monday...<br />
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Later Gators!<br />
<span id="goog_1636092895"></span><span id="goog_1636092896"></span>Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-35113593924039702592011-11-17T11:58:00.001-08:002011-11-17T18:56:02.973-08:00Adapting to change....I'm going to veer off the daily news story theme for a bit because I'm doing something entirely new. I'm writing this post with my all new Kindle Fire. Cool, eh?<br />
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I, like many novelists, hesitated with the whole E-READER thing. The romance of holding a book couldn't be replaced by a machine. No way, no how. Nuh uh...<br />
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I went through the same thing with digital cameras. Nothing could replace film. No way, no how. Nuh uh...<br />
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But... I was wrong. I know, I know. Not easy to admit, but I'll be a big girl about it. I love the immediacy of digital cameras and the ability to shoot and shoot to my heart's content without the time and expense of film. And I tell ya... the instant feedback has made me a better photographer. I remember the days when I'd make notes on a little pad about each frame then try to compare those notes to the images once they were processed and printed. It wasn't easy to experiment. But with digital?? ENDLESS experimentation.<br />
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So when Kindle came out with the Fire, I decided to give it a try. I'd been wrong about digital cameras; maybe I was wrong about this. And besides, if I hated it as a reader I could still use it for web access, movies, music... and the price was right, so why not?<br />
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And guess what? I've had it less than 24 hours and I love this thing! Last night when I pulled this sucker out of the box, I immediately went for the book selections, and found the forgotten (on my part) third part of the <i>Hunger Game</i>s!! After reading the second book in the trilogy, I couldn't wait for the third to come out but somehow got buried in other stuff and forgot! <i>Mockingjay</i> was my first Kindle download. Within seconds I had my book with no trip to the bookstore! Dang! How cool is that??? <br />
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I thought I'd hate reading off a screen, but after a couple of paragraphs I forgot about the device. The page background can be set to off-white, like most books, and it's easy to hold, turn pages, and simply lose yourself in make believe without the bulk and waste (hard as it is to say) of paper.<br />
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So... adapting to change isn't too bad, right?<br />
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Which kinda ties into one of my news stories today about a new retirement study. Talk about adapting! Instead of the hallowed 65 to retire, most people working today will have to work until they're 80. Yep! I said 80. The graph below shows the percentage of each retirement dollar people expect to get from the government. I'd say it's pretty accurate. I look at the difference between my parents and I. They retired a couple years ago, and in addition to a lot of very smart saving, are getting social security. Can I count on that same supplement?? Who knows. I know I'm not counting on it, which fits into the 20% for 40-somethings!<br />
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And man! The way my 401k continually gets devalued. Yikes!<br />
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The big fear for me is this: Can I carry all this heavy gear until I'm 80? Years ago, my feller and I talked about the impact carrying fifty to sixty pounds every day might have on me physically and we decided I should retire by 45. Well... that's less than a year away, and I sure don't think I'm financially close to retiring, nor am I mentally done with it either. I still enjoy what I do. Look at all the great people I meet, and the amazing things I see!<br />
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Hmmm... The whole workin' til 80 thing might not be as easy to adapt to as switching from a book to an E-Reader.<br />
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In addition to the retirement story, the day started with an explosion in Anaheim (and an early call for me) and ended with an Occupy OC event at John Wayne airport.<br />
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But really... I don't need to go into detail. I've rambled on entirely too long with this post and truthfully, I want to go play with my Kindle Fire.<br />
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(Confession here... Halfway through the blog post, I switched to the computer to write. I'm thrilled I have the ability to post from the Kindle, but it's tough to two-finger type on the screen pad, especially when I can whiz through it on a computer!)<br />
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Until another exciting day tomorrow...<br />
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Later gators!Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-91073833950277858732011-11-16T19:25:00.000-08:002011-11-16T19:37:18.643-08:00Whew! So many stories, so little time...Wowie. Did I ever get moved around today!!<br />
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My reporter was given the day to "enterprise" future stories, in other words, rather than doing the run-n-gun day-of-air reporting, she could do some research and set up some perhaps more in depth pieces to shoot down the road.<br />
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I, however, still needed to get out there and cover the happenings in Orange County. And man, did I cover it!<br />
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First stop? The Orange County Fire Authority. Six o'clock last night, some drunk ran through the gates, knocked over a pole, and crashed into the 911 Memorial, where, because of the eternal flame burning, his car caught fire.<br />
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Next, I headed down south to Laguna Hills High School,where a group of mentally disadvantaged kids in a life skills program got a recycling award. These kids were awesome! Even though most of them lacked verbal skills, they were so much fun. And you could see their pride in contributing to the school and community by recycling all of the water and soda bottles.<br />
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This dark-haired boy below, Devon, took a liking to me and became my BFF during the shoot. He hung onto my arm the entire time--which made for a challenging hour, but he was so darn sweet I couldn't say no.<br />
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From there, I headed north to Cal State Fullerton to cover more of the "Occupy" stuff. Today, the CSU trustees in fact voted for a 9% fee increase, which resulted in chaos over at Cal State Long Beach, including a shattered glass double door. In Fullerton, things were considerably calmer. They've set up tents outside the library in an attempt to educate fellow students about what's going on in the trustee system and what they can do to push for change. Tonight, they'll have a rally and discuss the day's happenings.<br />
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And finally, to round out the day, I ended up in Santa Ana at the Sheriff's Department to shoot a silhouetted interview of a mom who wanted to get the word out about child annoyance.<br />
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Her middle school aged daughter who has to ride public transportation to school, was being repeatedly harassed by a man on the bus to the point she no longer wanted to go to school. When her mom realized how serious it was becoming, she reported it to the sheriff's and they did in fact arrest him.<br />
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Yay for the good guys!<br />
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WHEW! I hardly had time to inhale my burrito today!<br />
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So now I'm headed home to relax, and maybe, do it all over again tomorrow.<br />
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Until then....<br />
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Later gators!Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-41131850102652725142011-11-15T22:49:00.000-08:002011-11-17T08:54:33.706-08:00Shattered GlassOh dear. It was not a good couple of days for me and glass.<br />
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Saturday I decided to change out the old cracked windshield in my '48 Ford with a new one... but the glass cracked on the way to Torrance (I'm assuming), where I'd planned to demonstrate to a lovely group of ladies how to do it. Read all about it <a href="http://bondorella.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/new-glass-for-bondorella/">here</a>.<br />
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This morning, at 4:20 a.m., the alarm on my news van went off, and Brian said he heard the pop of glass. Sure enough, someone had busted both the driver's side and passenger side windows out.<br />
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And for what... my GPS unit and an ancient cell phone. Thankfully, nothing more was stolen. It astounds me how petty thieves put their freedom at risk for something so small.<br />
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But then... considering our jails are at 180 percent of capacity, petty thieves probably don't do much jail time. The most ridiculous part?? I KNEW better than to leave my GPS in plain sight! Heck, I'd done tons of news stories on smash and grabs with GPS devices. The one night I forget to put it away... *sigh*<br />
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So... I got a lovely morning drive in a windowless van from Orange to Burbank. Brrrrr!! It was actually kind of fun, though, kinda like bein' in a roadster!<br />
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While waiting for the glass guy to get the new windows in, I got lots of little repairs done to my equipment. Since I don't make it to the lot very often, I don't get days to take care of this kind of stuff, so that was handy.<br />
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Then it was off with one of my favorite reporters to do a story on traffic! A new nationwide traffic study indicated that 6 of the 7 most congested stretches of highway are in Los Angeles. Funny. No one we talked to seemed surprised. Ha!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvq1I-znsgRsKWrG0_LY7AsQKmCMrORMiJWpweB9m6Xanpn4xrdDDWXONe7VjipASbBkYFqYh11J7KzdfFTsLHd7mdsL4WzsNe0xjjQPcRXv0qemHZjRTFyi8YxZXK1WoE3geLH-WmULc/s1600/traffic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvq1I-znsgRsKWrG0_LY7AsQKmCMrORMiJWpweB9m6Xanpn4xrdDDWXONe7VjipASbBkYFqYh11J7KzdfFTsLHd7mdsL4WzsNe0xjjQPcRXv0qemHZjRTFyi8YxZXK1WoE3geLH-WmULc/s400/traffic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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The SINGLE MOST congested stretch of highway in the United States<a class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45304661/ns/travel-news/t/nightmare-roads-identified-congestion-study/#" id="itxthook0" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 0.075em solid darkgreen; color: darkgreen; font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; padding-bottom: 1px; text-decoration: underline;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" id="itxthook0w0" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; color: darkgreen; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"></span><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" id="itxthook0w2" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; color: darkgreen; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"></span></a>, according to the researchers, is on the Harbor Freeway, specifically the three-mile stretch of northbound California Highway 110 near Dodger Stadium running through downtown. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAV-8NCCHx4FpbjwiF9UCyNr_eM-5Gkqs_AdlFMOMIeNZqQUzkC9RjRAeb_T_uzKi5RaHgFwNUlqSt63y3-Yr-K5YWKgneySMWPbLpK_66DxFfNGOZnHugcvnPzCYUUYFXjvX7qJedsp8/s1600/downtown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAV-8NCCHx4FpbjwiF9UCyNr_eM-5Gkqs_AdlFMOMIeNZqQUzkC9RjRAeb_T_uzKi5RaHgFwNUlqSt63y3-Yr-K5YWKgneySMWPbLpK_66DxFfNGOZnHugcvnPzCYUUYFXjvX7qJedsp8/s320/downtown.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
The report estimates more than 1.4 million person hours are wasted each year by people sitting in traffic at that one intersection, using 2.1 million gallons of gasoline. Dang! No wonder I always avoid that section of freeway! <br />
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Yawn! Sorry. It was a long day, considering my rude wake up call this morning. I'm off to sleepyland! <br />
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Until tomorrow....<br />
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Later gators!Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-36603041340683011592011-11-12T20:37:00.000-08:002011-11-16T19:49:05.975-08:00What began as a lovely day...It's Friday. It's Veteran's Day. And it's 11/11/11. So I deserve a fun story today, right? Plus, I did my little dance last night to the news gods for something visual, and hey! I got my wish!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4X5_PNsMNSuI3YVSsrnDEhWeeifH40a7g40333KeFK245ppeNneSoadh4VzxWbMDMmG2wYCr_tM6cXuIE-KH3L_nVWJNbw5e9dce2g4nsAf33WDkddTzYp_lWsMI_HlFYR7GTgW3hH0/s1600/Still1111_00001.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4X5_PNsMNSuI3YVSsrnDEhWeeifH40a7g40333KeFK245ppeNneSoadh4VzxWbMDMmG2wYCr_tM6cXuIE-KH3L_nVWJNbw5e9dce2g4nsAf33WDkddTzYp_lWsMI_HlFYR7GTgW3hH0/s400/Still1111_00001.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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The news planners wanted us to do a story on coastal weather. Newsworthy why? Because we're expecting a big storm tonight and tomorrow. I know the producers had visions of people at the beach in the rain. But... it's not raining yet.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRY5c2yjK4r17CyxukK5qmf5-3bxbyF3ZLLQSyiLBjc9bdXVJ3x3aC-c9Oj3l8St-As93i_HqDqf0shSaOqfHLhELWFs-bVyZFPnq2mL6OM03-5rBKi5qNvybItSaTVLpVIUITYcFTQI/s1600/sufin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRY5c2yjK4r17CyxukK5qmf5-3bxbyF3ZLLQSyiLBjc9bdXVJ3x3aC-c9Oj3l8St-As93i_HqDqf0shSaOqfHLhELWFs-bVyZFPnq2mL6OM03-5rBKi5qNvybItSaTVLpVIUITYcFTQI/s400/sufin.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I didn't complain, though. The assignment got me to the beach! I have a little obsession right now: learning to surf. My pal El Marko took me out a couple of weekends ago and I've been thinkin' about it a whole lot ever since. (You can read all about it <a href="http://bondorella.wordpress.com/2011/10/30/bondorella-goes-surfin/">here</a>). So to take pictures of surfers??? A dream assignment!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgX7z0YtpdyufCcnJelXyls48HLzZxQ8OPeKLTYMAvYyAIgLgcMqrmJAlP7BAgOdcM1hdagkO1cvSIi1f3TUHYwz2wN_cQCVZ272T5-NFNEahQLQqFI9wOAs-HjUJ2ugDPAQmOilwh-nM/s1600/Still1111_00000.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgX7z0YtpdyufCcnJelXyls48HLzZxQ8OPeKLTYMAvYyAIgLgcMqrmJAlP7BAgOdcM1hdagkO1cvSIi1f3TUHYwz2wN_cQCVZ272T5-NFNEahQLQqFI9wOAs-HjUJ2ugDPAQmOilwh-nM/s400/Still1111_00000.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I talked to this nice surfer girl when she got out of the water and mentioned I was just learning and really wanted to get out in the water again. She told me about a group of beginner women who get together in Newport! Can't wait to check 'em out. <br />
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I was happy. Smiling. Talked to this nice couple from Vegas who were quite cold in the wind.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bEXihe-ZYVMC_UFgSR5n5jaGEPyZSt4Ti3K1_2CjOZGebgYHg9JGMh3X2amFNPhXihyphenhyphenxdblwFUCsZMOKJM5rtIsPUI_N0upy-OxelMxYIQ3LFObOpJ2p6wKqY-rQc9IQOcXXCGpV_60/s1600/Still1111_00003.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bEXihe-ZYVMC_UFgSR5n5jaGEPyZSt4Ti3K1_2CjOZGebgYHg9JGMh3X2amFNPhXihyphenhyphenxdblwFUCsZMOKJM5rtIsPUI_N0upy-OxelMxYIQ3LFObOpJ2p6wKqY-rQc9IQOcXXCGpV_60/s400/Still1111_00003.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Then... they changed my story. BOO!!!!!<br />
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To what you ask? What could be more newsworthy than a rain story on a non-stormy beach?<br />
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A missing 14-year-old girl. Jackie Martinez left her house October 30th to go candy shopping, but never came home. Cops later found out (via her Facebook page) that she planned to meet up with a 15-year-old boy, but he claims she never showed. Nothing much was done over her now twelve-day absence because she'd sent a text the day after her disappearance saying she was okay, and by back tracking on her FB page, its clear she had a history of meeting up with boys.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZI1LbWeBTbSvKqmEoQ_CvCFs-wbqC4gKMgmHolqR3nD2LCbtGpSz0cjEfgZ5t9iJrTbJ44XzSk29u0bWMzc8SP25BQ7H9Ze4ZIPyy2ebKhPFHo-I-vB52If2YYfu1ZHrs4IEwYUWs-w/s1600/Still1111_00005.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZI1LbWeBTbSvKqmEoQ_CvCFs-wbqC4gKMgmHolqR3nD2LCbtGpSz0cjEfgZ5t9iJrTbJ44XzSk29u0bWMzc8SP25BQ7H9Ze4ZIPyy2ebKhPFHo-I-vB52If2YYfu1ZHrs4IEwYUWs-w/s400/Still1111_00005.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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But regardless of her past behavior, she's still fourteen, and she's still missing. Now the PD is putting out a larger effort to find out where she is. Friends and family have created a Facebook page to get her picture out there. The very social networking that may have gotten her into trouble in the first place now used to maybe help find her.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68WsHDee0AqX7C_jHWbUP6y59_DG7mU_w7cD7xLBzIsZyKpedPFZ8V2UcQyix_Nx3_FLKY2CyH7NjDfc_hhj1sYjmOJzU_jcYu7K_9Rn6550eWsPJy0PNse1pwx0gJuqVv1mEGwtRv78/s1600/Still1111_00004.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68WsHDee0AqX7C_jHWbUP6y59_DG7mU_w7cD7xLBzIsZyKpedPFZ8V2UcQyix_Nx3_FLKY2CyH7NjDfc_hhj1sYjmOJzU_jcYu7K_9Rn6550eWsPJy0PNse1pwx0gJuqVv1mEGwtRv78/s320/Still1111_00004.bmp" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So while I lost the visual story, at least maybe I ended up doing a story that might aid in the search for Jackie. Yeah, 14-year-old girls do dumb things sometimes, but that doesn't mean bad things should happen to her.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And now... I'm ready for a fun, Gasoline Girl weekend. Bondorella will be getting new glass! Check out www. bondorella.worpress.com for an update on that! Should be posted by Monday.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Until then....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Later gators!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-53003003703052947862011-11-10T19:10:00.000-08:002011-11-10T19:12:18.176-08:00Helicopter JoyrideI'm not too excited about writing this post. Why? 'Cause today's story wasn't fun to shoot. Why not? 'Cause there wasn't much <i>to</i> shoot!! Now if I'd actually gone up in the helicopter that would be different... but... uhhh... no. That would have been wrong because the whole reason a helicopter ride became a news story was due to an anonymous letter accusing a Deputy of using the Sheriff's Department helicopter to take his girlfriend on a joy ride. I imagine taking a news photographer for a ride would also fit under inappropriate use.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNbMxcSXAbbWfSTJPV7qUOW3AAB8GUP2ZbXdx7Fr9p-hKqEIzAevGHnrwE1YE4z_4jyXuYG4S4BZFOyrLwbYiMKhPkGVV4zap3IIZZAAg9sa7oMxm3AyO0p4wqPrw7U5NLmCi9AZ6-CE/s1600/Still1110_00001.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNbMxcSXAbbWfSTJPV7qUOW3AAB8GUP2ZbXdx7Fr9p-hKqEIzAevGHnrwE1YE4z_4jyXuYG4S4BZFOyrLwbYiMKhPkGVV4zap3IIZZAAg9sa7oMxm3AyO0p4wqPrw7U5NLmCi9AZ6-CE/s400/Still1110_00001.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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A few years ago, Orange County had a huge scandal involving the Sheriff's Department, one that resulted in Sheriff Mike Carona and others going to jail. It's a long, involved story and if you want to know more, just Google the former Sheriff's name. The reason I bring this up is because Orange County is now extra-sensitive about any hint of corruption in the department.<br />
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So of course, the Sheriff's Department and the Board of Supervisors snapped to attention when they received this anonymous letter:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBaVwDwcELR1pSAt-gUP-o0o06cqh2uK4oMnXIkxbWJpoPaxFUOS50s2QmNdJm0UtWjTGeLqHgQ6YodRLe781I4nnkOzlISCBajxEk_Qq9WfSICs5ge4bjCEKMEJavCn7jpNqrLIva3c/s1600/Still1110_00000.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBaVwDwcELR1pSAt-gUP-o0o06cqh2uK4oMnXIkxbWJpoPaxFUOS50s2QmNdJm0UtWjTGeLqHgQ6YodRLe781I4nnkOzlISCBajxEk_Qq9WfSICs5ge4bjCEKMEJavCn7jpNqrLIva3c/s400/Still1110_00000.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The letter alleges a supervisor of the helicopter crew took his girlfriend on a taxpayer funded flight around Orange County. The reason this harkens back to the aforementioned scandal? Assistant Sheriff Jaramillo was also accused of using the helicopter for personal reasons, like going to retrieve his wife's purse.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJMT0etrbTEwzwSNCG0TXEvAmB7Sc_dowe6AJjEVd_VR5ee3zpy6XBRoCx94J-CufaNeknANGDuxVM0s2XA_KEMil8jeIC5UxX1xAfIhPn-uWgb7wn4mojpEJ_QGjE75URpdjPT_7jWI/s1600/Still1110_00004.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJMT0etrbTEwzwSNCG0TXEvAmB7Sc_dowe6AJjEVd_VR5ee3zpy6XBRoCx94J-CufaNeknANGDuxVM0s2XA_KEMil8jeIC5UxX1xAfIhPn-uWgb7wn4mojpEJ_QGjE75URpdjPT_7jWI/s400/Still1110_00004.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br />
When I said there wasn't much to shoot, I meant it. The helicopter is stored in an area we can't access so I had no way to get any shots. Thank goodness for FILE VIDEO. Old pot busts saved the day. Anytime they find a field of maryjuana out in the middle of nowhere, they use the helicopter to haul it out and we're usually there covering it. I did a little archive search, and found what I needed. Other than that, we shot a couple of interviews and a very exciting exterior of the Sheriff's department. *YAWN*... Nothing terribly visual there.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSYMt4RWYeFt0AXTFkcqfMoCu-P54OBKy4MV_0jkiMD0GuVaZzb4QbBICBs4Ynkn3APBIWGhkJ0HT0ys9G3vVTfMynKAbOIEqqLgWxYEmOihy-WQwqm6J0HyvY7BaWpGBOHK59ujGTp8/s1600/Still1110_00002.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSYMt4RWYeFt0AXTFkcqfMoCu-P54OBKy4MV_0jkiMD0GuVaZzb4QbBICBs4Ynkn3APBIWGhkJ0HT0ys9G3vVTfMynKAbOIEqqLgWxYEmOihy-WQwqm6J0HyvY7BaWpGBOHK59ujGTp8/s400/Still1110_00002.bmp" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As for the allegations against the deputy, the department is looking into it. One of the supervisors we interviewed thinks it might all be a misunderstanding, that the alleged "girlfriend" was actually a fellow deputy in plain clothes. It will all come to light soon, once they look at the FAA records for the flight. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But until then... please... pretty please with sugar on top... let me have a nice VISUAL story tomorrow? Is that really too much to ask? :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Until tomorrow....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Later gators!</div>Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-40547544162397212922011-11-09T19:24:00.000-08:002011-11-10T09:32:23.363-08:00"We say fight back!"I've gotta say... I like covering protests, as long as I'm not getting pushed, shoved, or pepper sprayed (and yes I have at one time or another experienced all three).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB11KORSI9i9BMuWmab4IaAsRdLvCF88cCp0kIWGAnICtqFOmei-S8dysNZ6VnuRXlJUydOOAWfSsMbpblCRN_DE2HpDZXtC3N-HffH__3YzlE0p6PaPb_IAh7f27tcR0UHxNVS2XI_pI/s1600/Still1109_00000.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB11KORSI9i9BMuWmab4IaAsRdLvCF88cCp0kIWGAnICtqFOmei-S8dysNZ6VnuRXlJUydOOAWfSsMbpblCRN_DE2HpDZXtC3N-HffH__3YzlE0p6PaPb_IAh7f27tcR0UHxNVS2XI_pI/s400/Still1109_00000.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br />
For the most part, protestors actually (gasp) <i>want</i> the media there. We're a tool to get their message out, and really, that's the point of a protest, right? I mean, if they went to all the trouble to alter their usual routine, grab a picket sign, and take to the streets, they must be pretty passionate about sharing their opinions.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfnBRCiE1fI4SlRtZEn6rHOPENSNuoC5q3RzemSQDItvn8r5qcPsrBdKBi599fhlSiys3bEuhHuJ4oKbMzkCJvlsPJmXkpYPt7szF-bNfY26rvjQ8Md_8jNqK3GSY9bohPqHlGWNkgF4/s1600/Still1109_00004.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfnBRCiE1fI4SlRtZEn6rHOPENSNuoC5q3RzemSQDItvn8r5qcPsrBdKBi599fhlSiys3bEuhHuJ4oKbMzkCJvlsPJmXkpYPt7szF-bNfY26rvjQ8Md_8jNqK3GSY9bohPqHlGWNkgF4/s400/Still1109_00004.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br />
But (back to the reason why I like shooting protests) in addition to the thrill of not being hated or reviled (at least not to our face), protests are super visual and full of "nat" sound, or in real man speak, the natural sound of the event. I LOVE nat sound. Nat sound infuses a story with life. I mean really. Think of a story about a protest where you hear only the reporter speaking, and the spokespeople speaking, but no loud chants or drums pounding or horns blaring. Without that sound, there's no energy. And when you have people chanting and marching and waving signs... well, it really is a perfect scenario for getting a great piece.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbntOz-zzmBjWlspkgy8TwTnO6NXSiTEiqG-6IGvoxSkhX-6sDQ71AaqqMQoYq6Ale1u5_ETpxvu1zm1rPGlTqdBB5cKRWYrT8NIw6f2GWJRyofO4ch7h8eRFk5KnztHc0CNv2dyr_dk/s1600/Still1109_00001.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbntOz-zzmBjWlspkgy8TwTnO6NXSiTEiqG-6IGvoxSkhX-6sDQ71AaqqMQoYq6Ale1u5_ETpxvu1zm1rPGlTqdBB5cKRWYrT8NIw6f2GWJRyofO4ch7h8eRFk5KnztHc0CNv2dyr_dk/s400/Still1109_00001.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br />
All right. So now you know I enjoyed shooting my story today, but you don't know what the protestors were protesting about, right? Well it's kind of tied into the Occupy movements, all concerning use of funds and budgeting, this time, with the University of Cal systems. Across California, students and faculty protested financial issues, like tuition hikes and salary freezes. Yeah, it stinks. But hey... paying for an education has never been easy, and certainly isn't now. As my reporter and I discussed, college is a privilege, not a right. Always has been. But my opinion isn't part of the story.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEici5Clxi1h_XtOV2ynFYVvNzSh6Btu7igfo1taAjTGXW5kNa3lYrePZ2Fuj3svH0JQvBTJJ7PY5KTy3U6vhC0m2a_TLev479OP_N2oku9BxpzF1AJNT0zaDYRD51YX4OHD_3fYocwV_yQ/s1600/Still1109_00003.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEici5Clxi1h_XtOV2ynFYVvNzSh6Btu7igfo1taAjTGXW5kNa3lYrePZ2Fuj3svH0JQvBTJJ7PY5KTy3U6vhC0m2a_TLev479OP_N2oku9BxpzF1AJNT0zaDYRD51YX4OHD_3fYocwV_yQ/s320/Still1109_00003.bmp" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So while budget cuts can be a dry subject, at least the protestors add an exciting visual and auditory element. They had a nice diverse crowd at UCI. Funny how college students will always protest something, even if they're not totally sure about the core reasons behind what they're protesting. I guess it's a rite of passage. I wouldn't know...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Until tomorrow!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Later gators!</div>Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-18184677334961363652011-11-02T20:57:00.000-07:002011-11-02T21:14:43.968-07:00Oh the insanity!!<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">(This is for you, Mommy and Daddy, since you missed my daily reports... xo)<br />
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Yesterday I had one of those crazy, illogical days that happen entirely too often in the news biz. My reporter and I have been working on a sweeps piece about... oh wait. I shouldn't say since it won't air until Monday. Let's just say it has something to do with famous hamburgers.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKG5PgzZkeLFEWOgSa4fmcCtXcHhkAQPS8S7amJHD2-sXhMScra4paXEq-oh9smU0I4NoYGK2iiEjQa5RmFuX7-FZS3TxTddfSCmeNxFRS1WnGVoBGFa8ZV3LHVsJ3fkK5hX9cRsas7OE/s1600/in-n-out_cheeseburger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKG5PgzZkeLFEWOgSa4fmcCtXcHhkAQPS8S7amJHD2-sXhMScra4paXEq-oh9smU0I4NoYGK2iiEjQa5RmFuX7-FZS3TxTddfSCmeNxFRS1WnGVoBGFa8ZV3LHVsJ3fkK5hX9cRsas7OE/s320/in-n-out_cheeseburger.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But that’s not really part of yesterday’s craziness.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The craziness came from getting redirected all over the Southland. Technically, I'm based in the Orange County bureau for NBC News-Los Angeles, but because we’re short staffed, one of the two photogs based in OC is pulled from the county daily. Yesterday, I got the OC shift and my reporter and I were given the day to finish up the sweeps piece. Just as we wrapped our last interview, I got a MAYDAY call from the assignment desk. They needed me for a Dia de los Muertos shoot and live shot from... Koreatown--Koreatown? Really? Wouldn't, like, Olvera Street make more sense?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkP-kbsUxa8y7wVgVful1-hLY_0X3ITG_1KfTvuDhF8i-TRlOdXvAY3ZSGcAYusmJZh3A_f45-Vv8Gt7opFeiMVmfonqnQJsNugH9z7kawKECBxC21JCBN6FZ8aAEOB6EG0rifi14vBc/s1600/calaveras+less+fuzzy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkP-kbsUxa8y7wVgVful1-hLY_0X3ITG_1KfTvuDhF8i-TRlOdXvAY3ZSGcAYusmJZh3A_f45-Vv8Gt7opFeiMVmfonqnQJsNugH9z7kawKECBxC21JCBN6FZ8aAEOB6EG0rifi14vBc/s320/calaveras+less+fuzzy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Anyway, if you’re not familiar with L.A., Koreatown is about 35 miles north of the OC, but 35 miles in L.A. traffic can sometimes take up to two hours. I made it in just over an hour. As soon as I’d finished shooting the story and was about to edit (happy with the very pretty, colorful pictures of the Day of the Dead altar) the desk called with another MAYDAY. There’d been a situation at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station south of San Clemente—like 70 miles south from where I was. Seriously??? The call came at four o’clock; they wanted us live at six. Not a stinking chance, I told them, but they said go anyway. Here's my path yesterday, with "A" being my base station in OC.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcn8cvNeNZKOJ6hfm_Llw85V4h05eG3tLddRjaoRd1tVuqmw4a3NqGT43HN34gduWSSMBE7bETx2bF4EGxgPmwQE_N0SKhU_pJ8i83or1_57lFo9UElpp5kSxjO0utaBRLPNrf0a0rvk/s1600/map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcn8cvNeNZKOJ6hfm_Llw85V4h05eG3tLddRjaoRd1tVuqmw4a3NqGT43HN34gduWSSMBE7bETx2bF4EGxgPmwQE_N0SKhU_pJ8i83or1_57lFo9UElpp5kSxjO0utaBRLPNrf0a0rvk/s320/map.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">SO… I hit the road again, passed back through Orange County and headed to the northern tip of San Diego county… for what? A small ammonia spill in a non-nuclear part of the facility. A total NON-emergency. And no, I didn’t make it in time for the six o’clock news. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawAoSaYth57gAkH2eh1jI8kQDvqY23Pi-ci4ArbhLTs07G_Z1C1sefVyezfZC8B6Wf-iZ3qIkyL7nvI87nA1IQ9FGNlAlmnBITOA5yOiTF7DApYyjDQyZTJvFNA4nWrVdu16a-7JJFjA/s1600/SanO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawAoSaYth57gAkH2eh1jI8kQDvqY23Pi-ci4ArbhLTs07G_Z1C1sefVyezfZC8B6Wf-iZ3qIkyL7nvI87nA1IQ9FGNlAlmnBITOA5yOiTF7DApYyjDQyZTJvFNA4nWrVdu16a-7JJFjA/s320/SanO.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Part of the reason news agencies have bureaus is because in large metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, it takes too darn long to get anywhere. By having bureaus, you can make sure there’s always a crew in proximity. By pulling both crews out of OC, it left my reporter with no crew and a breaking story.<br />
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But here’s the deal: there’s no sense getting mad about it. Right away when the MAYDAY call comes, the blood starts pumping and the first impulse is to yell, are you crazy??</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLOxH_XeIo5OKVoXobGyW7ZqE2UwqAXPboY2Oi9EntO1DrLtCEEOln4kQsQHRqGg7NluAhKrFX8fCOxHJlCLtJe5kDHY68EEos9Q4R3Z3sc-j0zurGPtrADEYZau6u7D3pQCkJ-TDHY0/s1600/Van.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLOxH_XeIo5OKVoXobGyW7ZqE2UwqAXPboY2Oi9EntO1DrLtCEEOln4kQsQHRqGg7NluAhKrFX8fCOxHJlCLtJe5kDHY68EEos9Q4R3Z3sc-j0zurGPtrADEYZau6u7D3pQCkJ-TDHY0/s320/Van.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But you've just gotta take a deep breath, and go with it. It's part of the job. And part of what I love is the day-to-day variance, so...</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The silver lining... got to see sunset over San Onofre State Beach. All in a day's work. Whew. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScfZuwX9l-331-1RK50Fm-ziCr1iCf69Dpafu0ErY6qtC6XOVg0v6uqWnAWHMV3nJuPFh_iEO4v1xsW0ERE0nAiiK_gRlS5fL6mitmIbkrB8hRXXwKEqsD1hickCwHJ0QMp27WyeYHig/s1600/nature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScfZuwX9l-331-1RK50Fm-ziCr1iCf69Dpafu0ErY6qtC6XOVg0v6uqWnAWHMV3nJuPFh_iEO4v1xsW0ERE0nAiiK_gRlS5fL6mitmIbkrB8hRXXwKEqsD1hickCwHJ0QMp27WyeYHig/s320/nature.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Today? A follow up on the confusion about the nuclear alert system in the community. There shouldn't have been so much hubbub over a small incident, and it came down to a lack of uniformity in the alert numbering system.<br />
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Tomorrow, we're supposed to get the day to finish the top secret sweeps piece, which might involve having to buy a hamburger and fries to shoot. And of course, it can't be wasted, right?<br />
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But who knows what the day will really hold.<br />
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Until tomorrow....<br />
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Later gators!<br />
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</div>Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-69449726378207617512011-10-11T17:16:00.000-07:002011-10-11T17:20:23.046-07:00How to tell a TV news story without any pictures...What makes TV news different from print journalism (other than the smashing good looks of the anchors) is... pictures. Moving pictures to be exact.<br />
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If a newspaper has a picture poor story, it's okay. It can still go to print. For TV? Uh uh. Nope. Gotta have those images flickering by. <br />
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Today's offering. Old people and pot-laced brownies. Yep. You heard me. But the old folks didn't know they were imbibing maryjuana. Nope. They simply partook of some brownies at a friend's memorial, and three of them got quite sick. An 82-year-old man even fell down due to the dizziness. (He ate three brownies. His wife said he loves brownies.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcWjvSjBh9vkJOt0jms1uX38UwEJpxIUeyz8B7GA5lZ7Uo-0YWxNAcDjkAlAz76VpZo9cF0k9sS8zomoYssrWKg5CUkzBDIneRpw60b-aOXew3JEUoewH4jpH7tAkktT7LlazkUpbCtg/s1600/Still1011_00003.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcWjvSjBh9vkJOt0jms1uX38UwEJpxIUeyz8B7GA5lZ7Uo-0YWxNAcDjkAlAz76VpZo9cF0k9sS8zomoYssrWKg5CUkzBDIneRpw60b-aOXew3JEUoewH4jpH7tAkktT7LlazkUpbCtg/s320/Still1011_00003.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Here's the deal: The deceased was a man who suffered with cancer and used medical maryjuana. His daughter, in tribute to him, made the medical maryjuana brownies and brought them to the memorial. Some of the quests knew what they were; some did not--like the three elderly who were taken to the hospital with symptoms of nausea and dizziness.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qfv4nhpwPsGTE6gLslYkZxhyphenhyphenrFDFmD8iJM33MU5Jjp22BnN8fi001Gn0338CpCm03F4Sognk50MCElCRw4fbAE8jsdGYHsZ7GQLFdknByUtsfvXeNKVRHRFN2fcFSHIqgKMclLFI3P0/s1600/Still1011_00000.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qfv4nhpwPsGTE6gLslYkZxhyphenhyphenrFDFmD8iJM33MU5Jjp22BnN8fi001Gn0338CpCm03F4Sognk50MCElCRw4fbAE8jsdGYHsZ7GQLFdknByUtsfvXeNKVRHRFN2fcFSHIqgKMclLFI3P0/s320/Still1011_00000.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The problem with telling this story for TV: the victims weren't identified, so we couldn't go talk to them, thus no pictures of people. The culprit, in this case the baker/daughter, also not identified, thus, no bad guy. And where does one find pot-laced brownies in the middle of a Tuesday to take pictures of? Yeah... so no pictures of brownies. The cops said the memorial took place at a local golf course; the golf course named said it wasn't them, so no location. ARGH!<br />
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What pictures did we have for our news story? Exteriors of the hospital. Some video I'd shot a while back at a medical maryjuana dispensary, and the interview with the cop. And my super exciting creative "blurred out elderly." That's where we go all Dateline-style.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nlo-O-whmDzAoXVMTk90zxXBpTehem83fQ2RUG4RNVDb75nSJblsgCiEqbHxB04i3Pc_N96f78lfcUwX6xfsw1GCtUlOuVqT739xGxlAslbHFHBQqkkCFAlNrzyeorv3CqARDnN7OYQ/s1600/Still1011_00002.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nlo-O-whmDzAoXVMTk90zxXBpTehem83fQ2RUG4RNVDb75nSJblsgCiEqbHxB04i3Pc_N96f78lfcUwX6xfsw1GCtUlOuVqT739xGxlAslbHFHBQqkkCFAlNrzyeorv3CqARDnN7OYQ/s320/Still1011_00002.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Why did we still do the news story without the primary elements, you ask? Because the cops wanted to get out the message that even if you have a doctor recommendation for medical maryjuana, it is NOT OKAY to share with your pals, or to feed it to unknowing senior citizens.<br />
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So there it is.Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-68020759834696923682011-09-19T22:16:00.000-07:002011-09-19T22:35:13.287-07:00So many blogs...Hello!!<br />
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If you're interested in my ramblings, most of my writing is now on the <a href="http://www.gasolinegirls.com/">Gasoline Girl blog</a> or <a href="http://www.bondorella.com/">Bondorella's blog </a>or the <a href="http://www.66motorpalace.blogspot.com/">66 Motor Palace blog</a> (occasionally, although mostly the feller writes that one).<br />
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Maybe someday I'll get back to this one! After browsing through it, I kind of like seeing a history of my news stories. Hmmm....Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-87614049136401806752010-08-03T19:23:00.000-07:002010-08-04T09:31:01.631-07:00Being a Motor DollIt's all about Motor Doll stuff for me right now: Working with the Gasoline Girls to get all of our cars going. Getting my '48 Ford back on the road. Making plans for the Winslow Motor Palace. During my vacation last week, I spent all of my time on those three pursuits.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Fqpv_QdlrPAtiDF6zCJI_loOiIC4Nq3hjjHTsMdzBz07sSpkYYfsDzqXvLFRXsCEK1YSx4joGPf8cyjR1boM0d-WUiwg1KnOBIDK82FzqVSeytghBi__iSg6s_QTC0gx9UhuNbXeHqM/s1600/kristin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Fqpv_QdlrPAtiDF6zCJI_loOiIC4Nq3hjjHTsMdzBz07sSpkYYfsDzqXvLFRXsCEK1YSx4joGPf8cyjR1boM0d-WUiwg1KnOBIDK82FzqVSeytghBi__iSg6s_QTC0gx9UhuNbXeHqM/s320/kristin.jpg" /></a></div>The week began in Mojave to finish the job we started on Kristin's Studebaker. A couple weeks ago, <a href="http://www.motordolls.com/Motor_Dolls/News_Blog/Entries/2010/7/14_The_stude_rescue.html">we put in a new transmission</a>, but there were some bugs... so we couldn't bring Stude home. Clearly you can see from her smile, Kristin is a very happy girl now. With the help of "Big Daddy" Bart, we finished all of the fine-tuning, and got her rolling again. Kristin even drove her to Vegas this week! Success!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmenXLXtOfWqrpYTMcqqww4JF2Np-N7XOuBA_UgIy9JGgF0m809PZMWjKImZCNk68BJZ1qgJbI9nebJj38NCeD9qYUG7-BEHdN-Kbmz_r6h1nRC9f653nsSqrxg4hbj55xx4DkddT4XQ/s1600/stude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmenXLXtOfWqrpYTMcqqww4JF2Np-N7XOuBA_UgIy9JGgF0m809PZMWjKImZCNk68BJZ1qgJbI9nebJj38NCeD9qYUG7-BEHdN-Kbmz_r6h1nRC9f653nsSqrxg4hbj55xx4DkddT4XQ/s320/stude.jpg" /></a></div>Next on the agenda? Get Bondorella rollin', too.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bkTX5KT-pAdihtk2h03x4pTnwy25v2P7YO2Lui_rfodPDAInkWLpsKjTLanF_Q9GJNVSCxcu6BWlCiKRK_EHCpyOkZZeiDQX52hJWfBp0FedKufrH0igaqc4VHY1FCeNmBZClVh-svM/s1600/GGirls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bkTX5KT-pAdihtk2h03x4pTnwy25v2P7YO2Lui_rfodPDAInkWLpsKjTLanF_Q9GJNVSCxcu6BWlCiKRK_EHCpyOkZZeiDQX52hJWfBp0FedKufrH0igaqc4VHY1FCeNmBZClVh-svM/s320/GGirls.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhq3IMRQVRxiheDo_2m8bzjn8Fw-6suBy_vTkqQCnRHrxHomzD2nXZbaOTnHHNz5IMrLI702lvvjPpSX-uT7qXBDsXSblentJrbAFA0iKzUTJUaqUGj7ItafGqWJ-99Mnvy0HSF_ujyc/s1600/bondo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhq3IMRQVRxiheDo_2m8bzjn8Fw-6suBy_vTkqQCnRHrxHomzD2nXZbaOTnHHNz5IMrLI702lvvjPpSX-uT7qXBDsXSblentJrbAFA0iKzUTJUaqUGj7ItafGqWJ-99Mnvy0HSF_ujyc/s320/bondo.jpg" /></a>A couple Saturdays ago, Kristin, Rosa, and I had a strip party and got most of the green paint off the cab of my '48. From there, I had to get it down to bare metal, which is how I spent mid-week of my vacation: Grinding bondo off of Bondorella, with the help of Kristin, and a little bonus help from Hells Belle, Kat.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfr_VSi41hguwHfYZPC3fIQt2Af8XYsw7PN4LkmBN5_n6USpBAnpLcDGp03RCjTIWsyf6WQG_jTN0PWY5BqUeKCW8xhrxZJONxQAscuUJI2QIfD0T1ikPnGiRoNrDsieA1NH1dYZEG5I/s1600/kat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfr_VSi41hguwHfYZPC3fIQt2Af8XYsw7PN4LkmBN5_n6USpBAnpLcDGp03RCjTIWsyf6WQG_jTN0PWY5BqUeKCW8xhrxZJONxQAscuUJI2QIfD0T1ikPnGiRoNrDsieA1NH1dYZEG5I/s320/kat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The goal is to get Bondorella back on the road ASAP so she'll be ready for <a href="http://www.primernationals.com/primer/event.html">Ventura Nationals</a> the beginning of September. It would be my first outing in the new and improved pickup, and our first event together as a car club. Bondorella still needs a couple of holes patched, her taillights wired, and her front end reassembled. Plus, we need to put some miles on her to make sure all is good before I make such a long trek. Wish us luck.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpdSIXilVY-2VHuyb1LBnZyRcDATIHpIrkhiqUXCSgB1A918tYAk_fFrvONHk5-671uL7IZaseBPJhzLsjqkc58WbsNMm91p4nKC9tW_5Z4n-JyM3IV5ipwqCo7mkhDM7cnCe2YIw4E4/s1600/nomorebondo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpdSIXilVY-2VHuyb1LBnZyRcDATIHpIrkhiqUXCSgB1A918tYAk_fFrvONHk5-671uL7IZaseBPJhzLsjqkc58WbsNMm91p4nKC9tW_5Z4n-JyM3IV5ipwqCo7mkhDM7cnCe2YIw4E4/s320/nomorebondo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrWYqKWLy23lm0sWSdz0zvN4KXMCG12OKeCf9T6AaC8NoIxZJVa8Ys6KNTRC5lvy6GfQfJZdq-D1GuqMZGYv5SfmXdCTrmk18r0SQt3uJnWMfSPfs478D2cfjRGKhUysQ-Nt3oNHxv5M/s1600/bricks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrWYqKWLy23lm0sWSdz0zvN4KXMCG12OKeCf9T6AaC8NoIxZJVa8Ys6KNTRC5lvy6GfQfJZdq-D1GuqMZGYv5SfmXdCTrmk18r0SQt3uJnWMfSPfs478D2cfjRGKhUysQ-Nt3oNHxv5M/s320/bricks.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvtqpiUYan1dFYIkFKwmYP3Vrzveb_2cKcCUpwAotpi3U7Xkg7Fb1IbsnMtYEmvRfnKl0mgeA5wE6CQT3D2RgRKbBWoMnkLC6b32Asq-XjMW1s1RJSemyw_V83FsWcpYbGLma9oKo7Wk/s1600/plaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvtqpiUYan1dFYIkFKwmYP3Vrzveb_2cKcCUpwAotpi3U7Xkg7Fb1IbsnMtYEmvRfnKl0mgeA5wE6CQT3D2RgRKbBWoMnkLC6b32Asq-XjMW1s1RJSemyw_V83FsWcpYbGLma9oKo7Wk/s320/plaster.jpg" /></a>I finished off the week with a trip to Winslow to do some work on the Motor Palace. We're still waiting on permits to start construction on our "motel room," but in the meantime, we need to fix some issues highlighted by the structural engineer, like "pointing" bricks (filling in the mortar where it's gone), which is what we did--thanks to the fine teachings of Glenn, a steeple-jack who specializes in historic brick buildings, and who will being doing the bulk of the work on the Palace.<br />
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Don't you love this great plaster found under the insulation?? We're going to try and leave as much visible as possible. The former owners framed in the entire building and insulated it, hiding all of this wonderful, textural material. Our goal is to have tons of "truth windows" so we can see the history of the building right there on the walls. I think the Palace will be quite a sight when it's done. Be sure to add it to your list of "must sees" along Route 66. And check out our new <a href="http://www.winslowmotorpalace.com/Winslow_Motor_Palace/Welcome.html">website</a>! We'll post regular updates there.<br />
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So last week was all about getting dirty and getting things done. Would I have rather been sipping a fruity beverage on an exotic beach? Maybe... but I did have a heck of a lot of fun just being a Motor Doll.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0obbHu-aoIieVcH5DPJ5sMtpCIisoqmfzqHLP8mIdacgi5FoI1GAQOfOeFJAO5Z6_TG7g__EIR0d0_Y0aHdijYfzdQQ41_G0weJy42Z5G3msP_uMy0b73t_d-tOaVnBR2cjdJKuYphOc/s1600/bondopose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0obbHu-aoIieVcH5DPJ5sMtpCIisoqmfzqHLP8mIdacgi5FoI1GAQOfOeFJAO5Z6_TG7g__EIR0d0_Y0aHdijYfzdQQ41_G0weJy42Z5G3msP_uMy0b73t_d-tOaVnBR2cjdJKuYphOc/s320/bondopose.jpg" /></a></div>Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-47045346871146043552010-07-15T08:28:00.000-07:002010-08-03T21:32:42.677-07:00The week in summary...Last Friday I wrote a blog and never posted it. Ha! Silly me. The reason I'm posting it now? I'm too crunched to write up an entirely new entry, and I wanted to share the news!! Stacy Doss, the woman trying to adopt two year old Vanessa and hitting roadblocks, won her appeal! She has a stay on the order to turn Vanessa over. Granted, it's not a conclusion to the story, but at least she can keep Vanessa for now. I'm so, so happy for them.<br />
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I had an amazing weekend at Gene Winfield's place out in the desert putting a transmission in fellow Gasoline Girl Kristin's Studebaker. Look for a post soon over at <a href="http://www.motordolls.com/">Motor Dolls.</a><br />
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And now, here is last weeks, week in summary:<br />
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Monday: Big Waves at the Wedge<br />
Tuesday: New local-boy player for the Anaheim Ducks Hockey Team<br />
Wednesday: Off work to wait for the refrigerator repairman<br />
Thursday: Preview of Fan Fest for the Allstar Baseball game<br />
Friday: Medical Marijuana Dispensaries<br />
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I'm gonna say right now... this is probably the most boring post I've ever made. So why not delete it? Well... I like to torture my readers. ;)<br />
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There it is! Not too bad of week. No huge, tragic stories. Shooting high waves at the famous Wedge surf spot is always a thrill. They got to about fourteen feet on Monday. Too big for boards, but a few crazy dudes went out to body surf. And the crowds! Of course, the lifeguards blamed them on us for reporting the heck out of the high surf. Hundreds of people headed out to the end of the Balboa Pennisula to take a gander. Of course, they all found it pretty amusing when one of the big waves doused me! Luckily, I kept the camera dry. Sometimes in order to get the most dynamic shot, the photographer has to get into some funky positions.<br />
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Generally, along with our news story, we have to shoot a tease. That's where the reporter gets on camera and says, "I'm <i>blah blah</i> at the Anaheim Convention center, where you too can be an All Star! I'll tell you more, coming up at six." or something like that. I've got to give kudos to my reporter who donned a batting hat, got in front of the pitching machine, and managed to get her spiel out PLUS give a holy whack to the ball flying her way. Pretty impressive. <br />
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Today's story, medical marijuana. There's been an ongoing battle in a few municipalities to keep medical marijuana dispensaries out of their cities. Lake Forest gave a shut down order about a month ago based on some zoning issue. Today, the appellate court ruled in favor of the dispensaries, and they were allowed to reopen. It's a weird thing shooting inside a dispensary. Many don't want to be seen in there, even though they are legally there with their prescription (although I do sometimes question whether some of these people are really sick).<br />
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But I'm over work for the week, and ready for the weekend! Tomorrow, I'm heading to Gene Winfield's place in Mojave to help fellow Gasoline Girl Kristin put a new transmission in her '55 Studebaker. Granted, I have to get up at like four a.m. to try and beat the heat, but it should be a really interesting day.<br />
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Sunday, it's off to the Venice Vintage Motorcycle Rally! Woo hoo!<br />
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Later gators!Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-22706783297776920512010-07-02T18:37:00.000-07:002010-07-02T22:02:47.444-07:00I know there must be a legal reason, but......can't Judges just use common sense sometimes???<br />
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Yes, I'm going to rant a bit. When a story touches me this much, I can't help it.<br />
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A couple of days ago, <a href="http://motordolls.blogspot.com/2010/06/wipe-out.html">I told you about Stacie</a> and her struggles to adopt Vanessa, a baby she's had since birth. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcI4XT-NBxbMZEyh3omUL_Cw-bP-VuEkFtOl5ah6QofzXiYMWkp5tzLzfKSFK5gubyq5j802JKJVitGHRsSIfHemyxasjZnROvU6nmiqhk-3VD2LBoboClB7F4ekpodetyOHW_44tHBY/s1600/KarenKane20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcI4XT-NBxbMZEyh3omUL_Cw-bP-VuEkFtOl5ah6QofzXiYMWkp5tzLzfKSFK5gubyq5j802JKJVitGHRsSIfHemyxasjZnROvU6nmiqhk-3VD2LBoboClB7F4ekpodetyOHW_44tHBY/s320/KarenKane20.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNwbqZJzFLYV04cKBex-8XKJOqLDjZSfZRduOwcML-1ebksjsS3NEK8NqnZMoDA3_DWR_JNgH0uxXiIGpEalhhqS9Rxbpz-JOIUIPFJvxZ43F8nRshA_pZJ33pYeAWcgiWc5aXXsTeCM/s1600/supporters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNwbqZJzFLYV04cKBex-8XKJOqLDjZSfZRduOwcML-1ebksjsS3NEK8NqnZMoDA3_DWR_JNgH0uxXiIGpEalhhqS9Rxbpz-JOIUIPFJvxZ43F8nRshA_pZJ33pYeAWcgiWc5aXXsTeCM/s320/supporters.jpg" /></a></div>Today, Stacie made yet another court appearance. Friends and family showed up outside the court to support her. It took about forty-five minutes behind closed doors before Stacie emerged. It was clear from her face the news wasn't good. The judge decided to hand the case over to Ohio, which means Vanessa will be taken from the only mother she's ever known, and put into foster care until an adoption hearing which is scheduled for the end of the month. At that time, she will more than likely be given to the paternal grandmother.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDnxOy0i3aqtyk3dsFrJPJtMvpUjVSwZRmUAjngrRBskm2EenDdRDvrJIoIAp9PWPlUwj0HC32S2fPR6r0z9o8lBj5GNR66Zzq0VoBD0tzzmoJ5IKg2zSQ_cr-BuFI67U98JyUQnaeXI/s1600/van0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDnxOy0i3aqtyk3dsFrJPJtMvpUjVSwZRmUAjngrRBskm2EenDdRDvrJIoIAp9PWPlUwj0HC32S2fPR6r0z9o8lBj5GNR66Zzq0VoBD0tzzmoJ5IKg2zSQ_cr-BuFI67U98JyUQnaeXI/s320/van0.jpg" /></a></div>My goal with this blog is to share what it's like to be behind the camera while covering a news story. In a case like this, it's hard not to show emotion, even though as a photojournalist, I should hold it together. The pain and anguish in Stacie's voice when she relayed what happened in the court room was palpable. I couldn't help but cry. Everyone did. At least I could hide behind sunglasses and a camera. I can't imagine how devastated she must feel knowing she's sending her daughter into the unknown, and there's nothing she can do about it. And what about this innocent little two-year-old? How will she survive being ripped from her family and given to strangers?<br />
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Yes. There are two sides to the story. Mr. Mills is the birth father and has rights. But the birth mother made a hard decision to protect her child and give her child the chance of a better life. Her other two children with Mr. Mills are being raised by his mother. After she had the baby, and gave her to Stacie, she had her tubes tied. She's trying to do the right thing. Even her parents (who we interviewed via phone) agreed Vanessa should stay with Stacie in California, not be brought back to Ohio and a dysfunctional family. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmlSfbjGN3bL1I0AlIGEpk4APbJ7vn3EvdNC8KnrUk0OTRUjA322-ShG0M3tJ5XU3pshoUhQTnvUKTAHVFaptfThuKbmK09NuETf6vfdMzq5JfKnLT_hunqVwV3wJGtWo8n3jB1rMjnQ/s1600/A3489028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmlSfbjGN3bL1I0AlIGEpk4APbJ7vn3EvdNC8KnrUk0OTRUjA322-ShG0M3tJ5XU3pshoUhQTnvUKTAHVFaptfThuKbmK09NuETf6vfdMzq5JfKnLT_hunqVwV3wJGtWo8n3jB1rMjnQ/s320/A3489028.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Here's the deal with the father, Benjamin Mills Jr. He was convicted of domestic violence (mug shot above). He has four (five counting Vanessa) children, none of which he has custody. According to court docs, he dragged Vanessa's birth mother by the hair and beat her until she was unconscious. The police found clumps of her bloody hair around the house. How could a judge in his right mind rule to take this kid away from a situation where she is adored and will have the opportunity for a wonderful life and throw her back into a potentially dangerous situation with a man proven to show violence toward women?<br />
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It makes zero sense. <br />
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There's still hope. Stacie has already filed an appeal. The birth mother and the birth mother's parents believe it is unsafe to bring the baby back to Ohio. They want Vanessa to stay with Stacie.<br />
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But as it stands, in 16 days, Stacy has to hand over her daughter to strangers, and never see her again.<br />
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The website again if you want to help: <a href="http://www.operationvanessa.com/">Operation Vanessa</a><br />
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This is one of those situations where I hope the media can stimulate enough attention to maybe help.<br />
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Later gators... <br />
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OMG!!! As I'm sitting here writing this, some idiot on his way to turn himself in to parole just punched and then slammed the doors of my van. Dang!! What's wrong with people???<br />
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Weekend. Weekend. Yes, it's the weekend. Tomorrow I get to be a Motor Doll and play with my '48 Ford.<br />
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HAPPY FOURTH EVERYONE!Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-87883485891071592372010-07-01T13:13:00.000-07:002010-07-01T13:13:11.160-07:00Woo hoo!!The beginning of May, I hit a wall. I'd been working non-stop on my novels for six years, had signed with an agent for one of them, did seven rewrites for her (including converting it to Young Adult), went through the whole publisher submission process--only to realize, it wasn't quite working in its new form. Agent and I parted ways. I didn't like what the novel had become. I tried to get back to it, and rewrite the novel in the true spirit I'd intended, but for the first time in my life, I hit major writer's block. I'd rewritten the book too many times, to the point I just couldn't see it anymore.<br />
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So I gave myself a break.<br />
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My one month rest turned into two. I was beginning to doubt if I'd ever be able to get back into it. Over the last couple of weeks I tried to dive in, but was basically just rearranging words. This morning, it hit. Not just inspiration, but the solution. I figured out what was wrong.<br />
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YAY!<br />
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I can't express enough how relieved I am. I love this project. I can't give up on it. For the first time in months, I'm eager to write. Can you believe it???<br />
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Just wanted to share. Now... I have work to do. :)<br />
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Later gators!Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-88727671612203703152010-06-29T19:48:00.000-07:002010-06-29T19:51:19.436-07:00Wipe out!!Wow. Somehow (and I'm baffled how) when my reporter went to log the media for our story today (we shoot on P2 cards, kind of like your digital camera card but bigger) she accidentally wiped out the card. Nothing. Nada. Which was a major bummer, not only because we (obviously) couldn't put the story together for the five o'clock news, but because we had to go reshoot it.<br />
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To the interviewee: "Ummm... hi.... remember us? The news crew from early that tormented your two-year-old daughter with the giant news camera? Yeah. Well, we'd like to come back and do it all again."<br />
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Embarrassing? Nah. My reporter had to make the call! But seriously. Trying to videotape a two-year old is like trying to wash a car with a mad-cat as a rag. It's really tough. Don't get me wrong, this kid was adorable, but she was past due for her nap and didn't want to do anything I wanted her to do. After much chasing (and a whole bunch of cookies--for her, not me) I finally got enough shots to tell the story. We interviewed the mom and headed out. While I lunched, my reporter sat down to log the material. And that was when it happened. Poof! All our hard work gone.<br />
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But it was important to tell this story, which was why we went back. It was about adoption, and what happens when the birth father decides he wants to keep the child.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrQ1Pd0FuA72PqQo1xBdTEZ1fT84gF-4BJ4HFCSeg2mZXGorf9sxa2Pi0fEU6QFLYMZPXPCNDtBN5EE12NhFG9zOmTPLQ_mzvByJvP7HqUGop9EVQMq1xh6sq_gBijfU3hrPHDlgV5Hg/s1600/July+4+2008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrQ1Pd0FuA72PqQo1xBdTEZ1fT84gF-4BJ4HFCSeg2mZXGorf9sxa2Pi0fEU6QFLYMZPXPCNDtBN5EE12NhFG9zOmTPLQ_mzvByJvP7HqUGop9EVQMq1xh6sq_gBijfU3hrPHDlgV5Hg/s320/July+4+2008.jpg" /></a></div>Two years ago, an Orange County woman got a call from the agency she was working with that a birth mother had chosen her from the web data base as the person she wanted to adopt her yet-to-be-born daughter. Stacy was elated. She'd been trying for ten years to have a child, with no luck. After splitting with her husband, she decided to adopt on her own. Two weeks later, she was flying to Ohio to pick up her new daughter. The birth-mother claimed the father wasn't in the picture and that the child was a product of a one night stand.<br />
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But that wasn't the case.<br />
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She knew the birth-father, in fact, had two other children with him. But he was an abusive man. The mother wanted the baby out of the cycle of violence. Problem was, Stacy had already taken the child back to Orange County. She'd fallen in love with little Vanessa (a name she chose while flying out to pick her up). She couldn't imagine giving this child up.<br />
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Two years later, she's still fighting the battle. She refuses to give up her child. Taking a two year old away from the only mother she's ever known would be devastating to both.<br />
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It's an incredibly tough situation, because legally, Stacy can't be Vanessa mother until the father gives up his rights, and he refuses to do so. It would be one thing if he was an upstanding citizen, but he has four other children who he does not have custody of, and has a history of domestic abuse. <br />
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If you're interested in Stacy and Vanessa's story, check out the <a href="http://ink-la.com/helpvanessa/blog/">website</a>. Hopefully tomorrow, all the news gods will be with us and we can air the story without any more problems.<br />
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Ahhh... technology. Remember the good old days with tape?<br />
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Until tomorrow...<br />
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Later gatorsModo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-81674473601896992492010-06-28T22:36:00.000-07:002010-06-28T23:24:32.977-07:00Responsibility... and taking it.Okay. So you're a girl. You have two small kids, ages 2 and 5, and you start dating some dude. He's really good to you. Takes care of things. Finds you an apartment in a house after you get laid off. Gives you advice on how to take care of your kids. Do you listen even if he tells you to tie them up and give them only two glasses of water a day and nothing else???<br />
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Come on!<br />
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That was my story today (last Friday's too). Twenty-five year old chick arrested for child abuse after her landlord (who also lives in the house) reported her. Turns out the chick's boyfriend sent her 850 texts explaining how to discipline her kids. 850 TEXTS!!! Seriously? Is he a thirteen year old girl?? No! Even better. He's a behavior technician employed by a school to help mentally disabled children. What the hell is wrong with this guy? Oh! But it gets better! He's also married and has two kids. The name he gave the girlfriend? Not his real name. Mr. Double-Life. What a scumbag, eh?<br />
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We've got to take responsibility for our own decisions. According to the girl's family, her children are her life. She's never been abusive in any way until "Angelo" came into her life. But if her children truly were her life, why would she listen to a man instructing her to hurt them? It makes no sense. Much as she and her family might like to blame it all on him, ultimately she chained her children to their beds and starved them.<br />
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According to officers, the 2-year-old had severe bruising to his face, forehead and cheek and dry, cracked, bloody lips and bruising that appeared to be at varying stages. The 5-year-old had swollen arms and was extremely dehydrated. Both boys had bruises and knots on their heads. Both boys were taken to a hospital to be treated for dehydration, malnutrition and injuries. The boys, whose ribs were showing through their skin, are expected to recover.<br />
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*sigh...*<br />
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Venting over. Tomorrow is another news day, hopefully one with something a little more uplifting. If you're lookin' for some fun, check out my blog on our latest Winslow trip <a href="http://www.motordolls.com/Motor_Dolls/News_Blog/Entries/2010/6/19_Off_to_the_Palace.html">here</a>.<br />
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Until then...<br />
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Later gatorsModo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-49702749586844352092010-06-25T21:28:00.000-07:002010-06-25T21:40:32.891-07:00Slackin'Yes. I am still alive, despite the death of my blog. I've said it before; I'll say it again: been majorly slackin' on all writing fronts. Facebook has been the only writing I've done, but that can hardly be called writing. Sometimes it's good to step away and let the brain relax for a while. My novel <i>Motor Dolls</i> needs a major overhaul, and I wasn't quite in the frame of mind to do it. I'm still not sure I am, but the story is creeping back into my head, so it must mean something, right? <br />
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So what have I been up to? All kinds of stuff, mostly motorcycle and car related.<br />
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</div>Had a swell weekend in Santa Barbara for my bff's (?0) birthday.<br />
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Spent the weekend at the Queen Mary for the Ink N Iron show.<br />
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Did a moto-trip to Winslow to check on the Motor Palace, taking as much of old Route 66 as possible. There's something really cool about spending a bunch of consecutive hours on a motorcycle riding through the desert. We did it in one shot on the way back, nearly twelve hours, although it didn't feel like it. Amazingly, we both felt great when we got back to the OC.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJvwDxss00loCndoySs9m-ZMbpW_xUzDofAk4MWRvtsbpEfu-nPmt5PDQGU4BuppBb3TbCWyAn7ycE9woM1wvsMsT7gVKbC7yEU5uaDmguC2rS1W3sHjhvkYUD3PDZ86rSsZvAij65QA/s1600/hangin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJvwDxss00loCndoySs9m-ZMbpW_xUzDofAk4MWRvtsbpEfu-nPmt5PDQGU4BuppBb3TbCWyAn7ycE9woM1wvsMsT7gVKbC7yEU5uaDmguC2rS1W3sHjhvkYUD3PDZ86rSsZvAij65QA/s320/hangin.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE43Hh78fnxKioIFB8gsCvF-dO2aohmuWJiXvnCiTCNrji_oUa2iTWoIJvmkDiuL6KA_2COwPtBq2QvctrcCDQB5k1iR5jRxQRCDLgwAfTc7tIvJXXBZgEbE3KDz3IDQXbZWkEsx-dWrE/s1600/PaintoffBed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE43Hh78fnxKioIFB8gsCvF-dO2aohmuWJiXvnCiTCNrji_oUa2iTWoIJvmkDiuL6KA_2COwPtBq2QvctrcCDQB5k1iR5jRxQRCDLgwAfTc7tIvJXXBZgEbE3KDz3IDQXbZWkEsx-dWrE/s320/PaintoffBed.jpg" /></a></div>My '48 Ford is coming along. All of the mechanical is done, so now we're moving along to the cosmetics. I've decided to bead blast all the paint off, clear coat the bare metal, and pinstripe the heck out of it. The bed is blasted. This weekend I hope to get the frame and drive shaft painted. Charles is finishing the exhaust. Hopefully we're inching closer to the day I can drive her again.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEgIO6pgiQXMWxidDHEmdn1Ks81GN_L9lyYmV_mn8GdK2xATE0KJC9TFC1RLpSONFvE64kWXT7cMe5MSEzxuksHvmwXfjeCRE6nCyvcAM1u9tXZAtXJTptyrGd0HhH__NW4Fma9-Hs20/s1600/ccLogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEgIO6pgiQXMWxidDHEmdn1Ks81GN_L9lyYmV_mn8GdK2xATE0KJC9TFC1RLpSONFvE64kWXT7cMe5MSEzxuksHvmwXfjeCRE6nCyvcAM1u9tXZAtXJTptyrGd0HhH__NW4Fma9-Hs20/s320/ccLogo.png" /></a></div>The yet-to-be-named all girls car club has a name! The Gasoline Girls. We'll be meeting again next week at my shop, and each girl will give an oral history on her car--which is great. It's forced me to get to know my truck on a deeper level. The theory behind the assignment is so that when someone comes up to us at a car show and asks a question, we'll be able to "wow!" them with our answers. After all, we're not just pretty faces!<br />
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Work.<br />
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Yeah, uhh.... the usual. Some great days with fun stories, some depressing days. Over the last few weeks I've done everything from a local Glee club winning worldwide awards to a murder suicide where a man shot his two year old multiple times (he survived), shot at his five year old (and missed), killed his wife and then himself. See? The full spectrum.<br />
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So, you ask, "Are you getting to back to it?" I think so. I make no promises (to myself). If the inspiration hits, then I'll be here. But I do seriously want to get my writing mojo back. Anyone seen it? If so, send it packin' back my way.<br />
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Thanks for listenin'.<br />
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Later gators!Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225276938553851653.post-20112131933016673322010-05-11T16:49:00.000-07:002010-05-11T18:35:18.231-07:00Poor Wandering WhaleHere's a fascinating fact: Did you know whales can shut off half their brains? That way, they can sleep and still swim. Man! How I would love to accomplish stuff while sleeping.... Hey. I heard that. I do not sleepwalk through life. Anyway.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgar9n1nMd9hBaYUEDq9s4wrlN422BWHoUG95ReI-VSbue7ZicnWoKRmDhY-TNwG9vpm1foYgzSOlyM28Cu32UuWsE7Ve9cTO6meF3Vdi8GdJqaooR6cFqum0rLWcemwTWRatgI_j_6RMg/s1600/Crowds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgar9n1nMd9hBaYUEDq9s4wrlN422BWHoUG95ReI-VSbue7ZicnWoKRmDhY-TNwG9vpm1foYgzSOlyM28Cu32UuWsE7Ve9cTO6meF3Vdi8GdJqaooR6cFqum0rLWcemwTWRatgI_j_6RMg/s320/Crowds.jpg" /></a>This poor whale today. I hope when I'm old and ready to die, that I'm not a spectacle like him, wandering around Dana Harbor, separated from the migrating herd, left to drift and be ogled by masses of people. This morning, he wandered into the harbor, but the folks from the Ocean Institute coaxed him back to open water using sounds. They worried boats might run him over inside. Now, he just hovers near the jetty.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWvY8WB5oOP9q17Kdq9zSPgvVhrkOCoMrrUPZ1UyNTWwpsObIaLQqsxNfyDgn_8KTnL9wyErgjjA_Pf-DyVhPuMhnMJb2WtFHlqpFMWyLYtnAR4pITEy0iz8VTt1EFfluJAd8qXcMP9U/s1600/whale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWvY8WB5oOP9q17Kdq9zSPgvVhrkOCoMrrUPZ1UyNTWwpsObIaLQqsxNfyDgn_8KTnL9wyErgjjA_Pf-DyVhPuMhnMJb2WtFHlqpFMWyLYtnAR4pITEy0iz8VTt1EFfluJAd8qXcMP9U/s320/whale.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cJKDX-v1iuu-Uq-9I3CmkgWzROfEHnfL_ueScnm2obxMnpMPcyLL70GLYvUpMFFu3VWkpUShqzFFce8iPnsKhVqP4DHxcFmhc2FE6_EdRPkFSM1rGmgZaANS9WHhoCAUpDGs5Qzjq8k/s1600/feet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cJKDX-v1iuu-Uq-9I3CmkgWzROfEHnfL_ueScnm2obxMnpMPcyLL70GLYvUpMFFu3VWkpUShqzFFce8iPnsKhVqP4DHxcFmhc2FE6_EdRPkFSM1rGmgZaANS9WHhoCAUpDGs5Qzjq8k/s320/feet.jpg" /></a>I gotta say it was pretty interesting to see a gray whale up close. Marine Biologists can tell it's old by the *ahem*--wait for it--whale lice. Ew. Yes. Whale Lice. And the barnacles. I've gotta say, it wasn't a pretty beast. As one little girl put it, "CREEPY!!!" Then again, I'm not sure which was more disgusting. The whale, or this man's feet. I won't disgust you further with a closeup. Trust me on this one.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsn7KQBPTQKj_HDfo2u7lmVXTPR59n_XUITLxncrAcL2PZZZDsKssaEpc9L9Nvqmn7TQYsByoGrw8aF1RMmolPFw_MBgE3b-_bUUc-6SyR61qgrGZIekkTjNjn7sHYmTeWVEfHYKKO2g/s1600/cells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsn7KQBPTQKj_HDfo2u7lmVXTPR59n_XUITLxncrAcL2PZZZDsKssaEpc9L9Nvqmn7TQYsByoGrw8aF1RMmolPFw_MBgE3b-_bUUc-6SyR61qgrGZIekkTjNjn7sHYmTeWVEfHYKKO2g/s320/cells.jpg" /></a></div>People brought cameras and kids, and oohed and aaahhhed every time the whale came up for air and blew air out it's blow hole. Not a shabby assignment today. Gorgeous ocean views. Cool (a little too cool) ocean breezes. Amazing feats of nature. And a bird up in a tree that I swear sounded like a shrill little barking dog.<br />
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All in all a pretty good day, at least for me and for the spectators. Not so much for the whale. Although... maybe he's a showboat. Maybe he wants to go out a celebrity. Considering he's been on every station in every newscast today, I think he's done just that.<br />
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Happy journey, whale, wherever that next journey might be.Modo Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074578686441987711noreply@blogger.com1