Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Anchors at Play

While this video has been around awhile, it's "NEVER BEFORE SEEN!" (on this site)....and... "EXCLUSIVE" (at least among all BishopVoice blogs).

The explanation from the YouTube...
"WGN News anchors Robert Jordan and Jackie Bange have been together for many years. This whole thing started out really small and simple. And then along came the internet, and a video camera, and you tube, and here we are with the funniest dance routine since that scene in Big."

Thursday, April 2, 2009

School 1959 vs 2009

Scenario 1:
Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.

1959 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2009 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.

1959 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2009 - Police called and SWAT team arrives – they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged them with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.

1959 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2009 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.

1959 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.
2009 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.

Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.

1959 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.
2009 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario 6:
Pedro fails high school English.

1959 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2009 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario 7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.

1959 - Ants die.
2009 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents – and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario 8:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.

1959 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2009 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The BV Health Plan

In an effort to mitigate rising health costs, I've adopted some new perspectives, the details of which are best described with some simple Q & A:

Q: I’VE HEARD THAT CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE CAN PROLONG LIFE - IS THIS TRUE?
A: As a heart patient, I've done my homework and learned your heart is only good for so many beats. So I say don’t waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that’s like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: SHOULD I CUT DOWN ON MEAT AND EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES?
A: This is best answered by looking at logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables (and pre-formed milk ala DAIRY) to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: SHOULD I REDUCE MY ALCOHOL INTAKE?
A: No, not at all. Beer is made from grain (vegetables). Vodka is made from grain or potatoes (vegetables). Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine. That means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. So, bottoms up!

Q: HOW CAN I CALCULATE MY BODY/FAT RATIO?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ADVANTAGES OF PARTICIPATING IN A REGULAR EXERCISE PROGRAM?
A: Oh, that's easy...ummmm...Well, there's always.....errrrrr. Hmph, can’t think of a single one, sorry. Anyway, my philosophy is: No Pain… good!

Q: AREN’T FRIED FOODS BAD FOR YOU?
A: YOU’RE NOT LISTENING!!! …. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they’re permeated in it. How could getting MORE vegetables be bad for you?

Q: WILL SIT-UPS HELP PREVENT ME FROM GETTING A LITTLE SOFT AROUND THE MIDDLE?
A: Definitely not! Think about it, when you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: IS CHOCOLATE BAD FOR ME?
A: ARE YOU CRAZY? Cocoa Beans are another VEGETABLE!! Besides, it's the best feel-good food around!

Q: IS SWIMMING GOOD FOR YOUR FIGURE?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain manatees to me. Or whales.

Q: IS GETTING IN-SHAPE IMPORTANT FOR MY LIFESTYLE?
A: Hey! ‘Round’ is a shape! As is "Pear" and "Apple".

Thursday, March 19, 2009

They come in 3's

Another well known voice talent passes.
Radio&Records and other web sites report that TJ Roberts died last night of unknown causes.
TJ's death is the 3rd voice over talent death in 2 weeks.
Here is his website if you want to take a listen:
http://www.tjroberts.com/

I wrote about the heart attack death of Radio Imaging giant Brian James in a prior blog entry.
Female voice talent Connie Zimet also died in the last 2 weeks, succumbing to ALS.
Here is very nice write up on her:
http://www.voiceovertimes.com/2009/03/13/connie-zimet-voiceover-artist-loses-battle-with-als/

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Shut-tle the Hell up!

Aaaaarrrrggghhh......
Nothing spoils a live television news event more than blabbermouth anchors.
Let me remind you" "It's all about the pictures people, not about you!!!!!"

Tuned into CNN to watch the Shuttle launch like millions of other people and let me tell you, "Dandy" Don Lemon (left) kept stepping all over John Zarella (who's forgotten more about Shuttle launches than Dapper Don knows!), interupting him at almost every turn as he tried to interview an astronaut about her trip on the Shuttle.

Finally, with less than 30-seconds before launch, John finally says "Don, it's happening" to get the goof to shut up!

So everyone pipes down, the big beautiful bird soars to the skies, then Don starts in again.
Dude, shut your pie hole and let the reporter on the scene tell us what we need to know!

When there's no reporter on scene , THEN you get to tell us all what we're seeing and put it all in perspective!

When there's a reporter, then you channel your inner traffic cop or air traffic controller and speak ONLY when you need to move the story along, and then keep it brief!

Now, Don isnt' entirely at fault here, because I'm sure there was some crazed producer (I know, I used to be one!..AND at CNN to boot!) in his ear guiding him down the wrong path.
It had to be something along the lines of" "OMG, John hasn't talked about what's going through their minds during the countdown, ask him about that, ask him about that!"
Um, hello young producer? How about LISTENING to the coverage you're providing and you would have known JZ was waiting for the GUEST to wrap up her thoughts on that very question!
Don proceeds to still go down that line of questioning, to which JZ responds, "Yes Don, as so-and-so was saying...."
Making me even more batty over this sloppy coverage was that unlike most Live News Events, there is a TIMELINE of how a Shuttle Launch all goes down!
That means if the producer or EP did a short conference call with all the players prior to going to air, everyone could have sorted out what they would talk about and when!....filling the gaps between Mission Control babble, the launch and main engine cutoff.
Where's the "Main Anchor Cutoff" when you need it!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

E-learning E-xcitement!

Just returned from the E-Learning Guild "Annual Gathering" in Orlando and let me tell you... I have seen the future and it is E-Learning. Especially for the "video-game & tech generation" of students about to come out of the high schools and colleges.

Done right, with more than just glorified Power Point slides and boring narration, E-Learning is a powerful tool. Making it better, it does away with all the heavy textbooks and boring professors. Being a digital format, it can and will also be able to travel with students or professionals.

Imagine an oil-rig worker out in the Gulf or the Atlantic who is confronted with a drilling scenario that was covered in training months ago, but he has forgotten because he hasn't faced it yet. He has just minutes perhaps to push the proper proper buttons in the proper sequence...and doesn't have time to flip through no stinking manual as the winds howl and rains pound! He can pull out his Ipod, or Iphone, or go to laptop controlling the machines, call up the lesson, listen to good ol' me drill it down for him...and save the day!

Anyway, met lots of nice, interesting people who of course thought I was also nice and interesting. Time will tell (sorry for the trite cliche) if the trip pays off with work!

Friday, March 6, 2009

Another VO silenced

Radio industry website AllAccess (http://www.allaccess.com/) and Voiceover Universe (http://www.voiceoveruniverse.com/) are reporting the death of one of Radio Imagings' biggest talents....Brian James.

AA says James was only 48-years old and apparently died of a heart attack. Yikes!
He is survived by his wife and 2 children.

James is credited with the "Power Pig" and other high-profile branding campaigns used in markets across the country and I read that he was first heard on the air here in Tampa Bay (my stomping grounds)

I haven't figured out how to upload audio to the blog, so here is a link to his Imaging Demo on the Atlas Talent Agency website:


Great stuff.
He will be missed.