Cranking It

Brookwood Church at Discovery Island Water Park - 6.08

Baltimore: A Story From My Time In TV News

The trip to Baltimore came as a dull story, but it was travel. And it guaranteed that I wasn't going to be shooting a story about a big pot hole in the left lane of Pleasantburg Drive combined with a rain-laden 11pm live shot all because of random caller to the news room.

For example purposes, here it a quick look into everyday TV news.

...ring.....ring........
Assignment Editor: WYFF. News room.
Caller: Yeah, is this WYFF?
Assignment Editor: Yes sir. How can we help you?
Caller: Hey, ya'll know there is a big pot hole on Pleasantburg. Ya'll ought to do a story about that and tell some people.
Assignment Editor: Thank you sir. I'll pass that along.

Now, everyone in TV news knows what "I'll pass that along" actually means. However, on this one particular rainy evening, there I was with my reporter doing exactly as describe in the paragraph above. This is why we live for the big story....or the travel.

Back to the Baltimore story. The story basically involved city and county leaders making a trip to Baltimore in order to take note of city planning and all that comes with such things. Yeah.

I'd been on such a trip before except the city and county leaders did their "research" in Portland, Oregon. Now that was a fun trip. Cool city Portland. However, my reporter had a tenancy to come out of the shower completely naked, put one leg up on a chair and then wanted to talk about the agenda for that day. Remember that Seinfeld episode about good naked and bad naked. Yeah, this was the bad kind.

Again, back to Baltimore. The best part of the trip came on a day when we had little to do. So while my reporter logged tape, I walked down to Camden Yards see what the hell was up with all the protesters and cops. To my wonderful surprise, it just so happened to be THE day when the Cuban National Baseball Team was in town to play the Orioles. How flippin' cool is that? Talk about a nat sound piece waiting to happen. But alas, I shot just enough for a little flavor in the piece above. I had no interest at that particular time to shoot a nat sound piece.

My only concern was getting into the game. Tickets, of course, were sold out. So I did what any good journalist would do. I looked for the affiliate sat truck. Once found, I simply walked in. To say serendipity was on my side that day would be an understatement. Who do I find in the NBC sat truck but an engineer who used to work at WYFF. Mike Laboone was a quite kinda guy, but nice as could be. He was a great TV news engineer.

"Hey Mike, got a press pass for me?"

With a flick of his wrist he handed me an all-access golden ticket to history in the making.

I sat in the press box, along the first-base line, behind home plate, and along the third-base line. I even had the opportunity to get Cal Ripkin's autograph. I didn't because I'm not one of those media people, but it was cool to see him up close and in the flesh. Here and here for more about that game.

That's really about all. I know it's a boring story with too many tangents. I don't care. It was one of those I-worked-in-TV-news moments that I'll never forget.

A Cosbyesque Image

Mustang Madness - Mitchell Road Elementary - September 2007

Barak Obama Visits Clemson University

Barak Obama Visits Clemson University - January, 26 2008

I realize that some viewers are expecting face shots of Obama. I have some but they aren't nearly as pretty as this shot taken from outside of the main library on Clemson's Campus. For those of you who want some additional photos of Barak's Visit to Clemson, here are a few others that I shot on that same day:
Holding a Clemson University T-Shirt | Tight Shot Speaking to the Crowd | Change We Can Believe In

Forced To Look In Strange Places

It's a day that's vague in my memory but one I'll never forget; vague enough that I couldn't remember exactly where I was standing until I saw the purple beacon.

My face became flush and I wanted leave.

But I couldn't. Besides, the windows were down and Jerry was singing loudly.

Look for a while at the china cat sunflower,
Proud walking jingle in the midnight sun.
Copperdome bodhi drip a silver kimono,
Like a crazy quilt stargown through a dream night wind.

It's a morbid thought if you really think about it. On the anniversary of a death that continues to cause more sadness than is necessary, and certainly more than he would want, I stood speaking to a piece of marble with gilded lettering. Below that stone lies the shell of a man who I consider a brother.

The small corvette and the golden fighter jet caused a visceral reaction as I thought about the accent and diction of my friend as he sat playing in his youth. When his friends called to play, did he invite them to come over with an offer of about n-n-n-n-nine marbles and a new pack of Oreos? I truly wonder if he knew back then that college was expensive and fatty foods were bad for you?

I think about Chris frequently. I think about the purpose of his death, or maybe I should say the purpose of his life. It's really the same, isn't it? And I wonder if he knows the profound affect that his death had on my life. Once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest places if you look at it right.

More information about Chris Gulfman can be found here and here and here

My personal tribute to the Gman can be found at WhimsWeb. (link is now working again)