Technically, I started Bonnaroo two weeks ago when I began interviewing the Knoxville bands performing this year. But today, the first video is up and the 2008 Bonnaroo blog has officially launched.
Check out the Royal Bangs performing a recent gig at the Pilot Light, and stay tuned for a new band video every day this week.
I’ll be blogging again throughout Bonnaroo, so bookmark that and my Bonnaroo Twitter feed for round-the-clock updates.
I love Twitter. And though it’s down more often than it’s up lately, I still love it.
Recently, I’ve really been enjoying the connections I’ve made via Twitter to my home in South Jersey/Philly.
My two favs are the Philadelphia Inquirer feed, and another by book author Jen Miller, a Jersey girl who covers the heck out of South Jersey (my old stomping grounds). Both give me a good mix of local news and local goings-on, in Twitter-style brevity.
And both make me envious, yet exceedingly proud of where I come from. It’s amazing how often I need to defend my homestate and town. I’ve lived in five cities since I moved away from Jersey, and Knoxville, Tenn. is where I’m most on the defensive. Oftentimes, I’m talking to people who’ve never even been to New Jersey. Sigh.
While I love my new home in Knoxville and the fabulous things it offers (free, live music, top-notch concerts, fantastic friends/co-workers/family), it’ll never replace New Jersey’s spot in my heart.
Today, I watched one part of a new video-blog, in which Miller travels the South Jersey shore. I loved it, because it makes South Jersey look exciting and beautiful. She also visits The Pier in Atlantic City, the most upscale shopping destination in that part of the state and my favorite new place to visit when I head home.
She’ll be travelling South in upcoming episodes and will eventually reach my hometown of Wildwood. I’m a little nervous to see that one, since I get the vibe she’s not a fan. Wildwood definitely has it’s tacky, tourist-trap parts. But I can’t wait to see if she plays that up, or if she looks at it’s best feature: HUGE, free, clean beaches.
Either way, all I can think about now is my trip down the Jersey shore later this month. Thanks, Twitter!
Earlier this month while on assignment, strong winds blew over a video camera and tripod on a mountaintop in Cherokee, NC. To my horror, the view finder completely broke off from the base of the camera. The camera was rolling while this all happened, and you can see the footage in the video below.
Since I was almost two hours from work, I needed to continue to use the broken camera. I employed the “hail Mary” approach and prayed whatever I was taping included my interview subject in some part of the frame. His head was actually square in the middle of the shot. Not ideal, but at least he was there.
The assignment was a video profile of John Grant Jr. in the Songs of Appalachia video series I produce each month with reporter Morgan Simmons.
On Thursday morning at midnight, a one-mile portion of Interstate-40 through downtown Knoxville shutdown for a 14-month construction project.
I shot and edited this video of the closure. It was really awesome to watch up close and happened surprisingly quick and without noticeable problems.
Find extensive coverage of the SmartFIX40 closure by News Sentinel traffic reporter Don Jacobs.
And the someecard that inspired the cake’s message:
Everyone who knows me, knows I’m addicted to someecards.com. It’s my personal black hole. I go there and have no idea where the times goes. And I’m sure I annoy everyone when I go on my card-sending sprees.
Someecards is nominated in the humor category for a 2008 Webby Award. As I eagerly scrolled to that section to cast my vote, I was shocked to see it was up against I Can Haz Cheezburger.
Obviously, I should have expected as much. But this could create an interesting dynamic in our online department at work.
I Can Haz Cheezburger is my co-worker, Jigsha’s, addiction and I don’t know which will win. The furry cats have a leg-up with the cuteness factor, but I would argue almost everyone can relate to someecards. It has an uncanny way of tapping into exactly how people think and feel, especially when they “care enough to hit send.” I think my boss is on my side, though.
Just last night someone who shares my addiction wrote me:
If you know a better Web site than someecards, let me know, because if I were stuck on a deserted island and could choose only one Web site, right now I’m picking someecards (with the New York Times coming in a close second).
Anyhow, these two sites aren’t without competition. The three other nominees are: