Serotonin[road] Update .....

It's the end of the road for The Roadist and Scarlet Stang.

Look! In The Sky! .....

It's a bird ..... it's a plane ..... it's a Fire Ant!

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Faith .....

The last few Sundays at First Prez-Midland, the sermons have addressed the topic of "Ordinary People: Real Faith" with stories of very ordinary people in the Bible whose expressions of faith had extraordinary consequences for us all, 2000+ years later.

These have included the passerby Simon of Cyrene, who for a time carried Christ's cross on the road to Golgotha ..... the prostitute Rahab, who sheltered Joshua's spies and helped them escape the Jericho authorities ..... and a nameless boy who shared his lunch of loaves and fish - blessed by Jesus - with a multitude.

It's a point that is reinforced by music, as well. The closing hymn this morning was that old favorite, Amazing Grace, with words by John Newton, set to an old Scottish tune. Of all the roads that ultimately led to the pulpit, there are few that covered as many miles, or took as many unlikely turns as Newton's, Perhaps that is why his words have reverberated with undiminished power for nearly 250 years.

And perhaps there was something in his own experiences that came through in those words ..... something that appealed especially to people who suffered, or sought to ease the suffering of others. In her novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe includes an extra verse, adding it to the six Newton composed (the additional verse is part of most hymnals today). The Cherokees sang the song - translated into their own language - as they were forced to walk the Trail of Tears. And the song - often played on bagpipes - has become a fixture at the funerals of those who have served in the armed forces, or in law enforcement.

Wish Me Luck .....

I had a job interview today, applying for work at one of our local churches ..... it's part of their youth ministry - just more of the administrative/coordinating part of the job, freeing up the youth minister for ... well ... ministry.

ARRRRRRRR!.....

That saucy wench, Becky at The Knitting Barista, is remindin' us that the nineteenth day of September be Talk Like A Pirate Day.

'We Blow Drama' .....

Friday night had us watching Men In Black on TNT ..... and getting - for us, at least - our first taste of a "new and innovative way for [advertiser] to engage with consumers ..... by partnering them with TNT to create this mini-movie, viewers will be rewarded with a unique entertainment experience that also delivers a relevant [advertiser] message" ..... apparently, this 'TNT Mini Drama' concept was first premiered a year ago ..... which just goes to show how much we tune-in to some networks.

The one we watched, "Change of Plans," was about "an overworked businesswoman looking to get her day-to-day responsibilities completed without her boss’s demands getting in the way of her job ..... she suddenly decides to make a change of plans, and utilizes her [advertiser] credit card." Here's the complete write-up on this one. And, you can watch it here, courtesy of ChaseFreedom on YouTube.

Its producers described it as an "engaging tale" and a "compelling content piece" ..... I was neither engaged nor compelled ..... just anxious for the silly three-minute piece of mediocrity to finish, so we could back to some real entertainment. I guess it's just one more reason to keep watching the Encore, Universal and HDNET channels, and to rent movies ..... anything that gives a good film a little more of the respect it deserves.

Serotonin[road] Update .....

Some of the definitive sights of the American West ..... are coming into view for The Roadist and Scarlet Stang.

Brothers Of The Brush .....

My bearded e-friend Frank at Books, Inq. tipped me off to this competition ..... We might not have made it past the qualifying round, but I definitely think Burr Williams at El Llanero could'a been a contenduh.

Want Better Service? .....

"Be a better customer," says Eric at Fire Ant Gazette ..... a good post, and some GREAT discussion in the comments ..... all of which continues, later in the day, with this post .

9/11-Inspired Posts .....

Locally, they range from the sublime (and here), to the ridiculous. Nationally, at philly.com Michael Smerconish offers this post about Aaron Brown and his reporting of the news that day, from a rooftop overlooking Manhattan. "I just rewatched much of his work at YouTube," Smerconish writes. "I wish all Americans would do likewise. It's the perfect, unifying antidote to the partisan division that fighting the 'war on terror' has become."

At all levels, there are plenty of posts on the blogosphere, and that number will grow throughout the day

Another Way the Web's Just Another Medium .....

"Most savvy consumers would never do business with an unfamiliar company without first running a quick Internet background check. Ten seconds on Google can ward off months of irritation," says Bob in this post at Red Tape Chronicles. "But that strategy might not always work. Companies are now hiring search engine optimization firms to fight back against their Google-given reputations. Recently, Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, was the target of one such 'make the negative story disappear' campaign."

SHEESH! .....

I haven't heard much buzz locally about the 'laughing anchors' story. Of course, it's not really news, so much as an opportunity for all of us in the media to consider our product, and our delivery of said product. Chris at TVNewser has the latest update on this growing, developing story out of New York City.

For what it's worth - and, admittedly, that's not much - I'd send Taina and Ryan to the front office, giggling all the way, for their pink slips.

Serotonin[road] .....

The journey's under way ..... whither The Roadist and Scarlet Stang?

Is Anybody Listening? .....

You work the desk at a local television station long enough (for me, twenty years at two different stations) and you eventually develop a list of 'stock' complaints from viewers ..... those that you hear again and again, season after season, year after year. Among those is that we do some stories over and over, annoying the viewers with needless repetition of something they already know ..... well, maybe ..... then again, maybe not .....

One of those stories is "Don't drive through the water" or something to that effect ..... every time there's a good-size rainstorm, you'll have a reporter standing next to a stretch of flooded road, somewhere, advising drivers to avoid areas like these. The story's only been done a zillion times ..... but is anybody listening?

If you watch the reports closely enough, you'll notice that they rarely resort to file video ..... they don't have to ..... there's always plenty of fresh video of still another fire crew rescuing still another driver from still another stalled car in the middle of still another flooded intersection.

The efforts of local media have been supplemented by the National Weather Service with their "Turn Around, Don't Drown" campaign ..... getting the word out through web pages, bumper stickers and billboards. And you can always count on someone from the Weather Service, or law enforcement, to visit with reporters on-camera, and help get the word out. That should help ..... right? I mean, can we finally put this story to rest?

This morning, Younger Son and I were on our way to drop him off at school. We pulled off the road and stopped, to look at an SUV in the bottom of Scharbauer Draw, wedged under the Lamesa Road bridge. I hope everyone got out safely ..... these things can be dangerous ..... really, I wish the news media would get the word out!

And A Website Grows In West Texas .....

..... according to this post by Ricë at Notes From the Voodoo Cafe.

A Mystery Grows In Pennsylvania .....

"The road is clear," says Jim of Serotoninrain ..... but where-to?

A Tree Grows In Ohio .....

..... courtesy of this post by Karen at Pen In Hand.

The Times, They Are a'Changing .....

"It doesn’t take much to get thrown off an airplane these days, as Kyla Ebbert found out when a Southwest Airlines employee told her she was too bare for the air. Two months later, she’s still trying to figure out what was wrong with her outfit." Here's the complete report from the Today Show.

Being (as of today) the 'Big Five-Oh,' I can still remember the days when Southwest Airlines promoted their own, official, scantily-clad women in television ads (this one, courtesy of aapino on YouTube) and on billboards ("That's Love, Southwest Style," said one in Albukookoo, featuring a woman with a little bit of pants, and lots of leg). The photo comes from this post at the FashionFotos blog.

The Company I Keep .....

Among those born on this day are Queen Elizabeth the First (1558), painter Grandma Moses (1860), financier John Pierpont Morgan, Jr. (1837), novelist Taylor Caldwell (1900), heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey (1908), astronomer/space scientist James Alfred Van Allen (1914), football coach/owner Paul Brown (1908), film director/producer Elia Kazan (1909), jazz musician Sonny Rollins (1930), singer Gloria Gaynor (1949), and West Texas' very own rock legend, Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holly (1936) .....
..... oh, yeah ..... and me (1957).

Virtual Hugs And Actual Prayers .....

For Spookyrach at Skewed View, as she waits it out in the hospital waiting room, and finds that laughter may be the best medicine.

What's The Buzz? .....

Last week, in this post at Sleepless In Midland, George observed, "missing in our local market is reporting about the competitors. Local tv stations seem to be afraid to say anything about the other local stations. What, there's no dirt to dish out?"

Maybe ..... at the network level, at least ..... this week, in this post at TVNewser, Chris reports that, "ABC's 20/20 will air its investigation into NBC rival Dateline this Friday."

The Rest Is Silence .....

Luciano Pavarotti, the most beloved and celebrated tenor since Caruso, and one of the few opera singers to win crossover fame as a popular superstar, has died at 71 years-of-age. Here's a complete story from msnbc.com ..... even those who didn't normally enjoy opera, found themselves moved, even entranced by his trademark performance of Puccini's “Nessun Dorma” (audio clip from addicta at twango).....

Every Day Is Labor Day .....

..... out on the farm, as Bob reminds us with this post at Ran With the Devil, Walked With Angels.

Movie Weekend .....

No travel for us this long holiday weekend ..... we got our travel out of the way LAST weekend. We'll have family over Monday for a visit and a meal on on the back porch (looking through some recipes for dove). For the most part, though, this weekend has been about staying home, getting a few things done around the house ..... and tackling our Netflix queue.

Henry V - Kenneth Branagh made his directorial debut in this 1989 film, and also played the title role. The first of five - so far - film adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays by Brannagh, it remains one of my favorites. It is different - though not necessarily better - adaptation than Laurence Olivier's 1944 classic. Personally, I recommend having BOTH on your shelf.

Duma - Set in South Africa, this 2005 family film follows the adventures of a young boy and the cheetah he adopted when it was an orphaned cub. The bond they have formed is put to the test as the cheetah nears maturity, and the boy realizes he must return his best friend to his rightful home in the wilds. A beautiful story told by gifted actors, with the South African wilderness as a setting, and a wonderful film score ..... I wish more people knew about this film.

Motorcycle Diaries - In the early 50s, a young medical student and his friend set off together, riding a beat-up motorcycle on a road trip across South America, and to a new level of awareness about the world in which they live. Their story might never have found its way to the big screen if that young medical student hadn't been the future revolutionary, Ernesto "Che" Guevara. This 2004 film follows their journey, capturing the time and the places with stunning location shooting, painstaking attention to historic detail in wardrobe and props, and a film score that pulls you onto "The Mighty One" for an incredible ride. WARNING: The language (in Spanish, with English subtitles), includes plenty of invectives you don't want to share with the kids.

On The Learning Curve .....

One of the perks to being a journalist, finding and developing stories to share with the public, is that you learn a lot of 'neat stuff' along the way ..... you hope, of course, that the public is the better for your story ..... but, at the same time, you also hope to expand your own body of knowledge, your level of awareness, and your expertise as a journalist.

Me? I'm a work-in-progress with a long way to go ..... but I'm enjoying the work, and the 'neat stuff' I pick up along the way.

These last couple of weeks, writing an article for The Odessan Magazine, it was my chance to learn more about CT Scans. ‘CT’ is short for computed tomography. It was originally known as computed axial tomography, hence the name ‘CAT scan’ that is still commonly used. It is an imaging method where a series of two-dimensional X-ray images, taken around a single axis of rotation, produce three-dimensional images of an object’s internal structure. The technology is employed in a number of fields, but most often in medicine, where it is used by doctors to examine the brain, the heart and other internal organs of a living patient’s body.

Nowadays, the phrase, 'CAT scan' is almost ubiquitous, frequently heard on just about any hospital or medical show - dramatic, documentary, whatever - on television. What I didn't know, though, was that CAT scans represent one of the greatest victories of 'The Battle of the Beat.'

Development of early CT scanner technology in the late 60s was carried out at Electric and Musical Industries, Ltd. (better known, today as EMI). Some say EMI financed the research with profits from The Beatles, which remains one of the most commercially successful bands in the history of popular music. In 1971, EMI's Chief of the Medical Research Division, Godfrey Hounsfield, scanned the first patient at a hospital in Wimbledon. Here is one account of that story from England's Whittington Hospital.

I remain on the learning curve .....