Thursday, May 28, 2009

We Don't Need No...Education...


That line from Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" came out I think when I was in 9th grade. Sang it ALL THE TIME, especially the closer we got to school being out. The IRONY cracks me up.
A double negative?
Still, the song takes me back.
Back to the days when summertime seemed to last a LONG time. Back when no one was afraid to get a TAN. Back when an 8 hour day meant 5 hours at the pool and 3 hours cruisin' up and down Air Depot.
Of course, the older you get, the shorter each summer seems. I mean, 3 months is a relatively short span when you're an adult. It seems like forever when you're a teenager.
My kids just got out of school a couple days ago. They've already begun the stay-up-late-and-wake-up-late routine. Man, I'm really jealous.
However, I remember the summer after I graduated high school. Every day I got up late, hung out at my friend's pool, and then we wasted gas driving all around Midwest City most of the night. I kept waiting for my dad to tell me to GET A JOB, since I had worked the summer before. I even felt a little guilty, asking for gas money and stuff. But he never did.
A few months later, after I did finally get a job, I asked him why he never PUSHED me into it. "Son, once you start working, you probably won't quit for a LONG TIME," he said. "I just figured I'd let you enjoy THIS LAST SUMMER."
Wow, he was right. Thanks, Dad.
I really hope that I can remember to do the same for my kid.






Tuesday, May 26, 2009

A Whole Week...or is it WEAK?


This blog is now officially a week old.

Break out the streamers! Go get the Silly String! Bring out the dancin' girls! More wine!

I'm finding more and more that I actually enjoy this thing...having a place to jot down my thoughts, no matter how stupid they may seem at the time. It's rather therapeutic. And I'm not delusional enough to believe that thousands of folks are following this thing. Actually, I have ONE follower as of today, that's my buddy Bob...thanks dude.

I haven't Twittered yet, but I AM a Facebook addict. It's amazing just how many people I know are on it--I find more almost every day.

However...

It seems that quite a few folks use FB as an excuse to "narrate" their everyday lives. That's a little much. I mean, I don't think that people really care when I'm headed home, or go to get a haircut, etc. That's the main reason I DON'T Twitter yet. When I think I've got something semi-interesting, I'll GLADLY let you know!

But hey, that's just me.

Gotta go...gotta go send the dancin' girls home, crack open a Bud Light, and...read some more minutiae.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Cheesy Like Monday Mornin'...


Marshall, Will, and Holly, on a routine expedition...
Met the gr-e-a-test earthquake, ever known...
High on the rapids, it struck their tiny raft...
And plunged them down, down, deep below...

Come on, join me on the Chorus...

TO THE L-A-N-D OF THE L-O-S-T(lost lost lost lost)

Man, that's some good stuff, and I mean the memory, not the show.

I caught some of Sci-Fi Channel's "Land of the Lost" marathon on Memorial Day, and here are a few observations:
1) That show is a lot worse than I remember
2) Special effects on television have come a LONG way
3) It did have some background story stuff ala Star Trek, and other sci-fi serials
4) Those Sleestak costumes were just silly
5) I got a kick out of all those BIG vegetables
6) Did they ever shower?
7) I really miss OLD SCHOOL Saturday morning kids shows

My kids are incredulous when I tell them about the OLD DAYS and having to get up early on Saturday morning to catch the good shows. If you're anywhere near my age you remember when we had THREE (3) TV stations--the ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliates.

Remember when we were all freaked out over this brand new thing called HBO? Man, me and my friends watched it ALL THE TIME--didn't matter what show it was--it was REAL MOVIES ON TV! Sometimes we got lucky and caught an R rated one! "This program has been rated R, by the Motion Picture Association of America..."

Those were the days.

Now I sometimes find myself flipping through about 200 channels, and sayin' "THERE'S NOTHIN' ON TONIGHT!" Amazing.

Happy Memorial Day...remember to give thanks to/for ALL THOSE WHO SERVED, AND ALL THOSE STILL IN HARM'S WAY.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Well, It's Friday....A Dichotomy

di·chot·o·my [ dī kóttəmee ] (plural di·chot·o·mies)
noun
Definition:

1. separation of different or contradictory things: a separation into two divisions that differ widely from or contradict each other



Today started off on a sad note for me. Arriving at work I learned that a longtime friend and coworker had died this morning. He was just 5 years or so older than me.

Everyone here at work felt like they'd been kicked in the gut.

Nick was a loyal employee, a hard worker, and a great guy. I looked forward to seeing him every day. We'll all miss him greatly.

THEN--

This afternoon, I went to my son's 5th grade awards ceremony and watched him get his medals for reading. My daughter got her 2nd grade awards yesterday. Very proud of both of them.

It's a VERY COOL thing to be a dad and watch your kids achieve stuff. But, WEREN'T THEY TODDLERS JUST LAST WEEK? Wow.

Life comes at you fast and without a whole lot of warning...so does death. Maybe you can't ever be fully prepared, but don't let that keep you from TRYING....IN EVERY WAY.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Now THAT'S What I Call a Funeral...

I got sent to Tulsa today to cover elements of Wayman Tisdale's funeral. More specifically, the procession from the funeral home to the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa.

Hundreds of people lined the streets to say goodbye and get a glimpse of Tisdale's casket in its own horsedrawn carriage.

At the BOK (Bank of Oklahoma) Center, I was standing outside when a colleague from our sister station KOTV came out and said the service had just started. She said Fred Hammond was singing "This Is the Day."

"Did you say Fred Hammond?" I asked dumbfounded. I took a look at the funeral program that she had, and it also listed other music giants. I had to go in.

Inside I grabbed a spot just in time to hear Wayman Tisdale's band perform with Marcus Miller, Kirk Whalum, Jonathan Butler, and Fred Hammond. Dave Koz was there also, but I didn't see him play. They stood Wayman's bass guitar up in front of his casket. Outstanding.

But as awesome as that performance was, the most memorable part for me was something Koz said a few minutes earlier. He was actually quoting someone else ( I don't remember who, but it doesn't matter.)

He said basically: When you look at someone's date of birth, and then the date of their death, both are obviously important, but the REAL important part is that DASH in between. That's where the good stuff is.

Wayman Tisdale
JUNE 9, 1964------------------------------------------------------------------MAY 15, 2009.

HERE'S WHAT I SHOT, EDITED, AND POSTED... http://tinyurl.com/p6gs49

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

And Here's Another...

www.kaplitzblog.com/2009/04/30/the-coolest-job-job-security/

Here's a Little Sumpin' Sumpin' About Me

I shoot/write/report/edit/post for a TV station website. Here's a recent post I did for a multimedia blog.

http://www.kaplitzblog.com/2009/05/05/its-not-about-me-smart-advice-from-video-journalist/

Storm Chasing May 15












On Friday May 15 there was a possibility of severe wx and even a tornado in NW Oklahoma. I traveled to Woodward with pilot/reporter Mason Dunn only to find a HUGE shelf cloud, but no wall clouds. We then headed to Enid, where I got this GREAT shot of SKYNEWS9 HD with some fierce -looking clouds behind it. No tornados that day, though.



Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Yeah, This is How it Starts...

First post--pressure's on. But I'm sure no one's watching...not yet anyway.

I plan on using this blog as a daily...okay, MAYBE daily journal/rant/vent. And perhaps there will be a few nuggets of wisdom that I've accidentally come across in my 40-plus years. God knows I've TRIED to find 'em here and there. Here's a thought...

Wayman Tisdale died last Friday. What a shame. Not only for his family, but for all of us who ever watched him perform his sweet turnaround jumper here at OU, or watched him play ball on an NBA court, or ever enjoyed his INCREDIBLE musical skills. Billy Joel said it---only the good die young, man.

I remember when my high school basketball team ( the school's-- I didn't play) took on Wayman and his team in the state playoffs. I was like--"Who is this dude?" He was unstoppable even then.

I had the chance to interview him once or twice, and truly, he was a guy that you meet, and immediately like. So positive. He really enjoyed life.

We should all take a lesson from Wayman...LIVE, LOVE, AND LAUGH.