Crosswords. Most crosswords are easiest on Monday, and get harder as the week go on. I was scheduled for control room yesterday and had time to work on the NYT Monday crossword, and I was actually able to finish it! Admittedly, I cheated a little bit, but if I get 90% of the answers filled in, I allow myself access to the internet to find the solutions to the last bits. I used to be hardcore and not reference anything but my brain, but after a while the same few clues that I didn't know kept coming up. I figured I might as well 'cheat' in the name of 'learning', or else I'd just not learn for the sake of riding my self-depriving high-horse.
Otherwise, my big task of the day was to dub a Sandusky interview with Bob Costas ASAP. Usually we don't get dub requests that need to be filled the day of, or in this case the morning of, but this one had a legitimate reason. I found the SD version of that day's tape, but the interview occurred early in the 7th hour, and for some reason the tape would rewind all the way back. The tape was also wound in the opposite manner that they usually are; usually a tape at the very beginning has all the tape around the right reel, but this one was opposite. I had to find the HD version, and jump through some hoops to request a dub of that segment, but eventually the project was finished by early afternoon.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Tweaking resume
Friday was a strange day. It was packed with many little tasks which made it seem hectic, but it was the type of hectic that didn't feel very productive. I dubbed, logged, and answered a swarm of calls about all sorts of things, mostly concerning the Mother of the Year contest.
I did re-work my resume, which was a definite plus in the pile of productive musts. I trimmed it down quite a bit, getting rid of irrelevant skills that were really there just to fill space. My resume needs to be a single page, so I now realize that the space on that page is important information real-estate. I added a section for references, and was able to fit four; a much, much better use of space than the line that explained I was semi-trained in handling random camcorder models.
I did re-work my resume, which was a definite plus in the pile of productive musts. I trimmed it down quite a bit, getting rid of irrelevant skills that were really there just to fill space. My resume needs to be a single page, so I now realize that the space on that page is important information real-estate. I added a section for references, and was able to fit four; a much, much better use of space than the line that explained I was semi-trained in handling random camcorder models.
Sister Ambush, story
*These next few posts are catching up on the last few days.
I worked on my second Ambush Makeover segment on Thursday, it was especially rewarding because we chose sisters to makeover. One sister had a sign promoting her sib for the segment, and luckily for her, the rest of the ladies in the crowd were too well put together, so we surprised her by asking both of them. The sign said that she had had the same look since 1990, the year I was born. For the past two years, being on campus and being a junior or senior made me feel old. Playing pick-up basketball with high school and middle school kids who are in way better shape than me makes me feel old. That sign was a refreshing reminder that I'm actually not that old!
Otherwise, I worked the front desk. I had an interesting call which stood out amongst the purposeless ones, from a retired cop in Florida. Wells Fargo had been harassing him and his family with incessant calls, claiming that they hadn't received certain mortgage payments, although his bank verified that the checks he sent them had been cashed. After his attorney listened to the calls he recorded (which, Wells Fargo said they weren't lawfully allowed to record), he said it was one of the most egregious examples of customer abuse he's ever heard. This story could come on the tail of the segment we ran about telemarketers calling people on the do not call list - although it has a hint of bad-behavior-banking, which is relevant considering the reason why we're in a recession.
I worked on my second Ambush Makeover segment on Thursday, it was especially rewarding because we chose sisters to makeover. One sister had a sign promoting her sib for the segment, and luckily for her, the rest of the ladies in the crowd were too well put together, so we surprised her by asking both of them. The sign said that she had had the same look since 1990, the year I was born. For the past two years, being on campus and being a junior or senior made me feel old. Playing pick-up basketball with high school and middle school kids who are in way better shape than me makes me feel old. That sign was a refreshing reminder that I'm actually not that old!
Otherwise, I worked the front desk. I had an interesting call which stood out amongst the purposeless ones, from a retired cop in Florida. Wells Fargo had been harassing him and his family with incessant calls, claiming that they hadn't received certain mortgage payments, although his bank verified that the checks he sent them had been cashed. After his attorney listened to the calls he recorded (which, Wells Fargo said they weren't lawfully allowed to record), he said it was one of the most egregious examples of customer abuse he's ever heard. This story could come on the tail of the segment we ran about telemarketers calling people on the do not call list - although it has a hint of bad-behavior-banking, which is relevant considering the reason why we're in a recession.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Mother of the Year contest
This morning I had the pleasure of delivering hardbound copies of An Incredible Dream to every producer, and I'm not being sarcastic. I love the smell of new books, I love the feeling of a book in my hands. I love how you can read a book without feeling like you're staring at a floodlight; some of these big-screen HD computer monitors aren't far from it. I opened up a bunch of boxes, stacked books on a cart, and noted the most witty quips from people who suspected this book was less of a gift and more of a merger hurdle.
Otherwise, I spent most of my time going through the nearly 10k submissions we received for our Mother of the Year contest. I felt pretty bad judging people in the beginning, and ended up 'starring' one out of every twenty, until I learned that we should probably shoot for more like one out of seventy five. It got easier after that, especially considering a good, clear picture is a must. It sounds superficial, but TV is a visual medium - it would be different if it were a radio contest. It began to be tough again after the 4th hour or so, I just couldn't help but feel a little down after reading submission after submission about moms with sicknesses or kids with sicknesses. It makes me glad for my good health and my family's good health, because there are a lot of medical issues out there.
Otherwise, I spent most of my time going through the nearly 10k submissions we received for our Mother of the Year contest. I felt pretty bad judging people in the beginning, and ended up 'starring' one out of every twenty, until I learned that we should probably shoot for more like one out of seventy five. It got easier after that, especially considering a good, clear picture is a must. It sounds superficial, but TV is a visual medium - it would be different if it were a radio contest. It began to be tough again after the 4th hour or so, I just couldn't help but feel a little down after reading submission after submission about moms with sicknesses or kids with sicknesses. It makes me glad for my good health and my family's good health, because there are a lot of medical issues out there.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Fat Kitty Reincarnate and the Royal Wedding
We ran a story today on a cat named 'Meow' who weighs just under 30 lbs. He was a chunky thing, and actually looked quite noble, despite the handler noting that fat animals are usually less happy than healthier, leaner ones. This cat reminded me of the cat my family used to have as a kid - once called Tiptoes, then dubbed Fat Kitty once she became fat. That cat was 6 months older than me, and it stayed that way until I was 10. Some of my friends as a kid remember her sitting lethargically on some furniture in the basement, watching over us as we played N64. This cat was up for adoption, and we only got one call about it. Seems like pudgy cats don't have the draw that scruffy dogs do.
I spent some time today trying to get my resume from my crippled computer on to a computer here, to no avail. My computer can't connect to the internet anywhere, and these computers don't recognize my hard drive, so I couldn't even do a little transfer that way. I'll have to borrow my roommate's computer again and email myself the documents so I can access them at work. I'm getting antsy - I want to apply for the page position ASAP, but technology's dark magic isn't having any of it.
I also stayed after 5 today to finish up some work - I had to record and copy the Royal Wedding special from last year. It wasn't exactly work, I just had to mind the machine while it did everything. There were no commercials (surprisingly) for the 2.5+ hours that I had to record, so I really didn't have to even stop and start to skip past them. It was so long that it took three DVDs to finish. I'll end up finishing it all around 8, which gives me enough time to visit the open gym back at the Y. I missed playing basketball this weekend so I need my fix, especially after today.
I spent some time today trying to get my resume from my crippled computer on to a computer here, to no avail. My computer can't connect to the internet anywhere, and these computers don't recognize my hard drive, so I couldn't even do a little transfer that way. I'll have to borrow my roommate's computer again and email myself the documents so I can access them at work. I'm getting antsy - I want to apply for the page position ASAP, but technology's dark magic isn't having any of it.
I also stayed after 5 today to finish up some work - I had to record and copy the Royal Wedding special from last year. It wasn't exactly work, I just had to mind the machine while it did everything. There were no commercials (surprisingly) for the 2.5+ hours that I had to record, so I really didn't have to even stop and start to skip past them. It was so long that it took three DVDs to finish. I'll end up finishing it all around 8, which gives me enough time to visit the open gym back at the Y. I missed playing basketball this weekend so I need my fix, especially after today.
Monday on the Moon
I spent nearly all of yesterday logging tapes about the Apollo XI moon mission. I hadn't seen anything about the moon landing prior, the only thing that rung a bell was the classic "one small step for man...". It was definitely interesting to see a new perspective - one from the late 60s, where mankind was taking its first attempts at expanding its influence past our atmosphere. Plus they had no Internet, which is always weird to think about.
My roommate mentioned how alien life theorists classify sentient-life civilizations, from stage 1 to 4, based on how that civilization harvests energy for its own use. Stage 1 civs harvest energy from their planet, stage 2, from their solar system, stage 3, from their galaxy, and so on. The moon landing represents popping the bubble of stage 1, but we might actually be close to making strides in stage 2.
I read an article today about how some of the most capitalized entrepreneurs are investing in Planetary Resources, Inc., a company who aims to begin mining near-earth asteroids in the next couple decades. It sounds illogical, but these asteroids are the homes of platinum and other platinum-like elements which we use in modern technologies like fuel cells, batteries and electronics.
These elements are extremely rare on earth, which is part of the reason why these products are so expensive (and a big part of the reason why we don't have hydrogen fuel-cell cars yet, as the amount of these elements needed to produce one of these engines makes the venture not feasible). However, scientists posit that most of these elements are so rare because they accumulated on the Earth's crust from asteroids-turned-meteorites pelting the surface over time. And one of these near-earth asteroids is said to contain more platinum than the world as a whole mines in one year.
If Planetary Resources, Inc. goes public at any point, I would invest in it for sure. If anything, I'd want to help support a novel venture into Stage 2. The article quotes some pretty high potential prices for the loads they could get from some of these asteroids, so I could enjoy some gains from that investment. I'm thinking if it does work out, the prices won't stay high for very long because we'd simply have access to more of this rare material.
My roommate mentioned how alien life theorists classify sentient-life civilizations, from stage 1 to 4, based on how that civilization harvests energy for its own use. Stage 1 civs harvest energy from their planet, stage 2, from their solar system, stage 3, from their galaxy, and so on. The moon landing represents popping the bubble of stage 1, but we might actually be close to making strides in stage 2.
I read an article today about how some of the most capitalized entrepreneurs are investing in Planetary Resources, Inc., a company who aims to begin mining near-earth asteroids in the next couple decades. It sounds illogical, but these asteroids are the homes of platinum and other platinum-like elements which we use in modern technologies like fuel cells, batteries and electronics.
These elements are extremely rare on earth, which is part of the reason why these products are so expensive (and a big part of the reason why we don't have hydrogen fuel-cell cars yet, as the amount of these elements needed to produce one of these engines makes the venture not feasible). However, scientists posit that most of these elements are so rare because they accumulated on the Earth's crust from asteroids-turned-meteorites pelting the surface over time. And one of these near-earth asteroids is said to contain more platinum than the world as a whole mines in one year.
If Planetary Resources, Inc. goes public at any point, I would invest in it for sure. If anything, I'd want to help support a novel venture into Stage 2. The article quotes some pretty high potential prices for the loads they could get from some of these asteroids, so I could enjoy some gains from that investment. I'm thinking if it does work out, the prices won't stay high for very long because we'd simply have access to more of this rare material.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Seriously, TGIF
Friday was the longest day I've had here so far, I was scheduled for control room which started at 5:30am as usual, and I was also scheduled to help for an interview shoot that ended around 5:30pm. From when I left in the morning to when I returned, that Friday ended up being about a 13 hour day. However, it was a full and fulfilling day for sure, so TGIF meant more for me 'thank God it's the weekend tomorrow' rather than 'thank God this week is over'.
I signed up for a conference open to NBC/Universal interns concerning how to make the transition from being an undergraduate to landing our first entry-level position. It was extremely helpful, mostly because it was ran by a member of the HR team who handles hiring for most of NBC/Uni. positions that become open. He was one of the real people who would read my resume once I send it in - which is good to know, because most applications for NBC/Uni jobs are online, and it's easy to think you're sending your spirit into a void once you click 'send'.
It was at 11am in a building essentially in Times Square. I left a half hour early to give myself some time to get lost, which I did, but I ended up on time. I also got lost on the way back; NYC being a grid is helpful for navigation, but you really need a compass to actually use the grid. Both times I got lost I ended up going in the exact opposite cardinal direction that I needed to go. Usually my sense of direction is good, but in a concrete jungle where you can't see the horizon or sun half the time, a compass would be really helpful.
I took notes at the conference, and had all my questions (and more) answered within the first hour. The most important thing I learned was not to spread my resume across a breadth of different positions just because they're open. He advised that it's better to wait a few months for a job opening that you're passionate about and somewhat qualified for, than to toss your name in as many hats as you can. He also kept on stressing that landing a job really depend upon the specifics of the position, which you might not know about just from the listing, and about a ton of other variables that are behind the scenes. "It depends" was the motto for this meeting - a bit relieving to hear, actually, because now I know that when I get rejected for jobs that I apply to, it may simply be due to those variables that are out of my control.
The interview that I helped shoot was much more engrossing than I thought it would be, especially considering how tired I was toward the end of the day. We interviewed Ted Wells and Stan Grayson, two prominent lawyers who graduated from College of the Holy Cross. They were part of a graduating class that went on to achieve immense success in their fields, including a Supreme Court Justice, a Super Bowl winning coach, a Pulitzer prize winner, to name a few. They were also all African American students, who were all part of one of the first years of integration which occurred in higher education during the late 60s.
Having just finished my undergraduate experience, I could really relate to how they spoke about their experience. I'm usually pitifully incapable of truly relating to people who are a generation or older than me, so this was one of the first times where I actually understood where they were coming from; I felt like I was listening, rather than just hearing, what they had to say. They were both friends in school, and both had a personal relationship as well with Clarence Thomas, so they were able and willing to provide an intimate perspective on the Justice.
I had to lead them upstairs to where we were shooting the interview, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. These men are both extremely established, self-made, and have withstood more adversity than I most likely will ever have to face, and as a result, they each had a palpable presence about them. I didn't want to lead them up in silence, but I also couldn't think of any good conversation that I could really provide (I'd choke myself before I'd ask 'so how about this weather?'), so I went with a less than stellar 'has it been a good Friday so far?'. Dr. Wells could tell I was ambitiously nervous, so he politely asked about me, allowing the conversation to veer towards something new for him and familiar for me.
After the interview I smiled and shook hands with both men during the rounds of hand-shaking. Dr. Wells remembered that I mentioned the page position, so he sincerely remarked to my producer to help me out a little, seeing as I'm trying to get a job very soon. That made my day. It was after 5, and I should have been, by all means, soup in my shoes. Instead, I felt invigorated. It made me so happy to see that there are successful people who are genuine, and genuinely nice. I would have felt the same about Dr. Wells and Dr. Grayson, oral recognition or not, but that bit of personal attention goes a long way for a little guy like me.
I signed up for a conference open to NBC/Universal interns concerning how to make the transition from being an undergraduate to landing our first entry-level position. It was extremely helpful, mostly because it was ran by a member of the HR team who handles hiring for most of NBC/Uni. positions that become open. He was one of the real people who would read my resume once I send it in - which is good to know, because most applications for NBC/Uni jobs are online, and it's easy to think you're sending your spirit into a void once you click 'send'.
It was at 11am in a building essentially in Times Square. I left a half hour early to give myself some time to get lost, which I did, but I ended up on time. I also got lost on the way back; NYC being a grid is helpful for navigation, but you really need a compass to actually use the grid. Both times I got lost I ended up going in the exact opposite cardinal direction that I needed to go. Usually my sense of direction is good, but in a concrete jungle where you can't see the horizon or sun half the time, a compass would be really helpful.
I took notes at the conference, and had all my questions (and more) answered within the first hour. The most important thing I learned was not to spread my resume across a breadth of different positions just because they're open. He advised that it's better to wait a few months for a job opening that you're passionate about and somewhat qualified for, than to toss your name in as many hats as you can. He also kept on stressing that landing a job really depend upon the specifics of the position, which you might not know about just from the listing, and about a ton of other variables that are behind the scenes. "It depends" was the motto for this meeting - a bit relieving to hear, actually, because now I know that when I get rejected for jobs that I apply to, it may simply be due to those variables that are out of my control.
The interview that I helped shoot was much more engrossing than I thought it would be, especially considering how tired I was toward the end of the day. We interviewed Ted Wells and Stan Grayson, two prominent lawyers who graduated from College of the Holy Cross. They were part of a graduating class that went on to achieve immense success in their fields, including a Supreme Court Justice, a Super Bowl winning coach, a Pulitzer prize winner, to name a few. They were also all African American students, who were all part of one of the first years of integration which occurred in higher education during the late 60s.
Having just finished my undergraduate experience, I could really relate to how they spoke about their experience. I'm usually pitifully incapable of truly relating to people who are a generation or older than me, so this was one of the first times where I actually understood where they were coming from; I felt like I was listening, rather than just hearing, what they had to say. They were both friends in school, and both had a personal relationship as well with Clarence Thomas, so they were able and willing to provide an intimate perspective on the Justice.
I had to lead them upstairs to where we were shooting the interview, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. These men are both extremely established, self-made, and have withstood more adversity than I most likely will ever have to face, and as a result, they each had a palpable presence about them. I didn't want to lead them up in silence, but I also couldn't think of any good conversation that I could really provide (I'd choke myself before I'd ask 'so how about this weather?'), so I went with a less than stellar 'has it been a good Friday so far?'. Dr. Wells could tell I was ambitiously nervous, so he politely asked about me, allowing the conversation to veer towards something new for him and familiar for me.
After the interview I smiled and shook hands with both men during the rounds of hand-shaking. Dr. Wells remembered that I mentioned the page position, so he sincerely remarked to my producer to help me out a little, seeing as I'm trying to get a job very soon. That made my day. It was after 5, and I should have been, by all means, soup in my shoes. Instead, I felt invigorated. It made me so happy to see that there are successful people who are genuine, and genuinely nice. I would have felt the same about Dr. Wells and Dr. Grayson, oral recognition or not, but that bit of personal attention goes a long way for a little guy like me.
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