Big stories call for big toys

Jan07_0001

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© 2006 Sprint Nextel. All rights reserved.

posted by Brian @ 11:06 AM 0 comments

posted by Brian @ 11:01 AM 0 comments

Lisa washington fun fact

Lisa is the hula hoop champion of her apartment complex

posted by Brian @ 4:23 PM 2 comments

Ready 4 storm coverage

Carter and tom with rain pants on

posted by Brian @ 3:00 PM 0 comments

Buford Pusser

Walk tall and carry a big stick

Born on December 12, 1937, between Finger and Leapwood, Tennessee, Buford Hayse Pusser met each challenge of life head on and established himself as a man among men with a reputation that spread around the world. The illegal operations on the Tennessee-Mississippi state line which included gambling, prostitution and moonshine whisky had generated a reputation that invoked fear and caused others to take a hands-off approach when it came to making arrests and cleaning the state line of these lawbreakers. Buford took this in stride as the Sheriff of McNairy County and drew on his physical strength and courage. He began to clean up the State Line’s illegal operations. Because of his many encounters with violence, his reputation grew and spread throughout the country when the production of three "Walking Tall" movies and a television series were produced about the "Legend of Buford Pusser", an easy going, but take-no-lip Sheriff who did his job in spite of the threats and mean-spirited law-breakers he came in contact with. Buford’s reputation was one, which in the weekly newspaper reports, showed him to be a very present threat to anyone who broke the law in McNairy County. The paper ran stories very regularly showing Buford hauling in moonshine stills and the "Tennessee White Lightening" whiskey they produced, along with the whiskey makers who resided in the county jail. Buford’s reputation as depicted by the movies and TV show were embellished somewhat from reality, but most people who knew Buford will tell you that he was a powerful deterrent to crime and mayhem in McNairy County. Buford Pusser is a Legend, his reputation as a "Law Enforcement Officer who took his job seriously" puts him in the company of many other American Law Legends from yesteryear.

posted by Brian @ 6:40 PM 0 comments

selmer tn

sign says no media allowed beyond this point

Location was the Winkler Funeral Wake

posted by Brian @ 11:55 PM 0 comments

Selmer tn

Sister station wreg memphis

In the foreground is the satellite truck from our Big Sister WREG Memphis, TN

posted by Brian @ 2:18 PM 0 comments

Selmer tn

Winkler day in court< Press Area outside the Courthouse/Jail

posted by Brian @ 2:15 PM 0 comments

A

Go<

posted by Brian @ 11:12 PM 0 comments

2005 ALA State HS Football Championships

Legion Field:

the site of the Iron Bowl for many years. A place where Paul “Bear” Bryant still looks on, well sorta, a monument in his honor marks a spot on the south side of the stadium. What would “the Bear” say if he could see this place now!


Would he call it a “dump”? This place has seen its better days. My first thoughts were they need to implode this place and start a new one. The east side upper deck has been torn down and the Southwest Sound system looks like it is about to fall over.
I went to the Press Box before the Deshler game to get the free HotDogs that is provided to the media. Then I went and took a seat in the Press Box to watch the game. WOW what a view. Tearing down the east side upper deck created a great view of the Birmingham skyline. I doubt you can see that view from the regular seating around the stadium but from the Press Box and the cheap seats in the upper deck on the west side it is awesome. Enjoy!

posted by Brian @ 2:53 PM 0 comments

Best of 2005

I will be on vacation most of December. So here are the what I consider to be the best of 2005!

Best Roadside Attraction: Elvis’ Birthplace, Tupelo, MS
Best High School Football Concession Stand: Colbert County Indians, Leighton, AL
Best Event Concession Stand: 2005 Dixie Youth World Series, Muscle Shoals, AL
Best Hotel: The Island House Hotel, Orange Beach, AL
Best Motel: The Hanceville Inn, Hanceville, AL
Best Restroom: CVS Pharmacy
Best place to buy Diesel: Pilot, Priceville, AL
Best sit-down place to eat : Jakes Steak and Big “O” oyster bar, Gulf Shores, AL
Best sit-down steak: Old Hickory Steakhouse, Columbus, MS
Best sit-down BBQ: Big Bob Gibson, Decatur, AL
Best sit-down Seafood: Dixie Crossroads, Titusville, FL
Best place to Breakdown: Gulf Shores, AL
Best Live Story: 179th Signal Battalion National Guard Unit returning to Ft Stewart, GA
Best Moment: NASA STS-114 Return to Flight Shuttle Launch, Kennedy Space Center

There will not be a list of worst.

posted by Brian @ 7:15 PM 0 comments

Iron Bowl 2005 (Honey where in the suitcase is my underware?)

Ok, My wife did not forget to pack my underware but Patrick our field producer had to buy some while we were down there. To top it off he was not the onlyone.. John Pearson (the sports guy) and Dave Schmidt (photographer aka "Oscar the grouch") were shoping for BVD's as well.

posted by Brian @ 1:48 PM 0 comments

elvis has left the building

The truth be told...The decision for booking hotel reservations for the Mississippi St vs Alabama game in Tupelo, MS was because the Birthplace of Elvis was in fact Tupelo, MS and I wanted to visit there.

posted by Brian @ 1:42 PM 0 comments

Push Keith Push!!

Well it happened, we ran out of gas. Well Keith says I ran it out of gas. I drive a Honda Civic Hybrid and not used to having to fill up quite as often anymore. We were on our way to Auburn for a site check of the upcoming Iron Bowl. We (I) ran out of gas at exit 284 on I 65.

posted by Brian @ 1:21 PM 0 comments

big smoke cloud

Driving in today I rolled up an a wreck between and 18 wheeler and a small car.

posted by Brian @ 1:16 PM 0 comments

Blast from the past

Two Pictures from WAAY TV Alumni page. There was once a time when WAFF Channel 48 was not even in the picture. My how time changes things. The following is a link to the WAAY Alumni page discussing how it used to be. LINK to 31alumni.com
It is a verry good article its on my must read list.

posted by Brian @ 2:39 PM 0 comments

Sheria would make a great catch!

Today we covered the Roy Moore press conf. In my old stomping grounds Gasden, AL. I was talking to a Police officer about the places my dad would take be as a child. Like hawk hobby shop "it burned" the officer said and like the skateboard place "it got bulldozed" the officer exclaimed, then he said son "your childhood was gone" Then I said "how about Noccalula Falls it has to still be there" He said "It now cost money to get in"
I was cleaning out the back of the satellite truck and found a Frisbee left over from Kids Expo in Albertville. I was going to throw it away then a game of Frisbee broke out between Sheria and Brad. Brad has a blog it can be found here....http://www.photogsandmtn.blogspot.com/

Noccalula Falls website

posted by Brian @ 10:41 PM 0 comments

Andrew Zow and Skylink

I guess since most if not all of the Satellite trucks in the state were at the Talladega Superspeedway this last weekend I had to do double duty at the ala/fla game. I did uplinks for ourselves, CBS 42 and wkrg of mobile. CBS 42 and Wkrg were interviewing former Alabama QB Andrew Zow. He has a sharp bike! I would like to add this afterthought. Mr. Zow attracted quite a crowd after the game, he stayed and shook hands and signed autographs till the crowd was gone.

posted by Brian @ 10:37 PM 0 comments

Skylink turns 200,000

On the way down to the BAMA VS Florida game Skylink surpased the 200,000 mile mark.
thanks Tom for the help!

posted by Brian @ 10:29 PM 0 comments

Pimp my Satellite Truck

Hitting a piece of road debris on the trip back from the cape damaged my exhause system. I got a new exhause system with a little flair.

posted by Brian @ 10:24 PM 0 comments

Babe Ruth World Series

Muscle Shoals did not win the Babe Ruth World Series. I did give them something to aim at. I parked SKYLINK past the outfield fence.

posted by Brian @ 10:20 PM 0 comments

Hey put me on TV!!

Hey put me on TV! I get that alot. I have no control over the content of TV but I can put you on my BLOG. This guy runs the Toll Booth in Orlando FL.

posted by Brian @ 10:09 PM 0 comments

sorry for leaving you guys hanging

i have not posted for a while and I am sorry. I will try to do better.

posted by Brian @ 9:43 PM 0 comments

Jerry Hayes news photographer

While covering the Bicentennial celebration at Huntsville's Ditto landing we found ourselves short handed. Jerry got the opportunity to show off his photog skills. "watch out brad"! James Paul Dice waits for Jerry to finish so he can do weather.

posted by Brian @ 3:26 PM 0 comments

thursday night in guntersville

Well after a day of doing nothing around birmingham. I traveled to the Albertville Newsroom and spend some time with teh crew. We are doing a live remote in the morning (friday AM) for a tools for schools drive. I ate at the Applebees in Albertville. Food was great! There was a man and women sitting at one of the booths. He was ordering mixed drinks, the bar cut him off at 3 drinks (must have some rule against getting drunk at a nice eating establishment (i agree with the rule) however his wife or lady friend started ordering the same drink (did not see that coming) I left before they cut her off. I got a room at the holiday inn in guntersville (will insert hotel rating after stay..can't judge a book by the cover) The awning is 10 ft tall and the truck is 12.5 feet. I see a dish deduction coming (not my dish because I did not go under it, but the point system dish deduction for parking problem. Speaking of books either someone left the book Get on with it by Billy Gene King in the hotel room or Holiday Inn has chosen to expand there library in addition to the Gideons Bible located in the bedside table drawer. Newsroom management recommends the book who moved the cheese. Its a selfhelp motivational (that spelled correctly)book about a several mice (rodants)who are used to finding the cheese in the maze at the same place every day. And then the cheese is moved. It talks about how the mice react and deal with it in differant ways. Perhaps Holiday Inn should leave a copy of that book in the rooms. My High Speed internet was alot faster in Titusville, FL than here in Guntersville, Al. I having a hard time dealing with it (where is the cheese) more on the star rating tomorrow.

hotel rating 8 of 10, bad parking for me and had to go to lobby to check out.

posted by Brian @ 8:35 PM 1 comments

hallaway in birmingham

After a long drive from Cocoa Beach I found myself setting up for a 6pm and 10pm live shot in Birmingham. I did get a good meal out of it at the CheeseFactory and saw an 2 old friends Shane Hayes from Fox 6 WBRC and Alex Lynch from ABC 33/40. I parked teh Satellite truck inside ABC 33/40's parking area and stayed the night at Alex place. There are no star rating points for free nights stay with a friend. He did however tell me I should post the rating system and change from star ratings to satellite dish ratings. a full upright satellite disk is a full star and a 1/2 way up satellite dish would represent 1/2 a star. Its a good point and when I figure out how to make small satellite dishes the size of star ratings I will.

posted by Brian @ 9:23 PM 0 comments

closing comments from the cape

1st trip for scrub launch. Hotel was ok (Holiday Inn, Titusville) I give it 7 out of 10 stars, (not in walking distance of restaurant, bad A/C and checkout required a trip the front desk) Great view for launch.. Media check in went well. Took couple hours to put cables in place. Took 12 hours to drive home
2nd trip down I took my time. I hit a big recap in the middle of the interstate traveling 70 mph. The impact caused my tail pipe to get caught under the rear tire and pull away from the muffler. I had to cut the rubber bushing that attaches the pipe to the chassis. I stopped at a truck stop to have it inspected it will get it fixed when I return to Huntsville. Hotel was Ocean View inn, Cocoa Beach. I rate hotel 8 of 10 stars (no High speed internet and Check out required at front desk) Shuttle launch day started early 3 am CST. Wakeup. We had to beat the crowd and the long lines thru security. The launch went well I was proud of our TV coverage and equally proud of our hard working friends and neighbors at NASA. We ended up doing a Live remote for FOX 6 WBRC Birmingham and WAKA. Its not uncommon to help out other TV stations who are not in direct competition with you. They help us out as well. We also ran into some old friends who used to work for Channel 19, Steve Simon and Joel Eisenbaum both former reporters for us. After we were finished we went to eat at a restaurant. After the dinner I was approached by a bum. The bum asked for 2bucks to buy a beer at the ABC store. I normally don’t support bums but I found the honesty respectful. I gave him the money and thanked him for not telling me a story about his broke down car. Tomorrow I will drive back. I hear the may be some new developments in the Miss Hallway case. This could mean a stopover in the magic city. Stay tuned.

posted by Brian @ 10:28 PM 1 comments

launch of the shuttle

Its hard to put into words the emotions that I feel right now. I was excited to see the launch. When the shuttle launched the fire ball was alot brighter than i expected. I am glad things went well for NASA. above is a bad picture of the shuttle taking off above the satellite truck.

posted by Brian @ 11:02 AM 2 comments

Around the Horn

wide shot

posted by Brian @ 4:05 PM 0 comments

Getting ready for today show

Gregg edits tape and Steve writes the news.

posted by Brian @ 4:03 PM 0 comments

Setup at the Cape

We (Gregg, Steve Johnson and Myself) arrived in Cocoa Beach yesterday. Today we drove the Satellite truck the the asphault pad to setup for the Shuttle launch tomorrow. We will do several remotes from here today as well as tomorrow.

posted by Brian @ 11:35 AM 0 comments

The first post

test

posted by Brian @ 10:44 PM 0 comments