magicdog

Do moments in TV movies count? I caught a repeat of one of the Hallmark Christmas movies this morning, "December Bride". On it's own, it's not bad as far as the genre goes (Aspiring interior decorator who always wanted to marry in December falls in love with a workaholic who's indifferent about the holiday season), but there's a secondary plot in which her cousin is constantly asking for her forgiveness. Forgive her for what you ask? She and the woman's [former] fiancee fall in love and marry! Sure, later on in the film, it's mentioned the two were ultimately wrong for one another, but apparently we're supposed to hope that the bride and her cousin are all cool with each other since they are practically sisters and our heroine found a new love [eventually]. I was so pissed off at this! It reminds me of those real life stories you hear about in which someone in the family did you wrong but everyone (parents included) insist you forgive them for a serious transgression that really shouldn't be forgiven. If someone I considered a friend or was a sibling or other close family member was screwing around with my boyfriend or husband BOTH of them would be out the door in a NY minute! Not to mention forgiveness would be a foregone conclusion! I could never forgive someone who would hurt me in such a way! Even if I eventually married the best guy on Earth.

You haven't seen a lot of commercials have you? Every other ad I see shows a white woman with a husband/boyfriend of color (though I caught an ad for Lexus last Christmas that showed a white man getting his Christmas dream gift, while his black wife and daughter cheer him on).

Well, now even our anchors and some reporters are working from home. In the name of "social distance", our anchors are being set up to co-anchor the news from their living rooms. They get everything from camera to teleprompters! Of course today, one of our anchors couldn't pull it off today as the internet connection went down in his area and he had to come in person to do the morning show! I called a friend in NY who told me at least two different stations he watches have done the same so it must be trending. Meanwhile, the essential editors are required to clean our bays 2x daily. I've been doing my part but I don't think the nightside editor is doing hers. When I leave, the bay smells of the sanitary wipes we use to wipe the desk, keyboards and mice (I even clean the armrests of my chair). The bay doesn't smell like that when I enter it at the beginning of my shift (about an hour after nightside leaves). I also notice little fingerprints everywhere. At least no one can claim I'm not following orders. Meanwhile the weather reporter uses a paper towel to open the edit bays (which are sliding doors). FTR, I do wipe those down as well, but she's really paranoid.

F**k Corona Part the Third: I find out this morning that the co-worker I did OT for 2 weeks ago will be out for the duration - claiming he's too scared of Corona. One would think this would mean more OT for me or another editor. Nope. Same set up as before, my edit partner works weekends while taking off Thursdays and Fridays, leaving me with a sub who could be called out to the field at anytime. Then the final insult: I was given a prescription for pilates sessions at a rehab facility to help me with balance issues (long story). I went through the first session last week to see if it would agree with me. It did, and we set up an official appointment for tomorrow at 10. Then I get a call from them telling me they're "not essential" and decided it was better to shut down until the shutdown ends (tentatively scheduled for April 16) . So even PT is considered non essential these days. Times have changed.

I recommend using a gravity water filtering device. Berkey is one of the best. You clean your tap water and leave on the countertop until you want to use the water. It comes in a range of sizes depending on how many people are in the household. I've heard about some army guys who used these things in the field - they used them to turn the worst pools of water into safe and delicious drinking water! You save a bunch of time and money not using bottled water so much!

I guess it depends. People who are older in some cases SHOULD be paid more, because the often have the experience that comes with a higher price tag. Corporations are just too stingy to pay people who earned the money. My bosses are getting stingy with overtime! They arrange for a person to be off a day or two so they can work the same number of hours on the day they want you!

F**k Corona part Deux: tioday is pay day and I went to HR to pick up my check only to find it closed. Apparently they’re part of the crew that get to work from home. I email her and she says [so and so] sent you an email. I check and sure she sent one- in the middle of the afternoon when I’m asleep! Turns out my checks will be mailed to me for the duration! Why they didn’t just bring it to the news desk or leave it in my office mailbox or tell me via phone or in person when I’m in the office (8-9am)??? Not bad enough I can’t even cash them at the casino (I get great stuff- more than any bank would offer!) but now I have to depend on USPS!!!

Can I just say, "F**K Corona!" ? After having done authentic OT last weekend, my supervisor asked if I'd do it again this weekend. I said sure. Then he says maybe I or my edit partner will have to take off Thursday and Friday to work Sat and Sun! (inauthentic OT ) . My partner then agreed to take the days off and work the weekend as she is positively frazzled by the Corona mess. Everyday there's a new rule related to it and being a bit high strung it has her worn down emotionally. First she had to call off her planned vacation (she planned to go to San Jose for a hockey game only for NHL to put the kibosh on the season) and she is scared to death of putting older loved ones at risk (in-laws, grandmother) and of course, the closure of everything in town (day spa, clubs, shopping malls, etc.). I feel badly though for workers not getting paid during this time - I hope the governor will be generous and offer HIS pay to those who won't get anything between now and April 16. I can't get a facial, mani-pedi, massage or my hair done until something gives.

A new clue about who will be appearing in the upcoming season! This YT video host noticed a credit on IMDB for an actor (Christopher Cocke) who will be playing the role of a wrestling coach. Whom do we know who has been on a wrestling team in this series? Kyler and his buddy Brucks (the pudgy kid who bullied Miguel and the other nerds in Season 1). It seems we could be seeing them again - although I'm curious in what capacity. I'd like to think they'd be doing more than just being on the team. Perhaps Kyler WILL be learning martial arts or perhaps the theory of him looking to reestablish his BMOC status with Miguel in the hospital is coming to pass.

Quoting myself because we just reported this morning that several Strip properties will close their buffets for the duration! I'm hoping there won't be issues today. Because of copyright legalities, we're forbidden to use music of any kind (without permission or using copyright free music from our own library) in our videos. This puts a big crimp into our entertainment stories (every Friday we do reports on who's in town for a performance and until a few months ago, we used to introduce the story with the song the singer/band was famous for) but rules are rules. Sometimes the reporters forget and ask us to edit something and we have to decline. Even if it's a score from a film scene. Today I was asked to edit a video of a car chase and it had funny sound effects and music in it (don't know if the music was written by the person who created the vid or not). Naturally, I said we couldn't use it based on my understanding of the music situation. Reporter had a list of FAQs from our legal eagle about using background music from a clip - and was told via email that it was ok if the clip is 5 sec long or less. I looked at it, discussed it with the producers and got approval to do it. We ran it. I told reporter to send the email to relevant parties (my supervisor, myself, my edit partner and the producers) My supervisor came in this morning wanting to talk about it. I got scared. He said he was gong to follow up on it with the legal eagle and promised to back me up should anything go south as I took the correct steps. Corporate owners don't want to risk having to pay 100s of thousands of dollars for violations. To be continued.... Did you know Springsteen charges over 100K to use his songs??? Yikes!

Sadly, you have a point!

What did the ad that brought you to them say? They never said what you'd be doing? sounds strange. Did they hint you'd be doing something else? If you're working for who I think you're working for, I've heard many nightmare stories about working for them. Speaking of, Bitcheroo has been keeping her distance which is fine by me. However, I still keep an eye out just in case. My edit partner leaves 2-3 minutes early (shows finished, everything is edited and it's down to the final moments when the anchors sign off) but I don't take the risk - lest I give her reason to cite me for something. Meanwhile, I came into work to find signs posted everywhere about the coronavirus! I enter the building to find a sign about a new policy when bringing in guests who may have been exposed; in the bathroom I find notes on how to wash my hands (how long, use soap and hot water, because Mom never taught me these things!) and to make sure I have washed them long enough to kill the virus, I can recite the lyrics posted nearby. I can sing Eminem or Lady Gaga while I make bubbles in the sink! Then I go to my edit bay to find signs taped to the tabletop urging me to wipe the desk down and keep them clean (fortunately my supervisor said that was more for the edit bays that are in constant use, whereas my bay is typically only use by myself and the nightside editor). Then I found a giant dispenser of hand sanitizer in the newsroom to use when I can't sing Lady Gaga in the bathroom. Then we got to edit all sorts of corona related stories because it's not discussed enough as it is. My fave was how kids seem to have a natural resistance to it - while the elderly are dead meat. That's not including the Strip hotels which are having staffers do what they SHOULD have been doing long before this thing got started: cleaning escalator handles, door handles, and other frequently touched surfaces. Personally, I'm still put off by buffet utensils unless I'm the first one to fill the plate.

So who is Dip sleeping with? I can't imagine how else she gets away with all the things you have previously described and not have a "office sponsor" who protects her. Or is she related to a big shot?

Ditto! I LOVE Barney Miller in particular - my dad was in NYC LEO at the time and in many ways was a real life "Barney" (and a Captain to boot!) and verified that BM was very accurate about police work (all that paperwork!), names and terms (The Tombs, Manhattan South), and other details that even today's police dramas tend to overlook. L&O (especially the early seasons) was the next closest. Still a very affecting series which is saying something about a show that ended nearly 40 years ago!! In the earliest episodes, the intent was to show Barney in both his home and workplace (the original title and pilot were called, "The Life & Times of Barney Miller") and how he operated in each environment. Eventually, the majority of the show was limited to the squadroom (like a stage play) but when the writers were thinking of potential spinoffs, they would try to mine for material in the characters' home lives (hence, seeing Fish's apartment, and later Wojo's place with his ex hooker girlfriend, etc.). Fish was the only one to get a spinoff and it didn't even last more than a season. I really liked Barney and Liz as a couple and hated that she got trimmed out as the show went on.

Careful with that one! He could be trying to ingratiate himself into management and act as a tattletale for the office. Although, you could always mess with him - give ridiculous answers like: "I was in a meeting with the President." "I was busy fermenting a rebellion between the cattlemen and the sheepherders." "I was busy saving the world from UFOs!" "I went for an audition for the Rockettes! NYC traffic was hectic!" "The Pony Express is reopening for business and I figured I'd apply as one of the riders!" Hopefully, he'll stop asking when he realizes you won't be intimidated by him and will not treat him with the respect he thinks he deserves.