ABC is doing what?

Last night I was watching television (which I rarely get to do any more) and I saw something mention of a new television show called 'i-Caught'. The premise of the entire show is video loaded up to a web site http://ugv.abcnews.go.com/ people capturing news in action. I must say, I'm going to have to check this out although I'm a little concerned with what might be on there...Check out the story below:

ABC gives 'i-Caught' six-week run
Network launches user-generated video show
By MICHAEL LEARMONTH

WeirABC is hoping to reinvent the newsmagazine for the YouTube generation with a show produced by ABC News but based on user-generated video.
Hourlong skein "i-Caught" will get a six-week run on the network starting Aug. 6 at 10pm on Mondays with an eye toward a midseason return if it performs as well as the network hopes.
Amateur video will form the basis of the show's segments, but ABC News correspondents will build news stories and features around video captured on cell phones or digicams and uploaded to a companion Web site.
Exec producer David Sloan said the show will take on a wide breadth of potential stories, including breaking news; celebrity journalism; investigations; and stories of politics, crime, Internet hoaxes or just the moments of everyday life.
"The watershed event that changed newsgathering was the London terror attack in 2005," Sloan said. "There were people on that subway who did not know if they would live or die, but they got out their cell phones and started shooting."
Much will depend on what rolls in, but Sloan said ABC News journalists also will shoot segments on video getting viral play on other sites.
The networks have tried various concepts to marry a television show with the viral appeal of YouTube-fueled clip culture.
Al Gore-backed Current TV allows amateurs to upload material for broadcast. Warner Bros. and AOL are producing the syndicated "TMZ," based on the Web site.
CNN recognized the value of cell-phone video early on and set up i-Report, inviting users to upload video. A student at Virginia Tech used the service to upload the only live footage of the campus shooting rampage in April.
The ABC show will be anchored by "Good Morning America" weekend edition co-anchor Bill Weir; a companion Web site, I-caught.com, will launch on June 12 to begin collecting submissions.
Effort reps another attempt to resurrect the TV newsmag, which has clung to ratings life by leaning on soft topics and true crime as audiences for the shows age and dwindle.
The original, "60 Minutes," remains a solid ratings performer, and ABC's "Nightline" has grown lately as a multi-topic half-hour, but "Primetime" has been reduced to a series of specials rather than a regular presence on the schedule.
ABC's show grew out of a series of "Primetime" episodes called "Caught on Tape." The network originally saw the show as a midseason entry but, due to the competitive nature of reality-based concepts, decided to rush it onto the schedule in August.
Sloan wants to position the show as a primetime venue for everything from leaked video from the battlefield in Iraq to vid from the campaign trail or video diaries, such as a parent's account of a child's first day at school.
Recent stories that could have fit the show include former Sen. George Allen's "Macaca" moment, Alec Baldwin's abusive voicemail and David Hasselhoff's bizarre behavior -- stories all derived from nontraditional sources.
"Everyone is becoming a hunter and gatherer for the news business," Sloan said. "There is this whole interesting world of images and people; things that make you mad, make you worry or make you laugh. We want to explore all of that world."

Okay...I'm going to watch a few of the videos to see what is out there...

C'ya!

Fight Breast Cancer!

I meant to post this here the other day and I got busy and didn't get it done.

On August 12, 2007, Susan G Komen Race For the Cure will be running here in Kansas City. Every year since I started working at UOP, I have participated in the walk portion of this race. However, for the past year, I have been working to be able to run instead of walk. I'm not going to do the timed event; I'm not competing. I want to do this to raise money for research and if you can help out by donating a little, I will make sure I finish that 3 miles without stopping!

Click here to donate: http://www.active.com/donate/KC2007/JMewes1

Someone today asked me why I do it and here is my response to her:

Four people are pinned to my shirt when I do this to show both the positive and negative effects of breast cancer:

1. One of my best friends from my old job died from breast cancer. I don't want anyone else to see what I have seen when it comes to this disease - I want them to find a cure...I will help where I can.
2. One of my old bosses has breast cancer and has been in remission for several years now. I hope that she can continue to keep it away.
3. My sister-in-law has breast cancer. Her hair is just starting to grow back from the chemo she had to go through. Her daughter asked if she might get the same thing when she gets older. 4. My best friend's sister-in-law has breast cancer. Her daughter asked her one day if the cancer was all gone because she didn't want to see her mom being sick any more.

It all breaks my heart. There has to be something that can be done!

So there you have it. I'm going to do it whether people donate or not. If I can reach $1000 or more, than thank you for your support. If you can only give $1, it is one more dollar closer to funding the research to find the cure!

My dinner is sitting on the counter getting cold so I better go get it.

C'ya!

Putting on the Fly

We did it (almost)! We got up before dawn and got out on the lake VERY early. I say almost because we were shooting for getting up at 2 AM and being in the cove we wanted to fish by 3 AM. We got up about 2:30 AM and got on the lake by about 3. After a slight detour back to the truck for a fishing license, we were back out on the water and to the cove about 3:30 so we can't complain too much. The morning started off great! Mike pulled in a catfish; not quite big enough to want to clean so he tossed it back anticipating much larger fish to fry. About 4 AM (probably as predicted) the raindrops started to fall. Now normally, this would be no big deal for us. We throw on our rain gear (which we forgot this trip) and continue to toss the line out into the water. However, we forgot to put the fly on the tent. Our tent is a nice setup for summer - a screen roof. You can see the stars on a clear night...or you get really wet on a rainy one. We pulled up anchor, Mike dropped me and the dogs on the shore, and I ran back to the site (only about 1/2 mile) and threw the fly on quick. Also, because we had not anticipated staying an additional night, I needed to run to the store for a few essential items. By the time I returned, the sun was coming up and the rain had died to a slow drip. Mike came back to the shore and picked us up. We weren't having much luck in the cove where he had caught all of the fish the night before so we decided to head on to a new spot. The next one proved to be even less fruitful...not to mention it started to rain again. We were bound and determined though so we fished on. We finally found a cove we thought looked good. Armed with about a dozen minnows, we anchored the boat. I threw out my first line and before the darn thing hit the water, I pulled in a nice sized crappie. About 5 minutes later, Mike pulled in another nice size catfish. We were stoked! The sun was beginning to shine and we were suddenly in anticipation of a nice fish dinner tonight. That's where the story ends. We stayed in that spot for about 2 more hours with very little activity on our lines. There were fish a-plenty; they just didn't want what we were selling. With clouds rolling in again and the camp site check out fast approaching, we packed it up and headed to shore. I ran up to the site to get the tent down before it got any more soaked than it probably already was and Mike headed around the lake to the boat ramp to pull the boat out of the water. He decided he would do a little trolling on the way back. Wouldn't you know it! He caught a couple of walleye and a white bass while trolling! As is always our luck, he had decided to throw them back because he didn't want to clean just one fish.

I managed to get the tent down and semi-folded when the rain began to fall again. Needless to say, the tent got put away just a little damp so sometime this week, we will probably have to pull it out of the bag and set it up to dry; if it can dry in high humidity! Maybe I am starting to feel ill and we will need to go pitch the tent at the lake again so I can start feeling better...

We did come home and have a nice little catfish fry for dinner. They were fantastic! I think my eyes were a little bigger than my tummy though and I fried way to many of the little critters. The dogs love it when I do that!

Mike headed to bed about 30 minutes ago with the starts of a migraine. I think I would be able to join him right now if I didn't have a paper due in class tomorrow night. I have some serious research to do so I better get to it.

C'ya!

At the Lake

So my husband and I decided last night we would do a little night fishing. Because I am an 'early to bed...' type person, I advised we pitch the tent so that when I got tired, I could hop out of the boat and go get a little shut-eye and he could continue to fish. So that's what we did. Paid for a night out at Smithville Lake for camping. I made it until about 12:30 and then I couldn't hang any longer so the dogs and I came back and went to bed while Mike fished. He started catching fish around 3 Am he said. He caught 4 really nice-sized catfish while the dogs and I slept. It was great. I joined him early this morning so he and I could go try for a few more. The rest of the day was pretty much a bust. We caught absolutely nothing. We quit fishing about 3 this afternoon. Mike cleaned the fish we had. However, we didn't feel much like tearing down the tent so we stuck around another night. He is sleeping right now because he wants to go ahead and put the boat back in the water around 2:30 in the morning. Unfortunately, I got too much sleep (both last night and this afternoon while he was cleaning the fish) so I sit here wide awake! I sure hope that changes pretty soon or 2:30 is going to come waaaay to early!

One exciting thing (at least for me) is that I learned my dogs can actually swim. Every opportunity I had today, I worked to get them in the water. The first time, we just walked in from shore until I couldn't get them to go any longer. The second time was by the boat ramp. The first couple of times, we just walked in. Then we got them up on the dock and either pushed or pulled them in. They were a crack-up! Sedona is actually pretty good at it...as long as she doesn't realize she is doing it. Topos on the other hand doesn't care much for it at all. While we were out on the boat, I got out one time and went to shore and then tried to coax them in off the boat. They would have nothing to do with it! The next time I did it, I got in for a while and then went over to the boat and pulled them in one at a time. Topos went right to shore but Sedona actually hung out in the water for a while. I'm not sure if that is because she likes it or because she was so scared she couldn't move. Nonetheless, we now know they CAN do it. So when they are out in the boat panting up a storm because they are so hot, we can throw them overboard and let them cool of!

I suppose, I need to do some school work and then probably turn in so I can get up and catch me some lunkers!

C'ya!

A Good Squaw

My Dad has always made the comment that "A good squaw will always stay 10 steps behind her Indian." Do you think it is odd? Try walking right behind your Indian on a trail some time where he has to keep moving branches out of the way. When he lets go, you will understand...

During our entire float trip, I kept commenting that a good squaw lets her Indian do all the work. So I did - Mike was the steering and steam behind our canoe. I only paddled if he said he needed help. It isn't that I didn't want to help him; it's that I'm not as good with the whole paddling thing as he is and I usually end up just making him mad. So I found it was better to paddle only when requested. The rest of the time, I would lay back on the cooler, put my feet up, and enjoy the ride. People were going by us all the time giving me a hard time...I would just tell them "I'm a good squaw - did you ever see Pocahontas paddling the canoe for Lewis & Clark??

Anywho...here are the photos we took when Mike and I were without the rest of the group:


The only picture on the entire trip of the two of us together.


Mike in the water with his new hat.


Posing in the canoe.


You have to have a thumb picture, right?


Mike decided it was time to cool off.


Hanging out in the water.


My Indian paddling...


Trying to catch fish with his bare hands.


He decided the pole was much easier!

We went fishing in the stream after we floated. We didn't catch much; just about 30 3" trout. But hey, we had a great time!

I have more pictures from the trip but those will have to wait.

C'ya!

Marlboro Hot Lap

Vacation Day!! What a relief from all of the craziness at work right now! I must say, this is one of the best vacation days in the middle of the week that I have ever taken!! Here's why...

About a month ago, I got a mailing from Marlboro; which I get just about every month. Normally I don't pay much attention to them if there aren't any coupons in them. This one, however, was a little different. Mike had opened it up to look at it a little closer and discovered that this was for a day at the Kansas Speedway riding in IROC cars around the track and then in Mustangs with professional drivers to do some drifting. He asked me if it would be okay if he asked my brother Eric to join him and if they went out to the track to do it. I didn't think much of it and said to go right ahead. He called up Eric to see if he would be interested (of course he was) and Mike started the process to register. However, it turns out that the person invited MUST be the person to attend and you can only bring one guest. Mike wanted to go but thought Eric would get the most enjoyment out of it. Since we had already invited him, I couldn't dash his excitement so I went ahead and signed us up. Let me tell you, I am so glad that I did it. That was a blast!

We got out to the track right on time for registration. They have quite the setup for thier events. We were given a free backpack when we arrived to carry our stuff around in. Then they take you to victory lane and allow you the opportunity to view an Indy car and an IROC close up. Then, it's out to pit road for your ride. They suit you up just like a driver, have you climb in the window, and then hang on for 3 laps of 130+ speeds. It was fantastic! It goes by so quick, you hardly even have the opportunity to really enjoy it. I have a new-found admiration for those drivers that go 500+ laps! It's hot and the g-forces really make you work!

After the track, they take you to the garage area for a ride in a Mustang doing a little drifting. You get 3 laps around a short track and they just let loose! We were then treated to lunch and a little one-on-one time with Rick Mears; four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 Indy Car race.
It was a blast and I am so glad Eric got to enjoy the experience. I must say though, Mike is extremely jealous and I'm thinking the next opportunity, Mike will be going! You can view some photos and a couple of videos below. I have a few more but those will have to wait for another post!


Eric just got into his suit & is ready to go!


I'm just hanging out in the shade waiting...


View of the cars in the pit.


One of the cars coming in off the track


This is the car I rode in. It is not me getting into the car, but I did want to show a little of what the process was.


Driver getting ready to get out for lunch.


Eric with his camera ready to shoot.


I'm posing in front of the car I rode in.


Eric waiting to get into his drifting car.


Eric gives the thumbs up to drift!


This video is of Eric in the Mustang drifting. He is in the car that comes around the corner first so just follow along. This was the second lap. The next lap was even better if you can imagine!


Eric and I pose with Rick Mears.

Alright, off to do what I should have been doing for the past 3 hours...homework!

C'ya!

Float Trip Fun

Mike and I went to Noel, Missouri this past weekend with friends to enjoy a little camping/float trip. Here are a few photos of the activities.


I'm down in the water taking this photo.


From the canoe looking back at the group floating along.


Riding the shuttle over to the drop point.


Getting the rafts and canoes ready to float.


The group.


Party it up!


The group as we pull away down stream...




Hanging out enjoying the evening.


Headed out to dinner.


Waiting for our turn to jump on the shuttle.


Jackie - YeeHAW!


On the shuttle to the river.


Pretending to ride the camp owner's four wheeler!


The tower of logs...


Go Paul Go!


Jello shots...


"Oh Snap! Is that your wife?"

That's about all of the group. I have several more of Mike and I but I am going to save those for another post. I need to get some dinner and start on homework. My younger brother is going to be coming down tonight for an exciting event tomorrow...you will have to check back later to see what the event is...

C'ya!

Cabo or bust!

So today was a much better day. I haven't heard anything from Mom so I am only to assume that is good news...I'm going to have to give her a call as soon as I am done with my post to see if Dad made it home today...

So I went to lunch today with one of my dear friends ME! (Me you say?? She was going to write a book called "Waffle Larry and Me" I am Waffle Larry...). We went to Margaritas (a favorite of both of us and we used to eat there all the time when we worked together). We had a very enjoyable lunch and I always love spending time with her!

I get back to the office and I have an email from her regarding a trip we are planning to take in December to Cabo, Mexico. She turns 30 this year and wants so bad to spend it in Cabo. Since Mike turned 40 this year and we are celebrating our 5th anniversary in October, we figured it would be a great little treat for ourselves. The trouble is that we are a little tight in the fund department so I told her today I don't know that we are going to be able to make it. She sends me this:

After getting up off the floor from laughing so hard, I emailed her and promised to play the lottery and maybe even beg everyone I know for money because I can't stand to see that face any more! So if you are reading this and want to contribute to our Cabo trip, you can send a check to...wait...Dad - I swore you said something the other day about writing me a check...

Alright, back to homework.

C'ya!

Rough Day

I have so much to talk about but no energy to do it...this will probably be brief but my Dad wants to see me post more often so here is one for him.

We went to Nebraska this weekend to attend two family reunions; one on my Dad's side and one on my Mom's side. I have pictures and videos and such to share but that is not where the post is going. I will save that for another day later in the week. While at my parent's house, my dad started complaining of an upset tummy. On Saturday morning, my mom called the doctor's office. See, last year my dad had a heart attack and so any pain close to the heart is always a concern. The doctor's office said to take him into the emergency room because if they would need to do any tests, he would have to go there any way. Well, that meant that he would not be joining us for the reunions; neither would Mom. Mike and I went ahead and went to town because the nursing home would be dropping Grandma off and it would be best if someone were there to greet her!

After being at the reunion for about an hour, Mom called to let me know they were going to be taking Dad into surgery to remove his appendix. Turns out, his tummy pains were from his appendix; not his heart. Good and bad all at the same time! Well, we waited for another phone call for a couple of hours to hear the results of surgery. In the meantime, the nursing home took Grandma back (we told her what was going on just so she wouldn't wonder where Dad was) so we headed over to the other reunion. We spent a couple of hours there when finally Mom called to let us know Dad was out of surgery and doing fine.

We decided to head down to the hospital to see him. He felt really pretty good when we were there the first time. Of course, the drugs from surgery hadn't truly worn off at this point. We decided we would call it a night and head on home and come back in the morning. When we got back in the morning, he was running a fever so they were going to be keeping him all day. We hung out most of the day and went home when visiting hours were over to do some beading. We headed back down Monday morning to again see how he was doing. His fever was mostly gone and he looked great! So Mike and I decided it was okay to go ahead and head back home to KC.

Mom called me tonight. Dad is still in the hospital; he started running a fever again so they are going to continue to keep him. I am asking for everyone to say a short little prayer that he heal and recover quickly. For a man who is never sick and has never had a surgery, this has got to be seriously wearing him out! If you don't have a prayer of your own, feel free to use mine:

Heavenly Father:
Thank you Father for your many blessings! Each day is a gift and we treasure each and every one. Lord, I come to you today to ask for your healing touch for Dad. May your angels wrap their arms around him and provide him comfort while he continues to heal from surgery. I ask Lord that his recovery time be swift and complete so that he may return to the comfort of his own home. I ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.

That's all I have for tonight. I need to go find some ice cream...seriously!

C'ya!

Nebraska Fun!

Mike and I came up to my parent's house to spend the weekend with them as well as go to two different family reunions. We left a little later than we wanted to because we had to change a low tire on the boat trailer. Yes, we brought the boat so Mike and my Dad could go fishing at some point. We decided to do some geocaching on the way up so we pulled up a few and made some stops. We had a great time but we were definitely ready to be done being in the truck!

Mom made a fantastic dinner of fish, beer-battered veggies, beans, corn on the cob, frog-eye salad, and cucumbers. I love the smell of fresh vegetables being prepared - it reminds me of my youth!

While we were sitting around looking at their computer, she pointed out to me that they now have wireless. HOW EXCITED AM I?!?! It isn't bad for speed either so I can't complain. I could now come to my parents house and work if I needed to. It's awesome! Now if only they lived a little closer...

Alright...I need to call it a night. I'm beat and we have a long day tomorrow.

C'ya!

Random Thoughts

Why can't I type a title to my blogs any more?

I swear, my computer is possessed. I was doing something on MySpace the other day and ever since then, the darn thing has just been going wacky! I hate that! I just want to be able to do some fun things on my computer without having to deal with all that spyware crap! Seriously!

Nothing much going on today. Mike went fishing over night last night. Didn't have much luck but I think that was because he couldn't spend much time in one place. I can't wait to be able to go night fishing with him again - I just hope 1) it isn't raining and 2) I get some rest during the day so I can stay up later. The older I get, the harder it is for me to be able to stay up that late and a) be able to keep my eyes open and b) be able to function the next day. I used to hate it when I heard people say crap like "The older I get..." and now...here I am. Oh well - I'm not dead yet...

So last night I was watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I hate that show - guaranteed to make me cry...no matter what. What I thought was cool was the saying that the father of this family (he passed away from cancer) use to say: "There are plenty of things to think about, just nothing much to worry about". How cool is that? I mean, there is so much in life to think about but is there a real need to worry? I think not - I think we will get what God wills us to get. Really, nothing on this earth is ours any way. We are only managers of what is God's. In the end, it will all go back to him and we will share in the glory of His love and grace in our Heavenly mansion.

Wow - some seriously random thoughts tonight. I guess I better stop for now. Besides, Mike is playing Mojo on PS2 and making a ton of noise. I might have to distract him with a movie...

C'ya!

The 7th of July

Kent and Kim have a 4th of July party every year. They invite all of thier friends for food, fun, and socializing. Of course, we couldn't go up there without horseback riding as well. Here are some photos Mike took of the horseback riding events:

Waiting for the bridle (I'm not comfortable saddling yet):


Isn't she sweet??


Lady and Jen:


Kim getting the saddle on Lady:


Everyone waiting to ride:


Jen riding:


Take the photo already...:


I was the 'trail boss' making sure everyone stayed in line:


Or was I the trail-behind...because that's what Lady likes to do!:


Waiting for the next set of riders:


Across the pasture:


My neice Emily riding for the first time by herself:

Video of the ride:


After dark, it was time for the show. We tried sitting down with everyone else to watch the show but it was hot and the fallout was getting on my nerves. So Mike and I went up to the pool and hung out. Here is Mike during the show:


The fireworks Grand Finale:


We spent another hour or so in the pool just lying there looking at the stars. It was fantastic!

Well, Sunday is cleaning day so I had better get to it.

C'ya!