Countdown to the Top 22: 17-12

For my second entry of my TOP 22 Singers of All Time.  Here are entries 17-12

17. Prince

The Purple One (or the Artist) is one of music’s biggest acts.  Every time that I see Prince performing, he knocks it right out of the park.   One of my favorite Prince songs is “Let’s Go Crazy.”  Between the preaching introduction to his awesome guitar solo, no wonder that Prince puts it in almost every set list.

Key Tracks: “Let’s Go Crazy,” “Purple Rain,” “Kiss,” “Little Red Corvette,” and “Trust”

16. Patti LaBelle

One of the biggest voices that I love listening to is Patti LaBelle.  This soul diva can belt out notes that are not even registered in the music note library.  Besides her powerful vocals, LaBelle can bring out the best with her duets.  For instance, when LaBelle sang “Time After Time” with Cyndi Lauper, both singers were evenly matched and comfortable with Lauper’s signature song.

Key Tracks: “Time After Time (with Cyndi Lauper),” “Stir It Up,” “New Attitude,” “I’ll Stand By You,” and “Way Up There.”

15. James Taylor

James Taylor is one of America’s best singer-songwriters.  For the past five decades, Taylor has made unforgettable songs that appeared on numerous soundtracks of T.V., film and even Broadway.  In 1999, Taylor recorded “How I Know You” for Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida album.  This song was so haunting, it gave me goosebumps.

Key Tracks: “How I Know You,” “Carolina on My Mind,” “Shower the People,” “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” and “You’ve Got A Friend”

14. Sir Paul McCartney

If Taylor is considered one of America’s best singer-songwriters, then Sir Paul McCartney is one of England’s best.  For almost five decades, McCartney has delivered the best material no matter if he wrote songs by himself or with the late great John Lennon or his late wife, Linda.   One of the best examples of McCartney’s work is “Hey Jude.”  The song’s infectious melody and lyrics will keep it in your head all day.

Key Tracks: “Hey Jude,” “Let It Be,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Maybe I’m Amazed,” and “Live and Let Die.”

13. Madonna

One of the best female pop performers of all time is Madonna.  For almost four decades, the Queen of Pop has re-invented herself over and over and can still perform in sold out arenas all over the world.  During her “Sticky and Sweet Tour,” Madonna brought back her 80s hit “Borderline” to her set list, she performed with so much swagger and heart.

Key Tracks: “Borderline,” “Like A Prayer,” “La Isla Bonita,” “Into the Groove,” and “Frozen”

12. Barbra Streisand

If Madonna is one of the powerful performers of all time, then Barbra Streisand tops the list of the best female crooner of all time.   Besides being an Oscar-winning actress, producer, director, writer and political activist, Streisand can sing standards like no tomorrow.  “The Way We Were” is an excellent song from her almost six decades of performing, even my dad tries his best to perform the song but no one can do it like Streisand.

Key Tracks: “The Way We Were,” “Papa Can You Hear Me,” “Avinu Malkeinu,” “Guilty (with Barry Gibb),” and “Memory.”

Coming up next…Find out who makes the cut in the top half of my Top 22 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Countdown to 22: My TOP 22 Singers of All Time Part One

MY TOP 22 Singers of All Time

In honor of my 22nd birthday, I will post five of my favorite singers of all time.   Today’s numbers are 22-18.

22. Celine Dion

This Canadian diva can belt it like there’s no tomorrow.  Plus Dion can hold her own when she’s performing with artists like Barbra Streisand and the late Michael Jackson!  Whenever I am down, I listen to “That’s the Way It Is,” which always lifts my spirits.

Key Tracks: “That’s the Way It Is,” “A New Day Has Come,” “Eyes on Me,” and “My Heart Will Go On”

21. Whitney Houston

While her pipes are not in the best shape, Houston dominated the 80s and the 90s with her vocals.  When I first heard her sing: “I Will Always Love You” from The Bodyguard, I got goosebumps.

Key Tracks: “I Will Always Love You,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” “I Learned from the Best,” and “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength”

20. Carole King

One of the greatest American songwriters of all time is Carole King.  When I heard “I Feel The Earth Move” for the first time, she was performing on a rerun of “The Muppet Show” and thought that was a great dance song.

Key Tracks: “I Feel The Earth Move,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “So Far Away,” and ‘Now and Forever”

19. Bob Dylan

This list would not be complete without the addition of the Master of Folk himself.  Dylan’s songs has always made people think about the social issues of the U.S., one of my favorites: “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” which focuses on a dead deputy is no exception.

Key Tracks: “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” “Hurricane,” “Blowin’ In The Wind,” and “All Along the Watchtower”

18.  Brian Wilson

One of the best American classic rockers is Brian Wilson.  His musical innovations have inspired numerous of artists around the world.  “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” is one of my favorites because of Wilson’s creativity with the music and his voice.

Key Tracks: “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Love and Mercy,” “I Got Rhythm,” and “Catch A Wave”

My Thoughts on the American Idol Judge Shake-Up and Dream Wish List

For the past few weeks, we have been hearing about major housecleaning on FOX’s reality ratings juggernaut American Idol. Since Paula Abdul’s departure, the show gained a new judge with Ellen DeGeneres (who recently announced through Twitter that she is leaving the show) and lost it’s trademark judge: Simon Cowell, who’s launching the American version of The X-Factor.

With the departures of both the heart (Paula) and the brain (Simon), most fans believe that this is truly the end of IDOL. Not so fast FOX tells us, Nigel Lythgoe, the show’s former executive producer and CO-creator/judge of So You Think You Can Dance, is back to help save the show.   According to various news stories, Lythgoe is revamping the show and its’ judging panel saying that he will shift focus away from the judges back to the contestants.

While I agree with Lythgoe’s ideas, I am disappointed with the potential new judges that could be finding the tenth anniversary’s talent: Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler might be joining Randy (and maybe Kara) on the panel.  Although both are huge names, they could have huger egos than Simon.  In addition, their judging style could copy Lythgoe’s fellow judge on SYTYCD, Mia Michaels, who trashed aspiring dancers she hated and put her favorites on golden pedestals who are not exactly good.  Furthermore, how would they put up with host Ryan Seacrest’s banter?

My solution: bring judges who can inspire, mentor, be fair and praise and evaluate every contestant equally. Some names that spring up in my mind are Patti Labelle, Max Martin, David Foster, Harry Connick, Jr and Shania Twain.

Patti LaBelle: She has been active in the music business for five decades and both her personality and vocals makes her a force to be reckoned with especially on IDOL. Labelle’s experience is invaluable and could bring soul into not only the show but her advice to contestants will help with both their stage presence and performances.

Max Martin: Besides writing hits for Britney Spears, Bon Jovi and the Backstreet Boys, Martin has also penned songs for IDOL alums Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert.  By having him on the show, Martin will draw in both the grew-up in the 1990s crowd and the teenage crowd.

David Foster: He not only discovered Celine Dion and Josh Groban but Foster has also worked with everyone in the music business from the King of Pop to Barbra Streisand. In addition, this Grammy Award Winning Producer is not afraid to speak his mind to contestants, which would remind IDOL fans of a certain former cranky judge.  Foster also has experience on mentoring IDOL contestants too…he was a guest mentor on Season Five along with Andrea Bocelli.

Harry Connick, Jr: Last season, he went above and beyond the call of duty of what a guest mentor should do: he arranged the TOP FIVE’s song choices to fit them along with a Big Band.  Even though EW reports that Connick will not be on the list to replace either Simon or Ellen, he should be invited back to mentor!

Shania Twain: The Queen of Country Music made her mark last season by sitting in on auditions and mentored the TOP SIX into making her songs their own.  Like Harry Connick, Jr., Twain was not on the list of possible candidates of judges.  I also think that Shania should come back and mentor, she was very insightful and could help struggling contestants shine.

It maybe weeks until we learn who will join IDOL’s judging panel, but until then I am still considering not watching IDOL and thinking about discovering X-Factor or watch the spring edition of Dancing with the Stars.

Quick Comic Book RWs-07/30/2010

Hey guys! As this week wraps up, I wanted to do something new and unique that I haven’t tried during my blogging experiment…I want to take the time and evaluate several DC and Marvel Comics that were published this week…

Up first: Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #4 of 6

For the past two years, Bruce Wayne was stuck in time with amnesia, now series writer Grant Morrison and his crew of rotating artists have decided to bring the Original Dark Knight back to modern-day DCU continuity.  This month, Morrison and guest artist Cameron Stewart take the Dark Knight’s journey through time to the Wild West, where he runs into familiar foes.    Stewart’s artwork was very impressive and it made up for earlier issue’s artists.  I really enjoyed Morrison’s characterization of the several main antagonists and clues for what’s going on in his other Bat title: Batman and Robin. My grade for this issue is 9 out of 10.

I highly recommend that you start reading Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul’s The Flash. Issue four saw the Scarlet Speedster throw down with the resurrected Captain Boomerang while trying to prove his innocence to the Renegades, a group of time-traveling cops that accuse Flash of murdering one of their fellow officers.   Manapul’s artwork continues to amaze me and Johns’ script is as always…on fire!  I give issue four a perfect 10 out of 10!!

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the latest issue of the long-running Superman title Action Comics. I have been following this title on-and-off since 2006 and so far, the second issue of the arc by new writer Paul Cornell and artist Pete Woods has been an absolute joy to read.  Instead of focusing on the Man of Steel, Cornell has turned his attention to Lex Luthor.   Using both cinematic and pop culture references, Cornell has finally made Superman’s arch foe root-able…Pete Woods’ artwork was fantastic and totally made up for his entire Superman: World of New Krypton fiasco.    I really hope that both Cornell and Woods continue giving us A+ material for the next couple of months.

Average DC Comics score: 29/30!!

Now we head into the heart of X-Men territory as I will review the latest from both Uncanny X-Men and X-Men: Legacy. Both X-books are coming right out of their crossover: Second Coming, which involved shocking character deaths and universe realignment.

Uncanny #526 written by Matt Fraction and art from Whilce Portacio has now become the Cyclops/Emma/Hope/Namor/Magneto book with sporadic appearances by Prof. X, Rogue, Storm and others…One of my huge problems with Fraction is his tendency to stick to his favorites and ignore fan favorites…plus Fraction is introducing new characters while spending little time with fan favorites like Kitty Pryde and Wolverine.  My advice: PLEASE USE CHARACTERS THAT ARE ON SCENE BEFORE YOU BRING IN NEW ONES!  Portacio’s artwork is okay at best…I wish they were using Billy Tan or Alex Ross.  Overall grade: 7 out of 10.

On the other hand, X-Men: Legacy keeps on going strong thanks to Mike Carey’s incomparable script, Clay Mann’s artwork and Lenill Yu’s covers.  Because of Rogue’s actions in Second Coming, she’s been taken off the fighter roster but is the younger mutant’s mentor.  This time, Rogue, Magneto and several young mutants have taken a trip to India where they unexpectedly run into old enemies.  What sets Carey apart from Fraction is character development and dialogue, which the four-year X-Men writer shows in this issue.  My grade for Legacy: 9 out of 10.

Another Marvel franchise that I recommend looking into are the Avengers.  However with four titles, you can only focus on certain titles.  One title that flew under the radar is Secret Avengers, written by Ed Brubaker and art by Mike Deodato, Jr. This book follows the former Captain America Steve Rogers as he assembles a clandestine team filled with classic Marvel heroes as they tackle the most dangerous missions any Avenger team has ever faced.   Brubaker and Deodato are master storytellers who weave an amazing arc filled with espionage, twists and comedic humor.   I give this Avenger book a 10 out of 10.

Hot Summer Reads!

HOT SUMMER READS!

Every summer, I always try to read as many books as I possible.  This summer was a challenge for me trying to find a happy medium between downtime between my internship at FOX 4 News in Kansas City and all of my usual summer activities.

However, since there are only a couple of weeks left in summer vacation, I decided to pick out the four best books that I have read this summer.  I highly recommend reading these  books before returning to school.

South of Broad by Pat Conroy

Published last year, Conroy returns to his famous setting of Charleston, South Carolina to bring six outcasts together in two decades–the end of the high school career in the 1960s and the dawn of the 1980 AIDS crisis.   Conroy’s vivid storytelling makes this book a fantastic page-turner filled with believable  characters ranging from sinners to saints and griping storytelling.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch with Jeffery Zaslow

While I am a little late picking up this New York Times best seller book, it’s never too late to learn the valuable insight that the late Pausch has provided.

Private by James Patterson

Patterson has produced another amazing page-turner. Private follows former CIA agent Jack Morgan and his crew of witty employees as they try to crack three cases involving a dozen dead schoolgirls, an NFL gambling scheme and the murder of Morgan’s former lover and best friend’s spouse.  My advice for people who want to tackle this book…pick a stopping point because it will be hard to resist putting this book down.

Signed, Sealed and Delivered: The Soulful Journey of Stevie Wonder by Mark Ribowsky

While many readers will debate if this book even authorized by the music legend,  Ribowsky perfectly describes the long journey that Stevie Wonder faced from his humble beginnings to his Motown career.  In addition, the author’s in-depth insights from insiders in Wonder’s camp were very revealing.

Happy Reading! I will post rapid comic book reviews later on this week!

2010 Summer Music: With Only A Few Good Apples Out There, My Advice: Stick to the Classics

Every Tuesday, I head to iTunes to see if there are new albums and singles to check out.  Unfortunately, I have only found duds.  This summer’s music selection has been abysmal at best.  Only Eminem’s Recovery, Sting’s Symphonicities and Sheryl Crow’s 100 Miles from Memphis have been able to deliver and exceed my expectations in the albums department.  Meanwhile, the only singles that I have enjoyed listening to are Maroon 5‘s “Misery”, Katy Perry’s “California Gurls,” Eminem and Rihanna’s “Love the Way You Lie,” and Daughtry’s “Traffic Light.”  Just like the albums, the singles have been able to knock my socks off.  Everyone else has turned up with “Grade C and below” quality work.

Instead of wasting my quality iTunes credits on songs that sounded too techno or something that’s from Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber, I took the time to reintroduce myself to some of the over-550 artists in my iTunes library.  If you want to add some classic artists or songs but you don’t know which ones you want, here are four tips that I have to help you with your search.

One: Listen to the Song on YouTube

While iTunes gives you 30 seconds to decide if you want to add the song to your MP3 Player, several YouTube subscribers have posted videos that contain the entire song.  For example, when I considered adding “Frozen” from Madonna’s 1998 album, Ray of Light, I typed the song in and listened to it’s entirety before buying it.  Listening to the song on YouTube helps you decide if it is worth spending $1.29 or not.

Two: Use Website Reviews to Your Advantage

This summer, my appreciation for the music of the Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder and Tina Turner increased.  All of these artists have recorded numerous songs over the decades and to some it’s really hard to decide which of their songs are good or bad.  To figure out what songs I should add to my music library, I used websites like Rolling Stone, EW and Allmusic.com where I looked at their reviews and saw what they recommended.

Three: Look At Other iPods and Ask for Advice

I admit that I look at my family members’ iPods to see what songs that they have. Sometimes word of mouth or listening to that song will help you in the selection process. For example, when I asked my brother what songs should I add-on my workout playlist, he recommended Aerosmith’s “Eat the Rich” and Poison’s “Nothin’ But A Good Time.” After listening to both songs, I added them to my library.  Someone’s opinion is always good in your hunt for great music.

Four: Don’t Neglect the Covers

While many people prefer having the original versions of the songs, sometimes cover versions turn out better than or equal to the originals.  For example, the late and great Ray Charles covered numerous songs from the Beatles’ “Yesterday” and “The Long and Winding Road” to Donny Hathaway’s “A Song for You.” Not only does the Genius takes the song and makes it better, he also turns the songs into his own and in my opinion, once Ray Charles touches a song, listening to the original will never be the same again.   So do not underestimate covers or else you will miss out on some of the best performances.

I hope these tips will help you guys in your search for great music.

Final Internship Blog Update-Week Seven

Internship Week Seven: July 5-9, 2010

Monday, July 5: STATION HOLIDAY-DID NOT COME INTO WORK

Tuesday, July 6: This day started out so slow but quickly accelerated by the end of the day.  When I arrived at work today, I wrote three VOs for the Midday newscast.  Then,  I worked with Rob Low for the final time and unfortunately the two stories we were assigned to had gone south.  Even though the other two stories fell through, we were assigned a breaking news story: a police chase ended with a half-dozen car pileup.  When we got there, there were lots of police cars, two helicopters circling over the crime scene, and dozens of people watching the scene unfold.   After we interviewed witnesses and the police, Rob instructed me to follow J.W., one of our photographers who was at the scene to another assignment because Rob needed to go live where the breaking news was happening for both the 5 and 6 newscasts. J.W. and I headed to Excelsior Springs to report on a Missouri native who is a coach for the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints.   He was in town for his annual charity fundraiser and brought the Super Bowl Trophy with him.  Having the chance to see the famous trophy up close and personal was fantastic (and I am not even a football fanatic!)

Wednesday, July 7: It was my last day working with John Pepitone and our story we worked on involved a Kansas City, Mo. legislature candidate running for Jackson County City Council in an unusual fashion.  This candidate’s yard signs have an “Irish” theme making voters who did not know him think that they were voting for an “Irish Democrat” instead of a black man.  After we interviewed a couple of men on the street, we met a professor who gave his opinion on the signs.   Once we got back to the newsroom, I helped John find tapes of this candidate in our archives.   Finally, I logged a story that involved a deaf company’s newest invention: a phone application that can be used for deaf people to text and chat with each other instantly.

Thursday, July 8: The first thing I did in the office was write my last story for the Midday newscast.  After I finished writing that, all the present day side reporters and producers gathered inside the conference room to watch a video presentation on improving our stories.  After the video and our regular meeting, Tess Koppelman and I headed out the door to Platte County, Mo. to focus on an apparent suicide that happened in an apartment complex.   Our next assignment took us to Fort Leavenworth, Ks. where I sat in on my first court case.  While Tess took an important phone call, I took some notes for her during the cross-examination of a witness.  Once we got back to the station, I wrote two VOs for the five p.m. newscast and ghostwrote for Tess’ six o’ clock piece.

Friday, July 9: For my final morning meeting, our news director asked me to write the assignment options on the board.  Afterwards, I partnered up with Dave Dunn for the final time. We worked on a story that focused on the robberies happening at the Zona Rosa shopping center in Kansas City, Mo.   It took all day to work on the story, so I did not have a chance to say my goodbyes at the station until 6:30 p.m.

FOX 4 News Reflection: So after seven weeks of working with FOX 4 News, I have decided that I want to continue working in the world of broadcast journalism not only in front of the camera but also behind it as well. I learned valuable information through the experiences of working behind the scenes in television news.  I enjoyed every minute interning at FOX 4 News and met incredible people.  Despite the few rough patches, I successfully completed my internship and I hope that in the future, other Boulder journalists to intern at FOX 4 News.

Week Six Internship-June 28 to July 1, 2010

Internship Week Six: June 28-July 1, 2010

Monday, June 28: Today I worked with Dave Dunn, who was in because John Pepitone was on vacation this week.   We headed to Saint Joseph, Mo., where it will be the new  home of the Kansas City Chiefs training camp.   We interviewed Northwest Missouri State University’s interim Sports Director and a member from Saint Joseph’s Chamber of Commerce.  Before Dave and I left Saint Joseph, we headed to the Tap Room, a local sports bar to do our stand-ups and look-lives.  Once we got back, I wrote two VOs for the Six O’ Clock newscast and one VO/SOT for the Nine.

Tuesday, June 29: I worked with Rob Low on a story that involved a Lansing, Ks.  high school teacher having sex with one of her students.  We traveled to Fort Leavenworth, Ks. where we had interviewed the Leavenworth County’s Attorney on her arrest and pending trial.  Unfortunately, the attorney was very uncomfortable with his comments, so we had to start the interview over numerous times. It was very annoying to say the least.  Because we were out in Fort Leavenworth, we didn’t have to do a VO/SOT; however, I wrote four separate VOs for the Midday, Five and Six O’ Clock newscasts.

Wednesday, June 30: I decided to be in-house today and work with the producers and work on the studio floor.  One of my first tasks today was log two tapes about two Raytown, Mo. murders for Sharita Hutton because she was working on breaking news.  The first tape contained a look-live and a detailed interview with the city’s Police Chief while the second tape featured a brief interview with a neighbor.   Besides logging the tapes, I wrote a VO that appeared on both the Midday and Five newscasts.   I also wrote a VO/SOT that appeared on the Six O’ Clock newscast.

Thursday, July 1: One of the things that FOX 4 News does each month is have a station indoor picnic.  They decided to celebrate Independence Day four days earlier.  Almost everyone in the station brought something to share.  I decided to bring a giant case of Sprite and a giant case of Diet Coke.  Everyone in the building wanted to know who brought the soda in and when I told them it was me, they were very appreciative.  Today was also the last day for two of my fellow interns.  They started a week after me, so our Web coordinator decided to take a group picture inside the studio.   After the picture, Heidi, the producer for the Five o’ Clock news asked me to work on the Weekend Calendar segment, where I wrote at least 10 VOs for the newscast.   While in between working on the Calendar, I continued to get acquainted with the studio equipment and I helped operate the cameras during the Midday newscast.  Finally, I logged a tape about the new Kansas City, Ks. Police Chief.

Friday, July 2: DAY OFF

Ratings Report: On Wednesday, we were sent an all newsroom e-mail about May ratings.  WDAF FOX 4 was the #1 news station for the Kansas City area for seven-and-a half hours of news for the Adults ages 25-54 Nielsen category.

Happy Independence Day!!! Enjoy the fireworks!

Internship Week Five- June 21 to June 25, 2010

Monday, June 21: This marks day one as JOB OF THE DAY substitute. Everyday I would look onto FOX4KC.com’s Jobs tab and use their job search engine to look for openings in the Kansas City Metro Area.   After making numerous phone calls and leaving messages, I received one confirmation for the Job of the Day segment.  In between the phone calls, I helped write six VOs for the noon, 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts.    I also operated camera three during today’s noon newscast.

Tuesday, June 22: Day Two of the JOB OF THE DAY substitute brought three more confirmations from the phone calls I made yesterday.   After working on the JOB OF THE DAY, I worked on three VOs and one VO/SOT for three newscasts.  While observing the midday newscast, I received a message from the producer that said that Rob Low needed my help on finding a statement from Kansas City, Mo. Mayor Mark Funkhouser.  After I found the tape, I logged his statements and turned both the log and the cued tape in.  I closed out the day by helping Linda Wager, our Problem Solvers reporter, film a fake confrontation that will be used for a commercial–the back of my head played a key role!

Wednesday, June 23: I finally finished my Job of the Day assignment! Over the past three days, I gathered a variety of job openings that ranged from an Events Coordinator for a Shawnee, Ks. based entertainment center to a Truck Driver for a St. Joseph, Mo. based transportation business.     After finishing up my Job of the Day assignment, I wrote three VOs for the midday newscast and one VO/SOT for the 5 p.m. newscast.

Thursday, June 24: With the Job of the Day assignment behind me, I went back out in the field with John Pepitone.  Today we focused on the survival of a Ford automobile plant in Claycomo, Mo. Next, we went to Kansas City’s Union Station.  The story involved the moving of a longtime Union Station landmark: the Harvey House Diner.  This was also my first big interview with George Guastello, Union Station’s CEO.  It was great that I had the opportunity to interview him.  After we returned to the station, I wrote two versions of the story: a VO/SOT for the 5 and a VO for the 6.

Friday, June 25: I closed off the week by working with Rob Low on two compelling stories.  For our first story, we interviewed Greg Smith, a Republican candidate who’s running for Kansas’s House of Representatives.  This candidate is well known in the Kansas City area because Smith had a daughter named Kelsey who was the center of a high profile murder and kidnapping case.  Her story was one of 2007s most talked about stories in the metropolitan area.   Smith does not want any sympathy votes, he wants a fair race.  On a much more lighter note, I headed to the Kansas City Zoo to work on a  story that focused on a Sky Ride that the Zoo is doing for one of it’s exhibits. The Sky Ride  will let the Zoo’s visitors see more animals and help them travel across the African exhibit easier.

JOB OF THE DAY summary: I was very excited to have a chance to tackle a big responsibility like the JOB OF THE DAY segment.  This project helped me increase my communication skills and my researching skills because I used CareerBuilder.com to look for the jobs that were going to be used in the newscast.  In addition, I had to think a variety of jobs that viewers would be interested in.  I hope that George assigns me more projects like this for the remaining weeks of my internship.

Week Four Blog Entry: June 14-18, 2010

Monday, June 14: I started off my day with a positive comment from a blogger who read last week’s entry.  Their words were so kind and helped me start my day on the right foot.  I worked with John Pepitone today and we covered two different stories. The first one focused on a North Kansas City car dealer who’s goal was to deliver a truckload of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid to Louisiana to help them clean the oil off of the area’s animals.    One of the highlights of my day came from my second interview with the car dealer.  This time I was more personable and less inquisitive, John even commented on how the interview was an improvement from last week.   By the end of the day, I received my second complement of the day from George Mills, who said that: “There maybe be hope for you yet.”

Tuesday, June 15: What a fantastic day! While I was working with Rob Low, one of our midday reporters: Sharita Hutton, fell behind on her deadline so she asked if one of the interns could step in and log part of her tape.  I volunteered to help her log three minutes of her tape.  Ten minutes later, she returned and was very impressed with my logging skills and said that she owed me one.   After I finished helping Sharita, Rob and I headed off to interview a fallen Shawnee, KS firefighter’s brother about a weekend fundraiser in honor of his deceased brother.   After we got back to the studio, I got to know a little bit more about my fellow coworkers including one of the photographers, Stoney, who told me that he worked with John Tesh and one of his assignments he met the Godfather of Soul himself: James Brown.   Before I left the building, I read on iNews’ opening page that Tess Koppelman nominated the entire group of interns as Employees of The Day.

Wednesday, June 16: I reunited with John on covering the new Kansas City, Mo. Metro Patrol Police Station.  Unfortunately, we arrived late due to traffic and we did not have a chance to get an interview from either the Police Commissioner or Chief, so when I was writing the two VO/SOTs I had to use their speeches as soundbites.  After I finished with writing the VO/SOTs, I joined my fellow staff members as we watched the live feed from Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals, where they announced that the stadium will be home of the 2012 Major League Baseball All Star Game.  Before he left, George told me that about a big project that I will be working on and said that he will tell me about it tomorrow.

Thursday, June 17: The project that George assigned me for next week involves working  the daily Job of the Day segment.  This segment’s purpose is to help our viewers in the Kansas City area look for jobs and each day we highlight two different companies’ employment opportunities.  In the morning, I followed the person who does this segment because I am replacing her when she goes on her vacation.    Then, I went to Blue Springs, Mo. with photojournalist Stefan Chase and shot some footage for her story. I really enjoyed working with her.  After we returned to the station, I began my research on what companies I could use for the Job of the Day segment.  Finally, I finished off my day by writing two VOs and a VO/SOT for the five and nine p.m. newscasts respectively.

Friday, June 18: I made my phone calls for the Job of the Day segment.  Out of four perspective phone calls, I got two confirmations, one that will call back on Monday, and left one message.  After I finished making those phone calls, I worked with Rob on two stories that were on the opposite ends of the spectrum.   One story involved a Raytown, Mo. man who was in an accident two years ago that left him crippled and jobless, all because a person threw a rock on an overpass while he was driving his truck at 2 a.m.  He believes that the same person that caused his accident was the same one who caused an accident to happen on a different overpass Thursday.   After we met with the guy, we went to an overpass to shoot our teases and look lives.   This tease stumped me because there were too many facts and not enough time to mention all of them.  Then, I headed to Overland Park, Ks. to interview the 2010 World Series of Poker Champion for a VO/SOT.  Finally, I ended the day with observing the 5 p.m. newscast.

Skill of the Week: Time ManagementOne of the skills that is consistent in the journalism world and especially in broadcast is time management.  Time management was an overlapping theme this week especially when I had to log video and write two VO/SOTs in an hour.  I think for the next couple weeks, I am going to make sure that I use my time wisely and become more proficient with my writing skills.