The Tappet Brothers II

My little sis wrecked her new used car last week having driven it for only 3 weeks. The poor thing had no collision insurance and innocently pleaded guilty for failing to look over her shoulder parallel parking. Damages ranged in the thousands of dollars and I felt a little faint at the thought of helping bail another family member out again. Then, as if on cue, the clouds lifted, the rain stopped, the sun peered down on us and an Italian body shop owner by the name of Joseph Cannistraci came to our rescue. "I've been in business 33 years!" he exclaimed proudly, "the oldest body shop in town girls". It didn't take long for his expertise to win me over. His shop was 2 blocks from the accident and if we had to, we could push the little purple Neon there, avoiding a costly towing charge. In less than a week, Joe and his Italian brother fixed the bumper, changed the tire, replaced the struts, aligned the wheels and made it all uber affordable. Up until today the only two Italian mechanics, or any car mechanics for that matter, honest enough for me to trust their sage words of wisdom were Tom and Ray Magliozzi of NPR's CarTalk. Move over Click & Clack, the Cannistraci brothers have cuter accents and more hair and they'd sure look good behind your Boston periscopes, errr, I mean microphones.

I Want My MTV - Cheaper!

He was standing in the rain with papers in his hand just opposite my driveway. I wasn't sure who he was, not suspecting a telco guy, so I walked out to my mailbox and offered him an umbrella. This was the invitation he was looking for to pitch Verizon's new 'all-in-one' wireless internet/phone service via the fiber optic cable Verizon just buried throughout the neighborhood. "Sir, thank you for the offer but I'm not quite ready to switch over. I already pressured the evil empire, TimeWarner last month to give me a comparable rate to yours and they agreed. Competition rules for the little people".

I'm so excited to see the telecommunication market grow because consumers always profits in areas with choice. All it takes is a simple phone call and rates can be dropped without fail in areas with competition. I've done it with my phone bill, cell phone bill, credit card interest rate and now internet connection. Now it's time for cable.

Back in 1996, the Telecom Act deregulated the communications industry and brought about widespread media consolidation. This allowed cable companies to monopolize, undoing decades of anti-trust measures. This proved a disaster for fair and accurate reporting of information, news, music and op-eds and perhaps out of this Act grew the internet. Politicians also touted that the Act would save Americans money but cable bills keep climbing while big media gobbles up local media. But I think I see a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

Check out the TV4US website at www.wewantchoice.com. Legislation is pushing a video franchising bill called COPE that will allow telephone companies to enter the TV business. The video franchising bill is endorsed by several unions, manufacturers and associations so it sounds promising. Television Ads for COPE won't be airing on Time Warner anytime soon but the internet offers downloads of them with Real Player. For more information on this and other startling communication news check out my favorite nonpartisan organization working to reform the media at Freepress.net.

Politics Spurs Sprinting

The Dixie Chicks or Yankee Chicks as I like to call them aren't the only rock stars that attract a mix of red state-blue state personalities. At the opening of Albany's free summer concert series at the Empire State Plaza yesterday, unbeknownst to me I was whooping it up with a Iraq War supporter! Yikes! Onstage were the Burners UK, the Capital Regions most popular cover band with a big horn section and ever-charismatic lead singer.

I've been denouncing the war and the instability it's caused our country since it started. I've polarized few friends with my views because nearly everyone I know agrees with me, including a stepbrother who's fighting in Bagdad with the 101st. So, when confronted with narrowmindnesses and inherently dangerous thinking I, understandably, get a little defensive. "We should just blow up the whole country! It's survival of the fittest"! my dance partner yelled. I would have threw my drink in his face but it had already landed on my friend's shirt earlier. Sorry Denise.

What do you say to an idiot, a drunk one at that, with such absurdity in his thinking? There was nothing I could say. He was alienating me and my friends and we decided to leave before the scene got real ugly. In my angst, I drove home and did something productive with my pent-up anger. I ran like I've never run before. Full board in the middle of a pitch dark night I worked off 1000 calories of beer and a 1000 pounds of frustration. In the morning, I was back to my old self again and blogged about it.

Repeating Grades

Little has changed in television broadcasting for the past 50 years. Every time I'm hired for in-house studio work with live programming, I have to chuckle. I laugh because despite the advances in technology, the aestistics are the same as they were 20 years ago. A set, monitors, several studio cameras, black curtains, audio cables, and a grid of lights; the basic building blocks behind the earliest tv stages.

It's like walking through the halls of any highschool 20 years after graduating. It's an eery feeling. The lockers, chalkboard, desks and clocks on the walls are vitals that seem stuck in time. Having graduated from mundane studio work 10 years ago for a life of news, sports and documentary detail - my manhandling a stationary camera again is like, well, repeating 3rd grade after graduating SUNY. I've traveled the world many times over and met big personalities and celebrity figures, yet, working where I first started is maybe a reminder not to let it all go to my head. It may be troubling for the psyche but it's good for the ego.

I won't name names but I know several people in the industry who forgot where they came from. Inevietably, they too will be asked to repeat 3rd grade. No one is immune in the tv world, behind the camera or in front of it. Of course, most of them went to Harvard rather than SUNY so these lucky few will have the money to bribe the Principle. The moral of this story? Go to Harvard.

Yahoo Travel Ties

Fabulous News! Yahoo.com has picked up a good share of GoNomad.com's travel articles and yours truly is part of that collective. What this means is that several GoNomad articles can be found on Yahoo's travel pages, bringing in traffic from around the globe.

Pick a destination from Yahoo's drop-down menu in their travel section and under the caption "Expert Advice" big names like Fodors, Backpacker Magazine, USA Today and GoNomad.com have links to fresh pop-up windows with select articles. It's definitely a work-in-progress though - I was only able to track down 2 of my 13 articles leaving out big destinations like Vietnam, Myanmar, India, South Africa, Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina.

Your best bet is to just keep scouting GoNomad.com for the trip of your dreams and might you need a professional videography to document your travels, think of PilotGirl Productions. Have Camera(s), Will Travel!

In the meantime, if your in the mood for some melodies in "Music City", my latest visit and video to Nashville, Tennessee will surprise you.

Hemi's for Hybrids

Al Gore says it with passion, emphasis and understanding. Not too strong, not too weak. Like a good cup of coffee (or tea), like the one I had a Muddy Joe's following the flick. But if it were me I'd climb the tallest building with a blow horn (like in the NY State Lottery Ad commercials) and shout "Global Warming is killing us people! Wake up and smell the carcinogens"! A tactic that you'll be tempted to do too after watching Davis Guggenheim's "An Inconvenient Truth."

The Al Gore documentary opened in Albany this weekend to sold-out audiences in round-the-clock viewings. A good sign. The 2-hour film is all-consuming, invoking just the right mix of fact-sharing, humor, personal stories and activism to have a lasting impact on everyone - blue and red states alike. The slideshow-style delivery of information is based on Al Gore's last 1000 environment speeches he's given across the planet.

Repeating the same message over and over and over he hopes to drive home the consequences of what is and will happen to Planet Earth (in less than 50 years) if bad habits aren't changed. It's not preachy or sensational. It doesn't play on fear-mongering or finger-pointing or a hidden agenda. It's honest, candid and realistic. For those who didn't read his book, people of all political-persuasions will be shocked at how educated and confident Al Gore is on this issue. He's less a politician and more of a morally conscience authority on earth matters. It's his truest medium and one he's very effective at delivering.

This is a movie that makes too much sense to ignore and I'm praying that the driving public swap their Hemi's for hybrids as a result -and that's just for starters.

Saratoga's Own Newman

"Mr. Newman, oh Paul, it's me!" Remember me! The videographer who worked closely with you a few years back at Double H Resort"? (God, what an ego I have. What the hell was I thinking?)

"Oh, sure, sure, I remember". He feigns a look of recognition then continues on his way to meet the kids who deserve real recognition and attention.

Paul Newman has a summer camp in Lake Luzerne, Adirondacks that's visited by several hundred physically and mentally disabled children from all over the country. Every year he pays the place a special visit to raise funding, awareness and meet the locals that help preserve it. His extraordinary charity has brought out the best in so many high profile people in the Capital District and we're truly fortunate to have him and so many other celebrity figures tied to the area. This summer a half-hour show that PilotGirl Productions has shot with Luzerne Productions for several months now will finally make air. It highlights the camp and the incredible work the staff and program coordinators do for the children, with hopes of finding another "Paul Newman" to take over where he's leaving off.

Not-for-profit work is the only line of work that feels 100% satisfying and doubly rewarding. Between Double H, St.Judes and Sean'sRun, I intend to make it my mission to cater to all 700 charity organizations by the end of the year. No other shoots (documentary, news, travel, sports, weddings) are nearly as gratifying. Now, time to kick back and enjoy "Road to Perdition" one more time.

Trademarked Tattoo

Last year Sony Corp. threatened to take me to court because of copyright infringement over my URL - www.sonystark.com. This year I put a stop to that nonsense by registering PilotGirl Productions, my logo (F4U Corsair) and new slogan (Have Camera, Will Travel) with the Federal Trade Commission. Should Chance Vought or Pratt & Whitney want a dogfight from this, I say bring it on, there's no way I'm removing this tattoo!

Sold-Out Secrets

The movie claimed to have 'Sold Out' before we had a chance to buy our tickets but I knew better. Theater houses always claim that trick allowing special invitees or favorite friends to see the show last minute. So as Jenn and I approached the ticket booth we bought 2 available tickets for another movie then skirted past Theater 7 into Theater 3. The credits were starting and there was no time to waste. I spotted a space for Jenn and gave her first dibbs. Then, as the theater got super dark, I stumbled from row to row pleading for a seat. I knew I was in good company - nobody would attend this movie unless they were good, honest, hardworking, wonderful, patient people. "Score!" A man in his late 60's pushed down one and gave me his warm plush aisle.

I've listened to Prairie Home Companion and Garrison Keillor for only 15 years. I'm a neophyte compared to most. The show runs on my NPR affiliate in upstate NY two hours on Saturday afternoon from 6 to 8 p.m. and then repeated again on Sunday. The movie was enjoyable - staples like Yolanda and Rhonda Johnson, Dusty and Lefty and of course, Guy Noir, all recurring characters on Keillor's show, performed their parts at the Fitzgerald Theater in St.Paul, Minnesota wonderfully. Guy Noir reminded me of the hapless Peter Seller's Inspector Clouseau which triggered oft-laughter from my new favorite row of Keillor fans. A couple concerns though - where or where was the news from Lake Wobegon and since when does Keillor sing that often? If your true fan of nostalgic variety shows with leftist political satire and campy human sound effects then the radio show is where you'll find the true gem.

When the show ended and the lights came up, my eyes darted around the room looking for strangers my age. This show and NPR in general are litmus tests in gauging those that I know I'd have an immediate kinship with. As everyone filtered out of the theater, as suspected, Jenn and myself were the youngest in the house. I guess dry, whimsical humor, homespun wit and dirty jokes are not Generation X material - how terribly upsetting.

My Travel Tattoo

There are so many unabashed tattoo enthusiasts out there that some ink barely has time to dry before a woman is off getting another. From Angelina Jolie's 12 inch tribal dragon to Kate Moss's crown on her shoulder to Pink's small frog on her left foot - for God's Sake even Jennie Churchill (Sir Winston Churchill's mother) has (had) a snake encircling her wrist.

I've waited a long time for this day and I can bet you that there will be no serpent coiling around a naked woman's body or a demonic skull and bones or even initials of a boyfriend (as if) imprinted on my lower back. Instead, just beneath my bikini line or maybe just above my ankle, still deciding, I'm going with something with imagination, originality and style. If tattoos are a reflection of someone's personality, sensuality and beliefs than mine should include something travel-related.

Getting a tattoo is like a rite of passage or mark of status or symbol of spiritual devotion or decoration of bravery. My friend Denise got hers when she was 40 while her youngest got his at 18. Both rebel spirits wanting to experiment with a counter-hegemonic subculture regardless of society's approval. But what should I emblaze on my body...hmmm?

That's it -- of course, Pilotgirl Productions's signature trademark! The F4U Corsair Bent-Wing Bird with the checkered nose art and little canopy window for one. Finally, I've picked one location that few Bent-Wings have ever flow to and I know just where to put it....(smile)

On the Road Again

It's raining again and If it were up to me I'd wrap myself between the pages of the Sunday New York Times with a fresh bowl of red cherries today. But the family is prodding and poking me to give them a tour of the Hudson Valley region. Mutti's fairly new to the area and looking to explore the Taconic, the mansions of Hyde Park and Olana. Sarge is insisting we stop in Lake George Elvis Festival and vote on the impersonators. Then there's Central NY with Cooperstown, the fingers lake region and the Erie Canal towns. Not to be remissed is Vermont, Mass and Conn. only a few hours away and constant activities. What to do, what to do...

"Are we going to bring the camera? I want photos". insists Mutti.

Well, I'll be back with 24 more exposures of this wonderful terrain I call home!

Bleeding Heart Liberal

If it weren't for my favorite read right now, "Riding with Strangers" by Elijah Wald, odds are I wouldn't have picked up 20-something year old Kat hitchhiking alongside I-87 South holding up a sign bound for NYC. I was 25 miles into my trip when I stopped for gas and spotted her at the rest stop. She dressed just enough grudge/goth/alternative for me to pull over and offer her a ride. Tatoos covered her chest and long loose-fitting black garments and bags with random worn holes here and there covered the rest of her. She had a sweet kind voice and a small friendly grin and she was exactly what I hoped for - an active protester, someone who loathes TV and Bush but loves folk and films. Just like my street double but she dresses the part better.

I picked her brain and learned a whole mess about a private alternative school she teaches at. She in return wanted to know more about my travels around the world. Her hitchhiking, so far, has been confined to the United States. Down the Palisades, over the GW, continueing south on the Henry Hudson blvd, time sure flys when two people have so much to talk about. Mutti held her tongue most of the way, I think a little shaken with my trustworthiness. Mutti's a tough 'ol bird- while I tend to romanticize and idealize, she's good at pulling a 'Moonstruck' on me and slapping me across the cheek. That followed by a cold stone "Get over it Already" or "Pull Yourself Together!". Such was my life growing up with a German.

The Carnegie performance was impacting and yet I was hoping for more Mozart. Still, the playbill was full of surprises and I bumped into old friends from my days in Europe with ESYO.

After the show I grabbed a ham and cheese on hardroll at a nearby Deli because I was super hungry. I jumped back in my car and started to devour. Then I looked up to my left and saw a poor homeless wretch digging in piles of trash for food. Mutti knew what what was coming next and before she could stop me - there went my Ham and Cheese dinner.

Once a bleeding heart liberal, always a bleeding heart liberal.