My Soldier Boys

My soldier boys and me are back at it, this time on base with the military in Aberdeen, Maryland this week. Between Louis, Chris and Thayer, I have no doubts that assignments will get done on time in an efficient and organized manner. In the morning we waste no time prepping lights for interviews in front of a green screen as well as b-rolling soldiers in cadence in the field. The day loosens up some when our three o'clock doesn't show up until after four but that affords me a 20 minute catnap to catch up on the long commute down. More on Aberdeen tomorrow.

I Want a Wife

I wouldn't classify myself a feminist but I do love my job. And my job requires a lot of travel and physical hauling.

Most cinematographers I meet are men and twice this week I've been told by veteran actors that they've never worked with a female camera op. It's nice knowing I'm their 'first' but it sure would be better if I were a man in this profession. Not because of the physical endurance needed (I can benchpress twice my weight) rather I too could have a doting wife waiting for me when I got home.

Being married to a wife truly is a necessity for having a "normal life" in this world of travel and production. And if I could find a male-equivalent to a wife I'd marry him/her in a heartbeat.

Who else but a wife will clean the house, cook the meals, mow the lawn, grocery shop, put out the garbage, wash the laundry, pay the bills, answer my email, grow a garden, walk the dog and if we had children, take care of those as well?

Role reversal works for some couples but so far I have yet to meet anyone willing to trade off their professional passion for domestic duties. And until I stop circling the globe with PilotGirl Productions or GoNomad.com I'm going to keep looking for that perfect wife.

Cuban Motion

For her 30th birthday celebration friend and freelancer Ms. Angela invited PilotGirl to New York City's largest Latin and Ballroom studio last night. She'd been practicing the Hustle for months and it was now time for the debut.

Dressed in a killer red number with a doll face painted up by Mac experts at Macy's Angie dazzled a packed house with her new moves. She also won the prestigious Prom Queen title thanks in part to her entourage clapping louder for her than any other couple.

Before Angela took center stage a professional instructor offered up a 30 minute lesson for neophytes like me. My 2 left feet stumbled for rhythm but it was fun and something worth pursuing.

DanceSport is the studio where hundreds every year learn to Salsa, Mambo, Tango, Swing, Latin, Ballroom and much more. It's even where GMA (Good Morning America) anchor Diane Sawyer learned how to tap, kick and step.

You don't need to be Latino to know how to move your body. One of the instructors is 7 feet tall, blond and from Serbia! TV shows like "Dancing with the Stars" have proved that nearly anyone can swivel their hips. Wearing high heels for the ladies might be the only caveat.

Villeneuve Takes the Lead

Thank a new oil change and Red Bull to keep me fueling around the Northeast all this week.

After my impromptu stay at the Waldorf (goodbye sweet chandeliers) I was off to Lake Placid the next morning. An assignment with Canadian race car driver Jacques Villeneuve was calling.

Jacques drive south to meet up with my television crew tops any excitement I've been having. His lead foot on the race course forgot how brutal the Northway police can be on foreigners especially famous Nascar and Formula One celebrities. Canada's Athlete of the Year was quickly issued a speeding ticket shortly after entering the states despite his family name and World Championship status.

Musician extraordinaire Chris Conti of Albany helped run audio while I shot Jacques experiencing extreme Olympic sports just as thrilling and dangerous as race car driving. More on Jacques adventures during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver next February.

The Famed Waldorf=Astoria

I knew I was in for a real treat when 3 valet attendants rolled out the red carpet as soon as I pulled up. One took my luggage, another my name and another my car. I'm staying in NYC tonight at the elegant and historic Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, a truly lavish occasion.

I'm on assignment with the Canadian Media Marketplace but more on that later, first the hotel.

For more than a century The Waldorf=Astoria has entertained Manhattan's social elite: Presidents, politicians and celebrities from around the world. It's a taste of elegance that's been a fixture since before the Great Depression.

Upon entering the foyer I needn't wait for check in. Behind a long mahogany desk awaits a young gal with a perfect smile to take my information.

Wealthy industrialists conceived and built the Waldorf in 1893, originally on the corner of Fifth and 34th Street. It marked the beginning of many 'first' including electricity, phone service and a bath in most guest rooms. In October 1931 the Waldorf=Astoria moved to Park Ave billed as having the largest kitchen in the world, and the most rooms - 1413. It took up 1,676,755 square feet of floor space with staff numbering near 1700 including maids, housemen, cooks, desk clerks and maintenance engineers.

Pinch me, the pretty attendant gives me a key to a suite in The Waldorf Towers, the famed 'Hotel within a Hotel' where most diplomats stay. My room is only 3 floors from the top.

Beyond the Boston Marathon

This weekend hundreds of rapt audience members gathered after the screening of "Beyond the Epic Run" to shake hands with the world's longest long-distance runner.

Swiss born runner Serge Roetheli answered questions and signed autographs with runners, film buffs and marathon runners at the John Hancock Sports Expo in Boston, MA. It was a eventful occasion since Serge lives in Sion, Switzerland and wasn't able to make it to past premieres.

The film "Beyond the Epic Run", a 90 minute showpiece on Serge's travels, captures the spirit, essence and inspiration of one man's dream to run in all 6 continents. And, just in time too. Monday morning marks the 113th running of the Boston Marathon.

After the film a cocktail party united Serge with other famous Marathon runners like Amby Burfoot. Burfoot was interviewed for the film and provided important insight into how endurance and commitment thrive in the minds of great runners.

If you missed the premiere at the Spectrum 8, hold on a little longer because the theater release should be hitting cinemas soon!

Quayola at EMPAC

He goes simply by the name of Quayola but his art is anything but simple. He's what you'd call a multimedia artist slash graphic designer slash director. One of his most profound video installations is on display this weekend in Troy at EMPAC, the Experimental Performance Center on the RPI campus.

EMPAC was chosen to showcase the nation's first Adventures in Motion Festival called onedotzero. The festival includes an array of installations, live performances and abstract films.

Inside theater number 2 is a brilliant generative and keyframe-animated video that hangs upside down from 3 massive screens suspended from the ceiling. The room is pitch black and local musician Jesse Stiles produces a music track to enhance the experience. Don't bother standing for 30 minutes while the video runs, rather save your neck and lie on the floor.

You'll recognize the glorious images as the interior of the Church of the Gesù in Rome, Italy. Quayola blends video of the most popular ceiling fresco called the Triumph of the Name of Jesus with layers of erupting triangles that look more like shards of broken glass. The triangles appear to morph through gold leaf pillars and angelic imagery, both real and abstract and so convincing it's hard to tell the difference.

The piece is aptly called Strata #1, possibly for the devotional painting of Santa Maria della Strada that hangs in the Gesù.

It's a real honor, a treasure, to showcase multimedia magic of this quality in our own backyard. Take advantage of the remaining premiere by visiting EMPAC today.

A Darling Sports Broadcaster

Did I fail to mention former MLB pitcher Ron Darling was in the house at the NY State Emmy Award Dinner the other week? Presently, he's a commentator for TBS and the Mets on SportsNet and WPIX.

He was up for his second Emmy but sat it out when his nomination wasn't called. With what he's accomplished in baseball (All-Star, World Series, Gold Glove Award winner) he didn't seem too phased losing this time around. And why should he when he's also the articulate writer of The Complete Game: Reflections on Baseball, Pitching, and Life on the Mound. The book was just published a month ago.

Is this man not the most handsome combination of Hawaiian-Chinese roots? And nice too. What a sweetheart.

After a couple bad experiences at Shea (thank God for the new Citi Field) I retired my loyalty to the Mets years ago. Not that I ever worshiped baseball but I definitely appreciate the sport when I'm assigned to shoot it. No other sport is half as difficult to shoot and shoot well.

The boys of summer are back and I look forward to working both new stadiums this year, regardless of who wins.

Clutter Control

What's with all the garbage in my neighborhood? Plastic bags strewn in trees, recyclable cans by the sidewalk, cardboard boxes in ditches. Marilynn and me want to know. She's the only other neighbor I see picking up after others here in our Glenmont development.

The real question is, regardless how it got there, why are we the only two doing anything about it?

When I take Rocco for walks, it's one bag for him and one bag for the litter. It doesn't take much to beautify America. Everyday we generate a couple pounds and by the end of the week the paths and sidewalks are spic and span.

And what about parents? They bring their kids to the park to swing, slide and jump and then leave without so much as lifting a finger to keep it clean. Might they think they are above picking up after others? Might they be lazy? And what kind of eco-message does that send little Jack and Jill?

Come on people! April is volunteer month and April 22nd is Earth Day so protect Mother Earth with a little bit of elbow grease. Community Clean-Up Day should be everyday but here in Bethlehem it's officially this Saturday. Check out the TU Bethlehem blog for more information and don't forget to bring the kiddies.

For those in NYC, Wednesday, April 22, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. is the official Keep NYC Beautiful Coalition kickoff rally at Times Square's Military Triangle. If donning gloves and a Glad trash bag for an hour is not above millionaire Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, then what's your excuse?

Adrenaline with Dividends

Spring Skiing in the French Alps isn't cheap but I went long before the financial meltdown and was obligated to write a story on it this year. I did so with all the vigor and gusto I had when I visited Val d'Isere and Chamonix but with economic reservations in mind. I felt funny about posting a travel article on whooping it up luxury-style while me, my neighbors and friends struggle to make ends meet.

Then, last Sunday, I read in the NY Times about a surprising number of travelers (some who are still collecting paychecks and some who are not) deciding to take advantage of the recession’s inevitable effect on the tourism industry. Some airfares are at the lowest level in years, and hotels are scrambling to fill rooms by cutting rates 40 percent or more. This exonerated me from feeling awkward about sharing my fabulous 5 day adventure. So here now is my online travel article called Spring Skiing in the French Alps.

And for additional information on great deals (lodging and ski packages) to Val d'Isere visit here and in Chamonix visit here.

Filmmakers Love Tunisia

This is Maria Filatova. She's from Russia. I met her tonight at a friend's house party. Rather than make small talk about St. Petersburg or Moscow, she couldn't wait to talk to me about her favorite country on the planet, Tunisia.

When I got confirmation I'd be working in Tunisia yesterday, I sprang from my bed like a kid on Christmas morning. "Finally, a country in Northern Africa!" I cheered. Then I broke out my globe and stabbed Tunisia with a thumbtack and reached for my passport. Anti-Western sentiment or not I'm on my way this May.

It just so happens that Filatova vacations in Tunisia almost every year and had plenty of stories to share. It was just what I needed to hear. "You'll not find a bluer ocean or whiter sand or nicer people" she described. "And, don't forget to visit the oasis town of Medenine where Star Wars was shot" she said.

George Lucas loves Tunisia too, since 1971 he's filmed every one of his Star Wars movies here. Anthony Minghella, director of The English Patient used Tunisia for the desert scenes and a mock-up of wartime Cairo. Steven Spielberg used it for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Roman Polanski filmed Pirates there. Monty Python's Life of Brian used it as a backdrop for the Holy Land.

Fishing for Protection

It's a fisherman's paradise at the Albany Waterworks Pinebush today. Okay, maybe an 8-inch Perch isn't nirvana but it beats reeling in an old rubber tire or a plastic boot. This angler tossed his scaly trophy back hoping to catch him later this summer when he's bigger.

The Capital District Pine Bush is part of a sandy watershed off Fuller Road wedged between I-87 and I-90, partly in Albany, partly in Schenectady. It's a tall pine barren forest that supports a very rare ecosystem in New York State. Some 300 species of vertebrate animals and over 1,500 species of plants co-exist here as does the famous Blue Karner Butterfly.

Originally the Pine Bush encompassed 58,800 acres. Now, there are only 5,800 acres remaining. That's the sad fact gleaned from their website after taking my dog Rocco for a quick jog around the lake today.

To learn more about the advocacy efforts to protect what's left from further development, visit Save the Pine Bush.org.

Living in a Welfare State

It's tax time and that means a mess of receipts, 1099 forms, estimates on depreciation values and mortgage papers to sort. It also means paying the government for debts (Iraq war, TARP, Guantanamo Bay) I did not create, support or believe in. Does that bother me? Hell yah! But what bothers me even more is the following reason why some do not want to pay theirs.

Some ferociously rally against taxes because they think it goes to benefit lazy or illegal immigrants on welfare. I oppose that rational and argue that the recent amounts given to rescue the rich is far more damaging and destructive on the US economy. I also argue that the rich cheat out of more taxes than the poor receive in welfare.

Think about it. Billions of U.S. government tax dollars have bought up the bad assets and equity of financial institutions like AIG, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of American, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs. This is a sum spent to bail-out greed and scandal -- including 13 firms that owed more than $220 million in unpaid federal taxes.

Also, how can you be against one and not for the other? How does corporate welfare differ with programs designed to help the poor? Both can be said are hand-outs and take away a persons responsibility for the circumstance they are in, while ignoring the majority of Americans (the working class) who flip the bill for both extremes.

Again, I ask, so why all the indignation for the poor? Why are they still the scapegoat? Why lambaste assistance for the needy when we should be denouncing corporate fraud and immorality?

I think some may have forgotten about "TANF" (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) passed by a Republican Congress in 1996 and hailed by the GOP. It was President Bill Clinton who reformed this out-dated welfare system by improving short-term cash assistance and steering people quickly into jobs. The tune-up was effective immediately.

And, despite soaring unemployment and the economic recession of today, the national average of those on "TANF" is the lowest in 4 decades.

Does this matter to those who use the 'welfare excuse' to ease their apprehensions? I hope after reading this it will.

Play Ball!

Opening Day is a "political pitcher's" arena for U.S. Presidents. But, President Obama is making peace in Istanbul so former President George W. Bush jumped in for the Rangers today. Some say that Bush throwing this first pitch he will have accomplished more than all 8 years of his presidency. Ouch.

In any event...

From my hotel room last week I could see inside Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. Busch is a fairly new stadium, opened in April 2006 after a long battle to build it. From what I could see the open-air design including the field, seats and bleachers are immense. It's a wonderful addition to the downtown skyline and looks like it can hold all of St. Louis and then some.

It's no wonder then that every game in the 2006 season was sold out. The Cardinals went on to win the 2006 National League Championship in seven games and World Series against the Detroit Tigers.

A Dedication to Frontier Life

Our adventures climbing trees in Hermann didn't end there. Our next stop was Kansas City, Missouri with time only to see this one gem: Steamboat Arabia Museum.

The Arabia was a side wheel steamer build in Brownsville, PA in 1853. She measured 171 feet long and was capable of carrying 222 tons. Against the Missouri's dangerous current, the twin 28-foot tall paddlewheels could push the steamboat upstream at a speed of over 5 miles an hour. The Arabia was considered a dependable vessel and soon gained a reputation for speed, safety and comfort.

While journeying up the Missouri it snagged on the roots of a waterlogged elm tree and quickly sank. The swift waters buried her in several feet of thick mud where it remained preserved until it was excavated in the 1980s. Special trucks and bulldozers tackled the job of unearthing her deep beneath a Kansas farm field.

The museum is a virtual time capsule of the steamboat with one of the best collections of pre-Civil war artifacts in the world. There is glass display of hundreds of boots and shoes from the era and another of dishes, furniture and even jars of pickles that are still bright green. One of the excavators actually ate one of these 130 year old pickles and said it tasted very good.

This museum is definitely worthy of a longer visit the next time I'm in town.

Working Hard on the Old Miss

Who knew the founder of Greenies dog food and his sister would be the two best grips on the planet? Achieving this lofty position is a tall order but not if you grew up in the sticks of Missouri.

Agnes and Joe are from a Poduck town just west of the Muddy Mo called Hermann. As kids they worked morning, noon and night on a farm, milking cows, checking the chicken coops for eggs and feeding the pigs. Agnes even did so barefoot!

Farming was and still is an unrelenting way to make a living so it's no surprise that a little manual labor today fazes neither.

This shot was taken under the St. Louis Arches on another crisp spring day. We had just finished interviewing a historian about the Great Mississippi. In the 1800's the city of St. Louis was port of entry for 300 steamboats a month. Bales of cotton, grain, merchandise and passengers flooded the city.

Mark Twain novels know best what that experience was like. River commerce was risky business though and several boats sank from floating debris like stumps and huge logs.

Climbing Trees in Missouri

Today I'm just outside St. Louis climbing trees in a town called Hermann. I needed an aerial of a cemetery and figured, if I fell I wouldn't need to go far...

The crew gave me a boost and hoisted me to the top. I struggled to perch myself safely. Feeling the bark beneath my fingers and branches sweep my face, I felt like 12 years old again. Then they passed up my 25 pound beast of a camera. It was awkward and painful leaning on one bent leg for support but the shot was worth it. The crew took their places and began to roll. No sooner did I push record when my batteries drained empty. Thomas tossed up some extras and I resumed.

More hair-raising exploits after I remove all the splinters from my hands.

Cherry Blossoms in D.C.

Shooting parts of a doc in D.C. today. It sure is beautiful! Wandering through cherry blossoms on a picture perfect sunny day. We walked endlessly through the National Archives, past the White House (security barked at me several times), around the National Mall and in front of the Jefferson Memorial.

More to share when my sunburn heals and my batteries are refreshed for another day on the town.