OH MY

I’ve been busy enough that I’m forgetting to eat enough meals each day, much less take time to do anything but work work WORK. Loads of multimedia projects in the works, and I should be back with you in a few days. Honest.

I’m crappin’ coffee. (update: no longer!)

The Ring of Truth

The Ring of TruthIn the lobby of our complex at One News Plaza, high above the Illinois River, a gigantic brass bell once hung from the wall to remind visitors to James S. Copley‘s principle to uphold great journalism by “ringing” a bell to inform and educate the public.

This credo was best represented in a yearly competition among the Copley papers, from the large San Diego Union-Tribune to the small Ohio dailies. Each submits a very select number of articles, photographs and designs to be judged, and the winners are awarded very nice monetary prizes. Even a mid-sized paper like the Journal Star doesn’t always win an award in each category every year. It’s a really great incentive, a rarity among newspaper chains.

One of mine actually won. A photograph of a couple in the twilight of their lives, dying together.

But now we’re no longer a Copley paper, and the suits back in San Diego have no interest in getting their bell back. The Journal Star has put it up for auction to any employee wishing to take it home.

Bidding is currently at $100, ending Friday. What better prize is there than a 300-pound brass bell?

Tuesdaaaaay

The horrible smell of a burning house is unique.

A campfire has a singular smell, a pleasant aroma of burning timber. But a house, it has wood and much more. You could say that the foul smell of memories makes it different, but I’m sure that most experts would cite the combustion of plastics, paint and rubber that makes a house fire smell so terribly disturbing.

When waking at 3:30am to that smell, it’s hard to ignore. Someone’s house is burning, but is it yours? I walk around my house looking out of windows and see nothing. There’s a glow in the sky, but it seems to be that perpetual orange that cities throw into the night.

Wrong, wrong and wrong.

Four Alarm Fire Near Bradley University (WEEK-TV)

I feel a bit derelict in duty, you might say. You know, especially since it was just a few blocks from my house. We at the Journal Star missed the entire thing, thanks to the lack of a uber-early morning shift. The first photog arrives at 7:30am, with the last leaving at 10pm. WEEK-TV has a 4am shift, fitting perfectly with this. Bah.

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After nearly a month of being negligent with my Netflix subscription, I’m back! May was a difficult month, but I’m ready to start blowing through a queue full of great flicks. Suggestions?

And in case you never noticed, at the bottom of this page are quite a few links that change almost daily. These are the things I spent my time reading. And so should you.

A short film on Boston

Flash version now available! // Instead of boring you with endless text on one of the best vacations I’ve ever taken, I present to you a cinema masterpiece. I poured everything I have into this project. Special thanks to Micah Mertes for the assist. And yes, everything was ad-libbed…

Boston, a 15-minute short film.

(MPEG4 95.3M, right-click to Save As…)

Comment and enjoy!