I am trying my hand at filming events for my MAIT class. Although I had already written and published my American Pop Culture video, I coudn't risk getting the classic car show on video. I even asked a man why he loved it car so much. Listen to his response.

I learned how shoot and publish a video from my camera for this blog.

Another O'Connor?

Yes, another O'Connor. This is a picture of my great niece Casi O'Connor. Casi is three and she is among many of my nieces/nephews, great nieces and nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews. I am the youngest of 10 children and my parents raised two of my cousins. We were a good baseball team.

Any way, I just took a quick count and here it goes:

Nieces and nephews: 33

Great nieces/nephews: 76

Great-great nieces/nephews: 13

Some one asked if I'd like to have a big family get together. Look at the number? You crazy? No, really it would be fun, but we're all over the US so it is not easy to get together anymore, but when we do--whoa baby. It was fun growing up large. Despite our distance in location, we are fairly close.

American Pop Culture Right at CCTS

CCTS Classic Car Show 2010

Doesn't it always figure? You're working hard, slaving away on your project, finalize the audio and video and put that baby to bed. N sooner had I finised, published and siad "enough" when on June 5th our school sponsored a community Yard Sale along with the annual CCTS Classic Car Show.

Ok, I may be finished, but I grabbed my camera and caught great videos, pictures, and candid interviews. I asked one gentleman why he loved showing his classic BMW classic boxer (Hmm, wonder why I was drawn to that car??) and he said, I like to show off. Every man has his boy toy.

Ugh. I fell in love with the car. Everyman doesn't have his boy toy, but I hope to remedy that. Anyone have a classic BMW begging to be adopted?
In the phots, I caught a classic Ford Fairlane, Chevy Impala, and a DeSoto. And to think in the late fifites early sixties I used to pick these cars up for $100 and drive them until I was tired and moved on. I was in my glory when I saw my first car--1969 Comaro Ralley Sport, 327 - 275 hp four-speed. I closed the camera and drove away happy. Great end of a Saturday afternoon.

Move over Flyers!

I don't know where all of a sudden at 60 I have become this jock that I was hoping for at 14. Here' another one for the "I couldn't do that in a million years" category.

At 6:30 this morning I was walking the two dogs down the highway. One carried her Frisbee and the other clutched the yellow ball and praced down the sidewalk to the swooshing sounds of passing traffic.

As we usually do, we stopped at the traffic light, waited for the green, then crossed between the lines to the other side. It wasn't until we were on the "other side" that I realized there was no yellow ball in the mouth of that blue eyed dog.

I turned around and glanced across the street and there was the yellow ball on the grass strip looking like an egg yolk on spinach . The little dog with the blue eyes looked at me and then to the ball as if to say, You want to go get that, Buddy? I hate when they do put words in your head.

So I slipped back to the other side why my other border collie stayed put. Young blue eyes watched me as he cocked his head to the side and sniffed in the smell of greasy Dunkin Donuts.

Once on the other side, I called blue eyes to get the ball as it sailed it across the street. I guess the smell of Dunkin Donouts got to him because he let the ball zoom past him, hit the corner of the brick wall, ricochet and slam full speed into the storm drain. Score.

So far my score: one yellow ball in the storm drain; one air conditioner out the window.

Ok, what do you think, God, should I try out for the Flyers?

Timing.

One thing I learned while working with the Pop Culture Video, I thrived off the challenge of learning a new tool and created a piece of work under pressure. A valuable "insight" for me was how important task analysis and timing was. First I had to decide what the end in product would look and sound like. Then I selected my vids and songs. Lastly, I wrote and rewrote that stinking script until I had the time down to 4 minutes. Although I slipped in a few seconds, by the time I do final edit, I will have it at or a sneeze over 4 minutes. I am my own example of constructivist and humanistic learning. Hey, those advertising people (humanists) sure know how to suck us in/ Any way, I loved the challenge. Thanks to all who helped build the excitement. You're all a great team to work with. Your thoughts?

Where are the Three Stooges

There is never a dull moment at my house, nor downtime to multi-task. If I had two more arms, I could get a part-time job throwing pizza dough and pouring Cokes.

This weekend was hectic. I am glad that I had three days to work on my Pop Culture project. But it never fails when you are deeply engaged (enraged too) in your project with writing, editing, dropping in videos, cutting them out, putting them back in, cutting them out, putting them in. However, life's funny moments come at a time when you most need them. Although I don't come off as a very "serious" person, I reeeeeeeeeeeeealy work my buns off. I was determined that by 2 pm on Monday, May 31, I was going to be done and that's was that.

Who counted on the heat? Here I am sweating away and writing when my daughter, MJ poked her head in to see if I needed help. Being suspicious, I asked why? What did she want? She begged, "Dad, it's hot up here and especially in my room. Could you help me put my air conditioner in the window. A little annoyed, I said, "Yes." I knew I would have to suck up to her later to help me with a mind-boggling technical issue.

Within a few minutes we put one (of two) air conditioners in the window. Happily, she closed my door and I continued to write. A half hour later MJ appeared again. "Dad, I think we put the wrong air conditioner in the window. Could we change it? I think this one is yours." (How come the one that limps always belongs to you?)

Now really annoyed, I told her give me a half hour and I will help change it out and put the "good" one her window. Unbeknown to me, MJ picked up on my subtle annoyance and closed the door. Independently she decided she'd take it out and put the new one in without bothering to ask me to help.

A few minutes later, I hear BOOM ! Seconds later MJ appears to tell me that the air conditioner is now minus a window. In taking out the air conditioner, the weight shifted on to her wrist. Of course what would you do? LET GO!

Ok, no one was hurt. We put the other air in the window. And I was out another $188. Not a bad way to spend money quickly. It was pretty amusing to hear her tell the story. The air did hit my car on the way down to prove Newton's Law and a slight dent is noticeable over the doorway.

Where are the stooges?

The Trouble with Women

A woman was driving down the street in a sweat because she had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place. Looking up toward heaven, she said, "Lord, take pity on me. If you find me a parking place, I will go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life and give up sex and tequila." Miraculously, a parking space appeared. She looked up again and said, "Never mind. I found one."

 

Robert Hall

Memory Lane. Year 1957. Easter. Time for a new suit, and yes, youngins' a
tie. http://moourl.com/sy2nz


I hadn't given much thought to the store named Robert Hall since the clothing chain went defunct in the 60's along with giants as Woolworth, J.M. Field, and W.T. Grants (with its musty smell and day-old reheated popcorn). Yeah, the good stuff.

Back to Robert Hall. I only thought about the store because my brother mentioned a few of the landmarks in the Stratford area that were reminiscent of childhood days. I rattled off a few. A few of the structures are still standing (barely), but few remember the imprint on one's impressionable mind. As I mentioned the name, my sister in law, with her classic Brooklyn accent, started to sing and we all chimed in with impeccable recall:

When the values go up, up, up
And the prices go down, down, down.
Robert Hall this season
Will show you the reason
High quality! Economy!

And believe it or not, I remember the store well. BLACK suits were the fashion 365x7x24. Black never went out of style while attending Catholic school.

In finding the jingle with commercial (recorded by Mary Ford and Les Paul), I had to chuckle at the last line by a gentleman who put a post under the video. It reads:

"My dad and my uncle bought their business suits from Robert Hall in the late 1950s and early 1960s and when I was about 6 years old my parents bought me a wool black and white houndstooth winter coat. I have to say that I don't why Robert Hall takes a bad rap by some people. The prices were low beacuse [because] the stores were not fancy inside but the suits were made in the USA and of good quality. Better than any crappy suits of today that are mostly slapped together in China or worse."

Now that's a man a little bitter over the free-trade agreement. Enjoy memory lane--even the youngins'.
China-ing out,
O'

My Day One your Day Two

Well...I felt a little overwhelmed on Thursday, but I figure with three weeks off and my feet on the desktop, I can kick start this baby.
Actually I enjoyed the class. I thought the scavenger hunt was fun because there wasn't any competition RYAN but Josh and I proved that we had the evidence...even though you only got by with the Xs.
Should I be upset? My daughter was in a panic before class on Thursday, and when she left she was calm and speak coherently again. Now I am squirming in my seat...hey I originally spelled squirming as s k w i r m i n g. Ok my pistons are scrapping against my cylinder wall . . . by the way I spelled cylinder as cylendar...sort of like a calendar with a lot of noise and smoke. Penzoil take me away! Hey a lot is one word!
I am excited to learn more and I think I have a good idea where I want to begin building my bridge to the capstone project when we graduate...if Christy still lets us old timers hang around with a freeze on pay and and a slam-dunk of 1.5 in benefits.
Hmmm.