STRANGE JOB TRAINING EXPERIENCE PART 1

Years ago I was hired by a television production department to work with a live audience participation talk show that a broadcast corporation was programming at each of their three-state area stations.  They had a couple of then unknowns at their other stations, Phil Donahue, later David Lettermen. 

Years later after I left, our station briefly had as the show’s host Nick Clooney (father of George, a young boy at the time who a friend reported to me had strongly told her he was going to be a star).  His father, Nick's talents included his having been a big band vocalist, who also sang on the corporation’s mother TV station’s popular long-standing Ruth Lyons daytime talk/entertainment show.   

 

Our TV station’s original show’s host (now long deceased) with whom I worked was abruptly deposed after a few years while I was still there in what I have referred to as “the original here today and gone tomorrow business” as I watched turnover among what is called talent (on air personalities) in the television world.

 

I was delighted to take this position in the fifties at what seemed to be the beginning of a popular programming concept of talk shows no longer limited to late night but proliferating during the daytime as well.  Our show’s host said he was sought after by another prominent station in a major city but that he had declined for this production.  That station then hired a guy by the name of Mike Douglas whose show was produced by the since infamous Roger Ailes. 

 

Ailes came to be known in recent years for his less than credible approach to accurate news delivery as he developed Fox News for Rupert Murdoch’s agenda as documented in the book (The Loudest Voice In The Room).  Ailes finally left his high level administrative Fox position when a number of sexual misconduct accusations surfaced.  Interestingly, soon after the 2016 U.S. election of our current President, Murdoch was shown by the news media meeting with our President in Scotland for whatever their purposes which we are left to surmise.

 

When I was hired at our station, my training begun, little did I know I would become a critical conduit of conversation.   My on-the-job training experience for a week with the young woman I was replacing proved to be a most unusual one to which I adapted with a mix of awe, stifled-laughter at times, and with an incredulous reaction to what soon seemed to practically become normal. 

 

Reminds me that the experience could be thought of as a mild form of what we’ve been subjected to the past four years from our White House leader.  He persists in doing and saying so many truly bizarre things that they have almost begun to seem normal, but then that’s the desensitization process autocrats use.   In neither instance should we ever permanently accept such behavior as normal. 

 

The young woman I was replacing was leaving to wed.  Eventually, I learned from others she had earlier dated the host for whom we were working, but I don’t know how that relationship had ended and she was marrying someone else.  In any event an issue had arisen he, our “boss”, had chosen to interpret as her being insubordinate by failing to follow his directive and he said as much.

 

As I understood later from others, she was to go to the restaurant across the road from the station and bring patrons from there to the studio to be the audience for that day’s show.  He clearly preferred having the studio filled with a live audience on that icy cold snowy wintry day when the fifty plus people who had reserved all the seating had been unable to travel from another city to our studio in their chartered bus.

 

In the recounting of this story from others, and as I came to know him, though we never talked about that matter, I think I know what happened.  I think he had hastily mentioned where we might get an audience but had not given it serious consideration.  She had likely quickly and adamantly stated she had no intention of soliciting an audience in that manner.  Though he may not have been entirely serious about having her perform this duty, he apparently chose to exercise his employer/employee prerogative with the whole matter going out of control between the two of them, never to be resolved. 

 

This tale has become a bit long, so I’ll continue it next week and you’ll understand then why I consider my week long on the job training experience to have been unusual, strange and even a bit bizarre.

 

THANKSGIVING POTPOURRI

Happy Thanksgiving to you…..Memories….. 
 – sharing the day with family and friends whether in person or only in spirit!

A Potpourri Of Topics Follows

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Six+ years ago on October 24^th “Along The Way” was launched prematurely. 

This year’s timely blogoversary celebration was short-circuited -- in fact, did not occur until now -- due to complications rounding up band members.   First, delays occurred when some of them couldn’t locate their instruments.   Then, rehearsal time became interminable when certain musicians had difficulty remembering the song lyrics, or became confused about what we were celebrating.  Finally,  when we were ready to record they wouldn’t allow me to sing, or explain to me why I was rejected.  I will admit my voice had become a bit hoarse from yelling at them, but I can't believe they excluded me simply due to the raspy quality of my vocal warbling.

Personally, I think it was ageism, or some sort of discrimination, since my red hair has grayed -- I refuse to dye it -- and the strands no longer are as colorful an attraction as that of the drummer.   Without my lead the motley group predictably forgot the occasion when they finally performed.  They thought we were celebrating mine and other family members’ birthdays that occurred in October.  

This is as good as it gets readers, so don’t complain – enjoy!

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My on-going grand experiment without television is proving to be quite enjoyable.  You can read how this experience began in September's "Tubeless-life..." when my TV's picture suddenly turned to snow.  Since then, I have continued to be just as well-informed on local to world news, weather and sports as when I watched TV based on my reviews of the latest news featured elsewhere.  I've enjoyed some pure entertainment programming via computer, too.

I was spared being subjected to all the bile spewing rhetoric, blatant mendacity and *pusillanimous prevaricators polluting the television airways during the recent election.   Radio ads were primarily devoted to California State measures.  My other news sources provided more than adequate current timely information on campaign events.  Political Party Conventions, 2012 Election Results and much more were viewed via live streaming video on my computer.

*[I portrayed a character who spoke these two words in a college play, a comedy I think.  Once I learned the first word's meaning, pronunciation and committed my lines to memory, I delighted in  delivering these words especially due to the alliteration, their sounds as they rolled off my tongue.   For some reason these words have continued to intrigue me, cause me to chuckle each time, so I welcome any opportunity to speak them, or in this case, write them.  This past political election offered new opportunities for their expression.  You might enjoy this link explaining the meaning of “pusillanimous.”] 

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Books, books, books.....I’ve been gradually making some headway reading the paper and hardbacks I began accumulating, almost compulsively, when I had a period of practically living at now closed Borders.  They had large cushy chairs in comfortably spaced arrangements just inside the extended glass window wall in a very large light and bright room.  Internet connection at small tables was provided nearby.  Various beverages, tasty pastries, breads and other snacks were available at an adjacent bar.

(The store's competitor here, Barnes and Noble, is still a viable business, but does not offer an ambiance as conducive to reading.  They have the similar plush chairs, but they're crammed against each other, stuffed into a dark somewhat noisy little alcove.  If you're there with your lover or one you desire, and want to play footsie, or snuggle across the chair arms, the close seating proximity might be attractive.  They do offer Internet connection and have a small refreshment bar.)

Some nights at Border's talented young musical groups performed instrumental music’s old as well as current tunes.   Often when I was restless after my husband’s death I would go there, day or night.  I did, on a few occasions spend an entire afternoon into the early evening there, actually reading complete books.  There seemed to be something comforting about being with people and yet not, since no one was  known to me.   Uncannily, a young employee who ultimately revealed he was a budding musician, traveled with a group periodically on the road, did seek me out when I became a familiar face.  He had no way of knowing initially that my husband's avocation had been as a professional musician.  

I was attracted to browsing displays of current books promoted at special rates, buying some I wanted to read, but far more than I would ever peruse for some time to come.  I finally had to purchase a several shelf bookcase to house them from stacks on the floor -- many were/are nonfiction.  Eventually my reading impetus dwindled, then ceased for a period, following that real but unreal time six years ago.   

I did begin reading erratically some time after that with some books reported here, others read with my intent to possibly still share them.  Now, the past couple of months I’ve been reading extensively, beginning with some biographies.   Then, I became attracted to fiction, so I visited my one remaining used book store to seek some favored and a couple new-to-me authors, plus exchange a few of my books.  

The authors whose works I've currently enjoyed include Mary Karr, Anne Tyler, Peter Matthiessen, Jodi Piccoult, Margaret Atwood, Barbara Kingsolver, Jeffrey Archer, with more awaiting my selection. 

I’ll eventually get in the mood for non-fiction and back to those books in that special bookcase.  Then once I’ve read a few more of them I’ll likely acquire an E-Reader.  I think I’ll always want to have some traditional real books to read, but the E-Reader could be quite compact and convenient for some situations.

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SPORTS news I recently heard reports another team has now joined the college "Big Ten Conference"!  The announcer said that made a total of 14 teams in the Big 10 now.  Huh???  Big Ten.....Fourteen.....is it time to come up with a new name for this group?  Perhaps, they already have one. 

Thanksgiving Day in many homes often is highlighted by not only the delicious variety of foods, but entertaining TV viewing of football games.  Some sated individuals will drowse off mid-afternoon.  Teenagers will be pre-occupied keeping in touch with their friends and their activities via their favored digital device.  Younger children will likely be robustly playing outdoors, or with digital games of their own.  Some women less absorbed by the football game will enjoy the talking and companionship with others who've arrived to share the day -- perhaps bringing their much welcomed salad, vegetable or dessert speciality.  I remember some Thanksgivings like that as well as others quite different, each enjoyable in their own way.   

What are your Thanksgiving memories? 


(Don't know how to correct Bloggers' spacing this HUGE area before comments come up which I discovered after post published.  Oh well!  Keep scrolling, comment section is down there somewhere.)