Yes, someone else does my laundry.
BALTIMORE – For the past couple of months, when the topic of how I do laundry came about – usually in passing – people usually are surprised when they hear me say either I have to drop it off or pick it up. At that point, people ask me what am I talking about? Then I explain that I use a wash and fold service.
“You pay someone else to do laundry?”
Yes, I pay someone else to do laundry. Because I spend a good deal of the week coming up with journalistic hotness, I don’t really have the time to sit in a laundromat. The closest Laundromat to me these days is in Catonsville (I moved to the city late last year.) Driving to Sudsville takes about the same amount of time for me to drive to Charles Village to this wonderful place where there is a wash and fold service that is comparable to the one I used in Baltimore County when I was living near Randallstown.
Also allow me to make something else clear, I am not monetarily well off. It is one of those situation a where I can afford something that is equal in coat if I did it myself. I suggested a wash and fold to someone equally as busy and it has changed their life. Now if they can only not take 50 pounds worth each trip.
The next step…
Today was my last day at Radio America. After more than four years of service, I have called it a wrap. I started with them when I was still living in Laurel (the halfway town between DC and Baltimore). When the economy went down (as did my moral state, just keeping it real) I found my role reduced from full-time to part-time. By the middle of 2009, before I moved to Baltimore County, I had no role. A year later, when I was working for another company, I was unhappy with the pay and how I was treated, then all of a sudden during my day off, I received call from them. I was asked, “How would I like some full-time work?” I replied, “I have full-time work, I’m just looking for full-time pay!”
At that point, I was brought back to fulfill a role that I had before the economy went down, Saturday director. Some would say all I do is push buttons…well in some aspects, they are right but even that takes talent sometimes, particularly when you are dealing with talent and a clock so the affiliates can happily fill their ad inventory. By the end of 2010, I was brought back to the same full-time position I held, only slightly modified. I was off on Sunday and Monday and I worked in the afternoons (read: do not have to deal with rush hour traffic.) Granted, I was still commuting from Baltimore County, Md. which is an hour away but it was more money than what I was making at my then previous employer.
I was still looking for something closer to my home which came in March of 2011 when I joined WNAV full-time. I have been happily commuting to Annapolis ever since. I still held on to Radio America on the weekends because I needed the money. The one hour commute to Virginia was worth it because I would make something at the end of it and it was a good situation in regards to people. It was also nice to be behind the scenes. At some point, I would have gotten tired of the commute.
That happened one day last year, I woke up in my apartment in Windsor Mill and said to myself, “I really don’t want to drive to DC today.” At that point, the drive got to me. Not that I was dealing with traffic on Saturday that DC normally has during the week. It was a 50 mile trek from Baltimore overall (I live in the city now) to the Radio America studios in Arlington, Va. I knew that I would need to get something closer to home (more on that at the appointed time).
So as I look back at my time at Radio America I can take away a couple of things. For starters, the fact that God can take away and restore. Why I was fortunate to have been returned to the same job I held with everything still left in tact (and I mean everything down to the files in the cabinets,) I cannot answer. Professionally, I learned the importance of leaving as the good guy and why you don’t want to give anyone a reason to throw a going away party after you go away.
In regards to my next step, I did find something close to home and a step up overall. Why I have been blessed with this particular position is above my understanding, let alone my pay grade. I am thankful to God for opening the door.
As of today, a long commute to DC will only happen once in a blue moon. I can’t say that DC will no longer be in my vocabulary because I still have family down there and it’s in my DNA, growing up in Prince George’s County. However, I can embrace being a full-time Baltimorean starting tomorrow. That also includes only needing to fill my gas tank once a week (Lord willing.)
Recovering commentator…happy storyteller
From 2007 until 2010, I found a niche as a political commentator. It was fun I admit. I was able to opine on topics that interested me and people wanted to hear them, despite the attempts of some to discredit me for not locking in lock step as the good Black boy that I was expected to be. Truth be told, I didn’t really lock in lock step with anyone in particular. I remember the spirited and respectful debate I had with Greg Kilne about Ronald Reagan’s place in the Republican party and American history. I can say that I have been a columnist and radio pundit. Then I got hired to do regular political reporting for an Annapolis radio station. You guys know the one by now.
There have been two big news events that happened in the past couple of weeks – gay marriage in Maryland and the death of singing sensation Whitney Houston. After following these two stories on twitter, there is one thing in common between the two. Yes, I in my finite wisdom…FINITE wisdom…have found something in common between gay marriage and Whitney Houston. The one common thread after following these two stories on twitter is that…people are very, very disrespectful.
I believe…so should you.
I know it’s been a while since I have write an entry on this blog. I will be sure to do so more often this year. It’s not a resolution, but it’s something that I should probably do more often.
Since we have last…errr…ummm…since I last wrote something for my blog, I have moved from Baltimore County to Baltimore City. For those of you who do not live in Maryland, the city of Baltimore has been independent of Baltimore County since the mid 1800s. So to distinguish the two, we refer to the city as “Baltimore City” and the county as “Baltimore County” (duh.)
Truth be told, I have always wanted to live in Baltimore. I probably grew up watching Baltimore TV more than I did DC TV. I remember aiming my antenna towards charm city in the morning to get WJZ-TV (Channel 13) to watch Don and Marty, when Don’s hair beard was darker and Marty had a sort of mullet a la former New Jersey Governor John Corzine (D). I remember being a member of the Captain Chesapeake club on WBFF-TV (Channel 45) and the Fox 45 Clubhouse with Steve and Kenny (and later just Kenny.) I grew up an Orioles fan…because Washington did not get Major League Baseball again until 2005. I assure you that Peter Angelos has pissed me off enough times that I proudly wear my Nats gear along side my O’s gear…and my Nats gear when the two teams play each other. I’m still from Prince George’s County and every bit of the uppity Washingtonian that I am expected to be…
Let’s stay with the sports theme for a minute. I do not know if it is because I am living in a city that I have always dreamed of living in, but there is something about Baltimore that came out to me during the Ravens most recent run towards the Super Bowl. I have been in the metro Baltimore area for two and a half years, but how this city has pulled together behind it’s football team, how all of the hopes and dreams of this city which gets dogged at every turn, I saw a spirit of pride that I have not seen in DC. I saw a city with heart, a city that passion, a city with a determination that despite it’s problems, it will survive and it will show the world that it can make it.
Yes the Ravens lost; it was a big let down. I was one of the many who saw the game and was heartbroken when Billy Cundiff hooked it. The city was still proud about what the team did in making the run to the Super Bowl. Members of this year’s team will be heroes for the time to come. I have only been a resident in Baltimore City for four months. My memory of this most recent football season, watching the Ravens in the post-season, will remain with me for life. The Ravens not only lifted the pride of the city, but the spirit of the city as well.
Well, I never!
New Nersey Network 1971-2011
For those of you who missed it…and you probably did…New Jersey Network went off the air June 30, 2011. That means no more NJN News which gave a state who is in the great shadows of New York and Philadelphia it’s own nightly newscast is silent.
This was precipitated by Governor Chris Christie (R) who wanted to no longer fund a state-run public television and radio network. The state has been taking bids on who will take over the television operation. It should be noted that NJN Radio, which never had full state coverage, was sold off to two entities. WHYY in Philadelphia took over the southern tier stations of NJN Radio. From the looks of things, they will do nothing but simulcast it’s main signal on those stations. The northern tier stations, including Trenton, was taken over by New York Public Radio and will form New Jersey Public Radio.
The television operation was not sold, but the management rights were contracted out to (wait for it) WNET New York (ok, this can be nerve racking, but go on.) WNET will set up a New Jersey based operation with decisions and productions based in New Jersey (feeling a little bit better.) We will run things economically (not surprising, the way of the industry thanks to technology and other factors.) They will have to have a nightly newscast and carry important speeches such as State of the State (good.) There will be increased coverage on state government (awesome! I’m a political reporter and analyst, I cannot help but be excited.)
As you can tell with my “innermonolouge,” I am glad to see that this new entity know as Public Media New Jersey, who rechristened NJN as NJTV, was going to be committed to New Jersey…then WNET topper Neal Shapiro did a great job of smashing that.
From Current.org:
Shapiro said NJTV’s nightly newscast, New Jersey Today, will be modeled after PBS NewsHour. Its in-depth coverage and interviews will contrast with NJN News, which has more field-produced packages…Shapiro said field-produced reports are no longer high priority for public TV newscasts in places where local cable newscasts are satisfying viewers’ need for “rat-a-tat” stories.
(AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!)
Keep in mind, I have no problems with the PBS NewsHour other than the fact that it is on when I’m at work (or sleep from working the entire day), but there is a unique set of circumstances here. For starters, not everyone has cable. Next step, New Jersey receives about a third of the attention AT MOST from their respective major markets. Public broadcasting is largely seen as a place that picks up where the commercial broadcasters are not able to continue on. For Shapiro to downgrade the necessity of a newscast like NJN News on public television is unfair and should be a slap to every journalist. In essence, it’s like saying that your work in informing people is irrelevant.
Granted, he has some heavy hitting credentials under his belt, including a long run at NBC News, but I believe that he is sorely mistaken and under estimating such a need for a conventional newscast on public broadcasting. He believes that 15-20 people with partnerships can make a successful newscast. This is disheartening knowing his credentials. The number of people he is referring to can certainly cover a city and county well, but not necessarily a state. Personally, if I want to see video from the Newark Star-Ledger, I would go to their website, I would not necessarily clamor to watch it on “NJ Today.”
So here comes July 1, and they have the Summer Edition of “NJ Today” (OK, I understand, things take time to set up…hold that thought). If the first summer edition is an indication of what the newscast is, they are probably better off NOT airing a newscast until the fall. There was only a short news segment with the big chunk of it covering the state passing the budget. Then a long interview with Gov. Christie and a long interview with Shapiro, who I guess was on there trying to smooth things over with former NJN viewers. Then the end of the newscast was the ultimate filler piece…they went to the boardwalks and the streets to find out what you like about New Jersey (UGH!).
This is the first time I have ever been insulted by public television, as a viewer and a professional. I hope that during the next few months this new entity will take the time to hopefully reconsider this PBS News Hour cloning process and give adequate news coverage to state so often ignored…not as much as Delaware, but from the looks of things, it looks like it is heading that way.
