22 FEB 03: EVERYONE'S SMARTER THAN ME

I was on the audio desk at church today, and oversaw the most one-sided sermon I've ever
heard. The speaker's message was so short, it needed only one side of the cassette.

It marked the end of a humbling week for me. It started with my working an all-nighter at the TV station from Sunday afternoon to Monday morning - for the third time in four weeks. I know the news isn't supposed to stop, but can't the employees stop once in awhile?

Our overnight producer was sick and sounded that way on Super Bowl Sunday. She had a
miscarriage on Pro Bowl Sunday. And on Daytona Sunday, her husband came to the station to report her mother had a heart attack. We'd like to ask all major sports events to move to Friday nights for the rest of the year.

The humbling experiences at the TV station continued when a fire was reported in town during the 11:00 p.m. news. I heard on the police scanner one person was being treated for smoke inhalation, told the 11:00 p.m. producer - and the anchors went on to promise more details at 6:00 a.m. It turned out to be a minor case, and the photographer at the scene didn't bother to shoot the fire. It's hard to have an "all-new" morning show when the staff considers things the "same old same old."

The photographer let me have it when he saw the fire was in the morning show, to fulfill the
anchors' promise to the viewers. He accused me of making up something "fictitious" -- which may prove he has better news judgment, but does NOT prove he's psychic.

I told the photographer I'd heard on the scanner one person was injured. He said no, the
scanner call said "smoke inhalation." So remember, if you're ever overcome by smoke in a fire -- you're not injured. You may not even be hurt.

As the week went on, I realized I'm still officially a freelance "temp" at the TV station, and
should have deferred to the full-time photographer. Your ego and your brain may both be in your head, but you can't let one get ahead of the other.

I was SO READY to defer to the photographer that I offered Friday morning to let him veto
power over stories in the newscast. (We're the only two people in the news department late at night.) He declined, saying that wasn't necessary. I'm posting this information in case he complains about stories six months from now....

Our TV station staff had other humbling moments during the week. For instance, for awhile
our fancy new radar system was showing the rain BACKWARDS -- in a mirror image of what really was there. So for several hours it was "Triple FLIP Doppler."

Driving around town today, I saw other things that should be humbling to whoever created
them:

+ A hotel at 13rd and Veterans Parkway has a sign on the roof saying, "Heritage Inn of
AMERCIA." America is misspelled! Aren't we glad the Bush administration is renewing interest in patriotism and civics?

+ A motel on Warm Springs Road has a sign offering a "welcome SPECILA." This is an
Italian family reunion I've never heard of before....

+ A church on Second Avenue invites you to a Sunday afternoon "Usher's Fellowship." I'm
not sure why Usher is skipping the Grammy Awards for this....