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News CRUISE11 News employees take you behind the scenes for a peek at life inside the TV news business. |
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June 2009
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We're excited to say that Sherry Williams will be in DC for President Elect Obama's Inauguration. She'll be sending us pics on 11 news this morning. Woo hoo!
Okay, it was last night that the story aired, and a couple of weeks ago that we actually flew, but I love a good song title. That photo is our beloved Len Cannon taking a trip aboard the Open Air charter plane which was featured in a recent 10pm story. Here's the short version: If you have three people you need to take a short (300 miles-ish) roundtrip flight, you may want to look into a small charter because the cost isn't too far off and the benefits might make it worth it. So, what are the benefits? Our experience was no security check, we flew when we wanted to, we weren't wedged in next to strangers (though it wasn't exactly "roomy"), we flew from a smaller, less busy airfield, and it's just plain cooler to be in real airplane with propellers and you can chat with the pilot and see and hear everything he does. I think the choice of airfield is probably the biggest one. Imagine getting on a plane in Sugarland and landing in, say, Mesquite What's it worth to avoid all that traffic, big airports and all that that entails, and having the same experience waiting for you on your return? I'm not thinking of it for myself, but if I ran a business I would seriously consider it. My own self, I usually choose to drive rather than deal with not only the hassles of flying but the expense. There are usually five of us, and that adds up fast. It was nice to go up for a little while, though. And if you look behind Len in that picture (click on it) you can see my lovely hometown of Pasadena. I think I see my house! FMc
Sadly, some kids can't go to the circus or anywhere else because they are in the hospital trying to get better. For them, three of the famous clown troupe members, Leo, Lance and Todd, donned white lab coats and performed a show for patients at Texas Children's Hospital. They had the painted faces, crazy hair, baggy pants and giant shoes, but somehow they still seemed cool. At times they were juggling, telling jokes, balancing chairs on their chins, performing pratfalls and smacking each other around like the three stooges. Anyone who has ever attempted to capture the attention of a roomful of kids knows this is not easy to do. The ground is littered with the bones of those who have tried and failed. (Great line from the Power Rangers Movie) As a veteran of a nightmare appearance at Career Day, my hat is off to anyone who can pull it off. These guys did. These kids were captivated and laughing themselves silly. They were juggling scarves, throwing potatoes, clapping their hands, and their eyes never left the performers. One little boy arrived with his head shaved and was walking with the assistance of a wheeled support. He watched for awhile with a blank look on his face, but slowly the corners of his mouth began turning upward and soon a full-blown smile had taken over. You could see his mood lift and maybe his obstacles weren't weighing quite as heavily on him in that instant. Every child that saw the show has their own story of what brought them to the hospital that day. Whatever their circumstances, Leo, Lance and Todd were more than happy to give that day a moment of silly, lighthearted laughter. That was pretty spectacular.
11 News photographers see the best and worst of Houston through their camera lens as they cover daily news events. Some assignments are a little more fun than others. A recent baby derby inspired Nathan Kvinge to go above and beyond by creating his own music video for KHOU.com. Continue reading "Music video: Ready, set, crawl!" Chris Desmond My day started off at a gas leak in Pearland. It involved a lot of walking and standing out in the heat with sweat and sunscreen dripping in my eyes. Now I love being a news photographer, but usually it is not very glamorous. My second assignment ended up being one of the best I have been on. Continue reading "Houston Movie Premiere"
Frank McBride Did I mention this job can be fun sometimes? This was one of those times. That's me putting the camera in the guy's face. A few miles outside of Seymour, TX is a ranch with an archeological dig site that is very rich in bone fossils. So rich that we watched as a new piece of dirt was being cleared out and sure enough there was what used to be an ancient dinosaur-type creature. This was a shoot for a story airing tonight (5/20) an possible method to bring dinosaurs back to life. Are you thinking Jurassic Park? Well, not quite, but it does involve genetics, and the man in charge of the site was heavily involved in making the movies scientifically correct. His name is Dr. Robert Bakker, and not only is he an encyclopedia of ancient creatures, but he is also one of the funniest people you will meet to boot. Lucy Noland was the driving force for us doing the story, and when she and I arrived at the Seymour Dairy Queen, Dr. Bakker greeted her by handing her a Dairy Queen straw and told her it was a very important archeological tool. It turned out this one one of the times he was not joking. They use straws extensively in blowing dirt away from what is being excavated. It's dirty work, and I was glad to only be visiting, but it does fill you with wonder to realize the pieces of tail bones and skulls you are seeing have been buried and unseen for over 200 million years. If you would like a taste of what the dig site was like and how they might walk among us again, watch the story on 11News at 10 tonight, or after that check out the video on this website. Have fun! FMc Posted at 2:15 p.m. by Wendell Edwards at the Quintero trial HOUSTON --- The stress of a capital murder trial is easily measured. Like similar trials, there are two sides: the prosecution and the defense But there is only one verdict. As of this writing, Quintero's family is sitting near the windows in the hallway of the 20th floor. His mother's expression is stoic, distant, almost painful. Understandable, given her stress load. How do you wait for 12 strangers to decide whether your child lives or dies? Johnson's family was sitting in those very same seats, before I went to lunch. But now, afterwards, they are all now in the courtroom itself, taking up the first few front rows. It's been a bitter-sweet family reunion for them. Joslyn Johnson's family, including her mom and sister have been here supporting her. Rodney's mom, his sister, his brother, many of them here everyday, too, supporting each other, listening intently to every part of this trial. They ask: How do you wait for justice to catch up to a convicted murderer? "The hardest part for me was the conviction part," said Regina Crawford, Joslyn Johnson's sister. We spoke briefly in an elevator ride down to the first floor. She was going to change her shoes, preparing for a long day. "As a Christian, I struggle with the death penalty but in this case he has shown no remorse," she said referring to Juan Quintero. Since his conviction, it has always been a question of life or death for Juan Quintero. Perhaps, the most stressful part of it all. Frank McBride What's the deal with llamas? My daughter Sarah is about to turn 12 and has been into them for years. She's not alone. She has friends that are llama crazy. She would LOVE it if there were a llama or two at her birthday party (not going to happen!) They seem to turn up all over the place. Napolean Dynamite had one. (Tina, eat your FOOD!) A Disney emperor was turned into one. Jimmy Neutron's friend Carl adores them. It seems llamas are instant comedy gold. Continue reading "Cuidado! Llamas!" Posted by Wendell Edwards at 5:31 p.m. HOUSTON --- There is more to Marche Taylor than just her now renowned prom dress. "I just want my voice to be heard," the 17-year-old told me Wednesday afternoon, as we stood in a convenient store parking lot across from Madison High School. "This is not about my dress," she added. "I just want my money back." And that's really how this story began. "Mr. Edwards," said a young voice on the other line. "I need your help." Our conversation lasted only about 5 minutes. But I distinctly remember the words "prom dress," "police," and "handcuffs." I found the story, at first, almost too true to believe. And then she said the magic words. "And there's a picture of me in handcuffs," she said. That is all Marche Taylor apparently ever wanted. Her grandmother, who she lives with sometimes, warned her to, "let this go." Marche Taylor didn't. And nearly a week, and she is still fodder for the media, with requests for her story coming from the Dr. Phil Show to Essence Magazine. Jay Leno even used her in his Tuesday night monologue. "I'm not saying I'm enjoying it because some people are taking it overboard," she said. She called a local radio station to explain her story further. "I had my history, I made my mistakes," she said. "But this year I've had to mature up and do everything I had to do. I knew I was a senior I knew I had to graduate. I knew what I was supposed to do and I have been doing that." She is set to graduate in two weeks. She says she's already been accepted to Texas Southern University in the fall and wants to be a pharmacist. And she readily admits, she's come a long way from the Marche Taylor she used to be. Her fight now is what for she believes. "You can't bring somebody's prom back," she said. "I paid my money to get in and I expected to get in." Even with a dress that revealed more of Marche Taylor than the prom dress code allowed.
We lost a great friend Tuesday. Former Ch-11 & Ch-2 News Anchor Ron Stone lost his battle with cancer at age 72. If you never met Ron ... I'm sure you've heard of him .... he was one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet. Continue reading "Houston's loss is Heaven's gain" |
