A Gathering of Bridgemen

It started about 5 years ago; just a few former teammates getting together for a Thanksgiving morning breakfast at the Plaza Diner in Fort Lee, NJ. They had all played football together at Fort Lee High School in the late 60's and early 70's. It was a way to come together and maintain a bond that, for me, made team sports worth playing.

I was not at the first few gatherings but I had heard about them. I guy that I work with in NY also played football at Fort Lee around the same time that I had. He had run into one of the original organizers who invited him to come and to invite other former players as well. After a few years of saying "maybe", last year we decided to attend for the first time. By then, it had outgrown a back table at the Plaza Diner and was being held at the VFW Hall in Fort Lee.

At first, I was a little apprehensive about attending. I try to be a forward looking person and am not very into nostalgia. But I thought, how could it hurt? I had always enjoyed my teammates and hoped that I would again. But how much had they changed? How much had I changed? After all, nothing remains unaltered. Even the town itself had changed radically. It went from a town with mostly Italian, Irish and a few Jewish families to overwhelmingly Asian.

When we arrived at the VFW there were about 25-30 men milling about the small meeting hall. Most were in their 50's and 60's, and, surprisingly, in pretty good shape. In fact, a few of the guys looked as if they could still play a down or two! Most of the faces were unrecognizable to me. They had not played on my team or during my era. However, there were a select few whom I recognized almost immediately. They were my teammates; the boys who I sweat with, bled with, cried and laughed with. They appeared as grown men but I saw the boys I knew beneath them all. Some I had not seen in 40 years but I still knew exactly who they were.

Over coffee and bagels we spent a few hours catching up. It had been a lifetime and there was much to learn about all of them. There were families, children, and careers to talk about. And, of course, there were reminisces of past gridiron glory. Well, maybe we were a little short on the glory part, our team was not very good! But what was glorious was the confirmation of what the word teammate really means. These "boys to men" were, at one time, my brothers and I found out they still are. And I am proud to say that they had all grown to be outstanding people. They are husbands, fathers, and sons. They are successful in one way or another. It was an affirmation of all we played for - one another. We all had withstood so much bull shit to play what many people consider an insane game. We played in an era when we weren't allowed to drink water, even at the hottest practices. Sanitary conditions were non existent. If we would have know what a mersa infection was, I'm sure we would have all had it! We suffered the indignities of coaches questioning our manhood and lineage, while they preached perseverance. We were told that everything could be overcome if we stuck together and persevered. We thought they were insane and just plain evil and cruel. But, now, 40 years later, I realize they were right. We did overcome and it helped us become the men that filled that VFW Hall in Fort Lee. The bond that we all felt in that room was forged on those rock strewn playing fields, smelly locker rooms, and sweaty gymnasiums where we spent our youth. I suppose that Ben Franklin's quote urging unity during the Revolution sums it up best: "if we don't hang together, we will most certainly hang separately".

At this years Gathering of Bridgemen (our rather awkward team name) there were many of the same faces I had seen the year before and a few new ones that I thoroughly enjoyed seeing. I'll sleep well tonight knowing that the more some things change, the more they remain the same. We loved each other then and we still do. And, in this case, that's just fine by me.

The Cesspool of Worthless Knowledge

In response to a number of request from our last "swim in the pool", I've researched the origin of the word bizarre. It is apparently an ancient word that comes to us from the Basque language. Basque is a rather obscure language spoken primarily by the people of the same name who reside mostly in Northeastern Spain, on the border with France. It is unlike virtually every other European language and its exact origin is largely unknown.

What is known is that in its original form, bizarra, in ancient Basque, meant beard. It was eventually adopted by the Spanish and Portugese who altered its meaning to handsome or brave. Sometime in the middle of the 17th century it began to be used commonly by the French who, for reasons unknown today, changed its meaning to its modern connotations: strange or grotesque. Linguists theorize that in the many years of conflict between the Basques and the French, the French altered the word's meaning to demean their opponents.

For whatever reason, how bizarre is it that what was once a word used in the affirmative (brave, handsome) came to be one with such a negative connotation (strange, weird, grotesque)? :)

At The Game

In my position as a photo/video journalist, I have been privileged to witness many historic events. From the horrific (9/11 and Hurricane Katrina) to the spectacular (the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery) to the sublime (Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the DNC in Denver), I have often pinched myself during these events just to make sure that I wasn't dreaming.

Well, I had another occasion to do so this past Saturday night. I got to attend and photograph the first college football game at the new Yankee Stadium. While not as dramatic as the events I mentioned above, it was still an experience that most people simply would not have access to, making it so special and memorable. The game pitted old-time rivals Army and Notre Dame. After many previous battles at the old stadium with national title implications, they last played there in the mid 1960's.

I was originally scheduled to shoot news video for the game. However, that assignment was cancelled, effectively leaving me with my press credentials and nothing to do. Again, I had to pinch myself! Here I was, a huge fan of the Yankees and college football (I played in High School and College), standing on the hollowed ground of the most famous stadium in America, with my personal 35 mm camera and nothing but time on my hands. And my access was extraordinary; the only way to be closer to the action was to be in the huddle. I made over 100 photos. In fact, one of my co-workers (also there from the original assignment) laughed saying, "you look like your working out there". Well, it was anything but! Shooting soley for myself was pure pleasure.

The game ball was delivered to mid-field by an Army Ranger who parachuted down from a Black Hawk helicopter high above the stadium. The Army team charged out of the tunnel to take the field following one of their captains proudly streaming the Stars and Stripes. Notre Dame dashed unto the field in their rarely used kelly green jerseys with their huge band playing the famous Notre Dame fight song. If you were to write a Hollywood script about how to begin an historic college football game, this is how you would do it!

To stand on the side on the sidelines, with the glare of the stadium lights and hear the roar of the huge crowd swell and then thunder down to the field gave me goose bumps. To be part of that collective energy is an awesome experience.

It was a beautiful night with nearly a full moon. Army scored first on a field goal to take an early 3-0 lead. The sell out crowd of 54,000 + crowd was boisterous, enthusiastic and largely in favor of the Fighting Irish. Supported by their huge band and cheering section, The Fighting Irish eventually overwhelmed a game but overmatched Black Knight team 27-3. But for me, as it should be for most sports fans, especially on the collegiate level, the score should be secondary to the experience. And this one was just great.

From the Cesspool of Worthless Knowledge

Just about everyone knows the work berserk. I'm sure most of us have experienced that emotion in themselves or others. Some act on it, others not. But do you know where the word comes from?

It's actually a Norse word that comes to us from the Vikings. Of course, we all know of the wild and formidable raider/warriors who terrorized Middle Ages Europe. They used their magnificent Long Boats to sail the world, terrorizing and pillaging cities and villages from Ireland to Sicily. Their raids were so sudden and shocking that the most popular prayer of the time was "Lord, protect us from the Vikings". And the fiercest of the fierce Vikings were the berserkers. They were the storm troopers of their day. They fought with such ferocity that it is widely believed that they were under the influence of some type of hallucinogenic substance (probably wild mushrooms). In addition to their wild fighting style, they were distinguished by their bear skin or berserk tunics. Hence the moniker berserker.

So, the next time some idiot treats you with disrespect or some clueless driver cuts you off at 70 m.p.h., break out the bear skin tunic and just go berserk! :)

The Douche of the Day: Roger Ailes

It's officially, Roger Ailes has been named Douche of the Day. The Chairman of Fox News Corporation narrowly edged out Willow Palin who was considered for the callous and insensitive comments she made during the premiere of her family's reality TV show.

Ailes is DOTD for calling the executives of NPR "Nazis". He told The Daily Beast: "they are, of course, Nazis. They have kind of a Nazi attitude. They are the left wing of Nazism. These guys don't want any other point of view. They don't even feel guilty using tax dollars to spout their propaganda". Ailes then called for Federal funding to NPR be cancelled. He later apologized to The Anti-defamation League saying he uttered those words in an angry response to NPR's firing of Juan Williams. He said that "nasty, inflexible, bigot", would have been a better choice of words. Really?! What a guy!

Here are the issues: NPR can easily and accurately be described as ultra-liberal in their programming and Williams was fired, according to NPR executives, for talking a position contrary to those liberal leanings. Now, I NEVER agreed with that decision and wrote so in this blog. But "Nazis"?! First, beyond the dubious wisdom of NPR's actions in the Williams affair, to suggest that they are Nazis is beyond reason. And it's inflammatory. Every time someone challenges Fox News' POV, one of their program hosts screams "Nazis" in response. An independent group researched FOX News programming and found frequent use of the word "Nazi" by both Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly. Now we know where they get it from: right from their boss, the DOTD, Roger Ailes.

Fox News, under the leadership of Ailes, is constantly fostering a theme of fear and loathing in their programming. They use words like "Nazi" to dehumanize their opponents and achieve their goal: a conservative agenda. They want NPR stopped for their liberal posture while they continue to pursue a conservative one under the guise of reporting the news. Fair and Balanced my ass. The hypocracy is stagering! If NPR is a bastion of liberal fools than Fox News is a haven for conservative creeps.

And don't forget where Ailes comes from. He may have started in the news business but he has been a media consultant for CONSERVATIVE, REPUBLICAN causes since the 1960's. He has advised Republican presidents from Nixon to Bush. Fair and Balanced?! It's a case of the proverbial "pot calling the kettle black". They mock NPR for their strong POV and yet have the same strong approach but in the opposite direction. Give me a freakin' break!

And as for cutting the Federal funding to NPR, it would hurt but it wouldn't kill them. They receive less than 10% of their total operating budget from the Government.

So, congratualtions Roger Ailes, you are the Douche of the Day!

Todays DOTD?

Working on today's Douche of the Day. So far, it looks like Roger Ailes is the hands down winner. Stay tuned. More later.

Brain Droppings: The Royal Scam!

I don't know about you guys but if I hear one more freakin' thing about the latest "Fairy Tale Royal Wedding", I'm gonna' hurl!! It's already getting wall to wall media coverage. Shit, CBS' The Early Show was "live" from Buckinham Palace this morning!! Could you really give a shit?! I don't care where she came from, where he got her ring from, what color the gowns will be, what time the affair is, what they'll eat, or where it's supposed to take place. You see, I have a life to pursue. I don't need to live vicariously through someone else. So I don't watch reality TV - ever. And I don't give a shit about anyone elses wedding - especially a bunch of inbred Anglo hold-overs from an era that's better having past!

And it's just beginning. . .

Have a nice day!!!!!!!!

Life On the Red Carpet

Read what it's like to be a videographer on the RED CARPET for the latest movie premieres in NYC by going to www.talk-frank.blogspot.com.

On The Carpet

To those of you thinking that shooting at a Red Carpet Movie premiere is glamorous, this is for you. It's a 5 second clip of Russell Crow meeting the paparazzi on the RC to promote his new movie (at the bottom of the page). As you can hear from the clip, it's nothing short of insanity. In fact, in TV parlance, they are known as "pig fucks": lots of squealing and jostling for position!

First, when we arrive, usually about an hour before the actual event, we are sent to some holding pen near the celebrity arrival position (just like cattle). Then (just like cattle) we are herded into our positions on the carpet. If it's cold or rainy, then it's inside a large tent. If it's clear and warm, they are usually held outside. Once you're in, you find your place which is marked by a single, 8x10 loose-leaf sheet of paper on the ground with your organization's name written or typed on it. These are then lined up one next to the other so that the photographers are literally shoulder to shoulder. I place a step stool in my position. We all have them. It's impossible to shoot from ground level because so many people (security, publicists, etc.) are on the carpet with the celebrities. You have to be above it all to shoot down on the subject. I'll spend the next hour or two climbing up and down the stool to get my shots. Since I have a foot and a half long, 25 pound piece of steel on my shoulder, this is NOT a lot of room. In fact, the videographers usually apologize to each for banging each other in the head with our cameras BEFORE we even start shooting. Then you wait for the arrivals.

No one is ever on time. When they do arrive they hit the still photographers first and the place just EXPLODES. The amount of light generated by (sometimes) hundreds of flashes going off simultaneously is absolutely BLINDING. Each photographer screams the subjects name in an effort to get the subject to look directly at him/her so as to appear they were the only photog there. So, the noise is deafening! While this is going on, I'm up on my stool getting shots of the photographers shooting the celebs. This is known as "b-roll". After the still photographers, they hit the line of video cameras and reporters where each outlet gets to ask them questions. Sometimes there are as many as 20 or 30 crews, all asking just about the same questions.

Rapped around the celebrities who are actually involved in the film you were sent to cover are the other "beautiful people" who are simply making the scene. In addition to other actors who are supporting their friends, are the other media whores looking for some free publicity. This invariably includes models, designers, reality TV "stars", and other sycophants. These people never make my cut!

By the end of the night, I'm sweaty, deaf, and my shoulders are killing me. Very glamorous indeed!

Today's DOTD: Glenn Beck

Today's Douche of the Day is Glenn Beck. This is Mr. Beck's first time as DOTD but I believe that's only because it just started yesterday! I have a feeling that this is the first of many times he will be so honored. Why should we single out Glenn today over any other day? After all, on a daily basis, isn't he a whinny, paranoid, narrow minded, trickster ( I refrain from using even "pundit" to describe him. He's not that clever!)?

Well, this time it's for his latest attack on a man I consider a living embodiment of the American Dream: George Soros. Whether you agree with Soros' ultra-liberal politics or not, his story AND his courage are to be admired, not ridiculed. Born in Hungary, this is a man who survived the Nazis AND the Communists to become one of the richest and most influential people on the freakin' planet. By his own admission he is ulra-liberal because he knows what it means to live in a country that is NOT FREE. He, above most, understands that it takes constant vigilance to maintain a truly free society. He's pretty much freedom across the board. He also puts his money where his mouth is, donating millions of dollars to causes he believes in, even when they may be unpopular. And Glenn Beck hates him for it!

On one of his recent programs, Beck accused Soros of a world-wide attempt to destabilize foreign governments with an eye on eventually causing the US economy to collapse. Beck also suggested that Soros was a "closet" (my quotes) anti-Semite because, as a 14 year old boy, he was forced into Nazi collaboration against Jews. What a douche!

The first accusation is just pure paranoiac fantasy - something that Beck regularly builds his program on. In TV parlance, these kinds of sensational accusations deliver "eye balls" i. e. an audience.

The second one strikes close to my heart. My father-in-law, like Soros, is Hungarian born and about the same age. He, also like Soros, survived the Nazis and the Communists, emigrated to the US and became a successful, tax paying, loyal American citizen. I have listened to my father-in-law tell stories about being a teenage boy and being pressed into the service of the Nazis. He has told me stories of his illegal imprisonment by the Communists where he was forced to stay even as his mother lay dying. And he often speaks of his love for this country and the real freedom and success it has afforded him. This is what, I believe, George Soros is all about: preserving our freedoms, especially our freedom to choose.

What does Glenn Beck offer as an alternative? Fear and Loathing (I loved Hunter S. Thompson!). His vision of the future is an apocalyptic one. One where free thinkers and doers, like Soros, offer a recipe for disaster. What is Beck afraid of? I say it's the deepest kind of freedom - freedom of thought that he fears. If your vision doesn't match his Mormon Faith inspired one, then it's evil.

Well, for your narrow minded point of view, Talk Frank is happy to reward Glenn Beck with today's Douche of The Day Award. Congratulations! :)