An Easy Day
Yes, today turned out to be an easy, quiet day. I was on VOSOT patrol, and nothing much happened. The break couldn't have come at a better time, because it gave me a chance to really think about all the advice I've been receiving, the balance of which seems to indicate that I should give up my blog and delete everything lest my colleagues discover loose lips within their midst.
The station has a Doppler radar tower behind it, a fairly short tower with a big white ball on top. As I was headed to my truck to go check out a potential pedestrian accident, I happened to glance over that way. I noticed for the first time that there's a ladder that runs up the center of the tower to a trap door in the bottom of that ball. The reason I noticed it is that one of our maintenance engineers, a good ol' boy named Jake, was standing at the top of the ladder with his head up inside the trap door. It looked like a little man with a giant head standing up there. He didn't appear to be actually doing any work. He was just standing there with his head inside that ball.
I reached my van and put the camera in the back. As I came around the side to mount up, Jake pulled his head out of the ball and looked around. When he saw me, he gave me this HUGE grin. Then he stuck his head back inside the ball.
Now, those of you who have advised me to stop blogging, I ask you: How the hell can I NOT write about this?
posted by Max @ 9:09 PM
12 comments
12 Comments:
If you really want to keep working in this industry and blog then maybe you need to get backing from station management. Pitch it to them as a chance to surf the new horizons of computer blogdom, tap into the youth market, draw in the geek dollar, an interactive multimedia publicity bonanza that costs them nothing. Otherwise… well it was nice knowing you.
"Now, those of you who have advised me to stop blogging, I ask you: How the hell can I NOT write about this?"
Just don't write about it. I'm sorry you choose to continue to write, I just hope to god that the day doesn't come when you'r management catches wind of this...
Good luck.
I don't understand the point. If you're so excited about your job write about it in a journal at home.
I too have a tower, but mine is quite large. And there are two white balls instead of one. And they're at the bottom of the tower. And they're hairy.
I personally find your blog awesome and I enjoy reading about your adventures in a small market. However you can get fired for this - someone at my station did. And if I were the Chief Photog I would personally see that you did. That said do what you feel comfortable with :)
I'll add my comment to the guys telling you to stop writing this. As much as it's interesting to read, you've given so much info away that, while those of us not at your station may not be able to ID it, those in your station can.
Let's see:
*Your station has a doppler on a short tower behind it.
*An engineer was working on that doppler today.
*You are a brand new photographer.
*You are driving a short-wheelbase Ford van that was supposed to be a live truck but now isn't, and was used by engineering. Oh, and its side doors won't open. Don't forget what's written on the dash. And it has the "hate van" nickname. And it once went 12,000 miles w/o an oil change.
*Your chief sat you down and critiqued you harshly.
*Before that he went out on stories with you.
*you shoot beta SP with gitzo tripods that don't lock, and your video always has an ugly spot in it due to the flaw on your lens.
*Your hate van recently developed a coolant leak in the back of the engine, and you've been promised other work on it.
*You were on VOSOT patrol today.
In short, give me 2 minutes at your station and I'd have you positively identified. If your chief stumbles on this blog (and if he reads b-roll or medialine, how can he not) it's not gonna be real hard for him to put 2 & 2 together.
If you want to keep your job, you should seriously reconsider what you are doing right now.
*Your hate van recently developed a coolant leak in the back of the engine, and you've been promised other work on it.
No, it's my personal truck that has the coolant leak. It looks to be less serious than I originally believed, but I need to get someone with more mechanical smarts than I have to take a look at it. Until then, I'm not driving it. I have the Hate Van to get me to work, and my feets can get me to the store to buy hot dogs and macaroni.
But the rest is quite correct. I am both impressed and humbled by your attention to what I have written.
This is great. The risk is worth it- keep going!
Your blog is well done but writing about people at work will eventually get you in trouble. Every station has some kind of rule about bringing ill repute the station. Your comments about your ND and your CP certainly qualify.
As much as you publicize your blog, someone you don't want to know about it will find out. The consequences can be serious. The term is "dooced." Go to dooce.com and you can read all about it.
You should certainly write down all your stories, it's telling anyone that you're writing in a public forum that I would advise against doing.
Dump this blog, start another one and DON'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT IT. Don't go to medialine or b-roll and link to it. If anyone asks, you can say you took advice and dumped the blog.
If your new one gets discovered (and make sure to change even people's FIRST names) you can plausibly deny that it's yours.
John - start a blog and don't tell anyone about it? Doesn't that defeat the purpose??
Don't listen to them, Shoulder boy. You're doing just fine. Before long, your blog will be as great as my own DyckerBlog.
I think you'll be fine with the blog. To be honest, it sounds like your station probably can't keep good photographers, and management probably doesn't like having to constantly search for new ones, so at worst, you'll get a harsh reprimand if they find out. Most likely they'd just complain about it. That's the way it was at my first station. I chewed out my chief and ND one too many times and they said maybe I should quit if I'm that unhappy :D
I think you are doing a good job with your blog. I don't see you belittling anyone or making fun. It's been fun to read. Good luck!
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