littleblip: October 2003 Archives
On a break from editing... well I started after lunch so I suppose I don't need a huge break. Back pain, that's it, huge, xcruciating back pain, need lots of breaks... bought some grapes to sustain me. I enjoy the process of piecing together documentaries, playing little scenario's out in your head to see if they make sense when you put them together. Sometimes hours fly by but other times the minutes drag - think today is that kind of a day. But strangely the stories play out in your head and more times than not after a more difficult day you wake up next morning with a zillion ideas running through your head. I know that day will be Monday!
Just realised how tempting it is to go back into your last posting and edit, bad habit.
Thanks for reading the blog Caroline! wandered into Events and Entertainment looking for a sound effects CD and lo & behold she'd logged onto littleblip. Keep forgetting it's out there.
Have talked to a few bloggers in the last couple of days, great to put voices to the written word and very soon faces to those voices. I've just emailed Tom with today's list of contributors but there may be one or two extra added on Monday. Jaffar and Laura are still scouring the web looking for more female bloggers in Scotland.
Meant to have a rant about car drivers and their total disregard for cyclists (like me) but guilt is propelling me back to editing room. I'm sure there will be another similiar scenario very soon to SCREAM about!! and that' talking as an ex-Irn Belle.
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Mad day today, but in a good way. Spent the morning editing the Pub Quiz programme, on Sadie (our digital software) remember Dalmellington? Have got my first 2 minutes and now the rest of the programme will simply flow from it... that's the theory anyway. The Radio Times billings are due this week so my thinking cap is now firmly screwed on and I will be writing a few captivating lines which will compell you all to listen on the 28.11.03.
We've confirmed about 10 blogs now and are calling people with more info on the day. It's going to be a great programme, probably because we won't have any control. People blog about what they find interesting, although there will be a couple of themes. Thanks to Gordon on
scottish blogs, it's been such a great help.
Went to Botanics, Kibble Palace, for lunch today, didn't realise it's now officially closed til 2006. Have to find new winter hide-away for munching my sarnies and reading the paper. Orchids maybe? although I'm not a hot-house flower...
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Didn't manage to make a final decision on our bloggers! Still a week and a bit to go, so no real panic setting in yet..!! keep finding new people & discussing why we should or shouldn't include people. I'll set up a link to the Blogday Bloggers on this site next week so everyone can have a look. More info on Monday.
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My raison d'etre...
Finding and reading loads of weblogs, going to be very difficult to decide on the final 10-12, there's so much to choose between! Tomorrow, Laura, Faz, Jaffar and I are going to make our 'nearly' last decision. I say nearly because you never know what's hiding behind the next link... We're still looking for people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, any tips would be much appreciated. There are also a lot of people writing in the Central belt, the more people from across the country the better!
On a more personal note, I saw a fantastic exhibition at the Tate when I was in London at the weekend. My mate Jerry, who works at World Service is always late so I had 50 minutes to myself with The Weather Project spent most of it flat on my back looking at all us plebs in the huge mirrors. Fantastic.
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Met up with some very interesting guys on monday at TVC in London. Thanks for the invite! It was great to get some insight into the mindset of the main players. Have to admit I did on occasion feel like an intruder. Not that I totally lost the thread of conversation, I just hadn't realised it was such a boys club. Euan, check the obvious said of the 40 BBC bods who were going to come for the meet, 4 were women. I was the only one there. No big deal but a bit confusing, because there seem to be a lot of women out their writing... Strange.
Have you heard of Stuart Hughes? Beyond Northern Iraq? He has an incredible story to tell through his blog stuart in iraq Incredible. I really enjoyed talking to him.
As promised and because I'm practising, here's a link to a blog I'm starting to get a taste for plasticbag I'm sure you've all known about him for ages.
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missed my flight this morning from london, was staying in Camden and got stuck in bus traffic!!!!>?????!!!
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why do I have problems posting & publishing everytime I log on? Allan fae IT is gonnae help me - yes? yes??!!
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I've sent off my first invitations to take part in Blogday, hoping you'll all find the prospect too exciting for words...???!! You know who you are.
Am off to London for a BBC external Bloggers meeting on Monday. These are the big guys, been doing it for years, like plasticbag.org, copydesk, linkmachinego, blackbeltjones etc... Will fix links when I get back, have to rush! Will be a total novice.
Have been entertaining colleagues with my stretches.
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Today has been all about backs. Hurt it about 4 yrs ago bla...bla...bla... and like 90% of the population (according to my new best friend the physio) I'm not alone. Incredibly he said if you stopped 60% of us on the street we would say we'd experienced back pain in the last month. So, I've been told to do 2 kinds of exercise every 2 hours - office entertainment I know. We're checking my progress in 2 weeks I know you'll be fascinated to know.
Oh! an' surfing the net for blogs like I do I came across Scott from Edinburgh Uni who's doing a ph.d on bloggers writing styles www.perseus.com/blogsurvey. Can't wait to read the results.
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Being BlackMailed - my boss, Jeff Z. wants a mention. He lives at the end of the corridor in a small room where the blinds are always drawn... this is how he developed his passion for reading blogs. Oh! but he is such a nice man and has an endless store of brilliant ideas AND always looks exceptionally intelligent when he relays them to us with comic fervour. Today I compulsively burst into laughter at the sight of him. He also brings his childrens toys to work because "they hadn't been to the BBC yet", a request from his youngest child. I saw him introduce a bear to Karen.
Is that enough? have I saved my job Mr Z?
Did anyone see the full moon last week?
It was incredible. There's large tree at the back of the building I live in and last thursday the wind was thrashing it, the sound was fantastic. Through the branches I could see this neon moon, clouds were being driven past it. I turned off all the lights and sat down to watch. Made me feel so alive, as if there were so many opportunities out there waiting to be experienced. Nearly made me laugh out loud. I love autumn.
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Had our first Blogday meeting today, went to Offshore for ok coffee & non-officey atmos. We've found lots of interesting and engaging storytellers from all kinds of backgrounds, don't know how we're going to choose. I'm really starting to hear the programme now, maybe we could kick off with the early risers and some morning blogs:
"Woke up, tripped over a shoe, hit my head - not a good start" to comments about the day - news, family, books read, relationships, work, travel, whatever people are doing on the day. If you've got any ideas pls tell me, should be getting a comments post set up any day now.
am now off to be pummelled, therapeutic message, my treat, will be very mellow tonite.
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I know you're dying to know... Yes, the Big Quiz Night in Dalmellington was a RIP ROARING SUCCESS!! congrats to Jo & Jen and everyone who worked on it. We've recorded fantastic material, only problem is - there's so much of it. A lot of listening through and editing in store over the few days. It'll be a great story.
Good nite had by Jaffar & Willie (the roving reporters) who at one point were accosted by a crowd of zealous pub quizzers, the female kind, and had their specially made T-shirts ripped off. Couldn't stop talking about it in the car back, I drove back since I made Jaffar drive down. Our lives were only at risk the ONCE!
Thanks for all your emails about BLOGDAY! pls keep spreading the word. We're scouring the net at the moment, researching and reading, looking for weird and wonderful writers who'd like to feature in the programme we're making.
We've also got a new Blogday team member who on his first day (today) bought profiteroles. Smart move Faz.
He has also endeared himself to us because this weekend he had a Marilyn Monroe Moment. First time in a kilt and he was caught unawares by a gust of wind at Edinburgh Castle. Great wedding photo... Thanks for the tip Muslim, we've been quietly humming "... let the wind blow high, let the wind blow low..." all afternoon.
And Me? Quiet weekend, needed to recooperate. DVD fest at my sisters on Saturday night & coffee with Maya on Sunday were about the height of my social endeavours. Fab.
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Here's a wee update in the hectic life of a radio producer. HA! i hear you cry, do they know what real work is? We do, we do... honest. I'm working on another documentary aka The Big Quiz, and the big finale is tomorrow nite in Dalmellington, Ayrshire. Dalmellington is BBC Scotland's Soundtown? sound familiar? Anyway, Jo The Producer Jo has organised a simultaneous pub quiz in 9 pubs to take place between 8-10. Each quiz master has an assistant, that's 18 people, then there's the BBC crowd, about 8 of us and between 4-7 teams in each pub! I'm making a doc about the event, things are falling into place so let the mayhem begin!
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My thought bubbles...
How many mic's? .... what can we have for tea in Dalmellington...
Will anyone notice the sound quality difference if I use one DATman and 3 mini-disc's?
How am I going to get quality quiz master feed into m.disc?
do I want to drive or shall I ask Jaffar?
have to send email to reporters Matt (who'll be in the quiz master bus) & James (placed at BBC Nervecentre on the night) and tell them what I want them to record ...
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