Finished Birthday Broadcast
Friends, I have a birthday Broadcast update! I have finished the editing and forwarded the files to Dave, who is the one who will post it on the web for you to enjoy. Sadly, he is experiencing technical problems with controlling the website, and needs to contact the company’s help desk for further help.
David tells me that he thinks he can have it posted by the end of the week, however, continued, persist ant problems with the site may not be fully correctable until later than that. I will attempt to keep you up-to-date as more information becomes available. Thanks for your patience.
20 years of Jason Cunningham
20 years of Jason Cunningham
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Birth of Jason Cunningham. As condolences and congratulations pour in from all corners of the globe, Jason is reported to have spent the holiday morning, mowing the grass before heading to work at his office in CLC headquarters, where a fabulous party was thrown in his honor. Jason spent the evening editing the next installment from Silver Dome Productions, a radio play titled Avast! expected to hit the internet later this week.
While a bright splendid future lies ahead, this bidecimal anniversary should spark a fond look back.
These 20 years have been full of so many memories! Praise God!
At work, then Editing!
The Birthday Broadcast is over now, and what a thrill it was! For those readers who are anxious to hear it, I am currently in the editing process, I’ll try and have it done by the end of the week, or possible next week.
On a different note, Sarah Gmeiner comes to visit this weekend! That’ll be loads of fun!
Birthday Broadcast 2006
Birthday Broadcast 2006!!
Well friends, the Birthday broadcast is finished! I want to do one more listen-through for levels, but barring any horrendous disasters, it is pretty much done.
This years cast included, as pictured above, Casey Tiren, Lydia Hartnett, Brett Jansen, Alex Goodling, Jason Cunningham, Mike Hartnett, Danny Mays, and David Galbraith, and David Somerville.
I was very touched by Alex’s comments at my CLC office party about my use of my birthday to bless other people, and make a fun event for them. What undeserved grace from God that he would place holding the Birthday Broadcast on my heart. What numerous rewards the Lord provides through doing so. While many of you may have read how I was struggling with wanting to put in the effort for my own birthday, I must confess to struggling not with some justified feeling of wanting to relax, but of selfishness and a lack of focus on others. This is something I need to fight.
My first step in fighting it, was the throw myself whole-heartedly into the execution of the Birthday Broadcast, and by the grace of God, I soon had my focus corrected to where it was the year before: focused on how God might use by birthday party to bless my friends.
I can assure you now, it was worth every minute. While I tend to stress out a little, the Lord ALWAYS blesses this events, and praise be to God, everyone had a good time.
This birthday, more than any other I can recall, has been an overwhelming flood of encouragement, everything from waking up and finding 15 facebook emails from well-wishers, to the CLC staff making touching observations of God’s work in my life.
As for the Broadcast itself, the audio is on its way, I’ll be sure to post a link, and some pictures too, compliments of Lydia Hartnett, the brilliant photographer, and friend. She served the crew by not only playing a crucial roll, but also documenting.
Another important lesson learned from the broadcast was that God always provides. I was a tad concerned before the show, when I had two cancellations the morning-of, and a 3rd from my good friend Steve when, during sound check, he ran off to be with Rakel, his sister-in-law, as she returned from the hospital with her first child, making Steve an uncle! After a flurry of part swaps, and reshuffling we decided to go through the story.
At one of my favorite moments, Mike asks, “Where does my part come in, I’m the Ship’s Pediatrician”
Me: “umm…. ::laughs:: I forgot to write you in the storyline, but you’re an important part, we want that character in anyway…”
Mike: “::laughs:: what kind of part is this!!”
We eventually left out the Ship’s Pediatrician, and Mike played FlapJack Mack (he was brilliant!)
One big surprise of the day was the suburb performance of our “young” star Brett Jansen, or Jet Bransen. While some had expressed concern about my choice to cast him as our main heroic character, he met and surpassed my wildest expectations for the part. He has suddenly become one of the shining stars in the celestial body of SDP. I am excited about building a better relationship with him, and seeing how God is going to use his many talents.
David Som’a vil once again narrated beautifully, and, as always, was the back bone of the story. His role was so expansive in nature that to write it down as a text on this site would fill… a large server. His friendship to me has always been my most treasured aspect of our relationship. His quick wit literally filled the sails of our broadcast and kept it plunging ahead. Thanks friend! (below is the original picture I took david’s image in the poster from.)
We were initially concerned about Alex Goodling, or Pirate Captain Bluffer. If you’re at all familiar with Alex, you know how easily he laughs. His joy is expressed frequently and loudly to my greatest delight! I can say quite proudly that This is the show that caused Alex to start courting! Yes, he was on the fast-track to celibacy but the birthday broadcast gave him the courage to ask permission to court miss Ruth Medler, and the very next day, they were courting (or “quarting” as I so infamously wrote). but with a face as pictured below, who could say no?
As always, Casey did a wonderful job. Words cannot express (especially not at 11:53pm) how delightful it is to work with her. David has wonderful taste, as do her parents, and siblings. She wrote me a hilarious and extremely touching birthday card featuring a butler in a tuxedo. I haven’t had a moment to write her a thank-you note yet, but the card is sitting on my desk as I write. While her brother may be a slacker, she is a pure joy! (we missed you Ryan!)
While Mr. Galbraith once again got stuck with the “idiot” role, his skill and creativity created an unforgettable character from the shreds of information we provided to him about his character once again enhanced the story. We basically told him he was a sailor who got caught by pirates, and he turned it into a 3D character with a brother that fits seamlessly into our already complex story. He is a genius, and I love what he does with the smallest of parts. Thats one of the things I LOVE about my dad, he can steal a show with a line-less background part, dad makes the most of whatever part he’s given and masterfully creates such a wonderful character that any leading man would be hard pressed to maintain the superiority of his part. (dad does this tastefully of course.) Mr. Galbraith has a similar gift. Like a key light of the 3-point lighting kit, he fills-in the shadows, even from the periphery of a storyline, creating a well-rounded product. (Bryce wasn’t able to attend, and was missed!)
This leaves only me, whose birthday it was, and whose image looked like this:
Status update on the Birthday Broadcast… Last night, late last night, I finished the initial edit. Now everything is in place, most of the sound effects are in, and all the levels have been adjusted. Levels were kinda tricky because the whole production gradually got louder as we went, so the beginning is hard to hear, and the end will blast your ears out. But I’ve fixed that now.
I need to do one final listen/edit through, and we should be good-to-go!
If anyone wants a another copy of the 8.5×11 poster, let me know. I’ve got a whole stack of both this year’s and last years left over. I think somebody forgot to take ‘em! Jet Bransen, Lydia, Alex, and Casey, surely you could use at least 2 more for your friends and family? Send with the Christmas cards?
Also, If anyone wants a digital copy of anything seen at the broadcast, let me know and I’ll be happy to send it.
By the way, Jet Bransen is a character I REALLY want to use sometime!
Jason got an iPod
The iPod!
Well Friends, I’ve finally caved and got an iPod Mini. After 20 years of iPodlessness (the state of lacking an iPod – there’s a reason you’ve never heard of that condition) I now have one! a 4G iPod Mini!
I now have nearly 3 days of music available to me a in nearly any location! I can listen to HMS Pinafore while riding the Metro, or while walking down the street!
Now, I must share the tale of how I came to own this iPod. Many of you know that I’m very cheap, and would never run out and spend hundreds of dollars on a iPod they don’t even make any more! NO! I had to arrange a discount!
Now, dad, he works for a local school system. Now, the county school system is a fairly wealthy county, so their trash (and Lost and Found closets) is something dad find very interesting. In fact, Dad built our entire computer lab out of trashed computers from there. We’re really only bought one new computer in my lifetime.
So when dad found an Ipod in the the Lost and Found, he was eager to bring it home. So he ran to the Principal of that particular school and asked permission, and when the principal said yes, he grabbed it. He also grabbed a runner’s starter pistol, with ammo.
So God Provided an unexpected Ipod, and after clearing out 4Gs of horrific music, I now enjoy my Ipod with pleasure!
Fogartys join us at Lake George
Remember those Fogartys…
Do you remember how the Fogartys might be joining us at Lake George? Well, its final!
The Fogarty Family will be joining us at Lake George 2006.
We bought a new tube to float on, and of course, we’re bringing the boat!
Check this out! we didn’t buy this kind of tube.
Much fun is expected.
Florid
Today’s word of the day describes me to a tee. Florid. My middle name should be Florid!! Its the perfect word to describe me, and that fact is both the pleasure and the bane of my existence.
florid \FLOR-id\, adjective:
1. Flushed with red; of a lively reddish color.
2. Excessively ornate; flowery; as, “a florid style; florid eloquence.”
Inspite of having two extremely different meanings, both meanings fit me perfectly! haha.
oh well.
Visit to Chez Forgarty
On Sunday we went and visited the Fogarty’s at their home in Winchester Md, a small town near the border with Pennsylvania – very near the border – in fact, we could see, maybe even walk to the border from their house.
The house itself is a rambling brown structure, neatly kept, and nestled pleasantly among the trees and rolling hills. The interior is a network of doorways, corridors, and wonderfully decorated, if small and intimate, rooms. The most memorable feature, not to sound too much like a city dweller, was their gravel driveway. The road, or maybe trail, bumps and jostles you around for nearly a quarter mile, winding around fields, and soaring up hills, which seem more like cliffs. It was quite a riot.
Upon arrival, we sat and chatted around a bowl of chips and salsa before lunch magically appeared. By magically appeared, I mean, it was suddenly and unexpectedly pronounced ready, without any member of the Fogarty family being missing for any dramatic length of time. When did they put the food out? When was it cooked, or at least heated? Sheer magic.
The rest of the afternoon proceeded as pleasantly as could be imagined. We played the nintendo classic: “Duckhunt”, and followed the digital version with the real thing – minus ducks. We went shooting at a neighboring farm, and I killed 3 rather handsome paper cups, and 1 large metal plate that will make a nice trophy. The rare and elusive white metal plates are notoriously hard to kill, but make excellent targets for the experienced huntsman.
I must say, the shooting experience did harken to my mind the image of some great victorian hunting lodge in the country…
The day was an outstanding success in the fun category, and a blast in every other way.
It was great getting to know the Fogartys a little better, and if they can clear their schedule, they’ll be joining us at Lake George!
Lunch break is over, back to work.
A Prairie Home Companion
I have just returned from seeing A Prairie Home Companion.
Strange film. It was both really cool to see the “broadcast” in process and them going through the steps of airing the show, but is was terribly slow. It seemed that the arch of the story was rather shallow.
I kept waiting for the story to build to something, or progress on to something that was the point of the film – but nothing ever came. Nothing significant anyway.
The best thing it did for me was realize that that is really what I want to do for a living. I pray the Lord will bring that about.
