Sometimes things just go good for a change.
Step One
On my end, Friday, June 16th was a very good day. I was in Cheyenne, Wyoming (the state capital) with Wyoming Public TV, as a production assistant, covering a special legislative session, and Friday was very exciting for me personally. We had a bit of slack time before taping in the afternoon, and we made a few rounds about the town.
First, one of my fellow cameraman and I dropped by the Herschner building, where a lot of the state's main offices are, and visited the main Wyoming Homeland Security office. I met the Head Guy there, and spent about a half hour with the Public Information officer, and explained to her what I was doing with my website, gave her two copies of the latest update of my CD, and expressed to her my interest in doing a documentary about Homeland Security as seen from the role of the private citizen, and how one can become more involved with any of the various aspects of local, regional, and state level organizations.
She was very receptive to it, and we exchanged email addresses, and she is going to make sure I have access to info, contacts, and any tools I can use for the video project. This would be a project that I would be putting together with the goal of gaining more video production experience for my college media production degree, as well as a possible project to be shown on our TV station sometime after it is done. I am really excited about the possibilities here.
Step Two
Around 4 in the afternoon, we had an appointment with the Governor, Dave Freudenthal, and I was the cameraman for the shoot, for a segment for our station's special news coverage of the legislative session. Afterwards, during the small talk, while we were putting the equipment back in the storage bags, I was able to talk to him for a few moments, and handed him a copy of the CD as well, and got a picture of he and I shaking hands with the State Seal right behind us. It was a big moment for me, and I hope it bodes well of good things to come.
Here's the picture...
( I'm the cute one on the left!)
Governor Dave, although a Democrat, seemed to be a heck of a guy. I met him once before (before he was governor) when I was working in his home town for a few days at the last restaurant I managed, and the guy is about as good as we can get for this state.
The one step back, as mentioned above, is quite interesting...
Also located here in Cheyenne is Warren Air Force Base...which just happens to be an ICBM nuclear missile base. While filming all the shows this week at the State Museum, we had a little time there. In the main entrance hall, is a very large display rack with brochures for nearly all the special and interesting places in the entire state of Wyoming.
One of these was a brochure for the Air Force Base, for the "ICBM missile museum" they have there. The brochure mentions free admission, and weekday hours, and "Bring the Family." Well, we went. And basically got the boot. Kicked off the base, that is...Outside the main gate is a visitors center, where every nonmilitary person must stop and check in.
Picture ID, vehicle registration, and car insurance verification must be provided, says the sign in the small parking lot.We park and walk in, paperwork in hand. There's a small line of about 6 folks.
We get up to the counter, and provide the paperwork, and show them the museum brochure, and ask if it is currently open today."Oh, no...you can't go in there. It's only open to military personnel, and those with military sponsors."
I assume a military sponsor is a family member in the military, or someone assigned by the military to give tours of the base to officials and preselected groups. I was wearing my travel vest with my "Official TV Station PRESS Pass" attached, but it didn't work.
The nice Air Force Lady behind the counter looked at us upon saying the above, than without saying another word, we knew we had to look for the nearest exit.
Maybe the fact that it WAS open to the public at some point (because of the plethora of those informational brochures) but is NOT now, should be SOME kind of DOT...I mean, they didn't even check my ID on their computer system, just glanced at the brochure, and said "No".Big Bummer.
I was really looking forward to this all week. Alas, it was not meant to be. NEXT time I come down this way, I am going to PREARRANGE an official tour, for that documentary video I am going to be working on.
Anyway, just wanted to let you folks know that A) your leaders in government ARE approachable...and B) Something is worrying Big Bro Big Time.
Just thought I'd share my two cents, after getting home late today...
Rich
Founder - SurvivalRing.org
http://www.survivalring.org
Step One
On my end, Friday, June 16th was a very good day. I was in Cheyenne, Wyoming (the state capital) with Wyoming Public TV, as a production assistant, covering a special legislative session, and Friday was very exciting for me personally. We had a bit of slack time before taping in the afternoon, and we made a few rounds about the town.
First, one of my fellow cameraman and I dropped by the Herschner building, where a lot of the state's main offices are, and visited the main Wyoming Homeland Security office. I met the Head Guy there, and spent about a half hour with the Public Information officer, and explained to her what I was doing with my website, gave her two copies of the latest update of my CD, and expressed to her my interest in doing a documentary about Homeland Security as seen from the role of the private citizen, and how one can become more involved with any of the various aspects of local, regional, and state level organizations.
She was very receptive to it, and we exchanged email addresses, and she is going to make sure I have access to info, contacts, and any tools I can use for the video project. This would be a project that I would be putting together with the goal of gaining more video production experience for my college media production degree, as well as a possible project to be shown on our TV station sometime after it is done. I am really excited about the possibilities here.
Step Two
Around 4 in the afternoon, we had an appointment with the Governor, Dave Freudenthal, and I was the cameraman for the shoot, for a segment for our station's special news coverage of the legislative session. Afterwards, during the small talk, while we were putting the equipment back in the storage bags, I was able to talk to him for a few moments, and handed him a copy of the CD as well, and got a picture of he and I shaking hands with the State Seal right behind us. It was a big moment for me, and I hope it bodes well of good things to come.
Here's the picture...
( I'm the cute one on the left!)
Governor Dave, although a Democrat, seemed to be a heck of a guy. I met him once before (before he was governor) when I was working in his home town for a few days at the last restaurant I managed, and the guy is about as good as we can get for this state.
The one step back, as mentioned above, is quite interesting...
Also located here in Cheyenne is Warren Air Force Base...which just happens to be an ICBM nuclear missile base. While filming all the shows this week at the State Museum, we had a little time there. In the main entrance hall, is a very large display rack with brochures for nearly all the special and interesting places in the entire state of Wyoming.
One of these was a brochure for the Air Force Base, for the "ICBM missile museum" they have there. The brochure mentions free admission, and weekday hours, and "Bring the Family." Well, we went. And basically got the boot. Kicked off the base, that is...Outside the main gate is a visitors center, where every nonmilitary person must stop and check in.
Picture ID, vehicle registration, and car insurance verification must be provided, says the sign in the small parking lot.We park and walk in, paperwork in hand. There's a small line of about 6 folks.
We get up to the counter, and provide the paperwork, and show them the museum brochure, and ask if it is currently open today."Oh, no...you can't go in there. It's only open to military personnel, and those with military sponsors."
I assume a military sponsor is a family member in the military, or someone assigned by the military to give tours of the base to officials and preselected groups. I was wearing my travel vest with my "Official TV Station PRESS Pass" attached, but it didn't work.
The nice Air Force Lady behind the counter looked at us upon saying the above, than without saying another word, we knew we had to look for the nearest exit.
Maybe the fact that it WAS open to the public at some point (because of the plethora of those informational brochures) but is NOT now, should be SOME kind of DOT...I mean, they didn't even check my ID on their computer system, just glanced at the brochure, and said "No".Big Bummer.
I was really looking forward to this all week. Alas, it was not meant to be. NEXT time I come down this way, I am going to PREARRANGE an official tour, for that documentary video I am going to be working on.
Anyway, just wanted to let you folks know that A) your leaders in government ARE approachable...and B) Something is worrying Big Bro Big Time.
Just thought I'd share my two cents, after getting home late today...
Rich
Founder - SurvivalRing.org
http://www.survivalring.org
posted by rafleet | 4:03 PM
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