Jim Robinson

Microsoft changes metadata

2008-10-10T10:47:00.001-04:00

Microsoft changes metadata
Originally uploaded by Jim Robinson Films

It's true, after it was found that the new "I'm a PC" ad was made on a Mac, LuisDS a Flickr.com user found the metadata

U.S. Coast Guard Blows Cover

2008-09-17T11:53:00.004-04:00

The Miami Coast Guard stopped a 'semi-submersible' vessel carrying--get this, 14 thousand pounds of Cocaine! Here is the video from the USCG. It's pretty dark but funny to see these dorks coming out of the 'blow hole' of the vessel. Alright, enough puns.

j

Ike Coverage 2008

2008-09-13T01:24:00.002-04:00

The eye of Hurricane Ike is starting to come ashore in Galveston as of 1:30 am e.s.t. Ike is coming ashore as a category 2 storm. It's only 1 mph from being a category 3--but the winds have been reported to be as strong as a category 4 storm.

Photo Source: Google Earth

Surges of water in excess of 20 to 30 feet that will ultimately cause heavy flooding in Freeport, Galveston, Clear Lake, Houston, and several other cities around the Texas Coast line. At this pointe we must pray for our friends and neighbors who may not be able to get out of harm's way with a massive storm coming. As I flip between CNN, FOX, The Weather Channel and MSNBC I see the gammut of reporters putting themselves in the thick of it. The winds and rain hitting your face is like having someone hitting you directly with a high powered stream of water and not to mention sand. Salt water gets in your eyes and mouth and leaves you with an awful feeling.

All we can do now is pray for low amounts of damage.

jr

Live Coverage of Ike

2008-09-13T00:21:00.003-04:00

(12:34 est)
I'm going to be watching this for a while tonight. Ike is beginning to pound Galveston, TX. This is the latest image from Google Earth as Ike comes ashore in Texas.

Already, the wind is beginning to blow, some rain is coming down and the water is slowly rising near the coastline. Clear Lake, TX is experiencing the category 2 storm. Winds are at 110 mph and is 44 miles off of Galveston, TX.
I'll be monitoring the situation and blogging live.

Monster Storm Coming Ashore

2008-09-12T12:03:00.002-04:00

Hurricane Ike is enormous, and heading right for Galveston, Texas. CBS News' Teri Okita reported at noon that officials are calling Ike "the storm of ages".

So far, we know it's a category 2 with 30-plus foot waves in the eye of the storm. That's a three story building of water coming ashore overnight meteorologists say. When it does make shore, it could be a devasting category 3 storm that would cause death and severe damage. It's not even the storm that is the main concern, it's the storm surge behind it that could cause massive flooding to our friends in Texas and perhaps the Lousiana Coast Line.

I am planning to monitor the storm over night as long as possible--and get the information on this blog as soon as I can.

jr

Mental Images of 9-11

2008-09-11T11:17:00.004-04:00

This is my part of the 9-11 attack history. I was working as a one-man-band reporter for a small NBC station in Michigan when this picture was taken. I begged my news director to let me follow a team of folks as they bring relief supplies to victims of the attacks.

He said, absolutely not--we can't afford to send you and it will not work. It wasn't an answer I hoped for, but I needed to be a part of this and share the stories of this horrible event in U.S. history. So, with just a few days of vacation left, I put in for vacation and it was approved. I was denied the professional DVC Pro camera to take with me to Washington D.C. so I asked if I could use this junky S-VHS camera to work with. Reluctantly, they agreed. So, here I am at the Pentagon where the building was still smoking and smoldering--workers searching the grounds with masks on. They are all off to the left of this picture. On the right and behind me? Armed green baret soldiers watching our every move.

As I thought about what I was seeing with my own eyes, a familiar face came into view. It was the host of America's Most Wanted--John Walsh. I casually walked up and said, "Mr. Walsh, I'm with a local Michigan TV station and I'de like to ask you a few questions about your visit here today.". He agreed right away and we did this interview you see above. Super nice guy by the way.

I ended up getting some great pictures and sound, but to this day--I am proud for standing up for a story I believed in covering for my station and myself. I was part of this history, both good and bad. I just remembered thinking--I am a journalist. I became like someone I admired, Peter Jennings. This is my career, and this is my duty to the community. Tell stories and stand up for what I believe in. I thank God everyday, that I get to tell stories.

JR

We Don't Like Ike!

2008-09-11T11:07:00.004-04:00

It's a massive storm from the view inside the Google Earth program. It's amazing to see real time weather on the Globe. Thanks to this upgrade, you can see exactly how huge Ike is and where it is on it's path to Texas. I captured this image from Google at 11:10 am. It's crazy to see how big it is and how it's still covering all of Florida, yet we really don't notice anything other than cloudy skies. I have not been asked to cover the storm in Texas but I believe no one is going and I'll assume we'll have our folks already there working for the company--to hook us up.

It's currently (11:12 est) a category 2 storm with winds holding at just above 100 mph and it's moving pretty slow at just 10 mph. This isn't good if the water is warm in the Gulf of Mexico as it could flare up to a category 3 relatively easily. I found this tracker on Weather.com. It's up-to-date info on the storm

As it's been all season long here in South Florida, we'll have to watch and wait. But, I must admit this year has been extremely busy for us with storms. Please remember all those folks in Haiti and the Caribean Islands. They have been battered to no end.

jr

Griffin's Surgery

2008-09-09T01:20:00.006-04:00

Griffin has had a strange odor coming from his mouth lately, so he went into our veterinarians Dr. Carl Ansara and Dr. Rachel Steele for a check up. Turns out his baby teeth are rotten and need to come out. This is a big deal for a dog that weighs just 3 pounds. He's recovering nicely now and I think he enjoyed the drugs a little too much.

We took this video with a flip video camera. It's pretty funny!

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-09T00:08:00.003-04:00

Hurricane Ike has been quite the storm. It has left hundreds dead in Haiti and is plowing through Cuba with an astonising force. What's amazing to me is how big this monster of a storm is. It's bearing down on the Southern edge of Cuba as I write this blog and in South Florida, we will see and feel the effects.

In the Keys, winds up to 60 miles per hour are expected, that's just from the outer bands of Ike.

The worry now? Where will it go? New Orleans may be out of the path, but as you may have seen in the past, storms have a mind of their own. We'll all just have to wait and see. Pray for those who lost love ones this hurricane season.

jr

Covering Storms in the Bahamas

2008-09-04T08:58:00.001-04:00

I'm in Nassau Bahamas for now where we have bunkered down awaiting for TS Hanna, but it look like it's going to be a bunch of wind and rain and nothing too concerning..

Ike however is the big threat now, especially if it comes ashore this weekend in the Bahamas. It's now a category 4 storm and it's a bit nerve racking.

I'm doing fine, but I want to let everyone know I'm safe and all is ok!

Is Gustav the Katrina of 2008?

2008-08-30T15:49:00.002-04:00

To put Gustav into perspective, I've put together this quick Saffir Simpson scale of Hurricane Categories. It's scary to imagine winds over 155 miles per hour. I only pray for the safety of our friends on the Gulf Coast. It's broken down into category, winds and damge

ONE 74 - 95 MPH MINIMAL

TWO 96 - 110 MPH MODERATE

THREE 111 - 130 MPH MAJOR

FOUR 131 - 155 MPH EXTENSIVE

FIVE >155 MPH CATASROPHIC

This very well could be the 2008 Katrina. We'll all have to wait and see. I haven't been deployed yet, but if I do I will keep this blog updated!

We're On The Emarald Isle!

2008-07-25T14:49:00.000-04:00

And it's amazing! Imagine wide open green rolling hills and stone cliffs It's so beautiful here. Diane and I are having a great time and we're staying in Bally Money in Norhtern Ireland. I'll try to post some photos when I can before my arrival back to the States. FAILTA!!

J

We're in Europe! We are very tired!!

2008-07-18T04:44:00.001-04:00

We've made it to Europe, and we've got some serious jetlag. Check out some photos we've uploaded so far. here

Cheerio!

J

Gone to Europe!

2008-07-15T08:09:00.001-04:00

It's July 15th and we are finally on our way to Europe!

We fly out at 1pm and arrive in London Wednesday at 7am.

I hope to get some things uploaded here soon!!

We come back the 30th.

Me in the news...sort of.

2008-07-10T16:07:00.005-04:00

I was working a story about the Ft Lauderdale Police Chief's wife who tried to shoot him. We waited hours for her to bond out of court then she finally did and ran into her waiting car surprising the photogs from the local markets. I grabbed a few stills from ABC10 who had me all in their shots. Here is the link for the video. Click Here

Big Weather in SoFlo!

2008-07-07T23:54:00.002-04:00

So I'm sitting down at about 11:45p watching family guy when a huge
lightning bolt hit the ground nearby. It was loud and bright. It
sounded like someone dropped a dump truck a mile up. I had to
quickly check on Diane and Lilly then outside where many car alarms
were going off.

I have always thought oh cool, lightning and thunder are great to look
at but when I came back in the house another bolt hit nearby and I RAN
into the house. Wow. Hurricane Bertha making history as first to form
this early in the East and just crazy atorms every day. What is going
on?

Jim Robinson
Sent via iPhone

Rare Whale Beached In Florida Keys Has Died

2008-06-25T15:52:00.004-04:00

An upate to my first blog entry about the beached whale. We have learned it died of kidney and liver failure. The whale lives in the deep waters off the continental shelf. It's sad to see this rare animal die. The only other one the MMC has been able to work with other than this, was 1996. That one only survived 36 hours.

My favorite comedian, dead at 71.

2008-06-23T07:13:00.002-04:00

Comedian George Carlin died of heart failure Sunday in L.A. My Dad and I loved watching him for years becase he was known for his raunchy but insightful humor. Carlin was best known for his routine "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television," which appeared on 1972's "Class Clown" album.

It's a sad day. God Bless you George!

Rare Whale Beached In Florida Keys

2008-06-21T18:35:00.003-04:00

Here is a story I was covering on Friday the 20th of June.

This is a rare "Gervais' Beaked Whale" that call the deep ocean home. Take a look. The dedicated volunteers at the Marine Mammal Conservancy need your help for this and other marine animals in trouble.

Thanks!

Remembering NBC's Tim Russert

2008-06-13T16:30:00.002-04:00

For those of us in journalism, this is a very sad day.

Tim is highly respected and lead the way in election coverage.

He'll be missed. Below is video from MSNBC.

Tim Russert Dead At 58.

2008-06-13T15:47:00.001-04:00

BREAKING NEWS

NBC News and MSNBC

WASHINGTON - Tim Russert, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and the moderator of “Meet the Press,” died Friday after collapsing in the bureau, NBC News said Friday. He was 58.

Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” program when he collapsed, the network said. No details were immediately available.

Russert, the recipient of 48 honorary doctorates, took over the helm of “Meet the Press” in December 1991. Now in its 60th year, “Meet the Press” is the longest-running program in the history of television.

In 2008, Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Timothy John Russert Jr. was born in Buffalo, N.Y., on May 7, 1950. He was a graduate of Canisius High School, John Carroll University and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He was a member of the bar in New York and the District of Columbia.

Senate staffer before entering journalism
After graduating from law school, Russert went into politics as a staff operative. In 1976, he worked on the Senate campaign of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., and in 1982, he worked on Mario Cuomo’s campaign for governor of New York.

Russert joined NBC News in 1984. In April 1985, he supervised the live broadcasts of NBC's TODAY show from Rome, negotiating and arranging an appearance by Pope John Paul II, a first for American television. In 1986 and 1987, Russert led NBC News’ weeklong broadcasts from South America, Australia and China.

Of his background as a Democratic political operative, Russert said, “My views are not important.”

“Lawrence Spivak, who founded ‘Meet the Press,’ told me before he died that the job of the host is to learn as much as you can about your guest’s positions and take the other side,” he said in a 2007 interview with Time magazine. “And to do that in a persistent and civil way. And that’s what I try to do every Sunday.”

Cuomo, Russert’s onetime boss, wrote of Russert: “Most candidates are not eager to present themselves for Tim’s incisive scrutiny, which is fed by his prodigious study and preparation. But they have little choice: appearing on ‘Meet the Press’ is today as vital to a serious candidate as being properly registered to vote.”

Russert wrote two books — “Big Russ and Me” in 2004 and “Wisdom of Our Fathers” in 2006 — both of which were New York Times best-sellers.

Emmy for Reagan funeral coverage
In 2005, Russert was awarded an Emmy for his role in the coverage of the funeral of President Ronald Reagan. His “Meet the Press” interviews with George W. Bush and Al Gore in 2000 won the Radio and Television Correspondents’ highest honor, the Joan S. Barone Award, and the Annenberg Center’s Walter Cronkite Award.

Russert’s March 2000 interview of Sen. John McCain shared the 2001 Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence in Television Journalism. He was also the recipient of the John Peter Zenger Award, the American Legion Journalism Award, the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society Journalism Award, the Allen H. Neuharth Award for Excellence in Journalism, the David Brinkley Award for Excellence in Communication and the Catholic Academy for Communication’s Gabriel Award. He was a member of the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.

Russert was a trustee of the Freedom Forum’s Newseum and a member of the board of directors of the Greater Washington Boys and Girls Club, and America’s Promise — Alliance for Youth.

In 1995, the National Father’s Day Committee named him “Father of the Year,” Parents magazine honored him as “Dream Dad” in 1998, and in 2001 the National Fatherhood Initiative also recognized him as Father of the Year.

Irish America magazine named him one of the top 100 Irish Americans in the country, and he was selected as a Fellow of the Commission of European Communities.

Russert is survived by his wife, Maureen Orth, a writer for Vanity Fair magazine, and a son, Luke.

Check back soon for more on this breaking story

Congressman Lays Out Articles of Impeachment

2008-06-11T09:30:00.004-04:00

Congressman Dennis Kucinich lays out 35 articles of impeachment Monday night. When I first saw this happening Monday, I assumed it would be all over the news like bad batch of tomatoes...boy was I wrong.

Here is the "short list" of impeachable offenses our President is being accused with.

Click here for details from the Congressman's website.

Article I

Creating a Secret Propaganda Campaign to Manufacture a False Case for War Against Iraq. Article II
Falsely, Systematically, and with Criminal Intent Conflating the Attacks of September 11, 2001, With Misrepresentation of Iraq as a Security Threat as Part of Fraudulent Justification for a War of Aggression.

Article III
Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction, to Manufacture a False Case for War.

Article IV
Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Posed an Imminent Threat to the United States.

Article V
Illegally Misspending Funds to Secretly Begin a War of Aggression.

Article VI
Invading Iraq in Violation of the Requirements of H. J. Res114.

Article VII
Invading Iraq Absent a Declaration of War.

Article VIII
Invading Iraq, A Sovereign Nation, in Violation of the UN Charter.

Article IX
Failing to Provide Troops With Body Armor and Vehicle Armor.

Article X
Falsifying Accounts of US Troop Deaths and Injuries for Political Purposes.

Article XI
Establishment of Permanent U.S. Military Bases in Iraq.

Article XII
Initiating a War Against Iraq for Control of That Nation's Natural Resources.

Article XIIII
Creating a Secret Task Force to Develop Energy and Military Policies With Respect to Iraq and Other Countries.

Article XIV
Misprision of a Felony, Misuse and Exposure of Classified Information And Obstruction of Justice in the Matter of Valerie Plame Wilson, Clandestine Agent of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Article XV
Providing Immunity from Prosecution for Criminal Contractors in Iraq.

Article XVI
Reckless Misspending and Waste of U.S. Tax Dollars in Connection With Iraq and US Contractors.

Article XVII
Illegal Detention: Detaining Indefinitely And Without Charge Persons Both U.S. Citizens and Foreign Captives.

Article XVIII
Torture: Secretly Authorizing, and Encouraging the Use of Torture Against Captives in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Other Places, as a Matter of Official Policy.

Article XIX
Rendition: Kidnapping People and Taking Them Against Their Will to "Black Sites" Located in Other Nations, Including Nations Known to Practice Torture.

Article XX
Imprisoning Children.

Article XXI
Misleading Congress and the American People About Threats from Iran, and Supporting Terrorist Organizations Within Iran, With the Goal of Overthrowing the Iranian Government.

Article XXII
Creating Secret Laws.

Article XXIII
Violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.

Article XXIV
Spying on American Citizens, Without a Court-Ordered Warrant, in Violation of the Law and the Fourth Amendment.

Article XXV
Directing Telecommunications Companies to Create an Illegal and Unconstitutional Database of the Private Telephone Numbers and Emails of American Citizens.

Article XXVI
Announcing the Intent to Violate Laws with Signing Statements.

Article XXVII
Failing to Comply with Congressional Subpoenas and Instructing Former Employees Not to Comply.

Article XXVIII
Tampering with Free and Fair Elections, Corruption of the Administration of Justice.

Article XXIX
Conspiracy to Violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Article XXX
Misleading Congress and the American People in an Attempt to Destroy Medicare.

Article XXXI
Katrina: Failure to Plan for the Predicted Disaster of Hurricane Katrina, Failure to Respond to a Civil Emergency.

Article XXXII
Misleading Congress and the American People, Systematically Undermining Efforts to Address Global Climate Change.

Article XXXIII
Repeatedly Ignored and Failed to Respond to High Level Intelligence Warnings of Planned Terrorist Attacks in the US, Prior to 911.

Article XXXIV
Obstruction of the Investigation into the Attacks of September 11, 2001.

Article XXXV
Endangering the Health of 911 First Responders.

Apple Announces New iPhone

2008-06-09T13:04:00.002-04:00

Woke up to find this today!

It's the first public sign that Apple is releasing something BIG.

If you speak Mac, then you know it's the new iPhone 3G.

I'm a little depressed because I can't afford the one which is expected to have a built in "true" GPS and faster speeds on the 3G network.

The only glimmer of hope for us version 1'ers is a software upgrade for the old iphone "Version 2"

Here is the LIVE word from MacLife: Thanks Guys!!

Dream Team

2008-06-06T07:48:00.002-04:00

Is it true?

Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton met last night to "unite" their campaigns according to CNN. If this is a step towards a ticket making Clinton the VP candidate...we're heading in the right direction I believe.

McCain Arriving in Fort Lauderdale

2008-06-05T22:18:00.003-04:00

...and I don't really care.

He's here at a fundraiser, get this $50,000 a head. Yikes! All it really is--a chance for folks to show to the media their Bentley's and limos. Who cares?

Anyway, here is a clip I shot of his bus and the St. Regent where he's staying Thursday night.

Obama Is Democratic Nominee!

2008-06-04T08:17:00.007-04:00

Barack Obama is the Democratic Nominee, and he's got my vote!

I believe he has a plan to get us out of Iraq, strengthen our economy and re-unite all of us into harmony. Friends, this is history and we're all here to see it unfold. I was traveling with the Senator a few weeks ago and it was there that I made my decision to give Barack my vote. Not just a good speaker (wow, we don't have to be embarrassed by Bush anymore) but Barack is a man of vision. Please support him and the campaign to make him the first black president of my Country. The United States of America!

Dream Team

Imagine with out bias a team including a black man and a white woman on the democratic ticket. You have someone who knows the struggles of living in a low income home growing up and also dealing with racial in-equality. Then you have a white woman who didn't face racism head on--but faced some inequality being a woman. This really is a dream team for America. As much as I don't really seeing it happen...you have a both sexes in the White House and two major races in the White House. You may disagree, but at least think about Mom and Dad. Dad was tough with punishment and getting things done with budgeting and fixing problems. Mom was there to remind Dad that we are all human and mistakes happen and a maternal instinct to do what's right for the "kids" and the family. Come on Hillary and Barack--create the dream team or maybe the Hope Team.

Just a thought.

CNN: In less than a year, Barack Obama has gone from being an obscure, first-term U.S. senator to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. On Tuesday, Obama became the first African-American to head the ticket of a major political party, beating out Sen. Hillary Clinton, who aspired to become the first female nominee.

Hurricane season 2008 is here

2008-06-01T13:54:00.003-04:00

It's another "iffy" year for hurricanes.

Below is a graphic look from NOAA about his year's hurricane predictions. I personally think it's "B.S." but if anything it makes people prepare just in case.

Dog Obesity With Lilly

2008-05-31T22:44:00.004-04:00

Here is the first PKG i've shot, written and edited on my own. I chose dog obesity since it is a problem that goes un noticed sometimes. Let me know what you think!

2008-05-31T15:20:00.002-04:00

Testing the XDCAM EX1 by Sony.

This is day 3 of the demo. Enjoy some palm trees and ducks!

Trying Out the Sony XDCAM EX1

2008-05-30T11:22:00.002-04:00

My Review Thus Far: 5/30/08   

Sony XDCAM EX1:

I have found it's the perfect camera for tv and web news-gathering. The flip out screen with view of the audio meters helps ensure my levels are good while shooting stand-ups and interviews. Having the XLR inputs is a huge help in that we don't need a converter-and it's super fast and easy to switch to accomdate a line or mic situation for example, (pressers). Finding clips is super quick and easy and the TC stays with the clip so I can log right on the camera; making it easy to go back and edit a piece. With the auto focus and iris, the video in a pinch will always be air-able. It's a great camera in that it's not complicated like many broadcast cameras so doing things quickly becomes easy. I will be testing some more over the weekend with windy conditions. Check the colors, and transfering to FCP for editing.

I'll have more for you Sunday night.

The rising cost of movie going

2008-05-26T17:05:00.000-04:00

Its the popcorn's fault!

Phoenix Lands On Mars: Successful Mission So Far

2008-05-26T07:59:00.002-04:00

I'm a geek for space and science and this is just awesome. To the left is the first "false-color" photo of the polar surface of Mars. Photo is from www.NASA.gov

This image shows a polygonal pattern in the ground near NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, similar in appearance to icy ground in the arctic regions of Earth.

Phoenix touched down on the Red Planet at 4:53 p.m. Pacific Time (7:53 p.m. Eastern Time), May 25, 2008, in an arctic region called Vastitas Borealis, at 68 degrees north latitude, 234 degrees east longitude.

This is an approximate-color image taken shortly after landing by the spacecraft's Surface Stereo Imager, inferred from two color filters, a violet, 450-nanometer filter and an infrared, 750-nanometer filter.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona.

According to NASA, they will begin using the robotic arm to dig beneath the surface for ice or elements that would make up microbial life. How cool huh?

Space History Being Made Today

2008-05-25T11:16:00.003-04:00

Phoenix To Land On Mars at 7:53pm EST.

In just a few hours, we will see the first images from Mars from the Phoenix lander that was launched last summer. Tonight beginning at 6, NASA will begin coverage. You can watch online at www.nasa.gov

Lilly and Griffin

2008-05-25T10:46:00.000-04:00

My first test subjects of iPhone video

Travel with Obama's press

2008-05-24T08:45:00.003-04:00

We drive to Tampa on Tuesday arriving late in the day so straight to the hotel.

Wednesday 4AM
Yes, it is early! We must be in place and ready to go for security sweeps at the St. Pete Times Forum where the Senator will be speaking at. Alreaady at about 6AM people were lineing up and hoping to get a good seat. Shirts, buttons, and stickers litter a sea of people wraping around the building.

7AM
Security sweep and we have to leave by the order of Secret Service. We head to a small coffee shop near downtown Tampa.

9:30AM
We arrive back and prepare to film the event. The energy is unlike any of seen before in a Presidential candidate rally I've been to before. Not even Al Gore generated this kind of energy and it seemed as though everyone was one unit. No colors, no genders, no ethnicity. Wow.

11AM
Barack arrives and begins his speech. We had a hard time getting the laptop computer connected with the little camera I brought so we had to crash a package and feed in the video via satellite. What a pain in the ass.

3pm
Off to Orlando via bus. We now get to see what it's like in a motorcade with cops shutting down the route as we traveled. Blowing through red lights and not stopping for anything. Sort of fun actually. Ha.

Arriving in Orlando now abour 4:30PM, we prepare to go live from inside where Obama is speaking to a group at a town hall meeting setting. We crash a package and head to dinner.

We come back to the Orlando stop and cut another story then it's live at ten and eleven...finally after 18 hours, we head to the hotel and lights out! Finally.

Thursday Morning
We climb onto the buses and then it's off to the airport fo jump aboard the press express to FLL and another bus ride to Boca where Obama is speaking to a group of Jewish voters and to address the comments he made about Israel.

More stories for the early shows and then our day was done. A wrap to a trip filled with fast timelines, stress, and some chit chat with the folks who follow the Senator everyday. Just an amazing experience. Here is my press credential. Great way to remember this trip.

Obama in Florida

2008-05-24T08:42:00.002-04:00

Had a wonderful opportunity to travel with Senator Barack Obama this past week with the National Traveling Press. We met up with the campain in Tampa then off to Orlando on a chartered bus and off to Boca via a chartered b-757. You don't know flying until you've been in a chartered boeing. It was a like a dorm room for the traveling press. I had three seats to my self and a hot meal on the plane that morning. The crew who travels are amazing in that they give up time with family and friends to bring us the video and stories from the road.

I am also starting to do some things for the web. I did this "behind the scenes" video on Friday the 23rd in Sunrise. My friend Carey and I were tag teaming a peice about people battling the nasty weather to see the Senator.

Copy and paste this link in your browser:
http://cbs4.com/video/?id=55434@wfor.dayport.com

It's a great time to be a member of the team in South Florida. We are using the internet more than ever to file news stories, and give a real "behind the scenes" look at the campaign.

More is coming! Check out the clip from CBS4.com

J

Diane's New Job!

2008-05-19T08:48:00.003-04:00

My wife Diane has accepted a position at West Broward High School. She will be co-directing the pre-vet magnet school. I'm so proud of my baby!!

Yikes!

2008-05-15T22:59:00.002-04:00

Interesting Stats on Candidate Spending

2008-05-12T13:36:00.006-04:00

I was just looking at the Federal Elections Commission for information about the candidates and their spending। I was sort of surprised with the numbers. Kinda thought McCain would have a little more than a few million. Anyway, here are the rest of the numbers.
Source: Federal Elections Commission (FEC)

McCain, John
Total Receipts: $80,768,516 Transfers From Authorized Committees: $627,487 Individual Contributions: $73,956,554 Non-Party (e।g। PACs) or Other Committees: $798,351 Contributions from Party Committees $2,500 Candidate Contribution: $0 Candidate Loans: $0 Other Loans: $3,921,697
Total Disbursements: $69,039,770 Transfers to Authorized Committees: $621,487 Individual Refunds: $3,663,974 Non-Party (e.g. PACs) or Other Refunds: $84,250 Candidate Loan Repayments: $0 Other Loan Repayments: $3,921,697
Beginning Cash: $472,454 Latest Cash On Hand: $12,201,200 Debts Owed By: $707,041

Obama, Barack
Total Receipts: $240,175,066 Transfers From Authorized Committees: $0 Individual Contributions: $234,792,268 Non-Party (e.g. PACs) or Other Committees: $8,190 Contributions from Party Committees $0 Candidate Contribution: $0 Candidate Loans: $0 Other Loans: $0
Total Disbursements: $189,101,066 Transfers to Authorized Committees: $0 Individual Refunds: $968,653 Non-Party (e.g. PACs) or Other Refunds: $7,940 Candidate Loan Repayments: $0 Other Loan Repayments: $0
Beginning Cash: $0 Latest Cash On Hand: $51,073,999 Debts Owed By: $662,784

Clinton, Hillary Rodham
Total Receipts: $194,793,404 Transfers From Authorized Committees: $10,000,000 Individual Contributions: $174,494,945 Non-Party (e.g. PACs) or Other Committees: $1,251,540 Contributions from Party Committees $1,000 Candidate Contribution: $0 Candidate Loans: $5,000,000 Other Loans: $0
Total Disbursements: $163,081,207 Transfers to Authorized Committees: $0 Individual Refunds: $2,945,372 Non-Party (e.g. PACs) or Other Refunds: $34,701 Candidate Loan Repayments: $0 Other Loan Repayments: $0
Beginning Cash: $0 Latest Cash On Hand: $31,712,197 Debts Owed By: $15,321,562

I had a dream a while back that Clinton would take the White House, but looking at the numbers and her popularity...who knows।

10,000 Dead in South East Asia

2008-05-05T12:01:00.003-04:00

Myanmar - - Cyclone Nargis has claimed the lives of nearly ten thousand people. It happened here in South East Asia.

This is still comes from CNN.com. As a journalist, this is very tragic to see. Imagine a place with very little technology or even decent housing gone to this huge cycline. Please follow this story by visiting CBS4.com. I'm sure there will be a relief effort which I would encourage you to help in.

Turtle Laying Eggs In Our Backyard

2008-04-26T17:28:00.003-04:00

This is video I captured of a painter turtle laying eggs near a bush in our back yard. Cool huh?

Why the duck would you shoot this bird?

2008-04-23T20:15:00.000-04:00

...because you're bored.
This dumb 19-year old guy from Coral Springs, who by the way was
enlisting into the Army, decided he had to shoot up an innocent duck
in the neck, almost killing it.

So now he is charged with a 3rd degree felony and faces up to five
years in jail.

You also gotta love facebook. That's where we get a lot of photos.
Dumb!!

Update

2008-04-11T09:16:00.002-04:00

A couple updates to mention.
First and most important--my Mother, Brother Fred and his new Wife Karen are coming Wednesdy of next week. It's the first time Fred has ever been on a plane, let alone out of the State. This will be very exciting. I'm planning to take him to Fort Lauderdale Beach, South Beach in Miami and hopefully on a chopper ride. We are then going to Universal Studios and Cape Canaveral. I've never been there, but I am excited to go. I'm a history and aviation nut!

I'm also excited for Diane, who is being considered now as a teacher at the new Broward County High School where they plan to have a pre-vet magnet. I'm so happy and proud of my beautiful wife! She loves animals and teaching...so perfect combo. She's still teaching biology at a school off Comercial.

Our dear friends Carl and Rachel are moving forward in their project to help animals. We are so proud of them. We're praying for you guys.

As for me, nothing too exciting. Just trying to be creative and do good work.

JR

Messing with the iPhone.

2008-04-06T19:41:00.000-04:00

Married To The Bottle

2008-03-26T11:06:00.003-04:00

It's taken me along time to share my feelings and fears about my Father. I think, a great title for a book I want to write would be "Married to the Bottle". I was driving home last night after work, and I figured I needed to call him to say hi, etc. When I called, first I didn't know if the number I had was even working as it's common to be disconnected. Much to my surprise (sarcasm( he was drunk again. He's been an alcoholic for as early as I remember. At first, it seemed he didn't recognize my voice and it hurt my soul. It was as if he had come down with a memory disorder, but I know it's the years of barley and hopps that is now effecting his memory. If you know anyone who is an alcoholic, you know it's tough no matter how old you are or your life situation. He asked how I was and my wife and I told him fine...then he asked again...how's your wife? I began to feel as though we were even further away from each other. I thought, how could he ask me again...he just did. So, again-I say she's fine, we're fine.

My Dad has always been my biggest supporter, no matter what I wanted to do. Especially when I struggled to be accepted by those around me. I didn't have a lot of support from others outside my parents. My high school principal told me I wouldn't amount to much. I drove by in my news vehicle when I reported for the local station and waved. My Father isn't just a "drunk" to me. It's also why I have such a hard time seeing him struggle now. The big bad Marine now a slave to booze.

Alcoholism is a very sad disease, that forced him to hide the 40 ounce beers he would sneak into the house--not knowing how we caught on with the sweet vapor of alcohol dancing in his breath. Favorite hiding spots were the attic, behind some towels in the bathroom closet and the garage. When I got bored as a child, I would go on my "prohibition" missions to find the booze from hiding then dump it out. With each bottle I found, an early depression set in as my Father succomed to the drink.

DUI number one came early one morning, forcing my Mom to bail my Dad out of jail and pay emormous fines that we couldn't afford. How embarrased I was that my Father was in jail. What will everyone think?

We were a middle class family with my Mom working most of the time. My Dad couldn't hold a job for more than a few weeks because he would show up drunk, or drink while he worked. You can understand how that becomes a problem. For the most part, we were a one income home with just a few nice things--that my Father would guilt my Mom into buying. A few days or weeks later, he would end up pawning the stuff for booze. Taking the money to buy rounds for the bar, instead of food for us or uitilities. At three in the morning, he would stagger in hiccupping so much, we expected vomitting to follow. A wad of cash from our big screen tv in his pocket--not all of it.

The next day, a Saturday, we would go outside and throw the football back and forth and I would realize that I really loved my Father. He was my hero when he was sober, he loved being with me and is so proud of me. It was agony to see him so happy and care free playing ball with me, then I knew come dinner time, he would take off to a bar, telling us he was filling out applications in town. Crying myself to sleep was common. Thinking, why does he choose beer over Mom and I. Why can't he stop, it seems so easy. Just, don't drink. Well, it's easy I guess for us who don't drink uncontrolably to understand. If he came home before early morning, I would hear Mom yelling at him and putting on the strong face my Brothers and I know. My Brothers are from another marriage and would walk by me and shake their heads in disgust. It was tough knowing that my Father had such a huge problem that was affecting the family. At night, Mom would come in and see me then break down. I would cry too, what do I do she would ask me. I as always say, please don't get divorced. She didn't until after I moved out of the house.

DUI number two came another early morning and a phone call to my Mom to bail him out of jail. At this point, everyone was frustrated. More money, stiffer fines, and oh yeah...his license was taken away leaving him no way to get work. I was just glad he didn't kill anyone driving drunk.

My day came, drivers education was a time of fun, excitement and driving him to jobs and the party store for beer. It forced me to hate driving I think and wish for something different.

(To Be Continued)

J

iPhone Captured Video!

2008-03-23T22:28:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited, and considering I have a career in new technology and news gathering..this is the Bomb dot Com
Take a look at this video I created with my iPhone, and dogs.

My MacBook - LIKE NEW!

2008-03-13T11:13:00.002-04:00

I'm very excited!

If you own a macbook, then you know just how hard it is to keep bright white and clean looking. I had the darkest palm prints where my hands rest, and I was trying to figure out what I could do to fix it. Well, guess what! Out of desperation, I took a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, and dampened it just a little bit. Almost to the point where it felt dry. I took just a few quick strokes on the hand pads and up came the gross hand oils that where embedded into my new macbook.

It was amazing. The downfall (which really isn't) is that it leaves little particles that need to be blown off or wiped off with a very soft cloth.

Now, go forth--and enjoy the clean like new look of your white macbook!!

P.S. I love Apple!

Humans on Mars! If you vote for Rudy...

2008-01-29T08:56:00.000-05:00

I was at a rally at FIU in Miami and these words were uttered by Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, "We will put a man on Mars, I promise". I am paraphrasing the exact wording but, are you kidding me? He's promising a human on Mars huh? Well, first of all, it aint gonna happen any time soon whether he's in office or not. Plus, there's nothing like being burnt to a crisp. I'm not sure if that would really happen but this guy will say anything to get in the White House.

Colombia Es Pasion! The Reason I Can't Describe This Place.

2008-01-13T00:49:00.000-05:00

After clearing customs in Fort Lauderdale, it was off to the gate and then the airplane of Avianca. Unlike most flights I've been on, this one was different right away. Birds chirped, water falls seemed to be inside the cabin, and of course no one spoke english. I smiled. I smiled for the first time in a long time and I walked to my seat. Window of course, gotta watch as I come into a Country I've never been to. Falling asleep was pretty easy on the three hour flight, but every once in a while you are wakened by the other passengers standing up and stretching or the attendent coming by to offer some more free food and drink or a hot towel.

I arrive at 5pm and I walk down a narrow hallway that is filled with the sounds of birds singing, and more water fall sounds. It’s very relaxing and then you come up to immigracion. Walk up, hand over the passport, they asked me where I was going and why. Of course going for pleasure.

Baggage claim I go, find the bags and then off to another security checkpointe to basically tell them I’m not bringing anything into the Country. I head outside into the 60 degree weather, and stand the many other folks, when a short man walks up and says, “Taxi?”. I respond no gracia and wait for my ride. Once he does, we scurry away into a taxi to drop off my things and it was off to Monseratte. It’s a mountain just a few miles from downtown. We take a cable car one thousand feet up and once you see the city of eight million people, it’s beyond words. So many people live in this valley nestled in the Andes Mountains; surrounded by lights flickering as far as you can see.

We arrive at the top of the mountain, and when you step off you stand before a massive church. This church was cathedral big. You walk up stone steps and when you walk in, you almost feel the hand of God touch you and lead you in. A hundred feet in, and you are near the alter and a dark series of rooms behind. We stepped out to see a wall of miracles. Plaques of granite carved to say things like “Thank you Jesus for saving my baby.”. If you need a miracle in your life, you come to the mountain church to pray. When your prayer is answered, you make a pilgrimage back to the church by foot up the face of the mountain carrying your carved stone slate with your thanks. Colombians are very religious and I don’t blame them. It’s a Country where you can understand why the people are so happy. There aren’t words in the language I speak that could describe the beauty of this part of the World. When I stood before that wall on the church with all those miracles, You can’t help but weep und thank God for blessing my wife Diane and I. The air up there is so clean and crisp that you feel like your soul is being bathed in pure life.

Then it was off to the resturant just a few yards that overlooks the city from the mountain. The food is like nothing I’ve had before. I want to say what my pollo dinner tasted like, but it’s tough. I sweet sauce bathing the best tasting chicken anywhere in the places I’ve ever been. My salad was a plate of cooked sugar cane, ochoros (small orange looking berry), avacado, and some kind of baby tomatoes mixed in with this leafy lettuce.

We ordered hot scotches, yes, hot scotches with a slice of lime and cinnamon, a rim of real sugarcane sugar. I’m not a huge hard liquor fan, but it was pretty good! We had dinner with some friends and their baby. Family is very important in Colombia and while mom walked around with the fussy infant, pappa ate fast and drank his scotch with Brian and I. He finished and the waiter brought out her food and then she ate while he attended to Jeronimo.

After that, we said good bye to the couple and headed down the mountain to a place in Northern Bogota—Osikin. It’s a place (like a park) where there are lights, music and people just having a good time. You watch people eat fried corn, (big there) and drink cervasas. We did what the travel books and websites I read before coming here, walk the streets at night...big deal! We had no problems and we flagged a cab to head home for the night. People are happy in Colombia, did I mention that? They are so happy it makes me wonder why I'm not. Money is not a huge deal there, if you have it great, if you don't someone will help you get what you need. I lay in bed looking up and thinking to myself, I'm in a foreign Country and I have never felt this way before. I fall asleep with ease.

Next morning, we walk to La Tienda (Grocery Store) it also a cafe with fresh fruits (uchuvas are granadillas rock!) and breads like I've never seen before. Fruits so delicious I wanted to take them home with me. We order an omlet, some fruit, crosiants, and cafe's then head outside to soak it all in. The Andes stand before us, as a security wall protecting the city. The clouds hung on the mountains like cotton candy. I have the most amazing cup of coffee and without my normal lache! (milk) It didn't need it! WOW!

A little later in the day we head over to Ciclovia. The city of Bogota closes down most of the main highways for everyone to walk, ride bikes and run for exercise and to see others. It is such a great event, and it's every Sunday. Can you believe I rode down the major expressway on a bike and thousands of others did the same.

My buddy kept asking me to describe my emotions and thoughts about the Country he fell in love with and all I could bumble out was, it's amazing. I can't believe I've been on this this Earth for over two decades and never experienced a place as moving, beautiful, sweet, clean, and loving. Colombia Es Pasion! It's true. You need to see if for yourself, because only then can you understand why I can't describe the Country in my dreams.

God has blessed me। Thank you for letting me live the dream.

My iPhone Took A Swim!

2008-01-02T14:24:00.000-05:00

I was shuffling around while getting ready to work and down it went...right into a puddle. I was devistated as you could imagine. I turned it off immediately and then after a while started it back up. It kept flashing the apple logo and I wanted to throw up.

After a few more minutes...a miracle!
It came on and I called "C" to say it worked.

That really sucked!

These things are really stable!

j

People Are So Interested In Me!

2008-01-02T14:21:00.000-05:00

It's true. I'm the topic of many a conversation. Mission Accomplished.
I'm glad that people share my life with others and keep up with what I'm doing. What a wonderful feeling!

Don't ya love sarcasm!

Tiger Escapes, Kills One

2007-12-26T08:57:00.000-05:00

San Fransico - I hate hearing about anyone dying on Christmas. It's not fair for their family and it's really sad.

But, look at it this way. Our society thinks it's "okay" to put wild animals in cages and expect them to acclimate to humans with little or no trouble at all. They become our pets and we can use them for research. Now, how can anyone expect a wild tiger to escape from a cage at the zoo and not be a little p'ed off. Really? It might be a good time to start re-evaluating how we treat animals and how our society needs to change. I've been to many zoos and I have honestly felt bad to see these beautiful animals on display. I understand that we should have access to wildlife, after all; we can't all afford African safaris. But for the media to jump on this and create a "Oh My God, How Does This Happen" feeling is just sad and why I think my business is becoming a whole new and ugly animal. Police shot and killed the poor creature that was just being a natural born hunter, does anyone care. I ask, why?

(Photo Courtesy of: CNN)

Flashback

2007-12-24T20:01:00.000-05:00

I came across some great photos and such of my in the field that I wanted to share. These and more can be found on my flickr account at www.flickr.com/jimmyrobinson First is at a Bush Event, Second is John Walsh and I at the Pentagon, last is my XL-1.

It's always fun to look back and see what i've done in the past with my career. I'm proud to say I've been part of a lot of stories and was able to travel around the U.S. for stories including a week trip with the U.S. Navy where I got a first hand look at the people fighting for our freedom. I really miss the trip I took with Brian Andrews, we met many people and got to see a lot of very cool things.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

2007-12-24T12:48:00.000-05:00

Ft Lauderdale - From the Sunny State of Florida...I want to wish everyone a very happy and healthy holiday and new year. It's been a crazy year, and I'm sure it will only be crazier in '08! God Bless.

J

Frustrated Journalist

2007-12-13T00:08:00.000-05:00

What can I say, I love story telling and the fact that we can now share our stories through so many new means, like right now on this blog. In 1999, as a young reporter and photographer; I just wanted to be on television. How cool, I thought when friends of mine would tell me how much they liked my story from the night before.
It's funny how you think back on your life and career in the early stages. I was asked by my good friend Brian Andrews, what was the most memorable story I did that meant something to me. I think I threw him off when I started telling him a story I did about an old cemetary in Michigan that was forgotten. I was driving one day, and noticed that there were headstones covered in trees and brushes with a faded white picket fence surrounding the small property. I began to ask around and make a few phone calls and found out that it had quite a history. A Barnum and Bailey Circus elephant was burried there along with many of the founders of that small town.
I spoke with the historical society--they didn't know what they could do with the property, being that it was so old, and there was little if any funding to take care of something like that. I was raised to respect our dead, and our history. So, I did the story on my own time with the blessing of my station, who were a little weary of the story. The next day, I understood what journalism was and the power of television. A group of volunteers were there the following weekend cutting branches, mowing grass and painting the fence. I had tears on my face when I drove by and saw what my little story did to preserve that peice of history and show respect for the people who lied beneath those headstones.
Since then, 10 years later; I haven't done anything of that magnitude in the way of real journalism. I did manage to force the hand of a big box retail store to clean up a section of river that they were polluting. It felt good, but what else have I done to change the World...not much.
Brian and I were sitting in a Tallahassee Hotel resturant one cool October day. I met him down there for breakfast, feeling like I couldn't do it anymore. He looked me in the eyes and said something I won't forget, "Be true to your core.". I'm a journalist inside, not a button pushing shooter like supervisors like to think I am. It hit me. Why don't I stay true to my core, and tell stories? Because it doesn't exist so much, when dead babies and cars in canals are headlines and the daily norm.
So, guess what? I am taking the advice of Brian and my new friend Kelley and staying true to myself. I am going to start telling stories again. I'm nervous, but too bad. I'm a frustrated journalist, but never the less...a journalist.

Thanks guys...

J

The Wonderful World of F.T.P.

2007-12-03T08:20:00.001-05:00

When I began in the tv news business, I never thought using an internet connection would be the future of transmission. This weekend, I realized it's here. As I posting things for the Miami Herald, and CBS Newspath, it was apparent that I needed to master the technology that is going to be fully here in 5 years.

The settings we use are broadcast standard, 720x480 and we compress it down to a H.264 file. An mpeg 4 file. I know it probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but if your coming into the business, LEARN THIS!

I have also seen those comfortable with the standard, (until now anyway) loose their mind working with FTP. While I'm excited to learn more, I'm also WAAAY behind. I'll be heading to Barnes and Noble to find every book possible on internet video. I suggest everyone do the same. J

Sea Turtle Hatchling

2007-11-09T17:41:00.001-05:00

Ft Lauderdale, Florida -

This video was captured along the shore at US-A1A in Fort Lauderdale. Out of dozens of sea turtle nests, only a few actually made it to the sea. Sea turtles from the time they hatch a few inches under the sand; face an uphill battle for survival. Constant threats of birds and other preditors loom, and wait for them to poke their pointy little heads from the sand hill.

My wife's brother-in-law has family living near several nests, and invited us to watch the "last ones" make their journey from their nest to the awaiting Atlantic Ocean. This particular hatchling, was up against a few obstacles, so we tried to "level the playing field" by creating a small trail to the sea for him/her. By the way, actually tampering with nests, or touching the turtles is against the law. DON'T MESS WITH THEM!

You'll be happy to know, this turtle made it to the sea without being picked up by a bird, or run over by beach patrol. Yep, there was one in the middle of a tire print. jr

This is a sea turtle.

Beach Errosion Big Issue

2007-10-31T22:47:00.000-04:00

Ft Lauderdale -
Officials are worried our precious beaches are being washed away.
Tropical Storm Noel isn't helping. Seawater could be seen washing over
the breakwall that separates A1A and the sidewalk from the ocean. Jr

TS Noel Errodes Beaches

2007-10-31T09:18:00.001-04:00

Sand blows over A1A in Ft Lauderdale.

My iPhone

2007-10-30T10:24:00.000-04:00

Wow, so this iPhone is the bomb dot com. Really!

I've been doing all kinds of crazy things with it. I've been able to blog with it using the camera and email. When WIFI is available where I am, look out! I'm downloading music off iTunes, and surfing the web ultra fast! If you are considering a BlackBerry, or an iPhone...I have owned both and the BB doesn't come close..I'm sorry!

New Video Technology for Blogging!

2007-10-22T21:09:00.000-04:00

I'm using new technology from Sight Speed.

It's a great application and service in which I'll be filing video reports from the road. The quality I think you will notice is amazing and the clarity of audio is even better. If you have this (free download) you can hit me up or leave a message. My user name is "newsvj". This should be a lot of fun. jr

Introduction

2007-08-21T11:15:00.001-04:00

My name is Jim, I'm a journalist.

I've been in the televsion broadcast business for just about ten years now. I have produced, written, shot, edited, reported and even managed some. My career started in radio at a small Christian station WMPL-FM. From there I went over to WOLV-FM a classic rock station then on to my first television station; WBKP-TV in Calumet Michigan. Starting as in intern then tossed into the fire with studio directing, then technical directing and eventually moving to a photographer gig with a reporting opportunity from time to time. Being 18, this was huge deal for me. It's also where I made my first live appearance on tv for a forrest fire. The anchor, who by the way had to roll their own prompter, forgot to roll mine. Figures! I was lost and all over the place. But, .. I did it.

From there, my first time job in Toledo, OH. After living in the big city and missing my time on tv, I decided to go back to that small market I started in, only this time I was going to report for the NBC affiliate, WLUC-TV.

It was quite a bit different being a bureau reporter. Lots of work, and organization. The good thing was I met my wife there and then I had a great opportunity to move to Fort Myers, Florida for the Fox affiliate. There I got to shoot and report and it was very awesome! Being in a slightly bigger market. My wife stayed in Michigan working on her degree. Once she finished, I came back to be with her and was blessed with a job at WXMI in Grand Rapids. Once again, I was shooting, and reporting. How great to be in DMA 39.

I still was hungry for the Big Market and lots of World and National travel. Miami came a calling...CBS 4 in Miami was my next and current stop.