Update on the Rottweiler (see entry "Good cop.").

I called Pima Animal Care Center last week to ask if they had received a Rottweiler from the police.  I've been told previously that when the police find stray house pets, they turn them in to PACC.  They said that none had been turned in that night or the next day by the police or anyone else.  The good news is that apparently, the dog did not end up at PACC.  Perhaps someone took on his case and tried to find his owner.  That's all I have and I wish the dog luck.

Revisiting FAIR.

Another thing I'm working on as I return to business is promoting those PSAs I shot in Studio A with the help of FAIR.  Beth and I designed a couple of initial drafts of flyers that I want to distribute to call attention to the organization and once we get the approval from FAIR, I'll post digital versions of them.  They include pictures of the dogs and cats from the taping and contact information.  Stand by for these.

(Remember Bluebell, the husky mix with one blue eye?)

PSA taping at Access Tucson with FAIR.

Last night I had the great pleasure of working with FAIR to tape some PSAs in Studio A to publicize FAIR's work, their need for support, and the need to adopt their special-needs pets.  The star of the evening was the famous Boo-boo, the dog rescued from the dogfighting ring.  The taping went well and we got to feature eight different animals, including two cats from the same litter.  We didn't get a chance to feature Chewy on-camera, but we look forward to finishing his story.  These PSAs will end up on YouTube and Access Tucson and I'll of course link them here.  I want to extend a big "thank you" to FAIR for collaborating with me.  Below are some stills captured from the footage we taped.

This is Bluebell, a Husky/German Shepherd mix named for her one blue eye.  She survived valley fever and serious weight loss.

This is Charlie, a sweet Chihuahua.

These two sisters, Iyonna and Izzie, are part of a litter of four--all sisters.  All of them are available for adoption.

Give your testimonial on behalf of Access Tucson on July 9th.

I am collaborating with Dan Harrigan of the show Harrigan After Hours to spearhead a great event in which Access Tucson members can come to Studio A and for a minute and a half on camera, give your testimonial of support for Access Tucson.  Tell viewers why and talk about what contribution your particular program makes to the community.  Emphasize what Access Tucson means to you and how it's helped you make an impact on the community.  When you're finished, the whole reel of clips will be turned over to staff on your behalf and edited for broadcasting between programming throughout the week.

*Note: Please reserve your valued ideas and plans for how to save Access Tucson for later campaigns; this is just a series of testimonials of support.  Also, please DO remind the viewers to help with monetary support because that's what's most needed now.  Without money, Access Tucson is finished.  Thank you!

When: Saturday, July 9th, 2011

2:30 to 6 pm

Where: Studio A

Access Tucson

124 East Broadway Boulevard, Tucson

Damage Control!

The show that I mentioned that was supposed to be a great package about mountaintop removal coal mining turned out to be a debacle when it was time to go live.  Everything that could go wrong with the technology did go wrong and I sincerely apologize to anyone out there who was watching.  We'll redeem ourselves, though, by editing all of the material that we'd originally brought with us into a nice package that we'll upload to YouTube, share on this blog, and send to cable access TV stations around the country.  Thanks so much for bearing with us.

Show Episode Announcement and Short Project Update

Hot Topic on Exist Kind Tonight: Appalachian Treasures and Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining

Saturday, May 7th, at 6 pm MST/PDT

Broadcasting live from Access Tucson on Cox channel 120, Comcast 72; and streaming live at http://www.accesstucson.org/.

From the Appalachian organization ILoveMountains.org:

"One of America's most heartbreaking environmental and human rights tragedies, mountaintop removal coal mining is destroying [Appalachia's] rich culture and heritage, as well as the ancient, beautiful mountains and diverse forests of the Appalachian range."

This isn't just another radical environmentalist movement to preserve scenery and impede progress.  This is a matter of ordinary citizens in coal country dealing with illness, contaminated water and air, and the risk of disastrous and disgusting flooding and avalanches when tailings impoundments break loose.  This process also hurts the local economy because of its efficiency, which costs jobs, and the out-of-town employees that the companies bring in to do the jobs that locals could do.  Not to mention, this process takes a toll on citizens' emotional ties to the cultural and historical values of the mountains.

MTR, as it's abbreviated, is no longer limited to Appalachia, either.  Take a look at this picture from British Columbia that appeared on the National Geographic website at the end of 2009:

Photo by Garth Lenz, ILCP.

And we think we have problems with mining out here in Arizona.  I have to keep it brief today, so tune in if you like and acquaint yourself with this incredible environmental injustice happening to ordinary, down-to-earth citizens who just want to live on the land they've always known and not have it poison them.

I also promised a short project update: The bicycle project is coming along nicely and I've been documenting each step with my video camera.  I apologize for not having more follow-up, but that's just because I want to be sure that there's some substantial footage worth showing.  I expect to get some material online this week.  Thanks for reading!

Big Event at Access Tucson on March 31st

Studio Refresher Training on March 31st from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, Sponsored by Access Tucson's Own Exist Kind.

Any interested certified volunteers are welcome to attend a free refresher training session organized by me and facilitated by Kevin, Jeff, and Rob.  I'm going to stage an interview with entertainment interludes and record it, and the idea is for crew members to have a low-pressure opportunity to experiment with production techniques.  You'll get to try out zany things that you may not have time to play with during a live show or that may ruffle the feathers of a producer who already has a successful formula.  You'll also be able to review tried-and-true interview production techniques and really tighten up your skills to make a polished show.  Please RSVP to existkind@aim.com or call 225-0027.  I look forward to seeing you there!