12 hrs Tuesday and 10 hours yesterday at the station!
I won't have to stay so long, once I'm faster on the equipment, and more confident on editorial styles in the news department.
I've been given a big, old, contentious story to work. It pits affluent, white, SUV-driving commuters on the west side against Native Americans, archaeologists and environmentalists.
The west siders want an extension of a road, so they can commute to Albuquerque more easily.
The problem is that the road would go through petroglyphs. The road corridor is said to disturb at least fifty, ancient artifacts.
The governor says he'll approve the road if 4 conditions are met.
Voters rejected a bond issue recently which would have given money and approval to the project. It's becoming one of those, "why did I even bother to vote?" issues.
Natives are arguing that this is sacred land. Personally, I think they'd be better served arguing this is illegal. Illegality is one of the governor's conditions for approval.
And there are enough scientists here to prove the road would permanently damage irreplacable Native artifacts.
So, basically, Renee has thrown me into the middle of a city civil war. The west siders are literally threatening to sesede from Albuquerque, taking their tax base with them, if they don't get what they want.
And the Natives are justifiably suspicious of racism and white imperialism.
Into this mess, here I come, with a clip board full of notes and newspaper articles. I don't know the players, and they don't know me. I don't even know how to record telephone interviews! YIPES! And you KNOW I'm going to piss EVERYBDOY off!
This is a twenty year old story. Some of the environmentalists and Native activists have been quoted in news stories longer than most of the politicians have held influence here. I'm scared senseless.
But, I managed to outline my story. I'm only collecting sound on response to the governor's four conditions for approval. Believe me, that will be MORE than enough!
I also edited Katie's caving piece as a news story yesterday. I also recorded poor ol' Don Schrader, local wild man, for his commentaries on gaming and taxes. People at the station dislike him. Lots of people dislike him.
I sympathise with him. I think he's really a hero. I wouldn't party with him, nor sit next to him on a hot day (he doesn't wear deodorant).
But Don has lived so far below the poverty line that he hasn't paid federal taxes for twenty five years! It's his refusal to pay for war. Always has been.
He's a conscientious, good hearted man. He's a bit simple-minded, I suspect from my conversation with him the past, two days. I don't think people talk to him much. He seemed a bit confused and surprised by some things I said to him, and I had to rephrase and explain my points, so he could understand me.
He's child like.
I think something terrible happened to him, and his simplicity lifestyle and refusal to even acknowledge some of the things we take for granted in this hyperactive culture is a survival mechanism and protection from his trauma.
I think he's kinda cute. I'm totally not threatened by him. Once I saw how his mind works, I just cuddled him with my words, so he knew he was respected and safe with me. He thrived under it and gushed about my enthusiasm and kind heart.
He gets a lot of abuse. I'm sure I was medicine to his heart.
People's hostility to him, even at the station, discourages me. Ok, he's out there: he drinks his own urine, to build up his immune system. He smells funny on hot days..but he DOES bathe, so it's only fresh sweat smell, not that sour, nasty smell of chronically unbathed people. He'd rather be naked, and always is, when he's not in public. He even earns a little money as a nude model for university art classes. He dresses in minimal shorts, most of the time, and walking shoes. That's all.
He's skinny, but muscular, and always brown as a nut, from walking in the sun.
I think he's a treasure, myself. I think every town needs a wild man. And Don is the best kind! He's a pacifist, a vegetarian, Gay, an independent social activist, running his own late night show on Cable Access TV. He doesn't own a tv, or a radio, or a phone, or a computer or any of that crap.
He's a wild man. Jesus in jogging shoes, I call him.
So, I'm going in early again today, right after collecting duck eggs, to start telephoning people for interviews, sketch out the story, work on some sound editing, and collecting .wav files of my commentaries, so MSNTV people can hear them on my domain.
I don't plan to stay more than 4 hours. I NEED to clean my HOUSE!!!!
Between this week, and the fundraiser last week, I'm way behind on chores.
I'm off to the shower now.
Have a great day!
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