digital communication and education

setting up the proper avenues of communication and using email outreach to all constituents of any company, university, college or building is critical . knowing how to use the avenues for proper and respectful communication is key.

colleges and universities should be marketing themselves regualrly and politely to alumni base via email...especially recent grads...keep them connected to the campus and eventually donations will add up

just thinking about the impact of email marketing on institutions with a built in network; increasingly broadband equipped

Happy Slip

A couple years ago, I discovered Happy Slip's videos. (www.happyslip.com) She is an American of Filipino descent. Also an actor who has created a unique genre of character video. She portrays her family--her mother, aunt, father, sister. By using one idiosyncrasy of each tita and lola (aunt/uncle, grandparent) and her parents, Christine creates a funny world of filipino life in the US.

As a disclaimer, I am interested in part because of my filipina girlfriend, Mila.

But while appealing to a strong, niche Filipino audience, Christine takes on multiple characters and recently chronicled her experience on www.explorephilippines.com. All expenses paid; as her videos have become widely popular, and often get a million or more views on You Tube and her site.

She's a good storyteller and comedienne, and has built her own production team from amongst friends, family, etc. She does most of the work herself.

She attends You Tube conventions, etc and is clearly becoming a popular character.

Not sure what her comprehensive revenue model is; but she seems to be parlaying her work steadily into the right distribution.

Can she become mainstream? Possibly not. But that's not important...she is creating her own vision at low cost for an increasingly wide audience.

I met with her once several years back --purely exploratory; but I was interested in aggregating local content, and felt she had a place in what I was doing. The good news for her is she found it herself!

go to www.happyslip.com

just watched some of her blog tv appearances...she is her own brand; constantly reinventing, reformatting, re-digitizing and refining


she also blogs live on blog tv tonight she's performing and singing and playing guitar in her kitchen in Queens

http://www.blogtv.com/People/HappySlip

like a modern day troubador who travels via digital 1's and 0's from the comfort of her home, her city and on location

digital communication

as I was riding my bike the other day, somehow it struck me that I have participated in a huge technology swing from the 50's to the 00's (1952)...from those images in my memory of my father plowing our field in Kinderhook using horses (on video tape and dvd thanks to 8mm transfer systems) to the horse drawn Freihofer's bread wagon in Troy from 1954, to now with my cell phone/camera; digital camera, blackberry, webcam, flip tv etc...

content is easy to create and distribute...

analog to digital transformation

3 channels-on demand

we built the sci fi world that we saw on tv..nasa..twilightzone, etc

...social media...online communities..constant updates and twitter facebook have taken communication to a level I never imagined or even dreamed of: CONSTANT UPDATING
..like A GPS roadmap of MY DAY...

i am sitting at my computer in my home office overlooking railroad tracks, LGA landing patterns, the LIE, BQE, IDCNY Building LGCC

and writing this
that's my UPDATE

for now

Climbing to Work

queensboro bridge on a hot saturday morning 7/19
taken with my cell phone camera as I had decided not
to bring my digital camera

kind of cool how they're lined up

I ride by them often on my 7am rides while on the bridge's bike path; now I know how they get up...I thought they walked from queens plaza..but the field office is in the park; so the scaffolding gets them up and down faster

this is queensbridge park which by the way was really trashed out today
bbq'ers should clean up

nearly sunset

LIC to Manhattan
7 17 08












here's a view of sunset from loft last night...very hot in nyc

i wonder how common it is for bloggers to say:

"Well I haven't been blogging this week...blah blah lazy etc."

true in this case, a very busy week as I think through options

in media and education. And fund raising.

Always about fund raising.

Listening to Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead play All Along the Watchtower

from Dylan and the Dead on ITunes of course. Headphones. No I Phone for me yet.

I own a very early Macintosh computer. From 1991? circa..Haven't been able to part with it, so it's in my MEDIA CLOSET...early kids games, and who knows what else is still on the hard drive?

PC PC PC PC PC PC PC my last 10 computers or so (circa)

used to have macs at hbo but when we switched to PC's I stayed on the track

Last Rock Concert: Eagles on May 30 (circa, maybe 31) at MSG

also Farm Aid 2007
Cream 2005
Stones 2x in 05 and 06

and now "Knockin on Heaven's Door" is playing
Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan et al (not circa)
never saw this combination

Billy Joel is playing his last Shea Stadium concert tonight which is also Shea Stadium's last rock concert ever as it will be torn down after the new Citi Field opens next year...well Billy is from LI and is KING OF LI...I have funny billy joel stories...I have been mistaken for him several times (looks--not talent!)...and I saw him with Elton John in Denver in 2001-2 (circa)..he was great and I am not the biggest fan..he did hit himself above the eye with a microphone and needed treatment I think so Elton played more than usual..maybe..(memory fuzz)

where I saw the Grateful Dead:
Lancaster F and M wow in 1971
Washington DC at American Univ circa 73
Philadelphia several times 72-74
Watkins Glen Festival with Band and Allman Brothers..am I right on The Band?? (more fuzz)
Denver 91 circa

where I've seen the Rolling Stones:
Philadelphia 71 with Stevie Wonder maybe still little Stevie Wonder as first act and he and Stones sang Satisfaction at the end...
NYC 2 times
Albany 1
Denver circa 2000

where I saw The Doors
-saratoga 1966

thoughts of water on a hot night

croton dam in old neighborhood in
westchester...often used as my desktop
background; hence media

heading up there to sail tomorrow
not on the dam but on the Hudson

Morning Bike ride along Greenpoint Newtown Creek Sewage Plant

Just on the other side of Newtown Creek from LIC, lies the Greenpoint Eggs, a major water pollution and sewage pollution treatment plant in NYC--one of 14. This morning I discovered the nature walk--and rode my bike along it dispite the lingering smell of sewage. It's another Air Pollution Alert Day in hot NYC.

Here's a brief description from the NYC DEP website...they just lit the towers using a French Light design firm...

"The Newtown Creek plant is the largest of New York City's 14 wastewater treatment plants. The plant serves approximately 1 million residents in a drainage area of more than 15,000 acres (25 square miles). The plant began operation in 1967 and currently treats 18% of the City's wastewater with a capacity of 310 million gallons per day (mgd) during dry weather. Upgrade work began in 1998 and will eventually raise plant capacity to 700 mgd during wet weather storms. The upgraded plant will serve a projected population of 1.33 million residents within the relevant drainage area by 2045.

Last September, DEP opened the Waterfront Nature Walk at the Newtown Creek plant, affording the public their first waterfront access to Newtown Creek in decades and advancing Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC goals, ensuring that the public has broader access to the waterfront and increasing water quality throughout the City's waterways. The Nature Walk was designed by renowned environmental sculptor George Trakas through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Percent for Art program in conjunction with DEP's ongoing upgrade of the plant. The quarter-mile nature walk offers stunning views of the City and of the nearby industrial landscape, as well as many unique architectural features, plantings and construction techniques that were designed by Trakas to evoke the rich, continually evolving environmental, industrial and cultural histories of the local area." (and the smell)

I also discovered the TWC Brooklyn dispatch center--a huge facility with lots of techs and repairmen and installers getting ready for a busy day. Media add ons! HD, Digital Phone, DVR's etc!

View towards Manhattan from Pulaski Br

ESB View from Sewage Plant Bike Path

Not watching TV for a few days

So I will hold back on the suspense of tuning into the Great Dog show...but I did just watch an episode of Weeds. An excellent series on SHO. For many years the series at HBO were superb; now it looks like it's Showtime's turn. Programming trends tend to be cyclical and you don't have The Sopranos and Sex and the City anchoring your original lineup anymore, HBO. Oh, well I wanted to like John from Cincinnati and did for most of the season. It reminded me of the 2nd season of the HBO series Carnivale. Loved the first season couldn't comprehend what was going on in the 2nd season so I gave it up. I do like Dexter and Madmen; Californication, Weeds and Monk.

Greatest American Dog

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/greatest_american_dog/

The video genre of self-immersion hits closer to home now that I know one of the contestants on a reality show. I don't know him well--but his name is Davd Best, MD but he devotes most of his time to his doctor's channel website for doctors.

We met earlier this year through Linked In (yes, this is an internet and social networking proof of purpose story ) . We went to the same college, so I suspect he searched by graduation year, and then notices I was in the video business (as is he) and reached out to "network".

I was actually thinking of what to write to get this blog a little more focused on my "media perspectives", rather than "My Media or My Perspectives ot my Outlooks". Give some structure to the blog so to speak.

And then I saw the email from David.

"Hi John,

Just a reminder to please watch Elvis and me on Greatest American Dog, starting this Thursday, July 10 at 8 PM ET/PT on CBS.

Also this Thursday we’ll be on the CBS Early Show (between 8 and 8:30 AM ET) and Entertainment Tonight (check local listings – 7:30 PM in NY). And don’t miss the Tonight Show with Jay Leno tonight (Wednesday) with the host of Greatest American Dog, Jarod Miller. You might see a familiar face or two."

So I walked right over to my TWC DVR and set it to capture tonight's show. I checked out some of the video on cbs.com (where I watched a lot of "Jericho" last year)--a meaningless comment. Oh well, at least I know my way around the player.

So, I visited David in his office/production studio, which also serves as a daytime home and shrine to Elvis, parents and others. Large portraits of Elvis and family members adorn the walls. There are 8 or 10 people sharing the space in Chelsea (I think)...probably flatiron,,

Of course, prior to visiting I watched his video of note-"Elvis's Bark Mitzvah". David had 100 guests including the iconic Dr. Ruth at the "Bark Mitzvah".

Then he took his partner and me to a nice quiet lunch. And now this. Well, good luck David! 12 dogs and their owners live together. CBS tonight at 8 eastern.

The End of the Run of TONY OD

Time Out New York on Demand
Channel 1112 TWC
Nov 2005-6/29/2008
VOD Channel
2-3 minute segments
Where to go, what to do in NYC
Produced by City On Demand

We were pioneers of sorts. Free, local, branded VOD with our own channel.
Over 800 segments produced.
On air for 31 months.
Revenue model: sponsorships, branded videos, etc.

Then: www.timeoutnewyork.tv
Launched with Maven Networks in August 2006
Pre roll CPM Model. Sold out from day one.
Viewership, flash issues.

good partners and trading partners in general
thanks

background music

a comment from one of my rail videos

"jesuschristsmysavior has made a comment on Jul 08 2008 - morning rail vlog. "It's a NJT Arrow III towards the end!"

media perspective or my perspective???

morning pic

taken at birthday party in 2007
several of my favorites
(and I don't drink soda or beer)







morning thoughts:
now that the blog is off and running, and i am weighing its merits vs, my website, www.johnovrutsky.com--I can see that this is more My Perspective, my outlook and my media
more so than my perspective on the professional media which surrounds us. I thiought I would be writing on what I see as video trends on the web and on tv, but I am more involved in producing content than writing about it. So the blog will continue to have stories, characters, and my photos and videos. You Tube will just be videos. Facebook for some communication and voyeurism about behavior. And LInked IN, purely professional.

So, I have 5 outlets

-this blog
-you tube channel
-website
-facebook
-linked in

plus at least 5 email addresses--some dormant
2 phone numbers
a fax number

etc etc

and lots of books too, though I am not reading many these days!

blog benefits

starting to enjoy having one place to put everything...




a great nyc day

back from coney island

with a sunburn too...my cousin Barney and I attended the ONLY day game of the year of the Brooklyn Cyclones on Coney Island...his friend Eliot has Cyclones dugout-side seats which we used to watch young drafted ball players--some just out of college--compete against a team from Ohio in a NY-Penn League matchup..this view is
looking east over the boardwalk and ocean..we had a freat time just watching baseball..
came back on the F and G trains to avoid any more of a burn...an easy subway ride to and from the park

7 train 3 stops into Queens from GCT

one of my trains
the 7 train
at one of my staions
45 road/court house square
also, the E, V and G

railyards

i noticed that most of the videos being watched on my you tube site are the "railyard vlogs"

I seem to be increasingly popular with the railroad hobbyist set

now I do have the distinction of being an american who has commuted far more by rail than by car

81-84 tokyo etc in transit no cars
84-94 car commute in denver was short 2-8 miles
94-04 metro north croton to gct
04-current mta, subway, buses, bicycle, car

since our loft building www.arrislofts.com
is on the skillman yards
train yards leading into penn station and gct
we have terrific views from our 5th floor perch of
amtrak, LIRR, assorted other regional trains, as well as two distinct views of the 7 train

you can check out some of those photos on my website www.johnovrutsky.com

So far I haven't written about Media

observations outweigh perspectives
and outlooks
on this blog to date

blogging while listening to raggaeton on pandora

mila on the deck of our place in sedona
our base for 4 nights in sept


















so that's what I am doing;
blogging while listening to pandora
here's a random picture from our trip
to the flagstaff area
sept 07
this is part of the
wupatki national monument
anasazi era ruins I think





http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=35.555133,-111.399994&spn=0.473713,1.035461&z=11

i am sure they have a website

it was a great day for a drive
we drove from sedona to this monument for the day
our last day in sedona before the drive to santa fe
this is about 90 min north of where we stayed

a very polluted area of LIC NYC

also from this morning's LIC bike ride
(see below as well)

rear view of pepsi sign with UN and
Chrysler bldgs across the east river




































bike ride this morning with neighbor irma

while riding back to arris I showed her the backroads of LIC, under the LIE, past fresh direct on borden ave and through some very industrial neighborhoods including the hunters point area


http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=40.745192,-73.939619&spn=0.013786,0.032358&z=16

an oil spill allegedly larger than the exxon valdez spill has kept this area poluuted while undergoing ongoing cleanup via the work of several barges which will be working for a long time to clean up the kills

well here is one picture
from our
loft of last night's
fireworks
over
the east river

thanks to greg

Queensbridge Park

queensbridge park
long island city
























59th st
bridge




I ride my bike frequently in this park, and across this bridge--the 59th st (queensboro) bridge from Long Island City Queens to midtown Manhattan

I was there today but didn't take any pictures on this sultry sunny morning

alida and maya and me in denver
1989 868 S High St (84-89)
note my suspenders







this is maya and alida in the garfield house 92
545 S Garfield (89-94)

meet Juan, our vlogging bear friend from casa del mar hotel in santa monica
he was a hotel amenity, and now he is a rememberance and a commentator...my my how roles change for us all

he went to san antonio and bought this cool alamo mug and now he vlogs occasionally





let Juan know if you like him

a chronology of sorts

well i do vlog, and have a you tube channel of course...
testing this today
since I have a terrific home office with great views, I have the opportunity to shoot and talk several times a day

i have some friends who come by and help




i may introduce them soon


PLACES I HAVE LIVED

born in upsate new york--troy, grew up outside albany...
lived in:

troy, ny
cohoes, ny
kinderhook,ny
rd something Latham old wolf road, NY
louodnville, ny
lancaster , pa
london, england
lancaster, pa
la jolla and ocean beach san diego ca
northridge, ca
santa monica, ca
lancaster, PA
santa monica, ca
tokyo, japan
denver, colorado
manhattan NY
Queens LIC NYC here today and plan to stay in 11101

several american books and plays have focused on the ennui and volatility which occurs on the 5th of july..the promise of the long weekend stars to dwindle away; the clouds roll in, people are hungover, and in families, some arguments flare up...

jen and mila. jen's jello shots were big hits at the fourth of july party.

our first at arris lofts, long island city, queens, nyc

we had a spectacular view of the fireworks but forgot to take pictures

milz and I wandered from room to room to check out the views and the company

so this is just one of the views from

our loft










before the fireworks

fourth of july

well we just had a 4th of july party ..fireworks over manhattan

well it's blog day one...I also vlog on you tube and my website

you can see recent vlogs on my website:
www.johnovrutsky.com


but I am sure I could embed links here..and will..
.

this is me in maine the last weekend of sept 07

i visited my daughters during parents weekend at their college

(i am very curious as to why I can't click on the url's I typed in and go to sites)

oh well I am moderately good at digital devices, and learning more everyday as I write, vlog, embed, link and click a good part of the day. And view a lot of emails. And delete lots of stuff.

well i just made a quick drive to danbury ct and back... not to visit any prisoners--just to drop off my daughter