Whether staying close to home or traveling across the country, the point of July 4th is to remember the birth of our nation and the struggles of those early patriots. Although, it isn’t Memorial or Veteran’s Day, Independence Day is also an appropriate time to remember those who gave and are continuing to give their blood and lives for our freedom.
It was somewhat ironic timing, when, a couple of weeks ago, Paul McKellips sent me the following video to give me an update on one of the many things he is doing. This video is produced by an organization he co-founded, No Greater Sacrifice.
“No Greater Sacrifice (“NGS”) serves to bridge the educational development and professional mentoring gap for the children of our nation’s fallen heroes [armed forces and law enforcement officials]. Our job is to help finish their work by raising funds to pay for college tuition and graduate degree programs and to provide professional mentoring for their children. NGS accomplishes its mission by funding the charities that are already on the ground working on behalf of this noble cause…”
This heart-wrenching video shows the impact this all volunteer organization has on the children of these fallen heroes. It shows the power of video and broadband, as more people have viewed the event online than were there in person.
To learn more about NSG and how you can help, click here
In this brief video, Ron Laudner, CEO of Iowa’s OmniTel Communications, shares the meaning of a pin he was wearing at the 2008 OPASTCO Winter Convention. As Memorial Day approaches, this brief video is a reminder of the great sacrifices the brave men and women of the armed forces have made. For more commentary on this important subject, which was not part of the original post, read on below the video.
David Zach’s comments at the TOC, however, inspired me to add this Memorial Day remembrance of an Uncle my sisters and I never knew. All of his brothers and sisters have joined him now, so all I know about Uncle Cliff is what my dad told me more than 35 years ago; that he was about 6’4”, that he died in the Pacific Theater of World War II and that he was still a young man when he was killed. The limited Internet sleuthing I have done has not revealed any more detail. I often imagine the life he didn’t get to live; the marriage he never had, the kids he didn’t get to raise and the holidays he missed.
His sacrifice is priceless and it is sad that he never had the chance to enjoy the freedoms and privileges that I take for granted. Still, his legacy, along with the legacies of the millions of others who made the ultimate sacrifice, is with us as we go about our daily routines. Thank you Uncle Cliff. The memory of your sacrifice will not be forgotten.
Mobile video was a major theme of NAB. There are many competing approaches, including MediaFlo, DVB-H and ICO’s Mobile Interactive Media. In this brief video interview, June Hee Lee, Ph.D & Principal Engineer, Samsung explains the approach being deployed in Korea and may become a popular way for U.S. broadcasters to extend their reach into mobile devices.
Ben Mendelson, President of the Interactive Television Alliance, provides highlights from their press breakfast at NAB 2008. He speaks of some of the direct video to consumer plays, as well the OCAP efforts of cable television operators.
The previous issue of the Viodi View referenced Sheri Cooper and the selection of her husband as a finalist in the Children’s Category in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. To get to the finals, they had to pass through a panel of judges that included the likes of noted musicians, such as Al Jarreau and Bob Weir (Grateful Dead). In the final phase of the contest, it is about getting votes from the public; essentially it is now a popularity contest.
In the tradition of using video to promote music, the duo put together this clever, low-cost production in the above video.
Check out the song and their CD, The Uh Oh Moon, at http://cdbaby.com/cd/cooperbounds. Vote by going to the following link and look for the title Jack Rabbit in the category Children’s Session I.
A few hours after I wrote the first draft of this post and while I was thinking of ways to to tie it a little tighter Viodi View, I ran across the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus at NAB. The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus Project is related to the aforementioned contest. The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus web site describes what they do as follows:
"The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a non-profit 501(c)(3) mobile audio and HD video recording and production facility. Since 1998, the Bus has provided free hands-on programs to hundreds of high schools, colleges, Boys and Girls Clubs, music festivals, concerts, conventions and community organizations."
In addition to having John Lennon’s name behind it, any organization that has a booth at NAB that is large enough for a freight trailer and more is impressive. Good luck Sheri and Clancy.
