Help Bring Public Access TV Back to Swampscott

"Health Care Forum with Congressman Tierney"

2009-07-03T03:43:00.002-04:00

Update: I gave this video to Lynn, Salem, and Danvers public access tv, and they've all played it, or will play it, in the near future.

The Late Joe Kennedy Brings Public Access TV to Saugus

2009-06-21T12:50:00.002-04:00

I didn't know him, but the late Joe Kennedy of Saugus accomplished something I have tried to accomplish: he brought public access tv to his town.

“Joe’s vision was to build a facility for the Saugus community — its people, its students its government. A place where people can learn how to and be given the means and opportunity to communicate using the medium of video communication."

--Rich Garabedian, executive director of Saugus Community TV

"“He had a vision — to create a video facility for the community of Saugus. While undergoing extreme difficulties with his personal health, Joe single-handedly brought this vision to fruition. Joe’s wishes — television for the people, by the people— is now a reality. For this we thank him. We will miss him. We know that his legacy, his vision is an inspiration to us all.”

--Amy Kennedy, Joe Kennedy's wife

Article in Saugus Newspaper

Saugus Community Television website

Marblehead About to Surpass Swampscott--Again

2009-04-21T16:49:00.002-04:00

Marblehead - This summer, Marblehead’s own MHTV-10 will be converted from a Comcast local-origination studio to a town-run, non-profit access corporation. For years, Comcast has been turning over control of its TV studios to local communities, and MHTV is one of the last systems in the area to be transitioned to the new model.

Marblehead Reporter

"Everything That Happens Will Happen Today"

2008-12-06T06:39:00.000-05:00

Senior Citizens in Beverly Produce Own TV Show

2008-08-02T11:00:00.007-04:00

From the Salem News Online:

Seniors gain confidence, information via TV production

By Cate Lecuyer
Staff writer

BEVERLY — Some seniors are getting serious about staying in their own homes as they age and produced a two-part television series explaining just how it's done.

Tune in to Channel 10 for a BevCam show called "Livin' the Good Life." For many, that means not spending their golden years in a nursing home. Through interviews with employees from organizations like The Independent Living Center of the North Shore and Cape Ann, North Shore Elder Services, and Senior Care, as well as Rep. Mary Grant, the program helps elderly people understand the resources that are available to help them stay in their homes.

Nine seniors at the senior center have been working for about a year to produce shows that resonate with an aging population, and the issue of living independently has emerged as a top concern for many.

"I do live at home," said Dolores Grey, 73, "and I plan to stay there."

As the video editor, she had no computer experience until she started working with BevCam, the city's community access television station. Mary Ann Holak, executive director of the Beverly Council on Aging, said the organization was looking for people at the senior center who were interested in learning to produce videos. Nine members volunteered and are honing their high-tech skills.

"You get bored at my age," Grey said. "We just fell into it. To know you can do it and conquer it at our ages is just fascinating."

From container gardening to compulsive gambling to an upcoming show about Alzheimer's and dementia, the seniors have been producing a show about once a month since last April. Host Bob Hobbs, 69, said he hopes the program will help provide seniors with information they need, and in some cases encourage them to get involved.

"There are an awful lot of people we have to reach," he said.

If you watch

What: "Livin' the Good Life." Two half-hour segments about staying in your own home as you age

Where: Channel 10 on BevCam

When: Throughout the month of August, segment one plays on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., segment two plays on Sundays at 8:30 p.m., and the segments alternate on Tuesdays at 10 a.m.

"Remembering the New Ocean House" is Currently on Swampscott's Comcast Channel 16

2008-07-15T18:19:00.004-04:00

"Remembering the New Ocean House", an event produced by the Swampscott Historical Society (and videotaped and edited by me) is currently playing on Swampscott's Comcast Channel 16, known as the government channel. I hope this video and the earlier video of mine that they played, Sylvia Belkin's lecture/slide-show on Elihu Thomson, are enjoyed by the town for their on sake, and that they also inspire other Swampscott adults to create their own videos and share them with the town. Of course (here I go again!), they'll have to use their own video equipment, computer editing software, and self-taught knowledge to create their videos, as I did, because unlike Salem, Marblehead, Lynn, blah, blah...we don't have a video access studio or staff member available to all, but for high school students only.

What if there were no Swampscott public library, but instead a library for high school students only?

2008-07-09T11:21:00.005-04:00

What if there were no Swampscott public library, but instead the only library in town was at the high school and available to high school students only? If a Swampscott resident (me?) were to criticize that arrangement, and seek a library available to all (including high school students) it should not be seen as expressing any opinion whatsoever on the quality of work of the high school librarian. The high school librarian has been hired to serve the high school population. It's not his problem to worry about the rest of the town.

Of course, I'm making an analogy to our video production and cablecasting situation in Swampscott. The responsibility for our current situation regarding our access channels and video production lies with our Selectmen and Superintendents, past and present, who have set up the situation as it currently exists. Lets hope our current leaders can change things for the better in the near future so Swampscott television can be "out of the bottom 10 by 2010", to paraphrase Dr. Malone.

"It's called the 'American Dream' because you have to be asleep to believe it"--George Carlin

2008-06-24T13:34:00.001-04:00

"The real owners are the big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians, they're an irrelevancy. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don't. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own and control the corporations. They've long since bought and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the statehouses, the city halls. They've got the judges in their back pockets. And they own all the big media companies, so that they control just about all of the news and information you hear. They've got you by the balls. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying – lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want; they want more for themselves and less for everybody else," ranted the comedian whose routines were studied in graduate schools.

"But I'll tell you what they don't want," Carlin continued. "They don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don't want well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking. They're not interested in that. That doesn't help them. That's against their interests. They don't want people who are smart enough to sit around the kitchen table and figure out how badly they're getting fucked by a system that threw them overboard 30 fucking years ago. You know what they want? Obedient workers – people who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork but just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shittier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, reduced benefits, the end of overtime and the vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it. And, now, they're coming for your Social Security. They want your fucking retirement money. They want it back, so they can give it to their criminal friends on Wall Street. And you know something? They'll get it. They'll get it all, sooner or later, because they own this fucking place. It's a big club, and you ain't in it. You and I are not in the big club."

-George Carlin

Bill Moyers At National Conference for Media Reform 2008

2008-06-07T17:51:00.001-04:00

"My Speech to the [Swampscott High] Graduates"--Woody Allen

2008-06-01T18:58:00.003-04:00

More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.

Woody Allen, My Speech to the Graduates

"Some Mother's Son"--The Kinks, For Memorial Day

2008-05-26T14:24:00.000-04:00

Maylor Finalist for Wakefield Town Manager

2008-05-05T05:14:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to "scoop" the Swampscott Reporter with this news. But is it really a scoop if all I'm doing is copying something from another newspaper? Probably not.

From the Boston Globe, May 4, 2008

WAKEFIELD

ADMINISTRATOR FIELD NARROWS - The Board of Selectmen this week is set to interview four finalists for town administrator. The finalists are Stephen Daly of North Reading, director of consortiums and public safety programs for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council; former Wakefield selectman Stephen P. Maio, a lawyer; Swampscott town administrator Andrew W. Maylor, of Lynnfield; and Port Chester, N.Y., village manager William F. Williams, of Mt. Kisco, N.Y. The selectmen will interview Daly, Maio, and Williams at a special meeting tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, and Maylor at a special meeting this Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall. The four were recommended to selectmen by a search committee from a field of 31 applicants and 14 semifinalists. The current town administrator, Thomas P. Butler, is retiring effective May 30.

Currently on Education Channel 15 in Swampscott--Nothing

2008-03-15T14:30:00.005-04:00

This is what Channel 15 in Swampscott looks like right now:

<---

I think they're moving the playback point from the old high school to the new high school. Channel 15 has been out for about a week, I think. You'd think someone would inform the Swampscott public about what's going on, perhaps with a graphic on Government channel 16, which is still functioning. That's what a government which respects the public would do, anyway.

UPDATE: The "Education Channel" is still dark almost 2 months later. The Swampscott reporter reports that things should be back "online" just in time for their annual auction for the cable club, and I assume, to use the channel for advertising the entire summer, with the occasional, but often repeated School Committee meeting.
UPDATE: The "Education Channel" is back on, Monday, May 5, 2008.

The Three Trillion Dollar War--The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict

2008-02-29T14:15:00.003-05:00

Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz and Harvard Economist Linda Bilmes on the True Cost of the US Invasion and Occupation of Iraq.

People in Lynn and Swampscott can watch an interview with the authors tonight on "Democracy Now!", LynnCAM TV 3 at 7 PM. Or you can watch this interview now (or whenever) by going to the "Democracy Now!" website.

VIDEO- "Promo" for State Representative Election, March 4

2008-02-20T17:40:00.004-05:00

Here's the latest 30 second video I created to remind people there is an election for State Representative, Tuesday, March 4. This is currently playing on LynnCAM TV 3, and, I must add, it's viewable in Swampscott, also.

Fans (or a fan) of mine might notice that this looks a lot like the earlier video I did for the primary. Can't get anything past you guys (or guy). Well, I tweaked a few things:

1) Removed the losers of the primary
2) Used the space freed up to make the remaining candidates heads bigger
3) Enlarged their names
4) Lengthened the time devoted to that image and shortened another one
5) Changed the dates
5) Most noticeably, changed the music

I made (at least) one other change, see if you can tell me what it was. In fact, let's make a contest out of it. Winners will be allowed to take any book out of the Swampscott Public Library absolutely FREE OF CHARGE, provided you have a library card.

Swampscott Needs "Town Therapist" More Than "Town Planner"

2008-02-09T07:34:00.000-05:00

If the "Comments" section of the on-line edition of the Swampscott Reporter (recently shut-down) is any indication, the town of Swampscott needs a town therapist more than it needs a town planner.

"The War Card--Orchestrated Deception in the Path to War"

2008-01-24T04:20:00.000-05:00

Following 9/11, President Bush and seven top officials of his administration waged a carefully orchestrated campaign of misinformation about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. --Center for Public Integrity

Good thing the American media didn't simply act as a conduit for all this false information from our government, otherwise we might have inititated an illegal and immoral war of aggression against Iraq, and then we'd really be in trouble!

AUDIO--"Why I Am Opposed to the War in Vietnam", Martin Luther King

2008-01-14T10:57:00.000-05:00

A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Text of Entire Speech

VIDEO--Last 3 Questions and Answers

2008-01-09T18:42:00.000-05:00

January 6, 2008, Temple Emanu-el, Marblehead, MA.

Question 1: GIC, "Special Interests", Casinos

At 11 minutes 52 seconds
Question 2: Gay Marriage, Stem Cell Research, Gun Control, Immigration, Abortion

At 21 minutes 58 seconds
Question 3: Who do you want for President?

Video of Candidates Will Play on Marblehead TV 10 This Saturday at 7 PM, Sunday at 1 PM

2008-01-08T20:23:00.001-05:00

The video of the "Meet the Candidates" breakfast at Temple Emanu-el will play this Saturday at 7 PM and this Sunday at 1 PM on Marblehead's TV 10, MHTV-10.

VIDEO--First Three Questions and Answers to State Representative Candidates, 8th Essex District

2008-01-08T05:14:00.000-05:00

Temple Emanu-El, Marblehead, MA, January 6, 2008

Question 1: How do you plan to be an effective state representative while maintaining your own personal ethics?

At 10:00 into video
Question 2: What are your top priorities?

At 20:20 into video
Question 3: Local budget problems--What specific actions will you take?

VIDEO--Opening Statements of Candidates for State Representative, 8th Essex District

2008-01-07T18:30:00.000-05:00

Recorded at Temple Emanu-El, Marblehead, MA, January 6, 2008.

(I passed the entire video --which is 1 hour and 35 minutes long--into MHTV-10 today, so look for it on their schedule in Marblehead.)

Speaker Start Time
Howard Nunes(Moderator) 00:00
Cesar Achilla 00:30
Mark Barry 04:08
John Blaisdell 08:05
Tanya DeGenova 12:15
Lori Ehrlich 16:45

VIDEO--Meet The Candidates for State Representative

2008-01-06T13:13:00.000-05:00

Recorded at Temple Emanu-el, Marblehead, MA., January 6, 2008.

The order of speaking is Ehrlich, DeGenova, Blaisdell, Barry, Archilla. Thanks to Temple Emanu-el for holding this event and for their friendliness, generosity and openness in allowing me to record it, even though, as usual, I showed up at the last minute, and they didn't know who I was.

This is just the candidates closing statements. I will submit the entire event to LynnCAM TV 3, and Marblehead TV 10. (Swampscott's channels 15 and 16 are off limits to the public, as you know! They're for government use only, and in the case of Channel 16, government non-use).

Happy New Year, Everyone!

2007-12-31T12:51:00.000-05:00

Start the New Year with a great song from the English Beat, "Doors of Your Heart".

The Candidates--Archilla, Blaisdell, DeGenova, Ehrlich-- Are Physically Attractive, "Concerned"

2007-12-30T13:24:00.000-05:00

The candidates for Douglas Petersen's seat have websites where we can presumably learn more about their positions on various issues and then decide which one we want to vote for.

Unfortunately, all I've been able to glean out of the websites of Cesar Archilla, Lori Ehrlich, John Blaisdell, and Tanya S. DeGenova so far are:

1) They're good-looking
2) They're "concerned"
3) And based on the above, they want me to volunteer or give money to their campaigns

I don't want to be accused of "looksism", but all other things being equal, it's nice to have attractive candidates. Since they're all attractive, though, their attractiveness cancels the others out and it's a draw.

They're all "concerned" about the environment, state aid, education, and taxes. That's nice. They want to know our concerns. That's very considerate of them.

But what do they plan to do about these issues? They refuse to tell us.

Since they're all attractive, and they're all "concerned", I don't know who to vote for.

CORRECTION, UPDATE: There is also a lot of biographical information on their websites. But I don't think this information is very useful in determining their thinking, their political philosophies, and the policies they would support to solve the problems facing the citizens of Massachusetts. It's only useful in deciding on who you'd rather have a (non-alcoholic) beer with.

UPDATE 2: Cesar Archilla added.

All the presidential candidates have an "Issues" tab on their websites. Is it too much to ask our candidates for state representative to do the same thing?