Fin.

This morning, I'm packing up all my things. I've seen the end of this internship coming for a few weeks now, and I've widely proclaimed myself to be in serious denial over it.

Denial works for awhile, but it's a tactic which fails upon the advent of reality.

After packing my things away, I'm going to pay one last visit to my now dear friends at WABC. I should really drop all notes of finality from this blog entry. I plan on being back here, in fact I fully expect to. This has just been such a tumultuous summer.

You know that phenomenon when time seems to have flown, and it's only when you look back that you realize how long ago it really has been? Seems the French should have a phrase for that. I'll call it the "It's AUGUST?!" phenomenon for the sake of the blog. I really don't feel like it should be early August already, I sincerely feel that I've only been here a couple weeks. It's only when I look back to times like moving into this room that I realize how foreign mid-May seems.

I'm a different person now.

Working in NYC has me motivated, hungry, and restless. I've met nearly anyone I could have dreamed to, chatted with Hannity, Colmes and Olbermann, talked politics with Karl Rove and Ken Mehlman, and gained the experience that only the nation's #2 radio talk show can afford.

Leaving almost makes me angry. I just want to get to work, and take in more of the city that I know so well by now. I've made friends to last a lifetime, and gained the skills I wanted to gain.

I keep using tones of finality.
This isn't the end to anything.

I've found what I love, and even if I can't make my first job right back here, I know where I'm headed now.

I'm headed here.

I'm on my way, New York.

At work...

Hey all!

I have pictures and stories to tell, but I thought I'd post a quick update from work. I saw Hannity and Colmes two nights ago with my family, and had a picture taken on set. Pretty exciting, I'm quite the tour guide, I must say.

Other than that, I'm just wrapping up my time here at WABC. It's really sad, but I know I'm finding a way to get back here to NYC, even if it's not here wat WABC.

Right now, I type this from Rachel's seat in the studio's main control room. The west coast Freedom Concert is today, so I've taken a few calls for the show, and helped out where I can. I got Ed Koch booked yesterday, and he's on the show right now.

Not much time left, so I'm making as many contacts as I can... Back to work, and I'll talk with you all later.

Hannity & Colmes

Update coming soon...

I attended an airing of Hannity & Colmes and had a seriously long talk with Sean about my career, show and more. It was absolutely incredible. I'll write more soon!

My phone call to Israel...

Hi folks.

Today was pretty slow at work, but there was a ten minute period that deserved an entry in the blog.

Rachel (Sean's assistant) came to me with the phone number of a Rabbi who used to be Sean's neighbor. He still lives in New York as far as I know, but Rachel told me that he had some contacts within the IDF that he wanted to bring us in touch with. (for those of you not following the news, the IDF is the Israeli Defense Force)

I called the number, figuring I'd just be taking down some phone numbers for Rachel. However, the Rabbi started talking through the whole situation on the phone, and told me to hold, because he was going to connect us via a 3-way call to his contact in Israel.

As it turns out, the contact wasn't so much in Israel as he was embedded with IDF troops in southern Lebanon. Explosions or tank fire rang in the background as the Rabbi and the contact conversed in Hebrew. The conversation was frequently interrupted, because the Rabbi's contact kept having to either move, or answer to someone else in the IDF who was updating him to the situation. I had no idea what was going on.

For those of you who listen to the show, I wouldn't put stock in this interview happening on the air. It wasn't very radio friendly, and it would require the use of a translator, which is extremely difficult to have make sense live on-air. I sent Rachel and James an e-mail detailing the idea for the interview, but we'll see if it goes anywhere or not.

However, I also got wind that there would be a group of dual-citizen American/Israelis leaving the JFK airport Thursday to serve in the IDF as reservists. This seems more likely, but I'd bet against it happening on-air. We'll see, I guess.

Freedom Concert Day

In a lot of ways, the entire summer had been leading up to yesterday.

Sean Hannity's Freedom Concert is probably his biggest event of the year. The idea started four years ago when they held the concert for the first time to raise money for the children of soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The day started out at 5:30AM when I woke up to catch a train to midtown. I joined the rest of the interns and workers at a parking garage where they keep the station's cars.


I hopped in a car with Ramsey, Lindsey, and Andrea. Ramsey and Lindsey are promotions interns, and Andrea works for the Curtis and Kuby show. We headed down the Jersey Turnpike, and started making our way to Jackson, NJ. The event was held at the Six Flags there, so a lot of people showed up to make an entire day of it.

Once we arrived, we started setting up the place up. We placed station banners, sponsor signing, and helping the engineers prepare the broadcast tent. We were given "All Access" passes to the park, which I'll talk about more later.

After a few hours of work preparing the park, people started to show up for the day, so we packed things up, and started setting up the t-shirt tent.


Yeah, we took a break, too.

Left to right is Jeff, Hannity's other intern. Ethan, who works in the newsroom, and Andrea.
Andrea demanded a picture of the guys as well...


After a morning of signing, sales, and a pretty danged good lunch sponsored by Ruth's Chris, the radio broadcast began. If you were able to hear the show Friday, there was a pretty long list of people to see. Sean is joined in this picture by former congressman Tom DeLay, and "The Great One" Mark Levin.


In between commercial breaks, those broadcasting would come to the fence, and talk to the 3,000 people who showed up in the bandstands.

In the next picture, you can get an idea of the people I work with. On the left with the blue shirt is "Sweet Baby James", Sean's producer. I've referenced him a few times in my blog. When the show is being run from 2 Penn, we assemble Sean's media packet.

Behind him in the cowboy hat is Elisha, the call screener.

Mark Levin, signing a book for a fan...


In the middle of the day, we had a couple days to ride some rides. Here was the pass we got:

It was great. Not only could we go anywhere in the park that we wanted to, but the rides were.... expediated. We got to skip all lines, and go on any ride we wanted, as often as we wanted. Here's someone we saw who REALLY enjoyed roller coasters.
VIDEO:


Before the concert began, I had a shift working the t-shirt booth. The promotions staff was sitting at the table, and were waiting for buyers. It was going pretty well, but wasn't really my thing. I grabbed Andrea, and told her that we were going to sell them on the road. A line had assembled, waiting to get into the show to see Sean Hannity, and their favorite country stars. What did our t-shirt have on it? Sean Hannity, and their favorite country stars. A captive line of conservative concert-goers who are star-struck, and brought cash with them in $20 incriments.

Yeah, we did $1,000 in sales. Win.


Finally, the concert started. I couldn't stand a bit of it, but Sara Evans' show was actually pretty good. Eh, country music wasn't my thing. I had my priorities set elsewhere... on the political guests.

VIDEO:




Yep, meeting Ann Coulter. You should have seen the crowd around this person. This was the best I could do for a picture. I met her later, and shook her hand, but she was the most in-demand person here.

I had a little more time to talk with Tom DeLay. He told me that it must be pretty amazing to intern for Sean Hannity. I told him that speaker of the house was way better, but thanks.


Meeting Mark Levin was pretty cool, too.



Finally, some fireworks to "end" the night. I say that loosely, because I still had 2 more hours to clean up, and another two hours to drive home... Long day, but a great day.

VIDEO:

Freedom Concert

It has been a long, 22-hour day for myself. I'm back from Jackson, New Jersey now, and about to topple over in my chair.

However, I have a long, long, long post for you all tomorrow. Whever I can drag my glutes out of bed, I'll get to work on it. Until then, enjoy watching me ride on a Segway...



... and playing a lunchtime song.

Freedom Concert Update

Today at work, we really started working in earnest for the Freedom Concert. It's coming up Friday, so things are really picking up. It's going to be a really full day. We'll arrive at work around 7am, and drive to Jackson, New Jersey. Then it'll be a full day of work. More to come!

Fort Collins

MONEY Magazine once again rated Fort Collins, Colorado the #1 on the list of "Best Places to Live."

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/index.html?cnn=yes