Attention both of my readers: I am now posting on WordPress HERE
Also, Posting about my new family via iWeb/Mobile Me HERE
Sorry Google, I am trying to get you outta my life. Except for the search engine in Safari.
Thanks, Rob
2.18.2011
1.29.2011
Movin on....
I will post over here soon:
http://soundguyrob.wordpress.com/
Less restrictions, cleaner look, and friendly posting features.
http://soundguyrob.wordpress.com/
Less restrictions, cleaner look, and friendly posting features.
1.25.2011
RIP John Leaf
I originally posted this a while ago. Thought I would re-post to see if the officer googles his own name again.
John was a great friend.
January 24, 2006
RUTH HOLLADAY
Leaf case should send signal to police
There is no rejoicing for the family of John Leaf, despite their decision last week to forgo a trial and accept
an unprecedented settlement of $950,000 from the city in the police shooting death of their loved one.
As "victories" go, this is a hollow one -- unless the community
understands that the loss of the 35-year-old stockbroker killed in
his home by a Marion County sheriff's deputy is bigger than one
man, one family.
"The Leaf family pursued this so that it does not happen to another
person," said John Prince, an assistant professor of English at Ball
State University and a brother-in-law of Leaf.
"This is not just about justice for John Leaf, but it is about
proactive justice. It sends a message that law enforcement officers
may not act in a cavalier manner as concerns the civil rights of
individual citizens."
Cavalier is too decent a word to describe what happened the night
of May 5, 2001, but then, the Leafs are decent people.
John Leaf -- fun-loving and well-liked, known for his generosity,
kindness and zest, say those who knew him -- had been drinking
in Broad Ripple. Rather than risk driving, he gave his keys to a
buddy, then took a taxi to his Northside apartment.
Once there, without his door key, he began the process of
breaking into his home. Neighbors heard sounds, came out and
talked to Leaf, who told them who he was and what he was doing.
Still, one neighbor called police -- not to report a burglary but so
that Leaf's ID could be verified.
The first officer to arrive was Andy Jacobs, a town marshal with the Meridian Hills police. Next, at 1:30 a.m.,
Deputy Ronald Shelnutt of the Marion County Sheriff's Department pulled up. Three minutes later, at 1:33
a.m., Leaf was dead.
The police version of events is that the officers entered the darkened apartment through an open patio door,
proceeding to the bedroom. Leaf then leaped out of bed and lunged at Shelnutt with a knife. Shelnutt fired
four times, hitting Leaf three times.
The Leaf family and their attorney, Steve Wagner, dispute that account at several levels. First, Leaf's bloodalcohol
content was 0.212, more than double the amount at which a person is legally considered to be
intoxicated in Indiana.
"We find it incredible that a man surrounded by two sober officers was able to suddenly sit up and pull a 15-
inch knife from behind his back, swivel around and come out of bed in one motion," said Wagner.
Leaf was shot first in the right shoulder, which would have forced him to drop any weapon. As for the knife, it
had no fingerprints on it, said Wagner.
"John Leaf was the innocent victim of police excessive force," said Prince.
Attorney Tony Overholt represented the Sheriff's Department and Shelnutt.
"First, this case was settled, it was not tried. So contrary to what Mr. Prince said, there has been no
determination that Deputy Shelnutt or the Marion County Sheriff's Department did anything inappropriate."
That is the sort of attitude the Leaf family will decry forever.
January 24, 2006
RUTH HOLLADAY
Leaf case should send signal to police
There is no rejoicing for the family of John Leaf, despite their decision last week to forgo a trial and accept
an unprecedented settlement of $950,000 from the city in the police shooting death of their loved one.
As "victories" go, this is a hollow one -- unless the community
understands that the loss of the 35-year-old stockbroker killed in
his home by a Marion County sheriff's deputy is bigger than one
man, one family.
"The Leaf family pursued this so that it does not happen to another
person," said John Prince, an assistant professor of English at Ball
State University and a brother-in-law of Leaf.
"This is not just about justice for John Leaf, but it is about
proactive justice. It sends a message that law enforcement officers
may not act in a cavalier manner as concerns the civil rights of
individual citizens."
Cavalier is too decent a word to describe what happened the night
of May 5, 2001, but then, the Leafs are decent people.
John Leaf -- fun-loving and well-liked, known for his generosity,
kindness and zest, say those who knew him -- had been drinking
in Broad Ripple. Rather than risk driving, he gave his keys to a
buddy, then took a taxi to his Northside apartment.
Once there, without his door key, he began the process of
breaking into his home. Neighbors heard sounds, came out and
talked to Leaf, who told them who he was and what he was doing.
Still, one neighbor called police -- not to report a burglary but so
that Leaf's ID could be verified.
The first officer to arrive was Andy Jacobs, a town marshal with the Meridian Hills police. Next, at 1:30 a.m.,
Deputy Ronald Shelnutt of the Marion County Sheriff's Department pulled up. Three minutes later, at 1:33
a.m., Leaf was dead.
The police version of events is that the officers entered the darkened apartment through an open patio door,
proceeding to the bedroom. Leaf then leaped out of bed and lunged at Shelnutt with a knife. Shelnutt fired
four times, hitting Leaf three times.
The Leaf family and their attorney, Steve Wagner, dispute that account at several levels. First, Leaf's bloodalcohol
content was 0.212, more than double the amount at which a person is legally considered to be
intoxicated in Indiana.
"We find it incredible that a man surrounded by two sober officers was able to suddenly sit up and pull a 15-
inch knife from behind his back, swivel around and come out of bed in one motion," said Wagner.
Leaf was shot first in the right shoulder, which would have forced him to drop any weapon. As for the knife, it
had no fingerprints on it, said Wagner.
"John Leaf was the innocent victim of police excessive force," said Prince.
Attorney Tony Overholt represented the Sheriff's Department and Shelnutt.
"First, this case was settled, it was not tried. So contrary to what Mr. Prince said, there has been no
determination that Deputy Shelnutt or the Marion County Sheriff's Department did anything inappropriate."
That is the sort of attitude the Leaf family will decry forever.
1.16.2011
1.13.2011
1.07.2011
12.31.2010
12.26.2010
12.23.2010
Coach Wooden Didn't Like Me
Back in the mid-90's I worked for a corporate AV company. There was a myriad of "gigs" involved. Political rallies,Fund raisers, Fashion shows, Training sessions, Video shoots,Etc.
I started to become the audio guy of the bunch. The long timer guys had moved on from audio so I was the default A1 on the crew. I found a work-order for a new and interesting assignment. A luncheon for some collegiate athletes celebrating their newfound scholarships.
The gig entailed a handful of local celebrities, giving speeches and awards. The keynote speaker was Coach John Wooden. Only, he wasn't actually there. I had a telephone interface feeding the telephone audio into the PA system for the attendees to listen to him, and a return feed of the podium mic and an audience mic for him to hear the cues, responses,questions and applause. If you are old enough to remember Phil Donahue-when he would dart around the audience-then ask, "Is the caller there?" Pretty much the same thing. The contact for the event handed me a California phone number with instructions to call at a given time before the event to call and test both directions of the signal. Then I was to call him back at showtime for him to speak to the folks and take a few questions.
Here is a quick rundown of the conversations:
Me: [ring....ring.]
JW: 'Hello?"
Me: "Hello, Mr. Wooden?"
JW: "Yeah?"
Me: "Hello sir, My name is Rob, I am with the production company handling tonight's ev-[interrupted]
JW: "Yeah..."
Me: "ok, I just need to adjust the level of your phone and make sure you can hear the podium mic"
JW: "Yeah,sure"
Me: "can you count from one to ten in a steady pace so I can-"
JW: "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10."
Me: "o...k." [I didn't even have time to adjust the phone to my ear-with my shoulder and grab the gain pot to check]
Me: "ok sir, I am going to put the phone down and speak into the mic. Let me know if you hear everything to your satisfaction?"
JW: [pause] ...."What?"
[It has come to my attention that Coach Wooden wants NOTHING to do with the entire process]
Me: "I just want to make sure that you can hear the presenter/Emcee in your phone handset"
JW: --------Silence------
Me: "Ok, 1,2,3,4,5,6...are you hearing any of this?"
JW: "What?"
Me "Are you having trouble hearing me sir?"
JW: "No, I can hear it"
Me: "[confused] Ok, is the level working for you?"
JW: "sure"
Me: "Great, I will call you back at"-CLICK-.....dial tone
The mother fucker hung up on me.
Fast forward to the given time to call him and set him up for his speech and Q&A session.
Me: [ring...rin]
JW: "Hello?"
Me: "Hello Mr Wooden" [Mind you, I am whispering since there is a presenter giving a speech in the ballroom at this point]
Me: "This is Rob again calling from Indianapolis-"
JW: "What? Who?"
Me: "-Rob, with the production-"
JW: "WHO IS THAT TALKING?"
Me: "It is the Emcee-name omitted"
JW: "Oh, How long until I speak?"
Me: "Less than four minutes sir"
JW: "....[pause].....ok"
Me: "I have the script, I'll give you a ten second warning if you like?"
JW: "......pause....."Huh? oh, sure."
Now, let me imply the tone of his voice thru this entire process. He is very impatient and doesn't want ANYTHING to do with me or any of this process. So,it gets close to the emcee giving him an intro, and I pick the handset back up, and whisper, "Mr. Wooden, are you ready?"
JW: "Yes, I am listening"
The Emcee then calls out his name, and the nicest, friendliest voice you can imagine comes thru the PA system. He gives his speech, answers 3-4 questions wishes all of the athletes well, and everyone claps. As they are clapping, I mute the signal, grab the headset and pick it up to thank him,
Me: "Mr. Wooden?"
JW: "Huh?"
Me: "thanks for all of your help!"
JW: [speaking over the sentence I am saying to him] "uh-huh...."
CLICK.
Mother Fucker Hung up On Me AGAIN.
I was tempted to stick that phone number into my pocket and call him back after a bender, let him have a piece of my irish mind.
But that would be unprofessional.
12.10.2010
Robere Update
Baby and Momma are doing well. Work is good, work is busy. It was about to look bad there for a while. Millionaires need a place to live too! I kid..I kid. We are actually on the crest-or downhill run of the 2 projects that have kept us busy for the last 2-4 years.The third is on the uphill swing. The big news, the brass at the company are looking into a new OS for all of software we currently use. Currently using a Microsoft based server-moving to a Mac OS-X. "Please God, please help me to NEVER have to use Windows XP or 7 again?"
12.04.2010
11.23.2010
11.20.2010
Thanks Comcast!
Thanks Comcast, Since I pay the equivalent of a month of gas in my SUV to you every month,
now I can watch all of my paid-for TV shows on my laptop.
11.15.2010
11.14.2010
11.13.2010
11.08.2010
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