June 16th 2008
WRCH started playing the Nation Anthem each morning right after 9-11. Just last week, I was emailed a video from a listener, of 5 girls age 6 to 11, from Texas ,singing the national anthem at a Texas Tech game. It was so moving, I bought the version on line, and put it in our collection of "The Star Spangled Banner" versions. Here is the video!
(June 6th 2008,
Allan Camp Reporting:
I was going through my wallet recently and I found a dollar that had a stamp across the bottom that said www.wheresgeorge.com Currency Tracking Project. I checked it out in my browser and found that it brings up a website where you can put in dollar bill serial numbers and find out where the dollar goes once it leaves your hand. I entered a hand full of bills and have not seen a report back on any of the bills i have submitted, but I learned the the bill I found in my wallet had been entered in Norwich and had traveled to Cumberland Farms in Southington where I picked it up. It had taken 23 days for me to get it and regester it. You can click on the banner below or the website address in the small font above, to brigng you to the site. Obviously, if you don’t write “wheresgeorge.com” on the bottom of the bill, your chances are slim that someone will actually enter your bill. Have fun some rainy day entering your ONES.
Have a good week. allan.camp@cbsradio.com
5/27/08
The Whirlwind tour to Universal Orlando Resort completed on Friday when we flew into Bradly around 3:PM. We met some great people in the resort like Suzanne who told us about her snowboard trips to South America, and Will who told us about a new Ale from Mexico called Pacifico. As always I took tons of pictures of everyplace we went and have put them up in a photo album for you to check out. You will also find some videos I made of our tour around universal. Just go to Keyword VIDEOS to check them out. I saved one just for you Blog surfers that won't show up on the video page. Let me set the stage. We had just finished a demonstration/Magic show of some pretty cool tricks you can buy at the Island of Adventure. A Billfold that bursts into flame and a deck of cards that levitate and spin. (I was 3 feet away, and I still don't see how they do it) We walked out the door and I saw what looked like a Mayan stone carved fountain that was talking to the visitors passing by. Here is what happened.
On Saturday my wife and I were watching an old Bette Davis movie called Now,Voyage about a woman who is transformed to an elegant, confident woman, from a shy, frumpy old maid who had always been controlled by her Mother. Part of the film is on a cruise ship where they are sailing past Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. It made me think of what a great vacation that would be. So I checked on Flickr where photography buffs post their work to see if I could find any pictures of Rio. I found this photo by "Neloqua" who lives there. Click her photo to go to her page.
I checked plane tickets too, and you can on plane tickets and 4 fights Hotel for a little over a thousand dollars a person. That is something to save for! Click my picture for a link to my flickr page, and be sure to click on my contacts tab to see some of Gerri Griswolds travel photos(you have heard her doing traffic on WRCH from time to time) She takes the best vacations, and always brings her camera. Click here
I remember a friend saying to me in 4th grade, “You be quiet, I’ll do the talking” Why, I said? Because you can’t lie! My Daughter and I in collaboration with my Sister-in-law, and Mother-in-law, orchestrated a surprise visit for my wife. We have known about it for 2 months, and have come close numerous times; to “blow the secret” I am so relieved the reunion happened this past weekend and we pulled it off. For part of the visit, we took in some of the spring beauty that a Floridian rarely gets to enjoy. The Changing from winter to spring. So with Family, Camera and the stations new Video camera, we visited Hubbard Park in Meriden for the Daffodils, and then, on Dean Richards suggestion, we brought my 9 month old niece Avery to Elizabeth Park in Hartford. Here is one picture of each place. (Hubbard Park,Meriden)
(Elizabeth Park, Hartford)
If you would like to see the whole collection, click Photo tour. If you would like to see the video from Elizabeth Park, click Video It is pretty relaxing to watch. If you want to see for yourself, the daffodils at Hubbard Park are pretty much over, but I think the tulips still have some life in them. Have a good week.
Allan Camp allan.camp@cbsradio.com
5/2/08
View from the top of the WRCH tower where workmen will install a HD antenna on top Saturday May 3rd, lifted on by Helicopter. (sometime after 7am weather permitting)
Allan Camp's Blog: 4/29/08
I looked at the calendar this morning and realized that my youngest child turns 20 today. I remember how old my parents seemed to me when I turned 20. I’m sure Jake has a completely different perception, as I am much more youthful and fun than my parents were at this age! Right! My wife is making the famous Butterfingers Cake in honor of the occasion and we’ll make a huge pot of spaghetti sauce for the weekend celebration.
Nothing is as beautiful as Springtime in Connecticut. I wish the trees would stay these colors till July, and then would “Go Green” I took these pictures during my daily walk last week. Take a look. Have a good week. Allan
Allan Camp Reporting:
If my wife Arlene didn't like gardening, my lawn would be Ugly, Ugly, Ugly! That is why I try not to complain too much when asked to come out and dig holes for the rose bushes and other plants that she wants moved. When we completed the planting we sat on the front porch rockers and Arlene said, “So..How are we going to pay for heating oil this winter?” We were among the pre paying customers of F&S Oil company That went out of business recently. We only lost one fill up, but that still puts us a fill up behind. You know how good it feels when you find $20 in a pair of pants or in the washer? Imagine how you would feel if you found a couple thousand dollars. There is almost $33 billion in unclaimed money from old payroll checks, utility refunds, trust distributions, stocks, banking or checking accounts, CD’s, and
Go to www.missingmoney.com Here are some other sites to check out as well: you will need to paste them in your browser. Happy Hunting.
I have to admit that I have not been into American Idol like Mike and Allison are, but I was a video with Jordan Sparks and Chris Brown that peaked my interest. The song is called "No Air" Take a look and listen. allan.camp@cbsradio.com
4/8/08
My sister Marsha's friend Donna spent a couple tours in Kuwait with the National Guard. She sent home a few pictures of the local "Wild Life". Some of the most beautiful birds, exotic camels and some things, that would cause you to get into the habit of checking out your sleeping bag before blindly entering it. Let me share a couple with you. Don't ever complain about a "Daddy Long-legs" again! Have a good week. Allan Camp allan.camp@cbsradio.com
Allan Camp Reporting:
Well, I almost made it through the winter without getting the flu or severe winter malady. All of us had our flu shots, but Dr. Misiak tells me, that I have been blessed with another strain. Nice! The only upside of being home sick, is I got to see Ellen DeGeneres talk show, where she brought to attention a young Philippine band lead vocalist who sounds EXACTLY like Steve Perry, the former lead singer of the band Journey. Ellen showed a You-Tube video of Arnel Pineda, doing a Journey song with a bar band, and the similarity with Steve Perry is unbelievable. Neal Schon, the founder of the band Journey, saw the video, checked in with the person who uploaded it for more information, and invited Pineda by email to audition. Arnel says he was greeted warmly by the band, but added that the 2 day audition was very intense. He got the lead singer position, and Journey debuted Arnel Pineda in front of a packed arena and 25 million TV Viewers. Jonathan Cain the Journey keyboardist, said in an interview,"We went to Chile just recently, where we had never played and they went crazy, they absolutely went nuts...Arnel's first show - talk about a stressful thing - we had a televised concert for 25 million people...Is the guy a winner? Yeah, he's a winner. He's a clutch player! Take a look at this concert footage, and you’ll see it was magic. Have a good week allan.camp@cbsradio.com , Here is a segment from that Chilean concert. Look at Neal Schon’s face as Arnel sings!safe deposit boxes according to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. There is about $133 million in unclaimed pension funds. About 32,000 people may have pension money just sitting around. Property is considered abandoned if there has been no activity on it for more than three years. That money is turned over the state of your last known address, and the state holds the money in its coffers until your or your heirs claim it. Here are a couple places for you to check if you or a family member has money floating around out there.
Allan Camp Reporting:
3/24/08-I just read in the trade magazines that Jack Armstrong passed away this past weekend at only 63 years old. He was one of my top five favorite radio announcers of all time. I emailed him once and told him how I heard his last show on WKBW Buffalo, and as a 5th grader, I was devastated he was leaving the air waves. He sent me back a nice note. He spoke fast, was witty and was amazing at adding in sound effects and recorded voices into his regular routine. One of the best Top 40 Jocks of all time! Let me show you a Reunion show he did with WIXY in 1988. Thanks For Everything Jackson. Allan Camp
Allan Camp Reporting:
My family is fortunate to have had relatives who kept up with Family Genealogy. I’ve learned that the Camp name had an “e” at the end of it. I know that Nicholas Camp was our first relative in America. He was one of the first settlers of Milford, Connecticut, and his name is carved into the stone bridge in that town. He left his native England 10 years after the Mayflower, and of this first group his wife Sara was the first person to die here in the new world. Not a great start for the Camp family. There were 17 Children, who branched out to various towns. Our branch of the Camps went to Vermont, where they became farmers. My Great Grandfather, Lyman L. Camp, was a private in the 3rd Vermont Regiment in the Civil War, and served in the Battles of Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, The Wilderness. He was wounded in the elbow and was shot through the backpack during one battle, but managed to come home alive. My Father remembers seeing Lyman at a family picnic when he was a toddler. He and recalls his father telling him about Lyman reaching in his knapsack for a Hardtack (Cracker) on a night march, and mistakenly eating his bar of soap.(there was probably not much difference in shape and flavor) Here is a tintype taken of Lyman in Uniform taken when he was 28.
It is not too late to talk to your Mom and Dad, or Grandparents if you are blessed still to have them. You will learn some very interesting information and will be able to pass it on. I interviewed my father on cassette when he turned 82, and now I’ll be able to give a copy of the CD to Grandchildren someday. Have a good week Allan Camp
allan.camp@cbsradio.com
Allan Camp Reporting
3/3/2008
Here is my radio life story (don’t worry, there is a payoff at the end) I knew I wanted to work in radio when I was in 4th Grade. I would listen to the big AM stations at night when they would come in like local stations. I loved listening to Sandy Beach on WKBW Buffalo, Boom Boom Branigan on WPTR Albany, WCFL and WLS Chicago and Mark Denis on CKGM in Montreal. They were Top 40 Stations that sounded GREAT.
When I Graduated from High School, Grahm Jr. College in Boston was one of the best Radio and TV schools in the Northeast. After Graham, my first job was at WHWB in Rutland Vermont. My Mom was my only loyal listener, because I was pretty terrible when I started. I moved on to WTSL Hanover New Hampshire Next, then WCFR Springfield Vermont. I did one shift on WDOT in Burlington Vermont, filling in for an old Grahm schoolmate who was WDOT’s Program Director. Next I went to WKPE on Cape Cod, for a whopping 6 months. I was hired by Sconnix Broadcasting to do Afternoons at WOCB West Yarmouth Cape Cod. I then went to WCIB in Falmouth and worked for radio legend Larry Justice until I got my first break in a Large Market, WSNE Providence. My old friend Ken Gilbert, who was doing nights at WDRC, called me and got me an interview at his station, and I came to Hartford in 1987. In 1989, WRCH Switched from Instrumental music to Soft Rock, and Warren Schroeger hired me to do Mornings with Lee Sparapani. Lee left after a year, and Kathy Wyler came aboard, and Mike joined us a year after that.
Now here is the fun part. Rick Kelly, another Grahm Alumni, created a website where you can listen to recordings of Radio Stations and Announcers going back to Bob Steele, Jess Cain, Don Imus, and more. Have Fun, Click on the following link,
Allan Camp Reporting
Bored? Here is a video you will enjoy! PS....I received a video link from Donna Pehomiler that has 200 people FREEZE ON CUE while walking through Grand Central Station. It's pretty entertaining. Click the picture of GRAND CENTRAL STATION below!
We finished up our Disney Broadcast and flew home on Wednesday. I brought my Sister Marsha along this trip. She is the Director of Access at the University of Vermont, and usually goes through some pretty tough winters, so I knew she would love this. She hasn’t been to Disney since she was 18. Marsha is basically a "Roller Coaster Chicken" just like me. I watched Mike skillfully lull her into false belief that Everest was just a step up from the tea cups. Here are the results.
Yes, Only the Camp's show any fear. Mike and Allison look like they are taking a walk in the park. We loved the Hotel, Allison loved Animal Kingdom, Mike enjoyed the Cuban Restaurant and I took as many pictures as possible, I also had fun with the video recorder in my camera too. I will leave you with two videos. Number one: The Gray back Gorillas at Animal Kingdom. Very impressive animals.
Number 2, equally impressive, Mike and Allison Dancing at Sebastian’s Dance Party!
Now, go to sign up for our next vacation! Here is a shortcut, to bring you to the signup page!
More Next Week. Allan
Allan.camp@cbsradio.com
Feb 4th 2008
I love photography books and exhibits, because it allows you to see something that may never be seen again!,, I bought an old fashioned viewer for Stereotype cards. They are like a post card duplicated with the same image side by side, but when you look at the image through it, you see it in 3-D.
I have one card of the White House interior in 1910, and feel privileged that I can see it the way a person living at that time did. I also have a card of the Battle Ship Maine, after it was sunk in Cuba and even a couple of World War One that have General Pershing in 1917 standing with fellow officers. Again, something I should have never seen first hand. It happens through pictures. I became interested in taking pictures when my Mom bought me a “Brownie Bullet” camera when I was in 5th Grade. I moved into the “Kodak Instamatic” Camera and at one point, had a camera that used “Flash Cubes” (they look like the building in Hartford where Channel 61 is housed) Anyway, I was inspired by my younger Brother Jim, who’s pictures always looked great! He has a good eye for a picture, and I wanted to see if I could develop that talent in myself. I don’t know if any of my pictures will stand the test of time, but I just keep on clicking, and who knows, someday I might get the perfect shot. A friend told me about the Flickr website, where you can post your pictures for everyone to look at and do a search on anything from Cities and Towns, to People and Animals, to Snow and Ice. I posted some of my pictures and here is a link to check them out. You can also make yourself an account to share your favorites.
Allan Camp Reporting:
My Daughter got home last week from her vacation to Costa Rica. I picked her up at the train station in New Haven, and as a tradition when family members travel out of New Haven, we always go to Pepe's Pizza. We got the traditional Pepperoni, and talked about the trip. It was a great experience and as promised, here are some of the pictures she took. ( None of the Zip Line activities, because they wouldn't let you "Zip" if you had a camera) But here is a good sample of everything from Wildlife to a Volcano! So here we go.
1/14/2008
My Daughter Meredith has been the “Family Traveler”, and it all started with the incredible opportunities available
Junior year she saved up and went to Australia, a life long dream. She is being greeted by a Kangaroo on the left, and took the photo on the right.
This week she is in Costa Rica, staying in Youth Hostels. As an Animal Science Grad Student, she was attracted to the Birds there. (But the emails home, illustrate she is also concentrating on the Fun Factor too.) Her email leaves me ready for a new adventure. I’ll post some of her Costa Rica pictures when she gets back next week.
Here are some her notes home:
1)
Hey Dad...pass this on to mom
Costa Rica is going well! We are in la Fortuna now. Our Hostel has a swim up bar in the pool and the pool is lined with hammocks. We went to a gorgeous 70 meter waterfall the other day on a hike. We also went on a hike up the side of the volcano and to a look out point at night where we actually saw lava coming out. It was crazy! Then the tour took us to a hot springs resort and we got to relax in one of over 20 different temperature hot springs natural pools.
Today we went to Cano Negro on a wildlife tour and saw Caimans, Sloth’s, Monkeys, Toucans, Iguanas, and Herons out in the open. it was great, and they fed us too.
Tomorrow we head to Monteverde. That’s where they have the cloud forest.
I think we might try the forest zip line there too.
See you soon
mec
*Zip Line. A cable extended from two points, one being higher than the other. The rider starts at the top and rides the cable down at break neck speed!!
2)
Hola,
>
> We are now in Monteverdi which means ´green mountain´. it was a crazy
> trek to get here and they try to cut down on ecotourism by making it
> hard to get here. There are no paved roads! But its great.
> Yesterday we did a canopy tour which is zip lining through the trees.
> Unbelievable! We went on 14 different zip lines through the forest and
> canopy. The craziest was that they had 4 zip lines that were so long
> they stretched from mountain to mountain and you zip lined across the
> canyon. the last one was 750 meters so that is like half a mile on a
> zip line being like a thousand feet in the air. they also put you on this Tarzan swing that was intense!
> they put you on a platform and then while i was up there i told the
> guy that i was rethinking it and i was too scared. Nxt thing ya know
> he told me to bend my knees a little and then he kneed me off the
> platform. You free fall and then the swing gets tight and you swing
> like Tarzan. Thank gosh he pushed me because, now I’m glad i did it.
>
> Today we are going to the Santa Elena cloud forest. That’s where you
> walk on the high bridges through the tree tops. There is supposed to
> be a lot of cool birds and wildlife up there. i´m already up to over
> 50 species of birds here. Tell Jake that my favorite is the ´clay
> colored robin´ and yellow bellied king flycatcher. he´ll enjoy those names.
>
> adios!
> mec
>
3)
Hey guys!
Today is gorgeous out! Its about 80 and sunny with a bit of clouds. Our guy in charge of the hostel cuts up fresh fruit every morning and brings it to you with fresh costa rican coffee.
Today we went to Selvatura park where they have hanging bridges up in the air that you walk on through the canopy. we also went to their butterfly garden and spent an hour in the hummingbird garden. we saw over a 100 hummingbirds and probably about 7 different species that we could identify with our bird book. they are soooo fast and they aren´t shy...they come right up to you!
Tonight we’re thinking about doing a night hike to see the nighttime wildlife or go to the frog ranarium to see the different frogs here in c.r. we’re going to dinner at the tree house cafe where you actually eat on a platform up in a huge tree. they have a hotel there too with only a few rooms but you can sleep in treehouse! super expensive though compared to our 10 dollars a night!
tomorrow we head to playa Tamarindo...about a 4 hour bus ride from here.
its on the beach and they do diving, snorkeling, horseback rides on the beach, surfing lessons, and tons of other fun beach stuff!
ttyl! love you
xoxo
mere
4)
hola guys!
on the last few days here in costa rica. we are in playa tamarindo right now which is by far the most touristy part of the country we have been to.
this may be because its on the beach but wow there are definitely a lot of people here and its more done up than anywhere we have been yet.
theres even a pizza hut and subway here...jeez!
but the weather is hot...probably like in the mid 90s every day. our room has a.c. thank gosh. john and i took surfing lessons the other afternoon.
the water here is warm too so it wasn't a shock. Two of the people in our surf group got too tired to continue so me and john pretty much had a private lesson for 2 hours! I got up and surfed a wave on my second try and then he kept giving me pointers. since there was a lot of people in the water it was good that i know how to steer a snowboard because while surfing i had to veer out of the way of the many swimmers...or just shouted moooovvvveee!! john got up too many times too and we both swallowed a lot of salt water.
yesterday we went on a boat that took us to a few snorkel spots. we saw a few coral reefs and bunch of fish. one of the guys was in the water with us and he tapped me on the shoulder. i looked around and he had a huge puffer fish blown up. i screamed thru my snorkel haha cuz i was pretty surprised. i also saw an eel...you'd have loved it dad.
today we are going to try to take a horse back riding tour and hopefully see some more wildlife.
see ya soon!!
mere
That's this weeks update. I'll post her picture next week. Allan Camp
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