You Learn Something New Every Day

Throughout the last week and a half at KAKE-TV, I have learned a lot of useful things... and not just about the broadcasting business. Last Tuesday, I followed two 4th of July-related stories; last Thursday, I learned about weather and the aircraft industry; and today, I learned about the usefulness of CPR and how its important to learn to swim.

Here are some general things I learned over the last week:

1. Firework stands do not shoot off all of the left-over fireworks. They box up the un-opened packages and send them back to the distributors. The large packages that have been opened are stored for next year.
2. Do not call 911 to submit lame firecracker complaints. It clogs up the system, and real emergencies can't get through.
3. If you are calling 911 for a legitimate emergency, but you get a busy signal, flag down or get a hold of a cop to call in dispatch for you.
4. Dual-polarization RADAR systems are amazing! They are able to scan clouds, tornado, etc. more accurately because they scan both horizontally and vertically. They can even tell what is debris being blown around by a tornado... or a flock of birds. Compared to our Doppler RADAR, this is going to be infinitely better. Wichita's going to be one of the first cities in the U.S. to get one, because we have such weird weather.
5. When aircraft companies have contract negotiations, they have to have "opening statements," where both the employment company and the union representatives detail publicly what exactly they want to put in the contract. But, even though they have differences, they can be brought together by a bad economy and a certain politician's remarks about their industry.
6. People do use CPR in real life. Swimming is also generally important; and it's best to learn it young. So, if you were ever to learn two things in life: learn to swim and learn CPR.

Also, a general announcement, this will be my last regular post until July 26, as I will be on vacation. However, I hope to have a special post tomorrow night! Keep looking for more updates.

Stay cool, everyone!