Behind the Curtain

Wasn't that the moment when Dorothy realized that The Wizard was full of it? She peered behind the curtain and discovered what really went into creating this particular "power."

Nothing nearly so nefarious here. But given the extenuating circumstances we faced putting together this week's edition of Clean Skies Sunday, I thought a peek behind our virtual curtain might be worth a laugh.

First, take a look at the show (posted above). Good interview about the environmental realities of the Gulf spill, a look into BP's most attractive sale items if it needs to start raising cash, plus a talk with one of the many authors of the next UN Climate Report (the last one led to a Nobel Prize).

OK, next take a look at the pictures below of the taping process. We're revamping our Capitol Hill studio, so our old set is out of commission and our new set is still in the some-assembly-required stage. The result? A jerry-rigged lighting grid, no Teleprompter, and me squatting/sitting in front of a gigantic big-screen TV (I'm taller than the monitor). And the ladder? That's my make-shift desk.

So, what happens behind our Clean Skies News curtain? We make sausage, of course.

A True Juggling Act

Ever seen The Flying Karamazov Brothers? A rotating cast of characters plays the same four roles, Russian Guys who can juggle anything. And they do exactly that, based on audience participation. When I saw them, I think one of them juggled a bowling ball, a Spider-Man action figure, and a stick of butter. Sick.

Anyway, I'm doing my best Karamazov impersonation right now by juggling The Energy Report, a handful of Clean Skies Sunday interviews, and a Sunday story on what could be a bit of a BP fire sale. Whew!

So while I have so many journalistic balls in the air, here's a look at last week's show. I think our product came out especially well, especially since Susan McGinnis had to make an emergency trip to the Disabled List.

Oh, and here's the aforementioned FKB in action. Almost as mind-boggling as deciphering the more than 1,300 pages of the EPA's Transport Rule proposal. Ouch.