Tag Archives: Rob McClendon

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: The Man Behind the Voice

For many, author Michael Wallis is the voice of the heartland. A transplanted Tulsan, Wallis made his literary mark with books on the famous and infamous. In addition, Wallis is well known for his passion for the open road, penning multiple books on route 66.

He also garnered fame as the voice of the sheriff in the Pixar movie, Cars. In this week’s video blog, I visit with the author about what he believes writing is all about.
~ Rob McClendon

On the Horizon: The Man Behind the Voice from Alisa Hines on Vimeo.

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On The Horizon: A Royal Pain

I was recently watching a report on Prince William and Kate’s 11-day swing through North America, when the reporter said the Duchess is bringing with her 40 different outfits, but not her “stylist.” I guess I should applaud her for being able to dress herself for a week and a half, but that simple statement just reminded me of the chasm between the royals and the rest of us. I am no fan of a leisure class living off the hard work of others, either in Brittan or in this country.

Yes, we have our own royals; they just go by the name “super rich.” Words do not describe the disdain I have for politicians that in the attempt to get our country’s fiscal house right propose aiming such belt tightening solely at the middle class and below, while refusing to ask the super rich to share the burden that Wall Street and investment banks created.

You know we live in a world upside down when CNBC’s Jim Cramer of Mad Money fame (a Wall Street cheerleader if there ever was one) says he is embarrassed to be in line at Starbucks knowing his Wall Street gains are being taxed at a much lower rate than the incomes of the middle class workers behind him.

We are now almost three years out from when we learned those whiz kids on Wall Street were actually just street hustlers using our money to put billions into their own pockets while putting at risk our entire national economy.

In the summer of 2009, I sat down with The Nation’s columnist Bill Grieder to talk about the financial mess our country was in. Grieder has spent the last 40 years covering our nation’s capitol and says when it comes to pointing fingers for financial meltdown and subsequent recession; there is enough blame to go around. Continue reading On The Horizon: A Royal Pain →

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Plight of the Honey Bee

I have been on edge around bees for as long as I can remember. It amazes me how a tiny insect can frighten so many people. But when I had the opportunity to take a look inside the sweet home of honeybees (in a bee suit of course) I jumped at the chance.

What we found inside was incredible. There were huge gaping holes in the comb and the bees were not making honey like they should have been. We may be on edge about bees, but beekeepers are on edge about varroa mites. These little critters sneak inside the hive and weaken it. Not only does it hurt the bees but the beekeepers as well. Mite damage can cost producers millions of dollars and drastic hive loss, causing a quite a sting for beekeepers

In this today’s video blog, I introduce you to the president of the Oklahoma State Beekeeper’s Association, Keith Amason, as he shows us what is buzzing in the honeybee industry. Amason is a second generation beekeeper and is an ambassador for Oklahoma beekeepers. Suit up as Keith takes us up close and personal inside the threatened life of the honeybee.

~Andy Barth

On The Horizon: Plight of the Honey Bee from Alisa Hines on Vimeo.

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: A Brave Woman–Clara Luper

Her’s is not a household name like that of Rosa Parks and she did not garner the kind of national attention Martin Luther King did. But Oklahoma’s Clara Luper was a pioneering woman in the civil rights movement. Leading one of the first sit-ins at a drugstore in Oklahoma City, Mrs. Luper is credited for forcing local eateries to de-segregate all across Oklahoma, and eventually the nation.

Throughout her life, she worked for equal rights until her death this month at age eighty-eight. In today’s video blog we revisit an interview we did with her in 2005 as part of a black history exhibit at the Oklahoma History Center.

Rob

A Brave Woman–Clara Luper from Alisa Hines on Vimeo.

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Flying High with Brilliance

I was not looking forward to spending an entire day listening to stuffy business men talk about the aerospace industry. First of all it’s way over my head. I chose broadcast journalism because it is just that; journalism. Math and science not included. Furthermore, how exciting can airplanes be anyway?

I was in for a wake-up call and a reminder of why my job is so cool.

They say it is like speed dating for the aerospace industry. The annual aerospace summit in Tulsa, OK, brings together officials and aerospace aficionados from around the world to discuss all the new things heading our way. As a multi-billion dollar industry, aerospace proves to be extremely important to Oklahoma’s economy. The industry provides an astounding 143,000 jobs and $12 billion dollars annually to the state.

Now back to the stuffy business men. Yeah they were all wearing suits, but it turns out these guys were more along the lines of oh…geniuses. We are talking about men and women who have walked on the moon. Astronauts so intellectually brilliant they draw complicated designs on napkins. No not squiggles and doodles, but the design plans for the B2 bomber. CEO’s of Boeing and American Airlines. Airplane pilots who have decided to retire from the grueling occupation and perfect unmanned aerial reconnaissance used for spying by the U.S. government.

The men and women of the aerospace industry are incredible. My brain will never work the way theirs does. Continue reading On the Horizon: Flying High with Brilliance →