Tampa Taxi Shots

Arch Deal An Intrepid Skydiver

Arch Deal Of WFLA

If you are a transplant to Tampa you may not know the name Arch Deal. He was the news anchor at WFLA channel 8 from 1958 - 1976, He pioneered on air interviews during a time of stodgy newscasting. In fact, he had a famous on air interview with President Kennedy when he visited Tampa just four days before he died.

Deal was good about getting people to open up to him.. He was smart, personable, well liked and an overall good guy with a love of life. He did have an exciting passion. Arch Deal loved to skydive.

Deal was a professional sky diver with thousands of jumps under his belt. He was almost as famous for his jumping as he was for being a news anchor with a golden voice. In fact, it was his golden voice that gave him away on the television show To Tell The Truth.

He was on the show in 1971 and the panel had no trouble in picking out because of his voice and his relaxed demeanour under the lights with this sky diving suit on. In 1975 Arch was doing a promotional jump at Cypress Gardens when his main parachute failed to open. He hit the ground after falling 3,000 feet. Nobody had ever survived a fall from that height. That is why rescue took its time in finding Arch. They took over 30 minutes to get to him and amazingly, he was alive.

Rescue workers find Arch Deal in an orange grove alive

He had broken almost every bone in his body. He later accounted a near death experience while laying in the orange grove. He talked about seeing a white light and a calm feeling coming over hm. Perhaps it was just not hiss time.

Arch would later leave WFLA for mostly political reasons. They never liked his passion for sky diving and nobody at the television station ever visited Arch when he was in the hospital. That was just wrong.

Arch moved on to another station and would eventually become a corporate spokesman. He has written a book about his adventures called "Corporate Fall Guy."

I voted Today

I voted in the very important election today (Rick, Charlie and Mike).  I wanted my voice to matter.  Think about, if I am the only one that shows up....I decide it all!  Now that is a heady thought.  No chance of that happening.

The polls seemed to be very active throughout Tampa today.  it is raining (supposed to favor Republicans).  We will see around 7 tonight when the cable news networks make their first projections of the night based on exit poll results.  Dick Morris says the exit polls are very accurate.

The newscasters will give certain body language that will let you know what they know about the results.  Two years ago, it was all they could do to contain their glee that Obama was going to win.  Somehow tonight, I think they will curb their enthusiasm.  Block voting could hurt, however.

I don't see much of that.  The monolithic Black voting areas were empty today.  They don't seem to be to enthusiastic about the government being out of their lives and being left alone.

Another Week, Another TV Blackout for NFL - TheStreet

the Tampa Tribune pointed Bucs fans to mascot-appropriate pirated live streams from ATDHE.net, Justin TV, BlipTV and Ustream. They don't have the expressed written consent of the NFL, whose representatives say they'll "vigorously protect our product" though cease-and-desist letters and takedown notices, but loyal, frugal fans are using the option anyway. Plus, with the NFL's free broadcasts shown in HD and a game from another market replacing the blacked-out hometown matchup, borderline fans are still offered a crisp view of NFL action for the double-digit cost of an HD antenna.

via www.thestreet.com

The NFL may try to force these alternative networks to cease and desist from shown the Tampa Bay Bucs in the Tampa market, but they have brought this on themselves. The internet, direct TV, digital this and that, people can find other ways to see an NFL game other than paying $25 to park and $10 for a paper cup of beer. Free markets folks. The NFL is literally pricing themselves out of fans.

Taxi Taxi Public Access TV

Taxi Taxi (aka The Taxi Cab Show) from Tampa Public Access. Nana talks about being a cab driver. It seems there is a Public Access TV show and Nana is the star. I found this on You Tube. I have never seen it. Cool idea. Larry and Tony should do a show. Ha, Ha.....What do you have to do to get on the Public airways? Can you tape it or does it have to be live? For call ins it has to be live. Check out this video at this link to my website: Tampa Taxi shots.com back up site on Blogspot which does not seem to have a problem with video unlike Typepad. The reason I am going there is unlimited bandwidth. Typepad says I am over my limit and the want to charge me $20 a month for it. I know people on Blogspot that a billion hits an hour and don't pay a dime for it. And know that the templates can be really customized, why not go there

United Cab #497 On A Roll!

I was watching TV the other night and WOW! There is my cab United 497 in the Publix commercial that they filmed last April. The same cab I drive every day. I really wanted to be in the commercial; instead they used some Grey haired dude as my stand in(he looked like he was at least 50!).

The plot of the commercial was a lady came out of publix and put her groceries in the trunk(They damaged my trunk when they put the camera in it). She then walked by the driver to get in. What! Taxi drivers load peoples groceries, especially a nice lady. This guy just stood there and had no speaking role. Man, I could of done that. I have a good voice, they could of given me a speaking part. You can see the actor leaning against my cab. The purpose of the commercial was a "back to school" promotion.

Now this morning I find out that 497 won the pic 3 last night in Florida! I did not have  a ticket, but Larry did! He played my cab number and won $500. I could of really used that. Oh well, I understand other drivers where playing 497 as well. MO JO is a funny thing.

I think I will now play Larry or Tony's numbers...440,449. I think boxing is the way to do it. I have never bought a ticket in my life.

The History Channel

I pulled into the University of Tampa the other day and a large crowd was gathered in period costume. What the heck?

It seems while the kids where gone the History Channel was using Plant hall as a backdrop for an upcoming production involving President William McKinley and post Spanish American War Politics.

It must of been important because "Bill" kept coming out and repeating that "United States territorial expansion would have to stop." That really worked out well. My only thought is after I was there almost one hour they kept doing the same take over and over. I got photos of each one and he still has that same stupid look as he squints in the morning sun.  Has any of these production guys ever heard of a scrim?

They did,however, have some cool costumes. I don't know how you become an extra in something like this but sign me up.