And the Emmy Goes to…

Last Monday (26 April), I had the honor of attending the 31st Annual Sports Emmy Awards in New York City for the first time since I started working at ESPN two years ago.   I was nominated for two Emmys along with the graphics team for the SportsNation show.   As the phrase goes, it was an honor just to be nominated.

emmy awards

The awards were held in the Frederick P. Rose Theater. Our pre- and post-show receptions were held in the Time Warner Center overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park:

emmy awards

The reception room:

emmy awards

For the category “Outstanding Graphic Design,” MLB Tonight won. But so did SportsNation (and the post-announcement video clip featured “Walk the Plank,” one of my touchscreen games!):

emmy awards

So now I’m an Emmy winner!

emmy awards

A terrific honor, for sure, and I’m proud to share the award with the rest of the SportsNation graphics team. I work with some very talented people.

Post-show reception over, waiting for the buses to return us to ESPN:

emmy awards

Congratulations to the entire SportsNation graphics team on the Emmy win!   And congratulations to all the other winners!

emmy awards

emmy awards

Winners Bracket

On Saturday, ESPN Sports Saturday on ABC launched.   Included was a new show called Winners Bracket, created by the team behind the ESPN show SportsNation.   Winners Bracket is hosted by Michelle Beadle and Marcellus Wiley.

For both shows, I create the touchscreen games the anchors and guests play during the show.   On Saturday, I was on-hand for the launch and snapped some photos (I tweeted most of these on Saturday, but here are a few more).

Check out Winners Bracket on Saturdays at 5p ET on ABC!

winners bracket

The studio crew discussing their plan for the show:

winners bracket

Director Chris going over the shot list:

winners bracket

An hour before Winners Bracket launched, I was still making updates to the touchscreen game:

winners bracket

Director Chris doing his thing:

winners bracket

Michelle and Marcellus:

winners bracket

Playing the touchscreen game:

winners bracket

Marcellus fixing his earpiece:

winners bracket

Playing the touchscreen game with Jalen Rose:

winners bracket

Reaction shot with Alexi Lalas:

winners bracket

Jalen Rose watching the show:

winners bracket

The winner of the first-ever Winners Bracket was a Dwyane Wade dunk.   Marcellus and Mike Greenberg guessed correctly.   Michelle did not:

winners bracket

After the show, the entire crew gathered for some cake and celebration:

winners bracket

My souvenir from the launch:

winners bracket

Michelle wrote, “The Genius rules all. Michelle Beadle” Marcellus wrote, “The Genius BROTHER! M Wiley, Dat Dude 75.” My nickname amongst the SportsNation crew and others at ESPN is “Joey the Genius” or just “Genius” for short.

Being part of a team launching a new show is one of the best aspects of working in the television industry. Congrats to the entire Winners Bracket team for a successful launch and a great show!

Brackets

After about four months of development time and a few very long nights last week, my NCAA touchscreen brackets graphic debuted on SportsCenter yesterday. ESPN college basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb revealed his bracket using the Perceptive Pixel touchscreen.

Here are a few short videos of Doug in action yesterday:

Part of my fun with this project was working with all the anchors and analysts who will be interacting with the touchscreen. Yesterday I was in support mode making sure Doug was comfortable with the graphic.

Doug making a pick:

doug gottlieb ncaa tournament brackets

Doug tossing away two teams’ stat panels:

doug gottlieb ncaa tournament brackets

Doug and others will be using the touchscreen throughout the tournament, so check it out on ESPN!

Road Trip: MoMA

A couple weekends ago, some coworkers and I traveled to New York City to visit The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).   This trip marked the first time I had been to the museum.   Here are some of the photos I took.

Road trip? More like a rail trip:

train ticket

Walking from Grand Central, I ducked inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral:

st. patrick's cathedral

st. patrick's cathedral

Parked:

parked

MoMA:

moma

Museum-goers:

moma

Claude Monet’s water lilies:

monet

monet

The Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh:

starry night by vincent van gogh

Museum-goers:

museum-goers

“Cinema Redux” of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. A frame was captured every second in the film, and each row represents one minute of the film. More here.

vertigo

In the same section of the museum, there was this amazing touchscreen application called “I Want You to Want Me.”   The application pulled together information from multiple dating websites and created this interactive display of what people want and who they’re looking for.   Read more about the project here.   The official video:

Post-MoMA, the Chrysler Building in reflection:

chrysler

Back at Grand Central:

grand central

grand central

Headed home:

grand central

Wintry Walk Around West Hartford

Last week during a snowstorm, I needed a mind-clearing/creative exercise after work, so my camera and I took a stroll around West Hartford for over an hour (and I think the cold I have had for the last week was because of this excursion!).   Here are a few shots I took:

west hartford

west hartford

west hartford

west hartford

west hartford

west hartford

west hartford

west hartford

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Conclusion

route

My America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip: 10 days; 1,914 miles; 2,495 photos. I compare my journey to that of a tribesman journeying up the mountain and returning a different person. Having spent so much time by myself over as great of a distance as I did and having experienced places of awesome historical significance and places for great personal reflection changed my outlook on myself. I have an altered opinion of life, one, I think, that will make me a better person.

My road trip was an amazing journey. I cherish the experience I had, the memories I made, and the photographs I took. Looking back on my journey, while the drive was at times long, I will be forever thankful and grateful I was able to make the trek. Having seen all these American treasures makes me reiterate “America: F**k Yeah!”

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Liberty State Park

My final stop of my America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip in October was at Liberty State Park in New Jersey.

route

The park is directly across the harbor from New York City, so I was afforded a great view of the skyline:

liberty state park

The view down the pier:

liberty state park

And of course, to top-off my jingoisticly-themed trip, the Statue of Liberty:

liberty state park

liberty state park

Lady Liberty at dusk:

liberty state park

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Trenton

Stop #3 on my return trip from DC this past October was in Trenton, New Jersey at the site were General George Washington and his troops crossed the icy waters of the Delaware River to make a surprise Christmas Day attack on Hessian forces in Trenton.

route

The crossing, of course, was made famous in Emanuel Leutze’s painting:

washington crossing the delaware

I stopped at Washington Crossing State Park on the New Jersey side of the Delaware:

trenton

The Delaware today:

trenton

trenton

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Philadelphia

For anyone who was following my photos from my road trip in October, my apologies for not finishing the series.

As noted earlier, in October, I took a 10-day, almost 2,000-mile journey to North Carolina and back, stopping at several historical places on the way from and to Connecticut.   The last day took me from DC back to CT with stops at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Trenton NJ where Washington crossed the Delaware during the Revolution, and Liberty State Park in NJ.

route

The Liberty Bell with Independence Hall in the background:

liberty bell

Forged in 1753:

liberty bell

The clapper:

liberty bell

In this room, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution were all signed:

independence hall

independence hall

The guide mentioned the only original item in the room was the chair (with, what was said by Benjamin Franklin, was a rising not setting sun) used by George Washington during the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787:

independence hall

Independence Hall:

independence hall

And since I was in Philadelphia, I had to stop for a cheesesteak!

philly

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Fort McHenry

Day 10, the final day, of my road trip back in October was a spent driving from DC back to Connecticut and of course I had some stops planned!

route

First stop on the return leg of my trip was to Fort McHenry in Baltimore MD.   Interestingly, Fort McHenry is the only site in the National Park System that is designated as an Historic Shrine.

fort mchenry

The fort from a distance:

fort mchenry

Looking out to the harbor:

fort mchenry

Cannonballs:

fort mchenry

Inside the fort (several years after the War of 1812, the second story and porches were added):

fort mchenry

The guns of war:

fort mchenry

Rampart (as in “o’er the ramparts we watched”) #4:

fort mchenry

An interesting bit of historical trivia I learned at Fort McHenry was that in 1861, several members of the Maryland state legislature were imprisoned in the jail cells at the fort to prevent them from voting to secede from the Union.

fort mchenry

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Washington, DC (Part 2)

And now for part two of my Washington DC photos from my road trip.

I loved the ceiling and the perspectives offered by the DC Metro:

dc metro

Flag above the Department of the Treasury building:

treasury department

North portico of the White House at night:

white house

I saw this device on the south gate of the White House grounds.   I’m curious what might have happened if I pushed the button:

white house

South lawn of the White House:

white house

Lafayette Park just north of the White House:

lafayette park

The eternal flame at John F. Kennedy’s grave in Arlington National Cemetery:

eternal flame

Onlookers:

eternal flame

Brothers (Bobby, Jack, and Teddy):

kennedys

A sea of white:

arlington

The U.S. Constitution at the National Archives:

constitution

The Washington Monument from the Jefferson Memorial:

washington from jefferson

The U.S. Capitol, glazed with rain water:

capitol

I only spent two days in DC, but I probably could have spend two weeks there.

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Washington, DC (Part 1)

Days 8 and 9 of my road trip were spent in the nation’s capital.

route

The weather those two days was cold, windy, and rainy, but I made the most of my time there. To alleviate my exposure to the elements, I would stay outside for a little while and then find something to do inside somewhere. Then I would go back out, then find something to do inside. Etc.

This was my first time in DC since 2001, and I was amazed at how much of a fortress certain areas and buildings have become because of security concerns. Buildings like the White House Visitor Center and the National Archives that you once were able to simply walk through the front door are now protected by metal detectors and security screenings. Walking and stopping at high value targets like the White House, I always felt like I was being watched, especially since I was traveling alone. Such is the life in a heightened-security state.

But anyway, on to the photo tour. The U.S. Capitol from the southeast end:

capitol

The Statue of Freedom above the Capitol dome:

freedom statue

Inside the Capitol rotunda, a statue of George Washington and The Apotheosis of Washington:

rotunda

Inside the Library of Congress:

library of congress

Looking to the Capitol from the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court:

supreme court

The west side of the Capitol:

capitol

The Capitol fountain:

capitol

Sputnik I inside the National Air and Space Museum:

sputnik

The Washington Monument:

washington monument

The National World War II Memorial at night:

world war ii memorial

Walking up the steps to the Lincoln Memorial:

lincoln memorial

The Reflecting Pool from the Lincoln Memorial:

lincoln memorial

The Korean War Veterans Memorial:

korean war memorial

To be continued….

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Manassas Battlefield

The last stop on day #7 before I arrived in Washington DC was to Manassas Battlefield (flag J).

route

This battlefield saw fighting twice. The First Battle of Bull Run (or Manassas) took place 21 July 1861 and was the first major land battle of the war. The Second Battle of Bull Run took place 28-30 August 1862.

manassas

Unlike my previous battlefields of the day, this one was all open field:

manassas

The Henry House, destroyed during the first battle but later rebuilt:

manassas

Tree and field near the Stone House:

manassas

The Stone House, used by Union soldiers as a field hospital during both battles:

manassas

Bull Run:

manassas

The Stone Bridge spanning Bull Run. This bridge was destroyed during the first battle but later rebuilt.

manassas

As I was taking photos of and around the bridge, two gentlemen dressed in Union gear came walking over the bridge. I started talking with them and asked if I could take a few photos of them. They said they were at a reenactment at another battlefield.

manassas

The following day when I was walking the streets of DC, I ran into these two again (sans their Union gear).

manassas

While Bull Run was the first major land battle of the Civil War, the battlefield was the last of six Civil War battlefields on my road trip. Like the previous battlefields, imagining what went on here so long ago while I wonder the fields was chilling.

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Fredericksburg Battlefield

After Chancellorsville Battlefield, I made my way to neighboring Fredericksburg Battlefield.

route

The Battle of Fredericksburg took place 11-15 December 1862.   Confederate forces held off advancing Union forces in their campaign to march to Richmond.

fredericksburg

Part of the stone wall on Marye’s Heights, occupied by a well-positioned and reinforced Confederate force who drove-back waves of attacking Union troops. This part of the wall is the original wall:

fredericksburg

An open field of battle:

fredericksburg

These earthworks are remnants of trenches used by Stonewall Jackson’s troops:

fredericksburg

Driving through Fredericksburg Battlefield:

fredericksburg

A gun of battle:

fredericksburg

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Chancellorsville Battlefield

After stopping at Cold Harbor Battlefield, I made my way to Chancellorsville Battlefield.

route

Taking place 30 April to 06 May 1863, this Confederate-won battle is probably most well-known for the mortal wounding of Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson by friendly fire.

chancellorsville

A directional marker at the visitors center pointed the way to Gettysburg:

chancellorsville

The stone memorial in the background marks the site where Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded. The flag adorns the grave of an unknown Union soldier. I’m likely committing Confederate sacrilege by photographing Jackson’s memorial with a Union flag:

chancellorsville

Driving though Chancellorsville Battlefield:

chancellorsville

Cannons in an open field:

chancellorsville

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Cold Harbor Battlefield

Day #7 on my road trip was spent driving from North Carolina to Washington DC. Along my route were four Civil War battlefields.

route

Up first: Cold Harbor, 31 May 1864 – 12 June 1864.

cold harbor

Unlike my previous two battlefields, Gettysburg and Antietam, this battlefield was in the woods.

cold harbor

These are remnants of trenches used by soldiers in 1864. Like I said with the other battlefields, imagining what went on here back then is intense.

cold harbor

A canon outside the visitor center:

cold harbor

With the woods as a backdrop:

cold harbor

The several times I stopped and got out of my car to take some photos was very surreal. The weather this day was damp and dreary, and I was in the woods alone amongst only the sounds of nature. This setting coupled with the thought of the fighting and carnage that took place here was chilling. Very chilling.

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Topsail Island NC

After spending a few days with my sister in Charlotte NC, I drove east to the coast to spend a few days on the beach where a very good friend of mine from undergrad was getting married. And because I was at the beach, I spent most of my three days there barefoot.

route

Sunrise over the sand dunes:

topsail

Sunrise over the beach:

topsail

I served as the unofficial wedding photographer, which meant I took many, many photos. Glasses for the toast later:

topsail

The cake topper:

topsail

Something blue:

topsail

With these hands:

topsail

Love:

topsail

Mother and son:

topsail

The cake topper again:

topsail

First dance:

topsail

My friend had sandals that printed “Just” and “Married” into the sand when she was walking:

topsail

The groom’s mom enjoying a little break in the sun:

topsail

My shell collection:

topsail

Sunset:

topsail

Last light:

topsail

Congratulations to the newlyweds! What a great few days we all had together!

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Charlotte NC

I apologize for not keeping up with my trip.   I’m several days past the end of my road trip and back in the comfort of my home.   Perhaps I’m too comfortable as I’ve not finished writing about my trip.

So to continue, the end of day one took me to Charlotte NC to visit my sister for a few days.

route

One adventure we had while I was visiting was a day at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, one of only two sites in the U.S. officially sanctioned by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

charlotte

There, we white-water rafted (my first time) and did two different zip lines (also my first time). Here’s part of the rafting and kayaking course:

charlotte

Expect to be soaked from head to toe and inside out. Here’s one of the zip lines (this one goes over the water course, and if you’re lucky, the boats underneath will try to splash you as you’re zipping over):

charlotte

If you’re ever in the Charlotte area and have several hours to spare, I highly recommend going to the U.S. National Whitewater Center. In addition to the three activities I mentioned, they have rock climbing walls, open-river kayaking, and hiking and biking trails. Many great opportunities for outdoor fun.

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Shenandoah National Park

Stop #3 on day one of my road trip was at Shenandoah National Park. I felt somewhat cheated since I couldn’t spend much time at the park because I was on a tight time schedule to arrive in Charlotte NC, but the park was beautiful. While I was hoping for more fall colors, the overlooks were nonetheless amazing to view.

route_shenandoah

shenandoah

shenandoah

shenandoah

shenandoah

shenandoah

I took a small break from the drive and enjoyed my trademarked sandwich while overlooking the sun breaking through the clouds rolling in:

shenandoah

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Antietam Battlefield

Stop #2 on my road trip was to Antietam Civil War battlefield, site of the bloodiest single-day battle in American history on 17 September 1862.

route_antietam

antietam

The guns of Antietam:

antietam

A lone tree in the field:

antietam

Amber waves of grain:

antietam

The snake-rail fences along the Bloody Lane:

antietam

Burnside’s Bridge over Antietam Creek:

antietam

Like Gettsyburg, imagining what went on at the battlefield almost 150 years ago is stunning. Thinking about who might have been walking or who might have been fallen where I was walking was humbling.

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Gettysburg Battlefield

Stop #1 on my road trip was Gettysburg Civil War battlefield.   The Battle of Gettysburg was fought 1-3 July 1863.

route

gettysburg

This gun overlooks Pickett’s Charge:

gettysburg

A farmhouse on the battlefield:

gettysburg

The gun with a North Carolina monument:

gettysburg

A line of guns overlooking Pickett’s Charge:

gettysburg

The Pennsylvania Monument:

gettysburg

A Union gun overlooking Devil’s Den:

gettysburg

While driving through the fields, I found it amazing to think about what went on almost 150 years ago and that today I’m driving though the area where they fought. A humbling experience.

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip – Intro

So I’ve been absent for some time.   I became busy with work and personal projects and needed some time away from the blog.   But I’m back with many photo updates.

I’m currently on a road trip I’ve named my “America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip.”   A very good friend of mine from undergrad was getting married on the coast in North Carolina, and my sister recently moved to Charlotte, NC, so instead of flying, I decided to drive after I Googled my routes and discovered all the American historical treasures I could experience along the way.

So, last Thursday, I left CT bound for Charlotte, NC.   My first day took me through Gettysburg and Antietam Civil War battlefields as well as Shenandoah National Park.   After a few days visiting my sister, I set out for Topsail Island on the coast of NC, where I currently am.

What will follow in the next several days is a photographic journey of my adventure thus far and continuing to the present.

To start, I present you the seven state signs I passed on my eight-state drive on Thursday (the first one, I promise, says New York, but I missed it).

state signs

My tentative route takes me to Gettysburg battlefield, Antietam battlefield, Shenandoah National Park, Charlotte NC, Topsail Island NC, Cold Harbor battlefield, Chancellorsville battlefield, Manassas battlefield, a few nights in Washington DC, Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Trenton NJ where George Washington crossed the Delaware, and Liberty State Park in NJ overlooking the Statue of Liberty.

route

Stay tuned!

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

Tales from myPhone, Episode 4

I’ve been lax lately on continuing my “Tales from myPhone” series where I document situations where my iPhone (myPhone) has proven very useful.   So to jump-start the series, here’s Episode 4.

Over the Labor Day weekend, I was in New York City (photos forthcoming) with some friends from graduate school.   One of the mornings, we were walking around, and I said, “I wonder where the United Nations building is.”   One of my friends said, “Ooo yeah!” so I launched the Maps app and searched.   As you can see below, we actually weren’t that far away and were headed in that direction anyway.   Had we just kept walking east on 42nd Street, we would have eventually ran right into it.

myphone in nyc: finding the united nations

From and back to Connecticut, I took the Metro-North train to NYC.   On my return day, I wanted to make sure I knew when a train left Grand Central, so I checked the PDF schedule on the Metro-North website.   Because I’m not aware of a method on myPhone to save a PDF file from a website, I took a screenshot of the schedule, thus giving me the ability to check the schedule in myPhone’s camera roll instead of having to reload the website and PDF every time.

myphone in nyc: train schedule

Finally, myPhone came in service when I had no service: on the subway.   There are two free NYC subway apps which are just simple, scrollable maps of the subway system but are much better than pulling out a folded, paper hey-I’m-a-tourist map (although the camera around my neck took care of that one).

myphone in nyc: subway map

My New Dream Job?

Back in January, I discovered via the then-just-redesigned White House website what I thought to be my dream job: White House Director of New Media.   I wrote this:

If there ever were a perfect job for me, I’m fairly certain White House Director of New Media would be it.   Where else beside the Obama White House could I marry my love of politics with my skills and awareness of technology while serving passionately for the greater good?

Well, I think I found a job that I would enjoy even more: the official White House photographer.   I’m not a professional photographer by any means, but I love taking pictures as you’ve undoubtedly been aware from my road-trip posts.   This job has so many pluses.   Working at the White House?   Check.   Taking photos all day?   Check.   Being privileged to experience the inner-workings of the presidency?   Check.   Traveling the country and the world with the president?   Check.

Maybe they can make a hybrid position for me. :-)

Anyway, I recently discovered the “Official White House Photostream” on Flickr.   Seeing what these photographers capture makes me want their job.   From the first 30 (of 68) pages, here are a few of my favorites:

white house photos

white house photos

white house photos

white house photos

white house photos

white house photos

white house photos

All photos except the last one were taken by Pete Souza.   The last one was taken by Samantha Appleton.   Fantastic work.   I want your job!

Eight Years Ago

us flag

I remember where I was this morning eight years ago like it happened last week.

In 2001, I was a freshman at Mount Union College pursuing my undergrad degree.   As I did most mornings, I was watching CNN before I went to class.   On Tuesdays that semester, I had a religion class at 9:10am with Dr. David Torbett followed by my freshman-orientation class with Dr. Michael Myler at 10:35am.

On Tuesday 11 September 2009, at 8:46am when I saw the breaking news on CNN that a plane struck the World Trade Center, I remember being shocked that a plane flew into the building, but I remember not being startlingly alarmed by it.   After all, I knew back in 1945, a plane flew into the Empire State Building, and things turned out alright for the building.

I left my dorm room shortly after 9am because I always tried to be punctual to my classes.   On that September morning, however, had I left just a minute later, at 9:03am I would have watched the second plane sail into the other tower on live national television.   Instead, I dutifully turned the television off and went to class.   I would return to a world changed forever.

My religion class ran from 9:10am to 10:25am.   The class went on as normal with none of us in the classroom knowing what was happening in the world outside.   When the class was finished, a couple students from my second class came in and announced both the Twin Towers collapsed.   I didn’t believe them.   Soon after, Dr. Myler came in and confirmed.   He canceled class and dismissed us.

The normally-a-couple-minutes walk back to my dorm room seemed to take excruciatingly long that morning as all I wanted to do was get back to my room and watch the news.   I think the sun was shining and the weather was pleasant, but I can’t remember because I was so determined to get back to my dorm room.   I remember walking back distraught, defiant, and in disbelief.   Distraught because I had no idea what was going on, defiant because this doesn’t happen in the United States, and in disbelief because I couldn’t believe this just happened in the United States.   But I didn’t yet know what “this” was.

Back in my dorm, I turned CNN back on realizing I never should have left just an hour and a half ago.   I logged-on to CNN.com to find out more, but due to the mass influx of traffic, the site was down only to return later with a placeholder page of speculative reports and news.

My roommate and I usually kept our door shut, but that morning, everyone including us had their doors opened.   People sharing rumors rushed in and out.   I recall one person saying Camp David was also a target.

While watching the television stunned, I remember talking with my mom.   She wanted to call and make sure I was okay.

The rest of the day was a blur of disbelief as I watched more, read more, and learned more.   Those couple hours on the morning of 11 September 2001, though, are a point in my life I shall never forget.