Shock and ow! My experience with a taser

Ow!!!

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Thanks to TimeHop and Facebook Memories I was reminded that on November 30, 2010, I had the most shocking experience of my lifetime. I was tased live on News 3 This Morning on WSIL-TV. To this day I still get asked questions about the experience and told by people who saw it, they laugh every time they rewatch it.

So let's start at the beginning. Producer Weston White (Dub Dub) had approached my co-anchor Emily Eddington and I about doing a segment on tasers to explain how and why police use the devices. Some of our colleagues had done taped segments on tasers, but this would be a much more detailed account of the use because we were live and could take as much time as we wanted. The segment would end with me on the receiving end of the jolt. 

I agreed and we contacted Chuck Doan who is a police training specialist. After meeting with Chuck prior to the segment, my trust in him grew and I knew that I'd be in good hands. That morning Emily interviewed Chuck as I laid on a mat on the floor. He attached several clips to me and soon had the taser to Emily. Watch the video, you can tell she is not wanting to pull the trigger and my shouts of agony didn't help her anxiety during the segment.

Close up of the taser

Before the zapping started, I was reminded it would last five seconds, no matter if Emily released the trigger. Five seconds does not sound like a long time, but when that much electricity is coursing through veins, it seems like an eternity. I was fearful of two things that day, peeing in my pants and cussing on live TV. I'm proud to say I did neither.

I've been asked if it hurt. I don't know that painful is the right word to use. It's still hard for me to articulate the feeling it was. Imagine putting your tongue on a 9-volt battery or touching an electric fence. It's like that only much more intense and you don't get any relief like you do when you pull away immediately. After the experience, I was helped up and continued on with the rest of the newscast, which was only a few minutes. We did have a plan in place if I was not able to continue, but I'm thankful that was not the case.

I'm proud of what our team did that day. We gave some really important information about tasers and we also entertained people in the process. To my knowledge, we're also the first (and only) station in this market to do a tasering live on the air. Most are recorded and the curse words bleeped out.

So if you're ever in a situation where police ask you to stop what you're doing or they'll use a taser, my advice is simple. Listen. Stop what you're doing. In the real world, you'll likely be hit by a couple of barbs and the jolt will drop you to the ground.

Why being on Team No Sleep is nothing to brag about

Team No Sleep

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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For the last 12 years not only have I been on Team No Sleep, but I've considered myself the unofficial captain of the squad.  I'm a morning news anchor and when I started the shift in 2004,  I had to be at work by 4 a.m.  My alarm would go off at 3:15; I'd shower, get dressed and grab something to eat once I arrived at the TV station (usually a Little Debbie snack cake and a Mt. Dew).

Me anchoring in 2004

Over the course of a dozen years, the start time of News 3 This Morning has gone from 6 a.m. to 5 a.m.  The earlier start time meant an earlier wakeup time.  We've been shorthanded for a couple of months and my alarm has been going off at 12:30 a.m. The good news is next week a new producer starts and I'll be able to "sleep in" until 1:30 a.m.

The earlier mornings did not result in earlier bed times though. My kids were toddlers when I started on this schedule so we'd all go to bed at the same time.  I usually got about seven hours of shuteye.  That's around the recommended amount, but these days I'm lucky to get four consecutive hours of sleep. I do supplement with naps in the afternoon, however I'm feeling the effects and most weekends I sleep 10 to 12 hours.

I realize my lack of sleep isn't uncommon. There's an unwritten rule of Team No Sleep; no one complains about being tired (or talks about getting too much sleep). I'm hoping this blog sheds some light on the problem. I heard an interview with Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington recently and she talked at length about sleep deprivation, it's impact and the importance of getting enough rest. 

I, like many others, have always worn my tiredness like a badge of honor.  People tend to look at not sleeping as a bragging right.  But I will tell you it's my worst health habit. I eat pretty well overall (I've traded the Little Debbie snacks and Mt. Dew for eggs, fruit and coffee).  I run quite a bit and workout at Gold's Gym at least a couple times a week. However for some reason I refuse to make the time for sleep.

Between work, running, blogging (for this site and my freelance business), family and friend time; sleep most often takes the backseat.  But listening to Huffington and my new mentor in entrepreneurship Gary Vaynerchuk (The #AskGaryVee Show) I realize to be successful with the "hustle", sleep has to be in the equation. I've known it for years, but I've always operated under the thought that sleep was for the weak.  Let's face it, when you hear someone say they sleep eight or nine hours a night your first thought is "what a lazy ass" (I know I do). But that person is actually doing something for their health. 

I know in reality I won't be logging eight hours of sleep every night, but my new goal is a solid six. I can supplement that with a quick 20 minute power nap in the afternoon if necessary.  This new plan should serve me well in the "hustle" and keep me on track with everything else in my life.  It's all about the balance.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Day

The News 3 This Morning team decked out

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I've always had a thing for ugly Christmas sweaters, but I've never owned one.  I've had some horrendous Christmas sweatshirts during the college years, including Mickey Mouse and Wile E. Coyote.

December 12 is Ugly Christmas Sweater Day and we celebrated on the news by wearing our own.  I made mine because as usual I wait until the last minute to shop.  The thrift stores around town didn't have any in my size, so I decided to convert my green Polar Plunge hoodie into an ugly sweater.  I found some awesomely bad fabric Christmas decorations at the Create-A-Smile Thrift Store in Carterville and with some safety pins and velcro I had an original creation.

Sharp dressed man

I received some great photos, but my buddy Tom Harness may have won the prize for the ultimate outfit.  He snagged an ugly Christmas SUIT from the website OppoSuits.  I'm hoping they have a sale after Christmas because I have my eye on the snowman design.  Anyway, check out pics I collected and let's plan to celebrate again next year.  Merry Christmas.

Rusty & Duke 

Morning crew circa 2011

Brooke

Tom & Beth

Little Jace

Reed

Kellie

Todd

The Nerd Behind Nerd Shirt Thursday

Nerd Shirt Thursday

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

This is a long overdue entry, as we've been doing Nerd Shirt Thursday at my work for about six months now.  It's a concept (now former) News 3 This Morning producer Weston "Dub Dub" White came up with.  The premise is simple.  Each Thursday coworkers are encouraged to wear a "nerd" shirt to work.  Because I can't wear tshirts on the air, I always wear mine under my shirt and tie.  After the show each week, we take a pic to share with the world.

Weston as Capt. America

So what's a nerd shirt?  Pretty much anything with a comic book character, movie, or pop culture reference.  The rules aren't too strict, but the nerdier the better, especially if you can accessorize.  It's something that has gained momentum in the newsroom and my Facebook friends wait each week to see who will be featured on our chests next.  As I mentioned Weston came up with the idea and we've carried it out in the weeks since his departure from WSIL.  I'm going to use the rest of this blog to talk more about my friend.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Day 2011

I met Weston when he joined News 3 This Morning in July 2010.  It didn't take long to become friends, especially after he professed his love for wrestling and The Simpsons.  He came into the job already "getting it."  He's a natural writer and understands the facets involved in putting together a newscast.  I remember my coanchor Emily Eddington and I came up with a list of things to help ease him into the position, but we never even gave it to him.  He already understood what to do, and this was his first TV gig.

Wrasslin' 

I literally laughed every day that Weston was at work.  Many times it was a loud belly laugh that produced tears.  Sometimes this happened on the air, depending on what he was saying in our ear pieces.  Of course when the work was done, there was always a little time for horseplay.  As I mentioned, he too is a wrestling fan and more than once I found myself getting picked up and flung around the room.  I'd be interested to see if there are any other producer/anchor combos like this in newsrooms across America.

The Shopping Ninja

It wasn't just behind the scenes that we had the fun.  Weston brought new ideas that made for great television as well.  In 2011 he found someone willing to come in and instruct Emily on how to zap me with a taser live on the air.  It's still one of the most memorable moments of my career.  He's dressed like "The Shopping Ninja" in preparation for Black Friday and was the brain child behind "The Morning News Anchor Challenge", a good concept, but unfortunately ended up getting shelved after three days.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

He created a cartoon character named Humphrey, started doing "Wrestling Banana Art", and even dressed like me for Halloween one year.  Weston is a unique guy, an outstanding producer, and even better friend.  This blog merely scratches the surface.  You can see from the pics, that we always had a good time.  I miss him, but I know he's doing well in the next chapter of his life.  Thanks for the memories Dub Dub.