Night Shift at the Accolade Factory

Okay, so not every camera assignment is a gritty exercise in street-level journalism. Last night's backstage gig at the Miss North Carolina USA pageant was downright glitzy. Here, Jeff Varner and I pause to pose with ten finalists from the teen(!) division. Now, as the father of two young girls, I look at these contests alot differently than I used to at say, age 16...but it's hard not to be impressed with these young ladies' accomplishments. From their dazzling smiles to their confident posture, these young ladies are coiffed, polished and ready to rip that glittering sash from around each other's necks if need be. Just kidding - each and every one of the princesses-in-waiting politely beamed the whole night through, never failing to radiate on cue whenever a lens or spotlight swung their way. Many expressed plans of pursuing careers in TV news, a somewhat dubious choice for all the rarefied DNA. Nonetheless, I'm sure some will enter the fold, joining the long line of pageant vets who've pitched in to help pretty up the Fourth Estate. I don't suppose that's such a bad thing...