Monday on Today 9/10

Where's Madeleine? The McManns Under Suspicion. This was how the third hour of the Today show got started today. I'm sure everyone has heard the story by now about the missing 4 year-old girl who's parents are now suspects in her death. They're no longer calling it a disappearance but a death. There is only circumstantial evidence such as blood with Madeleine's DNA found in the parents' rental car three weeks after her disappearance. And since this is outside the US, there is a lot that we don't know. The parents are both doctors and showed no signs of being abusive, but they did leave her alone in the hotel room--or so they say. Who knows. I hate to see parents involved in the death of their child in any way, but I also am going to wait to see all the facts before I judge them. Actually, it's not my job to judge them at all. It's a sad case for all involved. Guilty or not.

Susan Sarandon was a guest in the studio today to discuss her new movie with Billy Bob Thornton, "Mr. Woodcock." It opens this Friday and looks hilarious. Sarandon's character falls in love with Thornton who happens to be her son's worst nightmare--the old gym teacher who made life miserable for him in school. Now that the summer is over, the studios start releasing their good movies. Summer movies are for teens with nothing better to do than waste money on popcorn and movie tickets.

Top Dog: America's Fastest Chihuahua stopped outside on the plaza for a visit this morning. Maddy is actually a mix of poodle and Chihuahua who won the race for that title.

Brian Williams made a guest appearance with the co-anchors to announce a nightly news ongoing story this week, "The Secret To Her Success." Stay tuned to your NBC news to find more about what that's all about.

The Third Annual Quill Awards were announced today, and a few of the winners are: In Fiction, "The Road" by Cormick McCarthy, nonfiction, "The Assault On Reason" by Al Gore--remember him? The guy who won the election in 2000 when the presidency was stolen by the idiot sitting in the White House--make that Crawford Texas--right now. There would be no Iraq war if it wasn't for Florida. "Angels Fall" by Nora Roberts won for best romance and best children's chapter book went to Brian Selznick for "The Invention of Hugo Cabret."

Today's Working Woman featured "Smothered" author, Amanda Lamb and psychologist Dale Atkins, author of "Sanity Savers." They each gave advice for working mothers such as prioritize and laugh--at situations and yourself. And be present for your kids. You'll have to read the books to get more tips. Feel free to search my Amazon box for either or both of them.

Today's Kitchen featured the author of "Kitchen Playdates," Lauren Deen, showing you how you can catch up with your friends and still spend quality time with your kids in the kitchen. The idea is for your friends to bring their kids and you all cook up some fun stuff. Sounds like anything but fun to me, but I'm not a cook and my kitchen isn't big enough for my whole family, never mind inviting someone else's over too.

That's a wrap. Stay tuned for my wrap-up of the first day of the fourth hour of Today tomorrow. Yes, a fourth hour. But that's enough for today.