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Thursday, August 30, 2007

Wednesday on Today 8/29

Today's Style featured Back To School Fashion with Laurie Gelman of iVillage. I'm pretty sure she is the wife of Michael Gelman from Live with Regis and Kelly. Anyway, there was a kid fashion show which was too funny because a lot of these little kids tried to escape the runway. Today it was a run-a-way. She had to keep calling them back to show the audience what they were wearing. And speaking of back to school fashion, I've just added several new kids items to my store at http://cafepress.com/karmicbulldog. Come and check out my new designs on Tees and sweatshirts.

Today Throws A Martha Stewart Wedding featured Martha Stewart herself showing how to pick out flowers for that special day. My advice is to let someone else handle that. You're going to be too busy trying to fit into your dress and picking colors for the bride's maids to worry about whether the flower arrangements are the right height for the tables. The flower tip of the day: If you're on a budget, pick flowers that are in season.

Where Are They Today? This segment had Minnesota school bus hero Jeremy Hernandez, who saved 52 kids during the bridge collapse. So, where is he now? On The Today Show, not too shabby for a 20 year-old summer coordinator for a youth gym. Obviously, he cares about kids. He says his life is changed and I'm sure that's a good thing.

Abigail Jones and Marissa Miley wrote a revealing look at teens and sex in their new book "Restless Virgins," about a sex scandal at the upscale Milton Academy in Connecticut. Roni Cohen-Sandler is a psychotherapist who discussed the draw-backs of kids' casual attitudes toward sex, especially oral sex, which some kids as are treating as if it's nothing more than a handshake. This is quite scary. Boys have come to expect it from girls and girls feel pressured to perform. The moral of this story is that parents really need to talk to their kids about sex and get beyond the facts. We especially need to address the problem with boys since they seem to think it's cool and girls end up destroying their self-esteem. They must learn that sex is anything but casual and can be extremely dangerous--even deadly. You know, there are various diseases that nobody ever seems to talk about anymore like cervical cancer (which can be caused by an STD), AIDS, not to mention Herpes which isn't deadly but permanent. You may wish you were dead if you caught it--put fear into the kids. Sex should be feared at that age.

Another Vacation From Hell with Peter Greenberg showed a family who went from Philadelphia to Orlando by train because one of the kids had a fear of flying. The train was disabled with no air conditioning, lights and even the toilets had shut down. They flew back and the kid's fear miraculously disappeared. Moral of this story: Don't let your kids have the power to make you change your travel plans--unless they're sick as in yesterday's story. Only those parents didn't care and went anyway. But they paid a hefty price.

Kevin Nealon was a guest talking about an upcoming show he's hosting, World's Funniest Commercials. He actually went to school for advertising. I wonder how he ended up on SNL instead. Anyway, most of the commercials I saw in the clips didn't look that funny. Don't we see enough commercials as it is? Why do we need to see entire shows comprised of nothing but ads? Then they have commercials in between the commercials. When does it end? This post ends here.

And that's a wrap.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Tuesday on Today 8/28

Going It Alone: Single Mothers Today. This was mostly about moms who choose to be single mothers as well as moms and dads raising children together but remaining unmarried. I guess the main emphasis was on moms choosing to remain single with or without the dad being involved. There really wasn't much news here. Sally Tusa from Baby Talk Magazine said that half of single moms are involved with the fathers of their children. Michele Borba, parenting expert, says that 80% of moms think children need two parents. The bottom line is happy parents make happy kids. And there are four things every kid needs: to feel safe, to be accepted, to be loved and clear expectations. I think she forgot some like food, clothing and shelter. Anyway, dads do matter. All kids need a positive male influence even if dad doesn't live with them.

Miss Teen South Carolina, Lauren Caitlin Upton, showed why beauty contests are an insult to all females. This girl makes the entire human race look bad. I'm sure you've all seen the video by now of Miss Teen South Carolina babbling incoherently about the "US Americans," as if there are any other kind, "the Iraq" and South Africa when asked why 1/5 of Americans can't locate America on a map. The answer to that is they probably have IQ levels around the same as this dummy trying to answer the question. The Today show didn't even have the guts to show the video again. Too bad because it was much more entertaining than listening to her trying to defend herself. She said she was shocked by the question. Yeah, that's a real tough one. They gave her a chance to answer the question after she'd been coached and memorized her answer. Who cares about that? You look stupid on TV you shouldn't get a chance to answer the question after you've already bungled it. Who does she think she is? George W. Bush?

Today's Style featured Must-Haves For Fall. Galina Espinoza from People Magazine told everyone what they need to buy such as Fuscia shoes or bags and Luxe Jewels. You need one bold statement to go with your more subtle pieces. She also showed some Oxfords for women, full blouses and belted dresses. You can see those and the rest in the fall issue of Style Watch.

Next up was another installation in a continuing segment called Vacations From Hell with Today's travel editor, Peter Greenberg. Today's story was about a whole family who got sick on the way to Mexico and instead of turning around and going home, they spent the entire vacation in their hotel room sick. If you're going to be sick, wouldn't it be better to be at home? Not to mention they all got on the plane and barfed into their bags, spreading germs to fellow passengers. I wonder how many other families' vacations were ruined because of their selfishness. Peter Greenberg had some suggestions for a worry-free vacation such as learn the refund policy. That's a pretty important one. Consider extra insurance, especially abroad and bring emergency medications (like Pepto-Bismol?).

Lucky and Flo are DVD Dogs who find illegally pirated DVDs. To Catch A Thief (original title) was the name of this brief show of these trained dogs' talents. According to Dan Glickman, President and CEO of the MPAA, pirating costs the industry around 18 billion. These adorable black labs proved there's nothing dogs can't sniff out once they know what they're looking for. Or should I say sniffing for? Dogs are always trying to please humans. We should be grateful for their love and help. Michael Vick and anyone involved with dog fighting should be forced into a fight to the death with Mike Tyson for being so cruel and heartless toward man's best friend. Yes, I am a dog lover, as if you didn't know already. You can see pictures of my bulldog and Boston terrier at http://cafepress.com/karmicbulldog.

And that's a wrap. Till tomorrow.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Monday on Today 8/27

Today's Money: How To Live The Good Life - Get Rich Quick. Don't get too excited by the title because it's a misnomer. It should have been called How To Get Rich Gradually. Unless you win the lottery, you're not going to get rich quick. Today's money experts had some suggestions for living large on less. The first thing to do, according to Money Magazine's Donna Rosato, is write down where your money is going. Others were: hit sample sales, buy one expensive item and inexpensive trendier pieces. For a chic home, design with accessories and paint. Jet set travel: go off season, especially beach vacations. Do home swaps or rent an apartment or villa since hotel costs are so high. Trick yourself into saving by using a 401k and an online savings bank. And stop throwing money away on stuff like Starbucks cappuccino--help the environment too by not stocking up landfills with paper and styrofoam cups. If you only use 10 out of 300 channels, get rid of your cable--it's such a waste. Too bad cable companies don't let you choose what channels to pay for. So make them pay, by dropping their service. Maybe then they'll get the message. And finally, if you only use your cell phone, drop your land line.

Today's Classroom had Back To School Cool. They showed some new products like a new age water bottle that's better than plastic and fits in the backpack. Speaking of backpacks, get a messenger bag like they showed there or visit my store at http://cafepress.com/karmicbulldog and find some there with an adorable bulldog on them--much better than a boring old backpack. They also showed some sports backpacks that store gear. You can get some notebooks with skull and crossbones at Office Max--if your kids are into that. Then they showed some stuff like a sound binder for $30 that has a speaker for an ipod, a USB drive that fits on a key chain, an MP3 study board with an ipod plug, and a locker organizer for $49. I'm sure the money experts from the previous segment would frown on spending so much on all these gadgets. Are they really necessary?

George Lopez paid a visit to the plaza promoting his movie "The Underground World Of Ping Pong." It's a spoof. It opens on Wednesday.

Also stopping by the plaza this morning was newly crowned Miss Teen USA, Hilary Carol Cruz from Colorado.

Moving on to more substantial topics, Ann Curry interviewed Kris Carr, author of "Crazy, Sexy Cancer Tips." Kris Carr is a cancer survivor who documented her cancer treatment and found her life. She was diagnosed with a rare vascular cancer at age 31. It was a catalyst for her and changed her life. There are 77 tips in her book for other cancer survivors but she listed a few here: breathe, create your cancer posse (your support network), shop around for a doctor and create boundaries. She ended up marrying her book editor. I guess he liked the book.

Let's Get Physical: Fitness Toys For Kids. This featured a bunch of toys to get your kids off the couch and into shape like a giant bubble maker so kids (and dogs) can chase the bubbles, carpet skates--just what they say and look like a lot of fun, a Fisher Price exercise bike, exercise video games, The Plasma Car and a few more. The baseball video game looked fun too because your kid is actually swinging at a ball and playing the game. Just another way for parents to spend more money on toys their kids will get bored with after a few months--if you're lucky enough to get that much use out of them.

And that's a wrap. Till tomorrow.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Friday on Today 8/24

Not a lot of useful information on the show today but here it is.

Today's Money: Does Money Buy You Friends? Yes. But those aren't the kinds of friends you want. Vera Gibbons from CNBC and clinical psychologist, Barbara Melamed, were the guests today taking viewer e-mail questions about problems with friends and money. The best advice: If you have money, don't buy people. If you don't, don't take advantage of those who do. That's basically what this segment boiled down to.

Al's Book Club For Kids discussed "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis. It's about a kid growing up in depression era Michigan. Bud is named after the author's uncle. Mr. Curtis discussed his book with some kids. And as Al pointed out, kids do better in school when they read books over the summer. The book club is also continuing through the school year and the next book in the series is "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman. So get the book for your kids so they can participate. You can use my Amazon search box to find it.

Volleyball star Gabby Reece was out on the plaza this morning promoting her new job as spokesperson for Athlete, The New Voice For Women In Sports. It's about getting young women motivated to participate in sports.

The next story was called Frozen Football Field: New Station At The Top Of The World. Cathy Parker, wife of a football coach, coordinated a project to bring football to a school in a small town in Alaska called Barrow. Its mostly Eskimo population has a high drop-out rate and a lot of drug and alcohol use among teens. Kids don't have a lot of opportunities so getting a football field up there is something appreciated by the kids and all the teachers at the school. She is today's hero.
Martina McBride was Today's Summer Concert Series performer and played one last song before the end of the show.

More highlights from the America The Beautiful series ended the show.

And that's a wrap. Have a great weekend.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Thursday on Today 8/23

Today's Style featured Bobby's Beauty Bag with Bobbie Thomas. Four Ways To Stay Smooth: Removing Unwanted Hair. Laser removal is the most permanent and least painful (at least that's what they say) way to get rid of unwanted hair but it's also the most expensive at $200-$700 a treatment and you need about seven. I think I'll hang on to my razor for now. Then there's waxing--probably the most painful hair remover. But you can ask for a numbing cream. I think you'd need general anesthesia to numb that kind of pain. You can also learn to use wax at home if you can stand the pain with waxworks which is available at http://completelybare.com/. For die hard shavers like me, you can go to http://whishbody.com/ to get some type of men's shave kits. You can use a depilatory or cream that you just spread on and rinse off in the shower. My problem with those is you have to wait around for them to work before you rinse. I don't have the patience for that. And then there are those new products like Veet that use heat to destroy hair follicles over time. I've never tried those so I don't know if they work.

Today's Money: Splurge vs. Steal At Home. Jean Chatzky showed us what to spend on and what to save on starting in the kitchen with the microwave, which you can save on. No need to spend more than $60. You should splurge on a pepper mill--who knew? I don't even own one. Knives are also something you should splurge on, according to Jean, because they'll last longer. You can save on a food processor like one from Hamilton Beach for $50. Moving on to the living room; splurge on a couch. You shouldn't be able to lift it--that makes cleaning tough. Not to mention rearranging the furniture. You can save on a coffee table. Splurge on flowers. No supermarket shopping for those. Save on a stationary bike but splurge on a treadmill. Save on a headboard but splurge on a mattress and sheets too. That's Jean Chatzky's advice. Take it or leave it.

It's been a long time since I've seen The Critic's Corner. I wonder what Gene Shallot does with his time when he's not reviewing movies. Today he gave a good review of the British farce, "Death At A Funeral." This is my type of film and looks hilarious. Frank Oz, who's directed everything from all the Muppets movies to "Bowfinger" and "Housesitter" gives us a comedy to die for--Gene's words, not mine. And as he says, the first three letters in funeral are f-u-n.

There were some problems with the weather today and I'm not talking about the flooding in Findlay Ohio. Al's fill-in, doing the weather from there, got cut off for my local weather, then my local weather got cut off for a weather map of the entire country and no dialogue. This happens from time to time but it looks like both sides screwed this one up.

It's been ten years since Princess Diana's untimely death and newspaper editors in Britain are finally admitting some guilt over the paparazzi's role in her death. If they hadn't been chasing her, the car probably wouldn't have been speeding and there'd probably have been no accident. Too little, too late. But at least they're showing some humanity in admitting their fault.

Today's Home featured Lou Manfredini showing Quick Fixes Around The House. Five Common Problems, starting with the toilet--poor flushing due to clogged ports. Those are the holes under the rim. Just use a stiff brush and a calcium remover. From there it gets tougher. I'm just going to write down what was listed--I really can't describe any more than that. Raise flapper to stop a leaky toilet. A new flapper costs about $6. For a sticky door, use 3" wood screw to realign the door. Use a self adhesive metal wall kit for holes in the walls to patch them up. He made that look a lot easier than I'm sure it really is. He also showed a way to use a bowl over a carpet stain and then tack the unclean carpet. I have no idea what he means and my two year-old won out over the TV, so I couldn't hear much. The last tip was to use #0000 steal wool on wood tables. Maybe to get rid of scratches. Most of this stuff looked to me like it should be handled by a professional, but visit the Today website if you're brave enough to try any of these.

Today's Fitness was about Yoga For Mommy And Me. Take a class if you can find one but there are plenty of videos you can try at home. Gurmukh is a yogi whom they spoke with about the benefits of yoga. I have a couple of her videos, The Method prenatal yoga and The Method Postnatal Baby and Me for mamma and baby. They're great and I highly recommend this as a way to get back into shape and relax with your baby.

And That's a wrap. Till tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Wednesday on Today 8/22

Today's Classroom: Sending Your Child To College. Parents sometimes have a hard time facing the reality of their kids leaving home. They're not just entering college but they're leaving your house. Michele Borba from iVillage gave some advice for parents such as, be prepared. It's a very emotional time so you should say your good-byes before you leave home. You don't want to lose it and start bawling while you're kid's getting out of the car. Be sure to have a financial talk and one about drinking--especially binge drinking. Once on campus, follow your child's lead and locate essential places. Here Michele almost had Natalie Morales and myself in tears with these next bits of advice: Parting words--think about what to say in advance. Give one last look--you won't see him/her for a while. And it's okay to shed a tear. Once back home don't go and change the bedroom around. They will be back during breaks. One last saying from a Navajo proverb: "We raise our kids to leave us."

Ann Curry interviewed Brad Pitt in New Orleans. One-On-One with Brad Pitt. Why couldn't that be my job? Brad is in New Orleans as an advocate for environmental concerns and affordable housing. He says Hurricane Katrina was a man-made disaster, not a natural one, and the government has a responsiblility to make it right. Amen to that. But don't look to this administration to make anything right. They specialize in making things worse. On the bright side, I don't think it's possible to get a worse president than we have now.

Well, the American people have spoken and the winning couple is Cody and Jessica. They are the lucky couple who will get married on natioinal TV with Today Throws A Martha Stewart Wedding. Darcy Miller was there with the happy soon-to-be-weds in a segment about Wedding Gift Registry Ideas. The best advice: Register at at least one department store and online so out of town guests can easily shop. Another idea for an original wedding gift was a cake stand with recipes on it from Macy's. For the sports minded, golf lessons (for the spouse) and personalized golf balls for the golf enthusiast were suggested. I know a couple whose marriage ended because the wife gave the husband an ultimatum and he chose golf. He was an addict. Luckily my husband hasn't tried golf. The wine of the month club, wine glasses and monogrammed leather coasters were other ideas. Also for the couple who has everything--donate to charity. You can choose anyone from the ASPCA to the Arbor Day Foundation. This is a great idea. How many wine glasses and leather coasters does anybody need? Put the money to a good cause.

Today's Kitchen was All About Okra. Scott Peacock from Watershed Restaurant showed different okra recipes, such as fritters battered and fried--those looked delicious. He also roasted some with veggies. Corn, bacon and okra was the last dish featured. For those and other recipes, visit the Today show website.

R&B singer, songwriter, Ne-Yo, was in the studio for a quick interview and a song. He ended the show with "Because Of You," from the CD of the same name. I love that song.

And that's a wrap. Till tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Tuesday on Today 8/21

Al Roker was doing the weather today from Chetumal, Mexico as the hurricane was bringing down rain and kicking up the wind. Maybe he'll get blown off his feet again like he did last year.

Separation Anxiety: Getting Over Divorce. Did you ever hear of a divorce financial analyst? I didn't until this segment with Stacy Francis who is one of the aforementioned analysts, and psychologist, Debra Mandel, author of "Dump That Chump!" Catchy title. They both shared advice for women going through a divorce. And the number one word of advice is also today's page from the book of the obvious: create a budget. Seems every segment gives that same piece of advice. The average divorced woman will see her standard of living decrease by 45%. Other advice was to take time to heal. If you're still carrying around resentment toward your ex, you're not ready to start dating again. Protect yourself financially and think about getting your own health insurance. You can stay on your ex-husband's insurance for about 36 months but it may be cheaper to get your own. I don't know how that works when kids are involved because they didn't mention it.

In Style Today was about being Sexy In The City For Fall. Key Fall Trends. In LA the key fall trend is skinny jeans. This model had on a belted cardigan over her skinny jeans and was probably the best dressed of all of them. The Dallas must have are dresses in bold colors. The model wore a mustard yellow dress that looked like something my mother might have worn when she was pregnant. Certainly not anything I would be wearing out in public. The Chicago model had on men's wear inspired trousers and the one from Miami wore a tiny micro skirt and bold patterned top with hideous shoes that looked like shoe string licorice tied around her feet and ankles. Obviously the hooker look is in for Miami. The New York look was much more civilized with silver bodice suit. Metallics are in for New York. The one key trend all the models had was a clutch--a must have for Fall.

With the next weather update, Al lost his video and had to report with audio only but they showed some earlier footage of some of the extensive storm damage.

Today's Travel had Philip Levine, Cruise Expert (is there anything you can't be an expert in these days?), showing us Excitement At Sea. Today's cruises are no longer about shuffle board. There's lots to do and they are very active. Royal Carribean's Freedom Of The Seas line has a rock-climbing wall and surfing among other attractions. Cunard Cruise Line is the owner of the Queen Elizabeth II where you can bring your dog--wow! That's something I would consider for that reason alone. Sea Dream Yacht Club has a more intimate atmosphere for a little more money than a regular cruise. Princess Cruises feature movies under the stars--like a drive-in except on a ship deck. Norweigan Cruises have bowling at sea. Crystal Cruises have wine lessons in a private vintage room--sounds like fun. A cruise has not really been on my list of things to do, but after seeing this I may just book one. Especially if I can bring my dogs. Hope they don't get seasick. But they made it on the Block Island ferry without a problem, so they should be all set. To see pictures of my Boston and Bulldog go to http://cafepress.com/karmicbulldog.

Good News For Parents: New Youth Happiness Poll by MTV finds the top answer to the question of what makes youths happy is spending time with their parents. The kids were probably lying. That certainly wouldn't have been my honest answer when I was a teenager. According to the poll, 64% of teens with parents still together wake up happy verses 47% who's parents are divorced. Most kids say their parents are their idols, with the highest percentage going to mom. This is good news if you can trust the source.

Today's Kitchen featured The Scottos visit to Italy. Apparently, this is part two and I didn't see part one. But this family went to Italy and brought back some good Italian recipes from Venice. Like potato gnocchi, calamari with some black stuff--not sure what that was--and some branzino (sea bass) with sauce topped with capers. Dessert was a delicious looking tiramisu. I love that stuff.

And that's a wrap. Till tomorrow.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Monday on Today 8/20

Hope you had a good weekend. It was a good weekend for the movie "Super Bad," which was number 1 at the box office even though it received less than stellar reviews--one out of five stars in my local paper. It looks about as funny as a bad case of acne. Number 2 was last week's number 1, "Rush Hour 3," followed by "The Bourne Ultimatum" at number 3.

Al Roker was at the National Hurricane Center today tracking hurricane Dean but still doing the weather around the country and sending it back to your local news station for a check of your local weather.

Fighting The Good Fight: What Should You Be Arguing About? That was the question about fighting with your spouse. Dave Zinczenko, Editor In Chief of Men's Health Magazine and Psychiatrist, Dr. Jane Taylor, gave advice for fighting fair such as saying "I feel...when you..." instead of saying "You always..." You never..." You get the idea. Avoid zingers and sarcasm which leads to nastiness and divorce. They also suggested topics you should talk about with your partner such as sex, how to raise the kids, retirement, extended family, the relationship and adult kids. Don't wait until a problem arises. These are things that should be discussed openly.

Glamour Executive Fashion Editor, Suze Yatof Schwartz showed us Best In Beauty Products. The Glammy Awards were chosen by regular consumers who use and like these products. In most cases, they chose an expensive product and a cheaper counterpart. For everyday moisturizers they chose Olay Complete All Day and a Clinique equivalent. Personally, I don't know why you'd spend the extra money on Clinique when Olay is cheaper and just as effective. But some people like the prestige associated with expensive products. They also liked Olay Regenerist along with an expensive alternative, which I didn't catch. I pay attention to the beauty bargains. Great Lash Mascara at $6.50 was a top pick along with Lancome which will run you $28. Again, you make the call. They also had some lip gloss but I missed the brands--sorry. Covergirl blush was a hit along with Bare Minerals. Bare Minerals foundation was chosen as well as Loreal True Match. Jergens Natural Glow lotion is great--I love it. You can also spend more on Clarins if you want. Britney Spears Curious was picked for fragrance as was Victoria's Secret Dream Angels. St. Ives Apricot Scrub is a must have--another one of my favorites, as was the more expensive Bath and Body Works Vanilla something or other. The Matrix Sleek Look was on the list for a shine enhancing shampoo along with John Frieda Brilliant Brunette--they didn't mention the products for blondes and redheads. For frizz tamers, they chose Biosilk and John Frieda.

Matt Lauer interviewed a couple rescued from flood waters in Kingfisher, OK. Leroy and Bernice Krittenbrink, an elderly couple, were stranded on the cab of their truck and then moved to the bed until that also started filling up with water. They almost ran out of room--and luck before a helicopter saved them. But not before Bernice fell off the helicopter skid and back into the water. The rescuers were able to get her back up and now the couple are doing fine. Bernice even got her hair done before her national TV debut.

Today's Woman featured: How To Raise Confident Daughters. Susan Johnson and Kimberly Webb are the authors of the book, "Princess Bubble" which teaches girls that you don't need to be rescued by some prince or knight in shining armor. We all grew up on those fairy tales featuring the damsel in distress. Well this book lets girls know that they're in charge--not to wait around for some man to help them. Sounds like a great book and I'll get it for my daughter when she's old enough to understand it--now she's only two. Michele Borba, iVillage Contributor, advised us to talk to our daughters and set a positive example. To instill confidence, be confident yourself. Other suggestions were: stay connected, foster her strengths and passions and find good role models. It can be anyone as long she is strong and inspiring with the right values to instill in your daughters.

Today's iVillage Back To School showed Dinner ABCs. Madelyn Fernstrom showed different unconventional ideas for a healthy dinner when you're short on time such as a bowl of cereal. Why not? It's fast, easy and healthy too. Plus, my kids actually like it which is an accomplishment in itself. Make a sandwich with lettuce and tomato on whole wheat bread and you have a balanced meal in minutes. Tomato soup with a glass of milk is perfect for a cold night. Or have a salad with whole grain rolls. Now these are my kinds of meals--no cooking involved. She suggested to keep your fridge stocked with healthy foods like veggies and fruits. That makes it easy to have a healthy dinner in minutes.

And that's a wrap. Till tomorrow.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Friday on Today 8/17

Topping Today's third hour was a segment called Just One Of The Boys, which was about tomboys. I don't know why this was a topic of the day but they went as far as to bring in a child Neuropsychologist, Kimberly Williams, and some other child expert, Carole Lapidos. They talked about girls who are tomboys and hypothesized about why it happens. They showed a mom with a tomboy who gets confused for a boy sometimes and the mom wishes she'd like to wear pretty dresses and act like a girl once in a while. This is ridiculous. Tomboys have been around since the dawn of time. I was one up until the age of about twelve--the age when girls usually start taking an interest in boys. There is nothing new here. What the "experts" want you to know is that it's a totally normal phase for many girls. Their advice was to not get hung up on gender roles and let your tomboys know there are plenty of other girls like them--as if they didn't know that. Being a tomboy is a good thing. Don't send mixed messages like telling them it's alright to play with the boys and then asking them to wear a nice dress once in a while. I hated wearing dresses and loved my Red Sox baseball cap. My best friend was a boy up until around age 10 or so. Trust me they will grow out of it and it's not going to ruin yours or your daughter's lives if she never wants to put on a dress.



The iVillage Back To School segment continues with After School Snacks. This whole segment was pretty much a page from the book of the obvious. Give kids healthy snacks after school. Of course they're hungry, so make sure they have something substantial like a bowl of cereal. My son eats crackers and peanut butter when he gets home from school. It has protein to keep him full until his next meal. If they're on the go, fruit and granola bars or fruit and grain bars are good. There are so many bars out there now. The trick is to find some that aren't too high in sugar. Also instead of buying individual sized snacks like chips, you can buy them in the large size and just separate them into Ziploc bags--it's cheaper and makes portion control easier. Don't keep soda at home. Limit sugared drinks and try to get them to drink water instead. And try to limit cookies too. You've heard this all before I'm sure.



Today was Al Roker's birthday, so David Gregory and Natalie Morales sang Happy Birthday and gave him a giant cake.



Today's Home featured Speed Cleaning Your Bathroom with Rosemary Ellis from Good Housekeeping Magazine. This was about cleaning up before you have guests, but she gave some good tips for regular cleaning too. Always carry supplies in a cleaning caddy, so you have everything you need at your fingertips. Begin with the toilet and use bleach or disposable scrubbers. Clear the counter of clutter by putting everything into a basket--then get the basket out of sight while your guests are there. I usually put so much stuff away in boxes that I forget where everything went by the time the guests leave. Use a spray bottle filled with half water and half white vinegar to clean just about everything. Use alcohol for the chrome and anything with hairspray splatter. Use a damp paper towel for the floor and Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works to get stains off tub and shower. Those things are great--especially when you have kids who think walls are an extension of their canvas.



High School Musical 2 is the start of something new. The first was a phenomenal success for Disney and I'm sure the next one will be too since 'tweens are in love with it--and Zack Ephron.



Maroon 5 finished off the show with their hit "Harder To Breathe."



Then they did their usual Friday sign off with highlights from America The Beautiful played out to the classical song "Hoedown."



That's a wrap. Have a great weekend.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Thursday on Today 8/16

David Gregory has been filling in for Matt Lauer all week for a refreshing change. And he actually stays around for the third hour. I'd like to see him take Matt's job, but that would probably be too much to ask. Then again, we were lucky enough to get rid of Katie Couric and have Meredith Viera take over, so anything is possible, right?

What's His Type? Different Kinds Of Husbands was about labeling men and finding out if he's the right one for you. They listed four types: The Sweetheart, The Thrill Seeker, The Rock and The Doer. There is more information--if you want it--at The Today Show website. This reminded me of one of those personality quizzes you see in magazines and online. And it was about as useful as one, too. The bottom line is you can't change anybody. So don't marry a doer and think you can change him into a rock. It just won't work. Not that you didn't know that already.

Moving on to Number five on the America The Beautiful List: The Pacific Coast Highway. They usually do a $50/day segment here, but obviously the west coast is too expensive for that. You'll have to enjoy its beauty at a steep price. NBC correspondent, Michael Okwu rented a little red corvette and cruised the coast in the convertible. The first stop was the Firestone Winery, which was featured in the movie "Sideways." From there he drove to Jalama Beach, The Apple Farm Inn and then on to The Big Sur Coast where he went to Point Sur Historic Lighthouse. Then it was on to Monterrey and the boardwalk in Santa Cruz, which is about an hour away from Monterrey. He drove to Big Basin National Park where there is a Pagoda along the way nestled under the Redwoods. The final stop was San Francisco and across The Golden Gate Bridge. And, of course, they had to play "Little Red Corvette" by Prince.

Remembering The King: The 30th Anniversary Of Elvis's Death. Here they showed Joe Mosceo, who used to be a back-up singer for Elvis back in Elvis's gospel days. He was at Graceland telling a story about Elvis when he was abruptly cut off by a commercial break in mid sentence--mid word even. Al later apologized for cutting him off but poor Joe never did get to finish the story. Oh, well. Can't keep those sponsors waiting. Got to pay the bills.

You can now get a chance to decide who gets married on The Today Show. Just go to the website and cast your vote for your favorite couple. I'm not sure how many are in the running, but it's not on my priority list to find out.

Today's Classroom: Dorm 101 featured lifestyle expert, Elizabeth Mayhew, telling you how to help prepare your new college student for their first dorm room. Most dorms come with the basics: bed, dresser, desk and desk chair. You can get a virtual tour at most college websites. A good accessory for any dorm is a microfridge--a microwave, mini-fridge combo for about $399. A good suggestion: starting in their junior or senior year of high school, make your kids do their own laundry. Apparently many get to college and don't even know how to do laundry--pathetic. I say make them do the laundry as soon as they're old enough to carry the basket to the washing machine. Why wait? It should be one of their chores--which you better make sure they're doing. She also suggested a mattress topper for comfort, bed risers to make room for under the bed storage, task lamps, book storage for valuables and bring your own desk chair. The others are really uncomfortable. Those book storage containers are a good idea, but if everyone is using them, they're not much of a secret anymore. Better to find a way to lock up valuables if you need to keep them in your dorm at all.

Today's Kitchen had chef, Scott Conant, author of "New Italian Cooking," showing pasta meals made easy. He cooked up some pasta and added it to steamed clams while the pasta was only half cooked so he could allow it to cook the rest of the way with the clams. A little tip I he passed along: if a clam stays closed, don't eat it. Then he had an asparagus and pasta meal with jalapenos and corn. For more recipes, visit the website.

And that's a wrap. Till tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Wednesday on Today 8/15

The big news story of the day is the toy recall: Mattel Pulls 9 Million Toys. Stephanie Oppenheim gave advice to parents about the toys to take away from your kids. Polly Pocket is the name that keeps coming up over and over again, along with Barbie and Batman. There are too many to mention here. Other than just the toys that Mattel lists that have or may have lead paint, she suggested things that are made in China such as teething rings. Those are supposed to be put in mouths, but they're filled with plant water from China. If the ring breaks, do you really want your baby to be drinking plant water from China? I can't believe toy makers could be so careless to paint toys with lead paint. What's next? Mercury in our children's vaccines? Oh, wait, that already happened. And poisoned millions of kids that are now suffering irreparable neurological damage. But our government won't even admit to that one. You can't trust anyone when it comes to the health and safety of your kids. Mattel is probably going to announce more recalls today. Stay tuned. And find out more about the recall on http://todayshow.com/.

Today Throws A Martha Stewart Wedding: Planning For The Big Day. They suggested organizing with a big binder and starting a budget. Plan and budget. That could fit any scenario. My advice would be to elope and send announcements of your nuptials. Planning a wedding is stressful and stress makes you gain weight. Just what you don't need before the big day. If you want more tips, you can also visit the Today website. I couldn't really hear much more because of my two year-old's demands for yogurt. She already had breakfast but insisted on LeCreme for dessert. I couldn't deny her.


Next up was a much lighter topic: Dog Wigs/Hound Hair Pieces. They talked with Ruth Regina, the creator of the wigs for dogs and looked at a couple of wig wearing pooches. Though, I have no idea why she decided it was necessary, she sure is having fun with it. I saw her on Late Night With David Letterman last year and just laughed at all those dogs wearing hair pieces. There's nothing funnier than a bulldog with a wig. She's been making wigs for celebrities for decades, but now also makes them for dogs. The dogs look cute, but I don't know much one of those fake furs will run you. The pictures alone are enough to check the website for.

iVillage Back To School featured a segment about medical needs for your kids when they begin or return to school. You've got to make sure they have all their vaccines and it's a good idea to have them tested for food allergies just in case. I've never thought of doing that but I guess it's a good idea since you don't want to find out about a life-threatening allergy after they've eaten the offending food. They also need regular dental cleanings--taken from a page from the book of the obvious. Once they hit grade school they should get yearly flu shots only if they're at high risk, like kids with asthma. And routine vision screenings are recommended. As far as backpacks are concerned, they shouldn't weigh more than 20% of the kid's body weight. There are a couple of new vaccines that you can discuss with your pediatrician. One is the controversial HPV vaccine, and there is a new one to protect against meningitis. The thing about new vaccines is that nobody knows about the serious side effects or any long term effects of them. I'd wait until more information is available.

Next was Northwest Airline CEO, Doug Steenland, answering e-mail questions from people inconvenienced by the surge of flight cancellations this summer. This was just more spin from another CEO trying to repair his company's reputation. He came off as testy and defensive, saying he took a 20% decline in salary and refused bonuses that he deserved. Well, sounds like he should be in the running for a Nobel prize.

Today's Kitchen had Thomas Keller of The French Laundry who cooked up some of his Favorite Foods For Summer. I'm afraid the only food I heard mentioned was fish. At that point, I was getting the kids ready for the beach and it was kind of hectic. If you would like to see what he cooked and get some recipes, visit the website.

And that's a wrap. Till tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Tuesday on Today 8/14

I wasn't going to post today but I happened to catch the first few minutes of the top story of the last hour of The Today Show and I had to laugh--even though I was on my way to a funeral. It was about expectant moms having birth plans. I remember when I had my first baby five years ago, I also had a birth plan. It's funny when you're pregnant for the first time and you read so much information and receive so much advice. You just want to make sure everything is perfect. In a perfect world, it would be. Also in a perfect world, your doctor just might care about your birth plan. Whoever came up with this concept, I'm not sure. But I'm sure it wasn't a doctor. Because they don't care about your plans. They have their own plans.



I filled out my birth plan from an online site, printed it out and brought it to my doctor who gave it a quick look and proceeded to tell me why she was unable to comply with it. I wanted my husband to videotape the birth, but the hospital had a strict "no video camera" policy that we had to adhere to. And I wanted to be able to eat and drink during labor--no go, according to my doctor. Another wonderful hospital policy. I wanted to have my family in the room, but they were quickly given the boot because I was having some problems and eventually had to have a c-section--another thing I was adamant about in my birth plan. I wanted a natural childbirth without having to be induced. My doctor gave me one week after my due date before inducing my labor, therefore I needed a c-section. Because like most people I know who've had their labor induced, labor didn't progress and I was forced under the knife.



My point is that you can make a birth plan, but don't expect your doctor to take it seriously. That's basically what the doctor on the show said as well. They're not too hip on birth plans. My advice would be to avoid getting induced if at all possible and get the epidural. Everyone, including myself, always says they want no medication, but you tend to change your mind when it feels like your guts are being twisted in knots before being getting ripped from your body. I went with a midwife for my second one, and the difference was like between Hitler and Gandhi. My second birth was all natural--except for the epidural--in a much more relaxed atmosphere. Relaxing makes all the difference. And be prepared for the worst, but expect the best.



Till tomorrow.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Monday on Today 8/13

Hope you all had a fine weekend. It's a holiday here in RI, but I think we're the only state that still celebrates Victory day--formerly VJ day, or Victory over Japan day. Most people I know still have to work since it's not a national holiday anymore. I missed a bit of The Today Show today due to the terrible twos. My daughter just turned two last Wednesday and now she has to cry and scream all the time. Well, maybe not all the time. Only when I'm trying to watch something on TV, talk on the phone or write anything. Thank God she still takes an afternoon nap. Anyway, I'll start with the weekend box office:
number 1) Rush Hour 3
number 2) The Bourne Ultimatum--last week's number 1.
number 3) The Simpsons--last week's number 2.

Today's Exclusive showed a clip from earlier in the show where Meredith Viera interviews the dumb bastard who got caught cheating and is suing 1-800-flowers for 1.5 million dollars because they sent the receipt from the flowers he sent to his mistress to his home instead of his office. Right now I can't think of a bigger asshole on the planet than this stupid idiot. Even president Bush looks like a genius compared to this guy. After Meredith grilled the stupid son-of-a-bitch and his lawyer, Natalie Morales was back in the studio with sexologist, Ian Kerner and former district attorney, Jeanine Pirro. She said from a legal standpoint he doesn't have a leg to stand on. Obviously he doesn't have any moral to set either, as Ian Kerner pointed out. He also said that the cheating bastard--don't know his name and don't care to--claims breach of contract in his lawsuit, but what about his breach to his marriage, which is more important. They both say this is one of dumbest people they've ever seen to bring one of the lamest lawsuits of all time to the courts. What a selfish prick to waste the court's time while trying to capitalize on his own infidelity and stupidity.

The next segment was called Admissions 101: How To Get Into College. And this is where my two year-old really started laying into me about her demands--she has quite a few. Anyway, I missed most of it. Al was talking to someone who named some colleges and what they're best known for. I'm sure they have the list on their website at http://todayshow.com/. I didn't get the "how to get into college" aspect of this. It just looked like a list of some lesser known universities around the country.

Today's Classroom featured Makeovers For Teachers. I wish they'd give us a few more weeks of summer before constantly bombarding us with back to school stuff. Anyway, the first teacher went from long, straight hair to a short bob. Victoria Beckham but more wearable. Yet it's still a bob and not exactly a care-free style. I had one a few years ago and thought it was the worst haircut I'd ever had. But that's just me. The next teacher had long curly hair and got a nice looking cut that really got rid of that triangular look that most women get with curly hair. Though the cut looked great, they straightened the curls out so you won't know what it will look like if she feels like letting it dry naturally and maybe not spending her entire morning working on straightening her hair. These are teachers, not talk-show hosts. They don't have a personal hairdresser at home to make them look gorgeous before appearing before they class. And do they really need to look fabulous for a bunch of five-year olds? The next transformer went from super long hair to a shoulder length coif with bangs cut in. That was a real improvement for her. I loved that cut, but I still wonder if these styles can be duplicated at home by busy teachers who have more important things to do than fuss with their hair.

Next up was Nip/Shop: Plastic Surgery At The Mall. How vain are we that we need to get botox and lip injections at our local mall? These Medi-Spas are popping up around the country and have some plastic surgeons concerned that people are taking these procedures too lightly. As one doctor pointed out, getting needles filled with bacteria injected into your face is not the same as getting a pedicure. But that doesn't stop people from doing it.

Today's Style had Adam Rappaport showing men how to Suit Your Shape. For instance for short men, don't wear jackets with pockets and try to avoid belts. All that tends to cut you off. Tall men should stay away from pinstripes which tend to elongate. And you should wear a belt if you're tall. Also avoid over sized padded shoulders. Isn't that obvious unless a guy wants to look like Herman Munster? For large men, he suggested keeping your jacket buttoned while standing and avoid plaids and checks. Also, always tuck in your shirt and no skinny ties or lapels. For the athletic type, he suggested low collars and then ran out of time. Sorry athletic guys. You'll have to visit the website for more tips.

And that's a wrap. There will be no post tomorrow because I have a funeral to attend. Till Wednesday.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Friday on Today 8/10

Today's Money featured Jean Chatzky discussing The Cost Of Kids. According to her, 64% of people have unrealistic expectations of the costs of raising children. And from today's page from the book of the obvious: the more you make, the more you spend. That means the less you make, the less you spend. As if anyone didn't know that already. But part of the reason parents spend so much money is because they think they need bigger houses, bigger brand new cars--why would you need a brand new car? Kids can share bedrooms; there's no need for each kid to have his or her own bedroom and bathroom. And Jean suggests getting pre-owned cars and driving them into the ground. The same advice I received years ago and still adhere to. Except back then we called them used cars. And you can fit three kids in the back seat so you don't need to buy giant SUVs just because you have kids. She also suggested developing a budget and prioritize. Which things are important and what can you do without? She had other suggestions but in the middle of this segment, my Boston Terrier dragged the water bowl into the middle of the kitchen floor and from there, my English Bulldog decided to attack it. The Boston doesn't like bulldog slobber in his water so demands new water. The bulldog sees the water bowl in a different place and goes after it, spilling water all over the kitchen. It's a good thing they're cute. See pics at http://cafepress.com/karmicbulldog.

Today's Style editor, Bobbie Thomas had some tips for looking good in Do-It-Yourself Beauty. For starters, there's a class in LA that teaches make-up application. One woman who was taking the class said not to be afraid to try anything. Your face is like a canvas and you can always wipe it off. For those of us who don't live anywhere near LA, you can go to make-up counters and get free samples and advice. Also there are several websites you can learn from such as http://maccosmetics.com/ and http://covergirl.com/. And there are plenty of books and DVDs. Check my Amazon search box to find some. Some people e-mailed their beauty questions such as what to do after a bad brow job, as in you're left with hardly any. Bobbie suggested Red Earth Brown Perfecting Kit, which uses powder to fill in sparse brows. Don't use a pencil, or you'll like a clown. Or Phyllis Diller. The point is to try to look natural. And someone else asked about how to make your feet feel smooth, or look good, or something to that effect. Bliss products for feet were recommended. You can also visit http://nailsmag.com/ for more tips on pedicures.

Cleaning Up Your Online Reputation was the subject of the next segment. Some people are turning to Dotcom Defenders to help them protect their online reputations. Reputationdefender.com tries to persuade bloggers and website owners to take down offensive or damaging material. Some website owners say it's a futile effort and it tries to take away artistic or journalistic freedom. And the Today Show hosts said it's tough with all those "mean" bloggers out there. Bloggers are mean now? Maybe if we got paid huge amounts of money to eat cupcakes, drink coffee and talk to people for a couple hours in the morning we'd be happy and smiley all the time too. Not that I'm agreeing that all bloggers are mean. Just don't cross a blogger and they'll be no need to hire a dotcom defender.

Submit your favorite sandwich to Best Sandwich In America at http://todayshow.com/ for the latest contest. I guess you submit a picture of your sandwich. They went from vacation photos to sandwiches. What's next, your favorite T-Shirts? Silverware? Plates?

Forever Young showed us some Home Back Breakers. Things in your home that are causing back pain such as your unforgiving floors. Someone from Prevention Magazine, sorry I never got her name, suggested things like using a step stool to rest your left foot on while standing for long periods. Maybe for when you're washing the dishes or folding the laundry. Some other common problems included: mattresses and pillows. She said that your head, back and neck need to form a straight line while lying in bed for good alignment. That's for people who sleep on their backs. For people who sleep on their sides--the most natural and comfortable sleep position--keep a pillow between your legs. I have one of those special pillows that fits between your knees and I love it because it doesn't keep falling out of bed like my old one did. And if you sleep on your stomach, you should place a pillow under your hips. Another problem: cradling the phone. This causes a lot of strain on the neck so use a speaker instead. Or you can get some headphones if you really need to have hands free while you're on the phone. Problem: slouching on the couch. Put a pillow behind your back to keep from slouching. Pillows are the answer to everything, aren't they? Also, use a laptop tray. I use my dogs since they insist on sitting on my lap. And finally, use freestanding toilet paper holders if the built-in ones are too hard to reach. Too much twisting isn't good for your back.

Kool And The Gang performed "Ladies' Night" while all their fans grooved in the rain. I've had that song in my head all day--it's very catchy. Did you know they've been together for 40 years? I didn't.

They wrapped up the show while showing more pictures from the America The Beautiful ongoing segment and playing that classical song, "Hoedown." I always loved that song.

Have a great weekend all.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Thursday on Today 8/9

Today's Home featured Waking Up Your Walls with Sarah Humphreys showing us the wonders of wallpaper. I guess wallpaper is making a comeback. But you have to do it right by preparing first. You have to sandpaper the walls to make sure they're smooth and prime them. And make sure you measure first so you only have to hang once. You should cut four inches longer the wall. All this sounds like a hassle to me, but if you want to put up some wallpaper and you plan on hanging things on the wall, use a repetitive pattern where you can choose hidden places to put things like sconces. They also make headboard patterns for where you put your bed. This just looked weird to me. Why not get a real headboard? Besides, what if you decide to put your bed on the other side of the room and you're stuck with a silly looking headboard pattern standing alone? You can also get graphic patterns for your closet doors.

Moving on to Number Six on the America The Beautiful list, which is Stark County, ND where Michelle Kosinski took in the State's Fair. This time for $50 you can get some delicious looking kettle corn for $2 and see livestock competitions and exhibits as well as arm wrestling championships for free. Michelle took in all that and got an Indian Taco for $7 and some fried dough--not sure if the dough was free with taco, but I don't think so. She also got an apple pie for just $3--I assume that's not an entire full size pie, took in a text messaging contest where the top prize was a $1,000, played a game for $5--this was the one where you throw darts to hit the balloons. One of the easier games to win at, as Michelle won hers. She took a ride on a mechanical bull for $5, and went on some amusement rides for $17. That about wraps up a day at the fair.

On the plaza there were a couple of full-grown adults dressed as superheroes. Evil-doers Beware. There is a new show on the sci-fi channel tonight at 9pm called "Who Wants To Be A Superhero?" Who wants to come up with something more original than lame reality shows for entertainment? Enough already!

Beyonce has a sister named Solange who started "Solange's Baby Jamz" selling hip-hop inspired toys. Her son Jules is the model on the cover of the boxes. I don't know what they are and don't care. If you do, you can visit Todayshow.com.

Today's Style Editor, Bobbie Thomas showed Homemade Jewelry and how you can make your own stuff too. You can make bead jewelry using beads, marbles or Christmas ornaments. Looks easy when she's doing it, but I think I don't think I'll be heading to the craft store any time soon. She showed feather jewelry--don't want to go overboard with feathers there. And if you're interested, there is a website: http://photojewelry.com/ where you can make all kinds of jewelry using your own photos.

Today's Exclusive was a clip from Matt Lauer's interview with Matt Murphy--the fan who snagged Barry Bonds' Home Run ball. The ball could be worth as much as $500,000. It would have been worth a lot more if it had come from a real baseball player and not some lying cheater pumped up on steroids.

Today's Kitchen featured "Cooking Thin With Chef Kathleen" author Kathleen Daelemans cooking tomatoes. She showed how to make a tomato sauce in the microwave, fried green tomatoes and BLTs with homemade mayo. For all the recipes, visit the website at http://todayshow.com/

And that's a wrap for today. Till tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Wednesday on Today 8/8

Today's Money started off the hour with Smart Supermarket Shopping. Robin Moreno from Women's Day Magazine offered up some advice for consumers. She says those with lists spend 41% more at the store. I find that hard to believe because I was always taught not to enter a grocery store without a list. If you don't have a list, how are you supposed to remember what you need? She suggested to factor in meals and weekly events into lists--so are you supposed to have lists or not? And maybe those going without lists and spending less money are doing so because they forgot half the stuff they needed--because they didn't have lists. Makes sense to me. What also makes sense is to always have the staples on hand, such as eggs and milk. By the way, the dates on those are for when to stop selling. They're not expiration dates, so eggs have two more weeks after their sell by date. Milk has about 7 days. And as Al Roker suggested, just give it the old sniff test if you have any doubt. Some more helpful suggestions: Stalk the markdowns and you could get up to 50% off. Don't over buy. Be realistic about what you'll actually use. And train little shoppers. Teach kids about budgeting an have them use their own money for treats. They'll feel more important that way. Also, get paper products at one of those big discount stores. And finally, pay attention to the scanner--a lot of people get ripped off and they don't even know it.

Next up was a segment titled, Pool Precautions: Keeping Kids Safe In The Water. Drowning is the leading cause of death of kids under five. That's a scary statistic. After seeing this, I'm going to give my kids swimming lessons. And I'll never move into a house with a pool--at least not until my kids are older. Former Olympic swimmer, Janet Evans, says you should start teaching them to swim around potty training age--which differs for all kids. She was in the pool with Natalie Morales and some kids who followed her instructions to float on their backs and kick. I guess you can teach your kids drills like kicking and floating and holding their breath under water. But mostly get them comfortable in the water. And don't rely on floaties, which are just floatation devices, not safety devices. And from today's page of the book of the obvious: always watch them while they're in the water. And know CPR.

From there, they went to a Then and Now minute with two swimming record breakers, Kate Ziegler and Janet Evans. I guess Kate Ziegler is the new one. Anyway, the summer Olympics start one year from today on 8/8/08 in Beijing, so they talked about it--a lot. This is also my daughter's second birthday, so a big happy birthday to her.

Today's Update featured an update on 21 year-old Gregory McCullough, a truck driver who was seriously injured three weeks ago in a steam pipe explosion in NYC. He's still fighting for his life in a medically induced coma to relieve his pain. Apparently there were several injured and one dead in the explosion. Junior Suarez came to McCullough's rescue and said his skin was falling off when he found him. He has more than 80% of his body burned. The McCullough family plans to sue Con Ed.

Garbage Couture: Designer Dumpster Duds. Catchy title for a story about law school graduate, Laurie Apple, who goes on daily "treasure hunts" to find designer clothes. It started off as a necessity while she was a cash-strapped student, but now she thinks of it as doing her part to save the environment. I can't believe people throw away perfectly good clothes. Mine don't find a dumpster until they're so worn a mouse couldn't use them. Are some people so lazy they can't even find a good will bin or the Salvation Army? How selfish can you be? Anyway, Laurie says she's not a dumpster diver. She doesn't do a lot of digging and most of the items can be found on the sidewalk. She even brought along some of her finds, such as an Ann Taylor suit, a little black dress and an Armani sweater. I really have to admire her and her efforts to keep perfectly good clothing out of land fills. Please, there is enough waste already. Give used clothes to people who need them. It's pretty easy to find those Salvation Army bins--they're everywhere. And she gave advice to other people who want to get their clothes for free--just keep your eyes open and check around dumpsters and sidewalks. You never know what people will toss out.

Today's Kitchen had, what else? Cooking Chinese Cuisine. Still on the Beijing theme and it's a whole year away. I can hardly wait to see how carried away they get when the Olympics are actually happening. I think they were cooking dumplings--whatever they were looked scrumptious. I couldn't really tell because my little birthday girl had just taken a header off a chair--luckily it was a small one. But her screams weren't, so I couldn't hear much.

And that's a wrap. Til tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Tuesday on Today 8/7

We started off the hour with Curse Of The Mama's Boys: Mother May I. Psychotherapist, Robi Ludwig and Galina Espinoza from People Magazine were guests discussing what to do so your son doesn't become a mama's boy. Because no self-respecting woman wants anything to do with a man who respects his mama more than himself. If your guy has a super close relationship with his mom, you could be in for trouble if she becomes your mother-in-law. Trust me, I have some personal experience here. If he has to ask his mama for permission before he makes any kind of commitment, he's got problems--and you will too if you keep him around. Some celebrities they used as examples are: Usher--his mama was the reason he had to postpone his wedding until this past weekend and then the future mother-in-law didn't show for the nuptials. Usher's new wife has her job cut out for her. Tom Cruise's mom lives with him and Katie. Katie Holmes is obviously a sucker for punishment. First she becomes a Scientologist for Tom and endures a silent birth, now she lives with her mother-in-law? I think aliens have done a brain transplant on her. If you didn't know, Scientology was started by science fiction writer, L Ron Hubbard, who believes we are all descendants of aliens. Anyway, on the other end of the spectrum is Brad Pitt, whose mom still visits his ex, Jennifer Aniston. And they didn't even have kids! If you are a mother of a son, as I am, they suggest you not criticize his relationships, let him make his own decisions. My son is only five, so I have a few more years before I worry about him becoming a mama's boy. Or dating a girl that's not good enough for my perfect boy--just kidding.

Today's Family featured Middle Child Syndrome with Michele Borba from iVillage. She says the middle child generally gets less attention then the oldest and youngest. A study monitoring parents with their children found that 65% of moms favor the eldest and 75% of fathers favor the eldest. So the advice here is pretty simple: don't favor one child. I'm serious, that was her advice. Talk about a page from the book of the obvious. Also, make special time for the middle child, don't compare and don't let the middle child become the referee. But she also said not to give hand-me-downs. Why the hell not? My daughter wears hand-me-downs from her big brother. Clothes are clothes. I say don't let your kids run your life, and if you're paying the bills, they'll wear what you say. Other than that, it's pretty obvious how to keep the peace--make sure they all know--not just the middle child--how special they are. Some famous and very successful middle children: JFK, Madonna, Bill Gates, Princess Diana and Today's own Natalie Morales.

Boy Shakira from America's Got Talent danced on the plaza for a minute before being cut off by a commercial break. That boy can really move his hips.

And one thing I noticed as I was eating my waffles this morning is that they waste entirely too much time talking about what's coming up next. "Coming up in the next half hour is..." fill in the blank " "And then..." fill in another blank "But up next is..." another blank "right after your local news and weather." Then Al comes back, does a rote rundown of the weather around the country and says his trademark, "That's what's happening around the country. Here's what's happening in your neck of the woods." There were at least ten minutes between Boy Shakira getting cut off and their next segment. I don't know why they have to talk about their show so much instead of just doing the show. Just a pet peeve of mine.

Fresh From The Oven: The Cupcake Craze was all about bakeries that make nothing but cupcakes. Sprinkles in LA is one of many cupcake boutiques that are serving up the tasty treats. Another shop featured had a specialty called red velvet which has cream cheese frosting that had my mouth watering--who doesn't like cupcakes? And of course, Natalie Morales couldn't wait to say, these bakers are living their dreams--they have their cake and eat it too. Then all the hosts sat around eating cupcakes. Some day I've got to get a job on that show.

Today's Kitchen featured Chef Michael Morano (at least I think that's his name) of Union Square: Cooking With Corn. Another pet peeve I have is they always leave their catchy segment titles on the screen, but they only give a quick flash of a person's name when they're being interviewed. Anyway, he cooked up some Gorgonzola cheese sauce with corn and fettuccine. He also showed some seared salmon with corn, shitake mushrooms and biscuits.

And finally, 27 year-old singer songwriter, Sara Bareilles, made her TV debut and sang "Love Song" to end the show.

That's a wrap. Till tomorrow.

Monday, August 6, 2007

Monday on Today 8/6

Happy Monday, hope you all had a great weekend. Today's Money was today's first feature in the third hour with Dr. Gail Salz and somebody else--probably a money expert--sorry I didn't catch her name. Anyway the topic was, Kids And Debit Cards. I can sum it all up in two words: bad idea. Instead, teach kids financial responsibility. And again from today's page of the book of the obvious: be a good role model. Whenever there is a segment dealing with kids, it always comes back to that. Kids are going to do what they see, not what they're told. Require them to earn their own money and talk to them about responsibility. Open a savings account for them and match their savings (optional). Just get smart and they will too.

Today's Woman had The Ultimate Spa Guide with a list of some of the best spas in America by Lisa Drayer--didn't catch her title, but at least I got her name. One of the best spas is Miraval Spa in Tuscon, AZ where you can learn about medicinal plants, ageless radiance--how to age gracefully and learn how to communicate with horses. Did you know horses can read our body energy? I didn't but it doesn't surprise me. My dogs can too. Anyway, that sounds like a great place. If I had more money and time I'd book a spot right now. Maybe after I win Publisher's Clearinghouse. What? I could be a winner. Lake Austin in Austin TX is described as the perfect girlfriend getaway with mother/daughter weeks and urban cowgirl weekends. Sounds like fun. Red Mountain Spa in Utah has 30 hiking trails and a cooking school. Kohler Spa in WI is called the ultimate in pampering with delicious foods and in-room spa services among other perks. And of course Hilton Head, SC is on the list. They help guests lose weight successfully by not focusing on short term fixes but long lasting changes.

Rosario Dawson stopped by for a visit to talk about her new revenge thriller about a woman who gets raped and doesn't tell anybody. As long as she gets revenge, it sounds like a good movie to me. And what would a visit on The Today Show be without their clever subtitles to go with your name? Hers was Dawson's "Descent": Rosario's Revenge. Descent is the name of the movie. It should be hitting theatres near you soon.

Today's Home with Eric Villency was all about Transforming Bath to Spa, for those of us who can't make it to Miraval. He suggested adding stone to add an earthy feel to the bathroom--I never considered "earthy" to be a bathroom requirement. Also adding things like wooden toilet seats and tables made out of bamboo and teaks--renewable resources. It's all about creating warmth and texture with stone tiles and rock formations, which are not easy to clean. But if you're adding these to your bathroom, you're probably not doing your own cleaning. He also talked about adding free standing tables, hydrotherapy using air jets and a $3100 tank-less toilet that uses an electric motor. What happened to using renewable resources? And talk about impractical; a three thousand dollar toilet? You can add color with shower curtains, toilet seats, benches, stools and candles. My advice: save your money for the real spas. How much time are you really going to spend in the bathroom anyway?

They usually do the weekend box office at the top of the hour but today it was toward the end. Maybe because "The Bourne Ultimatum" set a new August record, taking in over $70 million. And it didn't even have to open on a Wednesday to accomplish it. That pushed last week's number 1,"The Simpsons" back to the number 2 spot with "Under Dog," which was filmed here in RI, coming in at number 3.

Today's Kitchen was Smokin' On The Plaza, featuring an industrial smoker to smoke baby back ribs and sweet potatoes with a side order of cole slaw. You can also get a Weber Mountain Smoker for about $200. I didn't catch the chef's name either because my Boston Terrier was in the middle of a trifecta--grabbing a teddy-bear off the couch, running over my foot with his sharp little claws and knocking my toddler off her feet. Yes, the same adorable Boston Terrier who's pictured at the top of this blog. He's almost 9 years-old and shows no signs of slowing. I guess that's good and bad. For more pictures of him and my bulldog visit http://cafepress.com/karmicbulldog.

Till tomorrow.

Friday, August 3, 2007

Friday on Today 8/3

Today's Consumer Smarts with Janice Lieberman started the third hour today with a segment called Going To The Mattresses. She showed Al Roker a vibrating mattress that cost 30 grand, a Sealy pillow top with foam for $799 and one that its makers say is like sleeping on a cloud. That one costs 60 grand, so for that price they ought to fly you into outer space and let you sleep on actual cloud. The whole point to this--I'm not exactly sure why they wasted their time having Al trying out a bunch of mattresses--is to save your money for college tuition, cars and other necessities. Al actually liked the cheaper mattress best anyway.

Today's Style featured a Fall Fashion Preview. The look is all about dressing up without getting dressed up--whatever that means. A 70's chic dress that looked like a brown top with a checkered skirt finished off with a wide waist belt was the first look, followed by metallics. Wear metallics with a neutral palette. This model had on a beige metallic, matching jacket with black leggings and leopard print shoes. It didn't look as awful as it sounds. The thing about leggings that most people don't like is their clinginess, but these were loose fitting and looked more comfortable. The next look was sophisticated - blacks and creams are always classic. Update the look with this season's blazer. Grey is the new black. A few weeks ago on Today's Style, white was the new black, now it's grey. It looks polished and professional. This model wore a long grey jacket over black slacks. Return of the shape: form-fitting shapes are back. The only looks I'd spend money on are the cream and black as well as the grey and black. They also suggested wearing colored tights with some of these skirts--especially the shorter ones.

Joan Allen stopped by for a visit outside on the plaza. The catchy titles they used for this were: Bourne In The USA - Allen's Ultimatum. In case you didn't know, she's in "The Bourne Ultimatum" as well as the other two movies in the series. She's a three time Oscar nominee and one of my favorite actresses. See her amazing performance in "The Contender" and you'll see why. "The Bourne Ultimatum" opens today--as if you didn't know that already.

Natalie Morales was still in Minneapolis covering the bridge collapse: Saluting The Rescue Workers. Brad Stencel is a paramedic and one of the first responders on the scene. Natalie asked him what kind of injuries he saw in the people he helped to rescue. He said mostly orthopedic injuries--broken bones, blunt trauma and lots of bleeding. This is his first big city tragedy and he says he's emotional but getting through and now helping the recovery workers. Not a pleasant job I'm sure.

Next they had a one-on-one from Southwest Airlines CEO, Gary Kelly, who answered some e-mails. More likely, he covered his ass and answered the questions about long waits and consumer complaints like a member of the Bush Administration would answer questions about the war in Iraq. Everything is great and Southwest is the best. Did anyone think he would give honest answers? He's a CEO.

Vince Gill and Amy Grant ended the show with a song that she sang and he played guitar to along with a big back-up band. It sounded pretty good out on the plaza.

That wraps up this week. Have a good weekend.

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Thursday on Today 8/2

Today's fluff was cut short due to the ongoing coverage of the bridge collapse in Minneapolis. That certainly is the dominant news story of the day--more like the month. Natalie Morales was in Minneapolis talking to one of the doctors treating the injured. There are several in critical condition and one died as of the result of his injuries. I'm sure there will be ongoing coverage as the day goes on.

Meanwhile, America The Beautiful continues with number seven on the list: America's ballparks, in particular, Fenway Park, home of my beloved Boston Red Sox. Oddly, Tiki Barber, retired running back from The Giants, was the person doing the touring today. He did something I thought it was impossible to do: Fenway Park on $50/day. Tickets to Fenway are out of the park (pun intended) but you can get a bleacher seat for $12.00--that's news to me. Then he hit the concession stand where he spent $6.00 but didn't mention the famous Fenway Franks--they're the best. The Red Sox won their game, then Tiki interviewed Kenneth Hogan, author of "America's Ball Parks," up in the seats above the famous Green Monster. Those seats were only added in the last few years. Then it was time for some batting practice. Tiki put on a #21 shirt--his old number--and hit some balls with Red Sox slugger Wily Mo Pena and centerfielder, Coco Crisp, as his batting coach. I don't think the average tourist would have this option. Wily Mo knocked seven balls out of the park. Tiki didn't hit any home runs but he did make contact a few times. Fenway Park is almost a hundred years old and is one of the oldest ball parks in the country. Definitely a fun place to visit, but you'd better root for the Sox. Tiki finished up his visit with a trip to the souvenier shop and stayed for another game. He left a Red Sox fan--at least temporarily.

Today's Fitness featured "5-Factor Fitness" author, Harley Pasternak. Apparently his book shows gym exercises you can do at home. Today's page from the book of the obvious: A chest press that you do at the gym can be duplicated at home with the basic push-up. Pretty self explanatory. The leg press from the gym can be turned into lunges at home. For a new twist, try walking lunges. And here's where I'm really starting to question Ann Curry's intelligence. They walked over to the next person demonstrating leg extensions which everyone knows works your quadriceps. Ann says, "You're working your hamstrings with leg curls." That's the kind of comment I would expect from Katie Couric. I guess in Katie's absence, Ann feels like taking over as the resident ditz. Anyway, if those truly had been leg curls--which do work the hamstrings, the next exercise on the stability ball would duplicate that at home. You have to put your feet on the ball and lie on your back, bringing the ball up toward your butt, then away from you. These are pretty basic exercises, but if you want more you can buy the book. You can use my Amazon search box to check it out.

The last segment featured the stars of Drake and Josh: New Adventures For Kid Stars. I've never heard of them, but I guess they're big with the tweens. Drake Bell performed a bubble gum pop song in the studio to end the show.

And that's a wrap. Till tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Wednesday on Today 8/1

Marry Young? Marriage In America was the topic of the start of the hour. Matchmaker, Kailen Rosenberg and psychiatrist, Dr. Keith Ablow both said marrying in your early 20's--or younger--is a bad idea. It won't last. They pointed to Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe as an example. The median age for women to marry is 25 and 27 for men. The age is rising every year. I guess people are realizing that marriage isn't something to jump into without a lot of thought. As Dr. Ablow pointed out, you should be old enough to have reflected on life a bit. Kailen Rosenberg says she gives her clients a marriage manual and asks the question: What do you expect? From marriage, from each other. And from today's book of the obvious: marriage takes work. Don't expect it to be easy.

Next up was Five Hidden Hazards In Your Home. Things parents sometimes overlook when it comes to child proofing their homes. Number 5) Pool drains and spas. They have powerful suction and should be inspected for cover damage and you should know where the shut-off is.
4) Windows and coverings. Make sure blind ties don't loop--they can strangle kids. And of course, kids can always fall out windows but there are protective devices you can install so windows can't open all the way. 3) Tip-overs. Anything that could be used as a ladder needs to be anchored down, like a stove or dressers. Just use your imagination. Believe me, your kids will. 2) Recalled Products. Keep up to date on dangerous products that might still be lurking in your home. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a website where you can get updates on all the latest recalls at http://www.cpsp.gov. I checked it and they have a lot of information there. And finally, number 1) Magnets. A lot of toys have them and they can fall off, making them easy to swallow. They can do a lot of internal damage so inspect any toys that have magnets and get rid of loose ones.

On to home decorating with Domino Magazine's Best of Decorating issue. Best Buys: Home Buying Highlights with Chassie Post, contributing editor of Domino Magazine. Her suggestions didn't look like any bargains to me, but she says you need to spend money on good quality items that will last. Like the Easton Sofa and Big Sur dining table from Crate and Barrel, which looked like a giant coffee table. To go with it, she suggested Nail Head chairs from Pottery Barn. Then she showed some faux bois and mother of pearl mirrors and a canape bed, also a headboard and finally a lamp from Target. Who needs someone telling you what kind of furniture you should have in your home? Aren't you the best judge of that? Or at least a decorator that knows your taste and what your home looks like? But these are some suggestions and you can get more in the magazine if you like getting ideas from pictures.

New Study on Romance: The Mating Game. Top reasons for having sex. Who really needed to study this? Apparently Dr. David M. Buss did and found most people do it because it feels good, for pleasure or they're attracted to the person. You think? Some do it to burn calories. There's also make-up sex, birthday sex and the dark side of sex: punishing. Men are more likely to have revenge sex and use sex as a tool to get ahead or feel cool. I wonder whose money he wasted on this survey. I'm kind of mad I'm wasting my time on it right now.

So, moving on to Today's Kitchen where Rocco DiSpirito cooked up a Frozen Food Feast of chicken stew with paprika and vermouth. You can freeze chunky meats and tomatoes easily. Any stew freezes well. When the chicken stew is done, you ad Dijon mustard and freeze in Ziploc storage bags. Fold the bags, get all the air out and tape them. He also showed instant polenta. Shrimp and crab freeze well too. For more with Rocco, he'll be a guest judge on Top Chef at 10pm on Bravo.

That's a wrap. Till tomorrow.