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Friday, September 28, 2007

Thursday on Today 9/27

New and noteworthy on Thursday's third hour of Today was a segment about Stopping Emotional Abuse. "The Bully In Your Relationships" is a new book by Anne-Renee Testa about how to stop being bullied. A bully demeans you, takes advantage of you and makes you a low priority--like you mean nothing. She suggested some tips to stop being put down by first getting out of denial. Acknowledge that it's happening and assess your options. Confront the bully and don't back down. Take action and tell him/her "I don't like the way you're treating me and the kids. This behavior will stop or I'm changing the locks." Well, that threat might work on a reasonable person but aren't most bullies unreasonable? Ironically, they had a segment on prior to this about sex and how to get a better sex life with your partner. Maybe if they focused on fixing the relationship in other ways, such as this, they might have an easier time getting what they want in bed.

The best sandwich in America was revealed, but I missed what it was. But you can now vote for a name for the new baby walrus that was born recently at the NY Zoo. It's adorable but the names you get to choose from aren't so cute. You can visit http://todayshow.com/ for more information and to see the choices.

Melissa Ethridge closed the show with a song from her new CD Awakening. She also joined the cohosts on the fourth hour to discuss life and music. She said she wants to do everything and have everyday for love and joy and love fully. She has four kids and she waits for them to finish school at the end of the year before going on the road so they can all go with her. She faces life without fear. After cancer I guess that becomes easier. Seeing her recover so well is an inspiration. My sister is now battling breast cancer and I hope she fares as well.

Sex therapist, Laura Besman was a guest for a segment called Great Sex After 40. There are many women who lose their desire at this age so it's a big problem that no one is talking about. Nobody is talking about it? That's all anybody ever talks about. They just did a sex segment on the third hour. Look at all the magazines on the newstand. We're bombarded with it. She says to put your relationship before the kids. The kids will be better off when their parents are happy. This is true. So many couples put their lives on hold--including their relationships--after having kids. But kids are happier when their parents aren't fighting and bickering and are in a loving marriage. And she also suggested the opposite of what the third hour experts said and that is to schedule sex. On the third hour, they claim it becomes too routine when it's scheduled. Well, better routine than nonexistent, right? If you don't schedule it, it becomes a low priority.

Trace Adkins was a guest and has a new book, "A Personal Stand: Observations From A Free Thinking Redneck." He was also a judge for the dancing that Hoda Kotb did with her partner who taught her the Texas Two-step. He obviously did a good job because she won the dancing contest they had this week among all the cohosts on the fourth hour. Natalie did the Tango, Ann did some hip-hop and Tiki Barber danced a waltz. But viewers voted and gave Hoda 53% of the vote. I guessed that she would win. Her dance looked like the most fun, too.

And that's a wrap.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Tuesday on Today 9/25

I'm doing a compilation of yesterday and today since I ran out of time to post yesterday. On the fourth hour yesterday the ladies and their guests discussed emotional cheating. Innocent or unfaithful? Can a relationship ever recover? Those were the types of questions posed to Rene Syler, author of "Good Enough Mother," psychologist Judith Sills, editor Victoria Zacheim and Caroline Leavitt who has first-hand experience with this subject since her first husband was a cheater. Basically, the consensus is that yes, emotional cheating is infidelity even if the cheaters never physically touch each other. One third of divorces are because of emotional cheating. Wow, that's a lot. But there really isn't much more to get into here on this subject. That's why I just incorporated it into today's post.

Today's Family featured a segment called Parenting Your Parents. They showed a daughter who is constantly telling her parents what to do and correcting them--considered nagging. She's in her mid-twenties and her parents aren't that old, so this is not well received. The basic advice of this segment is: no nagging. If your parents are getting up in the years and you're worried about their finances or health, then step in and try and help. But don't make it seem like you're trying to take over their lives. Trust me, they won't accept your advice no matter how well intentioned. I see my sisters doing it constantly with my mother and she doesn't appreciate it, to say the least. My advice is to offer a helping hand, and don't make it seem like you think they're incompetent. Try to put yourself in their position. And think of how you want your own kids to treat you in the future.

Today's Fitness featured Workout With The Biggest Loser. You can read the new book "The Biggest Loser Fitness Program" and get more tips on losing weight. Today's tips were: stay hydrated. That basically means to drink water constantly--don't even think about it, just drink. Always have water with you. I always do. It makes sense since sometimes thirst is mistaken for hunger. Always plan ahead. Have healthy snacks with you at all times so the drive-thru doesn't look so tempting. And educate yourself. The book has tips from all the contestants. They all lost weight, so they must work. Check my Amazon search box for it right here.

Next up was something called Free To Be Me. I guess it's a new regular like Today's Family or Critic's Corner (which is up next). Today's segment was about do it yourself hairstyles with Katrina Szish. They showed some before and afters. One used an at home hair painting kit to get some really nice looking highlights. Only problem is you need to have a "hair buddy" to help out especially with the back. And take it from my experience, it's hard enough doing the front by yourself, so don't ever attempt to do the back. I had the scars to prove it. Luckily hair grows back. Anyway, the problem is, this is supposed to be "do it yourself." If you need help, you're not doing it yourself. The next new do was on someone who added bangs to her long hair. But do you think she cut them herself? Of course not! You can't ever attempt to cut bangs into hair that doesn't already have them. But once they're there, you can trim them up yourself by cutting upward into the hair rather than straight across. Unless you like looking like a three year-old. Again, this is not something that was done by herself. So the title is kind of a misnomer if you ask me.

Moving on to The Critic's Corner, Gene Shallot reviewed "In The Shadow Of The Moon" about the first trip to the moon, or something like that. He raved about it. I went back to eating my breakfast because it looked like a real snoozer to me. But anything about space and rockets just makes me tune out immediately. I guess I should say "space out." Sorry, I had to find some humor in an otherwise humorless review of a boring movie. OTOH, Gene apparently also reviewed "Eastern Promises" with Viggo Mortenson and Naomi Watts earlier in the show and though he basically gave it a good review, he did say that it deserves an NC-17 rating for its relentless violence. I'm still adding it to my must-see movie list. I love Viggo Mortenson, especially when he's bad. He's so good at it.

And finally, another book was featured: "The Hollywood Trainer Weight Loss Plan." Author, Jeanette Jenkins showed some moves such as the single leg squat, the one leg pick-up where you bend down to pick up something up off the floor with your legs straitht, lifting the back leg so you look like a flamingo--this helps work on balance too. She also demonstrated some isometric abdominal work, some of which you can do in your car by contracting your muscles while you're stopped at a traffic light. Check out the book for more moves.

And that's a wrap.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Friday on Today 9/21

I had every intention to post about the 11:00 hour yesterday, but I was thwarted by an interruption from G.W. Bush--the most loathsome face I have the displeasure of seeing on my TV on an almost a daily basis. Yesterday he gave a speech about why he'll be vetoing a bill to extend health care benefits to more children. In it he gave false information about the Democrats wanting people making up to 83,000 a year to get free benefits for their kids. But that wasn't true, as I read in today's paper. He lied to make it look like he's saving taxpayers money instead of being the cold-hearted bastard he is by cutting health benefits for kids. He'd rather your tax dollars go to fund that fiasco of a war in Iraq that he started for no good reason. Personally, I'd prefer my tax dollars go to the benefit of kids rather than to the detriment of thousands of people. And yes, Iraqis are people just as the American soldiers who are dying over there every day. Okay enough of my venomous rant--that asshole brings out the worst in me. Not to mention our country.

Today on Today's fourth hour they had that gigantic family--you know the one with seventeen kids--on for a visit. Can you imagine the size of the carbon footprint they're leaving? I seriously think both those parents should get some kind of psychiatric evaluation. No sane person has seventeen kids. It's got to be some kind of mental illness. Even if they love their kids and are great parents, how can they not consider their impact on the environment--in diapers alone? People are supposed to have families, not tribes. And if you think seventeen is too many kids, well they're not even finished yet. Yes, they want more. How is that fair to the kids they already have? How can they possibly give the individual attention the kids need when they have so many? They all seem happy and well cared for, but I honestly question their ethics and selfishness in not even considering the thought of population control. Nobody wants to discuss it, but it makes a huge impact on us all. I'm grateful people like this are not the norm, but at the same time it does get me angry that some people can be so incredibly selfish. Population control is an important part of curbing global warming by reducing the impact of the strain on our natural resources. It's a finite number. Unlike this couple's ability to reproduce.

There was also a segment on how menopause can make you fat as well as what you should eat to avoid gaining weight. It was the usual stuff they always tell you to do like eat a balanced diet and exercise. How many times can we hear the same advice repackaged as new? You don't have to get fat as long as you eat right and exercise. Well, if it was that easy, we'd all be stick figures wouldn't we?

Then they had a new segment called This Week In Pop Culture where they had a couple of gossip mongers discussing the likes of Britney Spears and Kevin Federline and their custody battle. Who would've thought he'd be the one most likely to get custody. Everyone thought she was crazy to marry him. Now we know that she's just plain crazy. He's lucky to be rid of her. I feel sorry for those kids. They also mentioned something stupid Jessie Jackson (what a surprise). He criticized Barak Obama for acting too white. He is half white. Is he supposed to hide that and pretend to be all ghetto to get votes? Give me a break.

They ended the show with someone making something with chocolate.

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

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Wednesday on Today 9/19

Here is what's new and noteworthy on the 9:00 hour of Today. Straight Talk: Kids' Tough Questions. An iVillage contributor--sorry, didn't catch her name--was a guest discussing how to handle your kids' curiosity. Her advice was to encourage questions and answer them honestly. Talk to them about upcoming difficulties that you know will have them asking questions such as an impending divorce or the like. For kids under eight, keep it simple and be patient--let them spit it out before you jump in and try to finish their questions for them. For kids over eight, play it straight. They want to be treated like adults and want to be included in the conversation. She also suggested to prep your babysitter so that he/she knows how to handle questions. Share your personal values with your caregiver and have them defer questions. Have them monitor your kids and let you know. Isn't that their job, anyway?

Life Lessons: A crossing Guard's Story. Her message: stay in school. This lady was a dropout in the sixth grade and had a 4th grade reading level. She enrolled in classes, got her GED and now reads at a 10th grade level. Then she got her first real job as a crossing guard. Unfortunately, her husband died of cancer only two days into her new job, but she says he stayed around just long enough to see her succeed. Her goal is to get a degree and become a social worker. She says you can go back. It's never too late and at 50, she's proving that. She's a good person to spend time around kids to give them positive messages and encouragement.

Dave Barry stopped by for a visit to joke about and discuss his new book, "History Of The Millennium So Far." He gave a few funny examples that can be found in the book such as when the Boston Red Sox won the world series in 2004 and it was written in the Bible as a sign of the apocalypse. That may sound like a joke, but as a Red Sox fan, I really thought the world could end now that they had won after thinking it could never possibly happen. I mean, it had been since 1918. But there is plenty of fun stuff in the book I'm sure. Dave is so funny. I miss his weekly syndicated columns. Look for his new book in my Amazon search box here on this page.

Another new book is "Down To Earth, A Guide To Global Warming" by Laurie David and Cambria Gordon. It's geared toward kids and what they can do to help stop global warming before it's too late. Laurie David was a producer on Al Gore's academy award winning documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth." We must teach kids about reading, writing and saving energy and the three R's: Reduce, Recycle and Reuse. The book is an entertaining way to get kids involved and become part of the movement. The future is in their hands and they're going to be the ones to solve the problems of climate change. Everyone should get this book and give it to a kid they know. Do your part to save the earth.

And that's a wrap.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Tuesday on Today 9/18

It's been a while since I wrote about what's happening on The Today Show. My brother died last Friday, so my life has had a bit of an upheaval, but I'm trying to get back to normal. So here is what was new and noteworthy on Today.

"Your Child's Divorce: What To Expect, What To Do" is the name of a new book by Marsha Temlock. It gives parents whose children are going through a divorce some pointers on how to behave. It deals with grandparents rights when children are involved as well as some other pointers such as, demonstrate loyalty to your child and withhold judgment. She also says that showing your support is not the same as agreeing. Also when children are involved, they need the support of all adults involved. In other words, every adult better act like an adult, if you know what I mean. Sometimes that's difficult to do during a divorce. For those and other tips, you can get the book. You can use my Amazon Search Box on this page.

Today's Fitness: Get Motivated With Lessons From The Biggest Loser. Amber Walker was a contestant on the show and was recently booted off. But she didn't let that stop her from losing 65 pounds with the help of Biggest Loser trainer, Bob Harper. His suggestions for being a successful loser are to find a support group, take responsibility for what you eat by starting a food journal, and from today's page from the book of the obvious: work out--especially weight training.

The Today Show is looking for Today's Best Sandwich In America. You can vote online for people who like to participate in that sort of thing.

Today's Classroom featured Today Show contributor and nutritionist Joy Bauer who talked about food smarts for kids. She gave some suggestions for meals that help kids' brains develop--or something to that effect. Good suggestions for breakfast were oatmeal and fruit, scrambled eggs with black beans (that looks and sounds delicious, not to mention the tremendous nutritional benefits). For lunch you can pack a sandwich on whole grain bread along with some fruit or carrot sticks or you can pack up some leftovers from dinner--if you're kids are willing to take it. And for after school snacks you can serve peanut butter and apple slices with some honey or dry cereal right out of the box--my kids' favorite. No chips, cookies or candy--also my kids' favorite but only as special treats. Any way to get Omega 3s is important because they are most concentrated in the brain. I think that means they're very important for brain function and development. I give my kids supplements because they don't like a lot of healthy foods. She mentioned sprinkling something on food, but I didn't hear what it was. Maybe Wheat Germ? I read that was a good source of nutrients once.

And that's a wrap.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Wednesday on Today 9/13

New and Noteworthy yesterday was The Rapp Report with highlights of Jill Rappaport's interview with Ralph Lauren in a segment entitled Ralph Lauren Revisited. He is still very hands on even though he's old enough and rich enough to retire. But he loves what he does and wants to make sure it gets done right. There was a star studded gala honoring the famous designer which included the likes of Mayor Bloomberg, Barbara Walters, Vera Wang, Martha Stewart, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick and Dustin Hoffman, all singing Ralph's praises.

Today's Style featured Mia Garcia, author of "The Black Book Of Style." Her advice is there is no set of rules when it comes to style. Must haves: the little black dress. You can never go wrong with it. Also on the list is a trench coat, a white button down shirt, perfect pair of jeans, ballet flats and a beautiful pair of pumps. Even I can't argue with those. Get the book for more style ideas. Sounds fairly down to earth and reasonable, unlike a lot of fashion advice you see on TV and magazines.

In today's installment of Today Throws A Martha Stewart Wedding Cody and Jessica learned to dance for that very special first song at the reception. They chose "Into The Mystic" by Van Morrison as their song. Interesting choice. Al Roker claimed he never heard of it. Either he's lying or doesn't know anything about music. He's certainly old enough to know it. Anyway, there was a dance instructor giving them lessons while someone sang the song--which you couldn't hear over the dance instructor's commands. It was also Jessica's birthday, so they brought her a cake and sang happy birthday. How sweet.

Today's Kitchen had executive chef of Cooking Light Magazine on. He made some corn flake-crusted fish. Any type of fish will do. His motto--and that of the magazine's is eat smart, be fit and live well. For that and other light recipes, check out the magazine.

Here are a couple of noteworthy topics from the fourth hour from yesterday and today. I've combined them because there weren't many. Up first is the ongoing investigation into the McCanns who are still under suspicion in the death of their four year-old, Madeleine. The ladies--Hoda, Ann and Natalie discussed whether or not they thought they were guilty. The consensus seems to be that they are not. Otherwise why would they go to the Pope and David Beckham? Plus other celebrities got involved such as J.K. Rowling. They just aren't your typical child killers. Maybe they're right when they say they're being framed. I hope authorities are able to find who really did this soon.

Today's Family: Balancing Work And Motherhood. This was a noteworthy segment which featured some moms who've made it big on their own. They wanted to stay home with their kids and work at the same time (don't we all?) so they went into business for themselves. Got a million dollar idea? Their advice for moms who want to become stay at home mom/millionaires is that first you need to invest some money. They didn't really cover what to do if you don't have any at first. But you need some support (financially too, obviously) and find a good partner--one who has money would be a good pick. Also be bold and do something you're passionate about. This is the same advice I got in business school. Finding a partner who shares your passion is a hard part--at least for me. I'm still on my own, but I like it that way. Although my husband does help out by drawing some adorable bulldogs for some of my T-Shirts. By the way, we've got lots of new designs for fall. Check them out at http://cafepress.com/karmicbulldog.

That's a wrap. Probably for the week, since my son has an appointment with a neurodevelopment specialist tomorrow to see why he has low muscle tone and it will probably take a while.

Have a great weekend.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

More Monday on Today 9/10

This is a bit of an extension of yesterday's post since it was the first day of the fourth hour on The Today Show. This hour has just three co-hosts, Ann Curry--who's not doing the news in this hour, Hoda Kotb and Natalie Morales. This hour seems to be dedicated more toward women's issues. Though, the first three hours are too. The first segment was a sit down discussion on women and aging called Graying Gracefully: Embracing Your Age. Nora Ephron was a guest along with a couple of actress/models who look great despite their advanced age. One had natural silver/gray hair that looked really pretty at shoulder length. I personally think gray hair looks good at longer lengths. I don't know who ever wrote the rule that once a woman is over a certain age or has white hair she must wear it short, but it's about time that was changed. You shouldn't cut your hair just because it's gray or white. And forget hair dye. It looks so much better natural. It just looks too fake after a while. But to each her own. At least women have a choice and can get a fairly decent dye job for a price. Men cannot no matter who does their hair. They always end up as copper-heads and the result is laughable rather than sexy. Anyway they discussed how women are judged more harshly than men. Especially in Hollywood where actors can get prime roles right into their 60's (think Harrison Ford), but actresses are shelved once they get to be a certain age. Sure, Meryl Streep and Jane Fonda are still at the top of their game, but do you see them paired with men 30 years younger for action/romance flicks like their male counterparts? There is quite a double standard. Women have to start standing up for their rights. Starting with shedding the husband's last name tradition. Why give up your identity for a man? We've come a long way since the suffragette movement, but we've got a hell of a long way to go for equality. Let's stand up for our rights and not bow to old standards. Who says we're the weaker sex? Women live an average of 5.2 years longer than men. Okay, enough of my rant. Their advice for living a longer, healthier and happier life was: self acceptance, which comes from the inside. And let go of other's perceptions. Do what you want, you've earned it--that's my advice.

After that discussion, the three co-hosts discussed the disaster that Britney Spears called a performance at the MTV Awards. It was supposed to be a come-back, but most say it was a come-down. Just when you thought the 25 year-old trailer trash bleach blonde couldn't sink any lower, she surprised everybody with an abysmal stage show that made people either shake their heads or just laugh because it was so pathetic. I just hope her kids are placed in a loving home with people who put their welfare above getting their next fix. Obviously, Ann, Hoda and Natalie didn't tear her apart like most people have (myself included) but even they didn't have a kind word to say about the former pop princess. If you're looking for a place for people to give honest opinions and not shy away from controversy, better switch over to The View. But so far, this is a good alternative for some informative stories. And I like it better than the third hour, so my main focus might switch to this new fourth hour show, which is a show within itself. Only problem is, my son is back in school and I have to get him off the bus about 40 minutes into the show. Seems the important stuff comes early on anyway, so we won't miss too much.

They're also going to feature Best In Show every day and today's doggie guest was a collie mix who broke all sorts of records on the obstacle course circuit--or whatever they call those things where dogs jump through hoops, among other things. The dog jumped rope and even walked up a set of stairs on its hind legs.

My only question is, since this new hour airs at 11:00 (there's an hour break between 9 and 10 for Regis and Kelly, at least on my local NBC affiliate), so what happened to The Martha Stewart show which used to air at 11?

And that's a wrap.

Monday, September 10, 2007

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.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Thursday on Today 9/6

Noteworthy Today: "Scream Free Parenting: Raising Your Kids By Keeping Your Cool" author Hal Edward Runkel gave some advice for parents such as you're not totally responsible for your kids. What he means is that they are not a direct reflection of you. They are human beings. Your job is to make them confident and independent so they grow up to be good, decent human beings. This sounds like a great book which I'll put on my TBR list. I would suggest it for any parents. You can use my Amazon box here to buy it. There were more tips, but I couldn't hear them since my toddler was screaming. Just because we as parents don't scream, doesn't mean our kids won't.

Today's Consumer Smarts featured Janice Lieberman giving advice on how to get a deal on furniture. She suggested going to High Point, NC to Furniture Land South, the biggest furniture outlet in the country. Or shopping in Boyles Furniture Showroom. Shop in January or July for free shipping. My question is, is it really worth it to travel to NC if you don't live anywhere near there just to get a deal on furniture? Surely the cost of travel will outweigh any bargain you get on your furniture set. Just my opinion, FWIW.

A Simpler Life: The Appeal Of Rural America. Apparently they've compiled a list of the best rural places to live and number 10 is Polk County, North Carolina. Number one is Baron County, Kentucky. Those places are fine if you're content with farming and your idea of a shopping trip at the mall consists of getting a jar of peanuts from the corner drugstore. But some people don't need busy lifestyles, so it fits for them.

Father Knows Less Or "Can I Cook My Sister?" is the name of a new book by Wendell Jamieson about the crazy questions kids ask. It was inspired by the author's son who kept asking questions and his father decided to try to find answers to all his questions. That's a dedicated parent. Anyway, one question was "Why does it always rain in car commercials?" Something I'd never really noticed before, but I try to ignore most commercials. The answer is that cars look better on a wet road than a dry one. It brings out the car colors better. Why do doctors have messy handwriting? The answer is because they are too impatient to take time to write legibly. Too bad they don't consider the importance of what they're writing--such as prescriptions that could help people or kill them if they get the wrong dose. Another question is, why is there war? Nobody answered this. You can read the book for a long and detailed response by someone who finally took the time to answer. But I can tell you why right here: because the world is run by men. If women ran the world, there would be no war. Plain and simple.

The Oprah Effect: Can Winfrey Deliver For Obama? This is the first time Oprah has endorsed a presidential candidate which some say could backfire because people don't like being told whom to vote for. That's true. Personally, I don't think it will get him elected, but she is helping his campaign by hosting fundraisers which raise millions of dollars.

Today's Kitchen featured America The Beautiful's New Orleans with Cooking On The Gulf Coast. A couple of chefs from local restaurants cooked up some red fish, shrimp, prosciutto wrapped tuna and other stuff.

That's a wrap.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Wednesday on Today 9/5

Picking The Dress: Today Throws A Martha Stewart Wedding. This installment had the audience voting on one of many designer gowns. I found this not to be noteworthy, but if you want to vote you can visit todayshow.com.

Alda's Rebirth. Alan Alda, author of "Things I Overheard While Talking To Myself," was a guest and discussed his new book and why he decided to write it. He is so funny and the book titles alone are enough to make you want to read them. I just picked up his last one, "Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned," but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. Today he was talking about his near death experience while mountain climbing in Chile. Then he heard a voice in his sleep asking if he'd lived a life of meaning. So, he's reexamining his life and no longer afraid of death. I just talked to someone recently who had a near death experience and said the same thing. Weird.

20 Years Of Barney: I Love You, You Love Me... Yes, the big purple dinosaur stopped by the plaza today for a giant birthday cake, to the delight of my two year-old daughter. It was a brief visit, to the disdain of my two year-old daughter.

Where is Camille? Search For Missing BYU Student. This was a story about the continued search for 22 year-old Camille Cleverly who's been missing from Provo, Utah since August 30. She was last seen with her mountain bike. Someone used her debit card the day after she went missing. Authorities are trying to figure out who used it. Anyone with information is asked to call 801-852-7421 or 852-6210. The family has also put up a myspace page to help spread the word and try to find her. Good luck to them. That whole debit card use is really suspicious.

Little Helper: Bill Clinton praises an eight year-old girl for organizing trash clean-ups on beaches. She even got to meet the former president. Wow, I wonder if I started a program like that if I could meet him too. It makes me long for the days when we had an intelligent and caring president. One who spoke eloquently instead of sounding like a bumbling idiot every time he opened his mouth. Let's hope he's back in the White House soon as the first First Gentlemen--or whatever he'd be called.

Today's Kitchen featured Pantry Must-Haves: eggs, milk, fresh vegetables, canned chicken noodle soup--which you add the fresh veggies to and make it your own. You should also stock your kitchen with oils, seasonings--dried herbs and spices, cheese, Rice Krispies--or a similar cereal to make treats with.

And that's a wrap.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Monday on Today 9/3

Happy Labor Day. What a gorgeous weekend we're having here in the Northeast. Sunny and low 70's every day. There are going to be a few changes to this blog which I started implementing last week. Instead of summarizing everything that happened on the last hour of the show, I'm only going to give you what I think was worthy of my time, therefore worthy of yours. Normally that would cut out most of the information, but The Today Show is extending to a fourth hour--can you believe it? So, maybe the blog will be much shorter, maybe not. I'll give you what I think was noteworthy and hopefully that will save me time and not waste yours.

So let's get started with Today's noteworthy stories. Watching Your Back: See Something, Say Something. Bill Stanton conducted an experiment where he started spray painting graffiti on a building and waited for someone to say or do something to stop him. Lots of people looked but no one called the cops or got involved in any way. He's trying to get the message across to people to become heroes. You don't have to physically stop someone during public disturbances, but you can call the cops. When he asks people why they don't call, people tell him they don't want to be involved in police reports, but you can remain anonymous. Or people will say they thought someone else would call. If everybody is always leaving it all up to someone else, nothing is ever going to get done. Stand up and do something! Be a hero. You can see more of "Wild" Bill Stanton, Watching Your Back tonight on Dateline. I'll be watching.

Bobbie Brown had make-up tips for back to school, but I didn't find this noteworthy. If you do, you can see them at todayshow.com. It was mostly make-overs and these teachers and students are unlikely to duplicate the results themselves.

Helping Hand: Book Drive For Thai Children. This story was very noteworthy. Nineteen year-old Andrew Titley, with the help of his seventeen year-old brother Trevor, collect book donations for these underprivileged children, most of whom are being raised by their grandparents while their parents work in Bangkok. Libraries are filled with books they no longer need and lots of people throw out used books, so why not donate them to kids who are trying to learn English? Kudos to these kids.

Leonard's Look had an interesting (therefore noteworthy) story about the King and Queen of Jumping Beans in Albuquerque, NM. They have the world's largest jumping bean company and are proud of it. I had some of these when I was a kid and was fascinated with them. They are moth larva that are sensitive to light and heat for months until they either die or hatch into moths. I don't know how they get them, but they help out the locals and economy and have rekindled interest in the beans. This made me want to get some for my kids.

Another noteworthy bit was Peace Players: Live Together, Play Together about two brothers who took basketball to places like Northern Ireland, South Africa and the Middle East. The message: if you can play together, you can be friends. And so far it's working. They showed an Arab Palestinian kid who lived across from a Jewish kid and the two had never met until they played basketball. Now they're friends. So there you have another set of brothers doing good deeds for people half-way around the world.

Today's Kitchen featured Last Minute Labor Day Barbecue with marinated chicken and pork along with teriyaki and fresh ginger.

And that's a wrap. Tomorrow I'm going to open house at my son's preschool so there will be no Tuesday on Today this week. Till Wednesday.

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Friday on Today 8/31

Who Makes The Cut? Top 100 Power Women. They didn't go over the whole list but there were a few mentionables like Meredith Viera at number 55 and Hilary Clinton at 25. Oprah was on it of course at around 21 or 26--I can't say for sure. Elizabeth McDonald from Forbes was talking about who all the movers and shakers were. Most of the women are not from the US and they never showed the names on the screen. You can check out Forbes Magazine for the complete list.

A family from Wisconsin won a Vacation Do-Over. They were some of the survivors of the vacations from hell, and according to the audience who voted, they had the worst of it and deserved another shot. Hope they have more fun time this time around.

Tony Orlando appeared on the plaza after losing 100 pounds or as The Today Show called it, "Knocking em off," in a tribute to his song, "Knock Three Times." Then Tony, along with the co-hosts broke into "Tie A Yellow Ribbon," which was cut off by a commercial--Thank God.

First the audience picked the couple, now they get to pick the wedding band! And I'm not talking about who's going to be playing "Daddy's Little Girl," at the reception. The couple doesn't even get to choose what rings they'll be branded with during their on-air ceremony. Then again, they're not stuck with the bill either. I'm starting to understand why someone might want to be married on live TV--so they don't have to foot the enormous bill!

Today's Classroom had a segment called Getting Ready For Middle School. But I missed most of it. You can get the information on the Today Show website if you're interested. What I did see didn't look that useful but they showed some nice folders where your kids can store everything. You can probably just get those at Staples or any other store.

Today's Kitchen featured Cooking With Giada. Tony Orlando came back to join them as did Natalie Morales's son, Josh. He's adorable but I have no idea what they made other than it was Greek.

And that's a wrap. Have a happy holiday weekend!