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.

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!

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.

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.

Tuesday on Today 7/17

We began the third hour of Today with an introduction to Peter Alexander, who was filling in for Natalie Morales. She is probably still making her way across the country for the continuing "America The Beautiful" segment. Last week she was in Niagara Falls.

Today's Style featured Summer Hair Makeovers. Two women received cuts and highlights and a third got a cut and went from yellow/red hair to a darker red. They showed how to use Knotty Knots and giant pin curls to make waves and the redhead got twisted dreadlocks while her hair was wet and then dried into curls. This segment was supposed to be about how summer is for carefree hair and easier styles, but all that twisting and knotting seems like too much work for me. My summer hair-do requires a towel fluff and a comb. Same as my winter do. If I want to make waves I'll twirl my hair into a bun with some gel for a few hours, then set it free. That's carefree summer hair. They also suggested using leave-in conditioners--I like those too. And not washing hair every day if at all possible because it usually looks better on the next day. That I also agree with since my hair tends to triple in size right after it's washed.

Take It Off Today: Frozen Not Fattening. Nutritionist, Elizabeth Somer suggested some alternatives to the usually fat laden frozen desserts. Slow churned ice creams are delicious and much lower in fat than regular ice cream, according to her. Also ice pops are good for portion control. And why not make your own smoothie? She also suggested reading labels and opting for the ones with no more than 150 calories per serving and two grams of fat. But many of the low fat kinds are high in sugar and vice-versa. I say you're eating ice cream because it tastes good, not because you feel like a healthy snack. Otherwise you can grab an apple. Just don't have too much and you should be all set. Why make more work for yourself?

Moving on to Today's Health: Dealing With Summer Bummers (catchy title, eh?) and how about, Summer Bummer Fast Fixes? They love their subtitles over at Today. The "Summer Bummers" they refer to are sunburn, bug bites and dehydration. Chocolate, walnuts and green tea are all good at preventing sunburn--though, I don't think you're supposed to rub them on your skin. And here is today's page from the book of the obvious: Use a sunscreen with at least an SPF of 15 and reapply every 2-3 hours. And there's more: Drink lots of fluids to avoid dehydration. And to avoid bug bites (I love this one): Wear long pants and long sleeves and use bug spray. This is summer time! Who wants to wear long pants and long sleeves when it's 85 degrees outside? Here is something you might not know: Poison Ivy can remain on clothing for years. She suggested using something called "Ivy Block," to prevent it and "Domeboro" if you're not so successful at that. Also, food left out for more than two hours can cause food borne illnesses--keep it in the fridge.

Today's American Story featured a man called The Tree Doctor from Bay Bridge Island in Washington. He studies dying trees and brings new life into them by figuring out what's causing their decay. I could use him at my house.

And they ended the hour with Military Workouts: Shaping Up at Fitness Boot Camps. These are places where people actually pay money to have their butts kicked into shape by drill sargents. You couldn't even pay me to go through that, never mind fork over cash for someone else to do it to me. People will go to almost any lengths to lose weight. Except, of course, maybe giving up fast food or walking instead of driving everywhere or maybe using the stairs instead of the elevator. No, just enroll in a week or two of hell. But what about when it's over? Don't they realize that unless they change their habits, their change in bodies won't last? Then again, we're talking about people who are willing to pay to get screamed at by fitness militants at 5:00 in the morning.

Till Tomorrow.