Behind The Mic

One of the things I love the most about our newscast, is how much fun we have. And our anchors like to have fun off the air as well. So when Joel told me he’d be hanging out with Power 96’s DJ Laz during the Morning Pimp Show, I knew it would be a good time.

If you’ve lived in Miami for any amount of time, you’ve heard of DJ Laz, and if you grew up here (like I did)… then you’ve been listening to him your whole life. (Seriously, it was a HUGE deal if he showed up at your school dance)

I woke up earlier than I usually do to tune in, and got quite the surprise when I heard Joel singing the Hialeah song and then he answered a series of questions in the 2 minute drill.

This morning was Adam Kuperstein’s turn to visit the station during “Anchor Week”… and it was just as fun! Tune in tonight to check out what happened.

See you at 7pm.

Friday the 13th

The Marlins Ballpark Vote is up in the air….

ARod is having a UM baseball stadium named after him, just days after the steroid scandal surfaces.

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, but Friday the 13th is much cooler because it doesn’t happen very often.

And there’s lots of searching for jobs in our community, but we found one place where people are flocking to.

See ya at 7pm.

frozen iguanas, strip clubs, and savings

I own two coats.

And I can probably count on two hands the number of times I’ve legitimately had to wear them in South Florida over several years.

Last night was one of those nights (it was called the coldest night in over a year). So this morning, I didn’t care about reports that it would not be as cold… I rocked the houndstooth knee length coat anyway. Anything below 50 is cold for me. We’ve got reports of frozen iguanas, of manatees huddling for warmth in the water off power plants, of ice on crops. We’ll take a look at all that, plus find out how cold it’s going to get tonight and the rest of the weekend.

Also… it’s no secret that the economy sucks, and we can’t escape the stories on how to save money on everything from clothing to makeup to groceries. My frilly girly magazines, which once only focused on fashion and makeup that not everyone can afford (including me), are all of a sudden dedicating considerable space in their pages to things like “How to Save $250″ and “Fashion Finds Everyone Can Afford.”

This weekend, I was the girl doing a dance in the middle of a usually-expensive store at Aventura Mall after my purchase of 3 pants and 5 tops rang up to less than $75. One of those pants would’ve regularly cost $70… so yes, I was celebrating. Tonight- we’ll take a look at how you can save while shopping… hint: it just takes a little planning.

Plus, I found another reason to mention our Guitar Hero newsroom exploits in our newscast. Check out our photos here.

Sprinkle in a story on a popular strip club, and a few blow-up dolls, and you’ve got tonight’s newscast!

Join us to find out.

pigskin, packing up, and playing with dolls

If you missed the memo, I love college sports. And by college sports, I mean Gator Football. So National Signing Day is kind of a big deal to me. Tonight Joe Rose and Adam Kuperstein are gearing up for a live half-hour special on which South Florida players are going where… I know I’ll be tuning in, and crossing my fingers for the Gator Nation. You can also join us at 7pm to catch a preview of the biggest decisions.

Our anchor Joel Connable is Mr.Travel himself. He’s always got all the answers on where to vacation, or he’s got a rolodex of the best people to help you out. In our bleak economy, it’s sometimes tough to stop and think about spending money on a luxury… but tonight, Joel has some deals on trips that you can afford to take, without breaking the bank.

And she looks great for her age. For decades, little girls have played with her. I had several of them, the convertible, the babies, the outfits, even the home with the pulley system elevator. Barbie was my favorite toy and I was disappointed when technology took over and my little sister preferred other more high-tech toys over my Barbie collection. Barbie celebrates a big milestone.

Hope to see you tonight!

Super Bowl Notes

A few thoughts on the Super Bowl…

**Jennifer Hudson’s performance made me tear up. She looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders as she took a deep breath before belting out the national anthem. That was an amazing performance.
**I love watching all those behind the scenes sports stories… how one quarterback has 7 kids, how the other one almost lost his life because he wasn’t wearing a helmet on his motorcycle.
**I found out Michael Phelps is fairly dumb for his “I’m in a photo with a bong” photo. Bob Costas told me (and everyone else) about it during the pre-game show. (really Michael Phelps?!?!)
**All companies should run Super Bowl commercial contests like Doritos, because that’s the only commercial I can remember.
**The game bored me….
**… until the last quarter where the holding penalty in the endzone equaled a touchback… and then the Cards took that momentum to score.
**I was sad Arizona didn’t pull off an incredible come-from-behind victory.

With all that off my chest… let’s talk Super Bowl ads… and how one city saw Porn on TV instead of a $3million commercial. Or how one company is offering you hundreds of calories for free if you show up at their business tomorrow morning.

Joe Rose will recap the game, and we’ll have another look at the best ads. So join us tonight at 7pm… and while you wait, check out Adam Kuperstein pucker up to a piggy after losing the bet.

Music School “Hero”

I was first introduced to it by my little brother and sister. They would spend hours playing and trying to beat each other’s records, but I just dismissed it as a silly game. But then, I kept encountering the game at parties filled with “adults.” One slow day in the newsroom, I came face to face with it and was forced to confront my fear of playing. After a quick lesson by a Guitar Hero pro, I was off to try and make it through an entire song.

At first glance, Guitar Hero might seem like a silly game… but once I let go of my fears, put the guitar on, and tried to play (and failed miserably), I realized the fun I was missing out on! Even though I was booed before “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” was even over… I played it over and over again, until I was allowed to play through the entire song.

Guitar Hero, Rock Band… all those video games are introducing a new generation to rock music. Kids who would’ve never thought to ask for music lessons, are now signing up for lessons on a real, non-color coded guitar.

Tonight at 7- Joel Connable (who loves to play the game) will show us how Guitar Hero is having an unexpected effect on music schools. He’ll talk to music teachers who welcome the game, and say it’s been bringing in more business.

As we were setting up the game in the newsroom in preparation for the story… a few of us got to try it out. Check it out.

It promises to be a fun night… so make sure to tune in.

See you at 7pm!

1.20.09 Watching History

What a day.

I can’t even begin to describe this from the newsroom, so I’ll let our people in D.C. do all the talking and blogging.

Nick Bogert is in D.C. reporting for us…. and Tisha Lewis is taking a personal trip with her mom and documenting for us as well.

I hope you had a chance to watch the Inaugural activities live… and join us tonight at 7pm for a complete wrap!

Gator (and Sooner) Nation in South Florida

It’s so close, I can smell it. 

Just a little more than 24 hours until college football’s Super Bowl, and I’m sitting in the newsroom rocking a Gator shirt.  It gets people talking, and it also gets people to roll their eyes at me.  Either way, I love it.  There’s just something about college football that you don’t find anywhere else.  I built the best part of my college life in the dorms right next door to the stadium nicknamed The Swamp.  I spent my college years walking through the stadium to get to my journalism classes across the street.  I walked into the old dorms inside the home of the Gators to pick up my TV equipment for class projects.  I walked out the front door of my dorm to find tailgators of all ages, all before noon.  The Swamp was as much a staple of my daily life as a bowl of cereal was.  I could hear the band practicing from my window, I could hear the roars of the crowd from my bedroom.  I lined up for hours outside in much-too-cold-weather when I didn’t have season tickets, I sat so far up that I was closer to the blimp than I was to the field, and I sat so close that I had pictures with Albert the Alligator on the sidelines.  The University of Florida, Gainesville, and The Swamp were all my home.  You can’t match that with an NFL team.

Although the orange and blue is where my loyalties lie, no need to worry Sooners fans, you won’t see my true colors on the air.  Can’t say the same for Game Day, which is why I won’t be working.  

It’s hard not to feel the enthusiasm, even if you don’t have an allegiance to either team.   Instead of walking by the Swamp, I now drive by Dolphin stadium on my way to work every morning, and from the highway have witnessed the transformation for the BCS title game.  I will admit, it’s a bit distracting, but tomorrow it will all come full circle. 

But I’m not going on and on about the Gators just because I have this platform (well maybe that’s a small reason why)… but tonight, you’re going to get your dose of college football fans.  Sooners and Gators will be descending on Bicentennial Park tonight for Fan Fest… a concert, marching bands, cheerleaders, and just plain celebrations.  Think of it as a huge pep rally the night before the game.  Adam Kuperstein and Amara Sohn will be out there for all the festivities.

Also tonight, the very vocal Joe Rose will be giving us his take on Tim Tebow.  The revered Gator quarterback has a love-to-hate-him club, as well as a very devoted following.  Joe will give us his take on the QB.

Hope to see you tonight at 7pm…

(and maybe tomorrow I’ll see you at Dolphin Stadium!)

Gator In A Hurricane

I’m a Gator fan.  In Miami.  There, I said it. 

I wear my orange and blue with pride in a city (and a newsroom) that is all about “the U.”  But this week, it’s all about Gator fans (yeah, yeah, and Sooner fans).  Just about 2 years ago on our website nbc6.net, I documented my first national championship “experience”… but this week, I get to watch my team, in my city, from “How’d you get those?!” kind of seats.

It doesn’t get any better than this for the thousands of UF alumni that call South Florida home (well actually, I know what would make it even better!)

Both teams arrived in SFL last Friday.  While the teams have been mentally and physically preparing for what could be the biggest day in their football careers… football fans (like me) have been finalizing tailgate details, designing signs, and coordinating meeting up with friends from all over the country who will be at the game.

Tonight you’ll get to hear from the players and the coaches as part of  ‘BCS Media Day.’

Plus it’s the first full week after the holidays (well, for those people not taking time off for the game! ha)… so you’ll see all your familiar faces again on the set.  Jackie, Paul and Joel are all back.

Join us tonight at 7pm!

New Year’s Eve Eve

It’s the eve of New Year’s Eve… and we’re gathering all the stories for the newscast tonight.  Although the show will go on every night this week, I won’t be back until Friday.  In the meantime, as you prepare for whatever you planned for the 31st… here’s a look back at 2008.

A quick shout out– On January 1, 2009… keep your sets on the same channel right after our newscast for a look at the Life Of A Dictator.  It’s the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution, and we’ve got an incredible look back at Fidel Castro’s revolution, how it shaped 50 years of Cuban politics, and changed the South Florida landscape forever.  Join us at 7:30pm, on 1-1-09.