Let's say you're in your car and need a phone number or address to a store. But you don't have a phone book handy and you don't feel like paying for a 411 call.
Google, the same search engine you use online, is also available on your cell phone! Just send a text message to Google by dialing the number 466453. That spells Google. Here's how it works
When I got a day off a few weeks ago, I took time to clear out some clutter: approximately 30 stuffed animals!
I'd collected them over 15+ years from ex-boyfriends and my Mom. But I realized they were just taking up space on the my guest bedroom floor. Mom said she was cool if I gave them away. My sister, Veronica, said she'd given my niece's old animals to the children's hospital in her area.
A quick call to Blair E. Batson's Children's hospital revealed, the hospital doesn't take used toys, just new ones. They don't have the facilities to proper disinfect the toys. So I tried MS Children's Home which handles foster care and group homes. Again a no go! So I called the Good Samaritan Center on Millsaps Avenue(http://goodsamaritancenter.org/) and found out they would take the used toys.
I was greeted by the nicest staff and got to see their store NUTS, Neat Used Things for Sale. I hope my toys are put to good use - either in a crisis situation for a child who needs to feel comfortable - or for someone who just needs a gift for a little one.
Wow! It's going on almost two weeks since I was able to post here. MY BAD. I've been busy selling stuff on Craigslist and Ebay because I'm really trying to declutter my house. Some stuff has been given away or sold in garage sales (http://joycebrewer.blogspot.com/2008/11/hidden-cash-in-garage-sales.html). But checking the status of Ebay sales and driving to meet folks who bought your Craigslist items takes time.
I've also been back and forth to Atlanta to see TMIL (The Man ILove).
On the right is a picture of Victor (a big) and his mentee, Isaiah (a little). They're not related but the goal of their match through Big Brothers Big Sisters is to help Isaiah have a male he can model, learn from, and emulate. I've been a big for almost five years for my little, Shalakkeia.
I had the pleasure of meeting them last week while I was was working on a story about too parents not being accountable for their children. Assistant Jackson police chief Lee Vance called for dads in particular to step up. Sadly, too many dads don't. And there aren't enough male mentors to go around either. For instance, Isaiah waited a year to be matched with Victor.
Read and watch their story: http://www.wapt.com/news/17947897/detail.html
Tuesday night, I had the pleasure of saying LIVE on the air:
"Barack Obama is the next president of the United States."
Before Tuesday, I was not one of those people who walked around saying "he's going to win" or "Obama will beat McCain."
Maybe it's the journalist in me who needs facts in order to believe. Or maybe it's because I worked in newsrooms in the 2000 and 2004 election nights and I can't forget that sometimes we don't know who the president is until hours, days, or months later. So Obama's historic victory is something I didn't want to celebrate ahead of time.
I could hardly enjoy his win TUESDAY because I was working. Although everyone in the newsroom paused to watch his acceptance speech as you can see in the photos below. In fact, my first thoughts were for the safety of the Obama family. I prayed out loud, "Lord - keep him safe and honest."
It wasn't until Wednesday morning while watching news coverage and seeing so much emotion and celebration cross the country and the world - that I was moved to cry.
Earlier this week, I told my colleague, Don Champion, how it would be amazing IF Obama won. There would be a significant difference in what my generation and my father's generation would see as "possible" for African Americans.
For instance, my Dad was born in 1932 when Charleston, South Carolina was segregated. He went to Burke High School - the first public school for black students in the city. He told me he read from old books after the white students had gotten rid of them and the books were even missing pages they were in such bad shape. Later he was drafted during the Korean War and remembers that when the Army bus drove through Mississippi he and the other black soldier were NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE BUS - for fear of their safety. Fast forward to today, I live in Mississippi now. I am an anchor at a TV station - all because of what my parents taught me and because no schools or universities were ever "out of my reach."
What a difference in what one generation can see and CHANGE. And in case you're wondering, based on what my Dad has lived and survived - he didn't think he'd ever live to see a black president.
Last Saturday was my second time taking part in a garage sale. First time: I made about $60 and this time I made $170+ so I'm celebrating how my "stash made me some cash!" There were a few things that helped this latest garage sale successful.
I didn't do it alone. My friend Vivian's neighbor, Donna, was the host. I brought items I'd been setting aside since the September garage sale. Then I invited my co-worker, Faith, to bring her stuff. The more - the merrier. If one of us didn't have what the "bargain hunters" wanted, the other one would.
We did it the first Saturday of the month.For lots of folks who get paid once a month, this is an ideal time for them to shop.
Proper promotion. Donna put green neon signs at the corner of her subdivision in Byram for the folks who drive around looking for garage sales. I also had it posted in the Clarion Ledger, Jackson Free Press, Craigslist, and a brand new free website I discovered: Kijiji. Then I e-mailed lots of folks in Jackson who might be interested in buying used items. The ad listed the date, time, and general item descriptions.
We'll probably take a break until the spring before we host another garage sale. It's getting TOO COLD to be standing outside at 5 a.m. I'll sell a few other specialty (12 pairs of ladies size 10 shoes) and brand new items on Ebay & Craigslist.
I've spent the last week working on a "Who's Accountable" report about a federal lawsuit some disabled riders filed against the city of Jackson and the Jatran system.
This was actually a "dangerous" story to shoot because I spent a few minutes seeing what Jackson residents in wheelchairs face when they try to get around. There are a number of areas with no sidewalks or curb ramps, so they often have no other choice but to ride their wheelchairs in the street with cars. I couldn't believe how unsafe it was until I saw it myself. Dr. Scott Crawford showed us what it takes to get to the closest Jatran stop from his home and the city of Jackson responded to the lawsuit in my "Who's Accountable" report:
I'm counting down to early 2009 when my favorite TV show - LOST - returns to ABC.
You won't really understand my devotion if terms like: the others the hatch the oceanic 6 the Dharma initiative Locke vs. Jack.....
don't mean anything to you.
But for LOST devotees, they mean everything. We've been watching since 2004 and will never forget the day Oceanic Flight 815 crashed into the ocean and the "survivors" came into our lives.
While the twists, turns, questions and queries about LOST are numerous, the Emmy-award winning show has a huge following. LOST devotees are a special breed who have to get used to the crazy ABC schedule and the show "going missing" for months at a time.
For instance, it won't return now until early 2009. Here's a bit of a preview:
Here are some vital websites related to LOST: http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=index http://lostpedia.com/wiki/Main_Page
And one of my favorite characters on the show is Sayid who's played by Naveen Andrews (http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=bios#t=character&d=39847). His character is a bad @ss Iraqi soldier - who like the other mysteriously landed on the Island and his skills were extremely useful there. I've met several celebrities in my 35 years on the Earth and I'd love to add him to the list!
Aside from the crappy “W” movie, my week wasn’t a total bust artistically. I just started reading a new book: Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/eatpraylove.htm) while I was in the doctor’s office Friday morning. I’m still in the early stages of reading this and already I’m in love with the theme and the author.
First I have to admit I’m a little behind. I remember catching a glimpse of a promo when the author appeared on Oprah. I never saw the episode. Then in August my sister gave me a copy of the book and raved about it. In all my busy-ness I put it off until I had a few minutes to sit still and read it. That happened when I wasn’t feeling well Friday so I brought it with me to the doctor’s office.
What clinched it for me was when I identified with a passage in the book. The author, Liz, was in an unhappy marriage. She was in the bathroom crying night after night. Her husband didn’t know. And Liz found herself crying and finally praying to God. That’s when she heard what she described as an “omniscient interior voice” that told her to go back to bed. Of course, she was looking for a direct action from God on what she should do next. But I knew exactly what she felt.
I had a particularly upsetting Saturday night with someone I dated back in 1999. I had been disrespected and embarrassed, nothing physical, just emotionally bruised. It upset me so badly I had an upset stomach and problems sleeping. The next morning I went to church - still upset and emotionally suffering. A church sister must have noticed it on my face. She took me in a separate room to sit down, gather my thoughts, and brought me a glass of water. Once I was ready to go into the sanctuary, I sat there for awhile and then I heard something from God, my “omniscient interior voice.”
It said: “I gave you what you wanted to show you it wasn’t what you needed.”
Let that sink in for a moment…..
“I gave you what you wanted to show you it wasn’t what you needed.”
I knew immediately what God meant and how it applied to this person I was dating. He wasn’t what I needed but he was my attempt to fulfill the loneliness I felt at the time. And as I’ve grown and developed since that time eight years ago, I’ve realized that in many situations it still applies.
Get the book. Listen to your own “omniscient interior voice.”
Add Oliver Stone’s “W” to the list of bad movies I’ve seen in a row this year. (Hancock, The Happening, and The Women were previously mentioned in this blog.)
In fact, it was so long and disappointing TMIL (that’s my acronym: The Man I Love) said he won’t let me pick another movie for us to see. I agree with his description that “W” was like an extended SNL skit. It was an exaggeration of the President, his family, and his cabinet. I found myself squirming in my seat about 40 minutes into the movie. I didn’t like the way Stone flashed back and forward into time. I’m not saying a movie has to be told sequentially to be effective. But Stone’s storytelling was all over the place for the first hour or more. Most annoying - too many scenes where the president eats and speaks at the same time. Stone wanted him to look silly. That’s one mission he accomplished along with giving me a stomach ache as I watched sandwich after sandwich get gobbled by actor, Josh Brolin, while bits and pieces of food fell out of his mouth.
In my opinion, Michael Moore’s “Farenheit 9/11” made a better argument about the president’s mis-steps, than “W.” Oliver Stone’s biopic traced George W. Bush’s poor decision making skills to drinking and womanizing in his younger years, Daddy-issues, a “calling” from God to run for president and being manipulated by Dick Cheney (and others) into the wars in Afghanistan & Iraq in order to control oil in the mideast.
Colin Powell, played by Jeffery Wright, was the only intelligent and honest person in the whole film. He stood by his opposition to the wars in grand, credible style.
But if Condoleeza Rice ever crosses paths with Thandie Newton – watch out! Condi will likely smack the taste out of Thandie’s mouth. Thandie portrayed the secretary of state as a nasal, annoying, unattractive, “yes-woman.”
I’ll save you the $6 -$9 depending on how much movies cost where you live. All you need to know/see is in this trailer OR read the reviews below it:
that's what Wanda Sykes called the massive bank bailout plan when she last appeared on Jay Leno.
I don't know about you. But I'm cutting back on spending and trying to pay off debt. I've cleaned out tons of clothes/shoes/purses in my closet and sold them at a recent garage sale or took them to The Orange Peel consigmnent shop in Fondren (http://www.jackpedia.com/index.php/wiki/The_Orange_Peel/). We're all doing creative financing and trying to be more responsible.
Wanda wants to know why the banks can't do the same:
is the Senior Writer for CNNMoney.com and I was so happy to see him on Headline News Friday afternoon. He was offering his insight on the financial crisis.
Paul R. LaMonica and myself, Joyce E. Brewer, were on the short list of people in the class of 1991 who were adamant about the use of our middle initials. We went to junior high and high school together, played in the band together, and had several classes together. Most importantly, Paul graduated at the top of our class and earned lots of respect from his classmates.
I last emailed him a few years when I found one of his articles online. Here's another clip CNN I found of Paul doing his "thang":
Mississippi was primed and ready to make history Friday with it's first presidential debate at Ole Miss. Then Senator John McCain announced he wanted to delay the debate so we and Senator Obama could return to Washington to work on the $700 billion bailout plan.
I can't get into the political debate on whether the debate should be rescheduled or not. But every media outlet in the state and thousands of journalists from across the world are either here or on their way to cover the event. Ole Miss also raised more than five million dollars from private donations to accomodate the debate. The logistics of cancelling this will be immense. Something tells me it will go down to the wire on whether we'll really know what's happening Friday.
No Deal for Emmy Ratings Today 10:15 AM PDT by Joal Ryan
Reality bit for the Emmys. If ratings estimates hold, last night's show could go down as the least-watched Emmy telecast on record. From 8-11 p.m., the ABC telecast averaged 12.2 million, down 6 percent from last year's Nielsen-challenged affair, and on par with the record-low 12.3 million who caught the show in 1990. This year was the fourth straight year of ratings decline for the Emmys, which last topped 20 million viewers in 2000. Judging by the numbers, slightly more people were interested in this year's Emmy telecast than last, at least until the show started. ABC's Jimmy Kimmel-hosted red-carpet preshow, which aired from 7-8 p.m., averaged 4.6 million viewers, up a tick from the 4.4 million Fox scored for its preshow in 2007. Last night's show took hits from critics, and even Emmy winners, for its emphasis on reality TV as embodied by its squadron of reality TV hosts: Survivor's Jeff Probst; Project Runway's Heidi Klum; American Idol's Ryan Seacrest; Dancing with the Stars' Tom Bergeron; and Deal or No Deal's Howie Mandel.
I made a horrible mistake in choosing a weekend movie to see. My loving and energetic mother saw "Tyler Perry’s The Family that Preys" and gave it rave reviews. She called when she left the theater and said “See it, see it, see it!” (You really should listen to your mother!) Earlier in the week, I talked to my co-worker, Faith, about going to see Meg Ryan’s “comeback” movie, “The Women”. So we kept our agreement also because Faith had gone to see The Family Saturday and loved it, but I didn’t want her to spend money seeing it again. Another coworker, Perna, joined us to see The Women.
The “dollar store version” of the Sex and the City movie had an array of problems and had pretty high expectations, from the public and me, since it had a great female cast: Annette Bening, Debra Messing (who I loved in Will & Grace), Jada Pinkett Smith, Cloris Leachman, Bette Midler, and Candice Bergen. Oh and there were no men in the entire movie, which I think is pretty stupid.
Faith and Pernaweren’t impressed either. We whispered the film’s problems to each other - like how unrealistic it is for THIS group of women to BE friends and have a BLACK friend like Jada’s character. May I add – a forgettable character – like Jada’s character whose name in the movie I don’t even remember. Wait - I don’t remember any of the character’s names really. Jada played a lesbian author. She was loud and outspoken, but that’s really all.
I was sickened when Meg’s character, Mary, took time to “find” herself. TOTALLY UNREALISTIC. Real, everyday people aren’t rich and don’t have months to dissect why their rich, businessman husbands cheated on them with “the spritzer girl at Saks.” Like seriously! I’m over the rich people in my movies. Can we see some real women with real problems and real ways to deal with that crap?!
One hour and 33 minutes into the film I leaned over and said to Faith and Perna, “I hope this movie is over soon.” I/We weren’t so lucky. It lasted another 40 minutes with the typical, victorious, “cheated on woman” ending. No need to dissect it.
The only people who could have enjoyed this were: Saks, Lexus, and Dove thanks to the “over the top” product placement.
This film lacked character development and laughter. Plus it ended with a wannabee funny labor scene when Debra Messing’s character gave birth. This was soooo not even close to the level of SATC (previous review: http://joycebrewer.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-saw-sex-and-city.html) because I didn’t give a who-ha about the broads in this movie and never will. What a waste of $6.50 and two hours of my life.
Meg Ryan – you should have picked a better movie to make your “comeback” movie. Better luck next time!
I'm just getting the hang of creating photo shows, so bear with me. My sister/niece, Cherie got married August 29th and here's the photo show I created thanks to pics from my big brother, Vernon and my camera phone:
I answered the phone in the newsroom around 2 p.m. Tuesday and this is what happened:
CALLER: Can you tell me what happened to that black girl who anchored the news with Scott Simmons at 6 o'clock? ME: You mean Joyce Brewer? CALLER: Yeah ME: This is Joyce! CALLER: Oh I thought something happened to you! ME: Today is my first day back. Be sure to watch tonight, OK? CALLER: O.K. I will
I made it back to Mississippi safely and just in time to face the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav. Tuesday was my first day back on the air. What made this so weird is that Gustav came so close to the Hurricane Katrina anniversary. So the comparisons of the storms were endless. But Gustav was not as powerful, THANK GOD, but seemed to linger in Mississippi and Louisiana for awhile and brings lots of rain.
Thousands of people will be returning home to the Gulf Coast today and later this week and who knows how much damage they'll find at home or whether they'll have power and water. Louisiana folks will have to wait a little while longer before they get the green light to return home: http://www.wapt.com/weather/17373086/detail.html.
So please keep those folks in your prayers! Most of them have already been through Katrina, now Gustav. Plus, Hannah is headed to the East Coast, followed by Ike and Josephine. So we're probably in for a very active season.
I've been busy with my parents and I squeezed in a day in the city for myself. Saw my dermatologist, did some shopping and caught up with my fellow Hoftsra alum, Tricia Berwick.
Then last Saturday, I went back into NYC for a concert where a family friend performed.
But I've left NY and I'm in Maryland for a wedding tonight. Then I'm flying back to Mississippi tomorrow or Sunday. We'll see, depending on how Gustav is acting!
Thanks to my friend and producer, Lauren Nicole Taylor, I have a few pics to share from my birthday party. She sent these to me today. THANKS LIL SIS!
That's me and Lauren there. I like it, except, I didn't have time to put on my fake eyelashes before the guests arrived. So my eyes didn't really POP the way I like them to.
Here's Faith, Lauren, Don, Travoris and a few other folks from my party at Pi Lounge in Jackson before I came to NY.
Promise to post more when I can somehow locate the cord for my digital camera.
Aside from my duties at home caring for my parents, I've managed to fit in some fitness time.
Thanks to a two week free trial at Gold's Gym I can get back on track with my workouts. I got quite busy before I left Jackson, MS and haven't really made it to the gym the way I should.
Lack of fitness + bad food choices = diet disaster!
I hate to admit I've gained back a good amount of the weight I lost in 2006 and now I have a wedding in two weeks and I can't quite FIT the bridesmaids dress.
But since I've been "on track" with the South Beach Diet and working out 5-6 days a week..........I've lost 4.5 pounds!
Let's hope I can make some more progress in the 10 days I have left to squeeze into that dress!
You would think that as a seasoned, Emmy award winning journalist who has her M.A. from the world's first school of journalism - that one of the first websites I would visit to catch up on the news of the day would be www.cnn.com, www.nytimes.com or my station's website, www.wapt.com. WRONG!!!
Instead, I must feed my insatiable appetite for celebrity/entertainment news, better known as GOSSIP. There are a number of quality sites and not-so-quality sites to get the 4-11 on actors, singers and celebutantes like Paris Hilton. Here's a quick review:
www.perezhilton.com: The Queen of All Media Himself. Check him out first thing in the morning. He can be a little harsh when he writes on celebrity's photos and he clearly has people he hates/loves. But I applaud him for being a "brand" with his own shows on VH1, appearances on MTV, and writing columns for major publications. You go girl!
www.people.com: Better than the magazine in my opinion because they have a huge staff devoted to the web and break a lot of news stories here. I remember the day Star Jones resigned live on the air on THE VIEW. I was sitting at my computer and people.com is the first place I went to see if anyone was covering what I'd just seen. They had already posted her interview about her plans to resign.
www.tmz.com: Love the video of celebrities they get from everywhere AND every angle. They also break a lot of stories. Sadly, I don't have time to watch the show. But THE SOUP on E! uses a lot of their clips so I kinda catch up that way. Speaking of E!............
www.eonline.com: This site is growing on me and has a huge following because of their array of shows. I also like the celebrity fashion aspect of their site.
www.sandrarose.com: Blogs about black celebrities mainly and mostly in Atlanta. She can be even more opinionated than Perez. But hey, that's what blogs are for! Unlike Perez though, she doesn't talk about herself or show pictures of herself. So you really don't have a "face" to attach to what she says. Maybe she likes it that way. Sadly, Sandra is not a Beyonce fan, like me. So that's where I take issue with her coverage and criticism.
www.bossip.com: Another black celebrity blog. They're pretty good and they have lots of photos of celebrities out and about.
www.theybf.com: In case you don't know it stands for Young, Black and Fabulous. So it's similar to Sandra and Bossip. But creator, Natasha, is kinda like Perez in that she comes up with names for celebrity couples: Chris & Rihanna = Chrihanna. Isn't that cute?
www.mediatakeout.com: Honestly, I haven't visited here in weeks but I guess it's worth a mention. Don't go here expecting "journalism." It's a lot of rumors and innuendo and harsh criticism of black celebrities. But if you wanna quick laugh, click the link.
You know those surveys where you're required to to check off your age? 17-22; 23-28; 29-34?
Now I'm officially in the 35-40 BOX! Geez Louise - it hurts a little. But I'm gonna pull through. My 35th birthday was actually a little anti-climactic. I flew home to NY, my brother picked me up from the airport, I went grocery shopping and my Mom made me shrimp fried rice.
I knew I'd be travelling which is one reason why I celebrated my birthday early with a party last Saturday at Pi Lounge. I had a blast and it was great to see so many folks before I headed out of town. In the hurry to pack enough clothes for a month, I've misplaced my cable to upload pics from my digital camera. FORGIVE ME! So as soon as I find it or buy another one, I'll share.
I'm off to care for the parents by picking up some take out!
Mom came home from in-patient rehabilitation Monday and is doing well. She was anxious to get back to her PC so she could watch me anchor the 5, 6 & 10 p.m. news LIVE here.
Thanks to Family Medical Leave I'll be going to New York Thursday to help care for both of my parents. I'm planning to return to Jackson the first week in September. So the tone of this blog will change a bit because I won't be on-air. But you can still hear about what's going on in my life. Please keep us in your prayers.
Source: EOnline Now a bit of entertainment news, Mississippi Native and Oscar Winner, Morgan Freeman was injured in a serious car accident Sunday night. It happened a few hours north of Jackson, in Ruleville, and the car flipped several time. Freeman needs arm and shoulder surgery at the Memphis Hospital where he was airlifted.
I did a phone interview with the BBC Monday evening about what happened and how the state is reacting. Governor Haley Barbour released this statement: “Morgan Freeman is one of America’s
most accomplished actors and one of Mississippi’s most admired citizens. Marsha and I are saddened to hear of his injuries, and we join all Mississippians in praying for his full and speedy recovery.” There's also a hurricane preparedness charity that's devoted its site to well wishes for Freeman: http://planitnow.org/morgan/.
We can only hope these injuries won't keep Mr. Freeman from the Big Screen for long.
I just returned from an exciting and busy weekend in Chicago for the Unity 2008 Conference. Every four years, members of the minority media organizations (NABJ, NAHJ, AAJA, and NAJA) join forces for a combined conference.
Here are some pics:
This year's attendance was slightly lower than four years ago when we met in Washington, D.C. But it had it's own energy and noteable moments.
The Int'l Women's Media Foundation Breakfast featured and honored some trailblazing journalists like former ABC News Anchor Carole Simpson. Among the panelists, were CNN's Soledad O'Brien who was very outspoken on how she struggled to get management to do stories like it's recent series, "Black in America." In fact, there was a viewing at the conference Wednesday in place for the cancelled panels featuring Senators John McCain and Barack Obama. McCain did not appear at Unity, but Obama took part in the live panel that aired on CNN Sunday morning. Unity also allowed me to catch up with former colleagues from Missouri and Ohio. Thanks to my friend, Natalie Collier, I saw a little more of the Windy City, including Navy Pier. But she's a little camera shy!
You would think spending a hot Saturday afternoon surrounded by ice cream would be a "cool" experience! That was not the case at the Ice Cream safari at the Jackson Zoo. 16 WAPT had several celebrity scoopers including Morning Reporter Don Champion:
It was a sweltering hot day. Thanks to our "scooping assistants" Keisha and Lois we were able to take a few water breaks and they held the clip-on tent fan closer to us so we could actually feel the breeze. Besides Don, other members of the Morning Crew came out to scoop, Ethan Huston and Brad McMullan. (Their names are spelled incorrectly on the zoo sign below!)
Our flavor was Rainbow Lorikeet Cake which was a vanilla rainbow swirl ice cream with real yellow cake inside. From the looks of the lines we had at our tent, we had a pretty popular flavor but our flavor wasn't a winner.
For the third year in a row, I also brought my little sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters, Shalakkeia, to serve as an assistant.
When our shift was over Shalakkeia and I took a tour of the zoo which is undergoing contstruction again.
Mom is doing well so thanks very much for your prayers and encouragement.
She was in recovery for a day and a half and was finally admitted to a room Sunday. When she woke up Saturday she said it was the best she's felt in 9 months - which is really a relief.
And this morning (Monday) when she called, she said he got a chance to look at her incision and was relieved. If you saw the photos from the first knee replacement, you know it LOOKED HORRIBLE. This time she says it's a neat, row of staples. Her surgeon had a lot on his hands: NEW knee replacement, scar tissue removal and cosmetic surgery!
She sounds great though and says her room offers a wonderful view of the East River:
She's having surgery at 2 p.m. Eastern time at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City to have a "revision" on her left knee replacement. Family and friends already know this has been a two year ordeal for her.
First she fell at home in 2006 and broke her left leg, then her first knee replacement in 2007 was performed horribly. It took a year for her incision to close, she's been in pain daily and now she's finally found a quality surgeon who's qualified to perform the revision.
And all this is going on while my Dad recovers from hip replacement surgery. Right now, my sister Veronica (from Maryland) and my Aunt Vermell (from South Carolina) are in New York. They're helping with his care and watching out for my Mom who'll probably be hospitalized for a few days then placed in in-patient rehab. I'll be going to New York in August closer to the approximate date when she'll be coming home.
Honestly, it's Sprint's attempt to copy the Iphone. I was amazed by it and attracted to it - the sleek black look, the chance to watch live TV, and better visibility of the internet than what my current Treo 650 offers.
I could go into a detailed review but I don't want to ruin it for anyone who wants to see it. Sincerely....don't waste your time. Wait until it comes out on DVD. This movie lacked what Signs and The Sixth Sense offered M. Night supporters.....answers to why weird stuff happens!
But another summer movie I'm going to support because it will help Will Smith's July 4th reign as Big Willy Weekend. Although, I was kinda perplexed by his appearance on Dave Letterman:
Her little sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, gave birth to a baby girl in a hospital that's about 80 miles south of Jackson.
We heard Britney had been at Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center earlier in the day for the birth, but we weren't sure if she was there when our crew arrived around 3 p.m. The town was buzzing especially in the Super D drugstore across the street from the hospital. Security was very tight though. McComb police were patrolling the outside of the hospital. A hospital visitor told me they were checking everyone's I-D who entered the hospital and when she tried to visit a friend on the maternity floor if was even tougher. We (16 WAPT's crew) got kicked out of a parking lot across the street from the hospital because although it said clinic it was on hospital property. But the First Baptist Church of McComb was nice enough to let us park our satellite truck in their lot so we could go live at 5 & 6 p.m.
Here's my live report from 5 p.m.: http://www.wapt.com/video/16658130/
This is my 75 year old Father, John Henry Brewer. This is a photo from 1999 when we went to Charleston, South Carolina, his hometown, to visit our family.
This is one of my favorite photos of my Dad because he loves this checkered jacket and looks very healthy here. He's walking behind our families' property in Mount Pleasant, S.C. That is my cousin Lee's house in the background.
This is my Dad at the Morris Brown AME church cemetery where we went to visit the gravesites of my Dad's parents, his grandmother, his first wife and other family friends.
Right now my Dad is recovering from a hip fracture and a broken hip that resulted in a hip replacement. He's at home and getting physical therapy. Please keep him and my Mom in your prayers as he recovers.
That's how I'll describe my trip home to NY this week.
HOT: Temps reached 100 degrees in the city and high 90's on Long Island. Several schools canceled class because many buildings there don't have central air. We don't have central air in my parent's home either so I was miserable.
HECTIC: I tried to handle some of the caretaking for my Dad who just got home from rehab, while helping my Mom with things around the house. Also caught up with my friends, Kirsten (who sat next to me when I went to THE VIEW in 2005) and Mignon who had to buy a new Toyota Prius after another driver totalled her Accord.
CRAZY HECTIC: Wednesday morning when I arrived at Laguardia airport for a 6:29 a.m. flight I realized I'd left my wallet & I.D. at my parent's house - 45 minutes away. So as we raced back to our house to retrieve my stuff, I desperately called Delta to see if I could make a later flight, considering I was scheduled to work that evening. NO LUCK. Instead, we bought a one-way ticket on Southwest from Islip airport, which is closer to the house anyway, and I managed to make it back that afternoon. But it took a three-leg flight from Islip-Chicago-Houston to get back here!
It's two days later and I'm still exhausted from that day that started as 3:30 A.M. Eastern and ended when I got off from work at 10:30 P.M. Central!
Saturday I left to come home to NY to check on my parents. On my connection from ATL to Laguardia, they offered $2 headsets to watch TV. I declined because I'd just purchased new ear phones and they worked just as well.
Floating through the options on the screen, I was surprised to find that it cost $2 to watch an HBO show on Delta Airlines. Then when I switched to movie options, it was $6 to watch 'First Sunday' with Ice Cube and Katt Williams. You're subjected to tons of commercials on airplane TV. What's up with paying for it too? I was shocked and appalled but I guess it's a sign of the times.
The medical student next to me, in the middle seat, informed me ESPN was free. I discovered so was CNN, but buy the time I realized that Hillary Clinton's "concession speech" speech was over so I just watched analysis by Wolfe Blitzer and Candy Crowley (who I met at the Jackson Evers International aiport a few years ago while she was covering a civil rights cold case. She was very nice and approachable). It was amazing to see Hillary embrace Barack's slogan: "Yes we can" and point out her accomplishments and history-makingness (I know that's not a word, but it fits).
Then CNN ran a special report "Something's happening here" 1968-2008 paralelling the political climate during both elections along with RFK to Obama's race, war time, unpopular president in office.
(This is the photo animation 16 aired when Chris passed away last week)
One of the hardest things I've ever done was speaking at Chris' funeral on behalf of co-workers. His funeral was such an outpouring of love and appreciation for the way he touched lives. Aldersgate U.M. church was packed. People stood in the hall and overflow room just to attend.
Here's the story/speech I wrote after speaking to and getting e-mails from folks who worked with and loved Chris:
There are people here who’ve known and worked with Chris Rogers much longer than me. I met him in 2002 when I moved to Jackson to work for 16. But whether you knew him for 50 years or 5 minutes your impressions would be the same.
If you worked with Chris Rogers, you heart broke into a million pieces last week when you heard he passed away. You stopped for a second, a minute or an hour and thought – not Chris, not my friend, not my buddy, not him! He was too young, too energetic, too funny. I still need him. He can’t be gone.
If you worked with Chris Rogers - you got your feelings hurt. Not in a bad way but if your stuff wasn’t good or up to par – he told you. He was a teacher, instructor, professor, trainer and mentor. If you were doing something wrong with your camera, your story, a tape or a deck – he could make it right. He practically wrote your package for you with the video he shot. Chris knew so many people he could tell you who to interview, where to find them, where they ate lunch, where they went to school, who they used to be married to and who they were currently dating! Chris kept his ear to the streets and he knew what was going on in the hood.
If you worked with Chris Rogers, he was happy for you when you got promoted. And if you didn’t get promoted, he could tell you why not! Chris would edit your resume tape, make a million dubs and not take a penny of your money. Chris just wanted to see you succeed – maybe because he was happy enough just to know he had something to do with it. He probably served as a reference for a job. If you were new - Chris introduced you to people, taught you how to get around, told you the names of neighborhoods, and how to pronounce the names of towns in Mississippi. You probably worked with Chris at one station, then ya’ll ended up at another station at the same time! He gave you advice; took you under his wing, and treated you like gold!
People who worked with Chris told me they had nicknames for each other: Cornbread, Shawty, C Rog, Spike for Spike Lee just to name a few. Or he called you – HIS anchor; HIS reporter – that’s how you knew you had made it.
At work, Chris never complained, especially when he wasn’t feeling well. He was a perfectionist with his video and editing. He stayed late, got up early, and was dependable. Chris probably saved you from making a fool of yourself on more than one occasion. If he was on a story with you, you knew he covered all the bases and the final product would be stellar.
Chris greeted everyone with a smile or a story that made them laugh. If he ever interviewed you – it was memorable. He knew how to put little kids and nervous folks at ease. His camera was not just a tool, it was an extension of Chris’ expertise and he was a master of photography. And that man always had a disposable Kodak handy!
If you worked with Chris Rogers, left Jackson, and then came back for a visit – he was on your MUST SEE list. You needed another laugh, to see his smile, and for him to catch you up on the “at work” gossip since you left.
If you worked with Chris Rogers, you were never hungry. He either brought you leftovers from home or a restaurant where he worked. I can still taste his barbeque. And don’t tell him what you were making at home – because that meant you had to bring him some. But you were torn and so was he – on what he should or should not eat. And he knew he couldn’t lie to his doctor because he’s a fraternity brother. Chris shared everything; his food, his Extra sugar free gum, his knowledge.
If you worked with Chris Rogers, everyday was a party. Work just wasn’t about work. Don’t think my friend wasn’t serious. He was just seriously crazy. The Ultimate Chris Rogers experience – was partying at Christoff’s house – in the backyard, in the garage, in the street. Chicken wings were on the main course. The chance to party, dance, and laugh with Chris – was the dessert. Chris was the perpetual LIFE OF THE PARTY and made sure anyone he met – had a good time. Your friends would ask you, “When’s the next Chris Rogers’ party?” because they were legendary.
If you worked with Chris Rogers, he told you many stories. About growing up and moving around as his dad, Dr. Rogers pursued his career, moving from university to university, and church to church. And Chris told you about working at TV stations across the country, who he met, who he worked with and who’s now gone on to bigger and better things. Chris told you about mistakes he’d made, his success and lessons he learned. But some things were secret. His rule: what happens between a photog and a reporter in the news car – stays between a photog and a reporter in a news car.
If you worked with Chris Rogers, you worked with a grown man…who was really a big kid. But he was also your “dad away from home” or the dad you never had….Chris may have let you borrow his truck or a few dollars if you were a little financially challenged. If you were having a bad day, Chris had a joke. No – not just one joke. A day of jokes; a whole newscast where he kept everyone laughing on headsets and in the studio. People who worked with Chris called him “trooper”, their uncle, their brother. He WAS family. Chris was your road dog, your go-to guy, your ace!
If you worked with Chris Rogers, you knew he was a PROUD OMEGA MAN. You heard stories of his days at Tougaloo and kicking it with his bruhs! You saw him dressed in full OMEGA MAN attire. Purple hat, purple t-shirt, purple sweatpants, purple handkerchief on down!
If you worked with Chris Rogers, just the site of his red pickup truck with all the bumper stickers made you smile. You will never be the same now that he’s gone. He touched you, he taught you, he fed you, he laughed AT you and WITH you.
I worked with Chris Rogers and I am a better journalist, a better person, a better daughter and friend – because of him. I can’t believe the last time I saw him - was THE LAST TIME I would ever see him. But I know Chris is no longer frustrated by the limitations he’s had on his body the last few years.
Be comforted knowing that you co-worker, Chris Rogers, doesn’t have any more surgeries or sickness ahead.
And remember that Chris Rogers, more than anything else, was LARGER THAN LIFE.
I promised to pass along this information about the passing of Chris Rogers'. His funeral is Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Aldersgate U.M. Church, 655 Beasley Road off of Hanging Moss, near Callaway High School.
Chris' parents are asking friends and loved ones to make donations in his memory to the church building fund.
For those who can't make the funeral Wednesday, the viewing is Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Westhaven Funeral Home on Robinson Road.
Dr. and Mrs. Rogers asked me to speak at the funeral on behalf of co-workers. Please let me know if you have fond memories or funny stories you would like me to share.
I don't wanna spoil the movie for anyone who still hasn't seen it....but I give it a B+ and thought of the movie as 3 episodes edited together. I laughed, I cried, and I still want more. I hear they're already talking SEQUEL!!!! Click here for SJP's take on another movie and here to read Kristin Davis' thoughts.
Here's a great interview with SJP on the movie:
and another funny clip from an online spinoff of the infamous show, "Six in the City":
I received shocking and sad news at work Thursday. My beloved friend, Chris Rogers passed away earlier that day.
He was only 51. A father and a friend. I was in shock and so were many of my co-workers.
I met Chris when I started working at WAPT in 2002 and we quickly became friends, especially since my friend Omari had told me how great it was to work with Chris when he was in Jackson.
Chris was one of the greatest photojournalists I've worked with in my career. Chris made work fun, knew everyone in Jackson and knew a lot about our business. Many of the people Chris worked with here in Mississippi and in Tennessee are now in larger markets and on national news, like Robin Roberts on Good Morning America.
But aside from the professional stuff, Chris loved to cook, party and entertain. The parties Chris and his brother, Christoff, threw are legendary for their FUN FACTOR! They were usually twice a year and anyone in the TV biz and anyone of their friends made a point to be there for the food, music and the chance to kick it with Chris Rogers!
Chris and I also loved to club it too. I'm pretty sure the picture of us you see above was taken in a club. Probably Crystal's Lounge.
Chris and I shared a love for TV shows too: LOST and Nip/Tuck. I wondered if Chris was looking forward to the LOST season finale like I was.
Chris and his family embraced me too. I've had Thanksgiving meals with his parents and visited their church. My heart goes out to his parents, his brothers and most of all his daughters, Christie and Tina.
For the last two years Chris has been in and out of the hospital for complications from his diabetes and last year he had a defibrillator implanted in his chest to regulate his heart. Chris' oldest daughter, Christie, told me it appears the device did not work or function well Wednesday afternoon when Chris started feeling weak and collapsed at his home.
I could go one for awhile about Chris. My biggest regret was that he was on my mind earlier this week and I didn't get around to calling him. That's my fault and a reminder to reach out to folks when they're on your mind.
It's Tuesday morning so I'm a little late posting what happened over the weekend. Forgive me. But I worked Memorial Day. My weekend actually started the Friday before Memorial Day when I headed down to New Orleans.
While a lot of folks stayed home for the holiday weekend I decided to take a brief trip three hours south of Jackson. This time I stayed in the Central Business District at Hotel Le Cirque which had some advantages and disadvantages. It is a longer walk to the French Quarter but it's also a little closer to the Garden District and come cool shops on Magazine Street. So I split my time between both areas over the two days. For the first time in my many visits to N.O. I also enjoyed the Audobon Aquarium.
The Audobon aquarium is right along the Mississippi River where ferry rides are available.
The Seadragons were the most interesting thing I saw!
These are Barking Tree Frogs. As a child, I loved frogs and often caught them in my backyard!
The penguins were not very playful and the glass case around them wasn't very clean so I apologize for the blurry photos.
I'm a former TV News Anchor/Reporter. Most recently I worked at 16 WAPT-TV in Jackson, Mississippi.
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Our flavor was Rainbow Lorikeet Cake which was a vanilla rainbow swirl ice cream with real yellow cake inside. From the looks of the lines we had at our tent, we had a pretty popular flavor but our flavor wasn't a winner.
Courtesy: www.hss.edu
Other photos:
