Moonlight Inspired

Family dinner... er... breakfast?

2011-10-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

A rare thing happened to me on my way to work today. Actually, it happened before I got out the door to work. It was 5am and I was quietly trying to eat my breakfast and pack my lunch downstairs in the kitchen, when I turned around and realized that my 8 year old son was standing next to me. After he refused to go back to bed, I decided to pour him a bowl of cereal to eat with me. A few minutes later, my brother (who is visiting) came downstairs and joined us. After that, my sister-in-law, my 4 year old son and my husband followed suit. Within a few minutes, it seems the six of us had crowded around our four-seater kitchen table eating oatmeal and cereal, talking, laughing, joking, like when we grew up (only it didn't happen at 5am back then). I loved every minute, until, I actually did have to get my butt out the door to work. But I'm sad to say, those moments don't happen very often. My husband and I work very different shifts. Our boys attend two different schools on different schedules. There is rarely a time when all of us collide in the same room at the same time, but after this morning, I'm going to make it my mission to make sure it happens more often.

Makeup = Competency?

2011-10-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, when I have to roll into work at midnight, most days (er, nights?) putting make up on, just isn't a priority. I'd rather have the extra 10 minutes of sleep. Hey, I'm an overnight news producer. My secret is well kept between myself and the police scanners. But maybe I should rethink this tactic?

According to a huge group of researchers on the east coast (think Harvard & BU), wearing makeup makes women seem more attractive, competent, likeable and trustworthy. But apparently, we women should be leaving the extra smoky eyes and blood red lipsticks at home. The more dramatic the makeup, researchers found, the less trustworthy the woman was deemed.

So, before I dismiss this as one of those "no duh" studies and banish it to my "Who paid to study this junk?" folder, let's read between the lines. Perhaps, when training someone to become media savvy (ie, what to wear, what to say, etc) we should also be coaching them on makeup. If it makes you more attractive (check!), likeable (check!), competent (check!) and trustworthy (double check!), the more you'll be asked back. Sounds superficial? Yeah it is, but JFK didn't win the presidency on his policies alone.

They say write about what you know

2011-09-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

One of the first bits of advice you get when you first start writing is: "Write what you know."
Apparently, P.Diddy is cashing in on advice. The musician/artist will release a new book on butts next month. Yep, you hear that right. It's entitled "Culo" which is Spanish for buttocks and is filled with pictures of, you guessed it, derrieres.
I can just see where this is going. I hope Diddy expects to be the "butt" of a few jokes for a while.

Good use of social media? Or a little creepy?

2011-08-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

I tried my best to ignore *ahem* celebrate my birthday yesterday. But, as luck would have it, I'd forgotten all about that pesky birthday notification from Facebook. So, several dozen of my well meaning "friends", left me nice notes wishing me a happy day. It was, after all, a pretty good day, all things considered. So, imagine my surprise to log in one final time last night to have a birthday greeting in my Facebook messages from Arizona's Attorney General Tom Horne. Yes, I admit, he's one of my FB friends. It's not so much that I know him personally (although given my past associations with Attorneys General offices, it might have been a safe assumption) but because I like to keep tabs on all of my elected officials, being that, well I voted for them, and I also have a duty to report what they're up to.

My first reaction was "Wow, cool! Tom Horne actually cares that I had a birthday." Second reaction: "Geez, I feel sorry for the staff member who has to dedicate part of his or her day to sending birthday greetings to his boss' Facebook friends/fans." Third reaction: "Actually, that's kind of creepy, it's not like I ever had any kind of one-on-one relationship with Mr. Horne."

Now the point of this post, isn't to criticize AG Horne. I really have nothing against him at all. I bring this up simply to point out the strategy employed by his office to connect with his constituents online. What do you think? Is it a good use of social media? Or does it cross the line of maybe being just a little too personal?

No subject is off limits

2011-08-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

Did you see this? Former US Senate Candidate Christine O'Donnell walked off the set during an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan. While O'Donnell is certainly not the first pseudo-politician/celebrity to ditch an interview that wasn't going in their favor, and certainly won't be the last, I find it a bit amusing that she tries to justify herself by saying she had a previous engagement that was more worthy of her time.

The video is now all over the viral circuit and has made the front page of USA Today. Not quite the publicity they were looking for, right? Lesson to take away from this? No subject is off limits. Learn how to deflect the question and move on. She made it worse by walking away.

Full disclosure: O'Donnell's team turned down an invitation to appear on Good Morning Arizona when she comes through Arizona for a book signing on August 27.

Ready... Set... Run!

2011-08-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

Check the thermometer... 110! Say what?
Welcome to August in Arizona. Welcome to training time.
Alarm is set for 4am. Yes, 4am. It's only 90 degrees at 4am.
I'm ready to pound some pavement, ready to let go of a few frustrations, ready to start a new day.
I started running three years ago to lose weight. I lost the weight, I gained some back. I'm still running.
But for the first time in my life I've been running toward a goal, rather than away from a problem.
The movement, the motion, the freedom of the open path help me focus.
Three races set for this fall/winter.

November 6: Women's Half Marathon

December 4: Las Vegas Half Marathon

January 17: PF Changs Phoenix Half Marathon