From good... to bad...

What’s with this unending, unrelenting, unbelievable fascination with Britney Spears? I’m part of the media and I still don’t get it. In the beginning, I could see how people wanted to know how such a successful, seemingly talented young woman who had the world in the palm of her hand could fall so far from grace. I wonder if all of this attention is driving her to do stupid stuff or if she’s really stupid.

The finally straw for me came yesterday when Ryan Seacrest interviewed the poor lost soul on the radio. Click here to listen. Between the giggles and the “uhms” the “you knows” the “likes” and the “stuff like thats,” you really get a sense of how clueless Britney Spears is. She didn’t even know how often she would get to see her kids after having just left a custody hearing less than 24 hours earlier.

At this point, I’m convinced there’s no hope for this girl. I fear the next legitimate story about her will be about an unfortunate tragedy.

Technology is advancing so quickly that I could soon be out of a job. Northwestern University’s Intelligent Information Laboratory is working on technology that could replace news anchors with talking avatars. For those of you not familiar with the term, the Urban Dictionary defines avatar as: a digital representation of a person who lives only through the Internet.

The site called “News at Seven” proclaims to give you the news you want, the way you want it, by generating a virtual newscast pulled from stories, images, videos and blogs on a common news topic. What you end up with is a three-minute news update with national, international, and human-interest stories, with commentary from blogs on the national story. Click here to see a sample newscast.

Before I get on my high horse about how the avatars delivery sucks and they are not the most appealing to watch, there are people out there who don't like “human” news anchors either. A study done by the Radio-Television News Directors Association and the Ford Foundation found just under 60% of people 18 and older say news is better with anchors. Just under 30% say news would be better without anchors, and just under 10% say it doesn’t matter.

I say, which would you rather see, this face

Or this face..

The other day, while I was shoveling a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream down my throat, something on the label caught my eye. The ice cream was made with “Fair Trade Vanilla.” I had never heard of that company. After checking into it further, I learned “fair trade” is not a company, but rather a certification. It basically means the farmer that produced the vanilla, got a fair price for it. The Fair Trade Certification website points out that there’s more to it than that, but the basic principal is that the farmers, most of which live in poverty, will be able to not only make a decent living, but a profitable business. The fair trade certification is available to more than vanilla producers; coffee, tea and herbs, cocoa and chocolate, fresh fruit, sugar and rice are all eligible for a Fair Trade Certification.

I know I’m a “Johnny Come Lately” on this one. Apparently, the first attempts to create a fair trade market were made in the 1940s. The model that finally stuck was shaped in Europe in the 1960s. But in keeping with the “better late than never” philosophy, I got to thinking, if we had more socially conscience companies, like Ben & Jerry’s, we could cut down on some of the issues plaguing this country like illegal immigration (people wouldn’t need to sneak into this country to make a decent living), tainted food products (producers wouldn’t have to cut corners to stretch a dollar), etc. Yes, we would pay more for products, but as I said in an early blog post, you get what you pay for.

The DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team takes on the Creighton Bluejays Friday night only on CLTV. Game coverage begins at 7pm.

Stay tuned during the game for special features from CLTV's own Lou Canellis. Lou sits down with Draelon Burns, Karron Clarke, Wesley Green, and of course coach Jerry Wainwright. Hear their predictions for this season of Blue Demon basketball!

Read more about the Blue Demons!

Read more about the Creighton Bluejays!

If you’re annoyed, like I am, by the loudmouths that are constantly talking on their cell phones in the most inappropriate places, there is a way to shut them up, a cell phone jammer. Apparently these pocket-sized wonders are quite popular. The New York Times reports, café owners, bus drivers and bunch of other people, including those who take public transportation are buying them. They cost anywhere from $50 to $1000 and can jam calls from several feet to several yards. They work by sending out a powerful radio signal that overwhelms cell phones so the signal can’t reach the cell tower. It’s simple, effective and illegal. According to the website HowStuffWorks.com, the FCC considers “jamming” property theft, because a private company has bought the rights to the radio spectrum and jamming it is just like stealing it. And if you’re caught using a jammer, you can be fined up to $11,000 for the first offense. The website also points out that jamming is a safety hazard because it blocks ALL calls within its reach. People who need help can’t call 911, kids in trouble can’t reach their parents, etc. Like with every great invention, there is a down side, in this case a dangerous side. So if you choose to jam, jam with caution!

How much is too much? A recent poll conducted by Prince Market Research shows Chicagoans are the most caffeinated urbanites of any other city dwellers in the U.S. We eat more chocolate and drink more cola than anyone else and rank among the top consumers of energy drinks and coffee. Adding foam to the latte, according to the poll, we're also the most likely to say caffeine is good for you.

Frankly until this survey came out I didn't think I was a culprit in that number 1 status. But how much is too much? I'm one of those people who get up every morning with my cup of coffee.. but I usually stop at one. Okay if I have extra time, occasionally it's two. After that it's off to my workout. Which usually, but not always, is accompanied by an energy drink, depending on how late I get to bed. At least 3 or 4 hours pass before I get to work and then.. gulp.. have another cup of coffee or a soda.

I'd like to blame it on the fast paced life we lead, living in a major metropolis. But the problems is according to the survey.. residents in San Francisco, Philadelphia, New York, Detroit, and Baltimore consumed the least caffeine.

In terms of chocolate, I don't eat a ton of chocolate on a daily basis. But I will defend Chicagoans in that arena by citing a Chicago Tribune Article by Mark Jacob from Halloween..

"The Chicago area has been at the center of the U.S. candy industry, producing such treats as Tootsie Rolls, Atomic Fireballs, Lemonheads, Baby Ruths, Butterfingers, Milk Duds, Milky Ways, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, Oh Henry! bars, Frango Mints, Cracker Jacks, Turtles, Doves, Jelly Bellies and Pixies. Candy historian Tim Richardson credits Chicago candy makers with popularizing the tradition of giving sweets to Halloween trick-or-treaters, calling it "a simple marketing ploy that emanated from the city's confectioners."

So it's in our historical makeup to consume chocolate. It's pumping through the city's heart! And speaking of your heart, according to the American Heart Association the jury is still out on whether high caffeine intake increases the risk of coronary heart disease. But it can raise your blood pressure and heart rate.
Food or drink for thought.. the next time you reach for your coffee or your energy drink. I know I will continue to reach for them.. but I'll try to pay more attention to how often.

VS.

I am by no means a marketing or sales expert, but I don’t think it takes a focus group or research study to realize that Macy’s made a major mistake by getting rid of the Marshall Field’s name. I knew from the first rumblings of a name change that it would be a huge faux pas. I was further convinced after hearing Macy’s parent company CEO Terry Lundgren cite research that said “two-thirds of people surveyed in the Chicago market felt neutral to positive, largely neutral about the name change from Marshall Fields to Macy’s.” Who did he think he was foolin’? He could have saved the money he spent on that phony baloney research and gave it to me. As a life long Chicagoan I could have told him there are certain things synonymous with this town, the Sears Tower, the Cubs, Garrett’s Popcorn, the Daley’s, Michigan Avenue, State Street and Marshall Fields (not in any particular order and certainly not the only Chicago icons).

Here we are two years and millions of dollars in lost sales later and Macy’s is finally giving up on trying to woo the Field’s faithful. Click here to read the Trib article. Macy’s is now trying to bring in new shoppers by building a wine bar, offering free Wi-Fi, opening the city’s only FAO Schwarz toy store and hosting college nights and “shoe diva” parties. Supposedly, kids, college students and young professional that moving into the downtown area will be impressed enough to shop at Macy’s State Street store. What about the other stores in Water Tower, Oak Brook, Old Orchard, Northbrook and River Oaks? Sales at those stores aren’t great either.

Here’s a piece of free advice, no market research needed, change the name back to Marshall Fields! Bring back the favorite brands, along with great customer service and the green bags and Chicagoans will grace your cash registers in droves.

The search for missing Bolingbrook resident Stacy Peterson has captivated Chicagoland and the nation. Not long ago, the case of missing Plainfield resident Lisa Stebic ruled the headlines. Now, the mysterious disappearance of Stacy Peterson is again forcing us to demand answers. Where is Stacy Peterson? Where is Lisa Stebic? Why was Nailah Franklin killed and who is responsible? How can our community members just disappear or be killed without anyone knowing what happened?

Like you, the journalists at CLTV are asking these same questions. We hope you will join Amy Rutledge as she explores the Peterson case with a panel of experts and those closest to these troubling stories. "The Search for Stacy" airs Wednesday evening at 6:30pm, 8:30pm, and 10:30pm only on CLTV. If you have questions or comments about any of these cases we encourage you to leave them here. Amy will do her best to get to your questions on the air. So, if you have a question or comment, be sure to leave it here. Remember, you must be a Comcast subscriber to receive CLTV!

Click on the links below for even more on these cases.

America's Most Wanted Profiles the Peterson Case

America's Most Wanted Profiles the Stebic case

Find Lisa Stebic

Find Stacy Peterson

Bring Nailah Franklin Home

Drew Peterson made an appearance on NBC's Today show Wednesday morning to say he was concerned the media had already convicted him in the disappearance of his wife Stacy.

Watch the video of Drew Peterson on the Today Show.

Wednesday evening on CLTV tune in for "The Search for Stacy". Amy Rutledge will break down the latest in the case with a panel of experts and family members. The show airs at 6:30pm, 8:30pm, and 10:30pm only on CLTV. Click on the video player below for a preview.

CLTV To Air Reel Chefs

Chicago, IL – November 13, 2007 -- AnswersTV, the first high definition interactive lifestyle television network, today announced CLTV (Chicagoland Television), the Tribune Company’s 24-hour cable news channel, will air Reel Chefs, an AnswersTV original series beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2007.

Reel Chefs represents an expansion of food coverage on CLTV. Metromix continues to feature local restaurants and chefs and will expand in 2008 with even more comprehensive food reports on Thursdays and weekends.

What do you think of Reel Chefs on CLTV? We're very interested in any feedback you might have on the show. Leave your comments here!

Want more from Chicago's top chefs? Be sure to check out Reel Chefs only on CLTV. The show debuted Thanksgiving Day and viewers love it! Reel Chefs features Opera, Lovells of Lake Forest, Aigre Doux and Rockit Bar and Grill in upcoming episodes.

Here's a schedule of the upcoming shows and air times:

Monday, November 26
Lovells of Lake Forest 10:00am
Opera 3:00pm
Aigre Doux 6:00pm
Rockit Bar and Grill 8:30pm

Tuesday, November 27
Coco Pazzo 10:00am
Lovells of Lake Forest 3:00pm
Opera 6:00pm
Aigre Doux 8:30pm

Wednesday, November 28
Rockit Bar and Grill 10:00am
Coco Pazzo 3:00pm
Lovells of Lake Forest 6:00pm
Opera 8:30pm

Thursday, November 29
Aigre Doux 10:00am
Rockit Bar and Grill 3:00pm
Coco Pazzo 6:00pm
Lovells of Lake Forest 8:30pm

Friday, November 30
Opera 10:00am
Aigre Doux 3:00pm
Rockit Bar and Grill 6:00pm
Coco Pazzo 8:30pm

Saturday, December 1
Lovells of Lake Forest 11:00am
Opera 3:00pm
Aigre Doux 8:00pm

Sunday, December 2
Rockit Bar and Grill 11:00am
Coco Pazzo 3:00pm
Lovells of Lake Forest 8:00pm