As much as I hate to admit it, I'm old! There was a time when I knew something about everything. Maybe that's stretching it a little, but at least I was familiar with what's "hot." That is until this morning. My producer put a story in the show about Hannah Montana. I had no idea who she was. Click on her picture to find out more about her. I checked her out on the internet and found out she's only 14, but she's the hottest thing going. Tickets for her upcoming concert have sold out in 4 minutes and scalpers are getting 4 to 5 times the face value for tickets. Then I found out she's on the Disney Channel. Which brings me to another phenomena I had no idea about, High School Musical.
This movie, turned stage musical, turned ice show is sweeping the world. Apparently 17.2 million people watched the debut of High School Musical 2. I have cable and I do get the Disney Channel but I'm not up on these shows. It sounds like the Disney Channel is hotter than MTV. I guess I'm going to have to change my TV viewing habits and start hanging out with my teen and tween relatives in order to stay up on things, because who knows what else I'm missing.

While the pretend ghosts and goblins walked the streets of Chicagoland Wednesday night.. recent news stories may have area residents really scared. In just a matter of about 72 hours, two women went missing, a local family marked 6 months since THEIR loved one went suspiciously missing, and an Aurora mom was stabbed to death in front of her two babies. While we in the News business usually hear about crime and disappearances more than the average person, the days events left all of us wondering "what is going on"?

That is a question left up to police. But it does make you wonder if we, as individuals, do enough to keep ourselves safe on daily basis. One of the cases under investigation this week is Alma Mendez. The Chicago Heights woman was found beaten and stabbed to death in a Cook Co. Forest Preserve Tuesday night. She was reported missing while out on her normal daily jog on Sunday. She was on the same route she took almost every day, in broad daylight.

As a runner it makes me think.. what do I do to stay safe during my daily jogs? Pretty much nothing. I do have a 'dog-tag' like attachment for my shoe, with my name and contact information on it, but I doubt that's going to do me much good if I meet up with someone intending harm. When I was a kid my dad always taught me if I came upon a stray dog while running, I should pull a 3 Stooges and poke it in the eyes to scare it off. Unfortunately that means it has to get close enough to me. So I did a little digging.. and here are a few helpful tips you may want to think about next time you head out, courtesy of Running4women.com.

1. Don't run the same route all the time at the same time vary it up.
2. Road running? Try to face oncoming traffic, it allows traffic to see you and you to react to the traffic.
3. Train with a friend. Or stick to areas with a lot of people.
4. Wear light clothing.
5. Lose the headphones, not being able to hear what's going on around you can be dangerous from a traffic standpoint as well as personal safety.
6. Avoid poorly lit areas.
7. Tell at least one other person when and where your route will take you.
8. Leave your watch or jewelry at home, this makes you less of a target for muggers.
9. Keep a cell phone handy in case of emergencies.
10. Carry a noisemaker, like a whistle, to alert others around you if you're in danger.

I admit, doing all of these all the time for me, likely won't happen. But they are definitely good tips to keep in mind to help take control of our own personal safety. Of course there is one I didn't put on that list which some of my colleagues believe would work better.
Stay home on the couch.
Maybe next week.

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.

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.

I think it’s time that we finally accept the fact that NO ONE is perfect! No matter how much money or fame someone has, they also have flaws. Case in point, a photographer snapped this picture of actress Jennifer Love Hewitt in a bikini on the beach.

No it’s not a flattering picture, but to be honest, not very many people look good in a “butt shot.” Unless you do 500 lunges and squats a day and restrict your calories intake to 1200 a day, 365 days a year, you’re going to have some dimples somewhere. But a lot of people have been posting mean, rude and downright nasty comments about the picture, prompting Hewitt to fight back.

Hewitt says she doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with the way she looks in a bikini. She says, “A size 2 is not fat! Nor will it ever be.” And she adds, being a size 0 doesn’t make you beautiful.” She says she’s been silent for a long time about the way women’s bodies are constantly scrutinized. And says she’s not upset for herself, but for all the girls out there that are struggling with their body image.

But it’s not just girls struggling. Older, mature women also have issues with their bodies. Take Dr. Donda West for example.

She’s educated, accomplished, acclaimed, rich, the mother of a rap superstar, etc. and was 58 years old. But even she felt the need (pressure) to change her body. In the end, it may have cost her, her life. You can’t help but ask yourself, “Is this quest for perfection really worth it?”

Here's an update on an earlier blog about the Salt Lake City judge that ordered a television reporter to produce a story or go to jail.
Judge James L. Shumate TV Reporter Katie Baker (click on the picture for more info)

Judge James L. Shumate decided to let television reporter Katie Baker “off the hook” after she did a story on complaints about a program that’s being proposed to help the homeless. Shumate watched it and thought it fit the bill of a story that served the public interest. But Baker says she never intentionally complied with the ruling.

Shumate hauled Baker into court and hit her with “contempt of court” charges back in September for interviewing a potential juror before the trial of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs. Apparently the judge barred reporters from doing so until after the trial. As her punishment, the judge ordered Baker to produce a public interest story or face jail time and/or fines. Baker says she didn't know about the judge's order.

The ruling caused a stir in the national journalism community, prompting letters from the Society of Professional Journalists and other organizations asking the judge to reconsider.

He did, but only because Baker did the story. But Baker says that's not why she did it. I say, all's well that ends well!

Piggybacking on my colleague Tonya's blog on the Jennifer Love Hewitt pictures, I agree too much emphasis is placed on young girls these days based on appearances in Hollywood.
However, with that said, I did cock my head this morning in question as I watched the Today show discussion on the topic. Natalie Morales was talking to Jessica Weiner, author of “Do I look fat in this?”. The discussion centered around women accepting their bodies and appearances and not allowing Hollywood to dictate how their size makes them feel. The topic is one I first must say I completely agree with and one, which is crucial for young women to grab a hold of early. But I was a little surprised to see a large woman; I would say obese, telling women to love their bodies.
The obesity rate in the US is astonishing and we all know the health problems associated with obesity. So is it okay to love your body if you’re obese? Or instead of loving your body people should be taught to love their LIVES, and take responsibility to make them healthier?
Which is more important; living with an unhealthy goal of perfection or loving an obese body with potential health concerns.
Both are big problems, the question is which problem is bigger?

Drew Peterson's face has been all across TV and newspaper headlines in Chicago for months and now he's diving into the Internet business. Peterson, or someone from his camp, has set up a website DefendDrew.com hoping to raise donations for his legal defense. It crashed Tuesday, according to his attorney, after receiving more than a million hits.

If you've been following the case, in a nutshell, Drew Peterson is the former Bolingbrook Police Sergeant now considered a suspect in the disappearance of his wife Stacy. Stacy went missing in October. Drew has denied any involvement in her disappearance. Family members and some law enforcement believe she is likely dead. Drew has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

Prior to being named a suspect in this case, Peterson submitted his resignation to the Bolingbrook Police Department and is now drawing a pension, which could be as high as $6,000 a month. Now he wants the public to help pay for his legal fees?

Peterson's attorney, Joel Brodsky, says DefendDrew.com is being moved to a more powerful server to accommodate the traffic. He also believes the number of Web site hits shows his client has many supporters. The money generated is supposed to go into a trust used for legal fees, and to hire a private investigator to look for Stacy.

Are those really supporters logging on, or just people interested in a very bizarre case? I looked; I'm not donating money. I'm curious to see the reasoning behind the 'private investigator'. Can't Peterson work with the Illinois State Police in the search for Stacy? If he helped them wouldn’t it help cut down on costs to him, or his adoring supporters?

For all you web video junkies out there, we'd like to introduce you to chicagolive. It's video for Chicago, about Chicago and - with your help - by Chicago. There's already a ton of great video available to view, with new clips being added all the time - including videos uploaded and suggested by you, the online readers.

To kick things off, chicagolive is searching for the funniest holiday video. So after you've rolled the camera on the kids going nuts for their gifts or the dog knocking down the Christmas tree, upload it to chicagolive. Your video may be featured on the homepage of the site and air on CLTV New Year's Day.

Okay..
Forbes.com just released its list of Hollywood's most Influential Infants. Which almost seems like it should be an oxymoron to me, but whatever.. here goes.

5. Pax Jolie-Pitt
4. Sean Preston Federline
3. Zahara Jolie-Pitt
2. Suri Cruise
1. Shiloh Jolie-Pitt

The countdown is based on A-list babies with the most effect on pop culture, and was whittled down by the number of press clippings and consumer appeal. Oh.. and of course they had to be under the age of 5 which is why Forbes says Maddox Jolie-Pitt didn't make the list.
A fascinating or freakish study.. You decide.

My last internet gift should arrive Christmas Eve.. whew!
That said.. a lot of stores are staying open late, or around the clock to accommodate us last minute shoppers.
Who are the real last minute shopping scrappers? Post your down to the wire stories! We want to hear how close you cut that Christmas deadline.

Kwanzaa is upon us. The cultural celebration began December 26th and goes until January 1st. You've probably heard of Kwanzaa by now. If you haven't, Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor in the Department of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach created Kwanzaa in 1966. Click here to learn more. Even though Kwanzaa is considered an African American holiday, everyone can benefit from Kwanzaa’s primary purpose, to celebrate family, community and culture. To do that, each day, a person focuses on the Nguzo Saba, the 7 principles. They are Umoja (Unity), Kuji-chagulia (Self-determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). On the last day of Kwanzaa, which is the first day of the New Year, celebrants are to ask themselves the following questions "Who am I, am I really who I am, and am I all I ought to be?" If you ask me, these are questions EVERYONE should be asking himself or herself. Happy New Year!!!

As we ring in the 1st day of 2008 some are already making and breaking resolutions,
I have never been a fan of resolutions. I don't trust myself to keep one for an entire year so instead of setting myself up for failures, I like to set up "guidelines" at the beginning of every year. They are simply little mini-goals I would like to catch in the days ahead; things like getting more involved in the community, finishing a half marathon in an hour 50 minutes, maybe dropping a few pounds. I admit even my mini-goals sometimes fall a bit short. So I am tasking you readers to come up with real solutions to help people reach the difficult resolutions many often fail to meet. Resolutions including things like weight loss, smoking.. you know the toughies, and often most crucial.
The good news for all of you who have already broken, or have yet to make your New Year's Resolution, the New Year doesn't begin on January 1st everywhere only in cultures which use the 365-day solar calendar. So if you've already fallen off the horse.. another will gallop into another culture soon!

Talk about mixed messages. It seems every day I’m reporting on a new health study that contradicts an earlier health study.

For example, doctors used to advise women to stay away from certain foods while breast-feeding to prevent their babies from getting eczema, asthma and food allergies. Now doctors say there’s no scientific proof that works, so breast-feeding women can eat whatever they want. Oh yeah, so long as it doesn’t have cow milk protein. Click here for the story.

Then there are the parents who struggled over allowing their children to get routine childhood vaccines for fear they would get autism. Now there’s a report out of California that says there’s no link between autism and childhood vaccines, despite earlier concerns that a mercury-laden preservative called Thimerosal was the culprit. Click here for the story.

But the biggest mind boggler of the day comes from the scientist who sounded the alert on skin cancer. He now says enjoying a little sunshine has health benefits that outweigh the risks. He even go so far as to say it may help people live longer. Richard Setlow says the sun boosts our body’s production of Vitamin D and that can protect us from some cancers and diseases such as rickets, osteoporosis and diabetes. Setlow says the hazards of moderate sunbathing have probably been exaggerated. Click here for the story.

I don’t know about you, but my head spins every time a new health study comes out. I think the bottom line is everything in moderation. And if it’s going to heal you or kill you, at least it will happen slowly.

There has been a lot in the media in the past 24 hours over Hillary Clinton's emotional display during a campaign event in Portsmouth New Hampshire on Monday. Mrs. Clinton's eyes welled up and her voice broke as she answered a question about how she copes with the daily demands of campaigning. People have since questioned whether the tears were genuine or if she conjured them up as a way to look more human or likeable.

First of all, I can only imagine the rigors these candidates are put through on a daily basis. They’re up campaigning until the very early morning hours only to awake just a few hours later to do it all again. You really couldn't pay me enough to do it. I do not want to judge Clinton's intention, reaction, or her politics in this blog, but what I do wonder is would it have been received much different if she were a man? Would it be socially acceptable to see John McCain welling up talking about how tired his 70+-year-old bones are? For that matter, is Hillary's reaction being accepted?

In some fashion I image her reaction will change some peoples views of her and highlight the fact she is a woman. Being a woman myself it does not change my opinion on Hillary Clinton the candidate. Do you men out there feel differently? Is she human or weak?

I guess the voters will answer that question.

I have a question! Why isn’t the Golf Channel firing, or at the very least disciplining anchor Kelly Tilghman?

While on the air Friday, she said to her co-anchor that young players should “lynch Tiger Woods in a back alley.” She now admits to using a poor choice of words to describe Tiger Woods’ dominance in the golf world, but because she has apologized to Mr. Woods in person and on the air the Golf Channel is not planning any disciplinary action.

Check out the video!

I’m wondering why she would use the word “lynch” in a professional conversation? When most reasonable people hear the word lynch, it brings up images from the 40s, 50s, 60s, etc. of African-Americans in the south hanging from nooses.

Why would a golf commentator of all people use such a word? Golf is one of the few remaining sports that is primarily a white elitist sport. Who could forget back at the 1997 Masters when fellow golfer Fuzzy Zoeller referred to Tiger Woods as “that little boy” and asked him not to serve fried chicken and collard greens at the next Masters dinner.

What’s the difference between what Tilghman said and what Don Imus said about the Rutgers Women’s Basketball Team or the “colorful rant” from comedian Michael Richards’ to some African-American hecklers? Imus lost his radio job (he has since gotten a new one) and Richards is pretty much a pariah in Hollywood these days while he’s on his self imposed exile.

I think it’s safe to say those two have learned the lesson, you can’t just saying anything, about any one and not expect repercussions. What has Ms. Tilghman learned?

Well he may not be too happy with it, but it appears Governor Blagojevich is poised to sign the bail out plan for Chicago's mass transit. It's going to raise sales and real estate taxes in the area, but it will keep Chicagoland’s transit moving.
Now there is finally some positive movement to get this long drawn out transit saga under control. What is wrong with this state? I say that more as a rhetorical question. I'm from Chicago but being in news I have moved around to a half dozen states in the last 12 years reporting on state government and I am dumbfounded at how money in the state of Illinois is handled. We live in one of the largest city's in the U.S. our sales tax is already enormous and still our local and state leaders cannot find money to keep public transportation, which I'd argue isn't that great to begin with, a float. It seems crazy to me; transit problems, the state budget, the county budget, the city budget, and just about anything else where money is involved take so long for our politicians to agree on. Given the number of people who live here and the amount of money in taxes we all pay, shouldn't there be enough? There seems to be enough money in other cities, with less people and arguably better public transportation.
Why can't Chicago model its Public transportation after Washington D.C., New York, or London? In London you pay for public transportation by zones. Why would that be so hard for Chicago? It only makes sense for someone traveling from Rosemont getting off at Clark on the Blue line, to pay a little more than someone getting on at Grand. And what about O'hare? Why not leave everything the same and jack up prices to O'hare? Make it a $5.00 ride every time, with a special pass for O’hare employees to pay normal fare routes. Five bucks is still cheaper than a 30-dollar cab ride or paying to park.
I agree special concessions should likely be made in those cases of the elderly, disabled, and for students. But I venture to guess many CTA riders wouldn't mind paying a little more if it meant things showed up on time, and were occasionally clean.
At least with the new legislation things will still keep showing up. And we’d like to think it couldn’t run the way it is forever, right?

Why do people refuse to grow old gracefully?

The names of R&B singer Mary J. Blige, rappers 50 Cent, Timbaland and Wyclef Jean and author, actor and producer Tyler Perry have come up in a steroids trafficking investigation. The Times Union newspaper in Albany, New York reports the celebs are among tens of thousands of people who have received or used steroids and human growth hormones. Law enforcement officials say they haven’t broken any laws. But their names have come up as investigators go after anti-aging clinics and doctors who prescribed the drugs without seeing patients and pharmacists who supply the drugs. By the way, these are the same investigators that exposed steroid use by pro athletes, police officers, body builders, etc.

The kicker is it hasn’t been proven that the human growth hormones work; in fact they can even be dangerous. HGH is used to treat children who suffer with rare growth defects. One doctor says the drug may actually make people age faster. He says it can also trigger cancer, diabetes, arthritis and other health problems. He says if someone with cancerous cells takes the drug, it’s akin to throwing gas on a fire.

If a doctor told me that, I wouldn’t be so quick to let someone stick me with a needle. Not to mention, it’s rather obvious when people are using these supplements. All of a sudden they’re buff or thin or they appear years younger than they really are. But that’s only temporary. Eventually they start to look weird (think Sylvester Stallone). There’s something about their face or body that isn’t quite right.

Let’s face it folks, we’re all going to wrinkle eventually. So wouldn’t it be better to let your laugh lines and crow’s feet show up naturally, rather than looking like a leather seat covering on the verge of death?

The FDA has gone too far!

The Food and Drug Administration had declared it’s safe to consume meat and milk from the offspring of cloned cattle, pigs and goats. That clears the way for these products to start showing up in our food supply immediately. What’s worse, the companies that sell these foods don’t have to tell us it’s from a cloned animal.

The FDA says it’s been studying the safety of cloned food since 2001 and can’t find any biologically distinguishable differences. So in other words, they claim the cloned food is just as safe as food that comes from animals that were bred.

I’m not buying it! I have NO scientific research to back up my fears only my gut and common sense. Who wants to eat meat that was essentially created in a Petri dish? Not me! Especially after seeing Will Smith’s new movie “I Am Legend.” For those of you who haven’t, it’s about a cancer cure that goes awry and turns millions of people into vampire-like creatures. I know it’s science fiction, but the speed at which science is advancing these days anything’s possible.

But what really has me riled up is these cloned products are going to end up on store shelves and we won’t be able to tell what’s natural and what’s cloned. I have a right to know what I’m putting in my body: good, bad or indifferent. It’s my choice, not the government’s.

Conspiracy theorists will probably have a field day with this post because we probably consume hundreds, if not millions of food additives that we have no clue about. Well, this is one that we do and it's not right that it's being forced on us.

I’m a die-hard meat and potatoes girl, but this may force me to become a vegan.

I hate to say I told you so, but… back in November I posted a blog called “Fall from Grace.” It was about how the ridiculous antics of Britney Spears had reached the point where I worried the next legitimate news story about her would probably involve an unfortunate tragedy. Well, earlier this month the poor child had to be hospitalized after she had a meltdown when she was suppose to return her kids to her ex-husband. I’m not bragging, but I bring it up because others believe something much worse is about to happen to her. They are preparing for her to die.

The news service Associated Press has started putting together an obituary for Britney – just in case. AP’s entertainment editor told Us magazine, “I think one would agree that Britney seems at risk right now. Of course, we would never wish any type of misfortune on anybody and hope that we would never have to use it until 50 years from now … but if something were to happen, we would have to be prepared.”

In AP’s defense, it’s customary for the media to prepare obits for celebrities, politicians, history-makers, etc. In fact, CLTV had prepared one for former Cook County Commissioner John Stroger not to long after his stroke in 2006. It was ready to go when his death was unexpectedly announced Friday morning.

But the “Britney Death Watch” has expanded beyond the media. Everyday people have started guessing when Britney is going to meet her maker.

A Web site has popped up called whenisbritneygoingtodie.com. Visitors predict the exact date and time of her death and the winner gets a PS3. People can also weigh in on when they think singer Amy Winehouse will kick the bucket. Sounds sick but thousands of people are getting in on it, some predicting Britney’s death as early as next month, others holding off until 2037. As of the writing of this post, there are already more than 28 pages of predictions and pre-condolence messages. Those who are vying to be crowned Mr. or Mrs. Death don’t seem to be taking these predictions seriously, but I sincerely hope Britney Spears is.

This is one of those stories you hear and hope as the days go forward conclusions being reached by some of the entertainment programs don't prove to be true. I was admittedly shocked to hear actor Heath Ledger died on Tuesday. In recent years he made the spotlight with the controversial film Brokeback Mountain and through all the press he seemed to remain a low profile celebrity. Not extremely involved in the 'happening' scene, Ledger and then girlfriend/fiancé Michelle Williams seem to care more about career and family than landing on the front pages of magazines.
In his death, that is squarely where Heath Ledger is landing.
On Tuesday authorities revealed 6 different types of prescription drugs were found in his apartment, including anti-anxiety medications, sleeping pills and an antihistamine. The autopsy results are so far inconclusive, and the medical examiner is waiting further testing before releasing a cause of death, likely in several days. Police also said Wednesday a rolled up $20 bill was found near Ledger's body. Lab tests show no traces of drugs on the bill and police say no illegal drugs were found in the apartment.
Was it an accident or a suicide?
Relatives are adamantly calling the death "tragic, untimely and accidental." Close friends have come forward saying Ledger was recently going out more, and very upset about his break up with Williams and spending less time with their daughter 2 year old Matilda.
In a recent interview Ledger told the New York Times he had been exhausted and was taking Ambien to get to sleep. Today fellow actors are describing him as a perfect gentleman, who touched many lives. While I realized he may not have changed the world, solved our hunger problems, or made any major life altering discoveries, he was a man with many young fans... fans who will hopefully be able to continue to look up to him and his work and not simply look at another actor who lost their life too early, to drugs.

When are people going to learn? The truth is going to catch up with you sooner or later, especially in this age of rapidly evolving technology.

For example, some recent high profile criminal cases have revealed technology exists for law enforcement to pinpoint a person’s location, on any given day as long as that person has his/her cell phone on. Just ask Reginald Potts who was charged with the murder of Nailah Franklin, partly based on the FBI’s ability to put him and her together shortly before her murder using GPS tracking devices in both of their cell phones. Or ask Drew Peterson. The police used his cell signal to determine he was near the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal in Lockport the evening his wife Stacy disappeared, when he claimed to have been at home. Or ask the couple in Michigan who were convicted of murder based on e-mails the two exchanged while plotting how to kill her husband. The wife thought she erased them but the prosecutor was able to get a transcript of the messages from the internet service provider.

Now comes word the mayor of Detroit Kwame Kilpatrick could end up losing his job over thousands of steamy text messages he sent to his chief of staff. It’s not the messages that are going to get him fired; it’s the fact that he denied having the affair while under oath. The Detroit Free Press got a hold of 14,000 flirty and sometimes sexually explicit text messages the two exchanged about where to meet and how to hide it.

Here are some of the excerpts:

9/28/2002, 11:53 p.m.
Beatty: Where are you now?
Kilpatrick: At home waiting for all [executive protection unit officers] to leave. Where are you?
Beatty: At the residence inn in Madison hgts.
Kilpatrick: What rm?
Beatty: I'm in room 311 in bldg 3 in the back.

10/7/2002, 11:20 p.m.
Beatty: OK, I'm feeling like I want another night like the most recent Saturday at the Residence Inn! You made me feel so damn good that night. As you can see I can't let it go!

10/16/2002, 11:48 p.m.
Kilpatrick: I've been dreaming all day about having you all to myself for 3 days ... relaxing, laughing, talking, sleeping and making love.

So because he lied to a jury, he could not only lose his job and his law license, he could also face perjury charges.

Why do people do wrong and think they can get away with it, especially when they’ve left a digital trail to their front door? The lesson to be learned here, don’t use technology when you’re trying to be sneaky or better yet, don’t do anything wrong in the first place.

The recent shooting at the Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park raises an interesting question. How much does the public need to know about what happened that fateful day?

Right after the shooting, police were extremely tight-lipped. All the media was told is there was a shooting, 5 women were dead and police were searching for the gunman. There was no description of the suspect, no motive, no details about the crime itself, nothing. But over the course of a week, it leaked out a 6th woman had survived, one of the women had been fondled, two of the victims walked in after the robbery started, the women were shot execution style, etc.

Of course as journalists we want to know everything right away, who, what, when, where, why and when applicable how many? But Tinley Park police believe they needed to hold back the details so they wouldn’t blow the search for the suspect. That leaves the public in the middle. People, especially those that live in the area need to be assured that the shooter won’t strike again. They also need to feel comfortable leaving their homes and sending their children to school.

So where should police draw the line? Do they tell everything they know about the crime right away to put the public at ease or do they hold the information close to vest to protect their investigation? As a journalist I think my answer is obvious (tell it all) but as a victim or the family member of a victim I want to make sure there is justice for my loved one. So again I ask, how much is too much and how much is not enough?

The Democratic presidential race is bringing this age-old question up again.

The Associated Press reports:

Clinton's camp has perceived sexism in comments about her appearance and emotions. Supporters of Obama have complained about racial overtones in remarks about his Muslim-sounding middle name, Hussein, and his acknowledged drug use as a young man. Beyond the back-and-forth between a white woman and a black man seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, the situation has created a snapshot of the nation's sensitivity — or lack thereof — to certain kinds of comments.

It’s interesting to note this debate dates back to the late 1800s.
Freed slave Frederick Douglass and women’s rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton sparked it. Stanton was outraged that black men were able to vote after the Civil War (even though the “privilege” didn’t last long) and women weren’t.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Frederick Douglass

Stanton declared it to be a “serious question whether we [women] had better stand aside and see Sambo walk into the kingdom [of civil rights] first.” Douglass fired back arguing the horrifying treatment black men endured as slaves entitled them the right to vote before women.

None of the scholars or intellectuals of that time or this have been able to definitively settle the debate. But political correctness has certainly shunned one more than the other leaving us with the question: Is it more acceptable to make a sexist remark than a racist remark?

The email I posted last week from my colleague Marion (not Marion Brooks from Channel 5) about her disheartening experience at Chanel on Michigan Avenue generated a huge response. She also sent the email to colleagues and friends around the world, who in turn wrote several letters to Chanel. Here's an update from Marion:

I received a letter from the Senior VP of Retail/Boutiques. After offering some form of remedial action toward the store director... along with re-issuing their policy handbook against discrimination and launching a company-wide diversity campaign, there's some work that needs to be done. While, the letter did offer an apology for the incident, it didn't offer specifics.

Never-the-less, the President of Chanel along with the Sr VP wants to talk to me and get my input as they move forward with their changes. I'm working with an advertising executive on suggestions resulting in measurable changes, including opportunities for Chanel to meet their clients of color... face-to-face. We [all] know that black women are spending a large amount of money on Chanel products, but we're not part of their advertising campaigns or corporate offices. This could be an opportunity to change all that.

Instead of a phone conversation, we'd like to meet with the Chanel executives in NYC and offer solutions that work for everybody. We'd also like to offer a dollars and sense approach. This is where you can help us... can you send an email out to every woman that you know who buys Chanel cosmetics, handbags, fragrances, fine jewelry, etc. and ask them to give an estimate on how much money (and where... states) they spend on Chanel products in any given year or over the last 5 and let me know? I think that we have to let them know that the face of the Chanel consumer is changing. And their attitudes must reflect that change or their bottom line suffers.

Feel free to post your thoughts. Marion and plenty of others, including Chanel want to hear them.

As this week gets started and people begin to get back to a normal routine, I wanted to take a moment and share my condolences with all the family and friends of the NIU shooting victims. The first of 5 funerals was held today. Hundreds paid tributes to Catalina Garcia as she was laid to rest in a pink coffin inside a Cicero church. The soft color such a shocking reminder of the very young life cut way to short. You can find details on services for Gayle Dubowski, Julianna Gehant, Ryanne Mace, and Dan Parmenter at www.chicagotribune.com.

For weeks, months, and likely even years to come many will be asking what led Steven Kazmierczak to this senseless shooting. Was it a mental health issue? Could stronger gun control legislation have changed the outcome? Did he slip through the cracks? I realize his family has lost and are in pain as well, but in this time and place he had some 'choice' in what happened on Thursday February 14th, the five victims did not. So for the time being, lets concentrate on remembering the victims, and what was taken away so tragically.

Please feel free to leave your thoughts about the victims here, whether you knew them or not.

February is Black History Month. To mark the occasion, CLTV has put together several vignettes celebrating African-Americans, past and present who have inspired people on our staff. Some of the inspirational heroes you will recognize, others are only familiar to the person they touched. The powerful 30 second clips will be airing throughout the day on CLTV for the rest of the month. To see all of them, go to www.youtube.com/cltv. Click on the Black History Month tab and check them out.

We all want to do our part to save the environment, right? But how far are you willing to go? Would you be willing to drink recycled sewage water?

No, it’s not the latest stunt on “Fear Factor” (is that show still on the air?) or some other silly reality show. It’s real and it happening right here in the U.S. Hard to believe, or better yet, hard to swallow, right? Opponents are calling it, "toliet to tap."

In an effort to increase its dwindling drinking water supply, the Orange County government has started taking sewer water, treating it and then re-using it for drinking water. The process is described as follows:

Instead of dumping [sewer water] into the ocean after treatment… it’s [cleaned] a second time using technology that renders the water almost distilled, exceeding all state and federal drinking standards. The water then goes from the new $480 million water plant in nearby Fountain Valley to the drinking supply that lies beneath Anaheim—percolating many months through the earth into an aquifer serving 2.3 million people in 20 cities. Officials say the additional purification is intensive, involving three steps: microfiltration, also used in purifying baby food and sodas; reverse osmosis, which water bottlers employ; and ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide, similar to how hospitals and dentists sterilize instruments.

Advocates of the purification system say people won’t even notice a difference. And a spokeswoman for the sewer water purification project says there are so many checks and balances in the system that it’s fail-safe. I say “famous last words.”

Talk about eye-openers! I got one earlier this week while working on a story about a prom dress giveaway. In order for young ladies to get a FREE prom dress, they must attend a 2-hour dating safety class. So my first question to the organizers of this event was “How big of a problem is sexual assault during prom season.” I was shocked when I heard the answer. Apparently it’s a HUGE problem, but not only during prom seasons. It’s a danger young women face all year long. These are just a few of the startling statistics the sexual assault counselors were able to rattled off the top of their heads to me:

* 1 in 3 teen girls are victims of sexual violence
* Girls ages 16 – 24 are most frequently victimized
* Girls ages 16 – 19 are at highest risk
* 80% are attacked by someone they know

What’s worse, the sexual attacks on young girls are escalating.

Part of the problem, according to the counselors is young women don’t realize that gestures like a boy slapping them on their butt, or grabbing their cell phone to check on who they’re calling or who’s calling them are small scale forms of sexual abuse. Then there are the young women who feel pressure to “put out” to boys that are “nice” to them because they buy flowers or take them out to dinner.

Counselors say the dating safety classes are beneficial for both young women and men. They’ve heard from young men who’ve taken the class that they didn’t know some of their behavior was not only inappropriate, but also illegal. For example, they didn’t realize it was against the law to get a girl drunk and have sex with her. Hard to believe, I know. What are they being taught at home? Are they being taught anything?

The bottom line is, rape and sexual abuse ARE big problems facing young women. It would behoove teens and their parents to become educated about it. And why not get a free dress in the process.

There will be a prom fashion show Saturday, March 8th where girls can get a preview of the more than 600 dresses that will be eventually given away. The dating safety classes come later. For more information, contact Guardian Angel Community Services at (815) 729-0930 ext. 524.

Check out my report!

Here we go again! Another male politician has done the unthinkable, cheated on his wife. And once again she stands by his side as he offers a “heart-felt” apology.

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is the latest philanderer. He's accused of spending as much as $80,000 on several high priced call girls. He reportedly even had a romp with one on the night before Valentine’s Day.

Spitzer’s wife, Silda joins the likes of

Hillary Clinton (I’m sure everyone’s familiar with Bill Clinton’s sexual escapade in the Oval Office)

Dina McGreevey – the wife of the former New Jersey governor who admitted to having an affair with a man,

Suzanne Craig – the wife of Idaho Senator Larry Craig who was caught in a sex sting in an airport bathroom and

Carlita Kilpatrick – the wife of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick who had an affair with his chief of staff.

Why? Why do they stand by these men’s sides during an obviously embarrassing and painful time?

The tribune has an interesting article about that very question. Click here to read it.

Kathleen Gilbert, an associate professor of family studies at Indiana University tells the Trib:

"Even if they want to kill him, they're there."

What these women are going through is probably "pretty horrifying," says Gilbert, but their options are few: "Just try to put yourself in their shoes and think of all these years you have portrayed a public role. In some ways, it becomes automatic. This is what you do. You're a good soldier and you go in and you play the role."

Many political spouses are impressive figures in their own right, including Silda Spitzer, a Harvard-trained lawyer.

Experts offered a wide range of reasons why a political spouse might choose to undergo the humiliation of a public appearance in behalf of her husband: the alleged indiscretion might be a first stumble, the wife might be planning divorce but want the best possible settlement, or she might be deeply invested in her husband's political agenda.

I’m not married, so I can’t honestly say what I would do if I were in these women’s shoes. But one thing is for sure; his sleeping arrangements would be VERY uncomfortable for the foreseeable future.

Geraldine Ferraro sounds like a “one trick pony.” She’s reaching into her bag of dirty political tricks and pulling out a racially polarizing tactic she's used at least once before. But this time it’s not working.

The one time democratic vice presidential nominee and the only woman to be selected by a major party to run for such a lofty position can’t believe people are calling her racist. It comes after she told a California newspaper that people are “caught up” in Barack Obama’s campaign because he’s black.

Here’s the clip from the Daily Breeze:

"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position," she continued. "And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."

Ferraro claims her comment was taken out of context and she was really complimenting the black community on having such a successful, viable candidate.

Problem is Ms. Ferraro made a very similar comment almost 20 years ago about another black presidential candidate. Ferraro told the Washington Post back in 1988 when Jesse Jackson was running for president, “if Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn’t be in this race.”

Here’s a snippet of the story from the April 15, 1988 Washington Post story:

Placid of demeanor but pointed in his rhetoric, Jackson struck out repeatedly today against those who suggest his race has been an asset in the campaign. President Reagan suggested Tuesday that people don't ask Jackson tough questions because of his race. And former representative Geraldine A. Ferraro (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday that because of his "radical" views, "if Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn't be in the race."

Is that her answer for every black candidate who's a threat to her or someone she supports? She claims the “very sexist media” has been “uniquely hard on [Hillary Clinton].” So her answer is to inject racism into to the campaign?

The irony here is when she ran for vice president, she wanted people to focus on her qualifications, not the fact that she was a woman. Now she’s focusing on Obama’s race, instead of his qualifications.

I’m not saying she has to agree with Obama’s stance on issues. But I am saying, just like she wanted people to accept and endorse her groundbreaking vice-presidential bid, she should accept and embrace others trying to do the same.

When you look at this magazine cover, what do you see?

Some people see more than LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen. Some see an angry black man chasing after a sexy white woman.

The cover for this month’s Vogue has evoked a lot of negative reaction, contrary to what the fashion magazine expected. When Vogue announced the cover, it made sure to point out that James was the first black man to grace its cover. (Given that it’s 2008, I’m not sure if that’s anything to be proud of) But it turns out that the response has been anything but gracious. Some have likened the cover to “King Kong” and Fay Wray. Compare the cover and the poster.

The Associated Press reports:

In a column at ESPN.com, Jemele Hill called the cover "memorable for all the wrong reasons." But she said in an interview that the image is not unusual -- white athletes are generally portrayed smiling or laughing, while black sports figures are given a "beastly sort of vibe."

For example, former NBA star Charles Barkley was depicted breaking free of neck and wrist shackles on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Dennis Rodman graced the cover of Rolling Stone with horns poking out of his forehead and his red tongue hanging out.

But others say the image show James' game face -- nothing more. And they note that Bundchen hardly looks frightened.

"James is a huge, black beautiful masculine statue and Gisele is a feminine, sexy gorgeous doll," said Christa Thomas, 36, a black account supervisor in Los Angeles.

"I didn't see any kind of racist overtone to it," she said. "I still don't. I think there is such a hypersensitivity to race still in this country."

I don’t think anyone would argue with that given the ongoing controversy surrounding Barack Obama, his pastor and the black church.

But is this a case of nitpicking or trying to nip an issue in the bud before it has a chance feister and grow into something more divisive?

Spring training is over.. Home openers are starting.

For the last three months the cavern to which many people have hid themselves amongst the harsh Chicago winter... is melting away and people are peeking their heads out just as the flowers begin to.
It's arguably the best time of year in Chicago. While yes, we are still dealing with a nasty winter hangover and some snowy days (I’m looking out the window at snow right now), the occasional warmer one tends to put people in a jolly mood for the more habitually warm days to come.
We are now beginning to see the neighbors you forgot you had (whether good or bad) on a regular basis, more people are converging on Chicago neighborhoods for outdoor dining, shopping or simply spending time with friends.
You start to see announcements for outdoor events, markets and such.. and.. as mentioned Baseball is about to start.
For me.. It’s Shuffle time.. Chicago's Shamrock Shuffle on Sunday marks the start of the outdoor running season in Chicago. It's my favorite time of the year. I like to think of the Shuffle as a pseudo ground hog day. Every year the weather is different. Last year it was warm, years past it's been really really cold, and this year seems just about right.. (high 30’s, maybe low 40’s – hopefully the rain holds off because cloud cover is great) which if you look at races past, means we're going to have a relatively mild summer. (I know I'm no meteorologist, just hopeful!)
I love race morning when you see the die hards in their singlet’s, running shorts and gloves. The rest of us casual racers bundled up thinking their crazy, but hoping one day we could be so bold.
There's an excitement and energy in the air. (Maybe it's from 30,000 people trying to keep warm!) And it's like Chicagoans are saying *** winter.. we're here to play outside.. no matter what you throw at us next.

Hope to see some of you out there. For everyone else.. as Cubs fans always say, “there's always next year”!