4:30am

 I'm pretty sure they WERE planning an earlier start.  And our announcement forced them to announce the earlier start earlier than they planned.  :)

http://www.bottomlinecom.com/kcnews/kmbcnowstarting430.html

The Great Midwest Aug 13-15, 2010

We had such a fabulous weekend! 
This video doesn't do it justice but I continue to try...
Love the lightning show Friday night in Olathe, seeing A-Rod hit THREE home runs Saturday night and then, best of all, the Missouri State Fair Sunday.

Life is good, indeed.

I'm mad as Hell and I'm not going to take this anymore

Steven Slater's story really struck a chord with me. And with stressed out workers everywhere, apparently. Who hasn't considered grabbing two beers, screaming a few obscenities and pulling the ripcord on their career?

"Screw it! I'm outta here!"

Sunday night I met up with my former co-worker Tony Kovaleski and his wife Laurie.  They overnighted in Kansas City while taking their daughter to Mizzou.  Tony and I worked together 25 years ago at KTVN in Reno.  During our dinner at Abuelos in Zona Rosa and for two plus subsequent hours we remembered and laughed about our early careers in television.  I was a green reporter when Tony arrived and even though he'd already earned his stripes at a TV station in Eureka, California, our boss ordered me to "show him the ropes."

I had worked my way into the newsroom from traffic and receptionist.  I'd paid my dues so I was fully prepared to hate Tony.  In fact, I already did hate him.

Tony's immediate and obvious competence forced me to spend most of my time sulking in the news car while he and a photojournalist gathered information and sound on a story about residential mailbox vandalism.  He didn't need me to show him the ropes.  I realized pretty quickly that I would soon be learning from him.

But he couldn't know that.  I had to keep it a secret.  So I resorted to my first, best defense.

I made fun of him.  To his face.

Tony and Chip Baker (the photographer, RIP) were prepping for his stand-up and I rolled down the window of the news car so I could exercise some intimidation, in case he was nervous.

"Three-two-one-mark," he said and then launched into his stand-up.

I started laughing.

"Who the hell is Mark?" I teased him.  He tried to explain that doing a countdown helped the editor find the starting place but I would have none of it.  I just mocked him unmercifully, all the way back to the station, changing the word "mark" to his first name.

"Three-two-one-Tony" has been a trademark of our friendship for more than two decades.  He is now a National Murrow Award winning investigative journalist at KMGH in Denver.  His career took him from Reno to Los Angeles to Phoenix to Houston to Denver.  I have a few more cities in my resume...

Though the years, when I've had career bummers or questions, Tony has been there for me.  A sounding board.  A constant friend.  A counselor.  Despite our rocky beginning.

Work relationships can save you from the overwhelming stress so prevalent today.

If you feel overwhelmed, you might lose confidence and become irritable or withdrawn, become less productive and effective.  You'll definitely think your work is less rewarding. If the warning signs of work stress go unattended, it can lead to bigger problems.

Don't be a Steven.  Hang in there.  Find your Tony. 

Leadership lessons from football

Correction alert. This post contained a misspelled name. Thanks DeAnn Smith, for helping me!


Saturday night, I watched the NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on ESPN.  John was still in Connecticut, spending time with his brother so I was home alone, trying to amuse myself for a few hours.

I found the speeches to be profoundly moving.  At one point, I called Charlie during Jerry Rice's acceptance and demanded that he watch it.  I'm sure he thought I was crazy (or drunk).  I was neither.  Rice is not a great speaker, frankly.  But his words were powerful.

"My fear of failure drives me," Jerry Rice said.

Fear can be a powerful master.  It can paralyze you...or make you better.

Learning how to prevail in the face of fear is the single most important step one can take toward becoming a successful risk-taker and maximizing success.

Linebacker Rickey Jackson talked about the importance of his hometown.  He wants his name to be part of the "Welcome to Pahokee" sign where he grew up. 

I get that.  (Wagner, South Dakota, if I get famous????)

Floyd Little's son gave an incredible introduction and Floyd's message was simple--Don't focus on your weakness.  This is easier said than done.  Many of us our most critical of ourselves than we are of others.  Self-reflexion is important but keep it in perspective!

Emmitt Smith, however, took the night.  He did two things incredibly right.  First, he recognized his teammates, most notably Darrell Darryl "Moose" Johnston.  He said Johnston took care of him like a little brother and he began to tear up.  So did I.

Second, Emmitt Smith said that to win, you have to show up every day.

That takes effort.  It's hard.  The road to success is paved with obstacles, most of which are unseen.  I read "Fast Company" for manager tips and here's what one expert says about bringing your best, every day:

It's not an issue of results. It's an issue of momentum. When you believe you can have a positive impact, others believe it too. Everyone's inspired to action. And you build momentum. When you vacillate in that belief, others vacillate too. Action starts and stops. Momentum never comes. And you get resignation and exhaustion instead. In this way, delivering your best is not something you can turn off and on depending on circumstances. It must be a daily habit. It must be a manner of traveling.

There is no wait-and-see.  There is only now.

Summer songs--when did you get old?

A little old and some new...as I  try to renew my relationship with this blog after a very trying month. 

Losing Nick Dutcher  hit our news team harder than any of us could have imagined.  We all still miss his shout of "breaking news" from the assignment desk, his everlasting smile--and of course, his constant demand that you smile back.
I don't think anyone was truly surprised by the turnout for his home-going service (that's what they call it in the south, I prefer it to "funeral.") 

And if you didn't catch Nathan Shain's excellent story about the memorial...click here.

Nick's untimely death has us all thinking about our own mortality.  And the longer I live, the more I realize that I'm getting old faster than I ever thought possible.

Six years ago...on August 19, 2004, to be exact, I posted on my former blog, a when-did-you-reach-middle-age test that was the subject of a Chicago Tribune columnist post:

The claim: This test pinpoints exactly when middle age kicks in by identifying the first song on the list for which you don't know the melody.

The list:

August 1974: "(You're) Having My Baby" -- Paul Anka with Odia Coates

August 1975: "Jive Talkin'" -- the Bee Gees

August 1976: "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" -- Elton John & Kiki Dee


August 1977: "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" -- Andy Gibb


August 1978: "Miss You" -- Rolling Stones


August 1979: "My Sharona" -- the Knack


August 1980: "Magic" -- Olivia Newton-John


August 1981: "Jessie's Girl" -- Rick Springfield


August 1982: "Eye Of The Tiger" -- Survivor


August 1983: "Every Breath You Take" -- the Police


August 1984: "Ghostbusters" -- Ray Parker Jr.


August 1985: "The Power of Love" -- Huey Lewis & the News


August 1986: "Papa Don't Preach" -- Madonna


August 1987: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" -- U2


August 1988: "Roll With It" -- Steve Winwood


August 1989: "Right Here Waiting" -- Richard Marx


August 1990: "Vision of Love" -- Mariah Carey


August 1991: "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" --Bryan Adams


August 1992: "Baby Got Back" -- Sir Mix-A-Lot


August 1993: "(I Can't Help) Falling in Love With You --UB40


August 1994: "Stay (I Missed You)" -- Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories


August 1995: "Waterfalls" -- TLC


August 1996: "Macarena" -- Los Del Rio


August 1997: "I'll Be Missing You" -- Puff Daddy & Faith Evans


August 1998: "The Boy Is Mine" -- Brandy & Monica


August 1999: "Genie in a Bottle" -- Christina Aguilera


August 2000: "It's Gonna Be Me" -- 'N Sync


August 2001: "Bootylicious" -- Destiny's Child


August 2002: "Hot In Herre" -- Nelly


August 2003: "Crazy In Love -- Beyonce featuring Jay-Z


August 2004: "Confessions Part II" -- Usher


For me, 1988. The year Charlie turned one. The year after I got back into TV news after a short detour into publicity and public relations. (yuck) The year Carly started kindergarten. I guess I was just too busy to listen to the radio and it killed my youth. Damn!

Eric Zorn updated his column last year and added some more tunes. 

If you're wondering about 2009, my simple research says that 2009's summer song is Jay Sean with Lil Wayne.  A tune entitled "Down."    Guess what?!  I know this one!

Unfortunately, this year could be a Bieber tune and I just can't go there.

Thou shall not kill. No exceptions.

I have been doing this TV news thing for a long time and still have plenty to learn but not much prepared me for the past five days.

On Tuesday afternoon, around 2:30p, Steve Kaut asked me if I had heard from Nick Dutcher.  Nick worked on our assignment desk and by now, most people who read this blog know that he was found dead in his home by the police we sent there for a "welfare check."

We found out at 4:30pm that Nick was dead and just before the 5pm news, I gathered as many of the news team as were available and told them.  Four hours later, we were dealing with the shocking news that Nick had been murdered.

Wednesday and Thursday are a blur as my team tried to deal with the shock of losing a sweet, gentle co-worker who was loved by many and the ethical decision-making involved with covering the story. 

I told them I didn't have all the answers about what we should do and that I wanted us all to talk out our next steps.

Marissa Cleaver, Sloane Heller and Najahe Sherman were the faces of our initial stories but many more were involved behind the scenes.  I am grateful for the guidance and advice of my co-workers.

Somewhat surprising has been the offers of help from our competitors.  I am grateful for that support.

These are challenging times for NBC Action News.  We are up to it.  But we're very sad, too.

I've moved on from the initial sorrow and now I'm mad as hell at whoever is responsible.

I love emotion-marketing. Gets me every time.

Since you been gone

I've been out of town so...blogging...not so much.  But I'm soo excited for this holiday weekend. 

I'm the MOC (manager on call, koo koo ka choo) so we aren't leaving town.  However, the challenge will be to convince John that we MUST attend KC Riverfest so I can see Head East Saturday night.

From the news release:

Head East has Missouri roots and has appeared in more than 5,000 concerts over the past 25 years. From St. Louis to Seattle and Dallas to Detroit, Head East has performed in every major city and market in North America. Led by founding member, keyboardist and producer Roger Boyd, Head East is one of the hottest, most exciting live shows touring today.

The "Flat as a Pancake" album was a staple in my college dorm room, my early matrimonial home(s) and I've rocked out to these songs like Dottie used to drink from her water dish.  Sloppy and with enthusiasm!

It's good to be back in KC and I hope you have a wonderful Independence Day.  America is grand!

Gooooaaaaallll!

The Swinging Bridges of Brumley, Missouri

John and I traveled to the Lake of the Ozarks this weekend.  We stayed in a fine hotel and at a fine lobster dinner and we also enjoyed some of the local sights.  For hilarity, nothing beats driving across a rickety bridge!

We wuz robbed!

I took the day off so I could watch the match with people.   

I was, by far, the oldest female in the room.  Gary Lezak was there early, to give his daily weather report.  And what fun it was, especially after the Yanks tied the game!  Yes, the referee made a huge mistake.  There was no foul and this game was stolen from USA.  Frank Boal and John Holt were there, btw.  John looks good and says he's feeling stronger every day.

Thanks, Border Patrol, for hosting this event!

Getting ready for the USA match tomorrow

I'm taking Friday off so I can watch the USA/Slovenia soccer match somewhere and cheer for the Yanks.  Charlie sent me this song (Official World Cup Theme Song) and it's now on my iPod. 

I've become a K'naan stalker and signed up for his fan club.

I love you Dad.

I sent my mom flowers for Mother's Day.  I sent my dad a set of DVDs about Route 66.  He's a big fan of the Mother Road and I think he'll enjoy watching some of the anecdotes about the old days. 

I'm sad that when John and I retire, we can't really follow it from Chicago to L-A.

Warning.  We don't intend to have a home in our later days. 

We think we have enough relatives so that with our (still to be purchased) mobile home of some sort (I'm still saying a 5th wheel, John thinks more like a Winnebago) we can spread ourselves out with the sisters, brothers, cousins and friends so we can see the remaining parts of North America that have eluded us through the job changes since we started moving around in 1990.

But I digress (as usual).  Mom and Dad drove a portion of Route 66 last year in this Ford pickup my father restored.  I'm still dying to drive this baby but he's pretty careful about who gets behind the wheel. 

I don't blame him, even though I haven't had a car-to-car incursion since...welll....Christmas Eve, 2009 when the snow was falling heavily in KC and some youngster slid into me from behind.  Not my fault!

Anyway, I am so darn lucky to have great parents who loved us a lot, provided for us every day and taught us all the value of hard work.  My sister Paula says that if you want a job done, just make sure there's a farmer's daughter on the team.  We don't know when to quit.

I hope you are lucky enough to still have your dad with you.  I pray that as we honor dads this weekend, you can thank your father in person.

And if we still know each other in twelve years, can we park in your driveway for a few days?

Soccer mom

I watched every second of Saturday's World Cup match between the US and England with my laptop open and Tweetdeck bleating every second.  Funniest tweet was from some fellow who wondered if the game was being played on the back of a giant mosquito.  (Vuvuzelas)

I wasn't alone.  The ratings for ABC were the largest for a soccer game since 1994.  Nearly 13 million households.  And almost everybody I know watched the match in a bar, not at home, as I did.  (I am getting boring in my old age!)

"Since Thursday, fans have consumed more than one million hours of World Cup content on ESPN3.com, ESPN’s signature broadband network, which is available in 50 million homes."

The draw is made even more amazing to me as we await word of Tim Howard's ribs.  Broken?  Not?

Here in Kansas City, KMBC has to be happy.  The game garnered a 10.3 rating and averaged a 22 share.  Not too shabby.

By the way, I DO NOT AGREE that vuvuzelas should be banned, as this Gawker article suggests.  I've been watching soccer for almost twenty years and truly, the buzz becomes background noise after awhile.  I don't even hear it anymore.

Maybe that's another sign of my advanced age....

Happy Friday!

Promotion!

Many from our investigative unit are in Vegas for IRE this week, including Jenn Strathman who will soon (sadly for us) be leaving Kansas City.  Jenn is transferring to the Scripps station in Cleveland.  A larger market and closer to her family.  Jenn is an award-winning journalist and one of the hardest-working reporters I've ever known.  Here's the email I sent to the newsroom to announce her departure last week:

Cleveland scam artists should be afraid. Very afraid.

It is with mixed emotions that I announce Jenn Strathman is leaving Kansas City. She's transferring to the Scripps station in Cleveland, WEWS.

For more than five years, Jenn has been tenacious as she tracked down crooks, exposed fraud and fought for consumers. Her file includes a letter of thanks from John Coughlin of Overland Park. His spelling isn't so great but the appreciation shines through. He writes "If it had not been for her effort we would still be waiting for a $2,000 refund…she did an outstanding job of putting the pressure on. She is a real asset to your organization."

I absolutely agree, Mr. Coughlin. I'm sorry to see Jenn go but I'm happy that she'll still be in our company.

In the meantime, Keith King will take over the Call for Action franchise.  If you're a consumer reporter looking for a challenge please apply! (go to http://www.scripps.com/ click on careers)

Jenn will be here for a few more weeks so you can send your congratulations...just click here and scroll down to the "contact" section on the right side.

Hakuna matata, Jenn!

Sah-weet! More on Lew (say that last part real fast)

Just got around to reading some of the other blogs about the Amy-versus-Al-who-is-the-journalist kerfuffle from Monday and I really, really appreciate this breakdown from KC Confidential.

A tip of the hat!

Asking tough questions is part of the job

Reporter Amy Hawley caught up with KU AD Lew Perkins today and asked a very pertinent question about his job security.  Mr. Perkins didn't appreciate the interuption of his golf game, apparently: 
Lew Perkins gets upset in interview after questioned about recent KU scandal - NBCActionNews.com

Incredibly, a reporter from WDAF, Al Wallace, was also there, recorded the whole thing and presented it as a "confrontation."  We were all amused when during the 6pm news, anchor Phil Witt appeared to congratulate our reporter for her tenacity.

Amy did her job.  Can't say the same thing for Al.

I'm breaking the rules (and I'm not sorry)

A few days ago, I found this advice to bloggers and I know I've broken Rule#4 many, many times since re-launching this blog.

To the folks who check this every day, I apologize.  I need to do better.

Frankly, I think about stuff I want to post here all the time but I just need to find the time.

Now that my management team at KSHB is set, maybe, just maybe, I can find the time to make this a daily habit again.

And if I don't?

Maybe I'll just go back to writing my book or posting my random, silly thoughts on Facebook or Twitter.

(huh?)


Nahh.

IfItWasMyHome.com - Visualizing the BP Oil Disaster

IfItWasMyHome.com - Visualizing the BP Oil Disaster