Happy New Year 2011

Top Ten TV Show Hosts of 2010

Yesterday I had the pleasure to work with Fast Top Ten, a new social networking website that allows you to create Top Ten Lists. All you have to do is think about 10 good candidates for your favorite subject! Of course, I experienced the thrill to create a list under one of my favorite subjects: Entertainment! My nominees for Top Ten TV Show Hosts of 2010 are: Ellen Degeneres, Wendy Williams, George Lopez, Mario Lopez,  Giuliana Rancic, Conan O'Brien, Chelsea Handler, Ryan Seacrest, Oprah Winfrey, and Joy Behar. Rate them today!

Just 4 more days until Oprah's "Own" launches!

There's no question Oprah Winfrey is one of the most powerful  and admired women in this world. Her never ending efforts, generosity, and outstanding dedication, have taken Oprah to where she is at today: on every single corner of this world. And now, the world is eagerly and anxiously anticipating Own, the new Oprah Winfrey network that launches on January 1st, 2011. In my opinion, this date was perfectly picked for many  inspiring reasons. To me, Oprah is a woman that symbolizes hope, encouragement, a fresh beginning to something fruitful, and ever lasting love. She has proven to the world that it is possible to dream and to achieve. She has taught a lot of us that your dreams can transition into facts when you work hard for them. During a recent interview with Barbara Walters, Oprah discusses with Barbara several delicate topics. However, the moment I turned my tv's volume up was when Barbara introduced the subject of "having children". In summary, Oprah added that she wouldn't have done everything that she has accomplished in her life if she had any children during those years of her career development For some people, this might be sound odd. Nevertheless, to my understanding, some professionals are just very passionate and dedicated at what they do, and they just want to put their focus on their careers. Every person has their own way of being. Oprah is a very independent woman (evidently) and she just really wants to be her and help others, as we already know. She has definitely changed the world in numerous ways and we're all looking forward to see much more of what she does!

Merry Christmas

Exclusive Interview with Hal Hefner



Adria, a main character of Gates.

Hal Hefner, the writer and illustrator of Gates (a digital comic launching in January 1st, 2011 through Heavy Metal Magazine), reveals to us what happened exactly during his childhood that drove him to forever record his passion and talent into his wonderful pieces of work. He was only three years old when he began recreating on paper scenarios of  his favorite characters in action. His naturally flowing relationship with writing and art has kept Hal Hefner reflecting an  appealing and professionally elevating image throughout these years. After learning about his new project, a great curiosity drove me to ask him what  exactly took him to be able to handle all by himself this production. 

Hal took his passion with him from NY to LA.

1. You have a very impressive and solid educational background in Fine Art, Illustration, and Graphic design. However, I'm still unsure of how this passion grew into you. How did you become so attached to drawing and painting while being so young and what eventually drove you into becoming particularly a comic artist?

 HH: In all honesty I can only remember being an artist. It's all I've ever known and it definitely started to blossom when I was a child. I had great support from my family--even though they admittedly had no artistic talent or understanding of what art was. When I was three I made my first comic in blue marker on yellow lined paper—retelling the story of King Kong. Pretty soon I was writing and drawing my own Star Wars stories and this is where it all started.

When I was eight I discovered G.I.Joe and it was here that I really became obsessed with comics. Shortly thereafter I had a real artistic moment of "awareness" in 1984--when Spider-Man got his black costume. For me this was the turning point in which I became serious about learning to draw the human figure. I was so fascinated by this black costume because it was new and it had an element of rebellion to it I was beginning to identify with.

As a teen in the 90’s I became a little disillusioned and bored with comics, particularly Marvel & DC. For a few years, I abandoned comics and focused on fine art (painting/drawing), school and expanding my mind with authors like George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, HG Wells and more. In 1993 I stumbled into the French animated film Fantastic Planet and it blew my mind. Stylistically it reminded me of a comic book that utilized Terry Gilliam-like animation that had a Pink Floyd-meets-disco soundtrack. This was a defining moment, because after I saw Fantastic Planet, I knew that I was destined to tell stories with my art, some way somehow.

Then a few college professors, whom taught me at RIT in Rochester NY, took notice of my passion for the Sci-Fi genre and encouraged me to push the storytelling in my work. My creativity began to blossom subsequently as I went on a rampage of learning, drawing, painting, reading and writing. It was also at RIT during my senior year that I met indie comic legend Mat Nastos. He had just finished working on a long run of the comic Elfquest and he was a judge in an art contest I entered at a Role Playing Game convention. I took first place in the contest and afterward we talked for a bit and began a friendship that has lasted until this day. Mat has taught me a lot about making comics and he encouraged me to make Gates a comic series—and I did!

I've always been an artist drawing comics and sci-fi related themes and with Gates I'm now coming full circle.

2. Tons of people have been eagerly anticipating Gates, which will launch on January 1st, 2011. How long did it take you to complete this project and how much effort and commitment did it imply since you worked on it all by yourself?

 I originally came up with the rough idea for the story shortly after my father passed away in the late 90’s. It has been about a twelve year commitment to Gates in order for it to actually take shape. Originally I had planned to make it a hybrid comic book / role playing game book, then it evolved into a script, then I planned to make it into something like Doug Chiang's movie book Robota, but it eventually developed back into a comic again.  I had been fighting it for a while but making a comic out of the story seemed to be the most organic thing due to my design, illustration background and my passion and love for comics.

The commitment it took to bring Gates to fruition has been tough at times, but mostly extremely rewarding. The most time consuming aspect is creating the comic book itself. Every panel is painted so it takes some time to complete. I've been responsible for 100% of the production on the comic, including the writing, art, layout and lettering. I've been fortunate enough to have some great people pitch in and help out with things like marketing, video production, website production and more. Since there is a soundtrack, finding new musical talent has been a challenge as well, but also very fun. There are lots of moving parts to Gates.

Since this is an ongoing series and essentially Heavy Metal's newest franchise, the project is far from complete, rather evolving with each issue.  There is no end in sight--which is a good thing. With Gates, I've created a rich world filled with potential and loaded with unlimited options, back story and future stories to be told. I'm looking forward to a nice, long run for this comic franchise in various transmedia forms.

An image of Soloman capturing Adria.

3. What was your main inspiration in creating both characters Gates and Soloman?

Gates is a character clearly inspired by the frustration people have with society, religion, politics and the philosophy of mankind in general. It’s becoming increasingly clear that there is a dark cloud of egotism, terrorism, socialism, communism, bigotry, distorted nationalism and fear that hangs over our heads as human beings right now. Throughout human history there has been a consistent use of fear, religion and hate mongering used to generate control over the weak. Gates was born from this observation.

I imagined what if the last remnants of society were “maintained” by a corrupt government that is philosophically based in science as a religious tool to control people but create them as well? Imagine a world where there was no sexual intercourse, no love for another human, no free thinking, just love for your government—A government that provides for your every need in exchange for your blood, sweat, tears—and your soul.

From this dystopian nightmare I created a hero that was different from all the other people because he was not created from a test tube. He was born naturally. He was created to fight the system as a symbol of evolutionary perseverance and a reminder that even in the bleakest of times, hope always exists.

Soloman reflects issues facing our society.

Soloman on the other hand symbolizes the ultimate marriage of science and technology gone incredibly wrong. Without giving away too much, Soloman is also a reflection of the direction of technology in modern times. It seems that as a society we are becoming more self-centered in a world of our own technology. Smart phones have particularly played a huge part in this transformation. The next time you go into a restaurant, pay attention to the people sitting next to you not talking to each other while eating, yet texting on their smart phones. Look at how many people are in their own little technological world the next time you go to an airport and have to be subjected to some annoying girl’s loud conversation with her friend, while she plays with her iPad or portable video game system. Technology seems to be making us care less about the people and things around us by creating a world of distraction that keeps us from paying attention to the real issues facing our society.

In creating this character of Soloman I struggled mightily to create the ultimate villain, that from a certain point of view, actually was not a villain. Soloman is the sum of all of humanity’s carelessness with science and technology and the product of our culture’s laziness and constant search for an “easy way to do things”.

 4.This is something that captured my attention: Is there any particular reason or purpose that you can reveal to us as to why Soloman uses an organic plant based technology to exterminate mankind in this story?

Philosophically, the fact that Soloman is the sum of all of humanity’s carelessness with science and technology and the product of our culture’s laziness is really the motivating factor for this. I will eventually reveal the details to this question in the comic story so I’m not spilling the beans on how and why it happens.

An image of a Learnsleep lesson .

 5. According to the descriptions I've read, I'm assuming that "learnsleep" is a propaganda created by the government to control the society and is exactly the process that we see reflected on the trailer of Gates. Can you tell us more about the type of information (and its intensity) that was being integrated in the minds of the members of the society during that process?

I have been working in the advertising industry for many years and it fascinates me what an impact a commercial, jingle or catch phrase can be. Learnsleep is an example of the most penetrating and diabolical form of advertising ever created by mankind. Somewhere between sleep and consciousness a child listens as the propaganda of the ConGenement conditions him/her to become a productive and upstanding member of society. 

The messages projected in a Learnsleep lesson educate the child in various forms of science, mathematics, and other essential tools needed for the child to develop into a particular social class. Children born of higher intelligence and higher class are genetically predetermined to receive more information.  The lessons also educate the children on life, the dangers of disobeying the ConGenement and the perils of the “mythical” outside world.

Kevin Eastman - Credits: ugo.com

6.You will be pretty much leaving a footprint in the history of Heavy Metal Magazine (owned by Kevin Eastman) as you will be their first digital comic creator. How do you personally feel about achieving this milestone and how do you think it will impact your career?

It’s an honor to be working with Kevin Eastman and Heavy Metal Magazine. He is an amazing person creatively and personally.  As a long time fan of the magazine and the movie, I can honestly say this is a dream come true. Heavy Metal Magazine forged a path for many of us to be what we are today by pushing the boundaries of creativity, story and social acceptance. My favorite thing about Heavy Metal has always been the fact that it is raw, ballsy and loud and never apologizes for being real.

Gates is really just the beginning of Heavy Metal’s online presence. I am honored and very humbled by being the first comic to break the digital barrier. But without such greats as Richard Corbin, Moebius and more before me, I could not do what I’m doing today.

As for how it will impact my career, that’s something I’ll leave to the universe to decide. I’m very proud of Gates but there is a lot of work to be done and lots of story left to tell.  My long term goals are to see Gates thrive into a franchise full of transmedia options including animation, live action, video comics and more. I do however know one thing, that the day I finally hold an action figure of Soloman in my hand will be one glorious feeling.

 

Host the 83rd Academy Awards

Anne Hathaway

On November 29, 2010, it was announced that Anne Hathaway
and James Franco would host the 83rd Academy Awards.

Also, Together with actor Denzel Washington, Anne Hathaway hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway on December 11, 2010.

Host the 83rd Academy Awards

Anne Hathaway

On November 29, 2010, it was announced that Anne Hathaway
and James Franco would host the 83rd Academy Awards.

Also, Together with actor Denzel Washington, Anne Hathaway hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway on December 11, 2010.

Thank you Scott S. Kramer and George Lopez from Lopez Tonight!

Scott S. Kramer, the new media producer of the show of George Lopez: Lopez Tonight, made an approach to me yesterday regarding a funny tweet that I sent to George. However, he was looking for someone from LA. I just wanted to express my sincere appreciation and gratefulness to him! Thank you Scott! For the benefit of everyone, I have now labeled appropiately my Twitter bio and bookings form with my  location details.

'Starting Up' USA Trek

Rocío Dúrcal y Manolo Gracía - Luz de luna ( Una estrella en el cielo )

Exclusive Interview with Felix Ryan

Felix Ryan is not the ordinary actor you expect to see on every glimpse that you catch of him when in action. His passion for the performing arts such as dancing and acting has opened to him the doors to a world of endless opportunities that he has not taken for granted. His eternal attachment to acting is now reflected on his character: Spike in the upcoming new season of The Power Rangers Samurai, which will premiere on 2011.

Felix in the music video: Bubble Gum, by The Stunners

1.How young were you when you began acting? Also, Considering that you have successfully gone this far, did you understand back then how competitive this field really is?

Well I technically started acting when I was born because I feel that life is an act haha... I started to pursue acting and was brought into the entertainment industry when I was about 17 years young. I definitely was and still am aware of the competition in this industry. I started off doing a lot of extra work to get a better knowledge of how everything works, such as: camera work, communication, taking directions, and on lots of other important information needed before I could start auditioning for leading/supporting roles. One thing I learned is that every little aspect counts;like a cook book. You must take directions just like you do with a recipe. One must have potential, dedication, determination, and be committed/obligated in their role/work.

2.Can you tell us more about your role as "Spike" in The Power Rangers Samurai (2011)? 

 I can definitely relate to the character I play on Power Rangers. He has a very energetic, spontaneous, crazy personality; but also has a romantic and soft side, like myself. I am blessed to be in the position to be playing this character and to be part of this phenomenal franchise. From watching it as a little kid to performing for other kids is truly magical to me.

3. What inspired you to become such a big supporter of charity organizations?

I am a person who enjoys helping others. If one gives one will receive. I grew up around children and performing for many of them. One of my favorite charity organization is Save The Children. When I needed help I was fortunate enough to have that miraculous support. I do as much as I can to help others around me that need help.

4. I'm quite impressed with your performance on "The Dancing Magician". Did you work in collaboration with a choreographer to create your dancing pieces? Despite you are an actor, how impacting to you was to shoot the scene where you discover a young man who is about to commit a horrible act of terror? 
Hahahaha well thank you for finding me impressive haha... I put a whole lot of time into everything I did and continue to do. When I dance I like to feel the music, forget about everything else, and just give it my all. So in other words not a big fan of choreography, I like freestyle and just living through the music. As the years go by, more and more acts or terrorism are occurring within young men/women. There will always be terrorism, it's just extremely heartbreaking when young children, men, & women are involved. I have lost many young friends for unnecessary reasons. Just the thought has an enormous impact on me.

5. How was your experience as a dancer for Katy Perry's music video Hot N' Cold? How much time and practice did you and the rest of the dancing crew had to put into it? 

That music video was one of the first music videos I have worked on. It was an awesome experience working with Katy Perry. She has a great, fun personality. The crew had a few days of rehearsals with long hours. It was an awesome set to be on, especially with such an amazing director.

Felix Ryan on "Marlon the Nerd"

6. How do you visualize yourself in the future? Would you like to focus more into acting, or would you stil like like to execute both dancing and acting careers simultaneously? 

I definitely am going towards acting. I incorporate both dancing and magic into my acting when I can. When I get asked "Are you a dancer/magician?", my answer is always no... I am an actor who is fortunate enough to have those talents.

7. How does it feel to have your dream come true? 

My answer to that is that I have been living the dream way before I started pursuing my career as an actor. There should only be ONE "the dream" for everyone.. and that is to live happily with your family. That is the only dream I have, all other things are just goals of mine that I will work as hard as I can to pursue.

Exclusive Interview with Poppy Carlig

Indeed Poppy Carlig lived an intense Fall this year. Her participation on Season 10 of "The Apprentice" gave her a new, fresh, an fruitful perspective of the business world, leading her to desire to experience the world of broadcasting one more time. To her surprise, she had found something else special: love. She's beautiful, she's smart, and she's an athlete! Poppy is a competitive synchronized swimmer who won 4 NCAA championship titles while attending college. Now let's see what she reveals today!

Poppy and her mom Auna Longpre.

1.What inspired you to apply as a contestant on The Apprentice? Tell us about the exciting process that you had to go through in order to get accepted! When I graduated from Standford, my plan was to continue on to medical school. However, after gaining acceptance, I realized that the long road to becoming a surgeon wasn't in line with my desire to maintain life-long relationships with patients, or my future desire to have a family where I can be actively involved in my children's lives. I began looking at other careers, and was unemployed during the process. With most of my experience in the Biological field, finding a job that wasn't directly in line with Biology was trying at best.When I found out about the return of "civilian" Apprentice, I decided to go for it.The process went quickly, and before it even sunk in, I was off to NYC for my very first job interview! I only had about 1 week to prepare to leave, and had to purchase business suits and attire. Having never worked, it was like I was given a task before the competition began.... find a New York business wardrobe in 1 week with a limited budget. Good thing I love shopping!

2. How do you feel about the fact that Donald Trump fired you even when you attempted to explain that your partners had agreed on your ideas for Kim Kardashian's fragance indoor display?

When Donald Trump fired me, of course I was disappointed. I went into this experience wanting SO badly to win. However, ultimately, the decisions that were made on the Kim Kardashian Task were mine to approve and put into action. Knowing now that Liza wasn't in favor of the boas and rhinestones, I feel cheated that she never expressed those opinions to me. She did that continually throughout the competition, and I wish now that I had thrown her "under the bus" in the boardroom for being a non-creative, "under the radar" teammate. However, as Project Manager, I must assume responsibility for both my decisions and for the actions of my team, and ultimately was fired.

At  the California Academy of Sciences.

3. You are definitely a young, educated woman with a lot of knowledge, willingness,and passion for life to share with the world.  Do you think that "The Apprentice" experience will influence decisions that you might make in the future and why?

Being on The Apprentice opened my eyes to a world of opportunities and career options. I have come to recognize strengths and assets I didn't know I had until getting a taste of the business world. I also gained a sense of maturity and learned about marketing ideas and catering them to a specific audience. Additionally, after a month of cameras following my every move, I came to enjoy the experience of being in front of the camera. I would love to be in front of the camera again on either the big or little screen. Sports have always been a passion of mine, so perhaps I will step into the sports broadcasting arena. I also have had a lifelong interest in the medical fields, and have recently applied to Dental Schools. Though I may sound like someone who doesn't know where they are headed in life, I like to think that my talents and interests are diverse, so I leave open the possibility of any career I have a passion, aptitude and facility for. No matter what the future holds for me, I will carry this experience and the invaluable knowledge I gained with me forever.

David and Poppy on WOODTV8 Michigan News live!

4. When others did not agree with you, what strategies did you use to sustain and support a point?

When working with other strongly opinionated people, disagreements often happen. I have always been a non-confrontational and tactful individual. Instead of arguing with teammates or dismissing ideas I disagreed with, I chose to listen and respond respectfully - stating both the positive and negative aspects of the idea. Also, I would try to incorporate pieces of other people's ideas with my own in order to gain support and team camaraderie.

5. Congratulations on winning a scholarship on The Jack Welch Management Institute! Are you planning on using it anytime soon?

  I was stunned when Jack Welch offered me a scholarship to The Jack Welch Management Institute. I do plan on using it, as it will aid me in any professional future I head toward. Recently I submitted applications for dental school, and am currently in the process of waiting to hear back from 28 institutions around the country. Attaining an MBA through Jack Welch's program will aid in a future in dentistry, as I will be better prepared to run my own practice.

David and Poppy at a Pumpkin Patch in 2010.

6. I'm pretty curious about your relationship with David! How did the professional dynamic between you and him evolved into something more special despite the  fast paced work pressure and rivalry among all competitors?

After being fired, contestants are moved to a separate hotel, where we are allowed to talk and get to know one another without the cameras.  Though David and I didn't get along during the Macy's Advertisement task, I knew lots of his melodramatic behavior was an act, and a strategy for more camera time. He did say some comedic things, and I figured he was interested in a future in television. The day after my firing, the 11 other fire-ees and I went on a field trip to Ellis Island.We were allowed to split up into smaller groups and roam. David pulled me aside and asked if I would venture with him. I gladly agreed, and the two of us shared the afternoon getting to know one another. After a couple of hours, we went to the gift shop, where he bought us Coke and rock candy, and we sat on a bench to continue talking. I think we were both surprised by how much we had in common, and how well we got along! From there, the rest is history!

Next to her dad Joseph Carlig III.

 7. How do you think you can perform better, working independently, or working collaboratelly in a group, and why? I am definitely a person who performs best working collaboratively in a group. This probably stems from a lifetime of team sports. In middle school, I picked up synchronized swimming - a time intensive sport in which learning to work cooperatively, patiently and efficiently are necessities. Throughout the tasks on The Apprentice, I noticed myself using many of the team-player mentality tactics I used as a synchronized swimmer. I enjoy bouncing ideas back and forth with teammates. Hearing other's ideas and feedback helps improve concepts and make them more marketable to a larger audience. Also, though there may be a project manager, I always believe that there is no "I" in "Team." Leaders who respect this rule are more often than not the ones who are successful.

Exclusive interview with Keith Jones, Morning Anchor Tampa Bay

Keith Jones, the morning anchor of Tampa Bay 10 News (WTSP), did not exactly want to become a "news" guy back then. Wait until you read what he reveals about what's really behind the reasons he is doing what he is doing today and where he was when the tragic events of September 11th, 2001 occurred! This successful professional who posesses a great and contagious sense of humor,  grew up in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. Based on a baseball scholarship, he was able to attend Barry University in North Miami. Now it's time to see what Keith Jones has to reveal!

1. How do you describe your immersion into such competitive field? Tell us about your first job as a reporter! Actually getting into this field was an absolute accident. I went to school for a business degree. My career goal  was to own a chain of sporting goods stores. For whatever reason, a prerequisite for the particular field of study… was an impromptu speech class. So here I am, a freshmen in college on the first day of class and the prof decides to illustrate what the class is all about. The professor made each of the students get up and talk about a random topic of her choice for 15 seconds. The professor called on me. I was given my topic (don’t recall what it was) and started talking. She had a stop watch, clicked it and said, "Your time is up". In the not-so-unusual-smart-aleck-form I said, “No, I have more”. She said, “Fine, go 30-seconds on this topic”. I did. She clicked the stop watch and I said, “Nah, I have more on this one too”. This scenario repeated itself until I was yapping for 2 and half minutes. After class, the prof called me over.  I’m thinking great, first day of college in my first year and I’m already busted. She asked what my major was and I explained business and what my aspirations were. She said, you absolutely have to do something in broadcast, whether it be radio or tv. So I started snooping around some production classes, then journalism classes and discovered I was pretty creative and fairly decent in front of the camera.

My first reporting position: I was hired the ABC affiliate in West Palm Beach right out of college. Not a typical starters market, but I was fortunate to begin my career here. It was pretty harsh. Long days, unbearable work load, horrible shifts, etc, but I wouldn’t trade it. All of the aforementioned was a tremendous learning experience. I learned early on it was going to be a sink or swim first job. Typically a kid out of college has to begin in a small market, make his/her mistakes, and eventually move up. I knew my mistakes had to be few and far between and couldn’t’ be repeated. I learned I wasn’t very good LIVE (lack of experience), but was a good story teller. In fact, I was nominated for an Emmy Award within my first 6 months. So I lived,…. I learned and moved on from West Palm.

2. You have been able to cover fascinating stories and experience closely events that have impacted the whole nation on a concerning level. Considering that you need to be elaborately trained and significantly skilled in your job in order to cover breaking news, how did you make it through during the September 11th crash of United Flight 93 in Somerset , Pennsylvania ? How did you cope with your own reactions vs. your duty? I think it was the disbelief of what was happening. At first everyone was transfixed on what was happening in New York City . Then the Pentagon was hit. Then Somerset. At the point it became clear all three were connected. I was sent to Pittsburgh International where I was able to get updates from the Aviation Authority. I remember this voracious appetite for any and all information. After several hours there, I was dispatched to the scene in Somerset , PA. It’s a long drive and we were learning this was a terrorist attack. I remember talking with my photographer about how scary this was. The uncertainty.The angst. What I was feeling was no different than other Americans. Your adrenaline takes over in situations like this and it helps suppress your inner fear and emotions. I spent an entire week in this field. By the time I got home, I was exhausted, stressed, etc. Leave it to my oldest daughter to force the tears to my eyes. She asked me why the bad men crashed planes into buildings. As journalists, we cover SO many horrific stories with ugly details. Honestly, like cops, we become numb to them. You have to or you’d end up in a deep depression. That’s not to say we’re completely devoid of emotion, but as a coping mechanism you just learn to say, “here we go again”. The stories that just kill me are stories in which children are hurt in some way. I always think, “geez that could be one of my daughters”.

3. How is your daily schedule like working for Tampa Bay 10 News? How do you get prepared for every appearance? My day starts at 2:45am. I curse this shift every morning, but then praise it at 12:30 in the afternoon when my day is done and I have the rest of the day to do, well… whatever. I’m in the shop by 3:30am, sit down and start copy editing scripts and discussing the stories our reporters are on. At 4:45am I go shave and get dressed and I’m on set for the 5:00am newscasts. Our broadcast runs for 2 hours so lots of coffee on set is a must.  When our show is over we start working on the “cut ins”. These are abbreviated newscasts that run at 7:25, :55, 8:25, :55.  After that, we start working on our rundowns for the Noon show. We’re constantly writing scripts and re-writing as new information comes in.

4. What is the part that you enjoy the most about your job?
Probably the people I work with. We have a tremendous crew in the morning. We work well together and most of all we have fun together. I enjoy the fact no day is the same. Each day is different.  I enjoy the fact anything can happen on live t.v. and something unexpected usually happens. I enjoy meeting new people out on stories or a live broadcast. In addition to all this…. Where else could I get paid to tell stories?

5.Tell us about the time that you and your family have donated to the American Heart Association and the Children's Hospital. Are you guys still in active with them?
People get involved with charities for a myriad of reasons. Mine is personal. My oldest daughter was born with an incurable heart disease.We didn’t know until she turned 1 year. In fact, we spent her first birthday in the hospital when she got diagnosed. She wasn’t supposed to live but 2 years. After numerous open heart surgeries, 2 artificial mitral valves, 2 pacemakers later…. She’s 14. To help raise awareness that kids have heart disease too, my family is intimately involved with the Heart Association. We engage in fundraisers, emcee events, share our stories with groups, etc. And since we spend so much time at Children’s Hospital, a place that has treated us very well, we offer our time and efforts their as well.

6.What are the topics that you are particularly passionate about and truly enjoy to the fullest when covering a story or even when you are just carrying a regular conversation? The stories I enjoy the most are features or positive stories involving kids.  I’m tongue in cheek with my story telling which lends itself to a log of humor. I love to combine natural sound, sound bites, creative writing and camera shots into one piece that leaves the viewer smiling, laughing, and informed. There’s an art to it and for me, it’s a lot of fun to meld these items into a compelling story. As for what I like to talk about… hmmmmm… usually my kids, because they are a wealth of stories. Unbeknownst to them… they’re entertaining and provide for a plethora of anecdotes. Additionally, I was apparently born with the gift of gab and can talk to anyone about anything.