March 2009 - Posts
Everyone has a lucky number. Maybe it's your birthday, maybe it's your favorite baseball player's number or maybe you just pulled it out of the fortune cookie you had for dinner last night. Regardless, lucky numbers can bring you all types of great fortune and if you're really, really, really lucky... maybe even money.
In this week's "Getting to Know TODAY," we ask the TODAY family: If you were a contestant on "Deal or No Deal," what number briefcase would you choose and why?
Be sure to post your lucky numbers below -- maybe you'd pick the same briefcase as Matt or maybe you could help Ann decide on an answer! Don't forget to add your ideas for future "Getting to Know TODAY" questions as well. Hopefully we'll pick yours.
As always, check the allDAY blog every Tuesday to learn the latest answers to all your burning questions about the TODAY family!
In the meantime, we hope you have a great week with plenty of good fortune and of course, lots of luck.
-A.M. in the A.M.
From TODAY producer Stephanie Becker
They're pulling the plug on "ER" this week after 332 episodes, about 400 billion ccs of epi, cross-matched with type o-negative, with a Chem-7, tox screen and saline drip chaser. And just as importantly, treating those 4,675 romantic traumas. At least that's what it feels like to me. And I should know; I just spent the last week cooped up with my editor Mark watching hour upon hour of 15 seasons of "ER" episodes for our three-part ode to "ER." It's running today through Thursday. As a result, I think I need a butt-ectomy.
About a month ago I went with our Meredith for her Behind the Scenes tour of the "ER" set. I really was there, although if you blink you’ll miss my hidden cameo in our spot. But, I've made my mom happy. She’s probably re-running it on TiVo now to complain about my outfit.
We shot about five hours of tape, less than the time it takes to remove your appendix. So, what did we surgically remove? Alas, John Stamos being incredibly charming and gracious to everyone who wanted their picture taken with him. We also extracted everyone's choice in the time-honored tradition of taking something from a set. Stamos got the board where they write up all the patient information. Parminder Nagra confessed that she was already grabbing little stuff like nametags. "I'm actually the worst stealer of everybody, maybe I should go and get a couple of 'ER' doors?" She’s so tiny that if she did she'd definitely give herself a hernia.
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From TODAY producer Stephanie BeckerWe ran a story this morning about
40 being the new 20 for women. As New York’s Mamaroneck High School’s Class of ’78 “Woman’s Libber” you’d think my kneejerk reaction would be something negative like “are they off their rocker?” (Isn’t that the phrase we used way back then before the Internets and just after dinosaurs?) Perhaps if I hadn’t become somewhat of a long-term expert on the fourth decade of life, I might feel a little sexist rage. But that was then. And this is the new math.
CONTINUED >>
From Ann Curry, TODAY
Now my NBC news team knows why climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro was worth every hardship.
We have just learned America's big heart has raised enough donations to keep a school from closing because of dry wells.
Video: Water shortage threatens African schools
While this is one small victory in Tanzania where diminishing water supplies blamed on climate change are threatening many schools, it is a huge win for the children in this story, who love school like children in America love disneyland.
Makes me so happy to know Belinda, a sixth grader we profiled in the piece and pictured below, is getting a chance to make her dreams come true.
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| Belinda has big dreams. She was to be a president, and if that doesn't work out she'd like to be a doctor or a nurse. |
From Amy Robach, TODAY
When I was asked if I wanted to drive across the Canadian Arctic last week, I thought, "Wow, beautiful scenery ... amazing wildlife ... the Northern Lights ... WHO WOULDN'T?"
Then they told me I'd be driving in a big rig hauling 70 tons of fuel .... across a SHEET OF ICE. For hundreded of miles. Hmmmm. I'm going to need more than thermals.
Our trip with the ice road truckers airs on Friday, but here are a few behind-the-scenes photos from my camera, including an up-close-and-personal meeting with an Arctic fox...
On thin ice with my producer, Jen Long.
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When Matt Lauer separated his shoulder last week after a run-in with a deer while biking, he knew he was in for a ribbing when he returned to TODAY.
"I feel good and I doubled up on the meds so I'm ready for all your jokes this morning," said Matt, who had surgery and must wear a sling for six weeks. "It's a fashion statement – it'll be all the rage next year."
In response, Ann said she was happy to have Matt back and that the TODAY family made a pact not to make fun of him. Then she put on a pair of antlers. The TODAY crew and some guests (including the daredevil kayaker) sported their own antlers in honor of Deergate.
Even guest David DeVore, who was on to talk about the "David After Dentist" YouTube sensation, took a jab at Matt. "You need to get a deer whistle for your bike," he advised the host.
The folks over at Good Morning America had a few words for Matt -- and a tongue-in cheek get-well gift. A producer presented Matt with a note from executive producer Jim Murphy along with a large yellow "Matt Xing" sign.
"I'm going to put that up in my office ... actually the front of my bicycle," Matt laughed.
"You didn't send the deer, right?" Ann joked with the producer.
But adding insult to injury, Deergate caused some to question Matt's credibility.
On the Tonight Show, Jay Leno said he didn't believe the run-in was an accident, running a clip that showed a deer booby-trapping the TODAY host.
Tony Kornheiser, co-host of ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption," called Matt's story a farce.
"That is a made-up story and we have to get to the bottom of it," he said.
Tony, wearing antlers of course, came on the show to confront Matt to his face.
"For a guy that got in this terrible accident with a deer, you look great," Tony said.
Matt defended himself, saying "I didn't say a knife-wielding deer attacked me in the bushes," and pointed out that he was wearing a sling.
Unconvinced, Tony said, "The sling is great cover." Then he offered his own theory as to what happened.
"Matt Lauer, Al Roker, spring break, and something goes terribly wrong," he said. "Matt Lauer, Michael Phelps. Need I go further?"
As promised, Matt took the jokes in stride. NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, who also got in on the Matt-and-deer roast, had a joke about that too.
"You're probably half-gooned on Percocet sitting there at work pretending to enjoy the broadcast," he said.
Then, out of nowhere, an animated deer jumped across the screen. "They've take over urban areas ... this is a scourge!" Brian yelled while the studio crew laughed.
UPDATE: Matt will be back tomorrow! And he will finally be able to respond to Tony Kornheiser's accusation that he did not actually hit a deer...Where in the world was Matt Lauer Monday morning? Brazil? Cambodia? The exotic Seychelle Islands?
Somewhere considerably less scenic, unfortunately -- the TODAY host was laid up with an injured shoulder after a mishap while bicycling on Long Island. "He was riding his bike over the weekend and he had a run-in with a deer," co-host Meredith Vieira explained.
Vieira added that although Lauer's shoulder was hurt, his sense of humor was intact: He joked in an email that he thought “the deer was hired by the competition.”
“I’d hire the deer -- but just to graze him,” Vieira quipped to Weekend TODAY anchor Lester Holt, who filled in for Lauer.
Vieira said that the deer apparently leapt in front of Lauer, who slammed on his brakes to avoid a collision. The sudden stop threw him off the bike and onto his shoulder. Luckily, Lauer was wearing a helmet.
Lauer, 51, is an avid cyclist who has ridden a bike on TODAY on a number of occasions, most recently around the Olympic velodrome in Beijing. He also rode a bike last year in the Netherlands during his annual “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?” globe-girdling trip.
Matt is scheduled to have surgery on the shoulder Monday afternoon. But in true show-biz tradition, he is hoping to be back in his anchor chair on Wednesday. Viewers can convey their best wishes to Matt by commenting on this post. However, viewers who want to leave their best wishes for the deer are on their own.
From Jenna Wolfe, TODAY
I went surfing with Patrick Ivison recently. Actually, he surfed… I just flailed around like a wild chicken barely balancing on a board. Patrick got a rush. I got a gallon of water in my mouth. Patrick wanted to spend the rest of the day in the water. I wanted to get out. So I grabbed my board and walked towards the beach. Patrick couldn’t follow me.
This wide-eyed, zealous 14-yr old is a quadriplegic.
Shortly after his first birthday, Patrick, who had been walking since he was nine months old, was with his mom, Jennifer, running errands when he wrangled away from her for just a second. In a twisted act of horrible timing, a car backed up and ran over the little boy, instantly crushing his spinal chord. Patrick was paralyzed from the neck down. His life, having just started, would change forever. Jennifer quit her job as a secretary to take care of Patrick, as it would clearly turn into a full time job. She now relies on fundraising to help pay for the intense rehab he undergoes.
CONTINUED >>
Many people often compare the TODAY team to a family. Some may even deem Matt and Meredith as the parents of what has been marketed as "TV's First Family."
So, we decided to draw a family tree for you. In this week's "Getting to Know TODAY," we ask the TODAY family: If TODAY really is "America's First TV Family," then who does that make America's first "crazy" TV uncle?
Gene Shalit, Al, Willard -- all great answers! Be sure to post your opinion on who holds the coveted title of TODAY's first crazy uncle. Don't forget to add your ideas for future "Getting to Know TODAY" questions as well. Hopefully we'll pick yours!
As always, check the allDAY blog every Tuesday to learn the latest answers to all your burning questions about the TODAY family (crazy uncles included)!
-A.M. in the A.M.
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Rebecca and Peter Alexander |
From Peter Alexander, TODAYThis is the most important story I've ever told. It's also the toughest. My sister, Rebecca, is smart, kind and hysterically funny -- truly, the most remarkable and impressive woman I've ever met. She works as a practicing psychotherapist and to make ends meet she teaches 15 spin classes a week. She does all of it despite a disability that's robbing her of her vision
and her hearing all at once.
Stop for a second -- think about that! Doctors have told my sister she will likely go completely blind and deaf within the next 10 years. As my sister describes it, "It's like I am slowly being taken from the world around me -- like the end of an old Warner Brothers cartoon on TV where the picture becomes an increasingly smaller hole until it finally fades to black."
Rebecca, 30, has a rare genetic disorder called Usher syndrome, type III. It is among the cruelest of disorders -- progressively stealing normal life away from roughly 16,000 people nationwide. And, currently, there is no treatment or cure.
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From Alicia Ybarbo, TODAY producer & co-author, TODAY'S MOMS: Essentials for Surviving Baby's First Year
Today I produced a segment for the show about manners (video) and how today's parents are making a shift towards more traditional etiquette, primarily influenced by the First Lady, Michelle Obama. My guest was Linda Murray, of BabyCenter.com, who recently surveyed a little more than 1000 moms on the subject. An overwhelming 81% of moms shared that today it's more important than ever to teach a child manners.
Easier said than done.
If there's one thing that I learned from my parents (which I'm still learning) it's manners. "Please" and "thank you," "pardon me" and "after you" were all elements of my childhood that weren't taught, but picked up. My siblings and I were never sat down and taught etiquette/manners (I don't really know anyone who was). We were taught by example, and today, I try to do the same with my own children.
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| My family: Jack, Lucy and Mark |
As a parent of a five- and three-year-old I work hard every day at raising well-behaved children. Mind you, my husband and I don't always agree about manners, because the Zimmerman family is not immune to silly burps, loud talking and open mouth-chewing at our dinner table. Not proud moments in my family, but they do provide comic relief... and that's when I have to throw my high hopes out the window and giggle along with them.
But, by golly, I got the most encouraging news from my son's kindergarten teachers yesterday at his parent-teacher conference. First thing Ms. Stacy and Ms. Ali shared was a note, folded several times, from Jack. A thank you note! This is what it said:
"Daku for te me wou to masurz I noh to mak surz naw"
It may look like hieroglyphics, but it was Jack's FIRST handwritten thank you note. Unsolicited, unprompted, it was all Jack's doing. Loosely translated, for those who don't understand my five-year-old’s writing, "Thank you for teaching me how to make stars. I know how to make stars now."
I was beaming, could not have been more proud of my thankful little boy. (Enter Ode To Joy music here.) This was a moment to mentally photograph and keep forever.
So for all the times that I (often unsuccessfully) prompt my children to say hello to people, thank parents for play dates at their house and ask to be excused from the table... I need to remind myself that, if we continue to teach by example, that one day they will pick up on it.
From Jamie Gangel, TODAY
When I pitched a story on Twitter, the truth is I was skeptical about most online social networking. My house is a Facebook-free zone! There is no "friending," no blogging (except this one) and up to now, no Twitter. I was, however, curious why everyone from
MC Hammer to
Newt Gingrich was "tweeting." Why would you "follow" someone? Why would anyone other than my mother really want to know what I was doing? And most important, communicating with only 140 characters? Not possible!
After a week, I am still a novice, but I have learned in the course of preparing for Thursday’s Twitter piece that part of this strange, new universe is getting people to "follow" you. For example, my colleague David Gregory worked hard to get over 100,000 thousand followers, and Ellen DeGeneres has an online campaign now to get a million followers. So for the fun of it, I tried to get my dear friend David to follow me….
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One of the best parts about my job is the incredible team that I get to work with. The countless producers, reporters, editors -- the list goes on!
Meredith Vieira is no exception. In this week's "Getting to Know TODAY," we ask the TODAY family: What's the first word that comes to mind when you think of Meredith Vieira?
What a gal! Be sure to post your "first words" below in addition to ideas for future "Getting to Know TODAY" questions. Hopefully we'll pick yours!
Don't forget to check the allDAY blog every Tuesday to learn the latest answers to all your burning questions about the TODAY family.
-A.M. in the A.M.
While in Dublin working on our show from Ireland, our staff had a chance to share a drink with one of the biggest rock stars in the world.
Bono bought a round of Black Velvets (Guinness and champagne) while telling us about Ireland and the band's new album.
He just happened to be passing through our hotel and while I think most of our conversation was off the record, I hope it is fair to share that his favorite song to perform live from "No Line on the Horizon" is "Breathe."
Thank you, Bono for the warm welcome and proof that Ireland is a magical place where anything seems possible.
"The people we meet will not be drowned out."
Today, we continue on with our second installment of our web series, "Getting to Know TODAY," where you'll learn more about the TODAY family from the TODAY family. Check out the allDAY blog every Tuesday to learn the latest answers to all your burning questions.
This week's question: If TODAY were a rock band, who would be the lead singer?
Be sure to post your thoughts below about who you think could headline their own band and send us ideas for future "Getting to Know TODAY" questions. Hopefully we'll pick yours!
-A.M. in the A.M.
On Saturday, our very own Willard Scott turns 75 years young!
We're kicking off a new Web series, "Getting to Know TODAY," where you'll learn more about the TODAY family from the TODAY family. Check the allDAY blog every Tuesday to learn the latest answers to all your burning questions.
This week's question: If TODAY were a movie, who would play Matt Lauer?
Be sure to post your thoughts below about who you think should play Matt and send us ideas for future "Getting to Know TODAY" questions. Hopefully we'll pick yours!
-A.M. in the A.M.
For more on this story: Gulp! She swallowed her engagement ring
