August 2009 - Posts
Good morning!
Here is what Kathie Lee & Hoda discussed this morning:
KLG's vacation
Psychologists who hold 3-minute sessions
Taxman on social networking sites
"Everyone Has a Story"
Congrats to Meredith on her Daytime Emmy Award for best game show host ("Who Wants to Be a Millionaire")!
For a complete list of winners,
click here.
Good morning!
Here is what Hoda & Donny discussed this morning:
Miley Cyrus rocked the Plaza this morning and her fans of all ages were reacting on Twitter.
(AP Photo/Peter Kramer)
Here are a few of our favorites:
@savesasha i touched Miley's hand on the Today Show OMG!!!!!
@shoshochaneil : miley rocked today show I was there
@ctxallstar : I was at the the "today show" to watch @mileycyrus preform with my cousins. you were awesome!
@PshhitsLauren : Feels loved by @mileycyrus Since I was at the today show(: It's my first time being in NY. It made my trip, what's next? Hmm.
@MissCaitlyn How did I convince my parents to stand in the rain all morning @todayshow to watch @mileycyrus ? I don't know but it was awesomeeeeeee!
@TurtleSpy I'm such a good mom I've brought my daughter and her friends to see Miley Cyrus at Rockefeller Ctr. Man, I need some coffee.
@joodleswonders was literally 5 feet away from miley cyrus at the today show :) @mileycyrus you were amazing today, can't wait for your EP!
@lexx95 : OMG i saw miley cyrus at the today show (waited in the rain!!) and was on tv at the end!!!!
UPDATE: Here are a few YouTube videos from the fans in the crowd...
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Miley Cyrus fans have started lining up on the Plaza. The first fans arrived as early as Wednesday night.
Here are some pictures of the line (about 100 people) at 6:30 PM tonight.
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Good morning!
Here is what Kathie Lee & Hoda discussed this morning:
From Sara Haines, TODAY Correspondent
"I want to thank you all, but especially my mom and dad, Mrs. Hellfrich my 6th grade teacher, John, my favorite barista who gives me the best cup of coffee every morning, and…and…and…" Do you recognize this speech? Well, maybe not exactly, but a version of this? We have all thought about our Oscar speech. I have modified it over the years as people come and go, but I have the general outline ready to go...just in case.
When I first came to NYC, my plan was to pursue a career in acting. I didn’t know much about "the business", but I didn’t want to regret not trying. In my first couple of months here, I went to Serendipity (yes, the one that the movie was named after) with my cousin. What to my wondering eyes should appear, but Hilary Swank! She had just won the Oscar for “Boys Don’t Cry” and I knew it was a sign. I do believe in signs, so I hung on to that sign for another couple of years.
Eventually I realized that acting may not be in my cards, but I LOVED doing it. Now, I find satisfaction in going to the movies and living my life through movie quotes. Just to clarify, the quotes aren’t the life changing moments that are deep and thoughtful, but rather the crazy, off-the-wall, comedic phrases that have me laughing harder at myself than anyone else ever does.
In the meantime, a girl can dream -- enjoy the clip!
A great TwitPic from @sarahaines that shows how Steve has been keeping cool on our set.
Sara tweets :
Even when Steve is on @todayshow set, his biggest "fan" is never far behind.
A cute video of a kid dancing along with the
Rockettes who performed on our show on Tuesday .
Suesan2000
writes :
The Today Show was on TV and Brayden decided to dance with the cancan girls! SOOOO CUTE!!! He loves to dance.
Do you want to know where to get the fashions in the back-to-school segment below?
From Alicia Ybarbo, TODAY producer & co-author, TODAY'S MOMS: Essentials for Surviving Baby's First Year As a child, my family took me camping on a regular basis. My parents even have pictures of me when I was just two weeks old, swaddled like a burrito, chilling out at a campground. That experience, at two-weeks-old, was just the beginning of a childhood of outdoor education.
Every summer my parents would take me and my siblings to places in California like Eureka, Mendocino, Bodega Bay, Yosemite, Sequoia and Shasta. We’d take in lakes and mountains, redwood forests and beautiful oceans. These were vacations where nature was presented to us as an outdoor classroom.
I finally got the chance to take my own children to experience the great outdoors at
Calaveras Big Trees State Park in California , just north of Yosemite – home of giant sequoias, some as old as 2000 years old.
If you strike from your memory the idea of dirty clothes, timed showers, bug bites, and cramped quarters, camping is quite fun! My children loved it. And what’s not to love about most camping rituals: eating s’mores, stargazing, talking by the campfire, reading books, bike riding, marathon Scrabble games, swims in ice cold lakes, and hikes in the mountains with a little trail mix as the reward? This was a time where I was also able to expose my children to nature, conservation and our environment. In fact, most state and national parks offer plenty of programs for kids, and Big Trees was no exception.
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Good morning!
Here is what Hoda & Tamron discussed this morning:
Al will be hosting
an upcoming primetime special on Sesame Street called: "Families Stand Together: Feeling Secure in Tough Times."
The special "aims to help families with children, ages two to eight, experiencing difficult economic circumstances by offering strategies and tips that can lead to positive outcomes for their children's physical and emotional well-being during this tough economic climate."
It premieres on September 9th at 8 pm ET/PT on PBS.
Everyone has ‘those weaknesses” in their lives. For some, it's a bad reality show. For others, maybe it's cheesecake. Whether your guilty pleasure involves eating a loaded baked potato or playing the part of a couch potato, sometimes in life you just have to indulge!
So, I decided to ask the TODAY family in this week's "Getting to Know TODAY": What's your biggest guilty pleasure?
As always, check the allDAY blog every Tuesday to learn the latest answers to all your burning questions about the TODAY family!
Have a great week ... and be sure to indulge.
-A.M. in the A.M.
Good morning!
Here is what Hoda & Tamron discussed this morning:
One of the last fans standing on the Plaza this morning....
...was able to get a better view inside our studio.
A behind the scenes look at the Rockettes on the show this morning via @rockettes .
Here they are rehearsing before the show....
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This morning we took a look at Time magazine's 50 best websites of 2009 .
Do you visit any of these? Besides todayshow.com , what are your favorites?
And a view of 30 Rockefeller Plaza after the jump...
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Good morning!
Here is what Hoda & Tamron discussed this morning:
Triathlon training
In this month's Women's Health and Men's Health magazines, Matt and Ann have both been selected as what the magazine calls "Age Erasers."
Readers helped the editors choose people who they feel "...look younger than their years suggest." Check out their acceptance speeches here and peek inside the magazines after the jump.
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A great email from a viewer in Martha's Vineyard.
Carol McManus owns the Espresso Love Cafe in Edgartown which is near where the Obama family is on summer vacation.
In Ron Allen's report on Monday morning , he mentioned the Baracko-Taco, the Obama-Rita and "even ice cream called 'Barack My World.'" McManus in her email says she has one more Obama-inspired food to include: the Obama Muffin.
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The editor-in-chief of Glamour magazine, Cindi Leive, was on
the show this morning to talk about a photo in their latest issue that has drawn a lot of attention.
Courtesy: Walter Chin/Glamour MagazineCONTINUED >>
Good morning!
Here is what Kathie Lee & Hoda discussed this morning:
Mating sharks
Broken hearts
A great concert this morning from British pop singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield.
Here is a view from the Plaza courtesy of @jasenkaplan .
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The band "Love and Theft" and friends on our set this morning.
Photo via Stephanie Keshe
The trio will perform on Friday.
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From Ann's Facebook page , here is a look at White House reporter Helen Thomas's face "upon being asked if she would consider joining Twitter."
Stay tuned to find out when Ann's interview will air.
Good morning!
Here is what Kathie Lee & Hoda discussed this morning:
New PETA ad controversy
A man finds his missing wedding after 1 year
Body odor in theme parks
“Fashion’s Night Out,” considered the largest ever retail event. CONTINUED >>
As Lester has mentioned on allDAY before , he loves to play the bass.
This month, there is an interesting profile about him in Making Music Magazine:
Though those early electric basses hold a special place in Holt’s heart, he’d always yearned to play an upright, the instrument that first attracted him to the bass. "I love the sound,” he says. “We had an old upright at my high school, and I tried it a couple times, but the bridge was broken. Finally, when I moved back to New York City in 2000, I went down to 48th street and picked one up and struggled it onto the subway. I thought, how hard could this be? I just started figuring it out and playing it.”
You can read the whole article here .
It's Al's 55th birthday! Send your wishes to help him celebrate.
From TODAY correspondent Jill Rappaport Animal Care and Control in New York and surrounding areas, and we select four wonderful animals that were abandoned or abused and left at death's door.Dear viewers: If you're interested in finding information on how to adopt the dogs seen on TODAY, please visit the Animal Care & Control of New York City's site at nycacc.org .
Khloe Kardashian has posted some pictures from her and Kourtney's visit to our show .
Khloe writes :
Last week Kourt and I went on the Today Show to promote Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami. Kourt talked about her pregnancy and announced that Scott was the baby daddy even though Kathie Lee tried to stop her LOL.
You can check out all the pictures and more here .
We enjoyed this video of Ellie the dog watching our segment with Nora the Piano Cat .
Her owner writes:
Ellie was sound asleep before this segment came on the Today show. I wonder if she will ever get along with cats?
If you hadn't already seen her on YouTube , you might have seen Nora the Piano Cat on our show this morning .
Well Nora's owners keep a blog which is written in the voice of their world famous cat and they have posted a behind the scenes look at the segment this morning.
"Nora" writes :
Finally the big moment arrived and we were live via satellite with Matt Lauer. I know there was concern that I might not be in the mood to play a few notes once the cameras were rolling and the world, as they say, was watching. But, much to the deliight of Betsy, I did feel like playing a brief riff. I played more after the cameras stopped. All in all, it went quite well I thought. Hope you enjoyed it.
You can read more on the blog, including some pictures, here .
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
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This morning, we shared some pretty incredible pictures that were sent from a viewer in New York who captured last night's lightning storm over the city. CONTINUED >>
“bare arms , ” and now, pictures of Michelle wearing “short” shorts while on holiday with her family during yesterday’s trip to the Grand Canyon are sparking a similar debate. While most women would agree that shorts (at any length) are often tough to pull off, I think we should line up with hands raised to offer her a high five. And since she is gifted with those long legs, I beg the question — wouldn't all shorts be "short" on her? CONTINUED >>
Al Roker -- what a guy. So many words come to mind when you think of America's favorite weatherman.
Good morning!
Here is what Kathie Lee & Hoda discussed this morning:
Michelle Obama wears shorts
Jail-House Fire Hot Sauces
Unlikely animal pals
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
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Good morning!
Here is what Kathie Lee and Hoda discussed this morning:
From TODAY producer MaryAnn Zoellner
It was May 22, the Friday before Memorial Day. I was sitting at my desk when I got the call from the doctor’s office that my 2-year-old, Arabella, was just tested for the flu virus and it came back positive: Influenza A − most likely swine flu. The reason they couldn’t say officially that it was swine flu is because only the CDC can determine that. My heart stopped.
Let me go back to the beginning: On Tuesday, Arabella and Zurielle, 4, both woke up with snotty noses. The next day, Zurielle slept until 9 a.m., which was odd. But when she crawled out of bed, she was fine. Arabella was another story. CONTINUED >>
We're sixth months away from the Vancouver Games, and Natalie Morales is already in the Olympic spirit! Recently she and producer Jennie Thompson traveled to Colorado and met up with Vancouver hopefuls Jeret "Speedy" Peterson and Emily Cook to learn about one of the most amazing sports to watch -- aerial skiing.
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A lot of you have been reacting to the segment this morning on the retouched photo of Kelly Clarkson on the cover of Self Magazine .
After the segment, the editor-in-chief of Self, Lucy Danziger posted to her blog :
Wow. What a week. I have been inundated with requests to be on TV about the Kelly Clarkson cover, and I just finished an appearance on the Today show with the beautiful Emme and the calm and gorgeous Meredith, and the messages are so important to get across, here again is what I want to say:
I am being honest about retouching. This cover is an honest representation of how Kelly Clarkson looked on the day of our shoot, despite the fact that others have said she was drastically altered. Just not true.
You can read more of Lucy's blog here and also join the discussion here .
“Playing to the Middle.” I found myself talking to friends about it throughout the day, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. So I really wanted to share and find out what more of you thought. Here is what Times writer Cintra Wilson, also known as The Critical Shopper, had to say:CONTINUED >>
Good morning!
Here is what Kathie Lee & Hoda discussed this morning:
Kathie Lee's birthday countdown: 2 more days!
How men and women differ when it comes to the thermostat
Meryl Streep
Hoda and Kathie Lee's fears
Inspired by a great picture of a squirrel crashing what looked like the perfect shot , this morning through the magic of television the same squirrel crashed our show.
We had a lot of fun this morning on the Plaza during a live concert from Flo Rida . But check out these kids on YouTube who were feeling the "Flo" in their living rooms.
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Good morning!
Here is what Kathie Lee & Hoda discussed this morning:
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
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A great picture from a viewer in Charlottesville, Virginia this morning. Jazzy Danziger snapped this shot of her cat , Whitaker, watching the show.
Whitaker and I have watched the show every morning this summer while I'm on break from grad school. I adopted her 4 years ago from the Missouri Humane Society in St. Louis and now she's living with me and my fiance in Charlotttesville, Virginia. She loves the show -- especially the pet-related segments.
A much discussed place on this blog, the New York Times recently took a closer look inside our control room. describes the "chaos behind the morning-show calm" :The room is lighted softly with sort of gentle darkness that evokes a movie theater just before the feature begins. There are so many monitors — and so many scattered images: the studio, the street outside, the correspondents waiting in the field — that the control room’s occupants have been known to return home in the evening, turn their simple sets on and ask themselves, “That’s it?” It is a testament to the schizophrenic nature of live TV that the most spontaneous moments are never seen by those at home. here .Credit: NBC Newswire
Good morning!
Here are the topics we covered this morning with Kathie Lee & Hoda:
Kathie Lee's mother was on
the show this morning . Below is a great picture taken on the set. Sara Haines
tweets , "Like mother like daughter...beautiful!!!"
Ann wants your thoughts on her outfit this morning. She wore a dress topped off with a white jacket, and she planned to accessorize with a matching fabric flower over the button of her jacket.
She decided to ditch the flower because "certain bosses of our broadcast thought it was dopey," she said.
"They said the audience would be distracted by it," Meredith explained.
So what do you think? Would the flower have been fashion forward or a fashion faux pas? Do you think it would have been too distracting?
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC NewsCONTINUED >>
TODAY anchors had a few laughs this morning at Hoda's expense when they noticed that she was reporting the day's news barefoot.
Hoda explained that she was working sans shoes because her heels make her too tall to fit in the camera shot.
"I thought I was smelling bad Chinese..." joked Al, who received boos and was chided by Ann for being mean.
"This was an ode to your feet; now it's odor of your feet. That's wrong," Meredith quipped.
So will the actor consider making the political plunge and following in the footsteps of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan? Watch Thursday's show to see Pitt, whose new film "Inglourious Basterds" opens this Friday, speak exclusively to TODAY's Ann Curry.
John Abell, the New York Bureau Chief for wired.com and a self-described "mouthpiece on digital etiquette," was on the show Monday to talk about technology and modern manners. After the segment he blogged about his experience on TODAY.
Abell writes :
The hairdresser at Today told me his breaking point came at the movies not long ago. Annoyed by the thousand points of light not coming from the screen, he asked for and got a refund, left the theater and vowed never to return.
You can read the rest of his blog here and watch the segment below.
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC NewsCONTINUED >>
This morning on the show, we talked about how dogs are smarter than you may think . Before the segment, an 8 month old Golden Retriever named Maggie had some fun around studio. CONTINUED >>
The TODAY anchors have traveled far and wide .... including some remote islands! But no matter who you are or who you are stuck with, life on a deserted island would require some resourcefulness to be sure you make it off the island alive! In this week's "Getting to Know TODAY" we ask the TODAY family: If you were stranded on a deserted island, which TODAY anchor would you take with you to ensure your survival and why?
If you had the decision to make, which TODAY anchor would you decide to bring with you? Would it be Matt, who has traveled all over with "Where in the World is Matt Lauer?" Or would you choose to bring Ann, the woman who has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro? Maybe you'd opt for some comedic relief and take along Kathie Lee?! 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!
Have a great week!
-A.M. in the A.M. with a big thanks to TODAY intern, Paige Hansen
Good morning!
Here are the topics we covered this morning with Kathie Lee & Hoda:
Jimmy Choo/H&M collaboration, here comes yet another fashion fantasy! The whimsical wonder sisters behind Rodarte, Kate and Laura Mulleavy — best known for their feminine yet modern and often avante garde tastes — are ready to take on Target. The retailer’s “Go International” series of limited collections already produced memorable mash-ups by well-known designers, including Erickson-Beamon, Alexander McQueen and Anna Sui. CONTINUED >>
In what will go down as one of the greatest softball games in morning television history, Team Today outlasted the Zucker All-Stars on Friday, 10-8, in a 15-inning thriller that will be forever seared in the minds of all those who witnessed it.
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Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News CONTINUED >>
From NBC News correspondent Kerry Sanders
My father, an orphan from Philadelphia who grew up in extreme poverty, taught all us kids the value of a buck. He would later become the president of the Better Business Bureau in Boston, and his consumer expertise included this advice: “Extended warranties are a waste of money.”
But as my dad told us, there are no absolutes, and Rachel Veitch is proof of that.CONTINUED >>
This morning, NBC's Kerry Sanders introduced us to Rachel Veitch.www.GrowingBolder.com , here is how the site describes her story:She captured the attention of the nation, when at the age of 89, GrowingBolder.com told the story of her love affair between
Rachel Veitch and her beloved Mercury Comet Caliente. Totally by word of mouth,
links to the story were passed from blogger to blogger, Web surfer to Web surfer
and in a matter of weeks, nearly 3 million people had watched the video. After the jump, see the video that started it all... CONTINUED >>
All kinds of fans came down to the Plaza on Friday to see Jason Mraz . CONTINUED >>
It's not till Sunday, but the TODAY Show couldn’t wait to celebrate Hoda’s special day with her family and friends.
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News CONTINUED >>
From Jenna Wolfe Patrick and his dog Kona
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Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
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Good Houskeeping cover girl .
Meredith, along with Trisha Yearwood and Jada Pinkett-Smith, graces the cover of the September issue for a story on "what happy looks like."
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In her first television interview since announcing her separation from Jon, Kate Gosselin will open up about living in the intense media spotlight and how her family is dealing with it.
By TODAY Correspondent Jill Rappaport
We all know what wonderful companions animals are, but doing this story on Guiding Eyes for the Blind reminded me just how miraculous dogs can be.
With a 50-year legacy, Guiding Eyes, a New York-based nonprofit guide dog school, provides blind and visually impaired individuals with superior dogs. In return, their owners get a new lease on life by getting back their independence. The dogs, mostly Labrador retrievers, are introduced into the program when they are puppies, 6 to 9 weeks old. The dogs go through extensive training, which requires incredible love and patience from the organization’s countless volunteers. A puppy is not born a guide dog, but created by the tireless dedication of this entire team of committed individuals. Their efforts result in the creation of some of the finest bred and trained guide dogs in the world, who become a priceless gift for their owners – and a best friend for life.
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News CONTINUED >>
Sunday is our very own Hoda Kotb’s birthday so in honor of her day, we dedicated this week’s “Who Knew” segment to all-things Hoda. But before the quiz, Hoda Kotb was surprised by one of her closest friends, Karen.
So how well do you know Hoda Kotb? Test yourself.
OK, so let's just say -- hypothetically speaking -- it's Ann Curry's birthday.
Yes, I know, I know, it's not until November, but who wouldn't welcome a random gift in August? Especially when it's a present for everyone's favorite News Anchor, Ann Curry.
Ann is super daring and always ready to take on new challenges and adventures. So, maybe for her next birthday, we could prepare her with gifts to help her reach the top of Kilimanjaro? Or how about something that would help her bungee jump with all fears cast aside. For this week's Getting to Know TODAY, I decided to ask her friends here at TODAY just that: It's Ann Curry's birthday -- what would be the most perfect gift?
Be sure to post your thoughts below -- what would you buy for Ann on her next birthday? Do you agree with Kathie Lee's choice of a GPS system? Or maybe you'd want to help Meredith and Ann garden? 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!
Have a great week!
-A.M. in the A.M.
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
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This morning, Tyler Florence stopped by our studio to share tips on pickling.TwitPic Via @TylerFlorence CONTINUED >>
You might have seen our segment this morning with Susan Westmoreland of "Good Housekeeping" who showed us how to make healthy fruit desserts.
After the segment, Natalie and Ann enjoyed one more bite of the low-calorie desserts that were made from some of the season's ripest produce.
If you make any of our recipes at home let us know what think and if you have a hand-me down dessert recipe of your own that you would like to share, please submit it here .
TwitPic Via @sarahaines
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
