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Carter Speaks Out About Obama Protests

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Former President Jimmy Carter spoke out against protests with racial undertones and says it concerns him deeply. Check out the clip.

Taylor Swift Gets a Kanye Apology

So, Kanye West did the right thing after all. He personally called the teen country pop star to apologize for his misbehavior at the VMAs. Let's all move on now.

Taylor Swift Is Willing To Meet With Kanye...

...if he reaches out and calls the country pop star.  Taylor Swift revealed this morning on The View that Kanye West hasn't reached out to her directly to apologize.  After Kanye's rude and awkward behavior at the VMAs when he snatched the microphone away from Taylor Swift to voice his support for Beyonce,the least he could do is pick-up the phone and talk to her. 

Kanye, now would be a good time to set-up that in-person meeting you were talking about on Jay Leno's show.  Man-up and do the right thing.

P.S. How cute is Taylor Swift in this clip as she describes her thought process?  I interviewed Taylor Swift at a red carpet event about a year ago.  I was struck by how beautiful she is in person (porcelain skin) and her down-to-earth attitude.  That night she was star-struck, excited and nervous 'cause she was performing with the one and only, James Taylor. 

Kanye West Apologizes Again...

...on Jay Leno's premiere show. 

Kanye West was quite emotional when Jay asked him what his mother would say about yesterday's incident at the VMAs.  He implied that he hasn't taken the time to mourn his mother's death, he's been working all along, and now he's going to take a break to analyze his life. 

He should definitely take some time off and get a psychological evaluation.  Losing a mother is very traumatic and maybe his erratic behavior is really Kanye's way of screaming out for help. 

I'm certainly not justifying his behavior though.  I don't think Taylor Swift or anyone deserves to be humiliated like that.  It was beyond obnoxious...what he did to Swift at the VMAs came across as mean-spirited.  There's no reason why this talented teenager had to endure such a distasteful moment, when it should've been a glorious one.

There's a time and a place for everything...maybe Kanye will finally learn that lesson.

Whitney on Oprah

It hasn't been an easy road but I'm happy that Whitney Houston made it out of that toxic relationship.  There were 3 things that really stood out to me from the Oprah interview...

1. Houston talks about these explosive fights with Bobby Brown and constantly getting high with her husband, to the point of oblivion.  Where was her daughter, Bobbi Kristina, throughout all the drama and who was caring for the child?  Clearly, Bobbi's parents were incapable of doing so. 

2. Houston says she wasn't physically abused...but he slapped, pushed and spat on her.  It sounds like Brown was an overall abuser to me.

3. Did all those drugs mess up her voice?  It's so raspy.

What did you make of THE interview?  Do you think she's here to stay?  

Remembering...Eight Years Later

  Ground Zero -NYC, as of July 4th, 2009                                                        gr for the Girly Network         

Today we've had lots of rain and gray skies in NYC...seems very appropriate for a gloomy day.  It's hard to believe that 8 years ago, NYC was paralyzed down to its knees.  It's one of the most horrific days of my life and of my generation's.  I can't look back on that day without getting the chills, feeling choked up or having a heavy heart...and I'm sure that every other New Yorker shares that same pain. 

On Sept. 11th, 2001, I was a morning producer at Fox 5's Good Day New York.  I had just finished my early morning duties (I was scheduled on the 4am shift that day) when the Twin Towers were struck by terrorists.  I remember that my heart skipped many beats and I, along with my co-workers, crowded around the TV monitors to watch in horror as the tragedy unfolded.  We were simply overwhelmed with emotion.  How could our beloved city be up in flames?  How could anyone decent and human have so much hatred in their heart?  At that second, I was simply a New Yorker taking-in the traumatic images. 

Those thoughts lasted just a few minutes because immediately after that...we had to snap into action.  There was no time to gasp any longer.  We had a job to do...gather facts, update our viewers and book guests that could make sense of the madness.  We worked for hours and hours on end on 9/11 (I worked for 21 hours straight)...nervous and teary-eyed...but determined to work hard if it meant we could help our aching community in some small way.  I spoke to many family members who were calling the station looking for their "missing" loved ones, hoping we could help them out in their search.  On the other end of the phone, you would hear pure anxiety, a tearful plea or deep despair.  It's probably no surprise why I've blocked a lot of those conversations from my memory...too heartbreaking to bear.

I'll stop there...'cause I really don't want to relive those days after the towers crumbled. 

What I will do is...say a prayer for all those Americans who went "missing" on that dreadful morning and for the people who loved them beyond words.

Vacaciones En Cabo San Lucas

  Gloria @ Cabo San Lucas, Mexico                                                           RC for the Girly Network

     I know I've been MIA...that's because I was vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  I'm happy to report that we survived hurricane Jimena and all.  Let me tell you, Cabo is a beautiful desert...clear water, sandy white beaches and friendly people.  I would totally recommend it.  We decided to do a touristy, all-inclusive getaway and overall, had a fabulous time.  The highlight of out trip?  Certainly not the bland resort food or the water-downed margaritas, but the people we met along the way. 

     I always think it's funny when you go away to a different part of the world to bond with your own countrymen.  We met plenty of fellow Americans and Canadian tourists.  We befriended some interesting people and had some thought-provoking conversations at the pool, lobby, restaurants and bars.  We chatted about healthcare (interesting to hear some Canadians' point-of-view...they're ok with paying crazy high taxes, if it means they won't go bankrupt if they break their arm and need medical care), the economy, President Obama, New York...and personal life stories (my favorite). I certainly got my dose of the latter on this vacation.

     I had complete strangers divulging their secrets...a stay-at-home mom from Vegas telling me she had enough of her alcoholic husband, a twentysomething new yorker dealing with an over-bearing madre who urged her to go under the knife for her "big nose" and "rolls of fat" and a thirtysomething woman who lied to her traditional Indian parents about vacationing in Cabo with her boyfriend (she was supposedly on a girly trip).  And that's just a few of the juicy tidbits I heard throughout my week in Cabo.

     People are fascinating.  Don't you think?  One of the reasons why I love being a producer is because it gives me some insight on what makes people tick.  I wonder, is it the producer in me that likes to hear people's anecdotes or just human curiosity?