Posted by Adam Slinger

Posted by: Executive Producer, Julie Fike

The 79th Academy Awards were given out. See this site for all the winners. I'd like to highlight my favorite, Martin Scorsese. He won an Oscar for Best Picture and Best Director for "The Departed."

I remember watching this movie months ago. At first, I really didn't want to see it but like many of us, it fit into my schedule and it was starting within 10 minutes. I really didn't know what it was about but I knew it was by Scorsese.

Boy, am I glad I saw it. I think it's now in my top 5 films of all time. It was one of those rare movies where as soon as it ended, I wanted to see it again. In my top 5, "Gone with the Wind." Turner Classic Movies has been playing Academy Award winning films all month and it was on Sunday. Classic. Who doesn't cry when Rhett walks out and Scarlett desperately tries to finally show her love for him? Also on Sunday, Bravo played another top 5 for me, "Mommie Dearest." Again, what woman doesn't, just once in her lifetime, want to make the Pepsi-Cola Boardroom speech?

Here's to looking forward to more new "classics" next year.

Posted by Tierney Cook
I got this story off the AP wire copy...

"A Texas university could be taking a bite out of those extra pounds known as the Freshman 15. The University of North Texas has a new cafeteria called the Mean Greens. The idea
is to offer a lot of fresh, healthy food. Students are limited to one main dish but can eat as many side orders, usually salads or veggies, as they want. Offerings also include things like sushi or
soup."

I am probably one of the few people who benefited the Freshman 15.
When I first started college I weighed 98 pounds soaking wet.
It was awful.
My head looked twice it's size, my lips looked even bigger and I had no curves or shape.
Then I went to college (Langston University) where soul food was always on the menu for lunch and dinner.
22 pounds later I was finally happy with my body.

For some people the Freshman 15 can be dangerous, I have to admit I gained the weight over 2 years. But I maintain it with exercise and a pretty picky diet.

Now I am a big fan of sushi, salads, and soups, so if I went to the Texas college mentioned previously I probably wouldn't have gained weight.
I would have been hanging out at the "Mean Greens."

Posted by: Executive Producer, Julie Fike

No doubt you've heard the nightmare flight where JetBlue passengers were kept waiting nearly 11 hours on the tarmac. In some form or another, if you've ever flown, any airline, you've probably been there. But I have a positive airline story to combat the one that's now prompting a customer bill of rights in Congress.

It was October, I was flying back to OKC from Chicago. It was 6am on a Monday. I wasn't feeling my usual perky self, you see, I had been having fun after the Chicago Bears beat the Buffalo Bills. I was running late to O'Hare International. The train took longer than I anticipated. I was organized through kiosk check-in, security, and then I ran as fast as I could to the gate.

I get there, breathless, although thankful for my half-marathon training, to see the gate doors were closed. I run up to the American Airlines worker and ask (very nicely) if there's anyway I can get on that flight and if it's pulled from the jetway just yet. If not, when was the next flight to OKC. She told me the next flight is 2pm. 2pm! It's 6am! But I keep all that inside.

The worker is fastly typing (it's now 6:15am), you know how they do, and I tell her, "You are so great for even looking. I will serve peanuts, air the tires, just anything to make the 6am flight, I appreciate you."

Next thing I know she's handing me a boarding pass and calling the plane to wait. I landed back home in OKC to nurse my good Chi-town experience by 9:00am. While I think sometimes customer service has gone out the window, in my case, that AA worker remembered.

We've all been through it, a day that start with excitement over the idea of a new look.

But it soon ends with tears, a hat, and your best friend at your house trying to make something out of a disaster.

This got me thinking about my worst haircut ever!!!!

My mother is a beautician. For year she was the only person to ever cut or style my hair, she knows my personality and likes and dislikes it was never a problem. Then I got my first job in television.

All through college I found a way to go home on weekends to check with my mom for a snip and touch up.

But when I took a job in Victoria, Texas; I was too far away from mom for a routine touch-up. I had to venture out!!

I ran into a lady that said she specialized in "black hair" and had been in the business for years, she suggested I stopped by for a new look.

A few weeks later I called her and made an appointment. At the time I was wearing a classic bob, all one length, fell about to my shoulders; but I felt like it needed some layers, some depth to my hair.

Somehow layers turned into a mullet. On what planet does layers mean a mullet. I guess that is what it means in Victoria, Texas. Fortunately my hair grows really fast, so I only had to cry myself to sleep for 2 months.

I went home had my mom cut the back shorter and waited for the top to catch up. You will never see pictures. I burned them.

Tierney

Posted by Adam Slinger

Last week, Executive Producer Julie Fike told me to pick five of my favorite things. (Not people--we all know people aren't objects.)

On Friday, I revealed three, but we had some latebreaking news (a house fire) and I was never able to finish my list.

So, without further delay, here are my "5 Favorite Things."

5) Coffee: Every day, I probably have 2-3 cups of black coffee--minimum. I love it. On days that I don't receive my early-morning caffeine fix, I can expect a withdrawal headache by mid-morning! Although I usually drink coffee right out of the pot, my favorite blend of coffee is a latte. I started drinking it when I worked at "Today" in New York. Every morning after the broadcast, I'd stop by and get a cup. To this day, whenever I drink a latte, it reminds me of that point in my life.

4) Chrysler Building:
Speaking of my favorite city, my favorite building in the world is the Chrysler Building. It's always been the first skyscraper for which I look when I'm in the Big Apple. Construction started in 1928, I believe, and for a short period, it was the world's tallest structure. To me, it still looks contemporary, if not futuristic, even though it's older than the Empire State Building. One of my regrets is that I never went inside.

3) "Arrested Development":

Since I work in television, I figure I should mention my favorite television program--Fox's "Arrested Development." It went off the air last year and, to be honest, I truly didn't start watching it until it went to DVD. I love this show, though. It's one of the only shows where I'll fall off my couch because I'm laughing so hard. Literally. When I'm home just hanging out around the house, I'll have an episode on in the background.

2) Photographs: I planned on showing my digital camera, but it's not the camera that I really enjoy--it's what the camera produces.

You know when you go to a party and there's always one person walking around taking pictures of everyone? That's me. I'm that guy.

1) Pizza: I'm obsessed with it. No matter where I go--fancy restaurants, Italian restaurants, the corner tavern--if there is pizza on the menu, I order it. If I don't, I feel guilty. It's a bizarre condition that drives most of my family and friends mad. But I can't help it. I know someday (soon) I'll have to reduce it from my diet, but, as of now, I probably eat pizza 3-4 times a week.

(Images provided by websites to which they are linked.)

Posted by: John Flick

I'll be honest. There are things done in the media that make me cringe. Even though I'm a journalist, I don't always agree with some of the "journalism" on TV or in the papers. Coverage of the NASA LOVE TRIANGLE comes to mind.
Astronaut Lisa Nowak has been charged with attempted murder after she drove 900 miles to Orlando to confront the woman she felt was her rival for the affections of fellow astronaut, William Oefelein.
According to police reports, Nowak was wearing a wig and had a bag full of weapons when she tracked down Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman in a parking lot and attacked her with pepper spray. With that, Nowak has gone from space hero to criminal suspect.
It's certainly a compelling story and it has TV Movie Of The Week written all over it... and so far the networks are setting up the perfect script with headlines like:

"Astro-nut"
"Astro-naughty"
"Lust In Space"
"The Wrong Stuff" (a play on Tom Wolfe's astronaut book and the movie, "The Right Stuff.")

It's those cutesy wordings that bring on that cringe reaction I mentioned. I'm all for creativity, but in this case, calling someone an "Astro-nut" turns a serious, albeit strange, situation into a joke.
Nowak obviously has major issues that need to be addressed. She drove hundreds of miles with diapers in her car so she could make better time, for goodness sake! The story is a joke maker's dream... and fine if Letterman, Leno or The Daily Show want to handle that, but I don't think "Astro-naughty" has a place on the nightly news.
Every nuance of Nowak's life will now be scrutinized (perhaps she deserves it), but so will the other two people unwittingly drawn into this tangled triangle. I'm sure they wish they could get away from it all... perhaps, a trip to space is the getaway they need.

Posted By Tierney Cook



Icky nasty germs.
We all hate them.
Well last month I got to test a device that claims it can kill 99% of bacteria and germs really easily.

It's called the Nano UV Disinfection Light.
It is the size of a cellphone, and all you do is cut on the UV light and run it across the surface, and the germs are dead!!!

It worked. I didn't think it would I have to admit.
This was an interesting piece to put together, not because of the results, but because of how many germs I found on the various items I tested.

A door handle, coke machine, steering wheel, pens they were pretty gross.
It just goes to show you the kind of world we live in.
A germ infested one.

I have a new appreciation of hand gel, soap, and disinfecting wipes.
Take it from me, wash your hands often.
As for my piece on the Nano, you can watch it today at 5 on Eyewitness News 5.

Tierney Cook

Posted By Tierney Cook
Photo Courtesy of Google Images


I wanted to take some time to touch on the coverage we provide here at Eyewitness News Five.
Sometimes we get calls from viewers who can't understand why we cover up GMA or All My Children during a weather event.

It is our job to provide up to the minute information on ice, snow, rain, wind, tornadoes, even heatwaves.

For me coming from Texas, I have never seen or experienced anything like this.
We have a few tornadoes there, not really ever any snow, but rarely will you find television stations on air for HOURS!

During the storm in November, John and I were on the air from 4:50am through 1:30pm.
That is a long time, and a lot of information to pass along.

I admit, I too was surprised when an hour turned into 8.
But then after the coverage we got letters from viewers thanking us for letting them know what is going on outside.

My mom always told me "You can't please all the people all the time."
But I can do my job, which is to deliver news, and sometimes that means covering up programming.

I admit, it gets restless sometimes for John and I.
In 8 hour coverage...When do you eat? Take a bathroom break? Or just breathe.
Well we rotate.
I may take a 15 minute break and let John handle all the live phoners and coverage, and then when I come back, it's his turn.
Crews out in the field don't have that luxury, when your on the side of I-35, you just hope you packed a sandwich and went before you headed out.

It's been a busy January and now February for my fellow co-workers and me.
I am looking forward to the spring...oh I forgot about tornadoes!

Tierney

Posted by: Executive Producer, Julie Fike

Just barely February and I have already received a catalog to order a Valentine gift. It got me to thinking about the holiday. I dug around and found that this holiday is hidden in mystery.

One says, Valentine was a priest in 3rd centruy Rome. Another has him trying to help Chrisitians escape harsh Roman prisons. Another, actually sent the first "valentine" from prison to a girl and signed it "From Your Valentine."

Whatever the legend, it seems people love Valentine's Day. I guess I've always been cold hearted about the holiday. It seems to work out most years that I don't have a Valentine so I don't think much about it. It's always when other women get these ginormous arrangements at work that I'm like "oh, that's right."

I think it's great for those who are in love and just can't express it enough to their honey. So to those getting those great flowers and candy, good for you, I can't wait to see what you are going to get!