13 September 2006

Oh, Meredith. How we've waited. The Katie-Rosie-Meredith switch is complete with Meredith Viera's "Today" show debut this morning. I didn't watch the whole show--so take my early review with a grain of salt. (Unlike my reviews of Rosie and Katie which I'm sure you took as GOSPEL! ;)

ANYWAY--some thoughts.

1) Meredith is the anti-Katie. She's down-to-earth, bawdy, and funny. Even when she screwed up, she did it with such a self-effacing sense of humor that the audience was totally rooting for her. She was nervous, but that will subside--and, I think, helps her with the audience by showing her vulnerabilities. She bordered on silly at times (even for the TODAY show) that critics will pounce on. This from E! Online today: "Cake smashed into faces, on-air bickering, gushing over cute boys -- maybe Meredith Vieira's new gig isn't so different from the old one after all..." Meredith also did hard news today, too (her segment with Tim Russert, comes to mind). But like Katie and Rosie--the show (and her demeanor) --will evolve over time and what we saw today isn't necessarily what we'll see in 2 weeks. Meredith has a balancing act in this setting: showcasing her hard news credentials while showing off that girly, funny, down-to-earth charm. But she has to be careful not to go into her over-the-hill sorority girl act that she sometime displayed on "The View." Matt is a great foil for Meredith too--even better than Katie. They have great on-air "chemistry" already--one that will only get better with time. Their age difference combined with their flirty teasing totally works. The news set is a little too "futuristic" for my tastes--looked like something from NASA. Someone said it looked like a bathroom in a hotel lobby. The "interview" set is nice. Beautiful colors and an "airy" feeling. The lighting (on a "mature" Viera) was perfect, too.

A plea, though, to the folks at "Today:" PLEASE no more "It's a New Day" promos. I beg of you.

12 September 2006

Random thoughts....

1) PRIMARY DAY: Primary day in MD and DC. Both had voting problems, which means the polls will probably stay open until 8pm tonight. I showed up to vote around 930am, so all the problems when the polls first opened were ironed out. It was my first time voting in Maryland and on a touch-screen system. Couldn't have been easier. Our polling place was the elementary school around the corner from us--Sligo Creek. Home of the Salamanders. (Really. Could I really make that up?) Anyway, it was interesting walking through the school, thinking that this is where our (future) child will likely go to school. The girl called me after she voted to say the same thing. It made me smile.

2) INJURY ALERT: Last week--a bee sting on my pinkie joint that was extremely painful. This week--a shard of glass on the bottom of my foot that is extremely painful. Thank God I live with a medical professional. She didn't do anything that I probably wouldn't have done in my single days, but she was kind and took care of me and tolerated me being (somewhat of) a baby.

3) HERE WE GO AGAIN. The Redskins lost last night. By a field goal in the last 12 seconds of the game. (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes where there in the owners box to see the meltdown, too.) Ugh. Not again.

4) CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS. Read in a media-centric blog that actor Jamie Foxx showed up at my AP's birthday party at some club downtown last Saturday. He sang a song for her and her friends. Hmmmm.

5) MAUTNER DINNER. We might not have been whooping it up with movie stars last Saturday night, but we did get all dressed up in our finest formal attire to attend the annual fundraising dinner for the Mautner Project Saturday--Mautner is a medical advocacy organization for lesbians and their families. We went with another couple and had a ball. The girl looked absolutely AMAZING, too.