Snow, Snow & More Snow!

Good snowy Tuesday early afternoon. What a day.. It’s been snowing for about 8-9 hours now. The drive home should be an adventure.

Don’t have a lot of time to post right now. Lisa and I were on from 4:30 to 10 this morning, and we’re getting ready for an hour-long Noon newscast. Lots to cover, and we’re doing the best we can.

Just had to redo some radio headlines after learning UC and Xavier (along with C-State and NKU) are closed for the day b/c of the wx. That was some new information!

But I digress.. and I’m distracted, so I’m gonna’ say so long for now.

Please be careful if you’re out and about this afternoon. The snow is awesome to look at, but it can be a real mess to work in.

Driving Away From The Snow..

Good Monday morning. Hope your weekend was nice and cozy. I went with the family to Bowling Green, KY, to do some work with my alma mater’s (WKU) Alumni Association. Fortunately, I was able to drive away from the snow. In fact, it was a bit weird that the line of snow demarcation seemed to coincide with the spot where you go from Eastern Standard Time to Central Time. Coincidence? Who knows!

It’s always fun to go back to The Hill, though I haven’t done it enough in the years that I’ve been away. If you’re an aspiring journalist or know a high school student looking for a great j-school then I’d certainly recommend Western Kentucky University. It’s a fine place run by a lot of fine people.

So being in western KY was fun, but coming home to a drive filled with snow and ice – not so much. I shoveled as best I could because meteorologist Randi Rico says we could see another 2″ to 4″ tomorrow. Okay then.. Get ready for round #2.

Made it to halftime of the Super Bowl. I’ve been a big fan of The Who since I was about 15, but I’m thinking the people who choose the halftime entertainment need to start going with more relevant rockers. Maybe a collection of today’s biggest stars. Just thinking out loud..

Props to Katie Couric for what I think was a great story about Saints QB Drew Brees. It aired during the hour leading up to last night’s game. Wow. Really impressive to see how close Drew and his family have become to the city of New Orleans – and vice versa. Here’s a link if you’d like to take a look: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6184138n&tag=contentBody;featuredPost-PE

Didn’t see all the ads since I went to bed at halftime, but I liked the Doritos stuff the best. In fact, I think the Doritos ads were better than all the Bud Light commercials I saw (and man, were there a lot or is it just me?). I especially liked the Doritos spot showing the dog wearing the bark collar getting a taste of revenge – and a mouthful of cheesy tortillas! Good stuff.

I tried to follow the news this weekend, but I was a little disconnected b/c of the work I was doing at Western. I’m going to spend today catching up on the Tea Party convention and the latest on this great land’s troubled economy. I’ll share thoughts as they start to percolate.

Until tomorrow. Adios.

Waiting For The Snow

Hi everyone & happy Friday. Looks like we’re in for a wallop from Mother Nature. Hopefully things won’t get too crazy around the tri-state. One thing’s for sure, I’m happy as heck to here and now in Washington D.C. which is expected to get up to 2 feet of snow. Wow!

Obviously the newsroom has been buzzing this morning as we try to map out our coverage plans for the day. The goal is to balance our coverage of typical, daily news with our approach to a snow storm that should pick up steam this afternoon. The decisions are never easy, but we do the every best we can.

I unfortunately don’t have a ton of time to post. Lisa had to head out early for an event in the community, so I’m doing the best I can to stay one step ahead.

I’ll leave you with a link to a story in the NYTimes about the movie, Crazy Heart. I haven’t seen the film, but I want to. This is a strange tale about one of the guitarists connected to the movie: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/movies/awardsseason/05crazy.html?pagewanted=1&hp

Adios for now. Have a great weekend and stay safe!

(And oh yeah, enjoy the Super Bowl. I’m for both the Saints and Colts. I know that’s lame, but I dig both teams about the same. Who you got?)

Mel Rambles & Snow’s Coming Our Way

Good Thursday morning.. Not sure why I didn’t post yesterday.. Just kind of swamped with stuff at work. D’oh!

Get ready for what could be a doozy of a snow storm. I bet school administrators are happy that it’s going to move into the Tri-State Friday night. Hopefully you and your family can enjoy a nice snowy Friday night and wake up and play outside on Saturday! That sounds like a good plan.

Now for some random thoughts.. Don’t know if you missed this morning’s Digital Hub segment at 5 am., but we played one of the most watched videos on WLWT.com. Talk about awkward. It’s a video of Mel Gibson promoting his new movie during a satellite interview with Chicago’s WGN. It takes a weird turn when the reporter asks Gibson about his arrest a few years back. If you have approx. 1 minute you should check it out. And wait until the very end. Hmmm, wonder what word Mel is saying when he’s beeped. Here’s the link:

http://www.wlwt.com/video/22420541/

What else? Have you seen the anti-smoking ad featuring a so-called “suck-o-meter?” I’m going to sound like a stick in the mud for a minute, but it makes me a little bummed that we’ve resorted to using the word “suck” in advertising campaigns that run on network TV. For starters, I don’t want my kid hearing the ad and using the word “suck” inappropriately, and I also don’t think it’s proper to use words that you wouldn’t (at most people wouldn’t) use in front of their Grandmothers. Just something to chew on..

Interesting notion that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s original statement about Toyota on Wednesday – that drivers of recalled cars should put the keys down immediately – might reflect a subtle conflict of interest. As we all know, the federal government now owns chunks of General Motors and Chrysler. Some theorize that LaHood might have made his comment to give U.S. carmakers a leg up. In case you didn’t follow the story on Wednesday, LaHood quickly said he misspoke and meant only that drivers should get their cars fixed as soon as they can. Who knows what LaHood was thinking but it does strike me as a fairly weird misstep. Of course Toyota’s not helping itself, especially now that there are reports of brake problems with certain Prius models.

Saw on “Morning Joe” this morning on MSNBC that the new cover of Time magazine features a shot of Defense Secretary Bill Gates. The title of the mag is “Man of War.” Looks like a worthy read.

Not much else to report this morning. It’s going to be a busy day as we get ready for whatever Mother Nature throws down. Be sure to stay with us throughout the day for the very latest..

For now I’ll say adios.

64 & Shut The Door

Wow. This day is quickly slipping away.. Not that I’m complaining b/c fast work days are generally more energizing and exciting than slow days. But since I have a number of things to do and so little time to do ‘em then I’m afraid this has to be another short post.

Thoughts about Oscar nominations? For my money, I suppose like “Up In The Air” for best picture. I’ve seen “Avatar,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Inglourious Basterds,” and “District 9.” I just think “Up In The Air” did the best job of capturing where we are as a culture. Is being connected worthwhile? That’s the question the movies kept asking.. Interesting. Runner-up has to “Hurt Locker.” Talk about intense.

What else? Oh yeah, John London has a new mantra when it comes to talk of expanding the NCAA basketball tournament to 96 teams. It’s “64 and shut the door.” I agree completely!

That’ll have to do for now. Hope you have a terrific rest of your Tuesday.

Two’s A Crowd (In A Good Way)!

Good Monday morning. Have to keep this post short since there’s a lot going on in the newsroom. Hope your weekend was a good one. Jesse and I played host to our nephew, William Henry. Doing so made us realize how tough it is to keep track of two little dudes at once (William and our son, Thomas). All in all we had a blast, but we both acknowledged late yesterday how wiped we were. I can’t imagine how parents with 3, 4, 5 or more kids do it! More power to ‘em..

Saw the much acclaimed “Hurt Locker” this weekend. Talk about an intense war movie. Definitely brings into clear focus the danger our military men and women face in a hostile zone like Iraq or Afghanistan. I recommend it for sure.

Cool profile of snow-boarder and Olympic champion Shaun White last nighjt on “60 Minutes.” If you have a few extra minutes today take a look: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6160183n&tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel (While you there check out the segments on the Green Beret Unit and Beyonce. Kind of a random collection of stories but all engrossing).

Good news for my UK Wildcats on Saturday. They looked pretty good in beating a tough Vandy squad. Glad to see my ‘Cats right the ship. And good, too, that UC and Xavier also won this weekend.

It’s a little past 10 as I type this post. Looks like some good economic numbers to start the new work week. We’re keeping an eye on that and we’re following all the day’s local news. Be sure to join us for our next Newscast coming up at noon!

Adios for now..

A Bengal Busted On A Busy News Morning

Hi all. Quick notes on this busy Friday. Just finished writing some radio headlines. Some days the pickings are a bit slim. Not this morning.. Some of the day’s bigger stories:

*Bengal Rey Maualuga was arrested overnight in Covington and charged with DUI and careless driving..

*A fire in Mt. Lookout Square at a wine and produce shop has done approx. $150,000 in damage..

*Police in Hamilton arrested a 19-year-old and a juvenile accused of holding up Tom’s Cigar Store on Main Street.. A store workers says one of the two fired a gun inside the store..

*Obviously, a major story is the weather. It’s cold and then some.. But at least we’re not covered in ice like our neighbors in the Southern Plains.

As you can tell there’s plenty of news happening today in Cincy. Be sure to watch News 5 at Noon and our newscasts this evening with Jack and Sheree for all the latest local details.

What else? If you haven’t seen video of the dump truck that took out a bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, this week here’s a link: http://www.wlwt.com/video/22365586/

And finally, a writer with the NYTimes weighs is on the name of Apple’s new iPad. For some reason this story just kind of makes me laugh.. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/technology/29name.html?hp

On that note I’m going to sign off for now. Be sure to watch UK take on Vandy tomorrow at Rupp. My fingers are crossed that my Wildcats can bounce back in a big way after losing Tuesday at South Carolina. Tip-off is 4 p.m., I believe, on ESPN. 

See you back here next week. Adios!

Thinking iPads & Better Business News

Good Thursday morning. It’s sunny in Cincinnati as I type this post, but man is it cold – and getting colder. Meteorologist Randi Rico says we probably won’t see temps above freezing until early next week. That’s not cool!

Following some business news this morning. Ford has turned its first profit in 4 years and Cincinnati-based P&G is reporting strong sales growth. That’s good to hear.

Of course I was sleeping during the President’s State of the Union address last night. From what I’ve been able to tell (based on Thursday morning armchair quarterbacking) it seems President Obama delivered a compelling speech. The big questions now are can his administration deliver results on the jobs front and where does the health care reform push go now? It doesn’t look like anyone has any easy answers. Hopefully, our leaders in Washington can put political differences aside and work together to find solutions to America’s most pressing problems. Hopefully..

Not a ton to report otherwise.. I did watch Steve Jobs’ unveiling of Apple’s iPad on Wednesday. If I could snap my fingers and make one magically appear in my house I’d be happy to have one, but I’m not sure I yet see its value, even though Jobs did use words like unbelievable and phenomenal to describe it. Here’s a link to a quick video story about the new device: http://www.wlwt.com/video/22356215/

I, for one, am curious about the name of the device. The word “iPad” just seems a little weird to me. I mentioned it to Randi who sent a link to a skit from a couple years ago on Mad TV. Take a look by clicking this link. Makes you wonder if anyone at Apple has ever watched Mad TV?!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK2drIylnDw

Okay, that’s all for now. Hope you have a great rest of your Thursday. Bundle up and stay warm..

Don’t forget, if you’re inclined you can follow me on twitter: https://twitter.com/DykesReport

Lame Wildcats & One Agitated House Cat

Good morning. Kind of bummer of a day so far since my UK Wildcats bit it in Columbia, South Carolina last night. Hard to handle prosperity, I suppose. Hopefully Kentucky will learn from its loss to South Carolina and bounce back by beating up on Vandy at Rupp on Saturday. Game time is 4 p.m.

Are you looking forward to tonight’s State of the Union address? Or, perhaps a better question – are you interested in hearing what President Obama has to say? I’ll look forward to finding out what’s said when I wake up and head into work tomorrow morning (since I’ll be sleeping during the actual speech). It’s weird b/c listening to all the cable news programs I feel like I know what the President will say, but nothing is set in stone, so it’s important to pay attention.

Tough news for Toyota. I hate the fact that a production plant just south of Cincy, in Georgetown, KY, will be shut down for what we think will be at least one week starting Feb. 1. Sure hope the company’s engineers can figure out what’s wrong with its gas pedals.

If you or your son or daughter is in the middle of filling out college application forms you’ll want to watch News 5 tonight. From 5-7 p.m. we’re hosting a phone bank with experts on college aid. We’ll also have an online chat at the same time on wlwt.com.

What else?

Here’s a link to check out.. If you scroll down toward the middle of the page you’ll find a playable video showing a cat in a standoff with a bear. It’s something like this that makes me truly appreciate the power of the ‘net!

http://www.metro.co.uk/metrolife/810460-fearless-feline-fights-off-foraging-bear

I tweeted that video out this morning. If you’d like you can follow me on twitter. Just google “twitter.com/DykesReport” and you’ll find a link.

Adios for now.

Being A Wildcat Is Always A Good Idea

Good Tuesday morning. A couple quick notes before the rest of the day takes off..

Hope you made it safely to work or school this morning. I know it was super slippery during the overnight hours. Even my dogs had occasional trouble staying on their feet.

Don’t know if you happened to catch Ken Broo’s sports report this morning. He was talking about the UK basketball team’s number one ranking and said “reserve point guard Todd Dykes” must be happy. Too funny. Of course I’m thrilled.. And of course I never played ball for Kentucky! Oh wait, yeah I did – when I was between 8 and 15 years-old and shooting hoops with my pals in my neighbor Alan’s backyard. I was most often Kyle Macy sinking game winning free throws or Kenny “Sky” Walker soaring (relatively speaking) to the rim for a basket. Good times and good memories.

Stumbled on an interesting article in the New York Times. It’s about people who hoard stuff. I can relate to the what the writer says based on a family dynamic. If you know someone who’s house is stuffed with, well, stuff you should definitely read this:

http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/when-its-not-just-clutter-anymore/?em

Couple more links.. This LATimes blog claims Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie are not splitting up. And Johnny Depp is still alive.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2010/01/brad-pitt-angelina-jolie-breakup-split-rumors.html

And check out this story on our website’s video section. It’s about a high school basketball coach in Kansas who makes an improbable shot:

http://www.wlwt.com/video/22339933/

On that note I’m out. Hope you have a safe remainder of your Tuesday.