WGN Morning News Blog

The end of the year gives us a chance to reflect on our accomplishments, as well as the goals we failed to achieve. This is especially true in the news business. We watch history unfold each and every day---triumphs and tragedies from around the world. Only a few of these stories will leave a lasting impression on history---they are typically not the stories covered in this column. However, I like to bring you the quirky people, that make life a little more interesting, and teach us something about our neighbors and ourselves.

You can find the transcripts by clicking on Larry’s World about halfway down the page at http://wgntv.trb.com/news/local/morningnews/

This year, I introduced you to 4’4” Joey Fatale, the leader of MiniKiss, a Kiss tribute band consisting of “little people.”

Lesson: Little people are capable of being more than the elf in the Christmas commercial.

I also introduced you to Chicagoan Jim McBride is Mr. Skin, the self-professed leading authority on celebrity nudity in movies.

Lesson: Adolescent obsession can be a passion that benefits society---he employs 40 Skinterns for his website.

And my exclusive with Jesus. Neil Saavedra is a former punk-rocker and martial-artist who became Jesus, as host of "The Jesus Christ Show" on KFI AM640, in Los Angels. , which you can hear online at www.kfiam640.com .

Lesson: "If I could find a way to focus myself the way I do for three hours on radio I'd be a lot better off. Everyone should play Jesus for a living,” Saavedra said.

With the exception of Larry Farwick, who has collected every Red Eye column since it began in May of 2003, here is a follow up of 2006 for the rest of you, and some feedback from some of the stories that got the most reaction.

I got an angry email from Enisa Hamzic about my column on the news. I wrote that I am tired of people complaining about the news being biased or negative…and explained that it is better to hear "bad" news than to live in a country (Russia, China, etc) where you are not permitted to hear it.

I was upset that (you) are just "following the herd of sheep" if you will, and writing something that required absolutely no critical thought and research. Anyone with a decent education should have learned that EVERYTHING that we see on television is questionable! I recommend checking out these DVD's..."The Myth of the Liberal Media" and "Control Room".

I will watch those documentaries and report back to you my findings, but in my 17 years in broadcast journalism, no one has ever asked me to slant a story. Typically, it’s a case of “biased media consumer” who doesn’t like to hear things they disagree with.

One documentary I’ll be skipping, is the one shot in June. I told you about a documentary being done on the “haunted” Hooters at 660 N. Wells. Roy Baggio, 40, of Chicago Heights, and his team from Chicagoland Paranormal Researchers conducted a pre-investigation using electronic devices and their “gifts” for sensing paranormal.

Baggio emailed after the shoot, to tell me he detected several EVP’s (electronic voice phenomenon.)

I ran this by an audio engineer David Federline, who says this is most likely “white noise” caused from the electronic equipment, or just sounds of the city.

Noises in a basement in 660 N Wells you say? Shocking. If I recall correctly, isn't there an underground tunnel system for cabling/phone/infrastructure that caused the flooding of downtown when a barge knocked a hole in it in the river back in the 80's? Sound travels nicely through pipes and tunnels,” Federline said. “If this is publicity, the fundamentalists will have a field day exclaiming that Hooters is in league with Satan and it is proven by a haunting. Nothing generates more free publicity like a controversy or some spirits.

I also noted in a column this year that despite the ongoing obsession with Jen and Vince, Brittney’s underpants, or Mel Gibson’s drunk tirade, celebrities don’t care about you.

I got this email from Veronica Seizys:

I was a fan of Mel Gibson's, until I actually met him!
I was sitting at the bar watching the band and the dancers on the dance floor when, all of a sudden, this man literally PUSHED his way between me and the woman sitting on the stool next to me to get to the bar. I had to lean so far back to get out of his way I almost fell off my stool. I turned to look at the intruder and I saw the great man himself, Mel Gibson. He never said, "Excuse me," "Pardon me," or even "Sorry." He even had the nerve to make that "shooing" sign with his hand to us, as if he were shooing away a fly!

I suggest to students, who always ask me what celebrities I’ve met, that

Celebrities don’t care about you. Your parents and teachers do---invest more time worshipping them.

Parenting tips are included in one of my annual columns to mark my daughter’s birthday. She turned two in July. I always thought of the Red Eye audience as 25-year-old, beer-drinking sex-machines. But apparently, there are many young couples who read this paper too. And to you singles having fun in the bars, just remember this will be you someday.

Here is one tip I offered:

Don't fuss about their food: As adults, we are particular about pairing white wine with fish and balancing green veggies with starch. My daughter enjoys soy dogs with a mixture of Cheerios and pickles. Wash it all down with a nice glass of milk. Mmm, that's good eatin'.

I got this feedback from Ben Pomeranz, who has a one year old daughter Eva and five year old son Julian. He offered a few tips for raising boys.

For scratches, scrapes, cuts and bruises, Daddy doesn't always have to
say, "Walk it off."

Your son thinks you are the greatest! You can do no wrong. Don't let
him down.

In May I encouraged you to climb your family tree to find compelling stories from your own ancestry….or if the record is sparse, start your own story for your descendants. I attended a family reunion for my Uncle Herbie’s 80th birthday. He keeps the details on our family tree. At 80, he’s had much to add to the story.

Being 80 suddenly makes me realize that I am now the oldest! I especially miss people who are not here now but were an important part of my life, the humor of my sister, my brother and parents…but I don't feel old, Herbie said. “My wonderful family keeps me young!

I noted a stranger who looked like one of us so I asked how he was related, only to find out he was my Uncle Herbie’s neighbor. However, with such a striking similarity in appearance, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that somewhere up the family tree, there is a connection to this “stranger.” It just goes to show you that our neighbors aren’t so foreign after all. Anthropologists say if you climb high enough, the human family starts with a small group of people in Africa. Somehow I doubt they were as colorful (or kooky) as we are.

Posted by Larry Potash at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Chicago’s film critics Thursday named "The Departed" as their No. 1 movie of 2006, beating out competitors "Babel," "Little Miss Sunshine" "The Queen" and "United 93."

"The Departed," an adaptation of the complex Hong Kong crime drama "Infernal Affairs," won two other awards–Martin Scorsese took Best Director while William Monahan won for Best Adapted Screenplay. The only other film to win multiple prizes was Stephen Frears’ "The Queen," which scored two awards.

Forest Whitaker took the Best Actor prize from the Windy City critics for his indelible interpretation of Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland." His tough competition included Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Departed," Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson," Peter O’Toole in "Venus" and Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness."

British actress Helen Mirren won the Best Actress award for playing another real-life figure, Queen Elizabeth II, in "The Queen," film chronicling the royal family in the days after the tragic death of Princess Di. Her competition included Penelope Cruz for "Volver," Judi Dench for "Notes on a Scandal," Maggie Gyllenhaal for "Sherrybaby," Meryl Streep for "The Devil Wears Prada" and Kate Winslet for "Little Children." "The Queen" also earned Peter Morgan a citation for Best Original Screenplay.

"Little Children" didn’t go away empty-handed as Jackie Earle Haley was given the Best Supporting Actor award for his comeback performance as a deeply troubled man struggling with the demons still plaguing him. After a long absence from the screen, the former child star beat out the formidable likes of Ben Affleck in "Hollywoodland," Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls," Jack Nicholson in "The Departed," Brad Pitt in "Babel" and Michael Sheen in "The Queen."

Having led the pack with nine nominations, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s dense drama "Babel" scored the Best Supporting Actress award for newcomer Rinko Kikuchi, whose performance as an emotionally desperate Japanese schoolgirl was routinely cited as one of the acclaimed film’s highlights. Kikuchi’s competition included "Babel" co-star Adriana Barraza, Cate Blanchett for "Notes on a Scandal," Abigail Breslin and Toni Collette for "Little Miss Sunshine" and Jennifer Hudson for "Dreamgirls."

In a surprise move, Clint Eastwood’s Japanese-language World War II epic "Letters From Iwo Jima" came away with the award for Best Foreign-Language Film. The film, which looks at the siege of Iwo Jima from the Japanese point-of-view and conceived as a bookend to Eastwood’s American take on the same subject, "Flags Of Our Fathers," beat out such acclaimed titles as Pedro Almodovar’s "Volver," Guillermo del Toro’s "Pan’s Labyrinth," Gavin Hood’s "Tsotsi" and Mel Gibson’s Mayan epic "Apocalypto."

Two visionary science-fiction films were also honored by the CFCA. Alfonso Cuaron’s "Children of Men," a harrowing glimpse of a future where women can no longer bear children, was given the Best Cinematography prize for Emmanuel Lubezki’s breathtaking contributions while Darren Aronofsky’s time-tripping epic "The Fountain" earned composer Clint Mansell the Best Original Score award.

"An Inconvenient Truth," a chronicle of Al Gore’s lectures on the dangers of global warming, melted away the competition and won Best Documentary over "Deliver Us From Evil," "Jesus Camp," "Shut Up and Sing" and "Wordplay."

First-time filmmaker Rian Johnson was awarded the prize for Most Promising Filmmaker for "Brick," his brilliant debut film that took the classic conventions of film noir and placed them within the confines of a contemporary high school. Finally, Sacha Baron Cohen took away the Most Promising Performing award for his performances in both the controversial hit comedy "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" and the NASCAR spoof "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby."

The Chicago Film Critics Association started out in 1988 with six charter members. Today, it has 61 members, including critics from newspapers, magazines, TV stations, radio stations, and the Internet. More information can be obtained on the CFCA website, www.chicagofilmcritics.org.

Watch CFCA President Dann Gire announce the picks on WGN Morning News

BEST PICTURE: "The Departed"

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM: "Letters From Iwo Jima"

BEST DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese–"The Departed"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Peter Morgan–"The Queen"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: William Monahan–"The Departed"

BEST ACTOR: Forest Whitaker–"The Last King of Scotland’

BEST ACTRESS: Helen Mirren–"The Queen"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jackie Earle Haley–"Little Children"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Rinko Kikuchi–"Babel"

BEST DOCUMENTARY: "An Inconvenient Truth"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Emmanuel Lubezki–"Children of Men"

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Clint Mansell–"The Fountain"

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER: Sacha Baron Cohen–"Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby"

MOST PROMISING DIRECTOR: Rian Johnson–"Brick"

Posted by Dean Richards at 8:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So, this week, we here on the morning show, are airing our top ten most memorable moments of 2006. There are some funny ones, but there's a couple I think should have made the list, that didn't. For example, "Snakes on the Helicopter". It was a play off of that Samuel L. Jackson clip from his movie, Snakes on the Plane. Yes, I starred in it, and just for the record, it was weird for me to watch, but people loved it. One of our talented and really creative producers came up with the idea. All I had to do was pretend like I was Samuel L. Jackson and go off in the chopper about those darn snakes in the helicopter. I tell you, it's amazing what people think is funny. Anyway, that was one of the moments, I still get reminded of to this day.

The other moment I think should have made the list, even though it just happened last week, was the Christmas concert by Robin and Paul. Paul was on the mic singing, and Robin played the piano. It was hilarious!!!!!!!!!! I was at home on vacation watching it and nearly fell off the edge of the bed laughing. Those two and that duet of theirs made me miss coming to work. You have got to write in and request it be added to the list as a write in or something. It just needs to be a top ten moment. Trust me.

What are some of your favorites? Who knows...maybe your favorite moment will hit the air. You'll have to watch and see.

Posted by Valerie Warner at 6:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Watch the best moments of the WGN Morning News that didn't make it on the air on our best of 2006 list!

Posted by Admin at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Watch all week for my picks for the best and worst entertainment of 2006. At the movies, here's what I liked best and least. Feel free to add yours and to merciless beat me up for my picks. That's what the holidays are about.
Dean

Best Picture:
10. Flags of our Fathers
9. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Rickey Bobby
8. Casino Royale
7. The Queen
6. Little Miss Sunshine
5. Notes on a Scandal
4. United 93
3. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
2. Blood Diamond
1. The Departed

Best Actress:
Helen Mirren-The Queen
Judi Densch-Notes on a Scandal
Kate Winslet-Little Children
Meryl Streep-The Devil Wears Prada
Penelope Cruz-Volver

Best Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio-Blood Diamond
Matt Damon-The Departed
Ken Watanabe-Letters From Iwo Jima
Forrest Whitaker-Last King of Scotland
Sasha Baron Cohen-Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Best Supporting Actor:
Jack Nicholson-The Departed
Djimon Honsou-Blood Diamond
Adam Beach-Flags of our Fathers
Michael Pena- World Trade Center
Eddie Murphy-Dreamgirls

Best Supporting Actress:
Cate Blanchett-Notes on a Scandal
Catherine O'Hara-For Your Consideration
Jennifer Hudson-Dreamgirls
Demi Moore-Bobby
Maggie Gyllenhall-Stranger Than Fiction

Best Director:
Martin Scorsese-The Departed
Edward Zwick -Blood Diamond
Clint Eastwood-Letters from Iwo Jima
Paul Greengrass-united 93
Alfonse Quaron-Children of Men

Best Animated Film:
Cars
Happy Feet
Over The Hedge

Best Foreign Film:
Letters from Iwo Jima
Apocolplyto
Volver
Pan's Labyrinth

Worst Films of 2006:
10. Unaccompanied Minors
9. Jackass 2
8. Firewall
7. She's the Man
6. Night at the Museum
5. Back Dahlia
4. Beerfest
3.. Miami Vice
2. You, Me and Dupree
1. Employee of the Month

Most Hyped of the Year:
Snakes on a Plane

Posted by Dean Richards at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

What a treat this week to not only visit with the "big man" (Santa), but the other "big man"....I'm talkin' about one Chet Coppock.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeesssss Ladies & Gentlemen, I had the pleasure of working with Chet back in 1990 - one of my first radio gigs doing traffic reporting on his old radio show on AM1000 - "Coppock on Sports."
That's when he used to call me Robin "ChaCha" Muldowney.
He's still one of the best in the business, and still one of the best characters this city has to offer.
He stopped into read a Bears version of "Twas the Night Before Christmas." (click to see it).
Tune him in on ESPN Radio.
--Robin Baumgarten

Posted by Admin at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

My brother and and his wife went to the mall last week to get pictures of their kids with Santa, but after perusing the prices, they decided to have dinner at the Outback instead. When exactly did an 8x10 and four wallet-sized start costing as much as an order of Kookaburra Wings, 2 Alice Springs Chickens
and a Brisbane Caesar?!? Let me tell you what else you can get for the prices they want- a nice bottle of cologne (good stuff, like JOOP! or Obsession), 7 Starbucks lattes, or even Wrestlemania on pay-per-view.

I'm no cheap-skate, but I got a big problem with overpaying. Have you even seen the highly-skilled visionaries they have taking these pictures? I have. They're the same people who sold you a Halloween costume 2 months ago in that very mall. Get a Herb Ritts-type in there and I'll pay $49.95! These people give us Herb Fritz, nighttime manager at Blockbuster.

Comes in at 7 AM after a new movie Tuesday, eyes all bloodshot, offering everyone a free trial of his store's new online renting program.

And the Santa's? You'll never have the same guy 2 years in a row. They out price themselves. My cousin's kid actually had the same guy 2 years in a row ONCE. The next Christmas, he asked for a 75 cent bump, got canned. Yeah, they went with some young kid who'd been working the pharmacy and general store circuit.
Did they fit him with a new Santa suit? Of course not. Had on the same Santa beard that'd been snotted and drooled on for the last 10 years. They hemmed his pants with a stapler!

I'm disgusted by the current state of Santa photography, and I decided to do something about it. Someday, when your grandkid is visiting the local "Street Corner Santa," (Watch the Video)you'll tell them that when you were younger, you went to the MALL to have your picture taken. An incredulous smile will creep across their face. A "No way!" will escape from their mouth. And you will feel old.

http://www.myspace.com/pattomasulo

Posted by Pat Tomasulo at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Don't take me wrong, I love gift giving and receiving. I like figuring out what to give those I love and care for, wrap it and then see the joy on their face when they open the gift. But ever since I became and adult. i.e. started earning an income, I've seen my Christmas list lengthen dramatically.

The rule of thumb in my family and I think in most families is that the Christmas is for the kids. They get the gifts and the adults just live for that moment when Tommy or Amy opens what they really, really wanted. But here's the situation, for a very long time I was the kid in my family. My brother is six years older than me, my cousins 14 and 16 years older, so I was able to milk the gift thing for a very long time. The thing is that even though at 32 I'm no longer a child, my aunts keep giving me gifts for Christmas. So I give them gifts, but then my cousins give me gifts so I have to give them gifts and give their kids gifts. We are all aware this has snowballed. Even my aunt has said we need to stop and just concentrate on the real kids. So I agree and graciously tell them that I don't need any gifts but their answer:"Oh no we have to give you a gift."

I know what your saying, just take the gift and shut up. Maybe, but I adore my aunts and I can only see the hassle of having to figure out what to get me every year. They live in Florida so it's pretty much a guessing game. Then they have to mail and hope it gets to me in time. Meanwhile, I run around doing the same thing for them and the countless "must give gifts" on my list. And we are all running out of ideas.

So since we are all family, a phone call on Christmas day is more than enough. The kids are the real stars of the season, let's just give to them. Good luck with your holiday shopping! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Now I have to go and make sure my aunts received their Crate and Barrel Box.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 5:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

1.) Leslie Berkowitz (847) 509-7769 kidoodlesinc.com
She hand paints and embroiders personalized gifts.

2.) Michelle O’Conner (847) 604-9167

She creates and paints vintage pieces. Find what she needs from thrift stores.

3.) Melissa Laurenson (773) 975-7836

“Little Dears”- name of business
Makes Hair accessories for little girls along with tutu’s.

Melissa_laurenson@yahoo.com

4.) Whitney Keller (847) 337-7472
Makes belt buckles

5.) Elizabeth Kole
“The Paper Doll Store”
http://www.thepaperdollstore.com

Posted by Larry Potash at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I've long been a fan of those personality profiles you see on such fine news magazine shows like "60 Minutes," "A&E's Biography," and "E! True Hollywood Story." They're often provocative, inspiring and poignant works, where artists and news-makers share their life experiences, their philosophies, their essence. Just last week I saw MTV's "Diary of Ashlee Simpson." Did you know that she and Jessica (Simpson. Yes, they're sisters!) go out to Mr. Chow's in Beverly Hills once a month for dim sum??? That's where Ashlee first heard about the Great Wall of China!

Celebrities always talk about the moment they knew they "made it." Comedians often say they knew after their first appearance on Carson. Musicians say it was the first time they heard their song on the radio. You ask me, what says "You've made it," more than a 2-hour sit-down with Mary Hart and "Entertainment Tonight?" Besides a 3-HOUR tete-a-tete with Pat O'Brien and "The Insider" crew? . . . . NOTHING.

With that said, it's really an honor for me to announce that I've been featured as a "Vivacious Personality" on a new television show called "A Revealing Portrait." It airs on "Biographeeeeee Channel," which is an off-shoot of the correctly spelled network. They're skewing younger with this one. It will air on December 28th at 3:27 AM on DIRECTV Channel 735.

The producers have sent me what we in the business call a "teaser." It's just a little snippet of the 15 minutes the interviewer spent with me (I think his name was John . . or Ramon. I wasn't paying attention). Why don't you take a look, and please make sure you watch on the 28th. I'm so proud of this!

http://www.myspace.com/pattomasulo

Posted by Pat Tomasulo at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

#39 Top Science story of the year by DISCOVER.
TB Makes a Scary Comeback
An outbreak in South Africa of an extremely drug-resistant strain of TB is raising international alarm. The disease is gaining ground in countries where large numbers of people have immune systems weakened by HIV.
Experts worry this could put TB on the fast track to cause an uncontrollable epidemic.

Offering dental care can save firms money on health insurance. More employers are adding dental policies as evidence mounts that improving oral care helps keep other illnesses under control. A study of diabetics showed that patients overall medical costs were reduced 9% when they received early periodontal treatement.
--Kiplinger Letter

Two things you should never put in the disposal-----celery and pasta.
--my plumber


COMING UP MONDAY....
We'll be talking to our terrorism analyst, Tom Mockaitis of DePaul Univerisity, about his new book---The "New" Terrorism---Myths and Reality.

I'm very excited for the new "Latke Song" that will debut on the third day of Hanukkah on the morning show, Monday.

-- Larry Potash

Posted by Admin at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Today is the annual Holiday Party here at WGN.

I have a 10 year track record of missing it.

Here is my list of the 5 reason I won't attend .

1. Skilling shows up and is always trying to get me to arm wrestle him in front of the ladies.
I can't win and he knows it. He's a showboater and likes to rub it in.

2. After just one egg nog, Larry starts to babble on about his new hair weave and how hot Dean Richards looks in a red sweater.

3. Robin starts the dirty-talk and then can't keep her hands to herself.

4. Pat Tomasulo walks around the room trying to show people how strong he is by lifting them up off the ground. It's cute...but after the 3rd time, it get's a little old.

5. All Val wants to do is to get everyone doing the "Electric Slide". I am a contrarian and not a group dancer.
She gets mad and then starts dog cussing anyone who doesn't want to dance with the "Fun People".

I've got enough problems of my own.

Getting involved with these boners any more than I need to will ruin my holiday spirit.

Merry Christmas
Konrad

Posted by Paul Konrad at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

The nominees are out. They say that the Golden Globes are 80% accurate for predicting the Oscars but I question the validity of that. They have twice as many performance awards so the odds of being right are skewed. The Goldren Globes are also chosen by a group of 90 foreign entertainment reporters, dopes like myself, who happen to be based in other countries, so the credibility is minimal.

I like the double nominations for Leo and Clint. I was happy to see "Thank you for Smoking" get some recognition.
And I'm loving that "Borat" is picking up steam. I'll be annoucing my picks for the best and worst of the year just after Christmas. In the meantime, let's mull these over.
Dean

Nominees for the 64th annual Golden Globe Awards announced
Thursday in Beverly Hills, Calif.:

MOTION PICTURES:
Picture, Drama: "Babel," "Bobby," "The Departed," "Little
Children," "The Queen"
Actress, Drama: Penelope Cruz, "Volver"; Judi Dench, "Notes
on a Scandal"; Maggie Gyllenhaal, "Sherrybaby"; Helen Mirren,
"The Queen"; Kate Winslet, "Little Children"
Actor, Drama: Leonardo DiCaprio, "Blood Diamond"; Leonardo
DiCaprio, "The Departed"; Peter O'Toole, "Venus"; Will Smith,
"The Pursuit of Happyness"; Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of
Scotland"
Picture, Musical or Comedy: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America
for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," "The Devil Wears
Prada," "Dreamgirls," "Little Miss Sunshine," "Thank You for
Smoking"
Actress, Musical or Comedy: Annette Bening, "Running With
Scissors"; Toni Collette, "Little Miss Sunshine"; Beyonce
Knowles, "Dreamgirls"; Meryl Streep, "The Devil Wears Prada";
Renee Zellweger, "Miss Potter"
Actor, Musical or Comedy: Sacha Baron Cohen, "Borat: Cultural
Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of
Kazakhstan"; Johnny Depp, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's
Chest"; Aaron Eckhart, "Thank You for Smoking"; Chiwetel
Ejiofor, "Kinky Boots"; Will Ferrell, "Stranger than Fiction"
Supporting Actress: Adriana Barraza, "Babel"; Cate Blanchett,
"Notes on a Scandal"; Emily Blunt, "The Devil Wears Prada";
Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls"; Rinko Kikuchi, "Babel"
Supporting Actor: Ben Affleck, "Hollywoodland"; Eddie Murphy,
"Dreamgirls"; Jack Nicholson, "The Departed"; Brad Pitt,
"Babel"; Mark Wahlberg, "The Departed"
Director: Clint Eastwood, "Flags of Our Fathers"; Clint
Eastwood, "Letters from Iwo Jima"; Steven Frears, "The Queen";
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, "Babel"; Martin Scorsese, "The
Departed"
Screenplay: Guillermo Arriaga, "Babel"; Todd Field and Tom
Perrotta, "Little Children"; Patrick Marber, "Notes on a
Scandal"; William Monahan, "The Departed"; Peter Morgan, "The
Queen"
Foreign Language: "Apocalypto," USA; "Letters from Iwo
Jima," USA/Japan; "The Lives of Others," Germany; "Pan's
Labyrinth," Mexico; "Volver" Spain
Animated Film: "Cars," "Happy Feet," "Monster House"
Original Score: Alexandre Desplat, "The Painted Veil"; Clint
Mansell, "The Fountain"; Gustavo Santaolalla, "Babel"; Carlo
Siliotto, "Nomad"; Hans Zimmer, "The Da Vinci Code"
Original Song: "A Father's Way" from "The Pursuit of
Happyness"; "Listen" from "Dreamgirls"; "Never Gonna Break My
Faith" from "Bobby"; "The Song of the Heart" from "Happy
Feet"; "Try Not to Remember" from "Home of the Brave"

TELEVISION
Series, Drama: "24," Fox; "Big Love," HBO; "Grey's
Anatomy," ABC; "Heroes," NBC; "Lost," ABC
Actress, Drama: Patricia Arquette, "Medium"; Edie Falco, "The
Sopranos"; Evangeline Lilly, "Lost"; Ellen Pompeo, "Grey's
Anatomy"; Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
Actor, Drama: Patrick Dempsey, "Grey's Anatomy"; Michael C.
Hall, "Dexter"; Hugh Laurie, "House"; Bill Paxton, "Big
Love"; Kiefer Sutherland, "24"
Series, Musical or Comedy: "Desperate Housewives," ABC;
"Entourage," HBO; "The Office," NBC; "Ugly Betty," ABC;
"Weeds," Showtime
Actress, Musical or Comedy: Marcia Cross, "Desperate
Housewives"; America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty"; Felicity Huffman,
"Desperate Housewives"; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "The New Adventures
of Old Christine"; Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"
Actor, Musical or Comedy: Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"; Zach Braff,
"Scrubs"; Steve Carrell, "The Office"; Jason Lee, "My Name is
Earl"; Tony Shalhoub, "Monk"
Miniseries or movie: "Bleak House," PBS; "Broken Trail,"
AMC; "Elizabeth I," HBO; "Mrs. Harris," HBO; "Prime Suspect:
The Final Act," PBS
Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Gillian Anderson, "Bleak House";
Annette Bening, "Mrs. Harris"; Helen Mirren, "Elizabeth I";
Helen Mirren, "Prime Suspect: The Final Act"; Sophie Okonedo,
"Tsunami, The Aftermath"
Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Andre Braugher, "Thief"; Robert
Duvall, "Broken Trail"; Michael Ealy, "Sleeper Cell: American
Terror"; Chiwetel Ejiofor, "Tsunami, The Aftermath"; Ben
Kingsley, "Mrs. Harris"; Bill Nighy, "Gideon's Daughter";
Matthew Perry, "The Ron Clark Story"
Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Emily Blunt,
"Gideon's Daughter"; Toni Collette, "Tsunami, The Aftermath";
Katherine Heigl, "Grey's Anatomy"; Sarah Paulson, "Studio 60 on
the Sunset Strip"; Elizabeth Perkins, "Weeds"
Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Thomas Haden
Church, "Broken Trail"; Jeremy Irons, "Elizabeth I"; Justin
Kirk, "Weeds"; Masi Oka, "Heroes"; Jeremy Piven, "Entourage"

The awards will be given out on January 15th. Watch for our PRE coverage leading up to it on WGN News.

Posted by Dean Richards at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Sorry, sorry. I apologize for not writing in a while. I've been out sick, so unless you wanted to know about all the cough medicines, inhalers and anthihestamines I'm on, plus my impending root canal, I haven't had a lot to say. One of my Around Town crew members suggested I don't visit anymore doctors for the rest of the year. Not a bad idea, unless I want to start the year still coughing.

I'll stop myself before I start giving you details that you don't need. What I really need you to know about is the Toy Drive coming up on Friday at the WGN studios. It starts at 5AM and ends at 1PM. We will all be waiting for your unwrapped toy to benefit the children at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago. Dean Richards and I will be out there the entire time, freezing our butts of for a good cause and for a chance to say hi to everyone. You don't have to worry about the weather since it's a literal drive through. You don't have to get out of your car. We gladly do all the work.

So while you are shopping for everyone on your list during the next couple of days, pick something up for the Toy Drive. You don't even have to wrap it! We would love to see you and feed you some doughnuts and coffee from Dunkin Donuts. So come on by and say hi before I leave to get my root canal that afternoon. Hurray for good health!!

Posted by Ana Belaval at 6:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

This time next week, I will be on vacation. Hallelujah! Not that I don't love this place...I'm just ready to sleep in to 6am instead of 2:30am. You may wonder why not later than that.....well, the reason is 4 years old....ZOE WARNER! That's my daughter. This is her on her 4th birthday a few months ago. That girl wakes up at the crack of dawn, and many times before that, EVERY SINGLE MORNING!!!!!!!!!! And she doesn't just gradually get up....she pops up, opens the blinds and is ready to go. I love her to death, but she's more work than coming to work sometimes. I'm sure the week will be just lovely:-)

Work is work. Nothing new. Don't forget to check out my shopping stories for the next two Tuesdays(12/12 and 12/19) leading up to Christmas. On the 12th, I shop for women. On the 19th, I shop for men. Yes, I found some really good stuff out there at Woodfield mall, so you will just have to watch to see what I found. Oh yeah, I also shopped for wine at the Lynfred Winery in Roselle. I found wines from $10 a bottle on up....so, something for everyone. The best gift from the winery, I think, was a chocolate dipped bottle of wine. Oh my goodness, it was delicious. Wine and chocolate....who wouldn't love that! Look out for that story too.

Happy Holidays!

Val

Posted by Valerie Warner at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBacks (0)

Drive on down to WGN-TV Friday, December 15 for the fourth annual "WGN Morning News Drive-Thru Toy Drive." WGN-TV is inviting viewers to "drive-by" and drop off a new unwrapped toy or a contribution at WGN-TV located on 2501 W. Bradley Place.

All toys will be donated to the children of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago. Monetary contributions will benefit WGN-TV's Children's Charities, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation and all contributions to WGN-TV Children's Charities will be matched at 50 cents on the dollar. This year, the WGN-TV Toy Drive is being extended to run from 5am-1pm, through the WGN News at Noon.

This 8-hour event will feature carolers, a visit from Santa and holiday fun. Hot coffee and Dunkin' Donuts will be available throughout the morning, as well as a limited supply of $2 rechargeable Dunkin gift cards, while supplies last.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago (BGCC), an affiliate of Boys & Girls Clubs of America strives to inspire all young people, especially those who need BGCC the most to realize their full potential as responsible and caring citizens. Today, Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago provides services through 31 locations (8 facility based Club sites; 20 school based sites; and 3 child care only locations) with a staff of just over 350 professionals. Clubs are packed every day with an average daily attendance of 3,200 children at any given time. For information on how to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago please visit www.bgcc.org or call 312-235-8000.

WGN-TV Children's Charities supports a wide variety of organizations and charities geared towards assisting children and families throughout the Chicagoland area. Since its inception, WGN-TV Children's Charities has distributed over $31 million in grants to Chicagoland charitable organizations. For more information about WGN-TV Children's Charities and the McCormick Tribune Foundation, visit the McCormick Tribune Foundation's website at www.mccormicktribune.org.

Posted by Admin at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The holiday season is here, and while many of us know how to comparison shop online or steal a parking space at the mall, there are some who feel they’re not quite in tune with the deeper details of Christmas and Hanukkah -- and the theologies that make up their religions.

What do you believe?

Perhaps you need someone to boil it down for you.

The Belief-O-Matic is one modern tool that can help. It’s a personality quiz about your spiritual beliefs available at beliefnet.com from people who take their religion pretty seriously. Beliefnet.com can tell you pretty much everything and anything about religion--it even offers personal consultation with clergry.

Successful movements have to find ways to cut through the media clutter of the 21st Century. Sometimes that means using a Web site. Another strategy is art and theater; other times, it means taking it to the streets to bring the message to people often passed over by our society.

How about sex as a strategy?

Got your attention?

That’s one way they’re keeping people from falling asleep in the pews. Sex is not sinful in the eyes of two pastors in Oregon. And the pews are packed when Ted and Diane Roberts conduct seminars from their "Sexy Christians" series. They encourage couples to be open about their sexuality and to enjoy it within the context of their faith. They tackle topics ranging from how to keep the passion burning, to how to recover from sex addiction.

Heather Veitch, meanwhile, is taking it to the streets. The beautiful blond struts her stuff into strip clubs to bare the word of God. She targets women of the sex industry, and their male customers, as a preacher for the Christian church "JC Girls Girls Girls."

"See us in action" is her sales pitch for her Web site www.jcsgirls.com (where you can also buy a "Holy Hottie" T-shirt.) She was motivated by the death of a fellow stripper who died of alcoholism.

"I knew that I needed to go back and tell those girls that there was another way," Veitch said in an interview with AFP news service.

Another group targeting "lost souls" is The Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community of Pittsburgh. It reaches an alternative crowd of spiked hair punk rockers, students, recovering alcoholics, and others through theatrics.

The pastors realize that while Bible stories are compelling, not every pastor is a compelling story-teller. The pastors at this church use theatrical lighting and dramatic scenes and liturgy from various religions to bring the ancient stories to life.

If you like your spiritual entertainment low-brow, you can see low-budget productions on the web. Charleton Heston was great, but you haven’t experienced Moses and the Exodus until you’ve seen it performed in Legos from the folks at www.bricktestament.com

There’s even religion for people who aren’t religious. The theology of the Church of the SubGenius is to poke fun at religious cults like Scientology, and the (from outer space) Raelians. It features celebrity ministers like former Talking Heads singer David Byrne, Penn Jillette (from Penn & Teller) and Pee-Wee Herman. They claim aliens will arrive July 5th and only members of the church will survive. They’re not asking for blind faith. They offer a guarantee: "Eternal Salvation Or Triple Your Money Back."

What do you believe?

Maybe you haven’t formed the answer. But do take time between the eggnog latte and the ATM to search for something other than a good holiday bargain. –

Posted by Larry Potash at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

It has been mentioned on the show in the past that Larry Potash is a man who appreciates a good apple. So when high school student chef Dzeskia Platos came on the show with her award-winning apple pie recipe, guess who was hogging the spork??

Posted by Robin Baumgarten at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Last week I called on all of you to lift your voices, to come together as patriots and pedal the wheels of democracy, and vote Johnny Lerro as the "Sexiest Local TV Personality" in Chicago. Big government (Redeye) tried to muzzle us. They tried to keep Johnny's sexiness locked away in a secret military prison (their meeting room).

But they couldn't.

They closed the voting early. Or, maybe it closed on time and I didn't bother to learn that beforehand. But in just 3 days . . 3 DAYS . . we managed to garner Johnny enough write-in votes to be listed in the final results. Do you know what that means?

Johnny Lerro is the Ralph Nader of Sexy Chicago TV Personalities.

Congratulations are in order to Larry Potash, as well. He made a valiant run at Johnny, finishing right behind him in the write-in category. But like Mr. Nader, Johnny is a member of the Green Party (hence, the fingernails), and once it mobilized for this popular vote, Larry didn't stand a chance.

I'm so proud of all of you who raised your torches of liberty, and waved them as symbols of Johnny's hotness. Now the next time an apathetic friend tells you they're not voting, because "one vote doesn't matter" . . . I want you to drop kick them.

There's no room in this country for people without conviction.

But as they lay on the ground, dazed, gasping for air, I want you to share this story with them. I want you to tell them about Johnny Lerro- a man who lived the American Dream- and how you helped him pursue his own dream . . . of life, liberty, and the pursuit of the sexiest fruits and vegetables.

http://myspace.com/pattomasulo

Posted by Pat Tomasulo at 8:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

I feel much better this week. The last time I posted I felt sick as a dog with zero energy, but after a day off and a nice relaxing weekend....I FEEL GREAT! Thanks to everyone who wrote asking if I was okay. I'm fine. Man, it feels good to be loved :-)

I had quite a few comments about my post last week. It was the one about a researcher who claims women talk three times more than men. I loved the feedback. There was some funny comments on there. Check it out if you haven't looked at it yet.

Today, I filled in for Robin and let me tell you, I got so sleepy on the set, for a minute. Has that ever happened to you? You're at work, maybe in a meeting, at your desk or whatever, and all of sudden the sleepy spell hits you and there's nothing you can do about it. That happened to me this morning....the bad thing is I have a job where everyone can see me. The good thing is that it happened during a piece of video where someone was talking and nobody could see me. I snapped out of it real quick. I don't know where it came from. I feel great and well rested just caught a quick and fast moving case of the sleepy spell. It was during Pat Tomasulo's sports cast, so that might have something to do with it :-) Just kidding. I actually think Pat has a very entertaining way of delivering sports especially for girls like me who are not that interested in sports to begin with.

Well, I guess I should stop now before I start sounding too chatty about nothing.

One more thing, for the next three Tuesday's(12/5,12/12,12/19) you can watch my shopping reports. It's my new assignment around here. Pretty much everyone knows shopping is my sport, so now I'm shopping for you. I found some great holiday buys, for him, for her and for anyone under 25 dollars. Good stuff. Check it out.

Posted by Valerie Warner at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Some moms are obsessed with turning every holiday into a portrait from Currier & Ives, but inevitably your Uncle Denny the drooler ruins the family portrait, and Auntie Cheapie gives packs of Hubba Bubba to the kids. My annual holiday gift guide won't restore a Victorian vibe, but it might help you get even with Uncle Denny and Auntie Cheapie.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
This one is especially for that nostalgic mom. Faster than the ghost of Christmas past, you can trigger Norman Rockwell-quality memories with Instant Happy Childhood Memories Breath Spray; $4.99 at www.stupid.com

A ROYAL PAIN
Send a message to the office head you dread -- buy her a Marie Antoinette doll with Ejector Head Action; Just be sure she can take a joke, so your head won't be the one rolling; $9.95 at wonderfullywacky.com

MOTHER OF ALL PUT-DOWNS
So your son-in-law or daughter-in-law's a slacker? Never miss an opportunity to roast their chestnuts year 'round with the talking Mother-in-Law Nutcracker. It has two modes: son-in-law ("Get off the couch you lazy bum!") or daughter-in-law. ("You call this a meal?") $19.95 at www.baronbob.com

KISS ME, YOU FOOL
Maybe December has never been your season for holiday romance, but now you can stop loitering desperately around the mistletoe. You'll never be in the right place at the wrong time when you have "Mistletoe to Go"; $9.95 www.baronbob.com

SERENITY NOW!
Bring along Latke Larry to this year's Festival of Lights. When you squeeze his foot, he sings about potato latkes in the voice of Jerry Stiller (that's George Costanza's dad on "Seinfeld"); $17.89 www.prankplace.com

HOLY COOK BOOK
Here's something wholesome that's good for the body and spirit. "Burnt Offerings," by Rev. Ken Fleck. He grew up at Sacred Heart at 70th and May and spent 12 years collecting recipes from priests and bishops, including a puff pastry recipe from Pope John Paul II. The books are available at various parishes, including St. George in Tinley Park. There's even a recipe from Pope Benedict XIII from the early 18th Century that Fleck found in a reference book for -- what else?-- Eggs Benedict.

-- Larry Potash

Posted by Admin at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I recently shared my sportscasting wisdom, on the air, with Andrew Donlon of River Forest, a precocious 10-year old who reminds me a lot myself. Good diction. Bright smile. . . Gigantic head. No lie, this kid's working with an 8" hat size. Huuuuge head!

I've included a link here for you to view our meeting.

I'm frequently asked for particulars about doing sports for this show, on this shift, on how I get my teeth so white and my skin so tan. I'll try now to satisfy your curiosity.

Working on morning television can be fairly hellacious. I am always tired. ALWAYS. Hallucinations are common, but I've gotten used to moving objects leaving trails.

I'm at my desk no later than 2:45 AM every morning. People are stunned whenever I tell them this. "Why do you get in so eaaaarrrlly?" Do you people think television magic happens on accident? If I were smart enough to walk in off the street and speak and act so fluidly, I wouldn't have picked a job where I have to wake up at 1:30 in the morning.

I break only for meals (8 - 10 per shift) and for make-up. Not ashamed to admit I wear makeup. Not only do I wear it, I baste my face with it like sauce on a rib. Removing it usually takes 5 - 6 makeup wipes, which my 8 o'clock (AM) shadow will trap fragments of. I'll often run errands after work, and think "Wow, a lot of people in this store recognize me!" Then I'll get home, look in a mirror, and realize "No jackass, they were wondering why that idiot had white crap all over his face."

I don't lead a very glamorous life. I hardly go to games, another fact that's hard for people to believe. I tell them, when the Bulls start moving their games up to 11:30 AM on a Wednesday, I'll be the first one on line for the media buffet. I don't spend any time in locker rooms, and I've just completed the 4,000th hour of community service I've donated in exchange for not having to go into any locker rooms.

But I do watch every single bit of tape our day-time sports come back with from practices and games. With my lucky Harris Bank pen in hand, I'll scroll through tapes of the Bears, and the Bulls and the Hawks. Ten minutes in, my producer usually confiscates the pen, as I'm trying to jab it into my eye.

This can be a fairly tedious job. But ultimately, those 25 on-air minutes a day I get to do what I love, make it all worthwhile.

Well, I think that answers most of the questions I've gotten. OH . . . my teeth. . . ? Three parts peroxide, two parts baking soda, one part castor oil, and just a touch of cumin.

Hope that helps.

Posted by Pat Tomasulo at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

A good star encounter this week in Chicago! Slyvester Stallone was here for a screening of his 6th, and as he says, the final Rocky movie, "Rocky Balboa."

The movie was a lot better than I expected. I'll go so far as to say that I liked it. I'll give you the full review when it opens on December 20th.

Sly was great though. He has a rep of being a diva and hard to get along with, but my several encounters with him have been very pleasant, as was this one. We spent a few minutes on the red carpet before Tuesday night's screening and the only odd thing was his profuse sweating. The next day, I did a one-on-one interview with him and he was, still sweating, but very down to earth talking about his favorite opponents in the films, his not having sex during the time in which he filmed the fight sequences and the spirituality of the Rocky movies. We'll be playing the interviews on the TV morning show and also on my Sunday morning WGN radio show in the coming weeks.

Today, I was supposed to be off to New York to interview the cast of "Dreamgirls" and also George Clooney and Cate Blancett for thier new movie, "The Good German." As I write this, I've been on hold with American Airlines for 38 minutes trying to re-schedule my cancelled flight. Someone just kill me now!

Have a great weekend,
Dean

Posted by Dean Richards at 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Phil Rosenthal in today's Tribune wrote a very nice piece talking about our Morning News blog but called me out for having my reviews in all capital letters saying, "never mind Dean Richards' penchant for posting in all capital letters as if writing for his teleprompter."

I could say that the CAPS are because I'm just always angry (he would be too if he had to see all of the crap that I do), but the fact of the matter is that I AM usually writing for the teleprompter and I just forget to change it back. I often copy and paste my reviews that I deliver on the air directly to the website for the benefit of people who may have missed the on-air review. So, kill me. I didn't want to re-type the entire review.

Anyway, in Phil's honor this week, here is my review of the new movie, "The Nativity Story", in all lower case letters so he'll have something to write about next week.

"the nativity story" rated: pg

simple and pure, "the nativity story" is the story of the incarnation and the birth of jesus to the virgin mary...her journey to bethlehem with joseph complete with the three wise men, king herod's massacre of the innocents trying to stop a propecy of a new king of the jews and the angel, gabriel, flying in and out of scenes.

it's a wonderful, living embodiment of sunday school stories and christmas carols that we've heard all of our lives...majestic without being cecil b. demille-y melodramatic. "this" one features good performances from this good looking cast.

the film is not without some controversy. the actress playing mary, 16 year old, keisha castle hughes, of "whale rider" fame, ironically is unwed and pregnant at the moment. she plays mary, independent, yet pure and reverent. new comer, oscar issac brings a warmth and determined, devotion to joseph.

i liked "the nativity story." it's moving and postive; and alot better than most of the junk that passes for family entertainment these days. a dean's list "a"--men.

Posted by Dean Richards at 9:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)