WGN Morning News Blog

Hi everyone. After 12 weeks of feeding my baby, burping my baby and changing my baby's diaper, I'm back...baby. Trust me, while in the thick of maternity leave, those days where I couldn't go anywhere because of the weather and it felt all I did was feed and burp Amelia and try to have her nap for more than 45 minutes, I was sooo ready to get back to work.

Work is the one thing I know how to do pretty well. I love my job and with some exceptions, I usually know how to make it right. Not so much with motherhood. It is a constant guessing game and when you think you have something down pat, the little bundle of joy changes the rules of the game. Add to that how sick I was after labor and how I cried every day for 2 weeks thanks to lack of sleep and hormonal mess, and I almost begged my boss to call me back to work.

That's why it was so strange when I started feeling sad about leaving Amelia to go to work on Friday morning. I am blessed with a great schedule that allows me to be home much earlier than most working moms. Amelia has an amazing nanny that has been taking care of her often since she was born, not to mention a great father who took over for me when I was too sick to sit down and feed my own child. All that said, I realized how attached I've become to my little girl. How I was going to miss seeing her first thing in the morning, especially now that she smiles when I peek into her crib and she's awake.

The Wednesday before coming back to work, Amelia caught her first cold. That was the last drop for me. I thought " No one knows her sniffles like I do and what if on Friday morning, her sniffles get worse and I'm not there??". Wow, I could not believe that I had gotten to that point. I wish I could've blogged during my leave because I had a tough time adjusting to motherhood when Amelia was born, so if I would've written about it, you would've probably seen how much I've changed.

But Friday came and went and I was so happy to be back with all of you. Thank you so much for the well wishes and support during my leave. You'll be happy to know that baby and Mom are doing great. And don't you worry--- now I'll write about my first encounters with motherhood---trust me, you will laugh, and since I'm feeling 100 percent better and almost normal---I'll laugh too.

Ana

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Rating - 3 stars
www.youtube.com

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Ok...here are they are. My picks for the best and worst films of 2007.
Let me know what you liked and hated!
Dean

BEST PICTURES:

1. SWEENEY TODD:THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET

2. INTO THE WILD

3. AMERICAN GANGSTER

4. JUNO

5. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

6. MICHAEL CLAYTON

7. KNOCKED UP

8. BOURNE ULTIMATUM

9. HAIRSPRAY

10.ATONEMENT

WORST PICTURES:

1. I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY

2. DELTA FARCE

3. LICENSE TO WED

4. DADDY DAY CARE

5. BALLS OF FURY

6. PREMONITION

7. EVAN ALMIGHTY

8. MR. WOODCOCK

9. NUMBER 23

10.NORBIT

Posted by Dean Richards at 6:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

If you missed it on the show this morning, I announced my picks for best actors and best actresses of the year. On Monday, 12/31, I announce my picks for the best and worst films of the year. Check out my list...leave yours...your comments could wind up on the air.
Dean

Best Actresses:
1. Ellen Page - Juno
2. Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
3. Keri Russell - Waitress
4. Laura Linney -The Savages
5. Julie Christie - Away From Her

Best Actors:
1. Emile Hirsch - Into The Wild
2. Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
3. George Clooney - Michael Clayton
4. Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
5. Will Smith - I Am Legend

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Rating - 4 stars
www.learnenglish.org.uk

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Rating - 3 stars
www.counterfeitmini.com

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Rating - 2 stars
www.funnyordie.com

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Rating - 3 stars
www.youtube.com

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My wife is due to give birth to our second child, any day now. We do not have names yet. I am looking to my childhood for inspiration from my heroes of the late 1970's and 80's.

If it's a boy:

Kareem-Abdul Potash
Horshack Potash
Tito Potash

If it's a girl:
Blossom Potash
Charro Potash
Farrah-Fawcett Potash

If you have any ideas...please post them here.

Thanks
Larry

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Rating - 3 stars
www.ebaumsworld.com

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Because I'm the only unmarried man on our show, I'm often asked if I have a girlfriend. Apparently, some of you find a man in makeup cracking wise attractive.

This is hard for me to fathom. You see, most of my time spent in front of a mirror is at 1:45 AM, or in the elevator of my building after taking my dog for a walk. To me, sweatpants, rubber boots, 3 jackets and snot frozen to my upper lip just isn't sexy.

But to my credit, I do think I have a helluva knack for picking fashionable ties.

Anyway, for those of you who've inquired, I already have a lady friend. I'm sorry.

Especially if you're hot.

Or a gymnast.

If you didn't see the show this morning, we played a very special video of me and my sweetheart on a date.

**On a totally unrelated note, I LOVE Northwestern Women's Basketball, espcially Assistant Coach CAROL DUNCAN. I go to as many of their fun-filled games as possible, and am espcially looking forward to the January 13th game against Ohio State.

For more information, log onto http://nusports.cstv.com/promotions/nw-public-promotions.html#w-baskbl

Posted by Pat Tomasulo at 5:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Right off the bat I'm going to say I don't want to sound conceited or showy. Really I don't! It's just that so many of you have asked about my weight loss progress that I just wanted to update you. Well, here's the bragging part. Ahem, I have lost 20 pounds and countless inches! I have gone from basically a size 12 to a 6. I bought a pair of Lucky Jeans the other day. The buttonfly ones that say "Lucky You" on the inside flap when you open up the buttons. Well, they're a 6! Just pulled them up, no problems.

Anyway, I couldn't have done any of this without my fabulous trainer and friend Kay Yasin. She has pushed my body to limits I never thought I had. She has been the buddy I needed when I thought I couldn't do it anymore. Kay began working with me during the Bally's Fitness Challenge this spring. (Check out Kay's bod on Pat's blog from last month.) She has made eating right and exercise a part of my life. If she can do it for me, she can do it for anybody.

So there you have it! My once whiny blogs about how obese I am have turned into bragging blogs about how non-obese I am. All of you working so hard to get it off and keep it off, think about the Lucky #6.

I think I'll go have a shake.... a high-protein chocolate Slim Fast. :)

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Our friend (Cubs play-by-play man) Len Kasper stopped by the show today, to talk about the 2nd Annual Len and Bob's Bash. This is a concert hosted by Len and broadcasting partner Bob Brenly.

Last year, Len and Bob teamed up to do a few cover songs (Bob on guitar, Len on vocals), and Len has promised a repeat performance. They brought the house down with their version of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues."

There will be actual professional musicians performing, as well.

The event is January 17th at the House of Blues, and it will benefit Cubs Charities. Visit http://www.hob.com for more information.

As seeing that Len was already here, and it wouldn't cost us anything, we decided to ask him some baseball questions too.

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Rating - 4 stars
www.uglychristmaslights.com

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Rating - 3 stars
www.sundog.net

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Here's what's new this week. My picks are The Simpsons' Movie, Stardust, Once, Mod Squard and the Blade Ruynner special collection.. There are some very cool extras on the BR package and the movie the way it was intended to be seen. Your favs?

Here's this week's complete list.
The Simpsons Movie
Once
Stardust
Balls of Fury
Underdog
Mod Squad: Season One Volume One
One Tree Hill: Season 4
The Adevntures of Young Indiana Jones:The War years
Blade Runner:Collector's Edition
National Treasure:Collectors Edition
Halloween: Special Edition
Cinderella II
Bring it On:In It to Win it

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Rating - 3 stars
www.chicagolive.com

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2007 featured big names like Bill Cosby, nostalgic characters like Squiggy from Laverne&Shirley, and bizarre moments like 30 Rock's Tracy Morgan simulating birth on our anchor desk.

Let us know your favorites, as we work on our countdown for 2007.

While you're at it...help us determine the top acts of all-time.

Here are just some of the stars who have appeared in studio since 1994. Post your top 10.

BIGGEST GUESTS:
Smokey Robinson
Madeline Albright
Oscar Robertson
Mickey Rooney
Terry Bradshaw
Bo Derek
Peter Frampton
Gloria Gaynor
Leonard Nimoy
Mike Ditka
Morgan Freeman
Lennox Lewis
Taye Diggs
Jack Klugman
Oliver North
Sen.John McCain
Billy Dee Williams
Tony Orlando
David Copperfield
Brady kids: Cindy, Greg, Marsha, and Peter
Adrian Brody
INXS
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York
Carl Maulden
Chicago
George Carlin
Hugh Grant
Robert Duvall
Johnny Bench
George Forman
Magic Johnson
Charlton Heston
Henry Kissinger
Bernie Mac
Adam Sandler
George Clinton
Gary Carter
The Outfield
Loverboy
Rita Moreno
Bill Cosby
Gabe Kaplan

Posted by Larry Potash at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

That's what my torso looks like when stuffed in these Christmas sweaters you people are sending me. I'm like a great big sausage stuffed in yarn and bells. Apparently, the only people mailing in these sweaters are 9-year old boys and 110 lb women.

I had to CUT the last sweater off of me with a pair of scissors.

There are less than 2 weeks left until Christmas, so time is running out for you to make me look ridiculous. After next Friday, I'm done!

I've included a little montage of some of the more tasteful sweaters that have already been sent.

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Rating - 3 stars
WWW.BADSWEATERGUY.COM

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Rating - 3 stars
www.nearbynow.com

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The CFCA is a thougthful, knowledgeable and sometimes ecclectic group of film critics from all over Chicago. I'm proud to be a member. Here is the complete list of our best of 2007. My Dean's List picks for the best of the year are pretty different. I'll be announcing my picks of the year next week on the Morning News and posting them here.

Chicago Film Critics Assication Best of 2007:
Picture: No Country for Old Men
Foreign Film: 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days
Director: Joel & Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody - Juno
Adapted Screenplay: Joel & Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
Actor: Daniel Day Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Actress: Ellen Page - Juno
Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Cinematography: Roger Deakins - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Score: Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - Once
Documentary: Sicko
Animated Feature: Ratatouille
Promising Performer: Michael Cera - Superbad/Juno
Promising Filmmaker: Ben Affleck - Gone Baby Gone

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Rating - 3 stars
www.bulletballgames.com

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The satellite interview is a staple of most morning news shows. This is where we interview, from the studio, an athlete or celebrity who's at another location. You may not have known this, but even though you and I can see them, they can't see us.

(It's great. You can make all sorts of obscene gestures without them knowing).

You may also notice that every time we do one of these interviews, the athlete ends up pimping some product or service- Peyton Manning for Campbells Soup, Joe Theismann for enlarged prostates, etc.

They get paid to endorse something, a PR firm offers them up for interviews, and we agree to let them talk up whatever they're endorsing, so long as we get to ask questions about other stuff. Usually it's about 80% what we want to talk about, and 20% what they want.

Depending on how invested the athlete is.

For instance, when Terrell Owens appeared on today's show to pimp his new line of home fitness exercise bands, the percentage was 50-50 at best. But I wasn't mad. I was impressed. It was like watching Chuck Norris in one of those "Total Gym" infomercials.

He was a completely polished pitchman.

Posted by Pat Tomasulo at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just a reminder: we still need your help. If you have relationship questions, submit them here, and we'll present them to Rabbi Shmuley on the 13th.

Rabbi Shmuley, of Shalom in the Home, returns to WGN Morning News December 13 at 8:45ish. He is one of our favorite guests because he gives great advice.
Most self-help books contain useless, cliche' information:
-do your homework
-take it one day at a time
-be yourself

But Rabbi Shmuley, author of books like DATING SECRETS OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, offers specific, helpful advice. (see below.) Here are some excerpts from Shmuley's book:

DATING SECRETS OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Today, far too few people date in order to find their soul mate. Instead, they search for a "partner." Because of a fundamental confusion of priorities, these men and women want to find a person who will provide them with many different and superficial things, rather than a companion who will connect with them on the deepest level.

Dating should never being with a list of what we HAVE. Rather, it must begin with making a mental list of what we lack. Only this will guarantee to make us feel whole. Sex and laughs are superficial. This is why compatibility is somewhat overrated. A soul mate bring you a feeling that you are the most special person in the world.

How do you know that you have found the right person?

The difference between "partner" and "soul mate" is found in passivity and silence. If you always have to act in order to have stimulation in your relationship, if you feel you always have to talk and impress each other, regale each other with exciting tales, etc...then you have a partner.

But if you can simply hold each other, saying nothing, and still the pain goes away, then you have a soul mate. He or she knows your thoughts and secrets without your expressing them.

In dating, you should always be the peasant and not the aristocrat. An aristocrat waits for a person to come along and impress them. He focuses on what HE wants and what HE deserves. In the process, you overlook what you nees because you are too self-centered to truely evaulate the person you are with. Be a peasant. Be humble, and search for that person who makes you feel needed.

Make your date know that she comes first.

If you are bored, the problem is usually with you, not your date.
practical suggestions:
-talk about issues and values and the stories that formed these formative experiences
-do good deeds with your date, rather than just going to karaoke. That doesn't necessarily mean soup kitchen, but perhaps visiting a grandmother.

DATING, NOT 'RELATING'
People make the mistake of dating for personal growth rather than to discover another human being. You should be deepening the relationship with the other person, not with yourself.

HONORABLE ENDINGS
How do you know when a relationship is "right"? When it makes you feel alive and optimistic for your future together. If you no longer look forward to seeing her...if she irritates you, if she bores you, then you are in trouble. Do not make the mistake of staying with an unsatisfactory relationship out of a sense of guilt.

You know when you are in love, and when this ain't it, dump the schlump. Don't stay in an unhappy relationshiop because you are afraid of hurting her feelings, or worse, because you fear nothing better will come along.

-----
Send your relationship questions now!

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Rating - 4 stars
www.funnyordie.com

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When I was first pitched Mitchel Musso as a guest for our morning show, I had to pinch myself. I had to put the PR rep on hold and catch my breath.

Oh, and more importantly, ask everyone in the newsroom if they knew what the hell a Mitchel Musso is.

I mean, it had to be somebody BIG because it only uses one "L" in the first name.

Then, the PR representative on the phone went on to tell me that Mitchel Musso was an actor and he is "Oliver Oken," one of the stars of Disney's mega-hit televison series "Hannah Montana."

Well, that about did me in. I almost fainted. You see, even though I don't have kids or even like them that much, I hear that this show is probably the most incredible phenomenon since "Punky Brewster."

Well, Mitchel could not have been nicer. He shook hands. He took pics with our camera people and their kids. Holy crap! He should run for President!

But, he's 14.

I mean, after the interview, we jokingly told him that he was one of the best guests we've had since Henry Kissinger was on our show. He tilted his bewildered head like a Shitzu. I think he thought that Henry Kissinger was a rapper from the 80's.

But still, he's a very talented kid and he's lucky enough to be a part of one of the greatest shows on Earth.

Just like me. I am going to puke now.

Check him out at the Hollywood Blvd Cinema in Woodridge today! Click on www.atriptothemovies.com for details on how to win tickets to tomorrow night's "Hannah Montana" show.

-Jeff Hoover, Morning Show Producer

Also....Amanda Bynes had a diva-like edict: She would greet no more than three fans.
Wow.
Bill Cosby must've posed for 30 photos when he was here several weeks ago.

Souljaboy's peeps called to say he'd be late but that he was almost to the station.
"Where are you," we asked.
"Blue Island," his peep replied.

They were an hour late but they made the end of the show.

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Rating - 4 stars
vids.myspace.com

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Rating - 4 stars
video.aol.com

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Rating - 2 stars
www.getfave.com

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Rating - 2 stars
www.youtube.com

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