So Long... See You Soon!
(CBS/The Early Show)
What a way to end a fantastic five years! Producers Joe Long and Rebecca Resnick put together an incredible video. How do you put a chunk of your life into six minutes? They found a way and it was a real labor of love. And my good pal Toby Keith surprised me with a special song that was a real tearjerker. Heartfelt comments from the other anchors were so wonderful and we ended with hugs all around for my beloved crew. You really feel like it's a family when you work together every morning with the same folks year after year. I will miss them so much.
Thank you all for your well wishes… they have meant a lot. Most of all, thank you for the privilege of allowing me to be part of your lives each morning. God bless you and know that you are loved and appreciated. See you down the road!
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Thank You...
Hi everybody! Thanks so much for all your well wishes and supportive comments. I sure will miss being with you every morning. I have thought often over the last week about how God's plan is different from my own... and how important it is to embrace that. Here's one of my favorite prayers; I carry it around in my wallet:
My Mission of Serving
"God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission -- I never may know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. Somehow I am necessary for His purposes, as necessary in my place as an Archangel in His -- if, indeed, I fail, He can raise another, as He could make the stones children of Abraham. Yet I have a part in this great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do His work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I do but keep his commandments and serve Him in my calling.
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My Mission of Serving
"God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission -- I never may know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. Somehow I am necessary for His purposes, as necessary in my place as an Archangel in His -- if, indeed, I fail, He can raise another, as He could make the stones children of Abraham. Yet I have a part in this great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do His work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I do but keep his commandments and serve Him in my calling.
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Holidays At The White House
Hey everyone! I spent the morning at the White House today with first lady Laura Bush, who provided a tour of the holiday decorations there.
Video: We chatted in the Blue Room, where Mrs. Bush explained her role in choosing the theme for the ornaments that decorate the Christmas tree featured there. This year's theme celebrates our national parks and is adorned by ornaments from across the country. Check out our interview and see who made a cameo appearance!
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"Compass" Controversy
Perhaps you've been part of the massive e-mail campaign to boycott the upcoming movie "The Golden Compass" starring Nicole Kidman. Critics of the movie say its anti-religion. The movie is based on the first of a three book series by Philip Pullman, who has made comments in the past about being an atheist and how his books reflect that.
Today we had a lively debate about the movie between Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, and Ellen Johnson, president of American Atheists. At one point things got so heated, I had to have both sides take a deep breath and refocus! It's times like that when your experience as a mom comes in handy because you are used to breaking up fights and giving timeouts! Anyway, if you are considering whether or not to take your kids to see this, then check out our debate. The bottom line: both sides agree about communicating with your children about this and all things they see on the screen.
Today we had a lively debate about the movie between Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, and Ellen Johnson, president of American Atheists. At one point things got so heated, I had to have both sides take a deep breath and refocus! It's times like that when your experience as a mom comes in handy because you are used to breaking up fights and giving timeouts! Anyway, if you are considering whether or not to take your kids to see this, then check out our debate. The bottom line: both sides agree about communicating with your children about this and all things they see on the screen.
Back To Work!
(CBS)
Black Friday For Toy Shoppers
(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
Even though today is a day to indulge at the dinner table, our fave dietician Keri Glassman has some great tips to help you pick "the best of the worst!" My favorite dessert is pecan pie, which Keri informs me is the worst of the worst, but I'm gonna eat it anyway.
Dave Price and I are hosting the Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS and we don't get to move off the set for three hours, so afterwards we are absolutely ravenous! I am headed to Bobby Flay's for a feast! Hope your meal and your day are wonderful. Thank God for our families, our friends and our health!
Behind The Scenes: Alicia Keys
(CBS/Lauren Donohue)
"As I Am"
Multiple Grammy award winner Alicia Keys is certain to have this week's No. 1 album and many are calling "As I Am" her finest work to date. The older-than-her years singer has taken an introspective journey in her mid-20s, both literally and figuratively. Family tragedy and an overwhelming schedule left Keys exhausted and admittedly depressed. So she traveled to Egypt to find inspiration. All by herself, with just her music, Keys returned with renewed insight and passion. During our interview on the plaza, she told me what she learned about herself. And something that you won't see, Keys told me she built up some pretty high walls in an effort to maintain her privacy and that she is also letting those down a bit. The end result is a gorgeous and textured album that is easily one of the year's best. Tomorrow, check out my behind-the-scenes photos with Alicia.
This King Is A Real Prince!
Many moons ago (17 years, in fact), I co-hosted a sporting competition called the Goodwill Games on TBS. At the time, I was a sportscaster on CNN and during the 14-day gig in Seattle, I worked with broadcasting legend Larry King, the event's main host. King had a huge movie-star trailer befitting his status in the business; his heart was just as big. He took me under his wing and always offered encouraging words. I have never forgotten that and have enjoyed seeing him in the years that followed.
It's been 20 years since King's life-changing heart attack and quintuple bypass surgery. Along with his wife Shawn, he has helped fund The Larry King Cardiac Foundation, which helps pay for heart surgeries for the uninsured. Check out the Web site to learn more about how you can help those with heart problems and click here to .
With the motivation of a young wife and two young kids, Larry has dedicated himself to staying as healthy as possible and today celebrated his 74th birthday. Of course, he has the best talk show on television and is routinely in the news himself. Just last week, Donny Osmond said King "ambushed" his sister, Marie, during an interview.
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Taser Tragedy
By now you've probably heard of Robert Dziekanski, the man who died after being tasered by officers in the Vancouver, Canada airport
on Oct. 14. The 40-year-old Polish man who had never ridden on an airplane before and was flying to meet his mother in Vancouver, Canada. He spoke no English or French and had been waiting for 10 hours at the airport for his mom to pick him up. She had been unable to locate him there and was told that he had not arrived. So she left. As the man became agitated and started throwing things, a fellow passenger turned on his video camera and rolled for several minutes.
What Paul Pritchard revealed today in is insight into an airport tragedy that never should have happened. It calls into question many things, including use of tasers by police as a first option, and also the lack of medical awareness and care that may have helped to save this poor man's life. One can only imagine how his elderly mother, who is now in seclusion, must be feeling. Her son's funeral is scheduled for Saturday. What will follow is a series of investigations and serious questions about taser policy just north of our border thanks to this amateur videographer who fought to get his tape back from the police and then made it public.
In an age where people take video for money or adulation, this stands out as unique: a citizen sincerely trying to shed light on an important issue. Check out our interview and Pritchard's poignant apology to the victim's mother on behalf of all of Canada.
Groovin' With Boyz II Men
The members of the legendary group Boyz II Men have come a long way from singing in the bathrooms at their Philadelphia high school. With a string of highly successful albums, they eventually became the highest selling R&B group of all time. Today they came to The Early Show plaza to perform some songs from their new CD, "Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA." What a treat! And as you'll see by watching the video clip, we all had a great time.
To encourage a new generation of street corner serenaders, they are teaming up with us for the Boyz II Men A Cappella Quest. If you're part of an a cappella group, or know one that you admire, read the requirements and upload or send a videotape in to our Web site. Better hurry! The deadline is Monday, Nov. 17.
To encourage a new generation of street corner serenaders, they are teaming up with us for the Boyz II Men A Cappella Quest. If you're part of an a cappella group, or know one that you admire, read the requirements and upload or send a videotape in to our Web site. Better hurry! The deadline is Monday, Nov. 17.
Pass The Bunny Tails!
It's cold and rainy in New York -- a really dreary day that's perfect for comfort food. And it doesn't get much better than the mashed potatoes we had on The Early Show this morning. Sure, it was part of our Thanksgiving Dinner 101 series, but why wait? We made ours with lots of butter and cream and added chives and cheddar cheese. They are the best I've ever had!
I have never been a good mashed-potato maker, but my mother-in-law's potatoes are legendary and she has always called them "bunny tails" because they are so white and fluffy. So that's what my kids ask for: bunny tails without all the fancy stuff! My mother-in-law mashes the potatoes the old-fashioned way, but after going to tater school with chef Tori Richie, I think I'm going invest in a ricer. You stick the potatoes in the handheld device and out it comes in little rice-like pieces guaranteed to be fluffy and not like wallpaper paste. At least that's what they say!
I figure with enough milk, butter and salt, just about anything will be passable... but one can always strive for more. So here's to bunny tails or at least a close approximation! If you have any mashed potato trick of your own, let me know.
Dancing The Night Away
(AP Photo/Peter Kramer)
I was a little sleepy this morning after a rare weeknight out ... but boy was it worth it! Van Halen, one of my all-time favorite bands, was playing at Madison Square Garden. Between the infectious enthusiasm of singer David Lee Roth and the still-stellar guitar playing of Eddie Van Halen, they put on a surprisingly good show some 20 years after their heyday.
As a radio DJ in the '80s, I played a lot of old-school, pre-Sammy Hagar Van Halen and vividly remember seeing Roth flying through the air, attached to wires while singing their huge hit "Jump." "Jump" was the first encore song last night, well delivered and staged with colorful flags that for some reason really made sense. Other than that, the show was devoid of props and trickery. The perpetually-in-motion Roth ran all over the stage, handling the mic stand like some talented twirler at a high school football game.
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Conquering The Bird
It's a quest as old as time (or at least dating back a couple hundred years) -- how to cook a big bird that has almost no flavor and try to give it some modicum of taste, while, at the same time, not drying it out and actually having it look somewhat edible on a platter. Yes, I'm talking turkey.
If you're like me, you probably only cook a turkey once a year and the pressure is on! I remember my mom cooking turkeys in a paper grocery bag, which always turned out great. But, for whatever reasons, that's not in vogue anymore. Fried, brined, roasted ... the options are many. This year, I'm going for brining, but you have to do that a day ahead.
In her Thanksgiving Dinner 101 lesson this morning, Tori Ritchie showed us a hot new secret ingredient; she also warned us about a potential gravy pitfall. And in my book, the gravy is quite a challenge! You're supposed to be able to whip it up in two seconds flat while you're mashing the potatoes and prying everyone away from football to get to the table. For me, it's the last half hour before the meal that is really stressful! And then it's gone in two seconds flat! Hence my theory of having a glass of champagne while cooking! That, and the invention of bottled gravy. No matter how bad the bird, you can always pour that stuff on top!
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