All Blog Posts from Couric & Co.

Classical musicians young and old, from across the country and around the world, gathered at New York City's prestigious Carnegie Hall last night to debut the YouTube Symphony Orchestra. The group was chosen from more than 3,000 audition videos submitted to the site, and we'll have more of their story on tonight's CBS Evening News.

Watch the full performance here after the jump:

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Christina Ruffini is a CBS News broadcast associate based in Washington.

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Up until about fifth grade, I didn't give a hoot about Valentine's Day. Back then, boys had the cooties, chocolate gave me a tummy ache and the best jewelry was still made out of candy.

Through out elementary school, the fourteenth of February meant just two things: First, that I would get to waste a large portion of the day gluing sparkles and lopsided hearts onto a shoe box and second, that as per the official holiday party rules, I would be receiving a cheap paper valentine from every single member of my class.

The festivities were blissfully heterogeneous. No one was singled out. We all ended our day overflowing with benign tokens of cardboard affection - pleasant puppies whispering: "I ruuuv you," cuddly cats telling us we were "Puuuurrrrfect," etc.

Criminal vowel usage aside, all was well with the world.

Then I turned 10 ...

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Meet Elizabeth Alexander. The 46-year-old American poet and Yale professor was plucked from relative obscurity by President-elect Barack Obama last month, when he invited her to compose a poem for his inauguration.

On Jan. 20, Alexander will deliver her ode to Obama in the form of an "occasional poem," verse written for a specific, well, occasion.

Alexander, who was born in Harlem and raised in Washington, has known Mr. Obama for a decade. She believes her poetry “attends to history,” according to the New York Times, including “sometimes thorny and difficult American history.” You can check out a couple sample poems here.

Our chief national correspondent, Byron Pitts (one sidenote: tremendous congrats, Bryon, on the new gig!) sat down with Alexander, and tonight on the Evening News, he'll show you a slice of this remarkable woman's life that will come full-circle next week. She'll be a part of history – again ...

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Tony Maciulis is a CBS News producer based in New York.

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Mitzi Gaynor, now there’s a blast from the past.

I found a YouTube clip of her singing Peter Allen’s hit “Everything Old Is New Again,” on a variety show special in 1976. It was called “Mitzi…Roarin’ in the 20’s.” I guess “Mitzi with a Z” seemed too derivative.

For years, the only place to see a classic piece of television camp like that was either online or on a late night infomercial advertising a DVD series. But now, there’s no need to remember when. Everything old … you get the picture.

Those splashy '70s-style variety shows are making a comeback. NBC gave an hour to Rosie O’Donnell recently, and Ellen DeGeneres ...

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Christina Ruffini is a CBS News broadcast associate based in Washington.

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Step away from the lights; back off from the ribbons; put down the hot cocoa.

Even though there is still more than a month left until the big guy in red makes his rounds, Christmas is breaking out all over. I haven't even gotten one bite of Thanksgiving Turkey, yet I am already being force-fed sugar plums and candy canes at every turn.

The local mall has been smothered in sprigs of holly. Downtown is plastered with industrial-strength garland. Bell ringers are out in force, trying to guilt me out of my hard-earned change. I can't even hear Jingle Bells - which has already started playing at every big-box retailer - without feeling compelled to reach into my pocket and dig around for a donation.

Everywhere I go, it seems like people are trying to jump-start the joy. Maybe it's because we've had such a rough year. Perhaps the theory is that by nudging up the noel, we can put the mortgage meltdowns, gargantuan gas prices, epic election and, of course, that Phillies win at the World Series, behind us that much faster. But gingerbread glee is not ...

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Over at Tech Talk, our sister blog, science and technology correspondent (and self-proclaimed "digital nomad") Daniel Sieberg has given us a little previewa of his story on tonight's CBS Evening News. It's about grade-school kids using the Web not just to share too much information about themselves - but to share potentially-illegal video tips on how to deceive their teachers and cheat on tests.

Here's a taste:

It's no secret that young people make mistakes; it's a necessary part of growing up. But the Internet - and specifically the rise of video-sharing Web sites - opened a new portal for potential pitfalls. On tonight's CBS Evening News with Katie Couric we're looking at how teens are posting controversial videos on sites like YouTube, often in the hopes of getting noticed or showing off. But in the process they may be setting themselves up for real-world consequences in the future.

For our story we talked to two young people about their decision to post "how to cheat on a test" videos on YouTube. Both of our subjects are unrepentant about their decision - but they also do not want us to use their real names. Both said they're seeking attention and aren't worried about being caught because "adults don't use YouTube."

Wait, adults don't use YouTube? Huh. Somebody must have forgotten to tell Oprah, Charlie Rose, and, or course, Katie. Anyway, check out the rest of Daniel's blog post right here, and don't forget to watch tonight at 6:30 ET.

Christina Ruffini is a CBS News broadcast associate based in Washington. As of yet, she is uncommitted ... to a Halloween costume.

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It's down to the wire. The big day is rapidly approaching. You know there is a choice to be made, but you just can't stomach your options. It's the same recycled characters, the same hackneyed ideas, the same old party lines. There is no new blood, just the familiar red corn syrup and painted vampire fangs of Octobers past.

But with all you've had to think about lately, your Halloween costume might be pretty far down on the list. It is difficult to justify the purchase of full-body Stormtrooper armor or a historically-accurate Scarlett O'Hara hoopskirt when your 401(k) just dropped 30 percent. And how can you be expected to choose which Power Ranger or Teletubby you want to be when the only colors on your mind are red and blue?

The impending election has possessed many to pick politically themed day-of-the-dead duds. After all, what more colorful characters could there be than the ones running for office? Latex masks of Barak Obama and John McCain are popping up faster than plastic yard signs, and if the sale of beehive-ish wigs is any indication, bespectacled Sarah Palins will be as ubiquitous this season as sexy nurses and sultry cats.

But those of who don't want to end up just another Democratic doppelganger or Republican running mate must find a way to rise above the partisan pack. An Obama mask is nothing new, but pair it with a suit covered in pennies, nickels and pages from an old atlas and you can be "Obama's Map for Change." McCain's mug is musty, so combine him with a large Stetson, six-shooters and a Mel Gibson DVD, to become ...

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Sarah Palin's speech at the Republican National Convention drew a lot of praise. But none sounded quite like what Mo Rocca told Katie last night on her Convention Webcast. You'll want to watch the clip below, but in short, he said he's become "obsessed with" the Palin family … and loved when they all appeared on stage "like the cast of 'Alaska 90210.'"

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In case you missed it, our DNC Convention Webcast debuted last night, and what a cast it attracted.

In between answering CBSNews.com readers' questions with a little help from "crack political consultants" Joe Trippi, Mark Ambinder (the extremely knowlegable Atlantic associate editor) and Dan Bartlett (whom Katie called "the bravest man in the room" for being a lone Republican in a sea of Democrats) a lot of big-name guests dropped in. After Katie exclusively interviewed Caroline Kennedy and Susan Eisenhower (yes, the granddaughter of that Eisenhower), we got an impromptu visit from an Obama supporter who's never attended a Democratic convention before: Cyndi Lauper.

Why'd she show up to support Barack Obama? "I saw it on TV and thought, 'look at those crazy people with the signs.' Now I'm a crazy person with a sign!"



Sadly, it seems no brilliant musical collaborations will come out of this chance meeting. Cyndi didn't act on an offer to sing with Bob Schieffer's band (yes, the man can jam!) and Katie politely stayed mum after an invite to "sing sing" with Cyndi ... even after the pop icon dropped the obvious line: "come on, girls just wanna have fun!"

And remember, we're doing all of it again tonight. To join in, follow the links below.

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11 - 11:30pm: Live Webcast
Katie will be asking our political roundtable questions submitted from users like you.