All Blog Posts from Couric & Co.

July 10, 2009 5:20 PM

Katie Couric's Notebook: Blackberry Etiquette

We've all seen them: those busy fingers typing away on blackberries like squirrels gnawing on acorns.

It's bad enough at the dinner table, but how about in the conference room?

A new poll from Yahoo HotJobs found that a third of office workers check their blackberries while their colleagues are talking.

It's become a ubiquitous practice in all kinds of professions. During President Obama's speech to the Joint Sessions of Congress lawmakers were using their pda's to post messages on Twitter.

If the President can't command attention, your company's V-P of sales is up a creek.

The New York Times reports that some offices are banning blackberry use in meetings, and one management firm found that more than 30 percent of bosses say it's never ok to click away when someone is speaking.

You don't want the habit to cost you your job. After all, you'll need the health insurance to treat your blackberry thumb.

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.


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July 9, 2009 6:08 PM

Behind the Scenes at the Cayman Islands

(CBS)
Lucky assignment, right? My senior producer, Kim Godwin, called me to ask if I "might be free to go to the Cayman Islands" to follow the "Financial Family Tree" as it wound its way through the Caribbean. My response, clearly, did not require much thought: "yes".

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financial family tree ,
recession ,
doane ,
cake ,
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Field Notes
July 9, 2009 6:02 PM

Katie Couric's Notebook: Stimulus

As President Obama talks big-picture economic trouble at the G-8 summit, Vice President Biden is getting to see a snapshot of its impact on real people in Ohio.

That state has been hit hard, with an unemployment rate hovering at 10 percent. Now, Ohio is historically a swing state and a good place to check the nation's temperature and right now it's getting hotter. The President's approval ratings are dropping there and only half think he's done a good job on the economy.

Experts rely on indicators like home sales and the Gross Domestic Product, but all those numbers can be mind boggling and the truth is, the number that Washington is paying close attention to is 2010--and the upcoming midterm elections.

It's only been five months since the stimulus bill became a law and most people agree it's too soon to declare victory or defeat.

But this administration will need to assure voters in Ohio and beyond that even if the train is moving slowly we are in fact on the right track.

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.


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July 8, 2009 6:54 PM

Katie Couric's Notebook: Bottled Water

They're everywhere on a hot summer's day: those plastic bottles of water we all seem to carry. Americans drank $16 billion dollars worth last year, but how much do you really know about your favorite brand?

Two reports out today recommend better labeling. The utility that pumps water to your house has to publish an annual quality report. Bottlers don't. In fact, out of 188 brands analyzed, only two disclose where their water comes from, how it's purified and what chemicals it may contain.

Bottlers test their water regularly and insist it's pure and no one disputes that. But what comes from the kitchen faucet practically for free is often just as good or better than what you paid two bucks for.

By not giving customers the facts, there's no way to tell and some bottlers like it that way. 40 percent of bottled water comes from the tap. If you knew YOURS did, would you still buy it?

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.

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notebook ,
couric ,
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Katie Couric's Notebook
July 8, 2009 4:28 PM

Where is Jackson's Body?

(AP)
After spending nearly his entire life in the potlight, the big question right now is where is Michael Jackson’s body?

It left the mortuary Tuesday and was front and center at the Staples Center for Jackson’s memorial, but nobody ever saw it leave the building.

The Jackson family says its location is a secret and they don't want the public to yet know when or where Michael Jackson will be buried.

Of course, this has only increased the conspiracy theories that Jackson’s body wasn't actually in the casket at the Staples Center yesterday or that it is actually frozen so he can be brought back to life at some point.

However, it could just be that the family hasn't decided where to bury him. At first, they indicated they wanted to do it at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, but they couldn't get a waiver of California Law which prohibits burials on private property. Some reports say Michael’s mother Katherine is opposed to the Neverland plan.

We will likely know soon, because one thing we do know is that there are few details of Michael Jackson's life that remain a secret.
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cbsjackson ,
michael jackson ,
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Field Notes
July 7, 2009 7:51 PM

Kelly Wallace's Notebook: Michael Jackson

(AP)
Eleven thousand lucky ticket holders got a chance to see the spectacular sendoff of their icon Michael Jackson today at the Staples Center.

Another seven thousand were next door at the Nokia Theater, and no doubt millions around the world watched on television.

As biographer Randy Taraborrelli said that's how Michael would have wanted it.

His family, friends and fans may be laying the King of Pop to rest soon, but this will not be the end of the story. Impending court proceedings on the estate and custody of his three kids will dominate headlines for weeks to come.

But today isn't about all that. It's about the music and the magic that Michael Jackson brought into our lives for so many decades.

And, perhaps a fitting tribute as a media circus leaves LA - a real one is coming: Ringling Brothers is loading at the Staples Center.

I don't know why but I believe that would make Michael smile.

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cbsjackson ,
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July 7, 2009 6:07 PM

Watching the Memorial in Harlem

(CBS)
If they couldn't be at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, they wanted to be where it all began, in the heart of Harlem, less than a few steps from the Apollo Theatre where Michael Jackson and his brothers first burst onto the music scene.
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michael jackson ,
michelle miller ,
miller ,
harlem ,
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Field Notes
July 7, 2009 12:48 PM

Presidential Travel Blog

(AP )
>Rob Hendin is the White House producer for the CBS Evening News

Traveling with the White House has its share or perks and random occurrences. Yesterday, we spent the three hours waiting for President Obama's press conference with Russian President Medvedev, admiring the opulent gold-leaf filled rooms of the Kremlin.

This morning, as we sat waiting for the President's arrival at the New Economic School of Moscow where he was speaking, we saw former Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev and his entourage enjoying a cup of coffee. Gorbachev, who was there to meet with President Obama, declined our request for a quick chat, citing a sore throat.

But there's more to these trips than the perks of international travel.

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obama ,
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russia ,
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Field Notes
July 6, 2009 6:11 PM

Seth Doane's Notebook: Memorial Costs

For Michael Jackson fans, it's a golden ticket. Just 11,000 thousand people out of 1.6 million applicants will get to see the sendoff for the King of Pop live at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Another 6,500 will be next door at the Nokia Theater.

The tickets are free but the event obviously is not. It will require the LAPD and other city departments to work overtime to handle what could be record-breaking crowds in the downtown area. Police say they're preparing for crowds similar to what they saw during the 1984 Olympics.

One LA city councilwoman said she hopes the Jackson family will help pay the tab but told CBS there has been no such offer as of today.

Last month it was private donations that covered much of the cost of a parade to celebrate the Lakers' NBA championship.

For now, an already cash-strapped city hopes a King's memorial service won't cost a King's ransom.

I'm Seth Doane, CBS News.

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notebook ,
cbsjackson ,
michael jackson ,
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Katie Couric's Notebook
July 6, 2009 3:58 PM

Thoughts on Jackson and the Media

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Hari Sreenivasan is a CBS News Correspondent based in New York.

As the creation and consumption of content regarding Michael Jackson continues, sadly I wonder about the circumstances surrounding the future of my business (aka mainstream media) perhaps as much as I do about the particular circumstances involved in the end of an entertainer's life.
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michael jackson ,
sreenivasan ,
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Field Notes

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