Fixing The Economy

The economy is a scary topic. Everyday the housing market and credit crunch seem to worsen and banks and investment firms continue to fold.

I'm just glad I'm not a lawmaker right now. Trying to figure out the right course of action seems very daunting. The President has proposed a 700 billion dollar emergency relief bill. Congress is in the midst of trying to hatch out the final details to that bill. There's a lot to consider and a lot on the line. We all know something needs to be done but no-one seems to agree on what that is.

Republican lawmakers say the bill creates too much of a burden on taxpayers who in the end are footing the bailout. Democratic lawmakers say there needs to be more legislation preventing this disaster from happening again. It's hard not to agree with both sides.

If the government doesn't step in and help bailout these banks, our country will probably go into financial disaster. Although I understand that, there's still a part of me that wants to see the banks and mortgage lenders punished.

In my opinion criminal charges should be brought against the people who encouraged borrowers to lie on their loan applications. Charges should be filed against the top execs who told lenders to worry about getting a lot of loans instead of worrying about how solid the loans were. Currently the FBI is investigating some of the top banks and corporations for fraud and I'll be very interested to see what investigators find.

The saddest part is watching people who are being financially punished for things other people caused. People who have good credit and bought their homes the right way, now can't sell those homes. The people who have good but not perfect credit now can't buy homes. People who have their retirement plans invested in the stock market are now unsure if their money will even be there in a few years.

I'm not saying hope is lost because history tells us things will turn around. They always do. But now's a good time to really pay attention to what is going on in the economy and with our leaders.

Election time is a little more than a month away. All I can hope for is that people really research the issues and research the candidates. Right now the most important thing is being informed when heading to the polls.

Panic at the Pump?

Gas shortage.

It's been the big story, and sadly, we shouldn't talk about it.

At least thats what some people are saying. Right now, "The Media" is in a tight spot with the shortages... "Darned if you do, Darned if you don't."

As part of "The Media" I just don't know how I feel about the situation.

I understand people don't want us to "cause a panic" by saying stuff like "Oh no, there is NO GAS ANYWHERE and NONE IS COMING!" As a station, I think WBTV and the Morning Show specifically have been doing a good job at reporting what is happening in Charlotte and the general area.

But no matter what... we still have people blaming "The Media" because they can't find gas.

The last couple days the Morning Show has tried to give you, the viewer, a heads up by telling you where you CAN find gas... so you don't have to waste gas by searching around.

Not everyone likes this...

"It's my impression, overall, that the heavy media reporting - by the minute - on where Gas is, is probably contributing somewhat to the super-bad line-ups you keep showing. Leave people to find it on their own!"

That is a portion of an e-mail we received early this morning. The viewer felt we shouldn't tell people where to go... let them find the gas themselves.

Now... I'm not trying to stir up problems - I really do want to know what you think. Which is more irresponsible for the media - not telling people about the gas problem and let them find stations on their own.... or telling them about the problem, and telling them where gas is (possibly causing even more people to show up than word of mouth)?

Please comment your opinions, or e-mail us at inbox@wbtv.com.

Special Thanks To A Stranger

I have a special thanks this morning to someone I don't know.

Late last night I got a flat tire while driving to work. I was in an area that was not very safe and it was dark.

After realizing I had a flat, I put on my caution lights and pulled over to the side of the road. In a panic I called my boyfriend, hoping he could come help me change the tire. He did not answer.
In all fairness he was probably already in bed but one would think three panic calls would wake him up. They did not.

I knew I could call AAA but experience would tell me, I would wait for about two hours. As I sat in my car and pondered what my next move would be. I saw a car slow in front of me and pull over.

Now I've seen all the horror stories, I work in the news afterall, I know how dangerous it can be accepting help from strangers. But he came over and asked if I needed help. He said he worked for the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA). I figured he was trustworthy enough and honestly I was pretty much out of options.

In about 20 minutes he had my tire changed and I was off on my way to work. I know he's probably never going to see this blog but if he does, I'm very very thankful for his help. I work in a business when a lot of times I see the worst of human nature, and although this could be considered a small favor, it is nice to know there are people out there who care.

Oh and I am going to make it my next project to learn how to change my own tire!

Injured While... Texting?

Looks like there is an increased number of people heading to the emergency room because of text messages.

No, they don't have Texting Thumb.

(Click the picture for the video)


They are getting injured because they get distracted while texting, when they are doing something else.

That means more people are running into walls, into lampposts and tripping off curbs!

How Cool Are You?

There's yet another search engine available starting today, for those of you looking for something other than Yahoo and Google.



It's called Cuil.com (Pronounced "Cool")

The site was created by a couple of ex-Google engineers, and of course their goal is to take down the Big Daddy!

I know they are just starting, but I kinda wish there was a "Cuil News" section... but thats just the news dork in me.

But there is a bonus - the Panther Colors!

Need to Leave a Voicemail?

There's a new way for you to call someone and leave bad news, if you have a Conversation Avoidance!

Sly Dial is a free service offering a reprieve from awkward or hectic moments by letting people leave messages for other people without actually talking to them.

Sly Dial connects users directly with another person's cell phone voice mail, bypassing the rings.



So... how can you be sly?

Call (267) SLY-DIAL from a cell phone or landline that has the caller ID feature activated... you can leave that awkward message without having to talk!

We tried it... just ask John! LOL

Want to be a Buddy?

Barbara is looking for five people to help her in her quest to get healthy.

Are you the one? Can you help?

Find out more about Barbara's Buddies, by checking out the Barbara's Buddies blog!


Barbara's Buddies
We want you to join us, in our quest for a health life!

Miss USA Falls

Okay.

I'll be honest. I'm one of those people who takes pleasure in laughing when other people fall. In fact, I "People Watch" all the time... just HOPING someone will trip and try to pull the "no one saw that" bit. I can't help it, it makes me laugh.

But, I fall too & I trip all the time, which may be why I like laughing at other people falling... because I'm not alone.

I also like watching people run into walls and glass/screen doors, but that's another story.

So... I did get a big kick when I saw that Miss USA fell during the Miss Universe last night. Sure it sucks for her, and she probably killed her chance at winning (since she WAS in the top ten), but it still made me laugh.

She does this weird clapping thing when she gets up. I'm not sure if its just frustration, or a "Look, I'm okay!" kinda thing. Either way... kinda weird.

Watch the video for yourself that we found on YouTube!



And if that wasn't funny enough, some kids in Texas (Miss USA's home state) have already made a video making fun of her.

And I thought I had too much time on my hands...



Check it out and get a good laugh!

A Rose by Any Other Name...

What's in a name? Every year they release the most popular names from the year before, but this year there a slight twist... the list from 1950 as well!

Funny thing is, most of the people on the morning show, are on the list... John & Barbara from the 1950's list... me and Suchan from the new list.

Good news for Michael Handy - Michael is one of only two repeats on the list!

Sorry Becky (Rebecca), you didn't make the list!

Here's the list, if you want to see!

Most popular boy/girl baby names in 1950:

1. James / Linda
2. Robert / Mary
3. John / Patricia
4. Michael / Barbara
5. David / Susan
6. William / Nancy
7. Richard / Deborah
8. Thomas / Sandra
9. Charles / Carol
10. Gary / Kathleen

Here's the list from last year:

1. Jacob / Emily
2. Michael / Isabella
3. Ethan / Emma
4. Joshua / Ava
5. Daniel / Madison
6. Christopher / Sophia
7. Anthony / Olivia
8. William / Abigail
9. Matthew / Hannah
10. Andrew / Elizabeth

Hurricane Bertha... Again

Monday morning, Tropical Storm Bertha turned into Hurricane Bertha. If that name sounds familiar to you, it's because back in 1996 Hurricane Bertha made landfall in North Carolina. Ironically it was also about the same time of year.

Although the 1996 Hurricane Bertha was not particulary memorable to most folks, I remember it quite well. I'm not from North Carolina and up until about two years ago, I never lived here. But I did vacation along the outer banks almost every summer growing up.

I was at the Outer Banks when Hurricane Bertha hit. I was 13 at the time, so I remember it, but my memories are kinda vague. The hardest thing for me to remember is the time frame, of when I learned there was a hurricane coming and when it actually hit. So I'm trying to write this, the best I can.

I remember the week started out pretty good, with some good days at the beach. Then I remember it began getting really dark and cloudy outside. I didn't think much about it until I saw my parents watching the weather forecast more intently than normal.

That's when my parents said there was a hurricane coming in a day or two. I wasn't scared and I don't think they were either. Mainly just concerned. I on the other hand was excited! I was too young to realize how dangerous hurricanes were, especially not growing up around them. When they told me we might leave early, I wanted to ride out the storm!

I do know we went out to eat at one point and on the way back to our beach house, we saw some other houses in the water. The stilts were in the water. I also remember red "no swimming" flags up on the beaches.

It was around that time that my parents decided to pack up and head back home. I remember them saying that the area was going to be evacuated in about a day. I have no idea how they knew that. But I remember my parents making the decision to leave before the evacuation orders.

If I remember correctly we left the night before the area was evacuated to the mainland. The most vivid thing that stands out is my dad filled up the mini van with gas a day before the chaos. There were no lines. Then the day after leaving, we saw the tv footage, of line after line at the gas station and a long line of cars trying to leave. My parents were smart, they stayed one step ahead of the storm.

We were probably never in any real danger. Not since we left the night before the evacuations. But a total of 8 people ended up dying as result of Hurricane Bertha. So let's hope history doesn't repeat itself with this current storm.