Newton’s Notes

Miley messed up

I NEVER really blog about celebrity news. I don’t like to get caught up in entertainment gossip. My opinion, it’s just not news… BUT forgive me this one time for this post.

Miley Cyrus. Hannah Montana. Whatever you want to call her; she screw up. I know she is just 15, so I will cut her some slack.. But as for her parents, her agent, her publicist — I give them no mercy. Why the heck would anyone think it’s OK to treat a 15 year old girl like a sex symbol?! People wonder why kids are experimenting with sex younger and younger.. Maybe because anyone and everyone they look up to is SELLING SEX.

Typically, I don’t care about Hollywood scandals and gossip, but this one really did spark my interest… 

Why? Because of this little girl…

My 6 year old niece who idolizes Hannah Montana… Even the kids at her school call her Hannah Montana. She wears the clothes and the accessories, she watches the TV show, and listens to the music… Her room is even decorated in Hannah Montana… She told me a few weeks ago that she can’t wait until Halloween so she can dress up as her favorite pop star… What is she going to wear A BED SHEET?! 

Little girls need role models — role models that don’t take off their clothes for a magazine article.

so how did it go??

Saturday’s Race for the Cure in Downtown Fort Worth was great! There were so many people there, and the energy level was incredible!

 NBC5 was one of the sponsors of the event, so I voluteered to work (see my previous post for the reason).

I must say, it was the first time EVER that I have worn bunny ears in a live shot! Numerous businesses were out there showing support for the cause, and giving away stuff (like those ears and the scarf I was wearing).

It was a lot of fun! To make it even better, I got to hang out with some of my coworkers that I don’t see very often, because we work opposite shifts.

 Susy ran, while I cheered from the sidelines 😀  David shared with the crowd his daughter’s battle with breast cancer.  I also got to meet so many inspiring women who have beaten this disease and are now volunteering their time to help others through the fight.

A big thanks to all of the wonderful men and women who participated. You are all warriors!

a reason to run

This weekend is the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Downtown Fort Worth. It is a benefit to raise money for breast cancer research.

Everyone has their own reason for participating. My reason is named Olivia.

Olivia was one of my closest friends in college. She died this past November at the age of 30. While she didn’t have breast cancer, it was breast cancer’s evil cousins that killed her…. colon cancer, lung cancer, and ultimately brain cancer.

No matter what the disease… if it’s fatal, and incurable, it is hard for me to understand. Olivia finished her race before we could find a cure, but for all of the other Olivias, there’s still time. If we can cure breast cancer, cures for other forms of this deadly disease are sure to follow.

Olivia was the most inspirational woman I had ever met.  I posted one of her final blogs below. It’s worth reading. The words of a very strong woman in the middle of her hardest battle — fighting for her life.

“A week ago today I found out that this cancer I hate so bad has gone to my brain.  The end has never felt so near.  At every turn, with each new doctor…. it’s just a matter of time.  There are, thank goodness, things they can do to relieve the immediate pain, but nothing they can do to save my life.  I need a miracle!

I don’t want to die.  If I can be honest in all the Amazing ways He has touched my life, I can also be honest and say that. I Don’t Want to Die!  With all my heart I know and believe my God can heal me.   I want life.  I want so much more than just to see my brother walk down the aisle.  I want to live!

Tomorrow, my church is joining me in asking Almighty God for a miracle.  Of course, I am scared, I don’t know what He is up to.  And healing, may not be what He’s planned for me.  But with everything I’ve got I am asking Him to save my life.  “

just thought you should know….

Olivia Joy Pearson

To find out how you can take part in the Race for the Cure, click the link below  

http://www.nbc5i.com/raceforthecure/index.html

Bio-what?

Every week I do a short segment called Your Child’s Health. It focuses on health issues affecting children and the latest advancements in medical technology.

Wednesday’s topic was BIOFEEDBACK… it’s a type of therapy, very similar to meditation. A therapist hooks you up to a computer that monitors your heart rate, breathing, body temperature, and muscle tension. Then they talk you through relaxation. For instance, the therapist may have you imagine you are holding something warm, and then watch as your body temperature increases. Basically, it shows the patient that the mind can actually have a physical effect on the body.

It was pretty neat. We met a young man named Zach (that’s him standing up) who uses biofeedback to prevent his jaw from locking. The guy in the chair is my photographer, Kevin Stewart. He was also impressed with the therapy and wanted to try it out himself. Zach actually helped coach Kevin through the different techniques to relax.

How did Kevin do? Very well, he was able to raise his body temperature two degrees in a matter of minutes…

To check out the story, I’ve posted the link below.

http://video.nbc5i.com/player/?id=243771

Microwave society

I am the most impatient person in the world. I don’t necessarily like that trait, but I can’t accept all the blame myself. I blame society! 🙂 

Afterall, it doesn’t actually lend itself to patience.

We live in what I call a microwave society. We don’t have to wait for anything. Hungry? We have fast food and tv dinners. Need information? We have the internet and 24 hour news channels. Need to talk to someone? We have cell phones, email, email on cell phones, text messaging… and on and on and on.

Think about it, when was the last time you actually sent a letter to someone? Yes, a handwritten, licked and sealed, stamped and mailed letter? I think I was in 6th grade, and my teacher made us all have pen pals as a class assignment.

I don’t mail off bills, I pay them online. I don’t even get paper copies of bills, they’re emailed to me. So if this is the world we live in, how are we to learn patience? My mom always used to say, “Patience is a virtue”… Indeed Mom, you are right… and I want patience but I want it RIGHT NOW!

ouch! it hurts!

You may have noticed during the past couple of days — I am a tad bit pink… Actually, more like RED. I spent Saturday afternoon out at the swimming pool, enjoying the warm weather. BUT — I guess I spent too long enjoying the weather — because the sun has left its bright red mark on my body!

I hate sunburns — but I can never tell when I am getting one. The color doesn’t show up until it’s too late — and I already look like Lady Lobster.

Right now, I am at that itchy stage, right before you start to peel. It is driving me crazy, and keeping me up at night. I guess I need a higher SPF, or maybe I’ll go swimming in pants and a shirt next time!

Hey Missy!

I’m sure most of us have at least one nickname… I have a lot of them, but for most of my life my nickname WAS my name.

From birth, my parents always called me Missy. I didn’t actually use the name Melissa until I graduated from college. When I got into this business I thought Melissa was more professional, so I started going by that instead of Missy.

My family still calls me Missy, as do many of my friends. I identify with both and respond to both. So the other day when my coworker, Libby (probably a nickname), came into the newsroom and yelled “Hey Missy!”, I hollered back “What?”. She looked at me very confused. Turns out she was actually calling for Meredith Land, who she had nicknamed “Missy”.

What’s your nickname? Leave a comment letting me know what it is, and how you got it.

Have a great day!  

bipolar weather

I’m confused… it’s going to be 86 degrees Sunday (which I am very happy about) but just yesterday, we had a frost advisory… Last week it was like a hurricane moved through North Texas, but most days not one drop of rain… 

This crazy weather goes from one extreme to the other. Imagine being a meteorologist in this market. It’s like trying to predict the unpredictable. I still think James Aydelott has a crystal ball back there in the weather center.

I am still trying to decide whether to put away the winter coats. I’m just afraid the second I do, a blizzard will move through.

Stoney Larue

One of my favorite things to do on weekends is find a great band and go listen to some live music. I like all kinds of music, but just within the past few years I’ve developed an interest in Texas Country.

Pat Green, Wade Bowen, Cross Canadian Ragweed, and Stoney Larue are my favorites… So imagine my sheer excitement this weekend to go see Stoney live in concert! I’ve seen him several times before, but it never gets  old.

I went to Houston this weekend to vist my best friend, her future family (she’s engaged) and Stoney. (ok, so I didn’t actually visit with Stoney, but I did get really close to the stage) 

When it comes to bands that I love, I revert back to my late teens, and fight my way to the front of the stage to snap a pic… I took a lot of pictures to document the occasion (occupational habit)… so I thought I would share some with you.

Also, if you have never heard of Stoney Larue, I posted a link to his website, so you can broaden your horizons.

  http://www.stoneylarue.com/index.php

My favorite songs by him: “oklahoma breakdown”, “feet don’t touch the ground”, “steel heart”

My well trained friends

I wish I had a picture to go along with this blog, because it would be absolutely HILARIOUS!

When the storms moved through early yesterday morning, my friend Dave, like many of you, woke up to severe weather sirens blaring. He ran outside in his boxer shorts, grabbed his two soaking wet dogs, and headed to the bathroom.

Not knowing if a tornado was about to hit, Dave grabbed his blackberry and went to M.NBC5i.COM.

Yes, I have trained him well… M.NBC5i.COM is our mobile website… you can check everything from the weather, to flight schedules, to movie times — ALL from your cell phone or blackberry… It really is a cool tool. It especially comes in handy during severe weather. Unless you have a television in your bathroom, this may be the only way to get the latest information while sitting in your safe place.

Now that I am done giving my shameless plug — back to Dave. He did the right thing, exactly what our meteorologist would recommend in that situation… but I can’t help but laugh when I picture this…

Dave — sitting in the bathtub in his boxer shorts — soaking wet — with two dogs — huddled over his blackberry — watching the animated radar…

Luckily a tornado didn’t hit, but if one did — Dave and the dogs would have been ok. As for his pet fish… well, they all would have died.

If you’ve never checked it out — I posted a link below

 http://www.nbc5i.com/mobile/index.html?dl_trayclick