Bonding With My BlackBerry

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This is a road trip week. If all goes as planned, our show will air Tuesday and Friday from New York and the remaining days in Washington, D.C. Because of the programming we have lined up — assuming no breaking news that changes our plans — it makes more sense for me to be in New York City those two nights. But, if you are familiar with this business and our show, don't be surprised if our plans are aborted and we end up some place else. So, that is the current Monday morning plan for the week. Now let's see if it really happens this way.

We have had so much news lately that we have held back showing you an interview we taped a few weeks ago. Jack Hanna brought 39 of his "friends" (including an alligator and jackass penguins) to our New York studio. Our hope is to begin showing you parts of that interview this week.

What you did not see Friday night is the guests we had in our studio: We had two of Bernie's three children. We had Dylan and Madeleine. Both have been to the studio before. They sat quietly off to my right and, of course, behind the camera. They are very nice kids. (They must be like their mother... just kidding!)

I have known Ted for years, but learned only Friday night that he was in Vietnam. He says he has pictures... I asked him to bring some for me to see. He said he would look for them.

And where is Jim Hammer? I think he is due back this week from his two- week vacation in South America. It seems to me like he has been gone weeks.

Rumor has it that Laura Ingle may be moving to New York City soon. When she joined FOX News Channel in August, FNC assigned her to Dallas so she moved there. Now that she has moved over from FNC to FOX Broadcast/Geraldo’s show, she is needed more in New York. So, I guess she will get a chance to polish her packing skills... that is, if she ever unpacked one she got to Dallas. No sooner had she arrived in Dallas in August than Katrina hit and she was on the road covering the hurricane's aftermath. (It might make more economic sense for her to simply sign up for one of those airline clubs with lounges in the airport. Why waste the money on rent with the amount of time she is on the road? She could sleep in the chairs in the airport lounge!)

If you are a Shepard Smith fan (aren't we all?) watch for him on the road this week. I was told that he left right after his Friday afternoon show and before his evening show for Jerusalem. Decisions are made fast in this business, so my guess is that he did not have much notice. The eyes of the world are on the health of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The "changing of the guard" in Israel could have a huge impact on the world, not just Israel.

If you know me, you know that I love gadgets. My stage manager Bert says I have a "problem" every time I walk into the studio with a new gadget. I am inclined to think he might be right. But then there's my colleague Adam Housley in California. He is just as bad as I am. If there were a 28-day program, I suspect our families would send both Adam and me! But, to satisfy my insatiable appetite, I got a new gadget last week that I love. I upgraded my BlackBerry to the new BlackBerry 8700c. If you are addicted to your BlackBerry, this new model is like putting you on crack. It is so much better than the older models. Not only can I actually see what is written on the screen, but there is a speakerphone, better Internet access, etc. I have been talking so much about it all weekend that I am sure people suspect I am getting a cut from the company! (By the way, I of course e-mailed Adam about the 8700 and he immediately ordered one. I told you he has a problem.)

As for Monday's show, I don't yet know what we are going to do. My call with my senior producer is at 9:15 a.m. and at that time we will make preliminary plans. Cable news shows are constantly changing throughout the day and breaking news can happen during the show. Last week about this time we learned the tragic news of the miners. I don't recall exactly what time we learned of the explosion, but I do know that when we first heard we had no idea of the magnitude of the tragedy. It was only as we watched the hours pass during the day that the cruel reality hit us.

Now for some e-mails:

E-mail No. 1:

Hey Greta,
I'm guessing you lead the networks in ratings in that all-important "Fashion Maven" demographic, right? My mother thinks you should try going on the air in your underwear and see if that would please your critics, although she said they would probably say, "White is not your color, Greta!"
For what its worth, I liked the soft pink blazer you had on the other night, as pink is my signature color (even though 90 percent of my wardrobe is black!)
Lisa Martin
New York, NY

ANSWER: This might be a good idea, but tell your mother that I am not sure I can hold my stomach in for a full hour.

E-mail No. 2 — The next few emails refer to Friday's blog. There was a picture of a cat named Stir Fry:

Please solve this mystery: Why is the kitty named "Stir Fry"? When I first heard his name I thought he might be a multi-colored tabby, but now that I see his coat I'm wondering why not "Duck L'Orange"? Perhaps he was born a University of Texas Fan?!,
Michelle
Dallas, TX

E-mail No. 3

Love Stir Fry. I hope he can be gently persuaded to get in touch with you again soon and let us know how he is handling his humans. All animal lovers know they bring us such comfort and joy, especially when we are feeling so heartbroken with the loss of the brave coal miners. Thank you for sharing Stir Fry with us on this particular day.
Reba Holder

E-mail No. 4

Dear Greta,
After reading the e-mail about the strange cat name, I thought of my own cats' names. I have three cats, all of which I rescued and hand-reared from 1 to 4 weeks old.
The first two are called Tinker and Tommy, but the third, my daughter, Emily, decided she wanted to call her "Saucepan."
I still do not know why, she thought it would be different, and she is not wrong there. I get strange looks from people when I call Saucepan in for feeding time.
Duncan S. Walker
Cheshire, U.K.

E-mail No. 5

Why does FOX employ this useless, POS, liberal? Why does FOX employ "whoraldo" ...another POS? I... and all my conservative friends... turn OFF Fox when these idiots appear. Get rid of them and — afterthought — Alan Colmes, too. What a limp individual. Stop trying to suck up to liberals...they hate you and GW. Accept it and move on. Conservatives watch conservative TV... not phony, liberal-leaning TV.
Rosemary O'Connor

ANSWER: Rosemary has asked me to tell you that she wanted to write more about her vast interest in intellectual debate and how difference of opinion is the bedrock of democracy but she ran out of time... she was late for her anger management class. I am hoping she writes again today.

E-mail No. 6

Stir Fry is a funny name. I had a cat about a year ago named Skillet. She was a rescue cat and looked like a greasy skillet when we got her. And I had an evil cat that stalked me behind the couch. His name was Splinter but after hanging out with him for a week, my roommates and I changed his name to Osama bin Meowin.

E-mail No. 7

I am quite surprised to find out that there is another human out there with a cat named "Stir Fry." We also have a cat named Stir Fry. She is about 10 years old and is the queen of absolutely everything! She looks quite a bit different than picture posted here. I had to e-mail my kids the story so they would believe there is another Stir Fry out there!
Mary Ann Levine

ANSWER: This might start a new fad....

E-mail No. 8

There doesn't seem to be any sign of blood on the outside edge of the canopy, so a "body" wasn't slid over the side. The "stain" shows a dark spot, indicating an accumulation of blood and then the stain becomes more vague as it gets closer to the edge. Wouldn't that indicate, that if a body made the stain, it was on the canopy long enough for the "dark spot" to appear and then two people picked up the body and heaved it over the side of the ship? So it wouldn't seem likely that the "bride", if involved, could have done it alone.
Happy New Year,
Gerry Dunmore
Mahopac, NY
P.S. What's your best guess: a blow to the back of the head or a stab wound?
P.P.S. No, I've never been on a cruise ship and I'm a great admirer of Charley Chan!

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