I just saw this commercial for Lots-o’-Huggin’ BEAR. I saw it while watching Cold Case on TNT. It looked like someone put an old VHS tape in and hit ‘play.’ I didn’t recognize the toy, but it reminded me of a cross between Teddy Ruxpin and My Buddy.

At first glance, St. Thomas‘ pristine beaches and ideal weather leads visitors to believe they landed in paradise. That’s until they step off the plane or cruise ship. After climbing into a taxi to get to Red Hook or Charlotte Amalie, attitudes begin to change.

There is no denying the beauty of the island. But when visitors look out the window, they see a St. Thomas excluded from brochures.

I saw many homes that appeared to be abandoned or falling down. School children boldly walked on the side of narrow roads to get home. Islanders in general, did not seem happy. I wanted to know why. I found some answers in the words of a taxi driver named Stanley…

To me, Al Neuharth is the Elton John of journalism. He breaks all the rules, jazzes it up, and revolutionizes the industry. He is a rock star. But if you were to ask him, he’d just say he’s an SOB.

I read his book “Confessions of an S.O.B” back in high school. I dreamed of one day working for Gannett. That’s when I was interested in becoming a newspaperwoman. I thought the ultimate job would be working for USA Today (Neuharth founded USA Today, The Freedom Forum and the Newseum). I’ve certainly realized my dreams at a young age, working instead for Gannett’s broadcast flagship station WUSA-TV as a reporter…

I got a sneak peek of the Discovery Channel’s new series LIFE. I’ve never said the words “incredible” and “amazing” so much in one night. It was at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performed the soundtrack live. Oprah (who was not there) voiced the series. Altogether, it’s going to be 11 hours.

I’m a fan of Planet Earth (and have the series on Blu-Ray). Surprisingly, it’s a really good date-night movie. Out of the Planet Earth series, the penguins are my favorite. I’ve only seen one episode of LIFE, and I’m torn between the octopus and the komodo dragon…

President Barack Obama appointed Howard Schmidt as the new White House Cyber Security Czar in December 2009. It’s an important position. This is the man charged with protecting the country and its citizens from cyber warfare.

What can we learn about Schmidt in five minutes using only the web? Here goes…

We wanted our wedding invitations to reflect our theme: relaxed, fun, and personal. Instead of opting for the usual (and might I add, expensive) wedding invitations, I did them myself. All it took was patience, some creativity with Photoshop, $100, and an excellent printing expert from Staples.

Our wedding is being held in our hometown, St. Louis. But we love to travel and wanted to show our guests some of our adventures. Our invitations include several photographs– from our half-marathons in Las Vegas and Virginia Beach, to vacations in Alaska and Mexico, and historic excursions to Mount Vernon and Harpers Ferry.