Patrick and I visited the Crime and Punishment Museum on Sunday. It was incredible. America’s Most Wanted is filmed there, so we got to see the studio. My favorite part was the history of crime and punishment. It started in the Medieval era with torture. One device they used was put around the neck, and would force two women to stare at each other until they resolved their argument. There were gruesome pictures of hangings and murders. There were also some bizarre items like the paints John Wayne Gacy used, or pieces of a room once lived in by a notorious Mafia Don. And in the gift shop, you could even buy prisoner art (with the profits helping victims families). I would definitely visit this museum again. Take a look at some of the pictures:

Popularity: 100% [?]

I did it. I gave up Chipotle for Lent. I’m avoiding the  fluffy rice with lime and cilantro seasoning… the black beans that make it so warm… the spicy steak that makes my face sweat… the sweet, sweet taste of pico… the crunchiness and godliness of the corn salsa… and finally… and finally… (holding back a tear)… the guac. The magnificent guac! It’s so innocent! It never did anything to me, except make me long once again for the whole Chipotle experience. The guac– with its wonderful vitamin E that makes my hair shine and my skin glow! And because I always ask for extra– the guaciness that sticks to my thighs and gives me mini-love handles. Yes, Chipotle, I gave you up for Lent. And it was all for vanity! As great as I felt eating your hearty burrito bowls, I just want to lose some weight and save some money. I just can’t fork over $10 and change every day for your culinary masterpieces, fresh limes to go with my diet soda, and clean, clear forks that get died green from the guac. But… if you had mini-burrito bowls for half the price…

Popularity: 85% [?]

I’m planning to run the Cherry Blossom 10-mile race in April. This will be my first official race. Two years ago, I trained for a marathon. But after my 16-miler, I got injured and had to drop out. During the course of that training, I technically ran three half-marathons. Alas, I have no proof. That’s why this 10-miler is so important.

It’s not going to be easy. I have less than two months to train, and I haven’t really started yet. Tonight, I tried to run two miles. However, it was already dark and I was running on concrete (which means my knees started to hurt right away.)

I’ve gotta get a set schedule and find some great places to run (when its still light out). I’m going to jot down some ideas. (If they’re online, I gotta stick with them!)

Feb. 9 – 15:
Mon. 1 Mile Run
Tues. 2 Mile Run
Wed. 30 min. Cross Training
Thurs. 2 Mile Run
Fri. Rest
Sat. 2 Mile Run
Sun. 30 min. Cross Training

Feb. 16 – 22:
Mon. 2 Mile Run
Tues. Yoga
Wed. 2 Mile Run
Thurs. 30 min. Cross Training
Fri. 3 Mile Run
Sat. Rest
Sun. 30 min. Cross Training

Feb. 17 – 22:
Mon. 3 Mile Run
Tues. Yoga
Wed. 2 Mile Run
Thurs. 30 min. Cross Training
Fri. 4 Mile Run
Sat. Rest
Sun. 30 min. Cross Training

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1:
Mon. 4 Mile Run
Tues. Yoga
Wed. 3 Mile Run
Thurs. 40 min. Cross Training
Fri. 5 Mile Run
Sat. Rest
Sun. 40 min. Cross Training

Mar. 2 – 8:
Mon. 4 Mile Run
Tues. Yoga
Wed. 3 Mile Run
Thurs. 40 min. Cross Training
Fri. 6 Mile Run
Sat. Rest
Sun. 50 min. Cross Training

Mar. 9 – 15:
Mon. 3 Mile Run
Tues. Yoga
Wed. 3 Mile Run
Thurs. 45 min. Cross Training
Fri. 4 Mile Run
Sat. Rest
Sun. 50 min. Cross Training

Mar. 16 – 22:
Mon. 5 Mile Run
Tues. Yoga
Wed. 3 Mile Run
Thurs. 45 min. Cross Training
Fri. 7 Mile Run
Sat. Rest
Sun. 60 min. Cross Training

Mar. 23 – 29:
Mon. 5 Mile Run
Tues. Yoga
Wed. 3 Mile Run
Thurs. 45 min. Cross Training
Fri. 8 Mile Run
Sat. Rest
Sun. 60 min. Cross Training

Mar. 30 – April 4
Mon. 3 Mile Run
Tues. Yoga
Wed. 2 Mile Run
Thurs. 30 min. Cross Training
Fri. 2 Mile Run
Sat. Rest

Sun., April 5:  RACE DAY!!!

Of course, this schedule is not set in stone. I wish it were because it would be easier to stick with. One of the biggest hurdles is my drive home. It can take me up to an hour to get home. It’s dark, I’m tired and hungry, and there are chores. I may find a place to run closer to work. Of course, I may even be able to fit in some runs on the National Mall. Plus, if I run before I drive home all the traffic will be gone! I’m starting to get excited!

Anyone else planning to run or walk the Cherry Blossom? Let me know, maybe we can train together… Bye!

Popularity: 100% [?]

I had one of those nightmare travel experiences during the holidays. Here’s my earlier blog about the disastrous event . Basically, I had to fly to St. Louis early for a family emergency involving my pregnant sister. (No worries now, the baby is perfect and momma is recovering). I couldn’t afford to move my American Airlines ticket ahead of schedule, so I flew a different airline. I planned to take American Airlines back to DC , but I wasn’t aware of their policy.

What I’ve learned and what you should know: If you don’t fly to point A, your ticket to point B will be canceled. That’s unless you call ahead and tell them your situation .

I was out about $400. (The actual ticket price was $188 each way, plus taxes and fees). I was quite upset, so I e-mailed customer service– and they actually responded quite promptly. (No, I didn’t have to call, wait on hold, or plead with a representative.) I just sent a short summary of what happened. They e-mailed me today and the news was good!

Because of the circumstances, they are making a one-time exception. They have exchanged my original ticket for an eVoucher. This means the money I paid will go toward a new ticket with American. This makes me extremely happy, since I enjoy flying American and because it’s the easiest way for me to fly directly to St. Louis from downtown DC. Yey! (Thank you American!)

Popularity: 86% [?]

American Airlines stole hundreds of dollars from me. But what they did was perfectly legal—according to their policy. Here’s the whole story:

I bought a round-trip ticket for about $400 to fly from Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington DC , to Lambert International Airport (STL) in St. Louis , in November. I was set to fly to St. Louis on Monday, December 22, and fly home Sunday, December 28. However, I had a family emergency.

On Wednesday, December 17, I learned that doctors needed to induce pregnancy for my younger sister due to complications with her pregnancy. We were told to expect her baby to be on a ventilator. I needed to get to the hospital to support my sister and my family immediately. So I called the airline that night to change my ticket.

I was told I would have to pay a $150 fee and then pay for the difference in ticket price. Altogether, it would cost me about $500 to change my ticket. I told the representative from American Airlines the price was too expensive and asked what my options were. She said I had none and that I could not fly standby because it was too early. I even asked if there was a special discount for family emergencies. Again, I was told no and that I would have to pay money, fly home on my original date, or find other transportation. I told the representative I would have to find a different way home. I made it clear that I would have to fly to St. Louis immediately.

I found a one-way ticket (a direct flight) with Southwest Airlines that would leave early the next day. I bought the ticket for just $150. My boyfriend Patrick drove me to the airport in Baltimore (BWI) that morning and I flew to St. Louis in time for the birth of my nephew, Eli. I spent the next four days with my sister in the hospital.

Once my trip was over, on December 28, I was dropped off at the airport (STL). I tried to check in but my ticket could not be found. I learned it had been cancelled. A representative told me this is customary for passengers who fail to take the first portion of their flight. This was the first time I had heard of this policy. I was especially surprised since this was not mentioned to me when I had called the airline previously. When I explained this to the representative, she simply said there was almost no way for me to know unless I would have specifically asked when I had called. How was I supposed to know?

I asked if I get my money back. The answer was no. Even though I had paid nearly $200 for a seat, and was ready to take my seat on the flight to DCA, it was gone. Not only was my ticket cancelled, it was sold to another passenger, which means American Airlines made even more money off of me. I asked if I could fly standby and I was told no—not without purchasing a new ticket for the price of $1000. I started to cry because I felt stranded, hopeless, and like I was just robbed.

I ended up booking a flight on Southwest Airlines for $240. That meant I could fly to Baltimore that day. I did– but this time, Patrick was on a later flight with American Airlines and would be flying to DCA. So I had to then take a shuttle to the Amtrak station, purchase a $20 ticket, and then go to Union Station. From there, I took Metro back up to my apartment in Rockville, Maryland .

I’m sure this policy is probably common knowledge to frequent flyers and those who fly American Airlines all the time. I don’t have the luxury of flying all the time—even though I love to travel. I also book flights based on price, not airline. This policy seems especially harsh and unnecessary. I also believe American Airlines should have contacted me before canceling my ticket. After all, they have no problem e-mail me when there are changes to my flight, when my flight is ready for online check-in, or when they want me to buy more frequent flyer miles, or sign up for an American Airlines credit card. I get e-mails from them on a regular basis, and get offers from American Airlines a couple times a month. Yet, this policy was hidden from me. Of course the airline wouldn’t tell me about this policy over the phone. They couldn’t double their money on my seat had I known.

Has anyone had something similar happen? How often do airlines cancel tickets, sell it to other customers, and then want even more money from the person they just ripped off? Anyone else know of other hidden policies that rob customers of their money, seat, or anything else??? Let me know! I’m pretty furious.

Popularity: 74% [?]

I was one of those journalists Gov. Rod Blagojevich didn’t like. I ran critical stories and questioned his decisions. I called him out on more than one occasion, and he had to eat his words over one of my reports.

Of course, the Governor was always nice as pie to my face. He left the dirty work to his staff. Even “journalist” Dick Kay and a lobbyist used strong arm tactics to try to influence coverage and my reports. Luckily, my station (including my News Director and the station’s owners) remained strong and backed me up each time. In the end, I believe our coverage (including my critical stories), made a positive difference for the people and organizations in Southern Illinois.

The Governor cut $400 Million from the state budget. He claimed the money was taken out of pork programs. But in Southern Illinois, those programs included Court Appointed Special Advocates, the United Way, and even money to replace a failing sewer system in a local city.

At the time, Governor Blagojevich and his family were staying at the Mansion in Du Quoin for the State Fair. He wouldn’t come out of the mansion. We decided to smoke him out by running reports on how the budget cuts affect our local organizations . I had leaders speak directly into the camera, since I knew the governor would be watching.

The next day, I planned to run into him while he jogged. I was all ready, but also aware that he may have been expecting me. About an hour later, he called a news conference. During the Q&A, I yelled out questions. He answered. Eventually, he retracted his statement and admitted not all the programs were pork.

Afterward, while I was getting in the car, a woman came up to me. She said she wanted to let me know that my questions were “tabloid” and that I should be ashamed as a journalist. I asked who she was and where she was from. She wouldn’t tell me her name or who she was with. All she said was that she did not work for Blagojevich. Later, I learned she was a lobbyist and obviously on the Governor’s side. She “encouraged” me to re-think my story. Basically, she wanted me to stop my reports and instead show the governor in a positive light.

At another time, the Lt. Governor (Pat Quinn) was quoted blaming many of Blagojevich’s bad decisions on his staff. I called a member of his press staff (who now works at a Public Relations firm) to get reaction. It was a phone interview, and she gave me permission to record. But as soon as I asked the first question, she immediately said she was off the record and began spouting off allegations about Quinn’s staff. She never had premission to go off record, plus, we didn’t have that kind of relationship. After speaking with my News Director and weighing our options, we decided to air her answer. Soon after, she called my station and wanted me to face consequences. Ha.

My favorite strong-arm experience with the Blagojevich Administration includes “journalist” Dick Kay. (I say “journalist” because he was suposed to be a famous and hard-nosed political journalist. He mediated a debate between Gov. Blagojevich and Judy Topinka during the last election, only to “retire” and go to work for Blagojevich.)

He came to the station to talk about Blagojevich’s Health Care plan. Kay arrived with an entourage. He even brought someone from a hospital (not in our viewing area) along for the more humanized part of the story. Kay made a point to tell me about all the awards he won. He told me this at least three times. I knew he would try to run circles around me. I made sure that didn’t happen. I was tough, and stayed focused. It became apparent that Kay was only repeating what the Governor wanted him to say– not really answering my questions. In my report, I called Kay a “flack who will say anything the governor wants him to say.” And my News Director actually thought I was still being too nice.

As soon as Blagojevich’s administration saw the story, they were furious. Kay even sent an e-mail to my station, directed at me. He called my story inaccurate, unfair, and tried to defend himself and his journalistic career: “To Lindsey Mastis There is an old adage in Chicago Journalism which says: ‘If your mother says she loves you check it out.’ You would be well served if you followed that advice,” Kay wrote. And that’s only the beginning. Again, a strong-arm tactic. I completely dismissed it. But I’m proud that I continued with my coverage and gave taxpayers valuable information about a program that would cost millions.

My first encounter with the Governor was in Anna, Illinois. I was a newspaper reporter for my college paper, The Daily Egyptian. I don’t recall the question I asked, but I’ll never forget what happened afterward. The Governor didn’t know the answer to my question and said he would have to research it and get back with me. No problem, I’d wait. About 30 seconds later, members of his press team warned me that I was to get permission from them before I could speak to the Governor. They said all my questions had to be pre-approved. That was at the beginning of his first term. Obviously, he only got worse.

We’ll have to see what happens now. Governor Blagojegich will have to face some serious accusations. When it comes to the allegations about the Governor trying to get some Chicago Tribune editorial staff members fired– well, I’m not surprised. All I can do is wait see what happens now.

Popularity: 58% [?]