Big Daddy’s in the kitchen July 28, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Cut to the Chase.Tags: Aaron McCargo, Food Network
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Aaron McCargo, Jr. is bold.
That’s likely why the selection committee chose him last night as winner of The Next Food Network Star.
McCargo, a 37-year-old former cafeteria chef from Camden, beat out nine other competitors for a chance at a “dream job,” the host of his own Food Network show.
Bobby Flay announced in last night’s pre-recorded season finale that McCargo’s show, called Big Daddy’s Kitchen, will premiere Sunday, Aug. 3 at 1:30 p.m.
McCargo, who recently resigned from his job as chef at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s catering service, beat out Lisa Garza from Dallas and Philly native Adam Gertler, whose pilot demo was called Hungry in Philadelphia.
What’s interesting about this season of TNFNS is it’s the first time in the show’s four seasons that home viewers didn’t vote for the winner. Rather, the selection committee consisting of two network execs and Flay chose without viewer input.
Maybe there’s a reason for that. Out of the three current winners of , only one — Guy Fieri — has found success on the network.
FOX caves to peer pressure July 27, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Journalism.Tags: Fox29, Kerri-Lee Halkett
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To fit in with its broadcast counterparts, FOX29 is apparently beginning an 11 p.m. newscast.
Though Michael Klein’s report is a little vague, it seems like they’ll be keeping their 10 p.m. hour-long newscast and adding an extra half hour. More of a news magazine than a newscast, it seems. But weather and sports will be included.
Kerri-Lee Halkett is tapped to host, which adds to her workload. She solo anchors the 5 p.m. hour-long show and is filling in for the void left by Dave Huddleson in June. Klein suspects the show will start Aug. 11, after Fox’s series of reports from the Eagles’ training camp.
So, if Halkett has another gig at 11, that means Fox theoretically needs another 10 p.m. co-anchor with Dawn Stensland. If only there were a major anchor in the Philadelphia area available…
Reserve space at the Art Museum July 27, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Philadelphia, Random Rubbish.Tags: Jon Bon Jovi, Philadelphia Soul, Philadelphia Sports
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The Philadelphia Soul are the champions of ArenaBowl XXII!
What does this mean for us?
No, not that Philly’s drought of 100 championship-less seasons is over. That only counts for the Phils, Eagles, Flyers and Sixers.
This is why you must love journalists. During an interview a few weeks ago, Jon Bon Jovi himself promised that should the Soul win ArenaBowl, he would perform a free concert in Philadelphia, like he did in NYC recently.
He was “on the record” when he said it. So should this concert not happen, expect uproar.
A ‘Golden’ goodbye for Sophia July 25, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Cut to the Chase.Tags: Estelle Getty, Lifetime, Obituary, The Golden Girls
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Estelle Getty passed away Tuesday at the age of 84.
To celebrate the life of Getty, Lifetime is airing 10 episodes of The Golden Girls Friday beginning at noon. That’s five full hours of all the menopausal menacing you could possibly ask for.
I only know that because I watch Lifetime nightly for Frasier between midnight and 1 a.m. And, if I’m lucky, I’m occasionally awake for a double dose of The Golden Girls at 1.
So call in sick from work. Take a half day. Get home and enjoy an afternoon filled with all the Sophia one could want.
The truest test of consumerism July 24, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Random Rubbish.Tags: Quiz, Random Rubbish
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It’s sad what advertising does to us.
Take this quiz — a comparison of products from which you need to choose the impostor.
I embarrassingly got an 18 out of 20. I suppose that means I’m just a consumer whore.
There are other multiple quizzes at the end here — guess the corporate logo, the company mascot, etc.
I’ve yet to try them yet, but if I may be blunt, I’m afraid I’ll do pretty well.
Share your results. Be pathetic like me.
The columnists respond… July 24, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Journalism, Philadelphia.Tags: Alycia Lane, Daily News, Larry Mendte, Philadelphia Inquirer
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It wouldn’t be Philadelphia without angry journalists. So these angry journalists have called out a fellow one.
First, Inquirer columnist Daniel Rubin gave an interesting view of a day in the life of Larry Mendte. Perhaps his title — “The obsession of Larry Mendte” — is a double entendre. His obsession with Alycia Lane, our obsession with him?
The second comes from my new fave Jill Porter. She’s followed up her Alycia Lane column with a Larry Mendte column, simply asking, “What more could he want?” And she hits each question that every one of us has in the back of our minds. Answers, however, are hard to come by.
Just passing them along. Feel free to share your thoughts!
Photo courtesy DN.
A whole new meaning to ‘Come on down’ July 24, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Cut to the Chase.Tags: Bob Barker, Tattoos
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This is true dedication.
It’s amazing what tattoo artists can do nowadays. Granted, this version of Bob Barker makes him look a bit like a vampire, but it’s still a pretty nice representation.
A representation I would never want permanently etched into my skin cells.
I originally thought of saying, “If 100 people get this tattoo, I’ll get one, too.” But then I realized, there are probably 100 people out there who would pay Kat Von D a visit.
NOTE: The above image is not Kat Von D’s work. I was trying to be fancy with words and failed.
Remember when… July 22, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Journalism.Tags: Alycia Lane, CBS3, Larry Mendte
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It’s been more than seven months since our favorite duo, Larry Mendte and Alycia Lane, anchored Eyewitness News cohesively.
Remember that philly.com page, “Alycia Lane in the News”? It’s now officially been changed: “Larry Mendte and Alycia Lane in the News.”
So, let’s reminisce. We have this infamous blooper of Larry reporting on a flood. We see Alycia toward the end.
Now we check out happier times, almost one year ago when the duo did a promo together.
Larry said goodbye to Alycia…
Channel 6 sensed troubled waters…
…And Susan said goodbye to Larry.
And that was Seven Months in the Life of CBS3.
The media respond July 21, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Journalism, Philadelphia.Tags: Alycia Lane, CBS3, Larry Mendte
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Chris May could barely finish his introduction as his co-anchor, Susan Barnett, informed CBS3 viewers about Larry Mendte’s felony charge at 11 p.m. Walt Hunter had the story.
Same happened over at NBC10, Mendte’s former place of employment before he “made the switch” in 2003.
6ABC waited until after the weather. Commendable.
CNN jumped on the story once the AP got a hold of it. Mendte made their list of top stories.
Isn’t that why Lane got fired, too? Because she, a reporter of the news, made the news herself?
And what about Fox 29? Anchoring the Fox 10 O’Clock News is Dawn Stensland, Mendte’s wife. She was absent from air today, but Kerri-Lee Halkett did release this statement after a package:
Mendte’s wife, Dawn Stensland, anchors right here at Fox 29, doing the News at 10. News management has decided that Dawn will not take part in the reporting or coverage of this story. This hopefully avoids any problems and keeps the process transparent.
Mendte snooped into former co-anchor Alycia Lane’s e-mail at least 537 times between Jan. 1, 2008 and May 28, 2008. But he’s been doing it since 2006, and overall, prosecutors say he has checked her e-mail between 7,000 and 8,000 times.
Reports are saying he had been doing this to ruin Lane’s career.
The Philadelphia media (and beyond) haven’t been the nicest to Lane. She’s made the cover of the New York Post a few times for unflattering stories. These could have been little blips in the radar, but perhaps Mendte made them bigger. What was in it for him, we probably won’t know. Maybe it was for a solo anchor gig, thus more money. But it doesn’t seem worth it now.
Daily News columnist Jill Porter wrote an article about Lane I linked to a few weeks ago, and it seems even more relevant now.
And though she may never have the career she once had, at least she might be able to find some closure.
Mendte may face jail time July 21, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Journalism, Philadelphia.Tags: Alycia Lane, CBS3, Crime, Larry Mendte
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It’s so big, even CNN picked it up.
Fired CBS3 anchor Larry Mendte has been charged with one felony count of intentionally accessing a protected computer without autorization and thereby obtaining information in furtherance of a tortious act.
In other words, he allegedly snooped in Alycia Lane’s e-mail accounts (Yahoo! and .mac) and divulged private information — especially privileged communication between her and her lawyer — to an unnamed Philadelphia Daily News reporter (although, one…er, many names are swirling).
Regardless, that DN reporter won’t get charged. Only Mendte will.
A source says that Mendte is expected to plead guilty at his arraignment in the coming weeks. Snooping can get him zero to six months in prison, though according to a philly.com poll, most think he’ll just get a “slap on the wrist.”
The Information given by the district court in United States of America v. Lawrence Mendte lists every time Mendte accessed Lane’s e-mail account since Jan. 1, 2008. It lists from where he accessed it — usually from KYW, his Chestnut Hill home or his “vacation residence” — multiple times per day.
Since Jan. 1, he’s accessed it about 537 times until May 28, when his computers were confiscated.
The information (linked below) really is an entertaining read and gives those unfamiliar with the case (I know, laughable) can get caught up, stemming from Alycia Lane’s initial arrest in December 2007. Fun stuff, right?
As of 5:50 p.m. Monday, all the major stations in Philly except 6ABC have reported it. NBC10′s All That and More dedicated its call-in topic to it: “Is snooping e-mail the same as snooping snail mail.” They’re probably just trying to cover up their own anchor troubles.
