Jane_Yamamoto's Blog

Last week, I got a chance to make a difference. Not a big difference, but enough to make one elderly couple in Santa Fe Springs very happy. And I’ll admit, it put a smile on my face in the process.
90-year old Ray Stenson lost his beloved turtle a couple of weeks ago. Ray says he left the side gate open, and Little Joe as he’s known, took off. Ray and his wife Alzo have had Little Joe for decades and the pain in Ray’s voice and the tears in his eyes as he told me about his loss were tough to take.
Some kids down the street found Little Joe and were playing with him one day when they say a woman in a black pick-up truck drove up and told them the turtle was hers.
So on Wednesday night, we filed our report. My photog Kevin Horton and I even drove around the neighborhood looking for Little Joe, hoping we could somehow turn Joe’s pain to happiness.
The next morning I called Ray to see if he had heard anything or found Little Joe. He hadn’t, but several hours later, I found out the woman who had Little Joe returned him to Ray.
We went back out there, and the smile on Ray’s face was as wide as could be. He was playing with Little Joe and talking up a storm, and he couldn’t thank us enough for telling his story and helping get his best buddy back.
We’re not sure if that woman saw the report and then brought Little Joe back. She wouldn’t talk to us. But it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the smile on Ray and Alzo’s faces as we left that night.
I love my job, but on nights like that, I really love it!

Have you ever wanted to fly?
Maybe try hang-gliding, or sky-diving?
Not me. I’m a chicken when it comes to that stuff. So, imagine my trepidation when I found out I was doing a story on a new trapeze school at the Santa Monica Pier.
The school, which started in New York and has been gaining popularity there, was about to open its Santa Monica wing. So they sent out a press release, and in it they say “And your reporter can try it, too!”
That’s all my assignment editor needed to see. Next thing I knew, I was down at the pier shaking in my shoes.
Now, if you saw my package last week, you’ll notice I was screaming as they nudged me off the platform. I know, it sounded way overblown, but like I said, I’m a chicken when it comes to that stuff. I had a safety harness and a net below, but all I could think was “what if the harness breaks” and then “and what if the net fails”.
Of course, that’s not going to happen, but I hated every minute of it. At the same time, I loved every minute of it once I was on land and able to think back on it.
Even though I was only 22 feet up in the air, it seemed higher, and the thrill of flying through the air (hardly with the greatest of ease) was almost enough to ease my fears.
But I’m a scaredy cat, what can I say. I took a lot of good-natured ribbing from a lot of people at work. That’s okay; I ended up having a blast!
Tell me about some the crazy things you’ve done.
Talk to ya later,

JY

Sorry about the delay…I had some drama during my Coachella coverage. On Friday night the battery died on my digital camera, so I wasn't able to take any pictures for this blog. But I managed to get a glimpse of The Raconteurs and The Verve.

On Saturday we spent the day taking in the campgrounds but by night I saw a bit of M.I.A. in the Sahara tent and Prince was scheduled to go on at 10:45 pm. I went live at 10:40 pm and the excitement was building. He ended up going on just after 11:00 pm…I was on an outdoor stage on the other side of the polo field where Flogging Molly performed.  I could see the lights but couldn’t make out Prince on stage or his performance with Sheila E …however, I did hear the music He sounded great!

Then on Sunday I focused on some of the pieces of artwork on the field. I got stuck climbing the metal tree house. If you were there you know what I’m talking about.  It was hot but not as bad as I expected.  

Thanks for all your tips on surviving Coachella. I would love to hear any crazy stories during your time in the desert.

Later,

JY

 

Actor Brad Garrett has a passion for poker and on Sunday he hosted a Texas Hold-Em Poker Tournament at Hollywood Park. A sprinkling of his celebrity friends were spotted at tables…Ray Romano, Mimi Rogers, Amaury Nelasco, and Teri Hatcher.

On the surface it looked like a typical poker tournament players taking bad beats, some going all in too early; however, a second look and you would see it was a charity tournament for 1736 Family Crisis Center. A non-profit organization operating 8 shelters for runaway teens, homeless youth and domestic violence victims. 

One of the directors from the family crisis center told me because of government funding cutbacks, they rely on this fundraiser to help bring in money to keep the programs going at the shelters.

The Fundraiser Poker tournament is expected to bring in about $50,000 for the 1736 Family Crisis Center.

I’m going out to cover the Coachella Music Festival in a couple of weeks. I hear it’s a blast, with a lineup of bands that will keep it going for 3 days straight. Prince is the latest addition. I hope I get to see a little of his performance on Day 2, but no matter what it should be quite a weekend.

For those of you who have gone in the past, what’s the best way to maximize my experience? Any tips, suggestions? Good spots to watch from? Maybe a lesser known band I should definitely see?

Help me out! This will be my first music festival.

JY

Idol gives back on Wednesday. The producers of American Idol have filled the 2 1/2 hour show with lots of performances including, John Legend, Miley Cyrus, Maroon 5, Snoop Dogg w/Charlie Wilson, and Carrie Underwood. They taped most of it at the Kodak Theatre. I was backstage to get interviews and i must say it was quite a scene. Snoop Dogg was surrounded by his entourage...he wore a sweatshirt with an Idol Gives Back logo on it and told me he plans to put it on e-bay -- money will go toward his sons football league. Fergie surprised me with her extensive knowledge of this years Idol finalists...and speaking of Idols...former Idol winner Carrie Underwood looked elegant in her Farrah Augsana gown. She also mentioned that season 7 Idol finalists are incredibly talented and she's grateful they weren't around when she was in the race for the title. The show on Wednesday is about giving back. Idol judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul along with show host Ryan Seacrest have all decided to donate there paycheck this week. I've been told the goal is to raise $100 million dollars for 6 different charities. Have you worked with any charities that are changing lives? or Have you had a life changing experience volunteering or working with an organization? would love to hear from you.
talk soon.
jy

The fourth season of “Hell’s Kitchen” starts Tuesday, and yes I’ll admit, I’m a fan of the show. I’m not sure why. I don’t usually like to see people ridiculed or embarrassed, but for some reason I love the show.

Fox’s publicity department sent me a first episode screener. I love getting those! I watched it the other night and of course, I’m hooked again.

Chef Ramsey is as rude and obnoxious as ever, but I say that with all due respect. I interviewed him after Season 1 and he was real nice, not at all like you see him on the show.

As for Season 4, if you’ve been a fan of the show, you won’t be disappointed. The “contestants” run the gamut, from a hotel cook to a stay at home dad. Only problem with the screener…they didn’t show me who got eliminated!

One interesting note – this season’s winner will be a senior chef at Gordon Ramsey’s new London restaurant in West Hollywood. It’s supposed to open this summer.

So watch Tuesday night. I will be. And let me know what you think.

First off, I’m not even sure where to post this? It’s either entertainment or sports, because the national finals are shown live on ESPN.

Last week, I attended the L.A. County Spelling Bee. It was a regional qualifier with contestants between the ages of 9 and 11. The competition was pretty intense, with parents and kids alike giving it their all. You hear horror stories of some parents pushing their kids too hard, and by now you’ve probably seen the footage of that young boy fainting during a competition. But I didn’t see that. I saw parents providing support in an optimistic environment, and the kids seemed to relish the opportunity to show what they know.

And they were really good.  10-year old Glenda Chen was the winner. Her winning word?

U-N-C-O-N-S-T-I-T-U-T-I-O-N-A-L.

Glenda Chen and 2nd place winner  Hanz Legaspi  move on with the ultimate goal to win the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Winning the National contest is quite lucrative…last year’s winner took home $35,000 and a $5,000 scholarship.

Good Luck Glenda and Hanz!

 

SOME OTHER RANDOM THOUGHTS:

American Idol – They’re down to the top 10 Tuesday night. I’m always interested to hear from you. I will be interviewing former Idol contestant Kimberly Locke to see how life is for her post Idol.

March Madness – You always know the NCAA Tournament is going on because there’s a bunch of yelling in the newsroom. I’m out of my pool already. Go UCLA!

Sometimes my job is pretty cool. Like last week, when I got a chance to cover LA Fashion Week…all 5 nights!

It was a week filled with colorful clothes, celebrity sightings and backstage drama. Bright colors were a big trend for a few fall collections. Eco friendly is in, with designers presenting an interesting mix…from jeans made from bamboo to t-shirts produced from soy. The designer behind Lady Muse is doing her part to save the environment by using recycled fabric.

On the celebrity sightings, Lauren Conrad from “The Hills” debuted her new line of clothes. Paris Hilton sat in the front row for her little sister Nikki’s show. The real drama was backstage, where oil heir Brandon Davis was denied access. I asked him why he was there and he said, “I’m here to gloat”. Not sure what that means, but I heard he and Paris have some sort of history.

Sean “Diddy” Combs, Dr. Dre and Quincy Jones were all backstage for the week’s most-anticipated show – the Pussycat Dolls lingerie show. Actually, it was part fashion show, part concert…with the Dolls playing 5 songs while their creator Robin Antin presented her lingerie collection.

The show was fantastic, and a great finish to an exciting week. And just think; only 7 months until the Spring 2009 collections will be unveiled in LA.

The 7th season of American Idol is down to the final 12, and last week I got a chance to talk to Mezhgan, who has been the show’s chief makeup artist for the last 4 seasons. Basically, she decides the looks of the judges and the top 12 contestants.

In past years, we’ve seen winners like Carrie Underwood change their look before our very eyes. Much of that was due to Mezhgan.

So what does she have in store for some of this year’s finalists? Here’s what she told me:

 

David Archuleta - Mezhgan says she has big changes planned for David. She wants to “change his hair, tan him up a little, tint his lashes and make him a little more groomed.”

 

Amanda Overmeyer – Mezhgan says Amanda loves the big smoky eyes, but Mezhgan doesn’t, so it’s an ongoing battle between the two of them. Mezhgan says she’s always telling Amanda “less is more”. She’s hoping to give her a “beautiful, natural look one day”.

 

Jason Castro – Mezhgan told me she’d like to cut them off, but Jason loves his dreadlocks. She still wants to do some fun stuff with him, but she “doesn’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon”. When I asked her what kind of fun, she said “maybe a mohawk”.

 

Who is the next Sanjaya? – Mezhgan says David Cook, but only because Danny Noriega is gone. Danny was going to be the next Sanjaya style-wise, but he got booted off last Thursday. She told me “I was gonna have so much fun with him because he was all about everything. He loves make-up and hair, and doesn’t mind being over the top”.

 

The Idol Finals begin Tuesday night on Fox, so check it out and see if Mezhgan makes any drastic changes. Let me know what you think. Oh, and don’t forget to vote for your favorites!

 

Screaming young girls--the average age 9 yrs old.  They came to the Nokia Theater with their moms and dads to see one of the highest grossing acts in Mexico.

They’re known as RBD. A Mexican pop group that was born out of a once popular telenovela called “Rebelde”. 

The show was about six teens at a private boarding school that form a pop band. The teen drama had a huge impact on young kids in Latin America and in Los Angeles.

The teens I talked with say they identified with each of the characters and even though the soap opera ended, the pop group took off. Dulce, Ahani, Maite, Alfonso, Christopher and Christian make up the group.

RBD has a Latin Grammy nomination and now they’re on a world tour promoting their latest album. And it all started because they appeared on the same TV show.

But, it’s not the first time it’s happened. The power of TV and the Internet has turned numerous musical groups and singers into mega stars that young kids look up to.

From the Partridge Family to Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana), they’re all obviously talented. But without the backing of a hit TV show, would they have become so popular?

So I was wondering…Do you think television and the Internet have played a part in creating careers that may have otherwise gone unnoticed?

It was Hollywood’s big night and two brothers from Minnesota stole the spotlight. The Coen Brothers’ “No Country for Old Men” earning 4 Oscars at the 80th Academy Awards…but before the awards were handed out, the day began early for the media covering it.

I never know what to write in these blogs, so here’s a quick timeline of our day:

 

11:30 am:  Arrive at Kodak Theatre and go directly to press check in

 

12:00 pm: Meet crew at satellite truck

 

2:00 pm: Lunchtime! I brought a sandwich but some of the crew walks across Hollywood Boulevard to In-n-Out. I end up wishing I hadn’t brought a sandwich.

 

3:00 pm: Red carpet begins. I watch most of it from the truck while another reporter covers that part of the story. It’s always fun to see who’s wearing what. The fashion hits and misses are one of the highlights of the annual award show.

 

5:30 pm: Show begins. I watch it on a monitor in the truck while my field producer Andrew logs the backstage stuff. Because the show won’t end until close to 9 pm, I need to write and edit while the show goes on.

 

8:50 pm: Show ends. The next hour is spent trying to finish the package, ship it back and get ready for my live shot. That means changing into my gown after wearing jeans all day in the truck.

 

10:02 pm: I do the first of what will be 3 live shots over the next hour for both KTTV and My13. In between I grab George Clooney for an interview as he and his girlfriend Sarah Larson leave the Governors Ball. I asked him if he’s going to a party… he told me he’s too old for that. Somehow I don’t think he was being straight with me.

 

11:30 pm: I get back to my car where my day started 12 hours earlier. As I drive home, I realize it’s now official. Awards season is over.

Backstage at the Grammy's. It sounds glamorous but it's really not. We had an early call time and I spent a good part of the day waiting for the show to start taping at 5pm. Still, it’s always exciting to cover music’s biggest night.

 

We had two reporters at Staples. Suzanne Marques handled the red carpet and I covered the winners and backstage reaction.  The red carpet was a who’s who of music stars, from Aretha Franklin to Miley Cyrus and Tony Bennett to Chris Brown. Most of the artists just walked by giving us a courtesy wave as their PR people pulled them away. That always makes it tough, because you never know who’s going to stop and answer questions.

Once the show started, the musical performances almost overshadowed the awards.

Carrie Underwood showed she’s no Idol fluke with her performance of her hit “Before He Cheats”.

Amy Winehouse dominated the awards, winning 5 of them. She also performed via satellite from London.

There were also some great duets, like Alicia Keys singing with the late Frank Sinatra to kick off the show.

But the highlight for me was Beyonce and Tina Turner. Their rendition of “Proud Mary” was probably my favorite Grammy moment.

Not a whole lot of winners came backstage to talk to the media. Most of the country stars did, including Brad Paisley, who said he was happy to finally win a Grammy after being nominated 14 times.

If you happened to see the show, let me know what your favorite Grammy moment was?

Rock On!

JY

 

What can I say...I think I'm the envy of every Hannah Montana fan around. Tonight , I covered the world premiere of the Hannah Montana-Miley Cyrus concert in 3-D and got to see firsthand the hype surrounding the teen star.

I've interviewed her before at various events and she always seem more mature than her age. At times I forget I'm talking to a 15-year old...but she showed her age when she started talking about playing Guitar Hero with her friends the Jonas Brothers.

As for the movie, here's what you probably don't know. We rarely get to actually see the premiere's because we have to write and edit our story. But judging by the reaction of those who saw it (mostly 7-10 yr olds) it was a big success.

The movie hits theatres February 1st but will only run for a week. Some parents are upset about that, because like her concerts, tickets for the movie are tough to come by.

I've included some pictures from the red carpet and behind the scenes with two of the best videographers in the business, Kevin Horton and Kim Gardiner. Hope you enjoy!

JY

Ready or not, American Idol is back! Back-to-back 2-hour episodes Tuesday and Wednesday night on Fox-11.

Now, I know many are saying "who cares"? But come on, someone is watching, because my guess is the ratings will be huge again.

In my package Monday night, Executive Producer Ken Warwick said there is a lot more talent on display this year. We'll see if that's the case. Usually the first few shows are chock full of William Hung-types making fools of themselves (I love those types!).

I know I'll be watching. In fact, I'll be watching with a bunch of UCLA students to see what they think of the new season.

So do me a favor. Watch the first couple of episodes and tell me what you think. Is it more of the same, or even better than ever?

Gotta run to UCLA. Happy watching!

JY